radicalducati Page 114
Page 114
"Young Master Zhang, please have a seat!"
He showed no airs of a prince, because as a master, the Sixth Prince knew just how terrifying Zhang Xiaoshan was.
Such an existence is not to be opposed.
Driving the Zhang family to their doom is like releasing the chains of a serpent, allowing it to soar into the sky and transform into a dragon—a tremendous loss for the entire Song Dynasty.
As soon as Zhang Xiaoshan sat down, a beautiful woman stepped forward to pour him wine. She leaned against him with a seductive and alluring air, displaying extreme tenderness.
Clearly, this is a honey trap.
"Dry!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
They raised their glasses in a toast, and the Sixth Prince's gaze immediately fell upon Zhang Xiaoshan, as he said with great interest:
"I heard that the Zhang family brought a lot of things from Persia this time, especially a kind of dragon-elephant steed, which has the divine power of dragons and elephants?"
"Yes, it's a type of Western draft horse. Due to its massive size, it has a strength of at least tens of thousands of kilograms."
However, in terms of speed, they couldn't even match the speed of ordinary nags, so the scoundrel kept two nags for pulling the carriage.
In contrast, the Akhal-Teke horse would be more suitable for a prince.
"I will have my servants deliver two Akhal-Teke horses to the Prince's residence later, as a token of the Zhang family's appreciation."
"A draft horse?"
Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan's introduction, the Sixth Prince immediately showed a hint of disappointment.
The value plummeted from the sky simply because of the variety.
The most important quality of a horse is not its strength, but its speed.
In contrast, the Sixth Prince was extremely pleased to hear that Zhang Xiaoshan had given him two Akhal-Teke horses.
You should know that the Akhal-Teke horse, which is 1.9 kilometers long, is a legendary dragon steed!
"You're too kind. I'll accept your kind greeting, Young Master Zhang."
"This is what the Zhang family should do."
The Sixth Prince drank it all in one gulp, greatly admiring Zhang Xiaoshan's tact and understanding.
However, he was aware of the Zhang family's attitude and did not try to win them over directly, as doing so would have been too hasty and backfired.
We chatted from noon until evening, covering everything from astronomy to geography, but we didn't talk about anything during the May Day holiday.
However, the Zhang family has always been extremely respectful in their attitude. Whenever matters of the imperial court are involved, Zhang Xiaoshan either pretends to be ignorant or directly follows the emperor's wishes.
Maintain the principle of not taking sides.
This left the Sixth Prince feeling helpless; he could only try to befriend the Zhang family, not force them.
If anyone else had acted this way, it could have led to the extermination of their entire family.
Only after Zhang Xiaoshan learned the names of the two enchantresses—Yingxia and Yingxue—did he realize their identities.
The person next to her is Yingxue, and isn't Yingxia just a female version of the Fire Cloud Evil God?
Now I finally understand why three more experts suddenly appeared in the imperial court.
Chapter 157 The Struggle for Succession: Winning Over the Persian Chief Minister Once Again
"Young Master, when the Sixth Prince left, he ordered someone to leave behind a land deed!"
As Manager Feng meticulously tidied Zhang Xiaoshan's clothes, she pointed to a contract on the dressing table.
From the location on the land deed, Zhang Xiaoshan could vaguely see that it was a prime location on Central Avenue.
Shops along the central avenue are incredibly valuable, with each shop deed worth at least tens of thousands of dollars.
In order to win over the Zhang family, this Sixth Prince really went to great lengths!
Unfortunately, the Zhang family didn't even consider it a good match.
It's rather laughable to try and win over the Zhang family with money and such things.
Even this seemingly respectful and humble prince was beneath Zhang Xiaoshan's notice.
At this time, the emperor had more than a dozen sons. Although it was not the Nine Princes' Struggle for the Throne, the emperor was now over forty years old. Although he seemed to be in middle age, several princes had already begun to fight for the throne.
This sixth prince held a high position and was quite capable, but unfortunately he didn't use the right methods.
Not to mention that the chances of success are extremely low, even if one seizes the throne, it will inevitably be a case of "once the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked"!
"Just accept it, but don't get too close."
The Zhang family will not participate in the struggle for the throne, especially the Sixth Prince, who is not the best candidate.
"I understand!"
Zhang Xiaoshan's attitude is one of denial.
Manager Feng naturally agreed with Zhang Xiaoshan's stance, but as for his disapproval...
Since we're not involved, there's no point in denying it.
As for the land deed? He gave away two Akhal-Teke horses as a gift, as a token of his goodwill.
After leaving the Hong Mansion, Zhang Xiaoshan had his steward, Uncle Yang, prepare a generous gift and send it, along with two Akhal-Teke horses, to the Sixth Prince's residence.
This move also made many princely residences wary.
However, the Zhang family did not try to hide anything. Moreover, the Zhang family often gave gifts, so it was easy to find out what was going on after a little inquiry.
To win over a merchant? Many princes would naturally scoff at that.
Those who understood the situation knew the Zhang family's attitude and therefore didn't bother to put in the effort.
If the Zhang family were to pursue the path of hoarding rare goods, they would naturally attract a great many people. However, the Zhang family does not get involved at all, and they have no need to win over a merchant and lower their status.
However, they were also keeping a close eye on the Zhang family. If the Zhang family really got involved, it would be no joke.
"Young master, the Persian merchant from before is waiting for you in the study with two Persians who look like King Baoshu!"
Upon returning to the villa at noon, I learned of Arans's return.
As a guest, Arans kept staring at the Longquan sword in Zhang Xiaoshan's study after he arrived.
This is an unparalleled divine weapon!
As for the two Baoshu Kings, they asked for coffee four or five times, and they were extremely envious of Zhang Xiaoshan's enjoyment.
"Lord Arans, Your Excellencies the Two Tree Kings!"
After Zhang Xiaoshan entered, the three of them stood up at the same time.
They no longer intended to test Zhang Xiaoshan.
Especially regarding the Sacred Flame Token mentioned by Arans, others might not know, but how could the King of the Twelve Treasure Trees not know?
Many highly talented masters within the main sect encountered problems after reaching advanced levels of cultivation.
At first, they thought it was because they didn't have the mental technique of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth to work with them, but after Arans said that, they immediately realized that the problem already existed.
As for the story Zhang Xiaoshan fabricated, they believed most of it.
Otherwise, how could the Zoroastrian Church have so easily lost such a sacred token as the Sacred Flame Token?
Whether it's true or false, they'll have to verify it themselves before making a decision.
One of the Treasure Tree Kings who came this time was a top expert, and he had also cultivated the Sacred Flame Token martial arts to the great perfection.
"Young Master Zhang!"
Upon seeing Zhang Xiaoshan return, the Twelve Treasure Tree King showed no airs whatsoever.
They weren't without information channels in the Central Plains, so they naturally knew about the recent events. This young man from the Zhang family was incredibly popular, and his strength was unfathomable.
Not to mention that he single-handedly suppressed the Black Mountain Envoy, he had three bronze-armored warriors under his command who were no less capable than the Black Mountain Envoy.
In addition, the Zhang family has many experts, including a team of extremely ruthless Blood Droplets, so they don't want to provoke such powerful and terrifying forces.
After all, they were outsiders in the Central Plains, and Shilin was no match for the Zhang family.
"Three of you, please!"
As if they had forgotten about the Black Mountain Envoy, the Twelve Treasure Tree Kings also completely abandoned him at this moment.
The Zhang family's decision to end things this way is already a huge step backward.
They were in the wrong in this matter; they tried to scheme against others but were exposed. If they pursue the matter further, it might lead to a complete breakdown in relations.
The Zhang family is not one of those Central Plains merchants they can easily manipulate.
Moreover, with the enormous benefit of the Sacred Flame Token, the Black Mountain Envoy is nothing.
As for the top expert of the Persian sect, his status as a black slave alone meant he didn't hold much importance and could be discarded at any time.
"Young Master Zhang, our purpose in coming here is to obtain the Sacred Flame Token. Would you mind taking a look?"
"nature!"
Zhang Xiaoshan nodded, and then two Hu women walked in.
Shana and her companion took out their Sacred Flame Tokens and the Twelve Treasure Tree Kings they had just acquired, but their hearts sank.
If it weren't for the obvious flaws, they would have thought it was a genuine Sacred Flame Token, especially since the martial arts techniques depicted on it were incredibly detailed and flawless.
This was clearly a meticulously crafted replica, not something Zhang Xiaoshan used to scam them.
Moreover, the Zhang family had no chance to access the Sacred Flame Token; the only possibility was that Zhang Xiaoshan's story was true.
In addition, as the most powerful among the twelve treasure trees, holding it in one's hand gives one a sense of calm and tranquility.
Immediately he said:
"Young Master Zhang, I wonder if I may go outside and practice the Sacred Flame Token martial arts?"
"Of course!"
The group arrived at the outer courtyard. King Baoshu took out the Sacred Flame Token, calmed himself for a moment, and then began to practice the martial arts techniques written on the token.
With an odd posture, Zhang Xiaoshan thought she was performing a shamanistic ritual, completely lacking the beauty of the two great Hu women.
Furthermore, during the dance of the Sacred Flame Token, the moves are sometimes fast and sometimes slow, the body movements are sometimes rolling and sometimes flipping, and the advances and retreats are completely unpredictable, making them unpredictable.
"Crooked ways!"
Suddenly, a disdainful voice rang out, and everyone immediately turned to look at the person who had made the sarcastic remark. Before they knew it, a group of women had gathered on the second-floor platform to watch the monkey show.
Everyone had no doubt about the martial arts skills that King Baoshu had demonstrated.
The initial surprise of the two Hu women during their demonstration was followed by the realization that these were completely unorthodox techniques, far inferior to the profound and subtle essence of the Nine Yin Manual.
However, this was extremely suitable for the two great Hu women's unique skills, and they didn't say anything.
Both of the Hu women were Westerners, so it was perfectly normal for them to practice the martial arts of the Hu people.
At this moment, when the Treasure Tree King began to perform, it was even more bizarre, lacking even the slightest sense of beauty.
"Excuse me! Please forgive me, everyone. Most of these maids are of my stature and only admire flashy martial arts; they are unaware of its profound mysteries!"
"Impressive martial arts skills?"
What constitutes beautiful martial arts? It refers to moves with elegant postures.
Is that martial arts? It's clearly dance!
Moreover, these women were all stunningly beautiful, and the crowd was immediately drawn to them. After all, these were all beauties, and naturally they were drawn to those graceful and exquisite martial arts techniques.
"Young man, what are you saying? This is just some evil martial art from the Western Regions. It's not like I haven't seen it before."
With a single sentence, the Heavenly Child Granny completely broke down the defenses of the Twelve Treasure Tree Kings.
A seemingly mature young girl dared to show such contempt for the secret teachings of their Persian religion.
"This is not my family's 853. She is the Tonglao senior from the Lingjiu Palace of Tianshan in the Western Regions. She has come to the Zhang family to seek medical treatment."
Arans, a merchant who has traveled to various places, should have heard of the name "Heavenly Child Granny" in the Western Regions!
The second time, Zhang Xiaoshan directly distanced himself from the matter.
The first time was an accident, the second time was a direct provocation. Although Zhang Xiaoshan didn't take Baoshu Wang seriously, he wasn't the type to cause trouble.