Chapter 10, The Arrival of Romantic Fortune

"Idiot!" Feng Xiang received another slap on the head and angrily said: "This is Guangxi, how could the Dali government possibly send someone here to capture me? Even if what you say is true and the Dali government is pursuing me across provinces, it would be the officials from the Dali government who come, how could it possibly be the military from Guangxi?"

Thank you, gentlemen. In a soft and delicate response, the woman lifted her leg and walked into the room. Upon seeing her appearance, even though Feng Xiang was quite vigilant, he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, and a sensation of arousal in his lower body. The woman who entered the room was indeed quite attractive; her features were charming and captivating. Her figure, with a well-proportioned bust and a curvaceous backside, was exceptional, especially in an era where nutrition was generally lacking. Her skin was fair and tender, and her only flaw was that her mouth was slightly large, but her rosy and lustrous lips more than compensated for this shortcoming. Remarkably, although the woman was dressed in plain and ordinary clothing, her every movement exuded an indescribable allure that could only be felt, not articulated, evoking the most primal instincts in men.

"I said, Lord Lu, you really know how to stir up trouble." Looking at the civilian ship disappearing into the night, Kong Fanlin, filled with regret, couldn't help but complain to Feng Xiang: "Why did we have to get off the perfectly good ship and walk? We don't even have a horse; how long will it take us to walk to Deqing?"

Fool! Idiot! After entering the restaurant and ordering dishes, as Kong Fanlin and the other guards, who had already been talking nonsense on the boat, eagerly picked up their wine glasses to drink, Feng Xiang was still unable to quell his anger towards Erlang. While berating Erlang, he said: "Aren't you worried that our reputation as officials from the West has already been tarnished enough? In broad daylight, you openly talk about scraping the ground for profit and even mention my official title. Do you want my reputation to be worse than the filth in a latrine?"

Xunzhou, also known as Guiping, is one of the oldest cities in Guangxi, with highly developed waterway transportation. The city is bustling with commerce and is quite lively and prosperous. After traveling hurriedly for many days, Feng Xiang and his companions felt a long-lost sense of returning to the mortal world upon entering the city. Moreover, the country bumpkin servant Xiao Erlang beside Feng Xiang was dazzled by the sights, constantly exclaiming in excitement. He even said to Feng Xiang on the street: "Young Master Feng, Xunzhou Prefecture is truly far superior to our Dali Prefecture. If one day Prince Pingxi appoints you as the governor of Xunzhou, we could scrape the ground here and easily make over twenty to thirty thousand taels of silver in a year, right?"

"Young Master, I dare not anymore, I truly dare not anymore." Erlang, while holding his head and begging for mercy, felt disdain in his heart, thinking to himself, what are you pretending for, Young Master? Not long ago, when you took us from Dali Prefecture to Kunming to pay respects to the Prince of Pingxi, who was it that had a smile on his face all day long, unable to close his mouth? You never stopped talking about how to collect more firewood expenses and how to deal with the sharp and difficult matters. Oh right, you were also worried every day about how to collect five years' worth of taxes in three years, and now you come back pretending to be innocent?

The situation is unclear, and the identity and intentions of the enemy are unknown. Although Feng Xiang was somewhat tempted by Kong Fanlin's suggestion, he immediately rejected it after careful consideration: "No, if I do that, I will leave an impression of being timid and incompetent in front of the prince. I can only continue to Guangdong, at most sending one person back to inform the prince." Seeing that Feng Xiang was insistent, Kong Fanlin and the others did not press the issue—after all, it was clear that the target of these Guangxi soldiers was Feng Xiang, and the guards under Kong Fanlin, who belonged to the Pingxi Wangfu, would not care too much about Feng Xiang's life or death. At that moment, Feng Xiang and Kong Fanlin, along with the other guards, held a brief discussion, deciding that one guard from the Pingxi Wangfu would return to Yunnan by land to report to Wu Sangui, while Feng Xiang would lead the remaining six guards of the Wangfu and Xiao Erlang southward overnight, taking the land route to Baise, and then from Baise, they would take a boat to Guangdong.

Little vixen! Feng Xiang secretly cursed in his heart, "Do you really think you are beautiful? Do you think every man who sees you will be moved? Back in the twenty-first century, I have seen countless beauties online and on television and in movies. Someone like you can barely squeeze into the first tier of attractiveness. If you weren't so flirtatious, I might have been tempted, but unfortunately, you are so promiscuous that I can't just casually offer my virginity to you."

After more than a day's journey, Feng Xiang and his group successfully arrived in Baise. After Kong Fanlin visited the dock and discovered that the inspections were not strict, Feng Xiang then took Erlang and others to charter a passenger boat at the dock, navigating the Yujiang waterway towards Guangdong. As they traveled day and night, Feng Xiang and his companions drew closer to Guangdong, and upon careful observation, they did not see any strangers following them. Feng Xiang gradually began to feel at ease, thinking that the pursuers had yet to realize that he had already escaped like a golden cicada shedding its shell, still foolishly chasing after a few boats carrying gunpowder. He no longer worried much, spending his days studying the "Mao Xia Ce Wen Ji" that Liu Xuanchu had imparted to him, combining it with knowledge from later generations to comprehend and learn the strategies of military and political power. He diligently worked on improving his own cultivation and also contemplated how to persuade the veteran traitors Shang Kexi and his son, along with Wu Sangui, to join forces against the Qing court's plan to weaken the soft power of the Three Feudatories.

After sending out the messenger guard, Feng Xiang and the others were worried that the Guangxi soldiers tracking them would discover that they had successfully escaped. They did not dare to delay any longer and, disregarding the deepening night, set off southward. Fortunately, Kong Fanlin and the other guards from the Wang residence were all seasoned veterans carefully selected by Wu Sangui from the army. Kong Fanlin, being a scout by birth, was particularly adept at navigating unfamiliar environments and moving stealthily. He was also quite skilled at driving away wild beasts and poisonous insects, so their journey that night went smoothly. By dawn, Feng Xiang and the others had arrived at the small town of Lucheng Pavilion in Sicheng Prefecture. It seemed that Feng Xiang's fortunes were turning; the town happened to be holding a market that day, and they managed to purchase two horses. Inheriting Lu Yifeng's stout physique, Feng Xiang finally had a means of transportation, which significantly quickened their pace.

During the conversation, the small boat raised its anchor again and chased downstream. Feng Xiang and the others, who were hiding in the woods, looked at each other in shock. It was not until the boat had gone far that Er Lang stammered and asked: "Feng... Young Master, is it because of the incident last time when you had an affair with a married woman in Dali Prefecture? I said at the time that playing with a woman who has a man is fine, just pay her a few taels of silver to settle it, and there would be no trouble. But you, on the other hand, insisted on getting involved with that woman. Now it must be that woman's husband who has found out and sent someone to the Dali Prefecture yamen to arrest you."

"Why does the Guangxi army want to capture you?" Erlang asked, even more confused. On the other side, Kong Fanlin also inquired, "Lord Lu, have you offended anyone in the Guangxi officialdom? Or have you offended someone in the Guangxi army?"

"Feng Xiang, I am not their master, merely their friend," Feng Xiang replied succinctly, his tone very calm, neither servile nor arrogant, as if he were completely indifferent to the seductive provocations of Sun Yuer. Sun Yuer, on the other hand, was secretly astonished; with her beauty and tactics, up to this point, among the men she had deliberately provoked, very few could maintain such composure and tranquility if they were physically and psychologically normal. As a result, Sun Yuer, who had not fully grasped Feng Xiang's background, inevitably regarded him with greater esteem. She thought to herself: "If this big man does not have a liking for Rabbit Lord, then he must be a formidable opponent, and I must be cautious."

After much persuasion, Feng Xiang finally convinced Kong Fanlin and the other guards of the Wangfu to agree to split the team into two groups. When night fell, the three hired civilian boats arrived at the old section of the Zhou River. Feng Xiang led Kong Fanlin, Xiao He, Tu Shu Erlang, and six skilled guards from the Wangfu to disembark and take the official road south to Baise. The Lu family servants and the remaining guards continued along the water route under the leadership of Kong Fanlin's deputy, Luo Kedi, transitioning from the Beipan River to the Pearl River, and then directly to Guangzhou, where they would meet in Deqing, Guangdong. However, although Kong Fanlin and the other guards reluctantly agreed to Feng Xiang's decision, when it came time to actually disembark, they could not help but grumble again.

"Hurry, hurry!" Amidst the urging voices, the well-trained guards of Wu Sangui swiftly extinguished their torches and, taking advantage of the cover of night, darted into the nearby woods to hide. After a moment, indeed, a small boat with only two lanterns descended from upstream and stopped at the section of the river where Feng Xiang and the others had lingered. Feng Xiang and his companions listened intently and faintly heard someone on the boat say, "No, who said there was a fire here just now?" After a moment, indeed, a small boat with only two lanterns descended from upstream and stopped at the section of the river where Feng Xiang and the others had lingered. Feng Xiang and his companions listened intently and faintly heard someone on the boat say, "No, who said there was a fire here just now?"

"General Kong, I am not afraid of him exposing my whereabouts," Feng Xiang said as he took the wine cup, shamelessly adding, "I am only afraid that he might jeopardize the prince's important matters. If that were to happen, I would have no regrets even if I were to die a hundred times."

Feng Xiang, who was not very confident, began to waver and started to doubt whether he was being overly suspicious. Just at that moment, one of the guards from the Wangfu, closest to the riverbank, suddenly whispered, "Everyone, be quiet; another boat is coming from upstream." Feng Xiang was taken aback at first, then immediately commanded, "Quickly extinguish the fire, everyone hide in the woods, do not let the people on the boat see us"

"Indeed, young master, it is no trouble for me to walk a bit, but can you endure such a long journey?" The only loyal follower of Feng Xiang, Xiao Erlang, also expressed his grievances and suggested, "Young master, why not let me run ahead to call the boat back? It would be better for us to take the boat; walking is too exhausting. I have been accustomed to mountain paths since childhood, but I fear you may not be able to bear it."

"Alright, alright, we will soon arrive in Guangdong, it cannot be delayed." Kong Fanlin smiled as he clinked his wine glass with Feng Xiang's, just about to tilt his head back to drink, when suddenly the door to the private room was knocked on, and a delicate, sweet voice floated in, "Gentlemen, may I come in and disturb you for a moment?"

Is there a beautiful woman? Before the words fell, Kong Fanlin and the other guards of the Wang residence had their eyes light up. Xiao Erlang, who had just been beaten down by Feng Xiang and was too afraid to speak, quickly raised his head with shining eyes and said: "Young Master, I dare to bet my head that just based on this voice, the young lady outside must be quite beautiful, at least better than the few you have in Dali City."

"Lord Lu, let it go, Xiao Erlang did not mean it," Kong Fanlin raised his wine cup and advised. "Moreover, I can guarantee that when Erlang mentioned your official title just now, there was not a single soldier around who heard it—I have been a scout in the prince's army for over ten years, and I can tell at a glance whether the people on the street are commoners or soldiers, so you need not be angry." After saying this, Kong Fanlin forcibly shoved the wine cup into Feng Xiang's hand and smiled, "Come, Lord Lu, let us brothers have a drink together." Kong Fanlin forcibly shoved the wine cup into Feng Xiang's hand and smiled, "Come, Lord Lu, let us brothers have a drink together."

Hmm? That's strange, I thought I saw the light of a torch here just now, but where did it go? Captain, should we send a few people ashore to take a look?

"The voice is indeed pleasant, but what is she here for?" Feng Xiang also found the voice very charming, almost possessing a captivating allure. However, sitting in the tavern and suddenly having a woman knock on the door to request an audience, Feng Xiang, who had already corrected many of his impulsive habits, couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. Nevertheless, despite his confusion, the guards, including Kong Fanlin, were already eagerly jumping up to open the door, saying, "Miss, please come in. If you have something to discuss, take your time and speak freely."

Do not waste time; if there were truly someone on the shore, they could be seen clearly from two or three miles away as long as they were holding a torch. Look for yourself, is there any torch on the shore?

In the presence of the woman's alluring demeanor, even the doubtful Feng Xiang was affected, let alone Kong Fanlin and others who had just emerged from the military camp where even the mosquitoes were male. One by one, they appeared dazed and lost, their fierce gazes fixated on the woman, with several guards swallowing hard. Yet, in the face of the wolf-like stares from Kong Fanlin and the other seasoned soldiers, the woman showed no signs of restraint or nervousness. Instead, she playfully cast a flirtatious glance at Feng Xiang and the others, performed a graceful bow, and then sweetly addressed them, saying: "Esteemed gentlemen, I am Sun Yuer from Dongguan, Guangdong, and I wish to pay my respects to you all."

"Lord Lu, you are carrying the secret letter from the prince to the King of Pingnan, and there must be no mistakes whatsoever," Kong Fanlin said with concern. "Why don't we turn back and return to Yunnan to report to the prince? If we jeopardize the prince's important matters, none of us can bear the consequences."

Unbeknownst to them, Feng Xiang and his companions had already arrived in Xunzhou, less than three days' journey from Guangdong by boat. However, at this moment, the boatman Feng Xiang had hired came to complain, stating that Feng Xiang had been rushing without rest throughout the journey, and the supplies on board had been completely exhausted. No matter what, they had to stop at the Xunzhou dock to replenish their daily necessities. Meanwhile, Xiao Erlang and Kong Fanlin, these unruly characters, had long grown tired of the monotonous life on the boat and were clamoring to enter the city of Xunzhou to enjoy themselves. With no other choice, Feng Xiang agreed to stay in Xunzhou for one night, allowing the boatman to purchase supplies while he took Kong Fanlin and the other crew members into the city, treating them to food, drink, and entertainment.

"No, I have never been to Guangxi before, how could I possibly provoke the people here?" Feng Xiang firmly denied, then said in a low voice: "It seems that the worst I had anticipated may have already happened; indeed, someone in Guangxi has set their sights on me. However, I do not know what their intentions are, and why, having clearly discovered my whereabouts, they have chosen not to take action."

... ...

Indeed, it is most likely that you, Xiao Si, have made a mistake. Let us go, quickly pursue Lu Yifeng. If we lose track of his boat, those above will come to settle accounts with me, and I will not spare you, Xiao Si.

Er Lang shamelessly shouted on the street, naturally attracting the attention of passersby, and inevitably drawing countless disdainful glances from the common people. The contemptuous looks made Feng Xiang too afraid to respond to Er Lang, who quickly pretended not to know this fool. Unfortunately, the country bumpkin servant Xiao Er Lang was completely oblivious to this, and instead spoke even louder, "It seems that collecting thirty to forty thousand taels of silver a year is still too little. I remember you said, young master, that after becoming the magistrate of Qujing, you plan to reduce the fire expenses to nine qian. This place is so wealthy; collecting two taels for fire expenses should be fine, right? By the end of the year, how much profit will you make, young master?"

"Idiot!" Feng Xiang, unable to endure any longer, delivered a heavy slap to the head of the unruly servant Xiao Erlang, and in a lowered voice scolded, "Fool! Shut your mouth! Are you afraid that others don't know I've already arrived in Xunzhou? Stop wasting words, hurry up, and find a big tavern to silence you." After saying this, Feng Xiang kicked Erlang and walked away, while the guards, including Kong Fanlin, who were laughing uncontrollably, quickly followed suit. ... However, what Feng Xiang and Kong Fanlin did not notice was that not far behind them, several sinister gazes were fixated on Feng Xiang ... Feng Xiang kicked Erlang and walked away, while the guards, including Kong Fanlin, who were laughing uncontrollably, quickly followed suit. ... However, what Feng Xiang and Kong Fanlin did not notice was that not far behind them, several sinister gazes were fixated on Feng Xiang ...

"Miss Sun, there is no need to be polite, please take a seat," Kong Fanlin was the first to regain his composure and quickly stood up to offer his seat to Sun Yuer. Sun Yuer was also unreserved, sitting gracefully between Kong Fanlin and Feng Xiang. She then cast a charming glance at the ever-composed Feng Xiang and sweetly asked, "This young master, judging by your demeanor and bearing, you must be the master among the gentlemen here, may I ask how you are addressed?"