Several sons of the noble family were very surprised at His Majesty's decision to agree that foreigners can also enter the scope of Nihuang County Master's choice of son-in-law. Xiao Jiujing Rui first asked: "Didn't the Emperor ask Nihuang County Master's own intentions? ?"
"Of course I asked, because Mu Qing, the prince of Yunnan, became an adult last month, so the county master agreed, but with a few conditions. First, the contestant must be the applicant himself. His Majesty the Emperor decides, but the winner of the martial arts test has to compete with her in person, and only if she loses will she marry." Yan Yujin said leisurely.
As soon as these words came out, the two brothers breathed a sigh of relief. Xie Bi scolded: "Die Yujin, deliberately teasing us! This is much better, most of the masters of Dayu and Beiyan are married and unqualified, even if the unmarried ones are carefully selected, they can beat the only one on the Langya master list. A female expert?"
"You don't have to be able to beat it," Mei Changsu interjected again, "If the county owner likes it, he will lose if he doesn't lose."
"I think so too," Yan Yujin said beautifully, "You all know that the princess has always liked me..."
Xie Bi spit out a sip of tea that he just drank, and coughed: "The county... The county master always likes to scold you! Forget about someone who is not serious like you, the county master Nihuang has been in the battlefield for many years, and he likes prudence. Responsible man."
"Hey," Yan Yujin sighed, "Xie Er, you are so cruel, it's hard for people to have a sweet dream..."
"You stop joking," Xiao Jingrui pushed him and said again, "But this time, Dayu and Beiyan are also dreaming. If they don't succeed, they won't lose much. Once they succeed... Think about it, Not only is he married to the country, but he is also married to a military genius, and his reputation will become much louder all of a sudden."
Mei Changsu said lightly: "Da Yu and Beiyan have been unstable recently. How many factions are fighting for the crown prince position. Which prince married Nihuang County Lord at this time? It's like taking the crown prince's throne."
"Brother Su's words are the most important point. I know that my Daliang court is unlikely to let Princess Nihuang marry out, but we always have to fight with blood. If we win by luck, we will definitely win when we return to China. ." Yan Yujin agreed, "I don't know who gave them the idea, but it's because they dared to summon the courage to come."
Mei Changsu looked at him with interest and asked, "How do you know that someone must have given them an idea?"
Yan Yujin shrugged and said, "I don't like random analysis, it's just intuition. Think about it, it's quite a coincidence that the two countries came up with this idea together and put it into practice at about the same time."
"Whether it's a coincidence or not, in short, it's enough that Princess Nihuang can't marry off." Xie Bi shook his hand and turned to Mei Changsu, "Brother Su, in your opinion, who will win this competition?"
Mei Changsu laughed and said, "I'm not a fortune teller, how would I know? Even if I have cash to buy the answer at Langya Pavilion, it's too late now."
"You can guess what Yujin asked you just now. I thought you could predict the prophet." Xie Bi laughed.
"Let me tell you what to do," Mei Changsu said with a smile, "Actually, I didn't guess it right."
"Didn't you guess it right?" Yan Yujin immediately became interested, "Could it be that Brother Su can really tell fortunes?"
"The mystery of numerology, how could a fool like me be able to figure it out?" Mei Changsu said, and took out a scroll of silk from his sleeve, "I didn't guess, I already knew about it, and it was written all over it. What's going on..."
Yan Yujin took the silk book curiously, and the three of them leaned over to take a look.
"This is the national letter written by King Dayu himself and sent envoys to ask for marriage!" Xie Bi's eyes were set straight, "How could it be in your hands?"
"Ah, it turns out that the restaurant in the county seat... the Da Yu mission really lost its credential..." Yan Yujin tilted his head and stared at Mei Changsu, "Brother Su, why are you stealing someone's credential when you have nothing to do? "
"You're right, I only stole it when I had nothing to do with it." Mei Changsu still smiled lightly, "I was kicked out to wander around, and I was bored. It happened that the inn and the restaurant where the Da Yu embassy stayed were Jiang. Zuomeng's property, the shopkeeper told me that they have a sandalwood long box, which is tightly guarded, and there must be something good in it. I was curious for a while, and sent Fei Liu to fetch it and look at it, but I didn't expect it was just a roll of official documents. These things have nothing to do with us Jianghu people, so I'm not too interested. I wanted to see them and put them back in the original place. I didn't expect them to find out so quickly. "
All three of them had seen Fei Liu's bizarre skills, and they were not surprised to hear that he picked it up. What they were amazed at was the pervasive control of the Jiang Zuo League on their own territory, which was indeed worthy of the world's largest power. gang's reputation. But after thinking about it carefully, this first gang is still not responsible enough, and they actually drove their suzerain out like this, letting him wander around boredly, rummaging through the credentials of other embassies, and not afraid of causing any trouble...
"By the way, are there any conditions or restrictions for participating in the screening test?" Xiao Jingrui brought the topic back to the original point.
"Yes, you must have a clean family background, be of the same age, have good looks, and have never married a wife..."
"that's it?"
"that's it."
"Ah," Xie Bi exclaimed, "then brother can also participate!"
"Me?" Xiao Jingrui was taken aback, "Although I respect Princess Nihuang, I never thought about..."
"I didn't want you to go until the end," Xie Bi pulled on his sleeve. "The more people we have in Daliang, the less chance of Dayu and Beiyan winning. You are so good, you will definitely be able to win. Eliminating many opponents can also be considered as screening unqualified candidates for Princess Nihuang."
"But… "
"What's wrong, I'm not good at martial arts, and it's useless to sign up for a name. You are a master anyway, and it's hard for Brother Su to guide you all the way, even if you accumulate practical experience." Xie Bi said involuntarily, Xiang Yan Yujin said, "Yujin, go and help him report his name tomorrow."
"You don't need to worry about this, I have already reported it to him." Yan Yujin said with a smile.
"Hey...you two..."
"Don't be nervous," Mei Changsu comforted. "I know your martial arts best. It's impossible to win to the end. What does it matter if you go for a few rounds of competition?"
"You're comforting me?" Xiao Jingrui wanted to cry without tears, "Am I the best person to bully..."
Xie Bi thought of another question: "It's not only the nobles in the capital who know about this, right? Junyan Yingjie from the martial arts world should also be able to participate, right?"
"Of course it can come. This kind of news may not be able to be concealed even if you want to hide it. Besides, the emperor also took this opportunity to choose a good son-in-law for the county master to comfort her in her loneliness in the battlefield. Haven't you noticed that you have come from Beijing all the way? Is Lu Yingjie rushing towards Jinling?"
The three of them thought back carefully, and dullly realized that it was like this, but there were already a lot of people entering Beijing, and they didn't care for a while.
"Okay, I won't talk to you," Yan Yujin got up and stretched, "I want to go back to rest and recuperate. After three days, I'm ready to show off my skills, defeat heroes from all walks of life, and make it to the Langya Masters list in one fell swoop..."
Xie Bi gave him a sideways look: "This man, he started talking in his sleep before he fell asleep..."
"It's time to go, so as not to disturb Brother Su's rest." Xiao Jingrui also said, "Fei Liu has been asleep for a long time."
Everyone looked back and saw Fei Liu and Yi lying on the bed without putting down the curtain, closing their eyes and sleeping soundly.
"I fell asleep and felt like an ice cube..." Just as Yan Yujin made a comment, Fei Liu's eyes suddenly opened, so frightened that he quickly pointed at Xiao Jingrui and said, "He said that sentence just now!"
Fei Liu's eyes opened out of focus for a while, then closed again in an instant.
"Don't worry, he already recognizes your voice," Mei Changsu said with a smile. "If it was a stranger's voice, Fei Liu would wake up immediately."
"It's okay," Yan Yujin patted his chest and said, "Then we'll leave. Brother Su, please rest early."
Mei Changsu got up and walked to the door, watched the three of them leave, and then returned to the room.
The bell and drum of the second watch rang just at this moment, Mei Changsu stopped and listened silently for a while, staring at the quiet Hou Mansion in the dark night, and after a long time, he slowly closed the door.
Jinling City has been famous for its steaming power for generations, and the center of the city is naturally the palace of Emperor Daliang. Going out from Nansheng Gate, a sloping red-walled brick road connects a delicate mansion that is both independent and integrated with the palace city.
The regulations of the mansion are not big, but if the identity of the mansion owner is determined by the size, it is likely to make a serious mistake. The main gate of the mansion is not open all the year round. On the lintel hangs a plaque with a gold-embossed edge and a pure black base. On it, there are three square characters written in the official beam style: "Liyang Mansion".
Princess Liyang, the only surviving younger sister of the emperor of the dynasty, the wife of Xie Yu, Marquis of Ningguo.
People who are a little older in the capital still clearly remember the grand occasion when the previous emperor married his beloved daughter. The newlyweds looking down on the commoners from the top of Yingfeng Tower are simply the most intuitive interpretation of the four characters of hero and beauty. Twenty-six years have passed, but the two still love each other and respect each other. The three boys and one girl are all well-educated children. In the eyes of everyone, this is definitely the most perfect family example.
Originally, according to royal practice, after Princess Liyang and Xie Yu got married, Xie Yu should have moved to the Princess Mansion, and outsiders called him "concubine" instead of "houye". However, due to the wishes of the princess herself, and the fact that the first empress dowager thought that her daughter should not be allowed to stand above her husband's family, she would not be able to enjoy family happiness, so the princess was specially allowed to move to the Marquis of Ningguo Mansion, where she would get along with her parents-in-law with family etiquette. Xianliang, dignified and honest, ordered the servants to call her "Mrs." as long as they were in the Hou residence, and even more strictly controlled the palace servants she brought. Later, Xie Yu became more and more prominent in the court, and the princess kept a low profile from time to time. The court and the public gradually became accustomed to seeing the relationship between the two as a "marquis" and a "marquise" instead of the original "princess". ” and “Consort.”
This Liyang Mansion was built by Princess Liyang in her fifteenth year and she has been free since she got married. Princess Liyang felt it was a pity that it was vacant, so she ordered people to plant countless exotic flowers and plants in it, and it was always there in the four seasons. Incense, concubines and relatives in the palace often come to ask for a tour during the flowering period, which is a scenic spot in the upper class of Kyoto. When the princess is fasting, worshipping Buddha, or when the empress dowager wants to come to live there, she will move back to live for a few days.
When Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi came back, their mother happened to be staying in the Princess Mansion.
Early this morning, the two brothers followed their father's order and went to Liyang Mansion to welcome them. When she arrived, the long princess' sedan chair was ready and was parked outside the side door. Of course, the two of them didn't need any notification, and went straight into the main hall of the inner hall. They saw that their mother had finished dressing up and was walking out with the help of a maid, and they were busy bowing down together.
"Get up." Princess Liyang smiled and stretched out her hand to help. She has always been a reserved person, and many servants in the house have served her for many years, and they have never seen her lose a moment of composure. Xiao Jingrui hadn't returned for a long time. Although she was very concerned about it, she didn't show it on her face. She just looked at him twice and didn't rush to ask.
"Father ordered the children to escort mother back to the house." Xie Bi stayed by Princess Liyang's side for a longer period of time. Compared with her brother, she seemed more intimate, but it was far from rolling into her arms and acting like a spoiled child like ordinary people. Even though he stepped forward to support his mother's arm, his attitude could only be described as respectful.
"Jing Rui, how's it going?" Princess Liyang asked.
"Lao Niang misses you, the baby is all right."
"Did your father go to court?"
"Yes."
After a few conversations like this, the mother and son stopped talking and went out to the car.
Entering the Hou Mansion, the sedan chair was dropped off outside the corner gate, and the two brothers helped their mother out. At this time, the old marquis and Mrs. Tai had passed away, and there was no need to go to greet them, so Princess Liyang directly ordered to go back to the main room where she lived.
Passing through the side yard along the corridor, a water laurel is planted along the wall. At this time, the flowering period is not over, and there is still a fragrance. Princess Liyang slowed down slightly, as if feeling the richness of the wind, and the light surface appeared. A smile. Just at this moment, there was a string of violin sounds coming over the wall. Although the distance was far away, it could not be heard clearly, but the rhythm was clear and melodious, which made people feel abruptly washed away the dust and vulgarity.
"Who is playing the piano? The artistic conception is extraordinary."
Xiao Jingrui raised his head and listened carefully for a moment, then replied, "This is a friend of the boy, surnamed Su Mingzhe, who was invited by the boy to stay in Jinling to recuperate, and is currently staying in Xuelu."
"Does mother want to meet this person?" Xie Bi asked hurriedly.
Princess Liyang smiled lightly: "Since you are Jing Rui's friend, you should just entertain me, why do you need to see me?"
"But it doesn't sound real here, why don't you invite Brother Su into the inner courtyard, how about playing the piano for your mother through the curtain?" Xie Bi suggested.
Princess Liyang frowned slightly, but her tone was still gentle: "Bi'er, this Mr. Su is here as a guest, not a entertainer, so how can you call me like this? If there is a chance in the future, I can do it again. If you don't have the chance to hear the sound of the piano, you can't force it."
When Xiao Jingrui first heard the second brother's suggestion, he felt the same as Princess Liyang, and felt a little unhappy in his heart, but seeing that his mother had already refused, he didn't say any more. Xie Bi's original intention was not to be rude, but it was just a habit from childhood. He always felt that his mother had a high status, and whoever liked the qin would ask him to play a few tunes. He didn't think much about it.
When they arrived at the main room of the inner courtyard, Princess Liyang sat down against a long couch by the window. After everyone had served refreshments and all exited, she beckoned her two sons to sit beside her. At this time, the atmosphere was less so. Cold and polite, the mother and son began to gossip and gossip.
Xiao Jingrui once went to Xuelu once when he went out in the morning, but Mei Changsu didn't seem to get up at that time, and Fei Liu was guarding in the courtyard and no one was allowed to enter, so he didn't meet. At this time, although I was chatting with my mother, I imagined that the guests had only been here for a day, but it would not be good to say hello in the past, so I kept thinking about it. Princess Liyang has always been Yinghui, how could she not see that her son was a little absent-minded, and said gently at the moment: "You all have your own affairs, so you don't need to be here with me, I will turn a few pages of the book quietly, it's better to have fun, both of you. Get out."
"Where did Mother speak?" Xie Bi said hurriedly, "Of course the sons should accompany Mother to relax."
"What's so interesting about the two of you being with me? It's better to marry a virtuous and filial daughter-in-law to accompany your mother earlier. That's true filial piety. Don't waste time with me, let's go."
Xie Bi had a lot of affairs to deal with inside and outside the house, and Xiao Jingrui also remembered that he was going to see Mei Changsu. The two of them didn't say any more words, and saluted and left the inner courtyard.
"My father will go to Taiwei Hong's mansion tomorrow to celebrate his birthday, and I'm going to arrange a birthday gift. Please tell Brother Su, I won't be able to greet him today." Xie Bi hurriedly confessed to Xiao Jingrui at the entrance of the second gate. , the two broke up in a hurry.