ebookland Chapter 178 People from Anguo
Chapter 178 People from Anguo
A convoy loaded with goods discreetly passed through the Pingshan Pass border post and slowly headed towards Yucheng.
The curtain of the carriage at the front was lifted slightly, revealing a young man in his early twenties whose face still held a touch of childishness, his eyes filled with curiosity.
The young man opposite, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, was much more composed, his expression remaining calm and unwavering, clearly indicating that traveling between An and Xuan was already commonplace for him.
Outside the city gate, a steward was already waiting to greet them. As soon as the convoy arrived, he hurriedly stepped forward to offer his greetings.
"Third Master..." The steward paused, his excited tone changing when he saw the other young man in the carriage, becoming respectful yet distant, "Greetings, Seventh Master."
The proud young man gave a faint "hmm," as if to give face to the long-time servant.
High on the city wall, Shen Qing looked at the young man who had alighted from the carriage and asked, "Is he Tao You?"
Qi Shang nodded, "The Tao family of Anguo Le County. Four years ago, Tao Zhiyi, the third son of the An family, came to Pingshan Pass alone to visit the Marquis and opened up the trade route."
"And who is that?"
Following Shen Qing's gaze, Qi Shang saw another young man in brocade robes and a grey fur coat alight from the carriage. After a moment's thought, he replied, "I have never seen him before. Would the general like to summon him now?"
Shen Qing waved her hand, "No need, let them wait a few days."
It wasn't that Shen Qing was being pretentious, but the initial conversation was very important, often setting the tone for future actions. Since he had the idea of turning someone against their will, he naturally needed to assess whether the person was usable. If so, he should find a breakthrough point in advance so that he could take the lead during the initial meeting.
One must strike while the iron is hot to persuade someone to betray their country.
"Uncle Rong, has there been a reply to the visiting card?"
The itinerary had been set in advance, which is why Tao You asked this question.
Tao Rong shook his head, his expression somewhat grave. "This old servant spent money to inquire and found out that the newly arrived General Shen has just taken over military affairs and is very busy lately, so he has no free time."
Tao Youwen frowned. He had heard about this matter in Le County as well, but he was worried that the female general might make a big splash in her new post, and the previously agreed cooperation might be subject to change.
The young man in brocade robes beside him scoffed disdainfully, "A hen crowing at dawn, putting on airs."
"Seventh brother!"
Tao You disapproved of Tao Yang's reckless words and said in a low voice, "Now that we are within the territory of Xuan State, we should be careful with our words and actions."
Tao Yang pursed his lips. Although he disliked Tao You's cautious manner, he knew he was on someone else's turf and, after all, he wasn't really tired of living, so he stopped judging the female general.
"If they're deliberately keeping us waiting, then we'll just play along and let them enjoy it." Tao Yang said nonchalantly, but inwardly he thought, "Women always resort to such underhanded tricks in the inner quarters."
"Since there's no rush, why not take a stroll around Yu City and see how it differs from Le County?"
Tao You shook her head helplessly and resignedly followed, thinking that she should not have been heard by the guards when she spoke, since she was some distance away from the city gate.
The guards didn't hear it, but Shen Qing, with her exceptional hearing, heard it clearly and looked at the two of them thoughtfully.
Tao You called his seventh brother, but when they walked, he lagged behind by a step. The man did not show Tao You the respect that a younger brother would show to an older brother. What else could be unclear?
Since Lu Zhen was cooperating with Tao You, it was only natural to investigate his identity, as he was an illegitimate son of the Tao family of Le County, a major case involving smuggling.
The founding emperor of the previous dynasty must have suffered greatly because of his illegitimate sons. He deeply resented them and established explicit laws that referred to them as illegitimate sons, who were forbidden from holding office or inheriting the family business.
With the fall of the Great Qian Dynasty, the world was in turmoil for decades before the situation improved, but the mindset of the past few hundred years remained deeply rooted in some regions.
Tao You was sent out to reclaim wasteland back then, but now that the fruit has ripened, how could the matriarch of the An family tolerate letting an illegitimate son continue to occupy such a lucrative purse?
Tao Yang came here to pick peaches.
Shen Qing smiled and thought, "This is truly a stroke of luck."