Chapter 18 If you are a man, fight (1) (Literature Network)
"Mistress, can you win?" Fatty Tang sat cross-legged in the carriage like a mountain of meat, stretched out his hand to press the thick stack of banknotes in his arms, grinned, and looked at the leisurely man with worry.
Xiao Wei, who was half lying and half sitting on a brocade cotton cushion, asked hesitantly.
Fatty Tang had asked this question at least ten times along the way. Xiao Wei's ears were calloused, so he simply ignored Fatty Tang's harassment and hummed a little tune to himself.
He looked like he had everything under control, which made Fatty Tang feel guilty - Fatty Tang had no other hobbies, he just liked counting money, especially the sound of counting banknotes, which made Fatty Tang fascinated.
He was so fascinated that if he really lost the 300,000 taels of silver in his arms, it would be the death of Fatty Tang.
"Xiao San, are you okay? Give me a sure idea!" Fatty Tang was worried about the money in his arms. Seeing that Xiao Wei didn't speak, he was unwilling to give up. He leaned over and stared at Xiao Wei with his bull's eyes.
, a fat hand placed far away on Xiao Wei's shoulder, as if Xiao Wei was about to take action without opening his mouth.
"Damn Fatty, why are you talking? How can a man say that he is incompetent? Look for him!" Xiao Wei was so disturbed by Fatty Tang that he could no longer remain silent. He straightened up and sat up, reaching out to open the pig's paw extended by Fatty Tang.
, rolled his eyes impatiently.[
"That's no problem, mistress. All my hopes are on you, but don't lose to that thief Li Zhendong..." Fatty Tang was not angry at Xiao Wei's bad attitude.
He grinned widely and started to spit like Tang Monk again. Xiao Wei was angry and funny, but he couldn't do anything about it. He had to smile bitterly and shook his head, letting Tang Da let his ears go in and out.
The fat man vented enough, and the carriage drove slowly towards the East Palace amidst the chatter of Fatty Tang... Xiao Ruhai was very happy today, not only because it happened to be his twenty-sixth birthday, but also because today
There was a good show to watch at the banquet. For this show, Xiao Ruhai changed his clothes before the hour. Regardless of the heavyness of the auspicious clothes, he excitedly walked back and forth in the back hall of the Mingde Hall, the main hall of the East Palace.
He was walking with a pleasant smile on his face. Just as he was impatient, he saw Qin Dayong, the eunuch in charge of the East Palace, walking in in a hurry. He immediately felt refreshed, stopped, and asked with a smile: "
Dayong, are all the guests here?"
"If you go back to Your Highness, we will all be here." Qin Dayong rushed forward and answered respectfully, and then carefully said: "Your Highness, Xiao Ji, the second son of King Xiang, is asking for an audience outside the palace.
I have something important to attend to, so please make it clear to Your Highness."
"Oh? It's the sixth one (Xiao Ji ranks sixth among his cousins). Come on, come on." Xiao Ruhai and Xiao Ji have always had a good relationship. When Qin Dayong said this, he didn't ask Xiao Ruhai.
Ji's intention was to come, so he kept calling for invitations.
"Yes, I obey." Upon hearing Xiao Ruhai's instructions, Qin Dayong did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly responded, hurriedly exited the back hall, and went to summon Xiao Ji without mentioning it.
"Brother, please see Your Highness the Crown Prince." Shortly after Qin Dayong left, Xiao Ji walked in quickly. As soon as he saw the Crown Prince standing in the palace, he immediately stepped forward to salute. The etiquette was thorough, but his expression was really not good.
So pretty.
"No, no, Sixth, I have told you so many times that when you come to this palace, it is just like coming to your own home. You don't have to see outsiders so much. If you come, please sit down." Xiao Ruhai was in high spirits and did not notice Xiao Ruhai. Ji's face looked strange, he waved his hand casually and ordered to watch.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I have a question, I wonder if I should answer it?" Xiao Ji did not take a seat, but still bowed and asked in a stiff tone.
"Huh?" Xiao Ji said this, and Xiao Ruhai noticed that something was wrong with Xiao Ji's face. After being stunned for a moment, he waved his hand and said: "What are you talking about, Lao Liu? According to the love between you and me, we are brothers." I have something to say, and I’ve already said it, I’m here to listen.”
Xiao Ji took a serious look at Xiao Ruhai, and then asked slowly: "Your Highness, I would like to know that the fight between Wei and Li Zhendong was arranged by His Highness?"
"This..." Xiao Ruhai didn't expect Xiao Ji to ask such a direct question, and he couldn't react immediately. After being stunned for a while, he said with a smile: "Why do you say this, sixth brother? I have always been upright in my actions, so why not Is it possible that Sixth Brother might have misunderstood that he would do such a thing?"
Xiao Ji is a smart man. As soon as he heard Xiao Ruhai's words, he already knew that what he said was untrue. Even if Xiao Ruhai was not the instigator of this matter, he must have known the inside story in advance, and his face was already ugly. He immediately became so gloomy that he felt like he was about to drip with tears. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, although I am disdainful, I am a member of the Dayin royal family after all. That Li Zhendong is just a slap in the face of Liang Xiuchou. How can I allow him to run rampant?" Since I want to fight, I will accompany you to the end, and I beg Your Highness the Crown Prince to allow me to fight."
"This..." Xiao Ruhai always knew that Xiao Ji and Xiao Wei could never "pee" in the same pot. They were almost like enemies, let alone brothers. Now Xiao Ji actually said Such statement really made Xiao Ruhai dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say for a while. After a while of silence, he smiled bitterly and said: "Sixth brother, you are wrongly blaming me. This fact does not come from me." Arrangements." When Xiao Ruhai said this, seeing Xiao Ji opening his mouth again, he hurriedly stretched out his hand to stop Xiao Ji's words, and hurriedly explained: "I won't hide it from you, but Gu knows something about this matter, well, It was Chen Baitao who mentioned this to me, saying that Li Zhendong wanted to have a duel with Xiao Jiu this time. I thought, it is not a problem that my uncle has not established the heir for a long time. It happened that Li Zhendong had a dispute with Xiao Jiu. If both parties Once Xiao Jiu loses in the fight, he will definitely become the laughing stock of the world, and he will lose his position as the heir apparent. Besides, if Lao Liu'er is afraid of losing the reputation of Prince Xiang's house, he can wait until after this battle, and then Make an appointment with Li Zhendong, win the battle, and your prestige will be great. I can have a good chat with my uncle again, and great things will be accomplished. From now on, you and I, brothers, will work side by side, and we will be able to protect my Dayin foundation and its eternal prosperity. From now on, It is a good thing to achieve multiple things with one stone, so there is no reason to object."
Xiao Ruhai's long speech made Xiao Ji's face change constantly. Although he knew that the prince's actions were all to win over him, he was still very grateful to the prince for his kindness, but deep down in his heart But I always felt that this matter shouldn't be that simple, but I couldn't find out the problem for a while. Then I thought about it again. After this battle, I could probably make an appointment with Li Zhendong. It wouldn't be a big deal, so I won't do it anymore. After being entangled in this matter, he sighed and said: "Although I disdain Wei, he is my biological brother after all. I hope His Highness will come forward to persuade me. If I can, I won't fight."
"Of course, of course, Xiaojiu is also Gu's younger brother, and Li Zhendong is the second son of Zhenhai Li Mingchuan, and his status is also unusual. It would be a good thing if both parties can work together. Gu Zi will do his best. Come and accompany Gu.
Let's go meet all the beloved officials." Hearing Xiao Ji's words, Xiao Rutao was greatly relieved. Xiao Rutao laughed, made a gesture of invitation, and then led a group of eunuchs to walk slowly to the front hall.
"Alas..." Xiao Ji let out a long sigh, shook his head without meaning, and followed Xiao Rutao silently... The prince's birthday celebration is a major event for the country. Although it is not a birthday celebration, it is still very grand.
The dignitaries of the capital gathered one after another. Many of the bigwigs from the court either came in person or sent their sons to congratulate. Among the princes, except for the eldest prince Xiao Rufeng, he only sent gifts on the pretext that the Shenqi Camp was busy with military aircraft.
, all the other princes have arrived, and all kinds of rare and precious gifts from various families are displayed in the corridor of Mingde Hall. The various colorful treasures are dazzling, which really shows that
It reflects the luxurious style of the prosperous times.
Although there were many guests, there were not many who were qualified to enter the Mingde Hall and take a seat. All in all, there were only seventy or eighty people. As the third son of King Xiang, Xiao Wei had a distinguished status, so he naturally sat high up on the bench.
On the seat in front of him, Fatty Tang, who was originally not qualified to enter the palace, was able to sit side by side with Xiao Wei because of Xiao Wei's favor. Unlike Xiao Wei, who was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, he had a serious excess of energy.
The fat man of the Tang Dynasty raised his voice and chatted with the princes on his left. Speaking of which, this guy was an old acquaintance with the princes in his early years. He had not appeared in the capital in the past three years, but he was very close to the princes.
There were some sub-topics to talk about, and the chatter was not formal, but it also made the atmosphere more lively. Just when I was chatting to myself, I heard a high-pitched voice: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!" Everyone was chatting.
The people who were waiting did not dare to neglect. They stood up and stood in dozens of rows in the center of the hall according to their status, waiting for the arrival of His Royal Highness.
"I'll see you, Your Highness!" Xiao Ruhai led a group of personal eunuchs and slowly walked out of the back hall, and everyone in the hall bowed and saluted.
"My dear friends, please lie down and take a seat." Xiao Ruhai was in high spirits and walked to the big seat in the middle. However, he did not take a seat immediately. Instead, he waved his hand with a smile on his face, gesturing for everyone to lie down.
"Thank you, Your Highness." The ministers and ministers thanked each other according to the etiquette, and then they dispersed and took their places.[
"Come here, tell me the song and dance!" Xiao Ruhai glanced at the ministers and workers with satisfaction, shook his big sleeves, sat down, clapped his hands, and preached loudly. As soon as he said this, the music stood up, and teams in groups dressed up.
The dancing girl floated in from outside the hall waving her long water sleeves, dancing to the music, and the wine feast officially began.
The prince held a banquet. The wine was good wine, the dishes were delicacies, and the singing and dancing were excellent. However, the atmosphere at the banquet was quite strange - none of the people's thoughts were on the banquet, and all their eyes were on sitting upright.
Xiao Wei and Li Zhendong were looking back and forth. Everyone was secretly guessing when the two of them would fight. However, the two of them seemed to have a tacit understanding and would eat when it was time to eat.
When it was time to drink, I didn't stop, but I didn't see the two of them stirring up trouble, which made everyone in the hall anxious to wait. It happened that these two people had extraordinary identities, and no one dared to get involved easily.
In such a strange atmosphere, no matter how good the wine and food are, they are all in vain, and no matter how good the singing and dancing are, they are all in vain.
After a while, after drinking for three rounds and singing and dancing, Li Zhendong, who was sitting upright, finally stood up with a wine bottle. The eyes of everyone in the hall were instantly attracted by Li Zhendong's actions. For a while, the whole hall was filled with strange emotions.