Lan Li's appearance here is indeed strange.
If he saw her elsewhere in the capital, even in a brothel, he wouldn't think twice about it in the middle of the night. After all, the capital is the busiest at this time of year. This woman who always wants to get together has been with her since the last two generations. He had no worries about food and clothing, and the fine food and clothing he had every day allowed him to do more than travel around the mountains and rivers. Apart from finding Qi Buyu, who was famous for playing chess, all he could do was to look for Ye Ye in a pretentious way. Extremely uncomfortable.
But appearing here, in the house of a person who had just been promoted to the envoy of a local state and county in Beijing, seeing this lady of Guozhou who was hereditary first-class imperial decree because of her ancestors' great achievements, made me think even more all night long.
Seeing Lan Li, Ye Sangen subconsciously thought of Chang Sheng, the coachman beside her who was said by her father Ye Hongtu to be unable to distinguish between high and low.
At this thought, I felt a little guilty. Hidden on the roof, I looked around in the middle of the night. I searched around the courtyard and outside, but I couldn't find the serious man. I was a little relieved. After all, if someone found me jumping over the wall and jumping into the house, I felt a little guilty. , that’s a big disadvantage.
In this dazed moment, the ground was filled with fire and dragons. In the hall, which was not cool at all even when the door was wide open, Mo Ying, the envoy of Yongzhou who stayed in the backyard of Yongzhou, who was sitting high in the chair, smiled before saying anything, "Mrs. Lan said this." , I’ve just arrived in the capital, why don’t you invite Mrs. Lan to come over for a meal?”
Not flattery, but flattery.
Lan Li chuckled softly, stretched out her hand, and carefully rubbed a palm-sized, chess-piece-like handle that was all red, "Don't tell me, if it weren't for this piece of red jade landscape material as a stepping stone, I would I really don’t give you this face.”
Full of sarcasm and arrogance.
Mo Ying was still smiling and did not feel any dissatisfaction with Lan Li's sarcasm. It had to be said that this young man was sent to the capital as an envoy, and his ability to nourish his energy alone made him appear mature and prudent.
Lan Li turned her head again, looked at the two people on the left and right, and said without hesitation: "What good thing does this guy give you two? Let me take a look at it to see if the Marquis of Yongzhou is so generous to everyone." .”
Anyone who cares about such a direct question will not answer it, so they will naturally ignore it.
Mo Ying laughed again and said: "Mrs. Lan's words are obvious. My own preferences cannot be judged by value. Everyone has their own preferences for radish and green vegetables, so there is no such thing as good or bad."
It was obvious that he was very fond of the old red jade material in his hand. He couldn't put it down and rubbed it repeatedly. Lan Li said: "You are quite talkative. Tell me, what are you doing with us?"
The huge table contained a lot of mysteries. As the host, Mo Ying gently turned the upper disk filled with delicacies. The fragrance filled the air as it rotated. The host from the barbarian tribe in Lingnan said: "Mrs. Lan speaks openly, Miss Ning." Mr. Wei and Mr. Wei are both straightforward people, and I understand that people don’t speak secretly. My father often teaches that when you go to a temple to burn incense and kowtow to the Buddha, you should make more friends with good connections when you go out. After all, you have many friends. There are many roads, and when we encounter trouble, we, the humble people from a small place like us, have no way to go to heaven or earth, so we have to rely on our friends to take care of us."
His words were extremely humble, flattering and dismissing others.
The other three were praised, but it was his own family that was stepped down.
Ning Wei and the invisible man in blue still didn't speak. On the contrary, Lan Li looked like he was taking over the guest's place, always making excuses in his words, "Young Master Mo also said, if people don't tell secret stories, don't beat around the bush." , you have invited three people, but only one is in the capital. How do you ask friends from other places to take care of you? If you have anything to say, just say it, don’t do these nonsense, so as not to take advantage of others, and if we do something treasonous by then, What happened was that I couldn’t spit it out even if it went into my stomach.”
Mo Ying, a barbarian from the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the southwest, is not as uncivilized as the barbarians who are ignorant of the world. His words and deeds are polite. This young man who can definitely be regarded as a wise man said with sincerity: "Mrs. Lan doesn't dare to say that, Mo Ying." Our family has been deeply favored by the emperor, and with the eldest princess, Miss Jia Ning, and the Western Region Supervisor’s Mansion, General Wei, how could we possibly do something treasonous and unethical?”
Qing Yi, who was just called Mr. Wei, coughed slightly as a warning. Mo Ying quickly changed his words, "Oh, oh, Mr. Wei, Mr. Wei, look at my stupid mouth."
The midnight watch on the roof suddenly dawned.
Wei Wugou, the younger brother of Wei Wuji, the general of the Western Regions Governor's Office and the auxiliary state.
It also confirmed his initial guess about this person's identity. He was inseparable from each other, and he was even more confused at midnight. What on earth was Mo Ying going to do to bring these three irresistible people together. Like what Mo Ying said just now, Lan Li, a woman with big breasts and no brains, didn't believe that she was just spending money to pave the way and expand her connections.
It would be even more ridiculous if four people got together to play Pai Gow.
Ning Wei, the daughter of the eldest princess who has long been enthroned as a princess, is also a person with a straightforward personality. According to what I knew about her in the night, it is because she has been ridiculed for her appearance since she was a child. She is somewhat paranoid and twisted, so her temper is also He lit up like an artillery piece, and being able to stay silent for so long would not be like Mo Ying, who was as arrogant as Mo Ying. In the middle of the night, it seemed that there was probably an "expert" behind his back.
In fact, she was really guessed in the middle of the night. Ning Wei, who didn't say a word, was called aside by her mother as early as she left the house. Princess Lingjing had naturally waded through more rivers than her daughter. As early as The first thing I thought about was the potential flavor of this invitation. Therefore, after asking his daughter whether she had any interaction with the local official who came out of the capital, it was just like what every parent would tell their children when they go out.
"Listen more and talk less."
But just like every child who can't be obedient, after a short period of time, Ning Wei finally couldn't hold it in any longer and said coldly: "Wei Bitch, how come you are such a weird little general when you are called a little general? No one here knows? Or maybe now I finally feel that I have become a Ranger General relying on my family’s skills, so it’s a bit embarrassing to talk about it.”
He was so high up that he couldn't see Qing Yi's expression with his back to him, and he didn't hear the Western Region general's reply in the middle of the night. However, seeing that his hand on the table was already a little stronger, one could guess the anger in his heart.
It is indeed because of nepotism that this fifth-grade military commander can endure in such a rapidly changing environment in the Western Region. He is even more forbearing. It is not like Lan Li, a first-grade lady, has to do with Mo Ying, a literary official in name only, and a sixth-grade resident. The sarcasm of the envoy in Beijing, and the ridicule of Wei Wugou by Princess Ningwei, who was also in name only and had no moral character, were really considered the following offenses.
But Wei Wujiu dared not speak out in anger.
Rank is one thing, status is another. I would rather say that the eldest princess behind me, not to mention the group of cronies gathered by their descendants, even the boss above me would not be disobedient.
This young general, who was nicknamed Wei Bitch in the capital circles, seemed to be fine after a short period of breath adjustment. He was calm and collected, "No matter how I say it, I can't compare to Princess Ning who was born with a title. In the army, I just rely on my ability to achieve merit, and I guess even a lady like you doesn’t understand.”
The words were more than thorny, and the sarcasm in a roundabout way got to Ning Wei's pain points.
After living for more than twenty years, no one who knows me dares to mention the word "lady". Obviously Ning Wei is already a little angry.
It's just that neither of them is talking about the other, and they are at odds with each other.
There are many descendants of high-ranking officials in the capital who are similar in age. Naturally, they have their own circle. They are those dudes who walk their dogs around and do nothing every day. Ning Wei and Wei Wugou naturally belong to this circle. .
Just as Ning Wei was always talking about things in the middle of the night, the two gradually drifted apart. Since Ning Wei's father, Wei Ying, who assisted the late Emperor Wu Jian in pacifying the Western Regions and made great contributions, he was granted the title of Chief of the Western Region Governor's Palace. After the governor moved to the Western Regions, he gradually became alienated from these young playmates, and over time the original friendship was lost.
Because their names are always mispronounced as bitches, the two Wei Wugou brothers have been nicknamed this funny in this circle since they were children. The relationship is mixed with an official position, but who knows, the military is not as good as those civil servants who are good at writing, especially these border troops, who face every day those vassal tribes that make people wander around. The first day they were drinking and chatting, but the next day they were fighting with swords and guns.
Ning, who obviously didn't know how to pretend to understand, didn't realize that he had fallen into the lower class. He just heard that the other party's words were full of jokes about him, and he was about to get angry. Mo Ying, the hostess, spoke at the right time: "How many times?" If a young lady keeps bickering like this in my house, it will not look good if word spreads."
The Yongzhou Lieutenant Commander, who had always spoken in a roundabout way, was so direct this time. Several other people present could hear the impatience in the host's words. After all, he was here by invitation, and there was really no need to make things complicated. Embarrassed, everyone fell silent again.
Ning Wei and Wei Wuzuo looked at each other with the smell of gunpowder, and Lan Li, who stretched out between the two of them, was naturally happy to watch the fun, and she still didn't want to finish it.
Mo Ying pretended to be unhappy, and it was obvious that he was showing off to a few people, because after a brief silence, he took a sip of tea and deliberately changed into a forced smile, which looked weird no matter how he looked at it.
Putting down the tea cup, the envoy who had his own plans in mind said, "I'll get right to the point. There's a big deal now. I wonder if you guys want to know more about it."
Seeing that the three men and women with different official positions remained silent, Mo Ying explained in detail, "Green tea is rich in the area near Yongzhou. A few years ago, my father accidentally got a recipe. After improvement, this green tea can be widely planted in the north and south of the Yangtze River. Depending on the region, there are two crops per year. I wonder if any of you are interested in participating?"
The expressions of the three people present were obviously a little strange, and they all looked at Mo Ying, who was sitting in the chair, with their own thoughts in mind.
Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, in order to prevent the corruption of imperial officials from affecting the interests of the common people, these civil servants and military generals who take advantage of the king's salary are explicitly prohibited from doing business. Once investigated and punished, the fines and confiscation of property will be light, and it is most unacceptable for future generations to never hire them. punish.
Mo Ying naturally knew that Dazhou's laws were strict, but this time he smiled very casually, "Since I have told you so directly, the path has been paved and it is absolutely foolproof, so you can rest assured."
No one said anything, naturally everyone knew it well, and no one wanted to be the one who stood out.
Although in order to prevent official corruption, the Great Zhou Dynasty provided extremely high monthly salaries to allow many officials to engage in politics with peace of mind, but then again, who would complain that the money is too little?
This is also a well-known secret in Dazhou. Any official with some connections will more or less engage in some small business and hawker industry in the name of his own relatives. I dare not say more, just to make a daily profit. The cost is also excellent.
It's just that unlike Ning Wei and Wei Wugou, these two juniors who belong directly to the official circles in the capital naturally have their own business paths due to the intricate relationships and connections of their families. But Lan Li, who is far away from Guo Is it possible that the state's unofficial officials only want to enjoy themselves and make money in their entire lives? She couldn't spend all the monthly salary from the court, and there were so many rewards during the New Year, so she didn't want to participate in such a laborious activity.
Mrs. Guozhou, who was definitely wearing a revealing coat, laughed and said, "Not interested."
Refuse directly.
Regarding Lan Li's reply, without waiting for the other two people to have any ideas, Mo Ying had already advised: "Mrs. Lan is located in Fenghuang Mountain, which has many hot springs. It is such a unique place. If Mrs. Lan coordinates and helps, I think we will have a good harvest in the next year." , we have to catch up with my three-year harvest in Yongzhou. If Mrs. Lan is so determined, she can earn it then..."
Presumably in order to appear more important, Mo Ying, who deliberately lowered his voice and body, said solemnly: "I can give you 40%, Madam."
Lan Li, who had no idea about money, was not interested and still refused, "I don't want to participate."
The other two people were a little moved, their eyes burning.
Wei Wuguo, the general of the Western Regions, has been exposed to the shady business in his family since he was a child. Especially in the Western Regions, sitting on the commercial route from the Zhou Dynasty to the far west, the Wei family is definitely unique in the Western Regions. Some large-scale Regardless of whether the caravan is going west or east, the filial piety paid to the Governor's Mansion is definitely not a small number. Even for those small camel caravans, the things that others can think of in one trip are not what others can think of.
Compared with the gray income that Wei Wujiu recognized, Ning Weize understood the secrets of it.
Earlier, a relative of his father's family had used his mother's name to sell tea between Lingnan and the Western Regions. Later, for convenience, he even got involved with the horse caravans running rampant in the northwest. The family secretly assisted, and the caravans were openly responsible.
At this point, I have to mention that more than a year ago, in the middle of the night, because of the grievance between Zhuangyuan and the caravan, he killed someone in the street. It was precisely because of this that he formed a rift with the princess of the eldest princess's family.
You know, the caravan that was killed on the street in the middle of the night came to the capital to report the year's income and expenditure to the eldest princess.
Because of this, the imperial court did not dare to know about the deeper plot. Without the help of the Ye family, the eldest princess tried her best to suppress the killings in broad daylight outside the imperial city in the middle of the night.
This is also the origin of the feud between Ye Sangen and Ning Wei.
It's just that the two of them intended, and Lan Li didn't, to avoid telling the truth. The princess of the eldest princess's family and the son of the governor of the Western Regions were powerless and dared not speak out.
It was obvious that he had figured out the thoughts of these three people just by taking a quick look, and ignored the two people who were moved. Mo Ying continued to be moved by emotion and reason, choosing to seduce Lan Li with real interests and said: "Mrs. Lan, if you don't believe it, , I can give you another big gift to express my gratitude to Mrs. Lan for her help."
He paused for a moment while playing with the brocade red red jade landscape material. It is said that this flawless and bright red old material is worth even a city. The key is that it is priceless, so he has no idea about money, but he is also a bit rare. Lan Li, who was interested in the weird stuff, raised her eyebrows and asked, "Tell me about it."
"A house."
Mrs. Guozhou, who was well-informed, was greatly disappointed.
If she had a salary now, it wouldn't be a problem to buy a mountain in a few months.
Mo Ying pursed his lips and smiled, not caring at all what other thoughts his promise to Lan Li would have on the other two people. After all, these two people were already interested. If they could plant this green tea in a geomantic treasure land like Phoenix Mountain, the benefits would be Even if it is only one hundredth portion, I am afraid it can fill the gluttonous stomachs of these two families.
The envoy from Yongzhou, who had the city in mind, still leaned forward and lowered his voice, mysteriously.
"The house of a good family in the capital."
