The night was as dark as ink, and the cold wind was biting, making the dead branches outside the post house tremble. Han Fang, who left Yanjing and returned to Kaifeng, stood by the window, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if staring into the endless darkness. He has already hatched a sinister plan in his mind, and tonight, he will take the first step. The obvious methods no longer worked, but he did not give up. If you can’t bring back the living, then you can always bring the dead, right? As long as Wanyan Zongyi is removed, his potential threat to Wanyan Zonghan's throne can be eliminated. As for Wanyan Yan, even if she cannot be recaptured, there are other royal princesses who can marry Tubo. "Knock, knock, knock," three gentle knocks on the door broke the silence. Han Fang turned around and saw a burly man wearing black clothes standing outside the door. After the man entered the room, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in his fists and said, "Sir, what are your orders?" Han Fang walked up to him and whispered: "Do you know why I called you here?" A trace of doubt flashed in the eyes of the man in black, but it was quickly replaced by determination: "Sir, if you have anything to do, just ask, I will never give up!"
Han Fang nodded, with a trace of evil flashing in his eyes: "I want you to do something, something that no one can know about." The man in black felt his heart tremble, knowing that this matter was not trivial. After he checked around to make sure that no one was around, he asked in a low voice: "Sir, please speak." Han Fang leaned close to the man in black's ear and whispered: "I want you to go to Kaifeng City, find Wanyan Zongyi's residence, and then..." He made a gesture of wiping his neck. The man in black's pupils shrank, but he soon regained his composure. He nodded and said, "I understand." Han Fang patted him on the shoulder and said: "If this happens, you will have made a great contribution. I will ask your Majesty to take credit for you." A hint of excitement flashed in the eyes of the man in black and he said: "Thank you for the promotion, sir! My subordinates will definitely handle this matter well!" The night spread out like thick ink, and a bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft silver glow. Kaifeng City looks more primitive and mysterious under the moonlight. On both sides of the street, red lanterns swayed gently in the wind, making a subtle rustling sound, intertwined with the sound of drums coming from the distance, creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. In the Imperial Garden, a pool of clear water flows quietly, with a few pieces of residual lotus floating on the water, emitting a faint fragrance. Zhao Yingluo wears a gorgeous purple cloak with exquisite peony patterns embroidered on it, which sparkles in the moonlight. She sat in the pavilion, her gaze deep and distant, as if she could penetrate the vast night and see the glory of the future. Two maids, Chuntao and Luluo, stood aside. They were dressed in uniform emerald green palace clothes, with their hair tied high in buns, looking particularly energetic. Chuntao held an exquisite stove in her hand. Fine silver charcoal was burning in the stove, exuding a warm atmosphere. Luluo gently beat Zhao Yingluo's shoulders with moderate intensity, making people feel comfortable and relaxed. "Princess, what do you think of the night?" Chuntao asked softly, breaking the silence. Zhao Yingluo turned her head slightly and looked at the sky in the distance, with a faint smile on her lips: "The night is so picturesque and beautiful. I just don't know if the people in the painting can be as peaceful and content as the night." Hearing this, Chuntao nodded thoughtfully: "What the princess said is absolutely true. Life is like a dream, how long can I be happy? I only wish to be by the princess's side all the time and enjoy this picturesque scenery together." Luluo also added: "Yes, princess. Although slaves are of humble status, they also know how to repay kindness. Being able to serve a noble person like the princess is a blessing that slaves have earned over several lifetimes." After hearing these words, Zhao Yingluo felt a warm current in her heart.
She knew that these two maids were loyal to her and were rare confidants in the palace. So, she gently took their hands and said softly: "What did you say? In my eyes, you are not maids, but my sisters. We have experienced ups and downs together, and we are already a family. People." Chuntao and Luluo were moved to tears after hearing this. They all knelt down and decided to serve Zhao Yingluo more carefully in order to repay her kindness. At this moment, a soft sound of music came into my ears. It turned out that the musicians on the other side of the imperial garden had started playing. The sound of the music is melodious and graceful, like the tinkling of spring water, like the breeze blowing on the face, making people feel relaxed and happy. Zhao Yingluo closed her eyes and listened to this wonderful music quietly, as if she was in a fairyland. Chuntao and Luluo were also attracted by the music. They smiled at each other and decided to dance for Zhao Yingluo to cheer up. The two stood up and came to the center of the pavilion, dancing to the rhythm of the music. Their dance is light and graceful, like two butterflies playing in the flowers, which makes people dazzled. Zhao Yingluo opened her eyes and couldn't help but clapped her hands when she saw this scene: "Okay! What a great dance! Chuntao, Luluo, you are really my pistachio." "Princess, Zui Furong's accounts for last year have been sorted out. Do you want to take a look at them?" After the fun, Chuntao took an account book from the maid who followed her. Zhao Yingluo nodded slightly, took the account book handed over by Chuntao, and started to read it carefully. Her brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed, obviously knowing all about Zui Furong's business situation. "Well, not bad. It seems that I made a lot of money last year." Zhao Yingluo commented with satisfaction, "Chuntao, your management skills are getting better and better." Hearing this, Chuntao showed a proud smile on her face: "Thank you for the compliment, princess. It's all because of the princess's good teaching that this slave can achieve this." Not to be outdone, Luluo said from the side: "Princess, Da Song Bank's operations last year were also very good. The principal and interest we lent to businessmen and nobles were paid back on time, and we also attracted many new depositors." Zhao Yingluo turned to look at Lu Luo, with a flash of appreciation in her eyes: "Lu Luo, you have done a good job too. You are indispensable for Da Song Bank's stable operation." Luluo lowered her head humbly: "Princess, you are over-praised. I am just doing my best to contribute to the development of Da Song Bank." Zhao Yingluo smiled slightly and cast her gaze to the distant sky. Her heart was filled with visions and plans for the future: "Chun Tao, Luluo, what do you think we should do next to further expand our business territory?" Chuntao and Luluo looked at each other and smiled, and said in unison: "Princess already knows it in her mind, why do you need to ask us?" Zhao Yingluo shook her head gently: "No, a person's wisdom is limited. I need to listen to your opinions and suggestions and jointly plan future development plans." Chuntao thought for a moment and then spoke first: "Princess, in your opinion, we can consider opening a Zui Furong branch in the Kingdom of Jin. People in the Kingdom of Jin like to drink and have fun, and our restaurant will definitely be very popular there." Zhao Yingluo's eyes lit up when she heard this: "This is a good idea. However, it is not easy to open a branch in Jinguo. It requires some careful planning and preparation." Luluo also added: "The princess is right. And we can also consider extending the service scope of Dasong Bank to the Kingdom of Jin. Nowadays, there are frequent transactions between the two countries, and it is really inconvenient for merchants from the two countries to carry large amounts of gold and silver for transactions. If we Being able to seize this opportunity will not only facilitate our business activities in the Kingdom of Jin, but also further control the money of the Kingdom of Jin." Zhao Yingluo's eyes lit up after hearing this: "This is a good suggestion! What do you think of Chuntao?" Chuntao thought for a while and replied: "I think Sister Luluo's suggestion is very reasonable." "Yeah, you're right." Zhao Yingluo nodded in agreement. "This matter needs long-term consideration and cannot be rushed. You two go down and rest first and we will discuss the specific plan tomorrow." After saying that, she waved her hand to signal the two of them to leave.
