Chapter 34
After Zhou Yuan and his group set off, they retrieved their belongings from the wealthy man's house and headed towards the capital.
Only Zhou Yuan knew what the gift was. He didn't even tell Meng Qi, who was always close to him, what the gift was. It was always kept under his personal control. There weren't many people who came this time, just Zhou Yuan, Meng Qi, and a villager named Meng Shuanzi. None of them had horses; they had rented them from a horse rental company by depositing money.
I haven't forgotten everything I learned in the barracks. At least I can still ride a horse with ease. It's just that riding for many consecutive days has made my thighs a bit sore, but I can bear it. There were many, many more things that were much harder than this before.
During this period, they lived a life of hardship, sometimes sleeping outdoors and sometimes in remote areas. If they were lucky, they would find a post station where they could sleep in a shared bed. If they were unlucky, they would have to spend the night in the mountains.
Meng Qi was newly married, and during his rest time he would point to his clothes and say, "My wife made these for me."
When checking into an inn, he would take out his purse and say, "This was embroidered by my wife."
While having a snack, he looked at the dry biscuits next to Zhou Yuan and swallowed hard: "Brother, can I have some?"
Zhou Yuan merely glanced at him: "What, didn't your wife make you pancakes?"
Meng Shuanzi laughed as well: "His wife is good in every way, except she's not good at cooking. I heard that on the second day after their wedding, she almost burned down their kitchen."
Meng Qi took a bite of the dry biscuit: "Then my wife is the best wife in the world."
Zhou Yuan just smiled.
Meng Qi suddenly felt something was wrong. He glanced at the pancake in his hand and said, "Brother, you definitely didn't make this pancake yourself."
Meng Shuanzi took a sip of water: "You're allowed to have a wife, but I'm not allowed to have someone I like?"
Meng Qi straightened his back: "How could I not know? You don't even know who that person is, yet you have the nerve to laugh at me."
"How could I not know?" Meng Shuanzi scoffed. "If I didn't tell you, you wouldn't be able to figure it out even if you racked your brains."
"Then who do you think it is?" The two started arguing, but Zhou Yuan ignored them. Listening to their bickering helped him relieve the loneliness he had felt on the journey.
"Why are you making fun of me?" Zhou Yuan leaned against the tree, playing with the purse Chen Qing had given him. He had touched the small talisman inside many times.
"Brother, when are you getting married?" Meng Shuanzi asked.
"He still has to observe mourning."
Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi both felt his teeth ache, so they stopped talking about it and started discussing their future plans.
Zhou Yuan then said, "When we deliver this and return from the capital, we can also see if there are any jobs along the way that we can do to earn some travel expenses."
“Let’s run around first, and when we’ve made something of ourselves, we can set up a security escort agency and travel all over the country.” Meng Qi was very excited. “With our brother’s abilities, this is all a very simple matter.”
The closer they got to the capital, the colder the weather became. By the time they arrived in the capital, it was already snowing lightly.
In the capital, everything is more expensive than in their small town. Even a regular dormitory room for twenty people costs many times more than in their small town. Zhou Yuan thought that they hadn't had a proper wash and grooming these past few days, so he asked for a triple room. Meng Qi's hands were shaking when he paid.
After settling in, the three of them took turns showering. The room was expensive, but hot water was provided free of charge. Meng Qi glanced at the cost of the food and decided not to eat at the inn.
This was their first time in the capital, and the bustling and prosperous city was unmatched anywhere else. Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi planned to go for a stroll and bring back some gifts for their family members.
Zhou Yuan had other things to do, so he told them to go shopping first while he went out.
Besides handling this matter, I also came to the capital to pay my respects to the general once more.
After the border war ended, apart from the original border garrison, all the reinforcements withdrew to their original posts.
The person who led Zhou Yuan and his men at that time was General Pingnan Xiao Chengyin.
During the Battle of Guping Pass, General Xiao was surrounded by enemy troops and isolated without any help because of a traitor in his camp. All his personal guards were lured away, and only Zhou Yuan was by his side at that time.
Zhou Yuan's sword was chipped from the blows, but he killed twenty or thirty enemies and, with the wounded General Xiao, held out until reinforcements arrived.
The Battle of Guping Pass laid the foundation for the imperial court's victory.
After that, General Xiao wanted to recruit Zhou Yuan into his ranks, but Zhou Yuan was concerned about his grandmother and refused his offer.
However, when General Xiao returned to the capital, he also gave Zhou Yuan a token, saying that if Zhou Yuan changed his mind, he could come to the capital to find him at any time.
Today, Zhou Yuan wants to return this token to him, and from now on, he will settle down in Luohe Village.
When Zhou Yuan arrived at the gatehouse, he handed the token to the gatekeeper, who immediately recognized it as a general's token. The gatekeeper quickly went to report the news, and soon someone led Zhou Yuan into the main hall.
General Xiao was nearly fifty years old, but due to years of fighting on the front lines, his health was still not very good. At this moment, a charcoal fire had been lit in the flower hall. When he saw Zhou Yuan enter, he stood up.
"Zhou Yuan!"
Zhou Yuan then bowed to him and said, "Greetings, General."
General Xiao was very pleased to see him. He patted Zhou Yuan on the shoulder, the remaining snow on his clothes turning into water that had seeped into his clothes under the warmth of the stove fire. He pulled Zhou Yuan up and asked, "Have you taken care of things at home? You're here to see me now?"
Zhou Yuan shook his head: "The matter back home has been settled. I've come here to return the token to the general."
General Xiao was taken aback: "Hmm?"
Zhou Yuan handed the token back to General Xiao: "I am about to get married and do not want to be separated from my husband. I can only disappoint the general's expectations."
"You're married?" General Xiao didn't take his token, but was genuinely happy for him. "Now that you're married, you can bring your husband to the capital, and you can also do some work as a steward in the mansion."
Zhou Yuan nodded: "From now on, I want to settle down at home, help my husband farm, do some small business, and be content with a modest life."
General Xiao nodded: "Very good, very good."
"I have come to see the general today to return the token and to say goodbye."
General Xiao nodded: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Having witnessed the cruelty of war, one appreciates the value of the ordinary. Keep these things; they will come in handy someday."
Zhou Yuan nodded, and seeing the people waiting next to General Xiao, he prepared to leave.
General Xiao was in no hurry to let him leave. He only told his men to bring him some local specialties from the capital, and that since he was getting married, he should also bring some gifts back for his new husband.
Zhou Yuan's visit was only to return the token, and he did not want anything from General Xiao. Therefore, he refused to accept the gifts prepared by General Xiao. After several refusals, he only accepted the red cloth prepared by the general's wife for the wedding. He did not accept any other silver, jewelry, jade or other items.
When Zhou Yuan finally took his leave, General Xiao patted him on the shoulder and said, "If you have the chance in the future, bring your husband over for a visit. Keep the token, just like your knife."
Led by the steward, Zhou Yuan left, glancing one last time at General Xiao standing in the courtyard, sighing before departing the general's mansion.
But when the general's mansion saw him off, they still packed a large bundle for him. Knowing that it wouldn't be good to refuse again, Zhou Yuan bowed three times to the general's mansion.
When they returned to the inn, Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi had already bought their things. However, they were still not wealthy and did not dare to buy much, mostly just watching the excitement.
They immediately noticed the red cloth Zhou Yuan had brought back and thought to themselves that his brother knew how to cherish his husband, thinking of him from so far away and even buying red cloth for their wedding.
"Brother, shall we head back tomorrow?" It's already mid-November. If we hurry back, we might still make it home for the Laba Festival.
Zhou Yuan nodded, and the three of them went for a stroll in the streets of Beijing that evening, mostly looking around, but still reluctant to buy anything.
When they arrived at a restaurant called Tianji, the three of them were attracted by the strange aroma inside. However, Zhou Yuan glanced at the price tag at the door and quickly led Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi away from the main entrance of the restaurant.
Meng Qi kept looking back, saying as he looked, "It smells so good, what exactly are they selling?"
Shuanzi swallowed hard; the aroma alone made it seem delicious.
Zhou Yuan had never smelled such a fragrant aroma before, but he knew that a meal at that restaurant would cost at least four or five taels of silver, and that such a restaurant was not for people like them.
After bypassing Tianji, they wandered aimlessly for a while, and soon heard a commotion ahead.
"I've already loaded the goods, and now you're telling me the escorts aren't going to arrive? What about the other escort agencies?!"
"Because it's the end of the year, many of the head镖师 (chief escorts) from the镖局 (escort agencies) have gone out. What are we going to do? If we can't deliver it, what will the magistrates say..."
"Stop arguing." The manager touched his thinning hair. "Go and see if anyone can take this trip. It doesn't matter if the price is high."
Zhou Yuan and Meng Qi exchanged a glance, then Zhou Yuan strode forward and walked to the steward's side.
The steward glanced at Zhou Yuan's tall figure, then at his rough-made clothes, and his attitude wasn't very friendly: "What are you looking at?"
Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "I just heard the manager say that he wanted to hire a security escort agency to transport the goods. The three of us brothers happen to be in that line of work."
The manager glanced again at Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi behind Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan was the tallest, but Meng Qi and Meng Shuanzi were not short either, especially Meng Shuanzi, who was all muscle and had a somewhat fierce expression.
The manager withdrew his gaze: "Which family are you from?"
“The three of us brothers do odd jobs, but we’re not very capable yet. We’re going to the capital this time, and we’ll be heading back to our hometown in the next couple of days. If it’s on our way, we can make a trip there too.”
The manager felt something was off, but they really had no choice: "Are you really in this line of work?"
Zhou Yuan then said, "We brothers are all veterans who retired from the battlefield. We thought we could still make a living with our fists and feet in the next few years."
The manager was already seven or eight parts convinced: "But without any proof, how can I believe you?"
They all carried household registration documents, and Zhou Yuan took them out: "These are our household registration documents. They show where we live. We can run away, but our homes can't."
The steward took the documents and examined them carefully. He found that, except for the one named Zhou Yuan, all three men had families with them, and the documents did indeed bear the imperial seal, proving that they were indeed veterans.
The manager then said, "This cart of goods is being transported to Yunxi Town in Xixin Prefecture. Is it on your way?"
Zhou Yuan nodded. Xixin Prefecture was conveniently located between the capital and their hometown, so it wouldn't be a problem to make a detour.
Ultimately, the steward decided to send someone with them on this trip, which was really a desperate measure. Most importantly, when Zhou Yuan took out the documents, he saw the token of the Pingnan General's Mansion.
Tianji in the capital is backed by the General of the Western Expedition's mansion. The manager has naturally been among the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital for many years and can see the uprightness in Zhou Yuan at a glance. If there is any problem, he can go to the General of the Southern Expedition's mansion to ask.
So the next day, Zhou Yuan, Meng Qi, and Meng Shuanzi set off for Yunxi Town, accompanied by a manager from Tianji.
They didn't ask what was on the two carriages, but judging from the stewards traveling with them, it was clear that it wasn't anything simple.
So they stopped sleeping at night and took turns keeping watch.
The steward, bored and wanting to intimidate, began to talk about Tian Ji's situation.
"Our head manager of Tianji is the second master of the General of the Western Expedition's mansion. Since you are veterans, you should know about the General of the Western Expedition, right?"
They naturally knew of General Cui Chaoming, the General Who Conquers the West, but they had never heard of the Second Master.
The manager said with some pride, "Most of the military expenses during the war were raised by our Tian family."
The battle was fought by the General Who Conquers the West, and the military expenses were raised by the Second Master. This General's Mansion has made a great contribution to the imperial court.
The three of them listened attentively, then decided to be even more careful.
As for the day of Laba Festival, they didn't have time to eat Laba porridge. They were too busy to eat anything but teach the bandits who wanted to steal their things a lesson. They barely ate a single grain of rice that day.
The journey wasn't entirely smooth, but thankfully, there were no major incidents. By the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the steward and all the goods had been delivered to Yunxi Town.
There was also a restaurant called Tianji in Yunxi Town. The owner, surnamed Tian, was very grateful to the group of people who came to deliver the goods. When he heard that they were veterans who had retired from the battlefield, he treated them even better, treating them to a meal at Tianji that they couldn't afford in the capital, and giving them a generous reward.
Zhou Yuan had no idea what the connection was between Tian Ji in Yunxi Town and Tian Ji in the capital. They were just responsible for transporting goods. He only remembered that Manager Tian could lift a box that would normally require two people to carry with one hand. But Zhou Yuan noticed that Manager Tian already had some gray hair and looked like he was in his fifties.
After the handover was completed, they stayed overnight in Yunxi Town. The next day, they strolled around the town. The prices in Yunxi Town were generally lower than in the capital. They bought some local specialties there, which were said to be seasonings that could make cooking as delicious as Tianji's.
Finally, Zhou Yuan went to a clinic and asked about Zhang Yin's condition. The doctor looked scholarly, and his temples were a little gray. However, his demeanor was so good that he didn't seem like just a doctor from a small town.
Dr. Yu was very cautious. He had only listened to Zhou Yuan's description and hadn't seen the patient, so he couldn't really make a judgment. The symptoms sounded like they were quite difficult to diagnose.
"I can't prescribe medicine without seeing the patient. It would be great if I could take their pulse."
Zhou Yuan inexplicably trusted him: "Please prescribe some medicine, so that your family can feel more at ease."
Yu Nian had no choice but to prescribe some mild tonics and instructed Zhou Yuan that, based on his description, the situation was very dangerous and that he should take someone to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Zhou Yuan carried the herbs out, only to see the owner of Tianji's shop coming out of the backyard of the clinic.
He nodded to Manager Tian, then left with the medicine.
In the days that followed, the three of them traveled at breakneck speed and finally returned to Luohe Village on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the day before the Lunar New Year.
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