Chapter 134: The Well-Connected

After the Zhao Family took over this cellar, they also hired craftsmen to maintain and inspect it.

There were no issues with the structure.

Just in case—in case the city fell and the surface was struck by the Ghost Tide, the underground portion could still be preserved intact.

This is likely one of the reasons why many parties were at ease with Zhao Shaozhu coming to the front lines to oversee the battle.

The Neicheng of Shuo City was likewise home to wealthy households and the majority of the locals from the north and south.

The Outer City District was larger, had been expanded, and had a complex composition of people. There were locals, but even more were refugees who had fled from the north.

When the convoy entered the city, Wen Gu took a rough look; all he could see were military tents, and he could not see things clearly.

He actually wanted to go and carefully observe the situation, but he also knew that the current circumstances were not suitable for going out and causing trouble. There was no need to increase his own risks.

It remained the same thing his maternal aunt, Lady Shen, had said: when out and about, stay close to your cousin, as the security is strong.

Exhausted from the journey, they rested for a day after moving into the residence before Zhao Shaozhu took people to the city towers to inspect the work.

Wen Gu tagged along to gain experience.

The Shuo City City Defender, Lin Yin, managed the civil affairs of Shuo City; he was nearly forty, carried a saber at his side, and looked stern and sharp—though he was a scholar, he did not appear weak.

The garrison general, Wu Yang, the head of the Shuo City City Defense Army, looked rugged, but he was definitely not a careless person.

Zhao Shaozhu went on an inspection tour while discussing important matters of city defense with them.

Wen Gu still stood quietly to the side, not getting in the way, nor wandering far off; he just listened silently to their conversation and observed his surroundings.

Standing on the Shuo City tower and looking out, things nearby were fine, but the defensive works further away could not be seen clearly.

He remembered seeing rows of earthen walls before entering the city, and they did not look like they had been built casually.

At the time, they were rushing, and the route into the city was guided by specific people, so they were moving fast and he had no time to look more. Thinking back on it carefully afterward, the arrangement of those earthen walls was somewhat like the lines of the Eight Trigrams.

When he had some free time, he asked his question: "The arrangement of those defensive walls in the distance is somewhat similar to a hexagram."

Zhao Shaozhu glanced over and nodded, saying, "Mm, that is so."

The answer was very vague, but it confirmed one point: there was indeed an expert providing guidance!

He did not know who the "expert" was, but it certainly wasn't that dog Daoist, Qingyi.

Wen Gu recalled the arrangement of those earthen walls.

There might not really be any supernatural immortal arts involved, but it certainly combined the local terrain with some military strategic deployments to maximize the weakening of the Plague Ghost's impact with limited materials and defensive facilities.

Over the next few days, continuing to tag along to gain experience, Wen Gu gained a rough understanding of the place.

In Shuo City, there was not much room for him to play a part. Even if there were, it was not something he could easily intervene in.

There were plenty of people who wanted to show off their talents at a time like this.

A young master of a powerful family had his social tasks and daily work, so Wen Gu naturally would not follow his cousin out every day.

There were some experiences he could mooch off of, and he could follow along to gain knowledge and build reputation. But military deployments, the transfer of important personnel, and high-level secrets—if he insisted on pushing himself into those, he would be overstepping.

It was better to stay honestly in the room.

This large residence was filled inside and out with Zhao Shaozhu's people; not to mention the stewards and servants working in the various small courtyards and rooms, there was even a circle of guards standing outside the house!

The stewards and servants were all arranged by Zhao Shaozhu a month in advance to manage the house. There was still security here; at least it was safer than other places in the city.

Shuo City was not large, and news traveled fast among the wealthy households in the Neicheng, so Wen Gu, who stayed in his room painting, was naturally targeted.

Zhao Shaozhu was busy with affairs, so since they couldn't get an appointment with him, they would switch to someone else. Wen Gu, this well-connected individual, was a good starting point.

The wealthy households inquired about Wen Gu's preferences and then had their family's younger generation extend enthusiastic invitations.

Tasting tea, appreciating paintings, and discussing the way of incense.

In this era, due to the severe limitations and lag in the transmission of news, the vast majority of people in Shuo City could not know how Wen Gu conducted himself in Xinzhou.

Therefore, when accepting invitations to go out to banquets, Wen Gu maintained his external persona.

After three consecutive days, he stopped going out.

Recently, the weather had warmed up again, and the Outer City District was on constant alert, becoming even more tense.

A portion of the wealthy households in the Neicheng District had also entered a state of staying behind closed doors, so Wen Gu declining invitations from all sides did not seem abrupt.

He read the local gazetteer in the study for a while to understand the history of the prefecture and county here, as well as information on household registration, geography, and the like.

Vaguely hearing some movement outside and learning that another batch of grain was being moved, Wen Gu put down the gazetteer and walked out.

On most ordinary days, the door to the storage cellar was locked; unless there was special permission from the young master, others were not allowed to enter at will.

Today, grain was being moved, and a batch was to be stored in the cellar, so Wen Gu followed along to take a look at the cellar.

During the period of the plague, the scholar class had a strong concept of "being cautious with food."

Illness enters through the mouth. Especially now that the Evil Plague had broken out, they were even more cautious about what they ate. The ice stored in the cellar's ice room was only taken out when the weather was hot and placed in the room to cool it down, or used for short-term food preservation; it was never consumed directly.

Zhao Shaozhu's daily food was handled by specific people.

Before leaving Xinzhou City, Lady Shen had reminded him: when out and about, stay close to your cousin; do not stay too far away, but also maintain boundaries to avoid suspicion, and to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation to shift blame onto Wen Gu.

Wen Gu naturally would not cause trouble. He only watched, did not touch anything, and kept his distance while observing.

The food was indeed very particular. With Zhao Shaozhu's current status, the fine flour used had to be inspected by personnel designated by the young master at the granary, and then the processing, milling, and sifting were watched the entire time. Only the finest and whitest flour was for Zhao Shaozhu's consumption.

Aside from the amount that had to be used, most of the freshly milled flour was placed in a designated area to age slightly. Different grades of flour were stored in separate warehouses.

"Is the kitchen in the basement not used regularly?"

Wen Gu looked at the cellar's kitchen; it had cooking utensils, firewood, grain, oil, and spices, all fully equipped. But there were no signs of recent cooking.

The flour was also stored in several storage rooms nearby.

The steward explained: "In reply to Cousin, the kitchen items are just in case, as a backup. Even if they aren't used, the things must be kept ready."

Wen Gu pointed to the fence not far away, on the other side of the aisle: "Is this also usually pulled shut?"

The steward said: "The storage room near the kitchen will hold grain and goods to be used in the near future. It's an extra door to guard against petty thieves."

""

Wen Gu nodded.

Understood, to prevent internal staff from committing theft or taking the opportunity to tamper with things, so another gate is added.

Inside and outside this large residence, from servants to guards, their livelihoods and futures are tightly bound to Zhao Shaozhu, so naturally, they treat it with caution.

Not to mention there is only one gate on that side of the corridor; even if there were several more, the steward would use them all.

Wen Gu's gaze passed over the steward and looked inside the kitchen.

Even if it is just a backup kitchen in the basement, it is an important place; Wen Gu would not rashly enter, but just stood outside to look.

The more he looked, the more he felt that if one counts back several hundred years from this era, the craftsmen were also quite formidable!

He asked the steward: "Can the kitchen's flue be climbed into from the outside?"

The steward could not understand why he had so many questions, but on the surface, he still respectfully replied: "Cousin is joking, that is impossible! The flue is narrow, even a young child cannot climb in, and there are short grates inside; let alone a person, even ordinary wild animals are hard to enter."

The two guards at the side who had been silent all this time could not help but say at this moment: "We checked when we first arrived here; the cellar flue is narrow and the corners are complex, please rest assured, Cousin!"

If the guards beside the Young Master could not even do this little bit of work well, they might as well slit their own throats!

The other guard thought about Wen Gu's reputation in Xinzhou City; this Cousin should be a serious person, not like he was joking.

Thinking again that the Young Master had said in private that this Cousin had rich experience from his Study Tour, perhaps there really were some capable people and strangers they had not seen before?

Thus, the guard followed up: "Has Cousin ever seen an assassin hiding in a flue?"

Wen Gu said: "That I have not, I was just marveling at the craftsmanship of the artisans from several hundred years ago."

Immediately, he asked again: "If one speaks down here, can those outside hear it?"

The steward cautiously replied: "As long as you don't shout loudly, those outside cannot hear."

So, plotting important matters here is sufficiently concealed; there is no need to worry about being overheard.

In the cellar, there is not only a hidden space for the nobles to seek pleasure, but also an interrogation room! However, there is no need to tell Cousin about these.

Wen Gu is very interested in the architectural structure of the cellar.

Here are hidden various air ducts, flues, fire ducts, and even a secret water channel; although it has been abandoned, one can tell that hundreds of years ago, this cellar had everything.

If one encounters a crisis, one hides here. As long as one has stored enough supplies and can hold out, one can hide for a long time.

The cellar's opening time is brief; even with the status of a well-connected person, one cannot receive special treatment.

After looking at the kitchen and the nearby stone rooms for a while, Wen Gu returned to his room to continue reading the county annals.

He stayed in his residence and did not participate in the gatherings outside, but in Shuo City, in many courtyards, there was no lack of discussion about him.

The impression the wealthy families of Shuo City had of Wen Gu: a well-connected person with literary talent, a gentle temperament, and a bit of sincerity in how he treated others.

But looking at him over these days, they did not see anything special.

Now is a chaotic time, not the time when one could take the imperial examinations!

"Studied until he became a fool, his name does not match his reality," one wealthy man evaluated.

"It seems that the praise in the Xinzhou Times during the New Year was mostly the Zhao Family intentionally propping him up," another person also said.

Those who are smart can see clearly; to put it bluntly, Wen Gu, this well-connected person, was placed by the Zhao and Shen families into the Young Master's team to sponge off some merit. After three months, having gained the credentials, he can return to Xinzhou City and claim he has "been to the front lines and has actual combat experience."

A large portion of the wealthy families in Shuo City think this way.

Reducing outings does not mean reducing entertainment. Even if the situation is urgent and war could break out at any time, there are plenty of people among the wealthy in the Neicheng District seeking pleasure.

If one sent someone to walk around on the ground, one would find that every day a few families have the sounds of strings and flutes drifting out.

The wealthy families have made offerings and paid "protection fees"; as long as the city does not fall, they can continue to play and have fun.

While one still looks like a person now, playing for one more day is a profit; perhaps tomorrow everyone will become ghosts?

This evening, Zhao Shaozhu returned from the county government office.

After discussing important matters with the team of strategists, he called over a guard who was watching the residence and asked: "When Wen Gu went out a few days ago, you followed to protect him the whole time; what was his attitude toward those people?"

The guard did not understand the Young Master's purpose, but only conservatively replied: "Cousin is easygoing with others."

Zhao Shaozhu continued to ask: "Could you tell if he was more affectionate toward anyone?"

The guard recalled, but could not find anyone.

Zhao Shaozhu muttered: "Didn't take a fancy to a single one?"

The guard did not hear clearly: "Young Master?"

"Nothing."

Zhao Shaozhu was silent for a moment, still unwilling to give up, and asked again: "Regardless of gender, age, or status, not even one?"

The guard thought hard and said: "Cousin did not favor one over the other."

Zhao Shaozhu was disappointed.

This is the biggest problem!

He picked up a stack of Butie on the desk and threw them to the strategist beside him: "Reject them all."

People who are still idle enough to visit others at this time might truly have some talent, but given the current situation in Shuo City, they are not worth him looking at them differently.

—This is the judgment Zhao Shaozhu made based on Wen Gu's performance.

If Wen Gu doesn't take a fancy to them, then I won't either. There is no need to waste time meeting them!

Recalling the beginning of the year, the ten-year-old Zhao Han, whose painting skills were like dog shit, was in the eyes of many people mediocre in aptitude, cowardly, neither good at literature nor martial arts, unable to do anything right, and unable to finish anything he ate. Such a mediocre person was discovered by Wen Gu.

In less than half a year, with the printing and sale of the picture books, Zhao Han has become a famous little painter in Beidi! His reputation soared!

Such an example is not the only one; there is no need to look at other families, one can see a glimpse of it just by looking at the mediocre people in their own Zhao Family.

"Wen Gu has a set of criteria for selecting people that cannot be defined."

Zhao Shaozhu believes it is very worth referencing.