Zhao Rang looked at the letter of Fei Qian pushed over by Mr. Ximen, but did not accept it directly. Although the other party's wording was very particular and thoughtful, Zhao Rang had to think deeply about the last sentence.
Obviously, Mr. Ximen already knew the relationship between Zhao Rang and brother and sister Yuan Mingkong and Yuan Kexin, as well as their true identities.
To do this is easy for the Ximen family. A family that has mastered such a huge amount of money can undoubtedly be described as being as wealthy as the country. Presumably the Ximen family and Dawei are also wary of each other. After all, if you have money, you have food, and if you have food, you have soldiers. With soldiers and horses in hand, you will want to compete! Otherwise, if you are already so rich, why would you kneel down to a poor man and shout long live him?
As far as Zhao Rang knew, the second generation of the Ximen family secretly established an organization similar to the Investigation Department and Shadow Guard. Nominally, it is to check whether the company's businesses in various places are operating according to the rules and whether the shopkeepers are corrupt. In fact, they are the eyes and ears all over the world, reporting the trends and situations in the world to the Ximen family at any time, especially after the split of Dawei. , the gap between the South and the North has become more and more profound. Even from the perspective of a businessman, one has to always listen for news and situations.
After so many generations of development, the number of people who want to join this organization has become larger and larger. The so-called cultivation of flowers must first consolidate the roots. With the support of almost unlimited financial resources, the roots must be intertwined. Even having one's own people in Da Nei is not a strange thing. After all, those father-in-laws only expected to use money to make up for their physical shortcomings.
Therefore, as long as the Ximen family works hard and asks who has been missing in the palace recently and which prince and princess has been out the longest, they can easily know the true identities of Yuan Mingkong and Yuan Kexin.
But what Zhao Rang really thought about was not this.
It is understandable that businessmen pursue profit.
The prince of a country is the cornerstone of a country, just like placing a bet in a casino. If you make the right bet, you will make a lot of money, but you will never have to work again for the rest of your life. But if you make the wrong bet, you have to be prepared to lose everything.
The current emperor of Dawei, because he was betrayed by his cousin, became suspicious and could not believe his blood relatives, so he never established a heir apparent.
But anyone with a discerning eye can see that in the entire Dawei North royal family, the most promising ones are the third and fifth princes. The third prince took control of the Northern Academy and served as the examiner for the imperial examinations. The fifth prince has military power. One is civil and the other military, so they are in peace for the time being. But there is no room for two tigers in one mountain, and there is only one throne, so one of them will lose in the future.
The Ximen family has been in business for generations, so they are not in the eyes of the fifth prince. People who were born in the military have a stubborn heroic spirit and look down on opportunistic behavior such as doing business.
But the third prince was not like that. He personally lowered his profile and made friends with the Ximen family. He used his influence to solve many difficulties for the Ximen family and brought practical benefits. The Ximen family also reciprocated the favor by donating materials and materials for the college. When the courses were still in session, they took the initiative to let the candidates stay in the inn run by the Ximen family for free. Everyone in the world knows that the Ximen family has put its treasure on the third prince. As long as the third prince comes to Dabao, the Ximen family will become the number one family in the north, and no one can compete with it.
The most hopeless among the princes is Yuan Mingkong, who became brothers with Zhao Rang this time. Not to mention the real power in his hands, even the fiefdoms are within the territory of the "enemy country". It stands to reason that the Ximen family should not pay attention to the seventh prince Yuan Mingkong at all, but the fifty thousand taels of silver and the greeting just now are nothing more than sending a signal, which means that the Ximen family wants to communicate with him, who is no one cares about. Befriend the Seventh Prince.
The Ximen family has firmly stood on the throne of the third prince, and there is no need to risk offending him by contacting other princes in private. Unless the Ximen family has some inside information and knows something that Zhao Rang doesn't know.
Young Master Ximen saw that Zhao Rang was silent and did not urge him.
If Zhao Rang nods and agrees to this matter, he will be the bridge between the Ximen family and the Seventh Prince in the future. Zhao Rang has to think carefully about the responsibilities he will bear and the consequences and impact of doing this.
If he were just an ordinary charlatan, he would have agreed immediately without saying anything. But behind Zhao Rang is the entire Zhao family. As the young master of the Zhao family, his every move will be implicated.
Going further, the Ximen family has always supported the third prince, and as the Zhao family, as a wealthy family, has practiced swordsmanship for generations, it is natural for them to be close to the fifth prince in the army. Zhao asked his father, Mr. Zhao, to personally compile a manual of swords suitable for use in military combat and gave it to the fifth prince, which greatly satisfied him.
They were in different camps, even if they were in the same city, it was just a matter of face. As for Zhao Rang being able to have such a good relationship with Ximen Dazhuang, it was unexpected for both families.
Time continued to pass, and Zhao Rang had been silent for a full quarter of an hour.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of him. When he looked up, it was Yuan Mingkong, the rightful figure in his fight with Young Master Ximen.
Yuan Mingkong seemed to have prepared specially. Not only did he comb his hair, he also changed into a suit of well-tailored clothes. There are no gorgeous decorations or embroideries on the clothes, but a knowledgeable person will know they are worth a lot once they see the materials and workmanship. This kind of low-key luxury further showed that the seventh prince was a man who acted steadily and was not ostentatious.
"I'm Yuan Mingkong!"
Yuan Mingkong followed the example of his former imperial brother and the third prince, put down his posture, and took the initiative to make friends with the Ximen family.
Master Ximen obviously didn't take this step into consideration.
Although the other party was an idle prince with no real power, he was just a commoner. In a panic, he quickly returned the greeting and said:
"The common people have seen His Highness! There are many people here, and for the sake of His Highness's safety, the common people cannot be polite. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"
Yuan Mingkong smiled and said it was okay.
Since he is willing to come in person, it means that he does not care about these secular rules and etiquette.
In comparison, everyone knows which one is more important, the money or the empty kowtow.
After the three of them sat down again, Master Ximen repeated what he had said to Zhao Rang before.
This time, Zhao Rang was not asked to say hello on his behalf, because the principal was already sitting opposite.
Yuan Mingkong thanked him and accepted the letter of fifty thousand taels of silver generously. Zhao Rang saw that there were many beads of sweat on Mr. Ximen's forehead.
Zhao Rang speculated that he was not ready to face Yuan Mingkong so soon. For some unknown reason, the Ximen family suddenly wanted to make friends with the Seventh Prince, but they also took it step by step. But Yuan Mingkong caught Ximen by surprise this time and actually pinched the Ximen family by seven inches.
If we talk about this matter in the future, there will be more to say!
The money was handed to Zhao Rang. After all, he was still Ximen Dazhuang's friend. As Yuan Mingkong was traveling with him, the food and drink expenses would naturally come from the 50,000 taels, but in the final analysis, it was Zhao Rang who received the money.
Now this matter has undergone earth-shaking changes.
A member of the Ximen family personally gave the seventh prince fifty thousand taels of flying money, and the seventh prince personally collected it. If this was spread, who would not be able to think about it after hearing it?
Compared to Master Ximen who was nervous and flustered, Yuan Mingkong was extremely calm.
After taking the Fei Qian and the letter, he put it in his arms and thanked the head of the Ximen family for his kindness. Then he talked about the current situation between Dawei's Northern Territory and the Western Region. He really wrote as sharply as a sword and his words were sharp. . Zhao Rang was greatly impressed by the sharp words, the tricky angles, and the keenness of his vision!
I thought to myself that this guy seemed to be hiding his capabilities and biding his time.
His father, the current emperor, no matter how mediocre he was, he still had a well-informed vision and would not be able to tell which of his sons was capable.
As long as he shows even a little bit, he will definitely get some real benefits, and the fiefdom will not just have an empty name.
Under Yuan Mingkong's offensive, Mr. Ximen soon became unable to withstand it... He spotted a gap where he was holding a teacup, and quickly changed the subject and said:
"Your Highness, Mr. Zhao, everything you two need has been prepared. We have also hired a local guide to take you over Songtao Mountain to the other three of the four countries in the Western Region."
Of course Yuan Mingkong knew what he meant, so he also got off the donkey along the slope. After thanking him again, he asked Mr. Ximen for his permission.
Mr. Ximen left as if relieved, not even bothering to say hello to his brother.
Ximen Dazhuang, who never said a word from beginning to end, didn't notice anything. He only felt that everyone was good friends and brothers, and it was necessary and should be amicable. On the contrary, Zhao Rang hesitated there for a long time, which made him a little unhappy.
As soon as his brother left, Ximen Dazhuang asked:
"Brother Rang, what were you wasting your time on just now? Isn't it just fifty thousand taels of silver?"
Zhao Rang glanced at Ximen Dazhuang a little tiredly, and didn't know how to explain to him, so he asked:
"Are you determined to go all the way with us?"
Ximen Dazhuang raised his voice and said:
"That's not it! As brothers, can I leave you and go back to play by yourself?"
Zhao Rang sighed, ignored him, and then turned his attention to Yuan Mingkong.
"I don't want to embarrass you. If so, wouldn't it have nothing to do with you?"
Yuan Mingkong said directly.
But Ximen Dazhuang couldn't understand what the two people were talking about anymore, and this feeling made him very unhappy. But before he could ask, Zhao Rang stood up, pulled him out, and asked him to count the supplies he had prepared again.
"What's the point of counting? Just buy whatever you need!"
Zhao Rang stood on tiptoes and slapped him on the head, cursing:
“It’s deep in the mountains and forests, where do you buy it?”
"Are you the only one with money?"
After saying this, he was so angry that he kicked Ximen Da Zhuang on the butt:
"I'll beat you like a rich man! I'll beat you like a rich man!"
The two chased each other for a while, and then Ximen Dazhuang's clan brother came over with a man who looked like a man from the Western Regions, and introduced that this man was the guide he had specially found. His mother is from the Western Regions and his father is from Dawei. The local name is "Er Zhuanzi".
Zhao Rang stared at him for a moment, feeling that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. After all, people from the Western Regions all have high nose bridges and deep eye sockets, making it difficult to tell them apart at first glance.
