Chapter 103: Shrewd Calculations

Chu Yun nodded. “Yes, Viscount Lin Yang. To be perfectly candid, I intend to take my people and leave South Brook Town.”

“After all, your hidden illness has now fully healed, and there is no need for me to continue treating you.”

“Besides, for the past month, our three hundred-plus people have insisted on eating three meals a day, wasting so much of your grain. We have also stirred up dissatisfaction among some of the people in South Brook Town.”

“Two days ago, while my men were preparing the third meal, a conflict broke out between them and someone from South Brook Town. Luckily, the Tiger Guard arrived in time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

“And this has not happened once or twice already. It may only grow worse in the future, after all, my people do not produce anything in South Brook Town.”

Lin Yang, however, said, “Count Chu Yun, did you not already agree to join hands with me and leave a route of retreat for King Qi on the southern side of the Great Qi Dynasty?”

“Right now, there is no movement from the royal capital. King Qi is merely holding the Witch Doctor Cult at bay. After all, the Great Qi Dynasty belongs to King Qi, and there are many here loyal to him. No one knows what may happen in the next moment.”

“As for the matter of grain you mentioned, there is no need to worry at all. Since South Brook Town is King Qi’s fallback, and the gateway to the southern frontier of the Great Qi Dynasty, if necessary, I have the authority to requisition grain from nearby villages and towns.”

“At worst, I can even have the people of South Brook Town eat three meals a day as well. Once the belly is full, the body is strong, and only then will they have the strength to help King Qi.”

Chu Yun smiled and waved a hand. “Viscount Lin Yang, you have misunderstood me. Since I agreed to King Qi that I would join forces with you, I will keep my promise.”

Though he said this aloud, inwardly he was thinking, How could I not keep my promise? Do I even have a choice?

Lin Yang asked in return, “Then why do you still want to leave?”

Chu Yun said, “I simply want to take my people back to Chu Family Town. Then, when I am needed, I can lead men from Chu Family Town to come and provide support. After all, our people each have their own homes and houses in Chu Family Town. Crowding together in South Brook Town is rather inconvenient.”

Hearing this, Lin Yang could not help but laugh. “Ha ha, so that is it! If Count Chu Yun wishes to return to Chu Family Town, then that is no problem. In fact, I have had a similar intention as well.”

Chu Yun smiled inwardly.

Of course you do.

To facilitate the refining of saltpeter, whenever there was a conflict between the people of South Brook Town and Chu Family Town, I would secretly have men fan the flames among the people of South Brook Town, urging them to suggest that you let us return to Chu Family Town.

All this time, you must have heard plenty of such suggestions. By now, the idea has surely taken root in your mind without you even realizing it.

After thinking this, Chu Yun said, “Since Viscount Lin Yang also thinks it would be more appropriate for us to return to Chu Family Town, then tomorrow I will take my men back there.”

Lin Yang nodded. “Very well. Leave tomorrow.”

Chu Yun thought for a moment, then said, “Viscount Lin Yang, the land of Chu Family Town is barren, and grain yields are not high. The people I brought out from Chu Family Town are now returning home, and though they have houses there…”

He had barely reached this point when Lin Yang understood his meaning and cut him off directly. “If there is any movement from the royal capital, and I need you to lead the people of Chu Family Town to join us in receiving King Qi, then naturally I cannot let the people of Chu Family Town go hungry. Tonight, I will have people deliver fifty dan of grain to Chu Family Town. When you have finished that, I will have more sent over. After all, too much at once would not be very convenient for you to transport back.”

Chu Yun had originally intended to ask for thirty dan, which would have been eighteen hundred jin of grain.

He had not expected Lin Yang to give him fifty dan outright, three thousand jin of grain. It was simply too wonderful!

He hurriedly bowed with a smile. “Thank you, Viscount Lin Yang! I shall treat this grain as something I am purchasing. Whatever it costs, I will pay you.”

Lin Yang waved it off. “We are all working for King Qi. How could I possibly take your money?”

Chu Yun was afraid that being too courteous would make him seem distant and arouse Lin Yang’s suspicion, so he readily agreed with a smile.

Lin Yang then said, “Count Chu Yun, since you have decided to remain in Chu Family Town, why not let me send a flying pigeon message to King Qi and have him appoint Chu Family Town as your fief? Though you are a count, your fief in Chu Family Town is not as large as my viscountcy of South Brook Town. I hope you will not mind. I believe, with your abilities, your future fief will surely be larger than mine.”

Hearing this, Chu Yun could only laugh helplessly.

Round and round it went.

In the end, his fief still became Chu Family Town.

And he could not refuse, otherwise it would seem that he did not wish to unite with Lin Yang and leave a route of retreat for King Qi in the south.

So he said with a smile, “Very well, Viscount Lin Yang. Please write to King Qi.”

Lin Yang smiled and patted Chu Yun on the shoulder. “Count Chu Yun, I truly hope you do not mind. To tell you the truth, after Prince Qi’s death, the Great Qi Dynasty’s western battlefield will inevitably crumble step by step.”

“Because Prince Qi was the representative of the war faction, his death will cause the hawks to lower their banners and go silent.”

“So the fief King Qi originally granted you in the west could never truly be yours. By now, the battlefield may already have shifted into those regions, and before long, they may even belong to the Great New Dynasty.”

“King Qi has always wanted to keep you in the royal capital, by his side, but you were unwilling. You wanted a noble title. He was also worried that you might be in danger in the capital, so he agreed to grant you a title, but the fief has always been Chu Family Town.”

“Ordinarily, a lord of a town would be a viscount. But King Qi is a man who values talent, and he appreciates your abilities, so he agreed to your request and made you a count.”

“In this way, he could also pretend to grant you the seven towns in the west as your domain, deceiving the Witch Doctor Cult and keeping them from realizing that his true purpose was for you and me to create a route of retreat for him in the south.”

Chu Yun smiled and nodded. “I have long understood King Qi’s painstaking intentions. I am grateful that he values me so highly and trusts me so much. I will certainly not disappoint him.”

Though he said so, inwardly he was thinking, So this is how you scheme against me.

If I do not disappoint him, then that will be strange indeed!

Lin Yang smiled. “Good that you understand, Count Chu Yun.”

Having said that, he summoned people to the granary to prepare fifty dan of grain, along with some waterproof tents, so Chu Yun could take them back to Chu Family Town the next day.

Afterward, Chu Yun chatted with Lin Yang for a while about the operational details of how they would join forces to receive King Qi should something happen in the royal capital, and only then did he leave.

Seeing Chu Yun discuss battle details so earnestly, Lin Yang grew even more trusting of him.

Even so, after Chu Yun led the people of Chu Family Town away the next day, Lin Yang still secretly sent men to follow them for more than twenty li. Only after confirming that Chu Yun truly was taking his people toward Chu Family Town did he finally feel completely at ease.

Chu Yun had kept Ye Zilan acting as a scout all along, secretly watching their movements. Once he confirmed that no one was tailing them, and that they had not suddenly changed course toward the sulfur mine, he did not immediately alter his route either.

Only when they were forty li from Chu Family Town, where turning toward the sulfur mine would be convenient and would not require too much of a detour, did he finally lead the people of Chu Family Town onto that alternate route.