During the autumn rain and the cold, the housekeeper Zhao from Duke Liang's Mansion left a few harsh words and walked away angrily.
Wei Yang just pretended that nothing happened and picked up the rattle and tiger-head shoes he bought.
He knelt down and teased the two children who were hiding in the back room for fear of danger.
"Daddy's beard... pricks his face! It hurts!"
"Daddy! I want to ride a big horse!"
"..."
The lively chirping voice made Wei Yang's frown relax.
He was holding a little baby in one hand, and his strong arms were bouncing up and down.
It made the two children laugh loudly and rattle loudly.
"Be careful, don't fall."
The woman in Jingchai's cloth skirt leaned against the door and said softly.
"Dad! Fly higher! I will also learn martial arts in the future so that I can fly into the sky..."
The laughter and laughter, full of childishness and fun, echoed in the small yard and lingered for a long time.
When the night got darker, we had dinner.
The woman put the baby to sleep and brought hot water to wash her husband's feet.
Wei Yang quickly took the wooden basin and said:
"I'm a rough guy and can't stand being served by others. From now on, I can do this myself."
The woman smiled lightly at her husband, shook her head and said:
"This is what slaves should do. I am willing and very happy.
Husband, does the guest who came today have an unusual status?"
Wei Yang stepped into the hot water with his feet, raised his eyebrows and said:
"It's nothing more than a dog relying on human power."
That Duke of Liang was indeed extremely powerful.
Even in court he was quite domineering.
He often regards himself as the elder of His Royal Highness.
In recent years, because of occupying fields and raising village slaves, dozens of books have been read by the imperial censor.
But he still sits firmly on Diaoyutai, and his power has not been reduced by half.
If an ordinary person could climb up, it would just feel like there is smoke coming out of the ancestral grave.
But what Wei Yang hated the most in his life was the powerful ministers who acted unscrupulously and never regarded mud-legged people as human beings.
When I saw the arrogant look on the face of Butler Zhao, I felt unhappy.
If you hear Ji Yuan's name being crossed out again, please cheer up for Yang Xiu.
Anger filled his chest, and he wanted to throw him out the door.
"My husband doesn't want to stoop down to serve these high-ranking officials. I think it's good for me. Peace and security are the blessings."
The woman sat on the bed and spoke softly.
"Don't worry, Duke Liang is also a big shot who wants to show his face.
Besides, the selection of talents for the martial arts hall is a national policy set by the saint. From the prince's cabinet to the six ministries and officials, no one is allowed to secretly intervene or interfere in it.
This is a taboo! No one dares to cause trouble openly!"
Wei Yang took his wife's hand and said in a slower tone:
"If we really want to blame him, Manager Chai won't just sit idly by and ignore it."
The woman leaned on her husband's generous chest, lowered her head and asked:
"My husband really appreciates that Liaodong candidate. I see you gave him all the snowflakes and silver snake meat that were handed out from the martial arts hall.
You are not in good health to begin with. Every time you get pregnant, your qi and blood are weak and cause cold syndrome. Why don't you leave some for yourself?"
There was a hint of anger in the gentle tone.
Hearing his wife's question, Wei Yang suddenly fell silent.
After a while, he said:
"My hometown is in Dongshan Prefecture. At that time, the saints had just established the rule of the world, and there was not so much peace.
There is a drought in the three states, and the family really cannot feed so many mouths.
So I joined the army at the age of thirteen, just to have food to eat.
Later, I followed Governor Tan and traveled to Shuofeng Pass. I was passionate about making contributions, and it was at that time that Lao Cheng and I met."
There was a rare trace of nostalgia on Wei Yang's rough face, he hugged his wife and said softly:
"I stayed at Shuofeng Pass for eight years and became a guerrilla general.
Later, Governor Tan was transferred back to Tianjing and originally wanted to take his old subordinates with him.
I didn't agree, saying that a man's reputation should be earned by himself, and relying on the promotion of noble people is not his real ability.
Lao Cheng said that I was too hot-tempered, too reckless, and didn't know how to obey the rules of the world, so I would suffer big losses sooner or later.
Hey, I didn't expect him to be right. It wasn't long before I was kicked out of the Flying Bear Guard because I bumped into a powerful person.
After going through all kinds of ups and downs over the years, I finally understood a truth.
Among the billions of creatures in the world, some are born like dragons and are destined to stand on the tide, while others have their feet in the mud and the wind and rain above their heads, risking their lives for only one future.
Jiulang and I are the same, we have nothing but a sense of spirit.
Back then, when I was looking for a future, I had Governor Tan and Old Cheng to guide me and support me. Now it's my turn to hold an umbrella for Jiulang."
Wei Yang thought of the young man from Liaodong who pulled out a thousand-jin copper pillar when he first entered the martial arts hall.
"A man's reputation should be taken from his sword... Hahaha, does this guy look a bit like me? It's a pity that I'm not a great master like Governor Tan, so this umbrella won't last long."
The woman listened quietly. She actually didn't know much about battlefields and court matters.
But I like to listen to it very much, because when my husband talks about it, he has an upright and heroic spirit.
…
…
Inner City of Tianjing, Duke of Liang's Mansion.
This deep courtyard with five entrances and five exits is located next to Zhengyang Gate, and next door is the vacant Prince Ning's mansion.
In this street, there are no court officials below the second rank, so it is nicknamed "Gonghoufang" by outsiders.
Butler Zhao, who was wearing a silk and satin gown, had an unimpeded journey to the main room where he entered the courtyard.
Along the way, there were many maids, servants, and guards guarding the courtyard. Whenever they saw him, they would bow to say hello and bow their heads in salute.
As we all know, the Duke of Liang was extremely strict in running his family as well as his army.
There is no room for any excess between superiors and inferiors.
Every year, there must be at least a dozen or twenty slave laborers who are killed for trivial matters.
Butler Zhao, who looked impressive outside, immediately put down his arrogance when he entered the second courtyard.
He bent down and waited outside, waiting for his master's summons.
After the maid made the announcement, an unhurried and gentle voice came from inside:
"Zhao Er has returned home? Send him a message to come in."
Butler Zhao did not dare to show his anger, so he lowered his head and got in.
The spacious main room and its furnishings can only be described as luxurious.
Next to the window is a large red sandalwood dragon table worth a thousand gold, with a small square tripod from Yun Tingzhai placed on it, and the dragon rock incense for meditation and concentration is burned inside.
As for the four treasures of the study, the copybooks of famous people are piled up like mountains and are worth a lot of money.
Walking further inside, the warm fragrance hits your face.
It is actually paved with earth dragons, so even if it is very cold in late autumn, the room is still as warm as spring.
"Looking at your face, does this mean things are not going well?"
Sitting on a large couch covered with soft mattresses was a young man with an average appearance, and a domineering aura in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows that could not be concealed.
"After my father rarely goes to court for discussions, even the instructor of the martial arts hall dares to deny the honor of our government?"
Butler Zhao shrank his neck and replied honestly:
"Master Cheng, Wei Yang doesn't know what's good and what's good, I have plenty of ways to deal with him.
If the government really wants to handle this matter and make Master Xiu famous in the capital, it is actually more convenient to find Chai Qingshan, and his words will have more weight."
The young man known as "Master Cheng" raised his eyebrows and sneered:
"It's actually a trivial matter for the little wolf cub to fight for the honor of martial arts. But for several years, the Duke of Yue and the Marquis Yangwu family stole the limelight. My father didn't say it on the surface, but he was very unhappy in his heart.
Moreover, let’s forget about losing to others this time. I heard that a Liaodong mud-legged guy won the first place in the first test of archery. Where can I put the dignity of the Duke of Liang?”
Butler Zhao nodded vigorously and echoed:
"Young Master is right."
The young man held two iron bladders in his hands, spinning them constantly, and said in a calm voice:
"Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and buy two Qi-nourishing Pills to help Yang Xiu break through earlier. We must not lose again on the racecourse or in the ring.
Also, this wolf cub is disobedient. Tell Wang Wu to watch it carefully and stop causing any trouble.
There have been rumors recently that the saint... may be leaving seclusion to attend court.
The prince, several princes, and my father are all very concerned about it.
This time, the martial arts competition Jiuzhou Tournament will be very grand. It is placed in the imperial city, and everyone wants to look good.
It would be terrible if the Saint of Mondstadt favors you."
Butler Zhao's heart trembled.
The saint is coming to court?
This is a big deal!
The prince supervised the country for twenty years.
Nothing went wrong at all.
There has always been a saying in the outside world that if the saint returns to the court again, he will be passed down as the crown prince and he will become the supreme emperor.
"What about Liaodong Mud Legs?"
Butler Zhao asked.
"Yang Xiu learned my father's dragon-tiger technique, took two Qi-nourishing pills, and saved a year of internal kung fu training. If he can't defeat a soldier with no family background, who can be blamed? Let him
Just go to Jiubian by yourself!"
The young man narrowed his eyes and snorted:
"Ji Yuan? Ji Jiulang? All these idiots want to be Zong Pingnan. How do they know that General Zong has a destiny of 'seven kills'? How can it be compared to ordinary people!"