The Ninth Lady is a rebellious person.

Chapter 228 Fu Qi, the Ghost General of the Former Dynasty
In the back hall of Wanshipu, there is a small courtyard. Lang Jiuchuan had long ago stipulated that a side room should be reserved for entertaining guests.

The side room had been renovated, coated with tung oil, and cleaned very thoroughly. Zhuang Quan Hai had also picked a bunch of winter plum blossoms from somewhere and placed them in a round-bellied ceramic jar, adding a touch of wildness and a hint of cold plum fragrance to the room.

Lang Jiuchuan led the general into the side room. Seeing his armor, which could not conceal his bloodthirsty aura, yet also his accumulated merits, Lang Jiuchuan knew that he possessed a righteous spirit.

A general's duty is to protect the country and its people. Killing many people naturally brings a sense of malevolence, but fighting wars to defend the country and its people and protecting many innocent civilians inevitably leads to profound merit.

Since they are ghost guests, they cannot be treated like ordinary guests.

Fortunately, they had come prepared. Lang Jiuchuan asked Jianlan to fetch an incense holder from Zhuang Quanhai, while she took a stick of incense, lit it, and presented it to the general before asking, "May I ask the general's name?"

The general before me was tall and strong, in his early thirties, but with the handsome features of a refined scholar, the kind of jade-faced gentleman described in storybooks. Oh, now we should call him the Jade-faced General.

Looking at his armor, she noticed its outdated style, which wasn't from the current dynasty. She had seen armor from the current dynasty before; in the Lang family ancestral hall, the portrait of her father, who was in this body, depicted him wearing a suit of armor.

"My surname is Fu, and my given name is Qi. I am from Fengdu." Fu Qi inhaled the incense, his eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright. He felt full immediately, as if he hadn't eaten his fill in a very long time. He pointed to the incense and said, "This incense is really good."

Lang Jiuchuan frowned. As a native of Fengdu, she knew that the capital of the former Liang Kingdom was called Fengdu. Fifty years after it was destroyed by Da Dan, it was rebuilt and temporarily moved due to a major earthquake. After the reconstruction, it moved back and was renamed Wujing.

That is, the capital city at present.

So, this General Fuqi is an old ghost who is over two hundred years old?
Having been dead for so long, why hasn't he been reborn yet?
Lang Jiuchuan then asked, "General Fu, where do you come from? Do you know what day it is today?"

Fu Qi paused for a moment, then let out a long sigh and said, "I left the battlefield and found myself here."

Lang Jiuchuan was somewhat bewildered: "You mean, you came out of the battlefield and landed right in front of my shop?"

Fu Qi nodded and said, "I led my three thousand Fu family soldiers in a bitter battle against the barbarian Kangju at Fenghuo Pass for more than a month. Our food supplies ran out, and we waited for reinforcements for a long time without them arriving. I woke up on a snowy night during the Lantern Festival and found myself here."

Lang Jiuchuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "General, the Liang Kingdom has been destroyed."

She had prepared herself for Fu Qi's rage and murderous aura, but to her surprise, Fu Qi did not react at all. His expression seemed to hold a hint of reminiscence, but more so, it was as expected, with an expression of utter relief.

As expected, Fu Qi said, "When I went to war against Kangju, Liang was already in a state of internal and external troubles. The court was corrupt and the people were suffering. At that time, our emperor was old and the young emperor was young. The vassal kings in various places were all ruling their own country. The barbarians had long regarded Liang as their own, and had been plundering our country's territory for years. When I went to war, I was prepared not to return. I never expected that after so many years, everything would have changed so much."

Lang Jiuchuan pursed his lips slightly and softly recited a line: "I woke up to find no family members, just like when we parted in the previous dynasty."

"Child, is the world at peace now? Am I the ruler of the Central Plains?" Fu Qi asked with a faint smile.

Lang Jiuchuan felt a pang of sadness and pushed the incense stick forward: "As you wish."

The previous dynasty was destroyed, and Dadan took its place. However, it was still the hegemon of the Central Plains, and all this land was still ruled by the people of the Central Plains, who also supported the people of the Central Plains.

Fu Qi's smile grew even wider as he said, "That's good. I actually guessed it. The shopkeeper of your store and the people passing by wore clothes that were different from those in Liang Kingdom, but they were still the familiar silks and satins of the Central Plains, and they followed the etiquette of the Central Plains. Although the people were slightly frightened, they did not look miserable. It can be seen that the current ruler is quite popular. I wonder which vassal king won this world?"

Lang Jiuchuan paused for a moment, then said, "The current ruler's surname is Tantai, and he is of the Xuan clan. His ancestor was Tantai Rui." Fu Qi showed surprise for the first time since they met, and after reading the name Tantai, he said, "I have never heard of such a righteous army. The Xuan clan you mentioned, could it be Taoists?"

Lang Jiuchuan nodded calmly.

"Absurd!" Fu Qi slammed his hand on the table and said, "Could it be that back then, sorcerers were rampant, entered the country as the founding father, and ultimately betrayed the emperor to take his place?"

He rarely showed anger, and his imposing aura, combined with his burly figure, made him appear fierce and intimidating, despite his handsome face.

Of course, this person does not include Lang Jiuchuan.

Although Lang Jiuchuan had no feelings for the Xuan clan, he would not frame them for no reason, so he shook his head and said, "You misunderstand. The Tantai clan is a royal family, and they were legitimately established through strong military and popular support."

She had read history books. Although history books were written by the victors, the Tantai clan, as recorded in them, rose up in accordance with the will of the people. They truly came down from the mountain to save the common people in the chaotic world, only they did not lack the support of other clans.

But in any case, the Tantai family obtained the throne legitimately at that time.

Lang Jiuchuan briefly recounted what was recorded in the historical records, and then said, "Da Dan has been established for nearly two hundred years and has had five or six rulers."

"Two hundred years, indeed. The Tantai clan has won the hearts of the people and is quite capable of governing." Fu Qi's murderous aura subsided.

The longer a country exists, the more it proves that its ruler is good at governing and that the successors are carefully selected, which is why the Great Dan Kingdom has existed for so many years.

Otherwise, if you replaced the emperor with a foolish one, see if the dynasty could have lasted this long; the throne would have been usurped long ago.

If Tantai had held the throne for many years and had not been replaced for two hundred years, the people would not have experienced too much war and could have lived in peace and prosperity.

Very good.

Fu Qi didn't care who was emperor. Even if the Liang Kingdom was destroyed, the people of the Central Plains would still be in charge, and that was enough. As long as the emperor was good at managing his subordinates, treated the virtuous and talented with respect, and could ensure that the people had enough to eat, that was fine.

"However, the Xuan Clan in power is unheard of. Wouldn't they be going against their own principles?" Fu Qi asked with some curiosity.

Lang Jiuchuan chuckled: "I am not in a position of power, so I do not know what their Dao is. I only know that the Xuan Clan's reputation is now mixed."

"Oh?"

"General, you will know in time." Lang Jiuchuan said, "Two hundred years have passed since the fall of Liang and the establishment of Da Dan. General... you have been dead for many years, yet you have not passed away. You opened your eyes and found yourself here. What is going on? Is there a wish you have not yet fulfilled?"

Fu Qi was slightly bewildered, and his mind suddenly went blank: "The war drums have sounded, the barbarians have launched a general offensive, the Fu family army is about to go into battle."

①From Gao Qi's "Dream Returns" (Ming Dynasty)