Distant Mountain Battle Song

Chapter 171 When recruiting people, simply showing courtesy and respect is not enough.

The Yun family doesn't actually have anything good.

Ever since he was flung onto this land like a snotty snott from a dragon statue, Yun Ce has had nothing but himself.

Having nothing feels terrible; it can make people feel incredibly lonely, and lonely people tend to live in a world centered on themselves.

In this world, because he is the king, being unconventional becomes a habit for many lonely people. Once his lonely world gradually becomes complete, he truly becomes out of place in this world.

Don't believe me? If you observe those truly lonely people closely, you'll find that they all have some flaws, more or less.

Yun Ce knew he couldn't live as a tyrant, and he was also clear about his purpose in coming to this world. So, given the choice, he chose E Ji as his wife.

This was actually a process of self-inflicted suffering for him. It was far less convenient for him to act alone than to have Eji with him. In fact, Eji was often a burden to him.

Human nature should not be too free. Excessive freedom will only amplify the evil side of human nature. Once desires are magnified countless times, destruction becomes the only outcome.

Normal people need a close comparison object, and Eji is the comparison object that Yun Ce chose. He can see from Eji's reaction whether what he did is still within the range that a person can bear.

As long as he remains within this scope, Yun Ce can do whatever he wants without any taboos. If even E Ji, the woman who values ​​him like her own life, can't accept what he does, it means that he is not far from destruction.

Therefore, loving E'ji is the same as loving oneself.

Eji was actually a very clever woman. After receiving the letter delivered by the Yun Ce messenger bird, she began to think about how she could help her husband keep these five hundred truly useful people in the Yun family permanently.

However, apart from a few decent maids and some money, the Yun family currently has nothing.

So, after discussing with Liang Kun, Feng An, Zhang Min, and An Ji, E Ji suddenly realized that her family had quite a lot of good things, enough to make the Yun family look like a down-on-their-luck noble family without any problem.

Anji proudly told Eji that her family had many male and female servants, a villa full of hot springs, and food that even nobles in Chang'an could not afford. They also had chime bells, drums of various sizes, string and wind instruments for playing music, and eight high-class dancers who could perform for guests.

Having so many good things was already enough, until Feng An and Liang Kun mentioned the bathing routine that only existed in the bathhouse when he accidentally revealed it. Only then did Eji realize that her family had become a noble family.

Luxury occasionally revealed in poverty, elegance occasionally encountered in simplicity, complexity revealed in simplicity, and the extraordinary revealed in the ordinary.

The above is the outline of the welcoming ceremony that Eji and her family devised for Qin Shu and his party after discussing it with several of her household retainers.

Upon receiving the message from Eji via a messenger bird, Yun Ce felt that this was an overly ambitious goal, and that it would be very difficult to execute. He feared that if things were not handled properly, the whole thing would go wrong.

Zhang Min, however, did not think so. She had stayed in Tiewei Pass and had dealt with these people.

What kind of person would run away from home and risk their life for a slim hope in a place like Tiewei Pass?
Firstly, it must be someone who is not valued in the family.

Secondly, they must be extra people in the family.

Thirdly, they must be people with dreams.

Fourth, he must be a desperate person.

In addition, they were not well received at Tiewei Pass, and they experienced life-and-death battles at Tiewei Pass, enduring a long period of arduous and extraordinary life.

At this point, as long as their families are willing to welcome them with open arms, give them a relatively stable home, and give them a certain amount of trust, these people will not be able to escape the control of the Yun family.

Of course, Yun Ce's strong personal charisma, unparalleled martial achievements, and miraculous escape from death at the Iron Enclosure Pass were the key factors that enabled the Yun Clan to win over these people.

Therefore, under the preparation of Feng An, Liang Kun, An Ji and others, a luxurious and glamorous bathing project was set up as a show of force to first kill the arrogance in everyone's hearts.

Zhang Min firmly believed that when a maidservant spread a guest's buttocks apart and slapped them hard with her towel-wrapped hand, it was incredibly painful for those country bumpkins who had never experienced a good life.

This act is tantamount to giving them a second chance at life.

At least, after experiencing it firsthand, Zhang Min felt a surge of shame for betraying Yun Ce. That momentary shame completely cleared her mind. When Yun Ce saw Qin Shu, who appeared calm after bathing but was actually trembling with excitement, He Qingfang, who was too ashamed to meet Yun Ce's gaze, Zuo Chong, who kept glancing back at the bath, and a large group of soldiers with their heads bowed, feeling they had done something wrong to the general, Yun Ce felt that the first step of E Ji's plan had succeeded.

Yun Ce laughed heartily, patting one person on the shoulder and another on the shoulder, occasionally making a silly remark like, "You've washed yourself clean, I almost can't recognize you," which greatly reduced their sense of guilt.

When Yun Ce led them to a warm courtyard, E Ji and the most beautiful women of the Yun clan welcomed them at the courtyard gate. Even the dull-witted Qin Shu was shocked by the beauty of An Ji and the others.

Compared to Anji and others who knew how to dress to showcase their beauty without worry, Eji changed into an ordinary blue dress and stood next to Yun Ce, who was also dressed in a soft blue robe. Without much introduction, everyone knew that this was the mistress of the Yun family.

Zhang Min was different; her headdress today was very heavy. Eji had used her head as an exhibition stand to display the wealth of the Yun family, adorning it with all sorts of precious jewelry, dazzling in its vibrant colors. Eji said that this was the proper way to use a concubine.

Yun Ce had no idea when Feng An had learned to speak in an aria. As soon as he opened his mouth, everyone fell silent. Not to mention Qin Shu and He Qingfang, even Yun Ce couldn't understand what he was saying.

After waiting for Feng An to finish speaking, Liang Kun, who was also dressed in a soft blue robe, gently tapped a golden mallet. After a crisp sound, a large group of clean-washed, healthy-looking young men and women poured out from the moon gate. They politely took the hand of each guest and led them to their seats with smiles.

The seat was a straw cushion, with a small heel rest on it. This was used to support the buttocks when kneeling, otherwise who could sit upright for such a long time?

In front of the cushion was a low table, no more than three feet long and one and a half feet wide. On it were three plates: one plate of fragrant and crispy fancy cakes; and in the middle bowl was a lifelike baby bean, covered with a thick, sweet root juice with tiny flower petals, making the rare fruit appear crystal clear, just like a real person.

Another plate contained some chopped fruit in several colors, soaking in the milk of the white wildebeest: the red was dazzling, the yellow was welcoming, and the green was gentle.

The three dishes contained very little, and each one was something these poor folks had never even heard of.

The children picked up the teapot on the left side of the table and poured a cup of flower tea for the guests, asking them to smell the fragrance first. As a result, the vast majority of people picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Even a seasoned and prudent man like Qin Shu was blushing with shame at the reckless behavior of his subordinates.

In an attempt to save face, He Qingfang said in a low voice, "This is so little, who can eat it?"

Qin Shu glanced at He Qingfang sitting next to him and sighed, "This is called watching the show; you can only watch, not eat."

"Why display it if you can't eat it? Just for looks?"

Qin Shu said with a long face, "It's just for looks. Don't ask anymore, that's how it is in noble families."

"A nobleman can play with a man until only his head is left. A nobleman can be cruel and bloodthirsty, and do inhuman things. A nobleman can display good things but not let people eat them, only let people look at them. A nobleman can wash away a person's soul with a bath."

I insist on eating it.

After saying that, she picked up the baby bean in the middle with her chopsticks and bit off the head of the baby bean with a big bite. However, there was still a lot of juice inside the baby bean. He Qingfang took a big bite, and the juice splashed more than a meter away and landed on Qin Shu's face.

Embarrassed in front of everyone, He Qingfang felt as if a bathhouse maid had swiped her card between her buttocks. Stunned, she didn't know whether to continue eating or stop.

Qin Shu, whose face was splattered with juice, picked up the baby bean and took a big bite, juice splattering everywhere. After finishing, he said to Yun Ce, who was sitting in the main seat, "General, this tastes delicious."

Yun Ce laughed heartily, "It's also an indispensable delicacy for me every day, hahaha, come on, everyone must be hungry, have a bite to fill your stomachs first."

After saying that, she picked up the baby beans in front of her and started chewing them. Only then did He Qingfang feel like she had come back to life. She glanced gratefully at Qin Shu, only to find that the guy was wiping his face with a handkerchief.

The banquet officials, Feng An and Liang Kun, were clearly dissatisfied. They struck the golden mallet again, and An Ji knelt on the carpet, raised the hammer, and struck the chime bells. The emperor had bestowed sixty-five chime bells upon the Yun family, but today, only sixteen chime bells were hanging on the chime bell rack, and they were all the smallest kind.

As the chime bells rang, Eji's four first-class maids and four second-class maids appeared, waving their water sleeves. The dance they were performing today was called "Flowing Clouds."

The dance movements were slow, but every movement and stillness was directed by the chime bells. Moreover, these beautiful girls danced with expressionless faces, appearing extremely dignified, much like the flowing clouds in nature.

Yun Ce glanced at the soldiers who were watching the dance with blank expressions, then turned to Zhang Min and said, "They don't understand it."

Zhang Min laughed and said, "That's exactly what we want, so they won't understand. My lord, this is a time when we are distinguishing between superiors and inferiors, so don't mess things up."

(End of this chapter)