Duke of Zhenguan

Yan Liu Niangzi took the porcelain bottle, pulled Er Ya to sit down, and asked softly:

"Er Ya, where did your brother go?"

"They said they went to Liangzhou!" Er Ya whispered.

"Liangzhou, why go to such a bitter and cold place?" Yan Liu Niangzi asked, puzzled.

"I don't know, my brother never talks about these things at home."

"But don't worry, Sixth Sister, my brother said he'll be gone for at most six months, maybe he'll be back in two months!" Er Ya said softly.

"Why should I worry about him..." Yan Liu Niangzi rolled her eyes at Er Ya in annoyance.

Er Ya's eyes swept over Yan Liu Niangzi's face, and she teased:

"Sixth Miss, your face is red!"

"Er Ya!"

Yan Liu Niangzi's face was only slightly flushed at first, but after Er Ya teased her, her face turned as red as if it were tinged with a blush. She reached out and pinched Er Ya's face in embarrassment and annoyance.

"Sixth Sister, my brother is a very good person..." Er Ya said with a smile.

"Is this something I can decide?"

Yan Liu Niangzi rolled her eyes at Er Ya and asked with a smile:

"Er Ya, have you found a suitable young man?"

"My brother said that no man is any good, and told me to stay at home obediently..." Er Ya said awkwardly.

"Your brother really said that? He even insulted himself?" Yan Liu Niangzi asked speechlessly.

"My brother said it himself. He said all men are the same, and he himself is indeed no good either, haha..." Er Ya laughed heartily as she recalled the way her brother said those words.

"How can you talk about your own brother like that..." Yan Liu Niangzi rolled her eyes at Er Ya.

"It's alright, brother doesn't care about these things. By the way, you should try this perfume. Brother said he's going to take it to the incense shop and sell it for ten strings of cash a bottle!" Er Ya said softly.

"Ten strings of cash a bottle!" Yan Liu Niangzi held the bottle with an incredulous look on her face.

"Oh dear, those are for sale to others, so you, Sixth Sister, certainly don't need to buy them!" Er Ya said with a smile.

Since receiving the first bar of soap, she had received various scented soaps and floral waters. Although the perfumes were expensive, Yan Liu Niangzi didn't find it inappropriate. She smiled and asked Er Ya:

"How do I use it?"

"You came a bit too hastily. Uncle Wang is still working on that nozzle that you mentioned, Brother. Sixth Sister, try putting a little on your clothes and see!" Er Ya said.

"good!"

The two stayed in Yan Liu Niangzi's room until noon before Er Ya left with Wang Xiao Liu.

As evening fell, Yan Xiang returned home from his shift and saw his granddaughter standing next to his husband, her face flushed. He smiled and asked:

"What are you talking about?"

"Madam Lin sent over some things again today, saying that it was at Lin Dalang's request!" Madam Yan Xiangshi said with a smile.

"Soap again?" Yan Xiangshi asked with a smile.

"It's not soap, it's perfume. Lin Dalang really knows a lot of miscellaneous things!" Yan Xiangshi's wife said softly.

"Lin Dalang is so thoughtful, sending all sorts of novelties to his granddaughter. Why don't you ever send anything to this old man?" Yan Xiangshi teased Yan Liu Niangzi with a smile.

"Grandpa, these are things for my daughter's use. Why did I bring them to you?" Yan Liu Niangzi said awkwardly.

"Speaking of which, although Lin Dalang studied a variety of subjects, he was not only proficient in mathematics and geography, but also had some knowledge of medicine!"

"At such a young age, he has already impressed the two old imperial physicians of the Zhen family. Given time, his future is limitless!" Yan Xiangshi sighed softly.

"He's handsome, and although he comes from a humble background, his status as a master of miscellaneous studies is something even a princess would be worthy of. I wonder which young lady will be so lucky..." Yang Xiangshi's wife added with a smile.

Yan Xiangshi and his wife exchanged a glance, then smiled and asked Yan Liu Niangzi:

"My dear granddaughter, what do you think of this Lin Dalang?"

"Why are you asking me, Grandpa? I'm not familiar with this Lin Dalang!" Yan Liu Niangzi said in a low voice, her face flushed.

"It's one thing if we're not close, but every time Lin Dalang has his sister deliver things, it's clearly because he has ulterior motives!"

"I noticed that every time Lin Erya brings something, you, Xiao Liu, always show it off in front of your grandmother. I thought you were interested in it too..." Yan Xiangshi sighed.

"..."

When Yan Liu Niangzi glanced at Yan Xiangshi with a blush on her face, she knew that her father-in-law was teasing her, but she couldn't help but start to worry.

Seeing that his granddaughter's worries were written all over her face, Yan Xiangshi stopped making things difficult for her and said with a smile:

"This young man is indeed a good match. Since he has this intention, I will not stop him. My dear granddaughter, if you have some free time, why don't you visit the Lin family?"

"oh!"

Yan Liu Niangzi nodded, blushing.

Lin Chuan, who was far away in Yanchi, Guzang County, Liangzhou, had no idea that Er Ya had gotten himself into a romantic entanglement.

At this moment, he was sitting in the duty room of the temporary camp commander of the Right Guard, busy handling official business.

The Right Guard camp has nearly 10,000 men. Although his position as the Right Guard Chief Secretary is not high, he is in charge of all the miscellaneous affairs of the Right Guard.

He was like the chief steward of the Right Guard, and all sorts of trivial matters would come to him, one after another, and he could never finish them all.

I was busy until evening, finally finishing all the day's official duties. Before I could even stretch, a bodyguard strode up to the door of the duty room, bowed, and reported:

"Chief Secretary Lin, the General requests your presence!"

"I'll go right now!"

Lin Chuan nodded and followed his personal guards briskly toward Cheng Yaojin's command tent.

Upon arriving at Cheng Yaojin's command tent, Lin Chuan respectfully bowed and paid his respects.

"Greetings, Commander-in-Chief!"

"Just received news that a salt transport team was attacked in the Mabozi Mountain area. All ten carts of salt, along with the carts, were stolen. All twenty auxiliary soldiers transporting the salt were killed, and their heads were cut off and taken away!" Cheng Yaojin waved his hand and handed a yellowed piece of paper to Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan took the paper, glanced at it, frowned, and asked:

"General, there isn't a large concentration of Hu people here. The information sent by the Hundred Cavalry Commandery mentioned that several groups of bandits had taken up residence near Horse Neck Mountain. Could it be that they were the ones who did it?"

"Who else but them? Daring to snatch salt from me and kill my men, they really think they're mountain kings!"

Cheng Yaojin sneered, grabbed a piece of paper from the table, handed it to Lin Chuan, and said:

"This is an official document for the Ministry of War, but I won't be able to wait for the Ministry of War's troop deployment document!"

I will lead two thousand soldiers and set off tonight. I'm leaving this place to you!

The bodies of those auxiliary soldiers will be brought back soon. Ogawa, you need to handle the aftermath!

"yes!"

Lin Chuan cupped his hands in greeting.

These bandits really don't know the meaning of death. Even attacking Liangzhou City would be better than robbing the Right Guard's salt.

It would have been one thing if they had robbed the salt, but if they hadn't killed the auxiliary soldiers transporting the salt, Cheng Yaojin would have at most sent a general to lead an army to quell the rebellion, and they might have had a chance to survive.

Now that Cheng Yaojin is personally leading a large army, not a single bandit in the Mabozi Mountain area will survive.

Having spent a month in this godforsaken place, Cheng Yaojin was bored out of his mind. Why would he provoke him now?

After a brief moment of silence for the bandits, Lin Chuan led his men to handle the aftermath.