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"Hi! I'm so busy here, and you're still hiding in the house sleeping! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!" Lu Zixing rushed in, saw Meng Wu searching for Zhou Gong by the couch, and pulled him out of the blankets. "Get up quickly! Come with me to see the Beauty!"
What!? You mean to say that despite being home, you still have the leisure to wander around looking for women!? Meng Wu held back his anger but let out a heavy snort through his nose.
Lu Ziquan pretended not to hear Meng Wu's discontent and dragged him along as they hurried to the front hall. "I’m telling you, General Meng! If there’s someone you like inside, just say the word, and I’ll handle everything."
Since receiving orders to go undercover in Qi State, Meng Wu had spent most of the meager funds provided by his superiors along the way. He was living in a small wooden cabin on the mountain, which he suspected had been abandoned by a hunter. It seemed that once they went hunting in the mountains, they never returned, leaving only an empty house. He was already homeless, and since this place was far from the city and good for hiding, he decided to stay. He had also resolved that he could never take over someone else's home. If the owner returned, he would give it back and find another place; if they didn’t come back, at least it wouldn’t be left abandoned. Unexpectedly, disaster struck when the cabin he had grown fond of was forcibly demolished by officials.
As for whether he should marry or not, he truly dared not think about it. One reason was his identity issue, which led to a dual personality that sometimes made him unsure of who he should be on any given day; another reason was that having a house did not prove one could support a family. Plus, with his current situation being so unstable, his life was often filled with uncertainty.
If an outsider had some savings, it would be acceptable; at least they would resemble someone living a settled life. After all, many were displaced at this time; even if one wanted to live an ordinary life, it remained a luxury. But if one were as poor as he was and had bad habits, no respectable family would want to marry off their daughter to such a person. However, he had his own unique perspective: a man should strive to be a hero among men; why worry about not having a wife!? So when he heard Luzi wanted to act as his matchmaker, he hurriedly declined: "We ambitious men are currently in a time where we should be building our careers; how can we..."
"Enough! Enough!" Luzi suddenly felt like a busybody and stopped to turn back and advise him: "Since you've completed your self-cultivation tasks, you should have a family."
Meng Wu couldn't help but sigh. His friends from the same year probably already had at least two children each and were doing well. Yet here he was, just pulled back from the brink of death; it felt as if his heart had suddenly opened up quite a bit. Life and death were merely separated by a blink of an eye. Rather than holding onto unfulfilled thoughts, it might be better to be alone now. He resolved firmly and said: "Prime Minister Jiang! Both you and I have worked hard in this life; how can we deceive a woman into staying home alone? It’s too cruel! People like us should leave some kindness when we act."
Luzi did not respond directly but said: "General Meng! There’s something I need to explain; that Brother-in-law wasn’t sent by me."
Ah!? At this point, do you really think everyone else is foolish!?
Meng Wu didn’t believe for a second that this person wasn’t behind the incident. If someone else had done it, how could they have left behind blood writing saying 'The murderer is Meng Wu'!? Who the hell knows who I am? Even those few drinking buddies in town think this Woodcutter's surname is Meng rather than Meng. Anyone with half a brain could analyze it slightly and realize that only someone from our side could have caused this trouble.
Since things had reached this point, he no longer hid his anger. "As a man, one should act with integrity! Right now, I look down on you—really!"
Faced with such a misunderstanding, Luzi merely smiled lightly. "General Meng! We are all on the same side. Since it was me who did it, there’s no need to hide the truth from you. But if it wasn’t me, why should I take the blame? If you want to know who is really harming you, I can send someone to investigate right now. I guarantee that within ten days, the truth will come to light. How about it?"
Meng Wu couldn't help but feel surprised upon hearing this. However, seeing Luzi's genuine expression made him wonder. Regardless of who was responsible, getting rid of a notorious villain was a good thing. Besides, even if they found out who it was, what could be done? He couldn't possibly return to Qi State for revenge! He was already on the list of extremely unpopular individuals; why stir up more trouble? Thus, he suggested that they leave the matter at that, as there was already a conclusion.
Luzi simply nodded, pondering whether to recall the scattered assassins for training. He hadn’t expected that resolve could be worn down by time; this was indeed unexpected. However, those were matters for later; he still had pressing issues to address.
"Besides that, have you considered another possibility? The testimony you provided in court was so convincing; what else could those people not do? Hmph! You’re worried about dragging down someone’s Elder, yet how did they treat you? To solidify your guilt and meet the deadline from above, isn’t it possible that these people left blood oaths on the wall afterward? Young man! You doubt those who saved you while being kind to those who harm you. Just thinking about this makes my heart turn cold!"
"Damn it! These bastards!"
Luzi was most annoyed by people cursing in front of him; if they had that energy, they should not suffer in silence. "Alright! General Meng! Since this matter has passed, let’s not bring it up again. Sigh! But speaking of which, I’m grateful I found you because I still have some connections to handle here. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t waste time in the city. Perhaps this is what they call fate; otherwise, my troubles would have been immense. I would have had to send someone back to dig you out from a graveyard and then find a tailor to put you back together. Just think about how hard that would be for me!"
Meng Wu felt a pang of pain just thinking about it and quickly urged, "We agreed not to mention this again; why are you bringing it up now? I think we should hurry and go see some beautiful women!"
No matter how expensive the inns and taverns were in various places, if one liked something, they would book the whole place. Since he was out pretending to be a wealthy tycoon, he had to maintain appearances. Nobility required a certain level of grandeur; one couldn’t make connections without an appropriate setting. Dressing in splendid attire worth a fortune but staying in a small inn seemed too low-key. Moreover, treating others poorly would reflect badly; discerning eyes were always watching.
In the front hall stood a row of beautiful Jiao Niang waiting for them. The bashful charm left Meng Wu, now dressed in fine clothes, dazzled. Unable to help himself, he smacked his lips and sighed at how many beautiful women there were. However, he didn’t truly believe Luzi was kindly helping him find a wife; this selection was merely gifts for some noble family from another country. After glancing around, he noticed an issue: while they were indeed beautiful, they lacked depth upon closer inspection. As for why they seemed lacking in substance, he couldn’t quite articulate.
After holding back for a while, Meng Wu finally said, "Hmm! Not bad! Everything looks good; it just feels like something is missing."
Luzi nodded in agreement and waved for the candidates to step back. Once they were alone in the hall, he asked, "Were you implying that these women lack elegance?"
Meng Wu quickly gave a thumbs up. "Yes! Yes! It’s elegance! I feel like there’s something missing; they’re just a group of superficial beauties. These ladies would be better off as maids in someone’s household; however, that diminishes their inherent value. Besides, if we don’t find them appealing, how could those powerful ministers? They’ve seen countless women and have very discerning tastes!"
Luzi was also quite surprised and asked, "Have you been chopping wood on the mountain all these years?"
Meng Wu had no second thoughts about it. "The taverns and tea houses gather all sorts of people; the knowledge contained there is vast and profound, knowing everything under heaven and earth."
Luzi nodded and deliberately said, "Regarding temperament, it can indeed be cultivated through effort! I'm not wrong in saying this, right?"
Meng Wu looked at the ceiling noncommittally, pretending he hadn't heard that remark. It was true that temperament could be cultivated, but one must not neglect the four fundamental arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; only through cultural refinement can one develop extraordinary temperament. What good is a polished exterior? After all, it's just a fool! Even those so-called beauties just look decent at first glance, but if they can't recognize a few big characters, then once they are trained step by step, the world would have long been unified!
Luzi arrived in Korea and thought about picking up a few beauties along the way. The main reason was that he heard his classmate and friend was about to return home, so he decided to visit after a few days. When two scholars met, it was natural for them to fall into their old habits. They sat down to discuss ancient and modern topics, talking late into the night, ultimately failing to reach any conclusions. Whether it was about the major affairs of the world or the future trends of the Qin and Han states, each had their own perspective and naturally could not agree. On the way back, they happened to encounter Government raiding Rouge Pavilion, so he decided to buy a few women to take back.
As the saying goes, beauty is a feast for the eyes. He initially planned to recruit a few beauties to lift his gloomy spirits but lost interest due to Meng Wu's mention of superficial women. So he simply called his subordinates to distribute severance pay to those women and sat alone on a stool sulking over yesterday's debate. At a loss for words, he casually asked, "General Meng! Where do you think those women you mentioned can be found?"
Was such a simple question even necessary? Of course, there have always been many beauties in water towns! The hometown of Shi Yiguang, who helped Yue defeat Wu back in the day, was in Shaoxing, and she was an extraordinary beauty! Without thinking twice, Meng Wu replied directly, "Chu!"
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