"Marquis An Guo, I trust you are well!"
Lu Changhe chuckled heartily in the grand hall.
Liang Xiao smiled, "Congratulations, General Lu, on your triumphant return!"
Lu Changhe quieted down, his face filled with emotion, "It is all thanks to General Tian's descent that we were able to escape from the brink of disaster and even annihilate the barbarian iron cavalry!"
Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian, standing behind Liang Xiao, remained silent.
Lu Changhe shifted his tone and looked at Liang Xiao with a smile, "Speaking of which, Marquis An Guo, you've been at Bodhi Temple for the past few days, haven't you? You haven't left the temple?"
"No, I've been at Bodhi Temple the whole time."
Liang Xiao appeared calm, but inside he roared, *Just you wait!*
One day, he swore, he would make this brat carry a hundred-pound sack and run a hundred laps around the northern military camp!
Before he left, he had anticipated that Lu Changhe would bother him again and had specifically left a message saying "Do not disturb, do not think of me." Yet, this brat had ignored it completely!
Lu Changhe sighed, "Marquis An Guo, I have a rather unreasonable request. Could you perhaps let out a loud roar? Or say a few words in a majestic and imposing voice?"
Yue Lian and Jian Qinwan struggled to suppress their laughter.
"I am a man of refinement, and my voice has always been like this. Do you want me to disfigure myself?" Liang Xiao's brow twitched. He really wanted to kick Lu Changhe back to the northern military camp.
Lu Changhe scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "That's true. I actually thought it was General Tian manifesting through you that made you go to support the battlefield."
Liang Xiao was taken aback.
This Lu Changhe, because of General Tian's voice issue, now seemed to doubt if he was really General Tian?
Liang Xiao curled his lips, "Of course. After all, he's become a War God, receiving the daily worship of the entire nation. He has to contribute something, doesn't he."
Lu Changhe nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The Left Wise King of the barbarians led his troops from afar. Hearing of General Tian's appearance, his army retreated to the wilderness. Wonderful! Marquis An Guo, I came to you because I want to discuss buying land with you!"
Buying land?
Liang Xiao and the other two looked at Lu Changhe with confusion.
Lu Changhe elaborated, "The barbarians suffered tens of thousands of losses and were intimidated by General Tian. They shouldn't dare to invade Yanzhou again for some time. My father has over three hundred thousand taels of silver at my disposal, but only you can freely buy land."
Liang Xiao asked, "You want to entrust me with buying land, to possess it under my name?"
Lu Changhe shook his head, "No! I want to give this money to you. You just go ahead and buy land. If we profit, we'll split it. Even if we lose money, it doesn't matter!"
Liang Xiao and the other two were even more confused. "Such a good deal?"
"If he offers kindness without reason, he's either a thief or a traitor!"
Jian Qinwan finally couldn't hold back and snorted, "General Lu, you're not harboring feelings for this guy, are you?"
Liang Xiao, Lu Changhe, and Yue Lian nearly fainted!
Lu Changhe trembled, "Marquis An Guo, am I not upright enough in appearance? Why do your wives and concubines always misunderstand my orientation?"
"Who is his wife and concubine! Stop talking nonsense!" Jian Qinwan's face turned red, and she looked away.
Lu Changhe chuckled dryly, "Please don't misunderstand, everyone. This was my father's intention before he left. He just left in a hurry, and I was rushing to rescue the Kuizhi troops. My own family is harmonious, and I have a pair of twins!"
Liang Xiao remained silent.
He was indeed short on funds, but he didn't want help from others, lest the aristocratic families discover it and cause complications.
However, with the northern military camp's victory once again, and the barbarians afraid to invade, the land in the northern part of Yanzhou would become safer, and its price would inevitably rise. Liang Xiao might not be able to buy land at a low price later.
Liang Xiao's original intention for buying land was to counter land annexation, to annex the land from the landlords, liberate the tenant farmers and serfs in northern Yanzhou, and then cultivate the land properly.
"Marquis An Guo, you don't need to worry about losses. We can draw up a written agreement. Even if we lose money, it will be my father's!" Lu Changhe, thinking Liang Xiao was having second thoughts, hastily emphasized again.
At this point, Liang Xiao could no longer refuse and sighed, "Don't worry, we won't lose money!"
Liang Xiao understood that Lu Yi clearly supported his land purchase out of respect for his father, uncle, and Xiao Qing, and it was also possible due to his relationship with "General Tian."
Regardless, Liang Xiao had to admire the boldness of the Lu father and son. This boldness might give them an opportunity to double their investment.
The curved-shaft plow was already being promoted. The people of the Great Gan Dynasty would eventually discover its efficiency.
This wasteland was acquired at a low price. Liang Xiao could guarantee that even if it wasn't a sure profit, it wouldn't be a loss.
At worst, if he held onto it for ten or eight years, and if the Great Gan Dynasty truly found potatoes, tomatoes, and corn and promoted their cultivation, it wouldn't just be a double profit!
The two parties immediately drew up a written agreement on the spot, this time without going to the Prefect's office for certification.
Both Liang Qing and Lu Yi were from military families, and Liang Xiao was the renowned Marquis An Guo. A written agreement was sufficient, without the need for government guarantees!
The content of the agreement was as Lu Changhe had said: Liang Xiao had full discretion over the money to buy land. If there were future profits, Liang Xiao and the Lu family would split them fifty-fifty. Any losses would be borne by the Lu family.
Two household retainers from the Lu family, who had been waiting outside, entered with a large chest. Upon opening it, Liang Xiao was presented with three thousand silver notes of one hundred taels each for his inspection.
In the afternoon, the landlords and gentry of Yanzhou left the Prefect's office together, laughing heartily.
"What a fool! Does he even know the quality of the land in the north?" Landlord Bai Wan was overjoyed.
Together, these large landlords had sold fifty million mu of infertile land in Yanzhou this time.
After handling the official documents and deeds for Liang Xiao, Liu Anmin sat at home, utterly bewildered.
This way, Liang Xiao possessed an astonishing one million mu of infertile land!
Just looking at the quantity might shock the nation, but if one considered the quality and location of this infertile land, the entire country would likely ridicule Liang Xiao for his overestimation of his abilities!
Once the tax exemption period for Yanzhou land passed, the annual land tax Liang Xiao would have to pay would be astronomical!
At the Liang Residence, Jian Qinwan found Chen Shaoling and a senior sister, and handed them a letter.
This senior sister, named Li Hongshu, had a calm demeanor and was Chen Shaoling's wife. She was usually taciturn.
"Senior Brother, Sister Li, please entrust someone to deliver this letter to my master at Tianqin Mountain. Don't ask any other questions. I don't like him, I just couldn't bear to see him go bankrupt..." Jian Qinwan said in a low voice.
The couple exchanged a knowing smile.
They had watched Jian Qinwan write the letter. The content of the letter was to inform Qin Sheng about Liang Xiao's land purchase, requesting Qin Sheng to send someone to wait in the capital and provide Liang Xiao with financial support!
The two immediately left with the letter, leaving Jian Qinwan alone and anxious.
"Will he be angry..."
She finally couldn't help herself and acted on her own initiative.
She had originally held some resentment towards Liang Xiao for his advances, but as soon as she heard that Liang Xiao had bought another fifty million mu of land, that resentment vanished...
Liang Wen was Liang Qing's most trusted steward, astute and efficient in his dealings.
A day later, Liang Xiao left Liang Wen to manage the Liang Residence in Yanzhou, and the convoy set off along the official road towards Tianshan.
General Tian had manifested, dealt a crushing blow to the barbarians, and they had fled!
While Liang Xiao was on the road, the news from the northern military camp finally reached the capital, causing a sensation throughout the city!
General Tian manifested?
The most astonished people in the capital were none other than Xiao Qing, Luo Qingxue, and Liang Qing!