At the beginning, I gave up my military power with a cup of wine, and I ascended the throne

Chapter 295: Hitting the Cao Family
"Your humble servant Gu Santong, the magistrate of Qi County, greets His Majesty and Princess."

A middle-aged man in an official robe dismounted from his horse and saluted respectfully. Next to him were Cao Xiong, the head of the Cao family in Qi County, and the chief constable of the Criminal Investigation Department and other yamen officials.

"Your humble servant greets His Majesty and His Majesty the Princess."

The curtain was opened, Xiao Han poked his head out of the car and said with a smile: "Don't be polite, the prince and the princess will not stay at the county government office tonight, but at Cao's house."

"Master Cao, do you have any extra yards?" He looked at Cao Xiong.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. There is a yard." Cao Xiong was overjoyed.

As the first Xiliang family to surrender to Xiao Han, the Cao family has also prospered rapidly over the years along with Xiao Han's rapid progress, and has become the number one family in Xiliang. Even a behemoth like the Xun family is slightly inferior to the Cao family.

The third brother, Cao Zhang, works as a chief clerk in the Money and Silver Department of the provincial government, and holds the third rank. The second brother, Cao Cheng, works as a principal in the Qi County Academy. The eldest daughter, Cao Ruixue, is deeply favored by Xiao Han in the palace.

There are also countless Cao family lands, serving in the army and fighting in the battles. Among them, the one with the highest title should be Cao Xingye, who was the deputy governor of a county and commanded thousands of troops.

The Cao family can be said to be the true die-hard followers of the King of Xiliang and are his confidants with extremely high status.

There was also this reason why Xiao Han did not live in the school or the county government office but in Cao's house.

"Let's go."

The curtain was lowered, and a carriage escorted by four hundred riders entered the city and headed straight for Cao's mansion. It was still the same mansion as before, without much change, but it had gained a bit of nobility.

The courtyard is unique. When the last ray of light from the setting sun retreats from the earth, countless lights light up, illuminating the entire Cao Mansion.

Four hundred armored soldiers set up three layers of martial law inside and outside the courtyard. Cao Xiong originally wanted to go to the Criminal Investigation Department of the government office to borrow some manpower, but was rejected by Xiao Han.

He and Ning Xi attended the dinner. Almost all the top leaders of the Cao family were present, except Cao Cheng who was busy in the academy.

The younger generations stood outside the hall with swords in their hands. The only ones who were truly qualified to take seats were Cao Xiong, Cao Zhang, and the meritorious sons of several thousand-man captains.

"Your Majesty, Princess, these are just some home-cooked dishes. If they don't suit your taste, I will immediately tell the servants to redo them."

Cao Xiong's face was flushed.

"It fits."

Xiao Han rolled up his sleeves and ate with big mouthfuls, not even raising his head: "I've been traveling all day, and I'm hungry."

Compared to his voracious eating, Ning Xi was much more elegant and chewed his food slowly, but his bowl was filled with all kinds of delicious dishes, all of which were picked for him by Xiao Han.

"Come, have a bowl of pickled fish soup. It's refreshing and delicious, sour with a hint of spiciness."

After she had taken two bites of the dish, the man beside her immediately stood up, scooped a bowl of fish soup and placed it in front of her, praising her, "This should be a freshly caught Yellow River fish. The meat is extremely tender and much tastier than the other fish in Guanyu Lake in our mansion."

"Your Majesty has a unique vision."

Cao Xiong stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It was only fished out less than two hours ago. If Your Majesty likes to eat it, I will have the servants in the mansion send some to you every now and then."

"To eat this kind of good food, you have to come to Qi County in person."

Xiao Han shook his head: "Although the matter is small, it is extravagant and should not be publicized. Otherwise, if your Cao family sends fish a hundred miles away today, someone will cater to their tastes and send some toys eight hundred miles or eight thousand miles away tomorrow."

Cao Xiong's expression changed slightly, and he said modestly: "I am short-sighted."

The delicious family feast on the table was gone in a flash. Xiao Han wiped his mouth, took the hot tea from the maid next to him, rinsed his mouth, and said leisurely: "You can't write two Cao characters with one stroke. Over the years, the Cao family has made a lot for Xiliang and for this king."

Cao Zhubu was busy all day and night trying to figure out how to get gold, silver, and grain, while Cao Zhushi was also busy with the affairs of the Qi County Academy.

"There are also Cao's sons who joined the army, killed the enemy in battle, beheaded the generals and captured the flags, and made great military achievements."

He sighed: "Without Cao's help, I wouldn't have been so successful these years."

"Your Highness is too modest." Cao Xiong shook his head: "My Cao family is only able to make a small contribution, and it is all thanks to Your Highness's wisdom and bravery."

"Don't say that bullshit."

Xiao Han glared at him: "This is not the first time we have met, and I don't need you to flatter me."

Cao Xiong sneered.

Xiao Han changed the subject, "Of course, your contribution is not small, but I have also given you many benefits. Right now, the Cao family in Qi County has become the number one family in Xiliang."

"Even the Xun clan of Changshan is not as glorious as you."

"I am not the kind of person who would discard the donkey after it has done its work, and I will certainly not do such a thing as throwing the bow away after the bird is dead and the rabbit is dead."

He said in a deep voice: "I am talking to you today because I hope that you, the head of the Cao family, will not forget your original intention and take the lead in the aristocratic families of various states. The bottom line of this king should be very clear."

"I will not take away any of the benefits that I owe you, but if it's not yours, you'd better not take it."

"I will definitely keep it in mind."

Cao Xiong's heart trembled and he nodded hurriedly, knowing that these words were a warning to him and the entire Cao family.

"My husband, you are really something."

Ning Xi said angrily, "We finally got to eat these delicious dishes, but now we're talking about politics again."

Then the princess looked at Cao Xiong and said softly, "Master Cao, please don't blame me. My husband likes to talk more than he actually wants."

"Some time ago, I asked Sister Yu'er. The Cao family of Qi County is also considered my husband's family. Logically, they must support my husband's face."

"Last year, the aristocratic families in Jizhou and Yongzhou rebelled, involving many people, even the military."

"The situation in Xiliang is not as optimistic as it seems. As veteran officials, the Cao family should play a leading role."

"Don't worry, my lord and princess."

Cao Xiong stood up and said, "From my three brothers to the servants, if anyone in my family violates the orders of the palace, I will be the first one to not spare them, even if you don't want to punish them."

"Master Cao is still very reasonable." Ning Xi smiled.

One of them plays the villain and the other plays the good guy.

"The children of the Cao family not only represent the reputation of the Cao family in Qi County, but also the reputation of the prince."

Her voice was not loud, but the Cao family men inside and outside the palace heard it clearly, "In the future, Xiliang and the prince will rely on you a lot."

"You're welcome, Princess."

Cao Xiong said: "I, the son of the Cao family, am willing to fight to the death for the prince with my sword in hand."

After chatting for a while, Ning Xi took Dayueer and Qingyao away and returned to the courtyard to rest.

Xiao Han was drinking and chatting happily with Cao Xiong and a group of young men from the clan.

The Cao family has a very special status in Xiliang, and the rumors outside are not groundless. Many people in the world believe that the Cao family is Xiao Han's Cao family.

Even the children of the Cao family are proud of this, and Xiao Han has never refuted these statements.

After all, the Cao family of Qi County has made a lot of contributions over the years, and the children of the Cao family have a strong sense of identity and belonging to Xiao Han.

(End of this chapter)