The Eternal Beauty of the City of Wealth

Zhao Zhen slammed the table in anger: "Humph! It was all those sour scholars who came up with this idea!"

Zi Ri asked in confusion, "What do you mean, General?"

"My dear nephew, you may not know that the Shanrong nation comes to our border to plunder every year after the beginning of winter."

"The people in the border towns are restless day and night, terrified and insecure."

"Some ministers in the court advocated for a marriage alliance, asking the Shanrong to stop harassing the people along the border, and the Shanrong Chanyu agreed."

"But the Thirteenth Princess is absolutely unwilling to marry that old man."

"The king was angry and said a few words to her. The princess got angry and ran away overnight six months ago."

Zi Ri nodded: "I see, the princess must have experienced a lot in the past six months, otherwise she wouldn't have lost her memory."

"Yes, she must have encountered something dangerous. We will have to wait until the princess regains her memory to know what exactly happened."

Zhao Ben paused and asked Zi Ri, "Sir, do you want to be an official in the State of Yan?"

Zi Ri was delighted and said, "Excuse me, General, I am from Qi. Can I serve as an official in Yan?"

Zhao Zhen laughed heartily: "Sir, others may not be able to do it, but you can."

"General, I am but a commoner. How could I have deserved your attention? I feel ashamed."

"Hey, why do you say that, sir? You are a descendant of a marquis family and the second son of Zixuan City Lord. You have the qualifications."

"A few days ago, a lieutenant general in our army passed away unexpectedly. The position of lieutenant general of the central army is vacant. Are you willing to take the position?"

Lieutenant General of the Central Army? Join the army? Zi Ri hesitated. Wouldn't joining the military camp mean going to the battlefield to fight?

"If I go to war and leave Ruo'er alone at home, how can I feel at ease?"

So, he politely declined, saying, "General, I know nothing about military affairs and I'm afraid I won't be able to take on this position."

"Besides, if I join the army, I will have to go out to fight, leaving Ruo'er alone at home, which is really worrying for me."

"So I cannot obey your command today. Please forgive me, General."

Zhao Jin stroked his beard and chuckled, "My dear nephew, the Great Yan State is now stable and there is no war."

"Besides, even if a war breaks out, you don't have to fight in the battlefield. You just need to follow me and give me advice."

"Young Master is still young, and it's time for you to make great achievements. Don't miss this golden opportunity!"

Zhao Ben thought for a moment and said, "Could it be that the young master thinks this position is too low and doesn't look down on it? The position of Lieutenant General is already a third-rank official title."

"The above positions are no longer vacant. If you wish to take up a position of the first or second rank, you can only wait patiently."

After hearing this, Zi Ri waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no! It's not that Zi Ri thinks the position is too low."

"I'm just worried about my fiancée at home. I'm afraid Ru'er will be left alone to take care of her if I'm away for too long."

"Haha, that's why. It's easy. I'll have my wife and daughter-in-law go over there and keep her company every day. Are you sure?"

This... Zi Ri thought for a moment and said, "General, let me discuss this with Ruo'er before making a decision. What do you think?"

Zhao Zhen nodded: "Okay! It's all up to you."

The two chatted about Fugui City for a while, and then Zhao Ben said goodbye and left.

Zhao Yan escorted his father outside and saw that no one was around. He quietly asked him, "Father, what is your intention in keeping Zi Ri by your side as a general?"

Zhao Jin patted his son's shoulder and whispered, "Jin'er, the reason why your father kept Zi Ri by his side is to find a supporter for the Zhao family."

"You know how rich and powerful Fugui City is. If you can hold Zi Ri firmly in your hands."

"The king and the ministers in the court will be wary of our Zhao family."

"In this way, with Ziri's deterrence, my Zhao family will be safe and sound. Son, do you understand?"

Zhao Xin looked at his father with admiration: "Dad is tall, really tall!"

Zhao Ben continued, "From now on, you must build a good relationship with Zi Ri. If that doesn't work, then kowtow to him and become his sworn brother."

"If you become his sworn brother, our relationship will be elevated to a higher level, and I'll have a godson!"

Zhao Yan nodded and said, "Don't worry, Dad. I will do as you wish."

Zhao Zhen waved his hand: "Okay, go back!"

Zi Ri came to Peng Ruo's room and told her that Zhao Ben wanted to invite him to be the lieutenant general of the central army.

Peng Ruo was overjoyed after hearing this: "Brother Ri, this is a good thing. General Zhao is trying to promote you."

"We can't let their kindness go to waste. The position of Third Rank Lieutenant General is not something anyone can become."

"How many soldiers have endured their entire lives without ever getting it, and yet you've become a general at such a young age? We should feel honored."

Zi Ri nodded: "That's the logic, and that's the logic."

"But Ziri, you're worried. If there's a war, I'll definitely go with the army. What will you do then? Who will take care of you?"

Peng Ruo smiled slightly: "Brother Ri, I'm almost twenty years old, do I still need someone to take care of me?"

"Besides, don't I still have my sister-in-law and maidservants? Don't worry, I'm fine. Just be at ease and be your general, hehe."

Zi Ri nodded helplessly: "Okay, everything will be arranged by Ruo'er."

The next day, Zi Ri and Peng Ruo were summoned into the palace by Duke Hui of Yan.

After the ceremony, Duke Hui bowed and said, "Thanks to your help, my younger sister was able to escape from the sea of ​​suffering and return home. Thank you very much!"

Zi Ri hastily returned the greeting: "Your Majesty, you are very polite. It is just a small favor, not worth mentioning."

"Hey, I'm grateful for your kindness. What reward would you like?"

"If you want to be an official, I will give you one. If you want money, I will give you ten thousand gold coins!"

"Your Majesty, General Zhao Ben has appointed me as the Lieutenant General of the Central Army. Your Majesty does not need to grant me an official position."

"Oh? Old Zhao snatched you away first? Haha, what an old fox."

Zhao Xun was listening at the side and felt unhappy. What a crap king!

Since daddy is an old fox, then doesn’t that make me a little fox?

Duke Hui smiled again and said, "Since that's the case, I'll have to ask you to serve in the Zhao army for the time being."

"If you are not satisfied, I will make new arrangements for you!"

Zi Ri hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty."

Duke Hui looked at Zhao Xin again and said, "Xiao Zhao, you have made an invaluable contribution to the princess's return to the palace. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Zhao Yan was delighted. Hey, the reward has arrived! He had already thought about it in his mind.

Then, he bowed to Duke Hui and said, "Your Majesty, Xiao Zhao is not interested in being an official."

"How about you hand over the agency rights of Yan State's foreign trade to me, my humble servant? What do you think?"

Duke Hui thought to himself, "These two are a pair of foxes. Foreign trade is a big piece of fat meat, but this little fox has set its sights on it."

He chuckled, "Okay, sure, but you can't pay even a penny less of this agency tax!"

Zhao Xinle's heart trembled, and he said hurriedly: "That's natural, that's natural, hehe."

Duke Hui turned to Ziri and said, "Sir, I have a favor to ask of you. I wonder if you can grant it to me."

Zi Ri bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be polite. Just tell me what you want to say."

My Lord, you also know that the Thirteenth Princess has a head disease, and it cannot be cured with the medical level of Yan State."

"I would like to ask you and Xiao Zhao to take the princess to Fugui City for treatment. What do you think?"