eurekapd Chapter 499 Su Zhe sets a trap to get the Eight Immortals drunk, Dong Jun becomes suspicious while t
Chapter 499 Su Zhe sets a trap to get the Eight Immortals drunk, Dong Jun becomes suspicious while t
A messenger rushed into the tent and knelt on one knee: "General! The Prince of Langya has sent a messenger with an order!"
"speak!"
"The King of Langya issued an edict: The war in the southwest is hopeless. He ordered Lei Mengsha and Xun Yichuan to immediately lead their troops north to rendezvous in Ezhou."
If pursued by the Windbreaker Army along the way, do not linger in battle; retreat immediately!
Lei Mengsha and Xun Yichuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.
They even said things like "Don't linger in battle, retreat quickly is the best course of action," which shows just how critical the situation had become.
"Give the order to the entire army!" Lei Mengsha said sternly without hesitation, "Break camp immediately, abandon all unnecessary supplies, and retreat north lightly! Cavalry will cover the rear, and infantry will advance first, prioritizing speed!"
"Order!"
Once the military order was given, the entire camp immediately sprang into action.
The soldiers hurriedly packed their belongings, dismantled their tents, and piled up the grain and supplies they couldn't take with them, then doused them with kerosene.
Under Lei Yunhe's command, the members of Lei Men quickly integrated into the army and assisted in the withdrawal. Although they could not participate in the battle at present, Lei Men had received benefits from Emperor Mingde's court and should make some contributions.
Lei Mengsha stood in the camp, watching the busy soldiers, and a sense of indescribable sorrow welled up in her heart.
After besieging Hanzhong for many days and losing thousands of soldiers, they ultimately had to retreat in such a hasty manner...
In this battle, Bei Li suffered a crushing defeat.
“Dream Killer.” Xun Yichuan walked to his side and whispered, “Don’t overthink it. Take as many brothers back as you can. Living… is more important than anything else.”
Lei Mengsha nodded, looked towards Juzhou in the south, and murmured, "Seventh Brother, Ye Xiaoying... you must come back safely!"
Under the cover of night, the Northern Army began its withdrawal.
The flames ignited, reducing the uncarryable grain and supplies to ashes; the raging fire illuminated half the sky.
On the walls of Hanzhong, the garrison silently watched this scene, and no one went out of the city to pursue them.
They knew that the battle was over.
It's at least temporarily over.
……
Snow Moon City, Moon Gazing Tower.
Su Zhe pushed open the window and looked at the magnificent three-story restaurant across the street—Zui Xian Ju—a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips.
It's been three days.
They settled in Xueyue City as wine merchants from Yibin, spending their days driving around the city's various taverns with their two carts of "Wuliangye" liquor, boasting to everyone they met about how mellow and authentic their wine was.
The news spread very quickly, as expected.
Yesterday afternoon, the manager of Zuixianju Restaurant personally visited the store. After tasting their Wuliang liquor, his eyes lit up and he immediately wanted to buy all the remaining stock.
Su Zhe only sold him ten jars, saying the rest were for "true connoisseurs of wine".
It was only a matter of time before these words reached Baili Dongjun's ears.
"Uncle Zhe," Su Changhe leaned closer to the window and whispered, "How long are we going to wait like this? Why don't we just go to the City Lord's Mansion to request an audience?"
"What's the rush?" Su Zhe stroked his fake beard. "You can't rush things. The more aloof we are, the more curious he'll become. Just wait, we'll get a response by today."
Before the words were finished, the waiter's voice came from downstairs: "Old Master Sang! A distinguished guest is looking for you!"
A glint flashed in Su Zhe's eyes, and he gave Su Muyu and Su Changhe a wink. The three of them quickly adjusted their expressions and resumed their usual street vendor personas.
Descending the stairs to the main hall, they saw a young servant in blue standing there. Upon seeing the three of them come down, he cupped his hands and asked, "Are you Old Man Sang from Yibin?"
"It is indeed this old man," Su Zhe said with a smile. "May I ask who you are, young man...?"
"I am from the City Lord's Mansion." The servant's tone was polite, but with a hint of condescension. "My Lord City Lord heard that you have brought some fine Wuliang liquor, and would like to invite you to his mansion for a chat."
Su Zhe was secretly delighted, but feigned fear on the surface: "Oh dear, the City Lord wants to see this old man? This... how could I possibly accept this..."
“Sir, there’s no need to refuse,” the servant said with a smile. “My lord is a rare wine enthusiast, especially fond of tasting the finest wines in the world.”
"If you can satisfy my city lord, you'll certainly reap the rewards of the wine business in Snowmoon City in the future."
"Then...then allow this old man to get ready!" Su Zhe quickly turned around and said to Su Changhe, "Big brother, go and pick out three jars of the best Wuliangye! No, pick out five jars! And bring our 'treasure of the shop' as well!"
Su Changhe understood and left in response.
The so-called "treasure of the shop" is none other than the "Drunken Eight Immortals" brewed by Xie Shi of Diaolou Xiaozhu.
They had kept this wine hidden deep in their luggage, resealing it in an ordinary wine jar. It looked no different from Wuliangye liquor, but there was a secret mark hidden under the mud seal.
A moment later, Su Changhe returned carrying six jars of wine.
Su Zhe took one of the jars—it was the very same jar of Drunken Eight Immortals—and carefully held it in his arms, saying to the servant in blue, "Young man, shall we go?"
"please."
The three followed the servant out of Wangyue Tower, through the streets and alleys, and headed towards the City Lord's Mansion.
The streets of Snow Moon City are much wider than those of Xiaguan Town. The bluestone pavement is smooth and clean, with shops lining both sides and pedestrians coming and going. Many of the martial arts practitioners carry swords and knives, exuding an air of refinement.
Su Muyu silently observed the terrain along the way, memorizing the location of every alley and intersection.
Su Changhe, on the other hand, looked around like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden, occasionally exclaiming in amazement, perfectly portraying a small-town businessman who had never seen the world.
About fifteen minutes later, the City Lord's Pavilion arrived.
The mansion gate was not luxurious, but rather exuded a sense of antiquity and solemnity. The three large characters "City Lord's Pavilion" were hung above the gate, written in strong and powerful strokes, with a majestic and imposing presence.
The servant led the three into the mansion through a side gate, through several courtyards, and to a flower hall overlooking the water.
The hall is elegantly furnished, with calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, and a tea table set up by the window with sandalwood incense burning beside it.
A young man in white stood with his back to the hall door, leaning against the window, gazing absently at the withered lotus leaves in the pond outside.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.
Su Zhe was taken aback.
Although they knew Baili Dongjun was young, they hadn't expected him to be this young—
He looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a youthful carefree air about him. Only his eyes were clear and bright, as if they could see into people's hearts.
This is Baili Dongjun, the renowned city lord of Snow Moon City, ranked fourth on the list of the most outstanding.
The brothers Su Muyu and Su Changhe had met Baili Dongjun before, so they weren't as surprised as Su Zhe. They simply stood behind Su Zhe in silence.
"Old Man Sang from Yibin greets Lord City Lord." Su Zhe was the first to react and bowed.
Su Muyu and Su Changhe also bowed.
Baili Dongjun smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying, "Old man, there's no need for such formalities. I heard you brought some fine wine, so I took the liberty of inviting you. I hope you won't take offense."
"No, no!" Su Zhe said repeatedly, "It is my great honor to be summoned by the city lord!"
As he spoke, he carefully placed the jar of wine in his arms on the tea table, and then asked Su Changhe to set out the other five jars as well.
"This is the Wuliang liquor I brought." Su Zhe broke open the clay seal of one of the jars, and the aroma of the liquor immediately filled the air. "Lord of the City, please have a taste."
Baili Dongjun approached, sniffed, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "This fragrance... is mellow yet refreshing, lingering yet sweet, truly top-grade."
He took the wine bowl from Su Zhe, took a sip, and closed his eyes to savor the taste.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes and praised, "Good wine! The aroma of the five grains is distinct, the taste is smooth, and the aftertaste is long. What's even more rare is the depth of the aged cellar... How many years has this wine been brewed, sir?"
“A full twelve years!” Su Zhe held up two fingers. “To be honest, this was brewed by my father before he died and buried under the old house. If it weren’t for the soaring grain prices in Yibin this year, which made it impossible to survive, I wouldn’t have been willing to sell it.”
This statement is half true and half false—the wine is indeed good, but it is not a twelve-year-old vintage. Instead, Su Zhe and his party specially bought it at a high price when they passed through Yibin (of course, it was Su Changhe who paid for it, and he eventually spent a small portion of his thousand taels of silver!).
As for the father, that's pure fabrication.
……