Chapter 13 Aftermath

"This is just the old slave's guess."

Qian Dafu was hesitant, but he had far more information about Chang'an than Xiao Ming.

Lu Fei's expression was stern, "Your Highness, these three princes may be targeting you, but this time, it's not just a matter of inside and outside."

"What's wrong with this?" Xiao Ming was puzzled.

"His Royal Highness, the last general has always been extremely strict in governing the army. It is impossible for the people entering and leaving the city gate to carry bows, arrows and swords into the city, unless they are hidden in the goods."

Xiao Ming frowned deeply, and glanced at the direction of the Wang Family Courtyard, where the Qingzhou nobles were drinking and having fun, and the large goods came from them. Who among them should cooperate with the Third Prince?

After pondering for a while, Xiao Ming said: "The assassin is dead, and there is no evidence of his death. These are all our guesses, but it is true that someone wants to murder this king."

"Your Highness, there has never been such a heinous crime in Qingzhou. If your Highness goes out in the future, you must bring a bodyguard to protect him." Qian Dafu always cared about Xiao Ming's safety.

Xiao Ming nodded, and this incident woke him up—the world is still very dangerous.

The result could not be discussed for a while, Xiao Ming asked Lu Fei to keep an eye on the movements of several noble families in the city, and at the same time strengthened the guard of the palace.

The news of King Qi's assassination spread in Qingzhou that night.

This is the news that Xiao Ming deliberately let Lu Fei release, the purpose is to scare the snakes and see if there is any abnormality in the city.

"Father, King Qi was assassinated, who do you think did it?"

The dim candlelight flickered. In the garden pavilion of the Wang family mansion, Wang Shijie and his father sat opposite each other. The family banquet was over. There was still a faint smell of alcohol in the courtyard, and he was a little drunk.

Wang Chengchou stroked his long beard and closed his eyes as if thinking about something. He said, "I watched Colonel Lu's actions and seemed to suspect that the nobles in the city colluded with outsiders to murder King Qi."

"How do you see this?" Wang Shijie asked in confusion.

Wang Chengchou snorted coldly, "I usually ask you to read more poetry and books. You never listen to it. Now you are ignorant. The assassination of King Qi is so obscure, but Lu Fei is publicizing it with great fanfare. What is this?"

Wang Shijie shrank his head in fright, "No wonder, but who is it? If King Qi dies, it will not be good for us."

"King Qi is faint and doesn't know how to manage fiefs. This is a good thing for us. I believe that the other three just want to use King Qi just like us, not to murder King Qi." Wang Chengchou pondered.

The assassination of King Qi also puzzled him. When the news came, he immediately withdrew the family banquet and sent someone out to inquire about the news.

After a while, Wang Chengchou said, "Early tomorrow morning, bring a gift to visit King Qi, and show the closeness of our Wang family and King Qi."

Wang Shijie nodded, remembering something and he said: "By the way, Dad, you asked me to go to the equipment department, and I went too. At that time, King Qi seemed to be teaching the craftsmen what to make. This briquettes and iron are used for this."

"Well, you and I both know about King Qi's ability. I can't make any waves. I just sent you to worry about whether the barbarians are going to invade, so the equipment department wants to build weapons. If not, don't stare at it any more. It's enough to win over him." Wang Chengchou looked like he was scheming.

At the same time, the Wei family, the Qin family, and the Sun family in Qingzhou also talked about it.

The next day, all four families sent their children to visit Prince Qi's mansion.

"Brother Wang, Brother Wei, Brother Sun, Brother Qin, why are you so polite?" Early in the morning, Xiao Ming was awakened by Qian Dafu.

When he woke up, he realized that it was the local nobles who came to visit him.

Needless to say, this large and small gift, Wang Shijie, Wei Qing, Sun Dong, Qin Mu, who are known as the four evils in Qingzhou, are all in place.

All four of them were dressed as scholars, wearing blue, red, black, and green long gowns respectively.

Wang Shijie was pale and ill, Wei Qing was strong and dark, Sun Dongbai was plump and plump, and Qin Mu was tall and thin.

The four of them standing together really look like a ridge and a peak, with different heights and distances.

"His Royal Highness!" In the same way, when they saw Xiao Ming, the four of them all showed mean smiles.

In the Great Yu Kingdom, ordinary people could not afford to read books, but the children of the aristocratic family must be famous. All four of them have read books, so it can be said that they are all scholars.

Because there are not many scholars in Qingzhou, the four call themselves the four talents of Qingzhou, but in the eyes of the common people, they are nothing more than four evils.

"Da Fu, give me a seat."

Xizizi was busy receiving gifts, and when Dafu Qian heard the news, he remembered that the four young masters were still standing, and immediately asked someone to bring chairs.

"His Royal Highness, my little brother heard that His Highness was assassinated yesterday, and I was worried. I didn't sleep all night, so I came to visit His Highness this morning." Wang Shijie looked worried, as if his own father was seriously ill.

"Brother Wang, it's too fake. What worries me the most is me. Not only did the younger brother not sleep all night, but he also asked the servants to prepare a wooden stake and hacked it a thousand times as an assassin to relieve the hatred in the younger brother's heart."

Wei Qing has always claimed to be both civil and military, and has developed a lot of muscles.

"Brother Wei is too superficial. Your Highness, this time my father asked my younger brother to specially send a 100-year-old ginseng to come over, and he turned it over to His Highness to make up for his body." Sun Dong's face shook with fat, very sincere.

At this time, Qin Mu showed a look of disdain. He shook the paper fan lightly and said, "Your Highness, they are all too vulgar. I thought about it for a night last night. In order to relieve Your Highness's worries, I thought of an excellent place."

"Isn't it Youmihe?" The three of them despised at the same time.

I have to say that the former Xiao Ming had a good relationship with the four scumbags, so the four of them laughed and cursed in front of him without any scruples.

Although Xiao Ming now puts the eradication of the evil of the wealthy in the first place, but now he has to pretend to be the same as before.

Whether it is modern or ancient, the exchange of interests is actually very simple. Basically, there are brothers on the wine table, and knives are used under the wine table.

On the surface, everyone still wants to be peaceful.

However, what Qin Mu said about Mi He moved Xiao Ming's heart.

The Qingzhou where he is now is the later Qingzhou city, and the location is not much different.

Qingzhou belongs to half-mountain and half-plain terrain. It is located at the northern foot of Yimeng Mountain and Yishan Mountain. The reserves of limestone and iron ore are the largest.

In the south of Qingzhou City, a river flows around the city, which is the Mi River in Qin Mu's mouth.

Before the advent of the steam engine, water power could be said to be the most important natural force among the people. Besides the Mi River in Qingzhou, there are also the Yang River and Xiaoqing River in the north. These three rivers eventually flow into the Bohai Bay.

Now he teaches craftsmen how to make lathes, but it doesn't mean that steam engines can be built right away.

These lathes are just to facilitate the manufacture of various accessories, and the craftsmen will need a period of grinding before they can make steam engines.

After all, the steam engine was developed on the basis of mature craftsmen.

But before that, he can give these craftsmen some opportunities to practice, that is, to make some traditional tools, at this level of technology in the late Tang and early Song Dynasty, it is equivalent to the practical equipment of the Ming Dynasty.

And many of these devices are related to water.

Xiao Ming has always wanted to go to these three rivers to have a look. At this time, he said, "Brother Qin's proposal is good, let's go to the Mi River."