In Yun Mansion, Xia Jingyun walked in, "Where is your Majesty?"
The steward of the palace who watched Xia Jingyun transform from a poor boy to the adopted brother of the Imperial Concubine laughed with his own eyes, "The empress is dealing with political affairs. The master and Mr. Wei are playing chess at the waterside pavilion in the backyard. Should the master go to the empress or the master?"
"Let's talk to Master first."
Soon, Xia Jingyun came to the backyard.
Seeing Xia Jingyun coming over, Mr. Yun nodded slightly and motioned with his eyes to sit aside for a while.
Wei Yuanzhi also glanced at him, but also said nothing.
Although the game was already halfway through and the time required was not short, Xia Jingyun sat calmly without being arrogant or impetuous, just like an old monk entering concentration.
After falling into meditation, he never forgets to get up from time to time and give the two of them some tea.
After the game was over, Mr. Yun said, "Aren't you trying to find a way to send your cousin to the Wudang Army? How could you have the time to sit here with me for so long?"
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "It has been sent in."
"Ahem!" Wei Yuanzhi choked, his hand shook, and the tea soup spilled all over him.
Xia Jingyun said quickly: "Master Wei, what's wrong with you? Get something to wipe it quickly."
"Ahem, it's okay, it's okay." Wei Yuanzhi took the clean cloth from the maid's hand, wiped the water from his beard and clothes, and calmed down, "Why so fast? What method did Young Master Xia use?"
Xia Jingyun smiled and said: "No, it was the leader of the Wudang Army, Jin Jiancheng, who took a fancy to my cousin's ability and begged my cousin to join."
Wei Yuanzhi twitched his lips, who the hell are you lying to!
"Mr. Xia, I am asking you seriously. Please help me clear up my doubts."
Xia Jingyun said seriously: "What I said is true. My cousin has been practicing martial arts since he was a child. He has a very strong foundation. He was taught by an expert before and refined his moves. He was highly praised by General Jin. I am determined not to let him go." , he was tempted by General Jin’s sweet words and wanted to go there, but hey, there was really no other way!”
I said you are fat and you are still breathing...
Wei Yuanzhi twitched the corner of his mouth and looked at Mr. Yun, with a hint of resentment in his eyes that he had been deceived, as if to say: Did you know this a long time ago?
Mr. Yun chuckled and said, "I know it, but my daughter doesn't. No matter what, Master Wei lost."
Wei Yuanzhi sighed.
...
Concubine De was sitting in the room, somewhat lost in thought.
She has secretly made some friends in the court in the past few years, but after all, the Yun family is not a well-established family. There are not so many intricate relationships, and there are not so many disciples and former officials. The voice in the court is less than The rest of the people are much weaker, and there is no one who can be called a big figure to stand in line.
But she has no retreat. Now she is the most favored, but if the throne falls into the hands of others in the future, she and her son will be able to survive without the protection of strong foreign aid, so they have to take precautions.
Wei Yuanzhi, a high-ranking official in the border area, can be regarded as a weathervane. If she can get his public support, more people will be willing to bet on her side in the future.
However, Jin Jiancheng's attitude was so resolute yesterday, can Xia Jingyun really do it?
"well!"
She sighed quietly and pursed her lips in a rare and naive manner.
Tuk-tuk-tuk.
There was a knock on the door, "Madam, Master Wei wants to see you."
Concubine De stood up in surprise and immediately said: "Invite him in."
Wei Yuanzhi stepped in and raised his hand towards Concubine De, "Mother, I have lost."
Concubine De's eyes suddenly lit up.
------------------
After Mr. Tingyun told the details of the bet, Xia Jingyun gave a thumbs up. The two foxes, one big and one small, looked at each other and smiled. Xia Jingyun returned to Nantian Lane with satisfaction.
After finishing his cousin's job in the army, he also helped his wife earn a Wei Yuanzhi. Now, what was before him was to go to Wanfu County to recover his ancestral property.
Ever since the day they found out that Xia Jingyun had been adopted as a foster brother by Empress Dowager De, and that the matter of redress had been settled, and that the ancestral property was expected to be recovered, everyone in the Xia family had almost been waiting for the day of their return.
If he hadn't known the seriousness and knew that Xia Jingyun was no longer what he used to be and was busy with his affairs, he might have urged Xia Jingyun to take them back the next day.
Although Xia Jingyun, who had lived a "wandering" life and believed that this place of peace was his hometown, did not fully understand the feeling of returning to his homeland, he still showed full respect.
After returning home, he began to make arrangements for moving.
Because their home was confiscated and they were sent here penniless, and their current stay is short, they don't have much luggage.
The biggest piece of luggage turned out to be the gifts that almost filled half the car.
Xia Jingyun was shocked when he saw it. You guys are really not afraid of attracting trouble!
So, he quickly found Magistrate Zhao and asked him to find a reliable clerk to come over and dispose of all these things and exchange them for money.
That night, everyone at home directly called for a banquet from Cuihua House and set up a table.
The waiters at Cuihua Building often go out to deliver meals, but it is indeed unusual to deliver them to Nantian Alley.
But when he saw that it was Mr. Xia, it was not surprising. The shopkeeper came personally with food boxes to help decorate the place, and he refused to accept any payment.
But Xia Jingyun still gave it, and the shopkeeper finally accepted it.
One is not to lose his reputation for this little money, and the other is a small person who must act like a small person. In the end, both parties played their roles well together.
Holding an exquisite wine glass and looking at the exquisite dishes, Xia Hengzhi smiled and said: "I didn't expect that we would be able to eat at the famous Cuihua Restaurant in Jiang'an County."
Xia Mingxiong nodded and sighed with emotion, "When I had no food in the labor camp a month ago, who could have imagined that today would happen!"
Mrs. Xia Zhang sniffed, "It's a pity that my home is far away..."
Xia Mingxiong stared speechlessly, "You're a guy who doesn't want to drink any pot!"
"Auntie, don't worry. Now my cousin has joined the Wudang Army, and he showed off his skills as soon as he entered. Now he has been directly awarded the position of centurion by the leading general of the Wudang Army."
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "You're a centurion without an army. To put it simply, the county magistrate has to give you some face and look at you."
He looked at Mrs. Xia Zhang with a half-smile, "Auntie, it won't take long for you to realize your great dream of having a mouthful of rice from you and a mouthful of porridge from me."
Mrs. Xia Zhang blushed and spat, "What are you talking about! What kind of person is Auntie! You brothers should be good!"
Ms. Xia Li didn't want her son to continue "teasing" her sister-in-law, so she raised her cup with a smile, "Yes, hello everyone, that's really good!"
Xia Hengzhi also raised his cup, "Well said, in the future, our Xia family will regain its strength and shine brightly!"
Everyone raised their glasses together.
Early the next morning, a ten-man Wudang Army team came to Nantian Lane.
Then, the coachman from the carriage house shouted, pulled two carriages and two loads of belongings, and then swayed away towards the neighboring county under the escort of a small team of people.
Before leaving, everyone in the Xia family naturally received a warm farewell from everyone in Nantian Lane.
This family did not cause trouble or make trouble, and more importantly, they helped them suppress a bunch of greenies and gave Nantian Lane a brief period of happiness.
Unfortunately, this happy time has just begun and is about to end. Everyone in Nantian Lane looked at the Xia family leaving in the distance and shed tears of reluctance when they thought of the days when the green-skinned gangsters would come back.
The convoy went straight out of the city and headed south.
Although Wanfu County is not far from Jiang'an County, it is still more than 40 miles away. The group set out at dawn and kept walking. It was already evening when they arrived.
Fortunately, in this situation, everyone had already planned, and the group headed straight to Wanfu County and stayed at the only inn in the city.
Thanks to Empress Dowager De's marriage visit, Wu Dangjun personally suppressed bandits and opened up trade routes. Driven by common interests, the accompanying merchants and the merchants in the state quickly became active. Economic exchanges showed a rare intensity in recent years. Although In just over half a month, it has gradually shown signs of prosperity.
The inn in the city was also occupied by some traveling businessmen at the moment. Apart from the large number of people in the Xia family, they were not particularly conspicuous.
After reluctantly settling in, Xia Jingyun personally and sincerely expressed his apology to the noncommissioned officers who had to squeeze four people into one room, winning everyone's favor.
The leader said with a smile: "Having a clean room, dry bedding, and food and drink is much more comfortable than marching and fighting. We are already very happy."
Xia Jingyun was silent for a moment and sighed, "The life we are accustomed to has turned out to be your extravagant hope. There are always people who are carrying the burden and moving forward. I salute you all!"
As he spoke, he bowed his head to the ground and bowed deeply.
Everyone felt their noses instantly sore. They had always been regarded as bad soldiers. How had they ever been praised so highly?
A kind of pride that had never been felt before suddenly arose in his heart, and his sense of identification with Xia Jingyun skyrocketed.
"Young master Xia, you have defeated us! We have joined the army and have been wrapped in horse leather. We cannot deserve such praise!"
The Chief took the lead, and everyone returned the greeting. Xia Jingyun shook his head and said, "You deserve it, you deserve it!"
He immediately let out a breath and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. You all need to rest first. I'll go down and arrange the food and drinks. Let's have dinner together later."
As he said that, he turned and left. Everyone looked at his back, and a sergeant whispered: "Young Master Xia, he seems to be no different from other big shots."
"Indeed, but it's normal. After all, he started from a poor family. At least he knows the sufferings of the people."
"No, I mean, he gives people a different feeling. He doesn't treat us as human beings. It's a bit like..."
The sergeant hesitated for a moment, then said the name, "It looks a bit like a young master."
Shi Chang subconsciously wanted to refute, how could anyone be compared with Young Master, but when the words came to his mouth, he felt a little lack of confidence, and said softly: "Don't say such nonsense in the future."
Xia Jingyun first told his family and then went downstairs to arrange dinner. Xia Mingxiong and Xia Hengzhi, who had nothing to do, also followed.
After ordering the food, the three of them simply sat downstairs.
A man dressed as a merchant came over and said, "I am Zhu Fu from Hongti County, courtesy name Zhonghao. Are you all passing by as traders? What are you selling?"
Xia Jingyun smiled and said, "We are planning to move here. What's on the carriage is not goods, but our belongings."
"Hey! Look, that's what I'm worried about!" The man looked around and lowered his voice, "Originally, I thought this place was very close to Jiang'an County, and it was between Jiang'an County and Jianning County. I planned to set up a business here. But I didn’t expect that there is a tyrant in this town. He bullies the market, is greedy, and his behavior is abominable. You can leave at dawn tomorrow, but don’t settle here."
Xia Jingyun raised his eyebrows, "Is this happening?"
"Isn't it! I made some inquiries today and found out that the man is the county magistrate's brother-in-law, known as Lu Erhu, who is cunning and greedy. There is an unlucky family on the outskirts of the city. They say his surname is Xia. He has been a successful candidate in the past and his family still has some money. , but just because he had no backing, he was attracted by this person, and he was directly found guilty, and ended up having his family confiscated and distributed. Several generations of family property have become someone else's squandering expense! This damn thing is too miserable. , those who hear it are sad and those who see it cry."
He looked at Xia Jingyun sincerely, "I think my brother is kind, so I would like to remind you, don't imitate that unlucky guy and end up in such a pitiful end. Let's leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning!" the man said sincerely.
Xia Jingyun clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for reminding me, brother, I will consider it later."
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure rushed into the room. He glanced around and saw Xia Mingxiong and Xia Hengzhi. His expression changed and he rushed over.
"Oh! It's really you!"
The man rushed over excitedly and pressed Xia Mingxiong and Xia Hengzhi, who were about to stand up to greet them, with anxious expressions on their faces, "How dare you come back! Aren't you afraid that Lu Erhu will trouble you again? Are you still thinking about getting your ancestral property back?" ? Let’s go quickly! Lu Erhu doesn’t know the news yet, otherwise if he gets ruthless, he will kill you all and no one will be able to protect you!”
The man on the side became more and more confused as he listened, and looked at Xia Jingyun, "What are you doing?"
"We are the unlucky family you just mentioned."
He looked at the merchant who was stunned and speechless and then blushed, and chuckled: "If you are really optimistic about the location of this place, and you are just worried about Lu Erhu, you might as well wait one more day, maybe there will be some improvement."
