Xiang Chao struggled to prop up half of his body, Bai Shan and the others dragged the table to the side of the kang and put a bowl for him to eat by himself.
The three chatted while eating, and Man Bao asked curiously, "What's the name of your second son?"
"Xiang Mingxue, our old patriarch took it, isn't it nice?"
Bai Shan and Man Bao nodded, "That sounds nice, so has he read?"
"Of course I have studied. Our second son is the best in our Xiang clan. Of course, the eldest son is also good at studying, but the second son is smarter." Qiu Harvest will send the Second Young Master to Beijing to take the big exam in the second year, to see if he can be admitted to the Imperial College."
He said: "But our doctor in the state said that the second son has enough knowledge. As long as he performs normally, he has a good chance of being admitted. Their family is not short of money, but they didn't pass the exam in the first year. year, the next year will be the exam.”
"You two sons are studying in the government school?"
"That's right, the government school in Suizhou was originally going to Yizhou, but when he took the exam, he was still young, less than thirteen, and his family was worried, so he just let him go to Suizhou."
Xiang Mingxue is a direct branch disciple, while Xiang Chao is a side branch, two years older than Xiang Mingxue. Although the two belong to the same family, they rarely meet each other.
Xiang Mingxue was rarely in Dongxizhuang, and was sent to study in the county when he was a child. He would only go home when he was resting, and he would not play with Xiang Chao and the others who were running around.
And Xiang Mingxue went to Suizhou Prefecture to study again at the age of thirteen. Basically, he didn't even come back to Xiumu. He only went home during big festivals and busy farming seasons, so the two of them didn't know each other at all before.
When meeting at the entrance of the village, people whom Xiang Mingxue didn't know would just bow down and salute. Hearing someone call him Second Young Master, he knew he was of the same generation or a junior. Hearing someone call Mingxue, he knew he was an elder...
The flood in the tenth year of Dazhen was at the time when the government school was on a busy farming holiday. Xiang Mingxue went back to his hometown and discussed with his family to prepare to go to Beijing to take the big exam after the autumn harvest. He was sixteen years old that year.
When the flood rushed down, he fled to the high ground with his family, and walked down when the flood subsided a little the next day, but he was a frail scholar, so he walked slowly, so he and his mother and sisters-in-law fell behind.
When screams came from the front and he rushed out to look, his grandfather, the head of the Xiang clan, his father and elder brother had already been killed by a man in full armor riding on a horse...
At that time, he could only help his mother and sister-in-law to escape, but he was washed away. He only carried away his little nephew, and in the end even the little nephew was gone. He ran along with him and pulled him to jump together. In the turbulent and muddy river, he survived by pulling a piece of wood and floating along the water together.
Since then, he has been living in revenge.
What Xiang Chao said was right, the direct branch of the Xiang family had money, and their money was not only in Dongxi Village, but also in other places.
Although they didn't have land deeds or house deeds, and they didn't dare to sell those things, they still had some money in any courtyard or shop.
They survived through this in the early stage, and then began to take money to hide their names.
Raising flesh and blood, victims who want to take revenge, making money, inquiring about news... These are all led by Xiang Mingxue.
They found the King of Yizhou in a daze when they were chasing and intercepting him from all directions, and they have been biting the King of Yizhou since the thirteenth year of Dazhen.
It took them nearly a year to plan the Dragon Boat Festival assassination, but unfortunately, it was only a little bit close...
And then at the end of July this year, they ambushed King Yizhou on his way to Beijing, but they did not expect King Yizhou to secretly bring a team of soldiers and horses into Beijing. Most of the people they brought were lost, and the second son was seriously injured and arrested.
Hearing this, Bai Shan's spirits lifted, and he didn't feel sleepy for a while, "You said that the king of Yizhou brought a team of soldiers to the capital? How many soldiers are there?"
Xiang Chao said: "It was too chaotic at the time, but I guess there were about a thousand people."
Bai Shan and Man Bao looked at each other, and Man Bao was a little uncertain, "I remember that when a vassal king enters the capital, he should bring no more than three hundred guards, right?"
Bai Shan's eyes sparkled, "That's right, when the adults come for interrogation, you have to tell them like this... Remember, it's just like what you said to us just now, if you want to reveal it inadvertently, you know?"
Xiang Chao nodded again and again, and asked, "Is this good for bringing down the king of Yizhou?"
Bai Shan and Man Bao nodded fiercely, "Yes."
"Okay, I'll make a note."
Seeing that he was full, Man Bao took his bowl and washed it, poured him a bowl of boiled medicine, and said, "Drink it as soon as it cools, put the bowl aside, we have to sleep for a while." .”
Seeing that she had put down the fire, Xiang Chao asked quickly, "What about the second young master?"
"He has already drank it once, and there is still some left in the medicine jar. You look at him, if he has a fever, call me, and call us at noon."
After that, she went to sleep with Bai Shan.
There are three quilts, and now there is only one bed left. Bai Shan touched the straw in disgust, and reluctantly accepted that they were spread on the other half of the kang, but he still spread two large clothes on it, and then he and Man Bao Lie down on the left and right.
Xiang Chao stared dumbfounded, and wanted to say something, but saw that they closed their eyes and fell asleep as soon as they lay down, so it was difficult to say anything.
Not long after Man Bao and the others lay down, a guard came over with two wooden barrels, knocked on the door of the cell deliberately, and shouted: "It's time to eat, it's time to eat..."
Bai Shan and Man Bao woke up from their sleep, opened their eyes and looked forward unconsciously for a while, their eyelids trembled, their heads shrank back into the quilt, and fell asleep again.
Xiang Chao's little head, which saw the two of them, got closer and closer, turned to look at the person outside the prison door, and stared with big eyes on both sides.
Xiang Chaocai smiled and wanted to say something, but the people outside the cell had glanced at the food left on their table, shrugged and left.
Of course, the standard meals in the cell were not left for them. They already had food, and if they kept food, wouldn't that be a waste
Might as well take it out and feed it to pigs.
This time, Manbao and the others slept very soundly and soundly. Xiang Chao slept a lot last night. He was really bored by himself. He touched Xiang Mingxue's head from time to time and saw that he was not feverish. , and he didn't know if the time was up or not, so he could only listen with his ears open. When he heard that the shift would be changed at noon, he hurriedly called Man Bao and Bai Shan.
Bai Shan opened his eyes and took a look. He tried hard to get up, but Man Bao, who got up in a daze, slapped him down, pushed him down again, and said: "Go to sleep, I don't need you right now."
Bai Shan turned over and went to sleep again.
Man Bao yawned and came over to check on Xiang Mingxue's situation. After feeling his pulse, he went to change the medicine. Of course, before that, he warmed up the medicine in the previous medicine jar and gave Xiang Chao to drink it. He said perfunctorily, "I just had breakfast, so I'm sure you're not hungry. You should take medicine to fill your stomach first, and someone should bring food later."
Xiang Chao: ...