The Legend of the Condor Heroes: I became one of the Five Great Masters by drawing cards

Chapter 30: Changes Arise
"How much more?!"

Mr. Xu's eyes widened when he heard this.

He considered himself not a good person, but after living a life of insignificance for most of his life and relying on the legacy left by his ancestors, he had only managed to save up a fortune of more than 100,000 taels of gold.

But how many merchants in the whole Juzhou, or even the whole Shandong Road, can have such wealth?

These damn peasants, damn it. Aren’t they afraid of eating too much and dying?

Gu Ping'an didn't know that he was cursing his mother in his heart, and repeated it softly.

"Twenty thousand taels of gold."

Xu Hong finally guessed the purpose of the two men's visit. He took a few deep breaths, calmed his anger, and put on a bitter face again.

"Sir Governor, Young Master Gu," he said with a mournful face, "I also know the principle of the lips and teeth being cold. I should sacrifice my entire fortune, but this amount is too great, it is simply not enough!"

Tears glistened in his eyes and his tone was extremely sincere. If Gu Ping'an had not already learned from Yang Miaozhen how wealthy his family was, he would have been fooled by his acting skills.

Pushan Anzhen started to play the good guy: "Mr. Xu, you have made a lot of money under my rule over the years. I have always been considerate of our relationship. Do you really think I am blind?"

Are you trying to be tough with this?
Xu Hong's heart skipped a beat and he felt something was wrong.

"This situation is urgent. Please don't get angry, Governor. I'm sure Mr. Xu is not short-sighted. He just spoke without thinking in a hurry."

Gu Ping'an knew that he couldn't push too hard, so he immediately spoke to mediate.

"Besides, this is a matter of life and death for the entire Juzhou City, so Mr. Xu shouldn't be the only one to bear the responsibility."

He only said this much and left the rest for Xu Hong to figure out on his own.

"What you two mean is..."

Xu Hong was able to take charge of such a large Xu family and become the richest man, so he was naturally a shrewd man.

If we refuse this matter today, no matter what the outcome of the imperial envoy is, the Xu family will probably not escape the disaster.

"Let me take the lead and set an example?"

"Exactly!"

Hearing a hint of compromise in his words, Pushan Anzhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Pingan added fuel to the fire: "If you can take the lead in resolving the urgent needs of the delegation, you will be the greatest hero. Once the news reaches Zhongdu, the future of the Xu family will be limitless!"

Xu Hong carefully weighed the pros and cons, his mind clacking with calculations.

Gu Ping'an and the other man knew that the matter was done, so they didn't rush it.

"You two are right. I should also share Juzhou's worries. So, I will give you one-fourth of it. How about that?"

He still felt sorry for the money, but he also left room for bargaining.

Pushan Anzhen sighed and shook his head, saying, "Since we are setting an example, ten thousand taels is better."

There are so many wealthy businessmen in Juzhou, and if he lets his family pay half of it, what's the difference between them and those bandits?
Xu Hong felt a breath of depression stuck in his chest, and he felt stuffy.

He was prepared to bargain, but he didn't expect that the governor would dare to ask for such a high price.

"Ten thousand taels of gold, I'm afraid this will cost me my life!"

He shed a few more tears and acted pitifully.

"How about you two each take a step back and give in? How about eight thousand taels?"

The hall fell silent for a moment. Xu Hong thought about it again, and finally gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.

"Eight thousand taels is not a small sum. Allow me to collect it and send it to the Governor's Mansion at noon tomorrow."

"Mr. San Anzhen will remember your noble character in my heart. From now on, the affairs of the Xu family will be my business!"

The ransom of 20,000 taels was collected in one go, and nearly half of it was settled.

With the credentials written by the richest man Xu, Gu Ping'an and Pu San Anzhen visited eleven wealthy businessmen in one night.

The most prosperous grain and cloth shops, restaurants, and pawnshops were not spared. The pros and cons of this matter were clear, and with Xu Hong paying the lion's share, the others quickly relented, and things went more smoothly from then on.

At cockcrow, Pushan Anzhen flipped through the stack of receipts in his hand, calculated the amount, and finally collected the ransom of 20,000 taels of gold.

Having not rested for the entire day and having to perform a duet with the Governor all night long, even a person with a strong body could not endure it.

After returning to the governor's residence and entering the temporarily arranged guest room, Gu Ping'an didn't even bother to take off his clothes and fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already past noon.

After he washed and changed his clothes, when he went to see Pushan Anzhen again, the other party had already arrived in the hall, staring at the treasures all over the hall in a daze.

Only half of the gifts sent by the wealthy merchants were gold, and the rest were made up by silver. There were more than fifty boxes piled up in the hall.

"That much?"

With so much real money in front of him, Gu Ping'an felt dizzy.

Pushan Anzhen was as shocked as he was before, and now he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"More than fifty boxes, it would take at least three carriages to pull them."

"According to what the bandits said, after we leave the city, someone will tell me where to send the money."

Gu Ping'an "recalled briefly".

"After arriving, the driver and I will retreat far away, and someone will come to pick them up."

Pushan Anzhen stroked his short beard and pondered, "If that's the case, they probably wouldn't choose a place so close to their hiding place."

"It is said that bandits are always secretive and take precautions, coming and going like the wind." Gu Ping'an nodded, "I have also tried to find their hiding place, but I didn't find any loopholes."

"If we capture the contact person directly..."

"No!" Gu Ping'an quickly objected, "That man has long claimed that his life is worthless and he's not afraid to use it to exchange for the young prince's life."

"That makes sense."

Pushan Anzhen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

"They said that if anything went wrong, the young prince would be beheaded immediately."

Gu Ping'an thought about it and added another sentence.

"As far as I know, the bandits are adept at using carrier pigeons and whistling arrows, and their message can be transmitted very quickly. If any of our links go wrong, the young prince will be put in danger."

"My Lord, this is a matter of great importance. You must not act rashly.

Pushan Anzhen was still unwilling to give in.

Misfortunes often bring good fortune. Although this trip is dangerous, he has the opportunity to earn some military merits. However, if he accidentally kills the imperial envoy, he will be doomed.

"How about..." He thought for a moment and then said, "How about I pretend to be a coachman and go with you?"

"This"

Gu Ping'an suddenly felt a headache. This servant Anzhen was really a troublemaker.

"This matter is of great importance. Shouldn't the Governor consult with the Prefect before making a decision?"

"The situation is urgent, don't worry about the details." Pushan Anzhen waved his hand.

The two had always been at odds. The prefect was a Han Chinese, and he had always coveted the military power in the other's hands. Now that he had the hope of making a contribution, he naturally did not want to reveal the news.

Gu Ping'an was worried that his intentions would be discovered, so he didn't dare to refuse too forcefully. He made a few excuses to persuade her but to no avail, so he had no choice but to agree.

Pushan Anzhen patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Young Master Gu. I know you're concerned about the safety of the Imperial Envoy. This time I'm only here to gather information, so I'll be sure to keep a low profile."

　Begging to read!
　　It's been a bit down these past two days.

　　It is really important to keep up with the reading of a new book. I would like to ask all readers to keep up with the latest chapter. Thank you!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)