Chapter 252: Chapter 171: A Glorious Return

The Helian Family, standing before them, had only pledged allegiance to Great Qin because of Lu Yuan.

So naturally, they were treated differently.

Likewise, when Patriarch Helian heard Manliang so amicably trying to build a rapport with him, he knew in his heart that his gamble had paid off.

’An Earth Immortal! In the past, if I wanted an audience, I probably wouldn’t have even been able to get past his front gate.’

Now, Manliang was even telling him they would be like one big family in the future.

’It really is all thanks to Lu Yuan,’ Helian Shang thought. ’He can make a name for himself no matter where he goes.’

However, despite Manliang’s courtesy, they certainly didn’t dare treat him like an ordinary person.

In the time that followed, they were exceptionally cooperative.

Meanwhile, after many days of deploying the army, Lu Yuan finally arrived in Yan Province, on the street outside the Zhou Mansion.

The street had been completely cordoned off for the day.

Both sides were lined with the Zhou Family’s most elite Personal Guard and Beast Riders.

Accompanied by Zhou Ren and Zhou Hongling, Lu Yuan rode his warhorse at a slow pace.

He vividly remembered the last time he came here.

He never imagined that just a few years later, he would return to the Zhou Family in such a high-profile manner.

At this moment, all the members of the Zhou Family had come out and were waiting outside the main gate for the arrival of the legendary Prince Qin.

Zhou Hongling’s fourth aunt had just returned with her daughter.

Not long ago, Hong Xiu had married a Captain from Jizhou. Now, with Jizhou occupied by Great Qin...

...Hong Xiu’s husband no longer dared to assume his post.

After hearing that the current Prince Qin had some connection to the Zhou Family, he had urged his wife, who had just given birth, and his mother-in-law to come back and plead his case. He wanted to see if he could continue to get by in the army. Even if that wasn’t possible...

...he would be content just to keep his life. Back then, the Border Army had scattered and fled home at the first sight of the Great Qin army.

But Hong Xiu’s husband was genuinely terrified of belated retribution.

After all, his family was a clan of some note in Jizhou.

As long as someone made inquiries, he wouldn’t be hard to find.

Zhou Hongling’s fourth aunt, from the Wang Clan, looked at her daughter Hong Xiu and asked, "Have you found anything out? When is Prince Qin arriving? What exactly is our Zhou Family’s relationship with this Prince?"

This woman from the Wang Clan had lost her husband early in life and now relied entirely on her daughter. If something were to happen to her son-in-law, the two of them would be truly finished.

She never would have thought that after all her careful deliberation back then, she still couldn’t outmaneuver fate.

He was a perfectly good Captain, but now with all this chaos, he could no longer hold his post.

It was enough to worry a person to death.

Her son-in-law’s training cost a large amount of silver every month. If he couldn’t go out and hold a position, it wouldn’t be long before they’d eaten through all their savings.

"How would I know? It’s been almost two years since I’ve been back to the family," Hong Xiu told her mother. "Let’s just wait and see. In any case, he’s definitely coming today. You’d better speak nicely with the Patriarch later. Don’t throw a tantrum like you did in the past. If you anger him, our family is done for."

"What are you talking about? The only reason I threw a tantrum back then was because I was afraid you’d marry Lu Yuan. Now that we’re the ones asking for a favor, how could I possibly act recklessly?" the woman from the Wang Clan said in a hushed voice.

Clearly, having spent all these years with her daughter in Jizhou, sequestered from the world, the two of them had no idea that Lu Yuan was Prince Qin. Otherwise, they would not be nearly so composed right now.

And just as the two of them were speaking...

...they saw a procession slowly approaching.

At the head of the procession was a young, powerfully built man with rugged features. He wore a Python Robe and exuded an air of nobility.

Patriarch Zhou and Zhou Hongling personally escorted him, one on each side.

Voices immediately rose up around them.

"Prince Qin is here! Did you see? It’s that young man in the middle. I even poured wine for him when he was a guest at our home years ago. I could tell he was no ordinary person even back then. And look now, right? Made a Prince at such a young age. Imagine what he’ll be in the future!"

"I heard that the Eldest Miss once tried to play matchmaker for Hong Xiu from the fourth branch, wanting her to marry Prince Qin. But Hong Xiu stubbornly refused, and her mother even went and raised hell in the Patriarch’s courtyard to get out of the engagement."

...

A chaotic buzz of voices rose from the crowd.

The woman from the Wang Clan and Hong Xiu felt a buzzing sound fill their heads.

The former, in particular, felt her legs grow weak.

She never, ever could have imagined that Lu Yuan had become Prince Qin.

’This... This is honestly worse than death.’

Hong Xiu fared slightly better. After all, she was already married. Her relationship with her husband wasn’t particularly good, but it wasn’t bad either.

In this situation, she could still grit her teeth and bear it.

Just as the two stood there, at a complete loss, Lu Yuan’s warhorse came to a gentle stop.

He, for his part, had no strong impression of Hong Xiu or her mother.

The moment he dismounted, the members of the Zhou Family bowed low. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Lu Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony with the others, calmly accepting their salutations.

Then he said, "All of you, rise."

After speaking, he turned his head to Xiao Xiong at his side. "I used to come to this old Zhou Family residence quite often. Their chef is excellent. We should have a few extra cups of wine this afternoon."

"Heh, if Your Highness says so, then it must be good."

With that, he followed Lu Yuan into the mansion.

Besides Xiao Xiong, there was also Xiao Ku, eight Venerable Vajras, and a number of Great Qin’s imperial family members.

One could say that this visit alone was enough to solidify the Zhou Family’s position in Great Qin.

From now on, it was unlikely anyone would dare to provoke them.

The excitement in Zhou Ren’s eyes was impossible to conceal.

He would never have dared to even imagine such a grand display back in Dayong.

It was safe to say that every single person who entered the mansion today was someone who, in the past, had been completely beyond his reach.

But now, these people were all being polite to him—so polite, in fact, that it was almost frightening.

A banquet had already been laid out in the mansion’s main hall, and members from all the various branches of the Zhou Family had taken their seats.

This was Lu Yuan’s doing; he clearly wanted to introduce the Zhou Family to the upper echelons of Great Qin.

The signal was clear: he was elevating the Zhou Family.

Years ago, if it weren’t for the Zhou Family, he wouldn’t have gotten to where he was today.

Now, the reward had come, and it was both swift and powerful.

Sitting at his table, Zhou Ming now realized just how wise his older brother’s decision had been.

He was truly lacking in comparison.

Just as everyone was seated, Xiao Xiong stood up and produced a Holy Decree. The Xiao Clan had it drafted and sent over two days prior.

The moment the Holy Decree was brought out...

SHUFFLE!

...everyone at the banquet knelt to the floor, except for Lu Yuan, who simply rose to his feet.

"Zhou Hongling, a woman whose abilities rival any man’s, has earned Our deep favor. For her meritorious service in surrendering the city, she is hereby enfeoffed as Princess Yanyun, and awarded one Princess’s Mansion within the Imperial City, ten farming estates, five pastures, and ten chests of Treasure Pearls."

"The Patriarch of the Zhou Family, General of Yan Province Zhou Ren, is hereby enfeoffed as the Duke of Yan, with the additional appointment of Junior Third Grade General of the South, commanding all military forces throughout Yan Province."

"Zhou Ming of the Zhou Family is hereby enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huqiu, with the additional appointment of Junior Fourth Grade General of Yan Province."

...

Once the series of enfeoffments was complete, the Zhou Family had officially entered the upper echelons of Great Qin. This was not only because of their merit in surrendering the city but, more importantly, because of Lu Yuan.

The Xiao Clan was clearly using Lu Yuan’s recent accomplishments as a natural opportunity to add to his political capital, paving the way for his future.

After all, even though Lu Yuan had been entered into the imperial family’s genealogical records, he was not a Xiao by blood.

He did not share the Xiao Clan’s bloodline.

To climb even higher, he would need enough power to silence any and all dissenters.

The imperial court was never short on the corrupt and the obstinate.

Upon receiving the decree, the members of the Zhou Family immediately exclaimed, "We thank His Majesty for this heavenly grace!"

Zhou Ren was ecstatic. He had become a duke in the blink of an eye. Although he couldn’t compare to the likes of Wu Han...

...he was already more than satisfied. In the past, he wouldn’t have even dared to dream of it.

Most importantly, his daughter had been made a princess.

From this day forward, the Zhou Family had well and truly risen.

Standing to the side, Lu Yuan was deeply moved. He knew what the Xiao Clan was thinking.

He knew they were aware of Zhou Hongling’s existence, yet the Xiao Clan had made no issue of it.

’To go this far for my sake... they’re truly treating me as their own son and heir.’

After the thanks were given.

Zhou Ren ordered an incense table to be set up so the Holy Decree could be properly framed, and then the banquet began.

The woman from the Wang Clan, seated further down, hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth. She pulled her daughter along and started walking toward Zhou Ren.

After all, this concerned her son-in-law’s life and death. She was determined to state her case in front of Lu Yuan.

As long as he spoke up for them, there wouldn’t be any problem.

Meanwhile, far away in Yunzhou, a bleak gloom had descended upon the Zhang Family.

Prince Polu was now being impeached daily for having backed the wrong side by supporting the Crown Prince. Even his notoriously arrogant "Zhi Girl" was hiding at home, too afraid to step outside.

Zhang Zhe had simply fled back to Yunzhou to hide.

Zhang Hong and Zhang He were faring even worse. Because of Zhang Zhe, they were branded as ironclad supporters of the Crown Prince.

Now, they had been completely stripped of their duties and were under investigation at home.

The Brocade Robe Envoys came around eight times a day; Zhang Hong hadn’t been able to even step out of his mansion for days.

Their current situation was miserable.

In the sitting room, Zhang Hong licked his chapped lips and looked at a disciple who had just returned from gathering information. "Did you find out the details of what’s happening at the Northern Border? Quick, tell me."

His voice was tinged with urgency, and the gazes of Zhang He and the others immediately shot over as well.

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