Chapter 68: The County Magistrate's Maneuvers, A Message from Two Tigers

The tallest building in the city of Heyang County is a two-story restaurant. Standing on the second floor and looking out from the railing, one can see almost the entire Heyang County, which shows how small this county is.
Lin Yi stood by the railing on the second floor, looking at the narrow streets and the bustling crowd down below with a disdainful expression.
Li Yong, standing respectfully behind him, apologized, "General Lin, unlike the capital, this is already the best restaurant in the whole county. I hope you can forgive me, it was not my intention to neglect you, sir!"
Lin Yi pretended to wave his hand and said gently, "Don't worry, Mr. Li. I am not a troublemaker, and I am only here temporarily for rest and recuperation. Once the army is ready, we will set off as soon as possible and complete the mission. Mr. Li, have the troops been settled?"
Li Yong said respectfully, "General Lin, please rest assured that the one thousand soldiers and horses have all been properly settled. There are dedicated personnel in charge of their food, daily life, so General can rest assured. The army has been through hardships all the way, and I believe General has not had a chance to eat and drink well. I have arranged a restaurant and prepared food and drinks. Please honor us with your presence, General."
Lin Yixin turned around willingly and sat at the top seat. Han Fei, without hesitating, sat directly at the second seat. Li Yong slowly seated himself and the county officials followed suit. Then, a waiter began serving food and drinks.
"General Lin, I have heard that there is a fine wine called 'Er Guo Tou' in the capital city. It has a refreshing and strong flavor. Unfortunately, in my small county of Heyang, we do not have the fortune to acquire such a top-notch wine. I can only offer you a glass of crude wine as hospitality. I hope the general will understand."
Lin Yi laughed and proudly said, "Did you know, General Li, that the Er Guo Tou liquor is produced in my own distillery?"
Li Yongfei pretended to be surprised and said, "So it turns out it is General Lin's industry! I have really shown my ignorance. I am truly ashamed! I never expected General Lin, at such a young age, to have such an achievement. It is truly admirable!"
Lin Yi was flattered by Li Yong Sai, so he didn't mind the taste of the poor-quality yellow wine anymore and cheerfully drank a bowl of it. He boldly said to Li Yong Sai, "It seems that Sir Li also enjoys good wine. As a general rule, if you extend me a foot, I will repay you a yard. After this matter is resolved, Sir Li can send someone to the capital city, and I will personally deliver a few barrels of rice wine for you to taste." Translation: Lin Yi was pleased by Li Yong Sai's praise, and in high spirits, he didn't find the low-quality yellow wine sour anymore. He confidently drank a bowl of it and said to Li Yong Sai, "It seems that Sir Li is also a fan of good wine. I have always followed the motto of 'you respect me one foot, and I'll repay you one yard.' After this mission is completed, Sir Li, if you wish, I can send a few barrels of Baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor) to the capital city for you to taste."
Li Yong bowed and quickly got up, saying, "This subordinate thanks the General in advance!"
After speaking, he lifted the wine cup with both hands and said, "A toast to the General!"
Lin Yi also didn't hesitate, he picked up the wine cup with one hand and drank it all in one gulp, giving Li Yong plenty of face.
Li Yongsa is very slick, praising Lin Yi without reservation. In the middle of the gathering, he even presented a box filled with antique calligraphy and paintings, pretending to seek Lin Yi's help in appraising them. This made Lin Yi smile and nod continuously. Translated content: Li Yongsa is very slick, praising Lin Yi without reservation. In the middle of the gathering, he even presented a box filled with antique calligraphy and paintings, pretending to seek Lin Yi's help in appraising them. This made Lin Yi smile and nod continuously.
Han Fei was not neglected either. A thick stack of silver notes was secretly passed into Han Fei's hands from a hidden angle where Lin Yi couldn't see. Han Fei narrowed his eyes and glanced at it, nodding in satisfaction.
The feast continued from afternoon to dusk. Even though the alcohol content in the yellow wine was not high, drinking too much would still make one intoxicated.
Lin Yi already showed signs of drunkenness, and Han Fei tried to advise him to drink less several times, but was casually rejected by him. Han Fei then stopped giving advice, to avoid ending up with complaints in the end.
毕竟这位纨绔身份尊贵，将来保不齐有仰仗他的一天。
The restaurant attendant cleared the leftovers on the table and replaced them with a new set of dishes and drinks. Han Fei glanced at the dozen or so wine jars brought in the corner of the room, furrowing his brows slightly. He whispered to Lin Yi, "General Lin, now that we've eaten and drunk enough, shouldn't we continue our march?"
Lin Yi is in high spirits. Just now, Li Yong secretly told him that he had arranged a pair of sisters to warm his bed tonight. He is unwilling to move now.
He waved his hand and said, "It's already late in the day, there is no reason to march at night. Besides, Zhenjiazhuang is just a mere twenty miles away from here. We will reach there in no time. This general is here to capture the criminals as ordered, not to engage in any questionable activities. Why should we act in the middle of the night? Let's rest well tonight and set off with the army early tomorrow morning!"
Han Fei's brow furrowed even tighter: "But..."
Lin Yi suddenly slammed the table, looking displeased as he said, "General Han! Are you questioning my decision?"
A hint of hostility flickered in Han Fei's eyes, but quickly dissipated. He clasped his hands together and said, "I dare not, I will follow General's instructions."
At this moment, Li Yong compelled a smile and said to Han Fei, "Mr. Han, General Lin is also considering the soldiers outside. After all, marching is exhausting. General Lin has shown his compassion by caring for the soldiers. Mr. Han, please rest assured. Zhen Family Village is only twenty miles away from here. We will set off early tomorrow, and I guarantee that by the time the army arrives, everyone in and around Zhen Family Village will still be snugly tucked in their beds, dreaming their dreams." Translated:
Lin Yi laughed and said, "What Li Daren said is absolutely right!"
Han Fei narrowed his eyes, no longer saying much. However, he felt a vague unease in his heart but couldn't figure out the cause. He decided to give up thinking about it and simply lowered his head to drink and eat.
另一边，李二虎快马加鞭赶到甄家庄，直奔甄太康家。
甄太康正在院中打拳，视力恢复后，他不复往日的消沉，年少时的雄心壮志虽然已不再有，但他还是把一身的修为又重新捡了回来，这些日子在甄蒙的美食调理之下，一身修为又重新回到了七品巅峰，甚至隐隐有着破境的可能。
Li Erhu saw Zhen Taikang and without saying a word, he grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door.
Zhen Taikang looked puzzled, wondering what was going on with his old buddy today?
"Er Egg, why are you in such a hurry? Just say it directly, no need to beat around the bush."
Li Erhu pulled Zhen Taikang towards the door, looking anxious as he said, "Brother Zhen, trouble's up! The court has sent a large army to capture the Zhen family! Quickly go and inform them to hide and stay out of the way!"
Zhen Taikang stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, allowing Li Erhu to use all his strength to yank and pull, but Zhen remained unmoved.
Li Erhu became anxious and said, "Zhen laoge, I have also heard about the situation regarding Zhen Debang's family. Setting aside right and wrong for now, the court has sent a force of one thousand troops, consisting of three hundred cavalry and seven hundred infantry, with the aim of capturing their family. Currently, my grandson is trying to find a way to delay them, but I don't think he can hold them off for too long. You should quickly come with me to inform Zhen Debang's family and tell them to leave as soon as possible!"
Zhen Taikang asked calmly, "Who is leading the army?"
Li Erhu replied, "It's Lin Yi, the second son of Prime Minister Lin Bonan."
Zhen Taikang remained silent, seemingly pondering something. After a moment, he said, "Erhu, I understand now. You go ahead, I'll notify Tiedan and his family!"
Li Erhu looked at Zhen Taikang and said, "Brother Zhen, I understand your temperament. You can't tolerate even a grain of sand in your eyes. This time, you must go with me!"
Saying that, he grabbed Zhen Taikang's wrist and tried to pull him outside. However, Zhen Taikang shook his wrist to free himself from Li Erhu's grasp and smiled, saying, "Erhu, I appreciate your concern, but this matter has nothing to do with you. You shouldn't get involved."
Li Erhu was extremely anxious and said, "Brother Zhen, now is not the time to show off your heroic skills! I know you have profound cultivation, but your eyes... your eyes..."
Looking at Zhen Taikang's spirited eyes, Li Erhu couldn't believe it and said, "You can see now?"
Zhen Taikang smiled and replied, "I had some fortunate encounters."
Li Erhu couldn't help but feel relieved. He knew that his older brother, due to his loss of eyesight, had been depressed for many years. Now, miraculously, he regained his eyesight. If it were the usual time, Li Erhu would definitely celebrate for his older brother.
But this is clearly not a good time," he hurriedly said, "Brother Zhen, even if your eyes are restored and your cultivation recovered, that is still a grand army of one thousand men! In the face of such an army, even the most powerful warrior is like an ant trying to stop a carriage. You must not act foolishly!"
Zhen Taikang smiled and said, "Who said I want to oppose the imperial army? Don't worry, I'm just going to inform Tie Daner and the others to escape quickly. I'm not stupid, how could I do something that is beyond my abilities?"
Li Erhu skeptically asked, "Really?"
Zhen Taikang smiled and said, "Really. Don't worry, don't get involved in this matter. Hurry back."
Li Erhu, seeing that he didn't seem to be lying and hearing Zhen Taikang's repeated assurances, left the house on horseback, looking back three times as he stepped onto the official road back to the county town.
Zheng Taikang watched Li Erhu's receding figure, smiled slightly, and said to himself, "Old buddy, take care!"
After saying that, he withdrew his gaze and hurriedly ran towards the Zheng Debang family. Translation: