Chapter 591: Visiting and Recruiting (I)

"Thank you, Master Xie, Liu Zhishan, let me introduce you." Shen Dongshan said enthusiastically, "This is Lord Zhao Yuanzhao, the 'Marquis of Tianji'. This is Lord Qiu Hanqiu, the 'Fifth Rank Junior Guardian'."

"At such a young age, you have already reached the fifth rank. Sir Qiu has a promising future." Luo Tianjin looked at Qiu Han with admiration, praising him, "Standing like a pine tree, sitting like a bell, and walking like the wind. With sword-like eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, you are intimidating without even getting angry. There is a heroic spirit in your eyes. I believe you must be a martial artist, and a top-notch master at that. I wonder if Luo's guess is correct?"

"Ha ha……"

Before Qiu Han could answer, Zhao Yuan smiled and said, "Lord Luo really has a keen eye for talent. To be honest, Qiu Han is the best among all the military officers in the East Palace. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call him a master. It's just that..."

Having said that, Zhao Yuan cast a meaningful look at the absent-minded Liu Xunyi and said modestly: "It depends on who you compare it with. If compared with Lord Luo's son-in-law, Qiu Han's ability is not worth mentioning at all. Haha..."

"Ahem!" Seeing that Liu Xunyi was distracted, Xie Xuan couldn't help but cough twice and reminded him softly, "Xunyi, Lord Zhao is so kind to you, why don't you thank him quickly? Don't be impolite!"

Xie Xuan's words awakened Liu Xunyi from his dream. Liu Xunyi hurriedly gathered his thoughts and bowed to Zhao Yuan in thanks: "Lord Zhao, your praise is too great. I am ashamed to accept it."

"Little brother, there is no need to be modest. Anyone who is chosen by Lord Luo must have outstanding qualities." Zhao Yuan's performance was much calmer and more natural than Liu Xunyi's. His words and actions were flawless, as if he and Liu Xunyi were complete strangers. No one could spot any flaws.

"Master Zhao..."

"Hey!" Zhao Yuan interrupted Luo Tianjin and waved his hand, "Luoyang City is now the territory of the Mongols. In order to avoid trouble, Zhao has to disguise himself as a businessman. Since I am not wearing official uniform, Lord Luo does not have to call me 'Sir' all the time. Just call me 'Zhao Yuan'."

"Although Lord Zhao is not wearing official uniform, the rules cannot be broken." Luo Tianjin insisted, "Lord Zhao, don't worry. In this humble mansion, even if your identity is revealed, the Mongols will not dare to cause trouble for you."

"Lord Luo is indeed worthy of being the leader of the martial arts world. He is indeed courageous and resolute." Zhao Yuan said with emotion, "I am lucky to have made friends with a hero like Lord Luo. This trip is worthwhile."

"Lord Zhao is a friend of Mr. Shen, and also a friend of me." Luo Tianjin said with a smile, "Thanks to Lord Zhao for not looking down on me as a nobody, I will dare to climb up to Lord Zhao's high branch. Haha..."

As soon as these words were spoken, a hearty laughter broke out in the hall, and they gradually became familiar with each other.

After the greetings, Shen Dongshan straightened his eyes, subconsciously looked around, and then bowed to Luo Tianjin and said, "Lord Luo, in fact, Lord Zhao came here this time to discuss important matters with you."

"Oh?" Luo Tianjin raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "I wonder if Lord Zhao has any advice for me?"

"I'm ashamed to say this." Zhao Yuan said self-deprecatingly, "I came here uninvited, but I actually have something to ask for."

"You are welcome, sir. If you have any instructions, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I will definitely do my best. Even if I can't do it, I will do my best."

Luo Tianjin's bold words made Zhao Yuan and Shen Dongshan look at each other subconsciously, both of them with a hint of uneasiness in their eyes.

Everyone present is not a fool, and no one is inferior to anyone else in terms of cunning. Today is the first time Luo Tianjin and Zhao Yuan meet, so even an idiot would know that what he said just now was just a polite remark and should not be taken seriously.

The more generous Luo Tianjin was, the more unsure Zhao Yuan felt.

"In fact, Zhao's trip was not a momentary impulse, but came with the emperor's will and the court's hope."

It is extremely foolish to pretend to be smart in front of a smart person. Zhao Yuan knew this very well, so when faced with Luo Tianjin's cunning, he simply spoke directly to the point.

Being so frank with each other could at least win some favor from Luo Tianjin.

At this time, Liu Xunyi became more and more nervous, and his palms were filled with cold sweat without him realizing it.

"This..." Luo Tianjin looked incredulous and said in astonishment, "How dare I, Luo, disturb His Majesty?"

"Lord Luo, there is no need to be modest." Zhao Yuan said solemnly, "In fact, I came here this time to make an unwelcome request to Lord Luo on behalf of the emperor, the court of the Great Song Dynasty, and the common people. I hope that you can generously help the country, the people of the world, and the destiny of the Great Song Dynasty and save the collapsing building..."

"Wait!" Seeing Zhao Yuanyi's righteous words, Luo Tianjin suddenly waved his hand and said, "Why do I feel more and more confused the more I listen? Lord Zhao, if you have something to say, please speak frankly. What do you want me to do?"

"Lord Luo should be aware of the current situation. The Mongolian army is on high alert and eyeing us covetously. The Song Dynasty is weak and may be in danger." Zhao Yuan explained, "Therefore, on behalf of the court, I ask Lord Luo for help. I hope you can..."

"I understand!" Luo Tianjin interrupted Zhao Yuan again, looking confident and confident, and said casually, "I already know the purpose of Lord Zhao's visit. Don't worry! As a Han Chinese, I will never sit idly by and allow the barbarians to stir up trouble in the Central Plains and harm the people."

"Lord Luo..."

"Your Excellency, there is no need to say more. I know what to do!" Luo Tianjin looked generous and did not give Zhao Yuan a chance to interrupt. He vowed, "I am willing to donate ten thousand taels of gold, a thousand stones of grain and grass, and a hundred war horses to the court to fight the invading enemy together."

Hearing this, Zhao Yuan, Shen Dongshan, and Qiu Han's eyes changed at the same time, and their faces instantly became extremely ugly.

Liu Xunyi's heart tightened even more, and an indescribable sense of conflict arose spontaneously.

"Xie Xuan!" Luo Tianjin didn't seem to notice the strangeness of Zhao Yuan and the others, and ordered directly, "This matter is handed over to you to supervise personally. Make sure to deliver the food and supplies to the front camp before the battle. If you delay, you will be beheaded!"

"Yes, sir!" Xie Xuan accepted the order happily, "I'll get ready right away..."

"Thank you, Master, for staying!" Before Xie Xuan left, Shen Dongshan suddenly said, "Lord Luo has misunderstood. Lord Zhao has come all the way here not to ask for military pay. Besides, although I am not talented, I have some surplus food at home. Therefore, I am willing to do my best to help you with food, pay, weapons and other things you need."

"That's true." Luo Tianjin said self-deprecatingly, "Compared with the wealth of the richest man in Song Dynasty, my wealth is just a drop in the ocean. It's hard to avoid being laughed at. But I also want to do my part, at least let me express my gratitude."

Luo Tianjin's words were reasonable, but in fact they were just jokes and flattery. This move inevitably made Zhao Yuan unhappy, so his face darkened and he cast a meaningful look at Qiu Han without leaving any trace.

Qiu Han understood, and immediately snorted, saying sarcastically: "To save the country and the people, we should donate money and effort. Mr. Shen is very wealthy, so even donating a mountain of gold is not a problem. But Lord Luo is not financially strong, so why bother pretending to be rich?"

"How dare you!" Xie Xuan was furious and threatened, "Your Excellency, be careful what you say!"

"What? Are you trying to scare me?" Qiu Han said with disdain, "You are just a bunch of gangsters. How dare you belittle yourself and call yourself the 'leader of the alliance'? You really don't know what you are talking about!"

Xie Xuan held a high position in the martial arts world, and only a handful of people dared to contradict him. At this moment, Qiu Han's rude words inevitably aroused Xie Xuan's murderous intent, and a strong internal force quietly gathered from his palm.

"you……"

"bass!"

Before Xie Xuan could lose his temper, Liu Xunyi suddenly drew his sword from its sheath, and the extremely sharp blade instantly pressed against Qiu Han's neck, catching him off guard and leaving him with no way to avoid it.

"If you dare to say one more word, I will chop off your head immediately." Liu Xunyi said expressionlessly, "This is the Xianwang Mansion, not Lin'an City, you can't be so presumptuous!"

Qiu Han glared at Liu Xunyi fiercely, with a hint of shame and anger in his eyes, and said through gnashing teeth: "You dare..."

"Snapped!"

Before he could finish his words, Zhao Yuan suddenly stood up, raised his hand mercilessly, and slapped Qiu Han in the face with a loud slap.

"You bastard, you have no respect for your parents!" Zhao Yuan scolded, "Apologize to Palace Master Luo now!"

"My Lord, I..."

"I'll make you apologize!"

Under Zhao Yuan's unquestionable tone, Qiu Han reluctantly bowed to Luo Tianjin and muttered, "I made a mistake, I hope Lord Luo will forgive my mistake..."

"Xun Yi, what are you doing?"

Luo Tianjin ignored Qiu Han's apology and reprimanded Liu Xunyi as if no one was around: "Master Qiu is new here, so it's inevitable that he doesn't know the rules. Don't you know the rules too? If this matter gets out, people will accuse me of being incompetent and failing to discipline my subordinates. Put away your sword quickly, and don't show off your skills in front of an expert. It's embarrassing."

"Yes."

Liu Xunyi looked deeply at the indignant Qiu Han, and then slowly moved the Wuji Sword away.

However, at the moment when Liu Xunyi put away his sword, Qiu Han suddenly attacked and punched Liu Xunyi hard in the chest, causing him to groan and take several steps back.

"Dare to threaten me? You're looking for death!" Qiu Han cursed a few times but did not pursue.

Liu Xunyi sheathed his sword, rubbed his numb and painful chest with his hands, looked at Qiu Han with a complicated look on his face, and also said nothing more.

"Qiu Han is reckless and doesn't know his place. I'm sorry to make Lord Luo laugh."

"Lord Zhao, you are too kind." Luo Tianjin smiled nonchalantly, "We are all young people, it is inevitable that we will act impulsively. I understand, I understand."

Seeing that the storm had subsided, Shen Dongshan took the opportunity to interrupt: "Lord Luo, in fact, Lord Qiu had no ill intentions. What he meant was that since everyone has the ambition to save the country, they should each play to their strengths instead of blindly following others."

"Each of us should take advantage of our strengths?" Luo Tianjin raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"

"Shen has some money, so I am good at paying." Shen Dongshan knew that Luo Tianjin was pretending to be confused, but he did not point it out. He patiently explained, "But Lord Luo is different. Compared with Shen, who has nothing and is full of money, Lord Luo is brave and resourceful, and has a high status in the martial arts world. Excuse me for being blunt, but in fact, the court asked Lord Luo for help, not for military pay, but... for troops."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Yuan and Qiu Han held their breath and looked at Luo Tianjin with complicated eyes.

At the same time, Liu Xunyi's heart instantly rose to his throat.

He looked at Luo Tianjin, who was lost in thought, with expectant eyes. He was so nervous that words could not express it. Even his hands, which were tucked into his sleeves, were shaking slightly.

……

(End of this chapter)