To be honest, Xiao Cheng did not enjoy the meal at Prince Jing's Mansion at all.

Even if the host is very enthusiastic, he also does his best to accompany the guests. The taste of the food is definitely better than that of the Xiao family.

But Xiao Cheng just couldn't be happy.

Because he found that the current King of Jing, Zhao Zhe, was like a runaway carriage. He had no way to stop and could only rush forward regardless. He even ignored the Hebei Road that he had carefully managed for many years.

.

I have clearly informed Yelujun and others that they will never sit back and watch at this time, and will definitely send troops. Transferring the Xin'an Army and other old border troops will definitely make the front line extremely empty, giving the Liao people an opportunity.

But King Jing didn't care at all.

Once the Liao people break through the defense line, the Song people on the border will suffer a big disaster.

It is impossible for Zhao Zhe, who has been in Hebei for a long time, not to know this.

But now he needs these direct troops that he has managed for many years to come to Beijing to help him.

After walking out of the gate of Prince Jing's Mansion, he got on the horse in a daze. Li Xin led the horse and walked slowly. He also saw that Xiao Cheng was a little drunk.

Li Xin was a little surprised, because he knew Xiao Cheng's drinking capacity. After getting used to drinking the kind of wine produced by Tianxiang Pavilion, it was difficult for Xiao Cheng to get drunk even if it was produced in places like Seventy-Two Zhengdian.

of.

A gust of wind blew, and Xiao Cheng suddenly sat up straight.

"Erlang, what's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?" Li Xin asked quickly, "Would you like to find a place to sit down and drink some hangover soup?"

Xiao Cheng did not answer, but turned his head and looked in the direction of the palace in the distance.

The chaos in the northwest involved countless efforts of the Song Dynasty. The Liao people on the other side of Hebei Road must take advantage of it. How could they let go of such a good thing?

Even I can guess such a thing. Is it conceivable that the person in the palace can’t think of it? Those in the East and West mansions can’t think of it?

But why are they silent?

The man in the palace wanted to see how far King Jing wanted to go.

As for those people in the East and West mansions, they probably saw through the official's intentions, so they didn't want to get involved in the fight between father and son.

Suddenly, Xiao Cheng felt that he had seen through what the official family wanted to do.

Did the Liao invade?

What does this mean?

After so many years of war between Song and Liao, who could do anything to defeat whom? It was just a tug-of-war.

Cui Ang had already taken some advantage earlier, but this time the Liao people came and just wanted to give back these advantages.

But this is an excellent opportunity.

For the officials, they could take this opportunity to destroy the power that His Highness King Jing had established on Hebei Road and turn His Highness King Jing into a toothless tiger.

Xiao Cheng couldn't help but shudder.

Has the feud between father and son reached this point?

Have you actually staked millions of people on Hebei Road?

"Erlang, are you cold?" Seeing Xiao Cheng shrinking his shoulders and neck, Li Xin asked again.

Xiao Cheng shook his head, "Don't go back yet. If you go back like this, you don't have to worry me and my sister. Let's go to Tianxiang Pavilion to sober up first."

Li Xin laughed heartily: "That's right. After Erlang came back, he hasn't gone to Tianxiang Pavilion yet! It's time to go and have a look."

Xiao Cheng ignored Li Xin's words. As his confidant, Li Xin knew many things clearly.

Walking around to the back door of Tianxiang Pavilion, Xiao Cheng saw Jiang Yingxue waiting inside with a look of joy and surprise.

"I thought it would take a few days for you to come here!" Jiang Yingxue took a step forward and helped Xiao Cheng get off the horse. Jiang Yingxue bit her lips lightly: "It's been a few months since I left home. There are always a lot of things to do when I come back. A lot.

People need to socialize."

Xiao Cheng didn't mind saying something that the other party liked to hear at this time.

"No matter who you are or what you do, you will always be at the front of the queue." Holding Jiang Yingxue's soft and delicate hand, Xiao Cheng said with a smile. "Do you still like the gifts you brought back?"

Jiang Yingxue blushed and nodded repeatedly: "Of course I like it. Especially those pairs of red fox skins, which can be used to make a fur coat. Red foxes are rare, but you actually got a few pairs. You are really thoughtful."

"It's nothing, it's all given by Tuoba Yangwei and Ren Duozhong." Xiao Cheng said with a smile: "But don't let Third Sister see it, otherwise he will let it slip and the eldest lady will find out.

You have to deal with me."

"It was supposed to be given to the eldest lady. You can take it back later." Jiang Yingxue said quickly.

"Is there any point in taking back the gifts you gave out?" Xiao Cheng waved his hands and said, "Don't worry, I've also given generous gifts to the eldest lady. Besides, the color red is too bright, and the eldest lady must not like it.

of."

After helping Xiao Cheng into the small hall and placing him on the soft couch that belonged to him alone, Jiang Yingxue hurried to the kitchen at the back and personally prepared some sobering soup for Xiao Cheng.

Although Xiao Cheng was smiling all over his face, the smart Jiang Yingxue caught a glimpse of the faint bitterness under Xiao Cheng's smile.

This is so unusual.

Isn't everything going well? During the trip to the northwest, all the news came out smoothly, so why are you so worried when you come back?

After cooking the hangover soup and bringing it over, she saw Xiao Cheng sitting on the soft couch, turning his head and staring blankly at the north. He didn't even notice that he had come in. Jiang Yingxue even felt that this time something might be wrong.

big.

"What happened?" Jiang Yingxue gently placed the bowl on the table, stretched out her hand and held Xiao Cheng's hand: "Can I help?"

Xiao Cheng shook his head: "No one can help. I finally figured out why Xia Jie stayed on Hebei Road all the time. King Jing was in charge of Hebei, but he didn't leave. Cui Ang went there again, but he still didn't leave. Jing

It makes sense that he wouldn't leave when the king was here, but it's strange that he stayed here after Cui Ang went away. There are two great gods installed along the way, what do our officials want to do?"

Jiang Yingxue blinked and looked at Xiao Cheng, knowing that Xiao Cheng was not asking her.

"It turns out that the government will need the great god Xia Jie to clean up the mess in Hebei, and at the same time take the opportunity to rectify and contain the power of His Highness King Jing." Xiao Cheng continued: "Only Xia Jie, who has been in Hebei for a long time, can do this.

, Only in this way can Hebei's strength be preserved to the maximum extent without suffering too much loss."

Hearing this, Jiang Yingxue understood: "Is Erlang talking about the battle between father and son, the official family and King Jing? Listening to what you said, His Highness King Jing is going to lose?"

Xiao Cheng smiled coldly: "With innate deficiencies and not knowing how to give in, there is no reason not to lose! Let's see how far we will lose this time. I understand that the Xin'an Army, the original direct line troops of His Highness King Jing, simply can't survive

They cannot reach Daming Mansion. When the time comes, they will probably be sent to the front line by Xia Jie. With deliberate arrangements, even if these troops are not completely destroyed, their strength will be greatly reduced."

"How could this happen?" Jiang Yingxue looked at Xiao Cheng in shock: "Isn't this making fun of the army of the Song Dynasty and the people of the Song Dynasty?"

"To them, it doesn't matter at all!" Xiao Cheng's face turned livid: "The people are just pawns on their chessboard. You are, and so am I. We can play with them as we please."

"Erlang!" Seeing Xiao Cheng's face looking extremely bad and breathing heavily, Jiang Yingxue quickly whispered to comfort him.

"I don't want to be such a chess piece to be played around with at will. I have been working hard over the years, but the time is too short, and I finally can't control myself." Xiao Cheng put his hands in his hair, feeling a little painful.

"Once His Highness King Jing loses in this battle, what will happen to the Xiao family?" Jiang Yingxue asked in a low voice.

"How can it be better?" Xiao Cheng sneered, "Besides, it depends on how far the father and son will fight. We have to speed up the pace. How are things in the south arranged?"

"It has always been going on." Jiang Yingxue said. "Now the factories, manors, tea mountains, etc. we have invested in have reached a scale of nearly one million. Of course, only we know these data. Outsiders,

The internal connections between these industries are not clear at all.”

"Continue to increase investment in which direction." Xiao Cheng whispered. "The southwest, such as Kuizhou Road and Guangnan West Road, must be laid out."

"Which places need to be decorated?" Jiang Yingxue exclaimed: "They are all barbaric places!"

"Who told you which places are barbaric places!" Xiao Cheng shook his head: "They are all good places!"

"In that kind of place, the power of the government is extremely weak, and the local powerful, tribal chiefs, and chieftains are the real masters of the country. It's very difficult to do business seriously." Jiang Yingxue shook her head.

Xiao Cheng laughed: "Yingxue, are you talking as if we have always been serious businessmen?"

"Of course we are serious businessmen, we just do that once or twice occasionally!" Jiang Yingxue argued forcefully. Seeing that Xiao Cheng was finally happy, Jiang Yingxue also became happy: "Erlang, let's put it this way, our focus next is

We’re going to open these wild places.”

"If King Jing loses, and loses miserably, maybe only those places will have a place for us." Xiao Cheng said: "In this world, just having money is not enough, you have to have a big sword. But in this world

In places where there is order, our big swords can only hide in the darkness and cannot see the light. But in the land of Yunnan and Guizhou, our big swords can exist openly by changing their appearance."

Jiang Yingxue nodded: "Who will be responsible for this matter?"

"Two people should have arrived at your place yesterday with my letter, right?" Xiao Cheng said.

Jiang Yingxue was startled: "You mean Yang Wanfu and Fan Yifei who came yesterday? Didn't they defect to you just now? Can you leave such a crucial matter to them?"
Chapter completed!