Time Travel: The Survival of Li Zhi

Chapter 430 The General Invites

The sky was turning pale, and the faint light of dawn appeared, slowly pushing away the thick darkness.

The soft light is like a golden veil, pouring down on the ancient Wukou City, covering this weathered city with a layer of dreamy gauze.

At this time, the east gate of Wukou City was wide open, and an orderly team was slowly marching into the city.

Many people from Wukou City had already gathered at the city gate. They were whispering to each other, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

The Yongguo delegation that had defeated Xiahou Shan had become the focus of heated discussion among the people in the city. So early in the morning, everyone was waiting at the city gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Yongguo delegation.

The dull and powerful footsteps came from afar, like bursts of thunder.

Soon, Li Zhi and others appeared in everyone's sight.

Li Zhi raised his head and his eyes fell on the "Wukou City" plaque hanging high above the city gate, and he was filled with emotion. He raised his hand, waved it vigorously, and said loudly: "Enter the city!"

Li Zhi and his men all had solemn expressions and steady, resolute steps, each step exuding an unquestionable momentum.

As they stepped into Wukou City, the people at the city gate seemed to be driven by an invisible force and consciously made way for a wide path on both sides.

The way the people looked at Li Zhi and others was no longer with the condescending contempt they had shown to people from other vassal states, but rather with a bit more curiosity and respect.

After all, Li Zhi and his team were able to make Xiahou Shan write a letter of surrender, which is definitely not something that everyone can do.

"Greetings, envoys! I am Zhuang Zheng, the head of the Ministry of Rites of the Great Wei. I will be responsible for all your affairs during your stay in the Great Wei!"

A man in an official robe and with a capable figure quickly stood in front of Li Zhi and the others, bowed slightly, and spoke politely but solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi did not dare to be rude in the slightest and quickly responded, "Greetings, Master Zhuang. I am Li Zhi from the Yongguo Night Tour Division and I am in charge of this mission."

Su Liang, who was standing by, also hurried forward, bowed respectfully and said, "I am the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites of Yongguo, and I am honored to meet you, Master Zhuang."

Although Su Liang, as the Deputy Minister of Rites of Yongguo, had a higher rank than Zhuang Zheng, Yongguo was a vassal state of Wei. When facing Wei officials, Yongguo officials, regardless of their rank, had to behave like humble subordinates.

This is why the highest-ranking person on this mission is Su Liang, a fifth-rank official. After all, if a second-rank official came to Wei and called himself a subordinate to a sixth-rank official, it would be hard for people to accept.

Zhuang Zheng smiled warmly, nodded slightly, and said, "You have all come all the way to the Wei Dynasty, and it must be very tiring. Let's go, I will take you to the Huitong Pavilion in Wukou City to rest for a while."

As the suzerain state, Wei often had various vassal states, and even other small states that were not recognized by Wei, come to visit and pay respects. Therefore, in the territory of Wei, every city has a Huitong Hall to accommodate envoys from various countries.

"Okay! Then I'll have to trouble Lord Zhuang." Li Zhi bowed again to express his gratitude.

Zhuang Zheng waved his hand and responded with a smile: "This is my job, Lord Li, there is no need to be so polite."

After saying that, Zhuang Zheng led the way and took Li Zhi and the others to Huitong Hall in Wukou City.

According to the rules of the Wei Dynasty, the items that Li Zhi and his men brought as tribute to the Wei Dynasty had to be registered at the Huitong Hall, and then the Wei Dynasty would arrange personnel to deliver these tributes to the capital.

In this way, Li Zhi and his team can travel light and no longer have to drag several carts of heavy things around.

Su Liang led the officials of Yongguo's Ministry of Rites and followed Zhuang Zheng to handle the registration and handover matters.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do at the moment, Li Zhi suggested going to Wukou City to take a stroll and experience the customs and culture of the Wei Dynasty.

As soon as his proposal was put forward, it received an enthusiastic response from Duan Heng and others. Everyone had been looking forward to the opportunity to appreciate the unique scenery of the Great Wei.

Captain Yang and his men chose to stay in Huitong Hall.

Li Zhi knew that they had just experienced a brutal war yesterday and were exhausted both physically and mentally. They were in no mood to wander around at the moment, so he did not force them to go together.

He thought that this time he came to Wei, he would stay for at least ten days, and he would have plenty of time to visit various places later.

So, Li Zhi, along with several members of the Night Tour Division, walked out of Huitong Hall with great interest.

As soon as you step out of Huitong Hall, the bustling atmosphere of the city hits you.

There are shops on both sides of the street, and the sounds of hawking, talking and laughing are intertwined, playing a lively melody of the market.

Li Zhi and his group strolled along the street, their eyes attracted by the unique shops one after another.

When they passed by a teahouse, they heard melodious string music coming from inside.

Everyone followed the sound and entered the teahouse, only to see a few people already sitting scattered inside. Some were leisurely sipping tea, while others were listening to the performances of the artists on the stage.

Li Zhi and others walked into the teahouse, found an empty seat and sat down, and ordered a few cups of Dawei's unique fragrant tea. After taking a sip, the fragrance of the tea filled the air, refreshing the heart.

The artist on the stage was playing a cheerful tune. The lively notes seemed to have life, jumping and flowing in the air, making people intoxicated.

"This song is really beautiful. It is very different from the style of our Yong country's music. It has a unique charm."

Chen Hua narrowed his eyes slightly, immersed in the melodious sound of stringed instruments, and sighed sincerely.

He came from a wealthy family and often visited places like music halls in the capital. He also had a lot of insights into music. At this moment, the song played in the Dawei Teahouse made him appreciate the unique charm of music styles from different regions.

Li Zhi was sitting at the side, listening attentively, but not because of the exquisite tune. He was tone-deaf and had limited appreciation of music, so he could not accurately analyze the good and bad of the music like Chen Hua did.

His eyes wandered around the teahouse, taking in everything around him with interest.

Everyone who comes to this teahouse to drink tea is dressed in bright and beautiful clothes. Their every move is elegant and calm. It is obvious that they come from wealthy families.

Li Zhi's mind suddenly flashed back to the class division of the Wei Dynasty that Situ Han had mentioned to him when he was in Yongguo - scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans.

He thought to himself that the people who could come and go here were probably of higher status than the workers.

Suddenly, several burly men strode in from outside the teahouse.

As soon as these big men entered the teahouse, they looked around, their eyes showing anxiety and exploration, as if they were looking for someone important.

Soon, one of them fixed his gaze on Li Zhi's table. His eyes lit up and without saying a word, he quickly walked towards Li Zhi.

Li Zhi had been paying attention since the big men entered the teahouse.

Moreover, relying on his keen perception, Li Zhi sensed a special aura from them, which was very similar to the aura of the East Gate leader who had fought with Li Zhi at that time.

Li Zhi's heart moved, and he vaguely realized the identities of these people.

As expected, the leading man walked up to Li Zhi, clasped his hands together, gave a standard military salute, and said respectfully: "We are the personal guards of General Xiahou of the Shanzi Camp. My general invites you to his mansion for a chat."

Duan Heng and the others' faces changed instantly when they heard this. They subconsciously thought that Li Zhi had made Xia Hou Shan suffer a loss yesterday, and now Xia Hou Shan must be holding a grudge and wanted to seek revenge on Li Zhi.

For a moment, their hearts were filled with worry and uneasiness. They all cast anxious glances at Li Zhi and kept making eye contact, hinting to him not to agree easily.

However, Li Zhi seemed to have not noticed Duan Heng's hint, and his expression was calm. He slowly stood up, with an upright posture, bowed to the big man who spoke, and said in a calm tone: "Okay, then I'll trouble you to lead the way."

Duan Heng and the others became increasingly anxious when they saw that Li Zhi accepted the invitation without hesitation. They had no choice but to stand up and plan to go with him to protect Li Zhi.

However, he did not expect that as soon as he took a step, he would be stopped by the guards.

One of the guards said coldly with a blank expression, "The general only wants to see him, and did not mention seeing you."