After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 26

“To me,” Chen Qing said, “this whole thing is someone deliberately making things difficult. It must be Commandant Jiang giving the orders, assigning the bad soldiers to Pei Er. I heard from Erzi that those soldiers just happen to be the poorest ones in our camp. Maybe because they’re short of money, they were bribed by Centurion Jiang to trip Pei Er up during training.

“Otherwise why does every one of them act like they haven’t eaten? Either this one has no strength or that one looks half-dead. They can’t even train for half a quarter of an hour before they’re panting, wishing they could just collapse on the ground.”

The more Chen Qing spoke, the more indignant he became.

However, because his leg bone was broken, he had not participated in training. These situations were all things he had heard from his subordinate Erzi, and he had added quite a bit of his own speculation.

Zhang Hu had happened to come to visit his younger brother. Hearing this, he became displeased and said, “What does this have to do with poor soldiers? Who says poor soldiers are bad? I’m a poor soldier too.”

When Chen Qing heard this, he knew he had misspoken and hurriedly scratched his head with a sheepish grin. “Well… Brother Zhang, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just too angry, standing up for my brother Pei Er, right Miss Shen? Besides, I’m a poor soldier too. I don’t actually have much money in my pocket either. Only the last time during the big competition I bet on Pei Er winning and made a bit.”

When Zhang Hu heard him mention “Miss Shen,” he realized Li Chanxiu was also present. Worried that he might misunderstand, he hurriedly explained again, “Miss Shen, that’s not what I meant. I’m not against Centurion Pei. I just…”

Li Chanxiu smiled and interrupted, “I understand. You don’t need to explain.”

Most of the soldiers in the wounded soldiers’ camp came from poor backgrounds. Looking around at the people nearby, he continued, “There’s no logic that poor soldiers are bad soldiers. Most who become soldiers come from poor families, and the ones who charge to the front to kill the enemy on the battlefield are also soldiers from poor backgrounds. Otherwise, why would the ones lying in our wounded soldiers’ camp mostly be poor soldiers?”

The tent fell silent for a moment. Suddenly someone shouted loudly, “Well said!” and the others immediately echoed.

“Whenever we fight, aren’t we always the ones charging at the front?”

“Exactly, Centurion Jiang certainly wouldn’t.”

“If you ask me, Pei Er is the same. When he was carried back, he was covered in blood, injured like that.”

“Miss Shen is right!”

“Right, right, yes, yes.” Chen Qing hurriedly chimed in as well, emphasizing, “I’m poor too.”

Zhang Hu glared at him.

Li Chanxiu soon lowered his head again and continued checking the injured soldiers’ wounds.

What he had just said was partly to prevent anyone from forming resentment toward Pei Er because of Chen Qing’s earlier words, but it was also truly what he thought in his heart.

In the dream, most of the soldiers who later followed him had also come from poor backgrounds.

After checking several more seriously injured soldiers and changing their medicine, he finally picked up the medicine box and left.

Zhang Hu hurriedly escorted him out. After leaving the wounded soldiers’ camp, he awkwardly tried again to explain.

Li Chanxiu smiled and interrupted, “You don’t need to say it. I understand everything.”

After a pause, he asked again, “But what Chen Qing said about Pei Er having things made difficult for, is it true?”

Hearing this, Zhang Hu hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a grave expression.

“Actually, Chen Qing is right. The soldiers assigned to Centurion Pei by the higher-ups are indeed… the worst ones in the camp. Whenever they perform poorly and drag things down, causing Centurion Pei to be scolded, we can’t even argue back.” Because the other side has their reasons.

In fact, on the very first day, Zhang Hu had already talked back to Thousand-man Commander Bai out of dissatisfaction on Pei Er’s behalf. The result was only that the two of them were punished and scolded together.

After hearing this, Li Chanxiu frowned. When Pei Er had come to see him this afternoon, he had not revealed any of this at all, and there had been no sign of anything unusual in his expression.

He nodded. After saying goodbye to Zhang Hu, he originally intended to pass by the training ground. But when he thought that Zhang Hu was able to come to the wounded soldiers’ camp at this moment, training must already be over, and Pei Er certainly would not be at the training ground.

Since he was not at the training ground, Li Chanxiu did not know where the other person might be. After thinking about it, he decided to return to the pharmacy first.

The next morning, when Li Chanxiu went to the wounded soldiers’ camp again, he deliberately took a detour and passed by the training ground.

These past two days, the north wind had become fierce again.

On the training ground, more than a thousand soldiers stood in square formation, each holding a broadsword, practicing swings against the cold wind. Waves of shouts echoed through the wind.

The more than one hundred soldiers led by Pei Er stood on the far west side of the formation. Compared with the others, they really did look as though they had not eaten. After only a few movements, they were already panting heavily, as if completely exhausted.

Li Chanxiu frowned slightly. In the dream he had later led soldiers as well. With just one look he could tell Chen Qing had not been wrong, these soldiers were so weak that it almost seemed like they were pretending.

Logically speaking, early in the morning, just after getting up and finishing the morning meal, they should be full of energy. It really should not be like this.

Sure enough, as soon as one set of chopping movements was finished, Pei Er was called forward by that Thousand-man Commander Bai.

Pei Er’s figure was tall and straight, his steps broad and powerful. But the moment he arrived before the formation, Thousand-man Commander Bai immediately began scolding him harshly.

“Look at the soldiers you’re leading! Every single one of them moves like limp noodles. Haven’t they eaten? Let me tell you, don’t think that just because you took first place in the grand competition you’re something special. That doesn’t count for anything here. If you lack ability, then you lack ability. What’s the use of having only the brute courage of a reckless man? You can’t even manage a hundred men properly. That proves you have no ability to lead troops! With your level, you’re a centurion? I think you’re only fit to be a little foot soldier charging at the front.”

Thousand-man Commander Bai’s tone was extremely arrogant. After scolding him, seeing Pei Er’s face tense and his hands clenched, he added: “What? Not convinced? I know you have backing. General Chen favors you. But let me tell you, in the military camp we talk about strength, not connections. If you’re not convinced, go complain to General Chen. Say that you, Pei Er, can’t bear being wronged and can’t endure being scolded. Hurry and have him change your superior.”

Saying such words in front of more than a thousand soldiers was extremely merciless and very cutting.

Pei Er stood silently before the formation, bearing the gaze of countless eyes. His fists unconsciously clenched, emotions suppressed in the depths of his eyes.

Zhang Hu, standing among the ranks, could no longer endure it. Unable to restrain himself, he stepped forward, but suddenly someone beside him grabbed him tightly.

Pei Er’s peripheral vision quickly swept toward him as well, carrying a warning.

Zhang Hu forced himself to endure it and slowly withdrew his step.

Thousand-man Commander Bai scolded Pei Er for a long time in front of the thousand-plus soldiers. Only then did he allow the others to rest in place for a while and order Pei Er to return and continue training with the hundred-plus men.

The thousand soldiers squatted down, and their line of sight was soon unobstructed. Li Chanxiu quickly lifted his medicine box and turned sideways to leave.

With Pei Er’s personality, he certainly would not want him to see what had just happened.

Li Chanxiu walked away quickly, his brows slightly furrowed.

To be honest, judging from the training condition of the hundred or so men under Pei Er, if it had been the him from the dream, he probably would have called the leader over and given him a scolding as well.

This was also what the person in the dream, the one who had given him the golden eagle, had once advised him: a commander cannot lead troops with excessive kindness.

But was Thousand-man Commander Bai’s scolding really only because Pei Er had failed to train his soldiers well?

He thought not.

The malice in those words had been obvious, clearly targeting Pei Er.

Moreover, those hundred-plus men had only recently been assigned to Pei Er, and Thousand-man Commander Bai had been the one who handled the transfer. How could he not know the original level of those soldiers?

These things could not be accomplished overnight. Even if someone else had taken over, it would have been impossible to train those soldiers properly in just one or two days. Not to mention those soldiers…

The more Li Chanxiu thought about it, the tighter his brows knitted.

***

That afternoon, Pei Er came to the pharmacy again to see Li Chanxiu.

Just like yesterday, his steps were unrestrained and his figure relaxed. The armor plates on his armor clinked rhythmically as he walked.

When he saw Li Chanxiu, a faint smile quickly appeared at the corner of his lips, and his eyes seemed to brighten as well.

Li Chanxiu happened to be free. When he looked up and saw him come in, he was momentarily startled, then smiled lightly and asked, “Why did you suddenly come?”

Pei Er gave a light cough and said, “The food in the camp today was not bad. I thought you probably hadn’t eaten yet, so I got some extra dishes…”

The implication was that he had come to eat together with Li Chanxiu.

Li Chanxiu looked at the smiling eyes before him. It was as though the unpleasant scene from the training ground that morning had never happened to him.

He should not have agreed. But at this moment, after looking into Pei Er’s eyes for a long time, he suddenly smiled and said, “Alright.”

The smile in Pei Er’s eyes clearly grew brighter. Like an inexperienced young man, he hurriedly set down a bowl of vegetables mixed with a few slices of meat.

But the weather outside was cold, and after carrying it all the way here, it had already cooled.

Fortunately, the pharmacy had a charcoal brazier and large ceramic bowls, so Li Chanxiu placed the dish over the brazier to warm it.

The two of them sat around the charcoal fire, eating coarse-grain steamed buns with the dish and drinking some hot water.

Pei Er did not mention what had happened on the training ground, and Li Chanxiu did not bring it up either. The two of them chatted casually about other things, and also mentioned the golden eagle that was being kept at home.

Today’s dish was somewhat bland, with almost no salty taste. Li Chanxiu stood up to get some salt from the medicine cabinet, sprinkled it into the bowl, and stirred it with chopsticks. Only then did it finally taste better.

By the time the meal was almost finished, Pei Er still had not mentioned those unpleasant matters.

Li Chanxiu saw this and finally hesitated before speaking: “Yesterday in the wounded soldiers’ camp I heard Chen Qing say that they were making things difficult for you on the training ground?”

Pei Er’s chopsticks paused, and the smile on his face stiffened.

Li Chanxiu thought for a moment, then asked again, “Chen Qing said the higher-ups deliberately assigned you poor soldiers to make things difficult for you. In your opinion, are those soldiers truly weaker, or are they deliberately not training properly, or is there some other reason?”

“Actually, I was just about to talk about this matter.” Pei Er withdrew his smile and said thoughtfully, “Those soldiers really do train poorly. From time to time they complain of being tired, and their movements have no strength. But I don’t think they’re pretending.”

“Oh?” Li Chanxiu turned his head slightly, listening to him with a serious expression.

Pei Er paused briefly, his gaze passing over the side of his face, and continued, “I’m not sure of the reason either, but I guess, could they be sick? Or…”

After a pause, he looked at Li Chanxiu and said hesitantly, “You understand medicine. I was thinking… could I ask you to help take a look?”

Li Chanxiu’s expression froze for a moment. Because of that dream, he indeed understood some medicine, but most of it involved treating external injuries. However…

“Alright.” He still nodded, but reminded him beforehand, “My medical skill is actually average. If it’s some strange illness, I might not necessarily be able to tell.”

At this moment Pei Er let out a low laugh, looking at him with bright eyes, and said softly, “But I heard the people in the wounded soldiers’ camp all call you the little miracle doctor.”

Li Chanxiu: “……”

For a moment he could not tell whether the other party was teasing or being serious. After a while he avoided his gaze and said somewhat unnaturally, “Should we go now?”

Pei Er glanced at the sky outside and shook his head. “Not today. At this time they should be on duty at the beacon tower.”

Mainly because it was already evening. At the end of the year the days were short; although the sky was still somewhat bright, it would be completely dark soon.

Thinking of this, he spoke again, “Tomorrow then. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll come pick you up.”

Li Chanxiu smiled. “It’s only a few steps away. I can go by myself.”

But Pei Er was somewhat stubborn. “I’d better come pick you up.”

Li Chanxiu: “…Alright.”

***

The next afternoon, Li Chanxiu deliberately left the time open. When Pei Er arrived, he had just prepared the medicine box.

Pei Er stood at the doorway, his figure backlit and somewhat tall. When Li Chanxiu walked over carrying the medicine box, he bent slightly and took the box from him.

Li Chanxiu was stunned for a moment and quickly said, “No need.”

But Pei Er said, “I’m the one asking you for help. I should carry it.”

After saying this, he carried the medicine box and strode out. Li Chanxiu could only follow.

Pei Er did not take him to the training ground, but to the place where the soldiers ate. It happened to be the time when they were having their afternoon meal.

When Li Chanxiu arrived at the tent, he vaguely understood why Pei Er had chosen this time to bring him, Thousand-man Commander Bai was not there. The man was probably eating in his own thousand-man commander’s tent.

After arriving, Pei Er first called over a dozen of the soldiers under him and had them line up so that Li Chanxiu could examine them conveniently.

He also had Zhang Hu stand nearby, in case there were too many people and someone ignorant might offend Li Chanxiu.

Then he himself took two bowls and went to get food.

Li Chanxiu shook his head with a smile and began examining those dozen soldiers first.

These dozen men were not particularly tall or strong, and they were clearly somewhat afraid of Pei Er. They had probably been scolded these past two days as well.

Before Li Chanxiu had examined many of them, Pei Er returned carrying food.

His gaze was sharp and cold as he swept a look over those soldiers who looked like quails, making them shiver. Then his tall figure bent slightly as he lowered his head and asked Li Chanxiu, “Are you tired? Eat something first before continuing.”

Li Chanxiu smiled helplessly. “I haven’t examined many people yet.”

“Even so, eat something first.” Pei Er said in a somewhat forceful tone.

He bent down and placed the steaming dishes and steamed buns in front of Li Chanxiu, then arranged the chopsticks as well.

After that he stood up, glanced again at those soldiers, and said, “You go eat first. Don’t rush off after you’re done.”

Those soldiers felt as though they had been granted amnesty and hurriedly turned around, crowding together as they left.

Li Chanxiu was helpless and could only listen to him and eat first.

He took a bite of the coarse-grain steamed bun, then picked up a bit of the dish and put it in his mouth, casually saying, “Today’s dish also doesn’t seem to have much salty taste?”

“Really?” Pei Er turned around and sat down beside him with bold movements. After eating a bite of the dish himself, he said, “It’s been like this these past few days.”

Zhang Hu was also eating nearby at this time, stuffing buns and vegetables into his mouth in big bites. His voice was somewhat muffled as he said, “Not just these past few days. The big pot meals in the military camp have always been like this. They’ve always tasted like this.”

“Always like this?” Li Chanxiu froze when he heard this.

“Yeah.” Zhang Hu stuffed another bite of bun into his mouth.

Li Chanxiu frowned slightly. The taste of this dish was not much different from what the women’s quarters ate, it was as bland as boiled water. If it had always been like this…

“The bowl of vegetables you brought me last time seemed to have much more salty taste than this,” he said to Zhang Hu again.

Zhang Hu laughed. “Miss Shen, that was food from the wounded soldiers’ camp. It’s made on a small stove, so it’s definitely more refined.”

“So the big pot meals have always been like this?” Li Chanxiu asked further.

Although Pei Er did not understand the reason, seeing him ask like this, he guessed there must be a reason and could not help asking while looking at him, “Is there a problem with the dish?”

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