Assassins hiding in the mountains heard the distant footsteps and became alert.
It turned out to be four disciples from Mount Tian, coming to change shifts.
"Let's not make trouble. Find Liang Xiao first!" Zuo Wushang warned.
"What is this? Footprints?"
A disciple squatted down, frowning at the muddy ground.
Zuo Wushang's breath hitched, and he glared at the assassins, wanting to know who had exposed them.
"They're so small, they must be from a sika deer, right?" another disciple laughed.
The assassins finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't think it's a sika deer. Could someone have snuck in to hunt or poach? Let's go look!"
Hearing the disciples' conversation, a murderous intent flashed in the assassins' eyes, but Zuo Wushang stopped them.
"Kill them? And then go find Liang Xiao immediately?" Hu Yan Jialuo suggested.
"We must not alert them! Killing one Liang Xiao is more valuable than killing three thousand Mount Tian disciples. Given Liang Xiao's intelligence, we only have this one chance! Let's hide first. I have a map of Mount Tian's layout left by my dynasty!" Zuo Wushang whispered.
Hu Yan Jialuo's heart tightened. Under Zuo Wushang's lead, he guided everyone to hide in the mountains to bide their time.
It was difficult to find Liang Xiao in their current urgent situation. They could only wait for the Mount Tian swordsmen to find nothing and lower their guard.
The next morning, deep in the bamboo forest, in Jian Qinwan's bamboo house.
Jian Qinwan held Little Sprouts, her face full of doting affection.
Diao'er, Yao'er, and Xun'er looked on in disbelief.
The three maids, upon learning of Jian Qinwan's intentions, were at a loss.
"Miss, are you really planning to be the bodyguard of the Marquis of Anguo?"
Yesterday, their miss had been so hostile towards Liang Xiao!
Jian Qinwan remained composed and nodded, "It's my mother's request..."
"Then Yao'er will follow Miss and continue to serve her, so Miss won't be left alone!" Yao'er was the first to declare, and the other two maids echoed her sentiment.
Jian Qinwan nodded with relief and asked, "Do you think he'll dislike Little Sprouts..."
"No! The Marquis of Anguo must be a kind and good person at heart!" Diao'er said with a dreamy look.
Looking at the three infatuated maids, Jian Qinwan jokingly chided, "Hurry up and wipe your drool!"
The three girls blushed and smiled shyly.
Jian Qinwan was about to say more but suddenly remembered her own unseemly behavior last night. A captivating blush spread across her fair and beautiful face.
She had actually fainted...
"We can only admire the Marquis of Anguo from afar; we dare not have any improper thoughts. Actually, only Miss is worthy of the Marquis of Anguo. It's a pity Miss doesn't like scholars," Xun'er sighed.
Jian Qinwan was startled. She glanced towards the door and said reproachfully, "Don't talk nonsense from now on, especially don't let that guy hear it..."
The three girls merely thought Jian Qinwan was angry because they were pairing her up inappropriately. They meekly stopped talking.
In Mu Xueqin's bamboo house, Ding Wuyi looked at Liang Xiao, who was lying on the bed, with a puzzled expression.
He was both surprised and delighted to hear that Jian Qinwan was to become Liang Xiao's bodyguard, as the matter had already been settled.
This Medical Saint not only treated illnesses for free but also gifted him his daughter as a bodyguard?
The cunning and experienced Ding Wuyi felt something was amiss but couldn't quite pinpoint it. He also worried that Jian Qinwan might kill Liang Xiao if they disagreed.
"Young Master Liang, perhaps you should carry a sword for self-defense?"
Hearing Ding Wuyi's reminder, Liang Xiao chuckled and said, "Once I can get out of bed, I'll have a better plan."
After the toxins were expelled, the heaviness in Liang Xiao's body vanished. He now felt as light as a swallow, much like before his injury. The only difference was that his back still ached, and the wounds were still healing.
Ding Wuyi was finally relieved.
"What? Little Junior Sister is going to be Liang Xiao's bodyguard?!"
"Is this Mother's order? How is that possible! Mother hates nobles and officials the most! Liang Xiao holds two official positions and is a marquis!"
As the news spread, the entire Mount Tian was in an uproar. Everyone found it unacceptable.
Even the simple and honest Du Pingling looked bewildered.
Their Little Junior Sister was famously fastidious and disliked scholars and gentlemen!
In their Little Junior Sister's eyes, scholars who fiddled with ink and brush always mocked those who were not eloquent in speech, and they were the most hateful!
"Senior Brother Du! You must go and persuade Mother and Little Junior Sister!"
After much commotion, the Mount Tian swordsmen, filled with indignation but afraid to disturb the mother and daughter, could only turn to Du Pingling, who had returned from the mountain, for help.
Du Pingling said with a wry smile, "I've tried to persuade them, but Little Junior Sister only said not to ask, and absolutely not to disturb Mother. Whoever wants to be kicked out can go..."
The others had no choice but to accept reality, and their resentment towards Liang Xiao deepened.
Hu Yan Jialuo, who was lurking in the mountains, received the intelligence and felt as if a thorn were in his side: "Mount Tian is sending a bodyguard to Liang Xiao? Aren't we walking into a tiger's den!"
"You, as death warriors of the Savage lands, are afraid of death?" Zuo Wushang said coldly.
Hu Yan Jialuo clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "This general is of course not afraid! But the situation has changed. You are responsible for executing the plan, and this general must return to re-mobilize..."
The capital, in the wine workshop.
Liang Yun watched the wine workshop, which had reopened for business, and rubbed his hands excitedly.
"You group of billionaires, just wait for my second brother!"
Thinking of the price of "A Drunk for a Hundred Years" wine, Liang Yun couldn't help but chuckle.
This was a transaction where both parties were willing. He and Liang Xiao had no psychological burden.
In the Duanmu family's secret wine workshop, Duanmu Chao kicked over a barrel of lees and wastewater on the ground, seething with rage.
"What kind of trash is this!"
Beside him, Duanmu Xiu and several elders also looked on helplessly.
"Father, this craftsmanship is probably hundreds of times more complicated than the Songling wine process!" Duanmu Xiu sighed.
Songling wine, they could brew a little if they tried hard enough, but they didn't dare to brew it openly, as it was a court delicacy!
As for Liang Xiao's "A Drunk for a Hundred Years," it was privately brewed wine, which they could learn from with peace of mind, but they just couldn't learn it!
"Where exactly is the process going wrong? Study it carefully! No matter how much grain is wasted, you must figure it out. We cannot let the Liang family dominate!" Duanmu Chao roared.
The same scene was also playing out in the secret wine workshops of several other merchant families and the Dugu family.
Dugu Liang looked gloomy. "Are you sure you can't learn it?"
Dugu Qun and Dugu Xiao nodded helplessly.
Dugu Liang laughed in anger. "It doesn't matter! Then let's suggest to the court that Liang Xiao's wine workshop be taken over by the government, and private brewing of this wine be strictly prohibited! After all, this is a truly exquisite wine, the best thing. The royal family has no reason not to have it."
Dugu Qun immediately set off to discuss with He Wanli, Ouyang Ji, and others on how to prepare the memorial.
Various memorials impeaching Liang Xiao and requesting that Liang Xiao's wine workshop be nationalized piled up like snowflakes in the imperial study.
Xiao Qing trembled with anger: "These aristocratic families, not daring to impeach Liang Xiao in their own names, are now using public opinion as an excuse, and attributing the rise in capital grain prices to my elder brother. It's clearly those grain merchants who have been hoarding goods..."
After his anger subsided, Xiao Qing smiled mischievously. "My elder brother's unexpected move has brought an unexpected surprise."
"What? His Majesty invested from the beginning to help Liang Xiao build the wine workshop, and His Majesty will receive dividends without sending anyone to work?"
The memorials were reviewed one by one. Finally, Dugu Qun and the others received notification and were stunned.
"A foolish emperor, a foolish emperor!"
In the secret chamber, Dugu Qun trembled with anger, his expression contorted: "Immediately send assassins to send the content of land reclamation and contract tax to the Great Liang Kingdom and spread it everywhere! And inform the northern intelligence truthfully to the Savage lands, and first destroy the White Robe Army! This world is ready for a change of ruler! And notify the Southern King, letting him prepare earlier!"
Twilight, in the bamboo house.
Mu Xueqin looked at Liang Xiao, whose face was flushed with joy, and exclaimed, "You are truly incredible... Try to walk around."