vstars Chapter 37: It's you?
Chapter 37: It's you?
After the group left the city gate and walked to a quiet alley corner.
Zou Yun stopped and said calmly to the old man, "Father-in-law, I have already repaid the kindness of half a steamed bun. You may leave now."
"A gentleman..."
The old man's gaze lingered hesitantly between Zou Yun and the expressionless guard.
But before he could finish speaking, Zou Yun interrupted him with a smile, "Don't worry, they are all my guards."
Although the old man sensed something was amiss, what could he, an elderly and frail man, do at this point?
Therefore, despite Zou Yun's repeated reassurances, the old man still disappeared at the end of the alley, filled with unease.
After the old man had gone far away, the guard who had always had a cold face finally bowed and spoke.
"Great Master, I dare to remind you that this trip is a secret one and of great importance."
"I urge the Venerable Master to be cautious in his words and actions, and to refrain from causing any unnecessary trouble or taking any superfluous actions."
Although the guard adopted a humble posture, his words were like a bronze sword drawn from its sheath, cold and forceful.
Upon hearing this, Zou Yun's two handsome, sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The guard, completely ignoring Zou Yun's reaction, continued in an unquestionable manner.
"It's getting late. To avoid any delays, I would like to ask the Grand Master to accompany me immediately to the designated meeting point outside the city."
"As for the two attendants accompanying the Grand Master, other guards will go to meet them."
Before he could finish speaking, and without waiting for Zou Yun's agreement, he turned around and started walking towards the north of the city.
Zou Yun's face remained calm, but there seemed to be an undercurrent in his eyes.
At this moment, a surge of anger truly rose in Zou Yun's heart.
But he said nothing in the end, and simply started walking silently, following the burly figure at a distance.
"It seems that no matter how you look at it, we have to find a way to get rid of this guy first."
Zou Yun glanced up at the back of the guard leader and pondered to himself.
Following closely behind the guards, Zou Yun indeed had no obstacles along the way, even when entering and exiting the most strictly inspected gates of Xianyang.
The soldiers only glanced at them briefly before lowering their heads and letting them pass; the whole process took only a few breaths.
However, this feeling of being tightly controlled and having no autonomy is unacceptable.
But it was like a fine thorn, deeply embedded in Zou Yun's heart, making him extremely displeased.
After all, he left Xianyang to escape Ying Zheng's control, but now that he's out of Xianyang, he's still under Ying Zheng's control.
Wouldn't he have left Xianyang for nothing?
The two left through the north gate of Xianyang, where a biting north wind whipped up cold sand that stung their faces, and the hustle and bustle of the city gradually faded into the distance.
Before me stretched a vast, flat plain north of the Wei River.
It was the dead of winter, and the vegetation had long since withered, leaving only a desolate and bleak landscape of yellowing leaves.
Amidst this withered yellow landscape, a dense, impenetrable black mass stands out starkly.
That was a troop of elite imperial knights, fully armored and armed to the teeth.
The group numbered only a few dozen, yet they stood neatly in the cold wind, as if measured precisely with ink lines.
The ranks stood straight, and no matter how strong the wind was in the open field, not a single person or horse swayed.
The leaves of the beetle occasionally brushed against each other in the wind, making a soft, deep sound, as if it were the only breath in the world that proved their existence.
At the very front of the line, a general stood with his hand on his sword.
His armor was the same as that of ordinary knights, but it was obviously more refined and heavier, reflecting a cold, eerie light.
The general had already locked onto Zou Yun and his group. As they approached, he took a few steps forward, bowed respectfully, and clasped his hands in salute.
"Great Master! Commander of the Guards! Your Majesty has ordered me to wait here for a long time!"
Looking at the familiar, handsome face before him, Zou Yun exclaimed in astonishment, "It's you?!"
The young officer standing with his hand on his sword was none other than Meng Xuande, the young official who had guided him and Shi Gong that day—the son of Meng Yi, the Physician of the Imperial Library!
"Indeed, it is your subject."
Seeing the surprise on Zou Yun's face, Meng Xuande's lips curled up slightly, and he explained cheerfully.
"By the grace of Your Majesty, I now serve as the Assistant Commander of the Guards and am here by imperial decree to protect the Grand Master of Ceremonies."
The appearance of a familiar face in the group eased Zou Yun's mind somewhat.
A gentle smile returned to his face, and he asked as if meeting an old friend, "How has your father been lately?"
"Thank you for your concern, Master."
Mentioning his father, Meng Xuande's face lit up with pride.
"My father is in very good health, and lately he's had a great appetite, eating a whole peck of rice and three pounds of meat at each meal!"
During the pre-Qin period, eating half a peck of rice per meal was the normal level for a strong laborer.
But a meal requires a peck of rice and three pounds of meat.
We don't usually call such people ordinary people; we call them fierce generals. Moreover, Meng Yi, strictly speaking, was actually a civil official.
"Even Lian Po back in the day was no better than this."
Upon hearing this, Zou Yun sighed with genuine emotion.
But the moment the words left his mouth, for some reason, the image of that person in front of the rice shop in Xianyang suddenly flashed through his mind.
The same peck of rice can mean the life of a family for one person, but only a meal for another.
"It really is..."
Zou Yun smiled bitterly to himself.
"Great Master, are you well?"
Seeing that he was somewhat stunned, Meng Xuande called out softly.
"Ah?! Oh...no problem...I was just thinking about something else."
Zou Yun suddenly came to his senses and waved his hand.
He then shook off the thought from his mind and started chatting with Meng Xuande.
The guard, seeing the two chatting so happily, did not interfere, but his face grew increasingly gloomy.
This situation continued until two familiar figures appeared in the distance.
Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze, escorted by guards, struggled to approach the crowd, carrying large and small bags.
Feng and Zheng, panting heavily, finally reunited with the others.
They hadn't even had time to put down their luggage and catch their breath.
The guard then said in a cold voice, "Form ranks and assemble, prepare to depart!"
These words struck like the clash of metal. The surrounding elite guards sprang into action, immediately checking their gear and forming a formidable cavalry formation in front of the commander.
Upon seeing this, Meng Xuande shook his head in disagreement.
But the military order had been given, and according to Qin law, he had no choice but to obey unconditionally.
So, with a slight apology, he clasped his hands in greeting to Zou Yun, then strode quickly to the line and returned to his place.
"Great Master."
"Great Master."
Only then, relieved of their burdens, did Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze approach Zou Yun and respectfully greet him.
"This person is extremely rude."
Feng Zhixue frowned, staring at the guard who was organizing the ranks, and complained in a low voice.
"Absolutely."
Zheng Ze, who was usually taciturn, nodded in agreement for the first time.
It was rare for the two of them to reach a consensus on this matter.
"Alright, that's enough."
Zou Yun seemed unconcerned, shaking his head and chuckling, "We'll still need his escort on the long journey ahead."
After saying that, he said no more and walked straight to the carriage next to the armored soldier.
"Why!"
Seeing that the Grand Master had no reaction, Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze exchanged a helpless glance and could only follow with their many luggage.
"Zheng Jun, you say... is the Grand Master really just going to let it go like this?"
Looking at Zou Yun's retreating figure, Feng Zhixue said with some resentment.
"I am but a man of shallow wisdom; I am sure the great master has a deeper meaning."
Zheng Ze pondered for a moment, "However, in my humble opinion, the Great Master is kind-hearted but narrow-minded, not someone who is simply magnanimous and generous."
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhixue was taken aback for a moment.
Then, as if he had heard something extremely interesting, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and he almost burst out laughing.
"Ha... what a fine alchemist Zheng."
"He was usually so respectful to the Grand Master, but I never expected... that he would secretly speak ill of him behind his back."
"Zheng the Taoist priest, you've got some nerve!"
He truly hadn't expected Zheng Ze to speak of the Grand Master in such a way.
No, no.
Feng Zhixue deliberately put on a stern face, but his eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. "I will go to the Grand Master right now and impeach you for the crime of speaking ill of him behind his back."
As he spoke, he made a move to quicken his pace and catch up with Zou Yun, who was not far ahead.
It seemed as if they really wanted to immediately report Zheng Ze's disrespectful words.
Even if Feng Zhixue had told Zou Yun this, Zheng Ze wouldn't have been worried.
Because there was another half to his statement: "I do not care about people's whispers and criticisms behind my back."
But seeing that Feng Zhixue was shouting loudly while his steps were slowing down, it was clear that he was waiting for him to "beg for mercy".
Helpless, Zheng Ze had no choice but to reach out and grab the guy.
Accompanying this dramatic colleague through the formalities.
In the cold wind, the two of them, struggling and carrying their luggage, walked together toward the carriage that symbolized the start of a long journey.