Mr. Xin bowed deeply to Shang Shaoyan. When he stood up again, his eyes were full of emotion: "I have lived for more than sixty years, born into a noble and scholarly family. I have always considered myself a scholar, and I always talk about self-cultivation, family management, governing the country and bringing peace to the world. But I am not as insightful as the young county princess."
Shang Shaoyan smiled nonchalantly, then turned and walked into the tent, saying in a calm tone, "Mr. Xin, there's no need to belittle yourself. Everyone has their own mission and their own place; it's just that everyone is different."
"Let's go, those three uncles must be getting impatient." Shang Shaoyan turned to look at Old Master Xin, seemingly feeling the atmosphere was too heavy, and made a small joke, "You seem to be having trouble walking, do you need me to carry you?"
Mr. Xin: "..."
There's no need for that.
He smiled helplessly: "Go back, Princess."
He paused for a moment, then said, “I’m afraid you can start training the troops tomorrow. Since your parents died in battle, the Western Turks have been restless and will probably come soon… Shuocheng was taken from the Western Turks, so it will be the first target.”
Shang Shaoyan casually raised his eyes: "I know, otherwise I wouldn't have rushed over here. Mr. Xin, Heyang is not familiar with military affairs, so we will have to rely on you more in the future."
Mr. Xin nodded: "Your Highness, you only need to focus on training troops and fighting battles."
...
Shengjing, the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
Shang Yunlan earned at least 100,000 taels of silver from his floral soaps and perfumes, which he then converted into grain and weapons, secretly transporting them to the Northwest.
These past few days, he has been busy with the papermaking business. That Boss Zhou is indeed difficult to deal with. Shang Yunlan is not the kind of person who likes to use his power to oppress others, so naturally he would not do anything to coerce or bribe him.
Therefore, Shang Yunlan had a relatively free time during this period, with nothing to do.
His health gradually improved, and he spent his days going out for walks with Lin Jing. A-Le was also brought to Shengjing and placed in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion by Shang Yunlan.
A-Le's teachers have been found. Following the 21st-century enlightenment model, Shang Yunlan found A-Le a math teacher (the chief accountant of all the shops under Shang Yunlan's name), a Chinese classics teacher (former top scholar Li Langxuan), an art teacher (Lin Jing volunteered but was ruthlessly rejected, so Shang Yunlan came to teach him personally), and a music teacher (Shang Yunlan found Yan Xuening while Qiao Zhuo was away).
Lin Jing felt that there were no problems with the previous points, but she raised questions about the painting and music.
Shang Yunlan immediately drew a sketch and a traditional Chinese painting, and then, amidst Lin Jing's stunned expression, leisurely asked, "Any other questions?"
Lin Jing snapped out of her daze and said, "What about your cousin? Is she capable? Can she teach A-Le to play the piano? She's almost getting married!"
Shang Yunlan glanced at Lin Jing with some confusion: "Isn't it better to let her take the lead first, and then we can look for someone else slowly? Besides, Yan Xuening is still a good option. She is, after all, a very famous noblewoman in Hangzhou who is proficient in music and painting."
Lin Jing wiped her face, accepting the reason.
Seeing that he didn't seem very interested, Shang Yunlan thought for a moment and asked him, "Do you know Qiao Zhuo, the one who's with An'an?"
Lin Jing nodded: "I've heard of him, he's a musician... Right, why don't we wait for him to come back and teach A-Le?"
For the ten thousandth time, Shang Yunlan lamented the inconvenience of not having a mobile phone. If he had a mobile phone, he would definitely show Lin Jing what it means to "music can be down-to-earth, but not to the mortal world": "You may not know, but while others play the piano for money, he plays the piano for his life."
Lin Jing, seemingly confused but actually impressed, said, "Oh, then forget it..."
Fearing he wouldn't give up, Shang Yunlan continued, "That Qiao Zhuo is actually the seventh prince of Northern Zhou. He's obsessed with An An and follows her around every day. If you let him teach A Le, whether he can learn to play the zither is another matter, but he'll definitely learn how to be a simp."
Lin Jing had spent quite some time with the brother and sister, and had learned many unfamiliar adjectives and nouns. She also knew the meaning of "lickspittle" and immediately refused, saying, "Then it's fine."
Shang Yunlan smiled, and that was how the matter was settled.
Today, as usual, he took Lin Jing around, acting like a spoiled brat. His nonchalant manner made Lin Jing wish she didn't know him.
But there was no way around it; Shang Yunlan's current persona was that of a "treacherous minister," so he naturally had to handle it well—the term "persona" was something Shang Yunlan had taught Lin Jing.
Lin Jing followed behind Shang Yunlan with a headache, and soon saw Shang Yunlan stop walking.
He looked up somewhat blankly, and then saw Shang Yunlan slowly walk into a famous den of iniquity.
It's commonly known as the gambling den.
Lin Jing took a moment to react, and when she came to her senses, her expression changed drastically. She quickly grabbed Shang Yunlan, who was about to pay the deposit: "You come out here!"
Shang Yunlan was caught off guard by Lin Jing. His health had only improved somewhat, and he was still weak compared to the average person. When Lin Jing suddenly pulled him, Shang Yunlan immediately stumbled and fell backward.
Lin Jing was also a person who was powerless to even kill a chicken. He watched helplessly as Shang Yunlan fell backward, and for a moment he did not know how to react.
Just as Shang Yunlan was about to make intimate contact with the steps, a hand caught his back, supporting him steadily, and then pushed him back to his original position with a force.
Lin Jing breathed a sigh of relief, and Shang Yunlan also came to her senses and quickly thanked the man.
He slowly raised his head and discovered that the person who had helped him was a young woman.
The young woman was pretty and delicate, probably around twenty years old. She was looking at Shang Yunlan with curiosity, clearly not recognizing him as the recently infamous "traitor".
She looked at Shang Yunlan with an indescribable gaze, then glanced at Lin Jing, and patted Shang Yunlan's shoulder with considerable force, almost knocking him over again: "Brother, this place is not suitable for you. You should go back and study hard, so as not to disappoint your elder brother."
Shang Yunlan: "..."
He stared at the woman with wide eyes, and said incredulously, "Why isn't it suitable for me? I have money."
Lin Jing: "..."
He rubbed his temples, and for the ten thousandth time he felt that Shang Yunlan sometimes did indeed have some confusing behaviors and acted irrationally. At this moment, he really wanted to turn around and leave, but considering the reputation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, he held back.
Lin Jing tugged at Shang Yunlan's sleeve: "Let's go, this isn't a place for you."
Shang Yunlan was displeased: "Why shouldn't I have come? Do you know what I'm here for? It's all for A-Le. He needs to learn a lot of things, and after thinking it over, I feel that the head accountant isn't qualified!"
Lin Jing: "………………"
"Hire a gambling addict to teach Ah Le? What can he possibly teach?" Lin Jing laughed in exasperation. "Teach him how to squander the family fortune?"
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