"Recommend?" Mao Zhen glanced at him, adjusted his helmet, and said politely, "He's your subordinate, not mine. Whether to recommend him or not is entirely up to Brother Wu. I won't interfere."
Upon hearing this, Wu Hai's mood calmed slightly. He stretched his lips and said slowly, "Actually, I also think Guo Honglei is good and a promising talent. But he's only been in the army for a short time and is very young. He lacks experience and his temperament isn't stable enough."
"Young men are bound to be a little impatient," Mao Zhen shrugged. His nose was red from the cold, and white steam escaped his lips as he muttered, "There are new recruits every year, but few are as courageous as the Guo family kid."
Wu Hai ignored him and continued, "So, after careful consideration, I think it's not advisable to hastily recommend him, so as not to cause trouble for the general."
"Oh, your concerns are reasonable." Mao Zhen smiled and said nothing more tactfully.
Ever since Tian Bo became a personal soldier, he had been solely responsible for protecting Wu Hai, significantly reducing his involvement in the battles. He sat calmly, shield in hand, watching the battle leisurely.
"I wonder what the identities of those people our men just beheaded were?" Wu Hai glanced at Mao Zhen with a hint of pride, and ordered sternly, "Go and find out later."
"Yes!" Tian Bo bowed his head and waist on his horse, always wanting to get closer to the captain. But the army valued seniority, and since he was new, he could only stay on the outside.
The two had known each other for a long time, but their friendship was ordinary. Mao Zhen sensed the other's pride and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. He smiled and said, "The enemy general's head was captured by your men in this battle. Brother Wu, congratulations."
"No way? Our men all fought bravely, but my men accidentally killed the enemy general. Hahaha, it was just luck, just luck!" Wu Hai spoke modestly, but his long and puffy eyes narrowed into slits due to his smile.
"Charging into battle isn't about luck, it's about real skill." Mao Zhen laughed dryly again, thinking to himself in frustration: My men fought tooth and nail, but they couldn't capture the enemy general's head. When it comes time to reward them, their reputation will be at a disadvantage. Sigh...
Meanwhile, on the battlefield
With the death of the commander, the enemy army was leaderless, morale plummeted, and they fought and fled.
But the burly man who fought with Pan Kui was a Beiqi warrior with great skills. The two fought to a stalemate and it took a long time to determine the winner.
Sabre versus scimitar, in fierce battles both fought for their lives, slashing and hacking, hitting each other head-on, the sharp and piercing sound of violent collisions, sparks flying everywhere.
"Hey!" Pan Kui grew braver as the battle progressed. He roared and charged forward. The moment the two horses crossed, he, a man as strong as a mountain, ducked nimbly, dodging the scimitars as he thrust his saber forward, twisting the blade.
"Ah--" the enemy soldier screamed, and his right arm holding the scimitar fell to the ground.
Pan Kui gritted his teeth and swept across with his saber!
With a "puff", the enemy's head and body were separated, his head rolled to the ground, blood splattered from his cavity, and he fell off his horse in defeat.
"good!"
"Well done!"
"Brother Pan, your martial arts have improved again!" The surrounding soldiers cheered loudly, the cheers were deafening, and the morale was boosted. Everyone was blood-thirsty and leaned on the back of their horses to chase after the fleeing enemies.
Pan Kui was panting heavily, sweating profusely, his demeanor heroic and fierce. He was indignant and shouted, "Humph! He destroyed my beloved weapon. How can I tolerate this? I must kill my enemy with my own hands! Otherwise, I will never be able to swallow this anger."
"Okay, calm down. I'll go back and get you a lance, a better one than the one before!" Lao Luo took the time to comfort him.
Pan Kui, still furious, pointed his saber forward and shouted loudly, "Go! Pursue and destroy the remaining enemies!"
The soldiers were in high spirits and followed their leaders closely, surrounding and destroying the scattered enemy troops.
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
On the battlefield, no one has time to think. Once they find a living enemy, they will subconsciously attack and kill it.
Guo Honglei did not stop for a moment. His right arm holding the knife felt sore and swollen at first, and gradually became numb from fatigue and almost lost consciousness.
It wasn't until midday that the soldiers had finally wiped out the enemy within a few miles of the battlefield. The seriously wounded had already been carried back to the garrison for treatment, the lightly wounded bandaged each other, and the rest of the soldiers were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield. After everything was done, they were exhausted and rested in a sheltered place, drinking water and eating dry food.
Because Pan Kui and Lao Luo were good friends, and their subordinates were also familiar with each other, they sat in a circle inside and outside the room, chatting and laughing lively.
"We've interrogated the prisoners. That middle-aged man is indeed the commander, a rank similar to our deputy captain." Old Luo tilted his head back to drink water, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, stared at the young man opposite him, and asked with a smile, "Hey, you beheaded the enemy general, right?"
Guo Honglei sat cross-legged on the ground and answered frankly, "I'm ashamed. Thanks to Lord Pan for defeating the enemy master, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get close to the enemy general."
"What are you ashamed of? The fact is that you were the one who beheaded him!" Lao Luo slapped his thigh and said regretfully, "But the court has a law. As members of the Guo family, you four cannot be rewarded for your merits."
According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, prisoners sent to the army were not counted for their merits, were not awarded titles or rewards, and were not given military pay. They were only given food rations.
Guo Honglei was well-versed in the laws and had already come to terms with it. He stated with an open mind, "We've defeated the enemy today, and everyone is delighted. The Guo family is honored to have contributed their modest efforts to the national strategy. As for the reward, the criminals didn't deserve it. We already understood that."
“We are so happy that we can help!”
"Exiles have never been eligible for rewards." Peng Changrong and others held their heads high and chests puffed out, with no resentment on their faces.
Pan Kui sighed, his eyes filled with admiration and sympathy. He clapped Guo Honglei's shoulder with his palm, like a palm leaf fan, and said sternly, "Although I can't ask for rewards for you, I have recorded all the merits you have made since joining the army. I have written them all down in a book and read them out once a month. This will let the brothers know that you four are not mediocre, but warriors."
"Thank you, sir!" Although it was just a verbal praise, it was enough to make the Guo family feel grateful.
Convicts are always inferior to others wherever they are.
Especially since the Guo family was implicated in a case of embezzlement of military funds, their situation in the army was awkward and they were destined to be unpopular. Fortunately, they met the upright and generous Pan Kui, and gradually gained a foothold.
Pan Kui waved his hand carelessly and said helplessly, "Why thank me? This is what you deserve! Alas, my brothers have made great contributions, but according to the law, I cannot report them for rewards. I can only praise them verbally."
"I am already satisfied."
The next moment, Mao Zhen approached with several of his personal guards, smiling cheerfully, "Pan Kui, your spear fight with that bandit today was truly spectacular and truly eye-opening."
"Hey? Captain Mao!" Pan Kui turned his head and hurriedly stood up to greet him.
Mao Zhen praised him highly, "Your skills are among the best in our Heqin!"
Pan Kui cupped his fists and said modestly, "You're too kind. Actually, today's victory was just a lucky one."
"Everyone can see it, so why be so modest? I never praise people casually." Mao Zhen was kind and approachable.
When the captain arrived, all the soldiers hurriedly stood up, bowed, clasped their fists, and greeted him politely.
Mao Zhen took the opportunity to examine him. He casually raised his hand, helped Guo Honglei up, and asked, "Wounded soldier? Why didn't you go back with the doctor's team just now?"
"It's just a minor wound, nothing serious." Guo Honglei was a little surprised when he was supported by a strange captain.
Mao Zhen frowned and said, "Your face is pale, and you've obviously lost a lot of blood. And you still say it's okay? You young people often don't know how to take care of yourselves."
Guo Honglei hesitated to speak, not knowing how to respond.
Pan Kui, standing nearby, was filled with pride. He announced in a loud voice, "This boy is a new recruit, having been in the army for only a few months. Yet, he bravely charges into battle and kills the enemy without regard for his own life. Today, he beheaded the enemy general!"
"Oh?" Mao Zhen stared intently, carefully examining the new recruit surnamed Guo. He feigned realization and said, "You actually beheaded the enemy general?"
Guo Honglei opened his mouth to be modest, but Pan Kui rushed to answer: "Yes, it's him!"
A descendant of a noble family, reduced to exile, it was remarkable that he remained so humble, neither servile nor overbearing. Mao Zhen was secretly amazed and filled with emotion. He nodded and said, "Hmm, not bad." After a pause, out of admiration for his talent, he asked knowingly, "Young man, what weapon are you used to?"
"knife."
Mao Zhen shook his head and couldn't help but teach: "In a cavalry fight, the sword is not as good as the spear and lance. If you want to kill more enemies, you might as well try practicing with the spear and lance."
"Thank you for your advice, sir." Guo Honglei calmed himself down and clasped his fists, saying, "Actually, Captain Pan has already started teaching me, but I'm stupid and haven't gotten the hang of it yet."
"Oh? A famous teacher is willing to accept a disciple. This is a rare opportunity. You must study hard." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Guo Honglei said loudly: "Yes!"
Mao Zhen glanced at the crowd and said with a smile, "The power of the spear can be seen from Captain Pan. He can wield a spear that is eight feet long and, when mastered, it is so powerful that he can sweep away all the enemy soldiers and be invincible."
The soldiers nodded in agreement, admiration and envy.
Pan Kui waved his hands and modestly said that he was just "relying on brute force."
"Young men who have just joined the army often don't know much, so they rely entirely on their seniors for guidance." Mao Zhen glanced at Guo Honglei, then turned to Pan Kui and said, "You are an expert in martial arts and archery. Since this young man is a good person, you should teach him well."
"Of course!" Pan Kui readily agreed, smiling and saying, "Honglei is smart and hardworking, but he's not strong enough yet. He doesn't have enough arm strength, so heavy weapons are difficult for him to use. New recruits must first train their physiques."
Mao Zhen nodded, "That makes sense." He pointed at a few skinny recruits in the crowd and joked, "You guys are too skinny. I guess your thighs aren't even as thick as Pan Kui's arms. You really need to practice harder."
Everyone was stunned, staring at Pan Kui, who was tall, burly and strong like an iron tower, and laughed in good faith, in a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.
Pan Kui laughed, stroking his own sturdy arms and jokingly said, "Tsk, you're as skinny as a bamboo pole, and you still have the nerve to laugh!"
Meanwhile, the rear
Hearing bursts of laughter from afar, Wu Hai became more and more annoyed. Finally, he could not hold back anymore and walked over slowly with his hands behind his back.
"Strange, what's going on with Captain Mao? He is so blatant and openly trying to win over other people's subordinates." Tian Bo followed closely and whispered.
Wu Hai's expression remained calm, but his mind was racing. He said calmly, "Perhaps he's attracted to the Guo family's connections and influence, and is deliberately going there to show his goodwill."
"Tsk, this, this is too—" Tian Bo paused. Although he didn't say it explicitly, his contempt was clear. He rolled his eyes and whispered in a low voice, "Guo Honglei and the others are really something. As soon as Captain Mao showed his goodwill, they all jumped on him, vying to get close to outsiders, completely ignoring that you are the top leader."
Wu Hai was narrow-minded and suspicious by nature, and he was secretly dissatisfied with the fact that so many of his men were close to Mao Zhen. He walked in a square step and said nothing.
Tian Bo sniffed, guessing what his superiors were thinking, and continued, "A while ago, you wanted to promote Guo Honglei as a personal guard, but that guy was so ungrateful and ungrateful that he turned you down in a roundabout way! Could it be that he really has a way to become General Dou's personal guard?" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
How ridiculous! Could it be that he has always looked down on me? Wu Hai felt a sense of resentment, his eyes hardened, and he replied indifferently, "If he has a way out, he can go. But before he leaves, he must obey my orders."
"Of course!" Tian Bo secretly rejoiced, thinking: Arrogant little dandy, you actually dare to offend Wu Qianhu, just wait for bad luck!
In the wind and snow, Guo Honglei was originally smiling, but when he saw Wu Hai, the smile disappeared involuntarily.
Pan Kui was a man of rough but subtle qualities. As his capable subordinate turned his head to glance at him, his smile froze. He then strode forward to greet him, bowed, clasped his fists, and said, "Sir!"
Wu Hai stood still, with a majestic aura, and slowly glanced at everyone—
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