"A few days ago, Liu Ji and Liu Laosan were mentioned, but I didn't expect it to be Cao Cao, and Cao Ren sent Xiahoudun."

While muttering these words in his heart, Xiang Kang's right hand shook slightly, and he wanted to touch the hilt of the sword on his waist without thinking, but when his fingertips just moved, Xiang Kang stopped again, and said strangely in his heart: "What do I want to do?" Take the opportunity to kill Fan Xu? Why should I kill him? ”

After thinking about it carefully, Xiang Kang found that he was indeed a little too impulsive, because although Fan Hao was indeed the enemy of the old Xiang family in the future, it was true that the two sides had not yet made a feud, and at the same time, the troubled times had not officially begun, so Xiang Kang had no reason or way to kill Fan Hao directly regardless of the consequences. And more importantly, Fan Xu is also one of the founders of the Han Dynasty, one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history, and a hero and hero among the Han people.

Thinking of this, in addition to suppressing the impulse in his heart, Xiang Kang also showed a kind smile on his not too ugly face, and said very sincerely: "Fan Zhuangshi, I have admired the name for a long time, like thunder, I can see you today, and I am fortunate in the next three lives." ”

"Haha, Xiang Gongzi is really good at telling jokes." Fan Xu's personality is as hearty and direct as in film and television dramas, and he laughed and said: "In the lower district, a nameless rat, that dare to be something is like thunder, and the son is exaggerated." ”

"The strong man is polite, not exaggerated at all." Xiang Kang said from the bottom of his heart, and then beckoned: "The strong man, please sit down, the place is simple, and I haven't prepared anything in advance, the strong man will drink a sip of hot soup (boiling water) first, and then we will go to the wine shop to drink in a while." ”

Fan Hao readily agreed, first sat on the spot with Feng Zhong and Xiang Kang, and then said to Xiang Kang: "Xiang Gongzi, I am a rough person, so I said directly, I want to buy sixty knives from you to go to Pei County, and give us Pei County's officials to use, but I think your price is a little expensive, I want to ask Gongzi you to let some prices, sell them to me cheaper, and I promise to buy more in the future." ”

"How much does the strong man want me to give?" Xiang Kang asked.

"How about five hundred dollars?" Fan Xu replied very directly, took out another cloth bag, and said, "If you can, I will pay now and give it in gold." ”

"It's too low." Xiang Kang shook his head decisively and said: "Fan Zhuangshi, presumably you should have also inquired about the price in Xiaxiang City, the knives of our Shiling Pavilion are sold for 1,000 yuan a handful when they are transported into Xiaxiang City, you come here directly to buy it, and we will give you 820 yuan for a handful, which is already very low, and it really can't make so much." ”

"yes, that's too low." Feng Zhong also said: "That's it, for everyone's sake, I'll call the shots, and I'll give you twenty dollars less, how about it?" ”

"It's too expensive." Fan Hao smiled bitterly and said, "I don't have so much money in my hand, so I ask Xiang Gongzi and Feng You to be merciful, and let me make a little more price, don't let me run for nothing." ”

"Fan Zhuangshi, we also have to get back the capital." Feng Zhong shook his head and said, "Strong man, you can ask other businessmen to see if we have given them a price?" We can give you twenty dollars with a knife, it's really for the sake of your Peixian Cao Jiaopeng's face. ”

It should be that there is really not so much money, Fan Xu continued to bargain, insisting on asking Xiang Kang and Feng Zhong to make some more prices, Feng Zhong bargained, although he also gave Fan Hao some more, but the concession was not big, and said: "Fan Zhuangshi, it doesn't matter if you don't bring so much money, you can buy as much as you want, go back and tell you the situation Cao Jiaopeng, next time you bring enough money to buy again, there will be no delay, anyway, Pei County is not too far from here." ”

Fan Hao rubbed his hands and calculated, and only said after a while: "Feng Youxi, Xiang Gongzi, if this doesn't work, I'll buy sixty handfuls at the price you said, but I can only pay you fifty gold now, and I'll send you money later, how about I supply you next time?" ”

After that, Fan Xu hurriedly added a sentence and said: "Feng Youxiang Gongzi don't worry, I, Fan Xu, am not the kind of person who owes money and doesn't pay it back, and those who send you will definitely make up for it, with our Cao Xuanpeng's guarantee, you shouldn't have to worry about me defaulting on the debt, right?" ”

Feng Zhong really didn't dare to rest assured about this matter, let alone make decisions on his own, so he could only turn his gaze to Xiang Kang next to him, and Xiang Kang, who didn't participate in the bargaining much, also thought about it for a while, and then said: "Fan Zhuangshi, I have to discuss this matter with Brother Feng." That's it, anyway, sixty knives can't be punched in a day or two, Fan Zhuangshi, you will stay in Lingting Pavilion for a few days, and I will discuss it with Brother Feng before giving you an answer? ”

Fan Hao readily agreed, and Xiang Kang invited Fan Hao to go to the wine shop in Shiling Pavilion with him and Feng Zhong to drink, Fan Xu, who loves to drink, was overjoyed when he heard this, and quickly said that he had a treat, and immediately got up to find a place to drink.

After talking and laughing with Fan Hao and Feng Zhong to the wine shop in Shiling Pavilion, out of respect for Fan Xu, Xiang Kang, who already had some continuation in his hand, rushed to pay for it first, and called for wine and food to enjoy with Fan Hao and Feng Zhong, and the three of them talked very happily, during which intentionally or unintentionally, Xiang Kang suddenly mentioned a certain Pei County pavilion chief who had escaped from prison, and asked Fan Hao seemingly casually: "Fan Zhuangshi, I heard that there is a pavilion chief named Liu Ji in your Pei County, who dared to directly release the prisoners who went to work in Lishan, and also took some people to Mangdang Mountain to become robbers. Is this true or false? ”

"It's true." Fan Xu replied casually: "In our place, there is such a pavilion chief, and he has indeed done such a thing, and I have also seen that pavilion chief." ”

"That Fan Zhuangshi, what is your relationship with the pavilion chief surnamed Liu?" Xiang Kang asked curiously.

"I've just seen it, I don't know it, and I don't have any friendship." Fan Xu replied very casually: "The one surnamed Liu is a well-known scoundrel in our Pei County, and he likes to take a group of rural scoundrels to eat and drink everywhere, and he often owes a lot of debts, and he is too lazy to deal with such people." ”

Hearing this, Feng Zhong couldn't help but laugh a little, and quietly glanced at Xiang Kang, who was still eating and drinking with the children of the Xiang family for a while, and said in his heart Fortunately, this is the lower minister, if the chief named Liu Ji is also here, the lower minister will have two gangs of scourges. Xiang Kang also smiled, smiling very happily. Then Xiang Kang turned to Mrs. Chen, the owner of the Shiling Pavilion Wine Shop, and asked, "Chen Yuan, is there any dog meat?" ”

Hearing the word dog meat, the muscles on Fan Xu's face, who was particularly famous in a certain aspect, couldn't help twitching slightly, and Aunt Chen replied: "No, if the son wants to eat dog meat, the next time you kill the dog, I will tell you." ”

"How about killing a dog for me tomorrow? I can pay the money upfront. Xiang Kang smiled and said, "I want to invite my brother tomorrow, as well as this Fan Zhuangshi and Brother Feng to eat dog meat together." ”

Aunt Chen agreed, and rejected Xiang Kang's kindness to pay the money first with a smile, but Fan Hao was beating a drum in her heart, quietly glanced at Xiang Kang with a mysterious smile, and said secretly in her heart: "What's the matter?" Could it be a coincidence, why does this kid want to invite me to eat dog meat? Does he know that I actually killed dogs? Impossible, right? Pei County is so far away from here, how can this little vertical man know that I am killing dogs in Pei County? ”

Fan Xu, who is thick on the outside and fine on the inside, guessed Xiang Kang's mind correctly this time, in fact, as early as when Fan Xu replied that he had no friendship with Liu Laosan, Xiang Kang, who knew that Fan Hao was Liu Laosan's brother-in-law, already understood in his heart - Fan Xu, the famous puppy nemesis in the late Qin and early Han dynasties, did not buy weapons for any Peixian officials at all, but bought knives for Liu Laosan, who had already become a robber! And Fan Xu must have joined Liu Laosan's Mangdangshan bandit gang!

"How do you deal with this puppy nemesis? Of course, it is not possible to sell him for reward. Xiang Kang thought in his heart, and said secretly: "Sixty steel knives, say a lot less, say more is not much, in the future, it will not play a decisive role on the battlefield, you can sell him and Liu Laosan a favor and help him with this." But why should I sell him this favor? Why do you want to help him and Liu Laosan, the future enemies of the old Xiang family? ”

Thinking about it, a thought suddenly came to Xiang Kang's heart, and he said in his heart: "This favor can be helped, but it can't be in vain, I have to use this little dog nemesis to do a big thing for me first!" A big thing that neither I nor the children of the Xiang family can do directly! ”

quickly made up his mind in his heart, Xiang Kang's not too ugly face of course smiled more kindly, and he kept persuading food and wine between talking and laughing, and soon drunk Feng Zhong, who had a mediocre amount of alcohol, and then under the pretext of sending Feng Zhong home, he and Fan Xu took Feng Zhong to live in the pavilion of Shiling Pavilion, and also took advantage of the situation to live in the village-level police station of Shiling Pavilion with Fan Xu. - Not to mention, Fan Xu really deserves the evaluation of the four words bold and careful, even if he has a case on his back and a quote of truth and falsehood in his hand, Fan Xu still accepted Xiang Kang's invitation without hesitation, and lived with Xiang Kang in the Shilingting Police Station, which was full of Qin Dynasty public security officers.

That night, Xiang Kang and Fan Xu lived in the guest house of Shiling Pavilion together, and after confirming that there were no outsiders eavesdropping in the dead of night, Xiang Kang smiled at Fan Xu, who was lying next to him and was asleep, and said, "Fan Zhuangshi, I want to talk to you a few words." ”

The answer to Xiang Kang was that Fan Xu's snoring was still like thunder, but Xiang Kang smiled more and more kindly, and said in a low voice: "Fan Zhuangshi, don't pretend, I know you are pretending to be asleep, don't worry, I won't expose you, I have something to discuss with you." ”

Fan Xu's snoring rhythm was a little disordered, but he still didn't move, Xiang Kang didn't bother to pay attention to him, just whispered to himself: "Next to the lower minister, there is a place called Ling County, where there is a right lieutenant surnamed Shan, his son is called Shan Fan, relying on his father's power to do wrong, bullying men and women, doing all kinds of evil, not only bullying the local people at every turn, but also his wife, I heard that she died in his hands. I also have a grudge against their father and son, and I want to get rid of Shan Fan, a bully, Fan Zhuangshi, can you help me with this? ”

Fan Hao was still snoring like thunder, but Xiang Kang shook his head in disappointment and said in a low voice: "Okay, since the strong man refuses to help with this, then he is not reluctant to do it and leaves." ”

After that, Xiang Kang, who believed in the gentleman not standing under the dangerous wall, got up, picked up his sword and walked out, but when he took off the latch, Xiang Kang said: "Fan Zhuangshi, when you return to Mangdang Mountain, please bring me a sentence to Liu Ji and Liu Tingchang, that is, I admire him very much, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet in the future and have a good drink." ”

Before Xiang Kang's words could speak, Fan Xu's snoring had stopped abruptly, and the person immediately sat up and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean by what you just said?" ”

"Strong man, why do you force me to tell the truth?" Xiang Kang smiled and whispered: "Actually, I already knew that you and Liu Ji, who fled from prison, are friends of life and death, and I also know that you are not selling knives for the officials of Pei County, you are going to buy knives to go to Mangdang Mountain and give them to Liu Ji's people." ”

Fan Hao jumped up and quickly went to get his sword, Xiang Kang, who knew how powerful he was, hurriedly said: "Don't move, I have no malicious intent, if I want to expose you, I will already speak in front of Brother Feng during the day." ”

"What the hell do you want to do?" Fan Xu clenched his sword and asked in a hoarse voice.

"I want to make a deal with you." Xiang Kang said calmly: "You help me kill the son of the right lieutenant, I won't expose you, and I promise that you can take away sixty knives with fifty gold." ”

Fan Hao hesitated, and only after a while did he ask: "That surnamed Shan, is it really as hateful as you say?" ”

"It's only more hateful than I say." Xiang Kang smiled and said: "It really takes some time to prepare sixty knives for you, before that, you can personally go to Ling County to inquire about who the surname Shan is, and see if it is worth your help for Tianxingdao." ”

Seeing that Xiang Kang answered confidently, Fan Hao also believed a little, and after a little calculation, he said: "Okay, you prepare a knife for me, I'll inquire, if the person surnamed Shan really deserves to be killed as you say, I'll help you with this!" ”

"Thank you, strong man." Xiang Kang thanked him and said: "Rest in peace, I'll go back first, I want to think about how to help you get rid of the bully surnamed Shan, and let you get out of the whole body and return to Mangdang Mountain with a knife safely." ”

After finishing speaking, Xiang Kang, who didn't dare to be in the same room as Fan Xu, took off the latch and was about to go out when he opened the door, Fan Xu hurriedly greeted: "Wait, I want to ask you a question, how did you know about me?" ”

"It was told to me by a man named Sima Qian." Xiang Kang replied the truth, and then said nonsense: "He is from your Pei County, and when he told me about the situation between you and Liu Ji, I respect your righteous deeds, so I didn't expose your identity." ”

After that, Xiang Kang pushed the door and left, leaving Fan Hao dumbfounded in the guest house of Shiling Pavilion, muttering, "Sima Qian? In Pei County, is there a person named Sima Qian? ”