Chapter 175: Wen Gu is actually quite an interesting person, huh

Yangchuan Bofu Wang Shuo was of the same generation as Lao Zhao; the two had known each other since they were young.

Later, one remained in the capital while the other stayed in Xinzhou year-round. Their relationship was not particularly close, but they would write at least one letter a year to keep in touch. Although a count's title is not the highest rank, it still represents a noble status and position.

The title of Yangchuan Bofu was more honorary in nature and did not carry much administrative power.

The Wang family was originally a prominent aristocratic clan; Wang Shuo's mother was from an aristocratic family and brought a generous dowry.

His father was a powerful civil official, the kind who had once been a top-tier power broker. After the old man passed away, he was even posthumously enfeoffed as a Duke.

Wang Shuo could not inherit his father's title, nor could he inherit a downgraded version. The Imperial House did not want to grant it.

However, the political resources his father left behind were simply too strong, and with the help of his parents' two major families behind him, they managed to maneuver a count's title for him to maintain his noble status in the capital.

Wang Shuo's literary talent was average; he failed to inherit his father's gift.

He was also unwilling to practice martial arts to strengthen his body, having been pampered with fine clothes and food since childhood and unable to endure such hardship.

Even so, having been influenced by what he saw and heard since he was young, Wang Shuo still developed political sensitivity.

He sensed that the internal strife within the Imperial House would likely lead to his family being purged, so he pondered an escape route and made various preparations in secret. But the count's mansion was being watched, leaving him in a delicate situation—trapped in a dilemma where he could neither advance nor retreat, and unable to run even if he wanted to.

Just as he was worrying, the Huangcheng fell into chaos!

It wasn't just the Huangcheng; other places fell into chaos as well, with the Evil Plague spreading and Ghost appearing suddenly.

The world had become terrifying, but was it not also an opportunity?!

They seized the chance to escape the Huangcheng at the first opportunity and took temporary refuge at a villa in a neighboring county. At that time, the Six Great Powers of Beidi had not yet formed, and there was fighting everywhere. The two major families behind the Yangchuan Bofu were not in agreement, each making their own choices.

For a large family, this was a good thing—diversifying risks and diversifying investments.

It was at this time that the Yangchuan Bofu hooked up with Lao Zhao.

Lao Zhao needed support, and the Yangchuan Bofu needed to avoid disaster and make investments. After weighing the pros and cons, Lao Wang brought his family and servants and ran to Xinzhou.

The suddenly erupted chaotic era of the Evil Plague caused serious losses to various major families, but the Yangchuan Bofu had such deep reserves that even after experiencing the initial chaos and losing more than half its vitality, it was still far better off than those families on the brink of collapse.

Lao Wang's father had left him powerful political resources, and his mother had left him vast wealth.

The count's mansion was even able to provide a boost to Xinzhou during its most difficult time, offering timely help that assisted the Zhao Family in quickly taking control of Xinzhou, which shows how deep their foundation was! Today, the Yangchuan Bofu has already recovered.

This godforsaken chaotic era would not end in just a few short years, and Lao Wang had also prepared himself to retire in Xinzhou.

As for striving? Let the young people in the family work hard!

The Yangchuan Bofu was not interested in ordinary entertainment; as an aristocratic scion and a capital dignitary, what had he not played with when he was young?

He had no interest in Wanfu Garden in Jingxing Fang and did not contribute a single cent. At that time, he had only taken a few extra looks at the Liuli Baoqiao, and after that, he never went to Jingxing Fang again.

With Xinzhou stable, the Yangchuan Bofu instead became low-key.

Of course, this low-key was only relative; most of the time, he just listened to music and amused himself in the mansion. He didn't run outside to stir up trouble. Now, Wen Gu was about to meet this noble and wealthy count.

The Patrol Guard Division had special privileges when investigating cases; complaining to Lao Zhao was useless, as this was something Lao Zhao had specially permitted in the first place.

However, following etiquette and in order to show respect to this "early-access player" of Xinzhou, Wen Gu still wrote a post to inform him of the time he would be visiting.

As expected, he did not receive a reply.

It didn't matter; the procedure had been followed, so he could go and visit directly.

The ward where the Yangchuan Bofu was located was home to the rich and noble, but the houses were not all very large.

Continuing further inside, all that could be seen was one large mansion.

An exceptionally large mansion.

It had been rebuilt from many houses and had a large courtyard enclosed.

Only when Xinzhou City was first being built could one have enclosed such a large plot of land to build a house.

Now that more and more people were moving north, housing was becoming increasingly dense and building materials were harder to come by, making it very difficult to build such a large luxury mansion again. Wen Gu, leading Yu He and the others, looked toward the extra-large mansion ahead.

This luxurious mansion was the Yangchuan Bofu; the Xinzhou branch.

Wen Gu and his group were not wearing their Patrol Guard Division uniforms today; they were all wearing casual clothes, which appeared less conspicuous and could also reduce the sense of rejection from the count's mansion.

The gatekeeper of the count's mansion did not make things difficult for them; although there was no smile, the etiquette was still considered decent.

The group headed to the main hall.

Some nobles had been beaten to the brink of collapse by the chaotic era, yet they still gritted their teeth and held on, maintaining aristocratic dignity even while eating dirt.

The Yangchuan Bofu was different; they really weren't just holding on—they were truly wealthy!

The count's mansion didn't look like much from the outside, but once you truly entered it, you could see what was meant by the foundation of an aristocratic family!

The hall used for receiving guests was spacious and grand, with a layout and furnishings that were luxurious yet elegant; it was clear they were designed by master craftsmen using high-end techniques. Only one thing was puzzling—

The outside of the hall was decorated with copper mirrors, which cast outdoor light into the interior. As the sun moved, servants would adjust the angles of the mirrors. It seemed to be used for lighting.

The interior, which previously used Bright Tile, had now been replaced with Glass windows. Even though the mansion was large, the interior was not dark.

When the weather was clear, one could deeply feel the radiance of the sun.

The problem was, the summer heat hadn't passed yet, and it was hot...

The reception hall.

The Yangchuan Bofu sat in the main seat.

There were ice basins in the room, someone was fanning him from the side, and the Yangchuan Bofu was holding a cup of iced tea.

Seeing Wen Gu and the others, this count looked surprised, as if he hadn't seen Wen Gu's post.

"I heard a crow calling early in the morning... Oh, look at my mouth! I heard a magpie calling early in the morning, so it's Ward Chief Wen who has graced us with his presence!" The Yangchuan Bofu drank his iced tea slowly, then suddenly realized: "Look at me, a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue, haha! I'm getting old and my memory isn't good, don't mind me, don't mind me. Deputy... Envoy Wen!"

He emphasized the word "Deputy."

Even when the chief officer Pei Jun came over, the Yangchuan Bofu had never given a good look. Even Lao Zhao spoke to him very politely!

Let alone you, a mere Deputy Envoy!

The Yangchuan Bofu gave Wen Gu a cold look the moment they met.

However, Wen Gu did not care about this and even went along with the other party's words, saying:

"I heard during my Study Tour that magpies and crows are actually relatives."

Both are of the corvid family.

The Earl of Yangchuan was stunned for a moment.

Magpies and crows are relatives?

It caught him off guard all of a sudden.

Wait, is that the point?!

At this moment, a servant brought tea over for the guests.

Yu He touched it.

Scalding hot water.

Having already sweated from the heat along the way, now with a bowl of hot tea placed beside him, sweat began to pour out before he even took a sip.

Lao Wang, the Earl of Yangchuan, is in a bad mood today.

Lao Wang was indeed in a bad mood at this moment; no one would be in a good mood if the Patrol Guard Division came knocking at their door.

Everyone knows what the Xinzhou Xunweis' most proficient skill is.

Being visited by them only feels like bad luck!

To be honest, if it had been either of the other two from the Patrol Guard Division, whether it was Pei Jun or Fu Pian, the Earl of Yangchuan wouldn't have let them through the door!

But Wen Gu is different; Lao Zhao thinks highly of Wen Gu, and Wen Gu recently saved the life of Zhao Shaozhu, and also has some friendship with the Zhuo family. After weighing it, the Earl of Yangchuan still gave some face and let them in.

But that was all.

The Earl of Yangchuan pulled his attention back from "magpies and crows" and took another sip of cold tea.

He felt that Wen Gu and his lot were a bit abstract and prone to leading people astray.

Must not follow Wen Gu's line of thinking!

Better to send the guests away as soon as possible!

The Earl of Yangchuan set down his teacup, "Speak directly, what is the matter?"

Wen Gu smiled politely: "Disturbing you today, I wanted to ask if the person in charge of procurement for the manor has ever seen the military advisor of the Caishan Horse Bandits?" The Earl of Yangchuan's tone was cold: "I don't know, I haven't seen him."

Wen Gu's demeanor remained the same: "If the Earl's manor has any news of this 'military advisor', please trouble yourself to inform the Patrol Guard Division. Sorry for the intrusion today!"

Yu He looked at Wen Gu: Deputy Envoy, that's it? Not going to ask a few more questions?

We haven't even seen the procurement person! Didn't ask a single one, and we're just leaving?

The Earl of Yangchuan didn't want to say more either and was about to call out "See the guests out."

At this moment, Wen Gu added: "This junior has another matter to ask about. When I entered just now, I saw bronze mirrors set up outside the hall; I wonder what the significance is?" Outside the Earl's manor hall, carved bronze mirrors had been placed before, polished bright to reflect light into the room. At least on the surface, that was the case. After Glass mirrors appeared, only the windows inside the house were changed, but the bronze mirrors outside for reflecting light remained unchanged.

The Earl of Yangchuan didn't expect that, even when he was about to send them off, Wen Gu's train of thought would suddenly jump to this.

But there was nothing that couldn't be said; this matter didn't need to be hidden.

"Nowadays, Plague Ghosts run rampant outside, and the yin wind howls, so these bronze mirrors were set up to dispel yin evil. Using bronze mirrors to collect heavenly light, letting the Golden Crow enter the room, patrolling the yang and warding off the yin. If the yang energy is insufficient and the bad luck does not dissipate, it is not a good omen!"

When he said that last sentence, the Earl of Yangchuan specifically looked at Wen Gu and the others.

That's right, the ones I'm pointing at are you lot from the Patrol Guard Division who bring your own bad luck!

When the Patrol Guard Division comes, more bronze mirrors should be placed outside!

Damn bad luck!

Unpleasant as it was, the Earl of Yangchuan suddenly remembered another thing:

"Oh right, the Glass mirrors and Glass windows seem to be things you came up with? That was done quite well!"

After changing to Glass, it felt like the yang energy in the room was sufficient. He still appreciated this about Wen Gu.

Although those things were initially refined by Qingyi Daozhang, the one who played the key role was still Wen Gu.

The Earl of Yangchuan enjoyed the benefits, so he would give a little respect.

If Wen Gu were not a Deputy Envoy of the Patrol Guard Division, he would give even more respect!

The Earl of Yangchuan wanted to call out "See the guests out" again.

Over there, Wen Gu was lost in thought, and following the Earl of Yangchuan's words, he said:

"So, Earl, by setting these up, you are actually using the residence as a tripod furnace to collect the True Fire of the Sun to refine the yin and gloom?"

The Earl of Yangchuan was stunned for a moment: "Uh... yes! That is exactly it!"

Yu He lowered his eyes. He didn't want to look too dull, so he had to hide it.

He was confused inside: Deputy Envoy, what are we here for today? What on earth are you talking about now?!

It wasn't just Yu He who was confused; the other Patrol Guard Division Clerks who followed were also confused.

But they were just following as background, so no matter how confused they were, they had to hide it.

Wen Gu took out the paper and pen he carried with him.

If he could get a lead today, he could record it.

But the situation was different now, so it could also serve as a portable drawing pad.

Wen Gu said: "I wonder if the Earl has ever heard of... the bronze burning mirror?"

The Earl of Yangchuan didn't recall it for a moment, and the attendant beside him whispered a reminder. Those who could stay by the Earl's side were not lacking in knowledge.

The Earl of Yangchuan remembered: "I know, the sages once made the bronze burning mirror to obtain fire, and it is still used in some sacrificial rituals today."

The bronze burning mirror is a concave bronze mirror, a tool used to obtain fire. Although there are more convenient tools for obtaining fire now, it is still used in some important ancient sacrificial rituals.

Wen Gu showed his sincerity: "When this junior was on a Study Tour, I once saw an object, a peculiar tripod furnace made based on the bronze burning mirror, which uses the heavenly yang energy as furnace fire to cook and refine various things."

With a few strokes, he drew a solar stove.

He tore off that page of the drawing and handed it over:

"Disturbing your refined mood today, please accept this as an apology."

Having said that, Wen Gu did not linger, and politely took his leave with his people.

Seeing that Wen Gu had truly left, the Earl of Yangchuan was instead puzzled.

"He's just leaving like this? Then he came over today just to ask a few random questions? What is he after!"

While the Earl of Yangchuan pondered Wen Gu's intentions for the day, he saw his attendant hand over the paper Wen Gu had left behind and reached out to take it.

He had assumed it was written in some kind of code, but he didn't expect it to actually be a drawing.

A few simple strokes depicted an object.

The Earl of Yangchuan frowned: "What is this thing?"

The attendant said in a low voice: "My Lord, you're holding it upside down. There is writing on the side."

Turning it over, he understood it now.

Although it was drawn without any artistic beauty, it was clear at a glance.

The attendant had been by the Earl of Yangchuan's side for many years; when there were no outsiders around, his speech became more casual, and he said:

"The trick to it, once you understand it, is actually quite simple."

The Earl of Yangchuan snorted: "Simple? If it's simple, why couldn't you think of it? Why couldn't anyone else think of it?"

The attendant was speechless.

Indeed, it was clearly a very simple thing, but, if you didn't think of it, you just didn't think of it.

The Earl of Yangchuan recalled the last words Wen Gu had left behind and was indeed interested, so he ordered people to make these things; he wanted to use this cauldron to brew tea! The attendant looked at the drawing and asked the Earl of Yangchuan again:

"My Lord, it is written here that it can be inlaid with Glass, or it can be made entirely of copper."

If Glass was needed, it had to be designed in advance and ordered from the Zhao Family's workshop. If using all copper, they would still need to go buy copper ingots.

Since the Earl wanted to use this cauldron to brew and refine things, the size certainly couldn't be too small, and there was no telling how many trials it would take to get a finished product; the materials needed were many, and all had to be purchased. Regardless of whether it was Glass or copper, given the current market, neither was cheap.

Therefore, which one to make had to be decided by the Earl.

"My Lord, which one do you prefer?" the attendant asked.

The Earl of Yangchuan was very dissatisfied: "Does this even need asking? Of course, I want both!"

In his eyes, these things were all small change.

"Hurry up and have the craftsmen make it!"

Making this cauldron would take time, but as he looked at the drawing, he felt... the finished product should be feasible!

"This Wen Gu, he's actually quite interesting, ha!"

The Earl of Yangchuan pondered quietly for a while, then suddenly said: "I heard that this Wen Gu likes ancient artifacts and famous paintings?"

The attendant said: "I have also heard this. Deputy Envoy Wen is a scholar; after coming to Xinzhou, he studied painting under Old Master Hong."

The Earl of Yangchuan stroked his meticulously groomed beard, pondered for another moment, and said to the attendant: "Fetch my calling card."

He wanted to write an invitation to ask Wen Gu to come over tomorrow to appreciate paintings.