After the fairy disappeared

Chapter 1425 Concubine in the Eighteenth Room
As for how Qu Ruhai and others could leave Mangzhou quickly, he had his own way, so He Lingchuan didn't ask any more questions.

Qu Ruhai's subordinates said: "The day after the incident, the Mangzhou government posted a wanted notice, offering a reward for the murderer who assassinated General Xue Zongwu and the head of the Qi family. As long as you provide useful clues, the reward is 100 taels of gold!"

"Wow!" The yellow-clothed merchant was shocked. "One hundred taels of gold for a clue?"

The businessman in white said, "This is a serious matter."

The yellow-clothed merchant was curious: "Were these two really, really harmed by the Nine Nether Emperor?"

He didn't believe what his companions said, but Qu Ruhai had a special status and was certainly more trustworthy.

"I made a special trip to Xiaotao Villa and visited the Beishan Hall where Xue Zongwu fought the enemy. There is indeed a relief sculpture of a dragon head at the entrance of the hall, but there is no sign of carving. It is said to be a mark of what the Nine Nether Emperor has done." Qu Ruhai raised his neck and drank it all in one gulp.

"Don't you Yao people always say that the Black Armor Army dare not kill Yao people? They will kill them for you to see! Not only will they kill, but they will also kill the most important ones. Haha, you are embarrassed, right?"

The two businessmen looked embarrassed.

Dong Rui only asked what he cared about: "Why does the Jiuyou Emperor you are talking about have black pants and a black face?"

As he asked, he looked at He Lingchuan and laughed.

He Lingchuan thought he was just going crazy and continued to grill meat.

Well, this crocodile meat tastes different when grilled.

The two merchants were even more embarrassed. The merchant in white coughed twice and said, "From the rumors we heard, what was said in the teahouse and performed in the opera troupe, the Nine Nether Emperor always dresses like this."

"It doesn't sound very impressive." Dong Rui stroked his chin, "How did you perform it?"

"This..." The two businessmen looked at each other. "It's hard to explain. It's best to go and hear it with your own ears."

Dong Rui rolled his eyes and asked, "Where is the best place to listen?"

"Go west along this street for a hundred feet and you will find the Tianyan Teahouse," said the merchant in white. "There is a golden storyteller there who is good at telling all kinds of strange stories."

He Lingchuan then asked Qu Ruhai: "Have Patriarch Qu and General Xue ever fought each other?"

Qu Ruhai scratched his neck and asked, "Why do you ask?"

Dong Rui answered quickly: "We want to know what level the leader of the Black Armor Army is at?"

"Xue Zongwu has profound cultivation and excellent fighting skills. He is one of the few generals in Yao State who is truly capable." Qu Ruhai threw a piece of beef on his stove, and smoke sizzled. "I fought him twice."

The merchants were also curious: "What was the result?"

Qu Ruhai shrugged: "The battlefield is very complicated, it's hard to explain."

This is thought-provoking.

The soul-catching mirror in He Lingchuan's arms smiled sarcastically: "It sounds like Xue Zongwu has the upper hand, otherwise this guy would be so complacent and boastful."

Qu Ruhai drank the last two sips of wine, wiped his mouth and stood up:

"The Great Emperor Jiuyou is really good at selecting people. There will be a lot of excitement in Tianshui City next."

He didn't say much to the four people, turned around and left the small courtyard.

The two merchants heaved a sigh of relief only after the three Luodian men disappeared from the street. Qu Ruhai was fierce and aggressive, and it was very stressful to face him.

The yellow-clothed merchant muttered quietly: "These Luodian people are gloating over other people's misfortunes."

The two tables chatted for a while and exchanged contact information. The businessman in white was named Zhu Xuanmiao, and his companion was named Wang Hao.

The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce has gained a great reputation in the central and western parts of the Shining Gold Plain, but few people in Yao Country know about it. Wang Hao said that he had long admired you, and even Dong Rui could see that he was just being polite. Zhu Xuanmiao said, "I have done business with the Xiancheng branch of your Chamber of Commerce. The fluorescent spores that are exclusive to Yangshan are hard currency here. We can sell as many as we import."

Wang Haoqi said, "So the fluorescent spores came from Yang Shan? Now the government and wealthy families are using them."

Fluorescent spores can only swell and glow when in contact with water. They are usually smaller than an egg and are easy to store and transport. They are the flagship product of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce sold all over the world.

"It's a great honor to meet the leader of Yangshan Chamber of Commerce. My apologies!" The communication between the two sides suddenly became enthusiastic.

During the conversation, I learned that Zhu Xuanmiao's business was to connect with government-run purchases. He had some connections with government offices, dignitaries, and wealthy families in the south of Tianshui City.

In Tianshui City, as long as you can get official purchases, you can make a lot of money. Zhu Xuanmiao patted his chest and promised that he could sell Yangshan's goods to the government. He Lingchuan negotiated two deals with him in the time it took him to grill two plates of meat.

In the harmonious atmosphere, He Lingchuan casually asked: "Brother Zhu and Brother Wang, have you heard of Tu Yuanhong's name?"

"Oh, Tonglinji." Zhu Xuanmiao nodded repeatedly, "I know, he has a lot of businesses in Tianshui City, and I have dealt with him before."

"I want to visit Mr. Tu. What gift should I bring?"

Zhu Xuanmiao exclaimed, "This...Tu Yuanhong has passed away. I heard that he was murdered in his own manor."

He Lingchuan was surprised, and Dong Rui pouted secretly: "When did it happen?"

"A few months ago, let me see...Oh, I heard about it four months ago."

He Lingchuan nodded. Tu Yuanhong was murdered half a year ago, and Zhu Xuanmiao heard about it four months ago. The speed was not slow, after all, the incident was not in Tianshui City. This guy was not just making up stories, he did have some information channels.

"You said he was murdered? Who did it?"

Zhu Xuanmiao groaned, "People say it's an enemy who showed up."

He Lingchuan saw that he hadn't finished speaking yet: "The rumors are not credible. What do you think, Brother Zhu?"

Zhu Xuanmiao scratched his ear, looked around, hesitated for a moment and said, "Who cares? He's dead anyway, so there's no harm in talking about it. The news I got is that Tu Yuanhong was smart all his life but was confused for a moment, and actually hindered the Qi family's business!"

Wang Haodu exclaimed: "Why haven't I heard of it?"

Zhu Xuanmiao took a sip of wine and said with some pride: "Can you just say this casually? If you don't have any information channels, all you hear are rumors."

"The Qi family? General Xue's father-in-law's family?"

"Isn't it?" Zhu Xuanmiao sighed, "Tonglinji has been doing well over the years, just because President Tu made such a small mistake, what a shame."

He Lingchuan immediately asked, "Now that President Tu has passed away, what will happen to Tonglinji?"

"What else can we do? His whole family was killed, and there is no heir. Tonglinji collapsed immediately. The money, shop, people, and property were all divided up, leaving only the main store still doing the post station and carriage business. But someone in Tianshui City is deliberately suppressing them, and they are having a hard time. I don't know how long they can hold on."

Without He Lingchuan asking, Wang Hao couldn't help but be curious: "I just remember that Tonglinji is still open. Oh, the other shops are closed, why is this one still there?"

"That's Tu Yuanhong's old friend Gulin. He has been with him since he opened his business and did his first business. Maybe he doesn't want to see Tonglinji shut down." Zhu Xuanmiao shook his head. "There are many people who want to buy Tonglinji. Maybe Gulin is also waiting for a higher bid."

Everyone was a little sad.

Zhu Xuanmiao and the other man had already eaten and drunk their fill, and the rain had stopped, so they said goodbye and left.

Looking at the backs of the two merchants leaving, Dong Rui chuckled, "This Zhu guy is just talking big, are you really going to do business with him?"

"How did you know that?" He Lingchuan took a bite of vanilla yogurt to relieve the greasiness.

The local yogurt is called sour cheese, which is in the form of solidified cream and very rich. He hasn't eaten yogurt for a long time, let alone yogurt with vanilla.

Just two bites will get rid of the greasy feeling of meat.

"The material of his clothes is good, and the ornament on his waist is also a bit... tasteful." Dong Rui's eyes were also sharp. "But the meat and vegetables he and his companions ordered were not expensive, and the pancakes weighed two kilograms. It was obvious that they wanted to fill their stomachs."

In this kind of restaurant, there are expensive ways to eat and cheap ways to eat, it's up to your personal preference.

"And he has been talking nonstop and boasting about his abilities." Dong Rui shook his head. "If someone is really capable, why would he need to be so boastful?"

He Lingchuan smiled: "Even if he is just a small businessman, he still has some skills in government procurement and is quite familiar with Tianshui City."

The branch of Yangshan Chamber of Commerce has not yet been opened in Tianshui City, and is currently only in the preparation stage. This means that He Lingchuan has not yet established a reliable base in Tianshui City.

Collecting intelligence and launching operations here all face the problems of insufficient manpower and limited sources of information.

But he still has a tough battle to fight, so he will need to use any available strength.

Besides, he is a businessman and will not miss any favorable business opportunity.

There were dark clouds covering the city just now, but now the rain has stopped and the sky is clear. The yard is filled with the smell of mud.

He Lingchuan stood up to pay the bill, then said, "How about going to Tianyan Teahouse to listen to a story?"

"Let's go."

Tianshui City has been so busy lately that even though it's past dinner time, Tianyan Teahouse is still packed with people discussing business, reminiscing about the past, chatting about family matters, playing chess... Of course, more people come here to listen to books and kill a boring afternoon.

But the stage was still empty, and the storyteller was warming his throat.

He Lingchuan sat down and ordered a pot of chrysanthemum tea. After a barbecue, it was just right to have some herbal tea to cleanse the mouth.

Upon asking, I found out that the person who was about to start the lecture was the mainstay here, the gold medal storyteller of Tianyan Teahouse.

Dong Rui wanted to hear what the local storyteller had to say about the Black Armor Army, so he threw half a tael of silver on the waiter's tray: "Give me some ideas, Emperor Jiuyou!"

The uncle who gives the reward can specify the topic, and the storyteller will tell him whatever he wants to hear.

The guy bent down and quickly handed it over.

The storyteller took the reward, bowed to Dong Rui, straightened his clothes, then fluttered his sleeves and sat down with his horse and golden sword.

He coughed twice and the surroundings became quiet, knowing that he was going to warm up his voice.

"The man at the window pointed out the question, the Great Emperor Jiuyou!"

The storyteller's voice is not mellow and a little shrill, but he has a good grasp of the rhythm and is not inferior to Fu Liushan.

He Lingchuan just took a sip of tea and listened to the storyteller start:
"Let's continue from last time! It's about the Great Emperor Jiuyou and his eighteenth concubine..."

"Puff", He Lingchuan couldn't help but spit out all the tea.

Dong Rui was stunned.

(End of this chapter)