Chapter 24: Delivering a Gift

With those words, Ning Ye turned and strode away. His dashing, heroic bearing drew envious gazes from the city guards; after all, traveling on horseback was already a sign of high status. To climb any higher than that, one would have to look toward the dignitaries who rode in sedan chairs.

One of the soldiers immediately went to inform Lin Changhe that Ning Ye was looking for him. Lin Changhe, who was in the barracks drinking and playing finger-guessing games, became intrigued. Since he hadn't managed to catch Ning Ye last time, he was curious to see what sort of gift the young man would bring him now. As a military officer, Lin Changhe despised the horse bandits; had Wang Mingyuan not forbidden him from leaving the city, he would have grabbed his spear and dealt with those scoundrels himself. To think that the young man he had taken a liking to had actually accomplished this feat—how could he not be curious about how it all came to pass? If Lin Changhe had only felt a slight fondness for Ning Ye before, he was now even more intrigued by the man himself.

Meanwhile, Ning Ye had arrived at the western part of the city, where a considerable number of refugees had gathered. Fortunately, it was summer, so they could simply find a piece of cloth to shield themselves from the elements; one could only imagine how many would freeze to death in the winter. The arrival of Ning Ye’s party drew many eyes; after all, why would people traveling with such distinction come to a refugee camp?

Ning Ye, unwilling to waste words with the crowd, immediately ordered Wang Wu and the others to set up a banner. To ensure the message was understood, he thoughtfully had Wang Wu shout the purpose of their visit several times. Upon hearing that someone was hiring, the refugees were overjoyed and swarmed forward. They didn't fear hard work; they only feared having no work at all.

The scene was packed to the point of overflowing. Ning Ye and his men were instantly surrounded, the chaotic sight leaving Ning Ye feeling somewhat displeased. "Everyone, form a line! Come forward one by one, or you can forget about this job opportunity." Unfortunately, his words had little effect until Wang Wu and the others used a bit of force to show them the rules, prompting them to line up obediently.

The line stretched out of sight, and though not many would ultimately qualify, Ning Ye had already delegated the screening process to Wang Wu, allowing him to conduct interviews with each person. This significantly sped up the recruitment, though it was rare for even one in ten to meet Ning Ye’s standards. He didn't actually need such rigorous selection just for manual labor; his primary goal was to recruit new members for his inner circle. A large estate required more than a dozen men to guard, so he needed to replenish his ranks. Through this hiring process, he could have Wang Wu and the others observe each candidate to find those truly capable of joining his team.

While Ning Ye was busy, Lin Changhe arrived. "Brother Ning, I heard you had a grand gift for me, so I hurried over. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

Ning Ye replied with a smile, "Everything I have today I owe to your recommendation, Commander Lin. Naturally, I would never disappoint you."

Lin Changhe nodded. "Very well, let me see if this gift of yours can satisfy me."

"When we dealt with the horse bandits, I seized quite a few horses. I have specifically selected twenty for you, Commander."

Lin Changhe raised an eyebrow. "Such a grand gesture? I suspect you have more than just a gift on your mind today. There must be something else you wish to discuss?"

Ning Ye spoke with righteous sincerity, "Commander, you overthink it. Today is purely to repay your past kindness; I have no ulterior motives, I assure you."

"If you put it that way, I feel a bit undeserving. I merely said a few words; I didn't provide any real help. All of this success is truly down to your own efforts."

"Without your word, I likely wouldn't have even been able to enter the county office, let alone achieve what I have today. Without that opportunity, I could have done nothing."

Hearing this, Lin Changhe was quite satisfied. "Since you have such a heart, I shall accept it. Of course, I cannot take advantage of you for nothing. Tell me, is there anything you need help with lately?"

Ning Ye feigned a simple, honest smile. "Although the matter of the horse bandits is resolved, I fear new troubles may arise in the future. Might I be permitted to keep the men currently under my command?"

Lin Changhe narrowed his eyes. "Having men under one's command often leads to trouble. Do you have some other intentions?"

"Commander, what are you saying? What kind of intentions could a lowly commoner like me have? I only wish for a means of self-preservation. In such chaotic times, I have no desire to be meat on the chopping block."

Lin Changhe patted Ning Ye on the shoulder. "A mere title for a local militia is not enough, I think. Actually, I have a vacancy for a centurion under my command. Would you be interested?"

Ning Ye’s eyes lit up. A centurion was a legitimate military officer; though the rank was small, it granted his men the right to wear armor. A soldier in armor could easily handle ten without it. In any dynasty, for anyone other than the imperial army to wear armor without authorization was a capital offense punishable by total annihilation of one’s family.

Now that this opportunity lay before him, Ning Ye realized in a flash that Lin Changhe would never offer such a sweet deal without a reason. He quickly composed himself and said, feigning astonishment, "Commander Lin, I truly have no other intentions. Please, stop testing me. Such a reward would be no different than poison to me."

"Who says this is a test? I truly mean it. I am confined to Qingyuan County and cannot manage affairs elsewhere. If someone could help me keep things in order, it would grant me some peace."

Ning Ye’s mind raced. There was clearly a connection between Wang Mingyuan and Lin Changhe. Lin’s inability to leave the county was likely to ensure that nothing went wrong under his watch. Logically, in the current situation, ignoring the local affairs would be the most reasonable course of action, yet Wang Mingyuan did not seem like the type to be indifferent. Could it be that today’s events had been predetermined, and only left unsaid last time so that Lin Changhe could be the one to propose it?