When I was in Qin Dynasty, I really didn't want to make progress

Salt is a more profitable industry than paper. If Yang Chong wants to make the salt produced in Jibei County truly popular in Zhao State, there are still many things to do, the most important of which is to find a strong and reliable partner.

That is Queen Zhao.

A person who will rule the State of Zhao in the future but eventually lead it to its destruction.

For the State of Zhao, the Queen of Zhao was indeed a disaster, but for Yang Chong, this disaster was the best cooperation partner.

If Queen Zhao was really a strong woman like the Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin, Yang Chong would have kept his distance from her. Unfortunately, Queen Zhao did not have the breadth of mind and courage of the Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin. All she had was selfishness and cleverness, and this was what Yang Chong could take advantage of.

As for how much Queen Zhao would get from him in the process, Yang Chong didn't care at all, because his ultimate goal was the entire State of Zhao.

When the entire State of Zhao belonged to him, would Yang Chong still care about how much a woman got from him?

Anyway, the meat will eventually rot in the pot, so Yang Chong just treated Queen Zhao as a piggy bank. With this mentality, Yang Chong was very generous to Queen Zhao.

So, when Queen Zhao saw the gift sent by Yang Chong, she was shocked.

Chapter 200: Evil plot

Who is Yang Chong? He is just a fallen prince. There are too many such people in this era. After all, there were too many vassal states before. If you really look into it, the so-called princes are not everywhere, but they are definitely not rare.

What's more, Yang Chong was just a descendant of the Lu family of Qi State and a prince of a fallen country. Such an identity was even less valuable. So Queen Zhao had some impression of Yang Chong, a man who wanted to use the power of Zhao State to restore his country, but not much. But at this moment, she was deeply shocked by Yang Chong's arrogance.

Queen Zhao's eyes were fixed on the thick gift list in her hand. Logically speaking, a person of her status should not have any feelings for money. After all, what she wanted was power. Only with power could she have everything, including money. Once she lost her power, she could not keep her money.

But Queen Zhao is not just herself, she also has a son, who is the current crown prince of Zhao. King Yan of Zhao has many sons. Putting aside other things, the former crown prince alone is a huge threat to them and their son.

She knew very well why her son was able to ascend to the position of crown prince. In order to consolidate her son's position as crown prince, it was necessary for her and her son to make friends with more ministers. It was also necessary to strengthen their status in the eyes of King Zhao Yan. In this way, money became a very important thing.

But she was only the queen. Before entering the palace, she was just a girl from a prostitute family. She did not have a reliable and powerful family. As a result, she had no way to build up her power.

Fortunately, she cooperated with Prime Minister Guo Kai, which made up for her shortcomings in this area to a certain extent.

But one cannot rely on only one tree, and eggs cannot be put in only one basket. She understood this principle. She needed to cooperate with Guo Kai, but she could not put all the chips on Guo Kai. At this time, the appearance of Yang Chong, especially the gift list sent by Yang Chong, suddenly made her see a new possibility.

A wealthy partner could help her solve many problems.

"I didn't expect there would be such a surprise!" Queen Zhao said to herself. She had already decided to meet the person who gave her such a generous gift.

……

On the streets of Handan, Yang Chong, who had nothing to do, took Nong Yu into a mutton shop, sat down amid the surprised looks of the diners, and immediately ordered two bowls of mutton soup.

"Can you eat it?" Yang Chong sniffed and smelled a faint smell of mutton. There was nothing he could do about it. In this era, there were not so many rich condiments, and the mutton's own fishy smell was difficult to remove. As for the question of whether good quality mutton would have a lighter smell, you couldn't expect the mutton from street restaurants to be of good quality. As long as it was fresh, it would be fine.

"It's okay. In fact, I ate everything when I was a child. I would be extremely happy if I could have meat to eat." Nong Yu said with a smile. The dignified and quiet Qin Ji in Zi Lan Xuan slowly disappeared, and was replaced by an innocent girl.

Not all women want to become smart and mature. Nongyu is one of them. For her, if possible, she hopes that she can remain innocent forever, which means that she has found a lifelong support.

"I actually forgot. Then eat more." Yang Chong also said with a smile. He was busy this year. He brought Nongyu from Raoan City to Handan. On the one hand, it was to get in touch with Queen Zhao and open up sales for salt. On the other hand, it was also to relax.

He is indeed not a hard-working person. He can't stand the high-intensity work after less than a year.

"When are we going back this time?" asked Nong Yu. She was very excited to come to Handan alone with Yang Chong. There were too many people at home. Sometimes, even if she wanted to do something, she had to consider other people's eyes, so she was timid. But now it was different. Now here, there were only her and Yang Chong. This was a world belonging to them.

"Nong Yujue, when should we go back?" Yang Chong asked back. He could see that the little guy in front of him didn't want to go back in the short term.

"Half a month?" Seeing Yang Chong throwing the question to her, Nong Yu tentatively said a time she hoped for. However, after saying it, she felt that half a month was a bit too long, so she quickly changed the subject and said, "Ten days is fine, and if that doesn't work, five days is also fine."

"Is there anything different about Handan for Nanyue?" Yang Chong asked.

Handan is a completely unfamiliar place for Nongyu. There is no place or person she is familiar with here. So why does she want to stay in Handan for a while?

"There's nothing different about Handan, but, brother, have you forgotten that we also have a house here? You spent a lot of money to buy this house, and we haven't lived in it for almost a year. If the house is left unoccupied for too long, it will lose its popularity." Facing Yang Chong's question, Nong Yu explained seriously.

"So you are this kind of Nong Yu." Yang Chong looked at Nong Yu and couldn't help but smile.

"Me? What's wrong with me?" Nong Yu felt a little guilty.

"It turns out that there are people who can really lie without blinking an eye!" Yang Chong winked at Nanyue. At this time, the shopkeeper had already brought up two bowls of mutton soup.

"I... I didn't." Nanyue explained quickly, but she could no longer conceal her guilty look.

Of course, Nanyue can lie without blinking an eye. After all, in the original trajectory, she was the one who could deceive Bai Yifei. She had the talent as a killer, but in front of Yang Chong, she was just a girl. Even with good talent, she could not resist the girl's mentality.

After Yang Chong revealed the truth, she felt only uneasiness and guilt, but also a sense of anticipation.

Nongyu did it on purpose. She wanted to stay in Handan City for a few more days, not because there was anything special about Handan City, but because this time she was with Yang Chong. In Handan City, there was no Zi Nu, no Yan Ling Ji, no Niu Shang, and no people like Tian Mi and Ying Ge. There were only her and Yang Chong.

In Handan, it was a world completely belonging to the two of them.

Although Nanyue had no hostility towards the many women around Yang Chong, and never objected to Yang Chong's excessive promiscuity, she was still a girl after all. Which girl would not want to be alone with the one she loves?

In Raoan City, Nongyu did not have such an opportunity, but the situation in Handan was different at this time.

Nanyue did not ask that Yang Chong would be alone by his side forever, but she hoped that when she took that step, Yang Chong would belong only to her.

However, Nanyue's thoughts were discovered by Yang Chong. For a moment, Nanyue felt as if her cheeks were burning, and even her eyes were misty.

"You really haven't grown up yet." Looking at the shy and embarrassed Nongyu, Yang Chong smiled and asked, "Don't you want to know why I only brought you to Handan this time?"

Hmm? Nongyu was startled. This question was something she had never thought about. During the whole journey, she was only concerned with excitement and anxiety. She had never thought about why Yang Chong only brought her with him this time.

"Nongyu, you will be eighteen years old soon, right?" Yang Chong continued to ask while Nongyu was confused.

"Yeah." Nong Yu just nodded subconsciously. She was only sixteen years old when Yang Chong entered Xinzheng. Now nearly two years have passed, and Nong Yu has really grown up.

"In fact, just as you, Nanyue, have ulterior motives towards me, I have also been plotting against you for a long time." Yang Chong leaned close to Nanyue's ear, but he couldn't say this in public, so he could only say this.

Yang Chong's breath blew into Nanyue's ears, but fell into her heart, like a thunderbolt falling into her heart, exploding in her mind. For a moment, Nanyue felt dizzy.

What did she hear just now?

She heard that Yang Chong had been plotting something bad against her. What was that? It seemed like she could know the answer without even thinking about it, right?

Thinking of a certain peeping incident in the past, Nanyue felt as if her whole body was burning. Unconsciously, she seemed to be awakening a talent like Yan Lingji.

Nanyue was so shocked that she didn't know what to feel. She quickly held the ceramic bowl of mutton soup and used the bowl, which was bigger than her face, to shield her face. However, the heat from the mutton soup spread, making her feel even hotter.

Sure enough, there are some things that you cannot peek at, and you will have to pay for them sooner or later.

After walking out of the restaurant, Nongyu had not yet come to her senses, so much so that she couldn't even taste the mutton soup.

She just followed Yang Chong step by step. She didn't know where Yang Chong was going. She just followed him without saying a word, but her mind was already filled with images.

As expected, at such a young age, it is better not to watch things that are beyond the syllabus.

When the two returned home, they found that an empty house opposite had suddenly appeared with a lot of soldiers and horses, and they were all cavalry, each of them was murderous. There were not many such elite troops even in Handan, and they were all cavalry, and their attire was mostly in the style of the Hu people.

Seeing this, the only thing Yang Chong could think of was Zhao's northern border cavalry.

"Are these Zhao's border cavalry?" Shocked by the murderous aura of the cavalry, Nanyue, who had regained her senses, asked Yang Chong in a low voice. The sudden appearance of so many cavalry in the mansion opposite would make people feel more insecure.

Zhao State was a very interesting country. Although it was one country, the customs in the north and south were very different. The south with Handan as the core was mainly engaged in farming, and most of the people were old nobles of Zhao State. The north with Dai County as the core was inhabited by Hu people, and it was a semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral area. Most of the upper class were descendants of the former Dai State.

As for the customs of the people? To put it nicely, they are tough; to put it bluntly, they are barbaric.

Due to historical and geographical reasons, there was a deep gap between the north and south of Zhao State, and the upper classes looked down on each other. The only reason they could get along together was because they were all loyal to King Zhao.

The gap between the two places even made King Wuling of Zhao want to divide the country into north and south. As for the result, it was naturally a failure. The good King Wu of Zhao became King Wuling of Zhao.

Of course, these have nothing to do with Yang Chong, at least not at this stage. He only needs to know that the sudden appearance of these border cavalry in Handan means that King Yan of Zhao is going to mobilize the border cavalry of Zhao.

As for why he did this, it was of course to launch a war against the State of Yan.

"It should be. It seems that the agreement between Zhao and Qin has been completed." Yang Chong retracted his gaze and pulled Nong Yu into the gate. The mansion opposite was Sima Mansion, which Yang Chong had known for a long time.

Li Mu's deputy, Sima Shang, the governor of Dai County, was also a rare and good general. Although he was not as good as top generals like Li Mu and Wang Jian, he could also compare with Yang Duanhe of Qin.

Especially for those who serve as deputy, they not only need strong business ability, but also high emotional intelligence. Only in this way can they do a good job as deputy. Sima Shang has been able to cooperate closely with Li Mu for many years, which shows that his ability and emotional intelligence are both good.

In the future, Yang Chong will need to establish a connection with Sima Shang. After all, the Qin army coupled with Wang Jian is too difficult to deal with. Only Li Mu and Zhao's border cavalry can compete with them.

Moreover, there was much debate in Yang Chong's previous life about who was stronger, Wang Jian or Li Mu. Some said that Li Mu was stronger because the overall strength of the Zhao army was not as good as that of the Qin army. Some said that Wang Jian was stronger, after all, Wang Jian won in the end.

Of course, he has his own opinions about Yang Chong, but these opinions are not important because now he can verify them personally.

"So the war is about to begin?" Nong Yu whispered. She didn't know that Yang Chong had thought of a lot in such a short time.

Everything that Jibei County had done over the past year revolved around only one thing, and that was to prepare for war. As someone close to Yang Chong, Nong Yu naturally knew why Jibei County was preparing for war.

"It's about to begin. We're busy all year just for next year's war." Yang Chong said.

The next year, Zhao would attack Yan and win all the way. But just when the Zhao army was advancing triumphantly, the Qin army would suddenly launch an attack on Zhao. At that time, Qin dispatched generals including Huan Xi, Wang Jian, and Yang Duanhe. This lineup caught Zhao off guard, and it lost territory one after another and was finally defeated. It was also in this war that King Yan of Zhao fell ill and died that year.

What Yang Chong needed to do during this period was to take advantage of Zhao's defeat and the opportunity of the change of Zhao's throne to gain more benefits from Zhao. Over the years, Zhao had annexed a lot of land from Qi, especially Pingyuan and Dong'a, which were densely populated and grain-producing areas. The population of one county was enough to equal half of Jibei County.

If Yang Chong could get these lands into his hands, he would have the real capital to plot against Qi. With a population of only a few hundred thousand in Jibei County, even if Yang Chong used all his military power to swallow up Qi, it would be like a snake swallowing an elephant. He would die of starvation if he was not careful.

"War..." Nong Yu muttered to herself. This was a very heavy topic. Of course, she was not worried about how many people would die in the war. Although she was kind-hearted, she was not yet a saint. What she cared about was Yang Chong's success or failure in this war.

Yang Chong has made too many preparations for this war. During this year, not only Yang Chong, but almost everyone has been busy. Even the laziest Yan Lingji has come forward to manage the former Baiyue refugees who have become salt people. Most of the sisters of Zi Lanxuan have left the Yang family and are responsible for running shops in various places. It can be said that there are no idle people in the Yang family now.

Therefore, Nanyue does not care about real cruelty, she only cares about Yang Chong's success or failure.

Chapter 201: Handan Romance

The mansion that once belonged to Lian Po was very large, so when Yang Chong went to Raoan, he also left some people in the mansion, such as Bai Feng, several women from Zilanxuan, and some guards who were there to protect the mansion. Therefore, when Yang Chong and Nongyu returned here, they did not feel that there was anything old about it.

This also proves that what Nanyue said before was a complete lie that a house would lose its popularity if it was not occupied for a long time.

It was false that Nanyue wanted to add some popularity to the mansion, but it was true that she wanted to add a little master to the mansion.

So, when the two of them came to the hall, Yang Chong pointed to the spotless floor and raised his eyebrows at Nongyu. Nongyu understood instantly and her face turned red. She vaguely realized that she had done something stupid before and might be laughed at by Yang Chong for a long, long time. Now she could only hope that Yang Chong would not tell this secret to anyone other than them.

Nanyue's worries were completely unnecessary. This matter was just a hobby between Yang Chong and her. If it was told to a third party, it would no longer be a hobby, but a disrespect to Nanyue. Although Yang Chong was not a good person most of the time, he would not show off about such things. He would not use his woman to show off to others, even if that other person was also his woman.

"Is Queen Zhao really reliable?" Yang Chong and Nong Yu had just rested for a while when the invitation from Prince Zhao's Palace appeared on Nong Yu's desk.

"There is no one in the world who is absolutely reliable. We just need to understand that she is our most suitable partner at the moment." Yang Chong said.

Cooperating with Queen Zhao now is an advance investment. The appetite of Queen Zhao is different from that of Queen Mother Zhao.

This year, Yang Chong cooperated with her, and he was cooperating with the queen of Zhao. The queen was not yet strong, so Yang Chong was cooperating with her at this time because both sides benefited from it, and it could even be said to be a timely help. But if he cooperated with her again next year, he would be cooperating with the Queen Mother of Zhao.

At that time, the Queen Mother Zhao was in charge of the State of Zhao and her power reached its peak. Ordinary money was no longer important to her. At that time, if Yang Chong wanted to get the same thing, the price he had to pay would be completely different.

The Queen Mother had a big appetite, and Yang Chong didn't want to feed her. He wanted to feed the Queen.

"Queen Zhao?" Nongyu muttered the name, not knowing what she was thinking. In her understanding, the women in the palace were all similar to Concubine Hu and Madam Mingzhu. Each of them was very powerful and cunning, and not easy to get along with.

"Okay, stop thinking too much, just stay home and clean up your room." Yang Chong put away the invitation and patted Nong Yu's white and plump forehead, then walked out of the room.

Nanyue looked at Yang Chong's departing back, but before she could respond, she heard Yang Chong's voice again: "Remember, don't clean up two rooms, just one."

The words that Nongyu was about to say were choked in her mouth: One room? Why only one room?

This question only popped up in Nanyue's mind for a moment and she didn't dare to think about it any further. However, it doesn't matter whether you think about it or not, what matters is whether you do it or not.

Yang Chong didn't care how much of an impact his words had on Nong Yu. There would be a bigger and stronger impact at night anyway, so Nong Yu had to learn to adapt.

……

Feixue Pavilion in Handan is a very famous place for romance. It is not very big and the dancers inside are not the most beautiful in Handan, but its Zhao dance is the best. Even in a place like Zhao State which is good at dancing, its dance is unique in Handan.

Therefore, its business is very good, but even with such good business, there are not too many customers, because there is a threshold to enter, and ordinary people are not qualified to come here even if they are rich.

Those who can come in and out here are real princes and nobles, important officials of the imperial court, while the so-called wealthy businessmen and heroes of the world are just standing in front of the door and looking around.

And the place Yang Chong wanted to go was the extremely stylish Feixue Pavilion.

When Yang Chong came to Feixue Pavilion, he didn't need to announce his identity as a maid came to greet him. Obviously, before Yang Chong came here, Queen Zhao had already sent someone to notify the person in charge here.

As he shuttled around Feixue Pavilion, Yang Chong had some doubts: He wondered what kind of relationship the person in charge here had with Queen Zhao, and how she could trust him so much.

With such doubts, Yang Chong went up to the third floor. As a door opened, a woman in her thirties appeared in his sight.

This is a very beautiful woman. She is not tall but very charming. It seems that she is getting older. She is a little plump. Her waist is no longer slender but not fat either. Instead, she gives people a feeling of strength, especially the blue dress she wears. It is neither plain nor frivolous. Obviously, this is a woman who has left behind the identity of a dancer and completed her identity transformation.

Is she the sister, friend, confidant of Queen Zhao? Or perhaps she has other identities.

"This must be County Magistrate Yang, right? He is indeed a handsome man!" The woman came up to him with a smile. She had already received orders from Queen Zhao. Besides, the head of a county was already considered a high-ranking official in Zhao State. Although Feixue Pavilion was special and only high-ranking officials came and went, she also knew that those high-ranking officials respected the owner behind Feixue Pavilion, not her. She was very clear about her identity.

Especially for someone like Yang Chong who had no background but reached a high position at a young age, he must be extraordinary, so she could not neglect him, not to mention that Yang Chong was a guest of Queen Zhao.

"What the boss lady said is right. I often hear people say this." Yang Chong was not polite at all and walked straight into the room. The other party was not Zi Nu, so he was too lazy to be polite.

The woman was slightly startled, but she had never expected Yang Chong to answer like this. However, her good professionalism made her quickly put on a smile and said, "Governor Yang is quite humorous. I, Li, would like to meet you."

She was introducing herself, and also reminding Yang Chong not to call her the boss lady, but Madam Li. She was the owner of Feixue Pavilion, and being called the boss lady by Yang Chong sounded like she was running a streetside tavern, which was too degrading.

Precisely because her status is not high, she cares more about it.

"Boss Lady Li?" Yang Chong saw through the other party's thoughts but continued to do as he pleased. He just felt that this boss lady was being pretentious and didn't give her any face. It would have been better if Queen Zhao was here.