After Qi Tian returned to Yunhai City in a carriage, he went straight to the headquarters of the Black Axe Gang.

But what is strange is that the headquarters of the Black Axe Gang is surrounded by city guards, and no one is allowed to enter.

Qi Tian walked up to a soldier and asked, "Why is this place blocked?"

The soldier frowned, his tone a little unkind.

Obviously, he hadn't seen Qi Tian, so he asked rhetorically, "Who are you? Since this place is blocked, the idlers will quickly walk away!"

Qi Tian knew that Xiu had just met a soldier, and he couldn't explain it reasonably, so he asked the coachman to turn around and drive towards the city gate.

It seems that only by asking Xiao Xiaobing to come forward can it be possible to let himself in.

Just as he was driving to the city gate, a horse-drawn carriage was also coming.

It's just that this carriage is larger and more luxurious than Qitian's carriage, with four horses pulling the carriage.

Qi Tian couldn't help but lift the curtain, wanting to see the owner of this magnificent carriage.

You must know that in the Sunny Empire, there are strict rules on the use of carriages.

The people could not use more than two horses in their carriages.

In the entire Yunhai City, only the carriage of the city lord Wang was drawn by four horses.

In other words, the oncoming carriage must be a big official, and it is very likely to be Lord Wang.

Just as the two carriages passed by, the opposite carriage was bumpy, and the curtain was lifted in the wind.

Qi Tian saw the owner in the carriage.

He was disappointed...

Because the person sitting in the carriage was not an old man, but a young and gorgeous beauty...

-------

Yunhai City, Li Mansion.

Although it was daytime and the sun was unusually bright, the huge courtyard was filled with an oppressive atmosphere.

The tall and thin old butler sighed for a long time, and looked at the big tree in front of him for a while, and then at the sky.

seems to feel that he is at this age, but he still has to face the fate of imminent bankruptcy with the Li family.

He really thought that he should find another way out, or simply go back to the countryside and live his old age.

And the young housekeepers and maids in the house sat listlessly around the courtyard, whispering from time to time.

In the past few days, as long as they walked out of the gate of the Li Mansion, they would be disgusted by the other brothers of the family they knew in the past.

Walking on the street, people will also point to the back of the spine and discuss.

Even the vegetable vendors on the street ignored them.

They still wanted to bargain like in the past, and the vendor directly disgusted it: "If it's too expensive, go to other places to buy it, and the Li Mansion will do things that damage yin and morality, and they should eat..."

The Li family's life is really sad now, not only has they completely fallen into the rich merchant class, but they are also under the white eyes of the surrounding neighbors.

In the past, countless people who flattered the Li Mansion changed their faces, and they were even afraid that they would have something to do with the Li Mansion.

in the living room.

It turned out that this was the most lively place in the Li Mansion, and countless businessmen and officials came here every day to pay a visit to Li Zixiong.

But now, there is no one else here except Li Zixiong and Li Mingyan, father and son.

"Alas, the Li family is finished, and the foundation of decades is now gone. "Li Zixiong now looks like an old man with a dying coat.

His back was bent, his hair was gray, and his face was even more yellow, as if he was terminally ill.

Li Mingyan also had a bad face, seeing his father like this, he couldn't help but shed sad tears, and choked up: "Dad, it's a big deal, let's start again with the Li family, it's nothing." ”

Li Zixiong shook his head and said, "Child, what you think is too simple. ”

All the goods of the Li family, including the goods that the middlemen had ordered from Xia Xinyue before, were sold to the Xia family at a loss at a three-fold price early this morning.

When Li Mingyan watched the truckload of goods on the Li family's bunk being delivered to the Xia family's bunk like cabbage, he felt that countless knives were slashing in his heart, and his heart was bleeding.

It's just that the Li family has no choice, and at this time, except for the Xia family, no one is willing to accept the Li family's goods.

After discounting the previous orders signed with Xia Xinyue at a high price, the Li family was completely lost at this trade fair.

And the middlemen who helped the Li family sign a contract with Xia Xinyue did not get the expected profits, and they were all deprived by the Li family's domineering and domineering.

Although the Li family is destined to fall, the camel is bigger than the horse when it dies, and the middlemen are helpless, so they just play with the Li family for nothing.

There are also smuggling dens and the Black Axe Gang, which Li Zixiong has painstakingly operated for decades, all disappeared overnight.

The goods of tens of millions of gold coins were all empty, and there was no trace of them.

Today, the huge Li family only has about five million gold coins, which is a drop in the bucket.

Most of the five million gold coins borrowed by the Xia family before also filled the gap in official silver.

"Mingyan. Li Zixiong called softly.

Li Mingyan hurriedly walked to his father's side and said, "Dad, my son is here." ”

"Where is Zelong?" Li Zixiong's old eyes were hazy, as if he wanted to explain the future.

This double blow really hit Li Zixiong hard.

Li Mingyan sighed helplessly in his heart, and said, "My son will get the third brother back now." ”

He was about to go to Li Zelong, but was stopped by Li Zixiong.

"Alas, forget it, he can still live a good day, just live a day.

If one day your father is gone, you must take good care of your younger brother, and your two sons are the future of the Li family. Li Zixiong's voice was a little weak.

Li Mingyan nodded vigorously, and tears couldn't stop flowing outward.

It's just that these tears are not only because my father is weak, but also because I am not worth it for my second sister!

It's been until now, and the patriarchal father still can't remember the second sister!

Don't you know, if there is no second sister, how can the Li family have such a scale, and how can the old perverts in the imperial capital city support the Li family so much!

If the Li family really wants to count on the third brother one day, it will undoubtedly enter the abyss completely.

So many things have happened in the Li family in the past few days, and the third brother not only doesn't care, but even asks the account office for money.

Except for drinking, visiting green buildings, and bullying blind dates on the street, there is nothing else to do.

Of course, there are also reasons why Li Zixiong and Li Mingyan love Li Zelong and don't want him to worry too much about things at home.

Just when the father and son were in pain, the doorkeeper outside the door ran into the living room and shouted excitedly: "Master, eldest young master!

Li Zixiong's eyes suddenly gathered a look, and his hunched waist straightened.

Li Mingyan was even more like seeing a straw of hope in despair, and his face was full of excitement to see the sun through the thick fog!

Soon, a tall, bewitching, and heavily painted figure slowly walked into the living room.

This was followed by a fragrant wind.

This fragrance is very rich, but it is not cheap and kitsch, but has a sense of stunning and seductive charm.

The person who came had a fair complexion, like a boiled egg, very smooth and tender.

A pair of smart apricot eyes, full of dewy brilliance, and at the corners of the eyes, an arc is drawn with gouache, which looks extremely charming.

With long, curved eyelashes, every time you wink, you feel like an electric current is passing through your body.

And that thin little mouth, coated with red rouge, is very amazing and sultry, so that men can't help but have the urge to kiss Fangze!

She is Li Zixiong's second daughter, Li Jiaomei.

Li Jiaomei's dress is also very charming.

The bright red silk long skirt has an upper body that just covers the chest, and half of the white back is even more exposed.

An equally bright red silk tulle scarf, wrapping around the upper body, and the fragrant shoulders of the white backbone are looming from time to time, making people can't help but want to tear off the scarf and take a peek.

"Father, my daughter is back. Li Jiaomei's words were respectful, but this tone revealed a bit of indifference that did not look like the conversation between father and daughter.

"Jiaomei, why are you back at this time?" Li Zixiong was a little surprised.

"Second sister, sit down first and say, the Imperial Capital City is also a long distance away from Yunhai City, and after such a long journey, take a break. Li Mingyan said with concern.

He has a good relationship with this second sister, and he often fights for the second sister, always feeling that his father is always biased towards himself and the third brother, and often snubs the second sister.

Li Jiaomei smiled at Li Mingyan gently, and sat on the wooden chair on the side.

She didn't reply to Li Zixiong's words, but said to her eldest brother first: "Lord Zhang specially sent his own carriage to send me back, and I wasn't tired along the way." ”

Li Mingyan handed Li Jiaomei a cup of hot tea.

"Jiaomei, this is the critical period of the imperial court's procurement plan, why did you come back at this time?" asked Li Zixiong.

Li Jiaomei frowned unconsciously, as if she was a little disgusted, but quickly returned to normal, and said lightly: "Such a big thing happened at home, can I not come back?"

Besides, I have two important things to do when I come back this time. ”

Li Zixiong was puzzled: "What are the two big things?"

Li Jiaomei glanced at her father lightly, and said slowly: "War is about to break out." ”

Li Zixiong and Li Mingyan were shocked at the same time, and looked at Li Jiaomei in disbelief!

War?

The Sunny Empire has not had a war for many years, and even if the frontier is harassed and invaded by other empires, in the end, it is just a matter of compensation and a hasty matter.

War costs enormous, and unless it is an extreme circumstance, no empire will easily choose war.

"What happened?" Li Zixiong sensed that something big must have happened in the court, otherwise according to the style of Emperor Wu of the Yanyang Empire who had always used money to calm things down, it would never be possible to take the initiative to provoke a war.

-------

The emperor of the Sunny Empire is named Wu Baxian, but he himself is very inconsistent with this name, and even completely polarized.

Wu Baxian was the only male heir of the previous generation of Wu Emperors, although the previous generation of emperors looked down on Wu Baxian very much, thinking that he was lustful, timid, and even a little cowardly, but he had to pass on the throne to him.

After Wu Ba ascended the throne first, he did not live up to the expectations of the previous generation of emperors.

The first thing he did after he took charge of the government was to divide power.

He divided the power of the emperor equally among Prince Wu, Princess Wu, Third Prince Wu, Fourth Princess Wu, and three powerful ministers.

And he himself said goodbye to the government completely, obsessed with the harem all day long, not only recruiting new beauties into the palace, but also incorporating the harem of the first emperor into his harem.

Even if other empires came to invade the Sunny Empire, he just said, "Just pay some money and let them withdraw their troops", and did it hastily.

It seems that the great cause of the empire, the suffering of the people, and the stability of the court and the central government have nothing to do with him, the emperor, and he is only responsible for eating, drinking, and having fun with the concubines.

is completely in accordance with Qi Tian's goal, implemented all day long, although the two of them have not met yet, they have the same dream.

In his eyes, the Sunny Empire has fertile land and developed economy, occupying the best positions in several surrounding empires, even if it gives some money to other empires, it is not painful, and it is much more cost-effective than leading troops to go on an expedition!

You know, the cost of a war is astronomical.

And the other empires are also accustomed to the way Wu Ba deals with problems first, and when they are short of money, they harass the Sunny Empire.

I want food, harass the Sunny Empire...

If you want a woman, you can also harass the Sunny Empire...

At the same time that the Yanyang Empire was oppressed by other empires from time to time, and Wu Baxian abandoned the government, the power of the DPRK and China also quietly changed.

Some people who are destined to have nothing to do with power also have the opportunity to touch power!

Princess Wu is one of them, and she is still the kind that desperately desires power.

Princess Wu is the eldest daughter of Wu Baxian, and Prince Wu is the second son of Wu Baxian.

In the process of continuous competition and struggle between several forces, the situation of the dominance of Prince Wu's family in the past quietly left.

The political forces led by Princess Wusan are rising rapidly, and there is Qi Tian's father in his camp, Qi Wuxi.

In the process of continuous friction between the two forces, the Lion Empire is coming!

It's just that this time they didn't come with soldiers and horses, but envoys.

In the eyes of the Lion Empire, the Sunny Empire is just a little girl who can be bullied at will.

Therefore, the envoy court meeting was also quite arrogant, and in front of all the civil and military officials of the Sunny Empire, the lion opened his mouth, asking the Sunny Empire to contribute 200 million gold coins every year (the Sunny Empire does not have the concept of 100 million), 3,000 beauties, 5,000 horses, and 10,000 cattle and sheep.

The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were all dumbfounded and shocked!

This is simply a naked robbery, two hundred million gold coins, which is one-third of the tax revenue of the Sunny Empire!

What's more, there are horses, cattle and sheep, and beautiful women!

The Sunny Empire could not agree to such an excessive request under any circumstances.

Prince Wu and Princess Wu, the two of them said on the spot that they would refuse the request of the envoys of the Lion Empire.

Unexpectedly, the envoy was not angry, but smiled and said that he would give the prince and the princess a month to think about it, and then swaggered out of the court.

There were no outsiders in the court, and the two forces of Prince Wu and Princess Wu immediately argued.

After a long time, the two forces finally agreed, and the two sides jointly faced the Lion Empire, each in charge of some city-state fortresses.

In the process of resisting the enemy, whoever can repel the Lion Empire will become the only overlord above this court.

The loser unconditionally launched the competition for the throne of the emperor and completely returned to the deep palace.

From this moment on, the men and horses on both sides began to prepare their own army materials, recruit soldiers and generals, etc.

And Li Jiaomei knew this time for the first time, and immediately rushed back to Yunhai City non-stop, hoping that the Li family could prepare in advance.

-------

After Li Jiaomei finished telling the changes in the court, Li Zixiong and Li Mingyan both opened their eyes wide, looking shocked!

This news is so shocking!

The Sunny Empire has actually begun to fight back!

It feels like a weak old man, and suddenly it is as embarrassing as hard!

Li Jiaomei didn't wait for Li Zixiong and Li Mingyan to react, and her slender jade hand took out three square silver tickets, and said: "This is 60 million gold coins, which is the money for the imperial court to purchase military supplies."

It also took a lot of effort for me to get Mr. Zhang to withdraw the money from the treasury in advance. ”

It's just that when she said this, her eyes unconsciously revealed a sense of loneliness and sadness.