A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 38 "Why don't you sue me too?"

Upon hearing Li Weizhou's words, Li Chang'an asked in confusion, "Isn't going to the capital a good thing? Si Lang is doing very well there, and you can look after each other if you go."

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "As you said, the higher the prefecture, the more entrenched and complex the various forces are. Even a small firm like Xinyi dared to cut off Zuixianlou's mutton oil supply. If we hadn't made preparations in advance, Zuixianlou really wouldn't have been able to stay in business. If it's like this in Qingzhou Prefecture, what about the capital? There are royal relatives everywhere. If I went there, I'd probably find it difficult to move an inch."

Furthermore, Silang is still just a pawn. For him to lower himself and beg for help for my sake wouldn't be good for me, and even less so for him. Your concern has clouded your judgment, and you're being a bit delusional. Are you planning to go over there once Silang and I are on solid footing?"

After understanding, Li Chang'an pondered for a moment and then chuckled, "Indeed, we have that plan... Tsk, Sanlang, you're getting smarter and smarter these days. You're right, those who are not worthy of their position will surely suffer calamity. Father and I were also blinded by so much good news. So, according to you, you plan to establish yourself in Qingzhou and then expand outwards? But business is difficult, and in the end, we still have to rely on Silang's connections, right? Just the few of us men can't build up that many connections; those people are insatiable wolves!"

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "If it were done so easily, what would be the point? But Second Brother, you have a wide network of connections and know many guests from all over the country. You can help me gather some information. From Qingzhou Prefecture to Jingzhou Prefecture, and then to Shangzhou Jinzhou Prefecture, how many mountain gates, docks, and checkpoints are there along the way? We can visit them one by one."

Li Chang'an took it as a joke, but still agreed.

No matter what we do, we need manpower to do the work, and the three hundred private servants who were divided up this time are the foundation.

The Li family father and son had never even considered such a thing before; their social status was barely acceptable, but they didn't have enough money.

Although the Li family holds three lucrative positions and has no shortage of money, they don't have enough to support so many people.

Three hundred private servants, even though they are slaves, should still be paid a monthly wage, right?

The monthly salary is at least three hundred taels.

Add to that other expenses like food, clothing, and other necessities, as well as weddings and funerals, and a monthly expenditure of five or six hundred taels of silver would be tight enough, which most families simply couldn't afford.

Now that Li Jiasanlang has suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Zuixianlou is extremely popular. But Zuixianlou alone is secondary. The key is that Li Weizhou not only has such ability, but also has great ambition to continue to expand the business.

How could the Li family not give their full support?
Li Chang'an didn't want to be stuck in a lowly ninth-rank patrol inspector position at such a young age, relying on bribery and extortion to live out his entire life in this small county town...

After handing the key to the gate to Li Chang'an, Li Weizhou left first.

He's lucky; at least the Li clan is trustworthy for now.

In such a feudal era, it wasn't impossible to work alone, but it was far more difficult, and one had to do so many things personally.

Having a reliable clan to help makes things much easier.

Of course, this will result in a share of the profits, but it's wishful thinking to try and monopolize everything in business.

Moreover, Li Weizhou's original intention in doing business was not only to make money, but also to create momentum.

Only by creating a dense network of power, or rather, a network of interests, can he enjoy the world with ease and pleasure.

And if things are managed well here, the other side of the world will also benefit.

Why not kill two birds with one stone?

……

Zuixianglou.

This was the first time Li Weizhou had revisited the place since Qi Erniang left.

It wasn't that he came to him on his own initiative, but rather that Feng Biwu sent someone to tell him that people from Shangqing Palace had come to ask him some questions.

Tsk, if it weren't for the fourth brother, these bastards would probably have come to our door under the guise of the Forest Envoy to take people away and make those two chicken-feather brothers of the Ye family pay with their lives.

"So you're Li Weizhou? Qi Qingwan's lover? You were there when Wang Chen was killed? Tell me, how did that bitch kill Wang Chen and the other two? Who was her accomplice?"

An old woman who should have had a kind and gentle appearance now had a sinister look on her face, staring at Li Weizhou with undisguised murderous intent.

Feng Biwu seemed not to hear, still leaning back in the vermilion carved chair, lazily playing with a beaded flower in her hand.

Li Weizhou still looks rather thin, thanks to the stance training given to him by Qi Zhenkun. Although it is extremely painful to practice, and no one can persevere except for those with an extremely strong will, it is not without its benefits.

One of the advantages is that, compared to the stance training that others develop through hard work and honing their skills, Li Weizhou appears to be a weakling.

Especially after opening several acupoints related to the heart meridian, the heart meridian naturally opened, and the heartbeat was not as alarming as when the first acupoint was opened, thus making it even easier to conceal his true strength.

Therefore, at this moment, he looks no different from an ordinary person; in terms of demeanor alone, he resembles a frail scholar.

Furthermore, a simple inquiry within Qingzhou City would reveal that Li Weizhou's experiences over the years have made it clear that he has no opportunity to learn martial arts.

However, facing the fierce-looking old woman from Shangqing Palace, Li Weizhou remained calm and composed, showing no fear whatsoever. He took out a black iron plaque from his sleeve and showed it to the two women, saying, "Old woman, are you interrogating me? Most of the Mountain and Forest Envoys are young members of the Eight Clans. Someone like you probably doesn't even have the title of Mountain and Forest Envoy. Who gave you the audacity to interrogate a mere Director of the Imperial Punishment Department like this?"

Upon seeing the token, the woman's expression changed drastically. Feng Biwu, no longer acting so frivolous, sat up straight, her brows furrowed, and looked at the iron token in Li Weizhou's hand. Li Weizhou slowly put it away, his expression not without mockery as he swept his gaze over the two of them, saying, "I will report today's events to the department truthfully. As for the consequences, you two can leave it to fate."

After that, he turned to leave.

Although the women of Shangqing Palace were furious, they did not speak up to stop them.

Because Ye Yun, a disciple of the Shangqing Palace Master, has fallen into the demonic path, six people from the Imperial Punishment Department have already died. It is said that the Chief of the Imperial Guards is furious and will go up the mountain to demand justice.

If another person were injured at this time, even if it were just one of the outer Iron Guards, it would be a major unforeseen event.

She dared not do it.

But what she really wanted to know was, what gave this young man the right to hold this iron plaque?

She wasn't the only one who wanted to know; Feng Biwu also wanted to know: "Wait a minute."

Li Weizhou turned to look at her, his gaze clearly devoid of warmth, and asked in surprise, "Is something the matter?"

Feng Biwu laughed, looking at Li Weizhou with amusement, and said, "Qi Qingwan is a member of the Crown Prince's Palace, but you've become a member of the Imperial Punishment Department... Do you know the taboos involved?"

Li Weizhou chuckled and said, "Why don't you go and sue me too?"

After saying that, he ignored the increasingly tense atmosphere among the group of women and left nonchalantly.

The fourth brother, Li Changning, has a master who is in charge of silver administration, and his sister-in-law, Zhao Yuanzhi, is backed by the Prince of Qi. With such powerful connections, what is there for him to be afraid of?
If I were to go to the capital now, the waters there are too deep, and I would probably have to be timid and act like a coward for a while.

However, in Qingzhou Prefecture, neither a illegitimate old man nor a slut from the Eastern Palace Imperial Shop could make him bow his head and swallow his anger.

……

After leaving Zuixianglou, Li Weizhou was in an even better mood, and he put on an act again...

He was just an ordinary, utterly unremarkable member of society. In terms of mindset, vision, and learning ability, he couldn't even reach the level of an elite, let alone stand out.

But so what?
As long as my little brother is successful, that's all that matters.

When reading novels in the past, most readers in the comments section envied the protagonist's imposing presence, but Li Weizhou was different; he envied the protagonist's relatives.

The protagonist has to go through countless life-or-death situations to rise to prominence, while his relatives live carefree lives simply because they are lucky.

Who would have thought that this envy would actually come true!
Hahaha!
This is Li Weizhou's ambition: to make himself happy under all known conditions. If he can maximize the use of the resources he has and obtain the greatest happiness, then he will be fulfilled.

Just as his reluctance to become an official stemmed from his unwillingness to be responsible to others.

The reason for practicing martial arts so relentlessly, besides wanting to protect oneself in the worst-case scenario, is mainly to live longer, so that there will be more time to eat, drink, and have fun, and live a leisurely life...

I walked a few steps to Zuixianlou, and there were still so many people eating there at this hour.

The shopkeeper and his assistants recognized their master and hurried forward to greet him.

After finding out that they wanted to eat hot pot, I immediately invited them up to the third floor.

Li Weizhou went up to the third floor and found that there were guests there as well.

There were only four tables on the third floor, and the table fee alone was two taels of silver. Who would be willing to pay such an exorbitant amount?

Moreover, the staircases to the third floor are all separate from the side building, bypassing the lobby and the second floor.

The interior furnishings are also quite elegant, with screens separating the four sides.

But from the other side of the screen, a burst of laughter came from a woman's voice...

"Would the host like a hot pot with two broths, or a spicy broth?"

After Li Weizhou sat down, the waiter bowed and asked.

However, before Li Weizhou could speak, the sounds from next door abruptly stopped.

……

(End of this chapter)