"There is the Hungry Ghost Festival next month, and the Liu family members who are outside will all come back.
"Husband, you can no longer be as busy as you were a few days ago. You must take the lead in doing the Liu family's ancestor worship. When my father-in-law and mother-in-law were still here, they did a good job in these things. Husband, you can't slack off."
It was night, in a flower hall of the Liu family mansion, the three Liu Ziwen brothers and their wife, Mrs. Xu, were sitting around having dinner together, a routine family dinner.
Halfway through the meal, Mrs. Xu, who was almost forty but well-maintained, lowered the bowl in her hand and gave Liu Ziwen a warning.
The latter pretended not to accept it, frowned and scolded:
"I know, I have a sense of discretion. This is a man's business. As a woman, why do you care so much?"
Mrs. Xu shrank back, looked timid, and said quietly: "Don't worry about it, I... I'm just talking."
She did not dare to say any more and turned her head to take care of a baby sleeping in a cradle next to the dining table. Next to the cradle, there was a wet nurse and several other slaves taking care of it.
"Wow~"
As if sensing his father's cold rebuke to his mother, the baby boy in the cradle howled and cried.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
Mrs. Xu quickly shook the basket, but she still couldn't stop the child from crying.
She sighed with some complaints, said goodbye to her two brothers-in-law, Liu Zi'an and Liu Zilin, hugged the child, stood up, and left the flower hall with her nurse and other servants.
As the baby's cry and the woman's comforting voice gradually faded away, the dining table in the West Pavilion became quiet for a while.
Only three brothers, Liu Ziwen, Liu Zi'an and Liu Zilin, were left.
The latter two both raised their heads and glanced at the eldest brother's calm expression.
The Liu family in Longcheng County is a very large family. It is not only the Liu family in Xi'an where the three Liu Ziwen brothers belong, but it is naturally dominated by their lineage.
This has been the case since the old man and madam Liu were still alive. The Liu family on the west bank of Butterfly Creek can be regarded as the patriarch's house. The other houses have all declined, starting with the west bank.
Liu Zilin couldn't help but put down his bowl and said:
"Brother and sister-in-law are also kind-hearted. What do you want her to do? Well, she has a good meal and scares Chuanzhi's good nephew to tears."
Such kind words of persuasion, coming from the mouth of the third young master of the Liu family who bullies men and dominates women, would most likely make outsiders look at him, which is very offensive.
Liu Zian was not surprised by this.
He took his peripheral vision away from the curving back of his eldest sister-in-law Xu, who was leaving. He lowered his head to eat and continued to be quiet.
Neither did he speak for Xu like Liu Zilin did.
He also did not comment casually on the ancestor worship matters during the Hungry Ghost Festival next month.
Liu Zian has always been like this, being calm and content, and never saying much about things that have nothing to do with him.
Everyone knows that the Liu family has three sons.
Little did they know that when the old man and the old lady of the Liu family were alive, the eldest son Liu Ziwen was the most valued and the third son Liu Zilin was the most beloved.
The second child, Liu Zian, who was as ill as a pot of medicine, was caught in the middle and was not taken seriously.
Later, when Liu Zian was young, he went out to the north for a period of time. Then, for unknown reasons, he returned to Dragon City after being away for a few years.
Speaking of which, there is one thing about the Liu family that always surprises people in Longcheng County.
That is, among the three Liu brothers, except for Liu Zilin, the third, Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian are both very old, and the former is about to turn four.
However, after the death of the old man and the old lady of the Liu family, the three brothers never had any intention of dividing the family.
This was a rare situation in the Zhou Dynasty, especially among the local clans in Jiangnan Road in the south.
Maybe it's because the relationship between the three Liu brothers is really deep.
However, there are also many outsiders who speculate that this is due to Liu Ziwen, the young head of the Liu family, who took the lead in maintaining peace, which made Liu Zi'an and Liu Zilin very peaceful.
Even in the eyes of Liu Fu and other servants of the Liu family, the Liu family is very harmonious.
As the eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Xu, although she has given birth to a son, is very affectionate and considerate towards her two brothers-in-law who may take away her son's family business.
No, now that the eldest brother and his eldest sister-in-law were quarreling, Liu Zilin stood up to speak for the eldest sister-in-law.
Liu Ziwen glanced at his third brother, shook his head and said nothing.
After a while, he put down the bowl and turned his head to look around the hall.
Liu Fu, who was standing by the side, saw this and immediately left with his servants, guarding the door strictly.
Liu Ziwen's face turned serious:
"Now that we've finished eating, let's talk about business."
He stood up, took Liu Zian and Liu Zilin away from the dining table, and sat down in the host and guest seats in the flower hall nearby.
Before Liu Zilin's butt even touched the stool, he took the lead and asked impatiently:
"Brother, have you found out Ouyang Lianghan's itinerary? When will we behead him?"
Liu Ziwen took out a small roll of paper from his arms and handed it to Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin said calmly:
"New Line reports that our Lord County Magistrate, on the morning of the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the 15th day of the month, that is, tomorrow, at the invitation of the host of Donglin Temple, he will go to Donglin Temple to inspect the newly built Beitian Nursing Home.
"After the tour, he will take people back to Longcheng and receive the Shangguan officials from Jiangzhou on the way. After a while, they will take a boat to Yuenv Gorge in the afternoon to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Di Gong Gate."
Liu Zilin sneered:
"Hey, a bullshit beggar's den needs to be renovated? Repair it, repair it every day, and all your money is wasted on the poor. Your Longcheng County government office is really free and rich."
Liu Zian lowered his hands and stared at the floor in front of him, sighing:
"The county magistrate's schedule is really well arranged. Those who don't know better would think that he has heard of elder brother's advice and is so cooperative with us."
He looked a little emotional, raised his eyes and said:
"Brother, this is a good opportunity given by God. The time and place are favorable and everyone is in good hands. We can take action. Just before they go down the mountain, we can steal and change the pillars."
"Yes, yes." Liu Zilin smiled grimly and nodded.
Liu Ziwen put his hands on the armrests of the wooden chair and stared at the empty rows of seats in the hall.
He was quiet for a while.
Nod slowly.
Liu Ziwen rested his elbow on the armrest, rubbed his stiff face with his right hand and said:
"Then let the Chang'an Swordsman and the Jade Immortal go there tomorrow."
Liu Ziwen called Liu Fu and gave a few instructions calmly. The latter respectfully withdrew.
After watching Liu Fu leave, Liu Ziwen thought silently for a while and asked sideways:
"Second brother, how is the thing I asked you to prepare?"
"Um."
Liu Zilin looked around in confusion at his two brothers who were playing riddles.
Then, he saw Liu Zian silently take out two white porcelain bottles from his arms.
The white porcelain bottle is small and exquisite, lying quietly in the palm of your hand.
The mouth of a bottle is wrapped in red cloth.
The mouth of a bottle is wrapped in green cloth.
Liu Zian arranged the two porcelain vases on the table in front of Liu Zi's tattoo.
He stared at them and sighed:
"Boss Li does have some magical powers. He can get all these things for us."
Liu Ziwen also lowered his eyes, picked up one of the porcelain bottles wrapped in blue cloth, looked at it, and asked:
"Is this poison really as magical as what my second brother said before?"
"This strange poison is called Bird Bird."
Liu Zian nodded with a serious face. He looked north through the night in the courtyard outside the door, with some reminiscence in his eyes:
"Ten years ago, accompanied by a close friend, I traveled to Hebei Province and saw with my own eyes a woman using this poison pit to kill a difficult Qigong practitioner. I was deeply impressed."
"Could this girl be the Jade Immortal?"
Liu Zian shook his head:
"No, it's a Kun Dao, and it belongs to a special sect. I later met the Yuxi Fairy in a seaside city, where there are many warlocks who went to sea and returned. This is another matter."
"Biwingbird? What kind of poison?"
Liu Zilin, who was listening to the conversation between his two brothers, couldn't help but feel a little itchy. From birth to now, he has almost always stayed in Longcheng County. He has never traveled out like his second brother, or even had his own future.
Liu Zilin stretched out his hand curiously and touched the vial wrapped in red cloth that was left on the table, but Liu Ziwen stared back.
Liu Zi'an looked sideways at Liu Zilin who shrank his hands and head and said coldly:
"If you want my brothers to send you mourning papers during the Ghost Festival, you can touch them as you please."
Liu Zilin smiled and shook his head.
Liu Zian was too lazy to look at him and continued to explain:
"Brother, the reason why this poison is called Biwingbird is because it is collected from a kind of exotic overseas birds that are divided into male and female. It is made from the colorful wings on their tails.
"Among them, the male bird's tail feathers are red, and the female bird's tail feathers are blue. So two bottles of poison, yang and yin, were made respectively.
"This Yang poison and Yin poison, if you only take one of them separately, there is no harm. The toxicity is latent and slowly passes away. It will not have any impact on the human body. It will not hinder the movement of the Qi practitioner's spiritual energy. It is very hidden.
"In other words, if you take one of them alone and look at it, it is not poisonous at all. However, once it is infected with the two poisons of yin and yang in a short period of time, it will be like a piece of firewood meeting a raging fire.
"Even a Qi practitioner with great supernatural powers will immediately bleed from his orifices if he doesn't use a large amount of spiritual energy to detoxify for a few breaths. It's difficult for gods to save him, let alone a mortal without spiritual energy cultivation.
"So, the wonderful thing about this winged bird is that it can poison people unconsciously without knowing it, and it can delay the onset of poison. As long as it is used properly, by the time the poisoned person reacts, there is no way to save him.
"Looking at the strange poisons in the world, Biyiniao can also be ranked first."
Liu Zian withdrew his gaze and said, "These are what my good friend told me back then."
"Oh? It's really so magical."
Liu Ziwen looked very interested and looked down at the two ordinary white porcelain vials in his hands.
Liu Zian looked at his elder brother's expression, turned his eyes and thought for a moment, then he suggested:
"Brother, there are differences in the way of taking the Yang poison and the Yin poison of Biyiniao.
"The poison in the green bottle is colorless and odorless, and is very hidden. It needs to be taken into the body orally, or it can be infected through wounds.
"The Yang Po in the red bottle has a fragrant fragrance that is as light as sweet-scented osmanthus. It is suitable for sniffing. You only need to open the bottle and wait for a while, and it will spread throughout half of the hall.
"And those who have been infected with sinister poison before, smelling this fragrance, can be poisoned within ten breaths...
"Brother, it's better not to try to open it now. Don't let us get infected. It will be quite troublesome to dissipate naturally."
Liu Ziwen nodded and chuckled, "Interesting."
Liu Zian pondered: "I haven't asked yet, what is the use of this poison?"
Liu Ziwen glanced at his second and third brothers and spoke concisely:
"in case."
Liu Zian looked at the two small white porcelain bottles that Liu Ziwen put into his arms gently and carefully, with a thoughtful look on his face.
Seemingly realizing that it was probably related to what was about to happen tomorrow, Liu Zian and Liu Zilin tacitly agreed not to ask further questions.
Liu Ziwen put away this small gadget that was used to check for leaks and fill in the gaps in the plan. He cast a satisfied look at the second brother beside him who had always been obedient and peaceful, and patted his thin shoulder:
"Second brother, I have really given you a hard time over the years. I gave up my career on Hebei Road and returned to a small place like Longcheng to help my brother. I have stayed there for so many years. It is really a bit unfair."
Liu Zian raised his hand, covering the back of his eldest brother's hand, and shook his head seriously:
"It's all for the Liu family."
"That's right, it's all for the family left behind by our fathers."
Liu Ziwen's always serious and calm expression softened a little and he said softly:
"Brother Wei is very happy that you can always think like this. Brother Wei once said it, and I still remember that sentence now... As long as the eldest brother has it, he will never be without you.
"You haven't been married in these years, and when I asked you what kind of woman you wanted, you didn't tell me...
"When the big thing is done and you are promoted to the new rich in the two capitals, my eldest brother will find a good marriage for you. You can go to the prince and ask for a distinguished daughter of the Wei family for you."
Liu Zian immediately shook his head, "No, I won't bother you."
"My second brother doesn't like girls from the Wei family. He thinks she's not honorable enough. Then... it's not impossible for a girl with the fifth surname to be noble."
Speaking of this, Liu Ziwen saw his younger brother's sickly face that seemed to lack interest, and his eyes were a little curious:
"My second brother never said anything, which one do you like?"
Liu Zian looked at his elder brother, smiled, and said nothing.
Liu Zilin interrupted, "Brother, where am I?"
Liu Ziwen hated the iron and said: "You should correct the problem first."
Liu Zilin scratched his head and joked: "My younger brother's requirements are not high, my sister-in-law is just fine."
Liu Ziwen hummed softly, and Liu Zian glanced at his third brother.
Immediately, he seemed to notice that Liu Ziwen looked in a good mood, and Liu Zian suddenly asked:
"Brother, why do you want to let the Wei family take the sword that we worked so hard to take away directly? What if... I mean what if, the Wei family wants to hide the good bow and all the birds are gone?
"Actually, brother, you said... Let our own family become the sword master of that sword, and without delaying the continued alliance with the Wei family, maybe we can use the bargaining chip to jump to a more important position, and turn from a vassal to an ally. Wouldn't it be better for the family?
."
"Second brother!"
Liu Ziwen interrupted suddenly, his face was as dark as water, he stared seriously and said:
"Don't say these words again, don't even think about them in your head...not to mention, it is unrealistic for a man to have a jade.
"The Wei family has invested so many resources, waited for such a long time, and the boss Li sent us promised us everything... But all this is not without cost.
"If they didn't have absolute control over it, how could they trust us to leave it all to us?
"Second brother, the human heart is not like a snake swallowing an elephant, so we must observe it."
Liu Zian lowered his eyes and agreed: "Yes, brother, I'm just talking, giving you an immature suggestion."
"It won't happen again."
"yes."
Liu Zian raised his head and smiled.
Liu Ziwen took another look at him, tapped the armrest twice with his palm, and stood up suddenly:
"Walk."
"Where are you going, brother?"
"Let's toast to the Swordsman of Chang'an and the Jade Fairy to see him off, and also to see Ouyang Lianghan off."