Chapter 975

Chu Yun's words left the old men baffled; they looked at each other, trying to read the answer in each other's expressions, but everyone ended up clueless.

Chu Yun smiled and said, "Elders, this story is long, I won't elaborate. Simply put, Chen Wuji took a liking to this place because it's nearby; going from Nan Jun to Zhongyuan via our Liu Min Ji shortens the distance considerably."

A hot-tempered old man shouted, spittle flying, "So he's just after a shortcut? Then let him go—what's it to us? We're not in his way, we don't provoke him; with all his troops and strength, what can we do to block his path?"

"I originally thought this kid had a bit of a kingly aura, but I didn't expect him to be so overbearing—pah, I'm blind to have taken a liking to such a thing!"

Chu Yun quickly raised his hand to soothe, saying, "Old Master Qin, that's not how it's put. For someone like Marquis Zhenyuan, a place must be under their control to be fully utilized, and they're not wrong. In conquering land, if this territory isn't taken, how can Nan Jun's orders be carried out, and how can it be governed?"

"Well… yeah, conquering the world is just about seizing territory!"

"Little Chu Yun, if that's the case, maybe we should surrender? Chen Wuji kid has a decent reputation; perhaps we can find a way out, change where we live—this miserable Liu Min Ji, even if we toil hard farming, we'll eventually starve to death."

"That really is a plan—if we surrender, Chen Wuji shouldn't keep attacking us, right?"

"Then let's surrender and find a new way to live!"

"We can't win by fighting, and not surrendering leaves no choice—better to give up cleanly, so our sons don't lose their lives. They're ambitious lads; we can't let them die pointlessly here."

"The old men argued back and forth, having basically settled on surrendering, but Chu Yun still hesitated."

"He glanced back at the imposing cavalry outside the city, and that lingering thought quietly vanished."

"He isn't Hu Baobao, and his men aren't Hu Family's private troops."

"Some things are simply impossible to do."

"Even if he wanted to leave and start a career another way, his men wouldn't go along—they all have families and relatives."

"These second‑generation people raised in Liu Min Ji are no longer the sort who abandon wife and children; they can cast aside everything and act boldly like their forefathers."

"\"Let's surrender; I'll take a few people out to meet Marquis Zhenyuan, \" Chu Yun said in a low voice, his expression slightly dim, but he soon recovered."

"\"Little Chu Yun, I, the old man, will go with you; as for the others, they'll stay home waiting for news, \" said the Qin elder. \"Old arms and legs aside, they can barely write their own names—better not cause trouble. \""

"\"Qin, next time you spout such big truths, try to have fewer people listening—it's infuriating! \" an old man shouted angrily. \"We're all a bunch of Mud Legs; even if we want to learn skills, we need the conditions. Do you think everyone has a scholar father and a doctor mother like you? \""

"Look at you, talking so much—Qin is the most miserable among us!"

"……"

"……"

"After the panic in the southern part of the city was slightly delayed, it then spread to the northern part."

"When Liu Min Ji was first established, it went through a long period of chaos before evolving into today's divided‑city rule, with the Hu Family occupying the north and directing its commerce, while the Wild Dogs hold the south, and everything in the southern district is decided by the Wild Dogs."

When Liu Min Ji was being pressed by a great army and news of the threat to the south of the city arrived, Hu Family's current Family Head, Hu Baobao, was dining with a middle-aged man of extremely disheveled appearance.

Although Hu Baobao had never gone hungry as a child, he still made eating the most important thing in his life; every meal had to be filling and delicious.

What was set on the table today was a stir-fried dish that is basically never seen in Liu Min Ji but is extremely popular in Nan Jun; aside from one vegetarian dish, everything else is meat.

"Fifth Lord, this meal took me a great deal of effort to prepare; you old sir must try it all, and be sure to eat well." Hu Baobao's eyes shone with self-satisfaction, his words unable to hide his pride.

"As for this meal, he dares say that within Liu Min Ji, he is absolutely number one!"

The disheveled-looking middle-aged man, whose clothes were even more disheveled, extended the one hand that was still relatively clean, grabbed a piece of chicken with his bare hands, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed with such exaggerated motions that he looked like he was eating raw meat.

While chewing, he sucked the oil from his fingers and calmly said, "Chen-style cuisine truly has its own unique flavor; for you to be able to serve me such a meal is also rare."

"Chen-style cuisine" is one of the outside names for stir-fried dishes; it is also called Chen cuisine or Marquis's cuisine, because these dishes were created by Chen Wuji.

"However, I didn't come today just to eat the dishes; I have other business, so let's not talk about the food any further." The Fifth Lord gave a preemptive jab, stopping Hu Baobao's bragging.

"The old master has given orders; you need to take action. The Old Nest in Guiling Xian has been overturned by Chen Wuji, the Nan Jun Bīngmǎ is moving northward, and without surprise you will soon be unable to hide here. That Wild Dog to the south of the city must be killed, quickly, without further delay."

"Liu Min Ji is a vital position that cannot be lost; after capturing the city, everything must remain as is. The old master orders you to leave only a small force of Bīngmǎ to garrison the city, while the rest of the troops are to be hidden entirely in the mountains."

Upon hearing this, Hu Baobao immediately became somewhat displeased: "Fifth Lord, it's not that I refuse, I just can't understand—if I leave only a small force of Bīngmǎ in the city, what should I do if Chen Wuji launches an attack?"

The Fifth Lord lifted his eyes and glanced at Hu Baobao: "With just these people under your command, could you possibly withstand Chen Wuji's great army if it came to the city gates? I have you hide to avoid drawing attention and needlessly losing manpower."

"Liu Min Ji is merely a small town; even if Chen Wuji stations troops there, it will certainly not be many. When the old master's plan succeeds in the future, you can simply lead your forces to retake it, and this place will still be yours."

"Chen Wuji's sharpness is currently at its peak; having you temporarily avoid his sharpness is not meant to harm you!"

Hu Baobao choked badly, then said, "I understand; I will obey the orders."

"Well, once the old master's plan succeeds, you won't need to bitterly cling to this place; Nanyue Jun has plenty of fertile lands—why linger on a barren, useless patch of land…"

Before the Fifth Lord could finish speaking, a figure suddenly rushed in.

"Family Head, it's not good—an army is attacking the city; it appears to be Chen Wuji's cavalry, numbering tens of thousands!"

Hu Baobao sprang up from the couch with a jump, shouting, "What nonsense are you spouting?"