I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 256 - 182: Heroes of the Age (Part 2)
After the ceremony was over, Duoji was supposed to return to the Snowfield, but his family and clan members remained in the Capital City as leverage against him.
Not long after, Duoji appeared on horseback, dressed in the dark blue official robe of Yan Country, with a red cloak over it. A squad of the imperial guard followed him, as his red hair fluttered wildly in the wind and snow.
"Uncle!" Duoji shouted excitedly upon seeing Gu Lan. He dismounted, refusing Basang’s help, and limped over to Gu Lan.
The imperial guard behind Duoji saluted in unison, "Greetings, Princely Heir."
Gu Lan said, "You’re now the Marquis Zhongcheng, no need to salute me."
Duoji scratched his head with a smile and said, "I-I’m just used to it."
Gu Lan also dismounted, glancing at the imperial guards behind him, and said, "You’re about to return to the Snowfield, and this is all the Emperor gives you?"
Duoji’s return required him to rely on the influence of his former identity as the Eldest Prince and the explicit and implicit relations between the Snowfield tribes that Gongbu had told him about, to reorganize the Snowfield for Yan Country. Yet, Rong Jing did not provide him with any troops, only stating that the border army would assist him, depending on whether he could contend with Jiang Qu.
He had no other choice but to go back. If he were to die, at least he would die in his homeland.
Duoji said, "These people are just escorting me on my way out of the city. The Emperor only gave me an edict and a few guides, oh, and Lord Qin too."
"Lord Qin?"
Qin Zhenghu, who had been obscured by a group of imperial guards, finally timidly revealed his head.
"Uh, Young Master, Fifth Young Master Rong, and County Princess, long time no see."
Qin Zhenghu was wearing a gray cotton robe, thinner than before, with a somewhat darker complexion.
His smile remained as polite and refined as ever, but there was a scabbed scar on his gentle, delicate face.
The scar extended from his cheekbone to his jaw, making half of his face appear somewhat menacing.
Rong Heng frowned, not minding the wound on his face but instead asking, "What happened to your arm?"
Only then did Gu Lan notice that Qin Zhenghu was riding a small, thin horse, holding the reins in his left hand, while his right arm hung unnaturally.
Qin Zhenghu carefully dismounted, a bit embarrassed, and said:
"I fell off the horse on my way back to the Capital and accidentally broke an arm. It’s been quite some time; the doctor says it’ll soon be healed."
Gu Lan and Rong Baoyi fixed their gaze on his face, their focus differing from Rong Heng’s.
"And the scar on your face?"
"The—the arrow grazed me, it’s nothing serious," Qin Zhenghu said embarrassedly. "It’s all my fault for not knowing martial arts, almost dragging down General Mu Jun on the battlefield."
Gu Lan realized why she hadn’t seen Qin Zhenghu these days. She thought his health was poor and that he was slow in returning to the Capital, still en route.
He was likely among the last to come back from the Northern Territory and had just returned to the Capital not long ago, only to leave again.
Rong Heng stepped forward, causing Qin Zhenghu to retreat in fear, covering his injured face.
"Uh, benefactor..." He looked to Gu Lan for help.
Gu Lan said, "Let Brother Hang see; he won’t harm you."
Qin Zhenghu, despite having left the Imperial Family for a long time, still suffered from a fear of Rong Heng, always feeling that the Fifth Young Master Rong was eccentric and liked to kill indiscriminately.
Rong Heng rolled his eyes and tugged at Qin Zhenghu’s arm.
He didn’t care about the wound on Qin Zhenghu’s face, merely wanting to check if his arm was injured to the bone.
"Ow—ahh—it hurts!"
Qin Zhenghu nearly screamed in pain, but with Rong Baoyi, a girl present, he maintained his gentleman’s demeanor.
Thus, Rong Baoyi and Gu Lan watched his features twist with pain, unabashedly laughing.
Qin Zhenghu had once served as a teacher at the Imperial Family.
He had longstanding enmity with Young Master Gu and County Princess Changle!
After some time, Rong Heng released his arm: "It’s fine; in another two months, it should be okay. However, it may affect writing or doing intricate work... you don’t embroider, do you?"
"No, no embroidery..."
Qin Zhenghu answered quietly, surprised to find Fifth Young Master Rong to be kind-hearted, despite his tough exterior.
Rong Heng frowned and scoffed, "Don’t look at me like that."
He finished speaking and suddenly froze, reflecting on why he couldn’t stand Qin Zhenghu despite liking Gu Lan. Rong Heng sighed, reminding himself not to be discriminatory.
Gu Lan waited until Rong Heng asserted that everything was fine before asking, "Why did the Emperor send you back to the Snowfield with Duoji?"
Duoji is the Marquis Zhongcheng of Dayan, and although he lacks power, money, and soldiers, his role as a frontier official made it normal for Rong Jing to dispatch several officials to assist him in managing affairs.
But why send a minor vice director like Qin Zhenghu from the Ministry of Industry?
Qin Zhenghu touched the scab on his face, saying, "I voluntarily requested the Chief of Staff and His Majesty to go to the Snowfield with Marquis Zhongcheng."
Rong Baoyi, puzzled, asked, "Why? You’re injured; you should be staying in the Capital to recuperate."
He spoke softly, "Zhenghu used to think that the flood I experienced in my youth and the refugees from the flood in the Capital this summer were already human tragedies. But this trip to the Northern Territory, arriving at the battlefield, revealed how many more people near the border of Dayan live without food, starving to death.
And those Qiangrong people, they’re not all blood-thirsty marauders. Their lowest ranking slaves live even more miserably than the poorest people of Dayan."
"You wish to save them?" Rong Baoyi asked, eyes wide with surprise, "How can you save so many impoverished people on your own?"
Qin Zhenghu’s voice lowered further:
"I know I can’t save everyone, but I must try, right? I just want everyone to have enough food to eat.
Marquis Zhongcheng is returning to the Snowfield to reorganize the Qiangrong. The Qiangrong people of the Snowfield are already Dayan citizens, and the Northern Territory needs revitalization. I’m thinking that although my contribution is minor, helping in the Snowfield is more beneficial than staying in the Capital."
As he finished, a cold wind swept past, causing Qin Zhenghu to cough.
"Benefactor, Commandery Princess, laugh if you want. I know it’s whimsical of me, but... those civilians are suffering terribly."
As Qin Zhenghu spoke, vivid images of the devastated Northern Territory, flowing with blood, floated in his mind.
In the wind and snow, his frail figure stood firmly.
Duoji listened to Qin Zhenghu, tears shimmering in his bright eyes.
"Why would I laugh? I believe in what you said; you can save more people. One day, you may ensure that even those at the border can eat their fill," Gu Lan’s voice was clear and melodious.
Rong Baoyi rubbed her suddenly aching eyes, saying:
"Qin Zhenghu, you must fulfill your words. If you one day truly improve the lives of the people, I will tell others that I was a classmate of this savior-marquis, Lord Qin."
"I... I will," Qin Zhenghu nodded dumbfoundedly.
Rong Heng let out a cold hum, saying lightly, "I hear the Qiangrong people, when starving, prefer to eat frail scholars like Lord Qin. When you reach the Snowfield, don’t die too early."
Duoji: "...The Qiangrong people aren’t that twisted."
Gu Lan: Only Rong Heng could manage to compliment two people with one sentence.
Qin Zhenghu stood there, the faint glow in his eyes gradually firming.
Young Master Gu looked at Qin Zhenghu, smiling earnestly, and said:
"When the snow flies next winter and the Marquis Zhongcheng dispatches envoys back to the Capital, Qin Zhenghu, I want to see you."
At that time, in the Imperial Palace and the Maoqin Hall of the Imperial Family, the young ones could gather around in winter to share a warm little hot pot.
