When Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing saw clearly who it was, they exchanged a look. They never expected to run into Xie Hongyi here.
Xie Hongyi was dead drunk and didn't recognize them yet. "Yo, what a pretty lady," he said as he staggered towards Yi Qing.
Lord Ghost kicked Xie Hongyi into the water with one swift kick. A woman he wouldn't even let others take an extra look at, how could some drunk dare to make advances?
The water below was only about a foot deep. Drunk as he was, Xie Hongyi floundered about in the water, splashing mud everywhere.
Xiao Jinghan shielded Yi Qing and took a step back. "He used to be the vice-minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Lord Ghost wasn't interested in the officials of the Great Jin. "Even the minister of the Ministry of Personnel wouldn't be allowed to act like this."
Just as they were talking, the guards of the Sihe Restaurant rushed over. They quickly helped Xie Hongyi out. They had seen many such drunkards causing trouble. Clearly, the people in front of them were not to be offended.
The guards hurriedly carried Xie Hongyi away. The customers of the Sihe Restaurant were either wealthy or noble. They couldn't afford to offend anyone. Moreover, the Xie family had just fallen from grace, and their young master was dead drunk. They didn't want any trouble.
Yi Qing turned to look at Xie Hongyi. He used to at least act like a refined and gentle scholar. But after suffering a setback, he had become such a mess.
Xiao Jinghan reached out and covered Yi Qing's eyes. "What are you looking at?"
"Have all the Xie family members been removed from their official positions?" Yi Qing asked in surprise.
"Not exactly. But after what happened to the Xie family, they're constantly pointed at and scolded in public when they go out. And they're even mocked in the yamen," Xiao Jinghan explained.
Yi Qing didn't feel sorry for the Xie family. If they wanted to enjoy the protection of the family, they should be prepared to bear the humiliation.
The three of them went up to the third floor of the South Building. Qing Zijin was already waiting for them at the stairs.
"Let me introduce you. This is Qing Zijin, the third young master of the Qing family from northern Jin," Lord Ghost introduced Qing Zijin to Yi Qing.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Yi Qing choked on her own saliva when she heard the introduction.
"Is Lady Xiao not feeling well?" Qing Zijin was confused by her strong reaction.
"Nothing, nothing. I just suddenly had an itchy throat," Yi Qing forced a laugh.
It was really true that heaven never spared anyone. Back then, she had pretended to be the third young master of the Qing family, and now she actually met the real one. This Qing Zijin seemed to be very sophisticated. Otherwise, he wouldn't have befriended Lord Ghost.
Xiao Jinghan patted Yi Qing on the back.
"You're a doctor yourself. Can't you be more careful?" Lord Ghost looked at Yi Qing suspiciously, sensing that there must be something going on.
"Please come in," Qing Zijin made a gesture of invitation.
As soon as Yi Qing sat down, Xiaoyou came over to pour her tea. Xiaoyou was a real beauty with a slender waist and charming looks. Although she was a bit more innocent than Sang Sang, she would surely be as charming as Sang Sang in the future. It was all too coincidental.
She picked up the teacup and took a sip. It was top-grade Queshe tea, sweet and fragrant. It was almost as good as the tea the Emperor drank.
"Then I'll get straight to the point. Zijin just came back from the south of the Yangtze River. He knows the situation of the Ping family very well. But the local officials are also eyeing it covetously. How do you plan to deal with it?" Lord Ghost looked at them.
"The Emperor just sent someone to inspect the southern part of the Chu region. They should be more cautious there," Xiao Jinghan said. Although he was not involved in business, he knew some things.
"General Xiao is wrong. Officials everywhere deceive their superiors and delude their subordinates. Besides, they won't get directly involved in the division of the Ping family's property. The Emperor's inspection won't have any effect on them," Qing Zijin sighed slightly.
He had come to the south of the Yangtze River with high hopes of making a fortune, but he had been restricted everywhere. Finally, he had achieved a little success. Of course, he wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
But the most important thing was that he could use this opportunity to get closer to the General's Mansion. If he ever had a chance to enter the capital in the future, he would have a powerful backer.
"The Chen family..." Yi Qing felt angry just thinking about them.
"Or... should I go and kill the Chen family?" Lord Ghost thought this was too troublesome.
"Are you here to do business or continue being a killer?" Yi Qing glared at Lord Ghost. He was really a hindrance on the way to getting rich.
Lord Ghost picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Seeing Lord Ghost's reaction, Qing Zijin, who knew Lord Ghost's identity, was surprised. It was the first time he had seen Lord Ghost being rebuked. This Lady Xiao was really well-deserved of her reputation.
"What about the Mu family?" Xiao Jinghan looked at Qing Zijin.
"The Mu family has been reducing its business in the south of the Yangtze River. They probably won't get involved this time," Qing Zijin said, not very sure.
"The Mu family is reducing its business there?" Xiao Jinghan was surprised.
"Yes," Qing Zijin nodded. The reason he had achieved a little success was that he had taken over some of the Mu family's reduced business. "The Mu family has been secretly selling its properties in the past few years. Since their public businesses have been doing better and better, no one has noticed."
Yi Qing didn't expect the Mu family to be so two-faced. No wonder they were so difficult to deal with.
"Do you want it?" Xiao Jinghan looked at Yi Qing.
"Of course I do. Earned money isn't hot to hold," Yi Qing thought this question was unnecessary.
"Okay," Xiao Jinghan's simple answer seemed to have settled the matter.
"But I'll figure it out on my own. The General is here to defend the country. I can handle this myself," Yi Qing said with a smile.
Since Yi Qing had said so, Xiao Jinghan wouldn't interfere. These were all Yi Qing's matters. As long as she was happy, whether they got those properties or not didn't matter.
As they were talking, the dishes were served. The food was extremely delicate, dazzling to look at. And it was really delicious. It was well-prepared in terms of color, aroma, and taste, and was served at just the right time. The Sihe Restaurant was expensive for a reason. The Mu family really knew how to do business.
During the meal, Xiao Jinghan didn't say much. He just kept serving food to Yi Qing. Mainly, Qing Zijin was talking about the situation in the south of the Yangtze River, and Yi Qing listened attentively. Even if she got some insider information, she still had to rely on her own strength to get the Ping family's properties in the south of the Yangtze River.
After the meal, they had almost finished discussing the matter. Xiao Jinghan took Yi Qing out. When they were about to get into the carriage, they almost got hit by someone.
"Tao Sanwen?" Yi Qing looked at the man who had been pushed and almost hit her.
"Lady Xiao," Tao Sanwen quickly bowed.
"What's going on?" Yi Qing looked at the two guards who had pushed Tao Sanwen.
When the two guards saw Xiao Jinghan, they knew they couldn't afford to offend him, so they softened their expressions.
"Lady Xiao asked me to find a place. I thought this Sanxi Workshop was a good choice, so I wanted to go in and take a look. But..." Tao Sanwen forced a laugh.
Yi Qing noticed that Tao Sanwen was wearing a washed-out long robe and his boots were frayed. It must be because the servants looked down on him, so they treated him like this.
"Whose is this Sanxi Workshop?" Yi Qing looked around.
The Sanxi Workshop was very close to the Sihe Restaurant. It was a good place to find peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle. No wonder Tao Sanwen had taken a fancy to it.
"I heard it belongs to the Chen family. The Chen family has already put up a sign to sell it," Tao Sanwen wasn't very sure.
"The Chen family?" Yi Qing was a bit unsure. "The Chen family of the Marquis of Southern Chu?"
"Exactly."
Yi Qing moved closer to Xiao Jinghan. "What's going on now? Are the officials in the court so poor that they have to sell their family properties?"
Xiao Jinghan didn't know either. "Let's go in and take a look."