Wang Shunxing slowly folded the dismissal document, placed it on the table, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"This part about insufficient tax collection and poor administrative results," he said calmly, "I have no objection to. Shaanxi truly has no taxes to collect. But this charge of 'spouting nonsense and deceiving His Majesty'…"
He shook his head, baffled.
"Where did that come from? When have I ever spoken nonsense? When have I deceived the Emperor?"
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa exchanged glances. They were just as confused.
Wang Shunxing waved his hand, his expression easing instead of tightening. "Forget it. Forget it. Whether I did it or not no longer matters. The decision has already been made. Once the Ministry of Personnel issues a dismissal, arguing is pointless."
He leaned back slightly and even chuckled.
"To be honest, it's not all bad. From today on, I no longer need to call myself 'this official.' Calling myself 'this venerable one' instead—doesn't that sound rather dignified? Hahaha."
Wu Shen grew anxious and stepped forward. "Sir, now is not the time for jokes. That transfer order—ordering He Renlong to return to Shaanxi—"
Wang Shunxing interrupted him with a sigh.
"It's useless."
He tapped the folded document lightly.
"Even if I finish writing the order now, by the time it reaches He Renlong, the news of my dismissal will already have spread. Do you think he would still obey an order from a dismissed governor?"
Silence fell over the room.
What Wang Shunxing said was painfully true.
In officialdom, when a wall collapses, everyone rushes to push it down. While one holds office, doors open everywhere; once dismissed, even a sealed document becomes worthless. Any order issued now would be ignored by clerks, delayed by runners, and quietly shelved by subordinates. Nothing would move until a new governor formally took office.
Wu Shen suddenly grabbed the messenger by the shoulder.
"Who is the new governor?" he demanded. "Has he taken office yet? Where is he now?"
The messenger stiffened, looking miserable. "This humble one only delivered the document… I truly don't know."
Wu Shen released him, his face pale.
"This is bad."
Very bad.
Li Daoxuan had remained silent the entire time, watching the exchange. Now he sighed softly.
Without a Shaanxi governor, without an enforceable transfer order, and with the rebels advancing toward the four-province border, the situation had slipped into a dangerous gap—one of authority, timing, and jurisdiction.
Did he really have to deploy the Gao Family Village Militia again?
But the four-province border was far from Gao Family Village. Sending them that far required a reason—an excuse that would hold up under scrutiny.
The three men exited the governor's office and walked slowly down the street.
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa were both deep in thought, their expressions grim, neither speaking.
Li Daoxuan, meanwhile, was thinking about excuses, pretexts, and leverage.
At that moment, a voice called out.
"Master Wu! Master Shi! What a coincidence to meet you here."
They looked up.
A man in plain traveling clothes approached, his posture straight despite the weariness on his face.
Li Daoxuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
Luo Xi.
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa recognized him immediately as well.
"General Luo?" Wu Shen asked in surprise. "Weren't you suppressing bandits in Yansui? Why are you in Xi'an?"
Luo Xi gave a bitter smile. "I've been dismissed. I'm returning to my old home in Sanyang County to live out my days. I passed through Xi'an looking for a meal and didn't expect to run into you two."
Shi Kefa was stunned. "Dismissed? But you eliminated Xue Hongqi, Yizuo Cheng, Yizi Wang, and recently even Wang Chenggong. Those are solid achievements. Why would you be dismissed?"
Luo Xi grimaced.
"I don't understand it either. Although most of those victories were actually General Shi Jian's doing, I never falsely claimed credit. My memorials were all truthful. But the Ministry of War said I was 'spouting nonsense and deceiving the Emperor.' Then they dismissed me."
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa exchanged a look.
The same charge again.
Luo Xi sighed. "Ah, forget it. Going home isn't so bad. At least I won't dream about bandits every night anymore."
As he spoke, Li Daoxuan suddenly said, "General Luo, you mentioned Sanyang County?"
Luo Xi nodded. "Yes. Why?"
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "If I remember correctly, Sanyang County lies at the junction of four provinces, doesn't it?"
"That's right," Luo Xi said. "Deep in the mountains. A no-man's-land. Every few years someone becomes a bandit near my home. It's both infuriating and ridiculous."
Li Daoxuan's smile deepened. "Then what a coincidence. You've barely started home, and someone truly powerful is about to set up as a bandit near your house."
Luo Xi laughed. "If it were before, my old man would be terrified. But now that I'm going back, with my 150 household guards, any bandit who dares show up will be crushed."
Li Daoxuan clapped lightly. "Excellent. Then the task of eliminating the Chuang Wang falls to you, General Luo. We await news of you grinding him to dust."
Luo Xi froze.
"…Who did you say?"
"The Chuang Wang," Li Daoxuan replied calmly.
Luo Xi's face drained of color. "The… same alias?"
"No," Li Daoxuan said. "The real one."
Luo Xi turned to Wu Shen and Shi Kefa.
They both nodded.
"The Chuang Wang," Shi Kefa confirmed, "leading tens of thousands of rebels. He is advancing toward the four-province border."
Luo Xi staggered.
"I'm finished!" he shouted. "I need to go home—now! I must take my old man and run!"
He turned to flee.
Li Daoxuan reached out and seized his shoulder.
Luo Xi struggled, but the grip was like iron. He couldn't move.
"Let me go!" Luo Xi shouted. "If I don't run, my family will be wiped out!"
Li Daoxuan said coldly, "Running won't save you."
"If I don't run, I'll die!"
"If you run," Li Daoxuan replied, "your family fortress will be destroyed, your lands seized, your wealth scattered. You'll be a dismissed officer with nothing left. The Luo family will never recover."
Luo Xi stopped struggling.
Li Daoxuan continued evenly, "There is only one way left."
"…What way?"
"Write to Shi Jian. Ask him to help you."
Luo Xi shook his head weakly. "Without a Ministry of War transfer order, he won't dare move troops."
Li Daoxuan snorted. "Who told him to move imperial troops? He can send his own household guards. Does lending a few guards require approval from the Ministry of War?"
Luo Xi's eyes lit up—then dimmed again.
"But… Shi Jian may not help me. We're not that close."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"He will."
"Why?"
"Because his uncle, Shi Laosi, publishes books through my bookstore," Li Daoxuan said calmly. "If I say he'll help, he'll help."
Luo Xi stared at him, stunned.
Only now did he realize—
This man had already prepared the path forward.