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 did not follow Your Majesty's footsteps. I hope Your Majesty will forgive you."
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?"
"Replying to your Majesty, this 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 some outrageous words in front of your Majesty.
Regardless of whether there is one or not, I still have to hammer on 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 Mr. 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 the brother and sister Duan Rui who had walked to the front of the table and sat down, 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 should do and things he shouldn't do, so I think you already have a clear idea of how you should 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 the wine glass filled by Xiao Chengzi and gestured to everyone on both sides.
"Yun'er, Yan'er, Sister Ya, big brother... let's have a drink together."
"Sisters."
"Concubine."
"Your Majesty, 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.
First, it is to allow you to meet this boy Dingbang. I did not 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 my wife in detail about Dingbang's enlistment in the army.
Madam-in-law, you don't know something. The one hundred thousand new soldiers recruited by the imperial court this time. When it comes to deciding on the marshal of the one hundred thousand soldiers and horses, I and the imperial court did not personally appoint the candidates. Instead, they were left to 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 guy 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 our Dalong imperial court’s westward expeditionary army.”
Xu Ling's delicate body trembled, her exquisite and bright almond-shaped eyes stared at her second son sitting opposite for a long time without coming back to her senses, and the words that Young Master Liu had just spoken kept 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 now, and she couldn't accept what she heard for a while.
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 them.
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 second-line military commander of the imperial court.
This news was also a bolt from the blue for both of them.
His brother is actually the Marshal of the Second Army?
How is this possible? Your Majesty, is he not joking?
The thoughts of brother and sister Duan Rui and Duan Hongling are surprisingly consistent with the thoughts of their mother Xu Ling. It is obvious that both brothers and sisters cannot 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 picked up 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 by his own efforts.
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 Liu Dashao's meaningful gaze, 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 eyes 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 beautiful 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 whether my second son will one day follow in the footsteps of his father?
Or, will my second son die in battle like his father?"