It doesn't matter what the lord is.

The first-class nobles were invisible, the second- and third-class nobles played by themselves, and the fourth-class nobles were also quite nice. In addition, the people were basically well fed and clothed, which meant that although there were many nobles in Nanchu, social contradictions were not acute, and everyone was still in a peaceful state.

When Lid first arrived, he saw that an ordinary fisherman's daughter could chat with aristocratic ladies for this reason.

Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that the blood-stained clothes case became a hot topic in the streets so quickly. Jiang Yuesheng was originally a general who protected Nanchu. After retiring, he was gradually forgotten and became no different from ordinary people. At this time, he was persecuted by nobles, most likely even first-class nobles. This must be a big deal in Nanchu.

Lid thought about it and felt that the one who was most worried was most likely the Lord of Nanchu or the Crown Prince of Nanchu, Xiaohei. The matter was so serious that they couldn't be unaware of it, but they hadn't taken any measures to deal with it yet. It was obvious that they were still considering how to handle the case.

He will go to see Xiao Hei in a few days, and then he can see what Xiao Hei's attitude towards this matter is.

The next morning, Lid was awakened by the noisy people outside. He opened the window of the hotel and saw that the people spontaneously lined up in two rows, and the wide road in the middle was empty, with only a gray-haired old lady and a timid-looking little girl walking together.

"That's the old general's wife..."

"She remained calm even with a knife against her chest. She is truly worthy of being the general's wife..."

"I'm afraid that the bloody shirt is what she is holding in her hand...!"

Reed watched everything from top to bottom, and what was happening before his eyes really had nothing to do with him at all.

The vigorous old woman's face was full of wrinkles, but her expression was still upright; in her right hand she held a tattered battle robe with many lines of words written in blood on it, but because the battle robe was not unfolded, it was difficult to see what was written there, and one could only barely make out the huge word "injustice" at the top. In her left hand she held a boning knife upside down, with the tip of the knife poking at her chest, and she looked at the people on the side of the road with indifference, as if to persuade them not to get involved in such things, so as not to bring trouble upon themselves.

Unlike her, the little girl beside her had a timid look in her eyes, and it seemed that she had never seen such a scene before. She probably walked for too long and it was difficult for her to maintain her balance, so she limped. The feeling of being stared at by so many people made her want to hide behind the old man, but the old man never looked back at her.

The two walked through the busy streets, the scorching sun almost roasting their thin bodies into jerky. The sky in Nanchu was as clear as ever, and the sunlight was much stronger than anywhere else.

The light in the little girl's eyes gradually faded, and the old man walking in front of her just scolded in a low voice:

"Go faster... Do you want to watch your grandfather die in prison?"

The little girl opened her mouth and after a long while, she only said one sentence:

"I can't walk anymore..."

The old man pursed his dry lips and said:

"Since you were born in our family, you have to be stronger than other children. I am sixty-nine years old this year, but I can still walk this way. Why can't you? Let the sun shine on you. After you lose a few layers of skin, you won't feel the sun anymore. Lianqing, you are already a big child. One day your grandparents will not be with you, but you have to live on..."

There was a hint of bitterness in her voice, she shook her head and continued walking forward.

The little girl behind him didn't seem to understand, or seemed to be dizzy from the sun, so she didn't make any response.

After the old man and the child had gone far away, a voice came from the crowd:

"I heard that a noble has come to the house and wants to force the girl named Lianqing to be a maid. This is humiliating the old general... Jiang Yuesheng is no different from being dead now. They want him to see his granddaughter serving other men while he is still alive..."

"Don't they think about it? Without the old general, how could there be Nan Chu today?"

"They won't think so... Those nobles who advocate peace, headed by Xiang Geling, should all be killed..."

Amid the discussions, Lid saw Wan Tang. She was squeezed in the crowd, watching Jiang Yuesheng's wife and granddaughter slowly go away, with a sad look on her face.

Finally, amid the shouts of people selling lotus seed and osmanthus soup, Reed smiled and closed the window of the hotel.

21. Before the Dinner

If Bai Huang were here, he would have probably led the charge and rushed to the lord's mansion to beat the drum to report his crime.

Unfortunately, Reed is not Bai Huang. After closing the window, he turned around and continued to sleep.

Of course, the most important thing is that from the description, Jiang Yuesheng should be old this year, at least in his seventies. Even if he was dug to Yunyang, it would be meaningless. You can't let an old man bend over to fight on the battlefield at his age. So Li De was not interested in this kind of thing. The reason why he roughly understood the process of the bloody clothes case was to see how Nanchu's son Xiao Hei would deal with it. This would affect Yunyang's attitude towards Nanchu in the future to a certain extent.

When the agreed time was approaching, Reed went to Yunmeng City with Xiao Hei's invitation letter.

When entering the city, Lid suddenly understood why he had been interrogated so many times. Ordinary people in Nanchu were not qualified to enter such a large city, including merchants coming to Nanchu. The nobles living in the city had their food, clothing and daily necessities delivered by someone special. This place was like a large royal palace. Only those who were specially summoned to see the emperor were qualified to meet him.

The prosperity inside is dazzling.

Various large buildings appeared one after another, and the exquisiteness of the carved beams and painted buildings was almost difficult to describe in words. A pillar could be carved with thousands of statues of gods, or it could be a beautiful picture of mountains and rivers; each tile was engraved with different patterns, and the rarity of the materials was not just luxury. Lid saw several places inlaid with extremely rare dragon scales, which would at least be worth a fortune if used as weapons, but now they were only used as wall decorations.

No one dared to question Nanchu's extravagance, because Nanchu was not wasting scarce resources on construction, but was simply too rich, to the extent that he had no place to spend his money, so he could only use the excess materials here.

Because of the invitation letter, Reed was taken to the most luxurious mansion in the city by his exclusive butler.

"Your Excellency, Lord Yunyang has arrived..."

After entering the room, the butler bowed and spoke respectfully to the young man sitting among a pile of documents.

"Lord Yunyang? What is he doing here..."

The young man behind the pile of documents suddenly realized what was happening before he finished speaking. He jumped up and said:

"Damn, I'm a little uncomfortable at first. Lid, I have to call you Lord now."

Xiao Hei rushed over, held Lid's hand, and shook it vigorously. His face was full of a hearty smile, and he spoke the same way as before, with a little bit of chatterboxness:

"I was originally planning to go back with you on the northbound trip, so we could talk about the future on the way. Who would have thought that you and the eldest sister would disappear together? We couldn't find you anywhere, and Xiaobai even went to the temple to burn three incense sticks for you."

"Later, I heard that you returned to Yunyang, and I wanted to invite you to get together, but Yunyang started fighting again. Although Xiaobai and I don't think you will lose, it's not a good time to invite you over at this time. We can only wait a little longer."

"Anyway, we finally meet again... Come on, come on, I'll host a party for you tonight. Let's have a few drinks and talk about the past and the future."

Lid glanced at the pile of documents behind Xiao Hei and asked at the right time:

"recently, I am busy?"

Xiao Hei exhaled, crossed his arms, smiled bitterly and said:

"It's all because of the blood-stained shirt case. You must have heard about it on your way here. Someone accused the old general Jiang Yuesheng of murder and abuse of power. The local government directly imprisoned the old general and then sent him to death row. The old general's wife wrote a blood letter on her battle shirt and brought her granddaughter here to appeal for justice. It's such a big thing... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't busy."

Lid smiled and pointed outside the house and said:

"But when I arrived at the noble area, I rarely saw anyone talking about these things. It was very quiet."

Xiao Hei shook his head:

"They are just talking about their own business behind closed doors. Whenever it comes to the issue of standing on the right side, a large number of nobles will fall, even the first-class nobles are not immune. Before they really make a decision, no news will be spread."

Xiao Hei patted the documents on the table and said with a smile:

"So when I asked for their opinions, everyone presented similar official rhetoric. They said they would conduct a thorough investigation, set up a special task force, and give everyone justice. But what is the truth? I don't know their tricks yet. Witnesses and evidence can be falsified, and the parties involved are all saying different things. Public opinion is sometimes in the east and sometimes in the west, and there are invisible hands fighting behind the scenes. Hey, don't be fooled by them standing on the dry shore with high-sounding words, because half of their legs are secretly wading in the muddy water."

Lid also laughed, and imitated Xiao Hei, patted the document, and said:

"So you still watch these things?"

Xiao Hei yawned and said:

"Why should I watch these things? Am I not better than them in practicing official language skills? It's because there are always people coming to test my opinion these past two days, so I just piled up the documents higher and took a nap in the back. When the old housekeeper called me, I got up, pretended to be handling official documents, and sent them away."

Lid sighed:

"Drag it, drag it hard."

Xiao Hei also accompanied him and sighed:

"Yeah, but what can I do? If those stubborn old men don't show up, I can only stand aside. Lide, you just came to Nanchu, and you may not understand many things. You will probably understand them by the banquet tonight. But don't worry too much, Xiaobai will also be here tonight, and it shouldn't be too chaotic this time. As for the matter of [Breaking the Sky] that I wanted to discuss with you, it should be postponed... My father pushed me out to investigate the bloody clothes case, and until this matter is resolved, my every move will be closely watched."

Lid patted his shoulder and asked:

"Why are you the one handling this? Shouldn't this matter depend on your father's attitude? I heard that this is a struggle between the pro-war and pro-peace nobles, and the blood-stained shirt case is just a knife in their hands. If you really want to cut the Gordian knot, why not let your father come out and say a few words?"

Xiao Hei shook his head:

"I don't know what my father's attitude is, or rather, I'm afraid my father himself can't decide his own position. Lide, I don't know if you have heard that our Nanchu army is actually scattered among various nobles. When it comes to the issue of standing in line, not only do the nobles have to participate in the breath-holding competition, but my father can't easily reveal his attitude, so he can only let me, his son, come out to be everyone's grandson."

Xiao Hei looked at Lid and said with a sigh:

"That's why I envy you. You're so young, but you're already a local lord. You can do whatever you want and go wherever you want. These years, Xiaobai and I also like to go outside, because the outside world is freer after all. Returning to Nanchu is like returning to a cage, with all kinds of personal relationships making it hard for us to lift our feet. Alas... In short, every family has its own problems."

22. Playing charades

By the time of the dinner, Lid finally understood what Xiao Hei meant by Nan Chu's "unspeakable secret".

One word, chaos!

"Is this the new Lord of Yunyang? He looks so young, maybe he is a few years younger than our prince?"

"At such a young age, he has the courage to ride alone to the banquet. He is a young talent. I didn't expect that the previous Lord of Yunyang, although he was a coward, gave birth to a good son."

"Humph... a child may be smart when he is young, but he may not be a good person when he grows up. Besides, how is the person who killed his father and brother any different from a jackal? It is not a blessing for Nanchu that my prince is friends with such a person!"

"Fathers, brothers, elders and juniors should all be in order; nobles and commoners should be distinguished. Looking at Yunyang's recent actions, he has gone too far in winning over people's hearts. How can this be what a lord should do? However, Yunyang has been poor for generations, so it is not difficult to understand why the country folk do some unruly behavior..."

"Okay, okay, today's banquet is invited by the prince to welcome the new Lord of Yunyang. How come our own people are quarreling before the banquet even starts? Isn't this a joke for outsiders to see?"

"The Lord has also said that Yunyang's future is limitless. Since you are here, we are friends. I think we old guys should say less to avoid being offended."

"Eat, eat... Come, Lid, come over here. Since you are the prince's brother, I, your uncle, will also call you nephew. Let me toast you! I hope we can visit each other more often in the future and keep our friendship forever!"

There were so many nobles present that those who knew could tell that this was a noble gathering, while those who didn't would have thought that someone in the village had unfortunately died and the whole village, young and old, was waiting for the food to be served.

It can be seen that the dining etiquette of the Nanchu nobles is very good, but the pre-dinner etiquette is not so good. In particular, there are at least three or four hundred nobles present, and there are forty or fifty first-class nobles sitting at the core tables alone. These people are very curious about Lid. Some touch his head, some pat his shoulders, some pull him to drink a few glasses of wine, and some pretend to ask him about his height, weight, age and other information.

Fortunately, the Prince Xiaobai of Xiqin was also present and helped him turn down most of the social engagements.

This handsome young man with expressionless face was the same as before, and even in the crowd, he still looked like he was doing what he wanted. He licked the back of his hand from time to time, and combed his hair with the back of his hand, and the surrounding Nanchu nobles seemed to have gotten used to it and just treated him as if he didn't exist.

Lid glanced at the nobles of Nanchu, and in Lid's eyes, their status was roughly graded. Among them, there was an old man with white spots on his temples, who seemed to enjoy a high status among the nobles. When he spoke, other first-class nobles would stop speaking and wait for him to finish before continuing the discussion.

And this old man was also very interested in Lid.

After the two of them exchanged a simple glance, the old man smiled amiably and waved gently to Lid. Lid walked over there, and Xiaobai's sight suddenly became sharp, but he did not stop him.

The old man with the cane looked at Lid kindly and asked with a smile:

"Lord Yunyang... Lide? What a handsome young man."

Lid stared into his eyes and asked:

"you are……?"

The old man tapped the ground twice with his cane and replied:

"I am... Xiang Geling. I am the second uncle of Lord Nanchu and the person in charge of the Changlongqiu area. Of course, if you go to many places, you will also hear my other name, which is the leader of the peace-loving nobles."

The noisy banquet suddenly became quiet. Everyone pretended to communicate, but they also pricked up their ears to listen to the conversation here. Lid tapped his thigh lightly with his fingers, recalling that not long ago when Jiang Yuesheng's wife walked through the long street with her granddaughter, there was a burst of curses in the crowd, saying that Xiang Geling and those nobles who advocated peace should die. In their conversation, they had already judged him as the murderer who falsely accused Jiang Yuesheng.

Elder Xiang Geling, who mentioned his name on his own initiative, did not look unusual, and his tone was still gentle:

"I've heard Xiao Hei talk about you. It's a good thing to be in a high position at a young age. It's another good thing to be able to remember your former brothers after ascending to the position of lord. I heard that your sister married a noble from Xi Qin. I wonder if you are interested in marrying a girl from Nan Chu?"

Xiaobai raised his head suddenly.

Lid frowned, but soon smiled and said:

"Hiss... Could it be, Saint Nanchu?"

Xiang Geling was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Reed laughed along with him, and everyone around laughed at once.

Xiaobai licked the back of his hand and began to comb his hair again.

Xiang Geling said to Lid:

"No wonder the Lord and the Crown Prince praised you. I won't beat around the bush. The moment the Saint Lady became a Saint Lady, she was a girl serving God. I'm afraid it's hard for you to have a relationship with her. The one I'm talking about is my own granddaughter. She's eighteen years old this year. She's proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and her appearance is not inferior to that Saint Lady. It's a pity that she has high standards and doesn't like anyone in Nanchu, so she's still unmarried. I don't have to be the matchmaker, I just want to mention it. If you are interested, I can introduce you to someone."

Lid cupped his hands and said to Ge Ling:

"Thank you for your kindness, old man. Fate is something that cannot be seen or touched. If there is really a destiny, we will meet each other. If there is really no destiny, we should not force it. I appreciate your kindness. Come, let me toast you a glass."

After Lid finished speaking, he raised his glass and clinked it with the glass in Xiang Geling's hand, and drank the liquor in the glass. At the same time, the voice of Xiao Hei, the prince of Nanchu, came from behind:

"Second uncle, are you looking for a partner for sister Zhehua again?"

Xiang Geling held up the wine glass, smiled bitterly and waved his hand:

"I'm old now, I have to find a good home for my children and grandchildren. You know Xiang Zhehua's personality very well, no one in Nanchu can control her, I wanted to bring you together, but you didn't want to. Then I thought, she probably wants to go out, wants to leave here, so I'll test your friend's thoughts first, maybe it will work out."

Xiao Hei laughed:

"I'm afraid it's a bit difficult. This girl, even if you give her a prince consort, she may not be able to do it. I think Zhehua is not too old, so there's no need to rush her to get married."

Xiang Ge Ling sighed and said slowly:

"That's true...I'm just anxious."

Xiao Hei calmly repeated his words, without a smile in his eyes, and said:

"Indeed, Second Uncle is a little anxious."

Xiang Geling's hand trembled slightly, and a little wine spilled out of the glass.

However, Xiao Hei almost immediately regained his smile, turned around and said: