"Congratulations!" the messenger ordered the personal guards to clasp their fists in congratulations.
Guo Honglei sighed and continued walking towards the commander's tent. "Why are you so happy? Stop joking. I'm already married, and our child just turned one month old."
He ordered his personal guards to follow him and explained, "Of course the general knows that you are married. Magistrate Sun's daughter must be your concubine."
Concubine Guo Honglei frowned and shook his head repeatedly.
The two knew each other well, so the other party misunderstood and whispered, "Don't worry. Magistrate Sun dared to ask the general to be a matchmaker. His daughter must be as beautiful as a flower, otherwise he would not have offered her up. If you marry Miss Sun, you will have a virtuous wife and beautiful concubines, enjoying the happiness of having two wives. Isn't it a happy event?"
Guo Honglei whispered, "The question is not about beauty or ugliness."
"Well, what's wrong with that?" the other party was puzzled. Soldiers guarded the frontiers, fighting the enemy to defend their country. If they could return safely from a dangerous battlefield, those who received their reward would often celebrate with feasting, drinking, gambling, and other merrymaking.
Especially beautiful women, whether they are slim or plump, are always remembered by men and talked about on their lips.
Therefore, wherever there are border troops stationed, there are bound to be taverns, gambling houses, and brothels nearby.
A few words couldn't explain it clearly, and Guo Honglei didn't want to discuss it in detail. As he was about to leave, he said, "I'll go in and see the details."
"Yes, please wait a moment." After saying this, the other party urged the guard at the door to go in and report. He returned a moment later and said respectfully, "The general wants you to come in."
Guo Honglei nodded and strode into the hall. He saw Commander Song Jikun sitting at the top and Tuning County Magistrate Sun Jie drinking tea below.
"Greetings, General." Guo Honglei bowed.
Song Jikun, with his broad mouth and thick lips and dark complexion, replied affably, "No need for daily formalities. This is the local county magistrate, Lord Sun."
Guo Honglei clasped his fists politely, "Lord Sun."
"Ah, hearing about him is truly not as good as meeting him in person. Captain Guo is indeed extraordinary and heroic, and he is also very handsome. Such a talented young man, not bad, not bad." Sun Jie stood up to return the greeting. He was over fifty years old, with a beaming face and full of praise, not hiding his admiration at all.
Guo Honglei was born into a noble family and had a distinguished social status. He had seen many flatterers since he was young, so he was not surprised. He said politely, "Your Excellency, I am too proud of your praise. I do not deserve it."
"No..." Sun Jie looked at him intently, his satisfaction growing. "Captain Guo may be young, but he's already achieved a lot. He's outstanding and truly admirable."
Although Guo Honglei had seen a lot of things, he never liked to associate with such people. He straightened up and responded, "Your Excellency, you are too kind."
Song Jikun, who was sitting at the head of the table, smiled proudly and raised his hand to order, "Everyone, sit down. We won't talk about official business today. Let's sit down and chat."
Guo Honglei thanked him and sat down, "Thank you, General."
Sun Jie also sat down and faced his promising son-in-law.
"Most of the soldiers are rough around the edges, speaking and acting straightforwardly, not into flowery things. I'll just say it straight," Song Jikun said with a relaxed demeanor, looking at his capable subordinates, and smilingly said, "Lord Sun has a daughter, only 28 years old, gentle and sensible, and knows the big picture. Lord Sun is willing to marry his daughter to you, what do you think?"
Guo Honglei stood up, clasped his fists, and replied apologetically, "Thank you for your concern, General, and for your kindness, Lord Sun. However, I'm already married, and I dare not wrong Miss Sun. I'm truly sorry."
After Song Jikun stated the purpose of his visit, he picked up the cup and drank tea as if he had finished his mission.
"No, no," Sun Jie said, wearing a green official uniform with a mandarin duck embroidered on the patch. His triangular eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. He took a few steps closer and carefully examined his ideal son-in-law. "My daughter is not talented or beautiful, so she is naturally not worthy of being Captain Guo's wife. But my daughter is gentle and obedient. If you don't mind, you can take her as a concubine and place her in the town or county so that she can take care of your food and daily life. How about it?"
As the other party approached, Guo Honglei took a step back and answered seriously, "When I'm busy, I stay in the camp day and night. When I'm free, I take leave to go back to Xicang to visit my family. I have parents above me and children below me, and I shoulder the heavy burden of supporting the family. I really can't afford to consider a concubine."
“Don’t worry about this.”
"My daughter is not someone who covets wealth and fame. She has admired brave warriors since she was a child. When she heard about your heroic deeds, she was immediately impressed. She didn't care about anything else and was willing to follow you." Sun Jie was enthusiastic and straightforward. He worked hard for twenty years and rose from a scholar to a county magistrate. At this moment, he did not feel that he was "lowly". He calmly calculated and thought to himself
In time, Guo Honglei's future is limitless. At present, he only has a wife and has not yet taken a concubine. Moreover, his wife is not around. He is a young and strong man with full blood. The couple can only be reunited for a few days a year. How can he bear it?
If he is willing to take my daughter in and buy a house in a nearby town, when he is free, there is no man who would not want a woman to have children in the future. If she can give birth to a child, my position as a concubine will be secure and she will definitely be a helper to me.
The other party continued to approach, and Guo Honglei took two steps back. While insisting on refusing, he turned his head and looked up for help, but saw the commander quietly shaking his head.
"You handle it yourself," Song Jikun mouthed, leisurely sipping tea, looking helpless.
For a long while, Guo Honglei tried to decline, but he couldn't refuse. Pressed into a corner, he suddenly had a bright idea and said, "Actually, it's not that I don't appreciate your kindness, but I have no choice but to do it. I am not worthy of your kindness."
"It's a helpless move." Sun Jie was stunned. "Could it be that Captain Guo has some difficulties?"
Guo Honglei nodded seriously and said solemnly, "When I was young, my father asked a high monk in the capital to calculate my fate. The master told me that it is not suitable for me to take a concubine, otherwise it will damage my fortune."
"ah"
"This, this is serious..." Sun Jie was stunned for a moment.
"Ahem," Song Jikun, who was drinking tea at the top of the table, nearly choked when he heard this. He tried his best to suppress his laughter and acted surprised, "No way, there's actually such a thing!"
Guo Honglei nodded and replied seriously, "This is a matter of great importance. I have never discussed it before. I am revealing it for the first time today. I hope Lord Sun will understand and choose a new son-in-law."
"This, this..." Sun Jie adjusted his black hat, turned around and returned to his seat, remaining silent.
Seeing this, Song Jikun finally tried to smooth things over, saying with regret, "Alas, so this is the reason. No wonder Honglei has only had one wife so far. Lord Sun, my subordinates are unlucky. Please take the trouble to find a good match for your daughter."
"Alas." Sun Jie sighed, knowing that the other party was unhappy. He smiled bitterly and said, "In fact, my daughter is unlucky. She has no chance to marry a hero. It's my daughter's bad luck."
Guo Honglei said patiently, "Master Sun, please don't do this. It's Guo who is unlucky."
After a long period of polite conversation, Sun Jie said goodbye and left disappointed.
After the guests left, Song Jikun took a sip of tea and asked with a sigh, "Is it difficult?"
Guo Honglei sighed, "It's surprising."
"County Magistrate Sun is quite interesting. He always talks about marriage after finishing official business. He is happy to marry his daughter to you as a concubine. To make things work for both of us, I might as well let you talk face to face," Song Jikun laughed happily.
Guo Honglei remained calm and said, "It's indeed inappropriate. I will only disappoint Lord Sun's kindness."
Song Jikun snorted and chuckled, asking knowingly, "I wonder which eminent monk in the capital your father asked to calculate your fortune and tell you that you are not suitable for taking concubines. I've never heard of that before, and I think I've learned something new today."
Guo Honglei sighed, "I'm ashamed. I made the general laugh." He felt guilty that he had to lie just now. He begged his father's spirit in heaven not to blame him or be angry.
"A stopgap measure, right?" Song Jikun put down his teacup, not believing it at all.
Guo Honglei shook his head subconsciously.
"What do you mean you'll never take a concubine?" Song Jikun was stunned.
To avoid future trouble, Guo Honglei calmed himself down and answered frankly, "To be honest, I have no intention of taking a concubine."
"Hey"
Song Jikun rubbed his stubbled chin with great interest, stared at the man in confusion, and asked jokingly, "You seem to be so decisive and ruthless on weekdays, but you are actually henpecked. Do you have a tigress in your family?"
As the superiors and subordinates became more familiar with each other, Guo Honglei smiled politely and asked "yes" instead of answering.
"Ahem." Song Jikun choked for a moment, then raised his head and laughed, happily saying, "Hahaha, let me tell you, my wife is the daughter of a general, very fierce. Every time she gets angry, wow, her momentum is even more majestic than mine." He changed the subject and sighed with guilt.
"But, despite her fierce temper, she's also incredibly intelligent, filial, and a good housekeeper. Ever since we got married, I've been on the battlefield, traveling extensively, and only visiting my family twice a year at most. As the eldest daughter-in-law, she's always taken good care of the household, and even worked incredibly hard to give birth to three sons and two daughters for me, raising them to be well-mannered and sensible. Well, she's a tigress, so be it. I'm used to it."
"Your Madam is truly virtuous, and the General is so blessed."
Guo Honglei spoke with emotion and slowly said, "My wife is the daughter of a minister. She is gentle and dignified. She used to be a woman who had never done any housework. After marrying me, she was implicated and became a fugitive. I don't know how much she suffered when she was farming. But she never complained and gave birth to a son for me during those difficult times. With a wife like this, what else could a husband ask for?"
Song Jikun probably understood the Guo family's experience and praised them for "sharing the joys and sorrows with me, and being a virtuous wife." After a pause, he asked in confusion, "If you are a virtuous wife, why did you stop your husband from taking a concubine? I have two concubines, both of whom were chosen by my wife herself. She was afraid that relatives would talk about her jealousy, so she took the initiative to arrange it."
"My wife did not stop me."
Guo Honglei smiled and said, "I like peace and quiet. I have a wife and a child, and I am very satisfied."
Song Jikun said slowly, "What man doesn't love beauty? I think it's just that the young couple is in love and has no intention of taking a concubine for the time being."
Guo Honglei had no intention of arguing and turned to business. "General, we're short of troops right now. We've had a recruitment notice posted for two months, but there haven't been many applicants. I guess it's because Tuning is so remote, and the applicants are being intercepted by the southern guards. What do you think we should do?"
"It's a real hassle, a real problem." Song Jikun suppressed his relaxed demeanor and frowned gravely. "Our Tuning Guard is indeed remote and dangerous. Even though the military pay is higher than elsewhere, it still can't attract able-bodied men."
Guo Honglei suggested, "Since the county can't recruit many men, why not go to the provincial capital and try again? Write a few notices, stating the high military pay and generous rewards for meritorious service. A generous reward will surely attract brave men, and perhaps we can recruit more men."
"That's exactly what the general intended."
Guo Honglei chose his words carefully, "But it seems against the rules and conventions to wait for applicants to come to us."
Song Jikun waved his hand and said majestically, "In extraordinary times, nothing can be accomplished without making exceptions. This general has made the decision, and this is it."
Guo Honglei nodded in agreement, "Let's do it."
Song Jikun tried every possible means to solve the problem, but he couldn't find a solution. He frowned and said, "Since taking office, I've shamelessly asked His Royal Highness Prince Li to intercede for a large number of elite soldiers from the various guards in Xicang, and I also preemptively requested several batches of convicts, but we're still short of manpower. I'm really at my wit's end. You should be prudent and go to the provincial capital as soon as possible. No matter what, bring back at least 2,000 new soldiers."
two thousand
Now the four guards of Yongzhou are being rebuilt, and they are all short of manpower. At the same time, they are recruiting soldiers, and they are fighting for them and refusing to give in, so this task is not easy.
But since the superiors had given orders, Guo Honglei had no choice but to obey. He stood up and answered loudly, "I will do my best."
So, a few days later, Guo Honglei led a team of soldiers and rushed to the provincial capital, recruiting soldiers in busy places before the other three guards discovered him.
Unexpectedly, on the official road in the mountains 200 miles away from Yongzhou City, a faint sound of fighting was heard in the distance.
Pei Wenfeng is in charge of patrolling and arresting thieves. On weekdays, he is busy trying cases and arranging arrests, and he has many enemies.
Today he was unlucky and disaster struck him. He was ambushed by his enemies and was outnumbered and surrounded.
"How dare you rob and kill an imperial official in broad daylight? Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, it will be useless. You will be brought to justice." Pei Wenfeng was injured in his left arm and bleeding profusely. He leaned against the carriage with a pale face.
Although Wu Liang and Cai Chun were holding knives, they knew no martial arts and were panicked. The three of them, master and servant, huddled together.
There were five or six bodies lying on the ground, including officials and robbers.
More than ten robbers laughed grimly and shouted viciously, "You dog official, you are about to die, but you are still stubborn. If you don't give us a way to live, you will not live either."
"Why bother talking to him? Kill them all and drag the beauty out of the carriage. Let's have some fun together, brothers."
The author has something to say
Guo Honglei is henpecked. Who said I am henpecked? Serious face.
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