Chapter 20 Laughing Stock
"It's okay. I had people dig a few places today and found nothing else unusual. By the way, do you want to go to Tokyo?"

"Ok?"

The Tokyo mentioned by Wu Song is Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty.

To be honest, Yang Chang really wanted to visit the capital.

But he suddenly remembered an important event. Before Wu Da got into trouble, Wu Song was sent on official business by the county magistrate. Could it be that the plot has come to an end?
"The New Year is coming, and Prime Minister En has a batch of local specialties to send to Tokyo. There should be some valuables among them. He is afraid that they will be targeted by thieves on the way, so he asked me to escort them."

"I do want to go, to my eldest brother's place."

Yang Chang was hesitant to talk. Logically, Wang Po, the troublemaker, was dead, and Pan Jinlian had no matchmaker when she wanted to cheat on her husband, let alone any military advisor to persuade her to kill her husband. But another key figure, Ximen Qing, was still alive, and they had a causal relationship. Would there still be risks?
Wu Song frowned and said to himself, "First there was a murder next door, and then there was a hidden corpse case. This will definitely affect the breakfast business. My sister-in-law is clamoring to move out, but my brother disagrees. And Enxiang has urgent matters to deal with."

"The day before yesterday, I went to deliver the buns on behalf of my eldest sister-in-law, but I didn't expect Ximen Qing to do such a thing. I'm worried that he will falsely accuse my eldest brother of drugging his buns in order to save his reputation. Why don't I stay in Yanggu County to take care of him and prevent him from taking revenge on my eldest brother and sister-in-law."

"Ok?"

Yang Chang deliberately gave Wu Song a "vaccination". Wu Song was shocked at first, then nodded and said, "Sanlang guessed correctly. Just now, the Prime Minister told me that Ximen Qing really had this idea, but was persuaded by Li Guanshi. Now it seems that Wang Po drugged him. Ximen Qing has no reason to blame my brother. Besides, this person went out to visit his relatives yesterday, so your worry is a bit unnecessary."

Ximen Qing is not in Yanggu?
Yang Chang was relieved when he heard this, thinking that since this guy is not here, what else is there to worry about?
"It's actually okay if the business is bad. Big brother and sister-in-law don't have to work so hard. When this matter is gradually forgotten, those diners will come one after another to support us. If it doesn't work, we can promote it like we did when we opened the business. As for whether I go to Tokyo or not? It all depends on what big brother says. With big brother's reputation as a tiger hunter, no one should provoke me on the way."

"Only people in Yanggu County know about Wu Song who killed the tiger. It's five or six hundred miles to Tokyo, and there may be thieves blocking the way. I'm here to help Prime Minister En with his personal affairs, and it's not convenient to bring more people. I really want to bring Sanlang with me. If I follow Yang Zhi's old path, won't I be laughed at by all the heroes in the world?"

As soon as Wu Song finished speaking, Yang Chang was so frightened that he spat out minced meat from his mouth.

"Yang Zhi?"

"Sanlang doesn't know this is normal. I was at the manor of Mr. Chai and heard the heroes talking about this man. I heard that he was a martial arts student and nicknamed the Green-faced Beast. When he was the commander of the Palace Marshal's Office, he was escorting the flower and stone gang, but he encountered a storm and capsized in the Yellow River. This summer, he was ordered to escort the birthday gang, but was knocked unconscious by the thieves with a knockout drug. He became a laughing stock among the military officers of the Song Dynasty."

Wu Song shook his head when he mentioned Yang Zhi, secretly thinking that the other party was inexperienced in the martial arts world. If he were the escort officer, he would never be tricked by a knockout drug.

After hearing this, Yang Chang's expression became solemn, and he said in a serious tone: "If you are worried, then I will accompany you. With your reputation in Yanggu County, no one should dare to bully you."

"Then it's settled. I'll explain everything in detail tomorrow. I don't think it's a big deal. Let's drink first."

Wu Song picked up the wine bowl and clinked it with Yang Chang's. Then he tilted his head back and poured the wine down his throat in one gulp. He did not lose his composure like Yang Chang did because of the hot wine.

He thought that since Yang Chang treated him as a brother, he should not treat him as a lackey. There was no reason for him to take extra care of his brother and sister-in-law while doing the work in the yamen.

My brother is an honest and decent man, and he shouldn't get into trouble. Even if my sister-in-law is not a good person, the neighbor Wang Po just died because of her romantic life, so she will always restrain herself.

The next morning, Wu Song took advantage of the magistrate packing his bags and loading the car. He and Yang Chang took two jars of wine and went straight to Zi Shi Street to look for his brother and sister-in-law.

At that time, Wu Da had already set up the stall, but Yun Ge still did not come to help.

Wu Song asked Yang Chang to watch the stall in front of the door, while he took Wu Da into the house to talk, and also called his sister-in-law out from the kitchen.

The three of them sat around the table. Wu Song first placed the bowls and filtered the wine, then toasted his brother and sister-in-law with three bowls.

My brother and sister-in-law didn't know what was going on, and the wine tasted tasteless after they drank it.

Wu Song then said that he was going on a long journey, and asked the two men to take good care of themselves, and suggested that they sell less and rest more every day.

Wu Da was about to say that he was fine, but Wu Song used the example of Wang Po next door, and implicitly warned Pan Jinlian to do her duty and fulfill her duties as a wife, otherwise disaster would come her way.

Pan Jinlian originally thought that Wu Song had changed his mind, but she didn't expect that this rough man would scold her in front of Wu Da.

Can this be tolerated?
Her rosy face suddenly turned frighteningly pale.

"Uncle, what a great point. If you really care about us, you might as well persuade your brother to move away from this unlucky place. But you say that fortune and misfortune are interdependent. I am not the man in charge of the family. Besides, if we really encounter trouble, we will ask Sanlang for help. He is not like someone who only talks but does not practice. The fire in the stove is about to go out. I am sorry that I can't accompany you." "My wife."

Pan Jinlian ran to the kitchen without looking back. Wu Da wanted to speak up for Wu Song, but unfortunately he swallowed the words back when they reached his lips.

Wu Song frowned but was not angry. He helped Wu Da tighten his turban and said sternly, "Don't worry about whether my sister-in-law is willing to listen or not. Brother, you must remember my instructions just now. Wu Er can't keep the Prime Minister waiting for too long. I'm leaving now. By the way, Sanlang will also go to Tokyo with me. Brother, you can make your own decisions about family affairs. You are also a man with a turban!"

"Sanlang is going too? That would be great, I'll have someone to take care of me on the way. Oh, I forgot to invite him to drink."

"No need, I'll drink it when I come back."

Wu Da was about to get the wine, but Wu Song interrupted him and turned away resolutely.

But before he crossed the threshold, he heard his sister-in-law's sarcasm from behind.

"What do you mean by a tiger-slaying hero? He just wants to escort some goods to Tokyo and ask Saburo to be his companion. That's all."

Wu Song was furious when he heard this, but he didn't want to turn back and argue with him, so he called Yang Chang and went straight to the county government office.

The magistrate's goods filled two donkey carts. He hid the ten thousand taels of silver he had saved in the past two years among the purchased local specialties, and asked two servants to go with Wu Song. Including Yang Chang and the driver, there were six people in total.

They disguised themselves as merchants and drove their donkey carts out of Yanggu County quietly.

Wu Song instructed his men to only take the official roads and to rest at any inn they came across before dark to avoid traveling at night and sleeping in the wilderness. He also ordered them not to drink raw water or alcohol on the road, and his shrewd behavior impressed Yang Chang.

It was hard to travel fast in the winter, and we only covered a few dozen miles in two days.

At night, they stayed at Chen's Inn in Fan County, Puzhou. Wu Song and Yang Chang took turns sleeping while guarding the luggage.

Wu Song should have rested in the first half of the night, but he was worried and couldn't sleep, so he sat next to Yang Chang and said leisurely: "At the speed we travel these past two days, it will take nearly 20 days to reach Tokyo. We should spend the New Year on the road."

"Brother, are you homesick?"

"I am afraid that the night will be long and full of dreams, and I am also worried about my brother. He has been an honest person since he was a child, and he is afraid that he will suffer without my support."

"Brother, just stay home and sell breakfast. How much loss can you suffer? Just go to bed peacefully, brother."

Yang Chang thought that since Ximen Qing was not around, Wu Da would be able to survive well, and he comforted Wu Song with full confidence.

"Too."

Wu Song listened to the advice and closed his eyes to rest, but pretended not to care and asked, "Sanlang, I see my sister-in-law has a good impression of you. Do you have any tips on how to please women?"

"what?"

Yang Chang was shocked when he heard this. He thought, "Brother was seduced by Pan Jinlian, and now he suspects that I have an affair with her?" He immediately responded with a smile, "I am only eighteen years old, how can I know how to coax a woman? Sister-in-law may see that I am young, and she is also giving advice to you, brother?"

"That's right, you're only eighteen." Wu Song was instantly relieved and murmured, "Then I'll take a nap first, and when I wake up, it'll be your turn, huhu."

Hearing the snoring beside him, Yang Chang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself, if he followed Ximen Qing's example and hooked up with Xiao Pan, would Wu Song hit him with his fists?

Ximen Qing, you have to thank me too.

If I hadn't appeared, you would have died soon.

(End of this chapter)