Chapter 804 – Wanzhou, Homecoming (Part 2)
Zhang Ping gritted his teeth. How did he end up with such a unreliable friend?
If the audience saw this, they would surely perfect translate Zhang Ping’s current state of mind.
#Every time I’m betrayed, I see my colleague playing dead#
#Wei Ci, if you don’t pursue a career in showbiz, it’s simply a waste of talent#
Zhang Ping glared at the lethargic Wei Ci, his tone less than friendly.
“Wei Zixiao! Still pretending? If you don’t explain yourself today, I’m camping here until you do!”
Dealing with someone like Wei Ci, one mustn’t have a thin skin; you’ve got to be even more shameless!
He was brainstorming ways to retaliate when he noticed Wei Ci lying motionless on the couch, breathing sporadically, his chest rising and falling weakly.
Wait, does this mean… Zixiao really is having a health crisis?
Realizing this, all of Zhang Ping’s anger evaporated. He hurried over to give Wei Ci a push and checked for his breath.
Upon inspection, there was more air going out than coming in, causing Zhang Ping’s heart to sink.
“Zixiao!”
Cold sweat dripped down Zhang Ping’s back, just as he was about to call the Young Doctor, the supposedly “ailing” Wei Ci quietly turned over onto his side, facing away from Zhang Ping, sneakily tugging the quilt up to his chin. Where’s the “near death” look now?
Zhang Ping: “…”
The anger that had just subsided flared back up.
This kid is getting bolder, pretending to be sick right in front of him, making him worry for nothing!
“Wei Zixiao! If you don’t give an explanation today, I shall sever ties and never speak to you again!”
Pretending to be sick like this is a casual thing?
What if this was deliberate? Who knows if the next time is for real?
If next time he really falls ill, and everyone thinks he’s faking, is this kid trying to get himself killed?
Zhang Ping’s tone shifted from calm to forceful; he was clearly serious now.
Wei Ci chuckled, knowing it was time to stop teasing Zhang Ping. It wouldn’t just be a petty quarrel if they really severed ties.
He struggled to sit up, maintaining his usual pale look, his lips a sickly bluish-white, and overall appearing unwell.
“Indeed, it’s all sincere,” Wei Ci shamelessly admitted, asking, “Will Xi Heng blame me for this?”
Zhang Ping calmed down a bit. Faced with Wei Ci’s question, he found himself at a loss for words.
To be honest, Zhang Ping would never blame Wei Ci.
“Now that the wood has been cut, what good does blame do? Our Lord isn’t an easy character to deal with. Once on this ship, who can get off safely? Besides, you knew from the start she’s a woman, yet still chose to support her after some deliberation… It shows you see her as far better than ordinary lords. Clearly, she is the wise leader you’ve been searching for, and I trust your judgment…”
Having known Wei Ci for many years, Zhang Ping understood his ambitions and aspirations, and he was well aware of Wei Ci’s overly idealistic view of a wise leader.
He thought Wei Ci would wait until his thirties to embark on his career, but unexpectedly, this guy rushed north upon hearing news of the upheaval in the capital.
Out of concern for his friend, Zhang Ping had escorted Wei Ci all the way, baffled the entire time.
What kind of person could make Wei Ci disregard health and life, dragging a sick body to seek refuge?
Upon meeting Jiang Pengji, Zhang Ping initially felt indifferent but came to realize after several encounters that Wei Ci had indeed found the right person.
The wise leader Wei Ci sought was not just an ambitious warlord; that person also needed to possess a heart that cares for others.
Sighing, Zhang Ping decided to drop the matter lightly and spare Wei Ci this time.
“If you had just revealed this early on, I wouldn’t have been so flustered today.”
Thinking back to his distracted state today, Zhang Ping felt another wave of frustration.
“You didn’t say anything, probably to see today’s show. You enjoyed watching others gasp in surprise, didn’t you?”
That feeling of knowing something others didn’t? Truly delightful!
“That’s really unfair to me! I wanted to say something, but the timing wasn’t right, so I kept delaying,” Wei Ci replied defensively.
Zhang Ping snorted. If he believed another word from Wei Ci, he would have to write his name backward.
Wei Ci had been sick these past few days, out of touch with the news.
“Xi Heng, you said the Lord’s secret is now common knowledge; what’s everyone else’s reaction?”
Aside from Feng Jin, who knew the truth, the others were kept in the dark.
Upon hearing such explosive news, he wondered how they would react.
Zhang Ping thought for a moment before summarizing the others’ reactions—mostly astonished, with a few even frightened.
As for Wei Ci’s worries about chaos, no signs had yet appeared.
Hearing this made Wei Ci more at ease.
Zhang Ping reassured him, “Those serving the Lord are not exactly stiff. Even Huaiyu, known for being strict, reacted rather calmly today. It seems the Lord’s gender doesn’t shake their loyalty. No need to worry about them, it’s just the Common People of Wanzhou…”
Jiang Pengji’s inner circle is carefully handpicked and wouldn’t betray her simply because she’s a woman.
But the Common People are a different story—they’re the most easily swayed by public opinion, and it only takes one misstep for them to be used as pawns.
Wei Ci said, “After the Lord leaves, various places in Wanzhou are quickly selecting female soldiers to strengthen the women’s camp. I also had storytellers compose tales to promote their achievements. After half a year, the populace has already accepted this change. With the Lord being a woman, they’ll probably just be curious for a bit…”
Zhang Ping nodded, noting that the atmosphere in Wanzhou was indeed more open-minded compared to other regions.
“Speaking of which… When will your tale be finished?”
Zhang Ping’s brows furrowed as he urged him to move faster.
Wei Ci’s face shifted, his gaze drifting. “I’m still sick, you know…”
He was aware of Jiang Pengji’s plans and when she intended to resume her identity as a woman.
To minimize the impact, Wei Ci has come up with a few strategies.
Expanding the women’s camp and selecting female soldiers in Wanzhou is one response strategy.
Just to be safe, he had another idea—controlling public opinion through entertainment.
This tactic was learned from the emperor, crafting vernacular tales to have storytellers perform in tea houses and taverns, using catchy, simple narratives to draw in the Common People, thus conveying ideas to control public opinion.
We’re in a time starved of entertainment; only nobles enjoyed songs and dances, leaving the Common People with nearly zero leisure activities, with street performers not even having emerged yet. Under these conditions, Wei Ci’s strategy packs a punch, akin to a nuclear bomb, with Common People eagerly flocking to tea houses and taverns, eagerly awaiting the continuation of the tales.
This entertainment initiative inadvertently brought a flood of customers to local businesses, significantly boosting their trade.
