No money
Several carriages were parked in front of the Prince Ye's mansion, each carrying a box that looked very valuable.
Qi Guanlan stopped in front of the door.
The ancestors of the Prince Ye had rendered meritorious service and were granted the title of king despite not being of the same surname. The title was passed down for three generations, and the relationship between the princes gradually deteriorated until it came into the hands of Zhao Lin.
Zhao Lin was also unambitious. During the Spring Flower Festival, he fell in love with the daughter of a merchant named Yu. Not only did he marry her in a proper ceremony, but he was also afraid of his wife.
They thought the Prince's Mansion had fallen into decline, but after the daughter of the Yu family took over, the Prince's Mansion not only regained its wealth and status, but also expanded its business into the palace. The name of Princess Consort Panxin was known throughout the capital, and everyone who met her would respectfully address her as "Manager".
The couple had only one son over the years, Zhao Heng, the only son in four generations. Besides being a womanizer, Zhao Heng was influenced by his mother and became so sweet-talking that even the emperor and empress treated him differently.
"Bring Zhao Heng out here!"
The gatekeeper saw this and immediately ran off. A short while later, Zhao Heng arrived late. "What do you want with me?"
Qi Guanlan jumped off his horse, held up what he was holding, and waved it. "Want it?"
Zhao Heng narrowed his eyes instantly, a slight twitch at the corner of his eye. "You're being so kind, what are your conditions?"
He actually remembered it? Zhao Heng doesn't seem like the kind of person who's loyal to relationships. Could this clay figurine have some unknown origin? Maybe it's a real treasure.
Qi Guanlan took a few steps back, hiding the clay figure behind his back, secretly calculating in his heart, but said mysteriously, "It depends on your sincerity."
Zhao Heng chuckled, turned around, stood on the steps, and said disdainfully, "At this point, who would want something like this!"
Could it be that he remembered it wrong?
Just moments before, the image of the clay figurine being placed in his hands suddenly flashed into his mind, and Zhao Heng's eyes reddened. Although it cost him five thousand taels of silver and he received a beating when he got home, he was incredibly proud to see Zhao Heng's miserable state at the time.
Qi Guanlan sullenly tucked the horse into his robes, then stepped on the stirrups and mounted his horse, seemingly ready to leave.
To be honest, is this fool easy to fool or not? Doesn't he know how to bargain? There's no such thing as a deal that's never finalized. Zhao Heng stood on the steps issuing orders, seemingly indifferent, but his eyes were fixed on Zhao Heng's hands. When he suddenly saw Zhao Heng mount his horse, he finally couldn't resist, "Five hundred taels!"
Qi Guanlan's hand holding the whip seemed to move but didn't, his eyes hesitating. Five hundred taels for the junk should have been enough, but it was far from his ten thousand taels. Anyway, Zhao Heng had a lot of money, and besides, he bought it for five thousand taels. He gritted his teeth and shook his head, saying, "Five thousand taels!"
Zhao Heng: "One thousand taels!"
"Three thousand taels!" Qi Guanlan said decisively.
"two thousand!"
Zhao Heng gave a signal, and the servant beside him immediately took out several silver notes, counted them, and handed them to Zhao Heng. Zhao Heng waved the silver notes around, still acting as if he didn't care whether he sold them or not, "If you don't want to, then forget it!"
"make a deal!"
Seeing that he had agreed, Qi Guanlan quickly walked over, her steps light. Zhao Heng was really foolish and rich; he could still offer such a high price for junk from a few years ago.
Just as Zhao Heng reached out his hand, he suddenly remembered something and immediately withdrew it. Zhao Heng was tricked and almost fell down the steps, but fortunately the servant was sharp-eyed and caught him.
Zhao Heng glanced around, swallowing the profanity that was on the tip of his tongue. Suppressing the urge to kick him, he composed himself and squeezed out through gritted teeth, "What, trying to back out?"
Qi Guanlan shook his head, then suddenly asked, "How's the inquiry going with Xi You?"
Zhao Heng rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "You really think I'm your servant?" He said as he stepped down the stairs, shoved the silver notes into his hand, and snatched the clay figurine. "Miss Zhou said she's missing and no one has claimed her deposited items."
"What?!" Qi Guanlan quickly snatched the clay figure back. Zhao Heng, caught off guard, found his hand empty again. He immediately yelled, "Are you crazy?!"
"What tricks have you played? Why did Miss Zhou finally speak up?"
"I'm a charming young master, is it wrong to hear that occasionally? Hurry up and give it to me, I have things to do and don't have time to waste with you."
The silver note was still warm in his arms. It was supposed to be a cash-on-delivery transaction, and Qi Guanlan wasn't one to go back on his word. But when he saw the man's eager expression, a thought flashed through his mind. "I have some treasures in my manor. Do you want to pack them up too? I'll charge you ten thousand taels!"
Did he really think he was a fool, daring to blackmail him with clay figurines? Zhao Heng wasn't going to tolerate his lousy behavior. He just went for it, saying, "You treat those junk like treasures, whoever wants them can have them!"
Qi Guanlan choked on his words. Who was treating this as a treasure? His face turned pale as he cursed, "You don't know what's good for you! I really don't know why you're crying over this broken clay figure. You're actually a woman at heart, that's why you're so fond of a clay figurine."
Two thousand taels is a bargain for this thing now.
"Who's crying and sobbing!"
A crack appeared on Zhao Heng's usually dashing face. He stood there dumbfounded. "You don't know what you're trying to take from me?"
As Zhao Heng was deep in thought, he suddenly felt a pain in his leg. He looked up and said coldly, "Spit it out."
Give me the clay figurine as soon as you're done.
Qi Guanlan was conflicted. He had wanted to keep Xi You's matter quiet, but he had no one else to talk to. This might be an opportunity.
He paused for a moment, then changed his wording and asked, "Under what circumstances would two complete strangers know that the other person is dead?"
Wen Ruo helped him look for the person, but he had never seen him. Why would she say that Xi You was dead? Unless... Qi Guanlan's eyes trembled slightly, and he immediately shook his head and regretted it, saying, "Never mind, forget I asked."
"Fool, isn't it obvious? It's the murderer!"
"Give me the clay doll."
Zhao Heng reached out his hand again, shaking his head inwardly. It was fortunate that he had a good background and that His Majesty doted on him; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered with such a fool.
Qi Guanlan glanced down at the object in his hand, then quickly put it in his pocket and leaped onto his horse. "I'll leave the clay figurine with you for now. We'll come back for it whenever we find Xi You's whereabouts."
Zhao Heng was incredulous; the fool had actually run away with his clay figurine and silver notes right under his nose.
"Have you no shame!" Zhao Heng shouted at the door, hands on his hips.
"Young master, the carriage is ready. Would you like to go?" Xiao Shunzi sat on the carriage frame with his legs dangling in the air, and two large chestnut horses were tied to the front of the carriage shaft.
Qi Guanlan walked around and felt a wave of heat as he approached the carriage. The interior was covered with thick quilts and covered with felt to block the wind. Even the ventilation windows were sealed off. "You know how to handle things. You can go ahead."
"Lord Zhou, we have a mission. Immediately dispatch a team to Yan'an Temple to investigate the case."
Zhou Chengnian was resting with his eyes closed when he was startled by the sound and quickly opened them. Qi Guanlan was leisurely revisiting the courtyard.
As the man approached, he coldly tossed the token to Zhou Chengnian, who hurriedly caught it. "General Gu, how did you get to Yan'an Temple?"
After confirming the authenticity of the token, Zhou Chengnian became serious. "A murder case?"
It seems the matter of bandits doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the Dali Temple. Fine, Gu Yu, you've set another trap for him. A cunning glint flashed in his eyes. Qi Guanlan gritted his teeth, his gaze flickering, and said:
"Attempted murder failed. The murderer, who appeared out of nowhere, is cunning and vicious. The injured person is currently lying in Yan'an Temple, on the verge of death. Even I almost suffered the same fate. Fearing that the surrounding villagers might be harmed, General Gu did not sleep all night, but he was also afraid of alerting the enemy."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengnian's expression became even more serious. He immediately ordered his men to go there. Only then did a glimmer of light appear in Qi Guanlan's eyes. He had been careless. Gu Yu was truly a man of few words, far from being as upright as he appeared.
However, requesting an imperial decree should not be a problem, right? Qi Guanlan pondered it carefully. Deploying troops to suppress bandits has always been the way it has always been, so there should be no problem.
Qi Guanlan left the Dali Temple and rode quickly to the rice shop. Inside, there was only one customer dressed in a blue shirt, facing away from him. His collar was faded from washing, and he had a small notch on his ear, which he wondered if it was congenital.
The man in the blue shirt and gray hat next to him was weighing the cloth bag, his slightly calloused fingers pointing to the markings on the scale. His lips were moving up and down, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying. He was probably worried that the shopkeeper would shortchange him.
"Boss, I'll take all the rice here."
Whether he recognized Qi Guanlan or was afraid that this big customer would run away, the waiter kept glancing at him. After weighing the bag, he quickly tied a knot and bowed, saying, "Young Master Qi, please wait a moment."
The shopkeeper lifted the curtain, strolled to the counter, looked at the inventory in the ledger, and laughed, "So much rice, it'll get infested with insects if it's left for too long."
Qi Guanlan: "Don't worry, my mother is going to Yan'an Temple to distribute porridge, it won't spoil."
Every winter, the princess would go to nearby villages to distribute porridge, a fact known to everyone in the capital. However, it was usually Aunt Yunqing who took care of it, so when Qi Guanlan suddenly came, he didn't think of it that way.
The princess's orders were never a joke, and the shopkeeper felt much more at ease. He immediately directed his staff to start loading the carts as instructed, and promised to plant the princess's flag in front of the carts. Qi Guanlan was satisfied with the shopkeeper's understanding.
Just as he stepped out of the shop, he saw a dazzling array of shops on the street, including pastry shops, meat shops, and clothing shops, and a worry rose on his face again. He wondered if some porridge would be enough to fill his stomach.
Qi Guanlan touched his empty purse and looked around aimlessly. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his foot. He lifted his foot and saw that it was a pebble. If only it were gold! His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he kicked the pebble away. "Damn it!"
With only two thousand taels, it's impossible to gather ten thousand taels in a single day. If Gu Yu doesn't want me to leave, he should just say so. Now, it's all a trap, which is truly despicable. I never thought that I, the mighty little tyrant, would be treated like a pushover one day.
Qi Guanlan should at least be considered a walnut! The kind that's hard to hold and uncomfortable to the touch.
etc!
Walnut!
Golden walnuts!
It was originally just a joke, but now it has to be used to make up the numbers. Qi Guanlan came to the hitching post with great interest, but stopped abruptly as soon as he picked up the whip. Where does Wen Ruo live?
Wait a minute, Qi Guanlan looked at the steaming bun shop in the distance. The steam mixed with the aroma of meat wafted into his eyes. It tasted much better than hard naan bread. He ran over, a meat bun in his mouth, and suddenly felt very confident. "If Wen Ruo can eat it, how can they not eat it?"
The woman had asked Wen Ruo for an ounce each time before, and judging from Wen Ruo's expression, it must have been a high price. However, perhaps Wen Ruo was stingy, always eating steamed buns whether she had money or not. "There's no harm in trying, it's very cheap anyway."
He then went to several other places and did the same thing, using the name of Princess Rongjing distributing porridge to buy five cartloads of rice and flour, and bought out several steamed bun shops, waiting to pick them up the next day.
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