Chapter 20

The Eagle Yang Guard was established at the beginning of the Great Sui Empire and has lasted for two hundred years, operating under a system of hereditary succession. However, there was no family planning here! Although the average lifespan of the Eagle Yang Guard was short, in this world, getting married and having children at the age of fifteen or sixteen was considered normal, and some even did so at twelve or thirteen. By now, the Eagle Yang Guard had grown to a monstrous size, not only because of the constant establishment of a huge number of 23,000 members, but also because of the potential of the Eagle Yang Guard's descendants over the past two hundred years, which numbered in the hundreds of thousands. In Luoyang alone, the number of families with ties to the Eagle Yang Guard was countless!

Therefore, the issue of filling vacancies had become a problem, with too many wolves and not enough meat! The reputation of the Eagle Yang Guard was bad enough, but it was still an official position, wasn't it?

Wu Fan's Hundred-Household Office in the western part of the city suffered the most severe casualties in the battle against the Maitreya Sect, with fifty-three men down. In other words, there were fifty-three vacancies in the Hundred-Household Office. With fifty-three vacancies, the number of Eagle Yang Guard descendants applying to join was over three hundred, and this was just after the news had been out for a day. If they waited a few more days, it could easily reach a thousand. Thus, this was a job that would inevitably offend people; if you chose one, you would offend another.

Wu Fan knew about this situation, which was why he had initially wanted to stay out of it and pass the buck to Qian Rui when Zhong Xiu, the Hundred-Householder, brought it up. But now there was no way to avoid it, and he had to face it head-on. He needed to come up with a plan to make the process appear fair and just, so no one could complain.

But...

Was it possible?

Absolutely not!

Wu Fan spent the entire afternoon in the Hundred-Household Office, almost pulling his hair out trying to decide who to select.

As dusk approached and his stomach growled, Wu Fan had to pack up and head home, frowning as he walked out of the office.

Just as he stepped out, a few of his former subordinates from his days as a Small Banner approached, their faces showing a mix of embarrassment and hope, almost as if they had written their thoughts on their faces.

If Wu Fan didn't understand what was going on, he must have been a fool.

Waving his hand, Wu Fan spoke first, "I know what you're thinking, but this is a tough situation! If I handle it poorly, I'll be the one getting the blame. You're all my old brothers, so please understand my predicament! As for the rest, I don't need to say it; you know the drill, right? We're still friends, aren't we?"

Indeed! With so many people connected to the Eagle Yang Guard, if he handled it poorly, the consequences could be severe, ranging from harsh criticism to losing his position and even his life!

The Eagle Yang Guard members nodded quickly, swallowing their prepared words.

Wu Fan sighed, "I'll head back first. Once I get this sorted out, we can have a drink together!"

Finally, he stepped out of the Hundred-Household Office, but immediately, a carriage appeared from the side, and a fat man jumped out, blocking his path.

"I am An Yuanshan, the head manager of the Huayue Tower in the eastern part of Luoyang!" The manager, dressed in silk and brocade, had a prosperous appearance and bowed deeply, "Greetings, Commander Wu!"

Wu Fan, of course, knew of the Huayue Tower, as it was one of the largest patrons of the Luoyang Thousand-Household Office. It was a place of pleasure, dealing in prostitution, gambling, and fine dining, and was a must-visit for all the high-ranking officials in Luoyang, making a fortune every day. The Huayue Tower's success inevitably attracted envy, so they paid a large sum to the Eagle Yang Guard every month for protection. With the Eagle Yang Guard's backing, no one dared to cause trouble for the Huayue Tower.

Wu Fan put on a fake smile and returned the bow, "It's you, Manager An! I'm honored! What brings you here?"

An Yuanshan looked around, gesturing for Wu Fan to follow him, "This isn't the place to talk. Could you please step aside for a moment, Commander Wu?"

Wu Fan smiled, "Of course, I'd be delighted! Since you've given me the honor, how can I refuse?"

They both climbed into the luxurious carriage, and Wu Fan, a poor man, was amazed by the opulence. The exterior of the carriage was unremarkable, just a bit larger, but the interior was a different story! The floor was covered with snow-white mountain goat wool mats, worth hundreds of taels of silver, and the rest of the interior was even more extravagant, making Wu Fan feel as if he were surrounded by gold and silver!

As the saying goes, when someone shows you respect, they must have a request. However, this also depends on the level of the person. In An Yuanshan's case, he was clearly a very shrewd and approachable person. He didn't rush to get to the point but instead engaged Wu Fan in topics that interested him, discussing the latest news and gossip in Luoyang, making Wu Fan feel quite at ease.

The carriage swayed as it moved forward, and Wu Fan peeked out the window, trying to figure out where they were going. To his surprise, An Yuanshan didn't take him to the Huayue Tower but instead headed in the direction of Wu Fan's home, leaving him both disappointed and confused.

After some time, the carriage stopped, and An Yuanshan smiled, "We're here, Commander Wu, please."

Wu Fan, puzzled, followed An Yuanshan out of the carriage. He saw a red gate and two fierce stone lions. Inside the gate was a main house with green tiles and blue bricks, two side rooms, and a spacious courtyard paved with blue stone slabs. Strangely, no one lived there, and the dust indicated that it had been unoccupied for a long time.

"Manager An, what is this...?"

Wu Fan asked, quite confused.

An Yuanshan, rubbing his fat, beardless chin, said, "I won't hide anything from you, Commander Wu. It's like this: my son has always been a troublemaker, neither good at literature nor martial arts, and it has caused me great worry. But he is my only son, and I can't bear to beat him or scold him, leaving me at a loss. I heard that your office is short of a messenger, and I wonder if my son could have the honor..."

As he spoke, An Yuanshan slowly presented a blank deed with both hands, his eyes filled with pleading.

[Is he also here to fill a vacancy in the Eagle Yang Guard? That doesn't make sense!]

Wu Fan's eyes darted around, took the deed, and examined it, then looked around the house. Compared to this courtyard, his own small, dilapidated house was like a pigsty. But... this gift was too much. An Yuanshan was one of the major patrons of the Luoyang Thousand-Household Office and had close ties with the Thousand-Householder, Deputy Thousand-Householder, and two Commanders. If he simply wanted to get his son into the Eagle Yang Guard, it would be easy. Why did he bypass those powerful figures and come directly to him, a small figure?

"It seems you know a lot about me, Manager An," Wu Fan said, examining the deed, "but I can't accept it!"

An Yuanshan rubbed his hands together, smiling, "Commander Wu, you may be overthinking this. I do have connections with the Thousand-Household Office, but as the saying goes, 'the local official is more powerful than the county official.' I will certainly inform the higher-ups, but I only ask for your commitment! Moreover, your recent performance has been outstanding, and placing my son under your command will help him grow and mature."

An Yuanshan's words were sincere, and Wu Fan was already swayed.

"Commander Wu, this is just a house, no need to overthink it," An Yuanshan continued, "besides, I know you're having a tough time at home, with your wife constantly complaining. That's why I've arranged this house for you. You're a Commander, a position that is not insignificant, but also not too high. You need to curry favor with those above and win the loyalty of those below, and there are many expenses. Your salary is not enough to buy a house, and your wife will keep complaining. Why not...?"

[Embarrassing! How did this get out?]

Wu Fan sighed inwardly, but on the surface, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly put the deed in his sleeve, acting as if he were a good person forced to accept a bribe.

An Yuanshan beamed, clapped his hands, and signaled the driver, then smiled at Wu Fan, "Today, you can meet my son, so you won't mistake him in the future."

Soon, a reluctant young man walked in from outside.

Seeing him, Wu Fan suddenly thought of a very classic phrase...

...

PS1: Please follow, recommend, and like. I'll roll on the ground if you don't.

PS2: I'm adjusting the update schedule, so it might be fixed in a couple of days.

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