Chapter 57

Lu Yao completely ignored Gao Xiang, who was at the center of the crowd. He strode through the soldiers following Gao Xiang and loudly asked, "Who can tell me what you are doing?"

None of the soldiers could answer him. The surroundings were silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling the fluttering military flags.

Lu Yao looked around and casually pointed to a soldier holding a knife, asking, "Zhao Lu, you answer. What are you doing?"

The one called Zhao Lu was a middle-aged soldier whom Lu Yao remembered was usually quite talkative. He never expected to be called out by Lu Yao and was momentarily flustered. After a long while, he stammered, "General... I, I... I don't know anything. Sigh, what's going on? Not just me, everyone is confused... We just followed Captain Gao out, and it shouldn't violate any military orders... But later, everything went haywire..."

Lu Yao waved his hand, telling this chatterbox to shut up. He felt a bit more relaxed: it was clear that Gao Xiang had not informed the soldiers about his allegiance to Long Jimeng. These soldiers were just habitually following their captain. If so, it would be easier to handle. Lu Yao was confident that the prestige he had built over the past few months would not be inferior to Gao Xiang's!

"Ha! Ha! Ha! You don't even know!" Lu Yao's mind raced as he laughed loudly three times. "You don't know anything, yet you're waving your knife around? Is your head filled with sand?"

With that, he shouted, "Put your knife away!"

"Yes, yes!" Zhao Lu responded hurriedly. Perhaps due to nervousness, he tried three times before finally sheathing his saber, almost cutting his own hand in the process. As he did this, many of the soldiers around him hesitated and slowly relaxed their grip on their weapons.

"Also you! Mu Lan! You little brat, get out here!"

A lean young man stepped out from the crowd, holding a spear in his hand, looking timid.

"Aren't you known for your intelligence and literacy?" Lu Yao, still angry, pointed almost to Mu Lan's nose, "Tell me, what are you doing? Why are you pointing your spear at your fellow soldiers?"

This young man named Mu Lan had some eloquence. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Sir, it's not my fault, I don't know anything! Captain Gao had a quarrel with General Xue... We just wanted to cheer for our captain..."

"Phew!" Lu Yao kicked Mu Lan, sending him stumbling back into the crowd, "Cheer for what? Gao and Xue are life-and-death friends. If they have a disagreement, why do you need to meddle? If your parents fight every night, do you go and cheer for them? You and Zhao Lu are both fools!"

The soldiers in the camp were rough men, and Lu Yao's harsh scolding actually made them feel more at ease. They burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere in the field was instantly dissipated.

Lu Yao then called out the names of four or five more soldiers, questioning them one by one. Guided by Lu Yao, these soldiers slowly realized they had acted blindly and did not understand why they were threatening their fellow soldiers. Each of them was scolded by Lu Yao, leaving them feeling thoroughly humiliated.

When they were in the midst of the chaos, they were driven by blood and did not think. But seeing Lu Yao, their commanding officer, arrive, each of them was trembling. They thought about the military laws they had violated and feared the unknown punishments.

If Lu Yao had tried to comfort them with kind words, the soldiers might have become suspicious. So, Lu Yao decided to scold them one by one. Although the scolding was harsh, it was only a criticism of their stupidity, subtly hinting that there would be no further punishment. Therefore, despite being scolded, the soldiers felt increasingly relaxed.

"Go back to training! Those who should practice with spears, practice with spears; those who should practice with swords and shields, practice with swords and shields. No slacking off! I hereby announce that there will be a full military review tomorrow. Those who fail will be beaten with military sticks until their buttocks are bruised!" Lu Yao waved his hand and shouted. The soldiers immediately groaned, and except for Gao Xiang's few close subordinates, the rest scattered in a hurry.

Watching the last soldier run to the training ground, Lu Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing he was drenched in sweat. The wind blew, and a chill ran down his spine. If a military riot had really broken out today, not only would he become a laughingstock among the generals of JinYang, but the morale of the entire unit would be completely ruined.

Turning around, only Xue Tong, Gao Xiang, and a few scattered soldiers remained at the camp gate. Shen Jin and others, who had been watching from a distance, seemed to want to come over, but Lu Yao impatiently waved them away.

Since Lu Yao appeared, Gao Xiang had not said a word. Even when Lu Yao dispersed his subordinates with a few words, Gao Xiang remained silent.

Lu Yao handed the troop mobilization order to Xue Tong. Xue Tong opened it and read it, his face turning ashen as he sneered, "So that's it! Gao Xiang, you're not crazy, but you've switched allegiance..."

"Captain Gao... Brother Gao!" Lu Yao looked at Gao Xiang and shook his head.

Gao Xiang turned his head and said, "Dao Ming, if you want to persuade me to change my mind, there's no need."

Xue Tong, unable to suppress his anger, pushed Gao Xiang to the ground, "Gao, you're despicable!" He was Gao Xiang's friend in the Bingzhou army, and Gao Xiang joined Lu Yao's command due to his recommendation. Now, with this incident, Xue Tong was even more indignant than others.

Gao Xiang simply sat on the ground and sneered, "What a joke. You've all seen the lord's order. I, Gao, am following the lord's command, acting openly and honestly. What's despicable about that?"

"Old Gao, why do you lie to me?" Lu Yao shook his head.

"Why did you know the lord would issue the mobilization order? Because you had already colluded with others."

"Why did you know the order would arrive today? Because someone tipped you off, telling you to incite the soldiers as soon as the order arrived."

"Why did you make such a big fuss? Because you knew the order only specified your transfer, while others wanted all your soldiers!"

Lu Yao sternly shouted, "Gao Xiang! Is that true or not?"

"Dao Ming, naturally, you can't be fooled," Gao Xiang's face turned ashen. He sighed and suddenly looked up, "I admit I acted improperly, but it was because you forced me... Dao Ming, your military discipline is too strict, and I can't bear it; besides, you don't allow us to plunder freely during battles... Such a restricted life as a soldier, what's the point?"

Xue Tong, hearing this, became furious and raised his fist to strike, but Lu Yao stopped him.

Lu Yao slowly said, "Brother Gao, my methods of military discipline have their reasons. I thought we had time to gradually communicate, but you are impatient... That's fine, but I am curious, what kind of person is Long Jimeng? Who among us from the Bingzhou army doesn't know him? That's why I never dealt with him. When did you start associating with him, and what did he promise you to make you so devoted?"

"General Long was ordered by Lord Yu Shi to conquer Shangdang. He naturally needed to recruit more troops. Because I have a bit of a reputation, he approached me. His army needs a military commander. If I join him, he will recommend me to Lord Yu Shi for the position. My familiar squad leaders and platoon leaders can also become captains. If I bring more subordinates, there will be additional rewards." Gao Xiang's character was straightforward; seeing that the situation was hopeless, he no longer struggled. His words flowed smoothly, leaving Lu Yao stunned.

"General Long is too unscrupulous, inciting soldiers like this, isn't he afraid we'll confront him?" Xue Tong complained, then turned to scold Gao Xiang, "You always boasted of being a hero, but you were so easily bought?"

Lu Yao suddenly laughed, initially somewhat forced, but gradually his laughter became hearty and joyful.

Xue Tong suspiciously patted Lu Yao's shoulder, "Dao Ming?"

Lu Yao waved his hand, "It's fine, it's fine..."

He slowly walked to Gao Xiang's side and sat down cross-legged, speaking softly, "Brother Gao, to be honest, when I received the order to transfer you to General Long Jimeng, I was shocked, as if I had lost my left arm. I repeatedly thought about what I had done wrong to disappoint my brothers. I resented you for not discussing it with me and secretly promising others. I even planned to severely punish you to set an example for the entire army; even your close subordinates would not be spared... Ha ha, Brother Gao, you are an old soldier, you know there are countless ways to deal with you, and Long Jimeng can't protect you."

Gao Xiang's face turned ashen.

Lu Yao grinned, "But now I've thought it through and decided to abandon this idea. Ha ha, not because of Lord Yu Shi's order, but because of the conditions General Long offered. Ten times the troops, three ranks higher... That is indeed a generous offer! Brother Gao, if I were in your shoes, I might have been tempted too, so how can I blame you?"

Gao Xiang suddenly looked up, staring at Lu Yao, "Dao Ming, what do you mean..."

"Brother Gao, you are a fierce warrior who has cut down enemies and captured flags on the battlefield. Among the 50,000 soldiers of the Bingzhou army, most have heard of your reputation. To have worked with me for several months, Lu Daoming is already very honored and grateful for your support and camaraderie. Now that you are leaving, first, there is the lord's order, and second, it is indeed a wise choice to seek a better position. I have no reason to stop you."

Lu Yao looked at Gao Xiang sincerely, "These squad leaders and platoon leaders who are close to you can go with you. The other soldiers are the foundation of our army, and I hope you will show mercy and not take them. Old Xue, don't be angry anymore. Let's part ways amicably to avoid hurting our friendship, okay?" As he said this, he looked up at Xue Tong.

No one expected Lu Yao to be so magnanimous. Xue Tong glared at Gao Xiang, then said in a harsh tone, "This brat is getting off easy!" He and Gao Xiang were old friends, and he didn't want to ruin their long-standing friendship. Although his words were harsh, he was actually giving in.

Gao Xiang was stunned for a moment, then sighed deeply, "It turns out I was blind. Today, I realize how magnanimous you are, General... General Lu, General Xue, you don't need to cover for me. This is indeed my fault. I was misled and planned to take more soldiers to join Long Jimeng to have my own base. I feared you would make arrangements, so I timed it to lead the troops out of the camp suddenly, causing this farce."

"Having caused such trouble, I feel ashamed before all the soldiers and have no face to say I want to stay... I cut my arm deeply and solemnly swear that I will repay you in the future!"

"Dao Ming will remember this." Lu Yao nodded slightly, "Brother Gao, please do as you wish. I won't see you off."

Gao Xiang looked at Lu Yao, wanting to say something but stopped. Finally, he bowed deeply and turned to leave. His subordinates deeply bowed to Lu Yao and hurriedly followed Gao Xiang. These soldiers, apart from their armor and weapons, had no other possessions, making it easy for them to come and go.

Lu Yao watched their figures gradually disappear under the gloomy sky, sighing softly.

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