After Liu Mingzhi sat down on the main seat, he turned slightly sideways and looked at Duan Rui and his three brothers who were trotting over in a hurry.
"You three brothers and sisters, two young and strong men, and a pretty girl in her prime, how come you are not as strong as us older people?"
Duan Rui stopped in front of Young Master Liu with a smile and bowed respectfully.
"Back to Your Majesty, I dare not hide it from Your Majesty. I just reprimanded Dingbang on the way, so I didn't follow Your Majesty's footsteps. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Liu Mingzhi raised his brows lightly and glanced at Duan Dingbang, who looked resentful next to him, with a half-smile.
"Duan Rui, why are you scolding this boy Dingbang? Did he make you or Hongling angry?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, that is not the case. I am worried that when he went to the depths of the Imperial Garden with Your Majesty and King Wuyi just now, he said something outrageous in front of Your Majesty.
Whether there is or not, I have to hammer this little talent.
My father has passed away many years ago. My eldest brother is like my father. As the eldest brother of Dingbang, I have to discipline this boy well to prevent him from causing any trouble. "
Duan Rui bluntly told Young Master Liu what he had just discussed with his younger sister and second brother.
Liu Mingzhi nodded clearly, looked at Duan Rui who was respectful in front of him with a faint smile, raised his head and motioned to the table and chairs below.
"Duan Rui, you, the elder brother, have troubled yourself. We won't talk about these things today. You and Hong Ling can sit down together!"
"I obey, thank you Your Majesty."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Duan Rui and his sister who came to sit down at the front of the table, and looked at Duan Dingbang next to him with a long smile.
"Dingbang."
"Your Majesty, I am here."
"You must have heard what your elder brother just said, right?"
"Back to Your Majesty, I can hear you clearly."
"Just listen clearly. Don't let down your elder brother's hard work for you, let alone the high hopes your elder brother has placed on you.
There are things a man does and things he doesn't do. I think you already know how to behave in the future. "
Duan Dingbang nodded hurriedly and saluted Liu Mingzhi solemnly.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely live up to the high expectations of Your Majesty, brother and you two."
Liu Mingzhi nodded with a smile and placed the jade fan in his hand on the table.
"Take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After Duan Dingbang walked to the chair and sat down, Liu Mingzhi, with a smile on his face, picked up Xiao Chengzi's filled wine glass and gestured to everyone on both sides.
"Yun'er, Yan'er, Sister Ya, eldest brother... let's have a drink together."
"Sisters."
"Concubine."
"Master, wait."
"Let's toast your Majesty."
After everyone finished their glasses of wine, Liu Mingzhi picked up a piece of venison with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, and the banquet officially began.
Liu Mingzhi put down his chopsticks and raised his eyes to look at Xu Ling who was about to pick up her chopsticks.
"Mrs. sister-in-law."
Xu Ling immediately retracted her hand and looked at Liu Mingzhi doubtfully.
"Your Majesty, I am here."
"Mrs. Sister-in-law, I have two purposes for writing this letter asking you to come to Beijing with Duan Rui and Hong Ling, their brothers and sisters.
The first is to allow you to meet this boy Dingbang. I didn’t know about this boy Dingbang’s enlistment in the army without telling you, my wife, my wife, until after one hundred thousand recruits formed an army.
As soon as I learned Dingbang's true identity, I immediately arranged for someone to go study with you.
Now that you have entered Beijing and met this boy Dingbang, I feel relieved.
As for the second time, I just want to talk to you, Mrs. Sister-in-law, about Dingbang's enlistment in the army in detail.
Madam-in-law, you don’t know something. The 100,000 new soldiers recruited by the imperial court this time. When it comes to deciding on the marshal of the 100,000 troops and armed forces, I and the imperial court did not personally appoint the candidates, but let them compete for the decision independently.
To put it in layman's terms, who will ultimately serve as the marshal of the 100,000-strong army was not selected by me personally, but was won by them relying on their own abilities.
Let me tell you, Mrs. Sister-in-law, a great news. This time, this boy Dingbang won the title of Marshal of the 100,000-strong army on his own.
In other words, Duan Dingbang, who is currently sitting in my subordinate position, is now the general marshal of the second leg of the Western Expedition Army of our Dalong Imperial Court. "
Xu Ling's delicate body trembled, her exquisite and bright almond-shaped eyes stared at her second son sitting opposite for a long time, and she did not come back to her senses. The words that Young Master Liu had just said were lingering in her mind.
Marshal of the army?
Dingbang is now the marshal of the army?
His second son Duan Dingbang is now the Marshal of the Second Army of the Western Expedition?
How is this possible? Your Majesty, isn't he kidding himself?
In Dingbang, he is just a new soldier who has just joined the army and has never been on a battlefield. How could he become the military marshal of the imperial court?
Xu Ling's heart was in chaos, and she couldn't accept what she heard.
Not only Xu Ling, but also Duan Rui and Duan Hongling, the brother and sister next to them, could not accept the love news they heard in a short period of time.
His brother turned out to be the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Court's Second Army. This news was like a bolt from the blue to their brothers and sisters.
Not only Duan Rui, the eldest brother of Ding'an Bo, but also Duan Hongling, the sister of County Lord Guorui, couldn't accept the situation they heard.
Their brother is no longer the mediocre little brother they knew, but now he has become the imperial court's second-line military marshal.
This news was also a bolt from the blue for both of them.
His brother is actually the Second Army Marshal?
How can this be? Your Majesty, is he not joking?
The thoughts of brother and sister Duan Rui and Duan Hongling were surprisingly consistent with the thoughts of their mother Xu Ling. It was obvious that both of them could not accept the change of their third brother's identity.
Naturally, Liu Mingzhi didn't know what Xu Ling and her family were thinking, so he cheerfully raised his wine glass and gestured to Xu Ling and the others.
"Mrs. sister-in-law."
Xu Ling instinctively picked up the wine glass in front of her and gestured respectfully to Young Master Liu,
"I am here, Your Majesty, please give me your orders."
"What I just said is true. This boy Dingbang really won the title of Marshal of the Armed Forces with his own strength.
I have no other intention now. I just want to hear a word from you, Madam-in-law. If I let this guy Dingbang lead an army of 100,000 to send troops to the barbarians in the West, would you understand, Madam-in-law? "
Xu Ling felt the meaningful gaze of Young Master Liu, and she remained silent for a long time with a complex expression on her pretty face.
After a long time, Xu Ling looked at Young Master Liu sitting at the front with melancholy and asked softly: "Your Majesty, I can understand your Majesty's painstaking efforts.
But now I want to ask Your Majesty something. I wonder if Your Majesty can you give me an answer? "
"Madam, what kind of answer do you want?"
Xu Ling's charming face was melancholy for a long time. She looked at Young Master Liu and hesitated for a long time before speaking softly.
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask Your Majesty, will my second son follow in his father's footsteps one day?
Or will my concubine's second son die in battle like his father? "
