Chapter 374 Brother, What Are You Looking At? [Thank You! Goodbye! I Owe You 9,000 Words]

Rong Xian sat up straight and looked directly at Rong Feiyan: "Sister, are you serious about this?"

Rong Feiyan nodded.

Rongxian put down the tea cup, stood up and said: "Your brother, I said you are a little girl who lives in a house, but you still don't accept it!"

"Let me tell you this, when Brother Jing and I didn't know each other before we started fighting, Marquis Yongyi was serving in the Western Army."

"After fighting Bai Gao and Wu Si Zang for more than ten years, it's an old battle. Have you ever heard that Marquis Yong Yi was defeated?"

Rong Feiyan rolled her eyes, looking like she was thinking.

"Don't think about it, I've never lost!"

Hearing what his brother said, Rong Feiyan nodded quickly.

"This veteran general who has been on the battlefield for a long time, facing a fortress like Keyi Gate, some people actually said that Xu Hou underestimated the enemy?"

Rong Feiyan said hesitantly: "But, Xu Hou really achieved a great victory! He destroyed a military division of Bai Gao Kingdom and captured a land for raising horses! Xu wanted to be like Dengkou and win in one battle. Woolen cloth!"

Rongxian: "Uh, this... this is different!"

Looking at his sister's questioning eyes, Rong Xian's thoughts changed rapidly and he racked his brains and said: "I heard that Keyi Gate is a fortress! If Xu Hou really wanted to fight, the war started last month, why wait until this month? "

Rong Feiyan shook her head in disapproval and said, "Brother, didn't Marquis Yongyi wait until this month because he was preparing baggage and arrows?"

"You and me, this sister! Where do you stand? Maybe this is Marquis Yongyi's plan!"

Rong Feiyan pursed her lips: "Brother, what plan is there to make you lose first? Won't it demoralize you?"

Rong Xian swallowed, stood up and said, "I can't defeat you! I don't want any pocket money! Anyway, I don't think Yong Yihou will underestimate the enemy so easily!"

With that said, Rongxian picked up his pocket and was about to leave the house.

"elder brother!"

"what?"

"If something happens to Marquis Yongyi, the Xu family may be implicated! There are many people in Bianjing who can't deal with him, and cynicism will be inevitable. Brother, 伱"

Rongxian hugged Dounong with one hand and turned his back to his sister, closed his eyes and exhaled.

Turning around, he said with helplessness on his face: "Okay! I'll go find Brother Jing when I get off duty these days. If I encounter someone who doesn't know what to say, I'll help Brother Jing! Okay?"

"Thank you bro!"

Looking at his smiling sister, Rongxian waved his hand and walked straight out of the house.

As soon as I walked out of the moon gate back to Xueyuan, a voice behind me shouted: "Sir, please wait!"

The bag in Rong Xian's hand had already been handed over to the boy. He turned back to look at Ning Xiang who was catching up and said, "What? Is there anything else you want to tell me, girl?"

Ningxiang smiled and took out a few banknotes from her sleeves and said, "Sir, this is what the girl ordered my slave to give you!"

Rongxian took the banknote, unfolded it and stared at the amount on it. He took the banknote back into his arms and said, "Your girl is willing to give the banknote to his brother now."

Ningxiang smiled and gave a blessing.

Jiying Lane

Shengjia

Shouantang

The old lady walked slowly in the hall with her hands behind her back and a solemn expression.

"The Lord is here!"

A little maid shouted outside the door.

Sheng Hong opened the curtain and walked in quickly, walked up to the old lady, cupped his hands and said: "Mother, do you know the news that my son asked Dongrong to send back?"

The old lady nodded and nodded, then raised her chin and motioned for Sheng Hong to sit down.

Sheng Hong looked at the old lady walking around and wanted to speak several times, but seemed to be afraid of disturbing the old lady's thoughts, so he swallowed his words.

When the old lady sat on the Arhat chair, Sheng Hong leaned forward and said, "Mother, my cousin suffered such a defeat, will he be punished by your majesty?"

The old lady narrowed her eyes and frowned, and said, "Hong'er, when you were in the court, did you hear how many soldiers your cousin lost in this battle?"

Sheng Hong: "Some say hundreds of people were injured, and some say thousands!"

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and nodded thankfully: "Not bad, not bad!"

Looking at Sheng Hong's surprised eyes, the old lady said: "As the general of the army, your cousin has an army of nearly 100,000! The battle is fierce, and the loss of these people means that the army cannot be defeated without being defeated!"

"Otherwise, there would never have been such casualties."

Sheng Hong nodded and said, "That's good! Mother, since I can't punish the crime, will the cousin association be replaced?"

The old lady pondered for a long time before speaking: "Probably not!"

"But, mother, you didn't see the ugly look on His Majesty's face when he heard this in the court today."

The old lady was stunned: "Hong'er, are you saying that His Majesty became unhappy only after hearing this?"

Sheng Hong thought about it and nodded: "Mother, that's exactly what it is!"

With understanding in her eyes, the old lady clenched her fist and gently hammered the table.

Sheng Hong saw the expression on the old lady's face. After thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up and he said, "Mother, are you saying that His Majesty is not angry because of his cousin's defeat, but that a courtier brought this matter to light?"

He looked at the old lady and nodded.

Sheng Hong felt relieved and said with some annoyance: "Hey, mother, my son just figured it out!"

Seeing that the old lady's expression was not relaxed, Sheng Hong said, "Mother, why are you still so worried?"

The old lady sighed: "Oh, I'm afraid that my two great-nephews in the school will be disturbed by this news! The college examination is coming soon, what a sin!"

"Send someone and ask them to come to my place after school!"

"Yes, mother!"

Quyuan Street,

Xu Zaijing stood on his horse and looked at Rong Xian beside him, and said: "Brother Xian, come to my house for a cup of tea!"

Rongxian shook his head and said, "I just wanted to play with you on a whim, so I won't go. I have something to do in the evening."

Xu Zaijing smiled and cupped his hands and said, "Then, when our college exam is over, I'll treat Brother Xian to a drink."

Rong Xian smiled and waved his riding crop: "You said this, I took it to heart! Brother Zhang is gone!"

Zai Zhang: "Walk slowly!"

Seeing Rong Xian walking away, Xu Zaijing and his brother rode their horses and turned to Quyuan Street.

roadside,

Seeing Zai Zhang and Xu Zaijing riding over,

Shu Bo and Chu Zhan forced a smile and cupped their hands towards the two brothers.

After the two brothers nodded in return, Zai Zhang said: "It looks like you already know about your father!"

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Yong Yihou Mansion,

Two doors,

Xu Zaijing got off the horse, patted Xiao Liju's neck, and took Qingcao into the inner courtyard with his brother.

When I arrived at my mother's yard, I saw a decent steward standing at the door.

"Youqing! Is your brother-in-law here?"

Gu Tingyu's personal attendant Youqing held up his hands: "I've seen Sanlang, Wulang! The young master came with the eldest lady."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing and his brother quickened their pace and entered the house.

"Sister, brother-in-law!"

After calling someone, the two sat on the chairs.

Xu Zaijing said: "Sister, why didn't you bring my nephew and my nephew's daughter?"

"Your nephew and niece are staying at home with their grandmother!" Pingmei said.

Gu Tingyu didn't say anything. He studied the expressions of Xu Zaijing and Zai Zhang. He looked sideways at Sun and Ping Mei, and said, "Mother-in-law, madam, I see that my two younger brothers have been untied."

After listening to her eldest son-in-law's words, Mrs. Sun looked at her two sons questioningly.

Zai Zhang nodded and explained a few words with a smile.

Gu Tingyu on the side said: "What your Majesty ultimately wants is to regain your homeland. Your Majesty will not care about some twists and turns!"

"Although we, noble children, may have titles, it is better to have fame! My great-aunt said these things very well,"

Zai Zhang nodded.

Xu Zaijing frowned, looked at the people in the hall and said, "Brother-in-law! I was watching at the gate just now. My family's soldiers all know about this, then..."

After saying that, Xu Zaijing stood up and looked at his mother and said, "Let me know if you want to send someone to Fourth Sister's place!"

Pingmei and Sun looked at each other: "You are the only one who loves your sister. My mother and I are not close to Anmei."

Xu Zaijing scratched his head in embarrassment and sat down again.

Gu Tingyu, who was sitting aside, waited for Xu Zaijing to sit down and said in a deep voice:

"Actually, I also find it strange! Whether it was the Hehuang opening or the battle between Tuoxi Marquis and Bai Gaoguo, the news of victory or defeat on the battlefield has never spread so fast like my father-in-law!"

"Maybe some people in Beijing have some ideas!"

Sun said: "When something happened to the Huyan family before, someone wanted your father-in-law to return to Beijing. Now the situation is much the same!"

"That's what my mother-in-law said!"

Later, after Xu Zaijing and his brother asked for advice on some reading matters, Gu Tingyu got up and prepared to leave the Xu family with Heping Mei.

Zai Zhang stood up and looked at his mother with some doubts, and said, "Brother-in-law, you won't stay."

Xu Zaijing tugged at Zai Zhang's sleeve. Zai Zhang didn't say the rest of the sentence. Xu Zaijing leaned into Zai Zhang's ear and said, "Brother, Zhongyuan is approaching. It's not good for my brother-in-law and sister to go back too late!"

Zai Zhang clicked his tongue in annoyance.

After leaving the hall, Gu Tingyu cupped his hands and said, "Mother-in-law, just stay here and let Zai Zhang and Zai Jing see me off."

Pingmei was also advising Xie and Hualan.

Mrs. Sun nodded and sent the person to the door of the courtyard.

On the way to Ermen,

The four of them walked side by side.

Gu Tingyu looked sideways at his two brothers-in-law and said, "Go to the Taoist Temple tomorrow. When the Lu family brothers arrive, we will go directly to the Gu family in Xingguofang. Let's go together."

Ping Mei, who was standing outside Gu Tingyu, said: "The Lu family sent someone here before you guys finished school, and we made an appointment to meet tomorrow."

This also tells everyone who sees it that Duke Lian's government does not care about Yongyi Hou's affairs.

At the gate of Xu’s house,

Looking at the Gu family's carriage going away, Xu Zaijing and his brother smiled and waved, then nodded to Chu Zhan who was looking at them, and then returned to the house.

Chu Zhan walked back under the tarpaulin and said, "Grandpa Shu, I see that the two young masters are fine!"

Shu Bo said: "Don't let the customers in, let's close the stall today!"

"So early?"

"Um!"

July 15th

Hungry Ghost Festival,

In the Xu family ancestral hall,

In front of the spiritual throne like a forest,

Placed on the table are three large bowls of vegetarian food, symbolizing a good harvest for the family and asking ancestors not to worry that future generations will not have enough to eat.

Just like last year, Xu Zaijing was kneeling behind Zai Zhang, listening to Zai Zhang whispering.

The difference is that this year, there is a small figure beside Xu Zaijing, who is also kneeling on the ground like Xu Zaijing. Who is it if it is not Lu Zezong?

After Zai Zhang finished speaking, he kowtowed to the many spiritual tablets. Xu Zaijing and Lu Zezong hurriedly kowtowed to one of them.

Then, the three of them got up and walked outside the ancestral hall together.

After leaving the gate of Hou Mansion,

He, Shu Bo, Chu Zhan and others got on the flat carriage and rushed towards the Taoist temple they had visited last year.

On the way, we went to Xingguofang and met the two Gu brothers.

Entered the Taoist temple,

Everyone got off the carriage,

Seeing the huge wooden frame set up in the yard, Lu Zezong still leaned towards Xu Zaijing although he was holding Xu Zaijing's hand.

Xu Zaijing gently shook Lu Zezong's hand, and when he looked over, he gave him an encouraging smile.

Just like last year, the wooden frame contained a huge mountain of money prepared by the Ministry of Rites.

The difference was that there were many more Taoist priests from the Taoist temple around the wooden frame. When they saw a child approaching, they immediately waved their whisks to block the child outside.

What happened last year made people's scalps numb when they thought about it.

People from various families around were busy placing various paper offerings on the huge wooden frame.

The offerings from the Xu family were similar to those last year, except that there were many more paper swords, spears, and halberds.

Shu Bo looked around from time to time beside the carriage, and talked to the old friends in the Marquis' Mansion when he met them.

Sometimes when talking about old friends who had met at this time last year but were separated by the Yin and Yang this year, Shu Bo would sigh heavily.

When the offerings were almost half placed, Zai Zhang said, "Don't stay here, Xiao Wu. You and Brother Zong should go to the Lu family and take a look!"

"I know, brother!"

After that, Xu Zai Jing led Lu Ze Zong to the place where the Lu family placed the offerings.

Seeing Xu Zai Jing and Lu Ze Zong coming, the steward of the Lu family hurriedly asked the two to place a few things symbolically and then asked them to stand aside.

The Lu family was closer to the place where the Duke of England Zhang's family placed the offerings, and not far away was the Zhongjing Marquis Zheng's family.

However, this year, the two families visited the place where the offerings were placed, but there were no Zhang Sanlang, Silang or Zheng Xiao, who Xu Zai Jing was familiar with, and only the stewards and old friends of the two families were busy.

Lu Zezong beside Xu Zaijing noticed something. He looked up at Xu Zaijing and said, "Brother, what are you looking at?"

Xu Zaijing lowered his head and smiled, "Nothing!"

Lu Zezong continued, "Brother, why didn't I see so many people wearing white cloth strips on their heads last year?"

Xu Zaijing looked around and looked at the people wearing white cloth strips in his brother's mouth. He whispered, "Brother Zong, they are the children of Bian Jing who died in the northwest this year. This is the first year that relatives have to wear white cloth strips."

Lu Zezong: "Oh! No wonder there are so many people on the side of Tuoxihou!"

Xu Zaijing sighed. He didn't know how many families in the Cao family of Tuoxihou died in the battle because of protecting their brother-in-law.

Afterwards, Xu Zaijing continued to look around.

Just then, he looked at a young man wearing white cloth and looked familiar. Xu Zaijing had outstanding eyesight and could see that this man must have cried just now.

Perhaps because he had finished his own things, the young man saw Xu Zaijing and walked over.

Xu Zaijing also recognized this person. It was Wang Hou, whom he had met in Panlou before. His father, Wang Shao, led the expansion of the Hehuang frontier. Now he was in Hehuang with the generals of the Great Zhou to attack the Baigao Kingdom from the south.

Xu Zaijing whispered a few words to Lu Zezong, and Lu Zezong loosened his hand.

Xu Zaijing bowed and said, "Brother Chudao!"

Lu Zezong: "Brother Wang Hou!"

"Brother Jing! Brother Zong!"

Wang Hou bowed in return and stood beside the two without saying a word, continuing to watch the huge wooden frame gradually filled with all kinds of things.

"Brother Wang Hou, did you also have relatives who died in battle?"

Hearing Lu Zezong's voice, Wang Hou shook his head to Xu Zaijing who was about to say something, indicating that it was okay, and nodded to Lu Zezong: "Yes, a cousin who grew up with me, during the siege. Alas!"

Wang Hou sighed, looked at Xu Zaijing and said: "I heard about the Yongyi Marquis. After chatting with Chaojie, He Rui and others, I felt that Yongyi Marquis was luring the snake out of the hole. Brother Jing, don't think too much, just concentrate on the college entrance examination!"

Xu Zaijing bowed: "Yes, thank you for your enlightenment, brother Chudao."

Wang Hou patted Xu Zaijing's arm: "It's okay!"

Several people were speechless and continued to watch the people around them placing things.

After more than three quarters of an hour, there were fewer people placing offerings around the shelf.

Suddenly,

Xu Zaijing's eyes focused on a person who had put away the things and left the offerings full of paper money, paper horses, etc.

Noticing Xu Zaijing's gaze, the man took a look and then came over and bowed:

"Hello, Wulang."

"Brother Gao, what are you doing?"

The man was Gao Yunqing, a clerk of the Imperial City Department who followed Zhao Meifeng.

Gao Yunqing sighed and raised his chin towards a family of one adult and two children wearing white cloth at the side of the crowd.

Xu Zaijing looked over and saw a mother with two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was holding

Perhaps infected by the sad atmosphere, Xu Zaijing took a deep breath, adjusted his mood and said: "Is it the family of the two imperial city clerks who failed to do their job when the Bai Gaoguo masters came to my house before?"

Gao Yunqing: "Yes."

Xu Zaijing looked at the long sword in the boy's hand, which was quite characteristic of Bai Gaoguo, and said: "How did they die?"

"When I followed Xu Hou to attack Dengkou military camp, I climbed the first and fought until I was exhausted."

"How many did I kill?"

"The military report said that I killed twelve people with my own hands."

Looking at Xu Zaijing's silence, Gao Yunqing said: "Brother Jing, don't take it to heart! According to the rules of the department, they should be beheaded on the day of dereliction of duty."

"Now that they have the merit of climbing the first and these twelve bandit leaders, their family will not be bad."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

After Gao Yunqing finished speaking, he bowed and said, "Wu Lang, I'm going over."

"Yes."

After another quarter of an hour,

a drum sounded,

the Taoist priests in the Taoist temple began to check the shelves.

After the Taoist priests came out,

the huge mountain of money was ignited.

The blazing flames ignited the offerings around Qianshan, and the huge flames were reflected in Xu Zaijing's eyes.

A quarter of an hour later,

Lu Zezong tugged at Xu Zaijing's clothes: "Brother, let's go!"

"Let's go!"

Time flies

It was already August,

Xu Zaijing walked out of the carriage,

looking at the plaque of "Examination Institute" on the gate not far away, he exhaled a little nervously.