Chapter 28 Born in Fengyang

Chapter 28 Born in Fengyang

Chapter 28 Born in Fengyang
In the evening, dark clouds covered the sky over Gyeongju.

The cold wind blowing through the camp grew stronger silently.

The soldiers finished a day's training as usual and were standing by the stove, waiting for today's meal.

But suddenly, several uninvited guests appeared at the gate of the camp.
The leader was tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his armor was polished to a shine. He was staring at the camp.

"What's the matter?"

Wu Fuliu, who was guarding the camp, appeared in time and stared coldly at the people in front of him.

"Go find your master and pass the message!" one of them shouted coldly.

Wu Fuliu narrowed his eyes, thinking that these people had bad intentions, and asked:
"What division are you from?"

"Which unit? Most of the central army!"

The man shouted again, causing many soldiers to turn their heads to look.

Wu Fuliu silently tightened his grip on the long sword at his waist. This posture was definitely not one of kindness.

"Let them in."

At this moment, a loud shout came from behind.
Wu Fuliu turned his head and saw Lord Lu standing there quietly with a smile on his face.

Wu Fuliu's expression relaxed then, and he snorted and moved away.

Those people were not polite at all and walked straight in and went towards the military tent where Lu Yunyi was.

Lu Yunyi put his hands on his hips and looked at the person who came.

It turned out to be the personal guard of Marquis Changxing whom I had met before, but now he was not respectful at all as he was that day.
Instead, he looked around, showing quite an official authority.

This kind of reserved attitude confirmed Lu Yunyi's guess.

This person must have a strong background, otherwise he wouldn't be so confident.

"Are you Lu Yunyi?"

The man stopped in front of the military tent, looked at Lu Yunyi, and asked with a smile.

"Exactly, you are?"

"I am Guo Quan, deputy commander of the personal guards under Marquis Changxing." The man said with a smile.

Lu Yunyi thought about it in his mind and had no impression of this person, so he continued to ask:

"What's going on?"

Guo Quan looked around and asked with a half-smile: "We're talking here?"

"Since Lord Guo wants to say something shameful, then come in." Lu Yunyi chuckled and walked straight into the military tent.

Guo Quan looked at his subordinates and told them, "Stay outside and don't cause trouble."

"Yes!"

When he entered the military tent, he was stunned to see a huge map in front of him.
There were many red and black dots marked on it. Just when he wanted to take a closer look,

Lu Yunyi's sinister voice rang out:

"This man wants to explore the front army map, a military secret! Liu Heiying, catch him."

"Got it!"

Liu Heiying, who had been standing on one side, smiled.
Without giving Guo Quan a chance to react, he rushed over in two steps at an extremely fast speed like a tiger descending from a mountain!

Guo Quan's face changed drastically, and he quickly said, "How dare you!"

"Put your mother's head on!"

Liu Heiying dodged and rushed in front of Guo Quan.
Two hands stretched out and clamped Guo Quan's arms like fine iron!

With just a light sweep of his leg, Guo Quan flew up in the air with a look of surprise on his face, and his whole body was suspended in the air!
Liu Heiying smiled and did not let it fall to the ground. Instead, he rolled it over.
He grabbed his wrists from behind and held them tightly, and pressed his knees hard against Guo Quan's back, making him unable to move.

At this time, there was a bit of commotion outside the camp.
After a few breaths, Wu Fuliu, with a calm face, poked his head in:

"Sir, they wanted to cause chaos in the camp, but we subdued them."

"understood."

Lu Yunyi, who was sitting quietly, waved his hand, then looked at Guo Quan with a smile:

"Tell me, who sent you to investigate the military plan?"

"What military secrets? Lu Yunyi, please stop slandering me."

Guo Quan only felt his breathing quicken, and he struggled back and forth with gnashing teeth.

But no matter what he did, the fat black man's hand did not move at all.

"It's already evening, why are the guards of Marquis Changxing wandering around? I think you are fake!"

Lu Yunyi's eyes froze, and murderous intent suddenly emerged, which made Guo Quan stunned.

"Let me go! Lu Yunyi, don't pretend to be ignorant.
And you, Liu Heiying, just kidnapping your father is just a small matter, but you are bending the law for personal gain!"

"Oh, hey, our Ming Dynasty governs the world with benevolence and filial piety.

You kidnapped my father, so even if I, your son, kill you, it would be within my means. Should I thank you?"

Liu Heiying's round face suddenly showed a bit more ferociousness.
The big hand holding my wrist added a little more strength!

"Shhhhh. It hurts. We can talk it out if we have something to say. It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!!"

Guo Quan's facial features suddenly twisted and he kept taking a deep breath.

Lu Yunyi sat at the head of the table, looking him up and down, and was unambiguous when it came time to give in.
Good, at least he’s not a fool!
"What are you doing here?"

"You... you ask him to loosen up a little first." Guo Quan's face turned red and he leaned back hard to reduce the pain in his arm.

Lu Yunyi winked at Liu Heying, who snorted coldly and then relaxed a little.

"Ah" Feeling his arms back under his control, Guo Quan moaned in comfort, his expression listless.

"Say it."

Guo Quan raised his head and looked at Lu Yunyi, breathing heavily:

"What else can I come for? Of course I want to get someone!
To tell you the truth, those dried apricots are important military supplies.
Now that you have been requisitioned by the army, you not only cooperate with them, but also resist stubbornly. This is a great crime!"

Liu Heiying's expression turned cold, and he exerted force with both arms.

Guo Quan suddenly straightened up like a prawn with a bent back:

"Oh, you have used this trick to deceive the people many times, don't you see who we are?
Tell the truth, or I'll put you in jail and hand you over to the general for punishment! Tell me or not!"

"Say it, say it!! I say it!!"

Guo Quan was unable to hold on any longer, and a trace of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He did not look at Liu Heiying, but stared at Lu Yunyi:
"This item is extremely important. I want the recipe and all the dried apricots you have. Name your price."

Lu Yunyi had never thought that this person was so sensible of the current situation.
His eyebrows suddenly raised, his face showed sudden realization, and he smiled and said:
"I see. This is all a misunderstanding. Liu Heiying, why don't you let Captain Guo go?"

Liu Heiying's eyes rolled around, but instead of letting go, he put more strength and said angrily:

"Sir, he has captured my father. We can't just let this go."

"It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, Brother Black Hawk."

"Brother? Why are you arresting your own father?" Liu Heiying said angrily.

At this time, Lu Yunyi quickly stood up, showing concern, and gently patted Liu Heiying's arm:

"It's not just that. Since it's all a misunderstanding, just talk it out. Your father is fine, so don't make a fuss!"

"grown ups!!"

"Shut up, let go!!"

Lu Yunyi's voice suddenly became angry, causing Guo Quan to shiver and be frightened.

Liu Heiying kicked Guo Quan again and cursed:

"I am doing this to give you face, so don't be so proud!"

As he said this, he shook Guo Quan's arm vigorously, walked away angrily and sat down.
He grabbed the teapot and started to drink it up.

Lu Yunyi glared at him and hurried to help Guo Quan:

"My brother has been taking care of his family since he was young, and he has a very deep relationship with his father. I hope Brother Guo Quan will not be offended."

Guo Quan glanced at Liu Heiying with lingering fear.
He swore that if they met on the battlefield, even five of him might not be able to kill Liu Heiying.

He looked at Lu Yunyi who was in front of him with a kind face, and felt even more apprehensive.

Rumor has it in the army that Lu Yunyi is the best at training and fighting among the scouts in the front army.

Liu Heiying has come this far, so Lu Yunyi must be a ruthless character.

Unconsciously, Guo Quan had put away the arrogance he had when he first arrived, and his expression had also calmed down a lot:

"This matter concerns the Northern Expedition. I was anxious at the time and made some mistakes. I hope Lord Lu will not blame me."

Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly. He must be a senior playboy who would play softly when he couldn't get hard enough.

"It's okay. We are all soldiers. We don't know each other unless we fight.
As for the recipe that Mr. Guo mentioned, is it the method of making dried apricots?"

Guo Quan nodded solemnly:
"That's exactly the method. If Lord Lu is willing to give it up, Guo will definitely not be stingy with money."

"This is a bit embarrassing."

"Master Lu, it's okay. Just give me the money. I, Guo Quan, will not say no."

Liu Heiying on the side slammed the table hard and glared:

"It's as if my two brothers are poor and destitute, and we are blinded by money!!"

Lu Yunyi raised his hand to suppress it, showing apology, and slowly shook his head:

"Master Guo has misunderstood. It has nothing to do with money. It's just that we have decided to give this prescription to the general.
After all, what role does this thing play in the army?
Even if Lord Guo didn't say it, we as scouts of the vanguard army would know its importance.

You don't know that I went to the northern border to investigate the enemy situation a few days ago.

All the military supplies we brought were lost in the fighting, but fortunately we stuffed more than ten dried apricots in our chests.
When thirsty, I eat snow; when hungry, I eat apricots. This is how I can survive.

If this thing is produced in large quantities and distributed to soldiers,
It will certainly allow the army to carry less military supplies and fodder, so that the march can be faster."

Lu Yunyi told the story slowly but Guo Quan frowned as he listened. It turned out that these two people knew the uses of dried apricots.

After thinking for a moment, Guo Quan's eyes flashed and he immediately said:

"Please be patient, Lord Lu. To be honest with you, Lord Lu,

Guo's family was wealthy and had some connections with the military.
If you could give me this, I would be grateful.

I will also ask my family to help Lord Lu gain merit, and of course money will be indispensable."

Hearing this, Liu Heiying's eyes flashed with a gleam of light.
Anger suddenly appeared on his face, his brows raised, and his eyes became fixed!
He stood up angrily, walked to Guo Quan, pointed at him and cursed:
"Is it great to have a few filthy riches at home? And meritorious service?
Who is the general? If I present this to the general, my brother will benefit from it in the future.
Who cares about your achievements, you bully people with your power!"

Lu Yunyi glanced at Guo Quan and found that he was not angry at all.
There was a hint of smile on the corner of his mouth, and there seemed to be some sarcasm in his expression.

At this moment, he slightly opened his eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed through his mind.
Thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, and Lu Yunyi immediately spoke out to stop him:
"That's enough! How long are you going to make this fuss last?
I am almost 20 years old, when can I grow up?
You! Stand in the corner, face the wall and reflect on your mistakes. Today I will discipline you on behalf of your father."

He kicked Liu Heiying and made him stagger.
With anger on his face, he was breathing heavily and glaring! !
Just as Guo Quan was laughing in his heart and waiting to see Liu Heiying explode, he suddenly shouted:
"Let's go!!"

After saying that, he rushed to the corner without looking back. His fat body looked particularly funny, blocking the corner of the camp tightly.

Lu Yunyi looked at Guo Quan, smiled apologetically, and asked thoughtfully, "Where is Brother Guo from?"

This seemed to touch upon Guo Quan's pride. He stiffened his neck, looked disdainful, and sneered:
"I am not talented. I was born in Fengyang."

Lu Yunyi's pupils shrank, and he glanced at Liu Heying who was standing in the corner. He could see that his body also stiffened.

"It's Fengyang? This is the place where our dynasty was founded.
Could it be that the elders in Brother Guo's family were heroes who followed the Emperor to drive out the Tartar invaders?"

Lu Yunyi's eyes widened and his voice became louder, as if he couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart.

This was very helpful to Guo Quan, who stroked his beard and nodded in a pretentious manner.

No words were spoken, but there was a mysterious smile on the corner of his mouth.
Without further ado, you guessed it.

Lu Yunyi was shocked, took a breath, and quickly poured tea:

"Brother Guo, look at the tea."

Guo Quan nodded with great satisfaction, and was secretly happy about Lu Yunyi's change of attitude.

"Can you tell me something?" Lu Yunyi looked curious.

But Guo Quan shook his head gently: "Please forgive me, Lord Lu, for not revealing this matter. Let's talk about the matter of dry apricots."

Lu Yunyi's face became serious and he nodded slightly:

"Since Brother Guo is from a famous family, I will not keep you in suspense.

My two brothers have no intention of keeping this item privately, we just want to use it to exchange for a stable source of income from the general."

Guo Quan frowned slightly, looking puzzled: "Source of income?"

Lu Yunyi thought for a moment and smiled bitterly:
"Brother Guo also knows that the scouts of the front army often go before the enemy, and they fight with their heads on their waists.

My brother and I will be heading to the northern border soon to clear the way for the army and investigate the spies.

I am not afraid of being laughed at by Brother Guo. This trip is extremely dangerous.
My brother and I are not sure whether we can come back alive, but..."

Lu Yunyi looked embarrassed and pointed at Liu Heiying:
"My brother's father is already very old and has only one son.
Although my father was younger, he also had only one son.
If we die outside the Great Wall, there will be no one to take care of us at home.
In this remote and poor place, the consequences of having no male children in the family can be imagined. "

Guo Quan nodded solemnly: "That's true. If there is no male in the family, they will be bullied on weekdays."

"So, my two brothers wanted to present these dried apricots to the army, so that we could have some connection with them.
Even if my two brothers died in the northern border,
The Ming army will also protect my two brothers because they died for the country."

As soon as the words fell, Liu Heiying, who was standing in the corner, turned his head suddenly.
Tears were already streaming down his cheeks, his eyes were bloodshot, and he pointed at Guo Quan angrily:
"My two brothers fought for our country, but we were still schemed against by you villains!!

If anything happens to my father, I will never forgive you! ! "

Guo Quan's expression froze, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes.
He quickly stroked his sparse beard, pretended to be calm, and leaned back slightly.

Without having time to think about what to say, Liu Heiying turned around angrily and faced the wall to reflect on his mistakes.

"This, this...he."

Lu Yunyi pressed his hand, lowered his voice, and moved his head closer:

"The love between father and son is deep."

Guo Quan nodded in realization, a hint of envy inadvertently appearing in his eyes.

He thought for a while and said in a deep voice:
"Master Lu, to be honest, these dried apricots are very useful to me.

This morning, Marquis Changxing ordered me to buy some military supplies in case of emergency.

This item is just right. If it is given to Lord Changxing,
Guo will certainly be praised a lot, and maybe even gain some good reputation at home.

Therefore, I must obtain this item. I wonder if Lord Lu is willing to give it up?"

Lu Yunyi was a little confused for a moment. This playboy didn't understand the hint at all, so he just said:
"How about this, I present this to you in the name of Brother Guo.

Liu Heiying can take whatever is left in his father's storehouse, as for the subsequent prescriptions.
It would be better if Brother Guo could get some connections in Liu Heiying's father's business.
Or we can set up a new business, and Brother Guo and I will own it together."

Guo Quan looked puzzled and frowned slightly.
Lu Yunyi coughed lightly and continued:

"These dried apricots are only worth a few coins, not expensive.

But if they could be sold to the army, even if they only made ten cents per pound of dried apricots, it would still be a considerable sum of money every year.

Although Brother Guo's family is rich, I think he also has brothers and sisters.

Instead of trying to fight for the family property, it is better to start from scratch, starting with these dried apricots.

You are born in the land of the Dragon, and are a loyal minister that the Emperor can trust.
Brother Guo must have a say in some military matters. As long as you firmly control the production and purchase of dried apricots, it will be difficult for you not to become a big boss in the future."

As he spoke, Lu Yunyi showed a hint of embarrassment on his face:
"What my brother wants is also very simple. He wants to set up a new business and the recipe will belong to the business.
We only own a portion of the company, and the remaining 90% belongs to Brother Guo, how do you think it is?"

"Ninety percent belongs to me?"

Guo Quan was a little stunned for a moment. What was the difference between doing this and giving it to him directly?
But, this was a new start, and he was very interested in it.

Seeing that he was wavering, Lu Yunyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, pursed his lips, and continued:
“Although this business is inconspicuous, this dried apricot business is also a profitable business.

Even if he only earns a few thousand taels a year, it is still a family business that can be shown off. Brother Guo will be admired by everyone.
What's more, if Brother Guo is capable, he can earn more than a thousand taels a year.

We have more than two million soldiers stationed in the Ming Dynasty. As long as we manage it properly, it will be easy to make ten thousand taels a year."

"Ten thousand taels?"

Guo Quan's breathing suddenly became rapid. Although his family had millions of dollars, it did not belong to him.
Although this amount of money is not much, the thought of being able to go out and shout out that this is what I earned,
Guo Quan's expression became a little vague. He clenched and unclenched his hands, rubbing them continuously, and he felt uneasy.

"My two brothers only own a small portion of the company, and if we have any new toys in the future, we promise to put them in the company and let Brother Guo manage them."

"Aren't you afraid that I will embezzle it?" Guo Quan took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Of course I am afraid, but if Brother Guo doesn't keep his promise, there is nothing we can do." Lu Yunyi smiled bitterly.
"After all, if I present this to the general, I will be granted protection.
But it is impossible to get a share, so why not take a chance with Brother Guo?"

"That's right. The general is impartial and will not allow his men to do business as merchants." Guo Quan nodded in agreement.

Seeing that he was wavering, Lu Yunyi said decisively:
"If Brother Guo is willing to give my brothers a ride, we two brothers will be very grateful.

If the deal doesn't go through, we still have our righteousness. If there are other prescriptions like this in the future, I will consider Brother Guo first."

Guo Quan thought about it, his eyes flickering back and forth, and soon he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"This matter is of great importance. Let me go back and think about it. I'll give you an answer tomorrow, okay?"

Lu Yunyi showed disappointment and nodded slightly: "Then please go ahead, Brother Guo."

"Okay!" Guo Quan stood up and clasped his hands together.

"Farewell!"

"Brother Guo, please."

Lu Yunyi did not stand up to see him off. He only breathed a sigh of relief and showed fear on his face after Guo Quan walked out of the military tent.

Liu Heiying, who was standing nearby, came over with a sly look on his face. He looked a little incredulous:

"Brother Yun'er, this kid could be..."

Lu Yunyi looked helpless and nodded:

"My surname is Guo, I am from Fengyang, I am in my early twenties, I follow the Marquis of Changxing,

Who else in the family is as powerful as the general? Only the Guo brothers. "

Liu Heiying's eyes widened, his face turned pale. "Then, then, is he from the family of the Duke of Shan or the Marquis of Wuding?"

"Am I a deity? How would I know!"

"It's over, it's over. Did I treat him like that just now? Isn't it?" Liu Heiying wanted to say goodbye to his father at this moment and let him run away quickly.

Lu Yunyi let out a long breath and thought carefully:

"It should be fine. He is still a personal soldier in his twenties. I think he is useless.

Being thrown into the military to gain experience and merit, many people in the military are like this now."

Liu Heiying's breathing stagnated, and he realized belatedly: "No wonder I was told not to fight everywhere."

Lu Yunyi glanced at him and said: "Some of the centurions and even the generals in the army are inconspicuous, but don't provoke them easily.
Who knows if his father had fought with some duke or marquis?
If we offend him, we will both die without knowing why."

"I know, I know. Then, regarding the dried apricots, 90% of the points are just given to him for nothing?"

"As long as we can open up the channel, it won't be a loss to give it all to him.

We can make the money back by selling something else. We can’t just sell apricots in our new business. That would be too shabby.”

"But I always feel that it's too much of a loss, 90%!!" Liu Heiying was heartbroken.

Lu Yunyi pinched his chubby face:

"You idiot, you should think long-term.
When we are in high positions and hold power,
"One percent of the money is shared by one group, so what can he do? This is collusion between officials and businessmen!"

Liu Heiying blinked and touched his cheek:

"Brother Yun'er, you are such a traitor."

"Come on, stop joking. Guo Quan must have gone to ask for advice.
We must be prepared, if it doesn't work,

Hurry up and send the recipe to the Central Army to get rid of the trouble, so your father won’t feel bad. "

"Don't talk about my dad, I feel bad for him."

Liu Hei Ying reluctantly left the military tent and went to look for his father.

But as soon as he left the military tent, he was stunned.
In front of him, there was an old man as fat as him squatting on the ground.

Holding a big bowl, he was eating cabbage with a slurry. The smacking sound could be heard from far away.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

Liu Huaipu raised his head suddenly, and when he saw that it was his son, he quickly sucked in half a head of cabbage and licked his greasy lips:

"Blind, I'm eating."

"Why are you eating this? Why don't you go home and eat?"

Liu Heiying looked at the food in the bowl. Although he knew that his father was very stingy, he was also a picky eater.

How can I eat such a meal?

Liu Heiying pretended to take the big bowl, but Liu Huaipu dodged him:

"Hey~ What my son eats, I eat too! I didn't expect that this is what you eat in the army?"

After saying this, without waiting for his reply, Liu Huaipu started eating again, without looking up for a long time.

Liu Heiying stood there in a daze, feeling a little sad for some reason:
"There may be some unexpected changes in Dad's apricot-making matter. You should be prepared and get rid of it in time."

"I know, I know." Liu Huaipu was extremely impatient and shouted:
"These unscrupulous merchants spend a thousand taels of silver every month just for a few pieces of meat. How can they afford it? I will go and settle the score with him tomorrow!"

Liu Heiying's face froze, uh... he didn't know what to say.

At this time, Liu Huaipu cleaned up the big bowl with a thud and slowly stood up.
Looking at his son who was taller than him, he patted his shoulder gently.

"My son has worked hard."

"Dad" Liu Heiying was a little moved. Before the tears came up, he felt a sharp pain in his ears, and then the tears flowed out faster.

Liu Huaipu gritted his teeth and pulled his ears hard:

"You Liu Black Eagle, you prodigal son, I'm worried that you won't have enough to eat in the army.

How could you cheat me out of a thousand taels of silver and just eat this? Where is my money? "

(End of this chapter)