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Chapter 723 Shuodi
“Indeed, this matter could not be kept from the General.” Lu Qing did not hide anything and nodded frankly. “The General is an upright and honest man. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’m afraid it would have been difficult for you to believe what I said.”

If we don't come along, there might be some misunderstanding along the way, and then things could turn out badly.

Cao Tianbao was speechless. Given his past personality, he might have assumed the Jie warriors were with the assassins the moment he saw them and led his men to charge without a word.

After all, over the years, the reputation of the Jie people in Jin Kingdom has always been inseparable from the bad reputation of being "barbaric" and "warlike," and he had long been prejudiced against them.

If I hadn't witnessed firsthand how friendly the Jie warriors treated the "captured" Lu Zhang, and hadn't heard what Lu Qing and the others said, it would indeed have been hard to believe.

Upon closer reflection, the so-called bad reputation of the Capricorns over the years may itself be based on various misinformation and deliberately misleading prejudices.

Over the years, with one side disdaining communication and the other being poor at it, misunderstandings and conflicts have accumulated and deepened.

"This time, I will definitely set aside my past prejudices and see for myself," Cao Tianbao said. After saying that, he couldn't help but add, "If the Jie people are really as they say, I can regard them as my comrades-in-arms. But if that's not the case, and there are still some who harbor disloyal intentions, even if all of my hundred or so men die in battle, I will never leave any hidden dangers for His Majesty!"

Yan Shu rolled her eyes, but for the sake of Zhu Yu and Lu Qing, she ignored his words.

That night, their meal lasted until late into the night. Yan Shu kept talking to Zhu Yu, while Cao Tianbao and Lu Zhang felt somewhat ashamed of their past attitudes and misunderstandings towards Lu Qing, and thus tried their best to be warm and friendly.

It wasn't until nearly midnight that Lu Qing and Zhu Yu returned to their own tent.

Zhu Yu was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open. He practically took off his outer robe and fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. After getting up and finding Lu Qing, she learned that Yan Shu and the others had set off early in the morning.

The main concern was that Cao Tianbao and Yan Shu were anxious. One of them was eager to see if the Jie people gathered at the border were really as loyal and righteous as they had heard the night before, and whether they were there to help.

The other was also eager to use facts to slap Cao Tianbao in the face, so that he would never dare to harbor any malicious prejudice or speculation against the Jie people again.

Lu Zhang, caught in the middle, seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit.

After listening to what Lu Qing told him, Zhu Yu frowned and then relaxed, letting out a slow sigh.

"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Lu Qing thought Zhu Yu was saddened by Yan Shu's departure. "Once we get through this, I'll bring you to see Yan Shu again."

“I have no doubt about this.” Zhu Yu waved his hand. “What I’m thinking now is that, judging from Lu Zhang’s attitude, I have a feeling that Yan Shu’s idea of ​​getting a divorce and staying in Jiedi forever without ever going back is hard to say whether it can be realized.”

The main reason she was able to return was because Lu Zhang was being held captive here as a prisoner.

Once peace is restored, she wants to formally request the Emperor to grant a divorce. Even if the Emperor agrees, if Lu Zhang disagrees, then this 'divorce'... will not be possible.

"Perhaps it won't come to that." Lu Qing shook her head. "Forced relationships are never sweet, and Lu Zhang probably doesn't want the two of them to end up in such an ugly way." "Hopefully he understands that." Zhu Yu shrugged.

Yan Shu is a good girl. She sincerely hopes that the other person can live the kind of life they want, instead of being a bird in a cage.

And so, at Lu Qing's insistence, Zhu Yu rested in the camp for another three days. During these three days, apart from eating and sleeping well, there was nothing else to do. Zhu Yu wandered around and chatted with the Jie people who could communicate in a simple language.

Perhaps it was because Capricorns are straightforward and enthusiastic, or perhaps it was because Zhu Yu had no prejudice against them and was very friendly, but their interactions were quite pleasant.

Even if some Capricorns don't know many words, they can still understand what the other person means by gesturing and guessing.

After three days of conversation, Zhu Yu actually learned some things he had never heard of before from one of the older Jie people, such as the unique herbs and folk remedies used to stop bleeding in Jie areas, how to treat injuries caused by bull horns, and how to make broken bones heal quickly.

Lu Qing and Fu Wenfu also sparred with those people quite a bit, and both of them benefited.

Three days later, the four men were ready to set off. The Jie people who stayed behind in the camp packed them a lot of dry food to eat on the way.

Zhu Yu looked at those things and couldn't help but chuckle.

It truly is a different local culture and customs.

In the past, when people traveled long distances, they would bring some flatbread and dried meat. But the Jie people prepared for them not only a small amount of flatbread and dried meat, but also a lot of fried rice, as well as a large amount of milk curds and cheese.

"Eat this, your stomach won't rumble, it'll keep you going!" The Jie warrior who was seeing them off was a little reluctant to part with the four of them, but the Jie people are always straightforward and don't mince words, so he patted the backpack on his horse and said only one practical thing.

Lu Qing and Zhu Yu also followed the Jie people's etiquette, bid them farewell, and left the camp.

Although Lu Qing had told Cao Tianbao that they were returning, the four of them did not actually take the same route they had come by. Instead, they traveled eastward along a different border, heading straight for the border between Jin Kingdom and Shuo Land.

Unlike their past laxity and perfunctory attitude, this time the garrison in the northern regions appeared to be strictly disciplined and showed no sign of slackness.

This brought Zhu Yu some comfort.

When they passed through the most important pass in Shuodi, they met Zhu Feng there. He seemed to exude more confidence and high spirits than when they last met. Presumably, without Zhu Jie's pressure or the influence of his maternal family, and with his father's favor, he had become more confident.

Zhu Feng was very happy to see Zhu Yu, and he was still very courteous to Lu Qing, showing no disrespect because of his current status as a "commoner".

He had assumed that Lu Qing and Zhu Yu would stay for a while, and even sent someone to deliver a message to Zhu Cheng. Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu quickly stopped him and told Zhu Feng that they didn't have time to linger, and were just stopping by to see their brother, nothing more.

Zhu Feng was also a little reluctant to part, but considering that they must have more important things to do, he did not try to persuade them to stay. He quickly asked someone to prepare some food and drink for the four of them to take with them, and then reluctantly said goodbye.