Chapter 172 Coercion and inducement

"He An, you bastard!"

He Shan subconsciously thought that He An had betrayed him, so he was furious. He waved his hand and slapped He An hard, cursing: "I asked you to stay at home to look after the wife, and you dared to run out to drink and have fun without permission? And you also caused trouble outside and caused trouble for me."

"Brother, my sister-in-law has never left the house for many years. What is there to guard?" He An said aggrievedly. "Besides, I just... just sneaked out for a while. I wanted to go back quickly, but I didn't expect to be caught by them?"

After that, He An pointed at Liu Xunyi. Although he was angry, he still looked very fearful. He said, "I didn't provoke them. I don't even know these people..."

Hearing this, He Shan was stunned, then turned to look at Liu Xunyi, then looked around and asked suspiciously: "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Sir He, you are in the position you are today thanks to the protection of your father-in-law. If he knew that you secretly kept three concubines behind his precious daughter's back, I wonder what the result would be?" Liu Xunyi sat leisurely at the table, pouring tea for He Shan while saying calmly, "I have checked your background. Your father-in-law has two daughters, and he especially loves the younger daughter, who is born with a disability and has a miserable life. She is your original wife."

"What do you mean?" He Shan was horrified when he heard this. If his father-in-law really knew about this, He Shan's good days would be over.

However, He Shan had been an official for many years, so he would not be easily intimidated. Therefore, he pretended to be calm and sneered, "You dare to threaten me? I always respond to soft words, not hard ones. If you have the guts, just expose this matter and see who dies first, you or me? Humph!"

"Master He, please calm down!" Liu Xunyi pointed to the chair opposite and said with a smile, "Sit down and drink some tea to calm down. If I really wanted to ruin your future, I could just send your three concubines directly to the mansion and let your wife deal with them. Why would I invite you here? I have no grudges against you, so why would I cause trouble for you for no reason? Today, I just want to make friends with you."

Hearing this, He Shan's expression eased a little. He sat across from Liu Xunyi with a cautious look on his face. After he looked Liu Xunyi up and down carefully, he slowly asked, "Have I seen you somewhere before? You look quite familiar."

"Lord He really has good eyesight. I still remember that on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month last year, Mr. Pan celebrated his birthday." Liu Xunyi smiled faintly, "Lord He went to the Pan family to celebrate his birthday. Although he only stopped for a while and left in a flash, I did meet Lord He at that time."

"Pan family? Birthday celebration?" He Shan muttered to himself for a few seconds, and after thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and he exclaimed, "Could it be that you are from the Xianwang Mansion?"

"How did Lord He know that?" Liu Xunyi guessed the reason before he finished speaking, nodded and smiled, "Yes, it must be Li Lao Hu from the Donghu Gang who told you, Lord."

"I have no connection with the Xianwang Mansion. I wonder why you are..."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Lord He, but it must be good news." Liu Xunyi said with a smile.

"Good thing?"

"Yes!" After saying that, Liu Xunyi's eyes suddenly turned to Tang Cong. Tang Cong quickly stepped forward, slowly unfolded a scroll in his arms on the table, and asked, "Master He, do you recognize this painting?"

"What is this?" He Shan glanced at the scroll and saw that the painting on the scroll was a picture of mountains, rivers, forests and streams. The painting quality was quite simple and the style was very exquisite.

"Qingchuan Landscape Painting!"

"hiss!"

When Liu Xunyi said this, He Shan took a deep breath, and his look, which had been quite disdainful just now, suddenly became nervous and eager.

"I know that Mr. He's father-in-law has always been very interested in antiques, calligraphy and paintings from the Central Plains. His eldest son-in-law was promoted directly from the fourth-rank prefect to the second-rank co-magistrate because he presented a rare Tang Sancai." Liu Xunyi observed He Shan's expression and explained to him slowly, "However, after so many years, Mr. He is still only a fourth-rank official. With his full talent, it is really a waste of talent. Haha... Since then, whenever Mr. He's father-in-law's birthday comes, Mr. He will rack his brains and try every means to please him in order to be reused. It's a pity... The birthday gifts given by Mr. He are often vulgar things that are difficult to enter the eyes of his father-in-law. But today's Qingchuan landscape painting is a rare treasure that is rarely seen, and it is hundreds and thousands of times more precious than the Tang Sancai of that year. If Mr. He can present this painting to his father-in-law, let alone the second-rank co-magistrate, even if it is a first-rank official... it is not impossible?"

"Gulu!"

Hearing this, He Shan swallowed his saliva subconsciously. Although he had heard of this picture before, it was something that could only be encountered by chance.

"Su Wen... cough cough..." He Shan spoke slowly, his throat tightening uncontrollably, "Su Wen, this picture is a rare treasure, where did you get it from? Is this picture... real or fake?"

"Rare treasures are indeed hard to find, but it depends on who is looking for them. Your Excellency is busy with official duties and has a lot of things to do every day, so he naturally has no time to look for them. However, the Xianwang Mansion has students and friends all over the world. If they want to find a mere picture, wouldn't it be easy? Today, the master is also here. I heard that he is quite knowledgeable about antiques, calligraphy and paintings..." Liu Xunyi smiled, "Why don't you let the master take a look and verify the authenticity?"

Seeing this, He An, who had been unable to contain himself for a long time, quickly rushed forward, leaned over the table as if he had found a treasure, and carefully examined it. After a long time, He An looked at He Shan with horror, and exclaimed in disbelief: "Brother, this painting is... the original..."

"Hiss!" He An's words shocked He Shan again. "If you are willing to make me your friend, not only will your secret concubine not be exposed, but I will also give you this Qingchuan landscape painting." Liu Xunyi's expression became serious, and he pointed to the wooden box beside him and said seriously, "Also, here are 100,000 taels of silver, which I will also give to you as a filial gift."

Before he finished speaking, Xu Heng had already opened the box lid. In an instant, brilliant silver pieces emerged, shining brightly and attracting everyone's attention. He An and the three concubines stared at them with their eyes wide open. Only He Shan still looked hesitant and thoughtful.

Liu Xunyi first used intimidation and then bribed, controlling the timing to perfection.

"You..." He Shan glanced at the wooden box, then looked at the priceless Qingchuan landscape painting on the table, suppressed his inner emotions, and asked, "If you are too attentive to me for no reason, you are either a traitor or a thief. Just tell me! What exactly do you want me to do for you?"

"Smart!" Liu Xunyi praised, "Lord He is straightforward, so I will be frank. Since Lord He knows that I am from the Xianwang Mansion, he should also know that my master has a close relationship with Mr. Pan. Now that the Donghu Gang is aggressively pressuring the Pan family, my master will naturally punish them slightly and give them a severe warning to serve as a warning to others."

Liu Xunyi closely observed He Shan's reaction, and seeing that he was still calm and composed, he continued, "The reason why the East Lake Gang can bully and dominate the market in Yingchuan and do whatever they want is because they are protected by the government. Li Lao Hu even regards you as his reborn parent, and pays tribute to you every three days, and offers tribute every five days, and constantly flatters you. His purpose is nothing more than to make you his backer, so that he can be the king of Yingchuan without any worries. Therefore, in Yingchuan today, Li Lao Hu is arrogant and conceited, and looks down on everyone. In his eyes, everyone is like a pig or a dog, but he dare not neglect you, except for you, Lord He."

"So what?" He Shan asked suspiciously, "I know you want to deal with him. I can just turn a blind eye to this matter. It's considered giving face to the Xianwang Mansion. As for other matters... I don't want to interfere too much."

"Li Lao Hu is hiding in the East Lake Gang all day long. It's not easy to deal with him. So I want to lure him out, but I can't invite him to come. So I would like to ask Lord He to come forward and 'invite' Li Lao Hu out." Liu Xunyi said straight to the point, "As soon as Li Lao Hu arrives, Lord He's three concubines, 100,000 taels of silver, and this Qingchuan landscape painting, you can take them all away."

"What if I don't agree?" He Shan asked tentatively in a bad tone.

"Even if Lord He doesn't want to make friends with me, he still can't protect the East Lake Gang. When I lead my disciples to attack, I can still wipe out his entire family, but it will only take more effort. But at the same time, Lord He's three beauties will also appear in front of your father-in-law. When the backyard catches fire, Lord He should not regret it. On one side, there is fame and fortune, and on the other side, the family is destroyed. I think Lord He should know how to choose."

After saying that, Liu Xunyi waved his hand gently, and Tang Cong quickly took the Qingchuan landscape painting away from He Shan, who was reluctant to leave.

"Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?" He Shan changed the subject, murderous intent evident in his words.

"Afraid!" Liu Xunyi waved his hand and smiled, "But what can you do if you kill me? I am just a nobody in the Xianwang Mansion. Now the Lord has issued an order that Li Lao Hu must die. Why does Lord He have to take risks for a dying man? If I die here today, hundreds of disciples from the Xianwang Mansion will appear in Yingchuan City tomorrow. By then, Li Lao Hu may not be the only one who suffers. Haha... For the sake of Li Lao Hu, Lord He not only cannot please his father-in-law, but also has to give up a bright future, and even risk being exposed and dying without a burial place. Is it really worth it?"

Although Liu Xunyi's words were arrogant, they made sense. He Shan was not a fool, and he could see clearly what was important.

"How can I trust you? Li Lao Hu gives me countless money every year. If you deal with him, won't it cut off my source of income? Moreover, if you want to harm me, won't I lose both my money and my life?"

"If I wanted to harm you, you would have died long ago." Liu Xunyi shook his head and said, "Master He, you might as well think about it. You are a government official. What good can we get from provoking you? Moreover, after you present the Qingchuan landscape painting, I believe you will no longer be humiliated in a small place like Yingchuan. Master He will surely rise to a high position. By then, will you still care about the small amount of offerings from the East Lake Gang?"

The room fell silent after he finished speaking. He Shan's eyes flickered as he pondered the pros and cons of the matter, while Liu Xunyi drank his tea leisurely without urging him.

After a long time, He Shan's eyes suddenly turned fierce, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it! The East Lake Gang has been growing stronger in the past two years, and Li Lao Hu has been looking down on me more and more. It may not be a bad thing for me to use your hands to get rid of him. Even if I can't gain power from this, at worst I can choose someone else to replace Li Lao Hu in the future."

In fact, He Shan only said half of his heart. The other half was that if Liu Xunyi played a trick on him, he could bring an army to the Pan family to ask for punishment in the future. The Pan family had deep roots in Yingchuan and had built a foundation with decades of hard work. The monk could run away, but the temple could not.

"Your Excellency's words are very painful." Liu Xunyi responded.

"But Li Lao Hu already knows that you want to deal with him." He Shan changed the subject and said, "A few days ago, he sent someone to deliver a large amount of gold and silver to me, asking me to use the power of the government to temporarily take care of the Donghu Gang's business in the city, try to curb the Pan family and the Xianwang Mansion, and lend him a helping hand when necessary. In the past, he would come to me in person for such things, but now he asked his subordinates to pass the message. Obviously, he is now a frightened bird. It will definitely not be easy to lure him out again. Even if I come forward, I am afraid that Li Lao Hu will not be easily fooled. What's more, I have never taken the initiative to invite him over the years. If I invite him rashly at this time, it will arouse his suspicion..."

"In that case, let him come to you on his own initiative." Liu Xunyi pondered, "From now on, no matter what happens in the city, no matter who Li Lao Hu sends for help, you don't have to pay attention. I want to force Li Lao Hu to come to you on his own initiative. When the time comes, you can meet him here again. There is no need to bother you with anything else from now on."

"At this critical moment, let him come to me on his own initiative?" He Shan asked doubtfully, "Is it possible?"

"Don't worry, Lord He. I have my own countermeasures."

……

(End of this chapter)