Chapter 136: The Principal Wife of Xue, the Great Philanthropist—Madam Qiu Xue…

"The cool breeze gently blows into my collar, while summer steals away without a sound..."

Amidst the vast, snow-covered mountains, a massive procession slowly traversed the imperial road. It consisted of fifty or sixty wheelbarrows and mule carts laden with various New Year supplies, accompanied by over three hundred people and guarded by forty or fifty heavily armed government soldiers.

In the center of the procession, Li Yuanjing sat atop a remarkably tall, jet-black warhorse, surrounded by the crowd as if he were the moon among stars. Despite the biting north wind and his lack of expertise in horsemanship, his high spirits remained undampened; he could not stop himself from humming a little tune.

Compared to the modern era, where such a display would at most involve a few luxury cars, Li Yuanjing’s current entourage lacked the advanced technology of his past life. Yet, the sense of superiority, the feeling of having everything under his control, and the subtle, indescribable satisfaction he felt were far beyond anything he had experienced before.

Of course, that might simply be because he was a nobody back then, never having truly entered the ranks of the privileged.

Though the air was cold, the sense of openness and control made Li Yuanjing feel as if his body and soul had merged with the magnificent mountains and rivers surrounding him. He couldn't help but recall the famous words of the Overlord of Western Chu: "To achieve wealth and glory without returning home is like wearing silk robes and walking in the dark."

Li Yuanjing really wanted to shout at the top of his lungs, "Everyone get out of my way! I’m going back to the village to show off!"

"Master Li, are you tired? There is an open area ahead; shall we stop and rest for a while? We started early today, so it shouldn't delay our schedule..."

As he was deep in thought, Ma Huan, the newly appointed official of the Household Affairs Office—a man of no low standing—hastened to his side. He bowed respectfully, trying to curry favor. Since taking his new post, Ma Huan had been serving Li Yuanjing with ten times the devotion he would have shown his own father.

Looking at the obsequious Ma Huan, the corners of Li Yuanjing’s mouth curled into a smile. It was true: when you are at the peak, every pore of yours is tended to with the utmost comfort.

"Master Ma, there is no need to rest. The New Year is approaching; let us return to Quanzi Village as quickly as possible. By the way, go tell the villagers that because of their hard work, I, Li Yuanjing, will add another one hundred copper coins to each of their wages. Tell them to bear with the hardship for a little longer!"

"Understood! Please wait a moment, Master Li."

A veteran sycophant like Ma Huan understood perfectly who his true provider was. He hurried into the crowd and shouted, "Master Li is benevolent! He wants you all to work a bit harder, and he is adding another hundred copper coins to each of your wages!"

"Wow!"

"Master Li is truly generous! Don't you worry, sir, we will never delay your important business..."

"Master Li is so benevolent..."

A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd, suddenly bringing the icy mountains to life. Watching this, Li Yuanjing’s smile widened. He had hired these two hundred laborers not only to show off back in Quanzi Village but, more importantly, to win over their hearts.

After all, over two hundred able-bodied men represented over two hundred families—at the very least, a thousand people. In this era, what reputation could be more reliable than one spread by word of mouth among the common folk? Li Yuanjing wanted everyone in Fengcheng and the surrounding areas to know: those who worked for him, no matter the task, would never be treated unfairly.

The extra hundred coins were merely an appetizer. Seeing the morale of the crowd soar, with hope shining in every eye, Li Yuanjing felt even more satisfied.

*That little vixen Cai Xue thought she could play games with me? I’ll destroy her!*

In fact, Li Yuanjing regretted not pressing her a bit harder before he left. Now that he was certain Murong Mubai was a high-ranking member of the Fragrant Incense Sect, he realized that if he had used Murong Mubai’s name, he could have easily coerced Cai Xue into doing things that were... difficult to describe.

However, Li Yuanjing quickly calmed himself. Beautiful women were nice, but for a man, his career was clearly more important. If you plant a phoenix tree, why worry about the golden phoenixes not coming?

He was still deeply puzzled by Murong Mubai’s actions during this affair. Think about it: a top-tier figure like Murong Mubai, who held the official fates of countless bureaucrats in his hands, why would he allow the Fragrant Incense Sect to assassinate the young Duke Zhang Zhiji? This was not the behavior of a deep, calculating mastermind.

*Or... was someone using his name to act in secret? Or does Murong Mubai have some hidden intention that I am too simple to grasp?*

Then there was the matter of the sacred relic of the Fragrant Incense Sect. Li Yuanjing had suppressed it for now, but how long could he keep it under wraps?

Li Yuanjing’s expression turned solemn as he sounded a silent alarm in his heart. This was only the first step of a long march. Though he had achieved minor success, he must not grow arrogant or complacent. He had to focus on managing Quanzi Village and solidifying his foundation first.

Just then, the procession entered a mountain pass, and suddenly, a commotion broke out ahead. The movement came to a halt.

"What's going on?" Li Yuanjing frowned. *Could it be that even after the Boshan Gang was crippled, there are still bandits daring enough to intercept me while I'm traveling with such a large guard?*

"Master Li, there’s a small accident ahead. It seems a carriage belonging to the Xue family has fallen into a ditch. And, Master Li, there appear to be women of the Xue family inside..." Ma Huan scrambled over to report.

"Oh?" Li Yuanjing rubbed his nose hard. "Let’s go take a look."

"Yes, sir."

They soon arrived at the scene. Li Yuanjing’s brows shot up.

A large, somewhat aged but once-luxurious carriage was overturned, trapped upside down in a crevice on the cliffside of the mountain road. It looked as if a gust of wind could send it plummeting into the fifty- or sixty-meter-deep abyss below. The coachman and a few attendants were desperately holding onto the horses, but the carriage was too heavy, and they could only barely keep it from falling.

Seeing Li Yuanjing approach, a beautiful young girl of about fourteen or fifteen, with a bruised forehead, knelt before him and wept, "My lord, please! I beg you, please save my mistress! She is still inside, please..."

"Which mistress?" Li Yuanjing dismounted, frowning. He didn't feel particularly charitable; the situation was unclear, and if these people were in league with bandits, this could be a trap.

The girl kowtowed frantically. "My mistress is the wife of the great philanthropist Xue Mang of Tieniu Town—the Lady of the Xue family, Madam Xue Qiu!"

At that moment, Dong Peng, the leader of the Yi cavalry who had scouted ahead and was now familiar with Li Yuanjing, returned and shook his head slightly.

Seeing there was no danger, Li Yuanjing shouted, "What are you all standing around for? Start the rescue!"

However, Ma Huan, who had already assessed the situation, smiled bitterly and bowed. "Master, it’s not that we don't want to save them. The large boulder the carriage is wedged against is about to slide, and it seems to be connected to the road's foundation. If we go up there, the road might collapse, and the carriage would be in even greater danger..."

"What?" Li Yuanjing stepped forward to inspect it closely and couldn't help but gasp.