I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

Hatred is often the cheapest thing.

It's cheap because everyone can hate it: ordinary people hate corrupt officials, soldiers hate officers who withhold military pay, and displaced people hate this messed-up world.

If we were to further subdivide this hatred, it could roughly be divided into two types.

One type is a conflict of pride.

For example, street thugs might draw their knives and fight over a few coins or for the sake of so-called face, resulting in bloodshed.

This kind of hatred comes quickly and goes quickly; a cup of turbid wine and a handful of yellow earth, and it's gone.

The other type is a knot etched into one's very bones.

To Shen Lie, the names Zhao Yanshou, Du Chongwei, and Li Shouzhen were nothing more than a few lines of ink in a history book.

As a hot-blooded young man, he hated these traitors, these national villains who trampled the Chinese nation's culture into the mud. This hatred was based on national righteousness.

But for this body, the hatred was even more primal.

It was the most stubborn legacy left to this body by the soldier who watched helplessly as his comrades were slaughtered and his commander was beheaded.

"call......"

Shen Lie let out a long breath, trying to calm the anger in his heart.

He couldn't tell whether it was him who was hating, or the body that was hating.

Or rather, in this chaotic world where etiquette and morality have collapsed, the boundaries between the two have long since disappeared.

"Your problem is clearly psychological."

Zhao Kuangyin comforted him, saying, "A mental illness requires a mental cure. Zhao Yanshou is currently in Hengzhou, dreaming big, and Du Chongwei is hiding like a coward in Weizhou. We are in Yaozhou, separated by thousands of miles, so there's no use in being anxious."

"There's no use in being anxious."

Shen Lie rubbed his temples and said, "You have to eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time."

"Although I didn't personally witness the Battle of Zhongdu Bridge, I've heard of the horrific scene. Two thousand infantrymen were completely betrayed by their own commander. Brother Shen, how did you manage to crawl out of there and lead these few hundred men to where you are today..."

Zhao Kuangyin said solemnly, "This person has a tough life."

That's true; having a tough life is the greatest skill.

Shen Lie gave a self-deprecating laugh and poured a bowl of wine for the two of them.

Whether he's tough or not is another matter, but someone has to collect this debt!

······

The saying goes, "A single hair can affect the whole body."

With Yelü Deguang dead and Liu Zhiyuan's military campaign underway, the predicament in Yaozhou was naturally resolved.

Shen Lie, on the other hand, was limited by his lack of information and felt like a rat caught in the middle, suffering from both sides.

Little did they know that Zhao Kuangzan in Chang'an and Li Shouzhen in Hezhong, these two powerful military governors, had already learned of Yelü Deguang's transformation into Emperor Ba through their respective channels.

Now that their Khitan masters were gone, the banner of Liu Han naturally became highly sought after.

In a short time, Zhao Kuangzan and Li Shouzhen, who were originally potential enemies, were transformed into powerful regional officials of Liu Han.

In terms of official rank, these two were Shen Lie's superiors, who was just a minor defense commissioner.

For Zhao Kuangzan and Li Shouzhen, Shen Lie's isolated army, which was a thorn in their side before, had now become their colleagues serving in the same court.

In addition, Shi Hongzhao was already the commander of the Imperial Guard Infantry, and was a favorite of Liu Zhiyuan.

Zhao Kuangzan and Li Shouzhen wanted to gain a foothold in the new dynasty and avoid being punished later, so they naturally had to curry favor with this powerful imperial guard leader.

Shen Lie was one of the hands that Shi Hongzhao extended into Guanzhong.

As a result, the area outside Yaozhou City not only lost the opportunity for armed conflict, but also became lively.

The first to arrive were the envoys from Chang'an.

Zhao Kuangzan perfectly exemplifies the saying "a rat's son knows how to dig a hole," inheriting the temperament of his traitorous father and being a typical opportunist.

Now that Liu Han's takeover of the world is a foregone conclusion, this fellow is filled with fear. On one hand, he sent Li Shu, the judge of the military governor, to surrender, and on the other hand, he sent an envoy to try to get through Shi Hongzhao's connections through Shen Lie.

However, the envoy was indeed turned away.

It wasn't that Shen Lie didn't want to engage in united front work; it was simply that he couldn't stand it physically.

The saying goes that a son should pay for his father's debts. As long as Shen Lie thought about having to feign compliance with his enemy's servants, he couldn't suppress his anger.

He feared that if he saw the messenger, he would be unable to resist drawing his sword and killing him.

Even in times of war, envoys are not to be killed. If one were to kill a messenger from a nominally friendly force out of personal vendetta, it would be tantamount to politically severing ties with the Liu Han dynasty and causing trouble for Shi Hongzhao.

Shen Lie also didn't want to see Li Shouzhen's people. This person had followed Du Chongwei back then and was the culprit who stood by and watched Wang Qing fight alone.

The best solution is simply to find some peace and quiet.

Although he had been in Yaozhou for some time, Shen Lie spent his days either practicing martial arts in the government office or going to the military camp with Zhao Kuangyin for training. He hadn't had a proper chance to explore Yaozhou City yet.

So, Lord Shen pulled Zhao Kuangyin, who was also bored, out the back door.

On the streets, a few scattered vendors began to hawk their wares, and although the people's faces still looked pale and sickly, at least there was some life in the streets.

As long as there is no war, and as long as soldiers don't loot, we can still get through this world.

"My lord, where are we going?"

Zhao Kuangyin's gaze swept across the street stalls, clearly the bustling atmosphere evoking memories of his days in Bianliang.

"Just browsing around."

Shen Lie walked ahead with his hands behind his back. "Besides, I also want to see what kind of person this envoy sent by Li Shouzhen is."

The person Li Shouzhen sent this time was not an ordinary advisor, but his son Li Chongxun.

Although this man was not particularly talented, he was, after all, the son of a military governor, so his entourage was naturally quite grand.

Although Shen Lie was nowhere to be seen, Li Chongxun was not angry. On the contrary, he was happy to have some free time and took his entourage to enjoy the scenery in Yaozhou City.

The two walked to a willow-lined embankment by the river in the east of the city.

The scenery here is quite pleasant; it's the height of summer, and the willow branches are a tender green.

Not far ahead, several carriages approached, surrounded by dozens of servants; clearly, they were women from a wealthy family passing by.

Shen Lie didn't care at first and was about to take a detour.

"Sister, is this Guanzhong? It doesn't look as desolate as the rumors say."

The curtain of the carriage in front was lifted by a hand, revealing the face of a young girl who could be both happy and angry.

The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with beautiful features and skin like jade, standing out starkly in the impoverished streets of Yaozhou.

"Fourth sister, don't show your face in public."

A soft rebuke came from the car behind, and then a corner of the curtain was lifted.

The face that was revealed was two years older than the girl in front of her, but it appeared more dignified and elegant.

"My brother-in-law's men are leading the way, what's there to be afraid of?"

The girl called Fourth Sister stuck out her tongue, her eyes darting around as she curiously surveyed her surroundings. "Besides, we're out here to relax. If we're still cooped up in the carriage, what's the difference between that and being in Hezhong Prefecture?"

Shen Lie stopped in his tracks.

Zhao Kuangyin, who was standing to the side, also stopped.

"That is..." Zhao Kuangyin asked, his Adam's apple bobbing, only after the carriage had driven far away.

Shen Lie also came to his senses and turned to look at Zhao Kuangyin beside him.

The man was staring blankly at the departing carriage, his eyes unfocused, showing no trace of his usual heroic demeanor.

"Brother Zhao."

"Hmm?" Zhao Kuangyin was still looking.

"Stop looking, your eyes are about to pop out."