Xia Jun's expression darkened and a trace of emotion flashed across his eyes. This emotion was fleeting, but after a moment, he smiled faintly and said, "Cousin, what do you mean by this?"
"Cousin and I have half of the Xia family's blood flowing in our veins, so we must treat each other with sincerity. There's no need to speak in riddles. Biaodi, now that you've fallen to such a state, unable to become an official and can only secretly work for His Eighth Highness, unable to obtain the official position and glory that you deserve, who gave you all of this? "Jiang Chao laughed," You and I both know the answer! "
Xia Jun smiled as he looked at Jiang Chao. He was different from Jiang Chao. Although Jiang Chao had been working under Xuan Li and now seemed to be rising in his official career, at best, Xia Yan had protected him too well at that time, and his brain was not enough. Moreover, Jiang Chao had inherited Jiang Quan's cowardly and wavering character, and often thought himself clever. For example, Xia Jun clearly knew that Jiang Chao was deliberately saying these words for him to hear, but he did not bat an eyelid.
"Working for Eighth Prince is my glory, I dare not complain. As for cousin's promotion, it is cousin's luck. My luck is not good, so I can't blame others," Xia Jun said.
Hearing this, Jiang Chao looked deeply at Xia Jun. Xia Jun was an unfathomable person. At that time, it was the imperial edict that forbade him from entering officialdom, but Xia Jun unexpectedly became Xuan Li's advisor. Jiang Chao had already figured out some of Xuan Li's habits, and he never used people without ability. Xia Jun's identity was special, but to be able to make Xuan Li look at him in a new light, he certainly had great ability. Jiang Chao was a narrow-minded person. Although he had many taboos against Xia Jun, now that the situation was different, he could only conspire with Xia Jun.
"To tell the truth, cousin, this time it is Eighth Prince's intention." Knowing that he would not be able to gain any advantage if he continued to beat around the bush, Jiang Chao simply made things clear. He said, "Eighth Prince ordered me to do this, but I feel that this matter can be improved, but I need cousin's help."
Xia Jun slowly reached out and poured himself a cup of wine. The wine rippled slightly, emitting an alluring mellow fragrance. Xia Jun raised the wine cup, but was not in a hurry to drink it. Instead, he slightly narrowed his eyes, as if smelling the wine. Slowly, he said, "Oh? So, cousin, what good will it do me if I do this? How far can this matter go? "
He was not in a hurry to ask what it was, nor did he ask how to do it. The first thing he asked was the result. This showed that Xia Jun was a person who did not care about using any means. No matter what it was, he only wanted a satisfactory result.
Jiang Chao lowered his voice, but a trace of coldness flashed across his face. "What's the result? It all depends on how big cousin's chips are. "
"How about the entire Xia Family?" Xia Jun smiled.
Jiang Chao was stunned. He carefully looked at the person in front of him. Xia Jun's face was handsome, but his eyes were a little gloomy. His eyes suddenly emitted a hint of light, like a hungry wolf on the brink of death in the wilderness who suddenly discovered a prey. There was a kind of crazy excitement. Jiang Chao forcefully suppressed the shock in his heart, thinking that his cousin was indeed a madman. However, on the surface, he said solemnly, "Then, I promise cousin that after this matter is over, there will no longer be a General Fu, nor will there be any Embroidered Uniform Guard, and even more so, there will be no Jiang Ruan and her sister." He said, "At that time, Hong 'an Junzhu will naturally be personally delivered to cousin's hands. Whatever cousin wants to do, you can do it."
This chip … It was indeed very tempting. A pair of slightly raised charming eyes appeared in front of Xia Jun's eyes. When that pair of charming eyes was not looking at people, it was as if they were separated by a thin layer of mist, cold and calm. When they were looking at people, there was a hint of ridicule, as if ridiculing the other party's ignorance and childishness.
In this life, the first half of his life had been extravagant. He had the wind and the rain, and as long as he wanted something, there was nothing he could not obtain. However, this balance had been broken by Jiang Ruan. She had only used a small trick, and it had completely destroyed his beautiful and splendid life. He did not have much of an obsession with being an official, but Jiang Ruan had challenged his dignity. In his opinion, if he had taken a fancy to Jiang Ruan, she should have obediently obeyed. Who would have known that she was not an obedient house cat, but a terrifying female leopard. She had only slightly flashed her claws, but she had already let people have a taste of her fierceness.
However, no matter how fierce a leopard was, it was still just prey. All these years, he had seen Jiang Ruan change from an unfavored daughter who had been raised in a rural residence to the eldest di daughter whom everyone in the Jiang fu feared. From an official's daughter to a junzhu whom the Empress Dowager relied on. He had seen her defeat Jiang Li and Jiang Su Su, defeat Xia Yan, and even Xia Jiao Jiao's matter. He had never seen such a woman, but because of this, he had become interested in her.
Such a woman, scheming, strong and tenacious, with a beautiful appearance and a rotten heart, really suited his appetite. But … she dared to reject him, so she had to pay the price.
Jiang Chao's proposal was really too tempting.
A trace of a sigh flashed in his eyes. If Jiang Ruan was willing to obediently attach herself to him, that would certainly be good. Unfortunately, he knew what kind of person Jiang Ruan was. Jiang Ruan would not lower her noble head like anyone else, so he could only chop off that beautiful head. He said, "Biao Ge's proposal is indeed very interesting …"
Jiang Chao stared at him closely, and slowly, he heard Xia Jun's remaining words, "We can try." Jiang Chao then heaved a sigh of relief.
Xia Jun looked at his wine cup indifferently and said, "I wonder what Biao Ge intends to do?" Capturing the Brocade Guard and the General fu in one fell swoop was certainly not an ordinary matter. Now that the Zhao family and the Brocade Guard were far away at the border, it was inevitable that they would act on the battlefield.
A treacherous smile suddenly appeared on Jiang Chao's face, "Before the troops and horses move, the provisions and fodder move first. Even if the Brocade Guard and the Zhao family army have enormous abilities, they will not be able to withstand running out of ammunition and provisions. "
…
For the time being, not mentioning the war in Xi Rong, the Brocade Guard repeatedly sent back news of victory. The morale of the Brocade Guard greatly increased, and they recovered several lost territories. Guan Liang Han's injuries also gradually stabilized, and the morale of the soldiers of the Great Jin dynasty gradually stabilized. On the contrary, the State of Tian Jin changed from its previous valiant and fierce appearance. Even the best weapons and tactics could not save them from defeat.
Everyone was surprised to discover that this Jinying Wang, Xiao Shao, who was known as a 'rebel and traitor' in the Great Jin dynasty, could actually command good tactics. His military strategy was different from that of Guan Liang Han and Jiang Xin Zhi. It was a completely different style of conduct, cold, cruel, and absolutely like the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves. The Brocade Guard that he had brought with him were almost like indestructible iron men. Their valiance was like that of a lone wolf on the grasslands. No, they could not even compare to a lone wolf on the grasslands. One against ten, they were unstoppable.
In front of such a troop, the soldiers of Tian Jin were terror-stricken, and they retreated step by step in defeat. Xiao Shao used a method that was not war to achieve victory. Ever since his arrival, the war with the State of Tian Jin was no longer like a war, but more like a one-sided massacre.
Even so, the war between the State of Tian Jin and the Great Jin dynasty could not be settled overnight. At that time, in order to speed up the journey, the army had to travel as lightly as possible, and their rations were also brought according to the rules of close combat. The place where they fought with the State of Tian Jin was located in a desolate desert, and there were no herdsmen or cattle or sheep in the vicinity, so there was a real shortage of rations. And the method of using war to sustain war was only suitable for predatory warfare. Now, it was too late, and it was not allowed. According to the rules of the Great Jin dynasty, the rations were gathered and transported by the courier station in the capital, and transported by the leader of the military supply troops, Sir Zhang.
Zhang Ji had been the leader of the military supply troops for many years, and his travel and travel expenses were the shortest. This was because the rations brought by the previous war had almost been consumed, and now the state treasury could not allocate too much extra rations. What was collected now was the rations collected from the common people everywhere. In a short period of time, this batch of rations would be quickly transported to the border of the State of Tian Jin. This was the few remaining reserves of the Great Jin dynasty. Xiao Shao had to win the war before these rations were consumed, otherwise, he would only be defeated due to the exhaustion of rations.
In Jinying wangfu, Jiang Ruan put down the book in her hands and looked at the young man in purple in front of her. He was sitting opposite Jiang Ruan, looking at her with a smile, and slowly waving the folding fan in his hand. If one were to ignore the moustache on his face that did not match his age, he would be an extremely handsome and elegant young master. Unfortunately, because of that moustache, this supposedly elegant and unrestrained action seemed somewhat comical.
Qi Feng lived in a large courtyard separated from Jinying wangfu, which was also arranged by Xiao Shao for him. He and Xia Qing lived together. If it were not for the fact that Jiang Ruan was in Jinying wangfu, Xiao Shao would have directly let these two people live in Jinying wangfu. Now, although Qi Feng and Xia Qing did not live in Jinying wangfu, they were only separated by a wall, so they were very close.
"Third Sister-in-law," Qi Feng waved his fan and said, "You specially called Fourth Younger Brother over, I wonder what instructions do you have?" Qi Feng put on a very romantic appearance, but a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes. He lived in Hundred Zhang Lou all year round and had a cold heart towards the imperial court. He usually hid in the dark and was not clear about the affairs of the Great Jin court's inner courtyard. Therefore, he was not very clear about Jiang Ruan. On the way to the capital this time, he learned some things about Jiang Ruan's past and present from others. Regarding Jiang Ruan's evaluation, Guan Liang Han was resourceful and Mo Cong was vicious and merciless. As for Xiao Shao, for Xiao Shao to be so protective, he was certainly not an ordinary person. Qi Feng did not underestimate Jiang Ruan, but he felt that no matter how smart she was, she was still a woman. Women were always somewhat whimsical and sentimental. However, from the time he came to the capital and met Jiang Ruan until now, Jiang Ruan had not revealed a trace of longing for Xiao Shao. Qi Feng felt that it was interesting. It seemed that the falling flowers yearn for love, but the heartless brook still flows. Xiao Shao had now kicked an iron plate.
Jiang Ruan looked at the young man in front of her and slowly revealed a smile. What kind of person was Qi Si? She had not come into contact with him. However, since Xiao Shao said that Qi Si was a person who learned the power of the imperial court, there were some things that could not be better for him to come forward.
She slowly said, "Today, I looked for Young Master Qi to ask Young Master Qi to save my life."
"Save my life?" Qi Feng looked at Jiang Ruan and found that her expression did not seem to be joking. He thought for a moment, but did not rashly answer, "Third Sister-in-law, I am not a doctor. If you want to save a life, you should look for Xia Wu." He had not yet figured out Jiang Ruan's temperament. Unlike Xiao Shao, Xiao Shao believed in Jiang Ruan because he liked her, but Qi Feng and Jiang Ruan did not have a deep friendship. He was always somewhat wary of Jiang Ruan. If Jiang Ruan wanted to take advantage of Xiao Shao's absence and do something that would harm Xiao Shao and Jinying Wang fu, Qi Feng would not stand idly by. Even if he risked his life, he would still stop her.
"If it was one person's life, Young Master Xia can indeed save it, but now it is the lives of tens of thousands of people. How can Young Master Xia save them all?" Jiang Ruan said lightly.
Qi Feng slowly frowned, and the playful expression on his face completely disappeared. He said, "What does Third Sister-in-law mean? Fourth brother really does not understand."
"Young Master Qi is a smart person, why do you need to talk to me in a roundabout way?" Jiang Ruan's words were not polite, and could even be said to be somewhat direct, "Since Young Master Qi and Xiao Shao are from the same sect, they naturally have a deep friendship. Now that someone wants to plot against Xiao Shao, I think that with Young Master Qi's friendship with Xiao Shao, you will definitely not stand idly by. It is reasonable for you to help him, right? "
"Something happened to Third Master Xiao?" There was some disbelief in Qi Feng's eyes. These days, he did not receive any news that something had happened to Xiao Shao of Jinyi Wei. Jiang Ruan's words were indeed very suspicious. If something had happened to Xiao Shao, he would be the first to know.
"He is not in trouble now, but if this goes on, something will happen soon." Jiang Ruan's voice was heavy. She looked directly at Qi Feng, and a trace of ridicule suddenly jumped into her beautiful eyes. The ridicule disappeared in a flash, and the dark light disappeared, turning into bright eyes that were as bright as colored glass, full of amorous feelings as she looked around. She said, "I think that before Young Master Qi came, you must have heard about my matter. I have enmity with Jiang Chao and the Xiahou fu. I made Jiang Chao lose a finger, and also made Xia Jun unable to enter the officialdom. "
Qi Feng originally wanted to take advantage of the situation to smile, but found that it was somewhat inappropriate to make this expression at this moment. He did indeed collect information about Jiang Ruan before coming. However, he did not know the significance of Jiang Ruan talking about these things now. After a pause, he said, "What about it? What does it have to do with Third Brother? Could it be that they will do something rebellious in order to take revenge? "
"No," Jiang Ruan stared at Qi Feng. Qi Feng was shocked by her stare, only to hear Jiang Ruan continue to say, "What I want to say is that Jiang Chao and the Xia family's hatred for me is only on the surface. Jiang Chao and the Xia family are working for the Eighth Prince Xuan Li, and Xiao Shao has become a thorn in Xuan Li's side. Xiao Shao is unwilling to cooperate with Xuan Li. For such a person who is unwilling to cooperate and whose power is beyond his control, Xuan Li only has one choice, and that is to kill. " When Jiang Ruan talked about these secrets, she always behaved very calmly, as if she was not talking about the important matter of fighting for the throne, but discussing how good the weather was today.
Qi Feng's expression was somewhat stiff. He heard Jiang Ruan's cold and calm voice coming from the opposite side, "So, on the surface, it seems that Jiang Chao and the Xia family want to deal with me, but in fact, it is Xuan Li who wants to deal with Xiao Shao, or rather, it is Xuan Li who wants to deal with the Jinyi Guards. Do you understand what I am saying? "
"You …" Jiang Ruan's words were too straightforward, so straightforward that Qi Feng did not know how to respond. He suddenly had a feeling that Jiang Ruan was indeed very suitable for Xiao Shao. On the surface, Jiang Ruan was incomparably calm, a person who defended what was established, but in the dark, there was a hidden force of attack. From her eyes, he saw strength and tenacity.
"I know Xuan Li very well. He will make good use of every opportunity, especially at this critical juncture. Now that Xiao Shao has left the capital, there are only Zhao Yi and a few others left in the General fu. This is the best opportunity. Xuan Li will certainly find a way to find something. " She looked at the book in front of her, "I asked Xiao Shao to give me a secret guard to monitor Jiang Chao. Jiang Chao met with Xia Jun a few days ago."
"They formed an alliance?" Qi Feng asked, "The Xia family is not the same as before, how would they dare to act rashly?"
"The Xia family naturally does not dare, but unfortunately, Xia Jun is a madman." Jiang Ruan smiled coldly, "These few days, Zhang Daren of the military supply troops, Zhang Ji, seems to be very diligent. He is also extremely extravagant with his spending. He has even bought three large residences and five shops in the eastern part of the city. The amount of banknotes in the bank of the Four Seas has also increased a lot. Young Master Qi, don't you think this is very strange? "
"Zhang Ji …" Qi Feng's expression turned cold. He studied the politics of the imperial court and naturally knew the officials of the court very well. Zhang Ji was an old man of the military supply troops. He was upright and full of talent. He had never made a mistake in transporting provisions for so many years. Jiang Ruan's words clearly showed that she was suspicious of Zhang Ji. On one hand, he felt surprised, but on the other hand, he could not believe it, "Zhang Ji is a good official. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. These silver taels may not necessarily be related to Xuan Li. Military supplies are important matters. Zhang Ji will not destroy his own future. If he knew something had happened, His Majesty would be the first to not spare him. "
"He is indeed a good official. Unfortunately, he has a good-for-nothing son." Jiang Ruan said coldly.
"His three sons are all good young talents. How can you say that they are good-for-nothing?" Qi Feng frowned.
"Zhang Ji has a doting mistress who gave birth to a son. This son spends all day outside drinking. Zhang Ji's wife is the daughter of Marquis Muyang. She is a powerful person. Zhang Ji does not dare to tell his wife that he has a son outside, but he cannot stop this son from spending money like water. The houses and shops in the east of the city, and even the silver taels, are all prepared for his son. I think Master Qi also knows that Zhang Ji dotes on his son. "
Qi Feng naturally knew that Zhang Ji was henpecked, but he did not know when Zhang Ji had an illegitimate son outside. Moreover, he did not know where Jiang Ruan knew these things. Zhang Ji loved his three sons very much. For a son born from a mistress outside, he felt guilty. Indeed, it was possible that he doted on his son even more. But … Qi Feng said, "But the risk is too big. For a little money, he will sacrifice his own future and the life of his whole family. A smart person will not do this."
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "Indeed, it is just for a little money. It is not worthwhile for him to do this. However, what if he can make a meteoric rise because of this? He will no longer have to act according to Marquis Wu Mu, Madam Zhang's maiden family. He can openly welcome that doting mistress's son into the fu, and can even find a good future for that illegitimate son. Do you think this bargaining chip is big enough? "
Qi Feng was stunned.
Jiang Ruan coldly said, "Who does not want to bet on riches and honor? Moreover, if he wins the bet, the world will change. The Son of Heaven will not be the Son of Heaven, and the court will not be the court. Who will pursue the crime of deceiving the Emperor?" She slowly said word by word, "The crime will only be borne by the loser. However, it is still unknown who will be the winner. I dare to bet on him. "
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