Chapter 92 Oh my God, Duke, your grandson is a great scholar.
Kyoto of the Great Wei Dynasty.
North Gate.
The Kyoto City Gate is majestic and majestic. The wall is at least thirty feet thick. There are three passages, the civilian passage for ordinary people, the commercial passage for merchants, and the official passage for officials. Finally, there is a small passage specially used for urgent documents.
Yes, don't stop it.
After getting off the carriage, Xu Qingxiao looked at the majestic capital city and felt inexplicably emotional.
I wanted to recite a poem, but after thinking about it I decided not to do it. I was afraid of attracting some strange phenomena, so I might as well save it for the banquet later.
"Thank you both for accompanying me all the way."
After getting off the carriage, Xu Qingxiao took out two twenty-tael silver notes and handed them to the two officials.
Although it was an official job, the two of them had been working hard these past few days, and Xu Qingxiao couldn't help but express his feelings.
"Mr. Xu, you're too polite. We can't accept this money. You have redressed the injustice for us brothers. If we still accept your money, we will be really not human beings."
The two of them handed over their hands and rejected Xu Qingxiao's kindness.
"Okay, thank you both."
Xu Qingxiao was also very generous. After taking back the banknote, she slightly saluted the two of them.
The two of them also bowed and then drove the carriage back.
After watching the carriage leave for a while, Xu Qingxiao started to line up normally.
The queue to enter Beijing is very long. Normally, it would take at least an hour and a half.
There is no room for sloppiness in checking identity information, etc.
Xu Qingxiao is also patient.
Nearly an hour and a half later, the queue finally reached Xu Qingxiao, who handed the road information to the review official, who seemed a little careless.
But his expression soon changed, and he raised his head and looked at Xu Qingxiao.
"Your Excellency, is this Xu Qingxiao? Xu Wangu?"
He stood up with surprise in his eyes.
"Exactly, I wonder who it is, sir?"
Xu Qingxiao answered modestly and politely.
"Oh, it really is Xu Wangu, Brother Xu."
"I don't dare to take this position. I don't dare to take this position. Next week, Jing'an is a gatekeeper in the capital. I have met Xu Wangu and Brother Xu."
Zhou Jing'an stood up and said.
Zhou Jingan looks to be in his thirties and has an ordinary appearance.
This week Jing'an is a relatively high-ranking official in Kyoto, but he is still an official in the capital, right? Naturally, he has heard of Xu Qingxiao. It can even be said that who in Kyoto does not know Xu Qingxiao?
There was a turmoil in the city some time ago, and naturally it was like thunder. I was still thinking about whether I could meet Xu Qingxiao, but I never thought that I would actually meet her here.
"It turns out to be Mr. Zhou. Xu has met Mr. Zhou."
Xu Qingxiao was also very polite and didn't care about the other party's official rank. There was no incompetent person who could be an official in the capital. He might ask the other party for help in the future.
When entering the capital, the most important thing for you is your connections. As long as there is no hostility towards you, make friends if you can.
"I'm serious, I'm serious. Brother Xu has reached the seventh level of Mingyi. In terms of knowledge, I have to call him sir. In terms of official rank, Brother Xu came first in the examination. Now he has been summoned by His Majesty. He will be admitted soon.
towards."
"Brother Xu, wait a moment."
Zhou Jing'an first praised him, then stood up and asked his assistants to work for him. There were also many eyes around him, all of them showing surprise.
After explaining the work, Zhou Jingan said with a smile.
"Brother Xu, you have just arrived in the capital and may not be familiar with it. Zhou will help you get familiar with it and help you find a place to stay. I wonder if Brother Xu is willing."
Who is Zhou Jingan?
Even though he is just a Kyoto city gatekeeper, only a seventh-rank official, what is he actually like? Zhou Jingan has basically written down all the famous people in the world.
After all, this is the capital, a place where celebrities, powerful, rich and wealthy businessmen from all over the world will come sooner or later. What if we meet them that day? If we miss them, it’s okay, but what if we offend them?
Although there are duplicate names, isn't it enough to just ask? If others don't admit it, you won't offend yourself. If others admit it, you can build a relationship.
Just like now, isn't it just that I have a relationship with Xu Qingxiao? Regardless of whether Xu Qingxiao agrees or not, at least it has left a good impression.
You must know that Xu Qingxiao is now a super popular person. He has written peerless articles on the imperial examination, and even left peerless parallel prose at the Nanyu Pavilion Banquet. As for angrily criticizing a great scholar, he will make it clear in three days.
This is even more exaggerated. The most important thing is that he, Zhou Jing'an, is not a Confucian, so if Xu Qingxiao offends a Confucian, he doesn't care about other people's affairs. Furthermore, the Great Wei Wen Palace is not just a member of the Zhu Sheng lineage.
"If it's possible, I'll trouble you, Mr. Zhou."
This relationship is great. Xu Qingxiao really doesn't understand the layout of the capital. It would be great if someone with a know-how leads the way.
"you are welcome."
Zhou Jing'an said with a smile, and then asked Xu Qingxiao to go forward, and then the two of them walked side by side.
"Brother Xu, the capital of the Wei Dynasty is 450 miles long from east to west and 430 miles long from north to south. It is divided into inner and outer areas, and the capital belongs to the inner city. There are 108 streets laid out horizontally and vertically."
"The Imperial City is at the top, with Zhuque Avenue on the left, where the princes and princes live, and Xuanwu Avenue on the right, where the emperor's relatives and officials of the court live."
"Down the street, there are seventy-two squares and East and West Streets, which are very lively. Brother Xu, after a while, you can go to these two streets to have fun, eat, drink and have fun. They are extremely prosperous."
Zhou Jing'an explained the layout of the entire imperial city to Xu Qingxiao.
The Imperial City is huge. This is the inner city, but the permanent population reaches three to four million. It is complicated and complicated, and it is at least two hours' journey from the Imperial Palace.
Fortunately, the street layout in the imperial city is also very large. Taking into account the movement of horse-drawn carriages, pedestrian paths and horse paths are divided. What surprised Xu Qingxiao was that there were even traffic controls.
Gee, it deserves to be the imperial capital, but it’s different. Traffic control is in place.
Xu Qingxiao's surprised look made Zhou Jing'an enjoy it very much. Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that Xu Qingxiao's surprise was not such an advanced setting, but that there would be traffic control in such a feudal era.
Along the way, after chatting for a long time, Zhou Jingan stopped a carriage.
If you really want to walk to the real center of Beijing, it will take at least more than an hour. Taking a carriage is much faster and you can get there in half an hour.
The carriages in the imperial city are all extraordinary. To describe them as thousand-mile horses is an insult. The horses are not big, but rather short, but have big feet. They can run in the imperial city at extremely fast speeds and will not lift their wheels.
What dust.
In the carriage, Xu Qingxiao looked out the window, at the crowds outside the window, admiring the capital of the Wei Dynasty.
Even after a while, a scene that even surprised Xu Qingxiao appeared.
Blonde.
Do all foreigners have crooked days?
Xu Qingxiao really didn't expect to see foreigners in the Wei Dynasty. It wasn't that he had never seen them before, but it was a bit surprising to see them in this kind of world.
"Master Zhou, are these people from foreign countries?"
Xu Qingxiao pointed at the blond and blue-eyed man who had passed by.
"Hahahaha, Brother Xu, are you surprised? But it's normal. When Zhou came to the capital, he was also shocked."
"Those people are all foreigners. The Wei Dynasty was once known as the country of all nations, and its territory was huge. But the world is not just Wei, there are naturally many small countries."
"They all regard me, the Wei Dynasty, as their superior state and pay tribute every year. Your Majesty has also accepted it with pleasure. After all, the Wei Dynasty is a state of etiquette and allows these foreign countries to come to the Wei Dynasty to do business and make a living."
"And by giving them many gifts, it can be regarded as giving them some face."
Zhou Jing'an said with a smile.
As soon as he said this, Xu Qingxiao couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Do they have to pay taxes when they come here to do business?"
Xu Qingxiao was not surprised at all by foreigners, but was surprised to see them in this kind of world. But if you think about it carefully, countries have existed since ancient times, and it is normal for people to have blond hair and blue eyes.
Xu Qingxiao asked curiously when he heard that doing business was a way to make a living.
"Taxes?"
"That's not necessary. After all, these foreign countries come from poor countries, and they pay tribute every year. The Confucian officials in the court thought that they were sincere, so they also extended God's favor to themselves and let them enjoy some of God's favor."
"Let other countries see the grand plan of our Great Wei and the majesty of our country."
Zhou Jing'an spoke very enthusiastically and looked very proud.
But Xu Qingxiao sounded like something was wrong.
"Not paying taxes?"
"Enjoying heaven's grace?"
"It's true that corrupt scholars are harming the country."
Xu Qingxiao felt a little uneasy in her heart.
What are the biggest benefits of the trade economy to the country? There are only two, currency circulation and tax collection.
The most important thing is to obtain taxes. If they are not given taxes, then they come to do business just to make money, bring the money they earn to their own country, develop their own country's economy, promote labor production, and then make whatever they want to make money.
.
Is there such a good thing in the world?
But these foreign countries can understand without paying taxes. It is not just to satisfy a country's vanity.
To put it bluntly, the Wei dynasty considers itself to be above all nations. If the surrounding small countries disagree and make all kinds of ridicule, does it mean it has no authority? Then the Wei Dynasty will attack and teach you a lesson.
But fighting a war must be purposeful, purely to make others say, "You are awesome." This kind of war has almost no meaning, unless it is for colonization.
But what if the Wei Dynasty thinks that it is the best among all countries, and the surrounding small countries agree, and even send people to give gifts? What if Confucianism governs the country is very simple, you give me face, and I will give you ten times the face. This is called etiquette.
Its purpose is to satisfy this vanity which has almost no value.
The vanity of the emperor, the vanity of his ministers, and the vanity of the people.
But who suffers in the end? The emperor? The ministers? The common people?
No, it is the country that suffers.
And you suffer a big loss. This is a common problem in ancient and modern times. People come to you and bow down to you. They call you "big brother", give you some torn sheep skin and vegetables, cry and shout, "courtesy is light but affection is heavy, and you turn around and reward you with a pile of gold and silver."
jewelry.
Even after your people come, they will receive various preferential treatment, such as financial subsidies and study subsidies. The name is that they come here to let you learn culture. But if you are not of my race, you are just ambitious and smart. I will use your money to learn.
What's yours, go back to your country and develop it on your own.
If you are stupid, take your money, go eat, drink and have fun. After you have fun, go home and let your son come over to have fun. You can't say anything at this time.
Confucianism is a land of etiquette.
However, Xu Qingxiao is not too emotional. This kind of matter cannot be solved by herself for the time being. The matter involves too much and is a major matter between countries. It cannot be solved by just a few criticisms.
But you still need to pay more attention to this matter.
The carriage gallops.
Xu Qingxiao also asked a lot of questions, and Zhou Jingan patiently explained them along the way.
"Actually, Brother Xu, don't worry about the Zhu Sheng lineage. After all, it's not his Zhu Sheng lineage who is in charge in the Great Wei Wen Palace."
"The Literary Palace was built to honor five saints. It is said that all scholars in the world respect Zhu, but there are still many who imitate other saints."
"Furthermore, over the years, the line of Confucian officials has indeed been somewhat arrogant and often made His Majesty angry. After all, His Majesty still has the final say in this Wei Dynasty, not the saints."
"You think so? Brother Xu?"
Zhou Jing'an opened his mouth and talked with Xu Qingxiao about Zhu Sheng's lineage.
"Well, the Great Wei is your Majesty's Great Wei after all, and is not a sage Great Wei. However, I, Xu, also respect Zhu Sheng. If I can be a saint, I should be extraordinary and bring benefits to the world. I must not be disrespectful."
"It's just that Zhu Sheng's lineage is now using Zhu Sheng's words to do their own things and use the public for personal gain."
Xu Qingxiao still respects the saint very much. A saint is a saint. He will never disrespect Saint Zhu, but his philosophy is different.
"Yes, yes, Brother Xu said yes."
Zhou Jing'an also nodded.
Finally, the carriage stopped and arrived at the core of the imperial city, where driving was not allowed.
The two of them got off the carriage. Zhou Jing'an originally planned to take Xu Qingxiao to the Xianchen Pavilion, but Xu Qingxiao wanted to clean up for a while, so he just chose a restaurant.
He still had two hundred taels of silver notes on hand, which he got by selling the Duke's gift, and he could afford to live in an inn in the capital, so Zhou Jing'an took Xu Qingxiao to a decent restaurant.
Jingyan Inn.
After entering the inn, Zhou Jing'an took the initiative and asked the innkeeper to open an upper room, and at the same time paid Xu Qingxiao some silver.
At that moment, Xu Qingxiao wanted to stop Zhou Jing'an, but the latter blocked her in every possible way: "Brother Xu, it's your first time to come to the capital, and it's Zhou who's here to greet you. To be honest, it's fate. The accommodation fee of just a few taels of silver is not worth it."
Let’s fight.”
Zhou Jing'an pulled Xu Qingxiao and said seriously.
Xu Qingxiao's strength was enough to push Zhou Jing'an away, but he also knew that the other person was dealing with people, and he couldn't refuse this kind offer, so he accepted his love.
After the room was opened, Zhou Jing'an also took out a piece of paper from the room and drew horizontally and vertically on it. After a while, Zhou Jing'an handed it to Xu Qingxiao and said.
"Brother Xu, this is a rough map of the inner city. Zhou heard that some princes are very fond of you. It's not too late now. You can go visit the princes. I'm afraid you don't know the way, so I've prepared it for you."
Zhou Jingan is really very experienced and has arranged every aspect for Xu Qingxiao. He is indeed a good person.
"Thank you very much, Brother Zhou. If you wait until you are done, I will invite Brother Zhou to get drunk."
Xu Qingxiao said gratefully.
The latter waved his hand and smiled: "Brother Xu, you're welcome, but if Brother Xu goes, you should prepare some small gifts. It doesn't need to be too much, and the princes of the country don't need it. It's just as long as you feel like it."
"If Brother Xu goes, Zhou can accompany him, so that Brother Xu won't get into any trouble."
Zhou Jing'an said this.
"Trouble? You shouldn't have any trouble buying some things, right?"
What Zhou Jingan said made him a little curious.
"There really won't be any trouble in normal business. It's just that there are a lot of people doing business in the east and west streets. They are not very good-tempered and have a bit of a hot temper. You can only look at them and don't touch them. If you touch them, you have to buy them."
"They often cause some minor troubles. They are from foreign countries. The imperial court considers the state of the Wei Dynasty, so it does not strictly control them to avoid stirring up trouble."
Zhou Jing'an replied, these words made Xu Qingxiao frown slightly.
Under the emperor's feet, within the imperial city, could such a thing still happen?
Isn't doing business just a matter of you coming and going, only not allowed to touch? What a huge power? You said it's okay if it's jade, but if it's an ordinary business, wouldn't it be tyrannical?
"This country is also stubborn. It is not as smart as our Wei Dynasty in doing business, but it is nothing important. I am afraid that if it encounters it, it will be long-winded, and I will go to the Yamen to talk about it. In the end, I can only mediate."
"There's no need to waste any time on them."
Zhou Jing'an could tell that Xu Qingxiao was a little unhappy, but it didn't matter. Just get used to it. Anyway, it didn't matter if he didn't provoke her.
"Okay, then please ask Brother Zhou to accompany me."
Xu Qingxiao nodded, put down her things, and left with Zhou Jing'an.
After walking out of the inn and walking about 400 steps, I saw an extremely wide street. The street was bustling with people. People from the capital gathered here. There were teahouses, taverns, and theaters and acrobatics.
There are many stalls outside, with all kinds of strange things, calligraphy, calligraphy, paintings, jade and treasures. It is dazzling at first glance and overwhelming.
Xu Qingxiao was walking in the street, preparing gifts for the princes, but Xu Qingxiao did not consider calligraphy, painting, and jade. Firstly, it was not cost-effective, and secondly, these military attachés could not appreciate it.
As for the supplements and medicinal materials, I didn’t plan to buy them. As a prince, the supplements and medicinal materials I take every day must be of high quality. I couldn’t afford them with my own money, so I thought about it and bought some high-quality silk and satin. Even if this kind of thing is
The princes have no need.
There's nothing wrong with buying some clothes for the servants. It doesn't matter what you give as long as the people leave. But if you really want to give some expensive things yourself, then there will be a problem.
Where does a scholar get his silver?
But soon, Xu Qingxiao discovered that she had underestimated the capital's spending power.
A foot of silk can easily cost two taels of silver, it's a foot! Not one piece, one piece is forty meters long, which means about one hundred and twenty-five feet, which works out to two hundred and fifty taels of silver per piece of cloth.
The price made Xu Qingxiao suddenly silent.
After shopping around in other places, although there were some cheap things, they were all gadgets and Xu Qingxiao couldn't give them away.
After thinking about it, Xu Qingxiao gritted her teeth and bought ten good folding fans.
It's not cheap either. A folding fan costs ten taels of silver. The fan ribs are made of 100-forged iron, and the fan surface is also made of a kind of tinder cloth.
Xu Qingxiao borrowed a writing brush from the store and quickly wrote words on the fan.
【Loyalty to the King and Serving the Country】
【High style and bright festival】
On the front, he said he was loyal to the emperor and served the country, and on the other hand, he was upright and upright. After writing it, he added his name and then presented one of the fans to Zhou Jing'an.
"Brother Zhou has troubled me today. Xu doesn't have anything to offer, and I don't know what Brother Zhou needs. I'm careful with this thing. I hope Brother Zhou doesn't dislike it."
Xu Qingxiao gave the fan to the other party. The quality of the fan itself, which cost ten taels of silver, was very good. In addition, with his inscription on it, doubling the price is not too much, right?
It can also be regarded as courtesy.
"This, this, this, this, this, thank you so much, Brother Xu, thank you so much, Brother Xu."
Zhou Jing'an subconsciously wanted to refuse, but seeing with his own eyes that this was the fan nominated by Xu Qingxiao, he really couldn't explain it. After all, the value of this thing is definitely more than ten taels of silver.
If Xu Qingxiao's status in the court becomes higher and higher, this fan will be worth thousands of gold, oh, no, ten thousand gold.
"Brother Zhou, you're welcome."
Xu Qingxiao shook her head, and at the same time felt a little emotional that the consumption in the capital was so expensive. It seemed that if the emperor didn't reward her with some silver, it would be troublesome, and he might have to go to Zhou Jing'an's house to eat, drink and stay.
With one hundred taels of silver left, Xu Qingxiao didn't think too much and left the shop with the remaining nine fans.
"Brother Xu, walk all the way towards this street, turn left, and you will reach Suzaku Avenue. According to the map, I have marked the location of the Duke."
"Zhou won't be coming over. I'll say goodbye first. If Brother Xu is done with his work and wants to find someone to have a drink with, feel free to come see Zhou."
Zhou Jing'an showed Xu Qingxiao the way. He actually wanted to go there with Xu Qingxiao, but it was a pity that he went there by himself. He probably wouldn't stay in the capital anymore. There were some things that he couldn't take advantage of.
"Thanks for the advice, Brother Zhou. See you in a few days."
Xu Qingxiao smiled, and after saying goodbye, she followed Zhou Jing'an's map to find the address of An Guogong.
Xu Qingxiao walked slowly on the street, and soon some official officials appeared not far away, catching Xu Qingxiao's eyes.
Four officers came to a shop. Many people gathered around and looked at them. They shouted fiercely and seemed a little angry.
"This! Thing! Very, very precious! If he touched it, he should buy it! Otherwise, why would he touch it?"
A voice full of anger sounded, and it sounded like someone from a foreign country.
Not far away, dozens of foreigners wearing strange costumes stood in front of the officials. Each of them looked fierce. Although they were silent, they gave people the feeling that they were ready to take action at any time.
"I just touched it, and I didn't know there was such a rule. Furthermore, where do you buy things if you touch them? There are things placed here, and there are no signs not allowed to touch them."
"Lord Officer, you have to make the decision for me on this matter."
One scholar looked a little excited and said.
"If you touch it, you have to buy it. This is our rule."
"We found these jewels from the Holy Mountain. They have a sacred aura. If you touch them, they are gone and have no value."
"Five thousand taels, no less."
Fanbang's voice sounded uncomfortable and his tone was weird, but Xu Qingxiao understood that it was a typical act of forced buying and selling, bullying outsiders.
"Five thousand taels? You sold me, and I don't even have five thousand taels. You are so open-mouthed, my lord, there is no way I will compensate you."
The scholar shouted when he heard the five thousand taels. How could a normal person get five thousand taels of silver?
"Okay, okay."
"Stop arguing."
"What about the jade on the holy mountain? Five thousand taels is too much. Can ten taels of silver be enough? Stop arguing. If you continue to argue, you will go to the Yamen."
The official's voice sounded, he looked at Fan Bang and others and said.
"Ten taels won't do, it's too little."
This group of foreigners shook their heads one after another, feeling that twelve taels was too little, and at the same time they continued to talk about sacred energy.
"Just ten taels. If it doesn't work, go see the official. Then you don't want to do business today."
The official also got angry and said very directly.
The latter looked at each other, nodded, and agreed.
As for the scholars, they felt a little aggrieved and confused.
"Ten taels of silver? I just touched it. Just ten taels of silver? I won't give it."
He was not convinced, so he touched it and got ten taels. This was simply robbing people.
"Don't be dissatisfied. These people are not easy to deal with. If you go to the government, they will take a confession and then you can come out and continue working. If you go, you will be detained for twelve hours. You will still be asked to pay compensation later."
"Come on, just think of it as a lesson. If you really piss off these people, they will really cause trouble for you. We won't be able to help you in time."
The official's voice sounded, and he was a little impatient. He was also angry, but what could be done? These foreigners were just like this. They relied on the court's favors and various Confucian etiquette to have a national image.
They didn't dare to do anything to them.
Just spend some money to solve it, there is no need to make a big fuss.
Sure enough, as soon as he said this, the scholar panicked a little, looked at the eyes of these foreigners, and finally gritted his teeth and took out ten taels of silver notes, and then left angrily.
It would be unkind for an official to hand over the banknotes to these people.
"That's almost it. His Majesty's birthday is coming soon. If you mess around at that time, don't blame me for waiting."
The officials had no choice but to say harsh words and leave.
But this group of foreigners smiled triumphantly and looked at the banknotes with great pleasure.
"damn thing."
Xu Qingxiao frowned slightly, but she didn't mind her own business. She walked forward. After walking a few steps, she shook her feet and a stone shot out, aiming at the supporting point of their stall.
boom.
Wow!
There was only a slight sound, followed by the sound of various pieces of jade breaking. The stall collapsed and various jade articles fell to the ground. They were at least 40 to 50% destroyed. No matter how cheap they were, they would still be worth more than these ten taels of silver.
"My holy jade."
The stranger's cry rang out, and the smile on his face completely disappeared.
Xu Qingxiao did not stay and continued moving forward.
Do good deeds without leaving a name.
After about half a quarter of an hour, Xu Qingxiao finally arrived at Suzaku Avenue.
Compared with the bustling West Street, Zhuque Avenue suddenly became much deserted. There were not many people on the street, and people came and went in a hurry. Moreover, the street was very clean, with mansions on both sides, and at least six doormen standing there.
House plaque.
Zhuque Avenue is where the princes and princes of the country live, while Xuanwu Avenue is where the royal family, nobles and ministers of the court live.
Xu Qingxiao searched based on the map and finally found Anguo Gong's house.
Anguo Gongfu.
A huge plaque appeared in Xu Qingxiao's eyes. The door was wide and there were four guards on the left and right. Each one was full of energy. Xu Qingxiao could sense the energy in them.
Very strong, at least an eighth-grade warrior.
The Dantian warriors who come here to guard the gate are really the seventh-rank officials in front of the prime minister's gate. However, these should be the former subordinates of An Guogong and are close confidants, which is normal.
Arriving in front of the house, Xu Qingxiao cupped her fists and cupped her hands.
"I, Xu Qingxiao, named Shouren, have been invited by Duke An to come to visit you."
Xu Qingxiao saluted and bowed towards the mansion.
As the sound rang out, the eight people guarding the door remained motionless, not even looking at each other. They were still looking at each other.
But at this moment, the door of the mansion opened.
An old man who looked like a housekeeper came out, looked at Xu Qingxiao, and then spoke.
"Master Xu, the Duke has prepared a banquet."
The housekeeper smiled, bowed slightly to Xu Qingxiao, and said very politely.
"Your Majesty, you're welcome."
Xu Qingxiao walked up the steps and followed the housekeeper inside.
Entering the mansion, there are maids and maids on both sides. At a glance, there are at least thirty or forty people, and every one of them is in their prime.
"I've met Mr. Xu."
The maids all spoke in unison, showing the grandeur of the Duke's mansion.
Xu Qingxiao had a gentle face, nodded slightly, and then followed the housekeeper.
After passing several courtyards, rockeries and lakes, the housekeeper of Duke Anguo's Mansion seemed to want to show off. He led Xu Qingxiao east and west. After a visit, it took a full two-quarters of an hour to arrive at a place.
In the garden.
At this time, a banquet had been held in the garden. There was a long table, and at a glance, there were more than ten people waiting for him. Among the crowd, an old man was sitting at the head.
The old man has white hair, but he is full of energy and does not have the slightest trace of a broken candle. His eyes are like a tiger's and his momentum is like a dragon. Sitting here, he is inexplicably putting great pressure on people. If nothing unexpected happens, this should be Duke An.
.
"Student Xu Qingxiao pays homage to Duke An Guo."
"When I came here this time, the student originally wanted to buy some gifts, but he didn't have much money and was weak-minded. Therefore, he bought a fine folding fan and boldly inscribed an inscription for An Guo Gong. I hope An Guo Gong will not dislike it."
Xu Qingxiao took out the folding fan from his sleeve and bowed at the same time.
The butler took the folding fan and came to Duke An.
"Be loyal to the king and serve the country, be upright and upright, hahahahahaha, Qingxiao is on your mind, come on, come on, don't be restrained, sit down and sit down."
Xu Qingxiao was so polite and attentive, which made Duke An Guo happy. The most important thing was that Xu Qingxiao's face made people feel comfortable.
He is a military attache and does not like the courtesy of scholars. Instead, he likes to be more casual. If it were not the first time they met, he would not sit upright like this.
Now seeing how polite Xu Qingxiao is, I feel more casual.
"Thank you, Mr. An Guo."
Xu Qingxiao was not polite, and slowly sat down. He was too polite. In the mind of this kind of military attache, it was probably not humility, but pretentiousness.
After sitting down, a maid immediately poured wine for Xu Qingxiao.
Duke An Guo was also very direct, looking at Xu Qingxiao and saying.
"I have always heard that you, Xu Qingxiao, have eternal talents. Now that I see you, you are indeed quite good. You have introverted talents and good looks on the outside. Not bad, not bad. Come on, don't be stunned. A guest is here. Let's have a drink."
Duke An Guo said with a smile, and everyone immediately raised their glasses and drank the first cup.
"An Guogong is really over-praised, and his eternal talent is still too exaggerated."
Xu Qingxiao said humbly, I still have to say this, after all, an eternal talent cannot afford the responsibility.
"Goodbye, I have heard that if God had not given birth to me, Xu Qingxiao, Confucianism and Taoism would last forever like a long night. These words are very domineering and have the flavor of my military strategist."
"You don't have to be modest anymore. That's how you scholars are. You always like to be modest. It doesn't hurt to be direct. Instead, you are willful. I'm fine. You can go back and check out the other princes' mansions."
"They hate this kind of formal modesty even more than I do."
An Guogong said with a smile, his casual words were actually giving Xu Qingxiao some guidance.
Indeed, they are all military commanders, so naturally they don't like this kind of pretentious modesty. Moreover, Xu Qingxiao is still young, not in her forties or fifties, and has experienced great storms.
Arrogance is also one of the characteristics of young people, as long as you don't be too arrogant.
"Yes, brother Xu, if I had your talent, I guarantee that my nose would be in the sky. I would scold anyone who dared to look at me on this Suzaku Avenue."
"We are all rough warriors. Please speak more openly. Brother Xu, come and have a drink."
An Guogong's descendants also spoke up, laughing heartily, and invited Xu Qingxiao to have another drink.
After the second glass of wine entered my stomach, I have to say that the wine in Guogong's Mansion was strong, strong and overbearing, but it was bitter, just for the sake of being strong. It was not as delicious or as strong as Moutai in the previous life.
But you still have to drink and give face.
"Since you guys are talking like this, Xu is not being humble."
Xu Qingxiao smiled, but that was just what he said. Could it be that he said, Mr. An Guo, stand up, everyone here is rubbish?
Isn't this seeking death?
"Well, be more straightforward. Come on, come on, have another drink, have another drink."
Everyone laughed and took turns toasting.
After three rounds of drinking, Anguo finally got down to business.
"Xu Qingxiao, you were summoned by the Emperor in advance this time, what are your plans?"
An Guogong asked openly.
"My lord, the student has no plans for the time being. We are just waiting for your majesty to summon you."
Xu Qingxiao answered truthfully.
"Well, that's right. Do you have any ideas?"
An Guogong continued to ask whether Xu Qingxiao was a member of the military family. Until now, it was just a guess. After all, Xu Qingxiao did not admit it personally.
So no matter how you guess, it's just a guess. Now An Guogong is very direct and asks Xu Qingxiao what he thinks and plans.
It's okay to ask directly. No matter what Xu Qingxiao chooses, he can help Xu Qingxiao as a reference. It can be regarded as an elder's help to a younger generation.
Faced with this question, Xu Qingxiao took a deep breath. He knew very well how important his next answer was.
If you answer well, you will be stable; if you answer poorly, you may be in trouble.
"My lord, Xu is not talented. After all, he is new to the court and shouldn't have any ideas."
"But does the Duke know that I, Xu, have composed a poem?"
Xu Qingxiao said this.
"Remember, it's called Manjianghong. I have a lot of insights into this poem. It's very good."
Duke An Guo praised seriously.
Xu Qingxiao couldn't help but stood up at this time, and then looked at Anguo Justice.
"Duke, I, Xu Qingxiao, wrote this poem because I read this historical record and saw this period of history."
"We, the Wei Dynasty, are on top of the country above. We have successive wise kings and strong national power. However, we never thought that these barbarians from the north would invade our land, kill my people, and plunder our Wei wealth."
"Historical books are ruthless. A single line cannot describe such tragedy. A single article cannot describe the cruelty of these barbarians. Every time I think of this, Xu's heart aches. Every time I think of this, Xu becomes even more resentful."
"It is a pity that I was young and could not follow the late emperor in his expedition and kill all the barbarians. It is a pity that I am incompetent. The shame of Jingcheng is still vivid in my mind, but we, the scholars, can only talk about pen and ink."
"Guoan, Xu's idea is like a river full of red, driving the Northern Expedition, killing the barbarians, hungry to eat their flesh, thirsty to drink their blood."
Xu Qingxiao's words were sonorous and powerful, and they were also spoken from the heart.
He will neither forget nor ignore the shame of Jingcheng.
He will never let go of the hatred of the barbarians.
But, right now, I can't do it because I don't have money to fight, so I still have to make money for the country, and then I can fight again when I have money.
Well, there is essentially no difference.
However, Xu Qingxiao just kept these words in her heart.
"good!"
"A good one, kill the barbarians, eat their flesh if you are hungry, drink their blood if you are thirsty."
Xu Qingxiao's contagious words made An Guogong couldn't help but applaud.
Nowadays, young people indeed want to go to war, but what are they fighting for? To make achievements and to show off.
But he could see that there was hatred in Xu Qingxiao's eyes. This kind of hatred was the hatred of the country.
It is the hatred that truly wants to avenge the shame of Wei Dynasty.
From this we can conclude that Xu Qingxiao is his military attaché, yes, yes, yes!
"Xu Qingxiao, I'll have a drink with you. I hope that one day you can really avenge my shame on Wei."
An Guogong said openly that he liked Xu Qingxiao very much.
"The Duke's words are serious, and the hatred of the family and the country must be avenged by the Duke. What the students hope more is to follow the Duke on the expedition and kill the barbarians without leaving any trace behind."
"And the one Xu admires the most is An Guogong. During the seven Northern Expeditions, An Guogong killed more than ten thousand enemies. The students admire him. With this glass of wine, the students respect Duke An."
Xu Qingxiao didn't dare to respond to this, so she still had to praise An Guogong.
Sure enough, when he heard Xu Qingxiao's praise, An Guogong's eyes became even more joyful.
"Then what is your song Manjianghong?"
Duke An Guo looked at Xu Qingxiao and couldn't help but ask.
This Manjianghong is an eternal term. If Xu Qingxiao really gave it to him, it would be a happy event.
"Guo Gong, Man Jiang Hong was indeed done by students for others, but they were afraid that the world would say I was flattering, so students would not say it, but An Guo Gong is a person whom students admire."
"Students are having a drink."
Xu Qingxiao didn't say who Man Jianghong was given to, but the meaning was obvious.
The reason for not saying it is also very simple. It would not be a good idea to give it to anyone, and I am indeed not writing it for anyone, I am just writing it out of my own feelings.
"Hahahahaha, okay, okay, okay, nephew Qingxiao, you are really humble and humble."
"You guys, learn from Qingxiao's nephew, how humble and smart you are. Look at you, you just go out to hang out in the alleys, eat, drink and have fun all day long."
"If you don't learn from the good ones, you will know that the bad ones will do whatever you want just because I am still here. If one day I am no longer alive, who can protect you?"
"I'm just wondering why I didn't give birth to a scholar. If I had one-tenth of Qingxiao's nephew, I would die in peace."
Duke An Guo was indeed very happy and thought highly of Xu Qingxiao. He even began to call Qingxiao his nephew.
But taking advantage of the situation, I also used Xu Qingxiao to scold his descendants.
No one dared to speak, and Xu Qingxiao couldn't interrupt. I taught my son the right thing to do, so why did he interrupt?
But at this moment, a voice suddenly sounded.
"Grandpa, Dad, why are you here?"
The voice sounded, somewhat familiar.
Look back.
Good guy, isn't this the young man in purple clothes who blocked him at the gate of the city and asked for money?
He turned out to be the grandson of Duke An Guo?
No wonder you dare to be so arrogant.
Xu Qingxiao finally understood, but at the same time she was a little depressed. She didn't expect that the other party was the grandson of An Guogong, which would be a bit difficult to deal with.
The young man in purple ran quickly to his grandfather's side, picked up a piece of cake and ate it without any scruples, and the smile on An Guogong's face appeared again.
It seems that he loves this grandson very much.
etc.
Suddenly, an idea came to Xu Qingxiao's mind.
In an instant, Xu Qingxiao gathered her awe-inspiring righteousness, her eyes emitted purple light, and landed on the boy in purple.
Everyone was a little surprised, and Duke An Guo frowned, wondering what Xu Qingxiao was doing?
But the next moment, Xu Qingxiao's voice sounded.
"Hiss! Duke!"
"Your grandson is a great scholar!"
When Xu Qingxiao spoke, everyone in the audience was stunned.