Chapter 115

"Sending warhorses is just right."

Zhang Jiu gritted his teeth, preparing to collect as many warhorses as possible, sending one or two thousand, even if it meant a heavy loss, he would send this generous gift.

In this way, Zhang Liao should be able to be reused even more.

Besides, once the money is gone, their Zhang family can continue to earn it back through trading warhorses, wool, etc., with the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce!

This loss will just be considered as the trade from the past year or so going down the drain.

"Dad, are you... is it worth it?"

Zhang Liao asked, feeling moved.

"Worth it! Why not?"

Zhang Jiu nodded heavily: "If you don't lose the child, you won't catch the wolf; I have decided to send this generous gift."

"I hope you won't disappoint me and will make a name for yourself under General Su."

"Yes!"

Zhang Liao bowed solemnly: "I will remember."

At the same time, in Wuyuan Commandery, Jiuyuan City, at the Lu residence,

"Hahaha! Su Boyuan, well done! To have established merits repeatedly and been appointed as a General and enfeoffed as a Marquis in just half a year, a great man should be like this! Haha!"

"I wish I could establish merits and gallop on the battlefield with Su Boyuan!"

Lu Bu laughed loudly upon receiving the news of Su Xuan's promotion and marriage.

He was genuinely happy for Su Xuan.

This was his good brother.

Of course, as he laughed, Lu Bu's expression gradually became somewhat lonely and unwilling.

"Sigh! Su Boyuan is only seventeen and has already been appointed as a General and enfeoffed as a Marquis. Where is the opportunity for me, Lu Bu?"

Lu Bu sighed while drinking wine.

He, Lu Bu, considered himself invincible in the world, but he was trapped in this small Wuyuan, wanting to make a name for himself but having no opportunity.

No one appreciated his talent.

Those scholar-official clans looked down on him, a martial man, but they needed to rely on his martial strength.

Even repeatedly embezzling his military merits.

Causing him to be unable to rise.

How hateful!

Even if it weren't for the fact that more than a year ago, he started trading warhorses, furs, cattle, sheep, wool, etc., with the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce, he wouldn't have been able to rise in rank, nor would he have been able to earn much money.

At least now, because of the changes brought by Su Xuan, their Lu family was considered wealthy throughout Bingzhou.

A consolation!

"Forget it! Don't think about these for now!"

"Su Boyuan is getting married; as his good brother, I must go drink his wedding wine and celebrate him;"

"Hmm! I must also send him a generous gift;"

"I have it; he must be short of warhorses, so I will go to the grasslands in these two months to grab a batch of fine warhorses and send them to Su Boyuan;"

"Just right, in the past few months, the Xiongnu and Xianbei have been restless, repeatedly sending out scouts to harass and plunder, so I can kill two birds with one stone, hehe!"

"By then, I might be able to take the opportunity to ask Su Boyuan how I can make a name for myself;"

"He has been promoted so fast and is so smart; he must have a way, right?"

Lu Bu secretly made up his mind.

He knew he didn't have the brains for this, so he simply wouldn't think about it and would look for his good brother who did!

In Luoyang, at Cao Cao's residence,

"Tsk tsk! Su Boyuan is united in marriage with the Xun clan? Amazing!"

"Miss Xun Cai is very beautiful and outstanding; many people want to seek her hand but cannot reach her, yet my brother has succeeded!"

"With the help of the Xun clan, his future is truly limitless; his only shortcoming has been filled! Envious!"

Cao Cao sighed.

Why didn't he have this kind of luck back then?

For a long time, Su Xuan's only shortcoming was that his background was not strong enough, and there was no powerful family behind him to support him.

His connections were also not strong.

But with the support of the Xun clan, everything was made up for.

The Xun clan could also get a son-in-law with a limitless future; it was a strong alliance.

"Shouldn't I go and offer my congratulations and drink some wedding wine?"

Cao Cao made up his mind to go there when the time came.

In the County Military Officer's residence in Anxi County,

Liu Bei also received the news of Su Xuan's marriage to the Xun clan.

Immediately, he was full of envy, jealousy, and hatred: "Damn it! Why is every good thing Su Xuan's?"

"Why don't I have this kind of luck?"

Watching others already appointed as Generals and enfeoffed as Marquises, and even able to marry a top scholar-official's daughter, while he himself was alone and only a County Military Officer.

It was simply a world of difference.

Liu Bei didn't feel his ability was worse than Su Xuan's, but the status quo was completely different; how could he be calm?

"Moreover, I have established so many merits, but in the end, I only got the position of Anxi County Military Officer. It must be this Su Xuan who embezzled my merits! Hateful!"

Liu Bei gritted his teeth.

These words were just heard by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were walking from the door.

The two looked at each other and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.

The two simply turned and left first, went to sit at Zhang Fei's place, and while drinking, Zhang Fei couldn't help but sigh: "Big Brother has been like a resentful woman since the rewards were finished; it's truly giving me a headache;"

"Saying this is Su Xuan's fault is actually going too far!"

"That Su Xuan doesn't look like a petty person!"

"Moreover, every time he reported our merits, he didn't hide it from us!"

"Don't we know ourselves whether he embezzled our merits or not?"

"Actually, in the end, it's just that Su Xuan and the people under his command are too powerful, and we didn't manage to grab many outstanding merits!"

"Additionally, the imperial court is also greedy for money, and you have to pay money to be appointed to a position, it's simply..."

"To be honest, we actually owe Su Xuan and Huang Hansheng and the others quite a few favors!"

"Big Brother being like this is somewhat inappropriate!"

He was a straightforward person and said whatever was on his mind.

If he weren't worried about making Liu Bei unhappy, he would have said this to Liu Bei's face.

"Nothing we can do!"

Guan Yu also shook his head: "Third Brother, you must also understand the unhappiness in Big Brother's heart!"

"Watching others appointed as Generals and enfeoffed as Marquises, while he himself has achieved almost nothing, trapped in this Anxi County, it is normal for Big Brother to be unhappy in his heart!"

"Not to mention Big Brother, aren't you and I the same?"

"Big Brother has high aspirations, but unfortunately, reality always fails to satisfy us. We, as younger brothers, can only persuade Big Brother more and help Big Brother more."

They had already sworn brotherhood; what else could they do?

Could they betray Big Brother?

At least, he, Guan Yu, couldn't do such a thing.

The ancients valued their word as gold, and what Guan Yu held fast to in his heart was also righteousness.

"That's all we can do!"

Zhang Fei nodded.

On Su Xuan's side,

After resting for a few days, handling the miscellaneous matters that had accumulated recently, and sorting out the situation of the Chamber of Commerce and the troops under his command,

Su Xuan once again summoned all the civil and military officials under his command.

— Author's Notes —

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