Chapter 776

The apes' cries rang from both banks without cease, and the light boat had already sailed past countless mountains.

Several days later, Chen Wuji's great army appeared on the official road outside Hezhou City.

Feeling Near‑hometown timidity, every soldier summoned his fullest spirit, held his head high, chest out, eyes forward, gripping his weapon tighter than in battle.

The central army's soldiers, the Hezhou Soldiers, made up over ninety percent.

Seeing the familiar land, hearing the familiar accent, every person's heart felt both excited and nervous.

Excitement was because they had returned home; nervousness was also because they had returned home.

Having been away from home for so long, they very much wanted to know how things were at home, whether their relatives were still alive.

Yang Tiejiang and Qin Feng personally led Hezhou's civil and military officials to meet them thirty li outside the city.

"Welcome the victorious return of the Commander!"

Before the great army had even drawn near, the welcoming contingent already transmitted a loud voice.

Chen Wuji's mouth curled slightly; this was the moment a true man most cherished.

Sober, he held the world's power; drunk, he lay upon a beauty's knee.

Having crossed over to this strange land, at first he actually never thought of these things, had no such ambition, nor dared to; but the wheel of fate drove him onward relentlessly, leaving him no room to choose.

Fortunately, he did not contend with fate; he went along obediently.

At least up to this point today, his progress has been fairly smooth.

"Old Yang, you Qin!"

Chen Wuji cared not at all for his status; he leapt from his warhorse and shouted passionately.

Qin Feng, who was about to step forward, heard this address, his face darkened instantly: "My lord, you are already such a high official—could you please pay a little attention to the impact? There are so many people!"

"They won't laugh at me." Chen Wuji laughed heartily and gave Qin Feng a fierce hug.

Seeing old friends again is a very joyful thing.

Only at this moment does the address 'you Qin' feel intimate.

Only this can best express his current mood.

Things like losing dignity or losing authority—he simply didn't care about them at all.

Qin Feng pursed his lips hard; he had long known he wouldn't come.

Yang Tiejiang laughed heartily on the side: "Lord Qin, this is the lord's earnest care!"

"I don't really want it." Qin Feng said speechlessly.

In such a solemn setting, for the lord to address him like this—what propriety is this?

Those who don't understand might even think Chen Wuji is scolding someone!

"I just came back, and you already put on such a face for me." Chen Wuji said with a laugh.

Qin Feng: ……

Unable to discern people!

He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes; Qin Feng, with a strictly businesslike attitude, said: "Please, my lord, preside over the sacrifice, don't miss the hour."

Chen Wuji restrained his joking mindset and nodded.

Before deploying troops and upon triumphant return, there are some not‑especially‑cumbersome sacrificial rites.

The general idea is similar to how the Qiang People, when founding a state, must choose a place closest to the spirits.

It is nothing more than seeking good fortune, avoiding misfortune, praying for victory in war and legitimacy.

After the Ritual of Reporting to Heaven and Earth concluded, Chen Wuji ordered the army to return to camp, take turns resting; he then went back to Hezhou City with Yang Tiejiang and Qin Feng. Just as they stepped out of the city gate, a graceful figure darted forward like a fluttering butterfly.

Chen Wuji watched from afar, his face breaking into a happy smile.

His little You Wei is no longer small either; when she runs, her stride is quite large.

"Husband!"

Shen Youwei's face full of smiles, she lightly embraced Chen Wuji and then quickly let go.

She came running in the public eye, yet dared not make an overly exaggerated gesture; her voice was as tiny as a mosquito, audible only to the two of them.

At this moment, the streets on both sides were packed with people.

All were people who had heard of the army's triumphant return and came to watch the spectacle.

Being able to run out in such a situation, Shen Youwei's courage is already very formidable.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Chen Wuji had thousands of things he wanted to say, but when they reached his lips he didn't know what to say, and everything was condensed into this single essential sentence.

Shen Youwei pursed her lips, "Indeed it's been quite a while, so long that I don't even know how many letters I've received."

"Where are San Niang and the others?" Chen Wuji raised his head and looked around at the crowd.

In such a situation, San Niang and Xue Hongdou definitely would not dare to come out to meet him.

When Shen Youwei raised her hand and pointed, Chen Wuji finally spotted those three beautiful figures in the crowd; they were surrounded by guards protecting them, and they were actually quite conspicuous.

But there were simply too many people around, bustling and shoulder-to-shoulder, and Chen Wuji didn't notice them at first.

He raised his hand to greet the people around him, then Chen Wuji strode toward Huo Sanniang and her companions.

It had been months since they last saw each other, and he missed them greatly.

Although his status has changed, his power now encompasses the entire Nan Jun, he commands nearly two hundred thousand troops, and his mindset has undergone a complete transformation.

But to Huo Sanniang and the others, he remains the hunter from Xishan Village who foraged in the mountains and forests.

Upon returning to Hezhou, they were also the people Chen Wuji most wanted to see right away.

In this era, actually expressing this directly is inappropriate, even something to be ashamed to speak of.

But Chen Wuji doesn't care.

When one has sufficient power, many things can be done as one pleases.

"San Niang!" Chen Wuji looked at that gentle woman and softly called out with a smile.

In front of the large crowd, Huo Sanniang quietly blushed.

She felt ill at ease and glanced around, saying, "My husband should attend to his official business first; I will go to the manor and wait."

"What's there to fear? Come, let's return to the manor together!" Chen Wuji laughed loudly.

Huo Sanniang said softly, reprovingly: "My husband should attend to his proper duties first; rushing to us as soon as you enter the city will invite gossip. How can you be like that dead girl You Wei, disregarding the occasion? Go attend to your business; we'll return to the manor and prepare food for you."

"The proper business now is to return to the manor and rest; other matters, don't even think of disturbing me!" Chen Wuji laughed, "Come on, come on, let's go to the manor!"

He is not a general returning from a campaign, and he does not need to report to anyone.

"My husband truly plays favorites, calling only San Niang and not even glancing at us." Xiao Yuji said deliberately, reprovingly.

Chen Wuji chuckled, "Greetings earn a beating now? I only exchanged a few words with San Niang and you're already jealous? That's unacceptable."

"Of course. One bowl of water must be held level—that's what my husband himself said. Our right to be jealous as concubines was given by my husband himself." Xiao Yuji smiled, pursing her lips.

Chen Wuji shook his head, "If that's how it's going to be, then I'll have to take back what I said. I'm not capable of greeting each of you individually when saying hello; that bowl of water is destined to remain uneven."

That remark made the several girls giggle.

"You slut, with that attitude you still want to stand equal to San Niang? You wish to go to heaven!"

A man dressed in male attire, Qin Zhanhong, walked over holding a sword in his hand.

Xiao Yuji raised her eyebrows, "Stop, don't come attacking me; I'm just joking with my husband. We haven't seen my husband in months, so of course we all want to hurry and say a few words to him."

"Unlike certain people, who don't even know if they've helped my husband at all, yet always hang around."