After Breaking the Marriage Contract, I Became the Strongest State-Stabilizing Duke! - Chapter 19:

Chapter 19: The Rebellion in Luzhou, Selection of the Commander:

The moment this absurd thought emerged, Lu Yunxue suppressed it at once. This was her choice—her happiness. Her judgment couldn’t be wrong. The real mistake was Mu Zian humiliating Pei Jianzhi in public. Clearly, Mu Zian had such strong martial skills, yet he hid his prowess only to humiliate her beloved at the celebration banquet. Wasn’t it just to prove he was better than Pei Jianzhi?

Lu Yunxue took a deep breath. That’s right! Everything was Mu Zian’s fault.

“Pei Lang, my brother was indeed thoughtless in this matter. Too many things happened tonight. Give me a moment to calm down.”

Hearing his sister side with an outsider, Lu Ming was instantly infuriated. However, he was forced into silence by a single glance from Lu Yunxue.

Tonight, she had intended to use the banquet to further raise her influence, but looking at the current situation, by tomorrow they would surely become the laughingstock of the world. With this thought, Lu Yunxue said to Pei Jianzhi, “What happened tonight has greatly affected us both. If we don’t quickly make some achievements to offset it, we’ll become a laughingstock throughout the empire.”

Pei Jianzhi had also calmed down by now. “You’re right. Today’s shame, I will repay a hundredfold!”

Lu Yunxue nodded with a faint smile. “Indeed. Great undertakings must endure setbacks; a bit of wind and frost is nothing.”

Meanwhile, in the inner palace of the Great Li Empire.

After hearing about the banquet, the Emperor couldn’t help but laugh. “Eloquent, skilled in both civil and military arts. Returning command of the Vanguard Battalion to him was indeed a wise move. I believe he will continue to surprise me.”

Grand Steward Cao chuckled in agreement. “It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s discerning eye in discovering such a young talent.”

Hearing this, the Emperor laughed even more. “Old dog, your eloquence is no less than Mu Zian’s.”

“Your Majesty flatters me.”

Just as master and servant were chatting, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the palace gates. A young eunuch rushed into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, a letter from Luzhou states that horse bandits have rebelled. The court is requested to dispatch troops for immediate assistance.”

Half an hour later, Mu Zian, who had already returned to the State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence, was summoned back to the palace.

When Mu Zian entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, several people were already gathered: the Ninth Princess Xiao Xiuning, the current Grand Chancellor Du Yuheng, and even Lu Yunxue and Pei Jianzhi. Mu Zian didn’t spare them a glance, walking directly to the front and cupping his hands in greeting.

“Your servant greets Your Majesty.”

Seeing that everyone was present, the Emperor of the Great Li Empire spoke with a hint of anger, “A report from Luzhou states that horse bandits have rebelled, burning, killing, looting—the people suffer greatly. Within half a day, they even breached the prefectural city. Their madness is beyond belief! I intend to dispatch troops to quell the rebellion.”

Grand Chancellor Du Yuheng stepped forward to continue, “Luzhou is only 300 li from the capital. If this rebellion spreads to the capital, wouldn’t it make a laughingstock of us? Thus, this campaign must be swift and decisive.”

“Although it is a matter of suppressing bandits, it is not easy. The fact that they breached the city shows they are well-organized and led by capable figures. This battle will not be simple.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s spirits surged. Since the Grand Chancellor himself acknowledged the difficulty, it meant the merit from this campaign would be considerable. And among those present, only three were capable of commanding troops for this task.

The Emperor’s intentions were clear.

Lu Yunxue and Pei Jianzhi exchanged glances, unable to hide their excitement. As rising stars in the military, they eagerly sought victories to solidify their positions. They needed a resounding victory to erase the shame clinging to them. Thus, both were determined to seize the command of this campaign.

The Emperor’s gaze first fell on Mu Zian, then he asked, “State-Stabilizing Duke, what is your view on this?”

Mu Zian thought for a moment and replied, “Bandit raids are common. Typically, they raid and flee, elusive and hard to catch. But if they have breached the prefectural city, I believe Luzhou is already corrupted. The bandits must have coerced many civilians, which explains their overwhelming force.”

“Moreover, Luzhou borders the frontier, near the Qiangrong. It’s possible that among these bandits are Qiang cavalry. In my view, suppressing this rebellion will require 30,000 elite soldiers.”

The Emperor fell into deep thought. If what Mu Zian said was true, this rebellion was indeed no small matter.

Pei Jianzhi, however, sneered and stepped forward, “In my opinion, the State-Stabilizing Duke is merely boosting others’ morale and diminishing our own! They’re just mountain bandits, a rabble at best. Even if they’ve coerced some refugees, they’re still no match for our troops. I say, why dispatch 30,000 soldiers? Give me 3,000 elite soldiers and I shall pacify Luzhou!”

The moment Pei Jianzhi spoke, Lu Yunxue was stunned.

Before being summoned, they had already analyzed Luzhou’s situation on their way here. Their conclusion was that at least 10,000 elite troops were needed to suppress the rebellion. Yet Pei Jianzhi had now slashed that number down to 3,000—less than a third of their original estimate.

Lu Yunxue frantically gestured at him, but Pei Jianzhi pretended not to notice.

Thirty thousand versus three thousand—a tenfold difference.

The officials present didn’t know whether to praise Pei Jianzhi’s confidence or scorn his arrogance.

The Emperor’s gaze turned again to Mu Zian.

Mu Zian sneered and said, “Any bandits capable of breaching a prefectural city are no ordinary rabble. After capturing the city, they will undoubtedly seize the armory and arm themselves. Luzhou’s people are hardy and fierce; once equipped, they can quickly form a militia with combat strength not inferior to government troops.”

“Thus, I insist that 30,000 elite soldiers are needed to suppress this rebellion.”

Pei Jianzhi scoffed, “After all that, they’re still just roving bandits. Even with weapons, they can’t match our Great Li Empire’s troops. Once our army arrives, these peasants will scatter like flies without a fight.”

Just as Mu Zian was about to argue further, a familiar system prompt sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on triggering a choice.]

[Choice 1: Argue with reason and compete for the position of commander. Reward: A top-grade luminous pearl.]

[Choice 2: Give up the position and let Pei Jianzhi take command. Reward: A blueprint for liquor distillation.]

[Please make your choice!]