Zhou Gu took a shortcut, bypassing Longxi County, and headed to the border of Dawei.
On the way, Zhou Wei took the opportunity to discuss with his younger brother the ways of governing in the Imperial Court and leading troops into battle.
Seeing Zhou Wei pestering him like this for several days, Zhou Gu felt a bit helpless, "Big brother, the things you’ve learned since you were young are enough to cope with. There’s no need to push yourself so hard, is there?"
He had never seen his older brother not sleeping and insistently pestering him.
Zhou Wei was several years older than him. Although they were brothers, one spent a long time in the army, and the other spent most of the time in the Eastern Palace, so they didn’t spend much time together since childhood. At least, Zhou Gu spent more time growing up with Zhou Che, who was his same age.
Zhou Wei helplessly responded, "I used to think that was enough. With you in the Imperial Court, I didn’t need to worry too much. But a few days ago, our grandfather told me to learn more from you. In the future, when you go to Nanchu, I, being the eldest legitimate son of our family, naturally have to bear all the responsibilities."
Zhou Gu understood and patted Zhou Wei’s shoulder, "Big brother, to be honest, with the Crown Prince involved, you don’t need to worry too much. As long as the Duke Residence doesn’t scheme against the country, even if there’s a slight lack in your governance, with the Crown Prince protecting you, it won’t matter much."
"But what about the future education for our descendants? Grandfather won’t stay young forever," Zhou Wei said.
Zhou Gu: "..."
It’s quite far-sighted indeed.
He seriously said, "Our grandfather is still in good health, we still have a lot of time. You can slowly learn from him. Grandfather certainly won\’t ignore you."
Zhou Wei shook his head, "Grandfather said, there are many things I should learn from you, things he can’t teach."
Zhou Gu: "..."
He really wanted to thank his grandfather for seeing such potential in him.
He reluctantly agreed, "Alright, alright. If you have any more questions, just ask, and the three of us brothers can discuss them together."
Zhou Wei nodded, "There are many, and we have plenty of time. It will take at least half a month to march this way. We can discuss each question one by one."
Zhou Gu had no choice but to agree, "Alright!"
After all, this was his elder brother. And who made him the trusted one in the Imperial Court of Dawei that the military relied on, but now he was fleeing with Su Rong?
As Su Rong predicted, five days later, Zhang Yun led his 250,000 Jibei Army back to Longxi County.
On the day when the Jibei Army arrived at Longxi County, Su Rong ordered people to clear the snow from the ground for ten miles to prepare a clear path.
And there she was, standing at the very front of the 150,000 soldiers, waiting for Zhang Yun to arrive.
Every ten miles, a scout reported the situation ahead, and the last report was, "Third Young Master, Su Rong is waiting with 150,000 troops ten miles ahead. For some reason, she has cleared ten miles of snow from the road."
Zhang Yun just replied with "Ah?", remembered what Su Rong had said in the letter about clearing the snow before her house to welcome him, paused, and ordered the driver to halt the carriage.
As he got off the carriage, he instructed Le Shu, "Continue on the road. I will walk the next ten miles."
As the lord, she was willing to clear the snow on the road for ten miles to greet him. As a subject, he was also willing to walk ten miles to meet her invitation.
By this point, the generals of the Jibei Army roughly understood the purpose of Zhang Yun’s return to Longxi County and were shocked. They wouldn’t have guessed that he returned to Longxi County for Su Rong.
The generals exchanged glances and dismounted their horses, following behind Zhang Yun. "Third Young Master, why..."
Someone asked, "Why would you..."
Zhang Yun turned around and looked at these generals who used to follow Zhang Ping, his complexion calm, "I will follow my elder brother and serve a new lord. As for the 250,000 Jibei Army, they will return to the Dawei Imperial Court. If you generals also want to join me in serving the new lord, I’ll be honored. But if you do not wish to follow me and serve the new lord, I believe the Crown Prince’s kindness will forgive past grievances."
Everyone looked at him, exchanging glances.
Someone spoke up, "Weren’t we supposed to join the Crown Prince? Who is this new ruler?"
Someone asked: "Is this new ruler you speak of, Lady Su Qi? I heard she is a Princess of Nanchu."
"Yes, it’s her."
"The eldest son is still alive?" someone exclaimed in shock.
"Yes, Big Brother is still alive." Zhang Yun said, "The Zhang family’s rebellion is unforgivable, and they have no place left in Daliang. They would inevitably be used as a public warning by the Imperial Court. Since you are not of the Zhang family, the Crown Prince will likely turn a blind eye for your compliance and he will not pursue this matter. So, during the next ten-li journey, you all need to think carefully about your choices."
After he finished speaking, he didn’t look at them and slowly walked on.
Everyone looked at one another, hurriedly pondering their next moves.
The ten-li journey was neither near nor far, so, after an hour, Zhang Yun saw the army of 150,000 at the end of the road, as well as Su Rong, who was standing before the army, wearing a white fox fur cloak and holding a hand warmer, waiting for him.
She stood in the chilly wind, slender and weak, yet standing proud and tall like a pine tree. From the looks of it, she had been waiting for a while.
Now it was evening, the sky slightly dim, and torches were gradually lighting up in the camp. Someone beside Su Rong also lit a torch, illuminating her porcelain-white, transparent face, casting a bright, warm glow on her.
Wherever she stood, it seemed bathed in light.
At this moment, Zhang Yun felt a sense of unreality, as if he was escaping darkness and running towards the light.
Reflecting on this thought, he unconsciously quickened his pace and soon came before Su Rong. He stopped a few steps away, looked at Su Rong, and greeted her respectfully, "Lady Su Qi, I have not failed your expectations."
Su Rong stepped forward and weakly helped Zhang Yun to his feet. She smiled at him and said, "From the day I received your reply, I trusted you. Please, rise."
Zhang Yun stood up straight and look at Su Rong, "So, the 250,000 troops will be under Lady Su’s command."
"Alright." Su Rong nodded with a smile, "The army has prepared a tent for you, right next to your brother’s. You can go freshen up and rest there. Later, a feast will be held in the camp to welcome you."
Zhang Yun nodded.
Unlike when Su Rong first met Jiang Zhu and Zhang Mao, their task was to show loyalty, and she had to promise their future. She and Zhang Yun had already clashed several times. Since her letter could make Zhang Yun agree to join her and bring 250,000 soldiers without bloodshed, the trust between them was unbreakable, there was no need to say more.
So, Su Rong instructed Fen Ling to take command of the Jibei Army, and Zhang Yun instructed Le Shu to cooperate with him.
Su Rong stayed with Zhang Yun, introducing Zhou Shen, Jiang Zhu, Ning Ze, and others to him.
Though Zhang Yun usually dealt with the dark matters of supervising secret agents, he himself appeared like a slender, refined, and elegant young man. Compared to the cultured scholar-like aura around Jiang Zhu, he had a restrained and composed demeanor borne out of certain experiences.
After sending Zhang Yun to the camp for rest and clean-up, Jiang Zhu commented to Su Rong in a low voice, "Lady Su has good judgement, truly. Zhang Yun is remarkable, better than his reputation suggests. He’s a rare find."
Su Rong had met Zhang Yun four times, once at the Inn, then when Nangong Yu blocked her, on the outskirts of Nanping City after the Jibei Army was defeated, and now. Every time they met, Zhang Yun gave her a very different impression.
He was a man who could blend into any situation, he wasn’t one to wear many faces, but he knew best how to judge the situation and what he wanted to do and get. Such rare individuals were truly hard to come by.
She laughed and said, "Then you should learn from him. There must be much to learn from Zhang Yun."
Jiang Zhu nodded repeatedly, "I definitely plan on doing so."
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