Commanders' Office

Section Five: Commanders' Office

The Zichuan Family's highest command structure was divided into two tiers and four institutions. The first tier included the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion: the Commander-in-Chief was the Family's supreme leader; and the Elder Council: composed of elected representatives from every provincial region.

The second tier included the Commanders' Office (chaired by the President Commander, with the Family's six commanders beneath him, responsible for carrying out specific administrative affairs) and the Inspectorate (the Chief Inspector also held the rank of commander, but his status was higher than the other six commanders and lower than the President Commander—he was not under the jurisdiction of the Commanders' Office, independently overseeing administration and reporting directly to the Commander-in-Chief).

In name, the members of the Commanders' Office were appointed by the Commander-in-Chief (subject to approval by the Elder Council) and were accountable to both the Commander-in-Chief and the Elder Council. Thus, the President Commander was merely a senior official under the Commander-in-Chief. In reality, however, due to the incompetence of the current Commander-in-Chief, Zichuan Canxing, and the ambition of President Commander Yang Minghua, the Family's real power had gradually fallen into the hands of the Commanders' Office. Just as when senior officers like Zichuan Xiu returned from elsewhere, the first place they went was invariably the Commanders' Office rather than the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion.

The duty guard politely but coldly informed him, "President Commander Yang Minghua is extremely busy. For a newly appointed Deputy Commander to see him, you must make an appointment at least several days in advance."

"I understand," Zichuan Xiu said. "Can I make an appointment now, then?"

The guard checked the registry. "The President Commander's schedule is already booked through next Monday. Can you come at three in the afternoon that day? The President Commander can spare you five minutes."

"That works!" Zichuan Xiu smiled. His business was not urgent anyway, so this was practically several extra days of leave.

At that moment, a middle-aged senior officer crossed the hall. The moment he saw Zichuan Xiu, he abruptly stopped.

"Hey, isn't this Axu? You're back?"

Zichuan Xiu turned around and respectfully saluted him. "Greetings, Lord Fang! It's truly been a long time!"

Fang Jin was the commander of the Black Flag Army. When Zichuan Xiu was young, he had been his tactics instructor. Later, the two had fought side by side during the campaign to repel the Flowing Wind invasion, and they had become quite close. Zichuan Xiu was delighted to see a friend in this hostile Commanders' Office.

"What's so good about it? My prized student came back and didn't even come see me. Tell me, what's good about that?"

Warmth surged through Zichuan Xiu's heart. Fang Jin knew perfectly well that President Commander Yang Minghua regarded him as a thorn in his side, yet he had still taken the initiative to greet him. At a time when Yang Minghua held immense power and everyone feared him, such friendship was truly rare.

"This subordinate only arrived at the Imperial Capital yesterday. I had planned to visit you after reporting to the Commanders' Office today, but I never expected such a coincidence..."

"All right, all right, stop babbling!" Fang Jin threw an arm around his shoulders. "So? You haven't settled on a place to stay yet, have you? How about staying at my house? Those two little brats of mine have hit puberty. They spend all day chattering about boys and acting lovesick. Might as well send you over as a grand gift!" He looked over Zichuan Xiu's tall, straight figure and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Handsome lad! Interested in becoming my son-in-law? Take your pick between those two girls..."

"My lord," Zichuan Xiu hurriedly interrupted, "this subordinate is temporarily staying at Miss Ning's home."

"Oh!" Fang Jin grinned. "No wonder. Compared to Miss Ning, those two little brats don't stand a chance—good, good! You've got good taste, lad!"

Zichuan Xiu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"Today is the day the Commanders' Office meets. What are you doing here, Axu?"

"Oh, I was just transferred back yesterday and came to report in. But they said I need an appointment to see the President Commander..."

"I see..." Fang Jin grabbed Zichuan Xiu. "I'll take you in!"

Zichuan Xiu hesitated. "But this is a Commanders' Office meeting. With this subordinate's status..."

"What are you afraid of? You have me!" Fang Jin shoved and dragged Zichuan Xiu into the meeting room.

The meeting had not begun yet. A few people sat scattered around the broad, long table.

"Come, let me introduce you!" Fang Jin pushed Zichuan Xiu forward. "This is Ming Hui, commander of the Border Defense Army! My old partner!"

Ming Hui's appearance and bearing were entirely different from Fang Jin's. He was refined and neat, scholarly and courteous, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking every inch the well-read intellectual. He shook Zichuan Xiu's hand politely. "Deputy Commander Xiuchuan, you defeated eighty thousand Demon Race troops with thirty thousand men at the Hengchuan Battle. Truly impressive!"

"You flatter me. Your reputation is renowned far and wide; this subordinate has long admired you." Zichuan Xiu was not being entirely polite. Ming Hui looked like a frail scholar who could be blown over by the wind, but during the recent campaign against the Flowing Wind Clan, his troops had charged at the very front of the army, and he himself had led from the front. His was the first force to break into Lanling, the Flowing Wind border stronghold. Yet when the terrifying Liufeng Shuang appeared, he had also been the fastest to flee—so fast that Liufeng Shuang had once commented on Ming Hui's forces: "When I first saw them, I could have cut them down with a saber. When I drew my saber, I found I needed a spear to reach them. When I turned to grab a spear, they had already run so far that I needed a bow. By the time you nocked an arrow, they had run far enough that you needed a cannon!" Nearly every Border Defense Army general had suffered defeat at Liufeng Shuang's hands recently, but not him. That was why he had been promoted to commander of the Border Defense Army a month ago.

"This is Commander Lei Xun, commander of the Central Army and the Family's 'number one expert'!" When Fang Jin said the words "number one expert," his tone dripped with sarcasm.

Zichuan Xiu knew that Lei Xun was one of Yang Minghua's most loyal cronies. With his Wind Thunder Divine Skill, he had won first place at the Zichuan Army Tournament for five consecutive years, earning the title of "number one expert." He was also famous for something else: before every final, his opponent would mysteriously suffer some mishap—either diarrhea, getting hit by a carriage, having his wife and children suddenly kidnapped, or even being clubbed senseless from behind in a dark alley. In the end, they would all declare forfeiture.

He shook Zichuan Xiu's hand with a false smile. "Quite capable for such a young man! You became a Deputy Commander at this age." Secretly, he activated the Wind Thunder Skill, intending to make Zichuan Xiu cry out in pain and beg for mercy—or else ruin one of his hands.

Fang Jin immediately sensed something wrong and was about to stop him when Zichuan Xiu simply said, "It is all thanks to your guidance, my lord!" He easily withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened.

"This is Commander Luobo Minghai, the General Staff Chief." Luobo Minghai looked utterly cold and grim, as if everyone in the world owed him two hundred silver coins and refused to pay him back. He too was one of Yang Minghua's trusted men.

Zichuan Xiu had intended to shake his hand, but the other man showed no sign of extending one. After hesitating, he simply introduced himself. "Zichuan Xiu pays his respects, my lord."

Luobo Minghai remained ice-cold. After a long while, he finally grunted through his nose. "Hm." He offered no further response.

"Don't mind him. He's like a block of wood, the same with everyone." Fang Jin spoke without the slightest courtesy, despite Luobo Minghai standing right beside him.

Strangely, Luobo Minghai did not lose his temper. He merely produced another "Hmph" from deep in his nose.

Next came Imperial Guard Commander Pigu, an old man in his eighties whose mind had long since grown muddled. When Zichuan Xiu greeted him, he had to repeat himself three times before Pigu finally understood. "Oh, oh... your name is Zichuan Xiu, right? Oh, so young... I'm Pigu."

Everyone present exerted every effort to keep from bursting into laughter. His speech was so slurred that "Pigu" sounded exactly like "buttocks"!

Zichuan Xiu maliciously wondered, Could Yang Minghua have arranged for such a useless fool to be Imperial Guard Commander to make a future rebellion easier?

"Here's someone like you, who also came rushing back from Far East. You know Commander Ge Yingxing, right?"

It was Zichuan Xiu's first time meeting Ge Yingxing, and he was immediately drawn to his appearance and bearing.

He was an exceptionally delicate-looking man. In his youth, he must surely have been a great beauty. His soft hair fell loosely over his forehead, already tinged with yellow. His two faintly curved brows made him seem extraordinarily gentle. It was obvious that he was ill—his face was paper-white. Though it was the sweltering heat of August, he was wrapped from head to toe in a thick winter military cotton coat, with only his head exposed. He was even trembling slightly, as though his struggle against illness had exhausted the last of his life force. Yet his eyes still shone like stars, filled with profound wisdom and weariness, as though they had seen through everything in the world. And when they looked at Zichuan Xiu, they held such deep warmth and concern—what eyes they were. Zichuan Xiu stared in a daze. A man's eyes could actually be so... indescribably beautiful.

It was the first time Zichuan Xiu had met someone so captivating.

A wave of respect rose naturally within him. It was this dying invalid who had served as the pillar of Far East, resisting the Demon Race's surging assaults.

It was this invalid who had always upheld the Family's legitimate course, balancing the arrogant and overbearing Yang Minghua, keeping him from making a move for six years.

Without this invalid's shelter and protection, Yang Minghua would have killed Zichuan Xiu when he was still a child...

A sharp ache rose in Zichuan Xiu's heart. Ge Yingxing looked so lonely, so fragile...

Their gazes met, and a faint smile appeared on Ge Yingxing's lips. "Luo Bo told me about you." His voice, like the man himself, was low and magnetic. "Work hard here. Don't disgrace our Far East Army, understand?"

He spoke in the tone of a superior instructing a subordinate, yet to Zichuan Xiu it sounded entirely natural. So many unspoken words had already passed through those enchanting eyes: We are on the same side. Be careful.

For no reason, Zichuan Xiu felt deeply moved—as if a lost child had found his father. He bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord!"

The two understood each other without another word.

"Hey, Ge Yingxing," Fang Jin said, casually patting his shoulder, "how did you end up like this? You came back looking pale and sickly!"

Ge Yingxing smiled faintly. "The journey these past few days made me a little unwell."

"That's what I thought! Those who know you praise you for overworking yourself on military affairs until you fell ill. Those who don't know you are wondering: isn't it said that Far East women are dark-skinned and skinny? Why is our Commander Ge Yingxing not at all picky, coming back pale as a ghost and still so full of swagger?"

With sincere concern, he added, "Old friend, show some restraint, will you? Even if your body can take it, walking around the streets looking like this and telling people you're a Zichuan Family commander... that damages the Family's prestige!"

Everyone present burst into laughter—only Luobo Minghai tugged at the corner of his mouth, which barely counted as a smile. Ge Yingxing laughed and cursed, "You rogue!"

The doors opened soundlessly, and an officer of the guard called from the entrance, "The President Commander has arrived!"

Everyone rose to await him.