"I have long admired Mr. Li's reputation. I am in Lei Cangpu, Quanzhou. This is my companion Zhu Tingling. I am truly lucky to meet Mr. Li today." The man surnamed Lei had already stood up, stepped forward, and held Wu Feng in his hand. He handed over his hand and said with a warm smile.
"We are all brothers in the four seas. Brother Lei is too polite to say that. Dongchen is an old friend of mine. When I first entered Qingyang, it was all thanks to the help of Brother Zhaobai and Brother Dongchen. Otherwise, Li would have become There is a withered skeleton outside Qingyang City. How can the person recommended by Brother Dongchen be an ordinary person? I think Brother Lei and Madam Zhu are not ordinary people. It is really a blessing to see an outstanding person from the south of the Yangtze River today." Wu Feng also responded with a smile. When he first entered the door, he could see that this man named Lei was not a simple person. He was restrained in spirit, but the demeanor revealed in his gestures and gestures could not be concealed by his clothing and appearance alone. Even that The woman surnamed Zhu also has a keen eye and seems to be a clever person.
"Haha, Mr. Li has given you too much praise. There have been many powerful people in the south of the Yangtze River since ancient times, but this powerful person is not Lei. Lei is just a businessman, and he and Brother Wei are also business partners. I came to the northwest today to meet someone who is famous in the empire. Mr. Li, once you fulfill your long-cherished wish, you can also use it as a talking point for Lei to show off when he returns to Jiangdong in the future." The bronze face of the man surnamed Lei was shining brightly, but his words were full of smiles, which was quite funny.
"Sir, Brother Lei, Madam Zhu, please take a seat. This Western Region barbecue will be fresh and hot. If it gets cold, it will lose its flavor." Wei Dongchen saw the two people being humble and knew that it was time for him to speak out. , then smiled and invited the two of them to sit down.
"Well, that's right. It's been a long time since Mr. Li has tasted this authentic roasted whole lamb. Come on, Dong Chen is the host today. You don't have to be polite. Let's try this whole lamb with the flavor of the Western Regions." Wu Feng was also very interested. , Da Ma Jin Dao sat on the table and greeted Lei and Zhu with a smile.
There is a huge silver plate on the huge round table. The cauldron on the silver plate is filled with fine charcoal. The blazing flames are licking the skin of the naked lamb on the iron frame and the spices coming from the belly of the lamb. The smell permeated the entire room and was indescribably appetizing. The two carved copper pots on the converter were sloshing with wine. Judging from the patterns on the vessels, one could tell that they were Long Gao Liquor and Sanle Pudding, the liquors from the Western Regions.
Wei Dongchen also declined the waiter who specialized in serving wine, and poured the wine into the cup himself. The purple-red wine exuded the first fragrant agricultural fragrance.
"Good wine!" After taking a sip, the man surnamed Lei felt that the wine was lighter than the traditional liquor of the Tang people, but it had an exotic fruity aroma. This was the first time he had tasted this flavor. I couldn't help but admire the wine.
"Haha, Brother Lei, this is Sanlejiang produced in the Gaochang Kingdom of the Western Region. It is brewed using the secret method of three kinds of local specialty fruit trees. The output is very small, but it cannot be tasted in other places. If you are used to our Tang people's liquor or wine, Try something like this, it has a different flavor." Wei Dongchen saw that the atmosphere at the banquet had gradually become harmonious, and he gradually let go of his heart. He only needed to end the dinner as soon as possible. As for what will happen next, then It's not something you can control yourself.
However, a few people knew what they were talking about, and they drank and drank among each other. Wu Feng only talked about the strange scenery of Luzon in the Western Regions, mountains, rivers and people, while the man named Lei only talked about the scenic spots in the south of the Yangtze River and his experiences in the East. A group of people came and went, and the distance became much closer. Although the dragon paste wine and Sanle wine were quite powerful, under the deliberate control of Wu Feng and the man named Lei, they were just right, and the banquet ended happily as time went by.
Just when they were about to leave the table and say goodbye, the two people who had been chatting happily finally got a chance to be alone. The man surnamed Lei stared closely at Wu Feng's eyes and said in a deep voice: "We will do this today. Lei is very happy. I wonder if your Excellency will be free, but Lei would like to have a heart-to-heart talk with you."
Wu Feng was already confident and said generously: "I don't dare to ask for it."
"Okay, sir, how about we take the liberty of going to your residence to have a chat?" The man named Lei nodded cheerfully.
Wu Feng was startled for a moment. He didn't expect that the other party was so relieved that he wanted to come to his house directly. He couldn't help but admire the other party's courage, but then he thought about it. Since the other party dared to come to him, he was probably already there. How various psychological preparations change due to changes in location.
"Okay, it's better to be respectful than to obey, please!" Wu Feng stopped refusing and waved to the guards to arrange the carriage.
The conversation in the living room has gradually entered the main topic. Wu Feng listened patiently to the introduction of the man named Lei, nodding and interjecting from time to time to show his seriousness and understanding of the other party's position and situation.
Untouchables, it turns out that these people are untouchables, untouchables who are lower than slaves, untouchables who will never be able to stand up! Wu Feng finally understood in his heart that these guys would travel thousands of miles to look for him instead of looking for the princes who seemed to have greater power and greater opportunities. They must have been in contact with these people a long time ago, and I am afraid that no one would dare to accept them. That's all. This is the tone set by the Tanghe Empire for hundreds of years. It is also the tone that the nobles, common people and even the common people who represent the foundation of the entire Tanghe Empire have long believed in as the truth. If anyone dares to challenge, I am afraid that he will be immediately beaten by this huge His inertia was crushed to pieces, no matter he was a prince, a nobleman or a high official, not even the princes!
Although there were endless waves in his heart, Wu Feng did not show any surprise on the surface. Although he had already had the concept of pirates, Wu Feng did not expect the most powerful pirate organization active in the Atlantic - Changfeng. The association turned out to be one of the most important components among the untouchables - the core organization of the fishermen, and this man named Lei, with a looming spirit of strength, Lei Cangpu, turned out to be the chief executive of the Changfeng Association, and of course among the fishermen. leader.
And the woman surnamed Zhu is also not simple. She represents another important part of the untouchables - Lehu. These people are engaged in singing and performing arts and running brothels. After hundreds of years, they have spread throughout the Yangtze River, the East China Sea and the Five Lakes. They have a strong foundation and connections in special industries like this in the region. Not only do they have great hands and eyes, but their relationship network also extends to the middle and lower classes.
The origin of this untouchable is actually very clear to everyone in the empire. The Situ Dynasty was established in the struggle for hegemony among the heroes. At that time, the princes who competed with the Situ family for the final victory of the empire and the core class that followed them suffered defeat. They were all demoted as untouchables. The founding emperor of the Tanghe Empire even made a stele made of gold and iron, demanding that future generations never allow his original opponents to reverse their verdict and stand up. Some of them were placed on the banks of rivers and seasides, and issued an edict. The form clearly clarifies that these people are registered separately, and their children are not allowed to go ashore to obtain land for generations, nor are they allowed to marry outsiders, are not allowed to deregister, are not allowed to join the army, and can only make a living by fishing. This is the origin of fishermen. ; and Lehu were another group of female members whose men had mostly died at that time. They were directly transferred to the government-run music studios and entered into low status. Later, they were simply separated out and allowed to work in the sex industry. They were not allowed to leave their status and Engaged in other industries, this despicable industry has been practiced for generations. They are not even allowed to enter the imperial capital and can only live in areas outside the imperial capital.
"I personally have deep sympathy for your experience. Although there is an old saying that the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit, I don't think the meaning of loser is their descendants. Since the successful one is the king, everyone else should be your people. Why do you care about what they have done before or even their descendants? Of course, there are exceptions for those with ulterior motives. The precedent has been set when this dynasty was founded, and the conventions formed over hundreds of years are probably not those of one or a few people. It can be changed easily, no matter who he is." Wu Feng looked solemn, "Brother Lei came to Li today. I don't think his intentions can be known, but I still want to know the bottom line for sure. Brother Lei and Zhu Madam and the people you represent, what kind of result do you hope to get?"
Seeing Wu Feng, whose face was complicated and uncertain, the man surnamed Lei and the woman surnamed Zhu seemed to be hung up by a thread. The fact that the other party did not reject them outright gave them a glimmer of hope, but those words just now But it also made the two people feel heavy pressure. They had to admit that what Wu Feng said was indeed the truth. This custom and tradition formed over hundreds of years regarded untouchables as savage beasts, and no one dared to risk the world's disapproval to do anything. If the untouchables reverse their verdict, what will be waiting for them
Feeling that his mouth was getting bitter and dry, Lei Cangpu tried his best to calm down his mood, and then slowly said: "Our hope is very simple, there is nothing else, we just want to get an equal qualification as a human being."
"Equal qualifications to be human beings?" Wu Feng chewed on this sentence over and over, feeling a little sad in his heart. Slaves can redeem themselves and become free people, but this untouchable is clearly stipulated in the empire's laws that he can never change his identity, even for himself. There was also some feeling of injustice in his heart for these people who had been diligently pursuing equal status for hundreds of years. However, as a person himself, although he was very sympathetic in his heart, he needed to take into account all aspects.
"But, Brother Lei, there should be at least one hundred thousand people with untouchable status in Jiangnan and Donghai counties. One hundred thousand people, not just a few people or dozens or hundreds of people. Who dares and can achieve what you hope for now?" What's the result? At least currently, Li can't see anyone who has this ability." Wu Feng replied calmly.
"This is exactly the purpose of our coming to your house today! Others may not be able to do it, but you are different. I have stayed in the northwest for a few days. I have heard that all ethnic groups in the northwest can get along with each other equally, including Gao Yue. Man, since even Gaoyue people can obtain equal status under your rule, why can't you give us the opportunity?" The eyes of the man surnamed Lei already showed a fanatical light.