The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 317

Zhou Chu and the others changed into the uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Zhou Chu changed into a flying fish robe and rode his horse to the entrance of the military camp.

"Halt! This is a military camp. Retreat immediately, or you will be killed without mercy."

On the watchtower at the entrance of the military camp, the soldiers on duty drew their bows and shouted sternly.

"Are you blind? Can't you see our official robes?"

Yu Hai roared angrily.

"You Imperial Guards have never interfered with us, so why are you trying to storm our camp today?"

The soldiers on duty persisted in their demands.

"I am Zhou Chu, the Marquis of Changping and Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have come here by order of His Majesty to reorganize military affairs and distribute military pay."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he raised the imperial edict high with his right hand.

Zhou Chu specifically emphasized the distribution of military pay to give these soldiers hope, so that they would cooperate with his actions.

If they only talk about reorganizing military affairs, who knows what they're going to reorganize? What if they're reorganizing the low-ranking soldiers?

Sure enough, the soldiers on duty lit up when they heard this, and they and the soldiers on duty at the other watchtower hurriedly got off the watchtower and knelt down on one knee in front of Zhou Chu to pay their respects.

"I was blind and did not recognize your greatness. I hope you will forgive me."

"You are merely doing your duty. Lead the way."

Zhou Chu glanced at the two of them and said.

"Yes."

The two then got up and led Zhou Chu's horse, one on each side.

Lu Ying, who was originally in the camp, soon received the news.

"The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? This is troublesome!"

Lu Ying frowned.

"Why do you say this, sir?"

Hu Duo, standing to the side, asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Lord Hu may not know, but I have some good friends in the capital. We have been exchanging letters for more than a year. This Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhou Chu, is no ordinary person."

Lu Ying then gave a general account of what Zhou Chu had done in the capital. As for the events in Jiangnan, Lu Ying's friends were not familiar with the details and only knew that Zhou Chu had led the army to quell the rebellion; they knew nothing else.

Even so, the officials in the camp gasped upon hearing these words, instantly realizing that Zhou Chu was a powerful figure who had come from nowhere and was likely up to no good.

"What's there to be afraid of? This is Datong, not the capital. Datong is full of our people. Even dragons have to coil up and tigers have to lie down for us."

A businessman-looking man sitting at the head of the table below Lu Ying sneered.

"Gentlemen, let's go and meet this Lord Zhou."

Lu Ying stood up and said.

Lu Ying didn't seem nervous at all, clearly sharing the same view as the merchant: this was Datong, not the capital, and besides, it was a military camp. Whether Zhou Chu and the others lived or died was entirely up to him.

Of course, Lu Ying would not dare to easily take action against Zhou Chu unless absolutely necessary, after all, Zhou Chu's identity was extraordinary, and if the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard died in the local area, the imperial court would definitely investigate thoroughly.

"Your humble servant Lu Ying greets Commander."

Lu Ying led everyone to Zhou Chu, her face beaming with smiles.

All those who came were officials; the merchant was not among them. Allowing a merchant into the military camp was a major taboo. Based on this alone, Zhou Chu could punish Lu Ying. Naturally, Lu Ying wouldn't be foolish enough to let those merchants come along.

"Your humble servant Hu Duo greets Commander."

"The prefect of Datong, Hu Duo, said with a broad smile."

"You don't have to be polite."

Zhou Chu dismounted.

"I was unaware of Lord Zhou's presence and have failed to greet you properly; I am truly sorry."

Lu Ying said with a face full of guilt.

"Lord Lu, there's no need for that. I arrived suddenly without notifying anyone."

Zhou Chu glanced at the officials in front of him, about a dozen of them, and figured they were discussing something in the military camp.

"How much longer until the other officials arrive?"

Zhou Chu glanced at Yu Haidao.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, I have already sent someone to inform them. It should take a while, as some people live quite far away."

Yu Hai said respectfully.

"Then let's not wait for them, Lord Lu, call all the soldiers over."

Zhou Chu looked at Lu Ying and said.

"Lord Zhou, if I may be so bold as to ask, what are you planning to do?"

Lu Ying hesitated for a moment.

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just following His Majesty's orders to announce some important matters in front of all the soldiers. What, Lord Lu, do I need to explain His Majesty's arrangements to you?"

Zhou Chu said coldly.

"No, no, I'll take care of it right away."

Lu Ying wasn't afraid of Zhou Chu causing any trouble. He was the one who called the shots in the entire military camp. Whether Zhou Chu lived or died after entering the camp was just a matter of his word, so he wasn't afraid at all.

Soon, all the soldiers, totaling about 30,000, gathered in front of Zhou Chu.

Such a force is not something that a typical prefecture's garrison would have. It should be noted that the total military strength of the entire Jiangnan province is only around 50,000. But Datong is different; it is a military stronghold facing the grasslands. If Datong falls, it means the fall of the entire Hetao region, which would cause enormous losses to the Ming Dynasty.

"My lord, all the soldiers are here. What are your orders?"

Lu Ying said with a hint of teasing.

Not only Lu Ying, but all the other officials, including Hu Duo, looked at Zhou Chu with amusement, wanting to see what kind of trouble he could cause.

Zhou Chu naturally knew what these people were thinking, and with a cold smile in his heart, he came to the front of the army.

"I am Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have come here on His Majesty's orders to reorganize military affairs. Those whose names I call, please step forward."

Zhou Chu shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ying and the others' expressions changed slightly, but they didn't make any moves. They wanted to see how Zhou Chu would handle the situation. If he only targeted some insignificant people, they could turn a blind eye. However, if Zhou Chu went too far, they would have no choice but to take action.

Lu Ying and the others did not notice that Shen Lian and the others had changed their positions. Shen Lian had moved to a place not far from Lu Ying, and the other Imperial Guards had also come to stand in front of these officials.

If any unusual activity is detected, the Embroidered Uniform Guard can immediately take these people into custody.

"Zhang Ju, commander of one hundred households; Wang Mu, commander of one hundred households; Yang Rui, commander of one thousand households..."

Zhou Chu read out more than a dozen names in a row. These people were mostly centurions, with only one centurion. These were the results of Yu Hai's secret investigation over the past six months.

In reality, it was much more than that, but Zhou Chu only wanted to make an example of them without arousing the suspicion of Lu Ying and the others. Using these people as a sacrifice was the most appropriate way to do so.

When their names were called, these people were all startled, but they dared not step forward. However, they all looked at Lu Ying, seemingly hoping that this general would stand up for them.

"You have embezzled military pay, causing our soldiers to go without rations and pay. Do you know your crime?"

Zhou Chu looked at the dozen or so people and angrily rebuked them.

"My lord, I'm innocent!"

These people all cried out that they were innocent.

"Sir, could there be a mistake? These are all my old subordinates, all honest and upright, and would never embezzle military funds."

As the commander-in-chief, Lu Ying naturally had to speak up for these people. However, he didn't care about their lives or deaths; all he cared about was his own prestige.

Even if Zhou Chu insisted on killing these people, Lu Ying wouldn't take action against Zhou Chu for their sake; he didn't have that kind of courage.

“Since I have summoned them, the evidence must be conclusive. Yu Hai, bring the evidence here.”

Zhou Chu looked at Yu Haidao.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hai hurriedly took the booklet he had prepared beforehand, and Zhou Chu casually tossed it to Lu Ying.

"Lord Lu, please take a good look."

Zhou Chu said coldly.

Lu Ying was startled when he heard this; he hadn't expected Zhou Chu to be so well-prepared.

"Men, execute these people on the spot to restore morale."

Zhou Chu shouted.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.