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With the establishment of the River West Protectorate, Finn Chen was appointed as the Prefect and began preparing to build the administrative team for the prefecture.
Upon his promotion to Prefect, Finn’s enthusiasm grew even stronger.
In the future, he would be responsible for governing this vast grassland, and the thought of it filled him with hope.
At this moment, Wesley Hu, Felix Wu, and others eagerly awaited Oliver Sheng’s return. Rumors had it that they would be conferred the title of Viscount, making them so excited they could hardly sleep.
A Viscount is a noble title in Great Wei, meaning they would leap into the noble class, able to restart their family lineage and become the ancestors of their own clans.
After several days of travel, Oliver Sheng and his entourage arrived at Ding Prefecture’s capital.
The newly appointed Prefect of Ding Prefecture, Jiang Linhu, hurriedly brought his administrative team to greet them.
Seeing a group of people approaching, each with an extraordinary bearing, Jiang Linhu noticed the young man leading them, dressed in a luxurious Kylin robe with a gold and jade belt, exuding nobility. He quickly stepped forward.
“Subordinate Jiang Linhu, Prefect of Ding Prefecture, pays respects to Marquis Sheng!” Jiang Linhu greeted respectfully.
As a Fourth Rank official in this border prefecture, it was only proper for him to bow to Oliver Sheng, the Champion Marquis, especially since Oliver also held the title of Second Rank General of the West, overseeing Ding Prefecture, Yong Prefecture, and the River West Protectorate.
The Prefecture Commander and other officials behind him also bowed.
“We pay respects to Marquis Sheng!”
Oliver Sheng, in his Kylin robe, stood with unparalleled grace and nobility.
“Rise, everyone!”
Oliver’s gentle voice made Jiang Linhu and the others secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed this Marquis was not as aloof as they had feared, or they would have had to tread carefully.
“Marquis Sheng, I have prepared a banquet in your honor. Please, grace us with your presence,” Jiang Linhu said.
“Thank you for the trouble, Prefect Jiang,” Oliver nodded.
“Marquis, this way, please!” Jiang Linhu said joyfully.
Many residents at the city gate saw the Prefect being so respectful to a young man and became curious.
“Who is that, to make the new Prefect so deferential?”
“Don’t you know? Even if you’re from Ding Prefecture, look at what that noble young man is wearing—a Kylin robe.”
“The gold-edged Kylin embroidered on it, roaring majestically—such attire is reserved for royalty and nobility. To make the Prefect so respectful, he must be the Champion Marquis, Marquis Sheng,” someone well-informed explained.
“Marquis Sheng, the one who defeated the Barbarians?”
“No wonder he’s so imposing and handsome!”
“Look at the soldiers behind Marquis Sheng, each one looks so formidable, with eyes full of killing intent.”
“Those are seasoned veterans who have walked out of piles of corpses on the battlefield.”
As they watched Oliver Sheng, the people of Ding Prefecture began to discuss, their eyes filled with admiration and envy.
Such a young Marquis, there was only one in the entire Great Wei!
Upon arriving at the Ding Prefecture’s administrative office, Prefect Jiang hosted a banquet for Oliver Sheng and his entourage, preparing a variety of delicacies.
“Marquis, please take the main seat!” Jiang Linhu offered the head seat to Oliver.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Oliver said as he sat down.
Jiang Linhu sat beside Oliver.
The others also took their seats, and Oliver’s personal guards were arranged to dine in the courtyard.
“Subordinate toasts to Marquis Sheng, wishing you unrivaled martial prowess and dominance over the four seas!” Jiang Linhu raised his cup in a toast.
The Prefecture Commander and other officials also raised their cups in a toast.
Oliver lifted his cup in acknowledgment.
Now, as he sat there, it was up to others to toast him; no one dared to move until he did.
This was a reflection of power and status.
After drinking a cup of wine, a special brew called Western Wind Blaze, Oliver noted that Prefect Jiang was quite adept at his role, having specifically procured this wine to entertain him.
“Prefect Jiang, has the Prefecture Commander been replaced?” Oliver inquired.
He hadn’t seen that old fox Victor Cui.
“Marquis, the previous Prefecture Commander, Victor Cui, has retired,” Jiang Linhu replied.
Though he didn’t know why Oliver asked, he was unaware of the reasons behind Victor Cui’s sudden resignation.
“Oh!”
Oliver felt a bit disappointed. He hadn’t even had the chance to deal with Victor Cui, and the man had already run off. How dull.
“And the new Prefecture Commander, who is it?” Oliver asked.
A middle-aged man stood up, saluted Oliver, and said, “Marquis, I am Zhao Qing, the new Prefecture Commander.”
Oliver looked at Zhao Qing, noting his impressive cultivation—Innate Great Perfection.
“Oh, Prefecture Commander Zhao, I hope there will be no more bandits in Ding Prefecture,” Oliver said calmly.
“Yes, Marquis, I will eradicate the bandits and bring peace to the people of Ding Prefecture!” Zhao Qing quickly responded.
The others began to understand that the previous Prefecture Commander, Victor Cui, must have had a conflict with Marquis Sheng, likely related to the bandits.
After all, many knew that Victor Cui’s family harbored bandits.
Now, with Oliver Sheng’s decree, Ding Prefecture would see no more bandits, or else the renowned River West Army would come to exterminate them.
“Good.”
Oliver nodded, then turned to Prefect Jiang, saying, “Prefect Jiang, I have another matter that requires your assistance.”
“Marquis, please speak. It is my honor to serve you,” Jiang Linhu quickly responded, seeing this as an opportunity to get closer to Oliver.
“Recruit fifty thousand soldiers for me from the common people of Ding Prefecture,” Oliver said.
“Yes, Marquis, leave it to me,” Jiang Linhu promised, patting his chest.
After spending a night in Ding Prefecture, Oliver and his entourage continued their journey back to River West the next day.
Upon returning to River West County, a large crowd was already waiting at the city gate.
Cameron Guo, seeing Oliver Sheng, excitedly stepped forward.
“Welcome back, General!”
Zheng Fang and Qin Lin also stepped forward, “Your subordinates pay respects to the Marquis!”
The two of them, one originally the garrison general of Yan Prefecture and the other of Qin Prefecture, had received an Imperial Edict from the Empress to lead their troops to River West and report to Oliver Sheng.
Upon receiving the edict, they brought their armies to River West County, waiting for Oliver Sheng.
The generals behind them also saluted Oliver, “We pay respects to the Marquis!”
Oliver looked at the two of them, both early-stage Grandmaster generals. Were the inner prefecture generals really this weak?
“You two must be Qin Lin and Zheng Fang,” Oliver said, looking at them.
“Subordinate Qin Lin!” said Qin Lin, a middle-aged man with a resolute appearance.
“Subordinate Zheng Fang!” said Zheng Fang, a bearded man.
Following them were ten Innate Martial Artists, likely the strongest in their armies.
“Very well, organize your troops. Tomorrow, we march into the grasslands,” Oliver ordered.
“Yes, Marquis!”
Zheng Fang and Qin Lin obeyed.
Then Oliver looked at Cameron Guo, smiling, “Cameron Guo, step forward to receive the edict!”
Cameron, overjoyed, quickly stepped forward.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Cameron Guo is hereby conferred the title of Viscount of Guo County and promoted to Imperial General!”
Oliver succinctly read the Imperial Edict, “General Guo, receive the edict!”
“Your servant accepts the edict. Long live the Emperor!” Cameron Guo was overwhelmed with excitement.
A Viscount and an Imperial General—such a reward was indeed generous.
Zheng Fang and Qin Lin, standing nearby, were filled with envy.
Though they commanded fifty thousand troops as Fifth Rank generals and were Grandmasters, they couldn’t compare to Cameron Guo, a Viscount.
Not to mention, Cameron was now also a Fifth Rank Imperial General, making them even more envious.
This was the benefit of following the right person.
“Thank you, General, for your promotion. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Cameron said gratefully to Oliver.
He had thought that guarding River West County wouldn’t earn him much military merit, but he hadn’t expected to be granted a noble title.
“No need for thanks; you deserve it,” Oliver said with a smile.
“General, I’ve already prepared a banquet in the city to welcome you,” Cameron said.
“Let’s go, into the city,” Oliver nodded.
“Congratulations, old Guo!” Sawyer Shangguan said, coming up to Cameron with a smile.
“Thank you, thank you!” Cameron replied, beaming.
Zheng Fang, Qin Lin, and others followed into the city, while the ten thousand troops camped outside the city.
As they entered River West County, the streets were lined with people.
“The Marquis is here, the Marquis is here!” someone shouted.
Then, a thunderous cheer erupted.
“Greetings to the Marquis, may the Marquis be well!”
Countless residents of River West County shouted enthusiastically at Oliver.
Seeing the passionate people, Oliver smiled genuinely, waving to the crowds on both sides of the street.
At this moment, Oliver Sheng was the center of attention, shining brightly, incredibly dazzling.
Qin Lin and Zheng Fang, following behind, were full of amazement.
Oliver Sheng’s prestige in River West County was astonishingly high.
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