My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 160 Departure
Outside the farm outside the city, a group of people were already prepared.

Qu Qiusheng was very efficient; he completed all the preparations for the trip with Zhang Du in just three days.

There wasn't much stuff, just seven carts, but there were quite a few samurai accompanying them.

These people all disguised themselves as servants or guards driving carriages.

Li Xuanba inspected the carriages one by one, with Zhang Du and Qu Qiusheng following behind him. Fortunately, buying horses in Loufan was not difficult. As long as they were not warhorses, the price of carriage horses like these was even cheaper.

Zhang Du followed Li Xuanba around a few times, then asked in a low voice, "My lord, shouldn't we take the craftsmen with us?"

"Let's not take them for now. This is the first time we're heading south. We can arrange for them to go after we've determined the route. Zhang Tuanzuo, the journey is quite long and there may be many risks along the way. You must pay attention to safety. If anything happens, don't worry too much about these things. Just bring everyone back safely."

Zhang Du bowed his head and agreed.

Qu Qiusheng deliberately kept some distance to make sure he couldn't hear their conversation.

After Li Xuanba finished speaking to him, he turned to look at Qu Qiusheng.

He smiled and said, "I'll have to trouble you this time, Old Man Qu. My men aren't very familiar with Hedong."

"Please rest assured, my lord, I will do my utmost."

Only then did Li Xuanba feel relieved enough to let them set off.

The group bid farewell to Li Xuanba once more before mounting their horses and heading east.

Li Xuanba simply stood there, watching them leave, silently praying for them, hoping that this matter would go smoothly.

The roads in Loufan are still not easy to travel.

The carriage swayed violently, and if you weren't careful, the goods could easily spill out. On some sections of the road, it wouldn't be surprising if the carriage overturned.

Even those who followed on horseback weren't having an easy time.

Zhang Du walked in the middle of the group, with Qu Qiusheng beside him.

In the distance stretched an endless wilderness, where even wild dogs were nowhere to be found. After walking for only an hour, farmland and houses were no longer visible on the road, and caravans were also rarely seen.

The procession was relatively quiet, with a few drivers chatting, but their voices were not loud.

Qu Qiusheng walked along the road, his heart filled with complex emotions. During his time with Junhou, he had discovered some things that filled him with both fear and anticipation.

He didn't know how to deal with the situation going forward—whether to pretend he knew nothing or to actively demonstrate his loyalty.
Just as Qu Qiusheng was deep in thought, Zhang Du suddenly spoke up: "I have heard that in the past, there were many merchants in the counties of Hedong, and the carriages on the roads were often blocked. They even had to take back roads to arrive on time. I never expected that in just a few years, these official roads would become so bad."

Even though Zhang Du had read many books, he didn't know how to describe the situation before him.

Qu Qiusheng seemed to be recalling the past. He looked at both sides and sighed, "In the past, the roadside forests on both sides were quite tall. Whenever we needed to catch a carriage, we had to set off early to avoid traffic jams. There were even vendors gathered along this roadside, waiting for passing merchants. Look over there, there are many manors over there."

Qu Qiusheng pointed to the ruins in the distance.

Zhang Du suddenly asked, "Old Master Qu, what do you think is the reason for this? Why has Loufan become like this?"

Qu Qiusheng shuddered. "I heard you mention before that it's because the government is not practicing benevolent governance."

"That's probably really the case."

Zhang Du added one sentence, then stopped talking.

Qu Qiusheng became even more uneasy. Was Zhang Du testing his stance with his words just now?
Was my answer inadequate? Did I fail to demonstrate loyalty in a timely manner?
In that instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind.

However, Zhang Du treated him the same as before, without any change. The group continued on their way, and the journey was truly tedious. Along the way, they did not encounter any thieves or dead people. When they arrived in Xiurong, the only person they encountered on the road was a knight responsible for delivering messages. They avoided him early on, and he ignored them.

Xiurong was still under the jurisdiction of Loufan County, and there was no difference between it and Jingle. Zhang Du did not let everyone enter the city. They found a place to rest outside the city. He handed the caravan over to Qu Qiusheng to watch over, while he took a few trusted men and headed to the city.

He didn't say why he came to the city, and Qu Qiusheng didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Qu Qiusheng waited outside for a long time, but Zhang Du did not return. It was not until the morning of the next day that Zhang Du returned with everyone.

Then they continued on their journey.

Zhang Du led everyone into the city this time, naturally to establish a contact point and check on the situation of the restaurants in the city.

However, the situation was not quite what Zhang Du had expected. He went to several restaurants in Xiurongli and inquired a little. He found that the number of restaurants was decreasing sharply. The city was not as prosperous as it used to be. These restaurants were originally for outsiders. Locals did not have the habit of eating in restaurants and could not afford the money. Nobles would not eat out either, as they all had their own manors.

Because of the decline in merchants, there are not many restaurants left. Under these circumstances, opening a new restaurant would seem too conspicuous. Moreover, it's not something you can just open whenever you want; you need to have local residency and inform the local headman for registration.

Moreover, this travel was extremely troublesome. Even dining at restaurants required recording the diner's identity and checking relevant documents. If everything were done according to the rules, it would obviously be impossible to manage.

Zhang Du frowned, pondering a solution.

When the team set off again, Qu Qiusheng keenly noticed that Zhang Du had become less talkative, with a furrowed brow and a preoccupied look.

After going to the city, it turned out like this.

Qu Qiusheng pursed his lips, not daring to speak.

Last night, he didn't dare close his eyes all night, constantly thinking about his questions and answers with Zhang Du, and his thoughts became increasingly chaotic.

After leaving Xiurong, it was time to prepare to leave the county.

In the distance, where the road had been desolate and quiet, faint wisps of smoke began to rise.

Qu Qiusheng stared into the distance for a long time, then turned to Zhang Du beside him and asked, "After entering the city, Zhang Jun has been sullen. Why is that?"

Zhang Du sized up Qu Qiusheng, who had been acting fearful and hesitant to ask about his affairs, but now he dared to ask.
Zhang Du calmly replied, "I originally wanted to buy a shop in the city, a restaurant, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult; outsiders can't do it."

Qu Qiusheng laughed, "Zhang Jun is still young."

"Oh?"

“Zhang Jun has the Duke’s Mansion behind him. I dare not say that he can handle anything in the whole country, but in Loufan, there is nothing he can’t do.”

"What if I don't want to reveal my name or identity, and just want to buy it secretly without letting outsiders know?"

"That's not difficult either."

Qu Qiusheng calmly said, "These days, let alone village chiefs and ward heads, even some county officials are having a hard time."

"If you want to make a scene, it's just a matter of a word from them. If you don't want to come in person, just send someone to present a gift. It won't take much. You don't need to worry about the rest. They will handle everything."

"Won't they get suspicious? I'm afraid that arousing suspicion will ruin everything."

"No, most minor officials can't even afford to eat, so they don't have the mind to suspect strangers. If you paid them more, they might come and do great things with you."

Zhang Du was still somewhat surprised and doubtful, but Qu Qiusheng continued, "If you trust me, when we go back, I can make the appearance. I have a way to prevent them from suspecting anything. Restaurants aren't worth much these days. Merchants can buy several good shops as backup for the future, and no one will suspect anything. The big shots in Guanzhong all send people to buy shops in the best locations. This kind of thing happens everywhere."

“I’m not just going to buy in Xiurong, I’ll probably have to buy along the way.”

Qu Qiusheng was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Zhang Du, "Does Your Excellency intend to use the restaurant as a post station?"

Zhang Du was somewhat surprised. "You're quite something. You figured out my purpose so easily?"
Qu Qiusheng looked at Zhang Du's expression and laughed, "Mr. Zhang, you may not know this, but when Zhou and Qi were at war, many restaurants in Qi were run by Zhou people. They communicated with each other, exchanged information, and gathered intelligence. It wasn't until after Qi was destroyed that people learned about this, especially in the counties around Jinyang."

(End of this chapter)