The two bodyguards hesitated, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
At this time, the scribe who had accompanied Hui Wenzu to the teahouse walked to the entrance and nodded towards the bodyguards outside. He then gestured for Zheng Fan to enter. The bodyguards heaved a collective sigh of relief and retreated. Zheng Fan stepped forward and walked into the teahouse.
Inside, Hui Wenzu was sitting at a tea table. When Zheng Fan entered, the scribe personally shut the door.
Once the door was closed, Hui Wenzu immediately stood up and walked briskly towards Zheng Fan, like an enormous ball of flesh rolling towards him, even bringing gusts of wind with it.
Zheng Fan knew Hui Wenzu was probably furious. Regardless of his own status, Hui Wenzu was unlikely to allow Hutou City to continue in its current chaotic state.
Hui Wenzu reached Zheng Fan and stopped. Just as Zheng Fan was bracing himself for an angry rebuke from Hui Wenzu,
Zheng Fan was taken aback. He stared at Hui Wenzu’s face, trying to determine if he was being sarcastic.
"Sigh, the situation is getting worse," Hui Wenzu said. "Rumor has it that our Lord has been confined to the capital by the Emperor. Accusations against him from various officials have almost piled high on the desk in the Imperial Study. We must indeed make preparations. Yes, we must. Well, your plan is indeed well-thought-out. The Chen Family, a family of clerks, seem to have deep roots, but in the end, they are nothing more than a den of petty officials. They’re a good target! Using their family’s lives to ignite the soldiers’ common hatred in the city is a good move. Then, you will lead the charge for revenge, seeking justice. This will greatly boost morale in the Hutou City army and earn you the soldiers’ devotion. In turn, this will make your efforts with the Princess doubly effective! You, very good! This plot of yours is clever, and the target you chose is perfect! Sigh, Zheng Chenggong truly has a good son."
"......" Zheng Fan remained silent.
"Go ahead and carry out your plans without worry," Hui Wenzu continued. "Once it’s done, you can leave this whirlpool, since you’re responsible for escorting the birthday tribute out of the city tomorrow. Let that old county magistrate handle the aftermath, haha. Ah, the last time I saw the Princess was when she was just a little girl. Now, she’s all grown up. I’m really looking forward to seeing her, hahaha! Oh yes, after your convoy leaves the city tomorrow, I will come and join you."
After speaking, Hui Wenzu patted Zheng Fan on the shoulder, walked to the door of the teahouse, forcefully pushed it open, and stormed out angrily. He then pointed back inside, shouting:
"This is preposterous! Absolutely preposterous! Soldiers rampaging, so reckless! Lawless, utterly lawless! I can’t control you! I can’t! You just wait! You just wait! I’m going back to report you! I’d like to see if Hutou City still belongs to Yan!!!"
After shouting his fill, Hui Wenzu mounted his Pi Beast.
He was truly furious; not even waiting for his bodyguards, he spurred his mount and left on his own.
Outside, a dense crowd of soldiers looked up at the teahouse with expressions of awe.
Although Yan State did not emphasize literary pursuits over martial prowess to the extent Qian State did, the long period of peace had already caused the balance between scholars and Martial Cultivators to skew significantly. The common soldiers definitely hoped their general could be tough and stand up to those civil officials!
Inside the teahouse, Zheng Fan was still somewhat stunned.
This Hui Wenzu... if he were in the modern era, it would be a real shame if he didn’t join me in drawing comics. His powers of assumption are truly incredible! I was clearly forced into this, yet in his eyes, I orchestrated everything. Am I blind? Do I really look that sinister?
"Zheng Colonel," the scribe said, bowing deeply to Zheng Fan, "my master, Ah Lang, is rather frail. Please take good care of him on the road."
Before Zheng Fan had a chance to return the courtesy, the scribe turned around and, through the teahouse door, shouted to those outside, "ATTACK!"
Zheng Fan’s eyes widened in surprise. Damn, so ruthless!
The soldiers outside the teahouse, thinking the order was from Zheng Fan, immediately roared and charged towards Chen Mansion.
The scribe, seemingly unconcerned that he had overstepped his authority with that cry of ’ATTACK!’ – a command that would doom an entire household to be slaughtered by thousands of enraged soldiers – even smiled smugly at Zheng Fan.
Zheng Fan scoffed inwardly. He suddenly remembered the conversation he’d had with the blind man one night while they were smoking and "enjoying the moonlight" together.
The blind man had said, "Meat-eaters are contemptible."
The blind man had also said, "The meat that meat-eaters consume is not pork, beef, mutton, or dog meat... but rather, human flesh."