I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 357 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (Part 2)

Chapter 357 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (2)

After settling into an inn, Meng Yi gathered everyone together. They stood quietly, their eyes fixed on him, awaiting his instructions. Meng Yi slowly began, "Brothers, we have come to Pei County to find a man named Liu Bang."

"Spread out and search for this person in every corner of Pei County. No matter the cost, you must find him." Meng Yi paused, glanced at everyone present, and continued, "Pei County may be small, but it has a large population and a complex network of streets and alleys. Finding a specific person within this network will not be easy. However, I believe that with everyone's abilities and wisdom, we will definitely be able to accomplish this task!"

Next, Meng Yi meticulously assigned each person their search area and repeatedly instructed them to be extremely careful and not to alert the target. Especially after finding the target, they were absolutely forbidden from acting on their own; they had to return to the inn immediately to report.

Wei Ji stood in the crowd, listening attentively to Meng Yi's instructions. After the assignments were completed, they bowed without hesitation and replied, "Rest assured, sir, we will certainly not fail in our mission!" With that, the group dispersed and headed towards their respective assigned areas.

The streets of Pei County are narrow and winding, with houses of varying heights lining both sides, arranged in a pleasing, staggered fashion. Some have high, upturned roofs, while others are low and sturdy. Wei Ji strolled through them, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, not missing a single detail.

Before he knew it, Wei Ji had arrived at a bustling, vibrant street. Looking around, he saw countless shops lining both sides of the street. Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, a lively and hurried scene, each person either stopping at a stall to select goods or loudly haggling with the shopkeepers. The shouts of vendors and the sounds of bargaining mingled together.

As Wei Ji walked, his gaze was drawn to a tavern. The tavern wasn't large, but a tattered signboard hung at the entrance, swaying precariously in the wind, seemingly about to fall at any moment. A thought struck Wei Ji: taverns were often gathering places of all sorts of people, always bustling with gossip; perhaps he could glean some valuable information from them. With this in mind, he stepped into the tavern without hesitation.

Upon entering the tavern, Wei Ji looked around and noticed an empty seat by the window, so he quickly walked over and sat down. A moment later, a waiter approached with a beaming smile and warmly inquired, "Sir, what would you like to order?"

Wei Ji smiled slightly and said, "Give me a pot of good wine, along with a few delicate side dishes." The waiter responded and turned to prepare the wine and dishes.

Before long, the food and wine were served. Wei Ji picked up his wine glass and took a small sip. Then, seemingly casually, he turned to the guests at the next table and said with a smile, "Brother, I am new to your esteemed place and unfamiliar with the area. I wonder if there are any famous or interesting stories about this place? Could you tell me about them so that I can broaden my horizons?"

The man glanced at him, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and replied, "Hey, if we're talking about famous people in Pei County, there really are a few."

Wei Ji waited expectantly for the other man to speak again, but the man seemed to be deliberately teasing him, keeping his mouth tightly shut and uttering not a word. Wei Ji stared into the man's eyes, only to find that his gaze was fixed firmly on the wine jug in front of him. In an instant, Wei Ji realized what was going on and immediately and subtly pushed his wine towards the other man. Sure enough, the man's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly picked up the wine cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. Then, smacking his lips, he said with satisfaction, "A very important person has recently arrived in Pei County!"

Wei Ji pressed on, as if on cue, "Oh? Who exactly is this important figure?"

The man took another sip of wine with a satisfied smile before slowly replying, "This man is named Lord Lü. Legend has it that his ancestors were once the rulers of the prestigious State of Lü! Unfortunately, the State of Lü was destroyed, and the Lü clan migrated to the State of Wei. In Wei, their family was incredibly wealthy and renowned, thanks to their substantial fortune. Moreover, the Lü family members were often honored guests in the homes of many high-ranking officials and nobles, receiving exceptional treatment. It's just puzzling how someone of such illustrious status could suddenly come to such a small place as our Pei County."

However, Wei Ji clearly had little interest in topics like background and origins. He frowned and pressed on, "Besides this Lord Lü, are there no other interesting stories or famous figures?"

The man shrugged helplessly and replied, "The rest are nothing but old, trivial matters."

Wei Ji's lips curled up slightly, revealing a kind smile, and he said softly, "I also love to hear old stories. I enjoy listening to you talk, brother. I find your story very interesting. Why don't you tell me about some interesting people and events in Pei County?" With that, he skillfully picked up the wine pot, filled a cup of fine wine for the person opposite him, and gently pushed the cup towards him.

Seeing this, the man first picked up his wine cup and took a small sip, then smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the wine's aroma. After a brief pause, he slowly spoke, "Since you're so sincere in your question, I won't beat around the bush. Our Pei County is truly a place where dragons and tigers hide! It's full of formidable figures, but at the same time, there are also many local ruffians. Take Fan Kuai from Pei County, for example. He's naturally strong and incredibly brave. Logically, someone as powerful as him should be serving his country on the battlefield, fighting and building merit. However, it's a pity that he spends his days hanging around with that guy named Liu Ji, truly wasting his abilities. It's both regrettable and shameful!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of curiosity flashed in Wei Ji's eyes, and he immediately asked, "Oh? Just now you mentioned the name Liu Ji. My elder brother once told me that there was a man named Liu Bang in Pei County. I wonder if you have also heard of him?"

Upon hearing this, the man immediately waved his hand and replied with certainty, "In my opinion, your brother must have misremembered! There are very few people with the surname Liu in Pei County, so how could there be anyone named Liu Bang? I have never heard of him before."

Wei Ji frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, he spoke again: "Perhaps you have simply forgotten? Or perhaps Pei County is so vast and populous that you have not been able to meet this Liu Bang?"