Chapter 0067: Foster Father

Chapter 0067: Foster Father

Hearing Qu Yunmie's question, Gao Xunzhi immediately turned his head and glared at him.

However, when one door closes, another opens. Just as things had quieted down here, Chen’s laughter rang out from behind him: "I can't interfere with official matters, but when it comes to family affairs, I can make the decisions myself!"

Gao Xunzhi: "…………"

Please don’t add more chaos!

Chen in her confused state was already troublesome enough; who knew that in her clear state, she would be even more devastating. Gao Xunzhi was completely flustered, but fortunately, Xiao Rong and others had found them by then.

The door was open, so Xiao Rong simply stepped inside, asking in confusion, "What matter requires my grandmother to decide?"

If only Xiao Rong had come alone, it might have been better, but Xiao Yi, two maids, and even Song Shuo, whom he had only met once, all followed in, almost scaring Gao Xunzhi out of his wits.

Chen’s words might not have meant anything specific, but outsiders would certainly interpret them that way.

This was an era where men valued their reputation more than women did. Many men would drown themselves if their reputations were tarnished. Although Xiao Rong wasn’t that fragile, no one wanted to be associated with such rumors.

With a tiger-like pounce, Gao Xunzhi, displaying agility far beyond his age, rushed to Chen’s side. But before he could stop her from speaking, Chen, upon seeing Xiao Rong’s face, hugged him with pity and began to sob, "Ah Rong—what if something happened to you? How could your grandmother live on?"

Xiao Rong didn’t immediately respond to Chen; instead, he looked angrily at Song Shuo.

Song Shuo shrank his neck, knowing he was at fault and not daring to defend himself.

Xiao Rong tried to comfort the old lady, but it was ineffective. It was Xiao Yi who came forward and mentioned their long-departed family members, which shifted her attention. Her forgetfulness was a blessing; no matter how frightening the events, they couldn’t linger in her mind for long. Soon, she returned to normal and left with Xiao Yi.

Song Shuo didn’t dare stay longer either. Having found Lady Xiao, he didn’t want to continue bothering Xiao Rong. Once he left, only Xiao Rong, Qu Yunmie, and Gao Xunzhi remained in the room.

Xiao Rong watched them leave and then turned to ask, "Decide what?"

Gao Xunzhi: "……"

He thought Xiao Rong had forgotten.

Gao Xunzhi couldn’t say those words, but Qu Yunmie, that rascal, could. With a nonchalant expression, he said, "Lady Xiao said that a life-saving grace should be repaid tenfold. Since your family has nothing valuable to offer, she decided to give you to me."

Hearing this, Gao Xunzhi was truly impressed by Qu Yunmie. No wonder Ah Rong always scolds you; you bring it upon yourself.

Gao Xunzhi thought Xiao Rong would get angry. After all, no man could tolerate such teasing. However, not only did Xiao Rong not get angry, he even laughed and sat down, saying, "The King, even if my grandmother is confused, she wouldn’t say something like that. What did she really say?"

Qu Yunmie opened his mouth to speak, but this time, Gao Xunzhi didn’t let him. He quickly interjected, "Ah Rong, don’t be upset. Lady Xiao was confused and forgot whether you were male or female. She said to give you to The King, probably thinking you were a lady."

Xiao Rong listened and looked at Qu Yunmie, who was calmly watching him, seemingly waiting for him to show embarrassment.

Xiao Rong paused for a moment and then laughed again, "Whether a lady or a gentleman, there’s no difference. Given my current status, haven’t I already belonged to The King?"

Day and night, he tirelessly worked for the same big fool. Which lady could suffer as much as he did?

Qu Yunmie stared at him for a second and suddenly burst into laughter, as if Xiao Rong had struck a chord with him. "Great minds think alike. This King shares the same thoughts as Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Rong rolled his eyes inwardly but smiled slightly on the surface. He stood up to bid them farewell, "Then I’ll take my leave. Chancellor, I’ll visit you tonight to discuss how to use the silver money."

Qu Yunmie asked, "Does The King need to be present?"

Xiao Rong waved his hand as he walked out, "No need. Tonight, it will just be the Chancellor and me. No one else will be there."

Hearing this, Qu Yunmie understood and relaxed back into his seat.

Others might mind his absence in decision-making, so he would attend when others were involved. But Xiao Rong and Gao Xunzhi were his most trusted people, and they didn’t care whether he attended. Therefore, there was no need for him to go.

In a few words, Qu Yunmie’s evening was freed up. Unable to drink due to his injury and unable to relax at the training ground, he pondered what else he could do tonight. Unbeknownst to him, Gao Xunzhi had been sitting in the room, staring at him strangely for a while now. …Hmm.

In just a few days, Ah Rong and The King seemed to have become much closer.

Or perhaps they were always like this, and he only noticed now?

Well… it’s good that these two are getting closer. This way, he wouldn’t always worry about Ah Rong being driven away by Qu Yunmie one day.

After returning to his residence, Xiao Rong called Xiao Yi over to ask about the maids. Gao Xunzhi had bought four maids for Chen: two personal attendants and two for general chores. Even this number was less than what a small wealthy family would have, but Xiao Yi was already quite satisfied.

The Northern Pacification King’s residence was unique. All the busy servants were soldiers drawn from the Northern Pacification Army, making additional maids somewhat inconvenient. These four were carefully selected by Gao Xunzhi based on two criteria: efficiency and honesty.

Who could blame him? The entire residence was full of bachelors… the most handsome of them, Xiao Rong, had a 100% turn-around rate whenever he went out. If not for his habit of bringing The King along, the residence would have been flooded with sachets and handkerchiefs.

Xiao Rong was too beautiful, to the point of being counterproductive. Young women would secretly throw handkerchiefs at him but wouldn’t dare approach him. People dared to pursue beauties, but few dared to pursue someone as stunning as him.

Apart from Xiao Rong, the residence also housed the Yu brothers, Zhang Biezhi who occasionally visited, the monk who occasionally went out, and the newly joined Song Shuo.

If the new maids weren’t honest, Gao Xunzhi couldn’t imagine the chaos.

Oh, and there was The King, but he didn’t count. After The King turned sixteen and grew to eight feet tall, Gao Xunzhi never saw any woman daring to admire his beauty. Previously, at least some women would talk to him, albeit to beg for help… but at least it was interaction. Now, except for the women of the Butu Wu tribe, no woman dared to look him in the eye.

Actually, most men couldn’t either; they avoided eye contact with Qu Yunmie as much as possible, though Gao Xunzhi hadn’t noticed.

Listening to Xiao Yi repeat Gao Xunzhi’s concerns, Xiao Rong felt exasperated.

Why did Gao Xunzhi tell Xiao Yi these things? Xiao Yi was still a young boy, focused on studying and striving hard.

Moreover, was it necessary to be so paranoid? Maids weren’t spies. As long as they were honest and decent, if they developed feelings for someone, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Of course, the main reason was that there were too many bachelors in the Northern Pacification Army. Though their average age was low, by ancient standards, they were all eligible bachelors.

Married men were steadier and less likely to cause trouble. Like Zhang Biezhi, who acted recklessly because he had no responsibilities. Once he settled down, he would be less reckless.

But even so, the current Zhang Biezhi was still foolish. Marrying him would be pushing a girl into a pit. Better to wait a few years.

Zhang Biezhi can be put aside for now, but Yu Shaoxie and Yu Shaocheng, along with Song Shuo, should be considered soon. Especially Song Shuo; if we match him with a Northern Pacification Army bride, given his reputation for deep marital affection and all his descendants coming from his lawful wife, he should be tied down in Chenliu for good.

Xiao Rong tapped his chin, smiling slightly into the air.

Xiao Yi: "…"

What is Big Brother thinking? It looks rather scary. *

Gao Xunzhi paused for a moment before answering Xiao Rong's question: "Um… The King's relatives?"

He continued hesitantly, "Ah Rong, you might not know this, but when Qu Yue—oh, I mean General Qu—left Liaodong County, his family was already scattered or dead. He escaped with the help of young men from nearby villages, and there weren't many blood relatives left. Now, it seems only Qu Jin remains as a relative of The King."

Xiao Rong had never heard of Qu Jin, and neither had Qu Yunmie mentioned him. He asked curiously, "So who is this Qu Jin to The King?"

Gao Xunzhi: "They are clan brothers, sharing the same mother four generations ago."

Xiao Rong: "…" So distant.

Despite the distance, once Qu Yunmie becomes emperor, Qu Jin will be the sole remaining royal relative, and he'll likely be granted a title. After all, he's the only one left.

Xiao Rong asked again, "How old is Qu Jin?"

Gao Xunzhi: "Twenty-two. He is currently at Yanmen Pass. Qu Jin inherited the bravery of the Qu family and is skilled in combat. He serves as the Left Commander under Wang Xinyong, leading an army of thirty thousand."

Xiao Rong pondered this.

Wang Xinyong has a total of eighty thousand troops, making him the general with the fewest soldiers among the Northern Pacification Army's F4. The Left Commander holds real power, unlike a deputy general, who can constrain the main commander regardless of personal preferences. It seems Qu Yunmie trusts this clansman quite a bit, which is why he placed him in this position.

After some thought, Xiao Rong shook his head. Military affairs were not his concern, so pondering these matters was pointless. His matchmaking plans had been dashed; he couldn't even find a single girl from the Qu family.

Seeing Xiao Rong's disappointment, Gao Xunzhi learned of his true intentions and couldn't help but chuckle, "Ah Rong hasn't even married yet, yet he's trying to set up others. In my opinion, Ah Rong should settle his own marriage first."

Facing pressure to marry, Xiao Rong had become adept at deflecting. He said casually, "Let's wait until The King settles down first."

Gao Xunzhi: "…"

Do you think I don't want to?

But Qu Yunmie needs to agree too. Year after year, Qu Yunmie went from being a young general to the Northern Pacification King. Previously, it was just about finding a general's wife, but now, the standards are those of a queen.

Qu Yunmie dislikes noble ladies and nouveau riche, which eliminates most candidates. Furthermore, he dislikes beautiful, frail, arrogant, stubborn, and cunning people…

Gao Xunzhi suspected that Qu Yunmie was hinting that he disliked everyone. …

This is an old issue. Thinking about it made Gao Xunzhi sigh, but before he could, he suddenly looked at Xiao Rong across from him, wondering, "How does Ah Rong manage to get along so well with The King? According to The King's preferences, you—"

At this point, he paused because Xiao Rong was squinting at him.

Gao Xunzhi: "…Ah Rong, you perfectly align with The King's preferences, which is why you two never argue or have conflicts. Truly, you two are a pair of sage ruler and virtuous minister!"

Xiao Rong: "…"

Even the Chancellor can tell lies with a straight face.

He hummed and picked up the scissors beside him, trimming the burnt wick of the candle. The flame flickered, casting a wavering light.

"Chancellor, you don't need to flatter me. I know The King finds me very distasteful. When I first arrived in Yanmen County, The King stormed in, clearly intent on taking my life. If not for my quick thinking, we wouldn't have met."

Xiao Rong rarely complained about Qu Yunmie to Gao Xunzhi, but now he did. Gao Xunzhi couldn't help but smile, "That's not entirely true. Due to past experiences, The King indeed has biases against scholars and weak individuals. However, this makes his current attitude towards you even more remarkable. It shows that The King appreciates your inner qualities, not just your surface appearance. Ah Rong, have I ever thanked you for coming to the Northern Pacification Army and staying by The King's side despite his stubbornness? To The King, mere subordinates wouldn't suffice. He sees me as an elder, Yuan Baifu as a brother, and you, Ah Rong, as a close friend."

Holding the scissors, the candlelight illuminated Xiao Rong's profile. His eyes darted around, looking at Gao Xunzhi and then at the wick. After a moment, he whispered, "I also… consider him my friend."

He paused for a few seconds, and Gao Xunzhi didn't know if he was hesitating or thinking about how to please him. Lowering his eyes, Gao Xunzhi smiled silently.

Young people are full of energy, always pondering how to define another person's presence. At his age, everyone is the same; if they fit, they stay; if not, they part ways. Each day passes like the wind overhead, whether it's there or not, no one cares.

Perhaps Qu Yunmie would care deeply about Xiao Rong's answer. If he heard Xiao Rong say such a thing, he'd probably be unable to sleep tonight. Despite appearing strong, he's actually quite sensitive. But sitting here is Gao Xunzhi, who raised Qu Yunmie almost like a father. Hearing Xiao Rong treat his foster child this way, he felt nothing.

People's attitudes change, just like when he first joined the Northern Pacification Army. He was almost sick of the place, staying only because he had nowhere else to go. Yet, he stayed for over twenty years, acting as both parent and mediator between Li Xiuheng and the Northern Pacification Army. His entire valuable life was spent within the army.

Such a life isn't bad, perhaps bittersweet. Fortunately, Xiao Rong is luckier. For the past twenty years, he mostly faced challenges alone, but Xiao Rong doesn't have to do that anymore. I will help him, Yu Shaoxie will help him, and the Buddha's son will come to his aid in critical moments. And The King… The King will walk alongside him, holding his hand firmly, pushing him forward, even when he wants to stop, until the end of their lives.

Gao Xunzhi: "…"

These words aren't from Qu Yunmie, but based on his understanding of him, he naturally came to this conclusion.

But the moment this thought appeared in his mind, Gao Xunzhi suddenly paused.

He instinctively looked at Xiao Rong, who had started discussing his spending plan. As he spoke, his eyes sparkled more and more. Finally, he smiled and asked Gao Xunzhi, "Chancellor, what do you think?"

Gao Xunzhi stared at him, then stiffly smiled, "Very good, let's proceed with Ah Rong's plan."