Chapter 14: Half a Month
The entire Captain’s Mansion was a large, four-courtyard complex. There were guards armed with sabers at the gate, but upon seeing Zhou He, they didn’t question him and let him straight through.
They clearly recognized him.
He led Lu Yuan through the front courtyard and stopped outside a smaller courtyard in the middle of the complex. He said to one of the guards at the entrance, "Please announce that Lu Yuan has arrived."
"Wait here," the guard replied. A moment later, he came back out and said to the two of them, "The General says you may enter."
"Thank you."
Zhou He clasped his fist in thanks and led Lu Yuan inside. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they saw that the main doors to the front hall were open.
They didn’t go straight in. Instead, they bowed outside the doorway and said, "Greetings, General."
"Come in."
A clear voice called out.
Zhou He and Lu Yuan walked inside.
After seeing the two of them, Zhou Hongling’s gaze fell on Lu Yuan.
"A man from the Zhang Family of Yunzhou... how did you come to be called Lu Yuan?" she asked softly, taking a sip of tea.
Lu Yuan was surprised. ’As expected of a General’s Mansion that has been established in Yan Province for so many years,’ he thought. ’There’s no hiding my background from her.’
However, he showed no panic on his face. He stepped forward and said, "General, I was worried my enemies wouldn’t let me go, so I changed my name before coming here."
"That was wise of you. The son of the General of Yunzhou has indeed sent people to ask about you," Zhou Hongling said quietly.
Standing to the side, Zhou He hadn’t known about this part of Lu Yuan’s past, and a worried look appeared in his eyes.
He was afraid it would affect Lu Yuan’s chances of being accepted by the Zhou Family.
Seated above them, Zhou Hongling pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Zhou Family doesn’t care about your grudge with the General of Yunzhou. As long as you have talent, we are willing to accept you. But since you have changed your name, from now on you are Lu Yuan. You will always be Lu Yuan. Can you do that?"
Her meaning was clear. Once he became Lu Yuan, he would have no connection to the Zhang Family.
Under that condition, the Zhou Family was willing to accept him.
"The moment I left my home, I severed all ties with the Zhang Family."
"This is the student register. Write your name in it. In a few days, I’ll find a mentor for you within the family. From then on, you’ll be a disciple of the Zhou Family. Though we are both from a General’s Mansion, the General of Yunzhou can’t harm a disciple of my Zhou Family."
"Thank you, General," Lu Yuan said quickly.
At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. ’The son of the General of Yunzhou really has started looking for me. It’s a good thing I joined the Zhou Family beforehand, or it would have been a huge problem later on.’
Just then, Zhou He brought over a register. This was the so-called student register. Because Lu Yuan’s current strength was too low, he wasn’t considered a significant figure, so he only needed to symbolically write down his name.
If his strength increased one day, the process would be much more complicated.
Picking up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, Lu Yuan unhesitatingly wrote down his name.
When the student register was returned, the simple ceremony was complete. He was now officially on the Zhou Family’s radar.
From now on, as long as he cultivated diligently and earned merits, his rise through the ranks would be unimpeded.
As long as he wasn’t held back in the early stages, no one would be able to hold him back later on.
This was because generals at the rank of Captain and above were appointed by the imperial court and were no longer under the control of local General’s Mansions.
They officially entered the imperial court’s system.
At that point, the relationship with the General’s Mansion would typically shift from that of a disciple to an ally.
And this kind of relationship was far more stable than a normal alliance.
However, Lu Yuan knew he still needed to continuously display his talent and abilities. Otherwise, who knew if the Zhou Family might just abandon him.
After all, he had been through it once before.
He did not want a repeat.
"Alright, you may go now if there’s nothing else." After seeing Lu Yuan write his name, Zhou Hongling dismissed them.
She had many matters to attend to and wouldn’t be investing too much effort in Lu Yuan just yet.
"Yes, General."
The two acknowledged her and withdrew.
After they left, Zhou Hongling said to a nearby handmaiden, "Clean up Lu Yuan’s background a bit more thoroughly."
"I’ll see to it at once," the handmaiden replied and quickly walked out.
For Lu Yuan, changing his identity was a troublesome affair. Even after spending a great deal of silver, traces would still remain.
But for the Zhou Family, it was much simpler. A single word from them could completely change his identity, erasing all ties to his past, making it impossible for anyone to trace.
After walking out of the Captain’s Mansion, Zhou He clapped Lu Yuan on the shoulder and said, "Now we’re truly on the same side. If you need anything in the future, just let me know. I won’t hesitate to help if I can."
"Mm," Lu Yuan nodded.
He would remember this favor.
If not for Zhou He, he might not have been able to join the Zhou Family so smoothly. Now, he had completely severed his ties with the Zhang Family.
Then, they went their separate ways home.
Just as Lu Yuan reached the gate to his courtyard,
CREAK!
The door to the house next door opened, and a head popped out. "Yuan, you’re back."
Xiao Hua had a beautiful smile.
"Mm, I’m back. Come on in for a bit. I can return your basket."
"Okay."
Although it was already getting dark, Xiao Hua had come to trust Lu Yuan, so she didn’t refuse and followed him inside with a smile.
Lu Yuan had left his two warhorses and his baggage at the Military Preparation Warehouse for the day. He planned to retrieve them all the next time he returned from outside the city.
So, he wasn’t carrying much with him.
As the two entered the house, a blast of cold air hit them.
No one had been home for the past two days, and the stove had gone out.
"Have a seat, I’ll light the stove," Lu Yuan said, then went outside to fill a dustpan with some charcoal.
But Xiao Hua didn’t stay idle. She found some firewood in the yard and started to heat the kang bed-stove.
Once the house had warmed up again,
Lu Yuan brought out the washed basket. "I have a gift for you."
Xiao Hua looked over curiously.
Lu Yuan took a Silver Hairpin from his robes. The material was ordinary, but the pattern engraved on it was quite exquisite.
"It’s something I confiscated from a mission. I hope you don’t mind."
Then, without giving her a chance to refuse, he pressed it into Xiao Hua’s hand.
She pursed her lips, glanced at Lu Yuan, and didn’t refuse. "Thank you, Yuan," she said softly.
She lowered her head, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Lu Yuan didn’t notice. Once the stove was lit, he prepared to make dinner.
Xiao Hua stayed for another moment before hastily taking her leave.
The sky had grown completely dark.
After eating, Lu Yuan took out a Body Tempering Elixir, tossed it into his mouth, and began to cultivate.
He had now found his path for the future.
All he needed to do was cultivate and earn merits.
Over the next few days, he and his men, including Wei Yong, continuously took on missions outside the city. Aside from returning for one day when he was on duty, they were constantly out in the field.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
After spending so much time out on missions, everyone was exhausted, so they planned to rest for a few days.
After taking his subordinates out for a round of drinks, Lu Yuan returned home and began to sort through his earnings from the past few weeks.