Chapter 123

"A hero?"

Zhu Ying heard Liu Lei's words and looked up, seeing ten thousand commoners in front of the city shouting his name loudly.

Those shouts were full of excitement, as if everyone was beaming with sincere smiles, welcoming him back to Daning.

At this moment.

Zhu Ying was also somewhat intoxicated by this indescribable atmosphere.

A hero!

Revered by ten thousand people.

Who wouldn't want that!

Yet in this year or so, without realizing it, Zhu Ying had actually achieved it.

"Protecting the home and defending the country, leaving a name in history."

"Perhaps, what I was looking forward to is exactly this scene before me."

A long time later.

Zhu Ying looked at the grand scene of ten thousand people welcoming him outside the city, his heart filled with layers of emotion.

When he moved forward to within ten feet of Bu Wan, Zhu Ying's gaze was instantly drawn to two extremely familiar figures.

"Uncle Lin."

"Yuer."

Seeing the two he hadn't seen for over a year, a happy smile immediately appeared on Zhu Ying's face.

For Zhu Ying, where there were family members, that was where home was.

Zhu Ying had a rough life from a young age; his parents unfortunately passed away while fleeing from famine.

If it weren't for his grandmother's careful care, allowing him to settle down in the north, perhaps he would have died on the difficult road of fleeing famine.

Following his grandmother's sudden passing, in this world, Zhu Ying's only remaining relative was Lin Fu.

Although Lin Fu was a steward, Zhu Ying had always regarded him as his closest relative.

As for Shen Yuer, they could be considered childhood sweethearts, and the bond between them was even deeper.

At this moment.

Zhu Ying had arrived in Daning, and being able to reunite with Lin Fu and Shen Yuer was undoubtedly what he was looking forward to most in his heart.

"Young master."

"Brother Zhu Ying."

Lin Fu and Shen Yuer were also unable to suppress the excitement in their hearts; they ran toward Zhu Ying, their eyes full of excitement and joy, staring tightly at Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying quickly urged his warhorse to gallop over.

When he was only a few feet away from them, he immediately dismounted.

"Uncle Lin."

Zhu Ying looked at Lin Fu first and called out in a gentle tone.

"Eh."

"Young master, you are still alive; that is enough, everything is enough."

Seeing his young master safe and sound, and after not seeing him for over a year, his young master had grown taller and stronger, becoming increasingly tall and upright, shedding the greenness and immaturity of the past.

He had completely grown into a man who could stand up to heaven and earth.

Lin Fu's tears could no longer be controlled, rolling down his face; he wept with joy.

"I'm fine."

"Sorry to have worried you, Uncle Lin."

Zhu Ying said with a gentle smile on his face.

Just then, Zhu Ying's peripheral vision inadvertently fell on Shen Yuer, who was to the side.

"Yuer."

Zhu Ying called out softly, his eyes naturally revealing endless tenderness and deep affection, without any concealment.

Recalling the past, the feelings between the young boy and girl were still in a budding stage, with only a thin layer of window paper yet to be pierced.

However, now.

Zhu Ying no longer had any intention of hiding it.

For his sake, Shen Yuer had traveled tirelessly, disregarding danger, all the way to Daning, and even encountered an assassination attempt by killers sent by the Shen family, almost losing her life.

And Uncle Lin only knew his news because Shen Yuer risked her life to tell him.

"Brother Zhu Ying."

"It's enough to see you safe and sound." Shen Yuer's eyes also turned red, tears swirling in her eyes.

When she first learned that the Shen family wanted to harm Zhu Ying, Shen Yuer was anxious, her heart filled with worry and fear, afraid that Zhu Ying would die on that cruel battlefield.

Even later, when she set out with Lin Fu to find Zhu Ying in Daning, deep down, they were actually holding onto a glimmer of hope.

After all, the situation in Daning was so dangerous, and the battlefield was a place where one had a nine-in-ten chance of dying. Their worst assumption was to be able to collect Zhu Ying's remains and bring them back to their hometown for a proper burial.

Zhu Ying looked at Shen Yuer before him, and the emotions in his heart could no longer be suppressed.

Without hesitation, he took a step forward, opened his arms, and pulled Shen Yuer tightly into his embrace.

"I will be fine, and you must be fine too."

"From now on, don't go back to Beiping."

"I will take care of you for the rest of my life," Zhu Ying whispered gently in her ear, holding Shen Yuer tightly.

Hearing this.

Shen Yuer's delicate body trembled slightly, and she slowly raised her head, her eyes full of disbelief.

"I... I am just a concubine's daughter; I am not worthy of you," Shen Yuer buried her head deep in Zhu Ying's embrace, her voice filled with deep inferiority.

"What does it matter if you are a concubine's daughter or not?"

"For me, you traveled thousands of miles to Daning."

"For me, you suffered an assassination attempt; all of this was because of me."

"In this life, you are destined to be mine."

Zhu Ying said gently, every word being the truest voice from the depths of his heart.

In this era, free love was almost a luxury, and most marriages followed the orders of parents and the words of matchmakers.

However, Zhu Ying and Shen Yuer had been together since childhood, childhood sweethearts with a deep bond.

For Zhu Ying, Shen Yuer resolutely fled the Shen family and traveled thousands of miles to Daning.

How could Zhu Ying not cherish this deep affection?

"I was just wondering who that young lady was; so it's General Zhu's sweetheart."

"This girl is truly beautiful; she looks like she's just sixteen, and standing with General Zhu, they are truly a talented man and a beautiful woman."

"That's right, that's right."

"They are truly a perfect match."

"General Zhu comes from a commoner background, and now he is the Garrison Commander of our Daning, and has been bestowed the title of Earl; this is truly returning home in glory, and he will surely be able to marry this beautiful lady in the future."

"Haha, that's exactly it."

The commoners gathered around, watching the tightly embracing Zhu Ying and Shen Yuer, sent their heartfelt praise one after another, and many sincerely offered their blessings.

After a while, Zhu Ying released Shen Yuer, turned to Bu Wan, cupped his hands, and greeted him with a smile: "Prefect Bu."

Having worked together in the army for a long time, they already knew each other's temperaments, so there was naturally much less caution between them.

"General Zhu."

"Welcome back to Daning," Bu Wan responded with a beaming smile.

"Finally back in Daning," Zhu Ying looked at the majestic Daning Prefecture city ahead, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes, and replied with a smile.

Initially, when Zhu Ying was assigned to the Daning border army, the place he guarded was Ansha County, near the northern frontier.

Who would have thought that now, in a turn of events, he had come to the prefecture city, and for a long time in the future, Zhu Ying would live in this Daning Prefecture city.

"Alright."

"Since you have arrived in Daning, do you plan to go to the prefecture office for a banquet, or to the army camp?" Bu Wan asked with a smile.

"Prefect Bu, I'd better go back to my own residence first."

"After resting for two days, and waiting for the main army to return to camp, we will feast and celebrate together," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Seeing this, Bu Wan immediately responded with a smile: "That's fine, you just got back and really need a good rest. After a while, when the soldiers enlist, that will be when you are busy."

"Haha, I would rather train troops and reorganize military affairs in the camp," Zhu Ying laughed heartily.

Upon hearing this, Bu Wan instantly understood the underlying meaning of Zhu Ying's words; clearly, Zhu Ying did not like the officialdom's routine of building connections through banquets.

With Zhu Ying's return this time, there were countless people in Daning Prefecture who wanted to take the opportunity to build a connection with him.

"Alright."

"I won't take up any more of your time."

"Enter the city," Bu Wan said with a smile.

Zhu Ying looked at the dense crowd of commoners on both sides of the official road outside the city, his heart full of confusion, and couldn't help but ask: "Prefect Bu, did you arrange these commoners?"

"They came spontaneously to welcome the hero of our Daning."

"I only revealed the news of your return today."

"Zhu Ying, don't underestimate your current prestige in Daning Prefecture," Bu Wan said with deep emotion.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying looked at the commoners gathered outside the city again and nodded solemnly.

Afterward, Zhu Ying walked forward a few steps.

"Sorry to trouble the elders and folks of Daning Prefecture to come out of the city to welcome me."

"This is Zhu Ying's honor."

"Here, Zhu Ying thanks you all."

As he spoke, Zhu Ying cupped his hands, stood straight, and performed a standard military salute to the commoners on both sides with great humility and politeness.

And this scene instantly shocked the Daning commoners outside the city, followed by an uncontrollable excitement.

"The Champion Earl is thanking us and saluting us."

"My god."

"He is worthy of being the Champion Earl personally bestowed by the Emperor, worthy of being our Daning's hero; so polite and so approachable."

"This is the kind of official our Great Ming should have."

"That's right, that's right."

"......"

As Zhu Ying saluted and thanked the commoners, countless commoners revered him even more, their feelings of admiration overflowing.

Time passed.

Inside Daning Prefecture city, just one street away from the prefecture office.

The Champion Earl's mansion was located here. This was a residence personally bestowed by the current Emperor, occupying a considerable area in the inner city of Daning.

"Welcome back to the mansion, Master."

When Zhu Ying arrived at the mansion gate, dozens of servants inside the mansion knelt on the ground in unison, welcoming Zhu Ying back.

These servants were all of slave status, bestowed upon him by the current Emperor after Zhu Ying made his achievements.

"Is this mansion big enough for my personal guards to stay?"

Zhu Ying looked at his mansion and then turned to look at the seven hundred personal guard cavalrymen behind him.

After being promoted to Garrison Commander, his personal guard count had increased to six hundred.

And the other one hundred were personal guards configured for his Earl title.

The Ministry of War had clear constraints and regulations regarding the number of personal guards.

These seven hundred personal guards were undoubtedly the most elite soldiers under Zhu Ying's command.

They had gone through layers of strict screening, and finally needed Zhu Ying to personally confirm their loyalty before they could enter the personal guard camp.

"Young master."

"This mansion is very spacious."

"Not to mention seven hundred personal guards, even over a thousand could easily live here."

"I have already inquired clearly; this mansion is one of the largest in Daning Prefecture city, and the imperial court values you immensely, young master," Lin Fu said with a full smile.

"Then Uncle Lin, you arrange it; properly set up barracks in the mansion, and purchase enough grain, wine, and meat."

"If the money is not enough, I will give you more," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

"Don't worry, young master."

"There are still over two thousand gold in the treasury."

"All bestowed upon you by the imperial court, young master," Lin Fu responded with a smile.

"Liu Lei."

Zhu Ying called out loudly.

"Subordinate is here."

Liu Lei quickly walked to Zhu Ying.

"All affairs in the mansion must follow the rules of the army camp guard."

"Have the brothers lead the warhorses from the backyard for feeding."

"I will have Uncle Lin purchase the fodder," Zhu Ying ordered methodically.

"Subordinate obeys."

Liu Lei responded loudly immediately.

Then he bowed respectfully.

The seven hundred personal guards behind him dismounted neatly.

First, Xiao Han led one hundred personal guards to quickly line up at the mansion gate, responsible for guarding the outer mansion.

Then, the personal guard Battalion Commander led one hundred personal guards to enter the mansion in an orderly fashion, all actions as orderly as in the army camp, without any chaos.

"You all get up."

Zhu Ying looked at the servants kneeling at the mansion gate and said gently.

"Thank you, Master."

Fifty servants responded respectfully, all keeping their heads down, not daring to look directly at Zhu Ying.

These fifty servants were half men and half women, all under thirty years old.

In the current Great Ming, the slave system had not yet been abolished. Among these servants, some were family members of officials who had been punished for crimes in the past, and some were family members of enemies captured in war. After the judgment of the Ministry of Justice, some were pardoned to become commoners, while others remained in slave status, still bearing slave brands on their bodies.

"There must be Embroidered Uniform Guards among them."

Zhu Ying scanned these servants calmly, thinking to himself.

The current Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was a man of ruthless means, arranging for Embroidered Uniform Guards to secretly monitor the court officials and even the mansions of his many sons.

Zhu Ying, as a newly promoted war general in charge of the Daning border army, was high-ranking and powerful, so there must be Embroidered Uniform Guards lurking and monitoring his mansion. And without a doubt, these people must be hidden among these servants bestowed by the imperial court.

"Whatever."

"The things I want to do, I assume you Embroidered Uniform Guards won't be able to investigate."

However, Zhu Ying only scanned them briefly and didn't take the matter to heart. He possessed the ability to see through others' loyalty values, and those who were truly disloyal or had ulterior motives would never be able to touch his secrets.

"Uncle Lin."

"Yuer."

"Let's go."

Zhu Ying naturally took Shen Yuer's hand and greeted Lin Fu, and the three of them walked toward the mansion.

Stepping into the mansion, sure enough, it was a grand mansion, completely meeting the standards of a large mansion of this era.

"I already know about the matter in Huizhou."

After the three of them arrived in the main hall of the mansion and sat down, Zhu Ying said in a deep voice with a solemn expression, his face also turning very ugly.

"Young master."

"The Shen family is truly too much," Lin Fu also said with an angry face, feeling indignant.

"It doesn't matter."

"I will definitely find a chance to avenge these grudges."

"What the Shen family owes me, I will definitely make them pay it all back," Zhu Ying said coldly, his gaze icy.

"Now that you have made a name for yourself, young master, becoming a Garrison Commander of a prefecture, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven for the Shen family to deal with you easily."

"If their conspiracy had really succeeded this time and harmed you, young master, I would have dragged the Shen family to the grave with me even if I had to sacrifice this old life."

Recalling the past when Zhu Ying was tricked into joining the army in Daning, Lin Fu still had lingering fears, his face full of after-fear.

If it weren't for his young master's great fortune, perhaps he would have really been harmed by the Shen family.

"Uncle Lin, you don't need to worry too much about the Shen family's affairs; I will handle them properly."

"And Yuer, from now on, I will definitely not let you down."

"In the future, you can live in Daning with peace of mind; in this Daning, I will definitely be able to protect you," Zhu Ying said to the two most important people to him with a serious and earnest expression.

"Wherever the young master is, I will be."

Lin Fu nodded heavily.

"I am also willing to always accompany Brother Zhu Ying," Shen Yuer raised her head, her eyes full of deep affection and attachment.

Today was Zhu Ying's day of reunion. The two most important people in the world to him were finally gathered together.

This was undoubtedly something worth celebrating.

However, after this, Zhu Ying would also begin to implement his plan, letting the gold and silver he obtained truly play their due role.

Night fell, and everything was silent.

Inside the inner hall.

"Uncle Lin."

"You must keep this prescription in mind."

"Purchase the medicinal herbs written on it without regard to quantity."

Zhu Ying took out a piece of paper, densely packed with various medicinal herb names, and handed it to Lin Fu solemnly.

"Yes, young master."

Lin Fu took the prescription with both hands and carefully tucked it into his bosom, not even asking Zhu Ying what the purpose of these herbs was.

"Also."

"Are there many beggars in Daning Prefecture, those homeless refugees?" Zhu Ying frowned slightly and asked.

Zhu Ying didn't actually know much about the situation of these bottom-level commoners.

Often, the higher the position, the more difficult it is to see the true situation at the bottom.

Because the higher the power, the more people surrounding you are sycophants, and even if there are some hidden filth, it is difficult to be discovered.

"Yes, and the number is not small," Lin Fu nodded affirmatively, then added: "Especially after the outbreak of the Liaodong war, a large number of refugees flooded into Daning Prefecture; now the Prefect is also overwhelmed by these refugees and has no way to deal with them."

"Good."

Zhu Ying nodded, pondered for a moment, and said: "Tomorrow, go to the places where those refugees gather and select personnel. Those willing to sign a slave contract, and those under fifteen years old, bring back as many as you can. If there are those with special skills, the age can be relaxed appropriately."

"Yes, young master," Lin Fu immediately obeyed.

"Alright, Uncle Lin, you go down and rest first."

"Let Liu Lei come in."

Zhu Ying said in a gentle tone.

"Young master."

"I have a word, I don't know if I should say it or not."

Lin Fu looked hesitant, struggling, but finally decided to say what was in his heart.

"Uncle Lin."

"You watched me grow up since I was a child; if you have anything to say, just say it directly," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

"Yuer, you must not treat her poorly."

"She really gave up everything for you," Lin Fu said earnestly.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying showed a sincere smile: "Uncle Lin, do you think I am the kind of person who would abandon someone?"

"I said before that I didn't like Shen Yue of the Shen family at all. If I marry, I will only marry Yuer."

"After this series of twists and turns, Yuer has given her all for me, so how could I treat her poorly?"

"I told her back then that when I made a name for myself, I would definitely marry her."

"This sentence is definitely not a joke."

Zhu Ying smiled gently, his words full of the firm promise he once made.

"In that case, I can rest easy."

Lin Fu let out a long sigh of relief, the worry in his heart finally dissipating.

Afterward, he turned and slowly left the inner hall.

And Liu Lei walked in quickly upon being summoned.

"General."

Liu Lei bowed respectfully.

"I have a task for you."

"This task must absolutely not be known by anyone other than the personal guards."

As soon as Liu Lei came in, Zhu Ying stared at him like a torch, looking serious and earnest.

"Please instruct me, General."

Liu Lei's expression instantly became serious, and he bowed immediately, saying firmly.

"First."

"Find a hidden mountain forest area outside Daning Prefecture city, a place where people can be hidden," Zhu Ying said seriously.

Hearing this!

Liu Lei looked up, his face showing surprise: "General, are you going to train dead soldiers?"

"You actually know about dead soldiers?" Zhu Ying smiled.

"Back to General."

"Family inheritance, dead soldier training, this is not a secret."

"It's just that raising dead soldiers requires consuming a huge amount of money, and once discovered, that might be the crime of treason," Liu Lei said seriously.

"Then do you dare to train dead soldiers for me?"

Zhu Ying smiled and stared at Liu Lei, asking back.

"My life has long belonged to the General."

"In this life, I will follow the General to the death."

Liu Lei didn't hesitate at all and knelt directly in front of Zhu Ying.

"Finding a hidden place to hide people is the first step."

"The second step is to secretly search for refugees under fifteen years old and take them to that mountain forest for training."

"For these people, they must be proficient in fighting, proficient in assassination, and loyal to me."

"And all of this, I will leave to you to do."

Zhu Ying said in a deep voice, very seriously.

"Subordinate will repay you with my life," Liu Lei didn't hesitate.

"I believe in you."

"Tomorrow, you take some personal guards to search."

"Be careful above all else."

"The personal guards can all be trusted; they will not betray," Zhu Ying emphasized.

"Yes," Liu Lei obeyed immediately.

Afterward, he slowly exited the inner hall.

After he left.

Zhu Ying looked thoughtful.

"People! The first step in training dead soldiers."

"Only when the dead soldiers are successfully trained can many things that cannot be done openly be handed over to them."

"Once the dead soldiers are formed, the first step is to deal with the Shen family."

"You Shen family want my life, then I will exterminate your entire clan," Zhu Ying flashed a cold look in his eyes.

There is no lack of those under fifteen among the refugees.

And these people.

Zhu Ying first handed them over to Lin Fu to recruit openly, while secretly handing them over to Liu Lei to recruit.

As long as the refugees sign a slave contract, everything is in accordance with the laws of the imperial court.

"As for the second step."

"I can pass on the horizontal training technique to the personal guards."

"And use bone-forging powder to help them improve their physique and strength."

"It is enough to train them into a truly elite force."

Zhu Ying thought secretly to himself; in his heart, he already had a plan for raising dead soldiers in the future.

Just at this time!

"Brother Zhu Ying, are you there?"

Shen Yuer's voice sounded outside the hall.

(End of chapter)