"Grandfather, the Hui Chun Sect is gone from Da Qian. Let's return to Da Qian and see Uncle-Grandfather! I heard he's now the sect leader of Tai Ji Dao!" an excited young man exclaimed.
The elder, in his eighties, lowered his head slightly and began to snore.
The others dared not disturb him.
They were descendants of the Gui Gu lineage. The old man before them was the younger brother of Liu Yun Zi, but he had now adopted the alias Chen Chang Qiu.
After a long while, Chen Chang Qiu yawned, "Where were we?"
The group patiently reminded him, "To find Uncle-Grandfather. You haven't seen him in decades. Now that you've finally settled down, it's time for a reunion!"
Chen Chang Qiu shook his head, "We are now citizens of Da Liang, and by chance, we have the Emperor's protection, allowing us to eke out an existence. We should naturally contribute to the nation, find ways to identify the members of the Hui Chun Sect, but also preserve the family bloodline. Feng'er, I will write a letter later. You take your brothers and sisters, along with the Gui Gu token, disguise yourselves, and go to Da Qian to inform your Uncle-Grandfather that at least three princes in Da Liang are followers of the Hui Chun Sect."
Young Chen Feng solemnly agreed, sweat beading on his forehead.
Even the princes of their own country were followers of the Hui Chun Sect, implying that the future sovereign would also come from the Hui Chun Sect!
But as commoners, their words carried little weight and would only be dismissed as wild ravings if spoken.
Chen Chang Qiu gazed north, sighing several times, "The Hui Chun Sect has a long history, its origins far exceeding mere centuries. Why has Da Liang not produced an An Guo Hou..."
In the Imperial Garden, Qin Feng stood before Mu Cheng and Su Wan Qing, warily eying Yue Wen Xin.
The Northern King's sword at her waist never left her. Once she drew it, she was decisive and ruthless, like a different person.
But what truly worried him was the girl's unrestrained speech, even daring to retort to Mu Cheng and disrespecting the Emperor's dignity.
"When you wield your sword, are you truly my Imperial Brother descended to the mortal realm?" Mu Cheng asked with a hearty laugh. His gaze fell upon the sword hilt, and his heart filled with sorrow, he could no longer laugh.
"The dignified Zhen Bei Hou of Da Liang was also chased by me. Besides the Northern King, who else could accomplish this? It certainly couldn't be the Heavenly General, could it?" Yue Wen Xin replied casually, looking around.
Su Wan Qing shot Yue Wen Xin an displeased glance.
This woman was becoming increasingly disrespectful.
Mu Cheng's clear laughter echoed in the Imperial Garden, "Magnificent! I shall, as an exception, grant you the title of Princess of the Northern King's Commandery. I hope you can continue the Northern King's legend and protect our nation."
Yue Wen Xin was both surprised and delighted. Only then did she curb her arrogance and kneel to express her gratitude.
Mu Cheng could only offer a bitter smile.
No one understood better than he that when Yue Wen Xin wielded her sword, it was not his Imperial Brother possessing her, but a divine phenomenon he could not comprehend.
But it no longer mattered. What mattered was that she regarded the Northern King as her faith, her deity, which pleased him rather than angered him. Minor offenses were insignificant.
On this day, Zhuo Zi Fang, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, found Liang Xiao.
"Since you've decided to go to Da Liang, I've decided to accompany you."
Liang Xiao was startled, "Zhuo Ling Jun, I will definitely persuade her to return. You are advanced in years, don't trouble yourself with such a journey. Da Liang is too hot!"
Zhuo Zi Fang shook his head, "I am still hale and hearty. Even if I were to die in a foreign land, I could be sent back to Jiangnan, causing no trouble for either nation! If I accompany you, Da Liang will have to show some respect and assign more people to protect you, won't they?"
Liang Xiao was taken aback.
Zhuo Zi Fang sighed, "Furthermore, these two granddaughters are the ones I cherish most in my life. It was my selfishness that drove one away. I must at least see her one more time in my lifetime and apologize to her."
Liang Xiao finally agreed.
Zuo Wu Shang rushed back urgently to inform Liang Xiao of the latest news.
"My own brother, recently, has requested the Emperor of Da Liang to change his name to Yue Da Liang..."
Liang Xiao and Zhuo Zi Fang furrowed their brows simultaneously.
Zuo Wu Ji had once gone into hiding and married into the Yue family. Now, he was the head of the Yue family and had adopted such a name. His intentions were obvious.
He was determined not to accept Liang Xiao's recruitment.
Even if Zuo Wu Ji were to submit to Da Qian, it would be inconvenient for Da Qian to bestow official titles upon the former Zhen Bei Hou of Da Liang.
Zuo Wu Ji's greed for power and wealth, his resentment towards Da Qian, was extraordinary. Da Liang was his ideal land.
"The Yue family is the foremost military family in Da Liang, with talents aplenty. And there's also Yue Wen Xin, who is not easy to deal with," Zuo Wu Shang cautioned.
Ever since he learned that Liang Xiao would eventually go to Da Liang, Zuo Wu Shang had been exceedingly worried.
"No news of Lin'er?" Liang Xiao asked.
Zuo Wu Shang shook his head helplessly, "She was once a Yun Tian Guard, always operating behind the scenes. The outside world didn't care how many daughters the Yue family had, especially since the Yue family has become quite low-key. But don't worry, she is deeply devoted to you and won't change her mind!"
Seeing Liang Xiao still frowning, Zuo Wu Shang quickly added, "Although her father is eccentric, he doted on her dearly and would absolutely not torment her. He's surely feeding her well!"
Liang Xiao then smiled and nodded.
He roughly calculated the timing. If the country remained stable, he could depart from the capital in the coming summer.
Upon arriving in Da Liang, it would be autumn, not too hot, and there would be no worries about the traveling party suffering from acclimatization.
As the An Guo Hou of Da Qian, it would be inappropriate to travel to Da Liang without his wife accompanying him.
Luo Qing Xue and Jian Qin Wan had also recovered their health and were in excellent physical condition, able to accompany him.
In the afternoon, Nie Yuan paid a visit.
Not long ago, Nie Yuan and Qin Xin had held their wedding ceremony. In two days, he would take Qin Xin to Yan Zhou to temporarily serve as the Marshal of the Northern Frontier.
Gongsun Ye was already semi-retired. Military affairs in the Jiangnan region were handled by the Great General who Conquered the South, Zhuo Ying, with the Old Duke of Ding Guo offering occasional guidance.
The Rear General, Lü Chang He, was the nominal Marshal of the Northeast, and the Front General, Nan Ji Yun, was the nominal Marshal of Yi Zhou.
Due to Lü Chang He's more than thirty years of service in Yan Zhou, according to Da Qian's military regulations, he could no longer lead troops for an extended period. The reassignment of duties was also proposed by Lü Chang He.
Seeing Zuo Wu Shang standing beside Liang Xiao, Nie Yuan looked nervous, "Marquis, there's something... let's talk privately!"
Zuo Wu Shang frowned, but considering Nie Yuan would not harm Liang Xiao, he found an excuse and left.
Seeing Nie Yuan acting mysteriously and looking around furtively, Liang Xiao asked curiously, "General Nie, why are you being so cautious?"
"Ah, it's like this." Nie Yuan confirmed that only Liang Xiao was present before explaining, "I heard that the Marquis has the fertility-enhancing medicine from the Divine Doctor to assist you, and your ladies have successfully conceived. This indicates the medicine is certainly effective! I have a friend who recently got married..."
Liang Xiao pondered for a moment, his face filled with concern, "There's no one else here, you don't need to be secretive."
"Oh, alright. My friend has had a wandering life. He's nearly thirty and finally found a wife with whom he is deeply in love. There are no issues with their marital relations, but his wife is also over twenty-five. My friend's wife hopes to conceive soon, preferably to have several more children before she turns thirty..."
Seeing Nie Yuan blush furiously, Liang Xiao couldn't bear it any longer. He nodded, "I understand. I'll speak to my mother-in-law, and she'll send you one hundred doses. Your friend can take it with confidence; it's non-toxic."
Nie Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and expressed his profuse thanks repeatedly.
Concurrently, in the Xianbei yurts to the northwest of Liao Dong, the ruler of the Xianbei nation was plagued by worries.
"The Tian Ri tribe only wants gold and silver. Preferably gold. Silver is of too low value, and transporting it from afar is difficult. Gold is more practical, but we have no gold left!"
The officials below reminded him, "Your Majesty, I heard that the Tian Ri tribe had previously searched for treasures deep in the desert, rumored to be the gold left by the ancient Xiongnu kings! Later, Da Qian's An Guo Hou defeated the barbarians, forcing them to retreat. Perhaps we..."