Chapter 26: The Hero of Yingchuan

  Early in the morning, a ray of sunlight dispersed the gloom.

  The gloomy rainy day turned into a sunny and clear weather, the golden sunlight shone into the grand hall, making it radiant inside. The old and worn-out statues also became sacred under the sunlight. Wang Can and Pei Yuanshao had long been ready with their luggage and continued to hurry on their journey beyond Luoyang.

  As we drove along, there were more and more pedestrians on the road.

  Pedestrians and common people, fields and lands, the closer to Yingchuan County, the more prosperous.

  At noon, Wang Can and Pei Yuan Shao had arrived at the city of Yingchuan County.

  "Master, we've arrived at the city of Yingchuan County. Are we going to buy some food in the city and then head to Luoyang, or are we going to pass by Yingchuan directly and rush to Luoyang?" Pei Yuanshao stopped the carriage outside the city gate of Yingchuan, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes as he mentioned Yingchuan, but his voice dropped when he said they would head straight to Luoyang.

  Wang Can smiled and said: "Old Pei, you can just say that there is no wine in the luggage, and we need to go into the city to buy some. Why do you have to make a detour?"

  Pei Yuanshao scratched his head, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his dark face as he muttered: "Young master, I...I..."

  Wang Can's upper body stretched out from the car curtain and looked at the castle of Yingchuan County in front of him.

  Compared to the city of Ru'nan, the city of Yingchuan is like a swan flying in the sky, while Ru'nan City is like a toad crawling on the ground. The city wall of Ru'nan City is already quite impressive, with a height of three zhang and a width of two zhang. However, the city wall of Yingchuan City in front of us is about six zhang high, which is equivalent to the height of a six-story building nowadays. Moreover, unlike the city wall of Ru'nan City, which is full of pits and holes, the city wall of Yingchuan City seems to have been newly repaired, with some signs of recent construction still visible.

  Lofty, majestic, ancient, Wang Can did not know how to describe the Xiangyang city in front of him.

  Standing under the city wall, a feeling of smallness rises from the bottom of my heart.

  "Shall we go in, young master?" Pei Yuanshao asked nervously, seeing Wang Can's thoughtful face.

  Wang Can came back to his senses and smiled: "Of course, we have to go in. If we pass by Yingchuan City without going in for a stroll, wouldn't it be a waste of time? Let's go, it's almost noon. We'll eat something in the city, buy some dry rations and wine, and then head to Luoyang."

  "Alright!"

  Pei Yuanshao let out a loud whoop and raised his whip, urging the horse to gallop towards the city.

  As soon as Wang Can entered the city, he felt a bustling and lively atmosphere rushing towards him. The vendors calling out in the city, the merchants walking by, and the passing travelers all had smiles on their faces that came from the heart. Many wealthy families and aristocratic clans were settled in Yingchuan City, and under their protection, Yingchuan City was still a relatively safe place, having suffered little harm.

  Yuè lái jiǔ lóu, Péi Yuánshào jià chē zài jiǔ lóu mén qián tíng le xià lái.

  Translation:

  Yue came to the wine building, and Pei Yuan Shao stopped his carriage in front of the gate.

  The carriage had just stopped when the attendants from the wine house came out and led the horses to be stabled. Other attendants then led Wang Can and Pei Yuanshao into the wine house.

  Wang Can nodded in satisfaction, the service of this wine house is quite good.

  Following the attendant, Wang Can and Pei Yuanshao entered the wine tower. The first floor of the wine tower was already crowded with people, noisy and boisterous, and Wang Can frowned slightly. The attendant who led the way observed his expression and saw that Wang Can's eyebrows revealed a hint of displeasure. He turned his dark eyes around and stood respectfully in front of Wang Can, saying: "Young master, this first floor is for ordinary people to drink and eat, so it's inevitable that there will be some noise. However, the second floor is much quieter and the environment is also very good. It would be more suitable for someone like you who values elegance to dine on the second floor. What do you think?"

  Pei Yuanshao naturally knew that the second floor would definitely be more expensive, but they weren't short of money either. He took out a string of copper coins from his bosom and tossed them into the attendant's hand, humming: "This is a reward for you, lead the way, my young master isn't lacking in wealth."

  "Yes, yes, yes!" The attendant smiled obsequiously and said: "The two of you, please go upstairs!"

  The attendants led Wang Can and Pei Yuanshao to the second floor, where Pei Yuanshao's broad shoulders and robust physique caused him to make a loud creaking sound as he walked on the wooden floorboards. This drew the attention of others nearby, who couldn't help but stare. Wang Can felt many eyes on him and sighed inwardly, thinking that it was impossible for them to go unnoticed. He shot Pei Yuanshao a glance, then continued up the stairs.

  Wang Canguang had just gone upstairs when he heard a cry of surprise.

  "Hey, isn't this the person we met at the Taoist temple last night?"

  A hoarse voice reached Wang Can's ears, and when he looked up, he saw a young man holding a jug of wine, constantly sipping from it, his eyes fixed on Wang Can with a look of surprise. This young man was none other than Guo Jia, the wine ghost that Wang Can had met at the Taoist temple.

  Wang Can also showed a surprised expression, and his face immediately returned to calm.

  It's really fate that I can meet Guo Jia even in a tavern!

  Wang Can's eyes swept over the people sitting next to Guo Jia, this time not only Xiao Xiao Ge Xun Yu and old handsome Cheng Yu, but also a middle-aged man in his thirties. The middle-aged man had an outstanding appearance, wearing a black turban on his head, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows and temples, clear eyes like a deep pool of water, and three strands of whiskers under his chin fluttering slightly, he was indeed a handsome and exceptional figure.

  Wang Can smiled and nodded at Guo Jia and the others sitting beside him, then walked away with Pei Yuanshao.

  As the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together" and "people are divided into groups". Those who can be with Guo Jia must not be ordinary people.

  If Wang Can had gone up to them so abruptly, he would have given a bad impression. Instead of doing that, it's better to keep a distance and maintain their relationship, so they can talk more easily when they meet again later. Wang Can took Pei Yuanshao away with him, but Guo Jia suddenly shouted out in a loud voice: "Hey, hey... you two gentlemen, yesterday you invited me for drinks, today I invite you for drinks! Come on, come on, let's have some wine together, that's the only way to create an atmosphere!"

  Xun Yu shook his head. It was Guo Jia who invited people to drink, but it was clear that he paid the bill, and it became Guo Jia's treat instead.

  This rascal is really shameless!

  Cheng Yu shook his head, stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes fixed on Wang Can, shining with a hint of inexplicable light.

  The middle-aged man sitting next to Xun Yu slightly furrowed his brow, but his face didn't show any displeasure, instead revealing a kind smile. He gently picked up his wine cup and sipped it slowly, a hint of red rising to his cheeks.

  Wang Can heard this and stopped in his tracks.

  He turned his back to Guo Jia, Xun Yu and several others, a hint of joy flashed across his face, and then he immediately restored his calm and composed demeanor. Guo Jia took the initiative to invite him, so Wang Can naturally would not refuse, he instructed Pei Yuan Shao in a low voice, letting Pei Yuan Shao drink alone on the side, while Wang Can strode towards Guo Jia and Cheng Yu.

  The middle-aged man saw Wang Can put Pei Yuanshao aside and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  Cheng Yu and Xun You unconsciously nodded, having a good impression of Wang Can. These people were all men of status and position, seeing that Wang Can was polite and courteous, they were still very pleased in their hearts. Guo Jia invited Wang Can to drink wine, Cheng Yu, Xun You and the others could barely accept it because they also saw that Wang Can had a kind of majesty between his words and actions, this was also the aura that Wang Can had slowly cultivated since he became the leader of the Yellow Turbans in Runan.

  However, Bae Won-soo was different; he was a follower of Wang Zhen.

  If Pei Yuanshao were also on the table, where would be the face of Cheng Yu and others? With different identities and statuses, there would naturally be more calculations.

  Wang Can walked up to Guo Jia, Cheng Yu and Xun You, and solemnly bowed: "Yu Nan, Wang Can, the king comes first!"

  Guo Jia's eyes widened, and he also reacted at this time. The casual expression on his face instantly disappeared, and he stood up to bow to Wang Can: "Yongchuan, Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao!"

  Cheng Yu also stood up, with a smile on his face, and cupped his hands: "Dongjun, Cheng Yu, Cheng Zhongde!"

  Xun Yu stood up and cupped his hands: "Yongchuan, Xun Yu, Xun Wenruo!"

  Guo Jia and the other two stood up and said their names, while the middle-aged man slowly got up, with a smile on his face, and said in a gentle voice: "Xun Yu, Xun Gongda!"

  Wang Can's eyes widened, his gaze swept over the four people present, and a hint of fervent color flashed in his eyes.

  PS: Got up early, took a look at the book, and unexpectedly became the first in the new historical book list. Everyone is so powerful, brothers and sisters are powerful, I also can't slack off. Four updates today, rush to the list!