"He's Qin Mu, the son of Duke Qin Qiong of Yi. I heard he just returned to Chang'an and is a very polite person. He's also good-looking and not at all pretentious," Princess Changning replied, blinking her eyes.
"Good-looking?" Li Shentong looked at his daughter in confusion, unable to understand why she would use such a word to describe her. He had heard of Qin Mu, but only knew that Qin Qiong had gone to pick up her son.
"Yes! Unlike others who are so unpleasant, it's naturally beautiful."
"How did you two meet? Why did he give you these things?" Li Shentong asked with concern. Any male creature that gets close to his daughter is a prime target for his surveillance.
"I ran into him on the street yesterday!"
"You met her on the street?" Li Shentong's expression changed slightly, and he raised his voice to ask. In his opinion, meeting someone on the street was the most unreliable thing; it must mean that Qin Mu was trying to make a move on his daughter.
"Yes, he was with Yuchi Baolin, and he even treated me to dinner. In the end, he beat up that bad guy from the Wang family," Princess Changning nodded and explained.
"Then why did he think of giving you something?" Li Shentong asked with a forced smile.
"I went to his house to play, and I saw that this seat was comfortable, so I asked him for it!"
She asked for it right away. That was more in line with his daughter's personality, and Li Shentong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just as a happy smile appeared on his face, Li Shentong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked again, "Why are you going to his house again?"
"Father, didn't you say that one should take responsibility for one's own actions? Yesterday I beat up that guy surnamed Wang, so of course I couldn't let him take his anger out on others. I had someone inquire about him and found out that he is the son of the Duke of Yi." Princess Changning said with wide eyes.
"Yes, yes!" That's what her father said. Hearing his daughter's explanation, Li Shentong's old face practically lit up with a smile. He was finally certain that Qin Mu and his daughter had simply met, and that Qin Mu had no ulterior motives.
However, his smile quickly vanished, replaced by a worried expression. He knew his own situation best. While other families' daughters had no trouble finding husbands, his was a different story. He had sought help from many skilled martial artists since childhood, and although more than ten years had passed, many still remembered him. Moreover, he himself was infamous, a fearsome figure in Chang'an.
As his child grew older, he had to start considering certain things. This conflicting feeling made him somewhat irritable. He frowned slightly and left with a troubled expression. He had come mainly to inquire about the gift-giving incident, and once he found out, he would be relieved.
I got up to leave with some reluctance, mainly because sitting in the wide chair was very relaxing.
Qin Mu was unaware that he had been talked about by others. He went to sleep after nourishing his meridians, but was woken up early in the morning by Yuchi Baolin.
Not only the Yuchi brothers, but also the Cheng brothers arrived together.
"Brother! My old man said to count me in when he builds the restaurant. Just name your price. I've brought a thousand strings of cash for you to use first, and I'll send you more later." Cheng Huaimo said generously, pointing to the large box that was carried in.
“My family is the same. Here is a hundred taels of gold. You can spend it as you see fit, brother.” Yu Chi Baolin had someone put down the things he had made for Qin Mu. He patted the box in his arms, placed it on the stone table, and looked at Cheng Huaimo triumphantly as he spoke.
A hundred taels of gold is far more valuable than a thousand strings of copper coins, and he was naturally very happy to have outdone Cheng Huaimo.
"Your father is actually willing to spend money!" Cheng Huaimo stared wide-eyed at Yuchi Baolin and asked in disbelief.
“My mother took it; the old man is still drinking alone at home!” Yuchi Baoqing said.
"Haha, I knew it! Yuchi Gong, who values money above all else, would never be willing to take out a hundred taels of gold. That would be like taking his life!" Cheng Huaimo laughed loudly.
"Pah! Stop talking nonsense. My father is very generous, okay?" Yuchi Baolin said, embarrassed and angry.
"Yes! Yes! Everyone in Chang'an knows your father is generous, but you can't mention money." Cheng Huaimo said with a grin.
These words left Yuchi Baolin speechless. He didn't know why his father had such a strange habit: you could ask him for anything, even very valuable weapons and armor, but you couldn't ask for money, not even a single copper coin. He would feel a pang of heartache if you asked for even a single copper coin.
Qin Mu didn't stand on ceremony; cash was exactly what he was currently lacking. He had Qin Yong carry the money into his house.
Looking at the bloodthirsty aura emanating from Yuchi Huan, Cheng Huaibi, and Qin Huaiyu under the tree, Qin Mu understood why the Cheng and Yuchi families had suddenly offered such strong support.
"Let's talk about the division of labor first. I thought about it yesterday. Some materials need to be ordered in advance. Here is the list and quantities." Qin Mu led Yuchi Baolin and Cheng Huaimo into the study, took out a list and handed it to Cheng Huaimo.
"No problem, I'll get it sorted out as soon as possible, and it will be delivered on time when needed," Cheng Huaimo said after taking a look.
"This is something that needs to be made." Qin Mu handed another stack of papers to Yuchi Baolin, which he had drawn overnight yesterday.
"What kind of vehicle is this? And what is this pipe used for?" Yu Chi Baolin asked, holding up the blueprints.
"This is a tricycle. Just do as I say and get one out as soon as possible. As for these pipes, make sure they don't leak," Qin Mu instructed.
"It's a bit difficult, but not a big problem," Yuchi Baolin nodded.
"Then it's settled. I've had someone finalize the blueprints today, and we'll try to start construction tomorrow," Qin Mu said, lightly tapping the table.
Perhaps it was because of the money, or perhaps it was because of boredom, but Yu Chi Baolin and Cheng Huaimo both showed great enthusiasm and left immediately after receiving the mission.
"Brother Qin, what are we doing?" Cheng Huailiang and Yuchi Baoqing ran over and asked.
"You want to make money too?" Qin Mu asked, looking up.
"Of course we want to! Your wine and restaurant will definitely make money, but it's not our turn," Cheng Huailiang said with a bitter face. Yuchi Baoqing, standing beside him, nodded vigorously. He was the one who had encouraged Cheng Huailiang to ask.
"Making money is a small matter. How was the chilled fruit I had yesterday?" Qin Mu asked after thinking for a moment.
"It tastes great."
"Do you have anyone on your side?" Qin Mu asked again.
"How many people do you need? I can borrow some from Mother," Yuchi Baoqing asked.
"We do need quite a few people. First, you need to find a place to buy large quantities of fruit, then you need a shop, and it would be best if you also had goat milk."
"Brother Qin, can't we buy the fruit in the city? Isn't it a bit uneconomical to have someone go out of the city to collect it?" Cheng Huailiang asked.
“Yes, goat milk can’t be stored; it can’t be consumed the next day,” Yuchi Baoqing added.
“If you just want to make a little money, you can buy it in the city. You don’t even need to add goat milk. I’ll have someone teach you how to make ice, and you can earn a considerable income every day. But it will be difficult in winter. Ice is everywhere, and there are no seasonal fruits,” Qin Mu said calmly.
With a "slap," Cheng Huailiang slapped Yuchi Baoqing on the back, then leaned forward with a smile and said, "Brother Qin, don't listen to him. Of course we want to make big money. Whatever you say, we'll do."
Just as Yuchi Baoqing was about to retort, he heard about making a lot of money and obediently shut his mouth, looking at Qin Mu expectantly.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't want to cheat you. Fruit may not be easy to preserve, but I have ways to keep it for a year or two. Even if that doesn't work, I can use it to make wine," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Great! I'll go ask Mother for help right away," Cheng Huailiang said happily.
"Wait!" Qin Mu stopped the two excited people.
"Is there anything else, Brother Qin?"
"You two split up. Who will handle the storefront and who will handle the management? I'll only assign one person to make the ice," Qin Mu reminded them.
"Okay, Brother Qin." The two exchanged a glance, nodded in agreement, and then hurried away.
"Dongmei, did you hear what I just said?" Qin Mu asked, looking up.
"Young Master, I won't tell anyone," Dongmei hurriedly shook her head.
"What are you thinking? I meant that you would go to the shop to be in charge of making ice and teach people how to make fruit salad," Qin Mu said.
"Ah! Young Master, I... I can't do it. I'm clumsy and afraid I won't do it well, let alone teach others." Dongmei paused for a moment, then waved her hand.
"If you can't do it, practice more. Young Master will teach you how to do it during this time," Qin Mu said firmly.
"Young Master, this is not appropriate. There are still matters to attend to at the manor. If I leave, how will Qiuju take care of you by herself?"
"What's wrong with that? Qin Yong and the others are still at home. Besides, the young master will feel more at ease if you go."
"Yes, Dongmei promises to take good care of the shop for the young master." Perhaps she took the last sentence to heart, because Dongmei nodded vigorously.
"Yes, that's right. Go find your second sister first and have her teach you how to do accounts," Qin Mu said, waving his hand.
"Yes, young master!" Dongmei replied and walked excitedly towards the next room.
There were too few people around, but he could rely on Dongmei and the others. After practicing with the hammer for a while, Qin Mu asked Qin Yong and the others to prepare a meal, since he had also invited Yan Lide to dinner.
Officials in the Tang Dynasty, frankly speaking, didn't have much to do. Apart from those on duty, all they had to do was show up in the morning, take care of their tasks, and then they were free to arrange their own work and time. Qin Mu estimated that Yan Lide should arrive by noon.
Inside the room, the sword flashed, and Qin Mu swung his sword behind his back incessantly. However, a piece of flesh beneath the sword marred the scene.
Using his sword to slice meat, Qin Mu treated this as training. After all, slicing meat into thin slices required considerable knife skills. Using the sharpness of his sword made this simple, but slicing it without damaging the wooden board underneath was not easy.
After cultivating, his physique improved dramatically, becoming a hundred times stronger than the weak, reclusive man he used to be—this was Qin Mu's favorite aspect. Of course, the reduction in external temptations was also a factor. When everyone around him was cultivating, an atmosphere was created, making him feel that he should also cultivate. As the saying goes, to know what kind of person someone is, look at their friends.
Large-scale cultivation also fosters a competitive spirit, a feeling that one cannot be inferior to others. Therefore, in this world, the vast majority of cultivators possess one or two unique skills. This is perhaps the competitive spirit, which is inherent in everyone.
Downstairs, Qin Huaiyu and his two companions were comparing themselves. They had all just cultivated their Blood Fiend Qi and wanted to show their friends their stronger side, perhaps wanting to outdo their former friends.
"Come at me all at once!" Qin Mu said with a smile, waving as he watched the group practicing animatedly.
People like Yuchi Baoqing and Cheng Huailiang possess a strong aura of bloodlust, almost reaching the level of a martial arts master. In pure hand-to-hand combat, Qin Mu would be no match for them. These three younger ones are more suitable for practice.
The three boys exchanged a glance, smiled sinisterly, and simultaneously swung their fists, charging forward. They all knew Qin Mu wasn't a martial artist and didn't possess any bloodthirsty aura, which was why they wanted to gain an advantage.
Qin Mu had never given up on the Qin family's progressive series of punches, practicing them once or twice a day. Facing the three little ones, he was naturally not intimidated. He swung his fist and met them head-on.
However, he wasn't aiming to win; he was simply itching to fight. Although the three little ones possessed the Blood Fiend Qi, they had only recently cultivated it, and aside from gaining some strength, the other effects weren't yet apparent. After only a few moves, they slowed down and were subsequently defeated one by one by Qin Mu.
"You've only just begun, and you're already so self-important. What will you be like in the future?" Qin Mu said with a smile, looking down at the three children on the ground.
"Understood, brother!" Qin Huaiyu nodded hurriedly.
"Whether it's boxing or anything else, you need the right mindset to unleash its full power. You're all on the path of becoming a military general, so do you know what a military general is?" Qin Mu asked, pulling the three younger ones to their feet.
"A military general is someone who commands thousands of troops and leads them across the battlefield," Cheng Huaibi said excitedly, clenching his fist.
"A military general is an invincible commander on the battlefield, leading his men in charges and battles," Yuchi Huan continued.
"Yes! Yes!" Qin Huaiyu nodded in agreement repeatedly.
"You're all right, but there's one crucial point: a general must fight on the battlefield. Since you're going to fight on the battlefield, you must first have the will to win. You must be fearless no matter what enemy you face; that's the heart of a general."
Other qualities like bravery, ferocity, and domineering presence are merely styles formed by the individual personalities of different generals. But their first and foremost quality is fearlessness. If you're afraid from the start, then this war is better left undone. It's best to leave immediately to avoid dragging others down and causing the death of your comrades.” Qin Mu asked the three to sit down and explained to them.
“I know! I should be like my father and Uncle Qin,” Yu Chi Huan said hurriedly.
"That's true, but I'm instilling in you the will to win, which is a belief, not blind confidence. First and foremost, you must have self-awareness. Like now, you can't beat me anyway, so even if you have the will to win, it's useless."
"Brother Qin, what should we do? You told us to have the will to win, but also to be realistic about our own abilities," Cheng Huaibi asked, scratching his head.
"This is not contradictory. The will to win is a belief in one's heart, not giving up easily, and having the fearless spirit to overcome all enemies and not be subdued by any difficulties. Only with the will to win can one be a pioneer and forge ahead without hesitation."
"Self-awareness is a rational mindset; it means recognizing oneself. Do you understand?" Qin Mu explained to them carefully.
"Understood, Brother Qin! (Brother!)"
"Well, I'm just telling you that conviction is the most important thing, followed by intellect. If the heart is not righteous, the sword will be evil! Only a righteous heart has no evil thoughts, while an evil heart makes everything evil."
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