Lord of the Desert

Chapter 552 Ordering Troops
The next day, afternoon.

The town's garrison headquarters, a side courtyard.

The guards, wrapped in fur coats, stood watch under the eaves, behind them a two-story pavilion made of red bricks and pine wood—its exterior walls inlaid with ice blue, standing silently amidst the vast, deep snow that covered the entire city.

In the main hall on the first floor, a red copper charcoal stove stands in stark contrast to the cold winter through multicolored glazed tiles.

"Captain, please take a look. This wild ginseng is truly of the highest quality!"

Suo Chengzhou held the box with both hands, presenting it to the audience with the eagerness of someone offering a treasure.

"First look at this slender, naturally curved reed head, which is indeed a piled flower reed; then look at this spirit body, which has iron wire patterns and pearl dots. Ah, it is truly 'beautiful in all five aspects and harmonious in all six aspects'!"

As he spoke, he took out a wild ginseng and, under the watchful eyes of Yang Haorang and Guo Han, placed the entire plant into the teapot.

The sound of boiling water is clear.

Even after being boiled for a short time, the rich aroma of ginseng, slightly bitter yet with a sweet aftertaste, already filled the room.

"Ah, if it weren't for your presence, Lord Suo wouldn't have been able to bleed so much. This is the king of delicacies from the northern mountains; Commander Hong must try it!"

Guo Han laughed heartily and offered to pour tea for him.

But Hong Fan neither raised his glass nor joined in the conversation.

The charcoal in the copper stove was burning, and the water in the porcelain kettle was still boiling.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold.

"There are some unpleasant things to discuss, but we can drink tea after we've finished talking."

Hong Fan glanced at the three of them, his eyes filled with a chilling coldness like the snow outside the window.

Suo Chengzhou couldn't believe that the young man in front of him was so disrespectful. He suppressed his anger and slammed his teacup down.

A crisp, clanging sound rang out.

"Captain Hong, please speak."

He placed his hands on the chair and straightened his back.

"I'm sure you three know why I've come."

Hong Fan looked directly into Yang Haorang and Guo Han's eyes.

“Hong is the chief military officer of the entire city of Fengsui, in charge of the city defense department, but in the four days since he entered the city, the Pijian Battalion, Zhirui Battalion, and Wuhui Battalion have not reported to me.”

"Why?"

Now that the matter was out in the open, Yang and Guo were speechless.

"Captain Hong, I know your great name and respect your glorious military achievements. You have led your army from afar, and we sincerely wish to keep to ourselves and not interfere with each other."

Suo Chengzhou took over the conversation but did not answer directly.

"It doesn't matter whether I've committed a crime or not; I'm just fulfilling my duties since I'm in that position."

Hong Fan said.

What do you want to do?

Suo Chengzhou patiently tried to smooth things over.

"Defend the city well, win the battle, curb the arrogance of the giant spirit, develop people's livelihood, and seek some real benefits for the northern frontier."

Hong Fan's words sounded empty and meaningless.

"These are all excellent things, and we are willing to work together with the Red Sand Army."

Suo Chengzhou forced a smile.

"So good."

Hong Fan glanced at him, unmoved.

"However, the entire army under the command of the two commanders is within my jurisdiction, and I cannot concede."

At this point in the negotiations, Yang Haorang felt extremely uneasy.

"The captain's Red Sand Army was formed in Liangzhou, while the two commanders and their three battalions are from the northern frontier; wouldn't it be better if we each managed our own affairs and cooperated with each other?"

Suo Chengzhou poured out the cooled tea in front of Hong Fan and gave him a fresh cup.

But this is all in vain.

"If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper; if the words are not proper, the matter will not be accomplished. If they succeed, it is my credit; if they fail, it is my fault. I cannot ignore it."

Hong Fan shook his head firmly.

Suo Chengzhou took a deep breath, his face turning completely cold: "Captain Hong, the Northern Frontier is not Liangzhou. The Zhenbei Guard has its own way of doing things."

“I’m afraid that my position as garrison commander does not represent the Zhenbei Guard.”

“Captain Hong, let me be frank. This is not only my intention, nor the intention of Fengsui City, but also the intention of the Left Guard General’s Mansion.”

"I have not yet had the honor of paying homage to the Left Guard General, but the Red Sand Army's northward march is the will of the imperial court, the will of the Great Hua..."

After several heated exchanges, the room fell completely silent. Then, with a gulp, Guo Han, whose mouth was dry, couldn't help but swallow half a mouthful of saliva.

Hong Fan's patience ran out, and he suddenly stood up.

"Three days from now, at 9:00 AM, I will be mustering troops at the drill ground. You two, along with all your officers and soldiers, must be present, and bring the roster with you."

He looked down at Suo Chengzhou and gave orders directly to the two commanders.

“You all heard that.”

Hong Fan uttered his last words and pushed open the door to leave.

There were no threats, no sneers.

There were no harsh words like "military law is merciless" or "don't say you weren't warned," no room for compromise, only a cold and resolute determination.

A few breaths later, the sound of footsteps was completely covered by the wind and snow.

Suo Chengzhou's trusted guard, who had been waiting outside, pushed open the door and entered.

"Is the master alright? Did something happen just now...?"

He carefully examined the three people inside the room, his face filled with worry and anxiety.

"Making a mountain out of a molehill, what kind of behavior is this?!"

Suo Chengzhou shouted and cursed as if venting his anger.

"Your subordinate... sigh, sir, why don't you come out and take a look?"

The guard bowed his head and reported.

Seeing his serious expression, the three of them went out to see for themselves. They found the entire pavilion standing bare in its natural state, from the tiles to the walls, from the doors to the windows. The snow and icicles that had been repeatedly piled up on it by the frost had all been evaporated cleanly at some point.

Although two celestial beings were sitting inside, seemingly in communion with each other, they hadn't noticed any change in temperature during their long conversation.

"Well done, Blazing Star. Ha, you can do two things at once..."

Suo Chengzhou stood silently for a long time, trying to laugh, but after a long time he couldn't laugh at all. All that could be heard was the dull, clattering sound of his molars clashing together.

"That's great, that's great! It saves us the trouble of cleaning."

He waved away the guards and gestured with his eyes for the two officers to return to their rooms.

Guo Han slammed the door shut with a loud bang, making the sound of the door closing.

The stove fire had been kept burning, and the ginseng in the teapot had somehow become mushy.

"Should we go to the troop review in three days, garrison commander?"

Yang Haorang sat down with him, loosened his collar, and downed two cups of ginseng tea in quick succession before asking directly.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Of course I'm not going!"

Suo Chengzhou's eyes widened.

"Wouldn't that mean they'd be locked in a direct confrontation?"

Yang Haorang's words carried a hint of worry.

"Now he's the one taking the initiative to challenge us!"

Suo Chengzhou frowned.

"If you go, you will be obeying his orders and acknowledging that he can be the master of the entire army in Fengsui City. When the time comes, the banners will flutter and the drums will beat on the drill ground. When Hong Fan orders the roster and accounts to be presented from the general's platform, will you be able to resist handing them over?"

He didn't say anything, but his gaze clearly condemned stupidity.

Yang Haorang looked away, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Hong Fan is new here. Do you really think he would dare to do anything?"

Suo Chengzhou paced back and forth, sneering.

“If this person who comes is a complete brute or a fool, I will not advise you to stand up to him. But Hong Fan is not only not a fool, but also an exceptionally intelligent man.”

He knew that the two of them were already on the verge of collapse under pressure, so he tried to soften his tone.

"The captain is subject to the garrison's control, and Fengsui City needs the support of Zhenbeiwei to survive. If he takes a trivial matter as an order to deal with you, he will be breaking ties with the Left Guard General's Mansion and even the entire Zhenbeiwei. After that, the Red Sand Army will not see a smiling face or find a single friend in the northern frontier!"

“Hong Fan is a man of great ambition; he is not just here to guard the border and waste his life. We are absolutely certain that he is not just trying to scare you.”

Suo Chengzhou spoke with absolute certainty.

After listening to this, Guo Han pondered for a while and felt that his benefactor's words were true. His confidence increased, and he nodded repeatedly.

"how?"

Upon seeing this, Suo Chengzhou glanced sideways at the third person inside the room.

Yang Haorang could only nod.

(End of this chapter)