Chapter 165 In short, he is very powerful
Thinking of you...
Old Master Xiao's smile remained unchanged, but he also felt a certain degree of agreement in his heart.
The Xiao family has been in Shuzhou for many years, not only holding a large army but also having extensive connections.
In addition to joining the Dingyuan Army, many of the family's sons also became civil officials.
Such as Xiao Dongchen of the Provincial Administration Commission and Xiao Ziqi of the Military Supervisory Commission.
Furthermore, the marriage alliance between the second branch of the Xiao family and the Zhang family, the Duke of Guangyue Prefecture, together they presented a formidable force that dominated the entire southern part of the Wei Dynasty.
To outsiders, the Xiao family, being such a behemoth, was practically a local tyrant in Shu Prefecture.
If the Xiao family had remained powerful, and if Xiao Fengchun and others had not died, powerful families from neighboring states like Shu and Jing would never have emerged.
However, the reality is that the Xiao family is now in decline and at its weakest point, so it is not hard to understand why it would attract the covetous eyes of powerful families like the Liu family of Jingzhou.
Old Master Xiao understood these things, which is why he has been cautious in taking each step in recent years.
It was like walking on thin ice.
Old Master Xiao never expected that Chen Yi would see through all this and say such things to Xiao Wuge.
After a moment's thought, he glanced at Xiao Wan'er and asked:
"Wu Ge, why did your second brother-in-law tell you all this?"
"I asked."
Xiao Wuge didn't think much of it and said directly:
“That day, my brother-in-law and I were fishing, and we were talking about how our family seemed to be short of money lately, and that my older sister had pawned some of her jewelry.”
"Then I asked my brother-in-law why Linglanxuan was taking away business from the pharmacy, and this was the sentence he casually replied to me."
"I see..."
The old man nodded thoughtfully.
If he remembered correctly, Linglanxuan had only been open for a short time at that time, and Liu Jing of the Liu family had not yet shown up.
And Chen Yi...
It seems that Chen Yi didn't go out much back then?
He saw the problem immediately?
Did someone tell him this, or did he figure it out himself?
If it's the former, that's fine; if it's the latter...
This shows that Chen Yi is not as oblivious to the world around him as he appears.
The old man pondered these things silently, then turned to the quiet Xiao Wan'er beside him and asked with a smile:
"Still thinking about what happened earlier?"
Xiao Wan'er hesitated before nodding, a hint of grievance on her face as she bit her lip and said:
“Grandfather, we just met Liu Wen in the East Market. He is not as outstanding as Uncle Liu Yu described.”
The old man shook his head and said with a smile, "No matter how outstanding he is, our family and the Liu family can never become related by marriage."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and a look of joy appeared on her face.
Before she could even express her gratitude, the old man said:
"But Wan'er, you're not young anymore."
"Because of your health, Grandpa didn't urge you before. Now that your health is visibly improving, shouldn't you start thinking about marriage?"
Xiao Wan'er's smile faltered, and she quickly shook her head, saying:
"No, no... Grandfather, I, my health is still very poor, and it hasn't improved at all."
"I was seriously ill a few days ago, caught a cold..."
"A cold?" The old man's expression immediately turned serious, and he interrupted, "When did this happen?"
Xiao Wan'er realized what was happening and stammered, "It's all better now."
"It was fine that afternoon, probably because it was windy."
Old Master Xiao stared at Xiao Wan'er for a moment, and only after confirming that she was alright did his expression soften.
Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Wuge said from the side, "Grandfather, my sister is indeed better."
"Thanks to my brother-in-law, my sister got better after he went to see her that day."
Xiao Wan'er blushed slightly, clearly recalling what happened that day.
But Old Master Xiao asked in surprise, "Wu Ge, your brother-in-law can also cure diseases?"
He didn't believe Chen Yi could cure Xiao Wan'er's illness.
Over the years, only the Taoist nun on Mount Wumeng has been able to suppress that extremely cold body; other so-called divine doctors are helpless.
"Yes, my brother-in-law also knows acupuncture. I saw him come back with his acupuncture kit the other day."
"Needles, acupuncture?"
No wonder the old man was surprised; he could barely believe that Chen Yi knew a little about medicine.
But if you say Chen Yi knows acupuncture, he would never believe it even if you beat him to death.
It is important to understand that acupuncture is not a basic medical skill like other medical techniques. It requires a thorough understanding of medical principles, as well as the natural order, seasonal changes, meridians and acupoints, and the Five Elements and Six Qi.
Otherwise, administering acupuncture indiscriminately is harming people.
Xiao Wan'er also showed a strange expression.
She wasn't surprised that Chen Yi knew acupuncture, but rather that some images popped into her mind.
She lay on the bed, soaking wet, while Chen Yi used silver needles to perform acupuncture on her. Didn't that mean they would have some physical contact...?
The thought of such a scene, let alone its actual occurrence, made her blush with embarrassment.
It made her even more embarrassed than just looking at it.
Xiao Wuge, unaware of their thoughts, continued speaking to himself:
"My brother-in-law knows a lot."
"Not only does he know acupuncture, but he can also treat patients, play chess, compose poetry, and write beautiful calligraphy. He knows so much..."
"In short, my brother-in-law is amazing."
Hearing this, Old Master Xiao affectionately patted the back of his head and said:
"It seems that Wu Ge respects your brother-in-law very much."
"Of course, I think my brother-in-law is the most amazing person, even more so than my second sister... except that he can't compare to my second sister, and he can't beat her either."
The old man laughed heartily, "Husband and wife follow each other, your second sister would never lay a hand on him."
Although Xiao Wan'er's face was flushed, she smiled upon hearing their conversation.
After chatting and laughing...
The old man comforted her again, saying, "Wan'er, you don't need to worry too much about the Liu family. I'll take care of everything."
"Yes, Wan'er thanks Grandfather."
"Family members don't talk outside their own affairs."
After a pause, the old man continued arrogantly, "Besides, the Liu family has no sincerity. They actually want the second son of the eldest son to marry you. They look down on people."
"Leaving aside the Xiao family, just talking about you, Wan'er, it would be more like the eldest son of the Liu family would come instead."
Xiao Wan'er said shyly, "Grandfather..."
"What I said is true."
Seeing this, Xiao Wan'er quickly led Xiao Wuge to get up and say goodbye.
Old Master Xiao nodded with lingering satisfaction, then watched them leave, his smile gradually fading.
A moment of silence.
He tapped the table next to him and ordered, "Keep a close eye on the people from the Liu family who come, and see what they're up to."
A soft voice came from the corner: "Yes, Lord Marquis."
"Also... never mind, that's all. Go on with your work."
The old man originally intended to have his bodyguards follow Chen Yi, but after thinking about it, he felt it was unnecessary.
Ultimately, Chen Yi's performance has been quite good recently.
Not only did he not think about taking the imperial examinations to become an official, but he also did not suggest going to Dingyuan Army, nor did he stir up trouble in the Xiao family to win over or join the second or third wives.
He can be described as an honest and upright person.
It's normal that Chen Yi knew something.
After all, he came from the Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture. It was not impossible that he had a broader perspective and a better grasp of the situation than ordinary people, having been influenced by his family since childhood.
As for medical skills...
Even if he were to master all his skills, he still couldn't cure the Xiao family in its current state.
...
Chen Yi had no idea that he almost had his secret exposed by Xiao Wuge's few words.
He had already changed into his new clothes and was waiting for Liu Lang to arrive at the house.
Amidst the pitter-patter of rain.
Chen Yi walked to the window and looked at the not-so-spacious courtyard. His face was calm, but his mind was in turmoil.
Thoughts come and go, like the ebb and flow of the tide.
"The Liu family of Jingzhou will definitely have to join forces with Liu Hong in Shuzhou. Only by relying on the power of the Provincial Administration Commission can they possibly suppress the Xiao family."
"Among the group that arrived at the same time was Liu Yu, the second master who was in charge of the Liu family's business. He must still be planning to make things clear in Shuzhou."
"Furthermore, the plaque they presented to Ma Liangcai, the divine physician, today also corroborates this speculation."
"The key points are Liu Hong and Liu Zhen, while Liu Wen and Liu Zhaoxue are secondary."
After considering all this, Chen Yi knew exactly how to proceed.
If the Liu family targets the pharmacy business, it's exactly what he wants.
As for the others, it depends on the situation.
In any case, we will not let the Liu family's scheme succeed.
Just as Chen Yi was thinking about these things, Liu Lang finally arrived, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:
"Greetings, boss."
"Don't be so polite, tell me more about Black Tooth."
Liu Lang nodded and said, "Black Fang has been making a lot of moves these past few days."
"Besides the sugar daddy who mentioned me, he's also going to introduce me to a few other people tonight, all of whom were participants in this mission."
"There's another insignificant little thing: a lot of people died on the street where Black Fang lives last night, and it's said they might all be members of the Xiao family."
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, "The Xiao family?"
Liu Lang hummed in agreement, "Like a personal guard or subordinate."
Chen Yi said thoughtfully, "It's probably to prevent the news from leaking out and to avoid being discovered by the Xiao family."
"As expected of you, it took me a long time to figure this out."
"...Let's continue."
"That's all. That's all he said."
Liu Lang shook his head and said, "However, we should be able to gather some detailed information tonight."
"I'm just not sure if you need me to do anything else."
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face:
"There really is something."
"Please speak."
"Take me with you tonight!"
(End of this chapter)
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