Chapter 592: The Xiongnu Mission
The Bai family and the Zhang family are both big merchants in the capital. Although the Bai family's business has been doing well in recent years and has overshadowed the Zhang family, if they really attack the Zhang family, they will hurt the enemy by a thousand and suffer eight hundred losses themselves.
This is actually a losing business, and a smart businessman will not do a losing business.
But Bai Muyang did it anyway.
In order to bring down the Zhang family, he is like a mad dog, regardless of the consequences.
Faced with the Bai family's aggressive targeting, the Zhang family was not panicked at first and responded carefully.
However, he was soon bitten by the mad dog and was unable to resist.
Master Zhang was quickly timid and forced Zhang Cai to kneel at the gate of the Bai Mansion for several days and nights before he finally saw Bai Muyang. He quickly begged for peace and gave up many benefits to the Bai family, hoping that the Bai family would show mercy.
"Master Bai, Master Bai, it is our Zhang family's fault in this matter. It is my fault for not educating my children well. I beg Master Bai to show mercy and let our Zhang family go." Master Zhang said with a smile on his face.
However, Bai Muyang remained indifferent to Mr. Zhang's request for peace.
"Master Bai, I'm giving you all this business. You should earn an extra 10,000 taels this year. Why bother with that for a woman..."
Bai Muyang's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Tan Niang is not an ordinary woman, she is the one I like. Butler, please show the guest away."
Master Zhang was dragged out.
As these two major businesses compete, other merchants are happy to watch from the sidelines, hoping to perhaps pick up some benefits.
Originally, everyone thought that this outcome would be a lose-lose situation for both sides.
It is said that Bai Muyang did this for a woman. For a woman, he affected the Bai family's business, which is really not worth it.
This is what men think.
Women have a different view.
Bai Muyang's actions can be described as a rage for his beloved! Who would have thought that the usually gentle and polite Bai Ye could have such a vigorous and tough side!
They all thought that Mr. Bai was a really good man, and the woman who made Mr. Bai so angry was even more blessed.
The subsequent development of this incident was also quite unexpected.
It was originally thought that the two families were evenly matched and would be entangled for a while, but it turned out that the Zhang family was like a paper tiger, vulnerable to every blow, and was defeated in just three months.
Looking at the Bai family on the other hand, it seems that they haven’t suffered any serious damage?
It was not obvious on ordinary days, but after this fight, everyone realized that the Bai family was much stronger than the Zhang family. Defeating the Zhang family did not have much impact on the Bai family.
The Bai family is surprisingly the largest merchant in the capital.
Mr. Zhang watched his huge family business vanish into thin air. He found it unbelievable and felt like he was dreaming.
He was unwilling to give up, so he went to seek help from his in-laws, the Du family, but was turned away.
Mr. Zhang could only return to the Zhang family in a daze and beat Zhang Cai severely, making him breathe out more than breathe in.
The prosperous Zhang family was ruined by such a useless son!
If I had known earlier that Zhang Cai would do those things, I should have beaten him to death and apologized to the Bai family!
Or maybe he shouldn't have been allowed to provoke Tan Niang earlier!
However, it was too late.
The Zhang family is completely finished...
Of course, this is all in the past.
…
As for the matter of Gu Huaijin and Princess Jingshu, the two have long been in tune with each other and their relationship is getting better day by day.
Gu Huaijin wished he could marry the princess as soon as possible so that they could live together forever.
However, Princess Jingshu is a princess of the royal family and is favored by the emperor. She is the apple of his eye. With such a precious identity, it should be Gu Huaijin's father, General Gu, who should propose marriage.
Because General Gu was always away fighting, this matter was delayed for many months.
In the absence of a father, an elder brother is like a father. Seeing his younger brother's deep affection for the princess, Gu Huai Nian took the opportunity in January to tentatively raise the matter with the emperor. However, the emperor simply avoided the topic and did not respond.
Princess Jingshu also mentioned this matter to the emperor, and said coquettishly that she liked Gu Huaijin and wanted to marry him.
When she talked about Gu Huaijin, her beautiful eyes lit up, and she obviously liked him very much.
The emperor scratched her upturned little nose and said, "Azhi is your father's little darling, so your father must carefully choose a consort for Azhi and not just casually."
From what he said, he clearly disagreed with what happened between Princess Jingshu and Gu Huaijin.
Marquis' Mansion.
"I was not doing my job properly before, and now I am just a Yulin Guard. Your Majesty, do you think I am unreliable?" Gu Huaijin said with some distress.
There were some things he couldn't say to others, so he could only come to his sister to complain.
He used to be a bohemian, free-spirited dandy, unrestrained and not afraid of what others said, and he thought there was nothing wrong with it.
However, now that he has someone he likes, he feels a little regretful.
If he had known earlier, he would have found a good job, either to join the court or to follow his father to the battlefield and earn an official title. Perhaps he and Azhi would not have had such a hard time.
He sees Azhi every day now, and every time he can't help but want to kiss her.
However, Gu Huaijin liked her very much and could not bear to desecrate her. The two of them did not get married, and could only express their feelings within the framework of etiquette.
Moreover, if the emperor did not agree, he would not be able to marry Azhi.
If the emperor has a favorite concubine...
The more Gu Huaijin thought about it, the more anxious he became, and he was almost annoyed to death.
Tangli actually felt that the problem did not lie here.
"There has always been an unwritten rule that those who marry a princess cannot hold an important position. For some ambitious people, marrying a princess is not a good thing. Because if they marry a princess, their official career will end there." Tang Li said.
Therefore, even if Gu Huaijin followed his father to the battlefield and became a famous general like his second brother, he would be even less suitable to be a son-in-law.
"Then why, Your Majesty..." Gu Huaijin frowned.
Tang Li felt that it was probably because the emperor felt that the Gu family was too powerful. General Gu held military power, Gu Da was the Minister of Justice, and the son-in-law of the Gu family was the Minister of Justice...
If it were any other princess, it would be fine. The emperor married the princess to a court official, firstly to show his favor, and secondly to win over the court official. If it were an unfavored princess, it would be to win over the Gu family. But Princess Jingshu was too favored. Her marriage would bring glory and prestige to the Gu family.
If this is the case, then the relationship between her third brother and Princess Jingshu will be rather bumpy.
Gu Huaijin had obviously thought of this, and his eyes dimmed.
"Dad will be back soon. When he comes back, let him try to propose to His Majesty." Tang Li said.
"If this really happens, won't the Gu family be put on the fire?" Gu Huaijin said in a muffled voice.
He wanted to marry Ah Zhi, but if the Gu family became feared by the emperor and brought danger to the Gu family, then he...
Gu Huaijin was caught in a dilemma and had a hard time taking any step forward.
"You and the princess truly love each other, there is always a way to break the deadlock." Tang Li said.
Gu Huaijin nodded and cheered up: "When the car reaches the mountain, there will always be a way; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out."
After Gu Huaijin left, Tang Li sighed softly.
In fact, something else will happen this year.
According to the plot of the novel, this year, the Hun envoys will come to Beijing, and the second Hun prince will be among the envoys.
This year, the second prince of the Xiongnu met Princess Jingshu and fell in love with her.
However, according to the original plot, the princess had already married Guo Hanxue. It was useless for the second Xiongnu prince to be interested in her. Moreover, the emperor was still alive and doted on Princess Jingshu, so he would never let Princess Jingshu marry.
However, this incident also planted the seeds of disaster.
That was a few years later, the emperor passed away, Zhao Shu ascended the throne, and the second prince of the Xiongnu became Khan. He remembered the princess whom he had once glimpsed, and came to propose marriage.
With Zhu Chunjiao's instigation, the marriage was completed and the princess was sent to the Xiongnu. After that...
Now the story has changed.
Princess Jingshu did not marry Guo Hanxue, but was in love with her third brother.
Unfortunately, their marriage encountered obstacles and the emperor did not agree.
Tang Li was really worried that the arrival of the second Xiongnu prince would make their marriage even worse.
…
At this time, in a city close to the capital.
In the post station.
The Xiongnu envoys are temporarily staying here.
Second floor.
A tall, burly man stood upright in front of the window. His eyes were sunken, his nose was high, and his face was covered with a beard. He had a very rugged appearance, and his eyes were filled with ambition that could not be concealed. He was wearing Hanfu, but he had an unconcealable wildness.
This was the second prince of the Xiongnu, who had mixed in with the envoys and came to the Great Zhou in person.
He looked at the prosperity of the city, where the people lived peacefully, well-fed and well-clothed, with abundant resources, unlike them, who lived on that barren land and had to migrate with the changing seasons.
There was greed in his eyes. One day, he would bring his warriors to this fertile land and enjoy the rich soil and water!
Over the years, if it weren't for that kid Lao Ba fighting with him, he would have become the Khan of the Huns long ago, and might have realized his dream long ago.
He got angry when he thought of that kid Lao Ba.
At the beginning, Lao Ba was held hostage in Da Zhou. He originally wanted him to die in Da Zhou and then take the opportunity to launch a war against Da Zhou.
Who knew that this kid was so lucky that he actually ran back to the Huns and fought against him!
The two fought for several years, but there was no winner.
This time he came to the Great Zhou among the Huns' envoys, hoping to seek help from the Great Zhou and find an alliance to help him deal with Lao Ba and make him the Khan of the Huns!
A hint of cruelty flashed in the second prince's eyes.
In the city, in another inn.
A young man in ordinary clothes was sitting in the middle. He had a handsome appearance, but there was a scar on the right side of his face, which made him look less elegant and more aggressive.
This young man was the eighth prince of the Xiongnu, Po Nu.
The scar on Po Nu's face was not caused by anyone else, but...
His father, the Khan, thought he looked too much like a Han Chinese. As Xiongnu people, they were supposed to be as fierce and ferocious as hungry wolves, so he personally cut a bloody scar on his face.
When his father Khan saw the bloodstain, he was very satisfied and patted his shoulder and praised him.
Over the years, he and the second brother have been fighting constantly.
He knew that the second brother had come to the Great Zhou in the Xiongnu delegation, and he also knew the purpose of his trip.
So he also came to Da Zhou quietly. After many years, he set foot on the land of Da Zhou again, and his mood was very complicated.
To him, the Great Zhou was a cage where there was no light all year round, but it was also somewhat warm.
His purpose on this trip was not only to destroy the second brother's goal, but also to find the benefactor who saved him.
His benefactor was not in Qinzhou City, and no one knew where he had gone.
I don’t know what happened to Sister Hua, Tangli, and the mountain man who was holding him, or whether they are okay.
A hint of tenderness flashed across Po Nu's wolf-like eyes, but it disappeared in a flash.
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