"Captain Pan?" Jiang Yushu quickly stood up. Her scalp tingled at the mere mention of someone from the army. She hurriedly asked, "Why is he here? Is there some urgent military matter that's sending you back?"
Lin Qin explained, "He brought seven or eight brothers with him. Only three came to our house, while the rest went to the village head's. They had just entered the house, and Manager Zhou was entertaining them. He sent me to report the news as soon as possible."
"I understand." Guo Honglei stepped out of the door and said as he walked, "Master Pan is generous and straightforward. We can find out his purpose by asking him."
Snowflakes fluttered in the air. Jiang Yushu pulled her snow cap down a little, shielding her eyes with her hand. She sighed, "I'm a bit like a frightened bird. When I heard 'Captain Pan', I couldn't help but think he was trying to rush you into battle."
"Don't worry. According to military practice, soldiers who have not recovered from their injuries do not need to go into battle for the time being." Guo Honglei's robe fluttered as he hurried back against the cold wind. As he climbed the stairs, he naturally thought of his wife.
A moment later
"Sir!" Guo Honglei walked quickly into the main hall, clasping his fists and bowing. Jiang Yushu followed closely behind, bowing and smiling, saying, "I apologize for not being able to greet you, my distinguished guests. Please take a seat, all three of you."
Lin Qin and the Peng brothers also greeted each other one by one and exchanged greetings.
Pan Kui stood up to accept the greeting, returned the greeting halfway, and then asked with concern, "How are your injuries recovering?"
Guo Honglei and the others replied, "I'm getting better. Thank you for your concern."
Pan Kui nodded happily, took a seat, and pointed at Ding Yuan and Qian Xiaoshuan. His voice boomed as he explained, "Today we were ordered out on a mission. It's noon now, and we're starving, but our rations are frozen like stones, making them difficult to swallow. We happened to be on patrol in Liu Village, and remembered that the Guo family was farming there, so we came uninvited. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble."
Qian Xiaoshuan and Ding Yuan were dressed neatly in military uniforms, their noses and cheeks flushed red by the snow and wind. They held hot tea in their hands, looking a little reserved.
Guo Honglei shook his head and answered loudly, "What do you mean by 'causing trouble'? Your Excellency is being too polite."
"We have no relatives in Heqin. It would be frightening if we, as comrades, passed by and didn't come in to visit. If someone didn't know, they would think you looked down on the Guo family." Jiang Yushu took off her snow hat and, along with Nanny Pan and Xiaotao, served roasted hazelnuts, air-dried chestnuts, and pastries. She apologized, "This is my humble home in the countryside, and we only have some local products. Please forgive me for neglecting you."
"Please try it." Xiao Tao placed the cake dish on the table. After all these months, facing the "lecher" was still embarrassing, with her head lowered. Ding Yuan was at a loss. He had been ridiculed and attacked for Tian Bo's crime. He said awkwardly, "Thank you."
Pan Kui picked up a piece of cake, stuffed it whole into his mouth, chewed it briefly, and swallowed it. He said cheerfully, "Of course not! This is obviously very good. We killed two roe deer on the way. One is for the village head's family and the other is for yours." He leaned out to look and shouted, "Hey, Peng boy, you can clean it up, right?"
"Yes!" Peng Changrong, knife in hand, was in the yard collecting prey. He answered happily, "My Lord, you are our guest and have brought some game with you. We can all enjoy a feast."
"It was just a coincidence. The two roe deer were frozen silly with their heads buried in the snow, so it was effortless for me to get it!" Pan Kui laughed.
Seeing the other party's calm demeanor, Jiang Yushu concluded that there was no urgent military mission and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She asked curiously, "It's a rare trip, why are they divided into two teams?"
"Oh, there are some things that need to be explained to the head of each village. It's too crowded with so many people, so I asked the other brothers to have lunch at the headman's house. Anyway, everyone brought dry food and also took roe deer, so it's okay." Pan Kui nestled comfortably in the chair, drinking tea and eating cakes.
Guo Honglei asked with concern: "What are you busy with?"
Pan Kui took a sip of tea and replied briefly, "You've probably heard in Heqin that in the twelfth lunar month, water freezes over the Mu River, and the ice is several feet thick, making it solid enough for horses to run. As is customary, every winter, the northern magpies will surely wait for an opportunity to attack. We will patrol the coastline more closely, constantly on guard against enemy surprise attacks! General Dou has been kind enough to order us to warn the villagers during our patrols to be vigilant and to immediately take shelter in the mountains if we encounter the enemy."
"Thank you all for your hard work, braving the wind and snow." Jiang Yushu had long heard of the northern winter attack and remained vigilant. In fact, she had never completely relaxed since arriving in Heqin. Occasionally, she would wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares filled with flashing swords, bloody slaughter, and shrill cries... As long as the war continued, the people could not live and work in peace.
Pan Kui put down his teacup and said, "It's my duty, it's what I should do."
Guo Honglei looked solemn and said slowly, "The Mu River is long and we can't defend it well. It's really troublesome."
"Alas! It's almost the twelfth lunar month. Once the New Year is over, Yongzhou will have been in the hands of the Northern Qiong for two years. The failure to recapture lost territory is a disgrace to the Northwest Border Army. It's a disgrace." Pan Kui sighed, slapped his thigh, and said with a frown, "I have been in the army for twenty years. Dagan and the Northern Qiong have been fighting endlessly, in a stalemate. But back then, no one expected Yongzhou to be captured. After the city was captured, a full 100,000 people died at the hands of the enemy. It was a horrific tragedy."
"Afterwards, the imperial court investigated and found that the cause was repeated embezzlement of military pay, which naturally led to dissatisfaction among the garrisons and low morale. This accumulated over time eventually led to the loss of Yongzhou."
When the case of Beiqi's massacre of Yongzhou City and embezzlement of military funds was mentioned, the Guo family members' faces changed, their identities were embarrassed, and they suddenly didn't know what to say.
Qian Xiaoshuan and Ding Yuan exchanged a glance, the former seemingly clearing his throat casually, "Ahem." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Pan Kui, who was immersed in pain, came back to his senses, glanced at everyone, rubbed his hands, and said bluntly: "Hey, don't be uncomfortable, I don't mean to blame you, I'm just chatting casually."
Guo Honglei remained calm. "Someone in the Guo family did commit corruption. They deserve the punishment and blame. It's irrefutable."
"We are very grateful to you all for being so tolerant," Jiang Yushu said sincerely.
"Every wrong has its perpetrator. You're not corrupt and you're decent people. We shouldn't just vent our anger on you." Pan Kui sniffed, buried his head in peeling chestnuts, and said vaguely, "Now that I think about it calmly, the unexpected fall of Yongzhou can't be blamed entirely on the embezzlement of military pay. Since ancient times, victory and defeat can't be explained in a few words. In fact—" He frowned and stopped, waved his hand fearfully, and said helplessly, "Forget it, let's not talk about this!"
Wars were frequent and the court was concerned about the overall situation. It had only thoroughly investigated the corruption case and had not yet held the border army generals accountable, so no one dared to comment on it.
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Everyone understood each other tacitly and changed the subject to chat about other things.
The main hall was filled with harmony. Jiang Yushu sat there for two cups of tea, taking the opportunity to inquire about a few things. Satisfied, she stood up and said, "Everyone, continue chatting. I'll go to the kitchen to take a look. Excuse me."
Guo Honglei nodded, and the others also responded politely.
After watching the person leave the main hall, Pan Kui, always carefree, lowered his voice and asked curiously, "As the daughter of the Minister of Works, she must be very spoiled. Can she cook?"
Guo Honglei smiled, "Of course!" He suddenly remembered that his wife once told him, "I boiled water very deliciously," and he couldn't help laughing.
"You all may not know, but as long as Second Sister-in-law makes it herself, even if it's just plain water, my brother finds it particularly delicious," Guo Hongzhe said seriously. Having been in Heqin for so long, he no longer needed to read people's expressions, and his words and actions became much more relaxed, unlike the illegitimate son who used to be subservient to his mother.
"Hahaha~" Pan Kui laughed heartily, then curled his lips and pointed at his proud subordinate. He said to Qian and Ding, "Hey, wow, look at the way he laughs when he talks about his wife!"
Guo Honglei couldn't stop laughing and continued to let his relatives and friends tease and make fun of him.
The kitchen usually belongs to women and men rarely set foot in it.
But Peng Changrong's heart and eyes were full of Cuimei. All day long, except for the bedroom and the toilet, he always followed her happily, and the two of them had endless things to talk about.
At this moment, he was diligently cutting roe deer meat into small pieces for cooking. Cuimei was beside him, kneading the dried mushrooms she had just soaked. Living off the land, every household in the village had plenty of mountain produce.
"Really?" Cuimei's cheeks flushed and her eyes were bright as she looked at her lover.
Peng Changrong nodded, "It's absolutely true, guaranteed to be genuine!"
"What do you mean by 'guaranteed replacement'? Do you think you're a waiter in a grocery store, you idiot." Cuimei rolled her eyes coquettishly.
"Hehehe."
Jiang Yushu happened to arrive and asked casually, "What is true or false?" She rolled up her sleeves and helped wash the vegetables.
"Brother Rong said," Cuimei moved closer and happily announced, "Young Master is very brave in the army, making many achievements and beheading many enemy leaders. Not only is Captain Pan satisfied, but several other officials also appreciate him! Among them, a captain wanted to promote him as a personal soldier, but Young Master humbly declined."
Jiang Yushu pinched a mushroom, thought for a moment, and then asked calmly, "What's the name of that captain?"
"Wu Hai, you have met him once. He is our top commander." Peng Changrong replied.
Jiang Yushu's heart sank. "It's Lord Wu," she thought to herself. "I met Wu Hai the day I first arrived in Liu Village. I found him to be a very high-ranking official with a lot of authority, and I'm afraid he'd be hard to get along with. Was he angry at being rejected by the new recruits?"
Cuimei was delighted and continued, "Brother Rong also said that according to the rules, Captain Pan should have two generals under him. He allowed General Qian to resume his original position, but the other general position remained vacant. It was nominally vacant, but in reality, it was given to my son-in-law!"
"Alas." Peng Changrong put down his kitchen knife and chopped a large bowl of roe deer meat. He said wistfully, "If it weren't for the charge of exile, you would have been 'General Guo'."
"Because of their status as prisoners, no matter how much merit they have achieved, they will not be rewarded. All their hard work has been in vain." Nanny Pan was worried while cooking.
Zhou Yan's wife lamented, "It's so unfair!"
Everyone present sighed, feeling helpless.
When will the imperial court grant amnesty to the whole country?
By then, will the Guo family be pardoned?
Jiang Yushu scrubbed the mushrooms vigorously, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She warned, "Things like these are fine to say in private, but don't spread them outside, to avoid being falsely accused by villains and harboring deep resentment against the Guo family. Since ancient times, 'If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext.' Be careful, everyone, and guard against the harm that comes from your words."
"yes."
"Don't worry, we know how serious it is and we never dare to talk about this outside." Everyone had a sad face and no one dared to take it lightly.
Although there was no fine wine at the banquet, the roe deer meat was fresh and fragrant, and both the guests and hosts were very happy. After seeing off Pan Kui and others, Guo Honglei had been recuperating at home for nine days in a blink of an eye.
That afternoon, the wind stopped and the snow stopped, which was rare, and the snow piled up even deeper.
"Hey! Let's go." Zhou Yan called his companions and led the four war horses out of the stable.
"Alas, it's too soon! It's only been a blink of an eye, and the young master and his family are leaving again. We don't know when they'll visit again. There's no definite news at all." Zou Gui said reluctantly as he led his horse out, "The house feels so much quieter now that they're gone."
Zhou Yan smiled bitterly and said, "What can we do? Soldiers who fail to return on time will be severely punished by military law. It is better to return to the camp sooner rather than later."
At that moment, Guo Honglei was dressing inside the house. He donned his military uniform, adjusted his armor, and donned his saber. He looked incredibly heroic and dignified, asking, "Third brother, you've been hesitating for days. What do you want to say? If you don't say it, I'm leaving."
"No! Wait a moment, sit for a while." @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Guo Hongzhe was anxious, his face flushed, he scratched his head, and hesitated for a long time before he mustered up the courage to say carefully, "Brother, there are a few things I haven't dared to tell you for fear of being scolded."
The author has something to say:
The time we spend together is always short, passing by in a flash...
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