Hearing this, Li Xuandu finally understood the meaning of Xiao Yan's words, she was alluding to Li Xuandu's identity through the matter of talented and beautiful women.

The stories of so many talented and beautiful women are all false, why are they false, Xiao Yan gave several reasons, one of which is that there is only one personal maid by Miss Qianjin's side, which is unreasonable. Pushed to Li Xuandu's body, the dignified envoy of the Central Plains came to the royal court alone, which was child's play, although Li Xuandu gave a seemingly reasonable reason, but this reason could not completely win the trust of Xiao Yan. As a woman who has been calling for wind and rain in the royal court for many years and has not fallen, how can she be so easy to trust others, if she is such a person, I am afraid that she has already become a pile of dry bones in the royal court.

Another point, there are many powerful maids under the Xiao Yan clan, and it is not difficult to find out the traces of Li Xuandu all the way to the royal court, and the Xiao Yan clan has already sent someone to investigate, and there are even results.

Comprehending the meaning of Xiao Yan's words, Li Xuandu had a certain number in his heart, and said: "As a child of the Qin family, I do have some cultivation, but it is more for self-preservation, otherwise I would not dare to come to the royal court alone, for the people of the Central Plains, this is no less than the Longtan Tiger's Den." As for why I have to be alone, I have to say one more word to the Yan family. We Central Plains people have a saying: 'If the king is not secret, he will lose his ministers, and if the ministers are not secret, he will **. 'The matter of forming an alliance is related to the reputation of the ministry, and the reputation of the ministry is related to the general trend of the people's hearts. ”

Xiao Yan nodded, seemed to agree with Li Xuandu's statement, and said with a smile: "Zhao Butang is still so cautious. ”

Li Xuandu pretended to hesitate for a moment, and said: "It's really not a secret, the original plan was for the eldest lord to come in person, but the eldest lord's promotion to the immortal realm is imminent, and the eldest lady and Mr. Li are going to get married. ”

Xiao Yan's brows furrowed slightly, but then he returned to his smiling face, "Sect Master Qin is here, this is very decent. ”

Li Xuandu said unintentionally: "By the way, the ministry also asked me to bring a gift for the Yan family. ”

Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows and said curiously: "What kind of gift? Is it an antique calligraphy and painting? Or is it something strange? Recently, a kind of glass mirror has been circulated from the Central Plains, which reflects the human figure and is clearly visible, far better than the bronze mirror, and even more than the surface of the water. ”

Li Xuandu shook his head: "I want to disappoint the Yan family, after all, I came alone, and I can't carry too many things, so I can only send some yellow and white vulgar things, and I hope that the Yan family will look at the face of the ministry and don't dislike it." ”

Xiao Yan smiled: "I heard that the envoy once came to visit Naishu Khan, and for this

Two thousand taels of gold were paid. ”

Li Xuandu was surprised in his heart by the omniscience of the Xiao Yan clan, which in a sense explained the pervasiveness of the royal court maids under the Xiao Yan clan, but he did not show it on his face, and said: "Although Nai Thorn Khan has a noble status, he is a son after all, and he cannot be compared with the mother of the Yan clan. The ministry prepared five thousand taels of gold for the Yan family, and the right to make it was a little rouge money, not a tribute, and I hope that rouge will accept it with a smile. ”

Xiao Yan smiled lightly: "The Golden Horde is bitter and cold, even if it is the most prosperous royal court in the Golden Horde, it is not comparable to the imperial capital. These five thousand taels of gold, placed in the royal court, are not a small amount. I heard that Governor Zhao is an honest official, all relying on the support of the Qin family, and it is not easy to come up with 5,000 taels of gold, so please thank Governor Zhao on my behalf after the envoy returns to Liaodong. ”

Li Xuandu naturally heard a little dissatisfaction in Xiao Yan's words, which was disgusted with the lack of gold. For ordinary officials, Na Yan and other powerful people, five thousand taels of gold is of course a lot of money, but what kind of person is Xiao Yan, even if he looks at the whole world, he is also one of the few powerful figures, where will he put a mere five thousand taels of gold in his eyes. Even if one tael of gold is exchanged for ten taels of silver, it is only fifty thousand taels of silver.

Ordinary little girl, two taels of silver. The top stunning beauty can be sold for 200,000 taels of silver, and then she was given to the master of ceremonies and the 200,000 taels of silver opera troupe given to the first assistant of the cabinet, which can be called a moment of brilliance.

Xiao Yan is not ignorant of the Central Plains Imperial Court, and has also heard of it. Fifty thousand taels of silver is too little compared to two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Xiao Yan is a woman, she doesn't care much about battlefield fighting, she cares more about things like money. She profoundly understood a truth: The war was actually fought with money, and why did the Golden Horde army go south every year? It was not a lack of money and food, so why were the governors of the Great Wei Dynasty able to establish themselves as kings? In the final analysis, it was because the imperial court of the Great Wei Dynasty had no money and wanted to quell the chaos, so they could only let the governors of various localities raise money and recruit troops on their own, and these recruited soldiers ate the governor's grain and received the governor's salary, so naturally they were the governor's soldiers and not the soldiers of the imperial court, and where did the governor's money come from? It was obtained from the hands of the local tyrants, so the governors had to be held hostage by the local tyrants.

Because of this, the Xiao Yan clan was extremely concerned about the prices of various prices in the Central Plains, such as the price of silver, gold, and the most important price of grain, as well as the prices of salt, iron, tea, horses, furs, cattle and sheep. In addition to this, she also pays attention to the price of people.

In the troubled world, people are cheap, and the prices of ordinary slaves and maids are not high, but there are people in the Jiangnan region who specialize in the business of "thin horses". The high-grade "thin horse" learns piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, and poetry and songs, and is more talented than ordinary ladies, and poetry and singing are not a problem; although the middle-grade "thin horse" is not talented, it can be proficient in accounting and can help the housekeeper. Inferior "Skinny Horse."

"Although I can't read, I specialize in female celebrity cooking, and I can also be gentle and petty.

No matter what the quality is, it must be raised from a young age, spend more than ten years, be trained by a special person, and then sell it at a high price. When he was old, he couldn't sell it, so he flowed into the high-class courtyard, which was on the bank of the Qinhuai River, and many girls on the painting boat were also born in this "thin horse" business.

Xiao Yan remembers clearly, the posture of heaven and man of 200,000 taels of silver is unattainable after all, a world's top opera troupe is unique, but a pair of twin sisters whose posture is not inferior to the parting of the moon is only 10,000 taels of silver.

Could it be that in Zhao Zheng's eyes, her dignified hostess of the royal court was only the price of ten ordinary prostitutes?

Li Xuandu heard Xiao Yan's dissatisfaction, so he had to make a temporary response, and said: "Of course not, these five thousand taels of gold are just fat powder money given to the Yan family by the ministry, after all, the ministry is an honest official, and he has no permanent property, so he can't take out much." In addition, the eldest lord also prepared a thin gift for the Yan family. ”

Xiao Yan's face softened slightly when he heard this, and said, "Mr. Qin's gift, I want to have a good life." ”

said that it was Qin Qing's gift, but it was actually Li Xuandu's private property, and he was forced to be helpless at this time, so he could only break his fortune. Li Xuandu first took out 5,000 taels of gold from the "eighteenth floor", and these gold were cast into gold nuggets, which were not much different from ordinary green bricks, so there were not many, only ten pieces.

Then Li Xuandu took out the brocade box that Xu Zaiyuan gave him.

Xiao Yan took the brocade box, opened it and saw a pair of finely carved purple mandarin ducks, about the size of an eyeball, lifelike.

Li Xuandu said: "This pair of mandarin ducks is made of jadeite. Dawei does not produce jadeite, and only overseas Bosa Prefecture produces it. Jadeite is divided into different grades according to different textures. The most high-grade jadeite, almost as transparent, very rare, according to the color of the different, is also called: 'imperial green', 'blood jade red', 'purple eyes' and so on, decades are rare, this pair of jade mandarin ducks is carved with 'purple eyes', it is not easy to obtain. ”

Although Xiao Yan's status is noble, after all, he is not the empress dowager Xie Pheasant of Great Wei, and when he suddenly saw such a heavy treasure, his eyelids jumped slightly, and he said: "Such a heavy treasure, I don't know how much it costs?"

Li Xuandu said: "There is a way that gold is priceless and jade is priceless, this pair of purple mandarin ducks, just raw materials, is worth six thousand Taiping dollars, after asking the top carver to carve this pair of mandarin ducks, it will be sold for ten thousand Taiping dollars, but there is a sign of the Qin family, and a lot of price is forced down, and it only costs eight thousand Taiping money." ”

Of course, Xiao Yan knew the value of Taiping money, and couldn't help but praise: "Ten thousand Taiping money, three hundred thousand taels of silver, good, good, good." The envoy came this time, and it was indeed full of sincerity, and I am very satisfied, and the old Khan will definitely be satisfied, and in the end, both of us will be satisfied. ”