Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey
Chapter 47: Fear

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Fear

When Chief Historian Chen was mentioned, County Magistrate Cai finally put down the teacup in his hand.

The Commandery Princess is just a young woman, easy to deceive. But Chen Zhuo has served as the Prince Mansion Chief Historian for thirty years, holding significant weight in the Nanyang County officialdom. After Prince Nanyang’s death this year, it was Chief Historian Chen who was in charge of managing the affairs at the mansion.

The steward eagerly watched his master, waiting for a while before finally hearing a sentence: "Prepare the pen and ink. I will personally write a letter to Chief Historian Chen to explain a thing or two."

Steward: "..."

Is that all?

No need to prepare generous gifts?

That’s too presumptuous!

The steward wanted to persuade further, but County Magistrate Cai impatiently waved his hand: "You may retreat first! I’ve been busy all day, and it’s rare to have the leisure to enjoy some tea. I’ll go to the study later."

The steward was also disheartened.

Faced with such a master, what else could he do? Oh well, he had fulfilled his duty as a steward; if County Magistrate Cai insisted on courting disaster, no one could help him.

As expected, news came two days later.

The Commandery Princess personally led a thousand elite soldiers into the domain of Li County, heading straight towards the direction of the bandit’s lair in the mountains.

Cough cough cough!

County Magistrate Cai was choked by the hot tea in his mouth, coughing several times, his face flushing red: "What—what did you say? The Commandery Princess has come to suppress the bandits with troops?"

The steward, with a bitter face, confirmed: "Yes, a thousand men and two thousand horses, in a mighty display, with no intention of avoiding the public eye. They entered Li County’s territory and went straight to Black Pine Mountain. Furthermore, Chief Historian Chen also personally came to Li County, and is on the way, about a day or two from reaching the county government. My lord must prepare in advance and consider how to respond to Chief Historian Chen’s questioning... My lord!"

County Magistrate Cai’s eyes went dark, his body swaying unsteadily.

The steward, quick on his feet, supported the staggering County Magistrate Cai.

County Magistrate Cai took several deep breaths, unable to recover for a moment. He tightly gripped the steward’s arm: "The Commandery Princess is only ten years old, just a little girl. How could she dare to personally lead troops to Li County to suppress bandits?"

The steward sighed: "From this, we can see that the Commandery Princess is not someone to be trifled with. My lord must handle this carefully. Otherwise, this official’s hat will likely be unprotected."

No matter how young the Commandery Princess is, she is still the ruler of Nanyang County. The appointment and removal of all officials in Nanyang County depend on the Commandery Princess’s will. With just one word, she could send County Magistrate Cai back to his hometown.

County Magistrate Cai finally knew fear.

Unfortunately, it was already too late! The Commandery Princess led a thousand elite soldiers and generals straight to Black Pine Mountain, without even stopping by the county government, showing her great anger.

County Magistrate Cai, in a state of panic, clasped hands trembling uncontrollably: "What should we do now?"

If he had listened and personally went to the Prince Mansion to apologize, to appease the anger of the Commandery Princess and Chief Historian Chen, he wouldn’t be feeling guilty and fearful now.

While internally raging and venting his grievances, the steward couldn’t show it on his face and had to rack his brains to think of a way to navigate for his master: "The Commandery Princess personally leading troops to suppress bandits is something the lord cannot pretend not to know. Send all the local government officials from the county government to guide the army."

Make amends by merit!

County Magistrate Cai hadn’t lost his mind completely, immediately saying: "Don’t leave even one official behind; send them all to serve the Commandery Princess. You go too! Apologize to the Commandery Princess on my behalf!"

Steward: "..."

...

Ten miles outside Black Pine Mountain, a thousand personal soldiers had already begun setting up camp.

Establishing camp during a military campaign is of great importance. Qin Zhan was skilled in warfare but lacked in choosing camp locations and setting up camp. He did not contest for credit and directly recommended Liu Hengchang in front of the Commandery Princess, who consented without a word.

Liu Hengchang lamented once more in his heart, "Meeting a wise lord, but alas, the wise lord is a woman," showing nothing on his face, and after receiving his orders, led his men to chop wood and build the camp.

Song Yuan and Qin Hu, along with the two hundred trusted aides, remained still. Their duty was to ensure the safety of the Commandery Princess. Regardless of time or place, they guarded the Commandery Princess’s side.

At this moment, Jiang Shaohua was not idle either, gently inquiring the youthful and delicate-looking Divine Archer Xiao Tian: "Out of your group of ten, why did only you and Tao Dalang return?"

Xiao Tian respectfully replied: "To report to the Commandery Princess, our ten men split into five teams, with two men per team exploring the mountain paths. Communication in the forest is difficult, and we agreed to meet at dusk. Tao Da and I calculated the army’s marching speed and came ahead to meet them. The rest will not descend from the mountain until evening."

In truth, Xiao Tian was not considered short among his peers. However, Tao Da was so tall and robust, standing there like an iron tower, making Xiao Tian appear particularly frail and slight.

Tao Da, being inarticulate, was a simple-minded fellow, well-suited to pair with Xiao Tian. While Xiao Tian briskly reported the scouting situation, Tao Da nodded his head on the side.

After listening, Jiang Shaohua dismissed Xiao Tian and Tao Da to rest before summoning Song Yuan and Qin Zhan to discuss strategies for suppressing the bandits.

Liu Hengchang was also called over.

In the temporarily erected tent, Jiang Shaohua tapped a simple route drawn by Xiao Tian: "The general location of the bandit’s camp is here, with the gate large and sturdy. The specific situation still requires further investigation."

Song Yuan continued the conversation: "The logistics and supply camp are still on the road, so it’s the perfect time to explore the terrain thoroughly in the next couple of days."

Qin Zhan said, "During these two days, I’ll lead some men to hunt in the forest, providing a treat for everyone. Eating dry biscuits and drinking cold water for days on end leaves even the sturdiest men weak."

Jiang Shaohua agreed: "Stirring up movement will certainly alarm the bandits, and if they cause a commotion, we might just capture a couple of them alive."

Qin Zhan immediately perked up, gripping his fists into large balls that cracked noisily: "Just leave that to me."

At this moment, there was movement outside the tent.

"Reporting to the Commandery Princess, County Magistrate Cai sent the steward and government officials to serve at your command."

Song Yuan snorted coldly: "He has the nerve. I’ll go see to it that they’re sent away."

"Since they’re here, let them stay," Jiang Shaohua said indifferently: "Most of the government officials are from Li County; send them into the mountains to scout. Let that steward come in. I have something to ask."

Song Yuan acknowledged with a sound, then turned to instruct Qin Hu.

Qin Hu swiftly went to deliver the message.

The government officials, panting after a two-hour journey, were divided into teams of five, each given a bamboo whistle for communication and sent into the mountains with crestfallen faces.

The steward entered the tent, trembling with fear, not daring to look up, and knelt down with a thud: "This humble servant, Cai Ye, greets the Commandery Princess."

The name is rather interesting.

Steward Cai was thin, dark, and emaciated, with two goatee-like strands, resembling a black goat.

Jiang Shaohua raised an eyebrow, casually inquiring: "You also bear the surname Cai. Are you by chance related to County Magistrate Cai?"

Steward Cai replied with his head lowered: "This humble servant is a distant relative of County Magistrate Cai. I passed the scholar’s examination at sixteen, never succeeding in the following years, my family’s means unable to continue supporting my studies. This humble servant then sought refuge with Lord Cai and became the steward at the Li County government."

To attain the status of a scholar at sixteen, he was considered exceptionally talented in studies.

Unfortunately, his family was poor, and his appearance unfavorable. Given Da Liang’s officialdom’s superficial standards, even if he entered the bureaucratic circle, his prospects were dim.

Jiang Shaohua cast a glance: "County Magistrate Cai didn’t come himself; what are you here for?"