Chapter 1 The Inn

The post station suddenly became lively.

Xu Wenzu's personal guards were well-trained, after all, they had been on the battlefield. They had already been on strict alert, but now, they directly nocked their bows, donned their armor, and drew their swords.

The postmen from the outer perimeter of the station also came over upon hearing the commotion. They didn't have any decent weapons, but they were there to fill the ranks.

In addition, many officials living in the front yard of the post station, along with their entourages and guards, came out to see what was happening. Some, even wearing low-ranking official robes and holding melon seeds, ran out to join the excitement.

There were Jin people and Yan people among them. Regardless of where they came from, the eagerness to watch a show was a common human trait.

Of course, they didn't know which great figure was staying in the backyard. If they had known Xu Wenzu's identity, they would have rushed out to "protect the emperor."

In the end, middle and high-ranking officials rarely stayed at post stations. Even proper officials were a minority; most of the time, it was the officials' relatives and subordinates using their waist tags or documents to visit relatives and friends, or simply subordinates passing by on business, freeloading off the imperial court at every opportunity.

Some servants liked to act important in the post station, and others would give them face out of respect for their masters, but no one really took them seriously.

It was getting lively,

But the black-clad assassins who were expected to come from all directions were nowhere to be seen.

From beginning to end,

Only the white-haired old man stood in front of the pot,

Plus two servants who had been tending the fire.

The scene was vastly different from when Xu Wenzu saw his sworn brother Zheng being assassinated outside Yin City.

Liao Gang, holding his bodhi staff, carefully watched the old man. Although he was some distance away, some traits of martial arts practitioners were universal, the most obvious being the calluses on the hands of those who practiced swordsmanship.

At a slightly higher level, it was their breathing frequency.

To Liao Gang's surprise, the old man didn't give off the feeling of being a martial artist.

Of course, someone of that age, even if he were a martial artist, would have long had his vitality depleted. Youth triumphs over age; this was an eternal truth.

In fact, whether they were martial artists, swordsmen, or qi refiners, they couldn't escape this rule. The only thing that a slightly special qi refiner would improve upon in old age was their understanding of "qi" and "reason," but in terms of actual fighting ability, they would still be much weaker than in their prime.

For example, the former Cang Fuzi, if he had only been sixty years old, wouldn't have needed Bai Li Jian to accompany him to Yanjing.

What was often said on stage or in storytelling, about cultivating in a mountain cave for sixty or a hundred years and then shocking the world, was nonsense. The older the monster, the more demonic...

Well,

They were just monsters. When they got old, their demonic aura faded and their bodies withered. It had nothing to do with being more demonic with age.

Liao Gang's attention shifted to the two servants; they also gave the impression of being ordinary people.

This was quite unexpected. So, all this commotion wasn't for an assassination?

"The wronged souls and flesh in the Wangjiang River?"

Xu Wenzu stroked his chin and continued to shout:

"In recent years, there have been countless wronged souls and flesh in the Wangjiang River.

Before his death, the late Emperor of the Great Cheng fought valiantly to repel the allied forces of the barbarians and rebels, forcing them to retreat to the east side of the Wangjiang River.

During the first Battle of Wangjiang, the Great Yan Eastern Expeditionary Army was intercepted by the Chu navy, and countless soldiers from the left-wing army were submerged in the riverbed.

During the second Battle of Wangjiang, the barbarians who crossed the river were defeated by the Great Yan Jingnan Prince, and the drowning barbarians in the river were like carps crossing the river.

Beneath Jade Plate City, the Chu people were ambitious, and they were beheaded by the Wangjiang River. It is said that the blood of the Chu people stained the Wangjiang River red.

There are barbarians, Chu people, Yan people, and of course, Jin people.

May I ask,

What exactly are you cooking in your pot, which family's wronged souls and which family's flesh?

Heh heh,

I once tasted a dish at my brother's place, a mix of various meatballs, vegetables, and meat cooked in a pot, with bamboo skewers inserted for easy eating. My brother called it Guandong Stew.

I don't know where Guandong is. My brother said it was just a name passed down from long ago, and it's impossible to verify whether the place name exists or whether the pronunciation was mistaken when it was passed down.

But right now, in your pot,

You can give it a definite name.

Anyway, it's a mishmash,

Why not call it,

Jin-dong Stew?"

After speaking,

Xu Wenzu laughed loudly.

His personal guards, Master Liao, the old man in the courtyard below, and the surrounding crowd of onlookers were all bewildered, genuinely unsure of where the humor came from.

Xu Wenzu's laughter gradually subsided,

Feeling that life was boring.

If his sworn brother Zheng were here, he wouldn't have felt so misunderstood.

Alas,

Where could he find a kindred spirit in this vast world?

The white-haired old man shook his head,

And said:

"Sir, you missed one."

"Oh? Which one?"

"The souls who drowned in the flood."

"Natural disasters are merciless."

"Is it really a natural disaster?" the old man said loudly, "If it were truly a natural disaster, so be it, it would be their fate, the heartlessness of Heaven. But that night, the dam that had been built for so long suddenly collapsed, and countless people downstream in Jin were drowned. How many families were washed away in their sleep?

This,

Is this a natural disaster?

The Great Yan navy entered Chu through the channel diverted from the Wangjiang River,

The Marquis of Pingxi led his army to the bank of the Wangjiang River,

Everything,

So coincidental?

Sir,

Dare you pat your chest and say,

This,

Is also a natural disaster?"

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Xu Wenzu heavily patted his chest three times,

The chest meat, thicker than most women's, rippled heavily,

And said firmly:

"A natural disaster!"

"Hahahaha..."

The white-haired old man laughed,

Pointing at Xu Wenzu on the second floor above,

Shook his head,

And said:

"It's a wonder you can even say that! It seems that the Yan people's bestial nature is confirmed!"

Xu Wenzu reached out and touched his nose, twisted his thick neck,

And shouted:

"Damn it, hurry up and serve the main course, bring out the good stuff, don't delay my sleep."

The white-haired old man sighed,

His aura,

Withered along with it.

He took out a dagger;

At this moment,

Xu Wenzu gestured to a personal guard beside him, who nodded slightly.

Below,

The old man continued to sigh:

"I once thought that the division of Jin into three, causing my Great Jin to split, gave you Yan people an opportunity. This was our own fault. I also thought that if you Yan people could treat the people of my Jin as your own and bring peace, what if my Jin were to serve you Yan people as our master?

But the truth is, you Yan people treat the people of my Jin as fish to be slaughtered.

My surname is..."

"Buzz!"

An arrow struck the old man's chest.

"Hehehe."

Xu Wenzu laughed, bubbles coming out of his nose,

"Damn it, I knew this old thing would eventually want to announce his family name, but I just won't let you have your way."

The old man fell to the ground. The power of the crossbow bolt was great, almost piercing through his body. He wasn't wearing thick cotton clothes, but a thin long robe.

"Postman, where the hell are you? Someone is openly digging up graves and eating corpses. This is truly rebellious and outrageous! I have already ordered him to be executed. Hurry up and clean this place up, so as not to affect my rest and everyone else's."

After speaking,

Xu Wenzu's gaze swept over the crowd of onlookers below,

And shouted:

"I am Xu Wenzu, the newly appointed Prefect of Yingdu. I'm giving everyone a heads-up in advance. In the future, I dare not speak for other places, but in my territory, whoever dares to do such things that violate the law will have their heads chopped off! After chopping off a few more heads, I want to see who else dares to talk about the collapse of propriety and music!"

After speaking,

Xu Wenzu closed the window,

And returned to the table to sit down.

Liao Gang observed for a while longer, and when he saw the people from the post station had come to clean up, and the rest of the onlookers had dispersed, he finally felt relieved.

But in the room, the other personal guards, including those downstairs and on the roof, were still on high alert.

After waiting for a long time,

Turning away several waves of officials who wanted to see him after learning of Xu Wenzu's identity,

Xu Wenzu finally couldn't help but say

To Master Liao beside him:

"Huh? Is that all there is to it?"

The stage was set up well,

And they shouted fiercely,

But it was a bit anticlimactic.

The person died, and that was it? Nothing more?

Master Liao nodded and said, "There were no abnormalities found in any of the deployments."

The scene of a large group of assassins swarming out didn't happen.

Xu Wenzu took a handkerchief handed over by a personal guard and wiped the grease off his face.

"Sir, I went to confirm again, that old man's surname is Liu, his name is Liu Hui. He is indeed a teacher of Prince Cheng's mansion. He was once an official in the Ministry of Rites of the Great Cheng, and later taught Prince Cheng's lessons in the mansion."

Xu Wenzu nodded.

"I also went to check the people in the pot, and found that there were indeed human bones inside."

Xu Wenzu nodded again.

Putting the handkerchief back in the basin of water,

Xu Wenzu let out a long breath,

And said to Liao Gang:

"If he had really continued to sing the song, then the stone in our hearts would have fallen to the ground. It's nothing more than soldiers coming to block, and water coming to dam;

If we have to fight, we have to kill.

If we can't win,

We'll break through and slip away.

But the play stopped halfway.

The warm-up, the tea serving, the drumming, the beating, the blowing, and the playing were all lined up, so how could it suddenly stop?

It was a coincidence that I came to rest at this post station;

That old thing couldn't have kept the human bones by his side, carrying them around and hugging them to sleep at night, right?

Looking at his posture, he clearly knew who I was.

It's just like the theaters in Nanwang City,

Is the open space on East Street a place where ordinary opera troupes can set up a stage?

In other words, those who can set up a stage there are either backed by some family or have a great reputation;

But one thing is for sure,

They shouldn't sing badly,

But this play,

Heh heh,

The taste is wrong."

Liao Gang said with a smile beside him:

"So, you're saying that you were safe and sound, and got scolded by an old literati seeking fame, but you felt it wasn't enjoyable enough?"

"Hey, that's not what I meant, Master Liao..."

At this time,

A personal guard led a soldier wearing a flying fish uniform in.

"Sir, this person claims to be sent by the Marquis of Pingxi."

"Jia Zheng, a personal guard under Marquis Pingxi, greets Lord Xu. My lord asked me to extend his best wishes to Lord Xu."

"Someone sent by Brother Zheng?"

Xu Wenzu rubbed his chin,

Then asked:

"Since you are here, where is Brother Zheng?"

"Reporting to Lord Xu, my lord is at Xu Family Fort, forty miles away from here."

Xu Family Fort was a military fort. Originally, it only had a garrison of three hundred soldiers, but after the war against Chu, a large number of laborers and supplies needed to be transported from here to Yingdu, making it a vital passage. In order to ensure the safety of this route, Xu Family Fort was expanded into a fort-village similar to a civil-commercial town, equivalent to a small town.

The local garrison has a Jin battalion with a strength of one thousand men. In the future, a county government will likely be established here. After all, the military and political system established when Jin was divided into three was not for development but for mutual defense, but this process has been delayed due to the continuous warfare.

"What is Brother Zheng doing at Xu Family Fort?" Xu Wenzu asked curiously, picking up his teacup.

Forty miles,

He was riding a Pixiu, but Zheng was riding a genuine Pixiu. This distance was nothing.

Immediately,

Xu Wenzu understood,

And slammed the teacup heavily on the table,

Cursing:

"Damn it, these Jin people don't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

He had been wondering why the play had stopped.

But wasn't it just stopped?

This time, people didn't plan to use any jianghu (martial world) forces, nor did they plan to do any assassination.

As long as the Jin army from Xu Family Fort was pulled over and rushed here, his personal guards could defend against assassinations and jianghu rabble, but they would definitely be in trouble if they encountered regular troops.

But Xu Fatty was broad-minded,

After cursing,

A smile immediately appeared on his face again,

And he said to Liao Gang:

"Master Liao, did you see? This time, I owe a lot to my brother Zheng. What you just said about blessings warding off disasters is not right."

...

Xu Family Fort.

At the dining table,

Marquis Zheng was eating tangbingzi (soup noodles).

On the ground next to the table, a Jin officer was lying, already cold.

Meng Lun, born as a Jin surrendered soldier, later served as the garrison commander of Xu Family Fort.

While in office, he was corrupt and perverted the law, and had engaged in several incidents of collusion between officials and bandits to destroy small caravans, so he didn't die unjustly;

However,

Marquis Zheng felt that dying like this was too insignificant, so he thoughtfully added a charge of treason to him, so that his funeral could be held more grandly.

Xu Family Fort, up and down, had been controlled by Marquis Zheng at this time; otherwise, he wouldn't be eating so peacefully here.

Gou Moli was sitting at the table, also eating together.

"Hoo..."

After drinking two mouthfuls of soup, Marquis Zheng let out a long breath and asked:

"Is there no problem on He Chunlai's side?"

Gou Moli immediately put down his chopsticks and reported:

"Don't worry, Marquis. He was once a member of the Jin righteous men. If he colludes with some former 'comrades' and puts on a show at the post station to smear Prince Cheng's mansion, there won't be any major problems.

If Little Chunzi can't even perform this little scene well, doesn't that mean that Master Bei has misjudged him?"

Zheng Fan nodded.

"However, Marquis, I have one thing I don't understand. Since you also think that the assassination in Yingdu is likely to be the scheming of Prince Cheng's mansion, why take such a roundabout route?"

Zheng Fan smiled,

He knew that Gou Moli was deliberately trying to get him to answer to make him happy.

He didn't expose it,

And said directly:

"I think it's very likely that this matter cannot be separated from Prince Cheng's mansion, but the real decision-maker, or the person who connects the lines, his spearhead may not be below but on me.

Since the other party can use the card of Prince Cheng's mansion to hit me,

If I personally end up playing, wouldn't I be hitting his mark?

No matter what, I would be at a disadvantage.

First, set a tone for Old Xu,

Prince Cheng's mansion,

It would be more appropriate for him to start solving it after Old Xu goes to Yingdu to take office.

My brother Xu,

Don't look at him as fat,

But his heart is very small."

Marquis Zheng was about to take a few more sips of soup, after all, the essence of the soup noodles was still in the soup.

But unexpectedly,

Some dust suddenly floated down from the eaves and fell into the soup bowl in front of him.

It didn't matter,

You can still continue to drink it after picking it out, and some people don't even bother to pick it out and drink it directly.

But Marquis Zheng pushed the soup bowl forward,

And said:

"It's dirty."