Chapter 76 Greetings, Your Majesty!
After many days apart, Lu Xing and Yan Dibai were not as formal as before when they met again. Pingwu brought out a prayer mat, and the two understood each other and sat cross-legged facing each other.
"Young master, have you summoned me because of something at Potang?"
After exchanging tacit pleasantries, Yan Dibai stroked his teacup. It was celadon, but its color was paler than the tribute teacups from the palace. He had never seen anything like it before; he paused, feigning ignorance, and opened his mouth to speak.
They're really patient.
Lu Xing smiled slightly. At this point, she was too lazy to pretend anymore. Her gaze hardened, and she cut to the chase:
“My lord, you are truly wise. I still need a plan. If you can help me make further progress in this matter of Tiaoxi Pond, I will personally inform my grandfather and ask you to come to my side.”
Lu Xing's thoughts were very direct.
Strategists crave fame and prestige, but such prestige often requires a worthy patron. Lu Xi was greedy; having Zhang Bian by his side, he also desired Fang Bai. But Fang Bai was idle and could hardly contribute to his reputation. Since Zhang Bian wasn't entirely incompetent, and Lu Xi didn't fully trust this young man, Lu Xing only needed to achieve some merit, and then, through his grandfather's connections, he could legitimately and openly acquire Fang Bai.
Yan Dibai, as expected, understood and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate has a plan."
Lu Xing was overjoyed and stepped forward to help him up: "Speak!"
The young man smiled and said, "Please listen closely, my lord."
"Regulate by dividing the land. I request that the lord petition the head of the household to report to Governor Wang and implement the system of dividing open fields and mulberry fields in the prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction."
"Lutian is official land, planted with rice and millet. Most of the grain produced is used as military supplies and treasury, directly strengthening Governor Wang's power. The Lu family can voluntarily offer some of their land as a model in exchange for the right to oversee this matter."
“The mulberry fields can be used as permanent land for cultivation. We should encourage the planting of mulberry trees and hemp to develop the textile industry. Governor Wang will collect taxes from the output of this industry, and the Lu family can dominate the profits of the textile industry in Jiangzuo based on this foundation. This is another way to make money.”
At Shise Garden, Lu Xu gazed at his grandson, whose face was full of certainty, his hand stroking his beard lingering for a long time.
Lu Xingben was full of confidence, but to his surprise, his grandfather did not praise him as usual after listening, but instead pondered for a long time.
Lu Xing asked anxiously, "What does Grandfather think?"
Lu Xu sighed, "Qianzhi, you've done enough lately. If you keep rushing forward, you'll become the target of everyone's criticism, and it will be a losing proposition."
Lu Xing was taken aback: "What do you mean by that, Grandfather? Qianzhi is wholeheartedly devoted to the Lu family, not just to compete with my brother! I thought about it carefully on my way home. Northerners brought their skills south, and the Jiangnan region is suitable for mulberry trees. It is indeed a good opportunity to promote weaving!"
"Why were the people of Shu Kingdom so peaceful and prosperous in the past? Wasn't it because of the enormous profits from Shu brocade? The profits from silk far exceeded those from rice and grain. The elder brother was in charge of rice and grain, and the grandson was in charge of silk weaving. They could support each other and not suffer losses together."
Lu Xumo.
How could he not know what his grandson was thinking?
However, the power struggles among the various aristocratic families of Jiangzuo are treacherous, making this a time for caution. Lu Xi has already attracted considerable attention; what if another one…?
Lu Xing continued rambling on, while Lu Xu closed his eyes. "Qianzhi, this method is remarkably similar to the one Youzhi proposed. How did it come about?"
Lu Xing was stunned. Just as he was about to bring Yan Dibai's existence into the open, Lu Xu waved his hand and said:
"Grandfather, please consider it."
Meanwhile, Lu Xi received news that Lu Xing had entered Shilai Garden, and his face instantly darkened even more. He had been supervising the construction for days, and his skin had darkened several shades, unlike his previous life of pampered comfort.
Zhang Bian sipped his wine, his feather fan swaying gently. "With our lord as our protector, the Lu family will not easily establish a second one. The Fifth Young Master's power is not yet fully developed; he is likely just making a dying struggle."
Lu Xi was worried. "I've heard that he's often away from home lately, and I wonder what he's secretly plotting. Although my grandfather is keeping an eye on him, Lu Xi is treacherous and I'm afraid he'll try to sabotage things behind the scenes."
A mysterious smile reappeared on Zhang Bian's face.
Lu Xi was filled with trepidation, and then he said:
"Supervising the construction of the embankment will take at least a year, and at most three to five years. Right now, the most important thing is to take advantage of this favorable situation to secure a strong marriage for the future. Miss Wang's good friend, Miss Cui, returned to Yuhang a couple of days ago, and it seems she is going to hold an elegant gathering next month."
Lu Xi's eyes gleamed.
The gathering was a perfect opportunity for the sons of prominent families to meet. Wang Shu never returned his visiting cards, so this was indeed a good chance for them to meet.
If Cui Shenxiu could invite all the prominent families in Wu County, it would be much easier to gather information.
Lu Xi calmed down, "I've been busy repairing the pond lately and forgot about Fang Bai. He's been staying at the inn for a while now, so it's time to bring him out and use him."
Zhang Bian clapped his hands:
"It was Fang Langjun who promised to resolve the dispute between the four families and deal with the disaster of the overseas Chinese. It's just a pity that his health is so poor, I don't know if he can withstand this."
“I saved his life, so it’s only right that he comes back.”
Zhang Bian smiled faintly, then turned to watch the laborers carrying bricks and chopping wood, pounding the ground with loud thuds.
This is true, reasonable, and justified.
From the very beginning, Fang Bai was a scapegoat for Lu Xi's conspiracy with him. Lu Xi's identity was inconvenient, and he was a familiar face; only a small-time strategist with no family or relatives was suitable to take the blame. Once the time was right, they could simply kill him.
But Fang Bai isn't a sheep; he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Even worse, Fang Bai himself doesn't even exist.
Before Zhang Bian could even express his feelings, a troop of soldiers quickly rode to Lu Xi's side with a serious expression.
"I'm busy, what urgent matter does Grandfather have?" Lu Xi asked, puzzled. A servant whispered in his ear, "Lu Xing?!" Upon hearing the report, Lu Xi nearly flew into a rage. "Sir, come home with me immediately!"
The sky suddenly darkened, turning completely black. Zhang Bian peered out from behind the car window.
Brothers quarrel in the blink of an eye.
There was a time when he and Chen Mian were in the same situation.
How lamentable, how lamentable.
-
"Ah Bai! Ah Bai!!!"
Qingqing searched the streets, but Yan Dibai seemed to have vanished into thin air; not a single hair could be seen.
As the autumn downpours approached, every household closed their doors and windows tightly. The messy footprints on the loess soil were washed into a non-Newtonian solid, and once you stepped in, you couldn't pull your foot out for a long time.
Since their last appointment, Yan Dibai had never left without a word for so long. Qingqing's heart pounded. She searched until she was soaked to the bone but couldn't find him. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and run towards the inn.
The proprietress is one of Lu Xi's people; explaining the situation to her might solve the problem.
She searched for a long time, and three burly figures at the alley entrance watched her furtively for quite some time. Li Si watched helplessly as the neatly dressed girl was soaked to the bone, and he already felt sorry for her. Then he saw Qingqing accidentally fall into the mud and limp out, so he simply bared his teeth, his mountain-like body rushed into the rain, and grabbed Qingqing by the rain, pulling her along the alley with one arm in each hand.
"Excuse me!" The force on his arm was as strong as an iron clamp. Qingqing screamed instinctively, kicking and twisting wildly in terror, but Li Si covered her mouth with his hands, leaving her only able to whimper and stare blankly.
"Don't bother looking for a girl, this autumn rain will make you sick!"
Seeing the intense reaction, Li Si embarrassedly lowered his hand from his mouth and tossed his straw hat behind his head:
"Don't be afraid, young lady, we've met before! I'll let go, don't scream."
Qingqing froze. The person under the bamboo hat had a dark face covered in fat, and a pair of large, bright eyes staring intently at her. This person—
"You, you are—you are the big man from that day???"
"It is indeed me, young lady, you do remember me!"
Li Si grinned, grabbed the shocked Qingqing, and said to the similarly dressed people behind him:
"Young lady, these are my two elder brothers, Zhang San with his round red face and Wang Wu with his long yellow face!"
"Hello, young lady!"
Zhang San and Wang Wu had been watching for a long time, and now they were both slightly excited. They immediately bowed to Qingqing. When the two deep voices rang out at the same time, they were like thunder, which startled Qingqing.
"you?"
Qingqing glanced around at the burly men standing in a human wall, still not understanding the situation.
How did one man turn into three? Why did they arrest her and then do nothing but introduce themselves?
Also, why do the three men's chubby faces all exude a strange sense of satisfaction?
Li Si then came to his senses, chuckled sheepishly, and with a wave of his hand, a courtyard gate beside him creaked open.
Before Qingqing's shocked eyes, the three burly men said in unison, "Lady, please come in."
This isn't right, is it? Qingqing swallowed hard. "My husband is still waiting for me..."
Li Si: "Oh dear! Young lady, go inside to take shelter from the rain! We're clumsy and careless; if you get sick, how will you face your husband!"
Qingqing: "..." She could go to the inn to take shelter from the rain!
"Does the young lady want to go back and be at the mercy of that sly woman at the inn? She's no good; she's been keeping an eye on you!" Despite his imposing appearance, the burly man was quite the opposite of his shrewdness, adept at reading people. As he spoke, his eyes darted around, and he acted as if he'd known her for ages.
"I……"
"Hey! Miss, you're welcome to go!"
Qingqing entered the room in a daze, took the hot tea in a daze, and sat down by the fire pit to warm herself in a daze.
The burly men were very polite, but they only stared at her without saying a word.
Qingqing was puzzled and tried to strike up a conversation about their two encounters at the inn, but the group only chuckled and didn't answer. With no response to her many questions, she could only listlessly rub her hair.
When Yan Dibai rushed over, Qingqing's hair was still half-wet. Seeing the young man with the misty veil walking quickly towards her, she sat up abruptly. "You're back?"
"Yang Liuqing, how are you?" Yan Dibai threw away the umbrella, and the veil blocking his view was also shaken off by him. He grabbed her hand and carefully looked her over.
"It's all good. How did you know I was here?" Qingqing shook her head, finally relieved. She even had the heart to smile and show concern for him.
The boy had clearly waded through the muddy water, his legs and below covered in filth.
Ignoring his own feelings, Yan Dibai pursed his thin lips, his eyes still scrutinizing her.
Although she kept saying she was fine, the dampness on her body couldn't lie. Yan Dibai only needed to glance at her to see that her clothes clung tightly to her body's curves. Even though they were half-dry, she still smelled of the dust that came with rain.
"..." In just half an hour, Yang Liuqing had turned himself into a beggar.
Fortunately, no one was hurt. Yan Dibai couldn't explain for a moment, so he simply said:
"I have some new arrangements to make. I'll pack my bags and leave tonight."
His tone wasn't urgent, it was even calm. Qingqing knew something was up, and immediately became serious: "Let's go now."
"No rush, wait for the rain to stop." Yan Dibai washed his hands and removed the dirt with the rainwater, letting Qingqing dry herself first. Qingqing ran her fingers through her hair a few times, then suddenly remembered something.
"What about Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu?"
The big man who brought her here disappeared after Yan Dibai entered the room.
Yan Di raised his white eyebrows, looked around, and then spoke loudly:
"Everyone, come out."
The courtyard was deserted.
Yan Dibai took a few steps forward and stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves:
"You refuse to show yourself; do you want me to invite you?"
"…………"
Just as Yan Dibai's face turned cold and he was about to call out a third time, the courtyard gate creaked shut, revealing three people wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats covering their faces.
"Cough!" Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Wu shrank back and knelt down in a row with a thud:
"—Your subject Zhang San!"
"Your subject, King Wu!"
"—Your subject, Li Si!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com