Chapter 93

The couple returned home together, and when the soldiers in the outer courtyard saw Cheng Duo, they all straightened their bodies involuntarily, "General Cheng!"

"Mm." Cheng Duo nodded, handing the reins to one of them and instructed him to give the horse some beans.

The chosen soldier was so excited that his face turned red. He stammered and promised while looking at Cheng Duo with admiration.

Yong Ge wasn't surprised at all. His brother Cheng Duo was so formidable that many people in the Wei family's army admired him. These people took pride in helping Cheng Duo with anything, be it running errands or helping feed the horses. Everyone wanted to be the one to do it.

This was true for the soldiers below, and the generals inside the house were no different. As they entered, greetings filled the air. The men in the army were enthusiastic and open-hearted. When they liked someone, they didn't hide it at all. They patted Cheng Duo's shoulder with a loud "bang," and Yong Ge could feel his own shoulder aching just from watching Cheng Duo being treated this way.

"Brother Cheng, how is the situation at Gufeng Stronghold?"

"It's alright. Their preparations seem sufficient, so they should make it through this winter without a problem."

Someone warmly invited, "Brother Cheng, you must have been frozen on this round trip. Come warm up by the fire! I have a bottle of good wine here. Let's have a drink together, brothers."

Yong Ge firmly held onto Cheng Duo's arm. "No need. Let's go in and greet Father first. It's warm inside as well."

After speaking, he dragged Cheng Duo into the house.

As the door curtain between the inner and outer rooms fell, the people outside burst into laughter, "Yu Daizui, you really have no sense! The couple haven't seen each other for so long, why should Cheng Duo accompany you to warm up by the fire and have a drink?"

"Little Master has been waiting at the village entrance these days. It's evident he misses General Cheng a lot. After meeting with the general, he'll surely find a place to be affectionate. Don't meddle anymore."

"That's right! Be careful that Little Master marks it down against you."

Yu Daizui scratched his head and mumbled, "I have to say, Brother Cheng isn't good in this aspect. As a man, he should be on the battlefield risking his life and killing enemies. Off the battlefield, he should drink heartily, not always being so lovey-dovey…"

"The charm of being lovey-dovey, what does a single man like you understand?"

"Little Master is handsome and well-behaved. If I were him, I wouldn't want to hang around with a rough person like you."

"Oh, Meng Ji, you're done for! You actually praised Little Master's looks. I'll definitely tell Cheng Duo about it." The loud voice of the general was full of ridicule.

Everyone knew that Cheng Duo was particularly possessive when it came to Little Master. They could joke about it, but if someone spoke ambiguously of Little Master, Cheng Duo would use training as an excuse to discipline them thoroughly.

"No, no! I… I was just discussing a matter objectively, absolutely no other meaning!" Meng Ji's face turned pale in fear. As the person who knew Cheng Duo first, he was always the one Cheng Duo used as a demonstration for new moves during training. No one knew better than him how strong Cheng Duo's fists were.

Yong Ge, who was just one curtain away, blushed as he listened to the generals teasing them from outside.

Do these big rough men really not know that they are just separated by a curtain and don't need someone else to relay messages?

They heard everything that was said inside!

The problem is, there are several cupboards in between, and Yong Ge's two fathers, his eldest cousin, and his grandparents must have heard everything too. How can they go in now?

Cheng Duo suppressed a smile, "They're just straightforward people, no ill intentions. Don't take it to heart."

Seeing Yong Ge giving him a stern look, Cheng Duo quickly kissed him on the cheek and changed his tune, "I'll teach them a lesson later, alright?"

Yong Ge was finally satisfied, with a whole face of happiness. He bypassed the cupboards in front of him and entered the inner room.

Indeed, there were many people inside. Sitting on the kang were the nearly seventy-year-old energetic Marquis Wei, and the silver-haired, gentle and kind-looking Lady Wei.

To their lower right sat General Wei Zhenyuan and Wei Ling, and on the other side sat Li Wang.

Marquis Wei was fine, but Lady Wei, who had recently arrived in the northwest, was not used to the sudden change in environment and the reduced number of attendants. It took some getting used to.

But when they saw their youngest son have an heir, even though it was a ger, it was still better than having none! Moreover, Yong Ge was obedient and filial, which made the elderly couple delighted. It seemed like they had found a purpose, with one teaching Yong Ge martial arts and archery, and the other teaching him etiquette and household management. Surprisingly, they cooperated quite well.

Later, when Xie Yuan bought land in the village and built a house, he brought his father's whole family over. Shen's three brothers, apart from the third brother's wife who died of illness during exile, both had wives.

They had become accustomed to a frugal life over these years. Rarely encountering people they knew from the capital, although one was from the civil service and the other from the military, they weren't familiar with each other. But relying on their past shared circle of life, and knowing people the other knew, they found themselves chatting more and more.

Shen's father would accompany Marquis Wei to fish in the village and give advice on building houses. Shen's mother was even simpler, doing needlework and chatting about their children's matters, getting along with each other like proper relatives.

While Shen's father's generation felt despondent, the younger generation of the Shen family was not willing to accept this situation. With the Wei family's rise in power, those who were capable started coming out to help manage things. As a result, An Ge's life in the Xie family improved a lot. Although they had only had one son in the past three years, Xie's mother didn't dare to arrange a concubine for Xie Yuan as she had done before.

To get back to the point, Yong Ge had learned proper etiquette quite well by now. He and Cheng Duo went forward one after the other to pay respects to the elders, and then they both sat down next to Li Wang.

Aunt Wei originally wanted Yong Ge to sit with her on the kang, but she had just heard the teasing from outside. At this time, she didn't force him and only handed him a bowl of soup, gently tapping his forehead, "You're so disobedient. I had the kitchen prepare some ginger soup, and I'll bring it later for both of you to drink."

Yong Ge looked a bit embarrassed, "Understood, thank you, grandmother."

At this moment, Wei Zhenyuan also asked Cheng Duo about the situation at Stronghold. It was the farthest border outpost in the northwest. Although the invaders had been driven back, they were worried about people freezing to death there in such cold weather this year. Hence, they sent Cheng Duo to deliver supplies and check the situation.

Cheng Duo answered truthfully.

Marquis Wei had led troops when he was young, so he nodded in agreement with Cheng Duo's arrangements and didn't see any problem.

It was Aunt Wei who complained, "Youngest one, with so many people under your command, why do you have to send Cheng Duo on this trip? It would be better for him to come back earlier and chat with us, and spend more time with Yong Ge."

Of course, Wei Zhenyuan understood the real point behind his mother's words. She was worried, and he was too. However, Cheng Duo had been promoted rapidly in the past three years. Although he deserved his current rank based on his military achievements, Wei Zhenyuan still gave him slightly more troublesome tasks like going to Gufeng Stronghold, for Cheng Duo's own good.

Earlier, when Cheng Duo came in, the generals outside all greeted him, saying he must have had a hard time. Sometimes, a little setback wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

But Wei Zhenyuan couldn't explain this to his mother, so he silently endured the accusation that he deliberately separated them because he was jealous of his son-in-law's good relationship with his son.

Although Yong Ge had heard Cheng Duo's analysis and knew that his father's intentions were good, he still remained silent and smiled with a twinkle in his eyes, clearly enjoying the show.

In the end, he was not happy with his father always going to Cheng Duo for everything. Although Cheng Duo's martial skills were excellent and he was strong, making him useful, his father shouldn't rely on him for everything, right?

Every time he saw new injuries on Cheng Duo's body, he felt heartache. This time, enduring such freezing weather, even the horse was frostbitten. Who knew how much hardship his beloved husband had endured out there!

Yong Ge smiled mischievously and handed the bowl of soup to Cheng Duo in front of everyone, "Cheng Ge, I'm already warmed up. You can hold this."

If it weren't for grandmother's reminder that getting a chill would make it harder to conceive, he would have given the soup to Cheng Duo as soon as he got it.

After giving the soup to Cheng Duo, Yong Ge flipped the charcoal brazier in front of him and asked his other father to warm his feet.

Li Wang nodded repeatedly, "Alright, alright, I know."

Wei Zhenyuan: "…"

Is this little cotton-padded jacket really his own son? How can he leak air everywhere!

In the end, it was Wei Ling who took pity on his little uncle and suddenly changed the subject, "Little uncle, do you remember the situation in Yingshou's Jianxin City, asking for help? How about letting Cheng Duo and Yong Ge accompany me to go there this year? Yong Ge has never been out of the prefectural capital. It would be good for him to see the world."

Yingshou was located between the northwest county and Jiangdong county, and it was said to be asking for help, but in fact, it was seeking refuge. The northwest region was fierce, and they had just defeated the invaders. Now they had many soldiers and experienced generals, making them quite powerful.

The Jiangdong county defense was devoted to resisting the northwest army, so they would definitely consider Jianxin City and others as Jiangdong's barrier. However, Jianxin City was not naive; the various prestigious families in Jiangdong had deep roots there. Even if they entered, they wouldn't gain any benefits. It would be better to seek refuge with the rising star, the Wei family.

Although they didn't know where the Wei family got the funds to support so many soldiers, seeing that they were continuously recruiting soldiers from the northwest, the Wei family showed no signs of fear. There were even rumors outside that Wei Zhenyuan had obtained Hu Gong's treasure. If that was true, they didn't need to worry about Wei Zhenyuan robbing them to fill any military deficits.

Wei Zhenyuan has been in power for a long time, and apart from dealing with some unscrupulous merchants colluding with the invaders and corrupt officials, everything else has remained unchanged. Moreover, the tax revenue in the northwest has decreased by 20% compared to when He Kuntai was in charge.

Now that the northern region has expelled the invaders and allowed merchants to trade with other ethnic groups, the development is flourishing, and who wouldn't envy that?

Yingzhou is also afraid that the northwest will turn its attention to them next, so the prominent figures in Jianxin City discussed and soon sent out a call for help.

When Yong Ge heard Wei Ling's suggestion, his eyes lit up instantly. He glanced at Cheng Duo and then turned his head to look at his father with hopeful eyes.

Wei Zhenyuan: "…"

He rubbed his face, "Alright, if you want to go, then go. I'll send more soldiers with you."

He wasn't afraid of the small Yingzhou. Those people there couldn't withstand his anger. Even if the other sides had some tricks up their sleeves, didn't they still have Cheng Duo?

At this point, Wei Zhenyuan knew that he couldn't always be his child's protective umbrella. He had to let him go out and gain experience.

Just as Wei Ling said, it would be good for Yong Ge to go out and see the world. Who knows, maybe if he relaxes a bit, something might happen unexpectedly?