son-in-law

Chapter 1241 Restless Mind ([-])
The first day of June, morning, Si time.

On the west side of the city, a bustling market close to the city walls.Pu Xingui and Qian Dingzhong took their seats in the teahouse, and then joined Cao Jinlong who came here in disguise.

Pu Xingui poured tea.

"Have you heard about what happened yesterday?"

"If it was an assassination, I was near the academy at the time...running in a panic..."

"Two masters, one went to the academy, the other went to the princess' mansion, they started at the same time, and they were able to run away with confidence. Brother Cao, do you know how high a skill it takes to be sure?"

"...the brother I brought... I don't have much confidence." Cao Jinlong shook his head, "If the plan is right, if you make a sudden attack, you can still retreat completely, but Master Tunyun made an assassination attempt in the Armed Forces Academy a few days ago. Li Pin, since then, the two sides have added more people... Difficult. Brother Qian, are you sure?"

Among the three people in the teahouse, Pu Xingui is at best a son of a wealthy family, learning some martial arts is only for physical fitness, and is not worth seeing in the green forest; the hero Cao Jinlong is admired by everyone now, but his martial arts are actually not particularly outstanding; "Wen Hou Jian" Qian Dingzhong and Xu Nanjiang who had never arrived in Fuzhou were considered the strongest thugs in this gang. When Cao Jinlong asked, Qian Dingzhong drank tea slowly, and then shook his head slowly.

"...Only [-]% certainty. To be honest, if there is an internal response, the certainty may be improved, but it is only suitable for a sudden attack. If you hit Lei Ting's hands, you will run away after killing someone. Unlike Chen Shuangran, relying on the master of swallowing clouds, the two Every time I make a move, it's all just to test... I'm afraid it's the same when Big Brother Xu comes here..."

Cao Jinlong and Pu Xingui were silent for a moment, took a sip of tea, Pu Xingui said: "Brother Cao is over there at the academy, I think the one who went to the academy to assassinate is that Monk Tunyun?"

Cao Jinlong shook his head: "No."

"'Sea Tiger' Niu Yunqiu?"

"No." Speaking of this person, Cao Jinlong shook his head again, and smiled, "'Sea Tiger' Niu Yunqiu has had a lot of momentum in the past year, but I have an old relationship with him. In fact, he is just a bullying water bandit. He doesn't have the guts, nor does he have the ability."

"That is to say, there is at least one master under Xiao Heipi who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Master Na Tunyun." Pu Xingui frowned and poured tea for the two of them. "In addition, when the incident happened, he also sent that' Iron Fist, Ni Po, beats people at the Feiyun Escort... Where did she recruit so many masters, brother Cao, we have not rarely looked for people outside this year..."

"Brother Pu means..."

"In Fujian, the rich families are nothing more than those above... The Pu family and the Chen family have won the promises of these people, so they won't leave me alone to help Chen Shuangran... Xiao Heipi has someone outside , it should still have a big background..."

"Where did she come from..."

"I had a discussion with Brother Qian last night, and later I found someone to inquire about it. Privately, there were a few rumors that during the time when the Pu family and the Chen family were in trouble, Xiao Heipi actually... went to the south of the Yangtze River to avoid disaster. .”

When Pu Xingui said this, he took a sip of tea, and Cao Jinlong thought about it too.

"...Brother Pu means...the Fair Party has stepped in."

"I know that the possibility of this matter is very unlikely. Last year, He Wen went crazy and disturbed all parties. None of the kings of the Fair Party were in a state of distress, and even the famous and vicious King Yama died in an accident. Until today Jiangnan's plates are still broken... But other than that, I can't think of anyone else who can ask Master Tunyun to help Xiao Heipi... She is young, good-looking but not the best , and never went to a kiln to learn kung fu, so it can't be said that she was feeding a tiger with her body, so she fascinated this master... This Master Tunyun is famous, but with his current skills, what kind of woman has never been seen... ..."

"For the Fair Party, it's not impossible..." Cao Jinlong thought for a while, "Last year's chaos in the south of the Yangtze River was a surprise to King Yama, King Pingping and others, but He Wen was determined to do things right from the beginning. Yes, if you really want to talk about the layout... maybe it's him?"

"This is a bit scary. The fair king is good at starting the war, and he fights four with one." Qian Dingzhong said, "That's it, are you still thinking about attacking Fujian?"

"First, it can be said that it is a rainy day. It is not surprising that such a big man is doing his own thing, and the next move is idle...Second, He Wen is a lunatic, which cannot be treated with common sense...The situation of the Fair Party is very good, who Everyone thought that he held a meeting in Jiangning to win over all parties, and no one really said they wanted to turn against him, but he said he would overturn the table. I have heard in the past that this person has a deep hatred for the Wu Dynasty. Two years ago, the situation in Jiangnan No, the fair party is having a hard time. After the little emperor hid in Fuzhou, he sent people there a few times to help and repair them, but he beat them all back. If Chen Shuangran really found him... ...There are some things that he can't do..."

In the morning market, people came and went, and the noise was chaotic. While drinking tea, the three of them calculated the possibility of the matter in a low voice. After a while, Cao Jinlong asked: "Brother Pu, do you really want to..."

"I was thinking that in the past our vision was really narrow." Pu Xingui sighed while holding the teacup, "In the past, relying on the mountains and mountains in Fujian and being isolated from the world, we thought that what we saw in front of us was the world. In the final analysis, there is Jiangnan outside of Fujian, and the Central Plains outside of Jiangnan. There is such a big world. The brave and ruthless people from Fujian met this cloud-swallowing master from outside. , only then did I know that I was a frog in a well..."

"...Little Heipi was one step ahead of me, and taught me a good lesson. Brother Cao, I just thought she was out of her mind in the past, and occasionally she had a whimsical idea. The idea is to cooperate well with her. But now that I know that there is another person behind her, I will cooperate, but I have to make a name so that this person can see me..."

Cao Jinlong nodded: "Brother Pu, do you also want to contact the person behind her?"

Pu Xingui smiled: "It doesn't matter if he supports Xiao Heipi now. To be able to come up with a figure like Master Tunyun, this person must have strength and conspiracy. I don't care whether this little Heipi used a beauty trick or did it." What, big people do things for the sake of success. For big things in Fujian, Xiao Heipi occupies a young man, so he can control them, but in the final analysis, adults have to do things for adults. My Pu family has been in business for many years, in Fujian. Wanqian, now I have the support of President Cao. Don't worry, as long as I can talk to the people behind him, I will be sure that he will choose me instead..."

"And before that...we can no longer shrink our heads...we have to show our momentum..."

In the past one or two years, due to the suppression of the imperial court, many big clans collapsed, and many clansmen either avoided disasters and moved far away, or rebelled. During this period, Pu Xingui and Chen Shuangran could become symbols of resistance, not just Due to luck, how can ordinary people bear the heavy pressure of being classified as a prisoner by the imperial court and wanted everywhere?
At this time, Pu Xingui made an analysis, which was clear and organized, and there was an air of giving it up. Cao Jinlong and Qian Dingzhong listened carefully, nodding occasionally.After such a while, a follower came up from below and quietly informed Pu Xingui of a message.

Cao Jinlong wanted to avoid it, but Pu Xingui smiled.

"It's not a big deal, Yu Hezhang came here in a hurry and said he had something to discuss." He smiled and told Cao Jinlong about the fight that happened at the Feiyun Escort yesterday, "...for the sake of safety, when Xiao Heipi killed him, Yu He Zhang and the others were caught off guard and lost a lot of face. Presumably this side couldn't swallow the breath and wanted to get back the face. Leader Cao, this is both a bad thing and a good thing. If he didn't hold back his breath, how could he Such a use of things...the people below also want to do things, so why worry about the big things not being done..."

Cao Jinlong also laughed: "It's Pu Gongzi who is well-mannered, and Cao admires him."

……

At the same moment, at the other end of the city, in front of the Princess Palace.

Huang Shengyuan got off the carriage and saw many familiar faces in the crowd.

In the past two months, Fuzhou has been undercurrents in private, and it is by no means peaceful, but on the official front, the most eye-catching thing that comes in is the important event of the emperor accepting the concubine.

According to the news spread outside, there are about three to four concubines for the emperor this time, one of which has already been assigned to a high official in the officialdom, and the remaining two to three will be chosen from gentry, merchants, Craftsmen and even civilian families choose those with outstanding character to join them—of course, this is the case, but in fact, the saying "he who pays the highest price gets it" has already flowed out.

Of course, the so-called high price does not only refer to money, in fact, it also includes how much help each family can bring to the royal family.

During the two or three years that the royal family lived in Fujian, they had already had several rounds of wooing the middle and high-level gentry in Fujian.This time the emperor's concubine selection is a very special bargaining chip, but as part of the top families in Fujian, there are not many people involved, and the real flocks are some middle-level gentry and wealthy businessmen from all over Fujian. They may have some influence in various places in Fujian. , accumulation, but still not a well-established family with deep roots, this time the selection of concubines is undoubtedly a bet that may reach the sky in one step.

Of course, if the concubine is really selected to enter the palace, such a family will in fact be bound together with the royal family whose future is uncertain at this time.

And with the name of this concubine selection, all the big families from all sides entered Fuzhou with great fanfare. For example, a family came here through mountains and rivers, and they had to bring their servants and bodyguards. Gather up.As one of the managers of the Huang family in Putian, Huang Shengyuan could see in the crowd at a glance several leading figures from the place who came purely for "big events". They held the banner of running for the election and brought a group of experts over. In fact, it was in response to the chaos that Chen Shuangran and other bandit leaders might cause.

Of course, since they said verbally that they wanted to choose a concubine, they would eventually attend the banquet set up by the Princess Mansion for everyone.

As for more people, they have no loyalty to the Wu Dynasty. If the women in the family choose concubines, they will reach the sky in one step. If they are not chosen, the people they bring may also become participants in this chaos.

Near noon, a total of 43 representatives from various families walked in one after another under the leadership of the steward of the Princess Mansion. Huang Shengyuan pretended to be warm and greeted some unfamiliar people in the crowd. , they do not respond to each other.Even though he had no loyalty to the royal family of the Wu Dynasty, after entering the gate of the Princess Mansion, Huang Shengyuan still felt a little excited.

In the crowd, some were flattered and said repeatedly such words as "Guangzong Yaozu" and "Gushang Blessing".

In any case, the majesty of the royal family was once very far away to the mountain people in all parts of Fuzhou. If it hadn't been for the fall of the south of the Yangtze River, they would never have had a relationship with the royal family in their entire life, let alone a while, and they could still see the present day The elder sister of the official family.

When Zhou Pei appeared in a graceful long dress, everyone knelt down on the ground. In the middle of the crowd, even though he had rehearsed several times before, Huang Shengyuan still adjusted his kneeling posture carefully, and some doubted that he was not kneeling very well. standard.

His state of mind is extremely complicated.

On the one hand, he already had the idea of ​​rebellion in his heart—at least he hoped that the Wu Dynasty would fall—but on the other hand, he would indeed be intimidated by this majesty.

The eldest princess looked quite young at first glance, but she treated everyone with gentle and appropriate words. It was just a simple round of greetings, and she asked everyone to get up and enter the banquet that had been prepared in the hall. Several senior officials in the court, Zhou Pei delivered a speech, and said a lot of words of concern and win-win.

For a long time, the imperial court has not been wooing all parties in one round or two. The foolish ones donated their belongings as early as the first few rounds, and some lost all their possessions in the subsequent confrontations. family property.Up to now, it is indeed an honor to eat with the eldest princess, but there is not much progress that can be made in reality. People who come here now want power and official status. It is definitely not a one-two-sentence sedition or a boring picture, and in the past many interactions, everyone has already understood the court's attitude: Today's emperor is unwilling to arbitrarily allocate power to a group of gentry.

But a passing scene.Huang Shengyuan only hoped that it would pass quickly.

Of course, Huang Shengyuan couldn't help but be a little fanciful when he heard the soft words from the princess above, with the atmosphere of the Jiangnan water town, and saw the soft and dignified smile on the face of that melon seed.

Although she is over [-] years old, this eldest princess who has status, status and means is still a widow. Sometimes she chats with some rich people in private, and some people joked that if she could use this elder princess The princess is short of a man, so she can reach the sky in one step, that would be a wonderful thing.In the past, Huang Shengyuan and some people who had never seen the appearance of the eldest princess would sneer, saying that everyone is a man who wants to do something big, who has never seen a woman... But when he saw it today, he felt that if there was such a Chances are... he can indeed...

Not long after, Zhou Pei finished his speech and sat down at the dining table. After a while, someone hurried in from outside and said something to Zhou Pei, and Zhou Pei stood up again.

Huang Shengyuan felt something was wrong.

After a while, the emperor came.

……

The hall was filled with darkness and knelt again.

After Jun Wu arrived, he said a few words to Zhou Pei, and then let the kneeling people fall flat.

According to the already discussed routine, he picked up the wine glass and said a few witty words first.

"...Today's matter, I shouldn't have come, because it doesn't sound good to say it, and it seems that the emperor... is very anxious. Because the emperor called everyone, she originally said that she wanted to marry me, everyone. Among them, maybe there will be my Yue family in the future, or one of you will be my brother-in-law in the future. The matter has not yet been decided, and it is not very important for me to personally participate in this kind of thing..."

"...But after thinking about it, I finally came here. Because my own affairs are small, but the world's affairs are big. Everyone who came here this time is the backbone of my Wu Dynasty. I want to meet and listen to you If you don’t want to wait until the selection of relatives is over, and see a few of you, then it’s absurd.”

"... On the other hand, in the past period of time, Miss Huang cared about me and presided over the matter of choosing a concubine. But in the past few days, there has actually been a bit of uproar. I believe you have heard it to some extent. Some people talked about this Choosing a concubine, saying that we are selling officials and lords. Why do you have such an idea? I also read it..."

When he said this, his words paused, and the faces of many people in the seats below changed suddenly.This time the concubine was accepted, the eldest princess's mansion released the statement of the sale, and it was also the people from the imperial court who negotiated some conditions with all parties.But the emperor's remarks clearly made something wrong.

"Your requests are actually very similar."

Jun Wu glanced over the crowd, and said these words slowly, after a while, there was still a smile on his face.

"Everyone wants to let the children in the family shade the officials, and they want to be able to do something in the local area. In the eyes of outsiders, this is selling officials and nobles, but in my eyes, this is a good thing. If you don't even have these ideas Well, then I really don’t know what to talk to you about.”

Jun Wu smiled more clearly.

"I think, what are you thinking in your heart? I have been in Fujian for three years, and I have asked many people, officials, gentry, businessmen, and great Confucian scholars from all over the world. Only then did I find out that you What you think is actually the same...Fujian has many mountains and seaside typhoons, and the environment is harsh. Therefore, all parties protect themselves, and there are also many clans and village sages. What you think is nothing more than how to let your clan prosper from generation to generation. If you go on, you can live a good life, including the pamphlet that the imperial sister handed over to me when she entered the palace a few days ago..."

Jun Wu stretched out his hand and took out a small notebook from his bosom. Obviously, the details of the discussions between each household and the Princess Mansion were recorded above. He said: "What I saw from above is actually the same as you all. The ardent anticipation and the heart of fist."

"Is this a bad thing? No, it's a good thing. And it's also because of the high-handedness of the boss that I feel that I have to come and talk to you about this matter. Because a one-person marriage is a trivial matter, everyone's expectations, in fact... ...is the big deal."

Moved...

Below the banquet, Huang Shengyuan, who was originally intimidated by the royal power, narrowed his eyes slightly at this moment.

The direction of the words was wrong, and only then did he realize that the dinner this time might not be just a passing scene.

The little emperor wants to break the situation...

(End of this chapter)