Chapter 58

In the Pingyang Commander's tent at the Dingzhou military camp.

"How does it feel? Being treated as a hero must feel great, right?"

It had been ten days since Luo Shixin broke through the defenses of De Wen Fu. Only now did Luo Shixin return to Dingzhou to report to Princess Pingyang. This battle was won in a crushing manner due to De Wen Fu's poor command. Luo Shixin had to patiently clean up the mess before returning to Yizhou to return the grain and supplies he had requisitioned from the local people.

Yizhou bordered the territory of Gao Kaidao, who was a complete scoundrel. Not only did he serve the Turks, but he also colluded with the Khitan. One day he would open the gates of Youzhou to bring the Turks in, and the next day he would do the same with the Khitan. Although Yizhou was not as prosperous as Dingzhou, it had suffered multiple raids, causing great hardship to the people.

Now that Luo Shixin had protected their safety right under their noses and achieved such a victory, the people were willing to use the grain and supplies to reward the heroic army. This left the local officials in a dilemma: the requisitioning of grain and supplies was a mandatory action.

In ancient times, there was no such thing as democracy. When the state needed something, refusing to provide it was considered a crime of defiance. Grain, as a military resource, was especially so. Therefore, when the order was issued, the spines of the local officials were bent by the unwillingness of the people.

However, when it came time to return the grain, the people were unexpectedly generous and did not want it back. What a stark difference!

Luo Shixin, upon learning the situation, tried his best to return the grain but failed. Persuading people was not his strong suit. However, he had his principles: he could take small advantages, but he would never take advantage of the people. Thus, the situation became deadlocked.

In the end, the local gentry and wealthy merchants stepped in, organizing a grand banquet to invite Luo Shixin and his officers and soldiers, which finally quelled the "public discontent."

This naturally became a beautiful story, and Luo Shixin was thus delayed in handing over his mission.

At this meeting, he was teased by his superior.

"Good!" Perhaps due to their close relationship, Luo Shixin did not use any formalities with Princess Pingyang. He nodded and said, "There is an indescribable joy..." He paused, and the image of the people's peaceful joy at the grand banquet flashed in his mind. He suddenly felt inspired and said, "I think that as a commander, fighting on the battlefield and protecting the country, besides fame and fortune, what we truly seek is the smile on the people's faces, isn't it?"

Princess Pingyang looked deeply at Luo Shixin, a trace of admiration in her eyes. She fought on the battlefield not only to fulfill her ambitions but also for the Li family, to make the Li family rule the world. As for the people, she did not pay much attention. Great achievers could not be so considerate.

Precisely because she could not do it, she felt admiration.

"Is that why you chose to cooperate with Xue Wanjun and share the credit with him?" Princess Pingyang asked with a smile.

Luo Shixin replied without hesitation, "To annihilate the Turks, sharing the credit is nothing. Do you think I'm that petty? Fortunately, Xue Wanjun is a capable person and did not betray my trust."

Princess Pingyang suddenly sighed, "He did not betray your trust, but his life won't be easy. Helping you means offending a petty superior, and his future prospects may not be good."

Luo Shixin nodded in understanding, "He is a smart person and must have been well-prepared before helping me. As a man, I believe he will not regret it. Therefore, there is no need to feel sorry for him. This is his choice, a choice he believes is right. As a friend, even if he suffers unfair treatment because of this, I will support his decision."

"You really respect him!" Princess Pingyang smiled and picked up a small blue book from the table, casually tossing it to Luo Shixin, "Take a look!"

Luo Shixin reached out to catch it. The small blue book was titled "Record of Merits." He glanced at Princess Pingyang's smiling face and opened the book. The first merit, without a doubt, was his name, Luo Shixin, but the content was blank, clearly not yet filled in. The second merit was Luo Yi, who had the merit of protecting Dingzhou. Xue Wanjun, being Luo Yi's subordinate, also shared some of the credit, which made sense. The third merit was naturally Xue Wanjun's, with his achievements clearly recorded. At the end, there was a note stating that Xue Wanjun was both wise and brave and could be transferred to the capital for important duties.

Being transferred to the capital naturally meant being free from Luo Yi's constraints. Luo Shixin was overjoyed and said, "Princess, you are truly my benefactor."

The speaker was casual, but the listener was not. Princess Pingyang's face turned red, and she quickly coughed to cover her embarrassment, glaring at him, "What are you talking about? I just saw that you brought glory to me, surpassing my older and younger brothers, so I helped you a little."

"What?" Luo Shixin was a bit confused.

Princess Pingyang explained, "I received a letter from my younger brother yesterday, detailing the movements of the other two armies. Neither of the two armies engaged the Turks in a major battle; they only had small-scale skirmishes. My younger brother, Li Shenhufu, in Hedong, won two battles against the Turks at the east of Fen River and the north of Sha River, obtaining over 500 heads. In Fen Prefecture, the Prefect Xiao Yi defeated a Turkish detachment, obtaining over 5,000 heads. In Bin Prefecture, where my older brother is, although they suffered a minor setback at Dazhen Pass, they quickly defeated the Turks in two battles at San Guan Mountain and Chonggang Town, obtaining over 1,500 heads. Ha ha, their combined achievements do not match ours. Isn't that a great honor?"

Luo Shixin felt a bit elated. He never thought that his two battles would surpass the achievements of Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin. Indeed, it was impressive, and he nodded without hesitation.

"So, to reward the great hero, I have decided to invite the general to go hunting on Heng Mountain tomorrow. Will the general do me the honor?" Princess Pingyang looked at Luo Shixin with a radiant expression, a hint of expectation in her eyes. She seemed worried he might refuse and added, "Shooting at targets is the most foolish way to practice archery. Hunting is the fastest way. When we were young, Father would take us out hunting every few days, so except for my older brother, all of us are skilled archers."

"Of course, I will go!" Luo Shixin was greatly excited, his eyes sparkling. Hunting was one of his hobbies, but the methods were different in different eras. In the modern era, he would go hunting for wild chickens during the New Year, especially after a snowfall when the chickens came out to forage, being both foolish and clumsy. As long as his shooting wasn't terrible, he could catch five or six in one night. Eating the wild game he had hunted and drinking with friends was especially satisfying, the only downside being that this was only possible in his hometown.

Now he could learn archery and go hunting, what a wonderful opportunity.

PS: I'm really sorry, I'm taking my driving test, and the instructor suddenly scheduled practice sessions. The schedule is too tight, so the updates are slow and few.

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