"General!"
Seeing this, the accompanying officers panicked. Two of them quickly dismounted and helped Hugh Harris up, only to find he was already deeply unconscious.
Moreover, his aura was rapidly fading. Realizing that arrow had pierced Hugh Harris's dantian, both men’s eyes flickered—they knew Hugh was finished.
Hugh Harris was able to run rampant in Frostmarch Prefecture for two reasons: first, he commanded five thousand troops and was the main force defending against the barbarians; second, he himself was a mid-stage Innate martial artist.
Now that his dantian was destroyed, his strength would plummet—he wouldn’t even be a match for an ordinary martial master. In the army, brute strength is what really counts.
So, with Hugh Harris’s cultivation crippled, it was only natural that others would start having ideas. Why should a cripple stay in charge of them?
Over the years—
The reason Hugh Harris could amass so much property in Frostmarch Prefecture was partly because he bullied people into selling cheap, but to avoid going too far, he still paid some silver—money he skimmed from army wages.
And though Hugh Harris seemed generous, he was actually extremely greedy. The officers around him watched him rake in silver while they got only meager army pay. Occasionally, if Hugh was in a good mood, he’d toss them a small benefit, but always with an air of superiority.
This left them deeply uncomfortable, but Hugh was still their superior, and he had mid-stage Innate strength. Now, though, he was just a cripple—could he really keep his wealth and his rank?
"Let’s go, get the General back to camp!"
The two officers quickly exchanged glances, then one of them scooped up the unconscious Hugh Harris and mounted his horse.
Watching the five hundred cavalry come and go in such a rush, Ian Song stood atop the city wall with a faint smile. Hugh Harris was like a leech clinging to Frostmarch Prefecture; as long as he lived, Ian couldn’t act freely.
He had predicted that Hugh Harris would come running to the city wall after hearing about the forced tax collection on his shops.
He hadn’t killed Hugh Harris outright—he just didn’t want to leave any room for gossip. There are always ambitious people in the world, and he’d noticed those two officers’ exchanged glances.
The next day.
Ian Song handled government business at the yamen as usual. An official came to report that Hugh Harris’s vice-general, Victor Wu, was here to see him.
Looks like Hugh Harris has probably gone straight to hell!
Ian thought to himself, then ordered someone to let Victor Wu in.
"Vice-General Victor Wu reporting to the lord!"
As soon as he entered, Victor Wu dropped to one knee and bowed deeply to Ian Song, his posture impeccably respectful.
Ian watched him with a faint, amused smile. "Vice-General Wu, what brings you here today?"
"Sir!" Victor Wu's voice was choked with grief. "Yesterday, General Hugh learned that Red Wolf Tribe barbarians were spotted nearby. He personally led a patrol, but fell into their trap. The entire force was wiped out, and General Hugh was killed in action!"
At this point, Victor Wu even squeezed out two crocodile tears.
"Oh! Is that so?"
Ian feigned shock. "Quick, come with me to see the Governor!"
Half a quarter of an hour later.
Ian and Victor Wu met with Governor Bruce Summers.
Victor Wu repeated his earlier story, and Bruce Summers was visibly alarmed.
"How are things in the army?" Bruce Summers asked.
"Sir, the soldiers are clamoring to avenge General Hugh, but I have already calmed them down!"
"Good! Good!"
Bruce Summers breathed a sigh of relief. If the army were to fall into chaos, Frostmarch City would lose its protection. This was why, despite knowing Hugh Harris's misdeeds in the city, Bruce had tolerated him all along.
"Ian, what do you think we should do now?" Bruce Summers looked to Ian Song. Ian had only been in Frostmarch for less than a month, yet had already filled the prefecture's coffers and even ensured a prosperous year ahead. Unconsciously, Bruce had come to rely on Ian.
Ian said, "Sir, the most important thing right now is to stabilize the army's morale. The garrison must not fall into disorder—if it does, Frostmarch Prefecture will be in grave danger!"
"Absolutely! Absolutely!" Bruce Summers nodded in full agreement. "Ian, do you have any good ideas?"
"Appoint someone to temporarily manage the garrison in General Hugh's stead. Otherwise, with no one in charge, chaos will be inevitable!"
Upon hearing this, Victor Wu's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Ian, who do you think is most suitable to succeed General Hugh?"
"How about this: let Vice-General Wu act as interim commander for now. You and I can co-sign a memorial to the court, and let the imperial authorities make the final decision!"