Chapter 548 - 299: Moving the Whole Family to the Imperial City (Part 2)

"Whoa! An important official from the Imperial City!"

The guard didn't dare delay for a second and rushed into the Lu Mansion to report the matter.

When Lu Yuan heard that soldiers under his command had arrived, he had the Mansion Gate guards welcome them inside.

Upon reaching the entrance to the main hall, the soldiers voluntarily placed their waist-worn swords and other weapons by the door.

The soldiers walked into the hall and saw Lu Yuan sitting upright on a chair in the center.

All the soldiers fell to their knees in unison and shouted, "The Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army greets the Commander-in-Chief!"

Lu Yuan raised a hand politely. "There's no need for such formalities, everyone. Please, rise."

The soldiers stood in the middle of the hall.

Lu Yuan gestured. "Please, be seated."

The soldiers hesitated for a moment before obeying the Commander-in-Chief's order and sitting down.

Lu Yuan looked at Li Shun, the Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army, and asked, "Is there some urgent matter? Why have you come looking for me?"

The first thing that came to Lu Yuan's mind was the Emperor's order for the various Princes to send half their forces east across the sea to suppress the wokou pirates.

'Could it be that the Emperor wants me to lead the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion to sea for battle as well?'

Li Shun, the Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army, said, "Commander-in-Chief, sir, the Ministry of War has issued a transfer order. You are requested to return to the Imperial City to assume garrison duty."

All troop movements required the Emperor's permission. In other words, this was not just an order from the Ministry of War, but an imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor himself.

Lu Yuan asked, "Garrison duty? For how long?"

The Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army, Li Shun, replied, "Sir, according to the Ministry of War, it will likely be for several years."

Lu Yuan pinched his fingers on his right hand to perform a quick calculation. Based on the star chart in his mind, he deduced the Emperor's reason for this.

Emperor Gu Yuanzhang was preparing for a protracted war.

To prevent enemy spies from infiltrating the Imperial City, he had urgently recalled Lu Yuan to lead the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion in defending the city's key locations.

It was impossible for a large enemy force to enter the heart of the Empire, but small groups of infiltrators were still a possibility.

Besides, this was a world where the strong triumphed over the weak, not where the many triumphed over the few.

An army of thousands, or even tens of thousands, could be nothing more than cannon fodder before a dozen Da Xingzi with over a millennium of cultivation.

The Emperor summoning Lu Yuan back to the Imperial City showed just how much Emperor Gu Yuanzhang trusted him and recognized his strength.

Of course, troop transfers and garrison rotations in the Imperial City were also common occurrences.

"Commander-in-Chief, sir? Commander-in-Chief, sir?" Li Shun, the Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army, called out softly.

Li Shun thought Lu Yuan had zoned out and was lost in thought.

Lu Yuan had been in the middle of performing his Divination Calculation Skill, but he was interrupted by Li Shun, the Commander of the Left Guard of the Mansion Army.

Whenever Lu Yuan tried to divine the fate of the Royal Family or the Empire, his Divination Calculation Skill always became difficult to continue.

Perhaps the repercussions were too profound, the matters too great.

For Lu Yuan, using the Divination Calculation Skill was not always effective.

Lu Yuan showed no hint of blame on his face for Li Shun's unintentional interruption.

"Alright. I will make some preparations, and then I'll head to the Imperial City," Lu Yuan said.

Lu Yuan looked at the travel-worn soldiers before him, their Battle Armor covered in dust, and said:

"You've had a long and exhausting journey. Rest for a while. I'll have the kitchen bring you some hot food."

The soldiers all stood and cupped their fists. "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief, sir."

The soldiers of the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion respected Lu Yuan from the bottom of their hearts.

During the case of Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, no innocent soldiers from the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion were implicated.

This made all the soldiers feel a deep sense of gratitude toward Lu Yuan, and they were willing to charge into battle for him.

Over the next few days, Lu Yuan informed Su Liyan and the others about his impending move to the Imperial City.

Lu Yuan discussed it with his women. This trip to the Imperial City would last at least a year or two, and at most three to five years.

Being separated for such a long time was no small matter.

Even if Lu Yuan found time to return to Taiping City, it would only be for a few short days.

Then he would have to go back to the Imperial City to command the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion and defend the capital.

Zhao Qiao'Er and Song Meiqin had the strongest reactions. Lu Yuan had often traveled, but he rarely took his two "aunties" with him.

During Lu Yuan's time away, the two aunties had been utterly starved.

That's just how it is. Once you get a taste of something sweet, you never want to go back to the bitter.

The two aunties thought about Lu Yuan day and night, constantly longing for his precious treasure.

'How should I put this?'

If they went three days without a good "clearing of the pipes," so to speak, they'd feel uncomfortable all over.

Zhao Qiao'Er swayed her wide hips, looking extremely displeased. "No matter what, you have to take the two of us sisters this time."

Even Song Meiqin, who was usually so docile, chimed in forcefully, "That's right! Nephew, the two of us are going to the Imperial City this time, too."

Of course, the two aunties weren't coveting the splendor of the Imperial City.

Taiping City was in no way inferior to the Imperial City.

The Imperial City didn't have a whole series of modern facilities and buildings like the Entertainment Commercial Street.

Even in Taiping City, they could live a rich and comfortable life, with everything they could possibly want.

There was simply no need to go live in a big city like the Imperial City.

Hearing the two aunties, Su Liyan also felt it was a bit unfair to them.

Gu Ziye leaned against the wall and said, "Yuan~ The mansion in the Imperial City is huge. There's no problem with all of us moving there!"

When Zhao Qiao'Er heard this, she was overjoyed. She swayed over to Gu Ziye.

Zhao Qiao'Er took Gu Ziye's face in her hands and planted two loud kisses on her cheeks. SMACK! SMACK!

"Yue'Er, you're such a dear!"

This maneuver from Zhao Qiao'Er completely flustered Gu Ziye.

Gu Ziye even forgot to wipe the red lipstick marks from her face.

Since everyone had decided to go to the Imperial City together, Lu Yuan made the final decision. "In three days, the entire family will move to the Imperial City."

Those three days truly kept the old steward of the Lu Mansion busy.

The Lu Mansion's old steward was the former steward of the Zhao Mansion. The old man was still hale and hearty.

The old steward managed the Lu Mansion in perfect order. Lu Yuan and Zhao Qiao'Er both felt at ease leaving it to him.

Lu Yuan took his wife, Su Liyan, to the Su Mansion in the city.

He informed Su Liyan's mother, Xiaoqian, and the others about moving to the Imperial City for a while.

Ever since the incident with the Striped Snake possession, Su Changliang had begun to diligently cultivate his Technique.

Su Changliang had just finished cultivating his Technique and had gone to the County Yamen, so he wasn't at the Su Mansion at the moment.

Although Su Liyan's mother was reluctant to see them go, she couldn't accompany them.

Xiaoqian was due to give birth in a little over half a month, a time when she would really need people around.

Su Liyan said, "Mother, you should stay at the Su Mansion and take good care of my sister-in-law."

Su Liyan took Xiaoqian's hand. "If Changliang bullies you, you must call and tell me."

"Don't worry, Sister, my husband treats me very well, and I'll take good care of myself," Xiaoqian said, feeling a bit sad to see them go.

She had enjoyed this family bond for less than a year, and now she had to part with Su Liyan and the others. It was hard not to feel sorrowful.

Zhao Qiao'Er practically emptied the Lu Mansion, loading up more than ten small carts and another seven or eight horse-drawn carriages.

Lu Yuan entrusted the management of the Lu Mansion to the old steward and handed over the factories in Taiping City to Su Liyan's mother.

Ever since Su Liyan's mother had taken over management of the Entertainment Commercial Street, her "professional manager" skills had gradually been unearthed.

With Song Meiqin accompanying Lu Yuan to the Imperial City, the factories could only be left in the care of Su Liyan's mother.

Once Xiaoqian had her baby, Lu Yuan's mother-in-law would have her hands full and definitely wouldn't be able to look after the factories and the Entertainment Commercial Street.

Fortunately, Lu Yuan had also trained a group of mid-level managers who could ensure the normal operation of the factories and the Entertainment Commercial Street.

Lu Yuan gave full command of the several hundred Mansion Guards in the Martial Hall to the first squad's captain, Fifth Brother Liu.

Fifth Brother Liu was an honest and straightforward man, and well-liked by others.

Lu Yuan hadn't misjudged him. He trusted Fifth Brother Liu completely and even left him five cell phones.

Once everything was packed and ready, Lu Yuan and his party set off for the Imperial City in their carriages.

Along the way, to protect his daughter, Lu Huanqiao, and his son, Lu Zhishen, from the jolting of the road and the cold, Lu Yuan specially crafted two small contraptions resembling independent cabins.

The children could sit inside without feeling any bumps, and the cabins were also insulated for warmth.

On the road, Zhao Qiao'Er stared at Lu Yuan's lower body and said with a wicked grin, "My darling, I've heard of 'rocking the carriage' before!"