"Good, good, good!" Ye Feng agreed with a smile. With the beggar chief's words, Liu Dai's plan was already half successful.
Ye Feng's unpredictable mood made the beggar chief's face change greatly. He prostrated himself on the ground, trembling, and after a long while, he looked up and asked, "My Lord, I will leave now, I will leave now. I don't want to help him!"
"I will remind you, he was the prefect. If he finds you, you know the consequences!" Ye Feng said coldly.
"My Lord, I am foolish!" The beggar chief covered his head with his hands and said hurriedly, "Please give your orders, my Lord, and I will surely do my utmost!"
"I don't want you to do anything, just lure that person out. Then my Lord will have his own plan, and it will be none of your business. Do you understand!" Ye Feng instructed him earnestly. "If you do this well, you will be rewarded. If you fail, my Lord..."
"I will accept my punishment myself, without troubling my Lord!" The beggar chief said quickly.
"Good, you know what to do. You are indeed a smart person!" Ye Feng gently patted the beggar chief's shoulder. "No matter what happens, just remember this: Liangzhou belongs to my Lord, and no one can do anything to you!"
"My Lord, will that prefect be executed, or..." The beggar chief looked at Ye Feng with anticipation, mainly because Ye Feng's words were too frightening, and the beggar chief was also afraid of being retaliated against later!
"Don't worry about anything, my Lord is here. What are you afraid of? He is nothing, he can't do anything to you!" Ye Feng comforted him softly.
"If that's the case, thank you, my Lord, thank you, my Lord!"
Ye Feng ignored the beggar chief's kowtowing and turned to leave. Diao Chan, confused, asked softly, "My Lord, aren't you afraid that the beggar chief will run away or betray you at the last minute? Then all your efforts will be in vain."
"My beauty, don't worry, he wouldn't dare. Besides, Liangzhou belongs to my Lord, where else can he go!" Ye Feng said confidently.
Time passed in a flash. In the cold wind, only one spot was bathed in sunlight. The beggar chief was lying in his usual spot, picking his teeth. Beside him stood an old man whose clothes were washed pale. He had a long beard but his eyes were still sharp.
"Will the master really come today? You are not lying to me!" The strategist asked impatiently. Although he left in a hurry that day, he had left an impression.
"Certainly, old sir, please rest assured. This is the time we agreed upon, and I will not fail!" The beggar chief patted his chest and guaranteed, "Besides, you have handled all the major and minor matters. Do I have the mind to deceive you? This is not a joke!"
The old man snorted and nodded heavily. In a blink of an eye, the sun was high in the sky, and Liu Dai arrived as promised. He immediately spotted the strategist, who stood out among the beggars, and ran to the strategist's side with tears in his eyes.
"Strategist, where have you been these past few days? You really made me look for you everywhere. But now that I've found you, I can rest assured and no longer worry about you. Have you been well these past few days?" Liu Dai asked a string of questions before the old man could speak, then grabbed the old man's hand. "I see that you have lost a lot of weight these past few days, you must have lost your appetite. This is all my fault, that day!"
"Master, a good man does not recall past glories, let alone past mistakes. I have long forgotten them!" The strategist saw Liu Dai like this, and the last trace of resentment in his heart vanished without a trace, and he quickly said.
"Besides, no matter who it was that day, they might have done the same. Moreover, a beautiful woman is sought by a gentleman. Master, you need not worry about it!" The old man quickly said to comfort him.
The onlooker sees clearly what the insider is blind to. Both of them are experts.
The beggar chief thought to himself that Liu Dai first spoke to resolve the rift between them, while his strategist's few words explained that Liu Dai had only made a mistake that all men in the world would make, completely dispelling Liu Dai's last trace of guilt.
"Strategist, you should go back quickly. This is not a safe place to stay for long. If you stay here any longer, you might be in danger of losing your life. This is the money I, your prefect, have saved. Take it home with you, it will surely be useful!" Liu Dai hurriedly handed a purse to the strategist, which was his real purpose for the day.
The old man weighed it in his hand and understood seven or eight parts. It wasn't just silver in there, but also a tiger tally. Liu Dai was entrusting him with his legacy!
"Master, why don't you and I go back together? Then we can fly freely in the sky, what is there to fear!" The old man said hurriedly, looking around and then softly saying, "I have calculated that someone will be on duty at the third watch today. This is the best time. Besides, what use is it for me to go back alone!"
"As long as we leave Liangzhou, no matter which direction we go, there will be lords leading their troops to greet us. Ye Feng will not be able to make any waves. Moreover, I heard that Ye Feng has already lost the Emperor's trust. Then, with our combined efforts, how can we not take Liangzhou!"
"Strategist, your plan is brilliant. I'm afraid I can't leave anymore!" Liu Dai subconsciously looked behind him. "Now, only if you leave quickly can there be any possibility!"
"Master, if you cannot leave, what use is it for me to go? Let's go together!" The old man said hurriedly, but the next moment his mouth was blocked by a finger. Liu Dai said in a hurry, "Only if you take this thing and leave can I escape. Otherwise, it will all be in vain!"
"Does that Prince of Chu have such courage?" The old man stared at Liu Dai with wide eyes. "Impossible. Isn't Ye Feng afraid of being punished by His Majesty? Then he will suffer the consequences."
"Go quickly, old sir, or you won't be able to leave!" Liu Dai said desperately. Seeing the old man's eyes welling up with tears, he nodded heavily. Liu Dai then said coldly.
"You were originally a servant of my Liu family, a dog-like figure. How dare you lecture this prefect? Aren't you afraid that this prefect will kill you and make you be buried with the late emperor!" Liu Dai said fiercely. "Whether you want this life or not is up to you!"
"If you kill me, how can you face your ancestors and let them rest in peace? Did I really misjudge you!" The old man spoke righteously and with great confidence. "I will definitely report to His Majesty, and then let His Majesty punish you!"
"Very well, after all, one surname 'Liu' cannot write two 'Liu's. If you want to die, this prefect won't stop you, go ahead!" Liu Dai said coldly. "Believe it or not, I will kill you right now!"
"I can't wait for the prefect to make his move, so that I can make a name for myself in history. However, I don't know how history will evaluate the prefect in the future!" The old man said confrontationally.
"I don't care, as long as you die!" Liu Dai stretched out his hand and slapped the old man's face fiercely, saying hysterically, "Get out, get out quickly!"
"Bang~" A heavy object fell to the ground. The beggar chief instinctively looked over and saw Liu Dai staring at him, roaring, "If you don't want your life, don't touch him!"
The beggar chief quickly retracted his hand and listened to Liu Dai say coldly, "Here are several taels of silver. From now on, we are estranged and have no further connection!"
Even though the old man knew it was an act, tears still welled up in his eyes. His lips moved a few times before he roared, "Why must it be like this? Have we truly reached this point? Forget it, forget it!"
"Get out, from now on, you have no connection with my Liu family, and as for me, we will pretend not to know each other!" Liu Dai said coldly, grabbing the fragrant pouch and stuffing it into the old man's chest.
Ye Feng, watching from afar, chuckled, "My beauty, my lady, isn't it time for us to make our appearance!"
Seeing the two women looking at each other, Ye Feng added unhurriedly, "The stage has already been set. If we don't sing a few lines, wouldn't it be a waste of everyone's hard work? In my opinion, this play must be sung more brilliantly to live up to the actors!"
"As you command, my Lord," Diao Chan and the other woman bowed slightly, exchanged a smile, and walked forward with Ye Feng. Ye Feng looked at the scene before him and pretended to be surprised, "Oh, what happened here? I can't quite understand it. Please explain, Prefect!"
Liu Dai remained motionless, merely rolling his eyes. Instead, the beggar chief, like a comic foil, explained everything clearly in a few words. Ye Feng looked astonished.
"This is your strategist," Ye Feng said hurriedly to the two women. "This is your master."
"Hey, I understand. It's just a difference of opinion. What's the big deal? I often disagree with my beauty, yet we've gotten this far. I think we need more communication!" Ye Feng said with a smile. "Come, the two of you, follow me back to the Prince of Chu's mansion, and let me mediate slowly."
"Thank you for your concern, Prince of Chu. However, he and I, the prefect, have no further connection. Please do not say anything more, Prince of Chu!" Liu Dai said coldly.
"A wise bird chooses a tree to nest in. I see clearly what kind of person he is. From now on, we are strangers, meeting but not knowing each other!" The old man said with a stern face, secretly thinking that he had long heard that Ye Feng was the most cunning, and now seeing it, it was indeed true. He had to be careful not to be tricked!
"If that's the case, I have a clever plan!" Ye Feng said, shaking his head. "Why don't you two follow me? The old gentleman can naturally take charge of internal affairs, and the prefect can leave after a short stay. What do you think?"
"Nonsense!" The old man said hurriedly, then suddenly realized that his emotions were too agitated, and he explained, "I will never live under someone else's roof. I would rather go and farm. Thank you for your kindness, Prince of Chu."
"If the Prince of Chu is interested, let this prefect leave now. Otherwise, stop the jokes, it's all empty talk!" Liu Dai said coldly.
"Look, why did it turn out like this?" Ye Feng spread his hands and said helplessly. "Fine, fine, follow me back, and you will surely not be shortchanged!"
Ye Feng truly valued Liu Dai's talent as a strategist and wanted to win him over. He reached out and instinctively pulled him. "As long as you follow me, you will not be shortchanged!"
The old man flung Ye Feng's hand away and said with hostility, "I've long heard that the Prince of Chu is domineering, and today I see it's true. Unfortunately, I am valiant but cannot be coerced!"