The guard hurried in, looking very anxious. He stopped Zhou Huaijin, feeling slightly better.


    He let out arge sigh, saying, "Lord Huai, are you going back to the capital? Can you bring our Duke? Duke North is safer with you."


    "…"


    "Duke North had men with him when he came here, but they are all dead. I am the only one, but I can''t keep himpany at home."


    "…"


    "Lord Huai, you are going back to the capital, so I am asking you right here."


    Zhou Huaijin looked at this guard.


    He was a very stingy person, and narrow-minded too, especially when it came to Chaoyan.


    He would not approve of this proposal since that man liked Chaoyan, but… Duke North was different from ordinary people.


    The deceased Duke North was a very aplished man, but he died in the battlefield when he was still young, so he had always admired him and taken care of the mansion.


    He was starting to consider the request.


    Zhou Huaijin looked at Gu Chaoyan…


    If Chaoyan did not want this to happen, he would drop this proposal.


    Chaoyan nodded.


    Zhou Huaijin said, "Bring him, we are leaving soon."


    Hearing this, the guard breathed a sigh of relief, thanked them again and again, and went to pick up Duke North. They didn''t have any big farewells, since they had their things packed two days ago.


    He had intended to apany Duke North back to the capital two days ago, but the Duke seemed to recover slowly and badly, so he dropped the idea since he worried that something might happen along the way.


    Gu Chaoyan got onto a horse as they waited for the man toe. They were leaving directly when he arrived.


    Soon the guard came out with Duke North.


    They went onto the wagon directly.


    Before they went onto the wagon, Duke North looked at Gu Chaoyan, feeling very disappointed that she did not look at him. However, it was already a very good thing that they could travel together.


    Duke North was thinking this, as he got into the wagon.


    The guard got onto a horse.


    He said with politeness and gratitude, "Lady Chaoyan, Lord Huai, Duke North is here. You can leave now."


    Zhou Huaijin nodded.


    He patted the horse and left directly.


    From Xinzhou City to the capital, their cavalry took a shortcut and traveled as fast as possible. It only took three or four days. Now that the injured Duke North was with them, they could only take the official path. There were some dys because of that, but they could expect some dys on the way back to the capital.


    Without Duke North, Zhou Huaijin would have taken a tour with Chaoyan before returning to the capital, where something might happen.


    However, they had to go back directly since Duke North was with them.


    Gu Chaoyan and Zhou Huaijin went directly into their room as they overnighted at a hostel. Gu Chaoyan almost never took a look at Duke North during the past two days.


    They would soon arrive at Lingzhou.


    There was no hostel around so they had to hurry. They hoped to find a hostel overnight before it became too dark.


    They had just climbed over the mountain, and they could not take a break yet.


    Duke North''s guard hurried up and caught up with Zhou Huaijin and Gu Chaoyan. He was flushing. "Lady Chaoyan, can you take a look at Duke North? He is failing!"