Ever since fruit wine had appeared, taverns had sprung up everywhere. Having a few drinks while discussing the world or chatting about rumors from the streets was one of life's great pleasures.
"Hey, have you heard?" one drinker said. "Something huge has happened at the Marquis of the West's Mansion!"
"The Marquis's Manor? Aren't they mobilizing troops to drive out the Qiang? What's happened now?"
Another patron had been drinking when he heard this and couldn't help snorting.
An old man resting with his eyes closed opened them and said through narrowed eyes, "Plenty of people have already fled toward Chaoge. They say Chaoge has the Great Wall, so their wives and children won't be killed, and their grain won't be stolen."
"But..." A tea drinker was astonished. "The Marquis of the West treats us so well, and the land tax is so light..."
"What good does that do?" the old man scoffed. "The Qiang still robbed us blind. Where were the Marquis of the West's troops when the Qiang came south?"
"Watch your words!"
"Ah, you can't blame him. That old fellow came into town to sell wine and escaped the disaster, but the Qiang killed every last person in his family..."
"Alas..."
Several more sighs followed.
At that moment, no one spoke up for Ji Chang, Ji Fa, or the others. Even those who had always been grateful to the Marquis of the West were bitterly disappointed.
Another shifty-eyed drinker whispered, "I hear the second young master is going to found a kingdom and proclaim himself king. That could bring a terrible disaster!"
"Proclaim himself... king?"
"Disaster is at our doorstep! We're already suffering Qiang raids, and now he's going to bring Chaoge's army down on us too? His lordship is still in Chaoge!"
"Disaster? I'm not so