Chapter 622

The wise and martial Lord of Nan Jun, the Military Governor Chen who commanded a hundred thousand troops, suddenly shut himself away.

People from her natal family have come; is it a happy occasion?

It really is the case!

But his relationship with Qin Zhanhong, which is like boarding without a ticket, is indeed somewhat embarrassing in this era.

No wonder Qin Zhanhong jokes; if you really reckon this relationship, it's practically adultery.

"What is your elder brother's purpose in coming to Nan Jun? To take you away?" Chen Wuji asked, pinching his forehead.

Qin Zhanhong nodded, "It seems to be that, but I'm not clear on the specifics."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I definitely don't want to leave; as the saying goes, marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. I'm now waiting for my husband to formally come and marry me, to make up this procedure. But if it's not made up, it doesn't really matter; I don't care about these things." Qin Zhanhong said with an indifferent expression.

Chen Wuji said seriously: "My lady, we really need to think this through carefully. If they try to persuade nicely, I certainly won't let them succeed, but if they use force?"

"They dare!" Qin Zhanhong glared, "If they dare to do that, my lord, go ahead and deal with them; lock them all up, don't worry about my face."

"Really?"

"Naturally it's true." Qin Zhanhong said firmly, "As the saying goes, marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. I am now my husband's woman, so I must certainly side with my husband—how could I side with my natal family?"

"Hmm..." Chen Wuji looked at Qin Zhanhong as if constipated, "I hope it doesn't come to this; after all, I shouldn't lose face for you. We'll meet each move with a countermove; for now, I can't think of any other way."

Qin Zhanhong laughed and pinched Chen Wuji's shoulder, "It's fine, my lord; you needn't worry about my face. It's only my Third Brother who's come, not my parents—go ahead and deal with him."

"I originally wanted to send him away early to avoid trouble, but since you're building a manor, my lord, it's perfect! I'll have my Third Brother come as a laborer; if he refuses, I'll beat him— a good thrashing will surely make him obedient. He once served nearly ten years in the Ministry of Works, so he's familiar with building houses."

Chen Wuji: ……

Qin Zhanhong spoke with vigorous vigor, but he still couldn't take this lightly.

The Qin clan of the Five-Wang and Seven-Surname, Qin Zhanhong's family.

The latter is more numbing than the former.

Qin Zhanhong feared Chen Wuji wouldn't believe her, so she added, "My lord, I'm not joking; if you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll handle these matters."

"There's no reason for you to step forward; I'll do it!" Chen Wuji said.

What he worries about is merely Qin Zhanhong's thoughts.

As for the Yanshan Qin clan, the Five-Wang and Seven-Surname—just step aside.

"Where is he now?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Today's letter says he's already reached Hezhou; if nothing unexpected, he should be nearing Dingbian now." Qin Zhanhong said, "The messenger's speed is probably just a bit faster than theirs."

"The timing is actually quite good; then let's take my Third Uncle to Dingzhou for a trip, to enjoy the mountains and waters—what do you think?" Chen Wuji asked with a laugh.

Qin Zhanhong gave a low, chuckling laugh, "My lord, are you trying to scare him?"

"What would I scare him for? Anyway, he's here idle, so idling—let's just go out and have some fun!" Chen Wuji said, "Hu Buji has handed over the Yin Shu; this matter can't be dragged on any longer—we need to change locations."

Qin Zhanhong lightly laughed and shook her head, "Let's first observe a moment of silence for my Third Brother, hahaha."

"Don't think the worst of me; when my Third Uncle comes, I'll certainly receive him well—take him on a scenic tour, treat him to good food and drink—isn't that a very proper way of hospitality?" Chen Wuji said.

"Yes yes yes..." Qin Zhanhong laughed so hard she bent forward and backward, her branches trembling, unable to contain herself.

However, Chen Wuji could also tell that she seemed truly intent on giving her Third Brother a heavy hand.

Those earlier words were not a joke.

……

That evening, Chen Wuji again entertained Hu Buji.

At the banquet, Chen Wuji discussed with Hu Buji the establishment of a new military righteous army, appointing Hu Buji as commander of the troops, etc.

With only a few people at the small banquet, Chen Wuji's words were fairly frank and open; aside from harboring a rebellious heart, he basically hid nothing else.

Hu Buji was somewhat surprised by this result.

He seemingly hadn't expected Chen Wuji to treat him so generously.

Since he was already surprised, the other matters naturally became simple, and he readily accepted the rest.

After chatting happily, the atmosphere of drinking arose.

Hu Buji was also a heavy drinker, not holding back; when the drink reached its latter half, this fellow directly pushed several tables together, dragged Xu Zengyi, and forced him to drink, their faces red and necks thick from arguing over a bowl of wine.

From this bout of drinking, Chen Wuji was almost drunk into a stupor.

The only one who could keep up the whole time was Chen Luozi; the frail Xu Zengyi was the first to collapse.

After he fell, Hu Buji still forced him to drink two more bowls.

They pried open his mouth to pour it in.

Earlier status and rank were all tossed aside by Hu Buji when the drinking reached its height.

Because of this, Chen Wuji suddenly took a liking to Hu Buji.

What a genuine, spirited person!

Before, he didn't dislike Hu Buji; he merely admired him.

Regardless of his status, a person who is loyal to the ruler and serves the country and people must be respected.

But because Hu Buji's interests conflict severely with his own, he genuinely cannot bring himself to like him.

In the early morning, with moonlight and dawn still exchanging shifts among the treetops, Chen Wuji, asleep in Qin Zhanhong's embrace, was roused by Hu Buji.

He shouted early in the morning, requesting an audience.

Chen Wuji hadn't yet sobered from his drink, yet the person who had drunk the most had already come calling.

Let's see, let's see.

Chen Wuji emerged from the bed with a look of utter weariness and met Hu Buji in the front courtyard hall.

Someone prepared a cup of clear tea; Chen Wuji rubbed his eyes, took a few sips, and forced himself to perk up, "General Hu, what great matter keeps you from sleeping at dawn, rushing to see me?"

"I normally wake at cockcrow; is the Military Governor still asleep?" Hu Buji asked.

Chen Wuji: ……

If you open your eyes a little, you can see clearly whether I'm awake or not.

"Let's talk about the matter first; after I finish, I'll go get some catch‑up sleep." Chen Wuji said helplessly.

Hu Bu Gui said: "The Regional Commander is so young—what need is there for catch‑up sleep? A couple of sets of exercises will wake you up."

Chen Wuji felt like cursing his mother, "Hurry up and speak."

"Oh, uh, when will the Regional Commander dispatch troops? When will my troops arrive? I forgot to ask clearly last night." Hu Bu Gui said, "I know a few side paths that can cut across Yushan Prefecture, loop around to the Zhong Qiang Zhetong Clan's territory, wipe them out in one go, and then shut down the Qiang People of Yushan Prefecture."

Chen Wuji was drinking tea, forcing himself to become a bit more awake, "We're marching in large numbers—can we take small paths?"

"You can go, but the march will be a bit longer; those places are all barren wilderness where few people tread." Hu Bu Gui said.