Chapter 2526 Dilemma
"I have met the prince, Fang Shaobao, Ma Fuyin..."
Gao Zhixing hurried forward and bowed to the ground.
Among the three, Li Daozong had the highest title and most distinguished status. Naturally, he was walking in front. When he saw Gao Zhi saluting, he hurriedly stepped forward, helped him up, and said warmly: "This is not a court, we are just talking about personal friendship." That’s fine, no need to be polite.”
That being said, who dares to be rude?
Gao Zhixing had a somewhat strict temperament and was not as smooth as his brothers. He insisted on saluting, and then admitted the three of them to the hospital.
After placing a stick of incense in front of the spirit, Gao Zhixing invited the three of them to a side hall and said, "It's going to be dinner time soon. There is still a banquet in the house. Please stay and enjoy the three of you later."
Since they were here to sit for the night, there was no reason to just click and leave. The three of them nodded in unison and followed Gao Zhi to the side hall.
Gao Zhixing opened the door, and the three of them entered the hall, but they were all stunned.
The two people in the hall and the three people at the door looked at each other...
Li Daozong looked stunned at first, then laughed, clasped his fists and said, "It turns out it's Duke Zhao and Duke Song, sorry to bother you."
After saying this, without waiting for the two people in the hall to speak, he lifted up his robe and walked inside.
Ma Zhou never spoke much on such occasions. He only gave a slight salute and followed Li Daozong in.
Fang Jun glanced at Gao Zhixing and felt strange in his heart. It seemed that the guests who came to express their condolences were inevitably a bit awkward with each other, so everyone would look for colleagues with whom they had good relationships. The host should also pay special attention when entertaining. Try to stagger the placement of groups.
Otherwise, if Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling, who had fought before, were arranged to sit together, everyone would not be able to live in peace...
A scholarly family like the Gao family would never make such a mistake easily.
Since there was no mistake, it was intentional...
Gao Zhixing stood at the door. Seeing Fang Jun looking at him but not entering the house, he felt a little sorry and said: "It's all my fault for being reckless. I've been so dizzy all day long that I forgot that Duke Zhao and Duke Song were resting here..." Otherwise, are you looking for another elegant apartment?”
Fang Jun smiled.
He has no problem, but Li Daozong and Ma Zhou definitely disagree.
Everyone was a bit awkward with each other, so it was naturally awkward to be in the same room, so it was easier to avoid everyone in advance. But now that we have met, there is no reason to turn around and retreat... This Gao Zhixing is definitely intentional.
As for the purpose...it doesn't seem difficult to guess. Just seeing that Changsun Wuji and Xiao Yu were hiding in this side hall, and there were no maids on either side, we could guess something.
Fang Jun said: "How dare you trouble Brother Shi? You can just ask the two princes for advice, so I don't bother Brother Shi. Just go and get busy."
Gao Zhixing said: "In that case, please ask the young master of the house to come in. The banquet will be prepared later, and I will order someone to bring it over. This will save you all from running back and forth. There are many people in the house now, so I hope you can take care of me."
Fang Jun said: "It's easy to talk about."
Gao Zhixing bowed to several people in the hall and apologized, then turned and left.
Fang Jun looked around. Several servants of the Gao family retreated with Gao Zhixing, not even a single slave was left behind.
Haha, they are all old foxes...
……
There were candles burning in the side hall, making it bright.
Fang Jun turned around and closed the door, walked into the hall, knelt down next to Xiao Yu, glanced at Changsun Wuji, and said with a smile: "You two secretly have a tryst here, is there something shady about it?" What you do cannot be shown in front of others?”
Ma Zhou was already accustomed to Fang Jun's style, and he had seen him quarrel with Chang Sun Wuji before. He was used to it, so he just bowed his head and made tea and turned a deaf ear.
Changsun Wuji looked at Fang Jun and was furious. He snorted angrily and said displeasedly: "No matter how big or small you are, this is how your father taught you to speak?"
Li Daozong rarely saw Changsun Wuji express such joy and anger, and he was a little surprised. He thought that although Fang Jun's words were irritating, there was no need to be so gloomy, right? He looked at Fang Jun with great interest, wanting to see if he dared to fight to the end with Changsun Wuji.
The two families are now at loggerheads, and it has long been known to everyone...
Fang Jun smiled, took the tea cup from Ma Zhou, and said slowly: "Of course my father didn't teach me this way. He always believed in doing more, talking less, and taking action first. In situations like this, he would only teach me to take action when it's time to take action." Take action, not just talk. ”
As he said this, he turned the teacup in his hand and looked at Changsun Wuji with evil intentions.
Xiao Yu was startled, and quickly stretched out his hand to hold Fang Jun's arm, saying with a bitter smile: "You are really reckless, this is the Duke of Shen's mansion, and they are having a funeral, so don't mess around!"
He was really afraid that Fang Jun would throw the tea cup in his hand at Changsun Wuji's face, saying that his father Fang Xuanling taught him to "take action when it's time to take action." Wasn't it that Fang Xuanling was forced into panic by Changsun Wuji that day? , a teacup was thrown on Changsun Wuji’s face, causing Changsun Wuji’s face to bloom and his face completely lost?
Fang Jun is a stick man, there is nothing he dare not do...
Fang Jun shook his head and said, "That won't work. I won't offend anyone unless they offend me. If anyone demolishes my platform, I will demolish their house."
Changsun Wuji looked gloomy and furious. He didn't want to sit down for a moment. Facing the bastard Fang Jun would always make him lose his composure. His usual restrained cultivation was completely useless. A few words could easily make him furious.
He nodded slightly at Xiao Yu, Li Daozong and Ma Zhou and said, "I am a little tired and low on energy. I will go back to the house to rest and say goodbye for now."
Several people quickly stood up and saw each other off.
Fang Jun, however, sat still and brought the tea cup to his mouth and took a sip. Changsun Wuji didn't even look at him, he stood up and walked out of the side hall.
Watching Changsun Wuji leave quickly, several people looked at each other in confusion.
Xiao Yu was a little embarrassed, cupped his fists and said: "I just remembered that there are still some chores waiting to be dealt with in the house, so I will leave for now..."
Before he finished speaking, Fang Jun said slowly: "There is one thing that I think should be made known to the Duke of Song."
Xiao Yu was stunned, rolled his eyes, and said with a smile: "I really have something to do. If Erlang has something to say, you can come to the house another day."
Fang Jun chuckled and said, "If it's too late, I'm afraid Song Guogong will regret it."
Xiao Yu had no choice but to understand that the conversation between him and Changsun Wuji might have been overheard by someone from the Gao family, and he had already informed Fang Jun.
At present, the Jiangnan gentry can be regarded as a solid backing, but from another level, the Jiangnan gentry relies even more on Fang Jun. The increasingly prosperous sea trade was almost entirely monopolized by the Jiangnan gentry. Even powerful clans such as the Guanlong nobles and the Seven Sects and Five Surnames wanted to get their hands on the huge profits from sea trade. They had to go through the Jiangnan gentry and negotiate for alliances. But the lifeblood of the entire sea trade is tightly held in Fang Jun's hands.
The Royal Navy was created by Fang Jun. From top to bottom, they were all Fang Jun's men. Even if Fang Jun was nestled in Chang'an, the entire Royal Navy still obeyed his orders. As the most powerful force on the ocean, anyone who wants to make profits from sea trade cannot do without the support of the Royal Navy.
Vice versa, if the Royal Navy does not allow any family to continue maritime trade, then that family will have no choice but to cut off this road to wealth.
Not even smuggling!
At present, Fang Jun, as the emperor's minion, is exerting all kinds of pressure on the Guanlong nobles. How can he watch the Guanlong nobles and the Jiangnan nobles unite?
Xiao Yu secretly sighed in his heart. He thought that the strength of the Jiangnan nobles today had increased sharply and they could have both sides. However, he did not expect that they were still rats in the bellows, suffering from both sides...
With a wry smile, he could only sit back and said helplessly: "Erlang has something to say, but please speak out."
Fang Jun sat as steady as a mountain, holding a tea cup in his hand, and said calmly: "Tomorrow, Duke Zhongyuan will submit a memorial to Your Majesty, imploring the imperial court to open ten salt farms in Qing, Lai, Deng, Mi, Hai, Chu, and Yang states. , to alleviate salt consumption in Mobei and Hebei areas In the opinion of the following officials, His Majesty will probably give permission for the shortage and soaring prices. However, the location of the salt farm and the specific number of openings are still to be discussed... I wonder what Song Guogong thinks? "
Opening ten salt farms... Xiao Yu was stunned.
Now that the Tang Dynasty had a vast territory and a booming population, the demand for salt increased year by year. Although there are salt ponds and well salt in the northwest and southwest, the output is too small and difficult to mine. Compared with sea salt, the output and quality are far inferior.
Who doesn’t know that the mountains of snow-white salt grains piled up on the salt fields in Huating Town are like mountains of gold and silver? Every year, there is an endless stream of trucks carrying buckets of salt transported from Huating Town to Guanzhong, Longxi and other places. The Jiangnan aristocratic families who originally contracted the salt field may still have some resentment, but today, they have long enshrined Fang Jun as an ancestor.
That is tremendous wealth!
Xiao Yu's mouth was full of bitterness.
With the Royal Navy strangling Haimao's neck, and the locations of ten salt farms yet to be decided... Fang Jun has a whip in one hand and meat pie in the other, so what other choice does Xiao Yu have?
If he rejects Changsun Wuji, his eldest son Xiao Rui may face a miserable end, but if he rejects Fang Jun, it is very likely that the foundation of the entire Xiao family will be broken up early tomorrow morning... (End of Chapter)