after being kidnapped by the general

The place where Chu Mingfeng lived was extremely remote.

When Yuanli arrived, there was already a gray-haired old slave waiting for him in front of the courtyard gate.After seeing Yuanli, the old slave silently took him to the bedroom.

As soon as he entered the bedroom, his vision was dimmed.Candles were lit in the house, and Yuanli could smell the strong and bitter medicinal fragrance.In addition to the smell of medicine, he also smelled a strange smell.

Yuan Li pursed his lips.

That's the rotten smell that comes from the dying person.

The doors and windows are closed tightly, and no sunlight or breeze can penetrate.

Yuan Li didn't look sideways, and was led all the way to the bed.The four sides of the bed were covered by double layers of white veils, and there was a vague figure lying on the bed between the indistinct white.

On the ground beside the bed, there was a trembling servant kneeling.

Yuan Li couldn't help being slightly surprised when he saw this servant.

This person is Liu Guanshi, who is in charge of purchasing in the Prince Chu's mansion, and he has been in the mansion for 20 years.During the two days when Yenli was the housekeeper, he relied on his seniority to refuse to listen to Yuanli's orders, and even complained privately that Yuanli was too strict.After being caught by Yuanli and punished in public, he settled down.

Why is this person here?

The old slave whispered: "My lord, Mr. Yuan is here."

There were two coughs on the bed, and a weak but hoarse voice with a smile sounded, and said narrowly: "It turns out that the madam is here, so I got up and waited for the husband, please wait for a moment."

After all, there was a rustling sound on the bed.

Yuan Li was taken aback for a moment, and then he couldn't help but said: "Your Excellency, you don't have to be so polite, you should just lie down and rest!"

Only then did Chu Mingfeng stop, and sighed: "My husband's health is not good, so I told Madam to laugh at me."

His tone was joking, and he said "madam" and "husband" without the slightest ambiguity between men and women, only joking.

Yuan Li didn't expect that this little elder would have such a personality, he was obviously dying, and he could chat and laugh with others so humorously.

He has always admired and admired such a person, "My lord should cultivate himself well now, why did you call me here?"

There was another short cough in the bed tent, as if the lungs were about to be coughed out.After a while, Chu Mingfeng stopped coughing, he stretched out a thin and slender hand from the bed curtain, and pointed to Guanshi Liu who was kneeling beside the bed.

"This unruly slave is dissatisfied with your discipline, so he came to me to sue you," Chu Mingfeng said in a calm tone, "He said that you have selfish intentions, suppressing servants from below, deceiving parents from above to make profits for yourself, and everyone in the house Dissatisfied with you."

Chu Mingfeng paused, then suddenly chuckled, "After I got sick, some people always thought that I didn't know anything, and dared to pass any lies to me."

His voice was getting lower and lower, but he spoke clearly.Guanshi Liu couldn't stop trembling when he heard it, sweating profusely.

In the end, Chu Mingfeng turned his head and looked at Yuanli dimly, "I'll leave this tricky slave to Madam, how does Madam want to punish him?"

Yuan Li looked at Liu Guanshi.

Guanshi Liu trembled all over, and his expression became terrified. He gritted his teeth, and instead of turning to Yuanli to plead for mercy at this moment, he hurried forward on his knees, kowtowed his head, and bit Yuanli to death tearfully, " My lord, what this servant said is true, there is not half a word of falsehood! This servant has devoted himself to the Chu Palace for 20 years, please take a look at this servant’s loyalty to the Chu Palace! Mr. Yuan is a foreigner, How can such a foundation of Chu Palace be entrusted to him, he will seek your property!"

Yuan Li listened quietly and couldn't help laughing.

Liu Guanshi's crying sound stopped suddenly, and he looked back at Yuanli in disbelief.

Yuan Li seemed to have heard something funny, and shook his head with a laugh, "Why do you think that I will plot the family property of Chu Palace?"

Guanshi Liu looked at his eyes full of resentment, and said in a firm tone, "There are rice and grain shops, oil shops, butcher shops, cloth shops and many other shops in the name of the Chu Palace, and there are tens of thousands of fertile fields. Such a family business, How can you not be greedy?"

Yuan Li couldn't help laughing. In his opinion, the Chu Palace, which can only maintain the prosperity on the surface, is so coveted by Liu Guanshi?

"It's different, it's really different," he sighed, "I'm so different from what you see. You think this is an unimaginable wealth, and everyone will be tempted by it. But in my eyes Here, is this little thing really worth my plot?"

He looked at Liu Guanshi, bent down, his eyes seemed to be on fire, "The world is so big, and the achievements are great, what I see in my eyes is not the one-third of an acre of land."

Liu Guanshi was stunned.

Yuan Li straightened up and looked at Chu Mingfeng, "I'm only acting as the butler temporarily, so let Madam deal with this person."

Chu Mingfeng stopped talking and clapped his hands lightly.Someone stepped forward and dragged Guanshi Liu, who was limp and with dull eyes, out of the bedroom.

Chu Mingfeng asked someone to help him to sit up, and asked him to tie up the bed curtain, and asked slowly: "Master Yuan doesn't like the housekeeper?"

With the change of his address, Yuanli also understood that the conversation had officially begun, "It's not that I don't like it, but I just don't want to waste more time on this matter."

The servant put a robe on Chu Mingfeng's shoulders, and Chu Mingfeng looked towards Yuanli.He has the face of a gentleman, with brows like lacquer, and a smile in his eyes. He has a three-point resemblance to Chu Hechao, revealing a sense of elegance and ease.It's just that his face is pale and extremely thin, his cheeks are so thin that they are even slightly sunken, and his smiling lips also have a weak blue color.

Anyone who looks at him will feel that this person's time is numbered, and there is no medicine for him.

"I've lost my appetite since I fell ill, I'm afraid I've lost a lot of weight and my appearance is ugly," Chu Mingfeng smiled slightly, and teased again, "Is Madam disappointed when she sees her husband, and wish she could just leave her husband and end things?"

Yuan Li pursed his lips into a smile, and joked, "Fortunately, I don't have a special taste. Others dare not say it, but in front of adults, I look a little more handsome."

Chu Mingfeng laughed softly.

Through the ups and downs of floating dust under the dim candlelight, Chu Mingfeng had already seen Yuan Li's appearance clearly.

The young man has a straight figure, red lips and white teeth, clear eyebrows and bright eyes.This child is only eighteen, but "married" to him, a person who is about to stand, is really a grievance.

Chu Mingfeng leaned on the bedpost, his chest almost didn't heave, like a dead person, "Since Mr. Yuan thinks it's a waste of time, why do you want to take over the power of housekeeper?"

Yuan Li said: "Of course I want to see you, my lord."

Chu Mingfeng let out an "oh" and asked curiously, "See me?"

Yuan Li said: "Didn't your lord ask Madam to give me the power of housekeeping, and want to use this to test my ability?"

Chu Mingfeng was surprised for a moment, and couldn't help laughing, "Yuanlang is smart."

Yuanli had thought that Mrs. Yang was just using his name to take back the housekeeper's right from Madam Zhao.But later it was found that something was wrong, because Yang's attitude of wanting to hand over the power of housekeeper to him was too firm.

It was difficult for Yuan Li to understand why Yang Shi did this. The essence of his relationship with Chu Palace was nothing more than a transaction.Yang Shi has only known him for a few days, how could she trust him so much?

Yang Shi is not a fool, she always has other reasons behind her actions.

After guessing that it might be Chu Mingfeng's instruction behind it, Yuan Li did not hide his clumsiness, and rectified the Chu Palace with the fastest speed, fully demonstrating his own strength.

Chu Mingfeng joked, "You and I are considered husband and wife. I want to see you, and you also want to see me. If I am still in good health, I will have a good time with you."

Yuan Li was about to speak to comfort him, but Chu Mingfeng had already seen what he wanted to say, and shook his head slightly, "There is no need to say anything more to comfort me, I have heard enough. Who in life will not die? Don't mind anymore, and you don't need to worry about me anymore."

Yuanli took a glance from the corner of his eye and saw the white-haired old slave silently wiping away his tears in the corner.

Chu Mingfeng tightened the clothes on his shoulders, "Why does Yuanlang want to see me?"

Yuan Li asked Lin Tian to come forward, holding an exquisite box, and walked in front of Chu Mingfeng.

In the box are four pieces of soap in the shape of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, each about the size of a baby's fist.The four pieces of soap are exquisitely carved and lifelike. At first glance, they seem to be carved from white jade, with a delicate and moist luster.After getting closer, there is still a faint fragrance coming.

Chu Mingfeng couldn't help reaching out his hand to touch it, but Lin Tian dodged it.Lin Tian whispered: "My lord, this soap still needs to be air-dried for a month, and it is not yet time to touch it."

Chu Mingfeng withdrew his hand, curiously said: "This thing is called 'soap'?"

Yuanli took out a detailed plan and handed it to him.

Chu Mingfeng took the plan and read it. Not long after, his smile gradually disappeared, his expression became serious, and he was completely immersed in the plan.

This plan is not just the sales and packaging route of soap, but also some plans summarized by Yuanli to rectify Youzhou and raise soldiers and horses.

But he didn't write this plan very deeply. It belongs to the level that others can understand and know that it can work, but without Yuanli, he will get stuck on important links.

After a long time, Chu Mingfeng finished reading it.His jaw was tight, and he didn't talk to Yuan Li, but asked the old slave to bring a candle and burn the plan papers one by one.

The fire flickered for a few moments, then went out in a hurry.Ashes fell on the white gauze, stained with a layer of dirty ash.

Chu Mingfeng wiped his hands slowly, "What does Mr. Yuan want?"

The young man who has not yet set his crown has a calm expression and bright eyes.

He paused every word and said: "I will be fully responsible for the logistics of the 13 troops in northern Xinjiang."

Chu Mingfeng stopped his movements and sighed softly, "Young Master Yuan is really ambitious. Controlling the logistics of an army is tantamount to controlling the entire army."

Yuanli was noncommittal.There is an old saying that goes well, in the era of cold weapons, it is not tactics and numbers that are fought, but logistics.

In the Northern Zhou Dynasty, due to the lack of financial resources of the imperial court, except for some standing troops, other soldiers and horses were dispersed after being recruited, and even the generals were asked to recruit soldiers and horses to contribute to the court.Most of the troops of the Northern Zhou Dynasty were deployed at the border defense, but because the emperor was not at ease with the Chu Palace, he firmly controlled the military pay of the frontier troops.

For soldiers and horses, whoever gives the food is the father.

Chu Mingfeng said: "Controlling the logistics of an army of 13 is not something that can be done just by talking about it."

Yuan Li raised his eyebrows, showing a rare confident smile, and asked, "If I am not in charge of the logistics of the northern Xinjiang army, then who are you going to hand it over to? Is it the other adults in the cabinet? Or the prison house? Or Son of Heaven?"

Yuan Li lowered his voice, "You are sick, and I am tied to the Chu Palace. As long as I don't want to bear the reputation of infidelity, the position of the Chu Palace will always be the same. You use Chu Palace's Isn't it just for the logistics of Chu Hechao's northern army that the power of steward came to test me?"

Chu Mingfeng was silent for a while, "You are right."

He asked someone to take out three envelopes and hand them to Yuanli.He smiled lightly, then sighed again, "Young Master Yuan, I am happy for you to marry into the Prince of Chu's mansion, I have wronged you."

Yuan Li smiled indifferently.

Chu Mingfeng coughed in a low voice, "I don't like men, but if Chongxi finds a woman, then she will have a hard life in the future. After thinking about it, men are much less restrained. It became you. It’s just that I, Chu Mingfeng, have a clear conscience all my life, but I’m the only one who can’t stand you, I know you don’t like men, so you can rest assured, after I go, I will order my family to let you marry freely.”

Yuanli listened silently.

Chu Mingfeng's voice became more and more ethereal, "It's just that in front of Ci Ye, we have to hide the secret of 'marital infidelity', and I will tell him that I treat you as my real wife and let him treat you as his own sister-in-law. He With that temper, he is willing to give in to his family. Whether it is me or him, he can only leave the matter of preparing the military salary to his family. After I die, he will protect you and watch your children grow up for me. It's a blessing. I don't ask much, I just ask you to help me take care of the Chu Palace, and help me protect Youzhou and the northern frontier. A soldier in this place must not be taken away by others."

"Okay," Yuan Li finally said, "I promise you."

Chu Mingfeng's suggestion of fooling Chu Hechao hit Yuanli's itchy heart.

Why did Chu Hechao go into the water to save him when he was going to Ruyang County?Why are you willing to help him go to the field?And why only verbally conflict and test him?

It's not because Yuanli is his sister-in-law in name.

In order to work together to control the army in the future, Yuan Li must not take off the title of "Chu Hechao's sister-in-law". Only with this seniority will Chu Hechao listen to him.

After saying these words, Chu Mingfeng closed his eyes in a state of exhaustion.

A servant came forward with the medicine, and persuaded softly: "My lord, take the medicine."

Chu Mingfeng waved his hand lightly, the veins on the back of his hand stretched, and the servant retreated hesitantly.The old slave found a package of Wushi powder from the cabinet and fed it to Chu Mingfeng.

After noticing Yuan Li's gaze, Chu Mingfeng looked sideways, smiled slightly, and uttered two words: "Pain relief."

Yuan Li had a complicated heart, he took Lin Tian to say goodbye and left, after walking out of the courtyard, he looked back at the quiet courtyard again.

Chu Mingfeng was waiting to die.

In other words, he was deliberately suffocating himself to death.

Yuanli didn't understand why he would do this.He looked away, opened the three envelopes that Chu Mingfeng had given him, and found that they were three invitations to the great Confucian officials of the dynasty.

The seal is Chu Mingfeng's seal, and the content is a compliment to Yuanli.

These are three letters of recommendation that implicitly entrust someone to accept Yuanli as his apprentice.

The author has something to say:

Chu Mingfeng ordered the funeral: younger brother, Yuanli will be your own sister-in-law from now on, you have to take care of him for me, listen to his words, and watch him marry a wife and have children.

Chu Hechao didn't care: good.

After tempted

Chu Hechao (distorted expression, struggling to blacken): This is my sister-in-law, don't move!