Courtyard House: A Start with Black Gold Swallowing 100,000 Silver Dollars

Now that Li Wenguo seems to have the intention to turn back, how could she not seize the opportunity to hold on tight?

As for Song Caidie?

Once the cooperation between the Xu and Song families is finalized, Song Caidie alone won't be able to cause any trouble. If the Song family breaks the contract for her sake, who in official circles will still believe them?

Xu Wanqing has always been clear-headed: family plans come first, personal matters second. And marriage is the most important personal matter of her life—men fear choosing the wrong career, women fear marrying the wrong person; one wrong step can ruin a lifetime.

She didn't want to be forced into a cold, arranged marriage with a rich young man she'd never even met. Now that she had connections and opportunities, she naturally had to fight for herself.

"Alright, alright," Li Wenguo feigned impatience, but couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes, "but remember this: if you don't honor your promise by the due date, I'll really get angry!"

"Let's continue—"

He gripped the back of her neck with an irresistible force.

Two days later.

Several black cars drove out of Beijing, bumping along the way to the foot of Wang'er Mountain, and finally stopped in front of a group of 1,500 people.

As soon as Sai Xishi stepped off the carriage, she looked up and saw the soldiers lined up like they had been carved with knives and axes, their shoulders straight and completely silent. Her heart skipped a beat, and she held her breath for a moment.

"These...were all transferred by you?"

Her voice was strained, and her face was slightly pale. Fifteen hundred stiff gun barrels stood there, exuding a heavy, murderous aura that made one's throat dry.

Even Ding Xiaoqi, Agui, Binzai, and Dayan, who were following behind, stiffened their necks and dared not breathe—this was the first time they had ever seen such a scene in their lives.

Only Li Wenguo's expression remained unchanged, even more somber than usual. His gaze was sharp as he swept over the entire team inch by inch, as if he were inspecting soldiers he had personally trained.

"Nonsense! Suppressing those bandits is a piece of cake for me. Compared to my other women, this is the easiest thing for me."

He made it up casually, without a hint of guilt.

It was indeed much easier – others wanted gold, silver, romance, or power, and had to rely on Japanese spies to pull strings; but with Sai Xi Shi, all it took was a wink at Xu Wanqing, and the military order was issued immediately.

Sai Xishi opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was stunned: Could a mere spy really mobilize an entire army?

Could a spy really pull off something like that?

It really works!

It's as absurd as a dream.

While he was still in a daze, a young officer wearing white gloves and a brand-new uniform strode up to the front of the formation, his heels clicking crisply on the ground. He rushed straight up to Li Wenguo, snapped to attention, and gave a crisp salute, his voice booming: "Mr. Li! The troops that have been ordered to be mobilized are all in place. Please inspect them!"

Hey!

This kid knows the rules!

Clever!

Li Wenguo felt a surge of excitement, his vanity rising rapidly. Although he was puzzled as to why Xu Wanqing's adjutant was so respectful to him, he couldn't afford to lose face since the other party had given him so much respect.

After the two men stepped back a few paces, he lowered his voice and said, "Commander Tong, you've worked hard! There's no need for the inspection; I trust you to handle things. After we deal with the bandits, I'll treat all the brothers to a good meal out of my own pocket, and I'll give each of them two silver dollars!"

They went to all this way for you, so you have to give them an explanation—Li Wenguo handled this favor perfectly.

Unexpectedly, Tong Jinyi turned around and shouted at the troops, relaying his words verbatim.

In an instant, 1,500 voices exploded in unison: "Thank you for your generous reward, Master Li!"

The sound waves made the mountain valley buzz.

The birds on the branches in the forest fluttered and took flight in a panic, their wings flapping so fast that they didn't even have time to shake off the grass seeds before fleeing into the distance.

Surrounded and flattered by the entire team, Li Wenguo felt a surge of heat rising in his chest—no wonder warlords used to roam freely in the past; the feeling of holding orders and having everyone bow down was truly exhilarating!

"Master Li, what do you think about this bandit suppression operation? Should we personally oversee and command it?"

Tong Jinyi bowed and asked for instructions.

"Hey, I'm no good at strategizing and deploying troops, don't embarrass me."

Li Wenguo waved his hand, smiling casually, "Just follow the rules, hit wherever you're supposed to!"

A trade is like a mountain; forcing yourself to do something you're not familiar with will only lead to mistakes. If you give bad advice and cause a death, you won't be able to sleep peacefully at night.

"Alright, I'll pass on the order right away!"

He paused, then lowered his voice and asked, "Mr. Li, should we simply wipe them out, or leave a few alive for interrogation?"

Li Wenguo pondered for a moment, his gaze turning slightly cold: "Those who stubbornly resist, leave none alive; those who kneel down and surrender, take them aside for now, I will personally inspect them."

"Understood! Execute without fail!"

Tong Jinyi straightened his back and gave a crisp military salute.

"Work hard, and I'll put in a good word for you with Wanqing later."

Seeing that the other party was efficient and respectful, Li Wenguo casually made a wish.

He knew perfectly well that the adjutant's dramatic change was most likely due to Xu Wanqing's influence. Before, when they met, he would simply nod and address her as "Mr. Li," but now his spine was ramrod straight, and even his breathing was noticeably softer.

That's right—Xu Wanqing had already made it clear: Li Wenguo is the prospective son-in-law. With the master here, who would dare to be negligent?

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Li! I'll be off right now!"

Tong Jinyi turned and strode away, his leather boots clicking on the gravel road.

Watching the troop advance towards Wang'er Mountain like an iron torrent, Li Wenguo nodded in satisfaction and strolled back to Sai Xishi and his men.

"Master Li, being a soldier is so awesome! Just that murderous aura alone makes your blood boil!"

Ding Xiaoqi stared at the billowing dust in the distance, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Absolutely! Those commanding officers, just standing there, exude an aura that commands respect!"

Big Eyes clenched his fists, looking on with envy.

"What, are you interested? Want to wear a military uniform?"

Li Wenguo smiled and glanced around. "How about I get you a second lieutenant or a first lieutenant, ta-da?"

Seeing his men's eager expressions, he began to plan: with a team that obeyed his orders, he wouldn't have to avoid any troublesome young nobles in the army in the future.

We have powerful backers, so we can stand tall and flip the table if things turn sour!

"It works! It works!!!"

Several young men clapped and cheered on the spot.

Only Sai Xishi stood quietly, her eyes flickering as she stared at Li Wenguo's profile, as if trying to decipher an unfathomable ancient artifact.

Was he really a member of the underground Communist Party?

How can a single spy command an entire army?

Even the regimental commander was extremely respectful, as if he were worshipping a Bodhisattva?

Placing people into the military was done so casually, as if it were as simple as ordering someone to buy a pack of cigarettes…

Who is he?

"Let's go, let's follow them in our car."

Li Wenguo waved his hand, and everyone filed into the car.

In the car, Sai Xishi sat silently beside him, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. Li Wenguo turned his head, his voice low and resolute: "Don't worry, none of the bandits from Wang'er Mountain will escape today."

Before he finished speaking, his hand gently rested on her snow-white thigh, seemingly to comfort her, but actually to test her.

Sai Xishi's body stiffened, and she instinctively raised her wrist, her five fingers about to spread, ready to cleave the hand open—

It could be lifted into the air, then abruptly stop and slowly fall.

She's practically a concubine now, what's the point of turning against me like this?

It will be his sooner or later; this little bit of contact is nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

"Um... I understand. Thank you."

She lowered her eyes and agreed, the last part of her sentence sounding somewhat strained.

"Hehe, why are you being so polite with me?" Li Wenguo moved closer, his shoulder almost touching hers. "I have an old habit—I'm especially protective of my own people. If you ask, I'll brave mountains of knives and seas of fire for you."

Before he could finish speaking, his arm had already wrapped around her and pulled her into his embrace.

The petty man Cha Deshi, like a vine climbing a wall, wouldn't let go even an inch.

"You...you mustn't do this...bandits, we haven't taken them down yet..."

Her throat bobbed slightly, and she wanted to push away the hand pressed against her chest, but the shock Li Wenguo had brought today, and the marriage contract written in black and white, were like an invisible shackle, pinning her to the spot, leaving her only with the powerless words of protest.

Who would have thought that Sai Xishi, the former female bandit leader who swept across three counties, would look so dejected today?

"boom--!!!"

The first shell tore through the air and slammed into the Wang'er Mountain gully.

The battle has officially begun.

It was less a war and more a crushing defeat—adults chasing and beating children with rolling pins.

The howitzers weren't even used; a few mortars alone were enough to send the bandits fleeing in terror, screaming and howling, not even bothering to fasten their belts.

The entire village was in complete chaos, like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up.

"What's going on?!"

"Where did this cannon come from?!"

Zhang Xiong'an rushed out of the house barefoot, his pants askew, his belt still clutched in his hand, shouting at the top of his lungs.

It was clear he had just finished being intimate with a woman; his clothes were disheveled, and his belt was still hanging loosely.

"Boss, I really don't know!"

This group of lazy bandits didn't set up any sentries or even send out lookouts. They only panicked when the cannons roared.

"Quick! Find out—who's attacking us?!"

He roared at his confidants, his voice cracking.

"Yes, Boss!!!"

boom--!!!

Before he could finish speaking, his confidant had only run twenty steps when a shell came crashing down on him, exploding into pieces on the spot. Hot flesh and blood splattered all over Zhang Xiong'an's face and head.

I gasped!

He froze, his face turning deathly pale.

Looking up again—the entire village had become a living hell: flames soared into the sky, broken walls flew everywhere, roof beams collapsed, and people rolled about; what was blown open were not craters, but bloody pits; what flew away were not tiles, but severed limbs.

it's over...

It's all over...

Zhang Xiong'an's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his eyes vacant, as if his bones had been pulled out.

This is hardly a war.

They didn't even really fight.

It was clearly a one-sided crushing defeat, a slaughter of iron and fire.

The soldiers only used mortars, and in less than fifteen minutes, the entire mountain stronghold was reduced to charred ruins and the smell of burning.

By the time the soldiers charged up the hill with their guns, the remaining bandits, covered in dust and with ringing ears, had already thrown away their guns and squatted in a row with their hands behind their heads.

Who dares to stand up to them? They're asking for trouble!

They weren't crazy, and they certainly didn't have the guts to risk their flesh and blood against steel guns and cannons.

But my mind was full of questions: Why did the government troops specifically target them?

Suppressing bandits?

Nonsense! The cost of the shells alone could buy ten villages. What's the point?

The mystery was only solved when that person appeared.

"Boss! We were blind to believe the second-in-command's instigation!"

"Boss! We were wrong! Utterly wrong! It's all that beast Zhang Xiong'an's fault for tricking us into rebelling against you, harming you, and driving you away!"

"Boss! Please come back! We still recognize you! We only recognize you as our boss!"

The bandits howled so loudly that their knees bled from being scraped raw.

Zhang Xiong'an was the only one who was dragged aside, bound hand and foot, kneeling there, looking dejected, like a squashed eel.

Sai Xishi ignored everyone else and walked straight up to him, looking down at him with a gaze as sharp as a knife.