Chapter 163 An Zhirong's Price
Hearing Ye Mingsheng's reasoning, which was well-founded and did not seem false, An Zhirong nodded thoughtfully.

Ye Mingsheng quietly observed An Zhirong's expression and felt relieved when he saw that he was quite satisfied with his answer.

The last time Liu Chunfu came, although Ye Mingsheng did not ask, he was secretly on guard. He used some connections to investigate Dalongchang Trading Company and Mingyanlou in preparation for today's appointment.

Through investigation, he learned that Mingyanlou was a partnership between the An family and the Duke of Wei, Tang Di, while the background of the Dalongchang Company was somewhat complicated and the specific situation was unclear. He only knew that behind it were the An family and the Fan family, two rare aristocratic families that remained neutral in the court.

Although he discovered the shadow of the An family behind the Dalongchang Trading Company and Mingyan Building, Ye Mingsheng did not think too much about it and just thought it was just a coincidence.

The reason why Ye Mingsheng made the judgment that it was "An Jia" was because of the maid in green who had just said inadvertently, "My master!"

Even so, Ye Mingsheng chose to conceal the unintentional act of the maid in green. After all, the third master of the An family opposite him has always been known for his strictness in Luoan. If he knew that it was related to the maid in green, I'm afraid the beauty would die tonight...

Although he never considered himself a good person, Ye Mingsheng did not intend to do anything that would harm others and benefit himself. He did not want others to lose their lives because of his boasting.

After An Zhirong and Ye Mingsheng finished talking about this, they talked about some trivial matters. After Ye Mingsheng complimented him a few times, An Zhirong arranged for the banquet to begin.

Soon, eight steaming dishes and a ginseng soup were placed in front of Ye Mingsheng. These dishes were all vegetarian without exception. However, unlike the bland vegetarian dishes that Ye Mingsheng had imagined, these eight dishes and one soup were all delicious in color, aroma and taste. It was obvious that they were made by a master chef and were definitely not ordinary delicacies.

Because An Zhirong was always beating around the bush and talking about irrelevant things instead of talking about business, so even though these vegetarian dishes were delicious and appetizing, Ye Mingsheng felt they were tasteless and had no intention of tasting them. He was always on guard against An Zhirong's possible questions at any time...

Although there were eight dishes and one soup, An Zhirong's appetite did not seem to be big. He only ate half a bowl of rice, some shredded radish, and half a bowl of ginseng soup, and then put down his chopsticks.

Seeing him put down his chopsticks, Ye Mingsheng, a martial artist with a big appetite, had no choice but to put down his chopsticks even though he just filled his stomach a little.

"If Lord Ye is not satisfied, you can continue to enjoy it!" Seeing that Ye Mingsheng seemed to be unsatisfied, An Zhirong said with a smile:

Ye Mingsheng shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Third Master. I have already eaten!"

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng didn't want to eat anymore, An Zhirong nodded without further ado, and arranged for someone to take the delicacies on the table away and replace them with two cups of fragrant tea.

“This is the pre-rain Longjing tea sent from Jiangnan. Lord Ye can have a taste!” After picking up the teacup and taking a sip, An Zhirong said calmly: Ye Mingsheng did not refuse after hearing this. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Although he did not drink tea often when he was not at home, this time, as the clear tea soup entered his mouth, Ye Mingsheng only felt his mouth full of fragrance. His mouth was full of the unique taste of Longjing tea, which was fragrant and mellow, leaving people with endless aftertaste...
"What a great tea!" Picking up the teacup, Ye Ming couldn't help but exclaimed:
Ye Mingsheng's praise brought a little more smile to An Zhirong's face. He pretended to be unintentional and said:
"I heard that Lord Ye was born in Liaoyang. Does Lord Ye know how much tea costs in Liaoyang?"

Although An Zhirong's words were very plain, as if they were just friends chatting over tea, they had a different meaning to Ye Mingsheng. After thinking for a while, Ye Mingsheng said in a deep voice:
"In Liaoyang, tea leaves are divided into three grades: high, medium and low. Three catties of high-quality tea leaves can be exchanged for a sheep, twenty catties of medium-quality tea leaves can be exchanged for a sheep, and fifty catties of low-quality tea leaves can be exchanged for a sheep!"

Hearing Ye Mingsheng's answer, An Zhirong looked a little noncommittal, took another sip of the Longjing tea in the cup, and then said lightly:

"Brother Shen, have you said anything to Lord Ye?"

"Apart from the letter that Manager Liu gave me, the last time I talked with Master Shen was in Liujing, where Master Shen advised me to transfer to the Zhenwu Army. As for the rest, I know nothing at the moment..."

Seeing that An Zhirong was finally going to talk about business, Ye Mingsheng also became serious.

Before Ye Mingsheng finished speaking, An Zhirong's elegant face showed a half-smile, and he looked at Ye Mingsheng and said slowly:
"I believe that Brother Shen has not said anything to Lord Ye, but Lord Ye is so smart that even if Brother Shen doesn't say anything, he should be able to guess something. Lord Ye is probably exaggerating when he says he knows nothing!"

Ye Mingsheng was silent for a while after hearing this. After a moment, he nodded slightly and admitted: "I do have a guess!"

"I heard that Lord Chen has given Lord Ye the task of recruiting 10,000 soldiers?" Looking at Ye Mingsheng, An Zhirong changed the subject and said:
Seeing An Zhirong suddenly mention this, Ye Mingsheng's eyes flickered and he didn't say anything, quietly waiting for An Zhirong to name his price.

"I have investigated you, Lord Ye. Although your old lady is from the Cui family, she has not been in contact with the Cui family for decades. Lord Ye, you have to ask the Cui family for help to fulfill Lord Chen's mission. Given the Cui family's cautious and steady style, do you think they will help you?" An Zhirong continued to ask:
"Third Master, what do you mean..." Facing An Zhirong's gaze, Ye Mingsheng said in a deep voice:

"It doesn't matter. Lord Ye is Brother Shen's best disciple, so he is naturally one of us. One's own people should always take care of one's own people!"

"If Cui is not going to help Lord Ye, I will help Lord Ye. Anyway, Lord Ye will get the fifth-rank official position promised by Lord Chen, as well as the three battalions!" An Zhirong said with a smile:

Listening to An Zhirong explaining Chen Dechang's promise to him so clearly, Ye Mingsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, knowing that this Mr. An San was indeed as powerful as the legend said!
The first thing he asked was to help him recruit 10,000 soldiers. The price An Zhirong offered was very high, but Ye Mingsheng was not very happy.

He knew very well that in this world, there is no love or hate without reason. An Zhirong offered him such a high price, so what he wanted to do must not be a simple thing.
(End of this chapter)