“I truly underestimated you!” Gao Dazhuang sneered coldly. “Did you leave your face with Chu Dingjiang today as well?”
“Mm-hmm,” An Jiu nodded. “It’s a good thing I have Chu Dingjiang. Where did you leave yours?”
“You…!” Gao Dazhuang’s chest heaved with anger, his expression suggesting he wanted to tear her apart.
Sui Yunzhu tugged at An Jiu’s sleeve, pulling her away.
Once they left the military camp, he whispered, “I was hoping to ask General Gao to help post recruitment notices in Xingzhou. Now that you’ve angered him like this, I can’t bring myself to ask.”
The few people they had recruited in this short time wouldn’t be of much use. If the notices were posted continuously, more people might consider going to Hexi County.
“He’s not an easily angered person,” An Jiu observed. Though she couldn’t read minds, she was keenly sensitive to killing intent. Gao Dazhuang’s killing intent remained stable, indicating his emotions hadn’t fluctuated much.
“But just now…”
“I don’t know. I only know he harbors no murderous intent towards me.”
In An Jiu’s eyes, Gao Dazhuang was an anomaly. He seemed to have rich emotions, yet possessed strong self-control.
“Do you think…” An Jiu pondered, “Mo Sigui could reattach Gao Dazhuang’s penis?”
Sui Yunzhu coughed awkwardly, reluctant to discuss such matters with a young woman. “I’m not sure. Let’s stay for two more days. Once General Gao’s anger subsides, I’ll seek an audience with him again.”
An Jiu nodded absentmindedly, lost in her thoughts. “I wonder if he’d join us if he could be restored.”
“Fourteen, General Gao is now an imperial official. Without the emperor’s permission, he can’t go anywhere,” Sui Yunzhu cut off her impractical musings. “General Gao also mentioned he initially applied for a post in Hejian Prefecture but was rejected by the emperor. I believe His Majesty has his intentions in assigning him here.”
“What intentions could there be? Isn’t it just because he feels the Hebei army isn’t secure enough, so he’s placing Gao here as a second line of defense? When General Ling returns to court, he’ll eventually take over the Hebei army. Wouldn’t it be better to have Gao Dazhuang as the first line of defense and General Ling as the second?” An Jiu looked at him seriously. “I only thought of recruiting him because I heard he was interested in going to Hejian. Shouldn’t it be possible?”
Sui Yunzhu replied, “Your reasoning isn’t wrong, but you’ve forgotten to consider General Gao’s importance to the emperor.”
An Jiu paused briefly, then nodded in agreement.
The current emperor had only recently ascended the throne and faced numerous problems. With few capable people available, loyal individuals like Gao Dazhuang were especially precious. Until the emperor’s position was completely secure, he wouldn’t allow Gao Dazhuang to be on the front lines.
Sui Yunzhu smiled, “However, your words have reminded me that since General Gao is interested in Hejian Prefecture, he’s likely to help us.”
Realizing that recruiting Gao Dazhuang was impossible, An Jiu lazily hummed in response, offering no further opinion.
They stayed in Xingzhou for two more days. Afterward, Sui Yunzhu went alone to seek an audience with Gao Dazhuang, requesting his help in continuously recruiting people interested in going to Hexi County.
As expected, Gao Dazhuang agreed without hesitation.
The two returned to Hexi County with the sixty-odd people they had recruited.
During their absence, Wu Lingyuan had reorganized Hexi County’s internal affairs, and the delayed spring plowing was now in full swing.
Upon arriving in Hexi County, the sixty-odd newcomers witnessed this vibrant scene and immediately felt they had made the right choice.
Hexi County had been plundered for many years, and while it wasn’t completely deserted, more than half of the buildings had long been abandoned.
The houses, having been looted and left empty for so long, were somewhat dilapidated. However, these people were either homeless or dependent on others, so suddenly receiving their own homes and fields filled them with excitement. No one complained.
In addition to housing and land, Wu Lingyuan had ordered enough food to be delivered to each household to last five days.
The county office was short-staffed, so when Wu Lingyuan saw that An Jiu had brought back a martial arts master, he immediately assigned him as the chief constable.
This worried Xue Sha, who confided in An Jiu, “Wasn’t I supposed to fight the Liao people? I only know how to kill. What should I do?”
Unfortunately, Wu Lingyuan overheard this. He confiscated Xue Sha’s swords and hidden weapons, handing him a finger-thick wooden stick instead. “If anyone commits a crime, hit them with this. Don’t use your internal energy.”
Wu Lingyuan patted his shoulder, “I heard from An Jiu that you were very capable before. I believe you’ll do fine. The county office is understaffed, so please bear with it for a few days.”
Under Wu Lingyuan’s expectant gaze, Xue Sha grudgingly accepted the stick. “Don’t constables have uniforms?”
“Oh, I just remembered I have some unfinished business,” Wu Lingyuan said, slapping his forehead and hurrying away. “You two keep talking. We’ll discuss any other matters tomorrow.”
An Jiu said, “Hexi County is poor and can’t afford uniforms right now. I have a few new clothes I’ll give you later.”
Xue Sha nodded, waving the stick in his hand. “Doesn’t he know you can kill people with a stick too?”
“He doesn’t know martial arts,” An Jiu explained. “Just give them a light beating. If you encounter any murderers or arsonists, it’s on Wu Lingyuan if you beat them to death.”
“That’s good,” Xue Sha tucked the stick into his belt.
An Jiu reminded him, “Hexi County has few people. It’s best to leave them alive.”
Xue Sha asked, puzzled, “What’s the point of keeping criminals alive?”
Indeed, why keep them? They’d only waste food! Even the county magistrate was struggling to eat, let alone provide prison meals. An Jiu thought carefully before coming up with a reasonable explanation, “To increase the population.”
Xue Sha exclaimed admiringly, “I didn’t expect someone so young to be so farsighted.”
An Jiu smiled modestly yet proudly, “I had a good upbringing and learned through osmosis. I’ll introduce you to my Lord Chu sometime.”
Wu Lingyuan hadn’t gone far and nearly injured himself trying not to laugh at their conversation. What a peculiar exchange! It seemed eccentrics were everywhere, especially abundant in the Konghe Army. Wu Lingyuan was grateful that at least Sui Yunzhu and Li Qingzhi were relatively normal!
However, he soon witnessed Sui Yunzhu’s “abnormality” firsthand.
A month later, Chu Dingjiang sent another batch of supplies. The escort leader was a burly woman named Xu Huniu. In her twenties, she remained unmarried due to her fierce reputation and less-than-attractive appearance.
Chu Dingjiang always took An Jiu’s words to heart. An Jiu had instructed him to find a fierce woman as a wife for Sui Yunzhu, so he promptly arranged for this matchmaking opportunity.
After reading Chu Dingjiang’s letter, An Jiu eagerly dragged Sui Yunzhu to meet Xu Huniu.
Xu Huniu was aware of the matchmaking arrangement. Upon seeing the handsome Sui Yunzhu, her eyes widened with obvious approval.
As Wu Lingyuan was marveling at how the usually reliable Chu Dingjiang had missed the mark this time, he noticed Sui Yunzhu’s handsome face turning slightly red as he said, “Miss Xu is quite nice.”
That very day, the two went hand in hand to watch the sunset…
Wu Lingyuan’s worldview shattered, needing time to recover.
Seeing his dejected state, An Jiu consoled him, “Don’t be envious. I’ll write a letter asking Chu Dingjiang to find someone for you too.”