Chapter Five: Business Travel

  Putting on the armor he had taken off yesterday, Liu Yanzhao suddenly felt a significant weight on his body, very uncomfortable, and could only smile wryly, shaking his body left and right to adapt to the weight of this armor.

  Facing the copper mirror, Liu Yanzhao made some adjustments and then walked out in big strides. However, when crossing the threshold, he subconsciously turned back to take a look at the house, which was not messy, and only then did he feel relieved enough to close the door and leave.

  Before he had even reached the front yard, a lively figure came bouncing towards him from afar. Throughout the entire Liu estate, aside from Eighth Sister, who else could it be?

  "Little fish, it's still early in the morning, what are you doing up so early?"

  "They were worried about Liu Ge, so they got up especially to come and take a look in your yard. Now that they've seen Liu Ge is fine, Xiaoyu can also breathe a sigh of relief."

  Pulling Liu Yanzhao's hand, Ba Mei pouted and said that she looked like a little adult, but in her eyes, she was very cute.

  "It wasn't in vain that Sixth Brother doted on you!"

  Gently pinching Ba Mei's tender face, Liu Yan Zhao's mood suddenly improved a bit, teasing Ba Mei while walking forward with a smile.

  "By the way, Sixth Brother, the earliest riser today was actually Seventh Brother. He had to go to the training camp for drills, so he looked especially excited. Look, when Fish arrived, he was still asking Big Brother this and that."

  Qī Láng today went to the military camp?

  When he heard this, Liu Yanzhao was slightly stunned, but after thinking about it, he also let it go. At the age of 16, in ancient times, he was already considered a man.

  Moreover, apart from the Fourth Master, all the others in the Liu family are in the military camp, belonging to the orthodox general's door. If the Seventh Master does not go to the army for training, where can he go?

  Upon arriving at the front hall, he indeed saw Qi Lang wearing armor. Qi Lang's face was full of joy, while Da Lang and others had bitter smiles on their faces. "Seventh brother, don't ask again. I told you before going to bed last night just so that you could calm down a bit. Who would have thought it would still be like this, making people uneasy."

  "Second Brother, where can you find a brother like you? You're still trying to persuade your own brother against it. From now on, I'll just follow Sixth Brother!"

  Qilang hummed and turned to walk towards Liu Yanzhao, while the others behind him couldn't help but stifle a smile. Liu Yanzhao was also amused by the scene before him. "Seventh brother, what's wrong? Are you going to compete with your older brothers?"

  "Seventh brother, this is to think about getting an official position in the camp. Now that you're here, sixth brother, he usually listens to you, so I'll leave this headache to you. Come, eighth sister, have some refreshments, today we have lotus seed paste cake that you like!"

  When he saw Liu Yanzhao, Liu Yanping led the way and nodded at Qiulang with his mouth, as if throwing away a troublesome thing, and walked into the house with Erlang and others, using early rice.

  "What's wrong, Seventh Brother? Why don't you follow Sixth Brother in to have some breakfast and then report to the camp?"

  Qilang didn't move his feet, he looked up at Liu Yanzhao with eager eyes and said, "Sixth brother, can I really only be an ordinary soldier?"

  "Still worried about this?"

  Liu Yanzhao smiled and stepped forward, putting his arm around Yang Yansi's shoulder. "The red gold is hidden in the dust, but the dust can't conceal its sharpness. Our Seventh Brother still worries that he can't hold his own, don't worry, you little brat!"

  After finishing breakfast, Liu Yanzhao and his brothers rode their horses towards the campsite, while Ba Mei followed Zhe Sai Hua to do her homework for the day.

  "Ta-da-da!"

  The sound of horseshoes striking the bluestone pavement, Liu Yanzhao's heart rose again. He was going to the military camp for the first time in two lifetimes. Would the scene be the same as those in ancient costume dramas?

  When I meet Liu Jiye, will I be nervous? Will I let him see through me?

  "Sixth brother, sixth brother!"

  As Liu Yanzhao was driving the horse carriage, a calling voice came from beside his ear. He turned around and found that Dalang and others had slowed down their speed and were looking at him.

  "What's wrong with you, Sixth Brother? You seem distracted and it's not like your usual self!"

  "This isn't your first time going to camp, it's Seventh Brother who should be nervous!"

  Sanlang picked up a sentence and let others cast their eyes on Liu Yanyu, who was holding the reins with white hands, obviously extremely nervous inside.

  "Yan Zhao was lost in thought for a moment, so he spaced out, don't mind him, brothers!"

  Although he had only known these brothers for one day, Liu Yanzhao was already used to being teased by them and was delighted to have a few elder brothers to make up for the lack of siblings in his previous life.

  "Oh? Sixth Brother has come up with a new way of training troops?"

  His brothers were all military men and upon hearing Liu Yan's words, the first thing that came to their minds was that their sixth brother, who was good at coming up with new ideas, had once again come up with a new trick for training soldiers.

  "Cannot be said, cannot be said!"

  With expectant eyes, Liu Yanzhao smiled and spat out a few words, then whipped up his horse and rushed forward, leaving behind a trail of mocking laughter.

  "Ugh!"

  Pulling the reins of his horse, Liu Yanzhao dismounted with Dalang and others, finally arriving at the camp. The military camp was a heavily guarded place, where unauthorized entry was prohibited, let alone carriages and horses.

  This regulation was personally set by Liu Jiye, so it's not just that Liu Yanzhao and others followed it, even the commander-in-chief Liu Jiye himself also set an example with his own body and never exceeded it.

  "I've seen all of you young generals before!"

  The guards outside the camp saw Liu Yanzhao and others, grasped their long guns and saluted, then let them enter the camp. Following Dalang and others, they threw the reins to a soldier who came over and walked in with Liu Yanzhao.

  Ominous and solemn!

  This was the first impression that flashed into Liu Yanzhao's mind. Some things, if not personally experienced, can never feel that kind of real depth, and this unique atmosphere of the military can only be appreciated by stepping into it.

  It was almost time for the drill, and from time to time, a team of neatly dressed soldiers could be seen hurrying by. When passing by the large playground, Liu Yanzhao glanced over, where many people had already gathered.

  "Please report to General, Liu Yanping and others request an audience."

  Da Lang spoke to a slightly larger house outside the guard and said, one of them nodded and walked in, in the camp, even if they were Liu Jiye's son, there was no half point privilege.

  Perhaps it was really infected by the environment of the camp, Liu Yanyi walked all the way without a word, tightly holding the bright silver gun in his hand. Seeing this, Liu Yanxiang naturally went forward to comfort him, "Seventh brother, don't panic, but you must remember that in the camp there is no longer any father-son or brotherly title, there is only obedience to orders, do you understand?"

  "I understand!"

  Qilang nodded solemnly, and just then the soldier who had entered to report walked out, followed by a burly man.

  "Have met Vice General Wang!"

  This man was Wang Gui, Deputy General of Liu Ji's army. He was also an old man in the army and originally from Linzhou, the same hometown as Liu Ji. He had been following him all along and was a loyal and honest person who gained deep respect from his fellow soldiers.

  "A few virtuous nephews, didn't Uncle Wang say that outside of your father's place, there is no need to be so polite?"

  Wang Gui put his right hand to his mouth, making a gesture of whispering, but when he saw Liu Yanyu, he burst out laughing, "Isn't this Seventh Brother? Has the general finally come around?"

  "Uncle Wang said that as Qi Lang is already sixteen this year, Father said to let him come to the camp for some tempering, so he can protect our family and country in the future."

  "It's said that a tiger father has no ordinary son, and looking at Qi Lang, he is also extraordinary, I suppose in the future he will definitely become an outstanding young hero, it's really reassuring! Hehe..."

  After chatting and laughing, Wang Gui stepped aside and beckoned to several people, saying, "Come in, the general has been waiting for a long time."

  "General" is the title given to Liu Jiye by his soldiers, although Northern Han had already appointed him as the Military Governor of Jianxiong, in charge of the affairs of Dai Prefecture, "General" was still a more familiar term for everyone, including Liu Jiye himself.

  After bidding farewell to Wang, he put the long spear in his hand aside and walked into the house with the guard. He was about to meet the legendary figure who had been famous for a hundred years, and Liu Yanzhao couldn't help but feel nervous again.

  But seeing Qi Lang walking ahead, Liu Yan Zhao took a deep breath and suppressed his panic. What was meant to come would come anyway, and besides, in this world, he was the real Yang Liu Lang!

  As I stepped into the house, the decor was very simple, with only a desk and several wooden chairs. On the wall hung a huge topographic map, which, upon closer inspection, encompassed the entire terrain of Northern Han.

  "General, I'm Liu Yanping, and I've brought Liu Yansi to report for duty!"

  Putting down the book in his hand, Liu Jiye raised his head, and this was also the first time that Liu Yanzhao had seen his appearance.

  There is a refined and elegant air of Confucian generals, but more are ruthless and resolute with tenacity.

  "Good", Liu Jiye stared at Liu Yanping and others for a while, then got up and came to the front of Qilang who had an expectant look in his eyes, carefully sizing him up several times, "Not bad, go to Liu Liulang's place first."

  After finishing speaking, Liu Jiye turned around and walked back, while a hint of loss flashed in Liu Yanyu's eyes, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it down.

  They retreated from the house, and as several brothers had different official positions, they split up and walked towards their respective teams. Liu Yansui, on the other hand, was walking behind Liu Yanzhao with a gloomy expression.

  "What's wrong, Seventh Brother? Is it because Father didn't give you an official position?"

  Liu Yanyu nodded reluctantly, looking a bit wronged, which made Liu Yanxiang smile wryly. This was understandable, for if his father were not the impartial and selfless Liu Jiyi, then as the Seventh Young Master, he would be a typical insider in Dai Prefecture City, able to summon wind and rain wherever he went.

  "Alright, Seventh Brother. Even if Big Brother and the others have been in the army for decades, they are only at the rank of Camp Lieutenant or Team Leader. What did Sixth Brother say earlier? Gold will always shine, no matter what. Is it that Liu's Seventh Son doesn't have the ability to achieve great things?"

  "How could it be!"

  When Liu Yanzhao said this, the latter immediately raised his head, half-raised the long spear in his hand, and a resolute and confident glint flashed in his eyes. "Sixth brother, I, Liu Yanyi, do not want to take advantage of my father's and elder brother's prestige. A great man has his own way of achieving success, and my silver spear will never be inferior."

  "Well said! Now I'm just a leader of a small group. So, Seventh Brother, we both still need to work hard!"

  Liu Yanyu was still a child, and a few words could stir up his fighting spirit. However, Liu Yanzhao himself became infinitely passionate because of this.

  After all, this little fellow is not what he wanted.