Chapter 5

Xiaopei, the State Governor's Office.

In a secret room, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei sat facing each other across a table.

"Yide, have you taken care of the task I assigned you?" Guan Yu's phoenix eyes were half open, and his tone carried a proud and aloof air. As he spoke, he picked up a wine cup and took a sip.

"I have followed your instructions, Brother, and sent Zhang Gui with thirty of our guards to pretend to be bandits and intercept that boy on the way. However..." Zhang Fei, with his dark face, showed a hint of embarrassment, "However, yesterday, our spies reported that the boy has safely arrived in Haixi to take up his post, and Zhang Gui and his men have not returned to report. I found it suspicious, so I sent people to search along the way, and discovered that all thirty of them were dead."

Guan Yu's body trembled slightly, and the wine cup in his hand wobbled, spilling a few drops of wine. His phoenix eyes suddenly opened wide, a look of surprise flashing across them.

"That boy actually killed Zhang Gui and thirty others?" Guan Yu put down the wine cup, his red face showing disbelief.

"I can't confirm it either. I have already inquired, and there are no powerful people around that boy. It seems impossible, but Zhang Gui and his men were indeed all killed, and the boy arrived in Haixi unharmed. I really can't figure out why."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and snorted, "That boy doesn't have the ability to do this. Perhaps it was the bandits led by Zang Ba."

"Brother, you are right. I also find it strange. That boy is a good-for-nothing, how could he have the ability to wipe out thirty of our elite guards?" Zhang Fei agreed, then changed the subject, "Should I send another team to infiltrate Haixi and assassinate that boy?"

"No, infiltrating Haixi for an assassination would cause a big commotion and give others a reason to criticize us." Guan Yu firmly rejected the idea, but added, "That boy has been sent to Haixi, and he no longer poses a threat to our elder brother's position. Now, the Emperor has appointed our elder brother as the General of the East, and the imperial envoy has already arrived in Xuzhou. At this critical moment, we shouldn't create any unnecessary trouble."

"Brother, you are indeed thorough. I can't help but admire you." Zhang Fei nodded repeatedly, then suddenly remembered something, "But our elder brother has intentions to marry into the Mi family, and the Mi family's daughter is already engaged to that boy. If we don't get rid of him, our elder brother won't be able to marry the Mi family's daughter with a clear conscience."

Guan Yu laughed coldly and stroked his beard, "You don't need to worry about that. Our elder brother wants to marry into the Mi family to solidify his position as the State Governor. Mi Zhu also wants to marry into our family to elevate the Mi family's status in Xuzhou. Rest assured, the Mi family will handle this matter themselves. We don't need to be involved."

Zhang Fei sighed in relief and laughed heartily, raising his cup, "A mere Tao Shang can't affect our elder brother's great cause. Come, Brother, let's drink a few cups together."

Guan Yu smiled proudly, his phoenix eyes half open again, and he also raised his cup and drank it in one go.

In the secret room, the brothers' disdainful laughter echoed.

...

Haixi County.

Under the protection of Hua Mulan, Tao Shang arrived smoothly at this remote county in the easternmost part of Xuzhou and officially took up his post as the county magistrate.

On the second day of his appointment, Tao Shang ordered the construction of a "Martial Hall" in the inner courtyard of the county office. His purpose was to use it as a cover for summoning heroic spirits in the future.

Although summoning heroic spirits was a powerful ability, it couldn't be done as casually as summoning Hua Mulan, where a weak body suddenly became powerful. Such a sudden change would easily arouse suspicion and label Tao Shang as a sorcerer like Zhang Jiao, putting him in a passive position.

Therefore, Tao Shang built this Martial Hall and recruited a group of orphans, pretending to teach them martial arts and strategy. When needed, he could select a suitable one for the heroic spirit to possess, and explain it as a talent he had personally cultivated, avoiding suspicion.

As for the names of the heroic spirits, Tao Shang could claim that he had "bestowed" new names on the bodies to寄托 his expectations, thus explaining the appearance of famous ancient generals like Bai Qi and Xiang Yu in his ranks.

On that day, the weather was clear and pleasant.

In the courtyard, Tao Shang stood on the steps, watching Hua Mulan practice martial arts.

She wore a red robe and wielded a long sword, leaping and dancing with the grace of a warrior. Her movements were both agile and elegant.

As she leaped, her impressive chest jiggled, creating a scene that made Tao Shang's mind wander.

With a clear voice, Hua Mulan stopped her practice.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Tao Shang clapped and praised, walking closer with a smile.

Hua Mulan bowed and modestly replied, "My sword skills are humble, and I have embarrassed my lord."

Tao Shang's gaze swept over her, noticing that she was drenched in sweat, with beads of sweat sliding down her white neck and into the deep valley between her breasts, creating an indescribably alluring scene.

Tao Shang suppressed his thoughts and gestured to a servant behind him, smiling, "Mulan, I promised to reward you for saving me. Here is a fine silk robe as a gift."

The servant presented the luxurious robe, but Hua Mulan showed no surprise, only taking it casually and saying, "Thank you, my lord."

Tao Shang was waiting for the system to notify him of an increase in Hua Mulan's benevolence points or loyalty, but nothing happened.

"What's going on? Any woman would be happy to receive a beautiful robe, but she doesn't even show a bit of interest. Looks like this gift is wasted..."

As Tao Shang was feeling frustrated, a bailiff hurriedly came to report that the Mi family's brother and sister had arrived at the main hall and wanted to see him.

"Mi family's brother and sister? If I remember correctly, my adoptive father arranged a marriage between me and the Mi family. They ignored me for so long, but now they come to visit. Hmph..."

Tao Shang had a vague idea of what was happening. He changed into his official robes, took Hua Mulan as his bodyguard, and headed straight for the main hall of the county office.

At this time, the county magistrate and the county captain were also in the main hall, holding a pile of backlogged documents, waiting for the new county magistrate to handle them.

To establish a base in Haixi and gain the people's support, Tao Shang needed to stand firm here. He didn't rush to meet the Mi family's brother and sister, but ordered them to wait outside while he dealt with the backlogged documents first.

The subordinate officials presented the documents one by one. Tao Shang, with his experience as a civil servant, found it easy to handle the trivial matters of a small county with a thousand people.

He quickly and decisively made decisions on each document, his clear and decisive handling leaving the subordinates amazed.

Before he knew it, half an hour had passed, and the man in fine clothes outside was already impatient, frowning and complaining, "This Tao Shang is just a small county magistrate, yet he has such a grand official demeanor, making us wait so long."

Beside the man in fine clothes, the girl in a blue robe listened quietly to Tao Shang's handling of the documents, her lips slightly upturned, and a look of surprise appearing on her beautiful face.

"Rumor has it that this Tao Shang is a mediocre and uneducated playboy, but he handles official business so skillfully. Could the rumors be false?"

Just as she murmured to herself, Tao Shang finished the last document and called out, "Bring the Mi family's two people in."

The man in fine clothes snorted, walked into the main hall with a dissatisfied look, and without kneeling, gave a slight bow, saying sarcastically, "County Magistrate Tao, you have quite a grand official demeanor. Knowing that I, Mi Fang, came to visit, you still made us wait so long."

Tao Shang looked down and recognized the historical figure, Mi Fang, who betrayed Liu Bei and led to Guan Yu's loss of Jingzhou.

Just half a year ago, when Tao Qian was still alive, Mi Fang treated him with respect, calling him "Young Master." Now, he was arrogant and even changed "Young Master" to "County Magistrate Tao," a complete change in attitude.

Tao Shang's lips curled into a cold smile, ignoring him, and his gaze fell on the blue-robed girl who followed Mi Fang.

"This humble woman, Mi Zhen, pays respects to County Magistrate Tao." The girl bowed gracefully, her voice clear and melodious.

Tao Shang looked closely and saw that the girl was slender and graceful, with a waist so slim it could be encircled with one hand. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyes clear and bright, and her large, black eyes were sharp and intelligent, looking straight at him.

She was an incomparably beautiful and stunning woman.

Her presence was like a bright rainbow in the hall, and the bailiffs around her were captivated by her beauty, staring at her in a daze.

In the presence of so many people, the girl, Mi Zhen, remained calm and composed, showing no sign of discomfort.

"She is Mi Zhu's sister, the historical Mi Lady of Liu Bei. I didn't expect her to be so beautiful, and she is even engaged to me. How could such a beauty end up with that old ox, Liu Bei..."

Tao Shang's eyes swept over Mi Zhen, and his thoughts turned, feeling more and more regret.

His gaze was sharp, and under his scrutiny, an ordinary person would have felt uncomfortable, but Mi Zhen remained calm, her beautiful face showing no emotion.

Seeing that Tao Shang ignored him and stared at his precious sister, Mi Fang's face turned red with anger, and he was about to speak to assert his presence.

"Miss Mi, you didn't stay in Quxian to enjoy a peaceful life but came all the way to Haixi to see me. Could it be that you want to see what your future husband looks like?" Tao Shang cut off Mi Fang, asking with a cold smile.

Hearing the word "future husband," Mi Zhen's eyebrows furrowed, and a look of disgust flashed in her eyes, as if the words were a source of shame.

The displeasure quickly passed, and Mi Zhen took a deep breath, saying calmly, "County Magistrate Tao, you have misunderstood. Today, I came with my second brother to personally dissolve the engagement between us."