Chapter 465: You, Fang Qian, can't just come here shamelessly, right? (Please subscribe)

Hearing this, Xu Zifeng hurriedly said: "Miss Li, why didn't you say anything in advance when you came? Look, I didn't even bring any gifts."

Ma Hei waved his hand with a smile: "Wang Shizi, you are busy with military affairs; how could we dare to trouble you with these small matters of us Gu cultivators?"

Saying this, he made a gesture of invitation: "Please, have a seat."

Just then, more than a dozen Gu cultivators dressed in various tribal costumes walked in behind Ma Hei, including strong men from the Black Miao tribe and youths from the Bai Miao tribe.

Ma Hei introduced them one by one: "These are all fellow disciples preparing to join the army this year, waiting for the Ministry of War's review."

The May Tian Ce Dynasty's review was very strict now, which gave Ma Hei a headache.

He held an officer's position and thought it would be faster.

Who knew, he was even stricter than others, just to avoid nepotism or filling quotas with unqualified people.

This review wasn't simple; it didn't just look at personal strength or whether there were any bad habits.

It also required going to the local area to see if they had committed any crimes and what their family background was.

After one day, Ma Hei's head was nearly exploding.

He wondered, it hadn't been this troublesome when he joined the army before.

Xu Zifeng's eyes lit up: "What a coincidence, I have a good friend in the Ministry of War named Wu Qi, who helped me a lot last time."

He turned to Ma Hei: "You've met him too; it's that Manager Wu. Why don't I host a dinner tonight and invite him?"

Ma Hei was overjoyed: "Then thank you so much, Wang Shizi! With your introduction, the review will definitely be much smoother."

The surrounding Black and Bai Miao youths immediately began to flatter him:

"Wang Shizi has such wide connections!"

"With your care, it will be easy for us to get along in the army!"

"I've long heard that the Prince of Zhennan's mansion has deep roots in the court; seeing it today, it's truly well-deserved!"

Xu Zifeng was floating from the flattery and straightened his back unconsciously.

His gaze turned to Li Meng, who was standing quietly to the side, and he asked sincerely: "Miss Li, I also know some people in the Imperial Capital. For your insect banquet promotion, do you need me to help introduce you?"

Li Meng smiled faintly: "Thank you for your kindness, Wang Shizi, but I have already contacted the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce and am just waiting for their President to have time to discuss."

This President of the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce was actually Jiang Rong.

Relying on the connections she had built in the harem, the scale of the chamber of commerce was no longer limited to Shanghe City and its surrounding areas; it had already developed nationwide.

It even had quite a bit of foreign trade.

And several concubines had invested in the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce, and even the Empress Dowager did.

As for Li Chen, he didn't need these.

Xu Zifeng nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

He looked at Li Meng with pure eyes—pure appreciation for a girl who worked hard.

As the Prince of Zhennan, he had seen beauties like crucian carp crossing the river, but it was rare to see someone like Li Meng who had ability and didn't cling to power.

Xu Zifeng pondered for a moment: "How about this, you come to the banquet tonight too. I will also invite the Prince of Anxi and several officials from the Six Ministries. You can get to know more people, and it will be more convenient for you to act in the Imperial Capital in the future."

Li Meng's eyes lit up, then she hesitated: "Is this appropriate?"

Xu Zifeng laughed heartily: "What's inappropriate about it! Just do it as a favor to me."

Li Meng thought about it and felt it was indeed a good opportunity.

She had just arrived in the Imperial Capital and couldn't trouble Li Chen with everything.

Although that gentle Little Brother had said to find him if there was anything, she wanted to prove she could handle things on her own.

She heard that the families in the Imperial Capital didn't like vases, and she didn't want Li Chen's family to look down on her.

"Then thank you, Wang Shizi." Li Meng performed a Southern Frontier salute, the silver ornaments in her hair jingling.

Up to now, she still didn't know Li Chen's true identity.

And Li Chen knew that once his identity was revealed, many people would change—turning into instinctive fear and flattery, losing this pure feeling. So he saw Li Meng as very simple and wanted to cherish this moment more.

After boasting a bit at Ma Hei's place, Xu Zifeng left the residence contentedly.

Walking on the bustling streets of the Imperial Capital, he began to seriously conceive the specific arrangements for tonight's banquet.

First, naturally, he had to find Wu Qi. As a Ministry of War Manager, Wu Qi could help a lot in the review process, not to mention the two were drinking buddies.

"Wang Shizi is here!" The guards at the Ministry of War gate saw Xu Zifeng and immediately saluted respectfully.

"Is Manager Wu here?" Xu Zifeng asked, waving his hand.

"Replying to Wang Shizi, Manager Wu just went out, saying he was going to the 'Qingxin Tea House' nearby to discuss matters with someone."

Xu Zifeng nodded and turned to walk toward the tea house.

Just as he stepped onto the second floor of the tea house, he saw two familiar figures: Ministry of Justice Manager Xiao Ming and fellow officer Liu Hao.

They had known each other for many years; although their relationship hadn't been good before, without a common goal, they could now be considered able to chat.

Compared to others, Liu Hao, Xiao Ming, and Wu Qi were a small group and often gathered together.

There was no other way; geniuses cherished each other, and only those with similar levels, strength, and status could talk to each other.

Because only such people had common topics.

For example, some court policy developments or gossip news about officials—they could talk about these internally.

If an ordinary person mixed in, that person could only listen and wouldn't know what to say.

Before he even got close, Xu Zifeng heard Xiao Ming's angry voice: "That bastard Fang Qian! Relying on the support of the Minister of Personnel, he opposes me everywhere! Yesterday, the materials for a case I had weren't written clearly; it's truly bullshit! I've already finished handling the case; what more do you want from me?"

Liu Hao hurriedly advised: "Brother Xiao, calm down; as officials in the same court, harmony brings wealth..."

Hearing this, Xiao Ming slapped the table and stood up: "Harmony? When has he, Fang Qian, ever been harmonious with me? Last month at the Drunken Immortal Tower, he made me lose face in front of Manying..."

After Xiao Ming finished complaining, Xu Zifeng stepped forward at the right time and interrupted with a smile: "Yo, who made our Manager Xiao so angry?"

"Brother Xu!" Seeing it was him, they hurriedly bowed to welcome him.

Because they weren't comparing their fathers, their levels were similar, so they were just being polite.

After Xu Zifeng sat down and listened to Xiao Ming complain again, he advised: "Brother Xiao, Fang Qian is indeed not a good thing, but right now he is appreciated by the Minister of Personnel. How about this: I'm hosting a banquet at the Prince of Zhennan's mansion tonight and have invited several officials. You come and have a few drinks to relax."

The Prince of Zhennan had a large mansion in the Imperial Capital; he had always lived in it before, but hadn't returned since going to the South.

Xu Zifeng had been living in the Prince of Zhennan's mansion since coming to the Imperial Capital.

His mother and aunt came over occasionally, but under normal circumstances, they were at the Ji family mansion.

Xiao Ming's eyes lit up: "The Prince of Zhennan's mansion? That's great! Let's drink until we're drunk tonight."

The reason he said this was because he couldn't find a suitable place to invite Wei Manying for a drink.

Young people like Xiao Ming felt that since Wei Manying was so beautiful, he couldn't take her to a roadside stall.

If he went, it had to be a high-class dating spot like the Drunken Immortal Tower or the Nine Heavens Boiling Pavilion.

But the problem was, that idiot Fang Qian often took Wei Manying there too, and Xiao Ming felt he had no advantage in this competition.

And Fang Qian was well-informed and sometimes came to stir up trouble.

Now going to Xu Zifeng's house—Xu Zifeng and Fang Qian didn't get along either; you, Fang Qian, couldn't just come here shamelessly, right?

At that time, he could get closer to Wei Manying.

If Xu Zifeng knew what Xiao Ming was thinking, he would definitely say: I don't get along with Fang Qian, but you don't even think about who caused it! Isn't it because you were jealous of him?

If Xiao Ming knew what Xu Zifeng was thinking, he would definitely say: Bullshit, how many people did you beat up when you were hiding your skills before? Don't you have any self-awareness?

I look at your case files in the Ministry of Justice, and they give me a headache.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 466 =====