"Oh, I see," the three said in unison.
To this, Lin Yang could only say that the spirit of gossip is eternal, not only in later generations, but also in the present Han Dynasty.
"Since Feipeng, you and Wenji are teammates, then we'll see you later," Liu Yan said with a smile. Teammates, Liu Yan knew what that meant; after all, which Chosen One didn't have teammates these days?
Just as Liu Yan and the others left, Lin Yang began to carefully observe Cai Yan and Shi Alai. He could only say that they were indeed powerful figures; even their luck was extraordinary.
"Feipeng, have you figured out the result yet?" Cai Yan asked with a smile.
"I've seen a lot. Since you want to hear it, I'll tell you," Lin Yang said with a smile.
“At this moment, your overall fortune is a deep yellow, and within this deep yellow, there are also traces of blue. It can only be said that your fortune is at its peak, and it can only be said that your uncle is indeed quite powerful,” Lin Yang said in surprise.
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan glanced at Lin Yang curiously. "Fei Peng, your ability to observe a person's aura is truly amazing. It's best not to reveal it."
“You should know that at this time I was carrying with me a manuscript of my father’s Analects. Under the suppression of this manuscript, it can be said that apart from the world-renowned top masters of Yijing such as Guanzi, ordinary people simply cannot see anything,” Cai Yan said in surprise.
It can be said that Lin Yang's ability to observe qi has transcended mere technique; it has reached a level of skill approaching the Dao. If Cai Yan were to describe it, she would use the word "supernatural power." Such an ability can only be described as a legendary supernatural power.
...
Soon, led by Cai Yan and the other person, Lin Yang arrived at an enormous restaurant.
"This is the largest restaurant in the entire capital. Both the food and the service are top-notch. Today, we will hold a welcome dinner for Feipeng here," Cai Yan said with a smile.
To be honest, Cai Yan herself wasn't a particularly extravagant person, and she rarely came to this place before. However, she came here now to support Lin Yang, and more importantly, to convey the message that Lin Yang was her friend.
In other words, Lin Yang has powerful backers. Before trying to deal with him, you need to consider whether you can defeat Cai Yong.
Therefore, Lin Yang naturally saw Cai Yan's actions and understood her meaning, and was naturally very grateful. Even without her, Lin Yang was fearless. At most, it would just be a little more troublesome.
"Oh, isn't this Miss Cai? It's an honor to have you here today. May I ask which floor you'd like to go to?" As soon as Cai Yan entered, the manager personally came out to greet her.
There was no other way; living in the capital was no easy feat. The waters here were simply too deep. How could one survive long without being extremely shrewd? Therefore, this shopkeeper remembered every important person in the capital perfectly, including their likes and dislikes.
"Today, my teammate Lin Yang has come to the capital. I'm here to welcome him back, of course. Is there any room left in the elegant room upstairs?" Cai Yan said casually.
"Yes, yes, of course we have them. Even if we didn't have them before, we do now. Let me see, how about we choose the Fragrance Pavilion on the east side of the third floor? There's no one there right now," the shopkeeper said with a smile.
"Hmm, the Fragrant Pavilion. It's said to have over a hundred kinds of rare flowers and herbs. No matter when you enter the pavilion, there will always be flowers in bloom, all year round. That's quite thoughtful. Let's go there then." Cai Yan nodded.
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Chapter Three: Emperor Ling's Overt Scheme, the Dark Truth, and the Choices of the Noble Families
As its name suggests, the Fragrant Pavilion greets you with a fragrant breeze as soon as you enter. Everywhere you look, there are all sorts of exotic flowers and rare herbs, blooming in profusion, even though it is autumn.
Furthermore, the attic clearly contained magical arrays. Features like the year-round spring-like climate were simply temperature settings. There were also settings for airflow, i.e., wind speed. Sitting inside the attic felt no different from being outdoors in nature.
This is truly extravagant. The daily cost of these formations alone is tens or even hundreds of taels of silver. Not to mention the money spent on setting them up in the first place. City people really know how to have fun.
Soon, led by Cai Yan, Lin Yang arrived at a small room within the pavilion. This place could be described as a pavilion within a pavilion. It was simply a masterpiece of craftsmanship. At this moment, even Su Qing'er, with her keen perception, lingered outside.
Seeing this, Cai Yan immediately took out a copy of the Analects. Then, a pale blue aura of literary energy appeared directly on the Analects. With a hum, the Analects emitted a light white light screen, enveloping the three of them.
"Alright, now it's finally peaceful. With its protection, those spies can no longer eavesdrop on our conversation," Cai Yan said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Yes, those spies are absolutely insane. They're everywhere, recording everything you do and say all the time," Shi A said, shaking his head.
Since the Chosen One's birth, the number of spies has multiplied. It's almost a daily increase, with each day's spies always outnumbering the previous one. And the corpses of the spies who die each day, if added together, could circle the Earth.
At first, Shia would find all the spies watching him one by one. After all, no one wants to live under constant surveillance.
But later on, no matter how many were found, the number of spies the next day actually increased instead of decreasing. By now, Shi A had gotten used to it.
“Yes, there were over a hundred spies at the teleportation portal, just those in plain sight. There were at least twenty more spies with high cultivation levels hiding in the shadows. Nine spies followed us upstairs. And now, there are three spies hidden inside the Fragrance Pavilion.” Lin Yang counted on his fingers as he spoke.
"By the way, is there any inside information about this enfeoffment? For example, whether it's true or false, and the situation of the Chosen Ones who are in the public eye?" Lin Yang asked. Although the original owner had all of this in his memories, Lin Yang felt it was better to ask just to be on the safe side.
"So far, a total of 135 Chosen Ones have arrived in the capital. It is estimated that several more Chosen Ones will arrive in three days," Shi A said.
After all, as Wang Yue's disciple, they had no shortage of intelligence. Even the powerful Eastern Depot and Embroidered Uniform Guard often cooperated with Wang Yue on intelligence matters. To be precise, they cooperated with those wandering knights.
"This enfeoffment is indeed true. Moreover, three days from now, the Emperor will lead the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet to summon all the Chosen Ones in the Imperial Palace. At that time, the Chosen Ones will be enfeoffed one by one according to their contributions," Cai Yan said with a little excitement.
Although in this martial arts-driven Three Kingdoms world, Cai Yan was undoubtedly a top-tier second-generation heir since birth due to Cai Yong's formidable strength, she still fell short compared to those nobles with fiefdoms.
Even the Xun family, which claimed to have received the true teachings of Xunzi, the long-established Yang family, and the powerful Yuan family, these top families of the Han Dynasty, were actually inferior to the powerful warlords like the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai.
After all, compared to the powerful local lords with secure jobs, these aristocratic families, no matter how strong or dazzling they are now, will one day perish. Perhaps one political struggle or a failed alliance will lead to the complete annihilation of the entire family. This has happened more than once or twice.
Therefore, besides the imperial family, the most powerful and prestigious people in the Han Dynasty were actually the powerful feudal lords with fiefdoms. How could the temporary glory of aristocratic families compare to the long-lasting legacy of the feudal lords?
Therefore, the possibility of becoming a feudal lord, even if it is only the lowest-ranking hereditary baron, is enough to make all the major families extremely excited.
"So, are there any rules or regulations regarding fiefdoms?" Lin Yang continued.
"The court has given us two options. One is to choose a relatively small, already governed territory within the Han Dynasty as our fiefdom. This option is safer, since it's already been governed; we just need to go there and collect the money," Cai Yan said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Lin Yang couldn't help but nod. Indeed, not all chosen ones are ambitious and eager to go to the frontier to expand their territory.
If one were to choose a well-developed and well-governed region in the interior as their fiefdom, they wouldn't need to worry about attacks from foreign barbarians or the various affairs of their territory. They could simply enjoy a peaceful and comfortable life, which would actually be quite nice.
If it weren't for the threat posed by the Black Lotus Prince, and if the future weren't a chaotic era, Lin Yang might have made the same choice.
"Since there are two options, what is the second one?" Lin Yang asked.
Upon hearing this, Cai Yan and Shi A exchanged a glance and then nodded. Sure enough, as expected, Lin Yang was ambitious, or rather, very driven and determined.