My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 298 Military Officer
Rongguo Gong Lai Huer is now serving as Right Wing Guard General and Guanglu Dafu.

The Yiwei were the most prestigious of the sixteen guards. Yuwen Shu, the Grand General of the Left Yiwei, and Lai Huer, the Grand General of the Right Yiwei, were the two most favored and powerful generals.

Of course, Yuwen Shu held even greater power because he held multiple positions. He was not only the General of the Left Guard, but also the general of several other guards, making his power unmatched.

However, Lai Huer was one of the emperor's most favored generals. The emperor's favor towards him was second only to Yuwen Shu. He was given command of the most elite army outside Luoyang, and was showered with various rewards and favors. Officials of the third rank and above from the court were sent to Lai Huer's house for banquets. The emperor did not restrict his interactions with his subordinate generals or allow him to directly manage them.

The emperor's high regard for Lai Huer was probably due to his background. Lai Huer was from Jiangdu and joined the army when the Sui Dynasty was established. He had no connection with the nobles and rose through the ranks based on his military achievements.

The emperor liked this kind of person.

The Xiaoji Army Headquarters is located in the southeast of Luoyang, facing the direction of Shaoshi Mountain.

Unlike Yuwen Shu, who stayed in the imperial city with the emperor all day, Lai Huer often traveled between various military camps around Luoyang, urging them to strengthen their training and prepare for war. Lai Huer was quite diligent and proactive, a trait that the emperor also appreciated.

Upon learning that Lai Huer was currently patrolling the Xiaoji Mansion, Li Xuanba led his knights and hurriedly headed there.

So many people wanted to get involved in the new army and make their own way, but Duan Wenzhen was an exception. He didn't want to get involved directly, and he didn't even send anyone. He just gave Li Xuanba a letter and told him to take it to Lai Huer. According to Duan Wenzhen, the elite troops around the capital were all in Lai Huer's hands. Asking him for a batch of officers and soldiers would be the right thing to do.

When Li Xuanba arrived here, he could hear the deafening shouts of battle coming from the military headquarters from a great distance.

As soon as Li Xuanba and his men approached, they were stopped by the soldiers. Yuan Li showed them the documents, and the soldiers dared not stop them. They quickly led Li Xuanba and his men inside and sent someone to report to the military commander.

Li Xuanba and his group entered the training ground. This training ground around Luoyang was much larger than the one in Loufan; it was practically a small city. In the distance, there were many arrow towers, and one could see imposing soldiers standing on them, monitoring the surroundings.

Just as Li Xuanba was surveying his surroundings, a burly man strode towards him. The man was clad in armor, his steps were steady, and his aura was menacing. Yuan Li, standing beside him, whispered a reminder: "This man should be the Eagle-Flying General here. We've come to demand our people, and he'll definitely be reluctant to part with them. My lord, don't be too polite to him."

As they were talking, the man walked up to Li Xuanba and suddenly knelt down in front of him, bowing deeply.

This left Li Xuanba somewhat bewildered, and Yuan Li's eyes widened as well. Wasn't the general's greeting a bit too much?

"General."

"Uncle! Don't you remember me?"

"what?"

Li Xuanba was even more confused by this address. He carefully examined the general in front of him, and after a moment, he finally realized, "Deming?! Is that you?"

"Uncle, it's me!"

The burly general in front of him raised his head, his eyes filled with tears, his expression one of intense emotion.

Li Xuanba quickly helped him up and said to Yuan Li, who was standing to the side, "This is Dou Deming, my cousin."

"Nephew."

Yuan Li pursed his lips, looking at this man who was about the same age as him. This Marquis was of a rather high seniority.
Dou Deming wiped away his tears. "Uncle, how is my stepmother? My grandfather always talks about her. I just returned to Luoyang and haven't had a chance to visit her yet."

This Dou Deming, his grandfather was the elder brother of Madam Dou and the maternal uncle of Li Xuanba.

Li Xuanba was also quite surprised, "How did you get here? Aren't you..."

"Thanks to my uncle!"

Dou Deming said emotionally, "I previously served as an official under the Prince of Qi because of my military merits. Later, I impeached the Prince of Qi to His Majesty and was dismissed by him. Because I offended the Prince of Qi, I dared not stay in Luoyang. Two days ago, I suddenly received an imperial edict, saying that in recognition of my past military merits, I was appointed as a Langjiang (a military officer). When I arrived, I learned that it was my uncle who had dealt with the Prince of Qi."

Li Xuanba suddenly realized that although the current emperor was not a very good person, he was really efficient and focused on high efficiency in everything he did.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Dou Deming smiled and said, "Uncle, you've come to ask for people, haven't you? You can choose any of my elite troops!"

Yuan Li stepped forward and said with a smile, "Your Excellency is too kind. Since we are all family, I will be frank. We are not here for soldiers, but for officers. If you could recommend a few, that would be even better." Dou Deming smiled wryly, "I have only just taken office and do not know everyone very well yet."

Yuan Li asked, "Haven't you met anyone who left a deep impression on General Dou?"

Dou Deming hesitated for a moment, "Yes, there are, but they're not my men. The Duke of Rong has a personal guard captain, and that person really is one of them."

Dou Deming hesitated for a long time before saying, "The might of a tyrant is nothing more than this. I served in the army for many years and have never seen anyone like him. He is simply indescribable."

Yuan Li was overjoyed, "This is exactly the kind of person I want! What's his name?"

"Qin Qiong".

Li Xuanba paused for a moment, then murmured, "My brother seems to have mentioned this name before."

Led by Dou Deming, the group continued walking inside. The soldiers in the distance were quite curious. Li Xuanba had recently become quite famous in the military headquarters, and many people had heard of him. Some soldiers even stood on tiptoe to see this legendary warrior.

Dou Deming reprimanded them a few times before they hurriedly left, and Li Xuanba was thus brought to the front of the commander's camp.

Soon, a soldier came out and told Li Xuanba to go in and pay his respects.

Li Xuanba walked into the tent alone.

Lai Huer, wearing an outer robe, sat down at the table. He looked somewhat tired and was curiously observing Li Xuanba.

"Greetings, Duke Rong!"

"No need to be polite."

Lai Huer was quite amiable, and he gestured for Li Xuanba to sit down and talk.

Li Xuanba sat to the side, but his gaze fell on the young man behind Lai Huer.

This young man was quite tall, but not as exaggerated as the previous Yuchi Gong. He was not old, probably only a little older than his elder brother, but his eyes did not have the sharpness of a warrior. He stood there and even seemed a bit frivolous and lazy.

He is probably not the Qin Qiong that Dou Deming was talking about.

Lai Huer looked at Li Xuanba with a smile, "I have long heard that the Tang State Duke's family has produced a fierce general. He was the first to charge into battle in Liuqiu. I have never been able to accomplish this feat in my entire life, but he accomplished it in just one battle. I truly admire him."

Li Xuanba was taken aback. The Duke of Rongguo didn't seem to be very old, looking even younger than his own father, yet he addressed the Duke as "this old man."

"The Duke of Rong started as a soldier and worked his way up to his current position without relying on his clan like I have. That is what makes him truly admirable."

Lai Huer quite liked the boy in front of her, and seeing that he was quite eloquent, she decided not to make things difficult for him. "You've come here to discuss the formation of a new army, haven't you?"

"This is a handwritten letter from Minister Duan."

Li Xuanba quickly got up and handed Duan Wenzhen's letter to him.

Lai Huer looked at it carefully, then nodded, "Okay, I can transfer some elite troops to you."

"I beg the Duke of Rong to recommend me!"

Li Xuanba then began to speak as Duan Wenzhen had instructed him.

Sure enough, when he said that, Lai Huer became hesitant. Why did Duan Wenzhen send Li Xuanba to find Lai Huer instead of Yuwen Shu and other generals? It was because Lai Huer was different from the other generals. Although he was close to the Guanzhong nobles, he was not a family heirloom. If those old Guanzhong nobles recommended him, they would want to put their own dogs in the list.

But Lai Huer was different. He was more cautious in his actions, avoiding involvement in things he could avoid, and he didn't engage in corruption, bribery, or bullying. He was even qualified to serve as a civil official in governing local areas. If the old nobles were to govern the areas, it would be like letting wolves guard sheep.
This new army job is a good job for others, but not for Lai Huer; it requires caution.

(End of this chapter)