Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

At noon, lunch was being served in the garrison camp. A thin and hunched soldier was queuing for food when suddenly a tall official came out in front of him and cut in. He was angry but dared not say anything, so a large group of people almost cut in front of him and squeezed him to the back.

The people behind him started shouting, "What are you doing? How dare you cut in line?"

The big man who cut in line with a face full of flesh shouted, "I just cut in, so what! Will eating a little slower cost you your life?"

Behind the skinny soldier stood a sturdy man, his hair standing on end in anger. He wanted to step forward and argue: "You... are really going too far!"

The big man who cut in line sneered, "Foreigners! Now I'll let you taste what it's like to be second-class people!"

The man who was cut in line was filled with righteous indignation: "The invaders are from the Rong tribe, what does this have to do with us Beimo people!"

The man who cut in line was relentless, "You're both from the same family. Do you dare to say that when Rong Khan attacked the Sixteen Prefectures of Northern Yun, there were no relatives of yours among his million-strong army?"

The people who cut in line burst into laughter.

The skinny soldier said calmly, "Let them have it. They must be starving."

The burly man who was cut in line was extremely anxious: "Brother Qi Yan! You are well aware of their character. By the time it's our turn, I'm afraid there won't even be any leftovers."

The thin soldier consoled him, "After we leave the camp, I'll treat you to mutton!"

The strong man was indignant: "That's not what I meant, Brother Qiyan, we can't just let others bully us like this forever, right?"

The skinny soldier asked, "If he bites you, would you dare to talk back?" Then, he said earnestly, "We are just a group of helpless guerrillas now. Will those officers favor them or you and me? We Beimo people should learn to be patient."

The strong man suddenly realized: "I understand, Brother Qi Yan!"

The skinny soldier warned, "In the barracks, call me by my Central Plains name!"

The strong man quickly responded: "Yes, Shuke Xiaoqi!"

……

When Zhang Jingwei and Qian Ming arrived at the gate of the garrison camp, there was no one guarding it. Qian Ming pushed the door open gently. In this way, Zhang Jingwei rode on the donkey and Qian Ming led the donkey in front, and the two of them walked around the garrison camp in a swaggering manner.

"Stop! Who are you? How dare you trespass here!" With an angry shout, several soldiers holding spears and wearing heavy armor finally rushed out like tigers descending from the mountains, blocking the way of the newcomers.

The leader was a burly figure, his brow radiating a sense of majesty. It was Zhang Jingwei. Despite the soldiers' attempts to stop him, he remained calm and said, "Tell your lieutenant of integrity to come to me immediately. I'll be waiting for him in the parade grounds."

Upon hearing this, the soldier said with disdain, "Captain, how can you see me just because you want to? If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here!"

Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Don't you recognize who I am? I've been here many times."

However, the soldier remained unmoved. He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Hmph, whoever you are, I don't want to bother with you in the middle of the day. Get out of here before I get violent with you!"

Zhang Jingwei's eyes narrowed as he looked at the sign hanging around the soldier's waist. He sneered, "Oh, so you're actually a chess and card officer! As a military officer, you don't even recognize me?"

The chess and card official was immediately enraged by Zhang Jingwei's words and shouted, "What an arrogant fellow! Shame on you! Come on, throw them all out!"

At this moment, a loud shout was heard: "Wait! Wait!" Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin soldier not far away shouting and running towards them hurriedly.

The chess and card official looked at the thin soldier and said viciously, "It's you Mobei people again, what are you doing?"

Zhang Jingwei saw a thin soldier standing not far ahead. He took a closer look and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Beta? How come he's so thin? But after a closer look, it doesn't seem like he's... Oh, sorry, I recognized the wrong person!"

The thin soldier smiled slightly, waved his hand quickly and said, "It's okay, it's okay. If you can mistake me for me, you must be familiar with my brother."

Zhang Jingwei nodded in sudden realization, then asked curiously, "I see. So, you must be the brother Beta often mentions? What's your name?"

The thin soldier bowed and replied, "I am Beta's brother, my name is Shuke."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingwei's face immediately lit up with a smile. He clasped his fists and said, "Oh! It's Brother Shuke. I've heard so much about you! Now that I've met you, I can see you're truly extraordinary!"

At this time, Shuke asked, "You two seem to be in such a hurry. What brings you here? Are you looking for our Captain? If so, I can go and tell him about it. But I wonder if you have any tokens or other things with you? Otherwise, the Captain may not see you."

Zhang Jingwei put his hands on his hips and said arrogantly, "Humph! A token? Just tell him to come over here and see me. If he's slow, I don't have the patience to nag him!"

Shuke was slightly taken aback after hearing this, but he quickly reacted and asked cautiously, "Excuse me, but are you the son-in-law of the Marquis Mansion that my brother often mentions?"

Zhang Jingwei raised his chin and replied, "Yes, it's me! Wang Caiwu must recognize me, so go and tell him!"

Shuke did not dare to delay and hurriedly bowed and said, "Since it is the son-in-law of the Marquis who has come to visit, I will go and report to him right away! Please wait a moment!" After that, he turned around and ran towards the captain's barracks.

……

Wang Caiwu's face was full of suspicion. "Who's coming?"

Shu Ke replied with certainty, "It's the son-in-law of the Marquis' Mansion. Although I have never seen him, his imposing appearance makes him look like an immortal descending to earth. He is definitely the son-in-law without a doubt."

Wang Caiwu frowned and asked, "Sir, why are you here?"

Shuke shook his head. "I don't know. He's accompanied by the patrolman who was beaten yesterday. Judging from his tone, he seems quite angry!"

Wang Caiwu became even more confused and asked, "What patrolman was beaten?!"

Shuke quickly explained, "It was a patrolman under Captain Du. He refused to work in the fields, so he was beaten. It's said that the patrolman even dared to fight back!"

Wang Caiwu was extremely anxious. He rubbed his hands and paced back and forth, saying, "It must be that patrolman who went to complain. What should I do now..."

Shuke's eyes rolled, and a plan came to mind. He said softly, "Captain, you and Captain Du are not related by blood. Why not do him a favor? After all, the position of Captain can be given to anyone, and if the Captain wants to be promoted, he still has to rely on those powerful people!"

Wang Caiwu nodded slightly and asked, "You are quite right. Which battalion's flag officer are you, and who is your general flag officer?"

Shuke was overjoyed and said everything in detail: "I am from the third battalion, a small flag under General Xiao's command!"

Wang Caiwu asked thoughtfully, "I remember you are from the Northern Desert!"

Shuke quickly responded: "Exactly!"

Wang Caiwu smiled with satisfaction and said, "I see that you are smart and clever. In the future, you can become my general flag. The captain general flag can earn two taels of silver more per month than other general flag flags!"

Shuke was filled with gratitude. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for the promotion, Captain. I will swear allegiance to you until death!"