C10. Thorns.

C10. Thorns.

Both of them spent the night in the wooden house, and in the morning when the rain stopped, they rode back to the farm. As soon as Chu Hechao returned to the farmhouse, he surprisingly had someone boil water for bathing, and the speed at which things were done left Yuan Li a bit puzzled.

It was strange; he hadn't even started to ask Chu Hechao to leave, and he had already left on his own.

But this was obviously a good opportunity. Yuan Li wasted no time and immediately called for Guo Lin to take him to see Wang Er.

Guo Lin led him to the farmer's residence and whispered, "Young master, the refugee camp has been restless these past two days since you returned."

Yuan Li frowned, "Oh?"

"Several days ago, the relief grain distribution stopped. Following your previous orders, the steward had the refugees work in exchange for food, asking them to repair roads and cultivate fields in exchange for grain or money. Everything was going well, but in the past few days, there have been a lot of complaints in the refugee camp," Guo Lin said, "Some are unhappy about having to work for food, saying that the county government is wealthy and even though you are an official, you are unwilling to provide food. They even say... that you are a fake benevolent official. If this is not stopped soon, there may be a small riot in the refugee camp."

Yuan Li stopped in his tracks, "Is someone deliberately trying to incite trouble?"

Guo Lin nodded, "Last night, Zhao Ying caught five troublemakers. He asked me to ask the young master how to handle these people."

"Force them to reveal the mastermind," Yuan Li's eyes turned cold, "Once known, execute them on the spot in front of the refugee camp."

The refugee camp is not lacking in cunning individuals; Yuan Li had seen enough of the rise and fall of fortunes. Without absolute deterrence, the remaining risks would only increase.

It was the perfect opportunity to show these people that Yuan Li was not a soft-hearted pushover.

Wang Er had received the message that Yuan Li wanted to see him. Early in the morning, he had cleaned his house meticulously, shining the few pieces of furniture that he had. After completing this task, he eagerly awaited Yuan Li's arrival.

As soon as Yuan Li arrived, Wang Er stood up immediately, his heart pounding with excitement as he greeted, "Greetings, young master."

After days of rest and recuperation, Wang Er still looked thin, but his spirit was much stronger. His face was rosy, his eyes bright, and he no longer exuded the hostility and caution he had when they first met.

Yuan Li smiled, "Wang Er, the steward said you wanted to see me?"

Wang Er nodded cautiously, glancing around before closing the wooden door and approaching Yuan Li, whispering about how they had seized the corrupt official's illicit bribes to the high-ranking officials in Luoyang.

Yuan Li did not expect him to be so forthcoming with the information, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he settled down to listen attentively to Wang Er.

However, at that moment, the usually silent system suddenly spoke.

[System activated: Encyclopedia of all things.]

[Task: Obtain the bribes sent by Qian Zhongsheng, the magistrate of Han Zhong County, to Zhang Siban, the superintendent eunuch of Luoyang Imperial Guard.]

[Reward: "Postpartum Care of Sows" series.]

Yuan Li: "..."

What in the world is the "Postpartum Care of Sows" series?

Yuan Li couldn't help but comment, then refocused his attention.

The system's task was to find a master, and Yuan Li hadn't expected a new task to be issued before the previous one was completed. However, this thought flashed through his mind fleetingly as he shifted his gaze to the task bar.

This brief line revealed significant information; the illicit money was intended as a bribe for Zhang Siban, the head eunuch of Luoyang Imperial Guard.

The Supervisor of the Imperial Guard was an institution established alongside the Grand Secretariat.

While the Grand Secretariat was composed of five highly respected statesmen trusted by the emperor, the Supervisor of the Imperial Guard was a group of eunuchs employed by the emperor to balance the power of the Grand Secretariat and control the government.

Within the Imperial Guard resided a special unit known as the Twelve Eunuchs. This elite group, also referred to as the Twelve Eunuchs, were eunuchs – castrated men who served in the imperial palace, often entrusted with administrative or personal duties for the emperor, empress dowager, or concubines.

Eunuch Zhang Siban served as their leader and held the Emperor's closest confidence. Zhang Siban's position as the supervising eunuch highlights the potential power eunuchs could accumulate in the imperial court.

Yuan Li was taken aback by this unexpected connection between the corrupt official in Han Zhong and the highest-ranking eunuch.

Wang Er's voice grew heated as he spoke of stopping the corrupt official. Finally, gritting his teeth, he declared, "That scoundrel! He uses the people of Hanzhong's blood and sweat to bribe officials in Luoyang and cover up their suffering! I can't tolerate this! Even if it costs me my life, I won't let him get away with it! But fear not, young master. If you're worried about being implicated, we can leave Ruyang County tonight. However, I implore you to consider the remaining disaster victims. Please, take care of them in your absence."

After he spoke, Wang Er bowed deeply to Yuan Li.

Yuan Li admired the boldness and honesty of this man. He helped Wang Er to his feet, reassuring him, "You did a noble thing. Why would I ever chase you away?"

A look of disbelief crossed Wang Er's face as he gazed up at Yuan Li.

Yuan Li smiled and calmly stated, "Rest assured, no one will trace this back to me or to you. However, I will need to inspect those goods."

Despite Yuan Li's youth, a wave of relief washed over Wang Er. Deeply moved, he confessed, "Truth be told, we intended to entrust you with the stolen funds from the corrupt officials."

Wang Er wasn't someone who disdained wealth. He simply possessed a sharper mind. In the hands of a displaced person like him, this ill-gotten treasure was a double-edged sword, a potential death sentence waiting to happen.

Moreover, Master Yuan, embodying the ancient virtue of ren (仁, benevolence), offered refuge and sustenance to those in need. Wang Er, filled with righteous indignation (yì, 義), found the very notion of using stolen money from corrupt officials repugnant.

Therefore, returning the funds to Yuan Li was the most honorable course of action (yòng yì, 用義, acting righteously).

Yuan Li, a man of exceptional kindness and ambition, resonated with Wang Er's own unspoken dreams. Yearning to break free from the shackles of a simple farmer's life, Wang Er saw an opportunity.

The stolen money, then, became a token of allegiance, a bridge connecting him to a future filled with purpose.

Yuan Li could sense Wang Er's genuine sincerity. He wasn't a fool.

Even without a system quest prompting him, he wouldn't turn down such a good deal. Without hesitation, he readily accepted Wang Er's allegiance and followed him to inspect the goods.

To his surprise, however, the system didn't prompt a quest completion notification after he agreed to take over the goods. Apparently, the system didn't consider the goods to be truly in Yuan Li's possession yet.

Could it be because he hadn't actually retrieved the goods? Yuanli pondered.

The goods had been hidden underground by Wang Er and his men in a dense forest on the edge of the farm. The terrain in the forest was complex and unpredictable.

If Wang Er hadn't led the way, Yuan Li wouldn't have been able to find the treasure, even if he knew it was hidden there.

After a while, Wang Er stopped. He glanced around and nodded affirmatively. "Young Master, we're here," he said.

Working together with Guo Lin, they began digging. Soon, a large crate was unearthed. Yuan Li opened the crate and was greeted by the dazzling sight of gold coins!

Though Yuan Li was not lacking in money, he couldn't help but look surprised when he saw the shining gold in the box.

Gold and food were the currency of the time. Noble families often exchanged gold as gifts, and gold predominantly circulated among the elite, with even the Yuan Manor not possessing much gold.

But this box of gold looked to be at least twenty catties, no small sum.

Even the Emperor's rewards were typically just a few catties of gold.

Wang Er said, "Young master, there are about ten boxes like this filled with gold."

Yuan Li took a sharp breath.

Ten boxes meant over two hundred catties of gold.

"In addition to the gold, there was..." Before Wang Er could finish his sentence, his face suddenly changed, and he swiftly pulled Yuan Li down to the ground.

Yuan Li quickly drew his steel knife from his waist and looked behind him.

Three or four fierce-looking men in rough clothes were hiding behind the trees and staring ominously at them. They were either holding stone axes or large knives, with the person in front aiming a bow and arrow directly at Yuanli.

These men looked somewhat familiar, and with his exceptional memory, Yuan Li remembered who they were. "Wang Er, are they the ones who intercepted the goods with you in the beginning?"

Wang Er nodded gravely and shouted at the men, "What do you want?"

The man with the bow and arrow sneered, "Wang Er, this batch of goods was seized by us at the risk of our lives. Why should you decide to give it away?"

Wang Er's temples pulsed, "We all agreed at the beginning to hand over this batch of goods to Young Master Yuan as relief for the disaster victims. Li Hong, you all agreed to this as well!"

He looked sharply at each of the men; the three behind Li Hong couldn't help but show signs of guilt.

Li Hong laughed coldly, "But I regret it! Wang Er, I can't understand what you're thinking. Do you know how wealthy the Yuan family is? They have power and influence, assisting disaster victims is a piece of cake for them. Is the young master of the Yuan family really so benevolent? Bullshit! He made us start working after just a few days of eating, treating us like his servants. You are willing to give him so much money, but we are not. Is there anywhere in this world where you give money to someone and then become their servant? We have taken so many things, just one piece of gold would make us wealthy for a long time. Are you willing to give away these things, when we are not?"

Wang Er clenched his fists, his face turning purple with anger.

Yuan Li stood up cautiously, his voice cold, "Did you cause the chaos in the refugee camp?"

"Exactly," Li Hong smirked and pulled back his bow and arrow, his expression full of envy, "Fortunately, you brought fewer people. We'll kill you, take the goods and run, then no one will know that we robbed that corrupt official."

"Don't get agitated," Yuan Li spoke calmly and gestured to pacify them. Suddenly, his expression changed as he looked straight at Li Hong and the others behind him, "Are those people you brought as well?"

Li Hong subconsciously turned to look back, and Yuan Li seized the opportunity to step forward quickly, grabbing Li Hong's hands and twisting them back, the sound of bones cracking echoing as Li Hong's hands were instantly broken.

Li Hong screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground, rolling in agony. The other three men were horrified and rushed forward with their stone axes and large knives to attack Yuan Li.

Yuan Li thrust his steel knife into one of the men, then pulled it out ruthlessly, decisively chopping off the arm of another man.

The sensation of the blade piercing flesh and blood was incredibly real, blood splattered, drenching Yuan Li's face. Two of the three men quickly fell down, and the last one stared at Yuan Li in horror, backing away with weak legs, turning to flee.

Yuan Li's hand trembled slightly.

He clenched his fist and drove the steel knife through Li Hong's shoulder, pinning him to the ground, then picked up a bow and arrow that had fallen nearby, aiming it at the fleeing man.

The arrow was aimed at his knee.

With a swift sound of breaking through the air, the fleeing man howled in pain as he fell to the ground.

All of this happened very quickly, almost in the blink of an eye, completely reversing the situation. Wang Er and Guo Lin's hearts were pounding as they watched Yuan Li covered in blood, feeling a mix of fear and deep admiration.

Yuan Li was only eighteen years old and not even an adult yet, but he had swiftly and decisively incapacitated four men.

No, it wasn't accurate to say he killed them because all four still had a breath of life left in them.

They lay in a pool of blood, spasming all over, clutching their severed arms and crying out as they crawled away, desperately trying to distance themselves from Yuan Li.

A strong wind blew, carrying the overwhelming stench of blood that made one feel nauseous. Wang Er, having killed the lackeys of the corrupt official, was unfazed, but Guo Lin was already pale and vomiting on the ground.

Yuan Li remained calm on the surface as he stood up, withdrew his knife from Li Hong, causing him to faint from the pain. Ignoring him, Yuan Li turned to Wang Er and Guo Lin, "Bury the gold, Guo Lin, go fetch someone."

Guo Lin wiped his face with a troubled expression and forced out, "Yes."

When Chu Hechao finished bathing, he noticed that Yuan Li was missing.

Standing at the entrance of the bathhouse was Yuan Li's servant Lin Tian, who respectfully said, "General, the young master asked me to show you around the farm."

Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow and smiled, though there was no warmth in his eyes, "Not interested."

Lin Tian lowered his head even further, "The young master said he didn't finish telling you about something yesterday and hides in the farm."

Chu Hechao finally looked directly at Lin Tian, staring at him for a moment until beads of sweat formed on Lin Tian's forehead before saying, "Lead the way."

Chu Hechao was not interested in farming, and at first, he was indifferent when he first saw Yuan Li's farm. However, the more he looked around, the more waves of astonishment rolled in his heart.

Yuan Li's farm was not like an ordinary one.

The agricultural tools and methods were unheard of, the land exceptionally fertile, and the rice seedlings grew taller and healthier than in normal fields. Even the pigs in the pigsty were unusually fat and robust.

At first glance, everything seemed normal, but upon closer inspection, everything was extraordinary. Chu Hechao pursed his lips, his eyes glowing with intrigue.

Just then, he saw a group of people hastily emerging from the forest.

Leading them was the aunt who had disappeared before.

Chu Hechao squinted his eyes and took long strides forward. As they approached, he noticed the servants carrying several bloodied individuals.

Chu Hechao's footsteps halted as he waited for Yuan Li to come over. He asked, "Aunt, what's..."

He stopped mid-sentence, lowering his head slightly to see the bloodstains on Yuan Li's body.

In addition to the bloodstains, there was also a strong smell of blood.

Chu Hechao observed Yuan Li from top to bottom, his expression becoming increasingly strange.

"Have you killed someone?"

Yuan Li turned his head and smiled at him.

It was the same gentle and friendly smile as usual, his eyes still clear and bright. However, the dots of bright crimson blood splattered on his face brought a touch of dangerous allure to this handsome and kind face.

Yuan Li patiently explained, "General, don't jump to conclusions. I didn't kill anyone."

Guo Lin added, "Young Master is kind-hearted, he just severely injured these robbers."

Yuan Li chuckled, looked at Lin Tian, and said, "I'll go change first, you take care of the General."

Lin Tian respectfully acknowledged.

The group passed by Chu Hechao, with several heavily injured individuals being carried past him.

One of them had their arm cleanly severed, evident from the neat wound that the person responsible was determined.

Chu Hechao turned to watch Yuan Li's back, rubbing the handle of his dagger with his gloved hand, feeling a twinge of excitement.

He had thought it was a rabbit, but it turned out to be a thorn in the rose. This sister-in-law was truly remarkable.