"Have you heard my story?"
Facing the sudden ’admiration’, Mi Fei looked at Zhao Xing with some suspicion.
He had no recollection of Zhao Xing’s face, and the name was unfamiliar.
"Of course!" Zhao Xing looked like a starstruck fan. "Your glorious deeds could not be told even in three days and three nights."
Zhao Xing began to recount Mi Fei’s accomplishments.
He was prepared, opting not to discuss events too far in the past, lest Mi Fei himself could not remember.
He also avoided recent events to prevent Mi Fei from feeling that he was being watched and becoming suspicious.
The content had to be neither too detailed nor too brief, and it needed to be slightly exaggerated to match the perspective of an admirer.
"In the 259th year of the Dingxin Calendar, you served in the government of Dragon Well County, Guangling State for three years, dug forty-six canals, moved seven mountains, and cultivated five million mu of good land for the people of Dragon Well County. Later, due to a conflict with the local Prefecture Chief, he impeached you, nitpicking faults and had your position stripped, sending you back to your native place. Such actions by the Dragon Well County Chief are simply unconscionable!"
Unconsciously, Mi Fei lifted his chin, but then waved his hand and said, "It wasn’t as much as five million mu. When I was stripped of my position, that damned man didn’t have an easy time either; he was demoted two ranks as well."
Zhao Xing bowed and said, "In the 263rd year of the Dingxin Calendar, you returned to Guangyuan County, Yuanpin State and served as the Land Register Commander of Ming Lake County, where you exposed two million mu of land concealed by major households. Moreover, you returned farmland to forests and closed off mountains for four years to regulate water veins, restoring Ming Lake’s ability to store water and prevent floods. It only took three years, and the tax revenue from the farmland in Ming Lake County returned to the levels at the beginning of the Dingxin Calendar."
"This act was a blessing to countless people. You were an upright and incorruptible official, yet the local nobles, utterly detestable, could not best you and had no choice but to buy you off into another position. It is said that when you left, ten thousand people saw you off for more than ten miles, wishing they could have witnessed the spectacle of that time."
Mi Fei involuntarily puffed out his chest. Although Zhao Xing’s words were still somewhat exaggerated and the numbers not exactly accurate, these words indeed touched his heart.
"...In the first year of the Jingxin Calendar, it is said that on your way to join the military, you encountered a disturbance caused by the Xuantian Sect..."
"It wasn’t about joining the military, nor was it the first year, but the third year of the Jingxin Calendar. At that time, I was assisting the Liangshan Army," Mi Fei recalled, "Hmph, those Xuantian Demon People dared to capture my subordinates; how could I let them go?"
"Logically, you should have been credited for your role. Why were you demoted then?"
Zhao Xing poured wine for Mi Fei; by then, the two had moved to a new location to chat, arriving at the government office in the city.
"The main commander of the Liangshan Army was truly incompetent, unable to capture the leader of the thieves. He actually blamed me instead, claiming I was incompetent and let the bandits escape."
Mi Fei drained his glass in one gulp and casually wiped his mouth, "How could I tolerate such villains? Besides, I was already being marginalized by my colleagues at the time. Either I would be transferred or demoted, so I simply hung that man up and gave him a beating."
"Hehe, I had already learned the technique to transform him, giving him a dog’s nose."
"Hahaha, he truly turned into a dog official. Delightful. A toast to Mr. Mi!"
Mi Fei set down his bowl; by then, the two had been drinking for half an hour.
The atmosphere became more relaxed, but Mi Fei still maintained a bit of caution as he looked at Zhao Xing and asked:
"Chen An, where are you from?"
"I don’t mean to hide it from Mr. Mi, I am from Nanyang County, Pinghai State."
"Oh?" Mi Fei was surprised, "That’s quite far."
He had never been to Pinghai State; how did Zhao Xing come to know about him?
Zhao Xing was well-prepared and bowed, saying, "I have a good friend in Red Cloud County of Guangling State, named Wei Wuji, a legitimate descendant of Duke Wei."
"My elders also hold positions at Shangluo Academy. After hearing about Mr. Mi’s deeds, I came to admire you greatly and inquired extensively about you. The more I learned, the more I felt you were a genius of this era and should not be relegated to a place like Returning Ruins City."
"Hahaha, I don’t really mind where I am." Mi Fei was completely unconcerned about his situation.
They conversed a while longer, and he completely let down his guard around Zhao Xing.
Mainly because Mi Fei believed there was nothing others could scheme against him for.
If his former enemies had sent an assassin, they wouldn’t have sent a Marquis so openly to harm him.
In fact, in several major counties of Guangling State and Yuanpin State, Mi Fei indeed had a significant reputation.
The reason he wasn’t found earlier was mainly because the area of the Nineteen States was too vast, with a single Pinghai State itself exceeding the area of Earth.
Moreover, Mi Fei’s fame was confined to the counties, and since he frequently moved, his fame diminished in a few years or decades.
Naturally, it also had to do with Zhao Xing’s limited connections at the time. Xia Jing was only seventh or eighth grade at the time. Sudden cross-state searches without a clear purpose, merely making casual inquiries, were bound to be slow.
"Mr. Mi, let me honor you with another drink." Zhao Xing lifted his wine glass.
"Hahaha, sure." Mi Fei picked up his wine glass and drank it all, then asked, "What is this one for?"
Zhao Xing said, "This one is to Mr. Mi’s fearlessness in facing the powerful."
"I’ve heard that Mr. Mi’s artwork is extraordinary; you were once invited to paint for the Sulin Prince’s Mansion in Yuanpin State with a reward of one million silver, yet you declined. Is that true?"
Mi Fei shook his head: "The Sulin Prince never offered a million in silver, but that doesn’t really matter."
"Oh? Why did you decline then? It could have also promoted your fame." Zhao Xing asked.
Mi Fei picked up his wine glass and scoffed, "Fame? Do you know why the Sulin Prince’s Mansion called me over?"
"I would like to hear the details."
Mi Fei finished his drink in one gulp and slammed the glass down on the table: "At the time, that scoundrel Sulin Prince wanted me to celebrate his grandson’s birthday."