Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

After successfully capturing a Xiongnu in the middle of the night and bringing one of them back alive for trial in the old village, something unexpected happened. The captured Xiongnu's confession was like a stone that stirred up a thousand waves, and the whole incident became even more confusing and fascinating.

On the morning of the second day, as the sun barely shone on the courtyard of the county government office, Lord Qian couldn't wait to summon Zhao Si. Meanwhile, numerous yamen runners had already lined up in an orderly formation, eagerly anticipating the spectacle that was about to unfold.

As Zhao Si walked into the hall with steady steps, he felt countless pairs of eyes focused on him, some with admiration and some with envy. Meanwhile, Lord Qian sat behind the desk, smiling, his eyes full of admiration.

"Zhao Si!" Lord Qian shouted, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "This operation went so smoothly thanks to your excellent command!" He stood up, walked over to Zhao Si, patted him on the shoulder, and continued to praise him, "You led the brothers bravely and fearlessly. Not only did you successfully capture the Xiongnu, but you also obtained important confessions. This is truly a great achievement!"

As Lord Qian spoke, Zhao Si's previously calm face gradually flushed, and he looked a little embarrassed. However, Lord Qian didn't seem to intend to stop there. Instead, he spoke more and more passionately and generously: "A talent like you, both wise and brave, is truly a blessing to our county government! Today, I will definitely reward you handsomely!"

Before he finished speaking, two officers came forward with a tray containing ten taels of silver. While this ten taels of silver wasn't a fortune, it was still a considerable sum for Zhao Si and the others. After all, it was almost equivalent to Zhao Si's two full months' salary! Although they could occasionally make a small fortune, accepting such a reward so openly still made them secretly happy.

"Take it, Zhao Si! This is the reward you deserve!" Lord Qian waved his hand generously.

Zhao Si hesitated for a moment, but finally stepped forward, took the tray with both hands, and thanked him repeatedly. The other brothers standing nearby were even more excited when they saw this, and they cheered and jumped for joy, as if they had already seen a bright future.

"Haha, this time it is thanks to your wise leadership, fourth brother, that we can get these silver and money, and we can also make a bold entry in the book of merit!" A young yamen runner said to Zhao Si with a smile.

"Yes, Fourth Brother, we have to celebrate tonight!" another yamen runner echoed.

In this way, everyone chatted and clamored to get together for a feast and share this joy. Zhao Si, with a smile on his face, listened quietly to his brothers' discussions, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Zhao Si stood in the crowd, surrounded by compliments and congratulations. These words were like a warm spring breeze, caressing his heart and gradually calming his initially uneasy mind. At that moment, he suddenly felt that what he had just done had become incredibly noble, as if he had become a hero in the eyes of everyone.

Looking at the expectant gazes around him, Zhao Si took a deep breath and said loudly, "In that case, let's go to Wanxianglou today and have a good meal!" This statement immediately caused a burst of cheers. However, before the cheers died down, Zhao Si added, "But let's make it clear in advance that everyone will receive a reward this time, so when the time comes to pay, everyone has to contribute a little."

As soon as the words fell, a murmur of discontent erupted from the crowd. Someone complained, "Fourth Brother, you're too stingy, aren't you? Why can't you treat us all?" Faced with such doubts, Zhao Si showed a helpless expression, and explained with a wry smile, "Brothers and sisters, you know my difficulties. I have a whole family waiting to eat at home. If I spend all this reward money, how will I live in the future? Although it's nice to be able to go out and have fun, we also have to consider the actual situation, right? Let's just treat it as a way to improve our lives together, each contributing a little money, and then tighten our belts in the future. You can't just let me do all the hard work!"

After hearing Zhao Si's words, the people who had been booing gradually quieted down. After all, everyone knew that people like them, working as servants, received the lowest salaries but performed the most strenuous and tiring work. Life was already tight on the job, and if Zhao Si really had to shoulder all the expenses this time, it would probably be a real burden for him. So, no one continued to complain, but nodded in agreement.

As night fell and the lights began to light up, the men methodically handed over their work, said goodbye to their families, and headed for the renowned Wanxianglou, along with the men who had participated in the Xiongnu capture that day. As they reached the entrance, a warm and welcoming waiter greeted them with a smile, his words as sweet as honey, and asked, "Gentlemen, what would you like to eat today? We've got some delicious new dishes at Wanxianglou! Especially our signature dishes—roast goose and roast duck—they're incredibly delicious. Would you be interested in trying them?"

Zhao Si strode with his head held high, followed by a group of noisy yamen runners. He strode into the hall of Wanxiang Tower and shouted to the waiter in a heroic tone: "Waiter, quickly prepare a private room. We will eat in the private room tonight!" When the waiter heard this, the smile on his face became even brighter, and he nodded and responded quickly: "Okay, sir, please come this way. Please follow me to the second floor." After that, the waiter led the way in front and led Zhao Si and others upstairs.

After entering the private room, Zhao Sada sat down in a very proud manner, then waved his hand and ordered the waiter: "Don't you have signature dishes here? Give me one serving of each of the roast goose and roast duck, and pick out a few of your specialties and bring them up quickly! In addition, bring us a jar of good wine worth one or two taels of silver. Everyone is happy today, so let's have a good time!" When everyone heard this, they cheered and felt very happy at the thought of satisfying their appetite.

After about a quarter of an hour, everyone could smell the enticing aroma of food. Not long after, someone carefully brought a golden roast goose, its skin crispy and its meat tender, to the table. Then, one dish after another of delicious dishes, so delicious they couldn't even name them, arrived. Instantly, everyone's eyes widened, staring intently at the table full of delicious food, their mouths agape, drool dripping from their lips, their gaze unable to move away from the delicious food.

Zhao Si took a while to recover from the tangy aroma of food. Seeing his men's greedy expressions, just as he was, he felt a sense of balance. But soon, realizing his own gaffe, he quickly cleared his throat and coughed a few times to mask his embarrassment. Then, with a stern face, he said in a serious tone, "Look at you! Just a few dishes, and you've become so greedy! If you were to be presented with a feast in the future, I wonder what you would become!"

Hearing Zhao Si's words, everyone reacted as if awakened from a dream, and quickly echoed: "Fourth brother is right! Fourth brother is right! We can have the opportunity to enjoy such delicious food today, all thanks to you, Fourth brother!" As he spoke, one of them quickly picked up a jar of fine wine on the table and began to fill everyone's glass in turn, muttering to himself: "Since we are all good brothers who have been through thick and thin together, let's stop with those empty polite words! Come on, let's drink together and enjoy this delicious meal to our heart's content!"

Zhao Si and a few others sat around the table, clinking glasses, the clinking of glasses resonant and crisp. At the top of their lungs, they recounted the hardships and difficulties they had endured over the years. Each face was etched with the weight of experience and stories, as if the past weighed heavily on their hearts like a heavy burden.

However, at the mention of their great achievement, their faces immediately lit up with joy, laughter echoing throughout the room. Their emotions fluctuated like a roller coaster, sometimes bursting into tears, sometimes bursting into laughter, making one sigh at the impermanence of life.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, they began playing finger-guessing games, shouting all sorts of bizarre slogans and gesturing with their hands. As soon as one round of finger-guessing ended, another eagerly began competing to see who could finish the food faster. For a moment, the sounds of noise and laughter blended together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Before long, the table, once overflowing with food and wine, was completely cleared out in the chaos. Cups and plates lay in disarray, and leftovers were scattered everywhere. Zhao Si patted his bulging belly, burped, and called out, "Waiter! Hurry up and settle the bill!" A moment later, the waiter hurried in, wiping the sweat from his forehead while mumbling the bill.

Zhao Si casually reached into his pocket, pulled out three taels of silver, and tossed it onto the table. He declared with overwhelming confidence, "Come on, guys, give us some money and settle this bill! We're all having a good time today, so don't be stingy!" Before he'd even finished speaking, several other tipsy people also pulled out silver from their pockets, some even staggering and nearly falling. Finally, after everyone had hurriedly settled the bill, they supported each other and left the restaurant.

Zhao Si and his buddies had a real good time drinking tonight! Everyone was completely drunk, stumbling out of the restaurant, supporting each other. They kept mumbling something, and occasionally burst into laughter.

As soon as they left the restaurant, several people, arm in arm, staggered onto the street. Along the way, they laughed and joked, some singing off-key, others shouting, drawing the attention of passersby. However, before long, some began to fall behind. First, one person suddenly turned into a small alley, saying they needed to relieve themselves. Then, another person said they saw a roadside snack stand and had to try it. And so, the originally large group gradually dispersed, leaving Zhao Si alone, still staggering towards home.