The snow stopped falling and the sun was shining brightly. The few flat areas on the top of the mountain were filled with densely packed tents. It was a rare good day, so the soldiers of the State of Chen spread furs outside the tents and put the collected firewood in the sun to dry.

Because there was no fighting, the soldiers no longer wore the outer layer of leather armor, and walked around the camp warming their hands with their breath.

"It's not cold during the day." The soldiers chatted as they prepared to make a fire. "Luckily we have this tent and that blanket, otherwise we would have frozen to death at night!"

"That blanket is really amazing." The soldiers exclaimed in amazement. "A blanket that can heat itself, I think even the kings of other countries have never enjoyed it, but we peasants have used it first."

The soldiers laughed and said, "Hurry up and make some hot soup to cook the meat. The meat is fat and lean, and I don't know what kind of meat it is."

"It looks like pork!" said a knowledgeable soldier. "I once hunted wild pigs at home. They were fat and lean like this."

"Pork meat? You are joking again. Wild porpoises are rare and even more difficult to catch. Where can we get so much pork meat in these desolate mountains and wilderness?" The other soldiers did not believe it.

"Whatever it is, it's meat and we can eat it, so that's fine."

"It's been a long time since I last ate meat." Someone swallowed.

"If General Zuo hadn't forbidden me, I could have finished one right now."

"Hahahaha!" the soldiers laughed.

Han Ran woke up when he heard laughter outside the tent. He first held his head and was dazed for several breaths before sitting up. The quilt on his body slid down to his legs, but he didn't even notice it. He supported himself on the blanket with his hands, and he didn't even know what day it was.

Last night was the best sleep he had had in recent days.

There is no stove in the tent, but sleeping on this blanket and covered with a skin quilt, I don’t feel cold at all. Although I am a little dry in the mouth now, compared with the warmth, this dryness is not important at all.

This blanket...

Han Ran couldn't think of anything else except a miracle.

No matter how skilled a craftsman is, he or she would not be able to make a self-heating blanket like this.

The soldiers did not understand, but he did. As the Left General of the State of Chen, although he did not own the treasures of the world, he had seen them.

If there is such a thing in the world, even if he has never seen it, he must have heard of it.

Han Ran sat there for a while. He really didn't want to leave the warm bed, but he didn't stay there for long. He quickly got up and put on his jacket. When he opened the tent, he saw that the sun was shining brightly outside, so he walked out of the tent without wearing leather armor or carrying a sword.

"General Zuo." The soldiers passing by stopped and saluted.

Han Ran raised his hand, and the soldiers stood up again. Han Ran smiled and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

The soldiers looked at each other and laughed: "We didn't sleep that well at home."

"It's very warm! Even hugging my wife isn't as warm as this!"

Han Ran pointed at him and said, "You're all right, kid. Have you found a wife?"

The soldier who was pointed at lowered his head and scratched the back of his head, and said shyly: "My parents asked for it for me. She is a good wife. She has a round face. I like her just by looking at her."

Han Ran also laughed: "Okay, when the snow stops, you can continue to sleep with your wife in your arms when you go back!"

The soldiers all laughed. The one who was laughed at said angrily, "General Zuo, it's fine if you laugh, but what are you laughing at? You can't find a wife yourself, yet you come to laugh at me. I think you are jealous of me!"

They soon got into a fight, neither using much force, just tickling each other.

After the firewood was dried and could burn, the soldiers began to shovel the snow on the ground, dig a hole to expose the ground, pick up stones to cover the ground, and then build a fire and start boiling water.

They melted the snow and put the meat, which had a layer of salt on the surface, into the pot.

The aroma of meat soon filled the air. The soldiers couldn't help but approach the big pot, staring at the meat in the pot without blinking.

When the first batch of meat was cooked, the head cook shouted, "Don't worry, come to the front one by one, everyone will get some!"

The cooked meat is not soft and glutinous and cannot be compared with fresh meat, but most soldiers may not eat meat for a month, let alone fresh meat. Even princes and nobles eat smoked meat most of the time. After all, fresh meat is easy to spoil and live poultry is not easy to keep in the house, so air-dried meat and smoked meat are the staple food.

The meat they usually eat is mostly chicken and duck meat, and ordinary people raise these two kinds of poultry.

Horse meat could be eaten occasionally, but only when a horse died of old age in the barracks or a dead horse was dragged back from the battlefield.

There was even less beef because some farmers believed that cows had worked hard all their lives and should be buried like humans after death. So some people would secretly dig up the buried cows and eat them, but if they were caught, they would probably be beaten to death.

Obtaining pork meat, like the meat of other wild animals, depends on luck. After all, wild pigs have fangs, and several adult men may not be able to stop them from charging. Even if they catch one, most people would rather sell it to merchants or offer it to local tribes in exchange for some gold, silver and food to take home to fill their stomachs.

The soldiers didn't have any bowls now, so they watched the meat being cooked and waited to scoop up a piece. They didn't feel it was hot, so they just had to wrap it in snow and eat it.

Han Ran also got a share. He didn't want to eat alone, so he ate whatever the soldiers ate.

In addition to meat, there are also steamed buns, all of which are steamed buns and can be eaten just by heating them in the pot.

"This meat tastes really good. It doesn't taste like it's been salted." The soldier took a big bite of the meat and chewed it, saying, "It's very flavorful. Good meat!"

Han Ran also took a bite. As soon as he put it in his mouth, he could taste the complex flavor, but it was not too complex to be unpalatable.

It’s mostly lean meat, but it’s not dry at all.

"This meat looks like it's been marinated with spices." Han Ran sighed, "This is really a big deal."

Guards: "The general exchanged it for the Emperor's Sword, it seems he didn't lose anything!"

Han Ran let out a long sigh: "The famous sword of the Weiwei..."

The personal soldier didn't take it seriously: "You used to be able to command thousands of troops, but now you're just an unsharpened sword. General Zuo, eat it. If you feel bad about it, you can change it back later."

Han Ran knew that the guard was joking with him. He smiled and shook his head: "My family is not rich. If I really change, my parents will cut me into pieces. Maybe they won't even let me be buried in the ancestral tomb after I die."

"I don't know when I can go back..."

He missed Chen State and his home, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

·

Chen Hou felt very comfortable. He was enjoying the warm breeze, holding a bowl of shaved ice in his hand. The ice was drizzled with a layer of red strawberry jam and sprinkled with some biscuit crumbs and fruit grains. He ate it slowly, mouthful by mouthful, with a small spoon.

"This stuff tastes really good. If I can bring it back to Linzi, I'll let my wife have a taste. She loves sweets." Chen Hou sat on the ground, leaning against the "wall", and said to Chen Yan in a very good mood, "The doctor said that I can eat this bowl of ice, but you can't. But I can't eat too much, so I'll just eat this bowl."

Chen Yan was not greedy. He asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, did you find out anything when you met the owner of this place? Did you ask about the affairs of the State of Chen?"

Chen Hou waved his hand and said, "I have asked, please listen to me and I will explain it to you in detail."

After Chen Hou told the story of Shang Yang again, Chen Yan frowned and said, "This method sounds feasible, but it is easier said than done."

Marquis Chen nodded: "The immortal has given me an idea. The State of Chen is not at the critical moment of life and death. It is not easy to make a big change. The first thing I have to do is to hold the military power. I dare not think about the royal family. I have to get the ministers to support me first."

The Marquis of Chen said: "Oh, it would be great if I could meet my Shang Yang."

What Chen Yan was thinking about was the farming and warfare that Marquis Chen had talked about. Now the soldiers of the State of Chen were all supported by Marquis Chen. Marquis Chen was so poor, so poor that even the ladies in the palace did not have a decent piece of jewelry, and all they wore were wooden hairpins on their heads. However, the wives of the nobles in the royal family wore gold and silver jewelry.

"But isn't the collective punishment too harsh?" Chen Yan asked carefully.

Lord Chen: "The immortal also gave me some advice. When I take charge of the military camp, I will try it out in the army first. He said that in troubled times, severe punishments should be used. If people are not united, no matter how small the matter is, it will not be accomplished."

"The First Emperor." Chen Hou murmured the word, "I really want to meet the First Emperor..."

Chen Yan asked quietly, "How did your Majesty know that the first emperor of this place could not be a descendant of the Chen family?"

Chen Hou was stunned.

Chen Yan: "Your Majesty, now that you have the guidance of an immortal, you must work hard to govern the country after returning! As long as the king and his subjects of Chen are of one mind, we will definitely be able to compete with big and powerful countries in the future! How weak was Lu in the past? Now it has hundreds of thousands of strong soldiers."

Chen Hou stood up and put the ice bowl aside. He walked to Chen Yan and patted Chen Yan on the shoulder: "Good! With our king and ministers united as one, we will surely strengthen our State of Chen!"

"I'll go see the immortal again!" Chen Hou ate all the shaved ice in the bowl in a few bites, took the bowl away, and said before leaving, "You have a good rest."

Ye Zhou didn't expect to see Chen Hou again so soon. He was already a little afraid of him.

But except for him and Zou Ming, Chen Shu and the others were like mice seeing a cat when they saw Chen Hou, and they didn't even have time to run away.

After all, he had a good relationship with Zou Ming, and he didn't want to trick Zou Ming, so he could only hold his nose and invite Chen Hou into the lounge.

Fortunately, this time the Marquis of Chen did not ask too many questions. He only had one question, which was how much content Shang Yang's law contained.

Ye Zhou then explained the "Grass Reclamation Order" in detail to Lord Chen.

The two chatted for the entire afternoon. This time, Chen Hou asked very few questions. He only asked about the things that Ye Zhou did not explain clearly. As for everything that Ye Zhou explained clearly, he just listened silently.

Ye Zhou was a little suspicious at the end. Could it be that Lord Chen had changed his character?

Ye Zhou actually didn't remember the specific content of Shang Yang's Reform very clearly. When he was studying history, he memorized it by rote and forgot it after the exam. Fortunately, he had memorized and studied it before, and he looked up information overnight, so it was not that difficult to review it.

Shang Yang's Reform was the first time in the Warring States Period that centralization of power was achieved. In fact, at this time, the embryonic form of the transition from slavery to feudalism already existed. It emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, abolished the well-field system, encouraged the people to reclaim wasteland, and at the same time abolished the hereditary aristocracy and feudal system, thus strengthening the power of the monarch unprecedentedly.

In an era when the country is ruled by men and their own families, this change is epoch-making.

Although Ye Zhou did not like feudal society, the move from slavery to feudalism was a step destined by history.

Anyone who has studied history knows the benefits of centralization, but the disadvantages are also obvious. Once a king is incompetent, he alone can destroy a country, unless the ministers under him are able to turn the tide and the king does nothing.

But in the Warring States Period, a time when even the royal family and nobles could have a say in state affairs, if a country had only one voice and everyone put their best efforts into doing one thing, it would be difficult for that thing not to succeed.

However, Shang Yang's law follows the principle of weakening the people and strengthening the country. Sima Qian described Shang Yang in the biography of Shang Yang as "Shang Yang is a man with a mean nature" and also said that he was "ungracious".

Therefore, many things in Shang Yang's laws, including joint sitting, can only be used in troubled times. Once peace returns, such as after the unification of the world, they can no longer be used.

The demise of Qin II and the immediate rise of rebellion in various places after the death of Emperor Qin Shi Huang were also due to this reason.

Everyone knows that the State of Qin became strong because of Shang Yang's reforms. But when Shang Yang was finally torn to pieces, not only the royal family but also the common people hated him to the core.

Ye Zhou found it difficult for him to judge whether Shang Yang was good or bad, whether he was determined or mean and ungrateful, but Shang Yang's methods were indeed effective. Although there were many difficulties in that period, it should not be too difficult for the State of Chen to slowly reform, at least not more difficult than the State of Qin at that time.

Marquis Chen could also hear that this reform would benefit him. If it succeeded, all the nobles would be his subjects, and he would become a true monarch with great power. But he knew this, and so did the nobles.

"The twenty-level military merit system can be used immediately after I return." Lord Chen said softly, "But it's not easy to add slaves right away..."

Ye Zhou nodded: "Let's take it slow."

Chen Hou was in the mood to drink some tea at this time. As soon as the tea went into his mouth, Chen Hou could not help but praise it: "This tea is really rare. It tastes sweet at first, but astringent in the throat. If you taste it carefully, you will find that it is sweet after the astringency. The tea leaves are good, and the tea maker's craftsmanship is even better. Even the emperor may not have the honor to drink this tea."

Ye Zhou smiled and said, "Since Lord Chen likes it, you might as well take some with you when you leave."

Lord Chen: "No, no, no, the immortal saved my life, so I dare not be greedy."

Ye Zhou shook his head slightly: "It's not like I'm giving it to you for free. I've said before that I love collecting precious treasures."

The Marquis of Chen did not take it seriously. The immortal had so many things, which one could not be exchanged for a city? For example, if the blanket that could generate heat by itself was taken out, the king of Zhao could probably exchange it for seven cities.

Immortals just like to collect new things from the human world.

"Don't worry, Immortal. When I return to Linzi, I will personally bring people back and give you precious treasures." Chen Hou, "But I don't know if the Immortal will stay here forever, or is he willing to go to the human world? If the Immortal comes down the mountain, I will open my bed to welcome you!"

Ye Zhou did not answer. He said to Lord Chen, "It's getting late. Lord Chen, go to bed early."

He glanced at the clock. It was already eight o'clock in the evening. He had not eaten dinner yet and had been talking to Chen Hou.

After hearing the intention of expelling the guest, Chen Hou was not going to stick around. He bowed and said, "Ji will withdraw first. Please consider it carefully. If the immortal is willing to come down the mountain, my Chen country will support the immortal with the power of the whole country!"

Ye Zhou sighed in his heart.

I don't need to think to know what kind of person you can make me with the power of your country.

After Chen Hou left, Ye Zhou slumped down on the sofa. He looked up at the light above his head for a while, then went out to find food.

But just as he reached the door, he heard a knock.

Ye Zhou directly opened the door of the lounge and saw Zou Ming carrying dinner.

On the plate was a bowl of soup, two stir-fried dishes and two bowls of rice. As soon as Ye Zhou smelled the aroma of the food, his stomach growled unceremoniously.

After talking for so long, he was really hungry.

After all, they had lived together for so long, so Ye Zhou didn’t feel embarrassed that Zou Ming heard his stomach growling.

"Come in quickly, I'm starving." Ye Zhou opened all the doors, and Zou Ming walked in with the food and put the plate on the table.

Ye Zhou sat on a low chair. He glanced at Zou Ming who was sitting opposite him and asked curiously, "Why haven't you eaten yet so late?"

Zou Ming looked at him and said, "Wait for you."

Ye Zhou was a little happy, but he still said, "Don't wait next time. I'll come and ask me after I see him."

"It's not easy for him either." Ye Zhou sighed, "Being a monarch is quite frustrating."

Ye Zhou picked up a piece of food with chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it before saying, "By the way, I have something to discuss with you."

Zou Ming raised his eyebrows slightly: "You say."

Ye Zhou put down his chopsticks: "When I was checking the information last night, I found that the system has unlocked a new function."

Now Ye Zhou would subconsciously look at the unlocked page. After all, there would be no prompt when this thing was updated, and he would not be able to find it if he did not look for it himself.

Zou Ming: “What new features?”

Ye Zhou thought for a moment and said, "The supermarket can now move to another location."

This is a good feature, which means that he no longer needs to learn from Jiang Taigong and can take the initiative to do business on his own.

Ye Zhou: "Just now, the Lord Chen wanted to invite me to his royal city, Linzi."

"But there is a problem. I don't think he is very reliable." Ye Zhou scooped two scoops of soup for himself and made the rice into soup. It tasted very good with the pickles made by Cao'er's mother. "Now it's a family empire. The power of the princes is not that great. If someone pretends to obey us but secretly disobeys us and we kill him, it will be troublesome."

Ye Zhou picked up a piece of pork ribs for Zou Ming, looked up at him and said, "Don't be in a daze, eat."

Zou Ming picked up the ribs and said calmly: "It depends on you. If you want to stay, stay here. If you don't want to stay, go away. As for someone looking for trouble..."

Zou Ming: "I will kill without leaving any trace."

Ye Zhou shook his head slightly: "I am mainly worried about constant trouble. It's okay if one or two people come to make trouble, but if a group of people come to make trouble, it will be countless troubles."

Zou Ming: "It won't be too troublesome. There is a protective shield. If anything happens, just open it."

Ye Zhou picked up the bowl, drank the last sip of soup, put it down and said, "Then go."

"But even if we go, we have to wait until spring." Ye Zhou frowned, "I'm not going to equip them all with snowmobiles. Anyway, time won't pass here, so we can wait."

Zou Ming had no objection: "This is the best, otherwise if everyone rides motorcycles, then..."

When the time comes, they will ride on motorcycles and civilians will watch on the side. That scene will be quite beautiful indeed.

Ye Zhou thought about it and couldn't help laughing: "Then let's wait slowly, but when I talked to Lord Chen today, I found that he didn't have so many questions today. You say, he had so many questions yesterday, was he testing us?"

Ye Zhou felt that Chen Hou was not as "simple" as he appeared. He leaned back in his chair and said with a smile: "He is just testing us."

Looking at Ye Zhou talking and laughing, Zou Ming pursed his lips and slowly clenched his hands into fists.

Ye Zhou raised his eyebrows and said, "But it's not a bad thing that he is scheming. At least if I go back to Linzi with him, as long as he knows how much benefit he can get from me, he will be more careful in doing things."

Ye Zhou is not afraid of bad people, but only of stupid people.

Bad people also know how to weigh the pros and cons, but stupid people don't care.

Ye Zhou didn't expect that his thoughts had changed so much compared to before.

He could even understand why so many emperors liked treacherous ministers.

How good it is to have treacherous ministers. They understand everything when given a look, and they will not go against the emperor. When they are no longer useful, they can be killed to regain the hearts of the people. All the mistakes are the fault of the treacherous ministers, and the emperor has been deceived. In fact, the emperor is still a good man, and previous mistakes cannot be blamed on him.

You can also gain a reputation for correcting mistakes.

Ye Zhou: "Let's talk to Aunt Li and the others after a while, so that they can prepare themselves mentally in advance. To be honest, I also want to know what the royal city of this era is like."

After all, it is the capital of a country, so it can't be that bad, right?

"We can take more photos as souvenirs then." Ye Zhou stood up and cleared the dishes. "You were the one who cleared them before. Let me do it today. I should move as well."

Zou Ming did not stop him, but stood up with him: "I'll go with you."

Ye Zhou: "...It's just a few steps, do you need company?"

However, due to Cao'er's mother, Ye Zhou still couldn't wash the dishes himself.

Since he had decided to leave, Ye Zhou ordered another batch of bulletproof vests on the system. Although there were no bullets here, there were bows and arrows, so the bulletproof vests could still come in handy - of course, it would be best if this thing was not used.

·

Chen Hou has become accustomed to the word "supermarket". Although he does not know what the word "supermarket" means specifically, it does not prevent him from being familiar with this place.

Maybe it was because he finally had fewer questions, and other people in the store were occasionally willing to talk to him.

The soldiers would occasionally send people over to make sure Chen Hou and Chen Yan were still alive, but they remembered Chen Shu's previous warning, and each time they came, there would only be two people, at most three, and the number never exceeded this.

The exchanges between the two sides gradually increased, and Chen Shu and his team would sometimes send supplies over.

After all, the soldiers didn't have much food left, and without the supermarket's supplies, they would have starved to death long ago.

Chen Shu and his team also sent a few large pots over so that they could cook rice and not have to eat steamed buns and dried meat every day.

Vegetables are also given, but only once a week, and the fruits given are tangerines.

Since Chen Shu was the team leader every time, he and Han Ran became familiar with each other.

When delivering supplies again, Han Ran asked Chen Shu to step aside.

"I wonder if the girl's parents are still alive?" Han Ran lowered his head, not daring to look at Chen Shu's face.

Chen Shu frowned. Who would ask "Are your parents still alive?" But she still said politely, "They are still alive."

Han Ran: "I wonder which country it is in?"

Chen Shu: "It's far away. They can't control me now."

Han Ran pursed his lips and said, "I am the left general of the State of Chen, with a fief of 3,000 households. I am 23 years old and have not yet married. My parents are both in Linzi. I wonder if the girl is married?"

Chen Shu now understood what the other party meant. She did not show any shy expression on her face. Instead, she wrinkled her nose slightly and said to Han Ran very seriously: "I have no intention of getting married or marrying anyone. I don't want to find a husband for myself."

Han Ran asked persistently: "Why is that? If the girl just wants to reject Ran, there is no need to risk her own marriage..."

Chen Shu: "It's not an excuse, I really don't want to get married. Tell me, what can I get from getting married?"

"Child? I have a belly, I can have one if I want. If you just want a child, you don't have to get married."

"Anyway, regardless of whether they are married or not, many men only care about giving birth and not raising the children. It doesn't matter whether they are married or not."

Han Ran was stunned, and Chen Shu shrugged: "Look, I can do everything you can do, and I have everything you have. I have no benefits, so why should I get married?"

Han Ran didn't know how to refute it, but he felt that it was wrong. He could only say, "Intimacy between men and women is natural..."

Chen Shu: "If the beasts don't marry, does that mean they are delayed from having children? Isn't marriage a rule set by humans? Or do you think that human law is superior to the law of nature?"

Han Ran was speechless. He cupped his hands and said, "Miss, you are right."

Chen Shu glanced at Han Ran and said, "Don't say this to me again. Next time you ask me, I will think you are provoking me, and I will have a fight with you then."

After saying that, Chen Shu walked to Cao'er mercilessly.

Han Ran watched Chen Shu leave dejectedly. He hated himself for his poor eloquence, but he also felt that what Chen Shu said made sense. Nothing in the world, except humans, can marry. However, all things reproduce naturally, so why would they need a matchmaker?

But he didn't expect that after his proposal of marriage failed, the other party actually wanted to fight with him.

Cao'er looked at Han Ran who was looking dejected not far away, and then looked at Chen Shu who looked like a fighting cock with an angry face. She vaguely guessed something and asked cautiously, "Sister Chen, are you angry?"

Chen Shu glanced at Cao'er and sighed: "You are still young, you don't understand."

Cao'er blinked in confusion. She was already seventeen years old. If she were in the Daliang Dynasty, she would probably be a mother. But in the eyes of Chen Shu and the others, she was still a child.

Perhaps only here is she a child.

Chen Shu whispered, "You'll understand later."

Cao'er sighed: "Sister Chen, isn't it him who wants to marry you?"

Chen Shu's eyes widened as if he was struck by lightning. It took him a while to recover: "Did you hear it?"

Cao Er shook her head: "You can see it just by looking at it."

Chen Shu sighed, and she reached out and rubbed Cao'er's hair: "Don't tell anyone about this when you go back."

Chen Shu added: "You should also be careful in the future. You should be very cautious about things like marriage. Anyway, I will most likely not get married unless I love him to death and cannot live without him. I will only get married to satisfy myself."

Cao Er asked curiously, "Aren't you looking for someone who's good to you?"

Although Chen Shu had no experience in relationships, she had a wealth of "theoretical knowledge" and she talked to Cao Er: "If you marry him because he treats you well, what if he treats you badly one day? People's hearts are fickle. Who dares to say that they can be faithful to one person and not have evil thoughts in this life?"

"If he treats you badly, how will you deal with it?"

"Choose something you like. Even if the final result is not good, at least you have tried your best and there is nothing to regret."

Cao'er was a little conflicted. She felt her mother was right, but what Chen Shu said also made sense.

Seeing her tangled look, Chen Shu couldn't help laughing. She ruffled Cao'er's hair again and said, "Besides, there is also the option of not getting married. Why get married? In my place, only a few people get married and have children. It's okay to date without getting married. If you want to have children, pick one with good genes. If you don't want to have children, don't have to."

Cao'er opened her mouth in surprise: "Isn't this a cheating?"

Chen Shu: "Why do you say that so harshly? When we are in a relationship, we both agree to it. After we break up, we have nothing to do with each other."

"Oh, I forgot that you are from the Liang Dynasty." Chen Shu touched the back of his head, "Anyway, just remember that no one is immortal. As long as it does not violate the legal and moral bottom line, don't worry about it. It is really good to live a good life."

Cao'er nodded, although she still didn't quite understand.

Han Ran stood there dejectedly. A personal soldier happened to come over and saw his dejected face. He guessed what had happened. He patted Han Ran on the shoulder and comforted him, "General Zuo, it's clear at first glance that the woman is not someone who will get married here."

Han Ran sighed and said, "I know, but I just can't let it go until I ask. I can only feel at ease after asking."

From then on, Chen Shu gave the task of delivering things to the soldiers to Zou Ming. She would never go anyway, as she felt uncomfortable seeing Han Ran.

Zou Ming did not refuse, as it would not take much time anyway.

He doesn't have much to do now. Apart from exercising himself, he teaches Ye Zhou how to fight and takes time to supervise the children's studies. He can spare half a day to do other things.

The weather was slowly warming up. Although the snow on the ground had not melted yet, Ye Zhou had already told the store employees about his decision to go to the royal capital with Chen Hou.

"You all know how to ride horses now, and the children can ride in the carriage. It's a little steep, but I don't think it should be a big problem." Ye Zhou called all the employees to the lounge, "When we get there, we will open for business as before."

"But I still have something to tell you. There are many nobles over there. If they come to cause trouble, don't be polite to them." Ye Zhou, "Everyone of you is equipped with a gun. When the time comes, you can shoot. As long as you don't kill them, just shoot at their arms and legs."

The employees stood in front of Ye Zhou and nodded obediently.

They are not afraid - they have even seen cannibalism and zombies on the road of fleeing famine, so how could they be afraid of ordinary people?

Seeing them all nod, Ye Zhou added, "Let's wait until the snow melts before setting off to avoid any accidents on the road. Safety is the most important thing."

Employees: "Got it, Immortal."

Ye Zhou: "Go and have a rest."

In fact, Ye Zhou himself also wanted to go out. They landed here and waited for several months before Chen Hou and his party arrived. And if they had not been unlucky and had not been intercepted and had no way to go, they would not have come here.

This place is truly uninhabited, and it is harder to see people than in the Daliang Dynasty.

I don’t know what the capital of the Kingdom of Chen looks like.

·

The capital of the State of Chen was in Linzi.

The carriage passed through the city gate and went through the narrow streets, raising dust. The dust made passers-by tilt their heads and cover their mouths. Soldiers in ill-fitting armor followed the carriage on foot, long spears in their hands. The common people shrank their necks and only started to talk after the soldiers had gone far away.

"Whose carriage is this? Why is it in such a hurry?"

"I'm covered in dust! My newly made clothes will be looked after by my wife when I get home. She'll scold me again!"

"Hahahahaha, come on, we'll go back with you and see how your sister-in-law scolds you."

"Don't do that. She's just like a tigress. Last time I went to Zuiyifang to drink, she smelled the alcohol on me and ran back to her parents' home without saying a word. When I went to pick her up, she forced me to swear a solemn oath that if I drink alcohol in the future, my body will be incomplete after I die and will not be buried in the ancestral tomb."

"Brother, are you frightened by your sister-in-law?"

"I respect her! How can I be afraid? Between husband and wife, how can I say whether it's scary or not?"

A group of people laughed.

Someone else sighed, "I heard that there is still no news of the emperor's whereabouts. The last time I went to Zuiyifang, I heard those scholars say that there is no news of the emperor in any country, and no one knows whether he is dead or alive!"

"I heard that Zhao State sent many people but they couldn't get any news about the king. Maybe the king has already..."

"Ah! What should we do? General Chen Yan also disappeared with the king. Now there are only orphans and widows left in the Chen Kingdom. Can't anyone bully them?"

"When the Lord was here, I was bullied a lot."

After these words were spoken, the people calmed down. Although the king might not be a powerful monarch, he was really good to them. Linzi had not raised taxes for many years.

"Your Majesty is blessed by God. You will surely be able to turn danger into fortune and return safely."

"Exactly! Don't be discouraged. Not finding him is also good news. Maybe the Lord is on his way back to Linzi."

"That's right, maybe the Lord will be back tomorrow."

The carriage sped along and stopped in front of the palace. The person in the carriage jumped out before the carriage was steady. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. He held the token high in his hand and cried, "Let me in! I want to see the Marquis's wife! I want to see the Marquis's wife!"

The soldier guarding the gate took the token and examined it carefully, only letting him into the palace after confirming that it was correct.

The man was soon brought to the Marquis's wife's palace. He waited anxiously. When he heard footsteps outside, he immediately bowed his head and waited for the Marquis's wife to come in.

The Marquis's wife, accompanied by two maids and guards, asked the man as soon as she saw him: "Who are you? Why do you want to see me?"

The man took out a jade pendant from his arms with trembling hands.

The marquis's wife glanced at the palace maid, who came closer, took out the jade pendant and handed it to her.

When the Marquis's wife saw the jade pendant, her eyes widened and she said in a sharp voice, "This is the jade that the Lord wears! Why is it in your hand?!"

The man fell to his knees with a thump, and he howled at the top of his lungs, "Madam! Your Majesty! Your Majesty has been found!"

The Marquis's wife swayed, and the maid quickly supported her. She asked tremblingly, "Where is the Lord?"

The man was lying on the ground, pounding on the stone slab. "When the king was found, his face had been crushed by a huge rock. Only this jade can identify his identity. The king has passed away... Lord Zuo Tu personally carried the king's coffin back. The king has appointed a prince. Please ask Madam to appoint a new king as soon as possible to reassure the people."

The marquis's wife was trembling all over. She looked at the jade in her hand and suddenly fell backwards.

The maids immediately caught her, calling anxiously, "Madam! Madam!"

The man was still crying and wailing: "My Lord! My Lord!"