Qi Acheng still lives in the Xiang family's inner house, but he is not as surrounded by people as before.
During the first month of the new year, her courtyard was deserted. Along the way, she encountered men, women, and children from the Xiang family, and even the servants hurriedly avoided her.
Qi Acheng didn't think he could do anything at ease.
"What's their attitude!" Back in the study, the maid raised her eyebrows and shouted, "The lady is going to pay them New Year's greetings! Why do you look like the lady is trying to raid their home!"
Qi Acheng glanced at her waist: "Do you need to carry such a big knife when you go out?"
The maid slapped the large knife as long as a leg on the table.
"I'm just alone, what do they have to be afraid of?" she said, "our other guards are all outside, so if you're afraid, it's you who are afraid, miss!"
Qi Acheng was not afraid at all. Previously, Qi Shan and Xiang Nan went from cooperation to competition in western Zhejiang, and even used weapons to kill each other. When the news came, several Xiang family masters called her to question her, and she was shocked.
Not afraid.
"What's the point?" She said calmly, "Those who fight with swords and guns, wars are constantly changing, opinions are inevitably different, and one's own people are bound to conflict and bleed. It's just like the upper and lower teeth touching the lips."
This shameless remark left Mr. Xiang speechless.
"Both my father and Mr. Xiang are fighting for Daxia and putting down the rebellion."
"Aren't we all guards?"
"The Guards are a family. A family quarrels and gets into trouble because of different opinions and methods of doing things. It's a family matter. Just let it go."
"Look, my father and Mr. Nan are still doing well, aren't they?"
The previous words were all nonsense, but the last sentence is the truth. Although you fought with each other with swords and guns, in the end Qi Shan and Xiang Nan equally divided the western part of Zhejiang and coexisted peacefully without continuing to fight.
Since they don't continue to fight, they just care about each other and need each other. If they fight with Qi Acheng, Qi Shan and Xiang Nan will have no choice but to break up...
Neither Xiang Yun nor Xiang Nan said they were breaking up, and Qi Shan even sent a New Year gift...
The people of the Xiang family can only do this.
Although Qi Acheng did not question her again, his attitude towards her was definitely not as good as before, wary, distant, and indifferent...
Despite treating each other like this, Qia Cheng still didn't leave.
"They think the young lady is scary, but actually the young lady is the most dangerous." The maid said angrily, "The young lady lives alone in their house, and the Xiang family members can harm the young lady at any time."
Qi Acheng said: "Not at any time! Only when Xiang Yun or Xiang Nan wants to harm dad."
Or when Qi Shan wants to take action against Xiang Yun and Xiang Nan.
Now is not the time.
"That's why I want to stay here." She said, "First, let outsiders see that the two families are on good terms, and second, I will use the Xiang family as hostage!"
Although she is in the Xiang family, her soldiers and horses have surrounded Anton City. The men and women of the Xiang family are all hostages!
"I only have one person, but there are hundreds of them." Qi Acheng tapped the table and smiled, "No matter how powerful Xiang Yun and Xiang Nan are outside, they don't want to be exterminated."
So Mr. Nan wrote to her, saying that the dispute between him and his father had nothing to do with her.
The maid pouted: "Just listen to this and forget it."
How could it be true.
"Who cares if it's true or not!" Qi Acheng said, "This shows that he can't do without us now."
The maid smiled: "I wonder if Master Nan has written to Miss Li. Governor Li and the soldiers and horses of Jiannan Road are now being driven by the Marquis."
When mentioning the Queen, Qi Acheng looked envious: "I really didn't expect that she could do this."
The maid said: "Miss, you don't have to think about it, you are not as good-looking as she is."
Qi Acheng pouted at her: "It's not...just because it looks good."
"How could she win over Han Xu if it wasn't because of her good looks?" the maid pouted, "Without Han Xu's help, how could she kill the king and kidnap the young emperor?"
Han Xu cleared the Henan Road for the emperor, asked the emperor to rest on the way, and then Mrs. Chu went there. Emperor Cui Zheng and the three princes died overnight...Rebel assassins? This is what you should say to a three-year-old child.
This assassin must have been planted by Han Xu.
Then Mrs. Chu came to take over the young emperor.
"Not only the young emperor, but also Li Mingyu was taken over by her."
"Han Xu has always been in charge of Jiannan Road."
"This is all done by the three of them...no, Wu Ya'er is also involved, and the four parties have joined forces."
Listening to the maid's analysis, Qi Acheng was absent-minded.
Regardless of whether it depends on her beauty or something else, Mrs. Chu Guo did it anyway.
Since Mrs. Chu can do it, she can do it too!
She is not beautiful, but her father has soldiers and territory.
Nowadays, it doesn’t matter how the imperial court is doing or how the empress is doing. What we need to do is to accumulate more soldiers and horses to control more power, and then...
Qingjun side! Eliminate adultery! Protect the young emperor!
As long as you kill the queen, it will be as great as killing the rebels in Ankang Mountain, and you can regent, supervise the country and support the young emperor.
When the time comes, it's not impossible for his father to make him a marquis, right?
Qi Acheng pursed his lips and smiled.
However, there must be many people who think this way, so she stopped laughing and cheered up.
Therefore, we must win over more soldiers and horses to strengthen our power. Now is not the time to break up with the Xiang family.
The maid snorted: "Ms. Xiang thinks so too."
"I'm afraid they don't want to!" Qi Acheng said, "Only when everyone wants to can we cooperate better."
As for how to divide profits after cooperation, it depends on each person's capabilities.
Qi Acheng stood up and said, "Let's go and pay New Year's greetings to Mrs. Tai."
The maid asked: "Is this a New Year's greeting? This is just adding to the trouble!"
She grabbed the big knife and strode after him.
………
………
On the road as far away as western Zhejiang, there are also people carrying gifts to visit relatives and friends.
"The Qi Governor will not let us enter the city." Chen Er looked at the gifts carried on the horse. In addition to the gifts, there were also heavy weapons. "They already suffered a loss last time."
The accompanying soldiers and horses were also wearing heavy armor, leaving heavy marks on the winter road.
Xiang Nan said with a smile: "Let's give it a try. What if they think they won't use the same method twice? I'm here sincerely to wish you a happy new year. Why don't they invite me into the city?"
Chen Er sneered: "Then do you dare to enter? Last time they didn't expect you to dare to enter the city and then robbed the city. Now that they have seen through your sincerity, they will lock you up instead after you enter the city?"
Xiang Nan said honestly: "I don't dare."
Chen Er was angry: "Then is this a trip in vain? Are you so busy in the winter? If you don't care about Huainan Road, your ex-wife's housekeeper will change Huainan Road's surname to Li!"
"Miss Li and I are not divorced, we are now husband and wife." Xiang Nan corrected, "Don't talk nonsense, I and the Li family and the Qi family are all relatives and friends now!"
Chen Er listened to his joke and remained silent.
During the attack on Anton, Miss Li asked housekeeper Jiang Hui to bring some soldiers and horses to help. Since then, these soldiers and horses have remained in the White Robe Army. Unlike other soldiers and horses that the White Robe Army has collected and replenished along the way, they do not wear white uniforms.
robe.
Miss Li left Anton and went home without taking these soldiers and horses with her.
"If you say you will help the young master, you will always help the young master."
Such affectionate words were very touching in the peaceful and prosperous times, but now...
"They are just putting people here to grab the credit!" Chen Er sneered, "You'd better send them away as soon as possible."
"No, no, no." Xiang Nan waved his hand, "You don't understand, and this time I really go to pay New Year's greetings. As long as I don't do anything, they won't do anything. It's only good for you and me, and everyone is good."
Chen Er felt so bored: "What's so good about this? Why do you all like to lie to yourselves?"
"Wrong." Xiang Nan waved at him again, "We are lying to the court."
He said this and smiled again.
"To be precise, he lied to the Queen."
"We are all doing well, so she won't be doing too well."
"If we don't have a good relationship with each other, her life will be better."
Chen Er didn't understand, so he simply ignored it. Now that he mentioned the female marquis, he asked, "What did you write to her? Didn't you say that we broke off all contact with her?"
"I told her to stop contacting her," Xiang Nan said, "so I won't go to the capital to visit her. Also, I am very poor this year and will be poor next year, so I won't have any tax money, rice or food in three years."
Leave it to the court and ask her to take pity on me for the sake of past kindness."
I couldn't help laughing when I said this.
"I wonder if she has time to pity me?"
After becoming a queen, the regent and supervisor of the country are very busy.
………
………
In the first month of the year in the capital, officials and people were very busy, celebrating the Lantern Festival.
Although there were many guards on the streets, although people were restricted to different areas and were not allowed to move around at will, and although they were not allowed to set off firecrackers and fireworks without permission, for the officials and people in the capital who had not celebrated the Lantern Festival in five years, that day seemed like a dream.
There are fixed lanterns in every street and alley, and floats slide by. The emperor rides on the Dragon Boat Festival float to watch. All the people rejoice, worship, cry, and finally countless people sing and dance together...
Just like in the peaceful and prosperous times, the emperor often enjoyed himself with the people.
It's back to the peaceful and prosperous days of the past.
Cries and laughter circled the capital for three days without stopping.
They were exhausted both up and down, so Mr. Chen asked the officials to rest for three days.
But there are also many people who can't rest. In the First Marquis' Mansion, Li Minglou's desks are piled up, and several officials are reading documents one after another.
Li Minglou put his head in his hands, seeming to be listening and lost in thought, until the last person finished speaking.
"So, they either only have gifts and no one comes, or they don't have gifts and no one comes?" Li Minglou asked.
"Huainan Road, Hebei Road, Hedong Road, and Shannan Road all have gifts." An official said, "People are here too."
Two of them belong to Li Minglou. She is in the capital. Shannan is controlled by Li Mingyu. Li Mingyu was sent by the Queen to inspect various places. Hebei Road belongs to Liang Zhen. He said he can't leave, so he really can't leave.
open.
Li Minglou hummed and looked through the documents they put down: "There are still a few who don't even have gifts."
This is too lazy to show off.
If you don't come to pay homage to the new emperor, you will reach out to the court with empty hands. We have nothing. How can you do this?
"This is the state capital..." Several officials on the other side were holding documents.
Li Minglou said: "No need to read, I understand."
As she expected, for many people and places in the world today, the imperial court and the emperor are just decorations.
They don't meet in person, don't pay taxes, and just a word of greeting is the greatest respect.
Jiang Liang said: "No appearance and no tax payment are acceptable."
After all, the world is not at peace yet, and all places need stability. The military commanders of the defense army cannot leave, and the people are miserable after the war. The imperial court will also take the initiative to exempt taxes...
"The biggest problem is that they don't follow orders."
Once the imperial court's orders are not conveyed and the government decrees are not understood, the world will not be considered a complete world.