Zhao Hongzhi listened attentively, flexing his fingers and memorizing each one. After listening to Li Xiaoyao's words, he took a breath and said with a smile: "These numbers that the fifth master wants, I will send them over tomorrow morning."

Li Xiaoyao responded with a smile, watched Zhao Hongzhi leave and went out, and ordered Qing Cheng to get all the resumes of the newly arrived officials.

……………………

Wu Chengshan galloped all the way towards Taiping Mansion. The black-clad Peking troops he met along the way saw the red token hanging on the car and didn't even ask. Zhao and Qian were thrown into confusion in the carriage.

, one person stood sideways to the car window, vomiting endlessly.

Wu Chengshan drove the car until it was completely dark, then he stopped next to a dilapidated ancestral hall on the roadside. He got down with stiff legs, groped for a lantern, lit it, and seemed not to have seen the limp body lying in the car.

Mrs. Zhao and Mr. Qian were busy searching the carriage.

Everything in the car was complete, including two leather bags filled with water, a large package of fine snacks, a package of pickled vegetables and corned beef, and a small green cloth bag containing fifty taels of loose silver and two pennies.

Wu Chengshan opened the leather bag and drank a lot of water, then sat on the ground leaning on the wheel, breaking off a piece of corned beef and chewing it hard.

Mrs. Zhao and Mrs. Qian were close to each other, looking at him in fear.

As soon as the sky turned white, Wu Chengshan drove the carriage back on the road.

This place was already in the territory of Wu. After walking for a few hours, we met a patrolling Wu army team, who escorted the three of them and rushed to the headquarters of General Qin, the envoy of Haozhou.

A lieutenant came out and politely asked Wu Chengshan to go to the lobby. A few rough envoys and women led Zhao and Qian into the second gate. The car and horse were led to the gate by the soldiers to inspect them carefully.

Wu Chengshan sat down and drank weak tea two or three times before General Qin put his hands behind his back, followed by two men in brocade clothes who came in from behind.

Wu Chengshan hurriedly stood up and bowed in greeting. General Qin stared at Wu Chengshan with a gloomy look. After a while, he smiled and said: "Master Wu, how are you doing here? This trip is to be a lobbyist for the Prince of Liang in Peking? What do you want me to do? Wu

Sir, just say it!"

Wu Chengshan raised his head fiercely, looked at General Qin in shock and shouted: "General, what are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?! Do you really think you can play with everyone? You are looking down on people in this world!" General Qin pointed at Wu Chengshan and said sternly.

Wu Chengshan stood blankly, looking at General Qin in a daze, watching him sit down with his big horse and golden sword, swallowed his saliva, and explained with difficulty: "General, Chuzhou was lost, General Shi Guozhu was hanged, I fought with my death.

, King Liang just let me come back, please tell me, General!"

"That's so well said! The words are sincere, the ambition is commendable, and the sentiment is pitiable! So if he fights with death, the murderer King Liang can let him go? What words! What an excuse! What a fool!" General Qin clapped his hands gently.

Said sarcastically.

Wu Chengshan looked at General Qin sadly. After a long while, he raised his heavy arms and pointed towards the back hall and said: "If you don't believe me, General, you can ask General Shi's two concubines. They are both pregnant. I just...

"

Before he finished speaking, General Qin's mouth almost reached his chin, and he kept sneering. The two Jinyi Generals standing next to him laughed and shook their heads. General Qin was too lazy to talk to Wu Chengshan anymore, and raised his hand and waved.

He turned around and waved his hand.

The curtain behind was lifted, and Mrs. Zhao and Ms. Qian supported each other and came in timidly. They didn't dare to look at Wu Chengshan or General Qin. They stared at the ground and moved all the way in and knelt on the ground.

"How did General Shi die?" General Qin asked loudly,

"Go back to the general, it was him who killed him!" Zhao trembled, suddenly raised her finger and pointed at Wu Chengshan and screamed.

Wu Chengshan was shocked and angry, and subconsciously took half a step back.

General Qin looked at him sideways and said sarcastically: "Are you afraid? Now you know you are afraid?"

"You! You! How shameless! Shameless!" Wu Chengshan's face turned livid with anger, and he kept pointing at Mr. Zhao and Ms. Qian with trembling fingers.

Zhao and Qian took the risk and moved two steps forward, kowtowing and crying: "It's him! He and those Peiping people killed our master! We begged him, begged him with tears..."

I beg the general to avenge our father! He took a fancy to our sisters and forced us two... I beg the general to make the decision!" He cried and fell to the ground.

Wu Chengshan stared at the two people who were crying and murmuring, "Villain! Evil woman! Shameless evil woman! Shameless..."

"I didn't accuse you unjustly, did I?" General Qin asked proudly.

Wu Chengshan stiffened his neck, turned around slowly, and looked proudly at the blue sky and white clouds outside the hall. He was extremely angry: "As expected! As expected! Villain! Shameless villain! The bright moon shines in the ditch!"

General Qin's eyes tightened a few times, his teeth crossed, he waved his hand slowly, gritted his teeth and ordered: "Drag him out and chop him into pieces!"

The two guards standing at the door stepped forward to drag Wu Chengshan away.

Wu Chengshan took half a step back, stared at the two guards with a pale face, and suddenly rushed forward.

The guard was startled and kicked Wu Chengshan hard across his legs.

As if he didn't know the pain, Wu Chengshan rushed forward and jumped towards the saber on the guard's waist.

General Qin's upper body stiffened with fear, and two generals in brocade robes quickly drew their swords to protect General Qin.

Wu Chengshan fell to the ground, his eyes fixed on the saber on the guard's waist, and he shouted in a hoarse voice: "Give me the knife! I want you bunch of blind dogs to see my heart! This heart!"

General Qin stood up suddenly and said through his teeth: "Give it to him! I want to see if his heart is completely black!"

The guard took off his saber and threw it in front of Wu Chengshan. Wu Chengshan stretched his fingers continuously, grabbed the saber, supported the saber with one hand, and stood up with the other hand on the ground, turned half a circle staggeringly, and smiled miserably at General Qin.

Then, he raised his saber and stabbed it into his chest fiercely.

……………………

On a summer evening, Kaiping Mansion is filled with tranquility and joy.

Shui Lian read Li Xiaoyao's letter over and over countless times, then ordered someone to invite Brother Zhao Wu and Zhang Gouzi to Shuitong Mansion. She carefully folded the letter and put it close to her body. She went out to ask for a car and went straight to Shuitong.

At Tong Mansion.

Shui Tong had just returned from the Salesian Bureau and was looking at the drawings of her son A Ming one by one. When Shui Lian came in, she did not stand up. She just held up her hands full of drawing papers and complained: "Look, A Ming

This word is described like this! How can this be seen in person?!"

Shui Lian stepped forward and took a few of them, looked at them carefully, and laughed while reading: "To tell you the truth, when I see this word now, I think it is good, but you have never seen anything bad."

Shuitong scolded and took away Minghong, and asked: "You said there is something urgent, but what exactly is it?"

Just as Shuilian was about to answer, the woman outside hurried in to report that Brother Zhao Wu and Zhang Gouzi had arrived.

Shui Tong looked at Shui Lian in surprise and amusement. Shui Lian blushed and explained: "Where did Sister Tong go? It's not that! It was the Fifth Master who sent me a letter and asked me to pass on a message.

Give them both!"

Shui Tong smiled and waved to call him in.

After a while, Brother Zhao Wu and Zhang Gouzi came in together and bowed to see him.

Shui Lian stood upright and passed on Li Xiaoyao's words: "Fifth Master has sent a letter, saying that Huainan Road will have a good harvest this year and there will be a big harvest of raw silk. Now you are stranded on Huainan Road due to the war. I want you two to bring money.

Then take Chen Da with you and quickly go to Huainan Road to buy raw silk. There is probably other business. The fifth master did not go into details. He only said to bring more money and go to Chuzhou to find the fifth master first."

Zhang Gouzi and Brother Zhao Wu looked at each other, nodded in agreement, and then asked: "Did Master Wu tell me who should take care of the affairs of this family, that is, the affairs of this place?"

Shui Lian's face suddenly turned red and she shook her head hurriedly.

Brother Zhao Wu turned to look at Shuitong.

Shuitong hesitated for a moment, then suggested with a smile: "Why don't we leave everything at home to Aunt Zhang to take care of in advance? I have no choice but to leave it to her. I will help Zhang Luo with the rest."

Brother Zhao Wu and Zhang Gouzi looked at each other, smiled and bowed and thanked them: "Then I'm sorry for bothering you, grandma." After saying that, they asked a few more questions and then left.

Shui Lian watched the two of them go away, waved away the girls and ladies, took out the letter from her arms and handed it to Shui Tong, frowning and said, "Read this letter first."

Shui Tong took the letter and unfolded it, and laughed first: "No wonder you praised A Ming's words just now, it's true!" Shui Tong said, while reading the letter at a glance, slowly folded the letter and handed it back to Shui Lian, looking at it

She waited for her to speak.

Shui Lian received the reply and put it away, sighed and said: "I just want to discuss this matter with my sister. Should I tell my eldest brother? Really, my second brother is not here. If my second brother is here, show him the letter."

I don’t care, now...it’s really embarrassing!”

"What do you think?" Shuitong asked in a low voice.

Shui Lian pressed the letter on her chest and said, "Sister, I also read this letter. It contains details about the food, the silk, and the things coming from overseas. These are the first and second things.

If the fifth master wants to explain things to his subordinates, why should he ask me to tell him this?"

Shuitong nodded in agreement and said, "That's what I mean too. The fifth master is very thoughtful, so this message has to be passed on like this. Then you go and talk to the uncle quickly. In business matters, one step is faster and one step is slower."

, there’s a world of difference, go quickly!”

Shui Lian agreed, stood up with a smile, and walked out. She got in the car at the second door and went straight to the Anyuan Marquis Mansion to look for water.

Shuili had just returned home to take a bath and change clothes. Hearing that Shuilian was in a hurry, he hurried out in surprise.

Shui Lian entered the second door and didn't go much further. She stopped by a pavilion and waited for Shui Dan to come out. She saw Shui Dan coming from a distance and hurriedly waved to her.

Shuili entered the pavilion, took the letter from Shuilian, read it carefully twice, handed it back to Shuilian and said with a smile: "This is a great thing, I understand. When will Brother Zhao Fifth leave?"

"I said I would pack up tomorrow and leave early the day after tomorrow."

"Well, okay, it's late today, so I don't want to keep you in vain. Go back quickly. Come and talk to your sister-in-law often when you have time. Your sister-in-law often talks about you." Shuili said gently.
Chapter completed!