Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 286 Xie Yuying followed me, how are you going to investigate me?

No one knew why Wei Yuan suddenly wanted to raid a merchant's house.

But since he had received the order, Lin Zhaoyuan did as he was told. So that night he took a small boat to leave Taihu Lake and headed for Hangzhou to meet the governor Mei Zhi.

The next day, the merchants had lunch on the flower boat before leaving one after another.

They traveled together, and on each boat there were at least six or seven merchants, talking among themselves.
"Should we give the thirty thousand taels of silver as a gift?"

"Only a fool would give it to us. We are not completely without connections in the capital. Let's all work together and report him severely!"

"And that Guo Hao!"

"That's right, these two are in cahoots with each other, protecting each other, and have forced us into a situation where there is no way out!"

"Wei Yuan has been dismissed from his post, leaving him with only an empty title. Now is a great opportunity to bring him down!"

"."

However, when they headed ashore together, the governor of Hangzhou, Mei Zhi, had already led the team there in person.

We rode at full speed all night and finally arrived here in the shortest time possible.

"Provincial Governor Mei?"

When a merchant from Hangzhou saw him, he came forward to greet him eagerly.
"Why is Master Mei here?"

"I have met Governor Mei"

"."

Mei Zhi ignored them and looked at Li Youcai who had just landed. He directly ordered his men, "Capture him!"

In an instant, the police swarmed over and arrested him directly.

Li Youcai panicked for a moment, "Mei, the governor? What do you mean?"

Mei Zhi looked at the merchants and shouted, "Li Youcai has disregarded the law, evaded taxes and engaged in smuggling. His crime is unforgivable. His property will be confiscated according to the law!"

Who?
Lee Yoo-jae?
Tax evasion? Smuggling?

Where is this?
Li Youcai shouted, "Unfair! When have I ever violated the law?"

Mei Zhi snorted coldly: "It's your fault that you offended someone you shouldn't have offended. Silence him and take him back to Hangzhou!"

excuse me.?

At this moment, all the merchants couldn't help but gasp.

Who did Li Youcai offend that his property was confiscated?

They suddenly remembered what Li Youcai said in the flower boat last night, and suddenly they understood.

Afterwards, everyone hurriedly left this place of trouble, got on the carriages in groups of three or five, and went to a deserted place, where they gathered together to discuss.

"Li Youcai said his house was confiscated and it was confiscated. The Marquis of Wei has such powerful means!"

"Is Wei Yuan just ignoring the laws of the country?"

"National law? He is a minister of the Central Government and will be the new emperor's assistant minister in the future. He is the national law!"

"Everyone, I won't say much anymore. I will go back and prepare thirty thousand taels of money for the filial piety."

"Are you admitting defeat now?"

"What if I don't admit it? I don't want to be confiscated like Li Youcai! People should not fight against officials! These days, it's not easy to live well!"

"."

For Wei Yuan, killing a wealthy businessman was much easier than killing a civilian.

If we really investigate them, how many of them are clean? We can convict them by finding a few random charges.

But civilians have always been law-abiding, so it is difficult to harm them.

However, what is interesting is that at least the imperial court openly regarded civilians as human lives, while some merchants treated civilians as grass.

At this moment, the flower boat has gradually approached the shore.

Now that everything has been resolved, there is no need for this stage to remain on Taihu Lake.

Wei Yuan also wanted to take this opportunity to inspect the southeastern navy and see what Guo Hao had done behind his back over the past year.

At this time, he was standing at the end of the boat, admiring the scenery of Taihu Lake.

Some of the prostitutes on the flower boat also packed their luggage and left.

Another part was already in the flower boat, so they didn't need to leave.

Xie Yuying came behind Wei Yuan and asked for his resignation.

"My Lord, I am very grateful to you for taking care of me these days."

Wei Yuan looked back, looked at the tender and affectionate Xie Yuying, smiled and said:

"I will remember what I promised you. I will send someone to look for Yang Wuduan soon."

I thought the other party would be quite excited when hearing this, but unexpectedly, he responded very calmly:

"Your Majesty, there is no need to look for Mr. Yang."

Wei Yuan asked curiously: "No need? Why?"

Xie Yuying boldly raised her head and looked at the upright man in front of her. Her heart was beating rapidly, and in just a moment, her face turned a little red.
"Why would I need to see a scholar when I can see a great hero like the Marquis?"

Wei Yuan was stunned and said with a smile: "I heard that you often sing Yang Wuduan's lyrics."

Xie Yuying said: "That was before. From now on, I will only sing frontier songs."

As she spoke, she looked at Wei Yuan with an extremely affectionate gaze, as if she could throw herself into Wei Yuan's arms at any time.

"Forget it. Thank you, Miss. Have a good trip. We'll meet again if we're lucky."

Wei Yuan waved at her, and at this time, the flower boat had already docked.

Xie Yuying nodded reluctantly, and when she was about to get off the flower boat with her two servants, she suddenly turned around and looked at Wei Yuan again.

The latter asked curiously: "Miss Xie, is there anything else?"

Xie Yuying mustered up her courage and bowed deeply, saying, "I heard that the Marquis was ordered to travel around Jiangnan, and he must need a woman to serve him. If...if the Marquis does not mind, I am willing to follow the Marquis and stay by his side."

Since she became famous in Jiangnan, she has never lost her composure like today, and perhaps she will never lose her composure again in the future.

She was a smart woman and knew this was her opportunity.

No matter how popular a geisha is, in the end, she is just a geisha. Does that mean she has to sing songs for others all her life?
It is better to sing for one person than to sing for the world.

What's more, this person is Wei Yuan.

Having said that, Xie Yuying's music and Wei Xingshou's dance are truly the best in the world.

As soon as Xie Yuying finished speaking, she fell to her knees.

Just at this moment, Zhao Jianjia followed Guo Hao out of the cabin and saw this scene.

The former frowned slightly, thinking, "I am a woman from the royal family. It is extremely difficult for me to stay with him. How can you, a prostitute, do that?"

At this time, Wei Yuan smiled at Xie Yuying and said, "Stay with me? Most of the people around me are men, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for you to stay."

The latter said: "I am willing to follow the Marquis alone and will never cause trouble for him."

Having said that, it is really difficult for her, after all, she is a woman.

Chen Daniu stood beside Wei Yuan and laughed, "Brother, it is the most difficult to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Forget it, let your two maids follow, Daniu, prepare a carriage for them."

Chen Daniu nodded, "Okay."

Xie Yuying was delighted, "Thank you, Lord Marquis. For the rest of my life, I will swear to follow you till death. I will never change my original intention. If I break this oath, I will be struck by lightning!"

Hearing the voice, Wei Yuan was stunned.

Does it need to be so formal?

She followed me because it was her own wish, not because of the King of Wu's arrangement?
this.
Wei Yuan just realized that he was overthinking.

If it was a deliberate arrangement by the King of Wu, then he should just take advantage of it. Now it seems that he is willing to do it. In this way, Xie Yuying stayed with Wei Yuan, and from then on, the world lost a brilliant and talented courtesan.

After hearing Wei Yuan's approval, Zhao Jianjia almost bit her lips.

Compared to that prostitute, how inferior am I, a daughter of a royal family?

After everyone got off the shore, Mei Zhi came to see Wei Yuan.
"My Lord, according to your instructions, I have arrested Li Youcai. As for the Li family, what should be done with them?"

As he spoke, he also made a knife gesture, implying whether he wanted to slaughter the entire Li family.
Wei Yuan said: "Just do as you wish. As for the Li family's wealth, you can keep a part of it, and distribute the rest to the people. It can also be considered as doing charity to help those who are having a hard time."

To cut the grass, you must remove the roots. There is nothing to say about it.

"After the matter is accomplished, don't be anxious. In the next few years, I will transfer you to the center."

Wei Yuan patted Mei Zhi on the shoulder, painting a rosy picture for him.

Mei Zhi thought the cake was very fragrant, "Thank you, my Lord."

Then he returned to Hangzhou.

At the same time, Lin Zhaoyuan received a pigeon message, "My Lord, the commander of the Imperial City Investigation Department, Gu Qianfan, has arrived. He is here on the orders of the Emperor to investigate your gathering of merchants from the southeast."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Tell him to go to Taihu Villa and wait for me."

Taihu Villa was the house bought by the King of Wu and given to Wei Yuan.

After this period of renovation, the house has been completely renovated.

It is even better than the Suzhou Provincial Governor's Mansion.

After all, it’s my own house. I’ve been in Suzhou for so long but I haven’t visited it yet.

By the way, meet Gu Qianfan there.

Lin Zhaoyuan said: "Gu Qianfan seems to be upright and incorruptible. Why did Commander Yan send him here?"

Wei Yuan said: "If you send someone else, I will be worried."

Lin Zhaoyuan asked curiously, "What does the Marquis mean?"

Wei Yuan said: "Gu Qianfan has wanted to join the army for a long time, but I have never agreed. Now, I have agreed to it."

On several occasions, Gu Qianfan proposed to Wei Yuan the idea of ​​serving as a soldier under his command.

Just this time, his wish came true.

Soon, Chen Daniu got a carriage according to Wei Yuan's instructions, specifically for Xie Yuying and her two maids to ride in.

Everyone then went to the Taihu Villa.

In the carriage, Xie Yuying's two servants whispered:
"Miss, it would be great if you could follow the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, but given their family background, I'm afraid it would be difficult for them to give you a legitimate status."

"And I also heard that the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery is the daughter of a general. She is decisive and has the style of Lady Li. If the reputation of a woman from the capital can be spread to our Jiangnan, it must be a serious matter. What if the Marquis's wife doesn't like the girl in the future?"

"."

Hearing this, Xie Yuying felt a little melancholy, but she didn't want to miss a man as great as Wei Yuan.

Since he became famous in Jiangnan, he has met countless dignitaries, not to mention the talented men in Jiangnan.

But no man can make her bow down willingly.

But Wei Yuan is an exception.

Which gentle and beautiful woman in history doesn't love heroes? Xie Yuying is no exception.

"Now that I have made my decision, I will not regret it."

"No matter how difficult the future may be, I will be his woman and remain committed."

Xie Yuying held the pipa tightly in her hands.

Obviously, she was also a little afraid of the marquis's wife in the marquis's mansion.

As for status and the like, she does not ask for it.

"I have saved up some money over the years. If I have the chance to follow the Marquis to the capital, I will buy a house outside the city. After all, with my status, if I enter the Marquis's mansion, it will also bring disgrace to the Marquis, and that Marquis's wife."

"It would be better if we find a place to live by ourselves. If the Marquis can take time out of his busy schedule to come and see me, that would be enough."

When the two servants heard what Xie Yuying said, they couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh.

In their eyes, with Xie Yuying's beauty, she could become a concubine in any noble family.
But now, if you absolutely follow the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, you will probably suffer a lot.

etc.
The girl wants to spend her own money to buy a house to accompany the marquis?

this.
The wealthy families in Jiangnan spend a fortune to get the girls to spend a night with them, but the girls always turn up their noses.

Now, after following the Marquis, I still have to pay money?
Less than half an hour later, in Taihu Villa.

Wei Yuan took Xie Yuying, Chen Daniu and others to stroll here.

After touring the entire mansion, Chen Daniu was slightly surprised and said, "King Wu is really willing to spend money. The land price in Jiangnan is second only to Kyoto. Such a large courtyard must cost a lot of money, right?"

In terms of the area covered by this place, it cannot be compared with the marquis' mansion, but in Jiangnan, it is definitely one of the largest houses, and cannot be compared with the villas worth hundreds of millions in later generations.

Wei Yuan said: "King Wu knows that I plan to retire in Jiangnan in the future, so he has prepared a place for me to live in advance."

As he spoke, Lin Zhaoyuan came hurriedly, "My Lord, Gu Qianfan is here."

Wei Yuan nodded and went to meet him in person.

As for Xie Yuying, she returned to her residence to rest.

Wait until you arrive at the main hall of Taihu Villa.

Wei Yuan saw Gu Qianfan standing there and looking around.
"Commander Gu, how are you?"

Hearing this, Gu Qianfan bowed immediately and said, "I am honored to meet you, Lord Marquis."

Wei Yuan waved his hand, "You and I are acquaintances, so forget the polite words. Sit down, come in, serve the tea."

In front of him, Gu Qianfan's posture, whether sitting or standing, was flawless.

"My Lord, I came here on orders to investigate your gathering of merchants from the southeast."

"I don't understand. With the Marquis's methods, he doesn't need to be so ostentatious. Why?"

Gu Qianfan asked curiously.

Although he is honest, he is not stupid.

He knew very well what the nobles in the capital were thinking.

Therefore, before coming here, he had already made up his mind that it was nothing more than a formality.

After all, if the case is really investigated, how many nobles will be involved besides the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery? I'm afraid the capital will be turned upside down.

He didn't dare to check, so after hearing Wei Yuan's invitation, he came here without stopping.

Wei Yuan shook his head and sighed, "There's nothing I can do."

No way?
Gu Qianfan asked curiously, "What do you mean, Lord?"

Wei Yuan said solemnly: "Everyone in the world knows that I was dismissed from my post. Why did the government do this? It was to temper me, but everyone in the world thinks that the government dismissed me just for show."

"Instead of letting the emperor think about how to train me, it would be better for me to take the initiative to give the emperor a reason, so that the emperor will not be in vain for his kindness to me."

As soon as these words came out, Gu Qianfan's face suddenly changed and he stood up.

"My Lord, do you mean to say that you did this on purpose? Is this action intended to give the emperor a result or purpose?"

At this point, Gu Qianfan bowed deeply and said with a wry smile: "My Lord, why do you have to tell me this?"

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Just say it, you are not an outsider."

"How are you going to check on me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Qianfan broke out in a cold sweat and knelt on one knee, saying, "My Lord, you are joking. I am your humble servant."

Wei Yuan stood up, smiled and helped him up.
"I have already said that you and I are not outsiders, and there is no one else here, so just say whatever you want to say."

(End of this chapter)