Chapter 445

"Isn't that so?" Li Qingge had already figured it out, "If Nian Zanli also reported the victory to Beijia, the reason would probably be the killing of thirty thousand elite troops of the Yuan Kingdom. You also know the situation of the Yuan Kingdom; there aren't many armies that can fight well. These thirty thousand men of General Zhao... are really rare elites of our country." Speaking of the end, she sighed. The elites of the Yuan Kingdom were either on the western front against the former Grand Marshal Dong Haoming, or on the northern front against the Xunzhou Shepherd Nian Zanli, and only a little bit was left to guard the capital.

Besides that, there was almost nothing left.

He Lingchuan also felt deeply that the combat power of the remaining armies was poor.

Even the Xia Province army that He Chunhua had hurriedly pulled together in a few months was far worse than Zhao Pan's army.

What Nian Zanli killed was indeed an important force of the Yuan Kingdom.

"Each reports their own victory, each claims their own merit." He Lingchuan smiled helplessly, "A big battle, and it actually ended in a win-win?"

"Victory or defeat depends on the perspective." Li Qingge turned the cup in her hand a few times, "Standing in their respective positions, there are points of victory. I see that the people of Xia Province are also very happy, praising your father for his martial prowess and wisdom everywhere."

"My father's days in Dunyu should be very good now, right?"

"Isn't that so?" Li Qingge chuckled, "General Manager He's political orders are smooth, his reputation is at its peak, and no county or prefecture dares not to obey."

He Lingchuan leaned back gently: "It seems I've been worrying for nothing for so long."

"How did you survive?" Li Qingge was full of curiosity, "There was no time yesterday, tell me clearly now!"

She and He Lingchuan couldn't be considered very close, but they chatted very naturally, even with a bit of coquettishness.

What's more rare is that not only was it not annoying, but it was also flattering.

He Lingchuan simply started from the Great Battle of the Hanhe, mentioned meeting Zhu Erniang in the Demon Nest Swamp, what he saw and heard in the Baoshu Kingdom, the turmoil on the Gale Plains... until now.

Of course, some things couldn't be mentioned.

This took at least two hours, and the wine was refilled three times.

Li Qingge clapped her hands: "Interesting, interesting, I wish I had such experiences too."

"The Marquis has traveled all over, and your experience is naturally richer than mine."

"There are too many trivial matters, unlike you who live so purely?" Li Qingge supported her chin with her hand, "After you go to the ruins of the ruins of Lingxu City, what are your plans? Are you going back to Dunyu in Xia Province?"

He Lingchuan hesitated slightly: "We'll see when the time comes. I always feel that this trip won't be peaceful."

He didn't mention the content of Zhu Erniang's commission, and that would definitely have an impact on the ruins.

He was a person who kept his promises, and he would keep the secrets he should keep.

Hearing him say this, Li Qingge's eyes moved slightly.

He Lingchuan still had things on his mind: "By the way, how are my subordinates?"

Speaking of this, Li Qingge put away her smile: "Oh, I heard that the wolf monster disappeared after the Great Battle of the Hanhe, and afterwards... it was hard to find."

He Lingchuan waved his hand: "It didn't die."

He could feel that the pet contract he had signed with Lu Xin hadn't expired, so he was more worried about Lingguang before.

"By the way, your medicine ape has returned to Dunyu and has been invited by me to Songyang Prefecture."

He Lingchuan was overjoyed and solemnly toasted her: "Thank you for taking it in."

Li Qingge told him that in that Great Battle of the Hanhe, Lingguang was originally hiding in a tree, and later the flood overflowed to the south, so it had to retreat to the west, and it never found where He Lingchuan was during the whole process. It wasn't until the flood receded and the battle ended that it heard He Lingchuan had been washed away by the flood.

Such a monstrous flood was also wrapped in boundless fallen wood; unless you were a god, it would be extremely difficult to survive if you fell in.

Lingguang followed the Xia Province army and searched by the river for half a month but couldn't find He Lingchuan, so it had to return to Dunyu with the army in low spirits.

But after returning, an awkward problem arose: its employer had disappeared, and the employment contract was automatically dissolved. The General Manager's Office didn't need an alchemist, and the monthly salary of fifteen taels was quite expensive, so Lingguang had nowhere to go for a while.

I don't know where Li Qingge heard about it, but she wanted to hire it, as Songyang Prefecture happened to need an experienced alchemist.

"This little monkey thought you were killed by its curse and was depressed for many days, refusing to harm anyone again." Li Qingge smiled, "Although it is in my mansion, it hasn't signed an employment contract yet."

"Wanted to curse me?" He Lingchuan laughed out loud, "With its little bit of cultivation? It thinks too highly of itself."

"Besides that, four or five of your subordinates, including Shan Youjun, survived and returned to Dunyu. Since your whereabouts were unknown, they were incorporated into the General Manager's Office, and it seems there is also a young man surnamed Sun."

"Only four or five returned?" Before the Great Battle of the Hanhe began, he had taken more than ten personal guards to the battlefield.

"Yes. Your subordinate Jiao Tai is also gone."

He Lingchuan was silent.

He rescued Jiao Tai from the Dunyu prison, but this person didn't live for another hundred days.

Li Qingge hadn't stayed in Xia Province for long, but she was already a know-it-all in Dunyu: "That capable manager, Ding Zuodong, is temporarily working under Lady Ying."

He Lingchuan nodded; none of this was unexpected. The eldest son was washed away by the flood, and his life was hanging by a thread; what was strange about He Chunhua inheriting his legacy and receiving his talents?

Li Qingge added: "You said that the great monster Zhu Erniang gave you some spider silk she produced herself?"

"Yes." He Lingchuan's heart moved, thinking that this was the Master of Songyang Prefecture, a master of creation, so he quickly took out the cloud brocade and spider teeth from his storage ring.

Li Qingge picked up the cloud brocade and examined it carefully, even lighting a small cluster of true fire to burn it, before sighing: "Young Master He is truly remarkable; everything he takes out is a treasure of this level."

From the broken sword to Sun Fuping's purple gold pestle, and then to the cloud brocade made by the prehistoric great monster Zhu Erniang, the treasures He Lingchuan took out were things that even the powerful people of the Yuan Kingdom couldn't touch. Her investment in He Lingchuan seemed to have a more generous return in the future.

He Lingchuan naturally wouldn't say things like "If you like it, just take it" to win the beauty's favor. He thought for a while, took the hook from his sleeve arrow, and placed it on the table: "The hook made by Master Li Fubo is indeed easy to use, but I hope to separate it from the sleeve arrow." Last time he fell into the Hanhe, it was because he was missing a hook, "Also, can spider silk be added to the rope?"

"Leave it to me." Li Qingge agreed immediately, "Your rope is already very strong, and if you add the spider silk of a great monster, I'm afraid nothing will be able to tear it apart."

"That would be best." He Lingchuan took out another piece of cloud brocade, "Let this piece be the reward, how about it?"

He couldn't take advantage of others for nothing.

Mutual benefit is the only way for business to last long.

"Just a little bit of manual work, Young Master is truly generous." Although she said so, Li Qingge accepted the cloud brocade without hesitation and picked up the two poisonous teeth, "This one is suitable for making a pair of short knives." Naturally poisonous, with its own bloodletting groove.

"I'll trouble the Master of the Prefecture." He wanted to leave them for his clone to use.

"It will be done in three days at most." As soon as Li Qingge said this, He Lingchuan knew that her level was at least not weaker than Li Fubo's.

"Thank you, Marquis."

"If it's not easy to use, give feedback in time so we can improve it."

He Lingchuan sighed: "I am no longer the Young Master He of the past. With the Marquis being so generous, how can I repay you?"

Half of what he said was a joke, and the other half was a probe.

In the past, Songyang Prefecture was polite to him, which could be said to be for the sake of He Chunhua. After all, the General Manager of Xia Province was a big official, and if Songyang Prefecture wanted to develop in that area, it had to pay homage to the local snake.

However, He Lingchuan was now alone in Beijia, with no power or influence. Why did Li Qingge still give him so much convenience? Self-interest is human nature, and merchants are especially profit-driven.

He was instead alert to this woman's show of favor.

Li Qingge smiled: "You acted as a matchmaker for me with Fushan Yue, making the Crown Prince of the Chi Yan Kingdom owe me a huge favor, and I can't thank you enough. Doing business in the Chi Yan Kingdom is not as easy as in the Baoshu Kingdom; conversely, as long as Fushan Yue says the word, my wealth will pour in, and the competition will be much smaller. You tell me, shouldn't I thank you?"

He Lingchuan laughed: "So I didn't take advantage of the Marquis for nothing? Good, then I will accept it without declining."

"Young Master He is too polite." Speaking of this, Li Qingge covered her mouth and yawned, "Alright, we have to be on our way tomorrow, I have to rest."

He Lingchuan stood up immediately: "Sweet dreams, then see you tomorrow."

Li Qingge glanced at him with a smile, her slender waist swaying as she was the first to leave the private room.

When He Lingchuan returned to his room, he found that it had started to rain outside at some point, drizzling.

￥￥￥￥￥

The rain stopped at the hour of the Ox, and the scent of green grass and soil permeated everywhere.

Before dawn, the rock sheep strolled out of the town and wandered into the suburbs to graze.

The grass leaves with morning dew are the best to eat, but the plants that grow wildly in summer are no longer as sweet as in spring. The rock sheep went to the tree roots to pick some mushrooms that had just broken through the soil, fresh and tender.

He Lingchuan would remove its riding gear every night and let it be free, so it was no different from an ordinary wild sheep monster now.

It was eating happily and didn't notice two pairs of eyes staring at it from behind the bushes a hundred paces away, whispering to each other.

"Is this a passing monster?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure?" The person who asked earlier whispered, "Don't cause trouble again."

"Nonsense! This is a white-striped rock sheep, only found in the Baoshu Kingdom. Appearing here suddenly and alone, it must be a wild monster that wandered over."

"It's very close to the town, maybe it came out of the town." The person who asked earlier was still skeptical, "The higher-ups only allow us to catch new monsters born from the Emperor's Flowing Pulp..."

"The higher-ups also gave us a monthly quota to hand in." His companion interrupted him, "We have to add thirty more this month, what other choice do you and I have?"

"It would be a pity to dissolve it, it's quite spirited to catch it as a mount."

"If you don't catch it, you won't be able to make up the number, stop talking nonsense!"

These two didn't know where they got a bundle of dark red grass, and they went around to scatter it evenly on the hillside.

This grass had a faint fragrance, and the rock sheep ate as it moved closer, its tongue curling to start eating the red grass.

This item is called Sweet Red Grass, which has a slight hallucinogenic effect, making the eater happier and more addicted the more they eat, until they finally float to immortality, not knowing where they are, also known as Sheep and Deer Happy Grass.

(End of chapter)