Hearing the commander-in-chief's question, I was stunned. Carry the banner of the Shangguan family?
It was just a simple sentence, but it carried a lot of weight. I didn't know why he would ask such a crazy question.
I squeezed out a smile, "Grandpa Shangguan, don't joke."
"I'm not joking. I'm serious." The commander-in-chief shook his head. I couldn't see anything from his expression.
"Isn't there still Shangguan Jie?
Even if he wants to carry the banner, it won't be my turn, "I said nervously. I felt my body was trembling, and I didn't know what to say.
Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. Actually, I brought Jie back from the orphanage. Back then, when the old man was all alone, he took a liking to him and wanted to groom him to be my successor. However, Jie's growth over the years has not been satisfactory. I didn't expect that the environment of an official's family would harm him instead. Sigh. "The commander-in-chief sighed softly, looking slightly vexed.
It was impossible for people to make the right decisions all their lives. There would always be times when they were confused. It was undeniable that Shangguan Jie brought a lot of laughter when he was young, but later, the headaches came one after another, which had long overshadowed his so-called advantages.
Before Wan'er returned home, Shangguan Jie had always been arrogant and had no sense of hardship. He thought that after the commander-in-chief retired to the second line, he would definitely be able to rise and create glory again. He secretly left the military area several times and ran to the nearby small cities to indulge in debauchery and women. Because he was a prostitute, the bosses couldn't do anything about it. But after a few times, this kind of news spread to the commander-in-chief's ears.
He reprimanded Shangguan Jie a lot, telling him to learn the art of war well. Even if it was a peaceful era, he shouldn't forget his roots and be prepared for danger in times of peace.
Shangguan Jie didn't take it seriously. He said that before he took office, he should be crazy for a while, enjoy life, and then work hard. For these promises, the commander-in-chief didn't take it seriously. He just thought that Shangguan Jie was thick-skinned and didn't change.
Almost everyone in Nan Yun Province knew that he had such a fearless' grandson '. After being disappointed many times, he was disheartened. He just wanted to hold on for a few more years and see if he could discuss with the higher-ups. Even if it wasn't the Shangguan family's successor, it didn't matter. As long as Nan Yun Province was prosperous and the people lived in peace, it was more important than anything else.
Since the battle in the Zhao Martial Arts Club, I became famous. After Little Cherry was recognized, the commander-in-chief also noticed me. After all, Nan Yun City had always been a tripartite situation. Then, Old Zhao took advantage of San Ye's betrayal and wiped out the Tiger Head Gang without any effort. Then, there was a situation where one family dominated.
As for me, I appeared out of nowhere with the identity of a disruptor, causing the Zhao family to be in a state of chaos. The commander-in-chief was pleasantly surprised by my actions. Due to his fear of the Ouyang family, he pretended to be indifferent on the surface, but in reality, he was looking forward to my future growth.
When he learned that it was Tianji Laoren who recommended me, he was even more surprised. Previously, because of the Ouyang family's Hongmen Banquet, he had no choice but to say some harsh words and almost punish me. However, with my brave and invincible performance in the preliminaries, the previous promise disappeared.
Although Shangguan Jie was a few years older than me, his ability to deal with things was too extraordinary. It was not a wise move to always coordinate interpersonal relationships around drinking and having fun. Especially at his level, he could find a lot of excuses even though he was obviously greedy for pleasure.
Even if he took over, he would not have a good ending. After all, it was hard to change one's nature. In the position of the commander-in-chief, any small problem that appeared could be infinitely magnified. As long as someone wanted to mess with Shangguan Jie in the future, it was absolutely a matter of minutes!
On the contrary, the commander-in-chief found me pleasing to the eye, especially since I was not arrogant or rash. I was neither servile nor overbearing. Even after winning the championship of the preliminaries, I was still so humble, as though I wasn't involved. If it was Shang Guanjie or any other warrior, they would have long become arrogant.
No matter when, it was important to maintain a normal state of mind. This would determine one's future development space. The commander-in-chief was an old man, so he could see through certain things very clearly. He was also well aware of what kind of ability and mental fortitude were needed to be qualified for this position.
After a conversation, I heard the commander-in-chief's melancholy and worries. His worries were not unreasonable. Like Nan Yun Province, a provincial capital located at the border, it definitely had a decisive role. Once there was a problem, it would be out of control. It was because of the commander-in-chief's presence that the weather had been smooth all these years.
He was now old, and his body was ill. I didn't know how long he could last. Although it was not the right time, he still wanted to sound me out.
Facing his high regard, I blushed a little, "Cough, Grandpa Shangguan, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Of course, the truth," the commander-in-chief said without hesitation.
"Alright, the current me actually doesn't have the ability to carry the flag. You have overestimated me. It doesn't mean that just because I'm good at martial arts, I can manage the army in an orderly manner. Moreover, I'm only a student. No matter how outstanding I am, it'll be hard for me to convince the masses. Moreover, I feel that I'm easily swayed by my emotions. This is a huge problem." I took a deep breath and said unhurriedly.
There was no doubt that the flag of the Shangguan family was extremely tempting. As long as it was a normal person, they would be tempted. Just like Shangguan Jie, he was just the grandson of the commander-in-chief, but he was already arrogant and domineering in the province, let alone qualified for his position.
The commander-in-chief was obviously stunned. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Xiao Zhuang, other people who want to sit in this old man's position have to sell themselves and talk in a positive direction. On the contrary, you just pick on the shortcomings. The problems you mentioned do exist, but the shortcomings do not obscure the gems. You are only eighteen years old, and there is still a lot of room for improvement. In the future, you will definitely be more outstanding and dazzling, but there is also a big problem."
"Ah, what's the problem?"
To be honest, the commander-in-chief's sudden change of topic caught me off guard. After all, I was overjoyed when he praised me, but it came to an abrupt stop. It was like eating something that hadn't been satisfied yet.
"You have too many female confidantes around you, so many that this old man has some doubts about whether you can take into account Wan 'er's feelings."
The commander-in-chief frowned, revealing a trace of dissatisfaction. Compared to my impulsiveness, this was what he was most depressed about.
After all, in the future, they would no longer be a simple couple. There would be a third party, a fourth party … or even more. For the commander-in-chief, face was still very important. If outsiders knew that Wan-er shared a husband with another woman, it would be impossible for her to show her face in public.