My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 13 My future husband has been found!
The worker scoffed, his expression full of contempt.

"Where did you come from, you lowly commoner? The shopkeepers are busy serving my young mistress and master; they have no time for you. Go away, go away, go away!"

He raised his hand as if to push Gao Huan away.

Gao Huan grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard, causing the helper to scream in pain.

Gao Huan was also a seasoned soldier with strength far exceeding that of ordinary people. He knew that the only way to deal with such troublesome little devils was to suppress them directly by force.

After the intimidation worked, he immediately shouted sternly, "Are you going to inform me or not!"

"I'll go right away."

The helper, wincing in pain, nodded repeatedly and turned to run inside.

Hou Jing was still conscious. When he heard Gao Huan's voice, he opened his eyes and saw Gao Huan looking up at him.

"Wan Jing, please be patient for a little longer."

Hou Jing, hanging in mid-air, was already out of breath and nodded with difficulty.

Inside the stall.

The shopkeeper had already brought over the fine horse that Lou Zhaojun intended to give to Lou Zhao.

The horse was jet black, with smooth and glossy fur. It stood tall and proud, with beautifully defined muscles. Lou Zhao was immediately captivated by it and reached out to stroke its soft coat, praising it without hesitation.

"It truly is a magnificent horse!"

Lou Zhaojun also highly approved of it.

They had been playing at their family's horse farm since they were young and had seen countless horses. Even so, the one in front of them could be considered a fine steed!
Seeing how satisfied the two were, the shopkeeper immediately smiled obsequiously, "Heroes have always been paired with fine horses. Although my young master is young, he already possesses the spirit of a hero!"

He immediately called his helper to bring him the horse's bridle, saddle, reins, and other tools.

at this time!

A series of disheveled footsteps sounded as the helper from the doorway stumbled in, calling out, "Shopkeeper...shopkeeper!"

"So reckless! What kind of behavior is this!"

The shopkeeper frowned, clearly displeased, but still patiently asked, "What is it?"

“There is a man outside the door who calls himself He Liuhun and says he wants to meet you.”

Upon hearing Gao Huan's name, the shopkeeper was taken aback. "He Liuhun? What's he doing here?"

"It seems to be related to the horse thief."

The workers immediately embellished the story, saying, "I wanted to drive that guy away, but he punched and kicked me, forcing me to come in and report."

"Who is He Liuhun? How dare he come to my house demanding people?"

Lou Zhaojun overheard their conversation and, upon hearing the helper say that Gao Huan had come to demand their return, couldn't help but find it amusing. "He stole my horse and thinks he can come and go as he pleases? It seems my family has been too kind in the past, leading these people to mistakenly believe that my Lou family is easy to bully?"

"Go, bring He Liuhun in here. I want to see what gives this man the audacity to come to my family demanding someone back!"

The shopkeeper quickly waved his hand, and the helper immediately turned around and went outside to call for someone.

Lou Zhaojun then asked, "Do you know He Liuhun?"

"I recognize it."

The shopkeeper dared not hide anything, "This man is a military household in the town. He is a very righteous person, so many local thugs and soldiers regard him as their elder brother and obey his orders."

Upon hearing this description, Lou Zhaojun developed a strong interest in He Liuhun, whom she had never met before.

The helper came outside and called Gao Huan to come inside with him.

From his conversation with the helper, Gao Huan learned that in addition to the shopkeeper, there were also the young master and his wife of the Lou family inside. He deliberately slowed down his pace, but was thinking about how to deal with them.

But he only managed to buy himself a few more moments before being brought before Lou Zhaojun and the others.

Gao Huan stood tall and proud, showing no fear whatsoever. Instead, he raised his hands, clasped his hands, and said loudly, "Greetings, young lady; greetings, young man."

"He Liuhun, how dare you! You mere soldier dare to look my mistress in the eye!"

Upon seeing Gao Huan's 'rude' behavior, the shopkeeper immediately shouted at him!

Lou Zhao didn't speak, but instead looked at Gao Huan in front of him. He noticed that Gao Huan was not like ordinary military households who would tremble with fear when they saw him, and he was also so handsome that he couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

Lou Zhaojun was completely stunned. She never expected that the future husband she had been searching for and longing for would appear in front of her like this.

A sudden flutter ran through her heart, and she blurted out, "It's you?"

Gao Huan also recognized Lou Zhaojun. The brief glimpse he had of her at the city gate had left a deep impression on him.

He immediately smiled and said, "My name is He Liuhun, and I greet you, young lady."

Gao Huan merely smiled lightly, and Lou Zhaojun's heart fluttered again. Her eyes filled with shyness, and she dared not meet Gao Huan's gaze again.

Lou Zhaoyi, a clueless young man, didn't understand. He just wondered why his usually heroic older sister would suddenly show such a girlish side.

But the shopkeeper was a shrewd man. He darted around a few times, but said nothing. Instead, he let Lou Zhaojun take charge.

But seeing that Lou Zhaojun was still infatuated and hadn't spoken for a long time, the shopkeeper immediately coughed lightly and respectfully asked, "Young lady, young master, this matter still needs your decision."

Lou Zhaojun then came to her senses, realizing her earlier lapse in composure. Her pretty face flushed, but she quickly composed herself and asked, "Why have you come?"

"We've come because of the horse thief outside!"

"You know he's a horse thief? Even if I beat him to death, he deserves it."

"Of course, of course."

Gao Huan clasped his hands in a fist salute, initially agreeing with Lou Zhaojun's wishes.

"Then what else do you have to say?" "Young lady, please listen to me..."

Gao Huan paused and said, "I learned from my father since I was a child that the Lou family is a prominent family in Huai Shuo, with great prestige. They are known for their charity and generosity, and they often build granaries to distribute porridge in the dead of winter. When the Lou family is mentioned, all the people of Huai Shuo are grateful and respect them highly!"

They immediately slapped a huge label on him and showered him with compliments!

"The horse thief's name is Hou Gu. He grew up in Huai Shuo. His father fought bravely against the Rouran invaders and died on the battlefield, leaving Hou Gu and his widow. When he was young, he also received kindness from the Lou family. When we brothers talk about this in private, Hou Gu always says that if it weren't for the Lou family's charity, he wouldn't be where he is today. The Lou family has also given him a second life!"

"I hope that you, young lady, will remember his family's service in defending the borders of our Great Wei and show mercy, sparing his life. Hou Gu is exceptionally strong, and it would be a pity to let him die here. It would be better to let him continue to fight alongside the army, which can also be seen as protecting the Lou family. Besides... he has already suffered and endured hardship. He has been hung up outside for a long time, which is enough to make an example of him."

Lou Zhaojun was quite pleased to hear these words.

This reflects the Lou family's prominent position in Huai Shuo County.

Seeing that Gao Huan's speech and manner were unlike those of an ordinary person, he was even more delighted!
She immediately retorted, "If you are so grateful to my family, why steal the horse? Is this how you repay the kindness of giving us a second life? If everyone repays kindness in this way, my Lou family cannot afford it."

"What is his relationship to you that you want to get involved in this?"

"Although Hou Gu is not my blood relative, I regard him as my own brother, and besides, this matter is also related to me."

"Oh?"

Lou Zhaojun became interested and pressed further, "What does this have to do with you?"

"Hou Gu stole the horse to give to my second son as a birthday gift. Upon closer examination, it really does have something to do with my family."

"If you want a horse, just give it to me; why steal it?"

Lou Zhaojun kept carefully observing Gao Huan, and the more she looked at him, the happier she became!
They didn't listen carefully, but when they heard that the horse theft was related to Gao Huan, they blurted it out subconsciously!

Seeing that everyone, including Gao Huan, was looking at him in astonishment, he realized that he had said the wrong thing.

Despite his best efforts to salvage the situation, he still lost his composure. "Since... since that's the case, allow me to think it over."

Gao Huan waited patiently.

He only felt that the Lou family's daughter seemed quite easy to talk to, and that she had a good impression of him.
The words Gao Yu had teased him about before inevitably came to mind.

"With a man as handsome as you, what if the Lou family's daughter takes a fancy to you and insists on marrying no one but you?"

Gao Huan shook his head repeatedly. Now was not the time to be distracted; Hou Jing's fate was still hanging in the balance.

He noticed that Lou Zhaojun remained silent for a long time.

He immediately spoke up, saying, "If you, young lady, are still not satisfied, I am willing to be punished along with Hou Gu!"

"Need not……"

Lou Zhaojun blurted out again, subconsciously. Upon learning that Hou Jing and Gao Huan had a close relationship, she, who had initially felt disgusted by Hou Jing, suddenly felt that Hou Jing wasn't so bad after all. The thought of Hou Jing standing next to Gao Huan made Hou Jing seem less unpleasant.

but……

She had previously threatened the servants that she would hang Hou Jing as a warning to others!

If we just let the two of them go, how can we maintain our authority in front of the servants?

She secretly glanced at Gao Huan again. Before, she only thought Gao Huan was handsome and imposing, but upon closer inspection, she saw that Gao Huan was eight feet tall and had the air of a soldier in every move. She also remembered that Gao Huan said his family had been guarding Huai Shuo Town for generations.

He must be skilled in archery and horsemanship.

A proper solution must be devised immediately!

She pointed to the horse that had been led aside, and then to the arrow emplacements not far away!
"You say the father of the horse thief also died defending the country's borders, then I'll give you a chance!"

"Since you both still aspire to serve your country and defend its borders in the future, I will test you with archery and horsemanship! Ride this horse and shoot at the target over there. If you hit it four out of ten times, I will release you and give you both this horse!"

Hear this.

Everyone was shocked!
Is this definitely a punishment? Or a reward?

Lou Zhaojun continued, "If you fail to hit the target four out of ten times, then you two will become my servants and herd livestock on the pastures to atone for your sins."

what?
The shopkeepers were stunned, but dared not show it.

So Hou Jing, whose fate was unknown, was spared his life so easily?

Besides...

Herding livestock on the grasslands for Lou Zhaojun was a job that many low-ranking military households dreamed of.

Is being handsome really that effective?

This is just too unfair!

The shop owner also had to admit that Gao Huan was indeed handsome; standing there, he was like a crane among chickens.

Gao Huan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least Hou Jing's life is not in danger.

He immediately agreed, "What's so difficult about that? Please fetch me the bow!"

Lou Zhaojun gave a signal, and the maid beside her went to fetch the bow!
Even if Lou Zhao was completely naive, she eventually realized what was going on. She walked to Lou Zhaojun's side and asked in a low voice, "Sister... could this be the person you've been looking for?"

"Exactly!"

Lou Zhaojun was delighted with the sight of it!

The last time they made eye contact, all they noticed was Gao Huan's extraordinary good looks.

That conversation just now gave me a much deeper understanding of Gao Huan!

He was as handsome as Pan Song and so loyal to his friends; he was unlike anyone born into an ordinary military family.

He perfectly meets all her requirements for her future husband!
He's an incredibly handsome and charismatic hero!
(End of this chapter)