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墨書 Inktalez
Luzi, who had made an excuse to go out, did not actually leave but was in a secret room of the inn discussing matters with Handan and Keeper Cai Youdao. According to reports from the brothers outside, after the Big Shopkeeper returned, he was followed by some suspicious individuals. Currently, there were eight armed people lingering around the inn.
These individuals were clearly not here for Luzi and his companions, despite his status as a wealthy man and a general. Generally, unless under special circumstances, there was little interaction between the military and civilians. Moreover, this was explicitly regulated. While it was common for military households or farmers within a village to know each other, cross-county or cross-national interactions were rare.
"This is really strange!" Cai Youdao said, puzzled, glancing at Luzi sitting at the table. "Could these people be constables from Zhao?"
Upon hearing this, Luzi dropped the bamboo slip in his hand and asked, "Is there any constable in Handan Prefecture that you don't recognize?"
Cai Youdao smiled sheepishly and admitted that he indeed recognized all of them. "Innkeeper! It’s also possible that they are short-staffed and have temporarily drawn people from outside."
Luzi scrutinized the person across from him and sighed, muttering to himself, "Alas! It seems someone is getting old and worn out! How old could they be?"
Hearing about a personnel change, Cai Youdao immediately became emotional. "Big Shopkeeper! If you want to change people, it would be best to let Scoundrel finish this task with you first."
Now it was Luzi's turn to be confused. "What do you mean by that?"
Cai Youdao looked around to confirm that there was no one else in the room before whispering, "Wherever you go, your moves are always grand. Given the current situation, it seems that causing a ruckus in Handan City has become inevitable. If Scoundrel misses out on such a significant experience, he will never find peace in his life!"
Luzi had thought Cai Youdao was going to reveal some secret but was surprised it was just this; he almost burst out laughing. He quickly composed himself and said, "Alright! Starting tomorrow, you will serve as my Keeper!"
"That sounds great! Birds Follow the Phoenix and Soar far!"
Luzi nodded. "I won’t give you that opportunity; just focus on being a good Keeper!"
Cai Youdao stood at attention, placing his right hand over his chest and saluting. "Yes, sir!"
Seeing his posture, Luzi suddenly remembered that it had been quite some time since he left the Military. The memories of clashing swords and galloping horses surged within him, filling him with excitement. No wonder Good Man was willing to enlist! It turned out that was where he truly belonged! What was there to fear from Martial Valor in Death! Looking back now, it was indeed nostalgic!
"Old Cai! With your seasoned wisdom, what do you think these people are after?"
Upon hearing the serious question, Cai Youdao respectfully replied, "Big Shopkeeper! According to Scoundrel's analysis, those people are targeting Zichu!"
Luzi had also been to Handan, but that was just a routine visit. When it came to matters on the ground, he was far more familiar with nearly twenty years of experience from Cai Zhanggui. Hearing that someone intended to act against Qin State Wang Sun, his eyes narrowed instinctively.
"Continue!"
"Yes, sir!" Cai Youdao did not look up but could distinctly feel a pang in his heart just now. He hurriedly said, "Big Shopkeeper has only been here a few days!? Even if they were aided by divine intervention, they would never think you would personally show up. Scoundrel is also quite established in Handan City, so no one would suspect him. Now, those who resemble the Zhao People even more than the actual Zhao People will naturally not pose a danger."
After listening quietly, Luzi suddenly understood. After all, Zichu's identity as a member of the Qin State Wang Sun could not be concealed despite years of deliberate hiding. At this moment, the main forces of Qin Zhao were in Shangdang, and what the feudal states most wanted to see was mutual destruction. However, due to Lian Po's passive resistance, neither army had suffered significant losses.
Currently, with both Sovereign forces stuck in a stalemate, it was likely that someone was already impatient. To ignite this war, a catalyst was needed. Only by destroying a target effectively would the leaders of both Qin Zhao nations no longer tolerate their armies being idle. If war reignited, regardless of which nation lost, there was a possibility of national downfall. Even for the victor, suffering significant military losses could lead to dire consequences.
The best catalyst at present was having Zichu, acting as a pawn for the Zhao state. As long as he were killed and blame placed on Zhao, the news would surely prompt the King Qin to order the main army to directly attack Zhao's forces! With this thought in mind, Luzi couldn't help but shake his head. He knew well enough about the old man's temperament. Even after so long since the Crown Prince Incident, King Zhao of Qin could still remain calm and methodical.
What military forces dread most is being led by the nose! Realizing this, Luzi said, "Cai Zhanggui makes a valid point! However, we are not emotional people; together our wisdom does not even match half of his! Even if there are no clear thinkers among these people, they would never underestimate an old veteran's cunning! It seems this matter still requires further discussion."
Cai Youdao fully acknowledged that this reasoning held true. "Innkeeper! If this matter does not involve topics related to Wang Sun, then Scoundrel cannot come up with an answer. Every action has a predetermined goal; this is also the premise for taking action. If we among ourselves have no target, why would they send someone to follow us?"
The so-called Feudal States had no explicit restrictions on the merchants and personnel traveling between them. In essence, they still belonged to the realm of the Zhou Emperor. Although the actual Zhou Dynasty had long since ceased to exist, the Zhou Emperor, King Zhou Nan, could still command the various feudal lords. This means that people from the Qin State, Chu State, Zhao State, and others could simply drop the middle character and refer to themselves as Qin People, Chu People, and Zhao People.
This situation reflects the reality of that time, where there was no clear distinction between nationals. Zhao People could settle in the Qin State and have their offspring become Qin People, while Qin People could also settle in Zhao State and subsequently become Zhao People. Furthermore, Chu People could serve in the Qin State and might even decide to go to Zhao State for official positions without any issues.
From this, we can make a hypothesis: if Chu People and Zhao People were to fight, they would avoid provoking Qin People to seek assistance from them. Since Qin People were unfamiliar with both parties involved in the conflict, they could simply stand by and watch without getting involved.
Now, a problem arises. If Luzi, representing Qin People, is not part of the fighting sequence, then neither side would want to provoke him or seek help from him. However, the current reality is that one of the parties preparing for a fight is provoking the bystander!
Cai Youdao listened to Luzi's analogy and asked, "Innkeeper! Since we are not part of the fighting sequence, can we interpret this as them sending someone over just for surveillance?"
Luzi took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid we have already been dragged into their mess!"
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