Mu Jun said, "Marquis, just now an Inner Supervision eunuch ca by and said the Emperor wants you to enter the palace tomorrow to discuss how to handle Gongbu."
Gongbu is the na of the old Chanyu of Qiangrong and also of Duoji’s father, who has now been sent to the Imperial Palace. Under normal circumstances, he would likely beco a kind of mascot.
Now that the Qiangrong Royal Court has been destroyed, the tribes on the snowfield are even more scattered and disorganized. It’s unlikely a new Royal Court will appear within ten years, making the Northern Territory especially safe.
"I understand," Gu Chengzhao replied, "By the way, Mu Jun, have you gotten familiar with Lan?"
Mu Jun pulled out a packet of peach biscuits from his pocket and laughed sheepishly, "The Princely Heir’s snacks... I’ve eaten them all."
Earlier, when Gu Lan was watching Rong Heng and Su Zixiao compete, she shared the snacks from her pocket with several generals around her.
She only kept the candies possibly ant for Rong Heng... unexpectedly, those candies indeed served as his reward.
Thinking back on how Rong Heng approached her, "claiming his reward," Gu Lan’s cheeks involuntarily ward a bit.
Gu Chengzhao chuckled, it seed that Lan left a good impression on the Dingyuan Army.
He said, "Tomorrow when I enter the palace, I will ask the Emperor to let Lan take up a position temporarily with the Dingyuan Army for training, you’ll be her Deputy General."
"Taking up a position with the Dingyuan Army?" Gu Lan asked in surprise.
Gu Chengzhao said, "Yes, eventually you will command the Dingyuan Army, and I’m not asking you to go to the Northern Territory, only to learn in the army for a while; the Emperor won’t mind."
"Alright, then do I not have to be the companion for the little rat anymore?"
"I’m just asking you to hold a nominal position in the army first, you’re still young, you should focus on studying."
"...You’re exploiting minors."
"Capable people should do more work."
Rong Heng listened to their conversation, his dark eyes slightly narrowed.
Letting Gu Lan take a position in the army?
Though it may be a nominal position, this ans the Dingyuan Marquis has resolutely decided to make Gu Lan the heir to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.
Thinking of Gu Lan, small and thin, one day having to fight in the Northern Territory...
Rong Heng’s fingers slightly contracted, his gaze dark and profound.
Mu Jun hearing Marquis Gu’s words, removed his helt and solemnly saluted, "I will follow orders, I will surely assist the Princely Heir well."
Gu Lan had long noticed that Mu Jun’s hair color was sowhat peculiar, now with his helt removed, his black and red hair, produced from a mix of alien clan and Qiangrong heritage, beca apparent.
Mu Jun’s features are also more profound compared to others, his eyes are the sa light brown as Duoji.
Gu Lan asked, "Mu Jun, are you Qiangrong?"
Su Zixiao also looked at Mu Jun with astonishnt, utterly perplexed, "How can there be a Qiangrong general among the Marquis’s n?"
Marquis Gu raised an eyebrow but looked towards Rong Heng and asked, "Fifth Prince, do you have nothing to say?"
Rong Heng calmly said, "The Marquis can use whover he wishes, whether he’s a Yan person or a Qiangrong, it’s up to the Marquis."
Marquis Gu said, "I thought you might think I’m disloyal to the Emperor."
Rong Heng’s eyes were profound and calm, "That’s the Marquis’s own matter."
Su Zixiao, as Marquis Gu’s devoted fanboy, had already convinced himself, "This General Mu must have so exceptional traits, the generals promoted by the Marquis are absolutely extraordinary."
Xie Yun, on the side silently listening to their conversation, felt the Dingyuan Marquis might rebel with Rong Heng at any mont, and Su Zixiao was like a fool blindly following them... Would he be silenced?
Gu Lan anwhile assessed Mu Jun, if Marquis Gu was willing to let Mu Jun be her Deputy General, it ant this man was very trustworthy; could he be a Qiangrong captive Marquis Gu seized years ago?
Mu Jun seeing the group discussing his identity, then said:
"I am a Yan person, years ago a group of Qiangrong people privately entered Dingbei Pass, abducting many Yan Country won including my mother. It was General Mu under the old Marquis who rescued them and married my mother... Though half of my blood is Qiangrong, General Mu is my father."
Gu Lan understood, General Mu married Mu Jun’s mother, who had been abducted by Qiangrong and rescued, and thus unexpectedly beca a father.
Marquis Gu then explained, "Old Mu passed away four years ago, I watched Shun grow up, there won’t be any problems.
A couple of years ago, I found out Shun’s biological father was a Qiangrong Capital Commandant, they tried to entice Shun to return to Qiangrong, promising to restore his original na, calling him Bianba, ridiculous, our Yan offspring have nas and pride, how could he beco an alien clansman."
Mu Jun earnestly said, "Without the Marquis and my father, I wouldn’t be here today, I am a Yan person, that will never change."
Gu Lan, feeling moved, asked, "So Mu Jun’s na on the Qiangrong side is Bianba? He has two nas?"
"That is the na given to him by the Qiangrong, it doesn’t count," Marquis Gu replied.
"Is he of mixed heritage... What I an is, are children born of a Qiangrong and Central Plains person given two nas? I rember, the Second Prince Jiang Qu of the Qiangrong Royal Court, his mother was from the Wei Country, does he also have two nas?"
Gu Lan rembered from the original story, the Qiangrong Light Cavalry that appeared at the Southern Border, with the help of the Wei Country, initially causing great trouble for Rong Heng and the Dingyuan Marquis.
The commander of that Qiangrong Light Cavalry was called Jiang Di.
The na Jiang Di sounds very Central Plains, but since he commanded the Qiangrong cavalry, he should be a Qiangrong person.
A foreigner, yet with a Central Plains na, most likely a mixed blood of the Central Plains and Qiangrong, which reminded Gu Lan of the Second Prince Jiang Qu of the Qiangrong.
Marquis Gu thought for a mont, "Are you talking about Jiang Qu, the young man missing an arm?"
Gu Lan nodded and briefly explained the matters between Duoji and Jiang Qu before asking, "Was Jiang Qu never captured?"
Marquis Gu showed a hint of embarrassnt on his face, "No, before this Marquis returned to Weizhou from the Snowfield, he had already sensed sothing amiss and left Weizhou with his n, and now his whereabouts are unknown, probably hiding back in the Snowfield."
Mu Jun said with guilt, "It was my negligence that allowed him to escape."
If he managed to run away, then the likelihood of him being Jiang Di is even greater.
"Do you know if Jiang Qu has another na?"
"I do not know," Mu Jun shook his head.
It seems, only returning to the Marquis Mansion to ask Duoji will yield answers.
The Qian Family that collaborated with the Qiangrong has fallen, but it doesn’t an Jiang Di doesn’t exist. Even without the Qian family’s help, if not many in number or their movents cautious, Jiang Di could still reach the Southern Border, it just requires ti.
The Southern Border mostly comprises infantry, and if cavalry from the Northern Territory appeared, it would be a very difficult situation for Prince Rui to handle.
In the era of cold weapons, cavalry was the most formidable troop type, a few thousand cavalryn could easily disrupt the peace of the Southern Border.
The original story ntioned that Prince Rui, when besieged, attempted a breakout with his troops, but was pushed back by this suddenly appearing Qiangrong Light Cavalry, ultimately leading to his entrapnt and death in Yinzhou.
Night had fallen, Xie Yun took Su Zixiao and bid farewell.
Only after leaving the military camp did Su Zixiao ask, "Jingqi, do you know who that Fifth Young Master is?"
Previously, in the military tent, Marquis Gu hadn’t revealed Rong Heng’s identity, rely addressing him as "Fifth Young Master."
Xie Yun glanced at him, thinking that Su Zixiao was finally a bit smarter than expected, "He is Fifth Prince Rong."
"Fifth—" Su Zixiao’s eyes widened in shock, "He is the forr Emperor’s Fifth Prince Rong Heng!? No wonder he looked familiar, I probably saw him in the palace a few tis... But, reportedly, Rong Heng knows no martial arts."
Xie Yun turned his head towards the military camp shrouded in night, his eyes wide and serene, and said:
"Never underestimate anyone; joining the Dingyuan Army isn’t that simple."
Late at night, Gu Lan arrived at Duoji’s room.
Though having been bedridden a hundred days for his injuries to heal, Duoji could now limp around, wielding a crutch, exercising in the backyard.
Though he had lost his martial arts and beca a cripple, Gu Lan was not overly concerned about him.
Duoji was like the male protagonist in a hot-blooded novel, perhaps he might have a fateful encounter one day, not only restoring his martial arts but advancing further.
"Uncle, visiting so late, is there sothing you need?" Duoji asked.
Inside the room were only Gu Lan and Duoji, with Basang and Wei Chengyuan standing guard at the door.
Gu Lan looked at him and got straight to the point, "You ntioned before that Jiang Qu is the Second Prince of the Royal Court, his mother was from the Wei Country. I want to know, since he has half Central Plains blood, does he have another na?"
When Jiang Qu was ntioned, Duoji was montarily stunned, his eyes dark and profound.
He had always been reluctant to recall this person because the younger brother he had protected since childhood stabbed him in a mont of life and death.
Duoji couldn’t say whether he felt more hatred or disappointnt towards Jiang Qu.
After contemplating, he said, "Jiang Qu does indeed have a Central Plains na."
"What is it?" Gu Lan’s gaze beca sharp.
"Jiang Di."
Gu Lan’s red lips curled up slightly.
Found him.
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