99Chapter 99 Jealousy

"Brother Zhaoran, there is no need to be polite. Mu Hanzhang stepped forward to support Qin Zhaoran and asked him to sit where he pleased. "I didn't see you again after the Qionglin Banquet. I didn't expect that you would go to Luzhou to be the magistrate. "

Qin Zhaoran lowered his eyes: "The relationship between Beijing and China is complicated, and I don't want to wade into that muddy water."

"That's true," Mu Hanzhang smiled, "The prince also considered it in this way, so he didn't force it." At that time, Jing Shao heard that they were classmates, and he planned to invite the number one scholar to the mansion for a drink just for the sake of his princess's face. , Later, when Gu Qin Zhaoran didn't come, Jing Shao didn't care much. Such rhetoric is just Mu Hanzhang's habit of blaming all good things on Jing Shao.

Hearing this, Qin Zhaoran sighed: "It's clear that I have failed the prince's good intentions." His ability to come to a prosperous place like Luzhou was entirely the result of Jing Shao's special instructions to take care of him. It's very clear, so I don't have any position to say anything.

Mu Hanzhang smiled. The two studied together when they were young. Even though they hadn't seen each other for several years, they still felt close in their hearts, so he asked him about his situation after leaving the Mu Family School.

"We agreed to take the exam together after studying for another three years, but unexpectedly you are already married." Qin Zhaoran lowered his eyes, hiding the melancholy in his eyes.

Mu Hanzhang smiled and did not respond. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip. There was a live spring water in this new house, and the tea brewed was particularly fragrant: "How did you know that I arrived in Pingjiang?"

Speaking of this, Qin Zhaoran's face suddenly became serious and he looked around.

Seeing that he had something to say, Mu Hanzhang waved his servants to leave. One of the guards left behind by Jing Shao was unwilling to leave. After being glared at, Mu Hanzhang stood outside the door.

"Don't go to Luzhou for the next few days." Qin Zhaoran frowned, looking a little worried.

"Why is this?" Mu Hanzhang put down the tea cup and his expression became serious.

"Someone is threatening my career and asking me to arrest you." Qin Zhaoran said slowly.

Mu Hanzhang immediately tensed up his body and subconsciously pressed his right hand on the handle of Hanzhang's sword.

"Don't be afraid," Qin Zhaoran naturally saw Mu Hanzhang's defensive movements, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips, "I am just a scholar, not to mention that King Cheng is guarding this place with heavy troops. If I want to harm you, how can I come here in person... ..." After speaking, his voice couldn't help but lowered.

Mu Hanzhang came back to his senses and looked at Qin Zhaoran apologetically: "I have been on the battlefield with the prince for a long time, and some habits cannot be changed for a while. Brother Zhaoran, don't blame me."

When Jing Shao came back, he saw the guard standing pitifully outside the door.

"Hey, why are you standing here by yourself?" The right guard behind Jing Shao came over and asked the guard with a smile.

"The Marquis and the magistrate of Luzhou are having a secret conversation inside, and the subordinates are not allowed to stand in the room." The guard said aggrievedly.

"You bastard!" Jing Shao kicked the guard and told him to protect the princess. Now the princess is locked in a room with other men and he doesn't care. Thinking of this, the joy of fighting on the battlefield just now suddenly disappeared. Dissipated, but was replaced by anger. As soon as he pushed open the main hall door, he saw Mu Hanzhang sitting very close to a well-dressed young man, looking like they were having a great conversation!

Mu Hanzhang turned around and saw the angry Jing Shao, and couldn't help but be a little surprised. It was just noon, why did Jing Shao finish the fight?

This look seemed to Jing Shao to be obviously guilty, so he grabbed his wrist and asked, "Who is this person?"

"Your Majesty Qin Zhaoran, I have met His Highness King Cheng." Qin Zhaoran frowned when he saw that Mu Hanzhang's wrist was turning white due to Jing Shao's grip.

Jing Shao frowned and looked at it for a moment, and then he remembered this new champion.

"Why are you back now?" Mu Hanzhang was pinched so hard that he twisted his wrist and pulled it out of Jing Shao's hand.

"Come back for dinner." Jing Shao said matter-of-factly.

"Brother Zhaoran, let's stay and have lunch together." Mu Hanzhang stood up and asked his servants to add some dishes. He thought he would be the one to eat by himself, but now Jing Shao is back, and the two people outside are obviously here to eat. The guards on the left and right will definitely not have enough food.

Qin Zhaoran did not agree because he came here with someone on his back and had to go back quickly, and Mu Hanzhang did not force him to stay.

Jing Shao's expression was not good during the dinner. He knew that Qin Zhaoran and his princess were classmates when they were young. At that time, when he won the first prize and saw that his princess was not very interested, he felt that their relationship was only average, so he didn't care. But now what happened? See something is wrong.

The right guard poked the left guard's itchy flesh and whispered: "Is the prince jealous?"

The left guard glanced at him and stuffed the freshly picked up chicken legs into the right guard's mouth: "Eat."

"Well..." You Hujun was gagged and could only chew the chicken legs honestly.

Seeing that Jing Shao was unhappy, Mu Hanzhang thought that the battle today was not going well, so he brought him some of his favorite dishes and told him what Qin Zhaoran said.

Jing Shao's face softened after eating the food brought by his princess, and he couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat after listening to his words. Fortunately, Jun Qing didn't let him go by himself: "I will ask Lu Zhanpeng to investigate this matter. Don't go out recently. "

In the next few days, Jing Shao went out to fight with Gu Huaiqing every day, while Mu Hanzhang summoned several officials sent to Luzhou by Emperor Hongzheng to Pingjiang. The initial tasks are mainly to amend the charter according to local conditions and repair the pier. Jing Shao left the left and right guards at his disposal, so the construction of the dock was left to these two people.

"Prefect of Jiangzhou?" Mu Hanzhang frowned and looked at the pieces of paper handed over by Lu Zhanpeng. This was what Lu Zhanpeng found based on the clues Qin Zhaoran said.

Pingjiang and Luzhou both belong to Jiangzhou, so the prefect of Jiangzhou is Qin Zhaoran's immediate superior, and it is this person who wants to arrest Mu Hanzhang.

"Luzhou is originally a seaport, and there have always been foreign ships docked there. The foreigners sell goods in Jiangnan, and these officials will take a commission from it," Lu Zhanpeng sneered, "I guess this prefect of Jiangzhou has made a lot of money."

Mu Hanzhang frowned. He didn't expect that this matter would actually touch the interests of local officials. Now that he wants to set up a trading port in Luzhou, it is tantamount to taking away the food rations of these people. No wonder they are forced to come up with such a despicable means. However, that person knew his identity and dared to threaten Qin Zhaoran so blatantly to do things for them. There must be someone behind them to support them. Moreover, since Qin Zhaoran could be threatened by them, would he have been involved in the commission of the sea merchants?

The situation on the battlefield outside Jiangzhou City was still tense, but the people of Jiangnan had heard that King Cheng was coming, and they felt much more at ease these days, and the morale of the soldiers in Jiangnan was also greatly boosted.

Jing Shao told the soldiers to be patient, and rushed to the front with a long spear.

The Huainan Army slowly made way, and Gu Huaiqing drove his horse and walked out slowly: "Your Highness King Cheng personally went to the battlefield, and the little king was really flattered."

"I don't have the patience to waste time with you today," Jing Shao casually carried the spear on his shoulder, "Why don't we make a bet."

Gu Huaiqing curled his lips and turned the long sword in his hand: "How to bet?"

"Let's fight, and if I win, you will retreat ten miles and fight again tomorrow." Jing Shao took the long spear off his shoulder and slowly pointed the tip at Gu Huaiqing.

Gu Huaiqing raised his eyebrows: "If the prince is willing to give me a fight, I will naturally be more than happy." When he said the second half of the sentence, the long sword in his hand had already been used, slashing at Jing Shao at a tricky angle.

Jing Shao drew his gun sideways, deflected the blade that was approaching him, and used a clever move to deflect the long sword, aiming directly at Gu Huaiqing's eyes.

For a moment, the two commanders on the battlefield fought hard. Several generals looked at each other, wondering why there was such a way of fighting. It was clearly an attack and defense of the city, how did it become a duel between commanders?

"What are you in a hurry for today?" Gu Huaiqing held Jing Shao's silver gun and whispered.

"I'm anxious to go home for dinner." Jing Shao glanced at him and stabbed him with the gun handle.

"Well..." Gu Huaiqing was hit in the ribs by the silver gun, and he clamped it with his arm, "I'm going too."

"No share for you!" Jing Shao seemed to be in a bad mood, and his attack became more and more ruthless.

The new house in Pingjiang City was named Ruoshui Garden by Mu Hanzhang, which means "the best is like water, and the best is like water", but Jing Shao insisted that his princess was praising his deep affection of "taking only one scoop from three thousand weak waters".

Jing Shao would come back on time for dinner every day, but except for the first day, he never came back for lunch. He probably felt that it was a bit inappropriate to go home for every meal.

Today, Qin Zhaoran came to deliver the account books and case files of Luzhou. Mu Hanzhang wanted to ask about the commission of sea merchants, so he asked him to have lunch in Ruoshui Garden.

The two of them had similar interests, and they talked endlessly.

"The ink you gave me last time was very useful." Mu Hanzhang smiled and said to Qin Zhaoran.

"I always remember what I promised you in the early years." Qin Zhaoran heard him mention the inkstone, and thought of the situation when they studied together when they were young, and a smile appeared on his face.

Mu Hanzhang smiled without saying anything, and personally poured him a glass of wine. He remembered that Qin Zhaoran's alcohol tolerance was not good. According to Jing Shao, he was easy to talk when he was drunk.

"You... have you been well these years?" Qin Zhaoran looked at the jade-like hand on the wine pot, and finally couldn't help asking a question.

"Good or bad, didn't Brother Zhaoran see it?" Mu Hanzhang also poured himself a glass, shook it between his fingers but didn't drink it.

"I didn't expect that your stepmother would be so cruel," Qin Zhaoran raised his head and drank the wine, and then filled his own glass again. He drank several glasses before stopping. Looking at Mu Hanzhang's handsome face close at hand, he sighed heavily, "I have been waiting for the news that you won the top prize, but I didn't expect that what I waited for was the bad news that you got married..." As he said this, Qin Zhaoran leaned on the table and hummed a few times, crying and laughing.

Mu Hanzhang was stunned for a moment, and lowered his head to look at the cup in his hand: "I thought you would take the exam first."

"Hahaha," Qin Zhaoran seemed to be a little drunk, "I know your stepmother will not let you marry a woman, and I have been dreaming..."

Mu Hanzhang stood up suddenly: "Brother Qin, you are drunk."

"Hanzhang..." Qin Zhaoran murmured and fell asleep on the table.

Outside the window, Jing Shao, who had been standing for an unknown period of time, gradually clenched his fists.

No wonder Yi Muhanzhang passed the imperial examination at the age of 17, but did not participate in the spring examination at the age of 18. It turns out that they were waiting for each other to win the first place in the imperial examination so that they could marry each other? This is really a tragic story of a talented man studying hard for ten years, but the beauty married someone else! Then what is Jing Shao, a bully who forcibly separated the couple?