"Appoint officials based on merit?" Guo Honglei paused.
Cao Da pushed his comrades forward, "Let's go! Let's talk while we walk. We don't want to keep the prince and the general waiting. Tsk, it's so frustrating! I've asked again and again, but my father remains tight-lipped and refuses to reveal anything."
Guo Honglei quickened his pace as instructed. "It sounds like the general and the others have already reached an agreement?"
"Most likely! I heard the higher-ups have been discussing this for several days, and there have been several arguments during this period."
Cao Da looked around and whispered, his voice low and full of anticipation and trepidation, "Our general seems unhappy lately, and my father is also unhappy. Perhaps... the court has learned that General Dou is old and ill and decided to replace the old general? Send someone else to take over the Heqin Guard?"
The two of them stood side by side. Guo Honglei thought for a moment and shook his head. "I personally think it's unlikely."
"Why?" Cao Da glanced around warily, a worried look on his face. "Of course, we all love the old general, but he's advanced in age and plagued by old injuries and illnesses. He's been on medication almost constantly for the past two years, often carrying out official duties while ill. It's a cause for concern. Alas, I'm truly terrified the court will suddenly send a new commander. Then, not only will the brothers be distressed, but their future will be jeopardized."
Guo Honglei whispered soothingly, "I understand Brother Cao's concerns. But General Dou was the commander-in-chief in the battle to recapture Yongzhou. He's dedicated half his life to guarding the border and has made great contributions. He's just made great contributions. Even if the court sympathizes with veteran generals and wants to let them retire, they can't just 'suddenly send a new commander' to replace them! Wouldn't that be a huge disservice to the veterans?"
"Hmm...that's true," Cao Da said frankly, his brow drooping. "I returned to the camp two days earlier than you did, and I've been feeling very nervous these past few days. It's no secret that General Dou trusts my father and considers him his right-hand man. If a new commander were to take over, who knows what might happen? Frankly, I sincerely hope that the general will live a long life, grow stronger with age, and lead the Heqin Guard for a long time!"
Long-term command? The general is nearly sixty years old and suffering from old illnesses. His body is unable to support himself. If he continues to hold on, his condition will inevitably worsen.
Guo Honglei sighed anxiously, "Excuse me, Brother Cao, but that's impossible. Actually, like you, I hope the general recovers quickly, and I don't want to suddenly change the commander."
"Alas." Cao Da sighed, then cheered up and said, "Forget it. The court, oh, the emperor, has the final say. We are powerless and our voices are weak. It's useless to worry. Let's go to the meeting room and see what's going on."
"Walk!"
Not long after, they arrived outside the meeting room and found that more than 20 people were waiting to be summoned.
They were both in Heqinwei and knew each other. As soon as they met, they asked each other about their whereabouts, but they were all unaware of the situation and had come in a hurry.
After a while, the young leader carefully counted the number of people, reported inside, and then ordered: "Go in."
"yes."
As the group walked into the hall, Guo Honglei took a quick look around and saw Prince Li sitting at the top, Dou Yong, the Ninth Prince, and the two commanders of the outer guards sitting below, along with several strangers he had never met before.
The leaders in the hall, Guo Honglei and his companions saluted politely, "Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Li and His Royal Highness the Ninth Prince."
"No need to be so polite." Prince Li was dignified without being angry. The Ninth Prince smiled and said, "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Guo Honglei and the others then clasped their fists and saluted, "Greetings, Generals."
"No need to be so formal. I called you here today because I have an important announcement to make." The generals, led by Dou Yong, responded one after another.
Guo Honglei and others were in good order, and everyone was nervous.
Prince Li spoke with dignity and deliberation, smiling as he said, "Yongzhou has been recovered. The emperor is overjoyed and the whole nation is jubilant. The enemy cavalry from the Northern Jiao have been driven out of Dagan. The entire northwest border army has been credited with this achievement, and all of you present here, as elite officers from your respective units, have made invaluable contributions and deserve to be commended."
"I have fulfilled my duties and responsibilities. It is my duty. It has been so long since I recovered the lost territory. I am deeply grateful for the forgiveness and understanding of Your Majesty."
"It is my duty to drive out and destroy the enemy."
"How noble are the two princes? Yet they traveled thousands of miles from the capital to the frontier to fight the enemy, diligently staying there for nearly half a year. Their hard work and contributions are truly remarkable, and we are truly in awe of them!"
"Yes, Your Highness, you have worked really hard."
…
The generals were talking at once, the taciturn ones echoed a few words, and the flatterers took the opportunity to compliment. For a while, the hall was quite lively.
The Ninth Prince, tired of hearing this, patiently sipped his tea. Prince Li raised his hand to stop him, saying sternly, "Soldiers have their duties, and so do princes. They should be faithful in their duties and must not betray His Majesty's grace."
"yes."
"Your Highness is right."
"We will follow your Highness's orders." The generals couldn't help but respond.
Prince Li paused, his expression solemn, and he spoke with deep sorrow, "Recovering lost territory is a cause for great joy, celebrated by all. But who will defend it after it's been recovered? Of course, it depends on the soldiers. The problem is that the soldiers of Yongzhou and the people living near the capital were tragically massacred by the Northern Qi. Over 100,000 people were killed, forcing the surviving people from every county and village to flee across the river in panic. Currently, Yongzhou is devastated, practically deserted."
Guo Honglei was startled and had some vague guesses.
Everyone listened attentively. Dou Yong had gray hair and beard, his old illness had not yet healed, he was old and thin, and his expression did not show his emotions.
Prince Li sighed, then raised his head and said solemnly: "The tragedy of the massacre must never happen again. We must appoint reliable people to guard Yongzhou! After repeated discussions with my ninth brother and the generals, I reported the truth to the emperor. Now we have a response. The emperor has allowed us to act at our discretion." After speaking, he turned his head to look at Dou Yong and said gently:
"Please let General Dou announce the details."
"Yes." Dou Yong nodded, picked up the pre-agreed list, and spoke in an old, unhurried voice, "Everyone has just returned from Yongzhou. As His Highness just said, Yongzhou is currently short of manpower. All guards, stations, and fortresses are temporarily garrisoned by soldiers from Xicang. However, 'temporary garrisoning' is not a long-term solution. The long-term solution is to quickly rebuild Yongzhou's military strength and establish a proper system. After discussion, it has been decided to temporarily rebuild the four guards of Tuning, Tacha, Mingqiong, and Luoshui."
Tuning? Tacha? Mingqiong? Luoshui?
During the campaign in Yongzhou, Guo Honglei had set foot in the above four places. The first three were border counties, and Luoshui was located in the central part of Yongzhou.
Dou Yong coughed twice, cleared his throat, and continued, "Since Yongzhou is desperately short of manpower, and the Northern Qi are lurking covetously from the depths of the grasslands, we have no other choice but to first select elite troops from the various guards of Xicang and send them to the guards of Yongzhou. Afterwards, we must quickly recruit new soldiers and train them rigorously to defend the territory."
Sure enough! Guo Honglei understood everything and thought to himself: It seems that we have been selected and will soon go to Yongzhou.
"During the recovery period, Heqin became the northernmost region and bore the brunt of the attack. We engaged the Beiqie in hundreds of battles, both large and small. Therefore, our guards are quite familiar with the enemy." Dou Yong was reluctant, but had no choice. He said slowly, "Since we have such a good understanding, it is only appropriate to select a group of suitable soldiers to garrison Tuning County, the northernmost part of Yongzhou. General Song, here are their names and files. Please check them."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark-faced middle-aged man immediately stood up, quickly took the list and file, and said apologetically in a southern accent, "Thank you! Thank you! Alas, this, this... the elite you cultivated, but today you gave it to someone like Song. I feel really bad about it."
Guo Honglei took the opportunity to take a look and saw that the middle-aged man who was about to become his superior was not tall, but had a sturdy build, a wide mouth, thick lips, and bright eyes.
"General Song, there's no need to be so. The Northwest Border Army, and indeed all the officers and men of Dagan, are one body, dedicated to their duties, all for the defense of our territory, regardless of distinction." In front of everyone, Dou Yong said righteously, "It's a great blessing for them to have the opportunity to join the Tuning Guard!"
Prince Li nodded in satisfaction. His tone was serious, but a smile flashed in his eyes. He warned, "General Dou is very understanding and generous. General Song must make good use of these talents and not let General Dou's hard work in cultivating them go to waste."
"Yes!" Song Jikun knelt on one knee and said loudly, "I understand. I will do my utmost to rebuild the Tuning Guard and will never betray the court's trust!"
Prince Li smiled happily and said, "I understand."
Immediately afterwards, Silu, Xinyang, and the rest of the Xicang Guards presented their rosters and reported, "Your Highness, the relevant officers and soldiers of the Silu Guard are on standby in Yongzhou City."
"Xinyangwei personnel are on their way."
"We will send people directly to Yongzhou, and then ask Commander Tacha to check it out."
…
The matter was of grave importance, and after lengthy deliberations, the generals argued openly and covertly. Though a prince, Prince Li could not issue arbitrary orders, constantly trying to mediate, exhausting himself. Now, he breathed a sigh of relief and cheerfully promised, "It's rare that you all are so concerned about the greater good. Peace and stability will surely reign in the northwest frontier! I will report the truth to my father and king, and I will seek your commendation."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The generals said in unison.
After a busy day, the prince and several commanders of Xicang drank tea to relax. They seemed to be chatting, but in fact they were each taking the opportunity to seek compensation for their own guards. Prince Li knew what was going on and handled it with ease.
The sun is at its zenith and it is bright outside the conference hall.
Song Jikun stood on the steps, checking the roster and carefully counting his new subordinates. After examining the files for a while, he looked up and asked with a smile, "Guo Honglei, you have made great contributions and could have stayed in the safety of Heqin. However, this general insisted on asking General Dou to give you this talent and bring you to Yongzhou Tuning to guard the dangerous place. Are you willing?"
Things have come to this point, the prince has made the decision, the commander has compromised, how could the subordinates be "unhappy"?
Guo Honglei stood tall and imposing, his height equal to the peak above him even though he was standing at the bottom of the steps. Looking straight ahead would have been rude, so he cautiously lowered his head slightly, avoiding looking directly at the unfamiliar commander. He replied loudly, "As General Dou said, it is a blessing for us to have the opportunity to defend the frontier. We do it willingly and with great pleasure!"
"good!"
"Very good." Song Jikun tossed the file to his personal guard, stepped down the steps, patted Guo Honglei's arm vigorously, and praised: "The file notes that you have made many contributions and are brave and skilled in battle. No wonder General Dou was reluctant to part with you."
As he approached, Guo Honglei noticed that the commander was more than a head shorter than him. He remained calm and replied humbly, "You two generals are too kind. I am not very talented, I just had better luck."
"Luck will eventually run out, and only strength can help you stand out."
Song Jikun stood with his hands behind his back and said sternly, "Everyone here is one of us. To be honest, the Tuning Guard is very busy right now, and I'm in urgent need of help. As long as you work diligently and are talented, you will definitely not be buried."
"yes!"
Song Jikun paced back and forth with great momentum, then turned and ordered his personal soldiers, "You and Captain Guo will read the appointment letter together, pack up, and set off at noon the day after tomorrow to cross the river and go to Yongzhou Tu Ning." After speaking, he returned to the conference room, intending to ask Prince Li to urge the court to allocate silver, food and other supplies as soon as possible to rebuild the Tu Ning Guard.
Captain Guo? Guo Honglei was stunned.
Song Jikun's personal guards received the order. They had known about it beforehand and were not surprised at all. They handed over a stack of appointment letters and asked politely, "The general has ordered it. Captain Guo, shall we carry it out together?"
Seeing his friend in a daze, Cao Da quickly elbowed him lightly, "I'm asking you a question!"
Guo Honglei came back to his senses, quickly suppressed his excitement, reached out to take the appointment letters from his companions, and politely replied, "I don't know what the rules are?"
The leading guard answered cheerfully, "That's easy! Just follow our lead."
Meanwhile, Heqin County
A horse-drawn carriage was swaying, making a creaking noise as it moved forward, heading towards the county government office.
The journey was over 3,000 miles, and they changed carriages several times along the way. When the road was blocked by heavy snow, they had to walk several times.
When they finally arrived at Heqin, the carriage was almost broken apart and people fell down.
"Ugh~"
"Ugh—cough cough cough, ugh..." Wei Xu's face was as pale as paper. He vomited bile in a panic and was sweating profusely.
The servant was extremely anxious. He kept lifting the curtain to look outside and asked loudly, "Brother, are we almost at the clinic?"
"Don't worry, little brother, we're almost there. We're really almost there now." The driver knew his employer was ill, so he whipped his whip and shouted, "Go!"
The servant was in a hurry. He first wiped the patient's sweat and then took out the water bag. "Sir, rinse your mouth. We have arrived in Heqin County. Let's go see a doctor immediately. He will be cured after taking a few doses of medicine."
"What a hell of a place, what a hell of a place!"
Wei Xu was panting, exhausted, his energy dwindling, but his eyes were burning with rage. He said with disgust, "What kind of a place is Heqin? The noodles I ate in that town yesterday were probably poisoned. This shop owner is committing murder and robbery. He deserves death!"
"I ate it too. It's not poisoned, but it's probably not cleaned properly and the young master's stomach can't take it." The servant looked worried.
Wei Xu hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since yesterday evening, and he was vomiting and having diarrhea. He was so sick that he was seeing stars. He was furious and gnashed his teeth as he said coldly, "Speaking of which, it's all the fault of that woman named Jiang."
"It's because she lives in this damn place that Ambassador Liang, who took office first, had to rush here to discuss official business. I could have stayed in Xicang City, but in the end, I was forced to come to Heqin as well!"
The servant sighed, "Ah, indeed. If Envoy Jiang lived in the prefectural capital, we wouldn't have to go to the county town. We've been traveling for nearly two months and are almost dying of exhaustion."
"vomit--"
Wei Xu vomited again, his vision black and dizzy. When he regained consciousness, his anger intensified. He took his anger out on her and scolded her, "That Jiang girl is so arrogant! Although she's of higher rank than me, she's on the same level as Ambassador Liang. Why should we accommodate her alone? Humph, who the hell is she?"
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Jiang Yushu: Blame me, blame me for everything...┓(???`?)┏
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