Chapter 286: The Landlord

Wu Qu Mountain, an eastern extension of the Qilian Mountains, has been a strategic point for military strategists since ancient times.

Standing on the main peak, "Nangou Dading," you can overlook the city of Guyuan.

On this mountain top, there is a small, nameless grave mound. In front of the mound stands a tombstone, but there are no characters on the stone.

Under the brilliant starlight, a woman dressed in black with a veiled hat stood there. The light veil hanging from the brim of the hat covered her face.

She held a cloth, and while bending down to wipe the tombstone, she muttered in a low voice, "So many years have passed, and I never dared to return to Guyuan. I wasn't afraid to see you; I was afraid that upon returning, everything would have changed, so it was better for Guyuan to forget both you and me!"

The woman in black continued in a low voice, "But did you see? The sky above Guyuan that you and I looked up at ten years ago is exactly the same as the one I'm looking at now, and the people haven't changed either! I will come back often to see you from now on. Once I finish the last thing I need to do, I will come here and stay with you!"

Just then, footsteps sounded from below the mountain. Hu Sanye, carrying a skull, hurried up the mountain in the night and gently placed the skull in front of the grave. He stepped back two paces and bowed deeply. "General, I have brought Yuan Zhen to you!"

Not far away, Xiao Wu stood anxiously, holding a food box.

Hu Sanye turned his head and glared at him. "What are you standing there for?"

"Alright!"

Xiao Wu took a few anxious steps forward, first bowing to the woman in black and calling out, "Mistress Dong!"

Then he took the roasted chicken, steamed buns, oranges, and burned wine from the food box and arranged them one by one in front of the grave.

While wiping the tombstone, the woman in black asked in a low voice, "Is Lao Er gone?"

Xiao Wu's nose stung. "Yes."

The hand wiping the tombstone paused for a moment. "Did he say anything?"

Xiao Wu said in a low voice, "He said that loyalty and righteousness are not spoken with the mouth but exchanged with one's life!"

The woman in black asked, "He's gone?"

Xiao Wu hummed in response. "Gone."

The woman in black gazed at the wordless tombstone, then calmly said, "From now on, you are the shopkeeper of the Longmen Inn. Do things well. Remember to send the money and goods from those fat sheep to Hu Junxian. He needs silver right now. But tell him that the camel caravan with the lamps cannot stop. I have never done a losing business in my life!"

Xiao Wu said in a low voice, "Mistress Dong, Hu Junxian has never liked us. Perhaps he doesn't want our silver."

The woman in black said unhurriedly, "The Guyuan border army has suffered heavy losses. The court's慰藉银 (wèijiè yín, consolation silver), after being peeled layer by layer, how much can remain when it reaches his hands? Tell Hu Junxian that this sum of silver is not given to him but to the border army soldiers as consolation!"

Xiao Wu replied, "Understood!"

The woman in black said casually, "Go now!"

Xiao Wu turned and walked away.

Only two people remained on the mountain top.

The woman in black straightened up and gazed at the tombstone. She opened her mouth and asked, "Lao San, you sent someone to bring a message earlier, saying you saw 'him'?"

Hu Sanye hummed in response. "I met him by chance on the road, and I followed him into the Longmen Inn. Now Chen Liqin has been promoted to an official in the East Palace, and he came with the Chen family."

The woman in black hesitated for a long time, finally unable to bear it. "How is he?"

Hu Sanye recalled, "He's about as tall as me, tall and thin, with clear eyebrows and a handsome face, but with a heroic spirit. He's very much like you. When he held a dagger to my neck, I almost mistook him for you!"

The woman in black carefully pondered these words, as if trying to remember them by heart. "And then?"

Hu Sanye said seriously, "He is very capable, courageous and strategic, careful and cautious in doing things, and his martial arts are also very good. He is already an official at the third level of the Innate Realm!"

The woman in black said in a solemn voice, "Where did his official path come from?"

Hu Sanye replied, "As far as I know, the Chen family once sent him to the imperial physician hall of Jing Wangfu to be an apprentice. His official path was taught by the imperial physician of the imperial physician hall. You could say it was a blessing in disguise!"

The woman in black said calmly, "The Chen family actually sent him to the medical hall as an apprentice? It seems Liang shi doesn't know I'm still alive, otherwise, even with two guts, she wouldn't dare. Who is the imperial physician?"

Hu Sanye replied, "A seventh-rank imperial physician, Yao Qimen!"

The woman in black was slightly startled. "Is it him? I only know that his medical skills are outstanding and he is harsh towards people, but I haven't heard that he is also an official. What else did you inquire about?"

Hu Sanye thought for a moment. "Wang Daosheng praised him, saying he is bright but not dazzling, like still water flowing deep!"

The woman in black nodded. "It's rare for Wang Daosheng to praise someone. He must have a good character. What else?"

Hu Ye thought for a moment again. "He is now working for the Crown Prince and is already the You Siwei in the East Palace official office, a sixth-rank official!"

The woman in black asked again, "How did he get involved with the Crown Prince? And has he ever married?"

Hu Sanye shook his head. "Not yet."

The woman in black asked again, "Does he have a woman he admires?"

Unknowingly, she had already asked many questions.

Hu Sanye was silent for a moment. "Mistress Dong, if you miss him, rather than asking me, why not go see him yourself?"

The mountaintop quieted down, with only the cold wind blowing through their hearts.

The woman in black was also silent for a long time, finally sighing softly. "No, I won't go. Since I didn't raise him, let him think I'm truly dead. You shouldn't go see him either. Don't involve him in our affairs!"

Hu Sanye replied, "Yes!"

The woman turned and walked down the mountain. "Clearing the General's name is as difficult as ascending to the sky, but he lived a heroic life. We cannot stand by and watch him bear the bad name of being a disloyal and unrighteous traitor. I also cannot stand by and watch his tombstone remain without characters! The spy who framed him that year may have been silenced, but the mastermind behind the scenes is certainly still alive. I found a letter in the case file library in the capital that I fear is related to that year's events!"

Hu Sanye followed behind her. "Alright, I will investigate!"

Guyuan city under the night sky was silent like an empty city.

Basins of large fires burned, and all the border army foot soldiers gathered in one place. Some kept their eyes open, silently waiting for dawn, while others simply lay down with the corpses and fell into a deep sleep.

Chen Ji, Zhang Xia, Zhang Zheng, Xiao Man, and Li Xuan leaned against a clean wall. They watched the border army foot soldiers set up pots to boil water, slaughtering war horses with injured legs and boiling them into pots of horse meat.

White soup bubbled in the pots, and the fragrance slowly drifted into their noses. A shadow fell over them, blocking the moonlight and firelight.

Chen Ji looked up and saw that it was Hu Junxian and Zhou You riding by.

Hu Junxian pulled the reins, sitting on his horse and sizing them up. His gaze finally fell on Li Xuan. "Are you willing to come and take office in my border army?"

Li Xuan was startled. "General Hu is speaking to me?"

Hu Junxian's voice was rough. "Come to the border army, and I guarantee you will be promoted to Vice Commander-in-Chief within seven years. At that time, whether you stay in Guyuan or use the Qi family's power to transfer to another frontier official position is up to you!"

Hu Junxian extended an olive branch, but Zhou You grinned beside him and said, "Master Li, coming to my Guyuan is a road of no return, ten thousand li away from home, and a letter is hard to send! There is none of the capital's prosperity here, only endless sand and the yellow soil that stretches as far as the eye can see! Master Li, you must think carefully before answering!"

The two men's positive and negative approach made it unclear whether they actually wanted Li Xuan to come to the border army.

Li Xuan looked up at the unusually burly Hu Junxian, finally bowing with his fist. "Thank you both for your kindness, but my family and wife are all in the capital, and I really cannot leave!"

As the Qi family's son-in-law, from the day he got married, his fate was no longer his own. His wife would not allow him to come to Guyuan, and the Qi family would not allow him to come to Guyuan either.

Hu Junxian saw his refusal and did not force him, only saying casually, "Then I wish Master Li a meteoric rise and boundless prospects!"

Zhou You smiled and bowed to Li Xuan. "We apologize for any offense earlier. See you again later."

He then cast his gaze to Chen Ji. "Little Master Chen, are you willing..."

Before he finished speaking, Hu Junxian interrupted, "He doesn't need to come to my Guyuan!"

Zhou You smiled awkwardly for a moment and quickly apologized to Chen Ji before riding away with Hu Junxian.

Xiao Man's eyes widened. "Wait a moment."

Hu Junxian and Zhou You both pulled the reins and turned back, looking at Xiao Man in surprise.

Zhang Xia's heart sank, and she reached out to pull Xiao Man, but Xiao Man blocked her outstretched hand and said angrily, "Why don't you recruit him? What do you mean he doesn't need to come to Guyuan?"

Hu Junxian examined Xiao Man from head to toe, then actually answered a little maid's question. "It's not that I won't recruit him, but I know he won't stay, so there's no need to waste time!"

Xiao Man was indignant. "It's his decision whether he stays or not. You should at least ask him."

Hu Junxian said indifferently, "Li Xuan is not good at self-preservation and adaptability. In a place like the capital, even with a body full of skills, it's hard to show them. Rather than being a caged canary, it's better to come to my Guyuan and be an eagle. But your young master is different. He is like a fish in water in a place like the capital. If one day he can establish himself in the capital, the Guyuan border army will still need him and his teacher's care in the capital! Do you understand what I mean?"

Xiao Man was stunned. "Ah... then you should have said that properly."

Hu Junxian no longer paid attention and rode away.

Xiao Man turned back and looked at Chen Ji innocently. "Young master, I didn't cause any trouble, did I?"

Chen Ji smiled. "No, you spoke up for me. What trouble could you cause?"

Zhang Zheng laughed happily. "It is also Hu Junxian who has this kind of breadth of mind and vision. Be careful when you get to the capital. The officials and nobles in the capital are all narrow-minded!"

Xiao Man muttered in a low voice, "The capital is so great, and they still only have two eyes and one mouth."

Just then, a shout came from a distance. "Master, save me."

Chen Ji didn't pay attention.

The person shouting saw that Chen Ji was not paying attention and shouted again, "Brother-in-law, save me."

The crowd turned to look and saw that it was Qi Jianzhe and others who were still tied to the horses! After the great battle, everyone was physically and mentally exhausted and had almost forgotten about them!

Chen Ji also realized at this time that the "master" Qi Jianzhe had just shouted was actually himself!

Li Xuan carried his sword and went to untie everyone. Xiao Man looked at Chen Wenxiao, Chen Liqin, Liang shi, and Wang Gui who had survived the disaster, and complained in a low voice, "How are they as hard to kill as Yuan Zhen? If I had known earlier, I would have done it myself..."

Chen Ji: "..."

The next moment, Chen Liyin had just struggled free from the hemp rope and immediately picked up a Puknife scattered on the ground and chopped it towards Chen Wenxiao. "Rebellious son, how dare you insult my family traditions."

Chen Wenxiao cried out and dodged. "Mother save me, I was only doing what was necessary earlier."

Chen Liqin swung the knife in a circle, and Liang shi protected Chen Wenxiao behind her like an old eagle protecting its chick. "Old master, you can't. He is your own flesh and blood."

Chen Liqin was furious. "Then I will pretend I didn't give birth to him. Move away. Even if I don't kill him, the law of Da Ning will not spare him."

Zhang Zheng laughed coldly. "They're pretending again. I don't believe the knife in his hand can really chop down! A set of bitter meat tactics, and perhaps they will be fooled again!"

At this time, Hu Junxian and Zhou You watched this farce from afar. When the Chen family and the Crown Prince were captured, only the Tian Ce Army was around. Now that the Tian Ce Army was all dead, they were not clear what had happened, and they only observed silently.

Xiao Man's eyes rolled, and she ran forward several steps to pull Hu Diao Xian's reins.

Hu Junxian frowned. "What do you still want to do, little girl?"

Xiao Man said in a low voice, "General Hu, my young master assisted Master Li in beheading the general earlier. Does that count as a meritorious service?"

Hu Junxian said indifferently, "Naturally it does!"

Xiao Man said again, "Does the Guyuan border army cherish emotions?"

Zhou You grinned. "We cherish emotions, we cherish emotions. What exactly do you want to say, little girl? Don't beat around the bush."

Xiao Man quickly said, "Then when Chen Wenxiao was captured alive by the Tian Ce Army, he wanted to sell out my young master... selling out a meritorious minister, does that count as collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country?"

Hu Junxian turned his head to look at Chen Wenxiao. After thinking for a few breaths, he waved his hand to the border army foot soldiers. "Take him down and escort him to the capital with my border army to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for trial."