Early spring in Zhongzhou, the imperial capital, always comes late. When the southern lands are already full of greenery and spring scenery is bright, the breath of spring is still evasive here, welcoming or rejecting it. However, compared to the dry and cold northwest and Beiyuan further north, , Yanyun, the climate in Zhongzhou is still much more suitable, at least wind and sand are not rampant here, and with the huge water belt of Shanjiang River, the warm and humid monsoon from the Atlantic Ocean, although weak, can still play a role Some effects made Zhongzhou, the capital of the empire, a little warmer and more humid than the dry inland areas.
On days when the weather is clear, the men and women in the imperial capital always gather with their friends and go out in groups of three or five for outings. Hongliu Lake, Longhu Mountain, White Horse Temple, and Longmen Grottoes are some of the places that are famous for their natural scenery. , or famous for its cultural landscape, has become the most popular place among ordinary people in the imperial capital. Every season, it is crowded with cars and people.
Most of the aristocrats and wealthy gentry choose private estates on the outskirts of the city as a place for leisure and outings. A few families get along with their wives and concubines, a few light cars, and a few strong horses. They find a secluded and quiet place to relax, drink tea and play games. Let's have a drink and talk, but we can feel at ease.
The huge defeat of the Kaman invaders caused the boulders that had been weighing on the heads of the people in the imperial capital to disappear in an instant. This sudden relief made everyone in the imperial capital, from officials and gentry to traffickers and footmen, burn incense and worship, cheer and cheer. People who once had nightmares all day long There is no longer any need to worry about the invaders' iron hooves stepping into the imperial capital, and they can once again live a peaceful and stable life in the past, although not rich. Although for some people, the footsteps of Xijiang at the gate of the imperial capital may be even more dangerous than the Kaman people, but for ordinary people, they don't think so much. They only know that the threat of barbarian invasion has disappeared. The history is so strikingly similar. The arrogant and fierce Kaman and Puer people, like the arrogant Luobi people back then, suffered a bloody blow in front of His Highness the King of Qin. They abandoned their armor and fled back to their homeland in embarrassment. Except for the hundreds of thousands of prisoners left behind by the Xinjiang army, the Kaman and Puer people seemed to have received nothing. Even the first pass in the world, Jiayuguan, which the empire had somewhat forgotten, the Kaman people could only obediently offer it with both hands. Dare you even complain? What a glorious and proud honor this is? !
In contrast, the illustrious achievements of Western Xinjiang in the diplomacy between the South and the Nanyang Alliance are completely overshadowed by the glorious military exploits in the North. Except for some officials in the imperial court and some caring people, no one seems to realize that Western Xinjiang is a The giant is already trying to walk on two feet, although one foot has only just grown out and looks so immature.
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A lock of curly hair fell down unintentionally, blocking the handsome young man's sight, and the chestnut hair was swept away casually. The handsome young man always had a pleasant and friendly smile on his face, and his straight Western-style tuxedo set off his slender body even more gracefully. , wiping the white silk in his hands from time to time, it seems that this is the ridiculous habit of the nobles of the Western Continent.
Anyone can tell that this young man with curly hair and blue eyes is a well-educated nobleman. Although his appearance looks more like that of Caucasian ancestry, it doesn't matter. His movements show it. His demeanor is enough to prove that his origin cannot be cultivated by a middle- and lower-class family. As for having white ancestry, it is not surprising. Although the mainstream of the empire respects the yellow race, it does not exclude other races. The empire Two of the five major families are large families with Caucasian ancestry. As for the small and medium-sized nobles, there are not many Caucasians. After all, when the Situ Dynasty started, a large part of the help came from immigrants from the Western Continent. , and many of the nobles and gentry in the empire took white women as wives and concubines, and it was not uncommon for even the royal family to marry white women.
There were more or less women from the immigrant aristocrats of the Western Continent in the harems of the emperors of the Situ Dynasty to balance the power of all parties. However, there was no precedent for a prince born to a foreign woman to become the emperor. After all, it represented the most conservative part of the Tanghe Empire. The Tang nobles still have considerable power in the upper echelons of the empire, and maintaining the purity of the Tang family of the emperor's bloodline is their bottom line.
Covered with green trees, the fence made of woven bamboo strips mixed with evergreen vines separates the small garden from the rest of the manor, forming a quiet little world where a curly-haired young man sits lazily on a stone table On the recliner next to him, as the recliner swayed, the strong-smelling coffee seemed not to arouse his interest at all, as if the thick book in his hand was the only thing in his mind.
"Mr. Willy, why are you reading here alone? I thought you went horse racing with them." A surprised voice sounded behind the curly-haired young man. A trace of joy flashed in the curly-haired young man's eyes, but standing beside him But the girl behind could not be seen. Wearing a long maroon dress, a slightly round face under the long black hair shawl, and a pair of bright eyes dancing with the flame of joy, these are the early characteristics of the beginning of love. If someone is here, they can find it. The curly-haired young man deliberately chose a location where he can be easily spotted, so that people coming out of the monastery can see his back properly. If he is interested, he can be identified by his clothes at a glance. reveal his identity.
"Oh, Miss **, I don't like riding horses very much, and with so many people rushing up to me, don't you think this is a bit too ostentatious?" He stood up politely, invited the other person to sit down, and gestured to the waiter to bring him another glass. Coffee, the curly-haired young man put down his book in a calm manner and answered with a smile.
"Ah, you feel the same as me. I don't like this kind of swaggering of a large group of people walking through the city. It gives people an uneducated feeling." In response to the other party's invitation, the girl nodded to express her gratitude, and then turned away Sitting down, a faint blush appeared on his face, which made the curly-haired young man feel a little stirred in his heart. However, his good qualities made him calm down quickly, and he calmly thought about his next plan.
"Oh, Miss **, I think this is just a personal preference. Some people like liveliness, some people like quietness, but we prefer a quiet and tranquil life." The curly-haired young man diligently held up the cup of sugar to the other party. Indicate whether to add sugar or not. With the other party’s eyes indicating, he placed a sugar cube for the other party, “Just like you like to drink coffee with sugar, but I prefer this pure and light bitter taste.”
"Well, Mr. Willy, what you said makes sense. Maybe it's because individuals have different perspectives on life, which leads to different perceptions of things." The girl obviously likes to discuss these topics about life, but The curly-haired young man didn't want to waste any more time on these topics. He needed to get to the point.
"Miss **, why haven't you seen your father in the past two days? Didn't he come with you?"
"Well, he was too busy and went back to the city. I don't know if he will come back again." The round-faced girl shook her head, her face a little sad, "He is always like this, every time he comes here in a hurry, in a hurry Go, it would be hard for me to actually spend a day or two with him.”
"Oh, Miss **, you have to understand him. Your father is both a well-respected gentleman in the imperial capital and a very successful businessman. He has a lot of things to do. This is what a successful person must do. You paid for it." The curly-haired young man defended the other party's father.
"You are right. My father is indeed very respected. The people who deal with him are all very famous people in the empire." Hearing the deliberate compliment, the girl also showed a proud smile on her face, "It turns out that the people in the imperial capital city Some people who were incompatible with my father have now improved their relationship with him a lot, and many people who have never visited my home have come to visit my father from time to time during this period."
"Oh, it's hard to change the attitude of these gentry. The fact that they can visit your father shows that they sincerely regard your father as a friend." The curly-haired young man said casually.
"Well, Mr. Morton and Mr. Zhuang Liting came to my house often during this period and bought me a lot of gifts. But my father didn't seem to be very happy. I don't like those things very much. I prefer Mr. Willy. The "Selected Poems of Petofi" was given to me. I wonder if Mr. Willy has more poetry collections about the folk poets of the Western Continent? I always feel that although the works of the court poets of the Western Continent are gorgeous, there is always one more thing. It has a luxurious atmosphere, and I prefer works with strong liberalism like Petofi’s.”
What was inadvertently revealed in the round-faced girl's words made the curly-haired boy happy. As the eldest son of the Willis family, Morton represents the direction of the Willis family. Now that Situ Jun has fallen, looking for a suitable backer has become a problem. This has become the top priority of the Willis family, and of course this has also attracted the attention of many forces. Zhuang Liting's status is also very important. Although the bankers in the imperial capital are not among the five major families in the imperial capital, as the largest financial family in the imperial capital, the Zhuang family has a strong influence in the financial and gold industries. It controls the Zhongyuan Bank, which is known as the number one in the empire, and Bodley Gold Company, known as the giant in the industry, and several major gold mines directly under the Imperial Finance Administration are in fact controlled by bankers to a large extent. Whether it is Zhongzhou Gold, which is still under the central control of the Empire, Mine and Longmen Gold Mine, or Cangzhou Gold Mine and Dengzhou Gold Mine, which have been taken over by Northern Situ Tai. Although they have experienced changes in power, these gold mines are still firmly in the hands of the bookmakers. Due to the special relationship between the banker and the central government of the empire and Situ Tai, the banker's actions have actually become an important weathervane in the politics of the imperial capital. Although this Zhuang Liting was only the cousin of the Zhuang family head, the curly-haired young man knew that he was even more valued by the Zhuang family head than many of his direct relatives.