Joy of Life: I, a man, became the Queen of Northern Qi?

Chapter 97 The world outside the palace.

"I wonder what the queen wants me to do?"

Guo Heng lowered his head to hide his changing expression. It was obvious that he had his own plans in mind.

"Let's arrange a dinner party and invite the heads of each family. At that time, the representatives of the imperial merchants will also attend." Li An raised his teacup, moistened his throat, thought for a while, and asked softly, "Who is the person behind you?"

Without much hesitation, Guo Heng said a name.
"Prince Gong, fight Gao Hong!"

"wrong!"

The moment Ang Lee heard the name, he gave a negative answer.

Although Zhan Gaohong had some vocal people in the court, the most prominent one had already been dealt with by himself. At least on the surface, his control over Shangjing was minimal.

With such strength, it was not that Li An underestimated him, even if the newly formed Tiger and Leopard Cavalry stood in his territory, he would not need to take action, and his subordinates would have to take him out to save their lives.
Such a person, with the title of prince, should not make the only two tycoons in the world so afraid of him, thinking about taking things step by step.

"I only know that the tribute was made to Prince Gong, but I don't know the details about the others."

Guo Heng's father-in-law's family was once considered a middle-class merchant, so they naturally had connections with some officials. But the way he rose to power was bizarre. In addition to his own abilities and skills, he naturally had a lot of help from the outside world.

Be prepared for danger in times of peace.

After he became powerful, he did think about getting rid of the backer who had been hiding behind him. But invisible resistance came one after another, making him realize that the latter's power was beyond imagination, and it was not something he or the merchant class could deal with!

Guo Heng tried to investigate the person behind the scenes based on the clues provided during the confession, and the results he obtained were all the same, that person was His Royal Highness Prince Gong.

"It looks like it's the work of the Junshan Society again."

After muttering something, Li An shook his head and smiled, saying: "In addition to Prince Gong, there must be another person with great power in the court who is manipulating all this, otherwise, it would be impossible to mobilize Zhou Zhuo's power to put pressure on you."

"This matter is easy to handle and it is easy to solve, but I need your cooperation."

"Your Majesty, please feel free to tell me what you want to say."

Guo Heng looked up at Li An and made up his mind.

He has experienced all the suffering and happiness he deserved in his life. Now all he wants is to find a way out and a way to settle down.

Today, the Guo family has come into the spotlight because of the war between the two countries. No one knows when the people behind them will abandon them like a pair of worn-out shoes, and end up being eaten up. Any gift from fate has a price secretly marked on it.

He wants to break the deadlock!

And hope is right in front of us!
"There must be a martial arts scene between the Guo family and me, so that the people behind you can protect me and reveal your whereabouts. The rest is my business!" Li An stood up, glanced at Guo Heng who was kneeling meticulously, and said with a teasing look on his face, "You should also look for a new candidate for your successor."

Guo Heng's heart trembled, and he said repeatedly: "I will deal with the family affairs as soon as possible!"

"That's good!"

"Let's arrange the banquet as soon as possible. All the horses will be provided to the new army. You can also leave as soon as possible."

"In the future, the business of Da Qi will be led by the imperial merchants, but as for the people, the Guo family will be in charge!"

After saying that, Li An prepared to leave.

Guo Heng stood up to see him off. When he reached the door, even with his shrewdness, he couldn't help but ask one last question:
"My lady, I dare to ask you a question!"

"After this incident, can Guo's loyalty be exchanged for a chance to live?"

I stopped talking halfway.

He just hoped not to be abandoned. Even if Concubine De deceived him at this time, his resentment at the time of his death would not be without reason.

"You'd better think carefully about who your next wife will be! Hahaha!"

That was his guarantee.

Apart from the horses, Li An did not intend to touch anything else Guo Heng owned. The business of Qi was dominated by the imperial merchants, and the Guo family could only bring out the greatest value by gathering the power of the people.

These are the money bags for him and the emperor's wife in the future, so he must be careful. Apart from the thunderous means in the early stage, it is better to be gentle in the rest.
As soon as he finished speaking, the person left.

Guo Heng was left standing there, his hands tightening and loosening over and over again.

"Somebody come!"

"Call that little bastard over here. What did he do just now to upset the guests?!"

When everyone left the courtyard attic, the sky outside was already a fiery red.

"Sister An'er, why did you bring me along when you were discussing important matters with Guo Heng?" The eldest princess hesitated a little, but still pulled Li An's sleeve and asked softly.

"Doesn't the emperor like to see this?"

Seeing Zhao Gao moving forward silently as if he had something to say, Li An raised his hand slightly to stop him and signaled him to wait a moment.

"It's not that I don't like it. As a member of the royal family of Da Qi, I will read more and learn more as long as it is beneficial to the country!" The eldest princess had a serious expression on her face. I don't know how much courage she mustered in her heart to say this.

"That's what I meant."

Li An smiled slightly and suggested, "There will be a banquet later, perhaps in the next day or two. My sister is closest to the Queen Mother, so how about you attend?"

Seeing the eldest princess hesitated for a moment and then nodded, Li An gently said to the Saint and Taoist He: "In this case, I will have to trouble Master Haitang and Mr. He."

Taoist He lowered his head slightly.

Haitang Duoduo also responded with a smile.

After Li An finished explaining, Zhao Gao came forward and said, "Sir, the man in the carriage just now is Zhou Qinsheng, the son of Zhou Jing, the Minister of Revenue."

"This person hasn't left yet, but something has happened nearby."

"What's the matter?"

Li An asked calmly, but saw Zhao Gao glance at the eldest princess and said hesitantly, "Sir, you will know after you move over and take a look."

Seeing Zhao Gao's behavior, Li An glanced at the surroundings and already had a general idea in his mind.

What is this place near the riverside pier?
It was the most chaotic place in the entire capital! Apart from the coolies, most of the people here were poor people. They did not become rich because of the water conservancy and transportation. Instead, they had a hard time surviving because of the numerous gangs, darkness and humidity.
Before, Guo Heng dominated this place, so there was naturally no chaos in general. The most there was was just private oppression.

The wharf is not owned by Guo Heng alone, but is shared by all.

He lives here just because he likes the local atmosphere, and he can't care about anything else.

This group of energetic people gathered together, and apart from venting their energy behind half-open doors, the most common thing they did was to engage in violence and gambling.

Coincidentally, in addition to Li Ang, the son of a powerful official also arrived here today, so it was foreseeable that some trouble would occur.

"Sister, please stay in the car for a while. I will be back soon."

"Sister An'er, please let me go with you!"

Li An looked sideways at Haitang Duoduo, as if seeking advice. The former was more convenient, and had already reached out to help Zhan Qiaoqiao down from the carriage.

"Then let's go and have a look."

"Zhao Gao, lead the way."

Zhao Gao took the order and led the way to a side alley.
This direction is opposite to the river bank, and the residential buildings are denser, with many criss-crossing alleys extending out.

As they approached, they heard some conversations:

"Do you have any other good places to go?"

"This is the only area in Shangjing City that you can play around in. With Mr. Zhou's talent and appearance, all you have to do is beckon and these common women will line up to be selected!"

"Haha, not bad, not bad, but Mr. Zhou, you don't have to pick up women on the street today, because we have already found a few beautiful girls to accompany you."

"Don't try to fool me with some old flowers and withered willows. Let's not talk about anything else. Just tell me if you can be more beautiful than the woman in the carriage I saw earlier?" "This... although it can't compare, it can still satisfy Master Zhou!"

Several people frowned when they heard this, and began to understand why the queen was so cruel to some officials in the court.
As he walked forward, he just turned a corner and met Guo Zhengkang, the son of Guo Heng, who was also rushing over here with his men. When he saw the few people, his pupils shrank and he instantly bent half his waist, obviously knowing the latter's identity.

"It will be easier to deal with this with the local boss here."

Li An didn't say where to go, and Guo Zhengkang was also wondering what he could do with the son of the Minister of Revenue.
He came here just to clean up the mess, try to get some compensation for the victims and maintain the apparent peace here.

The two groups of people blocked the three people who were walking out of the alley.

"It's you?"

Zhou Qinsheng pointed his finger at Li An, his body trembling slightly with anger, but as he exclaimed, he subconsciously glanced at Zhao Gao, who had a gloomy face behind Li An, with some fear in his eyes.

Just now, it was this man who killed his servant!
He was laughing while killing, as if he had some serious illness!
"Who are you? Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have some force!"

Zhou Qinsheng raised his voice, hoping to attract the attention of the surrounding residents. At the very least, he wanted to make the person in front of him cautious!

Otherwise, with the cruel means used by the other party just now, he was worried that he would die here today. "I was magnanimous and didn't bother with you for blocking my way just now, but why are you stopping me here now?"

"Sir, do you want me to kill them?" Zhao Gao asked with a gloomy face.

No one was surprised. Even if this man was the son of the Minister of Revenue, so what? Just based on the disrespect he showed to the Empress in his words just now, he should be killed!
Guo Zhengkang, who was standing by, felt his scalp tingling when he heard this.

Mr. Zhou, right? If you want to die, die far away! Don't take him with you. When the Empress Defei entered the courtyard just now, I also had some thoughts that I shouldn't have. Fortunately, I didn't say it so bluntly, otherwise I would have walked a long way on the road to the underworld.
"Haha, although it is a bleak autumn day, let's not talk about fighting and killing." Considering the presence of the eldest princess, Li An said in a deep voice, "Let's go to the rear to see what's going on first."

Ignoring the three people in front, Zhao Gao passed them and shot towards the back.

He was very busy today, and half of the trouble was caused by these few people. The other instructions from the queen don't count, the current situation is overtime.
After saying this, Li An turned to Guo Zhengkang and smiled, "Please."

"Uh, what do you want me to do, sir?"

Guo Zhengkang asked carefully.

"Let's take him into custody first."

Without hesitation, the latter waved his hand, and the strongman beside him captured the three men.

"Let me go! Do you know who I am? My father is Zhou Jing, the Minister of Revenue. I am the Empress Dowager's man. How dare you arrest me?" Zhou Qinsheng was still struggling.

Every word he said made Guo Zhengkang's eyelids twitch!

Today he has learned a lot. He hasn't met these big shots in the past ten years. Today they all jumped out.
Mr. Zhou, stop threatening me. The Queen Mother is indeed high above us, but Concubine De is right in front of us now. The revenge afterwards is too far away, and he has to take care of the present. He doesn't need to choose, right?

No matter what, Guo Zhengkang turned to Li An and said jokingly: "Shangjing is the orthodox capital of the world. Although this southeastern city is not as prosperous as other places, the people are simple and honest, and it has a unique style. Don't think too much, young master. This place used to be very peaceful and safe."

Li An fell silent, quietly waiting for Zhao Gao to return.

Guo Zhengkang also shut his mouth awkwardly. For a moment, only Zhou Qinsheng was still making noise.

'Boom! '

Haitang Duoduo was annoyed by what she heard, so she punched the son of the Minister of Revenue in the abdomen and shouted, "You are doing evil things in the name of the Queen Mother! Open your eyes and see who we are."

She had already guessed what had happened at the back of the alley, and now she even wanted to kill someone!

Under the pain, not to mention that Zhou Qinsheng didn't know those people, even if he knew him, he would be mad and couldn't hold back: "I don't care who you are! You are finished! You dare to use private punishment on me, don't run away, wait for the people from Jingzhao Prefecture to come and put you all in jail!"

"When the time comes, I will give you a good beating!"

After saying this, he spat out a mouthful of blood foam and sneered.

He is tough, but the two followers beside him are not so confident. Most importantly, they are not as stupid as Zhou Qinsheng.

Since I have told the other party my identity, he is not afraid of me anymore. At least he is of the same level as me.

When affected by the clash between these people, those of them who are just passing through will suffer no good consequences.

At this time, they were all trembling, thinking about the situation that might come next.
Soon, Zhao Gao returned with a female corpse in his hand. The woman's clothes were disheveled, her skin was dark and shiny, and she looked young, about the same age as Li An. She must be a resident of this area.

"She's dead." Zhao Gao put the person on the ground, lifted up her messy hair, and revealed the wound on her head.

"Hit the wall and die."

"Wait!" Zhou Qinsheng screamed, "We didn't kill her. She was fine when we left."

"Where was the man found? Have you ever?"

Ang Lee had a blank expression on his face, as if he was talking about something irrelevant, but the more so, the more it showed his anger.

Even the eldest princess behind her noticed that something was wrong with Sister An'er.

She was also angry, but she didn't know how to deal with it. She had only one idea in her mind, which was to tell her mother about this and let her make a judgment.

"It was in an empty courtyard. When I arrived, the person had just died and his innocence had already been tarnished."

"Yeah."

Ang Lee smiled, and it was a very calm smile.

It's like there's something missing since we haven't killed many people in the past few days. So, isn't there work to do today?

He turned his head to ask the other two people, "Is the elder in your family also an official?"

"This"

The two people beside Zhou Qinsheng looked at each other and nodded slightly. However, this matter was not decent after all, so they could not reveal their father's name. If the name of the Minister of Revenue worked, they would be fine today. If it didn't work, they would let their father go to prison to rescue them.

"You are all descendants of the rich and powerful. Everything you wear, use, and earn is granted by the imperial court. Instead of thinking about how to serve the imperial court and the country, you use your fathers' power to do whatever you want. Do you really think that you are the masters of the world of Da Qi?"

In the chilly autumn wind, Li An's words sounded even colder.

As if illuminating the dead woman's face, the setting sun in the sky became brighter. Although it was slowly descending, it emitted a brighter light.

"They are all tender and delicate, but they can't bring peace to the world with their literary skills, nor can they control the world with their martial arts. It's just a waste of food. What's the point of having them?" Li An went to the riverside and ordered, "Take them with you, and everyone else follow."

Ang Lee walked very fast and in a hurry.

It seemed as if he wanted to resolve the matter before it got completely dark.

Everyone behind him followed. No one dared to speak to Li Ang at this time. The only one who could talk to Li Ang due to her status and unfamiliarity was the eldest princess. She just gently pulled the latter's collar and looked nervous.

There was mist in her eyes and Zhan Qiaoqiao felt very sad - it was the first time she saw someone die in front of her.

Li An tilted his head and said, "Sister, this is the real world outside the palace. I want to remind you that this is different from the palace. Not everyone will treat you kindly. If you encounter such a thing, there is no other way except to be more ruthless than the other party."

Zhou Qinsheng has gradually given up struggling.

What is the imperial sister? What is the palace? Don't you understand? He vaguely saw the grandmother who had died many years ago.
He just wanted to take a gamble now, betting that the two nobles in front of him would consider the overall situation and not dare to kill him.
"Who are you two? Please forgive me this time. I will definitely atone for my sins and will never do it again!"

The closer we got to the river, the stronger the wind became.

Xu Chu once again held up the umbrella and did his best to shield Concubine De from the power of nature.

"Son of the Minister of Revenue. This is how the world is. No one will answer every question you have, and I am not your teacher. Just like, do you know the name of this dead girl?"

Zhan Qiaoqiao's eyes flashed with confusion. She was trying to understand Li An's words, "Sister An'er, I have studied many books, but I don't understand the outside world."

"Actually, I don't understand either." Li An smiled slightly.

“But I understand people’s hearts.”

(End of this chapter)