"Kou Ji, you are going too far!"

Gao Guangyi shouted angrily.

The other warriors also stared at Kou Ji with angry eyes.

If Kou Ji hadn't told him the value of the steel before, then they could just hold their noses and let Kou Ji kill him, get a batch of steel back, and build a suit of armor to wear.

But after Kou Ji told them the value of the steel, he dared to ask them for a higher price.

When are they?

Taken advantage of, or a fool?

"Then will you buy it or not?"

Kou Ji looked at the warriors with a smile and asked.

He turned a deaf ear to Gao Chugong's threatening tone.

With his current status, he can no longer be threatened by just a few angry words.

"snort……"

Gao Chugong glared angrily, snorted heavily, flicked his sleeves, and left Donghua Gate, sitting on a sedan chair.

The other warriors also left angrily.

Only Cao Wei and Li Zhaoliang were left, still staying where they were.

Cao Wei stared at Kou Ji and said with a complicated expression: "Looking for a place to sit?"

Cao Wei felt that he could no longer see through Kou Ji. In the past, he could still trace some of what Kou Ji was planning.

But now Kou Ji has no trace of what he is planning.

But his subconscious intuition told him that Kou Ji was planning something behind his back, and it was a big plan.

So he felt that he needed to have a good talk with Kou Ji.

Kou Ji didn't understand Cao Wei's thoughts, so he just thought Cao Wei was greedy for steel, so he smiled and said: "It's late at night...it's New Year's Eve...don't you need to go home to be with your family?"

Cao Wei said quietly: "I have been fighting on the battlefield for many years. I have missed New Year's Eve countless times, and I don't care if I miss it one more time."

Kou Ji was stunned and thought for a moment.

Judging from Cao Wei's attitude, he must have a long talk with him tonight, and the purpose may not be as simple as steel.

Cao Wei has some friendship with him. If he really wants to ask him for steel, there is no need to have a heart-to-heart talk with him on this special day, New Year's Eve.

What's more, his nephew Cao Yi is now wearing the same pants as Kou Ji.

How could Kou Ji use the steel matter to embarrass him?

"Tonight is New Year's Eve, but not many shops are open..."

Kou Ji didn't agree in a hurry and pushed back slightly.

Cao Wei smiled calmly and said: "As long as you agree, there is plenty of room to sit."

"Oh well……"

Anyway, Kou Zhun will not return home tonight, he will stay in the palace to help Zhao Zhen prepare for the ceremony to worship the sages of Jinling Palace tomorrow, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

There is no need for Kou Ji to return home in a hurry.

Seeing that Kou Ji had agreed, Cao Wei turned to Li Zhaoliang behind him and said, "Let me lend you Li Mansion a separate courtyard in the inner city?"

Li Zhaoliang nodded and said: "I will lead the way..."

The three of them got on the sedan and wandered to the courtyard of Li Mansion in the inner city.

The other courtyard of Li Mansion in the inner city was given by Taizong Zhao Guangyi when Li Zhaoliang's aunt, Queen Mingde, was promoted to queen.

When the late emperor Zhao Heng succeeded to the throne, he did not take it back.

The other courtyard of the Li Mansion in the inner city is not big, and is even smaller than the Kou Mansion.

But even so, it is still very precious.

It should be noted that most of the dignitaries' houses in Bianjing City have villas, but they are basically located in the outer city or outside the city.

Only a few princely palaces and two Li mansions have annexes in the inner city.

One of the Li Mansion is the Li Mansion where Empress Mingde was born, which is also the residence of Li Zhaoliang's family.

The other Li Mansion is the Li Mansion where Zhao Hengsheng’s mother, Queen Yuande, was born.

In another courtyard.

Pavilions, pavilions, rockeries and fish ponds are all there.

Although it is winter, the yard is still full of green.

There seems to be a special greenhouse in the yard for cultivating flowers, so that you can enjoy the colorful flowers in winter.

Li Zhaoliang led Kou Ji and Cao Wei into the other courtyard.

We arrived at a greenhouse.

After asking the servants to prepare wine and food, he asked them to leave the room.

After the three of them sat down.

Li Zhaoliang carried a silver wine pot and poured drinks for Kou Ji and Cao Wei.

Kou Jida thanked him and took a sip of the wine.

Cao Wei and Li Zhaoliang did not drink.

Cao Wei stared at Kou Ji and said in a deep voice: "Kou Ji, how should I treat you?"

Kou Ji was stunned when he heard this. When he saw Cao Wei and Li Zhaoliang staring at him solemnly, he slowly put down his wine glass.

I was wondering why the two of them looked so solemn, but they said with a smile: "Uncle Cao has always been kind to me."

Cao Wei stared at Kou Ji and continued to ask: "Then if I ask you a few truths, will you tell them?"

Kou Ji raised his eyebrows but was speechless.

Cao Wei saw the hesitation on Kou Ji's face and gave a wry smile. He and Li Zhaoliang looked at each other, and Li Zhaoliang also had a wry smile on his face.

Cao Wei sighed and said: "Hey... since the death of Taizu, the situation of our generals has gone from bad to worse. Others think that we enjoy all the glory and wealth, but only we ourselves know how difficult our situation is.

In the past we were suppressed by Taizu and Taizong.

After the civil servants climbed up, they worked with the late emperor to suppress us.

Nowadays, the civil servants have far more say in the court than we do.

If one day, the three yamen and the Privy Council are all controlled by civil servants, my general will definitely wither away."

Kou Ji listened thoughtfully to Cao Wei's words.

He had to admit that Cao Wei, the famous general, was not blown out of proportion.

The sense of smell is very keen.

We have already sniffed out the reason why the Civil Service Council was interfering with the Privy Council and the Three Yamen.

If others heard what he said, they would only think that he was worrying unfoundedly.

But Kou Ji was different. Kou Ji knew clearly that if he did not appear, the civil servants would definitely take over the Privy Council.

The power of the three yamen will also fall into the hands of civil servants.

Wu Xun and military generals will eventually become clinging to life and begging for mercy under the pressure of civil servants.

Kou Ji did not speak, and Cao Wei continued: "We also tried to integrate into the civil servants, but failed. Some generals who got close to the civil servants were eventually destroyed in the struggle of the civil servants.

If we show even the slightest hint of wanting to integrate into the civil servants, they will be strangled in the cradle by the civil servants without hesitation."

Li Zhaoliang said in a deep voice: "My son is a virtuous man, and his literary talents are not inferior to those of Jinshi. He is even higher than them. But after all, he cannot take the path of the imperial examination and embark on an official career. He can only use the shadow of his ancestors to make up for his official career."

Kou Ji slowly said: "You are already the top generals of our Song Dynasty, why do you still plan on the imperial examination?"

Cao Wei stared at Kou Ji and said in a deep voice: "We just want to leave a way out for ourselves to avoid one day when the court wants to deal with us generals, we will have no choice but to be slaughtered."

Li Zhaoliang stared at Kou Ji and said in a heavy voice: "Even if we are at the mercy of others, those descendants who have joined the ranks of civil servants can still be preserved.

You know very well what I experienced in Xixia.

Whether it is civil servants or the royal family, they will spare no effort to attack our generals.

It would be a big deal if one of the civil servants died.

But even if we die, the civil servants and the royal family will not feel any mercy.

Before, if you hadn't helped me, and if it hadn't been for the case I was carrying, I could have helped you move to Dingwei.

Your grandfather may not be willing to stand on my side and help me, and the same is true for the civil servants of the entire dynasty.

I might have to carry this stigma for the rest of my life."

Cao Wei sighed and said: "In terms of scheming and ruthlessness, we can never compare to those civil servants..."
To be continued...