“Yesterday I heard that Big Brother was still at the front lines—how is it that you’re back today?” Since Henry Sutton had already acknowledged him as Big Brother, he opened up and no longer stood on ceremony.

Brian Cooper insisted on riding in the same carriage as Henry Sutton and Edward Grant. Stephen Blake, sly and cunning, immediately volunteered to share a carriage with the three Qianqi Commanders, saying it would be a good chance to foster camaraderie between the Western and Northern camps. So Brian Cooper answered without the slightest concealment: “We’re back for rotation and rest. This time, after driving the Caesar dogs back a hundred li, we ourselves were running low on follow-up forces and are temporarily unable to launch another large-scale offensive. So Marshal Gu decided that all units would take turns coming back to recuperate. I value brotherhood, and since we’re guest troops, we got the first chance to rest.”

“Ah, so does that mean the situation at the front is settled?”

“Not exactly settled—just at a stalemate for now. I reckon that whether it’s the Caesar people or our Han military, there’ll be follow-up actions soon. That’s when we’ll really get to show our skills.” Brian Cooper pondered for a moment, then shared his view.

“This should be a great opportunity for Big Brother to make a name for himself. As for me… I’ll just be waving the flag and cheering for Big Brother from behind.” Henry Sutton said with a smile.

“You sly fox…” Brian Cooper pointed at Henry Sutton and burst out laughing, then gave a vigorous wave of his right hand—this seemed to have become his signature gesture, always marking the end of a conversation. Henry Sutton guessed he was about to change the subject, and sure enough, he heard him say next: “Let’s not talk about state affairs today. Little brother, later on Stephen Blake is treating us at Drunken Moon Pavilion, and he’s really splurging this time.”

Henry Sutton let out a small “huh?” and asked, “What? Is Drunken Moon Pavilion expensive?”

Brian Cooper exclaimed in surprise, “You don’t know Drunken Moon Pavilion? Then how have you been getting by in Xijing?”

Henry Sutton scratched his head in embarrassment and said, half laughing, half crying, “Big Brother, I’m not even from Xijing. If I hadn’t gotten injured this time, I wouldn’t have come at all. Besides, I’ve only been here a few days, and I’ve spent more time in bed than out of it—how could I possibly know?”

“Actually, it’s just as well you don’t know. Even if you did, with your condition these past few days, you wouldn’t have been able to go anyway. Better to be blissfully ignorant than to stare longingly.” Brian Cooper chuckled, though Henry Sutton felt there was a heavy note of teasing in his words.

“Captain, I know.” Edward Grant, standing nearby, suddenly chimed in loudly.

“What? You know? Then let’s hear it.” Henry Sutton asked in surprise. He knew Edward Grant had never been to Xijing before, so how could he know? But he was also sure that Edward Grant would never lie to him.

Edward Grant grinned honestly, pointed at the carriage ahead, and said, “General Blake’s men told us that Drunken Moon Pavilion is the biggest and best brothel in Xijing.” His voice was booming, carrying far, and from the carriage ahead came a sudden fit of coughing. No need to ask—it was definitely Stephen Blake who, having heard Edward Grant’s words, couldn’t keep a straight face and hurriedly used coughing to cover his embarrassment.

“Hahaha…” Brian Cooper clutched his belly and roared with laughter. “Little brother, your subordinate is really something! Haha… he’s killing me. This is the first time I’ve heard someone put it so… so humorously.”

Henry Sutton shot Edward Grant a fierce glare, thinking to himself that now Stephen Blake would probably hate this big guy, and he himself might get dragged down as well. Edward Grant, utterly confused, scratched his big head, unable to figure out what he’d done wrong to make his captain angry.

“Little brother, actually The Grant Brothers isn’t wrong—Drunken Moon Pavilion is the top-ranked brothel in Xijing. I came here once three years ago. Tsk tsk… that intoxicating experience, you can only know it if you’ve tried it. It’s much better than the official brothels up north.”

“Thank you for the tip, Big Brother. But if we just go there openly like this, I’m afraid if word gets to the military law office, the officers there won’t let it slide.” Henry Sutton had been a commoner before, never set foot in a brothel, and now as a soldier, the military regulations clearly stated that visiting brothels was forbidden during wartime. He knew these rules mostly applied to ordinary soldiers, and that those with real power might not care about such minor regulations. But he himself was still just a squad leader, worlds apart in status from Stephen Blake and Brian Cooper. They might be able to do as they pleased, but he didn’t have that luxury.

“Heh, don’t worry, little brother—just enjoy yourself. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.” Brian Cooper said with heroic bravado.

As they chatted and laughed, the carriage had already come to a stop. Aside from Henry Sutton and Edward Grant, the rest were all seasoned veterans of the pleasure quarters. They gathered together and entered as a group. Although Brian Cooper claimed not to care about the law enforcement team, they still took off their uniforms and changed into civilian clothes. After all, they were here for fun, and no one wanted trouble. There’s a world of difference between brazenly breaking the rules and sneaking around in private.