Qin Mu didn't know how many years this world had developed, but the recorded history spanned several thousand years. Even more ancient things were very vague, with only a few legends remaining. However, the legends said that humans and beastmen had fought for countless years.
Even though their development differed, their histories still shared commonalities. For example, around the Central Plains, there were various tribes that, while physically different from the people of the Central Plains, were still human. However, these people had not been influenced by the culture of the Central Plains and were never recognized by the orthodox Central Plains society.
This was the case with the small kingdoms of the Western Regions, and because of their harsh living conditions, the people of these small kingdoms were even more fierce.
Qin Mu had gained a vague understanding of the Western Regions. It was completely different from the other world. Perhaps the only similarity was their size. It was a place that was neither too big nor too small, consisting of more than thirty small countries.
Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are the three largest cultivation systems, and they have always been vying for the top spot, after all, it's better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond. Confucianists pursue official careers and hold stable positions in the imperial court; Buddhism and Taoism, on the other hand, can only compete for prestige among the common people. Of course, this is also related to their cultivation principles, so in order to ensure the continuation of their traditions, they can only compete for prestige among the common people.
As expected, the orthodox Taoists won, but they couldn't possibly eradicate the Buddhist tradition, so the Buddhists retreated to the remote borderlands.
Qin Mu disliked these bald men. That's how it is in another world. As the saying goes: Good Taoists, after enduring countless hardships, are revered as immortals; evil Buddhists, having committed countless evil deeds, attain Buddhahood if they retain a single wisp of goodness! Buddhism is easy to believe in, Taoism is difficult to cultivate!
Although I haven't yet come into contact with the Buddhist cultivation system of this world, just the fact that they control a small country in the Western Regions shows that they have great ambitions.
The Northwest is a vast and sparsely populated region, somewhat desolate, but this is only due to the geographical environment. These small county towns, on the contrary, are quite lively.
“These counties and prefectures here!” Feng Duan shook his head and sighed, then lowered his voice and continued, “Since the end of the Han Dynasty, the imperial court has gradually lost control of this area. Each county and prefecture is controlled by a powerful family, and it’s no exaggeration to call them local tyrants.”
"So that's how it is. No wonder it's doing so well. It's all their own business, how could they not put their heart and soul into it? Hasn't the imperial court sent anyone over?" Qin Mu asked, nodding slightly.
In order to gather information about Temujin and the exchange meeting, Qin Mu and Feng Duan led their men into Tianshui County.
“How could the imperial court not send anyone? It’s just that the court’s arrangement is merely to make them a figurehead, unable to wield any power. The aristocratic families allow them to exist as they see fit; there’s a tacit understanding between the two sides. You can observe, but you can’t interfere. As long as you don’t interfere, the aristocratic families will be at your mercy,” Feng Duan said coldly.
Most people don't actually have a good impression of aristocratic families. The poor hate them, and the court resists them. It's just that the court needs to use people from aristocratic families to achieve a balance. However, Qin Mu believes that Li Shimin will gradually eliminate them because he is an ambitious man and how could he tolerate someone acting as a local emperor in his country?
"Which family owns Tianshui County?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
“A prefecture city is usually a county town in the surrounding area, jointly controlled by the most powerful person to be the prefect, and the others to be deputy prefects. Tianshui is a large prefecture, with the four major families of Nangong, Ximen, Baili and Ouyang,” Feng Duan explained.
"Nangong." Qin Mu pondered the surname and asked curiously, "Why are all these families surnamed compound surnames?"
"I don't know either. It's true, almost all the prominent families in the Northwest have compound surnames," Feng Duan said with a slight pause and a smile.
Qin Mu was followed by the Bu brothers, while Feng Duan brought two bodyguards. The six of them entered a restaurant.
The restaurant disappointed Qin Mu, not only because it was far inferior to Rugui Restaurant, but also because there were not many people in the restaurant, and it lacked the scene of chivalrous heroes chatting and laughing that he had imagined.
Two tables were occupied by people who looked like merchants, while the other two tables were occupied by people carrying swords and knives. They were very ordinary and low-key, just eating quietly and occasionally saying a few words in hushed tones.
Qin Mu and his group's arrival attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant, though they only observed them discreetly.
They ordered some of the restaurant's signature dishes and split into two tables to eat. It wasn't that Qin Mu forbade them to eat together, but in public, they all followed the rules for subordinates.
After a meal lasted for more than half an hour, Qin Mu finally saw several people of high status enter the restaurant.
A group of young men, followed by a group of guards, entered the restaurant noisily. Once inside, one of the young men said, "Look! How about this place? It's big enough and in a good location. We can buy a few nearby shops and build something here."
“The location is nice! But it’s not worth demolishing this place, is it? Why not find a new vacant spot? After all, this restaurant is doing quite well.” Another young man said somewhat reluctantly.
“Brother Ximen, you are mistaken. Once the new restaurant is built, there will be no business left for this restaurant. Your restaurant can be converted into cash.”
"Brother Nangong, are you sure the new restaurant can make money?" the young man named Ximen asked hesitantly.
"Of course! Brother Ximen, you haven't seen it. Rugui Tower in Chang'an makes a fortune every day. Even if we can't do as well as them, we can't possibly not make money."
Hearing their conversation, Qin Mu was taken aback. He hadn't expected that someone in Tianshui, thousands of miles away, would want to imitate Rugui Lou. This person certainly had good taste; Rugui Lou surpassed other restaurants in both its food, decor, and service.
"Alright! I agree to this! However, Brother Nangong, you still need to explain the details to us, otherwise we won't be able to explain it to our families."
A group of young people occupied several tables in the middle of the restaurant and began discussing how much money each of them would contribute. From their discussion, Qin Mu understood that these people were the young people from the four major families of Tianshui. They wanted to build one restaurant first, and then build a second and a third one in their respective counties. They were discussing how much money each of them would contribute, how much of a share they would take, and what materials they would provide.
Qin Mu watched with great interest; the scene before him was very similar to when he had gathered Cheng Huaimo and the others to discuss the restaurant.
"Which family are you from?" A somewhat gloomy young man walked up to Qin Mu and his group's table and asked with a frown.
Seeing the young man's actions, the others noticed the two tables behind the screen and gathered around. They weren't afraid of the locals; they just didn't want the news to leak to other counties and delay their earning potential.
"Who are you?" asked the young man surnamed Nangong who had been leading the group.
Qin Mu calmly put down his chopsticks and smiled, saying, "Qin Yue of Juyong Pass! Greetings, fellow brothers!"
Upon hearing Qin Mu's words, almost everyone was somewhat surprised. The young man in the lead smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "So you are the eldest son of the Qin family of Zhen San Guan. My apologies! I am Nangong Ling."
"I am Ximengang!"
"I am Baili Bing! My younger sister is Baili Rou!"
"My name is Ouyang Jingbian! My younger sister is Ouyang Qian!"
"I've heard so much about you! I've heard so much about you!"
Several young men introduced themselves. Feng Duan, being a shrewd man, immediately stood behind Qin Mu and pretended to be his bodyguard when he heard Qin Mu give a false name.
"Brother Qin, are you perhaps here to attend the exchange meeting?" Nangong Ling asked.
"I am currently traveling and heard that a grand event is being held in the Northwest, so I came here specifically to see it!" Qin Mu replied with a smile.
"Haha! This is indeed a once-in-a-decade event, but Brother Qin has arrived a bit early!" Nangong Ling said enthusiastically.
"Oh! Didn't you say it would be at the end of this month? I was thinking of heading out after lunch," Qin Mu said, somewhat puzzled.
"It was originally scheduled for the end of the month, but such a grand event wouldn't be lively with too few people, so we decided to postpone it by a month and invite more friends to participate," Nangong Ling explained.
Although he didn't know if Nangong Ling was telling the truth, Qin Mu still pretended to be very happy and said, "The more people, the better! It'll be more lively!"
He looked very much like someone who was traveling, after all, isn't traveling all about seeing the excitement and the novelties?
Many people know that Qin Yue of the Qin family studied Confucianism. Qin Mu himself was a Confucian scholar, and naturally carried the refined air of someone who reads often. In addition, after serving as an official for the past six months, Qin Mu's temperament has become much more mature, which has masked his immature nature.
“Brother Qin, if you don’t mind, you can stay at our Nangong family’s place for the time being, and then come with us,” Nangong Ling invited.
“That’s right! The Ouyang family also welcomes the Qin family to visit!” Ouyang Jingbian, the somewhat gloomy young man, added.
"No need, no need. It would be too much of a disturbance to come here so abruptly. We'll just stay at the restaurant." Qin Mu shook his head repeatedly. He hadn't forgotten that Nangong Min from the Nangong family had met him before.
"Brother Qin is such an honored guest, we couldn't invite him even if we tried, so how could we possibly disturb him!" Nangong Ling wanted to continue the invitation.
“I have an empty house. If Brother Qin doesn’t mind, you can stay there temporarily. This way, it won’t disturb you, and it’s more peaceful than staying at a restaurant,” Baili Bing said with a smile.
"this…"
“Brother Qin, there’s no need to be shy. Baili Bing’s Tingfeng Xiaozhu is quite interesting in Tianshui, and many people want to visit it. It’s rare that he’s so generous this time, so we can take advantage of it and go a few more times,” Ximen Gang interjected with a smile.
"In that case, I shall respectfully comply!"
"Of course, of course!" Baili Bing said with a smile.
These young people all looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. What surprised Qin Mu the most was Baili Bing's younger sister, Baili Rou, a girl who was two meters tall with a delicate face, but her arms and waist were a bit round, giving her a bit of a "muscle Barbie" vibe.
Qin Mu followed several enthusiastic young men to a courtyard with four characters written in regular script at the entrance.
"My writing is clumsy! Brother Qin, please forgive my poor work." Seeing Qin Mu looking at the writing, Baili Bing said with a humble smile.
"Your brushstrokes are powerful and penetrating! I am ashamed to admit that I am inferior to Brother Baili's calligraphy!" Qin Mu said, cupping his hands in greeting.
He can imitate very well; after so much practice and so many different fonts, Qin Mu can now write with ease. However, he hasn't grasped the spirituality and style that Li Gang mentioned.
Although Qin Mu didn't have much talent in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he did have a broad perspective. From the four characters "Tingfeng Xiaozhu" (Listening to the Wind Pavilion), one could tell that the person who wrote them had already entered the Dao.
"Brother Qin, you flatter me!" Baili Bing replied happily, pleased that Qin Mu had noticed her talent. After all, it was a joyful thing to have someone appreciate one's strengths.
Tingfeng Xiaozhu is not large, but it is very exquisite. The front yard is water and the back yard is trees, with a three-story building in the middle. The water is flowing water with small bridges and pavilions. The trees are evergreen pines, and the slight rustling sound can be heard in the breeze. In the city, it has a kind of tranquil atmosphere.
"Cloud shadows and shimmering waves fill the sky and earth."
The sound of pines and bamboos echoes in the heart of the water.
The couplet on the small pavilion was very fitting for the occasion, even though the bamboo grove was rather sparse.
"I transplanted this bamboo from the south, but unfortunately it's not growing very well," Baili Bing lamented.
"Bamboo prefers a moist and warm environment, so it's already quite good that it can survive here," Qin Mu nodded slightly.
"Brother Qin is right, my expectations were too high," Baili Bing said, pausing for a moment.
"Brother Baili has put a lot of effort into this. I feel a little uneasy staying here."
"Brother Qin is a refined person; staying here is just right for you!"
"Thank you very much, Brother Baili! I will definitely come to Juyong Pass when I have the chance in the future, so that I can do my best to be a good host!"
"Of course, of course! Brother Qin must be tired from your journey, so we won't bother you any longer. We'll host a welcome dinner for you tomorrow!" Baili Bing said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"I already feel bad about this, there's no need for a welcome dinner," Qin Mu politely declined.
Baili Bing thought Qin Mu just didn't want too much trouble, and since he was also a quiet person, he nodded understandingly and said, "Then we'll visit Brother Qin another day."
"Welcome!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Baili Bing and the others left.
With a "whoosh!", Qin Mu closed his folding fan and said to Feng Duan with a smile, "I'm sorry to have troubled Commander Feng."
"Hehe! It's nothing. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to deal with a group of teenagers," Feng Duan said with a smile.
He understood Qin Mu's meaning: it would be much more convenient to have several locals as acquaintances to gather information, except he didn't understand why Qin Mu would impersonate Qin Yue.
"Qin Yue is my good friend. We have similar builds, so people who don't know us well shouldn't be able to tell us apart. Besides, he's the only friend I'm familiar with," Qin Mu explained, noticing his confusion.
With that explained, Feng Duan understood perfectly. Impersonating local power figures was the most suitable option for them, and the Qin family was far enough away that they wouldn't easily be exposed. Even if they wanted to verify it, it wouldn't be something that could be done in a day or two, and besides, no one would bother to verify it. Qin Mu was no less capable than these scions of aristocratic families.
"Since there's still more than a month left, we need to change our plans," Qin Mu said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean, Prefect?"
"Please, Commander, call me Young Master from now on," Qin Mu said apologetically.
"Yes, young master." Feng Duan showed no dissatisfaction; instead, he bowed respectfully and clasped his hands in a fist salute, looking just like a real guard.
The two exchanged a smile, and Qin Mu explained, "Now that we know these people, let's find a way to investigate Temujin's organization and teach them a lesson."
"Does the young master want to transfer some more people over?" Feng Duan asked.
"That's right! Since it's not appropriate for us to meet with people from the imperial court, we can only rely on ourselves."
"Understood."
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