Volume 6: Dream Record Chapter 392: Envoy Xiao Arrives in Qiantang
When Yuan Xudong was dressed neatly and walked out of the teahouse, what he saw was a group of Xiao family guards in black clothes and riding horses. There were about seven or eight of them, all of whom were burly martial artists with official swords hanging around their waists. They were dressed in uniform and had a calm temperament. Looking at these people, Yuan Xudong couldn't help but frown. He had thought that his cheap father would at most send a few servants to Qiantang to pick him up and take him back to Tokyo, but he didn't expect that they would be the most elite guards trained by the Xiao family since childhood.
These guards are all orphans. They have been trained by the Xiao family at great expense since childhood. The fittest will survive and those with sufficient ability will be retained, while those without ability will either work in the Xiao Mansion or help the Xiao family manage their business and land. In short, these guards are Xiao Qinyan's treasures. They are all loyal and highly skilled in martial arts, and will not be easily sent out.
Behind these guards, there was a rather low-key and luxurious carriage. Seeing the Xiao Mansion’s housekeeper sitting in front of the carriage, Yuan Xudong couldn’t help but walked forward and said in surprise:
"Butler, why did you come to pick me up in person? Did anything bad happen at home?"
"Master!"
Looking at Yuan Xudong, who was wearing coarse cloth, Butler Xiao said with a smile:
"Everything is fine at home!"
As he said this, he changed the subject and said with a smile:
"It's been a while since the young master ran away from home, and there has been no news from him. The old master is very worried about your safety. He has lost his appetite and has become much thinner!"
"It's okay, he's in good health. Just skipping one or two meals is good for your health!"
Looking at Butler Xiao, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:
"Butler, since there's nothing going on at home, I'll stay for two more days. I have some personal matters to attend to in Qiantang, okay?"
"What private business can you take care of?"
Yuan Xudong had just finished speaking and was still waiting for Butler Xiao's answer when a slightly deep voice suddenly rang out in the carriage, angrily saying:
"You little brat, you ran away from home. I thought you could achieve something, but in the end you spend your days hanging out with some ignorant country women in this small teahouse, wasting your time. Xiao Fan, you really disappoint me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and an old man dressed in brocade clothes and wearing a golden jade crown came out. He was Yuan Xudong's father in this life, Xiao Qinyan, the Minister of the Xiao Dynasty. At this moment, the nearest black-clothed guard hurried over and lay on the ground. Xiao Qinyan stepped on his back and looked at Yuan Xudong, who was still a little dazed, and said angrily:
"What are you doing, little brat? Why don't you come and help me?"
"oh!"
Looking at the black-clad guard who was kneeling on the ground to serve as a ladder for Xiao Qinyan, Yuan Xudong curled his lips secretly of an envoy and a minister, he was quite arrogant. Thinking of this, Yuan Xudong walked to Xiao Qinyan, helped him get off the carriage, and said with a smile:
"Mr. Xiao, you didn't come all the way to Jiangnan to pick me up, did you?"
"What did you just call me, little brat?"
"Mr. Xiao, is there any problem with this?"
Without waiting for Xiao Qinyan to speak, Yuan Xudong continued:
"Isn't that what Gu Qianfan called you?"
"Brat, I've told you so many times, he's your big brother, you have to respect him!"
"Yes, yes, I must learn to love and respect him. An elder brother is like a father!"
Yuan Xudong coaxed Xiao Qinyan while leading him to the teahouse and said with a smile:
"Dad, let me help you go in and have a cup of tea. Don't be fooled by the simple environment of this teahouse, but the tea is good and the tea shopkeeper is also very beautiful. I like her very much and want to take her to Tokyo with me. You should have no objection, right?"
"It's up to you, as long as you don't marry her, you can do whatever you want!"
As they were talking, Yuan Xudong led Xiao Qinyan into the teahouse lobby. Butler Xiao followed behind, and the other black-clad guards were standing outside. Seeing Yuan Xudong leading the two elders in, especially Xiao Qinyan who was walking in front of Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner's heart moved slightly. She glanced at Xiao Qinyan who was approaching, then looked at Yuan Xudong and said nervously:
"Fan Lang, who is this old gentleman?"
“My father!”
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who was getting a little nervous, and Song Yinzhang and Yinping who were hiding behind her, Yuan Xudong smiled and said:
"Pan'er, Yinzhang, Yinping, just call him Uncle Xiao!"
Unexpectedly, Yuan Xudong's father Xiao Qinyan would come to their teahouse in person. Zhao Pan'er, Song Yinzhang, and Yinping were all shocked. They bowed and saluted:
"My name is Zhao Pan'er, and I am honored to meet you, Master Xiao!"
"My name is Song Yinzhang, and I am honored to meet you, Lord Xiao!"
Following suit, the maid Yinping imitated Zhao Pan'er and Song Yinzhang and said:
"Maid Yin Ping'er, greetings to Master Xiao!"
"No need to be polite!"
Without paying attention to Zhao Pan'er and the others, Xiao Qinyan chose a seat by the window and sat down, admiring the view of Qiantang Lake outside the window. Butler Xiao stood behind him. Yuan Xudong glanced at Zhao Pan'er, Song Yinzhang, and Yinping, who went to the teahouse to prepare tea cakes and make tea, then looked at Xiao Qinyan and smiled:
"Dad, I'm going to help make tea, you sit here and wait for a while!"
As soon as he finished speaking, before Xiao Qinyan could say anything, Yuan Xudong ran to the teahouse and prepared tea and snacks with Zhao Paner, Song Yinzhang, and Yinping Yatou. They started the stove and boiled spring water. While Zhao Paner was grinding the spices, she secretly glanced at Xiao Qinyan who was sitting in the lobby outside by the window admiring the scenery, then looked at Yuan Xudong and said with some concern:
"Fan Lang, does Lord Xiao dislike me very much?"
"It's okay, he's always like this. He always has a stern face towards everyone except Gu Qianfan!"
"Yeah?"
After looking at Yuan Xudong, Zhao Paner said shyly:
"So when are you going to tell Lord Xiao about our matter?"
"I'll find a suitable opportunity to tell him after we return to Tokyo, okay?"
"good!"
Looking at Zhao Pan'er who nodded slightly, and Song Yinzhang and Yinping who were eavesdropping beside her, Yuan Xudong said with a smile:
"After we return to Tokyo, if one of you can get pregnant with my child, then this matter will be easy!"
"Pooh~~"
Hearing Yuan Xudong's dirty talk, Zhao Pan'er couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, spit lightly, and said with a blushing face:
"Who promised to help you have a baby?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't agree. Yin Zhang and Yin Ping are willing to help me have a baby!"
As he spoke, Yuan Xudong suddenly hugged Song Yinzhang from behind and said with a smile:
"Yin Zhang, tell me, are you willing to help me have a baby?"
Being held in Yuan Xudong's arms, Song Yinzhang glanced at Zhao Pan'er and blushed shyly:
"No, I don't want to!"
"don't want?"
Hearing that the well-behaved Song Yinzhang dared to oppose him, Yuan Xudong turned her body over and hugged her from the front. Their eyes met. Yuan Xudong gradually moved closer to her lips, gently licked them twice, and said with a smile:
"Say it again, do you want to or do you not?"
Being held in Yuan Xudong's arms and teased, Song Yinzhang blushed and whispered:
"Yes, Yin Zhang is willing!"
…
After a while, after preparing the refreshments, Yuan Xudong and Xiao Qinyan sat opposite each other and introduced themselves:
"Dad, these are tea-flavored fruits that are unique to Jiangnan. They may look ordinary, but they have a unique flavor. Especially this cup of Lingyin Buddhist tea, which is produced only ten taels a year. Why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"
"good!"
Although he was not interested in these ordinary tea fruits, and even this cup of Lingyin Buddhist tea could only be considered pretty good, what was rare was his son's thoughtfulness. Thinking of this, Xiao Qinyan ate a piece of fruit with a smile on his face, drank a sip of tea, and said with a satisfied smile:
“Not bad, not bad, the tea is good and the snacks are delicious too!”
After saying that, he put down the teacup, looked at Yuan Xudong and said:
"I came to Jiangnan to do some work, and I just happened to receive a tip from your brother saying that you were here, so I stopped by to see you!"
"I told you, it's a long way from Tokyo to Qiantang, how could you come to pick me up in person, and come so quickly!"
At this point, Yuan Xudong seemed to remember something. He looked at Xiao Qinyan and asked:
"Have you met my eldest brother?"
“I have seen it!”
"What about Qiantang County Magistrate Zheng Qingtian? Have you met him?"
"Not yet, see you tonight!"
Knowing that Gu Qianfan must have complained to Xiao Qinyan, he was like a child who went home to ask his father for help when he was bullied by outsiders. Thinking of this, Yuan Xudong directly revealed his cards:
"I received 200,000 strings of cash from Zheng Qingtian, and he has another 200,000 strings of cash to give to you, so that you can join our Xiao family. Besides that, he also did me a favor. In the future, our Xiao family will also have a share of the smuggling business, which is about 100,000 strings of cash coming in every year, accounting for half of it. Do you still want to kill him?"
"You want to save his life?"
After listening to Yuan Xudong, Xiao Qinyan frowned slightly and said:
"I don't care if he secretly lifted the ban on sea trade. I don't care if he wants to kill Yang Zhiyuan's entire family. But he shouldn't hurt my son. His life is too cheap and worthless!"
"Is his life too cheap, or do you care too much about Gu Qianfan?"
Looking into Xiao Qinyan's eyes, Yuan Xudong said directly:
"I don't agree to kill Zheng Qingtian. I have asked him to revoke the arrest warrant, and Gu Qianfan's injury is not a big deal. Although Zheng Qingtian is only the county magistrate of Qiantang, he is also the Maritime Customs Commissioner of Hangzhou. He made a lot of money by privately lifting the maritime ban. The officials in charge of the whole Jiangnan are connected with him. As long as he surrenders to our Xiao family, the whole Jiangnan will be our sphere of influence. On the contrary, if we kill Zheng Qingtian and cut off these people's financial resources, what benefits can our Xiao family get except offending these officials? Is it just to vent Gu Qianfan's anger?"
I didn't expect Yuan Xudong to say such a thing. Xiao Qinyan was not angry but said happily:
"Not bad, not bad. Although you are not as smart as your elder brother, who was able to pass the imperial examination at the age of 18, you are better at dealing with people and knowing how to consider our Xiao family. Zheng Qingtian's death is not a pity. I just want to use his head to pave a way for your elder brother to rise to the top. Privately lifting the maritime ban, murder and arson, such a big case, if I ask someone to make a little effort, your brother will be able to change into a red official robe!
What can a few hundred thousand strings of copper coins count for? As the saying goes, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, without official positions, no matter how much money you have, it is just floating wealth. Just like the current Qiantang County Magistrate Zheng Qingtian, he has 400,000 strings of copper coins, so what? If I kill him, all his wealth will also be mine, just because he is the county magistrate and I am the imperial envoy, I have more power than him, if I want him to die, he has to die!"
At this point, seeing that Yuan Xudong wanted to say something, Xiao Qinyan waved his hand to stop him and said:
"Listen to me first. I am old. I only have ten or twenty years left. I must plan for the future of the Xiao family. After I retire and return home, the Xiao family will rely on your eldest brother for support. Before that, I must help him pave the way for promotion!"
After listening to Xiao Qinyan, Yuan Xudong said coldly:
"It's a pity that no matter how good your plan is, you still need others to appreciate your kindness. His last name is Gu, not Xiao. He calls you Mr. Xiao, not father. There is something I have wanted to say for a long time. It's not that I am not as smart as him, but that he is not as smart as me. If I want to kill him, I have ten thousand ways to make him die unclearly. Also, do you know why he did not become a civil servant after passing the imperial examination, but was willing to become a running dog of the eunuch party and join the Imperial City Bureau?"
Without Xiao Qinyan's reply , Yuan Xudong said directly:
"Your eldest son, Gu Qianfan, has been raised in the Gu family since he was a child. Don't you know who Gu Shenyan is? The Gu family has been a clean family for generations. Do you think Gu Qianfan is the kind of hound who likes to do dirty things?
Instigated by Qi Mu, he was treated like a fool without knowing it, and wholeheartedly believed that he was a member of the Qingliu faction, hiding the clear and revealing the turbid. He joined the Imperial City Division as an undercover agent for the Qingliu faction to investigate officials of the hostile faction, especially you, Prime Minister Xiao!
But what he didn't know was that those so-called Qingliu faction were also looking down on others. He was the son of a treacherous prime minister, with the lowly blood of the Xiao family flowing in his body. He had worked undercover in the Imperial City Bureau, using cruel methods and having the title of a living devil. Such a person was just used by those people of the Qingliu faction and could be eliminated at will after being used. But he still thought that he was being loyal to the court, and that those people of the Qingliu faction were all good officials, and that the hostile camp like you, Prime Minister Xiao, were all bad officials and corrupt officials. Do you think he was really stupid?
Following someone's instigation, he secretly investigated his father and family, intending to kill his own relatives for the sake of justice. It would be fine if he really did it for the country and the people, but what was the point of working for those aristocratic families? It was nothing more than being praised for serving the country and the people, that's all!
No matter whether it is the Qingliu faction, the Houdang who likes flattery, or officials from other factions, all are evil. In the officialdom of the entire Song Dynasty, from top to bottom, those who keep themselves clean are rare, and there are many hypocritical people who are sanctimonious. It's just a struggle for interests. Unfortunately, Gu Qianfan can't see this point clearly, and insists on distinguishing between good people and bad people. It's simply stupid!
If we really want to distinguish between good and bad people, then those royal relatives who do nothing but rely on the people of the country to support them are the biggest bad people. Gu Qianfan is just a lapdog who oppresses the people and guards the house for these royal relatives. Where does he get the self-righteousness from? "
"Well, well said, what a dispute over interests!"
After hearing Yuan Xudong's eloquent words, Xiao Qinyan laughed and said:
"Although what you said is biased, it does make some sense. However, it is too outrageous. I told you that you should respect your elder brother instead of slandering him. Don't do it again!"
After saying this, Xiao Qinyan thought for a moment and said:
"Since you are smarter than I thought, I will give you a task. Your elder brother can be an undercover agent of the Qingliu Sect, hiding the truth while being turbid, so we can also use their tactics against him. You are responsible for getting your elder brother to secretly return to the Xiao family and help us collect evidence of Qi Mu's gang's crimes!"
“Not interested!”
After looking at Xiao Qinyan, Yuan Xudong said directly:
"Why go to all that trouble? Just kill him. How about you promise me one thing? I'll help you kill Qi Mu?"
"No, Qi Mu is not that easy to kill. The guards around him are very strong!"
As he spoke, Xiao Qinyan glared at Yuan Xudong and cursed:
"Whenever you encounter something, use your brain more and don't just think about fighting and killing all day long. If Qi Mu was really that easy to kill, would he still be alive today?"
"How do you know that the guards around him are strong?"
Looking at Xiao Qinyan, Yuan Xudong was very suspicious:
"Did you send secret guards to assassinate him?"
"No, don't talk nonsense!"
After glaring at Yuan Xudong, Xiao Qinyan stroked his goatee and explained:
"I'm just saying it casually. The guards around me are very strong, so Qi Mu's must be no worse!"
