Hearing the sound, Ma Ying turned around and instantly met Song Yunyang's gaze. A hint of shock and joy flashed in her eyes, which were then overwhelmed by deep emotion.
His body trembled slightly, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knelt down with a thud, his hands shaking as he pulled the dagger from his pocket. The dagger gleamed coldly in the candlelight, as if telling the story of his suffering and resilience during this period.
"Marshal Song, I have returned to fulfill my promise. The Marshal has registered his name, and I have returned to return the dagger."
As she spoke, Ma Ying held up the dagger with both hands and slowly handed it to Song Yunyang.
Song Yunyang slowly took the dagger, "This is..."
As she spoke, she turned to Chen Zhennan and choked up, saying, "Your Majesty, please bestow this dagger upon Ma Ying. It would be a recognition of his efforts over the past six months."
Chen Zhennan nodded slightly. This dagger was originally used for self-defense when he first left Lingnan, but now it was no longer needed.
"I gave you this dagger back then, and you could decide who to give it to."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang nodded emphatically to Chen Zhennan, and then handed the dagger to Ma Ying.
"You...you've suffered."
Song Yunyang's voice trembled, and tears finally welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
In Song Yunyang's opinion, Ma Ying was nothing special, but it was this persistence that made him stand out from the vast majority of people.
Seeing this, Chen Zhennan slowly got up and walked to Song Yunyang's side, reaching out to help Ma Ying up.
“Ma Ying, your loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon. I, Chen Zhennan, will never mistreat a loyal and virtuous person. I will give you two choices: first, take over Zi Rou’s escort agency; second, join the special forces for training, and become the captain after you have become a capable person. I will give you one hundred men.”
Ma Ying blinked somewhat slowly and let out a long groan.
"Your Majesty, I'll follow your decision. I... I don't know what to choose."
Chen Zhennan was amused by Ma Ying's straightforwardness and gave a soft "hmm" before saying, "How about this, you join the special forces first and train in Beijing. If you think things through later, you can make your choice then."
Ma Ying nodded emphatically: "As you command, I will obey."
Chen Zhennan didn't say anything more, and told Yan Shiyu to take Ma Ying down to rest for a few days first, and he would arrange training for Ma Ying after he went to the 13th week.
For the next two days, Chen Zhennan's brow remained furrowed, his heart filled with anxiety about the upcoming meeting.
He wanted to make a good impression on Song Yunyang's parents, but couldn't think of any gifts to bring.
Every time he wanted to ask Song Yunyang, he felt embarrassed to speak up, after all, this was his intention as the future son-in-law, and he hoped to be able to make the decision himself.
Left with no other choice, Chen Zhennan could only select a number of gold and silver items from the palace.
Although he knew that these valuable items might not suit Song Yunyang's parents' tastes, these gold and silver items at least expressed his sincerity and respect for the two elders.
He carefully selected some exquisite jewelry boxes and antiques, as well as many calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, hoping that these would surprise Song Yunyang's parents.
After everything was prepared, Chen Zhennan, along with Song Yunyang, Yan Shiyu, and two hundred special forces members, set off for Qingzhou in a grand procession.
Chen Zhennan stood in front of the caravan, his gaze sweeping over the carriages loaded with gold, silver and precious porcelain, and he couldn't help but frown slightly.
These gifts are indeed valuable, but they are also extremely fragile and need to be handled with care.
The entire convoy moved at a slow pace, like a snail carrying a heavy load, slowly making its way along the road.
After walking for two days, Chen Zhennan estimated that he had only covered one-fifth of the distance.
He couldn't help but feel anxious. At this rate, there definitely wouldn't be enough time to come back and prepare for the wedding.
After thinking it over, Chen Zhennan made a decision.
He had two hundred team members escort the gifts slowly, ensuring that each gift arrived safely.
He himself, along with Song Yunyang and Yan Shiyu, sped towards Qingzhou.
He knew without anyone telling him that Song Yunyang's parents would rather see their daughter than receive these material gifts.
Song Yunyang was eager and excited, and naturally had no objection to Chen Zhennan's decision.
What she wants most right now is to get to Qingzhou as soon as possible, see her parents, and then send them back to their hometown in Dayan.
For her, this was a journey she longed to return to, a journey that also served as a spiritual home, because from now on, she might never have the chance to return to the Great Yan again.
Three people and three horses traveled for two days and finally arrived at the county closest to Qingzhou.
The three of them randomly found an inn outside the city. Although the environment was so-so, it was located in a remote area and was absolutely quiet at night, making it a good place to sleep and rest.
The inn's facade wasn't large, but it exuded a sense of tranquility, as if telling them that they could temporarily put aside the fatigue of their journey here.
Upon seeing Chen Zhennan and his companions, the innkeeper hurriedly came out to greet them, beaming with smiles as he led them into the inn's lobby, enthusiastically introducing the inn's features and facilities as they walked.
"Gentlemen, you've come to the right place. Our place may be small, but it's clean and comfortable, and we guarantee you'll have a good rest."
Chen Zhennan nodded and smiled slightly, "Alright, this is fine. Prepare three superior rooms for us, treat us to the best wine and food, and feed the horses with the best fodder you have here. You'll be well taken care of!"
The waiter nodded hurriedly, "Alright, thank you very much, sir. We'll treat you to the best wine and food from now on, you wonderful little rascal!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan frowned, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.
"Hey, what a fan?"
He repeated those words, a hint of doubt in his voice.
Song Yunyang and Yan Shiyu both turned their gazes toward him, their faces filled with curiosity.
"What are you thinking about? Is something wrong?" Song Yunyang couldn't help but ask.
Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he pondered, "I think I've heard these words before. Let me think about it."
As he spoke, Chen Zhennan looked toward the kitchen. It was just past 5:45 PM, and it was only just getting dark, but there was no sound from the kitchen. This unusual silence made him even more alert.
Suddenly, Chen Zhennan finally remembered what the phrase "hissing" meant. He coughed and whispered a reminder: "Just pretend to eat when the food is served. They will put drugs in the food and drinks."
Upon hearing this, Song Yunyang couldn't help but frown slightly. A hint of surprise and unease flashed in her eyes as she asked in a low voice, "How did you know?"
Without thinking, Chen Zhennan casually said, "I've heard Guo Degang's 'The Legend of Ji Gong'."
"What?"
"That's just a story. I heard about it when I was traveling around the martial arts world. 'Hi Hi's Lost Child' is a code word for some black shops, meaning they would drug the food, knock out the customers, and then kill and rob them."
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