In the evening of the next day, Cao Jie appeared on time outside the gate of Wumingyuan on a mountain outside the city as promised.
This villa is built on a mountainside not far from the Yonghuang City. There is no plaque outside the villa, and it is quiet and deserted.
The peach blossoms in the middle of the mountain are blooming quietly, and the air is filled with a faint floral fragrance.
Cao Jie raised his head and looked at the courtyard in front of him with deep eyes. Cao Mao, who was following him, looked around cautiously. Behind the two of them were followed by seven or eight people who looked like guards holding weapons.
"My eldest son, this villa was originally the private residence of a high-ranking official in the imperial court. However, a few years ago, this man committed a crime and was sentenced to death. But for some reason, the imperial court did not find this villa when they ransacked their homes.
I don’t know how it got into the hands of these people." Cao Mao stood next to Cao Jie and whispered.
Cao Jie didn't say anything, but nodded slightly to show that he understood.
The closed door was opened from the inside. A pale young man opened the door and looked at the people outside and said: "Mr. Cao, please come in." His eyes fell on Cao Jie calmly, without even a glance.
Cao Mao, who was next to him, seemed not surprised at all by Cao Jie's appearance.
Cao Mao stared at the young man standing in the door warily, but the young man seemed not to see Cao Mao's expression. He just glanced at the guards behind them and walked away.
There is really no hospitality at all!
Cao Jie did not get angry, but said calmly: "Go in."
The group of people stepped into the courtyard and followed the figure of the young man walking in front.
The entire courtyard was quiet, as if they could only hear the footsteps of people walking. Cao Jie and his party were led all the way to the back garden of the courtyard. The winding carved corridor extended from the edge of the lake to the center of the lake, which was blown by the evening breeze.
There is a person sitting in the gauze-curtained pavilion.
"Master Cao, please." The young man looked sideways at Cao Jie and said calmly.
Cao Jie's eyes narrowed slightly and he looked steadily at the pale young man in front of him.
The young man didn't explain much, but calmly accepted his probing gaze.
After a while, Cao Jie finally made a waiting gesture to Cao Mao and others, and stepped onto the corridor leading to the Huxin Pavilion alone.
"Master Cao, it's a pleasure to meet you, please take a seat." Sitting in the pavilion was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy in white clothes. He had red lips and white teeth, and had a delicate and handsome appearance.
Looking at Cao Jie who walked in with a smile on his face, he seemed to be an innocent young man who didn't know anything about the world.
But Cao Jie, who clearly knew what this innocent young man had done, was even more vigilant.
What Cao Mao said was absolutely correct. This young man was so scary that he didn't look like a real person.
"Young Master, do you know who I am?" Cao Jie walked to sit across from Luo Junyao and looked at him carefully.
Luo Junyao smiled and said: "Cao Jie, the eldest son of Marquis Wen Ding and the eldest son of the Cao family, has been admired for a long time."
Cao Jie said: "But I still don't know who the young master is."
Luo Jun said: "Master Cao, don't you believe me?"
Cao Jie sneered, "I never believe in people of unknown origin. Young Master claims that his surname is Dongfang, so I will assume that your surname is Dongfang. Young Master Dongfang... do you really think that holding a Chen Xun in your hand can change the situation?"
Destroy the Cao family?"
Luo Junyao put his elbows on the table and said enthusiastically: "If Mr. Cao thinks it's impossible, why bother coming all the way to Yongzong?"
Cao Jie stared at him and said, "I'm just a little curious about who wants to go against the Cao family. You can scare Cao Mao, but you can't scare me. Even if Chen Xun really appears in the court, there is no basis for it.
According to what the imperial court can do to me? Even if I conceal the crime from the imperial court, the Cao family cannot afford it."
"Really?" Luo Junyao was noncommittal about his words and slowly played with the delicate folding fan in his hand.
Cao Jie said: "Young Master, don't you think so?"
Luo Junyao smiled nonchalantly and said: "Master Cao thinks it is, then... Master Cao thinks this thing is not important?"
Something was thrown into the middle of the table, and the sound of it falling was as clear and sweet as gold. Cao Jie looked down, and the smile on his lips gradually froze.
He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at the young man in front of him.
Luo Junyao smiled and said: "Master Cao, has anyone ever told you that curiosity killed the cat? If you don't come, I really have nothing to do with you. Since you have come to Shangyong, it proves that this matter can still be solved to some extent.
Are the Cao family’s muscles and bones broken?”
Cao Jie quickly came to his senses, reached for the small green jade on the table and sneered: "Mr. Dongfang, I advise you not to be mysterious. Do you think you can fool me with just a few things? A piece of jade.
That’s it, this is indeed something belonging to the Cao family, so what?”
The smile on Luo Junyao's face faded, and his originally smiling eyes suddenly turned cold and ruthless, "Cao Jie, you are not interesting at all! I don't want to talk to you anymore, please do so."
Cao Jie was not in a hurry and slowly put the East-West Jade Jue into his sleeve and said: "Master Dongfang, considering your young age, I only advise you to take it as soon as you see fit. The hundred thousand taels you want, I will
I can give it to you. But... you'd better not make any plans in Yingzhou, the Fang family's strength in Yingzhou is not something you can shake."
Luo Junyao obviously didn't listen to the advice, and said with a smile: "Really? Let's wait and see."
She slowly pulled out a long piece of paper from her sleeve and pushed it in front of Cao Jie, "How about we make a bet?"
Cao Mao looked at the handwriting on the note and asked slowly after a long while: "What are you betting on?"
Luo Junyao said: "Bet... you can save people faster, or I can kill people faster."
Cao Mao's eyelids twitched several times quickly. All written on the long note were the hidden stakes and strongholds of the Yingzhou Fang family in the Central Plains. Some were overt, some were secret, and some he knew.
There are also things he doesn't know.
Cao Jie stood up suddenly and said, "What kind of grudge does the Fang family have against Young Master Dongfang?!"
Luo Jun said: "There is no hatred, I want Yingzhou."
Cao Jie snorted softly and said: "Young master, since you have come to me, you should know that the Cao family and the Fang family are family friends, so I can't help you. What's more... it's impossible for the Cao family to make a deal with a young child."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Luo Junyao said that he did not care, "Master Cao, do you mean that you want to go against me?"
Cao Jie looked at her deeply, "Don't you think Mr. Dongfang overestimates his own strength?"
Luo Junyao said: "When I wipe out the Fang family's stronghold in the Central Plains, Mr. Cao will come and tell me this again."
Cao Jie sighed and said, "It seems we can't reach an agreement, so I'll take my leave."
"Please." Luo Junyao said lightly.
Cao Jie turned around and walked out of the Huxin Pavilion, and Xie Xiao walked in after a moment.
"How?" Luo Junyao asked.
Xie Xiao shook his head and said, "I just glanced at him from a distance. Is that really the eldest son of Marquis Wen Ding?"
Luo Junyao smiled and said, "Obviously."
Xie Xiao was a little worried, "What exactly do the Cao family want to do? These things...does Marquis Wen Ding know?"
Luo Junyao sympathetically dismissed his delusion, "How could Cao Mian not know about such a big thing unless he is a dead man."
Xie Xiao sighed. He also grew up listening to the stories of those founding heroes. He still has a good impression of Cao Mian, a man who is not greedy for merit and power, but also has outstanding abilities. Xie Xiao said regretfully: "
When I passed by Qingzhou three years ago, I took a look at Wen Dinghou from a distance. He was really handsome and handsome, and he had an extraordinary bearing, which made people look up to him and admire him."
Luo Junyao said: "Master Xueya also looks like an immortal. Do you want to deal with him?"
"..." Xie Xiao glanced at her faintly and said, "What is the purpose of the princess to create such a place? It seems that Cao Jie just rejected your proposal."
Luo Junyao said: "If he agreed straight away, I would suspect fraud. The relationship between the Cao family and the Fang family is probably much deeper than what we know. The Cao family will not abandon the Fang family and cooperate with others unless it is absolutely necessary."
Xie Xiao raised his eyebrows, "Then if you do this, aren't you trying to scare off the enemy?"
Luo Junyao smiled and said: "It's just to alert the snake. There has been no movement in Yingzhou and Qingzhou for so many years. If Chen Xun hadn't bumped into my hands this time... although there are too many things in the court to take care of, but
It also shows how deeply these people hide themselves and what their plans are."
Xie Xiao nodded and couldn't help but look at Luo Junyao again.
No wonder His Royal Highness the Prince Regent is confident in leaving such an important matter to the princess. This little princess is really not to be underestimated.
"What should we do next?" Xie Xiao asked.
Luo Junyao stretched out two fingers to pick up the note on the table and said: "Just do as I told Cao Jie, pull out the hidden stakes of the Fang family in the Central Plains, be careful not to leave traces. They refuse to move on their own, we
Just force them to move."
Xie Xiao took the note and glanced at it, and immediately had a plan in mind, "Yes, Princess."
under night
At the foot of the mountain where the Wuming Villa is located, Cao Mao looked at the people walking not far away and asked, "How are you? Did you see those people coming down the mountain?"
The visitor cupped his hands and said, "My eldest son, Mr. Mao, I have never seen anyone come down the mountain. No one has ever left that courtyard."
Hearing this, Cao Mao couldn't help but frown, turned to look at Cao Jie, who was sitting aside and thinking about something, and said: "Sir, the night is already dark, and those people may not be ready to go down the mountain, so why don't we go back first."
Cao Jie nodded, stood up and said: "Every intersection is guarded by people. If someone comes down from the mountain, follow them."
While the two were talking, they saw a figure flying in the night not far away like a bird, approaching from far away and arriving in front of them in a moment.
"who?!"
The man stood still and said in a calm voice: "Mr. Cao, my young master said that if you still have something to do, he will treat you to a supper. There is no need to stay here in the wilderness so late and be careful to catch cold."
After saying that, the man cupped his hands and flew away, quickly disappearing into the night.
In the darkness, Cao Jie's face instantly darkened. Of course he could tell that this man was the young man who had led them in the afternoon.
They were waiting at the foot of the mountain, but they had already returned to the city!
The others stood aside and did not dare to speak. Cao Jie snorted coldly and said: "Send someone to report to the government and tell them that...there are bandits that the imperial court is chasing hidden in this mountain."
Cao Mao hesitated, "Sir, will this anger that young man?"
Cao Jie glanced at him coldly and said, "If he really wanted to use this matter to cause trouble, Chen Xun would have appeared at the gate of the government office long ago. Since he wanted something, he would not completely break up with the Cao family.
.”
"Yes, I'll do it right away." Cao Mao responded quickly.
In the early morning, as soon as Luo Junyao got up and went out, he saw Ye Feng standing at the door.
"Ye Feng, what's wrong so early?"
Ye Fengdao: "The Wuming Villa was broken into by the government in the middle of the night yesterday."
Luo Junyao was not surprised, but raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked as he walked out: "What's the reason?"
Ye Fengdao: "Someone went to the government to report that there were bandits hiding in the other courtyard. The other courtyard is still sealed by the government. Princess, do you need us..."
Luo Jun waved his hands and said, "It's all about the Jianghu."
Ye Feng nodded and held his hands in agreement, then followed Luo Jun and walked out.
Luo Junyao picked a flower and played with it, and asked as he walked: "Have you found out the relationship between the Cao family in Shangyong before?"
Ye Feng said: "We have checked. In addition to the apparent relationship, we have now discovered that Sun Ci, the left counselor of the General Affairs Department, has been secretly communicating with Qingzhou."
"Secretary of General Affairs? This is a good position." Luo Junyao said.
Ye Feng nodded and said: "Yes, Sun Ci's official position is only the fifth rank and is inconspicuous, but he has access to many key information of the court. This Sun Cizu is the last second-class successor of Gaozu's dynasty, and he seems to be the same as the one far away in Qingzhou.
The Cao family has nothing to do with it, but the most favored concubine in his backyard is from Qingzhou. Sun Ci's money is not very clean, and there is a large amount of money whose provenance cannot be traced."
This unidentifiable meaning does not include bribery or any other means, it just seems to appear out of thin air.
"When was the last time Sun Ci contacted the Cao family?" Luo Junyao asked.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Ye Fengdao: "Five days ago, we have been secretly keeping an eye on foreigners with suspicious origins who have been in and out of Shangyong recently. Five days ago, someone came to see us.
After seeing Sun Ci, although he didn’t know why he came to ask for an audience, he was sure that the man came from Qingzhou. In addition, after Sun Ci saw the man, he went to see Cao Mao the next day, and the two had a secret conversation.
More than a quarter of an hour."
"Where is the messenger?" Luo Junyao asked.
Ye Feng said: "You let me go, but you want to catch me back?"
Luo Jun shook his head and said, "No need, find a place to lock Sun Ci in."
Ye Feng was stunned and couldn't help but look up at Luo Junyao.
Luo Junyao didn't hear his answer and turned to look at him, "What's the problem?"
Ye Feng said: "Princess, Sun Ci is an official of the imperial court. Do you want to inform the prince?"
Luo Junyao said nonchalantly: "You can tell Ayan, but don't let Sun Ci know that the person who arrested him is related to the court. Make an accident and leave a message about the body to the Sun family so that people know that the person who died is Sun Ci."
"
Ye Feng was a little confused, "Why not just put him in the sky prison?"
Luo Jun said leisurely: "The sky prison may not be safe, let alone... What if it is a misunderstanding, how bad will it be for Mr. Sun in the future? It will be embarrassing for everyone to meet in the future. Let's find a place to lock up for a trial first, and then there will be
We can let it go if necessary, and no one will suspect us."
"..." I'm afraid this is hardly a misunderstanding.
"If it is confirmed that Sun Ci and the Cao family..."
Luo Junyao said indifferently: "Then just throw it into the sky prison after everything is over. By the way, remember to send some evidence to the eldest son of the Cao family. I only went to the other hospital once, what a waste!"
"..." It seems that the money spent was not yours, Princess.
