Xu Fu's business talks

  99. Xu Fu's Business Talk

  Ye Li told Mo Xiuyao about the matter of Qing Yu and Qing Luan, and Mo Xiuyao immediately ordered someone to investigate. No matter who the person pretending to be Mo Xiuyao was, that woman would absolutely not be Su Zuiyan. There must be someone who wants to use this incident to stir up trouble between the two or even between Ding Wangfu and Xu's family, it can be seen that this person

  It's absolutely enough to understand the Dingguo Palace and Mo Xuyao himself. As for being impersonated, Mo Xuyao is not worried. Because the subordinates of the Dingguo Palace have always been obedient to orders but not to people, although the king and queen are not an example, everyone knows that King Ding would never arbitrarily skip levels to communicate with those below him.

  What kind of order is this? Moreover, if those dark guards can't even tell whether their own master is real or fake, they might as well be done for.

  The next day after returning to the capital, Ye Li personally went to Xu's house to visit his uncle and aunt. Although what happened in Yonglin City was not known to ordinary people, it could not be hidden from those powerful officials with their own channels of information. Moreover, Mo Xiu Yao had now recovered from his illness and naturally needed to take on the responsibilities as the King of Dingguo.

  So Ye Li naturally didn't need to deliberately keep a low profile as the Crown Princess anymore.

  As soon as he stepped into the Xu mansion, Xu Qingyan rushed out like a gust of wind, pulling Ye Li and chattering non-stop. Watching from behind him, Xu Hongyan's forehead twitched with annoyance, "Qingyan!"

  Xu Qingyan's face stiffened, and he glanced at Ye Li with pleading eyes before turning back to Xu Hongyan with a flattering smile. "Second Uncle, isn't it because I'm happy to see Sister Li return...?" Xu Qingze looked at him calmly without saying a word. Xu Qingbai glared at him with displeasure, saying: "We're all happy that Lier has returned, look at your behavior! Fortunately, you weren't in Yunzhou, or Grandfather and Father would have definitely punished you." Xu Qingyan shrank his neck and made a face at his fourth brother.

  Ye Li saw her relatives and felt a warmth in her heart, smiling: "Second Uncle, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, don't blame Fifth Brother. It's been a long time since we've seen each other, Lian'er is also very happy."

  Xu Hongyan looked at Ye Li for a while, then nodded in satisfaction: "It seems that these days outside have not suffered, and the complexion is much better than when I was in the capital." Mrs. Xu had already come forward to hold Ye Li's hand and ask about her well-being, both pitying her for being alone on the road and worried that she had lost a lot of weight.

  You'd better make up for it. Knowing they had something important to discuss, Mrs. Xul pulled Yeli aside and said a few words before turning around to instruct the kitchen to prepare lunch, leaving space for her husband and sons.

  She had just sat down in the study when Xu Qingyan started fidgeting restlessly, staring at Ye Li with wide eyes: "Sister Ye, you're really going to garrison Yonglin?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow in surprise: "You know too? It seems that news from Biancheng spreads quickly indeed." Xu Qingyan waved

  He waved his hand and said, "Ling sister, you don't know, some news is indeed a secret outside, but once it's spread back to the capital, it's no longer a secret. There are really not many people who know about this matter, just a few days ago someone was asking me about your news in a roundabout way, hum! Taking advantage of my young age and trying to deceive me?" Xu

  Qing Ze nodded and looked at Ye Li, saying: "Xiao Wu is right, there are not many channels of information that can reach Su Xue Guan. But in this capital city, nothing can be hidden."

  Ye Li waved her hand and said, "That's okay, I've discussed this with the king. Originally, it wasn't a secret that the queen could mobilize the Black Cloud Riders. My trip to Yonglin was on the battlefield, and there were many things that couldn't be hidden no matter how hard we tried. If people found out, it wouldn't be a big deal." Xu Hongyan furrowed his brow and said, "The king's intention..."

  Looking at the beautiful and delicate face of his niece, who bore some resemblance to his younger sister, Xu Hongyan was somewhat uncertain if this was what he had in mind. After all, although it was said that the successive generations of Dingguo Kings did not favor women and treated their queens with great respect regardless of their background, there was actually only one queen who had truly grasped the military power of the Dingwang Mansion...

  Years ago, Qingyun County Master was the only one. If King Ding were to treat Lier... Although he was delighted with King Ding's importance and trust in his niece, Xu Hongyan was worried about this importance. Once she had control of the military power of the Dingguo royal family, Lier would no longer be just a simple princess. At that time,

  What he has to face is not something that his uncle can help him with.

  Ye Li looked at Xu Hongyan and said seriously: "Lier understands uncle's worries, but... since the day of the grand wedding, Lier has already been tied to the Ding Wangfu. Some things that can't be avoided, might as well face them head-on. Two people are always better than one."

  Xu Hongyan couldn't help but sigh, these days the emperor's movements on the court he had been ignoring but not really understanding. From the beginning of Li Wang's rebellion, the emperor had been relying on and promoting the Liu, Wang, and Yun families. It could even be said that without any disguise, he was using the excuse of eliminating Li Wang's party to suppress the officials who had previously been close to the Wang family.

  These years, the imperial court has secretly placed many people as pawns for the emperor, and now the Wang and Yun families have suddenly risen to replace the original Ye family, even surpassing the Huahouse. What's worse is that the three families of Liu, Wang, and Yun have already formed an alliance in secret. Originally, the three forces were separate and didn't bother each other much, but

  Now, in the blink of an eye, it has become the emperor's exclusive dominance. To say that the emperor's actions are really to deal with King Li, Xu Qingyan may not even believe it. Xu Hongyan naturally also sees clearly, the emperor doesn't take his own brother seriously at all, his real target is always the Ding Wang Fu.

  Xu Qingze's voice was consistently cold, but his eyes looking at Ye Li had a faint warmth, "If Lier has this ability, it doesn't matter what comes next."

  Xu Hongyan nodded helplessly, looking at Ye Li with a mixture of concern and affection: "Your eldest uncle also mentioned it in his letter the other day. Since you were able to bring people out of Yongzhou, he probably guessed what Ding Wang meant too. But from now on, you must be extremely careful yourself. Everyone in our family except your third brother are scholars, I'm afraid

  "It doesn't help much either." Xu Hongyan wasn't a military officer, but that didn't mean he didn't understand generals. Generals and civil officials were different, especially famous ones who had fought on the battlefield. They wouldn't care about your identity or status if you couldn't convince them. Even if you were the emperor's daughter, they still wouldn't buy it. Ye Li nodded, smiling slightly.

  "Second Uncle, rest assured. This time in Yongzhou, the king gave me a not-bad lieutenant from Murong General's camp, and also the leader of the Black Cloud Riders who guarded Yonglin together. They are all acquaintances, so there is no need to worry too much. As for other things, let's talk about them later." Only then did Xu Hongyan's brow slightly relax.

  He nodded and said, "Still, Prince Wang has thought it through."

  Xu Qingyan smiled and said: "If I had known that Lisi could lead the Mo family army, Third Brother wouldn't have to go to the military camp himself. He could just follow Lisi directly."

  Xu Hongyan glared at him and said, "Nonsense! If Qingfeng that kid didn't have any talent in the military camp, wouldn't he be holding Lian'er back? If he had his own abilities, it would be different!" Xu Qingyan blinked and said, "I just think that with Third Brother around, Lian Jiejie can rest assured a bit." Ye Lian smiled and said

  "It's too early to say such things. I'm not even in charge of the Mo family army now. Besides, if Third Brother knew that he joined the Mo family army because of me, he might have run far away already, and only when he makes a name for himself will he be satisfied." Xu Hongyan couldn't help but smile as he thought of his own son's personality.

  However, he seemed very satisfied and spoke to Ye Li with a serious tone: "Although the king trusts you, it's also important to remember that many things should be kept public and private. Whether it's the royal family or anything else, what is most feared is the external relatives becoming too powerful. Do you understand, Lian'er?"

  Yeli's heart warmed up and she nodded: "Lier understands, thank you Uncle for your teachings."

  Jian Ye Li listened to her own words, Xu Hongyan nodded comfortingly and sighed softly. Lier and his own clever but weak little sister were really different, although Lier didn't have the surname Xu, he still had a sense of pride and satisfaction that came with having a daughter at home. He believed that Father would also be overjoyed to see this Lier.

  Got it.

  Ye Li again told Xu Qingchen about her experiences in Nanzhao, and Xu Hongyan frowned in disapproval: "Putting yourself in harm's way, Qingchen is being too reckless." Xu Qingbai, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all about his brother's safety, and smiled: "Second Uncle, you can rest assured, Big Brother will be fine..."

  Have you ever done something without a grasp? Lier didn't say that even if she didn't go to Nanjiang, Brother would still have a way to escape." Xu Qingyan nodded repeatedly: "Fourth brother is right, Lier sister, what does the Saintess of Nanjiang look like? Why did she capture Brother but not harm him? Even when interrogating

  "No way, won't Big Brother look down on me?" It has to be said that Xu Qingyan was somewhat right. Ye Li blinked and shook her head with some regret: "I haven't seen the Holy Maiden of Nanjiang, but she shouldn't be much different."

  Xu Qingbai raised an eyebrow and said: "I think that Princess Anxi has a crush on Big Brother. Second Brother, what do you think?"

  Xu Qingze put down his teacup and said calmly: "Neither is possible. Big brother only regards Princess Anxi as a friend."

  Xu Qingyan hid behind Xu Qingbai and glared at his second brother, muttering in a low voice, "Really doesn't understand romance, really don't know how Qin sister can tolerate you." On the other hand, Xu Qingbai curiously looked at Ye Li and asked, "Li'er deceived Anxiang Princess that you are big brother's fiancée, what did big brother say?" Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyan suddenly

  Her eyes shone brightly, staring at Yelü. Yelü was somewhat stifled and gritted her teeth, she should have known that she had been deceived by her big brother, he didn't write a letter to tell her uncle about this matter, but instead she herself leaked the secret. She carefully glanced at Second Uncle and said in a low voice: "Big brother didn't say anything. And... Big brother is still..."

  "I'll use my life to block the peach blossoms."

  Xu Hongyan shook his head helplessly and instructed, "Your identity is different, looking for your brother's whereabouts is important, but you also need to take care of your reputation."

  "Lier knew." Xu Hongyan didn't scold her, Ye Lier let out a sigh of relief in her heart and laughed in a crisp voice, "Right, I haven't congratulated Second Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Young Master on their success in the imperial examination yet."

  Xu Hongyan shook his head and glared at Xu Qingyan with a bad temper. Although this year's spring had been unlucky, the imperial examination was still held as usual every three years. Originally, it wasn't a big deal, after all, no one would think that a son of the Xu family would fail to pass, but when the three sons of the Xu family all topped the list at the same time, it couldn't help but raise eyebrows. Xu Qingyan said with a hint of resentment: "I just wrote casually, who knew this year's exam questions were so easy..." Under the gaze of everyone in the room, Xu Qingyan finally couldn't hold on and lowered his head in embarrassment. How could he say that he was squeezed out by some noble son and was unhappy for a moment, so he went all out?

  Ye Li smiled and said: "So this time... Second Brother ranked first in the imperial examination, Fifth Brother fourth, Fourth Brother nineteenth?"

  Xu Qingyan stole a glance at Xu Qingbai, his heart even more guilty as he hung his head. He knew that his fourth brother's talent was absolutely superior to his own, and his second brother could easily outrun the top scorer and runner-up by several streets. However, they had all intentionally held back their true abilities, while he had genuinely given it his all and only managed to get fourth place.

  Looking at Xu Qingyan's guilty appearance, Ye Li advised, "Second Uncle, this is nothing. If Fifth Brother really didn't make the cut, people would be suspicious." Xu Hongyan furrowed his brow and said, "He shouldn't have participated in the imperial examination this year."

  As he said this, Xu Hongyan felt a sense of helplessness. Qingyan was only 14 years old, while Qingbai was only 16 or 17. As males, especially as sons of the Xu family, who wouldn't want to make a name for themselves and achieve great things? The Xu children, whether it was steady Xu Qingze or lively Xu Qingyan, would have all been top scholars if they weren't from the Xu family. Their future prospects would naturally be limitless.

  However, being part of the Xu family meant that they could only harbor ambitions but do nothing to fulfill them. They could only enjoy the empty fame of the Xu family... All of this was a burden brought about by the illustrious name of the Xu family.

  Xu Hongyan still remembered the year his father took his older brother and left the capital, looking at him with a heavy and apologetic gaze. He had once been full of ambitions to govern the world, but unfortunately, the imperial court didn't need them, and they were only needed to stay in their positions as censors, showcasing the emperor's benevolence to the world, a position that seemed noble but actually held no real power.

  "Since your second brother, fourth brother and fifth younger brother are all famous on the golden list, do you want to stay in Beijing?" Ye Li asked. Xu Qingze and Xu Qingbai were easy to talk about, Xu Qingze was already twenty years old, and his temperament was even more stable. Xu Qingbai was a little younger, but indeed one of the most skilled dancers in the Xu family. As for Xu Qingyan, he was not only young but also had a flying temper like an immature child. Xu Hongyan shook his head: "Your second brother and fourth brother will stay behind, I have already submitted a memorial to the Emperor, Qingyan is still young, and your father is old and needs him to return to Yunzhou to serve him."

  "Will His Majesty agree?" But in Mo Jingqi's view, leaving Xu Qingyan was much more useful than leaving Xu Qingbai.

  Xu Hongyan smiled calmly: "Xiao Wu is the youngest of the Xu family. Filial piety is the most important of all virtues. The Emperor cannot refuse."

  Since Second Uncle was confident, Ye Li didn't ask any more questions. She turned her attention to Xu Qingze and Xu Qingbai's positions. As the Exploratory Flower, Xu Qingze had been sent to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. Xu Qingbai was a jinshi and an alternate in the Ministry of Rites. They were both leisurely positions without real power. Compared to their fellow graduates who were the top three scholars, their ranks were the highest, but at the same time, their rights were the least. Especially Xu Qingbai, who received the salary of a deputy minister in the Ministry of Rites, was just an honorary title, and it was unknown which year he would be promoted to. Most importantly, Xu Qingze and Xu Qingbai's personalities were not suitable for their positions at all. "It would be best if Second Brother stayed in the capital, and Fourth Brother should be sent out if possible."

  Xu Qingbai looks young and gentle, but in fact he is deep-thinking and good at manipulating others. He is a typical example of "wearing a pig's skin to eat the tiger". If it weren't for his family background, even if he were from an ordinary family, I'm afraid he would have risen to a high position before the age of 35 or 36. In fact, Xu Qingbai is the most suitable person in the Xu family to be an official.

  Xu Hongyan shook his head and said, "How could the Emperor possibly feel at ease letting him be sent out?"

  Ye Li furrowed her brow and said: "Not necessarily, Fourth Brother is still young, the Emperor might feel more at ease. It's just... I'm afraid it will be a bit of a hardship for Fourth Brother."

  Xu Qingbai smiled faintly and said, "The places the Emperor would let me go to are probably those poor and remote areas. However, it's still better than staying in the capital with nothing to do and being controlled by others." Xu Hongyan looked at Xu Qingbai and understood that he was indeed tempted by Ye Li's suggestion. It was also true that if he had a choice, he would rather be sent out as a local official or even a minor clerk than stay in the capital doing nothing and listening to those officials gossiping. After thinking for a moment, Xu Hongyan nodded and said, "Alright, the Emperor is busy right now, so he should agree to this compromise." Xu Qingbai nodded and smiled faintly, "Thank you, Second Uncle." Xu Hongyan waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to say more.

  Ye Li accompanied her uncle and aunt for lunch, and as they were about to leave, Xu Hongyan whispered solemnly: "Li'er, be careful of the people in the palace from now on."

  Ye Li was taken aback, looking at her uncle in surprise. Xu Hongyan simply waved his hand and didn't say anything else. Ye Li had to bid farewell to her uncle and aunt, turning around to return to the manor.

  Back in the mansion, the invitation cards and banquet invitations from various households in the capital had piled up into two thick stacks. Ye Li flipped through them, picking out a few important ones to respond to. She made a somewhat painful discovery that she might need one or several all-around assistants. The maids by her side were not suitable, Qing Xia and Qing Shuang didn't know much themselves, Qing Luan and Qing Yu had their own strengths but they weren't relevant here. Han Mingxi was a good candidate, but he was too showy. After going through the people she could use around her, she finally called over An Er and An San, handing them a stack of documents to process. An San's face turned sour as he discovered that from originally doing nothing but following their master in secret, they had become the personal bodyguards of the young master, the all-around bodyguard of the eldest miss, the all-around bodyguard of the king's consort, and then also became the accountants of the Ding Guo Wang Fu, as well as various managers. The weight of the responsibilities made An San tremble with fear, "Your Highness... I don't understand this..."

  "Go and learn." Ye Li wrote with a flourish on the scroll in her hand, without even lifting her head.

  An's face turned gloomy, "Your Highness, we are Dark Guards."

  Ye Li faintly raised her head and glanced at him, saying: "I don't need a Dark Guard. From now on, Qin Feng will follow me."

  "He is the leader of the Black Cloud Riders." An San muttered unwillingly, even if the princess needed help with accounting, she should have asked General Sun or let Qin Feng do it. Why did she make him do such a feminine task and then let Qin Feng take his place? Ye Li nodded in satisfaction: "It's precisely because he is the leader of the Black Cloud Riders, when helping me with things, he can also serve as my guard at the same time. You...can also serve as my assistant at the same time."

  "Assistant?" An San's face was bewildered, An Er's face was wooden. What is an assistant? It doesn't sound as powerful as the Dark Guards at all.

  Ye Li smiled warmly at the two capable subordinates, "They are the ones who assist me in handling all matters."

  "All?"

  "That's right, all I need you to help me with is this." An Er and An San were clever and loyal enough, and their skills were good enough. An Er was steady and An San was agile, following her for so long without any awkwardness, they were simply born to be assistants. Thinking that she could get rid of the heavy chores and do other things she didn't have time for, Ye Li's mood was quite good. "First go find Uncle Mo, learn what you need to learn within half a month. Otherwise...the foot of Hei Yun Peak will be your destination for the next three months. I just happened to think of many new things recently." Looking at her master's warm and gentle smile, thinking about the month they spent crawling in that forest last year, both of them shuddered simultaneously. They turned around neatly and left. Listening to the two subordinates running away hastily, Ye Li couldn't help but laugh softly and shake her head.

  "The princess, Yun Tian Gongzi and Qin Feng Gongzi request an audience." Qing Luan came in to report.

  "Please come in." Yunteng's home was also near the capital, and after leaving Yongzhou, they parted ways. They went east to Guangling, while Yunteng headed north back home. It was a surprise for Ye Li to see Qin Feng arrive at the Dingwang Fu with him. After a moment, the two entered the study room together, "Subordinate Yunteng, Qin Feng, we pay our respects to the princess." Ye Li smiled and asked, "Is everything all right at your home, Yunteng?" Yunteng replied with a bright smile, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. Everything is fine at home." Ye Li nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Qin Feng, who reported respectfully, "The tasks you assigned, Your Highness, are ready. We only await your personal inspection." Ye Li glanced at the remaining account books on the table and nodded, "It's still early, let's go now. Yunteng, someone will send you to the military camp later, and the king has recommended a few military strategy books for you. You must finish reading them within three months, and if you pass the assessment after three months, you can officially become a member of the Mo family army. Do you understand?"

  Yun Tong's eyes lit up and he said loudly: "I understand, I guarantee that I will finish it within three months."

  Ye Li smiled faintly, nodding in satisfaction. Yun Feng was overjoyed, his excitement about entering the Mo Family Army making him forget to ask how many books there were and what he would be doing for the next three months in the military camp. This led to a life that was not as expected for the next three months.

  After changing into men's clothing, Ye Li left the mansion with Qin Feng, feeling a little excited. Along the way, they ran into An San Zheng, who had just received a large stack of overdue account books from Mo Zong Guan and was shooting Qin Feng with an extremely resentful gaze. This made An Wei, the dark guard leader who was still following Ye Li and not quite used to it, feel inexplicably chilled down his spine.

  Two people left the capital, Qin Feng looked at the young man in front of him, who was still handsome and elegant despite being slightly shorter, and couldn't help but admire him. He finally understood why Princess Wang disappeared as soon as she left the capital, and various forces couldn't find her even with the secret guards of the Dingguo Palace. This disguise technique is far more brilliant than the so-called face-changing technique in the Jianghu world. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, even if Princess Wang stood in front of him, he might have only thought she was someone who looked vaguely familiar and let her pass by.

  Looking up and seeing Qin Feng's strange eyes, Ye Li smiled: "No need to be so surprised, just a little disguise technique."

  Qin Feng shook his head and said, "The princess's disguise skills are not something that anyone can do." What is called a master of disguise is not just about changing one's appearance. A true expert in tracking people doesn't necessarily look at their face or clothes when observing them. Instead, they pay attention to a person's habits, movements, posture, and other aspects, which can easily reveal clues. However, earlier when he followed the princess from behind, he didn't notice any similarities between her movements when dressed as a man and when dressed as a woman. In fact, even when wearing men's clothing, the princess's gait, facial expression, and eyes were completely devoid of any feminine traits, looking exactly like a 14 or 15-year-old young nobleman. Qin Feng didn't know why the princess, as a renowned lady from a prestigious family, would possess such skills, but since the king trusted her and they had witnessed her abilities in Yonglin City, he naturally followed her orders without question.

  Qin Feng followed Ye Li on horseback to the foot of Hei Yun Peak, a place he had also visited with Wang Ye once before. However, in just one year, it had changed quite a bit. Originally a somewhat remote and desolate area, two manors now stood at the foot of the mountain, not far from each other. On the mountain waist, a small manor had been built on the foundation of the original mountain stronghold. The villagers below were busy with farm work, looking just like any ordinary village outside the capital city.

  The two abandoned their horses and climbed up the mountain, bypassing the village on the mountain waist, to the edge of the cliff at the back of the mountain. Qin Feng looked down and probed, "It's not very deep, Princess, shall we go down?"

  Ye Li smiled and said: "I heard that the Black Cloud Riders' martial arts are quite good, why don't you jump down and take a look without fear of death."

  Qin Feng looked down at the cliff with some suspicion, furrowing his brow. With his martial arts skills, going down from here wouldn't be easy, but it shouldn't pose a threat to his life either, unless there were some kind of trap or mechanism below. Thanks to Ye Li's warning, Qin Feng didn't recklessly use his lightness skill to jump down, instead using his wall-climbing skill to slowly slide down the cliff. However, almost all the footholds on the cliff had been worn smooth, and fortunately, he had a dagger with him that he could insert into the rock crevices to prevent himself from accidentally sliding down. After much difficulty, he spotted a protruding spot, but before he could even step on it, he noticed that what looked like a protruding stone was actually an arrowhead with a cold glint. Qin Feng had no doubt that if he lightly touched it, he would be pierced like a honeycomb.

  Helplessly grasping the dagger, he carefully avoided one danger after another and slid down the cliff. At his feet was a clear lake. The surface of the water even had green lotus leaves and several newly sprouted flower buds floating on it. But those cold lights exposed on the surface were absolutely there to mock him. Qin Feng took a deep breath, using his lightness skill to cross over the lake's surface without daring to let his feet touch even a bit of the water's surface.

  "Take three steps back to the left."

  Ye Li's voice, tinged with a hint of amusement, rang out from not far away. Qin Feng, who was about to land, hastily took three steps to the left before touching down on the ground. He turned his head to look at the queen, who was standing off to one side, clearly having waited for some time. Ye Li gave him a seemingly amused glance, picked up a stone from the ground and tossed it at the spot where Qin Feng had just landed. With a whizzing sound, a fierce rain of arrows shot out from all directions. Afterward, Qin Feng silently stared at the spot where he had just landed, now filled with arrow shafts, and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.