Aristocratic Business

Prince of Dongyang Manor was a noble lineage that helped found the Fengyang Kingdom, standing strong for hundreds of years.

The marriage of their only direct descendant daughter was a grand event for the entire Shenjing.

Lao Bai needed to meet a lot of people, all of them famous and influential nobles. He couldn't favor one over another, and the experts the manor sent to drink with him had already been replaced four times.

Zhou Yi maintained a smile throughout, instantly refining any amount of alcohol he consumed.

Lao Bai transmitted his voice, "Lao Zhou, you should pretend to be drunk soon, lest they notice something amiss."

"Wait a bit longer."

Zhou Yi closed his eyes and carefully sensed the faint killing intent that moved with Lao Bai.

Anyone who's been in the Jianghu has a few enemies, but to dare cause trouble during the manor's daughter's wedding, one wonders if Lao Bai provoked someone's daughter or wife.

Zhou Yi wasn't sure how they would strike, and from a distance, he wasn't entirely confident in eliminating the danger unnoticed.

Finally.

He had met all of the manor's old friends and relatives, numbering two to three hundred. Zhou Yi suspected that Lao Bai's carefree nature meant he had probably forgotten most of them.

There were two banquet halls, one large and one small.

The large banquet hall was for Lao Bai's relatives and the manor's nobles, while the small banquet hall was for Jianghu figures.

The imperial court looked down on the Jianghu's roughness, and the Jianghu despised the court's hypocrisy, so separate receptions suited both sides.

The moment Zhou Yi entered the small banquet hall, he found the source of the killing intent. It was at a table in the southeast corner, where two people silently drank, their eyes occasionally glancing at Lao Bai.

The tables in front were fine, giving face to Lao Bai and the manor.

Until he encountered a white-haired Daoist who occupied an entire table alone, whom no one dared approach, drinking by himself.

The old Daoist ignored Lao Bai and coldly looked at Zhou Yi: "Is this the Blood Prison Old Demon?"

Zhou Yi smiled and poured wine for the old Daoist: "Those are just Jianghu nicknames, not worth mentioning."

The old Daoist stared blankly at the wine pot. Others either didn't notice or were too far away to see that the wine pot was held perfectly upright, with the wine flowing out on its own.

It steadily filled the wine cup without spilling a drop.

"Cough cough!"

The old Daoist coughed twice, his face breaking into a warm smile, "I have long heard of your great name and have always wanted to befriend you. If you ever pass by Jingyun Prefecture, Evergreen Temple will welcome you with open arms."

Such meticulous skill likely meant he had mastered internal organ refinement and might reach the pinnacle in the future.

It's better to resolve conflicts than to create them. People in the Jianghu are even less willing to make enemies, especially old and frail experts.

"For the Daoist to come to Heavenly Prison... never mind, I will definitely accept the Daoist's invitation when I have time."

Zhou Yi nodded slightly, but his mind was locked on the southeast corner.

The old Daoist's aura was already that of a top-tier Jianghu expert, but those two young people were even stronger.

Lao Bai toasted his way over, completely unaware of the danger, until he reached the table in the southeast corner.

"My Jianghu friends have come from afar, Bai is truly..."

His words suddenly stopped. Lao Bai's face turned white, then red, then green. He subconsciously took two steps back, letting Zhou Yi stand in front.

"Lecher!"

"Libertine!"

Two soft female voices rang out, and two sword lights bloomed, one aimed at Lao Bai's neck, the other directly at his lower body.

"Women?"

Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment, then flicked his fingers against the sword blades.

An extremely terrifying force traveled to their wrists, and the two women cried out in pain as their swords fell to the ground.

Such a change had already alarmed many guests. The manor's experts, who were secretly protecting them, leaped forward and surrounded the two women, preparing to capture them alive.

But the women's lightness skills were mysterious. One flew through the air, and the other was unpredictable, escaping the banquet hall in an instant, disappearing without a trace.

Zhou Yi, hiding his merit and fame, had already left the small banquet hall. Before leaving, he couldn't resist asking curiously via voice transmission.

"Who are those two women? To have such martial path cultivation at such a young age, they might break through to the Innate Realm in the future!"

Lao Bai didn't want to answer, but Zhou Yi kept transmitting his voice, urging him incessantly, so he said helplessly, "One is the senior disciple of the Boundless Sword Sect, and the other is the Heavenly Demon Sect's Holy Maiden..."

"**!"

Zhou Yi especially regretted meddling. This scumbag deserved to have his wedding ruined.

Large banquet hall.

Zhou Yi had completed his task and found a corner to sit down and rest.

By this time, the banquet was more than half over. The elders had already left the table, and the remaining guests were all young people who enjoyed drinking and having fun.

Originally arrogant, they were now flushed with alcohol and no longer restrained in their speech.

The son of the Earl of Dingcheng said, "Have you heard? A lot of positions have opened up in the Northern Frontier recently, and His Majesty intends to promote nobles."

"The Northern Frontier is bitterly cold and desolate; why go there to suffer?"

The one who spoke was the son of Marquis Weiyuan: "In a few days, there will be new transfers in the Capital Garrison. That's a real opportunity!"

"The Capital Garrison is too expensive!"

"A mere lieutenant general costs 100,000 taels. How many years will it take to recoup that money?"

"The Northern Frontier is much cheaper. I heard a regional commander is only 20,000 taels."

"Why buy a regional commander? Spend a few thousand more taels to get a position in the Military Armaments Bureau. That's where the real money is!"

"..."

They were discussing matters of state as if it were pure business.

The son of Marquis Weiyuan shook his head and said, "You know nothing... The border troops in the Northern Frontier have had several skirmishes with Great Yong. They seem like small conflicts, but who knows when a war might break out!"

Hearing this, everyone immediately abandoned the idea of going to the Northern Frontier.

Making money in business is good, but life is more important. With their family's wealth, they could not squander their inheritance in several generations.

"Now that His Majesty intends to support the nobility, we must seize this opportunity. At the very least, we must obtain a generalship with real power. Only with military power in hand is a noble title a true noble title!"

The son of Marquis Weiyuan said, "It's worth spending any amount of money to grease the wheels. This is a long-term business. The court allocates millions of taels every year, and we'll eventually get it back."

"Young Master Liang is right."

"Then we're agreed. Let's go to the Capital Garrison together to serve His Majesty!"

"My father scolds me every day for not doing anything productive. Today, we'll become generals and finally hold our heads high."

"We nobles share the fate of the nation. Anyone else might rebel, but we won't!"

"Careful what you say!"

"..."

These young masters were drunk and already considered the positions in the Capital Garrison to be in their grasp. In reality, it wouldn't be far off, given their families' deep connections and willingness to spend money.

Zhou Yi listened quietly for a while, then got up and left the table.

It's no wonder these people treat state affairs as business. Most things in the world are business, including loyalty and betrayal, prosperity and decline.

Someone chose betrayal and decline, perhaps there was no other choice!

How could the Hongchang Emperor not know that these noble young masters were like dog shit? Not to mention deploying troops, they couldn't even remember how many soldiers they had under their command, let alone lead them into battle.

Sometimes, it's reassuring to use useless people.

They would bleed the soldiers, embezzle money, and do business, but they would never rebel!

Another storm is brewing. I hope...

Zhou Yi frowned slightly, unsure what he hoped for: a rebellion or a smooth transition?

Before leaving.

He gave Lao Bai the gift he had prepared for a long time: a handmade jade pendant. The material and carving were ordinary, but the touch of crimson within was quite unique.

Zhou Yi didn't know how to refine artifacts, so he simply used his magic to forcefully infuse a drop of blood into the jade.

With a blood connection, he would be able to recognize this jade pendant no matter how many hundreds or thousands of years passed!