The army outside the city had retreated out of sight.
Wang Lun stood still with his shotgun in hand, and Hallmark, who was beside him, spoke. “My lord, the enemy seems to have withdrawn!”
What Hallmark meant was that the enemy had withdrawn to their own residence.
Wang Lun narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance.
“My knigh—no! You’re a general now!” Wang Lun turned to look at Hallmark. “Lead the soldiers to clean up the battlefield!”
Wang Lun gave a serious look in his eyes.
General?
Hallmark was stunned.
He didn’t know when he had become a general.
“What’s on your mind?” Wang Lun added.
Hallmark’s scarred face twitched. He slowly nodded, turned around, and led his soldiers out of the city.
Wang Lun thought that Miller’s army would come attacking soon after, but it didn’t happen.
Yale City had a short respite. The residents seemed to have gradually put the matter of Earl Miller leading troops to Yale City behind them.
Wang Lun also seized the time to expand the military as Miller would surely arrive one day.
Perhaps it was because the baron who attacked the city reported the battle result to Miller, so the latter didn’t dare to recklessly send troops over. However, this was all Wang Lun’s speculation.
Good times didn’t last long. Wang Lun woke up early in the morning and coincidentally heard someone yelling.
He got prepared, pushed open the door, and walked out of his room. The person shouting was a white-haired old man who he immediately recognized.
“Bran, what is it?”
Standing at the courtyard entrance was precisely Bran.
When Bran saw Wang Lun, his anxious hands trembled as he spoke, “My lord, something happened outside!”
“What’s the matter? Is Miller here?” Wang Lun hurriedly asked.
“No, you’d better head out of the city hall to see for yourself!” Bran followed behind Wang Lun. “The merchants are in trouble.”
Wang Lun instantly felt a little relieved, “You should be able to handle the merchants! Why do you look so flustered?”
Bran showed a bitter expression and let out a sigh. “I can’t explain the situation clearly.”
After seeing Bran’s helpless look, Wang Lun didn’t pursue this matter any further.
The moment they arrived at the entrance of the city hall, they spotted dozens of soldiers blocking the gates as if a group of people were forcing their way into the city hall.
Wang Lun strode over.
“What’s the matter?”
Wang Lun frowned and loudly asked.
The soldiers heard Wang Lun’s voice and instantly gave way.
Wang Lun walked up, only to see the merchants gathered outside, demanding to see him. After noticing Wang Lun, the merchants became silent one after another, while some began to speak to him.
“My lord, you must help us!”
A merchant standing in the forefront wiped his tears and stepped forward.
Wang Lun saw him and asked, “What exactly happened?”
“A few days ago, our goods were robbed by a gang of bandits during transportation. We lost a lot of our money!”
“Don’t you all have guards with you?” Wang Lun had always been clear-headed in handling political affairs.
“We only have so many guards, and the bandits were much stronger than them!”
Another merchant stepped forward and waved his hand, saying, “Those bandits have already robbed my goods more than once. I don’t dare to import goods anymore.”
Merchants were crucial to the city’s economic development. Furthermore, merchants were taxpayers, so Wang Lun had an obligation to help them stabilize their operations.
If merchants couldn’t operate their business in Yale City, and how else could the city function?
Wang Lun let out a sigh, took in a deep breath, and loudly spoke. “Don’t worry! The city hall will resolve this matter for you. The residents of Yale City are protected by the city hall.”
“Were your goods robbed in the same place?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“It happened in Red Canyon, the northern territory of Yale City.”
“That is one of the necessary roads leading to other cities.”
The merchants spoke one after another.
Both sides received the answer they were looking for. Soon after, the merchants left the city hall.
Wang Lun returned to the city hall, called Hallmark over, and recounted what the merchants had encountered.
“Hallmark, do you understand the situation now?”
Hallmark nodded and said, “My lord, this sounds too fishy!”
Wang Lun said, “I also feel that things aren’t right. But the fact is that the merchants’ goods have been robbed, and the city hall must step in to solve this matter.”
Hallmark said, “In that case, we can send someone to find out what’s going on and see if it’s true.”
After the last war, Yale City seemed overly calm and now that a problem occurred again, it became all the more suspicious.
Wang Lun also agreed with Hallmark’s suggestion.
“All right, send some sharp soldiers to check on the situation in Red Canyon. Although that place is the territory of Yale City, it is very suitable for enemy ambush. Make sure the soldiers pay attention.”
Wang Lun had seen the entire map of Yale City and Red Canyon left a deep impression on him.
Hallmark nodded and quickly left the city hall.
Not long after, the soldiers sent out returned to Yale City.
Hallmark hastily rushed to the study, and he almost collided with Lucy.
“Oh, General, watch out!”
Fortunately, Lucy had a small stature and she dodged him, otherwise she would have been knocked down to the ground.
“Sorry, Miss Lucy, I was in a hurry to find the baron,” Hallmark hurriedly apologized, before quickly walking in the direction of the study.
Upon entering the study, he saw Wang Lun sitting at the desk with a large book covering his entire face.
“My lord, the soldiers have returned.”
Hallmark stood still and saluted.
Wang Lun slowly put the book down. “How was it?”
Hallmark spoke. “It was indeed the bandits. Some soldiers lived in that area before and reported that bandits often showed up, though not too many of them at once.”
“If that’s the case, send a brigade of 200 soldiers to exterminate them.”
“Do I lead them, my lord?” Hallmark asked.
Wang Lun shook his head and said, “What you see is not necessarily real. For safety’s sake, you will handle other missions.”
Hallmark frowned and wondered, “What other missions are there, my lord?”
Wang Lun laughed, “Confidential. For now, send our soldiers to wipe out the bandits!”
Hallmark didn’t pursue the matter any further. He left the study, arrived at the military drill ground, and sent out a brigade of 200 soldiers as instructed by Wang Lun.
The soldiers patrolled the street and made no qualms about it. This was to let the merchants know that the city hall had taken a corresponding action.
The soldiers marched out of the city gates in a path fenced off by the people.
At that moment, a dubious man among the people hastily turned around, entered an alley, and disappeared from the crowd.
He grabbed a gray pigeon from the small iron cage, rolled up a piece of paper, and tied it to the legs of the pigeon. Then, he tossed the pigeon into the sky with force.
Flap! Flap! Flap!
The pigeon flapped its wings and just like a sad song, it vanished among the many buildings.