The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 63 Guo Que'er

The generals received their orders and left, retreating like flowing water.

Guo Wei turned his head, glanced at Guo Rong, and a look of sadness returned to his face.

"Father, I asked..."

"You all get out. I want to ask them myself."

Guo Rong remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply and led his soldiers out.

Only Guo Wei and Xiao Yi remained in the tent.

Xiao Yi thought he would be nervous, but he sensed that Guo Wei seemed even more nervous.

Guo Wei beckoned him closer, hesitated as if to ask a question, then swallowed hard before saying, "You saved my children and grandchildren, I should thank you. What do you want?"

"I am willing to serve you, my lord."

"it is good."

Their eyes met, and at that moment, Xiao Yi saw not ambition in Guo Wei's eyes.

He then understood that Guo Wei had kept him behind not to discuss the grand undertaking of conquering the world, nor was he in the mood to talk about Li Tao's letter for the time being.

"Cao Wei said that my entire family, including the elderly, women, and children, was brutally slaughtered. Is that true?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yi spoke with great restraint, but he recounted in detail what he had seen and heard at the Great Xiangguo Temple.

He felt that every word he uttered was a form of spiritual torture for Guo Wei, destroying Guo Wei's stubbornness and last shred of hope.

"In the end, the soldiers carried out more than seventy corpses... but no survivors were brought out."

The tent fell into dead silence.

Guo Wei braced his hands on the desk, his mountain-like body swaying slightly.

"Yu Niang... what was the last time you saw my wife? What did she say?"

That night, the lady sat upright in the flower hall, her clothes neat and her hair tidy, her expression calm and her demeanor graceful. She entrusted Sanlang, Wuniang and Yige to me as if it were an ordinary farewell.

"I want to hear what she said, every single word, what she was like during her last days in Kaifeng."

If it were someone else, they might have advised Guo Wei to focus on the more important matters at hand.

Xiao Yi simply described his two encounters with Chai Shouyu in as much detail as possible.

He wasn't thinking about his future.

At this moment, Guo Wei was no longer a symbol representing the course of history in his mind, or a ruthless and cold-blooded emperor.

When they were together, he treated him like a living, breathing person, a parent who had just lost his entire family and was in deep grief.

Tens of thousands of people asked Guo Wei to achieve great things, but he also had the right to be vulnerable in private.

As he spoke, Xiao Yi mentioned a sentence that Chai Shouyu had said in front of the Daxiangguo Temple that day.

"The lady then said, 'My husband's family was also poor when he was young,' with a smile in her eyes..."

"Yes, I was dirt poor back then."

Guo Wei finally spoke, his voice gradually warming slightly as he reminisced.

"That year, I was down on my luck, wandering around. On the south bank of the Yellow River, I was caught in a downpour and got soaked to the bone. I was starving and stuck to my back. I was trapped in a small inn. As I was walking quickly past the door of the main room, someone called out to me. She said, 'Hey, man, here's a handkerchief to wipe yourself.' I turned around and my heart almost jumped out of my throat because I had never seen such a beautiful young woman before. You won't believe what happened next."

"what happened?"

"When she saw me, her eyes lit up. 'Hey, you look quite extraordinary, different from ordinary soldiers.' I said, 'Of course I'm different. I'm much poorer than ordinary soldiers.' She smiled, her beauty making my heart flutter. I never expected that she would turn around and run to my parents to tell them that she wanted to marry me, which made them very angry."

"Madam has excellent taste."

"You didn't see it with your own eyes. That beautiful young woman, after just one meeting, was so determined to marry me. No one could stop her. She came from the Tang Dynasty imperial family and had accumulated a lot of valuables. She gave half to her parents to support them and the other half as her dowry. We got married in that dilapidated inn with only a mud bed. When I saw her getting ready, I thought it was better than the palace..."

At this point, Guo Wei suddenly sniffed, tears streaming down his face.

He looked around the huge military tent, as if searching for something.

The tent was empty, and the candles on the general's desk slowly accumulated wax.

"Since we got married, she has given me money and silk to help me make a living, taken care of my needs, encouraged me to study, and found a way out for me. I used to be addicted to drinking and gambling, but because of her, I managed to quit gambling and dared not indulge in drinking. From now on, no one will care about me anymore... I have failed as a husband and a father!"

Overwhelmed with grief, Guo Wei suddenly slammed his fist down, breaking the desk in the middle and causing it to collapse with a crash.

He staggered, his burly body swaying precariously.

Xiao Yi stepped forward, took Guo Wei's arm, and helped him sit down on the chair covered with wolf skin.

He felt a pang of sympathy and spoke, his voice hoarse.

"In the lady's eyes, Lord Ming is a great hero."

"What kind of hero am I? I've spent half my life killing people, yet I can't even protect my own wife, children, and grandchildren."

"I've heard that true death is not losing one's life, but being completely forgotten."

"what for?"

Xiao Yi racked his brains to recall the lines he had memorized, and slowly said, "As long as someone remembers Madam, she has not truly disappeared. She had extraordinary vision and was determined to marry Lord Ming, not for wealth and status, but because she knew that Lord Ming was a peerless hero. As the saying goes, 'He who bears the shame of the nation is the master of the state,' and the tragic fate of the Guo family is a reflection of this chaotic world. Madam was kind-hearted and deeply hoped that Lord Ming could end the chaos. She did not misjudge him. History will remember her, and she will live forever in people's legends, generation after generation."

Guo Wei was taken aback.

His anger and grief were not dispelled by these words. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but in the end he only said with a hesitant but firm tone, "There is no need to comfort me."

Xiao Yi said, "Then...does Your Excellency not wish to avenge your family?"

Guo Wei clenched his bleeding fist, and after a long while, he uttered two words: "Liu Zhu."

The confusion in his eyes turned into hatred. He gritted his teeth and said in a hateful voice, word by word, "When I storm Kaifeng, I will torture this scoundrel to death and exterminate his entire family. Blood for blood, tooth for tooth!"

Hatred can sometimes be far more effective than reason in providing comfort.

Just then, a cautious yet urgent voice came from outside the tent.

"General, Secretary Wei has come to report on the baggage matters."

Guo Wei closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the vulnerability, grief, and confusion were gone; only awe-inspiring majesty and decisiveness remained in his tiger-like eyes.

"pass."

Soon, Wei Renpu stepped into the tent, his gaze sweeping over the broken command desk, but he said nothing, only placing the account book on the low stool beside the tent and bowing.

"Ming Gong."

"Since Xiao Yi is willing to serve in the army, arrange a military position for him. After we take Kaifeng, we will reward him handsomely."

"Thank you, Lord Xie."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, Renpu will handle this matter properly."

Wei Renpu politely accepted the greeting, then turned to Xiao Yi, his tone composed yet gentle.

"A junior officer is waiting outside the tent. He can introduce you to the others who came with you. Please wait a moment while I finish reporting on military affairs, and then we will discuss your duties and arrangements."

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

Knowing they still had military matters to discuss, Xiao Yi tactfully withdrew from the main tent.

The guards led Xiao Yi through a well-organized camp area to a barracks crowded with newly recruited soldiers.

Before even entering, one could hear a loud, boisterous voice shouting.

"Really?! Damn it, once I return to Kaifeng, I'll chop those bastards to pieces and avenge the commander..."

Xiao Yi lifted the curtain and entered, only to see Zhang Mantun gesturing wildly at Chen Guanghui's group of soldiers.

Hearing the noise, the rough man turned around abruptly, his big round eyes widening, and strode forward.

"You've finally arrived. I heard you went to Chanzhou to borrow troops. Why do you have to meddle in everything? Well done. You know what? Guo Que'er is planning to march back to Kaifeng..."

"Iron Teeth".

"How?"

"less talking, more working."

Xiao Yi gently pressed down, allowing Zhang Mantun to sit down. He then looked at Chen Guanghui, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "General Chen, we meet again."

"Commander Xiao, how have you been?"

Chen Guanghui was much more excited than before, and he could not suppress the excitement in his eyes. He took two steps closer, put his arm around Xiao Yi's shoulder, and whispered, "The opportunity to do something big has come."

"Indeed, we must purge the court of corrupt officials and quell the national crisis."

Just then, another commotion broke out outside the barracks.

Guo Xin was the first to burst in, followed by a large group of people: Hua Nong, Lü You, Fan Si, Wei Liang, Lao Pan, Xi Hou, Hu Deng, and Wu Gouzi.

They still smelled of alcohol, but their faces were filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Captain, we're here!"

"Commander Xiao! Ah? General... General."

Just as the little monkey was about to pounce on Xiao Yi, it saw Chen Guanghui, its expression turned serious, it lowered its head, and retreated behind Chen Guanghui.

Hua Nong, without any hesitation, perhaps not recognizing the others in the tent, walked straight up to Xiao Yi.

"Young master, I've heard that Lord Guo intends to eliminate treacherous officials and restore order to the nation?"

"Yes, the atmosphere is enthusiastic, and the morale of the troops is high."

Hua Nong said, "If you, my lord, go south with Lord Guo, I am willing to follow you."

Where are your wife and children?

"Sanlang has them stay at the General's residence for the time being." Hua Nong smiled and said, "I think what you mean by 'what is divided for a long time must unite' is starting from this battle, and we cannot miss it."

"it is good."

Suddenly, someone outside the tent shouted: "The morale of the army is high!"

Everyone looked over and saw Wei Renpu stride in, his eyes showing the weariness of not having slept for a long time, but his gaze was still bright and sharp.

"Gentlemen, you admire your righteous deeds and have come from afar to join us. You should be given important positions so that you can each display your talents. However, the army will be heading south at dawn, and military affairs are urgent. Therefore, we can only temporarily organize you into one command, with General Chen as the commander-in-chief, Xiao Lang as the deputy commander-in-chief, and Tie Ya as the training instructor. The remaining vacancies will be decided by Commanders Chen and Xiao based on their abilities. As for the number of soldiers, we will fill the quota after the army has made steady progress, so that your talents will not be wasted. Is this acceptable?"

Upon hearing the word "command," Xiao Yi felt reassured.

It should be noted that a commander commands 500 men, and just considering the ranks below deputy commander and above deputy captain, there are twenty or thirty military officers, not counting squad leaders. There are more than fifty people in this tent, and everyone must have been promoted.

The hasty appointment was undoubtedly generous.

He made the right bet. Guo Wei was not only decisive and capable of managing his subordinates, but also valued relationships, was tolerant, and treated people well.

Sure enough, after Wei Renpu finished speaking, the tent fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a huge cheer.

(End of this chapter)