EFB Chapter 99 Zhang Hong
Chapter 99 Zhang Hong
Chapter 99 Zhang Hong
A caravan of a hundred people is not many; caravans of this size enter and leave Yunzhou City almost every day.
However, when these hundred men, dressed in border army armor and exuding a fierce aura, appeared in the city, they attracted attention.
The horses' hooves struck the bluestone floor with a crisp sound as they galloped toward the center of the city.
Finally, they stopped outside the Zhang family mansion.
Lu Yuan gripped the reins tightly, and the red-scaled creature raised its forehooves high.
"Herod!"
After making a loud sound, it stopped in its tracks.
The firm muscles were covered in scales that shimmered in the sunlight.
The group of over a hundred people stopped in unison and followed Lu Yuan as he dismounted.
In two months, Zhou Xiong had completely entered the Refining Realm, and the rest of his personal guards had also reached the Bone Forging Realm. This hundred-man team could definitely be considered an elite force.
Some of them had followed Lu Yuan from the beginning, while others joined later.
They were people who started out with him and were extremely loyal.
The fierce and valiant aura emanating from him caused the Zhang family guards standing outside the door to frown.
The leader, a man with a large beard, stepped forward and asked, "Are you all looking for our master?"
Zhang Hong is now the governor of Yunzhou, and he holds a high position of power. Therefore, although Lu Yuan and his group are formidable, they cannot intimidate the guards of the Zhang family.
After all, they could see officers of the rank of captain quite often.
"Old Yu, don't you even recognize me?"
Lu Yuan's deep voice rang out.
He tossed the riding whip to Wei Yong, who was standing to the side.
At this moment, the head guard began to examine him closely, and after a moment, he said incredulously, "You, your Seventh Young Master?"
The Zhang family was considered a prominent clan in the area, and Lu Yuan was the seventh son.
Therefore, everyone in the family calls him Seventh Young Master.
He was a direct descendant of the third wife.
Old Yu, who was guarding the gate, naturally recognized him.
He knew he could be very casual in front of an ordinary captain, but he dared not be disrespectful to the young master of a family who held the position of captain.
At this moment, he felt a little shorter.
At the same time, a storm raged in his heart. Wasn't this seventh young master exiled to the northern frontier? People in the family said he was probably no longer alive.
For this reason, the third wife even went to see the head of the family.
Unexpectedly, he has returned and even become a captain.
As a member of the Zhang family, he recognized the standard-issue captain's armor.
"You do have some discernment."
As Lu Yuan spoke, he ordered the others to wait outside, while he led Zhou Xiong, Wei Yong, and seven or eight others straight into the courtyard.
Compared to the past, the Zhang family's life seems to be more luxurious.
There were also more servants and maids in the courtyard.
He looked at Lu Yuan with a puzzled gaze from time to time, but dared not go forward to ask.
Meanwhile, the head of the guards, Old Yu, headed straight for the patriarch's courtyard, as Lu Yuan's return was of utmost importance.
Most importantly, the other party actually became a captain.
Ignoring the stares, Lu Yuan led his men through a garden and into the courtyard where he had grown up.
It wasn't very luxurious, but it was very quiet, and several maids were sweeping inside.
"Da da!"
As Lu Yuan's footsteps sounded.
Someone turned around and looked over. It was a middle-aged woman, probably around forty years old, with some gray hair. She was stunned when she saw him, then covered her mouth and said incredulously, "Young Master, it's Young Master who's back."
Her voice was trembling with tears.
Her name was An Niang. She was Lu Yuan's mother's personal maid, having been with her since childhood and watching Lu Yuan grow up.
After the other party left the family, she cried countless times with Lu Yuan's mother.
Seeing Lu Yuan return now, he was naturally overwhelmed with excitement.
"Sizzle!"
"Anniang, what's going on outside? Why is it so noisy?" A slightly hoarse voice rang out. The door opened, and a middle-aged woman dressed in plain clothes walked out of the room. She had a kind face and was well-maintained, with few wrinkles on her face, but she looked listless and her eyes were red.
"Madam, the young master has returned." Upon hearing the voice, the woman who had just come out immediately looked at everyone, her gaze finally settling on Lu Yuan.
For a moment, his arms trembled slightly with excitement.
"Yuan'er, it really is you who's back." After saying that, he took a few steps forward.
Lu Yuan quickly stepped forward to help the woman, saying, "Mother, it's me who's back."
The original memories, the connection of blood, and the woman's haggard appearance deeply moved Lu Yuan.
The courtyard was filled with the sounds of weeping.
After a moment, An Niang wiped her eyes with her sleeve and said, "Madam, young master, let's go inside and talk."
Lu Yuan nodded and helped his mother, Madam Lu, into the house.
It's pretty much the same as when I left; the decorations are simple and unpretentious.
Then, while sobbing, Madam Lu recounted what had happened after Lu Yuan left.
It turned out that after he went to the northern frontier, at first, because Zhang Hong and the others deliberately concealed it, the Lu family did not know that their son had gone to the northern frontier to take the blame for Zhang Zhe.
But secrets can't be kept forever, and the matter eventually leaked out.
In her grief and anger, Lu went to Zhang Hong's courtyard and made a scene.
But she was just a woman, and in poor health, so in the end there was nothing she could do.
She could only cry at home every day.
After enduring half a year of hardship, Lu Yuan has finally returned.
"Mother, I came back this time to take you away. Now I have established myself in the northern frontier and can support you. We will not stay in this Zhang family anymore."
Actually, the reason Lu Yuan changed his name was not only because it was his original name, but also because his mother's surname was Lu.
Now completely disappointed with the Zhang family, Madam Lu nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, Mother will pack our things right away. We won't stay at the Zhang family anymore."
After saying that, he turned to Anniang and said, "Hurry up and pack your things, we're leaving today."
She didn't want to stay in the Zhang family for even a second longer.
In Lu's mind, the Zhang family were the murderers who plotted to kill her son. They failed this time, but who knows if they will try again next time.
She was afraid to gamble, so she was eager to leave.
The other maids around them looked helpless but dared not say anything.
The backyard, Zhang Hong's residence.
He was drinking tea and discussing with his younger brother about Zhang Zhe's upcoming wedding, which was about to take place in the capital.
However, while the two were talking...
"Da da!"
Hurried footsteps sounded at the door. Looking up, I saw Old Yu, who was in charge of guarding the door, walking over in a panic.
Zhang Hong frowned and said, "Old Yu, you're an elder in this household. What kind of behavior is this, so unbecoming!"
Now that Zhang Zhe's official position has risen to governor, the Zhang family has risen in status, and Zhang Zhe is about to become a prince consort. Therefore, he has always considered himself to be from a high-ranking family and naturally does not want to see his subordinates being unruly.
Old Yu stood there, speechless for a moment.
Zhang He put down his teacup before saying, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Reporting to Master and Second Master, yes, it's Seventh Young Master who's back. He's already gone to the Third Branch's courtyard." Old Yu said, while stealing glances at Zhang Hong.
"He's back? How did he get back, and what's he coming back for?" Before Zhang Hong could speak, Zhang He asked a series of questions.
Zhang Hong frowned and said, "Let him come back. Now that A Zhe is about to become a prince consort, the relationship between the General of Yunzhou and our family is still pretty good. He shouldn't say anything about the little things from back then."
Now that A-Yuan is back, we can just keep him.
However, he then impatiently continued, "Don't report such trivial matters to us in the future. He's just a junior who's been exiled. Do you expect us to go and greet him when he comes back?"
Old Yu, you're becoming more and more insensible.
Zhang Hong's voice was cold and hard.
Zhang He sipped his tea, looking quite pleased with himself.
However, Old Yu pursed his lips and said, "Master, the Seventh Young Master did not return alone. He was accompanied by a group of personal guards. It seems that he has been promoted and has become a captain in the Northern Frontier."
"when!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Hong, who was about to put down his teacup, accidentally dropped it on the table. Although it didn't break from the low height, it kept making a vibrating sound.
The sound was unusually jarring in the quiet hall.
Zhang He was also taken aback.
Neither of them could comprehend how they had gone from being conscripts to captains.
They knew all too well how difficult it was for an ordinary person to rise in the military; even the phrase "nine deaths and one life" couldn't fully express the difficulty.
Most importantly, this is not something that can be done simply by being fearless; it also requires exceptional talent.
Didn't you see? With so many people supporting Zhang Zhe, he's only managed to get to where he is now, just a captain.
Lu Yuan's starting point wasn't even that of an ordinary person; he was a conscript.
However, Zhang Hong was a man of many experience, and he quickly regained his composure and said, "A Yuan must have had a rough time these days. He didn't come to see us first when he came back, probably because he's still holding a grudge about what happened back then."
I'm going to see him.
As they were talking, Zhang He got up and walked outside, while gesturing for Lao Yu to leave.
After the other party left.
Zhang Hong and his companion then headed towards the third courtyard.
When they arrived at the door, they indeed saw two armored soldiers guarding outside. They were wearing black iron armor and had swords at their waists.
The aura emanating from him clearly indicated he was an elite border soldier.
Zhang Hong glanced at his younger brother and said, "I've been asking you to inquire about A Yuan all this time. Now that he's become a captain, you didn't even know? What have you been doing all this time?!"
He deliberately lowered his voice, but anyone could hear the dissatisfaction in his words.
He knew all too well the value of a border corps captain; it was something earned through countless battles.
His military achievements are undeniable, and by now, few in the northern frontier would be unaware of this nephew.
But Zhang He remained silent, which infuriated him.
Why was Lu Yuan sent to take the blame in the first place? It was all for the sake of the family, hoping that the younger generation could make a name for themselves in the military.
But now, the other party has gone so far, and they still don't know anything about it.
At this point, Zhang Hong realized that the best opportunity to salvage the relationship between the two parties had already been missed.
Zhang He stammered, "I... I really don't know either. The information was given to me by Mr. Bai. He said that he hasn't been able to find any news about A Yuan. I didn't mean to hide it. If you don't believe me, brother, we can go and ask Mr. Bai later."
At this moment, he was clearly getting anxious.
Zhang Hong glanced at his younger brother but said nothing more.
But he was clearly somewhat dissatisfied.
Then he walked straight into the courtyard.
"Please stop!"
As they approached the door, Wei Yong stretched out his hand, blocking their steps from entering.
Zhang Hong looked at him with cold eyes.
The aura of the Innate Realm instantly locked onto Wei Yong.
But the other person didn't move at all. Although there were beads of sweat on his forehead, it was clear that he was having some difficulty breathing under this pressure, but he gritted his teeth and persevered.
Seeing this, Zhang Hong did not continue to make things difficult for Wei Yong; instead, a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes.
At the same time, he thought to himself that his nephew was a good leader of troops.
Then he said in a deep voice, "I am your captain's uncle. Let me in."
Wei Yong remained silent, refusing to budge an inch.
The meaning was very clear: as long as Lu Yuan didn't speak, the only way to get in was to step over his corpse.
Zhang He was about to explode in anger.
When did they dare to have anyone stop them in their own home?
Just then, Lu Yuan heard the commotion outside, came out of the house, and said to the door, "Let them in."
Upon hearing the sound, Wei Yong stepped back to make room for Zhang Hong.
The two brothers then walked into the courtyard.
As soon as he entered, Lu Yuan looked at his uncle again, bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Governor."
1
As for Zhang He, he ignored him, since their official positions were now of average rank.
There's really no need to give them face.
For a moment, Zhang He's face turned red, but he couldn't say anything. After all, it was normal for Lu Yuan to harbor resentment after taking the blame for his son.
Zhang Hong forced a smile and said, "A-Yuan, we're all family, why bother with such formalities?"
"Governor, I have now changed my name to Lu Yuan. My trip to the Northern Frontier has repaid the Zhang family's debt of gratitude. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other," Lu Yuan said calmly.
Zhang He could no longer contain himself and glared at Lu Yuan, saying, "How dare you betray your ancestors and family!"
The latter replied calmly, "It was my family that betrayed me first."
Zhang He was speechless after just one sentence.
However, his aura surged, indicating that he was preparing to fight Lu Yuan.
"brush!"
But the next moment, Zhou Xiong drew his long sword from his waist, his eyes turning cold as he said, "I am the centurion of the Captain's personal guard, a descendant of the Zhou family, a military clan. Anyone who dares to lay a hand on my general, we, the men of Saicheng, will fight to the death!"
Zhang He stopped moving.
Zhang Hong closed his eyes slightly, and after a moment his gaze fell on Lu Yuan again: "Are you determined to leave?"
'
"I'm afraid I'll be abandoned again," Lu Yuan said calmly.
"What if I promise not to, and that I will support you with all the resources of my family in the future? You may not know that your cousin Zhang Zhe is about to become a prince consort, and he will hold the same position as you, a captain."
"With your assistance in the army, the Prince's Mansion will surely be of help to you as well. Why worry about the family's prosperity? Stay here, and I will compensate you. I was inconsiderate in the past." Zhang Hong finally softened his tone for the sake of the family's development.
Even Zhang He's expression improved considerably. After all, he was no ordinary person. When he heard Zhang Hong say that Lu Yuan would assist his son in the future, his eyes lit up.
In his view, although Zhang Zhe himself was capable, if he had an outstanding disciple from the family to assist him, wouldn't he be able to go even higher?
Clearly, in the hearts of these two brothers, Lu Yuan's status was still inferior to Zhang Zhe's.
After all, the other party was a prince consort, and that alone put him among the ranks of the nobility.
Lu Yuan sneered and said indifferently, "No need for you two to worry. I'm used to walking my own path. Farewell."
After seeing that his mother and Anniang had finished packing, Lu Yuan ordered someone to carry the bundle and headed out of the mansion.
Zhang Hong was not given any time to speak.
The other person's face turned ashen, but they didn't say anything.
Zhang He said, "Brother, don't overthink it. He may be excellent, but so what? Without connections, he'll only rise to the rank of captain."
Zhang Hong could only nod.
Actually, that's what he thought too, but it's a bit of a pity. If Lu Yuan had been willing to stay and assist Zhang Zhe, they probably would have gone much further.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "It's just a bit of a pity, but these things can't be forced."
Then, his tone changed abruptly: "Have you prepared the troops I asked you to? This matter concerning the northern border buffer zone is related to the future of the family, so we must not be careless. We must carve out a territory in the buffer zone."
"Everything is ready. The family's experts will personally lead the team. However, I heard that many families are going, and there are also a lot of local forces. It will probably be very difficult to gain a foothold," Zhang He said honestly.
The situation in the northern border region is too complicated now, and he dares not make any definitive statements.
Zhang Hong sighed and said, "Well, let's see how it goes."
1
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan paid no attention to any of this.
He had already led his mother out of the courtyard and helped her and Anniang into the prepared carriage.
He then led his team towards a restaurant in Yunzhou.
It's getting late today, so we can only stay one night and set off tomorrow.
Besides, many of his men are visiting Yunzhou for the first time, so they should be allowed to look around, after all, they've been with him for so long.
Therefore, after Lu Yuan booked the entire restaurant and everyone had finished their meal,
He then looked at his men and said, "Everyone go to Zhou Xiong and collect ten taels of silver. Go out and wander around this afternoon, and be back before tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, sir!"
Cheers erupted throughout the hall.
It was their first time visiting Yunzhou, and they were quite curious about the southern city and its customs.
Therefore, being able to go out for a walk is of course the best.
However, Lu Yuan didn't mention it along the way, and they didn't dare to say it either.
Now that the other party has given the order and provided the money, how could he not be happy?
Even Zhou Xiong's face showed a smile.
Lu Yuan then pulled a silver note from his pocket and stuffed it into his hand: "After you exchange it for cash, distribute it to the brothers."
"Yes, sir."
Zhou Xiong responded and then led his men out.
Now that we're in Yunzhou City, we don't need anyone to protect us.
Lu Yuan helped his mother into the house, chatted for a while, and only returned to his own room after she fell asleep.
With nothing else to do, he took out a pill and put it in his mouth.
Then, a surge of powerful energy spread outwards.
Lu Yuan felt his power constantly increasing.
His entire body radiated an astonishing heat; his vital energy was so rich that it almost covered the entire restaurant.
On the flesh, blood-red lines pulsated continuously.
His bulging muscles were like metal.
When the effects of one pill wear off, take out another and swallow it.
I only opened the data panel when I felt that my body could no longer absorb anything.
In the two months since he set out, Lu Yuan's cultivation level has increased significantly.
>