Chapter 269 A Touch of Winter Plum Blossoms is Approaching (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Chen Yi was unaware that someone was secretly watching him.
After all, with his current cultivation level and his perfect control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, almost nothing within a five-mile radius can escape his notice.
Walking and stopping intermittently.
He returned to Chunhe Garden, took off his black clothes and removed the disguise from his face, and put on a light long gown.
I just breathed a sigh of relief.
"The Jizhou Merchant Guild's plan is more than half complete. If everything goes smoothly, they will soon be driven to a dead end."
"Whether they will choose to take the risk or back down at that time remains to be seen."
certainly.
Chen Yi would prefer that the Jizhou Merchant Guild be more reckless and arrogant.
Only in this way can he see more of the despicable schemes hidden beneath the surface of Shuzhou's waters.
Moreover, if the people of Jizhou Merchant Guild choose to suffer this loss in silence, it will also affect their subsequent plans.
Fortunately...
Fortunately, Lin Huai'an is dead.
A smile appeared on Chen Yi's face, probably because he was thinking about how some people would feel annoyed when they found out that he had "made a mistake".
He looked out the window at the night scene, his eyes slightly mocking.
For over two hundred years, the Great Wei Dynasty held sway over the country, and powerful clans formed cliques and factions, their relationships becoming incredibly complex and intertwined.
It extends beyond the imperial court and the martial arts world, encompassing ordinary people in the city.
There's a saying that goes, "What is taken from the people should be used for the people."
But for those powerful families that have stood for hundreds or thousands of years, their motto is "take from the people and use it for themselves."
Which one of them isn't sucking the blood of the people?
Just like the Jizhou Merchant Guild, their backers must be either very wealthy or very powerful.
"Since we're here, we should leave something behind."
Chen Yi said something softly, then got up, closed the window, and turned around to sit cross-legged on the bed.
Those petty and despicable things originally had nothing to do with him.
But the tree wants to be still but the wind does not stop.
The Xiao family is besieged on all sides; how can he, the son-in-law of the Xiao family, remain unscathed?
First, there was the identity of a "young bird" given to him by the White Tiger Guards, and then there were one conspiracy after another targeting the Xiao family.
Each of these things affected his leisurely days.
What can be done about it?
"Hopefully, after this, Shu Prefecture will be more stable."
"I've been fascinated by that 'single plum blossom' for a long time."
...
At this time, it was almost the hour of Chou.
But Old Master Xiao still couldn't fall asleep.
It wasn't just him.
Xiao Shen, Xiao Xuanshuo, and others also gathered in the quiet house.
Each of them had a solemn expression, and they were all looking at the old man at the head of the table.
"Brother, were the things Liu Hong said today biased?"
Xiao Shen, abandoning his usual amiable demeanor, placed his hands on the backs of the chair and snorted with a slightly displeased tone:
"As the Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture, how can he side with outsiders?"
The old man seemed not to hear, looking down meekly at the jade thumb ring on his hand.
Xiao Shen was about to speak again when he saw Xiao Xuanshuo shaking his head at him, so he could only sit there and sulk.
Seeing this, Xiao Xuanshuo glanced at the old man and sighed inwardly.
No wonder even a kind-hearted person like Xiao Shen got angry.
Liu Hong's visit to persuade them to "calm down" was tantamount to asking them to give up the opportunity to ease the Xiao family's situation.
It should be noted that although the Xiao family is the military commander in charge of the Dingyuan Army, they cannot be mobilized at will.
The troop movement can only be carried out when the three factions of the Great Wei Vermilion Bird Guard, the Shu Prefecture Commander, and the Xiao family are united.
Unless the Xiao family rebels, not a single soldier from the three towns will leave.
Especially things like "the Peacock King's flag of Vaishsa Kingdom invading the border".
Therefore, Liu Hong came today to persuade the old master to be patient and wait for clear news about the Tea Horse Road before reporting to the court.
The reason was quite plausible—to avoid disturbing the emperor with the slightest "stirring of the wind".
A moment of silence.
The old man slightly lifted his droopy eyelids, glanced at the sky, and said in a calm tone:
"It's getting late, everyone should go back and rest. It seems there's no news from the Commander's Office today."
"Big brother..."
Before Xiao Shen could offer any further advice, the old man waved his hand and said, "Third son, I know what you mean."
"But... what Liu Hong said makes sense."
"Currently, only the Wan family's caravans have spread some news, and we have not yet found any signs of King Lando and his troops advancing eastward to invade the border."
"It is indeed a bit premature to report to His Majesty at this time and mobilize the Dingyuan Army."
The old man spoke calmly but firmly.
This completely silenced Xiao Shen, who had wanted to say more, and he got up and left without a word.
Xiao Xuanshuo and the others exchanged glances and then bowed as well.
"Father, you should rest early too."
"master……"
In no time at all.
A clean house is completely clean.
In fact, what made him so quiet at this moment was the last few words Liu Hong said before he left.
“My lord, the Xiao family has been lying low for five years. Anyone with eyes can see that, and they are all wary of them.”
"If you rush to mobilize the Dingyuan Army at this time, it will inevitably give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to attack the Xiao family."
"You can't be in such a hurry."
Although Old Master Xiao knew that Liu Hong's persuasion was out of his own self-interest, his words truly resonated with him.
I've tolerated it all these years.
Why rush things?
Moreover, at present, the Peacock King's banner of Lando is still wandering along the Tea Horse Road, and there is no sign of it moving eastward.
If it turns out that the bandits won't come in the future, his request for the tiger tally from the imperial court at this moment will become a joke.
It truly proves the saying—"lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot."
As Old Master Xiao pondered these things, he looked at the moonlight outside the hall with his cloudy eyes and let out a long sigh.
"The Commander-in-Chief's Office probably thinks the same way."
"Li Fu and Zhu Hao are even more composed than I expected."
Just then, Xiao Jing appeared in a flash, "Master."
Old Master Xiao's gaze fell on him, his expression softened, and he leaned back in his chair and asked:
"Have you found out?"
Xiao Jing bowed and said, "I've found it."
"The news did indeed come from the Wan family. The man's name is Wan Hui, and he is Wan Hongzhang's grandson."
"This time, when he led his team to the Buddhist kingdom in the Western Regions, they passed through the first half of the Tea Horse Road. One of the guards in the caravan discovered the location of the Peacock King's flag in advance, which allowed them to survive."
Old Master Xiao frowned slightly. "How did they learn that King Lando intended to advance eastward?"
"My lord, I have also investigated this matter."
"It is said that they rescued a merchant who had narrowly escaped from King Lando on their escape route, and that's how they learned about the situation there."
"So, there's a possibility that this whole thing might be... fake?"
Xiao Jing nodded upon hearing this, "That's true."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, one thing can be confirmed."
“There are indeed traces of the Peacock King’s flag within a thousand miles to the west of the border, a fact confirmed by Fenghuobao.”
Grandpa Xiao nodded slightly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the back of the chair, a thoughtful look appearing on his aged, wrinkled face.
"Beacon Tower serves as an outpost, and all the information there comes from the army's scouts, so what they say should be reliable."
"Right now, all we need to do is locate the Peacock King's flag to deduce their direction of travel."
At this point, Old Master Xiao paused slightly.
"If we could find out any information about King Lando, that would be even better."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jing looked troubled and hesitated slightly before saying, "My lord, please forgive me for not being able to do this."
Old Master Xiao glared at him irritably. "I know perfectly well that I can't count on you. If you could lead the secret guards deep into Vaishsa Kingdom, wouldn't you be just as capable as those White Tiger Guards?"
Xiao Jing smiled awkwardly. He dared not compare his underlings, who could only roam around Shu Prefecture, to the White Tiger Guard of the Great Wei Dynasty.
This is not just a question of strength.
To achieve the level of infiltration of the White Tiger Guards, the preparation and planning behind it is not something that can be done overnight.
Financial resources, connections, channels, etc., are all indispensable.
Take the Xiao family's current secret guards as an example.
It took the entire family two hundred years and all their efforts to cover only the entire Shu Province.
Even so, the amount of money spent each month is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Fortunately, the Xiao family is not short of money these days, which allows him to send some people to infiltrate several prominent families.
Such as the Wan family, the Liu family, and even various government offices.
A moment of silence.
Xiao Jing thought for a moment and asked, "My lord, should the second young lady know about this?"
Upon hearing this, Old Master Xiao straightened his back slightly and pondered, "This is a matter of great importance, and Jinghong should indeed be informed in advance."
"but……"
"Alright, wait a couple more days. Once you've finished collecting information on the situation in Shu Prefecture, send it to Jinghong the day after tomorrow morning."
Xiao Jing nodded in agreement.
That's fine too.
After waiting a couple more days, the situation in Shuzhou will become clearer.
Perhaps there will be new news about King Lando and his Peacock King banner.
Old Master Xiao shared the same idea.
However, while he was aware of all this, he also felt somewhat unwilling.
If King Lando really invades the border with the Peacock King's banner, he can mobilize the Dingyuan Army.
So whether or not to guard the border against the Peacock King's banner is entirely up to him.
By then, even if it's still impossible for the Xiao family to solve all their problems once and for all, it will at least make most people hesitant to act against them.
At least in the city of Shuzhou, those aristocratic families no longer dared to have any ideas.
After thinking for a long time.
Old Master Xiao got up, leaning on his cane, and walked towards the side room.
As he walked, he instructed, "The Wushan Trade Market is about to be completed, and it is of utmost importance."
"As for the rest... let's wait and see how it goes."
Xiao Jing bowed and said, "Rest assured, Lord Marquis, I will do my utmost to investigate this matter in the coming days."
"Don't forget about Liu Hong..."
Upon hearing the last words left by Old Master Xiao, Xiao Jing stood up and looked at his retreating figure, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
Liu Hong.
After all, he was the Left Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture and the head of the third branch of the Liu family in Jing Prefecture; his subordinates were not so easy to bribe.
Even with all his efforts, he has only managed to plant two secret guards so far, and they are just servants who cannot freely enter and leave the inner quarters.
How can we find out what Liu Hong did?
With this in mind, Xiao Jing composed himself and slipped away from the Xiao family.
No matter what, he will do his best.
...
The next day, it was still dark.
The side gate of the Xiao family mansion was already open.
The third steward, Lu Tong, sat inside the side door and looked around.
When he saw two or three carriages waiting outside the door, he straightened his gown and walked out.
"Unrelated persons, please leave immediately."
"If you have a visiting card, just send it over."
"I will not accept any gifts."
Clearly, most of the people waiting here know the rules.
Upon hearing the voice, they all disembarked from the carriage and handed the visiting cards to Lu Tong.
Among them was Wang Ji.
After handing over a visiting card, he smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "I would like to trouble Steward Lu to pass this on to the Marquis for me."
Lu Tong glanced at him, slightly surprised, and asked, "Why is Manager Wang so formal today?"
He knew Wang Ji, and he also knew that Wang Ji visited the Xiao family many times to visit the eldest daughter.
They were either discussing matters related to the pharmacy with the young lady, or they were delivering their share of the profits.
They didn't really send out visiting cards.
Wang Ji smiled upon hearing this, "I am not here to visit the young lady, but to deliver a visiting card to the Marquis on behalf of my master."
He paused for a moment, then added, "My master knows that Your Excellency is very busy, so he did not specify the time of the visit."
"And he specifically instructed me that everything should be done according to the Marquis's wishes. Whether to see him or not, and when to see him, I only hope that he will give me a word."
Lu Tong nodded in realization and asked, "Is your master the one from Baicaotang?"
"It was him, Chen Erdong, whose given name was Yu."
“I remember he visited the young lady at the manor once before, and I was the one who led him to Jiaxing Garden.”
Wang Ji, all smiles, echoed, "Butler Lu has a good memory."
Lu Tong hummed in agreement, then asked, "I heard he left Shu Prefecture for other places. When did he return?"
“My family has been back for some time now, and they’ve been busy with all sorts of trivial matters.”
"He just finished his work and asked me to deliver the visiting card."
"oh……"
After chatting for a few minutes, Wang Ji drove away, but his eyes remained fixed on the Xiao family mansion.
He was somewhat moved.
"I wonder what the Xiao family will think of him after he has done so much."
But upon closer reflection, these are things he can't possibly consider.
The Xiao family is currently unaware that Mr. Qingzhou is Chen Yu, the owner of Baicaotang.
Who knows when the adults will let the Xiao family find out about this?
Thinking this through, Wang Ji calmed himself down, patted the carriage, and ordered, "Go to Jia's Herbal Medicine Shop in the East Market."
"After all, we're there to collect money. If we're late, it's bound to annoy people."
Of course, if we arrive early, Jia Yuzhi probably won't be unhappy.
Lu Tong watched the carriage drive away, then looked down and flipped through the visiting card in his hand.
He understood what was going on after reading it and was about to leave when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
"Old Lu, Old Lu..."
When Lu Tong saw that the person who came was Bao Tong, the head steward of the manor, he couldn't help but frown and say, "Why are you so flustered?"
Without waiting for a reply, Bao Tong grabbed him and ran towards the Intermediate People's Court.
"There's no time to talk. Come on, let's go see the master!"
Seeing this, Lu Tong knew that something big was about to happen, so he obediently followed behind him.
Wait for the two to leave.
An elderly hunchbacked man slowly walked out from beside the gatehouse and glanced at it.
"What's wrong that makes Bao Tong so flustered?"
After thinking for a moment, he picked up the broom, carried the basket on his back, and strode after them.
Inside Jiaxingyuan.
After getting up and washing up early in the morning, Chen Yi brought Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die here to have breakfast.
He wondered if it was just his imagination, but Xiao Wan'er seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.
She not only changed into a brightly colored red cloak, but also meticulously styled her hair and accessories.
It couldn't help but make Chen Yi take a second look.
Xiao Wan'er seemed to sense something and gave him a reproachful look, "Brother-in-law, do you have something to say?"
Chen Yi met her gaze, smiled, and said, "Is Big Sister going out today?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er glanced at herself, and after realizing what she meant, a slight blush appeared on her face. She lowered her head and said:
"Nothing much happened today, except that my sister Qingwu said yesterday that she wanted to come to the manor for a while, saying that she had something to discuss with me."
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback. "Miss Cui?"
That's really strange.
He had just seen Cui Qingwu last night and had specifically instructed her to go and find those grain stores.
How come she still has time to come to the Xiao family?
(End of this chapter)
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