His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

However, Mu Yuan seemed not to notice the look Qin Hongxiu was giving him.

At this moment, Feng Zhong said with a gentle expression:

"It's rare to see such a wise and understanding commander. To be honest, I was quite worried that I would be scolded by the commander for acting on my own."

Feng Zhong's words sounded somewhat humble, and coupled with his gentle expression, there was absolutely no problem with him.

But upon closer listening, one can detect a subtle, almost imperceptible, provocative undertone in the words.

These few words made Mu Yuan realize that Feng Zhong was far more shrewd and experienced than Governor Ma Chengwu, far surpassing Ma Chengwu in both cunning and shrewdness.

It's no wonder the imperial court sent this person to the Western Army.

Knowing that the other party was a treacherous and cunning person, Mu Yuan pondered how to investigate Feng Zhong's character.

Only by mastering these can you succeed.

Next, we'll deal with Feng Zhong.

"Vice Commander Feng, how many troops do you plan to expand?" Mu Yuan asked.

Feng Zhong did not rush to respond, but secretly observed Mu Yuan, seemingly wanting to make further considerations based on Mu Yuan's expression.

However, Mu Yuan maintained a calm demeanor throughout, with no significant emotional fluctuations in his eyes.

This left Feng Zhong unable to fathom Mu Yuan's thoughts for a moment.

Think about it.

He decided to retreat in order to advance.

"How much do you think is appropriate, General?" Feng Zhong dared not give the number rashly, lest Mu Yuan seize upon it as a pretext.

After all, he was a newcomer and had no foundation in the Western Army. If he said or did something wrong, it would be magnified by the officers within the Western Army.

This is not conducive to his advancement in the Western Army.

Mu Yuan was also somewhat surprised, secretly thinking that Feng Zhong was quite capable.

She appears to be asking for his opinion and showing respect, but in reality, she is afraid of saying the wrong thing, so she turns around and throws the hot potato into his hands, thus avoiding any trouble.

"Vice Commander Feng, expanding the troop strength is naturally the better," Mu Yuan said with a smile.

Qin Hongxiu, who was standing nearby, wanted to say something when she heard Mu Yuan's words, but because Feng Zhong was present, she could only swallow her words.

Feng Zhong's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying:

"I never imagined that the Commander-in-Chief would be so magnanimous. I admire him."

Mu Yuan didn't say anything more, but just smiled and nodded in response.

Seeing the two chatting happily, Qin Hongxia's face clearly showed displeasure.

Little did they know that their conversation was fraught with traps; one was secretly digging a pit, and the other was secretly filling it in, both engaged in a verbal battle.

After speaking with Feng Zhong, Mu Yuan walked to the recruitment area, scanned the young men who had come to enlist, and said loudly:

"Gentlemen, do you truly wish to join the Western Army?"

The voice just fell.

The men nodded in agreement, responding in various ways.

The Western Army was renowned in the southwest, and many people dreamed of joining it, making a name for themselves, and being granted titles and honors, thus escaping their commoner status.

"It seems everyone is very interested." Mu Yuan's eyes were full of satisfaction.

Not far away.

Feng Zhong was extremely puzzled by Mu Yuan's actions.

Of course, Qin Hongxiu shared the same idea as him.

She also looked puzzled.

I have absolutely no idea what Mu Yuan is trying to do.

"For this expansion, you should all thank the newly appointed Deputy Commander Feng Zhong. From today onwards, everyone who joins the Western Army must remember Deputy Commander Feng's kindness and never forget your roots!"

Mu Yuan raised his hand and pointed to Feng Zhong not far away, praising him in front of everyone.

The men who had come to enlist looked in the direction Mu Yuan pointed, and many of them bowed and clasped their hands in gratitude to Feng Zhong.

Feng Zhong bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to so many people.

Even if he looked down on these civilians, he had to pretend to love his soldiers like his own children in public and raise his right hand in response.

At that moment, Feng Zhong, busy responding, was completely unaware that Mu Yuan had a meaningful smile on his face.

Qin Hongxiu couldn't stand Mu Yuan's actions of promoting Feng Zhong any longer, so she quickly walked over, stood close to him, and whispered her dissatisfaction:

"He's clearly building up his own power. You're not only not stopping him, but you're also cheering him on!"

Mu Yuan simply smiled and remained silent in the face of Qin Hongxiu's dissatisfaction and questions.

Seeing his reaction, Qin Hongxiu turned and left in anger.

In just one day, news of Feng Zhong's expansion of his forces spread throughout the entire army, sparking much discussion. What brought this matter to a head was Mu Yuan's initiative to promote Feng Zhong.

During this process, Mu Yuan also said a lot of good things about Feng Zhong.

It indirectly helped the other party enhance their prestige.

For this matter.

The Western Army was in an uproar.

Throughout the military, people were not only greatly puzzled by Mu Yuan's actions, but some were even quite angry.

Despite the fact that Feng Zhong was sent by the imperial court to share power, Mu Yuan, as the commander-in-chief, not only showed no sense of crisis but also helped Feng Zhong in various ways.

Isn't this undermining our own prestige and boosting theirs?

"In my opinion, our commander-in-chief lacks backbone. His eagerness to help Feng Zhong is a pretext to curry favor with the court!"

"The Mu family has been commanders of the Western Army for generations, each one a man of unwavering integrity. I never expected our commander to be so cowardly!"

"Now the Mu family only has the Marshal left as a male heir. If he makes one wrong move, the Mu family line will end. So what he did is understandable."

Privately, some soldiers felt ashamed and indignant about Mu Yuan's actions, while others expressed understanding.

In a short time.

Various opinions arose within the military.

late at night.

Mu Yuan was focused on reviewing various documents and handling military affairs with all his heart.

Even when Qin Hongxiu walked in, she didn't notice.

"You still have the mind to handle military affairs?"

Qin Hongxiu stood to the side for a long time. Seeing that Mu Yuan didn't even look up, she had no choice but to speak up to attract Mu Yuan's attention.

Mu Yuan suddenly raised his head and looked at Qin Hongxiu, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes:

"What? Has something happened in the military?"

Qin Hongxiu rolled her eyes at him and said, "The military affairs you should be dealing with now are the serious consequences of your actions during the day, which were intended to intimidate Feng Zhong, not other trivial matters in the military!"

"Oh?" Mu Yuan smiled faintly. "How did I cause such serious consequences?"

"Now, many soldiers in the entire Western Army feel ashamed and angry because you helped Feng Zhong during the day. Isn't that serious enough?" Qin Hongxia said angrily.

Unexpectedly, Mu Yuan showed no panic upon hearing this, but calmly replied:

"As long as there's no upheaval, it's not considered serious."

He acted as if it were none of his business, which made Qin Hongxiu's pretty face turn red with anger, and her chest heaved.

"What are you thinking? I understand you less and less."

"If you don't understand, go and rest early." Mu Yuan glanced at Qin Hongxiu, then continued to bury himself in military affairs, no longer speaking to her.

Qin Hongxiu stood there, stunned. At this moment, Mu Yuan seemed like a complete stranger to her.