He Changdi looked into the distance. He didn't stop walking, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

Other than Duke Lu and himself, even Colonel Guo didn't know the reason for his sudden promotion.

Although his performance in the army was remarkable, he wasn't the only one who was so outstanding. He wasn't naive enough to think that this was a halo he got after his rebirth.

The Duke of Lu knew what kind of person General Qian was. He had lived two lives, so he knew better than anyone else what kind of person General Qian was. Even if General Qian's legitimate son entered the army, he would have to start from the lowest rank of soldiers, and the requirements for him would only be stricter, not to mention that he was an outsider who had almost no relationship with General Qian.

He was able to start from Colonel Guo and become a general in a short period of time. It was already considered a shortcut. This was also because he had the memories of his previous life and Prince Jin's help.

The reason he could see General Qian again in the army was entirely because of the bottle of wine Chu Lian sent. Although General Qian liked wine, he wouldn't promote him because of a bottle of wine.

So when Colonel Guo informed him that he was promoted to infantry colonel, even he was surprised.

At that time, he immediately went to see General Qian.

General Qian wasn't a person who liked to hide things, so he immediately told him that it was because Duke Zheng had written a letter to speak up for him.

Duke Zheng was General Qian's teacher. His teacher sent a letter to the border to ask him to give He Sanlang a chance. How could he not give his teacher face?

Moreover, the person General Qian respected the most in his life was Duke Zheng. It was no exaggeration to say that if his father spoke, General Qian might not listen. But his teacher's words were the "imperial edict", so he had to do it no matter what.

Moreover, Duke Zheng rarely asked for help, so it was even more impossible for General Qian to ignore it.

However, He Changdi wasn't a fool. He wouldn't refuse the promotion because of this. A higher position meant that his starting point would be higher, and he would be able to achieve his desired goal faster.

He just didn't want to be a foolish person. There must be something wrong when things are abnormal. Although his grandmother and Old Madam Zheng were close friends and often contacted each other, it was only between the two old madams in private. Usually, the two residences didn't interfere with each other's affairs.

In her past life, when Duke Jing 'an's estate met such a tragic end, the old High Duke Zheng had never said a single good word to the emperor. Why would he write a letter to Great General Qian to take care of him now?

Although He Changdi wanted to ask again, he knew that he would not be able to find out the deeper reason. Not to mention that General Qian did not know the whole story, even if he did, he would not tell him.

He Changdi asked to leave. Now, he could only hope that Prince Jin and his family could reveal a little bit of information in the letter.

Also, he hadn't received any letters from home these past few days. He didn't know if Chu Lian, that poisonous woman, had made any unruly moves in the fu. If she dared to make any strange moves, then when he returned to the capital, it would be time to divorce her!

While his mind was in a mess, he had unknowingly walked a long distance.

He remembered that one month after the Fall Quarter Examinations in his previous life, the Tuhun people who had been quiet for five years started a riot in the Northern Region.

It took Great General Qian five months to truly suppress them. At that time, the Northern Border suffered heavy casualties. Because it was winter, the mountains were sealed off by heavy snow, and military provisions could not be transported into Liangzhou. At least one-fifth of the soldiers in the border army froze and starved to death.

Later, the snow melted, and the arrival of spring brought in supplies. Only then did the situation gradually ease, and the Tuhun soldiers were wiped out in one fell swoop.

It was also in that battle that Gao Zhangwei, the lieutenant of the Left Wing under Great General Qian's banner, achieved great military merits and was conferred the title of General of Changping. He was even given a title of nobility.

He Changdi's eyes narrowed slightly, and a glint appeared in them.

In this life, his first step would start from the place where he had been exiled in his previous life!

After walking for another hour, the dilapidated tent that seemed to be far away on the horizon finally appeared in front of him.

It was a small hill, and a few dilapidated tents were built on the leeward side of the hill. The damaged parts of the tents had already been blocked with dried grass that had been cut.

Not far from the tents, there was a fence surrounding them. Two skinny horses and a few old sheep were tied inside the fence.

The sheep's bleating traveled far with the help of the wind.

At this time, the sky had begun to darken slightly, but the tent was still not lit. Standing outside the tent, he could only occasionally hear a few coughs and the low, hoarse voice of a woman.

He Changdi's heart, which had been chilled by the wild wind of Liangzhou's desolate state, seemed to be instantly warmed by this unpleasant female voice.

The corners of his eyes seemed to be hotter than usual. Staring at the tent that was almost drowned in darkness, his deep eyes were filled with warmth at this moment.

He didn't know how long he had stood outside the tent, but the tent curtain that had been pressed down from the inside finally moved. Not long after, a middle-aged woman came out of the tent.

The night grew darker. The woman was wrapped in thick fur clothing, and her face couldn't be seen at all. He could only vaguely see a clumsy shadow.

"Mother."

He Changdi muttered soundlessly at the corner of his mouth.

The middle-aged woman, who had come out to pour water and wash the dishes, raised her head and saw two dark figures not far away. She screamed in fright and fell to the ground.

He Changdi hurriedly went up to help the woman up.

When they got closer, the middle-aged woman saw that it was two Han youths. She immediately heaved a sigh of relief and tried to speak in the barbarian language.

He Changdi also spoke in the barbarian language, and he was quite proficient in it. There was no difference between him and the barbarians. The middle-aged woman became happy and extended her hand to invite He Changdi and Laiyue into the tent to talk.

The barbarians who lived at the borders of Liangzhou were always friendly and hospitable. They treated people who spoke the barbarian language as if they were their own compatriots, simple and warm.

This quality had never changed, whether it was in his previous life or the present.

It was also because of this that they were unprepared, and a few years later, they were all slaughtered by the Tuhun people.

The middle-aged woman lifted the tent curtain, and immediately, a strange smell entered He Changdi and Laiyue's nostrils.

This was because the tent had not been ventilated for a long time, and it was mixed with all kinds of moldy and rotten smells.

Laiyue couldn't help but cover his nose. He raised his head to look at his master, but found that He Changdi's expression didn't even change, as if he had already gotten used to this nauseating smell.

Seeing his master like this, Laiyue could only put down his hand and forcefully endure it.

There was no light in the tent, and it was even darker than the outside.

He Changdi turned to Laiyue and said, "Light the lamp."

Laiyue fumbled for the short table in the middle of the tent, and took out an oil lamp from his bag and lit it.

The light swayed slightly, and the dim tent was instantly filled with warm yellow light. With the help of the light, He Changdi could see the situation in the tent clearly. He could also see the barbarian woman who was standing on the opposite side.

At this moment, the barbarian woman's eyes were wide open, and she stared at the small oil lamp on the table in disbelief. She was stunned for a moment, and then waved her hand in panic, and even reached out to extinguish the lamp.

"Ah Sai, there's no need to light the lamp, the oil is very expensive!" The barbarian woman said anxiously. "Ah Sai" was the barbarian language for a noble young master.

The barbarians worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, and they never had the spare money to buy a luxury like an oil lamp. If they wanted to buy an oil lamp, they would have to go to the Han or Tuhun people's market, and a bottle of oil lamp would cost half a sheep. Most barbarians couldn't afford it.

To them, an oil lamp was a luxury.

(Sorry, girls, there's something urgent today, so I can only update this much. There will be more tomorrow. Also, the barbarians and barbarian language in the article are all fabricated by Ah Lan, so please don't try to verify it.)