Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 102 Leopard Lord's Wisdom

It was dusk, the sun hanging over the dark green mountain peaks, but it had lost the imposing presence it had at midday.

The warm sunshine cast a golden-red glow on the tall, rammed-earth brick walls of Feng'an Fort.

Yang Can led his group toward the heavy iron gate of Feng'an Fort.

"Deacon Yang's fortified village is truly magnificent."

He Youzhen looked up at the thick city wall and showed a hint of admiration.

Yang Can smiled and said, "Steward He, you flatter me. This is all thanks to Master Zhang."

Upon hearing these hurtful words, Zhang Yunyi's lips twitched involuntarily: "The construction of this fortified village was originally intended to protect the peace of this region. All the materials and labor were provided by the people of Feng'an Village, and it was not Yunyi's doing."

He Youzhen chuckled and walked forward.

Despite being the most distinguished among the crowd, Third Master Leopard Yu Xiaobao is the one with the most prestigious status.

But Steward He really doesn't have to worry about his expression; he even has to let him go first when walking.

This is like a prince or princess in a dynasty. Although they may seem to have a prestigious status, they are often inferior to the prime minister or the eunuch who serves the emperor.

Li Youcai deliberately lagged behind by half a step, attentively supporting his beloved wife, Pan Xiaowan.

Pan Xiaowan's slender, white fingers gently rested on Li Youcai's wrist as she walked away with a graceful, ethereal movement.

A servant had already run back to report the news, and two people were already standing at the ceremonial gate.

Leopard Head was dressed in a black outfit, his posture as upright as a pine tree. Little Green Plum was dressed in a light pink dress. Upon seeing Pan Xiaowan, she immediately greeted her with a smile.

"Madam Pan, you must be tired from your journey. Qingmei will take you to the inn to rest and freshen up so you can relieve your travel fatigue."

Pan Xiaowan is the wife of the eldest son's chief steward, while Xiao Qingmei is the second steward of the inner quarters of Feng'an Fort. In terms of status and position, the two are actually on par.

But today, Pan Xiaowan is a guest, and Xiao Qingmei, as the steward of the castle, is especially polite to her.

As she spoke, Xiao Qingmei couldn't help but glance at Yang Can with her almond-shaped eyes.

The tender, lingering feeling of last night's rain pattering on banana leaves still seems to leave a faint, tingling sensation in her bones.

Seeing Yang Can's tall and handsome figure, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.

Pan Xiaowan nodded in agreement to her childhood sweetheart, but before leaving, she couldn't help but quickly glance at Yang Can.

His eyes, as they darted about, carried a hint of longing and anticipation that he could hardly conceal.

Yang Can seemed not to see anything, keeping his eyes straight ahead and looking calm.

"You must all be tired from your long journey. Why don't you go to the living room to rest for a while and have a cup of hot tea to relieve your fatigue?"

After saying that, he made a "please" gesture and led He Youzhen and the others to the living room.

The living room is located on the central axis of Feng'an Fort and is a spacious five-bay building.

The roof is covered with bluish-gray tiles, and several lanterns painted with lotus scroll patterns hang under the eaves.

At this time, all the tables, chairs, and decorations that had been added for the Dragon Boat Festival banquet had been removed, and the interior furnishings appeared simple yet grand.

The guests took their seats according to their status and rank, and Leopard Head then directed the maids to serve hot tea.

The maids, dressed in uniform blue outfits, moved with gentle and nimble movements.

The teacup is a fine white porcelain cup with blue and white decorations. The tea is brewed from spring tea produced in Feng'anzhuang. When the lid is lifted, a refreshing aroma of tea wafts out.

He Youzhen picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and her gaze fell on Yang Can.

"I came all the way from Phoenix Mountain and saw the fields crisscrossed with paths, and the crops growing lush and green, a scene of prosperity."

"Deacon Yang is so young, yet he manages Feng'an Manor so well; he is truly a force to be reckoned with."

Upon hearing this, Yang Can quickly bowed slightly, a humble smile on his face.

"Steward He, you flatter me. I have only been here for a short time. Feng'an Manor's current prosperity is only due to the trust of the clan leader and the strong support of Manor Lord Zhang."

Zhang Yunyi felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart once again.

However, he maintained a cheerful and unchanging expression on his face, while secretly plotting something malicious in his heart.

When I finally bring Yang Can down, I'll make sure he doesn't die a quick death!

I will humiliate him, I will repay the humiliation I suffered today a hundredfold, a thousandfold!
But when Zhang Yunyi thought of Yang Can's lack of wife and children, and his loneliness in Longyou, he couldn't help but feel discouraged, as if there was no weakness he could use to exploit.

Yang Can turned to Yu Rui, who was sitting to the side, and asked, "Young Master Yu, weren't you supposed to be going back to Dailai City? Why are you back again?"

He asked the question so naturally, as if the two had never had any private contact, thus immediately distancing themselves from any relationship.

Yu Rui calmly replied, "Deacon Yang, you may not know this, but I stayed at Feng'an Manor for a couple of days to wait for news about the next batch of goods."

After waiting for several days without any news, I thought I wouldn't be able to gather all the goods until next month, so I decided to go back to Dailai City first.

Just as they reached Tielinliang, a servant on horseback came chasing after them, saying that the next batch of goods had been transported to the vicinity of Feng'anzhuang.

So I let the camel caravan go ahead and went back to pick up the goods. And here I am, bothering Deacon Yang again.”

"I see."

Yang Can suddenly realized, nodded and smiled, "I advised you to stay a couple more days that day. You see, it's clearly fate that wants you to stay at Feng'an Manor, hehe..."

He Youzhen gently stirred the tea leaves in his cup and asked casually, "What kind of goods did Young Master Yu transport this time? It's so kind of you to come back and meet him personally."

Yu Rui replied calmly, "There's nothing special about it, just some medicinal herbs and furs transported from the Western Regions."

Yu Xiaobao, standing to the side, wore a forced smile, but he didn't try to sabotage Yu Rui.

He still hasn't figured out what secrets are hidden in Yu Rui's four truckloads of goods.

If we reveal this now, wouldn't we be helping my eldest brother for nothing and cutting off my chance to control my second brother?

The eldest brother was a "bargaining chip" he used to scare the second brother. If this thin veil were to be broken, he would become invisible again.

He Youzhen nodded noncommittally: "It turns out to be just some medicinal herbs and furs. It's a bit of a waste for you to have to make the trip yourself, young master."

Yu Rui smiled faintly: "Isn't this the incident of looting mountain goods that just happened a while ago?"

Previously, my cousin Chengye also lost his life at the hands of bandits; things haven't been peaceful lately.

I really can't feel at ease unless I personally oversee this shipment.

This is a direct slap in the face to his uncle, no different from pointing fingers and saying that his uncle is incompetent in governing the area.

He Youzhen, who was originally inclined to support the clan leader, immediately felt embarrassed, and the atmosphere in the hall inevitably became subtle.

Li Youcai held his teacup the whole time, his eyes darting around like a mouse stealing oil.

Seeing the atmosphere become tense, he quickly raised his glass to Yang Can and said with a smile, "Deacon Yang, don't forget that you are still the second deacon of our eldest branch!"
"When will you have time to come back to Phoenix Mountain? The stewards of the eldest branch are all talking about you."

Yang Can smiled and said, "I'll definitely go back to Phoenix Mountain before the autumn harvest, after some time has passed."

However, the matter of selling mountain goods is not yet settled, and as the host, I must stay and keep Steward He and you, Steward Li, company."

Zhang Yunyi held a handful of melon seeds in his hand, cracking them open with a smile while observing the interactions of the people in the hall with a cold eye.

Everyone in this room had their own ulterior motives and schemes, which he, the one with the "deepest ulterior motives," found particularly amusing.

At this moment, he suddenly spoke up and said, "Speaking of which, these people who sell mountain goods have become increasingly arrogant lately, daring to operate openly in our Yu family's territory."

In my opinion, they wouldn't be so bold if they didn't have powerful backers.

However, on the other hand, maybe someone is just desperate for money to dare to be so audacious.

Yu Rui glanced at Zhang Yunyi. "Someone powerful backing you up? Is this ambiguous thing a dig at my Dailai City?"

Yang Can also glanced at Zhang Yunyi. What do you mean someone is desperate for money? Even though you've emptied your pockets, I'm not that poor, am I?

However, although Zhang Yunyi's words were somewhat suggestive, they were said in a very subtle way, and no one could find fault with them.

He Youzhen glanced at the various expressions on the faces of the people in the hall and suddenly smiled silently.

Yang Can felt a headache coming on; that feeling of mental exhaustion returned.

The tea ceremony was arduous, and the evening banquet was conducted in an atmosphere of mutual probing and subtle wit.

Fortunately, none of the six people at the table were particularly adept at handling such situations.

After the banquet ended and the guests were seen off, Yang Can led He Youzhen and Li Youcai into the small hall.

There were only four small dishes on the table in the small hall: a dish of amber-colored pickled goose feet;
A dish of tangy and refreshing pickled lotus root; a dish of sunflower seeds boiled in sesame oil; and a dish of blanched perilla leaves, with a jar of opened Shaoxing wine on the side.

Judging from this setup, it's clear they're not here to drink and have fun, but to discuss serious business.

Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, He Youzhen put away his smile and said seriously, "Master Yang, please tell us in detail about this arms trafficking."

Yang Can said, "This matter was actually a complete accident for our Feng'an Village."

That day, Kang Zhengyang, the head of my clan's troops, sent some of his relatives to Tianshui City to do business..."

Yang Can then recounted how the Kang family caravan was massacred, how Kang Zhengyang, in his fury, led his troops in a relentless pursuit, and how they encountered a double-cross in Canglang Gorge.

His words were half true and half false, explaining the ins and outs of the matter while cleverly avoiding key details, making them sound seamless and without any flaws.

After listening, He Youzhen tapped his finger lightly on the table, staring intently at Yang Can, and asked in a deep voice, "Did you examine those Xianbei people carefully? Can you confirm which tribe they belong to?"

In the Longyou area, there are many Xianbei tribes, and the clothing and totems of different tribes are different. If the tribes can be identified, it will be of great help to subsequent investigations.

Yang Can shook his head without hesitation and said sincerely, "To be honest, Steward He, I rarely deal with the Xianbei people and I don't know much about their various tribes."

"The situation was urgent at the time, and I was only focused on persuading Kang Quchang to leave. I didn't have time to carefully observe the characteristics of those Xianbei people, so I really couldn't confirm their identities." He Youzhen narrowed his eyes, a hint of inquiry flashing in them, and continued to ask, "So, you were even less able to confirm the identities of those masked people carrying mountain goods?"

Yang Can shook his head again: "That's right, but I do know who the buyer of this batch of mountain goods is."

"Who is it?" Li Youcai asked hurriedly from the side.

"The Bald Tribe"

He Youzhen's expression instantly turned serious.

The Tufa tribe was quite powerful among the Xianbei tribes, and had been entrenched on the grasslands north of Longyou. Although they had dealings with the Yu Fa, their relationship was not exactly harmonious.

Yang Can then recounted how the Bald Hair Tribe shifted the blame for the loss of mountain goods to the Bali Tribe, leading to both groups coming to Feng'an Village to question him.

He Youzhen asked with a grave expression, "Has Deacon Yang offended them?"

Yang Can shook his head: "They must have discovered something, because they left one after another without saying goodbye."

While they were there, Yang treated them with courtesy and never slighted them.

He Youzhen sighed and said in a deep voice, "The clan leader attaches great importance to the matter of trafficking in military equipment."

This is a matter of utmost importance concerning the safety of our clan; we must not take it lightly. However…”

He Youzhen then added, "We shouldn't pursue the matter too much with the Xianbei buyers."

At this point, seemingly feeling somewhat resigned, He Youzhen added, "We just need to find out who is selling military equipment."

As for the buyers, the Bald Tribe, is that it? Hmph!
"We only need to inform the various tribes of the steppes that they are secretly purchasing armor, and without us even lifting a finger, they will start fighting each other. I can then sit back and reap the benefits."

Yang Can exclaimed, "Steward He's insight is brilliant, and the clan leader's thinking is thorough. This plan is excellent!"
In this way, we can make the Bald Tribe extremely troubled without losing a single soldier or a single soldier.

But that seller… Steward He, do you think… Young Master Yu Rui, is it possible…?

Upon hearing the words "Young Master Yu Rui," He Youzhen's expression became uncertain.

Li Youcai immediately transformed into a thieving rat, holding a wine glass, sipping the wine slowly, his eyes darting around, while his ears were already quietly perked up.

He Youzhen was silent for a moment: "What about Second Master's side..."

Yang Can said, "He brought four cartloads of goods today, claiming they were medicinal herbs and furs purchased from Liangzhou, but... his carts looked quite heavy..."

He Youzhen's expression grew increasingly strange.

Yang Can volunteered, "Steward He, Steward Li, how about... while he's parked his car in my Feng'an Fort, I'll send two experts to investigate tonight?"

He Youzhen pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "It's good to take a look, but we must be careful."

The patriarch doesn't want to break ties with Dailai City right now, and we absolutely cannot afford to fall out with the second branch of the family.

Yang Can puffed out his chest and said, "Rest assured, both of you, I will definitely investigate thoroughly and will act with utmost care!"

……

While Yang Can was having a private conversation with He Youzhen and Li Youcai in the small hall, the Yu family uncle and nephew had already returned to their respective guesthouses.

Yu Rui had just finished showering when Yu Xiaobao sauntered in.

Upon seeing the slightly smug smile on Yu Xiaobao's face, Yu Rui immediately became wary.

"Uncle San, what's the matter?"

"Ziming, I'm your uncle. Tell me the truth, what kind of treasure is in that car?"

Yu Rui frowned: "Third Uncle, those are some goods I bought on my behalf in the city. Why are you so insistent on knowing what they are?"

"Hehe!" Yu Xiaobao sneered, lifted his robe, and sat down.

"Ziming, I'm afraid those carts are all carrying military equipment, aren't they?"

Yu Rui's expression changed instantly, and Yu Xiaobao, seeing this, became even more smug.

"Ziming, your father asked you to buy sharp blades and shields from the Western Regions. Does your uncle know about this?"

Yu Rui was taken aback. Purchase sharp blades and shields from the Western Regions? Who? Me?
Yu Xiaobao said smugly, "If your uncle found out, wouldn't he charge you and your father with the crime of privately purchasing military equipment and plotting treason?"

At this moment, Yu Rui realized that his third uncle had never considered that his four truckloads of goods were the mountain products that all sorts of people were looking for.

Perhaps even his third uncle didn't know what those mountain goods were, which is why he didn't make the connection.

Regardless, at least he now understood that his third uncle actually knew nothing and was just making wild guesses.

If he were to admit that he had privately purchased military equipment on behalf of the city, that would certainly not work either.

Therefore, Yu Rui immediately denied it, saying, "Third Uncle, those are indeed just some skin and medicinal herbs. Third Uncle, you're overthinking it."

Yu Xiaobao's face darkened: "Ziming, tell the truth, your third uncle can help you cover it up a bit."

But if you keep this from your third uncle, then you're treating him like an outsider. I have no choice but to inform your eldest uncle.

Yu Rui looked helpless: "Third Uncle, I didn't lie to you, those are definitely just raw medicinal herbs."

Yu Xiaobao was furious. He snorted and stood up: "Fine, you won't talk, huh? Your third uncle has his own ways of finding out the truth!"

After saying that, he walked away.

Yu Rui watched Yu Xiaobao's retreating figure and breathed a long sigh of relief.

No, with my third uncle watching me like this, how am I supposed to move the armor? I need to talk to Yang Can and see how to resolve this.

Yang Can discussed the matter with He Youzhen and Li Youcai for more than an hour before sending them back to their inn.

Yang Can first escorted Steward He back to his room.

As for Li Youcai, the Li family has a tiger in it, so Yang Can only saw him off at the door and didn't dare to go in.

Just as Yang Can turned to leave, Third Master Leopard hurried over: "Master Yang, please wait."

Yang Can stopped and looked at him in surprise: "Third Master Yu, is something the matter?"

Yu Xiaobao stepped closer and lowered his voice, "Master Yang, are you and the two stewards looking for that batch of mountain goods?"

Yang Can's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "That's right, could it be... that Third Master has some news?"

Yu Xiaobao chuckled and said in a low voice, "Don't you think there's something fishy about my nephew Ziming's four trucks?"

Yang Can's body trembled, and a sharp iron plate was already in his hand.

Yu Xiaobao said, "Brother Leopard, I think the origin of Ziming's four truckloads of goods is highly suspicious."

If the goods were so important, why would he come to Feng'an instead of waiting in Liangzhou?
He couldn't wait any longer and was about to return to Dailai City when someone came to deliver a message, so he went back to pick up the goods.

If the goods weren't important, why would he personally go back to pick them up?

But this brings us back to the same question: if it was so important, why didn't he wait for him in Liangzhou?

"Uh……"

Yang Can's "small razor blade" was about to sever Yu Xiaobao's carotid artery, but upon hearing this, Yang Can forcefully suppressed his urge to kill.

"So... what does Third Master mean?"

"I think you can send someone to check those truckloads of goods. The trucks are in your fort now. If you want to check, can't you do it?"

"Hmm..." Yang Can quietly put the "small razor blade" back in.

“Master Yang, once this is verified, it will be a great achievement for you.”

"Um……"

"However, once you've found out the truth, don't spread it around. This is a very complicated matter, and you might not be able to handle it."

Yu Xiaobao sighed and said, "After all, the one on Phoenix Mountain and the one in Dailai City are both my brothers and sisters, and I don't want them to fall out."

When the time comes, tell me what you've found out in private, and I'll think of a way to give my older brothers a dignified way out.

"But don't worry, this credit is yours, it's yours. I'm the third master of the Yu family, I have no reason to steal the credit from an outsider like you."

"Thank you for your guidance, Third Master!" Yang Can excitedly grasped Yu Xiaobao's hand: "Then... I'll listen to you and go investigate?"

"Go! Go right now!"

"Alright, I'll send someone right away. Report to Third Master as soon as there's any news."

"Ok!"

Yu Xiaobao nodded in satisfaction, watching Yang Can walk away in a hurry, and then turned back to look at the door of Yu Rui's residence.

"Hmph! You brat, you don't know what's good for you. Once I get solid evidence, if you still don't back down to your third uncle, I'll flip the table in front of Steward He."

After saying this, Yu Xiaobao turned and left.

As for what he just said to Yang Can..., even now, he still hasn't connected Yu Rui's four cartloads of goods with the mountain goods that the Xianbei people are looking for.

But that didn't stop Leopard from having a brilliant idea and forcibly combining two things he thought were unrelated.

Otherwise, why would Yang Can be so eager to investigate? Once Yang Can find out that guy's background...

Hehe, as long as the information is useful to me, Leopard, that's enough.

As for you, Yang Can, not finding the mountain goods and offending the second branch for no reason, that's none of my business, Third Master Leopard!

(End of this chapter)