Chapter 2134: Unusual Occurrence

The teahouse grew livelier at this hour, as many people, having finished dinner with nothing else to do, came to linger.

Mudu residents had a habit of frequenting teahouses, drinking tea, listening to stories, and watching plays, often staying for two or three hours. Popular teahouses could even remain open until midnight.

As the You brothers descended, they heard a burst of laughter before reaching the landing. Then, four or five people emerged from the back, one of whom was Zhai Qiushan.

Someone casually remarked, "That woman truly doesn't know what's good for her!"

The smile on Zhai Qiushan's face faded.

He had invited friends to the Houxi Teahouse for tea today, which he considered a gesture of support for Mei Wuniang. After all, Mudu had countless teahouses; once the novelty of a new one wore off, who would still come?

To his surprise, the woman hadn't appeared at all, causing him to lose face in front of his friends.

Another person quickly interjected to smooth things over, "Mei Wuniang isn't in the city today; what does that have to do with knowing what's good for her?"

"Perhaps another day," Zhai Qiushan said calmly. "It's her shop; she can't always be away. Next time, I'll see what excuse she comes up with."

He scoffed inwardly, as if he were that easily dismissed!

His companion from earlier chuckled, "Precisely, precisely. Sooner or later, she'll have to come and serve Young Master Zhai, won't she?"

Seeing them about to reach the landing, You Huan suddenly quickened his pace, taking five steps in three, reaching the bottom and turning sharply.

The teahouse was noisy, and his movements were light, so these people didn't hear him on the stairs. Their vision blurred for a moment as someone unexpectedly turned in front of them and collided with Zhai Qiushan.

You Huan was a martial artist with a sturdy build, and he used considerable force. Zhai Qiushan stumbled from the impact, seeing stars.

"You..."

His friends nearby quickly supported him, pointing at You Huan and shouting angrily, "Do you have eyes! Do you know who you just injured?"

Seeing a conflict about to erupt, the You family guards immediately rushed forward to shield their master.

However, Zhai Qiushan had also clearly seen the other person's face. He quickly waved his hand, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Greetings, Lord You!"

It was no joking matter; this was the youngest Palace Grandee of the Imperial Secretariat in history, and a frequent visitor before the Emperor!

Zhai Qiushan's nose was throbbing and numb. He also felt a warm sensation under his nose, and when he reached up to touch it, he found blood flowing freely.

His nose was crooked from the impact.

"I am truly sorry!" You Huan said, looking deeply remorseful. "I was in such a hurry to go downstairs that I actually injured you! It's my fault. Ah-Xin, immediately take Young Master Zhai to see a doctor!"

Ah-Xin was the guard standing in front of him.

"Yes, sir."

Zhai Qiushan took a handkerchief and pressed it to his nose, his voice sounding a little muffled. "No need, no need, I can handle it myself. Lord You, are you alright? Are you injured?"

Everyone saw his nose was smashed and crooked to one side; clearly, You Huan hadn't held back any strength in that collision.

Even so, he still had to ask if Lord You was injured.

You Huan appeared even more remorseful. "I'm perfectly fine. Ah, Young Master Zhai, you've suffered. Ah-Xin, what are you waiting for?"

The guard Ah-Xin immediately stepped forward and took Zhai Qiushan's arm, disregarding his protests. Half-supporting, half-dragging, he practically pulled him out of the teahouse.

Zhai Qiushan's friends didn't dare to intervene, standing rooted to the spot for three to five seconds.

You Huan ignored them completely and walked straight away.

You Su had watched the entire scene from the stairs. Now, he caught up with his brother, looking him up and down.

Big brother seemed a little off today.

"Big brother, what was that all about?" His brother usually didn't do anything without purpose, yet today he had deliberately collided with Zhai Qiushan. Could it be to vent anger for Mei Wuniang?

You Huan immediately saw his suspicion. "You're very forgetful. Have you forgotten that your manor had trouble with shipments two months ago?"

"Oh!" You Su exclaimed, suddenly realizing. "Right! Those people under the Commissioner of Transport are so used to causing trouble that they brought it to my manor!"

So, Big Brother was doing it to vent for him?

"Zhai Qiushan is going to be a local official in the south in the latter half of the year," You Huan said, waving the fan in his hand. "The Royal Court has entrusted him with an important responsibility. He should be diligently studying local governance and history, and investigating local customs and conditions. Instead, his mind is still filled with frivolous pursuits. How can he live up to the Emperor's mandate? I merely taught him a small lesson. With his nose injured, he won't be able to come out for a few days. He can stay home and review his materials properly."

Human nasal bones are very fragile, and You Huan knew how much force he had used. Zhai Qiushan's nose would need some time to recover.

You Su looked blankly and said, "Oh."

You're my brother, so whatever you say is right.

"Let's go back," You Huan said, also aware that his behavior had been a little strange.

The changes in the East were occurring daily. The pressure he faced in court was considerable, and he harbored some wild ambitions for his career.

Alas, he kept doing these abnormal things.

After taking Baiqiuyuan, the Dragon God Army regrouped for three days.

Dong Rui had been right this time. While the Dragon God Army held Baiqiuyuan, the Ya Kingdom, having suffered a crushing defeat, was very demoralized but still had no intention of surrendering.

This was because the large armies from the western and south-central regions of the Ya Kingdom had finally been mobilized!

These included border garrisons that were usually stationed there year-round and were not easily moved. But now, with the Ya Kingdom's heartland under severe threat, the Ya army had lost more battles than they had won, and the invaders were already threatening the capital. How could the Royal Court worry about anything else?

One must know that the Ya capital was located east of the Ya Kingdom's center, less than 200 li from Baiqiuyuan!

That vast plain was easy to traverse. If the Dragon God Army advanced at full speed, they would arrive in no time.

Meanwhile, Cang Yan would not stand by and watch the Emperor be trapped, continuously sending reinforcements into the Ya Kingdom. Baiqiuyuan was not far from the border, and to its north were vast mountains, making it difficult for the Ya army to intercept them.

As both sides continuously increased their stakes, when the Dragon God Army's numbers grew to 170,000, the central region of the Ya Kingdom had already amassed 200,000 troops!

The two sides confronted each other, with the forest surrounding Baiqiuyuan serving as the boundary. The situation was on the verge of erupting.

During this period, the Ya Kingdom sent messenger arrows to Baiqiuyuan, requesting communication and dialogue with the enemy's supreme commander.

However, several arrows were sent, but they all vanished without a trace, yielding no response.

To outsiders, after the Dragon God Army's recuperation, the Great Emperor Jiuyou's resolve to continue the offensive was very firm!

Even military equipment was being sent to Baiqiuyuan in batches. The Ya Kingdom's winged beasts flew high overhead on reconnaissance, seeing Cang Yan's convoys transporting military supplies winding like snakes through the mountains, ceaselessly day and night, their scale truly alarming.

The Glittering Gold Plain was too vast, and resources and manpower were truly abundant.

Few people, even within the Dragon God Army, knew that the Great Emperor Jiuyou was actually ready to order a retreat at any moment.

This was known as feigning advance to retreat, and feigning battle to rest.

In the blink of an eye, the five-day period was almost up.

To retreat or not to retreat? Dong Rui and the other generals came to ask him.

If they didn't retreat soon, their opponents would grow suspicious.

If they didn't retreat soon, the Ya army assembling outside Baiqiuyuan would grow even larger. If he withdrew the troops a few days later, it would appear as if the Dragon God Army was retreating because they felt they couldn't win.

In that case, the effect of this invasion, painstakingly arranged by He Lingchuan, would be greatly diminished.

The situation was extremely delicate.

He Lingchuan hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep these past few days, constantly weighing his options.