The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 73 Taking Stock of Accounts
"Someone, prepare a fine meal and wine for this lady, she's hungry!"

At the gate of the yamen, Qi Yan reined in her horse and stopped. The horse's hooves rose high, and she dismounted and walked quickly into the courtyard.

A large group of constables rushed out of the gate to greet him, but they were all taken aback when they saw Qi Yan's appearance and quickly made way for him.

Qi Yan hurried forward, disappearing in an instant.

"General Qi Yan is truly a heroine among women!"

"This murderous aura is making my legs go weak!"

"Stop talking nonsense, wait, what's this? Shan Yunlong's head!"

"what?"

The constables stared wide-eyed, utterly terrified.

...

In Grandpa Fang's courtyard.

Han Qing was teaching a group of teenagers martial arts when he suddenly heard Ma Er's voice coming from outside the door.

"Han Qing, hurry to the Minglu Hall compound, General Qi Yan has returned!"

"Alright, I'll be right there!" Han Qing replied, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of teenagers before him. He said in a deep voice, "If you want to succeed in martial arts, diligence is essential. Go and practice hard!"

"Yes!"

All the young men nodded solemnly; Han Qing's words were now even more effective than those of Master Fang.

He got up and followed Ma Er to the courtyard of Minglu Hall. There was a table in the courtyard with a variety of food on it, including things that fly in the sky, run on the ground, and swim in the water. The aroma was rich and wafted in all directions.

Qi Yan sat on a chair with an air of nonchalance, completely disregarding his image, grabbing pieces of meat and stuffing them into his mouth, his hands covered in oil as he ate.

In front of her, Qi Chong was leading a group of clerks and officials from the yamen to count the stolen goods confiscated from the Luo family.

Qi Yan ate while listening to the report from Huang Heng, the chief clerk next to her.

"Within three days, all the leaders of major forces who were involved with the Luo family and who preyed on the people have been captured. Some who attempted to resist were killed on the spot."

"Because so many people are involved, the prisons are already overcrowded. If we continue the investigation, I'm afraid we won't be able to accommodate everyone," Huang Heng said.

As he reported, he was also amazed at how fast and efficient General Qi Yan's subordinates were.

As expected of soldiers, they kill when they're told to kill, arrest when they're told to arrest, acting swiftly and decisively without any hesitation.

Qi Yan gulped down a large mouthful of wine and swallowed a large piece of chicken from his mouth.

"Kill them if they deserve to be killed. Don't let any of the important leaders go. As for those small fry, register them and let them go for now. If they commit crimes again in the future, they will be punished for multiple crimes, with each crime being punished more severely. Do you think I need to teach you such a small thing? You bunch of good-for-nothings!!"

Qi Yan stared wide-eyed, while Huang Heng nodded repeatedly, sweat beading on his forehead.

This female general does have a rather volatile temper; she'll curse at the slightest provocation. Fortunately, she doesn't have a habit of hitting people, otherwise, given Qi Yan's physique, a single slap from her would probably have killed him half to death.

Suddenly, Qi Yan's gaze swept across the room and noticed Han Qing standing at the courtyard gate. She immediately put on a smiling face, a change so swift that it left everyone speechless.

"Han Qing, come here and eat with me!"

Everyone was astonished. They didn't know the inside story, but they felt that Qi Yan's attitude towards Han Qing was too good, exceeding the scope of appreciation.

Han Qing was still a little uncomfortable with this suddenly appearing older sister, but her wariness had dissipated considerably.

He thought Qi Yan was right. To deal with him, Qi Yan didn't need to use any tricks; she could just slap him to death.

Moreover, after observing him for the past few days, Qi Yan has indeed been very kind and enthusiastic towards him.

"Han Qing, stop dawdling, sit down!" Qi Yan said impatiently, getting up and pulling Han Qing to sit on the chair next to her, smearing oil from her fingers onto his clothes. Han Qing tried to dodge, but Qi Yan was too strong, and he couldn't resist at all, so he had no choice but to sit obediently on the bench.

He didn't hesitate and joined Qi Yan in eating and drinking, drawing envious glances from the people around them.

"Continue!" Qi Yan tapped the table, signaling Huang Heng to continue his report.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the total amount of silver seized from the Luo family this time was 27,500 taels, gold 636 taels, 92 house deeds, 102 land deeds, 599 slave deeds, and 7,600 qing of farmland!"

"Two thousand seven hundred and thirty ordinary weapons, seven sets of chainmail, thirty-three sets of leather armor, two sets of heavy armor, thirteen short bows, three crossbows..."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yan let out a cold laugh.

"Heavy armor and powerful crossbows, nothing else matters. This one crime alone is enough to warrant the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!"

The Great Yu Dynasty prohibited crossbows but not bows, and the private possession of heavy armor was strictly forbidden.

If such a thing is found in the Luo family's treasury, then a death sentence is inevitable.

"I want all these armors and crossbows. The house deeds and land deeds should be rented to the local people, and the rent should not exceed 30%!" Qi Yan made the arrangements in just a few words, clearly she had handled this kind of thing many times before.

"Yes, sir!" Huang Heng and Qi Chong both nodded.

Qi Yan stood up, casually tore a piece of cloth from the clothes of a constable next to her, wiped the oil from the corners of her mouth and hands, and walked towards the Minglu Hall.

"Han Qing, are you full? Come with me!"

"Okay." Han Qing nodded slightly, thinking to himself that his older sister was indeed straightforward and generous, even the way she wiped her mouth was different from others.

He got up and followed Qi Yan to the main hall. Qi Yan turned around, reached out and pinched his hands up and down, and smiled, "Perfected in the three realms of the Dao?"

"Yes." Han Qing nodded.

"What route did you take?" Qi Yan asked.

"Nine Yang Skill, Nine Yin Skill, Jade Void Skill," Han Qing replied.

Qi Yan's eyes lit up: "Not bad, these three martial arts are all extremely difficult. You were able to learn them all and make it through. That's truly remarkable. No wonder you were able to easily crush that old soldier."

Your foundation is so solid that few in the entire Shu region can compare to you.

Among martial artists of the same realm, there are almost none who can defeat you; even my comprehension is inferior to yours.

Han Qing nodded slightly. He was extremely confident. With his three gates broken through the limits, his foundation was so solid that no one in the world, let alone Shu, could compare to him.

"Your mother said in her letter that there is a supreme military strategy in the jade pendant she gave you, the 'Stopping War' Scripture! This method is extremely extraordinary. If you can practice it step by step, you may have the opportunity to become a great sage of military strategy! However, it is also extremely difficult. I wonder if you have mastered the basics?" Qi Yan asked again.

After a moment's thought, Han Qing chose to tell the truth, because he felt that Qi Yan might have the means to detect his cultivation level. If he were to lie and be discovered, it would only make people dislike him.

"I have successfully opened the door to the art of war!"

"Hmm? Impressive. I've heard that this visualization method can condense pure killing intent, and it's difficult for anyone but a genius in military strategy to enter its gate. As expected of Lord Su Jin's child, with such talent, I, your sister, am no match for you. Looking across the Shu region, you can be considered a prodigy." Qi Yan was delighted again.

Han Qing's martial arts talent was much higher than he had expected.

"Remember, the secret of the Zhige Jing must not be revealed to anyone else, otherwise it will inevitably bring disaster," Qi Yan said.

"Alright." Han Qing nodded slightly. He naturally understood the principle that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."

"I'm currently missing a cultivation method for the four realms of the Body Dao," Han Qing added.

"No rush. In a few days, you will come with me to Hengshan City. The treasury is full of advanced martial arts techniques. There is no need to rush." ​​Qi Yan waved his hand. "In the next few days, you can continue to practice the Zhige Jing."

“Okay, but there’s one more thing. I’m worried about my parents if I leave the city. Sister Qi, I’ll have to ask you for help with this.” Han Qing added.

(End of this chapter)