One hundred and eighty-six

Fu Wei and others waited outside Pengcheng for two days.

The day before entering the city, a spy came back, and people from Longxi, Wuling and other places rushed to King Pengcheng. It is not difficult to guess that they have the same goal.

The fifth leader of Muyun Village, who escorted Fu Wei to Pengcheng, frowned when he heard the spy mention that there was an envoy from Wuling.

"Wuling has defected to Yuzhang. Although he's on the side of Crown Prince Zhou, he's still part of Yuzhang. He's come to Pengcheng this time, apparently to steal the credit."

After saying that, he looked towards the window, where Fu Wei was calmly brewing tea by the stove.

He was wearing a white shirt and his black hair was neatly tied up, meticulously.

There was snow outside the window, and the cold moonlight shone into the house and fell on Fu Wei. The cold moonlight seemed to wrap him in a layer of brilliance, like a banished immortal about to ascend to heaven.

The fifth boss sighed in his heart, why does a man need to be so good-looking?

If Fu Wei was a little uglier, maybe he could have been able to get something out of the corner.

Who could have imagined that such a handsome and gentle man not only loved his wife so much, but was also an incredibly jealous person.

Fu Wei poured two cups of hot tea, pushed one of the cups towards where the fifth boss was standing, then picked up the tea in front of him, took a sip, and looked out the window, holding the warm cup in both hands.

He said slowly, "The first ones to be excluded will be the people of Wuling."

The Fifth Master raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"King Pengcheng executed the governor of Pengcheng but spared his infant son. While this left a hidden danger, it also demonstrated a certain kindness in his heart. Huo Shanrong, on the other hand, betrayed his master twice, showing disloyalty and injustice, and King Pengcheng despised him."

The Fifth Master said, "But how could the King of Pengcheng know that he betrayed his master..." He paused, then suddenly realized, "What news did you spread?"

After a pause, he continued, "The further north we travel from Guiyang County, the more gossip I hear. The news about Huo Shanrong collaborating with the enemy twenty years ago dates back to a year ago, when your reputation was rising."

Now is the right time to spread the news about Huo Shanrong.

The Fifth Master looked at Fu Wei intently and said, "A year ago, you had people spread the news to the north, hoping to prevent Huo Shanrong from ascending to a higher position."

Fu Wei withdrew his gaze and looked at the Fifth Master, saying calmly, "I'm just gambling on his future choice of master. If his master is cruel, brutal, greedy and selfish, his style will be appreciated. Otherwise, if he is despised, it will hinder his future to a certain extent."

"The trip to Pengcheng was beyond our expectations, but it brought us unexpected surprises."

The Fifth Master walked to the hearth, lifted his robe, and sat down. He took a sip of the already scalding tea and shook his head, "No, the trip to Pengcheng was indeed unexpected, but hindering his plan is within your control."

At the end of his speech, the Fifth Master suddenly sneered: "Although Huo Shanrong is older than you and has twenty years more experience, he can't beat you. And his biggest miscalculations are two."

"First, I didn't keep you. I used you with both emotion and reason. Second, I didn't kill you. I spared your life."

These two things are enough to make Huo Shanrong regret for the rest of his life.

Fu Wei smiled faintly, said nothing, and poured him another cup of tea.

The Fifth Master could see that Fu Wei didn't really want to talk about Huo Shanrong, so he didn't say anything more.

The two of them were silent for a while. Fu Zhen knocked on the door and entered. He looked at them and said solemnly, "There's news from Pengcheng."

After saying that, he handed the letter to Fu Wei.

Fu Wei took it, feeling it was a bit heavy. He opened the envelope and poured out the letter and the items inside.

A piece of letter and a thin wooden sign.

The wooden sign was irregular, as if it had been casually cut from a block of wood, and even the marks on it seemed to have been haphazardly carved.

This perfunctory attitude shows that King Pengcheng does not care about these people who have come.

He held the wooden sign in his palm, unfolded it, and read it for a moment, then said, "As the letter says, you can enter the city at 1:15 PM tomorrow. Although you can only bring ten people with you, you can bring weapons with you. Those entering the city must abide by the rules."

The fifth leader asked first: "What are the rules?"

Fu Wei: "Those entering the city are not allowed to engage in private fighting, looting, burning, or killing innocent people. Those who violate this rule will be killed without mercy."

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Master suddenly laughed out loud, "This King Pengcheng is quite a character. He's not afraid of offending anyone."

He suddenly began to believe what Fu Wei had just said.

Perhaps King Pengcheng is really a kind person as Fu Wei said.

"However, Prince Pengcheng is so stubborn that he might not look down on Yuzhang for accepting Huo Shanrong. It might even bring trouble to us who also serve Yuzhang."

Fu Wei remained calm and put the letter into the charcoal fire in the stove.

Seeing him so calm, the Fifth Master thought he had some plan, so he asked, "What are your plans for entering Pengcheng tomorrow?"

Fu Wei watched the burning letter for a moment before looking around at him and his elder brother. He said slowly, "We'll take it one step at a time."

Fifth Master: ...

Well, what difference does it make whether I say it or not?

*

Noon, outside Pengcheng.

In the chilly wind, Fu Wei wore a plain cloak over his white robe. Although he was very capable, he gave people the impression of an elegant scholar.

Led by him, a group of people rode on horseback, waiting for the city gate to open.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the city gate opened and a cavalry team emerged from the city in a majestic manner.

They are said to be cavalry, but they don’t look like it.

Wearing crude armor, with untidy beards and unruly hair, all of them had sharp and ruthless eyes, and seemed to be wrapped in a thick bloody murderous aura.

People in the north tend to be taller and stronger than those in the south, and every one of these cavalrymen is tall and strong, even their horses are strong and tall.

The aura of majesty is overwhelming and the murderous aura is heavy.

The fifth leader looked at these cavalrymen and had the illusion for a moment that he had met his colleagues.

How does this look like cavalry?

This fierce momentum clearly looks like a bandit who is even more like a bandit than they are.

The cavalry halted their horses in front of the Fuwei battlements, and the leader reined in his horse and shouted, "Is it the Yuzhang Zhou family?"

Fu Wei held his horse whip in his hand and bowed, "I am Fu Wei, an aide to General Zhou Yi of the Yuzhang Zhou family. What is your name?"

The man leading the team replied coldly: "General Li."

Then he stepped forward and held out his hand to Fu Wei: "A token of gratitude."

Fu Wei took out the wooden sign and handed it over.

General Li took the wooden sign. He probably couldn't tell whether the token was real or not, but he felt it was right, so he glanced at it casually, then glanced at the people behind him and said, "Only ten people can enter the city."

Fu Wei nodded.

Seeing that the scholar-dressed staff member didn't waste any words, General Li didn't waste any words either and said, "Follow me into the city."

Nine carefully selected people followed Fu Wei into the city.

Entering Pengcheng is like entering a den of dragons and tigers. If the King of Pengcheng doesn't want anyone to leave safely, the danger will be unpredictable.

As soon as he entered the city, countless eyes were cast upon him.

Curiosity, vigilance, and even disgust.

The common people and slaves were oppressed, so they naturally had prejudice and resentment towards the aristocratic families.

The Yuzhang Zhou family is a prominent family in the south. Even though they have a good reputation in Yuzhang, Pengcheng and Yuzhang are far apart, and the news is blocked. The people can neither hear nor see, and will only think that they are birds of a feather.

Not to mention the envoy Wuling, who has a bad reputation.

Therefore, giving Huo Shanrong a bad reputation can be both beneficial and harmful.

Fu Wei looked around.

The situation in Pengcheng is better than other places. At least the people are not pale and sallow. Although they look alert, their eyes are not empty and pale.

In addition to this, there is a cold and murderous aura that follows like a shadow from the darkness.

From the moment the letter arrived, King Pengcheng seemed casual, yet he allowed people from other forces into the city. How could he be so unguarded?

In the darkness of Pengcheng, there were countless eyes staring at them, and no one knew how many arrows were aimed at them.

The fifth boss's eyes were stern, and his five fingers tightened as he gripped the hilt of the knife.

They were stared at by all kinds of eyes along the way, and finally arrived at the place they wanted to go after half an hour.

Pengcheng training ground.

Training ground...

This venue was obviously suitable for competition, and Fu Wei roughly understood King Pengcheng's purpose.

Simple and clear purpose - to compete.

Only three cavalrymen led them in.

As the cavalry entered, they were met with unfriendly glances from all directions.

Looking up, I saw seven thatched pavilions in the vast training grounds, including the main seat. Now, apart from the main seat, three of them were occupied.

The Fifth Master then stood beside Fu Wei and whispered, "Can you tell who they are?"

Fu Wei glanced casually, then withdrew his gaze. Without stopping, he whispered, "The first one on the left is the envoy from Longxi. The one sitting there should be the fifth son of the Duke of Longxi, Li Cheng. He's said to be kind and generous, and highly valued by the Duke. The second one from the left is the general of Shu County, Shu Kun, who also came from a slave family. Shu County probably thought that with a similar background, it would be easier to convince King Pengcheng."

After hearing what Fu Wei said, the Fifth Boss looked at Fu Wei with surprise and a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"On the right is Huo Shanrong's most capable aide, Xu Jinting. He's adept at using trickery and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals." At this point, Fu Wei's eyes darkened. "We must be especially wary of this man. King Pengcheng has stipulated that private fighting is prohibited upon entering the city. He might comply, but there's no guarantee he won't instigate private fighting."

"Wuling County is fine, but when did you investigate the others?"

Fu Wei spoke calmly, "When I was in Lingnan, I sent people to investigate the situation in each county." He paused, "Knowing yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger."

The Fifth Master's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this: "No wonder others say it's better to offend a villain than a gentleman."

Fu Wei frowned slightly when he heard this, but he corrected him: "It is better to offend a gentleman than a villain."

The Fifth Master sighed softly, "In my opinion, it's right. If a villain dares to play tricks, I'll just chop him off. Chopping off a gentleman is despised by everyone, unless he's a hypocrite."

Fu Wei paused slightly, this is still a moral bandit.

Sitting on one of the seats, Xu Jinting is about 15 feet away on the left.

He has an ordinary appearance, a gentle smile on his face, and is dressed in a Confucian robe. Even by looking at the way he sits, one can tell that he is not tall.

Xu Jinting had already turned around and bowed to Fu Wei, saying in a slightly louder voice, "Long time no see, how are you, sir?"

Fu Wei's face was indifferent and he ignored it.

Xu Jinting didn't care at all. He withdrew his gaze, still with a faint smile on his face.

There was only a pot of water on the tea table, nothing else.

About half an hour later, another group of people entered the training ground.

The leader was actually a young man of about twelve or thirteen wearing black clothes with wide sleeves and red edges.

The Fifth Master narrowed his eyes slightly, leaned forward again, and asked curiously, "Do these people know?"

Fu Wei only took a glance and said: "The late emperor, the seventh son."

The Fifth Master was slightly surprised for a moment: "How dare the son of a tyrant come to Pengcheng?"

Fu Wei looked at the teenage boy and said, "Yes, how dare you come."

King Pengcheng did have some good reputations that spread around, one of which was that he did not kill his youngest son.

King Pengcheng was once a slave during the reign of his father, and he held the deepest hatred. If an adult prince had come today, he would not have survived if he had left the imperial city.

Perhaps this was the reason why the underage Seventh Prince was sent on a diplomatic mission to Pengcheng.

Furthermore, even if he came, he would never be able to gain the support of King Pengcheng. The people of the old royal party must be aware of this.

His eyes fell on the people behind Qizi.

I'm afraid their purpose is not to gain the support of King Pengcheng, but to surrender.

Perhaps, the Seventh Son was the proton they sent.

However, their goal will probably fail.