For this battle, Brian Turner didn’t have much confidence. The volunteers he had recruited over the past few days were all a bunch of misfits, completely lacking in combat ability.

The arrival of George T., however, was like a shot of adrenaline for him, and it gave Brian Turner at least a bit of confidence in the volunteer army he commanded.

With George T. being promoted to military marquis, even the minor officials at the yamen became much more polite to him. At George T.’s invitation, George Washington and the others were able to complete their registration smoothly.

As the saying goes, when one person rises to power, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Now that George T. had become a military marquis, the people around him naturally wouldn’t be relegated to mere foot soldiers.

Michael Bolton, Richard Cooper, and the others were either assigned as squad leaders or put in charge of teams. As for his younger brother George Washington, he didn’t assign him any position at all, only letting him stay by his side.

George Washington was quite dissatisfied with this. He found George T. and said, “Big brother, even if I can’t be a squad leader or team leader, I should at least be a section leader, right?”

George T. glared at his younger brother, pulled George Washington aside to a secluded spot, and scolded him in a low voice: “Little George, do you think being a squad leader is a good thing? When it comes to real fighting, you’ll have to charge at the very front. Just stay by my side and behave yourself. If you don’t listen, I’ll send you straight home!”

Chapter 10: First Meeting

George Washington knew his big brother meant well, but he didn’t want to live under his brother’s wing for his whole life. He muttered under his breath, “Once I earn some military merit, even if you don’t promote me, the county officer will!”

“What did you say?” George T. didn’t quite catch George Washington’s muttering.

“It’s nothing, big brother. I’m just going to look around nearby with Robert Miller.” With that, George Washington dashed off.

Watching George Washington’s retreating figure, George T. shook his head helplessly. Back at home, his third brother used to listen to him, but now that they were outside, he’d suddenly become so independent.

George T. still didn’t really understand his younger brother. George Washington had always been someone with his own ideas and opinions.

George Washington had never been to Xiangyang before. Now that he finally had the chance, he naturally wanted to explore. He and William Grant didn’t dare go too far, so they just wandered around the registration area.

Xiangyang was a big city, bustling and lively inside the walls.

The registration office was located at the county yamen, so there were naturally many shops nearby. Taverns and inns lined both sides of the street, the buildings grand and imposing, and the delicious aromas wafting out made one’s mouth water.

George Washington had walked all the way from Caiyang to Xiangyang, eating only two pieces of dry rations along the way. Now, smelling the scents in the air, his stomach grumbled uncontrollably. But when he felt his pockets, he found himself embarrassingly short on cash.

William Grant didn’t have any money on him either. He looked around and spotted a gambling house not far away. His eyes lit up, and he tugged on George Washington’s sleeve, whispering, “My lord, let’s try our luck at the gambling house.”

George Washington looked at William Grant helplessly, took out his money pouch from his belt, opened it, and poured out five copper coins.

During the Han dynasty, silver wasn’t a common currency—just a precious metal that could be sold for money.

The currencies in circulation were either gold or coins.

Coins themselves came in many types. Copper coins were one, but there were also white gold coins and leather coins.

White gold coins were divided into three types, called the Three Grades of White Gold: dragon coins, horse coins, and turtle coins.

The “white gold” of the ancients was different from modern platinum; it was a silver-tin alloy. Dragon coins were worth three thousand coins, horse coins five hundred, and turtle coins three hundred.

Leather coins were quite special, made from the hides of white deer raised by the royal family. The largest denomination could reach four hundred thousand coins, and they were extremely rare.

The five copper coins in George Washington’s pocket weren’t enough to buy much at current prices, let alone gamble at a casino.

William Grant smiled at George Washington and said, “My lord, I’m actually pretty good at gambling.”

George Washington blinked, then grinned and said, “Let’s go, let’s try our luck at the gambling house!”

After spending so much time with William Grant, George Washington had come to know him well. William Grant was never one to exaggerate, especially when talking about himself—he’d even downplay his abilities.

If he said he was pretty good at gambling, he must be really skilled.

George Washington and William Grant entered the gambling house. It wasn’t very big, but it was packed with people. Looking around, there was a sea of heads, the place was noisy and chaotic, with shouts and calls rising and falling.

The two of them walked over to a gambling table and peered inside. Several people were seated around the table, each with a small mountain of coins in front of them.

After watching for a while, both George Washington and William Grant noticed a young man.

This young man was about the same age as George Washington, around twenty, dressed plainly in white cloth, but with delicate features and a handsome face. Among the group of burly gamblers, he stood out and seemed a bit out of place.

What surprised George Washington most was that the young man never bet much each time, but out of ten bets, he’d win seven or eight. After just a few rounds, the pile of coins in front of him had grown noticeably larger.

After observing for a while, William Grant whispered in George Washington’s ear, “This guy is an expert, my lord. You should follow his bets.”

That was exactly what George Washington had in mind. He squeezed through the crowd to the table, slapped his five copper coins down, and, just like the young man, bet on “small.”