Inside the Qinglong Hall, candles are bright, people are crowded around, the heating is smoky, and the aromas of various delicacies are mixed, making people salivate. Today is the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, the day to worship the stove. The villa is festive and peaceful, with colorful lanterns hanging high.
The servants were busy arranging the fireworks and bamboos in front of the hall. All four doors of the hall were opened. Yelu Xiyin and others were sitting in the hall, and they could still clearly see the outside of the hall. Han Derang waved his hand, and someone lit the fireworks one by one.
.In a moment, the sky was full of flames, soaring straight into the sky, colorful and gorgeous, lasting for a long time. One bunch dimmed and the other rose instantly, extremely beautiful. All the servants, servants and maids in the villa also crowded into the courtyard, in groups.
People were watching from every corner. The firelight reflected the dark blue sky red. At this time, the deafening sound of firecrackers sounded again, crackling throughout the sky. The whole villa was immediately lively. Many male and female servants clapped their hands excitedly.
After the fireworks and bamboos were set off, Han Kuangsi raised his glass and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the King of Song Dynasty, is here today at my humble residence. The flowers are shining brightly. I would like to offer you a glass of water and wine here to express my thoughts."
Yelu Xiyin also raised the wine glass, smelled it and said: "Well, Nan'erlie is my great Khitan's good wine! In that case, the lonely king should do it first as a token of respect!" After that, he raised his neck and drank it, then turned around.
At the bottom of the cup, not a drop was left.
"Lord King Song is so refreshing!" The young man wearing Han costumes said with a smile: "Lord Han, don't you toast me? How can you favor one over the other?"
Han Kuangsi said with a smile: "No, no, I am very grateful to my sworn brother for coming to my humble abode. I am about to propose a toast to each of them. How dare you neglect me?" After saying this, he raised his glass again, looked at the young man from a distance, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Thank you Master Han for the toast! I'll do it too!" The young man known as Jixian drank a glass of wine, sat down and said, "Master Han, this male lie is a famous wine in our Khitan country. I wonder if your family can
Do you have some fine wine from the Han people? Take it out and try it with me?"
Han Kuangsi smiled slightly: "Of course there is. I just don't know if Mr. King Song likes it?"
Yelu Xiyin said: "The lonely king has always liked to hunt for novelties. Since you have the Han people's fine wine, you can take it out and let everyone try it!"
Han Kuangsi rushed behind him and Ling Wanjun nodded. Ling Wanjun understood and immediately sent someone to get the wine. In a short time, someone brought several wine jars and tore off the mud seals. A rich aroma of wine suddenly overflowed, and the aroma was refreshing.
, smelling it made me want to get drunk. Yelu Xiyin couldn't help but stood up, grabbed the wine jar and smelled it, and it was really fragrant. Han Kuangsi smiled and said: "This is the Jiangnan wine thyme that I have treasured for many years. I present it to the King of Song Dynasty today.
, how about we get drunk and then rest?"
"Okay, okay. It's really good wine!" Yelu Xiyin had a high position and had drunk a lot of Han people's wine, but the smell of wine in front of him made him praise him. He couldn't wait to pour a glass of wine himself and drank it.
, wiped the corner of his mouth, obviously still unfinished, picked up the wine jar and filled it up again.
Seeing that Yelu was hiding like this, Han Kuangsi relaxed a little, and his nerves were no longer as tense as before. He glanced at his beloved son, and the two of them smiled knowingly.
Han Derang also raised his glass to the young man known as "Jixian" and said: "Brother Jixian, I would like to toast you too! His Majesty the Emperor is not feeling well now. How about a glass of wine to wish His Majesty a speedy health?"
"The emperor is my brother-in-law, so I naturally hope that he will recover as soon as possible. Brother Derang, you are so thoughtful!" The young man could no longer resist the temptation of the wine and drank it all in one go.
This young man's identity is also extremely prominent. He is the cousin of the current Queen of Khitan, named Xiao Jixian.
At this time, as soon as the thyme wine came out, the scene immediately became very warm. Everyone changed glasses to toast and ate food, with clear smiles and leisurely expressions. Everyone talked for a while, nothing more than complimentary remarks. Han De couldn't help but praise Yelu Xiyin.
Powerful and upright, Yelu Xiyin was so beautiful that he smiled like a flower and his face was rosy. The Han people's wine was mellow and gentle, with a sweet and aftertaste in the mouth. Yelu Xiyin drank a few glasses in a row and was already slightly drunk. He looked at the dark outside the hall.
At night, the feeling of dominion over the world came over again. I couldn't help but feel excited. I suddenly put down my wine glass and said with a gloomy face: "De Rang, the wise nephew, the lonely king thought of something. I don't know whether to say it or not?" He seemed to be courteous and moral.
Looks like a gentleman.
Handerang thought to himself: You have already said it, how could I stop you from talking? He could only say: "Sir King Song, there is no harm in speaking."
Yelu Xiyin lowered his eyes to the wine glass in his hand, and said unhurriedly: "A few days ago, my left general Yelu Hugu played with the Southern Dynasty envoy on the official road outside Liucheng, and was seriously injured as a result.
According to what he said, Japan was already sure of victory. Unexpectedly, a young man appeared halfway and rescued Mr. Zhong Dao. That young man should be from your village, right? I wonder if you can call him out and let the lonely king have a look? "
As expected, the Han family's father and son came to their senses. Ling Wanjun had already informed them of the situation that day. The father and son had a thorough understanding of the general situation and knew that Chongzhong Dao had the mission of establishing a good relationship between the two countries and must be safely sent back to the Southern Dynasty. Today Yelu Xi retreated
When he arrived at the villa, he never mentioned the matter, thinking that he might find it difficult to explain to the emperor if it was revealed. Unexpectedly, halfway through the banquet, he suddenly mentioned it. It seemed that this dispute was destined to be inevitable.
Han Derang said quietly: "The young man who saved Zhongdao is indeed from my villa. My father and son both know the reason for this matter. Today, Lord Song, you are here at my humble residence. How about we just talk about romance and ignore state affairs? Now the emperor is ill."
Seriously, the two countries should not start fighting again, I believe you understand this, right?"
Yelu Xiyin closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, and then said slowly: "Yelu Hu was the number one warrior in my army in ancient times. When he returned that time, he had seventeen or eight wounds on his body, which made the lonely king very distressed. If not,
He won't be like this when the young man in your village appears. De Rang's wise nephew, you call him out, the lonely king is just curious, what kind of young man is he."
Han Derang replied: "This boy you just saw is the boy dancing on the log in the small courtyard."
"Oh, it turns out it's him. The lonely king wants to meet him even more! Derang is a good nephew, how about brother Kuangsi?"
The father and son Han looked at each other and knew that they couldn't resist, so they had to ask Ling Wanjun to send someone to call Xiao Si. Ling Wanjun also shook his head helplessly, wondering whether Xiao Si's arrival was a blessing or a curse.
After a while, a young man ran into the hall quickly, still wearing a felt hat, white sheepskin jacket, and dog skin leggings on his head. It was Xiaosi who had arrived.
Handerang sighed and said: "Sir King Song, this is Xiaosi. I am a child. If I bump into you somewhere, I hope you can forgive me."
Yelu Xiyin was noncommittal, took a sip of wine, and said to Xiaosi: "Your name is Xiaosi? How old are you? Fifteen or sixteen years old? How come you are so brave? Dare to save that old Shen family member?"
Xiao Si just came in. He didn’t know why Mr. Song Wang would ask him this, so he stayed silent. Handerang Wen Yan said: "Xiao Si, don’t be afraid, that ### saved Zhongdao, this Mr. Song just wanted to Look at you. As a country uncle, I won’t embarrass you as a child."
Yelu Xiyin wanted to scold Xiaosi angrily, but Handerang gave him a high hat in advance, but he couldn't do it again, so he could only secretly think about his luck. Then Xiaosi suddenly realized, thinking of what happened that day, Yelu Hugu had indeed He said that he was General Zuo under Yelu Xiyin, and he wanted to give him cattle and sheep and so on. Yelu Xiyin drank another glass of wine and said to Xiaosi: "Xiaosi, why do you want to save that heavy road?"
Xiaosi calmed down and said, neither humble nor arrogant: "That Shengdao is a special envoy sent by the Southern Dynasty to visit His Majesty the Emperor. If we kill him, the two countries will have to fight each other again. I don't want a war!"
Yelu Xiyin was startled for a moment. He did not expect that a young man could speak so righteously. He said dissatisfiedly: "What does the war between the two countries have to do with you? He is just a child!"
Xiaosi said: "It is the common people who are suffering from the war between the two countries. Some time ago, all the sheep in our Liucheng were gone, and even the cattle and sheep in Yingzhou City were gone. They were all used to feed the soldiers on the front line. Come on! What’s the good of fighting!”
Yelu Xiyin saw Xiaosi's awe-inspiring aura and the look of an adult on his eyebrows. He couldn't help being secretly angry and shouted: "Aren't you afraid that the lonely king will kill you?"
Xiaosi was so frightened that he dared not speak. He shrank his head, but felt that there was nothing to fear, so he raised his head and said loudly: "Killing me is better than killing Ambassador Song! That old man Shen is already so old. , how many more years can he live? Wouldn’t it be too cruel to kill him?”
After a brief silence, Yelu Xiyin stared at Xiao Si with his brows furrowed. The Han father and son, Ling Wanjun standing behind him, Xiao Jixian who was watching coldly across from him, and the servants and maids surrounding the hall all felt that Xiao Si's words were childish but not unreasonable. Yelu Xiyin held the table with both hands, narrowed his eyes, and said quietly: "How about the lonely king kill you?"
As soon as they finished speaking, the Han family and his son said in unison: "No, King Song!" Han Derang continued, "The four young men were arrogant and bumped into King Song. Please don't mind! Derang is very grateful!"
I heard Xiaosi say loudly: "Your Majesty, King of Song, you can kill me, as long as you can let the people of the Southern Dynasties leave. As long as the two countries are no longer at war, and the Khitan people can always eat mutton, it will be good!"
Yelu Xiyin was stunned for a while. Although he had a strong desire for power and always longed in his heart that one day he could be the king of the world. But Xiaosi's words also shocked him. He had never considered the suffering of the people. Since Taizu Abaoji unified the eight Khitan tribes, the Khitan people have gradually ended their nomadic life and began to focus on agriculture and animal husbandry. A mature feudal dynasty system has gradually taken shape. The national destiny is getting better and better, and the people's food and clothing are directly related to the fate of the country. Such a simple truth was said by a young man today. How could he not be shocked? Looking at the young man standing in front of the hall, in addition to being shocked, there was also a hint of admiration. He twirled the cup and remained silent. Next to him Xiao Jixian laughed loudly and said: "What's the matter? Mr. Song Wang, were you scared by a child? It's really interesting! Hahaha! But what the child said makes sense, you shouldn't let your men harass old Shen, let him go How wonderful it would be for him to return to the Southern Dynasty! My brother-in-law is seriously ill at the moment, and we really shouldn’t cause trouble again. After he recovers, we will discuss it in the long term! Come on, let’s drink. How can we waste such good wine?” Xiao Jixian is a typical Khitan man. With a rough and bold personality, how could he know about Yelu Xiyin's scheming? He just felt that this young man named Xiao Si was quite to his liking, so he offered to help.
Han Kuangsi also said: "Yes, Lord King of Song, you are the uncle of a country, and you will not care about a child. I will apologize to you on his behalf and ask for your forgiveness!"
Handerang raised his glass and said respectfully: "Sir King Song, I still have several jars of thyme in my cellar. I will send someone to deliver them to your house later."
Yelu Xiyin was about to speak when Xiao Jixian shouted: "Brother Derang, this is your fault! Why did you only give the good wine to the King of Song and not me?"
"How dare you! Brother Jixian, you are too impatient. If you have the King of Song, you will be indispensable. I will have someone send it to you later!"
"That's right! Thank you, Brother Derang!" Xiao Jixian laughed heartily, and motioned to the Han family and his son with his wine glass that he would do it first.
Yelu Xi remained silent, watching Xiao Jixian joking unscrupulously with the Han family and his son. No one paid attention to him for a moment. He was secretly annoyed, and the lingering anger gradually surged up again. He stretched out his legs and kicked Xiao Jixian under the table.
, cleared his throat and said: "Today is a good day for wine. The wine smells good and the meat smells good. All Khitan people like martial arts. Wouldn't it be too monotonous to only have wine without martial arts? Brother Kuangsi, let the warriors on your farm come out to compete with my men.
, how do we enjoy it?”
Han Kuangsi smiled bitterly and said: "The people in my village are all servants, how can there be any warriors? Lord Song, you are laughing."
Xiao Jixian shouted: "Brother Han, what are you talking about? There is no one who is good at martial arts in such a big village in your family? Who would believe it? We all saw that little four practicing martial arts in the yard just now."
Handerang said: "Brother Jixian, there are really no people in my family who are proficient in martial arts. They are all servants who do odd jobs. As for Xiaosi, he is just a child who has practiced randomly for a few times. He can't get on the stage. Let's just have a drink."
"Forget about the kid, we won't consider him! But Brother Han has been granted the title of King of Yan, and Brother Derang is the military governor of Zhangde Army. Apart from Xiaosi, there is no one in your family who is good at martial arts? It shouldn't be you.
Are you afraid of losing if you don't have confidence?" Xiao Jixian laughed, full of ridicule.
Yelu Xi smiled secretly: "What are you talking about, brother Jixian? Derang's wise nephew is excellent in martial arts and enjoys a high reputation in the military. This Jiedushi official position is not obtained out of thin air!"
Xiao Jixian snorted and thought to himself: Who knows how he got his official position? Wasn't it because the emperor's brother-in-law was temporarily confused? But he said: "I think so! It is said that Brother Derang is excellent in martial arts, but it is a pity that he has never been able to do so.
I have seen it before. Today is the right time. Lord Song, please tell your men not to hurt Brother Derang for a while. My brother-in-law knows that you should be blamed." After saying that, he looked at Yelu Xiyin, and the two of them looked at Yelu Xiyin at the same time.
laughing out loud.
Xiao Jixian was always angry with Han Derang, but he never had a chance to vent his anger. It happened that today Yeluxi asked him to go to the Han family's Yinlong Villa with him, and he immediately agreed. The two of them had already made a tacit understanding in their hearts, just to embarrass Han Derang.
The two of them sang and sang together as a partner, which made Xiao Jixian feel very happy.