Chapter 43: Winning Over

9:00 PM.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and Qinghe was shrouded in the dark night.

Ancient people had no entertainment activities, and at this time, many families had already extinguished their lights and gone to sleep.

The places that were still lit were nothing more than those few.

The Imperial Music Bureau was one of them.

"In the ancient folk culture system, the status of the brothel is the lowest, it's just a prostitute house, the customers are also ordinary people, belonging to physical labor, low profit."

The high-end brothel is much higher, only rich merchants and high officials can enter, and only at this level is there the saying of selling art but not the body.

But if you talk about the top of the contempt chain, it must be the Imperial Music Bureau."

Li Rui commented in his heart.

Old Li Tou is also promising, actually able to come to the Imperial Music Bureau.

The Imperial Music Bureau has already broken away from the low-level interests of ordinary brothels, and those who come here are not lacking in wealthy guests who throw thousands of gold just for a song.

Thirty taels... didn't even touch the girl's butt.

"Elegant, truly elegant."

But Li Rui felt he still liked the vulgar ones.

At this time.

A piano sound as crisp as jade beads falling echoed in his ears, and a beautiful silhouette could be vaguely seen on the screen not far away, but that was all.

Glanced at Wu Tu on the side.

Wu Tu's butt moved and moved, as if nails had grown on the soft couch, obviously also a bit unable to sit still.

After a song.

Wu Tu happily raised his wine glass: "Chunnuan girl's piano is the first in Qinghe, no one dares to say second; I am a vulgar person, don't understand appreciation, Deputy Helmsman Zhang must be able to understand the meaning in Chunnuan girl's piano."

A clean-looking middle-aged man of about forty smiled and waved his hand: "I'm just listening to the sound, can't be considered an expert, but Chunnuan girl's Pusa Man tonight is indeed lingering, and the piano skill has improved again."

This middle-aged man was one of the four Deputy Helmsmen of the Heaven and Earth Alliance, Zhang Yang.

Li Rui's heart moved.

Wu Tu is an old Jianghu, and this flattery was very appropriate.

The safest way to flatter someone is to belittle yourself and set off the other person.

Especially in areas they care about.

Serving superiors requires paying attention to what they like.

This Deputy Helmsman Zhang has always had a reputation for being elegant, which is why Wu Tu specifically came to the Imperial Music Bureau instead of an ordinary brothel.

The Imperial Music Bureau is not a simple place to seek flowers and ask for willows.

The young girls here used to be young ladies from big families, strictly trained from childhood, proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and their level is not something that those goods in brothels can compare to.

Of course, it's also really expensive.

Zhang Yang drank the plum wine with satisfaction: "Brother Li, this seasonal plum wine tastes the best, you should drink a few more cups."

He considers himself a gourmet and is very particular about these foods.

Li Rui smiled on the surface, but slandered in his heart.

"This Deputy Helmsman Zhang is clearly from a gang background, where did he get so many particularities?"

Zhao Wei is very consistent with the temperament that a grass-roots background should have.

The women in the room changed several rounds, focusing on quantity and not refusing anyone.

Zhang Yang waved his hand.

Wu Tu signaled to the woman behind the screen, and the woman picked up the piano and slowly retreated.

Soon, only the three of them were left in the room.

Li Rui straightened his back.

The main topic finally began.

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Li Rui with a smile: "Hall Master Li has good methods, handling Ying Liu without a sound, truly making people admire."

Li Rui shook his head: "Ying Liu died in the line of duty while executing the mission."

Zhang Yang chuckled.

Looking like he believed everything you said.

Li Rui also knew that explanation was useless; the Heavenly One Hall lost two people in a row, and both were people who didn't get along with him; no matter how you look at it, it was his doing.

"Deputy Helmsman Zhang, what is the matter with you looking for this old man today?"

Zhang Yang chuckled: "I know Brother Li's ability, and I have the heart to make friends, which is why I asked Brother Wu to bridge the gap."

Li Rui is Zhao Wei's person on the surface.

But who is really whose person is not seen from the surface, but from the secret friendship.

Zhang Yang is clearly trying to win over Li Rui.

"Brother Li, the Helmsman previously felt that you were old, so he arranged some leisurely tasks, but I know your ability; it's too much of a waste of talent in the Heavenly One Hall, why not come to my Literary and Martial Hall to be a great guest, with status equivalent to a Hall Master, how about that?"

Wu Tu widened his eyes.

He didn't expect Zhang Yang to pay such a huge price to win over Li Rui.

The Literary and Martial Hall is not the Heavenly One Hall.

High position and great power, it's a first-class good place, and I don't know how many people are staring at it.

Even if a great guest is a line worse than a Hall Master, it's much stronger than a Deputy Hall Master, and ten times more powerful than the Hall Master of the Heavenly One Hall.

Li Rui was also shocked.

Zhang Yang really spent a lot of money.

But then Zhang Yang changed the subject: "Brother Li, you also know that a Hall Master must be approved by the Helmsman; as long as you can get a ranking within the top eight in next month's assessment, I will definitely get you the position of great guest."

Li Rui suddenly realized.

No wonder Zhang Yang was so straightforward just now; it was waiting here.

Everyone is not a fool, and naturally, it's impossible to give an extremely important position to an incompetent person for free.

Zhang Yang is trying to test Li Rui's true strength through the upcoming assessment.

Assessment is the best way.

All those with the number "8" and above are Hall Masters of the six halls; if Li Rui can reach that level, he will likely get a Hall Master position.

It's just that Zhang Yang pushed it, directly giving the extremely core position of great guest of the Literary and Martial Hall.

Zhang Yang: "I believe that with Brother Li's strength, you will definitely get a good ranking in the assessment."

He sincerely hopes that Li Rui has real skills.

Now he is really short of people.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance Master broke through, and the situation in the alliance changed greatly.

Deputy Helmsmen are also in danger; at the Eighth Rank, it's impossible to improve strength in a short time, even for martial artists with good talent, it takes more than ten years to pass the Bronze Bone pass.

So the fastest way is to manage strength.

The four Deputy Helmsmen of the Qinghe branch are all doing this without exception.

Otherwise, how can they compare with those fierce people outside who are eyeing them, and by then, not only the counties around Qinghe, but even people from Anning Prefecture will come after hearing the news.

Li Rui chuckled: "What can an old man like me do? Those are things for young people."

Zhang Yang didn't persuade much.

Although he thinks highly of Li Rui, a Ninth-Rank martial artist is not worth him lowering his posture to persuade repeatedly.

Everyone has their own aspirations.

It's best if Li Rui joins him; if not... it doesn't matter.

Just as Li Rui said, he is already seventy, and according to the lifespan of ancient times, he doesn't have many years to live, so Zhang Yang is not willing to spend too much thought and resources on Li Rui.

It's just that he values Li Rui's immediate combat power, which is why he is willing to release the position of great guest.

After a few years when Li Rui's lifespan is exhausted, he can continue to replace him with his own confidant.

No matter how you calculate it, you won't lose.

Zhang Yang's abacus is really precise.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 44 =====