LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 20 - Who Do You Think You Are?
After exchanging pleasantries with Strategist Ji, Lu Ping turned to the military officer on his right.
“Fan…”
The moment Fan heard that Lu Ping knew his surname, even though he hadn’t called out his full name, the officer felt greatly honored. He stood up, flustered, and said, “General Fan Tong at your service!”
“No need for formalities, General Fan. Today, we make no distinction between ranks; we’re here to drink and chat freely.”
Fan Tong obediently sat down, but his posture remained stiff, and he looked quite uneasy.
Lu Ping smiled warmly and asked, “I heard that General Fan is also from Tang Prefecture?”
Fan Tong hesitated slightly.
Lu Ping said “also” from Tang Prefecture—did that mean…
“Could it be that the Grand Preceptor is also from Tang…”
Fan Tong almost jumped out of his seat, ready to bond over their shared hometown, but Lu Ping shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
“I just remember hearing the emperor say that Tang Prefecture is a land of generals.”
Fan Tong’s enthusiasm deflated somewhat, but he still forced a smile. “The Grand Preceptor is too kind.”
Lu Ping continued, “I’ve heard that during the half month the rebels besieged the city, it was thanks to General Fan holding the fort that Yan Prefecture was preserved?”
Fan Tong responded modestly, “I wouldn’t say I held the fort, but when the enemy was strong and we were weak, staying put was a necessity. If it weren’t for my concern for the Yan Marquis’s safety, I might have led my troops out to battle the rebels.”
These words revealed a bit of hot-bloodedness.
Moreover, according to Luo Jinlan, Fan Tong was the only one among her advisors who hadn’t been placed there by Li Wenfu.
But Lu Ping still didn’t dare to trust him lightly.
After all, this General Fan’s name sounded a bit too comical.
It didn’t seem like the name of someone who could be a righteous character.
“I almost forgot I can check character cards!”
Lu Ping quietly opened the simulation interface and searched for information on Fan Tong.
A blue-card character—not as impressive as Zhang Hong, but still decent.
But what was with the “Chu Marquis” listed under his faction?
Was Luo Yingci involved in this as well?
“When I was in the capital, I had the pleasure of meeting several of the princesses. While the Han Marquis, being the eldest princess, possesses great wisdom and strategy, the one I admire most is the Chu Marquis.”
Lu Ping subtly glanced at Fan Tong. “The Chu Marquis is of noble birth, yet she personally handles every matter and trains with the troops daily. Truly, she is a blessing to our Great Jing!”
Unexpectedly, Fan Tong didn’t shy away from acknowledging his connection to Luo Yingci. “Indeed! The Chu Marquis has been a benefactor to me. Years ago, when I got into trouble after drinking, it was the Chu Marquis who asked Minister Li to plead for me before the emperor. That’s how I escaped death and ended up in Yan, continuing to serve Great Jing.”
Lu Ping liked what he was hearing.
Even though they were in Yan, and in front of Yan Marquis Luo Jinlan, Fan Tong didn’t flatter anyone but instead said he was serving Great Jing.
Just for this sense of duty, Lu Ping decided to support him.
“Yan Marquis, may I ask what position General Fan currently holds?”
Luo Jinlan shook her head and instinctively looked at Strategist Ji.
Seriously?
You don’t even know the position of someone sitting at your own table?
If this were a different story, Luo Yingci would’ve been dead a hundred times over by now!
Strategist Ji smiled and said, “The Grand Preceptor has a keen eye for talent. Not only is General Fan skilled in martial arts, but he also understands military strategy. He is indeed the cornerstone of the Yan Marquis Manor!”
Lu Ping rolled his eyes.
‘You’re saying a lot, but you’re still not answering the question.’
‘What exactly is Fan Tong’s position?’
‘And what’s this about “the Yan Marquis Manor”? What does that have to do with you?’
Lu Ping said, “I think that with General Fan’s abilities, he should be given command over a military region.”
The entire room was shocked by this statement.
Did this mean giving Fan Tong control over the military forces in Yan?
That would never do!
While Fan Tong’s talent might not be exceptional, he did have experience.
Simply put, if Fan Tong were to command troops, even if the Di invaded and took Yan, they would suffer heavy losses.
Most importantly, although Fan Tong was often grateful to Li Wenfu for saving his life, as Lu Ping had suspected, this man had a sense of justice.
This meant Fan Tong might not blindly follow Li Wenfu’s orders.
But the people at the table were all seasoned schemers; none dared to dampen Lu Ping’s enthusiasm.
If Lu Ping said Fan Tong was fit to command, then he undoubtedly was!
In no time, more than half the people at the table were agreeing, “The Grand Preceptor is absolutely right!”
Seeing this, Strategist Ji abruptly stood up.
The look of shock in his eyes seemed to say: Have you all forgotten whose favor you depend on?
Why are you all siding with Fan Tong?
He wanted to voice his dissent but met Lu Ping’s gaze and swallowed his words.
Lu Ping, pretending not to notice, asked, “Does Strategist Ji have something to say?”
Strategist Ji was inwardly cursing but was helpless. He replied gravely, “Hearing the Grand Preceptor say that General Fan is fit for great responsibilities, I couldn’t help but feel happy for General Fan. Please forgive me for my earlier outburst.”
Lu Ping nodded graciously and said to everyone, “Since Strategist Ji thinks General Fan is capable of such great things, what do the rest of you think?”
Strategist Ji wanted to curse.
‘When did I say Fan Tong was capable of great things?’
‘Aren’t these all your words?’
‘Just dumping the blame on me, huh?’
Strategist Ji frowned, already planning how to explain this to Li Wenfu.
Meanwhile, the others caught on to the situation.
Since someone had already taken the lead, even if they followed along, they wouldn’t be held accountable by Li Wenfu later.
“The Grand Preceptor is absolutely right!”
Lu Ping stood up and corrected them, “No, it’s Strategist Ji who’s right!”
Everyone suddenly realized and turned to Strategist Ji, raising their cups. “Strategist Ji is absolutely right.”
But Strategist Ji felt like crying.
‘So this is how you all want to play it?’
‘With all this commotion, once word gets back to the capital, I’ll be out of a job with Li Wenfu for sure.’
“Is what the Grand Preceptor said earlier true?”
Since I’m going to be blamed by Li Wenfu anyway, I might as well show some loyalty to Lu Ping.
After all, Lu Ping had just asked him earlier if he wanted to return to the capital to achieve great things.
But Lu Ping acted as if he had forgotten, frowning as he asked, “What are you talking about?”
Strategist Ji was momentarily stunned and reminded him, “Didn’t the Grand Preceptor just ask if I wanted to return to the capital…”
Lu Ping picked up his wine cup and interrupted, “Today, we’re just drinking and reminiscing. We can talk about the capital later!”
Luo Jinlan also stood up, looking at Strategist Ji with displeasure. “Could it be that I’ve treated you poorly, that you’re so eager to return to Luoyang?”
“No, no, Yan Marquis, you misunderstand. I…”
But Luo Jinlan crossed her arms, clearly not wanting to hear any more.
This was all Strategist Ji’s fault.
If you want to change your allegiance, fine, but don’t do it in front of your current master.
And don’t make it so obvious!
Did you really think Luo Jinlan didn’t care about anything?
And let’s be clear, Lu Ping’s status is vastly different from yours, Strategist Ji. Lu Ping can recommend someone like Fan Tong for a command position because he has the authority to do so.
But you, a mere strategist, what gives you the right to say, “General Fan is fit for great responsibilities”?