Liang Xiao took a sharp breath and sighed, "Senior, regarding the matter of the Jinling Chess Immortal, I am truly innocent..."
"Your very existence is not innocent. Without you, would Xiao Yun have run to the Great Liang Kingdom?" Lu Xue responded with resentment. She sighed again and said, "Zhuo Lingjun said that it was you who explicitly named her, and that the Zhuo family's young lady wanted to marry both of you."
That shameless old scoundrel!
Liang Xiao finally lost his composure, "I really didn't!"
How could he, a contemporary Lingjun, be so insidious, resorting to any means necessary, even spreading rumors!
The crucial point was that given Zhuo Zifang's decades of upright appearance, Lu Xue would surely believe him more!
As expected, Lu Xue said coldly, "You are truly as irresponsible as your deceased father, running away after causing trouble for women. Hmph, men..."
Zhuo Lingjun, just you wait!
Liang Xiao roared in his heart and quickly said, "No, no, no, I will find a way to make the Jinling Chess Immortal return to Da Qian. As for whether she is willing to marry, that depends on her wishes, not mine. Matters of the heart cannot be forced!"
As he spoke, Liang Xiao puffed out his chest, trying to project a dignified image.
Lu Xue was taken aback, "It seems you are more conscientious than your father, at least you respect women."
Liang Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xue changed the subject, "Such a man, Xiao Yun has even more reason to marry you. If you want to atone for your father's sins, then marry her. Her reputation has already been ruined by you."
Liang Xiao almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
The martial artists of Tianshan were almost doubled over with laughter.
So, he too had moments when he couldn't withstand moral blackmail.
Lu Xue sighed again, "My poor junior sister~"
Liang Xiao finally conceded, "I will first find a way to bring her back, and then I will write a letter of apology. Please send someone to Da Liang with it, alright?"
Only then did Lu Xue's face light up with a smile.
Liang Xiao immediately wrote a letter, handing it to Lu Xue. The letter expressed the utmost sincerity of apology and respect, earnestly requesting Zhuo Yun to return to Da Qian, and promising not to make things difficult.
The old and young man then sat opposite each other again, with Jian Qinwan and Lu Xiaojun seated beside Liang Xiao and Lu Xue respectively.
Lu Xue re-examined Liang Xiao, filled with emotion.
Back then, her family looked down upon the Liang family. Now, the Liang mansion had produced a Liang Xiao, who had played the Gongyang clan and the Dugu family into his hands, and had expelled the Southern King!
The Liang mansion and the Lu family were now worlds apart. There was only value in demonstrating cooperation to Liang Xiao.
"My Lu family is the largest rice and salt merchant in the Jiangnan region. All the grain in Jiangnan is transported north by my people for sale. How do you want my Lu family to cooperate with you?" Lu Xue asked.
Liang Xiao solemnly said, "I hope that in the future, when selling rice, the Lu family will strictly control it and not sell large quantities of grain to my political enemies or unknown organizations."
Seeing Lu Xue's confusion, Liang Xiao further explained, "I suspect that the Sun Moon Army and the Spring Return Cult, who ambushed Luzhou back then, relied on the rice they purchased from your family to have the confidence to carry out the surprise attack on Luzhou."
Lu Xiaojun said urgently, "Marquis Anguo, my family did not collude with the enemy!"
Liang Xiao smiled, "I naturally believe that. Otherwise, the Spring Return Cult would not have tried to assassinate your aunt."
Lu Xiaojun then breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Xue sighed, "After your reminder, I finally understand. I also realized this problem earlier, which is why I tightened grain sales. The Gongyang clan and the Southern King have repeatedly sought to purchase grain from me recently, but I have declined with excuses. The Spring Return Cult and the Sun Moon Army must have resented this and tried to assassinate me?"
"No wonder Senior is valued by Zhuo Lingjun and my grandfather," Liang Xiao could not help but feel a surge of respect.
In Da Qian, rice merchants had no restrictions on selling rice. As long as they had rice and could make money, it was fine as long as the major principles were not violated.
"But if we don't sell rice, our Lu family's business will likely suffer slowly," Lu Xue sighed.
"Before I came to Jiangnan, His Majesty was already making preparations and planned to send people to cooperate with the Lu family to purchase large quantities of rice from them at market prices. As for salt, some of the salt from the Qiantang area can be resold by you in the future," Liang Xiao replied.
Lu Xue was both surprised and delighted, and immediately agreed.
In this way, the Lu family would have a stable source of customers and the protection of the Emperor, essentially becoming imperial merchants.
Liang Xiao finally felt at ease.
The famine last year had caused unrest throughout the country, and even Jiangnan was not spared.
As a result, Luzhou was almost lost this year. Fortunately, he and Xiao Shuangzi had made plans in advance to guard against unforeseen circumstances!
Politics and the times were so complex. Any "what if" that existed in theory was better left unhappened. But once it occurred, it often led to an uncontrollable situation, capable of swiftly crushing a dynasty like a destructive force.
An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, Jingkang Incident in the Song Dynasty, Tumu Crisis in the Ming Dynasty, and the Qing Dynasty, to say nothing of...
Born in distress, die in comfort.
This year's grain stockpiling was, firstly, to pacify the common people everywhere and deal with possible famines, and secondly, to serve as military provisions.
War was fought on logistics.
The so-called "Cold Frost Empire" of the Guishuang Dynasty, the cavalry-dominated wilderness, the mysterious Peacock Dynasty, even the Izumo pirates to the east, and the Great Liang Kingdom to the south, were all enemies who could bite Da Qian at any moment. Not to mention rebels like the Spring Return Cult and the Sun Moon Army.
Liang Xiao's trip to Jiangnan, in addition to selecting talents to rectify the situation, establishing bookstores and workshops, also involved planning for grain, pacifying the populace, and eradicating rebels.
Forethought!
Liang Xiao spoke eloquently, and then mentioned the matter of selecting talents.
Lu Xue gazed at Liang Xiao, nodding several times.
Only after Liang Xiao finished speaking did Lu Xue heave a long sigh, "You are the Marquis Anguo. My Lu family was tricked by the Dugu family back then, and we also resent them deeply. We will do as you say!"
Liang Xiao expressed his deep gratitude.
Before coming to Jiangnan, he had naturally learned about these prominent families.
Families like the Lu and Li families had previously been on good terms with the Dugu, Ouyang, Gongyang, and He families of the capital.
However, there were only so many official positions in the imperial court. With more people than positions, power blinded their eyes. Everyone wanted to be a more significant official, and factional strife was inevitable.
The combined strength of the other noble families could not match the alliance of the Gongyang clan and the Dugu family, let alone the Ouyang family, the He family of the capital, and other aristocratic clans...
These noble families became victims of factional strife, were successively marginalized, or even driven out of the central government, demoted, or imprisoned.
The Lu family now did not even have a fifth-rank official and was forced into commerce!
Now that Liang Xiao had stepped forward, representing Xiao Qing to support these noble families, while also demonstrating his ability to confront these political enemies, they were naturally grateful and had the confidence to stand with Xiao Qing.
The two parties quickly reached an agreement. From now on, all rice and grain sold by the Lu family, except for retail to the common people, would be purchased by people sent by the Emperor.
In return, Xiao Qing would, depending on the Lu family's performance, grant them imperial merchant status as soon as possible, and promote outstanding descendants of the Lu family to official positions.
After the official matters were concluded, Lu Xue gazed deeply at Liang Xiao and sighed, "A tiger begets a tiger cub. If only your father had been a bit bolder back then..."
Liang Xiao heard the subtle complaint, thought for a moment, and said solemnly, "Since the son shall repay the father's debt, how about this: my mother was not jealous during her lifetime and even personally arranged concubines for my father. I will take you as my second mother. When the Lu family and you are sufficiently safe in the future, the Liang mansion will honor you with the status of a co-wife to my father Liang Anguo. After your passing, you will be buried with my father and mother. How about it?"
Liang Xiao's father, Liang Anguo, was beheaded and displayed as a warning after the Battle of Helan Mountain. Later, his body was ransomed by Da Qian.
With many women and few men in Da Qian, it was quite normal for men to have concubines.
In fact, Liang Anguo had two concubines, but they both passed away early.
Lu Xue stared blankly at Liang Xiao, her face filled with disbelief.
While Liang Xiao was at the Lu residence, outside the inn he had taken over, a group of masked figures were watching Klisti's room from a tall building.
The Liang mansion guards stationed at the inn, pretending to be unaware, deliberately cast glances at the tall building and had already discovered the masked figures.
"Quickly go and report to the second young master!"