Cowardly

Inside the Venerable Soul Banner.

Tu Shan Jun looked at the official sitting in the head seat, dressed in a silver embroidered uniform robe.

A square scarf, a Feather Guard Cap.

A waist knife hung from a white jade belt.

As the sun rose, light shone into the Yamen hall.

It was grand and upright.

Under the light, there seemed to be no place for filth to hide.

At the same time, the appearance of the person in the head seat became clear.

He looked to be in his thirties or forties, fair-skinned and plump, clearly living a life of ease.

When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Old Xiang, it's not that I won't give you face, but your subordinate dared to draw his blade in the hall, defying his superior."

"I'm truly afraid that one day, if he suddenly gets a hot head, my head will be moved."

"Old Xiang, what do you say we do?" The plump Commander rose and walked to Old Xiang's side.

He reached out and patted Old Xiang's shoulder.

A look of surprise appeared on his face.

Old Xiang's right shoulder was completely empty.

But the look of surprise flashed away, and he regained his composure, his gaze becoming firm instead.

"Lord, it is this subordinate's lax discipline. I will bear the full responsibility." Old Xiang became even more respectful, the wrinkles and scars on his face piling up to hide his expression.

Seeing Old Xiang being so sensible, the plump Commander lost interest instead.

There was no sense of accomplishment in bullying such an Old Fox.

The young soldier tied up outside was much more interesting.

The plump Commander waved his hand. "Take him back then."

"Oh, and take the bereavement payment back too, a total of Two Hundred Taels."

"It's all here," he said, handing over a cloth bag.

He let go.

Thud.

The cloth bag fell to the ground.

Centurion Xiang quickly picked it up, but just by touching the bag, his expression changed drastically.

The bag in his hand felt like it weighed only three or four catties.

It was far from enough for the Forty Taels of bereavement payment per person.

Centurion Xiang knew that the Lords above would take a cut, but usually they wouldn't take this much.

This cloth bag in his hand probably contained only about Forty Taels, which, if divided equally, wouldn't even give each person Ten Taels.

Centurion Xiang clenched the silver bag, his voice trembling slightly as he looked at the plump Commander. "Lord, this... this isn't according to the rules."

The plump Commander's eyes widened, and he raised his voice. "Rules?"

"Drawing a blade in the Central Hall, defying a superior. According to the internal rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you should be executed!"

"You're talking rules to me? Your subordinates don't seem to understand rules very well."

Tu Shan Jun in the Venerable Soul Banner sneered.

This fat guy's calculations were really good.

It was clearly because the bereavement payment was short by a full eighty percent that it angered Shizhu and the others.

Adding to that, seeing the old Centurion had lost an arm, making him easier to bully.

He might as well use this incident to apply pressure, intending to suppress the matter and make them suffer in silence.

The scar on Centurion Xiang's face twitched, and the veins on the hand gripping the silver bag bulged even more.

Even with a broken hand, he was still a Second-Rate Expert with abundant Internal Qi.

Killing this Flabby Commander would only take a single move.

But in the end, he still didn't make a move.

He had encountered such things many times, but he never expected it to happen to him one day. It seemed his Patron had a problem.

Centurion Xiang picked up the silver bag and wanted to leave.

The moment he took a step, the plump Commander called out to him.

"Old Xiang, you're old. It's not good to stay in this position for too long. You have to give young people a chance."

"How about this, you write a letter tomorrow and request retirement from the Yamen."

"Not only can I release your subordinates as if nothing happened,"

"But I will also make up for the missing bereavement payments."

"Considering you shed blood in loyal service to the Imperial Court, I will personally give you an additional fifty taels as a settlement fee."

"How does that sound?" The flabby Commander stroked the mustache at the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowed.

Centurion Xiang suddenly turned his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Did something happen to the Heir of Marquis Jing'an?"

The flabby Commander seemed a little surprised that this old farmer would have such a keen political sense.

But it was useless even if discovered; the matter of the Heir of Marquis Jing'an was basically a done deal.

There was no room for maneuver.

If it dragged on too long, the person might even be gone.

The old Centurion sighed deeply.

Five brothers had been lost along the way, and one had lost an arm.

After finally returning to the Liang Capital, the noble behind him had fallen.

For a mere two hundred taels of silver, he was expected to hand over his position as a Rank Six Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion.

What good was unwillingness?

What good was having the martial prowess to kill the flabby Commander?

He had to consider the group of soldiers who followed him.

He had to consider them, and also his own family.

"I understand."

"I am willing to submit the memorial."

In that instant, Centurion Xiang's straight back bent.

He aged ten years in a flash.

He was old.

"Come, release the one tied up outside!"

"And bring the prepared bereavement payment for Lord Xiang!" the flabby Commander shouted loudly.

Centurion Xiang walked out of the bright and spacious Central Hall.

The soldier pressing down on Shizhu released him, and other soldiers wearing Embroidered Uniform Guard robes carried over a box containing silver.

Pure silver, full weight.

His subordinates quickly gathered around, moving the bodies of their fallen brothers onto a cart and then lifting the silver onto it.

Everyone's expressions were joyful.

It seemed as if there was nothing the old Centurion couldn't handle as long as he stepped forward.

Only Centurion Xiang's expression was grave.

"Boss, why is that fat guy so generous this time? He didn't even deduct the bereavement payment or the enshrinement money," a young soldier said with a happy smile, also feeling a bit puzzled.

"Of course, our boss has his ways!"

"That's right, with Centurion Xiang on the job, there's nothing that can't be solved!" The brothers chimed in.

They were harmonious and cheerful, like a big family.

And Centurion Xiang was the patriarch of this family.

Shizhu, however, saw Centurion Xiang's worry and lowered his head in shame, his face flushed. "Boss, I'm sorry, I was impulsive..."

Centurion Xiang shook his head. "It's alright, anyone would find that kind of thing unbearable."

"Don't take it to heart."

"When I'm not here in the future, you must be careful in your daily lives. Don't offend your superiors."

The lively and laughing group suddenly fell silent.

Everyone looked at the old Centurion, their expressions startled, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

"Boss, what's going on?"

"After this campaign, I feel more and more that I'm getting old, and I've lost an arm, so I'm preparing to request retirement."

"After I leave, Shizhu, you must not be impulsive again. Iron Head is steady, so when you encounter things, you should discuss them together," the old Centurion quietly arranged matters.

There were seventeen soldiers left in total.

He knew them all intimately, having raised each one as a junior or nephew.

Now that he was leaving, he was reluctant.

However, this was something he had already agreed to.

Only by agreeing to step down could he ask the flabby Commander to be lenient and make up the bereavement payments for the fallen brothers.

"Boss, did that fat guy threaten you?"

"Let's fight him! At most, we'll just die."

"Right, let's fight them."

"I don't believe the Imperial Court will let them swallow our pay."

Everyone spoke with indignation, but fighting was their only option.

To be honest, it wasn't a good choice.

If Centurion Xiang were thirty years younger, perhaps he would have agreed, but things were different now.

Killing an Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander was no different from rebellion.

It was a grave crime punishable by the execution of nine generations.

That would only lead to more deaths.

Now, by sacrificing his official position, he could protect this group of brothers.

Although he would be ostracized in the future, he could still support his family and make a living in this world.

So, Centurion Xiang decisively gave up his Rank Six official position as a Hereditary Centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Cowardly."

That was Tu Shan Jun's assessment.

But he said nothing more.

They were not people from the same world.

Their circumstances were different, their joys and sorrows were different.