diskusbooks Chapter 914 Li Mingxuan's Visit
Chapter 914 Li Mingxuan's Visit
As soon as everyone entered the flower hall and sat down, the gatekeeper came in to report that the Cui family had sent an invitation that morning, stating that General Cui wanted to thank Xiaoyuer for saving his daughter's life and invited the Zhang father and son to his residence the following evening as a token of his gratitude.
Only then did Zhang Ping'an realize that there was such a thing in Yangyuan County.
Xiao Yu'er didn't take it seriously, playing with the invitation nonchalantly, "When I was in Yangyuan County, Madam Cui had already thanked me. Now that I'm back in the capital, the Cui family must know my identity, so they sent another invitation."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an was no longer in a hurry. He leisurely picked up his teacup, gently skimmed off the tea foam, and joked, "I think their real intention is not the tea itself. Eating is just an excuse; they really want to find a son-in-law."
"I wonder what kind of talent Miss Cui is? You two seem to be destined for each other. If it's a good match, it wouldn't hurt for me to arrange the betrothal after you finish your imperial examination next year. That would be double the joy!"
Upon hearing about the marriage proposal, Madam Xu perked up and, no longer tired, leaned forward to agree, "Yes, your father is right. If the girl is nice, we can arrange it in advance and hold the banquet for the successful candidate in the imperial examination and the wedding banquet together. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Good things come in pairs!"
Zhang Lao Er didn't say anything, but he listened attentively, clearly taking it very seriously.
Xiaoyuer looked at it and pouted helplessly, "Dad, please stop teasing me. I have no interest in that Miss Cui. The woman who can be the head of our Zhang family must be someone with a good family background, talent, and appearance, someone who can be my virtuous wife. Not just anyone can catch my eye."
"Oh, so you've got a plan in mind?" Madam Xu said with a smile. "But don't be too picky. Just settle for someone decent. It's all about marrying up or down!"
The family chatted about this topic for a long time, and Xiaoyuer had to hide in the study under the pretext of reading.
However, this incident reminded Zhang Ping'an that Cui Ling was also a potential ally.
Firstly, this person is Zhou Ziming's confidant and belongs to Zhou Ziming's core group. He mostly supports the orthodox lineage, and the influence of Yuantong or the Second Prince is not that great to him for the time being.
Secondly, this person commands a large army and has now taken full control of the Five Cities Garrison and the Imperial Guards.
He would have been a very helpful force if he hadn't been involved in planning this elaborate scheme.
They could work together, both inside and outside the palace.
Thinking about this, Zhang Ping'an suddenly felt that he really had no choice but to eat this meal.
After learning of Zhang Ping'an's thoughts, Xiaoyuer also took them seriously. "The Cui family's inner quarters are not too complicated. I heard from Miss Cui that her father has only ever had one wife and two concubines. Although he loves beautiful women, he is not obsessed with them. This shows that he is a man of firm character and will not be easily swayed by money and power."
“It’s hard to find someone in this world without weaknesses, and it’s even rarer for a man not to love money, power, and beautiful women,” Zhang Ping’an said with a faint smile. “However, I trust the late emperor’s judgment of people. Putting aside everything else, Cui Ling is certainly loyal to some extent. So I’ve been thinking, tomorrow I’ll just be direct and speak indirectly. Cui Ling, being a warrior, might not be able to understand me.”
Xiaoyuer was a little worried, "What if he doesn't agree to help and instead exposes this matter?"
"Hmph, I've laid everything out in the open with him. He thinks he can just walk away pretending he doesn't know? Not so easy! The higher the position, the more suspicious he becomes. If I really expose this, he'll be covered in filth. I bet he won't dare take the risk!"
Cui Ling is currently riding high, which is also the golden age for a man to rise in the officialdom. Zhang Ping'an guessed that Cui Ling would at most ignore this matter, be unaware of it, and not participate in it. That was probably all.
After discussing and making plans, the father and son rested.
As dawn broke, Zhang Ping'an was preparing to get up and go to court.
But then he suddenly noticed that among the servants who came into the room to serve him, there was one who was both a complete stranger and a familiar face.
It was Li Mingxuan who had escaped during the Second Prince's rebellion.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Ping'an instructed someone to help him dress and then sent another servant away.
After confirming that no one was outside, he asked, "There are wanted posters for you everywhere. I can't believe you dared to sneak into my residence?"
The newcomer smiled and casually straightened Zhang Ping'an's robes. "What's there to be afraid of!"
Zhang Ping'an: "…………"
"Speak, what is it? You went through so much trouble to sneak into my residence, and now you've shown up at this time, you must have something to ask me. I have to go to court later, so let's get to the point!"
Li Mingxuan continued working, saying as he went, "I know you saw His Majesty, the Crown Prince, in the secret chamber of the Great Xiangguo Temple yesterday, and you're trying to save him now, right?"
"Not bad, so, can you help me?" Zhang Ping'an asked tentatively with a half-smile, without asking how the other party knew.
To everyone's surprise, Li Mingxuan nodded emphatically, "Yes! And I can help you!"
Zhang Ping'an lowered his head and pondered for a moment, his expression serious. "Why?"
Li Mingxuan smiled again upon hearing this, a self-deprecating smile on his face: "Because I don't want to be their pawn anymore, and they won't let me go either."
"You probably know my background now. Actually, when we met again at the Daxiangguo Temple, I told you that I was going to Shandong to live in anonymity. I wasn't lying to you. It's true that I opened a shop in Shandong. Shuisheng helped me a lot back then. But I didn't live like this for long before someone from the capital came looking for me."
"Are they the Second Prince's men?" Zhang Ping'an asked.
“That’s right!” Li Mingxuan nodded again. “Because I am the only surviving confidant under Bai Chao. Only I can help him gather Bai Chao’s remnants. Moreover, most importantly, Bai Chao amassed a fortune that rivaled that of a country when he plundered the north with the Tatars. They also need me to find that money. After all, whether it’s supporting an army or keeping retainers, you can’t do without money!”