The young men in brocade who walked into the gate of Keshengju had almost the same expressions, and they all looked at the frontier soldiers with undisguised contempt. Because of the whim of His Majesty today, these soldiers from poor families forcibly snatched half of the places for admission to the Martial Arts Academy from the children of the aristocratic family. The conflict was unstoppable from the moment this decree came down.
The Wang family in the south of the Yangtze River is one of the most famous families in the world. In the previous dynasty, the Wang family had seven prime ministers, four princes, and dozens of counties and townships. Although the Wang family gradually lost power after the founding of the Sui Dynasty, the heritage of the family for hundreds of years should not be underestimated.
In the former dynasty, the only one that could be compared with the Wang family was the Jiangnan Xie family. The fates of these two famous families are almost the same. Since the Sui Dynasty replaced the previous dynasty, the status of the two families in the imperial court has been declining. Especially when Tianyou Emperor Yang Yi took office, none of the officials above the third rank came from these two families. There are no officials in the court, which is a precursor to the complete decline of a family.
But there is no doubt that the Wang family still has unparalleled influence in the local area.
Wang Ding is one of the young people of the Wang family who is outstanding in Chinese and martial arts. His father once served as a county magistrate, but he only stayed at the fourth-rank official position. Ding had high hopes since he was a child. He spared no expense in hiring erudite Confucianism to teach his homework, and invited well-known masters in the martial arts world to guide his practice.
Wang Ding also lived up to his father's high expectations, and he was famous in the south of the Yangtze River when he was young. But also because he became famous at a young age, his temperament is inevitably lonely and withdrawn.
This time he came to the imperial capital, he had two things he was determined to achieve.
Entered the top three in the Yanwu Academy examination, and married Yang Weixia, the daughter of Yang Kai, the king of Xujun. Although King Xujun didn't respond to the marriage, Wang Ding knew that marrying the daughter of King Xujun would undoubtedly be a shortcut if he wanted to advance in his official career. The family also attached great importance to this matter, not only invited a well-known veteran in the court to be a matchmaker, but even wrote a letter to invite His Majesty the Emperor.
The proud and arrogant Wang Ding didn't like the frontier soldiers gathered in Keshengju. Speaking of which, today he deliberately came to see how poor these frontier soldiers were. Can't afford Ke Shengju's food and drink for nothing, in his opinion, it's unbearable that these soldiers didn't die in shame.
The young man of Ke Shengju was extremely clever, and hurriedly greeted Wang Ding and others to the private room on the second floor. Wang Dingbai glanced at those frontier soldiers, and said to the boy in a low voice: "In a while, if these meritorious soldiers of the Sui Dynasty run out of wine, you can just drink as you like, and all the money spent will be mine."
When these words came out of his mouth, there was an embarrassing meaning in them.
The little guy responded in a low voice, thinking, why do you bother to make trouble, this prince? These soldiers just want to have a good drink, but you come to ridicule and sarcasm. If there is a disturbance, we Ke Shengju will not be able to bear it.
Mo Xidao's expression changed, and he took a step forward with wide eyes. Fang Jie reached out and pulled his sleeve, shaking his head slightly. Mo Xidao snorted coldly, sat down on the stool, slapped the seal of a wine jar, picked it up and poured it into his mouth.
At this moment, the person who came in last behind Wang Ding and the others attracted the attention of all the frontier soldiers.
This man is tall and tall, with a beard, big eyes, broad shoulders and narrow waist, a square face, and angry eyebrows. What he was wearing was not brocade clothes, but the costumes of the Sui frontier army.
"It's Wang Wei!"
Zhang Kuang whispered in Fang Jie's ear: "The military commander on the side of Baishui City, he is a member of General Luo Yao. Although he is also from a poor family, he can climb up to the backstage at any rate!"
"Wang Wei who leads troops to slaughter several barbarian towns every year?"
Fang Jie couldn't help asking.
"it's him!"
Zhang Kuang snorted coldly and said: "After he arrived in the imperial capital, he never associates with the brothers from the frontier army. Instead, he hangs out with the princes of the aristocratic families all day long. He is really a servant. They treat him like a dog. I still think it's pretty, and it's a shame for our frontier army! Yesterday I asked some brothers to invite him, but he said that he didn't have time, so he wanted to curry favor with the Jiangnan Wang family, so he had no choice but to come and drink with us."
Mo Xidao shook his head and said softly: "Everyone has his own ambition, don't force it, come... let's drink!"
He raised the wine jar again and poured half of it in one go.
"Brother Fang, have you really... already seen enough of His Majesty?"
Zhang Kuang changed the subject and asked Fang Jie.
Fang Jie nodded and said, "Yes, I did, but I was too timid to raise my head, and I still don't know what Your Majesty looks like."
Zhang Kuang smiled and said: "If it were me, I'm afraid I would prostrate on the ground and dare not raise my head."
Mo Xidao didn't answer, but turned his head and looked coldly at Wang Ding and others who were climbing the stairs. As if sensing his gaze, Wang Ding, who was halfway up the stairs, stopped, glanced this way and then snorted, then turned around and said something to his companion in a low voice.
Fang Jie pulled Mo Xidao, smiled and said, "Where does Brother Mo live?"
"Station."
Mo Xidao was silent for a while and replied: "Where can poor ghosts like us live without money? After reporting to the Ministry of War, those who have no money can apply to live in the post station. It is the imperial court's care for our frontier soldiers. Three meals a day are also taken care of, so you won’t be hungry.”
Fang Jie hummed, but couldn't help but move in his heart.
When he reported to the Ministry of War, no one told him that he could apply to live in the station. I'm afraid that the people from the Ministry of War were already plotting against him at that time. After all, if he lived in the post station, it would be much more difficult to kill him. And if he lived in an inn, it would be much easier to attack.
He suddenly couldn't help laughing, laughing that he was really treated well after arriving in the imperial capital.
The seemingly fair and bright imperial city is full of pitfalls for him. If you are not careful, you may get stuck in it and you will not be able to pull it out.
…
…
Wang Ding and others went up to the second floor and chose a private room facing the street. After ordering the waiters to serve the food and wine, Wang Ding waved his hands and said impatiently: "Close the door, I'm upset to hear the voices of those poor ghosts outside."
Wang Wei, who was standing aside without taking a seat, immediately closed the door with a courteous attitude.
"Wang Wei, you are different from them."
Wang Ding glanced at him and said with a smile: "Not to mention that you are under the command of General Luo, the left front guard, you should be from a branch of my Wang family. In the future, you should not associate with these people, so as not to make you feel vulgar. "
"What the prince said is yes, and I will do it."
Wang Wei leaned forward slightly and said humbly.
"Sit down, sit down."
Wang Ding waved his hand casually and said, "Since I brought you here, I didn't treat you as an outsider. The wine today is not without reason. After a while, General Luo's only son, General Luo Wen, the head of the Yanwu Academy this year, will Come on. You are an old soldier of General Luo, how close you will be when you meet General Luo soon... I specially invited General Luo to perform this dinner for him. He has already been conferred the fourth rank by His Majesty General Lang will leave Beijing soon to serve in the Northwest Youxiaowei Army."
"Brother Wang is admirable!"
A young man in brocade clothes couldn't help but clapped his hands and said: "If you don't tell me, who would guess the purpose of this wine today? It's not easy to invite Mr. Luo Wen. How can someone else have such a big face!"
Wang Ding waved his hands and smiled and said: "Where is it, my father and General Luo are old acquaintances, and General Luo and I played together a lot when we were young. I remember that when he got into trouble, I often took the blame for him. So If others can't invite him, he still has to give me face."
While talking, suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"who?"
Wang Wei asked.
"My lord, I am passing on the message."
The guy at the door, Ke Shengju, said in a low voice, "Just now General Luo sent someone to say that he has something important to do today, and he really can't spare time to come. Please bear with me."
These words are polite, but it is tantamount to slapping Wang Ding in the mouth.
Wang Ding's complexion changed, it was extremely ugly.
Seeing his embarrassment, Wang Wei quickly said: "I think the Ministry of War has something important to do. After all, General Luo is going to the northwest, and the Ministry of War should have a lot of things to explain and arrange..."
"Shut up!"
Wang Ding glared at him, feeling his face was burning hot. Just because of the sense of shame in his heart, he felt more and more hateful about those chattering frontier soldiers outside. Thinking of the scar-faced man who looked at him coldly before, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
"Wang Wei, do you know who the frontier soldier who is blind in one eye is?"
"Know!"
Wang Wei hurriedly bowed his head and said, "His name is Mo Xidao, and he is a scout team leader in the Phoenix Terrace of Eastern Xinjiang. Because of his achievements, he was promoted to brigade leader before he came to the imperial capital. There is some prestige in the frontier army. This time the frontier army gathered in Keshengju, he was the one who organized it. This person is considered to be the most promising person among the candidates with military background. Not only is his cultivation high, but he is also extremely insidious and cunning. "
"Phoenix Terrace?"
Wang Ding frowned, as if thinking of something: "It's the person who sneaked into the Eastern Chu to destroy the crowd? He knew about it, but he didn't remember the name of this person. He was blind in one eye, and he must have left behind at that time." If it's really him, it's worth noting."
"An idiot, how can you compare with Brother Wang!"
The person sitting next to Wang Ding poured him a glass of wine, said with a smile, "Brother Wang is the hottest candidate to enter the top three, even those low-ranking frontier soldiers are no match for Brother Wang."
"I have to be careful."
Wang Ding thought for a while, looked at Wang Wei and asked, "Do you know this person well?"
Wang Wei shook his head and said, "I don't know, I just heard that his cultivation should have surpassed the sixth rank. There are so many candidates with military backgrounds, no one should be able to beat him."
"This person... if he can't take the Yanwu Academy exam... what's the use of being strong?"
"Brother Wang, did you think of a way to teach this person a lesson?"
"lesson?"
Wang Ding sneered and said with a cold smile: "That would be so cheap for him... Wang Wei, you go down in a while, please don't wash your knife and come up, just say that I offended him with my reckless words just now, and I want to apologize to him!"
"ah?"
Everyone present was taken aback.
"Brother Wang, why do you need to condescend?"
Immediately someone persuaded.
"Ha ha."
Wang Ding smiled, called Wang Wei over and whispered a few words. Wang Wei's complexion changed drastically after hearing this, and he couldn't help taking a step back and waving his hands again and again: "Young Master Wang, this is a crime that will lead to prison! If you are not careful, even I will be implicated! It is not appropriate."
"With me here, what are you afraid of?"
Wang Ding waved his hand and said: "Go, as long as you do this well, I will thank you very much. Besides, Mo Xidao had an accident and couldn't take the exam of the Academy of Martial Arts. Didn't you also go to the strongest opponent? No He is pressing you, who can take the first place among military candidates from you?"
Wang Wei was startled, hesitated for a while and said: "Since Mr. Wang thinks highly of me, I can't let you down. But... since you want to make a move, don't leave any room for it. Some of the people below also have some skills. The frontier brigade is insane, and Fan Gucheng has a deputy Fang Jie of the scout team, these two are rivals, if you want to do it... let's do it together!"
"As expected, I saw you right!"
Wang Ding laughed out loud, with a smug look on his face.
…
…
Just when Wang Ding told Wang Wei to do something, the people sitting in the private room next to where they were sitting frowned slightly. Although Wang Ding's voice was extremely low when he told Wang Wei how to plot against Mo Xidao and others, his cultivation base could not hear clearly. Seeing his displeasure, the young man sitting opposite him felt tight.
"Commander... I dare not make decisions on what you asked me to do. Are you allowed to make a decision after I tell my father?"
In the Sui Dynasty, there were not many people who were called commanders.
The man with a gloomy face was none other than Hou Wenji, the envoy of Qingya Township. Sitting opposite him was Luo Wen whose nervous hands were trembling slightly.
Hou Wenji ignored what Luo Wen said in an almost begging tone, but pointed to the outside and whispered: "Let Liu Qianhu bring a group of guards over and wait outside, don't come close, and there won't be any big trouble in a while."
"Here!"
His confidant Fei Yupao immediately responded and turned to leave.
"General Xiao Luo, what did you just say? Sorry, I lost my mind for a while, can you say it again?"
"I said... I dare not make decisions on this matter."
Rowan replied nervously.
"No problem."
Hou Wenji waved his hand and said with a gentle smile, "I'm not in a hurry, even if it takes three to five years, it doesn't matter. You know that the rice paper in our Great Sui Songmo Studio is very good, and it won't break if it's stored for decades or even a hundred years. You're still young, and I'm not old either... So, don't worry."
He looked at the statement on the table and smiled.