"Five hundred men?"
Yang Ge thought for a moment, then replied, "That should be enough... Record an absence for the three hundred-household managers who didn’t come back for the meeting, and include it in the annual performance review!"
Fang Ke: ...
What about ’review the situation and return home for discussions if possible’?
Such pettiness!
Yang Ge, striding forward, suddenly turned around: "What are you muttering?"
Fang Ke, startled: "I wasn’t muttering anything, sir!"
Yang Ge looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Fang Ke, with a forced smile and tingling scalp, greeted him.
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Yang Ge turned his head back and casually asked, "Have the boats been arranged?"
Fang Ke hurriedly said, "Sir, everything has been arranged. It is the flood season now, and we can reach Yangzhou downstream in no more than ten days."
Yang Ge: "And the return journey?"
Fang Ke: "Sir, the return journey will be slightly slower, but a fortnight should suffice to reach Lu Ting."
"Very good!"
While talking, the two had crossed the corridor and arrived at the main hall situated along the central axis.
Yang Ge, with his Gold-Inlaid Ox-tail Saber in hand, stepped into the hall, and the eight people waiting inside all stood up and bowed with their fists, calling him "Sir".
Yang Ge gestured with his hand: "We’re all family here, no need for formalities!"
He walked briskly to the top of the hall, picked up the prepared charcoal stick, and on the Xuan paper posted there, he wrote down "Changfeng Gang" in three big slanted characters.
Turning around, he threw down the charcoal stick: "This is the purpose of summoning everyone back this time!"
Before the eight men below could react, he continued rapidly: "Travel permits, boats, provisions, and military supplies, all are ready!"
"This trip south, I need four hundred strong men and five hundred-household managers to accompany me."
"Master Zuo and Master Qin, both of you are veterans in the department, more familiar with the department’s regulations than I am. I need one of you to stay back at home on my behalf, and the other to come with me to Jiangzuo."
"I’ve said my part, who wishes to go to Jiangzuo and who wishes to stay home?"
As his voice fell, the eyes of the eight below turned green.
Then they heard a "swish" sound as all eight stood up together, clasped their fists and said, "This subordinate (Your humble servant) is ready to be dispatched by you, Sir!"
Jiangzuo Changfeng Gang?
That’s reputed to be... easy pickings!
If it’s such easy pickings, why didn’t anyone act before?
Isn’t it because of the various constraints from both the local and imperial levels!
Now that Yang Ge was willing to start this, the biggest thunder was naturally his to bear!
He gets the blame, we reap the rewards… what a great deal...
Who wouldn’t want to go?
Worst-case scenario, even if this expedition fails to handle Changfeng Gang.
If Changfeng Gang doesn’t bleed heavily, they definitely won’t just let them go!
Success or not, there would be plenty of silver to be made...
Who wouldn’t want to go?
"This is going to be difficult..."
Yang Ge pondered with a troubled look for a few moments, then suddenly clapped his hands with a look of pleasant surprise and waved at Fang Ke standing by: "Get paper and pens for all the lords!"
Fang Ke was momentarily stunned, then quickly fetched paper and pens, distributing them among the two deputy thousand-household managers and six hundred-household managers.
The eight men looked bewilderedly at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge spread his hands, with an air of helplessness, "I too would love to ascend the mountain of knives and descend into the sea of flames with you all!"
"But it’s impossible not to leave someone in charge at home."
"However, now everyone wants to go..."
"It’s unfair no matter who is chosen to go or stay!"
"So, it can only trouble you all to write down the reasons why I must take you south!"
"It can be a strategy to punish Changfeng Gang, a thorough plan to eradicate evil."
"Or it can be an appeal of sharing weal and woe together."
"Anything you think will be useful in our campaign to exterminate Changfeng Gang, you can write."
"I will decide who goes to Jiangzuo and who stays home based on what everyone writes."
"It’s getting late and you all must be tired... let’s say a quarter of an hour!"
"In a quarter of an hour, I will collect the papers and announce who will accompany me south to Jiangzuo and who will stay home!"
The eight below stared at Yang Ge, gaping.
Those surprised eyes seemed to say, ’Can we really do this?’
Yang Ge smiled faintly and said softly, "Daydreaming counts towards your time as well!"
The eight snapped out of it and immediately started writing furiously.