Chapter 8

"Clang!"

Fang Xing drew his sword, and the few men were so frightened that they bit their fingernails. One of them turned to call for help.

"Swish!"

A bright flash of the blade cut through the air, severing a branch from a nearby large tree.

"Good sword!"

The young man, his eyes filled with surprise, walked over, and the other men couldn't stop him.

"Where did you get this sword?"

Fang Xing sheathed his sword and said indifferently, "Just like me, it's from the countryside."

The young man bent down to pick up the branch from the ground, examining the clean cut at the knot, and praised, "Indeed, a fine sword!"

Anyone who has chopped wood knows that it's best to avoid knots.

But Fang Xing's single stroke had cut through the knot, leaving a neat edge.

"Have you achieved any scholarly rank?"

The young man smiled with a hint of amusement.

Looking at the young man, who was a few years younger than himself, Xiao Bai shouted from behind, "My young master is a juren (scholar-official)."

"Juren? Not bad."

Fang Xing, seeing the young man's youth, deduced that he must be very intelligent.

The young man folded his arms and asked with a playful tone, "Let me ask you, what do you think about the proposal to move the capital to Beiping?"

In recent years, there has been significant debate about moving the capital to Beiping, and Zhu Di has even executed people over it.

Fang Xing bowed toward the city and said, "A good thing."

"Not human! Not human! How can this be a good thing?"

A man with a long beard pointed at Fang Xing, ready to scold him.

Fang Xing said indifferently, "The emperor guards the national gates, and the king dies for the state. This is the true iron will of our Great Ming!"

"Bravo!"

As the few men trembled with anger, the young man couldn't help but clap and praise, his eyes shining as he looked at Fang Xing, "A talent hidden in the wild!"

Fang Xing looked at the few men who had been reading too much, with disdain, "The only external threat to our Great Ming is from the north, while the capital is far to the south. If anything happens, who among you learned scholars will defend it?"

"Our Great Ming has nine border regions, with brave generals and countless soldiers. How dare the barbarians even think of invading?"

"Sending a general would suffice. What crisis could there be?"

Fang Xing looked at these 'learned scholars' and shook his head, "Fools!"

How dare you call us fools?

Before they could react, Fang Xing drew his sword and said, "Since the founding of our Great Ming by the High Emperor, we have driven out the Tartars. And the current emperor still worries about the north. Are they not smarter than you fools?"

Seeing that these men were only sneering, Fang Xing, now in the heat of the moment, continued, "Throughout the history of our Huaxia, external threats have never ceased, but the greatest threat has always come from the north. If we don't prepare now, do we want to wait until after the fall of Yashan to reflect?"

No one dared to speak, but their expressions were strange, and they looked at Fang Xing as if he were already dead.

"Our Great Ming has driven the Yuan to barren lands. What crisis could there be?"

A man who looked mature and composed said, "You say the threat is from the north. Did the Qin Dynasty fall to the north? Did the Han Dynasty fall to the north? Did the Sui Dynasty fall to the north?"

When the man spoke, his companions all applauded.

The young man, playing with the branch in his hand, also waited with interest for Fang Xing's response.

You underestimating my forum lurking skills, huh!

Fang Xing laughed heartily, "If I call you fools and you still don't realize it, then I'll give you a lesson."

"The First Emperor was a man of great talent and vision, but he died too soon. Otherwise, the Qin Empire could have lasted for hundreds more years."

"As for the Han Dynasty, have you forgotten what our Han people once endured?"

The group, lost in a fog, thought Fang Xing was exaggerating, but when they heard a certain term, they all felt disheartened.

"Two-legged sheep!"

"And the Sui Dynasty, if it hadn't launched three campaigns against Goguryeo, do you think it would have fallen?"

Seeing that a few of them wanted to argue, Fang Xing continued, "Let's talk about the previous dynasty, the Song Dynasty. It faced the northern barbarians from the very beginning. Why did it last so long? Do you know why it ultimately fell?"

Seeing the men's disgruntled expressions, Fang Xing felt satisfied and sneered, "Is a zhuangyuan (top scholar) from the East Hua Gate a good son? Hahahaha!"

As Fang Xing walked away, the men shouted angrily at his back, even threatening to seal off the Fang family estate, but Fang Xing's response was a middle finger without turning back.

I despise you!

"Is a zhuangyuan from the East Hua Gate a good son..."

The young man's expression turned serious, and he ignored the older men, walking quickly to where his horse was tied.

...

Feeling exhilarated, Fang Xing later regretted his impulsiveness, worrying about what would happen if the estate was really sealed.

"It's fine, we have plenty of money and food."

After the spring wheat harvest, the farmers' workload lightened, and they only needed to plant beans.

The weather was very hot, and the poor new bride still had to dress formally to welcome her husband.

"You don't need to be so formal. We're going to be together for life, so be more relaxed."

Zhang Shuhui's curtsy was very graceful, revealing her slender figure, but the fine sweat on her face almost made Fang Xing slap himself.

"Wait a moment!"

Seeing Fang Xing rush out, Zhang Shuhui couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

A few minutes later, he returned with a wooden basin in his hands.

As Fang Xing approached, Zhang Shuhui was surprised to see steam rising from the basin.

Placing the basin on the table, Fang Xing wiped the sweat from his face and smiled, "Eat quickly, it will cool you down."

"Hubby, where did you get this?"

The apples in the basin were bright red, the grapes were plump, and there were even some ice cubes at the bottom, making them irresistible.

Zhang Shuhui, though a commoner, had a noble lineage, and no one dared to mistreat her. She had lived a life of luxury during her youth.

But to see such large, high-quality apples and even grapes in this season was beyond her expectations.

Fang Xing picked up an apple, rubbed it in his hands, and took a big bite, immediately being conquered by the juice and the coolness.

"Eat quickly, your husband is a disciple of Zhang Tian Shi, and fetching things from afar is nothing extraordinary."

Seeing Fang Xing eating with great enjoyment, Zhang Shuhui couldn't resist picking up a bunch of grapes, gently tearing the fruit and putting it in her mouth.

The cool, sweet juice immediately filled her mouth, refreshing her on this hot summer day.

"Xiao Bai, come and have some."

Zhang Shuhui understood Xiao Bai's status in the Fang family and didn't put on airs.

Xiao Bai stood there awkwardly until Fang Xing beckoned her, and then she blushed and came over.

"Eat, eat, there's plenty. Enough for our family to last a lifetime."

After finishing the fruit, Fang Xing washed his hands with the help of a maid and sighed at how quickly he had become decadent.

Seeing that Zhang Shuhui still had doubts, Fang Xing said frankly, "I have a good friend who does business overseas, so we won't lack these things. Don't be so surprised in the future."

A lie must be convincing, or no one will believe it.

Fang Xing's eyes were very serious, and Zhang Shuhui nodded involuntarily, deciding not to delve into this matter.