Changyang City, snowflakes scattered here and there.
Yuan Tao was making tea. Before he started to move, Gu Ying hurriedly walked back from outside.
"Master, the confidants of Marquis Dingbei passed through the Marquis' Mansion earlier."
"Li Rucheng?" Yuan Tao looked happy.
"Indeed, Li Rucheng left a message and will soon send 20,000 troops back to the inner city, take a detour south, and camp in counties two hundred miles outside the inner city."
"Okay." Yuan Tao excitedly held the tea cup, "He finally chose justice."
"Also, Li Xiaowan went to Horseshoe Lake."
"Tsk, no wonder."
"Master, what's the point of this?"
"He probably thought that Xiaodong's family belongs to me. It was Li Xiaowan who chose Xiaodong's family first, so Marquis Dingbei chose me. But how did he know that even I can't control Xiaodong's family."
"Master, this is a good thing."
"Of course." Yuan Tao breathed out, "Gu Ying, go tell the brothers in Hutang to send 500 more people to protect Li Mansion."
After Gu Ying turned around and walked out, Yuan Tao put down the tea cup, closed his eyes slightly, and fell into deep thought again.
…
Horseshoe Lake.
Sitting in the room, Xu Mu sneezed inexplicably. Jiang Caiwei, who was nearby, quickly took her cloak and covered him with it.
"Xu Lang, let me make you a bowl of ginger soup."
"Thank you ma'am."
Jiang Caiwei's face turned red. The remnants of last night's violent storm still made her face full of shyness.
Xu Mu stretched and walked out of the room. When he raised his head, his eyes were filled with dazzling eyes.
"Brother Mu was trying to catch mice last night but the house was shaken." Si Hu hurried over while holding a few cooking cakes and chewing them.
"Si Hu, give me eight cakes."
Si Hu looked shocked and quickly turned around and ran away.
"Boy, come and have a drink with dad." Zhuge Fan, who was far away on the balcony, watched Xu Mu come out of the house, threw a smelly shoe, and shouted with a drunken face.
Xu Mu was speechless for a while. The three old men in the village were really old drunkards gathering together.
Without thinking much, Xu Mu stepped forward.
The food and wine placed on the balcony were still the same as Lao San's, including steamed cakes, pancakes, peanuts, and half a bunch of candied haws, which some unlucky kid had stolen.
The two evil men in Xujiazhuang, Lame Zhuge and Brother Shihu, saw that the child had three melons and two dates, and they couldn't help but try to defraud him.
Zhuge Fan raised his head and drank half a sip of the Drunken Heavenly Immortal, which was so intense that he grinned. Chen Datie and the old scholar who were nearby also followed suit, grinning similarly.
Xu Mu took the wine bowl and poured it on it. He raised his head and took a big gulp. The strong wine rolled down his throat. The burning sensation made his whole body feel so comfortable that he could not help but tremble.
"I'll make a trip to Zhuangzi later." After twisting a peanut, Zhuge Fan said calmly.
Xu Mu was startled, "It's windy and snowy, where are you going?"
"Kill the traitor."
Xu Mu frowned slightly. He had asked Zhuge Fan before, but it was a pity that Zhuge Fan never said anything. But the one who ambushed in Changyang City was indeed deceived.
"It's okay if you don't go. If not, you tell me and I'll kill you for you."
"That's not necessary. Give me two horses and we'll go alone."
"Two?"
"Is there a question? Once a teacher, always a father. I have taught you three sword moves!"
"That's not what I meant...Two horses, who do you go with."
"Me." Chen Datie said from the side, not even bothering to turn his face.
"My son, they didn't let me go. They said I had no martial arts skills. I asked them what my martial arts skills were, but they said I could kill seven or eight with one sword." The old scholar was extremely dissatisfied.
Xu Mu was confused when he heard this. Zhuge Fan was an old knight, not to mention martial arts, and he was even ranked in some bullshit six-person ranking in the inner city, but he injured his leg after all. With old arms and legs, how many moves can you kill someone with?
There is also Chen Blacksmith, whose strength with the hammer is good, but after all, it is a business that sells strength.
"If not, I will send Chen Jiaqiao to bring some people with you."
"No need to talk." Zhuge Fan clapped his hands, "The injury on my foot has healed a lot. It was just a killing. I'll go and come back."
"Just wait in Zhuangzi. Lao Tie and I will be back at dusk."
"Those who write articles don't let the banquet break up, and they will continue to drink when they get back."
Zhuge Fan stood up while holding on to his lame leg.
Chen Dati, who was beside him, also took a big sip coldly and stood up.
Xu Mu was worried after all.
He would rather Zhuge Fan stayed in Zhuangzi and continued to be a villain who snatched candied haws, than continue to fight.
"Don't worry, we will definitely come back and watch you gain momentum and take over the world."
"Save all the people from the fire." Chen Datie rarely raised his head and looked at Xu Mu and added.
After saying that, the two drunken old men walked down the stairs arm in arm.
"My son, don't be alarmed. Come on, I'll talk to you."
Xu Mu leaned over.
"Chang Qiang, Lao Dao, Hu'er Jian. Chen Datie is an old swordsman."
Xu Mu was stunned on the spot, and then came to his senses.
The two drunken old men had already taken the horses, each carried their weapons, and disappeared into the vast snow as the sound of horse hooves went away.
Xu Mu walked down the stairs in silence, the shock on his face still lingering.
"Master, look over there." Chen Sheng pointed in the direction of the intersection.
Xu Mu dispersed his thoughts and raised his head following the direction of the path. He only saw Si Hu throwing a snowball fight with a few children. He was beaten so hard that he ran away with his head covered by the gang of bitter and resentful children.
However, as he continued to look forward, he saw a carriage in the white snowy scenery. Beside the carriage, there were more than ten figures riding behind it.
The carriage stopped, and a beautiful girl in a skirt hurriedly got out of the carriage.
"Brother Mu, it's Miss Li Dawan!"
Si Hu's shouting echoed through the entire Horseshoe Lake.
Xu Mudu stayed where he was.
Jiang Caiwei, who came out holding the ginger soup, ran forward hurriedly without giving it to Xu Mu.
"Brother Mu, Li Dawan is crying."
"Li Dawan is scolding you, calling you... a scumbag?"
Xu Mu silently raised his feet, stepped on the wet snow, and walked forward. Last time in the Hou Mansion, Yuan Tao asked him to marry Li Xiaowan, and then not long after, he took charge of Li Rucheng's Dingbei Camp.
But those things, in the final analysis, are nothing more than political marriages.
His trust in Yuan Tao was not complete. He doesn't believe in Tsuneshiro, but that doesn't mean he doesn't believe everything.
Those who are alive, if they want to continue living, especially in these troubled times, they should take care of themselves step by step. Behind him, there are now more than 700 Zhuangzi. If he is not careful, he will lose everything.
"Big bowl girl, no, small bowl girl." Before Xu Mu finished speaking, he found Li Xiaowan in front of him, with red eyes and a hemp rope in his hand, walking towards him.
Following him were Fan Gu and Wang Yun, who inexplicably began to confess.
"Fan Gu Wangyun, help me hold down this rogue, my aunt, I will take him back to Chengcheng today!"
