Chapter 225: Chapter 153: Top-notch Peak
Translator: 549690339
On one side, Lu Yuan was immersed in hard work and preparations, aiming for a major success in his martial arts, while looking forward to feasting on the rewards.
On the other side, the memorandum he had submitted more than half a month ago finally received a response.
It was the end of the second month of the fifth year of Hongdao Era.
A weary Sun Siwen, accompanied by several dozen followers, arrived at the military barracks just outside the Fu City of Luyang.
“Initially, I had no doubt that Brother Lu could quell the Seven Star Sect rebellion. But I had assumed it would take at least several months or even half a year.
Yet within just two months, Brother Lu has repeatedly defeated the rebels, annihilating tens of thousands of enemies, and cornering the bandits within the Lu Yang City.
It seems I still underestimated Brother Lu.”
Upon meeting Lu Yuan, this good friend expressed his admiration and amazement.
Lu Yuan felt proud and happy, but still humbly said: “This time, it was just a stroke of luck. Those Seven Star Sect bandits are all about the Jianghu style, so they may be fine for martial arts duels and confrontations.
But when these bandits go to war, they still exhibit a Jianghu brashness. Their ranks are loose, they are not familiar with formations, and they all love to fight single-handedly, no different from ordinary bandits.
To break them, it is quite simple.”
In fact, if the Seven Star Sect rebel forces had been even slightly better organized and understood a little more about military strategies, Lu Yuan would not have won so easily.
After all, he knew his own level of military leadership best.
He had a clear self-positioning.
His ability to command troops in combat was average at best, and might even be considered unqualified. His only advantage was that the soldiers he trained under him were quite strong, with most of their abilities meeting the standard of a battle-hardened soldier.
Yet, even as an unqualified commander leading a qualified army, he managed to break through the defenses of the Seven Star Sect rebels, who were carefully guarding their camp, within half a month, driving them all the way back to Lu Yang City.
Even the Linwu County, which was supposed to be the old nest of the Seven Star Sect, was easily taken by Lu Yuan.
By now, even the Fu City of Luyang was barely defensible.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine how competent these rebels were.
“Regardless of the incompetence of the bandits, the fact that you have saved Hengyang Prefecture from danger, recaptured Luyang Prefecture and annihilated thirty thousand enemy forces should not be overlooked.”
Sun Siwen shook his head with a grin, and then looked at Lu Yuan, saying with emotion, “This time, I was able to be promoted to the position of Prefect, and it was all thanks to your help, Brother Lu. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for me to rise from the humble rank of a military aide all the way up to this position, even in ten years.
To be friends with Brother Lu in this life is truly my good fortune.”
Carefully considering it, Sun Siwen’s promotions were, for the most part, due to Lu Yuan’s assistance.
From his promotion to county magistrate in Wugang County, to being promoted from a magistrate to an aide, and now from aide to prefect, all of these accomplishments were inseparable from Lu Yuan’s contributions.
One could say that Scholar Sun was practically carried by his good friend all the way from their humble beginnings.
“Brother Sun, you’re being too modest. I couldn’t have reached my current position without your help either.” Seeing Sun Siwen belittling himself, Lu Yuan quickly came to his consolation. “Furthermore, it is my great fortune to be friends with you.”
He was sincere in his words.
Without Sun Siwen’s recommendation for the position of County Captain at the beginning, how could someone like Lu Yuan have ever considered entering the government to serve as an official?
Moreover, without being an official, how could he have risen through the ranks to his current position as a fourth-grade military officer, commanding tens of thousands of troops, only by virtue of his combat merits?
Without this position and these troops, it wouldn’t have been easy for Lu Yuan to find the money to buy Rejuvenation Pills or to find a way to buy medicinal herbs.
Not to mention that now, with tens of thousands of troops at his command, he could break the Seven Star Sect and plunder their treasures.
All of these were interconnected.
Even without mentioning these.
Just considering Sun Siwen’s help in teaching Lu Yuan how to write and giving him the jade piece, it already had an immeasurable impact on Lu Yuan’s progress.
In all these years, he had been able to advance his cultivation so quickly, not only thanks to a series of fortuitous encounters but also the jade piece’s ability to refine Inner Strength.
Moreover, there was still the unknown immortal connection hidden within the jade piece.
Just based on the above points, Sun Siwen was already a lifelong friend of Lu
Yuan.
Now that he had prospered, it was only right for him to lend his friend a helping hand.
“Brother Lu is right; I was belittling myself.”
After being talked to by his friend, Sun Siwen immediately admitted his mistake and, regaining his composure, began to discuss serious matters. “Now that I have taken the office of Lu Yang Prefect, there is a clear directive in the county that my primary responsibility in my position is to assist Brother Lu in putting down the rebellion of the Seven Star Sect, as well as stabilizing the local area and eliminating the remnants of the enemy forces.
On my way here, I also learned about the situation in this area.
Out of the ten counties in the entire Luyang Prefecture, only a single Pingyang County has a county magistrate recommended by you, Brother Lu, in addition to the Luyang County, which remains in the hands of the bandits.
The remaining eight counties lack local government, and now the entire area relies on the military for supervision.
I dare to ask Brother Lu, do you have any arrangements for these eight counties?”
As Da Yue gradually declined, its influence on the local areas also weakened day by day.
This was especially true in places like the Dongting Prefecture.
With the earlier decree issued by the court that local areas should raise their own militias to fight against the rebels, it is brazenly hinted and encouraged the military leaders in the peaceful regions to step forward, fight against the bandits, and become warlords.
Such an atmosphere led to the situation in Dongting Prefecture where the military leaders who managed to seize control of territories from the rebels could have complete control over those lands as long as, nominally, they continued to abide by the court’s rules and pay taxes to the court.
This is also why, after Lu Yuan initially defeated the Seven Star Sect rebels and advanced into Yang Prefecture, the local magnates who subsequently withdrew their allegiance to the rebels refused to surrender the county towns in their possession..