At night, when the lanterns were first lit, Sikong Mansion was filled with laughter and the sound of silk and bamboo.
There were not many people participating in the banquet, maybe a dozen or so.
After three rounds of drinking, the atmosphere gradually became warmer and there were constant whispers.
"I heard that Ke Jian wrote the prefaces for many stories about strange things and is famous in the capital." Wang Hu smiled at Pei Kuo, the general sitting on his right, and said.
Pei Kuo shook his head helplessly: "It's just a matter of idleness, supporting a few unknown writers and letting them have something to eat, which made Chu Zhong laugh."
"No, I also like to read strange stories. I have read "Legends of Strangeness" more than ten times." Wang Hu laughed.
"Lieyi Zhuan" was written by Emperor Wen of the Wei Dynasty Cao Pi and continued by Zhang Hua, the prime minister of the Western Jin Dynasty. It records ghost stories during the Zhengshi and Ganlu years.
The content is rich, including Taoist magic to subjugate demons, catching and selling ghosts, the underworld, resurrection of the dead, underworld marriage, etc. It is all-encompassing and extremely complex.
This book went through the Wei and Jin dynasties. It was written by the emperor and continued by the eunuchs and later prime ministers, which can give a glimpse of the cultural atmosphere at this time.
Hearing Wang Hu's words, Pei Kuo burst out laughing, and the relationship between the two became slightly closer.
This is just like meeting people who are not familiar with each other in later generations and asking "Have you eaten?" or talking about the weather. It is actually the same operation.
"A few months ago, Wang Sima's land breaker shocked Yecheng. There are tens of thousands more lonely ghosts in Hebei. Wouldn't you be afraid?" Pei Kuo said again in a joking tone, but also quietly changed the subject.
Wang Hu understood and pretended not to care: "So what? Could it be that those damn ghosts still dare to come to settle accounts with me?"
"Wang Sima is indeed heroic." Pei Kuo said in awe: "Dead people can't do it, but what about living people?"
Wang Hu picked up the wine bottle and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "I hope Kejian will not hesitate to teach me."
"It's actually very simple." Pei Kuo stopped talking in circles and said, "As long as we work together, no one can touch us."
"It's not difficult to work together, but there has to be someone in charge, right?" Wang Hu said slowly.
"The person in charge is not far away, but right in front of us." Pei Kuo picked up the wine bottle and said, "Wang Sima is attending the banquet today. He must have made up his mind, right?"
Wang Hu filled herself up with wine, pondered for a while, wanted to say something, and then shook her head.
Pei Kuo's face changed slightly.
He did not expect that someone like Wang Hu, who had killed more than a dozen Hebei generals in a row, would still hesitate.
Do you know who Hebei people hate the most?
The Battle of Jianchun Gate was by far the heaviest battle in Hebei. Those who died were all high-profile people, most of whom were from Hebei aristocratic families. Is it possible that you can still join Sima Ying?
Even if Sima Ying is generous and doesn't care about these things, you will still be squeezed out. Do you really have a future?
But Wang Hu only drank and stopped talking to him.
Pei Kuo was helpless. After taking a sip of the wine, he turned to the right and saw Shao Xun pouring himself a drink.
He has heard some rumors that Shao Xun seems to be becoming an "official".
It's amazing that the upstarts who rose up in the war dared to fight, were not afraid of offending others, and had good luck, and finally rose to prominence.
"Foreign troops will enter the city soon. What do you think, Shao Langjun?" Pei Kuo raised the wine bottle in his hand and asked.
"Yihu Sikong, that's all." Shao Xun picked up the wine bottle and drank it in one gulp.
Pei Kuo was startled at first, as if he was not used to the tone of Shao Xun's words. Then he felt relieved again, he was an official now, and he was no longer as cautious as before.
He quickly adjusted his mentality and said with a smile: "It's a pity that you are already the admiral of the East China Sea, otherwise you will be transferred to the Forbidden Army. But - that's right, you just need to protect the Sikong Mansion. You are from the East China Sea, Honor and disgrace depend on Sikong, and Sikong is indeed more important."
Shao Xun smiled and said nothing.
As an officer in the Imperial Guard? Not a good choice.
Those who joined the Forbidden Army would either be crucified in Luoyang, or be divided up by Sima Ying and Sima Yong and move to Chang'an or Yecheng.
It's not impossible.
He just overheard the conversation between Pei Kuo and Wang Hu and found it very interesting.
Wang Hu attended the dinner party hosted by Sikong today, which in itself was an attitude of getting closer. But he didn't seem to want to get closer and didn't express his position at the critical moment.
What's this? This is for sale.
Maybe he was waiting for Sima Yong or Sima Ying to win over him. After all, the Forbidden Army has gained a reputation and a united front value.
But how can I put it, Shao Xun doesn't think Wang Hu will definitely go to Yecheng or Chang'an.
Officialdom is divided into realms.
According to conventional wisdom, the Yellow River is a clear dividing line.
Scholars from the north of the Yellow River may come to Henan, and scholars from the south of the Yellow River may also go to Hebei, but neither will be the mainstream. Especially today, when the authority of the central government is increasingly fragmented, scholars in various counties prefer to find political centers close to their homes, because it is easier to find fellow villagers and their development will be smoother.
Wang Hu is from Chenjun. What's the point of going to Yecheng?
Didn't you see what happened to Lu Ji? Lu Ji may have died directly at the hands of Meng Jiu, but the collective ostracism of Hebei scholars was absolutely inseparable from it. Wang Hu had to worry about it before going to Yecheng.
But no matter where Wang Hu went, Shao Xun finally understood one thing: the more Sima wanted to unite the Forbidden Army, it was a bit difficult.
The best result is to win over some people, while the other people are divided between the two kings of Chengdu and Hejian.
As for the other sect kings in Beijing, I'm sorry, they are not even qualified to serve at the table.
Pei Kuo seems to be trying to unite the generals of the Forbidden Army, not necessarily for Sima Yue. He may want to protect himself, or to increase his bargaining power and united front value, but it doesn't look like it will go smoothly.
The situation is a bit chaotic.
"People's hearts are in confusion." Shao Xun sighed with emotion.
Hearing this, Pei Kuo slapped his thigh and sighed: "The royal family is humbled, and people's hearts are indeed in chaos. In fact, I just want to preserve some foundation for the Luoyang Chinese Army. After ten years in the Chinese Army, I really can't bear to see this elite army fall apart. "
"It has almost fallen apart." Shao Xun shook his head and said: "In Zhao Wanglun's era, almost half of the people were gone."
Pei Kuo smiled bitterly and was about to say something when he saw the leader Sima Yue raising his glass again and again, so everyone drank together.
After Shao Xun put down his wine bottle, he quietly searched the table and saw Mi Huang first.
Mi Huang raised his wine glass in greeting.
Shao Xun picked up the wine bottle and drank it all in one gulp.
Lao Mi is now also a "famous general" in Yue Prefecture. He has won two battles and is a general among the dwarfs. His status has risen rapidly and his momentum is strong.
Shao Xun saw Wang Bing again.
He was drinking with his head down, obviously in a bad mood.
Shao Xun was a little sad.
He still remembered that Wang Bing was quite polite when they first met. But when it comes to disputes over specific interests, some superficiality cannot be maintained.
When a fellow villager meets a fellow villager, his eyes well up with tears, but sometimes he will be shot in the back.
This shot was fired by Mi Huang and Shao Xun together. Wang Bing was dizzy, not to mention the feeling in his heart.
Shao Xun also saw Gou Xi.
This person was the first general of the Forbidden Army to join Sima Yue. He sat very close to him, talked and laughed, and had a good relationship with him.
If Sima Yue wanted to support a certain Forbidden Army general, Gou Xi would definitely be at the top of the list.
Where he can reach depends on the complicated exchange of interests between Sima Yue, Sima Ying and Sima Yong.
General Gou is a talented person.
When he was young, he was supported by Shi Jian, the captain of Sili School. He must have been an ambitious young man at that time. But after Shi Jian's death, he did not develop for many years until he joined Sima Yue. Then he changed the court for the second time and joined Sima Jiong, then Sima Yi, and then Sima Yue...
What family slave is this?
"Without a family background, if you don't give up your face, it will be really difficult to get along." Shao Xun sighed secretly.
After all, Gou Xi didn't have Pei Kuo's family background, so maybe there was nothing he could do about it.
Historically, it seems that he finally obtained the position of governor of a state, but I don't know whether he was a "bicycle governor" or held the title of governor.
Thinking of this, Shao Xun looked at Pei Kuo again.
His brother is seeking to be the governor of Xuzhou, but if he can't get the "Envoy Chi Jie" and can't control the military, it's actually quite boring to just be the governor of Xuzhou.
Where is my territory?
Shao Xun took another sip of wine and thought silently.
He has gradually realized that he cannot ask for too much. The ideal situation is to develop in Xuzhou, but if this is not possible, there must be a backup plan. In fact, if there is an opportunity to release it, he should seize it. After all, the vacant space waits for no one, and he has no qualifications to pick and choose.
He can only make meritorious deeds first and slowly gain Sima Yue's appreciation and trust.
If you can't do this, you can only wait until the Jin Dynasty's rule completely collapses and it is no longer able to wipe out the local separatist forces, and then just pull the lever and occupy the land and become the king.
The sound of silk and bamboo becomes more and more pleasant.
Sima Yue clapped his hands, and a group of graceful beauties entered and danced gracefully.
The night banquet entered its climax.
