Arriving at the Prime Minister's Mansion, waiting for guests at the gate was the butler Tu Xian.
This old friend Bian Kong told them a secret time and place, and then someone led them into the east room where the dinner was held.
They were the last to arrive. Lord Changping, Lord Changwen, and Angu all arrived. Unexpectedly, Tian Dan, Li Yuan and their entourage were also present. The former's confidant general Danchu was also present.
Lu Buwei pretended to be a hospitable host and introduced the three of them to Tian Dan and others one by one.
Of course Xiang Shaolong and others pretended to be meeting him for the first time. Although Tian Dan looked at him carefully, there was no strange expression on his face. However, this man was very resourceful and deep. Even if he had feelings in his heart, his appearance would not let others see through him.
Lu Buwei also introduced him to the guests attending the Lu Mansion. Of course, the upstarts Guan Zhongxie and Lu Xiong from Xianyang were indispensable. Others included Mo Ao, Lu Can, Zhou Zihuan and several people with status from the Lu family.
Mo Ao seems to be a taciturn person with a low-key attitude. If he hadn't figured it out earlier, I would have never known that he was Lu Buwei's think tank.
Li Yuan's appearance was even better than before, he was very polite and courteous to Xiang Shaolong and others, and did not show any jealousy that he had Ji Yanran, at least on the surface.
What Xiang Shaolong is thinking about is Guo Xiuer, who is married to him. I wonder if this bad guy treats her well?
Emotions are indeed a burden that can make people feel sad.
Just looking at the guests at this banquet, the three Jin Dynasties were not included. It can be seen that Lu Buwei still insisted on the strategy of long-term friendship and close attack with Qi and Chu to attack the three Jin Dynasties. In this case, the guests should include the Yan people. Maybe because of the death of Princess Qian, the Yan people could not leave her.
Well, in order to avoid Xiang Shaolong’s embarrassment, Lu Buwei naturally had to avoid it.
Everyone is seated separately.
Just looking at the seating arrangement, you can already see the thoughts.
Seats were arranged on the left and right sides of the hall, with Tian Dan and Li Yuan at the top. The former was accompanied by Lu Buwei, and the latter was accompanied by An Gu. Next came Xiang Shaolong and Guan Zhongxie, and the two brothers Changping Jun were with Dan Chu and Lu respectively.
The heroes sat together at the table, and the following were Teng Yi, Jing Jun, Tian Li's entourage, and Tu Xian, Mo Ao and others from Lu Mansion.
Tian Dan first smiled and said: "Assuming this banquet is held ten days later, the location should be the new Prime Minister's Mansion facing the palace."
Lu Buwei answered him with a hearty laugh.
Until now, Xiang Shaolong still doesn't understand the relationship between Lu Buwei and Tian Dan. It seems that there must be collusion secretly, otherwise the coalition forces that just invaded Qin would not be left alone without Qi.
But perhaps as Li Si commented, the people of Qi could only talk empty talk and had little interest in war.
As for Li Yuan, who came from the Chu State that participated in the war, he was still treated favorably by Lu Buwei, but because Xiang Shaolong knew the situation well, he had some clues.
After all, the most powerful person in the Chu State is still Chun Shenjun. Although this man likes drinking and womanizing, he always knows the general situation. He is a close friend of Xinling Lord, so he must have spent a lot of time on sending troops.
In order to carry out his strategy of dividing Qi and Chu and attacking the three Jins, Lu Buwei naturally wanted to win over Li Yuan. It would be best if he could seize power from Lord Chun Shen, then he could safely invade eastward without fear of Qi Chu's obstruction.
Of course, Tian Dan is not someone who will be fooled easily, so there should be a secret agreement between Lu Buwei and him to allow Tian Dan to get benefits.
That's what politics is all about.
A bottom-line transaction has a far-reaching impact than victory or defeat on the battlefield.
For someone like Xiang Shaolong who knew the outcome of the Warring States Period, what Tian Dan and Li Yuan were doing now was certainly unwise.
But for those who are trapped in this era, it is not easy to see the development in a few years.
The situation of divided empires has lasted for hundreds of years, and it is easy to give people the illusion that this situation will continue indefinitely.
It would be best if the state of Qin was at war with the three Jins and suffered several defeats, then Qi and Chu could reap the benefits.
Tian Dan leaned over and whispered to Lu Buwei privately. Judging from the expressions of the two of them, their relationship was not simple.
The other table mates took advantage of the space where the dishes were being served to chat.
Xiang Shaolong really didn't want to talk to Guan Zhongxie, but he couldn't avoid the five or six feet of space.
Just listen to the other party say: "Master Xiang is famous for his swordsmanship in the Qin Dynasty. I will definitely give instructions to the final general, who regards martial arts as his fate. Let's treat it as a competition between brothers."
Xiang Shaolong knew that what he said sounded nice, but in fact he just wanted to humiliate himself so as to increase his prestige.
However, a master is a master. Just looking at his body shape, strength of footwork, and the feeling of a rock-solid foot, Xiang Shaolong knew that among the people he met after coming to this era, except for Yuan Zong, Teng Yi, and Wang Jian,
This person is the most powerful.
If his arm strength is really comparable to that of Wei Mou, then unless Xiang Shaolong has a unique move to defeat the enemy, he will still be defeated.
He was able to defeat Lian Jin that time, mainly because of his correct strategy and the advantage of weight with the Mozi Sword, which overwhelmed him and finally led him to a tragic death in defeat.
This method is obviously of no use to Guan Zhongxie.
He smiled slightly and said: "Your Majesty, you may not know the rules here. Any form of private fighting is prohibited in the army, otherwise it will be against the king's order."
Guan Zhongxie laughed dumbly and said: "Master Xiang has misunderstood. How can I have the heart to compete with you? I just came to practice the art of fencing."
Xiang Shaolong said calmly: "That's because I'm overthinking."
Guan Zhongxie said happily: "I heard that the prince loves swordsmanship. Prime Minister Lu was afraid that Mr. Xiang couldn't spare the time, so he deliberately asked the general to serve the prince, but he forgot that the general was also busy with worldly affairs. Don't think that the prime minister is smart in big things and smart in small things.
But very confused.”
Xiang Shaolong was stunned.
Lu Buwei's offensive came one after another.
First, he used poison to replace his position in Zhu Jifang's heart, and then he used to control evil to win over Xiaopan.
Because Lu Buwei didn't know the truth, he thought that Xiaopan's favorable impression of him was derived from a child's admiration for heroes. Therefore, if Guan Zhongxie defeated him, Xiaopan would naturally "change his heart" towards him.
It is almost foreseeable that Lu Buwei will definitely arrange an opportunity for Xiaopan to witness Guan Zhongxie defeating him, or it may be enough to force him to be at a disadvantage.
If this is all a conspiracy thought up by Mo Ao, this man is really terrible.
He couldn't help but look at Mo Ao and saw that he was chatting and laughing with Jing Jun. He couldn't help but feel a little worried. He hoped that Jing Jun would not be tricked out of the secret by him, so that he could be a blessing to the gods.
A series of clear bells resounded through the hall.
A band of more than ten people came to the left side of the gate at some point and started playing.
Everyone stopped talking and looked towards the main entrance.
This was the first time that Xiang Shaolong saw someone playing music at a Qin State banquet. For the six countries, this was a routine banquet, but it was very rare in Qin State. It can be seen that Lu Buwei became more and more unscrupulous and gave up his joy.
Set up and move to Qin.
Under the expectation of everyone, a group of nearly thirty singers and dancers walked to the center of the hall with light and rhythmic steps like butterflies wearing flowers under the music, singing and dancing.
These Yan women are the most elegant among all. Wrapped in colorful gauze, their exquisite and embossed curves are looming, coupled with their soft expressions and sweet singing voices, they are extremely alluring.
Lord Changping and Lord Changwen were both full-blooded people after all, and they were dumbfounded. Thinking of Lu Buwei's promise to let them choose, they couldn't help but pay close attention to avoid picking the wrong product.
Xiang Shaolong didn't like this style of treating women as property, so he frowned and said nothing.
Guan Zhongxie suddenly came over and whispered: "It's true that I feel pity for such a good girl to fall into a trap where others can take advantage of her. But considering that I can keep them in a private house and treat them well, it should be considered a good deed."
Xiang Shaolong was shocked, he didn't expect him to say such "human words", and he couldn't help but have a slightly different view of him.
After the Yan Nu dances, they divide into two groups and salute to the left and right seats at the same time.
The applause in the hall sounded like thunder.
They did not leave immediately, but lined up in the center of the hall, letting these men judge them.
Lu Buwei laughed and said: "People say that the most beautiful woman in the world is the Yue girl. According to my experience of traveling around the world, the Yan girl is not inferior at all."
Those Yan girls may be just like Lu Buwei said, they are all yellow-flower girls, and they all looked shy.
Tian Dan said as an expert: "Qi Nu is passionate, Chu Nu is good at dressing up, Yan Rou is Zhao Jiao, Wei Fian is Han Feng, a few words about the troubled ones, the truth is that all the beauties in the world have their shortcomings and strengths."
Lord Changping protested: "Why is my daughter Qin not on the list?"
Li Yuan said with a smile: "Qin girls are famous for being unruly, and Prime Minister Tian is here as a guest, so he dare not tell her. But after seeing Widow Qing's peerless beauty, I'm afraid we should conclude that Qin and Yue are stunningly beautiful. Who can match the beauty and beauty of Lord Xiang's family?"
She is comparable to a widow." The words finally revealed a sad and sour meaning.
Guan Zhongxie interjected: "No wonder Lord Changping has such a protest. It is said that you have a sister named Ying. Not only is she good at swordsmanship, but she is also the daughter of a beautiful girl. If it were you, I would be very unfair to my good sister."
Chang Wenjun smiled bitterly and said: "However, Qin Nu's unruly words are never exaggerated when applied to her. Both my brothers have suffered so much from her."
As soon as these words came out, the audience burst into laughter.
Xiang Shaolong felt more and more that Guan Zhongxie was not a simple person. He spoke well and could easily win the favor of others. Compared with Xiao Wei Mou who only knew how to win over others with his bravery, or he was arrogant and arrogant.
How many times more brilliant, no wonder Lu Buwei chose him to restrain himself.
Lu Buwei laughed so hard that he gasped and said: "Today's big gift from Prince Dan, there are a hundred Yan girls in total. After I carefully selected them, there are only twenty-eight people left in front of me. Even if you close your eyes and pick, you can't go wrong. Later,
I will send someone to your house. Now all the Yan girls should retreat to the Prime Minister's country."
The girls knelt down and saluted, then immediately retreated.
Lord Changping waited until this point before his soul returned to his original position.
Lu Buwei had a bold nature and was generous to those he wanted to win over. No wonder he became more powerful in Xianyang and dared to kill King Zhuang Xiang.
After three rounds of drinking, the sound of the chime started again.
Everyone was very surprised and didn't know what kind of program there was.
Suddenly a red cloud floated into the hall, and in the rolling and flickering shadow of the sword, a young beauty with an infinitely attractive figure danced with two swords, performing various moves that were both beautiful and pleasing to the eye, but extremely difficult.
She was wearing a tight-fitting yellow and white warrior uniform and a bright red cloak. She looked majestic and attracted everyone's attention as soon as she entered the scene.
The cloak burned and flickered like a flame, making her look like a goddess of war descending from heaven to earth, displaying the charm and majesty of a woman.
The sword light burst out from her pair of slender hands in circles, full of vitality and movement, even Xiang Shaolong was dumbfounded.
Guan Zhongxie's eyes showed a look of intoxication, which lasted for an instant.
The beauty protected herself with a sword and bounced up in the air. After flipping seven times in a row, she made another heavy sword shadow amidst the cheers of the crowd. When she seemed to be about to retreat, she suddenly moved closer to Xiang Shaolong and Guan Zhongxie.
In front of a table.
While everyone was astonished, the two swords moved towards Xiang Guan and the two men like dragons.
The two of them sat still, not even blinking, and allowed the sword edge to pass in front of their noses.
The girl gave Xiang Shaolong a hard look, sheathed her sword, saluted, and left like a whirlwind.
Xiang Shaolong and Guan Zhongxie looked at each other and smiled, both of them wary of each other's calmness and eyesight.
Everyone's eyes turned to Lu Buwei, wanting to know who this pretty girl with good swordsmanship and beautiful appearance was.
Lu Buwei said happily: "Whoever can teach me to give away this wild girl will be my soon-to-be son-in-law, Lu Buwei."
Xiang Shaolong remembered her angry look when she said goodbye and immediately knew who she was.
Of course it was Lu Niangrong, the third young lady whom he refused to marry.
When he returned home after the banquet, Lu Buwei had already sent three beautiful singers.
Xiang Shaolong discussed with Teng Yi for a while and said to Jing Jun: "Xiaojun can accept one of them, but remember to treat her kindly and not treat her as a slave."
Jing Jun was overjoyed and nodded in agreement. Before Xiang Shaolong could finish speaking, he had already left to pick and choose.
Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi looked at each other and smiled bitterly. At the same time, they thought of Changping Jun and Chang Wenjun. With Lu Buwei's method, how could they not return to him?
Xiang Shaolong said to Liu Chao and Pu who were waiting at the side: "The other two girls belong to you. They are both helpless people. I want you two to take care of them throughout their lives and make them happy."
Both Liu Chao and Liu Chao were overjoyed. It was rare to see such a quality Yannv. They should be serving other dignitaries. It was their turn to get involved. Only a master like Xiang Shaolong could be so generous. They were grateful.
Endless.
After dealing with Yannu's matter, Xiang and Teng sat down to talk.
Teng Yi said: "Guan Zhongxie is not an easy person. I think he will soon be able to break into the Qin Dynasty, where heroes are the most important. Compared with the Six Kingdoms, the people of Qin are simpler and easier to be deceived."
Xiang Shaolong sighed: "Even though I know that he has evil intentions, I still can't help but feel a little happy about him. I really have met my match this time."
Teng Yi said: "That Mo Ao is so powerful and invisible. If he hadn't been awakened by Tu in advance, who would have thought that he would be so important in the Prime Minister's Mansion. This kind of person who is willing to hide is the most terrifying. Remember that Butler Tu has made an appointment
You will have a secret meeting at Phoenix Bridge tomorrow for important matters."
Xiang Shaolong nodded to show that he remembered, and said in a deep voice: "I want to make a plan to kill this Mo Ao while hunting in the field."
Teng Yi frowned and said, "Is he determined to participate in this meeting?"
Xiang Shaolong said with certainty: "That is the best opportunity to get to know the ministers of the Xianyang royal family. Lu Buwei also needs to use his eyesight to evaluate everyone, so there should be no problem that he will participate. And our biggest advantage is Mo Ao
I still don’t know that the truth has been exposed.”
Teng Yi said: "Leave this matter to me. First we need to conduct the most detailed survey and research on the western suburbs. The people of the Jing tribe are best at mountain and forest tactics. As long as we can create an opportunity for Mo Ao to be alone,
Then we can arrange it so that Mo Ao looks like he was bitten to death by a poisonous snake, and then Lu Buwei can only blame God."
Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed and said, "This matter all depends on my second brother."
Teng Yi said sadly: "Don't the second brother have any feelings for Princess Qian and the others? As long as he can do his best for them, the second brother can sleep peacefully."
The two of them went back to their rooms separately.
Wu Tingfang and others were still waiting for him to come back with their eyes open, while Xiang Baoer fell asleep under the care of the wet nurse.
Xiang Shaolong was exhausted after a hard day's work. When Tian Zhen and Tian Feng were waiting for him to change clothes, Ji Yanran whispered: "Sister Qing wants to see you, can you find a time to visit her tomorrow? She also hopes that I will be with you.
Tingfang invites the three of them to stay at her place for a few days."
Xiang Shaolong shrugged and said, "You can do it if you wish, but I don't know if I can spare the time tomorrow."
Ji Yanran said: "It's up to you."
Wu Tingfang on the other side said: "Look how good Sister Yanran is today."
Xiang Shaolong wondered: "What happened?"
Zhao Zhi, who became more and more beautiful, said: "Her godfather sent someone a beautiful banana-shaped five-stringed qin. Sister Yanran was absolutely delighted."
Xiang Shaolong said happily: "Is there any new news about Mr. Zou?"
Ji Yanran happily said: "My godfather went to Bashu to visit Mrs. Huayang. He saw the picturesque scenery there, so he stayed and concentrated on writing his "Eternal Theory of Five Virtues". Based on my godfather's knowledge, it will definitely be a masterpiece."
"
Wu Tingfang smiled and said: "When will our talented girls from the Xiang family be willing to write?"
Ji Yanran glanced at him and said: "I did have this intention in the past, but after meeting Xiang Shaolong, my nemesis, I felt that my self-righteous views were like the fight between Yinghuo and Haoyue, so I gave up this idea long ago.
He should be the one to write about."
Xiang Shaolong felt ashamed, took his beloved wife and went to sleep.
That night, he dreamed that he had arrived in Bashu, which was as beautiful as a fairyland. He was accompanied by the touching widow Qing, who lived a life free from the world.
In the blink of an eye, I dreamed of Zhao Ya, who was too sick to look like a human. When I woke up covered in sweat, the sky had already brightened up.