The prince is very fierce

Thank you to [Ji Da Forever Drop God], the leader of the boss, for the reward!

I currently owe a debt (165/470), and it is estimated that I will owe it until the next book...

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On the branches of the moon, at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain on the east side of Xuanwu Lake, a large-scale luxurious mansion is built. The light of the lights can be seen in the distant Xuanwu Lake.

There were guards dressed in black patrolling the outside of the mansion day and night. There were as many as a hundred thugs there. At first glance, it looked like a small military camp. In the deepest part of the mansion, the sound of strings and bamboos and laughter could be faintly heard, and many drunken guests were hugging each other, laughing and cursing.

Being a retainer is a profession that has been passed down since the Spring and Autumn Period. In ancient times, there were Jing Ke, Mao Sui, Zhu Hai, etc., with relatively high social status. However, this retainer mostly refers to the retainers of aristocratic families, and their status is above the threshold. Just like Lao Xiao, Yue Jiulou, and Huainan Xiao's Hua Jing Pavilion, if taken alone and placed in the world, they would be powerful figures in the world.

If you can invite these people back to be your right-hand man, your status must be aloof from the world. Only a wealthy family with a long heritage can make these heroes willing to join the family. However, there are too many rich families in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is inevitable that some arty people will appear. They have no background or strength. They have a lot of money and have recruited a lot of people from the world to serve as retainers. The gold content is generally not high. Of course, those who dare to play like this are generally No one will make irresponsible remarks.

This is the case with the Jinling Yang family. They are not close to the powerful families, but their financial resources are astonishing. Originally a merchant's family, they were engaged in the shipping business in Jiangnan. Although the family had a strong financial background, they were not ranked among the richest people in Jiangnan. So much so that Mrs. Lu, who grew up in Jinling, had never heard of the Yang family.

The Yang family's fortune has only grown in recent years. The sister of the head of the family, Yang Yingxiong, has entered the King of Wu's family. Her beauty and beauty have won the favor of the King of Wu, and her family has naturally followed suit.

No one in Jiangnan dared not give face to King Wu. Yang Yingxiong relied on this golden sign to expand his business. Casinos, brothels, etc., as long as they could make money, they were involved, and it could be said that they were making money every day. The Lu family and other wealthy people who were once unattainable could exchange cups and cups at the same table. Even the officials respectfully called him "Yang Gong" when they saw him, and the nickname "Yang Bancheng" gradually became popular in the market.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows whether Yang Yingxiong owns half of Jinling City, but Yang Yingxiong himself seems to have it.

Yang Yingxiong has been following the boat racing business since he was a child. He is at the bottom of the "scholars, farmers, industry and merchants" and has been looked down upon by scholars and wealthy families. Nowadays, there is no one in Jinling City who doesn’t give him face. Occasionally, he writes two poems, and those self-proclaimed talents will praise them. He knows that what he writes is nonsense, but so what, as long as everyone praises him, it will be fine. What he enjoys is the feeling of everyone being polite.

It's just that tonight, Yang Yingxiong is obviously not in a good mood. This may be the first time since he became rich that he is so angry and has nowhere to vent.

In the hall in the middle of the mansion, the paunchy Yang Yingxiong sat on the Taishi chair, holding a white jade tea cup, listening to what his subordinates were saying.

"...Two people died on the spot, and they didn't even give them a chance to speak. I tried every means to escape, and even broke one of my hands..."

The man in black who took the lead on the dock today had gauze wrapped around his wrist and his face was still pale as he told what he had just witnessed.

Yang Yingxiong's face turned slightly gloomy and he asked, "Do you want to give me my name?"

"Those who came with the head of the Xiao family must know Yang Gong's name. The murderer was Prince Su from the northwest. I guess even the Lu family can't afford to offend him..."

Yang Yingxiong naturally knew that he could not afford to offend him, but he was not frightened. He snorted lightly:

"He's just a heir apparent, not a vassal king. My brother-in-law is a real prince. Even the emperors today call him cousin. When my sister has a son, with King Wu's favor, she might also be able to become a heir apparent. He is a king with a different surname. Prince, how can you compare..."

The master next to him knew that he was complaining, so he comforted him softly:

"A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. The prince was conferred by Emperor Xiaozong. There are only seven in the world. Just two worthless scoundrels died. There is no need to care..."

Yang Yingxiong picked up the teacup, took a sip, and nodded, finally accepting the secret loss.

The man in black hesitated for a moment and then said: "Then the young prince asked Mr. Yang to withdraw the manpower from Nanshan Port and not collect cash. This..."

Yang Yingxiong frowned, obviously a little annoyed.

The master thought for a moment and then said with a smile: "Prince Su is here to attend King Wu's birthday banquet. If there is a conflict, King Wu will probably be unhappy... How about we stop for a few days and wait until the evil star is gone?"

Yang Yingxiong was silent for a moment, slapped the tea cup on the table, and said in a deep voice:

"That's all, give him some face and stop for a few days."

The master and the man in black secretly breathed a sigh of relief, quickly nodded in apology, and retreated...

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On the south bank of the Wende Bridge on the Qinhuai River, between the white walls and blue tiles, Xu Buling and Mrs. Lu walked side by side through the alley between the high walls.

Xiao Qi had not yet recovered from Xu Bu Ling's murderous scene. After getting off the boat, she went to the Xiao family's residence in Jinling to handle matters. Xu Bu Ling felt that Xiao Qi could resist it, so she did not comfort her, so she dressed lightly and followed Mrs. Lu. Returned to Wende Bridge.

The alley on the south bank of Wende Bridge has the style of a Jiangnan water town. It is not very wide. The cornices on the white walls on both sides stick out a little. When you occasionally walk past the doorway, you can see two very small stone lions squatting on the ground. Most of them are above the door. There is a stone plaque embedded in it, and it looks ordinary and even a little petty. It is completely different from the red painted gates and vast long streets of Chang'an.

If it weren’t for Mrs. Lu’s introduction, Xu Buling would have found it hard to imagine how many families of different sizes have been passed down for hundreds of years in these gates. Those whose ancestors didn’t have some reputation seemed to be embarrassed to live here.

Mrs. Lu grew up in this area when she was young. At this moment, there was obviously some sentimental in her eyes. Seeing that there were no outsiders disturbing the alley, she didn’t shy away from being supported by Xu Buling’s arm, and kept pointing at the objects around her:

“See that well? When I was a kid playing hide-and-seek, I often hid in it. There was a ladder below, which was where I hid during the war. Later, my father beat me up... Your mother and I met there. At that time, she was leading a horse to find the door of the Lu family, and she was also wondering why the dignified Jinling Lu family lived in such a remote place...”

Xu Buling actually had this idea, but he didn’t say it out loud. He just followed Mrs. Lu to take a walk.

The Jinling Lu family ranked second among the ‘Xiao Lu Cui Wang Li’, and the family size was not smaller than that of the Xiao family. Most of the fields outside the city belonged to the Lu family. However, unlike the Xiao family, the Lu family is not as extensive as the Xiao family, and they mainly pursue official careers. Lu Cheng'an, one of the Nine Ministers, is not favored by the emperor, so he has been a little depressed in recent years. Most of the children in the family study and become officials in various places, and there are not as many people left in Jinling as the Xiao family.

As Mrs. Lu walked to the center of the alley, she saw an old woman in her fifties standing at the door. Her appearance vaguely resembled Mrs. Lu, and she smiled and said:

"Hongluan is back."

"Mother!"

Mrs. Lu quickly pulled her hand away and bowed to her mother whom she had not seen for many years.

Xu Buling also bowed quickly, hesitated for a while, and then greeted: "Hello, aunt."

This title was obviously not right. Mrs. Lu frowned and thought about it, but she didn't know what to call her for a while. You can't call her mother grandma, that would be too old-fashioned.

Mrs. Lu's mother didn't mind the title. After greeting them twice, she led the two into the mansion.

The top nobles who can reach this position generally have impeccable family traditions, and thrift is the basic principle. The Lu family, like the Xiao family, does not have any magnificent decorations. The mansion is very deep. After passing the small door, there are alleys between the courtyards. Occasionally, you can hear the voices of children, and other than that, there is only silence.

Xu Buling couldn't tell how big this house was, but he walked for a long time without reaching the bottom. It seems that it is not much smaller than the ancestral house of the Xiao family, but the architectural style looks a little small.

Following Mrs. Lu, they came to the living room of the Xiao family. The current head of the Lu family was not there. It was Mrs. Lu's brother who came out to receive him. In other words, he was Xu Buling's future brother-in-law, but Xu Buling didn't have the courage to call him that. He sat quietly beside him and listened.

Mrs. Lu missed her hometown very much, but she was the daughter-in-law of the Xiao family after all, and was considered a guest. Except for accompanying her mother to talk about her heart for a while, she still maintained etiquette and rules at other times.

It was not until the sky was getting dark that Mrs. Lu finished chatting about the trivial matters in Chang'an and took Xu Buling back to the boudoir where she grew up...