Ma Village Chief’s beard wasn’t very long, but he had a head of thick, black hair. Who knows how, he went to sleep with a full head and woke up with just stubble left!
He wasn’t worried about losing his hair and beard, but he was scared that someone could cut his hair and beard without him even knowing.
If this person wanted his life...
Just thinking about it sent chills down Ma Village Chief's spine.
But at least he still had his life. He felt this whole thing was too bizarre, he couldn't stay here any longer!
So he quickly gathered the men who had come with him, planning to slip away quietly. But who would've thought, as soon as they left the wooden house, they were blocked by dozens of the brawny men from Xiao Wa Village.
"What's the meaning of this?"
Seeing his hair and beard, all these men were stunned.
"Ma Village Chief, what happened to your hair and beard?"
"Humph," Ma Village Chief let out a cold humph, "I should be asking you! I came all this way to your little Xiao Wa Village, yet you pull these kinds of tricks, cutting off my hair and beard in the middle of the night while I'm unaware! Tell me, just what are you trying to do?"
The group of men looked at each other speechlessly. Finally someone stepped forward and said, "Ma Village Chief, don't be angry. Actually, we're blocking your way for a reason."
"What reason?"
"Because...because our village chief's hair and beard are gone too."
"What?"
Overnight, both village chiefs had their hair and beards cut off by someone, and they still didn't know who did it. This was truly a disgrace!
Ma Village Chief went to Lv Village Chief's residence, and sure enough, he discovered that his hair and beard were also reduced to stubble, just like his own.
The two looked at each other, feeling more and more uneasy.
"If I find out who did this, I'll make them pay!"
Ma Village Chief let out a vicious threat, but everyone knew it was useless. They all started to suspect Li Yao, but also felt that a woman wouldn't have the capability to do this.
Just as they were at a loss, someone said that Li Yao had arrived.
"Invite her in."
Li Yao strode into the room from outside. Seeing that she didn't have a hint of surprise on her face, the two village chiefs' hearts thumped wildly.
"Mistress Li, what brings you here?"
"I've come to return something to you."
As she spoke, Li Yao took out a cloth bundle and placed it on the table. Lv Village Chief opened it and his hands shook in shock.
Inside the bundle was piles of long and short strands of hair and beards.
"Li Yao, was this your doing?" Ma Village Chief suddenly erupted in rage. "You've got some nerve! Cutting off our hair and beards, and you still dare show your face here? Do you believe I'll take you down right now?"
"Mistress Li," Lv Village Chief wasn't as impulsive, but he too felt a spark of anger. "Why did you do this?"
"I just wanted to tell you, if I wanted to destroy your Xiao Wa Village and Qing Song Village, it would be easy as pie."
"Arrogant!" Lv Village Chief slammed the table and whipped out his curved blade. "I'll see just how capable you really are!"
Faced with his provocation, Li Yao didn't even bat an eyelash.
Instead, she continued speaking to Lv Village Chief, "What do you think, Lv Village Chief?"
"Me?" Lv Village Chief pondered briefly. "I'm just a little confused. If you have such capabilities, why not take down Hong Shan Stockade directly, rather than coming to us?"
"Because I don't just want to uproot Hong Shan Stockade, I also want to openly and honorably take down Wu Ling, without causing a war between the two countries," Li Yao said. "Also, doing it this way benefits your two villages as well. After succeeding, you'll have made huge contributions, and in the future will be able to conduct business with Da Ling on equal footing."
Lv Village Chief probed her intentions and was surprised that a woman like Li Yao could have such foresight.
He had really underestimated her before.
This time, he didn't hesitate any longer and immediately agreed, "Mistress Li, don't worry. Our two villages will follow your arrangements."
"What about you, Ma Village Chief?" Li Yao asked with a smile.
That smile made Ma Village Chief feel a chill down his neck, but he absolutely could not lose face: "Humph, I'll need to think about it some more."
"Then I'll await good news from Ma Village Chief," Li Yao said. "Please, both village chiefs start preparations today. We'll make our move in a few days when I come again."
After Li Yao left, Ma Village Chief collapsed down in exhaustion, staring at the hair on the table, unable to calm his heart for a long time.
Looks like from now on, he'd have to jolt awake in fear whenever he slept...
...
The troops Wu Ling had sent to "clean up" Hong Shan Stockade had just returned to their station when Zhang County Captain found an excuse to slip away and briefly reported the situation to Liu Yun.
Although he knew Wu Ling was just putting on a show, when he found out those thousand plus troops had just gone to stomp around without doing anything, Liu Yun was still so angry his nose went crooked.
"I'm going back to see him again!"
The two returned to the general's mansion. Today, Wu Ling was in a good mood, enjoying opera in the garden.
Over a dozen performers were singing on a stage while Wu Ling lounged sideways on a bamboo bed, getting his shoulders and legs massaged by two beauties, looking utterly content.
At his side, Private advisor Tang was also listening to the opera while sipping fine wine from small cups.
"General, the young man who came with Li Yao requests an audience."
"Li Yao didn't come herself?"
"No."
Wu Ling sat up and asked Private advisor Tang next to him, "I heard that Ninth Prince was previously in Riverbend Village. I think this young one looks fair-skinned and tender, could he be Ninth Prince?"
"Oh General, the emperor is far away over the mountains, we don't even heed His Majesty's decrees here, what do we have to fear from a powerless little prince?"
"It's not that I fear him," Wu Ling said. "But he is royalty after all. As long as we don't tear off the masks, we should give him some thin face. If he really is Ninth Prince, it won't look good to ask him for money.
Private advisor Tang thought for a moment. "That's easy to deal with. Since his identity as a prince is inconvenient, we'll just deny his identity. How could a real prince run here on his own without any guards? He must be an imposter! It's the same with that Li woman, as long as she doesn't reveal her identity, we'll pretend to be unaware and do as we wish."
Wu Ling nodded repeatedly after hearing this.
This advisor really was the smartest one he had ever met, not only able to turn problems into nothing, but also help him earn big money.
Prior to Private advisor Tang's arrival, his biggest source of income was collecting "service fees" from passing merchant groups, and skimming a bit off the military provisions. Nothing compared to now, where he could get tens of thousands of taels in one go.
In the future, once he had full control over the trade routes after destroying Xiao Wa Village and Qing Song Village, he could expect daily influxes of gold.
"Then I'll listen to the advisor," Wu Ling said. "We should put on a show when he comes, let him fall into our trap."
"The general is wise."
Soon, Liu Yun was brought in.
Seeing Wu Ling indulging in pleasure again, Liu Yun felt a blaze of anger flare up inside him.
"General Wu, you really do live a comfortable life."
"Who do you think you are?" Private advisor Tang scoffed. "How is it any business of yours how the general spends his days?"
Hearing this, Liu Yun, who already had a bellyful of anger, became even more incensed.