There was a group of people standing outside the garrison.
The servants beside the carriages were unloading boxes from the carriages and were extremely busy. The guests were sitting and drinking tea in the resting area outside the garrison.
As soon as Xiao Jue entered, she saw Liang Ping pouring tea for the guests.
"Fourth Young Master Chu." The first to greet him was Lin Shuanghe. He waved his fan and walked forward as if he were a host greeting a guest. "Is the tea to your liking?"
Chu Zilan stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Shuanghe and Xiao Jue. "Military Governor Xiao, Young Master Lin." He smiled and said, "The Liang Province Garrison's Yunwu tea is mellow and elegant, leaving a lingering fragrance on the teeth and cheeks. Governor, you are so lucky. "
Xiao Jue pulled over a chair and sat down. She stared at him and said, "It's just some coarse tea, no need to be so polite."
Chu Zilan was not angry. He only smiled and said, "Governor, you are joking."
The Fourth Young Master of Shi Jinbo's household was about the same age as Xiao Jue. Compared to Xiao Jue's usual indifferent and lazy expression, he appeared much gentler. He was also very good-looking. His facial features were delicate, his skin was fair, and he wore a loose jade-colored robe. He appeared even thinner than before. His eyes were long and narrow, and he always had a smile on his face. He was truly an elegant gentleman, as gentle as jade.
The two of them stood together. One was as cold as autumn water, the other as bright and clear as an orchid. It was a very pleasing sight to behold.
Beside Chu Zhao stood a girl who looked like a maidservant. Although she was wearing the clothes of a maidservant, she was exceptionally beautiful. Her facial features were deep and bright. Even though she was wearing plain clothes, it was difficult to conceal her beauty. Lin Shuanghe was used to seeing beautiful women, but when he saw this girl's appearance, he couldn't help but be dazzled. He sighed inwardly. When master and servant stood together, they did not look like people of the mortal world. Of Shi Jinbo's four sons, the first three had average looks. Only this one looked so beautiful. It seemed that a mother's appearance was very important.
"Fourth Young Master Chu, why have you come to the Liang State Guard?" Xiao Jue asked.
Chu Zhao laughed and said, "His Majesty heard that Military Governor Xiao has annihilated tens of thousands of enemy troops in the Liangzhou Guard and eradicated the remaining evildoers of the Qiang tribe. His Majesty's dragon countenance was greatly pleased and specially sent me to deliver the reward, while at the same time, he wanted to see the morale of the Liangzhou Guard."
"Reward?" Xiao Jue looked at him playfully and said carelessly, "Liangzhou is a cold and bitter place. For Fourth Young Master Chu to lower himself to come and watch," he smiled, "it's not simple."
Chu Zhao said, "It is Zilan's fortune to be able to see the mighty army led by Military Governor Xiao with her own eyes."
Xiao Jue laughed but didn't say anything.
"His Majesty also ordered me to hold a banquet to celebrate our victory in Liang Province." Chu Zhao said, "However, I am not clear on how the Liang Province Guard normally celebrates. Therefore, I can only trouble the Commander in Chief."
"The new recruits who died in battle have just been buried," Xiao Jue said, "I'm afraid it's not very appropriate to celebrate now."
Chu Zhao's smile was gentle, but his tone was firm, "How can there not be blood in war? Besides, annihilating the enemy is a joyous occasion. Rewards should be rewarded. This is also His Majesty's intention. "
Was he using the Emperor Wenxuan's name?
Xiao Jue stared at him for a while. After a while, he nodded and smiled, "Alright." He stood up and said meaningfully, "We can hold a celebration banquet tomorrow. Fourth Young Master Chu, please come and join us."
Chu Zhao stood up and returned the salute, "Deference is no substitute for obedience."
Xiao Jue left the room and ordered Fei Nu, "Arrange a room for Fourth Young Master Chu's people."
Fei Nu accepted the order and left.
Lin Shuanghe followed him out and moved closer to him. He asked in a low voice, "What did Chu Zhao come here for? From the looks of it, is he going to stay in the Liang Province Guard for a while? "
"Xu Jingfu is anxious now that he's gone," Xiao Jue said calmly, "He sent his dog over to take a look. Is there a problem?"
Lin Shuanghe looked back at the room and saw Chu Zhao drinking tea with his head lowered. He asked, "Isn't it a bit unsafe for him to stay here? After all, this guy is Xu Jingfu's man. "
"Unsafe?" Xiao Jue said, "That depends on his ability. Let's go. "
"Where are we going?"
"Since it's a reward, we should see what's inside." Xiao Jue said playfully, "He came to the Liang Province Guard with such great fanfare. It's just a few boxes of rewards. Isn't that a bit unreasonable?"
"You want to take advantage of this opportunity again?"
Xiao Jue glanced at him.
Lin Shuanghe said, "I don't mean anything else. I'm just asking. Don't be angry. Let's go, let's go see the treasures! "
He Yan returned from the Martial Arts Practice Field and returned to his idle state. He lay on the bed and read a few travel books while waiting for Song Taotao to bring him food. After eating, Song Taotao was about to leave when he heard some movement outside the door. It seemed that Song Taotao was talking to someone. He thought that Xiao Jue had returned, so he got off the bed and opened the door. He saw Lin Shuanghe immediately.
"Doctor Lin?" He Yan looked around but didn't see Xiao Jue. He asked, "Is the Commander in Chief not here?"
"He went to discuss the celebration banquet with the instructor." Lin Shuanghe smiled. "I'll wait for him in the room. I have something to tell him."
"Celebration banquet?" He Yan was confused. "What celebration banquet?"
"The Liang Province Guard's celebration banquet." Lin Shuanghe waved at Song Taotao. After Song Taotao left, he walked towards He Yan. However, when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and didn't want to go any further.
He Yan was confused. "What's wrong?"
Lin Shuanghe retracted his hand and said seriously, "It's not good for a man and a woman to be in the same room. If word gets out, it will damage your reputation."
He Yan was speechless.
She said, "No one knows my identity here. Doctor Lin, you can just treat me as a normal recruit. Also, didn't you come here before? "
Lin Shuanghe waved his hand reservedly. "There were other people in the room before. Now it's just the two of us. I'm afraid that it will cause a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" He Yan was helpless. "I often stay in the same room as the Commander in Chief. There's nothing wrong with it."
Lin Shuanghe took a step back. "That's even more unacceptable. I can't play with my friend's wife. Do you think I'm a despicable person who would betray my friend?"
He Yan was speechless.
What kind of nonsense was this person spouting?
She thought for a moment and finally came up with a good idea. "How about this, Young Master Lin. You go to the Commander in Chief's room, and I'll stay in my room. I'll open the middle door and we'll talk through it. This way, we won't be in the same room, but in two separate rooms.
How does this work? "Lin Shuanghe didn't expect He Yan to be able to do this. After a moment of surprise, he slapped his fan." Let's do it this way! "
He Yan returned to his room and used Cheng Lisu's silver thread to pry open the lock. He struggled to push a stool to the other side of the middle door. Lin Shuanghe was already waiting there.
He looked at the middle door and asked He Yan, "Do you usually play like this?"
"How?"
"Well …" Lin Shuanghe seemed to feel embarrassed when he said this. He shook his head and smiled. "I didn't expect Huaijin to be like this as well …"
He Yan was confused by his words, but he still remembered what he said about the celebratory feast. He asked, "Doctor Lin, what's the celebratory feast you mentioned earlier?"
"Didn't you defeat Rida Muzi's people and wipe out tens of thousands of enemy troops?" Lin Shuanghe said. "When His Majesty heard about this, he was very happy. He specially sent people to bring rewards to commend you. He also wants to hold a celebratory feast at the Liang Prefecture Guard to reward the three armies."
He Yan was stunned when he heard this, "Now? It's not very good to celebrate now. "
It wasn't a good time to celebrate in the Liang Prefecture Guard. Although they won this battle, they came in a hurry. At the beginning, they didn't know what was going on, so dozens of sentries died. Even though they won in the end, it was mostly because of the support of the South Mansion soldiers. Compared to the joy of winning the battle, the feelings of these new soldiers right now were probably more of sadness and fear of the death of their comrades. How could it be good to celebrate at this time?
"What can we do about His Majesty's intentions?" Lin Shuanghe sighed. "How can we not appreciate his kindness?"
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
After a while, He Yan asked, "The person who came to deliver His Majesty's decree is the one you were talking about today, Chu Zilan, right?" He Yan asked, "Who is Chu Zilan?"
"You've never heard of Chu Zilan?" This time, Lin Shuanghe was surprised.
He Yan shook his head.
"Xiao Rubi is the number one dream man in the capital, Xiao Huaijin is number two, and Chu Zilan is number three." Lin Shuanghe sighed. "However, ever since Xiao Rubi got married, there's only Xiao Huaijin and Chu Zilan. Our Huaijin has a cold personality and doesn't like to talk to girls. In the past few years, he's not as good as Chu Zilan. Although Chu Zilan's background is a bit low, he's good-looking and gentle. He's not even engaged yet. If you ask the girls in the capital who they want to marry, they'll probably say Chu Zilan. What? "He looked at He Yan." You've never heard of him when you were in the capital? That's impossible! "
Of course, He Yan didn't know. Previously, she had been leading troops into battle. How could she have the time to pay attention to the affairs of the heart or the handsome men in the capital? Later, she returned to the capital and quickly got married. She had no way of knowing about other men. Chu Zilan really hadn't heard of him.
"I've been raised in the boudoir by my father since I was young. I never left the house and rarely even spoke to other men," He Yan said seriously. "I really don't know anything about the outside world."
"Is that so?" Lin Shuanghe said. "Then your father is really strict with you."
He Yan nodded. "That's true." She asked, "What's the relationship between Chu Zilan and Military Governor Xiao?"
Xiao Jue wasn't close to people. She hadn't seen him like anyone, but she hadn't seen him hate anyone either. Xu Jingfu was one of them. She hadn't seen Chu Zilan today, but just hearing his name made Xiao Jue unhappy.
Could it be that they had a grudge in the past?
"That's a long story." Lin Shuanghe stood up and poured himself a cup of tea. He drank the tea to moisten his throat before sitting down again. He said to He Yan, "You haven't heard of Chu Zilan, but have you heard of his father, Shi Jinbo, Chu Linfeng?"
He Yan felt that the name sounded familiar. She thought for a moment and said, "Is he the one who married nineteen concubines, each of them outstanding beauties?"
"Yes!"
He Yan remembered the name Chu Linfeng. When she was in the army, the deputy generals and subordinates would gather together to chat. They didn't envy the Emperor, but they envied Shi Jinbo the most. Shi Jinbo was born handsome and was famous for being a handsome man in Da Wei. His wife was a few years older than him. She was ugly and had a fierce temperament.
A wastrel like Chu Linfeng wouldn't give up so easily. Before they were married, he spent every day in the flower shop. After they were married, he became even more serious. The wife he married was virtuous. She seemed to know that she was ordinary and wasn't favored by her husband, so she never stopped him from taking in concubines. Over the years, he took in nineteen concubines. Each of them was beautiful, charming, and had their own interests.
But taking in concubines was one thing. Over the years, other than the three young masters who crawled out of his wife's womb, no concubine was able to give birth to Shi Jinbo's children.
It was said that these concubines were all fed sterile drugs before they entered the Chu family. No matter how favored they were, if they didn't have children, they could only curry favor with the master or the mistress. Shi Jinbo's wife had a tight control over these concubines. No one dared to cause trouble under her watch. Shi Jinbo continued to be lovey-dovey with his concubines every day. Shi Jinbo's wife only pretended not to see and raised her three sons.
Chu Zilan was Shi Jinbo's fourth son, but he wasn't born of Shi Jinbo's wife.
"Is he a concubine's illegitimate son?" He Yan asked.
"No, no," Lin Shuanghe said. "Madam Chu is even stricter with her concubines than your father is with you. How could a concubine give birth to a son?"
"Then …"
"I don't know what exactly happened either. In short, one day, during the Chu family's banquet, there was an additional four-year-old son named Chu Zhao." Lin Shuanghe took another sip of tea. "Although it wasn't said, everyone knew that Chu Zhao was most likely Chu Linfeng's illegitimate son."
He Yan's eyes widened.
"Madam Chu was very careful, but she didn't expect Shi Jinbo to have such a trick up his sleeve. The child was already four years old and recognized him in front of everyone. What else could happen?" Lin Shuanghe spread his hands. "If that was the case, Chu Zilan would only be Chu Zilan's illegitimate son. However, when Chu Zilan was ten years old, he was registered under Madam Chu's name. Therefore, his current status is the fourth son of Shi Jinbo's official wife. Do you know why? "
"Why?"
"Because he was the favorite student of the current Prime Minister, Xu Jingfu."
He Yan was stunned. Xu Jingfu again?
"Although Shi Jinbo was dissolute, he wasn't a kind father. I think Chu Zilan didn't have a good life under Madam Chu. I don't know how he was able to live until he was ten years old, and then he hooked up with Xu Jingfu. How could Shi Jinbo not give Prime Minister Xu face? Later, he registered Chu Zhao under Madam Chu's name. It was probably Xu Jingfu's idea. "
"Then this Fourth Young Master Chu is very powerful."
Lin Shuanghe looked at He Yan. "Do you think he's very powerful?"
"Very powerful. As you said, he didn't have any external help in the residence. His father didn't love him, and his mother wasn't by his side. Now that he's the official wife's young master, he was able to get His Majesty to send him to the Liangzhou Guards to deliver the imperial edict. It's very powerful that he was able to reach this step on his own."
"If he wasn't powerful, how could he have become Xu Jingfu's favorite student?" Lin Shuanghe shook his head and sighed.
"Then what about his mother?" He Yan asked. "Wasn't she taken into Count Shi Jinbo's residence?"
"I don't know." Lin Shuanghe shook his head. "I heard that she died after giving birth to him. If that wasn't the case, with Chu Zilan's current abilities, he should be able to let her live a better life."
He Yan nodded thoughtfully. "I see. It's a pity that Military Governor Xiao doesn't like Fourth Young Master Chu."
Xiao Jue and Xu Jingfu were enemies, not friends. Chu Zilan was Xu Jingfu's student. Naturally, he was also Xiao Jue's enemy.
"He … Brother," Lin Shuanghe said, "If you had to choose between Huaijin and Chu Zilan, who would you side with?"
He Yan felt that this question was simply inconceivable. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just curious as to what choice the young lady from Da Wei will make."
"I don't even know Chu Zilan," He Yan said. "Of course I'll side with the Governor."
Lin Shuanghe revealed a meaningful smile. "There's no need to speak so early. You'll be able to see Chu Zilan at the celebration banquet tomorrow."
He Yan: "…"
So what if I see him? What's so special about him?
He Yan didn't expect that, just as Lin Shuanghe said, she would see the man of Da Wei's dreams the next day. He was the Fourth Young Master Chu, Chu Zilan, who could compete with Xiao Jue.
It was rare that it didn't snow that night. The next day, it just so happened to be a sunny day.
Although the weather was cold, people felt warm when the sun shone on them. He Yan got out of bed to eat porridge. She felt that the wound on her waist healed faster after being exposed to the sun. The Liangzhou Guards were really strange. During the summer, they were so hot that they would cry and scream whenever they saw the sun. During the winter, they would be happy if they could even see half the sun.
She couldn't go to the martial arts arena for day training now, but she felt that the sun was very good, so she decided to walk around the courtyard with her staff. She had just reached the door when she heard Song Taotao's voice. "I saw this golden pastry roll first. It's mine!"
Immediately after, a woman's good-natured voice said, "Miss, this pastry roll was specially made by our young master's chef. It didn't come from the Guard Institute's kitchen, so it's not yours."
"You think it's your young master's just because you say so?" The young lady said angrily, "It's all in the kitchen. How would I know if it was made by your chef? Since you have a chef, can't you just make another pastry roll? "
"The process of making golden pastry rolls is troublesome. If we make another pastry roll, we'll miss the young master's meal time."
"Then don't eat it!"
"Miss …"
He Yan couldn't listen anymore. He walked out and said, "Miss Song."
Song Taotao turned her head and looked over with the woman who was arguing with her. She said happily, "Big Brother He! This is a golden pastry roll. Do you want to try it? "
He Yan: "…"
The woman also said, "That's the young master's …"
He Yan took the golden pastry roll and returned it to the woman. He said, "She's just a child who doesn't know any better. Please don't mind her."
"Big Brother He!" Song Taotao stomped her feet in anger. "Why did you return it to her!"
"It's mine to begin with." He Yan shook his head. She guessed that the "young master" the woman was talking about was probably the fourth young master of Count Shi Jin's estate, Chu Zilan. Chu Zilan and Xiao Jue's relationship was so delicate. If he caused any trouble for Xiao Jue because of this, the loss would outweigh the gain.
"Thank you, young master." The woman smiled sweetly at He Yan.
He Yan was also stunned. For a moment, he was shocked by the young lady's beauty. There were very few young ladies in the Liang Province Guard. Excluding her, who was a fake, there were only Shen Muxue and Song Taotao. One was elegant and beautiful, while the other was adorable. Now that there was someone as beautiful as a peony, it was especially eye-catching.
Even Chu Zilan's maidservant was this beautiful? He Yan thought to himself. Previously, Lin Shuanghe had mentioned that Da Wei women ranked their husbands first. Only an idiot would choose Chu Zilan. If the maidservant he picked was already this beautiful, how could a normal woman catch his eye? He might as well choose Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue was surrounded by men. Perhaps he had seen too many men, and now he saw a woman, so his requirements were much lower and there was still a chance.
Seeing He Yan staring at the woman's face without saying anything, Song Taotao became even more anxious. She anxiously tugged on He Yan's sleeve and said, "Why are you looking at her? What's there to look at! "
The woman holding the golden pastry roll saw this and burst into laughter. Her smile was captivating.
"Ying Xiang," someone said.
The maidservant named Ying Xiang immediately stopped smiling and bowed. "Fourth Young Master."
Fourth Young Master? Chu Zilan? He Yan turned around and his gaze fell on the person in front of him.
It was a young man wearing a light jade colored robe with extremely wide sleeves and a jade crown. He looked as noble and pure as an orchid, but also as handsome as a banished immortal. He had a faint smile on his face as he nodded at He Yan.
He Yan frowned. This person's appearance was very familiar.
When he saw He Yan, he was also startled. After a moment, he smiled as if he had seen through He Yan's thoughts. He stretched out his hand with his palm facing up and said softly, "Little Brother, you dropped something."
He Yan suddenly came back to his senses. She remembered where she had seen this person before! That day, she was still in Shuojing. For He Yunsheng's tuition fee, she had racked her brains and had no choice but to go to Le Tong Village to gamble. However, she had been chased by the losers. After she had beaten them all, someone suddenly appeared and told her that she had dropped some money.
That person's good looks were hard to forget as long as one had seen him. Now that he suddenly saw him here, because it was daytime, He Yan didn't recognize him for a moment. Instead, he recognized He Yan first.
"You are … Fourth Young Master Chu?" He Yan asked.
Chu Zilan nodded. "That's me."
He Yan was momentarily speechless. What kind of luck was this? What kind of coincidence was this? Just by casually climbing over a wall at night to fight, she was able to meet the man of Da Wei's dreams.
"This one is Chu Zhao." Chu Zilan looked at He Yan with a smile. "Little Brother and I can be considered old acquaintances, but I don't know your name. May I know your name?"
He Yan could somewhat understand why He Yan was able to be on par with Xiao Jue. He hurriedly returned the greeting. "You flatter me. This one is He Yan. The 'Yan' in 'Grass and Trees He', 'Yan' in 'Clear River and Clear Sea'. "
Chu Zhao smiled. "That's a good name. But … "He looked around and asked in confusion," Why is Brother He here? "
"Me?" He Yan said, "I am a new recruit of the Liang Province Guards. However, I was injured a few days ago, so I did not go to the practice field for training."
"I see."
At this time, Song Taotao, who had been silent all this time, finally reacted. She carefully pulled on He Yan's hand. Perhaps it was because she saw that Chu Zilan was too handsome, but her aggressive attitude towards Ying Xiang instantly disappeared. She even felt a bit embarrassed. In a low voice, she asked, "Brother He, who is this person? Do you know him?"
This question was difficult to answer. She knew Chu Zhao, but she was not as familiar with him as Song Taotao thought. It was just that she had suddenly seen a familiar face in the Liang Province Guards, so she subconsciously became a bit excited.
He Yan said, "This is the Fourth Young Master of Count Shi Jin's residence. I met him once when I was in Shuo capital."
Chu Zhao smiled. "We can be considered old acquaintances."
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