Chapter 420 Her Preparations]
Xiao Yunshuo didn't say anything more.
Pavilion Master Song observed his expression and finally laughed heartily, "Mr. Gu's sincerity is naturally apparent to me. Mr. Gu, don't worry. Our Dark Pavilion has done a lot of business with you. My chief pavilion master is also aware of the advantages and benefits you can bring to the Dark Pavilion. In the future, we should cooperate more and share what we have!"
As everyone talked, they began to drink.
Xiao Yunshuo sat for a while, but because he was worried about the situation at Yanmen Pass, he made an excuse and left.
The banquet ended at midnight, and Master Gu, slightly drunk, was led to the guest room with his entourage.
After Pavilion Master Song's men left and closed the door, Gu Hongzhi stood up and said to his 'follower': "Boss, do you think what I said is acceptable?"
The attendant sat down, poured himself a glass of water, and said with a smile, "You answered very well."
If this follower is not Shen Fenghe, then who is it?
And this Gu Hongzhi was naturally the shopkeeper Gu that Shen Fenghe had met in Youzhou City before.
However, Shen Fenghe did not falsify his identity. He was indeed a distant branch of her grandfather's Gu family. This Gu Hongzhi was indeed engaged in the seafood business in Hedong Prefecture and had some business talent.
Chen Fenghe thought that since Xiao Yunshuo was going to stay in Shili Village for a while, and she was going to marry him for the second time, they would have to be together day and night in the future.
In this way, even with the ability of space teleportation, she would be somewhat overwhelmed to take into account the business operations of the Gu family and the disguise of Shili Village.
Moreover, Gu's business is getting bigger and bigger, and it is bound to be noticed by the superiors in Dayu in the future. Where did the money come from, how did it develop to such a scale in just over a year, etc., will definitely be thoroughly investigated.
By then, she would not be able to give a sufficiently reasonable explanation for the origin of this "Mr. Gu", the materials she sold, and the capital she used for business operations.
Therefore, as early as a few months ago, Chen Fenghe began looking for a "boss" who could be her shadow in public.
After much thought, since she started with the Gu family, she might as well choose from the children of the Gu family - after all, most of the money, land deeds, etc. that she moved out of her scumbag father's house in her space originally belonged to her grandfather. If she helped the children of the Gu family to make money, it would be a tribute to her grandfather's spirit in heaven.
Old Master Gu has no direct male descendants, but he does have a few nephews. However, they are all playboys who are in cahoots with Shen Shian, so they are naturally not suitable for selection.
In the end, it was a shopkeeper whom her grandfather had originally trusted who recommended Gu Hongzhi, a descendant of the Gu family who was a little distant in the family lineage but very promising, talented, and had good character.
Chen Fenghe asked the old shopkeeper to personally act as a lobbyist, and eventually persuaded Gu Hongzhi to come to Youzhou City and become the "big boss" of the Gu family.
In this way, at least it makes sense logically, and ordinary people will no longer have any doubts.
Naturally, she had decided on the plan to win him over to the Dark Pavilion a long time ago.
The Gu family has no background. Even though the Crown Princess's grandfather is also a member of the Gu family and can be related to her, everyone in the world now knows that the Crown Princess has been deposed and remarried, and has long been an ordinary citizen.
Therefore, the only label left for the Gu family is... a nouveau riche with a lot of money and a foolish mind.
No matter who they are, they will take advantage of this kind of people to take a bite and make some money if they get a chance.
Therefore, it is necessary to find a protective umbrella.
The Dog Emperor, the Second Prince, the Sixth Prince and others, regardless of whether they can be trusted or not, the only reason is that they will surely be defeated by Xiao Yunshuo in the future, so they must never surrender to him.
Coupled with the relationship between her and Xiao Yunshuo, the Dark Pavilion became the best choice for refuge.
There was another consideration, which was... She wanted to infiltrate Gu's industry into the entire economic infrastructure of Dayu, and joining the Dark Pavilion was the fastest way to do so.
Although the Gu's Horse and Carriage Company has swallowed up many escort agencies in the past year and established strongholds in major prefectures and counties in Dayu, it is still dwarfed by the intelligence network and economic network of the Dark Cabinet that Xiao Yunshuo has painstakingly built over the years and is completely inadequate!
Therefore, climbing up to the Dark Pavilion and using its intelligence network and connections to infiltrate the Gu family can be said to be twice the result with half the effort.
Only in this way, at some point in the future, will she have the capital to "threaten" Xiao Yunshuo, get him to agree to her conditions, and let her go.
The conversation tonight was prepared by Chen Fenghe. He anticipated that the people in the Dark Chamber would ask about it, so he taught it to Gu Hongzhi specifically.
The only thing she didn't expect was that Xiao Yunshuo would care so much about this matter that he actually showed up at the banquet in person to ask these questions.
Gu Hongzhi didn't know Xiao Yunshuo, so he behaved quite naturally.
She stood behind him, her heart almost in her throat, afraid that he would recognize her!
However, when Chen Fenghe disguised herself and followed Gu Hongzhi this time, she had not originally thought that she would have the opportunity to meet Xiao Yunshuo. Now that she suddenly saw him, she was still very happy in her heart.
After just a few days of not seeing him, he had become so thin that he didn't even have time to shave his beard. It shows how serious the situation at Yanmen Pass was.
I don’t know if he had eaten well. Just now at the banquet, he came and went in a hurry and didn’t eat anything at all.
Was he injured? Could it be that his clothes were covering his wounds? Was anyone treating him?
And that little Princess Mu, she should have returned to Yanmen Pass by now, right?
Was he entangled by the little princess? Was he moved by her?
…
"However, the boss is truly amazing. How could he have guessed that all the food and fodder shipped to Datong Prefecture would be sold, and even fetch a better price than in Daming Prefecture, Taiyuan Prefecture, and Hejian Prefecture? I never imagined that the Dark Chamber would be so generous, spending double the usual price to buy food and fodder. I wonder what urgent need they have..."
Gu Hongzhi was still speaking with emotion.
The military information that the Northern Rong army was approaching outside Yanmen Pass and had already launched two fierce attacks had not yet reached the ears of the civilians inside the pass. Therefore, Gu Hongzhi had not thought of this.
"Boss? Boss?" Gu Hongzhi called out when he saw Chen Fenghe was in a daze.
Shen Fenghe came back to his senses: "Ah?"
Gu Hongzhi laughed and said, "What are you thinking about? Why are you so absent-minded?"
Chen Fenghe's face flushed inexplicably, as if all the little woman's thoughts and worries in her heart were seen by everyone.
She was crazy, actually...having those trivial worries.
It turns out... being attracted and in love means thinking about him all the time, and being able to transfer everything you want to him, right?
It's only been a few days since we last met, and she's become like this. If in the future...
Thinking of the future, Chen Fenghe suddenly closed his eyes.
In the future... she will adapt to life without him. Who says that love is necessary in life?
She coughed twice and said, "Nothing. What did you just say?"
Gu Hongzhi said, "Boss, you're truly foresighted. You actually predicted that the Dark Pavilion would pay double the price for the food we shipped over. This time, we'll make more money than selling it in Youzhou, Daming, and other prefectures! I just don't know why the Dark Pavilion wants to buy so much food. Are they planning a war? But that's impossible, isn't it? If there were a war, the imperial court would be the one worrying about the food..."
Chen Fenghe interrupted him and said, "Tomorrow, ask Pavilion Master Song indirectly. Just say that you have a way to obtain gold wound medicine and various medicinal herbs, as well as arrows, weapons, and even firearms and gunpowder. If Pavilion Master Song is interested in buying them, we can sell them to him at a normal price."
Gu Hongzhi was stunned when he heard this, and his smile was a little stiff as he said, "Boss, why do I feel a little creepy when I hear you say this? Food and fodder are fine, but why are you also talking about wound medicine, weapons, firearms, and gunpowder? Aren't these things used by the army? We have never sold these things... Where can we get them? And... why would Pavilion Master Song buy these things for war? Could it be that the Dark Pavilion... is planning a rebellion?"
Thinking of this possibility, Gu Hongzhi's face turned pale.
Although he had some talent for business, he also knew that his boss was interested in him because of this.
But... after all, he was just an ordinary man without any official position. Although he had ambitions, he just wanted to make a name for himself, let his family enjoy wealth and glory, and not be bullied.
He has never thought of rebellion!
If the Dark Pavilion really planned to rebel, once the matter was exposed and it was discovered that he had sold supplies to the Dark Pavilion, wouldn't his entire family lose their heads?
"Dong... Dongjia, if it's about treason, I... I really don't have the courage..."
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Chen Fenghe couldn't help but laugh and cry. "What are you thinking? Although the Dark Chamber is involved in both the underworld and the white world, it also has a bottom line. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to stand firm in the martial arts world for so many years, right? How could they possibly rebel? However, you guessed one thing correctly."
Chen Fenghe's expression grew serious as she looked at Gu Hongzhi. "The reason the Dark Chamber is purchasing food and fodder at such a high price is indeed for war. However, it's not for rebellion, but to defend against the invasion of the Northern Rong."
Chen Fenghe looked at the night sky outside and said, "This matter will probably spread within three days. There is no need to hide it from you now."
She retracted her gaze and looked at Gu Hongzhi: "Right now, outside Yanmen Pass, less than fifty miles away from us, the Northern Rong army has set up camp, eager to break through the pass!"
Gu Hongzhi was stunned.
As a Dayu native, the Northern Rong had always been eyeing the north covetously. Although Gu Hongzhi's family was in Hedong Prefecture, his fear of the Dayu cavalry was deep-rooted.
But after all, he had never experienced the invasion of the Northern Rong - especially when it was less than fifty kilometers away from him?
As soon as he heard the news, he even heard the rumbling sound of the Northern Rong cavalry's iron hooves riding past!
Once Yanmen Pass is breached, and he is so close to it, will he... die?
"The Northern Rong army...is already approaching, so why...why are Pavilion Master Song and the others..."
And they calmly gathered less than fifty kilometers away from the Beirong army instead of running away?
However, he quickly figured it out: "Could it be that... Pavilion Master Song and the others are... preparing food and fodder for the army?"
Although I figured it out, I was still a little shocked.
Aren't they... afraid? Furthermore, they're spending double the price to help gather food and fodder? Isn't this... something the imperial court should be responsible for?
Chen Fenghe nodded and said, "Every citizen has a share of responsibility for the fate of their nation. Pavilion Master Song and his companions, although their actions often violate the law, have never flinched in the face of justice. Instead, they bravely stood up and truly deserve the title of 'righteous men.'"
Gu Hongzhi was stunned after hearing what Chen Fenghe said. The fear in his heart, for some reason, slowly receded like a tide.
Every citizen has a share of responsibility for the fate of a nation. What was there to fear from the Northern Rong bandits? He had sailed on ships before, experienced storms and life-threatening situations at sea, and even that wasn't a concern. Why would he be afraid of the Northern Rong bandits?
When Gu Hongzhi thought about this, the thought of retreating that had been rising in his mind disappeared completely without him noticing.
He said with a resolute determination, "Boss, don't worry. If the Dark Chamber is really preparing supplies for our Dayu garrison, I... am not a coward. If there are any more supplies being transported to Datong Prefecture in the future, I will personally escort the vehicles and deliver them!"
A flash of relief flashed across Shen Fenghe's eyes.
It seemed she had made the right choice. She smiled and said, "I'm relieved that Manager Gu can say that. Tomorrow morning, I need to go back immediately, so I won't be traveling with Manager Gu."
She explained some more things and then went to bed.
Early the next morning, Chen Fenghe left. Gu Hongzhi followed Chen Fenghe's instructions and went to tell Pavilion Master Song those words.
Pavilion Master Song was somewhat stunned. He looked at Gu Hongzhi and asked, "Mr. Gu, is what you said... true?"
Food, fodder, and medicine would be fine, but how could this Mr. Gu get weapons and even firearms and gunpowder?
These are supplies that are difficult to obtain even in the Dark Pavilion!
Gu Hongzhi nodded and said, "Of course it's true. There's only one thing: Pavilion Master Song needs to promise me that, now and in the future, you will never ask where these supplies come from. Then, even if it costs me my life, I, Gu Hongzhi, am willing to... lend a helping hand to the Dayu defenders!"
Yuan Xu reported these words to Xiao Yunshuo verbatim.
Xiao Yunshuo stroked the hilt of his sword and repeated in a low voice, "No matter now or in the future, I will never ask where these supplies come from..."
"Your Highness, this matter is truly strange. Where did the Gu family obtain these supplies? Could it be... a fraud?"
Putting aside other things, as for firearms and gunpowder, is Mr. Gu going to rob the government warehouse?
But he had just said last night that he didn't want to provoke the government, and he even went to the Dark Chamber to seek refuge...
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