If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 82 Loving Mother and Filial Daughter
"Miss, the master is here to pick us up!"

After following Marquis Lieyang on a forced march for half a month, Guan Zhong received good news from Song Changqing.

"Although it's not explicitly stated, but judging from the arrangements made by the eldest master, the master must have escaped danger by now and has been fully reborn." He was so excited that tears came to his eyes.

"Thank God, my foster father is finally safe." After performing a performance, Xiao Yu personally poured a cup of hot tea for Guan Zhong and asked, "What are your plans, uncle?"

The sun was setting in the west, and they had just finished another day of galloping on horseback.

The Fire Crow Army entered the military camp prepared in advance by the county government, and they stayed in a nearby inn, booking a suite with a small courtyard in the inn.

Guan Zhong just came back from outside after gathering information.

In addition to Song Changqing revealing the less important information received by the Fire Crow Army, Guan Zhong would also go to the Guan family pharmacy in the county, or directly find local officials to inquire about the situation in Luodu and Yingxiang Prefecture.

Xiaoyu seldom goes out. One reason is that she is tired after a day's work and doesn't want to go out; the other reason is that as a "lady from a noble family", it is not convenient for her to show up in public.

The Western Shu Kingdom did not have the strict ethical standards of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was common for women and young ladies to go out.

There is a difference between going out to play or visit people and going out to gather information from servants at home.

"The master has received the king's order and left Luodu for Liulin Ferry to welcome Marquis Lieyang and the Fire Crow Army. Afterwards, he will follow Marquis Lieyang to Tianmen Town in Yingxiang Prefecture to wait for the arrival of the imperial envoy from the upper country." Guan Zhong said happily, holding a teacup.

"Is this an official letter from the Great Shu court to the Fire Crow Army, or is it a message from uncle to us alone? Is there any other message?" Xiao Yu asked again.

Guan Zhong shook his head and said, "The master did not send us a message alone. Song Changqing told me the imperial court report that the governors and county magistrates nearby had received the order to cooperate with the master and receive the Fire Crow Army."

Xiao Yu deliberately said in disappointment: "In that case, there is still no definite news from my godfather."

Guan Zhong smiled and said, "Miss, if the master is really gone, the master will never accept this task. I even dare to assert that it was the master who took the initiative to ask the king for this task.

Think about it, if the master could not be saved, our Guan family would not dare to say that we have a deep hatred for Marquis Lieyang, but at least we would not put our warm faces in front of his cold butt.

If the master really died, Marquis Lieyang would not regard the master's hospitality as kindness. "

"Makes sense."

Although Xiaoyu said "that makes sense", she was actually still a little confused.

Even if Guan Huchen hadn't died, the relationship between the Guan family and Marquis Lieyang would have been very awkward.

At times like this, the best option is to stay away from them and pretend to be invisible.

Of course, it is also possible that the Guan family is worried about being hated by Marquis Lieyang, so they quickly arranged for Boss Guan to come and lick their boots without any bottom line, implying that the Guan family dare not hate you, My Lord, and that you are magnanimous and please let this "victim" go.

The next morning, the Fire Crow Army officially entered Hexi County.

The capital of Hexi County was Yingxiang Prefecture.

In the afternoon, the Fire Crow Army passed through a forest with willow catkins flying, and when they arrived at the Willow Forest Ferry on the Black Dragon River, they saw a group of soldiers already waiting there.

"Our lower state, Western Shu Imperial Censor Guan Wenlong, respectfully welcomes Lord Lieyang~~~"

Guan Wenlong wore a black Gaoshan crown, a dark green official robe, a writing knife and a jade ring on his waist, and held a tablet in his hand. He was dressed very formally.

The robe has wide cuffs and is embroidered with gorgeous cloud patterns, which makes it look dignified, majestic, solemn and exquisite.

The way he bowed was also extremely solemn, almost a plus version of when he bowed to the king of Shu. Not only did he prostrate himself on the ground, he also kept his forehead against the ground for a long time.

He was like this, and so were the civil and military officials behind him.

Compared with the Iron Cavalry Battalion of Luyewei, the soldiers of Shu Kingdom who appeared here at this time were dressed particularly gorgeously.

They were all armor, but their armor was shiny and gleaming in the sun.

The garland on her head is also brightly colored, like a bunch of gorgeous red flowers.

The cloak was made of the most expensive brocade, which made the nearby green willows pale in comparison.

"Step aside and get out of the way!" Sima Cai said indifferently.

Marquis Lieyang didn't even show his face or speak a word.

"Reporting to the Marquis, I have informed Sima Cai that Tianmen Town has received accurate information that the Imperial Envoy of the Chinese Empire, Lord Dongfang, has encountered a minor incident in the Dongsha Region and will have to wait at least two more months before crossing the sea to the west.

So my lord and the generals don't have to hurry.

Moreover, from the Liulin Ferry here, you can take a boat directly to Yingxiang Prefecture and Tianmen Town.

I have prepared three tower ships and several dragon boats.

If the wind and the sea go smoothly and they advance at full speed, the Fire Crow Army can reach Tianmen Town within two days, which is no slower than riding a horse. "Guan Wenlong said.

Sima Cai showed hesitation, turned back and discussed with Marquis Lieyang for a while, then ordered Guan Wenlong to build a springboard to allow the Fire Crow Army to board the ship.

Following Guan Wenlong's order, the civil and military officials below began to work enthusiastically.

Wenlong glanced at the Fire Crow Army, found Sima Cai alone, and said, "General Cai, does the Marquis intend to bring all the Western soldiers back to China?"

"Why are you asking this? If you want to recall the knights of Shu, you can take them away at any time." Sima Cai said lightly.

“No, no, no!” Wenlong waved his hands repeatedly and said respectfully: “General, you have misunderstood. Being able to serve the Qin Empire is the greatest blessing for all soldiers in this life.

The King of our Great Shu Kingdom and our Western countries will only be happy to see it happen. How could we refuse?

In fact, it was the King of Shu who heard that the Fire Crow Army had lost a lot of people in Feixiandu. There were originally 3,000 people, but now there are only 300 left. He was worried that the Marquis would lack soldiers and generals.

In short, as long as the Marquis needs it, my Shu Kingdom is willing to fill all vacancies."

As he spoke, he pointed at the soldiers in gorgeous armor and said, "General, look, that's Li Shunjun, the 'Fire Rain Spear' ranked ninth on the Shudong War God List. He is a descendant of the royal family of Shu. He is only 19 years old this year and has reached the Great Perfection of the True Qi Realm. There is also Li Wanchen, the 'Divine Bow', who is also a royal descendant and the second son of the Prince of Qinghe. He has mastered the sixth transformation of the 'Nine Transformations of the Sky River' and is a famous young talent in the West. For example, that person."

Wenlong talked incessantly, and every talented person he described was rare in the world and hard to find on earth, and his peerless beauty only appeared once in a century.

The more Cai Sima listened, the more his brows furrowed.

Although some of these young talents are indeed extremely talented, with a few years of training, they can be considered elite in the Fire Crow Army.

But Guan Wenlong, or the King of Shu, was clearly arranging for the children of Shu's noble families to enter through the back door.

He attempted to follow Marquis Lieyang into the Qin Empire and realize his great vision of "escaping from the barbarians and entering China" in one day.

Damn, when we were fighting against a million-strong army and expeditioning to thirty-six kingdoms, these bastards disappeared. Now that the war is over and the Marquis is going back to the court to receive his reward, you all come out one by one, and you even call it "meeting the Marquis' needs and filling the vacancies in the Fire Crow Army."

Bah! It's a rare opportunity for a good Chinese man to join the Fire Crow Army. You Western barbarians are just dreaming!

"My Lord, at most you can select a dozen or so Western soldiers with outstanding achievements to return to China with the Fire Crow Army."

Cai Sima shook his head and politely refused, "To cross the Three Thousand Weak Waters of the Liusha River, you must have a Biaoche Yulun.

Let's not talk about the most expensive "Xi Kunlun Speeding". Let's just talk about the relatively ordinary Zhou Raoguo Speeding. How much is a boat ticket?

It's not that you Western soldiers are not brave enough, it's just that the seats in the car race are limited and can't accommodate too many people.

Otherwise, during the rebellion of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms, there would have been more than a hundred Fire Crow Warriors entering Tianmen Town.

Three thousand Fire Crows, a full complement of three thousand Fiery Cavalry, and twenty thousand auxiliary soldiers, we are willing to take them all to the West, but the West is too far away. "

There was some sincerity in these words. At least Marquis Lieyang had no objection to bringing 3,000 Fire Crows to the West.

The distance is too far and the cost is too high.

As if to completely cut off the King of Shu's thoughts, before the Fire Crow Army boarded the ship, Sima Cai specially selected all 76 Shu knights.

"Go back to Luodu. You are the only ones left in the Luye Guard. You have a heavy responsibility. The future reconstruction of the Luye Guard depends entirely on you."

When Cai Sima said this, at least 30% of the sincerity on his face was genuine.

Luyewei is not only important to Shu Kingdom, but also to Daqin.

Western Shu is the wooden stake that the Qin Dynasty nailed into the Xisha River Basin, and it is a dog tied to the stake!
Only when Luye Wei regains his strength can the Kingdom of Shu be stabilized. If Western Shu is stable, the western countries will not be able to cause major trouble.

"Miss, we are leaving too. Madam and Miss are waiting for us in front." Guan Zhong returned to the Green Willow Forest and said to Xiaoyu with joy on his face.

Xiao Yu was surprised and asked, "Which lady and lady? Why didn't they board the ship with uncle?"

"It's the Second Madam and Miss Tianfeng. They came from Luodu to take you home!" Guan Zhong said with a smile.

Xiaoyu became more and more confused after hearing this.

Did the second wife bring her daughter here just to pick up her adopted daughter?
Even though the Second Madam is virtuous and Miss Tianfeng is gentle and amiable, is it necessary for them to come all the way to pick her up?

"Alas, the Second Madam is the elder, why should she work so hard for Xiaoyu?"

Guan Zhong looked around and whispered, "I guess it has something to do with your fame these days, Miss. The Second Madam values ​​you and wants to bring someone to protect you."

“Famous all over the world.”

Thinking of the compliments and flattery he had received in various places in Shu these days, Xiao Yu couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Let's go, where is the Second Madam? Xiaoyu must go and visit her immediately."

"The second lady's surname is Wen, and she doesn't look old."

Guan Zhong jumped on the horse and rode slowly with Xiaoyu while giving a brief introduction to the situation of Madam Wen and Miss Tianfeng.

As evening approaches, the sky is filled with red clouds.

Fifteen miles southwest of Green Willow Forest, there is "Yue Lai Inn" at the entrance of Longtou Town.

"Yu'er greets the Second Madam!"

Mrs. Wen really doesn't look old.

She looked to be only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, like a ripe peach that grew from early spring to early summer.

She may not be extremely beautiful, but she is definitely gorgeous.

Her delicate face is set against the rosy clouds, her red lips are evenly rubbed with red rouge. Her eyebrows are as small as the moon, and her temples are as white as clouds.

She was wearing a palace dress with long sleeves and a wide skirt of emerald green, with a long sword hanging at her waist. She had an upright figure, slender limbs and a strong feel, which added a bit of dazzling heroism to her charm.

"Yu'er, there's no need for such a big gift!"

Mrs. Wen's smile is sweeter and brighter than the forsythia outside the house.

She took the initiative to leave her seat, took two steps forward, and lifted up Xiaoyu who was about to kneel down. She looked her up and down with admiration and exclaimed, "She is indeed a beautiful and elegant person!

Although Hu Chen encountered misfortune during his trip to the Northern Wilderness, it was worth it to be able to accept such a good daughter who never came into the world for my Guan family."

"You are too kind, ma'am."

Xiaoyu secretly sounded the alarm in her heart: What is Guan Huchen's wife doing? What is there about me that is worthy of her targeting?

But she naturally entered the acting state, with a blush on her face and a hint of shyness in her eyes.

"Hey, kid, why do you keep calling me 'Madam'?" Madam Wen pretended to be angry, "We are all family from now on, why do you still want to be estranged from me?"

——You asked for this, don’t blame me if anything goes wrong!

Xiaoyu opened her mouth tentatively and said softly, "Mother?"

"Oh, this is a good daughter for a mother!" Mrs. Wen said with a smile.

There was a hint of strangeness in Xiaoyu's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

"The Great Destroyer" was indeed touched, and the "method to kill Wen Danxia" began to be deduced.
Eh, Zifu was unable to complete the killing instantly.

“Danxia Fairy” is not just for show!

"Yu'er is a barbarian girl from the Northern Wilderness. It is a blessing for her to be taken in by her adoptive father.

My adoptive father suffered a disaster the day before yesterday. Thinking about the future, I felt confused and scared.

My mother is so kind and loving now, and treats me like her own child. I am deeply grateful and burst into tears."

Xiao Yu took a few steps back with red eyes and bowed firmly again, "Mother, please accept Xiao Yu's bow!"

"Yu'er."

Even though Mrs. Wen was full of vicious plans, she was a little touched at this moment.

——This barbarian girl is easy to get along with, very sincere and frank, unlike those cousins ​​and cousins ​​in the mansion, who appear to be obedient and honest on the surface, but are actually full of scheming and tricky thoughts in their hearts.
"Yu'er, you and I have a very good mother-daughter relationship. I am also very happy to see you."

Madam Wen said this with a smile on her face. She untied the "Phoenix Shadow Sword" from her waist with her right hand and handed it to Xiao Yu, saying, "I can't let you worship me as your 'mother' in vain. This Phoenix Shadow Sword is exquisite and light, just suitable for women to use--"

"lady!"

Guan Zhong, who had been hiding in a corner, watching the loving mother and filial daughter with a look of satisfaction on his face, could not help but say, "This is your ancestral sword, how can you give it to someone else?"

Madam Wen was stunned, looking down at the Fengying Sword in Xiaoyu's hand, feeling a little confused: How did I lose my mind and start acting like a real person? But it doesn't matter.
"Nonsense! How can Yu'er be considered 'someone else'?"

Madam Wen turned around and scolded Guan Zhong, then took Xiao Yu's right hand and said, "Before it gets dark, mother will teach you another set of sword techniques that will be used in conjunction with the Phoenix Shadow Sword."

——Let me see how sharp the natural sword bone is. Don't let me down! Yu'er~~
A smile flashed across Xiaoyu's eyes: Dear mother, Zifu has been operating at a high intensity until now, but I still haven't deduced your method of killing. It's amazing. Your swordsmanship will surely bring a lot of surprises!
(End of this chapter)