Encountered You

15; Zhang Family

Zhang Family rooted in Jian Capital since the Dynasty was founded, the ancestor of this clan was a general who fought side by side with the founding Emperor and the Dongfang's ancestor. Thus when the Emperor ascended the throne, he wanted to give them a Wang title like what he gave to the ancestor of Dongfang clan but the Zhang's ancestor refused, he only asked the founding Emperor to gave him some money and let him lived his idle days in his hometown. Alas, the founding Emperor was a benevolence one, who knew how to repay kindness with kindness, thus after the founding Emperor made the Zhang ancestor drunk, when he offered a title Regent, the Zhang's ancestor refused, thus he reduced it to a Wang but still the Zhang family's ancestor refused, after a few rounds of glasses, finally when the founding Emperor saw that his comrade brother drunk enough, he offered a Duke title, unable to think clearly, the Zhang family's ancestor only dozed off and a second later slept just like that, because Emperor was stubborn, he looked at his personal eunuch for confirmation then the Eunuch, unable to refused his master said that the Zhang family's ancestor nodded, thus the next day Emperor conferred them a First rank Duke, with 'Donghai' as a title, meaning Eastern sea, that the Zhang family would be the commanders of the Eastern sea troops.

In this generation, while her mother was the only di daughter of the Zhang family's main branch, Li Xi Yue still had in additional, three uncles, the first uncle was a general of the Eastern sea troops, so he didn't always in the capital, he must guard the Eastern Sea border well, the second uncle was the third rank minister in the Ministry of Revenue, the third uncle was an idle playboy, he was very famous to the point that even if someone wanted to cursed other they would use his name, "Zhang Sanlang."

Although he was an idle playboy young master that everyone in the capital knew, only those immediate member of Zhang family knew that this third young master of Zhang family was very much an accomplished intel.

He gathered a lot of secret guards and personally trained them, then those secret guards would worked as spies and everything, every bit of information in the whole Lian Dynasty and it surrounding kingdoms, be it a fellow or enemy, they would never slipped away once those secret guard wanted the secret.

Thus, her third maternal uncle was the person she wanted to meet, that's why, Li Xi Yue didn't even blink when she saw her third maternal uncle sat idly in her Courtyard's tea room, completely treated it as his own home.

"Xi Yue pays respect for Jiujiu. May you live a thousand years."

The handsome looked at her with a bored eyes, "what are you wanting me for?"

Li Xi Yue's descipable personality mainly came from this person in front of her, because she was his eldest niece, if Li Xi Yue didn't spend times with Emperor in the palace the she would spend her time with her third uncle, this person was very manipulative and hateful, but because she spent her times with him, other than him let her ate a lot of spicy foods, he would teached her how to manipulate and be cunning.

"jiujiu is impatient."

Li Xi Yue sat in front of him, she then let servant pour tea for the both of them,

"impatient?" Zhang sanlang sneered, "if this one is impatient then what about you? A time bomb?"

Li Xi Yue caressed the teacup, her smile didn't change,

"well, seeing jiujiu already knows then this niece will say it, let's begin our negotiations then."

Zhang sanlang sneered again, "so straightforward."

"i'm learning from the best, jiujiu."

"how many do you want?" he asked, lifted the teacup then took a sip, "not bad, tea in your house is delicious."

"that's longjing tea Emperor gave me." she said, she looked at him, "i want as many as the owner of this jade got." she put a lotus craved jade in front of him, Zhang sanlang looked at the jade pendant,

"twenty." he said, Li Xi Yue blew her tea,

"fifty."

"twenty five."

"fifty."

"thirty."

"fifty."

Zhang sanlang looked at her, "taking a lesson, i see."

"i learn from the best." she suddenly gave him a small laugh, "thirty five but i get unlimited access to the Tianzhu courtyard."

Zhang Sanlang assessed her then, he knew their banter with reach the end now, he knew if he didn't agree with it, Li Xi Yue would raised the amount of secret guards she wanted, but she relented, he sighed, he was the one who teach her how to manipulated others, thus when his trick was used against him, he felt indescribable.

"deal."

***

Jiujiu: maternal uncle/mother's brother
Sanlang: Third young master