Chris Howard, however, had a flicker in his eyes and seemed somewhat preoccupied. Although the matter just now had ended without resolution, he had keenly sensed that Arthur Freeman was actually a bit partial toward Henry Carter. Henry Carter, as a deputy protector, had uttered such rebellious words about the Anxi Army being of the Gao family, yet Arthur Freeman showed not the slightest intention of reproaching him. What did this mean? It meant that Arthur Freeman was also somewhat dissatisfied with him.

Perhaps he had angered him in the way he handled the Sullivan Fort affair. Chris Howard knew that it wasn’t because he had taken Andrew Thompson as a personal guard, but rather because he had, on his own authority, increased the garrison at the fortress to one hundred men. This was tantamount to changing the status of Sullivan Fort and exceeding the troop quota for an upper fortress. It must have been this that angered Arthur Freeman.

Thinking of this, he stole a glance at Arthur Freeman, and just then Arthur Freeman also glanced at him. A fleeting, inscrutable look flashed in those narrow eyes. As soon as their gazes met, they immediately looked away.

Arthur Freeman gave a cold snort in his heart. This Chris Howard was becoming more and more arrogant, showing less and less respect for him. He would have to find an opportunity to put him in his place.

At this moment, the match had already ended. Chris Howard’s personal guard team won by ten to nine. Mark Howard jumped up with joy, snatched the pearl from Frank Lane’s hand, and laughed, “Eunuch Lane, this is mine now.”

“You crazy girl!” Frank Lane shook his head helplessly, smiling.

“We won by luck, requesting a reward from the commander!”

John White and the others lined up and together asked Arthur Freeman for a reward. Arthur Freeman chuckled and said, “Very well! As usual, since you won, you get the prize. But today it’s two hundred strings of cash, and the supervising officer added another hundred. Congratulations!”

John White and the others were overjoyed, bowed in thanks, and went to collect their reward. At this moment, Chris Howard called out to Andrew Thompson, “Qilang, wait a moment!”

The atmosphere on the viewing platform instantly became tense. Everyone knew what Chris Howard was about to do. Andrew Thompson strode forward, first saluted Arthur Freeman in military fashion, then faced Chris Howard, “Please instruct me, Deputy Commander!”

Chris Howard saw that he responded appropriately and nodded slightly. “Qilang, your archery is superb, but you are constrained under my command and your talents are not fully utilized. Do you feel dissatisfied?”

“Reporting to the Deputy Commander, I am a soldier and only know how to obey orders.”

“Very well. From now on, you are officially transferred to the Anxi Army’s scout battalion as the third squad leader. You no longer need to stay by my side.”

After speaking, Chris Howard shot a cold glance at Henry Carter.

Chapter Thirteen: Secret Discussion in the Inner Chamber

“That bastard Henry Carter! He has no other skills, but he’s a master at being jealous of the talented.”

In a private room of a tavern, John White cursed loudly. Their polo team had finally gotten a top player, only to have Henry Carter drive him away, leaving him extremely frustrated.

“John, stop cursing. Captain Howard has his own reasons.” Paul Turner sighed and quietly tried to persuade him.

“But…” John White glanced at Andrew Thompson, drained his cup in one gulp, and slammed it heavily on the table. “What kind of reasoning is this? A good personal guard is now just a squad leader. Isn’t that a disguised demotion?”

Andrew Thompson, however, smiled slightly and said, “I actually think it’s not bad. First I was a fire team leader, then promoted to squad leader for meritorious service, step by step. That way I feel grounded. Otherwise, I’d feel like I was flying, with nothing solid under my feet.”

“Qilang is right. As soldiers, we should rise through merit. The key is to seize opportunities in battle and achieve more military exploits. Besides, Qilang is still young, unlike me. I’m already thirty-two. If I don’t make achievements soon, I’ll have no more chances.”

George Price was always worried about his own future. After hesitating, he asked, “Qilang, do you think there will be a campaign against Little Bolü next year?”

“There will be! Trust me, you’ll definitely have a chance to achieve great merit.”

Andrew Thompson drained his cup and smiled at John White, “Brother John, don’t worry! As a scout, I’ll be roaming everywhere. If I get the chance, I’ll come practice polo with you. Just don’t cry when I take your title as Anxi’s number one polo player!”

“Hmph! Is my number one title so easy to take? I’ll snatch your ‘Ling Mountain Blood Arrow’ title instead.”

“All right, let’s make a bet and see who takes the other’s title first.”

“It’s a deal!”

The two slapped palms and burst out laughing.

……

After drinking, Andrew Thompson returned to the camp. Just as he reached the gate, someone stepped forward to block him. “Qilang, I’ve been waiting for you.”

In the darkness, the man was short and thin, with a slight limp. It was Simon Ford. Since the twenty-eighth year of the Kaiyuan era, he had followed Chris Howard as an attendant, repeatedly earning merit. Now he had been promoted to Commandant General, in charge of military discipline in Chris Howard’s army. Although he was ugly, he was strict and upright, and everyone feared him.

“Captain Howard wants to see you. Come with me.”

Simon Ford was a man of few words. He turned and left, and Andrew Thompson followed him all the way to Chris Howard’s residence in Kucha. They didn’t enter through the main gate, but went into the front courtyard through a side door.

“General Ford, why does Captain Howard want to see me?”

“It’s nothing. Captain Howard just wants to reassure you.”