Chapter 56: Zhenyuan Escort Agency 2
As soon as Zhao Xiaofei left, a man came out from behind the screen and said to Li Ruolian, "Dad! The business that Prince Zhao is doing is a bit taboo! Why did you agree to him?" The person who came out was his son Li Zichu.
Li Ruolian sneered, "Every county is under surveillance by our Jinyiwei. How could he possibly rebel? Unless the whole world is in chaos!"
"But why should he cooperate with us? Isn't there Lord Luo above us?" Li Zichu asked.
"What kind of character is this Luo? No one dares to cooperate with him. Besides extorting officials, can he do anything else?" Li Ruolian said with disdain. Li Ruolian had no good feelings towards this superior. Although the Emperor no longer had close ties with the Jinyiwei, he still had to report routine evidence. Now that the Emperor didn't ask, he felt comfortable not to mention officials' corruption and concealment. He even used this evidence as a tool to enrich himself, which he despised.
"Dad! Do we really have to cooperate with Prince Zhao?" Li Zichu asked.
"The brothers below are barely able to eat. Wouldn't it be nice to make some money? We don't know how long it will take for the national treasury to allocate money. Pick 100 smart and capable people." Li Ruolian said.
"Isn't it 50?" Li Zichu asked in confusion.
"If he says 50, it means 50? Besides, what if there is someone here who wants to take advantage of the vacancy? We are making money with him now, and the other person is just monitoring us secretly!" Li Ruolian said.
"Yes!" Li Zichu immediately went out to make arrangements.
At Luo's residence, Zhao Xiaofei was enjoying tea with Luo Yangxing. On the table were a glass money tree, a glass horse, three glass mirrors, a long sword inlaid with gold and gemstones, and two silver coins.
Luo Yangxing saw this and was delighted. This Prince Consort Zhao was sensible! He knew the rules! He even knew he was born in the Year of the Horse and had gifted him a glass horse. This was exactly what Luo Yangxing wanted.
"My Lord! This is easy to talk about! It's just a matter of a word from my brother! If the Emperor asks, I will definitely protect you. Please rest assured, my Lord!" Luo Yangxing said with a smile. His eyes were full of the light of silver and glass. There were three mirrors. Apart from the one for the wife, the other two concubines must be extremely happy.
"Thank you, sir! I heard that you have a young son with a disabled foot. I have a pair of excellent prosthetic limbs. They will allow you to walk normally without rubbing your skin," Zhao Xiaofei said flatteringly. He had learned this indirectly. Luo Yangxing's youngest son was born with a missing left foot. If the child had not been born to the main wife, there would be no way to save him. Otherwise, he would have been killed long ago! However, this child is extremely talented. He learns everything quickly and can recite the Four Books and Five Classics by heart. If he had not been disabled, he would have taken the imperial examination long ago. This also became a concern for Luo Yangxing.
He had been a bit displeased when Zhao Xiaofei suddenly mentioned his youngest son. But hearing that his son could get a prosthetic limb, allowing him to walk normally, was undoubtedly a huge surprise. This would give his son the opportunity to become a civil servant, and with his help, perhaps even become Prime Minister. This was undoubtedly a chance for the Luo family to bring honor to their family.
"Oh! I have consulted many famous doctors and skilled craftsmen before. But it was all in vain! If the prosthesis of the prince consort can really be like this, I, Luo, will definitely fulfill your request!" Luo Yangxing said with a fist salute.
"Okay! I can make it next month! I will install it for you personally then." Zhao Xiaofei said.
"Mr. Luo is very much looking forward to it!" Luo Yangxing said with a smile.
Zhao Xiaofei's Zhenyuan Escort Agency opened soon. The agency was located outside Zhengyang Gate. There was a two-story building at the entrance, and a quadrangle with four entrances at the back. Each courtyard was large and could accommodate 50 people practicing sticks at the same time. A total of more than 120 escorts were recruited, three of whom were martial arts masters selected from the Beijing camp, and it can be said that each of them was proficient in archery and horse riding. The others were carefully selected from the refugees. First of all, the height must be over 170. This height is definitely tall in the Ming Dynasty. Secondly, the teeth are complete and there are no disabilities. The youngest is 15 years old and the oldest is no more than 20 years old. There are relatives at home, and they must be direct relatives, such as parents, children, brothers and sisters. Zhao Xiaofei arranged for all the relatives to work in his newly purchased manor in Tong County. They were watched by people sent by the Jinyiwei.
On the opening day, Zhao Xiaofei kept a low profile. He invited no one, and there was no grand opening ceremony. The main reason was that these people still needed training. They weren't paid for their time, only when they were escorting. The three martial arts masters from the Beijing camp were training them in formation, teaching them how to wield a knife, and the etiquette of escorting.
Of course, these were nothing to Zhao Xiaofei. He had already planned to recruit some retired soldiers from modern society to help him train them. Furthermore, they had to be ex-prisoners with no relatives, so that even if they disappeared from society, they wouldn't attract much attention. This was Zhao Xiaokun's idea, of course! Zhao Xiaokun explained: "A former soldier can help you train the army. Having been in prison, it would be difficult for them to survive in modern society. If we bring them to the Ming Dynasty, give them a new identity, and start all over again, they will adapt quickly. We'll also find three beautiful wives for each of them, and each of them a courtyard house. It's unlikely they'll even consider returning to the modern era."
As soon as Zhao Xiaofei entered the room, he saw a burly black Khan training 40 people in boxing and kicking.
The big man with a black face was scolding a young man, "Haven't you eaten? You punch like a woman! Your fist and forearm should form a straight line like this." After saying that, he tried to change his movements and kicked the young man on the butt.
Zhao Xiaofei coughed, and the dark man heard it. He immediately came to him, knelt down and said, "I, Gu Mancang, pay my respects to the Prince Consort!"
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