Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

Zhuzhu and her child lived in the side courtyard. Ji's mother, who lived next door, would sometimes come to visit Zhuzhu.

Throughout May and June, soldiers and civilians from all over the Central Plains were busy sowing seeds, reclaiming wasteland and hills, digging irrigation canals, leveling mountains, and building roads and bridges. During this period, Qin Xiuyuan went out from time to time, and his activities were limited to a place that could be reached and returned from Chang'an in two days by galloping horse.

Sometimes he would bring Qin Yunxiao with him, and the father and son would climb mountains and wade through water together, go uphill and down the fields, and sleep under the sun at night. When they were on the road, they would travel day and night. The longest time they stayed in Sanguan was eight days, digging ditches, chopping firewood, and doing morning exercises and evening training.

When I got home, I had lost a lot of weight, my skin was darker, my hair was tangled, and my body was covered with bruises and injuries. I thought I would not want to go, and I would just eat and drink at home for a few days. But when I asked, I said I would go again next time.

After Mingxi's last experience in the military camp, he knew that he did not have enough physical strength and could not endure hardships as his brother did. So he went to a closer place and repeatedly assured Qin Xiuyuan and Wangshu that he could do it and would never back down halfway.

Blinking her eyes, her little hand tugged at the hand of her father, the general, and shook it. Qin Xiu couldn't help but take his daughter with him on his trip to Luoyang. Food, clothing, and even a carriage were provided, more than five times as elaborately as those provided to him with his son. As for the accompanying guards, Qin Yi and Qin Er were directly assigned to accompany him.

An inn on the official road in Luoyang.

One hundred cavalrymen and three hundred infantrymen, a huge army, was under martial law in front, behind, and on all sides.

Zheng Da arranged the meal and looked up to see the eldest son coming downstairs with the eldest daughter who was dressed neatly. The father and daughter walked down side by side, followed by Qin Yi.

A daughter is a daughter.

The last time the eldest young master went out, he washed himself, only wiping the front of his face and washing his hands only his fingers. The back of his neck was covered in mud, and the eldest brother saw it but didn't do anything about it. He only pointed it out on the last day, rubbing the young master until he cried out in pain. Finally, he was clean enough to go home, and he didn't even comb his hair...

Oh my, it’s time to change to the eldest lady, and all the little buns have been combed and tied up again.

"Uncle Zheng!" Tiantian called out.

Zheng Da also admired the girl, "Hurry up and sit down to eat. Miss Mingxi, are you hungry?"

The father and daughter sat down next to each other, and the two food-testing dogs that accompanied them lay safely at their feet. "It's okay, Mingxi secretly ate the rice cake."

The little girl admitted that there were cakes and dried meat in the carriage, and her father, who rode with her, would feed her from time to time.

Zheng Da sighed twice. The young master had never enjoyed such a blessing before. His stomach was growling with hunger, but he had to speed up his horse to hurry on.

Then he looked at the eldest son, who smiled and picked up some vegetables for his daughter without saying a word.

At night at the post station, the team rested and Zheng Da and Qin Er took turns to keep watch.

"The general still loves his daughter!"

Qin Er nodded. In the past two months, he had not eaten at the inn for lunch. He stayed at the post station at night. He would go to any corner of the house. When he was hungry, he would make a fire and cook noodles on the spot. When it got dark, he would choose a flat place to set up a tent and sleep.

The place I took the young master to was the windy and sandy Sanguan City. There were big ravines with nothing but trees and insects and snakes, and ditches with splashing mud and water... The young master chopped wood, felled trees, dug ditches, and hoeed the ground and dug holes.

It was my turn to inspect official duties in Luoyang. It was a place of good food, good drinks, and entertainment. I took my daughter with me...

"The general is a daughter slave."

As the two were talking, they heard two dogs barking in the distance. The silence of the night was particularly frightening. Everyone perked up and someone lit up fireworks.

Two familiar flames were the secret signal from his own people. Zheng Da asked Qin Er to stay where he was, "I'll go take a look."

"Southern horse." Qin Er, who was lying on the ground listening to the sound of horse hooves, mouthed to Qin Yi who was looking up from upstairs. The southern horse has short legs, fast steps, and a lighter body than the northern horse. The sound of the horse's hooves is very distinctive.

The generals from the north and south were exchanged. Zhang San and Qin Ba and Qin Shiba took their men to the south to change positions after two months. General Han Batian of Bazhou went north to Luoyang to report on his work.

"Where's Boss Qin? I haven't seen him in years. I, Han Batian, miss him so much!"

Sure enough, the familiar logo and loud voice were getting closer.

Han Batian arrived late at night with two deputies and dozens of cavalrymen. Qin Xiuyuan changed into light armor, and the two equally tall men met again after a long separation at an inn not far from Luoyang.

"Boss Qin, I, Han Batian, miss you so much! You haven't changed at all in these years!"

Qin Xiuyuan looked at Han Batian, who still had an unshaven beard and wore clothes that exposed his chest, and then looked at the straw sandals on his feet. "Brother Han has changed. He's used to wearing shoes now."

"Hahaha!" Han Batian patted his chest and stamped his feet. "Every time the army gives out military shoes, it's a waste if I don't wear them!"

With a few more scars on his chest, Qin Xiuyuan patted his brother who had helped him establish his business in Jingzhou, "Brother Han, you've been through a lot of pain in the past few years!"

"That's right, Xie Miao is insidious and cunning. If it weren't for my dying master, I would have died long ago."

"Is Brother Shensuan in good health?"

"It's fine. We have enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and plenty of supplements to eat. This time Zhang San and his group went, and he finally got what he wanted and kicked me, a big, rough guy, out of the way. He told me to tell you that with him around, Bazhou will be safe, so you can rest assured, boss!"

The kitchen quickly served the dishes and wine, and the group ate, drank and chatted.

"Master said that you should go there and destroy Yongzhou!"

Qin Xiuyuan concentrated his mind, not wanting to be too arrogant. "The Xie family has deep roots, and the clans are intertwined. They are all clan lands, so it won't be easy."

Chang'an's predecessors had blazed the trail, only to be ravaged by burning, murder, and looting. Even now, those empty-headed clans secretly harbored many complaints, and Qin Xiuyuan was unwilling to commit a massacre. Fortunately, Ji Liang and Chen Nan controlled most of the Central Plains' trade routes, making it difficult for these clans to generate more money. Otherwise, their wealth, if used to maintain an army, would ultimately become a hidden danger.

"Then take it slow!" Han Batian also came to terms with it. His advisor had advised him that the outcome of a war wouldn't be decided in three to five years. Right now, the Central Plains was recuperating and people were well fed. They were just waiting for a few years when the people were prosperous, the army strong, and the battle would finally begin!

Qin Xiuyuan persuaded others to go with him, "Let's go to Luoyang and then return to Chang'an together."

"We rode as fast as we could just to get to Chang'an and see you sooner. Now that we've met, I'll do whatever you say!"

"My daughter is upstairs. Brother Han, please dress properly and tidy up tomorrow."

Han Batian's eyes lit up, "That little kid from back then?"

Qin Xiuyuan smiled broadly, "Yes, Mingxi." He pulled the tattered piece of cloth and said, "Brother Han, this won't do!"

"Change! Must change!" Han Batian looked at himself, then at the neatly dressed boss wearing armor and carrying a sword, and couldn't help but sigh, "Over the years, it seems like I've changed, yet it seems like I haven't changed at all."

"Brother Han, when you see my daughter, you will know that we have been fighting separately in the north and south, and many years have passed in a flash."

"Shopkeeper, bring some hot water!" Han Batian called out to the shopkeeper, then turned back to stare at his group of rustic brothers. "Wash them well and change into new clothes tomorrow. Don't ruin the Miss's impression of us southerners!"

Han Batian roared, the rags on his chest swaying. Qin Er looked closely and saw five, six, seven, or eight holes on his trouser legs...

Absolutely!