Seeing the military personnel arrive, Hu Hao’s parents felt their legs turn to jelly and burst into tears. But then they heard the shouts from outside: “They aren’t here to deliver a death notice!”
“Not a death notice? Then what are they here for? They’re not here to conscript my youngest son, are they?” Hu Xingjun was stunned for a moment before a new fear gripped him. Assuming the military was forcibly conscripting his youngest son to send to the front lines, he rushed out into the courtyard.
“What do you want?!” he shouted at the officers. “I only have one son left at home! My eldest is already in the army!”
“Please do not misunderstand. We just need to verify your identification,” the Colonel approached him and spoke gently.
“Wait, am I being conscripted?” Hu Xingjun asked, pointing a trembling finger at himself.
“No, conscription is not our department!” the Colonel reiterated.
“Then… what is this?” Hu Xingjun was completely bewildered. “Are you absolutely sure you aren’t here with a death notice?” he asked, needing to confirm one more time.
“No, death notices are also not our department,” the Colonel shook his head.
“Then why are you here?” Hu Xingjun asked, utterly lost.
Inside the house, Wang Xueying regained some of her strength upon hearing it wasn’t a death notice. She walked to the doorway, leaning against the frame as she watched the military officers and her husband.
“Please present your identification. We must verify your identity before we can explain,” the Colonel repeated.
“Fine. I’ll get it. But don’t try anything funny! This is my village, and these are all my cousins! My son is an officer in the army! He graduated from a military academy!” Hu Xingjun warned them suspiciously before turning to go inside.
He quickly retrieved his ID. By now, the news of the military’s arrival had spread, and practically the entire village had gathered. Everyone in the village shared the surname Hu; they were all relatives to some degree, comprising over 400 households. They crowded around the courtyard, watching intently.
“Here is my ID. Look at it,” Hu Xingjun handed his identification card to the Colonel.
The Colonel took it, then received a folder from an officer behind him and began cross-referencing the information.
“Hello. May I ask if you have a son named Hu Hao, currently twenty-three years old?” the Colonel asked with a smile after verifying the ID.
“Damn it! I knew this was about my Hao’er! Tell me what happened to him! I beg you!” Hearing his son’s name, Hu Xingjun’s mind instantly jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Why else would the military come to his house?
“No, please, don’t misunderstand. I simply need to confirm the information!” the Colonel tried to calm him down.
“Yes! He’s my eldest son! Hu Hao, twenty-three! He graduated from the Royal Command Academy this year! I don’t know where he is now. I’ve tried asking, but no one will tell me!” Hu Xingjun said, tears welling up again.
“Is his mother’s name Wang Xueying? Could I see her identification as well?” the Colonel asked politely.
“Are you sick in the head?! Why didn’t you ask for both at the same time?! Yes, my wife is Wang Xueying. She is Hao’er’s—Hu Hao’s—mother. Just tell me what happened! Is he crippled? If he’s crippled, just send him home! I’ll take care of him! We don’t need your help!” Hu Xingjun shouted, tears streaming down his face.
“No, this is merely protocol. A necessary verification process. There are many subsequent procedures that require this confirmation,” the Colonel explained patiently.
“Confirm what?!” Hu Xingjun was completely baffled. But the men were military officers, and they were armed; he didn’t dare push them too far.
“Bring me the identification. I can tell you right now: if this information is accurate, it is unimaginably good news for your family!” the Colonel smiled broadly.
“Unimaginably good news?” Hu Xingjun, Wang Xueying, and the surrounding villagers stared at the Colonel in disbelief.
“Indeed,” the Colonel nodded.
“Go get your ID,” Hu Xingjun told Wang Xueying. She nodded and hurried back inside.
“Here, sir, have a cigarette,” Hu Xingjun pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket—a decent brand, costing ten yuan a pack—and offered one to the Colonel.
“Thank you,” the Colonel accepted it. Hu Xingjun immediately tried to light it for him, but the Colonel politely declined, insisting on lighting it himself.
“Here! Here is my ID!” Wang Xueying rushed back out and handed her card to the Colonel.
“Mm, perfect! Does Hu Hao have a younger sister and a younger brother? And are his grandparents living here as well?” the Colonel asked.
“Do you need their IDs too?” Hu Xingjun asked defensively.
“No, that won’t be necessary. It’s just routine questioning. I have photographs of your family here; a visual confirmation will suffice. Your two IDs are all the documentation I need,” the Colonel explained.
“Oh. Well, this is my daughter, Hu Jing, Hu Hao’s younger sister. This is Hu Hui, his younger brother. My parents are right inside; they’re Hu Hao’s grandparents,” Hu Xingjun pointed them out.
Hu Jing and Hu Hui were currently supporting their grandparents, who had hobbled out to the doorway. Hu Hao was the apple of their eye. If anything had happened to him, the shock would likely kill the two elders. They had practically raised Hu Hao themselves, from the time he was weaned until he left for the military academy.
“Mm, everything matches perfectly. Congratulations!” the Colonel announced with a bright smile.
“Congratulations? For what?” Hu Xingjun asked, still thoroughly confused.
“This is an official decree from High Command. On September 16th, Origin Spirit Year 2547, Hu Hao was promoted to the rank of full General of the Empire, and appointed Commander of the 1st Group Army!” the Colonel read from the document, presenting it to Hu Xingjun.
“What?!” Every single person in the courtyard gasped, their jaws dropping in unison.
“No… no… there must be some mistake! My son, Hu Hao… he’s twenty-three! A full General of the Empire?! You have to be joking!” Hu Xingjun stammered, staring at the Colonel in utter disbelief.
“It is absolutely true. Is it almost twelve o’clock?” the Colonel asked his subordinate.
“One minute to noon, sir,” the officer behind him replied.
“Turn on your television. The official announcement will be broadcast nationwide momentarily,” the Colonel told Hu Xingjun.
“Xiao Hui! Turn on the TV!” Hu Xingjun bellowed at his youngest son.
“Oh! Right!” Hu Hui was equally dazed. His eldest brother was a full General? He knew exactly what that meant for his own future: a promotion to Lieutenant General was practically guaranteed!
“Is it really true?” Hu Xingjun asked the Colonel again, desperate for reassurance.
“It is. The decree was personally signed by His Majesty and High Command just hours ago,” the Colonel smiled.
“Come in! Please, come inside and have a seat!” Hu Xingjun hurriedly ushered the officers into the living room.
Hu Hui quickly turned on the television and tuned it to Imperial Channel 1, just as the midday news began.
Right at noon, the anchor spoke a brief introduction before announcing the breaking news:
“According to the latest decree issued jointly by His Majesty and High Command, the Empire has promoted a new full General. Hu Hao. Male. 23 years old. Unmarried. Native of Huaizhong Province. Parents are farmers. Graduated from the Infantry Command Department of the Royal Command Academy in Origin Spirit Year 2547.
“His service record spans the ranks of Private, Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain, Major (Regimental Commander), Lieutenant Colonel (Regimental Commander), Colonel (Regimental Commander), Colonel (Division Commander), and Colonel (Corps Commander)!
“During the Empire’s defensive campaigns, he captured Major General Tie Xingtuo, Commander of the Mara Empire’s 71st Division, and Major General Mugerich, Commander of the 73rd Division. He successfully led the Southwestern Combat Zone forces in a breakout operation. At the Bopa City defensive line, his forces annihilated the Mara Empire’s 11th Corps, the Kabuguo’s 7th and 21st Corps, the Limaguo 7th and 11th Corps, and the Mara Empire’s 43rd Corps, among others.
“With the approval of His Majesty and High Command, Hu Hao has been promoted to the rank of full General of the Empire and ordered to establish the 1st Group Army, assuming the position of Commander! We will now broadcast footage of General Hu Hao’s combat operations, allowing the nation to witness the brilliance of our newest General…”
As the anchor finished reading the staggering list of achievements, the screen cut to a photograph of Hu Hao in his military uniform.
“That’s my brother!” Hu Hui shouted in sheer ecstasy.
“Ah! It’s true! He’s really a full General! Ah! Hahaha!” Hu Xingjun was so overjoyed he literally jumped in the air. The relatives crowding into the house erupted in cheers.
The television screen then shifted to combat footage. It showed Hu Hao leading troops in brutal urban combat in Tianyu Province. Then it showed him during the river breakout, infiltrating across the river alone to secure a beachhead for his forces. Then came footage of the desperate defense and subsequent counter-attack at Nanlin City. The combat scenes were incredibly intense and bloody.
“That’s my son! That’s my son!” Wang Xueying pointed proudly at the screen, watching the young man firing his rifle and shouting orders amidst the chaos.
Seeing his son fighting on the front lines, Hu Xingjun slowly calmed down. He lit a cigarette and sat quietly, watching intently as his son risked his life. He watched Hu Hao directing counter-attacks, hurling grenades, and dragging wounded soldiers to safety under heavy fire.
Then came the footage of the Bopa City defense. The deafening roar of artillery and the relentless chatter of machine guns filled the room, casting a solemn silence over Hu Xingjun.
“Old Five, congratulations!” a cousin patted Hu Xingjun’s shoulder, deeply moved.
“Congratulations indeed. By the way, Mr. Hu,” the Colonel spoke up. “Now that General Hu Hao is a full General of the Empire, according to Imperial Law, he is entitled to designate 5,000 households to provide soldiers for his personal Guard Division. If anyone from those designated households is currently serving on the front lines, we can immediately order their transfer back home. Once General Hu Hao returns, they can join his forces as his personal guards.”
“Ah! Good! Excellent!” Hu Xingjun nodded enthusiastically.
Hearing this, the villagers crowded outside the door were even more thrilled. Nearly forty young men from the village had just been conscripted. If they could be included in Hu Hao’s Guard Division quota, they wouldn’t be sent to the frontline meat grinder!
“Um, can we designate those households right now? Many of my nephews were just conscripted. Can we get them brought back?” Hu Xingjun asked, knowing exactly what his fellow villagers desperately wanted.
(End of Chapter)