Chapter 717

"Chu'er and Shu'er are too young, and Liangzhou is bitter and cold; I worry that you won't adapt."

Zao Zhi shook his head and said: "Let's wait and see for a while, wait two years until Chu'er and Shu'er are a bit older."

"Eat, eat, let's eat first." Zao Zhi picked up his bowl and chopsticks, throwing his thoughts to the back of his mind.

Just as Zao Zhi was about to eat and stop thinking about it, a maid dressed in simple clothes walked into the hall.

"Master, Mistress, there is a guest at the door." The maid bowed and said.

Zao Zhi raised his head to look at the maid and the sky outside.

Who is visiting so late?

"Did the guest leave a name?" Zao Zhi asked.

The maid nodded and said: "The guest left a name, saying Duan Yu, here to pay a visit, but there is no name card, so I came to report."

Duan Yu!

Zao Zhi's expression changed immediately, and then he stood up abruptly.

Zao Zhi's wife, Chu, also heard Duan Yu's name.

"Husband, why did this General of the Van visit suddenly..." Chu was a bit flustered.

Duan Yu was the Governor of Liangzhou and was now enfeoffed as General of the Van.

For a person of such official rank to visit, the host should naturally go out to welcome him early.

"Quick, light the lamps."

After Zao Zhi got up, he walked toward the outside.

And Zao Zhi's wife also hurriedly got up with the two children who hadn't finished eating, then called the maid to quickly tidy up the hall and prepare hot tea and pastries.

Outside Zao Zhi's mansion gate.

Two lanterns hung in front of the mansion gate.

The dim firelight flickered, and Duan Yu, dressed in black casual clothes, stood with his hands behind his back at the bottom of the steps in front of the mansion.

Inside the gate, the gate opened, a maid carried a lantern, and Zao Zhi, wearing a gray long robe, followed behind.

When the mansion gate opened, Zao Zhi hurriedly took two quick steps, lifted his long robe, and stepped over the threshold.

"This subordinate did not know the General of the Van was visiting, and the reception was inadequate; I hope the General of the Van will forgive me."

Zao Zhi walked down the steps, came to Duan Yu, and bowed.

Duan Yu immediately smiled, stepped forward, and reached out to help Zao Zhi, who was bowing, to stand up.

"Daoyan, you are too polite." Duan Yu said with a smile: "There is no General of the Van here, nor any Governor of Liangzhou."

"I came in casual clothes, representing only myself."

"There is no superior, no subordinate; if Daoyan doesn't mind, you and I can address each other as friends."

Zao Zhi bowed again and said: "Zao Zhi dare not."

Duan Yu held Zao Zhi's hand and patted it gently, saying: "Actually, I didn't want to disturb Daoyan."

"But I am about to set out on an expedition tomorrow, and I don't know when I will return."

"The matter of Tuntian that Daoyan spoke of at the county office today has lingered in my heart."

Zao Zhi looked at Duan Yu with slight surprise.

"General of the Van, please enter the mansion for a talk." Zao Zhi made a gesture of invitation.

Duan Yu shook his head and said: "No need."

"I disturbed you rashly, so I won't enter the mansion to disturb Daoyan's family; since I was already impolite, how could I disturb you further?"

"I came just to say a few words."

Zao Zhi, seeing Duan Yu's insistence, didn't say anything more, so he nodded and listened to Duan Yu's words.

Duan Yu took a deep breath and said: "Although Daoyan has heard of Liangzhou, you have never seen Liangzhou with your own eyes."

Zao Zhi nodded; indeed, he had never been to Liangzhou.

"Liangzhou is bitter and cold, the common people are miserable; when I first entered Liangzhou, I saw the common people unable to fill their stomachs, unable to cover their bodies, and when the severe winter wind and snow came, countless common people in the villages froze to death in their homes due to hunger and cold; my heart was very unbearable."

"Therefore, I am determined that as long as I, Duan Yu, am in Liangzhou for one day, I will let the common people of Liangzhou eat their fill, wear warm clothes, and no longer suffer from hunger and cold."

"However, my talent alone is ultimately limited; if it is to lead troops in battle, I am duty-bound."

"But to let me govern a place, I know my talent is far inferior to a great talent like Daoyan."

Zao Zhi's expression was somewhat moved.

These words, spoken from Duan Yu's mouth, were indeed something Zao Zhi had not expected.

Although Zao Zhi was seeing Duan Yu for the first time.

But what happened in Yangdi today had already spread.

Duan Yu's overbearing and fierce nature had already been known by the Yangdi scholar-clans.

But right now, the words Duan Yu said were vastly different from Zao Zhi's understanding of Duan Yu.

Is this what it means to have thunderous means in martial arts and a gentle heart in literature?

Duan Yu took a deep breath.

He looked at Zao Zhi with a sincere gaze.

These words were actually his true feelings.

When he first arrived in Liangzhou, he thought that force could solve everything.

But the more he took root in this era, the more he felt that everything was not as simple as he had imagined.

Formidable martial strength can suppress everything.

But what supports formidable martial strength is talent, territory, weapons, armor, money, and grain.

Leading troops requires generals, and governing a place requires talent.

Weapons and armor need money and grain to be forged, and recruiting soldiers requires population.

Each of these, one by one, Duan Yu really couldn't handle it all.

Just managing these already required too much energy.

Not to mention that while managing these, one still has to face enemies.

And recruiting talent is not simple for him either.

Don't look at him now holding a high position, being both the Governor of Liangzhou and the General of the Van.

But the enemy he is facing now is the huge scholar-clan group in the Central Plains.

It is the Runan Yuan clan, the Hongnong Yang clan, and the students and former subordinates of the top scholar-clans.

And these people hold knowledge, monopolize knowledge, and occupy the land of the world, and these people are now his enemies.

Of course, it's not that he wants to be enemies with these people.

It is because only by being enemies with these people can Liu Hong support him and give him what he wants.

Therefore, he looks glorious now, but in reality, he is also helpless.

The gate of the Yingchuan Guo clan is in the east of Yangdi City.

But he has never visited.

Zao Zhi is a great talent, and also one of the few talents he can strive to win over now.

"The Tuntian method that Daoyan spoke to me about at the county office today, I think it is the only way to solve the food and clothing of the common people in Liangzhou."

"Therefore, I couldn't wait to invite Daoyan to Liangzhou."

Duan Yu looked at Zao Zhi with a solemn expression and said: "I know Daoyan may have some concerns in your heart, but I, Duan Yu, guarantee with my personality that no matter what problems Daoyan encounters, I will always stand on Daoyan's side."

"And I will fully support Daoyan."

Having said this, Duan Yu took a step back.

Then he clasped his hands together, straightened his body, bowed, and performed a salute to Zao Zhi.

"Daoyan, I sincerely invite you to go to Liangzhou."

Seeing Duan Yu bowing and saluting, Zao Zhi hurriedly stepped forward and forcefully supported Duan Yu's arm.

But how could Zao Zhi have Duan Yu's strength?

Looking at Duan Yu, who was bowing and saluting and refused to get up.

Zao Zhi was moved.

With Duan Yu's current status and position, using such a great courtesy to invite him.

What reason did he have to refuse?

If Duan Yu was just acting on a whim, why come in person?

At most, a piece of paper for recruitment would have been enough. ===== CHAPTER 719 =====