Fu Shifeng

Chapter 266 Seeing Xian Siqi
"In this case, I ask the old lady to pay close attention to the settlement of the escaped household. If Huzhou can be stabilized, the old lady will do a great job."

In the main hall of Wulingzhuang, Su Wangting and Mrs. He finished discussing the business matters and then smiled and said: "The Guan family in Huzhou is full of talents. If the old lady doesn't mind, she may assign one or two of her children to come and help. We hope to go to Chang'an together in the future. Find an official position."

Although Lu Linzhi was appointed to Jiangnan East Road, many specific affairs still relied on officials like Su Wangting to handle them.

Su Wangting came this time to assist in the investigation of fraudulent and excessive taxes, and in recruiting and relocating fugitive households, all of which required the assistance of large local households.

But perhaps it was a blessing and a misfortune that Su Wangting and the others saved a lot of time on the originally difficult task because of a sudden Jianghuai rebellion. Bandits burned and killed people, and demons rampaged around, leading to the death of some wealthy families.

For example, a large company in Suzhou like Tingyu Tower is a local hegemon. With its large number of people and its long-term operation, even state and county officials have difficulty controlling it.As a result, after a turmoil, the family members were almost wiped out, leaving large areas of vacant industrial land for the government to use to resettle fugitive households.

And it was precisely because of the sudden rebellion in Jianghuai that the saint attached great importance to it. In addition to annihilating the rebels, he must also appease the people and prevent further chaos. Therefore, he was given considerable authority to inspect the fields and pursue fugitives.

As for Wulingzhuang, a powerful family that still maintains its strength, Su Wangting will naturally not act rashly, and will reach a cooperation with the other party at the price of future prospects.

After all, Lu Linzhi will return to the DPRK in about a year, and the talents he has identified during this period will also be brought back to Chang'an as staff.As the eldest son of Prime Minister Lu, with a prosperous official career, he naturally has countless opportunities to support him.

"I'm afraid I'll make Su Langjun laugh." Mrs. He said with a dignified manner: "Although the Guan family in Huzhou is prosperous, there are not many people who are worthy of big posts. I'm afraid I have to ask Su Langjun to train them on my behalf."

"If anything, Su is just working for Prime Minister Lu. Thanks to the old lady, I think so." Su Wangting replied.

Mrs. He was old and shrewd. She spent several days with Su Wangting. Through some insidious work, she not only found out that this person could have a great influence on Lu Linzhi in local government affairs, but also learned that he had connections with Chang Qing, Cheng Sanwu and others. Have a close past.

"But I do have one thing, and I want to ask Mr. Su Langjun for help." Mrs. He said.

"Old Madam, it's okay to say it."

Mrs. He was not polite and said bluntly: "I think Mr. Changqing seems to have no interest in getting married. Could it be that Wulingzhuang is not polite enough?"

"Chang Qing is not a person who sticks to etiquette. I think he also respects Wulingzhuang." Su Wangting thought for a moment: "It's just that he has no idea about his future and is afraid of living up to expectations, so he hesitates for a while. "

"Living up to expectations?" Mrs. He asked: "Could it be that Mr. Lu has some arrangements for Mr. Changqing?"

Su Wangting vaguely guessed that Changqing had an extraordinary background, and judging from the various arrangements he made after leaving Chang'an, Prime Minister Lu seemed to intend to keep Changqing away from the court.

When he left before leaving, Prime Minister Lu also said that if Changqing wanted to stay and settle in Jiangnan, then that would be up to him.On the surface, it seems that the relationship between father and son is weak, but upon closer inspection, it can be inferred that it is more like a cover-up and protection.

"Well... Chang Qing is a cultivator, and Prime Minister Lu doesn't impose too much." Su Wangting was originally wondering whether these words would make Mrs. He feel that Chang Qing was too light in Prime Minister Lu's eyes.

"Just don't force it."

However, Mrs. He took it indifferently: "I have made it clear that Wulingzhuang has no successor, so I recruited Mr. Changqing as my son-in-law in the hope that he can continue the inheritance. I have already done this to expand the family business. If Mr. Changqing is determined to practice Taoism, Wuling Village will be a blessed place."

Su Wangting nodded seriously: "Okay, old madam, don't worry, I will truthfully convey these words to Prime Minister Lu."

"Prime Minister Lu doesn't mind that our Wuling Villa is a country with wild grass. That's a blessing."

After all, although Wulingzhuang and Huzhou Guan's reputation is very high in the Jiangnan area, compared with the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes in the Central Plains, they are still far inferior. They only have land and family property.It's okay to be domineering and blessing in the local area, but it has no weight in the court.

Even in the eyes of outsiders, Wulingzhuang recruited Changqing as his son-in-law, but it was Mrs. He who was clever and relied on Prime Minister Lu as her backer.

"The old lady is too modest. There are still many things to do in the future, and I'm afraid it will cause trouble to Wulingzhuang and the Guan family in Huzhou." Su Wangting immediately asked again: "I will explain it more to Changqing. I just don't know what to do with Wulingzhuang. Which lady is getting married? It’s easy to arrange the name Najib and the subsequent etiquette.”

Mrs. He handed over a name card that she had prepared for a long time: "This is the daughter I have adopted for many years, her maiden name is Liu Ying."

Su Wangting's visit here is equivalent to an appointment on behalf of the man. Although the wedding does not have to be as grand and luxurious as a prince or nobleman, the etiquette must be thorough and complete.

Looking at the woman's name on the name card, Su Wangting felt a little confused and asked: "Su was in the village recently and occasionally heard that the person who was married to Changqing was called Sanniang. Could it be that she is also Mrs. Liu?"

The smile on Mrs. He's face disappeared. She had been in charge of the family for many years, how could she know nothing about gossip?
After Chu Wanjun got rid of her inner demons, she developed a secret affection for Changqing, and even made some excessively close moves.Mrs. He originally wanted to dissuade her in time, but thinking of Sanniang's experience, she felt soft-hearted and simply pretended to be deaf and dumb, turning a blind eye and letting the situation develop.

However, according to the maid who took care of the two of them, despite Sanniang's obvious intentions, Changqing refused to go further.

In fact, Mrs. He was also ridiculous when she was young. She knew very well that children in the world often acted out of greed and pleasure due to impulse. It was rare to find someone like Chang Qing who could sit back and relax.

If the two of them were just in love, Mrs. He would really let it go, but now it was about two in-laws, and there was no room for nonsense.

"Mr. Changqing had previously cured Sanniang's stubborn illness with a magical method, so the two of them had some contact. Those servants were ignorant and were just messing around." Mrs. He said: "Liu Ying was chosen by me because of her character and appearance. Both are good, and I have been taking care of the family business for many years, so Mr. Su Lang can rest assured."

Su Wangting nodded with a smile. In fact, he had already spent money to find out about Chu Wanjun from the servants of Wuling Village, and he also felt that this woman was not suitable to be Changqing's future wife.Fortunately, Mrs. He is still sensible, so there is no need for him to expose it and embarrass both parties.

"In that case, it's settled." Su Wangting put down the name card: "I will go and raise the betrothal gift. The gift book will be sent later."

"Thank you, Mr. Su, for running around." Madam He was just about to get up and see her off when a servant came over: "Old madam, Mr. Cheng is back and said he wanted to see Mr. Changqing."

"Oh? What a coincidence? I'll go see him." Su Wangting said.

When they went out to greet him, they saw that Cheng Sanwu was covered in dust, his clothes were slightly damaged, he was angry, and his face was unhappy.

"Lao Su? Why are you here too?" Cheng Sanwu signaled his men to go to the Langfeng Pavilion to stand by.

"Since I have come to the south of the Yangtze River for business, of course I have to meet Mrs. He, otherwise many things will be difficult to accomplish." Su Wangting asked with a smile: "How? Have the rebels been wiped out?" "There are only a few small fish that escaped into the ravines. Xiaoxia, I don’t have to worry about it." Cheng Sanwu said angrily.

"What? Who dares to offend you, Lord Zhaoyang?" Su Wangting said as he walked.

"Don't mention it! The Xuanfu envoy sent by the imperial court really regarded me as a scout who gave orders at will." Cheng Sanwu scolded: "I worked hard over the mountains and ridges to help them uncover ambushes and traps, but in the end he He was still picky and insisted on taking the high road openly, which cost hundreds of lives in vain, and later he wanted to blame me."

Su Wangting was a little surprised: "You, Old Cheng, don't seem to have the temper to be patient."

"Of course I couldn't bear it." Cheng Sanwu said simply: "I slapped him in the face, broke a leg, threw down the map and came back. Damn it, I was in the Western Regions back then, even if I was the Protector You are always polite to me when you meet me, but this guy actually wants to sit on my head and poop and pee? Go to hell!"

Seeing that Cheng Sanwu's temperament remained the same, Su Wangting sighed with emotion: "You haven't changed at all... But after all, he is a general sent by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion. What you did is going too far."

"Hmph! The Ministry of Internal Affairs is the supervisor of the army. No matter what general he is, everyone must be carefully served." Cheng Sanwu was unconvinced: "But when it was my turn, I couldn't get help from others. This kind of No more drudgery!”

"You..." Su Wangting could only advise: "When working for the court, sometimes you have to compromise. If everyone is as unyielding as you, wouldn't there be fights every day in the court?"

Cheng Sanwu's face was full of disdain: "I see that the dignitaries in the court are scheming all day long, but no one is willing to give in? They are playing tricks for power and position, which is much more insidious than fighting openly!"

"It's rare to see you speak some truth."

While the two were chatting, they had already arrived at the courtyard where Chang Qing was. He stood outside the door, changed into a long-sleeved robe, and wore a jade crown with hair tied on his head. He was handsome and elegant. It would be no exaggeration to say that he was a young man from a noble family.

"Hey, who are you trying to seduce by dressing up like this?" Cheng Sanwu looked up and down, his tone subtle.

Changqing snorted coldly and said sarcastically: "Are these the only things in your mind?"

"Men just sleep with women when they're full, and swing knives at each other when they have nothing to do." Cheng Sanwu said without any scruples.

Chang Qing frowned slightly, not entirely because Cheng Sanwu's tone was vulgar, but because his words were almost consistent with Chi Yang's description of the gluttonous beast.

During this period, Changqing wrote down the habits of gluttonous beasts and compiled them into a volume.His idea is that if things change in the future and Taotie appears again, infecting innocent people at will and ravaging a vast area, Changqing alone may not be able to solve it. At that time, I am afraid that he will have to call on people with lofty ideals from all over the world to deal with it together, and he will is to prepare for this.

Although Chang Qing cannot be said to be a member of Fu Shifeng, he has gradually regarded eradicating the scourge of gluttony as his own responsibility. This is not only to respect and emulate Master Wen and others, but also to share Cheng Sanwu's unwillingness to share with others. Expressed responsibility.

"Old Cheng, it's time for you to restrain yourself." Su Wangting put on his airs and taught him a lesson: "Anyway, when you are on errands in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you are always so unscrupulous in your words and deeds. Not only will you cause trouble for yourself, but I am afraid it will also implicate me and the chief. Green."

"Hey, hey, hey, aren't we good brothers sharing weal and woe? Don't we even follow the rules of the world?" Cheng Sanwu shouted.

"Sharing adversity does not mean that you will get into trouble." Su Wangting gestured aside: "Besides, Changqing will get married sooner or later, so don't be too noisy recently."

"Oh? You and Wulingzhuang have already discussed your marriage?" Cheng Sanwu was very excited when he heard this.

"Absolutely." Changqing welcomed the two of them into the house.

Cheng Sanwu looked straight at Changqing and asked, "Why do you look so gloomy? Do you think you are marrying into Wulingzhuang?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Su Wangting quickly interrupted: "How could a young talent like Chang Qing marry into another family?"

Cheng Sanwu scratched the stubble under his chin: "When we were in the Western Regions, we also saw many businessmen who made a lot of money becoming son-in-laws."

Su Wangting explained: "That's because the businessman has a low status and can only rely on marrying into a local rich family to find a good family background. For this reason, a large sum of money is required as a betrothal gift, which is equivalent to spending money to change his identity.

"But Changqing is different. He is the son of the Lu Xiang family, and he is also a new talent in the current Taoist sect. Even if Wulingzhuang does not recruit a son-in-law, other aristocratic families are planning to arrange for their women to marry him."

Cheng Sanwu blinked: "Listening to what you said, I suddenly felt that Changqing was like an oiran who was raised in a brothel, just waiting for some rich man to pay him to come out of the court."

"Shut up!" No matter how well-mannered Su Wangting was, he couldn't hold it back: "What's the right thing to say? Apologize to Changqing quickly!"

If it were in the past, Changqing would probably still dislike these words as vulgar and unbearable.However, after some persuasion and guidance from Su Wangting, Changqing gradually learned to face the way of life.

After all, he still has the identity of the son of Prime Minister Lu, so he cannot have the final say in marriage matters.Since there is an opportunity to stay away from Chang'an and get rid of the father who has no affection at all, it is better to seize it.

Cheng Sanwu was taught a lesson by Su Wangting, and he showed a rare expression of admitting his mistake. He scratched his head and ears uneasily, and his eyes averted: "I...I'm a mean-mouthed person, so just think of my words as farts."

Chang Qing originally wanted to scold her with a straight face, but when she saw Cheng Sanwu's embarrassing apology, she couldn't hold it back. She burst out laughing, and then it turned into a hearty laugh, with her belly hunched over and laughing out of control. Tears burst out of the corners of his eyes.

Cheng Sanwu looked at a loss, and Su Wangting held his forehead and sighed: "Changqing, don't be as knowledgeable as him. I probably won't be able to teach you this old Cheng's brain in my lifetime."

Chang Qing laughed hard, as if all the barriers in his heart were gone, wiped his tears, and bowed deeply to Cheng Sanwu and Su Wangting.

"What are you doing? It doesn't have to be like this." Su Wangting quickly stepped forward to help him up.

"Thank you very much." Chang Qing said seriously: "If you hadn't come over to give me some advice, I would still be a proud and arrogant guy who doesn't know how to reflect. I owe all my achievements to you."

Su Wangting originally wanted to say something nice, but looking at Chang Qing's clear and determined eyes, he realized that he was indeed a lot more mature. He just patted him on the shoulder, nodded and said: "Okay, okay..."

"Look, Lao Su, I'm quite capable, right?" Cheng Sanwu claimed the credit with a proud face: "If you ask me, Changqing will have great achievements in the future!"

(End of this chapter)