Chapter 407: Boiling Wine

Rao State, Changxing Prefecture City.

A tavern.

Fang Rui, disguised as a scholar in blue robes, brought Xin Xue’Er with him and sat down in a private booth on the second floor.

On the table were tea and snacks. The owner was quite creative, having shaped the pastries into little animals.

Xin Xue’Er couldn’t bear to eat them. She poked at the pastries on her plate, her big eyes sparkling. She muttered softly to herself, seeming to act out the stories Fang Rui had told her, as if playing house, completely absorbed in her own little world.

Noticing Fang Rui’s gaze, she tilted her head and looked over. “Uncle?”

“It’s nothing. Go on and play.”

Fang Rui patted the little girl’s head.

After spending so much time together, Xin Xue’Er was still shy around strangers, but with him, she was completely natural and relaxed, like a kitten exposing its soft belly to its owner.

Xin Xue’Er went back to playing.

As for Fang Rui, he poured himself a cup of wine, looked down below, and listened intently.

It was an excellent spot with superb lighting. A potted plant of some unknown variety bathed in the sunlight, refracting specks of light as clear as crystal. Through the railing, he could also gaze down at the floor below and listen to the joys and sorrows of the common crowd.

…

Down below, even though a sign reading “Do Not Discuss State Affairs” was posted on the wall, it couldn’t stop the patrons’ urge to chat.

“Times are tough. First the drought, now the locusts…” someone sighed.

“Yeah, and I heard that even with all this, our Rao State is the best off among the Three States of the Southwest. The disaster hit us the lightest. Yuanzhou and Liangzhou, now that’s where it’s truly tragic!” another person chimed in.

“The day before yesterday, I heard from a traveling merchant that in some parts of Liangzhou, people have resorted to trading children to eat.”

“We can barely survive ourselves. Who has the energy to sympathize with other states?”

A man with a worried expression said, “I only care about what’s happening on my own doorstep. Lately, more and more families are being ruined!”

“Isn’t that the truth? The harvests are smaller, so if you want to live, you have to borrow money. But if you take out one of those ‘decapitation loans,’ there’s no end to it. In the end, your land is gone, and you’re gone… And even if you have some savings and don’t borrow, you can’t stop people from targeting you, setting you up to fail…”

“Sigh. In times like these, some suffer from disaster while others get rich from it. They talk about natural and man-made disasters, but how can a natural disaster ever compare to a man-made one?”

“Why not ask the Government Office to uphold justice?” a young man who looked like a scholar spoke up.

“This kid is too young and naive, isn’t he? Who do you think is backing those squires and landlords? Corrupt officials and local tyrants, all in the same nest. That’s not just a saying, you know!”

“They exploit us common folk together, then split the profits seventy-thirty…” This one had seen through it all.

“Hey, you can’t say that! You really can’t say things like that!”

The owner hurried out. “Everyone, please pack up your Divine Techniques! If you’re here to drink, then drink. Just don’t discuss state affairs.”

…

‘Among the Three States of the Southwest, Rao State is rich in resources, with rivers crisscrossing its lands. Even with this year’s drought and locust plague, the impact here has been relatively light.’

‘But…’

Fang Rui shook his head. ‘Just as these people said, from what I’ve seen on my journey here, the governance is the most corrupt.’

‘In such an environment, when the majority of people can no longer survive, how could they not rise up in rebellion?’

…

The owner’s intervention had some effect, but as soon as he turned his back, the patrons’ discussions started up again.

They were a group of miserable souls. If they didn’t use a few bowls of cheap wine to vent the bitterness and frustration in their hearts, they’d get sick from holding it all in.

Still, they had shown him some respect and changed the subject.

“A ‘Demon Alliance’ has appeared in Liangzhou, and within this Demon Alliance, there’s a Demon Ancestor. He’s an incredible figure! They say he’s nine feet tall, with a black face and fangs, that he can swallow clouds and spit mist, and command beasts into an army…” The man’s tone was excited.

“My wife’s sister’s husband’s nephew’s older brother’s neighbor works at the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, and he heard the news. That ruthless character who calls himself the ‘Demon Ancestor’ killed the patriarchs of all the Noble Families in Liangzhou State City…” another person chimed in.

“Chaotic times are bound to produce monsters!”

“Forget Liangzhou. Hasn’t our own Rao State produced a Yuwen An? He rose to power in a single stroke and conquered the two prefectures of Divine Wood and Yuqing.”

“I heard that a seer who can read auras said that this man has the Destiny Chart of a Rebel King, a forerunner for a true king…” someone whispered.

“The winner is king, the loser is a bandit. What does it matter if he’s a Rebel King or a forerunner? If he really succeeds, he’ll be a true king.”

“That’s right! I hear Yuwen An commands an army of two hundred thousand. When he travels, his carriage is drawn by sixteen horses, and his entourage stretches for three li. Just thinking about such splendor is enough to make your heart flutter!”

…

“A real man should be just like that!”

Sitting in a corner, a middle-aged man named Liu Yun suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.

This commotion prompted a man at the next table to tease him. “What’s this? Does this brother also harbor ambitions of rebellion?”

“Of course not, of course not.”

Liu Yun gave a dry laugh and waved his hands dismissively.

Fortunately, the other man was only teasing and didn’t press the matter.

“Sigh!”

Liu Yun sat back down. He looked at his own plump legs, at the reflection of his graying hair in the cheap wine, and thought about the ambitions he had in his youth, the efforts of half his life…

But he had wasted his years, struggled for half his life, and in the end, accomplished nothing.

As this thought crossed Liu Yun’s mind, sorrow welled up from within. “I have ambitions that pierce the clouds, but alas, no wind to lift my wings. What can one do when the times are against you? What can be done? What can be done?”

“Waiter, bring me another…”

He wanted nothing more than to order a pot of fine wine and drink himself into a stupor. But then he felt the salary of just over one tael he had just received, looked down at his own worn-out, unwashed long robe, and finally changed his order. “Another plate of fennel beans!”

…

‘Interesting! Very interesting!’

Fang Rui watched Liu Yun in the main hall below, a playful, knowing smile touching his lips. ‘The Celestial Determined Flood Dragon of Rao State is still struggling. I didn’t expect that.’

‘In contrast, that Yuwen An, who they said has the Destiny Chart of a Rebel King and is a forerunner, has actually achieved quite a bit.’