The caravan Cai Qianqing said came to Gucheng Pass in the evening.

The caravan was huge, consisting of thirty wagons, and more than 100 merchants, accompanying domestic servants, grooms, and bodyguards.

Each carriage had a flag with the word "Wu" written on it, which was the surname of the owner of the caravan.

However, when Tang Xiaohao saw the merchant leading this caravan, he was dumbfounded.

Because that merchant was none other than Tang Tang, the butler of the Tang Mansion.

Although Cai Qianqing knew that the caravan was arranged by the imperial court, he didn't know that it was arranged by Tang Chen, the commander of the Iron Guard, and he didn't know that the merchant who led the caravan was the butler of the Tang Mansion.

However, although Tang Xiaohao knew the identity of Tang Tang's butler, he didn't know that Tang Tang was the commander of the dragon and leopard cavalry under the command of the Iron Guard.

Su Mu not only knew that Tang Tang was the butler of the Tang Mansion, but also knew that Tang Tang was the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and even knew that Tang Tang was still the secret chess placed by Emperor Ji Chengying beside Tang Chen.

However, Su Mu didn't plan to tell Tang Tang's true identity to Tang Xiaohao, because there was no need at the moment.

Of course, Tang Tang would pretend to be a businessman, which Su Mu didn't expect at all.

Su Mu was still puzzled at this time, the emperor trusted Tang Chen more than himself, which was too incredible.

Even if Tang Xiaohao knew all the truth behind it at this time, he would be stunned in place, because it was too chaotic, and he needed to figure it out for a long time.

Therefore, all of Ji Hanguang's arrangements were actually known to Emperor Ji Chengying. Even if Tang Chen didn't report Ji Chengying secretly, Tang Tang would pass the news to Xuanbu, and Aoki would inform Ji Chengying of all this.

So, why does Ji Chengying still want to let this matter develop?

While Tang Xiaohao looked at Tang Tang, Tang Tang pretended not to see it, but spoke to Cai Qianqing, who had already walked in front of him.

After confirming each other's identities, Cai Qianqing introduced Tang Tang to Tang Xiaohao and Su Mu: "This is Wu Jian, the great rich man of Huoli Dao Ji City, and his younger brother Wu Wei next to him."

Then, Cai Qianqing introduced Tang Xiaohao and Su Mu.

Tang Tang, who was under the pseudonym Wu Jian, led Wu Wei to kneel forward, and the clichéd compliments made Tang Xiaohao disgusted.

Because when the merchant said that compliment, the tone was extremely sincere, and behind this sincerity there was endless desire.

The man named Wu Wei looked to be no more than twenty-five or sixteen, tall, fat and strong, and at first glance belonged to the category of people who ate an astonishing amount of food. The eyes are not big, and when you smile, the eyes disappear on your face, but the dimples on your cheeks are clearly visible.

However, now is not the time to recognize Tang Tang, so Tang Xiaohao only dealt with a few perfunctory words, asked them to get up and rest for a while, and then prepared to set off.

Cai Qianqing got into the carriage arranged by Tang Tang and waited, while Tang Xiaohao hid in the dark with Su Mu under the pretext that he still had to go to Xiaoxie.

Tang Xiaohao looked at Tang Tang who was standing next to the carriage in the distance: "You should know that it is the butler of the Tang Mansion, right?"

Su Mu nodded.

Tang Xiaohao said, "So, my father is also involved in this matter?"

Su Mu said: "I didn't know that your father was also involved, and I didn't even know that the emperor had privately summoned Cai Qianqing and gave him a secret edict."

Tang Xiaohao couldn't tell if Su Mu was lying, but he chose to believe it, because Su Mu had no need to deceive him.

Tang Xiaohao said helplessly: "This matter is getting more and more strange."

Su Mu said, "Don't trust others, even me, just because you have lived and died together."

Su Mu was reminding Tang Xiaohao because he found that Tang Xiaohao's vigilance had decreased.

Tang Xiaohao naturally knew what Su Mu was talking about, but he just smiled, and this smile showed that he trusted Su Mu and didn't care about it.

He didn't trust anyone since he was a child, especially in Shendu City, a place full of lies and traps, and lived in fear and panic every day.

Tang Xiaohao diverted the topic and said, "You drive my carriage, I will sit in the same car as Tang Tang."

Tang Xiaohao was just about to leave, but was stopped by Su Mu.

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Mu Dao: "Cai Qianqing is very smart, he will notice it, and besides, don't deliberately avoid the little bell, don't go against your heart."

Tang Xiaohao didn't care: "Do what I say."

Tang Xiaohao then went to say goodbye to Gelda, who was naturally reluctant and kept telling Tang Xiaohao to pay attention to safety, and he would wait for his safe return in Guchengguan.

Before parting, Childa couldn't help but say more, "Donkey, the king of the clan will be waiting for you in Hacha City."

Tang Xiaohao said, "Is she waiting for ***? Tell her, don't let her wait for me, my personality is not suitable for her."

Childa said: "Horse, according to the rules of the Torth Ministry, the female clan king cannot marry another, besides, marrying you in the Divine Capital City is equivalent to the conclusion of an alliance between the imperial court and the Torth Ministry, and the submission of the Torsi Department to the imperial court is largely due to you."

Of course, Tang Xiaohao knew that if he never showed up in Rouyuan in the future, it would cause speculation from the outside world, and he had been tied up from the moment he married Bao Meng.

"Got it," Tang Xiaohao barely squeezed out a smile, "I'll go back, I didn't say what I said before."

Gilda nodded silently and watched Tang Xiaohao get into the carriage where Tang Tang was.

When Tang Tang saw Tang Xiaohao coming, he knew what he was going to do, and immediately got out of the car and pretended to change cars, but was stopped by Tang Xiaohao and bluntly said that he wanted to share a ride with him.

Seeing Tang Xiaohao's insistence, Tang Tang didn't say anything anymore, so he had to sit back in the carriage.

After Tang Xiaohao sat down in the carriage, he couldn't help but want to laugh when he looked at Tang Tang, who was dressed as a businessman, wrapped in mink and wearing a bearskin hat.

Tang Tang said in a low voice, "Childe, how are you doing? We haven't seen each other for half a year, and the villain has been thinking about Gongzi, and the whole Tang Mansion is worried about Gongzi's safety."

Tang Xiaohao leaned against the corner of the carriage: "Okay, don't say these polite words, it's a waste of time and meaningless." I ask you, how many ironclads are there in the caravan?"

"Forty people," Tang Tang told truthfully, "Forty ironclad guards pretended to be the bodyguards of the Wu family, and these forty people were all sent by the master from the Divine Capital City to Huoli Dao Ji City, because the caravan set off from the Wu family in Ji Cheng."

Tang Xiaohao nodded and said, "So, you're actually a member of the Iron Guard, right?"

Tang Tang nodded, he knew that as long as he appeared here, he would definitely not be able to hide this anymore, but it didn't matter if his identity as an ironclad guard was exposed, as long as Tang Xiaohao didn't learn that he was a Xuanbu secret chess.

Tang Tang said truthfully: "Don't dare to hide the son anymore, in addition to being the steward of the Tang Mansion, I am also the commander of the ironclad dragon and leopard cavalry."

Tang Xiaohao looked at Tang Tang in surprise: "You are the Dragon and Leopard Rider Commander? That time, it was ...... in the Twelve Squares."

Tang Xiaohao said this, but he didn't say any more, because it was meaningless to mention the past again, and it was still an unpleasant experience, and he almost died at the hands of the Armor Dragon.

Tang Tang naturally didn't answer, so he didn't understand, because it was Tang Tang who privately reported to Ji Chengying that Tang Xiaohao was bitten by the carapace, but he was not infected, which made Ji Chengying begin to doubt Tang Xiaohao's identity.

Tang Xiaohao asked again, "Apart from you and the forty ironclad guards, who else are there in the caravan?"

Tang Tang said: "Thirty carriages, not counting me and Wu Wei, a total of one hundred and forty people, in addition to forty ironclad guards, there are also sixty coachmen and forty servants of the Wu family, among these sixty coachmen, according to my observation, there should be a lot of people in the rivers and lakes, there is no shortage of masters, they should all be secretly hired by the Wu family."

Tang Xiaohao asked, "Does that Wu Wei know the identity of you and those forty ironclad guards?"

Tang Tang said: "Wu Wei knows that we are from the imperial court, but we don't know that we are ironclad guards, don't look at this person stupidly, he is actually very shrewd, if it weren't for this, the Wu family would not have sent him."

Tang Xiaohao was puzzled: "How could my father be involved in this?"

Tang Tang shook his head: "I don't know."

Tang Xiaohao asked, "What are we going to do in Ruiyuan?"

Tang Tang still shook his head: "The master said, when you arrive in the summer capital, everything will be up to Mr. Cai, but you are the one who makes the decision."

"Ahh

？」 Tang Xiaohao sat up straight, "What? Everything listens to him, but I'm the one who makes the decision? What does this mean?"

Tang Tang said, "It means that even if the task is clear, as for how the task should be carried out, it is up to you to decide, Mr. Cai is just a person who accepts the task."

Tang Xiaohao was even more puzzled: "Then what's the point of calling him? Isn't this the place where there is no silver? This surnamed Cai must have other tasks, I guess even my father doesn't know, otherwise, the emperor wouldn't have summoned him privately."

Of course, Tang Tang is also an insider, knowing that the person who secretly summoned Cai Qianqing was not Ji Chengying, but Ji Hanguang, but he can't say it at the moment, because he is the secret chess of the Xuan Ministry, and the Xuan Department has the rules of the Xuan Ministry.

Tang Tang still shook his head: "I don't know, I only know that I obey Mr. Cai on the surface, but in fact, everything has to be listened to you, Young Master."

Tang Xiaohao saw that Tang Tang didn't know anything, so he had to ask something else: "What's going on with this Wu family? How come I haven't heard of it before?"

Tang Tang said in a low voice: "The Wu family is a huge wealth in Huoli Dao Ji City, the Wu family used to be a mountain bandit, and even today they are doing business in the rivers and lakes, which can be said to be a business, so in just two generations, they can accumulate such a great fortune."

The so-called trading of rivers and lakes covers a wide range of good and bad things, and they are generally related to the green forest mountain bandits.

If the Green Forest Mountain Bandit kidnaps a wealthy businessman, the Wu family will come forward to help negotiate and get a profit from it, so that this Jianghu transaction can be completed under the premise that the government does not interfere, which will not hurt the meat ticket, but also allow the Green Forest Mountain Bandit to get money, and at the same time, it must also ensure that the Green Forest Mountain Bandit will never attack this rich businessman in the future.

Such a big piece of fat can only be eaten once, who would be willing? So, this time you definitely have to eat enough.

The ransom demanded by the green forest mountain bandits is naturally ridiculously high, and the Wu family will bargain accordingly, but it is only symbolic, because the mountain bandits are more, and the Wu family will naturally get more benefits.

There are many such capitalless transactions, and the Wu family naturally accumulates wealth faster than others, and it can also leave a lot of good reputations.

In addition, the Wu family also has a great relationship with the dart bureaus in various places, because the Huoli Daoji City, where the Wu family is located, is located in the south, and the trade on the southern sea route is the most profitable today. The more profitable the place, the more dangerous it is, and no matter how powerful the dart game is, it will not be spared within the range of the fire deviant.

You have to ask why the government didn't send troops to encircle and suppress it?

The reason is very simple, these mountain bandits are just seeking money, and they will not easily ask for people's lives, let alone rebel.

It will not stir up public resentment, will not pose any threat to the imperial court, and will honor the local ruler on weekdays.

There is no "legitimate reason" for the government to send troops to encircle and suppress it.