"...The Lady Chancellor has been in negotiations with that kid from Bianliang surnamed Zou recently. I heard the talks are proving troublesome and not going smoothly."

"...Wasn't he calling her 'Aunt' every other word to her face?"

"...Verbal advantages are cheap. When it comes to handing over the money, he's not so generous. That turncoat from the Huaxia Army isn't exactly a pushover."

"...Rumor has it that Mr. Ning values him highly and intends to pass on his mantle and have him care for him in his old age."

"...Hmph, just a slightly older student. He only took him in during the Little Cang River incident. He won't be the one to see to his old age. Besides, doesn't the guy surnamed Zou claim Mr. Ning has seven women? He's hardly short of sons..."

"...He's not a pushover either...Little Youzi, wouldn't you say?"

In the spacious yet simple courtyard, bustling with activity, You Hongzhuo and Liang Si'yi had only just arrived from outside when they received this warm greeting.

A group of individuals with peculiar appearances, resembling mountain bandits, were gathered around a wooden table at the edge of the training grounds. Some casually grabbed haphazardly brewed tea from a pot and squeezed onto the "topic center" bench alongside their companions... This was a chaotic yet familiar sight of the Green Forest, making You Hongzhuo feel a sense of familiarity and closeness. He leaned against the table, took a half-bowl of tea from someone else, drank it down, and wiped his mouth: "What?"

"...Talking about Zou Xu. Did you hear about the assassination attempt on Zou Xu in Xuanwu Street a few days ago by Xue Guangcheng?"

"Yeah, I heard about it as soon as I got back."

"This guy surnamed Zou is pretty impressive. They say he inherited the mantle of Mr. Ning from the Southwest and will take care of him in his old age. Little Youzi, you've been to the Southwest and even stayed in Zhang Village. Tell us about it, so we have some defenses prepared in case we end up fighting him in the future."

"..." You Hongzhuo thought for a moment, "...I went to the Southwest to learn martial arts and study that...humanities. You know, humanities... You're just a country bumpkin who wouldn't understand. Zou Xu had already defected at that time. Why would they talk to me about Zou Xu?"

"So you don't know?"

"Nope." You Hongzhuo shook his head. "I don't know."

"If you don't know, why are you bragging here? Just say you don't know and get lost. What good are you?"

"You're the one who asked me, and I have one more thing to say..."

"Spit it out."

"Don't call your dad 'Little Youzi' all the time. 'Little Oily' sounds awful. If you don't know any manners, call me brother-in-law. If you're being polite, you can barely get away with calling me Great Hero You, Giant Hero You... Or we can just have a match."

"Whoa--" The other party stared, laughing as he jumped up. "Look at this Little Youzi, he hasn't even been here for a few days and he's already so cocky! Everyone look... Hey, Liang Si'yi, look at this, aren't you going to manage your man and tell him to respect his brother!"

The courtyard where the Luan Shi members gathered had long eaves and corridors along the edges of the training grounds, but most people were gathered at the "topic center" on this side. Liang Si'yi had sat on the railing under the eaves as soon as she came in. Called out by name, she leaned against the pillar behind her, crossed her long legs, and smiled leisurely.

"I think what my man said makes sense. Otherwise, you guys should have a match. Brother, teach your brother-in-law a lesson, make him cry, and he'll admit to being called Little Youzi."

"..." The other party stared at Liang Si'yi, then shook his head and turned his head. "That won't work. Didn't we already fight a few days ago? Father has already said that your man is just a martial arts fanatic. I'm not an idiot..."

A burst of laughter immediately erupted around them. Someone said, "She's favoring her husband!"

"She hasn't even married yet, and she's already helping her husband's family bully her own family."

Liang Si'yi smiled and raised her chin. "I didn't help, I didn't help. You guys are bullying him, you guys are bullying him. It's because you can't bully him, so who can you blame?"

"Just wait until your wedding night--" the group laughed.

Liang Si'yi also put her hands on her hips, not showing any weakness. "Come on, come on. See if Liang Si'yi is afraid. I'll have Little Youzi beat you up then--"

"..." You Hongzhuo narrowed his eyes and looked over.

The crowd was stunned, and then, another burst of laughter erupted.

In the past, the Luan Shi gathered war survivors from north of Jin and south of Yanmen Pass, and resources were always extremely scarce. They had often seen their companions die in the shadow of war or hunger, and the atmosphere had always been somewhat depressing. But with the victory in the last war, and after so many years of cooperation with the Lady Chancellor, Lou Shuwan, resources had finally become abundant this year. Fewer people were dying, they had a place to stay, and they had hope for the future. Even Liang Si'yi had regained her girlish demeanor. Everyone saw this and was happy in their hearts. The courtyard was filled with a festive atmosphere.

After laughing and joking for a while, of course, some people continued to talk about the previous topic.

"...The assassination a few days ago was not simple... In the past few years, Xue and Zhan have been fighting and cooperating with the Lady Chancellor, but that doesn't mean that Jin and the Southwest are really on the same page. At least... relationships are relationships, but when it comes to doing things, the Lady Chancellor has always wanted to be one step ahead of the Huaxia Army, at least ahead of Xue and Zhan, and take all the benefits. This competition has always existed..."

"...This incident with Zou Xu has touched the bottom line of the Huaxia Army... at least Xue and Zhan's bottom line. The Lady Chancellor has been using various methods to make small gains every day, and Xue and Zhan certainly can't let her keep doing that. The assassination on the street, and even the subsequent suspension of work in the East City, was to make it clear to the Lady Chancellor that this is where things stand. And the Lady Chancellor understood, and I heard she brought food to the prison and persuaded Xue Guangcheng and Zhan Wu with kind words... You know the Lady Chancellor's temper. She used to smash Xue Guangcheng with an inkstone..."

"...Neither side really anticipated Zou Xu's reaction being so impressive. Or... they had thought about it beforehand, but just wanted to take the opportunity to test Zou Xu's mettle. After all, Zou Xu is so rich now, and dealing with this side is definitely a must... Before Mr. Ning comes out or sends another true disciple to seriously deal with this Zou Xu, Xue and Zhan will definitely have to compete with Zou Xu in Jin, and since they have to compete, the first move has to test the other person's methods..."

As a large group, although the adopted sons and daughters Wang Juyun had taken in were mostly Jianghu ruffians and those who risked their lives, there were naturally also strategists who were good at military strategies and planning. At this time, when they seriously analyzed these matters, some people could always see a lot of things.

"...After joining forces with Dai Mengwei to seize Bianliang, Zou Xu actually seized a lot of supplies and military equipment from Liu Guangshi. What he needs most now is face in the eyes of the world. So, once the situation in Bianliang stabilizes, he will come to Jin to discuss cooperation. As long as they can cooperate, everyone will be able to help them in the future. How much pressure does Mr. Ning from the Southwest put on him? Who else dares to offend him? Now he just wants the world to know that he is capable, at least capable of cooperating now, and maybe even a few people will be willing to cooperate with him if the Huaxia Army really attacks..."

"...His response has gained him face in front of the world, and the Lady Chancellor took the opportunity to get a sum of money, which is money to buy him face. He certainly doesn't want to give too much, but he definitely has to give something. As for the Huaxia Army, the negotiation with the Lady Chancellor has indeed arrived, but in this first round, Xue Guangcheng was not thoughtful enough and actually fell into a disadvantage, although the Huaxia Army has a solid foundation and doesn't care about one or two things. But it must be said that Zou Xu is powerful and worthy of being Mr. Ning's disciple..."

At the simple long table, a man who looked like a scholar, wearing relatively neat clothes, tapped on the table, then lowered his voice: "...That day on the long street, Zou Xu's words kept provoking the people of the Huaxia Army to take action, saying that they were embarrassing themselves. At that time, Xue Guangcheng and several others were holding bombs, and the Lady Chancellor was standing in front of them. Of course, Xue wouldn't act recklessly, but if a few people around him were provoked to suddenly take action... Zou Xu would have laughed to death on the spot. If the Lady Chancellor had been blown to death, the pattern of the world would have changed."

"Damn Zou Xu..." someone cursed.

Then someone asked, "Aren't Zou Xu, Xue Guangcheng, and Zhan Wu all from the Huaxia Army? Why do they still need to test each other?"

"Being in the same Huaxia Army doesn't mean they know each other." The scholar patted the table and said, "Zou Xu is Mr. Ning's personal disciple and has always been with him in Little Cang River, and later went to the Southwest. Xue Guangcheng used to be an undercover agent under Liu Yu, and it is said that Liu Yu's incident was his doing. As for Fifth Master, he has been in Jin all along and was monitoring Tian Hu back then. Although it is said that Mr. Ning and Chief Manager Dong Fangxian were there when they dealt with Tian Hu, Fifth Master actually did the actual work."

He put his hands together here: "Now, these three people have collided!"

"They are all heroes..."

"Zou Xu is not a hero... but he can be considered a capable person."

"But he did indeed surpass Xue and Zhan this time..."

"After all, he is Mr. Ning's disciple. Xue was indeed a bit lacking in thoroughness this time, but speaking of Fifth Master..." The scholar shook his head. "Fifth Master is not simple. He came from a humble background. Although he was not taught by that Mr. Ning, Mr. Ning summoned him and addressed him as 'Fifth Master' back during the Tiger King incident. Think about it, what kind of person is he to be called 'Fifth Master' by Mr. Ning..."

"I carefully asked the people who were on the street at that time." The scholar said, "Xue took action to assassinate him, and he was always staring at him from behind, and then he came out to say a few words. Zou Xu responded well, but he could have continued to scold him, but... maybe Zou Xu's method has already been seen. Fifth Master did not show his sharpness. Look, this kind of person is a master. What's the point of being quick with your tongue? Who knows what he's like when he kills people..."

"Moreover... the assassination in Xuanwu Street was just the beginning. The key is the negotiations between Chancellor Lou and Zou Xu these days. Everyone has heard that the talks are difficult. I heard that the Lady Chancellor has carefully circled all the things that Zou Xu asked for. Do you know why? Although the Huaxia Army gave Jin these technologies, what the Huaxia Army gave was voluntary. Zou Xu is Mr. Ning's disciple, and the things he wants are likely to be the best in the middle, or they may have deep meaning... The Lady Chancellor is letting Zou Xu explain these things to him clearly, and Zou Xu may also hide evil intentions in the negotiations... These people are all very complicated and cunning. Little You... that is, Great Hero You, you've been to the Southwest. Is this how it is?"

The topic was thrown to You Hongzhuo, who smiled and nodded: "Brother, you can just call me brother-in-law. When I was in Zhang Village, the soldiers I trained with talked about the staff department the most, saying that their hearts are all dirty. If you really become enemies with them, they will sell you out at any time. This Zou Xu... seems to have been in the staff department as well."

"There are many capable people in the Southwest." The scholar nodded. "But if Xue and Zhan can't suppress Zou Xu here, I don't know who Mr. Ning will have to release to really kill this bastard..."

Although Luan Shi and Jin are allies now, they are, after all, two parallel systems. They only have some understanding of the negotiations between Lou Shuwan and Zou Xu, but they cannot participate in them. At present, it can only be said that it is a focus of attention. Everyone talked a lot, and debated who in the Huaxia Army could suppress Zou Xu, as if Guan Gong was fighting Qin Qiong. In fact, the title of Mr. Ning's direct disciple can still scare many people. If Xue, Zhan, and others can't really suppress him in Jin, sooner or later Luan Shi may also be threatened by such a person.

After chatting so enthusiastically for a while, as the afternoon approached evening, someone came over and said, "Father has arrived."

Although they had cooperated closely with Jin for several years, Luan Shi's base of operations was not in Weisheng. In the past, Wang Juyun and An Xifu, who had better coordination abilities, were stationed here, but the army and the people were generally settled in some less prosperous areas north of Weisheng because they had experienced war.

This was something that couldn't be helped. Since the Jurchen's southward incursions began more than ten years ago, the various cities south of Yanmen Pass, including Taiyuan, had been turned into wastelands. Wang Juyun had gathered some pitiful survivors from such piles of dead people, using the teachings of the past Manichaeism. They had lived in the wilderness facing the threat of the Jurchen at Yanmen Pass, eaten human flesh, and built shacks in the ruins of Taiyuan. Every time the Jurchen's war came south, the places where these people were located would become the first line facing the war.

Being able to gather these people into an army, wander around, maintain them, survive, and even constantly extend a helping hand to more survivors in the ideal and as realistic as possible, this was the status quo that Wang Juyun had tried his best to maintain.

After defeating Liao Yiren, Lou Shuwan freed up some space to settle Luan Shi, but the first phase of development did not first cover them well. This was also an unavoidable status quo, but in any case, compared to the tragedy of the past ten years, everyone was already in an excellent state.

Subtle frictions naturally existed at the bottom of the two forces, which was a reality that could not be avoided in any world. Therefore, since last year, Lou Shuwan and Wang Juyun had actually been negotiating these matters.

From a macro perspective, it would be best for Jin to directly incorporate Luan Shi into the power system as an army, and fill the land that also needed a population due to the war with the residents under Luan Shi's rule, but in actual operation, it did not proceed so smoothly. This was because Wang Juyun had used doctrines and an almost "big family" form to pull up this team in the past. In the most difficult times, the middle and high levels of Luan Shi were actually in a state of unity, hugging each other for warmth, and it was almost impossible to let them directly enter Jin's system and give them new positions and new superiors.

And even at the bottom of Luan Shi, those who had almost survived from piles of dead people in Taiyuan and other places had actually become accustomed to the Manichaean doctrines passed down by Wang Juyun. Although Wang Juyun had simplified the doctrines, that habit of helping each other and relying on each other had indeed moved many people.

And even though they had already united, if the doctrines that Wang Juyun spread were to spread on a large scale in Jin, even the Lady Chancellor, who had the identity of "Descendant Profound Woman," was not willing to accept it. The acumen of a politician made her instinctively disgusted with religion. One side could exist, but one side had to be suppressed.

Wang Juyun was not a mere warrior like Lin Zongwu, who only had great ambitions and no means. Although he now adhered to goodwill, his followers' faith was even more pure because of the purity of his goodwill. Therefore, both Lou Shuwan and even Wang Juyun himself had certain concerns about what would happen once Luan Shi was rapidly integrated into Jin.

Because of these complex factors, at the end of last year, Jin's intentions for the surrounding areas after breathing space gradually matured. For Luan Shi, letting them go to the north, or even rebuilding Taiyuan, or letting them go to the northwest to rebuild the Hengshan defense line for the entire Central Plains, became a choice.

After thinking, Lou Shuwan and Wang Juyun's decision was to carry out the wiring on both sides at the same time. With the Jurchen threat still present, no one, no matter who it was, had the confidence to hold the Taiyuan area tightly, but Taiyuan was very important. Then, on the one hand, developing and rebuilding Taiyuan as a bridgehead, transit station, and even a training ground, and on the other hand, developing both Jin and the Northwest into a large rear area, basically became a mid-term plan for Jin and Luan Shi's subsequent strategy.

The entire strategy was somewhat large, and it might even lead to trouble due to insufficient strength, but in any case, it was already time to put it into practice.

There was no more ideal window of opportunity.

Therefore, starting from the Lunar New Year, the brothers and sisters in Luan Shi near Weisheng gradually gathered here. On the fifteenth day of the first month, they cooperated with the Jin army to conduct a military parade exercise. Although it had not been explicitly stated to the outside world, the signal that Jin was considering expansion had already spread privately. Even this month, Zou Xu's arrival could be regarded as an opportunity for people to support each other, so Lou Shuwan would certainly not refuse such a thing.

This also led to that not-so-serious assassination by the Huaxia Army and the subsequent complicated arguments.

You Hongzhuo's ambition was not in the military or politics, but having been among Liang Si'yi's brothers and sisters for days, he had naturally heard about the various details many times. Wang Juyun, who had gone to other places, returned on this day, and An Xifu, who had always been the steward of Luan Shi's internal affairs, and a man who looked to be in his forties, with a cheerful appearance and several scars on his face, also returned with him. This was also one of the most highly ranked and strongest figures among Wang Juyun's adopted sons and daughters in Luan Shi, Chen Fangda, nicknamed "Little Ming King."

During the most difficult period of Luan Shi, Wang Juyun taught his skills to all, regardless of their background. A group of adopted sons and daughters could all practice the "Peacock Ming King Sword," but Wang Juyun would put different amounts of energy on each person depending on their talent. The reason why Chen Fangda was called "Little Ming King" was because his cultivation of the Peacock Ming King Sword was also the highest among everyone. In some people's opinion, this was also inheriting Wang Juyun's mantle and being the disciple who would carry the coffin and see to his old age in the future.

Of course, in Luan Shi, the difference in status was not so strict. According to You Hongzhuo's understanding, Chen Fangda was more like An Xifu, a second-in-command in the army who could manage the Luan Shi army in place of Wang Juyun.

Returning from outside, Wang Juyun, with white hair but still energetic, greeted everyone cheerfully, and asked all the family members, including You Hongzhuo and Liang Si'yi, about the things he had been concerned about recently. The current Luan Shi was planning a layout and gathering strength to respond to the upcoming plans for the Northwest and Taiyuan, but he had always considered You Hongzhuo and Liang Si'yi's marriage to be a great happy event in this big family.

And after learning about You Hongzhuo's many ideas, the old man never mentioned letting him serve in the Luan Shi army. He even said to Liang Si'yi, "Little You has a free spirit and high talent, and a master has laid the foundation of martial arts for him. In the future, he can go to the Jianghu with him. He has his own path, and he will have great achievements in the future."

You Hongzhuo didn't say anything about this. He upheld chivalry, and when Jin fell into war, he would naturally go to the battlefield to kill the enemy. If Luan Shi was still in the predicament of those years, he would contribute his strength for his wife, but now Jin's manpower was abundant and everything was fine. He didn't need to urgently do anything in the army.

After chatting with everyone briefly, Wang Juyun, who was tired from the journey, went inside for a brief wash and rest. To You Hongzhuo's surprise, Chen Fangda, the "Little Ming King" who carried two swords on his back, looked around and walked straight towards him: "Which one is the brother-in-law?"

Liang Si'yi's expression was complicated, even a little dumbfounded: "Brother..."

Before she could finish speaking, seeing You Hongzhuo standing up with his hands clasped, the other party laughed and reached out to grab him.

"I heard about your martial arts from Father." He laughed. "Come on, let's have a fight!"

You Hongzhuo was slightly taken aback, and the surrounding area burst into laughter again. The older brother who had been challenged by You Hongzhuo before and chose to retreat was now also full of joy, saying, "This is a case of evil people being ground down by evil people. Third Brother, abuse him well!"

Some people also reminded him, "Third Brother, this guy is fierce!"

The crowd naturally dispersed while speaking. After a while, as the other party's Peacock Ming King Sword slashed down in the training grounds, You Hongzhuo completely understood that this person, whose status in Luan Shi was second only to Wang Juyun, and who was similar to An Xifu as a deputy general, was actually a martial arts fanatic in addition to leading the army.

"Haha--"

His long saber collided upwards.

--It was a sky full of fire.

...

Figures flashed.

Sharp edges crossed.

The sky flowed.

The evening sun returned to the west...

The light of dusk dimmed. Listening to the clanging sounds, Wang Juyun, who had rested for a while, put on his clothes and came from the backyard. He walked through the courtyard corridor and saw the firelight lit up in the training grounds, the broken swords and sabers in the firelight, and heard the hearty laughter coming from the light.

The people around were laughing.

The old man also laughed.

He also had years of riding on horseback in his youth, accompanied by swords and blades, and unrestrained and chivalrous.

It had been a long, long time ago...