"The prosperity of Shuozhou, the novelty of its rules, and the majesty of its military have all left me in awe. My admiration for them is like a surging river, endless and unending!"
His enthusiastic and slightly exaggerated praise stunned Fan Nan, who had just entered the room.
Fan Nan blinked, looked at the Western Region Hu merchant who was bowing deeply in front of him, and glanced at the sergeant who wanted to speak but couldn't, and immediately understood.
He couldn't help but chuckle and said in a gentle voice:
"Manager An, please stand up quickly. I cannot bear your praise!"
An Dehai hurriedly said: "General Zhao is too modest. He deserves the responsibility."
"Manager An, you've got the wrong person. I'm not General Zhao, but the Chief Clerk of the General's Mansion, Fan Nan."
"Ah?" An Dehai raised his head, and the warm smile on his face froze instantly, like a bonfire blown by the cold desert wind.
He looked at Fan Nan carefully, and then recalled that the sergeant had not introduced himself. He immediately blushed with embarrassment, waved his hands repeatedly, and explained incoherently:
"This... Oh! Fan... General Fan, please forgive me, please forgive me! I... I really... saw that you were so dignified and charming, and that you were in the general's mansion... I... I thought you were General Zhao himself... How rude, how rude!"
As he spoke, he wiped the non-existent cold sweat with a handkerchief, secretly cursing himself for being so reckless.
Fan Nan didn't mind at all. Instead, he thought this Hu Shang was quite straightforward and interesting. He said with a smile:
"No problem, no problem. Shopkeeper An has come a long way, so I'm not surprised if you don't know. The general will be here soon, so please sit down, Mr. An. Someone, bring the tea!"
At this moment, the curtain of the side door of the side hall was lifted, and a figure walked in.
An Dehai looked over subconsciously and saw that the man was wearing a half-worn green cotton robe, an ordinary cowhide belt around his waist, and boots on his feet. He was very young, probably only in his early twenties.
With a handsome face and a tall figure, he looked like a clerk who had just joined the army, or a personal attendant of a general who was responsible for running errands and delivering messages.
The young man was holding a few rolls of documents in his hands, and seemed to be about to report something to Fan Nan.
An Dehai was feeling embarrassed for having recognized the wrong person just now. When he saw this "young follower" coming in, he wanted to ease the atmosphere and show that he was easy-going.
He immediately put on the demeanor of an elder and distinguished guest, and with a somewhat amiable smile, he took the initiative to greet the young man:
"This young man is truly diligent! But are you here to see Fan Changshi on official business?"
He even wanted to take out a piece of gem candy from the Western Regions from his brocade bag and hand it over, "Come, try our Western Region candy to refresh your mind!"
Hearing this, the young man paused and looked at An Dehai with clear and calm eyes.
He didn't reach out to take the candy, nor did he answer immediately, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly and he smiled faintly.
Fan Nan saw it clearly from the side and almost laughed out loud, but he quickly held it back and deliberately coughed.
Seeing that the "little follower" didn't take the candy or answer, but just looked at him, An Dehai thought that the other party was reserved or frightened by his enthusiasm, and was about to say something to ease the mood.
But Fan Nanchangshi stood up, bowed respectfully to the young man in plain clothes, and introduced him solemnly:
"Muyun, this is the shopkeeper An Dehai who came from the Western Regions."
Then he turned to the completely stunned An Dehai and said, "Mr. An, I'd like to formally introduce you to this person. This is our Hedong Jiedushi, Zhenbei General, Zhao Muyun."
"He...he is General Zhao Muyun?"
The gem candy in An Dehai's hand fell to the ground with a "click" and rolled to the corner.
His eyes were as big as camel bells and his mouth opened and closed.
Looking at Fan Nan with a respectful look on his face, and then at this excessively young young man in plain clothes, it seemed as if thousands of camel bells were buzzing in his head at the same time.
The image of the seasoned, weathered veteran who might even have a scar on his face that he imagined did not overlap in any way with the handsome, tall, and handsome young man in front of him who looked more like a scholar.
"Are you...are you really General Zhao Muyun? The...the General Zhao who led nine men to defeat a hundred Tartars at the border?"
An Dehai's voice changed in tone, filled with disbelief.
Zhao Muyun smiled slightly and said in a clear voice, "It's Zhao. Did you enjoy the story of Shopkeeper An? It's a pity that storytellers always like to exaggerate and can't be taken seriously. Please take a seat!"
An Dehai moved to the chair and sat down almost at the same time, as if he was sleepwalking.
His eyes were still fixed on Zhao Muyun, as if he wanted to find some traces of the old general on his face.
His heart was already in turmoil:
This magical Shuozhou, with its strict military discipline, novel regulations, and widely circulated legendary stories...
They were all created by this young man?
This was even more incredible than all the Western Region myths he had ever heard!
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