Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 443 - 417: Marching to the Army

Chapter 443: Chapter 417: Marching to the Army

"Wang Junwu, I pay my respects to the Chamber Head of Changle."

In the Yu Family mansion, Wang Junwu had come early in the morning to visit Yang Lihua.

Having just finished breakfast, Yang Lihua heard Wang Junwu’s address and roughly guessed what it implied, thus she smiled gently at him.

"You are Brother San’s sworn younger brother, so you might as well call me ’sister.’ But you addressed me directly as the Chamber Head of Changle today. Is there something important you wish to discuss?"

Wang Junwu saluted with a fist and cupped hand and nodded.

"I have taken a liking to Qiong and want to be with her. But I also know her true identity, she is Kaihuang’s youngest daughter, the beloved pearl of Empress Dugu, Princess Qionghua."

"I am not worthy of her. Hmm... I am not worthy of her now. So, I came to ask you how I can become worthy of her, and in the future get Kaihuang and the Empress to agree to our marriage!"

The Chamber Head of Changle couldn’t help but smile.

After some time of interaction, the Chamber Head of Changle found that Brother San’s two sworn brothers were quite interesting.

Sixth, Wang Ziteng, seemed intelligent, but actually wasn’t so clever. In terms of intellect, he was just an average person, albeit more meticulous in thought.

And this Fifth, Wang Junwu, looked like a simpleton, but was actually clever. If he intended to scheme against someone, in Daxing City, aside from Brother San, there were probably less than ten people who could evade his tactics.

If Qiong could be with him, she truly wouldn’t need to worry about having no one to protect and guard her in her later life.

"As Qiong’s sister, I do not object to you being together. Besides, you are genuinely in love, and if Qiong can be with you, she will naturally be happy and content. But..."

"Although the Great Sui no longer needs to marry off princesses for alliances, you know that Qiong is Yang Jian’s and my mother’s beloved pearl, and naturally, they hope for her to have a prosperous and joyous second half of her life, filled with peace and comfort."

"Right now in the Town Martial Office, you are just an ordinary martial artist, not holding a position like Brother San, Zhang San. Of course, even if you had his position, it would not be enough."

"Compared to your younger brother, your family background, if one can even call it that, is just a personal background."

"With your current identity, background, position, and strength, how can you protect Qiong?"

"Being part of the imperial family, you never know when you might be swept into a huge vortex, with your life and death in the hands of others."

"It’s fine to have no background, and it’s fine to have no identity, but you must have a high enough status and powerful enough strength!"

"I heard that the Northern Army is currently deploying troops, seemingly preparing to deal with Gao Junxian of the Northern Qi remnants. Conquering the Three Zhou territories won’t bring exceptional credit, but after all, it’s a battle to annihilate a nation. If you can take this chance to build accomplishments and gain Yang Jian’s favor, then after going north to gain experience, break through Tujue, and tread the grasslands, becoming titled and joining the command, proposing to marry the princess will naturally not be difficult."

Wang Junwu immediately saluted Yang Lihua: "Thank you, sister."

Yang Lihua realized how clever Wang Junwu really was. His thanks, though seemingly a polite gesture derived from his connection to Brother San, was actually brimming with confidence, believing firmly that he could achieve military exploits and eventually gain the title and marry Qiong.

"Here is a letter that I had written a while ago. It recommends you to join the Northern Army under the command of the former Northern Zhou general, Yuchi An. He will surely be able to assign you a good post in this campaign against Gao Junxian."

Wang Junwu saluted again in thanks, but did not initially take the letter from Yang Lihua. After a moment’s thought, he reached out and took it.

"Thank you, sister."

After Wang Junwu had left, Qiong came out from behind the screen.

"Sister, won’t it be dangerous for him to be in the army?"

"Charging into battle, the blade has no eyes. How could it not be dangerous?"

"Did you ask General Yuchi An to take extra care of her?"

Yang Lihua glanced at her sister, who bashfully lowered her head and quietly said, "I’m just worried."

"If worry was useful, that would be nice."

...

"What? Leaving the Town Martial Office to join the army in the north!?"

Ximen Shuxiang was startled by the news his daughter brought him early in the morning, which was even more unimaginable than his four sisters trying to set him up on blind dates.

"Didn’t you say you quite liked the Town Martial Office? You said you wanted to stay in the capital forever, and talked about filial piety to your grandfather. Isn’t this unfilial?"

Ximen Jinxing immediately chuckled, leaned forward, and softly spoke while grabbing his father Ximen Shuxiang’s arm, "I’m just trying to go a step further."

"You were promoted to Acting Military Chief after the Floating Corpse Case investigation was successful. I think if you accumulate more experience in the capital, and if there’s a need somewhere, you could be sent there to gain experience. After breaking through to the Spiritual Platform Realm, you would immediately become a Military Chief. In the future, once your cultivation increases and you become an officer, when I grow old, you can take over my position! The military is no place for a girl. You’re not allowed to go!"

"Father, if I don’t go to such war-filled places in the army, how can I improve, right?"

Ximen Shuxiang looked at his daughter and asked, "Really?"

"Really."

"Nonsense! I see that you are just running after Zhang San!"

Ximen Shuxiang, hitting the table in anger, said, "I initially thought Zhang San was quite good: a disciple of Pharaoh, talented, and handsome, suitable for you. But... who could have thought he’d fall for a little fox! Even though that Hu... what’s her name again, has transformed, but everyone knows she’s a vixen! Can you compete with a vixen?"

Ximen Jinxing immediately retorted, "It’s precisely because I can’t easily win, that I want to compete! If the victory was easy, what would be the taste of that fruit?"

Ximen Shuxiang was momentarily at a loss for words.

"No! You definitely can’t compete, and if you end up chasing Zhang San to the north, and he still marries that little fox, what will you do? What if you don’t marry? Could you... could you... could you actually consider being the other woman?"

Ximen Jinxing suddenly paused.

I just like Zhang San, and I am not particularly concerned about status.

Though I probably can’t compete with Hu Xingxiang, she seems quite amiable.

Perhaps... maybe...

Bang!

Ximen Shuxiang, realizing his daughter was genuinely considering becoming Zhang San’s concubine, grew even angrier.

"No! Guards, lock up Jinxing!"

After giving orders, Ximen Shuxiang worried that the servants could not keep an eye on Ximen Jinxing, so she went to find her four older sisters to help watch over him.

After all, this matter involved her daughter’s reputation, and although Zhang San was decent, she would never let her daughter be a concubine!

Soon, Ximen Mansion completely sealed off the courtyard surrounding Ximen Jinxing, with dozens of Martial Artists guarding all around, fearing that Ximen Jinxing might escape on his own.

Ximen Jinlian looked at her sister’s courtyard and fell into deep thought.

Are men really that great?

...

Outside Daxing City to the west, atop Shouyang Mountain, a nameless tomb mound was where Third Miss Gan came, carrying two jars of fine wine, laughing as she approached.

"I came after Mid-Autumn, you guys won’t blame me, right? Even if you blame me, there’s nothing you can do about it. Who made me alive and you dead? If you can, crawl out and hit me! Hahaha..."

Third Miss Gan laughed, and tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes.

At that moment, Third Miss Gan suddenly noticed some movement not far away and leaped in that direction, also catching the attention of someone in the distance.

Third Miss Gan saw a graceful figure burning paper.

The two exchanged glances, both startled.

"It’s you!?"

Third Miss Gan never expected to find Ling here.

Ling was also surprised that Third Miss Gan knew this place.

"Could it be that back then..."

Both said in unison, then couldn’t help but laugh.

"Former Longyou Guard of Fengli Mansion, Yue Ling."

"Former Officer of the Town Demon Office, Third Miss Gan."

"So it was you, the only troop that came to our rescue back then, and in the end..."

"So it was you, the prefecture soldiers left as bait at the east of Qinghai Lake..."

"Back then, with external forces from All Things Path, Path of Calamity and the Soul Painting Clan attacking, even the internal commands preferred sacrificing thousands of soldiers and nearly thirty thousand civilians’ lives for a Pyrrhic victory!"

"The true identity of the great battle at Fengli Mountain, I am still investigating. Don’t worry, none of those people will escape!"

...

Inside the ancestral hall of the Baili Family, Family Head Baili Tu gathered all the elders.

"Family Head, recently, the Town Martial Office has also begun to gradually accept us."

"Those from the Town Demon Office who distrusted us before, now treat us much better."

"These are all due to the Family Head’s achievements! If it weren’t for the Family Head’s wise decisions before, our Baili Family would not have become the only family straddling both the Town Demon Office and the Town Martial Office! Hahaha..."

The more these elders had opposed him before, the more delighted they were now.

And Baili Tu didn’t bother to mention the past and confront them about their old stances.

"Our Baili Family will move into a new phase of development. Therefore, I have gathered everyone today to announce a very important matter."

The elders immediately shut their mouths and quietly waited for Baili Tu’s words.

"I have already written to the master of the Half-Demon Camp, before long, the thirteen from our Baili Family in the Half-Demon Camp will return."

Upon hearing this, many elders were surprised.

An elder whose grandchild had died at the hands of their Half-Demon spoke up immediately: "Family Head! If they return, our Baili Family will surely be in chaos!"

"Not quite human, not quite demon! Such monstrous beings, if they return to the Baili Family, I fear they will bring great calamity!"

The faces of other less agitated elders were also not looking good.

After all, these Half-Demons were descendants of both the human race and the Demon Clan.

And in Longyou Road, the Great Sui had been at war with the Demon Clan of All Things Path for many years.

The captured prisoners inevitably included some of considerable beauty—useless to kill, pitiful to abandon, why not make use of them.

As a result, some Half-Demons were born.

However, most Half-Demons died young, and not many grew up.

And the Demon Clan was very repellent towards the Half-Demons, thinking that their blood mixed with the human race made them impure.

Similarly, the human race also repelled the Half-Demons, making them natural slaves.

Only later, as the grown Half-Demons proved to be strong, did they establish the Half-Demon Camp to group these grown Half-Demons together to help the Great Sui fight against the Demon Clan of All Things Path.

However, they were not enlisted in the army records, and every Half-Demon was low social class identity.

Often, the Half-Demon Camp was used as cannon fodder to fend off the Demon Clan.

Now bringing back those thirteen Half-Demons with Baili Family bloodline from the Half-Demon Camp, everyone was very repellant.

Baili Tu waited until the elders finished speaking, then snorted.

"Don’t worry, they are just returning to rest for a while, then I will send them to the Northern Army."

Baili Tu didn’t expect such resistance to the Half-Demons.

Because in his plan, the Northern Army was going to be the next future of the Baili Family.

Unfortunately, these people couldn’t see that.