A banquet was held in the lobby to entertain the angels.
Wang Xu sat in the middle, accompanied by Yang Quanqi and deputy envoy Xu Hao on the left and right, and everyone sat in a row. Yang Anxuan wanted to sneak away, but his elder brother Yang An pulled him to sit beside him.
Yang Quanqi raised his glass to propose a toast. Wang Xu had a gloomy face, without a trace of smile, and refused in a cold voice: "I am tired from the journey, and I am too drunk to drink, so I can't accept my order."
This was a blatant disrespect for Yang Quanqi. Yang Quanqi's smile froze as he held up the wine glass. Xu Hao quickly stood up and smoothed things over: "The king is tired, so I will drink this glass of wine on my behalf."
The two drank it all in one gulp, but Wang Xu poured a glass and drank it himself, without caring about the feelings of the two of them.
Yang Quanqi snorted angrily and was about to get angry when Xu Hao shook his head at him, changed the topic with a smile and said: "When I left the capital, my father asked me to copy the "Book of Secretaries" to Brother Yang. It would be even more fortunate if there are Tai Shigong's treatises. "
Hongnong Yang ruled Ouyang's "Shangshu". During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, Yang Chang was the prime minister and married Sima Qian's daughter. Ouyang's "Shangshu" can be corroborated with Sima Qian's "Shangshu", so Xu Hao said this.
"Easy to say, easy to say." Yang Quanqi took the opportunity to step down. After all, Wang Xu was the angel who announced the decree, and he should try not to offend him as much as possible. Behind Wang Xu were Zhongshu Ling Wang Guobao and Kuaiji King Sima Daozi, and he couldn't afford to offend him.
One person looks to the corner, but he is still happy when he takes the throne. After the disaster was over, the Yang family were all in high spirits, shouting, punching and giving orders, and the hall was noisy.
No one answered Wang Xu. After several glasses of wine, Wang Xu felt more and more noisy and restless. His originally smoldering mood turned into a blizzard. He curled his lips and taunted loudly: "Young people are rude and illiterate, and they can't be refined." .”
Yang Quanqi couldn't bear it anymore. He smashed the lacquer bowl in his hand on the table with a bang and shouted, "Wang Neishi, you must be drunk. You are talking nonsense."
Everyone in the lobby stared angrily, but Wang Xu laughed wildly, "Hahahahaha", the crazy laughter echoed in the lobby, venting the depression in his chest.
As a member of the Wang clan in Taiyuan, Wang Xu and Zhongshu Ling Wang Guobao were cousins. Through Wang Guobao's relationship, Wang Xu flattered Sima Daozi, the king of Langya, and became an internal historian of the palace. Last year, Sima Daozi, the king of Langya, was renamed the king of Kuaiji, and Wang Xu's identity became embarrassing.
When he was poor, he wanted to change. Wang Xu carefully flattered the King of Kuaiji and got a promise. After the year, he was appointed as the governor of Xinye. Wang Xu was quite satisfied with this position. Although the internal history of the palace and the prefect were both in the fifth rank, the internal history was nothing among the many officials in the capital, and no one could be as comfortable as sitting in charge.
The luggage was prepared, the entourage was drawn up, and there were many banquets and banquets, just waiting to take office after the New Year. Unexpectedly, the cooked duck flew away, and the position of Xinye Governor was taken by Yang Quanqi, causing Wang Xu to lose face. Yang Quanqi was filled with hatred.
The imperial court sent someone to Luoyang to issue the decree, and he took the initiative to invite Yang Quanqi, intending to humiliate Yang Quanqi in person and express the bad anger in his chest.
Yang Guang left the table angrily, pointed at Wang Xu and said angrily: "I, the Hongnong Yang family, have been in a prestigious family for many generations. Even the Langya Wang family can't compare to you, let alone your Taiyuan Wang family. This rude and illiterate four-character original thing is returned. "
Wang Xu stopped laughing and looked at the angry faces of the Yang family in the hall, feeling very happy.
Grabbing the feather fan and pretending to shake it a few times, Wang Xu sneered: "Your fourth-grade Yang family is just a soldier of the Huan family, and you want to be on par with my Taiyuan Wang family. You are really arrogant. The ancestors of the Yang family are so arrogant. The reputation of the roll call has been ruined for a long time, why should we use it to embarrass others?"
The Yang family's expression suddenly changed. Yang Siping drew his sword angrily and shouted: "You frivolous boy, aren't you afraid that the Yang family's sword will chop off your head?"
Wang Xu was sure that the Yang family would not dare to do anything to him, so he laughed and said: "A vulgar warrior, what else can he do besides fighting and killing?"
Yang Anyuan said loudly: "I, the Yang family of Hongnong, have inherited Confucianism. I have been loyal to the emperor and patriotic. From the Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, I have never lost my high reputation. I have been famous and virtuous for generations, and everyone knows it..."
Wang Xu sneered, interrupted Yang Anyuan, and said: "Your grandfather once served in the puppet dynasty. How can you be loyal to the emperor, patriotic, and spread the family through Confucianism?"
The lobby was eerily quiet, and everyone was gnashing their teeth.
Wang Xu became more and more proud, waving his feather fan lightly, and continued: "My Taiyuan Wang family is full of talents, civil and military talents, and there are countless people who have served as prime ministers and assistants..."
"The swallows in front of Wang Xietang sometimes fly into ordinary people's homes." A clear voice sounded, breaking Wang Xu's triumphant boasting.
Wang Xu flapped his feather fan and roared angrily: "Who is talking nonsense?"
Yang Anxuan stood up calmly, cupped his hands and said: "Wang Neishi, the weather in Luoyang is colder than in Jiangnan. Please take care of yourself."
"Huangkou boy, who are you?" Wang Xu shouted, tapping the table with a feather fan.
Yang Quanqi was secretly pleased and said with a smile: "Wang Neishi, this is my son An Xuan. He is young and careless and likes to talk nonsense. Please don't be weird, Wang Neishi."
Wang Xu squinted his eyes and said: "Ignorant boy, you dare to look down on my Wang family. Since the Han Dynasty, our Wang family has three queens, five princes, and eleven prime ministers. How can your Yang family compare? The Wang family's merits are in Sheji, Jue Who can compare in merit? At that time, people said, 'Kings and horses share the world', so it's not as good as my Taiyuan Wang family's merit."
Yang Anxuan immediately responded: "Wang Neishi said that 'the king and the horse share the world' because of the contribution of the Wang family of Taiyuan. I wonder what Duke Wenwen (Wang Dao) Quanxia thinks. Will Duke Xun argue with you after hearing this statement? Fan?"
Wang Xu's expression changed, he made a mistake. There are two branches of the Wang family in the court, one is the Langya Wang family and the other is the Taiyuan Wang family. Both branches are descendants of Wang Jian, the general of the Qin Dynasty.
The Langya Wang family includes Wang Dao, Wang Dun, Wang Xizhi and others. The current head of the family is Shangshu Zuopu She Wang Xun. The Taiyuan Wang family has produced three queens and ten prime ministers, and is also a famous top family. However, "the king and the horse share the world" are the contributions of the Wang family of Langya.
Although the Wang family in Taiyuan gradually became more powerful, and his cousin Wang Guobao flattered the King of Kuaiji and became Zhongshu Ling, the Wang family in Langya had deep roots, and Shangshu Zuopu She Wang Xun won the trust of the emperor. If Wang Xun found out that he was talking nonsense and blamed him, even Wang Guobao might not be able to protect him.
Pushing the case aside, Wang Xu stood up sadly and said, "I've been working hard all the way and I'm too drunk. I want to take a rest early."
After Wang Xu left, Yang Quanqi ordered more wine, turned on the lights, and reopened the banquet. The hall was full of family members, and the atmosphere was even more lively.
Xu Hao smiled and said: "General Yang, you have been transferred to Xinye Prefecture this time, but you have usurped Wang Neishi's position."
After explaining the whole story, Yang Siping said with a smile: "No wonder that boy bit like a mad dog. It turned out that his second brother had robbed him of his official position. Fortunately, An Xuan silenced him."
Yang Quanqi nodded and said, "An Xuan responded well and boosted the Yang family's ambition. He did a good job."
Xu Hao raised his glass and said with a smile: "A young phoenix is as loud as an old phoenix, and there are people in the Yang family. Brother An Xuan, brother Yu, here's a toast to you, and stay close to me in the future."
Yang Anxuan hurriedly raised his glass in response and drank all the wine in the glass.
Putting down the wine glass, Yang Anxuan said: "I think Wang Neishi is narrow-minded and is afraid of something happening, so he should be more prepared."
Yang Guang said disapprovingly: "How can you create trouble by flattering a villain?"
Yang Quanqi and others didn't care and raised their glasses to drink. Seeing that no one took his words seriously, Yang Anxuan said no more.
…………
To the north of the Prefect's Mansion is the former Sikong Mansion. The houses have long been destroyed, and only the back garden has lush vegetation. When the former Qin Dynasty occupied Luoyang during the war, Fu Jian, the king of heaven, built several buildings here as post houses, which were named Xiulin Garden.
Xiulin Garden is where friends from far away live. It is built near the lake, with cornices protruding from pines and bamboos. It is elegant and quiet. Wang Xu and others stayed here.
Bamboo charcoal pots were burning in the four corners of the house, which was as warm as spring without any smell of smoke. After taking Wu Shi Powder, Wang Xu felt restless and ran around the house shirtless.
The case turned sideways, the celadon cup rolled to the ground, the incense burner tipped over, and the incense ashes spilled.
"I hate the Yang family. They robbed me of my opportunity. I have a life-and-death feud." "If you dare to bully me, I will kill you."
Wang Xu was like a wounded beast, charging and roaring in the room, kicking down the flower table under the west window. The vase was smashed to pieces, and several branches of wintersweet were stepped on and crushed to pieces.
Wang Qiang sat quietly in the corner, drinking syrup. He is Wang Xu's younger brother and has been working with Wang Xu as an assistant for nearly ten years.
The situation in front of him had long been a common occurrence, and Wang Xu could calm down after the properties of the Five Stone Powder dissipated.
After lighting a stick of incense, Wang Xu sat back on the table, panting heavily. Wang Qiang stood up and put a fur on him, served him hot wine, opened the door, and ordered the servants standing outside to go inside and clean up.
The red tide faded, and Wang Xu's face turned frighteningly pale.
After taking a sip of wine, Wang Xu said feebly: "The Yang family has bullied me too much. If I don't take revenge, I will never let go of my hatred. Zi Shen (Wang Qiang's courtesy name), is there anything I can do?"
Wang Qiang said with a smile: "As an angel, I can call the wind and rain. It's cold in Luoyang, why don't I call on the wind and snow to sting hundreds of insects?"
Wang Xu knew that his younger brother was quite resourceful and said, "Zishen, please don't be arrogant. If you have anything to say, say it directly. I won't treat you badly."
Wang Qiang talked eloquently: "The King of Kuaiji has been dissatisfied with the Yang family's dependence on the Huan family for a long time. He intended to seize his military power after this defeat. Unexpectedly, Duke Yuan Lin (Wang Xun) and others spoke favorably for him in front of the emperor..."
Wang Xu waved his hand impatiently and said, "I know the whole story, just tell me how to deal with the Yang family."
Wang Qiang lowered his gaze, looked at the wine glass on the table, and said: "Yang Quanqi was demoted because of his defeat. If something happens again on his way home, the King of Kuaiji will have reason to combine his two crimes and remove him from office."
"Zishen is talking about using the help of barbarians to deal with Yang Quanqi?" Wang Xu's eyes lit up and he lowered his voice.
Wang Qiang chuckled and said: "Brother, from Luoyang to Xinye, a thousand miles away, apart from the infestations of horsemen and refugees, there is a lot to be done."
Wang Xu excitedly stroked his beard, pondered for a moment and said: "When I came north this time, Zhongshu Ling asked me to recruit some refugee commanders to serve in the court. Zishen went ahead and did it. Afterwards, I directed Zhongshu Ling to ask for credit for you. Let you serve as county magistrate."
When Yongjia was crossing south, many people were still living in the north of the Yangtze River. The local powerful gathered them to build docks and forts to defend themselves, and they were called the commanders of the refugees by the court. The court often recruited refugee commanders, and based on the number of refugees they controlled and their prestige, they appointed officials such as prefects and generals as vanguards against the Hu soldiers.
Wang Qiang thanked him profusely and couldn't hide the sadness in his heart when he lowered his head. Although he was also born in the Wang family of Taiyuan, the Wang family had prospered and multiplied for hundreds of years, and the clan members had thousands of expenses.
For a direct descendant like Wang Guobao, his father Wang Tanzhi was once Zhongshu Ling, and his father-in-law was Taiwei Xie An. Since he was a child, he had been able to live in high positions thanks to his family status, and all four brothers had high positions and titles.
The second-class people like Wang Xu and others were close to the direct branch and could be attached as officials. Otherwise, a guy like Wang Xu who only knew how to flatter could also become the internal history of King Langya.
I am just a concubine of the Wang family. Although I have read poetry and books and am full of talents, my grade is only six. Being on the periphery of the family, working as an assistant beside Wang Xu, he is the one who works hard, and others take the credit.
After nearly ten years of hard work, he could only reach the eighth rank of official history. In his lifetime, he would only be a county magistrate or chief historian. Most of them would be beyond the reach of a prefect, let alone an imperial governor.
This time, Wang Xu asked himself to vent his anger for him and promised to be the county magistrate. He was now thirty-five years old. If he took a chance, he might still be able to flourish.
Thinking of the expectations of his wife, children, and children at home, Wang Qiang drank all the wine in the glass, and the spicy taste felt like fire in his throat.
Exhaling the breath of alcohol, Wang Qiang stood up and said, "Don't worry, brother, I will get up tomorrow and everything will be arranged."
Lifting the brocade curtain, the cold wind hit his face. Wang Qiang shuddered, wrapped himself in a gauze robe, stood in the corridor, raised his head, looked at the gray sky, and murmured: "The sky is overcast with snow, wait for the wind and clouds."
