Chapter 141 Family Banquet (for the Alliance Leader Xiao Zongzi xx
Ding Mansion.
It was said to be a family banquet, but it turned out that there were only descendants of the Ding family and three or two close associates.
Ding Daquan seems to be proud of not abiding by etiquette and rules, so that his children and grandchildren can sit wherever they want without being ranked according to seniority.
Anyway, he must be sitting in the main seat.
Li Xia was separated from him by Ding Shouweng and Wu Yan, which made it easier to talk and not too close.
The food is very good, and the waiter serving the wine and fanning the food are also very comfortable.
The hall was carpeted and kept spotless. The lights were brightly lit, shining like daylight, and there were people watching to prevent fires and fanning out the smoke from time to time...
Li Xia likes it here.
He seemed to take such living conditions as a matter of course, and behaved calmly and naturally.
Ding Daquan has been observing him, the appreciation in his eyes getting stronger and stronger.
"Okay, okay." Ding Daquan put down his chopsticks, "You kid, you look so much like me."
The old man had a small appetite and would not eat much. A maid brought a basin to help him wash up.
"Not only do you look like me when I was young, but you also have exactly the same temperament. This... detached attitude is just because you and I know in our hearts that we should be a great person in the world and should enjoy it so happily. Those moral gentlemen are simple and ascetic.
, criticized me for being extravagant, but as soon as they entered the house and saw this luxurious door, their moods immediately became inferior, which is ridiculous. Only you can understand the true meaning of my heart."
Li Xia raised his head and looked at Ding Daquan's blue face. He didn't know how he looked like him, but he still said: "Thank you, Ding, for your love."
"You can eat as many of these dishes as you like. I'm very happy to see that you can eat them like this. Unlike these unscrupulous children and grandchildren, they are obedient in front of you, don't dare to pick up the food, and are extravagant behind the scenes."
The children and grandchildren of the Ding family in the audience were all frightened, and seemed to be very afraid of Ding Daquan.
Li Xia was indeed still eating. After swallowing the food, he calmly said, "I haven't eaten such delicious food for a long time. It made Ding Xiang smile."
Ding Daquan said: "I ask you, are those poems really what you read in the book?"
"Yes, they were written by Yang Shen, Ma Zhiyuan, Zhang Yanghao, Tang Yin, and Yu Qian."
"Who are they?"
"I only remember their names." Li Xia said, "What does Mr. Ding think is wrong?"
"Thank you, Uncle Fang, for making a name for you at the Gushan Literary Society today. He said that these five poems were written by you. His intentions are sinister."
Wu Yan didn't dare to eat. He listened carefully to their conversation. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Is there something wrong? Someone must be dissatisfied and want to ask Li Xia for advice. After a few times, I'm afraid Shilin will scold him."
Li Xia deceived the world and stole his reputation, making him the common enemy of the literary world."
"It doesn't matter." Li Xia said, "I will go to Sichuan myself and let them scold me."
"It's not that simple. Where in the world are there no civil servants? Such a reputation... not even Jia Sidao has. What's more, your official position is low. If you go to any state capital to take office, any state or county official can manipulate you.
You, thank Uncle Fang for doing this, forcing you into a desperate situation."
When Wu Yan said this, he suddenly understood.
He originally felt strange in his heart. Li Xia had clearly let down Prime Minister Ding's good intentions and insisted on becoming a county captain. Why did Prime Minister Ding still value him so highly?
Only then did I understand what Ding Daquan meant.
"Li Xia." Wu Yan said solemnly: "Literati don't use knives to kill people, but they can kill you without leaving any bones. Instead of going to Shu and becoming a small county captain, it is better for you to study at the Imperial Academy and then become a Jinshi.
Prime Minister Ding is planning for you to silence others."
"Wu Yushi, don't worry, it's okay."
"You don't know how dangerous this is."
"It doesn't matter."
Ding Daquan seemed to smile, but then seemed not to.
But he was obviously unhappy.
With his city, if he didn't want others to see that he was unhappy, he could certainly do it.
At this moment, the look that looked like a smile but not a smile clearly reminded Li Xia to "don't know good from evil."
From the favor just now to the beating now, it only took a few sentences.
Because Ding Daquan doesn't like being disobeyed.
"Shou Weng, don't you have something to say?" he said suddenly.
"Yes, father." Ding Shouweng didn't say much from beginning to end. Only then did he raise his head, look at Li Xia, and forced a smile.
"Have you ever been married?"
"A marriage has been arranged." Li Xia said.
Ding Shouweng was stunned.
He has three or five daughters of suitable age. Of course, he has not touched his legitimate wife for many years, and his children are all concubines... This is not important. What is important is that Ding Daquan asked him to betroth a daughter to Li Xia.
But he didn't expect that Li Xia would respond like this before he opened his mouth.
Ding Daquan's face suddenly turned cold.
He doesn't care which future Li Xia chooses. Whether he is admitted to the imperial examination or enters Shu, he can pave the way, but the prerequisite is that Li Xia must obey.
You can have a posture, you can be arrogant, you can even be a little arrogant, but you must respect others like your children and grandchildren.
What he supports is a son or grandson with character and ability, not a self-righteous outsider.
After Ding Shouweng was stunned for a while, he noticed the change in Ding Daquan's attitude. There was a cold look in his eyes and he asked with a smile.
"Then...the person you were engaged to is dead?"
Li Xia put down his chopsticks without even looking at Ding Shouweng.
At that time, the deal was agreed with Ding Daquan, to hand over information and defeat Uncle Xie Fang in exchange for an official position.
Now Ding Daquan insists on showing "some good intentions" to arrange his future and marriage.
I am self-righteous and think that everyone likes to be a grandson.
In the final analysis, Ding Daquan never regarded this matter as a transaction, only as a gift to Li Xia.
"Xiang Ding, what you said in the office is too inappropriate and will only make people look contemptuous."
Ding Shouweng was furious.
But Li Xia didn't care whether he was angry or not, and said to Ding Daquan: "Xiangong Jia made an agreement with me. When he overthrows you, he will betroth his youngest daughter to me."
"Li Xia, you want to die, don't you?" Ding Shouweng shouted.
Li Xia said: "Did Mr. Ding forget? It was Mr. Jia who sent me to Mr. Ding."
Ding Daquan glanced at Ding Shouweng coldly.
This sight scared Ding Shouweng so much that he quickly lowered his head.
Ding Daquan just smiled and said: "I told you that I like you very much. You don't need to pay attention to Jia Shixian and just be my grandson-in-law."
"If Xianggong Jia knew that I had betrayed him... what couldn't he do? I said it at the beginning. I sincerely surrendered to Xianggong Ding, but I didn't dare to interfere between the two Xianggongs. I would rather go to Shu.
Bar."
"Reason, reason to insist on going to Sichuan."
Li Xia suddenly said: "The information I handed over was incomplete. Why hasn't anyone asked me about it in the past two days?"
Ding Daquan said: "What's the hurry? The Privy Council has checked it and will ask you for it."
"If the Privy Council had read the intelligence, they would have known that Wu Liang had made mistakes in his strategy of joining Taiwan, and that there was an opportunity to make meritorious deeds in the Southwest War." Li Xia said, "As long as Prime Minister Ding recommends me, I am willing to make meritorious deeds for Prime Minister Ding."
Ding Daquan didn't seem to care too much about this. He only cared about whether Li Xia disobeyed him.
"You are thinking too complicated, don't worry about it, just get married."
Li Xia knew that Ding Daquan didn't have much patience anymore, and if he refused again, he would fall out soon.
If you stay away from a villain, you will be resentful, let alone a villain who kills and takes away your life.
Li Xia slowly picked up a glass of wine, hesitating, but looking outside the hall.
Counting time, the news should come.
He would never marry a daughter of the Ding family.
Finally, a boy came over and said, "Alang, the chief of the pavilion is here."
Li Xia originally thought that the news came that Sun Yingzhi had been assassinated, and was a little worried when he heard the news.
Not long after, a middle-aged man with a fair face and no beard appeared.
"Oh, Prime Minister Ding! I was scared to death, so I walked to Qingwazi and saw someone stabbing Sun Yingzhi to death! A dignified young minister from Taichang Temple, he was gone..."
Guande took two sips of wine and finally calmed down.
He first remembered the business and handed a piece of news to Ding Daquan, and the two discussed how to deal with the people from Taixue.
Having said that, the topic turned back to the assassination of Sun Yingzhi...
"So he is coming to see Prime Minister Ding? What a coincidence, I have also seen the murderer. He is a young man, good-looking, but a sick and consumptive man. Lin'an Prefecture is looking for him, and the city is full of people searching for him..."
Li Xia's expression did not change after hearing this.
After chatting for a while, Ding Daquan asked: "Li Xia, what do you think about this matter?"
"This matter is directed at me." Li Xia said: "I accidentally killed Sun Silang. I just wanted to apologize to Sun Shaoqing tonight, and Sun Shaoqing was assassinated. What a coincidence."
Guan De was surprised: "Is that so?"
"Everyone who returned north with me was injured. The murderer dressed up as a sick man and obviously wanted to frame me. After meeting the saint the day before yesterday, he was both flattering and framing me. I don't know who is dealing with me."
Ding Daquan waved his hand and said: "To deal with you? To deal with you, there is no need to kill a Taichang Qing? This matter is for me."
"Yes." Wu Yan said: "Everyone knows that Li Xia and Sun Shaoqing had a feud. Li Xia was in Prime Minister Ding's house, and Sun Shaoqing died on the way to the meeting. No matter who the murderer is, all the officials in the court will definitely insist that it was Prime Minister Ding who was unscrupulous and killed ministers without permission.
.”
After he finished speaking, he added, "Just like Dong Huai's incident."
"Yes, I almost killed Dong Huai last year. The people I invited tonight will not miss this opportunity to criticize me."
Li Xia said: "I brought trouble to Ding Xiang."
Guan De said: "What kind of trouble are you bringing about? False Taoism is always so bad at moral character. They throw dirty water on our heads. It's annoying to death."
When he said this, he said "ouch" again and said: "I was there at the time, do you still want to say that I personally led the people to kill? These old cowards are shameless! Ding Xiang, you should have killed Dong Huai then
"It's too polite to drive him away. We should kill Uncle Xie Fang too and poison him! I could have poisoned Uncle Xie Fang today..."
Ding Daquan said: "Don't worry, Chief Guan, I will handle this matter. You can go back to the palace first."
Guan De was still in high spirits and said in a thin voice that he wanted to kill Uncle Xie Fang. After a few more words, he stood up.
"Then I'm going back to the palace. Prime Minister Ding can send more people to protect me. I'm really scared to death today."
The man finally left, and the hall became quiet.
Ding Daquan stood up and walked around for a few steps, then suddenly put his green face in front of Li Xia and stared at him deeply.
"Didn't you send someone to do it?"
"Did I send someone to do it?" Li Xia was stunned.
He thought of the many reasons Han Chengxu said against the assassination, pondered, and said slowly: "If I assassinate Sun Shaoqing... a hundred harms and no benefit."
Ding Daquan nodded, straightened up and said: "You are quite smart and know that you should not assassinate high-ranking officials. This is definitely not a wise move."
"Yes. When I faced the Holy Spirit, I told you that assassination methods are commonly used in the north. If you assassinate someone rashly, it will be easy to find me."
"If not you, who else?"
"I don't know." Li Xia said, "What I'm worried about is that there will be more evidence pointing to me to deal with Prime Minister Ding."
Ding Daquan pondered for a long time and suddenly said: "For those three vacancies, which county are you considering?"
Li Xia said: "Qingfu County, Xuzhou."
"Wu Yan, inform the officials to handle it urgently."
"yes."
"Xie Dingxiang."
"Let's break up..."
A small chariot landed outside the hall and took Ding Daquan back to the backyard.
A confidant, Mu Liao, walked beside him and asked, "Doesn't Prime Minister Ding want to keep Li Xia as his grandson-in-law?"
Ding Daquan murmured to himself: "No matter who is responsible for Sun Yingzhi's death, the finger will be pointed at Li Xia and me... This kid has become a target in Lin'an. It might as well be released for two years to let him suffer a little."
Frustration has sharpened your edges, and you will come back and beg to be my grandson-in-law."
"So what if Sun Yingzhi was killed by someone sent by Li Xia?"
"So what? You still want to expose him? What's the difference between saying he did it and saying I did it? It's exactly what happened that I should clear his suspicions. Before becoming the prime minister, there can't be any evidence.
!”
"But if he really killed him, this would be too..."
"I am neither Lin'an Prefecture nor the Prison Bureau, so I care about who killed Mr. Sun? What the hell? How many times have I said it, the key is phase, phase!"
"Yes, yes, the key is the phase, the villain talks too much."
However, when the words came to this, someone suddenly came to report: "Alang, Li Xia just left the house and has been taken away..."