Human Martial Venerable: Starting from the Synthesis Technique

Chapter 84 Humiliation

Lin Che acted quickly, in less than half an hour.

One by one, members of the various families arrived at the Feng residence.

The entrance was filled with all kinds of luxurious carriages, and some coachmen gathered in the corner, whispering among themselves and glancing into the mansion every now and then.

Inside the mansion.

The supervisor on duty respectfully led the person to the banquet hall.

Seven or eight round tables were set up, and tea was prepared, but no one was in the mood to drink it.

Beside the window, Zhao Mingyuan, dressed in a luxurious brocade robe, appeared to be in his forties.

He glanced around the nearly full banquet hall, where all the guests were heads of various families.

Wang Boyong, Liu Wenjing, and Li Ke are all familiar faces.

Everyone had a furrowed brow, and some of those with less composure had a grim expression.

No one spoke first; the only sound in the large hall was the hurried footsteps of those entering.

Some of the younger people were there with their elders to broaden their horizons, and they were all sitting obediently in the back row.

Chu Yun sat at an inconspicuous table on the left side of the hall, dressed in a blue robe, with a handsome face.

His brows and eyes were furrowed, just like the other family heads, as he took a small sip of tea.

The taste of the herbal tea is slightly bitter.

The Chu family is not a large-scale grain grower, but their pharmacy also owns its own medicinal herb land.

The land is the land, and the medicine is the medicine; they are essentially the same.

Beside him was Lin Che, who hadn't even brought a folding fan.

His gaze remained fixed on the doorway, glancing at each person who entered.

After looking at it, he looked away, as if waiting for something.

A moment later, a more hurried sound of footsteps came.

The newcomers were rather burly and exuded martial prowess; they were all powerful leaders of the various caravans and the Gray Gang within the city.

They usually manage the transportation of supplies in Qingyan City, and the grain purchases entrusted by various families also pass through their hands.

Upon arriving, their faces turned somber.

They occasionally exchanged a few words in hushed tones, their voices very low.

Everyone knew that the Eastern Army had come with a mission, even though the possibility of a direct confrontation was very small.

Even the slightest sliver of change would reshape the entire power structure of Qingyan City.

This includes the gray areas where people rely on powerful families for survival.

"Why hasn't Young Master Feng arrived yet?" Zhao Mingyuan asked, getting restless.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Feng Xiu walked in.

He was dressed in a black brocade robe, his back straight, and his gaze calmly swept over everyone present.

He then went straight to the head chair and sat down. Zhao Mingyuan opened his mouth, but swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Everyone turned to look at Feng Xiu, their expressions varied.

Everyone has been watching the activities of this eldest son of the Feng family in the city lately.

The grand offering of sweet rain, the distribution of porridge and grain, and the joint efforts of various households to suppress grain prices—one thing after another.

He was the one who handled everything behind the scenes, so no one thought it was inappropriate for him to take the lead as abbot.

Feng Xiu made no small talk, not even bothering to have the food served.

"Gentlemen,"

The voice wasn't loud, but the hall fell silent instantly. "What are your thoughts on this?"

Once the conversation started, the hall immediately became noisy.

Zhao Mingyuan spoke first, "The Eastern Army came here ostensibly to requisition grain, but in reality, they want to seize land. If we lose our land, what will we eat?"

"Everyone has heard about what happened in Jinzhou. There are hundreds of rebel forces, large and small, including the Green-Eyebrow Army, the Black Guard Army, and the White-Haired Soldiers."

"The Eastern Army Command has been fighting for months, but with little success. Moreover, I've heard that things are not peaceful in Qingzhou either."

After he finished speaking, someone else chimed in, "Yes, in Jinzhou, money is being heavily depreciated, and grain prices remain high. I'm afraid their arrival won't end well."

Someone sighed.

In chaotic times, silver is no longer silver, and gold is no longer gold.

In Jinzhou alone, there were numerous warlords. As for the other prefectures, the Eastern Army alone could not hold them off.

To quell the rebellion and send troops, we must first appease them!

Everyone understands this principle.

At this moment, Wang Boyong chimed in, "Grain requisition is negotiable, but if they want to take land, it's a complete severance deal; there's no room for discussion!"

"There's nothing to talk about. Their iron cavalry is stationed outside the city. What can you offer in terms of negotiation?" Liu Wenyuan shook his head and sneered.

bang~

"Then let's tough it out! We're not made of clay!" Someone slammed their hand on the table.

"Hold on tight? Do you think the militia is just sitting around doing nothing? How long ago was it that they slaughtered and exterminated those blond barbarians a few years ago?"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, talking back and forth for about fifteen minutes.

But no one came up with a plan, and Feng Xiu just listened without interrupting.

However, just as he put down his teacup, a young man in brocade robes at the round table behind him suddenly stood up.

Hearing the heated debate, he was somewhat tempted.

All eyes fell on him, and someone recognized him as Wang Zhen, a member of a collateral branch of the Wang family.

He was quite well-known in the city.

Wang Zhen's face hardened, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "I don't think that new head constable Cao Heng is anything special. He wants to seize our land and our grain, so we might as well kill him!"

moment.

There was a pause in the hall.

"Shut up! Do you even have the right to speak here?!" Wang Boyong shouted angrily.

Wang Zhen was somewhat unconvinced. He glanced at Feng Xiu, who had gotten up and was walking over, but still forced a smile and said, "Where did I say something wrong? They've already put a knife to our throats. If we don't kill him, are we all just supposed to wait to die?!"

Wang Zhen looked pale, but he still held his head high and didn't back down.

"You can leave now."

Feng Xiu remained calm, pointing towards the door, "No need to see me out."

"Why should I?!"

Wang Zhen's expression changed, and he turned to look at Wang Boyong, who gave a bitter smile.

He had only intended to bring his people here to broaden their horizons, but he ended up getting dragged into this mess.

However, Wang Boyong did not criticize the decision made by the feudal revisionists much.

He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Feng Xiu, and then pulled Wang Zhen along as they walked out.

Wang Zhen wanted to say something, but after being glared at, he shut up reluctantly and followed him out the door.

at this time.

The people in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment, and Feng Xiu sat back down in his chair.

He glanced at the people present and said indifferently, "They didn't even come with any force, but they wanted to kill people. If they kill Cao Heng, the next time it won't just be the cavalry, but the entire Eastern Army. At that time, every one of you here will have your entire family executed."

Throughout history, there have been uprisings by common people and beggars, but never by merchants.

Merchants are profit-driven and narrow-minded; the inherent limitations of their profession cannot be compensated for.

If the Feng family hadn't been the first to release grain, followed by the Lin family, it would have caused turmoil among the grain merchants.

Otherwise, if we expect these people to distribute grain to the poor, we might as well kill them.

A moment of silence fell over the hall.

Some people lowered their heads to drink tea, while others clenched their fists. The gang leaders hesitated to speak.

"Young Master Feng, what do you suggest we do?" Li Ke asked directly.

"The position of Minister of Agriculture could be a breakthrough, but I can't guarantee it. It would be best if we could talk to Cao Heng."

"If that doesn't work, then we should prepare in advance."

Upon hearing this, some people's eyes lit up, but they immediately shook their heads.

"What if the Grain Commissioner doesn't recognize our Agricultural Decree?"

"Then let's test the waters first."

"How should we test him?"

No one present would naively believe that they were an official.

The purpose of the cavalry displaying their military might is obvious; the position of the Minister of Agriculture is dispensable.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture was still a symbol of order.

If the Grain Commissioner does not recognize the Agricultural Decree, then it is nothing but a piece of scrap metal.

But if they accept this, they won't be so constrained in their subsequent actions.

"Yunzhou Agricultural Council".

The hall was quiet for a moment, then a middle-aged family head spoke in a deep voice.

Everyone turned to look at him; the one who spoke was Zhou Mingde, the head of the Zhou family.

He's not one of the top figures in the city, but he's very experienced and keeps a low profile.

"The Agricultural Council is a council held by the Grain Commissioner every three years. All agricultural and grain merchants in the Commissioner's office must participate in order to investigate each household's land and grain reserves."

"Once we've determined the amount of government grain to be collected for the next three years, let's send an invitation to the Grain Commissioner's Office and ask if we'll still be attending next year's Agricultural Council."

Zhou Mingde continued.

"The Grain Commissioner will only give two answers: either 'Go away,' or 'The Minister of Agriculture is still in charge,' because they expect us to grow the grain."

"If I don't go, the Ministry of Agriculture's decree is invalid."

Zhao Mingyuan calmly added, "If the Grain Commissioner makes excuses, it's no different from not going at all."

"At least we got a reply, which is better than being a headless fly."

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly.

The head of the household looked thoughtful.

In reality, none of the members of the agricultural council took it seriously.

In the past, they would just send a steward to report the specific acreage and that would be the end of it.

Zhao Mingyuan is right; the Grain Commissioner only has two answers.

"To evade" means that the Minister of Agriculture is useless.

Da Da Da~

Just then, two footsteps came from outside the door.

One was short and sharp, the other steady and composed.

The door creaked open, and a clean-cut man in a gray shirt walked in.

Behind him, Uncle Zheng was about to stop him, but he gave a wry smile.

The fair-skinned man smiled slightly as he glanced at the crowd, his disdain undisguised.

"Qian An, is that him?"

A member of the younger generation recognized the newcomer, his brows furrowed, and he spoke in a low voice.

"who is he?"

"Qian An, the newly appointed butler of the Fan family, a person personally promoted by Fan Ling."

After hearing what he said, everyone remembered it.

Previously, when the Fan family was in dire straits, Qian An had visited many grain merchants, but was rejected by all of them.

But what is he here for?

"You're all here, so I don't have to visit you one by one."

Qian An stood in the hall, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

His gaze lingered especially on Feng Xiu, with a hint of mockery.

Then, he took out an exquisitely crafted invitation from his pocket and weighed it in his hand.

He slowly walked towards the head of the table, bowed, and presented the offering with both hands.

"Three days later, the Fan family will host a banquet. We invite Young Master Feng and everyone else to attend on time."

Feng Xiu remained expressionless.

Without reaching out or answering, everyone's eyes were fixed on this scene.

"Okay, I'll go."

Feng Xiu said calmly.

Then, he reached out to take it, but it was unclear whether Qian An's hand slipped or he didn't hold it properly.

With a snap.

The invitation fell to the ground.

The hall fell silent instantly.

Lin Che's face turned ashen. He stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back half a foot with a screeching sound.

Chu Yun reacted quickly, grabbing his sleeve and holding him down firmly.

Lin Che gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently, before Chu Yun finally pressed him back into the chair.

"Young Master Feng, I'm so sorry."

Qian An straightened his back, who had been bent over, and glanced down at the invitation on the ground.

But he didn't seem inclined to pick it up; he smiled and glanced at everyone present.

Zhao Mingyuan and Li Ke had gloomy expressions, while Liu Wenyuan lowered his head and drank his tea.

On the contrary, many of the younger generation were so angry that their faces turned red and their eyes blazed with fury.

This meeting was organized and arranged by Feng Xiu, regardless of his age.

Wherever they sit represents the face and interests of major grain merchants.

"It's okay, just be more careful next time."

Feng Xiu remained calm and ignored the commotion, instead simply smiling.

Stand up, bend down, and pick it up.

Qian An's smile widened even further.

Feng Xiu held the invitation in his hand, glanced at it, and saw a line of very familiar handwriting.

Then slowly tear open the sealing wax seal.

stab~

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally jarring.

The brownish-yellow invitation card was folded in half and torn open under black gloves.

Fold it again, tear it again, fold it again, tear it again.

"You~"

Qian An was completely astonished, and his smile froze.

Fragments of paper drifted through my fingers, one by one, and landed on the ground.

"Ah~~"

Suddenly, a shrill cry rang out, startling everyone into a shiver.

Qian An staggered backward, his right hand tightly covering his eye socket, blood trickling from between his fingers and dripping onto the ground from his chin.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed against the doorframe, screams echoing through the hall in waves.

His face was already pale and colorless.

Everyone's breath caught in their throats.

He hurriedly turned around and saw Feng Xiu standing still.

A lump of bright red flesh was stuck to the leather glove, and a living eyeball was covered with countless blood vessels. A cold and indifferent voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Who do you think you are, to dare insult me ​​like this?"

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