“Huh?” Zhang Xin was stunned, blurting out, “Odd change no change?”
“What do you mean by that?” Zhang Bao asked, puzzled.
“Nothing.” Zhang Xin quickly shook his head, “General, what did you mean just now?”
Zhang Bao picked up Zhang Ning and said, “My niece is quite pretty, so I’ll marry her to you as your wife. This way, you’ll be the Great Virtuous Teacher's Son-in-Law, and they naturally won’t object.”
Zhang Xin was stunned by these words.
What is this little kid for me?
Is she as fragrant as Liu Hua?
“How old is Miss this year?” Zhang Xin stammered, “Besides, Xin already has…”
“I didn’t say you had to marry her now.” Zhang Bao interrupted, “I know about that woman in your family. She’s more than ten years older than you. She can be a concubine, but do you really want to marry her as your wife?”
Zhang Xin glanced at Zhang Ning.
The ancients valued appearance no less than modern people. If a person wasn't good-looking, it was very difficult to gain the approval of others.
For example, when Cao Cao met the Xiongnu envoy, he felt he was too short and not imposing enough, so he had Cui Yan impersonate him.
His fondness for Cao Zhi also had to do with how good-looking Cao Zhi was.
Zhang Jiao was able to gather hundreds of thousands of people in over ten years, so his appearance must have been good. As his daughter, Zhang Ning’s looks were naturally beyond reproach.
A child bride?
It's not impossible.
He had already taken on this mess of the Yellow Turbans, so one more little girl wouldn't make a difference.
“This… I wonder if Miss is willing?” Zhang Xin asked.
He didn't mind marrying another woman.
After all, he had finally transmigrated. If he couldn't have three wives and four concubines, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
On this point, Zhang Xin looked down on some transmigrators. They were clearly itching inside but insisted on pretending to be pure-love warriors, trying every possible way to make their wives beg them to take concubines.
What a load of rubbish.
“Parents’ orders, matchmaker’s words. Now that my elder brother has passed away, I am like her father. How could she be unwilling?” Zhang Bao put Zhang Ning down and said, “Ning’er, come, meet your husband.”
“Ning’er greets husband.” Little Zhang Ning said obediently.
Oh my, oh my.
Zhang Xin almost fainted.
Does the little loli even understand what 'husband' means?
This is too much!
“Before the marriage, you are still…” Zhang Xin thought for a moment, unable to find a suitable address, “Just call me older brother for now.”
Zhang Ning looked at Zhang Bao.
Zhang Bao nodded, “From now on, he will be your husband. You must listen to him.”
“Older brother.” Zhang Ning sweetly called out.
“Good sister.” Zhang Xin patted her head.
“We congratulate the Earth Duke General, we congratulate Miss, we congratulate Little General Zhang.” The four Generals all said with smiles.
“Still calling him Little General Zhang?” Zhang Bao glared at the Generals, pulling Zhang Xin to the seat beside the main one again.
This time, Zhang Xin did not refuse and sat down smoothly.
The four Generals exchanged glances, rose from their seats, and knelt on one knee, saying, “We greet Great Marshal.”
This bow confirmed the master-subordinate relationship.
Zhang Xin took a deep breath and slowly said, “All of you, rise.”
“Thank you, Great Marshal.” The four Generals rose.
“The position of Great Marshal is settled. I have no worries.” Zhang Bao smiled at Zhang Xin, “The matter of breaking through will be commanded by Great Marshal. Everyone in the city, including me, is at Great Marshal’s disposal.”
Zhang Xin closed his eyes, his mind working rapidly.
Everyone in the hall saw him like this and dared not disturb him.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhang Xin slowly opened his eyes.
“Zhang Niujiao!”
“General is here.”
“I order you to lead a thousand of your elite troops and bring all the craftsmen in the city to assemble at the North Gate before the hour of Chou tonight!”
“Leaving tonight?” Zhang Niujiao was stunned upon hearing this, “A Xin, isn’t this a bit too hasty?”
“Please address General Zhang as Great Marshal!” Zhang Xin said sternly.
“Yes, Great Marshal.” Zhang Niujiao’s expression tightened.
“There are no more defensive supplies in the city. It’s better to break out sooner rather than later.” Zhang Xin thought for a moment and still explained, “If we wait two more days, the casualties in the city will surge, and we might not be able to leave.”
“General understands.” Zhang Niujiao cupped his fists, “General receives the order.”
Zhang Xin nodded, “Hu Cai!”
“General is here.”
“I order you to lead a thousand of your elite troops, bring plenty of wood for crossing the river, and assemble at the North Gate before the hour of Chou!”
“Receive the order!”
“Li Le!”
“General is here.”
“I order you to lead a thousand of your elite troops, escort the families of the Qu Shuai, and assemble at the North Gate before the hour of Chou!”
“Receive the order.”
“Zuo Bao.”
“General is here.”
Zhang Xin looked at him and asked, “Do you have any troops under your command?”
Zuo Bao’s expression was a bit awkward, “General protected Miss and broke out from Guangzong. Almost all the soldiers under his command died in battle. Now there are less than a hundred people left…”
“In that case.” Zhang Xin pulled out a military tally from his In arms and handed it to him, “Take my military tally to the South Gate and transfer two thousand of my elite troops to assemble in the city, bringing plenty of incendiary materials.”
Zuo Bao took the military tally and cupped his fists, saying, “Receive the order.”
Zhang Xin then looked at Zhang Bao, “As for the rest of the troops, I trouble General to command them and ensure they are assembled at the West Gate before the hour of Chou.”
“Leave it to me.” Zhang Bao saw Zhang Xin’s orderly deployment and nodded with satisfaction, “A Xin, now that you are engaged to my niece and have taken the position of Great Marshal, I, as an elder, will give you a courtesy name. How about it?”
A courtesy name, also known as a 'zi' or 'biaozhi,' was generally adopted by men and women in ancient times after they came of age. It was inconvenient to directly call them by their given names, so an alternative name, usually related in meaning to their given name, was used as a form of address.
Normally, men would only receive a courtesy name after their capping ceremony at the age of twenty. Zhang Xin was fourteen when he transmigrated, and now, two years later, he is only sixteen, so he doesn't have a courtesy name.
But now that he is the Great Marshal of the Yellow Turbans and needs to take charge, not having a courtesy name would be very inappropriate.
“It’s all up to General.” Zhang Xin stood up and bowed.
“Still calling me General?” Zhang Bao deliberately showed an displeased expression on his face.
Zhang Xin scratched his head, “Second Uncle.”
“Hmm…” Zhang Bao pondered, “Your name is Xin, meaning to remove the old. Qing means to remove the turbid. To remove the old with Xin, to remove the turbid with Qing. How about your courtesy name be Zi Qing?”
“Zhang Xin, Zhang Ziqing?” Zhang Xin repeated, “Thank you, Second Uncle, for bestowing the name.”
The courtesy name Zhang Bao chose was quite good. Many people in later generations mistakenly thought that Zhang Jiao and his two brothers were uncultured farmers because they were leaders of a peasant uprising, but this is incorrect.
In reality, they came from powerful families, their family conditions were not bad, and they were well-read from a young age.
Otherwise, how could a few ordinary farmers have persuaded so many people to rebel with them?
“We congratulate Great Marshal.” Zhang Niujiao and the other four Generals all said with smiles.
“All of you, go prepare.” Zhang Xin looked at the four Generals, “Time is urgent, so don’t delay here.”
“Yes!”
Everyone responded, and Zhang Niujiao turned to look at Zhang Bao, his tiger eyes filled with tears.
“General…”
“Life and death are fated; there’s no need to be like this.” Zhang Bao smiled slightly, “From now on, you must assist A Xin well and not be negligent!”
“As you command!” Zhang Niujiao kowtowed.
Hu Cai, Li Le, and others also kowtowed to Zhang Bao.
After the Generals left, Zhang Bao called in his personal guard captain, ordered him to mobilize troops in the city, and then let out a long sigh.
“Zi Qing, accompany me for a talk.”