Starting from the border troops, I've worked my way up to become a Martial Emperor.

Chapter 50 Zhou Hongling's Sense of Crisis

Zhou Hongling sat in the main seat in the front hall. Although she was quite tired, she was very happy. Lu Yuan was really great. With someone like him under her command, there was no need to say anything else.

First of all, there's no problem with my own promotion.

One of them was that he gained prominence under the command of the Marquis of Jiu Sai.

Of the nine fortified cities, only the Icefield Fortress could annihilate the Silver-Armed Iron Falcon.

Lu Yuan and the others have already received their rewards; how far away is our own praise?

Once she becomes the garrison commander of the three cities, her official rank will be fifth grade, making her a top-tier figure even within the Zhou family.

His father, as the General of Yanzhou, held a slightly higher position than some generals in the interior, but he was only a fourth-rank official.

Moreover, as long as Lu Yuan is under her command, her contributions will definitely not be lacking in the future.

After all, as the superior, he would receive a reward for every battle the enemy fought.

Now, she needs to consider how to retain Lu Yuanzhe, this talented individual, and nurture him.

If one day the other party becomes a famous general, it will have a very different meaning for the entire Zhou family.

Her father drank quite a bit today, and she plans to discuss it with him first thing tomorrow morning.

Just then, Zhou Xiong walked in.

"Greetings, Captain."

His towering figure stood still, his armor gleaming with a dark luster, exuding a certain imposing aura.

As soon as the words were spoken...

Zhou Hongling took a sip of the hangover soup brought by the maid and said, "Is there something you need? Why are you here so late?"

"My lord, Zhou He reports that today, while he and Lu Yuan were drinking at Chunfeng Tower, people from the Helian family came to recruit them. They offered a very high price: a Xuanjin Fruit, control of an elite force in Huangsha Saicheng, and the Helian family also promised to promote Lu Yuan to the rank of centurion within a year."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Hongling's drunkenness dissipated by half.

He cursed the Helian family inwardly, but also realized that he had been careless and had allowed them to take advantage of his weakness.

I couldn't help but feel extremely annoyed.

But the expression on his face was subtly concealed while he drank his tea.

Then she said softly, "Oh? Is that so? What does Lu Yuan mean by that?"

When asked this question, Zhou Hongling felt a pang of anxiety, but her voice remained calm and composed.

"Lu Yuan refused decisively and returned all the gifts given by the Helian family," Zhou Xiong said truthfully.

Zhou Hongling breathed a sigh of relief, but she admired Lu Yuan even more.

Everyone likes a capable and loyal subordinate.

To be honest, with Lu Yuan's current achievements, he already has the ability to make his own choices.

Even the Zhou family could not overshadow the other party's brilliance.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Hongling said, "I know about this matter. Zhou He did a good job. His cultivation is now at the Bone Forging Realm, right? When you go back, give him some rewards. The expenses will come from my private treasury."

"Yes, sir," Zhou Xiong replied hastily, while inwardly marveling at how lucky his nephew was. He figured that following Lu Yuan would bring him no shortage of benefits.

Then, as if she had thought of something, Zhou Hongling continued, "Spring Breeze Pavilion? If I remember correctly, it's a brothel in the city. Tell Zhou He that Lu Yuan is still young and needs to cultivate properly. Don't let him cause trouble."

If I find out he took Lu Yuan to a place like that again, don't blame me for being ruthless.

After he finished speaking, his voice became serious.

After receiving the reply, Zhou Xiong quickly said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll deal with him when I get back."

However, he couldn't help but wonder how the adults knew that Zhou He had taken them there, and not that Lu Yuan wanted to go on his own.

But I didn't dare to think too much about it, and then I retreated.

Zhou Hongling had sobered up by now, and she decided she couldn't wait any longer. She had to convey the Zhou family's intentions to Lu Yuan tomorrow, otherwise who knew who else might be eyeing the other party.

Although she trusted Lu Yuan, the Zhou family had to make preparations in advance for this kind of thing.

After thinking about this for a moment, he headed toward the courtyard where Zhou Ren was.

Because he had limited resources, only his father could provide truly good things.

......

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan was unaware of all this; he was already fast asleep.

Nothing happened that night. The next day, I got up very early, ate breakfast, and practiced my cultivation until the morning.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Zhou He walked in casually.

His face was beaming with joy. Just an hour earlier, Zhou Xiong had found him and given him several bottles of Bone Forging Pills, saying they were a reward from the Captain.

Furthermore, he was tasked with informing Lu Yuan to go to the Commandant's residence.

In his eyes now, Lu Yuan is his benefactor.

"What do you want from me at this hour?" Lu Yuan stopped cultivating as soon as he saw him come in and picked up a towel to wipe his body.

"Tsk tsk, sir, I like your figure. I wonder which lucky girl will be able to follow you in the future. She'll be living the good life then." Zhou He said somewhat irreverently, resting his chin on his hand.

Now, he's the only one who dares to chat with Lu Yuan.

"Speak your mind, or shut up. If you have nothing better to do, I'll just keep practicing." Lu Yuan glanced at Zhou He, his tone unfriendly.

"Hey, don't be angry. I've come to see you because of something good. The captain wants you to come over, and I reckon he's going to reward you again. You've really made a name for yourself this time," Zhou He said, leaning closer.

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

I fastened my clothes and got ready to go out.

Zhou He followed eagerly behind. Although he couldn't enter the Captain's Mansion, he still wanted to know what benefits Lu Yuan could get.

After all, he felt it wouldn't be right if his family didn't give him something substantial.

When Lu Yuan arrived at the Captain's residence, he went straight in. The guards had told him that Zhou Hongling had instructed him not to announce his arrival and to simply walk in.

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

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

However, she also appeared even more dashing, especially her voluptuous figure, which even armor could not conceal.

Seeing Lu Yuan enter, Zhou Hongling smiled and put down the book in her hand, saying, "Sit down and let's talk. All the officials have left today, so it's just the few of us left. I'll treat you to lunch."

This morning, Hongcheng publicly announced that she would be appointed as the garrison commander of the three cities, with her residence still in Bingyuan City, and her government office reopened. The appointment letter is expected to be issued in the next few days.

Therefore, I'm in a good mood.

When her gaze turned to Lu Yuan, the admiration in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"Yes, sir."

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

Then, Zhou Hongling said, "The rewards from the court and the Marquis for this trip out of the city have been received. Now let me tell you about my arrangements for you."

The next moment, Lu Yuan's expression became serious. He was also curious about how the Zhou family would arrange things for him next.