Chapter 96
It was almost evening when he returned to Fancheng. Liu Jing did not return to the military camp, but went straight to his home. He still lived in that small bungalow, less than one mile from the military camp, and it only took a moment to walk.
The chief general of the army does not have to live in the military camp. As long as it is during wartime, the chief general cannot leave the military camp and must stay in the military camp day and night.
In normal times, the general can live in the military camp. If it is convenient, he can also go home at night. There is no mandatory regulation, just arrange the evening duty.
Liu Jing continued to serve as the military marquis. In addition to more than 300 surviving soldiers, he added more than 200 soldiers, so that his troops were still more than 500.
Liu Jing has five village chiefs under him, and every night there is a town chief on duty who is responsible for patrolling the city gate. Everyone takes turns to stay at night. Liu Jing will also randomly check and appear at the city gate from time to time in the middle of the night.
As soon as he walked to the door of his house, Liu Jing felt something strange. It seemed that a guest at home had arrived. A carriage was parked at the door, and the carriage made him feel familiar. He stared at him for a while and suddenly recognized it. An uncontrollable joy suddenly surged in his heart.
He pushed open the door and walked into the yard quickly. He saw the living room at first sight. In the living room, a girl in a snow-white long skirt, like a autumn beauty, stood up, and a pair of beautiful eyes with clear eyes and flowing eyes were staring at him, with a naughty smile, but under the naughty smile, there was an undetectable tension and expectation. This girl was Tao Zhan.
She had been leaving for three months. At first, Liu Jing sometimes thought of her, but as time went by and the military affairs were busy, he gradually forgot Tao Zhan.
But when she unexpectedly appeared in front of her, Liu Jing felt a sense of joy from the bottom of her heart. It turned out that he was still looking forward to seeing her again.
Tao Zhan has changed into a spring skirt, as white as pear blossoms, and has a short lilac robe on her upper body, and her arms are wrapped in embroidered silk. Under the reflection of the sunset, she looks particularly pretty and elegant, and she has a more youthful and charming beauty than when she saw her last time.
Tao Zhan pursed his lips and smiled, "Why, I won't know me anymore after being promoted to Junhou?"
"How come I didn't know each other?"
Liu Jing walked into the room, scratched his head and smiled, "I was just a little surprised. When did you come? I mean to come to Fancheng."
"I just arrived in the afternoon. I went to the tour office first and said you have been transferred, so I rushed over and wanted to congratulate General Liu on his promotion!"
After saying that, she imitated the man's appearance and bowed to Liu Jing exaggeratedly, but halfway through the tribute, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Tao Zhan's liveliness and brightness made Liu Jing feel better. He also joked: "Why do I think Miss Tao is not here to celebrate, but rushed to me for a meal."
At this time, Xiao Baozi came in with a cup of tea. When she heard Liu Jing's words, she was so scared that she shivered. The tea in the cup almost spilled out. How could the young master say this to the customer? It was very rude. She quickly put down the cup and pulled Liu Jing's sleeve, "Young master, you can't say this, it's rude to the customer."
Tao Zhan stepped forward and hugged the little bun, pulled it aside and laughed in a low voice: "You little girl, I praise you for being understanding, why don't you understand what your young master means?"
The little bun was stunned and asked like a little goose: "What does my young master mean?"
Tao Zhan smiled, his eyes flowed, glanced at Liu Jing, and deliberately elongated his voice: "I think! Someone must be reminding me specifically that I still owe him a glass of wine."
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A quarter of an hour later, Liu Jing and Tao Zhan appeared in the Zuoan Tavern. Zuoan Tavern is the best and largest tavern in Fancheng. It is located at the North City Gate. It is a four-story tavern covering an area of five acres and a height of four-story tavern. It is not only the largest in Fancheng, but also the best in Jingzhou.
The Left Bank Tavern has a lot of customers every day and the business is very prosperous. However, scholars and officials do not come here. The customers here are mainly merchants. Scholars and officials prefer to go to the Wangjiang Tavern on the other side, where the elegant atmosphere is stronger.
Compared with the last time the Wangjiang Tavern was finally snatched from the seat, the treatment Liu Jing and the others received here was obviously different. This is certainly related to Liu Jing's control of Fancheng City Gate, but more importantly, the Dow Trading Company has a special private room in this tavern.
It specially reserves the best elegant room on the fourth floor for Dow Business to entertain guests.
The shopkeeper personally led the two of them to the fourth floor and said respectfully: "Please treat two distinguished guests!"
Liu Jing walked into the Ya Room and saw that the Ya Room was decorated in magnificently, with candles lit in the four crystal lamps, making the room bright like daytime.
Each utensil is a precious item, including a bowl made of jade, a chopstick made of silver, a shining golden knife and dagger, a top-quality rosewood couch and a few tables. A bronze unicorn incense burner was placed in the corner of the wall, and blue smoke was curling, and the whole room was filled with a rich sandalwood.
Everything is so gorgeous and luxurious, even the four maids are beautiful and pretty, one out of a hundred.
Liu Jing noticed a sign on the gate with the word "Tao House" written on it, which means that this is a special elegant room for the Tao family. It is estimated that even the items in the room were specially arranged by the Tao family.
Tao Zhan was concise and smart. When she saw Liu Jing’s word “Taofang”, she frowned slightly and explained with a smile: “Actually, it’s the first time I’m here. I never talk about business. I just care about the final approval of the contract in the family. Usually, the manager comes to treat guests to dinner here.”
Liu Jing nodded and sighed: "This place is a bit too luxurious, but it can be understood. It's like doing business! You always need some face."
"If Wangjiang Tavern hadn't annoyed me, I would have invited you to the other side of the shore. To be honest, it's too noisy and I don't like it very much."
Tao Zhan smiled sweetly, and his bright eyes looked even more dazzling under the candlelight. She waved her hand, "Since you are the guest, please ask General Liu, Mr. Jing to sit down!"
"I'm still called me Young Master Jing. The title of General is quite weird, and I sound very awkward."
Liu Jing sat down with a smile. Tao Zhan was happy to see him giving him face and sat down opposite him. Several maids brought them tea and wine, busy shuttled through them.
Tao Zhan picked up the ear cup with his slender jade hand, and the gauze sleeves slid off, revealing his white and fat-like arms. She pursed her lips and smiled: "Mr. Jing, I never drink alcohol outside, but today I make an exception and apologize to the young master for my last time's resignation."
"The girl is so serious, but if she can't drink alcohol, I can feel her sincerity even if she drinks fruit pulp."
Tao Zhan did not respond. She picked up her ear cup and slowly drank a glass of warm wine. A slight blush immediately appeared on her pretty face.
Liu Jing quickly picked up his ear cup and drank it with her. The two of them looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
"girl....."
Liu Jing was about to speak, but Tao Zhan hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something. Liu Jing immediately stopped talking, "What do girls want to say?"
Tao Zhan smiled embarrassedly and said, "Actually, in Chaisang, my family and friends call me Xiao Jiuniang. This is my nickname, but I don't like small characters, so everyone has changed the name to me Jiuniang since last year, and you can do it too."
After pausing, Tao Zhan asked again: "Does the young master have the word "六子"?
Liu Jing shook his head, and both of them were silent. After a while, Tao Zhan whispered: "This time I came to Xiangyang because something happened in the Tao Trading Company. My father ordered my second uncle to deal with it, so I came with my second uncle."
Liu Jing didn't say anything, and listened calmly to her continue.
"About half a month ago, a fleet of Tao's family disappeared mysteriously on the Han River. There were about fifty ships full of newly harvested new cocoons, and together with more than twenty men, this incident was actually not a serious matter for the Tao family. Two years ago, Gan Ning robbed the Tao's family of 300 cargo ships on the Yangtze River. However, it was the first time in the Han River. It would be fine if the ship and cargo could not be retrieved. The key is that there are more than twenty men, we must find them back."
"Do you have any questions now?" Liu Jing asked with concern.
Tao Zhan shook his head, "There is no news now."
"Can I help the girl? I can go to Youjiao to ask, they may have some clues."
"No! No!"
Tao Zhan waved his hand in a hurry, "I'm asking my son to come and have a drink. I'm definitely not asking my son for help. The Tao family can handle this matter well. Moreover, my second uncle has a wide connection and is familiar with the government and the thief. He will go to find Prefect Li tonight."
The two of them were silent again, and they only reacted to many things when they were unintentional, especially women's minds were more delicate, and they often paid more attention to details that were not related to the matter.
Tao Zhan couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He still called himself a girl and did not change his words.
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After the banquet, Liu Jing sent Tao Zhan back to the business.
At the door of the business, Tao Zhan did not get off the carriage. The thin curtains blocked Liu Jing's vision. He could not see Tao Zhan's expression or her appearance.
"Thank you, Miss, for your kind hospitality tonight."
Liu Jing also wanted to call her Jiu Niang, but when he changed his words, he still felt a little abrupt. He felt that Tao Zhan had a slightly polite element in his later enthusiasm, and this kind of politeness invisibly opened them apart.
‘Maybe she doesn’t want to call her Jiuniang herself.’ Liu Jing thought to herself.
After a while, he heard Tao Zhan’s faint voice coming from the carriage, “Young Master, you’re so kind. This is what I promised. Since I am the daughter of a businessman, I have to protect my credibility. How can I not keep my word if I have said it?”
"Oh! How long does that girl plan to stay in Fancheng?"
"I don't know either. It depends on the progress of the second uncle handling the matter, but I think it will not exceed five days at most."
Liu Jing was slightly disappointed. Will he leave in five days?
He pondered for a moment and said, "Before the girl left, I also want to invite her back. I wonder if Liu Jing has this honor?"
"This... there will be another chance in the future, right?" The voice in the carriage was still soft, but it was just a kind of gentleness, slightly dull.
Liu Jing sighed in his heart, Tao Zhan's polite refusal made him very embarrassed, okay! If you don't want to do so, forget it.
"Okay! I'll say goodbye first, girl, have a good rest, we'll have a date later."
After saying that, Liu Jing adjusted his horse's head and ran towards the city gate. The carriage still did not move, but the curtain of the car was slightly opened, and a pair of bright eyes stared at Liu Jing's departure, his eyes filled with an indescribable resentment.
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Chapter completed!