Lu Jing took Wu Ze and Chen Ji to Qi Mansion to visit Qi Changqing, and Qi Changqing helped settle Wu Ze's affairs back then.

In the past few years, Lu Jing and Qi Changqing have also exchanged letters, he knows that the Salt Gang is a force in the rivers and lakes, and often lives a life of licking blood from the knife, and he also knows the truth that people can't help themselves in the rivers and lakes, and it is not realistic for Qi Changqing to completely withdraw from the rivers and lakes, so he persuaded Qi Changqing to fade out of the rivers and lakes many times.

Since Qi Changqing took over Lu Jing's business four years ago, his life has been extremely nourishing, and he is not short of silver, so he followed Lu Jing's advice and gradually withdrew from the Salt Gang, and no longer mixed too much with the Salt Gang.

He retired from the position of beach lord last year, and now he is in a state of semi-retirement, only in the name of an elder in the salt gang.

After Qi Changqing saw Lu Jing, he laughed and said, "Brother Lu, you are a distinguished guest today, please come in, please come in, you haven't come to my brother for a few days." ”

Qi Changqing welcomed Lu Jing into his home affectionately, he was extremely happy with Lu Jing's arrival, he had always admired Lu Jing's personality, especially Lu Jing's intelligence and methods.

Before he came into contact with Lu Jing, he had dealt with many scholars and civil officials, and although he envied the identity and status of scholars and civil officials, he was not used to seeing the behavior of scholars and officials.

They are either hypocritical and greedy people, or they are nerds who don't know anything about the world, and most scholars and civil servants look down on them as rough men with reckless backgrounds.

But when he first met Lu Jing, he felt that Lu Jing was extraordinary, different from the scholars he had met in the past.

Lu Jing is not arrogant and arrogant, nor does he look down on him because of his identity.

And he found that Lu Jing had a wide range of knowledge, a lot of means, and a very chivalrous heart, so he had a sincere relationship with Lu Jing and helped Lu Jing deal with a lot of troubles.

Fortunately, Lu Jing did not live up to his affection, and the friendship between the two gradually deepened.

Lu Jing explained with a smile: "Brother Qi is polite, the younger brother has long wanted to come to visit Brother Qi, but he has been guarding his father's filial piety in Gusu for the past few years, and it is inconvenient to come to the door!" ”

"Some time ago, my younger brother just took care of the trivial matters at home, so he came to visit."

Qi Changqing has been paying attention to the news of Lu Jing, and also knows that Lu Jing was still in Gusu at the end of last year, and only returned to Yangzhou after the New Year.

He hurriedly smiled and said: "Haha, don't blame the brother, don't blame, I'll just say it casually, you know that I'm used to it!" ”

"I know brother, you have a lot of things, I didn't bother my brother in the past, a few days ago Xu Er knew that you came back, and said that you were going to visit!"

Lu Jing said with a smile: "Brother Qi's words are out of sight, how can there be any trouble, Xiao Xu is at home today?" ”

Qi Xu is Qi Changqing's eldest son, fifteen years old this year, and Qi Changqing is different, although Qi Xu was born in a reckless family, he likes to read.

Qi Changqing suffered from illiteracy all his life, so he did his best to train Qi Xu to read, hoping that there would be a scholar in his family.

However, he didn't want to raise his son to be a nerd, so he often used Lu Jing as an example to educate his son.

Qi Xu admired Lu Jing very much, and regarded Lu Jing as a role model since he was a child.

"He's going to take the exam this year, and he's studying in the academy, and he was asking you to give him guidance a while ago, and I thought that my brother had just returned to Yangzhou, and there were many things, so let him visit you again after a while." Qi Changqing said with a smile.

Because the Lu family is a scholarly family, and Lu Jing is rarely famous, he has long wanted his son to go to Lu Jing to ask for homework, but he knew that Lu Jing had just returned to Yangzhou, so he didn't let Qi Xu bother Lu Jing.

Lu Jing smiled: "What's this, if Xiao Xu wants to find me, let him come!" ”

"I'm just a few years earlier than Xiao Xu, and I don't have that qualification to give homework, but it's okay to exchange experiences."

"Look at what my brother said, who in Jiangnan doesn't know your name, brother, I'll let Xu'er go to see you in a few days."

"Brother Qi has won the award, but I shouldn't be in Yangzhou for long, Brother Qi can let Xiao Xu come to me in a few days."

Qi Changqing was puzzled: "What, my brother wants to leave Yangzhou?" ”

"Yes, my Lu family is originally from Gusu, and I am also temporarily living in Yangzhou, and when the affairs of Yangzhou are dealt with, I will go back to Gusu!"

"But Brother Qi doesn't have to worry, I will stay in Yangzhou for a while, and when I go back, I will give Xiao Xu some of the exam lessons I compiled back then."

"Then thank you, brother!" Qi Changqing was overjoyed when he heard this.

Then he sighed a little with emotion: "Alas, when the elder brother moves to Gusu, it will not be so easy to see the elder brother when the time comes." ”

Lu Jing shook his head and smiled: "It is extremely convenient for Su Yang to travel between the two places, and it is also extremely easy to meet. ”

"Haha, that's what I said, we brothers haven't seen each other for so long, we must have a drink this time."

"Haha, it's okay, the little brother has long been worried about Brother Qi's good wine." Lu Jing said and motioned to Qi Changqing and asked him to retreat from everyone.

Qi Changqing understood, and in the name of having people arrange a banquet, he asked all the people in the room to withdraw.

Lu Jing asked Wu Ze and Chen Ji to stay outside the door, and then said with a smile: "Little brother is here today, in fact, there is a big matter that I want to ask for help from Big Brother Qi." ”

Qi Changqing said without hesitation: "If my brother has anything to say, only my brother can do it, and there is no ambiguity." ”

Lu Jing said in a low voice: "In the water town of the south of the Yangtze River, there is no end to fish and rice, born with salt, life is salty, if you have a heart, you will feel it, and if you add water, you will reduce." ”

The smile on Qi Changqing's face disappeared, and his brows furrowed: "Why, brother, you are also interested in this business, this is not easy to do?" ”

Lu Jing shook his head and said, "Brother Qi misunderstood, I have always stayed away from this business, but recently my younger brother has been a little interested in those thirteen families. ”

Qi Changqing was surprised when he heard this: "What, who among these families provoked the brothers?" ”

Lu Jing shook his head and said: "Presumably, Big Brother Qi also knows what happened in Jiangnan recently, and he can't hide it, the current Lord of the Salt Patrol Imperial Shilin is the mentor of the younger brother." ”

Qi Changqing suddenly realized: "No wonder my brother cares about these salt merchants, it turns out that Master Lin is Brother Lu's teacher." ”

Recently, such a big thing happened in Yangzhou Yandao, he naturally knew it, and the salt gang also suffered a lot of losses in this turmoil.

It's just that he didn't expect Lin Ruhai to be Lu Jing's teacher, and then he looked at Lu Jing with some concern.

Lu Jing smiled: "Brother Qi doesn't have to worry about me, I didn't participate in it, but recently I saw that the teacher was in a difficult situation, and the younger brother wanted to help the teacher." ”

He and Qi Changqing have been friends for a long time, and they know that Qi Changqing can rely on him, so they don't hide him.

Qi Changqing wanted to persuade Lu Jing but didn't know how to speak, in his opinion, now Lin Ruhai is difficult to protect himself, if Lu Jing gets involved, I'm afraid it won't be good.

It's just that he understands Lu Jing's temperament, and knows what Lu Jing decides, and it is difficult for others to dissuade him, so he bit it and said: "If my brother needs to do anything, just do it." ”

Lu Jing saw that Qi Changqing still supported him unreservedly, and he was a little moved in his heart, and thanked him: "Little brother, thank you for your support." ”

"Don't say such things to your own brother, I have always admired your brother!"

"My old Qi has no other skills, I know that people live for a lifetime, righteousness comes first, brother, you have helped me a lot, and my old Qi can't be ungrateful."

Lu Jing didn't say any more words of thanks, and then comforted Qi Changqing and said: "Brother Qi doesn't have to be so pessimistic, in fact, the family teacher acts like this, and it is also the emperor's order, otherwise the teacher will not go against so many forces in Jiangnan." ”

"It's the emperor who wants to deal with them?"

Qi Changqing was shocked when he heard this, he was born recklessly and did not understand the situation in the DPRK and China, but he knew that the emperor was the biggest in the whole world, and if the emperor wanted to deal with the Jiangnan forces, then the Jiangnan forces would not be able to fall well.

"Yes, the internal situation of this matter is extremely complicated, it involves the struggle for imperial power, and it is inconvenient for the younger brother to reveal too much, Brother Qi only needs to know that this matter is laid out by the emperor behind his back."

Qi Changqing's face was not as serious as just now, when he made up his mind to follow Lu Jing, he was determined to die, but now when he heard that it was the emperor's support, he was immediately relieved.

Lu Jing saw that Qi Changqing's face had improved, and then asked, "Does Brother Qi know that he will really remember?" ”

"I didn't expect even Brother Lu to know about this, I was about to tell you about it!" Qi Changqing said in surprise.

Lu Jing nodded and said, "I also heard someone mention it by chance, saying that those salt merchants have a book that will be true, and there are some amazing things in it. ”

Qi Changqing said in a low voice: "I have also heard of it, I heard that it is the secret account book of those salt merchants, and I remember that it is all the filial piety silver they gave to the officials of Yandao and Jiangnan, Henan and other places. ”

The Salt Gang had a close relationship with the Salt Merchant, and he naturally knew that the Salt Merchant had a secret ledger on which he remembered some unsightly things.

"Does Big Brother Qi know the whereabouts of this ledger?" Lu Jing continued to ask.

The only breaking point he can think of now is this ledger, if he can get this ledger, I believe that Lin Ruhai's crisis will be solved.

Qi Changqing immediately understood Lu Jing's plan, shook his head and said, "They cover the account book very tightly, and I don't know the specific whereabouts." ”

Qi Changqing thought for a while and continued: "But in my opinion, it is either in the Chen family or the Lu family, and it is very likely that it is in the hands of Chen Lu. ”

"A few years ago, I had a drink with Chen Lu, and after Chen Lu got drunk, he once said that the lifeblood of the salt merchants in Jiangnan was in his hands."

Lu Jing's expression was shocked when he heard the news, no matter whether what Chen Lu said when he was drunk or not, it was finally a clue: "Since this is the case, start with Chen Lu first, this matter doesn't need to be done by Brother Qi, I can do it." ”

Qi Changqing knew Lu Jing's methods: "Then leave it to the elder brother, if the elder brother needs me to make a move, just send someone to inform him." ”

Lu Jing nodded and said: "For the time being, there is no need for Brother Qi to make a move, but Brother Qi also needs to pay attention to it, this time the matter in Jiangnan, I'm afraid it won't end so easily, Brother Qi still has to prepare early, if possible, you can also help the Salt Gang profit in this matter." ”

Qi Changqing nodded and said: "Don't worry, brother, I understand what you mean, I can also borrow this incident to repay the favor of the Salt Gang, and I will continue to inquire about the whereabouts of the account book." ”

"This matter needs to be done with caution so that no one finds out." Lu Jing cautiously advised, after all, the salt merchant power is not simple, and if they are discovered, the two of them may not be able to withstand it.

Qi Changqing also said cautiously: "I will be careful, and Brother Lu should also be careful." ”

Then Lu Jing and Qi Changqing discussed for a while, and Lu Jing also planned for Qi Changqing to completely withdraw from the Salt Gang.