A month after the urgent report of the Jiangnan Navy Division at the mouth of the Songjiang River arrived in the capital, it was rumored that Li Xiaofei had returned with a large army, and for a while the fishing boats and merchant ships did not dare to leave the Songjiang Estuary.

The merchants of Qi Yunguo who came to buy the vermilion net bottle were in a hurry, and had to ask to see Xiao Sheng, who was resting in Jinling.

"Young Master Xiao, if you miss our king's ceremony, my family's lives will be lost, no matter what, we have to let the merchant ship anchor!"

Xiao Sheng shook his head, "Now that there is a strong enemy on the sea, I'm afraid that your ships of porcelain will be taken away before they go to sea!" Suddenly this kind of thing happens, even if Xiao has a heart, he can't help you! ”

"Xiao Gongzi, this Xiao family's face, even pirates don't dare to make a mistake, I am willing to give another 3,000 ingots of gold, and beg Xiao Gongzi to take the Xiao family's fleet to escort me to sea under the banner of the Xiao family!"

"It's not a matter of money, haven't you heard that even the Jiangnan Navy Division has been taken away with thirteen warships, which shows the strength of the other party. If my Xiao family's fleet rushes out to sea and is all taken away or sunk, what is the use of me taking your 3,000 ingots of gold? ”

"Xiao Gongzi, you are all over the world and well-informed, as long as the other party is a human, I think you must have a way! The villain's 3,000 ingots of gold will be placed here with you, anyway, once my family is ruined, it will be useless for me to take this money! ”

Xiao Sheng did not refuse, "Boss Wu Qi, don't be too pessimistic, you are not the only one affected, my Liang will definitely solve this strong enemy on the sea!" You go back and rest first, no matter what the situation is, Xiao will definitely protect you! ”

After sending off this Wu Qi boss, Xiao Sheng summoned all the managers of the Xiao family's large and small shops in Jinling, and asked them to follow him to Songjiangkou to inquire about the news in the next twenty days.

"Xiao Gongzi, here, we are all gone, what should we do with this business in Jinling?"

"A few years ago, you weren't in charge, and the Xiao family's property was not lost, don't worry, those who followed me over will each be rewarded with ten ingots of gold this month! However, during this time, you may have to go to sea, but you will die for a lifetime! Whatever you do, be sure to get me the news of that fleet! ”

Half of the people began to hesitate, Xiao Sheng looked at it, "If you hesitate, you don't have to go, stay, don't hesitate, let's leave today!" ”

Ten ingots of gold were indeed very tempting for the eighteen new stewards, so they all gladly went.

"Childe, this trip to the sea, if I can't come back, please have mercy on my wife and children."

"Childe, don't go, let's go, you command, we will do things well"

Xiao Sheng smiled, "Look at you one by one, I don't know how to know the bottom of my heart, as for him, Childe, I just made the worst plan, and I didn't actually get to that share, otherwise why would I go myself?" Don't worry, if something really happens to someone, twenty ingots of gold will be placed in the family! ”

Everyone thanked Xiao Sheng together, "Son, let's take ten ingots of gold, there is a son, and he is down-to-earth in his heart!" ”

"Let's go this time, inquire about it for two days at the mouth of the Songjiang River, and then buy a small boat and go to sea, go to the fleet, don't panic when we meet people, wave a white flag, don't quarrel, get on their ship first. It had been so long that there had been no news that the people of Daliang had been killed by them, and it seemed that this fleet did not look like a villain. By the way, in business, if their leaders ask, just say that you are in charge of the business, and you must not talk about state affairs on your own! ”

"Son-in-law, do you have to do business with them?"

"Childe is really wise!"

"Less sycophants and remember my words. My purpose is to get in touch with those people, and then buy a trade route from them, and now it is impossible to go to sea from the mouth of Songjiang, and if we don't open this joint, who will our porcelain and silk be sold to? If we can get in touch with this fleet, we can do more and more in the future! ”

As the master and servant spoke, they boarded the boat from Jinling to Songjiang Road, which was built by the Xiao family themselves and was originally used to receive the guests of the Xiao family. This time, I had to rush to take it out and occupy it.

In Luoyang City, Wang Fu took Dong Xing to Xiao Mansion to see Xiao Xian, and this time Wang Fu went out

only took Dong Xing and six personal soldiers and changed to an inconspicuous carriage.

When Wang Fu and Dong Xing entered the door, the porter of the Xiao Mansion was taken aback, "General Wang"

Before he could shout, Wang Fu pressed his shoulder, "Don't make a noise, I'll go see the prime minister!" You lead the way."

Menzi didn't dare to come out, so he had to take Wang Fu inside, bypassing the screen wall, only to see a woman practicing swords, Xiao Xian watched from the side.

"It's like, it's like, it's too similar," Wang Fu looked at the woman and said

Xiao Xian immediately looked over, "General Wang came in, and you didn't report it, why don't you understand the rules so much?" ”

Menzi knelt down, Wang Fu waved his hand, "Prime Minister Xiao, I asked him not to report, I don't want to be too public"

Xiao Xian immediately smiled, "Since General Wang asked you not to report, then you should get up."

Menzi got up and took a few steps back and turned to leave, and the woman who practiced the sword threw the sword to the guard on the side, "Miss Ben is tired, go back to the room to rest"

"Cong'er, don't you salute when you see General Wang? Our Xiao Mansion is a scholarly family! ”

Cong'er replied lightly: "I didn't draw my sword and stab him to death, it's already a full courtesy!" With that, he walked away quickly

Xiao Xian was furious, "Cong'er, you come back!" Who taught you this, you must make amends to General Wang today! ”

Wang Fu stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Xian, "Forget it, Ah Xian, there are some things that others will say if you don't say them, she will always know!" ”

Xiao Xian sighed, "Everyone was at fault for what happened back then, just don't mention this!" Are you here today to send someone to Gaochang? ”

Wang Fu looked at Cong'er's distant back and was distracted, Xiao Xian had no choice but to pat him on the shoulder, "That's you, outsiders are so rude in my house, I'm afraid it's difficult to explain!" ”

Wang Fu came back to his senses with a red face, "Ah Xian, I was rude, rude, she is too similar to her mother!" Yes, yes, yes, it's a matter of sending people to Gaochang! ”

"I've been waiting for you for five days, let's go, let's go to the study!"

Xiao Xian took Wang Fu and Dong Xing to the study, saying that it was a study, but it was an antique room, which contained jade from the Xia Dynasty, tripods from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, stone drums from the Qin Dynasty, and inscriptions from the Han and Wei dynasties.

Wang Fu and Dong Xing looked at these things, "Prime Minister Xiao Cheng is worthy of being a scholarly family, even if he plays with antiques, he is all Jinwen, Seal, Wenli, and Wei, and the monument will not be left behind." ”

Xiao Xian smiled slightly: "The main thing is that these things are only for me, and when they are treasures, they are not afraid of being taken away when they are placed outside the gate." Let General Wang laugh and get down to business! ”

Wang Fu told Xiao Xian the opinions he had discussed with Qian Jingzhi before, and handed Xiao Xian the prepared note.

Xiao Xian shook his head when he saw it, "I don't agree, I can't assign the children of the Xiao family!" ”

Wang Fu thought that he deliberately excused himself, so he dissected his heart and expressed his intention to let the Xiao family get involved in the military world.

"General Wang misunderstood, why don't I Xiao want to have children in the army, but there are many children of the Xiao family, many people who chew words, and many people who love gold and stone calligraphy and painting, and the rest are only obsessed with business, which is really embarrassing. This time I went to Gaochang to support a new king, if I messed up Long Yan and was furious, I am afraid that the gains outweighed the losses! ”

Wang Fu took a deep breath, "But the emperor's power to cut the army is imminent, isn't it asking for a dead end for my Wang family to reach out at this time?" The virtuous nephews don't know military affairs, I can send capable subordinates to assist, and I ask Prime Minister Xiao Cheng to help me out of the siege! ”

Xiao Xian picked up a painting and came over, "What you and I both know, isn't Your Majesty clear?" ”

Wang Fu and Dong Xing looked at each other, Xiao Xian unfolded the painting, and the three of them gathered around to look at it.

"Two peaches kill three soldiers, Prime Minister Xiao Cheng is so interested!" Dong Xing saw the content of the painting

"Yes, Mr. Dong, exactly, I did it when I was resting at home, which made the two of you laugh!"

"General Wang, Prime Minister Xiao Cheng, no matter which family sends someone to escort Prince Gaochang right now, they can't escape these three soldiers, we might as well jump out!"

Wang Fu and Xiao Xian looked at Dong Xing and asked at the same time, "What kind of jump?" ”

"Whether it is the Xiao family, the Wang family, the Xie family, the Chen family, the Pei family, etc., which one is at the family level, and there is only one quota, and whoever is sent will incur the jealousy of other families. After all, this time in the past, he was actually in charge of Gaochang! ”

Xiao Xian immediately reacted: "You mean to find someone who doesn't belong to the family to do this?" ”

"Then this person must not be able to do it, Feng Xiangjun is currently the old department of our Wang family, the Yongzhou transfer envoy is the Pei family, and the history of Yongzhou is false"

Dong Xing touched the big ding beside him, "If the prime minister and the general unanimously recommend the people from the Jin Palace, will it make the emperor happy, and the candidate approved by the emperor, which family will make a stumbling block?" ”

Xiao Xian Wang Fu suddenly realized, Xiao Xian carefully rolled up the painting, "The prince has recently made a great contribution, in order to balance, the credit of this trip to Gaochang can only be given to the Jin Wangfu to satisfy the emperor, maybe this is the emperor's purpose for us to discuss"

"The people of the Jin Palace's palace are in charge of part of the military power, and there will be another move next, I'm afraid we won't be at peace in the next few years. This battle for succession has always been bloody! ”

"General, after this incident, I want to tell the old man to return to his hometown, the prince and the king of Jin are both dragons and phoenixes among people, their abilities are extraordinary, and they are evenly matched on both sides, if you accidentally get involved, the consequences are unpredictable!"

"Retreat bravely from the torrent, when the time comes, we will retire to the countryside together to spend our old age, we should have let go of this military affairs and government affairs a long time ago!"

"Or is it serious, there are a lot of talents in the Jin Palace, who are we recommending?"

Wang Fu pondered for a while, "Jin Wangfu Gong Cao Zuo Sanxiang, this person can be competent!" ”

Xiao Xian was quite surprised, because this Zuo San was quite despised by Wang Fu and was full of arrogance, except for the emperor and the king of Jin, the rest of the people didn't pay attention to it.

"I'm afraid that General Wang doesn't want to declare a personal vendetta, and if he is sent to force a mutiny, how will it end at that time? This person is not suitable! ”

Wang Fu shook his head, "Prime Minister Xiao, I really don't like this person, but this person is arrogant but not humiliated, both civil and military, and he can repel a group of thieves when he is a teenager." The selection of people in the Jin Wangfu is also very strict, this person has a big temper but can be relied on by the King of Jin as a confidant, there must be something outstanding! Gaochang people are afraid of power but not virtue, and they must have people like Zuo Sanxiang to live in town! ”

Xiao Xian was skeptical, "I only know that this person has a big temper and is arrogant, so let's do it, you and I will each recommend one person, and I will recommend Wu Shangwen, the concubine of the Jin Palace, and let the emperor decide."

Wang Fu thought for a while, "You're right, let the emperor decide, we can only do this here!" ”

"It's rare for General Wang to come to Xiao Mansion once, I won't say any high-sounding words today, add two dishes and chopsticks to eat a light meal with me, can you enjoy your face?"

Wang Fu was stunned for a moment, "Okay, it's the first time I've eaten at your house for so many years, so I'm not polite." Mr. Dong, let's just appreciate this face, how about it? ”

Dong Xing did not shirk and agreed.

The so-called light meal is actually just not a banquet in the main hall, and there is less etiquette Kabuki, and the banquet is set up in the side hall, which is only for Xiao Xian, Wang Fu, and Dong Xing to eat and drink.

The general and the prime minister went to each other in private, and they also ate together, which I am afraid that others would never do.

But Xiao Xian and Wang Fu are not afraid, it is not that they are arrogant, but that Xiao Xian and Wang Fu have the hatred of taking their wives and killing their wives, and the Xiao family killed 3,000 elite soldiers of the Wang family in the war that year, and the enmity between the two families is too great.

The emperor of the two immediately gave the answer, worshiped Zuo Sanxiang as the general of Zhengxi, presided over all matters to escort Gaochang Prince Ju Yongwen back to China to succeed to the throne, and selected Zhan Shi Guo Meng from the East Palace to assist Zuo Sanxiang.

Regarding the emperor's decision, Xiao Xian Wang Fu was not a little surprised, and played a balancing act while recovering the military power.