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Chapter 282 Gifts, Jiangnan, the trend, and the Jianghu swordsman drinking together
This place is considered the core area of ​​Zhongzhou. How could there be an ordinary person hanging around here? Not to mention, today was originally the day for the eldest daughter of the Zheng family to throw the embroidered ball. In addition to the children of the family who came to join in the fun, there were also some people from other aristocratic families.

As for those scholars who had been attracted by the mature and prudent old fox of the Zheng family, all those who caught the old fox's eyes were innocent and had upright intentions.

Maybe he met friends for a drink and reminiscing about the past, or maybe the other road was blocked and he couldn't go through, so he had to take a longer detour. By taking this route, the Zheng family easily got the young man they liked to come here.

Therefore, the old patriarch of the Zheng family really disdained the fate mentioned in those vernacular novels and storytellers. He thought that the story of the eldest lady climbing over the wall and escaping was made up by some poor scholars. If a noble family imprisoned someone, the wall would have to be more than ten feet high, and there would be servants guarding it with sticks.

How can a weak woman and a poor scholar climb over this wall?

It is the so-called fate and coincidence, which was all arranged by the head of the aristocratic family.

The young man only thought about meeting his true love.

Little do they know that behind it is power and money.

However, the head of the Zheng family, who was watching the show, saw that after his granddaughter threw the hydrangea away, it was given to a young girl, who then fell directly into Qin Wuhou's arms. The old head of the Zheng family almost popped his eyes out and started coughing violently.

Ok? ? ?
Um? ? !
Is this still the Qin Wuhou who was so heroic that he could swallow the sky and ride thousands of horses across the plain? Is this the powerful official who used the Chixiao sword to beat the most senior member of the royal family in front of the imperial road, making his face full of peach blossoms and his teeth fall to the ground?

When the Zheng family patriarch saw the girl, he suddenly realized:

"Princess Yunmeng of Chen State."

"The Queen's niece."

"The eldest daughter of Duke Xue of Zhongzhou is conferred a title by the emperor. The Xue family, the richest family in the world, is in charge of the affairs of the Chamber of Commerce. No wonder Qin Wuhou did not react..."

The head of the Zheng family thought he had seen through everything, and drank tea leisurely: "The world is bustling, all for profit, the world is bustling, all for profit."

"You, Qin Wuhou, claim to be a hero, no less heroic than Chen Wu, but you are no better than this."

He saw the commotion around him, because everyone recognized Li Guanyi, and all the young men from the noble families knew the eldest daughter of Duke Xue, and they all came forward. Li Guanyi was holding the hydrangea, and he stretched out his hand and grabbed Xue Shuangtao's wrist as he did in the past.

After pulling her and running wildly, avoiding the people around and going to a secluded place, Li Guanyi heaved a sigh of relief and said, "These people are really..." Just now someone was about to grab his sleeve.

I vaguely heard someone shouting, "You took my hydrangea!"

"That's my husband, my husband."

"Hurry up and choose a date to get married!"

Is Miss Zheng so shameless?

Xue Shuangtao couldn't help laughing: "After all, he is Qin Wuhou."

Li Guanyi placed the hydrangea in his hand on the girl's head and said:
"You went to the Western Regions?"

The girl raised her hand and took the hydrangea in her hand, tossed it casually, and then threw it away: "It is too childish and boring to decide the future just by throwing it to the hydrangea."

She threw the thing out, moved her fingers, and a burst of energy hit the hydrangea.

Like shooting an arrow, the hydrangea was thrown far away.

Leading the people outside away is also a way to show off one's achievements.

Xue Shuangtao said, "Yes, I am learning martial arts from Master Qingyan, practicing the Kunlun lineage's heart formula. I am going to a special secret room on Kunlun Mountain. When I pass by, I will arrange for Changfeng Tower to go down."

"I just didn't expect that the Western Regions were so strange, whether it was folk customs or other things, they were all very different from the Central Plains. I didn't have any experience in the martial arts world, so I got tricked. I didn't expect that the Demon Sect would have such a big influence there."

"If it weren't for the fact that the Demon Sect suffered a heavy blow more than ten years ago."

"And with the methods of Tantai Xianming and Yuwen Lie, Tuyuhun was destroyed. Perhaps the country in the Western Regions is now the Demon Sect."

"I heard that the origin of the Demon Sect was actually the radical Buddhism that was destroyed by the overlord Tuyuhun three hundred years ago, so they believed in the lotus. However, although that overlord was tyrannical and dominated the world, the remnants slowly recovered after his death."

Li Guan placed his hand on Xue Shuangtao's wrist and felt the girl's pulse. He activated the Ze Tian Gua in Huangji Jingshi Shu and felt that Xue Shuangtao's breath was still a little weak, indicating that she was injured this year.

Li Guanyi was quiet for a moment and said:

"...Let's leave the affairs of Changfeng Tower to others."

He was not the small pharmacist at the beginning, and he had also seen the Tiger Cavalry led by Yuwen Lie. It would be fine in the Jiangnan area, but if Changfeng Tower continued, it would definitely run into the intelligence organizations of Chen and Ying countries themselves.

The Western Regions are already so brutal, so could the intelligence organizations trained by Tan Tai Xian Ming, the former prime minister with a meticulous and cold mind, and Jiang Su, the number one general who is good at using the kingly way, conspiracy and open schemes, and the methods of strange and orthodox, be worse than the Western Regions Demon Sect?
Jiangnan is just the first step. The higher you go, the fiercer the fighting becomes.

Intelligence matters are inherently dangerous, and he didn't want Xue Shuangtao to get any deeper into it.

The agreement we made in Guanyi City is still in my mind.

Xue Shuangtao used his own life to protect Li Guanyi and helped him break out of the first layer of encirclement. If he wanted to leave, it was Xue Shuangtao who grabbed the poor Li Yaoshi and brought him to a higher place. Even without Xue Shuangtao and Concubine Xue, Li Guanyi might not have become a Jinwu Guard.

Without becoming a Jinwu Guard, there is no way to enter the palace. Even if you want to risk your life, you are powerless. Where can you display your heroic spirit?

Xue Shuangtao shook his head and said, "I don't want it."

She raised her eyebrows and said, "I know you care about me, but if I ask you to give up your Qilin Army, give up the 18 states in the south of the Yangtze River, and return to Jiangzhou City and Guanyi City in Chen State to be with me."

"Would you like to go out for a walk, pick flowers, play the zither and eat dates at the temple fair just like that day?"

She stared at Li Guanyi closely, then smiled and said:
"you are not willing."

"Me too, by coincidence."

"I was just trying to help you, but when I was managing Changfeng Tower, I also saw some dark things that a girl from an aristocratic family would not have seen."

"The girl who went mad after being sold and raped six or seven times, the man who had his eyes and kneecaps dug out and became a beggar, the city that was defeated and massacred, and the people who were barely surviving."

"We were just two people, picking flowers and climbing trees, but..."

“Outside, the central part of Chen State has been taxed heavily for years, and it’s hard to survive.”

"They have to sell their daughters to buy porridge."

"I exchanged for porridge, saved money to raise my son, and then went to do corvée labor."

"Then he died on the way to deliver food to the front line."

"Now that I know this, I can't go back."

Xue Shuangtao smiled softly.

She looked at Li Guanyi and said seriously:

"I'm beginning to understand your thoughts."

"So, if you want to fight against these, I am willing to go with you. This world is very big. I will not go to Jiangnan with you, nor will I follow you to the Western Regions. I am the descendant of the fierce tigers of this world."

"It's great to be with you, to go to Jiangnan, to the world."

"But I don't like it."

“Even if it’s just a plum tree growing in the yard, it’s still a plum tree.”

"There was originally a gift for you, come here!"

Xue Shuangtao smiled slightly. She reached out and grabbed Li Guanyi's wrist, then pulled him outside. The two of them went to Changfeng Tower together. The original owner of Changfeng Tower was a very pretty woman, about thirty years old. When she saw the two of them coming, she bowed repeatedly and said with a wry smile:
"Please don't blame me, my lord."

"The young lady insisted on doing this."

Li Guanyi said it was okay, and Xue Shuangtao pulled him to the back, where the Xue family's cars were parked, one after another, pulled by large trucks. Most of them were at the Xue family Chamber of Commerce in Zhongzhou, but only one was here.

Zhao Dabing was sitting there, looking bored. When he saw Li Guan coming, he was overjoyed at first. It seemed as if there were two springs installed on his buttocks. He jumped up with a ecstatic laugh on his face and took a step forward.

But he remembered that his identity was different at the moment. He was just a coachman of the Xue family who was "not allowed to enter the country". The young man in front of him was Qin Wuhou, who wore a sword and shoes to enter the palace, did not have to bow when entering the court, and had the same status as the three officials in the government.

The difference in status was so great that Zhao Dabing raised his hand but just scratched his head in embarrassment. However, Li Guanyi directly stretched out his arm, hooked the driver's shoulder, and said, "Brother Zhao, do you have any more salt-baked peanuts?"

Zhao Dabing was startled for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled up and he couldn't stop smiling.

The Grand Master of Three Departments, Qin Wu Hou!

This time when I go back, won’t that guy be so envious that his eyes turn red?
Zhao Da Bing patted his chest and said, "That's nonsense. If you go out in the sun and rain and eat dry food, you need these salty things to withstand it. Otherwise, you won't have the energy to do anything."

He took out a bunch of salt-baked peanuts and stuffed them into Li Guanyi's mouth.

Xue Shuangtao asked Zhao Dabing and the person in charge of the Changfeng Tower in Zhongzhou to leave. Then she stretched out her hand and slowly pressed on the carriage pulled by the carriage, saying, "What's inside is the gift I prepared for you."

She opened it with some difficulty. Even with the guidance of a martial arts master like Chen Qingyan, the time was short after all. The young lady's current realm was only the second level, which was considered a gifted talent for her age.

In the world that is in turmoil at the moment, it is not enough.

When this chaotic world starts to stir, everything becomes a mess, up and down.

There is no reason why the opponent of the Second Heaven is only the Second Heaven, or even the First Heaven.

For example, Ye Buzhi and his men, young generals around 20 years old, have strong martial arts skills and a promising future thanks to their family heritage. However, their opponents may be Xiao Wuliang, Yuwen Lie, or even Jiang Su. This is the matching mechanism in troubled times.

Catch the vital parts and kick them hard to death.

Let a newbie face the number one general.

Li Guan saw the contents of the carriage, which were large boxes. Judging from the marks left by the wheels, they were quite heavy. Xue Shuangtao smiled and said to Li Guan, "We have transported many fine porcelains from the State of Chen."

“You can get a very good price here.”

"Those are gifts for aristocratic families and princes and nobles. As for what's here, they're for you..." She stretched out her hand and opened a box. Inside were pieces of paper with words and handprints on them. Li Guan took a look at them and his expression slowly froze.

Xue Shuangtao said softly:

"It is the indentures of the people in the prefectures and counties surrounding the Eighteen Prefectures of Jiangnan."

"The Xue family came easily, but the aristocratic family refused to let them go. This is their usual style. They take advantage of the situation and refuse to give up. The local tyrants bully the powerful ones. They give money, body contracts, and even land deeds."

"All the procedures are in compliance with the laws and regulations, but they just won't release the people or give the land, and they are in collusion with the government."

"They even boasted that they had gotten a bargain."

Xue Shuangtao suddenly laughed triumphantly:
"They didn't think of Qin Wuhou."

"I think these indentures will be very helpful to you."

Li Guanyi knew what these things meant.

These are the people and the general trend. If it is handed over to Wen Lingjun, the young and most powerful strategist in the world, it will be enough to make all the 17 states come under Li Guanyi's command. Li Guanyi looked at Xue Shuangtao, opened his mouth, and then felt the warmth on his lips.

The girl covered Li Guanyi with three fingers, stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, and smiled:
"No need to say thank you."

"These things are useless in the hands of merchants like the Xue family." "But they are very useful in the hands of General Tiance who controls the world's troops."

"I spent a lot of effort to get these things. Those guys are like gluttons with an insatiable appetite. They said something today but changed their minds tomorrow. I'm so angry that I really want to draw my bow and shoot them all into hedgehogs!"

When Xue Shuangtao spoke up, he gritted his teeth, and then he was as polite as before, and then he put away the look of being called a tigress by Xue Changqing. The girl took back her finger and said, "But at least I got it back."

"Although it's a little late, happy birthday."

Xue Shuangtao smiled:
"Although it's not nice to say this, I hope you like my gift."

"Changfeng Tower, I won't ignore it."

"I also have things I want to do, but I think what we do might be similar. I hope that when Changfeng Tower is no longer necessary, I will give these up."

"But now..."

The girl smiled brightly: "Do you like this gift?"

Li Guanyi grabbed the letter, took a step forward, and hugged the girl in his arms, hugged her tightly, and said, "You really know my heart!!!" The boy's eyes were clear: "Shuangtao, I have something to do, I will come to find you later."

He turned around and strode away, he was going to find Wen Lingjun and Wen He.

He is going to find Feng Xiao, the giant.

When he saw these things, all those things came to his mind one by one, such as how to ask for help, how to rescue more people, money, logistics, and the army to protect these people.

These things are too big and too heavy, like a raging flame.

Occupied Li Guanyi's attention.

The whole world was in front of him, and he was only one step away from rescuing these people. Such things occupied his attention like fire. After Li Guanyi said goodbye to the girl, he even ran away madly.

Xue Shuangtao blushed slightly as he watched Li Guan run away, but said:
"As expected."

"Just like Grandpa said, at this moment, his family, country and the world are above everything else... When he saw these indentures, I'm afraid his mind was completely occupied with how to take these people away."

"How disappointing! I have worked so hard to collect these things and transported them to Zhongzhou City myself, but you don't even thank me so much? And you don't even say nice things to me?"

"But, if you really..."

Xue Shuangtao raised his head, looked at the ginkgo tree in the yard, and said softly:
"If you really don't care about these people and the indenture contract, and only care about me, then I will be really disappointed..."

She hesitated, noting that there was no one around, then carefully raised the three fingers that had previously blocked the boy's lips.

If they were just little kids, they would probably struggle for a long time. But at this moment, Xue Shuangtao suddenly smiled, looking free and easy with a hint of heroism. He raised three fingers and gently pressed them against his lips.

She leaned against the door, looked back, lowered her eyes, and her cheeks were slightly red.

This look, this little girl's secret joy and thoughts.

But no one can see it.

..............................

Li Guanyi went to talk about these things with his three counselors. The four guys talked almost all night long and revised their previous plans.

Wen Lingjun's eyes almost lit up.

Li Guanyi said: "How is it, Lingjun, how confident are you?!"

"Is it 96% or 100%?"

Wen Lingjun shook his head and said:
"100%? No, with all this, why would I need to gamble?"

This gentle gentleman pondered for a moment and smiled slightly:

"It's just that opportunities are rare. My Lord, do you want to do something big?"

Bigger?
Wen Lingjun is the leader in the general trend. Just like when playing chess, he is the kind of person who, once he has the advantage, will act like a rolling rock, making the general trend even more powerful.

Until finally, it gathered into a mighty and majestic energy that could no longer be stopped.

Li Guanyi asked Wen Lingjun how confident he was that he could make a bigger one.

Wen Lingjun said calmly, "If you can give me these indentures and give me three million taels of silver, ninety percent of it will be yours."

Li Guanyi: "Still 90%?"

Wen Lingjun said calmly: "If I say 80%, it would be underestimating you and me. If I say 100%, it would be underestimating the world. A gentleman should be pragmatic, but also humble, so I said 90%."

Li Guan laughed and pointed at him: "Arrogant!"

Then he stood up, bowed and said, "I'll leave everything to you, sir."

Wen Lingjun was stunned. He originally thought that if so many indentures were handed over to him, at least Wen He would be there. But he didn't expect Li Guanyi to trust him so much. So he stood up calmly, bowed, and said gently: "I will definitely live up to the general's trust."

Calling himself a general instead of a prince is already a subtle indication.

Wen He asked, "So, where did you get these things, my lord?"

Li Guanyi told Wen He what happened today. Wen He smacked his lips and suddenly pretended to be exaggerated. He bowed his hands repeatedly and said, "My lord, my lord, Qingyu didn't know the true face of Mount Lu before, and he actually spoke wildly to you. I am guilty, guilty!"

Li Guanyi was confused and asked the gentleman what was wrong.

Wen He's plain face was filled with a pleasant mockery: "I said before that the master did not have the ability to take out the gold and silver from the lady's jewelry box, but now it seems that I was too rigid."

"My lord, you are such a freeloader, I can't even dream of that!"

"I admire you!"

Feng Xiao choked on a mouthful of wine and started coughing.

Wen He laughed.

Li Guanyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, Wen Lingjun said:
"These things are only useful in our hands. Even without our strategies and the great changes in the world, it would be difficult to use them. But Princess Yunmeng can do this, which also allows us to make a bigger plan."

"It's like fish and water getting along well, my lord."

"You should thank me very much."

Li Guanyi said gently: "Yeah."

"I know."

………………

At the Xue family, after Chen Qingyan came back, he learned about what happened today and said calmly, "You met Guan Yi, but you didn't even stay for a meal and let him go?"

"This place is very quiet and cold."

Old man Chen Chengbi is also here, but he has no time to come back. He has been very happy these days. Although he has not fought with Jian Kuang, there are more and more people from the martial arts world in Zhongzhou City. He looks for people to fight with, drink and eat meat every day, and he is very happy.

Chen Qingyan looked at his disciple and said calmly, "Guanyi should have asked you not to continue to maintain Changfeng Tower, right?"

Xue Shuangtao said: "Teacher really understands him."

"But I refused."

Chen Qingyan said: "Are you sure that there is a woman around him?"

Xue Shuangtao said softly: "Well, it's a pity. If I hadn't been in charge of Changfeng Tower, I would definitely be willing to go there immediately. It would also be good if I hadn't seen those files."

"As for me, it would be great if I were just a stupid young lady from a noble family. When I saw the records in those files, I would just shed a few tears and then continue to feel sad. That would be the best!"

"It's a pity that I'm not that simple."

She said seriously:
"I also have things I want to do, teacher. The plum blossoms in the south also bloom in the chilly winter. As for the relationship between him and me, teacher, you asked me a question before. You hoped that my relationship with him would be like the one with Little Stone."

"I figured it out."

The girl took a deep breath and looked at Chen Qingyan: "I am not a very talented woman. My martial arts, talent, and everything else are just ordinary. But I am also different. I have a strong heart."

"People in the world break up and get back together. I have thought about this for a long time. The infatuated men and women in this world all ask for [mutual affection], but they are also entangled because of love. Xue Shuangtao is not one of them. I ask for more and deeper, but I ask for four words."

The eldest daughter of the Xue family replied:
“We share the same ideals.”

"Xue Shuangtao hopes that Li Guanyi's story begins with me."

"When Li Guanyi's story ends, it's still me!"

"That's good."

........................

When Li Guanyi returned, he thought about the Xue family heirloom that the eldest daughter of Mr. Xue and her husband gave him in Yingguo. He encountered something unexpected today and did not bring the item with him. He would have to give it to the eldest lady next time.

Li Guanyi thought about his previous conversation with Xue Shuangtao. When he mentioned that she wanted a wooden hairpin, Li Guanyi went to find a piece of good wood and wanted to use the Chixiao Sword to make a new hairpin. However, when he finally found the wood, he saw Murong Longtu sitting alone.

It was late in the evening, with candlelight flickering, an old man in a blue shirt was drinking alone, looking quite happy.

There was a book on the table next to him. After seeing Li Guanyi coming back, Murong Longtu smiled and asked him to come over and have a drink with him. The two of them chatted and laughed, just like every night during this period of time, just like the grandfather and grandson that can be seen everywhere in the world.

The old man took a sip of wine, savoring its flavor, letting the aroma spread, and then he said gently in the same understated tone as usual:

"It's about time."

"It's time for me to go to my appointment."

Li Guanyi's body froze slightly, and his hand that was sharpening the wooden hairpin trembled.

He raised his head and looked at Murong Longtu.

The students' desire to go to Jiangnan, the strategic plans of Wen Lingjun, Wen He and Feng Xiao, the entrustment from Ji Zichang, the reunion with Xue Shuangtao, and the discussion with Master Wang Tong, all these things happened one after another, but could not slow down time in the slightest.

The sword invites the world to fight!

Looking back at this moment.

The time is neither fast nor slow, yet it passes by like a flash.

It just happened suddenly.

The day has arrived for sword maniac Murong Longtu to take on the Jianghu.

(End of this chapter)