Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Marshal's Branch Office in Chaohu

Liu Yi immediately turned on the solar-powered flashlight. “Reveal yourself, treasure!”

Of course, a single solar-powered flashlight was hardly enough to impress men as experienced as Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng. But Liu Yi had long prepared for this moment; every treasure he had fished out of his two backpacks would be put to use, and he had even readied a stunning short video guaranteed to shock everyone present.

Yet, the moment the beam of the solar flashlight swept across the room, both Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng were dumbstruck. Li Pusheng broke down in tears on the spot, while Zhao Pusheng’s reaction was even more dramatic: he dropped to his knees before Liu Yi. “It truly is a divine treasure sent down by the immortal Peng Zu! Marshal Jin Hua, you were right—this son-in-law of the Guo family must indeed be General Liu!”

Liu Yi had underestimated the devastating impact of the solar-powered flashlight. Moreover, Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng, both White Lotus cultists, were well-versed in the art of deceit and trickery, often playing at supernatural feats. But the moment they laid eyes on the flashlight, they knew this was no sleight of hand, but a genuine artifact from the realm of immortals.

While they busied themselves with mystical pretenses, at heart they were true fanatics. Once convinced that General Liu truly possessed a celestial treasure, they did not hesitate to pledge their loyalty. Besides, the Lake Chao navy, beset on three sides, was nearing its end; even if this were not a divine artifact, they needed something in which to place their hopes.

Liu Yi, meanwhile, remained perfectly calm. “I have something to say to you and only you. Once we walk out this door, I’ll deny it ever happened. From now on, the Lake Chao navy will fight under no banner but my own—not the ‘Order and Peace’ banner, nor the ‘Dragon and Phoenix’ standard, only mine.”

In another timeline, Zhao Pusheng had shown unwavering loyalty to Xu Shouhui, the Emperor of Order and Peace. Zhu Yuanzhang had exhausted every means to subdue the Lake Chao navy, and it was only after a bloody banquet that he truly absorbed Li Pusheng’s forces. Zhao Pusheng, however, managed to break out, taking half the navy with him, and for years thereafter continued to deal devastating blows to Zhu Yuanzhang’s armies along the upper reaches.

Only when Chen Youliang turned on Zhao Pusheng did Zhu Yuanzhang’s navy finally gain the upper hand.

Zhao Pusheng’s loyalty was not to Xu Shouhui personally, but to the cause founded by Peng Yingyu. Now, he transferred that absolute loyalty to Liu Yi, nodding repeatedly. “The general speaks rightly. We’ll fight under no one’s banner but our own! And we must let certain people outside witness the general’s immortal treasure—I’ll see to it myself!”

Not only was Zhao Pusheng a zealot, he was also a master of making the mundane seem mysterious. He knew exactly how to cloak matters in secrecy and awe. Thus, he led Liu Yi to privately meet with several key commanders of the Lake Chao navy. After watching the short videos, their reactions were much the same as Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng’s.

Among these commanders were myriad-holders, town governors, and centurions—a small fraction of the navy’s leadership. Each meeting was carried out with utmost secrecy. Those who had met Liu Yi wore faces flushed with excitement, yet spoke only of his wonders, never the particulars.

Liao Yong’an soon grew uneasy. Though only half a day had passed, he realized he was being gradually isolated. The entire navy was abuzz with talk of General Liu’s immortal powers, but he could glean no information at all.

Though he still dismissed it all as mere trickery meant to dupe country folk, the fact remained: with Lady Jin Hua and Liu Yi having won over the entire navy, the situation was no longer the same. “Now that the Yu family father and son have also been swayed, we must prepare ourselves as well.”

Liao Yongzhong, though he had not directly clashed with Lady Jin Hua or Liu Yi, felt certain Liu Yi would not let them off easily. “Is there any need? We have a deal with Zhu Yuanzhang—once we join him, we become marshals. Zhu Yuanzhang commands thirty thousand armored troops, while Liu Yi and Lady Jin Hua have only a few hundred battered survivors. Even if Liu Yi convinces the two marshals, our navy is no match for Zhu Yuanzhang.”

Liao Yong’an knew his brother spoke the truth, but the circumstances had changed. “The Yu family also negotiated with Zhu Yuanzhang, and on better terms than ours—yet even they have sided with General Liu. That proves General Liu is no ordinary man!”

Liao Yongzhong, however, spoke with upright resolve. “The title ‘General Liu’ is disrespectful, Liao Yong’an. From now on, address him as ‘my lord’!”

Although Liu Yi had not received a formal imperial edict, soon everyone began referring to him not as “General Liu,” but as “my lord,” “marshal,” or “Marshal Liu.” Liu Yi and Lady Jin Hua thus gained their first hold over the Lake Chao navy.

Many of the rank and file still had no idea who Liu Yi was or that their supreme commander had quietly changed. The veteran officers remained skeptical of the man who had seemingly fallen from the sky. Liu Yi would need a brilliant victory to further prove himself.

But even before Liu Yi could demonstrate his prowess in battle, Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng had already established a Lake Chao Regional Marshal’s Office.

This new office was, of course, meant to deal with Guo Tianshu and the Marshal’s Office of Chuzhou.

Though Liu Yi had privately stated that he would fly neither the Order and Peace banner nor the Dragon and Phoenix standard, officially the Lake Chao navy would transfer allegiance from Xu Shouhui’s southern Red Turban Army to Han Lin’er’s northern faction, coming under the jurisdiction of Guo Tianshu’s Marshal’s Office in Chuzhou. Without such an institution, their forces would be broken up and used piecemeal, ultimately destroyed.

In another timeline, Zhu Yuanzhang had handled the Lake Chao navy in just this way, relentlessly suppressing its officers and troops. After the founding of the Ming dynasty, several purges focused on eliminating them, with Lake Chao veterans slaughtered again and again.

Though Zhao Pusheng and Li Pusheng knew nothing of this other history, they still acted swiftly to protect their interests, establishing the Lake Chao Regional Marshal’s Office at once. “A regional office ranks below the main marshal’s office, and the marshal’s appointment is subject to Chuzhou’s approval. That should keep Guo Tianshu satisfied, no?”

The Lake Chao Regional Marshal’s Office would be led by three marshals: Lady Jin Hua as Supreme Marshal of Lake Chao, Zhao Pusheng as Right Deputy Marshal, and Li Pusheng as Left Deputy Marshal. Lady Jin Hua had wanted to grant Liu Yi an honorary title as well, but Liu Yi declined firmly. “I want no official position in the regional office. Having offered such a bride price, Guo Tianshu should at least provide a worthy dowry in return, don’t you think?”