Chapter 515: Parting and Reunion

This task can't be dwelt on; every clause is a headache.

"Who still remembers I was a salted fish!" When he was enfeoffed, his goal was just not to starve to death in Youzhou—who would believe that!

"Even the territory of Great Jin at its peak would have to be unified, right? That would even include those that have rebelled—counting them, Ailao and Nanyue would count too!" Goodness, you wouldn't even need to fight; just walking there would take over a year!

The Great King's balance is close to negative two hundred thousand, and then an astronomical figure of intimidating punishment comes— the street‑stall tycoon completely gives up as a bachelor.

As long as I have no money, the fines can't catch up to me.

He actually showed up normally at court the next day, and then several senior officials discovered that the front gate of the Gluttonous Beast's pouch was open; the Great King began secretly transporting grain and fodder to Luoshui Pass. Dong Fugang swiftly took up the post of Grand Marshal, beginning to coordinate the grain, fodder, and troops of the Northern Border.

After another three days, Wei Ke personally escorted twenty thousand sets of armor and weapons and twenty thousand warhorses out of Youzhou City toward Liangzhou; he planned to first go to Shuofang, then to Jinhui City, and then return to Changzhou along the border line.

The Great King saw him off at the city gate, bidding farewell to his elder cousin. "Elder cousin, don't forget to put the life‑saving medicine I gave you into the armor for your maternal uncles; after they finish it, have the heavens deliver a reply, I still have more!" Whatever Wei Ke said, he nodded; he couldn't help but repeatedly urge him to discuss major court affairs with Mr. Xie and the others, especially not to casually leave the Northern Border. After finishing with the younger ones, he still had to warn the elders.

Warn Wei Shen to look after the Great King—just keep him company, and don't help him come up with bad ideas.

Wei Shen felt wronged: "Boss, you're playing favorites! With the Great King's strength… ah… when would it ever be my turn to suggest ideas?" He could independently think of eight hundred on his own.

Great King: ……

Wei Ke: ……That makes sense.

Then Wei Ke looked at the Great King with an uneasy, worried expression; the Great King scratched his cheek guiltily, "…Do your best." Seeing Wei Ke relax his mouth, he quickly changed his tune: "All right." Anyway, he had no intention of going south to play; the next time he went out… he would probably bring cavalry.

Wei Ke's expression brightened immediately upon hearing his promise; he said he trusted him not to lie, placed a tall hat on him, and everyone bade farewell again.

Only after the unit disappeared at the end of the imperial road did the Great King listlessly follow Wei Shen back to the city.

"I hate parting," yet I'm always the one parting.

Wei Shen, rare as it is, said reliably: "For a better reunion, a brief separation means nothing."

The Great King hated to part with his elder cousin, and he couldn't rest easy leaving his elderly maternal uncles to support Changzhou alone, but he still let them go. Although Wei Ke was also training hard at the North Great Camp, never goofing around with him and even trying to restrain him and Wei Shen, the Great King loved being managed—he liked having someone in charge. Now that Wei Ke has returned, not seeing him for a short time makes him uncomfortable. As for Wei Shen, he is his comic‑relief partner and mental pillar; he simply cannot let him go.

Who would have thought that Wei Ke's unit had barely left Youzhou when it met the convoy coming from Changzhou to deliver sugar—and this time the shipment wasn't just white sugar.

These days the Great King has been feeling out of sorts, bringing Wei Shen to languish in the garden; the two lay by the lake fishing for koi in the chilly spring breeze when a palace servant reported that the Highness's younger cousins had arrived.

The Great King reacted half a beat slower: "What's a younger cousin? I do have an older sister, but what about an older female cousin?"

That guy sprang up from the rocking chair, "What surnames do these older and younger cousins have?" He now has plenty of relatives.

Zhao Bao came in all smiles, "Your Highness, the eldest daughter and third son of Changzhou have arrived!"

Upon hearing this, the Great King gleefully started speaking without restraint, "Oh wow, is this a hostage exchange? Hahaha~"

Wei Shen also got excited, "The third brother and the older sister have come?"

Not just that—the second son and the Zhou family's son‑in‑law have also come.

The scheming brothers exchanged a glance; the Great King coughed, "Zhou Jing, right? I remember him." I wonder if he's behaved.

Wei Shen grinned like a villain, "Your brother‑in‑law is about to fall into our hands—he actually signed a 'body‑sale contract'!"

The Great King laughed just as much, "If he observes it well, I'll make one for my sister's future husband based on this standard! No, no, no—back then we were rushed, but now we have experience; the Great King wants to prepare an 'ultimate version' in advance!"

Wei Shen: ……

Fortunately, your sister is a princess and has no worries about marrying.

Upon learning that Little Bean Wei Heng had come to Youzhou with his aunt's family, the Great King sighed; the southwest might not be peaceful either.

Sure enough, before anyone even entered the mansion, the Marquis of Wei Ting's letter arrived. It plainly stated that the Xiqiang have recently been frequently harassing the borders, several vassal states of Shu Commandery have also been taking advantage of the chaos to act frequently, and the court has transferred the garrison of Guanghan eastward to guard against the Marquis of Hanshou, leaving Changzhou under considerable pressure. At this point the Zhou family proactively suggested letting Zhou Jing also go to the Northern Border to take the civil service exams, seeking a future under the Great King. The Wei family simply packed up Little Three and sent him along with the aunt's family to the Northern Border. Compared to Changzhou, the Northern Border is surely safer, right?

【The second volume has begun—don't rush, still need to think think think ٩(๑•̀ω•́๑)۶】