The Wang family next to the martial arts school in Lingfei Lane is not an old Jinling family, but three generations ago their ancestors had a third-rank official who was the general envoy of Nanjing, so they settled in this golden place of the Six Dynasties.
Ancestor Yu Yin, the Wang family also inherited a false title of fourth-grade martial arts without having to work. He was no more than average or above in Jinling City, but who would have expected that a golden phoenix flew out of the small temple. This obviously poor family that has been settled has been born.
After marrying a Wei lady, it became a bustling place. There were people seeking hereditary military positions, people talking about favors, petty officials seeking transfer to the yamen for promotion... there were all kinds of things.
In the evening, there was a long carriage parked at the seemingly shabby gate of the Wang family, and in the concierge on the right side of the gate, seven or eight people were sitting in a narrow space. Even so, they were all smiling. After all, they could
It is always better to get through this door than to wait outside with no hope. As he spoke, Wu Shouzheng, who obviously had a foreign accent, was naturally excluded from the outside. He didn't care, and just kept looking out.
, those ridicules just turned a deaf ear. When there was a burst of noise outside the door, he stood up quickly, and sure enough, the next moment, someone picked up the curtain and poked his head in.
"Old Wu, no wonder I sent someone to the inn and couldn't find you. I'm sorry you were waiting at my door. Come out quickly and stop wasting your time!"
Seeing Wu Shouzheng agreeing repeatedly and running out of the door, everyone waiting in the narrow room couldn't help but look at each other. A young man who recognized Wang Shikun had to explain a few words in a low voice. For a moment, it seemed as if he had just ridiculed this foreign upstart.
The fat middle-aged man almost turned green in his intestines. When he saw another rough boy coming in and pouring a round of tea, it was inevitable that someone would ask what was going on, but the boy's answer almost made him choke.
"That's the person that the eldest young master likes. Who knows the origin?"
Naturally, Wang Shikun didn't know that one of his rude servants' irritating words would cast him into disrepute among the guests. After he took Wu Shouzheng into the car, he saw this man looking around with a look of embarrassment on his face.
He stood up and said angrily: "Don't act so sneaky when you go to Duke Wei's mansion later, otherwise I will get scolded by my eldest sister, and I won't be able to forgive you!"
Wu Shouzheng's eyes suddenly widened and he stammered: "Wei... Wei Guogong's Mansion?"
Seeing Wang Shikun move his chin to confirm this, Wu Shouzheng immediately showed a more frightened expression, but he thought of the scene when he went to see Xu Xun this morning. Thinking that the young man had already predicted this.
He was in awe, lowering his head and pretending to be respectful. At the same time, he had to go over the words he had prepared in his heart. As a result, he was naturally absent-minded along the way. Wang Shikun was certainly very interested in him.
His attitude was indifferent, but the boy waiting on the side was sent to Wang Shikun by Mrs. Wang, so he had to take his situation into consideration.
Although it was not yet a night ban at this time, there were already fewer and fewer pedestrians on the street. As soon as the carriage drove into the wooden archway at the west end of Changfu Street, it immediately slowed down. One of the entourage who was walking with the carriage in front had already rushed over.
At the west corner door of Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, a post was handed in with both hands. After a while, the west corner door made way for the passage. Without even checking, a group of people were let in. The carriage passed the corridor and turned two corners.
But he stopped in front of a small courtyard.
Wu Shouzheng, who jumped out of the car after Wang Shikun, landed and quickly looked around for a moment with the corner of his eye. Then he lowered his head and entered the room in the center under the guidance of others. After he sat down, he said thank you first. Pay attention.
When Wang Shikun didn't follow up, he couldn't help but feel even more anxious. However, what followed was a longer wait. It took a long time for his cup of tea to be drained, and his stomach gradually began to growl, and after a long time
, there was a burst of voices coming from behind the screen in the middle. He secretly raised his eyes to look at the gap under the screen, and saw many exquisite embroidered shoes embroidered with flowers and birds passing below. He was stunned for a moment.
"But Yuanwai Wu?"
Hearing this question, Wu Shouzheng jumped up from his chair. He wanted to raise his hand but felt it was too disrespectful. He was afraid that others would think he was rude when he kowtowed, so he quickly made a big bow at almost 90 degrees, and then he was respectful.
He said: "It is Xiaomin who has met Mrs. Wei Guo."
"You don't need to be polite outside, Member Wu, but it doesn't matter if you sit down." A gentle voice came from the screen, but under this voice, no other voice could be heard in the whole room, as if other people were
They all seemed to be holding their breath, "Brother-in-law has always been naughty, and he often offends people in many ways. Member Wu sees that he is still young, but please give me a few words of advice."
"Don't you dare, don't you dare." Wu Shouzheng, who had just sat down diagonally, jumped up in a hurry and bowed his head deeply to the ground. "I'm just a vulgar person. How can I guide the prince?"
"Oh? Mr. Wu is being too modest. If you hadn't specifically informed me before, how would my younger brother know who the guests that Eunuch Fu had invited to the banquet earlier were, and how would he have come to celebrate the festival? How could he have made up for it smoothly?
For this matter, Wu Yuanwai took the most credit, and speaking of it, I have to thank Wu Yuanwai for it."
Although it was just an understatement, Wu Shouzheng felt his heart tremble when he heard it. Remembering Xu Xun's previous reminder that he had better tell the truth, he hurriedly said with a smile: "I really don't dare to take Mrs. Wei's words seriously.
The people never expected that there would be such a coincidence. The person they met only once during the day was actually a guest of Eunuch Fu. Now that I think about it, I still find it incredible. The thing is like this..."
He told the truth that he went to see Xu Xun that morning and wanted to spend money to open up a joint to see Yin Wuxiong of Yingtian Mansion. Then he changed the subject and skipped to going to Qingping Building with Wang Shikun in the evening and asking the young man about Fu.
Finally, he talked about how he had been waiting outside for a long time to send Xu Xun back, and happened to encounter the fire in Taiping. At first, he was a little stumbling when talking about it, but gradually he became calm and described it vividly.
Behind the screen, Mrs. Wang was wearing a worn-out azure-coloured shirt with a cross-collar and a slanted placket. She looked simple, but her face had a hint of detachment common among nobles. She leaned on the Taishi chair and listened thoughtfully.
While Wu Shouzheng was talking, he looked at Wang Shikun and the boy beside him from time to time, who dared not raise his head. Seeing that neither of them showed any reaction to Wu Shouzheng's words, the boy nodded lightly every time he reached key points. She
Knowing that the person outside did not dare to lie, she naturally looked calm as she listened. However, at the end, Wu Shouzheng said something as if he suddenly woke up, which made her suddenly stop smiling.
"Mrs. Haojiao learned that Xiaomin had seen someone give Mr. Xu Qi a big red card when he hosted a banquet for Kui Yuan to congratulate Gaosheng. Xiaomin asked about it and found that only those who had been awarded Hanlin
The old men who came out of the inner study hall can only use the name tattoos of this color on weekdays. Mr. Xu Qi didn't know many people, and the people were frightened. It was for the big red name card that the people followed Mr. Wang to Qingpinglou.
It was only in the morning of that day that I thought of going to Mr. Xu Qi's place to open the tunnel, but I hit a snag. According to Xiaomin's later guess, it was probably a gift from Eunuch Fu."
The surprise on Mrs. Wang's face disappeared as quickly as it came, and she returned to normal in a moment. After asking Wu Shouzheng a few more questions, she nodded and told the steward's wife beside her to go out and pass a table of guest meals for Wu Shouzheng to use.
As soon as she went out, she dismissed the waiters on the left and right, leaving only two close mothers, and then she stretched out her hand to call Wang Shikun over.
"Did Xu Xun tell you that Eunuch Fu gave him a big red card?"
"No." Wang Shikun shook his head depressedly and said angrily, "He just kept telling me that it was the first time he and Eunuch Fu met at Qingping Tower... How dare this kid lie to me!"
"That's not to deceive you. I know how to behave, and I'm not one of those frivolous people." Mrs. Wang smiled sweetly, and the golden step on her head trembled slightly with her chuckle. "If you get Eunuch Fu's name, he will go around everywhere."
Swagger, I will definitely tell you to stay away from that kind of people. Now it seems that since Eunuch Fu has given him such good things, he may have promised something to him... In this way, you can go to his place tonight and see if there is anything
Whatever is convenient, just come down and make a good relationship with Eunuch Fu!"
ps: I recommend a book, "Heraldry's Wrath". I am an old author who once wrote "The Escorts of the Tang Dynasty". The quality is high. Speaking of other people's books, vote for me if you want to recommend them. ^_^