Chapter 3: Too Many Unknowns

  When Li Xiang first arrived at the border city of Fan Gu, he had thought more than once about taking the 800 border troops to launch a surprise attack on the stone castle called Niepan in the Wolf's Milk Mountains. He even made a will for this ideal, knowing that starting a war between two powerful empires was a crime too great, and even if he came from the Li family of Longyou, he couldn't bear it.

  Going to war with the Mongol Empire is different from going to war with other countries. If it's a provocation against the Yan state south of the Yanshan Mountains, it will be praised by the bigwigs in the Ministry of War as brave and martial. But if you rashly provoke a conflict with the Mongol Empire, you'll definitely be scolded by everyone as an idiot.

  Of course, this does not mean that those big shots in the Ministry of War did not want to provoke the Mongol Empire.

  Although the greatness of Daxun has been fully demonstrated over the past century, there is no doubt that the title of the world's number one power still belongs to Mengyuan. In terms of territorial area, the grasslands occupied by the Mongol Empire are only slightly smaller than the combined territories of the four countries of Daxun, Nanyan, Dongchu, and Beiliao.

  And this is just the surface of the territory, when it comes to the Mongol Empire, one cannot help but mention the Great Snow Mountain in the far west of the empire. On the Great Snow Mountain, there is a temple called Dazhuan Temple, and inside the temple, there is a statue of Dazhuan Mingwang.

  People in the world believe in Buddhism, except for the Great Sui Dynasty which advocates Taoism, most other countries take Buddhism as their national religion and respect Dari Rulai Wang as the ancestor of Buddha.

  Mount Taihang, Dazhuan Temple, Dazhuan Mingwang in the Mongol Empire.

  This is the reason why Daxia was afraid of Mongolia, and there is no exception.

  Don't mention the Mongol Empire's million-strong wolf cavalry, for the soldiers of the Great Sui, even the strongest warriors pose no pressure on them. Even when facing the legendary three thousand golden-armored monks from Mount Snowy Peak, the soldiers of the Great Sui would not harbor any fear or reverence like people from other countries do. Soldiers are born to fight, why should they fear their enemies?

  The great Sui Dynasty has been promoting the local Taoist teachings since its founding, although it was not established as a state religion. After more than 100 years of efforts, Taoism also took root in the Central Plains. Although Buddhist disciples came from afar to preach, they found it extremely difficult to receive the same reverence as in other countries.

  It is said that the second disciple of Daluo Tianwang, Zhìhuì Tiān Zūn, had intended to visit Daguang, but the officials in the Ministry of Rites did not take him seriously. If you want to come to Daguang to pay respects to His Majesty the Emperor, it's possible... to follow the rules and present your credentials, then wait according to the etiquette for vassals, first staying at the post station, with treatment no different from that of envoys from other countries. The Emperor will see you when he wants to, and only then can you enter the palace.

  It is said that after hearing the reply from the officials of the Ministry of Rites of the Great Sui, Zhi Hui Tian Zun sighed slightly and said: "The Master has said that the East is a place where demons and monsters are born, especially in the Central Plains, which is the most chaotic. I wanted to go take a look, and save a few people from their suffering if possible. However, the people of the Central Plains actually take pleasure in being mired in suffering, so the sea of suffering is their paradise. In that case, I won't go."

  This remark was passed on to Emperor Yang of Sui, who ridiculed it as "thick-skinned" through the Minister of Rites, Dugu Xi.

  The great Emperor Yang of Sui once said privately that those heavenly gods and Buddha ancestors in Buddhism were just a group of hypocritical people with thick skin.

  It must be mentioned that the rise of Taoism in the Great Sui was just a whim of the emperor, who felt that his country should have a religion comparable to Buddhism, and thus came to admire Taoism.

  To say, Taoism's influence on the country is far less than Buddhism's influence in other countries.

  Even if Qingle Mountain's Xiao Zhenren had revealed divine signs with a single glance.

  It is said that in April of that year, Qingyue Mountain suddenly had ten thousand mu of peach blossoms. In one night the peach blossoms were in full bloom, and in another night the immortal peaches were ripe. Xiao Zhenren invited many banished immortals from the nine heavens to come down to earth and drink wine. The villagers at the foot of the mountain could vaguely see colorful clouds floating around the middle of the mountain, and could faintly hear the sound of celestial music, but they couldn't see their true forms. At that time, the name of Taoism became very famous.

  Of course, this rumor of a miracle spread to Mount Taiyun, where the wise Tianzun smiled faintly and made a four-word comment.

  A minor skill.

  Of course, this four-character comment was transmitted back to Qingyue Mountain, and Xiao Zhenren also smiled lightly and made a four-character comment.

  Bald donkey farted.

  The Emperor of the Great Sui did not say anything because of the peach blossoms blooming overnight on Qingyueshan, or the peaches ripening overnight. Instead, he burst into laughter and applauded upon hearing the four words "the bald donkey farted", and immediately appointed Xiao Zhenren as the National Master.

  All these things were too far away for Fang De, who was stuck in a border town.

  After inexplicably arriving in this world, the most important thing is to survive. After surviving, the most important thing is to live well, and after living well, the most important thing is to maintain it.

  Fifteen years ago, he came into this world.

  Born from a place of great fame, he was almost thrown into the fire pit and burned to death as soon as he was born. Then, inexplicably, he was involved in a chase and was taken away by someone to flee to the ends of the earth. Until now, he still can't figure out why all this happened to him.

  Three years ago, he arrived in Biancheng Fan Gu.

  Then he spent three days carefully designing and approaching Li Xiang, seven days persuading Li Xiang to listen to his advice, and fifteen days using Li Xiang's name to call on the eight hundred border troops to raise 3,000 two silver coins. It took two months to build a three-story wooden building, and another half year to make this three-story wooden building a landmark in Fanggu City.

  Jin Yuan Fang

  In the second year, he called on all the citizens to raise funds to expand the Golden Yuanfang and built the Red Sleeve Building, which attracted the Red Sleeve Phoenix. In the second year of the Spring Festival, all the citizens were distributed with dividends, and not a few.

  Fang Jie became the most special person in Fanggu City.

  The boss of Jin Yuan Fang.

  ……

  ……

  It was precisely because of these businesses in Fanggu Castle, and precisely because the money from those barbarians on the grasslands was so easy to make, that Fanggu Castle's General Li Xiangzong decisively abandoned his idea of staking his own life to attack Niepan City. He changed his goal to making as much money as possible, striving to turn all the people on the grasslands on the other side of Langyushan into paupers in the shortest time possible.

  Have to say, this ideal is equally lofty...

  The forty-eight gambling methods of Jin Yuan Fang were all thought up by Fang Qianliang.

  A guy who grew up watching God of Gamblers movies would find it easy to come up with such schemes.

  Every month on the market day, it is a happy day for the people in the city. Because this means that the grassland barbarians have come to send money again, and since there were three buildings in Fanggu City, more and more foolish barbarians came to send money here. The silver distributed to the hands of all the people in the city also increased, and the people's love for Fang Jie naturally increased accordingly.

  Fang Jie was not only the shopkeeper of Jin Yuan Fang, but also had another identity.

  A scout of the vanguard reconnaissance team.

  Many people were puzzled, why did he ask Li Xiang for a military position. But everyone firmly believed that Fang Jie would never do something that wasn't beneficial to him. Only Fang Jie himself knew that if there was still a truly safe place in this world, or a place where those who pursued and killed him didn't dare to enter, it was the imperial capital Chang'an of the Great Sui Dynasty.

  But wanting to enter Chang'an City requires money and status.

  In these two things necessary for entering Chang'an City, he must obtain them in Fan'er City.

  From the very beginning, his goal was Chang'an City.

  From his birth until now, fifteen years have passed and the number of people protecting him has been reduced to two. Three years ago in the capital city of Nanyan State, Dalicheng, in order to create a false image to lure away those who were pursuing him, the last seven bodyguards discussed and made a decision after which five people took a kidnapped child and ran northeast. The remaining two people then escorted him secretly northwest, against the direction of the pursuers, into the Great Sui, and then arrived at Fanggu.

  Fang Jie knew that the five people had successfully lured away the pursuers. That's why there were three years of peaceful days in Fan Gu City. But he also knew that those five people and that unfamiliar child might have all died already. With the powerful forces of those who pursued him, after discovering they had been deceived, slowly searching from scratch... Three years was long enough, Fang Jie didn't think Fan Gu was a safe place anymore.

  The people who protected him were left with only two, and later he needed to learn how to protect himself.

  Only in the imperial capital of Chang'an is a place where those people dare not act recklessly.

  At the Cloud Dog Meat Shop, Fang Jie and Qiu Xiaoshu had dog meat hot pot and drank a whole skin of wine. Fang Jie was drunk and somewhat lost his senses. He held the hands of the shop owner's wife, who looked to be in her late 30s, and said with deep emotion that he would not marry anyone else but her. The shop owner's wife, whose name Fang Jie still didn't know, gazed at him deeply, then suddenly slapped him awake from his drunkenness by seven parts.

  "You used this trick to cheat your mother out of her wine money last time, and now you're doing it again?"

  The mistress pinched her waist, her face flushed with anger: "It's because of what you said last time, this little scoundrel. I almost divorced that lazy guy. Luckily, I didn't believe your nonsense, otherwise where would I go to find another husband who is easy-going and doesn't dare to fight back or talk back? Right, husband?"

  The dog meat stall owner, who had a wispy mustache but was not rough or boorish, and instead had a somewhat bookish air about him, nodded his head immediately after shaking it slightly, saying: "Right, right, right, where in this world is there anyone else who can make you as happy as I can?"

  The boss, known as Su Tugou, is not a native of Fan Gu Yuan either. He is said to have settled here ten years ago. Nobody knows where his hometown is, and nobody knows his age either. However, judging from his appearance, he should be around forty years old. He is slightly older than the boss's wife, and is extremely timid and afraid of trouble, a classic example of a henpecked husband.

  He rubbed his sore head, which had been hit with a package, and couldn't help but laugh: "Where would I dare to owe you money for wine? Last time was really getting drunk."

  The landlady shouted: "You come to my place, nine out of ten times you get drunk!"

  "It's just that your Li Huo Liu Dao is a bit too strong..."

  "Alright, I'll pay for the wine. He grasped the boss's wife's hand again and said softly: 'When you're done with him, come find me. I've deeply fallen under your pomegranate skirt, your charm is unmatched in all of Fanggu City. You exist in my deepest mind, my dreams, my heart, my songs...'"

  After saying this, Fang turned around and left with a resolute expression.

  The boss's wife's face turned red again, and she couldn't help but mutter: "After so many years, I've finally found someone who appreciates me... Butcher Dog, hasn't my charm decreased since my younger days?"

  Yes...

  Su Tu's dog sighed and said: "I only saw that little guy swiping another jug of wine..."

  "Huh?"

  The boss's wife was taken aback, then turned around and slapped Su Tugou on the forehead: "You saw it but didn't stop him!"

  ……

  ……

  Back to the Golden Yuan Fang, drilling into the study, Fang Jie closed the door and windows, and casually threw the stolen apricot flower wine towards the back. It was unknown where a black shadow flashed out, lightly and cleverly catching the old wine jug. The shadow turned around and disappeared without a trace.

  Fang Jie put the food box on the table and pointed to it, saying: "So many years have passed, one only eats meat but doesn't drink wine, the other only drinks wine but doesn't eat meat... aren't you two tired of this?"

  When he sat down, the lunchbox on the table had vanished.

  "Why can't we just sit down and have a proper meal?"

  He puckered his mouth and said.

  Still no response, those who drink are drinking, and those who eat meat are eating meat.

  On the beam, a woman in a large red dress lay down, her face was not visible, but her figure was extremely seductive. She leaned against the beam, drinking heavily, without saying a word. A full bag of pear blossom wine that could knock out three burly soldiers was being gulped down by her, mouthful after mouthful, yet her complexion didn't change one bit.

  Behind the bookshelf, an old man with a mangy fur coat and a sinister face was squatting on the ground. He was devouring dog meat by the mouthful, finishing off an entire box of it in mere moments - at least seven or eight catties' worth. After eating his fill, the emaciated old man wiped the grease from his lips and patted his belly contentedly.

  "Awesome!"

  He said.

  With a thud, he was hit on the forehead by a wine pouch.

  "Get out of my head!"

  The woman in red skirt sat up straight on the beam, looking at Fang Jie and said seriously: "I'm not full!"

  Treat wine as rice.

  Fang Jie didn't answer her words, but instead asked with the same serious tone: "So many years have passed and I've grown up... Can you tell me now who I am? I'm about to leave Fang Guo for Chang'an City, I shouldn't still not know who I am before entering the imperial capital."

  "What if one day I meet the Emperor of Sui Dynasty and he asks me where I come from, I certainly can't tell him... my old man doesn't even know?"