dtnovels Chapter 371 Fate is wonderful
Chapter 371 Fate is wonderful
Fate, amazing.
Sometimes, we have to say that fate is very wonderful. When Murong Fu came down from the ring at sunset, he saw Qiao Feng leading Duan Yu to visit him, and heard the news that they had become sworn brothers. The expression on his face was slightly complicated.
Murong Fu said in a gloomy voice, "Brother Qiao is forcing a marriage relationship on me. But let me be clear, even with this added layer of relationship, as the head of the Murong family, I will not compromise on the interests that I should strive for in the cooperation between the Murong family and the Beggars' Sect."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng laughed heartily and said, "Brother Murong, you know I don't care about these trivial matters. If you have any ideas, you can go and talk to Brother Ma. I won't use my status to embarrass you. As for whether Brother Ma would do the same, I don't know."
A surprised voice was heard from a distance. "Brilliant! This move by the Gang Leader is truly ingenious. Young Master Murong, since our families are now related by marriage, could the number of places at Gusu College be doubled? Cooperation within Gusu City can remain unchanged, but the percentage allocated to the Beggars' Gang outside of Gusu City can be increased by 30%. Isn't that too much?"
Murong Fu couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. "Black! It's a shame that Deputy Gang Leader Ma doesn't do business without capital. He just asked for three or five hundred thousand taels of silver from me every year. Is there any partner in the world more black-hearted than you?"
Ma Dayuan strolled over, accompanied by the curious Shan Zheng and his son, the calm Ba Tianshi, and the preoccupied Master Xuan Bei. As for Xue Muhua, he had already said goodbye and returned to Gusu College. Although he was the landlord here, he didn't have much intention of making friends with these people.
Xue Muhua's martial arts skills had reached a new level, and with Murong Fu's support, he no longer feared Ding Chunqiu. However, facing Ding Chunqiu head-on was impossible. He knew Murong Fu would protect the eight of his fellow apprentices, but he wasn't sure if he would be willing to provoke Ding Chunqiu for them. Perhaps because he was frightened by Ding Chunqiu, he still had a certain fear in his heart.
This insecure situation made him quite obsessed with martial arts. Although he was promoted to the first-class level with the help of the Murong family, his limited qualifications made it impossible for him to be compared with the best among the first-class masters, and his uncle Ding Chunqiu was one of them.
The Xiaoyao Sect's selection process is quite rigorous. Wuyazi's two disciples possess exceptional talent: the deaf-mute Su Xinghe and the old freak Ding Chunqiu. Their abilities are comparable, but Ding Chunqiu's single-minded focus on martial arts and Su Xinghe's wide-ranging and multifaceted nature make him somewhat inferior in terms of martial arts prowess. Even so, Su Xinghe's martial arts skills are quite impressive, making him a leader among the top masters, on par with the numerous Shaolin masters of the Xuan generation.
Ma Dayuan, using the sworn brotherhood between Qiao Feng and Duan Yu as an excuse, tried to gain some benefits from Murong Fu, but Murong Fu flatly refused. He continued, "Is Miss Wang less important to you than these filthy things?"
Murong Fu glanced at him and said, "Isn't it better for me to give my cousin an extra three or five hundred thousand silver coins every year for pocket money than to give it away for nothing to a black-hearted beggar like you?"
At this moment, everyone around was stunned. Shan Zheng and his son were considered wealthy and powerful, but whether their family wealth was worth three or five hundred thousand taels remained to be verified. As a result, Murong Fu told them that his wife's annual pocket money could reach this amount. Although there was a bit of a joke in it, the wealth of the Murong family should not be underestimated.
Ba Tianshi's heart stirred. He had never underestimated the Murong family, nor Murong Fu's abilities. First Rongjing County, then the entire Yazhou Prefecture, had traded with the Dali Kingdom alone, generating at least three to five hundred taels of silver annually. The growth of Dali's power in recent years was in no small part due to him. This was a win-win situation. Dali Kingdom profited greatly, so how could the Murong family suffer?
From this point of view, the Murong family is rich enough to rival a country. Although this country is just a small country like Dali, it should not be underestimated.
"Amitabha." Master Xuanbei was moved upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Donor Murong donates several thousand taels of silver to our temple every year. I used to feel uneasy, fearing that it would affect the donor himself. I never thought..."
"I wonder if Mr. Murong would be willing to rebuild the golden statues of the many Buddhas in our temple. Such a great merit..."
Before Master Xuanbei could finish, Murong Fu waved his hand and said, "You only see the silver pouring in, but you don't see how much of it flows away. Putting aside other things, Gusu Academy wouldn't be able to operate without hundreds of thousands of taels of silver each year. And then there's General Feng Bo'e's military supplies. A dignified general of the Great Song Dynasty actually needs me, his master, to deliver supplies to his generals. Hundreds of thousands of taels each year, this is truly..."
"And you, Ma Dahuang, don't you know how much you take from me every year? When have I, Murong Trading Company, ever treated you unfairly when hiring Beggar Gang disciples? Not only do you treat them well, but you also give them rewards afterwards. Have you ever been shortchanged in the annual protection fees?" Murong Fu curled his lips and said, "Master Xuanbei, your Shaolin has countless fertile fields, three times more than my Murong family, but you support less than half the number of people. Are Shaolin's expenses really that high? Even daily feasts and delicious food would be enough, right?"
Upon hearing this, Master Xuanbei's mouth twitched slightly. He chanted a Buddhist name and stopped talking. He calculated silently in his mind and found that both Gusu Academy and Fengbo E'erbian Army seemed to have a lot of consumption. Even if Shaolin Temple tightened its belt, it might not be able to afford to support either of them. And it was not easy for the Murong family to support both by relying on business.
Could it be that I was really overthinking it? As an official appointed by the Song Dynasty court, Murong Shizhu shouldn't...
"Brother Murong, are you really going to give Sister Wang three or five hundred thousand taels of silver as pocket money every year?" Little Zhong Ling took it seriously. Murong Fu tapped her nose and said, "It wasn't possible before, but it's possible after marriage. After all, as the wife of the Murong family's head, Cousin Yuyan will inevitably be the head of the household. She'll be responsible for everything from food, clothing, housing, transportation, and daily necessities for the entire Murong family. Three or five hundred thousand taels of silver flowing out of her hands every year is probably still not enough."
Mu Wanqing pondered to herself, "Is that woman's daughter marrying such a wealthy and powerful figure? If so, it would be even harder to kill her. I must act before they get married, otherwise it would be impossible to succeed."
But her outfit was too eye-catching. Even if she had met Madam Wang Li Qingluo through Xiao Zhong Ling's relationship, it might not be easy to succeed. Thinking about it, Mu Wanqing couldn't help but look at Murong Fu.
I probably can't beat him.
Duan Yu: Could it be that this woman, who is most likely my sister, has also fallen in love with Master Murong? What should I do?
Qiao Feng: There seems to be a hint of murderous aura about this woman. Could she be a killer hired by the political enemies of the Murong brothers? But her outfit is a bit too eye-catching.
Murong Fu: This girl must be Mu Wanqing, right? Why is she targeting me instead of assassinating my aunt Li Qingluo? Could she be coming for me? That seems unlikely. In the original novel, Shura Blade Qin Hongmian was misled by Gan Baobao into killing her rivals, Dao Baifeng and Li Qingluo. In this world, thanks to my own manipulations, Zhong Wanchou has become a miraculous doctor in Dali, Gan Baobao has received an imperial decree, and has essentially ended her affair with Duan Zhengchun. Yet, she still appears here.
Is this Gan Baobao's operation or a plot killing?
Ma Dayuan: Who is this woman who's completely covered up? Could she be the love debt Murong Fu incurred outside? If I help him deal with this, I wonder how much concessions he'll make in business?
On second thought, this kid is about to get married. After marriage, I don't know whether he or Wang Yuyan will make the decisions on business. You know, it was Old Madam Murong who made the decisions more often before. Compared with the cunning Old Madam Murong, the tender and cute girl from the Wang family must be easier to deal with.
If I secretly send the woman that Murong Fu provoked outside to Wang Yuyan, I will probably be able to get a lot of benefits in return.
Not to mention that everyone has their own little thoughts, but Duan Yu is quite happy today. Qiao Feng in the north is my elder brother, and Murong in the south is my brother-in-law. Doesn't this mean that I can walk sideways in the entire Central Plains martial arts world?
I'm not a greedy person, but since I have a rich sister, it would be reasonable for me, as her brother, to help with some of her expenses, right?
Ba Tianshi: This Murong Gongzi is so rich, should he petition the Baoding Emperor to clear Wang Yuyan's name? Being rich isn't the most important thing; the most important thing is that he's also very talented.
Master Xuanbei: Back then, when I visited the Gusu Murong clan because of the Yanmen Pass tragedy, I didn't see the old donor Murong Bo, except for the pregnant old lady Murong. However, I did discover some other clues. Is the Gusu Murong clan loyal or treacherous? Could it be that I'm being too suspicious? Otherwise, why would the donor Murong be willing to serve as a local official in the Song Dynasty and govern the vast Yazhou Prefecture so well?