Yinshan Record

Chapter 195 Dragon and Snake in Distance
Since the silk shop was a stronghold of the Imperial Guards, it must have some hidden features. At Zhu Yi's command, a young shop assistant naturally prepared a clean room.

Inside, fine sandalwood had already been prepared, and concentration talismans were placed around the room. There were also fine brocade cushions, a small red clay stove that was boiling, and several kinds of mixed fruits and snacks that were just right to be enjoyed.

Zhu Yi is indeed very thoughtful.

Su Che quietly sat down on the prayer mat.

The Prince of Wuling is coming to Cizhou; this is no small matter.

According to the court's custom, members of the royal family rarely left the capital and usually held prestigious but powerless positions in the court.

Titles like Grand Minister of Works, Grand Minister of Agriculture, and Grand General—all with the word "Grand" in their titles—were not responsible for specific affairs; these were basically positions held by members of the royal family.

He incorporated Shanyin County into Guobei County and appointed the Prince of Wuling to personally govern Cizhou.

Su Che believes that both are for the same thing.

The emperor must be planning something big.

Su Che has already made a preliminary assessment of the current emperor.

Like many rulers in his previous life, this emperor had a four-character name.

There is no morality, but there are techniques.

They possess strong political skills and can ensure political stability. However, the common people who fall into their hands are truly cursed.

To put it bluntly, these disaster victims in Cizhou are nothing more than meat on a chopping block. Even if someone were to raise a flag in rebellion, who could withstand the imperial court's thunderous strike?

Even if some great and virtuous teacher were to rise up in rebellion, how many days could they hold out against that elite force of the Dark Cloud Army?
Su Che slowly placed the agarwood into the incense burner, but the wind outside blew even more fiercely.

Su Che released the mirage energy from the Chiwen Ring and quietly concealed his figure.

The guards' private quarters were not exactly safe.

Zhu Yi, a seasoned veteran who had been working in the Imperial Guard for decades, was someone no one knew who he was connected to.

Caution is the boat.

Zhongshan is one of the biggest secrets in the world that brought me here. If I can avoid revealing it, it's best not to.

The more I interact with Zhongyuan, the more I can feel its extraordinary nature.

How strong must the people who are blocking his way be if he has to completely change his approach to implement such a plan?
Su Che slowly pushed open the door and suddenly felt that he must learn a few illusion techniques from the little fox at the next gathering.

Thinking of this, he took out the little fox's piece of auspicious skin from the Nine Bends of Yin Spring.

The meeting is about to start, so let's study the spirit of the leader's speech first.

After opening it, Su Che glanced at it briefly and then put the piece of leather back.

Useless.

There was no useful information above the winding Yin Spring.

It contained only some vulgar language.

"Got another lover?" "I knew it! I wish you a baby soon." "Why aren't you saying anything?" "Don't let me see you again, or I'll tear you to pieces." "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said such harsh things. Say something back." "You're dead, really, dead or alive..."

This thing doesn't have any setting to browse past messages, so Su Che can no longer see what the little fox posted before.

In short, to sum it all up, the little fox is very angry right now.

Without a second thought, Su Che placed the thing back into the Yin Spring Nine Bends.

On the streets of Tian'an County, a strong wind howled incessantly, and the stall owners packed up their stalls, while the shop owners took down the signs and banners that had been hanging outside.

People running home were all in a hurry, and many of them were cursing under their breath.

Amidst the howling wind, Su Che sensed something was amiss.

This wind came out of nowhere.

"This is so troublesome, I wonder how long I'll have to wait?"

Su Che's keen intuition allowed him to pinpoint the source of this feeling.

On an inconspicuous roof beam, two birds were chattering away.

They had heads on their heads, and their messy, overgrown hair covered half of their bodies.

The Human-Owl is a kind of ghostly beast. It is formed from the resentment of beheaded prisoners and is a monster born to pursue calamity. The "Records of the Mysterious Center" records this bird, saying that a great disaster will surely occur wherever this bird appears.

"Soon, soon, we'll be able to eat it soon, hehe."

Two birds were chirping.

In fact, the "Records of the Mysterious Center" goes into more detail, because this bird was born to chase after the filth of the human world, and some great demons and ghosts deliberately raised this bird in order to find opportunities to find the filth.

These are heretical sects; the things they need for cultivation are very special. Many of these things are the most insidious and filthy things in the world, so it seems that some demons have their eyes on this place.

interesting.

Su Che stepped forward, searching for traces of the inn.

The Zhongshan Society was about to gather everyone, so the most urgent task was to find a secluded place. Su Che used the mirage energy to conceal himself, turning left and right in Tian'an County. After confirming that he was not followed, he found a local inn.

The building is five stories high, magnificent and extremely luxurious. There are more than thirty hitching posts at the entrance, and the plaque in the center reads the three large characters "Tongde Building".

Even with the relentless howling wind, waiters stood like flagpoles at the door to greet customers.

A place to eat that's set up like a military camp must be quite impressive.

Great, it looks expensive.

Su Che immediately took a liking to this place. He found a street corner to reveal himself and, using the mirage as a disguise, disguised himself as a wandering scholar and entered the shop.

It was indeed spacious and bright, with red candles hanging high, and several round tables were filled with fresh produce from both the north and south. The aroma alone was enough to make one's mouth water. In this day and age, such freshness is especially rare.

"Would you like to have a meal or rest, young master?"

"All of them."

Su Che took out a silver coin from his sleeve.

"Book a superior room, heat up a pot of Shaoxing wine, and order four or five of our signature dishes."

In today's world, regardless of whether it is the North or the South, the main currency used is still copper coins, while luxury goods such as silk can also be used as money.

However, the Great Liang Dynasty was somewhat special. A few years ago, the current emperor issued an edict to change copper coins to iron coins. Therefore, the people called copper coins "qian" and iron coins "zhiqian".

Of course, gold and silver can also be used, but those who use these precious metals are mostly wealthy and powerful.

The scholar that Su Che had conjured up was taking out silver coins to avoid trouble and to reveal his identity through this action.

When you're rich, everything is easy.

"This young man."

The shopkeeper, who had been observing from behind the counter, walked over in a few steps and gestured for the waiter to move away.

"I'm so sorry, all the smaller, superior rooms are already booked. How about a medium-sized room instead?"

"Then let's go with the middle room."

Su Che didn't care about these things. If all else failed, and no one came to bother him in the woodshed, the Third Young Master Su could make do.

"That's right," the shopkeeper said with a smile. "The smaller rooms are divided into Class A, Class B, and Class C rooms. Although the Class B rooms are all booked, there are still some Class A rooms available."

"I'm not bragging, but even the high-ranking families from Jiankang have praised my humble shop, Tingyu Xiaozhu, Yexuege, and Wanqing Yashe."

Su Che looked at the shopkeeper in front of him.

Ultimately, it all comes down to considerations.

Places like Tingyu Xiaozhu and Yexue Ge sound like places with extremely high minimum spending requirements.

"Middle room."

Su Che said very firmly.

“A central room is provided to welcome distinguished guests.”

The shopkeeper remained kind and helpful, personally leading Su Che upstairs.

"Guest, you are a new face, so let me boast a little. Our Tongdelou Restaurant is not only the best in Tian'an County, but also in the entire Cizhou."

"Oh?"

"This assessment is not my own; it was personally written by Vice Minister Yu Ze when he returned to the capital a few days ago."

"is it?"

"Guest, how many days will you be staying?"

"Stay here for three days."

"Alright, Zhongqifang, we've arrived."

The innkeeper led Su Che up two floors and then gently pushed open the door.

"There are waiters on duty at the stairs at night. Just tell them what you need. Our kitchen is always lit, so we can arrange supper and snacks."

"The shopkeeper is indeed very thorough."

Su Che took out a silver ingot and gently placed it in the shopkeeper's hand.

"Thank you."

The innkeeper smiled and led Su Che into the room. He then turned and walked downstairs, reaching the counter by the door with a smile on his face. He pulled over the waiter beside him.

"Tell the ladies-in-waiting that we don't know if this man is a dragon or a snake, so we must be on our guard tonight."

The waiter nodded and turned to walk to the back.

(End of this chapter)