Annan's side was fighting in full swing, while Xue Hong was lying at home boasting about her rising luck and cultivation.
The foundation of Da Zhi Xuan is getting thicker and thicker, and Xue Hong is also frantically brushing up Dao Zang to consolidate the foundation.
I kept in touch with Baochai on a daily basis, helped Zhu Hui who was about to get married, and read a book. My little life was quite pleasant.
However, there was a slight problem in the business between Xue Pan and Hou Jin. Why don't they come to ask Xue Hong for help?
Xue Pan kicked open the door of Xue Hong's room, which made Xue Hong's eyelids jump.
"Brother..."
"Get out, knock again and come back in!"
"Oh! Okay."
Clang clang clang!
"Come in."
Xue Hong put down the Yun Ji Qi Zhuan in his hand and poured a cup of tea for Xue Pan himself: "Tell me, what happened to come to me in such a hurry?"
Xue Pan: "Oh, it's like this, big brother. Someone maliciously lowers the price and sells it to Houjin at a low price. There is vicious competition. No one wants our things at the original price. What should we do?"
Xue Hong: "Haha, don't make trouble. How can there be any good people in Huangshang? Can they still sell things at a reduced price to Houjin and Mongolia?"
Xue Pan: "Brother, our family is also an imperial merchant..."
Xue Hong: "Oh, then I take back the above sentence."
Xue Pan: "Brother, what should we do now? Will we also lower the price?"
Xue Hong looked at Xue Pan with surprised eyes: "Reduced price? Why did you reduce the price?
Do you know that cheating...ahem, profiteers...that business circle has unwritten rules, light versus light, darkness versus darkness."
Xue Pan shook his head: "I don't understand."
Xue Hong: "To put it simply, if everyone competes fairly, then everyone will abide by the rules. If someone plays dirty, then we must be worse than him!"
"Let me ask you first, who is the imperial merchant who maliciously lowers the price?"
Xue Pan: "He is an imperial merchant from Jin."
Xue Hong: "Then don't be polite. We can join other imperial merchants to kick out the imperial merchants of Jin Dynasty, spread rumors and slander, and directly destroy the image of the imperial merchants of Jin region in the hearts of the Houjin people."
Xue Pan: "Brother, didn't you teach me to keep a tightrope in everything?"
Xue Hong once again held up Yun Ji Qi Zhu: "There is no need to keep this, their family will be gone soon. It doesn't make any sense whether to keep it or not."
The affairs of Jin merchants who had liaisons with Hou Jin and sold weapons had already made Emperor Longqing want to kill him. But this time the Jin merchants dared to be merciful to Hou Jin Mongolia. If he didn't die, who would die?
Xue Pan instantly understood that this was the benefit of having people in the court. He would be the first to know any news, so he didn't have to worry about stepping on a thunderbolt.
After Xue Pan left, Xue Hong read for a while and then went to Xue Mansion to see Baochai and Baoqin...and Daiyu along with them.
Speaking of Daiyu, Xue Hong had a toothache. He didn't know why he offended this child, but he acted as a light bulb for Baochai and Xue Hong every day.
However, Aunt Xue still recognized Daiyu as her goddaughter. Baochai also liked Daiyu very much, but Xue Hong had nothing to do with her.
Just as he was about to leave the house, he met Baochai coming over.
Behind Baochai were Baoqin and Daiyu, and Baoqin was holding a painting in his hand. This scroll made Xue Hong feel inexplicably familiar.
Baochai: "Brother Hong."
Bao Qin: “I’ve met my eldest cousin.”
It was Daiyu's turn, a bright smile appeared on her delicate little face, and she said astonishingly: "I have met Brother Bao."
Baochai immediately blushed and gave Daiyu a slight push.
Daiyu: "Why is Sister Bao so shy? Isn't this a title that needs to be changed sooner or later?"
Xue Hong: "The teapot is very broken, and the mouth is very good. Daiyu, you came here to tease me, brother? If you keep doing this, I will carefully carry you out and throw you out."
Daiyu puffed up her cheeks slightly in anger at being told this.
Some time ago, after Aunt Xue recognized Daiyu as her goddaughter, Xue Pan felt very pitiful when he heard that Daiyu had lost her mother since she was a child.
He directly expresses his sworn relationship with Daiyu and Jinlan, and incidentally also adds Xue Hong and Baochai...
Xue Hong is fine, after all, Xiao Daiyu is quite cute when she is not quarrelsome.
However, Xue Hong forgot that Daiyu had a strong character. Since she became sworn friends with the Xue brothers and sisters, her health was getting better day by day under Xue Hong's care.
However, Xue Hong's starting point is to "respect" Daiyu. Unlike Baochai and Xue Pan, who always protects and gives way to Daiyu, he will retaliate from time to time, which in turn arouses Daiyu's desire to win.
Therefore, whenever there is an opportunity, the two of them will fight each other, and then Baochai will come to their aid.
Seeing that the two were arguing with each other again, Baochai quickly asked Baoqin to hand the painting in his hand to Xue Hong: "Brother Hong, this is an ancient painting we bought from outside. See if you can recognize the origin."
Bao Qin: "First cousin, this is a painting that my sister bought for a hundred taels of silver outside, but the things painted on it... are really weird. My sister knows that her brother is well-informed, so she came here to ask for advice."
Xue Hong untied the scroll, and as soon as he opened it halfway, a Thunder Lord carrying Pikachu and an RPG on his shoulders came into view. Xue Hong quickly closed the scroll.
This painting is so familiar to him! Isn't this an "ancient painting" that he painted when he was bored? How did this thing end up in Bao Qin's hands?
These ancient paintings were obviously used by him to trick Jia Zheng!
Baochai and the three girls saw Xue Hong's complexion was different and looked at each other: There is a problem.
Xue Hong looked strange: "It shouldn't be difficult for Sister Baoqin to see that this painting is not an ancient painting, let alone a masterpiece by a famous artist. Why?"
Bao Qin: "My sister saw that the ink layout and smudges of this painting were excellent, and the mythical beast on the shoulders of Thunder God in the painting was quite cute, so she bought it. Doesn't my brother know the author of this painting?"
Xue Hong waved her hands quickly: "Sister, I misunderstood. How could I know the author of this painting..."
"Junchen!! We are here!! Come and see if this is your painting?"
Zhu Hui's loud voice came in even though he was far away.
The three Baochai girls had no choice but to hide in the back hall temporarily.
Zhu Hui and Chen Chen each held a painting.
Zhu Hui saw Xue Hong in the hall and immediately pulled Xue Hong's sleeve: "Junchen, come and see if these two things were painted by you."
Xue Hong: “I drew it??”
I saw the picture scroll opened, and one picture showed a huge Pikachu, standing among the sea of clouds, with its feet on the mountains.
Another picture is "The Picture of the Seven Sages in the Bamboo Forest under the Moon", in which seven gourd boys are playing with skewers and drinking beer.
Xue Hong definitely couldn't admit it, Baochai and the others were right behind.
Xue Hong: "Your Highness, you have misunderstood. This is not my painting."
Zhu Hui directly opened Xue Hong's cover: "Don't make trouble, who else could it be if you didn't draw it?
Isn't this a skinny mound? You told me it was a thunder beast. Later, you let it slip once and said that this thing is also called a yellow-skinned rat.
And this painting, aren’t these seven gourd dolls from the little painting and calligraphy book in your study? Who else could it be if they weren’t the ones you painted?”
Chen Chen: "That's right, we brothers don't have to be so humble. I didn't expect your painting to be so valuable, Junchen. It seems that I have to ask my father to keep that painting well."
Xue Hong: "Is it worth it? What is it worth? (#??Д??)"
Zhu Hui: "Don't you know? The literati outside comment on your paintings as having profound skills, first-class ink colors, and completely different painting styles, hiding mysteries. Now you have been copied for more than a thousand taels of silver!"
…
After seeing off Zhu Hui and Chen Chen, the three Baochai girls walked out of the back hall, with words clearly written on their faces: "You lied to me."
Xue Hong didn't know how to explain it for a while. This painting was originally used as a prank, so why did it suddenly become valuable?
No! It seems that next time I have to find another way to trick Jia Zheng. Isn’t it ridiculous that the ancient paintings Xue Hong spoofed can be valuable? But this also just proves that the value of art is nonsense. This thing has no value at all. The way to measure value, whether it is valuable or not, all depends on speculation.
However, instead of thinking about how to deal with Jia Zheng, Xue Hong now needs to think about how to explain to Baochai, Baoqin and Daiyu behind him...