"If there is ever a day when you need my help, Immortal Master, please don't refuse," Li Jun said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
After bidding farewell and leaving the tent, Chu Qingfeng suddenly noticed that the dark clouds in the sky were dispersing, revealing a small patch of blue sky. A sharp ray of sunlight shone like a sword onto Li Jun's tent, and it seemed that the sky was about to clear.
But this did not make Chu Qingfeng happy; instead, it deepened the gloom in his heart.
"When Heaven wants to destroy someone, it will cater to their desires and plunge them into a desperate situation without them even realizing it." Silently reciting the words passed down by the previous generation of monks, he glanced at Li Jun's tent with worry once more.
The next day the sky cleared completely, and although it was still cold, this prevented the snow from melting and making the roads muddy. The Peace Army once again marched westward amidst the cheers of the people.
Without a word, on the 29th day of the 12th year of Chongde in the Chen Kingdom, just two days before the new year, 30,000 Peace Army soldiers, plus 20,000 troops transferred by Li Jun from Peng Yuancheng and Xiao Lin, a total of 50,000 men, had arrived at Huichang City, the last city in Yuzhou before the Chen Kingdom's mainland, which was controlled by Jiang Runqun.
Jiang Runqun was originally one of the five minor powers in Yuzhou. During Li Jun's war to unify Yuzhou, he, along with the other three minor powers, surrendered to the Peace Army. Because of this, Li Jun did not punish them for their power and status; on the contrary, they were even given Yuping City, which originally belonged to the Zhu family. This was the first time the two had met, and Jiang Runqun naturally did his best to ingratiate himself with Li Jun.
"If the commander has any needs, please feel free to give the order. Although Huichang is not large, it controls the strategic pass between Yuzhou and Luoyang, and has all kinds of products." Jiang Runqun, with a fawning smile and slightly sagging fair skin, said this at the banquet.
Li Jun looked at him calmly, seemingly very interested in what he was talking about, and said, "Really? I wonder what interesting local products you have?"
"Has Commander Li heard of the Porcelain King of Luoying?" Jiang Runqun asked mysteriously, with a hint of showing off.
"Porcelain King, what is that? A large porcelain figure?" Unfortunately, Li Jun was someone who had no knowledge of art and culture other than warfare, and could even be described as ignorant. It was precisely because of this that the refined and playful Hua Xuan had nothing in common with him.
Jiang Runqun was taken aback by Li Jun's frankness in revealing his ignorance, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. As someone from a wealthy family that had been wealthy for generations, he was extremely interested in these frivolous arts, and he thought Li Jun would at least show some interest, but he didn't expect Li Jun to ask such a tangent question right away.
"This 'Porcelain King' is a porcelain artist surnamed Wang from Luoying. His porcelain is exquisite and priceless, hence the name 'Porcelain King'," Jiang Runqun explained, his fawning expression fading somewhat.
Li Jun found it uninteresting; what did porcelain have to do with him, and it was of no use to his military campaigns? If Jiang Tang were present, he would surely be brimming with excitement, talking at length about how to make money in the porcelain trade, but since Li Jun had entrusted him with this economic and financial matter, he no longer cared about such things.
Seeing that Li Jun lacked interest, Jiang Runqun shifted his attention and said, "Commander Li is busy with military affairs, so he certainly can't collect porcelain. But what about calligraphy and paintings? I think Commander Li is a man of both literary and military talents, so he must have some knowledge of calligraphy and paintings."
Li Jun shook his head and said, "I recognize the characters, but I don't recognize any of the characters on the painting, and I can't understand the painting either."
Upon hearing Li Jun's words, Jiang Runqun's contempt intensified. This ignorant and uneducated savage had actually become the de facto ruler of Yuzhou, which was a disgrace to them, the scions of noble families! But it was precisely because Li Jun was almost completely ignorant of material desires that Jiang Runqun's long-prepared flattery tactics failed to work.
"Well then." Fortunately, he had prepared one last trick. A wry smile appeared on Jiang Runqun's face. He clapped his hands lightly three times. From behind the screen depicting ladies enjoying a spring outing, there was the sound of jade pendants, and four stunningly beautiful women slowly walked out.
"Huichang City is small, and nothing can catch the eye of the commander. Only these four girls were purchased by me for ten thousand gold pieces. I raised them in the mansion from a young age and taught them. Originally, I wanted to keep them to entertain my old age, but now I am giving them to the commander. As the saying goes, heroes and beauties complement each other perfectly, hahahaha..." As he spoke, Jiang Runqun laughed smugly. He himself lamented that even heroes could not resist the charms of beautiful women, let alone a young and vigorous man like Li Jun.
Li Jun was indeed drawn to the four beauties. Their heads were slightly bowed, their delicate figures exceptionally endearing. However, Li Jun couldn't help but compare them to Mo Rong and Ji Su. While, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, Mo Rong and Ji Su could only be considered pretty, not as stunning as these four women, for some reason, Li Jun stubbornly believed that Mo Rong's cheerfulness and Ji Su's freedom were far more captivating than these four rigorously trained beauties.
"Don't worry, Commander, I haven't touched those four girls." Seeing Li Jun's hesitation, Jiang Runqun misunderstood him and his expression of displeasure deepened. He said, "If Commander Li doesn't believe me, we can try it tonight."
Li Jun originally intended to decline the invitation from the four beautiful young women, but upon hearing Jiang Runqun's words, he changed his mind. If he didn't take these four flowers with him, they would fall into the clutches of Jiang Runqun, a man who appeared to cherish flowers but was in reality no different from a beast. Therefore, he smiled slightly and said, "Since it is Lord Jiang's kind offer, how can I refuse? I am ashamed to accept it."
Li Jun's politeness invigorated Jiang Runqun. Although there was no direct subordinate relationship, in a sense, as the lord of Yuzhou, his status was higher than that of the mercenary commander invited by Hua Xuan, the governor and governor of Yuzhou. However, everyone knew that Hua Xuan was merely a figurehead, and Li Jun was the one who held the power of life and death in Yuzhou. Jiang Runqun said, "Commander Li, there's no need to be so polite. Commander Li has worked hard for the peace and tranquility of the people of Yuzhou, so this small token is nothing. However, there is something I'm not sure if I should say."
Li Jun was also suspicious of the lavish gift. If it was just for flattery, there seemed to be no need to go to such lengths, even sending four beautiful women he had raised for many years. Upon hearing this, Li Jun immediately understood that Jiang Runqun probably had other plans.
"What is it?" Li Jun asked, drawing out his words.
“Commander Li, who is this Feng Jiutian? How can you allow him to act recklessly?” Jiang Runqun’s criticism was directed at the newly appointed military advisor of the Peace Army. “Since ancient times, Shenzhou has followed the old system. Feng Jiutian is new here. Why should he arbitrarily change it?”
Li Jun immediately understood. Before setting off on his campaign, he left Feng Jiutian in Kuanglan City, partly to handle some of the city's affairs, and partly to promote his ideal system throughout Yu Prefecture. Feng Jiutian's ideal system coincided with the multi-party governance system Li Jun had implemented in Kuanglan and Leiming Cities. It ordered the city lords of Yu Prefecture to relinquish some power, allowing for joint governance by virtuous individuals both inside and outside the city, and ensuring equality for all regardless of wealth or poverty, prohibiting the private buying and selling of people and the acquisition of land. These measures, agreed upon by Li Jun and Feng Jiutian, were intended to curb the power of local magnates and aristocratic families, preventing them from seeking opportunities for future separatist rule. Naturally, they faced strong opposition from the local powerful families.
Seeing that Li Jun was seriously considering the matter, Jiang Runqun decided to strike while the iron was hot and said, "Let's say that it is forbidden to buy and sell slaves. If it is forbidden to buy and sell, how could these four girls have come from their poor families, how could they have enjoyed a rich and noble upbringing here with me, and how could they be entrusted to such a heroic figure as a commander?"
Li Jun slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing like lightning as he glared at Jiang Runqun. He said, "Lord Jiang, whether it's Yuzhou or Shenzhou, it's precisely these ancient practices that have kept the people of the world in turmoil and made the laborers subject to others. I, Li Jun, come from humble origins and am merely a mercenary. I know nothing of poetry or literature, nor do I understand the elegance of the imperial court. I only know that I must do my best to ensure that everyone lives a good life, that good people don't have to live in fear, and that evil people don't have to be complacent. The strategy of the strategist Feng is my strategy, Li Jun's strategy. I hope Lord Jiang will reconsider. Otherwise, if the people of Yuzhou also rise up in rebellion like other parts of Chen Kingdom, Lord Jiang's porcelain, paintings, and beautiful concubines will likely fall into the hands of others!"
Stunned by Li Jun's sudden outburst, Jiang Runqun felt that this man was unapproachable. After standing up, his figure appeared tall and imposing, exuding an aura of overwhelming power and unstoppable determination. Jiang Runqun was completely unable to resist. For a moment, he even thought that Li Jun would kill him, but Li Jun's words slowly brought him back from the chilling feeling of death.
"Yes...yes...the commander's reprimand is absolutely right..." Jiang Runqun stammered, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. At this moment, he began to regret inviting Li Jun to his residence.
“I accept Lord Jiang’s generous gift. I will take my leave now. Please do as Military Advisor Feng says. As long as I am not in Yuzhou, Military Advisor Feng will be just like me.”
Li Jun didn't bow, ignoring Jiang Runqun who was struggling to stand up and muttering polite words that he himself couldn't hear. He strode out of the living room, then paused at the door and said, "You all come with me."
The four girls glanced at Jiang Runqun with strange expressions. Just half a day ago, he was their arrogant master. Then they walked slowly and gracefully, each step conforming to the standards of a lady, each movement exuding charm. But unfortunately, Li Jun felt that their movements were awkward and slow, as if they were putting on airs.