Chapter 23: The distinguished guest came to Zeyang to do business, and he did not forget to bring his lover with him...
In the Xiling military camp, the atmosphere in the military tent was solemn.
The spy knelt on one knee and reported, "General, we have news that Fang Yilan has set off for Zeyang."
Suo Tai's face was filled with suspicion. "Fang Yilan is so badly injured, why would she leave at this critical moment?"
"I heard that the Governor of Zeyang withheld the food and fodder destined for the camps on the border and refused to deliver them. Fang Yilan had no choice but to make this trip himself despite his injuries."
"General, this is a rare opportunity. Why don't we gather our forces while she is not in Kangrao and retake the city that we lost in the past few months?" The subordinate suggested.
Suo Tai smiled coldly, his eyes filled with sinister intent. "No, let's go straight to Zeyang. Fang Yilan isn't a formidable figure, and her injuries mean she can't fight in person. As long as we capture Zeyang, and once she's dead, all the cities in the northwest will be ours."
...
Fang Yilan rested in the Marquis' Mansion for only three days before he packed his bags with a group of servants and set off for Zeyang in a sedan chair.
Zhao Huaixu, having just recovered from a serious injury, still walked with a slight limp, but he insisted on going along. Fang Yilan's attempts to dissuade him were fruitless, so she had no choice but to let him go. Doctor Lu was so enraged that he was about to pack up and leave the house, but Zhuang Gu kindly tied him up and put him in the carriage.
Zeyang is actually located in the northwestern border area. It has a unique geographical location and is adjacent to a river transportation channel. Compared with other border cities, it is closer to Shangjing. Naturally, it has become a key hub for the exchange of materials in the northwest region. Therefore, the trade here is very frequent and lively.
According to the official system of the Ruining Dynasty, Zhou Ji, as the governor of Zeyang, was much lower in rank than Yi Lan, the second-rank general.
Therefore, when Fang Yilan came to Zeyang, Zhou Ji had to go out of the city to welcome him respectfully. The decent rules of officialdom could not be broken at will, otherwise if the censor knew about it and reported him, he would be in big trouble.
Zhou Ji had no choice but to follow the time agreed in the letter. Before dawn, he brought his subordinates and waited outside the city early.
But no matter how long he waited, Fang Yilan's troops were nowhere to be seen. The cold wind was raging, and the wilderness outside the city was vast, with not even a single shelter to offer. Zhou Ji was shivering with cold, and could only wrap himself tightly in his cloak and grit his teeth to endure.
Finally, an hour later, a group of people appeared in the distance, walking slowly towards them.
Fang Yilan sat in the sedan chair without even lifting the curtain. His voice came through the curtain: "This general was injured a few days ago. Now his body is still very weak and cannot withstand the cold. I will not show up to greet you. Please go straight into the mansion."
Zhou Ji, whose hands and feet were numb from the cold outside, was filled with indignation when he heard this, but he could only suppress it. He immediately put on a smile and politely led Fang Yilan and his group towards the mansion which had been carefully taken care of.
As night fell and the lights gradually brightened, Zhou Ji invited Fang Yilan and others to his house, held a banquet, and treated them with great care.
Fang Yilan sat down at the table and casually glanced across the table, taking in the exquisitely presented dishes. It was surprising that in this remote and desolate Northwest, rare seafood from the southeast coast could be found.
“Tsk.”
This subtle sound did not escape Zhou Ji's ears. He asked with concern, "General Fang, which dish is not to your liking? I will ask the kitchen to replace it with a few more delicious dishes."
Although he was polite in words, he secretly disliked this country bumpkin from the northwest. He must not be used to such exquisite meals.
Fang Yilan said slowly with a faint smile: "I'm afraid Lord Zhou has misunderstood." As she spoke, she raised her head slightly, and her eyes slowly wandered along the gold-carved beams of the mansion. Everywhere she looked was filled with dazzling golden light, which made people dizzy, and the meaning in her eyes became deeper and deeper.
"I just feel that your mansion, Lord Zhou, is truly so rich and magnificent that it dazzles the eyes."
Zhou Ji looked at the envy on Fang Yilan's face, the corners of his mouth raised, and his head shook slightly uncontrollably.
"Hahaha, General, you are so kind! If there is any little thing in my mansion that catches your eye, please don't hesitate to take it."
"Are you serious?"
"Of course it is true. How could I have the guts to lie in front of the general?" Zhou Ji patted his chest and guaranteed, with an increasingly flattering smile on his face.
Fang Yilan seemed extremely satisfied and nodded happily.
Zhou Ji saw this scene and couldn't help but be amazed.
It is really difficult to connect the person in front of me with the Northwest Army. Her father, Fang Canghong, is a notoriously tough guy. The Northwest Army is an airtight iron barrel. In the past, others had sent countless amounts of money into it, but it was still difficult to get an official position in the Northwest Army.
When it came to Fang Yilan, he came to him personally, as if he was looking forward to his flattery. Thinking of the rumors that had been spread a few days ago, they somehow drifted into the ears of the dignitaries in Shangjing, and the long-overdue military rations were immediately allocated.
Zhou Ji spent most of his life engaged in corruption, and he could not help but sigh that the world was becoming more corrupt and people's hearts were no longer as they used to be.
I'm afraid that the Fang family's good reputation over the years will be ruined in her hands.
...
The next day, Fang Yilan brought a group of servants and three carriages to Zhou Ji's house again.
With his hands casually folded behind his back, Fang Yilan strolled leisurely in the mansion. If you didn't know, you would think he was in the courtyard of the Marquis of Ding'an's mansion.
"This pair of Ru kiln celadon vases looks quite unique. They must be worth a lot of money, right?" Fang Yilan paused and asked with interest.
Zhou Ji's mouth twitched. "General, this is no ordinary porcelain vase. It is a rare treasure that has been passed down from the previous dynasty's top craftsmanship to this day. It is priceless!"
He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the word "priceless", as if to warn Fang Yilan again, but it was not easy to get angry in public.
"I'll make a note of it."
Zhao Huaixu followed Fang Yilan with a booklet in his hand, copying down the name of the porcelain vase, the detailed description of the object, and the word "priceless" that Zhou Ji mentioned.
It was the first time Zhou Ji had seen the rumored doted-on Zhao Huaixu in person. The pine-green earrings on his earlobes, played with light and shadow, only accentuating his alluring features. From a distance, he could be seen wrapped in a long, flowing aquamarine gown, exuding a natural elegance.
Such an outstanding temperament cannot be cultivated without spending millions of gold. No wonder Fang Yilan is so short of money.
He came to Zeyang to do business, but he didn't forget to bring his lover with him. This matter cannot be let go like this. I must take good note of it and report it to the capital.
Fang Yilan pointed at everything she went to, and she wanted everything inlaid with gold and jade: "I want this pair of cloisonné gold-threaded two-handled vases, that gilded crane and cloud screen, and this jade-inlaid glass candlestick."
The servants beside her were also busy. They put marks on each valuable item according to her request.
Fang Yilan finished her tour of the house, but she was still not satisfied and did not want to miss out on exploring the courtyard.
Her eyes were suddenly drawn to a tree in the center of the courtyard. "What kind of tree is this? It can still bloom such beautiful flowers in the middle of winter."
Zhou Ji could hardly hold back the smile on his face. He thought, he wouldn't let go of even a single leaf, would he?
He didn't dare to be negligent and could only force himself to introduce: "This tree is a sacred tree in the southwest. Even in the cold winter, it will bloom. In order to keep it alive, we specially invited an experienced gardener from the southwest to take good care of it."
How can the trees in the southwest adapt to the dry and cold climate of the northwest?
Fang Yilan's doubts were still lingering when she saw a faint golden light flashing in the pond.
"Oh, why does the big fat fish in this pond seem to have golden light on its body?" After saying that, she squatted down and put her hand into the pond, only then she discovered that the water in the pond was actually warm.
No wonder.
Zhou Ji's mouth twitched with heartache, and he stammered, "General, you're right. This fish is a Southeast Goldfish, worth a fortune, and it has very high requirements for water quality."
Fang Yilan had already raised her hand to call for someone to come and catch it, but after hearing this, she waved her hand and said, "Don't try. Such a precious fish will probably die easily if you catch it."
Zhou Ji was secretly happy, but didn't have time to breathe a sigh of relief.
Fang Yilan tapped the stone beside the pool with her toes and said, "Just make a conspicuous mark here. When you come back and need it, you can come and catch it directly. It will be convenient."
After walking around, Zhao Huaixu's book was already filled with several pages of densely written notes. At Fang Yilan's command, the servants methodically carried the items that could be taken away onto the carriage.
But in a moment, the three carriages were packed full, and Zhou Ji's eyes turned black as he watched from the side.
Fang Yilan walked out of the mansion with a graceful step, stopped Zhou Ji who was about to see him off, bowed respectfully, and handed the booklet in his hand to Zhou Ji with a smile on his face. "Master Zhou, please sign this booklet as a witness. These items are all gifts you promised to give me. I, Fang Yilan, don't want to be branded as a robber in the future."
Zhou Ji complained in his heart: If this isn't considered robbery, then what is?
After finally sending this "King of Hell" away, Zhou Ji felt as if all his bones had been pulled out. He collapsed on the armchair and let out a long sigh.
The advisor beside him noticed his master's worry and quickly whispered, "Why worry so much, sir? She's so blatantly accepting bribes. You could file a complaint against her, saying she used her official position to coerce you into signing. You were truly forced into this, and the higher-ups will surely investigate."
Zhou Ji's eyes lit up, and he jumped up from his armchair and shouted anxiously, "Quickly bring me some writing material! I'll write a letter right away."
Zhou Ji had just had his clerk grind the ink, and before he could even dip his brush into it, he heard his chief clerk rushing in with some grim news: "Sir...Sir...Fang Yilan is planning a charity auction in Zeyang. He wants to exchange all the items taken from the mansion for silver and send it as aid to the cities in the northwest."
Just as he finished speaking, the charity auction invitation sent by Fang Yilan also arrived.
This charity auction was hosted by the Fang family of the Northwest Army. All the treasures auctioned were from the Zhou family of Zeyang, and behind them was the Southeast Genji. The banner they used was the name of donating aid, and they were doing a great deed to save the world.
In order to demonstrate his fairness and impartiality, Fang Yilan also specially invited the former Prime Minister Weng Lun, who had long since retired and returned to his hometown, as a witness to guarantee that every ounce of silver obtained from the auction would not be kept for personal use and would be used for its intended purpose.
For the various gentry and nobles, simply attaching themselves to one of these families would mean a great future support. Once the news spread, these people responded enthusiastically and all attended the meeting.
On the day of the charity auction, those priceless items were snapped up in an instant, just like the popular fruits and vegetables in a rural market.
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