"One scroll is A River and Sea of Autumn poured into a pot, three thousand galaxies gathered into a painting. All men are awake while I alone am drunk! What harm is there in pride or despair?" Tang Wen said.
"All men are awake while I alone am drunk-what an arrogant tone! What a free and easy spirit... What an overbearing River and Sea of Autumn, three thousand galaxies..." Zhang Hongjiang started in surprise, stroking his beard as he praised.
"Hehe, you flatter me. Please inscribe the following signature at the bottom: Tang Su Mei Group."
"Tang Su Mei-your surname is Tang, and you are from Su Mei Island, so that fits well. But what is the meaning of this 'Group'?" Zhang Hongjiang asked.
"Hehe." Tang Wen only smiled without answering, and Zhang Hongjiang stopped asking, saying, "Master secretary, set out the brush and ink."
Soon, a majestic and imposing piece of calligraphy leaped onto the paper.
One had to admit that Zhang Hongjiang's handwriting truly was peerless.
With eagle-hooked strokes and dots, Tang Wen felt as though he were looking at rivers, lakes, seas, and three thousand stars.
"And the other scroll?" Zhang Hongjiang asked.
"Su Mei Island!" Tang Wen replied.
"Hehe, so you're asking this old man to write the name of your island for you. Splendid! In a few days I'll have the secretary mount it and send someone to deliver it." Zhang Hongjiang signed "Zhang the Flower-Seeker" at the bottom and spoke.
"Many thanks." Tang Wen cupped his fists and said, "However, Lord Zhang, my subordinate Qiao Xiao is still in the prison cell."
"Very well. Kang Qingfeng doesn't seem to have left Yanling yet. Constable Yang, send an invitation card and invite him to the Nightfall Pavilion for a chat over dinner tonight. At that time, the Marquis will join us." Zhang Hongjiang said.
"When will you go handle your wine delivery, Brother Yang?" After coming out, Tang Wen asked.
"Nights are long and full of dreams. I reckon by now quite a few people are already holding gifts, waiting for Wu Yunxian to receive them." Constable Yang sighed.
"Since the matter is so urgent, Brother Yang, go deliver the invitation card to Kang Qingfeng's place while I return to Thousand-Leaf Workshop. Once you finish delivering the invitation, come find me." Tang Wen said.
"Very well, I'll take my leave first." Yang Yun hurried away.
Tang Wen brought Tang Jun back to Thousand-Leaf Workshop, where Bu Feng had already arranged for a dozen servants to sweep and clean the place thoroughly.
Only, the place was far too dilapidated.
"Master, we'll make do for now. In a while I'll hire people to remodel it." Bu Feng said.
"Mn, this place must be rebuilt from the ground up. The property is so vast; first, let's build a multi-story building facing the street and renovate a large storefront.
In the future, all our product samples must be displayed in these storefronts.
Inside, we must also build several huge warehouses for easy storage of goods.
In the back courtyard, we will build a small training ground so you can practice your martial arts and combat skills daily.
Inside, I plan to open a club to facilitate receiving guests...
Once our business grows large in the future, it will invite jealousy, so necessary protective measures must be in place.
Your tasks are not just to make friends of all kinds and gather intelligence, but you must also possess a certain degree of defensive and offensive capability." Tang Wen said.
"Mn, just like the imperial court's secret agents, knowing martial arts as well. But Master, what is a club?" Bu Feng asked.
"A club is a quiet, elegant place like the Nightfall Pavilion. We'll also need to recruit a batch of beautiful maidens, musicians, dancers, and so on.
At that time, it will be used for wind instruments, string instruments, singing, eating, drinking, and merrymaking-of course, it's not a brothel.
There's no rush to do these things yet. Wait until I draw up the blueprints, and then we will construct it strictly according to them." Tang Wen explained.
"Lord Kang, that Tang Wen is simply abominable." Fang Qiang hurried into the Yanling Post Inn. Kang Qingfeng was practicing in the back courtyard; stopping his movements, he asked, "What happened?"
"Thousand-Leaf Workshop was bought by him. Originally, I planned to acquire it and carve out twenty mu of land to build an independent courtyard for Lord Kang, making it convenient for you to temporarily reside here in Yanling, but that damned brat completely ruined it all." Fang Qiang said with a look of indignation.
"Isn't Qiao Xiao still in the big prison?" Kang Qingfeng asked indifferently.
"He is, but I'm afraid that brat will abandon Qiao Xiao, and by then, Qiao Xiao as a chess piece won't be of any use." Fang Qiang said.
"He won't." Kang Qingfeng shook his head slightly and smiled.
"How could he not? He's just a servant." Fang Qiang said.
"That servant is no simple person." Kang Qingfeng smiled.
"Not simple? What's so simple about him?" Fang Qiang was somewhat puzzled.
"That brat possesses seventh-rank realm strength. Once he steps into the sixth rank, he will be an expert.
You must understand that bodyguards of this caliber are too hard to find; even with money, you might not be able to hire one.
Yet Tang Wen is merely a scholar. Although he is a provincial graduate, he lacks the strength to truss a chicken.
Such people are terrified of death, and Su Mei Island is not very peaceful.
Pirates come ashore to raid from time to time, so I believe Tang Wen won't be able to bear parting with him." Kang Qingfeng said with a calm and steady smile.
"You mean as long as Qiao Xiao is in our hands, Tang Wen will have to obediently sell Thousand-Leaf Workshop to us at a dirt-cheap price?" Fang Qiang started in surprise and asked.
"Absolutely! By then, you'll be able to secure Thousand-Leaf Workshop for one hundred and eighty thousand taels." Kang Qingfeng smiled.
"If I really can secure it for one hundred and eighty thousand taels, I'll gift you thirty mu of land." Fang Qiang said.
"Well spoken, Fang Qiang. This is blatant bribery on your part; my Six Fan Gate has rules, and I dare not accept it." Kang Qingfeng said.
"Of course it's not bribery. I'll be selling it to you, Lord Kang." Fang Qiang said.
"That's more like it. However, isn't thirty mu a bit small? I usually need to practice my martial arts; if the property is too small, I won't be able to stretch out my fists and feet." Kang Qingfeng said.
"Forty mu." Fang Qiang said.
"Forty?" Kang Qingfeng frowned slightly.
"Sixty mu!" Fang Qiang gritted his teeth and said.
"Hahaha, Shopkeeper Fang is so sensible. I just love making friends with sensible people. It's settled then; by that time, ten thousand taels for this Thousand-Leaf Workshop will be enough." Kang Qingfeng laughed heartily.
"Ten thousand taels? I heard the brat surnamed Tang spent three hundred thousand taels to acquire it. A single Qiao Xiao isn't worth twenty thousand taels." Fang Qiang was completely dumbfounded, utterly unable to believe it.
"Whether he's worth it or not is up to this helm master to decide!" Kang Qingfeng said with an overbearing look.
"Helm master? Lord Kang has been promoted to helm master?" Fang Qiang started in surprise.
"Shopkeeper Fang, to tell you the truth, my coming down here this time is precisely to prepare for establishing the Yanling Sub-Helm under the Six Fan Hall of Linghai Province.
Otherwise, do you think I'm full and have nothing better to do than to stay in this Yanling City for several months?
Therefore, when this Thousand-Leaf Workshop was acquired earlier, I intended to set up the Six Fan Helm right here.
Just now you said thirty mu, but I felt it was too little. Sixty mu is about right." Kang Qingfeng said.
"Didn't places at the level of commandery prefectures and prefecture capitals not have Six Fan Helms set up in the past?" Fang Qiang said.
"The past is the past, things have changed now. To make it convenient for Six Fan Gate to handle affairs, Six Fan Sub-Helms will be established in some major commandery cities or prefecture capitals.
Of course, the personnel won't be very numerous-generally around a dozen people.
However, they can recruit some errand runners. Those people are not Six Fan Gate Official Disciples, but rather Outer Members of Six Fan Gate." Kang Qingfeng said.
"Hehe, by then, the constables of this Yanling Commandery Prefecture will all be Lord Kang's subordinates." Fang Qiang grew joyful.
"They are just a pile of trash, summoned at a nod and dismissed at a wave. Never mind them; when necessary for a case, I can even requisition the garrisoned military camp." Kang Qingfeng said with a look of utter disdain.
"Even the Commandery Governor lacks the authority to requisition the military camp. I never expected Lord Kang to possess such power. Wouldn't that make you even more majestic than the Commandery Governor?" Fang Qiang said.
"If Zhang Hongjiang dares to break the law, I will apprehend him all the same.
Of course, the military camp after all belongs to the military sector, so one must submit a request to requisition it.
However, the number of people temporarily requisitioned for a case must not exceed fifty." Kang Qingfeng said.
"That's still extraordinary." Fang Qiang said with an excited expression.
Past three o'clock, Yang Yun hurried to Thousand-Leaf Workshop.
"Brother Yang, please take a look." Tang Wen pointed at an exquisite wooden gift box resting on the table.
Yang Yun walked over with some doubt and opened the box. Immediately, his pupils contracted, and he froze in place.
Inside were two bottles of Grape Wine, the bottles adorned with exquisite illustrations and some unintelligible magical runes.
In addition, the box also came equipped with a set of goblets, a wine opener, and a gilded lighter.
"How is it?" Tang Wen looked at him with a smiling expression.
"Too... too expensive. This is probably worth more than two Superior Marrow-Washing Pills combined. I... unworthy as I am, Yang doesn't dare accept this." Yang Yun's speech was somewhat stumbling.
"This gift is absolutely one-of-a-kind; other people certainly couldn't produce it. Brother Yang, you and I are brothers, and I hope this can help you rise to prominence." As Tang Wen spoke, he picked up the lighter, clicked it to ignite a flame, and extended a piece of paper over, which immediately caught fire.
"This thing is too magical! What is it?" Yang Yun's gaze was instantly captivated by the lighter.
"A lighter, used to make fire." Tang Wen said, handing it to Yang Yun. "Give it a try."
Yang Yun tested it and praised it unceasingly, "It works wonderfully, much better than a fire striker."
"You can't blow this out with your mouth even after you ignite it." Tang Wen said.
"Magical, truly magical. It really won't blow out, it's too useful." Yang Yun tested it again, becoming even more delighted.
"Put it away safely, Brother Yang." Tang Wen gently placed the lighter back into the box and closed the lid.
Before you continue