Chapter 4, Soul Departure Syndrome

Alhahtu felt a bit embarrassed and quickly waved his hand to interrupt the conversation, saying, "But we must not speak of such meaningless things. Come, let us drink!" After saying this, he pulled out two large oil paper packages and a gourd from behind the bedding, smiling proudly as he said, "This is the marinated beef tripe and braised lamb from Lao Xiang Ji, not bad, right? The liquor is the strong spirit drawn from the large vat on the street, so we will make do with it"

Guan Zhuofan shook his head

There is no need for you to worry about anything. Tomorrow morning, you just need to make an appearance. I will take care of the rest, including the expenses at the office.

Guan Zhuofan understood that this gap, if he did not want it, would naturally be eagerly seized by others, giving Wuzuo Ling a great opportunity to line his own pockets. Alhatu was genuinely considering his interests, which is why he spoke to him in this manner. Feeling grateful, he said: "Elder brother A, I will listen to you. Whatever you say, I will do."

However, Guan Zhuofan also has his own considerations. In times of war, high returns come with high risks. Even if it is a seventh-grade vacancy, one is still living a life on the edge, and it is not guaranteed that every time will end in a narrow escape like today. Since he intends to live well in this era, he wants to seek another path for himself, prioritizing stability and settling down first.

This is even more significant than the waist-hugging bow, as the feeling of gratitude is particularly profound. Guan Zhuofan was about to return the gesture, but was stopped by two individuals.

Guan Zhuofan expressed, it turns out we are part of the Cavalry Camp. The Cavalry School holds the rank of Zheng Liu Pin, which is roughly equivalent to that of a Qian Zong in the Green Camp. If it were an actual position, it would indeed be quite valuable

Sigh, if only Ma Eqi were here, you were the closest to him. " Old Cai lamented, "It's a pity that he was lost in the first charge today, leaving behind orphans and widows, truly pitiful.

Oh—Old Cai has also come to understand that since he currently remembers nothing, he needs to be given a lesson

"Guan San, can you still remember things at home?" Alhatu, being more mature, thought more for him.

In the midst of the defeated army, the various unit numbers were complicated, thus finding someone became a legitimate reason. Guan Zhuofan was fortunate; soon a sentinel came to escort him.

Upon reaching the camp, he reported to the sentry the names that the executioner had called out for the last time while he was kneeling on the ground awaiting execution today—Alhatu, Caierjia, Tumen. These were the individuals who had charged alongside him, and he wondered if any of them had survived.

Indeed, Lao Cai's eyes lit up as he recalled something, "You mentioned it once before, you were engaged!"

Guan San! The one who emerged was the bearded military officer, who squatted slightly and wrapped his arms around Guan Zhuofan's waist

You need not be so polite; both my life and Old Ah's life were granted to us by you, Xiao Guan

Cai A Er and the others listened in astonishment as Guan Zhuofan recounted the events of his amnesia. He described how he was struck by a shell from the French forces, how he narrowly escaped death thanks to the cover of a yellow horse, how he fainted and remained unconscious for an entire day, how he walked through the night to locate the main camp, and how seeing his two older brothers felt like reuniting with family... and so on. In truth, aside from the two words 'amnesia,' everything else he said was accurate.

Alhahtu's gaze dimmed as he shook his head: "Among the seven who charged together, only Lao Cai and I are left alive. I originally thought you wouldn't return either..."

His immediate priority now is to locate the main camp of Shengbao

Up to this point, he only knows that he is a low-ranking military officer in the Jingying, holding the position of a ninth-grade external commissioner. Beyond that, he is completely unaware. A person without an identity cannot survive in this world; he must find his comrades and figure out who he truly is, where he lives, and who else is in his family. Additionally, there is another matter that sounds quite strange but must be clarified: his age. A person without an identity cannot survive in this world; he must find his comrades and figure out who he truly is, where he lives, and who else is in his family. Additionally, there is another matter that sounds quite strange but must be clarified: his age

I have made a reservation for a relative? Guan Zhuofan is very interested

Three people were drinking and eating meat in the tent, and before they knew it, they had all become somewhat intoxicated

However, these words cannot be directly spoken to Cai and the other person. Guan Zhuofan thought for a moment and decided to create a reason he had fabricated to present to the two of them.

After pondering for a moment, Guan Zhuofan said, "I do not intend to take this deficiency."

"Brother A, I cannot take such words seriously," Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, "Today was merely a stroke of luck."

Old A was not wrong. Old Cai picked up the conversation, "Xiao Guan, I have always said you are a good person, but you are just too timid and ineffectual. Sometimes... heh heh, sometimes you can be a bit of a fool. Who would have thought that today you would show your true colors! When you spoke back to Lord Sheng, that attitude of yours, I was kneeling on the ground thinking, this kid must be crazy, but who knew Lord Sheng actually bought it!"

Is this true? Congratulations, Brother A! Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, it turns out that among the fallen enemy soldiers, one was killed by Old A.

This is Cai Erjia, and the one with the beard is Alhatu. Guan Zhuofan looked at the two with an inquiring gaze and asked, "What about the others..."

"Please come to my tent and sit down; I have already sent someone to call Old Cai!" The bearded man took his hand and led him into a tent in the main camp. Inside the tent sat a person of short stature, remarkably strong. Upon seeing Guan Zhuofan, his eyes lit up with surprise, and he stood up, unexpectedly bowing to him: "Little Guan, thank you!"

"Xiao Guan, you are suffering from soul loss!" The self-proclaimed knowledgeable Lao Cai said solemnly, "Western weapons are the most sinister; when the cannon fires, many people lose their souls and become disoriented! However, it is not a big deal. I see that you have all three yangs intact, and your spirit is accounted for. As long as you return home and rest for a while, the soul you have lost will gradually find its way back to you."

What?! Old Cai exclaimed, "You must be crazy again, right?"

"Xiao Guan, this money will be covered by me and Lao A Lai, so you need not worry about it." Lao Cai, noticing that Al Ha Tu was hesitating and not speaking, took the initiative to continue, "You seem to have forgotten the situation; let me be straightforward with you, your circumstances are not very good"

No matter what happened in the past, starting today, I will consider the two and the library as my brothers. Guan Zhuofan said sincerely, "Tomorrow I can just go home by myself; the capital is not that big, I won't get lost! However, there are two matters I would like to ask my two brothers to help me with in the camp. First, please help me take a leave of absence; in any case, in my current condition, I can't fight. Second, regarding the Wuzuo leader, please help me resign from that position of the feather leader; I would prefer to continue as my external feather leader."

I see, Guan Zhuofan couldn't help but laugh.

Guan Zhuofan had always had a question. Seizing the opportunity, he asked, "You two robust gentlemen, how is it that today you have also violated the military law of retreating at a critical moment, resulting in a death sentence?"

Do not mention this anymore, it is all just a matter of days! Old Cai waved his hand and smiled at Guan Zhuofan, saying: "You are quite impressive today, and Old A is not bad either; he personally took down a foreign soldier."

This statement is excellent! Guan Zhuofan thought to himself, this way, my reason for leaving the camp is even more justifiable.

Having crossed over to the body of such a wretched person, not to mention the deceased father, mother, and elder brother, I am so poor that I cannot even afford the expenses to get promoted—Heaven, is this what you call a way out?

The waist bow is a form of etiquette among friends of the banner people, typically performed by the younger individual towards the elder. Guan Zhuofan, seeing that this bearded man was clearly older than himself, performed this gesture as a sign of gratitude for his shout of "not convinced" today, which saved the lives of many.

"That won't do! The expenses should be covered by me." Guan Zhuofan refused. According to the prevailing customs at the time, any official promoted must pay a bribe to the clerks in the issuing department to get through; otherwise, there were plenty of ways to make things difficult for you, ensuring that you could not obtain the necessary documents smoothly. The same applied when receiving official robes. Guan Zhuofan did not know the exact amount required, but it was indeed unreasonable to have others pay for his own promotion.

Brother," Alhat said with emotion, "We all misjudged you; we never expected you to be so unassuming.

You and Old Cai are both from the Red Banner, while I am from the White Banner; we are all good brothers. Alhat said, "You live in Shoubi Alley in the south of the city, in the third... or maybe the fourth courtyard from the south. In any case, I will take you back tomorrow. Your father and mother, as well as your elder brother, are no longer around, and you haven't shared much about your family matters with us anyway." At this point, Alhat glanced at Old Cai, and both of their faces inevitably showed a hint of awkwardness and shame.

Upon hearing these words, Guan Zhuofan understood; to put it simply, he had no money. Feeling frustrated on the spot, he was at a loss for words

Since the military rise of the Qing Dynasty following the Ping-Hong-Yang campaigns, there have been continuous years of warfare, resulting in a significant number of individuals being promoted based on military merit. Coupled with the Qing Dynasty's corrupt practice of purchasing official positions, this led to a proliferation of titles, diminishing the value of ranks. For a single official position, there were often three individuals vying for it. There were instances where a general's personal guard, having accumulated merit, was promoted to a third-rank official, yet found no official position to be assigned and had to continue serving as a personal guard. Such occurrences are regarded as jokes in later generations, but they also illustrate that actual vacancies are the most coveted and desirable. Therefore, it is not surprising that Old Cai reacted in this manner.

Guan Zhuofan thought to himself that it seemed the person he had crossed over to was not particularly well-liked in their previous life, and that his relationships with Lao A and Lao Cai were probably not what one would call "good buddies." Their current warmth towards him was likely due to his performance today, which had impressed them.

"No way!" After pondering for a while, Alhatu shook his head and said. Seeing Guan Zhuofan looking at him, he quickly added, "Don't misunderstand; taking leave for you is a simple matter, just leave it to me. As for the issue of not accepting the actual position, I think we cannot handle it this way. We should at least first obtain the seventh-grade official certificate, and then get those two sets of official robes. Wearing them out to intimidate others is also a good idea. Whether to accept the actual position or not is not urgent at this moment; we can deliberate on it over time. Even if we truly decide not to take this official position later, we still need to discuss the matter of a few hundred taels of silver with Old Wu; we cannot let him take advantage of us for nothing."

After the two listened, they were both astonished and moved. They exchanged a glance, and it was still Lao Cai who spoke first.

"It is... it is..." Old Cai began to hesitate again, "It is whether or not he has married the librarian, I don't know"

What matters is to bring back the first head, as this is a rare item! Old Cai said with great enthusiasm, The commander has stated that we must protect Old A as a valiant cavalry officer, and from now on, he will be our proper superior in the Cavalry Camp, won't he? After saying this, he burst into hearty laughter

The reason he is in such a hurry to come here is that he is eager to reclaim his identity

By the way, the Uzo leader from the camp just came to ask about you. Alhat suddenly remembered an important matter, "The commander has agreed to your request; as long as you stay alive, he will grant you a substantive position with a long feather. I will take you to see the Uzo leader tomorrow."

Although he did not witness the outcome of today's battle with his own eyes, in a war characterized by a significant disparity, the Qing army's eventual retreat was likely unavoidable. The difference lies in the fact that due to that successful raid, a complete annihilation of the entire army was probably averted

He knew that after the defeat of the Qing army, Sheng Bao himself would retreat to Dingfuzhuang, where he would reorganize the troops and accommodate the defeated soldiers. Dingfuzhuang is located more than twenty miles northwest of Bailiqiao. Guan Zhuofan estimated that he had walked for less than two hours when he finally saw the military tents outside the village.

Guan Zhuofan remembered this name, Ma Eqi

Both referred to as "Lingchang," their significance differs greatly. The external Lingchang, also known as the Blue Lingchang, signifies an appointment outside the official ranks; although it carries a title, it is merely of the ninth rank. In contrast, the Lingchang is a legitimate title of the seventh rank, representing a proper official in the court's military hierarchy

"I, along with Old Cai, have suffered the same misfortune." Alhatou let out a bitter laugh and shook his head, saying, "Among our more than ten horses, they are all live ones. During our first charge, when the enemy just fired a large rocket at us, these beasts panicked and ran in all directions. Those that ran forward were fine, and those that ran sideways were also fine, but we two were carried straight to the general's front, and we couldn't rein them in! You tell me, if they don't kill us, who will they kill? There's no place to reason with them."

"I must not hide this from you, my two elder brothers," he sighed, adopting a look of confusion. "As of now, apart from seeing the two of you, I can only recall events prior to today, yet I have forgotten everything else."