Xie Ming

April 25th, sunny, midday.

Xiao, having pulled himself out of the chaotic military affairs on his desk, finally had a moment to relax. He quickly led a squad of guards, known as the "Murder Stars," and rode off to offer sacrifices to the military generals.

However, given this rare opportunity, it didn't take long before Changting caught up with the approaching location in the southwest.

Without even looking back, Xiao, with his keen ears, heard the neighing of the horse's hooves beneath the boy's crotch. He waited sullenly for the man to approach before speaking his angry words.

"Is that Changting?"

"Why did you come looking for me now?"

"But which camp reported the trouble to you?"

At this moment, Xiao Jiang sat cross-legged in front of the tomb of Chuanwu, and offered three more sticks of incense with his hands clasped together.

"Oh, no, that's not it."

Upon hearing the general's complaints, Changting retorted and did not rush to report the matter.

He followed closely with both feet, took a few steps to the side, squatted down next to Xiao Lang, and casually picked up a small jar of liquor.

With a bang, the lid was pulled off, and hands reached out to pour water on both sides of the Chuanwu Stele.

Seeing this, and recalling Chuan Wu's voice and appearance, Xiao couldn't help but let out two bitter laughs.

"Heh, Chuanwu, you're such an easy person to deal with."

"Look, isn't this place wonderful!"

"Now, you're lying here with your back to the mountains and your face to the water."

"How much suffering must the province endure?"

“Changting is just feeling sorry for you. Look at this neatly paved enclosure with blue bricks and this blue stone tablet.”

"Tsk tsk."

“Hey, I’m talking about Changting.”

"Whenever I pass away, you won't have to put in any more effort."

"Just get me a set of traditional martial arts techniques, that'll do, okay?! Heh heh."

Xiao Jingchuan spoke bitterly and mockingly, trying his best to suppress his grief and sorrow.

Upon hearing this, Changting replied with a serious expression.

"what?!"

"Oh dear, General, you, what are you saying?"

"You'd better avoid making these kinds of jokes."

"Don't forget, I was your lieutenant."

"If anything happens to you, I'll be the one who dies."

"By then, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you!"

Changting, being straightforward, made such nonsensical and absurd remarks, which instantly made Xiao Lang laugh in exasperation.

"Ha, get out of here."

"I can't count on you anymore."

"Alright, tell me, what brings you here?"

"If you have something to say, say it quickly, and if you have a fart, say it quickly."

"That 'pure scholar' is talking nonsense to me."

Xiao Lai laughed and cursed, and from the tone of his voice, it seemed that Xu was unwilling to go back immediately and wanted to stay at the grave a little longer.

Upon hearing this, Changting no longer hesitated and fully explained his intentions.

"Hehehe, okay."

"Actually, it's not just about the Jiujiang faction."

"It was a message sent back from Peizhong in Henan."

"It is said that Ji Zu led the batch of surrendered soldiers and generals from Hubei to Kaifeng."

"Currently, they are assigning personnel to various units and battalions as appropriate."

"A detailed report on the current status of garrisoning in each city and unit is attached. Please submit this report in its entirety for the general's instructions and approval."

After Changting finished speaking, he casually took out a booklet of letters from his bosom and handed it to Xiao Jiang.

Xiao Jingchuan took it and examined it in front of the Martial Arts Stele.

While quickly scanning the words, upon noticing the details, he couldn't help but frown and then inquire further.

"Oh?"

“After Zu went north, there were still defections and desertions among the surrendered soldiers along the way?!” Xiao Xing questioned.

"Well, indeed."

“It was delivered by Pei Zhong’s personal guards. I asked a couple of questions along the way.”

"I heard it happened just before we arrived in Guide Prefecture."

"They broke through the guards at night and more than three thousand escaped."

"However, Ye happened to arrive just in time when Pei Zhong had made preparations to provide support and was waiting in the city with his troops."

"When Ji Zu revealed his true identity, he rushed to Guide to gather troops to encircle the enemy, and the two generals met."

"In less than a day, near the south of Luyi City, they intercepted most of the fleeing generals and soldiers."

"We recovered about two thousand."

"The other thousand have simply broken up and absconded, so there's no good solution."

"Later, Pei Zhong established his authority and executed several officers who led the escape at the drill ground."

"A few more capable people have been promoted." "Using both kindness and severity, I've learned that from you, General."

“In that case, we can consider it settled,” Changting replied truthfully.

"Well, then, is everything alright with Ji Zu?!"

Rather than worrying about the situation of these surrendered soldiers, Xiao Lang's current concern is more focused on Xu Jizu.

It is said that it is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but difficult to find a general.

What about surrendered soldiers and captured generals? If they're all gone, we can just capture more.

Xiao didn't want any more accidents or mishaps to happen to his brothers who had followed him since the beginning of the uprising in Jiulong Town, Jinan.

Especially now that he is standing in front of Wang Chuanwu's tomb, this sense of unease is even more disturbing to his nerves.

Seeing the worry on his general's face, Changting understood his intentions and couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

He then hurriedly replied, trying to appease her.

"Ah, no, no."

"General, please don't worry."

"There is no obstacle to continuing the family tradition."

"There was a mistake halfway through, and someone escaped. I feel mostly guilty."

"At this moment, he is already leading the main force back."

"I estimate they should arrive in a couple of days," Changting said.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Lang's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Immediately, he exhaled a long breath.

"Ugh"

"Okay, just come back."

"It's only a thousand or eight hundred people, so it's okay if they're lost."

While muttering to himself, perhaps suddenly remembering something, he abruptly turned his head and shouted towards the garrison not far away.

"Eh!"

"You jinx, come here and bring over those packets of paper money you packed before you came!"

After speaking, the jinx scurried along, obeyed the order to unload the load, and swiftly handed it over to him.

Changting took the packet from the side, shook it open, and Xiao pulled out a tinderbox. They lit a pile of tinderboxes in front of Chuanwu's grave.

"Come on, Changting, burn some too."

"That way, Chuanwu and the others can have some free time."

"Good wine and good meat, buy land and property, and then, Chuanwu, you can marry seven or eight more wives."

"You're paving the way for us brothers."

"Don't let this money go to waste."

"Go over there, enjoy a few years of leisure, and be a rich man."

"What are we waiting for? If we all get back to our positions, we're counting on you to make a comeback, huh?!"

Xiao Lang grabbed handfuls of paper money and threw them into the fire, chanting incantations.

It sounds absurd, but that's life—birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Men don't easily shed tears. Even if you're filled with sorrow, you can't just let these two grown men, Xiao and Gu, cry their hearts out, can you?
"Yes, the general is right."

"Chuanwu, Chuanwu, don't worry about me here."

“While the general is gone, Pei-chung, Ming-lu, and I will do our best.”

"You, let your soul go back to its soul, and your path go back to its path."

"Even though things are like this now, you can't return to your roots."

"However, don't be too dramatic."

"I think this place is nice."

"Look at this place, with mountains and water. Isn't it better than being buried in the north eating sand?"

While burning paper money together, Changting, with his sharp tongue, couldn't stay idle and started rambling on with Xiao, gritting his teeth and swallowing his grief.

Unexpectedly, Gu Changting, that simpleton, couldn't multitask.

While he was busy making up words, his hands were all out of control.

He flung the paper money around aimlessly, then, with a dazed expression, he shoved a thick stack of paper money onto the fire.

The flames that had been painstakingly kindled were almost extinguished by this kid.

Seeing the situation, Xiao hurriedly scalded his hand and rushed to save it, giving Shun a disdainful look.

"Hey, you..."

"Alright, alright, you're just messing around."

"Go, go over to Old Huang's grave and burn some paper money for us too."

"The two of them are inseparable; they go together, so they can look out for each other over there."

"Don't let the old man get cold."

"Otherwise, we should tell the people below that we two brothers are being irresponsible!"

"go with!"

(End of this chapter)