Within the Imperial Capital, inside the solemn and quiet Imperial Study.
Emperor Zhu Youjian sat once again behind his desk, buried in a mountain of memorials. In the eyes of many, he seemed to do nothing else—day after day, year after year—except read documents and issue decrees. Yet it was precisely this unrelenting diligence that had carved such deep exhaustion into his body.
His shoulders were perpetually hunched. Wrinkles furrowed his face like dry riverbeds, and anxiety lingered in his eyes, never quite fading. All of it bore silent witness to how desperately he struggled to hold together this vast, crumbling empire.
He picked up another memorial.
It was submitted by Lian Guoshi, the newly appointed Governor of Shaanxi.
Zhu Youjian's expression tightened as he read.
Bandits were raging through Shangzhou.
The Prefect had been killed.
The commander of Wuguan Pass had fled in panic.
Only at the very end did the situation turn.
Former Brigadier-General Luo Xi, leading his personal guards along with locally recruited militia, had managed to seize Wuguan Pass and block the bandits from entering Shaanxi.
"Hm?"
A faint sound of surprise escaped Zhu Youjian's throat. He leaned closer and reread the memorial carefully.
Lian Guoshi's report was written with unusual precision. He detailed how Luo Xi, commanding barely two thousand militia, had stood firm at Wuguan Pass. The men fought with crudely made Three-Eyed Arquebuses, hunting bows hastily strung together, and whatever weapons they could scrape up.
When the bandits charged the pass, logs and massive stones were hurled down from above. Militia soldiers stabbed downward with bamboo spears, fighting at arm's length. Casualties were severe on both sides, but Wuguan Pass itself was naturally treacherous terrain—easy to defend, hard to assault.
In the end, despite suffering heavy losses, the defenders held.
A rare surge of joy rose in Zhu Youjian's chest.
He lightly flicked the memorial with his fingers and said slowly, "Lian Guoshi truly lives up to his family's reputation. Eight generations of service, loyal to the throne and devoted to the nation. His memorials are always solid—no exaggeration, no nonsense."
Cao Huachun nodded quickly. "Indeed, Your Majesty. Among all provincial officials, Lian Guoshi's reports are the most reliable. He is a man who truly gets things done."
Zhu Youjian tapped the desk. "This Luo Xi—why is he called a former Brigadier-General?"
Cao Huachun smiled awkwardly. "Your Majesty… you stripped him of his rank previously. He was punished for falsifying military achievements."
Zhu Youjian paused, then remembered. "Ah. That fellow who padded his battle reports."
He snorted softly. "Still, this time he seems to have performed real service. According to Lian Guoshi, without Luo Xi, Wuguan Pass would already have fallen."
Cao Huachun carefully tested the waters. "Then Your Majesty intends…?"
Zhu Youjian thought for a moment, then spoke decisively. "Since he has redeemed himself through merit, he can still be used. Restore part of his status. Appoint him Commander of Shangzhou."
Thus, Luo Xi was reinstated—though only partially.
Zhu Youjian moved on to the next memorial.
This one bore the name Chen Dajin.
The emperor straightened slightly. Chen Dajin was someone he trusted deeply—an eunuch who had grown up alongside him since childhood, loyal and dependable.
Zhu Youjian opened the memorial at once.
As he read, his expression darkened rapidly.
Chen Dajin reported that while supervising Zuo Liangyu's army in pursuit of the bandits, they had chased them to Yunyang. Beneath the city walls, Vice-Commissioner Xu Jinglin—an officer under the Prefect-Governor Jiang Yunyi—had suddenly opened fire with heavy cannons.
Men and horses were torn apart.
Chen Dajin himself had narrowly avoided being killed by a cannonball, barely escaping with his life—and the chance to ever see His Majesty again. The memorial pleaded for justice.
Because of the shelling, Zuo Liangyu's army suffered significant losses and erupted into a fierce conflict with the Yunyang authorities. The army was now completely unable to continue pursuing the bandits.
Meanwhile, the bandits seized the opportunity. They slipped through hidden mountain paths, rushed into Neixiang, passed through Dengzhou and Xishui, and fled south into Xiangyang of Huguang…
Once again evading imperial suppression.
Zhu Youjian erupted.
"Outrageous!" he roared. "How dare Jiang Yunyi allow his subordinates to bombard my envoy! How dare he sabotage the entire strategy to suppress the bandits!"
Cao Huachun immediately lowered his head, not daring to make a sound.
Zhu Youjian slammed the table. "Strip Jiang Yunyi and Xu Jinglin of their posts! Throw them both into prison! I will deal with these scoundrels personally!"
Cao Huachun hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Then… who will govern Yunyang?"
Zhu Youjian fell silent.
After a moment, a name surfaced in his mind.
This man had achieved great merit suppressing bandits in Hebei—a rare and capable talent.
He nodded to himself. "He would be suitable."
Then Zhu Youjian spoke loudly, "Lu Xiangheng. Appoint Lu Xiangheng as the new Prefect-Governor of Yunyang!"
"Congratulations, General Luo!"
"Our congratulations, General Luo!"
Inside the county yamen of Shangnan County, Luo Xi sat beaming as Zheng Gouzi and the others offered their congratulations.
The official order had just arrived.
Luo Xi, having redeemed himself through meritorious service, was reinstated and appointed Commander of Shangzhou.
Though the position was only fifth rank—far below his former third-rank Brigadier-General post—it was still an official appointment. As long as he had a foothold, he could accumulate merit and climb again.
At last, he could face his elderly father without shame.
At last, he could meet his ancestors in the afterlife without lowering his head.
Luo Xi laughed heartily. "Brother Zheng, Mr. Li—this time, it was entirely thanks to you two! I, Luo Xi, hardly did anything. You fought the bandits, yet handed all the credit to me. Such kindness—I will never forget it! From this day forward, if you need anything, just say the word. I'll go through fire and water for you. If I hesitate even once, I'm not a man!"
Zheng Gouzi laughed. "Then we'll have to rely on General Luo to help revive Shangnan County and the surrounding villages. They've all been devastated by bandits."
Luo Xi's eyes lit up immediately.
He had personally seen Gao Family Village's methods—how ten thousand surrendered bandits were fed with grain and then obediently built their own prison on Tianzhu Mountain, locking themselves inside.
Reviving Shangnan and its countryside…
He understood instantly.
"Mr. Li is going to spend another enormous sum of silver and grain to help the common people, isn't he?" Luo Xi exclaimed. "Ah, Mr. Li—you are truly the most benevolent person I have ever met!"
Li Daoxuan merely smiled, saying nothing.
Zheng Gouzi muttered softly, "He's a deity, not a man."
"What was that?" Luo Xi asked. "Brother Zheng, I didn't quite catch it."
Zheng Gouzi raised his voice at once. "Nothing! I didn't say anything!"
Luo Xi rubbed his hands together, excitement tempered by hesitation. "I truly want to help with this… but I'm only a military official. Everything Mr. Li plans falls under civil administration. If I interfere without authorization, won't the court dismiss me again?"
Zheng Gouzi burst out laughing. "If you get dismissed, then you get dismissed! Worst case, you earn another merit and get reinstated again!"
Luo Xi's face instantly stiffened. "How can you say that so casually?!"
Just then, a guard hurried in. "General Luo, the newly appointed Prefect-Governor of Yunyang has taken office. He is about to arrive in Shangnan County for an inspection."
"Oh?" Luo Xi raised an eyebrow. "Someone actually dares to take office in a place this chaotic? Quite bold."
The guard lowered his voice. "His name is Lu Xiangheng. They say he was extremely fierce suppressing bandits in Hebei. He commands three thousand personal guards, calling themselves the Tianxiong Army. Their combat power is said to be exceptional."
"Three thousand personal guards?" Luo Xi gasped. "That's impressive! This man must be incredibly wealthy!"
At the mention of the name Lu Xiangheng, Li Daoxuan's eyes brightened.
"Oh?" he said softly. "A valuable asset is arriving?"
He chuckled and stepped forward. "If I remember correctly, Lu Xiangheng's Tianxiong Army was formed in the second year of Chongzhen, when the Manchus invaded the passes. He raised them to defend the capital."
He looked at Luo Xi calmly. "General Luo, there's no need to fear him. With us backing you, you also command over two thousand personal guards. Compared to his three thousand… it's not that far apart, is it?"