A Man had no idea what she meant. She honestly confessed, "I left the town and searched everywhere for the place where the wild horses lived. Just when I found nothing, a sudden arrow shot at me."
A Man initially thought she was under attack and got fully alert. However, the arrow just deeply stuck into the old tree beside her. On the arrow shaft, there was actually a silk letter tied.
This silk letter turned out to be a map, on which there were a few words in the Hu language indicating the place where the wild horse herd played.
A Man examined it carefully. All the marks on the map matched the places where she knew the horse herd lived. Although she was skeptical, she still took Lu Xunguang there to check.
"Sister, is there perhaps a senior from the Hu region in the town like me?"
There was a faint look of expectation in A Man's eyes. Li Ying knew that although she was usually careless, she still missed her homeland. She gently patted A Man on the shoulder.
A Man knew that Li Ying and Lu Xunguang probably had something to discuss, so she wisely found an excuse to leave.
Only then did Li Ying place the token in front of him and softly said, "My dear Lu, do you recognize this?"
Lu Xunguang looked at the object in her hand in disbelief and exclaimed in shock, "This... Where did you get this?"
Seeing his great change in expression, Li Ying was even more certain of what she thought.
"This token was mixed in the compensation gifts sent by the grand master. If I'm not wrong, this should be the credential that Uncle Zheng used to command the horse gang in the past, right?"
Lu Xunguang remained silent.
The order of the chief leader. Seeing this object is like seeing Zheng Ji in person.
The horse gang values the righteousness in the jianghu most. The significance of this token is self - evident.
Seeing that he just stood there blankly as if struck by lightning, Li Ying couldn't help but gently push his back.
"Uncle Zheng knew that with your character, even if he intended to help you secretly, you might not follow his advice to tame the horses."
The horse gang had a wide range of activities, so it was normal for them to have a little knowledge of the Hu language. Old Zheng deliberately avoided Lu Xunguang and used an arrow to hint A Man, so they successfully found the wild horse herd needed to form a merchant caravan.
Lu Xunguang had learned all of Uncle Zheng's lifelong skills, so it was easy for him to tame the leading horse.
Or perhaps, it was not a wild horse herd at all. The copper bell around the leading horse's neck was the proof.
Li Ying didn't know how many years this lame and lonely old leader had secretly prepared to finally present such a group of strong and shiny - coated horses to Lu Xunguang.
"My dear Lu, you should probably ask Uncle Zheng about his good intentions in person."
Lu Xunguang's face was as solemn as water. He tightly held the token she passed over in his hand and then got up and left.
Zheng Ji was still sitting against the bluestone as usual. When he saw Lu Xunguang's figure in the distance, he just slightly lifted his eyelids.
"Uncle Zheng."
Lu Xunguang stared at him. He felt his mind was in a complete mess, but he didn't know where to start.
"Did you receive the token?"
It was Zheng Ji who staggered to his feet, shook off the dust on his body, and carefully put the tobacco pipe into his bosom.
Lu Xunguang silently nodded.
"Did you find the horse herd? That leading horse is no less difficult to tame than Ta Yun. Did it kick you, boy?"
Zheng Ji said it casually as if they were just chatting between uncle and nephew. Lu Xunguang replied vaguely. After a long time, he finally slowly asked, "Uncle Zheng, was everything your arrangement?"
Zheng Ji stroked the tobacco pipe and snorted.
"You boy, it took you so long to realize. You really didn't inherit your mother's intelligence at all."
Lu Xunguang didn't expect him to say so. He was stunned again.
Seeing his muddled look, Zheng Ji scolded, "Bah, this dull - witted look is exactly the same as yours back then."
Before his voice faded, a figure in a cloak slowly walked out of the donkey stable. It was the grand master.
"This boy is as useless as a coward. He clearly takes after you."
Although they were arguing with each other, their tone of joking and scolding showed that they were very familiar with each other.
Lu Xunguang stared at them in shock. After a long time, he hesitated and asked, "Aren't you two..."
"Aren't we sworn enemies who can't coexist under the same sky?"
The grand master seemed to see through what was on his mind. He smiled slightly and spoke softly.
Zheng Ji also looked at him and just smiled without saying a word.
"A Xun, the most dangerous enemy can be the safest ally."
"Lady Lian knew that her position as the main wife was not obtained fairly, so she was always on guard. If it weren't for Old Zheng's years of patient waiting, how could we have found the opportunity to make her show her true colors?"
As soon as the grand master said this, Lu Xunguang immediately understood.
During the decades when Lady Lian was in charge of the family, she had been extremely cautious. In front of the grand master, she always behaved like a docile and respectful wife, and even flattered him blindly.
Everyone in the mansion and even the whole capital praised her for being reasonable and knowing when to advance and retreat.
In public, she showed deep love for the grand master and didn't show any flaws.
If it weren't for Zheng Ji's "falling out" with her, she might not have been in a continuous retreat, getting angry and losing her composure.
"Lady Lian took it for granted that Old Zheng was infatuated with a woman. She didn't know that he was my last trump card."
After the private salt case, Zheng Ji fell out with the Ping An Bank and led the horse gang brothers away, cutting off the business route of the bank. Lady Lian secretly arranged for the water bandits of the Cao Gang, thinking that she was providing timely help and had firmly grasped the lifeline of the Lu family. She was so over - confident.
She never thought that this falling - out was a well - calculated plan against her from the very beginning.
The grand master spoke gently and leaned lazily on the bamboo chair, looking calm and confident.
Lu Xunguang stared at the two people smiling at each other. After a long time, he solemnly knelt on his knees in front of Old Zheng and kowtowed firmly.
"Uncle Zheng, it's my fault for being blind. I deserve to die."
He then presented the token with both hands and sincerely said, "Uncle Zheng, I'm not worthy of this order of the chief leader. Please take it back and retake charge of the horse gang!"
However, Zheng Ji just casually patted his lame leg.
"A Xun, there's no lame chief leader in the world. Zheng Ji is already dead. Now there's only an old man named Old Zheng who looks after the donkey stable."
The grand master also said, "Stop being so hesitant. You look so spineless. What a disgrace!"
Only then did Lu Xunguang solemnly put the token into his bosom. He looked at Old Zheng very seriously and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Zheng, don't worry. I will surely revitalize the horse gang. As long as I'm alive, the token will be here. If the token is destroyed, I will die. I will never disgrace your former prestige!"
Old Zheng didn't care and casually pulled him up.
The grand master raised his eyebrows and lazily said, "Don't be in a hurry to make vows. Go back and clean yourself up quickly. The inauguration ceremony of the new grand master of my Ping An Bank can't be so hasty and absurd!"