Zhou Hongling's Sense of Crisis

Zhou Hongling sat in the main seat of the front hall. Although she was quite exhausted, her heart was filled with joy. Lu Yuan was truly capable; with such a man under her command, there was no need to worry about anything else.

First of all, her promotion was guaranteed.

Furthermore, she had made a name for herself under the Marquis of Nine Fortresses.

Among the nine fortress cities, her Ice Plain Fortress was the only one to have wiped out the Silver-Armed Iron Sparrowhawks.

Lu Yuan and his men had already received their rewards; could her own commendation be far behind?

Once she became the Guardian General of the Three Cities, her official rank would be Subordinate Fifth Rank, placing her firmly in the top tier even within the Zhou Family.

Her father, as the General of Yan Province, held a position only slightly higher than some inland provincial generals, yet he was still only Subordinate Fourth Rank.

Moreover, as long as Lu Yuan remained under her command, her merits would never be in short supply.

After all, every time he fought, she, as his superior, would receive a share of the credit.

Now, what she needed to consider was how to retain a talent like Lu Yuan and nurture him further.

If one day he truly became a famous general, the significance for the entire Zhou Family would be immense.

Her father had drunk quite a bit today, so she planned to discuss the matter with him first thing tomorrow morning.

Just then, Zhou Xiong walked in.

"Greetings, Captain."

His tower-like frame stood in place, the armor on his body emitting a dark, dull luster, giving him a certain air of authority.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Hongling took a sip of the hangover soup brought by a maid and asked, "Is something the matter? Why come so late?"

"My Lady, Zhou He reports that while he was drinking with Lu Yuan at the Spring Breeze Pavilion today, members of the Helian Clan came to recruit him. They offered a high price: a Mystic Tendon Fruit, control over an elite unit in Yellow Sand Fortress City, and a promise that Lu Yuan would be promoted to a chiliarch within a year."

The moment his words landed, half of Zhou Hongling's intoxication vanished.

She cursed the Helian Clan inwardly, while simultaneously realizing she had been careless to let them find such an opening.

She felt incredibly annoyed, but she managed to mask the expression on her face while sipping her tea.

Then, she said softly, "Oh? Such a thing happened? And what was Lu Yuan's response?"

When she asked this, Zhou Hongling felt a tightness in her chest, though her voice remained calm and indifferent.

"Lu Yuan refused quite decisively and returned all the gifts the Helian Clan had given him," Zhou Xiong replied truthfully.

Zhou Hongling let out a sigh of relief, though her appreciation for Lu Yuan grew even deeper.

Everyone loves a capable and loyal subordinate.

To be honest, with Lu Yuan's current achievements, he already had the ability to choose his own path.

Even the Zhou Family could no longer hide his brilliance.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Hongling said, "I am aware of this matter. Zhou He did well. His cultivation is at the Bone-Forging Realm now, right? When you return, see to it that he is rewarded with some items; the cost will come from my private treasury."

"Yes, My Lady," Zhou Xiong replied quickly, thinking to himself that his nephew was truly a lucky fool; following Lu Yuan in the future would surely bring endless benefits.

Then, as if remembering something, Zhou Hongling added, "The Spring Breeze Pavilion? If I recall correctly, that is a brothel in the city. Tell Zhou He that Lu Yuan is still young and in a critical period for cultivation; he should not be leading him astray. If I hear again that he has taken Lu Yuan to such a place, do not blame me for being unkind."

Her voice turned stern as she finished.

Upon receiving his orders, Zhou Xiong quickly replied, "Understood. I will discipline him when I return."

He couldn't help but wonder, however, how the Captain knew it was Zhou He who led the way, rather than Lu Yuan wanting to go himself.

But he dared not dwell on it and retreated.

Zhou Hongling was fully sober now. She decided she could wait no longer; she had to express the Zhou Family's intentions to Lu Yuan tomorrow, or who knew who else might set their sights on him.

Although she trusted Lu Yuan, the Zhou Family had to prepare in advance for such matters.

With this in mind, she thought for a moment before heading toward the courtyard where Zhou Ren resided.

Because her own resources were limited, only her father could provide the truly valuable items.

On the other side, Lu Yuan was unaware of all this and was already fast asleep.

The night passed without incident. He rose early the next morning, ate breakfast, and practiced until late morning.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhou He walked in with a swagger.

He was beaming with joy; just an hour ago, Zhou Xiong had found him and given him several bottles of Bone-Forging Pills, claiming they were a reward from the Captain.

He had also been instructed to tell Lu Yuan to visit the Captain's Mansion.

In his eyes, Lu Yuan was now his meal ticket.

"Why are you here looking for me at this hour?" Lu Yuan stopped his training after seeing him enter and picked up a towel to wipe his body.

"Tsk tsk, My Lord, even I find this physique of yours enviable. I wonder which lucky girl will end up with you; she'll certainly be living in luxury," Zhou He said, resting his chin on his hand with a frivolous tone.

At this moment, he was the only one who dared to tease Lu Yuan.

"Speak your mind or get lost. If you have nothing better to do, I'm going back to my training," Lu Yuan glanced at Zhou He, his tone unfriendly.

"Hey, don't be like that. I came to find you because there's good news. The Captain wants to see you. I reckon you're getting rewarded again; you really made a name for yourself this time," Zhou He said, leaning in.

Lu Yuan's expression turned serious as he threw on his clothes. "Then I'll head over right now."

He fastened his clothes and prepared to leave.

Zhou He trotted along behind him; although he couldn't enter the Captain's Mansion, he still wanted to know what kind of benefits Lu Yuan would receive.

After all, he felt that if the Zhou Family didn't provide something substantial, it really wouldn't be justifiable.

When they arrived outside the Captain's Mansion, Lu Yuan walked straight in, as the guards had been instructed by Zhou Hongling that Lu Yuan no longer needed to be announced and could enter directly.

When he entered the study, Zhou Hongling was reading a book.

Today, she was wearing a red silk dress underneath, lined with a black, form-fitting soft armor. Since she had seen the Marquis off early in the morning, she was dressed quite formally.

However, it only made her look even more heroic and spirited, especially her curvaceous figure, which even the armor couldn't conceal.

Seeing Lu Yuan enter, Zhou Hongling smiled and set down the scroll in her hand. "Sit down and let's talk. The other officials have all left today, so it's just us. I'll treat you to lunch."

This morning, Hong Cheng had publicly announced his intention to appoint her as the Guardian General of the Three Cities, with her base remaining in Ice Plain City. She would be re-establishing her headquarters, and the official appointment letter was expected to arrive within the next few days.

Because of this, she was in a very good mood.

When her gaze turned to Lu Yuan, the admiration in her eyes could not be hidden.

"Yes, My Lady."

Now, Lu Yuan was no longer as reserved and sat down immediately.

Zhou Hongling then said, "The rewards from the imperial court and the Marquis for this expedition have arrived. Now, let's discuss my arrangements for you."

The next moment, Lu Yuan's expression became solemn; he was also curious about how the Zhou Family would arrange his future.