When Father Sixi came to the door, naturally there was only one thing, and that was the emperor calling him into the palace. Of course, since Mr. Zhao seemed to have a dark and sinister face, he wisely added that the time would not be long, and he would send him back as soon as he finished speaking.
"Eunuch, wait a moment, I'm going to change my clothes now." Wen Liunian nodded, and said again, "May I ask one more question, what is the reason why the emperor summoned the humble minister this time?"
"It seems to be negotiating a business." Si Xi said fairly, "Commander Xiang is also here."
Talk about a business? Wen Liunian was a little puzzled when he heard the words. The state of Chu has a large land, rich resources, strong troops and horses, and has always had everything. Even if it has business contacts with neighboring state-owned countries, most of them are from the shipping party. What kind of business is it going to discuss this time, which will alarm the emperor?
"Do you want to enter the palace together?" Eunuch Sixi asked again, "You can drink a cup of tea in the garden and wait for the adults to go home together."
Before Zhao Yue could speak, Wen Liunian pinched him from behind - no promise!
Master Zhao shook his head: "Thank you, father-in-law, for the invitation, but Zhao has something to do later, I'm afraid he won't have time to enter the palace."
"That's fine." Eunuch Sixi nodded, "Then please do as you please." Originally, the emperor told him that if Zhao Dazhao didn't want to release him, he would let him enter the palace and wait together, but he didn't expect to be rejected — Judging from Cai Cai's expression just now, it is clear that he is extremely worried, after all, he hasn't recovered from his illness for long.
When Wen Liunian went back to his room to change his clothes, Zhao Yue took a comb from one side and tied his hair neatly: "Why don't you let me go?"
"I don't want you to deal with the emperor." Wen Liunian lowered his head and tied his belt.
"Huh?" Zhao Yue pinched his chin.
Wen Liunian said honestly: "I'm afraid you will beat the emperor."
Zhao Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I'm in your heart, why are you so reckless and ignorant?"
"It has nothing to do with being reckless." Wen Liunian put his arms around his neck, "If someone desperately asks you to do something, I will also want to beat him up."
Zhao Yue was blocked by him, so he paused for a while before saying: "Just pretend you don't know my heartache."
"I'm not stupid." Wen Liunian rubbed against his ear, "Now that I've just come back, there may be more things to do, and things will get better later on."
Zhao Yue nodded, lowered his head and kissed his lips.
So when Mr. Wen went out, his lips were much rosier than before, very moist.
Eunuch Sixi sighed in his heart, he is really a young man, and he would not let go of this little time, but he sighed unconsciously when he thought about it—looking at him, all of them were in pairs, but the emperor has been alone for so many years, Rao has been following him for many years, but he still can't figure out what the holy will is.
After Wen Liunian entered the palace, Zhao Yue and Lu Zhui continued to search for the mysterious man's whereabouts in the Wangcheng. With the experience of being attacked last time, he naturally paid more attention. After Mu Qingshan ate the last bite of the steamed stuffed bun, he also went to the front hall with Shang Yunze, and found Wang Zhi, the owner of the brocade workshop, and told him about the black cloth in the hands of the jugglers in the city.
"It turns out that the owner of the castle has noticed it too." Wang Zhi smiled, "Someone told me a few days ago, but he has been busy with other things and has no time to take care of it. I just found time to visit it the day before yesterday. It is indeed very mysterious. I still want to After discussing with the castle owner, we will make a decision."
"I went to see it yesterday, and there is nothing abnormal in the courtyard, it should be an ordinary juggling troupe." Shang Yunze said, "I'm afraid this trip will be hard for Shopkeeper Wang."
"Your kindness, I also want to find out what is the mystery of that roll of cloth." Wang Zhi said, "If I can make a batch of soft armor and sell it in the shop, I will definitely not worry about selling it." After all, it is an important place in the royal city, and people in the world There are also more than other places. When fighting, swords don't have eyes, so they will naturally be willing to spend a lot of money to buy a soft self-defense armor.
Shang Yunze nodded: "I think so too."
"But there is one more thing." Wang Zhi said, "If the other party is willing to cooperate with us, but offers a sky-high price, I don't know what the castle owner's bottom line is."
Shang Yunze smiled and gestured for him.
Wang Zhi nodded, "I'll go right away."
When Shopkeeper Wang left the door, Mu Qingshan was surprised and said, "It takes so much money?"
"Why, are you worried that I will empty myself out?" Shang Yunze joked.
"Is it worth the price?" Mu Qingshan asked seriously.
"It's worth it." Shang Yunze scratched his nose, "Let's not talk about the people in Jianghu, even the current emperor, I'm afraid he would be interested in this thing."
Mu Qingshan heaved a sigh of relief: "It's good that you don't lose money."
Shang Yunze laughed loudly, held him in his arms and weighed it: "I really made a profit by taking such a family-friendly daughter-in-law."
Mu Qingshan struggled out of his arms, feeling a little embarrassed.
The weather was fine that day, Shang Yunze accompanied him to read books in the corridor, just thinking about whether to ask the kitchen to make some snacks, but saw that Wang Zhi had already returned to the brocade workshop.
"Why so fast?" Shang Yunze was a little surprised.
"Returning to the castle master, the other party seems to be extremely unwilling to cooperate with us." Wang Zhi said, "I just came to explain my purpose, and I was invited out."
"Not even the price?" Shang Yunze asked.
"No." Wang Zhi shook his head, "And only one of the jugglers in that group can speak Chinese, and the rest couldn't understand it, so they just stood by and stared at it." At the end, the boa constrictor also swam in from outside. Opening his mouth and blowing out foul odors, not to mention a brocade workshop shopkeeper who has no power to restrain a chicken, even a martial artist with some kung fu would feel numb in his heart, just want to leave quickly, how can he have the heart to talk about business .
"That's a pity, this is really better than a good deal." Shang Yunze shook his head and said, "But in the business field, it's about your love and my willingness, and the twisted melon is not sweet. Since the other party is unwilling, then we have to forget it .”
Shopkeeper Wang sighed, obviously feeling very sorry. After he left, Mu Qingshan comforted: "It's actually a good thing to live in another place without spending a lot of money."
"Yeah." Shang Yunze hugged him onto his lap, "Kiss me."
"Why?" Mu Qingshan was taken aback for a moment, wondering if he was still talking about business matters, why did he suddenly change the subject.
"I'm in a bad mood." Shang Yunze's reasons were extremely legitimate.
Mu Qingshan: ...
Shang Yunze looked at him.
Mu Qingshan quickly leaned forward and kissed him quickly.
It's true that for a short while, before Lord Shang got a taste of it, the person in his arms sat across from him.
Lord Shang was a bit dumbfounded, but he moved very quickly at this time.
Mu Qingshan touched his hot ears, and just as he was about to hold a teacup, he hugged him horizontally.
"Ah!" Mu Qingshan was startled, "Let me down."
"Don't let go." Shang Yunze turned around and walked towards the bedroom.
"It's morning." Mu Qingshan pulled a strand of his hair and didn't even eat lunch!
"That's why I have to go back to catch up on sleep." Shang Yunze raised his eyebrows slightly.
Mu Qingshan was so choked that he couldn't say anything, after a while his face turned red: "That's only once."
Shang Yunze was surprised, because he just wanted to make a joke and make a fuss about his family, but he didn't expect that it was really allowed.
Mu Qingshan's ears were hot.
Shang Yunze bowed his head and kissed him hard, then kicked open the bedroom door.
The dark guards passed by nibbling melon seeds, all craned their necks to look.
Tsk.
In broad daylight, it's just... pretty good.
In the palace, Wen Liunian also heard about jugglers.
"If you can buy it back and make it into a self-defense soft armor for the Chu army, you will definitely be able to add wings to a tiger on the battlefield." Chu Yuan said, "What does Ai Qing think?"
"If it's true, it's very good." Wen Liunian nodded, "I'll go and see it now."
"Your Majesty." Xiang Lie reminded, "Master Wen has no official position yet, if the other party asks, I'm afraid it will be difficult to answer."
"Now in the royal city, is there anyone who doesn't know Wen Aiqing?" Chu Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked back.
"If I were a citizen of Chu Chu, no one would know Mr. Wen." Xiang Lie said, "But the other party doesn't know where he came from, and he can't even speak Chinese clearly, I'm afraid..." He might not recognize him.
"That's true." Chu Yuan rubbed his chin, "However, I haven't figured out what position Wen Aiqing wants to occupy. I don't rush for a moment. How about I accompany you if I don't? By the way, I can also protect Wen Aiqing .”
"The general will obey." Xiang Lie nodded.
Chu Yuan joked: "It's just that Master Zhao will be unhappy again."
Wen Liunian was embarrassed, why is the emperor always interested in these things
Besides, this matter has nothing to do with my man.
After the two came out of the palace, they went directly to the juggler's courtyard. The noon sun was shining brightly in the sky, even though Chu Yuan had ordered ice cubes to be placed in the carriage, Wen Liunian was still a little dizzy from boredom, Xiang Lie saw something wrong, so he hurriedly bought a bowl of sour plum soup from the side of the road to cool him off —Otherwise, if the disease is compounded by the disease, I am afraid that the head of Zhao will directly rush into the palace to snatch people.
"Thank you." Wen Liunian drank it in one gulp, feeling much more refreshed.
"We'll be there soon." Xiang Lie helped him jump out of the carriage, "I can't get in the carriage, just walk a few steps."
"Is this a deserted house?" Wen Liunian looked around, it seemed that he had walked for a long time from the palace to this place.
"Yes." Xiang Lie said, "They are all old houses from the early years, and most of them are abandoned. However, this group of jugglers have a giant python. If they want to live among the common people, let alone the government will not agree. I'm afraid the landlord doesn't have the guts to rent it."
"I have something to do." Wen Liunian stopped walking.
"Master Wen, please tell me." Xiang Lie nodded.
Wen Liunian said, "I'm afraid of snakes."
Xiang Lie laughed: "Don't worry, my lord, the giant python of this group is locked in a cage and will not escape easily."
Wen Liunian still stood still.
Xiang Lie had no choice but to say: "If I really run out, I will jump over the wall and leave with my lord."
Only then did Wen Liunian continue to move forward.
Really moved, if there were ants on the ground, I'm afraid they would have been trampled to death long ago.
The door of the house was locked tightly, Wen Liunian knocked it lightly twice, and then pulled Xiang Lie to block in front.
Don't let a snake's head appear suddenly, just like the original white lady in the drama.
There was a sound of footsteps in the courtyard, and then a tall and strong man opened the door. Since Xiang Lie was wearing an official uniform, the other party was obviously taken aback when he saw it.
"Brother." Wen Liunian stood up from behind after confirming that the courtyard was clean and free from poisonous snakes and insects, "I apologize for coming here to disturb you this time."
"Are you two adults from the imperial court?" the tall and strong man asked.
Wen Liunian nodded, "Exactly."
"I'm the leader of the Imperial Forest Army." Xiang Lie said, "This is Mr. Chao Zhongwen."
"We have not violated the law or discipline." The tall and strong man was very vigilant, "We are just begging for food from Nobleland."
"Of course." Wen Liunian nodded, "Brother, don't panic, we're here to discuss business."
The tall and strong man frowned slightly, as if he still didn't understand why they came, but he still stepped sideways to make way: "My lords, please come in and say."
"Thank you." Wen Liunian thanked him, and asked again before entering the door, "Is that giant python not here?"
"It's locked in the backyard." The tall and strong man said, "It won't come out, sir, don't worry."
Only then did Wen Liunian feel relieved and stepped into the courtyard gate.
There was a strong stench in the air, and Xiang Lie was used to life and death on the battlefield, so naturally he didn't feel any discomfort, but thinking that Wen Liunian was a scholar, the surroundings were usually surrounded by the fragrance of pens and ink, and the bedroom was also lit with incense all the year round, so Worry took a look, afraid that he would spit it out.
But to his surprise, Wen Liunian looked very calm—in fact, as long as he doesn't see insects, snakes and mice crawling all over the ground, Mr. Wen won't react too much to other harsh environments, after all, he was an official in the local area before. When I was a child, I also saw some tragic scenes, and I got used to it more.
The tall and strong man brewed tea and came over. There were thick branches and leaves, and the snacks were extremely dry: "You two adults, don't dislike it."
"Of course not." Wen Liunian asked, "I don't know what to call my eldest brother?"
"My name is Gao Dazhuang." The man replied.
Wen Liunian said from the bottom of his heart: "It really lives up to the name."
"What business do the two adults want to discuss?" Gao Dazhuang asked nervously.
"Since Brother Gao is so straight to the point, I won't make any detours anymore." Wen Liunian said, "I have heard from the people in the city that your snake dancing and juggling is very exciting. We came here this time to ask, what volume?" What the hell is the black cloth?"
Hearing his question, Gao Dazhuang's expression froze obviously: "That rolled cloth..."
"To be honest, the emperor has also heard about this matter." Wen Liunian said, "So I want to make a deal with all of you sincerely."
"The emperor wants to buy this roll of cloth?" Gao Dazhuang asked.
"It's not the roll of cloth, it's the weaving method." Wen Liunian said, "What raw materials and methods are used to make the cloth so strong that even python's teeth can't bite through it?"
Gao Dazhuang frowned and remained silent.
"If brother Gao is willing to make this deal, then the tens of thousands of troops in Dachu will benefit from it," Wen Liunian said.
"Your Excellency, you want to use this kind of cloth to make armor?" Gao Dazhuang asked.
Wen Liunian nodded: "Exactly."
Gao Dazhuang said: "I want to think about it again."
"Of course, business matters can't be sloppy." Wen Liunian nodded, but he didn't mean to say goodbye at all.
Under his gaze, Gao Dazhuang was obviously a little cramped, and even his forehead started to sweat. Finally, he found an excuse that he wanted to discuss with his companions, and even went out of the living room, leaving the two of them in there.
Xiang Lie asked, "Would it be difficult for someone to force you?" The other party looked like an honest person.
Wen Liunian blinked his eyes: "But the official didn't say anything to force him, and he always spoke nicely."
Xiang Lie was speechless.
It's right to speak nice words, but just staring at others with piercing eyes like this is not much better than talking and forcing...
It took Gao Dazhuang a long time to leave, just when Xiang Lie felt that the other party had probably been scared away by Wen Liunian and would not come back again, the living room door was finally pushed open again, this time not only Gao Dazhuang, but also three other men , looks thinner, and much smarter.
But if you are smart, you can't speak Chinese, and you can only translate it through Gao Dazhuang. The situation is not much better than before, and Wen Liunian still has the upper hand.
"This is the money we need to support our family, so don't sell it," Gao Dazhuang said.
"That's wrong." Wen Liunian reasoned with him patiently, "You need money to support your family, and if you can agree to do this business with the emperor, the money you earn is enough to buy real estate in Wangcheng for a lifetime of worry-free , isn't it better than being exposed to wind and rain on the street?"
Gao Dazhuang nervously translated for the others.
"Besides, no matter how wonderful your tricks are, they won't last for three to five years, or even three to five months, and the people will get tired of seeing them in half a month at the most. At that time, they will have to pack up and change cities. , how long can we live in such ups and downs?" Wen Liunian was very slow.
There was too much information, Gao Dazhuang couldn't remember it, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Wen Liunian cleared his throat, and continued: "If you all agree to do this business, it will be giving face to the emperor. If you are giving face to the emperor, are you afraid that the Chu State will not have a place to settle down in the future? Of course, if you are determined not to agree It doesn't matter, business is about your love and my wish, even if the emperor is in a bad mood, he will not order you to be deported, let alone let the officials along the way beat you once they see you, if you can't buy anything to eat, you will be dug in the fields. Some sweet potatoes can still fill your stomach, so you won’t be hungry if you keep them. You see, our Dachu has always been a state of etiquette, and we are very reasonable in doing things.”
Xiang Lie twitched the corner of his mouth and looked at him.
Gao Dazhuang finally couldn't keep up with the progress: "Can you speak slowly, my lord?"
"Of course." Wen Liunian had a friendly attitude, and he was very refined and educated at first glance.
After a tense conversation, or only the jugglers were nervous, while Wen Liunian talked slowly throughout the whole process, the other party finally said, "We can think about it."
"Very good, very good." Wen Liunian said, "When do you guys plan to make a transaction document? We can send the deposit over."
Xiang Lie felt that if he wants to bargain for a new house in the future, he must bring Mrs. Wen with him—the other party just said that he could consider it, but he actually urged others to draw a letter.
"If brother Gao is worried that he can't write well, I can do it for you." Wen Liunian looked around, "Where is the pen?"
"We still need to discuss it." One of the thin and small men probably couldn't cope with the tall and strong man, so he said a sentence in Chinese bluntly.
Wen Liunian was extremely regretful: "Are you sure you don't want it? My handwriting is pretty good, and others can't buy it even if they want to."
"Thank you, sir." Gao Dazhuang bowed violently, "Let us have a good discussion."
"Alright." Wen Liunian finally took a step back, but not very far, "We'll come back tomorrow morning."
After the two of them went out, Xiang Lie said sincerely: "Your Excellency is indeed worthy of being the number one talented person in Dachu." No wonder he was able to silence a group of old officials at the beginning - this time it was unlucky to be bumped into by this group of strangers.
Wen Liunian scratched his face calmly: "Praise the Commander."
"Then we'll come back tomorrow morning." Xiang Lie said, "Now send your lord back to the Brocade Workshop?"
"Don't you need to return to the palace?" Wen Liunian was a little surprised.
"It is logically necessary, but the emperor has ordered that your lord has been ill recently, so you should rest more." Xiang Lie said, "So just finish the work."
"It's not too tiring." Wen Liunian said, "The teahouse is ahead, let's go and have a rest, and let's talk about the progress of the search for the mysterious man."
"There is really no clue about this matter." Xiang Lie went to the teahouse with him, "It disappeared almost overnight."
"Could it be hidden somewhere underground?" Wen Liunian asked.
"I think so too, but if it's really hidden underground, I'm afraid it won't be easy to find." Xiang Lie said.
"Everyone has to eat and drink. If they hide underground and don't show up, there must be people on the ground who will provide food secretly." Wen Liunian said, "Does Commander Shang have any ideas?"
Xiang Lie shook his head.
Wen Liunian propped his cheeks and sighed: "Then it will take a lot of effort."
"It's Master Zhao." Xiang Lie said suddenly.
Wen Liunian looked down, and sure enough, he saw Zhao Yue walking down the street.
"Master!" Xiang Lie greeted him loudly.
Zhao Yue paused and looked up.
Waving to Lie.
Zhao Yue glanced forward again before turning around and going to the teahouse.
"What a coincidence." Xiang Lie ordered Xiaoer to take an extra cup, "Where is the boss going?"
"Just finished meeting with friends, I want to go ahead and buy some snacks to go home." Zhao Yue said.
"Buy it for Master Wen?" Xiang Lie smiled and said, "It really is as loving as the rumors say."
Wen Liunian smiled and sat beside Zhao Yue.
"Then I'll go back to the palace first." Xiang Lie Shiqu stood up, "Drink tea slowly, both of you."
Wen Liunian nodded, watched him go downstairs before saying: "Are you following someone?"
"See it?" Zhao Yue pinched his nose, "But after being called to Commander Xiang, he was distracted and lost track."
"With whom?" Wen Liunian asked.
"It seems to be the previous mysterious person again." Zhao Yue said.
Wen Liunian frowned slightly when he heard the words: "It's this group of people again?" The imperial army spread their nets all over the city, but they couldn't find any clues, why did he encounter them again and again
"The other party is trying to seduce me." Zhao Yue said, "But that's good, at least there is a way for them to show up."