"Young Master, Young Master, wait for me!"
On the street, a Ying Yi sped along, with Wei Gongyan chasing after him. Behind him, Wei Gongzhan followed at a distance, carrying the wine he had prepared. For a moment, Wei Gongzhan had an impulse to run back to Great Azure Mountain.
He didn't want to betray the young master; he just wanted to prepare the dozens of neighbors he treated like family.
After all, if the imperial court really invaded, they would likely be purged.
Even if they are not purged, those local gentry will be even more ruthless than cruel officials. They will exploit the valuable farmers of Great Azure Mountain to the bone, squeezing every last drop of nourishment from them!
My wish to bring my mother here to enjoy her later years may ultimately remain just a pipe dream.
" Gongyan."
Suddenly, Yuchi Feihu stopped in his tracks, and without turning his head, said, "Go and keep those wealthy men in check. Make sure the literary gathering they're talking about tomorrow goes smoothly."
Wei Gongyan paused, looking at the other party excitedly. "Young Master, rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission!"
With that, he turned and ran off, completely forgetting his earlier concern about Yuchi Feihu's poor condition.
After Wei Gongyan, Yuchi Feihu stopped and stared at the sky, lost in thought.
At this moment, the assembled Battle God Army was at the foot of Great Azure Mountain, holding a rare bonfire feast with bonfires burning. He had originally intended to take Wei Gongyan and Gongzhan to participate.
Although they weren't members of the Battle God Army, many Battle God Army brought their wives and children to join in the fun. They brought two brothers along, and no one should have any objections.
But now.
About fifteen minutes later, Wei Gongzhan slowly caught up.
Yuchi Feihu didn't turn around, but simply asked, "Aren't you going to work with Gongyan?"
"I won't go," Wei Gongzhan with a forced smile. "It's all thanks to Gongyan. I don't have the ability to get to know so many important people in such a short time. I'm really sorry, young master."
Yuchi Feihu was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Wei Gongzhan: "You knew nothing at all?"
"I don't know." Wei Gongzhan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I don't have the face to compete with my cousin for credit." He then looked up at the other man, "Young Master, I brought some wine, would you like some?"
"Good!"
--
The location is still on North Street, in the same house where Shen Yuan used to live.
Neither of them had anything to go with their drinks, so they forced themselves to drink from the two jugs.
The wine smells wonderful. Once the lid is opened, the aroma fills the entire room, making anyone who enjoys drinking feel completely comfortable.
"This wine is better than the last one!" Yuchi Feihu looked at the wine pot and laughed, "Red ginseng wine, is it?"
"Young Master recognizes him?"
"How could I not recognize it?" Yuchi Feihu laughed, "No matter which prefecture you're from, the best wines, besides those brewed by your own farmers, are the ones we soldiers are tasting the latest. The Jianqu from Shaoyang Mountain, the Mixiangniang from Mount Liang, and even the red ginseng from your Great Azure Mountain are all the hottest commodities in the army these days. If you want to borrow some soldiers from the neighboring Fighter Army, bringing your wine is the most effective way!"
"Right?" Wei Gongzhan immediately became smug. "This red ginseng is a product that Young Master Liang developed over half a year. It's extremely difficult to cultivate, requiring a level three immortal field. In the entire Great Azure Mountain, only Old Wu from the North Slope and I can grow it. Right now, many merchants in Liuzhou City are eagerly waiting for my wine!"
"Hahahaha!" Yuchi Feihu burst into laughter. "You kid, I didn't expect you to have such talent. Only a level five immortal farmer can cultivate a level three immortal field, right? In all the major Mountain God districts of Yunzhou, there are only two of them at most. You're amazing!"
Wei Gongzhan's face immediately turned red. He could tell that the young master was serious when he praised him. The young master, who used to look down on martial artists and even sorcerers, was different now.
"If Gongyan were like you."
Wei Gongzhan was taken aback, looking at the other party with confusion. "Why does the young master say that?"
What do you think of Gongyan's handling of this matter?
Gongzhan's previously cheerful smile vanished considerably, and he could only reply evasively, "I don't know. I don't really understand those things."
"You understand very well," Yuchi Feihu looked earnestly at Gongzhan, "He has already betrayed me, and I hope you won't!"
"Huh?" Wei Gongzhan suddenly looked up at the other person.
"For his own selfish reasons, he casually revealed my background to that so-called inside agent of the imperial court. To me, he is a traitor!"
Wei Gongzhan immediately realized what was happening and nodded, "Yes, my cousin acted rather rashly."
An inside man within the imperial court—does that mean it's true?
You revealed all of the young master's information in just a few words, exposing him to danger. Is this the kind of thing a subordinate should do?
He was well aware of his cousin's character; to put it bluntly, his actions were practically betraying the young master in order to gain merit!
"He wasn't reckless; he planned it all out meticulously." Yuchi Feihu sneered, "The three of us infiltrated anonymously. Even our usual comrades don't know our background. How could those fat, greedy landlords find Wei Gongyan? Didn't he just walk right into our trap?"
"Feeling frustrated and unsuccessful in Liuzhou, I started thinking of other ways to make connections. Since those wealthy men were planning something that involved collusion from the inside out, how secretive were they usually? The fact that I was found means that from the very beginning they were planning to use me as a bargaining chip and actively approach me."
"Young Master."
Looking at his angry young master, Wei Gongzhan was unsure of his thoughts. After hesitating for a moment, he mustered his courage and asked, "Young master, do you want to participate in their plan?"
"Participate? Why?" Yuchi Feihu glared at the other person. "Do you want me to participate?"
"I will obey the young master."
"Really?" Yuchi Feihu stared intently at the other person. "If I asked you to betray Great Azure Mountain, would you be willing?"
Whether it was the alcohol or not, a surge of passion welled up inside him, causing Wei Gongzhan suddenly look up, his eyes red, and stare directly at his young master. "I don't want to!!"
"Unwilling?"
"I refuse!" Wei Gongzhan said stiffly, "If you wish to do it, then do it. I will not Gongzhan. But I must say I cannot accompany you. If you think I would betray you, then... after this meal, you may silence me!"
"Alright," Yuchi Feihu nodded, raising the wine jug and saying, "Drink!!"
Upon hearing this Wei Gongzhan felt completely relaxed; this was perhaps the most relaxing day of the year for him.
He picked up the wine jug and gulped it down his throat.
What excellent wine!
I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to taste such delicacies again in my next life!
--
Hundred Lives Hall was a private school established by a scholar in Liuzhou. Recently, this location has been occupied by a group of scholars with official titles, and it has become their gathering place.
The residents of North Street instinctively gave up their spots to these people.
These former wealthy landowners now hold an increasingly awkward position in Liuzhou. Many people recognize them as former masters, but many also see that they now rely on welfare to survive.
A complex feeling of not knowing whether to respect them or not made the people of North Street keep their distance from this group of people who were always cursing and swearing at the drop of a hat.
After all, ordinary people still can't distinguish between the students at the Liuzhou Academy and these elite individuals.
So even though they saw this group of people receiving welfare for a year, at least no one openly looked down on them.
Hundred Herbs Hall, there were quite a few people, nearly a hundred, all dressed in their most magnificent long gowns.
It's a new product, and they spent a lot of gold and silver to buy it. Gold and silver in Liuzhou are worthless now. If they wanted to exchange their gold and silver for the luxurious silks that are newly produced in Liuzhou, it would cost at least five times the price of silver.
This is an extremely luxurious price for them, who are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain a decent appearance these days. So most people actually only own one such decent outfit, and they are reluctant to wear it when they come out to receive relief on ordinary days. They only take it out on occasions like this, when people in Shilin are trying to be presentable to each other.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The portly wealthy man surnamed Liu stepped onto the stage, his face beaming with excitement as he addressed the hundreds of like-minded people present. "Breaking news! The fog over Nanming Prefecture has lifted! There's nothing left to stop the imperial army!"
"The dark clouds that have shrouded Jiangnan for a year are finally dissipating. I have had people carefully observe the situation on the Liuzhou river. The thick fog is thinning, and my initial estimate is that in ten days at most, Liuzhou, like Nanming Prefecture, will return to the clear sky!"
"Under the clear blue sky!!" A group of scholars shouted in unison, so excited they were almost crying.
A year of humiliation, a year of living like refugees, is finally coming to an end.
"Now, I have another piece of good news to share!" Squire Liu, his face flushed. "The imperial court has long been aware of Chen Qing's wolfish ambitions and has already made preparations!"
"He, Chen Qing, thought he could do whatever he wanted under this thick fog, but little did he know, the imperial court had already taken action against him. We have contacted several generals, all of whom are loyal to the court and are waiting for the royal army to march south and restore order!"
"Next, please welcome our General Yuchi. Oh, by the way, you might be a little confused by this name, but you've probably all heard of General Huang Feihu of Yunzhou, right?"
Everyone was immediately shocked, and some of the wealthy men hurriedly asked, " Mr. Liu, do you mean that General Huang Feihu is one of our men?"
" Brother Feng, your words are somewhat biased. General Huang Feihu, like us, is a member of the imperial court!" Squire Liu quickly saluted and said.
"Really?" The group was initially a little apprehensive about Squire Liu and outside, but now that they heard that a general like Huang Feihu was helping, the plan seemed much more reliable!
"Of course it's true. Now, let's invite General Yuchi to say a few words!"
Squire Liu led the applause, and the others excitedly joined in. Amidst the applause, Yuchi Feihu slowly walked up the steps one by one.
His tall figure was almost half a head taller Squire Liu, making it even more certain that the man before him was none other than the renowned General Huang Feihu of Yunzhou!
"General, say a few words," Mr. Liu said with a smile.
Yuchi Feihu looked at the audience below, scanned them, and nodded. "Is everyone here?"
"Of course!" Squire Liu nodded. "Since you, General, have come in person, we naturally need to make sure everyone is present."
The words trailed off, and everyone watched in horror as the tall, imposing man twisted Squire Liu's neck and head into a pretzel shape with one hand and the Squire Liu!