Chapter 51: The Treasures of Heaven and Earth Hidden in the Wooden Box (Part 2)

  "Zhao Tiejiang, this is the son of Old Guogong, Zhou Wenbo, Lord Zhou. He has now inherited the title of Guogong and has come here to train a new army." Liu Meng continued to introduce Zhou Wenbo's identity.

  Zhao Tiejiang, who was nearly fifty years old, hastily bowed and paid his respects, and was helped up by Zhou Wenbo.

  "I don't know how many weapons and armor Master can make in a month?" Zhou Wenbo followed Zhao Ironsmith into the backyard, observing the internal structure of the ironworkshop while asking about the situation.

  "Your Excellency, I have more than 20 apprentices under me. In one month, we can forge over a hundred knives and swords, ten suits of armor, and manufacture various other copper and iron tools and military equipment."

  Zhou Wenbo was about to praise him a couple of sentences when he suddenly felt the system's prompt.

  He responded casually while opening the system interface.

  Found a mid-tier blacksmith shop under the jurisdiction - Zhao's Blacksmith Shop. Main business: weapons and armor.

  Effect: Increases the killing intent of the territory by 10 points every week.

  Warning: The owner has not yet obtained territory permissions, and territory permissions need you to explore before they can be unlocked.

  Zhou Wenbo's spirit was shaken for a moment. Since he established his own system, due to not having his own territory, he had never been able to truly develop his strength. Unexpectedly, today he finally saw the dawn!

  Overjoyed Zhou Wenbo, accompanied by Zhao Tiejiang, inspected the ironwork shop and hastily left for the remaining shops on the street.

  What made Zhou Wenbo somewhat disappointed was that only one store, which was identified as a primary grain shop, could increase the life energy of its territory by 3 points every week. The rest of the small shops couldn't even pass the system's judgment.

  After walking around the small military compound, Zhou Wenbo finally returned to the only intersection in the compound and discovered that he had inadvertently missed a shop located at the street corner.

  The gate of the shop was closed, but two red lanterns hung high under the eaves revealed the main business of the shop. On the door, there was a sign with three bold characters "Furongyuan", which had some style although it wasn't a famous work.

  Liu Meng looked at his young master staring at the "Furong Courtyard" and stepped forward to dispel his doubts: "Sir, this is a brothel opened by Qian Shan, the military's traveling marshal. The women kept here are either abducted from the chaotic army or bought at low prices. Most of them have some charm, and some can sing and dance well. Many military leaders come here to seek pleasure, but ordinary soldiers cannot afford it."

  Zhou Wenbo only then realized that in this small, humble military camp, there was actually a high-end brothel with two stories, the only one of its kind, indicating just how prosperous this industry was.

  Zhou Wenbo suddenly became curious and wondered if this brothel could be recognized by the system. If it was, what benefits would it bring?

  Then Zhou Wenbo handed the precious sword at his waist to Liu Meng, the leader of the guards beside him, and took out a folding fan from his sleeve. On both sides of this bamboo-boned folding fan were written two lines of large characters: "Only peonies are truly national colors, flowers blooming in the capital city." The poem was by Liu Yuxi of the former Tang Dynasty, and the calligraphy was by Zhou Jinyu, a famous name spreading throughout Luoyang City. It was indeed the best prop for showing off one's elegance and heroism. As soon as this fan came out and shook in front of him, Zhou Wenbo's original majestic and dignified air transformed into that of a young nobleman.

  Just as Zhou Wenbo was about to knock on the door, he saw the main gate of Furongyuan suddenly open, and a figure rushed out.

  Zhou Wenbo was taken aback and took a step back, while Liu Meng rushed up and pinned the man down.

  Zhou Wenbo took a closer look, and it turned out to be a young man who looked like a scholar in decline. He was originally wearing a silk robe made of fine fabric, but now it had been worn out in many places, with coarse cloth patches sewn on at several joints and cuffs. The whole body of the robe was dirty and old, and the whiskers and hair on his face were also unkempt. The person looked extremely disheveled.

  The book didn't come out on its own, but was thrown out from inside by someone.

  The old woman had just seen the poor man she had thrown out being pressed to the ground, and was about to burst into a loud scolding, but when she saw the attire of the people in front of her, her eyes lit up. Her original angry face with a mouthful of rage instantly turned into a warm spring breeze, and her hands, which were inserted at her waist, quietly changed their posture and gently rested on her hips.

  This sudden change in the old madam left Zhou Wenbo speechless, and this speed of changing her face was not inferior to Sichuan opera. It's no wonder that she can be the first in the industry among all the brothels in Junzhuang.

  She is said to be a madam, but her face looks no more than thirty years old. The charm of a mature woman still exists, and she must have been a beauty in her early years.

  "Oh my, oh me! I was up early and heard the magpies chirping away on the branches. I didn't think much of it, but indeed we have a noble guest arriving. May I ask how this young master is called?" The old procuress's words were as sweet as honey, but her feet dared not move an inch.

  This young master is obviously from a wealthy and influential family, with several servants behind him who have a murderous aura on their faces and are carrying deadly weapons. Although she has been welcoming and sending off many military men over the years, it seems that few can compare to this elite group.

  His gaze shifted, and he saw the face of the robust man who was pinning the scholar to the ground. It seemed like he had found someone to talk to: "Hey, isn't that Liu Xiao Wei? I haven't seen you in almost two years, where have you been? Did you get a promotion or make a fortune?"

  Zhou Wenbo gave Liu Meng a signal with his eyes.

  Having confirmed that the person he had pinned down was just a weak scholar, Liu Meng let go and stood up: "Sir, this is Qian Sima's lover, the owner of the Furuong Inn, Liu Mama."

  Liu Meng said, after turning around to carefully observe the young master's expression, knowing that he didn't mind him revealing his identity. He then spoke to the old madam: "Auntie Liu, this is the youngest son of Old Duke Guo, the current Young Duke Zhou Wenbo, Lord Zhou. Lord Zhou has come to the military camp to recruit new troops and happened to drop by the Military Equipment Market. Why don't you quickly invite him inside?"

  Zhou Wenbo didn't rush in, but instead carefully observed the disheveled scholar who couldn't get up.

  After a closer look, Zhou Wenbo found that the scholar was only in his early twenties, with a pale face and reeking of alcohol, apparently still a drunkard, which made Zhou Wenbo slightly disappointed.

  Since Zhou Wenbo discovered that this land was likely to become his first territory, he naturally thought of the first building he had tried to build - a private school. This private school would probably also increase the resources within his own territory, and wasn't this scholar a private school teacher who fell from the sky?

  However, if it's someone who spends all day lingering in brothels and drinking every day, Zhou Wenbo naturally wouldn't be willing to spend his mind recruiting him.

  However, the etiquette he cultivated in his past life made him subconsciously help the young man who had fallen to the ground.