Spring was coming to an end, and even the rain was beginning to have the heat of summer.
The last day of the conscription had ended. The long tabs for filling in paperwork at the racetrack had been closed and were replaced by countless small tabs. After bidding farewell to their families, the other recruits had already gathered. After tonight, they would set off for Liangzhou the next morning.
The tent was very small, and it was barely enough for a few people to squeeze in. He Yan and Hong Shan sat next to each other. Hong Shan had taken a slightly larger tent, and because they didn't have much luggage, it was quite spacious. From last night to tonight, He Yan had stayed here for an entire day.
Here, they would give him steamed buns to eat, two at a time. When they settled down in Liangzhou, they would give him more. There was nothing else, except that it was inconvenient to go to the outhouse. He Yan had to wait until it was late at night, when no one was around, to sneak in.
As soon as she came out of the outhouse, she walked to her tent and lifted the flap. There were two more people inside. Hong Shan was talking to them. Hearing the noise, the two men turned around to look.
They were probably a pair of brothers, and they looked somewhat similar. They were tanned and thin, and had a kind of honest and handsome aura. They weren't old, the older one was about sixteen or seventeen years old, and the younger one looked about the same age as He Yunsheng. The older one was probably the older one, and he was taciturn. The younger one was probably the younger one. When he saw He Yan, he smiled and asked as if they were close friends, "This older brother is …"
"This is your older brother A He Ge." Hong Shan helped He Yan to recognize a younger brother, and then said to He Yan, "These are the two new brothers today. There's no tent outside, so they'll be squeezing in here with us." He pointed to the taciturn young man, "This is Shi Tou." Then he pointed to the young man with a simple and honest smile, "This is Xiao Mai."
Shi Tou, Xiao Mai. They were probably brothers from poor families. Otherwise, a better family would have given them good names.
He Yan found a place to sit down. With two more people, the tent suddenly seemed a little crowded.
"Are you from the capital?" He Yan asked. He felt a little thirsty, so he unscrewed the water bottle at his waist and took a sip.
Shi Tou didn't like to talk, but his younger brother, Xiao Mai, was very lively. He said, "We live on Xianghuai Mountain and spend our days hunting. The last time we went down the mountain, we saw that they were recruiting soldiers. After discussing it with my brother, we decided to join the army."
It turned out to be a family of hunters on the mountain.
"Your parents might want you to join the army?" Hong Shan asked. Generally speaking, even if one's family was poor and wanted to join the army, they wouldn't let their two sons join together. They had to leave a way out for their family.
"My parents are long gone. I grew up with my brother."
Hong Shan sighed. "Then you should cherish your lives even more. Why did you come here to join the army? It's not fun to join the army. Don't tell me you … "He pouted in He Yan's direction." You want to make a name for yourself like him, right? "
"A real man should make a name for himself," Xiao Mai said naively. "Besides, this time, the commander of the army to Liangzhou is the Right Military Governor, Military Governor Xiao. My brother and I have admired him for a long time. It's our honor to be able to work for him!"
He Yan was drinking water while listening to them talk. When he heard this, he spat out a mouthful of water and almost choked.
Everyone in the tent looked at her.
"Who do you think is going to Liangzhou to be the commander?" she asked.
Xiao Mai thought she didn't know "Military Governor Xiao", so he deliberately explained, "It's the current General Fengyun, the second son of the Xiao family, Xiao Huaijin."
He Yan's heart trembled.
How could Xiao Jue go to Liangzhou to be the commander? With his official position, he didn't need to go to Liangzhou. Besides, he had his own troops and horses. Why would he bring a new soldier to Liangzhou? Unless he was demoted.
Xiao Jue was demoted?
Xiao family in the capital.
Xiao family's residence was specially renovated according to his wife's preferences when Old General Xiao was still alive. Xiao family's later generations never changed the layout of the courtyard. Therefore, although they were a military family, the courtyard was renovated to be as elegant and unique as a small courtyard in Suzhou.
Past the flower wall was the main room. Next to the main room was a pomegranate tree. It wasn't time to bear fruit yet. Looking in from the window, one could see yellow pine shelves full of books. Someone was sitting at the table reading.
The young man was fair and beautiful, but his expression was indifferent and a bit lazy. Because he was in his own residence, he dressed casually. He wore a brocade robe with cloud patterns and a green jade belt, which made him look even more handsome. There was a sword hanging on the wall. The color was like frost and snow, sparkling and translucent. Although it wasn't unsheathed, one could see its majesty.
The door was pushed open and someone walked in.
It was a man and a woman. The man was 70% similar to Xiao Jue. However, he wasn't as cold as Xiao Jue. He was more gentle and bright. He was Xiao Jue's elder brother, Xiao Jing. Next to Xiao Jing was his wife, Bai Rongwei. Although she wasn't a stunning beauty, she was still a beautiful and dignified woman with white teeth.
The husband and wife stood together like a jade couple. It was very pleasing to the eye.
"Huaijin," Bai Rongwei spoke. She put the package in Xiao Jing's hands on the table and said, "These are the shoes and clothes that we prepared for your trip to Liangzhou. Try them on later."
Ever since General Xiao and his wife passed away, the Xiao family only had Xiao Jing and Xiao Jue. The eldest sister-in-law was like a mother. In the past, General Xiao's wife sewed clothes for Xiao Jue. Now it was Bai Rongwei.
"Thank you, eldest sister-in-law." Xiao Jue nodded.
Bai Rongwei smiled and said, "You brothers talk. I'll go see if the soup is ready." Then she left.
After Bai Rongwei left, Xiao Jing stared at Xiao Jue for a moment. Finally, he sighed and said, "Huaijin, you really don't need to go to Liangzhou."
"Recently, Xu Jiefu has been targeting you in court. He's looking for trouble with the Xiao family." Xiao Jue's expression didn't change. He only said, "If the Emperor listens to Xu Jingfu's words, I'll be causing trouble in the capital. It's good to go to Liangzhou for a while. Moreover, there are many suspicious things about Father's death. Now that there are clues, perhaps there will be new discoveries. "
Speaking of General Xiao's death, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jing reached out and patted Xiao Jue's shoulder. "You always think more than I do, but there's nothing I can do for you."
"Eldest Brother's situation in court is much more complicated. When I'm not here, the Xiao family depends on Eldest Brother." Xiao Jue smiled and looked at Xiao Jing. "Eldest Brother, take care of yourself."
"You take care too." Xiao Jing sighed with emotion. Perhaps in order to lighten the bitter atmosphere, he deliberately joked, "It's not that I don't want you to go to Liangzhou. It's just that you're now twenty years old and it's time for you to get engaged. Of the girls that your sister-in-law helped you find, do you like any of them? "
Hearing this, Xiao Jue's smile disappeared. His expression became even more indifferent.
"No need. I don't plan on getting married."