My lord, spare his life!

Han Wu was adept at discerning people's hearts.

Even though Du Guan tried her best to restrain herself, the subtle expressions on her face betrayed her true emotions, so Han Wo had no choice but to awkwardly explain the reason. Du Guan was surprised: "Although I've heard that lustful ghosts can be male or female, this is the first time I've actually seen one."

If she weren't afraid of offending anyone, she would have liked to touch and feel whether it was real or fake.

"The world is vast and full of wonders." Compared to men turning into women or women turning into men, she feels that it is truly wondrous for two people among the masses to meet. In the vast sea of ​​people, the probability of meeting one of hundreds of millions is no greater than changing one's gender.

"What Fulong said is very true." As a local, she naturally had to do her best to be a good host and entertain her classmate and new colleague. She asked her husband to prepare a feast and invited Han Wo and the others to her home for a drink.

Han Wo, wanting to cultivate a good relationship with his lord Yuan Cong, agreed.

Not only did she come, but she also brought her family.

Han Wo bringing her husband to Tianyue was also a subtle way of expressing her loyalty. They planned to settle down in the city and furnish a house within the next couple of days. Since she didn't know much about the area and the local market, she naturally had to trouble Du Guan. This visit with her family was also a way to make connections and get acquainted. While she was away fighting, her husband would have more opportunities to socialize and pass the time.

Besides, she and her husband did have a good relationship.

If her husband stayed in the mountains, Han Wo didn't know how long it would take to return. If her husband settled in Tianyue, the couple would have more opportunities to reunite. Han Wo didn't voice these thoughts, but Du Guan and the others were shrewd and understood her hints.

Du Guan's husband was initially on edge.

Hearing that Xiao Sui wasn't the only guest, but others as well, he breathed a sigh of relief. If it were just Xiao Sui, she would have kept Yuan Yi drinking all night and spouting nonsense. This woman was practically his nemesis!

She's a womanizer who can't even settle down, and now she's ruining other people's families.

His eyes lit up when he saw the family members Han Wo brought.

After exchanging greetings, he smiled and gently touched the other woman's wrist, praising, "My wife mentioned that Lady Han was quite a charming figure during her time at the academy, proficient in all six arts of a gentleman. But in my humble opinion, in terms of character and temperament, you, sir, are superior."

Han Wo's husband was a handsome and refined young man with gentle features and a mild temperament. He knew the previous remarks were just polite formalities, so he gave a shy smile.

"Does my lord currently have any plans for settling down?"

"Not yet secured."

"If you don't mind, sir, I do have a place to pass the time." The private school has been expanding, and the prefectural government has allocated several additional plots of land. The number of students is increasing, and there aren't enough lecturers, especially qualified ones. Han Wo's husband is the son of Han Wo's mentor, and having been exposed to his teachings from a young age, his academic achievements are naturally quite high. He has no interest in an official career, so he can come and teach.

Han Wo's husband: "Where is it?"

He had already made plans when he and Hanwo came.

While Han Wo was away fighting, he also found a job in Tianyue. The prefecture was a good place, but he was an outsider with no connections, so he couldn't get involved in matters involving local conflicts. Moreover, he disliked officialdom and the intrigue.

I heard that Du Guan's husband has started a private school.

He could go and take a look, even as a lecturer.

The other party brought it up themselves, saving him the trouble of asking indirectly.

"It's a private school in the city. Although it's only been established for a few months, the prefectural governor values ​​it and not only provides funding but also land. However, most of the students come from humble backgrounds and have never had formal family education, so teaching them is quite difficult."

As he spoke, he looked at the future new lecturer with some concern.

When the children first arrived at the academy, they were all shy, obedient, and well-behaved. But as time went on, their true nature was revealed. However, despite their mischievousness, the children were still very respectful of their teachers. A scion of a prestigious family like Han Wowaizi might look down on students of this caliber. However, the other party was indeed gentle and easy to talk to.

Han Wo's husband said: "A teacher's duty is to impart knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts. No one is born knowing how to read and write. If all students were born with innate knowledge, there would be no need for academies."

One was willing, and the other was intentional.

The two then laughed and went into the courtyard to talk in detail.

Leave space in the hall for students from Mingde University.

At the Mingde alumni reunion, neither of them participated; they had nothing to talk about.

Xiao Sui sat lazily, her gaze piercing through the latticed window to the two people in the courtyard, and once again felt sorry for Du Guan. Her eyes darted around, and suddenly her hand was empty; Du Guan had snatched the fan from her, the fan covering her eyes. Du Guan chuckled helplessly, "I know what you're thinking, don't think about it."

Xiao Sui's visits always made her husband nervous.

She'd had her fun, and poor Yuan Yi had to comfort her in private. The entanglement was endless, and the hardships involved were beyond what outsiders could understand.

"What are you thinking about?" Xiao Sui refused to admit that her thoughts had been guessed and retorted, "Previously, the lord took a liking to the daughter of the Lü Bafeng family. He was just thinking that we classmates are all getting on in years, and by the time we had a small class reunion, two of us would already be married."

Fan You: "Have you decided to settle down?"

Xiao Sui scoffed, "It's still early, what's there to decide?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Fan You with a resentful look in her eyes.

If it weren't for Fan You's insistence on not corrupting the lord, she wouldn't have listened until now. With such beauty, she shouldn't have hidden it. She was forced to sever ties with outsiders before because of the calamity of the stars, and now that things are better, she's forced to become a nun in a nunnery.

Fan You knew she was incorrigible.

Yuan Xie chuckled: "I'm thinking of settling down."

Han Wo casually asked a question.

"Which family are they?"

Yuan Xie is practically a follower of the lord, so a good marriage could bring the lord a lot of potential allies. If the marriage partner is just an ordinary family... Han Wo thought about it and realized he could have his husband choose from among his acquaintances. If the marriage could be arranged, it would be a "double blessing" for Han Wo.

Han Wo didn't receive a reply from Yuan Xie, but instead received a heavy cough from Fan You and a warning look. Yuan Xie ignored the fierce look in Fan You's eyes, smiled, and rested his chin on his hand. His long sleeve slipped down, revealing an overly thin arm with a silver bracelet and red string on his wrist.

It makes the skin appear even whiter and more delicate than if it had never seen the sun.

"It is a great regret in life for a virtuous person to live without being able to serve his lord."

Han Wo: "..."

How can someone become so flamboyant in the blink of an eye?

She looked at Yuan Xie, then at Fan You.

I just feel that the two of them have reversed their celestial influence. Yuan Xie is so eager to use every trick in the book to get into his lord's bed. It's a pity that the lustful ghost isn't with him. If Fan You had someone else, he could have some peace and quiet.

Xiao Sui: "Can't we talk about something serious?"

Yuan Xie retorted, "What's so serious about a classmate reunion?"

I was never this serious when I was in school.

How boring is it to discuss business at private gatherings?

That's what they said, but in the end the conversation still jumped from the casual channel to the working class channel. Du Guan stayed behind at Tianyue, and the information she received was more timely and comprehensive than what the others knew.

In addition to official documents, there are also rumors and gossip circulating among the public.

"Zhao Chai suffered a loss at Qin Huang's hands, and now the two forces are divided into Dog County and Dog Kingdom County. Qin Huang occupies Jianxing, Tianbian, Tianji, Youqi, Tianfu and other places, with many soldiers and generals. After his defeat, Zhao Chai has deployed his troops to Tianyuan, Jiukan, Tiantian and other places..." Although Zhao Chai seems to be at a disadvantage, Tianyuan, Jiukan and Tiantian are all very vast places. The local warlords of Jiukan have even sided with Zhao Chai - not necessarily out of loyalty, but definitely with ill intentions. They all suspect that someone is stirring up trouble.

Fan You's expression was solemn.

"How did the Right Banner and the Heavenly Drum fall into Qin Huang's hands?"

If these two places are gone, Zuoqi will also be lost.

Most importantly, their geographical location is also significant, situated on one side of the Dongfan Mountains. Moving north along the mountains poses a threat to Tianyue, while moving south threatens Zhinu and Tianji. This Tianji is the one near Hejian Pass. If Qin Huang succeeds, the Lord's forces will be inadvertently blocked from both sides. How has Qin Huang's progress been so smooth?

Fortunately, Qin Huang's attention was drawn to Zhao Chai.

There shouldn't be any time to expand my energy.

Du Guan glanced at Xiao Sui discreetly.

He sighed and said, "The Xiao family acted as matchmakers, and according to rumors, Qin Shiming promised many benefits, including adopting sons and daughters and arranging marriages. Both groups got what they wanted."

Fan You's lips twitched, and he lowered his eyelashes.

Du Guan: "He has some familiar faces under his command."

Or rather, they were once renowned students at the academy.

Fan You clenched his fist: "Mingde Academy?"

Du Guan nodded: "Yes, not only does Qin Shiming have many scholars from the Mingde school, but Zhao Chai also has..."

This is not surprising.

Among private schools, Mingde Academy was the most famous. At its peak, Mingde had over a thousand students. Private schools only considered students' talents, not their backgrounds, to attract students. Students from the lower classes could also come to study and listen to lectures by renowned teachers.

However, private schools may not care about background, but society does.

It's not easy for scholars to enter officialdom and make a living. Even if they do, they might be marginalized like Du Guan, or even become frustrated and unfulfilled. Some people will endure it for the time being, while others will become disheartened. Qin Huang and Zhao Chai both have notorious reputations, so naturally they won't be too picky about talent.

The entry requirements are low, making it easy to obtain an official position here.

Classmates would recommend each other, and those with talent but lacking in social standing were easily recruited. This resulted in both sides having many students from Mingde Academy under their command. Initially, they were mindful of their friendship, but as the fighting escalated, their methods became increasingly ruthless.

Fan You closed his eyes to suppress the boiling anger in his heart.

He gritted his teeth and said, "The academy was burned down, and they didn't even know?"

Du Guan: "Now the outside world doesn't talk about this anymore. Qin Shiming spent a huge sum of money to rebuild the academy, rebuild the headmaster's tomb, and even went to apologize in a grand manner. He also said in front of the world that he wanted to continue the headmaster's family line by adopting a child out of the academy."

Fan You slammed his hand on the table.

"I'm not dead yet!"

"But you're useless in his eyes."

These cold words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Fan You's head.

Du Guan: "At the very least, you can't continue the lineage of the headmaster. After the headmaster passed away, you never showed up and your whereabouts are unknown. Many Mingde students who were unaware of this have therefore had some complaints about you."

It was not Fan You who was wearing mourning clothes, nor was it him who broke the basin and helped carry the coffin.

Many people believe that Fan You is dead.

Before obtaining Fan You's consent, they couldn't rashly reveal his whereabouts to the outside world. Qin Huang knew Fan You's location best; the fact that the other party hadn't explained clearly indicated their intention to completely erase Fan You from the public consciousness. Even if Fan You returned, what difference would it make?

Fan You: "..."

Yuan Xie said, "Lustful ghosts cannot reproduce, and Qin Shiming has figured this out, which is why he's so disgusting to you—"

The defining characteristic of a lustful person is their indulgence in pleasure.

They only want to enjoy the process, not take responsibility for the outcome; reproduction is an unnecessary burden for lustful fiends who indulge in pleasure. To deal with Fan You, Qin Huang doesn't need to do much; simply revealing that he is a lustful fiend will damage his reputation.

Xiao Sui: "Despicable and shameless."

She absolutely refused to acknowledge Qin Huang as her former master.

Fan You didn't faint from anger, and he swallowed the sweet, metallic taste in his throat.

Xiao Sui looked at Yuan Xie, seeking confirmation.

"A lustful person cannot reproduce?"

Yuan Xie said, "No."

Xiao Sui then looked at Han Wo.

Han Wu confirmed this: "Indeed, it's impossible."

Xiao Sui: "I thought..."

She thought Han Wo had no offspring because he changed gender every six months, while a woman's pregnancy takes more than nine months, but she didn't expect that he had fundamentally lost the opportunity to have offspring. Fan You's face turned pale and then red, his expression quite surprised.

Clearly, Fan You was unaware of this beforehand.

Du Guan couldn't bear to see him like this, so he changed the subject: "The royal family's power is confined to Dog County and Dog Kingdom County, barely surviving. They can only secretly seek allies, but none of them are a match for Qin and Zhao. Now, their only chance is their lord..."

Yuan Xie: "An alliance with the royal family?"

The advantage is that it has a legitimate reason to attack, but the disadvantage is that it will be targeted by Qin and Zhao.

Xiao Sui then asked, "How could Jun Du possibly agree to that?"

Puyang Kui had a deep-seated hatred for the royal family.

To everyone's surprise, Puyang Kui's attitude was not as resolute as they had imagined. After Zhang Yang returned, he inspected the military camp and checked on the garrison's training. There, he met Puyang Kui, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Compared to the last time we met, Puyang Kui looked much darker and thinner.

If it weren't for the green name above her head, Zhang Yang almost wouldn't have recognized her: "Jun Du, you've lost so much weight, are you sick?"

"Being in mourning, I can't eat meat, so it's normal to be a little thin." When Puyang Kui saw Zhang Yang, a smile finally appeared on his face, something he hadn't shown in recent months. "Yesterday, I was supposed to be with Yuan Yi at the prefectural government office waiting for the lord to return, but something happened in the army, and I couldn't get away."

"Is it something big?"

"It's not a big deal. It's just that my men made a mistake during training, and I was worried about being punished by military law, so I led them to escape at night."

If this isn't handled properly, the subsequent rumors and gossip could damage morale.

Looking at the series of negative statuses under Puyang Kui's health bar, each with a high level of severity, Zhang Yang knew that Puyang Kui's dark and thin appearance was not only due to mourning but also partly due to psychological reasons: "Don't be too hard on yourself, I'm here for you."

No string can be kept taut all the time.

It will break down sooner or later; it may not hurt others, but it will definitely hurt yourself.

Whether it was national hatred or personal vendetta, she was able to help Puyang Kui avenge them.

"...Does Your Majesty intend to join forces with the Royal Family?"

"Are you willing to agree?"

"It's not that I can't agree, but I can't let my personal hatred cause me to abandon my lord's ambitions." Puyang Kui only cares about the final outcome, and he wants the Dou Kingdom's royal family to be utterly destroyed! The alliance with the royal family is only temporary, and the Dou Kingdom's royal family will eventually be kicked out.

She looked at Zhang Yang, her slightly haggard face calm and expressionless.

"The lord's lasting legacy is of utmost importance."

? ?|??w?`)