Shi Tianwu shared with you the magnetic field rotation

Chapter 543 Fate's Restraint

"Let me introduce you to Brother Fang La. This is Lu Junyi, a wealthy merchant from Daming Prefecture."

"Below is wax."

“Since it’s a friend introduced by Brother Lin Chong, I’ll buy this whole cart of lacquered furniture.”

Lu Junyi waved his hand gently, and Yan Qing led his men forward to unload the lacquered furniture from Fang La's donkey cart and inspect it.

"What fine furniture! We've never seen such exquisite furniture in the north."

Yan Qing ran his hand over the surface of the table and stool; it was smooth and delicate. There were exquisite wood carvings on the edges and corners, which changed vividly under the light and shadow. He shook the mortise and tenon joints, but they did not move. He tapped and knocked on them, but no marks were left.

"What's the price?"

Fang La extended his hand to Lu Junyi, who then gave it to Fang La. The two silently gestured with their palms to add money, and finally, they both smiled with satisfaction.

"Go and get the money."

Lu Junyi whispered some instructions in Yan Qing's ear, and Yan Qing stared wide-eyed at Fang La.

A moment later, Yan Qing brought out a bundle filled with silver.

Fang La opened the bundle and inspected it, then was satisfied.

“Master Lu is a very straightforward person. If it were someone who doesn’t know anything about goods, they would probably have given me a good scolding.”

"Did the government order you to make these pieces of furniture?" Lu Junyi asked.

"Master Lu saw through me," Fang La said with a smile.

"Not at all, I've only seen some extravagant things," Lu Junyi replied.

"Alright, now that we have nothing to worry about, we can go and enjoy our drinks!" Li Kui laughed loudly from the side.

"Haha, Brother Li Kui only thinks about drinking all day long." Lu Junyi laughed.

“Speaking of which, I, Tie Niu, have never sparred with you, Brother Lu. I don’t need an axe. Would you be willing to give me a try?” Li Kui asked Lu Junyi.

“With the Heroes’ Gathering approaching, I plan to conserve some of my strength,” Lu Junyi said to Li Kui.

"Oh, I almost forgot about something important." Li Kui patted his head and laughed.

Lu Junyi called Yan Qing over and gave some more reward money to his family. Tonight was no ordinary night; it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

Walking onto the most bustling street in Hangzhou, all the hotels and restaurants, big and small, were packed with people. People from all over the country had gathered here, and even those who had only recently met were calling each other brothers.

Lin Chong and Lu Junyi walked around the streets several times but couldn't find a restaurant with any seats available. Finally, they asked a restaurant for a few jars of wine and some braised beef to take away, and found a clean place to sit on the ground.

“That’s good too. I’ll go and gather some leaves for my brothers to spread on the ground. That’s what the great hero Wang Jin did when he was outside Bianjing.”

"Let's forget it. The trees in this city don't have many leaves. Pulling them down would only ruin the scenery," Lin Chong advised Li Kui.

"Listen to my brother."

Li Kui sat down obediently, and the group began to drink.

A river breeze blows, and moonlight spills across the earth. The moon on the fifteenth of August isn't the fullest; the moon on the sixteenth is the fullest.

"Speaking of Hangzhou, today is still the fifteenth of August, which makes me think of a poem or song," Lu Junyi said, raising his wine bowl.

"I might know who you're talking about, Brother Lu. Is it Su Shi, the scholar who once served as the prefect of Hangzhou?" Fang La asked.

"That's right."

"When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky..." Lu Junyi sang, and even Li Kui was captivated.

"Although this poem was not written by Su Shi in Hangzhou, we are in Hangzhou."

Lin Chong looked up at the moon, his thoughts turning to his deceased wife.

Li Kui took a swig of wine and thought of his elderly mother.

Wu Song glanced at his brother Wu Dalang and was glad that he had brought his brother to Hangzhou as well.

"Good brother, why didn't you invite me for a drink?!" A bold voice rang out, and Lu Junyi, Lin Chong, Wu Song, Li Kui, Yan Qing, and Wu Dalang all turned to look at the source of the voice.

Then a bald head emerged, reflecting the moonlight.

With a staff in hand and a dagger hanging from his waist, the imposing monk strode over to the group and sat down cross-legged.

Lu Zhishen put his arm around Lin Chong's shoulder and greeted the others with a smile.

"I am Lu Zhishen, a close friend of Brother Lin Chong, and that's why I've come to Hangzhou."

"Here's another dish for you."

Lu Zhishen took out a roast duck from his pocket and placed it in the middle of the packaged lotus leaf.

"Haha, everyone, let's continue," Lu Zhishen called out.

"This is my friend. He's always been straightforward, so please bear with him, brothers," Lin Chong said to the group.

"No problem, no problem!" Lu Junyi and Wu Song didn't feel offended by Lu Zhishen.

"Brother, why don't you have any hair on your head?" Li Kui asked.

"Because I am a monk, I have become a monk." Lu Zhishen poured himself a drink.

"But aren't monks bound by precepts against drinking alcohol and eating meat?" Li Kui asked innocently.

"That's a rule against drinking alcohol and eating meat, but I, Lu Zhishen, drink meat and drink alcohol," Lu Zhishen replied to Li Kui with a grin.

"Drink meat? How do you mean to drink it?" Li Kui was still asking.

"like this!"

Lu Zhishen tore off a duck leg, stuffed it into his mouth, and with a quick pinch, a smooth duck leg bone came out of his mouth.

"Is it like drinking water?" Lu Zhishen asked Li Kui with a smile.

"So this is what drinking meat is like!!" Li Kui was immediately filled with admiration for Lu Zhishen, and he also tore off a duck leg to imitate Lu Zhishen.

The duck leg bone was pulled out of Li Kui's mouth, but he didn't enjoy eating it like Lu Zhishen did.

"Hahaha!! Yan Qing, go buy some more meat from the street stalls. I want to drink meat with everyone tonight!" Lu Junyi said, and Yan Qing immediately went to buy some.

"Brother Lin, has Yang Zhi arrived yet?" Lu Zhishen asked.

"Not yet," Lin Chong replied.

"What happened? He should have arrived by now. Did something happen to him on the way?" Lu Zhishen asked worriedly.

"It would be difficult for Brother Yang Zhi to encounter any accidents on the road, wouldn't it?" Lin Chong said reassuringly.

"Not necessarily." Lu Zhishen frowned and shook his head.

……

……

"Minister Yang, thank you for escorting me all the way. You must have had a hard time on this journey."

"..."

Yang Zhi remained silent, ignoring Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, who was sitting in the sedan chair, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, expressionless.

"Your Majesty, Hangzhou is not far away. We should keep a low profile," Tong Guan whispered to Zhao Ji.

Yang Zhi had no idea how Emperor Zhao Ji of the Song Dynasty found out about his relationship with Wang Jin, nor how he had revealed his whereabouts. In any case, Emperor Zhao Ji and his entourage appeared in front of him.

The emperor was accompanied by the chief eunuch Tong Guan and the imperial guards, who clung to Yang Zhi's leg and offered him high-ranking positions and generous rewards, insisting that Yang Zhi escort him to the heroes' gathering.

Yang Zhi reluctantly agreed.

Originally, Emperor Huizong could have traveled directly from Bianjing to Hangzhou via the Grand Canal. However, Emperor Huizong wanted to see the scenery of the south, so after leaving Bianjing, he traveled south by boat and ended up on Yang Zhi's southern route.

(End of this chapter)