It is now the end of July and the beginning of August. The two hottest months of the year in Imperial Capital City have long passed. The end of summer and the beginning of autumn is the best time of the year in Imperial Capital City.
It had been a long time since I rode Wuyun Gaixue. Yan Liqiang asked the Luyuan Horse Farm to pull Wuyun Gaixue out, and then led the smooth-haired Wuyun Gaixue out of the Luyuan gate.
These days, when Yan Liqiang was working hard, Wu Yun Gaixue was living a comfortable life in the Deer Park. He was served with good food and drink every day, and he could walk freely in the horse farm of the Deer Park. It was said that he had hooked up with two beautiful mares. When Wu Yun Gaixue saw Yan Liqiang again, she seemed to know that she could run outside the Deer Park happily, so she was very excited. She followed behind Yan Liqiang, snorting from time to time, and the hooves of the horse with new horseshoes made a clacking sound on the stone road...
"Ah, Deputy Chief Steward Yan is going out..." Seeing Yan Liqiang leading the horse over, an officer guarding the gate of the Deer Garden immediately ran over with a smile on his face.
"Well, let's go for a walk in the Imperial Capital. Brothers, if you want something to drink, I'll bring some for you when I come back..." Yan Liqiang greeted the soldiers guarding the gate of the Deer Garden just like before.
"I dare not, I dare not, Deputy Chief Steward Yan, just tell me if you need anything..." The officer was startled and shook his hands quickly. They could tolerate Yan Liqiang's politeness to them before, but now Yan Liqiang's position in Luyuan is deputy chief steward, and he is a famous figure in Luyuan, who was awarded the title of fifth-rank sword-bearing guard by the emperor. Even if Yan Liqiang is polite, how dare they accept Yan Liqiang's kindness? If Eunuch Liu knew about it, he would definitely skin them alive.
"Farewell, Deputy Chief Steward Yan!" The two rows of soldiers guarding the gate of Luyuan shouted loudly and forced Yan Li to salute.
Yan Liqiang smiled and jumped onto the horse's back without saying anything. He waved to the people at the entrance of the Deer Park, and then, in the midst of everyone's envy and gaze, he clamped his legs around the horse's belly. Wuyun Gaixue let out a neigh and rushed out happily.
Riding on the back of the dark cloud, Yan Liqiang gradually left Luyuan behind. He finally let out a long breath. The saying "prosperity in front of people, but being shot behind them" is a true portrayal of his current situation. Everyone in Luyuan is extremely envious of him, thinking that he is young and promising, and will definitely have a bright future. However, they have no idea of the danger of his current situation...
Yan Liqiang had just left the Deer Garden on his rhino horse and got on the official road. Not far after he passed a roadside teahouse, he suddenly felt that he was being watched. The two people who had been drinking tea in the teahouse, after seeing him leave, immediately left the teahouse, untied the two rhino horses tied in the stable next to the teahouse, and followed him.
The two men did not follow too closely, nor too far away. They were just about fifty or sixty meters behind Yan Liqiang, following him slowly and at a moderate pace.
Yan Liqiang glanced behind him and saw the two men following him, both in their thirties or forties, with dark complexions, capable and serious expressions. They were riding their rhinoceros horses and following Yan Liqiang on the official road without fear. Even when they saw Yan Liqiang turning around to look at them, they looked as if they didn't care, as if to say, "I'm following you, what can you do to me?"
Judging from their temperament, Yan Liqiang felt that the two men were not from the underworld, but rather like criminal detectives who were paid by the government. The roads in the imperial capital were wide open, and even if those people followed you, you would be powerless.
As expected, I was being targeted. Was he afraid that I would run away
Yan Liqiang sneered in his heart...
“Gee…” He shook the reins, and Wuyun Gaixue’s pace loosened, speeding up suddenly. The two men who followed him saw Yan Liqiang riding the rhino horse and running away. After looking at each other, they also shook the reins and hurried to catch up.
In less than half an hour, Yan Liqiang rode his Xilong horse to the newspaper headquarters in Longqi Mountain. The two people who followed him did not follow him in after seeing Yan Liqiang riding his horse into the newspaper's mountain villa...
…
"The chief manager is here..." Yan Liqiang had just dismounted his horse in the yard when Hu Haihe ran over and took the reins of Yan Liqiang's Rhino Horse.
"Haihe, is there anything going on at the newspaper these two days?" Yan Liqiang handed the reins to Hu Haihe and asked casually.
"Nothing, if anything, it's a good thing. Now many shopkeepers in Imperial Capital know that they can advertise in our newspaper to attract business, so they all come here. Shopkeeper Fang is too busy to handle it..." Hu Haihe said excitedly, and then pointed towards the yard, "Look, another big customer came at noon today. He is Shopkeeper Gu from Huaixiang Bookstore in Imperial Capital. He is discussing business with Shopkeeper Fang in the Plum Garden..."
Yan Liqiang frowned slightly, feeling more and more solemn in his heart. He didn't suspect that Hu Haihe was lying, but the more optimistic Hu Haihe was, the bigger the problem the newspaper was facing. It was precisely because the matter was so big that Fang Beidou didn't tell anyone else and could only discuss it with himself. Except for Fang Beidou, no one else in the newspaper should know about it yet.
The newspaper office was bustling with activity. Whether it was the yard on the printing workshop side or the yard responsible for writing articles, people were coming and going, and everything was thriving.
Seeing Yan Liqiang coming, those who knew Yan Liqiang's identity hurriedly greeted Yan Liqiang, thinking that Yan Liqiang came to inspect the situation here. Yan Liqiang smiled, nodded to everyone, and walked all the way to the plum garden in the manor.
When they arrived at the Plum Garden, before Yan Liqiang could go in, Fang Beidou had already walked out of the garden and met Yan Liqiang at the door.
"Is there anything going on at the newspaper?" Yan Liqiang asked directly.
Fang Beidou nodded solemnly, then pointed to a quiet pavilion beside a rockery not far away, "Let's talk over there..."
"good!"
The two men walked into the pavilion and sat down. Without waiting for Yan Liqiang to speak, Fang Beidou spoke first. He got straight to the point and told Yan Liqiang the reason why he wanted to come to the newspaper, "Someone wants to buy our newspaper!"
Yan Liqiang was delighted when he heard this, and laughed, "Just for this?"
Fang Beidou nodded, "Just for this!"
"Just tell the buyer that we won't sell it. You know better than me what this newspaper is for. How could we possibly sell it..."
Fang Beidou smiled bitterly and shook his head. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't have come to discuss it with you. The buyer said that if we don't sell it, they will shut down our newspaper within seven days!"
"To scare people?"
"I don't think they are trying to scare me. They are well prepared!"
The smile on Yan Liqiang's face slowly faded, and he squinted his eyes, "Who wants to buy it?"
Fang Beidou took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't know who is behind this! But the one who came forward is the shopkeeper Gu from Huaixiang Bookstore. Shopkeeper Gu said he wants to talk to you in person..."
"Manager Gu is in the Plum Garden?"
"Um!"
Yan Liqiang stood up at once, his face calmed down, "Okay, I'll go talk to Manager Gu and see who wants our newspaper..."
(End of this chapter)