Chapter 100

Li You suddenly sat up in bed. Just a moment ago, he was still in the capital city of Chang'an, but now, upon opening his eyes, he found himself in a Jiangdu inn! "Young Master, do you need some water?" Xiaozhao's voice came from the outer room, perhaps she had heard Li You getting up!

"No! I just woke up from a dream! You can continue sleeping! I'll go back to sleep too!" Although he said this, Xiaozhao still came into the inner room to check on him carefully. She took out a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, tucked him back into bed, and then returned to the outer room to lie down.

This made Li You, who had not yet fully recovered from the military campaign, feel somewhat unaccustomed! Compared to his days of diplomatic missions to the Western Regions, where his life was in constant danger, his current life was simply too good!

Closing his eyes and calming his mind, he heard Xiaozhao's steady breathing from the outer room and guessed that she had fallen asleep. He then took out the tiger talisman from his chest and began to check the rewards for this mission! The title of "Bowa Hou" granted him a +2 bonus to Politics. Additionally, just like last time, he received three chances to draw rewards!

The first draw was ten skill points, which could be added to his personal attributes such as Command, Martial, Intelligence, and Politics! Li You initially wanted to add them to Command to give himself the chance to summon the Backwei Army. However, he decided against it, not knowing what the next mission would be. If the next mission required him to engage in a single combat with a general, wouldn't adding skill points to Command be a waste? Everything should be decided based on the next mission. After all, the skill points wouldn't disappear!

The second draw yielded a peculiar item. A new section appeared on the tiger talisman's interface, the Equipment Section, and the item he drew was quietly lying there. It was an icon shaped like a crossbow, with the words "Eight Ox Crossbow" written beside it.

Is this the great weapon that killed the Liao army commander Xiao Dalin during the Battle of Chanyuan in the Northern Song Dynasty? It is called the "Eight Ox Crossbow" because it requires the strength of eight oxen to draw it. Using human power to draw the crossbow generally requires 20 to 100 people, with a range of 200 to 300 steps, or about 370 to 560 meters. The crossbow arrows used by the Eight Ox Crossbow are even larger, with thick arrow shafts and iron fletching, and a massive three-edged iron tip. Because of its size, it is similar to a spear, hence it is also called the "One Spear Three Sword Arrow," a formidable weapon in the age of cold weapons!

But what does it mean to give me a blueprint? Do I have to find craftsmen to manufacture it? Wouldn't it be better to make cannons? At least I have a basic understanding of the principles of cannons, right? Li You scratched his head and clicked on the icon to read the detailed description.

After a while, Li You understood the function of this reward. It turns out that with this blueprint, the Eight Ox Crossbow can be automatically produced. The blueprint can be used three times, each time producing ten "Eight Ox Crossbows." Li You just needs to prepare the materials according to the blueprint's instructions, then take out the blueprint and click to manufacture to create the "Eight Ox Crossbows." This is quite convenient to use, but he would need to find some excuses when using it!

The first reward, the skill points, were very useful, while the second reward, the "Eight Ox Crossbow," was neither good nor bad. It seems that his luck this time was not as good as the first time! He secretly prayed and began the third draw!

After a moment, the slot machine stopped, and an image similar to a bamboo scroll was drawn. The tiger talisman's voice sounded, "Congratulations, host, for obtaining the mysterious item, the Book of Guiguzi!"

The Book of Guiguzi? What is this? I know that Guiguzi was a representative of the纵横家 (纵横家, Zhonghengjia, or Diplomat School) during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. He was proficient in divination, military strategy, and diplomatic skills. According to legend, famous generals Sun Bin and Pang Juan, as well as diplomats Su Qin and Zhang Yi, were all his disciples! Could this book record his military strategies and diplomatic skills?

However, the tiger talisman's explanation disappointed Li You again. The Book of Guiguzi can indeed transmit knowledge, but it is not for Li You to learn Guiguzi's strategies. Instead, it allows Li You to transfer the skills he has already mastered to others! Since Guiguzi taught such outstanding students as Sun Bin, Pang Juan, Su Qin, and Zhang Yi, and his hidden valley was later called the "First Military Academy in the World" by a general, it makes sense to use the Book of Guiguzi as a tool for transmitting knowledge. But what use is this to Li You?

What a rip! This mission was much harder than the first one, but the rewards were meager! Li You thought with a bitter expression. Apart from the ten skill points, which were quite useful, the "Eight Ox Crossbow" and the Book of Guiguzi were just for show! Sigh, it looks like the next mission will be tough!

The joy of completing the mission instantly vanished, and Li You remained depressed in bed for a long time, finally sighing deeply. Since the situation cannot be changed, he could only accept it! He hoped that the next mission would be easier!

The next day, Li You and Qian Hua continued their journey north by boat, visiting relatives and friends along the way and tasting local delicacies. Of course, they also compared the different flavors of the brothels in various places! However, Qian Hua never allowed Li You to stay overnight in those places, which made Li You very frustrated!

"Brother Ziqi, since we crossed the Yangtze River and came to the north, it seems that there are more and more displaced people along the canal!" Whether the world is peaceful is a crucial matter for his ability to live a life of luxury. He was already exhausted from the battles in the mission world and did not want to be involved in wars in the main world. Therefore, he could not help but ask when he saw the ragged and emaciated displaced people along the canal.

"Alas, since the emperor ascended the throne, there have been consecutive years of drought in Guanzhong and the Three Jin regions, and last year there was a locust plague! The lives of the people are getting harder and harder every day!" Qian Hua also could not help but shake his head and sigh when he saw this scene.

"Then the local officials and the court do nothing about it?" Li You frowned, as uprisings due to famine were common in historical records. He did not want the Wei Dynasty to fall! He still wanted to live a comfortable life!

"The local officials only care about currying favor with their superiors and oppressing the people! In times of disaster, it is a good opportunity for local gentry to seize land. These officials dare not hinder their good fortune, so they do not take disaster relief seriously!" Qian Hua, who had heard a lot from his father, was very familiar with these matters.

"As for the court! The emperor is currently in a dispute with the ministers over the Grand Rites. The court is divided into two factions, and they argue all day long, with no one paying attention to the displaced people!" Qian Hua said with a bitter smile.

Grand Rites? What is this?

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