After some time, one of the pirates reported, "Leader, we've already conquered the town. We've taken a lot of money and women. What should we do now?"
"You've conquered the town so quickly? How many casualties have we suffered? Can we still conquer the town? "The leader asked.
"Leader, this town is made up of commoners, and they have spies. If we lose a few people, we can conquer it. However, we don't have any spies in the town. However, we can give it a try. If there's a strong resistance, we can attack somewhere else."
"Alright, let's do it this way." The leader ordered.
The fire raged, and smoke rose up in all directions. The surrounding towns and counties were in a state of panic. They mobilized their troops, and at the same time, sent their horses towards the town.
"Go, go!"
Early in the morning, a horse arrived at the capital. The Governor was sleeping soundly when a butler knocked on his door. Hearing that there was an urgent military report, he put on his robes and walked to the meeting hall. The messenger then reported the report.
The Governor took a look at it, and his face fell. He cursed out, "The pirates have attacked the coast."
"Quick, prepare my official robes. Summon the generals for a meeting!" The Governor ordered.
When Ji Bei Hou arrived at the Governor's Mansion, several officials and generals were discussing the military situation. When they saw Ji Bei Hou, they hurriedly bowed.
Ji Bei Hou nodded his head and entered, before bowing to the Governor. The entire hall, which had been filled with chatter, suddenly became silent. When the Governor saw this, he felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. He could feel the power of Ji Bei Hou, who had worked hard for so many years.
"I'm just a civil official, and can't compare to him. However, I have the Imperial Court, and I have a reputation." The Governor thought to himself.
"Your excellency, this is an urgent matter. I hope that your excellency can make a decision quickly. Let Master Hou lead the troops and take charge of exterminating the pirates." A general pleaded.
At this point, a deputy general named Zhao Han stepped forward and said, "This cannot be done. The pirates are wreaking havoc. Your excellency, the Governor, should personally command the troops and lead Master Hou, as well as many other generals and soldiers to wipe them out. This is the right thing to do."
Ji Bei Hou looked at him coldly, and didn't speak.
The other officials stepped forward and said, "Your excellency, this is how it should be. The pirates have invaded and ravaged many counties. Your excellency needs to wipe them out."
"That's settled then. I shall personally command the troops. Tomorrow morning, we shall set off. However, tonight, we have to issue an order to mobilize the troops." The Governor had also studied the art of war, and was a little flustered by the sudden situation. However, after a while, he calmed down and issued orders.
The Governor pondered for some time before turning his head, "For this attack, I shall mobilize two of the Prefecture Guards, leaving one behind. At the same time, I shall order the navy to attack. Where is General Chen? Go back and prepare the navy. We shall set off early in the morning!"
"Yes, Governor, I will go and prepare immediately." General Chen of the navy put on his armor and stepped forward to receive the military order before leaving.
"Men, I want to draft a memorial. I want to report an urgent military situation." The Governor instructed, "This time, we have to mobilize our troops and prepare for the pirates' rebellion. At the same time, we have to report this matter to the imperial court."
"Tomorrow, all the generals shall gather and head out to exterminate the pirates. We must fight a good battle." The Governor spoke out loudly.
"Yes, sir." The generals all stepped forward to receive the order.
Ji Bei Hou watched on coldly and didn't speak. When he returned to Hou Mansion and entered his study room, he laughed out loud and muttered to himself, "Hm, a mere scholar can lead troops?"
"The mere fact that someone in our army reported your whereabouts would render you useless or even frustrated."
"To be able to win under such circumstances, you must be a god of war."
"After suffering a defeat, the imperial court had no choice but to use me. My plan has finally succeeded. It's just that this Zhao Han has forgotten the favor I gave him years ago. He has pledged his allegiance to the Governor and even dared to ruin my plans. He deserves to die."
Ji Bei Hou paced around the room, feeling a little unhappy, "Men, invite Mister Shen here. I want to treat Mister Shen to a drink."
"Yes, Master Hou." An imperial guard outside replied.
After some time, someone brought in some food and wine and placed it on the table. Shen Zhi then walked in and said, "Greetings to Master Hou. Calling me up at this time, does it mean that the plan has succeeded?"
Shen Zhi leaned forward and asked.
Ji Bei Hou gulped down a cup of wine and said, "Refreshing. It's like this. Tonight, when the pirates attacked the prefectures, there was an order to summon them. Although I had planned this out, Zhao Han had angered me. Han Wu was fine, but this Zhao Han was groomed by me. How dare he rebel against me?"
"What do you think I should do?" Ji Bei Hou paused for some time before looking at Shen Zhi and asked.
Shen Zhi leisurely picked up a cup of wine and drank it. After thinking for some time, he laughed, "If it were Han Wu, I wouldn't be able to do anything. But this Zhao Han, killing him wouldn't be too difficult."
"Oh, what's the plan?" Ji Bei Hou's eyes lit up.
"This is the first time the Governor has gone on an expedition, and his reputation is very important. Zhao Han was groomed by Master Hou and is part of your army. Although he rebelled against you, his subordinates might not."
"If one of them poisoned his horse, causing it to be unable to arrive at the camp on time tomorrow, should the Governor kill him or not? If we kill him, we'll disappoint the general. If we don't kill him, we'll break military discipline. "
"What a good plan." When Ji Bei Hou heard this plan, his eyes lit up as he laughed.
"Today, I wanted to temporarily control the army. Who would've thought that Zhao Han would ruin my plans. Let's arrange it this way. Send him to hell."
Hearing Ji Bei Hou's order, Shen Zhi stood up and bowed, "Yes, Master Hou."
The next day
The Governor looked around carefully. Every half an arrow's length, there were soldiers standing guard. They had swords at their waists, and were looking straight ahead. When they reached the entrance of the camp, the atmosphere was very solemn. A huge flag was hung high up in the sky, and a military academy was standing guard around it.
"For such elite soldiers to remain in the hands of a Hou for too long, it would not be a good thing for the country." The Governor thought to himself, and was even more determined to seize power. At this point, Ji Bei Hou walked out in big strides, and bowed to the Governor without saying a word.
"Summon all the generals in!" The Governor ordered plainly. The military academy acknowledged the order and stood up. Just then, someone beat the drum, and the main door opened.
"This general pays his respects to the Governor, Master Hou!" One by one, the generals paid their respects to the Governor. There were about 40 of them. As the sun rose, it was already past the appointed time. Almost all the generals had arrived. The Governor swept his gaze across the crowd and frowned. The number of people wasn't right. One was missing.
He then asked around, "Which general hasn't arrived yet?"
Someone replied, "Your excellency, General Zhao Han hasn't arrived yet."
From afar, a man was running towards the Governor with a sword in hand. When he reached the scene, he knelt down and begged for forgiveness, "Governor your excellency, I don't know why the horses were so agitated today. The moment they left the city, they left me far behind. I could only rush here at full speed. I hope your excellency will forgive me, and allow me to kill the enemy to atone for my sins."
At this point, Ji Bei Hou cleared his throat, "When leading an army to war, any general who is late deserves to die. If I were the one leading the army, I would've killed him long ago."
Hearing Ji Bei Hou's words, Zhao Han's face turned pale, and his entire body turned cold. He then stepped forward and said, "Master Hou, I did have my reasons."
The leader of the law enforcement team behind the Governor approached the Governor and whispered, "Your excellency, if we delay any longer, there will be changes. The laws of the army cannot be violated. If not, these soldiers will not dare to go to war again. I hope your excellency will be careful."
Hearing these words, the Governor's face turned green. This Zhao Han was his new general. He didn't expect something like this to happen, and his face turned cold.
At this point, the arrow was nocked on the bowstring, and had to be shot. He shouted, "Zhao Han has violated the laws of the army. Kill him."
When Zhao Han heard these words, his face turned green. Two members of the law enforcement team rushed out, one on each side, and dragged Zhao Han to the side. Zhao Han's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he didn't say anything. He was dragged to the side by the law enforcement team, and with a single slash, his head fell off.
The Governor looked at Zhao Han's head, and then looked at Ji Bei Hou. He then turned around and said, "Move out!"
As the Governor set off, pigeons flew out of the capital. The next day, the pirates retreated. By the time the Governor was halfway there, there was news that the pirates had retreated. The Governor was enraged. He couldn't retreat, nor could he advance.
The Governor was in his tent. At this point, a messenger rushed into the tent and reported, "Your excellency, the Imperial Edict has arrived. It's already five kilometers away from the army camp. Your excellency, please prepare."
When the Governor heard this, he stood up and asked, "What? The Imperial Edict is here. Hurry up and prepare to receive it. "
The army camp was bustling with activity. Everyone was gathered, with the Governor as the leader, and Ji Bei Hou as his assistant. Ji Bei Hou's face was calm, but his heart was filled with joy. He thought to himself, "It's no wonder I've planned so much. The Imperial Edict has finally arrived."
"The Imperial Edict has arrived!" The eunuch stood at the head of the table. Seeing the Governor and Master Hou rush out, he knelt down and kowtowed, "Your subject respectfully awaits the Emperor!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The eunuch replied as he read the Imperial Edict.
"In accordance with the will of the heavens, the Emperor declares: Your plan to subdue the pirates is very much in line with my wishes. You are to command the troops, and act according to the plan, in order to achieve great merits.
The more Ji Bei Hou heard, the colder his face became. This Imperial Edict did not give him military power, as Master Hou had imagined. Instead, it gave the Governor power, and ordered him to open up the sea, as well as command the troops.
When the Governor heard this, he hurriedly kowtowed and said, "This subject has received the Emperor's kindness. I will treat my country as my home, and be loyal to my duties. I will wipe out the pirates, and clear up the sea defenses. I will fulfill the Emperor's trust!"
The Governor walked up to receive the Imperial Edict with a smile on his face. Ji Bei Hou's face turned cold as he returned to his tent and called for his men. Very quickly, an imperial guard entered the tent. Ji Bei Hou gritted his teeth and said, "The Imperial Edict speaks of the plan to subdue the pirates. Go and find out who presented this plan to subdue the pirates."
Two days later, the Governor and Ji Bei Hou returned to the prefecture. Master Hou rushed into his room and called for Shen Zhi. The moment Shen Zhi entered the room, he reported, "Master Hou, we've investigated the matter thoroughly. The culprit was Pei Zi Yun. This man presented the Governor with the strategy to exterminate the pirates.
Shen Zhi then retrieved the entire document and handed it to Ji Bei Hou, "This is the original text!"
Ji Bei Hou retrieved the document and took a look at it. His face turned cold. This document was meant to cut off the pirates' roots. As long as this plan was implemented, there would be no pirates left in An Prefecture. He then waved his hands and swept the documents off the table, "How come we didn't know about this?"
His tone was sinister, and Shen Zhi knew that this was a sign of extreme anger.
"Master Hou, although we have people in the Governor's mansion, it seems like they've been prepared for this. They didn't go through the secretary's office, and sent the document directly to the capital city. Furthermore, they used the emergency passageway. You should know that this is a passageway set up by the imperial court. We can't stop them."
When Ji Bei Hou heard this, he coughed twice and slammed his fist on the table. His face was flushed red, "What do we do now?"
"Master Hou, the only thing we can do now is to lie low and wait for an opportunity." Shen Zhi's face was pale as well, but he was still calm as he spoke.
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