Xuanqing Guard-Chapter 52: Guidance

Over the next month, Shen Hao gradually straightened out the affairs in his hands.

First of all, the Black Banner Battalion had now completed its expansion. Under his command there were now two Little Banner Battalions: Team A continued to be led by Wang Jian, and the newly established Team B was commanded by Zhang Liao as Small Banner Officer.

After more than half a month of integrative training, they had completely smoothed out any friction with one another.

Additionally, by the end of May, the formal order from the Fengri City Thousand Households Station for the adjustment of the Black Banner Battalion had also come down, and Tang Qingyuan had ordered all senior officials to read it—a move that instantly set off an uproar throughout the entire Garrison.

The officer posts in Black Banner Battalion at the Small Banner Officer level and above had their ranks directly raised by half a grade?!

In other words, being a Small Banner Officer elsewhere was a Junior Seventh Grade post, but in Black Banner Battalion, it was Senior Seventh Grade! And as for the Flag Officer in the Black Banner Battalion, the post jumped from Senior Seventh Grade to Junior Sixth Grade?!

Many had been enviously eyeing the meteoric rise of Black Banner Battalion before, but now their envy had become outright jealousy!

Now, the Small Banner Officers of Black Banner Battalion stood on equal footing with the Flag Commanders of other banners. And Shen Hao, as Flag Officer, was ranked the same as a Trial Hundred Households—such an obvious move to elevate the Black Banner Battalion shocked everyone’s eyes. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Once the news spread, it wasn’t just one or two people who went to Tang Qingyuan to express their outrage and dissatisfaction. Other than Chen Tianwen, Flag Officer of C Flag, who kept silent, every Li City Guard Station senior was the same.

Why should Black Banner Battalion receive such preferential treatment?!

We object!

Tang Qingyuan’s answer was simple: Not satisfied? Fine, submit a petition to the Fengri City Thousand Households Station and bring it up with Households Commander Jiang—let’s see what he says.

Tang Qingyuan was not at all pleased. These subordinates all appeared so respectful and obedient on normal days, but when it came to their own interests, their true colors immediately showed?

Hmph, even if they did go to Fengri City, what could happen? The order to elevate Black Banner Battalion came from the Commander’s Office; not just Tang Qingyuan, even Jiang Cheng can only obey it, can’t he?

The uproar and resentment behind the scenes were soon pressed down. At least, on the surface, things appeared to return to calm, though in the eyes cast at Black Banner Battalion, there was a new layer of estrangement never seen before.

Before, everyone was the same, just assigned to different tasks—practically family. Now that you and I are no longer alike, can I still consider you family?

Of course not.

Shen Hao keenly sensed these changes.

However, there were exceptions.

"Flag Officer Shen, still busy?"

"Oh, Flag Officer Chen! What brings you here? Please, do sit."

Chen Tianwen, C Flag’s Flag Officer, once Shen Hao’s supervisor. Now, after the rise of Black Banner Battalion, apart from Tang Qingyuan, only this Flag Officer Chen still treated Shen Hao with the same warmth as before.

"Just came by for a cup of tea and to stretch my legs. Heh, I’m getting older—if I sit for too long, I get stiff."

Shen Hao hurriedly brewed a cup of tea for Chen Tianwen, handed it to him, and smiled: "You’re only fifty-three, still in your prime! Where’s the oldness in that?"

"Truly, I am getting old—especially here, it’s aging even faster!" Chen Tianwen accepted the tea, thanked him, and gestured at his own head, meaning his mind was slowing with age.

"Heh, Flag Officer Chen, how can you say that."

"It’s true, I’m not joking. Take that copper cabinet you put up recently—such creative thinking, I could never have managed that. Now, every time I pass by one of those copper cabinets, I see people dropping letters into it. You must be reaping quite a harvest, eh?"

Shen Hao couldn’t tell why Chen Tianwen had suddenly brought up the copper cabinet, so he pondered inwardly, but outwardly he merely smiled: "To tell you the truth, we receive no less than a hundred denunciation letters every day, but honestly, there’s nothing really useful among them—just a mess of all sorts of things."

"Ha ha, but of course. This copper cabinet you contrived is a first since the founding of the Dynasty. It’s something new, so some early chaos is to be expected. Once you sort it out in time, it’ll certainly find great use; perhaps this method will even be used by the Commander’s Office as a model for the entire domain?"

"Flag Officer Chen, you’re joking. Nothing is that easy."

Then Chen Tianwen changed the subject, lowered his voice, and said, "But your copper cabinet has earned you not a few enemies. Add to that your current position in the limelight—of course people are jealous. Better prepare yourself early."

How could Shen Hao not make enemies? All the notable figures in Li City aren’t fools or blind; every faction knows in their hearts who’s slinging mud at them via the copper cabinet. No matter true or false, with the Black Banner Battalion holding onto so many denunciation letters, some will bear grudges for sure.

But what did this have to do with Chen Tianwen? Why bring this up now?

"Don’t give me that suspicious look—I’m only saying this because I don’t want you to take a fall. You should know that, even if your post now outranks mine, you still came up under my command, right? Naturally, we’re on the same side, aren’t we?"

Shen Hao nodded with a smile. Indeed, he had a good impression of Chen Tianwen. Back during the Qi Family extermination case, if not for Chen Tianwen’s trust, he’d never have gotten a chance to emerge—this friendship was not mere words.

"That’s right. So, trust me, start planning ahead, or when all the accumulated spite explodes, it could blow you to smithereens."

Shen Hao sighed, poured himself another cup of tea, and managed a rare, bitter smile: "Flag Officer Chen, right now I’m sitting on the fence, unable to get down either way."

Shen Hao said this in a roundabout way, just venting. He’d been plagued by the issue of picking a side lately, and hadn’t expected Chen Tianwen to truly understand.

But unexpectedly, Chen Tianwen seemed to really get it.

"Heh, caught between Hundred Households Tang and Hundred Households Chen, it surely hurts. That way, you won’t be able to find yourself a reliable patron for now, and if you don’t have one, those with ill-intentions toward you will have no scruples at all."

This is the reality; even a fearsome force like the Black Banner Battalion can’t escape it. Without a patron, unless you never make a mistake, the moment anyone catches you in the slightest misstep, you’re doomed forever.

"Flag Officer Chen, your eyes are as sharp as ever." Shen Hao candidly admitted his trouble, but he would never give away his deepest leanings. His rule was always to keep himself some leeway in discussions.

Chen Tianwen was an old fox; how could he not sense Shen Hao’s reserve? But he was here today to "ride the breeze"—he’d come prepared, he didn’t care if Shen Hao held back. In fact, it was to his advantage.

Chen Tianwen continued, "Actually, Flag Officer Shen, you really don’t need to be so conflicted. Whether it’s Hundred Households Tang or Hundred Households Chen, neither is much of a real patron. Facing the nobles and merchants of Li City, their power is still lacking, not to mention things are only more complicated above in Fengri City. If you wish to survive further in Black Banner Battalion, you need a more reliable backer."

"Oh? Is Flag Officer Chen here to lecture me today? Then I, Shen, am all ears."

"I wouldn’t dare call it a lecture. Let’s just chat. Since Flag Officer Shen is willing to listen, let me start with Hundred Households Tang. Perhaps you don’t know: Hundred Households Tang is actually a discarded disciple of a sect."

"Ha? A discarded disciple of a sect?!"