Nine, go with the flow

  "Lao Wu, what's going on here?"

  Yu Yiqin's face still wore a look of horror, he had yet to wake up from the news he received.

  Yu Yixuan's fingers were also trembling, he looked at the crooked and twisted characters he had written, sighed and put the pen back on the inkstone.

  "What else could it be... Our Yu family, has produced an extraordinary person." Yu Yixuan stared at Yu Yiqin: "Doesn't brother have any suspicions in his heart?"

  "Fifteen years old... He was only fifteen years old, how could he possibly do something like this, how could he be so... so flawless?"

  Yu Yiqin's mouth was dry and he felt a chill run down his spine as he thought of his cousin being burned to death. He wasn't afraid of the dead, but what terrified him was the ruthless calculation and decisiveness behind the silent and stealthy act, and the cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness displayed in this massacre.

  "Eleven mouths... all eleven mouths... just like that, they died. Yu Yiqin swallowed another mouthful of saliva and trembled as he spoke to Yu Yixuan: "Old Five, it can't end like this..."

  "What can be done, the sky is seamless, there is no evidence... The three houses only have one servant, a total of four men, are you saying that they can make such a big commotion last night?" Yu Yixuan said in a low voice: "First, set fire to the Song family, then the fire spread to half of the city, every household sent people to put out the fire, everywhere was chaotic and noisy. At this time, sneak into the four houses, slaughter all the old and young, even several servants died..."

  "Lao Wu, don't say any more... Last night... If he had come to find us last night..."

  Yu Yixuan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and indeed, in the chaos of last night, if that "thief" was looking for trouble with Er Fang, he had already separated from Yu Yiqin and lived in different houses, afraid it would be a dead end.

  "It's really too much... Not only killing a chicken with a sledgehammer, but also scaring the monkey."

  "We can't just let him do as he pleases, our generation might be able to put up with it, but if he continues like this into the next generation, who will be able to control him? Eldest Fifth Brother, you surely don't want to see the position of clan leader pass from our second house to the third house!"

  "You can say that, but it's just your brother's suspicion, there is no evidence at all!" Yu Yixuan's voice had unknowingly risen, this was the most infuriating part, he had clearly guessed that it was Yu Guozhen who did the bloody deed, but there was no evidence, not only was there no evidence, but the other side had also left a trick up their sleeve: "Li Jinbao is not around, and today early in the morning the whole town is full of rumors, Li Jinbao seeing wealth and turning against his master, colluding with the Anhui lake pirates... unless we can find Li Jinbao to confront him, otherwise what can be done?"

  Yu Yiqin plopped down in his armchair and let out a long sigh.

  He most admired his own younger brother's cleverness. If even he couldn't think of a solution, then it was truly hopeless.

  "We can't just watch...watch him get away with it..."

  "There is no evidence, it can only be so for the time being, let's take our time to plan, Second Brother, don't worry, he has his reasons for dealing with the Fourth House, after all, they have been pushing him too far."

  He was secretly relieved that his foresight had been correct, although he had made some plans behind the scenes, but on the surface, he still hadn't offended the nephew of the third house.

  Just then a servant outside loudly announced: "Second Master, Fifth Master, Zhen Ge is seeking an audience outside."

  "What? He... he's here!" Yu Yiqin suddenly stood up, somewhat flustered.

  "What's the panic, Second Brother? It's broad daylight and this is my own home!" Yu Yixuan still had three parts of a scholar's composure, he first calmed down Yu Yiqin, then said to the outside, "Let him in."

  Yu Guozhen walked in with a worried look on his face and bowed to the two uncles.

  "What are you doing here?" Yu Yiqin asked somewhat rudely.

  "The affair of the fourth house, my young nephew has already heard about it. Although yesterday I broke off all relations with the fourth house, but having encountered such a thing, no matter what, one cannot write two 'Yu' characters at once. So I came to see if there's anywhere I can help." Yu Guozhen said this while secretly scolding himself for being shameless, and also feeling quite proud of himself for finally learning how to tell lies with his eyes open, a necessary skill for a politician. If he could turn the lies he told with his eyes open into reality, then he would be able to rise to become a statesman.

  "Help..." Yu Yiqin's forehead suddenly twitched violently.

  But before he could finish speaking, Yu Yixuan coughed and said: "Now you and I are both at a loss, unsure of how to handle this matter. We've only sent someone to deliver a message to your Sixth Uncle... Little Five, you're the smartest among the younger generation, what do you think we should do?"

  Yu Guozhen said without hesitation: "Tighten our defenses."

  "What?"

  "When I arrived, I heard rumors that the incident was done by the bandits from Nanchang Lake. Whether it's true or not, it's always good to be prepared for the possibility that the killer might come again. The fourth house has already been killed eleven people... The killer must be a ruthless and cunning thief, if we don't strengthen our guard, I'm afraid he will take pleasure in his crime and come after us three houses again!"

  Yu Yiqin and Yu Yixuan exchanged a glance, this kid was only fifteen years old, if he had done it, yet he was still so calm in his analysis, then he must be a great villain!

  "Xiao Wu, just say it directly, what are you planning to do?" Yu Yixuan said in a low voice.

  "San Fang lives alone outside the town, so I plan to build a wall around the yard and ask my two uncles to send over ten strong servants to patrol day and night, lest we be taken advantage of by thieves." said Yu Guo Zhen.

  It was quite common for large families to keep powerful slaves at that time, and the Fang family of Tongcheng was no exception. When Fang Yizhi went out, his powerful slaves even crossed swords and rode horses with an intimidating air. The Yu family was not a big family, but it was also considered a small and wealthy household, and there were still 30 or 40 strong men in the clan who could be selected.

  "It was useless, several families lived in the four-room house, and they also died a few...". Yu Yiqin coldly smiled: "That thief is ruthless!"

  "So I need to train them, Second Brother, Fifth Uncle, after you hand them over to me, I'll take care of their training." Yu Guozhen said.

  After saying this, Yu Yiqin almost went mad. They suspected that Yu Guozhen was the murderer. If they handed over the family's servant to him again, wouldn't it be equivalent to putting their own necks on his knife?

  "No! No!" Yu Yiqin hastily shouted.

  "It's really not possible. Firstly, you're outside the town and everyone has gone to your place, so they can't take care of the town. Secondly, you're still young and the servants at home may not be willing to listen to you. Thirdly, it's not that Fifth Uncle looks down on you, but training the family guards is not something you can handle."

  Yu Yixuan's eyes sparkled as if he had an idea, and Yu Yiqin shut his mouth, although nominally the head of the family, but in his heart, he knew that his fifth brother, who had a reputation for being talented, was the true pillar of this family.

  "But..."

  "However, Xiao Wu, your idea reminded me that indeed, we should train our family guards. Why don't you move back to the town and I'll take charge of training them? After all, I've read quite a few military books."

  Yu Guozhen was taken aback by the words, then shook his head: "If Fifth Uncle says so, I won't be convinced. Although I don't like reading books about sages and worthies, I have read miscellaneous books. The Wu Wei Gong of this dynasty is the best in the world at training troops, and I've also read his 'Ji Xiao Xin Shu'... Let me take charge of the drills instead."

  The two of them argued for a good while, although both were smiling, but Yu Yiqin felt a chill on his back, as if there was an invisible sword light flashing back and forth in the study. In the end, they compromised, Yu Guozhen did not move back to the town, nor did he hand over the family servants to him, but allowed him to recruit a batch of people himself, counted as the Yu family's housekeeper, only all expenses were borne by himself.

  Yu Guo Zhen walked away, and Yu Yi Qiong asked: "Lao Wu, what do you mean by this? Are you really going to drill the household troops?"

  "Second brother, Guo Zhen's words really reminded me that today the weather is not calm. There are water bandits in Chaohu Lake, mountain thieves in Huoshan, and robbers in Shaanxi-Shanxi area who are rampaging recklessly. The northern barbarians have invaded the border several times, and the world has already shown signs of chaos. Our family has some reliable servants, if something happens, we can rely on them."

  Later, Yu Yixuan's voice lowered, and Yu Yiqin nodded repeatedly, feeling that his fifth brother was indeed worthy of having a jinshi degree, as he saw things more clearly than himself. However, he still had one question: "Fifth brother, if so, why did you also let that little brat go recruit people? What if he really trains a group of people to plot against us?"

  "Second brother, you're the most familiar with the family's situation in the third house. Besides the 500 taels of silver taken from the pawnshop yesterday, how much more is there? At current rice prices, how many people can 500 taels of silver support? Even if it was indeed Fourth Brother who did it, he must have made a profit from him too. But does he dare to use it now? As soon as he makes a wrong move, I'll send a petition to the yamen and everything will be settled." Yu Yixuan smiled and said: "Besides, I'm at least a juren, if I still can't handle household guards better than him, then there's no need to compete with him."

  Yu Yiqin suddenly felt reasonable, he gritted his teeth: "Since that's the case, there's no need for Old Five to worry about money and food, I'll take care of it!"

  "Also, there are still people available, Second Brother, give me thirty strong and able-bodied servants..."

  They were discussing when Yu Guozhen had already left Xiang'an Town, Gao Buping followed him, seeing that there was no one around, Gao Buping said in a low voice: "Young official, the townspeople are all saying that it was Li Jinbao who colluded with the water bandits to do this!"

  Yu Guozhen nodded in anticipation: "Erci did a good job... Tell Erci to tell those little brothers of his that we're recruiting guards, as long as they can endure hardship and obey orders, they can come. We'll provide three meals a day for each person, and on top of that, give out five silver coins per month to support their families!"

  This treatment is considered generous, and the tall and thin one estimated that all the poor young people in the town would be willing to come here just to get a meal. He said with some concern: "Young master, isn't this expenditure too large? That sum of money is still hot now, can't move it."

  "Don't worry, soon I can spend money as I like." Yu Guozhen smiled.

  He mounted the mule and headed towards his row of houses, filled with joy in his heart. The crops on both sides of the road seemed to have turned into two rows of sternly disciplined soldiers in his eyes.

  With soldiers, in this chaotic world, there is everything!