Refusing to Serve Me? Then Off With Your Head!

Chapter 22

The Joy Before War

Half a month later, I entered the military camp in Sui City with a decree in my hand. I was made an eighth-ranked military officer.

The stubborn Uncle Tong only agreed when the physicians in charge of treating Father disappeared. When he accompanied me to visit the family members of those physicians, one of the sons stared at me with grieving red eyes, "It was you who harmed my Father to death!" His eldest brother gave him a good slap.

The brother who slapped and the brother who got slapped both shared the sad look on their eyes.

Uncle Tong led me out of Physician Zhang's house in distraught. Once we got back to our manor, Uncle Tong prepared everything for me, from my luggage to my war horse before personally sending me to the military barrack.

He kept mumbling as he patted my head, "Perhaps, the military barrack will be safer." It felt like when he sent me to the palace as tutor when I was young. "Xiao Lang, you must be careful! You have to be cautious!"

The moment I assumed my position, General Huang Jie of the Sui City's western military barrack slapped my back twice with his large palm, happily exclaiming, "The late regent was a hero, the saying that a tiger's son is not a dog is indeed true! It is the right thing for young men to step in, now what the country is in a crisis."

...... My shoulder felt numb.

Once he walked far away, I staggered backwards. Two young men behind me assisted me on each hands, laughing loudly.

I leaned on one of them before baring my teeth on the other, "What are you laughing at?"

That brat laughed happily as he clutched his stomach before patting me in the back twice, "Little General An, General Huang likes to use his iron-like hands to test the new kids. A 9th-ranked military officer was patted by him until the poor bloke urinated on his pants. The kid ran back to the capital. I think he was the nephew of the empress dowager's maiden family."

"Pu—-" Hearing about that unfortunate brat healed me.

I could not contain my joy, "Call me An Xiao Lang!" Little General An was Father's glory, I could not shoulder it.

The man who was assisting me was called Zhao Yong and the tall lanky one who was laughing like a monkey was Su Ren.

I heard General Huang Jie was upright and straightforward, he treats everyone equally. Between dealing with him, Zhao Yong and Su Ren, every single day ended with me being tired like a dog. I had to wake early every day to practice while hearing General Huang's coarse voice in the practice field. Hearing his prep talk, everyone's faces flushed and we all looked ready to tackle the Great Qi any day.

The meals inside the barrack wasn't good, it was coarse rice every day. There were sometimes pieces of meat in the dishes; when that happened, even raising your chopstick was a competition. The day it first showed up, I was still a little reserved as Zhao Yong dragged me into a corner to eat. When our comrade brought in the food, before I even managed to comprehend the situation, six pair of chopsticks raced towards the piece of meat, pushing and pulling. By the time I raised my own chopstick, there were only greens left.

That sight was stimulating.

When it came to looting food, even Official Uncle and Father were no competitors of mine, how could I lost to this bunch of brats.

The next time it happened, two pieces of meat already entered my mouth before they even got to raise their chopsticks.

Su Ren glared at me hatefully, "An Xiao Lang, you are a noble young master yet you fought for meat with us, the poor people! Are you trying to look for a fight?"