Shen Chang's team of ten was today on guard duty at the gates, inspecting the goods and merchants that came in.
It just so happened that today was one of the busiest days, filling his pockets with no few coins either. Road tax, entry tax and many others gave them the opportunity to fleece the merchants.
Counting his ill-gotten gains, he heard horses approaching and saw a hundred cavalry hovering over him.
From their armor, their masks and the weapons, they were anything but ordinary.
For a rube like him, this came at an overwhelming shock. They might both be soldiers, but this detachment was on a whole nother level.
None of his fellow guards could afford such armor, even if selling their house.
He got the people to clear the way so as to avoid any disaster.
Then sent a guard to notify the town's guard captain, while also looking into who this magnat was that came to their town.
A few riders went to the gate. They berated the guards to open the gate at once to let the new lord come in.
They also had everyone they met along the way pushed aside.
The guards sat on two sides to prevent any conflict that might arise.
Zhong Yu and his men rode slowly to the gate, with 20 riders patrolling around the gate.
One rider came before the gate guard leader:
"Tell the town's officials to come and welcome my lord."
Shen Chang nodded and bowed, "I'll inform them at once. I ‘ll be right back."
Zhong Yu looked around in the meantime, watching the officials scrambling over to him.
By the looks of that armor and style, they knew right away that a bigshot had come, if not a true leader.
These guys had even seen the governor of a region and knew when not even a governor was this ostentatious. That only meant the lord present here was someone above that.
And from the vibe of these soldiers, they feared their little town was about to be in a world of hurt so they came at once.
Noticing how the cavalry was surrounding a man, they bowed:
"Forgive us lord for failing to welcome you. How may I be of service?"
"You dare say that after coming late?"
Zhong Yu snorted and shouted at his men.
"Arrest these heinous officials at once!"
Ten riders arrested the six officials and Zhong Yu turned to the gate guards.
"I am Jingzhou's governors' envoy. His dear son left for this town and hasn't been heard of since."
"Some say he's been missing here and my lord asked me to investigate. But in Eastern Townships mountains, I have questioned the folks there and discovered bandits have beset my lord's son."
"I have come here to apprehend the criminals and you'd best lead me to your barracks if you don't want to join them as well."
The guards' faces were ashen.
‘The governor's son!' A governor received overs from the emperor himself, he controlled a region's armies.
His power had no limit, snuffing out anyone that stood in his path with impunity.
"Please allow me to lead you." The guards balked at the threat, going to throw their fellow colleague at the wolves to save their hides.
Twenty riders followed Shen Chang to the barracks.
While the rest of the cavalry made sure no citizen escaped.
"People, this disaster is out of my hands. I have no choice but to have you stay here for now as I send men to take control of this area so that you may bear witness." Cries of injustice echoed out.
Zhong Yu ignored the people while giving orders to his soldiers to arrest some if they had to as long as they stayed here.
The 20 riders soon sent word back that everything was under control, that the Eastern Townships central town was in his hands.
Zhong Yu laughed and barked:
"You bunch of fools, I'm no envoy, but a traitor! Not even of your Han Dynasty. I am the emperor of the Yu Empire and you shall be my loyal subjects."
The officials' faces fell at his words.
Some brave people tried to resist only to be shot dead by the riders.
With the Eastern Townships town under his thumb, he next needed to pacify the people, clean it of all resistance to make it his in its entirety.
Now, Zhong Yu's sight turned to Fangling County, to other townships.