: Staff Officer Ma Liangcai (Two-in-One)

2025-01-02 Author: Gu Zhenren

By the decree of the King of Liangzhu, who receives the Mandate of Heaven:

Mu Lan, your loyalty, bravery, and martial spirit are renowned far and wide. Since donning your armor and taking to the battlefield, you have repeatedly achieved remarkable feats. During the ambush battle in the Thousand Peaks Forest, you displayed fearless bravery and provided timely support, rendering outstanding service.

Recalling the past, when the frontlines were in crisis, the elder General Mu volunteered for the mission, passed the General's Test Diagram, gathered the remaining troops, rallied the forces, and fought the enemy valiantly.

Thereafter, the army gradually grew stronger, its military prestige spreading far and wide, until it eventually became an independent unit—the Red Flower Battalion.

Later, the elder General Mu handled every matter personally, repeatedly achieving illustrious military successes that struck fear into the enemy and brought stability to the people. Truly, he is a pillar of the state and a model for the people.

Upon hearing that General Mu Lan is severely wounded, I am deeply grieved. You have dedicated your heart to the nation, fulfilling both loyalty and filial piety. You are truly a pillar of our Liangzhu Kingdom, and I am greatly comforted.

State affairs are arduous, and the situation in the Thousand Peaks Forest requires particular attention. As you are still recovering from your injuries and unable to personally lead the Red Flower Battalion, to ease your mind and ensure the continuity of the Upper General's Mansion, I hereby appoint General Ma Liangcai as the staff officer of the Red Flower Battalion, entrusted with overseeing its major affairs.

You should focus on recuperating and resting. Once you have recovered, you may return to your post and contribute your efforts. The affairs of the Red Flower Battalion will be handled by General Ma, and you may set your mind at ease.

So it is decreed.

After the envoy finished reading the imperial decree, he scanned the surroundings and frowned, "Where is General Mu Lan? Why does she not receive the decree?"

Zhang Zhongyi hurriedly replied, "General Mu Lan is still unconscious and not in her right mind."

The envoy nodded, "In that case, General Ma Liangcai, I ask that you quickly take control of the Red Flower Battalion and assume your duties for the kingdom."

Ma Liangcai nodded and spoke softly, his voice quickly spreading throughout the entire Red Flower Battalion.

The soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion swiftly assembled, but instead of following Ma Liangcai's orders, they gathered around General Mu Lan's main tent, united and hostile toward Ma Liangcai.

This scene shocked Ning Zhuo and Liu Er!

Without their commanding general, and with Ma Liangcai being a Nascent Soul cultivator bearing the king's decree, the soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion still acted this way—clear evidence of where their loyalties lay.

Ma Liangcai's face was as dark as water, and the envoy scolded, "What is the meaning of this? The imperial decree is here. Do you wish to defy orders and rebel against the kingdom?"

Some of the soldiers remained expressionless, while others sneered, all with resolute expressions.

"A mere imperial decree wants to replace our general? That won't do!"

"Changing commanders during a campaign is a major taboo. A general in the field may refuse the sovereign's orders—this is common sense. We ask the envoy not to take offense."

"Our Red Flower Battalion was founded by the elder General Mu himself. General Mu Lan is the elder General Mu's only daughter. You, Ma Liangcai, may be a Nascent Soul cultivator, but you are only one of the three generals of the royal court. How can you compare to the prestigious Upper General's Mansion?"

The soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion spoke one after another, openly defying the decree, which infuriated the envoy.

Ma Liangcai's expression was icy, his gaze sharp and profound beneath a pair of white eyebrows.

Looking at these united soldiers, he couldn't help but recall the scene when the king issued the order—

In the splendid royal hall, curtains swayed gently, and the air was thick with fragrance.

The King of Liangzhu lay on his throne, holding Consort Hu in his arms.

Consort Hu was enchanting and captivating, dressed in magnificent palace robes, resembling a blooming flower, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Your Majesty, try a grape," Consort Hu giggled, using her slender jade-like fingers to hold a peeled grape to the king's lips.

The king opened his mouth, taking both the grape and Consort Hu's fingers into his mouth, savoring them carefully with an expression of enjoyment.

"Your subject, Ma Liangcai, pays respects to the king." Ma Liangcai knelt on one knee, bowing respectfully. He saw the jade-paved floor, clear as a mirror, reflecting his figure.

The king grunted in acknowledgment, still holding Consort Hu, and glanced sideways at Ma Liangcai. "Rise and speak."

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for the grace." Ma Liangcai stood up but kept his head lowered.

The king said, "I summoned you here regarding the Red Flower Battalion."

"The current commander of the Red Flower Battalion, Mu Lan, is severely wounded and unconscious, no longer fit to lead this army. You will take over."

Ma Liangcai was startled and couldn't help but look up. "Your Majesty, how could someone of my humble abilities take over and lead the Red Flower Battalion? It is, after all..."

The king impatiently interrupted, "The personal army of the Upper General's Mansion."

"General Mu has been bedridden for how long? The position of Upper General consumes how much of the nation's resources every year! It should be passed to the younger generation."

"Taking over this army will undoubtedly be difficult. Precisely for that reason, I called you to handle this matter."

"Remember, the Red Flower Battalion is the kingdom's army. Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, you cannot indiscriminately slaughter them."

"Take this."

The king lightly tapped the armrest of his throne, and a brilliant light shot out.

Ma Liangcai hurriedly extended both hands to catch the light.

"You should be aware of the Red Flower Battalion's past. This treasure will help you succeed. Use it well."

"If you take over the Red Flower Battalion, bring it back. If you fail, go and submit to the overall commander, accept his orders, and atone for your failure through meritorious service."

Ma Liangcai cupped his hands. "Your subordinate obeys!"

The king waved impatiently, and Ma Liangcai quickly withdrew from the hall.

The king looked at Consort Hu in his arms. "My beloved consort, I have acted according to your plan this time. Now, do you see how much I dote on you?"

Consort Hu smiled charmingly, pressing her flower-like cheek against the King of Liangzhu's chest. "Your Majesty dotes on me the most. I know."

"Hahaha." The King of Liangzhu laughed heartily, holding Consort Hu tightly. "As long as my beloved consort understands my heart!"

Red Flower Battalion.

Ma Liangcai's eyes flashed as he pulled himself out of his memories and reassessed the situation before him.

He sneered coldly. Unlike the envoy, he did not show anger but spoke slowly and deliberately. "As expected of the Red Flower Battalion. Even as a defeated army, you still have that pride and fierceness. Good, very good."

"Do you realize that by acting this way, you are placing your general in an unjust position?"

"Such disobedience will make outsiders think the Mu Upper General's Mansion harbors ulterior motives. You all know how many enemies the Mu Upper General's Mansion has at court, don't you?"

"If those people seize this opportunity to manipulate the situation, causing the king to misunderstand and, in his anger, directly dismiss the Upper General, all of you will be culprits!"

Hearing this, the soldiers grew restless, each feeling uneasy and hesitant.

Ma Liangcai continued, "The Mu Upper General's Mansion has declined to this state. You should think about advancing, achieving merits to revive the prestige of the Upper General's Mansion!"

"General Mu Lan has fallen, worn down by overwork. As her subordinates, do you not know General Mu Lan's aspirations?"

"Without a commander, do you plan to charge into battle alone? Suffering another defeat would only bring shame to the Upper General's Mansion, wouldn't it?"

"Only under my leadership, by achieving military merits, can we stabilize the situation until General Mu Lan awakens. Your performance will also bring her comfort, won't it?"

The soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion grew even more unsettled.

Ma Liangcai's words struck at their deepest fears—without a commander, charging into battle would be tantamount to suicide. How could they possibly achieve merits and restore glory?

Shuang Jing descended from above. "General Ma's words are very reasonable."

"I agree as well." Sun Gan also landed.

"However," Sun Gan suddenly changed his tone, "compared to General Ma, I, Sun Gan, have spent more time with General Mu Lan and know the Red Flower Battalion better. I am more suited to lead this army!"

Shuang Jing: "Before this, General Mu Lan once entrusted me that if things went awry, I should take charge of the Red Flower Battalion."

Everyone was stunned.

Ning Zhuo suddenly nudged Liu Er with his elbow.

Liu Er shuddered, struck by inspiration, and shouted, "How strange! General Mu Lan told me the same thing before."

Everyone was stunned again.

Ma Liangcai's expression darkened once more. He looked at Shuang Jing and Sun Gan, then glanced at Liu Er, his gaze lingering on Liu Er's demon-blood traits with undisguised disgust and contempt.

Ma Liangcai turned to the envoy and communicated via divine sense.

The envoy shouted, "What trouble are you three causing? General Ma Liangcai was personally appointed by the king to take over the Red Flower Battalion! Do you have the king's command?"

Liu Er gritted his teeth.

Sun Gan immediately retorted, "The imperial decree only appoints Ma Liangcai as a staff officer to join the Red Flower Battalion. How does that equate to taking over?"

Shuang Jing also said, "Although the Red Flower Battalion is a regular army of our kingdom, it was founded by the elder General Mu and belongs to the Upper General's Mansion. You, Ma Liangcai, are an outsider. How can you take over?"

Ning Zhuo communicated via divine sense, instructing Liu Er.

Liu Er gritted his teeth and said, "Everyone may not know this, but I and General Mu Lan are deeply connected, almost to the point of discussing marriage. In terms of closeness, I am practically half a member of the Upper General's Mansion."

"The king is wise and cares for his loyal ministers. If he knew the details, he would never have sent you, Lord Ma, here."

These words caused everyone to stare wide-eyed at Liu Er.

Their gazes were filled with shock and anger, as if spitting fire.

Ning Zhuo subtly shifted a few steps away from Liu Er.

Liu Er's breathing hitched slightly under the immense pressure in the air.

Whether it was Ma Liangcai, the royal envoy, Shuang Jing, Sun Gan, Zhang Zhongyi, or the soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion, they all wished they could grind this unrestrained Liu Er to dust.

What do you think you are?

A mere half-breed, daring to slander General Mu Lan's purity?! Daring to meddle in this political struggle? Daring to try to lay hands on the Upper General's seal?

Simply outrageous!

Who gave you the confidence?

In the tense atmosphere, Sun Gan suddenly looked up and laughed. "General Liu Er, your mind is sharp. I understand now. To be frank, General Mu Lan has admired me since childhood, wishing to marry me to secure my allegiance to the Upper General's Mansion and revive its glory."

Shuang Jing, not to be outdone, said, "What you speak of are recent events. In truth, I have long corresponded with Mu Lan. Initially, she sought my advice on cultivation matters. Gradually, we confided in each other. The closeness of our relationship is something outsiders cannot comprehend."

"Now that Mu Lan is unconscious, as her beloved and half a member of the Upper General's Mansion, it is only right that I take charge of the Red Flower Battalion on her behalf."

"Ma Liangcai, you come by the king's order. I will not make things difficult for you. Just obediently serve as the staff officer."

By this point, the soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion and Zhang Zhongyi finally grasped the situation.

Ma Liangcai, bearing the king's decree to take over the Red Flower Battalion, held the moral high ground. The king's reasons, clearly stated in the decree, were very justified—for the sake of victory in the war, for the greater good!

Anyone defying this order would be in the wrong and subject to severe punishment.

In the orthodox path, rules must be followed.

But if Liu Er, Sun Gan, Shuang Jing, and others had private relationships with Mu Lan, making them half-members of the Upper General's Mansion, then according to the hierarchy of family, state, and world—where family comes before state, and state before the world—Ma Liangcai would rank below these three.

Realizing this, the soldiers of the Red Flower Battalion began to think that these three generals were trying to help them by reluctantly claiming private relationships with Mu Lan.

Their gazes toward the three generals lost their hostility, unaware that these three had their own agendas.

They truly wanted to lay hands on the Upper General's Mansion!

Ning Zhuo observed the entire scene, estimating internally: "The King of Liangzhu issued an order to directly take over the Red Flower Battalion. His move was too 'timely.' How long has it been since Mu Lan was ambushed and fell unconscious? Ma Liangcai arrived too quickly."

"If so, the one who targeted Mu Lan wasn't Shuang Jing or Sun Gan but the upper echelons of the Liangzhu Kingdom."

"What is the true intention of the King of Liangzhu? Is he the mastermind behind this, or merely a participant?"

Ning Zhuo pondered secretly.

He tried to view the matter from the King of Liangzhu's perspective.

Then, the takeover of the Red Flower Battalion and the abolition of the Mu Upper General's Mansion would align with the king's interests.

The king had a strong motive for such actions.

Ning Zhuo also discreetly observed Sun Gan and Shuang Jing: "These two must have heard rumors and known inside information, hence they acted preemptively to pressure Mu Lan."

"They wanted to seize the Red Flower Battalion and the Upper General's Mansion before the king could act."

"Therefore, they are now proactively blocking Ma Liangcai."

As Ning Zhuo assessed the overall situation, Sun Gan and Shuang Jing both inwardly sighed in relief, viewing Liu Er in a new light.

Fortunately, Liu Er reacted quickly and came up with this idea!

Liu Er, in turn, looked at Ning Zhuo, praising him highly in his heart: "Having a strategist by my side is truly wonderful. I've benefited so much! Now, with Mu Lan unconscious, the three of us can make baseless claims and stand in Ma Liangcai's way."

"The beauty of it is, for Ma Liangcai to expose us, he would have to wake Mu Lan and have her deny the private relationships in person."

"However, once Mu Lan awakens, it will be very difficult for Ma Liangcai to truly take over the Red Flower Battalion. He can only serve as a staff officer. With Mu Lan above him, he won't have an ounce of real power!"

As for why the King of Liangzhu didn't simply appoint Ma Liangcai as the commander of the Red Flower Battalion in the decree?

Clearly, it would violate orthodox rules.

If the King of Liangzhu did so, it would undoubtedly alert many noble families, cause great disappointment, and draw admonishments and protests from countless elders.

Moreover, if he truly did so, he would certainly not succeed—as evident from the reaction of the Red Flower Battalion soldiers.

The situation reached a stalemate.

Ma Liangcai stared fixedly at Liu Er. His disgust for this Golden Core level half-breed surged dozens of times.

Seeing that things had developed to this point, Liu Er met Ma Liangcai's gaze head-on, fearless.

Shuang Jing and Sun Gan, seeing this, viewed Liu Er more highly, thinking this half-breed had the courage of a reckless warrior.

They also stared at Ma Liangcai, subtly exerting pressure.

Neither side backed down. Just as it seemed they were heading for a deadlock, the tent flap was suddenly lifted.

Mu Lan walked out!

Everyone stared wide-eyed once more. This time, even Ning Zhuo changed expression, feeling intensely surprised. In an instant, he understood: "So, Mu Lan was feigning unconsciousness all along!"

Mu Lan smiled slightly at the stunned crowd. "Everyone, please come inside the tent for a discussion."

(End of )