Chapter 327 Chapter 327 The Arrival of Envoys from Both Countries

Ancient ironmaking technology was not advanced, and the manufacture of iron products was not only time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive. Therefore, in the Dayan Dynasty, the weapons in the military camps were well maintained.

But the weapons of the Shang Dynasty were not only rusty but also dirty, very unsightly and filthy. The weapons of the Dongwu Kingdom were even more disgusting, with residues of horse and cow dung on them.

Lin Xiaoran hummed, "How do you know?"

Xu Yunfan sneered, "You've explained it so clearly, how could I not have guessed? Their weapons are rusty and buried in the ground, so they're likely to carry some invisible bacteria. Furthermore, weapons buried in unsanitary places, like piles of cow and horse manure, can also carry bacteria. Once damaged by these weapons, these bacteria can enter the body through the wound, causing organ failure and other problems. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Is this invisible thing really that powerful?" Shen Ruxi was very worried. The Shang Dynasty seemed to be coexisting peacefully with the Yan Dynasty, but on the border, all kinds of conflicts and fights continued every day.

Xu Yunfan: "Of course I'm amazing. You all know it already, why are you asking me?"

"Yunfan, do you have any idea to solve this problem? If the Shang Dynasty really comes to war with us one day, we won't have to be afraid."

Xu Yunfan neither nodded nor shook his head, simply stating the facts. "It's difficult. As the saying goes, every profession has its own expertise. I'm not an expert in this field. Even though I've read a lot of books, actually putting it into practice is another matter. If my elder and second sisters were here, weapons and medicine wouldn't be a problem."

Obviously extremely curious, Qi Xiu Ze asked casually, "Oh, your sister is amazing?"

Xu Yunfan, who was busy skewering meat, didn't notice Qi Xiu Ze's strange expression. "Of course. My eldest sister studied chemical engineering, and my second sister studied medicine. They're both amazing. If they were here, I could have all the ironware and medicine I wanted. I can make it, but it's a bit brain-intensive."

Whether it takes brainpower or not is no longer something that Qi Xiu Ze and the others care about. As men, sometimes, it is understandable to prioritize women over friends.

Qi Xiu Ze asked again, "Is your sister so amazing? Tell me, your sister is so beautiful, knowledgeable, and capable. What kind of man would be worthy of them?"

"No." Xu Yunfan didn't even think about it. "Want to be my brother-in-law? You have to be superhuman."

Xu Yunfan realized it belatedly, "Don't try to get your hands on them. As I said before, some people are out of reach. You can think about them, but don't be delusional. Got it?"

Xie Baizhou laughed angrily and put his arm around Xu Yunfan's shoulders. "Hey kid, are we still your brothers?"

Xu Yunfan rolled his eyes at them and said, "It's because we're brothers that I'm trying to persuade you in a kind way. Otherwise, I wouldn't waste my breath on you."

Qi Xiu Ze ignored Xu Yunfan's eye roll and said with longing, "Yunfan, what kind of boat do I need to take to get to your place? I really want to visit your place."

Several people kept talking and working, and after half an hour, all the skewers of meat to be grilled were ready.

The yard was noisy. Several children from the neighboring families who were on good terms with Qin An and Qin Mu gathered at the gate, too reserved to dare come in.

They had visited their little friends’ rooms before and cried with envy. Some children were ignorant and started making trouble with the adults when they went back. Then everyone knew how beautiful Xiao Qin’s house was. If something inside was broken, they didn’t know how to compensate for it. Some families that were not well off dared not let their children come to Xiao Qin’s house to play, for fear that the children would be "clumsy".

"Oh, it's Tingting." Xiaobao spotted his friends at the door and ran over, "Do you want to eat barbecue too? Then come in. My family is making barbecue tonight, and it smells so good."

Feng Ting clasped her hands together and politely declined, "Thank you, Xiaobao. I won't go in."

"Why? Don't you want to eat barbecue?"

Some children speak quickly, "I think so."

"If you want to, then come in. Two older brothers are coming to my house today. It's so lively. Come on, let's play together." Xiaobao turned his head to look at Xu Yunfan, "Father."

Xu Yunfan, who was tied up and pulled away by Shao Ping's brothers to have a private conversation, glanced at Xiao Bao. With just one word of "father", Xu Yunfan knew what he was going to do. He didn't say anything, but just nodded, which was considered as tacit acceptance of Xiao Bao's invitation.

The Fu Muyang brothers probably rarely see such a lively occasion. With their cousin accompanying them, they are laughing happily. Here, they have food to eat, fun to play with, and many friends. It is even better than the magnificent palace.

Everyone else was busy chatting and grilling, but Xu Yunfan stood in the corner, looking up at the dark place where the light couldn't reach. "Did you hear what the child said just now? What do you say?"

Xu Yunfan was responded to by silence.

As if he had expected this, Xu Yunfan continued, "I know where you are. If it weren't for my tacit consent, do you think you could have come in? If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Ba."

Fu Liu really went to ask Xiao Ba, who was hiding somewhere else, "Old Ba, is what he said true?"

Xiao Baya said in pain, "Baozhen, if he hadn't tacitly agreed, we wouldn't have to do anything. You would have a bloody hole on your body by now."

As a secret guard, Xiao Ba considers himself a failure. Protecting such a master does not give him any sense of accomplishment.

Fu Liu frowned and said, "Is Master Xu really that powerful?"

"It's not that he's amazing, it's what he has. Don't think your life is too long and you want to try it. There were people who had the same idea as you before, and the grass on their graves is already three feet high."

During the time he was in charge of guarding Xiao Qin's house, people tried to break in every now and then. He didn't know if their young master had dog ears, but he could always wake up in time and shoot people. Xu Yunfan guessed that if the people coming were not the Right Prime Minister's men, they were just those who disliked him. Since they dared to come, he dared to keep them as a host.

Later on, they probably got used to it and realized that those who came were just clowns and nothing to be afraid of. This was their chance to show their skills and demonstrate their value.

Fuliu came back and said, "I need to consult the master on this matter."

Xu Yunfan couldn't see the full appearance of Fu Liu because he was wearing a mask, but he was dressed in black and holding a long sword with a red gem embedded in the scabbard. The purple and gold cuffs on his wrists were embroidered with gold thread.

According to Xu Yunfan's judgment, this set would probably cost at least several thousand or two pieces.

Wow, are the royal secret guards equipped with such high level of equipment?

He and Qin Run work so hard and earn so little in a day, but they don't even wear such luxurious clothes. Look at them.

Xu Yunfan felt a little jealous, and his mind was immediately distracted. "Hey, buddy, how much is your monthly allowance?"

He was a bachelor, but he was exhausted like a dog all day long and was also targeted by others. There was nothing he could do about it. The things he drafted hindered the interests of some people, and some people were trying to get rid of him all day long. Even so, he only received sixty taels a month. After working hard for decades, it was probably not enough to buy someone a piece of clothing.

Fuliu was surprised that Xu Yunfan changed the subject so quickly. He was a little slow to react. Before he could even think, he said, "I don't know. The master doesn't give me a monthly allowance every month, but he does give me other things as rewards, and sometimes he'll give me a few banknotes."

Oh, if he doesn't give me a salary, then tips or bonuses are fine. "Then what does he usually give me?"

"This." Fu Liu took out a crimson jade pendant from his collar. The pendant was decorated with beads carved from several pieces of green dragon stone jadeite. One could tell at a glance that this thing was incredibly expensive.

Xu Yunfan's nostrils thickened and his breathing became heavy.

Damn it.

He is indeed a man in a high position. Look at how he casually gives out rewards, but this piece of blood jade would cost at least tens of millions.

The royal family really has a lot of good things.

Xu Yunfan was so excited, "Hey, brother, do you think it's feasible for someone like me to apply for the position of Royal Secret Guard? Actually, I think I'm pretty good too. I'm extremely intelligent, and I'm also very powerful. Most importantly, I'm loyal. I don't need a monthly salary. A small reward from time to time will be enough. What do you think..."

Xu Yunfan was still bragging about himself, trying his best to sell himself, striving to get one or two "small" rewards a month to become rich and reach the peak of his life, but he forgot that the royal secret guards did not use the same recruitment method at all.

Fuliu was frightened by Xu Yunfan's enthusiasm and ran away without saying a word. Xu Yunfan waved and shouted, "Hey, don't run away! I haven't finished introducing myself yet."

"What are you shouting about?" Xiao Hengzhi rushed over immediately after receiving the notification from Xiao Ba.

He was afraid that if he was late, his brother-in-law would really give up his bright future and become a secret guard for Fu Qingyu. "Don't even think about it. Some rewards are not something you can get even if you want them."

Xu Yunfan didn't like what he heard. "Father-in-law, don't look down on me. Even Grandpa said I was a good candidate for a military commander and wanted to focus on training me. Don't look at me because I'm skinny. I can kill a cow with one punch."

Xiao Hengzhi: "Stop bragging! Even if you really become a royal secret guard, do you think the emperor will really reward you with those things?"

"Why not? Wasn't that secret guard there? I can't be that bad, can I?"

Xiao Hengzhi took a breath and lowered his voice, "That's because they are secret guards during the day and have to warm the emperor's bed at night. This person is the emperor's pillow, so what's wrong with getting some good things? Isn't this normal? Do you think all the royal secret guards have these good things? What, you also want to warm the bed at night?"

"What?" Xu Yunfan shuddered. "Bind... Is the Emperor really that arrogant? Even the concubines in the harem can't satisfy him? He refuses to sleep with his legitimate wife and insists on having sex with the grass in his own backyard. This... is a bit like accepting everyone. It would be too miserable for anyone to be his secret guard."

"Miserable?" Xiao Hengzhi tapped Xu Yunfan's forehead. "They were both willing to fight and be beaten. Your opinion as an outsider doesn't count."

"My goodness, is the emperor always so frivolous?" Xu Yunfan tightened his trousers. "Father-in-law, what do you think? If... she doesn't let go of any other man, will she set her sights on me someday? After all, people like me are very popular. I'm really afraid that one day she'll fall in love with me. Since the emperor's orders cannot be disobeyed, then I'll be dead."

Xiao Hengzhi: "...Can you stop imagining those nonsense, kid? The emperor has seen all kinds of beauties. Take your father-in-law. I was the most handsome man back then. I've seen me so many times that I've gotten used to it and am immune to beauty, okay? If... could I still be your father-in-law? Compared to me back then, who was so tender that you could squeeze water out of me, you're still a little behind."

Xu Yunfan was not convinced, "Could it be that the secret guard is better than the two of us?"

Why is he so unconvinced?

"I don't know if he's outstanding, but I do know that the Emperor can lay his hands on a boy, so he probably isn't interested in men. Even if he's not as good as us, just because he's a boy, we can't compare."

"What? Hey, father-in-law, are these really things I can listen to?"

"If you want to stay alive, sew your mouth shut. If you're tired of living, you can let your tongue grow longer."

Xu Yunfan's Adam's apple moved. "I promise not to say anything nonsense. I'm very tight-lipped. Father-in-law, I can't understand why the emperor slept with me and didn't even give me a status? Isn't this just like he doesn't recognize me after he puts on his pants? How despicable."

"Why?" Xiao Hengzhi laughed bitterly, "Because the Right Prime Minister has several brothers. If the Emperor is interested in them, do you think the Right Prime Minister would not want to be the father-in-law of the emperor?"

Well, it’s really a bit frustrating for Fu Qingyu to be the emperor.

There are three imperial concubines in the palace now, one is from the Qi family, one is the woman of the right prime minister, and the other is the daughter of another minister. In order to balance the forces of all parties, Fu Qingyu should have had three thousand beauties this year, but he thought of other ways and managed to control the number of concubines to within three. It was not easy to achieve this.

Xiao Hengzhi sighed, "It's not easy for him. If it weren't for the two princes, I'm afraid he would have been forced to die long ago."

"Then why doesn't he appoint a queen and leave the affairs of the harem to the queen?"

"He already has someone in mind, so naturally he doesn't want to establish a queen. Yunfan, why do you think the emperor is spending so much money hiring someone to research weapons? Do you really think it's because the treasury has too much silver?"

This topic was a bit off topic. Xu Yunfan said in a deep voice, "What does my father-in-law want to say?"

Xiao Hengzhi: "The weapons of the Shang Dynasty are extraordinary. Their attack crossbows and siege equipment are also extraordinary. Once the flaming iron balls worth thousands of gold are rolled, the soldiers will have no time to escape. The Shang Dynasty's cavalry is indeed powerful. A single sword with a cold flash can take the enemy's head. The sharp blade can easily cut through our army's armor, leaving the soldiers with no way to escape and helpless. On the battlefield, this weapon is more flexible and more lethal than the broadsword. The Shang Dynasty has 100,000 well-equipped cavalry. Once the emperor deposes the right prime minister, He Wenya's pillow talk will make the Shang Dynasty find an excuse to cause trouble. Don't look at He Wenya as a concubine, but she gave birth to a "good" son."

"He Wenya's son is the Third Prince of the Great Shang Dynasty. He is quite favored by the Great Shang Emperor. Even though his mother's family has no roots in the Great Shang Dynasty, just because he was able to get the Great Shang Emperor to imprison the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, you should know that his methods are not simple. I heard that the envoys from the Great Shang Dynasty this time are led by this Third Prince. You must be careful."

Xu Yunfan pouted, "I'm not afraid of him. My ancestors taught me not to provoke others, but if someone offends me, I will punish them no matter how far away they are."

Xiao Hengzhi held his forehead, "You kid, your tone is a bit arrogant!"

"I'm not arrogant at all," Xu Yunfan said. "If anyone dares to anger me, I'll definitely deal with him. The weapons of the Shang Dynasty are powerful, but can they be more powerful than my bombs? If they really offend me, I'll see if I can't kill them with my bombs."

"A bomb? What kind of weapon is this? Why have I never heard of it?"

"If my father-in-law had heard of this, the world wouldn't be so peaceful today." Xu Yunfan held his chin with one hand. "This thing is too powerful. If it were to appear in the world, it would cause great suffering. I don't want to commit so much murder, but if I have to take action, I can only fight violence with violence."

Xiao Hengzhi stared at Xu Yunfan and suddenly became certain that his brother-in-law must have come from a very peaceful dynasty. He hated war and didn't want to even think about it, but the current situation...

Even though the envoys from the Shang Dynasty will come this year, the fact that the Shang Emperor is trying to use the right prime minister to bind Qing Yu is obvious to everyone, and it shows how ambitious the Shang Emperor is.

The third prince of the Shang Dynasty was named Guo Minglei. It was said that when this child spoke, thunder and lightning would roar in the sky, just like a thunder dragon was born. The Shang emperor was overjoyed and named the third prince Guo Leilong. Later, the master told the Shang emperor that too much is as bad as too little. Dragon represents the supreme ruler, and the third prince was young, so it was not appropriate. So the Shang emperor changed his name to Guo Minglei.

But no matter which name it is, it sounds the same to Xu Yunfan.

…

Damn it, such a good year has to be wasted on these insignificant people.

On the first day of the new year, envoys from the Shang Dynasty and people from the Dongwu Kingdom arrived. Fu Qingyu held a banquet in the palace and invited all the ministers to attend.

Originally, according to Xu Yunfan's official position, he was not even qualified to serve tea and water for others. The bad thing was that although he was only a small fifth-rank scholar, he had two good fathers-in-law.

Qin Feiyu was pregnant, so it was not easy for her to enter the palace. The Qin family was a general's mansion, so once she entered the palace, she would inevitably be "tested" by the envoys of the two countries.

Qin Qian is over fifty years old. Even though he is still as handsome as before, he, the heir Qin Feiyu, cannot go among the younger generations. If there is no younger generation accompanying him, people will think that the Qin family is finished.

As for Xu Yi, the Qin family has not yet announced it to the world, so it would not be appropriate to bring Xu Yi along, but it is okay to bring Xu Yunfan and Qin Run along.

Xu Yunfan pursed his lips, not very happy about this. "It's so boring! I hate attending banquets like this. I spend the whole day dealing with people who come to greet me and try to get close to me. I haven't even had a chance to eat a few bites. And this banquet of yours has envoys from two other countries coming. They're bound to be full of sarcasm and ridicule. I don't even want to go. It's better for our family to have a good meal at home."

Xu Yunfan's words were enough to show how high his status was and how many people were eager to show off their presence in front of him.

"Good boy, just bear with it and it will pass." Lord Qin grabbed Xu Yunfan's hand and patted the back of it. "If anyone makes you unhappy, just fight back. I heard that the one coming from the Shang Dynasty this time is the Third Prince. That guy came once a few years ago and was extremely arrogant and rude. If you don't like it, just ignore him. The most important thing is not to let others bully you."

The Second Lord Qin took out a set of clothes and said, "Yun Fan, you will wear this set later."

"Oh! Grandpa, did you prepare some clothes for me?" Xu Yunfan, who clearly had no shortage of clothes, jumped up happily after getting new clothes. He took the arm of Qin Erzhujun and saw the half-gold and half-white civil and military sleeves. His eyes lit up and he said obediently, "Wow, Grandpa, this dress is so beautiful. I will look so handsome in it."

Upon hearing this, Lord Qin II was very happy. He knew that the reason why Xu Yunfan, who had no shortage of clothes, was so happy was just to take care of his feelings.