Chapter 45 Visitors from the Border 2

Chapter 45 Visitors from the Border 2

Over the past three years, Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan have repeatedly used their local connections to help Chang Yao procure supplies such as grain, winter clothing, rattan armor, leather armor, and weapons from farmers, merchants, artisans, gentry, and even bandits in Tang County and surrounding counties.

Two years ago, the world was not peaceful, and the two even used the excuse of going into the mountains to hunt, and were gone for several days to help Chang Yao's trusted subordinates escort military supplies.

After the establishment of the Great Wei, the situation of the northern border troops improved, but due to the limitations of the national strength, they were still unable to obtain sufficient military supplies and salaries.

In other words, Chang Yao's father, Marquis Dingbei Chang Hongchuan, who was the commander, still had to find a way to raise some food, winter clothes and pay himself.

This is why, even though the Great Wei had already quelled the internal strife, Chang Yao still needed Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan's help to procure food and winter clothing.

The three people, who had not seen each other for a long time, met again at the county town post station under the cover of Chang Yao's subordinates.

Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan only learned at this time that Chang Yao's father, Chang Hongchuan, had been granted the title of Marquis of Dingbei, and that Chang Yao himself had not only become the heir apparent of the marquis, but had also been promoted two ranks to become a third-rank military officer stationed at Zijing Pass.

After exchanging pleasantries and briefly discussing their recent situations, Chang Yao personally tested Jiang Yuan's martial arts skills to see if they had improved and what shortcomings still existed.

Jiang Yuan was used to being tested by Chang Yao every time they met. The two would go through a round of fistfights, sword fights, spear fights, and archery. Chang Yao was satisfied and pulled Jiang Yuan back into the house.

After giving Jiang Yuan some detailed advice, Chang Yao brought up the old topic again.

“Ah Yuan, you’ll be sixteen next year. It’s time to start thinking about your future.”

"Now I'm in charge of Zijing Pass. If you're willing to come back with me, I can give you a personal guard position so you can stay by my side at all times."

He was the commander-in-chief, and the area around him was the safest place in the entire Zijing Pass. Moreover, as his personal guards, it would be much easier for them to earn merit.

Jiang Yuan was very grateful to Chang Yao, but he didn't want to leave Mingfu Village yet. "Maybe next year or the year after. I still have unfinished business to attend to and can't get away right now."

Hao Yu glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Previously, he had only wanted Jiang Yuan to return to his parents' side, take back what he deserved, and easily enjoy power and wealth. Therefore, he did not want Jiang Yuan to go to the battlefield with Chang Yao.

But now that path is blocked. No matter how worried he is about Jiang Yuan, he can't just watch him be buried forever in a small place like Mingfu Village.

Hao Yu was seething with anger, wishing that Jiang Yuan would join the army today and achieve extraordinary feats tomorrow, becoming a marquis and commander-in-chief, and making a name for himself by stepping on his own father's old face.

However, he did not make a decision for Jiang Yuan because of his own resentment. He would not stop Jiang Yuan from leaving with Chang Yao now if he wanted to, and conversely, he would not try to persuade Jiang Yuan if he did not want to go.

Ultimately, even if Chang Yao promised to take good care of Jiang Yuan, Jiang Yuan wouldn't be truly safe once he went to Zijing Pass.

On the battlefield, opportunities and risks always coexist, and the identity of a commander-in-chief has always been a thorn in the side of everyone in the opposing camp.

If Jiang Yuan were to become his personal guard, it would be fine as long as there was no war, but once a war broke out, the danger would increase exponentially.

The three had a long talk and then had lunch together. Knowing that Chang Yao was very busy, Hao Yu and Jiang Yuan said goodbye and left.

They left the large and small packages they brought with them to Chang Yao, and at the same time, they also brought back a bunch of return gifts that Chang Yao had given them.

As in previous years, the return gifts included not only food, drinks, clothing, and daily necessities, but also some of Chang Yao's spoils of war, which he had prepared especially for the two of them.

Upon returning to Mingfu Village, the two knocked on the courtyard gate and drove the carriage into the yard.

Under the curious gazes of the village children, Xie Wanniang closed the courtyard gate again, then quickened her pace and ran to the main room, moving her embroidery frame and the brazier on the ground to her own room where she wouldn't disturb Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu.

While she was moving these things, Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu had already started moving things.

The first things they moved were charcoal, oats, flour, dried meat, and mare's milk wine. After putting these things in the storeroom, the two men took two cans of tea, two boxes of pastries, two boxes of dried fruit, a box of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, a box of books and gazettes, a box of milk curds tightly wrapped in oiled paper, and a box of spoils that Chang Yao had recently captured.

The spoils included a dagger, a belt, two necklaces, two breast ornaments, and two pairs of bracelets.

The dagger's decorative function outweighs its killing power, because although the blade looks sharp, the hilt is inlaid with a lot of carnelian and turquoise.

The belt was made of raw hide and was decorated not only with gold and silver trim but also with several silver ornaments shaped like wolf heads.

The necklaces, brooches, and bracelets are all made of silver and inlaid with gemstones such as turquoise, carnelian, and volcanic glass, showcasing intricate craftsmanship and exquisite design.

These three items were clearly for women. Hao Yu was wondering what they were when Jiang Yuan quickly pulled a slip of paper from the bottom of the box.

The note was left by Chang Yao, and it contained a short line of text: "The world is at peace, Uncle Hao should get married."

"Hahaha—" Jiang Yuan, who was usually serious, laughed until tears welled up in his eyes because of Chang Yao's teasing.

He handed the note to Hao Yu, who was both amused and annoyed. "You two are quite in sync, aren't you?"

One was urging him to get married, while the other even sent him exotic jewelry. How impatient they must be!

Jiang Yuan stopped laughing. "Master, although I would be happy to take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days, that doesn't conflict with you having your own family and enjoying your golden years. You wouldn't want to be scolded by my grandmaster for being an unfilial descendant after you pass away, would you?"

Because of the war, the Hao family is almost wiped out. If Hao Yu doesn't get married, the ancestral worship of the Hao family will become a problem.

Nowadays, everyone values ​​inheritance and ancestor worship, so Jiang Yuan has essentially stepped on Hao Yu's Achilles' heel.

For once, Hao Yu didn't try to evade the issue. He frowned and said, "I'm already so old. If I were to find a teenage girl, I wouldn't be able to get over it myself. If I were to find a widow with children, I might as well just stay single for the rest of my life."

It's not that widows with children are necessarily bad; he's just used to a peaceful life and doesn't want to get entangled in endless family disputes just because he's getting married.

Not only would having successors easily lead to conflicts, but he also didn't want the little bit of wealth he had risked his life to accumulate to end up benefiting his stepchildren who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.