There is an ancient pine tree in the backyard of Soothe.

He is truly worthy of the words "Guang Gai Ru Yun".

The thick roots of the big tree that twisted and curved out of the ground were polished and trimmed by skillful craftsmen, and turned into wooden benches and wooden tables for daily leisure and rest.

The pine cones that fell from the tree were collected in a basket formed by the tree roots. It must be that no one has come here to make tea for a long time, so the collected pine cones can no longer fit in the root basket.

There was also a small pile piled next to it.

Xiao Cheng specially invited a guest here for tea today.

The one who specializes in making tea is Jiang Yingxue, who is dressed in Tsing Yi and slightly pink.

Although Jiang Yingxue is now the wife of the appeasement envoy, she is not a noble lady who never goes out of her way. Today, she still controls the huge business under Tianzihao.

With the improvement of Xiao Cheng's status, companies including Tianxiang, Tiangong and other companies are now rising even more. Compared with the past, their strength has been improved by several levels.

Xiao Cheng, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all about his wife's public appearance.

On the contrary, I am quite proud of this.

This also made the wives of high-ranking officials on Guiyang Road get ready to take action.

What is good above will be replicated below!

With such a shrewd and capable pacifier wife, those noble ladies who used to have no choice but to wander around the house, do some household chores, and quietly run small businesses to supplement their family income, were also encouraged to think smartly.

It's not that no one came to complain to Xiao Cheng, but such complaints were destined to be fruitless, and they might even be scolded by the pacifier.

Those who are particularly unlucky and have a close relationship with the comforter will most likely have to endure a mixed doubles fight.

Because for these people, the wife of the comfort messenger will also jump out.

It's funny to say that these things have caused the grape trellises in the backyards of countless officials on Guiyang Road to shake.

Although the wife of the comfort messenger is also a person in the scene, there are only a few people on the Guiyang road who can let her personally come forward to make tea.

"Mr. Liu, please!"

Luo Xin's voice came from outside. Xiao Cheng stood up when he heard the sound and turned to look at the end of the path.

Liu Fengkui, the deputy envoy of the Imperial City Department, took charge of Guiyang Road. He was sent here since the establishment of Guiyang Road. In the blink of an eye, nearly four years have passed.

Liu Fengkui, who had gray hair on his temples, was obviously stunned for a moment when he saw the scene in the garden. When Xiao Cheng extended his hand to invite him, he bent down deeply and said, "Futai, this is really going to break Liu."

How can one deserve this when one’s life is over?”

Xiao Cheng received him, and for him, doing nothing was not worthy of him.

In a sense, he is Xiao Cheng's supervisor.

If you take it lightly, you are just reporting to the emperor.

The Imperial City Division is essentially a spy organization.

What he couldn't afford was for Jiang Yingxue to come forward in person.

When word of this happened, he really couldn't explain it clearly.

If the friendship had not reached a certain level, how could the family members come out to entertain you?

Xiao Cheng smiled and said: "You don't have to be like this, Mr. Liu. Yingxue is different from ordinary people, as you know, and I don't have so many taboos. Mr. Liu will return to Bianliang soon. I want to have a good talk with Mr. Liu. Got it?

Liu Gong likes to make tea, but I am not very proficient in this art, but Yingxue is good at it, so I worked hard for her to make tea for us!"

Liu Fengkui crossed his hands and saluted Jiang Yingxue again. Jiang Yingxue smiled and nodded.

The two sat across from each other.

Xiao Cheng didn't like making tea like this. He preferred to use boiling water to make stir-fried tea leaves.

Even at his current position, Xiao Cheng's habit is still laughed at by many elegant people, saying that he came from a family of generals after all, and even if he passed the Jinshi examination, it would be nothing more than that.

Xiao Cheng never cared about such rumors.

Rather, it is because he likes to drink tea like this. Now the officials and gentry on Guiyang Road have slowly started to drink tea like this.

But ordinary people have always paid so much attention.

Just boil a large pot with tea foam.

When there is no tea leaves, even the leaves of the Ningqing tree are the same. On a hot day, drinking a bowl of this herbal tea is better than anything else.

"It won't take long to go to Beijing this time. I estimate that I will definitely come back before the end of the year!" Liu Fengkui said: "I have been staying in Guiyang for these years. I am used to living there. I don't want to go anywhere else."

Xiao Cheng smiled and said: "Mr. Liu is very well-mannered. You are not used to living there, but you have to come! Speaking of which, it is also my fault."

Liu Fengkui was a little embarrassed.

As the emperor's public eyes and ears, the reason why he can live peacefully in Guiyang and run the Imperial City Department's business in a decent manner is all due to his past friendship with the Xiao family.

When Xiao Ding was running the Northwest, Liu Fengkui was working as a horse rider on the road to Shaanxi. At that time, he got to know Xiao Cheng and had a lot of intelligence cooperation with the two brothers.

In the end, after Xiao Ding sent troops to attack Li Xu without permission, which triggered a battle between Shaanxi Road and the Dingnan Army, Liu Fengkui took a great risk and supported Ma Xing by jointly presenting the memorial and endorsing Xiao Ding.

Later, when Xiao Cheng arrived in Qianzhou, his power developed step by step and became bigger and bigger. The spy chiefs sent by the imperial court disappeared one by one without a trace. I don't know whether they were dead or escaped. Anyway, they just disappeared.

When the establishment of Guiyang Road was officially announced, I didn't know who was so lucky that my heart thought of Liu Fengkui. At that time, this father-in-law was keeping vigil for the late emperor!

Then, Liu Fengkui arrived at Guiyang Road, and sure enough, Huangcheng Division established its foothold on Guiyang Road.

Like Hu Yi, he was sent by the emperor to cause trouble, but the treatment he received was completely different.

Hu Yi still holds the official title of Guiyang Road Transport Envoy, but he has no power or status on Guiyang Road. Now he can only teach with Master Cen.

"In the past few years, I have to thank Mr. Liu for speaking out for me." Xiao Cheng picked up the tea cup and smiled at Liu Fengkui.

Liu Fengkui shook his head: "It's hard to talk about it. I just reported what I saw and heard to the court in its original form. I am really grateful that Futai has allowed me to live until now."

Xiao Cheng laughed: "Mr. Liu, this is a joke. We have cooperated happily in these years. I believe that what Mr. Liu has seen and heard in these years is enough to make Mr. Liu think deeply."

Yes, right, Mr. Liu? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have helped me so much when we were running Dali!”

"This is to open up territory for the Song Dynasty, and I am naturally duty-bound!" Liu Fengkui said. At this point, he sighed: "Futai, as of today, I really can't figure out who my subordinates are.

I'm afraid most of the few who are really my subordinates have become Zhiqiuyuan people, right?"

Xiao Cheng spread his hands: "I really don't know about this. You have to ask Wu Ke."

Thinking of the sinister young deputy director of the Statistics Department, Liu Fengkui shook his head.

"I have never understood you, Futai." Liu Fengkui sighed: "But over the years, I have at least figured out one thing, that is, you, Futai, have absolutely no intention of rebelling. In this case, the relationship between you and Bianliang

Why don't we talk about those misunderstandings and conflicts and resolve them?"

Xiao Cheng smiled and said: "I am willing, do they believe it?"

Liu Fengkui suddenly became speechless. Yes, would those in Bianliang believe it?

Today's Guiyang Road pacifier, in fact, Xiao Cheng used a method similar to coercion, forcing the court to admit it, because the princes in the capital knew very clearly that if Xiao Cheng's wish was not fulfilled, then maybe

Guiyang will become the second Hengshan.

Although in fact Guiyang Road is completely out of the control of the imperial court, in terms of face, it is still the territory of the Song Dynasty. Xiao Cheng is also willing to give them this face, and even symbolically turns it over to Bianliang every year.

A tax of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan.

More or less money is not the issue, attitude is the key.

But no matter how Xiao Cheng behaves, the court will not completely believe it. Just like this time, the official family of Bianliang said to Xiao Cheng: Qing family, I absolutely believe in your loyalty. Come back, and I will make you the chief assistant.

Will Xiao Cheng believe it?

Will Xiao Cheng go back?

Of course it's impossible.

The two sides have reached a dead end of mutual suspicion in game after game and can never get out of it.

Therefore, even if one party really changes his mind, the other party will not believe it.

I can't untie it, and it's still a mess now.

A real mess.

Liu Fengkui sighed in distress.

"Futai, can't Guiyang Road really become the territory of the imperial court? Can't we really accept those officials from Bianliang? If Futai can take this step, Liu will be killed in front of the main hall, and he is willing to do it for

Futai argued."

"As I said before, we have completely lost trust in each other." Xiao Cheng raised the corners of his mouth and sneered: "Besides, I look down on them. Liu Gong, don't you think, I really give the place to you."

Give it to them, and within a few years, they will turn a good chess game into a mess, do you believe it?"

Liu Fengkui believes it.

In the past few years, he has seen how the large area of ​​​​Guiyang Road has changed from Jizhou, a headache for the imperial court, to the prosperous place it is today. He has seen how these so-called Di Yi people, who are disdained by the imperial officials, are

How to be educated and become a warrior who opened up territories for the Song Dynasty.

The place Xiao Cheng called Caiyun South has now officially become the territory of the Song Dynasty.

And this was something that Taizu could not accomplish even with all the efforts of the whole country.
To be continued...