Chapter 34

Amidst the welcome of all the citizens and soldiers, Yueyang led the five hundred soldiers who had fought fiercely into the city. After entering the city, Yueyang was also escorted to the main hall of the prefectural government and sat in the chief seat alongside Prefect Zheng Fakui. Although Yueyang had repeatedly declined, he could not resist Zheng Fakui and was firmly seated in that position. This treatment was no small matter. After all, Zheng Fakui was a genuine imperial scholar and a fourth-rank official appointed by the court, while Yueyang was merely a lowly scholar. In the past, Yueyang would have had to kowtow to the prefect, but now he could sit in the chief seat alongside the prefect of the state. This kind of treatment was something that Wang Shoucheng, Lin Yuanteng, and others had never enjoyed, so they looked at Yueyang with envy, their eyes almost spitting fire.

At this moment, the main hall of the prefectural government was filled with civil and military officials and various gentry from Yingzhou City. Looking at these people, Zheng Fakui felt a wave of disdain. He wondered where all these people had come from, as none of them had been seen when the bandits attacked the city. Now that the bandits had retreated, they all emerged. To be honest, Zheng Fakui looked down on these people from the bottom of his heart. In his view, these officials were not as good as Wang Shoucheng, Lin Yuanteng, and Li Yuan. Although their behavior was often unseemly, at least they were willing to fight alongside him when the bandits came.

Ignoring these cowardly officials, Zheng Fakui turned his gaze to Yueyang and said with a smile, "Nephew Yue, the city of Yingzhou could be saved and not fall into the hands of the bandits, all thanks to your timely assistance. Thanks to you, tens of thousands of people in Yingzhou were saved from the bandits. This is a great deed indeed!"

Faced with Zheng Fakui's praise, Yueyang remained very calm and said, "Sir Zheng, you are too kind. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Besides, I was following orders, and I dare not claim credit in front of all the officials."

Seeing that Yueyang did not take credit for his great achievement, Zheng Fakui was very pleased and praised him, "Nephew, you are too modest. Credit is credit. This time, the city of Yingzhou could turn from danger to safety, and you are the greatest contributor. I will certainly report to the court to request a reward for you!"

"Thank you, Sir," Yueyang had to express his gratitude in response to Zheng Fakui's enthusiasm.

Seeing that Yueyang, a mere scholar, was treated with such respect by Zheng Fakui, the people in the hall had various thoughts. In this world, some were grateful, some were indifferent, and some were envious. However, in any era, those who held office were not fools. With Yueyang's current prominence, no one would dare to challenge him. Many people secretly remembered Yueyang, meaning that from today, Yueyang, who was once widely regarded as a bookish and sour scholar, had officially entered the eyes of the gentry and officials of Yingzhou City.

After the gratitude, a banquet was set up. As the hero of the day, Yueyang was naturally seated in the chief seat alongside Zheng Fakui. He did not even have the chance to decline and was firmly seated in the chief seat.

To be honest, this was the first time Yueyang felt a sense of dignity. The respected prefect was sitting right next to him, a fourth-rank official, equivalent to the mayor and party secretary of a prefecture-level city in modern times. If he were in the modern world, he would probably not even be taken seriously by a small section chief, let alone sit at the same table with the mayor and party secretary.

From this, Yueyang felt a surge of satisfaction. Although he was somewhat elated, he was not blinded by this superficial glory. Having read so many novels and biographies, the authors had repeatedly told him that the reason so many officials were now flattering him, a small scholar, was not because he had some special aura, but because he had something they needed. That something was the army he commanded, which could protect their lives. Otherwise, why would these officials and gentry lower their proud demeanor to flatter him, a small scholar? Thinking about this, Yueyang felt an unusual calm in his heart.

What Yueyang did not know was that since he entered the hall, dozens of pairs of eyes had been secretly observing him. These eyes carefully observed his every move. When they saw that Yueyang's eyes could quickly return to clarity, many people were secretly surprised or nodded in approval. It seemed that this scholar, once regarded as a bookish and sour person, had been hiding his true abilities. Perhaps this was his true self, and it seemed that Yuezhuang would rise again because of Yueyang.

There were also many people who knew about the enmity between Yuezhuang and the families of Wang Shoucheng, Li Yuan, and Lin Yuanteng, and they watched the expressions of these people with a sense of drama. For a moment, everyone in the hall had their own thoughts.

Unlike most people who were watching the drama, Wang Shoucheng, Li Yuan, and Lin Yuanteng had the most complex feelings. Looking at Yueyang, who was sitting in the chief seat and chatting with Zheng Fakui, Li Yuan felt a deep sense of melancholy. Wang Shoucheng's expression was constantly changing, and Lin Yuanteng's eyes often flashed with a hint of ferocity.

Lin Yuanteng took a sip of wine and said resentfully, "Sigh... This kid surnamed Yue has really made it. This time, we've really lost. Brother Wang, Brother Li, what do you think we should do?"

Wang Shoucheng snorted, "What can we do? No matter how capable Yueyang is, he's still just a small scholar. He only has five hundred trained soldiers. We didn't dig the Sanggan River for nothing; we paid for it. What can he do to us?"

"That's not the way to look at it," Li Yuan said. "Now that the bandits are rampant, Yueyang has an army, which gives him capital. Although the bandits have retreated, they might return at any time. When that happens, we might have to rely on him for our survival. What if Yueyang makes things difficult for us then?"

Hearing this, Wang Shoucheng and Lin Yuanteng fell silent. Yes, the bandits had retreated, but you have to understand that retreating and being defeated are two different things. If the bandits return, what will happen to Yingzhou City? Would they have to beg Yueyang to send troops again? Wang Shoucheng and Lin Yuanteng were not willing to lose face.

Seeing Wang Shoucheng and Lin Yuanteng silent, Li Yuan became a bit anxious and turned to Lin Yuanteng, saying, "Brother Lin, you always claim to have two thousand desperate men under your command. You can't be afraid of Yueyang, can you?"

Although Lin Yuanteng had a fiery temper, he was not easily swayed. He glared at Li Yuan and snorted, "I'm not afraid of him. Yueyang just has the advantage of armor and weapons. Otherwise, I wouldn't be afraid of this brat!"

Hearing Lin Yuanteng's words, Li Yuan understood that despite his words, Lin Yuanteng was truly afraid. Thinking about this, Li Yuan made an important decision in his heart...

The banquet lasted until the moon was high in the sky. It was not until around midnight that everyone began to disperse. Yueyang was invited to stay at the prefectural government, and his five hundred soldiers were stationed nearby.

With six-tenths of a drink, Yueyang, under the guidance of two pretty maids sent by Zheng Fakui, entered the guest room. Just as Yueyang was about to take off his heavy armor and prepare to bathe and change clothes, Shunbao reported from outside, "Young Master, the head of the Li family is here to see you!"

"The head of the Li family is here to see me?"

Yueyang, who had already taken off half of his armor, was a bit stunned. He really did not expect Li Yuan to come to see him in the middle of the night. Yueyang immediately asked, "Is there anyone else with him?"

Shunbao shook his head, "No, he's alone."

"What is this guy up to?" Yueyang was taken aback by the unexpected visit from someone with whom he had a grudge.

"Young Master, if you don't want to see him, I can drive him away right away," Shunbao, who also had no good feelings towards Li Yuan, suggested.

Yueyang waved his hand, "No, let him in. I want to see what he has to say."

Shunbao was a bit anxious, "Young Master, are you really going to see that old man? Don't forget what he did..."

"Enough, I know what to do. Bring him in immediately," Yueyang glared at Shunbao, and his sharp gaze made Shunbao shrink back. He did not dare to say anything more and quickly ran out. Soon, Li Yuan was led in by Shunbao.

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