Chapter 122 Two New Soldiers

Lieutenant General Wang suddenly threw open the curtain and rushed into the commander's tent. His voice was urgent and even a bit absurd: "General Yun! There's a fight outside... outside! Two new recruits who have only been in the army for a few days dared to challenge Captain Ma. Now they are fighting fiercely and there is no stopping them! One of them looks delicate and tender, and speaks with a sissy voice, and he's clamoring to see you!"

Yun Chong'an's brows furrowed suddenly, and he stood up abruptly. "What? New recruits dare to fight a captain? They're rebelling! Let's go and see. They're truly daring!"

The open space outside the tent was already a chaotic mess. A dozen people were scuffling together, the dust was flying, the sounds of shouting, cursing, and fists clashing were endless, and it was almost impossible to tell who was who.

Yun Chong'an's face turned ashen. He gathered all his strength and shouted, "Stop it!"

Like a thunderclap, the chaotic scene froze in an instant. All those involved in the fight froze in their places and hurriedly separated.

"How shameless!" Yun Chong'an's eyes swept over every soldier present. "The Wala army is approaching, the war is raging, and you have the leisure to fight yourselves here! Your strength and your blood should be used where they should be used!"

Captain Ma panted heavily, threw his sword to the ground, knelt on one knee, and angrily clasped his fists, saying, "General Yun! You've arrived just in time! These two new recruits dared to openly question my riding skills and even spoke nonsense, saying that my tactics are bullshit! They've only had a few days of military rations, what do they know about marching and fighting? General Yun, you must uphold justice for me!"

Yun Chong'an's sharp gaze passed over the crowd and finally fixed on the two particularly "eye-catching" recruits - even though their faces were covered in dust and their clothes were ragged, but the outlines of their figures were none other than his daring daughter Yun Zhao and the kid Zhao Ze from the Zhao family in Jinzhou!

He glared at the two men fiercely, suppressed his turbulent emotions, coughed dryly, and maintained his commanding authority: "You two! Follow me to the tent! The rest of you, disperse and return to your positions! Anyone who causes trouble without reason will be subject to military law!"

Captain Ma was still unconvinced and shouted, "General Yun! These two new recruits who committed insubordination deserve twenty strokes of the cane according to the law! Why did you send them away alone? This is unfair!"

Bai Qi, who arrived shortly after, immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Captain Ma! We need our men now. How can you arbitrarily punish soldiers over a quarrel? As a captain, you should prioritize the overall situation. How can you act so impulsively?"

Captain Ma, though still resentful after being reprimanded by Bai Qi, dared not say anything more, and the incident was temporarily suppressed. The soldiers watching from the surrounding area murmured among themselves, their gazes mostly fixed on the two "ignorant" new recruits. They felt that while they were skilled and courageous, upon closer inspection they were indeed too delicate and frail. No wonder Captain Ma ridiculed them as "sissy."

No one could have imagined that one of them was actually a girl, and the apple of the coach's eye.

Yun Zhao did not forget to turn around and glare at Captain Ma, then exchanged a glance with Zhao Ze and obediently followed Yun Chong'an into the commander's tent.

Bai Qi was thoughtful and followed closely, and signaled the personal soldiers outside the tent to stand guard further away.

Once inside the tent, cut off from the outside world, Yun Chong'an looked at the two dusty children in front of him, feeling both angry and distressed. He lowered his voice and scolded, "Nonsense! Absolutely nonsense! Why did you come here? And you dare to fight with the captain in the military camp?!"

Yun Zhao immediately stepped forward, holding his father's arm, his tone a bit coquettish but also righteous: "Dad, we just want to do our part! Life in Jinzhou is too comfortable and boring. Besides, the Wala invaded, and defending our country is everyone's responsibility! That Captain Ma almost fell for the Wala's trap and was trapped. Today, he refused to listen and insisted on leading his men into the trap. I tried to stop him, but he said I didn't understand! Do you think you can just watch your brothers die?"

Yun Chong'an turned his gaze to Zhao Ze and said in a serious tone, "How long have you been here? Huh?"

Zhao Ze answered honestly, "We arrived two days later than you, uncle. We...we snuck in while the army was recruiting. What Ah Zhao said is true. Captain Ma was indeed a bit impulsive and his tactical arrangements were ill-considered."

Yun Chong'an sighed heavily and sat down tiredly: "You are just fooling around! On the battlefield, swords are blind, is this a place you can come? You must have sneaked out! Does your mother know about this?"

Yun Zhao quickly poured a cup of hot tea and respectfully handed it to his father. "Father, calm down. We promise you we won't take any chances, we'll cherish our lives, and we'll obey your orders. Let's fight back the Wala together, and then return to Jinzhou safely. Okay?"

Yun Chong'an took the teacup and looked at the determined light in his daughter's eyes. He felt a mixture of emotions and said helplessly, "In this situation, can I still force you back? Forget it! From now on, the two of you will be transferred to my tent and obey my orders. You must guard the general's tent honestly! I can feel a little more at ease if you stay under my nose!"

This was sheer nonsense! But he had no other choice.

Yun Zhao and Zhao Ze looked at each other, knowing that this was the biggest concession their father had made, so they could only agree first: "Yes!" Although they could not become sharp warriors charging into battle, being able to stay in the general's tent was better than being driven away.

Zhao Ze added, "Don't worry, Uncle Yun. I've been protecting Ah Zhao all the way here, and she hasn't been hurt at all."

Yun Chong'an was furious when he heard this and looked at Zhao Ze: "You've always been a steady kid, why did you join her in this mischief? If anything happens to you, how am I going to explain it to your parents?"

Zhao Ze's expression was sincere, even with a hint of recklessness. "Don't worry, uncle. When I left home, I left a note saying I was traveling. My parents didn't know I was in Xuanhua. They... probably don't know for the time being."

Yun Chong'an rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling powerless. "The truth will eventually come to light. They'll know sooner or later! You two, go wash up and get ready. I'll have someone arrange tents for you. But the camp is tight on tents right now, so you might have to..." He stopped mid-sentence, realizing something was wrong. "No, no, there's a difference between men and women. How can we share a tent?"

Zhao Ze immediately bowed and said very sensibly: "Uncle Yun, don't worry. I will squeeze in with the other soldiers and let A Zhao live in a small tent alone. She is a girl after all, and it will be inconvenient for her." He deliberately lowered his voice to ensure that no one outside the tent could hear this shocking secret.

In the entire military camp, apart from the three of them, no one else knows Yun Zhao's true identity. This is both a protection and a huge risk.