Chapter 119: Exposed?
With the existence of a heaven-defying independent space like the Dragon Pearl, Yun Ce has always believed that as long as he disguises himself well, no one can see through his disguise.
But today, he met his match.
An old man who looks very kind, very clean, very warm, clearly very knowledgeable at first glance, and who also knows Qi Gong.
Yun Ce had seen many, many very formidable old men and old women with Yun Linchuan since he was very young. In front of them, you could act spoiled or throw a childlike tantrum, but if you revealed even the slightest bit of your intentions, whether good or bad, what awaited you was a brutal beating.
Their beatings were beatings in the truest sense. According to age, from shoe soles, thin bamboo strips, to Planks, belts, and military belts, Yun Ce had suffered through every single one without exception.
If anything left the deepest impression on him, it was the military belt. Heaven knows why an old fellow of eighty or ninety tied a man-made leather military belt around his waist, with a Plank buckle featuring a raised five-pointed star and the characters for “eight one.”
When this thing whipped onto his buttocks, his buttocks immediately felt nothing but fiery pain. By the time the old fellow stopped, Yun Ce’s white tender buttocks were unrecognizable, and moreover, they were covered with five-pointed stars and the characters for “eight one.” This was Yun Ce’s first intimate contact with the army.
This led Yun Ce, during his youth and young adulthood, to develop the excellent habit of speaking straightforwardly, concisely, telling the truth, and speaking frankly.
When Yun Ce was ready to uphold this style, he had graduated from university. When he once again spoke straightforwardly and concisely in front of Old Grandpa and Old Grandma, putting forward his requests with truth and frankness, they were dissatisfied again. This time, they didn’t beat him, but instead interpreted his requests in the way of an old Official handling affairs, ultimately making the outcome diverge completely from his expectations.
Yun Ce fundamentally doesn’t like old fellows. The people he least likes to associate with are old fellows, whether Old Grandpa or Old Grandma.
1 They are very unorthodox in how they do things. They clearly see through your little schemes from the start but don’t call them out. They pretend to be fooled and watch you continue performing, only striking when your little scheme is about to succeed, at the moment of your greatest pride, unleashing a storm of belts, waistbands, and military belts…
1 Which arrogant young master or Eldest Daughter could endure that?
1 Don’t think that girls from such families get Eldest Daughter treatment. Yun Ce had seen a delicate Eldest Daughter beaten by her mother with a bicycle chain; her outcome was even more miserable than his own, who was beaten with a military belt at the same time.
1 The old fellows are like ghosts; they know everything.
1 He thought that coming to the Great Han would mean the old fellows here were different, but after meeting the High Priest of the Divine Dragon Hall, Yun Ce realized that an old fox is an old fox, whether from Earth or from the Great Han side.
1 No difference.
1 Although Yun Ce didn’t know that this old man was the High Priest of the Great Han Dragon God Hall, he could tell from his every move that this old man was absolutely no ordinary person.
1 Because he smelled on Liu Changsheng the exact same aura as on Yun Linchuan.
1 That aura of someone long enveloped by reverence, respect, and fear—even if their appearance is ordinary, their spirit deeply concealed, and their demeanor utterly plain—could not deceive Yun Ce, after all, this was part of his life.
1 The old fellow knows about the Chuyun Prefecture Shehuo in his hands but chooses to help him conceal it. Others might not understand why the old fellow would do this.
2 Yun Ce knows very well how old fellows operate.
2 When old fellows encounter something unexpected beyond everyone’s expectations and contrary to most people’s views, if it’s still within their control, their first response isn’t immediate denial, but to observe more, observe… to see if this matter can advance their career, and whether it’s beneficial to the nation and society.
2 Clearly, this old fellow knows the Chuyun Prefecture Shehuo is in his hands but doesn’t expose it; he wants to watch more, watch… because, for a country and nation, such a close-up observation opportunity is too rare.
2 This is far more important than capturing Yun Ce and retrieving the Shehuo.
2 So, the next morning at dawn, Liu Changsheng came again.
2 Although the old man is one hundred thirty-seven years old, his spirit is extremely vigorous. Yesterday, he spent most of his time looking at the Papermaking Workshop; today, he focused on observing the farmland Yun Ce built at Yun Family Manor, as well as the water conservancy system.
2 Sixteen huge wooden scoops scoop water from Dragon Lake scoop by scoop into the raised wooden troughs, watching the clear water flow gurglingly into the water channel, ultimately entering the reservoir at the highest point of Yun Family Manor.
2 The old man even washed his hands by the reservoir and personally opened a sluice gate, watching the clear water sing joyfully as it rushed along the small water channel.
2 He said to Yun Ce: “This is the model for reforming nature with human power.”
2 Yun Ce said softly: “This is merely a minor skill.”
3 Liu Changsheng chuckled and pointed at the lush green farmland underfoot: “In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor rode a dragon to ascend and came to this land, but regrettably, the Yan Emperor did not accompany him, so our Great Han only mastered nomadic herding and Gathering techniques, with scant knowledge of farmland planting.
3 In the future, if you can restore the Yan Emperor’s ability to taste a hundred herbs and plant the five grains, you may well benefit the world.”
3 Yun Ce said: “This young man has heard that our Great Han values military merit above all; those with military merit can enjoy everything best in the Great Han. I’m just afraid that even if I succeed in planting, I won’t get to enjoy the glory here.”
3 Liu Changsheng stroked his beard and laughed: “This is all Huo Qubing’s fault. Before he came, the position of Yellow Emperor was not for the strongest, but for those with talent, virtue, and ability.
3 Although most later Yellow Emperors were from Xuan Yuan Shi, once Xuan Yuan Shi exhausted the ancestral grace and virtue, they were ultimately abandoned by our human race and had to mix with the Gui Fang people.
3 “The twenty ranks of military merit titles that Huo Qubing brought?”
3 “Yes, Huo Qubing was someone who rode a dragon from the Ancestral Land. He said this system was very famous and effective there. With it, he could exterminate the Gui Fang people, who were like wild beasts at the time.
3 The Yellow Emperor at the time believed him, gave him soldiers and horses, gave him authority, and gave him sufficient trust…”
3 Liu Changsheng said this much and then chuckled: “You should know what happened after that, so no need for this old man to continue telling you.”
3 Yun Ce nodded: “According to 《King Huo’s Biography》, on King Huo’s first campaign against the Gui Fang, he pushed back these barbarians who had tormented our human race by a thousand li.
4 Liu Changsheng laughed: “Continue.”
4 Yun Ce frowned: “On Huo Qubing’s second distant expedition against the Gui Fang, he seized the Gui Fang royal court. It is said that he captured four kings of the Gui Fang people; only their great king fled north with part of the clan members.
4 Liu Changsheng said impassively: “Continue. Since it’s done, there’s nothing that can’t be said.”
4 Yun Ce sighed: “Upon Huo Qubing’s return from this distant expedition, he received celebrations from all of humanity. Then, at the celebration for this expedition’s return, he killed the last Yellow Emperor and installed a man named Liu Wang, said to be from the Ancestral Land Imperial Family, as Emperor. From then on, the name Yellow Emperor became a finale in our human race’s historical records.
4 Teacher, I can’t figure it out: since King Huo had the ability to end the Yellow Emperor inheritance, why didn’t he declare himself Emperor, but instead chose someone surnamed Liu as Emperor?”
4 “Because Huo Qubing was a subject of our Great Han Emperor and a loyal minister faithful to Liu Shi.”
4 Hearing Liu Changsheng say such shameless words, Yun Ce had to admit that Huo Qubing was truly the most loyal minister of the Great Han.
4 No matter what oddities there were, Huo Qubing ultimately let one of the Liu Shi Imperial Descendants who came together become Emperor. Even over the next six hundred years, when three emperors surnamed Liu tried to get rid of him and were instead killed by him, he continued without resentment or regret to let Liu Shi Imperial Descendants remain Emperors, while he continued as the bland King Huo.
4 People say that when evaluating someone, it’s best to wait until their coffin is sealed. Huo Qubing achieved this: after he was carried into his tomb and the Dragon-Breaking Stone was placed, people began to accuse him of many, many wrongs, but no one ever accused him of not being a loyal minister of the Great Han.
4 “Actually, this old man prefers the abdication system of the Yellow Emperor era. A Big Tree may grow for thousands of years, but it becomes aged and decayed, with too many branches and vines, not as vital as newly grown trees.”
5 Yun Ce looked at Liu Changsheng in surprise: “Can you even say that?”
5 Liu Changsheng looked at Yun Ce: “Why not? Whoever can lead the Great Han people to a more stable and prosperous life should become Emperor. Is that hard to understand?”
5 Watching Yun Ce flee in disheveled panic from his words, Liu Changsheng laughed heartily again, this time his voice carrying about fifteen li.
5 “See, I told you, how could anyone not like Grain for fodder cakes wrapped with meat and vegetables?”
5 E Ji rolled a Grain for fodder cake wrap and placed it on the plate in front of Liu Changsheng; this was the sixth Grain for fodder wrap the old fellow had eaten.
5 Liu Changsheng was busy drinking Bean Porridge, drinking hastily and getting Bean Porridge paste all over his beard. E Ji took out a handkerchief to wipe the food stains from this old man’s beard.
5 Liu Changsheng winked at Yun Ce and laughed: “Such a fine woman, how is she still a virgin? Do you have some hidden ailment?”
5 Yun Ce lowered his head to drink porridge, not looking at the curious old fellow or at E Ji with her resentful face. He drank a full bowl like a whale sucking water, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, said he had matters to attend to, and left.
5 Seeing Yun Ce gone, Liu Changsheng frowned in frustration at E Ji: “You need to work harder. If you still can’t, this old man will select some women to his taste and send them over.”
5 E Ji said aggrievedly: “I’ve stripped naked and ridden on him, but he still won’t. What can I do?”
6 Liu Changsheng said sinisterly: “Next time I come, this old man will bring some medicine for you.”
6 E Ji thought the old fellow would have a good idea for her, but upon hearing it was drugs, she immediately waved her hands: “No, I am his wife, not some random woman. Even if we want a child, it must be with his willing consent.”
6 Zero-hour updates have too many drawbacks. If something comes up, it’s not good to always drag the editor up to fix it. We’re all working folks, so understand. Starting tomorrow, updates at noon twelve o’clock, better for viewing data too.
6 Also, last night’s error caused over a thousand brothers and sisters to innocently resubscribe to a chapter. It was meant to be free compensation, but no one agreed.
6 So, I’m planning to foot the bill myself and prepare fifty signed editions of 《Tang Brick》 published by Wenxin Publishing House for a giveaway activity for brothers and sisters.
6 I know, for a sincere apology, it should be a thousand copies, but there aren’t that many on the market. Once the purchased books arrive, we’ll start immediately.
6 Once again, sorry to everyone. Such activities will happen often in the future. Whenever I have a new book published, we’ll do it; if 《Yuan Shan》 is published, we’ll do it big time.
6 In any case, I want brothers and sisters to understand one thing—Jue 2 absolutely did not intentionally post duplicate chapters to scam subscriptions.
