Words Strategize for the World

Post station.

As evening fell, Yuan Kang finally returned.

He was in such a hurry that he hadn't even had time to catch his breath before reporting to Fang Hao, "My lord, everything has been arranged."

"Good, Yuan Kang did a good job. Now go out again and take this silver to distribute to everyone so they can eat their fill and be ready to move around tonight."

Yuan Kang, full of energy, said "Alright" and ran out again. But before leaving, he handed a short knife to Lai Fengwu.

"My lord, isn't this too risky?"

After seeing Yuan Kang run out, Lai Fengwu, who was standing to the side, suggested something to Fang Hao.

"Feng Wu, tell me your thoughts."

Lai Fengwu pondered for a moment before speaking, "My lord, I suspect that this prefect has already surrendered to the Hegemon Kingdom."

Fang Hao was somewhat surprised and asked, "Why do you say that?"

So Lai Fengwu told Fang Hao her thoughts and speculations.

In fact, Fengwu's thoughts and guesses were very similar to Fang Hao's. So Fang Hao said, "Fengwu, your guess is very reasonable. That's exactly what I guessed, which is why I made these arrangements. Whether it's true or not, it's always good to have a backup plan. Besides, even without evidence, we'll definitely find out after tonight."

"Also, what are your plans for the future?"

Lai Fengwu found it strange that Fang Hao would ask him this question. She would definitely work for him from now on, and unless something unexpected happened, there was no way things would change.

"My lord, Feng Wu will be at your disposal from now on, and that will not change."

Lai Fengwu's answer was quite different from Fang Hao's, but it also showed Fengwu's loyalty.

"Feng Wu, that's not what I meant. You need to know that no matter what happens in the future, we will definitely fight together."

"What I want to ask is, what kind of person do you want to be in the future? A staff member?"

Lai Fengwu had a look of sudden realization.

"My lord, well, I haven't thought about it yet."

Sometimes, what a person wants to do and what kind of person they want to become is not up to them. The influence of the environment, the pressure of reality, the financial difficulties of life, and stress can all make you act involuntarily.

Therefore, Fang Hao could understand.

"Well, it's alright. But if you have any guesses in the future, you can tell me. Many hands make light work; one person can never think of everything."

"We're still down on our luck right now, but things will definitely get better in the future. You'll definitely be someone who can stand on your own two feet someday, and I've always believed in your abilities."

After spending time together and following him, Lai Fengwu trusts Fang Hao and believes that they can have a better future together.

"My lord, please rest assured, Fengwu will serve you to the death."

Just as Fang Hao was about to say something more, a sound came from outside the post station.

"Is the gentleman here?"

When he went outside, he found that it was Prefect Liu who had sent someone to invite him to a banquet.

When the two arrived at the prefectural government office, Prefect Liu and many others were already waiting for them.

The banquet was held in a large hall, with seats placed on both sides of the hall, behind which were screens. Behind the screens was a wall with several windows.

"Scholar Fang has arrived. Please come and have a seat."

As soon as Fang Hao arrived, Liu Juncheng, who was seated in the main seat, warmly invited Fang Hao to take a seat.

Fang Hao sat down decisively, then looked around and found that apart from Shanwei, he didn't recognize anyone else at the scene.

Prefect Liu introduced Fang Hao to everyone present, and it turned out that most of the people sitting there were officials from the prefecture.

Two people caught Fang Hao's attention. One was a burly man with a strong physique and agile manner, who seemed to be from a military background. When Liu Juncheng introduced him, the man's eyes were very cold.

Another person stood behind Prefect Liu. Although he was not introduced, he had the appearance of a scholar and his sharp spirit was undeniable.

Upon seeing these two, Fang Hao knew that tonight would definitely not be peaceful. Prefect Liu was surely plotting something, and it was definitely aimed at him, Fang Hao.

Fang Hao will not allow himself to be slaughtered, so it all comes down to whose plan is more effective.

"Haha, I am delighted to have such distinguished guests here today. And the presence of two guests who have come from afar truly puts me in a great mood. Everyone, let's raise our glasses and drink to our hearts' content."

Prefect Liu was good at setting the mood; with just a few words, everyone was in high spirits and raised their glasses.

Fang Hao followed the others and picked up his wine glass. At that moment, he suddenly realized something: this scene looked so familiar.

After careful consideration, he was filled with dread.

If the banquet organizers really wanted to harm him, would they have used smashing a glass as a signal?

No wonder this scene looks so familiar; it turns out it was often depicted in old TV dramas.

Fang Hao racked his brains, trying to come up with a solution.

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for raising your glasses with me."

"Come, come, let's raise our glasses and drink together, let's raise our glasses and drink together."

Everyone flattered Prefect Liu and prepared to drink together.

Just then, an idea flashed through Fang Hao's mind: smashing the cup as a signal—that was quite possible. What would happen if I were the one to smash that cup?

Is the wolf crying? Or is it about to rush out and kill me?

The outcome is uncertain.

Fang Hao then patted Lai Fengwu on the shoulder and raised his glass as if to drink, just like everyone else.

Just as everyone raised their glasses to their lips, before they could even take a sip, an unexpected voice rang out.

"Clang, clang..."

That's the sound of a wine glass shattering on the ground.

The sound was so jarring.

This sound abruptly shattered everyone's enthusiasm.

"Clang, clang..."

Caught off guard, the group was in a moment of joy. Two of them even dropped their cups on the ground because their hands trembled.

This is unexpected, so unexpected.

The cup had barely been on the ground when hurried footsteps could be heard outside.

Fang Hao, who had smashed the cup on the ground, was extremely nervous and worried. When he heard hurried footsteps, his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.

The signal to smash the cup is correct, so are you going to come in and kill me now?

Fang Hao felt a chill run down his spine. Was this a case of shooting himself in the foot?

Footsteps sounded, leaving everyone bewildered. Only Liu, the Prefectural Magistrate, remained expressionless. He quickly turned and whispered something to the scholar behind him, who then ran off.

The scholar had only been gone a short while when his footsteps stopped, and he then left.

As the footsteps faded away, Fang Hao's heart stopped pounding wildly and gradually calmed down.

He made the right bet.

As expected, Prefect Liu intended to harm me. And this incident of smashing the cup disrupted Prefect Liu's normal plans.

Judging from this incident, it is certain that Prefect Liu has already pledged allegiance to the Ba Kingdom.

Fang Hao turned to look at the burly man and saw a contemptuous smile on his lips.

The man's expression was completely different from the astonished expressions of everyone present. Could he be a general from the Hegemon Kingdom?

Fang Hao made his guesses, and at the same time, his vigilance towards this burly man rose to the highest level.

"Haha, everyone, I'm really sorry. I was riding a horse all day and I'm quite tired. My hand slipped and the cup fell to the ground. Please don't be offended. I'll punish myself with three cups, three cups as punishment."

As he spoke, Fang Hao bent down to pick up the wine glass.

Hearing Fang Hao say this, Liu, as the host of the banquet, naturally could not blame him anymore.

With a cold, sour face and suppressing his temper, he said, "A young man with no beard is unreliable. No wonder this fair-faced, beardless Fang is so prone to making mistakes. Come, everyone, let's continue drinking."

Seeing Liu Juncheng's sour face and hearing his sarcastic words, Fang Hao laughed inwardly, but he couldn't show it and could only suppress it.

Most of those present were officials from the prefecture. Although the atmosphere was awkward for a moment, they still had to give face to Prefect Liu.

Prefect Liu was indeed skilled at setting the mood, and with everyone present deliberately flattering him, the atmosphere became lively again after a couple of drinks.

The atmosphere was lively, but that wasn't what Fang Hao wanted. If they started talking about serious matters, it meant they were about to take action.

Therefore, Fang Hao pretended to slip and drop the cup again.

The clanging sound rang out again.

To prevent Prefect Liu from finding an excuse to act prematurely, Fang Hao immediately grabbed the wine glass as soon as it hit the ground and loudly apologized, saying, "Please forgive me, everyone. My hands are indeed a little sore and weak. I apologize."

Before Prefect Liu could speak, another commotion broke out outside, but it was quickly suppressed.

Prefect Liu's face grew even colder, his grumpy expression practically dripping with black ink. He hesitated inwardly, wondering whether he should make his move prematurely.

Seeing Liu Juncheng's dark face, Fang Hao had an idea. He immediately stood up and said, "It's all my fault for my weak and sore hand, which caused me to drop the cup. I will punish myself."

As he spoke, Fang Hao clapped his hands a few times, then raised his glass with both hands and pretended to drink the wine shakily.

"Mr. Fang, although your hand is sore, it's very impolite of you to interrupt everyone's drinking time."

Fang Hao was overjoyed when someone stepped in to help, and immediately clapped his hands and apologized.

Watching Fang Hao's performance, Liu Juncheng was considering whether to make a move ahead of time.

Once is a coincidence, twice is inevitable. If it were a military general, they probably would have already taken action.

But Liu, the Prefect, was not a military general after all, and he was not that decisive.