Chapter 94: I gave it to my sister with my heart and eyes
In Zhongqing City, more than a dozen carriages stopped in front of the Shen Mansion.
With a smile on his face, Shen Wansan led his men out of the mansion together, raised his hands to the people beside the carriage, and greeted them in a very eloquent manner:
"Boss Wei, Shopkeeper Sun, Mr. Qian, Mr. Li... It's hard to thank you all for your presence, but you haven't come far to welcome them. Please don't be offended!"
In front of the gate of Shen's mansion, a group of businessmen dressed in silk and satin, all dressed up in wealth, with smiles on their faces, all saluted Shen Wansan and said loudly:
"I've met Shopkeeper Shen!"
Shen Wansan waved his hands repeatedly and said:
"Don't you dare! You are all Shen's seniors and you don't dare to accept the courtesy... Please come in quickly."
Shen Wansan raised his hand to invite everyone in, but at this moment, the merchants in front of the door looked at Shen Wansan with smiles on their faces, motionless, and still stood firmly in front of the door.
The subordinates around Shen Wansan frowned when they saw that the invited businessmen showed no action. Those who could not bear their temper immediately stepped forward to say something.
However, Shen Wansan raised his hand slightly and stopped his subordinates.
The smile on his face remained unchanged, he turned his head and glanced at the merchants waiting in front of the house, and then said:
"But who else hasn't arrived yet?"
When the merchants heard this, they quickly replied with a smile:
"Yes, the real owner hasn't arrived yet!"
"I was invited by Boss Jin, so I can't go in first."
"If Shopkeeper Shen can't wait any longer, you'd better go back first. Boss Jin must be here soon."
Obviously this is the Shen Mansion, but in the words of these merchants, the real owner has become the so-called Boss Jin. After hearing this, the people from Shen's Trading Company were naturally a little angry, with sullen expressions on their faces.
Only Shen Wansan, whose smile did not change, answered:
"Hahaha, Boss Jin may be a noble man with a lot of things to do... It doesn't matter, you are a guest in my Shen residence, and it is reasonable for Shen to wait for a while to welcome you!"
After saying that, Shen Wansan turned to give a few instructions to the people behind him, and his men immediately retreated. Not long after, a group of Shen Mansion servants came, holding warm clothes, and delivered them to the waiting merchants.
Zhongqing City has always been like spring all year round, and spring has already begun, so the weather is not that cold. It is early in the morning and the sun has not yet risen, so there is a slight chill.
A group of businessmen saw that Shen Wansan still acted so thoughtfully even when everyone was trying to make him feel uncomfortable, and they couldn't help but secretly exchange glances.
At exactly this time, I heard the sound of carriages and horses driving at the end of the street.
When everyone heard the noise, they immediately looked behind them.
Then they saw a gorgeous carriage covered with silk, inlaid with pearls and jade, and decorated with carved beams and painted beams. It was escorted by dozens of servants and came with great momentum.
When a group of merchants saw such a movement, they immediately guessed that the real owner was coming. They immediately formed a team and bowed to the carriage from a distance. Each of them said loudly and enthusiastically:
"Meet Boss Jin!"
"Boss Jin is finally here. I've been waiting for a long time."
Shen Wansan was smiling, but when he looked at the approaching carriage, his eyes were filled with deep meaning.
The carriage stopped slowly, and a servant opened the door.
A young man with a young appearance, a fat figure, wearing luxurious clothes, and clutching a golden abacus in his hand like Jin Shengyuan, the head of the Za family, stepped out of the carriage with the help of a servant somewhat lazily.
Shopkeeper Jin stood firm, took a few deep breaths, then raised his head to look at the waiting people, with a smile on his face, and said kindly:
"Alas, we are busy with affairs in the sect, so I am so late. Please don't take it personally!"
A group of merchants immediately agreed:
"It's just that you have to wait a little longer. Waiting for Boss Jin, isn't that what you should do?"
"Yes, yes, Boss Jin is now in charge of the trading company and caravan affiliated to the Za family, and his affairs are extremely busy. It is a great honor for us to be able to take the trouble of Boss Jin to come here in person!"
The fat young man in front of me is Jin Tangfeng, a disciple of Jin Shengyuan, the head of the Za family.
At that time, Zajia absorbed the essence of hundreds of schools of thought and wanted to establish a theory that would surpass hundreds of schools of thought.
However, because the Zajia generation's methods were too hasty and despicable, it made hundreds of families dissatisfied, and they were finally attacked by a group of people. This directly caused the Zajia family's vitality to be severely damaged. They could only hide their names and escape from the Central Plains, and took shelter under the command of the former Grand Master Wang Xiao.
This is because when Xiao Cheng saw the power of Buddhism, he gathered the power of the miscellaneous family again and used it for himself.
After Xiao Cheng took over the power, he allowed them to rename themselves as Zajia and settle in Jixia Academy.
Today's miscellaneous scholars have understood the fatal flaws of their own doctrines and are trying to find ways to improve their doctrines and propositions.
Moreover, their current strength is still relatively weak compared to the other hundreds of families. Therefore, in Jixia Academy, the Miscellaneous Family acts quite low-key and does not attract attention.
Although the Zajia family in Jixia Academy is quite low-key, in fact, the power of the Zajia family in Yun Kingdom should not be underestimated.
During these years of lurking among the Yun people, the Zajia family, as merchants, penetrated into all walks of life in the Yun country. In addition, they had made contributions to Xiao Chengli before, so they could be regarded as an imperial merchant.
The Za family has deep connections and influence accumulated through decades of hard work, plus it has the skin of the current majesty. It is natural to imagine its status among the merchants.
But now, the huge caravan and trading company under the Zajia family, which has been deeply cultivated by Yun Kingdom merchants for decades, is all controlled by Jin Tangfeng, a disciple of the Zajia family who has many calculations in front of him.
Several close subordinates standing behind Shen Wansan felt even more unhappy when they saw that a group of businessmen were flattering Jin Tangfeng. They immediately came to Shen Wansan's side and whispered:
"Shopkeeper, I'm afraid this Jintangfeng is deliberately trying to intimidate you!"
"I think he asked someone to tell the shopkeeper yesterday to ask you to come and receive everyone. I'm afraid he had this bad idea."
"It's really too much!"
Although Xiao Cheng did not set up the title of Imperial Merchant, now both the government and the public are well aware of it.
Zajia and Shen's Trading Company are all members of His Majesty. At least 20% of the profits of both companies must be sent to the palace treasury.
Since we are the only two traveling together, we cannot say that our relationship is harmonious, we can only say that we dislike each other.
Nowadays, the Zajia family has greater influence among merchants. For Shen Wansan who suddenly jumped out to grab jobs, they must do everything possible to suppress him and let him know who the eldest brother is.
Today's scene is for this reason.
All the cronies were filled with indignation. Shen Wan's smile was just a little stiff, without any sign of anger. Instead, he lowered his voice and said to his subordinates:
"Stop talking... the most urgent task is that the northern territory is now invaded by the plague. Merchants and we must cooperate with each other to mobilize supplies and medicines as soon as possible. The rest will be discussed after everything has settled!"
The people gathered in front of the Shen Mansion are all powerful merchants in Zhongqing City and even the entire Yun Kingdom.
Under the background of feudal royal power, it is impossible to say that these businessmen should not be provoked. But as long as this group of people unite, at least they can temporarily control the prices of various commodities in the Yun Kingdom before Xiao Cheng sends people to confiscate their homes and exterminate their clans. of.
Therefore, when the court is in urgent need of running and dispatching various supplies, these merchants can play a great role.
At this time in Jintangfeng, perhaps on purpose, he stood in front of the Shen Mansion and refused to go in.
With a smile on his face, he kept chatting with a group of merchants, saying hello to each other. From time to time, they would even burst into hearty laughter, and then he would forcefully ignore Shen Wansan.
Although Shen Wansan was ready to give in and endure, after waiting for a long time, Jin Tangfeng did not come forward, and he felt a little angry in his heart.
But suddenly, Shen Wansan seemed to suddenly remember something, and the anger in his heart immediately dissipated.
Looking up at Jin Tangfeng, who was still several years older than himself, Shen Wansan didn't know why, but there was a trace of mocking coldness in his eyes, and he quietly watched him continue to perform.
Jin Tangfeng, who was on the side, deliberately took someone to chat with him and glanced at the side with his peripheral vision.
When he saw Shen Wansan standing there alone with only a few of his men, a smug smile suddenly appeared on his lips, and he raised his eyebrows provocatively at Shen Wansan.
Shen Wansan smiled broadly, nodded slightly, but secretly cursed with disdain.
It is indeed full of calculations, but it is a pity that he is a fool who can't figure it out!
--------------------------
On the official road, the motorcade slowly stopped.
King Qi looked ahead at the road closely guarded by the soldiers of the Yun Kingdom, and his brows suddenly furrowed.
Feng Chu, who was on the side, rode up to King Qi and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, you can't leave anymore. His Majesty's secret order has been sent from Jinling City, asking His Majesty to return via Li Dynasty. At that time, the Leizhou navy will send a boat to meet you, and then escort His Highness back to the capital from the sea!"
King Qi looked at the official road under martial law in front of him, with a solemn expression on his face, and said in a deep voice:
"The Yun Kingdom reacted so quickly. Could it be that the southwest plague has become so serious?"
Hearing this, Feng Chu was stunned for a moment, then with a hint of doubt, he shook his head and said:
"Judging from the information from the Xiuyi Envoy, the plague is only severe in Fengzhou City. In the rest of the counties, only sporadic cases have been found, but it's not that severe..."
Speaking of this, Feng Chu suddenly slapped his head and suddenly realized:
"Ah, it should be that I, the Daxia refugees, fled to the Yun Kingdom and brought the plague with me, which is why the Yun Kingdom reacted so strongly."
Although the plague broke out in the southwest of Xia Kingdom, it was not yet serious. If it were not for the migration of the people due to military disturbances, I am afraid that it would not have affected Yun Kingdom at this time.
After hearing Feng Chu's words, King Qi sighed slightly and said with a heavy face:
"I have tried my best to save it, but even if I lead troops to kill the generals, I can't calm the resentment in the hearts of the people!"
At this time, King Qi clenched his fists tightly, gritted his teeth, and said bitterly:
"This group of generals caused harm to our government in Great Xia, and caused the loss of the reputation of the people in the southwest. If I had known this, why would I have to swallow my anger for two years and make so many arrangements to eliminate the influence of the generals? I should have killed them directly in the first place, straightforwardly!"
Hearing this, Feng Chu looked at King Qi, shook his head repeatedly, and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness is wrong!"
King Qi could not help but feel unhappy at this time. When he heard what Feng Chu said, he frowned, his voice was slightly higher, and he asked with a hint of questioning:
"Wrong? Where did I go wrong?"
Seeing that there was some conflict between King Qi's words, Feng Chu knew that he should not give advice at this time, and immediately didn't know whether he should continue speaking.
At this moment, a crisp sound was heard behind the two of them.
"Master Feng means that although the emperor's intention is good, it is to alleviate the resentment in the hearts of the people and restore the prestige of our government in southwest Daxia. But the emperor's method is wrong!"
The two looked back and saw Yu Yingyao, dressed in men's clothing and with a disguise mask on her face, riding on a horse and walking towards them under the guidance of a soldier.
King Qi looked her up and down, recognized her sister, and his words became slightly gentler, saying:
"I remember you were unwilling to disguise yourself before, weren't you?"
When Yu Yingyao heard this, she blinked her eyes slightly and said with a smile:
"At that time, Yingyao had the intention to harm the emperor's brother. If no one recognizes me after I disguise myself, how can I let the Yun Kingdom know that I, the real princess of the Xia Kingdom, am here?"
King Qi looked at Yu Yingyao who looked calm and couldn't help but smile bitterly and said helplessly:
"I will be tricked to death by you sooner or later!"
Feng Chu's eyelids twitched slightly as he looked at Yu Yingyao, who was completely different from her previous delicate and innocent appearance.
At this time, he finally understood why King Qi suddenly stopped him from continuing to investigate in Zhongqing City. Who was the force that helped Bian Liuyun escape from the mission...
Yu Yingyao pursed her lips and smiled, then continued:
"Master Feng probably wants to say that the emperor's brother used the wrong method. He led troops to kill the generals and families in various counties. Although the method was easy to use and convenient, the people were ignorant and did not understand the relationship between the imperial court and the generals. They had accumulated resentment in their hearts and could not vent it.
, so it cannot make them trust the court again."
At this moment, King Qi was slightly startled and subconsciously turned to look at Feng Chu.
Hearing this, Feng Chu breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately bowed to Yu Yingyao and said:
"What the princess said is exactly what I meant."
Seeing this, Yu Yingyao continued to speak:
"If I had been asked to come, I would still have sent troops to arrest all the generals and families. In front of the people of the city, I would have fully explained their crimes of deceiving the court and oppressing the people, and then punished them. You can also select a few who have committed many crimes.
Those who want to be punished will be sentenced to death to vent the resentment of the people. In this way, the people will know the object of hatred and will naturally understand the intentions of the court. It can also carry public opinion so that the court cannot ask me for the crime of arrogant deployment of troops.
."
Inform the people about the fact that these southwest generals are raising private soldiers and conducting plunder and looting. By the way, they can also blame all the stolen things that the court has not dealt with over the years on the generals. And His Majesty, who cares about the people, and all the officials in the court
, those were all deceived by the general.
The general's crime was confirmed, and the grievances of the people were vented. With public opinion in hand, the officials in the court did not dare to act rashly. At most, they could ask Emperor Xia to cooperate, and it would be like dispatching troops to quell the rebellion.
If the original King Qi could handle it in this way, I am afraid that the situation in the southwest would have been calmed down long ago!
Feng Chu, who was on the side, heard this and glanced at the stunned King Qi again, almost bursting into tears.
Look at it, a child born to a father and mother, he gave it to his sister with all his heart, right? Can someone replace him to help? This guy is really tiring...
King Qi looked at Feng Chu's expression, and his eyes suddenly became a little gloomy.
After a long silence, King Qi bowed slightly to Feng Chu and apologized:
"My prince is impatient and I was rude before. Please don't take offense."
When Feng Chu saw that King Qi, who had always been stubborn and tough, suddenly lowered his head to admit his mistake, he felt a little relieved and quickly waved his hand and said:
"Your Highness has thought too much. Now that you are the master, Feng Chu will naturally do his best to provide guidance and planning for His Highness!"
King Qi nodded slightly, then turned to look forward. His vision seemed to pass through thousands of rivers and mountains, and he seemed to see the people in the southwest. Under the threat of the plague, corpses littered the fields, struggling to survive.
Thinking of this, there was a hint of unbearable color in his eyes, and he said in a low voice:
"Since it is my fault, I must ignore it. Otherwise, given the current situation of the people in the Southwest being devastated and the Emperor Yun's decision, if no remedial measures are taken, the Southwest will no longer belong to me, Daxia!"
When Feng Chu and Yu Yingyao heard this, they were stunned and had a bad premonition in their hearts.
King Qi raised his head slightly and said firmly:
"I want to go to Jiangyang County in person, take over the army again, and take charge of the epidemic prevention in the southwest!"
He paused and then said:
"You will take the mission back and return by sea."
"No!"*2
After hearing what King Qi said, the two people quickly retorted.
Feng Chu's tone was urgent and he said:
"The son of a rich man will not sit down in the palace! There is currently a plague in the southwest, and we still don't know its seriousness. His Highness goes there and puts himself in danger. If something happens..."
Yu Yingyao also looked anxious at this time and persuaded:
"Brother Imperial, if you want to remedy the situation, there are other ways. My father will never sit back and watch the plague raging in the southwest. He must have already begun to mobilize manpower and supplies. After the plague, the people of the southwest will naturally return to their homes!"
When King Qi heard this, he shook his head slightly, pointed at the soldiers of the Yun Kingdom in front, and said:
"The Emperor of the Yun Kingdom will not let this opportunity be lost! As long as the plague in the Yun Kingdom is solved, he will definitely send people to show kindness to the people in the southwest of our country. The Emperor of Yun has also gathered those who have long since disappeared in our country.
His family. With the methods of these families, I am afraid that his reputation will be even more prosperous, and the people will only know the grace of Emperor Yun and not my Daxia court!"
When the two of them heard this, they were immediately speechless.
Based on the intelligence of the two of them and the information they collected about Xiao Cheng's methods and character during this period, they knew that what King Qi said at this time was true.
How long did it take for Xiao Cheng to ascend the throne and gain power? But now his prestige among the people is unprecedented among the emperors of the Yun Kingdom.
The reason for this is not only the twists and turns of Xiao Cheng's transformation from a puppet emperor to reversing the situation and regaining power, but also the military exploits of Xiao Cheng's personal expedition, defeating two countries in a row, and the manifestation of the divine dragon phenomenon.
The most important reason is the various folk stories about Xiao Cheng.
After being polished by his family, Xiao Cheng now seems to be gradually becoming a myth among the Yun people.
His deeds were not mixed with too much water, and coupled with the massive publicity, it’s no wonder that Xiao Cheng’s reputation is not high!
If this method is used, and this method is used after the plague is solved, the Yun State will not send troops even if it is unavoidable, and the people of the southwest counties will simply drive away the Xia State officials, change their banners, and voluntarily join the Yun State.
.
Seeing the two of them stunned, King Qi quickly continued:
"Although I have not achieved much in my martial arts training in the army, I am born in a royal family. I have never lacked natural resources and treasures since I was a child, and my blood is said to be powerful. In the final analysis, it is not possible to deal with such a plague.
What about me, why are you so worried?"
Speaking of which, this plague is naturally extremely terrifying to the people.
But for accomplished warriors, suffering from the plague is nothing more than a serious illness. As long as the treatment is timely, it is rarely life-threatening.
The reason why Feng Chu and Yu Yingyao stopped King Qi from going was just because they were afraid of something unexpected.
When King Qi said this, he suddenly turned to look at Feng Chu and said:
"Some words should not be said openly, but you are now my confidant, so there is no need to hide it from you. If this time I go to the southwest counties in person to take charge of epidemic prevention, then I will gather all the soldiers, officials, and people of the southwest
From now on, these southwest counties will be the confidence for me to seize the throne!"
When Feng Chu heard this, he was stunned.
The prince of the current dynasty spent thousands of dollars to personally go to places where the plague was rampant to take charge of epidemic prevention. After that, King Qi's prestige would inevitably rise. Even many ministers in the court would change their old views on King Qi.
As for the southwest, although it is not as rich as the south of the Yangtze River, the Central Plains has a large population, and the northern border has a huge military force. But in terms of population, heritage, and products, it is not inferior to these places. If we can really take this opportunity to win over the hearts of the local civil and military people,
That really won King Qi's direct heir and gained huge support.
It's just that as a prince, King Qi uttered these words with a hint of self-reliance. If they fell into the ears of others, they would be treasonous words.
Judging from this incident alone, it is clear that King Qi truly regarded Feng Chu as one of his own.
Feng Chu raised his head and looked at King Qi, his expression was quite complicated, and his eyes were filled with confusion and hesitation.
After another long silence, Feng Chu lowered his head, cupped his hands and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Your Highness, I can't dissuade you, so I can only ask to go together! The Embroidery Envoy in the southwest must be in a mess now. If I go, I can ensure that Your Highness is deaf and blind!"
When King Qi heard this, he raised his hand and patted Feng Chu on the shoulder, nodded and said:
"good!"
Seeing that she could not be dissuaded, Yu Yingyao hesitated for a while, then she made up her mind and gritted her teeth and said:
"If there is no one in the capital to promote the operation, with the efficiency of today's imperial officials, various materials will definitely not arrive for a long time, and the emperor's brother's situation will become even more difficult. I will follow the mission back to Beijing as soon as possible to preside over
The manpower in the capital is here to support the emperor!"
At this time, Yu Yingyao knew that even if she insisted on going, the emperor's brother would not allow her to go with him because of his love for her. Instead of wasting time like this, it would be better to go back to Jinling City directly to help him.
When King Qi heard this, he couldn't help but stretched out his hand, rubbed Yu Yingyao's head several times, and said with a proud smile:
"Okay! With you here, I feel more at ease!"
At this time, King Qi raised his head slightly and looked in the direction of the southwest counties ahead, with firm eyes.
