My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 99 Three-Year Agreement
"——Jiaofangsi!?"

The Master's voice rose an octave.

"Yes! Education! Department!"

I always feel like this kind of conversation is familiar.

Now that the decision has been made, go and tell the elders about King Zhao's recruitment.

The uncles had different reactions. The third uncle was pondering the deep meaning of this mission, the second uncle showed a look of disdain, thinking "so this brat is still a disciple of Baihua Valley", and the head uncle developed a strong interest in the Education Department... After all, it was the Lintai government, a formal vice-state-level government office.

After a while, Seventh Uncle came back.

The Cao Gang was well-informed, and she quickly brought back information from the Education Department.

"The position of the head of the Education Department has been vacant since the new emperor ascended the throne."

Miss Ma glanced at Li Bailong and said, "What the emperor's uncle said is all true. He is indeed the head of the Lintai government, and he is indeed in a very high position. He was indeed very powerful and had great responsibilities."

The head master patted Li Bailong on the shoulder and said, "You evil creature, your chance to become rich has come!"

If Director Li can really become Director Li within three to five years and open up the situation in the Education Department, it means that Baihua Valley will have a disciple who is ranked as the deputy prime minister and in charge of the power of the Lintai Prefecture. The political resources and legal benefits are simply incalculable...

Apart from anything else, this meant that the powerful connections of the senior masters in Baihua Valley had an opportunity to be further expanded and utilized - after all, being in charge of Lintai Prefecture, the power over personnel meant countless opportunities.

Baihua Valley even has the potential to become a super-A sect!

"Don't be too happy too soon, there is still bad news."

Uncle Seven said quietly, "If we only look at the twenty years from twenty-five years ago to the death of the previous emperor, the Education Department has had eleven chief officials. Three of them were top scholars, four were promoted from provincial governors, two were promoted directly to the Imperial Academy for military merit, one was appointed by the royal family, and one was accepted by the Minister of Rites. On average, each chief official served for less than two years."

"Among these eleven people, two were blessed with great fortune and were only demoted three levels. Four were directly dismissed from office and their official titles were revoked. One was beheaded for his crimes, setting a record for the highest official rank executed by the previous dynasty. Another four died suddenly while in office. Three of them have irrefutable evidence, and they are..."

Miss Ma stared at Li Bailong and said calmly: "——Died at the hands of the Beining assassin."

"..."

happy.

Is it so exciting! ?
As soon as these words were spoken, the elders all looked pale, regardless of their feelings.

The head master took the information brought by the seventh uncle, looked at it for a few times, and his expression gradually became solemn. He slapped the paper on the table and said, "Forget it. You should decline this matter and go to Lingyu Sect."

Over the past twenty years, successive chief officials have been so blessed, which shows how terrifying the sinkhole behind it is.

Li Bailong said softly: "I'm afraid it's not that easy... The emperor's uncle has already convinced the Lingyu faction."

Wei Henglan frowned and said worriedly, "That's even more dangerous. The Lingyu Sect is determined to get you, and they are willing to let you do that. You can see how important it is..."

Yang Ying pondered and said, "How about asking Master Zhang again?"

Uncle Seventh Master pondered silently, then spoke up: "Big Brother...didn't recommend you go either. He said that this matter is extremely complicated and involves a lot of people. Once you get involved, it will be hard to tell friend from foe, and good or bad luck will be even harder to predict."

The master asked anxiously, "What do you mean?"

"Big brother only said this, saying that this is all he has to say. He also said that if you have any questions, you can come to the Cao Gang." The seventh uncle glanced at Li Bailong, "He said that he underestimated you before. This time, you don't have to marry into the family. He can give you everything that the Lingyu Sect can give you. This condition is valid for a long time, and you can come anytime."

Li Bailong felt a little nervous.

He had no interest in recruiting the big leader, but the words of the Cao Gang leader contained deep meaning.

He said that the matter was complicated, and it was hard to tell friend from foe after he joined the game. This showed that he knew a little about the power of will, but he probably didn't participate in it, at least he was not on the same side as the emperor's uncle. To some extent, he was even standing on the opposite side, and was not happy to see Li Bailong go to the Education Department to sort out the cultural creation...

Caobang.

With the Grand Canal as its foundation, the millions of canal workers who rely on the river for their livelihood are its basic base. The millions of families expanded from the millions of canal workers mean higher organization, obedience and credibility.

Therefore, the Cao Gang has a large number of direct gang members, and the number of its members far exceeds that of the other five factions. Tens of millions of gang members are united by common beliefs, values ​​and gang rules. They help each other, unite and love each other, and live in order. They worship the gang's founder, Brother Wan Yunlong, and use gang rules rather than royal laws to guide their daily lives.

These millions of families then radiate outward to the various sects under their command, the counties along the river, and so on...

Therefore, based on this, the Cao Gang developed a logistics and escort business that spread all over the world, established cold chain warehouses in various parts of Da Qi, and established primitive financial credit and even insurance industries.

Li Bailong seemed to be thinking about something.

The elders all looked at him - after the Fenglin crisis, he had proved that he had the ability and confidence to stand on his own, and these teachers who had watched him grow up would also respect his opinions.

He took a deep breath and said calmly, "Disciple has decided to accept the invitation from the Emperor's uncle."

Since I have declined three times before, there is no need to visit me three times.

Wei Henglan shook her head and said, "I know this will be of great benefit. But Sanlang, we are all happy that you want to grow up and protect Baihua Valley from wind and rain, but this job is strange and obviously hides huge risks. We would rather seek shelter from Xuanyuan Sect than see you in danger..."

Just as he was about to speak, Aozi said solemnly in his mind: "Be careful! I suggest you don't be long-winded, don't be sentimental, don't make a long speech, it's best to just brush it off lightly, otherwise you will attract undue favor and terrible things may happen in the future!"

...This person is so annoying.

Li Bailong thought about it and realized that this matter was complicated and there was really no need to say more. He just lowered his head and said, "Disciple is determined to give it a try. If things don't go well, I will go to the Lingyu Sect to live."

Aozi praised: "Yes, that's the best way to put it. After all, based on my experience..."

Before he finished speaking, Lian Yueyao snorted coldly.

——Compared to becoming a disciple of Lingyu Sect, do you really want to stay in Baihua Valley?
The master lowered his eyes, hiding the sadness in them.

——It must be for me... The threat of Fenglin Volcano has become clear again. A-di must feel that even if he entrusts himself to Lingyu Sect, he may not be able to protect me if something happens in the future. He must try his best to accumulate strength.

The head master patted Li Bailong on the shoulder, then glanced at Jiang Lishu, thinking of his "big brother"'s refusal to betray the sect and become a disciple of his grandfather, and then he seemed to remember something and sighed with melancholy.

Seventh Uncle was originally outside of it, but thinking of Li Bailong's previous two rejections and the words he said to her before launching, his current choice... He also chose a more difficult path.

"..."

Aozi was stunned: "Wait...wait a minute! Why? How could it be!?"

It just barks on its own.

Yang Ying asked directly: "I'll ask you one last time, have you thought about it?"

"Yes."

"The elders are all here today. You must promise us that if you encounter difficulties in the future, you must put yourself first. If things go wrong, you must immediately escape and hide, and go to the Lingyu Sect or Xuanyuan Sect, or even the Cao Gang, so as to avoid any unbearable things happening and make us regret it for the rest of our lives... Can you promise?"

Li Bailong looked around after hearing this and said solemnly: "Disciple obeys your order."

"it is good."

Yang Ying thought about it and nodded slowly. She looked at her sisters and made a decision. "Sanlang is going to Huazhou on business. He can't do it alone. The Education Department is of great importance and is fraught with danger. As elders, we must take care of him and help him. Besides, if he succeeds, Baihua Valley will definitely benefit from it."

"So, the next major policy of our sect is to fully assist Saburo in doing his job and controlling the Education Department."

The head master said to Li Bailong, "Don't refuse... At this point, you should know that Baihua Valley and you have been together for a long time."

She smiled as she said this: "I hope you will always remember this in your future actions. Even if you can't protect yourself, you should still consider your master, right? Don't be too impulsive in the future."

"……Yes."

"Sanlang's first stop is Huazhou, which is a good place. Our sect already has an office in Huazhou, which is well managed. You can deploy all the manpower and material resources at will."

Yang Ying deliberately asked, "Although Fenglin Huoshan has been suppressed by the Lingyu Sect and the Emperor's uncle, there is no guarantee that he will not harbor resentment in his heart. Moreover, the Education Department is deep and dangerous. Sanlang is only a fifth-rank official, so he needs someone to protect him. He is still young and sometimes acts rashly, so he also needs a think tank to discuss things with. Sisters, who is willing to go?"

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Lishu stood up.

"Good good."

I just love watching this.

Yang Ying smiled secretly in his heart and deliberately teased: "Sixth sister is very intelligent and her martial arts are not weak, but she also has to teach magic and take care of Tianyi Pavilion. I'm afraid she can't handle it alone. How about adding another person?"

A stupid fish was hooked.

"Huazhou is extravagant, with countless opera troupes, brothels everywhere, and river boats full of flower boats. Li Bailong is on a mission for the Tongwen Bureau, so he has to deal with dirty and cheap women. He is in Linxian, and the elders are watching over him. When he arrives in Huazhou, he will be dazzled by the flowers. If he can't control himself, won't it ruin the reputation of our sect?"

Lian Yueyao said coldly: "Sixth sister dotes on him, she can't control this monkey, I'll do it!"

You've already mentioned this...

"Feng Lin was defeated, but the aftermath is still there. We still need to rely on the second sister's thunderous methods."

——I can’t let you go!
Second sister, I just want to see you staring at the sky all day long, scratching your head and feeling irritated!
Yang Ying looked again and saw Wei Henglan sitting upright, her hairpins hanging down, her mind unmoved.

It's not that she didn't want to, but she saw through someone's sinister intentions and didn't want the other person to see the fun.

Tsk, hypocritical.

The head master finally looked at Miss Ma and said, "Seventh sister, Huazhou is located by the Qianhuai River, a thoroughfare, and the Cao Gang has a great influence. If you can get help from the Cao Gang, Sanlang will get twice the result with half the effort. If you can..."

Uncle Seven looked calm and said softly, "I can go, but sister is thinking the wrong thing. The Huazhou Cao Gang is under the rule of the first branch, and has always been at odds with our third branch. In recent years, the election of the leader is approaching, and there will be more friction. Even if I go, the Huazhou Cao Gang will not give me much face, and will only laugh at me behind my back."

Yang Ying was surprised: "Big wife... Huazhou Cao Gang is actually under the command of Lord Yun?"

"……Correct."

Upon seeing this, the head master immediately said, "Then Seventh Sister doesn't have to go."

Seventh Uncle nodded indifferently.

"Sanlang is going to be an official. Among us sisters, only the fourth sister has won the third place in the imperial examination and served as an official. I think I can give him some advice. It's a pity that her father was only the Minister of Revenue and not the Minister of Rites, otherwise he could really help..." Yang Ying shook her head with regret, "The big things that happened recently must also be let this drunkard know. I will write a letter to arrest her and bring her back - it would be good to let her be a thug."

After she finished speaking, she saw that no one had any objections, so she made the rules: "It's settled."

So Baihua Valley started working.

First, select capable disciples, followers and managers to rush to Huazhou, and at the same time mobilize financial and material resources. The managers of Huazhou begin to visit various sects and chambers of commerce in advance to inquire about information and pave the way for Li Bailong.

Huazhou is an important town and a prosperous place in Jiangbei.

The various sects, business houses and guild halls were intertwined and complicated. Baihua Valley was a towering tree in Lin County, but it was just a slightly brighter star in Huazhou. Although it could help Li Bailong, it would not have the same level of official and military integration as in Lin County. In Huazhou, Li Bailong had to personally develop the situation.

"My friend, it's all the male fox's fault for flaunting his beauty and bewitching the people of Biyoutian. I can't do anything about it."

As the sun sets, before the afterglow of the setting sun and the waterfall, the Grand Minister of Agriculture said with an apologetic tone, "I originally wanted to travel with you in the car, talk about philosophy morning and night, and play all the way to Biyoutian, but I didn't expect something unexpected to happen."

Li Bailong didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Male fox..."

"Yes, he is very bad, but now he is old and faded, and he is almost useless." Nong Jincao patted Li Bailong's arm affectionately, "I think you are not bad either, do a good job in the Education Department."

Li Bailong said softly: "My original intention was to go to Lingyu Sect. As long as the Minister of Agriculture speaks, I will..."

"I dare not go into detail about all the details here. If you can take charge of the Education Department, the Lingyu Sect will be happy to see it happen."

The Minister of Agriculture was also very secretive, but his attitude seemed to be more friendly: "But no matter what, Lingyu Sect and my friend are very close, and our friendship goes back a long time. If you are in Lingyu Sect, we will get precious jewels and jade, and if you are in the Education Department, we will get support and blood alliance. The friendship between the two families cannot be broken..."

Li Bailong could only bow and say, "I still have to thank you for your help."

"Look, you're being polite again. If you say that, I, an old man, I..."

The Minister of Agriculture looked around, took a step back, bent his knees, and knelt down: "I must kneel down to thank you for your advice and suggestions and for promoting the transformation of our army into agriculture..."

Li Bailong hurriedly hugged him: "Hey, hey, hey, you're welcome, you're welcome."

"That's exactly what should happen! We are one family, why are we talking about different things?"

The Grand Minister of Agriculture was helped up by him, grinning and patting his chest: "Jingyan has been in Lin County for a few years and has made great contributions. The old man just wrote back to Biyoutian and transferred him to Huazhou to take charge of our faction's Jiangbei affairs. If you have any questions in Huazhou, you may consult him. You two are also friends in need, and you can trust each other."

Even though he knew that the other party's kindness was not without reason, but was based on many utilitarian considerations, Li Bailong was still deeply moved by this series of thoughtful actions: "Old man..."

Nong Jincao laughed heartily and pointed at Li Bailong: "Look, you are going to say something polite again, aren't you?"

Li Bailong was so embarrassed by him that he could only smile bitterly and spread his hands.

"My friend is a very affectionate and grateful person. I know this, but our friendship is so deep that there is no need to even thank you. There will always be opportunities for us to do something for each other in the future."

The old man said this, and after a moment's silence, he suddenly smiled and said, "Well, I will take this opportunity to sacrifice my dignity and repay you for your kindness. If you are truly grateful, can you promise me a big favor?"

Li Bailong was slightly startled, then bowed and said, "Please speak."

"Young Master is extremely talented, has a bright future, and is full of strategic vision. He is a rare gem in the world, needless to say." Nong Jincao said with a smile, "If he can take charge of the Education Department in the future, he will be an important official in the world, and his future is limitless. Such a young talent must have countless admirers, and it is human nature for men and women to love him..."

Li Bailong perfectly reveals the embarrassment and shyness of a young talent.

"So... well, if you have a confidante or a casual love, that's fine. But if there's a matchmaker or even a master's order, and it involves marriage and lifelong events... can you be bold and ask me to refuse it for now?"

Nong Jincao blinked and said, "Three years, my friend, just don't mention marriage for three years. If anyone forces you to do so, just blame it on the Lingyu Sect."

Li Bailong was stunned: "No, the one communicating with me is really a woman?"

The Minister of Agriculture laughed loudly: "No, no, I dare not think too much - but I do want to find a matchmaker for you, but the timing is not right and time is running out. If we fight in a dignified manner, I will lose without complaint. But now that I have lost, it is not my fault. I am afraid someone will cry."

(End of this chapter)