After a male student transmigrated into the body of a widow,

Chapter 214 Rong Family Ancestral Hall

The next day.

Zheng Hao returned from the military camp in the suburbs. He knew what had happened yesterday, and he was sure that Uncle Gu had many questions. After arriving home, he went straight to Uncle Gu's yard without even changing his clothes.

Gu Lin was having breakfast when he saw him walk in from outside. He wasn't surprised and told the servants to bring him another set of bowls and chopsticks. The young prefect saw that he had almost finished eating and said as he came in, "No need, you may leave."

The servants did not leave immediately; they looked up at their husband and waited for his signal before leaving.

After finishing the last piece of pastry, Gu Lin saw the young man walk over and sit down beside him. He looked at the man with a puzzled expression and asked, "You ate breakfast outside before coming back?"

"Not yet."

Zheng Hao reached out and took the bowl and chopsticks from the young man's side, his expression unchanged: "Uncle Gu doesn't need breakfast, so it's perfect for me to use."

Gu Lin paused, looked up at the other person eating with the same bowl and chopsticks he had used, and still felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn't that he disliked the other person, but he felt that it was unhygienic for the other person to use the same bowl and chopsticks after he had used them. He was about to speak when the other person's words diverted his attention.

"Did Da Zhuo tell Uncle Gu everything about Gu An's family reunion?"

After swallowing the steamed pork dumplings that the young man had specially instructed the kitchen to make, Zheng Hao turned to look at the other man.

Gu Lin nodded slightly, then said, "You didn't come back last night, and Da Zhuo doesn't know much about it. I can't press you, Gu An. Tell me what happened."

The young man's brows furrowed with worry, unlike his composed demeanor in front of Gu An.

He pursed his lips and asked, "Does the other party want Gu An back?"

Only those who raise their own children truly know how much they love them. Seeing Gu An's troubled expression yesterday, Gu Lin didn't sleep well all night.

Seeing Uncle Gu's worry, Zheng Hao reached out and grasped his hand. Gu Lin looked up at him, his light brown eyes focused and filled with a deep question.

Zheng Hao comforted him, "Uncle Gu, don't worry. As long as Gu An doesn't want to go back, no one can force him."

Upon hearing this, Gu Lin relaxed slightly. Then, Zheng Hao recounted in detail how the Marquis of Zhenbei recognized Gu An yesterday. After listening, a look of bewilderment crossed Gu Lin's face.

Zheng Hao: "All the previous Marquises of Zhenbei took it as their duty to guard the border and resist the northern barbarians. Originally, the Marquis of Zhenbei had a son, who unfortunately died more than ten years ago, and then became a lonely man. It was a coincidence that he met Gu An again yesterday and recognized him as his long-lost grandson."

Gu Lin was initially worried that Gu An's relatives might forcibly take him away, but now, after hearing Zheng Hao's story about the Marquis of Zhenbei, he couldn't help but feel pity for him. The iron-blooded general who had spent half his life on the battlefield lost his son, daughter-in-law, and wife in his prime, and his grandson had been missing for many years. He finally found his grandson in his old age, but his grandson was not familiar with him.

Gu Lin lowered his eyes, suppressing his inner turmoil, and said, "Let Xiao An choose for herself."

Deep down, Gu Lin didn't want Gu An to leave them, but Gu An was the only family member left for the Marquis of Zhenbei. He couldn't be so selfish as to force Gu An to stay.

Zheng Hao didn't say much, but tightened his grip on Qing Ge'er's hand.

With his dark eyes half-closed, he silently apologized to Uncle Gu.

From the first day he met the Marquis of Zhenbei, the young man noticed a resemblance between Gu An and the other man. Zheng Hao, a man of deep thoughts, preferred to kill a hundred innocent people rather than let one guilty person go free. He sent people to search for information about the Marquis of Zhenbei's relatives. Unexpectedly, he learned that the Marquis of Zhenbei's wife had already passed away and his only grandson had been missing for many years. Zheng Hao ordered a thorough investigation, and after several months, it was confirmed that Gu An was indeed the Marquis of Zhenbei's grandson.

Later, when the Marquis of Zhenbei intended to delegate authority to him, Zheng Hao did not immediately arrange for Gu An to be placed in front of him. In order not to appear deliberate, he gradually allowed Gu An to go to the military camp to observe military affairs every once in a while.

There are many trusted veterans in the Zhenbei Army who follow the Marquis of Zhenbei. If they pay attention, they will definitely notice that Gu An is different. He also calculated the time when the Marquis of Zhenbei inspected the military camp and created an opportunity for him to meet Gu An.

Everything proceeded according to Zheng Hao's plan.

Given his cautious nature, he wouldn't have pushed Gu An forward so soon after his relationship with the Marquis of Zhenbei had eased slightly, as that would have easily aroused the Marquis's suspicion.

but……

The young military supervisor lowered his eyes and his gaze deepened. The Great Qian Dynasty was already on the verge of collapse, and he had long harbored rebellious intentions, eyeing the Zhenbei Army with covetous intent. The Marquis of Zhenbei was extremely honest and loyal, unlike other generals who could gain the support of their opponents by offering them great benefits. The Marquis of Zhenbei was not loyal to the emperor but to the people of the Great Qian Dynasty, and would not easily agree to a rebellion that would cause suffering to the people. Gu An was the best breakthrough point to shake the Marquis of Zhenbei.

The young military supervisor had a clear sense of justice when he acted. He would never tell Uncle Gu about this matter. If Uncle Gu knew that he had used Gu An to seize the Zhenbei Army, he would be furious and look at him with disappointment.

Zheng Hao couldn't accept it.

After comforting the young man, Zheng Hao went to his study to work.

A moment later, someone outside announced that someone was coming in, and Zheng Hao told them to come in.

The study door was pushed open, and Gu An walked in from outside.

Perhaps because he hadn't slept well last night, there were dark circles under his eyes. Gu An walked step by step toward the desk, and finally stopped and stood still.

Zheng Hao looked up at him and asked in a calm tone, "Have you figured it out?"

He seemed not to think the boy had any other answer, and even if he did, he wouldn't allow it.

Apart from Gu Lin, no one could make him back down.

Gu An didn't answer. He looked down at the other person and asked after a moment, "Did you plan this all along?"

After a day and a night of contemplation, Gu An, who had fully inherited Zheng Hao's teachings, finally realized something was amiss.

What a coincidence.

In the past, when he arrived at the government office or military camp, the other party would personally instruct him on what to do, and even if the other party was not present, he would be asked to wait for a while.

That day, the young military supervisor asked Da Zhuo to take him to his office first.

Although Gu An didn't say it explicitly, Zheng Hao knew what the other party wanted to ask.

He didn't hide anything: "Yes."

Gu An stood with his back to the door, his expression inscrutable, half in light and half in darkness.

Since Gu An turned ten, Zheng Hao had never regarded him as a child. He said in a calm tone, "The situation in Daqian has been unstable for a long time. Half a month ago, Emperor Jian'an fell into a coma at court and has been bedridden ever since. Who knows how much longer he has to live? Once Emperor Jian'an is gone, various places will establish their own independent regimes. If we want to survive in this chaotic world, the only way is to seize power."

It was rare for Zheng Hao to speak at such a long length. Gu An's expression changed upon hearing this. He was not an ordinary scholar who only knew book knowledge. His horizons and insights had been cultivated by Zheng Hao little by little, so he naturally knew that after Emperor Jian'an passed away, Zheng Hao, as a prefect of a region, would inevitably become a victim of other forces, as he had no troops.

After a long while, Gu An raised his eyes and looked at Zheng Hao behind the desk, saying, "I will recognize the Marquis of Zhenbei."

After deep thought last night and with Uncle Gu's advice, Gu An, though not entirely clear on the matter, knew how to resolve it.

No one can change the fact that he is the grandson of the Marquis of Zhenbei; it's not something he can simply deny. Besides...

Gu An learned from Da Zhuo that his biological parents had died at the hands of the Northern Barbarians more than ten years ago while protecting him. Only the Marquis of Zhenbei remained in the Rong family. In the past ten years, the Marquis of Zhenbei had not only had to resist foreign enemies, but had also never given up searching for him.

Gu An spoke, his tone slightly serious: "Even after I acknowledge my kinship, I will still take care of Uncle Gu in his old age and see him off in his final days."

Ah.

Zheng Hao, who had been expressionless and speaking indifferently, sneered silently. He raised his eyes slightly and looked at the boy standing in front of the table: "It's not your place to arrange these things."

Then, Zheng Hao said, "Since you've made a decision, just do it."

Gu An left the study.

Then, he rode out of the city to the Zhenbei Army camp in the suburbs.

Upon arriving at the Zhenbei Army camp, he suddenly remembered that he could not enter without a token. Just as he was about to turn back to the city to retrieve the token from the young military supervisor, the guards saw him and stepped forward to salute, saying, "The Marquis has decreed that you may enter the camp without a token in the future."

Gu An tightened his grip on the reins, immediately recalling the army's evaluation of the Marquis of Zhenbei: fair, selfless, and with strict military discipline...

But now the rules have been broken for him.

Gu Lin handed the horse to the soldier, then stepped into the military camp.

As soon as he entered, Ping Jin, who was inspecting the military camp, saw him and walked over. His face was cold and hard, but his gaze was unusually gentle.

Ping Jin's tone was slightly cold: "The Marquis is waiting for you in his tent."

Gu An raised his hand in a gesture of thanks.

Watching the other person's receding figure, Ping Jin's eyes glazed over for a moment, then he looked away and went back to training the soldiers.

Gu An arrived at the tent. His personal guard went in first to report. When the Marquis of Zhenbei heard the noise, he looked up and frowned: "Didn't I say that you don't need to come in to report unless it's an urgent matter?"

The Marquis of Zhenbei's tone was slightly impatient and annoyed, which showed how much of a blow it was to him that his own grandson resisted him and did not want to acknowledge him.

The guard replied with a happy expression, "My lord, the young master has come to see you."

"What did you say?!"

Realizing what his personal guard had said, the Marquis of Zhenbei immediately said, "Hurry up and invite him in."

The guard turned to leave, but the Marquis of Zhenbei stood up and called out to him, "No! I will go myself."

After speaking, the Marquis of Zhenbei stepped down and strode out past his personal guards.

After his personal guards entered the tent to announce his arrival, Gu An stood still. He did not look around, but slightly raised his eyes to observe the commander-in-chief's tent in front of him. Apart from being larger than the tents where ordinary generals lived, he could not see any of the luxury that should belong to the commander-in-chief of the three armies.

This shows that the residents lived extremely simply.

A moment later, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Gu An seemed to sense something and looked over, only to see that it was not his personal guards, but the Marquis of Zhenbei himself who had come.

"Heng... An'er"

The young military supervisor's advice lingered in his ears. The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at the boy not far in front of him. Although he was happy that the boy had come to find him, he dared not get too close to him and make the boy feel uncomfortable.

Gu An raised his hand in a bow: "Greetings, Lord Marquis."

Although he knew that the person in front of him was his grandfather, Gu An was not familiar with him and still couldn't bring himself to call him grandfather.

He was finally reunited with his grandson, but the grandson respectfully addressed him as "Lord Marquis".

The Marquis of Zhenbei clenched his iron fist, a sour feeling welling up in his chest. He hadn't felt this way since more than a decade ago when he lost his son, daughter-in-law, and wife.

He raised his hand to touch the boy's head, but saw that the boy had already grown into a grown man, no longer a child to be patted on the head.

The iron palm landed on the other's slightly thin shoulder, and the Marquis of Zhenbei said repeatedly, "Good child, good child, I... I am your grandfather."

The Marquis of Zhenbei awkwardly patted the boy's shoulder, afraid of hurting him if he used too much force.

Feeling the broad, thick hand on his shoulder, Gu An stiffened. It wasn't that no one had ever patted his shoulder like this before. From childhood to adulthood, Uncle Gu often patted his head to comfort and encourage him. After he grew up, Uncle Gu could no longer pat his head, so he patted his shoulder instead. But the young man's hand was slender and soft, with a gentle force, unlike the other man's who had fought on the battlefield for many years. Even through several layers of clothing, one could still feel the broad, roughness of the hand and the battle-hardened aura of the other man.

This was the first time Gu An had felt close to an adult man in his family. Unlike his uncle, Zheng Hao had always treated him as an adult and had never had a tender moment with him, let alone patted him on the shoulder.

Seeing that Gu An had not spoken for a long time, the Marquis of Zhenbei's eyes darkened: "There's no rush to change the way you address me. Let's go inside and talk."

Gu An lifted his leg and followed him inside.

The Marquis of Zhenbei ordered all his personal guards to withdraw from his tent.

There were many teenagers in the army. The Marquis of Zhenbei had dealt with many young people and there was never a dull moment in the past. But when he faced his own grandson, he didn't know what to say.

Ask the other person how they have been doing these past few years.

He had learned from Zheng Hao that, except for the time before he was seven, An'er had lived with his uncle Zheng Hao since he was seven. He passed the imperial examination at the age of 12 on his own, which made the Marquis of Zhenbei extremely proud.

The senior general remained silent for a long time before Gu An spoke, his words exceptionally clear: "My lord, I think the matter of recognizing relatives needs further consideration; there's no need to rush."

Gu An planned to acknowledge the Marquis of Zhenbei as his grandfather, but he still couldn't accept that he suddenly had a relative by his side.

Gu An was slow to warm up, and the Marquis of Zhenbei was unwilling to force him. He was overjoyed when he heard the young man agree to acknowledge their kinship.

The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at the young man with kind eyes and said, "There is no rush. It is already a great fortune that we, grandfather and grandson, have been able to reunite. We can take things one step at a time regarding matters of honor."

Gu An nodded

Then, looking at the boy's face, which resembled his own son's, the Marquis of Zhenbei said in a hesitant voice, "Your parents' memorial tablets are at home. Whenever you wish, I will take you back to pay your respects."

Hearing the words "father" and "mother" again, Gu An didn't experience much emotional fluctuation, but his heart was slightly touched.

After he finished speaking, the Marquis of Zhenbei did not have high expectations. He thought that the young man would only be willing to go home to pay respects to his biological parents after he recognized his family and gradually accepted him as his grandfather. Unexpectedly, the other party said, "Let's do it today."

Marquis Zhenbei hesitated for a moment, then immediately replied, "Alright."

The two rode back to the city, followed by two rows of personal guards. The Marquis of Zhenbei led Gu An into the mansion and into the ancestral hall.

Dozens of memorial tablets were placed above the ancestral hall, including those for Gu An's parents.

Gu An was found quickly.

While looking at the memorial tablet above, Marquis Zhenbei said to Gu An, "Originally, the bodies and memorial tablets of your parents should have been sent back to the capital, but your parents and your grandmother loved Youzhou Prefecture. I have been away for many years and I did not want to be separated from them, so I buried them in Youzhou Prefecture."

As he spoke, the Marquis of Zhenbei couldn't help but recall the scene before his daughter-in-law passed away more than a decade ago.

He turned to look at the boy beside him, a fleeting glint of tears in his wrinkled eyes: "Your parents were most worried about you. Now that you're back, they can finally rest easy."

The atmosphere inside the ancestral hall was too heavy. Gu An did not utter a word, but after the Marquis of Zhenbei finished speaking, he personally stepped forward, held incense, and knelt down to worship the three memorial tablets.

Upon seeing this, the Marquis of Zhenbei could no longer hold back his tears.

He looked at the three memorial tablets above and thought to himself: The child has been found, Lie'er, you can rest in peace now.

[Don't scold me, don't scold me! I've said before that Xiao Zheng isn't a good person. With Uncle Gu watching over him, he's been very restrained!]