Chapter 130 Taking a Gamble

She held it in her hand and weighed it. It was gilded, not pure gold, but it was very exquisitely made, with intricate carvings. She wondered what was so special about this thing that was worth keeping.

Zhao Xiheng casually opened the gilded box and glanced inside...

…………

Get lost, you old pervert!

As if throwing away a hot potato, Zhao Xiheng's cheeks flushed red, and she couldn't help but wipe her hands, which had touched the small box, on her clothes.

Holy crap! Her eyes!

She should have known that Wei Li, that little bastard, wasn't a decent person and wouldn't do anything decent.

The stuff itself isn't anything good!

Zhao Xiheng picked it up with disgust, threw it into the nanmu box, and then kicked it away.

You old pervert! I don't even know when you bought this thing. Judging from how it's been buried in the ground, it's been over a year. You're so young, yet you're not learning anything good. Your mind is full of such things.

She pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheeks to cool them down.

Although she's done it countless times, it's really difficult to ask her to look at erotic pictures in broad daylight with the skylight wide open. Who in their right mind would open a window to look at erotic pictures during the day?

Wei Li received a letter from Zhao Xiheng.

This is the first time!

The first time he didn't write home, she wrote to him!

I knew it! Zhao Xiheng missed him too; her longing for him was as long, long, long as the tide.

She says she doesn't want him to write home, but if he doesn't write for a day, she can't wait to write to herself. Women are just hypocritical.

Wei Li pursed her lips, hiding her exposed white canine teeth, and bit her lower lip, trying to prevent the corners of her mouth from turning up, but her mouth seemed to have its own thoughts.

Since no one's seeing it anyway, why don't we just laugh for a bit?

Just for a little while.

His grin finally closed. He touched the envelope, about to open it, but instinctively stopped and straightened it.

Hmm... His wife took the initiative to write him a letter, and after secretly reading it, no one else knew that Zhao Xiheng had written him a letter. He always felt resentful.

Wei Li tucked the letter into his waistband, like this?

They can see it immediately.

But isn't this position a bit too deliberate?

Put it in your sleeve, with only one corner sticking out?

Isn't this a bit too subtle? What if someone with poor eyesight can't see it?

The sleeves are too narrow; they'll just crumple the paper again.

Um……

Let's not wear it on our belts, and then go around to visit and comfort the soldiers.

Dinner was being prepared at the campsite, and wisps of smoke rose into the sky.

Everyone greeted him warmly and sincerely, with smiles on their faces. Wei Li nodded to each of them in greeting, and then "casually" showed them the envelope at his waist.

Adhering to the principle of not meddling in the master's private affairs, most people only glanced at the ostentatious envelope before looking away.

It's obviously a family letter, and it would seem nosy for them to ask about it; if it's not a family letter, then it's some important confidential document, which is also none of their business.

Wei Li walked around, but no one asked him anything. He looked down at the envelope clipped to his waist.

Isn't it obvious enough?

It's obviously a family letter, why isn't anyone asking about it?

Chen Ruojiang sat around the fire, slurped down a bowl of rice, stared at the envelope at Wei Li's waist for a while, and then looked away.

He still didn't know what Wei Li meant by bringing out an envelope.

He just won't grant Wei Li's wish, letting that damned lord nag him every day about not having a wife. Anyway, he's being nag, so Wei Li can forget about being satisfied.

Wei Li turned his gaze to Chen Ruojiang, who was slurping down his second bowl of rice. He was usually quite observant, so what was wrong with him today? Was he blinded by rice?

"Ahem, Chen Ruojiang?"

...

If you get called out, you're in trouble.

"Yes." Chen Ruojiang wiped his mouth, stood up, and swallowed the food in his mouth.

Wei Li pointed out the letter tucked into his waistband again, but Chen Ruojiang stared at his toes and refused to look at him.

He's definitely going to show off this letter today.

"Chen Ruojiang, you've been away for half a month. Has your sister written to you yet?" Wei Li asked.

Qing Chang...

Chen Ruojiang remained silent. His sister was an ingrate; she had been having a passionate affair with that pretty boy Shen Du'an these past few months and had no time to care about her lonely brother.

Why does the lord always have to step on his foot and stab him in the heart every time he shows off?

“Chen Ruonan probably doesn’t want to trouble the courier by not writing to you. Actually, it’s nothing. Just have her give the letter to my wife and bring it along.” Wei Li took the letter out of his waist and patted it in his palm. “Anyway, my wife often sends letters here. It’s just a small favor, don’t worry about the trouble.”

"...Yes, thank you, my lord." My first attempt to refuse to be the straight man failed.

Others only thought that Wei Li was really good to Deputy General Chen, even remembering to show concern for him in small matters like family letters. No one understood Chen Ruojiang's helplessness and heartache.

Since Wei Li had brought it up, Chen Ruojiang, who was unwilling to play the straight man, quickly flattered him, saying, "My lord and his wife have been married for two years, and their relationship is still so good."

Satisfied, Wei Li stroked the envelope, finally deigning to tuck it into his pocket. He proudly raised his chin, "What can I do? She missed me terribly even after being away from me for just one day. That's why she wrote me this letter. Pingzhou's political affairs are so busy, yet she still finds time to write to me. She's so clingy..."

"The lady has her lord in her heart and a grand vision for the future. She manages Pingzhou in an orderly manner, which is far beyond what an ordinary woman can do!"

"I was only promoted this year. I didn't have the chance to see Madam's heroic figure when the lord got married. I hope I can see her at the celebration banquet when I go back this time. I'm sure Madam is a heroine who is even more admirable than General Song Xuan and Dr. Sun."

After a round of flattery, Wei Li not only heard others praise Zhao Xiheng but also boasted about his relationship with her. He felt completely satisfied. "There will be opportunities, there will be opportunities. I'm the one in charge at home. If I talk to her, she will definitely agree."

Chen Ruojiang was almost blinded by his smug expression, and wanted to shake Wei Li by the collar and shout at him, "Wake up! You've written dozens of letters home, and your wife has only replied to a few, and you're already so smug? Last time you bought clothes, who couldn't afford to pay and had to pay in installments? What kind of head of the household are you?"

But upon reflection, he realized he didn't have a wife yet, and he couldn't very well be disrespectful, so he ultimately suppressed the thought.

He should have abandoned Wei Li back then and gone to seek refuge with someone else, whether it was Jiang Su or Xie Qingyu, rather than having to suffer such humiliation with them.

He coveted this job, and now he can't escape it; he regrets it.

Wei Li had shown off enough, so he waved his hand and said, "You guys continue eating."

Then he turned and went back to his own tent.

I haven't even opened the letter yet...

He couldn't wait to scrape off the sealing wax with a knife.

"I found a box under your study window. I'm giving you a piece of paper to explain. Reply quickly."

Wei Li frowned. Did she have to write such a thing in her letter?

Or did she not utter a single word about thinking of him?

What box under the study window? What is it? He has no idea!

That thing wasn't his, it definitely wasn't his. He didn't remember burying anything under the window; it was probably some servant who secretly hid it, and now they're blaming him.

Wei Li felt wronged and heartbroken. He had just acted like a fool and boasted to them about his family letter.

"My lord, Wang Liulang has arrived." Wang Liulang was Wang Zhiyao's sixth son, the youngest and the one he favored the most.

Because of his youth and impetuousness, he was less composed and thoughtful than his brothers, and seemed more impatient.

He rushed in and hurriedly pulled off his hood, demanding, "When are you going to help me?"

Wei Li slowly shoved the letter back, changed his expression, and said, "Get out and come back in."

Wang Liulang's hands were clenched at his sides, his jaw was clenched tightly, but this time he came out behind his brothers' backs and could not delay, so he had to go out aggressively and then come back in, acting obediently.

"Sit down." Wei Li raised his chin. "You need my help now, so speak properly." If it weren't for the fact that the sixth brother was the easiest to fool among the remaining brothers of the Wang family, and that he dared to speak to him like that, he would have chopped him up long ago.

Wang Liulang retorted, "I clearly promised you six cities as a reward after the deed was done. We have an equal exchange. You're the one who benefits the most by getting six cities without bloodshed."

“Then I can help your other brothers too.” Wei Li didn’t even look at him directly.

The more this happened, the more reliable Wang Liulang felt Wei Li was. If Wei Li was overly attentive to him, he would suspect that there was some conspiracy involved.

"You're talking nonsense! The third, fourth, and fifth brothers are all contacting their maternal families, trying to get involved in Qingzhou through outsiders. Their maternal grandparents' families are all powerful clans in Qingzhou. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Why would they need you? If you don't make plans soon, you'll end up with nothing," Wang Liulang said, frowning.

His mother's status was not prominent, unlike his brothers' maternal grandparents' family, which was powerful and influential. He only dared to compete because he had accumulated connections over the years, thanks to his mother's favor.

"Don't speak too confidently. Your third and fourth brothers' maternal families have been declining in recent years. Do you think they haven't secretly contacted me? But they're too stingy." Wei Li casually pointed at him. "I'll lend you three thousand men to raise an army. You have to give me a satisfactory answer."

The situation had dragged on long enough, and Wang Liulang could no longer contain himself under pressure from all sides.

Wang Liulang opened his mouth, wanting to ask how he could be sure that Wei Li wasn't lending him these three thousand men to reap the benefits, but he knew that if he asked, their alliance would collapse.

After much deliberation, he finally decided to take a gamble. In any case, whichever of his brothers took over, he wouldn't have a good life.

Moreover, he has more than three thousand men under his command. Even if Wei Li's men were to rebel, at most both sides would be severely injured, and Wei Li would gain nothing.

After Wang Liulang left, Wei Li calculated that he would lend Wang Sanlang two thousand men, Wang Silang three thousand, and Wang Liulang three thousand, for a total of eight thousand men. These men would travel in disguise, and the three of them made things very convenient for them.

qingchang

The three brothers had similar ideas: since Qingzhou was already stagnant, why not introduce fresh water to stir things up and perhaps turn the dead end into a new one?

Hopefully, the three of them weren't working together to put on a show for him. Wei Li dusted himself off and stood up, then suddenly woke up in a flash.

He did throw a box out the window.

Two years ago, a gilded lip rouge box, with a design on the lid...