The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 398 Searching for Beauties
It was already noon when Qian Wu woke up tiredly from the bed, and Xiao Yan was no longer in the room. Only two maids walked in carefully to serve her.

"No need."

Qian Wu propped herself up and sat up. She originally intended to refuse the two maids' attempt to change her clothes, but she rubbed her brows and gave up the insistence. After she put on her clothes, she asked them, "Are you from Hanzhong?"

The two maids were a little reserved and lowered their heads slightly. One of them answered, "We followed the general from Chengdu to Nanzheng... The prime minister originally arranged for us to serve the general."

Qian Wu pondered for a moment and looked at the two young maids. With her vision, she could tell at a glance that they were still two virgins, but they were obviously smart, otherwise the prime minister of Shu, Wei Zhuang, would not have arranged for them to serve Xiao Yan. This task was not easy and Xiao Yan had to be satisfied.

However, Xiao Yan might not be particularly satisfied. Qian Wu could tell from his unkempt hair and beard. But she thought that if Xiao Yan replaced the maids, these two would be severely reprimanded by Chengdu. Perhaps it was because of this that Xiao Yan did not replace them with other people, but brought them all the way to Hanzhong instead.

"Follow me from now on."

Although Qian Wu only gave such an order, the two maids were very happy. They obviously thought that Qian Wu was a very important person. After all, how could a simple woman who could accompany Xiao Yan to sleep with him be so?
Qian Wu's thighs were still a little sore, but she didn't care. She just asked where Xiao Yan had gone while washing up.

In fact, Xiao Yan did not fall asleep immediately after his reckless behavior last night. Qian Wu remembered that he was still sorting things on the table for a while. They were the treasury treasures reported by various places in Shu Kingdom.

Xiao Yan seemed to be in a very good mood at that time. He told Qian Wu that the property of the various prefectures, including the treasuries of Hanzhong and Chengdu, counted only gold, silver, copper, silk fabrics, leather and other materials, and roughly estimated that the value was nearly 50 million strings of cash!

The total tax revenue of the entire Liang Dynasty in the first few years was less than 50 million guan. Shu was really rich. This was the surplus after Wang Zongkan mobilized 100,000 troops to attack Qi. Of course, Shu did not have any major wars, so it was normal to have accumulated wealth for 20 years.

This does not include the large amount of grain reserves, Taicang, Fu Cang, Yi Cang, etc., which cannot be counted in detail. Foodstuffs can be used as hard currency in the war-torn North, but it is more troublesome to transport them. In addition, some prefectures and counties have not yet sent people to receive them, and Xiao Yan has not yet received the property in the Chengdu Palace.

Qian Wu didn't understand what this huge fortune meant. Xiao Yan just told her that if a war of 100,000 elite soldiers was launched, the average cost of mobilizing each soldier before the war was 20 strings of cash, plus the transportation of miscellaneous materials, food supply, conscription of civilians, etc., a war would only cost 3 million strings of cash.

In other words, Xiao Yan can launch dozens of large-scale wars with the resources of Shu!

She remembered that Xiao Yan cursed at that time, saying that it was no wonder that so many warlords didn't want to leave Sichuan once they entered it. Damn, as long as there was no Northern Expedition, the country would be rich as hell.

Thinking of this, Qian Wu felt very happy, because Xiao Yan was extremely excited at that time, which was rare. Perhaps it was because he had not had a close friend to talk to for several months. Xiao Yan told Qian Wu a lot of things happily, and did not stop until Qian Wu was so tired that he fell asleep.

And Xiao Yan really only had the energy and time to share these things at night. He went out early at dawn and was said to have taken people out of the city.

Qian Wu stopped asking and continued, "Where do the two Xu concubines live?"

After the maid told her, she asked the two to take her to visit.

The Shu royal family had all been moved to Hanzhong. It is worth mentioning that the last emperor of Shu, Wang Yuanying, was directly demoted to a commoner by Xiao Yan and was among the first group of representatives sent to the Central Plains.

Because when this guy asked for peace, he was obviously guarding tens of millions of guan of wealth, but he was so stingy that he only offered 100,000 guan and 10,000 pieces of Shu brocade every year as tribute. After being rejected, he dared to raise troops to resist, and only begged for surrender to Xiao Yan in tears after being captured. Unfortunately, it was too late at that time. He and his descendants were all deposed by Xiao Yan as commoners, depriving them of their status as royal family members of Shu and leaving them to fend for themselves.

No one dared to resist Xiao Yan, because at the same time he entered Chengdu, tens of thousands of Liang Dynasty troops also entered Shu. At that time, the ruling foundation of the entire Shu Kingdom had collapsed, and the royal family was wiped out. Not to mention deposing a later lord, even if the royal family was killed and only Wang Jian was left, there would be no power to threaten Xiao Yan.

Therefore, the royal family of Nanzheng now only includes Wang Jian, the two Xu concubines, and his son Wang Yan. Wang Jian’s other sons and concubines have been moved to Bian Jing. Only Wang Jian himself can enjoy the treatment of the king of Shu. Who would waste money on sons and concubines?

Since the edict conferring the title of King of Xu on Wang Jian had not been officially issued yet, Wang Jian was still a commoner and temporarily lived in the villa of Yu Chuansu, the former Zuo Pushe of Shu Kingdom. He was only accompanied by a few eunuchs. If they needed anything, they could only ask the Ye Bushu who was guarding them.

When Qian Wu rode his mount into the villa, he saw a palace maid and a eunuch from Shu kneeling in the yard washing clothes. The yard was also very empty, giving a feeling that no one was there.

Xiao Yan did not treat Wang Jian unfairly, but that was all. He would not care about Wang Jian's life, so the treatment of the Lord of Shu depended entirely on the arrangements made by his subordinates.

Seeing Qian Wu, wearing a veiled hat, walking in, surrounded by two maids, and followed by two night-weary armored soldiers, the palace maid and the eunuch were stunned for a moment, then hurriedly bowed down, and no one went inside to report.

Qian Wu frowned, asked a maid to go in and report first, and then he followed slowly behind. After walking about ten steps inside, he heard a scolding voice.

"If I don't blame you, who should I blame?!"

Qian Wu slowed down his pace and waved to the maid not to rush in.

At this time, the voice inside said angrily: "If your father had not opened Chengdu to surrender, how could the Great Shu Dynasty have perished so quickly? Do you know that the Liang Dynasty court is just a face-saving thing? What King Xu is? Bullshit! Am I not the same as a prisoner!? But your father and your brother are now officials of the Liang Dynasty!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, a woman's sobbing voice said, "Sir...it was you who wanted to surrender..."

"If I don't surrender, the people below will tie me up and surrender!" The slightly older man said angrily, "The fact that your father and brother surrendered the city is proof of this! You guys are the ones who change your mind with the wind! And you, you followed me out to see Xiao Yan that day, don't think I don't know what you're thinking! Now that your father and brother are officials of the Liang Dynasty, are you also thinking about leaving me now!?"

Another woman beside him said coldly, "Your Majesty, you'd better keep your voice down. If you call the general by his name now, aren't you afraid if outsiders hear it?"

The sobbing woman in front also advised: "Sir, please be patient. Father sent someone to deliver money and property today. Although it is only for me and my sister, as long as it is delivered, you can still use it. Father can't come to see you at this time...

You are the ruler of Shu, and you were once the master of millions of people in Shu. The court is naturally wary. Wait for a while, and when we go to Bianliang, when they think there is no threat to the government, and when Shu is settled, the court will naturally stop wasting manpower to look after us, and life will slowly get better... How could my sister and I leave you..."

"What do you mean by 'live a good life slowly'!" The man's voice said angrily: "Do you know what I looked like when Xiao Yan called me out several times? I lived in fear and was worse than pigs and dogs! When Shu is stable, maybe they will send me poisoned wine, and then it will be a good life? Oh, yes, once I die, you will really have a good life!" The two maids turned pale when they heard it, but Qian Wu found it very interesting. After asking all night, he found out that it was Xu Geng, the father of the two Xu concubines, who sent some gold and silver this morning. However, the things were only given to the two Xu concubines, and Wang Jian was not asked at all. The latter must have been angry because of this.

But speaking of it, the father and brother of the elder and younger Xu concubines were indeed highly valued by Xiao Yan. After Xiao Yan captured the last emperor of Shu, Wang Yuanying, alive at Fenghuangshui in Chengdu, it was Xu Geng, the then General of the Cavalry, who opened the city and surrendered. It is said that this was because the elder Xu concubine had written a letter to her father and brother in advance to advise them.

Later, when Shu was destroyed, Concubine Xu's brother, Xu Yanqiong, who was the Grand Master of Shu, was appointed by Xiao Yan as the "Judge of Chengdu Prefecture", and his father and brother had to follow Xiao Yan to Bianliang to serve as officials. However, this temporary assignment was not a small position, as he was Xiao Yan's spokesperson for Shu, so it was inevitable that people would think that all this was due to Concubine Xu... Maybe Xiao Yan fell in love with the sisters.

However, Qian Wu knew that Xiao Yan's actions had nothing to do with the two Concubines Xu. Of course, there was a connection, because Xu Geng surrendered Chengdu, and the Xu family was a big family in Shu, etc. But the so-called "judge of Chengdu Prefecture" only served to help Xiao Yan get the private wealth of the rich and powerful in Chengdu, that is, to order Xu Yanqiong to raise military funds, but he could not handle local taxes.

As a result, the elder brother of Concubine Xu had no other choice but to try to blackmail his political enemies and even win over some Shu officials as his accomplices.

Since Xiao Yan accepted the surrender of Shu peacefully, he did not kill people. Only the Lord of Shu lost everything, but the nobles below were not affected. Xiao Yan was polite to them before because he did not want to provoke resistance after occupying Shu, but he certainly would not let these rich people continue to occupy the resources of Shu.

So Xiao Yan needed someone to play the villain, and that person was Xu Yanqiong, the elder brother of the two Xu concubines. He had even decided that if Xu Yanqiong did a good job, he would create a new official position in Chengdu as the "Transportation Envoy" and let Xu Yanqiong take the position.

As a result, the Xu family, which was originally a big family in Shu, had to bite the bullet and work for Xiao Yan, and was forced to stand on the opposite side of the Shu literati, and could only work for Xiao Yan. At the critical moment, Xiao Yan could even give up this person to win the hearts of the Shu literati.

This strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf, when it fell on Wang Jian, was a great benefit to Xu. Of course, Xu was now really rich. After all, being Xiao Yan's spokesperson was better than being a fish on the chopping board. At least he could barely be considered the "knife".

It was not until he heard the sound of fighting inside that Qian Wu asked the maid to go in and report.

Before she came, she had heard that Wang Jian favored these two concubines, but she didn't expect it to fall to this point. But thinking about it, it was normal. The king of a fallen country had a lower status than his former subjects. Even the concubines he favored were slightly superior to him. It was not surprising that his temperament changed drastically.

After the maid informed them, a white-faced, beardless eunuch quickly ran out from the backyard and smiled flatteringly at Qian Wu: "I didn't know you were here, it's really..."

As he spoke, he did not forget to scold the two palace maids and eunuchs who were washing clothes in the courtyard: "What are you doing for a living? Do you know..."

"okay."

Qian Wu interrupted him and said directly: "I am here to visit the two ladies."

"Please... Your Excellency, please come in." The eunuch then said with a smile, "I am Tang Wenjian. Your Excellency, please send someone to pass on a message to me next time. I dare not ask Your Excellency to go there in person."

Qian Wu's face was hidden behind a veil and his expression could not be seen clearly. He also did not respond, but just walked in. Tang Wenjian then bent down and walked in front to lead the way.

When they entered a side room, they did not see Wang Jian, who had just beaten and scolded people. Instead, they saw two women who looked vaguely similar waiting there. The younger one was standing sideways with her face covered, hiding the half of her face inside. She should be the young Concubine Xu.

The eldest concubine Xu was able to force out a smile, and bowed, saying, "I wonder who this lady is..."

Qian Wu did not answer, but looked at the two girls carefully. They were dressed very simply, wearing old light blue skirts. Although they were made of Sichuan brocade, they looked a little old, probably because they did not dare to dress too brightly in their situation.

But the two girls' beautiful faces with bright eyes and white teeth, their fair and smooth skin, their bulging breasts and graceful figures, are truly rare beauties in the world. The sisters' fame was not gained out of thin air.

Although Qian Wu was wearing a veil, this glance at her made Concubine Xu particularly uneasy. Although she did not know Qian Wu's identity, she had just heard from the maid that Qian Wu had slept with Xiao Yan last night and had come from the north.

Could it be that this girl is worried that her sisters will seduce the general and is here to punish them?
In particular, she was afraid that Qianwu would hear what Wang Jian had just said and bring trouble to them.

"My two ladies have heard of you."

Qian Wu said, "They specifically asked me to take care of you two regarding your treatment. If you have any difficulties in the future, feel free to contact me."

The elder Concubine Xu's heart skipped a beat, and the younger Concubine Xu also raised her head and looked at Qian Wu, not knowing whether this sentence was a warning or something else.

The key point is, they really have no chance to seduce Xiao Yan!
Qian Wu then took off his veil and said to them, "My name is Qian Wu. If you want to see me in the future, just tell them my name. The general will return to Chang'an in a few days. There will be a banquet tonight. The Lord of Shu and his two wives are invited to attend. Other former Shu officials and their wives will also be present."

The two concubines Xu were also surprised by Qian Wu's beauty. They were stunned for a while before they bowed and responded. Qian Wu then nodded and left.

The two sisters looked at each other, wondering why such a matter was worth Qianwu's personal trip.

"You really didn't hear me?"

After a while, Wang Jian, who had rushed over, asked carefully, then his face turned pale and he said sullenly, "Is it possible not to participate?"

Concubine Xu said, "My lord, the general is not a barbaric and unreasonable person..."

Wang Jian pointed at her with a gloomy face and cursed, "Don't think he is a kind person. I am just a tool he uses to appease the people of Shu. When I am no longer valuable, who knows what he will do? When the time comes, I will die, and you will be buried with me!"

The younger Concubine Xu was so frightened that she couldn't speak, but the older Concubine Xu just snorted and laughed, staring outside the door in silence.

(End of this chapter)