The prince is very cruel

"We won't get a promotion even if we wait in line."

When Guan Ning heard this, his eyes flashed: "You guys?"

"Are there many soldiers like you who have ended up on the streets?"

Shen Lei nodded. "Last year, the imperial court couldn't pay the military, so they cut the army. I was one of them. I fought for half my life, but ended up with only one person left."

Having said that, he felt dissatisfied and sentimental.

Guan Ning and Lou Xinyue looked at each other and thought that perhaps they didn't need to look for candidates for this group of officers one by one.

But he didn't show it. After all, there were too many people and it was taboo to recruit a large number of retired soldiers.

"They call you a lovesick man, what's that?"

Shen Lei seemed unwilling to say more.

Guan Ning was also very generous and directly threw the purse to Shen Lei.

"The money is yours."

Shen Lei took the purse, looking visibly surprised. "I'm no match for you, why are you still giving me money?"

"There are many people who are no match for me. You are considered to be a relatively good fighter. Besides, I am attracted by your identity as a soldier. I used to be one too." Guan Ning said with a smile.

Lou Xinyue was suspicious. How come she didn't know about this? She just thought Guan Ning was comforting her.

"The same to you?"

Shen Lei's eyes seemed to soften a little, and his hands tightly grasped the purse, as if he didn't want it, but had to take it.

"Thank you...thank you!" he said hoarsely. "I won't take this money for nothing. From now on, my life belongs to you."

Guan Ning raised his eyebrows: "Can you tell me what the money is for now?"

After hesitating, Shen Lei said, "I have a woman I like, but there's a big gap in our social status. Her father doesn't agree with this marriage and wants to break it up."

"Her father said that unless I can gather a betrothal gift of 100 taels, don't even think about it."

Hearing this, Guan Ning and Lou Xinyue were both slightly startled. Is there such a hidden secret? A betrothal gift of one hundred taels, for an ordinary person, this amount of money could never be earned in a lifetime.

Even if she had earned the money, the woman would probably have already become someone else's wife or someone else's mother.

This is a very real problem.

"But even if you get the money now, you have already sold yourself. How can you stay together forever? Will your father-in-law look down on you?" Guan Ning raised another question.

Shen Lei was silent, then frowned and said, "He should keep his word, right?"

Guan Ning smiled helplessly. After all, Shen Lei was a military man, so he was just thinking too simply.

As for the other party's power, one hundred taels is probably just a promise to make him give up. Even if he gets the money, there will be other problems to make things difficult for him. The core issue is that they are not a good match.

"Well, let me help you with this."

Shen Lei looked up suddenly: "You?"

"Why, I don't look like someone who can get things done?" Guan Ning said with a smile.

Shen Lei was surprised and doubtful: "No, you look like it!"

"But why are you helping me?"

Guan Ning smiled and said, "I need someone like you."

"I'll help you with this. Are you willing to follow me?"

Shen Lei's somewhat desperate heart began to revive, and he nodded heavily: "Yes, yes!"

"If you can help me convince the other party, I, Shen Lei, am willing to do my best to help you!"

boom!

He was not good at speaking and kowtowed heavily to Guan Ning.

"Who is the other party?" Guan Ning asked directly.

"Manager Liu from the south of the city, the Liu family."

"A merchant family?" Guan Ning raised his eyebrows.

"Yes!" Shen Lei excitedly.

That’s easy, Guan Ning thought to himself.

"Come with me."

Shen Lei was at a loss, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw. He came from a humble background and had no one to turn to, but Guan Ning's sudden appearance gave him confidence.

He stood up without hesitation and quickly followed Guan Ning.

The three of them went one after another and first arrived near the Censorate, and Guan Ning called Chen Tu.

This made Shen Lei stunned. He could just shout as the people from the Censorate told him to?

Perhaps Chen Tu is just a small official, meaningless in the capital, but to ordinary people, he is already a god-like figure, a government official whom no one dares to offend!

Shen Lei was excited, there was hope for his success! !

In front of the Liu family's gate, Guan Ning's carriage was parked outside, but he and Lou Xinyue did not go in.

"Are you a matchmaker?" Lou Xinyue joked as she lowered the curtain.

Guan Ning smiled and said, "As the saying goes, it's better to destroy a bridge than to ruin a marriage. If you meet someone so infatuated, wouldn't it be a bad idea to help him?"

"Moreover, this person used to be a soldier, and he should know quite a few soldiers who were forced to retire due to lack of background. This just solves my urgent need."

Lou Xinyue asked, "Are you sure that Chen Tu went there? Is that okay?"

Guan Ning smiled and said, "It will definitely work."

"The Liu family isn't some wealthy business family. At best, they're just small businessmen. What a merchant family like this wants most is to be able to ride on the official's carriage to expand their power and bring honor to their family."

"But their own abilities are limited, and the real court officials look down on them."

"Chen Tu is from the Censorate, and Censor Xiao is behind him. In their eyes, this is something they can only dream of."

Lou Xinyue frowned slightly: "Is this kind of marriage based on exchanging benefits still necessary?"

"As long as the two of them truly love each other, then it's necessary to find Chen Tu as a matchmaker and mention Shen Lei as a person of status. These are just means."

Lou Xinyue glanced at him coldly: "You know a lot."

"Haha, otherwise how could I marry such a beautiful woman like you?" Guan Ning smiled slyly and touched her jade hand.