The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 510

"Go and call Hu Zongxian and the others over."

Zhou Chu looked at Shen Lian and said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian mounted his horse and headed straight for the countryside outside the capital.

"Tell the teacher that I have received His Majesty's decree and have left the capital on official business."

Zhou Chu looked at Chunlan and said.

"Don't worry, young master, I know."

Chunlan nodded.

Zhou Chu went through all the people and events in his mind again, and after confirming that nothing had been missed, he waited at home for Hu Zongxian and the others to arrive.

Hu Zongxian found two carriages somewhere and arrived in front of Zhou Chu half an hour later.

"I met the teacher."

Hu Zongxian and others bowed and said.

Zhou Chu looked at the group and nodded.

"Can any of you ride horses?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Zongxian and the others exchanged glances and nodded.

"Teacher, I can't ride a horse."

Hai Rui stepped forward.

Zhou Chu was not surprised that Hai Rui could not ride a horse. Hai Rui was from Hainan, where horses were rare, and Hai Rui's background was quite ordinary, so he certainly could not afford a horse.

"In that case, Hai Rui, you shall stay and continue your research on the steam engine. The Mongols have invaded from outside Datong City, and His Majesty has ordered me to go to Datong to defend it and repel the Mongols. Who among you is willing to go with me?"

Zhou Chu looked at everyone and asked.

"Students are willing to go!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Zongxian immediately stood up with a face full of excitement. Since ancient times, dying on the battlefield and being wrapped in horsehide has been the ultimate romance for men.

Although most literati today look down on military generals, this majority has never included Hu Zongxian. In Hu Zongxian's eyes, his greatest pursuit was to fight for the Ming Dynasty on the battlefield, expand its territory, and shine in the world like those famous generals of the Tang Dynasty.

"Students are willing to go!"

Zhu Xianrong followed closely behind and stepped forward.

He and Hu Zongxian had been studying military strategy with Zhou Chu for so long that they were eager to go to the battlefield. However, Zhu Xianrong was the heir apparent of the Prince of Chu, and his status was extraordinary. He had no opportunity to fight on ordinary days.

"Students are willing to go!"

Mu Yunping also stepped forward and spoke.

"Students are willing to go!"

Zhao Zhenji also stepped forward and spoke.

Besides these few people, a few others stepped forward, while the rest remained where they were, indicating their choice.

"The rest of you can go back. Going or not is an option. Not everyone is suited for war. Everyone has their own path. You few stay."

Zhou Chu pointed to Hu Zongxian, Zhu Xianrong, and others and said.

Gui Youguang and Hai Rui breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Compared to fighting, they had more important things to do. Hai Rui was thinking about developing the steam engine as soon as possible, while Gui Youguang was thinking about finding naturally sterile plants.

These two men had no mind for the battlefield at all; forcibly dragging them there would only be torture for them.

The group returned to the countryside in a horse-drawn carriage, while Hu Zongxian and the others followed behind Zhou Chu.

“Give each of them a horse.”

Zhou Chu looked at Shen Liandao.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian went to the Zhou family's stables and had Chen Tong and the other eunuchs who were in charge of raising horses lead out a few horses to Hu Zongxian and the others.

"Gentlemen, this is a horse that I have carefully fed. You must take good care of it."

Chen Tong looked at the horses in front of him and said with some heartache.

"No matter how well they are raised, if they don't go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, it's all for naught."

Zhou Chu looked at Chen Tongdao.

"Of course I know that, but after raising them for so long, it's natural that I'm a little reluctant to part with them."

Chen Tong looked at the horses with a pained expression.

"We'll go back and get some better monkeys."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he took out a silver note and handed it to Chen Tong.

Chen Tong respectfully put the silver note away.

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely handle it well."

After Chen Tong and the others left, Zhou Chu looked at Hu Zongxian and the others.

"Each of you choose a horse. From now on, they will be your companions on the battlefield. Your life and death will depend on them."

As Zhou Chu spoke, he stroked the neck of the black horse beside him, and the horse nuzzled Zhou Chu's face with a look of enjoyment.