Chapter 129: Death by a Thousand Cuts!

There hasn't been any other news in the city for the past two days; such a major commotion on the main road in the central district is absolutely a hot topic.

While the fighting is still going on over there, the quick-footed idlers have already spread the word to their various patrons—

The heads of two great families are cursing and brawling in the street!

The first reaction of every family that received the news was disbelief, and only after confirming it was true did they start to ponder.

Lao Zhuo has been lying there sickly for so long, did he suddenly get better?

Are they putting on a show for us?!

People in a certain government office were even more shocked.

Hearing this morning that the eldest young master of the Zhuo family had requested leave, they thought Prime Minister Zhuo wasn't going to make it; before long, they heard that the two fifty-year-old heads of the He Daye and Zhuo families had crossed paths and were brawling in the street!

"Strange, how come we didn't hear a peep about this beforehand?"

"The Zhuo family is truly tight-lipped!"

As for Wen Gu?

Now that this matter has spread, how many people still care about Wen Gu?

Except for the few who know the inside story and are suspicious, the focus of most others is solely on the conflict between the Zhuo and He families.

A certain wealthy household.

The portly master had just finished dressing and was planning to go out.

According to today's original schedule, he was going out to see a play. He had received news long ago that the He family was going to stir up some trouble today, and he wanted to go watch the fun.

With the situation outside the city becoming increasingly tense and crises lurking everywhere, staying at home was stifling, and there was nowhere to go to relax.

They didn't have to go out and fight wars, and they didn't have to worry about food or drink at home, so they could only find more ways to amuse themselves.

When they came to Xinzhou, the "protection money" they offered wasn't paid in vain!

Otherwise, where would the Zhao Family get the provisions to raise their troops?

As long as they didn't cause too much of a scene, there was no need to worry about the Zhao Family taking their anger out on them. It was just watching the fun and fanning the flames to stir things up; what could the Zhao Family say?

He slept in today and got up a bit late; he didn't know if he would make it in time.

Just as he was about to head out, a servant ran in hurriedly:

"Master! Master! They're fighting over there!!"

The portly master perked up: "The He family is fighting with Wen Gu?"

The servant, not yet having caught his breath, replied: "No... no! It's the He family fighting with the Zhuo family!"

The portly master didn't react for a moment: "The Zhuo family?"

The servant reminded him: "The Zhuo family, the one belonging to Prime Minister Zhuo that just arrived in Xinzhou not long ago."

The portly master was greatly alarmed: "Prime Minister Zhuo? Lao Zhuo? Isn't he on his deathbed?!"

Wasn't it said he was going to kick the bucket soon? He actually stood up?!

He was no longer in a hurry to go out; he paced back and forth, made a decision in a moment, and whispered an order:

"Later, no matter who comes looking for me, just say I've caught a cold and am bedridden! Go to the front and light a stove to brew medicine!"

The servant hurried off to make arrangements, checked the wind direction, and personally carried a stove near the courtyard gate to brew the medicine.

Before long, a steward from the He family came running over, covered in sweat, to ask for reinforcements.

Then he was told that this helper had fallen ill.

The He family steward smelled the medicinal scent wafting through the air; although he was suspicious, who would use such an unlucky excuse for themselves?

Even if it were an excuse, given his status as a steward, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to barge in and look for the person.

Without further delay, he hurried to the next house to find help.

Seeing the He family steward walk away, the servant returned to the courtyard to report.

"Master, that person has already left."

"Hmm. Don't put away the medicine stove yet, keep it there for two more days." The portly master was deep in thought.

Another attendant nearby asked: "Master, are we really not going out today?"

The portly master's expression was rarely tinged with bitterness: "Our family has ties to both sides; it's not good to get involved."

Internally, he also complained about the He family: If you were stepping on Wen Gu, I could still lend a hand on the side. I might even secretly meddle if you were up against the Shen Family.

But you're fighting with Lao Zhuo... then we can only stay neutral and stay as far away as possible!

The He family and the Zhuo family...

One is an imperial relative with a title, linked to other imperial relatives. A former imperial relative.

The other is an official family, a clan of scholars and officials. A former Prime Minister.

Even leaving aside the heads and core members of the two families, if you compare the rest, the Zhuo family has far more students and former subordinates.

In terms of prestige and influence, the He family is far behind!

Besides, Lao Zhuo has been holding back for so long; his aggression must be extremely high. If I go over, I'll only end up getting scolded, and I don't want to suffer!

He ordered the servant who brought the news: "Keep an eye on the situation, investigate further and report back!"

After the servant left, the portly master held his teacup and pondered carefully.

Lao He is definitely doomed this time; he's being used by Lao Zhuo to polish his reputation.

Did the two of them run into each other by accident?

Is Lao He really that unlucky?

Not necessarily.

"This person Wen Gu..."

He left the rest unsaid and smiled.

In short, Lao He has vividly demonstrated to everyone what it means to "I know this move, but it's useless once used"!

He Daye himself was a relative of the imperial family in the past; having been stepped on many times, he felt he had rich practical experience and thought, "I can do it too if I go up"? So he wanted to use the same tricks here in Xinzhou?

He's been taught a lesson again, again, and again!

Some tricks others can use, but they might not be suitable for him.

"I wonder if He Daye will have more insights after being beaten up."

Tsk.

The wealthy-looking master asked the attendant beside him: "Are there any vacant storefronts left in that street the Zhao Family is building in Jingxing Fang?"

The attendant respectfully replied: "Those storefronts were all reserved by the passing merchant caravans before they even started construction."

The wealthy-looking master said casually: "See which merchant caravan is willing to transfer theirs, and go buy a set."

The attendant automatically translated in his heart: See which merchant caravan is easy to manipulate, and squeeze them.

With their master's status, when buying things, they don't talk about first-come-first-served, only about strength and weakness.

The attendant responded: "Yes!"

However, the wealthy-looking master raised his hand: "Wait!"

He suddenly thought of those living ancestors in Jingxing Fang, the likes of Zhao, Shen, Wen...

He whispered: "None of them are easy to provoke."

Some risks should be avoided if possible; don't stir up trouble. For safety's sake, it's better to follow the procedure.

"Forget it. I heard that those Zhao Family disciples in Zhaohui Fang tasted the sweetness and are going to build another batch. You go and ask if it's true. If it is, we'll order a set too."

Even if he can't use it himself, his friends and relatives can.

On the other side.

On the road leading to the city center, the street-side confrontation between He and Lao Zhuo still hadn't ended.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the He side was already showing signs of decline.

Master He was trembling all over from being scolded. If he couldn't handle it, he'd find helpers!

He knew more than half of the upper-class nobles and wealthy families in Xinzhou, and many were related by blood or marriage.

The steward left in a hurry with the order.

... Zero people were found.

Master He was so angry he felt dizzy again.

"Master! Master, what's wrong with you?"

"Everyone stop! The master has fainted!"

In a carriage not far away.

Wen Gu watched Master He collapse in front.

Whether he really fainted or was faking it, the timing was indeed perfect to preserve his last bit of face.

If he kept holding on, he definitely wouldn't be able to beat Lao Zhuo. By that point, the scene would be even uglier, and the He Family's situation would be even worse.

The battle ahead paused.

Cheng Zhi's heated brain also slowly cooled down, but his intelligence hadn't returned yet, and he still didn't seem to be in his right state.

Tao San, who was hiding in the crowd of onlookers observing the situation, found an opening and darted over to the carriage.

"Ward Chief, Master He has fainted!" He lowered his voice. "That side is all He Family servants, blocking everything tightly; I can't tell if it's real or fake. Ward Chief, should I go over and verify?"

Wen Gu said: "No need, true or false doesn't matter."

Tao San glanced forward again and continued to ask in a low voice:

"Ward Chief, the He Family actually tried to find helpers just now. A friend of mine recognizes one of their stewards and said that the steward ran out to find people, but didn't manage to pull in a single helper!"

Tao San was full of curiosity: "The steward went to look for other families. Why didn't he bring over other people from the He Family?"

The He Family is also a large family, and many people survived. When the He Family's team first arrived in Xinzhou, their carriages were lined up for a long way!

Why not pull their own people over to help?

Wen Gu looked at the servants and attendants shielding Master He in front and said: "In a losing battle, why drag the family over to lose face together?"

Tao San understood.

Others aren't stupid either, so they didn't come.

And so...

Master He fainted.

The timing was so well-calculated, it was mostly likely faked.

Where the crowd gathered in front, the He Family servants helped their master into a sedan chair and carried him away.

As the He Family left, the Zhuo side also left quickly.

Prime Minister Zhuo continued to stroll through the city with his people, greeting and chatting with people around him, whether he knew them or not, occasionally answering a few questions.

The eldest young master of the Zhuo family was sent back to work by his father; although he wasn't very willing, he no longer wore a long face.

Wen Gu's carriage continued toward Zhao Fu.

The Wen and Zhuo sides didn't have much interaction, and those who didn't know the truth would find it hard to connect Wen Gu with the Zhuo family.

The congested road returned to normal, and the passing pedestrians quickly spread the news—

"I heard that the former Prime Minister, Old Master Zhuo, has recovered from a serious illness and wanted to take a good look at Xinzhou City. He was just strolling when he ran into Master He blocking the road, and the upright Prime Minister Zhuo was immediately enraged!"

"I heard that Prime Minister Zhuo couldn't stand it and spoke a few words directly, but was insulted and beaten in the street!"

Master He, who was lying at home, was so angry he almost vomited blood: I didn't! I wasn't! The one who was miserably insulted and beaten was me! Not him!

There were also rumors in the streets—

"I heard that Old Master Zhuo, with his frail body, fought off dozens of He Family members alone with a single sword!"

He Daye, lying at home: "Hah... ptooey! A load of nonsense!"

"I clearly only brought a dozen or so people!"

"And another thing, you lot don't mention a single word about those able-bodied men standing behind that old man Zhuo!"

After returning home, He Daye thought it over and realized.

"That Zhuo fellow and that Wen fellow, they had this planned all along!"

The more He Daye thought about it, the angrier he got. Back in Huangcheng, he was used by that bunch of scholars to boost their reputation, and now that decades have passed and they've changed locations, he's still being used by them to boost their reputation!

"A scholar's mind is truly poisonous!"

There were even rumors circulating in the streets—

"I heard that He Daye failed to beat someone up, and instead got slapped unconscious by a single sword strike from Prime Minister Zhuo!"

"I heard that back in Huangcheng, He Daye was already handled like a mouse seeing a cat. The Prime Minister is the Prime Minister after all; even after changing places and suffering a major illness, he can still handle you!"

"I heard that after He Daye was carried back, he hid at home and bleated like a sheep!"

The rumors in the streets grew more numerous, and those absurd remarks that severely distorted the facts made He Daye lose his composure completely.

When he was the one spreading rumors—

"It's just gossip among the common folk, why take it seriously? You're such a bore, can't even take a joke."

When he was the one being rumored about—

"Death by a thousand cuts! The rumor-mongers shall be executed by death by a thousand cuts!!"

Compared to He Daye, who was losing his composure at home, Prime Minister Zhuo was in high spirits, strolling around with his people before returning to his residence.

After a street brawl, his vitality was even stronger, and his life force was visibly growing robust.

Thinking back to when the imperial capital fell, the court collapsed, Plague Ghosts ran rampant, and everything was in ruins. The news received through various channels was more disheartening than the last.

There is no need to dwell on the difficulties of that period; what must be considered now is the future to be sought for the family.

As for where to start, he had already calculated that when he decided to step on He Daye to boost his reputation.

On the way back to his room, he encountered some clansmen offering salutations; regardless of whether they were young or old, women or children, Prime Minister Zhuo responded warmly to all.

Seeing that Prime Minister Zhuo had indeed regained his spirit, the people of the Zhuo family, as well as those who relied on the Zhuo family, all became cheerful.

It was like a great ship that had lost its target after experiencing storms at sea, finally welcoming back its supreme commander.

Within the high walls and large courtyards, there was also a bit more laughter.

Prime Minister Zhuo did not return to his room immediately, but instead went to the ancestral hall.

He burned incense and stayed inside quietly for a long time.

Many people had perished at the beginning of the chaotic times, and they had lost quite a few more on this journey north.

However, as the head of the household and the leader of the clan, Prime Minister Zhuo remained very confident that the survivors of his family would not lose to any other family!

Upon first arriving in Beidi, the original plan was indeed to observe first and prioritize stability.

But since the opportunity had arrived, why wait any longer?

They were already a step behind; they could no longer squeeze into the important towns and gathering places of Xinzhou, nor those important positions.

However, he had his own channels of information.

The Defense Post was no longer a secret among the upper echelons of Xinzhou, and when Wen Gu came over that day, they had chatted about it a few times.

Wen Gu did not say what could not be said, but what Prime Minister Zhuo most wanted to know, Wen Gu also shared sincerely.

As the proposer of the Defense Post System, Wen Gu was very confident in it.

During that brief conversation that day, Prime Minister Zhuo had also confirmed this point with Wen Gu. Although he had not seen it with his own eyes and did not know what this post was actually like, or whether it could withstand the crisis as expected, what Wen Gu said was indeed worth looking forward to.

The weather was gradually warming up, and whether what Wen Gu said was correct would soon be verified.

Once the Defense Post System was proven feasible, using it to lay out a strategy in Xinzhou would surely lead to a new round of adjustments for management personnel!

The current chaotic times are not the ordinary natural disasters or military rebellions recorded in history books; what they have to face are countless Plague Ghosts and elusive Evil Poison.

In these times of plague and chaos, the managers of important locations certainly cannot just be people who only know how to fight. The main forces of the Six Great Powers in Beidi were all former Border Army.

The Border Army can fight, I acknowledge that.

But when it comes to governance and administration, they might not be adept at it; it is still better to find professionals.

The time to employ people is coming. There is not much time left for their Zhuo family, and they must prepare as soon as possible.

As for He Daye? That is all in the past.

Presumably, He Daye will behave himself for a while. If old He continues to stir up trouble, he wouldn't mind stepping on him again.

The incense had burned out.

The sharp light in Prime Minister Zhuo's eyes faded, and he rose to walk out of the ancestral hall.

So what if he had encountered numerous setbacks over these past few years?

This old man has still carried through it all!

Wen Gu was right about one thing—

Fifty years old is the perfect age to forge ahead!

(End of chapter)