Chapter 562: Arrangements

Chapter 562: Chapter 562: Arrangements

When Shen Hao returned home, it was already 9 p.m.

The torrential rain in the Imperial City had poured the entire day and showed no sign of stopping even when he left, but here in Fengri City, the heat at night was like a steamer.

Early September is the hottest period in Fengri City; after mid-September, it would gradually cool down.

Shen Hao went to take a cold shower, but didn’t return to his bedroom to rest. Instead, he locked himself in his study and obediently took out paper and brush to lay out a plan for himself. Don’t be fooled by how decisive he sounded in front of Jiang Cheng earlier—inside, he was still a bit anxious.

A relatively unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar matters, and the problems he would face might be things he’d never encountered before. Confidence alone wouldn’t solve these issues; he needed to be prepared.

Shen Hao noted down both what he possessed and what he lacked, repeatedly revising, then tore up the paper and burned it over a candle.

Seeing it laid out in writing and keeping it in mind helped him put his current resources and shortcomings in order.

He actually had quite a few resources to rely on. First, during the investigation of the "Ma San Case," Shen Hao had led a team south to make arrests in person. On the surface, people there recognized his face, and some Inspectors on the frontier had heard of him—his reputation in the south would be more useful than elsewhere.

Furthermore, Shen Hao had been paying attention to the southern side for more than a day or two. Also, because of the Ma San Case, many scouts from the Four Divisions had already infiltrated the Southern Border Army from inside out. There was also Wu Kai, a Deputy General Shen Hao had gotten under his thumb early on. If necessary, Shen Hao wouldn’t hesitate to seek him out again. Refuse? After taking Xuanqing Guard’s favor once, you think you can just shake them off? Dream on.

Finally, there was his network. Although Shen Hao had never worked within the military, and his reputation among the ranks was probably not great, that didn’t stop him from finding some footholds for networking: Zhang Qian and Gan Lin.

Back in the early tense days of the south, Zhang Qian and Gan Lin, both mid-level officers with combat experience, had been transferred from the garrison down south. Now they were training troops on the southern frontier—once Shen Hao arrived, he would inevitably have to build contact with those old hands. Maybe he couldn’t gain much convenience from these connections, but at least he’d save himself the trouble of probing around blindly. If anything was unclear, he could just ask them.

What still made Shen Hao uneasy, though, was the business in Fengri City. This was his foundation and could not afford any mistakes. Once things started in the south, he’d have to be stationed there at least in the initial period—it would be hard to keep an eye on both ends. To cover this lapse, he needed to quickly set his affairs here in order.

Early the next morning, Shen Hao gathered all the main household staff in the main hall while having breakfast. He sat at the table eating while casually handling house matters as well.

"At the latest, I’ll be heading to the Southern Border Army by mid-month for an indefinite period. Old Hu, you’ll keep an eye on things at home. If anything comes up, find Wang Jian or Wang Yiming—they’ll help you handle it."

Though this happened suddenly, Hu Tian remained steady. He bowed in acknowledgement, not flustered at all, already sizing up how best to tend to the house.

In contrast, the three Fox Women pressed their lips together in silence, their faces covered with reluctance and sorrow. The two younger ones even had reddened eyes, as if about to cry—a complete picture of children sulking over a parent leaving on a journey far away.

But since Shen Hao was still speaking, no one in the main hall dared interrupt him.

"Also, I’ll have Wang Yiming assign more people for house security. If anyone comes during this period, handle it as you see fit. For emergencies, contact me directly with the Thousand-Mile Sound."

The household did have a Thousand-Mile Sound, but it was expensive; for ordinary folks like Hu Tian, it was inconvenient to use, so he always kept it locked away, only to be used for emergencies to reach the master. Hearing Shen Hao mention it, Hu Tian bowed immediately to show he understood.

Finally, Shen Hao pointed at Ma Jiu Fu and said, "This time going into the army, Xia Nu and the others won’t be able to go with me. You come along to take care of daily needs. Get ready as soon as possible."

Ma Jiu Fu shivered and hurriedly agreed, grinning idiotically with excitement. Being chosen to accompany the master on a long trip was a sign of trust and status! He’d always coveted Hu Tian’s steward job—when Hu Tian retired, he intended to take over. Wouldn’t that be something?

Just think, right now the master is only a Thousand Households officer, and even Hu Tian as steward could socialize with regular officials as equals. What if someday the master became a "Ten Thousand Households" officer? Ma Jiu Fu felt he had to seize this trip to show his loyalty and grab hold of this promising position.

Hearing that Ma Jiu Fu was going, Xia Nu pursed her lips and glared, about to speak, but Shen Hao’s gaze met hers. She instantly shrank back, reading a clear message in his eyes: Stay quietly at home!

"Also, with the southern situation growing tense, don’t let any of the three Fox Women leave the house—not even with Guards. We can’t risk any trouble."

After that, Hu Tian came over to discuss some house matters with Shen Hao, wanting clear instructions before letting the master leave. Xia Nu, still sulking, led Hong Chou and Brocade and Silk—both with red-rimmed eyes—into Shen Hao’s bedroom. Since he would be traveling, it was best to pack up the master’s clothing. The south is hot, so only light clothing was needed. Pack more boots, and don’t forget the fan. Since there might be fighting, his Inner Armor should be brought too...

Shen Hao visited the bedroom, wanting to say something, but saw Xia Nu packing with her back to the door and didn’t go in. He shook his head and turned away.

Upon reaching the Thousand Households Station, he ordered Wang Yiming to gather all four General Flags in Fengri City for a meeting and arranged all current affairs and the direction for the rest of the year in one go. Although no one present asked questions, all of them could sense their lord was about to leave.

Afterwards he kept Wang Yiming, then called Wang Jian and Zhang Liao in.

Facing his trusted confidants, Shen Hao didn’t hide anything. He repeated the gist of Jiang Cheng’s arrangements to them.

"From now on, Four Divisions shift their entire focus to supporting me in the Southern Border Army. Also, build permanent contact networks along the line from Beach Stone, Hai Xia, Yu City, all the way to Fengri City."

Wang Jian immediately got up and said, "Rest assured, my lord. I’ll get to work right away. Building contact networks won’t be a problem. When we once sent people into the Slave Trade Association around the Southern Barbarian Land, we set them up before. We’ll strengthen them again and they’ll still be usable."

"While I’m gone, don’t let other matters stall. Just keep going as I arranged—if you hit a wall, solve it yourself, and if you really can’t, come to me and I’ll find a way..."

Only two days later, an official notice adjusting authorities arrived directly at Fengri City’s Xuanqing Guard Thousand Households Station and was also published across the empire by the government gazette.

"...Adjustment of the Xuanqing Guard Inspector’s authority within the army. From now on, the responsibility of supervising the Military Supervisor shall be clearly established as an Inspector’s duty... Appoint Shen Hao, Deputy Thousand Households of the Fengri City Black Banner Battalion, to the South Military Affairs and Road Supervision Office as Chief Officer immediately..."