You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 34 Soft rice
Around midnight, the sky was overcast and a light snow began to fall.

Li Shishi, who was always fastidious about cleanliness, did not take a bath. Wrapped in a thick brocade quilt, she looked outside.

"Bang!" Suddenly, a light flashed in the night as a firework shot into the sky.

The fireworks burst open in the sky, emitting fleeting colors and light.

The firelight reflected in Li Shishi's charming almond-shaped eyes flickered, like glistening tears.

At this moment, Chen Shao and Dong Dahu, who were riding side by side on the road, also looked up.

He then remembered what Da Hu had said: "The New Year is almost here."

During the New Year, Bianliang City is definitely the most lively place in the world.

From the beginning of the twelfth lunar month until the end of the first lunar month, there will be countless lanterns, fireworks, and annual gatherings.
Looking back a thousand years and forward a thousand years, this is the greatest festival in human history.

Chen Shao sighed.

He recalled what Li Shishi had said to him not long ago.

She was actually sold by her parents. They carefully groomed her and packaged her as the most beautiful and talented courtesan in Bianliang, and then she naturally caught the eye of the amorous emperor.

The person who secretly nurtured and controlled her was not Liang Shicheng or Tong Guan, as Chen Shao thought.

Li Shishi speculated that he must be a prominent figure in the literati, a true high-ranking official.

Because every time he made Li Shishi do something, they were the ones who benefited.

This person is very mysterious.

He always sent his men to contact Li Shishi's parents, but never took the initiative to contact Li Shishi herself.

Chen Shao immediately thought that the Song Dynasty had shared the world with the scholar-officials, and after a hundred years, there were actually quite a few powerful clans and aristocratic families. Although they did not have the same deep foundation as before Huang Chao, they should still have reached a certain scale.

Li Shishi has been isolated from her family for over a decade, not returning home. While this may be partly to protect her family, it's not impossible that she harbors some resentment.

But blood ties are not so easily abandoned or severed. After her parents were killed, she had no more worries.

She was even willing to flee the capital with Chen Shao.

Moreover, Li Shishi wasn't very afraid. No one knew better than her that she didn't hold much weight with Zhao Ji.

Her life, seemingly glamorous and prosperous, was actually one in which she was never truly cherished or cared for, not even by those who tried to comfort or deceive her.

The New Year's fireworks reflect the lives of many people, filled with heartache, hardship, and pain.

Only fleeting moments of joy, interspersed throughout, offer a sliver of solace to the long and arduous journey.

But fireworks fade quickly; after the dazzling display, only a cold, chilly night remains.

The massacre of Li Shishi's entire family is hard to say whether it was revenge after someone discovered the affair, or whether someone behind it was eliminating the root of the problem for their own benefit.

Back in his house, Cui Lin opened the door with an oil lamp in hand.

Chen Shao beckoned him inside.

Chen Shao stamped his feet outside the door to shake off the snow before coming in. He breathed on his fingers, which were white with cold, to warm them up.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"Tomorrow, you must ride as fast as you can back to Fuzhou and go to Old Master Liu's residence to find my cousin Liu Guanglie. Tell him to bring some reliable people with him in person. Tell him it's an extremely urgent matter and he needs to come and save our lives."

Cui Lin nodded, keeping it in mind without asking any further questions.

Chen Shao is about to start transferring Li Shishi's assets.

When he asked last night, he was shocked to discover that Li Shishi had accumulated an astonishing amount of wealth over the years.

Moreover, after her parents were killed, the amount of land and property in her family far exceeded Chen Shao's expectations.

To put it bluntly, I originally wanted to live off a woman, but I never expected to end up enjoying a Peach Banquet.

It's impossible for Chen Shao to transfer such a huge amount of assets on his own.

Only by relying on the power of the Liu family.

These Northwest military leaders, from prominent military families, had plenty of connections and methods.

Over the years, they had maintained their own armies and fought battles in the Northwest; they would have starved to death long ago if they had relied on the imperial court's stipends. Each military leader had their own means of making money.

My cousin wasn't very capable; he was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and he was an unappreciated illegitimate son at home.

However, he is loyal, values ​​relationships, and is extremely filial.

He's reliable.

This was the most appropriate solution Chen Shaoneng could think of.

At this time, nothing is guaranteed. If this succeeds, Chen Shao will have the means to establish himself in the Northwest.
-
As Lunar New Year's Eve approached, Chen Shao received news that left him both amused and exasperated.

Tong Guan actually planned to stay in Bianjing until New Year's Eve before leaving.

After all, he was a eunuch who had led troops and commanded hundreds of thousands of men; I never expected this.
But upon closer reflection, Chen Shao understood him.

It is true that Tong Guan had commanded troops, but his power was not earned through his own hard work and battles.

All his power was based on the emperor's favor.

Therefore, for him, falling out of favor with the emperor was more terrible than suffering a defeat on the front lines.

Historically, he suffered a crushing defeat when he attacked the Liao Dynasty.

It led to the loss of the Song Dynasty's most capable 100,000 elite field army.

Then, he managed to completely deceive the emperor, and not only was he not punished, but he was also lavishly rewarded by Zhao Ji.

As they left the Tong residence, Yang Keshi approached them with a grin.

"Brother Shao, you've treated us to several meals recently. Today, the brothers slaughtered a sheep at the camp in the northern suburbs. You must do us the honor of joining us."

Chen Shao smiled and agreed, then went to the market to order some good wine and had it delivered to his destination.

The price of these wines far exceeded that of the sheep, but Chen Shao didn't care.

He needs these guys to help him pass on some information from Tong Guan, which could be very useful at crucial moments.

When they were all tipsy and in high spirits, Yang Keshi put his arm around Chen Shao's shoulder and whispered, "Brother Shao, you've had a really great year. Don't forget to give Commander Xuan a gift."

Chen Shao nodded.

"Haha, Brother Shao is such a meticulous person, I was just being nosy."

"If my brother hadn't reminded me, I would have completely forgotten," Chen Shao said casually.

Tong Guan's power came from the emperor, so he needed to stay in the capital and spend the New Year with the emperor.

If one wants to seize power from Tong Guan, then one must cater to his preferences.

What Tong Guan valued most was military merit and noble title, and since I couldn't help him with that, I could only choose the second thing he liked most: money.

After returning to the house, Chen Shao took a bundle from the bedside cabinet.

It contains some calligraphy and paintings by famous people that were sent by Li Shishi.

Considering that Tong Guan probably wouldn't like these things, it would be better to exchange them for money and just give him money directly.

Chen Shao took Dong Dahu and a few paintings and calligraphy works with him, and headed to Xiangguo Temple Market, the busiest market in Bianliang.

As Lunar New Year's Eve approaches, Xiangguo Temple is bustling with activity, with people coming and going and vendors everywhere selling novelties.

After wandering around for a long time and buying some interesting trinkets, Chen Shao finally found a place that sells calligraphy and paintings.

What they sell here are inscriptions, calligraphy and paintings, and antiques.
He first bought a stall from the monks, and then carefully took out the calligraphy and paintings from the cloth cover and unfolded them.

"what!"

"It's actually Xu Xi's 'Peony Painting'!"

A slender, jade-like hand reached out to touch the painting; the hand was as soft as a tender shoot, and the skin as smooth as cream.

"Don't touch it if you're not buying!" Chen Shao quickly stopped him.

"It's you!" the two exclaimed in unison after recognizing each other.

(End of this chapter)