Chapter 24 Whose Credit

The procuress and Liu Shang, a ringleader of the northern salt-smuggling trade, suddenly emerged from the crowd. Before they were even seen, their voices rang out, aiming their barbs directly at Luo Fang.

"Hmm? And who might you be?" Lu Xiaoyuan regarded them with an arrogant gaze.

The procuress and Liu Shang hastened to pay their respects.

"Greetings, my lord. I am Liang An-shi."

"And I am Liu Shang!"

"We just heard Luo Fang spouting wild claims, as if the victory over the Northern Barbarians was due entirely to his own valor. We were in the ranks as well and witnessed the battle firsthand!"

"If it weren't for the unity and desperate struggle of the common people, how could we have won? Yet, Luo Fang relies on your favor, my lord, to claim all the credit for himself. It is truly despicable!"

"You!"

Luo Fang never expected them to stab him in the back at such a moment. When he first received his appointment from Lu Xiaoyuan—even earning the imperial title of "Captain" and command over all the displaced refugees—he had consulted with Xue Chengqian, fearing that factions like the procuress, who had always been at odds with him, would jump out to cause trouble. To his surprise, they had been remarkably cooperative with his previous arrangements, appearing to fear his new official status.

Yet, their emergence now was far more insidious and cruel than merely inciting his subordinates to disobey orders; it was a lethal blow to his standing.

Captain Huang also stepped forward. "My lord, I know these two. Although they hold no official rank, they are regarded as heroes among the refugees. That Liang An-shi, though a woman, has many followers; in terms of winning hearts and establishing prestige, she is no less than Luo Fang."

"For them both to step forward signifies that the people truly feel this way. I pray you, my lord, see the truth of it!"

Luo Fang cried out in anxious rage, "Detestable! My lord, their words are worthless! These people have long held grudges against me and are merely using this opportunity for revenge."

"Oh?" Lu Xiaoyuan could not help but sneer.

"So, anyone who speaks against you is harboring a grudge? Ha! Captain Luo has only just received his imperial office, yet he is already more versed in the ways of officialdom than I am!"

His words were clearly mocking, further isolating Luo Fang from the common folk.

Originally, Luo Fang had been seen as the representative of these refugees, but Lu Xiaoyuan’s earlier decision to keep the city gates shut and refuse them entry had already caused deep resentment. Now, by positioning Luo Fang as an "official," Lu had seemingly created a chasm between him and the common people.

Captain Huang chimed in again. "Luo Fang, our City Warden granted you office and allowed you to requisition grain meant for Wangjiang to support your fight. Now that the people have spoken, you refuse to stand with them."

"If you truly wished to claim credit, you should have pleaded your case to the lord in private. How dare you be insolent toward him in public? Do you know your crime?"

Seeing this, Xue Chengqian was filled with indignation. Luo Fang had indeed spoken carelessly, revealing a flaw, but what were Lu Xiaoyuan, Captain Huang, and the procuress’s lot in comparison? They had led the refugees to repel the Northern Barbarian cavalry against all odds, performing a great service in protecting the people, yet they were subjected to such blame and mockery.

Lu Xiaoyuan, as the Warden of Wangjiang, was a high-ranking imperial official; his attitude represented the attitude of the Imperial Court. Was this how they treated those who had performed meritorious service?

Suppressing his disappointment, Xue Chengqian stepped to Luo Fang’s side.

"Doesn't this Captain Huang reach his conclusions a bit too quickly? Are these two the only ones capable of speaking for the people? Does the lord not wish to hear other voices?"

Captain Huang froze, his face darkening. "My lord, do not be fooled by them. Xue Chengqian and Luo Fang were both granted office by you; they are in league with one another!"

Lu Xiaoyuan nodded. "I recall this man. Xue Chengqian, you are a subordinate of Luo Fang, so of course you would speak for him."

Xue Chengqian suppressed his anger, ignored their collusion, and walked directly in front of the procuress and her companion, raising his voice.

"Since you participated in the battle, I assume you were at the forefront of the slaughter—surely, you were even more valiant than Captain Luo?"

The procuress replied self-righteously, "At the very least, no worse than Luo Fang! And certainly not as he claimed—that it was all thanks to him that the Northern Barbarians were killed!"

Xue Chengqian nodded. "Oh? And in this battle, how many Northern Barbarians did you kill in total?"

Lu Xiaoyuan and Captain Huang, not knowing what tricks the brat was trying to play, felt relieved upon hearing such a foolish question. If he intended to contest credit based on the number of enemies killed, it was sheer stupidity. In the chaos of battle, who could keep an accurate count? Furthermore, even if he could prove Luo Fang killed more, it wouldn't matter—as long as the procuress and Liu Shang had contributed, Luo Fang could not claim sole credit, and his earlier words would still have offended the refugees.

The procuress seemed to realize this as well and sneered, "In the heat of the moment, who could remember so clearly? My brothers and I took down at least twenty. Why? Did Captain Luo kill more?"

Xue Chengqian spread his hands. "As you said, everyone was blinded by the killing frenzy. How could I possibly remember what Captain Luo’s tally was?"

Liu Shang let out a mocking laugh. Was this Xue Chengqian here to make a fool of himself? Was he actually here to help Luo Fang?

Behind them, Kang Yu, Bearded Wang, and the others looked disappointed, unable to fathom what Xue Chengqian was planning. Meanwhile, Xiang Rui and the others fell into deep thought. They had fought side-by-side with Luo and Xue, forming a bond, and Xue’s performance had impressed them. They hesitated, wondering if they should risk offending Lu Xiaoyuan to speak up for them.

Xue Chengqian, however, feigned surprise. "So, after all our efforts, we only killed that many? But I seem to recall the Northern Barbarians sent thousands of cavalry charging at us."

"Where are the rest of the Northern Barbarians now?"

Luo Fang and his allies’ eyes lit up.

That was it. Arguing over who killed more of the hundred-odd cavalry was pointless. The true feat—the one that saved the refugees and won the battle—was the trap that sent those thousands of cavalry to their deaths in the river!

Emphasizing this was technically highlighting Xue Chengqian’s merit and prestige. But now, Luo Fang would rather boost Xue Chengqian than endure Lu Xiaoyuan’s humiliation or let the procuress and her group steal the glory.

"Brother Xue is right! The bulk of the Northern Barbarians were lured by Brother Xue into the Nu River, which is how we were able to defeat the small cavalry force that managed to charge through."

"The procuress and her lot can't take credit for that, can they?"

The procuress’s face darkened. On this point, she truly could not find any rhetoric to steal Xue Chengqian’s glory. All the refugees combined had struggled mightily just to surround and kill a hundred cavalrymen; had they truly been faced with those thousands, not to mention the tens of thousands of iron-clad cavalry behind them, there would have been only one outcome: death.