Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 140 Breaking off friendship and righteousness
After half a month, the matter of the imperial merchant was finally settled.

The Tian family of Sizhou, hundreds of miles away, unexpectedly defeated a group of chieftains in the southwest and obtained the qualification of imperial merchants.

Although the Tian family was far away in Sizhou and their family strength was not great, from then on, no one dared to underestimate them anymore.

To oppose the Tian family is to oppose the imperial court.

Not long after the Jingbian Division posted the notice, the seals on all of the Yang family's shops were removed one by one by the guards of the Bozhou Thousand Household Office. At the same time, the Jingbian Division also began to contact the shopkeepers and employees of these shops.

If they wish, they can return to their previous shops and work there, with slightly higher pay than when they worked for the Yang family.

More than 80% of the original employees expressed their willingness.

The Yang family's shop had been sealed off for so long, and they had lost their livelihood. They were naturally overjoyed to be able to return to their shop.

For them, it made no difference whether they worked for the Yang family or the Tian family, all they wanted was to make a living.

Tianji Shop, Bozhou Main Store.

Tian Qingluan was busy in the room. The Yang family had many businesses, and the Tian family had just taken over. There were too many things to deal with, and she was so busy that she didn't even have time to eat.

Lin Xuan finished cooking and brought the food to her side, saying, "Eat first, then you can get back to work."

Tian Qingluan shook her head slightly and said, "Let's leave it there for now. I'll eat after I finish dealing with these accounts."

The Tian family's business in Bozhou is just starting out, and she needs to handle everything herself so that she can have a clear understanding of the situation later.

She didn't forget to give Lin Xuan a light kiss on the cheek and said apologetically, "I'll spend more time with you after I'm done with this busy period."

After saying that, she sat down again and focused all her attention on the accounts in front of her.

Lin Xuan could only remove the food and instruct the maid to reheat it before she ate.

He didn't urge Qingluan to eat first. He knew very well that she had a strong sense of career ambition and Lin Xuan wouldn't interfere with her.

However, we can't let her continue like this.

The Yang family is not the Tian family; their businesses are spread throughout the southwest. If she has to make decisions on every little thing, she will probably have very little free time in the future.

This was not Lin Xuan's original intention.

He returned to the Jingbian Commandery, summoned a guard, and said, "Go and investigate something for me..."

Banshu.

A slum in the west of the city.

The low, dilapidated courtyard wall could not keep out the biting spring chill.

The only main house had drafts coming from all sides of the walls, and the roof tiles were extremely broken. Rain dripped down along the gaps in the tiles, making the temperature inside the house drop even further.

On a makeshift bed made of a few planks of wood, a little girl of three or four years old, pale-faced, was curled up in a tattered quilt, shivering.

A thin, haggard woman stood by the bedside, tightly holding the little girl's hand. Turning to look at Yang Xiao, her eyes gleamed with a final glimmer of hope, she said, "I'll go and beg my father again. Yun'er is his granddaughter; he can't just stand by and watch her die..."

After the Yang family was destroyed, the members of the Yang family were first detained by the imperial court.

Although the couple was later acquitted, they lost everything.

She wanted to go back to her parents' home for help, but her father, worried about being implicated, kicked her family out of the house.

She never planned to go back in this lifetime, but she couldn't bear to watch her daughter die of illness.

Yang Xiao squatted down, gently patted her hand, and said, "I'll go out and try my luck again today, see if I can find a job, and ask them for an advance on my wages so I can take Yun'er to see a doctor..."

He paused, then spoke again, saying, "If it really doesn't work out, then agree to your father's request for a divorce. I don't care what happens to me, but I can't let you and your child be implicated..."

The woman's gaze was exceptionally firm as she shook her head and said, "From the day I married you, I belonged to you. Even if we die, our family will die together."

Yang Xiao didn't say anything more. He covered his daughter with the blanket, walked out of the house, and just took a step when he suddenly stopped.

Upon seeing the figure standing outside the door, his face instantly turned pale, and he clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This humble subject, Yang Xiao, pays his respects to Lord Chen!"

Lin Xuan looked at him and got straight to the point: "Are you interested in continuing to manage the Yang family's businesses?"

Yang Xiao stared at him blankly, then nodded sharply: "I'm willing!"

He's willing to do anything to get out of his current predicament.

Lin Xuan said decisively, "Pack your things and let's leave now."

A moment later, inside one of Tian's shops.

Lin Xuan withdrew his fingers from the girl's wrist and said, "It's nothing, just a slight cold. Miss Tian, ​​do you have any medicine to treat colds?"

Tian Qingluan nodded and said, "Yes."

The Tian family had close ties with the Xuanwu tribe, and the Jiuli tribe's elixirs were always readily available to them.

She turned and went into the inner room, quickly retrieved a pill, and fed it to the little girl.

In a short while, the little girl's face turned rosy, her forehead stopped burning, and she comfortably hugged the blanket, turned over, and continued to sleep.

Yang Xiao knelt on the ground and said gratefully, "Thank you, Lord Chen, thank you, Miss Tian!"

The woman beside him immediately knelt down as well.

Lin Xuan gestured for him to stand up, then said, "No need to thank me. To be honest, it was I who caused you to end up like this..."

Yang Xiao dared not rise, and respectfully said, "The Yang family's current predicament is their own fault. We were unaware of Lord Chen's identity before and have offended him greatly. We hope Lord Chen will forgive us..."

Even now, looking at that familiar face, he still feels somewhat dazed.

He never imagined that the guard who had shielded him from the arrow was actually a high-ranking official in the imperial court...

Lin Xuan personally helped Yang Xiao up. After the attack on Longya Fortress, the core members of the Yang family were taken to the capital for trial.

The imperial court did not completely exterminate the Yang family.

According to Lu Feng, most of them were sent to the southeastern and northern battlefields.

Given the harsh external environment of the Great Yong Dynasty, the imperial court was naturally unwilling to waste the strength of the Yang family.

If they die in the war against the nomadic people and the Japanese pirates, it will be a worthy death. If they can make great contributions, they may be able to atone for their sins and regain their freedom.

These ordinary clansmen in Bozhou, relying on the power of their families, had committed many illegal acts. A few days ago, a number of them were executed.

Those who, after investigation, had no criminal record were acquitted.

Yang Xiao was one of them.

Lin Xuan had spent some time by his side and had a fairly good understanding of his character.

Unlike the other members of the Yang family, he was bullied by his own clan since childhood and his situation in the Yang family was not very good.

He possesses considerable business acumen, is almost obsessed with commerce, and single-handedly built the Yang family's business empire. He is very knowledgeable about all of the Yang family's businesses.

With his help, the Tian family will be able to more easily control the Yang family's businesses, and Qingluan will also have a much lighter burden.

Moreover, he has no martial arts talent and is just an ordinary person. Even if he has ulterior motives, he can't cause any trouble.

Lin Xuan looked at Yang Xiao and said, "I hope you will take good care of the Tian family's business from now on."

Yang Xiao solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Lord Chen, rest assured, Yang Xiao will do his utmost and will never let Lord Chen and Miss Tian down."

His mother died when he was very young, and he had no feelings for the Yang family. He was eager to return to his previous position and do what he was good at.

He didn't want to go through what he had gone through a second time.

Lin Xuan asked Qingluan to find a place to stay nearby and settle the three of them in.

Back at the shop, Tian Qingluan looked at Lin Xuan with a hint of worry in her eyes and said, "This man is extremely capable in business. If he has any ulterior motives, he could cause us considerable losses..."

Lin Xuan wasn't worried. He smiled slightly and said, "What I value is his ability. This way, you won't have to work so hard. He's a smart man, and I believe he will make the right choice."

Tian Qingluan's eyes flickered slightly. So all he had done was for her. A warm feeling welled up in her heart. She took his arm affectionately, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed him on the cheek.

However, the kiss went unanswered for a long time.

Seeing Lin Xuan standing still, gazing in a certain direction, her gaze followed.

The next moment, her body trembled slightly, and she subconsciously let go of Lin Xuan's arm.

A familiar figure stood at the shop entrance.

Being stared at by A Luo with such a blank expression, Tian Qingluan felt a strange sense of guilt rising in her heart.

The two were once so close, and even knowing that she was actually a spy for the Nanzhao Kingdom, she still felt a sense of happiness to herself and a betrayal of her sister.

Upon seeing Aro, the sense of betrayal reached its peak.

She walked forward slowly, her expression somewhat embarrassed, and murmured, "A-Luo, you, why are you here..."

In A'Luo's eyes, her expression was a guilty look on her face after she had caught her in the act of falling for someone else.

A Luo glanced at Lin Xuan, and already understood.

It turned out to be him.

It can only be him.

Besides Lu Feng, he is the only one in the Southwest Jingye Division with this ability...

A Luo withdrew her gaze and looked coldly at Tian Qingluan, feeling extremely disappointed.

She had assumed her feelings for him were the same as her own, which was why she considered her her most important sister and protected her for so long. Little did she know, she had been deluding herself...

She grabbed Tian Qingluan's wrist, forcefully shoved a cracked jade pendant into her hand, and said coldly, "Here you go!"

Tian Qingluan looked at the jade pendant in her hand and murmured, "A'Luo, you..."

A'Luo said coldly, "Don't call me A'Luo, you don't deserve it!"

She looked at Tian Qingluan, took a deep breath, and said, word by word, "To become a royal merchant, you're even capable of doing something like this. From now on, I don't know you, and you don't know me. We are now completely estranged!"

After saying this, she didn't look at her again, turned around and left resolutely.

Tian Qingluan looked at the jade pendant in her hand, then looked back at Lin Xuan, and understood what was going on. A feeling of grievance welled up in her heart.

Who does she think she is?!
It was clearly a misunderstanding, but she couldn't explain it, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She looked up at Lin Xuan, incredulous, and said, "A'Luo, is she really a spy from Nanzhao? Could you be mistaken...?"

If A Luo didn't love him to the extreme, why would she be so angry to see him "falling in love with someone else"?

This was no longer just simple liking. As a woman herself, she could feel that A Luo's love for him was no less than her own.

Lin Xuan's gaze remained calm as he said, "I saw it with my own eyes; there's no mistake."

Tian Qingluan sighed softly, unsure of what to say.

Perhaps Mandala really was a spy for Nanzhao, but A'Luo's feelings for him were genuine.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be so angry.

She suddenly felt sorry for A Luo, and the grievances that had welled up in her heart gradually dissipated.

Compared to A Luo, the grievances she suffered were nothing at all.

At least I can stay with the one I love forever.

To this day, she still believes that her beloved died in the line of duty, and that she may never know the truth...

She looked up at Lin Xuan and asked softly, "Are you planning to never tell her the truth?"

Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He knew about Aro's feelings for him.

But he could not forgive Mandala for what she had done to him.

She is not only A'Luo, but also the Chief of the Nanzhao Secret Service. He risked his life to gain his freedom today, and he would never give it up for anyone or anything...

Tian Qingluan lowered her head and said nothing more.

If it were her, she would also find it hard to accept being deceived like this by the person closest to her.

Lin Xuan looked at Tian Qingluan and said, "Don't tell anyone about this. Just pretend you don't know her identity. Even if anyone asks about it later, you can't say anything..."

Tian Qingluan nodded gently: "I understand..."

Lin Xuan hadn't expected her to return to Bozhou, but fortunately, she didn't suspect his identity.

It's fine to let her misunderstand like this.

If she continues to appear beside Qingluan as A'luo, it will be inconvenient for him.

Not knowing how long she would stay in Bozhou, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Lin Xuan held Qingluan's hand and said, "I'll take you to the Xuanwu tribe to see Youmeng. Let them handle things here slowly..."

……

Anjia Mansion.

The An family members were discussing matters with the Nanzhao secret service.

A figure sat in the main seat, clearly distracted, his fist clenching and unclenching several times.

Based on her past behavior, she should have killed the couple.

But one of them was her benefactor, and the other was a sister she had once truly trusted. She couldn't bring herself to harm either of them.

Reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.

She has the right to pursue her happiness, and I have no right to, nor should I, interfere with, her.

A manager from the An family business said, "Now that the Tian family has become a royal merchant, the An family will inevitably have to deal with them if they want to develop in Bozhou in the future. We should contact the Tian family as soon as possible to avoid being beaten to it by the Song family..."

The other person scoffed and said, "What right does the insignificant Tian family have to stand on equal footing with us? Why not just use Gu magic to control the Tian family members? Then they'll have to do whatever we say..."

With the help of the Nanzhao secret service, using poisonous insects was a common tactic they employed.

An Yunru thought for a moment and added, "And there's Lord Chen from the Jingye Division. He wields immense power. If we could also get him to work for us, that would be ideal..."

His gaze fell upon the woman seated at the head of the table, and he said, "I've heard that Lady Mandala possesses a pair of Mother-Child Heart-Eating Gu. If she were to use these Gu to control Chen Yu, even the higher-ups of the Jingye Division wouldn't be able to detect it..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold.

The Heart-Eating Gu was a pain she didn't want to talk about. Mandala looked coldly at An Yunru and said, "Are you ordering me around?"

An Yunru immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "I wouldn't dare..."

Mandala withdrew her gaze and said coldly, "The Secret Service will not be involved in your affairs with the Tian family. They have just become imperial merchants. If the Tian family gets into trouble, it will be a slap in the face to the Yong Kingdom's court, giving them a convenient excuse. If they join forces with the Song family to deal with you, how much better will your fate be than that of the Yang family?"

She glanced around at everyone and spoke again: "This matter ends here. The imperial merchant position has not fallen into the hands of the Song family, and our goal has been achieved. Let's not do anything unnecessary. Pushing the Yong Kingdom court too far will not do us any good..."

An Yunru clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, saying, "Yes..."

Mandala leaned back in her chair and slowly closed her eyes.

Even though they had broken ties, she still didn't want to see her suffer any harm out of consideration for their past relationship...

Outside Bozhou City.

Above the vast and desolate mountains and forests, Tian Qingluan held Lin Xuan's hand tightly, watching the scenery below rush past. From the initial tension, she gradually became accustomed to it, and her heart was filled with anticipation.

Sister Youmeng will be so surprised and delighted to see her...

(End of this chapter)