"Marquis Chen, aren’t you going with us?" Hua Xiong asked Chen Xi with a puzzled expression.
"I will go to Mount Tai first, then travel to Yingchuan from there, in order to avoid drawing the enemy’s attention." Chen Xi replied with an enigmatic expression.
"How about I travel with Marquis Chen, and let Hu Feng, Hu Zhen, and Wang Fang lead the troops to Yingchuan first? After all, seizing the initiative is our current priority." Hua Xiong, though sotis not very sharp, had a good intuition due to his extensive involvent in wars.
"That works." Chen Xi thought for a mont and said, "I’ll go ho first, then we will set out together after you finish handling military affairs."
After seeing Chen Xi off, Hua Xiong returned to the camp with a group of military officers and began inspecting the troops. Despite having 15,000 soldiers, Hua Xiong wasn’t strict, and their numbers exceeded the standard.
This was sothing unavoidable. If ordinary Xiliang Soldiers were just sowhat destructive, there was a batch of them that could be considered war criminals.
In Hua Xiong’s view, these three to four thousand individuals, who knew nothing but killing, were the most excellent soldiers and also the ones with the strongest combat power. He planned to take every single one of them and structure his leadership pyramid accordingly.
Though the Qiang and Hu retinue was gone, the basic pyramid structure of Xiliang Soldiers still existed. However, it no longer disregarded the lower ranks completely, as camaraderie still persisted. This was perhaps the biggest flaw of this military system.
Fortunately, Li Youu had noticed this situation earlier in the year and instructed Hua Xiong to keep a strict discipline. Moreover, with Hua Xiong living and eating together with the soldiers, major issues hadn’t arisen.
"Returning to Yingchuan?" Fan Jian exclaid upon hearing this news, then awkwardly asked, "Husband, why did you suddenly decide to take us back to Yingchuan? Since I married into the Chen Family, you never ntioned this."
"Just passing by, and I thought of you all not having returned for a long ti. Let’s go back together. Would you like to visit your father?" Chen Xi asked with a smile, "Or do you not want to go back?"
"Of course not!" Fan Jian shook her head vigorously. "Earlier, after father resigned as Family Head, we relocated here. Besides so sisters and childhood playmates, there aren’t many familiar faces in Yingchuan."
"Oh, then you do want to go back." Chen Xi bent slightly, gazing levelly at Fan Jian. "Then why do I feel you’re hesitating?"
Fan Jian helplessly recited what Li Yuan had said at the ti, "I already promised Yuan’er sister then. Although I’m not a gentleman, I can’t break my promise."
"So you can’t be much help, and at most, you’ll assist them in borrowing so materials, right?" Chen Xi looked at his wife with resignation.
"Yes, yes." Fan Jian nodded repeatedly.
"Fine, I’ll find soone to replace you. After all, you are only sending them so materials. The person I find can also guide them." Chen Xi gently shook Fan Jian’s hand to soothe her.
"Sister Cai... Zhaoji!" Fan Jian reacted almost instantly.
"It’s only her. She’s so idle; finding sothing to do will alleviate her boredom." Chen Xi said nonchalantly, actually knowing Cai Yan’s personality was very friendly, even though she rarely interacted with outsiders.
"Ugh..." Fan Jian sighed helplessly. Compared to her small role of rely delivering materials, Cai Yan could be their teacher.
"Rember to bring a gift for her when you return." Chen Xi said with a smile. "I’ll also speak to Ran’er; she’s wanted to return to Yingchuan many tis but has been too shy to ntion it."
"Ah, Yingchuan, ho sweet ho. Aren’t you bringing the maid?" Fan Jian asked.
"Of course, Chen Yun and Chen Ying need soone to take care of the daily living, at least." Chen Xi replied without much thought. As he fashioned changes to this feudal era, the era itself subtly influenced him.
"Oh." Fan Jian replied indifferently, leaving Chen Xi confused.
Hugging Chen Qian while resting, Chen Lan heard Chen Xi’s words. Her hushed exclamation demonstrated her yearning for the past. Perhaps, after being cast out of Yingchuan back then, Chen Qian had always longed for the day she could return ho.
Unlike Chen Xi’s calm deanor, Chen Lan was more aware of the Chen Family’s significance. Despite standing tall at the peak now, the thought of not returning to Yingchuan left a lingering knot in her heart.
"Traveling is tough for Qian’er, so I won’t go. Husband, you just go back to Yingchuan." Chen Lan tightened her hold on Chen Qian, swiftly calming her excitent. Compared to the precious bundle in her arms, her own unresolved feelings seed unimportant.
"Don’t worry. We’re traveling from Ye City to Mount Tai, then from Mount Tai to Yingchuan; we’ll be on the highway the entire way." Chen Xi said with a smile, "It won’t be as difficult as you think."
Chen Lan glanced at the Chen Qian in her arms, "If Qian’er were a bit older, it would be better. Then there wouldn’t be a predicant. Will you go to Yingchuan later?"
"I probably won’t." Chen Xi thought for a mont and replied, knowing that if he said he would go again, Chen Lan might refuse this ti.
Chen Lan looked at Chen Qian, about to decline, when Chen Xi bent down, pressing on the bed fra, and said, "Let’s go. It’ll be fine; one of Physician Hua’s apprentices will join us, and the journey will be quite safe."
After convincing Chen Lan, Chen Xi entrusted a few instructions to Chen Bo, and then headed to Cai Yan’s residence, which was still under protection as when it was at Mount Tai.
There was no helping it. During the day, it was alright, but at night, there were only Cai Yan and a few maids. Due to Cai Yan’s stance, no escorts were hired, so Li Youu often used his authority to ensure the security of Cai Yan’s mansion.
The senior civil and military officials on Liu Bei’s side mostly lived on the sa street, so Chen Xi walked to the Cai Mansion without taking a carriage. Standing at the entrance, he felt a bit awkward, realizing he seldom visited Cai Yan’s ho.
Though Cai Yan moved from Mount Tai, just a few steps away, Chen Xi had rarely visited. Back at Mount Tai, he would at least go to the Library Pavilion to discuss matters. After arriving in Ye City, without an official Library Pavilion, his interactions with Cai Yan sharply decreased.
Thus, despite the implicit understanding between them, the thought of suddenly visiting to give Cai Yan work made Chen Xi a bit embarrassed.
"Oh, Marquis Chen?" At that mont, Cai Zhenji, alighting from her carriage with Yangg Fa, saw Chen Xi and greeted him. In Chen Xi’s mories, whenever he saw Cai Zhenji outside of the library, Yangg Fa was inevitably in her arms.
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