"Hey, Hu Kuan is here, okay!" Chen Xu dropped the chopsticks in his hand, stood up, and strode out.

"Brother Wuya, who is Hu Kuan?" Zhao Qing put down his chopsticks suspiciously, stood up and asked.

"Hu Kuan is the steward of Qinghe Store!" Yu Wuya stuffed a piece of hot beef into his mouth, and then lifted the iron sword and walked out as he spoke.

Sure enough, when Chen Xu braved the snow and walked to the gate of the Hou Mansion, he saw more than 30 carriages lined up, and the tails were all lined up outside the street, Hu Kuan led more than ten children, as well as Shi Xuan and Bo Daocheng, two music masters that Chen Xu named to bring over, and dozens of helpers, horsemen who drove the car, and escorted soldiers.

"Master Hou!" Seeing Chen Xu come out, Hu Kuan was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed.

"I've seen Master Hou!" Shi Xuan, Bo Daocheng, the escorted soldiers and the captain all saluted Chen Xu together.

"Kowtow to Lord Hou!" A slightly older child shouted, and more than a dozen boys and girls knelt in the snow and kowtowed to Chen Xu together.

"Kowtow, get up quickly, go in to wash up and eat!" Chen Xu pulled up the two children in front of him, looked at the snowflakes on his hat and clothes, and ordered the steward Huang Fuque, who came out, to quickly bring a group of shivering children and Shi Xuanbo Daocheng and others into the mansion.

After a group of children went in, Chen Xu looked at the goods piled up on the car, and said with a smile: "It's good to come, I hope you have been here for a long time, the road is snowing and slippery, it must be difficult to walk, right?" ”

Hu Kuan hurriedly arched his hand and said with a smile: "Fortunately, the county lieutenant arranged a school of soldiers to escort him along the way, and the convoy also planted the flag of the Hou Mansion, and many caravans were met along the way and took the initiative to give way, and also arranged for the workers and slaves to help push the cart, so it was extremely smooth, although the ice and snow blocked the road, but it only took half a month before and after, I hope there was no delay in the Hou Ye's major event!" ”

"It's snowing outside, let's get all the carriages into the Hou Mansion first, and the grooms, helpers, and soldiers will also wash and eat and drink first, and then slowly get it!"

After Chen Xu finished speaking, he gave a few orders, and the housekeepers and guards of the Hou Mansion who followed behind him were all busy, directing the coachman to drive all the carriages into the courtyard.

"That's right, Master Hou, this time we came to take the southeast road, when passing through Luoyang, I met a person, I heard that we are Lord Hou's caravan, he wanted to visit Lord Hou, I saw that he talked well, so I brought him, do you want to meet?" Hu Kuan asked cautiously.

He talks well, so he is naturally a scholar, this kind of person Chen Xu is still a little interested, so he said with a smile: "Since you are here to admire, you can bring him over to meet him!" ”

"Good!" Hu Kuan turned around and quickly brought over a young man wearing a leather jacket and a fur hat, and his appearance was quite familiar.

"Hey, Chen Ping!" Chen Xu was stunned for a moment.

"Chen Ping meets the Marquis of Qinghe! Unexpectedly, after more than a year, the name of Hou Ye has resounded throughout China! Chen Ping respectfully saluted Chen Xu and said.

"Master Hou, it turns out that you know each other!" Hu Kuan was amazed.

"Haha, I've known each other for a long time, Brother Chen is a famous man in Liang, known as a virtuous person, just right, we are eating hot pot, let's go, go in and talk while eating~!" Chen Xu's face was about to laugh, and he enthusiastically pulled Chen Ping into the house, and Hu Kuan followed behind with doubts.

entered the house, instructed the maid to fetch water to wash Hu Kuan and Chen Ping, and then sat down again around the hot pot together, and introduced Zhao Qing and Yu Wuya to each other, and then they both picked up chopsticks and continued to make the hot pot.

Hot pot Hu Kuan has naturally eaten, but like Zhao Qing, such a hearty has never thought of never seen it at all, when he was still in Wancheng with Ma Teng, although there is no shortage of food and clothing, but it will also be enough to eat and clothe, gambling money is a few dollars of gambling books, since the life with Chen Xu is good, now in Wancheng and even in the entire Great Qin, his reputation Hu Kuan is not small, since Qin Shi Huang watched a play in Wancheng Qinghe Theater, Qinghe's signboard reputation is growing, If you go anywhere, it is the object of competition among merchants and nobles, not to mention that Chen Xu became the Marquis of Qinghe, and the businessmen who know a lot of insider information are even more respectful to the people of the Qinghe Group, without him, the reputation of the Marquis of Qinghe is too big, just over a month, and now Chen Xu's reputation has resounded throughout China, almost everyone knows it, and the identities of Hu Kuan and others who follow Chen Xu are naturally rising, and there are gradually signs of the family's wealthy doglegs.

However, for Chen Ping, this way of eating hot pot is the first time to see, not to mention the novelty of eating, the dishes are definitely luxurious, I don't know how many poor people's savings will be eaten for several years this meal, but Chen Ping will not consider the feelings of the poor, compared to Chen Xu's wealth and status, he is also a poor peasant, this meal is enough to open his eyes, not to mention such a large Hou Mansion.

He had already heard that this Hou Mansion was the prime minister's mansion of Lu Buwei, the original prime minister, and there were only a handful of people in the world who could live in it.

A group of people feasted around the hot pot, fresh and spicy and a few glasses of Qinghe wine, and after everyone got acquainted, the conversation box slowly opened, laughing and drinking, and the atmosphere became more and more enthusiastic.

"Brother Chen, since you came to Xianyang, don't look elsewhere, I know that you are talented, if you bury it and waste all your learning, how about staying and helping me in the future?" While eating, drinking, and talking, Chen Xu said to Chen Ping with a smile.

"Hou Ye invited, Ping didn't dare to resign, after leaving Qinghe Town with Yingbu last time, Ping returned to Daliang and spent more than a year in a daze, I heard a month ago that you were invited to Xianyang by Fusu Gongzi, and was named the Minister of State and Qinghe Hou by His Majesty, Ping thought about it again and again, and also wanted to come to Hou Ye, hoping that what he learned could be used by Hou Ye!" Chen Ping hurriedly put down the wine glass and chopsticks and said.

"Haha, that's good, with your help, I have an arm!" Chen Xu started happily, raised his glass and said, "Come, have a drink for Chen Ping's joining!" ”

"Dry~" Several people who drank with red faces raised their glasses one after another.

"That day in Luoyang, I felt that Brother Chen was talking well, but I didn't expect Brother Chen and Hou Ye to be old acquaintances, since they are their own people, in the future, although they are sent, they will give full support!"

Hu Kuan is now in charge of Wancheng, Daliang, Xinzheng, Handan, Luoyang and other five Qinghe hotels for Chen Xu, and the speed of making money is completely indescribable.

"Brother Hu praised, Chen Ping came from a humble background, his family was poor since he was a child, but he liked to read and travel, so the family took care of his parents all up to his brother, and now Ping is not diligent and does not divide the grains, I originally wanted to go home to help my brother farm and support the family, but my brother taught me that if I learned a body of knowledge, but I still do these lowly things such as farming and chopping wood, wouldn't I be ashamed of the people who study in the world, Ping thought about it helplessly, and felt that only the Hou Ye could take refuge in the whole world, so he was ready to come to Xianyang ......"

Chen Ping was straightforward, and roughly explained the causes and consequences of his coming, and finally said with a red face: "Pingzhi's learning is quite mixed, and he has dabbled in the subset of scripture and history, but he is not proficient in the way of business, nor does he know how to calculate, and he doesn't know if he can help the Hou Ye, so he is quite worried." ”

"Haha, the business is simple, you will learn it, and the calculation is a small way, but the so-called one-size-fits-all, the world's affairs are only one intention, if Brother Chen Ping is used to do these, it is a bit overkill, and when I have the opportunity, I will recommend it to Your Majesty, and it is unknown to be ranked in the court in a few years!" Chen Xu said with a smile.

"Thank you Lord Hou for your appreciation!" Chen Ping stood up excitedly and bowed his hand.

"Congratulations to Brother Chen, with the recommendation of Master Hou, Brother Chen's future will be smooth sailing!" Zhao Qing couldn't help but congratulate him.

"By the way, Brother Chen, you know, Yingbu is also in Xianyang now!" After some politeness, he sat down again, and Chen Xu said while eating.

"He's here too?" Chen Ping was stunned for a moment, and then stopped his chopsticks with a somewhat deep face.

"Hehe, in March this year, when His Majesty toured the southeast, he came to join me in Wancheng, and now he is in charge of security affairs in the factory outside the city, and has been named a captain by His Majesty, you are old acquaintances, you can meet in a few days!" Chen Xu smiled and nodded.

"Master Hou, this person Yingbu ......" Chen Ping hesitated for a moment and was about to speak.

"At this time and that time, Brother Chen doesn't have to be too entangled, the so-called people go to high places and water flows to low places, Yingbu is the same as you think, but he is also afraid of burying his martial arts, work together in the future, don't be guilty!"

"Yes, Master Hou!" Chen Ping gave his hand.

It can be said that today is a day of double happiness.

After getting the news of the success of the businessman's steel smelting, Hu Kuan brought him a resourceful Chen Ping, Chen Xu was extremely happy, and accidentally drank too much, and the five of them drank more than ten bottles of Qinghe wine, and the fifteen-year-old little body suddenly couldn't resist, but just when a few little maids helped him and was about to go to bed to faint for a while, the steward Huangfu ran in again, and there was a series of shouts in his mouth.

"Hou Ye, Hou Ye~"

"What's the matter?" Chen Xu asked angrily with his eyes half-open in a daze.

"There is an inner servant to pass the decree, Your Majesty invites the Hou Ye to enter the palace immediately!"

"Ugh!" Chen Xu couldn't help but burp, and the alcohol instantly lost three points, although it was a little inexplicable, but he still hurriedly asked someone to help him change his clothes, hurriedly washed his face and brushed his teeth and cleaned up, and then got into the carriage to greet the guards to escort him out.

Sure enough, a luxury carriage was parked outside the Hou Mansion, and the palace people who announced the decree were standing under the car and waiting, and when they saw Chen Xu coming out, they hurriedly bowed and saluted and said, "Qinghe Hou, Your Majesty has something to summon, please enter the palace quickly!" ”

"Let's go!" Chen Xu nodded drunkenly, sat in the carriage and swayed behind the palace people's car towards the palace.