The hall was silent.
Not the respectful kind of silence.
The dangerous kind — the kind where everyone was doing mental arithmetic about whose head would roll first.
Then Bai Mao finished speaking.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
And then, as if struck by collective enlightenment, the generals all thought the same thing:
Damn it. This man is terrifying.
Moments earlier, they had been circling the problem like starving dogs around a bone, each praying someone else would open their mouth first and say kill. Whoever spoke would be carved up by civil officials in memorials for the next ten years.
And now?
Battalion Commander Wang had calmly picked up the entire mess, wrapped it in polite wording, and dropped it squarely into Imperial Censor Wu Shen's lap.
Clean. Bloodless. Irreversible.
Not a single drop splashed back.
This was not ordinary blame-shifting.
Low-level blame-shifting meant sacrificing one of your own.
Mid-level meant dragging in an innocent bystander.
High-level blame-shifting?
That was when you handed the problem to your political enemy and thanked him for the opportunity.
Among military men, pushing disasters onto civil officials was considered a refined art.
Du Wenhuan broke the silence first. He slapped his thigh and laughed.
"Excellent!"
Cao Wenzhao nodded vigorously. "Truly excellent."
Wang Guoliang of Shanxi let out a long sigh. "Battalion Commander Wang, with ability like this, keeping you at battalion rank is criminal."
Wang Cheng'en's eyes immediately narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
Wang Guoliang froze. "N-no, no, I meant—"
"Are you trying to steal my officer in front of me?"
"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!" Wang Guoliang waved his hands frantically. "I'm only saying such talent deserves swift promotion. A thousand-household command, at least."
Wang Cheng'en snorted. "Let him earn one more merit."
Meaning: hands off.
Everyone understood.
The mood lifted instantly. Du Wenhuan wasted no time drafting a letter, summoning Wu Shen to "properly pacify" the bandits' families. Two thousand men were left behind in Hequ County to watch over them, and the rest of the army marched south.
The problem vanished.
No blood.
No responsibility.
Only paperwork.
Hexin County — Longmen Ferry
Shi Jian stood on the riverbank with one hundred garrison soldiers behind him.
Officially.
In reality, there were fifty-three.
No one bothered pretending otherwise.
These men were the weakest Wang Cheng'en could spare — soldiers whose fighting spirit had long since been exchanged for survival. Their armor rattled, their boots leaked, and several used rope where belts should have been.
One man's spearhead was tied on with cloth.
Their pay had been "delayed" for so long that some were beginning to suspect it was a myth.
Being assigned to guard Longmen Ferry was, in their eyes, an act of divine mercy.
So they behaved themselves.
Very much so.
After a few days, they noticed something unsettling.
Their commander was… pleasant.
No shouting. No beatings. He even sat among them.
Right now, the fifty-odd men lounged by the river while Shi Jian told a story.
"…and so the soldier helped the villagers, earned their trust, and was rewarded with the village chief's daughter in marriage."
Skinny Liu blinked. "Just like that?"
"Yes."
Iron Pot Zhang frowned. "Did he have land?"
"…Eventually."
Old Hu scratched his beard. "Commander, that sounds fake."
Shi Jian smiled calmly. "Faith makes it real."
They accepted this.
One soldier sighed. "Honestly… we don't want to be bad people. If we had food and money, who'd risk their neck?"
Another muttered, "If helping people could get you a wife, I'd have started years ago."
Laughter rippled through the group.
Shi Jian nodded. "Don't worry. Soon, you'll be able to help people."
"…How?" several voices asked at once.
Shi Jian pointed. "Look."
They turned.
A massive cargo ship was moving upstream.
On its bow stood a Daoist figure in flowing robes, arms spread wide, sleeves snapping in the wind — heroic, majestic, and deeply impractical.
Skinny Liu squinted. "Is he… balanced?"
Iron Pot Zhang tilted his head. "If he falls, do we dive in?"
Old Hu whispered, "If he survives, I'm converting."
Shi Jian's eyes went wide. "Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
He ran forward and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
The statue's eyes moved.
"No need for ceremony," Li Daoxuan said. "I'm enjoying the breeze. Also, this pose is harder than it looks."
The soldiers froze.
Iron Pot Zhang whispered, "The statue spoke."
Skinny Liu whispered back, "Don't panic. Gods talk. It's kind of their thing."
"The grain," Dao Xuan Tianzun said. "Unload it. Save Hexin County."
Shi Jian snapped upright. "As you command!"
He turned and shouted, "Unload the grain! Send someone to Hexin City! Refugees get food and three catties of flour per day!"
The riverbank exploded.
"Three catties?!"
"White flour?!"
"Per person?!"
One soldier yelled, "Commander! Do we get paid too?! I haven't seen military pay since my hair was black!"
Several others shouted at once.
Shi Jian laughed. "You'll maintain order. That's work. And yes — you'll be paid."
Skinny Liu wiped his eyes. "I knew following Commander Shi was the right choice."
Iron Pot Zhang nodded solemnly. "Heaven doesn't give miracles. It gives supervisors."
Dao Xuan Tianzun spoke again. "Wang Jiayin will reach Pingyang Prefecture in a few days."
Shi Jian's smile vanished. "That close?"
"Yes."
"Hexin was just looted," Shi Jian said quietly. "If bandits come again…"
"This is your test," Li Daoxuan replied. "Evacuate the people. Persuade them. Trick them. Threaten them if necessary."
Shi Jian nodded slowly. "Empty city. Water fort. Legitimate defense."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
Good. He understands faster than most.
Then the divine presence withdrew.
The statue stilled.
Shi Jian stared at it.
I gave my miniature Dao Xuan Tianzun to Bai Mao, he thought. Now I don't even have one with me.
His chest felt… unsettled.
Without hesitation, he climbed onto the ship, hoisted the statue onto his back, staggered ashore, and placed it atop a tall rock.
Iron Pot Zhang stared. "Commander… isn't that heavy?"
Shi Jian wiped his brow. "Faith always is."
He stepped back, nodded once, and finally relaxed.
With Dao Xuan Tianzun beside him, his heart settled.
After all—
Grain steadied the people.
Soldiers guarded the grain.
And as long as the gods stayed put…
Everyone slept better.