Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 1 Prologue 1 The Sixth Prince's Sword

The spring breeze in the fields comes gently and smoothly. The warm sunshine feels comforting but not scorching.

Wildflowers along the field ridges sway in the spring breeze, with bees busily flitting among them, a scene of vibrant life and the flourishing of all things.

However, while the scenery is beautiful, the people may not be.

On the dusty official road, two middle-aged strong men with swords at their waists, wearing short jackets and loose trousers, were escorting a young man dressed in "strange" clothes towards the direction of Luoyang City.

The young man's face was covered in dried mud, and his white crew-neck shirt had a cute cat's head printed on the front. However, the shirt was so dirty and disheveled that it looked more like black and white, making his straight legs appear like mud-covered hemp stalks from the fields.

The light blue jeans looked as if they had been pulled out of ink, with only a few places showing their original color.

His hands were bound with rope by the two men in short jackets, and he was led around like an animal. His dirty face was expressionless, except for his eyes, which occasionally flashed with a glimmer of light.

"Liu Laitou, could the Shu spy that the General wants to arrest be this kind of person?"

One of the burly men pointed to the disheveled young man and asked the man next to him who was called Liu Laitou. It was unclear whether that was his real name or a nickname.

"Well, that's what you don't understand. The general's sword dance was aimed at Duke Zhuang."

At this moment, Liu Laitou looked smug and, unusually, racked his brains to use a classical allusion.

"That's not right, it should be aimed at Liu Bang."

The young man, whose hands were tied, retorted, his words laced with undisguised sarcasm.

"Ah, yes, yes, it's aimed at Liu Bang! Bah! Did I give you permission to speak!"

When Liu the bald man saw that it was that "unlucky guy" who said it, he immediately became furious and kicked the other man hard, knocking him to the ground.

Seeing the young man fall face-first into the mud, he felt a strange sense of pleasure.

Li the Cripple said smugly to Liu the Lazy: "Hehe, the General sent people to search for Shu spies inside and outside the city, but that's all a pretext. What he really wants to catch is the Emperor's messenger!"

"You even know that!"

Liu Laitou was greatly surprised and pressed for an answer: "What kind of messenger is that?"

The two servants were actually discussing a matter that only the powerful and wealthy would care about, but they seemed to think that the emperor was happy tilling the fields with a golden hoe every day, which was completely off-topic.

"I don't know, I've only heard about it. Anyway, the General's Mansion has sent many people to search for them."

As for the one lying on the ground, that's definitely not it.

Whether it is or not, it doesn't really matter. After we return to Luoyang, we can send him to the slave market to sell and use the money for wine; that would be wonderful.

Do you really intend to send it to my residence and then claim it's a secret spy?

Are you full?

Li the Cripple gave Liu the "secret instructions," clearly indicating that he had everything under control.

"That's true. Even if the general becomes emperor, we won't get anything. If we sell this man as a slave, all the money will go into our pockets."

"We'll each take half; the General doesn't concern himself with such a trivial matter."

Liu Laitou remarked with deep emotion that the two had clearly reached a consensus at that moment.

After all, doing "official business" doesn't preclude doing personal work.

The young man got up from the ground, covered in dust and looking disheveled, like a stray dog ​​rolling in a mud puddle by the roadside.

Even worse.

Because dogs can have rabies and bite people to death, but he certainly doesn't, so he can be considered harmless.

Liu Laitou and Li Quezi looked at him and burst into laughter, laughing so hard they were doubled over.

They derive some pleasure and satisfaction from the pain and embarrassment of others.

Just then, a richly decorated carriage slowly drove past them.

A young man with a refined appearance, leading a tall horse, accompanied the carriage. He looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen years old.

He wore a flowing blue robe with wide sleeves, clearly made of fine silk and quite expensive. His simple hair bun indicated that he had already undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, but he was not wearing a hat.

The richly dressed young man glanced at the three of them casually and found that they seemed to be two servants returning from capturing escaped slaves, nothing unusual.

So he ignored them and continued on his way.

The world is not at peace these days, and there are always dozens, if not hundreds, of similar incidents every month.

The servants either died or fled, each with their own story. A nobleman like the young man in fine clothes didn't have the energy to pay attention to such trivial matters.

Behind the carriage procession beside the richly dressed young man, a dozen or so burly servants protected him. Each of them rode a tall horse, with a sword at their waist and a blue silk ribbon tied around their forehead.

There was also a mule cart carrying a load of game, including a few pheasants and a few rabbits, nothing more.

Once the convoy had gone several dozen paces away, Liu Laitou and Li Quezi finally breathed a sigh of relief, both of them wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Their gazes toward the richly dressed young man contained greed, envy, resentment, and disdain.

Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, Liu Laitou shook his head and sighed, saying to Li the Cripple, "Look at the lives they lead, dressed in fine clothes, riding spirited horses, surrounded by servants. And look at the lives we lead. We're all born of the same parents, so why is there such a big difference?"

"We're just dogs kept by the General's Mansion. Dogs should live like dogs. What's there to say? You're just asking for trouble!"

Li the Cripple sneered, not thinking there was anything wrong with what he said.

"What are you laughing at? You don't even deserve to be a dog!"

When Li the Cripple saw that the young man, whose face was covered in mud and whose body was covered in dust, actually had a mocking smile on his lips, as if he were laughing at the two of them, he was instantly enraged!
He can be a dog for the powerful and wealthy, but he cannot accept people of lower status mocking him as a dog!
"I'll show you! I'll gouge your eyes out, then let's see how you look!"

Clang!
Li the Cripple drew his rusty dagger, about to step forward and deal with the young man who seemed to be mocking him, but was stopped by Liu the Lame.

"Fine, just give him a few lashes to teach him a lesson."

You've gouged out his eyes, how are you going to sell him for money? Who would want a blind man if they were buying slaves?
Don't turn down money!

Liu Laitou's probing question made Li the Cripple put his short knife back into its sheath.

The slave trade is all about money; what good is venting your anger?
"Forget it, he won't be laughing anymore once he becomes a servant. Bah!"

Li the Cripple cursed and spat on the ground.

If time could be rewound, Li the Cripple would definitely regret not killing this "escaped slave" a stick later.

Just as the two were cursing each other, the "runaway slave," who had been relatively compliant and unresisting throughout the journey, suddenly shouted at the departing caravan: "Your Excellency's ambitions remain unfulfilled. Do you not wish to have a brave man assist you? How can you remain unmoved when a brave man is humiliated!"

This shout seemed to have used all the strength in the body, as resounding as a morning bell and evening drum.

Suddenly arriving in this unfamiliar world, encountering one hardship after another, all the fear, helplessness, grievance, resentment, forbearance, and sudden bursts of rage are contained in this one shout.

Li the Cripple and Liu the Lame were dumbfounded. For a moment, they didn't bother to deal with this "reckless fellow" and pulled the rope to walk in the opposite direction!

They walked faster and faster! Even though this "reckless fellow" was pulling the rope with all his might, he was still being pulled backward by the strange strength!

Unfortunately, Li the Cripple and his group were too late.

Just now, the young man in the blue robe, dressed in fine clothes, rode over on horseback with four or five attendants also on horseback.

Their movements were swift as the wind, demonstrating the exceptional qualities of soldiers.

The attendants dismounted, drew their swords, and surrounded Li the Cripple and his men. Their expressions were calm, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.

Only the young man in fine clothes rode on his horse, looking down at them with indifferent eyes.

"Take this slave away, don't waste your time."

The young man in fine clothes pointed at the one who had just made the "earth-shattering shout" and instructed his servants that as for Li the Cripple and Liu the Lame, he should pretend he hadn't seen them.

It's not that he doesn't consider Li the Cripple and Liu the Lame, it's that he simply doesn't see them as human beings!

They treated him like he was invisible.

"This is the person the General wants! This important person cannot be taken away!"

Li the Cripple quickly stepped in front of him, no longer caring about being afraid.

He wasn't unfamiliar with unreasonable powerful figures, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone so brazenly snatch someone without even a word!

The rabbit is in a hurry and even bites!

"The Great General?"

The young man in fine clothes looked thoughtful, then sighed and said, "That's a bit troublesome."

Hearing this, Li the Cripple breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that these people were wary of the General; everyone would keep to themselves.

Otherwise, they would be badly injured, if not killed.

Li the Cripple and Liu the Lame had been busy for several days, but they hadn't even seen a trace of the Shu Kingdom's spies. They had only managed to capture this "runaway slave" who had no identification and whose origins were unknown.

If there's no performance record, then earning some extra money isn't unreasonable, right? You can't just work for nothing, can you?

"Tie them up."

The young man in fine clothes coldly gave the order, and the servants who were ready to go rushed forward and tied up Li the Cripple and Liu the Lame with ropes!
"Please spare my life, my lord! This is the man the general is looking for! Spare my life!"

Li the Cripple knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for mercy, tears streaming down his face, his attitude changing with an unusually smooth turn.

Although he hadn't figured out the cause and effect yet, his long-standing instinct as a lackey made Li the Cripple dare not show any stubbornness at this moment.

He knew those so-called nobles all too well; they were high and mighty, looking down on everyone, and didn't regard those who were struggling in the mud as human beings at all!
Not to mention the notorious lackeys who were involved in slave hunting.

"You bastard! Did I tell you to speak?!"

The young man in fine clothes suddenly dismounted without warning, roaring angrily, seemingly disgusted by Li the Cripple's dawdling and refusal to hand over the person.

He ordered one of his servants, "Deal with it, and do it quickly."

Her fair, delicate fingers, as well-maintained as a woman's, were pointing at Li the Cripple.

The servant didn't hesitate; he stepped forward, pinned Li the Cripple down, and drew his knife to slash at his neck. The motion was remarkably similar to butchering a chicken—a swift and decisive stroke!
I'm afraid he's killed quite a few chickens on a regular basis.

Or a person. Soon, Li the Cripple, who had been shouting incessantly, collapsed to the ground like a dead dog, twitching a few times before falling still!
Human lives are taken, like willow catkins drifting in the wind.

If it's gone, it's really gone; everything is as it should be.

Upon seeing this, Liu Laitou closed his eyes, too terrified to utter a sound. He immediately knelt on the ground, motionless, as if frozen in place.

"Untie him."

The young man in fine clothes pointed to the "runaway slave" covered in mud and said.

Two servants quickly stepped forward to untie the ropes.

The poor man's wrists were already marked with deep red welts. Strangely, the rope wasn't very strong; there was a clear cut somewhere, but it hadn't been completely severed.

A servant came over and whispered a few words in the ear of the richly dressed young man. The nobleman's eyes immediately lit up, as if he were a child who had seen a fun toy.

"Are you the person the General is looking for?"

"No."

"Strange, how can you be sure you aren't?"

Upon hearing this, the young man in fine clothes crossed his arms, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"If I were, how dare these two scoundrels lay a hand on me? What if they accidentally killed me? Wouldn't I be buried with them?"

They were just after slaves; killing them would just mean a wasted trip.

"Huh? Is that why?"
That makes sense!

The elegantly dressed young man clapped his hands and laughed, a stark contrast to his previous indifference.

He quickly suppressed his smile, pointed at the crippled Li lying in a pool of blood, and asked the young man who was rubbing his wrist, "Who are you? Did I kill someone for you, or am I from the General's Mansion? How will you repay me?"

This young man in fine clothes made no secret of his desire to repay a debt of gratitude.

I saved you, so you should repay me; that's only right. If you don't, you become my enemy! Those who give alms will get their money back, with interest!

"Past events are like smoke and not worth mentioning. I am now wandering the world, and I am fortunate to have been rescued by you, sir. I have no way to repay you."

"I am deeply grateful and cannot express my thanks. Please bestow a name upon me, sir. From this day forward, I will serve as your subordinate, ready to serve you faithfully at all times."

This man spoke eloquently and passionately, bowing to the elegantly dressed young man.

"Good! Good! Good!"

A young man in fine clothes stepped forward, not caring at all about the dirt, and patted the other person on the shoulder, saying, "I am Shi Chong, courtesy name Jilun. From now on, you will be my subordinate. Your surname is Shi, and your given name is..."

Shi Chong suddenly froze, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face.

In his haste, as if he had forgotten how to write a character, he couldn't even think of a name for his new subordinate.

"I dare to take responsibility, Shi Gandang, I dare to act and take responsibility!"

The young man, covered in mud, said in a deep voice.

"Good name! What a courageous and responsible name! From now on, you are Shi Gandang!"

Shi Chong laughed heartily, handed his sword to Shi Gandang, and said, "A true man should act swiftly and decisively, go forth!"

He glanced at Liu Laitou casually, his gaze as if he were looking at a dead man.

"Shi Chong! I am the general's servant!"

"If you dare kill me, the General will absolutely not let you get away with it!"

Liu Laitou suddenly went berserk, pointing at Shi Chong and cursing loudly.

He tried to stand up, but was pressed firmly to the ground by Shi Chong's servants, as if awaiting execution.

"Tch, what a dog dares to bark and howl here."

Shi Chong said with a disdainful expression.

It seemed to be a hint to Shi Gandang, though it could also have been meant for Liu Laitou. In any case, after hearing this, Liu Laitou stopped struggling, nodded his head to the ground, closed his eyes, and awaited death.

Shi Gandang glanced at Liu Laitou.

He was captured by Liu Laitou and Li Quezi as soon as he came into this world. They tied him up with ropes and treated him like livestock, depriving him of food, punching and kicking him, and subjecting him to all kinds of humiliation.

Now, the chance for revenge has come.

puff!
The gleaming sword slashed through Liu Laitou's neck. Blood splattered onto Shi Gandang's body and even his face, but he didn't hesitate for a moment.

With this sword strike, Shi Gandang severed ties with his past self. Reborn, he was now an orphan, without family or parents, and had nothing to fear.

It is often referred to as "the invincible person".

She's just a lowly slave hunter in front of me, can't I even kill her?
A surge of satisfaction welled up in Shi Gandang's heart as he felt a great sense of revenge. After killing the man, he felt no remorse whatsoever.

"Thank you for lending me your sword, Lord Xie."

Shi Gandang handed the hilt of the sword to Shi Chong, neither humble nor arrogant. But Shi Chong waved his hand dismissively, saying, "The sword is already dirty. You can keep it for self-defense. I don't want it."

The young master Shi was quite generous, readily giving up the jeweled sword with its hilt. He accepted the scabbard offered to him, sheathed the sword, and held it in his hand; it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Shi Chong probably never used this sword to kill anyone, but Shi Gandang just killed someone, and in the future... he will likely kill again.

Shi Chong was about to leave when he stopped as if he remembered something.

He suddenly turned around, looked at Shi Gandang, and asked, "These two scoundrels deserve to die, but if they really are from the General's Mansion, dying by the official road outside Luoyang, with so many people coming and going, will inevitably be discovered. If they are investigated, I am not afraid, but you will inevitably be in trouble. So how should this matter be handled?"

For the powerful and wealthy, this is not a problem, but it could very well be a test.

Without a second thought, Shi Gandang stretched out his hand and asked Shi Chong, "Does Your Excellency have a money bag, the kind with your name embroidered on it?"

He naturally has a way of handling such trivial matters.

"some."

Shi Chong took out a money bag from his sleeve. Shi Gandang took it. It was heavy, and he didn't know whether it contained copper coins or gold and silver. The words "Shi Chong" were embroidered on the money bag.

Shi Gandang took out the money from his money bag, which was indeed filled with gold and silver beans, and was quite valuable.

He dipped the money bag in some blood from the ground, stuffed it into Liu Laitou's hand, then pulled out Liu Laitou's sword and made the corpse "hold" it. He did the same thing to Li the Cripple's corpse.

This move left Shi Chong's attendants looking at each other in bewilderment, but they dared not utter a word of complaint.

"Why is this?"

Shi Chong asked calmly.

Shi Gandang explained, "Your purse was accidentally lost on the road and picked up by these two scoundrels."

Because of this unexpected windfall, both men wanted to possess it, and so they began to fight. People die for wealth, just as birds die for food.

They drew their swords and fought, dying together. As for the money in the purse, it was probably picked up by someone passing by.

Because the man's money bag had his name on it, passersby dared not take it, only the money inside.

Tomorrow, you only need to send someone to report to the authorities that a money bag has been lost in the suburbs.

Not only must physical evidence be preserved, but it must be irrefutable! He wanted to make sure no one knew about it! Shi Chong pondered for a moment and immediately realized this plan was brilliant!
In such a situation, who would dare to report it to the police?
Once you go there, you'll have to prove whether you took anything from your wallet!
The people in the General's Mansion were killed, and the killer was probably Shi Chong. Who would be so bored as to care about such a thing?

Seeing Shi Gandang hand over the gold and silver beans, Shi Chong waved his hand and said, "No need to return them to me, they are all yours. This arrangement suits me perfectly."

He didn't ask many questions because asking them would expose his ignorance and shallowness; the subtleties could only be kept in his heart and pondered slowly.

Shi Gandang quickly distributed the gold and silver beans in his hand to the servants beside him, ensuring that everyone who saw them received a share.

Upon seeing this, Shi Chong nodded slightly to the crowd, indicating that they should accept the gifts.

Seeing Shi Chong's expression of gratitude, the servants were extremely thankful and accepted the "windfall" handed over by Shi Gandang, all beaming with joy. At this moment, Shi Gandang, covered in mud, no longer seemed disheveled or unsightly to them.

Instead, everything about it looked pleasing to the eye.

The group caught up with the carriage, and Shi Chong invited Shi Gandang to ride with them. Inside sat a handsome middle-aged man, though his clothes were much simpler than Shi Chong's.

Shi Gandang stole a glance and felt that the other party was imposing and the murderous aura he exuded was beyond words.

"Jilun, who is this?"

The middle-aged man, with a calm expression, pointed at Shi Gandang and asked.

“Father, this is a new retainer of mine. He seems quite talented. Why don’t you adopt him as your godson?”

Anyway, we already have so many adopted sons in the family, so adding one more won't make a difference.

The child named him Shi Gandang.

Shi Chong bowed to the middle-aged man in front of him.

Shi Gandang knew in his heart that the person in front of him must be Shi Bao, a founding hero of the Western Jin Dynasty.

Shi Bao glanced at Shi Chong, then sighed deeply. He looked at Shi Gandang and nodded slightly, saying, "From now on, assist Ji Lun well, understand?"

"My foster father is here, please accept my child's respect!"

Without a second thought, Shi Gandang performed a grand ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows to Shi Bao.

"Ruzi can be taught."

Shi Bao responded casually, clearly not taking it to heart.

He has already taken in many adopted sons, most of whom serve in the army. Over the years, he has continued to take in adopted sons, and those adopted sons have been dying one after another in battle. Who knows how long this one in front of him will live?

Now that Shi Bao had important matters on his mind, he quickly put this matter out of his mind.

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(End of this chapter)