(Seriously ill... half of his face is swollen, he has a slight fever, and he's drowsy all day long. This chapter is a transitional chapter, and of course, there are foreshadowings in the transition... I'm just worried that I'll forget what I've buried in the future, haha.)

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Dongshan Road is one of the seven roads of Qing Yu Nian, leaning towards the northeast. Going due north from Xiaoshan, one will plunge into the small vassal states secretly influenced by Dongyi City. Passing through those cities, one will enter the territory of Northern Qi. Last year, Fan Xian was on a mission to Northern Qi, taking another route, bypassing Cangzhou to the north, passing through the North Sea, so he had never been here.

Of course, he would not be heading north today, as there was nothing in Northern Qi that attracted him for the time being.

Sitting on his horse, looking at the map in his hand, Fan Xian couldn't help but frown, pointing to a corner of the map and saying, "So Jiaozhou is still below Danzhou... What is this large blank space on top?"

Beside him was the deputy commander of the Black Riders, surnamed Jing. Today, this General Jing still wore that silver mask on his face. Listening to his superior's words, he said in a deep voice, "North of Danzhou is a large area of steep mountains and dense forests. Few people dare to enter, so when drawing the map, it's just a blank space. Directly north of this large blank space is Dongyi City, overlooking the bay."

Dongyi City? Fan Xian sighed, thinking that he would have to go and see it one day. Only today did he realize that Dongyi City, that world's largest city, was not so far away from Danzhou, where he spent his childhood. However, Fan Xian was very familiar with the mountains north of Danzhou, and knew that it was basically impossible to find a road through those places. Moreover, the geographical environment of this section was also very special, with continuous cliffs stretching for hundreds of miles along the coast, making it too dangerous even for birds.

If the people of Dongyi City wanted to go to Nanqing, they could only go around west of Xiaoshan... or by sea.

Thinking that Dongyi City had extremely strong maritime capabilities, a trace of worry flashed in Fan Xian's eyes. Although the navies of this world could not influence the general trend, they could still carry out harassment. What if Dongyi City... forcibly landed in Danzhou?

At this point, Fan Xian finally understood why His Majesty valued this matter and required him to do it himself. He also understood why, after the First Fleet of Quanzhou was cut, the imperial court had insisted on keeping such a fleet in remote Jiaozhou.

Jiaozhou is south of Danzhou. The presence of a strong fleet here is naturally to deter Dongyi City's maritime power.

A cold smile couldn't help but appear on the corner of Fan Xian's lips. Now he naturally knew that the Quanzhou fleet of that year was, to some extent, equivalent to his mother's private army. The imperial court's actions were indeed impeccable.

"Old Jing... why don't you take off your mask?" He looked at the Black Rider general beside him with a smile, trying to make his tone as gentle as possible, without revealing the coldness in his heart.

By Chen Pingping's strict order, this group of four hundred Black Riders had become his subordinates since Fan Xian's mission to Northern Qi. The four hundred black-clad, black-horse, black-faced riders had actually helped Fan Xian a lot, such as the rescue of Xiao En by Shang Shanhu, and the encirclement and suppression of the Junshan Society in Jiangnan.

And the greatest benefit that this group of Black Riders brought to Fan Xian was not just these. For various reasons, Fan Xian had not been able to extend his hand into the army, and the existence of the Black Riders was equivalent to his most powerful force, which could increase his bargaining chips and give him more confidence when negotiating with others.

Having the Black Riders under his command in the absence of military power was a very comforting thing.

It was just that Fan Xian was not very close to this group of subordinates, because... the Black Riders could not enter the state, or even get close to the state. And Fan Xian was a person who indulged in pleasure, so he naturally didn't want to live in the military camp, so there wasn't much time for conversation between superiors and subordinates. This sense of unfamiliarity could not be eliminated in a short period of time.

Fan Xian understood that if he really wanted to do something in the future, he must grasp this largest force in his hands. He could not rely on Chen Pingping's control, but only on himself, so that these four hundred riders would follow him wholeheartedly, subduing them from the bottom of their hearts...

So after meeting the Black Riders at the Three Forks, he had been trying to subdue that strange deputy commander of the Black Riders who always wore a silver mask, using the same methods he had used to subdue Wang Qinian and Deng Ziyue.

Fan Xian smiled gently, candidly, chatting, talking about mundane matters, creating a warm and open atmosphere, and of course, he would not forget to reveal the composure and confidence that a superior should have.

It was just that the deputy commander surnamed Jing was still so indifferent, not even a bit moved, and answered directly, "I'm used to it."

So Fan Xian was a little annoyed, and suddenly smiled and said, "There are only two kinds of people who wear masks."

Riding on his horse, the commander Jing beside him had no reaction, but Fan Xian noticed that the hand holding the reins tightened slightly, it seemed that the other party was quite interested in this topic.

Probably curious, wondering how the dignified and famous Lord Fan would comment on that mask.

Fan Xian said, "Either the face under the mask is too ugly, or it has been severely injured, and it's unsightly to show people. Or... this face is too handsome, so handsome that it looks like a woman..."

"Of course, I'm not satirizing myself with this sentence."

"The Black Riders are supposed to fight on the battlefield. The more ferocious the face, the easier it is to scare the enemy. In this way, the former reason does not exist." Fan Xian looked at the silver mask that was flashing slightly with a smile, and said, "It seems that General Jing must be a rare beauty."

Commander Jing was indeed stunned for a moment, and then said, "Director... is indeed remarkable."

Fan Xian chuckled. He thought that he had heard too many stories of Prince Lanling and Di Qing, so he could just guess casually.

However, that Commander Jing still did not take off his mask, making Fan Xian very curious as to whether he had guessed correctly or not.

"I still don't know your name." Fan Xian was too lazy to do this kind of political work anymore, and asked faintly.

Commander Jing's eyes sharpened, he pulled on the reins, and said seriously, "This subordinate's surname is Jing, no name."

"Jing Wuming?" How could Fan Xian not know the name of the commander of his strongest force? He just pretended to be stunned, recalling the strange associations that had arisen when he first learned this person's name last year.

"If you are Jing Wuming, wouldn't I become the father of Shangguan Yaonv?"

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Hundreds of riders were arranged in a long, thin line, silently advancing northeastward in the quiet valley. Scouts had been sent out at a certain distance around to ensure that their whereabouts were not revealed.

Fan Xian and General Jing were in the middle of the line, slowly passing through the valley. Fan Xian was laughing again because of that association from back then. General Jing glanced at him curiously, and then said, "This subordinate's surname is Jing, and I don't have a name. I'm not called Wuming."

A great figure in the Fifth Bureau without a name? A Black Rider general without a name?

Fan Xian slightly parted his lips and couldn't help but sigh. He thought that no wonder the world feared the Overwatch Council like a demon. Under the influence of that old cripple Chen Pingping, the entire structure of the Overwatch Council and the behavior and backgrounds of the officials were all tinged with a strange aura.

He knew that this general would not deceive him, and said softly, "It's better to have a name."

General Jing was silent for a while, and then nodded, "Please give me a name, sir."

Giving a name was a great honor for the name-giver. Fan Xian was very surprised and could hardly believe his ears. But looking back at the general's calm eyes, which were filled with sincerity, he knew that the other party was not joking.

He slowly lowered his head and thought seriously for a long time before smiling and saying, "A single character Ge, styled Zhibu, how about it?" (戈，止武)

General Jing was also a hero in the army back in the day, but because he had offended a powerful figure, Chen Pingping had fished him out and placed him in the Black Riders. He also had some ink in his chest. As soon as he heard the name, he immediately understood what Director Fan meant. He was extremely satisfied and nodded with a smile.

A very beautiful curve appeared on the corner of his lips under the silver mask.

In this way, after cutting off the first half of his life, the influential figure who had once killed his superior with a spear in the army, was sentenced to death, and then mysteriously disappeared, and had been nameless and faceless, covering his face with a silver mask... after many years, he finally had his own name and began another chapter of his life.

"Jing Ge." Amidst the clatter of horses' hooves, Fan Xian said with a smile, "Who exactly did you offend back then?"

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Jing Ge didn't know if he wasn't used to his new name, or if he was shocked by Director's Fan's keenness, and didn't say a word for a long time.

After a long silence, he said softly, "The Qin family."

Fan Xian gasped. He naturally knew what kind of power the Qin family had in the army. Old Qin had been holding the position of Chief of the Privy Council, and Little Qin had now become the Kyoto garrison commander. Even his father-in-law in the court had to be wary of the Qin family. So his subordinate... had actually offended the Qin family back then!

At the thought of this, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel the utmost admiration and shock towards Chen Pingping. That old cripple was indeed bold enough to use the Qin family's enemy, and had been using him for so many years, even allowing Jing Ge to reach the position of deputy commander of the Black Riders.

"I... have a good relationship with the Qin family." He said a sentence tentatively, thinking that as long as Jing Ge was willing to ask him for help, he could try to make up for the grudges of that year after returning to Kyoto.

Jing Ge laughed, and the corners of his lips outside the silver mask were smiling extremely happily.

"Thank you, sir." Jing Ge said this sentence very sincerely, "No need."

Fan Xian squinted at him, seeming to want to see what this silent and powerful subordinate was thinking. After a long time, he asked, "What exactly is the feud between you and the Qin family?"

After a short silence, Jing Ge said in a deep voice, "In the camp, I killed the eldest son of the Qin family."

The eldest son of the Qin family? Qin Heng's elder brother? Fan Xian's expression did not change, but his heart turned cold. If the person who was killed by Jing Ge back then had lived to this day... he would probably have already been a top-notch general in the court. Such a feud... What exactly was Chen Pingping thinking? Why did he take in a ticking time bomb in the Overwatch Council?

Several bird calls came from the front.

The silently advancing Black Riders stopped their footsteps in an extremely uniform manner. It wasn't the people, it was the horses... This kind of horsemanship was truly second to none in the world. Perhaps only the royal tent army of Western Hu had this ability.

Twilight was approaching.

Fan Xian and Jing Ge rode forward and passed through the valley, overlooking the city below from the hillside.

The city was not large, and lights had already lit up inside, twinkling like stars.

This was Jiaozhou.

Looking to the right, a vast sea was transforming from blue to pitch black in the dim sky. A heavily guarded shipyard and dozens of warships, as well as those conspicuous camps, could be vaguely seen.

That was the Jiaozhou Navy.

"Act at will, kill anyone who dares to enter the city."

Fan Xian had already put the issue of Jing Ge to the back of his mind, and issued the order coldly and directly. He pulled on the reins, broke away from the main force of the Black Riders, and without bringing any guards, rode alone onto the narrow mountain path, heading towards Jiaozhou City at the foot of the mountain.