The Demon-Slaying Grandmaster

Chapter 114 Take the initiative
Li Jingxiao also needed help, and after thinking about it, he was about to agree.

But when the words were on the tip of my tongue, I was suddenly startled.

It occurred to me that this could be another test from the Emperor and the Retired Emperor.

It is normal for military generals to like to use their own people.

The people employed are brothers and nephews, so outsiders won’t say anything.

After all, when one person succeeds, the whole family benefits. This has been the case since ancient times.

But if I let Niu Zhanpeng join the Sima Army in front of the palace as a guard, it means that I have the idea of ​​forming cliques in my mind.

Not to mention, the Dianqiansi, an army that guards the imperial city and provides close escort to the emperor, is even more wary of small groups.

Li Jingxiao cursed himself for being stupid, but luckily he reacted quickly.

He smiled and said to Niu Zhanpeng, "I just came to the Palace Front Department and I don't know the situation clearly.

If you were suddenly transferred to the cavalry, the other Yu Hou and Du Yu Hou would definitely feel insecure.

Instead of trying to find a solution on my side, you might as well just practice martial arts more.

If we really need to go to war in the future, it will only take a word to transfer you into the army.

But if you are not good at martial arts, you won’t be able to seize the opportunity even if it is given to you.

If anything goes wrong, I don't want your father to hate me for the rest of my life."

Niu Zhanpeng nodded dejectedly.

The words have been spoken so bluntly, but if I still want to join the cavalry, that would be asking too much.

That would not be getting closer to Li Jingxiao, but offending him.

After Niu Zhanpeng left, the news quickly reached the ears of Emperor Longde and the Emperor Emeritus.

The father and son were very satisfied with Li Jingxiao's approach.

But Li Jingxiao actually overreacted a bit.

If they didn't trust him, it would be impossible for the father and son to promote him to the deputy commander of the Palace Front Division after discussing it.

It is even more impossible to let him command the 1 cavalry of the Palace Front Division.

To put it bluntly, both the emperor and the retired emperor hoped to win over Li Jingxiao by offering him high positions and generous salaries.

By the way, through him, the relationship between the Jia family and other nobles can be stabilized and maintained.

Therefore, both the retired emperor and the emperor were happy to see Niu Zhanpeng join the cavalry.

However, it is not a bad thing for Li Jingxiao to act cautiously.

With his ability, he actually has no shortage of opportunities for promotion.

I’m afraid that he, a young man, will suddenly ascend to a high position and become arrogant and complacent.

So, utilitarianism is definitely necessary, but it must not be too strong.

Of course, for someone like Li Jingxiao who is so good at cheating, it is a bit easy for him to say this without any pain in his waist.

How many people are talented but lack a mentor, and end up frustrated and buried in the market all their lives.

In history, the talents needed for rebellion were actually enough in one county or one prefecture.

Liu Bang relied on Pei County, and Zhu Yuanzhang relied on Fengyang.

So, it’s not that there are no talented people around you, but that everyone lacks opportunities.
-
Li Jingxiao was sitting in the court, planning to summon two Du Yuhou and ten Yuhou to explain the training matters.

Jiang Liu walked in and said, "Sir, Master Xiaorong is here."

Li Jingxiao nodded, as he just happened to have something to ask him.

Since killing the cat-faced old lady and a dozen yellow-skinned beasts, he has been promoted four levels in a row.

Li Jingxiao began to think about the witch in the capital.

These people raise little ghosts, do evil in the capital, and make dirty money, not only for the experience of upgrading.

Eliminating harm for the people is also a meritorious deed.

By the way, the dirty money these people have earned over the years just happened to be a bargain for me.

When Jia Rong was seen, the boy was already wearing the green robe official uniform of the eighth rank.

Although the official position is low, he is an eighth-rank official when he takes office. I wonder how many people will be envious of him.

There are three people in the top three of the imperial examination: the top scholar, the second scholar and the third scholar.

He was awarded the second-class Jinshi degree.

The third place was awarded the title of "Tong Jinshi".

He first stayed in the Hanlin Academy for half a year, and then interned in the six ministries and other government offices for a period of time.

When selecting officials, there are three people in the first class, and the top scorer is directly promoted to the sixth rank.

The second and third place winners are of the seventh rank.

Most of the second-class officials are of the seventh and minor ranks, with a few being of the eighth and minor ranks.

As for the top three, they all start from the eighth rank.

This means that Jia Rong’s current official position is comparable to that of the top three Jinshi scholars.

Of course, the prospects and ceiling of an official like Jia Rong's are much lower than those of a Jinshi.

However, there are actually very few Jinshi who can actually be promoted to the fourth rank or above.

Most of the second and third class Jinshi scholars spent their entire lives stuck below the fifth rank.

But for Jia Rong, with the connections in Ningguo Mansion, he could easily be promoted to the seventh or sixth rank with a little merit.

If he could become a fifth-rank official in his twenties, the Jia family would definitely regard him as the pillar of the family in the future.

Waving to Jia Rong, the boy approached with a smile on his face, bowed and waited on the side, saying, "Sir, if you have anything to say, just tell me."

Li Jingxiao nodded, asked him to come closer, and whispered in his ear, "Although your uncle was promoted to the third rank due to his merits.

But there are definitely many people who are jealous and want to harm me."

Jia Rong felt nervous, as his future depended entirely on his uncle.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Uncle, tell me who wants to harm you. I will take people to kill that bastard right away."

Li Jingxiao was a little surprised to hear this, and patted Jia Rong on the shoulder with a smile.

"Nonsense! There's no life-and-death struggle in the officialdom. It's all about human relationships and social etiquette."

This is nonsense. When Chinese people treat their political opponents, they always fight to the death with no room for negotiation.

As long as there is still a trace of illusion of "you are good and I am good too" in the heart, it will not be able to defeat the other party for the time being.

Li Jingxiao didn't want to see Jia Rong act recklessly, which would not only harm himself but also implicate his uncle.

Therefore, Li Jingxiao would rather Jia Rong be a little kinder, as long as he can do the things he is asked to do well.

Jia Rong is actually not a cruel person. On the contrary, he is a very cowardly guy.

The reason he said those words just now was simply because this kid saw hope.

But this hope all depends on Li Jingxiao, so anyone who harms Li Jingxiao will ruin Jia Rong's future.

This is how we should treat those who want to deal with Li Jingxiao as if they were enemies.

Seeing Li Jingxiao say this, Jia Rong immediately became timid.

He smiled awkwardly, rubbed his nose and said, "Uncle, you don't know, ever since you valued me, I have been taking you by your side to do errands.

That was the first time that my nephew lived like a real young master in the East and West Palaces.

Even as a grandfather, this is the first time that someone has come to praise my nephew. You have not only supported but also given me opportunities.

"Anyone who wants to deal with you," Jia Rong said, his expression becoming fierce again, "will ruin my nephew's future."

Li Jingxiao could understand Jia Rong's idea.

Although this kid is the eldest son of Ningguo Mansion, he is also the only heir.

But his father Jia Zhen often beat and scolded him and humiliated his personality.

In the original novel, Jia Zhen asked his servants to spit in his face.

And vomiting once is not enough.

He had married Qin Keqing, the most beautiful woman in the Red Mansion, but she was taken away by Jia Zhen. Anyone who meets such a father will feel twisted.

But even so, this guy didn't do anything bad. He just stared at women and became decadent and licentious.

There is inevitably the intention of taking revenge on his father Jia Zhen.

"Okay, okay, just do your work with peace of mind, and you will inevitably benefit from it."

After saying this, Li Jingxiao deliberately mentioned what happened when he met the emperor a few days ago.

"A few days ago, His Majesty asked me in front of me who would be suitable to help me since I was going to marry into the Jia family. The first person that came to my mind was you.

Since you have registered with His Majesty, it will not be difficult to get promoted if you work hard."

Jia Rong was ecstatic. In the past, the Jia family was most afraid of the emperor keeping an eye on them, after all, the whole family was incompetent.

Naturally, the emperor's impression of the Jia family was not very good.

But now the emperor took the initiative to let the children of the Jia family obey Li Jingxiao.

It can be considered as having hope for the Jia family.

This is a great thing for the Jia family.

He knelt on the ground and kowtowed deeply to Li Jingxiao, "Uncle, you treat my Jia family like a second chance. I will definitely treat you like a father in this life and will go through fire and water for you."

Li Jingxiao rolled his eyes at the boy.

He doesn't believe that someone would sacrifice his life to repay a favor.

After all, he himself is not that kind of person.

It seems impossible to force others to do this.

Therefore, he prefers to describe his relationship with the Jia family as a relationship of mutual exploitation and mutual benefit.

Ultimately, it's a business.

The Jia family has what he wants.

He is about to marry a girl from the Jia family, and there may be more than one in the future.

To a certain extent, his power could also help the Jia family maintain respect among the nobles.

Moreover, in this era, people pay attention to protecting each other's privacy. To a certain extent, the relationship between relatives is more reliable than that between outsiders.

Of course, if their core interests are harmed, they will not show any mercy when they turn against each other.

He waved his hand to help Jia Rong up, then pulled him aside and whispered, "The first thing I want to tell you is to visit more noble families in the capital.

Although my second uncle and I are not close, it is a fact that he was harmed by witchcraft.

There must be someone using witchcraft to cause trouble in the capital.

If we catch the mastermind, it will be a great achievement."

Li Jingxiao did not report the killing of the Jiangzhou witch by Maoshan, let alone the imperial court, even to the Daoluosi.

Shi Delong and the other two were not even mentioned.

So what Li Jingxiao said, that the person who harmed his second uncle is still in the capital, makes perfect sense.

Jia Rong was overjoyed again, but before he could say anything, he heard Li Jingxiao carefully explain, "This matter must be kept secret and handled with caution.

Your task is simple. Make friends with the children of nobles and find out if anyone in their family is sick but has not yet sent for a doctor.

Taoist priests, monks, or witches often come to visit."

Jia Rong's heart tightened, and he thought to himself that he was not his uncle. If he was really discovered by the evildoer, it would be dangerous.

Fortunately, my uncle was understanding and only needed to find out which family had something unusual, without having to personally investigate the secrets. The danger was much smaller.

In fact, it would be easier to find out if you invite more sons of nobles to drink with you.

Besides, my grandfather was a Taoist monk, so with that identity, I don’t need to ask around.

Ask the Taoist priest at Xuanzhen Temple to help find out, and there will be basically no danger.

"Don't worry, uncle. This matter is very simple for my nephew. I'm sure I can find out some useful information."

Li Jingxiao smiled and patted Jia Rong's shoulder again, and then three level 2 fire-control talismans and three level 2 thunder-control talismans appeared in his hand.

“These six talismans are for your self-defense, and they are much more powerful than the fire-controlling talisman I gave you last time.

Whenever you encounter danger, don't care if it's human or demonic, just attack the enemy."

After saying this, he activated the six talismans in front of Jia Rong. From now on, they only needed to be thrown out or slapped on the target to activate flames or thunder.

"You have no magic power. I have already activated these six talismans. Remember to keep them safe."

Jia Rong nodded quickly. Fortunately, Li Jingxiao gave him six more cloth bags to put the things in.

Just escape and throw it away when needed, and Jia Rong felt relieved.

Then Li Jingxiao said, "Since this spell has been activated, if you don't use it within the next three months, when the rune becomes dim, remember to come to me to replenish the spell's mana.

Lest the power decrease."

After giving the instructions, Li Jingxiao asked Jia Rong to do the work. As for the money needed to treat guests to drinks, Li Jingxiao was not that stingy.

But Jia Rong refused, saying that he was doing something for his uncle, so why would he need to pay?

Li Jingxiao did not argue with him. After all, the Jia family was still very rich at that time.

Even after the Grand View Garden was built, the financial situation of Ningguo Mansion was much better than that of Rongguo Mansion.

If Jia Jing had not spent all his time refining elixirs and practicing Taoism, and had not also supported the entire Taoist priests of Xuanzhen Temple, there would have been no deficit in Ningguo Mansion.

In this regard, Jia Zhen is better at managing the household than Jia She and Jia Zheng.
-
Li Jingxiao originally thought that Jia Rong would not find out the news so quickly, but he did not expect that this guy went out to inquire about the news in the morning.

Just after noon, he ran back.

After entering, he whispered, "Uncle, you would never have guessed that Baoyu actually has a godmother named Ma Dao Po."

Li Jingxiao knew Ma Dao Po very well.

But he did not rush to speak, but gestured for Jia Rong to continue.

Seeing that he was interested, Jia Rong spoke three times faster.

“My nephew went out to ask around this morning, and found out that the witch is quite famous in the city.

She often went in and out of the homes of officials and dignitaries, instigating these wealthy families to offer incense, oil and light lamps in her temple to pray for peace.

This didn't seem like a big deal. At first, my nephew just thought it was a wealthy family asking for peace of mind.

But after further investigation, we learned that the Jintian Marquis family actually offered 24 kilograms of incense oil every month to the witch's temple."

The head of the Jintian Marquis' generation is Qiu Liang. Given the relationship between the Jia family and Qiu Liang, it is not difficult for Jia Rong to find out some secrets.

Jia Rong continued, "Based on the current price of sesame oil at 160 wen per catty, one tael of silver is 1200 wen.

2 taels a day, 60 taels a month, 720 taels a year.

That's a lot of money.

Even my Jia family would feel bad spending so much money on this every year.

Therefore, my nephew speculates that Ma Dao Po must have used some insidious tactics to force the Jintian Marquis family to surrender.

Li Jingxiao nodded and said that the fertile land outside the capital city cost only about 20 taels of silver per mu.

720 taels of silver is enough to buy 36 mu of good paddy fields.

For an average family of five, the annual expenses may be less than 10 taels.

Liu Laolao herself said that her family's total annual expenses were only 20 taels.

And don’t think that Granny Liu is poor just because she comes to beg for money.

In fact, her family was a small landlord.

Li Jingxiao also knew that the Nan'an Concubine offered 48 kilograms of fragrant oil to Ma Dao Po's temple every day.

That’s 1440 taels of silver every year.

There are also offerings from other officials and dignitaries. At the end of the year, he would receive at least several thousand taels of silver.

I thought to myself, this old witch is quite good at making money.

(End of this chapter)