I am extremely ashamed that I am only now writing this post before it's being published.
Since the book's release, it has achieved unprecedented success. Perhaps compared to those established authors, this achievement is insignificant. But for me personally, it is an unprecedented success.
Both the data and reader feedback are unprecedentedly good, far surpassing any of my previous books. For this, I first want to say thank you to all my readers. Thank you so much!
I originally planned to release ten chapters at once during the sales period. However, it seems impossible now. There were simply too many household chores, and I didn't have any drafts saved up. The sales were only confirmed two days in advance. I managed to write these five chapters while working. I am extremely sorry for this.
However, I will try my best to update more in the days to come.
Before the book went on sale, I discussed with my editor what kind of performance it could achieve. The editor predicted around 2,500 initial subscriptions. But I wanted more. My goal was 3,000 initial subscriptions. If we reach that, I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow.
The target for average daily subscriptions is 2,000. If this is achieved, one more chapter will be added. After that, one more chapter will be added for every additional 1,000 initial subscriptions. One more chapter will be added for every additional 500 average daily subscriptions, with no upper limit.
Finally, I'm asking for monthly tickets and donations. I usually only ask for donations once a day, on the day the book is released, just to bring some good luck. Please do your best. I'll be very happy if you can even subscribe.
But if—and just if—if there really is a large donation, then I'll still update more chapters. It depends on the situation. I'm not considering becoming a patron saint or anything like that. I've never done that before...
Finally, thank you everyone for your support. My new book is now available. Please vote with monthly tickets, recommend it, and donate!
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Chapter 95 Who's More Shameless? (Please Subscribe)
An Lushan, the gravedigger of the Tang Dynasty.
This was one of the people Lu Xuan most wanted to kill upon arriving in this era. Before, the difference in their ranks was too great; Lu Xuan couldn't even get a glimpse of him. But now, Lu Xuan was one of the most powerful figures in the empire. It was time to deal with this guy.
In reality, An Lushan was also completely bewildered at this moment. While walking down the street, he heard unbelievable news: Li Linfu, who had plotted a rebellion, had been executed!
Upon hearing the news, he whipped the messenger. Li Linfu was no ordinary man; a single glance from him could send chills down his spine. How could he possibly be dead like that?
But as his journey drew closer to Chang'an, he received more and more news. He gradually discovered that the news was actually true! Li Linfu was really dead!
No one knows what An Lushan felt. The rise of these non-Han military governors was inseparable from Li Linfu's recommendation. Therefore, An Lushan always regarded Li Linfu as his benefactor.
But at the same time, he was also afraid of Li Linfu, because he always felt like he was being seen through in Li Linfu's presence. It was as if all the secrets hidden deep in his heart had been exposed to the light of day.
Now that man was dead, An Lushan felt a sense of relief. But this was quickly followed by a peculiar fear. It was said that Li Linfu's execution, from plotting rebellion to being beheaded, took less than a night…
The thought sent chills down An Lushan's spine. Even someone as powerful as Li Linfu couldn't cause much trouble in Chang'an. Would the waters of the capital drown him?
In Chang'an, Lu Xuan was reclining on a deck chair, while Xu Hezi carefully fed him an egg tart.
He gently sucked on Xu Hezi's slender white fingers, which prompted the other party to slap him on the chest.
Just then, a greeting came from outside the door.
"Excuse me, is this the residence of General Lu, the Protector of the Nation?"
His voice was rough but carried a hint of flattery.
"Yes, and who are you?" came the old man's question from the doorway. The old man was now the head steward of Lu Xuan's mansion, and he was extremely arrogant all day long.
"A certain An Lushan, currently serving as the military governor of Pinglu and Fanyang, arrived in Chang'an yesterday and has come specifically to pay a visit to the General. Please inform him of this."
As he spoke, a small piece of gold slipped directly into the old man's hand. Using gold to clear a path for his servants—this display of arrogance instantly silenced the old man.
"Please come in, the owner is home." Without saying a word, the old man led the people inside.
Lu Xuan: "..."
Xu Hezi brought the snacks into the room and asked the servants to make tea. Lu Xuan reluctantly got up to greet her.
An Lushan strode in, followed by several servants carrying several boxes.
"An Lushan greets the General." From afar, An Lushan bowed respectfully, showing none of the imposing manner expected of a military governor of two regions. Historically, this fellow danced in the palace to amuse the Tang court officials. He even claimed Yang Guifei as his mother and wrapped himself in silk, pretending to be a three-hundred-pound infant…
It's fair to say they have absolutely no bottom line when it comes to dealing with people. They'd kneel down and call someone "daddy" if it were beneficial.
Lu Xuan returned the greeting symbolically. He then carefully examined the gravedigger from the Tang Dynasty.
First of all, she's fat. Extremely fat; you can't see her toes when she looks down, and her belly is so big it almost sags. I'd estimate her weight to be over 250 pounds.
Because of his chubby face and small head, he looks like a gourd.
He had dark skin and a mustache. Dressed in a long robe in the style of the Hu people, he looked incredibly ugly, yet at the same time possessed a comical quality. This comicality greatly diminished his aggressiveness, making people forget that he was a dangerous figure commanding hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
"General, it's an honor to meet you for the first time." Although he was a barbarian, An Lushan spoke fluent Han Chinese with no accent whatsoever.
The boxes were opened, revealing three boxes. The first one was neatly filled with gold bars… It seemed that Lu Xuan's fondness for gold had already reached An Lushan's ears. This gift was simple, direct, and genuinely heartwarming.
The second box was also a sight to behold. It was filled with pearls, a whole box of pearls. In this era, pearls were an extremely important luxury item. In the original story, Cui Qi mentioned that his brother, Cui Liulang, in order to get himself transferred back, used his anus to smuggle pearls. As a result, he suffered a rectal prolapse... This shows just how profitable pearls were.
But now, An Lushan has brazenly sent over a whole box. A rough estimate suggests this box probably contains tens of thousands of pills.
An Lushan seemed quite pleased with Lu Xuan's momentary lapse in concentration, and opened the last box with a hint of smugness.
This time, I was dazzled. A whole box full of colorful gems.
Even Lu Xuan was momentarily dazzled by the multicolored gems. He could even hear Xu Hezi's breathing quicken in the inner room. Indeed, women are utterly powerless against such sparkly things.
"General, are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied, satisfied," Lu Xuan said quickly. Such a simple and unpretentious gift naturally suited his taste.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. I won't bother you any longer since this is your first visit. I'll take my leave now."
Unexpectedly, An Lushan presented such a lavish gift without making any demands. He didn't even leave a message asking Lu Xuan to say a few good words about him in court. It was as if his trip was purely for the purpose of delivering the gift.