Chapter 143: We Are Even Now

"Report to the Marquis, this is military law! The Duke of Xing forced his way into the military camp and, according to military regulations, should be beheaded to serve as a warning to the public." Meng Baolai stepped forward and spoke without fear, looking at Cai Cong as if asking, "Master, can I win the Best Actor award for this performance?"

Cai Cong maintained a poker face to show his satisfaction, thinking to himself, I'll give you an Oscar later, while struggling to say out loud, "Oh dear, how did things come to this? Elder Fang is not a green recruit who doesn't know better, how could he commit such an offense? Look at what should be done about this. If military orders are not enforced, this Marquis will have no way to govern the army in the future."

Fang Xuanling really wanted to curse out loud. Who the hell knew that your military camp was loose on the outside but tightly guarded on the inside? Barely a hundred paces past the main gate, his entire group had been completely neutralized.

However, he was also an old fox. Glancing at the people present, he said with a chuckle, "This old man was anxious to resolve the issue of military pay. Although I forced my way through the camp gates in a moment of urgency, I nevertheless broke military law. The Marquis of Chang'an can deal with it however he sees fit! Please, do not show any favoritism."

The soldiers present felt a pang of anxiety. This old gentleman wouldn't hold a grudge against us and go back on his word regarding the military pay, would he?

"I see. In that case, this really puts this Marquis in a difficult spot! Ah, I have it. In the past, Cao Aiman issued a military order that anyone who trampled on people's fields would be beheaded. Later, his horse was startled and bolted, trampling the crops in a citizen's field. He cut off his hair in lieu of his head..."

Cai Cong clapped his hands and cried out, acting as if he had just thought of it, though that script had probably been drafted in his mind for a long time. Fang Xuanling didn't give him a chance to finish, saying with a dark face, "Our body, hair, and skin are received from our parents and cannot be damaged in the slightest."

If Cai Cong wanted to play games with him, he would play along, but cutting off his hair in lieu of his head was completely out of the question.

"This Marquis didn't say Elder Fang had to cut his hair. We'll just slaughter this horse to call it even. What do you think?" Cai Cong said reasonably. Fang Xuanling didn't think much of it and nodded, saying that was acceptable.

The moment the words left his mouth, his expression changed. Before he could take it back, he heard Meng Baolai shouting at the top of his lungs, "Come here! Slaughter this beast that is standing in for the Duke of Xing, and find a good geomantic spot to bury it afterward!"

Fang Xuanling's complexion shifted dramatically. This was a roundabout way of calling him a beast! And it was something he had agreed to with his own mouth. If this story got out, he would lose all his dignity.

However, he didn't try to stop them, as arguing further would only make him look even more foolish. He simply said coldly, "Now that this matter is settled, the Marquis of Chang'an should get down to business, shouldn't you?"

"Naturally. Elder Fang, this way please," Cai Cong said with a beaming smile, feeling immensely pleased inside. Today's spectacle was payback for the time the aristocratic families attacked Cai Cong while Fang Xuanling stood by in silence. Anyone else might have gotten a pass, but Fang Xuanling and Changsun Wuji, as the heads of the civil and military officials, had chosen to stand by and watch—which amounted to dereliction of duty.

Walking into the tent, Fang Xuanling likely figured it out as well. He chuckled at Cai Cong and said, "After today, this old man will no longer feel any guilt toward you. Be careful from now on; if you make a mistake, this old man will definitely impeach you."

Fang Xuanling laughed heartily. He knew that after today, he would undoubtedly become the laughingstock of Chang'an for a period of time, but he was happy. The guilt he had harbored in his heart toward Cai Cong was finally lifted.

"We are even now! Wuji won't have a chance to retaliate anytime soon; he resigned from his post as chancellor at the beginning of the year. Although he holds the title of Minister of the Works and Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, he doesn't really manage affairs after all. I'll be hiding in the military camp for a while, so he probably won't find an opportunity," Cai Cong said contentedly. He had handled this matter uprightly—punishing someone while making them feel cheerful about it could be considered a very bizarre phenomenon.

"Official business is official business, and personal matters are personal matters. Don't you dare expect this old man to go easy on the military pay because of this. Where are your military expenditures being wasted? Let this old man open his eyes!" Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and said leisurely. The scene at the camp gates had truly given him a fright, but that only proved the new army was formidable; it didn't justify their high expenses.

"Then let's go! Let's see if our new army is fraudulently collecting its pay," Cai Cong said, taking the lead as they walked out. Fang Xuanling followed closely behind. They stopped at a place overgrown with lush vegetation, and Cai Cong motioned for Fang Xuanling to take a look.

Fang Xuanling stared wide-eyed, finding the trees rugged and the tall wild grass dense. After repeated checks, he realized there was nothing particularly unusual about the place. However, since Cai Cong had asked him to look, there had to be something out of the ordinary. With no other choice, he could only gaze at Cai Cong in confusion.

"The enemy has entered the attack range! Take our side as the target and launch the attack!" Cai Cong shouted loudly, and Fang Xuanling instantly understood what it meant to treat every tree and bush as an enemy soldier. Rugged tree trunks were actually clinging tightly to soldiers, and it was only when they opened their eyes that Fang Xuanling spotted them.

The human-height wild grass was actually tied to the soldiers' bodies, with their entire forms painted in the colors of grass and earth. Most terrifyingly of all, two sharp sabers suddenly appeared behind his neck, and he had no idea where the person holding them had emerged from.

"This is training the soldiers in the art of ambush. They must blend into the mountain forest so completely that the enemy is right in front of them without noticing—only then do they pass," Cai Cong said calmly. He didn't tell Fang Xuanling that they had to remain completely motionless for a day and a night to be considered qualified.

"Achieving this requires a massive amount of dye, which costs quite a lot of money. Because they are required to remain as unmoving as mountains, soldiers are frequently bitten by venomous insects, and curing them also requires many medicinal herbs."

Fang Xuanling nodded. This certainly resulted in more consumption than other military camps, but it still wasn't enough.

Cai Cong knew this, so he led him to watch the soldiers perform armed river crossings over ten li, climb Mount Xiaohuan carrying heavy stones, and engage in real-combat sparring with sharpened weapons... The sights left Fang Xuanling filled with both awe and dread. Leaving aside the effectiveness of these methods, the crucial point was that they were far too ruthless—it was practically torturing men! Several men beating one, with blades slicing across flesh and blood flowing freely, yet they acted as if nothing had happened, only rolling on the ground and crying out in pain once the designated time was up.

Therefore, the consumption of medicinal herbs alone was something other military camps couldn't match even if they rode fast horses, to say nothing of the provisions, uniforms, and weapon wear-and-tear.

"The Marquis of Chang'an's grand army is truly capable of fighting a hundred men single-handedly; this official is full of respect. However, given this level of consumption, this old man can at most grant you an additional fifteen percent on top of the military pay. This old man just estimated that you only have about six thousand men here. Let out whatever other tricks you have for the remaining two thousand men to let this old man open his eyes."

Fang Xuanling was a very straightforward man. After observing for a full day, he had been calculating in his mind; giving an extra fifteen percent on top of this would already be quite generous.

"The remaining men cannot be shown to you, unless Elder Fang can obtain a special imperial decree from His Majesty. Otherwise, no one dares to let you see them," Cai Cong said leisurely. Those men were undergoing standard training, while the other two thousand were handpicked elites living the lives of evil spirits. One could easily imagine how brutal their training was.

"Since that is the case, I will grant you the full thirty percent increase in military pay. However, I will verify this matter with His Majesty. If you have deceived me, don't blame this old man for being discourteous."

Fang Xuanling thought for a moment before speaking. Cai Cong nodded; he was more than happy for Fang Xuanling to bring it up! A thirty percent increase was still tight, so if Li Er heard about it and helped secure a bit more, that would be even better.

"This old man heard you say this morning that you intend to stay in the military camp for a long time?" As soon as official business was concluded, Fang Xuanling's tone changed, and Cai Cong instantly found himself on the defensive. The two of them sipped tea. That old scoundrel Fang Xuanling finished putting the tea leaves into the teapot and then directly shoved the tea caddy into his sleeve.

"Living here is peaceful! Doesn't Elder Fang feel that official duties are overwhelmingly busy during this period?" Cai Cong couldn't care less about those few tea leaves. He played with his teacup and tossed the question right back at Fang Xuanling.

"What you say is true. I heard that Immortal Sun has also emerged from seclusion; he is a prominent banner of Taoism after all! But if you stay out of it, no one can do anything to you. To willingly hide away in a military camp—don't you feel it's a disgrace?"

"A disgrace my foot! Taoism sent me an invitation asking me to attend the September 9th Taoist Assembly, and Buddhism dug up all the deceased people who showed kindness to my mother and me, demanding that I ask His Majesty to issue them ordination certificates. Neither side is anything good, so of course I'm hiding away to watch them bite each other like dogs."

Cai Cong spoke with full resentment. Wannian, Chang'an, Luoyang, and even various places across the country were seeing constant divine manifestations; it seemed all the gods and buddhas of the heavens had plenty of time on their hands lately, popping out everywhere just to flex their existence.

Taoism wanted to place him on a pedestal, while Buddhism wanted to win him over. Under such circumstances, Cai Cong would rather retreat three stages than plunge headfirst into that mess.