The next day, Lou Yunchun bathed and burned incense, changed into the ceremonial clothes of an envoy, held the royal staff and combed the staff, boarded the two-horse carriage, and was escorted by a ceremonial team of 48 people and 100 guards. With gongs sounded and fanfares spread, he set out from the Hexi Governor's Mansion to Beiting.
The five patrol guards accompanying the emperor as deputy envoys felt that it was even more majestic than the New Year's Eve parade, but after the majesty wore off, they couldn't help but worry.
Old Duan drove his horse alongside the carriage and whispered to Lou Yunchun, "Sir, what if Guo Yuanzhen disobeys the order and harms us?"
"With our momentum, he wouldn't dare to act openly."
"I'm afraid he'll do something sneaky."
Lou Yunchun looked at him and said soothingly, "Don't worry, everything has been carefully arranged." He paused and said, "I won't let my brothers sacrifice themselves for me again."
"Your Excellency is wrong." Old Duan was silent for a moment, then said, "Brothers did not sacrifice themselves for you, but for Dasheng. You do not need to take all the responsibility on yourself."
Lou Yunchun was slightly stunned.
"We followed you out of the confinement voluntarily, so you don't have to feel guilty about it."
Old Duan may appear carefree, but his heart is as clear as a mirror. Lou Yunchun never shows his emotions, but Old Duan senses the guilt and self-blame he has been hiding in his heart since the Battle of Wulan Bridge. He has always wanted to forgive him, but he has never had the opportunity.
Now that Lou Yunchun had started talking, Old Duan followed his lead and expressed his true feelings.
"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by you, sir. When I first followed you out of seclusion, I was very nervous, fearful, and uneasy. But when I actually faced the assassins and enemies, I felt only anger. I had only one thought in my mind, and that was to defeat them."
Old Duan bowed to Lou Yunchun, "This is all because of you, sir. You may be younger than me, but your fortitude makes us all feel ashamed. Along the way, we've faced countless assassination attempts, and no matter how dangerous the situation, you've never wavered in your determination to move forward. It's precisely because of your resolve that we have the confidence to no longer be afraid, to dare to move forward, and to sacrifice."
Old Duan's words stirred up waves in Lou Yunchun's calm heart.
"Besides, this responsibility shouldn't fall on you alone. Since we've all been ordered by the Emperor to leave the border together, we should naturally be together through thick and thin." Old Duan looked eastward. "I'm sure the brothers who remain at Wulan Pass feel the same way."
Lou Yunchun lifted the carriage curtain. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, making the flags in front of the carriage rustle. He gazed eastward, the pent-up anger in his chest lifted by the wind, and he felt a great deal more relaxed.
"Thank you." This was said to Lao Duan, and also to the heroic spirit entrusted to Yu Changfeng.
Old Duan felt a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and changed the subject, "Sir, what do you think Guo Yuanzhen will do after we go to Beiting?"
"Same old, drag."
Lou Yunchun lowered the carriage curtain and looked ahead. If his guess was correct, Guo Yuanzhen would not disobey the order, but he would not obey either. He would try to delay, then seek reinforcements and try to break through the blockade of Xiao Gu and Wei Chifei.
Then it will be Zhao Xiu's turn to appear.
Counting the days, Zhao Xiu will soon reach Anxi. I just hope he is reliable and won't make any mistakes.
If something goes wrong, we will have to resort to the worst option, and then the northern border will probably be doomed to war.
Dasheng was not afraid of war, but the people could not withstand the flames of war. Once the situation in Hexi, Anxi and Beiting was broken, the surrounding Turks, Tubo and other countries would surely take advantage of the situation to rob.
Therefore, if it is possible to avoid mobilizing troops, then do so. The best way is to control Guo Yuanzhen and take over Beiting.
After Guo Yuanzhen is captured and Xiao Gu takes over Beiting, it is time to close the net on the Saint's side.
By then, everything will be settled, and it will be an auspicious day.
Lou Yunchun pressed his chest, where he had a waist badge with the words "Zhan Chun" engraved on it.
Ajahn, wait for me.
————A Jiang ran away dividing line————
After learning of Xizhi's whereabouts, Xu Jiang did not delay and immediately began to arrange matters at the bookstore and make preparations for the trip.
She has decided to set off for Chongzhou tomorrow.
She listed all the matters of the bookstore, big and small, and recorded the purchase points for paper, ink, materials, etc., as well as the method of calculating costs, etc., and handed them all to Liang Mo.
Yinyin listened intently and took note of every word, and her vigilant look made Xu Jiang laugh and cry.
Liang Mo took the list from Xu Jiang and looked at it again and again, but he still felt a little uneasy.
"Boss, if someone comes to our door to advertise for a book after you leave, should we accept it or not?"
"You decide." Xu Jiang thought for a moment and then said, "You can ask your elder brother Hu for advice on the materials review. With him overseeing the process, there's no mistake. I'll visit him later and ask him to take care of it."
After hearing what Xu Jiang said, Liang Mo felt relieved.
Xu Jiang then instructed, "Also, during the solar terms, don't forget to prepare gifts for your regular customers. The gifts don't have to be expensive, but they should be presented with sincerity and done with care, without losing any courtesy or respect. If your neighbors send you any gifts, you should also give them a gift in return. Is this clear?"
"Boss, please wait a moment. I'll take note." Liang Mo simply took a pen and paper to take notes.
Xu Jiang then explained to him in detail the etiquette and taboos for regular customers, which made Yin Yin's eyes spin and she felt dizzy.
While Liang Mo was taking notes, he thought to himself: I thought I had learned about 70% or 80% of what I learned in these days in the market, but now it seems that I have learned less than half. It seems that I need to work harder.
Xu Jiang's mouth was dry from her talk, so Yin Yin tactfully brought her some tea. She drank half a cup and said, "That's about it. You can decide the rest yourself."
No matter how much you talk, it's all just talk. If you want to get started quickly, Liang Mo has to do it himself.
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