Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five: Testing One Another

From Luo Yi’s attitude, it was clear that he was under too much pressure to appear overly close to Li Yuan. As for who could exert such immense pressure on a high-ranking general holding heavy military power, the answer was self-evident.

Yun Hao watched Chai Shao, who was currently chatting with Luo Cheng, and realized that this trip was about far more than just delivering birthday gifts. Li Yuan needed an ally, and the battle-hardened Luo Yi, who commanded a formidable army, was clearly an ideal candidate. However, it seemed things were not going smoothly. At the very least, Luo Cheng and Chai Shao were merely exchanging polite pleasantries rather than acting like close kin.

"Uncle Qin, how did you end up in Beiping Prefecture?" Yun Hao leaned toward Qin Qiong, choosing to ignore the "Cold-Faced Silver Spear" Luo Cheng sitting at the nearby table.

He honestly could not bring himself to look at this Mr. Luo Cheng. Yun Hao was certain that the legends passed down by later storytellers had duped him. The "cold face" might be real, and the "silver spear" might be real as well, but that face covered in acne and pimples was truly enough to ruin one's appetite. Anyone with trypophobia would have their skin crawl just looking at it.

Yun Hao could not fathom it; he had never heard of any severe pollution in this era. How did such a face come to be? If he walked out in the middle of the night, he could surely scare a ghost out of its wits.

With no other choice, Yun Hao turned to Qin Qiong for comfort. Although Old Qin’s face wasn't exactly a masterpiece, it was a vast improvement over Luo Cheng’s.

"Ah! It’s a long story," Old Qin sighed, draining his cup and immediately refilling it to drink again, as if the first one hadn't been enough.

"After we parted ways, I intended to return to my hometown in Shandong. Unexpectedly, trouble found me on the road. A shopkeeper saw that my horse’s saddle and gear were made of pure silver, and he had also seen the gold and silver that Master Shan Er had gifted me. He linked me to a band of thieves active in the area. In the dead of night, he gathered a dozen men and attempted to capture me.

"If they had been reasonable, that would have been one thing, but they chose to sneak up on me, hoping to claim a reward. Was I someone so easily taken? When a group of men suddenly burst in at midnight, I naturally fought back. I was a bit too heavy-handed and killed the shopkeeper, injuring several others.

"That was the end of it; it brought the local officials and soldiers down on me. To avoid causing even greater trouble, I had no choice but to surrender. The local magistrate interrogated me, and to avoid implicating Master Shan Er, I kept my mouth shut. The magistrate took my silence as an admission of guilt. I was thrown into prison, awaiting execution after the autumn assizes.

"Later, when Master Shan Er learned of this, he spent a fortune to save me. Since a life had been lost, even with a lenient sentence, I was exiled here to Youzhou."

Once he arrived in Youzhou, he discovered that the Princess of Beiping was actually his long-lost aunt. "Damn it, a disaster actually turned into a blessing!" Qin Qiong laughed heartily at the thought.

"The Princess of Beiping is your aunt?" Yun Hao asked in surprise.

"Naturally. Otherwise, I would have been on the receiving end of a hundred military lashes." It seemed those lashes held great terror, as even a man like Qin Qiong shuddered at the mention of them.

"Then he...!" Yun Hao gestured toward the acne-ridden Luo Cheng nearby.

"That is my cousin. He’s not much older than you. He wields a spear and staff with great skill; in time, he will surely become a master," Qin Qiong said with a smile as he looked at Luo Cheng. It was clear he held his young cousin in high regard.

"Oh!" So, Luo Cheng and Qin Qiong were cousins. Yun Hao pondered this. It seemed that most of the figures killing each other during the Sui and Tang periods were related by blood or marriage. The Guanzhong military aristocracy and the Shandong clans had formed a massive web through constant intermarriage.

This network encompassed almost every famous figure of the Sui and Tang era, including Emperor Yang of Sui and the famous "Heavenly Khan," Li Shimin. Li Shimin’s situation was particularly interesting: by blood, Li Yuan and Yang Guang were cousins, making Li Shimin a nephew to Yang Guang. Yet, he later took Yang Guang’s daughter as his own consort. From that perspective, he was also Yang Guang’s son-in-law. Was this considered incest? Was poor Li Ke the product of a close-kin union?

As Yun Hao was lost in thought, Chai Shao suddenly appeared. "So, Captain Qin is the Princess's nephew. My apologies—I failed to recognize a true hero. I shall punish myself with a drink."

This man’s ears must have been like a bat’s; he could catch any useful information even in the chaos of a banquet. Upon learning Qin Qiong’s identity, he had immediately rushed over to curry favor. Yun Hao became increasingly convinced that Chai Shao had ulterior motives.

"I wonder, Captain Qin, how did you become acquainted with our Brother Hao?" Now that he knew Qin Qiong’s identity, Chai Shao was even more interested in his connection to Yun Hao. This child was so young, yet he had met Li Mi and was on close terms with the nephew of the Prince of Beiping—what exactly was his background?

"Hahaha! That is a long story. When I was in distress, it was thanks to Brother Yun’s help. I will remember this favor for the rest of my life. But I wonder, how did he become a medical officer in the Duke of Tang’s household?" Qin Qiong was equally curious about how Yun Hao had secured such a position, given that he was only eight years old.

Luo Cheng, with his acne-covered face, was clearly another "bat" at this banquet. Hearing their conversation, he quietly strolled over with his cup, intending to eavesdrop.

Yun Hao sighed helplessly. This was no banquet—it was a battlefield of mutual probing, and he, the child, was the focal point. They spoke of brotherhood while their minds calculated how to prevent the other from causing them harm, or how to harm the other. This damn banquet was truly exhausting.

"Haha! When Brother Hao first arrived in Jinyang, he cured the illnesses of my second master and the Duke himself. The Duke values talent, so he made an exception and hired Brother Hao as a medical officer. You wouldn't know it, but the Duke even gifted Brother Hao two hundred acres of land outside Jinyang. This kid also managed to win the heart of the most beautiful flower in Jinyang city. He’s a legendary figure now. I don’t know how many young dandies are filled with envy and jealousy toward him."

"You’re married?" Qin Qiong looked at Yun Hao with suspicion, clearly lacking faith in his small stature.

"Er... yes, I am!" Yun Hao said, blushing. Although he was too young for physical intimacy, he did share a bed with Zhang Miao-ke every night. The experience was... damnably torturous.

"Hahaha! Once you're married, you're a man! Someone, bring Brother Hao a large bowl!" Qin Qiong laughed as if he were having a fit, slapping Yun Hao on the back with a hand like a bear's paw, sending the boy reeling like a leaf in the wind.

After finally escaping the iron grip, he found himself face-to-face with that high-resolution, bumpy, ugly face once again.

"That... Brother Hao, is it? Could you...?" Luo Cheng stammered as if he were constipated.