Chapter 306 Zhang Liang Looking for Someone
Ying Zheng still needed to discuss the specific plan to destroy Chu with several generals and prime ministers, so Zhao Yuanxi was not too worried about it.
If there was civil unrest in Chu and Qin could not conquer Chu successfully, then she should have doubted whether the generals under Ying Zheng were really as powerful as in history.
Now that she had come to Shanglin Garden, she felt itchy looking at the trees full of fruits. If she didn't pick some to take back, it would be a wasted trip.
Seeing that she hadn't left yet, Ying Zheng stared at the fruit on the top of the tree and asked, "Do you want to pick it?"
"Well, pick some and take them back to try. It can also be used as a snack for Zhuangzhuang. If there are too many, make some jam."
Zhao Yuanxi ordered someone to bring a ladder and climbed up the tree to pick the apples and pears.
At that time, apples were not called apples, but a fruit called nai. They were small and tasted sour. They were not very good when eaten directly, but they were very good for making jam.
In less than an hour, Zhao Yuanxi had a good harvest, picking a large basket of fruits. Seeing that Ying Zheng had not left yet, he picked out a few of the largest and reddest ones and gave them to him, saying with a smile, "Although they are not very sweet, they are appetizing. You should try them too."
Unfortunately, cultivating tree species is not something that can be accomplished overnight, otherwise she would like Ying Zheng to taste some modern large and sweet fruits.
Perhaps after he conquers the six kingdoms, he can send people around the world to collect delicious fruits, vegetables, and grain crop seeds.
Ying Zheng held the fruits in his hand and casually picked one up and put it in his mouth. It was so sour.
Zhao Yuanxi also knew that these fruits tasted sour, so after tasting them, he made them into jam. The fresh fruit pulp was mixed with honey and boiled to become a sticky and sweet jam. Paired with baked steamed bread slices, it was fragrant, crispy and sweet.
The two little ones liked it very much, and she also sent someone to deliver a few jars of the jam to the Qin Palace.
As autumn passed and spring came, the Qin State welcomed the new year.
After so many days, Zhao Yuanxi finally received good news. She found Xiao He and even found Liu Bang's hometown.
It’s just that Liu Bang has not returned home yet, and now he only has his old father and a few brothers at home.
If it were not inconvenient for her to leave Qin, she would have wanted to fly to Fengyi to see them at this moment.
At that time, Xiao He was not yet the chief clerk of Fengyi. He was just a scholar with some knowledge and a little wealth at home.
Zhao Yuanxi owns a lot of land near Fengyi, which is now temporarily managed by someone and used for growing sugarcane. As for other people in Fengyi, many of them have chosen to grow cotton, or at least learn to grow sugarcane like Zhao Yuanxi.
But the Xiao family was different from others and continued to grow crops such as rice and beans.
This unusual behavior attracted the attention of the people sent by Zhao Yuanxi. After several inquiries, they discovered that the Xiao family was the home of Xiao He that the Queen Mother was looking for.
Xiao He keenly noticed that there were a lot more unfamiliar faces near his home. Those people seemed to be coming for him. He was horrified. Could it be that he was being targeted by bandits?
After all, the Xiao family had little wealth in Feng County, and there were not many people in the family. It was indeed possible to attack their family.
In order to guard against horse bandits that might appear at any time, Xiao He set up many traps in his home, just waiting for people to come and fall into his trap.
However, he did not wait for the horse bandits, but instead waited for a young man in gorgeous clothes.
Zhang Liang took a carriage to the place the Queen Mother mentioned, which was just an ordinary courtyard.
Xiao He looked at the man in front of him warily, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Zhang Liang bowed to him and said gently, "I am Zhang Liang. I have come from Xianyang to seek an audience with you, sir..."
Xiao He never thought that he would be noticed by the Queen Mother of Qin just by staying here. Is he really a genius?
"Sir, I'm quite moved by what you said. But I don't understand how Queen Mother Zhao could know such an unknown person like me."
Although he was extremely confident in his abilities, he was not confident enough that his name could spread to the Qin State.
Zhang Liangruo said that he didn't understand why the Queen Mother asked him to travel across mountains and rivers to find such a person, but when he really met this person, he couldn't help but feel like they were old friends. After chatting for a while, he became more and more convinced that this person was extraordinary.
"The Queen Mother has some property here, and the steward admires Mr. Liang's talent very much, so he recommended him to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother heard about Mr. Liang's talent, so she asked Liang to come and meet him."
Zhang Liang had already thought of this argument, and then he added, "If you are willing to manage the Queen Mother's property in Fengyi, you will naturally have a share of the profits."
Xiao He didn't expect that the few wealthy families that appeared near Fengyi in recent years were all subordinates of the Queen Mother of Qin, and those places that provided livelihoods for many Chu people were her properties.
With just a quick calculation, he concluded that most of Fengyi's revenue came from those places. His place was just one of them, and the situation was roughly the same in several cities near Fengyi.
Xiao He couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine. The war between Qin and Chu was imminent. What was the purpose of the Queen Mother of Qin establishing such a large industry in Fengyi?
You can't just think that this place has good feng shui, right?
The price offered by the other party was so generous that Xiao He couldn't refuse it. Moreover, the State of Chu was in danger now, and he should find a way to survive. So he did not refuse and accepted the invitation, becoming a senior management talent in charge of Chu's trade under Zhao Yuanxi.
Zhang Liang put away the contract signed by Xiao He and put it in his arms. The two of them had similar interests and started drinking together again. When they were drunk, there was a bang on the door.
Xiao He apologized to Zhang Liang and asked his servant to go and see what was going on.
As soon as the door opened, a monkey slid in through the crack. Before the child could stop it, he saw a figure running in hurriedly. He hurriedly shouted, "Stop, stop! This is not a place you can just come in!"
The little boy hurried over, only to see that the ruffian had already sat down with his master. He picked up the wine cup and poured it into his mouth. After drinking a few cups, he seemed to come alive. "Brother Xiao, let me have a few mouthfuls first. You don't know, I almost died on the road this way."
Xiao He waved at the boy and told him to prepare some more wine and food. He then raised his glass to Zhang Liang apologetically, "I'm sorry for being rude, brother. I hope you will forgive me, Brother Zhang."
Such a rude look really shocked Zhang Liang, but fortunately he was a man who had experienced many storms and did not lose his composure because of this. He smiled and replied, "No problem."
Liu Ji breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing that there was someone sitting opposite Xiao He, a stranger. He was a little embarrassed at first, but quickly calmed down. Seeing that the man was well-dressed, he knew that he was Xiao He's guest.
The two exchanged glances, and Liu Ji immediately understood that this was one of his own. He raised his glass to Zhang Liang and said with a smile, "I am Liu Ji, a native of Fengyi. I made a fool of myself just now. I will drink three cups as punishment."
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