Not to mention that the people he usually interacts with are all among the richest families in Tai'an County, when his children go to school, the scholars take the initiative to accept them as disciples, and when his boys join the army, the generals provide them with support.
Nowadays, even the princes have become the younger generation of the Tai family!
If one day he saw the emperor sitting in the Tai family yard slurping noodles with his own eyes, he probably wouldn't be surprised!
The Sixth Prince, perhaps aware of his own special status, bowed and greeted Chen Zhao. "Come to think of it, Ruiyang calls my aunt his foster mother, so we are of the same generation. If Shopkeeper Chen doesn't mind, I'll follow my cousins and call you Uncle Chen."
How could Chen Zhao dare to do that? He waved his hands frantically, bowed repeatedly, and replied, "Your Highness, no, no! I am just an ordinary merchant, I don't deserve Your Highness's treatment!"
It was Tai Jiye who helped to smooth things over, and it was finally decided that Chen Zhao would address the Sixth Prince as "Your Highness". If there were outsiders present and it was not convenient to address him that way, he could just call him Kang Cheng.
The Sixth Prince addressed Chen Zhao as "Manager Chen" without confusing the hierarchy.
Everyone sat down at once, and He Xiong personally ordered his guards to cook a new plate of dumplings for the Sixth Prince.
The Sixth Prince didn't hesitate and ate most of the plate in one breath. He smiled and praised, "This must be Second Aunt's cooking, right? Speaking of which, I haven't been home for a long time. I wonder if Grandpa is in good health? How are things at home?"
Tai Jiye smiled and replied, "Everything is fine at home. My father is in the best health possible. At least when he hits me, he can swing his pipe so hard that it flies off the ground. He took Brother He and the others hunting in the mountains, and they even brought back a brown bear and a Siberian leopard!"
He Xiong was surprised and interrupted, asking, "Uncle Tai has been retired for many years, but he hasn't forgotten his knife skills! However, brown bears and Siberian leopards are not easy to deal with, so uncle should also consider his own safety!"
Tai Jiye waved his hands and quickly explained, "It's not really my father who killed the brown bear and the leopard. It was really a fight between these two guys, and my father and his men picked up the loose end."
Speaking of this, we naturally have to explain the whereabouts of the two good skins. After all, the Tai family did not give them to the general, nor did they keep them for the Sixth Prince.
But when it comes to the whereabouts of the leather, the premise is that the two boys were kidnapped. Tai Jiye considered it carefully and finally explained a few words.
The Sixth Prince frowned and demanded, "Who is so audacious as to kidnap one of our family members? Have you found the mastermind behind this?"
Tai Jiye wanted to tell him, but his father was very secretive about it, so he didn't dare to ask.
At this moment, he could only bring out the Tai family's unified statement to the outside world, "I guess our family is doing well, which makes others jealous, so they want to kidnap our family members and extort some money.
“However, fortunately, Yonglu and Yongyue were smart, Zhimaqiu had a good nose, and they even happened to meet Brother Chen returning from the south with a convoy, so they were able to successfully rescue the two boys.
"You all know that my father is a generous and righteous man. He naturally wants to thank the Wu and Min families generously for their help. Therefore, both skins were given away. Next time our family gets something good, I will definitely keep it for the general and His Highness."
He Xiong immediately declined, "We are all family, don't be so polite. As long as my family is safe and sound, nothing else matters."
The Sixth Prince also responded, "General He is right. Nothing is more important than the safety of my family."
After a pause, he brought up the previous topic and asked, "I just heard outside that Manager Chen is going to the grassland royal court to help the third prince win the throne of Khan?"
Chen Zhao felt a little uneasy, but he still replied, "Yes, Your Highness, you heard correctly. The Third Prince and I met by chance, and we have a life-or-death relationship. This time, as the grassland is in danger, I want to lend him a hand."
The Sixth Prince frowned and looked at Tai Jiye and the other boys. He said, "Manager Chen is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, so I can't stop him. But this journey is bound to be fraught with danger. Should Third Uncle and my cousins not come along? If there's anything you need at home, just let me know and I'll have it delivered directly to your home."
Tai Jiye didn't know the situation on the grassland before he set out. Now that he heard the inside story, he was a little confused.
As a man, he was determined to go with Chen Zhao, even if it was dangerous. But he was accompanied by several other young men, plus more than twenty members of his tribe. What if they all got stuck on the grassland and couldn't get out...
Tai Yonglu, Tai Yongyue and Chen Ruiyang all noticed something was going on. They were afraid of being left behind and made promises repeatedly.
"Uncle San, cousin! Don't leave us behind, we want to go to the grassland too."
"Yes, yes! We've all come out and we're definitely not going back!"
"We'll be obedient and won't be a burden! And Grandpa sent us out here just to train our courage. We're not afraid of danger!"
Tai Jiye was embarrassed and didn't say anything for a while.
Chen Zhao felt guilty and said, "Jiye, why don't you take the children and the tribe back? I'll lead the caravan into the grasslands, and I'll take care of your goods."
Tai Jiye immediately objected, "No, Brother Chen, I can't watch you take risks alone."
When the two sides were at a stalemate, the Sixth Prince spoke again, "Since that's the case, why don't I send you some more guards? If anything happens, they can also protect our families. Of course, they will disguise themselves as convoy guards or drivers, and will only be responsible for your safety. They will not interfere with anything else.
In addition, Shopkeeper Chen wants to help the Third Prince seize the throne of Khan. I also have a plan. Would you like to hear it?"
"Okay, Your Highness, please speak." Chen Zhao responded quickly, looking very humble.
The Sixth Prince poured him some wine himself and said, "The Third Prince's power is somewhat weaker than the other princes. If the Khan suddenly dies and the princes fight among themselves, the Third Prince has little chance of winning. Since the Living Buddha supports the Third Prince and is willing to persuade the Khan to pass on the throne, then letting the Khan live, even for a year or two longer, will be beneficial to the Third Prince."
"I have a good doctor with me. He can bring some extra herbs and accompany you on a trip to the grassland to try to cure the Khan. Even if I can't extend his life by a year or two, I can give the Third Prince a deadline so he has an idea. And you can respond in time, withdraw early, and return safely."
"Are you serious?" Chen Zhao's eyes lit up when he heard this. He quickly stood up and bowed to express his gratitude. "Thank you for your help, Your Highness. This trip gives us a little more security."
The Sixth Prince refused to take credit for the work, and returned the greeting with a bow, saying, "There's no need for this, Manager Chen. All of this is premised on your friendship with the Third Prince and your ability to gain his trust. Otherwise, even if I had a miraculous doctor who could bring the dead back to life, I wouldn't be able to bring him before the Khan."
Tai Jiye watched from the side and understood everything clearly.
Chen Zhao agreed to this plan, ultimately out of trust in the Tai family. Without their connections, he wouldn't have so easily accepted the guards and doctors. After all, even the slightest selfish motive from these people could ruin his relationship with the Third Prince. It could even cost everyone their lives!
He Xiong thought more. The Sixth Prince's guards and doctors were sent to the grassland, and they would definitely bring back first-hand news from the royal court when they returned.
Although there is no war between the grasslands and the Wei Dynasty now, it never hurts to know both yourself and the enemy...
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