Chapter 388: Entering the Camp, The Meeting [Thanks Again! Thanks Again!]

"Giddyup!"

Guo Kui waved his whip,

urging the steed beneath him to gallop forward even faster.

The steed he now rode was no longer the one Xu Xu Zaijing had given him in Bianjing, but a magnificent Hequ horse.

Yet,

they were nearly near the main camp,

and Guo Kui could still only see Xu Xu Zaijing's back, riding the small black colt and wearing light leather armor.

"Whoa~~~"

Still a hundred paces from the camp, Xu Xu Zaijing relaxed the legs clamping the horse's flanks and made a soft sound.

The small black colt beneath him sensed Xu Xu Zaijing's intent and gradually slowed its pace.

Seeing the 'rival' catching up from the side-rear, the small black colt let out a disdainful snort.

Sensing the 'rival of the opposite sex' trying to approach, the small black colt let out a threatening neigh.

Guo Kui, riding that Hequ horse, also tugged the reins somewhat embarrassedly: "Ge-er, this is indeed rare!"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and pulled the reins of the small black colt, which was trying to bite the other: "We spoiled its appetite at home."

The reason the two spoke thus was that, under normal circumstances, stallions going to war were mostly castrated.

A major reason for castrating stallions was that uncircumcised stallions, upon seeing a mare, would be driven mad by lust, chasing the mare recklessly and becoming hard to control.

Moreover, uncircumcised stallions had extremely violent temperaments and rarely allowed anyone to ride them.

Before the era of large-scale castration of stallions, using mares to lure enemy stallions and disrupt enemy formations was a tactic.

The Hequ mare Guo Kui rode was also a rare 'beautiful horse'; whenever it appeared before an uncircumcised stallion, it would be relentlessly 'harassed'.

But today, before the powerful and magnificent small black colt, the object of the 'harassment' had reversed.

It was not that Guo Kui's Hequ horse was bad; as Xu Xu Zaijing said, the two dragon steeds in Hou Fu had spoiled the small black colt's palate.

After the two waited a moment, Brother Qingyun, A Lan, Xu's falconer, and the other cavalrymen following behind finally caught up.

Because the group were neither order-bearing cavalry nor scouts sent ahead to gather intelligence, they carried no urgent military news.

Therefore, the group could not gallop into the camp.

After dismounting and verifying their identities, the group then led their horses into the camp.

The main camp, housing tens of thousands, covered a vast area.

On the roads between the various army encampments, figures of cavalrymen riding at a gallop appeared from time to time.

After entering the camp, the group mounted again and walked along the roadside toward the central command tent.

The north side counted as the rear of the camp; entering the encampment from here brought them closer to the cavalry encampment.

Because as a troop type with extremely high mobility, the cavalry was usually deployed to the side-rear of the central command tent.

Along the road, many cavalry soldiers were busy tending to their mounts,

and upon seeing the small black colt Xu Xu Zaijing rode, some let out exclamations of awe, while others pointed at the small black colt or patted the shoulder of a comrade beside them, urging the comrade to take a look at the small black colt.

At this moment,

a cavalry commander familiar with Guo Kui, accompanied by four or five Wei Xiao, passed by the group.

This cavalry commander was first drawn to the small black colt; after scanning Xu Xu Zaijing up and down, he saw the powerful bow and sharp arrows on either side of Xu Xu Zaijing's saddle.

Then, seeing Brother Qingyun and He Guan, along with the falconer following behind, he spoke to Guo Kui with eyes full of praise: "Old Guo, which family's young master has come to enlist?"

"He looks formidable! Come to my camp!"

Guo Kui clasped his hands from atop his horse and smiled: "Commander Wang, this is the youngest son of Hou Fu. If you wish for him to join your camp, you must ask Commander Di, Commander Zhu, and the others!"

Upon hearing these words, that cavalry commander hurriedly clasped his hands with a smile: "So it is Han Han Wulang in person!"

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and clasped his hands in return.

This cavalry commander said: "Then forget it; I can't beat these two! There is also a military council; I shall take my leave first!"

Xu Xu Zaijing and Guo Kui clasped their hands together: "Commander, go ahead!"

"Giddyup!"

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing's gaze following the man, Guo Kui said from the side: "Ge-er, this cavalry commander is named Wang Yuan. He was originally a cavalry captain under the command of Wang Shao, the my lord of Hehuang. In less than half a year, he is now a camp commander."

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded. He Guan, the cavalry regiment commander of the former Imperial Guard behind him, heard these words and clicked his tongue with some envy.

The horses moved at varying speeds,

and after about three quarters of an hour,

Xu Xu Zaijing and his party arrived near the central command tent, where tall flagpoles stood bearing great banners.

As they drew near the central command tent,

soldiers along the way frequently clasped their hands and saluted Guo Kui.

Outside the huge tent,

it seemed the military council had just concluded, and many officers and Wei Xiao of the Great Zhou army had gathered around.

The arrival of Xu Xu Zaijing's party attracted the attention of these officers.

Many officers and Wei Xiao who were from the Sun family or were personal soldiers of Marquis Marquis Yongyi, upon clearly seeing Xu Xu Zaijing beside Guo Kui, were full of surprise on their faces:

"Jing Jing Biao Ge Jing?"

"Han Han Wulang? Why have you come?"

"Ge-er Jing!? Am I seeing things?"

"Han Han Wulang has arrived? We must pull cousin over to our side!"

After dismounting, Xu Xu Zaijing listened to these words while continuously nodding, clasping his hands, saluting, and addressing people: "Eldest Uncle, Third Uncle, Eighth Uncle, Fifth Jing Jing Biao Ge, Eighth Jing Jing Biao Ge, Eleventh Brother, Seventeenth Brother, Nineteenth Brother."

Brother Qingyun, following behind Xu Xu Zaijing, likewise saluted and addressed people.

Some unfamiliar Wei Xiao were whispering among themselves:

"Is he the incredibly powerful Fifth Young Master that the Captain mentioned?"

"Is this youngest son of the Marquis truly that formidable?"

"Commander Di and Commander Feng both said they couldn't defeat him!"

"Ah?"

At this moment, Xu Xu Zaijing also walked over to the Sun family group, chatting with his maternal uncles and cousins.

Hearing that the carriage behind contained items his aunt and cousins-in-law had asked him to bring, everyone grew even more affectionate, patting Xu Xu Zaijing's shoulders and arms.

Guo Kui, after announcing his arrival, entered the main tent a step ahead of him.

A short while later,

Guo Kui walked out of the main tent and said, "Jing-ge'er, His Lordship summons you inside!"

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded, exchanged nods once more with the uncles and cousins around him, then strode toward the main tent on his own.

Upon entering the central command tent of his father, Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua, Xu Xu Zaijing's first impression was that the lighting was ample and very bright.

The first thing to meet the eye was an enormous sand table, densely covered with various markers.

Behind the sand table lay an open space; beyond that open space stood a wide desk, and behind the desk was a huge map screening what lay further back.

In the open space between the sand table and the desk stood several top-tier noble generals of Great Zhou clad in military armor; among them were his father, Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua, and his eldest brother, Xu Gu Dalang.

(For ease of reading, Xu Minghua is referred to as Marquis Marquis Yongyi, and Xu Xu Zaiduan as Xu Gu Dalang.)

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing, Marquis Marquis Yongyi beckoned with a wave of his hand.

Once Xu Xu Zaijing approached, Marquis Marquis Yongyi looked at him with eyes full of paternal affection and said, "Han Wulang, come let Father introduce you; this is the second son of Marquis Marquis Tuoxi, the eldest son of the Duke of Britain."

Hearing his father's introduction, Xu Xu Zaijing hastily clasped his hands and offered greetings.

After Marquis Marquis Yongyi finished the introductions, the Xu family's Eldest Son, Xu Zaiduan, said, "Little Five, Guo Kui mentioned the road was somewhat unsafe?"

The descendants of the Zhang and Cao families surrounding Marquis Marquis Yongyi all looked over.

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and recounted the events of the past few days.

Hearing Xu Xu Zaijing say that suspicions arose 'because his mount was so divinely magnificent that others couldn't help but stare twice,' Zhang Zhang Fangyan, the legitimate eldest son of the Duke of Britain, interjected with an expression of disbelief: "Han Wulang, is that mount of yours outside?"

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded.

Zhang Zhang Fangyan said, "Then I'll go take a look and see just how divinely magnificent it really is!"

Saying this, he walked outward.

Xu Xu Zaijing continued speaking,

and upon hearing the battle results Xu Xu Zaijing reported after the fight ended, Cao Yang, the legitimate second son of the Cao family nearby, hurriedly asked, "Were those prisoners brought along?"

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded again and said, "Those capable of riding horses were brought!"

Cao Yang asked with excitement evident in his voice, "Were they sent out by the garrison at Keyi Gate?"

"Yes!"

"Were they the ones who seized the opportunity to cross the desert during the unusual movements of the Keyi Gate garrison a few days prior?"

"Yes."

Hearing this, Cao Yang happily patted Xu Xu Zaijing's shoulder and said, "Good! Hand them over to me; I'll question them further!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked toward his father; Marquis Marquis Yongyi nodded.

At this moment,

Zhang Zhang Fangyan, who had gone out earlier, returned to the main tent and said, "Han Wulang, your horse is indeed divinely magnificent, but why does it seem so uninterested in the mares!"

Xu Xu Zaijing: "Ah? How did you know..."

Zhang Zhang Fangyan waved his hand with a laugh and said, "I was just testing it; I didn't expect your horse to hold me in such low regard."

Hearing this, Cao Yang made a sound of disdain toward Zhang Zhang Fangyan, clicking his tongue with a look of disgust on his face.

Not wishing to go against his little black colt's wishes or overexert it, Xu Xu Zaijing hastily changed the subject: "By the way, before departing, the Duchess and Han Wu Niang entrusted me with some items for the Duke and for Brother Yan."

"The Duke's items have already been transferred via the Hai family; Brother Yan, your items are in the carriage behind! Shall we go take a look?"

Zhang Zhang Fangyan paused in surprise, gave Xu Xu Zaijing a meaningful glance, then nodded and said, "Let's go!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his father and eldest brother beside him and said, "Mother and Sister-in-law also had me bring quite a few items!"

Saying this, the group walked outward.

Zhang Zhang Fangyan remained at the very rear, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Marquis Marquis Yongyi, who was of similar age to him, and said as they walked, "Senior Brother, your youngest son is handsome and dashing, and from what I hear, quite capable in battle; perhaps I should write a letter to Father..."

Xu Xu Zaijing, walking nearby, hurriedly turned around and said, "Uh, before departing, Han Wu Niang also told me that if our directions weren't opposite, she would certainly have asked me to deliver some items to Zheng Xiao."

Zhang Zhang Fangyan blinked and said, "Han Wu Niang still favors the Zheng family's youngest son?"

Xu Xu Zaijing hurriedly nodded.

Zhang Zhang Fangyan: "Very well! What a pity; we cannot become relatives after all."

Chatting as they went, the group walked out of the main tent.

After a lively commotion, everyone distributed the items brought from the home in Bianjing.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua then took Xu Xu Zaijing and his brother back into the main tent.

Circling around the map,

they entered the rear tent used for living quarters,

where the father and two sons sat down.

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his father, who had removed his helmet,

and reckoning roughly, having not seen his father in nearly two years, he now noticed quite a few white hairs on his head.

"Father, why do you have so many white hairs?"

Hearing these words,

Marquis Marquis Yongyi touched his head, feigning ease as he said, "Your father doesn't know why either! Perhaps the age has simply arrived?"

Xu Gu Dalang, standing nearby, spoke in a deep voice, "Xiao Wu, the lives of tens of thousands of comrades now hang on Father. How could he not have white hair after all this worry and toil?"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his father's appearance with aching heart and nodded.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi looked at his youngest son's gaze, closed his eyes, and shook his head, saying, "Jing'er, don't look at me like that! How many people in the capital want this position? Even with all this worry and toil, they don't even have the chance!"

Xu Xu Zaijing asked, "Father, do you already know about the matters in the capital?"

Marquis Marquis Yongyi nodded, saying, "Your Majesty sent me an urgent letter before, instructing me not to worry about this matter."

"Enough, let's not talk about your father! Jing'er, you have come to the front lines like this; what about your imperial examinations? Do you not intend to study anymore?"

Hearing his father's question, Xu Gu Dalang nodded in agreement and looked at his younger brother.

Xu Xu Zaijing shook his head and said, "Father, your son has already passed the academy examination; I must still study. On the way here, the tutor assigned me coursework, and I have already completed half of it."

"Once your plans with Grandfather Cao here are concluded, your son will return to the capital to continue studying."

Marquis Marquis Yongyi sighed and said, "Jing'er, on a battlefield with hundreds of thousands of people, one more or one less of you makes no difference. Why waste your studies?"

"Moreover, regarding matters on the battlefield, you have only learned a little from your cousins on your mother's Sun side. Although I am your father, I will not let you lead troops!"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at Marquis Marquis Yongyi and said, "Father, you and Elder Brother fight and kill on the battlefield while I stay in Bianjing; my thoughts are not clear! Especially after visiting the Dao Academy last month."

Marquis Marquis Yongyi and Xu Gu Dalang naturally knew what visiting the Dao Academy meant.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi exchanged a glance with his eldest son and said, "Since you have such reasons, your father will not say much more. Then you shall stay by my side and serve as a cavalry messenger!"

"Ah? Father, your son does not want to be a cavalry messenger! I haven't even recognized all the generals and officers under your command. What if the Bai Gao army advances tomorrow and delays a major matter?"

Hearing his younger brother's words, Xu Gu Dalang nodded in agreement and looked at his father, Marquis Marquis Yongyi.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi said in a displeased tone:

"Then what do you want to be? Infantry at the front of the formation?"

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his father and said, "Father, previously at home, I learned many skills of cavalry scouts from Jing Jing Biao Ge Zhu. Your son wants to serve as a scout."

Marquis Marquis Yongyi looked at Xu Xu Zaijing and said, "Good, you have self-awareness; you are not clamoring to be a general at the front of the formation."

Xu Xu Zaijing smiled and scratched his head.

Afterwards, Marquis Marquis Yongyi looked at his youngest son, Xu Xu Zaijing, with a composed expression.

When Xu Xu Zaijing stopped smiling, Marquis Marquis Yongyi spoke slowly, saying, "Jing'er, your father knows your abilities! But on the battlefield, one must never disobey military orders, and one must never act recklessly!"

Xu Xu Zaijing hurriedly nodded, saying, "Yes! Father, your son knows!"

Looking at Xu Xu Zaijing's face, which now had fine whiskers, Marquis Marquis Yongyi continued:

"Also! Right now, we and the Bai Gao defending army opposite us are doing everything we can to slaughter each other's roaming cavalry scouts. Do you know why?"

Xu Xu Zaijing thought for a while, looked at his eldest brother, and then said, "Father, your son feels that a major event is imminent?!"

Marquis Marquis Yongyi nodded, saying, "Jing'er, what you say is correct! That means the forward scouts are currently in the most danger! Do you still want to go?"

Xu Xu Zaijing's eyes showed no hesitation as he stood up and said, "Father, your son will go!"

"Good! If others can go, my son can go too!"

"Go now. Come accompany your father for dinner tonight! Starting tomorrow, do not come to the central army tent; your current status is not yet worthy!"

Xu Xu Zaijing bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Yes, Commander-in-Chief! Your subordinate takes his leave!"

After speaking, Xu Xu Zaijing and his father exchanged a smile.

Afterwards, Xu Xu Zaijing and his eldest brother walked out together. Looking at his eldest brother, who was about the same height as himself, Xu Xu Zaijing affectionately put his arm around his brother's shoulder, but as soon as he did, he saw his brother's face tighten.

Xu Xu Zaijing hurriedly let go, saying, "Brother, what's wrong? Are you injured?"

Xu Gu Dalang bared his teeth and inhaled sharply, saying, "A minor wound! When we advanced with our family's personal guards to scout, I was struck by a flying stone."

Seeing Xu Xu Zaijing's concerned gaze, Xu Gu Dalang said, "Rest assured, I applied Doctor Yu's ointment!"

Xu Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "That's good! By the way, the Yu family also asked me to bring something. Where is Elder Brother Yu Yu Huguang?"

(End of this chapter)