Zhao Feng finally couldn't hold back and spoke up to defend the eldest son, asking, "Has the lord interrogated that attendant?"

According to the eldest son, this is a witness testimonies.

If Wu Xian had killed him without interrogation, it would be hard not to have some doubts. Even someone as loyal as Zhao Feng would feel indignant.

"Of course I asked."

Zhao Feng then asked, "What did the attendant say?"

Wu Xian didn't want to say it, after all, it wasn't nice to talk about the family scandal of brothers fighting, but he still said with a slightly dark face, "The attendant said that the second brother was plotting with someone to kill the eldest brother."

"Has the lord ever used the power of words on his attendants?"

How could Wu Xian not use it?

But the result was quite interesting.

The attendant changed his tune.

"He bluntly stated that this was not true, but rather a trap set by the eldest brother out of jealousy of the second brother." Wu Xian almost laughed in anger upon hearing this. If the eldest brother had such brains and cunning, he wouldn't be so mediocre. If he could actually do such a thing, Wu Xian would actually think more highly of him.

Wu Xian: "You think I killed him to show favoritism to the second brother?"

Zhao Feng was momentarily stunned.

Then he heard his lord sigh wearily, saying, "That's why I told the eldest son not to get too close to his uncles. Those uncles have already squandered the family fortune, so they've started to scheme to get something out of him. Over the years, the main branch of the family has been secretly supporting the maternal brothers, and the loopholes in the household finances have been getting bigger and bigger. I've tolerated all of this for the sake of the eldest and second sons. But the eldest son just can't see the bigger picture. What abilities do his uncles have? He's being used as a tool and doesn't even realize it. You become like those you associate with. The eldest son's brain isn't very sharp to begin with, and now he's being fooled by these idiots..."

Wu Xian's complaints came out like a torrent of beans.

He had no idea what sins he had committed. He was good at playing dumb to outsmart others, but his eldest son ended up behaving like a pig. His second son was shrewd and most like him, but it was precisely because he resembled Wu Xian so much that Wu Xian knew his eldest son was in danger.

The eldest brother is only jealous of the second brother, but what about the second brother? He saw early on that Wu Xian didn't like their maternal clan, and he distanced himself from his uncles who only knew how to leech off others and stir up trouble.

Zhao Feng's CPU almost burned out.

"Then whose servant is this...?"

Wu Xian asked coldly, "Guess?"

A thought popped into Zhao Feng's mind.

"Could it be... the Second Young Master?"

Wu Xian simply replied with a "hehe".

Zhao Feng: "...Can...can I use the power of words to interrogate..."

That attendant might also implicate the second young master, which would be far too risky. Besides, the second young master is far more popular than the eldest young master; there's no need for him to pull this stunt…

Wu Xian's face showed a rare weariness and discomfort. He chuckled coldly and said, "Firstly, the interrogation by the power of words doesn't mean you can only tell the truth; secondly, that attendant was telling the truth. He didn't even know he was the second brother's man; he was just ordered to take the eldest brother to hear that conversation that day. With the eldest brother's brain, how could he not think that after years of hard training, he was still struggling at the second-tier level? How could he hide it from the second brother, whose talent and strength far surpassed his own? Eavesdropping? Did he think the second brother was a pushover?"

This is like two brothers hiding things when they were kids.

The eldest son's cultivation was slow, and his height grew slowly as well. He thought he had hidden DongxZ in a secluded place that required tiptoeing to reach, and he was quite pleased with himself, unaware that his second son, who was a head taller than him, could see him with just a glance. Wu Xian was so annoyed by his son's stupidity that he wanted to cry.

Zhao Feng: "..."

Not to mention the eldest son, even Zhao Feng hadn't thought of this.

Wu Xian said, "I've already given the second son a warning."

Zhao Feng was slightly startled. The information revealed in Wu Xian's few casual words was enormous. If this matter was indeed orchestrated by the Second Young Master, who not only intimidated the Eldest Young Master but also framed him, and the Lord's punishment was merely a reprimand.

This means—

The lord secretly favors the second son.

Wu Xian noticed the subtle expression on Zhao Feng's face and said helplessly, "The eldest brother's quail-like temperament is not suitable. It's fine if his talent is mediocre, after all, not every lord has to be like Shen Youli, charging into battle and killing enemies. If he had outstanding temperament and strategy, even if the eldest brother was just an ordinary person, there would be people loyal to him. But unfortunately, his temperament is also mediocre, and he is manipulated by his uncle."

The second son is very good at reading people's expressions.

They also have very strong opinions.

"...In a peaceful world, passing the family business to the eldest son wouldn't be a bad thing; at least he wouldn't mistreat his younger siblings. Even without achieving great feats, simply maintaining the status quo would be a source of pride. But not now. If Zheng Qiao is overthrown, the Dragon Slaying Bureau alliance will lose a common enemy, and internal strife and conquest will only be a matter of time. Can the eldest son command respect?"

Zhao Feng shook his head inwardly, thinking of the eldest son's appearance.

Even as a teacher, he couldn't bring himself to say something against his conscience.

only--

“My lord is in the prime of his life, and it is too early for him to consider such matters. If the eldest son can understand my lord’s good intentions and correct his ways, I believe that he should be appointed as the eldest son whenever possible.” Zhao Feng’s words were undeniably bold, even crossing the line.

If Wu Xian takes it to heart, Zhao Feng will at least be reprimanded.

But Zhao Feng didn't say this for the sake of the eldest son.

Wu Xian has quite a few children born out of wedlock, including several concubines who are also daughters of prominent families in Tianhai. If the second young master were to surpass the eldest young master and rise to power, those other young masters might very well have their own ideas.

The second son's only advantage over his half-brothers was that he was the legitimate heir. But the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children was negligible, since their status came from Wu Xian, not from their mother. Since he could disregard etiquette and choose the second legitimate son instead of the more rightful eldest son, he could also abandon etiquette and choose an illegitimate son.

Wu Xian's choice is dangerous.

His subordinates were initially all scions of the Tianhai aristocratic families he had befriended in his youth. This led Wu Xian to become highly dependent on their support, and even to be hampered by them. For this reason, he also had no good way to deal with the factionalism within his ranks.

Sometimes, Wu Xian also envied Shen Tang.

Since Shen Tang was barefoot, she naturally wasn't afraid of anyone.

Looking at myself, I realize that everything I do is interconnected...

Wu Xian's face was ashen, as if he had swallowed a bitter melon, and he said angrily, "How could I not understand? But the boss is beyond help!"

The conversation reached a stalemate.

Knowing he had crossed the line, Zhao Feng found an excuse to withdraw.

The night wind blew, penetrating his neck and taking away the warmth from his body, which also made Zhao Feng's skin crawl with goosebumps.

He stood there, looking up at the waning moon on the horizon, exhaling a puff of white mist. For some reason, Zhao Feng felt as if something was weighing on his heart, making it hard to breathe. He loosened his armor, but instead of returning to his tent, he went to find his old friend.

My old friend was poking at the charcoal fire with the iron handle of a fan, fanning the flames above which mushroom soup was bubbling and simmering.

Zhao Fengling could smell the aroma of meat.

"You dog nose, did you come here by sniffing around?"

Zhao Feng plopped down: "If I don't drink all the soup you cooked after you scolded me, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"

Temperatures in the northwest continent are warming up slowly.

The temperature at night was so cold that people's hands would freeze.

Zhao Feng held the empty wooden bowl, watching his old friend pluck a pinch of fine white salt from his cloth bag and sprinkle it on the mushroom and meat soup. Suddenly, he couldn't bear to see his friend so leisurely. He said, "I encountered some things today; could you help me figure them out?"

The scholar glanced at him sideways: "Pay?"

Zhao Feng cursed, "You old geezer, are you obsessed with money?"

The scholar muttered to himself, "How much money can one earn from idleness?"

Zhao Feng: "..."

They tricked me out of a tiny gold coin, no bigger than my thumb.

The scholar, in a good mood, said, "Speak, what is it?"

They also didn't forget to use the next incantation to protect customer privacy.

Zhao Feng poured out his heart, explaining the situation in detail, and finally concluded, "For some reason, I feel uneasy..."

The scholar stirred the mushroom and meat soup with a small silver spoon.

"Isn't it obvious to you? You feel distressed because you're worried about the eldest son's life. Who doesn't know that choosing the eldest son would reduce infighting? You understand this, so how could the lord not? But the eldest son's talent... is so terrible it's as if it was forgotten in the womb, or as if he forgot to bring it when he was reincarnated. That's bad enough, but he also holds the titles of legitimate heir and eldest son..."

The scholar gave a vivid analogy.

"It's like occupying a toilet without using it."

Zhao Feng silently watched the pot of bubbling mushroom foam bobbing up and down in the milky white broth, his face darkening.

The scholar said solemnly, “The eldest son is a bit of an eyesore. If he could relinquish this ‘eldest’ position, all the problems would be solved. The lord wouldn’t have to worry, the others wouldn’t have to take sides, and the bunch of illegitimate sons wouldn’t have to peek around anymore.”

He spread his hands and said, "Everyone is happy."

Zhao Feng's face was even blacker than the bottom of the earthenware pot licked by the flames. The scholar scooped up a spoonful of mushroom soup to taste the saltiness and said casually, "You'd better not get involved in this. The eldest young master is at least smarter than you to have survived this long."

Zhao Feng: "..."

He was filled with frustration and anger.

Do you know what I want to do most right now?

"You've overturned our mushroom and meat soup?"

Zhao Feng: "You're right!"

A pair of bronze maces were about to smash his earthenware pot.

The pot of mushroom and meat soup only hit the fire, sending countless sparks flying, but it vanished completely. Zhao Feng looked up and saw that the scholar was already holding the mushroom and meat soup with both hands.

The latter added with a relieved smile, "Luckily, it wasn't wasted."

The words of power saved the mushroom soup in a timely manner.

Zhao Feng's anger flared up instantly.

"You damn well better die!"

In the end, Zhao Feng didn't get a single sip of the mushroom and meat soup.

Let's put it another way—

Wu Xian was troubled by the problems of his two sons, and his close friend Shen Tang was also having a chaotic time. Her teammates on that journey were Zhang He, Qian Yong, and Tao Yan. They could usually avoid seeing each other, but when it came to serious matters, they still had to interact.

Tao Yan is truly unworthy of his name.

Every time, he would make sarcastic remarks about Chen Tang.

Unfortunately, Shen Tang never loses an argument; she always manages to retaliate tenfold, resulting in the argument escalating further. It's reasonable to suspect that, at this rate, she might not even see her enemy before she kills Tao Yan...

Coincidentally, Tao Yan thought the same thing.

However, both of them were burdened by the concept of "the bigger picture," so they couldn't start a fight for the time being. Zhang He played the role of a peacemaker, mediating and putting out the fire, while Qian Yong just watched from the sidelines.

But soon, Shen Tang and Tao Yan forgot about arguing.

As mentioned earlier, after more than two hundred years of artificial modification, the terrain within Yanzhou is generally flat, with only the man-made natural barrier of Chaoli Pass as a reliable defense. Once Chaoli Pass is breached, the remaining half of the prefecture is wide open, becoming an unprotected "lamb."

Of course, it's not that taking it down is a simple matter.

It's just not as troublesome as Chaoli Pass. If Yanzhou wants to fight the Allied forces to the death, it can still hold them off for a while.

But I never expected—

The scouts ahead sent back some bad news.

The target county was entirely barren land, with no villages inhabited.

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang immediately guessed what was going on.

He asked, "Is it a scorched-earth policy?"

While scorched earth tactics are a very common defense strategy, holding fast to fortifications makes it difficult for the enemy to attack the position and cuts off their food and supplies from one's own territory, minimizing their chances of survival. Even if territory is lost, the enemy won't have an easy time either.

Shen Tang slammed his fist on the table, smashing it to pieces, and cursed, "This is utterly self-destructive! Burning the seedlings that have already been planted—how are the local people supposed to survive once we take over the entire Yanzhou region? Don't they need to eat? People will starve to death!"

Spring planting has just ended, and the autumn harvest has not yet arrived.

How long can Yanzhou hold out with only half of its territory remaining?

They won't last until the autumn harvest.

The purpose of this scorched-earth policy is not for defense, but more to create trouble for the Allied forces. It is truly harmful to others and not beneficial to oneself!

This grain wasn't for the Allied Forces to sustain their operations; it was for the lives of the common people of Yanzhou! Thinking of this, Shen Tang felt a string in her mind throbbing wildly, teetering on the brink of collapse. She could hardly bear to imagine what would happen to the common people after a year without harvest if the Allied Forces didn't intervene…

It must be a hell on earth where people eat each other!

But will the Allied forces intervene?

Shen Tang dared not think too much about this question.

Her reluctance doesn't mean the problem is solved.

After tossing and turning all night, she still decided to probe Zhang He's intentions. Zhang He was close to the alliance leader Huang Lie, and Zhang He's attitude largely represented Huang Lie's attitude. However, she had barely begun when she was met with Tao Yan's ridicule.

He scoffed, "Shen Jun is good at catching mice like a dog."

Shen Tang shot her a glare.

"Tao Shenyu, if you can't speak human language, don't bark!"

Tao Yan chuckled coldly, his tone sarcastic: "Yes, yes, yes, only you, Shen Youli, are a true gentleman here. We are all villains. However, you've gone too far with your act, Shen. You've extended your reach so far that you even care about and worry about commoners who aren't under your jurisdiction. You're concerned about things that Zheng Qiao doesn't even worry about."

Shen Tang grabbed the book and threw it over.

At the same time, they passionately spoke up.

"Tao Shenyu, may your ancestors for eighteen generations be damned!"

She stepped onto the table, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to rush over and beat Tao Yan up, but Gu Chi and the others were prepared. They held her off from both sides and calmed her down after much persuasion. Tao Yan was caught off guard and got a bump from being hit, and her face twisted with anger.

Looking at the chaotic scene below, Zhang He felt exhausted once again.

He shouldn't have come.

Tao Yan has a sharp tongue and can't stand not being insulted every day. Even knowing Shen Youli would go crazy, he still enjoys it. However, Shen Tang's recklessness was also unexpected by Zhang He. Everyone knew what trouble the enemy's scorched-earth policy would bring to their side, but they all tacitly pretended not to hear. Who knew that Shen Tang would take the initiative to expose the problem that everyone had ignored.

How to solve the famine?

The most direct and effective way is to provide food.

The question is—

Who will provide the food?

_(:з」∠)_