Chapter 147 He Has His Plans

Before today, Ah Ming really hadn't imagined that his advancement would occur under such circumstances.

After advancing,

There were two things Ah Ming wanted to do most.

One was to go to the Fan family's wine cellar and drink one of the three jars of wine said to be Fan Zhengwen's favorite.

Why only one jar?

Because Ah Ming had already drunk the previous two.

The second thing,

Was that he really wanted to see Xue San and say hello.

People,

Oh no,

Even vampires,

Find it difficult to completely escape from base desires, especially when you encounter something joyful, and you always hope to have a sincere buddy by your side to share it with.

Si Niang unconditionally obeyed any decision made by her master, so she simply nodded with a smile.

"I'll go talk to Fan Zhengwen."

If he wanted to accomplish anything in Chu, he couldn't do without the Fan family's help. When switching scripts, he also had to let the Fan family know in advance; this was the basis of their cooperation.

However, Si Niang was somewhat worried. "Will Fan Zhengwen agree?"

They were Yan people and were meant to return eventually, but the Fan family was in Xia Yong, with so many people inside and out. Not to mention that moving the entire family was unrealistic, even if they really wanted to leave, it would be difficult to avoid alarming outsiders.

Capturing the princess and sending her back would dramatically increase the risk factor, and the Fan family would also face a soaring possibility of total annihilation.

"For some reason, I think Fan Zhengwen will agree," Zheng Fan said.

Because from the beginning, Fan Zhengwen had given him a very special feeling; this Fan family helmsman possessed all the qualities of a formidable figure.

"Actually, Master, this servant has an even more foolproof method."

Zheng Fan looked at Si Niang and said, "Speak."

"That is, this servant can disguise herself as Xiong Liqing and go back."

Zheng Fan shook his head without hesitation. "Rejected."

Immediately afterward,

Zheng Boye reached out and lifted a strand of Si Niang's hair, saying:

"To be honest, even if this Great Chu princess immediately goes back on her word after being released, I'm prepared for it. At worst, this trip to Chu will be a complete waste, and we'll just treat it as a scenic winter tour.

But if you were to get lost here, I'd be heartbroken."

Zheng Fan trusted Si Niang's disguise skills, but disguise could only deceive people for a short time and have some miraculous effect. Long-term lurking would be extremely dangerous.

Moreover, there would definitely be many experts around the princess, and disguise techniques would likely not be able to deceive them at all.

Zheng Boye was unwilling to let Si Niang take this risk.

"Yes, this servant understands," Si Niang said with a sweet smile.

"Alright, you go help the princess prepare. She's already guessed that this is the Fan residence. Send some exquisite food down."

"That girl is actually quite clever. With proper guidance, she might be able to help in the future."

Si Niang had been looking forward to the task of guiding the princess for some time now. She had regretted for a long time that the princess didn't stay last time.

Zheng Boye couldn't understand this interest, so he decided to talk to Fan Zhengwen, someone he could communicate with.

Stepping out of Qingfang Studio and arriving at the main courtyard of the Fan residence, he was just about to enter when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw a sword-wielding teenager.

The teenager was wearing a cyan cotton robe with a red tassel hanging from his waist, and an aura of heroism naturally emanated from between his brows.

Just one glance, and Zheng Fan guessed who the teenager was, because he looked too much like Fan Zhengwen. In later generations, there would be no need for a paternity test.

"Who are you?"

Fan Shaoliang frowned as he looked at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan lowered his head and looked at himself. In terms of seniority, things were often kept separate. Although Madam Min was Little Sixth's aunt, Zheng Fan still interacted with Fan Zhengwen as equals.

Therefore, Fan Shaoliang should call him Uncle.

When meeting a junior, one should always have a greeting gift, but because he had taken a bath and changed his clothes before going to see the princess, he wasn't wearing any jade pendants or anything like that.

"I'll give you a greeting gift next time, good nephew."

Hearing this, Fan Shaoliang didn't get angry, because he knew that this was his father's main courtyard, the most heavily guarded area. If it wasn't someone his father had allowed, it would be impossible to appear here openly.

"Uncle?"

But in Fan Shaoliang's eyes, the Zheng Fan in front of him was older than him, but probably not by much, because Zheng Boye looked, well, he couldn't be called a young man anymore, but he was still young.

"Shaoliang, call him Uncle."

An old man's voice came from behind; it was Weng Zanghai, Fan Zhengwen's chief strategist.

"Elder Weng."

Immediately,

Fan Shaoliang held his sword and cupped his fist towards Zheng Fan, saying:

"Hello, Uncle."

"Heh."

Zheng Fan smiled.

Weng Zanghai waved his hand and said, "Let's go, let's go inside to talk."

The main courtyard wasn't actually that big, but the layout was square, with small courtyards surrounding larger ones.

They entered through the gatehouse and arrived at a pavilion in the very center.

Fan Zhengwen, accompanied by his wife Madam Min, had just come downstairs. Seeing Zheng Fan, Fan Zhengwen smiled and said, "What a coincidence! I just learned that my son is back and was about to take him to pay his respects to Boye later. Now we've run into each other.

Come, Shaoliang, this is the most respected Pingye Boye."

"Pingye Boye?" Hearing this title, Fan Shaoliang's eyes immediately lit up, and he even exclaimed in disbelief, "Really Pingye Boye?"

At this moment, in Zheng Boye's eyes, Fan Shaoliang was like a star-struck teenager.

It seemed absurd that a Chu teenager would admire a young Yan general;

But upon closer inspection, it was understandable.

Since Fan Zhengwen dared to introduce him like this in front of his son, it was clear that this eldest son of the Fan family knew many secrets, including the true identity of his mother.

On one side, there were Yan imperial relatives;

On the other side, there were generations of servants of the powerful Chu family, the Qu Clan;

For this teenager, who had never worried about food or clothing since birth and had more thoughts to pursue "spiritual identity," it was really easy to guess which side his emotional inclinations would lean towards.

"Brother Fan, your son is truly a talented individual."

Praising someone's son was basic social etiquette.

Seeing Fan Shaoliang's enthusiasm towards him, Zheng Boye added,

"In another two years, he can follow me to the battlefield and make contributions."

Hearing this, Fan Zhengwen directly said to his son, "Kneel down and kowtow to Boye! Did you hear that? Boye has accepted you."

"........" Zheng Fan.

"Fan Shaoliang, thank you Boye for taking me in! I am willing to die for Boye!"

For a teenager, meeting an idol and being able to directly join the idol's team was truly something that could make him smile in his dreams.

But Zheng Boye wasn't that simple, because this play was clearly meant to take advantage of the situation.

"Shaoliang, take your mother down first. Your father and I have something to talk about."

"Yes, Father, Boye, this general... no, this small man... no, I... I'll take my leave first."

The teenager's steps were a little dizzy, his head was a little tipsy, and he walked out of the pavilion with an uncontrollable smile on his lips, supporting his mother's hand.

"Boye, please."

Fan Zhengwen invited Zheng Fan to the second floor. Weng Zanghai stroked his beard and smiled, but he didn't follow. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the ground floor, took out a book, and began to read it with relish, like an outsider.

The second floor was an elegant room. Fan Zhengwen invited Zheng Fan to sit down, while he began to brew tea. It was clear that Fan Zhengwen was very proficient in the art of tea.

Zheng Fan didn't say anything and just sat there waiting.

Finally, the tea was served.

Fan Zhengwen also spoke, "Boye, there is something that Fan doesn't know whether or not to say."

If his subordinates dared to say such a thing to him, Zheng Boye would have kicked them long ago.

But since he was preparing to screw over this whole family,

He naturally became a lot gentler in his attitude.

He had eaten their food, slept with their women, and seen their daughter, and yet he was still going to screw them over. Even Zheng Boye, with his thick skin, felt a little embarrassed.

"Brother Fan can speak freely."

"Boye, Fan feels that this princess has been captured, but she was captured too quietly. Therefore, Fan believes that if Boye wants to fully promote his reputation, as we initially envisioned together, then he can now..."

"Can what?"

"Can release the princess."

"Release her? How can that be!" Zheng Fan said righteously.

"After releasing her, we can capture her again."

Zheng Fan stood up and said to Fan Zhengwen, "Wouldn't that put Brother Fan, the Fan family, in even greater danger?

No, no, absolutely not.

I, Zheng Fan, can't do such a thing!"

"Boye, Boye..."

"Since entering Chu, Brother Fan has treated me like a brother, and I regard Brother Fan as a brother. How can I, Zheng Fan, do such a beastly thing?"

Fan Zhengwen took a deep breath and said, "Boye, please listen to me explain slowly."

"No, no need to say anything. Absolutely not."

"Hey, hey, hey, Boye, sit down, sit down, sit down. Don't be impatient, don't be impatient. Boye should know that this princess, when we capture her back this time, she is real, but she will inevitably become fake.

Therefore, releasing her and then capturing her back according to the original plan on the day of the wedding is the way to go."

"The Qu Clan and the royal family will inevitably be more vigilant. It will be several times more difficult for us to kidnap her again according to the original plan than initially envisioned."

"Then we can pay several times the price. My Fan family can mobilize all its forces and spare no effort to help Boye recapture the princess, helping Boye become famous throughout the world."

"All forces?"

"Yes."

"Then the Fan family?"

"As long as Boye can achieve his long-cherished wish, the Fan family can be abandoned."

If the Fan family were to mobilize all its strength, without any concealment, then the power it would unleash would be terrifying. After all, with money, you can make even demons work.

"Then Brother Fan, you..."

"Boye, Fan hasn't thought about dying yet. As for Fan's family, my wife and others will 'die' after New Year's Eve."

"Die?"

"Of course, not really die, but fake death. Shaoliang will then mourn for his mother and no longer go out.

But at that time, there will be a replacement for Shaoliang in the residence, while Shaoliang and my wife will take a step ahead after the new year, pass through Mount Meng, and enter Jin, letting them go to a safe place first."

With his wife and children sent away first, Fan Zhengwen would have no worries.

As for what would happen to the other members of the Fan family, Zheng Fan didn't ask, because Fan Zhengwen had actually given the answer.

He was willing to gamble, willing to sacrifice the entire Fan family. He didn't care.

He was clearly an incredibly wealthy tycoon, but once he got to the gambling table, he just started betting everything.

"By the way, there is one more thing Fan must inform Boye of, and that is that Li Mu, the general of Cong Prefecture who was originally transferred here yesterday, already led his troops back this morning. The Qingluan Army of the Qu Clan has also withdrawn a lot of troops. Now, the troops searching for the princess outside Xia Yong County are probably only a little over ten thousand."

"What happened?" Zheng Fan asked in surprise.

"After the Marquis of Jingnan lured the enemy out, he suddenly sent troops and inflicted a major defeat on Xue Rang's army outside Zhennan Pass. At the same time, there are signs of a full-scale mobilization of the Jingnan Army in Jin, as if they are planning to gather troops to attack Zhennan Pass by force.

Zhennan Pass is in urgent need of reinforcements, and the various troops within the territory of Chu naturally need to continue to transfer troops to further strengthen their defenses, because the one facing Great Chu is Tian Wujing, the Marquis of Jingnan."

The Marquis,

Is going to attack the city?

Zheng Fan believed that the Marquis definitely didn't really want to attack the city. This was mostly a show for the Chu people, to increase the pressure on the Chu people.

There must be many people among the Chu people who also felt that the Yan army would not attack the city, but who told Tian Wujing to be the one leading the army? Who told them that once Zhennan Pass was breached, the Yan iron cavalry could drive straight in under the leadership of that ever-victorious Marquis of Jingnan?

The Chu people didn't dare to gamble, so they had no choice but to start transferring forces to respond to this situation.

Compared with the safety of the entire Great Chu, the importance of a missing princess naturally decreased a lot.

At the same time, after the Marquis of Jingnan made this move, he did indeed relieve a lot of pressure on the current Zheng Fan. If the Marquis could continue to make a few more moves, then even if the princess was sent back, the wedding would continue (because the royal family was now even more eager to reach a marriage alliance with the Qu Clan), but with the iron cavalry forcing them from outside, the wedding would inevitably be rushed and unstable, which would invisibly create good conditions for Zheng Fan to kidnap the princess a second time.

This was just like how he had led his troops deep into enemy territory and raided Xuehai Pass, creating an excellent opportunity for the Marquis of Jingnan on the Wangjiang River to fight a decisive battle with the main force of the barbarians.

The Marquis of Jingnan definitely didn't know what he was doing now or what he was planning to do,

But that didn't prevent the Marquis of Jingnan from giving him a helping hand.

Zheng Fan leaned back in his chair,

Reached out,

And covered his face,

Immediately afterward,

He took a deep breath, his nasal tone slightly moist,

Moved his hand away,

And his eyes were already slightly red:

"Brother Fan, I, Zheng Fan, am a man who is greedy for merit, but I, Zheng Fan, am definitely not the kind of person who would push a brother and friend into a fire pit for my own selfish gain!"

Fan Zhengwen took two steps back,

And bowed deeply to Zheng Fan,

Saying sincerely:

"Boye, this is Fan's wish. Powerful clans are like grasslands: the fire cannot burn them out, and they will grow back next year.

Fan has said before that I am overfed, but how many people in this world never get the chance to go to the gambling table when they are overfed?

Fan is willing to gamble, and hopes that Boye will fulfill his wish!!!"

Saying that,

Fan Zhengwen knelt down to Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan immediately got up and forcibly grabbed Fan Zhengwen's hands, sniffled,

And let out a long sigh:

"Why must Brother Fan force me like this?"

"If Boye doesn't agree, Fan will kneel here forever, begging Boye to show mercy and give my Fan family a chance to remove the label of 'centuries-old servants'!"

Zheng Fan bit his teeth, trembling,

Silently took two steps back,

Sat back down in the chair in a daze,

And said with a trembling, sobbing voice:

"Forget it, forget it;

Just,

Let it be as Brother Fan wishes."

————

Don't wait tonight, I'll probably sleep until dawn and then get up to code.