The next day, Zheng Qian, the prince of Ruyang, found that the war had escalated.

He originally thought that or subconsciously thought that the battlefield for the Zhao family in Luyang to challenge his Zheng family's authority was only in Ruyang County, but he didn't expect that this morning, there were family servants sent to Lunshi County, Jiaxian and other places to return to Ruyang to report to him, saying that in Lunshi County, Jiaxian and other places, shops with 'Zhao's Rice Shop' signboards sprung up like mushrooms after the rain.

After learning the news, Zheng Qian was simply stunned.

Luyang Zhao he knew, when he took Wang Zhi to Xingshi to ask for guilt, he inquired about the situation of the Luyang Township Marquis's Mansion, and learned that this Township Marquis's Mansion, the main family has a total of four people, Luyang Township Marquis, Mrs. Zhou, plus two sons, and then there are more than 100 guards headed by Zhang Chun, the head of the mansion, and more than 100 domestic servants led by Cao Ju, the chief steward of the mansion, and the remaining maids and maids, a total of about 200 people.

For ordinary people, these two hundred people are already a very large number, but for a nobleman with a name, just two hundred people are really nothing, not to mention anything else, just those fields under the name of the Luyang Township Marquis Mansion need dozens of people to take care of.

Carefully calculated, in fact, 200 or so people are really nothing.

Take their Ruyang Zheng clan as an example, the clansmen of the whole family, plus the guards and servants, are they afraid that they will break a thousand people?

So the question is, where did the Hou Mansion of Luyang Township come from so many people to open many stores in Ruyang County, Lunshi County, Jiaxian County and other places in one go?

Even if each rice shop is counted as ten guards or servants, a county town has at least four or five, which is probably fifty people, and at the same time to open shops in Linru, Ruyang, Lunshi, Jiaxian and other county seats, the manpower required is at least more than three hundred, not counting the people who help escort the grain, rough estimates, I'm afraid it will be more than five hundred?

But the Luyang Township Marquis Mansion, even if you count the maids, there are only about 200 people in total, where did the rest of the people come out?

However, this question was selectively ignored just in Zheng Qian's mind, because there was a problem that made him feel even more headache: no matter how the Luyang Zhao family did it, they did open rice shops in Linru, Ruyang, Lunshi, Jiaxian and other places at the same time, trying to start a full-scale war with his Zheng family.

The only exception is only Yangcheng, where his cousins Zhengzhou and Zheng Zixiang are located, and only there, the Luyang Zhao clan has not set foot in it, or does not dare to set foot in it.

He stood up and sat down, sat down and stood up, restless and restless on the second floor of the Zheng's rice shop on Ruyang West Street.

"When?" He suddenly came to deliver the news.

The servant replied, "It was two days ago." …… Those counties opened Zhao's rice shop almost at the same time. ”

"What did my father say?"

"Master Hou ordered the prince to return to the house immediately, saying that he had something important to order."

"Hmm."

Zheng Qian nodded slightly, and instructed Wang Zhi to say, "Wang Zhi, you keep an eye on this side for me, and I'll go back to the Hou Mansion." ”

Wang Zhi hurriedly said: "Shizi, I will ...... with you"

"Nope." Zheng Qian raised his hand to stop Wang Zhi, shook his head and said: "You know each other and stay here, and 'atone for your sins', if you go back with me, you will definitely not be able to escape the questioning." ”

Wang Zhi was stunned when he heard this, but even though he understood what Zheng Qian meant, his face became panicked.

Also, the conflict between Zhao Yu, the second son of the Marquis of Luyang Township and him that day, wasn't it the cause of this battle between Zhao and Zheng?

It was he who was angry at the time, and after returning to the Marquis of Ruyang's mansion, he asked the prince Zheng Qian to help him get angry, although Zheng Qian and the Marquis of Ruyang didn't care about offending a small countryman at that time, but things have come to this point, and he doesn't need to ask to know that he Wang Zhi is the culprit.

Zheng Qian stayed here with him, but he protected him.

Leaving Ruyang, Zheng Qian went straight to his Hou Mansion.

The news that he only learned came from the family house, which meant that his father, the Marquis of Ruyang, had already learned about it.

Sure enough, when he returned to the Hou Mansion, he learned from the old servant at home that his father was furious because of this incident.

But at this point, he had no choice but to go to his father's study.

When he came to his father's study, several servants were cleaning up the broken utensils, and Zheng Qian saw a ...... among the debris Half a jade toad.

He remembered that it was the decoration that his father used to decorate the case.

With a long sigh, Zheng Qian stepped into the study and bowed to a figure standing at the window with his hands on his back: "Father." ”

The figure turned his head when he heard this, it was Zheng Zhong, Marquis of Ruyang.

"Hear the news?" Ruyang Hou asked lightly.

"Yes."

"Look at the good things you do." Ruyang Hou's voice became colder and colder.

Zheng Qian secretly glanced at his father, and muttered to himself in his heart: You didn't stop it at that time.

Indeed, the cause of the whole thing is nothing more than Zheng Qian's desire to help his close servant Wang Zhi to get angry, so after he personally went to Luyang Township Hou Xingshi to ask for the guilt that day, he returned to his home to add fuel and vinegar to the father in front of him, and heard that Ruyang Hou was furious in his heart, and this is why Luyang Township Marquis and his son were humiliated at the banquet of Ruyang Hou's mansion.

Although seventy percent of the responsibility was on Zheng Qian and Wang Zhi, the Marquis of Ruyang did not stop it at that time.

In other words, the Marquis of Ruyang did not think so at the time.

Until now, the Luyang Zhao clan launched a counterattack in Linru, Ruyang, and Jiaxian counties, comprehensively suppressing his Zheng family's rice shop, and the Marquis of Ruyang, who learned the news, realized the serious consequences of that day's incident.

"What are you going to do?" Ruyang Hou asked his son.

Zheng Qian arched his hand and replied: "Right now, the whole Ruyang is watching, looking at this battle between our family and the Zhao family, unless we make peace with Zhao Gongyu in private, otherwise, we can only fight with the Zhao family." ”

Sue for peace?

It is impossible to seek peace, it is impossible for a lifetime, he bowed his head to a townsman in the Runan Marquis Mansion to ask for peace?

Whether it is Ruyang Hou or his son Zheng Qian, they all have this idea in their hearts.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Ruyang Hou said in a deep voice: "Go for it." I have sent letters to some of your uncles and uncles, and I think they will give their full support to our family......"

Hearing this, Zheng Qian's spirits perked.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he asked hesitantly, "Father, ...... cousin over there?"

"You say Zixiang?"

Ruyang Hou asked casually, but then there was no movement.

Seeing this, Zheng Qian retired with interest.

When he was about to leave, he suddenly heard the Marquis of Ruyang ask, "Zide, where is Wang Zhi?" ”

Zheng Qian lowered his head: "He stayed in the county seat to help me keep an eye on the second son of the Zhao family." ”

Ruyang Hou turned his head to look at his son and didn't say anything more.

After walking out of the book, Zheng Qian breathed a sigh of relief.

He secretly thought: Wang Zhi, Wang Zhi, I can only help you get here.

He knew that if his Zheng family was damaged by this vicious fight with the Zhao family, Wang Zhi would definitely not be able to escape the questioning.

Unless he can defeat the Zhao clan while trying to stop the loss, then he can still save the life of Wang Zhi.

However, they want to defeat the Zhao family......

"Absolutely! With the strength of my Zheng family, how can I not fight a mere townshipman?"

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Qian returned to Ruyang County with great spirits.

On March 16 and 17, the price of rice in Ruyang remained at the price of 100 yuan per stone.

In this regard, Zheng Qian was a little confused about the intentions of the Zhao family - or to put it simply, he still had not figured out whether his opponent was the Marquis of Luyang or his youngest son Zhao Yu.

Judging from the previous situation, the several Zhaojia rice shops opened in Runan County so far seem to be the first to be followed by their youngest son Zhao Yu, but the problem is ...... Is that really the case? A child who is said to be only eleven years old, is the Luyang Township Marquis really relieved to let him have full supervision?

You must know that when he was Zhao Yu's age, he was not qualified to interfere in the affairs of the family.

"It should be Zhao Gongyu who thinks his son is smart." Wang Zhi explained: "I met that kid at the beginning, and it was indeed different from ordinary children......

Zheng Qian nodded, trying to guess Zhao Yu's intentions, but he couldn't figure out how to think about it.

In his eyes, Zhao Yu was sometimes irritable when he was fighting, such as lowering the price of rice by thirty or twenty yuan at once, as if there was a kind of 'cub selling Ye Tian is not distressed', but sometimes that kid became extremely quiet, which made Zheng Qian feel uneasy.

Just like in the past two days, Zhao Yu has always maintained the price of 'one hundred dollars and one stone of rice', watching the local people in Ruyang rob at this price, it seems that they care a little about their own interests.

Why is this kid so conflicted?

Does he really know what he's doing?

Zheng Qian felt a little uneasy in his heart.

Suddenly, a domestic servant hurriedly walked upstairs and whispered a few words to Zheng Qian.

Zheng Qian immediately frowned, and said unhappily: "Get him for me!" ”

"Yes!"

About half an hour later, when a rush of footsteps came from the stairs, I saw a slightly bloated middle-aged man in a fancy dress hurriedly appear in front of Zheng Qian's eyes, and greeted with a smile on his face: "Shizi." ”

However, Zheng Qian didn't appreciate it, and said with a sneer: "Zhu Gui, my Zheng family is in Ruyang, there are only four rice shops in the east, west, south, and north, you have opened a few rice shops in a remote place in the city, and you have also asked my Zheng family to buy rice grain, my Zheng family has never treated you badly on weekdays, right?" As a result, you gave me a fall today? ”

The man who was called Zhu Gui was full of uneasiness when he heard this, and said in a sneer: "Shizi, misunderstanding, misunderstanding...... misunderstanding"

"Misunderstanding?"

Zheng Qian's eyes lit up, and he snorted coldly: "You took advantage of the price of rice between my Zheng family and the Zhao family, and ordered the guys under your command to come to my store again and again to buy rice, trying to take the opportunity to hoard grain and rice, you call this a misunderstanding?!" ”

That Zhu Gui wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and defended: "The prince is angry, it's really just that the people under his hands want to help your ......" Saying that, he saw Zheng Qian take a fierce look, and then begged for mercy: "It's a small moment of confusion, please forgive the prince, please forgive the prince." ”

Zheng Qian looked at Zhu Gui coldly, and suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and asked, "Wait, you're not the only one who does this, right?" ”

Zhu Gui nodded again and again: "Yes, I also saw Zhang Xiang on East Street, that guy is called hateful, I ......"

"Alright."

Zheng Qian interrupted Zhu Gui's words impatiently, stood up and grabbed the latter's collar, the latter was shocked and frightened, and was obediently pulled to the window by Zheng Qian.

At this time, I saw Zheng Qian stretch out his hand and point to the Zhao's rice shop that was diagonally opposite, and said in a low voice: "Go and contact the person you can contact, find his family to buy rice, and buy his family's rice short, understand?" ”

Zhu Gui suddenly realized, immediately turned his worries into joy, and swore and said: "Rest assured, Zhu will definitely do it." ”

At this time, Zheng Qian let go of his hand and said lightly: "Don't tell me, I don't know anything." ”

Zhu Gui immediately woke up, nodded again and again and said, "Yes, yes, the prince doesn't know anything." …… So, just go down there? ”

"Go ahead."

With the sound of squeaky footsteps, Zhu Gui, who had escaped by luck, fled away.

Seeing this, Wang Zhi walked to Zheng Qian's side and spurned: "This group of unfamiliar white-eyed wolves have forgotten how much favor they have received from my Zheng family, and they dare to take the opportunity to fall into the well......

"Those who are struggling to do a good job, if you get cheap, let's do something for my Zheng family."

After that, Zheng Qian looked at the opposite Zhao's rice shop and sneered secretly.