Zhebu was still just a child. Naturally, he could not give any particularly meaningful introduction. After a brief and rather perfunctory round of greetings, the three boys were considered acquainted.
The moment that was done, Liu Maopao unleashed his signature charm.
He reached out and gave E'zhe a friendly pat on the shoulder, his expression full of warmth and confidence.
"Little E'zhe, you've traveled a long way to get here. You probably don't understand much yet. But don't worry," Liu Maopao said cheerfully. "Big Brother Maopao is here. If there's anything you don't understand, just come ask me. I might not have much else, but I do have plenty of pocket money. If there's anything you want, you can come find your big brother too."
E'zhe had just arrived and was already nervous and uneasy in this unfamiliar place. Hearing Liu Maopao speak with such apparent sincerity, his defenses collapsed almost instantly. His eyes turned red, and tears welled up, exactly like what had happened to Zhebu earlier. Without realizing it, he had already fallen straight into the same trap.
"Oh?" E'zhe said, voice trembling with emotion. "Big Brother Maopao, you're really such a good person."
Liu Maopao was delighted. Just like that, he had gained yet another sworn younger brother.
He grabbed both boys by the hand, grinning broadly. "Come on. Big Brother will treat you to good food and good drinks. Today, we're going to have a great time."
Meanwhile, Zao Ying walked straight into the main hall of Gao Family Village and went to see Gao Yiye.
At this moment, Gao Yiye was busy writing something at her desk. It was not an ordinary document, but a draft script for the news.
These days, she had to lay the groundwork every single day for the evening broadcast of Gaojia News. After memorizing the script, she would deliver it on camera with an air as solemn and dignified as a national leader giving an address.
This was not something she could afford to take lightly. If she accidentally misunderstood or distorted Dao Xuan Tianzun's intentions during a crucial news segment, it could lead to a complete misinterpretation of political or economic matters. The consequences would be extremely serious.
When she saw Zao Ying enter, Gao Yiye immediately put down her pen. Her face lit up with genuine happiness.
"Sister Zao Ying, it's been a long time," she said warmly.
Zao Ying smiled in response. She reached into her sleeve and took out a small bag. From the bag, she produced a box. When she opened it, a beautifully crafted jade seal lay inside.
Gao Yiye gasped softly. "Ah? The Yuan Dynasty's Imperial Seal?"
Zao Ying nodded calmly. "That's right. This item can be considered the Yuan Dynasty itself. As long as the Mongols hold it, the Yuan Dynasty still exists. Once it falls into someone else's hands, the Yuan Dynasty can be considered finished."
Hearing this, Gao Yiye's expression turned serious. "Then how should we deal with this item?"
Zao Ying shook her head. "That's not for me to decide."
Gao Yiye smiled faintly, clearly understanding the implication. "You're right. This is something we'll need to ask Dao Xuan Tianzun about."
Zao Ying asked, "Is Dao Xuan Tianzun here right now?"
Gao Yiye raised her hand and pointed toward the corner of the room.
There, a Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun sat quietly, perfectly still, with a gentle smile fixed on its face.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun isn't here at the moment," Gao Yiye said. "He's currently experiencing mortal life in Luoyang."
At the same time, on a snack street in Luoyang.
The Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun was holding a piece of sweet sesame cake. It carefully stuffed the cake into its silicone mouth, chewed as if tasting the flavor, then discreetly spat it out when no one was paying attention.
Its movements were secretive and awkward. No matter how one looked at it, it did not resemble a respectable person in the slightest.
Since Dao Xuan Tianzun himself was not present, there was no need to rush a decision regarding the Imperial Seal. Gao Yiye respectfully placed it in front of the Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun, arranging it neatly as if making an offering to Li Daoxuan. The placement was orderly and visually pleasing.
In the eighth year of Chongzhen, during the transition from spring to summer, bandit forces led by Ma Guangyu rose up in Shangzhou and Luoyang. They launched raids on the outskirts of Luoyang, causing chaos everywhere they went.
He Renlong led Gao Jie to intercept them. Gao Jie deliberately held back his strength, while He Renlong charged forward recklessly on his own. The result was disastrous. The imperial forces suffered a crushing defeat.
Fortunately, they were not far from Luoyang. Bai Yuan arrived in time with the Gao Family Village militia. Ma Guangyu was defeated and fled into the mountains.
Not long after that, the Chuang King and the Eight Great Kings looted Nanyang and Tanghe.
He Renlong, together with Gao Jie and Zhang Quanchang, went out to confront them. After a fierce battle, the imperial army was defeated once again. Generals such as Tian Yinglong died in combat. He Renlong and Gao Jie were forced to retreat in haste.
Only when Cao Wenzhao arrived with reinforcements was the bandit army finally driven back.
Fighting throughout Henan Province was brutal beyond words.
Summer had arrived.
The weather was steadily growing hotter.
On a small street in Luoyang, Li Daoxuan sat by the roadside, eating a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup.
The number of refugees on the street was clearly increasing by the day.
This year was another year of severe drought.
Henan had suffered disaster after disaster for consecutive years. Life for ordinary people was becoming harder and harder. Villagers were either forcibly absorbed into bandit armies or fled to large cities like Luoyang in search of survival.
Two children stood some distance away. They were thin, pale, and clearly malnourished. Their eyes kept drifting toward Li Daoxuan's bowl, and from time to time, they swallowed unconsciously.
Li Daoxuan let out a quiet sigh. He waved at them and tried his best to make his expression gentle.
"Children, come here. Come over."
The two children hesitated for a moment, then timidly walked closer.
Li Daoxuan pushed his bowl toward them.
Their faces lit up with joy. They did not bother with chopsticks. Using their hands, they grabbed the duck blood vermicelli and stuffed it into their mouths. In the blink of an eye, the bowl was empty.
Li Daoxuan turned his head toward the shop owner. "Another bowl."
The owner immediately understood. He quickly prepared another bowl and brought it over.
The moment the bowl was set down, the children pounced again. Once more, it was gone almost instantly.
Li Daoxuan spread his hands helplessly. "Shop owner, make five more bowls."
As he cooked, the owner said, "Sir, you truly have a kind heart. But the number of refugees grows every day. You can't help all of them."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "Can't help them all? That might not necessarily be true."
He fell into thought. His field of vision had already expanded to include Luoyang. Just like what he had done in Xi'an, it was time to make a move here as well. However, developing the area around Luoyang was more difficult. Bandits were everywhere. Bai Yuan and the militia were constantly fighting, yet they could not wipe them out completely.
If factories were to be built near Luoyang, the only safe option was the northwest, which was already within his field of view and relatively free of bandit activity. The eastern areas, however, were still troublesome.
While he was thinking, the owner finished the third bowl and placed it in front of the children.
The two children began to share the noodles quietly.
At that moment, a group of men walked down the street.
They looked rough and unpleasant. Each one was tall and burly, dressed like martial artists, weapons hanging at their sides. They looked exactly like wandering toughs from the jianghu.
There were ten of them in total.
They sat down heavily and slapped the table. "Shop owner, duck blood vermicelli soup. One bowl each."
"Coming right up," the owner replied.
However, he did not start cooking immediately. Instead, he added, "That will be ten copper coins per bowl."
Li Daoxuan was taken aback. When he had ordered earlier, the owner had started cooking right away without asking for payment. Yet these jianghu men had just sat down, and the owner was already demanding money upfront.
Li Daoxuan thought to himself, "Huh? Could it be because I'm handsome and obviously a good person?"
"Aha. That must be it. I'm just too good looking," he mused smugly.
The men shot the owner unhappy looks. "What do you mean by that?"
The owner said carefully, "Honored sirs, you didn't pay for the duck blood vermicelli soup last time. If you don't pay first today, this humble shop owner really doesn't dare cook for you again."
Li Daoxuan's thoughts immediately shifted.
"So that's how it is," he thought. "It's not because I'm handsome. It's because these guys have a bad record."
The men sneered coldly. "Are you tired of doing business, shop owner? Don't you know who we are? We were hired by the Prince of Fu's residence with a large sum of silver to protect you useless people. And you still dare to ask us for money?"