And he was nothing more than a lowly squad leader!
At his words, Liu Xie gently reached out and held his arm, stopping him from kneeling. "No, you deserve it."
"Ma Youyin, squad leader of the Bing Province Army's Mountain Character Camp under Duke Wen. You fought in the campaign against Yuan Shao and slew seven enemies. Your military achievements are outstanding. You are a valiant soldier worthy of the name!"
Liu Xie casually recited the veteran's name and service record, leaving the man wide-eyed with astonishment.
Then Liu Xie looked at the soldiers behind the veteran and named them one by one.
"Wu Wei of the First Yulin Battalion. You killed twelve enemies in the ambush at Ye City and lost an arm in the process." "Li Zhuang of the Third Mo Dao Army Battalion. All three brothers in your family enlisted. Your two elder brothers fell in the Battle of Qing Province and the Battle of Lecheng County respectively. During the recent campaign against the Qiang Royal Court, you took thirty-seven enemy heads fighting the Qiang!"
"And Xu Wei of the Seventh Tiger Warriors Army Battalion..."
Liu Xie went down the line, naming more than a dozen men and recounting each man's achievements and service record as though enumerating his own family treasures.
Every soldier whose name he called shuddered.
As the court officials in the Great Hall heard these soldiers' achievements, their astonishment grew, and they began whispering among themselves.
Zhuge Liang even forgot to wave the feather fan in his hand. His gaze passed over the soldiers one by one before finally settling on Liu Xie's upright figure.
For a moment, his heart surged like a rising tide!
He understood why the Son of Heaven had invited these ordinary soldiers to the New Year's Banquet.