37: Chapter 0037 The Elegant Lady

"Lin Xiao, you are too kind. You saved my daughter; please, if you have any instructions, just give them!"

Su Chang looked trembling and fearful, speaking with a fawning smile.

"With such a major event happening today, Baishui is surely in a state of panic."

"I ask Lord Su to issue a public notice to soothe the hearts of the people."

"State that Prefect Lu is loyal to the imperial court, would rather die than surrender to Prince Bai, and was tragically wounded by Prince Bai's assassins."

"Our Shibao Border Army received kindness from Prefect Lu and delivered food and supplies, which allowed us to repel the Northern Barbarian Army."

"Because the Chief Clerk Zhao Qian and Commandant Liu Huaiming rebelled, Lord Lu had no choice but to send Sima Luo Shaohong to the Border Army to seek reinforcements."

"At today's banquet, under Lord Lu's clever arrangement, we successfully eliminated the traitors of Prince Bai."

"Zhao Qian and Liu Huaiming committed treason and have already been executed by Lord Lu."

"All garrison troops in the city are to be handed over to Commander Lin Xiao of the Border Army, effective immediately!"

After finishing his words, Su Chang was stunned!

Even Su Wansha found it hard to believe. This was way too much of a stretch!?

Was there a single word of truth in this man's mouth??

What he said earlier about liking her was even less believable now!

A trace of resentment flashed in Su Wansha's eyes.

"What is it, Lord Su? Is there a problem?" Lin Xiao asked with a half-smile.

Su Chang wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled awkwardly, "This... I fear the officials below won't believe it. If they start questioning..."

"Yao Gang!"

Lin Xiao shouted.

The dark-faced man ran over eagerly, "Commander Lin, what are your orders!?"

"Throw the corpses of Zhao Qian and Liu Huaiming directly outside the Prefects Mansion!"

"Yes!"

Yao Gang immediately dragged the two corpses away.

A group of soldiers saw the two corpses being dragged, leaving long trails of blood, and were all frightened pale.

The officials who were once high and mighty were just gone like that?

"Lord Su, whoever refuses to submit and wants to defect to Prince Bai, the fate of these two will be their example!"

Su Chang did not say anything more this time, but bowed in a salute.

"This subordinate will go draft the document immediately!"

Lin Xiao then looked at Su Wansha.

"Miss Su, I would like to meet Elder Zhu. Could you introduce me?"

"You want to see my teacher?"

Su Wansha frowned, "What do you want to do? My teacher will not yield to force."

"Heh... I certainly know that. Force has no meaning against Elder Zhu. I just want to ask him a few questions."

"Of course, if he is unwilling to see me, I am willing to wait patiently."

Lin Xiao cupped his hands, "I trouble you, Miss Su."

Su Wansha hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Fine, I can go ask, but you must answer me one thing."

"What?"

Su Wansha's face turned slightly red, "What you said to me earlier, about love at first... that thing, were you lying to me?"

"Of course not. 'A fair maiden, a gentleman seeks her,' as they say!" Lin Xiao said with a grin.

Su Wansha's pretty face turned even redder, but there was a hint of sweetness in her heart.

"A fair maiden, a gentleman seeks her"? What kind of poem is this? Did he just make it up on the spot?

"Talking nonsense! I don't believe you!"

The girl turned and fled in a panic.

After sending the woman away, Lin Xiao had Qin He guard Official Lu Yang's room.

With Qin He's skills, no one in the Prefects Mansion would dare to act recklessly.

He then took Yao Gang to the Baishui military camp.

The events at the Prefects Mansion, as well as the deaths of Zhao Qian and Liu Huaiming, had already reached the camp.

At this moment, more than a dozen captain-level officers in the army were arguing about what to do next.

"Did Commandant Liu really die?"

"It is absolutely true! The bodies are right outside the Prefects Mansion!"

"Who exactly is that Commander Lin Xiao of the Border Army? It seems he was the one who repelled the Northern Barbarian vanguard army earlier, right?"

"The Crossbow Battalion couldn't even kill this man. It seems he truly has skills..."

"What do we do now? If he comes, will he kill us..."

Just as everyone was in a state of panic, Lin Xiao walked straight into the main camp.

Having been through bloody battles, Lin Xiao was now radiating a murderous aura. Plus, holding Official Lu Yang's Prefect token, the other soldiers dared not stop him.

Lin Xiao swept his gaze across, quickly scanned everyone's information, and picked out the two strongest.

[He Ping, 29 years old, Baishui Garrison Captain, Talent: mystic grade]

[Technique: Desert Saber Technique (27 years of cultivation), a saber technique passed down from the Western Regions, suitable for mounted combat. Grade: yellow grade]

[Cao An, 28 years old, Baishui Halberd Captain, Talent: mystic grade]

[Technique: Black Snake Spear Technique (26 years of cultivation), one of the signature skills of the Black Snake Gentleman, agile and tricky, average power. Grade: yellow grade]

"Everyone, Prefect Lu has ordered me, Commander Lin Xiao of the Border Army, to take over the Baishui garrison!"

"He Ping, Cao An, come here!"

Lin Xiao called out these two people's names directly.

He Ping and Cao An, besides being nervous and uneasy, looked surprised.

"My Lord, why do you know us?"

Lin Xiao looked displeased and said, "Nonsense! Since Lord Lu asked me to take over, how could he not have informed me of your identities in advance?"

"Not just you, but also Zhang Ermao, Lu Dachuan, Li Wei..."

Lin Xiao reeled off the names of several captains present.

At this, everyone present couldn't help but believe him a little.

If they hadn't communicated beforehand, how would Lin Xiao, a Border Army commander from Stone Fortress, know them?

On the contrary, Yao Gang was full of confusion, not understanding how Lin Xiao did it.

"Lord Lu said that although Commandant Liu Huaiming rebelled, even if some of you went astray, you should not be blamed too much. You must be given a chance to turn over a new leaf."

"Therefore, I have come here now to ask you one question: are you willing to continue serving the imperial court!?"

"Now that Prince Bai's faction is plotting rebellion, Baishui could be attacked by Prince Bai's rebel army at any time."

"If any of you want to lay down your arms and return to farming, I will never force you to stay, and I will even give you a sum of money!"

After Lin Xiao finished speaking, the scene fell into silence.

Many people's faces showed signs of struggle.

"You don't need to rush to make a decision; I will give you one day."

"A prior warning: if you are willing to stay in Baishui after one day, from top to bottom, all officers and soldiers will have their monthly pay increased by 50%!"

Lin Xiao raised a hand and said.

As soon as these words were spoken, the dozen officers present looked a little moved.

"My Lord, is this true?" Cao An asked.

Lin Xiao nodded, "Of course it is true. If you stay to resist the traitors of Prince Bai, you are a righteous army and deserve to be rewarded."

"But where will the money come from? The imperial court is currently overwhelmed, and the six northern prefectures are controlled by Prince Bai. Our military pay has been in arrears for three months!" a captain muttered.

Lin Xiao muttered to himself, *So Baishui is this poor? Still owing these soldiers their wages?*

"You don't need to worry about that. Lord Lu has already made proper arrangements, and your military pay will be made up tomorrow."

"Previously, it was all because those lackeys of Prince Bai coerced you and withheld your military funds. Even our Border Army soldiers were almost cut off from food, weren't they?"

"Look at that time; now we have defeated the Northern Barbarians and come here to kill the traitors of Prince Bai. This is all Lord Lu's credit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a system notification appeared:

[Kill +1, Cultivation +1, Prestige +100]!

"Great Loyal Minister" Lord Lu died from his wounds!