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Chapter 159: Deciding to Trust Him
Chapter 159: Deciding to Trust Him
Lu Yuan straightened up and walked towards the carriage with a smile. "Foster father."
A faint hum sounded from within the carriage, and the coachman immediately set up a carriage stool for Lu Yuan to climb aboard.
Inside, the Grand Preceptor, clad in an ink-colored robe, exuded an air of authority. With his dragon-like demeanor, his beard and eyebrows were tinged with white. Seated next to him was Xun Yu, the Grand Preceptor's only son, a year older than Lu Yuan.
Xun Yu possessed sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exuding a dignified and handsome aura. Upon seeing Lu Yuan, he smiled. "Ah Yuan, it's been many years. I trust you've been well."
Lu Yuan returned the smile. "Second brother."
Xun Yu pulled aside the curtain and glanced forward. "From now on, you'll have to call me third brother. Father has taken in a new foster son who doesn't talk much. I'll introduce you to him another day."
Following Xun Yu's gaze, Lu Yuan spotted a general clad in silver armor and a helmet, riding a tall warhorse. The man was tall and robust, and even his mount seemed more robust than the others.
Lu Yuan could sense an intimidating aura emanating from him.
He was a formidable opponent.
"Understood, third brother," Lu Yuan said with a smile.
Xun Yu spoke in a gentle voice. "I heard you got married. Congratulations are in order."
Inside the city tower, the Imperial Guards cleared the streets, not allowing anyone to gallop on the official road. However, while they could control the carriages and horses, they couldn't stop the curious onlookers.
Meng Qianqian arrived late and couldn't push her way through the crowd. To prevent assassin attacks, the second floors of the shops along the route had been taken over by the Imperial Guards, leaving no access to the rooftops.
Meng Qianqian had no choice but to stand at the back of the crowd, staring intently at the army about to enter the city gate.
"They're here! They're entering the city!"
"It's the White Tiger's battle flag! It's the Grand Preceptor's battle flag!"
The crowd stirred with excitement. Meng Qianqian seized the opportunity to squeeze her way to the front.
Just then, a child tripped and fell, about to be trampled by the crowd. Meng Qianqian quickly stepped out of the crowd, picked up the child, and leaped to the doorstep of a shop.
"Waaah—"
The child cried loudly, startled.
Hearing his son's cry, the father also squeezed his way out of the crowd, his face dripping with sweat, and thanked Meng Qianqian profusely.
By the time Meng Qianqian tried to push her way back, she was completely blocked. All she could hear were the people's enthusiastic cheers for the Grand Preceptor.
Lu Yuan's return to the capital hadn't received such a grand reception.
Apparently, the Grand Preceptor enjoyed high esteem among the common folk.
That made sense. Lu Yuan was a despised traitor, so even when he won battles at the border, the people of the capital believed he had robbed General Han of the opportunity to fight on the front lines.
"It's Young Master Xun! I see Young Master Xun!"
"What? Young Master Xun has returned to the capital, too?"
"Of course, he'd return after winning the battle!"
Subsequently, Meng Qianqian heard much enthusiastic discussion about Young Master Xun. While the people mentioned several generals accompanying the Grand Preceptor, the enthusiasm for Young Master Xun was undoubtedly the highest after the Grand Preceptor himself.
"Who is Young Master Xun?" Meng Qianqian asked a young scholar standing next to her.
The young scholar looked at her in surprise. "Miss, aren't you from the capital?"
"Yes, I'm from another province," Meng Qianqian replied.
The young scholar sized her up. "Then you should have heard of Young Master Xun. But you do sound quite young, so perhaps you were too little back then. Nine years ago, at only eighteen years old, Young Master Xun placed first in the imperial examinations. Not only in our current dynasty but throughout history, there has never been an eighteen-year-old new top scholar, and he achieved this with six consecutive top scores. Such an achievement is unprecedented and will likely be unmatched in the future."
Meng Qianqian nodded. "I understand now."
The young scholar couldn't stop praising Young Master Xun. "Don't assume that Young Master Xun is just a bookworm. Seven years ago, Young Master Xun gave up the luxurious life in the capital and resolutely followed his father on the western campaign. While the Grand Preceptor fought on the front lines, Young Master Xun governed the people, reclaimed wastelands, diverted rivers to create canals, and invented numerous tools beneficial for agriculture. In short, he's an extraordinary person!"
On the carriage.
Xun Yu handed Lu Yuan a bag of dried fruit from the Western Regions: "I dried these myself; I was afraid they'd spoil on the journey. Have a taste and tell me what you think."
Lu Yuan popped one into his mouth. "Sweet."
Xun Yu patted his shoulder. "I heard you won a great victory at the Jade Gate. I'm so happy for you, brother. If I'd known of your talents back then, I would have brought you with me on the western campaign. We might have pacified the Western Regions sooner!"
Lu Yuan replied, "It was a narrow victory, and I nearly didn't make it back. I heard that you also contributed to the pacification of the Western Regions with your strategies, so I should be the one congratulating you and your foster father."
Xun Yu hugged him and laughed heartily. "Let's not flatter each other, my brother!"
The carriage passed through Zhuque Street and traveled another three li to the east before stopping in front of a majestic and solemn mansion.
The group disembarked from the carriage.
Lu Yuan pointed to the open vermilion main gate and said, "Over the past few years, I've had people come to clean the mansion regularly. The furnishings and plants inside remain as they were before my foster father left the capital."
The Grand Preceptor, Xun Xiangguo, stepped across the threshold, and the servants bowed in greeting.
Xun Xiangguo glanced around.
Xun Yu followed his father, looking at the peach tree inside the gate. "Ah Yuan, you're amazing. Even the peach tree is exactly as it was. I remember this brick; I accidentally chopped it with my sword, and you've kept it all this time?"
Xun Xiangguo said to Lu Yuan, "I'm tired. You may take your leave."
Xun Yu hooked his arm around Lu Yuan's shoulder. "Father, we brothers haven't seen each other in a long time. Let Ah Yuan stay and drink with me tonight until we're both thoroughly drunk!"
Lu Yuan smiled. "There will be plenty of opportunities for that in the future. Third Brother has just traveled a long way, so he should rest first."
Xun Yu teased, "I think you'd rather go back and spend time with your wife, right?"
Lu Yuan smiled but didn't reply.
Xun Yu feigned disgust. "Now that you have a wife, you forget your brother. Alright, alright, you can go!"
Lu Yuan bid farewell to the father and son and turned to leave the mansion.
At the gate, he brushed shoulders with the man in silver armor. The man wore a helmet that concealed his face, revealing only a pair of cold, knife-like eyes.
The killing intent emanating from him was heavier than anyone Lu Yuan had ever encountered.
Without acknowledging Lu Yuan, the man strode into the mansion without a glance.
Lu Yuan turned to look at him and then got into his carriage.
---
Upon returning to the Governor's Mansion, Meng Qianqian was waiting for him in the study.
Seeing his gloomy expression, she stood up and said, "You said I could come in."
"Mhm," Lu Yuan nodded.
There was only one large study in the main courtyard, with two desks—one for him and one for her. They had agreed to share the space from early on.
Seeing that he truly didn't seem to mind, Meng Qianqian asked, "Are you unhappy today?"
"A little tired," Lu Yuan changed the subject. Seeing that her desk was empty, as if she had been waiting specifically for him, he asked, "Did you come looking for me for something?"
Meng Qianqian hesitated.
Before leaving, Zhang Fei Hu had told her to trust Lu Yuan.
But should she?
After all, he had wanted to kill her at first.
No, she had almost killed him too.
So they were even.
Lu Yuan didn't rush Meng Qianqian but sat down at his desk.
After a while, Meng Qianqian made a decision. "I went to the market district today and found out about Chen Long's whereabouts."
Lu Yuan's expression changed slightly. "You went to the West Gate to look for Chen Long?"
Meng Qianqian asked in confusion, "How did the Governor know I went to the West Gate?"
Also, why did he look even unhappier now?
Lu Yuan said calmly, "I saw you."
"Oh," Meng Qianqian replied.
Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed as he realized something. "So that person was Chen Long."
Meng Qianqian was taken aback again. "You've seen Chen Long?"
Lu Yuan frowned in thought. "The Grand Preceptor has taken in a new foster son. It's very likely that he's the Chen Long you're looking for."
Ah, they could go monster-hunting together in the future!
(End of Chapter)
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