Chapter 10

PS: Thank you for the recommendation votes yesterday, especially the friend who cast six at once, you're too awesome...

Seeing Gu Bu Ziqing's confident demeanor, Zhao Wuxi didn't dare to completely disbelieve him. After all, he had already experienced the unscientific phenomenon of soul transmigration, so now he could only adopt Confucius's attitude: respect the spirits but keep them at a distance.

He left Mu Xia to watch over the horses and the game, and then searched in the direction Gu Bu Ziqing had pointed. The forest became denser as he went deeper, and Wuxi had to draw his short sword to cut through the thorny bushes, pushing forward with great effort.

During the Spring and Autumn period, the exploitation of nature was not extensive. In the future, the southern Shanxi basin would hardly see such a pristine ecosystem. This was the Hedong region, which had been developed for two thousand years by five generations, and was one of the most densely populated areas in the world at that time. One could imagine that the wilderness of Chu and Yue was even more covered with swamps and primeval forests, where herds of rhinos and elephants could be seen.

It was already close to dusk. Looking at the patch of withered grass about half a person's height ahead, Wuxi wasn't sure if there were poisonous snakes or insects lurking. For safety, he had to leave the forest before dark.

"I told you, if Gu Bu Ziqing could predict accurately, he would truly be a divine calculator."

Not capturing the white deer and wasting half a day, the hunt would probably not win first place. He just hoped that with the unfortunate black bear, they wouldn't come in last among the four brothers.

However, today was still a good day. Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Zhao Wuxi's lips. The physiognomist named Gu Bu Ziqing had probably returned to the mansion in Mianshang. He wouldn't say anything bad about his savior in front of Zhao Yang, right?

Just as he was about to turn around, a breeze blew through the forest, and the dense grass leaves moved, but not naturally.

Wuxi seemed to sense something. He focused again and indeed saw the rare white female deer lying in the thick grass!

Wuxi was overjoyed. It was truly a case of "searching high and low without finding, but unexpectedly coming upon it without effort"!

The white deer seemed injured, with a rope tied around its leg, and a broken hoof. It appeared to have been caught in a trap set by some unknown hunter, which now benefited Wuxi.

Seeing the young man in riding attire approach with a gleaming bronze short sword, the white deer seemed to know its fate and stared at Wuxi with a pleading look, as if begging for mercy.

Wuxi had seen this look somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. It was probably a memory from this life.

Yes, the black eyes of the female deer, with a hint of spirit, reminded him of his sister Ji Ying. On the day her mother, Lady Jinjuan, suddenly passed away, she had looked just as frightened and uneasy.

Touched by this, Wuxi's raised right arm trembled slightly, but he held the bronze short sword firmly, unable to strike.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, the white female deer's slightly swollen belly clearly indicated she was pregnant. This made it even harder for him to act.

Wuxi muttered to himself, as if to console himself: "The rules of the hunt state that one should not kill pregnant animals or harm young ones, and should leave some room for mercy during the hunt..."

But another voice in his heart urged him to strike: Just by offering this deer, he could win Zhao Yang's favor and take the lead in the struggle for the position of heir!

The last image that flashed through his mind was the frowning brows of the kind Ji Ying...

After a fierce internal struggle, Zhao Wuxi finally sighed and swung the short sword down!

...

As night approached, under the brightly lit high platform in Mianshang, the Zhao family's hunters returned one by one, presenting their game to Zhao Yang. These mountain delicacies would be used to entertain guests and fill the lord's kitchen, with the remaining parts preserved for the winter sacrificial rites.

Zhao Yang stroked his beautiful beard, inspecting them absentmindedly, but his mind was still on the beautiful white deer that had vanished in an instant.

"If it could be captured... would it mean the rise of the Zhao family?"

Zhao Yang was both an ambitious lord and a believer in divine will and divination, which were not contradictory.

After all, the Zhao family's history was filled with supernatural events. For example, after the disaster at Xiagong, the orphaned Zhao family, who had lost everything, was able to regain their territory largely due to the mysterious words of the shaman.

After the massacre of the Zhao family, Duke Jing of Jin had a dream in which he saw a terrifying ghost. It was said to be tall, with long hair trailing to the ground, hitting its chest and leaping on the ground, looking very frightening.

It scolded Duke Jing, "Unjust and ignorant ruler! What crime did my descendants commit? You are unrighteous and unjust, killing them without cause. I have already appealed to the Heavenly Emperor, and now I will take your life."

With that, it lunged at Duke Jing, who fled in terror to the inner palace. The ghost destroyed the main gate and the front door, and pursued Duke Jing into the inner chamber. Duke Jing, terrified, threw off his blanket and called for help, and from that moment, he fell ill and never recovered.

At that time, there was a shaman in a place called Sangtian near the capital of Jin, who could divine the will of the spirits. Duke Jing summoned the shaman to the palace, and the shaman's divination matched Duke Jing's dream exactly, saying that the ghost was a former Zhao family hero seeking revenge for the extermination of the Zhao lineage.

Duke Jing, increasingly frightened, and with the support of Zhao family loyalist Han Jue, who pleaded for the Zhao family, decided to reinstate Zhao Wu and restore the Zhao family's fief.

Of course, Duke Jing's illness did not improve, and he indeed died as the shaman had predicted, during the wheat harvest, becoming the only ruler in history to die by falling into a toilet and choking on his own excrement, a laughingstock for a thousand years.

Given the Zhao family's mysterious revival, it was not surprising that Zhao Yang believed in divination and spirits, which was a common belief in the Spring and Autumn period.

Bo Lu, Zhong Xin, and Shu Qi, the three elder brothers, had already returned, but the youngest, Wuxi, was nowhere to be seen. However, according to his skinny stable boy, Wuxi was still searching for the white deer in the forest, and good news might come at any moment!

Moreover, this young man had already accomplished a great deal: he had demonstrated the effectiveness of riding alone and helped Zhao Yang find the missing Gu Bu Ziqing, whose initial disheveled appearance made Zhao Yang and Yue Qi laugh.

However, after bathing and changing, Gu Bu Ziqing transformed into a refined gentleman, inspiring respect.

Now, Zhao Yang had prepared a banquet on the high platform and, while changing, invited Gu Bu Ziqing to the back room of the mansion. After changing into regular clothes, they sat facing each other.

"Gu Bu Ziqing, an outsider from the State of Song, pays his respects to the General of the Upper Army... If not for the young gentleman Wuxi's rescue, I would have been killed by the bear."

"Alas, it was my fault for not providing adequate hospitality, leading to such an incident. I have long heard of your great name, but it was hard to meet you."

After the formalities, the main event began.

Zhao Yang and Gu Bu Ziqing first discussed the techniques of divination and then sought advice on studying the I Ching. After a brief test, Zhao Yang knew that Gu Bu Ziqing was indeed very capable in this area.

At least, he was so skilled that Zhao Yang couldn't gauge his true depth.

Thus, Zhao Yang felt reassured and bowed slightly to Gu Bu Ziqing, "I am over forty, and my sons are mediocre, none of them particularly appealing to me. Therefore, I have not yet determined the heir, leaving the lineage vacant and causing instability. Today, I dare to ask you to observe my sons and see who can be a general."

Being a general, of course, meant becoming the family heir and succeeding to the position of the clan. This was Gu Bu Ziqing's expertise, and since his current master, the Grand Minister of the City of Song, Yue Qi, also wanted to befriend the Zhao family, he readily agreed and swore to keep the details confidential.

Zhao Yang clapped his hands, and his three sons entered, kneeling in sequence.

Zhao Yang naturally did not reveal the true purpose, but casually inquired about their hunting results.

Gu Bu Ziqing observed them from behind a curtain. He knew he wasn't as divine as people said. Observing physiognomy was not as mysterious as divination; it was more about judging a person's future based on their words and actions. Gu Bu Ziqing was skilled at reading people, which is why he had a reputation for accurate predictions.

The eldest son, Bo Lu, was in his twenties, with a square and straight face, a thin mustache, and eyes that were warm but weary.

He was probably the most like his great-grandfather, Zhao Wenzi. In front of his father, he was so gentle that he seemed unable to bear the weight of his clothes, speaking so softly that it was almost inaudible. Clearly, he was a kind and virtuous man, but in the competitive environment of the six ministers in Jin, such a person could not survive long.

The second son, Zhong Xin, and the third son, Shu Qi, were about the same age, both just reaching adulthood.

Zhong Xin was a refined gentleman, wearing a tall hat and broad sash, and adorned with a white jade pendant. He was proud but lacked talent, trying to imitate ancient sages but failing, appearing overly rigid and conservative.

Shu Qi, with a pale face and no beard, had a hawk-like gaze and a calculating demeanor. Every word he spoke was carefully considered, but his eyes held a cold and unfriendly look, as if everyone in the world was part of his scheme.

Gu Bu Ziqing predicted that this young man would be clever but ultimately undone by his own intelligence.

After a while, the three sons left, and Zhao Yang leaned forward earnestly, bowing to Gu Bu Ziqing, "Have you seen which of my three sons can shoulder the great responsibility?"

Gu Bu Ziqing pondered for a moment and decided to speak the truth: "Alas, in my view, none of the three sons of the General of the Upper Army can inherit the position of minister."

The superstitious Zhao Yang's face changed dramatically, and he momentarily lost his composure.

"What can be done! Will the Zhao family's century-old legacy be destroyed after me?"

Gu Bu Ziqing stroked his beard and shook his head, "Ha, General, it's not that bad. In my view, the Zhao family is far from being at the end of its rope."

Hearing this, Zhao Yang moved forward again, "I am ignorant, please teach me, sir!"

Gu Bu Ziqing had been waiting for this moment. He said mysteriously:

"General, don't you have another son who hasn't come yet?"

The second update is in the afternoon. July rolls on the ground, begging for favorites and recommendations...

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