Chapter 26: Snatching Life from the Tiger's Mouth (Part 1) Update
Chi Mu had heard about the situation in Xiguan before.
This time I was ordered to come here and experience it in person.
As for this former royal palace in front of us, it is estimated that it is not even as wealthy as the mansion of a small wealthy family in Yanjing.
The roads throughout Xiguan were rugged, and the wind and sand were extremely strong at the turn of autumn and winter. He even saw the so-called largest Yucheng, which was just a small rammed earth city surrounded by yellow sand.
This young marquis of Xiguan must have no idea how to run a business or make a living.
The Emperor has revoked his title of Marquis and not allowed him to come to Yanjing to complain and beg for mercy. This is indeed going to make this young Marquis suffer a lot!
However, even if the emperor intends to make things difficult for the Xiguan King branch, through the incident of Eunuch Liu, Chi Mu can see clearly that even if the young marquis is a dog in distress who is bullied by the emperor at will, they, as ministers and servants, cannot overstep their responsibilities and take advantage of the situation to bully him.
He didn't say anything extra.
He simply pulled out another letter from his sleeve: "This is a private letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to the young Marquis."
“Okay, okay!”
Upon hearing that there was a private letter from his cheap cousin, Liu Ziye took it and opened the letter from the prince in front of Chi Mu without any hesitation.
Since the prince's letter arrived along with the emperor's edict, the emperor must have known the contents of the letter.
There is no need to hide it.
Liu Ziye was really curious about what this cheap cousin would say.
After all, although the original owner and he were royal cousins, they had never had any contact in the past ten years.
The prince held a high position, and even though he was wary of the King of Xiguan like his father, he never took this ignorant cousin seriously.
And what about the original owner?
But he was also very aloof by nature. He knew that his family was not favored by the emperor, and he was even more unwilling to humble himself and interact with the royal family of Yanjing.
The last time he followed Du Hui's advice to submit a memorial was also the first time Liu Ziye took the initiative to contact this cousin.
And he and Du Hui's judgment was correct. The current crown prince not only read his letter, but also wrote a reply personally.
The letter said that he and his father would not tolerate eunuch Liu's rebellious behavior, and asked Liu Ziye to rest assured.
Finally, he gave him earnest instructions, asking him to obey the imperial edict, reform himself and study hard in Xiguan County, and hoped to see him in Yanjing in three years.
Liu Ziye was filled with gratitude throughout the whole process.
Seeing the end, she couldn't help but pull Chi Mu's red cloak and cry again: "Brother Crown Prince, I knew it... I knew it..."
"Brother, you are the brother that Ziye respects the most! General Chi, when you return to Yanjing, please tell my cousin, the Crown Prince, that Ziye must listen carefully to you!"
Chi Mu twitched his lips and tentatively pulled at his badly ravaged cloak.
But he found that if he used more force, the cloak, which was tightly grasped by the young marquis at one corner, would be torn to pieces on the spot.
I had to give up expressionlessly.
He no longer had the energy to show any shock or surprise at the young marquis's behavior.
Just try to be sincere and say that you will definitely convey your message.
From the beginning to the end of today's mission of reading the imperial edict, Chi Mu felt that his emotions had undergone a rare drastic turn.
On the surface, he regained his usual expressionless but slightly arrogant look. As never before, he began to silently mourn in his heart for his brothers who would be staying behind to monitor Xiguan Hou's every move.
Such a heartless person is just a bully in his own home.
How dare I have any resentment or dissatisfaction towards the emperor and the Yanjing royal family, or even any rebellious thoughts?
I'm afraid that even if those brothers stay here until the end of time, they will not be able to complete their mission and will have to return to Beijing to report.
Chi Mu was sent off with kind words along the way, but Liu Ziye's expression changed as soon as he turned around.
He forced himself to keep a straight face and walked back to the study in the Marquis' Mansion safely, then locked the door with a bang.
She was just an eighteen-year-old high school graduate, and it was really difficult for her to endure the round after round of tests.
It was only at this moment that she could carefully consider the murderous intent hidden in the seemingly peaceful and tearful meeting just now.
The imperial order carried out by this major general of the Imperial Guard from Yanjing was obviously not as simple as it was announced.
When she wrote such a memorial to Yanjing, it indeed achieved the expected effect. Pan Yi and Iberly were both taken down smoothly at the same time.
However, it also brought about an unexpected impact, that is, Chi Mu standing in front of her today, and the nearly one thousand soldiers of the Outer Court Guard Battalion of the Imperial Guard he brought with him.
Isn't the reaction of her adopted uncle the emperor and her cousin the prince a bit too much?
Not to mention Pan Yi and Iberly, who were both frightened like that, even she, the fake young marquis, was shocked and intimidated.
Liu Ziye calmed down and thought about it.
Perhaps, this is also the effect that the emperor or prince of Yanjing wants to achieve?
No matter what political and resource legacy the former King of Xiguan had, no matter whether the original owner's fourteen-year-old legitimate son was really as useless and incompetent as the rumors said, a team like this could directly wipe out all restless and turbulent thoughts.
For now, she has escaped the danger by throwing a tantrum, but after Chi Mu moved into the Governor's Mansion, she asked Iberi for so many supplies and money these days. Countless people in the Governor's Mansion have seen it, and she is afraid that it will be exposed soon.
And will Chi Mu notice her actions of extorting money from the entire Xiguan County like a whirlwind in the past month and discover her true purpose behind the layers of concealment?
It’s hard to say.
The fact that she had taken back so much supplies and money from Iberi was obviously not in line with the emperor's requirement for him to reflect on his mistakes.
If her guess was correct, Chi Mu would have to return to the Xiguan Marquisate tomorrow at the latest and, in the name of the Emperor, demand that he hand over all the supplies he had obtained from the Xiguan Governor's Mansion and bring them back to Yanjing to present to the Emperor.
Even if she could produce the account book to prove that this was owed to the palace in previous years and that this was what the former Xiguan Palace and now the Xiguan Marquisate deserved, it would be of no avail.
In the past month, the leather, cloth, charcoal and winter snow and ice-breaking equipment that the Xiguan Marquis Mansion and the Fu family had worked so hard to produce were all gone in a blink of an eye.
She frowned deeply, thinking about how to get through this crisis.
Ever since she traveled through time, level after level, her desire to survive and live seemed so humble and difficult.
Liu Ziye occasionally feels discouraged and tired.
But if you think about it, wasn't her life in her previous life no easier than it is now?
She doesn't even have a healthy body. Now, the countdown of her life is hanging over her head, but as long as she lives one more day, she will have a healthy and vibrant life.
Compared with her previous life where she had to rely on others for food and drink and obey their orders and look at other people's faces, now, no matter how poor she is as a young marquis, she has an independent mansion with nearly a hundred servants and private guards. She can freely choose what to eat for every meal and wear every piece of clothing according to her own ideas.
She had nothing to complain about.
The only shortcoming is that it is not enough and not satisfied.
Chi Mu's arrival told her clearly.
As long as she, the youngest granddaughter of the Holy Ancestor, is still alive, no matter how useless she is, the current emperor will never be able to completely let go and let things go.
It is difficult for her every move in the fiefdom to completely escape the eyes of Yanjing.
How can I earn points in a big way as the system requires, and at the same time temporarily confuse Yan Jing's investigation?
“Beep, beep, beep—”
The sound of copper rings knocking was heard in the study. Liu Ziye thought it was Mr. Du who came to see her, and she also needed to discuss this matter with him.
Then he said, "Come in."
The reddish winter sunset streamed in through the open wooden door of the study. Liu Ziye looked up, but saw that the person standing at the door was not Du Hui.
The visitor sat quietly in the wheelchair, being pushed by Xiying from behind.
It turned out to be Fu Zhener.
More than a month ago, she left the mansion with her private guards, Pan Yi's imperial guards, and Fu's craftsmen. This was the first time she saw Fu Zhen'er again after such a long time.
After this period of careful care and recovery, Fu Zhener looked much better.
His face and eye sockets became fuller, and even though his body was still a little thin sitting in the wheelchair, it was difficult to conceal his calm and clear temperament.
Liu Ziye didn't know whether Fu Zhener heard or saw what he had just done in front of Chi Mu.
She didn't care either.
The moment he saw Fu Zhener, he stood up, walked over, took the wheelchair handle from Xiying, and pushed him in with his own hands.
Liu Ziye asked him gently, "Brother Fu, why are you here? During this period..."
She wanted to say that she was not at home during this period and had not been able to look after Fu Zhener regularly, and she was very sorry.
But suddenly it occurred to her that her actions of sweeping through the entire Xiguan County over the past month had never been concealed at all.
Although Yucheng was handed over to Mr. Du Hui by her, Mr. Du Hui's actions must be much more tactful than hers, and it would not be like the places she had visited, where there was unrest and complaints everywhere, but it was undeniable that people were not trustworthy.
After all, even if you, Marquis Xiguan, have such a good relationship with the young patriarch of the Fu clan, you can't ask the entire Fu clan to willingly pay a large sum of money to do something they think is not necessary, such as removing and replacing the roof, right?
In Yucheng, one-third of the people are not from the Fu clan, and their resentment is almost the same as that in other towns.
Thinking of this, Liu Ziye couldn't help but stop what he was saying.
He just silently pushed the wheelchair and took Fu Zhen'er to the inner room of the study and settled her down.
Fu Zhen'er looked at Liu Ziye sitting silently opposite her, her eyes sweeping across his slightly furrowed brows.
After a moment's silence, Fu Zhen'er spoke first.
"I heard you were back home, so I came to see you. Ziye, is there anything bothering you?"
Hearing that Fu Zhen'er only asked this, Liu Ziye secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course she knew that Fu Zhen'er had members of the Fu clan accompanying her in her mansion every day, so it was impossible for her not to know what she had been doing these days.
But since he didn't mention it at this time, it meant that he was not prepared to question me face to face about these things for the time being.
Even so, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
I have a lot of troubles, but it’s no use telling Fu Zhener about them!
Her troubles and dangers came from the almighty emperor far away in Yanjing and the awe-inspiring imperial guards right in front of her. They were simply not something Fu Zhener and her Fu family could deal with or contend with.
Thinking of this, he said perfunctorily: "It's nothing, Brother Fu, don't worry."
Fu Zhen'er seemed to see what he was thinking. She lowered her eyes slightly, then raised them again, mustering her courage and saying, "Since you acknowledge me as your brother, if you are in any difficulty, as your elder brother, I will certainly do my best to help you. Has this visit from Yanjing caused you another difficulty?"
Liu Ziye looked towards Fu Zhener.
Ever since she woke up, Fu Zhen'er has believed in her own words without a doubt.
Even though she was from another world and always felt isolated from everything and everyone here, she could still feel Fu Zhener's sincerity towards her.
Thinking of this, she spat out and summarized the situation: "It's just that my uncle the emperor ordered me to stay at home and endure hardships to reform, and not live a comfortable life. This time, I'm going to reclaim the money owed by the palace over the years from Yiberi, as well as the silver earned by the marquisate with great effort this month. If the envoys from Yanjing know about this, I will most likely lose it."
After hearing this, Fu Zhen'er nodded solemnly: "I see."
But he quickly comforted Liu Ziye, saying, "Ziye, there's no need to worry too much. If it's just about money, and if we really can't keep him, my Fu clan has already formed an alliance with the Marquis' Mansion. The Marquis' Mansion has over a hundred people. As long as the Fu clan still has enough strength, as your elder brother, I will certainly not let your Xiguan Marquis' Mansion go short of food and money."
"The problem is, I need much more than this," said Liu Ziye.
Fu Zhen'er looked surprised and puzzled.
Liu Ziye smiled bitterly.
She stood up and walked to the study window, basking in the warm winter sun filtering through the lattice. She closed her eyes and said, "I want to live a decent and dignified life. I want the Xiguan Marquisate to be independent of anyone else. I want all the people in Xiguan County to be able to safely survive the coming cold winter. I want every day and every year from now on, for me, Liu Ziye, the Xiguan Marquisate, Xiguan County, and even the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, to be better than every yesterday and every year!"
"I want to live freely, healthily, and prosperously on this continent as a citizen of the Great Zhou Dynasty!"
"I want these things, I want them so badly. But if I lose these things I worked so hard to get from Iberly today—the cloth, charcoal, ironware, and money I'm going to use to help the people of Xiguan County survive the winter—then everything I want will be out of the question!"
What she said was true.
If she couldn't pass this level, Xiguan County would not survive the winter, and when her remaining points were exhausted, she would die.
Listening to Liu Ziye's confession, Fu Zhen'er stared at the young marquis who was standing with his back to the window, and was shocked beyond words.
Fu Zhen'er didn't know how to organize her chaotic words for a moment: "Zi Ye, you...you..."
Liu Ziye turned around in the sunlight, and in a moment, she had gathered her fighting spirit again.
The hesitation and distress in his eyes faded, leaving only determination and a desperate courage: "I must protect what belongs to me! Now that they have entered the gate of my Xiguan Marquis Mansion, I will never allow others to take them away without permission!"
Her gaze seemed to be looking at Fu Zhener, but it also seemed as if she was looking through Fu Zhener at the void.
He whispered to himself, "If you want to continue living, you can't lose every game."
Before Fu Zhen'er could decipher his last words, Liu Ziye suddenly changed the subject and said, "Brother Fu, last time I heard you went to Xisai Lake, was it to see the salt crystals?"
Seeing him ask, Fu Zhen'er snapped out of her daze, "Indeed. Every summer and autumn, within a thousand miles of our Xiguan area, several natural salt lakes produce crystals. The water turns a translucent hue like emerald jade, and the salt crystals sinking to the bottom of the lakes are white as snow. The northwest is a land of vast expanses, and these salt lakes are truly a rare spectacle! That's why I rode out of the city alone, heading for Xisai Lake."
"I see."
After listening to this, Liu Ziye's thoughts raced in his mind. Amidst the turbulent situation, he had already planned his own countermeasures.
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk.
She would give it a try no matter how difficult it was to snatch her life from the tiger's mouth.
She smiled with relief: "Thank you so much, Brother Fu!"
"Speaking of which, Ziye does have a small matter and would like to ask Brother Fu for help."
Liu Ziye's smile was carefree and resolute, coupled with his sharp and aggressive appearance, Fu Zhen'er was dazzled and completely impressed by the demeanor of his sworn brother.
Fu Zhen'er thought that perhaps time would give him the answers to those questions he wanted to ask but shouldn't ask.
He answered almost without thinking, "Ziye, just tell me. As long as it's something I can do, I will definitely help you with all my strength."
Even if it means giving my whole self to you, I am willing to do so.
·
Xiguan Governor's Mansion.
After Chi Mu returned from the Marquis' Mansion in Xiguan, the thousands of Wuwei soldiers he brought with him were reorganized. Some were stationed in the city, while others withdrew from Yucheng and temporarily camped outside the city.
Pan Yi had no chance of survival, and the other guards led by Pan Yi were detained and guarded one by one, awaiting Chi Mu's preliminary interrogation.
As the former governor, Iberi was kept solitary in the prison of the governor's mansion, which he was once very familiar with.
After seeing the young Marquis of Xiguan and even the Marquis of Xiguan Mansion today, Chi Mu almost didn't care about them anymore.
This young marquis is even more outrageous and ignorant than the rumors say!
But he was completely obedient and worshipful to the emperor and the prince who were far away in Yanjing and whom he had never met.
One of the missions he brought his troops for this time was finally accomplished.
Chi Mu instructed a clerk who came with the team to draft a report on the various situations after entering Yucheng for the first time today.
At this time, his deputy general Miao Tailin came to report.
"Marquis of Xiguan?" Chi Mu raised his head and asked after hearing this.
"Yes, Major General, Iberly said that this is a matter of great importance. Please make time to see him."
Deputy General Miao Tailin, who came to report the news, said, "I originally ignored his clamor, but the guards guarding him said that Yi Boli kept saying that the matter was of great importance and related to the Marquis of Xiguan. If what he said was true, it would delay your mission. I thought I'd report it to you and see how you would decide."
Chi Mu's mind flashed through the dilapidated and deserted Xiguan Marquis Mansion he saw today, as well as the Xiguan Marquis's astonishing unconsciousness, and he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
A moment later.
He sealed the memorial to Yanjing with one hand and said to the deputy general, "Go and take a look."
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