"So that's how it is. Are you still going to read this letter from Battalion Commander Xu?"
Su Fan asked Xu Tian.
How could Xu Tian dare to read it with Su Fan and the other person present?
"No need, it's not of any value."
Xu Tian waved his hand, indicating he didn't care.
"Oh, if that's the case, then I'll throw it away for you, Battalion Commander Xu."
Su Fan smoothly took the envelope from the soldier and walked towards the exit.
"Hey!"
Xu Tian was startled.
"What? Is this letter that important to you, Battalion Commander Xu?"
Hearing Xu Tian's exclamation, Su Fan turned back with a puzzled look.
Xu Tian didn't know how to answer.
"Uh, it's not important, not important. Please throw it away for me."
Xu Tian could only force a smile and say.
Fang Shijie should be the same as before, not mentioning their names in the letter. So, even if Su Fan saw it, he probably wouldn't find anything.
"Alright, then I'll throw it away for you, Battalion Commander Xu."
Su Fan said with a smile.
As Su Fan walked out of the Xianzhen Battalion, a smile appeared on his face.
He had intercepted another letter. He wondered if there was any important content in this one.
Su Fan returned to the Bandit Suppression Camp and opened the letter to check its contents.
It contained matters that Fang Shijie had instructed Xu Tian on. As usual, neither party's name was mentioned, but the content couldn't prove it was from Fang Shijie.
The letter inquired why Xu Tian had come near Beiling City, asked about the whereabouts of Xu Wen and Xu Wei, and then proposed whether they could attack the Bandit Suppression Camp.
That was all the content in the letter.
Su Fan's eyes darted.
Since he had intercepted the letter, why not take this opportunity to pretend to be Xu Tian and reply to Fang Shijie?
Perhaps he could trick some useful information out of him.
Su Fan thought this method was feasible!
He immediately took out paper and a brush to start writing.
After finishing, he looked at his calligraphy, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it away.
"Someone, go invite Qi Ling over."
Su Fan decided to ask Qi Ling to write the letter for him.
The Qi family was once a noble family with a prominent background. Before their decline, they were considered a prestigious lineage. Even if they weren't proficient in all arts, they could at least write.
Qi Ling soon arrived.
"You're looking for me?"
Qi Ling asked Su Fan with sign language.
"Yes, help me write a letter."
Su Fan nodded and said to Qi Ling.
"You can't write?"
Qi Ling asked Su Fan doubtfully.
"My handwriting is too distinctive and easily recognizable."
Su Fan waved his hand, not wanting to discuss this with Qi Ling.
"Alright, what should I write?"
Qi Ling didn't ask further and sat down at the desk, asking Su Fan.
"Write this: On behalf of the military, we are assisting in the bandit suppression. Do not send anyone here again. The messenger is the contact person. For any future matters, please contact him."
Su Fan's writing was also brief, aiming to match the communication style between the two parties.
"Done."
Qi Ling wrote everything Su Fan said on a piece of paper and handed it to Su Fan for inspection.
Su Fan looked at it. It was very neat, with a penetrating brushstroke, not delicate at all, and didn't look like a girl's handwriting. It resembled the resolute style of someone in the military.
"Hmm, good."
Su Fan was very satisfied.
The letter was written, and now they needed a messenger.
Military soldiers couldn't be used. After much thought, Su Fan could only choose someone from Cheng Yaoyin's group.
Only they were new faces in the Bandit Suppression Camp, and Su Fan trusted them.
Cheng Yaoyin and Da Niu were not suitable candidates; they were too rough.
Er Qing wouldn't do either; being taciturn, he might not have the ability to act according to circumstances.
Xiao Jiu and Aunt Niu were women and also not suitable.
The only one left was Wen Yan.
Wen Yan, a scholar, had also experienced the harsh realities of life. He definitely had the ability to act according to circumstances, and he didn't have too much of a bandit air about him, so he wouldn't arouse Fang Shijie's suspicion.
With this in mind, Su Fan went directly to Wen Yan and explained his plan.
Wen Yan agreed without a word after listening.
"Wen Yan is now your subordinate, sir. Just give me any orders, and I will carry them out."
Wen Yan said to Su Fan.
As the saying goes, "When you're a monk for a day, you ring the bell for a day." Wen Yan was now a soldier under Su Fan and only needed to obey Su Fan's orders.
Moreover, the people from Longhu Mountain received much better treatment in the Bandit Suppression Camp than others. Others didn't even receive military pay, but they not only got paid but were also direct subordinates of Su Fan, essentially ranked higher than ordinary soldiers, and their treatment was even better than that of veteran soldiers.
Wen Yan felt he didn't deserve it and was naturally willing to help Su Fan now that he could.
"After delivering the letter to the City Lord's mansion, you don't need to return. Find an inn to stay at. I will have the brothers from Longhu Mountain go to the inn in batches every day to find you. You can then pass any news to me."
Su Fan instructed Wen Yan.
Wen Yan nodded.
He knew that by going on this mission, he would essentially become Su Fan's spy around Fang Shijie. He couldn't return easily, or he would be discovered.
Wen Yan took the letter and immediately rushed to the City Lord's mansion.
Upon arriving at the City Lord's mansion, Wen Yan directly found the guards at the entrance.
He handed them the envelope.
"Give this to the City Lord. Tell him that the Xianzhen Battalion is now under Su Fan's command. Do not send anyone to the military camp during this period. I will be staying at the Wanli Inn. If there's anything, you can contact me."
After handing over the envelope, Wen Yan turned and left without any hesitation, acting as if he was very vigilant.
Fang Shijie waited for his subordinate to return with the letter but did not receive a reply from Xu Tian, which made him anxious.
Just then, a guard who had received Wen Yan's envelope rushed in.
"My lord, someone has brought you a letter."
Fang Shijie's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
Finally, some news!
Fang Shijie immediately took the envelope and opened it. Seeing the contents, he frowned.
"Bandit suppression? Isn't that Su Fan's jurisdiction?"
Fang Shijie wondered.
"Did the messenger say anything else?"
Fang Shijie asked the guard.
"He said that the Xianzhen Battalion is now under Su Fan's command, and you should not send anyone to the military camp today. If there's anything, you can find him at the Wanli Inn, and he will be the contact."
The guard truthfully relayed the message to Fang Shijie.
Fang Shijie thought, so that's how it is. No wonder the Xianzhen Battalion returned to Beiling City; they were here to assist the Bandit Suppression Camp.
"What did this person look like?"
Fang Shijie continued to ask.
"He looked refined and scholarly, like a scholar, but there was a sharp aura about him."
The guard thought for a moment and then said.
Fang Shijie nodded.
The sharp aura must have been honed in the army. As for looking like a scholar, perhaps this person was one of the strategists in the Xianzhen Battalion, holding a not-low position.
"I understand. You may go."
Fang Shijie nodded and said.
Now that the Xianzhen Battalion was under Su Fan's supervision, it was indeed not the time to deal with Su Fan. It was a pity his son was still suffering in Su Fan's hands!