After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 32.2
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On this day, the Duke of Dunjun, who was also the Emperor’s third son Xiao Wen, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of War, went to the outskirts of the camp together.
According to the laws of the Li Kingdom, officials from the Ministry of War must regularly control the military register of the soldiers under General Huo Pingxiao.
Huo Pingxiao stood solemnly and upright on the review platform.
The long arms of the man held a large flag with eight spokes, each embroidered with ferocious patterns of bears, tigers, Kunchi, ghosts, and clouds.
As he waved the flag, the gilded copper beads hanging from the pole clinked softly. When he shifted his wrist to the left, initiating a combative movement, the sound of the Li horn suddenly echoed across the vast training field.
Xiao Wen and the other officials halted their steps, their hearts trembling as they heard the dense drumbeats around them.
Even in military drills, Huo Pingxiao’s army exuded an oppressive aura, like a tiger or wolf.
“Change formation—”
The loud voice of a messenger suddenly rang out. Xiao Wen looked over and saw the army, which had just been gathered closely, now swiftly retreating in all directions.
Shield bearers and Langqiang soldiers covered each other, followed by four long spearmen and short-blade wielders with Tampians behind them. The coordination between the different types of soldiers was as harmonious as the five elements, extremely in sync.
Xiao Wen, who prided himself on his knowledge of military tactics, failed to find a way to break the formation even as he approached the review platform with the officials.
Puzzled, he turned to the Deputy Minister of War and asked, “How could these soldiers, who have only been with Marquis Dingbei for a few months, perform such a formation so quickly?”
The Deputy Minister of War smiled and replied respectfully, “Your Highness, Duke Huo excels at simplifying complexity, and his method of training troops is quite different from other generals. As for the specifics of his method, I do not know.”
Xiao Wen scoffed.
Indeed, if Huo Pingxiao were not a competent general, he would not have attained his current position.
Upon reaching the Marshal’s tent, Huo Pingxiao sat in the main seat, while Prince Xiao Wen of Dunjun sat on the right side with a complex expression.
Huo Pingxiao was a marquis, and Xiao Wen a prince; by right, Xiao Wen should have been in the main seat.
Yet no one in the tent dared to question this seating arrangement.
This was Xiao Wen’s first time dealing with Huo Pingxiao in the military camp, and he was truly surprised by the man’s power and status in the army.
It seems the rumors were not without reason.
The army of the Great Li Kingdom did not belong to the Xiao family, but to Huo.
With Marquis Dingbei holding military power, and his officers and soldiers only willing to follow his orders, if he harbored any thoughts of rebellion, how could they, the royal family members in Chang’an, compete?
Xiao Wen, enduring his displeasure, listened as the Deputy Minister of War reported the service numbers, horses, and weapons to Huo Pingxiao.
“That’s not right.”
Huo Pingxiao suddenly interrupted, his eyes sharp as he put the bird gun he was fiddling with back into the Fo Lang Ji in front of him, and calmly said, “During the siege in Qianzhong, at least ten of our fire officers were lost. After returning to Chang’an, I had the deputy general select five from the infantry to fill the vacancies of the fire officers.”
“How could there still be a hundred fire officers in the army now?”
After his questioning, the Deputy Minister of War’s forehead was covered in a thin sweat. He replied respectfully, “It’s my mistake in counting, please forgive me, Marquis Dingbei.”
Xiao Wen remained silent. Since Huo Pingxiao was appointed Grand Marshal, not only did he have control over the military, but he also closely monitored the military registration process.
“In that case, when we return, remember to have the two Directors of the Ministry of War act separately, one for accounting and one for registration. Find a reliable official to specifically count the number of active soldiers, to avoid such mistakes again.”
“Yes.”
Hearing Huo Pingxiao’s suggestion, the Deputy Minister of War suddenly realized its convenience, wondering why he hadn’t thought of it before.
After sitting down again, the Deputy Minister of War glanced at the Prince of Dunjun and quickly shifted his gaze to the main seat.
He thought to himself that this Prince of Dunjun, Xiao Wen, was arguably the most talented among the Emperor’s sons.
Yet, compared to Minister Huo’s eldest son, Huo Pingxiao, he still fell short.
The Deputy Minister of War couldn’t help but feel that the more he observed Huo Pingxiao, the more he sensed an imperial aura of heavy gold and cold jade emanating from the man, despite his calm and detached demeanor.
Listening to the military drums and golden music outside, the Deputy Minister even thought that the scar on the neck of the Marquis of Dingbei looked like a ferocious dragon.
At the residence of the Prime Minister.
In a few days, the Marquis of Wenchang’s mansion would hold a birthday banquet. Since Lady Gao grew up close to the mother of the household, she naturally planned to help out in advance.
The wife of the Marquis of Wenchang naturally invited the two new daughters-in-law of the Huo family as well.
Lady Gao cautioned Ruan An, “Your sister-in-law grew up in Chang’an as a lady of an official’s family and has often attended banquets. I’m not too worried about her, but you come from Shu and haven’t experienced such grand events. When you return, I will send two tutors to your mansion to teach you proper etiquette. After all, your identity is now different. You are not only the eldest daughter-in-law of the Huo family but also the wife of the Marquis of Dingbei. Don’t make any mistakes at the banquet.”
Ruan An and He Xinruo both respectfully agreed with Lady Gao.
He Xinruo glanced at Ruan An, feeling a bit smug inside.
Once the cousin from the Fang family arrived at the Marquis’s mansion, even if she behaved properly and didn’t show any weakness, she would still be thoroughly scrutinized by the noble ladies.
He Xinruo had already inquired about the guest list for the banquet. Several of the noble ladies attending had once been madly in love with the Marquis of Dingbei.
It would be difficult for the cousin from the Fang family, who climbed up by marriage and had a humble background, to truly win their respect.
Watching her face difficulties at the Marquis’s mansion would be quite a spectacle.
Soon, the day of the birthday banquet at the Marquis’s mansion arrived.
It was Ruan An’s first time attending a banquet at another’s house, but she was not very nervous. In her previous life, she knew quite a lot about the Marquis of Wenchang’s mansion.
After all, the most favored concubine in the Eastern Palace was the legitimate daughter of this family.
Of course, according to the current timeline, this daughter of the Marquis had not yet become Xiao Chong’s favored concubine.
In Ruan An’s memory, this concubine was a formidable figure. Even with Li Shuying as the Crown Prince’s wife in the Eastern Palace, she managed to safely give birth to Xiao Chong’s child and stand against Li Shuying for many years.
Before the palace coup, the concubine seemed to have sensed something and escaped even faster than the deposed Emperor.
Although Ruan An was not nervous, she did not plan to take the banquet lightly. She got up early and had Ze Lan lan and Bai Wei dress her carefully.
These past few days, Huo Pingxiao had been busy with military affairs, and his return to the mansion was later than usual. Ruan An was also busy with her medical hall, and the two hardly spoke.
Today, Huo Pingxiao was off duty, but Ruan An found that once he had free time, he always seemed sleepy.
With this thought, Ruan An glanced towards the canopy bed.
Huo Pingxiao had just returned from bathing and was awake for a while.
But now, he had closed his sharp eyes again and leaned against the wall, his head drooping as if he had fallen asleep again.
Ruan An shook her head helplessly, thankful that she had to attend the banquet at the Marquis’s mansion, otherwise, he would have made her sleep with him.
“Lord Marquis, I’m going to the Prime Minister’s residence first. Mother-in-law said that she wants me and my sister-in-law to ride in the carriage to the Marquis’s mansion together.”
“Hmm.”
Huo Pingxiao’s voice was lazy. As soon as the young lady’s gentle words fell, he also lifted his eyelids and looked in her direction.
Upon seeing Ruan An’s outfit for the day, the man’s sharply contoured brows immediately furrowed in displeasure.
“Wait a minute.”
Huo Pingxiao suddenly stood up from the bedside. He strode over to Ruan An, and with a large hand, he suddenly grasped her slender wrist.
Seeing him look her up and down with an unfathomable expression, his gaze intense and intimidating as if he wanted to devour her, Ruan An couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed.
In the Li Kingdom, the social customs were relatively open, and it had recently become fashionable in Chang’an City to wear this kind of revealing chest-baring outfit.
But given Ruan An’s reserved and shy nature, she didn’t dare to dress too boldly, though the skin below her collarbone was indeed more exposed than before.
The young wife’s fair cheeks gradually blushed, and her eyes dodged to the right, avoiding his gaze, looking guilty.
Huo Pingxiao’s cold eyes slightly drooped, and his gaze inevitably fell on that area and stayed there.
He knew better than anyone that although Ruan An was petite, the parts that should be small were not.
Thinking this, Huo Pingxiao’s fierce eyes slightly narrowed, and he asked in a cold voice, “Are you going out dressed like this?”
Fo Lang Ji (???) – a type of early firearm or cannon used in China. The name “Fo Lang Ji” can be translated as “Frankish machine” or “Frankish cannon.” These early firearms were introduced to China through European influence, most notably during the times when European missionaries and traders were in contact with the Chinese empire.