[Fantasy] The Song of the Six Dynasties (Complete) - 1

Episode 1: Lin'an

Synopsis:

Cheng Zongyang, a merchant aiming to make his fortune across six dynasties, amassed a fortune on the battlefield and arrived in Lin'an, the capital of the Song Dynasty, with a recommendation and appointment as a minor official.

Upon entering Lin'an, he found himself surrounded by almost all of history's most notorious traitors! Qin Hui, Jia Sidao, Xia Yeyan, Gao Qiu? And that's not all; famous characters from *Water Margin* also appeared! Li Shishi, surprisingly, wasn't a courtesan but a physician? Lin Chong was secretly working as a spy…

Would Cheng Zongyang be drawn into an even more complex web of schemes and entanglements?

Chapter 1:

A deathly silence fell over the central military tent at Jinming Village. Xia Yonghe, his white hair sparse, still possessed the sharpness of a hawk's eyes, but now held a chilling coldness. Qin Han's eyes were lowered, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Qin Han, a decorated general, was here to assist in the battle, but Xia Yonghe did not treat him as an ordinary guest. The two sat to the left and right, but the head seat at the head of the table was empty. In yesterday's battle, Weng Yinglong, who had come to oversee the fighting, was struck by an eight-ox crossbow bolt, and his fate

remained unknown. Another high-ranking eunuch, Li Xian, stood behind Qin Han with his hands clasped, following palace etiquette. Although Li Xian was a eunuch by birth, he was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and also proud and arrogant. However, beside Qin Han, he was always a newly promoted junior.

Li Xian felt no envy for Qin Han's position. Xia Yonghe's decisive battle, planned for many days, ended in a crushing defeat for the Song army. If it weren't for Commander

Qin's elite vanguard battalion turning the tide and protecting the central banner amidst the chaos, the situation would likely have been beyond saving. Below stood the high-ranking generals of the Song army. The Pengri and Longwei armies comprised four garrisons and forty military commanders, but only half remained in the tent.

As the Battle of Jiangzhou progressed, no one expected that the Pengri Left Wing Army, which had suffered its first defeat at the Battle of Sanchuankou, would now be the most complete force. The First Army Commander Cao Cong, the Second Army Commander Zhe Jimin, the Third Army Commander Wang Xin, the Fourth Army Commander Wang Zhongbao… including Zhong Shiheng, who had just taken over as Commander of the Tenth Army, were all present, making their actual strength exceed that of six armies.

Among the four commanders, the only surviving Pengri Right Wing Commander, Shi Yuansun, kept his head down, constantly wiping his cloak with his hands, the cold sweat on his palms seemingly impossible to wipe away. In today's decisive battle, his Pengri Right Wing Army had suffered the heaviest losses. The Xingyue Lake camp had successively breached four of his armies; after this battle, their losses were almost equivalent to those of the Longwei Right Wing Army, which had suffered a crushing defeat at Dingchuanzhai.

The most devastating casualties among the four armies were those of the Left Wing Army of the Dragon Guard, who had participated in the Battle of Haoshuichuan. Their commander, Ren Fu, along with seven other military commanders, were killed in action. Another military commander, Fan Quan, was killed in the Battle of Dingchuanzhai. Only two military commanders, Zhu Guan and Wang Da, survived, along with the newly appointed Liu Yisun—no more than three.

The meeting had been going on for half an hour, yet no one had spoken. Liu Yisun tried to speak several times, but Zhang Kang pulled him back each time.

After a long silence, Xia Yonghe bowed slightly. "Commander Qin?"

Qin Han nodded. "Good."

Xia Yonghe also nodded, then said, "Dismissed."

The generals in the tent seemed to awaken from a dream, kneeling and bowing to their commanders in varying degrees, before leaving the central command tent with a clanging sound.

Liu Yisun was completely bewildered. Once outside the tent, he asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Zhang Kang coldly replied, "They're retreating. Commander Xia asked Commander Qin to cover their retreat, and Commander Qin agreed."

Understanding the situation, Liu Yisun was speechless. The battle had dragged on for so long that supplies were exhausted and morale was completely shattered; retreat was the only option. They could only hope that Commander Qin's elite vanguard could hold back the Jiangzhou bandits, preventing another ambush and rout during the retreat.

"Commander Wang! Commander Zhe! Commander Zhong!" Zhang Kang greeted several generals familiarly. The men chatted casually, tacitly avoiding the topic of retreat; their tone, while not entirely relaxed, lacked any tense atmosphere.

Liu Yisun watched silently, noticing that the generals Zhang Kang had called were Wang Xin, Zhe Jimin, Zhong Shiheng, and Guo Kui of the Left Wing Army of the Pengri Army, and Zhao Xun of the Right Wing Army of the Longwei Army, but none were from Shi Yuansun's Right Wing Army.

The generals exchanged a few words, then dispersed without further discussion. But Zhang Kang had already achieved his goal; every general who stopped to exchange pleasantries would be one of his most reliable allies in the Battle of Jiangzhou.

"After this battle, the generals of the Pengri and Longwei armies will probably all be replaced," Zhang Kang said on the way back, passing the burned-out supply camp at Jinming Village.

In just two months, having experienced defeat, the death of his father, imprisonment, and then taking command of an army, Liu Yisun had matured considerably, losing the initial arrogance of his vanguard days. He remained silent for a long time before saying, "If it weren't for this battle, who could have imagined that the elite Upper Four Armies of the Imperial Guard would have fallen to such a state?"

"Merit goes unrewarded, and wrongdoing goes unpunished. As long as you can become familiar with the officers, you'll be promoted,"

Zhang Kang said. "To have fought this far is already a testament to the soldiers' courage and sacrifice."

Liu Yisun remained silent. Before setting out, he had always believed that the Pengri Army was strong and well-equipped, one of the strongest armies in the land. It wasn't until he saw what a truly invincible army was like under the walls of Jiangzhou, realizing the vast difference between the Upper Four Armies and truly elite troops.

Zhang Kang said, "Right now, there are three vacancies for the position of Commander of the Quarter, and countless people are scrambling to find a way in."

Liu Yisun suddenly had an absurd idea: "You don't mean to make me the Commander of the Quarter, do you?"

Zhang Kang chuckled. “How is that possible? Two of the three commander positions are up for grabs, and you still need to keep one just for show. I think it’s either Wang Xin or Zhou Mei.”

“Why not Cao Cong?”

“Cao Cong comes from a prominent family and has military achievements; he’s a definite contender for commander position. But he might not be willing to stay in the Imperial Guard and be at the mercy of others.” Zhang Kang patted his clothes. “If I can get back alive, I don’t plan to stay in the Imperial Guard anymore.”

Liu Yisun was shocked. “You want to abandon the military for a civilian career?”

“I finally got a military position, why would I give it up?” Zhang Kang said, “Junzhou is probably going to set up a military force, and I want this supervisor position. You help me.”

“How?”

“Give me a supervisor position.” Zhang Kang said without any pretense, “I’ll go to Lieshan and rob some valuables.”

“You! You…” Even though they had known each other for a long time, Liu Yisun was still stunned by his bluntness. After a long pause, he finally softened his tone, “You’re a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), you’re qualified enough to be a supervisor.”

"What's so great about being qualified? Without money, how can you become one?" Zhang Kang's face flickered in the dim light of the camp. "The Ministry of War, the Privy Council, the Grand Commandant's Office—you have to bribe everyone."

"Then why did you cross Lieshan? Wasn't it to

cross the river?" "To rob the Jin Kingdom?" Zhang Kang sneered. "To fall into the Northern Army's trap?"

Liu Yisun was utterly stunned. "You want to rob the people of Song..."

"Then I'm a heartless madman." After a long silence, Zhang Kang uttered two words: "Zhaonan."

A gust of cold wind rose, ruffling their robes. The two remained silent for a long time. Meanwhile

, in an inn west of Jiangzhou City, a scene of enchanting spring unfolded. The soft sunlight shone on the red silk curtains, and from within came a gentle singing voice: "I composed new lyrics, the rhyme is most charming, Little Red sings softly as I play the flute. When the song ends, we walk along the Songling Road, looking back at the fourteen bridges amidst the misty waves..."

The poetic verses, full of charm, are like a song and a painting. If you listen attentively, it is as if you are riding on a swaying boat, accompanied by the elegant sound of the flute, passing through a series of misty willow bridges, like a dream.

The scene inside the tent was far more sensual than the elegant singing. The beautiful woman singing lay naked on a brocade couch, her smooth, white body exposed, her dark hair flowing freely. Her delicate face was flushed with an intoxicating blush, her snow-white skin and flower-like features captivating. A young girl, as beautiful as a flower, lay on top of her, their breasts touching, their thighs intertwined, their beautiful bodies entwined, their faces only inches apart. The woman's voluptuous beauty and the girl's tender innocence complemented each other, their exquisite forms exuding boundless spring-like allure.

Between their faces stood a throbbing, erect penis. The engorged glans, red and swollen like a goose egg, its veins bulging like a writhing earthworm. The two women's faces reflected each other, their cheeks lightly brushing together. Mengniang sang softly, while Yan'er parted her cherry lips, gently licking the penis with her fragrant tongue. The fiery penis trembled slightly during the song, seemingly ready to explode at any moment.

Xiao Zi sat cross-legged on Cheng Zongyang's taut abs, her elbow resting on his chest, one hand supporting her cheek. She wore a purple satin draped over her, revealing her smooth, snow-white shoulders and delicate feet. She gently teased Meng Niang's body with her toes, laughing, "Ah Meng is a talented woman... anything else?"

Meng Niang thought for a moment, then shook her head somewhat shyly, "I don't remember..."

Xiao Zi pinched Meng Niang's cheek, laughing, "Never mind if you don't remember. Alright, Ah Meng, we've recited the poem, let's change positions."

Cheng Zongyang spread his legs, casually leaning against the couch, several pillows comfortably supporting his back. Although he was surrounded by beauties, his expression was unusually unpleasant.

“You brat,” Cheng Zongyang said, each word dripping with blood and tears, “It’s already dawn! Haven’t you had enough fun?”

“No,” Xiao Zi laughed, “Who taught you to be unable to stand?”

“Damn it! I’ll seal all eighteen of your acupoints and see if you can still stand up!”

Xiao Zi raised her index finger and shook it seriously. “If you can’t stand up, you lose. No cheating, okay?”

Cheng Zongyang was about to start cursing when suddenly his eyes lit up. Yan’er and Meng Niang crawled up from between his legs, revealing two alluring jade bodies.

Xiao Zi stretched out a snow-white hand from under the purple satin, beckoned the two women closer, and said with a smile:

“Yan’er on the left, Meng Niang on the right—Cheng, isn’t it beautiful?”

The two women knelt beside Cheng Zongyang, raised their arms, put their hands behind their heads, tilted their heads back slightly, straightened their chests and pulled in their stomachs, revealing the soft curves of their jade bodies. Their two white and beautiful bodies were as smooth as jade, and their two pairs of snow-white breasts stood high, radiating an alluring luster.

Cheng Zongyang's head was immobile, only his eyes darting left and right, rolling over the two women's bodies. Yan'er's breasts were small and firm, smooth as jade, her nipples like tiny flower buds, soft and tender. Mengniang's breasts were full and white, like two plump white peaches, her rosy nipples delicate as balls, the pale pink areolas quickly turning bright red with the slightest touch.

The two women bent down, each cupping their snowy breasts, gently kneading the smooth, elastic flesh against their master's body. Cheng Zongyang's breathing grew heavier and heavier, suddenly his body stiffened, his penis throbbing as if about to ejaculate.

Then he saw a slender hand, as clear as jade, gently reach out. Xiao Zi flicked his glans with her finger, and the swollen penis, like a python struck at its vital spot, instantly deflated.

Cheng Zongyang, panting, said, "I surrender!"

"That's only the seventh time, just two more and you'll be done."

"I swear! One more time, and I'll never be able to get hard again! Really!"

Xiao Zi kissed him on the lips, blinking her eyes, "I'll help you get it up."

Cheng Zongyang said painfully, "If I ever believe you again, may I run into a pig as soon as I step out the door!"

Xiao Zi laughed and pushed Meng Niang towards Cheng Zongyang. The warm, soft body pressed against his chest, and Cheng Zongyang's expression froze instantly. Meng Niang's body was plump and smooth, every muscle and skin alluring and beautiful. The smooth skin and wonderful touch made Cheng Zongyang's recently softened penis instantly engorged and erect.

Meng Niang lowered her jade-like neck, gently taking her master's penis into her mouth, carefully swallowing and releasing it.

"Oh—" Cheng Zongyang cried out, bursting into Meng Niang's mouth.

The semen, thick and viscous from holding back all night, shot hot into Meng Niang's throat. Mengniang choked on the thick semen, coughing involuntarily, a trickle of thick, cloudy semen spilling from her rouge-painted red lips.

The pleasure of repeatedly holding back ejaculation before finally spurting out was several times more intense than simple ejaculation. Cheng Zongyang felt himself immersed in the pleasure of ejaculation from head to toe, as if countless thrilling electric currents were flashing through him.

Despite his satisfaction, Cheng Zongyang was also somewhat disappointed. He had thought Xiao Zi would give him a surprise, but the brat was still tight-lipped. She had finally granted him permission to hold her tenderly for a while.

"Finish your business quickly and come find me in Lin'an."

"I'm not going to Lin'an." "

A woman follows her husband wherever he goes, no way you can run away!" Cheng Zongyang warned through gritted teeth, "Also, don't get too close to that old man, let me tell you! Men can be terrifying when they're jealous!"

Xiao Zi wrinkled her nose, "You big dummy!"

Cheng Zongyang instructed, "If you need anything, ask Wu Er. He's such a strong laborer, might as well use him. He still owes me money."

"I know." Xiao Zi nestled against his chest, rubbing her nose against his neck, then gave him a beautiful smile and said sweetly, "When you come back, I'll let you deflower me."

"Forget it! If I believe you again, I'm a pig!"

When he left, Cheng Zongyang didn't disturb many people. Only Meng Feiqing, Xiao Yaoyi, and Qiu Shaojun came to see him off

. When he saw Qiu Shaojun, Cheng Zongyang was startled. In just one night, the boy had grown a half-foot-long beard on his chin, which fluttered in the wind. If it weren't for the dark circles under his eyes, which gave him the air of a venerable, otherworldly figure,

Qiu Shaojun would have looked quite different. He twitched his beard, a smug look on his face, and said, "How about it? Not bad, right?"

Cheng Zongyang stared at him like he was a monkey, and after a long pause, said, "Qiu kid, tell me honestly, did someone humiliate you?"

Qiu Shaojun shook his head vigorously. "No, no! Haha, that thug surnamed Wu is actually a coward! We'd only been fighting for half the round when he heard I was going to duel him and he disappeared. Hahahaha!"

Cheng Zongyang thought to himself: Wu Er wouldn't risk his life for you, would he?

"What's with this beard? You've grown hair on your chin?"

"Miss Yue said I'm always following her around, can't I be a little more mature? I thought about it all night, so I made a beard out of my hair. Look," Qiu Shaojun said, stroking his beard with one hand, his tone deep, "Doesn't this look mature?"

Cheng Zongyang turned his head away, his face stern. "Governor Xiao, please find a doctor to treat Master Qiu's illness!"

Xiao Yaoyi said, "Master Qiu's illness is my responsibility! Brother Cheng, hurry back! I'll be counting on you for the rest of my life."

Qiu Shaojun protested, "Who said I'm sick?"

Meng Feiqing grabbed Qiu Shaojun's shoulder and said to Cheng Zongyang, "Have a safe journey! Don't worry, Jiangzhou won't be lost!"

The iron gate opened, and the small boat sailed out of the water gate, heading north upstream along the river.

In the distance, the battlefield left behind by the bloody battle could be seen on the riverbank. Xia Yonghe had schemed and laid a trap, but if it weren't for Shang Hou's timely intervention and interference, even if the Xingyue Lake camp had successfully broken through the encirclement, the casualties would have been heavy.

As a result, Xia Yonghe's long-planned decisive battle ended in a defeat for the Song army, and the situation immediately reversed. The Song-Jin Mingzhai camp, already short of supplies, was further weakened by the combined fire set by Si Mingxin and Lu Jing; managing to salvage even 30% was considered a success. Cheng Zongyang was certain that all the Song soldiers were now starving. From Sanchuankou to the walls of Jiangzhou, the Song army suffered repeated defeats, their morale plummeting to rock bottom. Until supplies arrived, they were unable to fight any longer.

But even if the Song army suffered a hundred defeats, they could still fight if they wanted to; a single defeat at Xingyue Lake would mean certain elimination. This was an unfair contest from the start, a battle between wolves and a lion. While the lion was fierce, the wolves were countless. Fortunately, the noose he had laid was already around the neck of the Song state.

For the Song army, the fox's pleas for peace were a godsend. Cheng Zongyang believed that even if Xia Yonghe was shrewd, he wouldn't be able to see through the mystery, because this was no longer a contest of tactics, but rather a contest on the level of war. What mattered now was how much Jia Shixian was willing

to invest. Without Xiao Zi by his side, Cheng Zongyang felt something was missing. Looking around, let alone any beauties, besides the rusty anchor, the only other person on the boat who was handsome was Ao Run; the other three were all increasingly ferocious, making Cheng Zongyang's anger rise and his malice grow. He should have brought that bitch Zhuo along; if that wasn't possible, Jing Li and Poppy Girl would have been fine too! As

the boat passed the north of the city, Cheng Zongyang suddenly spotted Yue Shuang. She leaned against her white horse, standing alone in the bushes, her gaze coldly fixed on her small boat.

The boat sped past the shore, and Cheng Zongyang flashed a big smile, waving vigorously at Yue Shuang. Yue Shuang's expression grew even colder, her eyes seemingly frozen in ice. Cheng Zongyang stuck out his tongue, then interlocked his thumbs and forefingers, placing them over his eyes to mimic wearing sunglasses. As expected, Yue Yatou spat forcefully, then leaped onto her horse and galloped back to Jiangzhou without looking back.

Cheng Zongyang put his hands on his hips, chuckled smugly, but finally shut his mouth in boredom, feeling a pang of loneliness...

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound came from the reeds along the riverbank, followed by a sudden gust of wind that seemed to sweep up the reeds within a radius of ten zhang, the dry reed leaves swirling in the air, creating a desolate atmosphere.

Xie Youdu stood with his feet slightly apart on a clump of severed reeds. His hands were held horizontally in front of him, gripping a sheathed longsword, a blush creeping across his handsome face.

Opposite him stood an old man in black. The old man was gaunt, with scales like fish scales covering his neck and the backs of his hands. His eyes were deeply sunken, the eyeballs dry and dull as if they had no eyelids. The

dark blue sharkskin of his sword scabbard was stained with a touch of gray, which gradually disappeared under Xie Youdu's true energy. He said loudly, "Elder Yu, you have traveled a thousand miles from Boling to my Jiangzhou. What brings you here?"

Elder Yu's voice was low and hoarse. "Our Yu family's young Wuyi has been killed. That child was not skilled enough, so there's nothing to say about his death. However, I heard that he had something on him that had reached Jiangzhou. Helpless, this old man had no choice but to make a special trip."

Xie Youdu's expression shifted slightly. “Young Master Wuyi? Since Elder Yu suspects it was the Jiangzhou people who did it, why not go and question them openly? Ambushing a junior here would be beneath our dignity if word got out.”

Elder Yu rolled his eyes. “Boy, I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. Do you think I’m a three-year-old? When Old Ghost Shang came to Jiangzhou, I didn’t need to embarrass myself with my poison skills. Since that woman is the daughter of that scoundrel Peng, no one will say I’m beneath my dignity no matter what methods I use.”

Cheng Zongyang and Ao Run exchanged glances. After a while, Ao Run said, “He seems to be talking about Marshal Yue?”

Cheng Zongyang nodded. “I think that name is even cooler than King Wu Mu. Scoundrel Peng—Old Ao, do you think Marshal Yue’s character is really that bad?”

Ao Run replied, “I have to hurry and inform Miss Yue! Boss Cheng, you go first, I’ll be right back!”

"Save your breath! With Young Master Xie here, why would you need to fawn over the vice-captain?" Cheng Zongyang said, inwardly wondering: Could Elder Yu be here to see Yin Yang Fish?

Xie Youdu, sword in hand, said, "Youdu has been entrusted to protect Miss Yue. Please enlighten me, Elder Yu."

"Huangtu Tiance Mansion, what a prestigious name. If I can't afford to offend them, I can at least avoid them?" Elder Yu sneered, took a half-step back, disappeared into the water, and vanished without a trace.

Xie Youdu leaped onto the small boat, his first words being, "Have you finished the perch I sent you?"

"Yes, I have." Cheng Zongyang clicked his tongue. "It tasted pretty good."

Xie Youdu smiled. "Brother Cheng, are you planning a long journey?"

Cheng Zongyang didn't hide anything. "Lin'an."

"Lin'an, Ah, the West Lake in June is so beautiful..." Xie Youdu murmured wistfully, then said with regret, "It's a pity I can't go." "

Since General Xie is here, why not come to the city for a chat?"

Xie Youdu asked with a somewhat troubled expression, "Is the young marquis here?" "

Of course he is. Last time he said you went to Jiangzhou but didn't come to see him, haha."

Xie Youdu sighed. "Since the young marquis is here, let's do it another day."

"Really? Do you two have a grudge?"

"No. It's just that Brother Cheng knows—it's not appropriate for Youdu to meet the young marquis at this time."

"Not even in a private capacity?"

"How can public and private matters be clearly distinguished? In the eyes of those with ulterior motives, this will inevitably be used to make a big deal out of it." Xie Youdu smiled casually, then bowed solemnly and said, "I have already sent someone to Jiankang to retrieve Brother Yi's knife. Thank you, Brother Cheng."

"Hey!" Cheng Zongyang shouted, "Isn't your Xie family going to avenge Brother Yi? Take a break for a commercial break: Still relying on your hands? How can that be enjoyable? Forum reputation guaranteed! Healthy anti-premature ejaculation masturbation exerciser, real oral sex pleasure experience, hot recommendation! Maintain the feeling of ejaculation for 30 minutes, so pleasurable you'll faint, fully automated masturbation with 12 different sex positions and vibration frequencies. Click to enter."

Xie Youdu's back trembled slightly.

"Wuyuan City!"

After a moment, Xie Youdu bowed deeply and then drifted away.

Ao Run came over: "Boss Cheng, is the person who killed Long Ji Xie Yi in Wuyuan City?"

Cheng Zongyang stroked his chin. "Hard to say. But I have two enemies in Wuyuan City. I can't deal with them right now, so I'll have the Xie family find them some work first."

"Boss Cheng, you're using someone else to do your dirty work!"

"Is that so?" Cheng Zongyang said innocently, "As Buddha said, it's all fate."

Ao Run could only click his tongue twice, speechless with admiration.

Cheng Zongyang turned to look at his followers: "We've all eaten our fill of mutton, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and row! Today we're going to travel a hundred li north by waterway, bypassing the Song army. If we miss the journey, each of us will lose a sheep at the end of the month!"

Jin Wuzhu said unhappily, "Master! You're too harsh!"

"If you say another word, each of us will lose two sheep!"

Leopard Head and Blue-Faced Beast immediately covered Jin Wuzhu's mouth together.

After venting his anger, Cheng Zongyang felt dejected. With that brat not around, why did he take his anger out on a few half-human, half-beast guys?

Ao Run shouted, and the three beastmen exerted their strength together. The small boat leaped upwards, its hull skimming the water's surface, shooting upstream like an arrow.

"Jin Wuzhu! Leopard Head! And you, Blue-Faced Beast! Feeling energetic after a good meal? Why are you rowing so fast! You've ruined our entire itinerary!"

"Master!" Jin Wuzhu argued, twisting his neck, "You're the one who told us to row quickly."

Cheng Zongyang shouted, "Kuyang!"

Those two words silenced the three. Cheng Zongyang muttered, "What kind of world is this! Can't I even complain?"

According to the original plan, the group would row north for a day, carefully avoiding the detection range of the Song army's scouts, then rest overnight on the riverbank, and the next day head east across Lieshan Mountain towards Junzhou.

However, the three barbarian beastmen, with their brute strength, covered a day's worth of waterway in less than half a day. Seeing that there was still plenty of time, Cheng Zongyang abandoned the riverside camping and headed into the mountains for the next campsite. As a result, they were half a day too late, and as darkness fell, they were still wandering in the mountains, realizing they would never reach their second campsite that night.

Ao Run comforted them, "It's alright! I've traveled this road before, we won't get lost! At worst, we'll sleep in a straw hut for the night and continue tomorrow. A day's journey can't cover two days' worth of distance, but two days' journey can cover three days' worth."

Cheng Zongyang realized he had been too hasty. He rubbed his face and said, "Let's find a place with water, take out the tents we brought, and we won't go any further today."

Ao Run's camping experience was indeed rich; they soon found a mountain stream. Having solved the water problem, everyone pitched their tents. Ao Run then used his iron bow to shoot a roe deer, skinned and cleaned it, and roasted it over the fire.

After spending a day with the three beastmen, Cheng Zongyang found that although they were rough and fierce, they were all straightforward and honest, making them easier to deal with than humans. Moreover, the three beastmen had been trained by the Vanguard Camp; while they couldn't handle complex tasks, they could execute basic orders, making them quite easy to command.

With three large gluttons in the group, one roe deer wasn't enough to satisfy their appetites. The three beastmen huddled together, discussing finding some more prey.

The Blue-Faced Beast said, "Beef. So fatty!"

Jin Wuzhu said, "No beef. I saw rabbits."

Leopard Head said, "Rabbits have thorns. They'll get stuck in your throat. You'll die."

The three beastmen nodded solemnly in unison. Cheng Zongyang felt a chill; these three gluttons could stuff a whole rabbit in one bite—they deserved to choke to death!

Ao Run said, "Old Shu! Old Leopard! Old Beast! Stop discussing it. The mountain road is difficult to travel at night, it's very dangerous! There's a mountain path above this ravine, and several people fall down it every year..."

Before he could finish speaking, they heard a neighing sound overhead, and a horse stumbled and slid down the cliff, dragging a carriage behind it. The driver screamed in agony as he and the horse crashed into the bushes in the ravine.

Cheng Zongyang, Ao Run, and Jin Wuzhu rushed over together. Cheng Zongyang went to check on the carriage, Ao Run went to find the driver who had fallen somewhere, and Jin Wuzhu pounced like a tiger, first biting the injured, whimpering horse to death, then twisting off its head, shouting amidst flying blood and foam, "Meat!"

Of the three, the Blue-Faced Beast was the most refined, shaking his head and saying, "Horse meat is tough."

Leopard Head leaped over, reaching out to tear off a horse's leg, biting down on the hoof and chewing, "Horse meat is so tough!"

Cheng Zongyang ignored the three large animals, shoving his shoulder against the carriage and forcefully pulling open the deformed door.

A snow-white face came into view, its jade-like beauty making Cheng Zongyang's heart seem to stop for a moment. Inside the carriage was a beautiful young woman. Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a pearl the size of a longan. She wore a pure white silk dress, and a silk ribbon dangled from one of her delicate ears. Her eyes were wide with fright, and her features were exquisitely beautiful. A small red mole on the corner of her lips added a touch of alluring charm to her lovely face.

Cheng Zongyang put on a kind face and asked gently, "Young lady, are you injured?"

Unfortunately, his tender words were completely ruined by Jin Wuzhu and his men behind them. The three men were feasting on the dead horse. As they spoke, Leopard Head pulled the horse's intestines out of its belly and sucked them into his mouth like noodles. The beautiful woman in the carriage was both horrified and disgusted, looking as if she was about to vomit.

Cheng Zongyang coughed. "Those are my mastiffs. They look fierce, but they don't actually hurt people. My surname is Cheng, and I'm a passing merchant. May I ask your name, young lady?"

Although the girl and her carriage fell off the cliff, she was unharmed. After the initial shock, she quickly calmed down, straightened her clothes, and said, "My surname is Li, Li Shishi."

Chapter Two

. The moment the name "Li Shishi" was uttered, Cheng Zongyang felt as if he heard a slot machine spitting out countless coins.

He had won the jackpot! This was the first time he had encountered a famous courtesan who would be remembered in history. It was said that the famous courtesan Su Xiaoxiao of Qiantang loved to travel in a fragrant carriage in the spring. It turned out that Li Shishi also had such a refined taste. However, traveling aimlessly in a carriage through remote and desolate places in the middle of the night in winter... this hobby was really too peculiar.

Seeing Cheng Zongyang's strange expression, Li Shishi asked in surprise, "Does the young master recognize me?"

"I've heard of you..." Cheng Zongyang looked at her face, as if he had fallen into a feeling where reality and history, truth and fantasy intertwined. Completely subconscious, he heard himself ask in a suggestive voice, "How much for a night?"

Li Shishi opened her eyes wide in confusion, seemingly not understanding. Such a delicate expression, indeed the charm of a famous courtesan… Cheng Zongyang winked: "I mean, how many gold coins would it cost to spend the night with you?"

"Slap!" A solid slap landed on Cheng Zongyang's face.

Cheng Zongyang instantly sobered up. He was truly blinded by lust! He was supposed to be a newly minted expert, yet he couldn't even dodge this little vixen's slap.

"Hey, you little vixen! Why are you hitting people randomly?" Cheng Zongyang said righteously, "I'm saying that in this desolate wilderness, if you fall like this, you definitely won't be able to walk. We can't protect you for nothing, right? You have to give us some money, don't you?"

Li Shishi was incredibly clever; how could she not understand that he was trying to save face? Ignoring Cheng Zongyang's explanation, she braced herself against the carriage to get up, but suddenly her legs gave way, and she fell back down in pain.

Having been in so many fights, Cheng Zongyang had some knowledge of sprains and bruises, and he immediately understood what was going on. "Don't move, you twisted your ankle, let me take a look."

"No need."

Li Shishi rolled up her trousers, glanced at him, first pulled the carriage curtain over her legs, then removed her shoes and socks. She moved her ankle, then opened a metal box inside the carriage, took out medicine and bandages, and skillfully bandaged it.

Cheng Zongyang stared wide-eyed at Li Shishi. Her white dress was simple in style, without any unnecessary embellishments, and the silk ribbon hanging from her ear was actually a half-removed mask! By some god of slot machines! Was Li Shishi giving up her profession as a courtesan to become a nurse?

Just as he was lost in thought, Ao Run dragged the driver over, his face extremely pale, and gestured to Cheng Zongyang from afar.

"Old Ao, what's going on—do it!"

Cheng Zongyang looked closely and saw that the driver was wearing black leather armor and a red-tasseled felt hat—clearly a Song soldier!

Ao Run raised an eyebrow, then gestured, indicating that he wanted to kill the people in the carriage to silence them.

Cheng Zongyang's expression changed several times. He had gone to such lengths to avoid the Song army, only to stumble upon them by sheer coincidence. If it were anyone else, he might have actually killed them! But inside the carriage was Li Shishi!

Li Shishi quickly bandaged her ankle, then raised her head and said solemnly, "I am a military physician of the Tiger Wing Army of Mingzhou in the Great Song Dynasty, a disciple of the Guangming Temple, and a humble outer disciple. Today, I am on military orders to go to Jiangzhou, accompanied by a cavalry commander from the Tiger Wing Army. Just now, our horse was startled and fell off a cliff. Thanks to your help, I am deeply grateful."

This was no simple matter; she first revealed the names of the Tiger Wing Army and the Guangming Temple, stating her identity, and then solemnly thanked him, giving him ample face. Even if the strangers she encountered in the desolate mountains had any ill intentions, her words would likely dispel those thoughts.

Cheng Zongyang smiled and said, "So you are a disciple of the Brightness Temple. Then you are not an outsider. I am Cheng Zongyang, and I know the fairies Crane Feather Sword Maiden, Yue Mingzhu, Mu Yanqi, and Deng Jing."

Li Shishi was taken aback. The Bright Temple Hall was divided into an inner hall and an outer hall. The inner hall passed on the mantle of medical skills, while the outer hall passed on medical techniques. The stranger mentioned several disciples of the inner hall. He wasn't surprised to have heard of Senior Sister Pan, the Crane Feather Sword Maiden, whose name was renowned; but he knew of Yue Mingzhu, Mu Yanqi, and Deng Jing, though few outsiders knew of them.

"Before the New Year, I happened to meet several fairies in Qingzhou who had established an orphanage. I generously donated money to help, and that's how I met them,"

Li Shishi said, her expression softening slightly. So he was a merchant from Qingzhou. No wonder he stayed overnight in the mountains and was so meticulous about money.

A shout came from the cliff. Li Shishi felt relieved and called out, "I'm down below!" Then she smiled at Cheng Zongyang, "Mr. Cheng, thank you. I will visit with Senior Sister Mu and Senior Sister Deng to express our gratitude another day."

The Li Shishi before her was still young, yet she already unintentionally displayed a charming and graceful air. She wondered what kind of alluring and graceful she would be when she grew a few more years. Unfortunately, a whole battalion of Song soldiers was overhead. Whatever other thoughts Cheng Zongyang might have had, he could only smile, bow, and say, "Take care. See you again someday."

The Song soldiers lowered ropes to retrieve the physician and his fallen comrade. Seeing people in the mountains, the Song soldiers who had climbed down the ropes all looked wary. The few barbarian beastmen, in particular, aroused their suspicion.

Fortunately, thanks to their connection with the orphanage, Li Shishi didn't make things difficult for him. She recounted how his horse had startled him, he had fallen from the carriage, and how Cheng the merchant had helped him. The two then parted ways.

Once the battalion of Song soldiers was far away, Cheng Zongyang breathed a sigh of relief. "The Tiger Wing Army of Mingzhou. Excellent! Jia Shixian is determined to continue the fight! You lot, wipe your mouths clean after eating horse meat! Don't you have any manners? If you don't reach Yunzhou within two days, each of you will lose a sheep!"

"You mean master..."

"Shut up!" Blue-faced Beast and Leopard Head pressed down on Jin Wuzhu and shouted, "Don't you want to eat sheep anymore!"

Looking at the bustling and lively Fuling River with its comings and goings of boats, Cheng Zongyang was speechless. Was this a temple fair? He thought that the treacherous minister and his accomplices were sneaking around at night to smuggle grain, but who would have thought that the scale would be so grand, openly playing tricks under the noses of the Song people.

Qin Hui, beaming with pride, said, “These are all boats transporting timber. The Changping Granary in Yunzhou was burned to the ground by a great fire, and now everything is being rebuilt. It's all thanks to my Cheng family's trading company that we raised the call and recruited laborers to cut down trees downstream and send timber. A couple of days ago, the Yunzhou government specially sent a plaque that read ‘Public-spirited and Righteous,’ which is now hanging on the gate of the grain shop.”

“Well done, you treacherous minister, keep up the good work, and the government will probably erect a memorial arch for you,” Cheng Zongyang said

. “The return trip was with timber, and the departure trip wasn't empty either, was it? Three hundred thousand shi of grain, you really have some skills.” Qin Hui said, “The Jingxi County government can only store two hundred thousand shi of grain. We rented another place in the city to store the remaining one hundred thousand shi. The grain shop arranges the entry and exit of the boats going to Jingxi, so it's not too troublesome.”

“Has there been any movement from Commander Wang?”

"Not yet," Qin Hui said. "The Changping granary caught fire, and grain prices have skyrocketed. Officials in Junzhou are scrambling to procure grain to supply the military. Commander Wang is tied up with official duties and probably won't be able to attend to us for the time being."

"It's best if he doesn't make a move. After we finish this job, we'll leave immediately. We don't need to bother with a mere commander," Cheng Zongyang said. "What about Ciyin?"

"She's come twice," Qin Hui said. "The second time she came, I noticed she looked unwell. It seemed she had been fighting with someone and had suffered a loss."

Cheng Zongyang didn't know the details between Jingshan and Ciyin. The thought that there were still experts hidden in the city made him slightly uneasy. “These next few days are crucial. We can’t let her ruin things. Have Changbo keep an eye on her!”

“It’s no use.” Qin Hui said with a bitter smile, “The other day, our men waited all night but the nun didn’t come out. They risked sneaking in, only to find that Guanyin Hall was deserted. The nun and her disciple left without saying goodbye, and even the monks in the temple didn’t know.”

This is troublesome. He had promised Shanghou that he would take him to see Ciyin, but the fish that took the bait grew wings and flew away. The old man would be furious if he found out.

Qin Hui saw his expression. “Is something wrong?”

“Forget it, let’s ignore her for now.”

That damned nun is so greedy, how could she run away so easily? Even if I don’t go looking for her, she will come looking for me. Cheng Zongyang put this matter aside and asked, “Have you contacted Muyu City?”

“As you instructed, young master, I invited five hundred Zhaonan people from Muyu City. They have arrived in Jingxi now, but…” Qin Hui said with a bitter smile, “They are only willing to deal with you, young master.” Cheng

Zongyang frowned. The Zhaonan people really went all out with this 500-person team. In his plan, the Zhaonan people were just a prop; if he continued to argue with them, it would only waste time.

"Grain prices?"

"Following your instructions, young master, we have already delivered 80,000 shi of grain. There's still no news of negotiations, and the price remains above 1,000 copper coins." Qin Hui smiled. "With Prefect Teng's appreciation, everyone trusts our Cheng's Grain Company. Hongsheng and Richang each bought 30,000 shi, paying in advance and keeping the grain at our Cheng's Grain Company, saving us the trouble of transporting it back and forth."

Cheng Zongyang laughed. "It seems there's still room for making money out of thin air. Since most of the grain is still there, let's sell all 300,000 shi to Prefect Teng."

Qin Hui coughed softly. "I have an idea."

Hearing the treacherous minister whisper his plan, Cheng Zongyang's eyes widened. "You treacherous minister! You can even come up with such an idea? So wicked!"

Qin Hui humbly replied, "One is influenced by one's company. I've followed you for many days and learned a few methods, but I'm not good at anything new, just filling in the gaps. I believe we should cherish every grain, and it would be a pity to burn it all."

"Brother, you're such a waste that you're not an official. You make such despicable things sound so noble."

Qin Hui said modestly, "One is influenced by one's company. I've followed you for many days, and I've learned a thing or two..."

"Stop! I didn't teach you that! Don't try to pin the blame on me."

Qin Hui laughed.

Cheng Zongyang pondered for a while. "It's best not to arouse suspicion. The granary has caught fire twice in less than a month, which may arouse suspicion from those with ulterior motives."

"I'll find a way to do it cleverly, so that no one suspects our Cheng family." Qin Hui said, "Young master, shall we go and check the grain shop?"

"No need. With Lao Si here, I'm at ease. Let's go to the Jingxi County government office."

As the boat approached Jingxi, dozens of boats could be seen in the distance, rowed neatly on the bank, with over a hundred laborers cutting down trees in the forest. The Jingxi County government office was just a short distance away by water, but by land, it was separated by vast stretches of dense forest. The boats coming from upstream all stopped at the shore, unloaded the laborers and craftsmen, and then the grain merchants took over, unloading the ballast grain at the back before sailing away one by one. Therefore, although there were many laborers on the shore, no one knew that not far away, there was a large granary even more prosperous than the one in Yunzhou.

Cheng Zongyang didn't linger at the logging shore, but went directly to the dock of Jingxi County Government. Qi Yuan was the head steward, overseeing the grain shops in the city; Wu Sangui went to gather information. Yi Biao, Lin Qingpu, and Feng Yuan, who remained there, rushed over upon hearing the news, and everyone was overjoyed to see each other.

"Biaozi, Wu Dadao is in Jiangzhou!" Cheng Zongyang shouted, "After you finish things here, go back to Jiangzhou and do your old job!"

"Go to the Southern Wilderness?"

"Become a common soldier!"

Yi Biao paused for a moment, then yelled and did a backflip. Only then did it become clear that he was still a young man, unlike his more composed brother.

Ao Run laughed, "Biaozi! From now on, the three of us will be teaming up!"

Yi Biao was overjoyed, "Okay!"

Feng Yuan called out, "Me?"

Ao Run said, "Boss Cheng, the mages in our direct battalion are too weak, can we replace them?"

"Wow! You big oaf! Watch my fire magic!"

The group laughed and joked, creating a chaotic scene. Cheng Zongyang cupped his hands to Lin Qingpu and said, "Mr. Lin."

Lin Qingpu clasped his hands together and bowed deeply, "Young Master Cheng."

"You've worked hard these past few days,"

Lin Qingpu said. "It's my duty."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zongyang knew that his attempt to poach Lin Qingpu was doomed. However, Lin Qingpu's loyalty only fueled his desire to recruit him.

Lin Qingpu asked, "And who are these gentlemen?"

Jin Wuzhu, Leopard Head, and Blue-Faced Beast, upon seeing strangers, all fell silent, their eyes flashing with ferocity, much like someone caught in a pack of wolves, on high alert.

"Are the servants I've recruited any decent enough?" Cheng Zongyang asked. "I forgot to tell you, Wu Er is also in Jiangzhou now."

Lin Qingpu sighed, "After parting ways in the Southern Wilderness, I thought we'd never see each other again, but who knew that within a few months we'd all gathered under your banner." Before Cheng Zongyang could speak, Lin Qingpu said, "Young Master, please."

Cheng Zongyang could only swallow his words of recruitment with a wry smile.

The entire county government office was now piled high with grain, stacks of straw bales neatly stacked together, separated by wooden frames every few layers to allow for ventilation. A portion of the collected grain had been kept in the warehouses of the grain shops and soup kitchens, not all of it had been sent here, but the scale of over two hundred thousand straw bales was already quite impressive. You must know, this was tens of thousands of tons of grain. If there were no losses on the way, transporting it all to the Jiangzhou front would be enough for the Song army for five or six months. The fact that they could collect so much grain just by using the Fuling River waterway showed the wealth of the Song people and the extent of government waste.

The granary was managed by Qin Hui and Qi Yuan, among others. Cheng Zongyang only glanced around before leaving with Qin Hui, leading three barbarian beastmen towards the Zhaonan people's camp.

A short while later, Qin Hui pointed into the distance: "It's right here."

Before them lay an empty forest, not even a corner of a tent in sight. Qin Hui gestured for him to look up, and Cheng Zongyang noticed dozens of large nests on the tree trunks above. The Zhaonan people had woven enormous nests from bark and branches, covering them with leaves to create shelter. The gleam of arrowheads was faintly visible among the branches, clearly indicating that their arrival had attracted the Zhaonan people's attention.

Cheng Zongyang raised his hands to indicate he meant no harm and called out, "I am Cheng Zongyang. May I ask which elder of Muyu City is leading this group?"

A figure appeared on a branch, dressed in a fur coat and plain belt—it was Shen Wanying, the mistress of Muyu City.

Dappled moonlight filtered through the leaves, like water seeping into the girl's crystalline body. Shen Wanying lay naked on a branch about half a person's thickness, her smooth body like a lump of soft, white jade, undulating in the moonlight. The leafy branches, like green wings, stretched out from beneath her.

The treetop was five or six zhang (approximately 10-15 meters) above the ground, enough to make one dizzy looking down, yet Cheng Zongyang experienced a thrill he had never felt before. Behind him was a tree hollow about half a person's height, the recently split trunk still dripping thick green sap. The girl before him straddled the branch like a horse, a pure white fox fur beneath her. Her legs dangled low, her rounded buttocks arching back. Cheng Zongyang rode on her buttocks, his hot, hard penis pressing against the girl's honeyed depths, making the most intimate contact between man and woman.

With each thrust of his penis, the soft, moist honeyed depths contracted rhythmically, slippery nectar gushing from the depths of her flower nest, wetting the fox fur beneath him. The girl's fair body swayed in the night breeze alongside the verdant branches, as if she were flying with the wind. "Disciple... is about to climax..." Shen Wanying murmured, arching her snowy buttocks and welcoming the trembling clitoris to the hot glans behind her.

A cool sensation welled up from the depths of the girl's womb. Cheng Zongyang took a deep breath, his glans pressing against Shen Wanying's clitoris, using the bedroom technique personally taught by Zhuo Yunjun to replenish all the yin essence released by his obedient disciple.

Cheng Zongyang grasped Shen Wanying's breasts from behind and began a new round of thrusting into her still-erect honeyed orifice. Shen Wanying experienced two consecutive orgasms, her yin essence completely drained by Cheng Zongyang. Finally, Cheng Zongyang personally ejaculated into her body, allowing her to also complete a union of yin and yang.

"Upon returning to Muyu City, I diligently practiced according to the Sect Leader's instructions," Shen Wanying said. "The other day, upon receiving the Sect Leader's summons, I immediately led my clansmen north."

With the storm subsiding, a touch of radiance appeared in Shen Wanying's eyes, making her even more beautiful and captivating, like a newly blossoming bud. Although her master was no saint, she was completely innocent. Zhuo, fearing exposure, had dragged his beloved disciple into it, urging him to take advantage of her, but Cheng Zongyang had no intention of letting Shen Wanying suffer. With Zhuo, he only engaged in one-sided sexual exploitation, a one-time affair; with Shen Wanying, he always practiced the secret sexual techniques of the Taiyi True Sect, cultivating both yin and yang. Although Shen Wanying had lost her virginity to him, she actually benefited greatly, thus trusting him more and more. Cheng Zongyang even suspected that if his identity as the "Sect Leader" were ever exposed, she might not necessarily turn against him.

Shen Wanying respectfully replied, "When there is trouble, this disciple will serve. When the sect leader summons me, Wanying and the people of Muyu City will obey his orders."

"Tomorrow I will be seeing Prefect Teng of Yunzhou. You don't need to show your face; just send someone with me."

"Yes."

Cheng Zongyang then gave her a few more pointers on bedroom techniques, subtly incorporating a few of his desired techniques, such as having her try the woman-on-top position and initiate intercourse. Shen Wanying revered him like a god, naturally having no doubts. Aside from these intriguing details, the other techniques were entirely accurate. After all, his bedroom techniques were personally taught by the Taiyi True Sect, and were of the highest quality.

As they spoke, a burst of light suddenly erupted in the valley across the river, exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness despite being over twenty miles away.

Cheng Zongyang frowned; his business was at a crucial juncture, and he couldn't afford any mistakes in the next two days. He quickly dressed and leaped down from the tree.

Qin Hui also saw the fire and rushed over with Jin Wuzhu and the others. "I've been to that place twice; it's a village of the Jingxi people!"

Cheng Zongyang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ordered, "Have Yi Biao and Ao Run keep a close watch on the granary! Let's go!"

Shen Wanying said, "I'm going too!"

Cheng Zongyang nodded and led her towards the riverbank.

The Zhaonan people from Muyu City arrived in dugout canoes. The six of them boarded two dugout canoes, crossed the Fuling River, and headed towards the fire on the opposite bank.

Although the mountain path was rugged and difficult to traverse, all six of them were quite skilled. Shen Wanying was like a nightingale, nimbly weaving through the branches and leaves, displaying her extraordinary cultivation as Zhuo Yunjun's prized disciple. Qin Hui's sleeves fluttered, as if he were riding the wind through the forest; Jin Wuzhu, the Blue-faced Beast, and the Leopard Head used all four limbs, leaping a distance of one or two zhang in a single bound, bounding forward among the branches like agile beasts.

In less than half an hour, the group had approached the fire. They could see a village burning in the valley not far away. The six men crept closer. Cheng Zongyang's scar on his forehead twitched slightly, sensing wisps of death, some strong, some faint.

Approaching a corner of the village, the sight that greeted Shen Wanying made her pale and almost scream.

The Jingxi village had nearly a hundred households, mostly in earthen buildings, with lush grapevines everywhere. A gravel path wound its way into the depths of the greenery, ending at a square with a round totem pole in the center, embedded with a human-shaped totem. The scenery was beautiful, like a paradise.

A circle of tables and chairs were set up in the square, with dishes laid out, seemingly for a feast. However, the square was now littered with corpses; dozens of headless bodies lay on the ground, all belonging to barbarian men. Bloodied heads hung on the totem pole, the top one being none other than Ma Lu, with whom they had done business. His face still bore a frozen smile, but his eyes were filled with shock and surprise, as if he had been slaughtered while celebrating.

Several soldiers in uniform were setting fire to the earthen buildings with torches, and some elderly people and children who had stayed inside were hacked to death by the soldiers as soon as they ran out of the buildings.

A military leader sat beneath a totem pole, sipping village-brewed fruit wine while gouging out the eye of an elderly barbarian with a sharp knife: "You barbarian dogs, where have you hidden all your grain?" The old man cried out, "Gods above! He will devour you wicked people!"

The military leader slit the old man's throat, the splattering blood causing a servant-like man opposite to dodge hastily: "Stay away! Chief Zhao, how can we eat with blood on our hands?"

Chief Zhao nodded repeatedly, then said, "Burn all the houses down! Show these barbarian dogs what's what!" He then put on a smiling face, "Steward Wang, this village is dirt poor, there's hardly any grain to be found, but the barbarian women in the village are quite pretty. Why don't you do me the honor of having a few? It'll ease your weariness from the journey."

Steward Wang coughed and strode over.

On the other side of the square, a group of Jingxi women were bound together with long ropes, wailing incessantly. Several beautiful women from Jingxi were dragged out, stripped naked in public, and gang-raped by more than ten soldiers.

Seeing Steward Wang approach, one of the soldiers laughed, "Steward Wang, we've saved a good one for you!" He pulled a woman from the crowd, pinching her buttocks and saying, "How about this barbarian? Big breasts, round buttocks, and her skin is so white and tender!"

Xiangya, her face streaked with tears, broke free from the soldiers' grasp, ignoring her still-bound legs, and desperately kicked at Steward Wang.

Steward Wang dodged, lewdly laughing, "Fierce enough! She's the one!"

Two soldiers dragged Xiangya to the center of the square, tore her hands off, tied them to a totem pole, and then ripped off her white clothes, revealing her fair flesh. Xiangya's beautiful eyes widened, staring at her husband's head atop the pole, her eyes filled with despair and regret.

A soldier nearby said, "These barbarian women are really something! Much fairer and more tender than the city prostitutes!"

"The captain said, keeping barbarian women is just a nuisance. Use them and then chop them off cleanly!"

"Nonsense!" Steward Wang said, "It's rare to find such beautiful barbarian women. Keep two good ones for the young master to bring him good fortune, and sell the rest to brothels as prostitutes!"

"Steward Wang is brilliant!"

Several soldiers grabbed her legs and forcefully pulled them apart. Steward Wang leered at Xiang Ya's cheek,

"This prostitute isn't bad."

Xiang Ya's blank eyes suddenly flashed, then a flash of blood appeared. Xiang Ya bit Steward Wang's finger, using all her strength; you could almost hear the cracking of her bones between her teeth.

Steward Wang screamed and desperately tried to pull his finger away, while the soldiers beside him quickly pinched Xiang Ya's mouth shut. Suddenly, a cracking sound came from the soldier's neck, followed by a spray of blood, and his severed head flew off.

Amidst the blood-soaked light, Xiang Ya saw a gleaming blade pierce through the blood rain, abruptly stopping an inch from her chest. Then, the blade flipped, slicing down the two soldiers holding her legs.

Zhao Dutou leaped into the air, then his neck went limp, his head lolling to one side.

Qin Hui, as if he had just finished writing a piece of calligraphy, calmly wiped his fingers and strolled out from behind her.

Screams erupted almost simultaneously from all directions. Shen Wanying's longsword trembled incessantly; clearly, this was her first time killing, but she struck without hesitation. In no time, she had scattered the soldiers guarding the Jingxi female prisoners.

Cheng Zongyang kicked Wang Guanjia in the stomach, sending his eyes rolling back and him unconscious. He then raised his sword and felled one of his opponents, shouting, "Leave no survivors!"

A powerful, ferocious aura swept over. Jin Wuzhu grabbed a soldier by the face with his bare hands, twisted him backward, and with the strength to tear apart a wild horse, snapped the man's head off. The leopard-headed man opened his blood-red maw, his sharp fangs piercing the arm of a soldier. With a snap of his jaws, he bit the arm bone into three pieces.

Unlike the other two, who relied solely on their brute strength as half-orcs, the blue-faced beast grabbed a long spear, flicked the tassel, and unleashed a flourish the size of a bowl, piercing the abdomen of a soldier with a single thrust. He possessed surprisingly skillful spearmanship.

This group of soldiers numbered only about thirty, dressed in uniforms and wearing ceremonial hats, belonging to the lowest rank of local militia in the Song army. The six men attacked from all sides, quickly slaughtering more than ten men like cutting vegetables. The remaining soldiers, terrified, knelt and begged for mercy.

Shen Wanying untied the bound women of Jingxi, who swarmed forward, crying and cursing as they beat the Song soldiers to death. Cheng Zongyang tried to spare one, but was bitten by the out-of-control women, forced to watch helplessly as they smashed the Song soldier into a bloody pulp.

Xiang Ya knelt beneath the totem pole, wailing pitifully. The surviving members of her tribe gathered around, and the cries filled the air, even bringing tears to Shen Wanying's eyes.

Chapter Three

: "Thirty-seven Song soldiers in total, not one escaped." Qin Hui returned after circling the village. Then he lowered his voice: "All the men in the village are dead. This village is finished."

Cheng Zongyang had seen countless deaths, but the horrific scene still made his heart clench. He gritted his teeth, suddenly grabbed a nearby corpse, and slapped it hard across the face.

Steward Wang was only kicked unconscious, thus escaping being torn apart by the enraged Jingxi women. He was jolted awake by a slap from Cheng Zongyang. Seeing the situation, he immediately screamed, "Spare me! Spare me!"

Cheng Zongyang said coldly, "Who are you?"

"We are the local militia of Junzhou! We are government soldiers! We are government soldiers!"

"Government soldiers my ass!" Cheng Zongyang slapped him, knocking out half a tooth. "What are you doing here!"

Steward Wang, his mouth full of blood, slurred, "We're here to urge the grain supply... It was Commander Wang's idea!" He yelled wildly, "It has nothing to do with me!"

Cheng Zongyang gritted his teeth and said, "Stop talking nonsense! Speak quickly!"

Steward Wang explained his origins in detail. They were all local militia under Commander Wang's jurisdiction in Junzhou. The granary had caught fire, and the prefecture was urgently requisitioning grain. In addition to forcing the people of the prefecture, Commander Wang also sent his militia to plunder everywhere.

"Murder and robbery? The Song government is really something!"

"It's all Wang Tuanlian's fault! He made us rob grain to sell to the government for money!" Steward Wang desperately tried to clear his name, foaming at the mouth. "Wang Tuanlian said these barbarians don't submit to the king's rule, so killing them is no big deal..." "

Isn't that bastard Wang

Tuanlian still alive?" Steward Wang shook his head frantically. "The young master has broken several bones and can't get up. My mistress cries to the master every day, wanting to settle accounts with that merchant surnamed Cheng..."

With a "bang," a stone hit Steward Wang on the head. Steward Wang's eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.

Xiang Ya's beautiful eyes were red, almost bleeding. She was about to hit him again when Cheng Zongyang quickly stopped her.

The stone in Xiang Ya's hand fell to the ground with a "bang." Blood-red tears streamed down her beautiful eyes. After a long while, she called out, "Mr. Cheng—" and then let out a heart-wrenching cry.

After Xiang Ya calmed down considerably, Cheng Zongyang learned the whole story from her intermittent sobs.

Years ago, this Jingxi tribe, oppressed by the county government, had migrated to the mountains, rarely interacting with outsiders. However, Cheng Zongyang's arrival changed their perception of the outside world. Especially after Qin Hui, following Cheng Zongyang's instructions, twice delivered various goods needed by the tribe to Chenzhai, their wariness of outsiders was further dispelled.

Therefore, when these local militia arrived at the village in the evening, they received the most sincere welcome from the Jingxi people. They offered their best food and finest wine to these guests from afar, never expecting to be greeted by a pack of wolves.

The steward surnamed Wang, using sweet words to inquire about the village's situation, learned that everyone was gathered there, and thus conceived a wicked plan. During the welcoming feast, the local militia suddenly attacked. Although the Jingxi people had no shortage of brave warriors, they were caught off guard, and all the men were killed before they could even raise their weapons. The fair skin and beautiful faces of the Jingxi women further aroused their lust, and they raped them openly under the sacred totem pole of the Jingxi people. If they hadn't set fire to the village, this Jingxi people might have been wiped out silently, with no trace of the perpetrators.

In truth, the Jingxi people suffered this calamity because of themselves. If they hadn't deliberately inflated grain prices, these militia might not have come; if they hadn't delivered goods to the Jingxi people, they wouldn't have been so unprepared; if they hadn't tolerated Wang Tuanlian to avoid further trouble, this tragedy wouldn't have occurred.

Cheng Zongyang grew increasingly furious, and said coldly, "Huizhi, I think that Wang fellow cannot be allowed to live."

"Understood, Your Highness," Qin Hui said. "I will go with Changbo."

"No," Cheng Zongyang waved his hand. "To eliminate him without anyone noticing is too easy on that bastard! I want him to be utterly disgraced and die a horrible death!"

"What does Young Master mean?"

Cheng Zongyang didn't answer further, but instead said to Xiang Ya, "I bear half the responsibility for what happened here. Don't worry, I will give your people an explanation."

Although Xiang Ya didn't fully understand their conversation, she knew he wanted to avenge her people. She wiped away her tears, and the resolute face of a woman from Jingxi revealed her strength. “You have saved the lives of all the women in our tribe. We must avenge our dead husbands and fathers ourselves,”

Cheng Zongyang said. “Your enemies are the local militia in Junzhou, who have nearly a thousand soldiers under their command.”

“If we hadn’t believed their lies, no matter how many enemies we faced, they couldn’t have breached our village.” Seeing that Cheng Zongyang didn’t believe they had the ability to take revenge, Xiang Ya took a horn from the totem pole and blew it loudly.

The desolate horn sound echoed through the deep mountains, followed by a muffled beastly roar that resonated from afar.

The earth trembled slightly, and to Cheng Zongyang’s astonishment, a massive shadow appeared before them. Cheng Zongyang had seen the white elephant that Geluo rode before, and he recognized that this giant elephant was even larger than Geluo’s white elephant, nearly two zhang tall, like a moving castle. It was covered in long, grayish-brown fur, with a thick, long trunk, huge tusks that curved in extreme arcs, and hooves the size of round tables that sank into the ground.

Cheng Zongyang's mouth was dry. If he wasn't mistaken, this wasn't an elephant, but a living mammoth! Damn! What he had obtained was a mammoth tusk; no wonder it was much larger than ordinary elephant tusks.

In his world, mammoths had become extinct as early as 10,000 BC. Cheng Zongyang never expected that mammoths still existed among these mountains. He had given up trying to figure out what era this Six Dynasties world was in; even if it really was 10,000 BC, Cheng Zongyang wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

The ground continued to tremble, and one mammoth after another appeared in the burned-out village. Xiang Ya hung the horn around her neck, grabbed the mammoth's long mane, nimbly climbed onto its back, and then blew the horn.

The mammoth stretched out its long trunk, like a giant python, and with a dexterity no less than a human's hand, wrapped it around a spear next to the totem pole and handed it to Xiang Ya.

Xiangya's white robes were torn to shreds by the soldiers, leaving only a few scraps clinging to her body, exposing large patches of skin, but she seemed unconcerned about her exposed skin. She straddled a mammoth a hundred times her own size, spear in hand, like a valiant female warrior. Then, with a swift swing of her arm, the spear whistled and pierced a large tree, penetrating nearly half a foot deep.

The women of Jingxi climbed onto their mams, following Xiangya's lead, throwing their spears at the same tree, demonstrating their exquisite spear-throwing skills. Then Xiangya blew a horn, and the mammoth beneath her stepped forward, its head, as large as a house, bracing against the tree trunk, snapping it in two like a toothpick.

At the sound of the horn, all the mams simultaneously raised their massive trunks, like a forest, then opened their enormous mouths, emitting a deep and powerful roar. The sound wasn't loud, but standing nearby, the pressure in the air felt like it would crush eardrums.

Cheng Zongyang then understood where their confidence came from. Using tamed mammoths as mounts is like having an invincible mobile fortress in the era of cold weapons.

Faced with such behemoths, Shen Wanying was visibly shaken, and even the valiant Jin Wuzhu and the Blue-Faced Beast couldn't help but show fear. Qin Hui maintained his composed scholarly demeanor, but his robes billowed slightly, clearly indicating he wasn't so relaxed. If this mammoth squad were deployed to the battlefield, even a large number of warhorses would likely be overwhelmed.

"With your mammoth squad, my confidence is even greater," Cheng Zongyang raised his voice. "If you still trust me, give me some time! I will definitely make you avenge yourselves!"

Xiang Ya said without hesitation, "We believe you!"

Yunzhou. Prefectural Government Office.

Teng Fu slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Three hundred thousand shi!"

Cheng Zongyang said, "That's a bit too much. I've already told the Zhaonan people that it's one hundred thousand shi..."

"Absolutely not!" Teng Fu interrupted him. "Three hundred thousand shi it is!"

Cheng Zongyang said with difficulty, "But the Zhaonan people are asking for a very high price..."

"What price are they asking for?"

“Eight hundred copper coins per shi, plus transportation costs, at least nine hundred,” Cheng Zongyang said with a wry smile. “This price is simply too expensive.”

Teng Fu sighed, “Do you know how much grain costs in Junzhou now? One thousand four hundred copper coins per shi! Since you left, grain prices in Junzhou have skyrocketed. Those unscrupulous merchants like Hongsheng Grain Shop and Richang Trading Company buy at one thousand copper coins, but sell at a skyrocketing price, making a profit of four hundred copper coins with each transaction! Even when the government purchases it, they still demand a high price of one thousand two hundred copper coins. If you sold your grain to those grain merchants, you would make at least one hundred copper coins per shi in profit, yet you came directly to me.” Teng Fu nodded repeatedly, “You are very good, very good!” Cheng

Zongyang said modestly, “I just happened to be passing through Zhaonan and heard that the people of Zhaonan had a batch of grain to sell. I thought that the state was short of grain, so I brought them here to trade. Your Excellency, at nine hundred copper coins per shi, three hundred thousand shi would be two hundred and seventy thousand strings of cash, equivalent to one hundred and thirty-five thousand gold coins. This huge sum of money…”

Teng Fu was stunned. Thirteen hundred and fifty thousand gold coins were equivalent to five years' worth of taxes from Yunzhou, and even in Yunzhou's best years, the surplus was less than one-tenth. In other words, with Yunzhou's fiscal revenue, it would take fifty years to raise such a huge sum.

"Don't worry!" Teng Fu said decisively, "I will raise this money. First, summon those Zhaonan people in. This three hundred thousand shi of grain is exactly what our army needs! We absolutely cannot afford to lose it!"

Cheng Zongyang secretly praised him. No wonder he was once a high-ranking official in the court; he truly had a sense of responsibility! He had prepared a whole host of arguments to encourage Teng Fu to take the risk, but he hadn't expected him to agree so readily.

Cheng Zongyang left the yamen and informed the selected Zhaonan man to come in and talk to Teng Fu.

Then, he said to Qin Hui, "Let's go!"

Once in the carriage, Cheng Zongyang asked, "Have you found out?"

"A total of two million silver dollars, just escorted to the Yunzhou government office yesterday," Qin Hui said. "This money is for the frontline troops' pay, which should have been issued before the new year. The Song Dynasty's finances are stretched thin, and they've been delaying until now, only managing to squeeze this money out of somewhere. The information can't be wrong. What does Prefect Teng mean?"

"Prefect Teng will definitely use this money," Cheng Zongyang said. "Misappropriating military funds—this Prefect Teng is truly audacious."

Qin Hui said, "The Song Dynasty treats its civil officials well, and Prefect Teng has even served as the Censor-in-Chief. For the sake of the dignity of senior officials in the court, they should be lenient. However, this matter is serious; even if he isn't beheaded, he'll inevitably be imprisoned and questioned."

Cheng Zongyang pondered for a moment. This Prefect Teng wasn't really a bad official; making him take the blame was a last resort. But if he could help him, he should. "Huizhi, send a letter to Prefect Teng."

Cheng Zongyang's own calligraphy was rather poor, but the treacherous minister had excellent handwriting, and he usually wrote the letters for him. Qin Hui didn't refuse, taking out his pen and ink, and asked, "What should I write?" "

To settle accounts for Magistrate Teng."

Teng Fu had been discussing the matter with the envoy from Zhaonan for a long time, finally settling on the deal for 300,000 shi of grain before he had time to open the letter. He skimmed through it and immediately summoned his servant. "Where is Young Master Cheng?"

"He left with Qin Ban Dang an hour ago. Does Master want to call Boss Cheng over?"

Teng Fu reread the letter and shook his head. "No need. Bring me the memorial; I need to report today's events immediately."

Teng Fu wrote the memorial that very day, copying Cheng Zongyang's letter verbatim into it.

In the letter, Cheng Zongyang did indeed settle accounts, but not for him; he settled accounts for the Song state. Teng Fu had misappropriated military funds to buy grain because the front lines had run out of food. Instead of transporting two million silver coins worth of military funds, it would be better to convert them into grain to alleviate the urgent needs of the front lines.

Following normal procedures, correspondence with Lin'an would take at least a month, by which time the documents would have been outdated. Moreover, regardless of whether military funds were misappropriated, purchasing grain locally in Yunzhou would certainly save a significant amount of money.

Cheng Zongyang's letter focused on cost. According to the Song Dynasty's usual method of transporting military grain, various regions dispatched laborers to Yunzhou, and the cost of transporting one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain to Yunzhou was almost ten times higher.

Currently, grain prices are high throughout the Song Dynasty; even if one could buy grain at 600 copper coins per shi, the actual cost of transporting it to Yunzhou would far exceed one guan (another unit of dry measure). Now, Yunzhou can purchase 300,000 shi of grain at 900 copper coins per shi, with no other expenses, resulting in a cost only a fraction of that of transporting grain from other regions.

Teng Fu's letter listed the grain prices in various regions and the actual costs of transporting grain to Yunzhou by officially organized laborers, including en route expenses and the time lost due to conscripting laborers, detailing each expense clearly. Afterwards, Teng Fu was punished by the authorities for embezzling military funds, but the Song emperor, because of this memorial, issued a special edict not to pursue the matter further. Later, this memorial was included in the book "Memorials of Famous Ministers of the Six Dynasties," and was commented as follows: "Using the talent of a prime minister to engage in the methods of a merchant, the matter is insignificant, but his benevolence is commendable."

Cheng Zongyang's role was merely that of an introducer between Zhaonan and Junzhou. Once the envoy from Zhaonan met with Prefect Teng, he was no longer involved. Immediately afterwards, he went to see Sun Yixuan, Yun's mole in Junzhou, and after discussing the matter, he and Qin Hui went to the large mansion of Commander Wang in the south of the city.

Cheng Zongyang personally visited the Wang family, but the servants still ignored him. A full hour passed before a steward finally emerged, speaking in a sarcastic tone: "Master is not here. Madam said that since Mr. Cheng came on his own, he doesn't need to pay his respects. A lowly maidservant is like a pig or a dog in our Wang family's eyes! Yet someone treats her like a treasure. A clueless outsider, be careful, it will be too late to regret it!"

Cheng Zongyang had anticipated this, and calmly listened to the steward's tirade. He then handed over a folded letter, smiling slightly, "Please give this to Commander Wang, steward. It's just a small token of my respect."

The steward took it dismissively, opened it, and his beard twitched several times before he quickly ran into the inner quarters.

Cheng Zongyang leisurely sipped his water. A short while later, the steward rushed out again, "Master requests your presence!"

Wang Tuanlian, dressed in a crimson robe with auspicious cloud patterns, flicked the letter with his finger: "Five thousand shi?"

"Exactly."

Wang Tuanlian snorted coldly, "Young Master Cheng is quite wealthy." [At current prices, five thousand shi of grain is equivalent to over three thousand gold coins]—no small sum at all.

"It's better to resolve enmity than to create it; having more friends means having more paths." Cheng Zongyang said with a fawning smile, "Please accept this, Commander Wang."

Wang Tuanlian grew even more contemptuous of this out-of-town merchant. He snorted coldly, put away the letter, and thought to himself: He won't listen to reason, so he'll have to suffer the consequences! I'll make you bankrupt and kick you out of Yunzhou, then you'll see my methods!

He didn't know that the out-of-town merchant opposite him had the exact same thought: Good and evil will eventually be rewarded; I'll make you lose everything, your entire family wiped out—you'll see my methods!

Cheng Zongyang initially didn't want to get entangled with this local tyrant, but the tragedy in Jingxi Village made him determined. A small militia dared to entrenched itself in Junzhou, committing numerous evils; if they ran into him, they'd be utterly wicked. He would avenge his friends in Jingxi and rid the people of Junzhou of this scourge.

The next day, a heavy snowfall blanketed Junzhou. Worried that the sudden snowfall might cause disaster, Teng Fu went out before dawn to check the snow situation.

The porridge stalls along the Fuling River were bustling with people; a large number of laborers had gathered there, all hoping for a bowl of hot porridge on this cold day. The porridge stalls opened as scheduled, and bags of grain were poured out and pounded in stone mortars. Dozens of large pots were lined up in front of the porridge stalls; once the water boiled, the pounded grain was poured in, swirling in the boiling water, and soon the aroma of porridge filled the air.

Teng Fu didn't linger at the porridge stalls as usual; today his attention was more focused on the Fuling River.

The river was covered with rafts, each steered by a man from Zhaonan. The grain urgently needed by Yunzhou was piled on these rafts and was being continuously transported to the riverbank. Dozens of officials from the Yunzhou government were inspecting the grain on the shore. Because the Changping granary had been burned down and the warehouses couldn't be rebuilt in time, sheds had to be erected on the cleared ruins to store the grain.

The officials were busy directing the local militia, who were acting as granary workers, to move the grain. Because there was so much grain, everyone was exhausted from dawn till dusk.

A clerk, wiping sweat, said, "These barbarians from Zhaonan! They don't even know how to use straw bags; we have to weigh them boatload by boat."

"Why would we need to weigh them?" a clerk next to him whispered. "Three hundred shi per raft, three hundred straw bags are just enough to hold it. I've handled more than ten boatloads, and it's never been wrong!"

"Where did the people of Zhaonan get so much grain? Three hundred thousand shi, good heavens! Even the best fertile land only yields two or three shi per mu, so this is a harvest from tens of thousands of mu."

"Zhaonan's land yields three harvests a year, so it's not surprising they have grain. These past few days, the front lines have been urging grain supplies like crazy. Not only in our Junzhou, but grain prices in the surrounding prefectures and counties have been soaring." "

When will the lower reaches of the Fuling River be navigable? How did so many fuzi get here?"

Suddenly someone shouted, "They're here! They're here!"

The officials stared at the enormous beast emerging from the distant forest, their mouths agape. One clerk almost snapped his pen in half.

Dozens of enormous mammoths came into view, their trunks, like thick pythons, coiling around trees blocking their path; their massive hooves trampled through bushes; their long, curved tusks swept away vines, as they emerged from the forest in single file.

Their bodies were the size of a house, and the height of their heads was dizzying. A woman sat atop each mammoth's enormous head. Horns hung around their necks, bows and spears were slung over their shoulders, and they wore breastplates and kneeplates made of buffalo hide, exposing large swaths of skin as if unaffected by the cold.

Their eyes were filled with hostility and wariness. Normally, upon seeing such a war elephant procession, the people of Yunzhou would immediately close the city gates and ring the bronze bells, guarding against a barbarian attack.

However, at this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the loads on the mammoths' backs. They were piles of grain, like small mountains, each mammoth carrying nearly a hundred shi (a unit of dry measure).

Almost everyone had the same thought: no wonder the Zhaonan people were able to transport the grain here…

Led by the Zhaonan people, the giant elephants approached the makeshift grain sheds one by one. Then, the female warriors blew horns, and the woolly elephants raised their trunks, unloading the grain sacks one by one, which were then handed over by the Zhaonan people.

The officials became even busier, rushing to count the grain transported by the elephant caravan. Only four or five minor officials remained by the riverbank, and the rafts inevitably piled up more and more.

In the midst of the busyness, someone suddenly said, “Hey? Isn’t that Commander Wang?”

Commander Wang was in charge of the local militia, and the granary workers were all under his command. Although the officials were not his subordinates, they were already familiar with Commander Wang, and now they all went up to greet him.

It's unclear what the two sides discussed, but many officials looked troubled. Then, when Wang Tuanlian put his hand into the officials' sleeves and took it out again, the officials all smiled.

Teng Fu didn't notice this small incident, nor did he pay much attention to the giant elephant; his eyes were only on the grain. With the Changping granary burned and the front lines running out of food, the pressure on him, the highest official in Yunzhou, was immense. Yesterday's deal for 300,000 shi of grain had relieved his immediate crisis.

However, the people of Zhaonan were very stubborn, insisting on both money and grain payment. Because the required funds were substantial, even with the misappropriation of military funds, there was still a deficit of over 30,000 gold coins. He had already gathered the merchants in the city, hoping they could jointly guarantee the purchase of the grain.

Teng Fu inspected the area and then hurried to the yamen. The merchants in the city had been waiting for a long time, and they were all somewhat disheartened by the government's forced guarantee. Finally, Zhou Mingye of Richang Trading Company suggested that the remaining grain be purchased by individual households, and then sold to the government at the original price once the government raised the funds.

This way, if the government couldn't afford to buy it, the households wouldn't lose out; if they could, they would simply be storing it for a few days, incurring some storage costs.

The merchants immediately began calculating. While the grain transaction might seem unprofitable, there were actually plenty of opportunities to make money. The price of 900 copper coins was 10% lower than the market price, and with the bandit suppression efforts at the front lines faltering, grain prices were expected to rise further. If the government couldn't buy it, holding onto the grain was like getting a bargain. Even if the government did provide the funds, they could easily substitute inferior grain, recouping the storage costs with a quick resale.

Teng Fu, however, had no idea how shrewd these merchants were. Seeing the merchants' enthusiastic atmosphere, buying up grain in increments of ten thousand shi and five thousand shi, he was in high spirits and immediately settled the payment with the envoy from Zhaonan.

Cheng Zongyang also came as summoned. Although these merchants were all shrewd and cunning, the decision-making power was not in their hands; no matter how shrewd they were, they were merely pawns on their own chessboard.

Using Teng Fu's influence, Cheng Zongyang sold off his three hundred thousand shi of grain and then left the yamen.

"What about Wang Tuanlian?"

"He's taken the bait."

"Good! Heaven's calamity can be forgiven, but self-inflicted calamity is unforgivable!" Cheng Zongyang said, "I'll make him die knowing why!"

The officials' inspection speed slowed down, and even as night fell, hundreds of rafts remained uninspected and unstored.

The scattered rafts covered the river, and the officials, without bothering to check carefully, only glanced at them before putting three hundred shi of grain into the register.

The work of moving the grain only came to an end late at night. Before the officials could fall asleep, a sudden fire swept through the Changping granary again. The fire spread, affecting the rafts on the riverbank that hadn't yet been stored; some sank to the bottom, others were swept away by the river.

Some of the stored grain was salvaged, but the grain that had been counted but not yet stored was completely destroyed, resulting in a greater loss than what had been stored.

Overnight, Teng Fu's temples had turned white, startling Cheng Zongyang, who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

"I was careless," Teng Fu said with a heavy heart, "How could I have known that despite repeated orders, the Changping granary would still catch fire?"

"Your Excellency need not worry. I just received some news and came to inform Your Excellency..."

"Peace talks!" Teng Fu exclaimed upon hearing this.

"Indeed. It is said that the Governor of Jiangzhou personally entered the camp and has been negotiating for several days." Cheng Zongyang said in surprise, "Such a major event, and Yunzhou didn't even hear a word about it, truly..."

Teng Fu interrupted him. "Military affairs are not something you can discuss."

"I was presumptuous, but..."

Teng Fu's mind was in turmoil, and he had no heart to listen carefully. The front lines had been without food for several days, and although urgent reports urging for supplies came several times a day, the troops had not yet withdrawn, which had already made him suspicious; upon hearing this news, he was ninety percent convinced. It was hateful that those arrogant and unruly generals had acted on their own, concealing the news of the peace talks from him; otherwise, why would he have spent so much money to buy that batch of grain from the Zhaonan people!

Amidst his turbulent thoughts, Teng Fu suddenly noticed that Cheng Zongyang was about to continue speaking and asked, "What did you say?"

Cheng Zongyang respectfully said, "I say that the price of grain in Junzhou is soaring, and the people are suffering. Now that peace talks have begun, the front lines are no longer so short of grain. My suggestion is that our grain shop lower the price of grain today, selling it at 800 copper coins per shi, so that the people in the city can breathe a sigh of relief."

"Good! Good! Good!" Teng Fu finally heard some good news. He had received a scholar's education and had always believed that the lower the price of grain, the more prosperous the people would be.

The price of grain in Tang Dynasty had once plummeted to three coins per dou (a unit of dry measure), a period hailed as a golden age. While the price of 800 copper coins per shi (a unit

of dry measure) exceeded the standard of that golden age by twenty times, it was still forty percent lower than yesterday's price, much to his delight. Although still overshadowed by the fire at the Ever-Normal Granary, peace talks had begun at the front, suggesting that the war instigated by Jia Shixian would soon end. Teng Fu's mood improved, and he lingered with Cheng Zongyang for a long time.

During their conversation, Cheng Zongyang casually remarked, "The two fires at the Ever-Normal Granary are truly strange. It's said that both fires started in the southwest direction. Could it be due to feng shui?"

"Feng shui is just nonsense. You are young and ignorant; you must not believe such nonsense," Teng Fu admonished him, then slowly added, "While your economic theories have some merit, they are ultimately not the right path. You are still young; you should read some classic texts to understand the true way."

Cheng Zongyang thanked him politely, saying he would buy some classic texts to read later.

Although Cheng Zongyang's remark was unintentional, a sliver of doubt arose in Teng Fu's heart. As soon as Cheng Zongyang took his leave, Teng Fu immediately summoned the head constable of the prefecture and ordered him to investigate the location of the fire.

"Prefect Teng is a good man, and a good official in a way. It's a pity he knows nothing about economics," Cheng Zongyang said. "So, virtue alone is not enough. When it comes to the ability to make mistakes, there's not much difference between someone with virtue but no talent and someone with talent but no virtue."

Qin Hui said, "A person without talent or virtue?" "

Wang Tuanlian, he's just a local bully in a small place. He doesn't even have the talent to cause any great disaster," Cheng Zongyang laughed. "But he's quite bold. Give him five thousand shi, and he dares to produce twenty thousand shi. Does he really think he can control everything in Yunzhou?"

The news of the Song army's peace talks with Jiangzhou spread like wildfire throughout Hezhou in half a day. The grain shops wanted to maintain high prices, but Cheng's Grain Shop's price of eight hundred copper coins per shi was like a blow to the head, leaving those large grain hoarders stunned.

But for the people of Junzhou, the most sensational news was that Wang Tuanlian, who had been terrorizing the area for years, was suddenly imprisoned, along with more than a dozen officials.

Immediately afterward, the government confiscated 20,000 shi of grain from Wang Tuanlian's riverside granary. According to the officials' confessions, Wang Tuanlian had used the opportunity of the granary's annual grain replenishment to exchange 20,000 shi of inferior rice for 20,000 shi of new grain.

Subsequent investigations at the fire site by the criminal investigation department revealed that the inferior rice Wang Tuanlian had mixed in with not only a large amount of gravel, but also withered branches and leaves stuffed into straw bags to disguise it as grain, ultimately leading to disaster.

There were even rumors that a trusted steward and dozens of local militiamen involved in the incident had been secretly silenced by Wang Tuanlian, and their bodies had never been found.

Prefect Teng was furious upon hearing the news, submitting a memorial explaining the cause of the granary fire and requesting that Wang Tuanlian be stripped of his official position, his property confiscated, and his head displayed publicly.

When news of Wang Tuanlian's downfall spread, the anger of the people of Junzhou erupted. That very night, countless accusations against Wang Tuanlian for colluding with officials to oppress the common people piled up in the study of the prefectural government office.

Cheng Zongyang bent down and squeezed into the cell, then stamped his foot and straightened his clothes. Then a large, hairy hand reached out from behind, holding a lantern to illuminate the dimly lit cell.

Wang Tuanlian, once known as the tyrant of Junzhou, now leaned against a pile of messy straw, wearing heavy shackles, a far cry from his former glory.

Cheng Zongyang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Congratulations to Commander Wang. Oh, now you're no longer a commander, you should be called by your real name, Wang Tiande."

Wang Tiande's face twitched, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes: "A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs! You little brat, wait until I get out of here, you'll be sorry!"

"Get out? Not so easy."

"It's just a fire at the granary, isn't it?" Wang Tiande said viciously, "At most, my property will be confiscated, and I'll be exiled. Do you think I'll be beheaded?"

"You're absolutely right." Cheng Zongyang said with a smile, "The Ministry of Justice has already drafted a death sentence, that is, chopping off your head, and you won't have to wait until autumn, the decree will arrive and you'll be executed immediately. The document will take about ten days to reach Yunzhou, which means you only have about ten days left to live."

Wang Tiande was stunned for a moment, then his mouth trembled.

Cheng Zongyang sneered inwardly; after all, heroes who can remain calm in the face of death are few and far between.

"Before that, I have some good news for you: your residences in Junzhou have been confiscated by the government, all your property has been seized, and all the women in your household have been sold into slavery..."

The blue-faced beast, carrying a lantern, lifted his cloak and pushed a woman out of his arms. The woman stumbled over and was grabbed by Cheng Zongyang.

Her hands were bound with straw rope, her hairpins and ornaments had been removed, and a straw tag was stuck in her hair; her expression was one of panic and numbness.

“I heard that Commander Wang’s wife is quite beautiful, so I bought her specifically…” Cheng Zongyang lifted the woman’s chin and smiled, “As expected, she did not disappoint me.”

Wang Tiande roared, “You little brat! Don’t push your luck!”

Cheng Zongyang’s expression changed, “Push your mother’s luck! I came to Yunzhou to do business, and I’ve been yielding again and again in order to make money peacefully, but you’ve taken advantage of me! I don’t need to tell you all the dirty deeds you’ve done over the years, do I? You dare to take my woman? Are you blind?”

Wang Tiande cursed repeatedly, but Cheng Zongyang just thought he was talking nonsense. He casually pinched the woman’s cheek, “Although you’re a bit old, you’re still not bad looking.”

The woman had suffered a series of horrific events, her house was ransacked, she was sold, and she was kidnapped by a half-human, half-beast monster. She was already terrified and speechless.

"Turn your buttocks around, let me feel them."

The woman seemed to wake up with a start, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground. "Please, spare me! I'm just a woman, I don't know anything in this house."

"Alright, stop pretending." Cheng Zongyang sneered, "You're no better, you spoil your son because of your husband's name, you beat maids to death, you bully the innocent, you've done these things many times, haven't you?"

The woman's face turned ashen.

"If you hadn't instigated me, insisting that my maids marry your son to bring him good fortune, would Commander Wang have resorted to such underhanded tactics to kill those two beautiful maids? According to the rules, you should have been sold into prostitution, but I, this young master, took pity on you and bought you out, and now you're unwilling? Do you only feel happy when you're sold into a brothel?"

The woman coughed and trembled, not daring to speak.

Cheng Zongyang pointed at the blue-faced beast: "How about I betroth you to him?"

The woman cried out, "No! No!"

Cheng Zongyang pinched two fingers together and struck a torreya. The woman struggled for a moment, her face alternating between pale and flushed, then resignedly lowered her head and slowly turned her buttocks.

Cheng Zongyang grabbed her buttocks, fondling them through her clothes as he said, "Not bad, not bad! Plump and soft, well-maintained. From now on, I'll call you 'Charming Pig.'"

The woman, unwilling, dared not object and could only respond softly.

"The master is in a good mood today, so I'll take you in here." With that, Cheng Zongyang slapped her buttocks. "Charming Pig, take off your pants!"

Wang Tiande roared like thunder, his curses echoing throughout the room. The guards in the prison had long been bribed by Qin Hui and kept their distance from the death row, not even glancing in their direction.

Amidst Wang Tiande's curses, Cheng Zongyang's laughter could be heard from time to time. Although his tone was relaxed, no matter how loudly Wang Tuanlian cursed, it couldn't drown out his own voice.

"Man proposes, God disposes! Commander Wang, you just wanted the money, but you also wanted my woman? One deal ruined everything, you even lost your wife to me, what a huge loss!"

"Tsk tsk! What a round, perky white ass, it must feel amazing to fuck her!"

"Having given birth makes all the difference, her pussy is so loose. Blue-faced Beast, I bet your cock could fit right in!"

"Wait… spread her ass a little wider!"

"Old Beast, come and see what's wrong with that bastard's asshole, isn't it still a virgin?"

"Never even touched her backdoor? Old Beast, you have no romance!"

"Haha, Commander Wang, your wife has such a wonderful backdoor, and you've never touched it, what a waste… was it reserved especially for me?"

"Commander Wang, you deflowered your wife in the front, today I'll deflower her in the back. Does that make us brothers?"

"Hey, you surnamed Wang, what's the use of yelling like that? Can you bite me? You slut! Come here and bite me so your husband can see!"

Amidst the screaming of the slut, her pale buttocks were pierced by a thick penis. She hadn't taken the young outsider seriously at all; a businessman, no matter how rich, was just a soft persimmon to be easily manipulated by her husband. Only now, bent over like a bitch, with the young businessman thrusting into her, her anus torn open by the hot, thick penis, did she realize how terribly wrong she had been.

After a bout of lovemaking, the slut knelt on the ground, performing oral sex on her new master, licking the filth from his penis with her lips and tongue, her body convulsing uncontrollably. A stream of semen mixed with blood dripped from her pale buttocks, flowing down to Wang Tuanlian's wooden cangue.

Wang Tiande lay on the ground, panting heavily, his beard covered in white foam, when suddenly he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Cheng Zongyang wiped the saliva off his penis on Meizhu's face, then put it away and slowly tied his belt.

"Do you want to see your good-for-nothing son?"

Meizhu hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook her head.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you to see him in a bit." Cheng Zongyang laughed, "It seems there are advantages to being a good-for-nothing. Such a big case, yet your son wasn't implicated. His house was ransacked, and he was thrown to the roadside to beg. I was afraid he might freeze to death, so I specially sent someone to take him to the mountains in the south. Commander Wang, do you know what's in the mountains in the south?"

Wang Tiande's face twisted, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

“Originally, you wouldn’t have suffered this much for offending me, but you’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing!” Cheng Zongyang gritted his teeth and said, “An entire village of Jingxi people was destroyed by your steward and his men. The men were killed, the women were raped, and even the children were not spared. Half of the village was burned down! If I let you go, who knows how many more people you would harm? Therefore, I swear to the people of Jingxi that I will make you taste the bitterness of losing your family and people.”

Cheng Zongyang said coldly, “Don’t worry, your son and wife will definitely be warmly received by the surviving people of Jingxi when they arrive in the village.”

Mei Zhu, who was listening nearby, had a growing fear in her eyes. Suddenly, she rushed over and hugged his leg, pleading, “Master, I will serve you well, please—”

Cheng Zongyang waved his hand, and the blue-faced beast opened his big hand and covered her mouth, stuffing her into his clothes like a baby.

“I will not kill you.” Cheng Zongyang said to Wang Tiande, “Song has its own laws. Your fate is to be taken to the execution ground and publicly executed, so that the world can see your end. As for the life and death of your son and wife, that is not up to me. Whether they live or die depends on their own fate. I can only tell you that you will not die unjustly.”

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