Chapter 4 Frost Descent (Wu Xia)

  Seeing his brother in trouble, he didn't even lend a helping hand, but instead took the opportunity to plot against his brother's share of the family property. It's no wonder that Yuwen Zhi had no attachment to such a family. But Wang Xun remembered what Yuwen Zhi had been obsessed with before, which was how to revive the family's fortunes. Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart, sighed, and didn't try to persuade him anymore.

  With a sigh of relief, Yuwen Zhi's mood lightened considerably. Thinking about how his colleagues would mock him when they heard the news that he was running a brothel in Pingkang and becoming a gigolo, he felt even more satisfied with this revenge. He picked up the bowl of porridge and, disregarding Wang Chun's attempts to stop him, poured half of it directly into his stomach. Then, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he laughed and said: "Fine, let's just split the family property then! In the future, my descendants will start their family tree from my generation. We won't need to curry favor with anyone above us. Let's just say that Yuwen Zhi emerged from a stone crack by himself!"

  As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for her circumstances and tears began to fall again.

  "Look at your miserable state!" Seeing his good friend in distress, Wang Xuan's heart was also not feeling well. He pushed him and forced a smile as he scolded: "Our joint venture shop makes a decent profit every year. If it weren't for your brother, I mean Yuwen De, taking money from you, perhaps you would have lived an even more comfortable life."

  "I'd rather give my money to beggars from now on than let him take another penny!" Yuwen Zhi gritted his teeth, swearing an oath.

  Wang Xun knew that he was not feeling well, so he told some irrelevant jokes to cheer him up. The two of them chatted and laughed for a while, and then roughly talked about some recent events. Just as they were talking, the Qin brothers arrived. Seeing Yuwen's pale and thin appearance, Qin Guomou was shocked, rushed forward a few steps, grabbed his hand and sighed: "My god, how did you get treated like this?! Didn't Ming Yun bribe everyone in the Wan Nian County government? How could they still bully you after taking the money?"

  "On top, they have to hit eighty slaps. Considering the money involved, they can only pretend to be severe while actually being lenient. How dare they really hurt skin and flesh?" Yuwen Zhi curled his lips and responded with a bitter smile.

  Before he finished speaking, Lao Er Qin Guo Zhen's face turned red first. "This time we two brothers didn't help much, really feel guilty. Zi Da, if you want to scold us a few sentences, don't hate your brother!"

  "How can you say that? The two brothers are being too serious. I got myself into trouble, how can I blame others? Moreover, if it weren't for Uncle's well-informed news and the two brothers' efforts, Erlang wouldn't have been able to rescue me so quickly!" Before the Qin brothers arrived, Yuwen Zhi had already understood the general situation of what happened over the past few days from Wang Xun's mouth, and he shook his head with a smile.

  Although they said so, the Qin brothers still felt guilty in their hearts. The several businesses that everyone had jointly invested in and opened together, although the capital was shared equally, were usually managed by Wang Xuan and Yuwen Zhi. Especially Yuwen Zhi, who almost every day was busy with business, putting in several times more effort than everyone else! He did this, of course, to give others a favor, in case of future need. But when real trouble came, the person most likely to be able to help was precisely the one who couldn't exert any strength?

  The two brothers smiled wryly and said one after the other: "Anyway, this time we two brothers didn't live up to our responsibility, that's all. We really owe you an apology!" "As for family matters, we've never been in charge. But we've thought of all possible ways! Fortunately, you can safely get out of prison, otherwise, we two brothers would really have no face to see people again!"

  "If it weren't for the two brothers and Ming Yun, I'd probably be dead in prison by now!" Yuwen Zhi waved his hand again, smiling in response. "This kindness, this lifetime Yuwen Zida will never forget. The two brothers mustn't say another word, or else we'll become enemies!"

  "Yes, yes, hasn't Zida already come out? Let's not mention those unpleasant things, let's think about where to go drinking this afternoon instead!" Wang Xuan saw that the atmosphere in the house was getting more and more awkward, so he hurriedly laughed and mediated.

  "Alright, let's not mention it!" The Qin brothers nodded and smiled. "In that case, Zida probably wouldn't want to bring bad luck back home either! As it happens, we two brothers have a vacant house in Longqing Square that we haven't had time to take care of. Let's just give it to Zida as a temporary place to rest!"

  "How can this be!" Yuwen Zhi heard, his head shaking immediately like a rattle drum, "I'm not someone who has nowhere to go..." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he suddenly realized that he indeed had no home to return to now, and his heart skipped a beat again, his eyes also dimming instantly.

  "Isn't it just a temporary stay? And not even given to you for free. What's the fuss about?" Wang Zong was still quick-witted, seeing that Yuwen Zhi's face didn't look right, he pushed him and laughed as he persuaded him.

  Yuwen Zhiyi was taken aback, but soon understood that the Qin brothers probably already knew about his older brother Yuwen De's actions, so they had prepared a house for him in advance. His nostrils suddenly began to sour, and he cupped his hands together, saying in a low voice: "In that case, I won't be polite. Once the house is tidy, I'll definitely invite my brothers over for a drink!"

  "That's natural!" Qin Guo pulled Yuwen Zhi's hand over, and stuffed a house deed into his palm, "Take it. You can stay as long as you want. When we brothers are short of money one day, we'll naturally come to you to take the house back!"

  "Turned into the sixth house from the entrance of the alley, there are two black mounting stones in front of the door, that's it!" Qin Guo Zheng also smiled and whispered to Yu Wen Zhi the specific location of the courtyard.

  Six is a auspicious number in the Tang Dynasty, it can be seen that Qin brothers have spent a lot of thought on this. Such kindness, Yuwen Zhi doesn't need to say polite words, it would only make him appear petty. He nodded and smiled, putting away the deed.

  The brothers chatted idly for a while, and the topic inadvertently turned to the recent series of changes in the capital. From the fight with Li Bai at Qujiang Pool to now, it's only been five or six days. But the four brothers all felt like they had been through a lifetime. Just a few days ago, when they were sitting together, they thought they were invincible, and that nothing was impossible if they joined forces. Now, they finally realized how insignificant their power really was. With just a wave of the superior's sleeve, they could be swept away like trash, leaving not even a speck behind!

  When one knows that he can't do everything, it's the beginning of maturity. After a while, Qin Guo let out a sigh and concluded in a low voice: "A loss is a gain, we should work harder next time and not always rely on others for help!"

  "Yes, the remaining influence of our predecessors will eventually run out!" Wang Xuan also had similar feelings in his heart, nodded and smiled in agreement.

  "There are some people, sooner or later I will make them regret it!" Yuwen Zhi couldn't forget those who abandoned him at critical moments, and whenever he mentioned it, his teeth clenched in anger.

  Qin Guo Zheng placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I advise you to bear with it for now. This storm will not pass anytime soon!"

  "I didn't say it was today!" Yuwen Zhi sneered, his snow-white teeth flashing.

  Qin Guo Zhen advised him not to move, so he had no choice but to turn his head towards Wang Xuan. "Today, I suddenly heard that Zi Da has escaped from the sea of suffering. My brother and I almost didn't dare believe our ears. We thought we would have to go through another round of twists and turns, but who would have thought that heaven really opened its eyes! Who is so capable, with just one move, achieving immediate results?"

  "Yes, I wonder which great Buddha Ming Yun finally found?! Qin Guo Ye was also very curious about the person who could snatch Yuwen Zhi from the hands of King Wang Kuo, and looked at Wang Xun's face with a smile, asking further."

  "Hey, who's the one I'm looking for? Is it you, Subei?" Wang Xuan shook his head and smiled. Before he could say Jia Chang's name, Ma Fang's sharp voice suddenly came from outside the door, "Where is he? Where is he? Yuwen Subei, hurry up and get out here so I can see you! You damn scoundrel, you've really made me suffer!"

  "Little thing, are you itchy?" Yuwen Zhi pushed open the door and laughed as he went out. "You dare to speak to me like that, I think you're tired of living!"

  No sooner had the words left her mouth than she and Ma Fang were already in a heated argument. After a good while, they finally pulled each other back into the house, their faces still somewhat pale but with some of their vitality restored.

  "You little scamp, you're actually out? Or did you sneak out again. Watch your behind!" Wang Xuan also had a liking for Ma Fang, who was innocent at heart. He walked forward and rubbed his forehead, joking with him.

  "This time, I'm walking out of the front door with my head held high!" Ma Fang slapped Wang Cong's arm away and strode forward, "My father helped me find a decent job. From now on, I won't give him any more trouble, so he doesn't have to keep an eye on me like I'm a thief!"

  "Seriously? What can you do?" Not just Wang Xuan, but also the usually gentle Qin brothers couldn't believe it, looking at Ma Fang with his baby fat still not gone.

  "How dare you look down on me!" Ma Fang pretended to be hurt, loudly protesting. Seeing that no one was willing to comfort him, he couldn't help but put away his injured expression and proudly walked a half circle in front of everyone, "You all, don't think I'm young and inexperienced. Ambition is not about age, I've already enlisted and will soon go to battle for the country. If we don't conquer Loulan, I swear I won't return home!"

  "What about you?" The crowd burst into another fit of laughter, grabbing Ma Fang and examining him from head to toe. Ma Fang was looked at until he became angry and embarrassed, reaching his hand to his waist and pulling out a waist card inlaid with gold thread, shaking it vigorously in front of the crowd. "What's wrong with me? Look, I'm now a ninth-grade Renyong lieutenant. Not an empty title, but a Feilong Imperial Guard who can walk horizontally in the capital. Are you scared? Haha, are you frightened to death?"

  Note 1: Renyong xiao wei, a Tang Dynasty military officer rank. Ninth grade. Slightly lower than Wang Xun's Xuanjie deputy captain.