Chapter 60: Battle Preparations
Zhou Hongling nodded in agreement with her father.
Then she said, "Father, I’ll go find a suitable woman from the family and see if Lu Yuan is satisfied. However, it seems the only suitable person right now is Fourth Uncle’s daughter, Hong Xiu. What do you think?"
"Yes, that’s true," Zhou Ren said softly. "After your Fourth Uncle died on the battlefield all those years ago, he left behind Hong Xiu and her mother. Lu Yuan is talented and has outstanding military merits. It wouldn’t be a disgrace for Hong Xiu to be with him."
Zhou Hongling nodded. "Father, but Fourth Aunt once said she wants Hong Xiu to marry into a General’s Mansion, to find someone of equal social standing. If she doesn’t agree..."
"Go and talk to her first. Your Fourth Aunt is indeed a bit of a social climber, but Lu Yuan is no slouch either. Help put in a good word for him," Zhou Ren said after sipping his tea.
He cared deeply for this niece of his.
If she and Lu Yuan could be matched, it would be a weight off his mind.
"Yes, I understand." Zhou Hongling nodded and walked out of the living room.
A moment later, she arrived at a courtyard. It was quite exquisite, situated just outside the Zhou Mansion’s garden.
A servant girl was embroidering in a pavilion within the courtyard.
Upon seeing Zhou Hongling enter, someone immediately stood up. "Greetings, Young Mistress."
"Is my Fourth Aunt home?"
"She is. The madam and the young miss are both inside," the servant girl said respectfully, leading the way for Zhou Hongling.
Zhou Hongling’s current status in the family was absolutely top-tier. As the Three Towns Garrison General, and with her exceptional talent, very few among the younger generation of the Zhou Family could compare to her.
CREAK!
As the door was pushed open, Zhou Hongling stepped inside, and two figures came into view.
One was a middle-aged woman dressed in a magenta long dress. She had a fair complexion and a rather plump, prosperous look.
The other was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, sitting on the edge of a kang bed across a small table.
The mother and daughter were drinking tea.
Seeing Zhou Hongling enter, Hong Xiu immediately stood up. "Big Sister, you’re back. Please, sit."
"Mm."
After acknowledging her, Zhou Hongling’s gaze shifted to the middle-aged woman. "Greetings, Fourth Aunt."
"Hongling, we’re all family. There’s no need for such formalities. Come, sit and talk," her Fourth Aunt, of the Wang Clan, said with a cheerful smile.
Zhou Hongling nodded and took a seat.
After taking a sip of the freshly served tea, she looked at her younger cousin and asked, "Hong Xiu, is there anyone you have your heart set on?"
The words had barely left her lips when, before her daughter could reply, the lady of the Wang Clan cut in, "How could there be anyone? She hardly ever steps out of the house. We’re just waiting for the family to make arrangements. Hongling, do you have someone in mind?"
Women from large families were typically wed through arrangements made by the family once they came of age.
Seeing that Hong Xiu was getting older, the lady of the Wang Clan was growing anxious. Now that Hongling was asking, she naturally responded at once.
After all, Hongling’s current status in the family was extraordinary. If she could really find a suitable match for her daughter, nothing could be better.
Zhou Hongling didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, "There’s a Centurion under my command. He’s quite talented. The family’s intention is to find a woman of suitable age to marry him. I thought about it, and it seems our younger sister Hong Xiu is a good fit, so I came to ask."
When the lady of the Wang Clan heard he was a Centurion, her brow furrowed imperceptibly, though she quickly composed herself.
She then asked, "And which noble family’s young master might he be?"
"I hear he only has a mother; no other relatives. He’s gotten to where he is today purely by his own merit, fighting his way up on the battlefield," Zhou Hongling said slowly, having naturally noticed her aunt’s expression.
She wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.
The Wang Clan lady’s face fell instantly. Beside her, though Hong Xiu’s face remained impassive, a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes.
Then, they heard the lady of the Wang Clan begin to lament, "Hongling, your Fourth Uncle struggled on the battlefield from a young age. He ended up covered in injuries and died in the field. This person you speak of is indeed impressive, but talent doesn’t mean he can’t die.
I’ve already ended up like this. I don’t want Hong Xiu to walk my same old path one day. Therefore, I cannot agree to this marriage."
"Fourth Aunt, but my father..."
"I’ll speak to your father. He’ll still give me some face," the lady of the Wang Clan said immediately.
"Fine, we’ll do as you say, Fourth Aunt. I was just following orders to come and ask," Zhou Hongling said with a light laugh. In truth, she knew the Wang Clan matriarch well and understood her thoughts. The main reason for her refusal wasn’t that Lu Yuan had to go to war.
It was because he was a mere Centurion with no family to back him up.
If Lu Yuan were a Captain or a Garrison General, her Fourth Aunt would have probably agreed in a heartbeat.
However, Zhou Hongling wouldn’t say that out loud.
If it weren’t for her father, she wouldn’t have even bothered to come.
In previous years, this mother-daughter duo had been jealous of her and had talked no small amount of gossip behind her back. It was only in the last two years, after seeing her genuine achievements, that they had finally shut their mouths.
Hong Xiu, however, went up and took Zhou Hongling’s arm. "Thank you, Hongling. I knew you cared for me the most."
Her dream was also to marry into a wealthy and powerful family, not to follow a Centurion and slowly wait for him to grow.
There were too many variables and uncertainties in that.
Zhou Hongling stood up and said, "Don’t say that, Hong Xiu. The person I’m talking about is truly quite outstanding."
"Sigh, Sister, I’ve been learning how to manage family assets since I was little. Tell me, what kind of assets does a Centurion have that would be worth my managing?" Hong Xiu pouted.
Hearing this, Zhou Hongling showed a helpless expression. "Alright, then. I’ll be going. You can talk to my father about the rest. For Fourth Uncle’s sake, he should agree."
After saying this, she took her leave of the Wang Clan mother and daughter.
As she walked out of the courtyard, the corners of Zhou Hongling’s mouth couldn’t help but curl upward.
’Fourth Aunt wasn’t willing. What could I do?’
’Now Father should have nothing to say about it.’
She didn’t know why, but every time Zhou Ren brought up having Lu Yuan marry a woman from the family, she felt an urge to object. Although she always managed to hold it in, it still irritated her.
This time, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
With that, she headed straight for the stables, preparing to return to Icefield City today.
The imperial court had already issued the order to wage war against the Northern Barbarians. Elite armies were being mobilized from all over and sent toward the Northern Border.
The Three Cities, as border fortresses, naturally bore an even greater responsibility.
Not only were they responsible for Defense, but they also had to dispatch a portion of their forces to march out with the main army.
Therefore, there would be many things to do in the coming days.
...
A day passed in the blink of an eye. The next morning, Lu Yuan and Zhou He returned to the city bright and early.
This time, he had brought back a full 35,000 taels of silver. So, after entering the city, the two of them headed straight for the Merit Tower.
Their goal was to purchase cultivation resources.
Other things were secondary; the main priority was finding Heavenly and Earthly Treasures for Refining Heart and Nourishing Spirit.
As long as he had those, he was confident he could continuously improve his strength in the upcoming battles.
Zhou He and Lu Yuan had already discussed this, so he came along as well.
Although he couldn’t break through to the Tendon Refining realm in the short term, he was also prepared to buy a large quantity of Elixirs.
He would use them once he was on the battlefield.
This war between Dayong and the Northern Barbarians was an opportunity for the Border Army to advance, though of course, it also meant that many more might die.
When they arrived outside the Merit Tower, it had just opened, and there weren’t many people inside yet.
Lu Yuan and Zhou He walked right in.
Then, they began to select their cultivation resources.