The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 671 Wonderful Man
Lu Xiang-sheng led the main force away, leaving behind only a hundred men, all of whom were strong and burly young men. These were undoubtedly his elite soldiers, the ones he relied on for charging into battle and taking on tough challenges, so they were quite reliable.

Normally, Duan Yong would definitely disagree with Jia Huan recruiting more men to join his gang, lest Jia Huan usurp his position and sideline him. But now, Duan Yong was more than happy for Jia Huan to recruit more men, since the more troops there were, the safer they would be. In these turbulent times, with starving people everywhere, people would turn into monsters when they were hungry and would do anything, so they had to be on guard.

Jia Huan called over Tie Niu and Man Gui and introduced them, saying, "This is Lu Xiangjin, the second younger brother of Prefect Lu. He will be traveling with us to Hami. You two can get to know each other."

"So it's Second Master Lu, a pleasure to meet you. I am Man Gui." Man Gui said with a smile, while putting his hand on Lu Xiangjin's shoulder. On the surface, it was a gesture of goodwill, but in reality, he was testing the other party's strength.

Lu Xiangjin laughed and said, "So it's Master Man. I've heard of your great name for a long time. You are one of the eight great warriors under Master Huan."

Man Gui used only half his strength, but seeing that Lu Xiangjin was completely unharmed, he became excited and used ninety percent of his strength. However, he still couldn't break Lu Xiangjin's right shoulder. So, his competitive spirit rose, and he shouted with all his might, "Fall down!"

"We can't fall!" Lu Xiangjin shouted in a low voice, gathering all his strength to resist. The two were locked in a stalemate, their faces turning red with exertion.

Jia Huan winked at Tie Niu, who then put his hands on their shoulders and easily separated them, grinning, "If you want to compete in strength, come to me!"

Lu Xiangjin clicked his tongue inwardly and blurted out, "Master Niu is indeed very strong."

Man Gui had already competed with Tie Niu many times, but each time he couldn't last more than ten seconds. He waved his hand and said, "Compete my ass. I don't compete with animals. A good man doesn't fight with a bull."

Tie Niu glared at him, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked: "Believe it or not, I'll scrub the shit out of you, kid?"

Man Gui quickly put on a fawning smile and said, "Master Niu, please calm down. It's just a joke, a joke!"

Jia Huan found it somewhat amusing. Man Gui, that hot-tempered fellow, was like a firecracker, ready to explode at any moment. Yet, he dared not act recklessly in front of Tie Niu. It was truly a case of one thing subduing another.

Jia Huan invited Lu Xiangjin to sit down by the campfire and asked, "I heard from Jian Dou that you have two younger cousins."

Lu Xiangjin nodded and said, "I am the second oldest. The third oldest is called Xiangguan, who is much smarter than me. He is sixteen years old this year and has already passed the county-level examination. He is preparing to take the provincial-level examination next year. As for me, I am a good-for-nothing. I am not good at studying. I just like to play with weapons. I don't know how to run a business. My father insisted that I take over the family's cloth shop. As a result, I lost fifty taels in a month. My father was so angry that he kicked me out. I had no choice but to come and beg for a few meals from my eldest brother. If I can't even make a living here with my eldest brother, I will have to shave my head and become a monk, carrying a broken bowl and begging for alms on the street every day."

Man Gui laughed heartily when he found what he said amusing.

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Second Master Lu is too modest."

Lu Xiangjin shook his head and said, "I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Third Master Huan, but I have really considered becoming a monk. My old man was so angry that he jumped up and down and said that if you shaved your head and became a monk, you might as well cut off your head and enter the palace as a eunuch. Maybe you can get a job emptying the emperor's chamber pot in the future."

"Hahaha!" Man Gui couldn't help but burst into laughter, and even Tie Niu was grinning from ear to ear.

Jia Huan couldn't help but smile. This Master Lu was a wonderful person with a bold and humorous personality.

Duan Yongjian was clearly displeased that Lu Xiangjin was making fun of the eunuchs, but he also found it amusing. He snorted coldly and said, "How dare you make fun of the Emperor! How many heads do you have!"

Lu Xiangjin then realized there was a real eunuch beside him. Wasn't this like pointing at a monk and cursing a donkey? He quickly apologized and begged for forgiveness!
Jia Huan also spoke up for him, and Duan Yong reluctantly turned and left. Lu Xiangjin breathed a sigh of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you for protecting me, Third Master Huan. It's all my fault for having such a foul mouth. I've caused trouble again. The old man is right. This rebellious son is a failure in everything, all because of his mouth." Man Gui laughed and said, "From now on, follow Third Master Huan, and I guarantee you'll bring honor to your family. At that time, your father will have to call you 'ancestor'."

Lu Xiangjin countered, "Master Man, how does your father treat you?"

Man Gui grinned and said, "Never seen it before. It's probably been reincarnated long ago. I was raised by my adoptive father, who was killed by the Jurchens a few years ago."

Lu Xiangjin slapped himself and said, "Sorry, I talked too much again!"

Man Gui waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's alright, do you have any wine?"

Lu Xiangjin picked up the wine flask at his waist and shook it, finding it empty. He then turned around and called out, "Ergou, get some wine!"

A young militiaman quickly handed over a sachet of sorghum liquor. Lu Xiangjin took it and tossed it to Man Gui, saying with a smile, "Master Man, please!"

They were both bold and forthright men, taking turns drinking, and after a few ounces of wine, they became familiar with each other, wishing they could become sworn brothers on the spot.

Jia Huan noticed that Lu Xiangjin's militiamen were also carrying musical instruments that looked like waist drums, and couldn't help but ask, "Second Master Lu, what are those things?"

"This is a waist drum!" Lu Xiangjin said with a smile, while ordering someone to bring a waist drum for Jia Huan to see.

Man Gui asked curiously, "What's the use of this thing? Are you going to carry it around in battle? Are you going to give the enemy a little show before the fighting starts?"

Lu Xiangjin laughed and said, "Master Man, you don't know this. This waist drum was passed down from the pre-Qin period. The most famous one is the Ansai waist drum. Most of the militia under your command come from Ansai. This waist drum can be used to warn before battle, to boost morale during battle, and to signal the end of the battle. It has many uses!"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "I've heard of Ansai waist drum. Could you perform a piece?"

“Of course!” Lu Xiangjin immediately ordered his men to perform a short piece.

Ten young men grabbed waist drums and began to beat them vigorously, jumping and shouting as they went. Although there were only ten of them, it was still very impressive. It's hard to imagine what a spectacular scene it would be if hundreds or thousands of people performed at the same time.

"it is good!"

After the ten young men from northern Shaanxi finished their performance, the guards couldn't help but cheer and applaud. Jia Huan ordered Mu Ye to give them a reward, and everyone was overjoyed.

A moment later, a palace servant brought out a tray of copper coins and silver coins, saying they were a gift from Princess Kangle. She praised the drumming, and the ten young men from northern Shaanxi were flattered and immediately knelt down to thank the princess for the gift. The other militiamen and even the guards were all envious.

Without further ado, let's turn to the next morning. The marriage procession set off again, traveling day and night for more than two months, finally arriving at Jiayuguan, the westernmost point of the Great Jin territory, in the height of summer in June.

(End of this chapter)