Just after the New Year, Liu Ce and his party passed through the majestic Wuliang Town and rushed to the vicinity of Cai State City. From a distance, the city wall of Cai State City, the capital of He Yuan, was faintly visible. Many travelers were carrying various packages in and out of the city, which, compared with the Gan State Plain on the other side of the river, seemed like two different worlds.

  Liu Ce sat on his horse, holding the reins and said to the people around him: "The city of Cai is already within sight. After entering the city, you all must be strict with yourselves. When the imperial edict arrives, immediately return to Gaoyang City, understood?"

  Everyone exclaimed in unison: "Understood!"

  Liu Ce nodded and said to Xue Peng: "General Xue, after entering Cai State City, you and I will go our separate ways. In these days, General Xue has helped me and the Jingwei Camp in many ways, and I will always remember it in my heart. If we have the chance to meet again someday, I must drink and chat with the general."

  Xue Peng cupped his hands and smiled at Liu Ce and the others, saying: "Brother Liu, your words are too kind. It is I, Xue, who should be grateful. Thanks to the care of the Jingwei Camp for many days, if not, I, Xue, and my soldiers would not have survived until today. One day we will gather again and drink together with Brother Liu, and we won't part until we're drunk!"

  Liu Ce and the commander of the Jingwei camp nodded in unison, then slowly rode towards the gate of Cai State. After many days together, the Jingwei camp and Xue Peng's troops had also established a good friendship. Xue Peng and others were secretly delighted that the Jingwei camp could become an official army, but they couldn't help feeling some reluctance to part ways. However, all gatherings must come to an end, and those who should leave will eventually have to go...

  When they arrived at the gate of Cai Prefecture, Liu Ce showed the imperial edict and the letter of appointment to the officer in charge of guarding the city gate. He also ordered Xu Hui to take out twenty taels of white silver and give it to the officer. The officer took the small package containing the silver, his face beaming with joy, thinking that this was a considerable income. He sighed and said that he had made a big profit, and became more enthusiastic towards Liu Ce and others. Soon, he completed the documents for their departure and instructed them on matters to note during their journey.

  Liu Ce and the city defense officer bid farewell, then led the crowd into the city, afterwards he solemnly bid farewell to Xue Peng and his subordinate officers, and headed directly towards the Governor's Mansion...

  Inside the Governor's Mansion, Wei You and Zhao Yuanyi, local officials of the gentry class, stood between the halls, waiting for Liu Ce and others to come and accept the imperial edict.

  Since Li Suwen killed his second son Zhao Mengxi, Zhao Yuandi has been resentful of the Li family to the bone. Of course, the real mastermind behind the scenes is Wei You in front of him, but he dare not vent his anger on him, and can only vent his grievances on Li Suwen's body. Unfortunately, Li Suwen is not in Cai Prefecture now, otherwise he would have made him suffer.

  Wei You sat upright in the main hall, casting a subtle glance at Zhao Yuanji, and smiled imperceptibly before saying: "Lord Zhao, are you still harboring resentment over the matter of your son?"

  Zhao Yuandi said in a deep voice: "How dare I, an unfilial son, to commit such a heinous crime? I deserve to die. I still want to thank the commander of the Imperial Guard for not investigating my family's guilt."

  Wei Yan listened and sneered secretly, then said: "Lord Zhao, I know you have grievances, but you also know that this matter cannot be blamed on Li Xiwen. At the time, many people witnessed it, and Zhao Mengxi indeed took the initiative to attack Li Xiwen first."

  Zhao Yuandi said in a low voice, "Hmph, now that the two banner troops have been completely wiped out, not one is left to testify, isn't it just up to you, Wei Wu and Li Suwen, to spout whatever nonsense you want?"

  At this point, Zhao Yuandi gruffly cupped his hands and said: "This official understands..."

  Wei You saw his expression and knew that he was very dissatisfied, so he said: "Lord Zhao, I heard that the Crown Prince is now serving in Xiyang Province."

  Zhao Yuandi said, "However, under the command of Yue Xunwen, he was only a general manager of the management department. He couldn't get any higher than that." Zhao Yuandi's face lit up with pride when talking about his eldest son. The position of general manager of the management department wasn't just any ordinary official post. It oversaw the strategic materials of an entire province, including grain, military equipment, minerals, and salt. As for the benefits and perks, they were self-evident. More importantly, it had a profound impact on one's future career prospects, with a golden aura that would propel him to greater heights. If he were to enter the imperial court one day, his promotion speed would far surpass others. Even if he didn't enter the imperial court, he would still be able to excel in various provinces in the future.

  Wei Yan said: "The eldest young master has been serving in Xunyang for five or six years now. This spring, during the official assessment, I intentionally reserved a spot for him. If nothing unexpected happens, after the imperial court's evaluation is complete, he will definitely be able to take up a position in the Hanlin Academy. What do you think, Lord Zhao?"

  Zhao Yuanyi's eyes lit up as soon as he heard, and he immediately knelt down on the ground, excitedly saying: "Thank you, General Wei! I am willing to serve in front of and behind the horse, and swear to die for the Great Zhou imperial family, to repay the emperor's kindness!" After finishing speaking, he heavily knocked his head three times, thinking that it was worth it...

  Zhao Yuanyu knew that after becoming the Governor of Heyuan, he would no longer have a place in the imperial court. Moreover, he was already over 50 years old and had no other ambitions, so he just hoped that his sons could make something of themselves and not let the Zhao family decline. Now that Wei You had given him such a big opportunity, he should be grateful and seize it. Besides, Zhao Yuanyu didn't show any signs of grief or pain over Zhao Mengxi's death, only anger and hatred towards Li Suwen and Wei You for being too overbearing. Anyway, the death of a concubine-born son was no big deal, since he still had eight other sons...

  Wei You hastily helped Zhao Yuanji up and invited him to take a seat: "Lord Zhao, there's no need for such courtesy. During the time that Lord Taizong held the position of General Director, he diligently fulfilled his duties, and it was only natural that he would become a pillar of the state. I am also selecting talent for the country, merely doing my duty."

  Zhū Sōng and Zōng Shèng in the mansion were filled with envy and jealousy, thinking to themselves: "Why can't such good fortune fall upon our own heads?" Is this really the difference between ordinary scholar families and noble families?

  Just then, a eunuch's voice was heard from outside the door, "Liu Ce, the leader of the Righteous Army, is waiting respectfully outside."

  Everyone listened and straightened their clothes, and suddenly the governor's mansion had a solemn and dignified atmosphere. Wei said in a low voice: "Let him come in."

  Before long, Liu Ce appeared in the Governor's Mansion, facing the scene in front of him without panic. He knelt down on the ground in the middle of the hall and bowed his hands: "Your humble servant Liu Ce pays respects to General Wei, Governor Zhao, and all the esteemed gentlemen!"

  Wei Yan looked over at Liu Zhang, but all he saw was a young man kneeling in the hall, his courtesy and composure impeccable, without any of the usual anxiety or panic of ordinary generals.

  Wei You hadn't spoken yet, when Zong Sheng from the side sneered coldly: "Your humble servant hums, the imperial edict and letter of comfort have not arrived yet, but you're already so impatient to refer to yourself as a colleague and subordinate?"

  Wei Yan heard this and nodded slightly, thinking to himself that it seemed this young man was still too eager for fame and fortune.

  But Liu Ce said calmly and unhurriedly: "Deputy Commander Zong's words are different, in the lower ranks I am just a small soldier under Zhu Qi's banner, the commander of the Dengzi camp, what is wrong with this 'humble job' title?"

  Zong Sheng coldly snorted: "Are you under Zhu Qi's command? Do you have any proof that my Thunderbolt Army is a motley crew, taking in anyone?"

  Zhu Song nodded beside him, feeling satisfied with Zong Sheng's words.

  Liu Ce felt a chill in his heart, and then a hint of a smile flashed across his face. He took out a wooden waist card with copper edges from his pocket and placed it flat on his palm, saying: "If Vice Commander Zong does not believe me, this waist card can be used as evidence."

  Wei You exchanged a glance with the guard beside him, and the guard stepped forward to take the token from Liu Ce's hand and handed it over to Wei You with both hands. Wei You took it in his hand and examined it carefully, only to see that on it was engraved a line of small characters "Fourth Flag Team of the Thunderbolt Army, Deng Ziying", and in the middle were the two large characters "Liu Ce". It was impossible to forge this, and Zhu Xun and Zong Sheng, who were standing beside him, let out a light hum and said no more.

  Wei You smiled slightly, pulling the token into his hand, staring straight at Liu Ce. Zhao Yuanji, who was sitting on one side, only glanced at Liu Ce and then picked up his tea cup to take a sip of water.

  After a long time, Wei You saw Liu Ce still kneeling quietly on the ground, his face expressionless. He nodded slightly and said: "Very good, the soldiers from my Thunderbolt Army are indeed extraordinary, worthy of the two words 'King's Card'! In another two days, the imperial edict will be issued, and you, as a member of the official army, must remember not to tarnish the reputation of my Thunderbolt Army. Do you understand?"

  Liu Ce said: "Your subordinate humbly obeys the General's teachings!"

  "Wei Yan observed him for a while longer, then said: 'Very well, you may withdraw for now. Find yourself a place to stay and wait quietly for the day when the imperial edict is issued.'"

  Liu Ce said lightly: "I bid farewell." After finishing speaking, Liu Ce stood up and walked out of the door, without any attachment to the Governor's Mansion.

  Wei Yan said: This child is arrogant and unruly, quick to change, no wonder Li Suwen has always praised him. If Li Suwen is a long knife that can cut through anything with his overbearing manner, then Liu Ce is a treasured sword that is unpredictable and difficult to measure. However, what's the point of this? A general from a humble background can stir up what kind of waves? In his journey to the Far East, what can Liu Ce achieve? Can he pacify the bandits and restore order? Can he drive out the Hu people and recover Ji Zhou? With just those few thousand elite soldiers, it's not enough to even fill the gaps between Jiang Chuo's teeth...

  At this thought, Wei You smiled softly to himself. It seemed that Li Suwen had overestimated him. Perhaps Liu Ce did have some ability, but unfortunately he was not from a scholar-official family and lacked connections, so he was destined to accomplish nothing.

  ……

  Liu Ce came out of the Governor's Mansion and was met with coldness inside, not a word was mentioned about him. He exchanged greetings with Xu Hui and several others before leading his horse to find an inn to settle down in, taking the opportunity to take a stroll and pay respects along the way. After all, it had been more than half a year since he'd seen such bustling streets and shops, so he might as well take this chance to appreciate the scenery and people.

  "General…… heh heh…… over there……" Sun Biao suddenly whispered beside Liu Ce, interrupting his thoughts. Liu Ce looked in the direction Sun Biao was pointing and saw a brothel with the sign "Lijie Pavilion". On the second floor, many courtesans were standing at the windows, dressed revealingly, calling out to men passing by.

  "Hmm." Liu Zhi nodded silently and turned his head to look at Sun Biao, only to find that his throat was constantly rolling up and down, his eyes fixed on the direction of the brothel. He also glanced at Yang Kai beside him, who had a look of wanting to speak but hesitating. Suddenly, he understood.

  "Never mind, it's hard for them after all this time." Liu Ce shook his head and said to them: "We'll just stay at the inn up ahead."

  Then he took out a whole package of silver from his sleeve, which was worth more than 100 taels, and handed it over to Sun Biao. He said to him and Yang Kaisan: "You've worked hard these days, go now, remember to find the best and cleanest girl, don't bring back any illness."

  Sun Biao and Yang Kaisan smiled and thanked him repeatedly, also pulling Yang Youhuai in. Seeing them enter, Liu Ce asked Xu Hui, Chu Zijun, Wu Zhengying, Fang Jing, and Feng Xueyan: "As for you, if you want to go in, just go, I have silver here..."

  Chu Zijun stood up straight, his face flushing red: "General, don't mock us..."

  Fang Jing also said: "Yang Qi and his friends must have been abstinent for a long time, after all, there's a huge difference between being single and married..."

  Wu Zhenying nodded and said: "Fang Jing's words are not wrong, but I didn't expect Sun Baichang and Yang Qigong to be so despicable, they even corrupted Yang Qigong..."

  "Damn! I'm also a bachelor, how can you have such strong willpower?"

  Xu Hui stifled a smile and said: "Brother Feng only knows how to drink and kill enemies every day, so he naturally doesn't know the subtleties..."

  Wu Zhenying's eyes narrowed as soon as he heard this: "So it seems that General Xu Qi has had experience in this area..."

  Xu Hui's face suddenly turned bright red: "No no no, I just heard someone mention it, don't tease me."

  Fang Jing smiled slyly and said: "So Xu Qi also appreciates this romantic scenery..."

  "Hahaha......" The crowd burst into laughter on the street, and Xu Hui's face turned even redder.

  Liu Ce smiled and stopped everyone, saying: "The inn is up ahead, let's go in and have something to eat, and wait for Yang Kai-shan and Sun Biao and the others."

  After entering the inn, the groom led Liu Ce's horse to the backyard to feed hay, and the shopkeeper hurriedly called the waiter to take Liu Ce and his party to a square table.

  "Sir, what would you like to eat? Our inn may be small, but we have all sorts of delicious dishes..." The waiter asked respectfully.

  "Is there a room available?" Liu Ce asked.

  "Ah, yes, yes! How many rooms do you want?" The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he saw the five people in front of him wanting to stay at his inn. He became even more enthusiastic, thinking that he could get a substantial amount of tips. Seeing that each of these guests had brought their horses, they must be quite wealthy.

  Liu Ce said to the shopkeeper, "Eight rooms upstairs, whatever good food there is, bring it up. Here, a reward for you." As he spoke, he tossed a five-tael silver ingot into his hand. The shopkeeper's face lit up with joy, and he couldn't close his mouth as he thanked him profusely and went to the back hall to prepare wine and food.

  "The dishes are here!" Before long, the waiter brought over a large platter of food, with fish, meat, chicken, duck and eggs galore. He also ordered a small jar of wine to help Feng Xuan yearn for his appetite.

  Liu Ce and his five companions were chatting and eating together, having a great time, when suddenly they heard a loud shout at the entrance of the inn: "You rebellious son! I've finally found you!"

  Everyone looked up and saw a fifty-year-old, thin and refined official, accompanied by several short-shirted servants, rushing angrily towards Liu Ce's table!

  "What's going on?" Liu Ce's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and he placed his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging from his waist. The others also stood up straight, awaiting orders.

  "Dad......" Just as the officer was about to rush over, Liu Ce and others were about to take action, but Xu Hui suddenly shouted in a trembling voice. Instantly, Liu Ce, Feng Qunian, and four others stood frozen on the spot with confused expressions. What the heck is going on? Didn't Xu Hui's whole family get executed?

  "Get out of the way." The officer pushed away Xu Hui, who was standing on one side in a daze, and reached out to grab him. Xu Hui suddenly came to his senses and quickly hid behind Liu Ce.

  "You rebellious son! Watch me not kill you today!" The officer's face turned red with rage as he saw Xu Hui, and he snatched the wooden stick from the servant's hand and swung it at him.

  Liu Ce caught the wooden stick that was about to fall on his head with one hand and slowly said, "Old man, don't act rashly for now, let's talk things through, what's going on here?"

  "Hum! Who are you? What business do you have teaching this unfilial son and me?" The officer's eyes widened in anger as he saw that the wooden stick in his hand wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried.

  Liu Ce met his gaze and said: "Xu Hui is now a general in our army, I am his superior, what does it have to do with me?"

  "What a military commander... um, commander" The officer outside suddenly became somewhat sober, the club in his hand also weakened its force, and slowly put it down.

  Liu Ce said: "Old man, you'd better tell me, what's going on here?"

  The officer saw that the young man in front of him was Xu Hui's superior and told Liu Ce about the whole thing.

  It turns out that the man in front of him is actually Xu Hui's father, whose name is Xu Yan. He is a declining scholar and only because Xu Hui was unwilling to marry his best friend's daughter did he run away from home. Xu Yan and Xu Mu were so anxious that they turned around in circles. How could they not be anxious about the only son who would inherit the family line? As a result, they searched all over the country for more than a year, but unexpectedly met Xu Hui here.

  Liu Ce's face sank after hearing this, and he turned around to ask: "Xu Hui, are these facts?"

  Xu Hui nodded in agreement, and not only Liu Ce, but also Feng Qinnian, Wu Zhenying, Chu Zijun, and Fang Jing all had a black line on their faces. They secretly thought to themselves: "Damn it, this Xu Hui looks honest and reliable, but actually isn't anything good. He can come up with such outrageous lies, and still manage to make them sound convincing..."

  "Liu... Liu brother... I... I didn't mean to cheat you guys... it's just that my dad's best friend's daughter was too fat, and the whole thing was just the two of us so heavy, so I..." Xu Hui saw everyone looking at him with suspicious eyes and explained with a sweat-drenched head.

  "What's wrong with being a bit chubby? Being chubby is good for giving birth, and having seven or eight kids wouldn't be bad for the Xu family, would it? Think about it, in my generation of the Xu family, we had six daughters in a row. Your mother and I prayed to the gods and Buddha just to have you born. You should get married early and carry on the Xu family line! Come back with me!" Xu Yan heard what Xu Hui said and was so angry that he puffed out his chest and glared with wide eyes.

  "I won't go back, I... Brother Liu..." Xu Hui anxiously grabbed onto Liu Ce's hand and shook it non-stop like a young lady in distress.

  Liu Ce and the other three people exchanged a glance, only to see that everyone's eyes had narrowed into a thin line. Then, with a serious expression, they turned to Xu Hui, adjusted his collar with their hands and said, "No need to say more, I understand."

  But in the next moment, Liu Ce and his three companions sat down in perfect harmony, starting to make a toast.

  "Madman, this meat is good, eat more."

  "General, let me pour you a drink."

  "This fish is good, Yingzi eat more to supplement, go back and pack a portion for your wife's son to try."

  "Fang Jing, this scallion omelette is quite good, go back and teach your sister-in-law how to make it too."

  Everyone collectively ignored Xu Hui...

  "Rebellious son, you're finished!" Xu Yan saw that Liu Ce and the others were no longer managing their own family affairs, and suddenly revealed a triumphant and sinister smile, slowly walking towards Xu Hui.

  "No, Dad! Stop hitting me! General, save me! Brother Feng!" Xu Hui was being beaten by his father at this time and kept crying out loudly.

  "Xu Hui's father has a fiery temper, haha...". Feng Qiu Nian burst out laughing, and everyone else had different expressions, with an air of watching a show.