My lord, spare his life!

"Refusing to hand over the hidden account, and still trying to ambush us? This is utterly rebellious! Do we even need to consider how to deal with someone like this?" Zhang Yang's peach blossom eyes brightened considerably, his tone tinged with secret excitement. "Soybean paste! Soybean paste!"

If she doesn't kill these NPCs, how can she fill her game inventory? If her game inventory isn't full, how can she raise her "children"? Although there are ways to raise children whether you're poor or rich, who is Zhang Yang? With her abilities, how can she comfortably raise her "children" poorly? The entire homestead side map belongs to her alone!

Is this considered raising a child in poverty?

Is there any reason?

Do you have any conscience?

Cyber ​​beings can be without conscience, but since she's now disguised as human, she has to conform to human standards in everything she does, so she does have a conscience. The final conclusion is: We can't raise children in poverty!

Puyang Kui ignored Zhang Yang's strange accent.

"My lord, killing them all wouldn't be wise."

Zhang Yang did not show any displeasure, but looked intently into Puyang Kui's eyes, waiting for the other party to give him a reasonable explanation.

Puyang Kui patiently advised, "Your Majesty relies on the might of thunder to confiscate their property, exterminate their families, and wipe them out. I believe this is by no means a foolproof strategy. The powerful and wealthy are like branches and leaves, deeply rooted in the prefectures and counties, with relatives and friends all over the country. If we resort to force, we may gain temporary relief and solve the immediate crisis, but it will easily incite their resentment, alert them to our dangers, and cause them to gather their own followers, flee abroad, and become a threat from within."

It's not difficult to clear out the area of ​​Tianyue County.

But once her reputation for eliminating all threats spreads, wouldn't others feel a sense of unease, like a rabbit mourning the death of a fox? They might turn around and band together to trip up Zhang Yang, which would truly be a losing proposition. Even if she were to take drastic measures, she should wait until she herself was completely powerful.

Zhang Yang found it somewhat puzzling.

"Let me think about it."

Pu Yangkui thought she was deep in thought, but Zhang Yang was actually staring at the conversation log in the system log. She could barely understand that Pu Yangkui was trying to persuade her to abandon the "red bean paste" solution.

"In that case, does Jundu have any suggestions?"

Zhang Yang carefully considered his words and threw the question back at him as it was.

Puyang Kui only mentioned the eight characters.

"Prioritize appeasement, supplemented by deterrence."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang moved closer to Puyang Kui, grasped her hands, gently stroked the back of her hands, and deliberately slowed his speech to make himself sound more sincere: "I am all ears."

Knowing that Zhang Yang couldn't understand euphemisms, Puyang Kui tried to be as straightforward as possible: "I believe that there are those who covet wealth and status, and there are also those who resent the harsh treatment of their old clans. We can select talented but unsuccessful members of their clans and provide for the orphans, widows, and the poor within their clans."

This time, Zhang Yang wasn't listening to gibberish.

All she heard was that people came and went.

Seeing that Zhang Yang's peach blossom eyes were almost vacant, Puyang Kui knew that her lord didn't quite understand her words. She gritted her teeth: "Strike the big ones, support the small ones. Cut down the strong, support the weak!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang suddenly realized what was going on.

He shouted, "Pinch off the tips! This destroys the plant's apical dominance!"

Puyang Kui: "..."

Well, you could understand it that way.

In short, we shouldn't uproot a plant just because it has insects. Even if the rot has reached the roots, we can still trim and prune to find some good branches to transplant elsewhere. Cutting down all the deeply rooted trees might give the remaining seedlings ample sunlight and nutrients, but they also risk succumbing to the ravages of wind and sand. We must strike a balance between the two.

Zhang Yang couldn't think that far ahead.

She just felt that Puyang Kui's words made sense.

Chives need to be harvested in batches to ensure a continuous supply, and they can't be cut too close to the ground. If they're pulled up by the roots all at once, the sustainable growth of chives is lost. A picture of an ATM machine that explodes with every tap in her head flashed into her mind.

"My having your guidance is like a fish having water." If Puyang Kui hadn't reminded him in time, he would have smashed those ATMs that could dispense gold coins. Therefore, Zhang Yang spoke with more sincerity, but Puyang Kui still felt that something was off.

"Did the lord say this to Chief Clerk Fan?"

"I also said that to Yuan Yi."

Puyang Kui: "..."

So she's the third one.

Zhang Yang asked, puzzled, "Can't we say the same thing?"

Puyang Kui: "..."

If this happened to anyone else, they would probably feel that their lord was being perfunctory and disrespectful, but in Zhang Yang's case, it was quite fitting. Their lord wasn't very learned, and the fact that she could use a single phrase repeatedly already showed considerable thought.

What more can we criticize?

Puyang Kui forced a smile.

She immediately sent someone to inform Fan You about the secret letter.

Is the information provided in this letter true or false?

Is the person who provided the secret message a friend or foe?

Was it a ploy to lure someone into a trap, or to use someone else to do the dirty work?

They knew nothing about these things.

As the lord's chief strategist, Fan You's judgment was of paramount importance.

Fan You: "..."

He rubbed his throbbing temples: "You're saying this secret letter was shot onto the flagpole in the camp? And no one at the outpost noticed it?"

Puyang Kui said, "No suspicious figures were found."

By the time the warning was issued, the arrow was already beyond stopping.

"In other words, the archer who secretly fired this arrow was still outside the outpost's defense range. At such a great distance, and with an arrow that wasn't made of stellar energy but was just an ordinary arrow... This person's archery skills are extraordinary, and their arm strength is astonishing."

This range requires a special large bow.

Fan You asked Zhang Yang, "Is it possible for our lord to hit the target?"

Zhang Yang said, "It's wrapped."

Don't underestimate her hard-earned player skills; when using orange-tier weapons, her range can even reach two thousand meters.

"If the enemy has archers of such skill, why not take advantage of the lord's moment of carelessness to carry out an assassination? Even if the lord cannot be assassinated, it would not be difficult to target the officials under the prefecture. The lord has not been officially recognized as the prefect for long, and the officials have not yet won his loyalty. Assassinating a few people and creating panic will make it difficult to unite the people even if the prefecture is not disbanded."

Instead of doing that, the other party chose a seemingly riskier method and sent a map containing important secrets.

"You mean you're more inclined to believe this was done by a friendly force?"

Puyang Kui racked his brains but couldn't think of a suitable candidate.

Maps have always been the most important secret.

Normally, only the highest-ranking officials of a county, prefecture, or state could access this map, and in the event of a military campaign, only a few generals could obtain it. This map is so detailed that it seems impossible for an ordinary person to draw it. The markings are also so accurate, which means that the person who drew the map was not from the local area, had a very deep understanding of celestial phenomena, or was of such high birth that they had access to these things.

Fan You said, "That's what I'm thinking right now."

Du Guandao, who was standing to the side, said, "Let me see."

Fan You handed over the map.

Du Guan carefully felt the texture of the fabric with his fingertips.

"Are you trying to find a shop that sells this cloth?"

"Tianyue County is neither too big nor too small. How could I possibly know the craftsmanship of every cloth merchant?" If Du Guan hadn't known Fan You well, he would have thought this junior was provoking him. "But people who use this kind of material can only be considered middle-class in terms of family background."

Du Guan had witnessed the extravagant lifestyle of those people; not only were their daily clothes made of silk, but even the cloth they used after using the toilet was made of silk. They would never use, nor would they deign to use, such cloth. This proved one thing: the owner of the cloth was not the same group as those who were going to deal with them.

At this moment, Zhang Yang quietly raised his hand.

"I have something to say."

"What are your thoughts, my lord?"

"Why not have someone with a keen nose sniff it out? The more people handle it, the more mixed the scents become, making it even harder to find the right one."

Fan You: "..."

Puyang Kui: "..."

Du Guan: "..."

That's a good question, and the three of them awkwardly turned their heads away.

Zhang Yang approached them expressionlessly. She couldn't read their expressions, but she noticed that their ears seemed a little red.

"Is that not allowed?"

"Alright, I remember the county government should keep official dogs."

So-called official dogs were actually dogs kept by the government to assist in investigations and solving cases, serving purposes such as guarding, tracking, and searching. The county government kept three official dogs, whose parents were said to have some celestial beast blood. Although they were not born as celestial beasts, their sense of smell, endurance, and speed far surpassed those of ordinary official dogs, and they were also extremely intelligent and human-like.

They are more likely to be promoted to Star Beasts than ordinary dogs.

Xu Jin, usually so generous, became rather stingy when it came to borrowing the official dogs, his eyes lingering with reluctance, as if the three dogs would lose their name once they left. Zhang Yang placed the cloth on the ground for the three official dogs to sniff in turn, and even had Zhang Dami join in.

After searching all the way, we actually found some clues.

The target was an extremely obese, burly man, accompanied by a slightly slender, tall young man. The two stayed in the city for two days. The tall young man didn't utter a single word; the obese, burly man did all the work, from serving tea to pouring water.

The relationship between the two should be that of master and servant.

Neither the strong man nor the young man carried a large bow.

"...Ordinary bows can't shoot that far. The arrows are ordinary arrows, but the bow is not." Fan You then asked the shopkeeper to explain the whereabouts of the master and servant. The shopkeeper was so frightened that sweat dripped down his forehead. He only knew that the two had left the city early in the morning.

"Did you get a good look at their faces?"

The shopkeeper recalled carefully, nodding and then shaking his head: "The fat man looked rather ordinary, with no particular features... but the thin one seemed to be in poor health, coughing several times along the way, and his face was covered up tightly."

Only his eyes were visible.

The shopkeeper was also worried that the customer might be sick.

If you are sick, you cannot stay at the hotel.

What if the illness spread to the bedding and then to the next customer? Would his hard-won business be ruined? Therefore, the shopkeeper asked a few more questions. The customer replied that he looked unusual and might frighten people.

The shopkeeper, upon hearing this, expressed his understanding. In these chaotic times of war, not to mention those who were disfigured, many were disabled. The young man's voice was quite pleasant, suggesting he was originally quite good-looking.

Fan You carefully analyzed this intelligence.

"Aside from that, are there any other unusual occurrences?"

The shopkeeper was so flustered that his face turned red, and he didn't know where to begin to answer. Just then, one of the servants who had been brought along seemed to remember something. Fan You noticed this and let her speak first.

"That young man would stare at people the whole time he was speaking."

Zhang Yang asked, puzzled, "What's so unusual about this?"

It's extremely impolite to talk to someone without looking at them.

Little did they know, this was the strangest thing to do.

When a superior speaks to a subordinate, they generally don't care about the subordinate's reaction or expression; the former speaks, and the latter obeys. Whether in society or compared to the guests who stay at the inn, the maid is always in a subordinate position.

Anyone can boss her around.

It's quite rare for someone who speaks pleasantly and looks polite to talk to her, especially when they look directly at her.

Therefore, the servants were deeply impressed by this.

"You said the other person was looking at you while speaking?" He hesitated for a moment, then continued to press, "Did you and the shopkeeper speak outside this person's line of sight, and he ignored you?"

Both the servants and the shopkeeper were dumbfounded.

How could they remember that? These kinds of customers, who look like they're not to be trifled with, are not only apparent benefactors but also potential scourges. If you don't serve them well, you might face retaliation. Isn't it normal for them to ignore you?

The shopkeeper quickly answered.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

Du Guan understood what Fan You was thinking.

"You suspect this person has a hearing impairment?"

Since they can't hear, they can only rely on their eyes to read the mouths of others.

"I suspect this person might be an acquaintance." Fan You did recall someone who might fit these criteria. "My lord and I came to Tianyue partly because of him. However, my lord is concerned about Tianyue's 'children,' and I am also tied up with worldly affairs and cannot leave, so I forgot about him for a while. I originally planned to wait until things settled down before preparing generous gifts to formally invite him to come out of seclusion."

Upon hearing Fan You's words, Zhang Yang immediately remembered.

On that trip to the Dongfan Mountains to make a fortune, I did see a stout man along the way, and Fan You even said that he was an acquaintance.

Is he involved with the Eastern Barbarian bandits and also has information on the movement of ATMs? Is Shu Yan's friend really reliable?

What happened to his ear?

Fan You said, "The stars have descended in anger, and I've gone deaf."

Du Guan asked, "Are you also a student of Mingde?"

Fan You sighed, seemingly lost in thought: "No, he was a prized student of my father's friend, skilled in playing the zither and exceptionally gifted in music theory. However… after the demise of the stars, his ears were first filled with auditory hallucinations, and then he became completely deaf. They say that one day, while he was in a deep sleep, a little demon crawled to his ear, cut it off alive, and swallowed it…"

Fan You was unclear about what the "triple" situation meant.

He learned a little about the situation from his father. The man, who had been a fine person and was about to be recommended for a promising career in the court, had become depressed and even changed his personality drastically due to the calamity of the fallen stars. Fan You later heard about his situation, but it wasn't good news.

Zhang Yang: "Shude said that the descent of the celestial bodies would cause deafness, blindness, loss of senses, and amputation of limbs... and it's all true?"

Fan You smiled wryly: "How could this be fake?"

He hoped that these curses and punishments were all fake.

"...It's not just deafness. If it were just deafness, he could still pull himself together." Fan You pointed to his ears. "Didn't I just say that the little devil cut off his ears in his dream? That's the main reason he can't face anyone."

Such an obvious disability would not be accepted by the government.

The officialdom won't accept him, but his lord will!

Buy, buy up a lot!

??(?_?)

Today is New Year's Day, so I'm taking a day off and will be posting a 10,000-word update.

P.S.: Please vote with my monthly tickets! Double monthly tickets are available from the 1st to the 7th. I'll definitely update more frequently in return!