Patrol Captain

After Gongsun Wuji left, Chen Yuan turned his head and glanced sideways.
"Lu Ming."

“Hey, General,” Lu Ming took two steps forward.

"Currently, the Twelve Mountains Expeditionary Army is recruiting soldiers, and six mountains are being rebuilt. The appointment of the Lieutenant General is pending, right?" Chen Yuan asked.

“Yes, during yesterday’s council meeting in the main hall, Mr. Gongsun reported on the list of recruits and mentioned this matter. The six mountains were basically wiped out before, and the army is currently being rebuilt. Mr. Gongsun has assigned people from my Ninth Mountain to manage the recruitment of soldiers. However, the position of Lieutenant General is yet to be determined. Mr. Gongsun said that it is necessary for you, General, to make the decision.” Lu Ming put his hands on his side and reported truthfully.

Chen Yuan nodded. "With war imminent, the selection of the Six Mountain Generals must be decided as soon as possible to avoid delaying important matters."

"We need to select capable leaders from among our subordinates. Lu Ming, do you have any good candidates?" she said thoughtfully, throwing the question to Lu Ming.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's rugged eyebrows twitched, he lowered his head slightly, cleared his throat, and said:
"General, I think Gongsun Wuji is the right one!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow, looked at him with a half-smile on his face.

"What, even our General Lu is starting to flatter us?" As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the direction Gongsun Wuji had left in. "Gongsun Wuji is indeed a good man, but ultimately he lacks experience in leading troops and is unable to command the troops. This war involves so many lives. If I were to elevate an old friend to this position out of consideration for past relationships, what would I become?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming knelt down on one knee, saying, "This subordinate has misspoke; please punish me, General."

As he spoke, a look of hesitation flashed across his face, and he couldn't help but glance upwards. He said somewhat awkwardly in a low voice, "The general just finished meeting Gongsun Wuji and then asked me this question. I... I misunderstood."

Lu Ming did indeed think so. He saw that the general valued Gongsun Wuji, and when the general suddenly asked him about the vacancy of the Six Mountains General, he naturally thought of this.

Chen Yuan laughed upon hearing this, "Lu Ming, you look rough and tough, but you're quite shrewd. Friendships are one thing, but war is no child's play. What, when I said the position of General of the Six Mountains was vacant and asked you to recommend someone, didn't you even think of yourself?"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Lu Ming's body stiffened, and his voice became serious: "This humble general is of meager talent, how dare I presume to recommend myself? This humble general is content to remain by the general's side forever."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan recalled the days in Baidi City, and his voice was filled with reminiscence, "How long have you been by my side?"

"Reporting to the General, I have been following you since the year Jiazi, which is now four years."

Chen Yuan put his hands behind his back and sighed, "Four years, but I felt like forty years had passed. This life is really agonizing."

"There's a saying in my hometown: 'A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier.' You three led two thousand defeated soldiers back then, fighting alongside me in the north and south, enduring hardships and dangers. You were second to none, and it's time for you to stand on your own."

Lu Ming looked up, about to speak hastily, but was interrupted by him, "No need for further words, you will still be my soldiers once you leave."

"Go, send someone to summon Lord Pei, the generals of the mountains, and Tian Sheng to the Zhonglang Hall. I will work with them to determine the candidates for the remaining six Zhonglang generals as soon as possible."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Lu Ming stood up, accepted the order, and left.

Half an incense stick's time later, in the Hall of the Ninth Mountain, the original members of the Daofu Division gathered together.

Previously, Qi Tian, ​​the Demon Suppressing General, guarded Tianxiong Pass. The generals of the mountains and Pei Yanhu of Jiangyou Pass returned to take charge of the affairs of the various mountains after Chen Yuan led his troops to defeat the Beiliang cavalry at Guiku Mountain. Qi Tian, ​​the Demon Suppressing General, stayed behind to guard Tianxiong Pass.

Now, everyone is sitting in the Zhonglang Hall, waiting for Chen Yuan to speak.

Sitting at the head of the table, Chen Yuan's gaze swept over everyone present. Without beating around the bush, he said, "You are all veterans of the Mountain Expeditionary Army, so I will get straight to the point."

"The six mountain-climbing armies are now being rebuilt, and the position of Lieutenant General is vacant. With war imminent, the candidate for Lieutenant General needs to be determined quickly to avoid delaying the training of troops."

"Does anyone have a candidate in mind?"

Upon hearing this, the other commanders from the various mountains exchanged glances, remaining silent. It wouldn't be appropriate for them to speak, after all, the six mountain-climbing armies had all been rebuilt under Chen Yuan's order, and it had nothing to do with them. Then, an unexpected voice rang out...

"Is it suitable for me, Pei, to serve as the eleventh mountain?"

Then, Pei Yanhu, who was sitting to Chen Yuan's right, spoke up in a low voice.

Everyone present turned to look at him in surprise, and even Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Chen Yuan turned his gaze to his former boss, leaned forward slightly, and spoke in a gentle voice,

"Lord Pei, you are the Deputy Commander of the Pacification Commission, why are you considering becoming a Lieutenant General?"

"Is there anything else Mr. Chen needs from you, sir?"

He respected his former boss, but that didn't make sense.

But beneath Pei Yanhu's calm tiger eyes lurked a turbulent undercurrent. "My son once served as the Lieutenant General of the Eleven Mountains. All the soldiers of the Eleven Mountains perished at Weiyuan Pass. Now that the Eleven Mountains are being rebuilt, this is my only wish as their father."

"As for the deputy commander position, the court has already dismissed me. I'm just a nobody, so it doesn't matter where I go." He spoke as if it were insignificant.

But everyone present fell silent upon hearing this.

Chen Yuan sighed almost imperceptibly, recalling how he had been given the seal by Pei Yanhu and sent to support Weiyuan Pass, only to be met with devastating news: the two mountain-climbing armies of the Tenth Mountain and the Eleventh Mountain had been completely wiped out, including Pei's son.

Since ancient times, it has been said that sons inherit their fathers' ambitions. Now, this old boss wants to fulfill his son's ambitions. The emotions involved cannot be explained in a few words.

"Then let's do it this way," Chen Yuan decided.

Having said that, he changed the subject, turning his gaze to the other five generals of the Five Mountains. He asked:
"Gentlemen, are there any other candidates?"

Under his gaze, the Sixth Mountain General stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, “The reconstruction of the Six Mountains was originally arranged by General Chen. The selection of personnel should be made by General Chen. We should just take care of our own troops and cooperate with the general. There is really nothing to say.”

"Me too."

"Me too."

The other lieutenant generals also seconded the motion, leaving little room for argument.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan nodded, "Alright, in that case, I plan to send three of my cavalrymen out to take charge of their own affairs and serve as the Three Mountains Generals."

“Tian Sheng, Lu Ming.” He called out Yun Tian Sheng, Lu Ming.

"Your subordinates are here!" The two men stepped forward and stood in front of the hall, their imposing presence evident. They bowed and touched their hands, their foreheads slightly lowered.

"Yun Tiansheng, effective immediately, I hereby appoint you as the First Mountain General, commanding troops of the First Mountain and bearing the banner bearing the character 'Yun'!"

"Lu Ming, I hereby appoint you as the Second Mountain General, commanding the Second Mountain and taking charge of the Wind Banner!"

"As for Liu Qing, he is appointed as the Third Mountain General, in charge of the Third Mountain and in charge of the Thunder Banner!"

With two resounding clangs, Yun Tiansheng and Lu Ming knelt down on one knee simultaneously, and solemnly declared in their voices:
"This subordinate obeys! I will certainly not fail the general's trust!" (End of Chapter)