Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 89 Going with the Flow
Inside Feng'an Village, the owners of various farms and ranches arrived one after another.

The once somewhat empty courtyard of the fortress gradually became bustling with people.

The servants moved about, leading guests and horses, busy as bees, yet everything remained orderly and without the slightest chaos.

Beneath the imposing ceremonial gate of the Yang residence, a side room on the east side was temporarily set up as a gift-signing room.

This seemingly minor arrangement reveals the insurmountable difference between aristocratic families and ordinary nouveau riche.

Back then, when Zhang Yunyi arranged the wedding for his eldest son Zhang Xinran, it was quite a grand affair.

They set up a banquet with over a hundred tables and invited all the powerful and influential people in the surrounding area.

At that time, he simply set up a red and colorful gift table outside the gate, and had the accountant loudly announce the gifts received in front of all the guests. The clinking sound of the silver being weighed echoed throughout the entire street.

Although it appears grand, it ultimately falls short of being crude and lacks a certain dignity.

Xiao Qingmei's decision to set up the gift signing room in the side room, following the family's traditions, was much more thoughtful.

Upon arrival, all guests first went to their private rooms to hand over their gift lists, which were then registered by a designated person.

The gifts were secretly moved into the warehouse through a side door by servants and were never displayed to the public.

In this way, congestion and noise in front of the door are avoided, and the dignity of both the host and the guests is preserved.
Furthermore, the amount of wealth and the value of gifts exchanged in social interactions were kept out of the scrutinizing eyes of the public.

To avoid making guests feel embarrassed about the value of their gifts, and to prevent the host from being gossiped about because of the quantity of the gifts.

Everything appeared orderly, understated yet elegant, showcasing the style of a distinguished family.

Li Damu was assigned to sit in the gift signing room, where he was responsible for registering the congratulatory gifts sent by various parties.

The plantation owners and ranchers were all worldly-wise and knew the ins and outs of gift-giving.

The gifts presented were neither overly ostentatious nor stingy.

Each gift was practical and appropriate for the recipient's status, with the appropriate level of consideration, leaving no room for criticism.

Look, the first person to enter the gift signing room is Du Pingping, the owner of the manor in Qingyuan.

He was wearing a long blue cloth robe with the cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing a string of polished wooden prayer beads on his wrist.

"Accountant Li, this is just a small gift, nothing special. I hope Steward Yang won't find it offensive."

Li Damu took the gift list and unfolded it. It read, "Three bolts of top-quality Jiangnan silk, and one jar each of realgar wine and calamus wine."

He looked up at the servant behind Du Pingping, who was holding an exquisite wooden box.

When opened, three pieces of silk were neatly stacked: one was a pale sky blue, one was a warm moon white, and the other was a light pink that shone with a soft light.

All of them are top-quality brocade from Jiangnan, with a silky smooth touch and a soft luster.

The two wine jars next to it were even more eye-catching, each about the size of a human head, and gleaming with gold.

The gift, though seemingly ordinary, perfectly captured the spirit of the Dragon Boat Festival. Silk could be used to make new clothes, realgar wine could ward off evil spirits, and calamus wine could nourish health. It was neither ostentatious nor lacking in thoughtfulness, showing that Du Pingping had put a lot of thought into it.

Li Damu wrote down the names of the gifts in the register, but his gaze couldn't help but fall on the two wine jars again.

The surface of this wine jar is carved with an exquisite lotus scroll pattern, with distinct layers of petals and delicate textures, making it look quite refined.

But Li Damu had a doubt in his heart: This jar... is it made of bronze? It can't be gold, can it? Maybe it's just a pottery jar coated with gold paint to make it look more expensive.

He wanted to reach out and touch the wine jar to feel its weight and verify his guess.

But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a servant from the Yang family standing nearby. The servant was dressed in a short, gray-blue outfit and was waiting to carry the gifts, so he had no choice but to give up.

Next to come in and present gifts was Zhao Shanhe, the owner of Luboling Manor.

Zhao Shanhe was slightly overweight, wearing a dark brown brocade robe and a jade belt around his waist, and looked more extravagant than Du Pingping.

His servants behind him carried a mahogany tray with a brocade box and two earthenware jars on it.

Zhao Shanhe handed the gift list to Li Damu and said with a smile, "Accountant Li, I heard that Steward Yang has been working hard lately, so I specially prepared some small gifts. I hope you will accept them."

Li Damu took the gift list and looked at it. It read "One dressing mirror and two jars of top-quality honey".

This gift is a bit too modest.

Li Damu secretly pursed his lips until a servant from the Yang family stepped forward to inspect the goods, accidentally revealing the back of the bronze mirror to him.

On the back of the bronze mirror is engraved a complex and exquisite "Azure Dragon Guarding the Fields" picture!
The dragon's body was winding and coiled, and its scales were all inlaid with gold.

The edges of the golden scales are outlined with fine silver lines, making the layers of the dragon scales more distinct and lifelike.

The dragon's eyes are two perfectly round obsidian stones, and the rising clouds beneath its claws are intricately inlaid with smooth and warm tortoiseshell pieces.

Looking at the background of the bronze mirror, the sky is dotted with countless tiny particles, which are stars made of lapis lazuli and turquoise.

The frame of the bronze mirror was carved from the finest ivory.

It is engraved with a lotus scroll pattern, with petals outstretched and branches and leaves intertwined, the pattern is delicate and smooth, and it is extremely beautiful.

Ah...yes, that's right, it is a makeup mirror, who can say it isn't a mirror?
Li Damu glanced at the gift list: a dressing mirror, two jars of honey, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

Cheng Dong, the rancher of Liupanshan Ranch, is even more down-to-earth.

The tall, dark-skinned Shepherd Cheng wore a black leather robe with a coarse cloth belt around his waist. He started shouting as soon as he entered the room.

"Accountant Li, my ranch doesn't have anything good left except Marco, so I'll give two horses to Steward Yang so that it will be more convenient for him to travel!"

Li Damu took the gift list, which indeed read "two horses for a three-year-old child".

He then looked at the two horses at the door. The horses were strong and agile, with glossy coats, and were pure white without a single stray hair.

The saddle on the horse's back was also made of comfortable calfskin, without any gold or silver embellishments, making it simple and practical.

Eh?
and many more!

Li Damu rubbed his eyes and looked closely. What the hell was that leading those two horses?

They were two bright-eyed, white-toothed, and slender girls who looked exactly alike!
The two girls looked to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in neat Hu (non-Han) attire.

They wore tight-fitting short jackets and long trousers, with colorful belts around their waists that accentuated their slender figures. Their skin was fair, and beneath long eyelashes, their large, bright eyes were expressive and their sweet smiles radiated youthful energy.

Li Damu stared blankly, while the honest Shepherd Cheng grinned, revealing his two signature big front teeth.

"Accountant Li, those are two horse maids. They are not only skilled at feeding and training horses, but also adept at maintaining horse equipment."

I thought, since I'm gifting Steward Yang a fine steed, how can I not include someone to serve the horse?

This way, Steward Yang won't have to bother finding someone to take care of the horses anymore.

Moreover, when the Yang family has a mistress in the future, they can even lead the horse and adjust the stirrups for the lady—how convenient that would be!

Li Damu nodded blankly. "That's right. What Master Cheng said is reasonable and well-founded, and there's nothing wrong with it!"

A horse was given as a gift, along with a maidservant... I'm getting jealous. Who's going to send me some dumplings?
Looking at the two young girls dressed in Hu-style clothing, radiating youthful energy, and with smiles brighter than the spring sunshine, Li Damu suddenly felt that his own Xiao Tan was no longer appealing.

……

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the vermilion gate of Feng'an Fort was wide open.

The colorful tassels hanging under the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, adding to the festive atmosphere.

However, those who stepped into the courtyard today were not ordinary guests, but the owners of various estates and ranches under Yang Can's command, all of whom were his subordinates who had to bow down and obey his orders.

As the superior in charge of the area, Yang Can naturally did not need to lower himself to personally greet him at the door.

According to the hospitality practices of aristocratic families, this task of greeting and entertaining guests should have been performed by the head steward of the household, which would not only reflect the host's dignity but also ensure that the guests felt well treated.

However, the actual head steward of the Yang family was a young woman of sixteen, which was inconvenient for her.

The person nominally holding the title of head butler is Leopard Head Cheng Dakuan.

This man is incredibly strong and skilled with knives and spears, but he's an illiterate brute who speaks with a voice louder than a gong. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to greet guests.

Neither of the two was a suitable candidate, so Zhang Yunyi, the former head of Feng'an Manor, naturally became the guest master.

Zhang Yunyi was indeed a man who could bend and stretch; if he were in the Spring and Autumn Period, he would at least be a minor Goujian.

With a perfectly timed smile on his face, he moved among the guests with appropriate words and graceful demeanor.

Forced to kill his uncle and son, he severed the ties of his clan, seized the property of his fortified village, and now he has to act as a guest master for his former equal...

Yang Can's methods...

The manor lords and herdsmen felt a chill run down their spines as they watched Zhang Yunyi chatting and laughing so casually.

This is terrifying! Zhang Yunyi has been trained into such a state!

……

Inside the inner courtyard, Yang Can was changing clothes in front of a bronze mirror.

He wore a brand-new dark robe made of the finest Shu brocade, which shimmered with a delicate luster under the sunlight filtering through the window.

The fabric was woven with dark brocade cloud patterns, which were almost imperceptible unless you looked closely, but they exuded a low-key and restrained noble air, which made his figure appear even more upright.

"You guys go down first."

Yang Can waved his hand, and the two maids who were helping him change his clothes knelt down, held the old clothes he had changed out of, and quietly withdrew.

Kang Zhengyang, who had been waiting outside the door, quickly walked in and closed the door behind him to block out the noise from outside.

“Master, four empty carriages had just left the manor when they were followed by tails.”

Yang Can looked in the mirror and gently smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes. The bronze mirror clearly reflected the faint curve of his lips.

“They made a show of force yesterday, and today I hastily dispatched four empty cars. It would be strange if they didn’t suspect something like this attempt to cover up their suspicions.”

"The Lord of the Manor is incredibly insightful!"

A hint of admiration flashed in Kang Zhengyang's eyes, and he quickly added, "I was afraid they weren't quick-witted enough, so I specifically instructed my second brother."

Instruct him to deliberately slow down when driving the cart out of the village, and to look back frequently when crossing forks in the road, acting as if he were trying to hide and be discovered, in order to arouse their suspicion.

Yang Can looked at Kang Zhengyang in the mirror, picked up a white jade pendant from the table with his fingertips. The pendant was carved into the shape of a cicada, with delicate patterns and a warm touch.

"Did the people who chased after them see clearly whose subordinates they were?"

Kang Zhengyang looked somewhat troubled and bowed slightly, saying, "Those people are all dressed in Xianbei clothing, with their hair in braids, and they all look pretty much the same."

The men sent by his subordinates to keep watch couldn't immediately distinguish whether it was Bald Falcon Demon's men or Ba Limo's men.

"It doesn't matter."

Yang Can chuckled softly and gently hung the jade pendant on the silk sash at his waist. The jade pendant rubbed against the silk sash, making a soft sound.

"Whether they are bald-headed falconers or bald-headed men, they are all the same."

He raised his hand to straighten the black turban on his head, the purple ribbons on both sides of the turban crossing under his chin and neatly tying them into a knot, the movement crisp and clean.

"As long as someone brings back the news of the 'empty car hiding goods' and makes them mistakenly believe that the whereabouts of the armor have been found, we will have already won half of this game."

His dark robes hung down like the night, naturally draping along his figure, making his brows and eyes appear calm and his whole being exuded a dignified air. Gone was his former gentleness, replaced by a more commanding and authoritative presence.

He finally adjusted the jade pendant at his waist to make sure it was in the correct position before turning and walking towards the door.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and the midday sunlight poured in, casting his long shadow on the ground.

Yang Can squinted slightly in the sunlight, and after a moment, the smile on his lips deepened.

"Let's go, the guests in the front hall must be getting impatient. We should also go and meet with the managers."

He stepped out of the room with steady steps, as if those schemes about the Xianbei people and the armor had nothing to do with him.

"As for the turmoil outside the village, who's chasing after them, who's investigating..."

He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice: "What does this have to do with me, Yang Can?"

(End of this chapter)