My lord, spare his life!

Han Wo's voice sounded slightly strange: "It's a deal."

If it weren't for the undisguised pure joy in Zhang Yang's eyes, Han Wo would have thought she was deliberately seeking revenge, wanting him to lose his hand after his leg was broken. He would have just cursed her as a rude and uncouth woman in his heart.

Although Han Wo was a prisoner, his movements were not hindered.

Zhang Yang even took out a wheelchair for him to use.

"I have already sent word to Uncle Yan; he will be here soon."

Before leaving with Zhang Yang, Guan Si glanced back at the wheelchair and thought it looked familiar: "Isn't that the wheelchair that Fan Shuyan used to sit in?"

Zhang Yang nodded: "Yes, it's the same wheelchair."

"...Did you and Uncle Fan get the wheelchair back?"

"No, it's because Uncle Yan didn't need it anymore, so I kept it. This wheelchair is useful, but it's made of wood after all. If it's in a constantly damp environment, it will wear out in no time." Zhang Yang complained a little when he said this.

In the game world, wheelchairs, these quirky mounts, are indestructible, accompanying players through countless adventures and remaining as good as new for over a decade. But in the real world, they break. Fan You said he could reapply several layers of tung oil, but it didn't work as well as putting it in the game inventory.

"oh."

Guan Si's eyelashes trembled; a single word could have several twists and turns.

Zhang Yang sensed that something was wrong.

Guan Si clearly didn't want to say more to her.

Zhang Yang wrote a letter to Fan You, and while Fan You was waiting for her to arrive, she also received news from Bodu County—Bodu County had softened its stance. This was also within Fan You and his group's calculations. With the defeat of its elite troops, Bodu County suddenly lost two allies, almost to the point of having its lifeline blocked, and even its most relied-upon fertile farmland was now strangled. If Zhang Yang were willing to put in a little effort, she could geographically seize half of Bodu County's farmland.

She could also restrict trade between Phetchaburi and the outside world.

If Bodu County surrenders now, it can still retain some of its property. But if it waits for Zhang Yang to lead his troops to attack, how much is saved or how little will be left to Zhang Yang. So, it immediately changed from observing and delaying to subtly flattering Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang did not accept it.

She said, "Let your people rip you off as much as possible."

Guan Si said, "She's not cut out for this."

The Hundred Ghosts Guard's environment is simple and clean, but it doesn't foster the cunning and shrewd minds of scholars and strategists. Sending them to make things difficult or intimidate is one thing, but expecting them to use tricks is a bit much. Since the war can rest for a few days anyway, why not send one of Fan You or Xiao Sui?

If that doesn't work—

"...Haven't you recently taken in a lecherous fiend? He's from Bodu County, he knows exactly how much wealth each family has, how much profit can be squeezed out of them, he knows it better than you or I do, doesn't he?"

Zhang Yang said, "He only agreed to help Shu Yan, not to be at my beck and call. He probably wouldn't be willing to do anything with him."

Guan Si: "...Is that what you think?"

Zhang Yang asked in confusion, "Isn't that right?"

She scrolled through the system log conversations from the past two days, pondering them over and over again, confirming that Han Wo had only agreed to this one thing and hadn't made any additional promises. Zhang Yang, also mindful of his understanding, told him to focus on recovering from his leg injury: "Why don't you ask him?"

Zhang Yang knew where his weaknesses lay.

As an NPC, no matter how much it imitates humans, it is not a pure human. No matter how indifferent Guan Si is, he definitely understands people better than I do. If he is certain that I have misunderstood, then it must be that Zhang Yang has misunderstood something and needs to humbly correct it.

Guan Si said, "No need to ask, that's just how it is."

Zhang Yang: "Oh."

After thinking about it, she decided to put some pressure on Bodu County.

She gave the other side only three days to consider. If they didn't give her the result she wanted after three days, she would personally lead her troops to take it. These three days were not for the Bodu County to have a buffer, but for her soldiers to rest and recuperate. These past few days, they had been constantly on the move, fighting and marching, putting a heavy burden on their bodies and putting them under immense mental pressure.

Guan Sidao said, "This move is too benevolent and cowardly."

Let alone the fact that these battles weren't too far apart, even if it took months of rapid marches to fight, the soldiers shouldn't complain, much less rest and ask for rewards at every turn. Those like Zhang Yang, who reward themselves after every battle and then rest to catch their breath, are truly heretics. Guan Si was quite dissatisfied: "The Hundred Ghosts Guard used to be very disciplined. They wouldn't utter a sound, even if they marched for days without sleep, or fought a protracted battle across the Eastern Fan Mountains for months. But you've spoiled them like pampered bastards..."

It was criticized as "a suffocating, high-pressure, feudalistic patriarchal system."

Guan Si: "..."

Zeng Sheng, who was hiding and lurking, stood suspiciously outside the door.

He was truly afraid of Zhang Yang, but the latter was his lord. Zeng Sheng secretly took a deep breath and did several mental exercises before barely maintaining a normal posture: "My lord, the results for those families are all in."

Zhang Yang: "How is it?"

Zeng Sheng said, "At least you know what's good for you."

One of the rules of chaotic times—

Warlords are unreasonable.

The butcher's knife in the hands of warlords is even more unreasonable.

If mutual destruction had worked, those men would have fought to the last moment. Unfortunately, they were all terrified by Zhang Yang's carelessly discarded head. Zeng Sheng coldly observed that if they were kept locked up for a few more days, waiting for the head to rot, stink, and crawl with maggots, these colleagues would either die of fright or go insane. Choosing to pay to avoid disaster at least saved the lives of their families.

Zhang Yang casually flipped through the account books that Zeng Sheng had presented to him.

She seemed to have everything under control, but in reality, she was frantically making the system logs record things; she still wasn't used to the vertical format of the letters.

She asked, "Hidden door?"

Zeng Shengdao said, "Each family is willing to release the hidden households to their freedom."

Zhang Yang recalled how Tianyue County had handled the matter, his tone calm and composed: "They sent clerks from the county government to recount the households one by one, register them, and record the kinship relationships of each family. If any household was missed, I would consider them to be insincere, saying one thing and doing another, trying to fool me because I'm young."

Zeng Sheng kept his head bowed and said, "Yes."

Zhang Yang: "Let the tenants continue cultivating the land they've leased. They should also hand over their annual rent records. I want to investigate which land they acquired through legitimate means and which they obtained through illegitimate methods. If they're clean, fine; but if I find anything on their hands, they're finished."

Zeng Sheng: "Yes."

Zhang Yang said, "Their family savings... apart from the marital property of each household, which is fine, the source of everything else needs to be thoroughly investigated. I'm not some robber or bandit, so I won't take much of their money, just the stuff with questionable origins."

Doesn't that sound perfectly fair and just?

But the question is, who sets the standard for cleanliness?

Zeng Sheng secretly wiped away a bead of sweat.

Fortunately, Zhang Yang still retained some rationality and did not settle accounts with the families' marital assets. In an era where lavish marriages were prevalent, both the bride and groom would strive to demonstrate their wealth. The bride's family would give a dowry, and the bride's family would provide an equal amount of marital assets. With the marital assets preserved, and the forced reduction of household staff, expenses were cut by 70-80%, ensuring that life wasn't too difficult.

Zeng Sheng secretly guessed.

Preserving the marital property might be a delaying tactic by Zhang Yang.

"Your lord's scheming is truly profound." Upon learning that Zhe Meng had entered the city with the army, Zeng Sheng immediately presented him with a formal greeting. After a few cups of strong liquor, even the gloomy aura swirling deep within his heart dissipated considerably.

Zhe Meng said, "My godmother is truly resourceful."

Zeng Sheng: "...Isn't it unnecessary to act like this in private?"

Zhe Meng glared at him fiercely, smashed the cup in his hand, and scolded, "I only show you some respect because you are my husband's elder brother. If you disrespect my godmother, even with our marriage relationship, I will tear off all pretenses and take you down!"

Zeng Sheng choked on his words.

He dared not speak ill of Zhang Yang to Zhe Meng.

He had originally intended to point out Zhang Yang's strangeness, fearing that serving such a lord would be unpleasant. However, Zhe Meng was already "terminally ill," and if he were to say a few more careless words, he feared he would be executed.

Zeng Sheng said, "The lord is naturally good."

Zhe Meng's attitude softened: "You know that's good. Now, our godmother only has me and Lu Bafeng. Lu Bafeng has the advantage of being the first to be recognized as a relative and has made several great contributions to our godmother. We should be able to match her or even surpass her... We need to put our hearts into it."

You should never speak ill of someone behind their back.

Not only could Zhe Meng not do it, but neither could her relatives and friends.

If Lu Yuan gets hold of something against her, it would be bad if it dragged her down with him.

Zeng Sheng: "...Hmm."

But in his heart, he thought Zhe Meng was hopeless.

However, he still wanted to find out more about the inside story.

"...Previously, you and the lord did not have such a deep...mother-daughter bond. How did it become so profound in such a short time?"

"You don't know, my godmother trusts me."

Zeng Sheng sneered upon hearing this.

What's there to say about trust?

Zhe Meng said, "My adoptive mother has entrusted her back to me on the battlefield more than once. I know you may not think it's anything special, but I am a warrior. How many lords in my life can I meet who are willing to entrust themselves to me like this? Meeting even one is already quite remarkable."

Zeng Sheng remained silent, pondering those words.

Zhe Meng then changed the subject.

"The adoptive mother certainly hasn't treated Lu Bafeng like that yet."

I am still special after all.

Zeng Sheng: "..."

For a moment, he didn't know whether Zhe Meng was doing this because of Zhang Yang or because of Lu Yuan. Weren't their relationship okay before? He thought so, and asked so.

Zhe Meng frowned and said, "You don't understand."

Zeng Sheng: "..."

After the private banquet ended, Zeng Sheng took a bath to dispel the smell of alcohol.

This question has always lingered in my mind.

During a casual chat with his wife before bed, he modified the matter, hoping to hear a different perspective from her.

The lady's expression was strange.

Zeng Sheng: "Why is Madam looking at me like that?"

The lady said, "According to you, the younger sister of these two sisters saw that her elder sister was living a good life and that her elder sister had used her to do a favor, so she became resentful. And since her husband happened to be a talented young man, she conceived the idea of ​​replacing her elder sister?"

Zeng Sheng: "...???"

Is that the example he used?

"...It didn't replace him..."

The lady said, "The honor and disgrace of those in the inner quarters always rest on the shoulders of the head of the household... It's probably a mixture of love and hate for my sister..."

This sentence lingered in Zeng Sheng's mind all night.

Even in his dreams, Zhe Meng and Lü Yuan were locked in a fierce battle. Afterwards, several other people appeared around Zhang Yang who wanted to become his adopted sons and daughters, all of whom Zhe Meng categorized as "demons." It was quite a lively scene.

Zeng Sheng: "..."

He was startled awake.

They subtly inquired about Zhe Meng's plans for his future younger siblings.

"Is a heroine like my stepmother someone that just anyone can get close to?"

Zeng Sheng: "..."

For some reason, a sentence suddenly popped into Zeng Sheng's mind—

Those who fight and snatch things are the most desperate to catch cheaters.

"Is there a thief in the house?"

Fan You received an urgent battle report, which did not specify the details, only instructing him to come immediately. Although puzzled, he did as instructed. When he arrived, the sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset, a truly beautiful sight.

His good mood also came to an end at this point.

Zhang Yang mysteriously said she had a surprise for him.

He thought Zhang Yang had made progress in his studies recently, or had come up with a wonderful line that he wanted him to appreciate, but instead he saw an unfamiliar face sitting in a familiar wheelchair.

This wheelchair is clearly his!

Fan You glared angrily at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang was completely bewildered by the question: "What thief?"

Han Wo, who came out of the courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief: "..."

No, who is the thief?

The moment Fan You appeared, he noticed his presence. It wasn't that Han Wo was stronger than Fan You; it was simply because both of them were lustful demons with the same celestial power.

People of the same kind can always recognize each other in a vast sea of ​​people immediately.

He sneered.

Are the emperor and his ministers not exactly innocent either?

Thinking of all this, he turned his wheelchair forward and bowed. Fan You was displeased that Zhang Yang had given his wheelchair to a stranger, but he remained polite on the surface. Han Wo looked at Fan You beside Zhang Yang: "This must be Lord Fan? I am Han Wo, courtesy name Fulong, from Bodu."

Fan You: "Fan You, courtesy name Shuyan."

Han Wo said, "The surname Fan is rare. In all my years of study, I have only met one headmaster with the surname Fan when I was a student."

To be honest, his appearance is somewhat familiar.

"The headmaster of Mingde Academy?"

Han Wo's face showed undisguised surprise, but he suppressed his hostility: "Yes, when I was studying away from home, I went to Mingde Academy with my classmates from the academy for a six-month exchange program. Mr. Fan knows Headmaster Fan."

Why didn't you go to Mingde Academy to study?

"Oh, because it was another one recommended by my family's teachers."

Among the well-known private schools, Mingde Academy is the most prominent. Hanwo is also interested, but its location is too far. Another private school is closer and has letters of recommendation from teachers. Overall, Mingde Academy's cost-effectiveness is somewhat low; choosing the one closer to home is better.

Besides, the differences between the private schools aren't that significant.

"Who are Mr. Fan and Headmaster Fan?"

"Father and son."

Han Wo's expression changed, and he suddenly sat up straight, saying seriously, "So you are the young master of Headmaster Fan. I apologize for my rudeness."

Fan You returned the greeting with great ceremony.

Since the upheaval in his family, he hadn't heard anyone mention his father for a long time. Today, suddenly seeing an old friend stirred up a wave of emotions within him.

Han Wo carefully asked, "How has Headmaster Fan been lately?"

A hint of melancholy flashed across Fan You's face.

My father passed away some time ago.

Han Wo was greatly shocked: "The headmaster has passed away?"

Fan You sighed, unwilling to elaborate, and Han Wo tactfully stopped the conversation. He turned his wheelchair, first subtly observing Zhang Yang's expression and reaction, then carefully said to Fan You, "I think you've recognized me, Lord Fan. We are both lustful demons. Although I don't know how you've managed to uphold your principles and remain chaste to this day, the process must have been quite arduous... If you don't mind, we could chat privately; it might be of some benefit to you... Lord, you don't need to come."