“So what if I’m a pig-head? Yuezhou is not a suitable place for me to live. What’s wrong with returning to Chang’an to enjoy some peace and blessings? My elder brother has passed away, and a household without a man in charge cannot be a family! My evil shrew of a wife is already dead. Now I can openly and legitimately return to Chang’an to take care of two households. I think this is a good choice.”

Xue Wanche sat in the chair opposite Yun Ye, habitually crossing his legs and constantly shaking them.

“Do you know how difficult it is for others to get an outpost assignment? You’re blessed but don’t recognize your blessings. Yuezhou is now already a major metropolis. Speaking of prosperity, it’s only slightly inferior to Chang’an. But speaking of living comfort, Chang’an couldn’t catch up to Yuezhou even at full gallop. Your two sons have already entered official service in Yuezhou. Instead of properly guarding Yunmeng Lake and viewing the lake scenery, you run to Chang’an seeking death!”

“Your son has come back, so what am I doing staying in Yuezhou? Though I’m somewhat stupid, I still have some perception. Your son returning to Chang’an means Yuezhou will have trouble. Guan Tinglong has already died. Now the Cui Family’s young master is serving as prefect there…”

“Bullshit! The prefect of Yuezhou is me. When did it change hands? My son came back to get married. You’re not getting married, so what are you running to Chang’an for? I haven’t heard that your family still has any property in Chang’an.”

Xue Wanche was now like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. His courage was so small it was outrageous. Any slight disturbance could make him worry for a long time. He had long lost the heroic spirit of being the bravest of the three armies on the battlefield in earlier years.

“I don’t dare take risks! You hurriedly brought your own son back to Chang’an. Do you know what kind of days I had during that time? You didn’t give me even half a hint of information. If my heart wasn’t beating like a drum, that would be strange. Now at least there’s a large household. The court is also rising and falling like tides. Even military generals like me have to start studying. Tell me, can I not worry?”

Yun Ye shook his head helplessly. Encountering such a pig teammate was truly his misfortune. An invincible fierce general had now become a coward, wasting such an extremely imposing physique and a face full of fierce whiskers.

“Where did that early intention to rebel go? Now you’ve become this cowardly.”

With one sentence from Yun Ye, Xue Wanche was immediately startled and leaped up from his chair. Opening his palm as large as a palm-leaf fan, he was about to come over and cover Yun Ye’s mouth. Yun Ye dodged sideways.

Xue Wanche lowered his voice and said: “My great lord, how dare you say such things in the great hall of the Ministry of War! Wasn’t it because I was young and foolish back then? Now my beard is already graying—who dares to rebel?”

“Look at those proud troops and fierce generals under my command. Every one of them has their eyes grown to the top of their heads. During several military exercises, this old brother’s army was beaten by the court’s newly organized troops until we were rolling in piss and shit. Damn it, the blade hadn’t even been handed over yet when people were judged dead by the Five Li Sima. This old man refused to accept it and went to ask. As a result, they had this old man’s army leave that area. Heaven above! It was just one round of rocket coverage, and the place where this old man’s army had been lingering turned into a sea of fire.”

“If we rebelled, without even waiting for the great armies of the Sixteen Guards to come, this old brother of yours—if I’m not burned into charcoal, I will definitely be beaten into a prisoner’s cart and escorted to Chang’an, waiting at Westmarket entrance to receive the blade.”

Yun Ye nodded. Old Xue’s words were true. The earlier dense battle formations were already very unsuitable for the current warfare mode. The denser the crowd, the more tragic the casualties would be.

“Your army will also begin reorganization this year. I’ll specifically get you more sergeant majors—all old hands who followed me on the western campaign. Once training is complete, with your fierce combat style, there should be no problem becoming a fierce general of the Great Tang again…”

When Yun Ye said this, he suddenly stopped. He rushed to Xue Wanche’s side and viciously kicked him twice, only then returning angrily to his seat. This bastard fundamentally wasn’t running back to Chang’an because of fear, but rather was using fear as a pretext to specifically come to Chang’an seeking support. He had worried about the combat strength under his command, only to be thrown into a pit by this bastard in vain.

Honest people generally don’t use scheming. Once they do, they can literally deceive someone to death.

“Two kicks? If I’d known this was the price, I might as well have spoken even more miserably just now. You still haven’t made any progress. Even a hundred more kicks would be nothing more than scratching an itch for this old man.”

“Seriously, give me two hundred old soldiers—preferably those who’ve been on the battlefield, seen blood, who’ve properly fought battles with firearms—that kind of people. Two hundred would be enough.”

Yun Ye was completely at a loss for words with Xue Wanche. He took the official document, picked up his brush and wrote a number on it, then pushed the document to Xue Wanche. Expressionlessly he said: “Only fifty. Take them or leave them. Right now such people have already been snatched up madly by commanders from various places. I only have this many flexible slots, and I’m giving them all to you.”

Xue Wanche put away the document and said with a smile: “However many is still many! Fifty is better than having none. In all of the capital now, only you brother still give this elder brother some face. How about we go to Yanlai Tower tonight?”

“But let’s agree beforehand—I know your tastes are extraordinary and difficult to serve. This time you cannot tear down someone’s courtyard again just because their service isn’t attentive enough. Whip them twice to make a point and be done with it. When I went to book Yanlai Tower, the old procuress, upon learning the main guest was you, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, hoping I would spare Yanlai Tower. I gave my guarantee that this visit is just to watch song and dance and find courtesans, not to tear down buildings. What do you say?”

Yun Ye shook his head irritably and said: “Can’t go. Tonight Master Cheng is hosting a banquet and wants me to go fill out the scene. You shouldn’t go to Yanlai Tower either. Come with me to drink at the Cheng Family estate. That one is truly difficult to serve.”

Xue Wanche left laughing heartily. Yun Ye’s reputation in brothels was completely stinking now. Before he only liked to extort some sweet melons. Now he had developed to the point of tearing down people’s brothels. Everyone said that Marquis Yun’s temper was becoming increasingly violent. Very likely it was because he killed too many people on the battlefield and all his killing aura hadn’t been fully vented, so now he had become moody and unpredictable.

When the bright moon emerged from the mountains, colorful lanterns hung high in the Cheng Family courtyard. Tonight’s wine banquet had a name—it was called the Colored Lantern Banquet. However, this was the current name. If Cheng Yaojin got drunk in a while, who knew what kind of banquet it would evolve into.

Cheng Yaojin, wearing loose informal attire, laughed heartily as he struck the golden bell. Raising the silver cup in his hand, he shouted loudly: “Gentlemen, drink to victory!” Then he himself drained the fine wine in the silver cup in one gulp.

Fang Xuanling put down his cup and wiped the wine stains on his beard, saying: “Old Cheng, what exactly is tonight’s agenda? Just say it now and avoid chaos later.”

On Du Ruhui’s table were arranged more than ten kinds of wine cups. Yun Ye roughly glanced over them—from bronze goblets to luminous jade cups, not one was missing. Rather than drinking wine, Du Ruhui was showing off his collections from these past years.

“Colored Lantern Banquet, it must be a Colored Lantern Banquet. Haven’t you seen that the whole courtyard is full of colored lanterns? These were specially made by the servants at home for this old man’s wine banquet. They’re not particularly good, but they represent the sons’ heartfelt intentions.”

Niu Jinda nodded and said: “Having an agenda is good. One colored lantern, one cup of wine—this is the old rule. We can’t always end up wrestling bare-chested at the end. That would be boring.”

Yuchi Gong glanced at Niu Jinda and said: “Could it be you’re still not convinced? You lost at the training grounds last time, and you still have a knot in your heart about it? We’re all old brothers. If you’re not convinced in your heart, just say a word to your family, and this old man will send the jar of wine I won to your home.”

Yun Ye quietly retreated a bit. This wasn’t the first time these two had fought. They had fought even in Wanmin Palace while playing dumb and acting stupid. The Cheng Family home really wasn’t a place that could obstruct them from fighting.

“Compose poetry! Tonight we compose poetry!”

Cheng Yaojin’s one sentence immediately shocked everyone present. Fang Xuanling especially used his finger to clean out his ear, indicating for Cheng Yaojin to say it again because he hadn’t heard clearly. Before coming to the Cheng Family, he had even prepared to watch fights. Before leaving his door, Gao Yang had even advised her father-in-law not to drink too much—the Cheng Family people were too wild. He had thought very thoroughly about everything, except he never imagined Cheng Yaojin would actually propose composing poetry.

“That’s right, compose poetry. The people in Old Cheng’s family now at least have caught a thread of literary air, so naturally we compose poetry!”

“Are you sure it’s not the kind like ‘one big tree branch, oh my mother’? And you won’t need Yun Ye to help you round it out?”

“You’re underestimating my Old Cheng family too much. The Cheng Family not only produces military generals, but also produces talented scholars. If you gentlemen don’t have any presentable poetry, then Old Cheng will compose a poem. Listen carefully, everyone.”

Fang Xuanling hurriedly sat back in his seat. After glancing at Yun Ye, who was equally surprised, only then did he settle his heart and prepare to properly listen to the Cheng Family’s masterpiece.

“The general emerges from the Purple Frontier, Maodun is at Wutan. Flutes clamor north of Yanmen, battle wings south of Dragon City. Carved bows turn and twist at night, iron cavalry participates at dawn. Should halt the white sun, to await the battle’s fervor.”

Cheng Yaojin almost roared out this poem. Fang Xuanling’s hand supporting his chin nearly slipped. Du Ruhui, who had originally been focusing on the wine cup before him, also raised his head. Yun Ye’s mouth was so surprised it could barely close.

No need to ask—this was absolutely a fine poem. This poem was vigorous and powerful, simple and elegant. Not only did it have the shadow of Han rhapsodies, it also had the lingering influence of the Three Caos. This absolutely could not have been composed by Cheng Yaojin.

After savoring it for a long time, Fang Xuanling drank a mouthful of wine and asked Cheng Yaojin: “Who composed this poem? It doesn’t seem like Yun Ye’s work. Bring the person out. Let this old man see what other outstanding talents our Great Tang has produced, not letting Yun Ye monopolize the beauty.”

Cheng Yaojin laughed heartily and clapped his hands. A youth of thirteen or fourteen turned out from behind. Cheng Yaojin pointed at this child and said: “This old man’s junior, Lu Zhaolin!”

The wine cup in Yun Ye’s hand clattered to the ground with a sound. Tears nearly burst from his eyes. The prosperous Tang figure he had long hoped for had finally appeared. Thank heaven and earth—the original elegance of this world hadn’t been destroyed because of his arrival.

“This child is originally from a branch of the Lu Family, a relative of my wife, from Fanyang in Youzhou. It’s just that his body is frail. He specifically came to seek medical treatment from Daoist Sun. Please, everyone, for the sake of Old Cheng, help out a bit. Old Cheng is infinitely grateful!”

After hearing Old Cheng’s words, everyone fixed their gazes on Yun Ye, because Old Cheng was famously a kind old man who loved to promote juniors.