After chatting for a few more words, Ren Ning stood up and prepared to leave.
"It's still early, don't leave in a hurry." Huo Qing smiled and said, "I still have something to discuss with you."
Ren Ning sat down in confusion: "I wonder what happened to the prince?"
If it was a matter related to the rubber business, it would not be very kind for the two of them to discuss it privately, leaving aside Uncle Zhongyong's Mansion and General Li's Mansion in Guangxin.
Huo Qing seemed unaware, his smile remained unchanged, "It's almost the Dragon Boat Festival, isn't it? Let's form a dragon boat team to race dragon boats."
Ren Ning was surprised.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional festival in Yunchui. Star City holds several large-scale dragon boat races every year on the moat. The crowd of spectators was huge, and compared with yesterday's triumphant entry into the city, it was better than anything.
However, the feudal hierarchy was strict. Although ordinary people could also race dragon boats, they were not held in the same place as the wealthy nobles.
The moat itself is part of the Xinglan Grand Canal and is long and wide, so there is no need to worry about not having enough space to host these events.
"Is this the time to form a team?" Ren Ning thought for a moment: "It's probably too late."
A dragon boat team requires twenty-three people, which is not a difficult task.
It’s just that it’s less than ten days away from the Dragon Boat Festival. If the team is hastily formed and has not received enough training, whether it can row the boat to the finish line is a problem.
"Don't worry about this." Huo Qing smiled and spread his hands: "In order to save my life, I have actually organized a number of young men with similar temperaments to train together. Now I am leaving you."
Ren Ning was stunned and quickly laughed.
He grew up in Taishi Mansion in the imperial capital. Although he was not well-known, Ren Ning had never eaten pork and had seen pigs running away.
On the surface, this dragon boat race is just an ordinary competition. In fact, Shangyinyin is the division of forces in the imperial capital.
After all, birds of a feather flock together.
To be able to get together and become a team member, they either have similar temperaments or have good personal friendships. When something happens in the future, there is a high probability that they will be in the same camp.
And with his status as the Duke of Zhenguo, Huo Qing, as the heir apparent, was always being solicited by various forces wherever he went. Even if you stay at home and don't go out, countless people will come to visit you and ask for help.
In this case, it is better to strike first and choose teammates yourself, so as not to leave others talking.
"How many people are still missing now?" Ren Ning asked.
Huo Qing smiled: "Not many, only ten."
Ren Ning wiped his sweat speechlessly.
A dragon boat team consists of twenty-three people, minus one drummer, and twenty-two paddlers. Huo Qing's team is still ten people short, so it's almost half full. Is this still close?
But he wasn't surprised at all.
Although the imperial capital was large and wealthy, there were not many young people who had the qualifications and courage to make friends with the prince. And most of these people already have their names and wives.
Others have the qualifications and courage to make friends with Huo Qing, but if they don't share their temperament, there's nothing they can do about it.
Therefore, it is normal for him to not be able to gather twenty-three people.
"Do you want me to go find some generals who have returned from the south?" Ren Ning asked.
In particular, Li Hebai and other soldiers in Zhennanguan were not only strong and strong, but almost all of them had received water training. Of course, it's nothing to do with just boating.
Ha ha!
Huo Qing slammed the table and laughed, "I've been waiting for your words."
After leaving the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, Ren Ning went directly to the Zhongyong Bo Mansion opposite.
In the side hall, Xiao Gang looked bitter and was dressed in fancy clothes. At first glance, he looked like a peacock with its tail spread.
"What's going on with him?" Ren Ning asked Lei Er and Li Hebai who were sitting aside and suppressing their laughter.
cough!
Li Hebai lowered his voice and said concisely: "Mrs. Bo has a matchmaker in his yard."
Ren Ning laughed dumbly.
He listened carefully to the movement in the hall, and when he saw that there was no one else, he chuckled and asked, "Which girl is she from?"
"I don't know. I heard that only a matchmaker came."
Ren Ning was stunned.
Think about it too. If there were girls secretly looking at each other behind the screen, Lei Er and Li Hezhu would not stay here, lest they overwhelm the guests.
"Xiao Gang, your parents ordered a matchmaker. You just returned home yesterday, and today the matchmaker came to the door. I guess my aunt already has a goal in mind."
Ren Ning said with a sincere smile: "If you have a girl you like in your heart, tell your mother quickly. Otherwise, it will be too late."
cut!
Lei Er, who was familiar with Xiao Gang, nodded and shook his head: "Old Ren, don't worry. Young Master Xiao only wants to keep the title of his uncle, so he has no time to think about things. Maybe a girl doesn't understand anything."
"You think I am you." Xiao Gang rolled his eyes.
Before joining the army last year, no one in the imperial capital knew that Xiao Gang was known as a swinger.
Although it is very likely that this dirty name was deliberately spread by his elder brother in order to ruin his reputation. But there is no smoke without fire, and Xiao Gang is definitely not a pure and upright young man.
"I heard from the general that last year when the Yanzhong Fortress was sending spirits back to their hometown, there was a girl from Yunzhong County who kept making secret glances at a certain person named Lei. It's a pity that falling flowers are intentional, and flowing water is ruthless..."
Lei Er munched the beans, as if he hadn't heard anything.
"Oh..." Li Hebai listened to the story with his ears pricked up, and kept winking at Lei Er.
cough!
Ren Ning interrupted the fight between several people and said, "You are not young anymore, so you can take care of yourself."
"Yes." Li Hebai suddenly thought of his lonely eldest sister and nodded with sadness.
Ren Ning ignored him, talked about the dragon boat race, and asked, "Do you want to participate?"
If you don't participate, you can quietly return to the military camp and serve as a soldier after a while.
If you participate, you will inevitably be targeted by interested people, and you may be dragged into the power vortex of the Imperial Capital.
"How can such a thing happen without me?" Lei Er and Xiao Gang looked at each other, "Of course I will participate."
When they left the imperial capital last year, they had already gotten into trouble with Uncle Cheng'en's Mansion. Whether he comes back to participate or not this time, Sun Ye will be keeping an eye on him.
never mind.
Besides, as soldiers of the Starfall Legion, who have they been afraid of?
Li Hebai laughed: "I will participate too."
He himself is a fierce general in Zhennanguan, and the Guangxin Li family has brought the rubber business to the imperial capital, and it is getting more and more prosperous.
After a while, when the contents of the battle report spread and armies and caravans flock to it, the rubber business will definitely make many people jealous.
At that time, even if Li Hebai wanted to, he could only escape for a while but not for the rest of his life.
Ren Ning nodded, not surprised.
"Now the dragon boat team is still short of ten people. Minus the four of us, there are still six short. Lao Bai and Lei Er, you go find the soldiers who were escorted back to Beijing with us and pick out a few more."
Lei Er and Li Hebai looked at each other, nodded and said, "We'll cover it."
"General, what about me?" Xiao Gang asked hurriedly.
"You, have a good blind date." The three of them laughed.
They ignored the frowning Xiao Gang and all left Uncle Zhongyong's mansion and went straight home.
Whether it was the Shangshu Mansion of the Ministry of Industry that Ren Ning was going to, or the place Lei Er and his two were going to, they were quite far away from Yong'an Hutong, so they had to go back and bring their mounts with them first.
In the main hall, Ying Pan was talking about business with others with a smile on her face. When she saw Ren Ning and the others coming back, she just waved her hands neatly.
