The commander questioned him in public, and Guo Honglei had no time to think deeply. He replied hastily, "You misunderstood."
"Oh?" Dou Yong, with his graying hair and beard, thick eyebrows and eagle eyes, bore witness to a glimmer of history. He gently covered the wound in his abdomen and asked calmly, "What's the misunderstanding? Could it be that you knew everything but lied about it? You should have known about what was mentioned at the end of last month."
Guo Honglei was caught off guard, hesitant to speak, in a dilemma, thinking to himself:
End of last month?
No one has mentioned the fact that "General Dou wants to recruit you as his personal soldier" recently. I believe Lord Pan has also been kept in the dark. If he knows about it, he will tell me in time.
The general is in a high position and has great power. The commander-in-chief never jokes. It is impossible for him to take time out of his busy schedule to play a trick on others.
So, something must have gone wrong! Perhaps... someone in the dark is deliberately concealing the news? To punish me?
Dou Yong remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged.
After a while, one of the commander's confidants came forward, his face dark, and he shouted in a rough voice:
"The general is asking you a question, why are you so slow to answer? Just tell the truth. What are you hesitating about? Answer now!"
Guo Honglei wanted to tell the truth, but according to military rules, information was passed down through the ranks, and investigations were carried up through the ranks. If he spoke frankly, he feared it would implicate Pan Kui—the general flag had no rank or rank, and was not considered a regular soldier. The actual superior of the soldiers was the centurion.
Lord Pan is upright and generous. He has been very kind to me and often taught me martial arts. How could I possibly bring trouble to him?
Thinking of this, Guo Honglei made a quick decision and explained, "This is my first time meeting the General, and I was very excited. I accidentally said something wrong. Please forgive me."
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Dou Yong asked calmly, "What did you say wrong?"
Guo Honglei gritted his teeth and, in a moment of urgency, resolutely took on the trouble before him. He replied, "Actually, I know about this. Thank you for your kindness and consideration. I am deeply humbled."
"Who told you this?" Dou Yong looked at the heroic young man again and again with great patience.
Guo Honglei's heart skipped a beat, but he continued to grit his teeth and said, "My superiors told me to do that."
"Whose subordinate are you working for?" Dou Yong asked knowingly, observing the other person's expression leisurely.
Guo Honglei thought for a moment and answered decisively: "Wu Hai, Wu Qianhu." The subordinates may not know about it, but Qianhu must know about it!
Dou Yong smiled faintly and asked, "What about your daily routine? Who is responsible for supervising and leading you in martial arts training, border patrols, and battles?"
The general seemed to be asking questions. Guo Honglei realized he couldn't get around it, so he reluctantly replied, "Pan Kui, Captain Pan."
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
Dou Yong nodded and ordered, "Come here, quickly call Pan Kui."
"Yes." The two confidants took the order and strode to the training ground to pass on the message.
Oh no! Master Pan was completely unaware of this, and the truth was revealed right in front of the class. This small trouble has turned into a big one. How will this end?
General Dou was angry? Did he want to hold Lord Pan accountable?
Guo Honglei watched the messenger leave. He was young after all, and his face showed anxiety and regret.
"Cough." Dou Yong covered his abdomen and closed his eyes to rest. The hall was silent.
A moment later, Pan Kui, who was training soldiers in the parade grounds, was summoned. He was sweating profusely, his face flushed with dark red. He glanced at his proud subordinate, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said in a loud and respectful voice, "Pan Kui greets the General."
Dou Yong opened his eyes, raised his hand and said, "Get up. No need to be polite."
"Thank you, General." Pan Kui stood still. He had a broad back and a strong build, taller than everyone present.
Dou Yong smiled and asked, "You recruited Guo Honglei, right?"
"...Yes." Pan Kui hurried over, his breathing gradually calmed down, but his heart was hanging in the air. He glanced worriedly: Boy, have you gotten into trouble?
Guo Honglei felt wronged in his heart and responded with his eyes: Be careful, trouble is coming.
They had been together day and night, fighting side by side, and they understood each other. Pan Kui quickly understood, stood straight, and spoke and acted with caution.
Dou Yong leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed, taking in everything. He said meaningfully, "This young man is quite resourceful, unlike your average young man."
Praise? Criticism? Pan Kui was unsure. After a moment's hesitation, he bowed cautiously and said earnestly, "He's only eighteen, very young, naturally tongue-tied, and occasionally a bit rash. If he was disrespectful to the general, it was surely unintentional. I hope you will be magnanimous and understanding."
Dou Yong seemed to be lost in thought, and sighed, "From your tone, I can tell you admire him very much. No wonder you've been holding on to him so tightly."
"Hold, hold? I am stupid, please tell me clearly, General." Pan Kui was puzzled, like a monk who was at a loss, not knowing what was going on.
Military regulations are strict and soldiers are not allowed to interrupt without permission. Guo Honglei tried to signal but to no avail and became anxious.
Dou Yong asked sternly, "Wu Hai promoted him, but you suppressed him. This general wanted to recruit him as a personal soldier, but you also suppressed him. If this isn't controlling him, what is it?"
Guo Honglei couldn't help himself and hurriedly explained: "Master Pan has never-"
"Hmm?" Dou Yong glanced at him, and his confidant scolded him on his behalf: "The general didn't ask you anything, so just stay still!"
Guo Honglei could only say, "Yes."
"Well, the Wu Qianhu incident was actually—" Pan Kui's eyes suddenly lit up as he was eager to explain. He didn't bother to seek justice, but grinned and asked anxiously, "Are you interested in promoting Hong Lei as a personal soldier?"
Dou Yong nodded clearly.
"Oh my, this is a great thing! I can only happily agree with it, how can I 'suppress it, hold it in my hands'?" Pan Kui was proud of it, overjoyed, but his thoughts suddenly changed. He felt proud and suspicious, and asked anxiously: "You kid, are you ungrateful again? How many people dream of being promoted to general? If you don't know what's good for you again, you are simply stupid!" As he spoke, he was afraid that Dou Yong would revoke his order, so he pushed him and reminded him:
"Don't just stand there, go see the general, quick!"
Alas, he was exposed. After a moment of anxiety and embarrassment, Guo Honglei calmed down, breathed a sigh of relief, and knelt silently, waiting for the decision from his superiors.
Dou Yong smiled, the wrinkles between his brows twitching as he asked gently, "Pan Kui, you only just realized I was planning to recruit him as a personal soldier, right?"
"Yes," Pan Kui said without hesitation, beaming with joy that his admired subordinate had been promoted.
Dou Yong nodded, then slowly said, "Strange, I mentioned this matter at the end of last month, and you knew nothing about it before?"
"What?" Pan Kui was caught off guard, his eyes wide with surprise. He asked in astonishment, "You proposed at the end of last month?"
Dou Yong narrowed his eyes, calmly pointing out, "What's even more bizarre is this: You clearly didn't know anything about this, yet Guo Honglei just said, 'The higher-ups informed me of this.'" He then examined the young man, his face stern, and asked, "Tell me, which 'higher-ups' told you this?"
"This..." Pan Kui wiped the sweat off his forehead, thought for a moment and then understood. He knelt down and thought angrily: Tsk, the news has most likely been intercepted. He is obstructing someone's promotion. He is narrow-minded, despicable and shameless!
Guo Honglei glanced at his comrades with a look of guilt, then clasped his fists and solemnly declared, "General, please calm down. This matter is entirely my fault for a slip of the tongue and a concealment. Captain Pan has nothing to do with this. He was completely unaware of it! Please investigate."
"What about you? Do you know anything about it?" Dou Yong had a blank expression on his face, his eagle eyes sparkling.
Guo Honglei completely cast aside his concerns, shook his head, and answered frankly: "Like Captain Pan, I heard about this for the first time today."
"If that's the case," Dou Yong asked in a deep voice, "why did you hide it?"
Guo Honglei was extremely embarrassed and whispered, "I'm afraid of causing trouble to innocent people." He raised his head and said solemnly, "I know my crime and am extremely ashamed. Please punish me!"
"General, he—" Pan Kui tried to plead.
"No need to explain, I understand." Dou Yong raised his hand to interrupt. He knew the whole story and was not surprised at all. He slowly asked, "How many years have you been in the army?"
Pan Kui was startled, then suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. He replied solemnly, "I joined the army at the age of seventeen, and now I am in my forties, nearly twenty-three years."
"Well, that's rare, very rare. Your bravery has always been among the best in the Heqin Guard." Dou Yong praised him highly, but then sighed and said earnestly: "With your qualifications and merits, if you hadn't made the mistake of fighting with colleagues several times, why would you still be a centurion?"
Pan Kui lowered his brows, sniffed, scratched his head, and replied softly, "When I was young, I was impatient and reckless, and prone to fighting, but I've long regretted it."
"Hmph." Dou Yong's abdominal wound hadn't healed yet, and he was exhausted. He changed his sitting position and said sternly, "Thank goodness you changed it, otherwise no one would dare to promote you! Last month, Xing Hui died heroically in battle, and the position of Trial Thousand Household Member became vacant. After much deliberation, we've decided to fill the vacancy with you. The appointment notice will be posted tomorrow morning."
"Huh?" Pan Kui was stunned, incredulous. Guo Honglei, close enough, slipped in a subtle elbow. Pan Kui gasped excitedly, suppressing his ecstasy as he clasped his fists in gratitude, "Thank you, General, for your trust! From now on, I will defend this land with all my heart, even if it means risking my life!"
Dou Yong solemnly instructed: "You must fulfill your duties conscientiously and do not betray the trust of the garrison."
"As you command!" He had been in the army for over twenty years, had killed countless enemies, and was covered in scars. He had fought hard to survive until today, finally being promoted from a centurion to a trial captain. Pan Kui was overwhelmed with emotions, tears welling up in his eyes, and he almost cried for joy.
Dou Yong smiled happily and said kindly, "Go down and continue training."
"Yes." Pan Kui agreed verbally, but knelt motionless. He glanced around and asked cautiously, "I'm so bold as to ask, could you forgive Guo Honglei? Alas, young people are too loyal. He was concerned about me and made a mistake for a moment. He definitely didn't intend to conceal the truth—"
Dou Yong frowned, interrupted and ordered: "Go down and ask Wu Hai to come see me immediately."
"Master Wu?" Pan Kui lowered his head, his mind racing. He stood up and said, "Yes!"
Dou Yongping then raised his right hand, and his confidant handed him a letter. He dusted the envelope and solemnly said, "This letter comes from the capital, and it talks about you."
Guo Honglei subconsciously glanced at it, curious to identify the handwriting on the cover, and suddenly his whole body was shocked -
The author has something to say:
Well, today is Children's Day, I wish the little angels to always have the carefree happiness of childhood~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
