125: Chapter 0125 Superficial Compliance

Lin Xiao's expression darkened. "What happened to Brother Zhao?"

"General, please don't worry too much. General Zhao has just caught a cold and is resting."

Wei Dongxue said, "We have already called a doctor and prescribed medicine, but General Zhao has been fighting for months and is suffering from severe overexertion. It will take some time for him to recover."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao was somewhat displeased. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

General Zhao Kuan and he were friends across generations who had shared hardships, and there was also a sense of gratitude for the opportunity he had provided.

Although General Zhao Kuan's combat power was not high, he was an excellent jack-of-all-trades who could help with anything, and he was good at recognizing and utilizing talent, which was very rare.

"General Zhao did not want us to disturb you and repeatedly instructed us not to send you word," Xu Zhen said helplessly.

Lin Xiao said nothing more and had them lead him straight to General Zhao Kuan's residence.

In a small, temporarily rented courtyard, Lin Xiao saw General Zhao Kuan on his sickbed.

"Brother Zhao, why have you lost so much weight?"

Lin Xiao noticed that much of General Zhao Kuan's hair had turned white. Though he was only forty-five or forty-six, he looked like he was in his fifties or sixties.

"Sigh... Brother, illness strikes like a landslide. I am truly sorry to you; at this critical moment, I can only lie in bed."

General Zhao Kuan sighed with a pale face, his expression full of guilt.

Lin Xiao remembered that the shop had a "Minor Vitality Pill" that could eliminate weakness and replenish energy, so he immediately spent 50 Prestige points to buy one.

"Brother Zhao, this Vitality Pill might be of some use to you. Please take it."

As soon as General Zhao Kuan smelled the fragrance of the pill, he knew it was a good item, so he gratefully took it and swallowed it.

After waiting for a moment, a hint of a healthy flush indeed appeared on his face.

"Many thanks for your miraculous medicine, Brother. I feel much better!" General Zhao Kuan laughed.

The few old subordinates from the Border Army standing nearby also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Zhao, it was my lack of consideration that made you bear too much pressure. I should have sent more people to help you."

Lin Xiao felt somewhat ashamed. He had taken it for granted that he could simply hand over certain policies to General Zhao Kuan and his men to execute.

But he hadn't considered that they were not people from his own era, and many things were not immediately understandable to them, naturally making it very difficult.

"Lin Xiao, you have misunderstood! It is not your fault; it is that Guo..."

Xu Zhen was about to say something, but was interrupted by General Zhao Kuan.

"Xu Zhen! Do not speak nonsense!"

Lin Xiao frowned. "Brother Zhao, are you hiding something from me?"

General Zhao Kuan sighed. "It's nothing major, really. It's just that as we implement your new policies here, Prefect Guo Baoyun has not been very cooperative."

Lin Xiao was somewhat surprised. "The Prefect of Wushan Commandery? How so? Does he dare to oppose me?"

"Not exactly. It's just that his subordinates are always dragging their feet, for example, with the registration of 'households' and sending people for on-site inspections."

"We waited for seven days, and he still hadn't finished. Later, he claimed there wasn't enough manpower, so I had to send the Militia to carry it out one by one."

"You also know that we don't have many of the Zhenbei Army stationed here. We have to do construction work and other tasks, so we are overwhelmed..."

Xu Zhen said indignantly, "That Prefect Guo Baoyun is doing it on purpose! Relying on the fact that he is an imperial official and our General dare not kill him, he is feigning compliance."

"On the surface, he is always polite, but behind our backs, he trips us up. He is a villain!"

"If it weren't for him constantly holding us back, General Zhao Kuan wouldn't have been exhausted to the point of falling ill!"

Lin Xiao asked curiously, "Could that guy be one of Prince Bai's people?"

"That's not it. If he were truly one of Prince Bai's people, I would have killed him long ago!"

General Zhao Kuan smiled bitterly. "This man is simply greedy for money; he wants to extract benefits from our Zhenbei Army. I have seen many officials like this."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao turned his head and said to Xu Zhen, "Go, summon Prefect Guo Baoyun here. Tell him this General is looking for him!"

Xu Zhen's face lit up with joy, and he immediately accepted the order.

General Zhao Kuan was somewhat uneasy. "Brother, Prefect Guo Baoyun is, after all, an imperial official. You are now the Zhenbei General appointed by the imperial court; if you kill him without reason, it will give people something to gossip about!"

"Especially that group around Prince Bai; they will certainly publicize it widely, which will be disadvantageous to you!"

Lin Xiao smiled. When it came down to it, General Zhao Kuan was still someone from "within the system," and often his thinking was a bit too conventional.

"Brother Zhao, just rest assured and recover from your illness. Leave it to me."

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Prefect Guo Baoyun hurried into the courtyard.

"I am the Prefect of Wushan Commandery, Guo Baoyun, paying my respects to Lin Xiao!"

Prefect Guo Baoyun wore a fawning smile, appearing to be full of admiration.

Lin Xiao chuckled inwardly. He really was an old fox; no wonder General Zhao Kuan couldn't find a way to deal with him.

"Prefect Guo, hold out your hand."

"Huh?"

Prefect Guo Baoyun was stunned, but he dared not disobey and slowly stretched out his hand.

Lin Xiao suddenly struck; his black blade flashed, and a little finger was severed!

"Ahh!! —"

Prefect Guo Baoyun screamed, terrified and panicked, begging for mercy repeatedly.

Lin Xiao ignored him and said to Xu Zhen nearby, "Take Prefect Guo's finger and go find his family. Tell them to send fifty thousand taels of silver; otherwise, next time, I will send his head back!"

Although Xu Zhen was confused—why go through all this trouble instead of just taking the money from the Prefect's Mansion—he still followed orders.

Lin Xiao had people seize Prefect Guo Baoyun, gag him, and tie him to a tree.

After waiting for about an hour, two carriages arrived outside.

"General! The silver has been delivered!" Xu Zhen said excitedly.

Only then did Lin Xiao have people escort Prefect Guo Baoyun out onto the main street.

Several of Prefect Guo Baoyun's wives and concubines saw him come out and crowded around.

"Master! Master, are you alright?"

"We have brought the money; you can come home now!"

Prefect Guo Baoyun was so angry he started cursing, "You bunch of stupid women!! Are you trying to get me killed!?"

The wives and concubines looked at each other in confusion. Why was he cursing them?

Lin Xiao had the fifty thousand taels of gleaming silver exposed to the public.

The onlookers pointed and whispered, filled with righteous indignation.

Although everyone knew that Prefect Guo Baoyun had embezzled quite a bit, seeing it laid out before them was still too glaring!

"Fellow folks of Wushan Commandery, Prefect Guo Baoyun is corrupt and greedy; his crimes are unforgivable!"

"This General has been commissioned by the imperial court to rectify the chaotic officials and traitors in the Northern Territory; naturally, I cannot sit idly by!"

"From this day on, Prefect Guo Baoyun's assets are confiscated, he is dismissed from office, and he is to be thrown into prison to await trial! Wushan Commandery will be temporarily taken over by the Zhenbei Army!"

Lin Xiao's powerful, resounding words made the onlookers cheer loudly.

Prefect Guo Baoyun was so angry his face turned red, but with the ironclad evidence of his corruption laid out before him, he dared not resist.

If he gave Lin Xiao an excuse now and incited public anger, and Lin Xiao just cut him down with a blade, everyone would actually applaud!

General Zhao Kuan, watching this scene from the courtyard, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His brother was always full of surprises!

Once Prefect Guo Baoyun fell, his gang of underlings was naturally quickly replaced by people from the Zhenbei Army.

That evening, in the courtyard where General Zhao Kuan lived.

Lin Xiao cooked personally, using a hot pot to treat General Zhao Kuan, Wei Dongxue, and the others.

After a few slices of shabu-shabu meat, General Zhao Kuan's complexion improved even more!

"Brother, if you weren't a general and became a cook instead, you would surely be an imperial chef!" General Zhao Kuan laughed heartily.

Wei Dongxue and the others nodded in agreement, admiring Lin Xiao for his humility and willingness to cook for his subordinates; it was truly rare.

Lin Xiao urged them to eat more.

Sipping on millet wine and enjoying the meal, they suddenly heard the guard at the door knock.

"Lin Xiao, someone has delivered a letter for you. They said it is from Registrar Su Chang of Baishui, and there is an official document for you to see."

Su Chang?

Lin Xiao's heart sank. This fat man was in such a hurry to send intelligence to Wushan Commandery; it seemed something big had happened.