Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 44

Yan Dan would also seize the opportunity to recruit Gao Jianli into the Mo family, since Lu Wei was very impressed by Gao Jianli's talent.

Once Gao Jianli entered the Mohist school, his value to Lu Wei immediately exceeded that of a mere musician.

Such a gamble is perfectly acceptable, and the stakes are simply the fate of the musician Gao Jianli.

If Lu Wei loses the bet, he will lose a hundred gold coins, which will hurt a little, but it's not unacceptable.

------

After drinking with Gao Jianli and seeing him off, Lu Wei returned to Luqiu Pavilion late at night.

Having endured several hours of jostling on horseback today, Steward Lu only glanced at a few pages of the Spring Cold Severed Palm Manual before going to sleep.

After spending the first three days thoroughly inspecting Luqiu Pavilion and gaining a general understanding of its layout, Lu Wei became much more relaxed on the fourth day, focusing on practicing martial arts in the backyard.

However, a message soon interrupted the head steward: the steward of Lord Yanchun's residence wanted to see him tonight.

The generous Lu Wei still remembered the first time he invited this butler to a banquet; he had waited in line for two months. Now, he received a response so quickly after sending a formal invitation, a stark contrast to the treatment he received.

That's why I strive to climb higher!

After revealing his knowledge, the spirited young man became even more focused on practicing martial arts, and he forcibly deciphered the complete version of the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches composed of twenty-four ordinary disciples.

Night seems to have fallen much earlier than usual tonight.

It was the same Golden Terrace Restaurant as a year ago, and this time, Butler Yan Chunjun arrived on time.

He sat facing Lu Wei alone, his face calm and composed, but his every word revealed a murderous intent:

"I need the farmers to help me kill Jueying!"

It seems this old fellow has been humiliated by Jueying again at his residence these past few days, otherwise he wouldn't be so angry.

"This..." Lu Wei said calmly, "We disciples of the Farmer's Clan are all roughnecks who only know how to farm. We're good at gathering intelligence for you, sir..."

"It is simply impossible to kill the chief steward's colleague, who is the top expert under Lord Yanchun."

"Hmph!" The butler suddenly slammed his hand on the table, splashing a large amount of tea. "Over the past year, I've been utterly disrespectful to you. If you can't handle this matter properly..."

He stood up: "I can bestow favors upon you peasants, and I can also take them all back with just a few words!"

"Within one month, Jueying must be beheaded!"

"Otherwise, let's close Luqiu Pavilion down!"

After saying that, he turned to leave, but as soon as he opened the door to the private room, two unsheathed longswords gleamed brightly: Lu Shan and Lu Yu were guarding the door.

The guards brought by the steward had already collapsed to the ground, their fate unknown.

"Butler, please don't get too excited~"

Lu Yu grinned mischievously, mimicking his brother Lu's tone, and sarcastically pointed the tip of his sword at the butler.

The butler was so frightened that his face turned pale and he trembled instinctively.

But to his surprise, he recovered quickly. After calming down, he even straightened his chest and leaned closer to the tip of Lu Yu's sword.

"What, you bunch of peasants, you want to kill me?"

"Then come on!"

"How could I be like you cowards who cling to life and fear death!"

The steward's actions intimidated Shan Yu and his companion, who couldn't help but retract their swords and retreat as the steward moved forward.

Ultimately, it's a matter of insufficient knowledge!

Lu Wei, who had been sitting comfortably, shook his head, used his left hand to draw in his inner strength, forcibly pressing the butler back into his seat, and then signaled the servant at the door to close the door again.

"Steward, everything can be discussed, why go to such lengths?"

"I think you bunch of peasants have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard. I have nothing to talk to you about now, get out!"

The butler's legs trembled. He was shocked for the second time by Lu Wei's method of absorbing people with his internal energy, but he still shouted back, confident because of his status.

"Heh~" Lu Wei chuckled as he looked at the butler's blustering words. Suddenly, he waved his left hand and a burst of internal energy slapped the butler to the ground.

The butler let out a single, desperate scream, his mind going blank.

With a whoosh, Lu Wei's sword was drawn, the black blade slicing through the air with a sharp cry, slicing open the butler's neck and revealing a few strands of blood.

He didn't bring the Jade Soul Sword today, but instead used the Hao Cao Sword:

"The steward is truly a hero!"

"However, I would like you to repeat yourself, what should you call me?"

"Ah..." The butler felt the blood flowing from his neck and immediately wanted to scream, but seeing Lu Wei's smiling face, he immediately covered his mouth obediently. Hearing the question, he didn't dare not answer and could only say through trembling teeth:

"Steward Lu... Steward Lu..."

Chapter 62 Vicious Youth

The steward was able to stand out from the hundreds of servants in Yanchun's mansion and gain Yanchun's trust, which naturally meant he had his own survival rules.

Reading between the lines is a basic skill for domestic dogs, and housekeepers are equally adept at it.

The young man before him was different from those country bumpkins at the door; this man was absolutely capable of killing him. In a life-or-death situation, readily admitting defeat was never a shameful thing.

Just get through the current hardships first, and there will always be a chance to turn things around later.

"Steward Lu, I was wrong in this matter. The members of the Farmer's Clan are all renowned heroes..." The steward froze, not daring to move an inch.

"It's all that dog Jueying's fault. He's done so many evil things that I was really angered by him and that's why I lost my temper. It wasn't meant to target you, Steward."

"Is that so?" Lu Wei smiled even more broadly, sheathed his sword, and then clapped his hands.

The door to the private room was opened again, and this time a woman holding a sword appeared in the doorway.

"This woman is exceptionally beautiful, and her temperament far surpasses that of ordinary women. If she were offered to Lord Yanchun..."

The butler stole a glance, and after a moment of habitual daydreaming, he was utterly terrified by the words that Lu Wei blurted out:

"How is the situation at the master's house?"

"One wife, one son, and three grandsons." The cold voice reached the butler's ears, and he immediately guessed what the boy was going to do: he himself had done this kind of thing many times and knew the routine well.

"You personally lead a group to invite the steward's children and grandchildren to stay at Luqiu Pavilion."

Lu Wei appeared extremely skilled, and the butler, though filled with despair, did not plead for mercy. He was so familiar with the process that he was exceptionally quick to learn.

But Lu Wei hadn't finished speaking: "Also, when you visit the steward's house, give each person one of these pills."

"This is good stuff, it's expensive, don't miss out!"

With a compassionate heart, Steward Lu took out a small green bottle from his bosom, uncorked it, and took out a dark purple pill. He tossed the rest to Lu Ni, who took it and turned to close the door again: "Steward, would you like to take one for yourself first?"

"Thank you... thank you, Steward Lu."

At such a young age, she already possesses the same viciousness as Yan Chun Jun, and she's not afraid of never growing up!

The butler cursed inwardly, but obediently took the obviously shady pill, stared at it, swallowed hard, and swallowed it whole without Lu Wei's help.

"To hold such a position in Lord Yanchun's household, you certainly possess considerable ability."

Seeing the old dog, who had been shouting "peasant" not long ago, now cooperating so readily, Lu Wei was quite satisfied: "However, the resentment in your heart is still expressed in your eyes~"

Upon hearing this, the butler trembled and immediately knelt down with practiced ease, intending to bang his head on the ground, but Lu Wei stopped him with his internal force.

"My lord, you mustn't do that! We are very good partners, how can you give such a grand gesture? Please sit down!"

"If you hadn't shown any resentment just now, I might have had to consider whether to spare your life."

"Now," Lu Wei said kindly, pressing the butler back to his seat, "Luqiu Pavilion still has many matters that require your help, Butler."

"Steward Lu...Steward Lu, please give your instructions..."

He let the cold sweat build up on his forehead and drip down without wiping it away. The steward sat upright according to the rules of Yan Chun Jun's residence, bowing his head slightly with a respectful attitude.

"Those mundane matters will be handled by someone tomorrow; you can deal with them as appropriate, sir."

Picking up the chilled tea, Lu Wei gulped it down and then asked another question with a very abrupt turn: "What has your old rival, Jueying, been up to lately?"

"Jueying..." Upon hearing this name, the manager's eyes lit up. Wasn't it Jueying who forced him into this predicament?

If sacrificing one's freedom allows this vicious youth to kill this fellow, then it's not such a loss!

"This villain spends his days stealing beautiful women for Lord Yanchun and murdering anyone who displeases him; he's committed countless evil deeds!... He also harbors a deep hatred for the peasants; I'm afraid he'll..."

The butler tried his best to sow discord among his new master.

"I see..." Putting down his teacup, Lu Wei wasn't ready to deal with Jueying yet: "Keep an eye on Jueying's movements, and report back to me if anything unusual happens."

Although the life and death of the steward of Lord Yanchun's mansion and his relatives are under control, it would be better to add more layers of insurance.

As long as Jueying remains by Yanchunjun's side, this steward will rely on him more.

Ultimately, the power of Yan Chun Jun's mansion comes from Yan Chun Jun himself. Whether it's Jue Ying or the steward, they can only rely on Yan Chun Jun's prestige to bully others.

What Lu Wei needs now is just this little bit of borrowed power.

It's good to maintain the current stable situation. According to historical calculations, this year is the middle of 233 BC. Qin's unification efforts are already showing signs. In five or six years at most, the farmers of Yan will have to urgently evacuate to Qi. At that time, all industries in Ji City will be abandoned.

With Lu Ni around, Yan Chun Jun is not like Xin Ling Jun; killing him would be very easy.

The reason for keeping him alive is that there is no core conflict between this lustful nobleman and Luqiu Pavilion.

Moreover, every time he lived, Luqiu Pavilion was able to recruit more disciples every time he oppressed the people.

In addition, the presence of Lord Yanchun can put more pressure on Prince Dan, who is about to return, which is not a bad thing.

Years later, by utilizing this fat pig, I will be even more able to subdue Fei Xue Pavilion.

This will be a big event!

Fifteen years have passed since Lu Wei transmigrated. He doesn't remember much of the original dialogue from the anime in the world he lives in, but he has remembered one line about the Snow Maiden of Feixue Pavilion since he was born:

"Last night, those onlookers spent over a hundred taels of gold and waited for two whole hours, just to see me dance..."

The most important part of that sentence is 'gold'!

Tickets for performances at Feixue Pavilion start at 100 taels of gold. The pavilion can accommodate 50 dignitaries at a time. By this calculation, this brothel can earn at least 5,000 taels of gold per performance!

Besides the national treasuries of the seven countries, Lu Wei couldn't think of any other place that could attract so much money!

If I could just put all of that into the system... hehehe!