Home means different things to everyone.
It is a place where you can completely relax, without worrying about being rude or abrupt. There is tolerance, understanding, warm care, and people and things that you are willing to give everything for and protect.
Zhu Li was born in Xuzhou, but his current home is in Shuozhou.
It was almost noon, and a large group of people gathered in front of the governor's mansion in Shanyang. They whispered gently and talked cordially, but without exception, everyone would look in the direction of the south gate from time to time, with expectation, eagerness, and deep concern in their eyes.
At the south city gate, three or four horse-drawn carriages drove in one after another. In front of the carriages, several people holding the reins dismounted and walked.
The first person was wearing a black helmet and heavy armor, walking slowly on horseback. His pair of bright eyes would look around curiously from time to time. This person was none other than Zhu Li who had returned from a thousand miles away.
Shuozhou Shanyang, this originally inconspicuous place, is now Zhu Li’s lair.
It has been more than two years since I left here. I didn't expect Shanyang to have changed so much. The streets that were sparsely populated before are now crowded with people. Although it has not reached the level of bustling and crowded big cities, at least the flow of people here is very rare in this chaotic world.
There are shops lining both sides of the street, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining are endless. Everywhere is bustling and full of vitality.
When Zhu Li and his party's carriage passed by, the curious people just looked at them in surprise, and did not seem nervous or surprised.
From time to time, patrol guards maintaining order would pass by on the street, and curious children would inevitably chase and play with them until the leading fire chief or captain pretended to look vicious and glared at them. Then they would run away shouting. This harmonious scene made the breath of life more intense.
"General, Shuozhou is much more peaceful than the Central Plains." Liang Zun, who was walking beside Zhu Li with his horse, couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the atmosphere around him.
"Yes." Liu Zhijun quickly agreed, also sighing, "It seems that the people here are not aware of the chaos in the outside world."
Not only these two people, but also Shang Rang, Li Hanzhi, Yan Keqiu and others, also had expressions of deep emotion.
Who would have thought that Shuozhou, which has always been known as a bitter and cold place, would become such a peaceful and tranquil place.
Because it was between May and June, the busy farming season, as we walked along, we saw busy figures everywhere in the mountains and fields, crisscrossing the paths, and hearing the sounds of chickens and dogs, which was truly incredible.
Just when everyone was excited, a young general came running over. He was about twenty years old, with a slightly smoky complexion and was very strong. Before he came to Zhu Li, he shouted, "General, General, you are back. I am Shi Yan."
Shi Yan looked at Zhu Li with an excited expression. He would never forget the figure who held a sword across his chest and forced him to flee quickly. It has been a year since they parted at the Weishui Bridge, and he finally waited for Zhu Li to return.
"Hahaha, Shi Yan, how is everyone?" Zhu Li was very happy to see his former brother and laughed out loud.
"Okay, okay, all right. We're all waiting for you at the gate of the Governor's Mansion."
Hearing such hearty laughter, Shi Yan responded hurriedly.
"Well, are you all waiting for me? It seems we have to hurry. Shi Yan, please help me look after everyone. I'll go see Alang and Aniang first." Zhu Li also seemed extremely excited. Although his soul did not have much intersection with Zhu Chun and his wife, they were bound by blood after all. When he heard that his parents were waiting at the door, he couldn't help but get excited.
Whether in the past life or this life, the scene of children returning home and their parents eagerly waiting for them seems to remain unchanged.
At the gate of the governor's mansion, Zhu Chun and his wife were supporting a little kid who had just learned to walk. They were chatting with him incoherently and looking into the distance from time to time, their eyes filled with eager anticipation.
Next to them, a girl in her teens would take advantage of Zhu Chun and his wife not paying attention and reach out her hand from time to time to quickly pinch the little kid's face.
Whenever the little brat felt pain, he would look up at her with dissatisfaction, but the girl would pretend to look into the distance as if nothing had happened, making the little brat want to get angry but unable to, want to complain but having no evidence, and feeling very frustrated. This girl was Zhu Ning'er, the lively and cheerful little girl, who was finally back.
Around this family, Guo Qizuo, Guo Chongtao, Wang Yueyao and others all looked eager and waited eagerly.
Suddenly, a young general wearing a black helmet and heavy armor, very heroic, came running at a great speed, and shouted from a distance: "Alang, A Niang, Little Sister, haha, I'm back."
Hearing the voice, Zhu Chun's face was excited for a moment, but he quickly suppressed it, held his head high, and tried to pretend to be calm and said: "You bastard, you still remember to come back? Chang'an has been recovered a long time ago. What else is so important that you don't even want to be the governor?"
Obviously, Guo Qizuo and others did not tell Zhu Li's relatives that he was in danger and almost died. Until now, Zhu Chun and his wife, Zhu Ning'er and others still thought that Zhu Li was caught up in something in the south.
"If you talk less, you'll suffocate yourself. Dalang has returned safely, isn't this better than anything else?" Zheng glared at Zhu Chun unhappily and muttered in dissatisfaction.
Seeing Zhu Li's figure, everyone seemed to have agreed and breathed a long sigh of relief together, as if the huge stone hanging in their hearts had finally been removed, and the joy of meeting each other suddenly became much more harmonious.
"Brother, did you bring me a gift?" The little girl Zhu Ning'er was not as reserved as her parents. As soon as she saw her brother, she immediately ran up to him, shouting for a gift.
Zhu Li opened his arms, took her in his arms, and then lifted her up: "Haha, how could I forget this, it's all in the carriage at the back, you can choose it yourself when the time comes."
"Really? That's great." Zhu Ning'er was in mid-air, jumping for joy like a happy little swallow.
The little kid in the arms of Zhu Chun and his wife saw his sister being lifted into the air by the friendly man. A hint of longing appeared in his eyes. He looked at Zhu Li timidly, wanting to go forward, but was a little scared. He was hesitant and very eager, and his tender little face turned red.
Zheng looked at the little brat lovingly and said in a gentle voice, "Erlang, that's your elder brother. When you grow up, you must be like him and be a good governor. Look at how kind the folks in Shuozhou are to us."
The little brat fluttered his curious eyes, excited and confused. In his young heart, at least
The two words "good governor" and "kind" were planted.
Zhu Li didn't mind his sister Zhu Ning'er at all. He hung on his neck like a koala and carried her towards his parents. He immediately noticed the hesitant little kid.
Zhu Li saw a trace of desire in the other's dark and shiny eyes, as if he also wanted to hang on his neck like his sister, but the two were not familiar with each other, and now the little kid could only bite his index finger, smack his lips, and stare blankly.
That look of great longing was very adorable. Two caterpillars quickly crawled out of his nostrils. As Zhu Li stared at them, they seemed to be frightened and shrank back with a "swoosh".
"What is this?" Zhu Li seemed to understand something, but still looked at his parents in confusion.
"This is Erlang, your younger brother Zhu. Have you forgotten that when we were in the Fuping military camp, your mother was pregnant with this little bastard?" Zhu Chun looked at the little brat with eyes full of doting, but he said something that was not in his heart.
"How can you treat your son like this? If he is a little bastard, wouldn't you be an old bastard?" Zheng glared at her husband and retorted dissatisfiedly, choking Zhu Chun so much that his old face turned blue and he glared at Zheng fiercely.
"Hehe, big brother, look at Alang and Aniang, this is a sign that they are going to start quarreling again." Zhu Ning'er seemed to have long been accustomed to her parents' disagreements. Instead of comforting the two elders, she happily prepared to watch the fun.
Zhu Li could only smile bitterly at this but did not dare to join in. Zhu Li reached out and stroked Zhu's head. A warm feeling surged in his heart. This must be the feeling of blood being thicker than water.
After greeting his parents, Zhu Li looked at Guo Qizuo and said with a smile, "Sir, how are you these days?"
Guo Qizuo was still immersed in the harmonious atmosphere of Zhu Li's family. When he heard Zhu Li's question, he immediately bowed and said, "Thanks to you, envoy, everything is fine."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Now that the envoy has returned safely, it's even better."
"Haha, thank you sir, and Brother Chongtao." Zhu Li turned to Guo Chongtao gently and said with deep emotion, "Shuozhou can't do without Zhu Li, but it can't do without the two gentlemen."
"I am unworthy of this honor." Guo Qizuo bowed humbly.
Guo Chongtao also hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. If Shuozhou did not have you, there would be no us. If it were not for Generals Wu Dao, Gao Yuan, Huo Qing, Gao Su and others who swore to defend the pass to the death and prevented the Di people from advancing an inch for four years, there would not be the current peaceful and harmonious atmosphere."
"Have the Di people invaded recently?" Zhu Li's expression suddenly became a little heavy.
Upon hearing this, Guo Qizuo said calmly, "Your Excellency is worrying too much. They are all extortionists. Although they keep coming up, they have never succeeded once."
"So that's how it is. Thank you all for your hard work." Zhu Li bowed respectfully. He did it from the bottom of his heart. Whether it was for his own small family or for the greater Shuozhou, these people deserved his respect.
Zhu Li bowed profusely to express his gratitude. A group of Shuozhou officials, led by Guo Qizuo and Guo Chongtao, quickly made way for him, as no one was willing to receive such a courtesy.
In response, Zhu Li shook his head, somewhat helpless.
However, he did not force it. He then looked at Wang Yueyao and said apologetically, "I heard from Jing Ming that because of me, the caravan you organized could not leave the area controlled by the Shuozhou Army. I am very sorry that I could not fulfill my original promise."