The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

Chapter 297 Trip to Ping'an State

Xue Pan just received the note and ran out happily. Jia Lian was unwilling to come and left all the handover matters to him alone.

He originally thought that Chen Heng would make things difficult for him, but who could have imagined that it would come so easily. After finishing the work, Xue Pan rushed back to the inn to meet Baoyu and others.

Strange to say... Xue Pan sat down and began to drink water. I've even prepared some money.

Then what? Baoyu was sitting opposite Xue Pan and couldn't help but curious after hearing the conversation.

He gave me the note and let me go. Xue Pan said he was surprised.

Baochai on the side looked at the two people looking at each other and couldn't help but said: I told you earlier, Brother-in-law Lin is different from the people you met in the past.

Maybe he felt that what he said didn't sound good. Xue Baochai immediately added: If he can win sister Lin's attention, how can he be a greedy and lustful ordinary person?

Although Baochai's relationship with the Chen family is not very close because of his brother's affairs. But Xue Baochai's evaluation of Chen Heng is still quite high.

Of the two people in front of her, one was her brother and the other was her husband. No matter what Baochai said, they didn't want to listen. Nor will he speak ill of him or accuse him of his bad intentions.

Baoyu didn't know what to say for a moment, but Xue Pan took the initiative to find a place for him.

Sister, just take a look. Xue Pan raised his sleeves, My brother-in-law and I will do our job beautifully this time.

Before leaving Beijing, Aunt Xue gave many instructions to help Baoyu run his errands.

Nowadays, the Rongguo Mansion is in a state of ruin. The first room holds a title, and the second room houses Rongxi Hall. In addition, Baoyu is already married. As long as Baoyu makes a career, it will be enough to convince others. Even though Wang Xifeng is her uncle's biological niece, Baoyu is still her uncle's biological nephew, and now she is married to her own sister.

The two families of Jia and Wang are really close to each other through a precious jade.

When my sister becomes the Duke's wife in the future, won't our Xue family have countless glory and wealth?

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Chen Heng didn't care about the Jia family's plans, the situation in Songjiang Mansion had been prepared. Unless the superiors issue an explicit prohibition, it will be difficult for anyone to come.

After Xue Pan left, he first found Liu Xianglian and asked about the situation of the escort agency in the city. The latter has been dealing with people of three religions and nine streams all year round, and he has a clear understanding of the situation in the city and on the road.

Sir, there have been dozens of new businesses in this business in the city in the past six months. There are many smart people in the world. Wherever there is money to be made, there is opportunity to be found. As long as there is some news, many people will flock to it.

There have been too many new shops opened in the city recently, and the county government has naturally filed them, but Chen Heng doesn't have the energy to plan them all.

After asking about the situation in this industry, Chen Heng couldn't help but talk a few words and asked about the relationship between the bodyguard, the nursing home and Green Forest. Liu Xianglian happened to be involved in something, and heard that the Lord wanted to inquire about the details of the escort. He immediately smiled and said: Sir, what people in this business rely on is their reputation. Martial arts are secondary...

Chen Heng was very excited and asked him to explain the details. Liu Xianglian then said: General escorts have to explore the mountains and ask for directions when they go anywhere. Sir, look, our escorts from Songjiang go out. Everywhere they go, they will go to the local escort agency to ask about the situation. This The locals know very well how to walk down the street and how to go around the mountain.

As you said, sir, leading dozens of brave men to draw swords when seeing bandits in the mountains and forests is the worst strategy. Those who can occupy the mountains and become bandits will have hundreds of them at their disposal. Number one. If there are more people with more ruthless styles, it won’t work no matter how many bodyguards you bring.”

The only way is to meet with the local bodyguards. If the goods are too valuable, we will have to wait for a few more days and ask the local bodyguards to come forward and give the heroes on the mountain a promotion and a beating first.

What do you mean by raising points and beating teeth? Chen Heng suddenly became excited and asked directly.

This is all Jianghu talk. I just want to send some congratulatory gifts. After the green forest on the mountain has eaten this meal, I am too embarrassed to continue to serve as food for my employer. If it is time to let him go, let him go.

Can it still be like this?! Doesn't it mean that two families go back and forth to eat one person? Chen Heng exclaimed in surprise. He also thought that the so-called bodyguards were ruthless characters who had experienced mountains and rivers and had shining steel swords in their hands. Unable to help but smile and shake his head, Chen Heng couldn't help but secretly thought, What if the bandits insist on not letting go.

Then you have to ask whether there is a personal grudge or something else. Liu Xianglian finally said solemnly, In short, these two paths have their own rules and regulations. The escort agency cannot ruin the employer's business, otherwise it will not be able to afford this job in the future. A bowl of rice. A good man cannot do anything right, otherwise not only the government will have to deal with it. When he is in trouble in the future, his brothers on the road will come and step on him, and no one can say anything.

Then these bandits from Ping'an Prefecture... Chen Heng continued to ask, Can they also use this method to get over?

When Liu Xianglian heard this, her face looked a little strange, The bandits here are not easy to deal with.

Seeing Chen Heng's curious expression, Liu Xianglian looked around, leaned into the adult's ear and began to whisper.

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Jia Baoyu's business was going smoothly in Songjiang. As soon as the shop opened in June, by the time the sand ship returned to port in early July, Xue Pan had already taken a group of workers to the Sichuan Sha Hall to pick up the goods. The details of the process are unknown, and Chen Heng has no intention of inquiring about other people's means of making a living. As long as the other party does business honestly and doesn't cause trouble in Songjiang, Chen Heng doesn't want to argue with them.

It is busy until mid-July, when the monsoon winds blow from the sea. At the four city gates of Songjiang, caravans traveling by land are indispensable. The escort bureaus in the city even set up shop here to directly solicit business.

Xue Pan originally planned to recruit more people, but when most of the escorts heard that the other party wanted to pass through Ping'an Prefecture, most of them refused to go with him. There are many places to eat in the world, and Ping'an State is such a place that people who are looking for a living are willing to go there.

After asking several companies, no one was willing to take the job. Xue Pan had no choice but to spend a huge amount of money, and only then did a Fujian escort agency take over the matter. The latter also had their word first, half of the money must be given first, and everything on the road must be obeyed by their orders. Xue Pan didn't dare to take the man on the road directly. Seeing that someone was willing to take on the job, he naturally agreed.

After finally getting the escort, it was natural to set off as soon as possible. Xue Pan was about to gather his men and walk out of the city, but was stopped on the road by someone.

Liu Erlang, why are you stopping us? Xue Pan was riding on the horse, looking at the majestic Liu Xianglian in front of him, somewhat unable to control the opponent's way. Who in Songjiang doesn't know that Liu Xianglian is Master Chen's right-hand man, and everyone is polite to him.

Xue Pan, you are blessed today. Liu Xianglian was not the Liu Xianglian of the past. He sat on the horse and cupped his hands and said: My master has an errand and I need to travel far. I happen to be traveling with you, so I will let you go today. Zhan Zhanguang, I will protect you on your journey.

What is this thing called? Xue Pan was a little surprised and confused. He knew that Chen Heng might not harm him, but he would definitely not help him. But Liu Xianglian's martial arts skills are here after all. It is impossible to say that Xue Pan is not moved.

Seeing Xue Pan taking the initiative to smile, Liu Xianglian waved her hand and said: I'm just traveling with you, and we still eat our own food on the way. If you have anything, you don't have to ask me.

Just when Xue Pan was about to please him, he got a cold blow. But he didn't dare to get angry at Liu Xianglian. He had no choice, because there was brother-in-law Lin behind him.

The two parties gathered together for the time being, and under the noon sun, they exited the North City Gate and ran towards the capital.

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As soon as Xue Pan left Songjiang, Chen Heng received the news. He was a little surprised that Fool Xue would go on the road alone, and asked someone to ask about Jia Lian and Baoyu. Only then did I realize that these two people had recently been brought by Shi Ding to receive guests.

The Jia family's military background and popularity are the wealth accumulated over generations. Even the imperial envoy wanted to borrow the Jia family's gold noodles. With these two young masters around, Shi Ding could have a few words with whomever he was talking to.

Don't underestimate this face, it is most useful to the people in the military camp. It's a pity that Baoyu was not good at this. He followed Shi Ding for a few days and then excused himself from feeling unwell. Jia Lian followed Shi Ding happily and continued to display his golden face as the eldest son of Rong Guogong's eldest son.

Jia Lian and Shi Ding's schedule has been diverted to Hangzhou and other places. When they return from Zhejiang, the suppression of bandits will be put on the agenda. Chen Heng and Shi Ding had a bad time, and the communication between them was temporarily handled by the people below.

No matter how reluctant he is, the corvee documents that should be issued must be directed to the state capital. Chen Heng was busy preparing for military supplies, and he inevitably had to use some of his connections.

Merchants traveling from north to south have a mixed bag of information channels. You can't hide things like suppressing bandits even if you want to. Someone is willing to give Chen Heng some face and give him some help. Someone was more considerate and helped Chen Heng secretly collect information about Ping'an Prefecture.

The Songjiang Mansion was busy non-stop. Although the people had some complaints, they thought that this matter was what Mr. Chen asked for, and he responded to it like a cloud. Men who are about to leave home have received advice from their parents and wives: Master Chen is a good official. He would quarrel with the imperial envoy for people like us. We have to be grateful. Now he has no choice but to ask for it on us. My son, when you go out this time, you must help Mr. Chen.

Mom and dad, I saved it.

The sons and daughters of each family walked out and began to register their households. When the county government official in charge of statistics handed over a long list of names. Chen Heng, who originally didn't want to go with him, changed his mind when he saw the heavy names on the paper.

Late one night, Chen Heng suddenly invited the two ladies in front of him. He pretended to be relaxed and said to Daiyu and Yinglian: Yu'er, Lian'er, I've thought about it. I'm going to follow the imperial envoy to suppress the bandits this time. Go. No matter what happens in the end, I have to bring these folks back.

The two ladies had already received the news in the city, and they also knew what their husband-in-law was like. The people depended on their lives, so he would definitely not want to hide behind.

I expected you to say that. Daiyu lowered her head with red eyes, I won't stop you from doing this. I just hope you can promise me and come back safely.

However, Yinglian took out the clothes and shoes she had prepared a long time ago, and said in a trembling voice: Sister Lin said before that you would go on a long trip, but I still didn't believe it. If I had known you had this idea, I...I...

Knowing this, I feel sorry for the two ladies. Chen Heng felt guilty and had no choice but to step forward and hug the two of them, Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I will come back safely and bring the people in the city with me.

No matter how much words you say, it will be useless at this moment. Daiyu and Yinglian had no other choice but to take out as much time as possible and cherish Chen Heng's time at home.

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More than half a month after leaving Songjiang, Xue Pan and others finally entered Ping'an Prefecture with the goods. Ping'an Prefecture is actually very large, with many mountains and rivers in its territory. The official roads are tortuous and the countryside is scattered.

When walking in such a dangerous place, the escorts who escorted us must be very alert. Xue Pan is a fool, but he is not a complete fool. He was obedient along the way and obeyed the advice of these escorts. With veterans in the martial arts leading the way, everyone had a safe and uneventful journey.

Said to be traveling together, Liu Xianglian was actually following far behind the team. He has one man, one horse and two swords, as long as he is not in a desperate situation. Riding Chen Heng's little white horse, you can go anywhere in the world. This time when he went out, he even took an errand from Chen Heng to explore the mountains and rivers of Ping'an Prefecture.

The caravan walked on the official road for half a day, and the escort was determined to complete the journey in one breath. Unexpectedly, when Xue Pan saw that the journey was uneventful, he became lazy and insisted on having lunch before leaving. The escort had no choice but to tell his men to be more agile, finish their meal quickly and get on their way.

What are you afraid of? After Xue Pan learned this, he couldn't help shouting, The mountains that should be worshiped and the points that should be raised have been taken care of. If we don't even let people eat good food, how much will these bandits eat in our family? , I made them spit it out.

Thinking that his uncle was about to suppress the bandits and there were no outsiders around, Xue Pan couldn't help but become more talkative. He looked down upon the audience and set his sights on the flagpole fluttering in the wind. The characters Jia and Xue on the top are so conspicuous.

After getting along for a long time, the escorts also knew the young master's temper. Now that he has taken on the job, he must protect Xue Pan even if he complains again. In addition to sending more people to guard everywhere, a younger bodyguard came to his leader and complained softly: Uncle, when I go back, I don't want to take on his errands again.

Get the things in front of you done first. The old escort glanced at the young junior and told him not to let his resentment slip. In the escort agencies in Fujian, most of the internal personnel are related to each other. When away from home, without such a background as a guarantee, no one dares to trust the other person's back.

The clear wind blew and Xue Pan had a full meal comfortably. The sun was shining brightly at noon, so he hid in the carriage and just took a rest. After walking out of the carriage on the official road, unexpected shouts of murder suddenly came from outside.

Xue Pan, who was still sleeping, suddenly woke up. He lifted the car curtain and poked his head out, and saw a group of robbers running out of the woods in the distance. Seeing the panic of the bodyguards, Xue Pan hurriedly exclaimed: What's going on, what's going on? Didn't we take care of everything as we said? You guys should say something!

The old escort leader didn't know what was going on, but he saw the robbers coming to kill him without any explanation. He rode on the horse and said loudly: Friends with green waters and green mountains, please slow down. There is a pole hanging high on the dragon's head. The Dragon King has eaten in the kiln and showered his teeth. He also gave me words...

The jargon on the road comes out one after another. The general idea is that we understand the rules and have already handed gifts to the local leaders. The old escort still refused to stop when he saw these people, and the sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks.

The shouts of killing were getting closer and closer, and Xue Pan and the waiters in the store had already panicked. Xue Pan couldn't help but yelled at the old escort: What's going on? Haven't we already paid? What should we do now?

The old escort leader didn't know it himself. He held the handle of the knife in one hand and called more than 20 disciples around. The bandit leader who ran closer finally came face to face and immediately raised his voice and said: The leader made the right words. Around the time of Shen Shi, I passed by a house that hung the Jia family's flagpole. Before you came, you just passed by a house whose flag head was exactly the same as yours... …”

When the old escort heard this, he cursed in his heart. This was fake Li Kui borrowing the real Li Kui's body. Someone was playing a monkey to steal peaches. People who have been doing business all year round know that some unscrupulous people will secretly follow the caravans that have been arranged to cross the border.

Such a desperate plan to directly get ahead of others is really unethical and despised by the world. The old escort had doubts and looked directly at Xue Pan. This young master of the club will not offend anyone secretly.

Xue Pan was so frightened that he heard the robbers saying, Leave money to buy your life. Seeing that the situation was not good, Xue Pan hurriedly shouted to the robbers: Here, hero, we can give you money!

When all the bodyguards heard their boss shouting like this, they didn't care about the morality of the world. The other side is coming with force, let's get through the difficulties first. The old guard leader immediately led his disciples in shouting: Heroes, don't panic, our boss is willing to give up money.

Okay, okay, you guys quickly step aside. We're only taking things, and we won't hurt your lives at all. The leading bandit leader was overjoyed, shouting and speeding up his pace.

While Xue Pan and others were hesitating, Liu Xianglian, who could no longer stand it, stepped forward immediately. He took a closer look behind him and saw the bandits who couldn't stand it anymore and secretly pulled out their weapons.

These people didn't come to rob the house, they came to take Xue Pan's life.

Draw your sword and kill with me.

Before Xue Pan could react, Liu Xianglian was already yelling at the escorts: A bunch of idiots, they want your lives.

Everyone woke up from a dream this time and opened their weapons. The opponent was already coming to kill them. Whether they were calculating mentally or not, several bodyguards fell off their horses in just a few ups and downs.

Blood stains were accompanied by the neighing of horses. In the uninhabited wilderness of Ping'an Prefecture, a carefully planned ambush awakened the dreams of countless people.

I'm coming.

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