Chapter 182: Marriage Again

Master Ning nodded hurriedly, the word "we" made his heart quite hot, Ning Qiangui was always a little puzzled by the origin of the genuine green salt, he never thought that the people who came out of the salt were actually "thieves" who were rampant in the world. Li Meng laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart, thinking to himself if this was considered unfaithful.

In Shaanxi, Jin, Yuchuan, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong fought with the officers and soldiers, but they have been doing the business of funding, if Emperor Chongzhen knows, it is inevitable to cut a thousand knives.

However, this can be regarded as a show of goodwill, but Li Zicheng also laid down the Beijing Division, and he was the emperor of Dashun for a period of time, which can be regarded as a bet on both sides.

"My lord, now the news brought back by Hou Shan in Beizhili, horses are becoming more and more difficult to buy, only seventy horses have come back in two months, and more than a dozen horses have been detained when they pass the checkpoint."

Hou Shan is currently the most tired one of the Jiaozhou battalions, because he gives his tongue and tongue, and his brain is relatively flexible, and some of the things that are purchased and transported are handled by him, and buying horses is naturally a big deal for the Jiaozhou battalion, which requires a lot of silver, so it is natural that Hou Shan personally goes out of the horse.

Originally, it was quite easy to buy horses in Shandong, there was a big mule and horse market at the junction of Hebei and Shandong, but the war was raging, horses were urgently needed by both the military and the people, naturally everyone was very important, all good horses were bought and sold, and the price of the remaining inferior horses was also extremely high.

The merchants in Shanxi naturally had a way, but the horses didn't make much money, so they didn't do this business at all.

Hou Shan has not returned to Shandong for many years, and he has not been able to go back to Shandong for many years, and he has not bought much, and most of them are horses of officers and soldiers and rebellious people, and these people also have to exchange some silver to go back for the New Year.

Li Meng was a little bored when he heard this, this time he led the cavalry to raid Dongchang Mansion, and Liu Zeqing's soldiers faced the cavalry like pigs and sheep, impacting, slashing and killing, and almost did not encounter resistance. That is, there are two or three camps, in which there are obviously veterans who have fought and gathered soldiers, but the cavalry is also lined up and will be crushed.

The strength of the cavalry can be imagined, not to mention the powerful mobility that horses can bring in this era, if you rely on your legs, I'm afraid you won't come back to Dongchang Mansion now?

Thinking of this, Li Meng had a deeper worry, the terrain of Shandong is particularly suitable for cavalry, low mountains and hills are not obstacles at all, and Shandong here, starting in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, has had a very good development in all dynasties, and the official roads and paths of various prefectures and counties extend in all directions, which invisibly amplifies the role of cavalry.

Around Jiaozhou, except for the sea, there is no dangerous place to rely on, if he captures the Jurchen in the east and goes south, Shandong is a place that must pass, the Jurchen and Mongolian cavalry add up to not be counted by the order of "hundred" or "thousand", Li Meng inexplicably appeared in his mind the overwhelming cavalry rushing towards his side, couldn't help but be a little dizzy, shook his head to stop this nonsense thought, and said to Ning Qiangui with a smile:

"Tell Hou Shan, these years are in chaos, horses are small things, talent is a big thing, and his safety is better than anything else."

Ning Qiangui hurriedly nodded and agreed, it was not yet noon to report the matter, Ning Qiangui just wanted to leave, but Li Meng opened his mouth and said:

"Now write a post to Yan Zhizhou and send it to the side, just say that this official will visit in the afternoon!"

Yan Zhizhou has been in Jiaozhou City for almost five years, the second term of office is also going to end, although the reason is not to take care of their own affairs, but they live a relaxed life, under the deterrence of the Jiaozhou battalion, Jiaozhou City without permission, even petty theft can not appear, the so-called "road is not forgotten, the night is not closed" The image of peace is only in Jiaozhou.

Moreover, Jiaozhou is different from other places, and other places do everything possible not to pay the taxes of the imperial court, but Jiaozhou often completes about eighty percent. That's because everyone knows that private salt is where the big profit lies, and Li Meng has no restrictions on private boiling of sea salt because of the production capacity of his salt farm, but there is one thing that is a dead rule, that is, it must be purchased by the Jiaozhou camp.

Under the rule of Taiping, there is no arrears in taxes, and Yan Zhizhou is quiet and indifferent, which makes his performance appraisal in the household department has been "up" for several consecutive years, the problem is that he is from Zhejiang, most of the bigwigs in the DPRK and China are people from Nanzhili, Su Songchang was born, so he was not promoted.

However, according to people who understand the rules of officialdom, promotion is inevitable, it depends on whether to go to that big mansion to be a fellow intellectual, and the general sentence is to go to a small mansion to be a prefect, maybe not in Shandong, anyway, it is going to be promoted.

But this Yan Zhizhou is about to be promoted, but he is not too happy, he knows that he is here, almost the life of studying at home that day, practicing calligraphy every day, going home to accompany his family, all things do not have to worry about him, the subordinates below are polite, dare not disobey, since the face of the history was blocked by the soldiers of the Jiaozhou battalion and beaten at home.

The reason for all this is, of course, that Li Meng, who had the idea of beating his daughter again, thought that he was a civil official, although the other party's grade was slightly higher than his own, but he was noble and martial, and he could still suppress the other party, who would have thought that Li Meng's official position had risen magically, and now he was already a general on the defensive side, even if it was the prefect of Laizhou, he had to be treated politely, and he had to be respectful, it was really depressing, Yan Zhizhou was most annoying that others said that he relied on his daughter to have such good luck.

Disgust is disgust, and people have to be polite in front of them, although there is no smile on his face, Yan Zhizhou at this time is face to face with Li Meng face to face.

It's a little ridiculous to say, if the rest of the generals get along with Zhizhou like this, then Zhizhou is likely to be killed by someone, and the reason why Li Meng is so polite is because he wants to marry the other party's daughter. Yan Zhizhou is now already putting on a show of his son-in-law's unpleasant old man.

Li Meng sat there, and when he couldn't see the unhappiness on the other party's face, he said there unhurriedly:

"This is the Qingyu Guanyin invited by the trustee in Nanjing, I know that the young lady likes it, so I sent it over, and I hope that Lord Yan will not refuse."

This is extremely awkward, but now that the two have different identities, they can't open their mouths to excuse themselves, Yan Zhizhou said with difficulty:

"Then thank you for your kindness."

A one-foot-high green jade Guanyin is placed on the coffee table, the carving materials are all of the highest quality, the green jade is not too expensive material, but this Guanyin cost Li Meng more than 3,000 taels of silver, this is still Liu Qian came forward to buy, the other party must be the reason for the cost price. The Guanyin is placed on the table, like water condensation, and it is a fine product.

Li Meng had already entrusted that Mrs. Su to bring the news to Yan Ruoran, presumably Miss Yan was looking forward to this Qingyu Guanyin.

The two sides were embarrassed and speechless, Yan Zhizhou was indifferent on the surface, but the tea bowl in his hand was held up many times, but the subordinates on the side did not dare to shout words such as "sending off", they could only hope that Li Meng himself would see the hint of this send-off and leave, but it would be too embarrassing for Li Meng to understand the meaning of some small actions in this era.

Li Meng pondered for a long time, drank two cups of tea, and then made up his mind to cough a few times, stood up and was about to speak, he stood up, Yan Zhizhou was pleasantly surprised, thinking that this martial artist, is he not going to say goodbye, but when he saw Li Meng solemnly making a salute, he said a little stiffly:

"Uncle, Li Meng has admired Miss Yan for a long time, and today he came to propose marriage, and he asked Uncle to fulfill it!"

These words were really sonorous and powerful, Yan Zhizhou over there almost didn't squirt out a mouthful of water, marriage events, parents' orders, and matchmakers' words. You kid spoke directly, what kind of thing is it, but you are also a high-ranking general, why do you not know the rules so much.

However, everyone's feeling for Li Meng is that this person is already about forty years old, after all, he is ruthless, his wrists are smooth, and the strength in his hands has developed to such a point in a few years, which is not something that a young man can do, but Li Meng, whether in his previous life or this life, is not over thirty years old.

How could Yan Zhizhou agree, in recent years, some civil and official marriages have to be found in the circle of literati and celebrities, even the nobles may not be in the eyes of the law, not to mention a rough martial artist like Li Meng, Yan Zhizhou has a plan in his heart to marry his daughter to a young scribe from Su Songchang in Nanzhili.

At present, the Donglin Party almost controls the official road, as long as it is a young literati born in these three places, almost all of them can be very smooth in the officialdom, this is a promising and bright way, what is the use of following Li Meng's martial arts, maybe Li Meng will die on the battlefield that day, and his daughter is from a scholarly family, and marrying such a martial artist from a poor military family is not to suffer.

Li Meng bent over and maintained his movements for a long time, but there was no response from there, and when he raised his head, Yan Zhizhou's face was already blue with anger, and his lips trembled a little, but he was silent. Li Meng was a little annoyed in his heart, thinking to himself that I am so bad here, but you have such an attitude with such sincerity. From ancient times to the present, it is really rare for the father-in-law and son-in-law to get along well, not to mention Li Meng, who is undetermined.

He didn't know that his move of opening his mouth to propose marriage was a bit rude, not to mention that the matter of proposing marriage was refused many times, and it was indeed a little embarrassing to mention it.

"Wenwu Shutu, Lord Li's kind-hearted little girl can't afford it, so forget it!"

Yan Zhizhou gritted his teeth and said these words politely, but Li Meng was also a little angry, and said in a loud voice:

"What about martial arts, the world is in troubled times, if there is no martial arts sword, where is there a place to live!!"