The official was somewhat helpless. “It’s not up to us to decide. Going forward, things will get even more chaotic. They’ll definitely send even more—”
His words stopped abruptly as he suddenly noticed a troop of soldiers stopped on the road not far away, dusty from travel, clearly having come from afar.
“Who are you people?” the official called out sharply.
“From Yunzhong Commandery,” the lead soldier answered.
……
……
Before Zhong Changrong could properly introduce himself, the official enthusiastically inquired, “From Yunzhong Commandery? From General Chu Ling’s command?”
Ever since approaching the capital, he had heard the General’s name so many times he’d grown numb to it, but Zhong Changrong was still shocked this time.
Mentioning Yunzhong Commandery, without asking about anyone else, the official directly asked about General Chu Ling—as if there were no other generals in Yunzhong Commandery.
Zhong Changrong looked at the city walls faintly visible ahead, feeling somewhat at a loss, not knowing what scene would greet them upon entering the capital.
He thought of years ago when the General had sent eight victory dispatches, escorting the Xi Liang Crown Prince to the capital for an audience—the whole city had turned out to see Young Master Chu—
“Yes, we’re General Chu’s men, coming to the capital to see—” Zhong Changrong collected himself and said.
The official took over the conversation again. “To see Miss Chu’s competition, right? It’s about to start—you’ve arrived just in time.”
Zhong Changrong put aside his reverie. Yes, unlike the past, now the whole city spoke of the Chu daughter.
He smiled faintly. “Yes, we’ve come on the General’s behalf to watch the young miss’s competition.”
The official laughed heartily. “As it should be, as it should be! My young daughter had the good fortune to win three matches in a row at Chu Garden. Ha ha! My father was overjoyed and insisted he has a successor. We four brothers have taken a back seat.”
His daughter played well with the Chu family’s daughter, so he and General Chu were practically good friends.
Zhong Changrong looked at this official who was acting as enthusiastic as a friend of ten years—this official hadn’t even introduced his own surname yet.
Zhong Changrong said, “These are our—”
He wanted to present their travel permits and documents—
The official didn’t even look. “Hurry on, hurry on! Go quickly to see Miss Chu.”
Zhong Changrong had anticipated encountering difficulties along the way, especially the closer they got to the capital, but he hadn’t expected that the closer they got to the capital, the smoother their passage—not because of General Chu, but because of Miss Chu.
Zhong Changrong felt both heartache and joy. The General would surely be very, very happy to know this.
“Let’s go!” he called out loudly. “We’ll go lend our voices to support the young miss!”
The soldiers shouted in unison and galloped away under the official’s smiling gaze.