The transformation was so great that even Zhao Miao occasionally snapped back to reality with some bewilderment, hardly believing that the skinny, spirited youth in front of him was once the sullen and cold Crown Prince!
At the same time, Zhao Miao also discovered something very magical... which was that every time Zhao Hong went out, his elder brother was never in the shop.
Although his elder brother always came up with various legitimate-looking reasons, it was too much of a coincidence every time, wasn’t it?
The clever Miaomiao had already seen through everything, but Miaomiao did not speak.
On the sixteenth day, chairs, rockeries, green plants, and oil-paper umbrellas for shade and shelter began to make their appearance... An elegant and quiet teahouse was taking shape.
During those two days, Zhao Hong passed by Yang Ge’s vicinity dozens of times each day, with his steps each time echoing loudly.
Yang Ge was so annoyed he felt like slapping the bothersome lad against the wall and sticking him there.
...
In late October, Zhou Fu, Liu Tang, Nangong Feiying, and a group of fifteen others passing by Lu Ting on their way back to the capital to report on their duties.
Yang Ge personally cooked, slaughtering chickens and ducks, readying fine wines and meats in preparation.
As the lively laughter mixed with the strong aroma of wine and meat drifted from the second floor to the ground floor, Zhao Hong, holding a large bowl of plain noodles, almost cracked his teeth in frustration...
"If only you had come back ten days or half a month earlier."
After three rounds of drinks, Yang Ge said with a flushed face and mirthful laughter: "Yang, the elder, left here only half a month ago. If you had come back ten days or half a month earlier, you might have been able to join us for a drink."
"That’s not a pity, actually."
Zhou Fu, sitting beside him, shook his head with a smile, "We are caged birds, not as carefree as you, elder. Yang, the elder, you see, we cannot..."
He gently thumped his chest, lowering his voice: "Some things, as gentlemen, we just keep in our hearts and don’t need to speak aloud."
Liu Tang, Nangong Feiying, and the others at the table also gently clenched their fists and thumped their chests, signaling that they remembered as well.
Yang Ge slapped his lips gently, chuckling, "Blame me, my mouth runs off with just a bit of ’horse urine’... I’ll penalize myself with a bowl!"
He picked up a bowl of liquor to drink, but everyone at the table quickly reached out to block it.
Zhou Fu: "If you drink this bowl, then you don’t consider us your brothers!"
Liu Tang: "Elder, you are a man of absolute grace; it is we, the commoners, who have embarrassed you!"
Nangong Feiying: "Ah, actually it’s no big deal. Chief Yang... no, now called King Yang, is currently working with our supervisor to promote the recruitment of the Ming Sect, with significant effectiveness. If we still have the opportunity to sit down and have a drink together, that would also be a fortunate thing!"
Yang Ge pursed his lips, smiling and nodding, "If Yang, the elder, could hear these words, he would certainly be very pleased... Enough said, let’s drink!"
"To the elder!"
"Bottoms up!"
Everyone raised their bowls in unison, gulping down the liquor, then burst out laughing while exhaling the alcohol fumes.
"Elder, the land in the capital area of Dongying has been sorted out, and the documents related to Mount Fuji will be presented to the Ministry of Revenue when I enter the capital this time. It’s very likely that the land deeds will be in your hands before long."
Remembering the task Yang Ge had assigned him before returning to his home country, Zhou Fu said with a chuckle: "I’ve had a three-story mansion built for you at the foot of Mount Fuji, and organized the local Dongying natives to farm the surrounding lands, with eighty percent of the land rent... Elder, you are now a major landlord!"
"We must drink a bowl for that!"
"Absolutely a bowl is needed!"
The people at the table spurred on cheerfully.
"Drink, drink, drink..."
Yang Ge, with a beaming smile, held up the recently filled bowl of liquor: "No need for more words, it’s all in the drink, bottoms up!"
"Bottoms up!"
"Creak~"
"Ah..."
This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
Yang Ge set down the bowl, laughing: "What are your next plans after this, guys?"
Zhou Fu: "Second Master, if nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be heading to Jizhou to lead troops."
Liu Tang: "The guards have already let me slip the news; I’ll be heading to Liaodong next."
Nangong Feiying: "Eh? How come you two are also going north?"
Zhou Fu: "What do you mean ’also’?"
Nangong Feiying: "I’m also heading north, to Xuanfu!"
Liu Tang exclaimed happily, "Then we’ll still be together! Zhou in the middle, I’ll be on the right, Nangong, you’ll be on the left... "
Zhou Fu also suddenly snapped to attention, "That’s true... Why have I never heard you two mention this before?"
Liu Tang: "This kind of thing, can it be mentioned if not here with Second Master?"
Nangong Feiying: "Zhou, you mustn’t know what family discipline is!"
The more the trio talked, the more spirited they got, but Yang Ge slowly frowned, lifting his head to look at the others: "What about you guys?"
Meeting his gaze, a group of elite inner court members nodded: "I’m also going north, to Liaodong."
"I’m going to Jizhou."
"I’m going to Datong..."
"Huh? Zhang, you’re going to Datong? Then you’re a bit far from the brothers, I’m also going to Liaodong."
"How far can it be, just a three-day march at most. If you feel like having a drink, a ’whoosh’ and you’re there!"
"When it comes to drinking, it must be Liaodong, the alcohol is stronger, and there’s more meat..."
The group of elite inner court guards chatted idly about drinking and eating meat as if they were about to go on a vacation in the north.
Yang Ge’s brow had knotted by now.
"Second Master, don’t you worry about this."
Liu Tang grinned and said, "Whom home uses is whom they use! We brothers are at least skilled; if we go we can get things done. It’s definitely better than dispatching other pretty but useless fellows up north, isn’t it?"
Nangong Feiying also spoke with a relaxed expression, "That’s true, frankly speaking, we’ve become wild spending this year in Dongying. If you brought us back to the capital to do those petty things we used to, more problems would probably arise. Going to the border is also good, it can both serve the country and doesn’t have too many rules... Anyway, we’ve made enough money, whenever we can’t wield a sword anymore, we can just head home to enjoy our blessings, how good is that!"
The people at the gathering nodded: "Right, that’s what we think too!"
"Honestly, if you ask me to go back and mess with that gloomy and dirty stuff in the guards, I’m really afraid I’d draw my sword and kill them all one day!"
"The border is so much better. Enemies are enemies, allies are allies. Horseback means killing, dismount means drinking; no need to use much brains..."
Yang Ge forcibly relaxed his brow and squeezed out a smile, "Alright, you don’t need to give me all these excuses. I have a brain, I know what’s going on!"
The others were still laughing, but their smiles now contained a bit of resentment.
Yang Ge pursed his lips and slowed his speech, "Have everything that needs arranging done right, and if you think other places are insecure, send them to Lu Ting. We men lack nothing but money; once there, think things over first. I’m not worried about your abilities, but I’m afraid you might underestimate the enemy... If you encounter a problem you can’t handle, just send me a letter. We can’t let ourselves get killed over something silly!"
"Alright, alright, alright..."
Zhou Fu raised his bowl and clinked it against Yang Ge’s in front of him, "If we encounter hard times, you’ll be the first we trouble, Second Master!"
Liu Tang also nodded and laughed, "Right, right, right, aside from you, we brothers don’t know any other capable people!"
Nangong Feiying looked left and right, whispering, "Second Master, don’t blame me for being nosy, but in the future, we brothers having a drink or a meal is fine, but please keep out of other things as little as you can. Your position is too sensitive, we brothers know you are noble, but others might not think the same..."
He rambled on quietly, pouring out his heart.
Opposite him, Liu Tang’s eyeballs almost rolled up to heaven: "Why is it always you, you old man, talking too much? Can’t all these good drinks and meat shut your mouth? What should and shouldn’t be done, does the Second Master really need your teaching?"
Nangong Feiying angered, pointed at Liu Tang’s nose and was about to quarrel with him.
Zhou Fu quickly smoothed things over, "Drink up, drink up, Nangong, why are you so straightforward?"
At this, the previously somewhat solemn Yang Ge couldn’t help but laugh out loud... Still the same old crooked beam leading to askew rafters, this Western Factory truly produces only honest men!