The guests sit down and the banquet begins.
Outside the Moon Worship Tower, the entire street and surrounding areas were guarded to the highest level. Everyone knew how big the banquet at the Moon Worship Tower was today. Even the slightest mistake at this time was not allowed.
Upstairs, the lights are bright.
The huge banquet hall on the third floor was separated by exquisite screens. The dignitaries entered the main hall known as the "Hongmen" one after another. The gentle and quiet girls began to wait on them, dishing out dishes. Pour wine.
At today's dinner, the specifications were obviously maxed out.
All kinds of exquisite snacks and desserts were placed neatly on the large round plum wood table in front of you, and the plates and plates for eating were all brand new blue and white porcelain. Even the drinks that the adults drank today were all different. Similarly, some people like Juanjuan's fine wine with very low alcohol content, such as everyone in Dali Temple, such as the third prince sitting next to Fan Xian, and some people like shao tribute wine that is so strong that it can rattle their throats, such as the eldest prince and the Privy Council members. Several deputy envoys.
Interestingly, what was in the pot in front of Lu Ze was...grape juice.
Lu Ze is not addicted to alcohol. Only under special circumstances will he choose to drink a few drinks.
Today's situation is obviously a simple dinner for Lu Ze. Fan Xian, the owner of the Baiyue Tower, seems to be vaguely aware of Lu Ze's self-confidence and even arrogance from this point.
I don't want to drink.
Then I won’t drink.
It's something as simple as that.
"Do whatever you want..."
"In the Qingguo royal family, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who has the most special status, is actually such a person..."
Fan Xian's heart sank slightly.
But what he didn't know was that Lu Ze simply didn't want to go home smelling of alcohol, because today's dinner probably wouldn't last long. When he returned home, Wan'er and the children probably hadn't fallen asleep yet, so Lu Ze made a toast. Don’t drink any wine, grape juice is just right.
In fact, the two words on the shiny gold plaque at the door have already explained the problem.
Hongmen Banquet.
After the banquet officially started, these beautiful, gentle and quiet girls began to serve the guests wine and food, but their behavior could not help but seem a bit reserved. Although they had seen many powerful people in the Fengyue Field, how could they be like today? Is this game comparable?
The banquet was still a little quiet and boring at the beginning.
Everyone knew in their hearts that today the Overwatch Council Chief Fan Xian was hosting, and it was naturally not just a drinking party. Considering Fan Xian's position alone, it was impossible for him to invite someone of this caliber. It was only because of his status as an illegitimate son of the royal family, and In addition, the impact of the assassination in the suburbs of Beijing was too great, so today's Hongmen Banquet was held.
"Everyone knows that Master Xiao Fan raided the Ming family according to the order and saved a lot of money from the inner treasury for me."
"Today's standards are no worse than those in the palace."
The second prince Li Chengze took the lead in starting the conversation.
Everyone was unclear whether the second prince was deliberately implying something sarcastic. Although the second prince's smuggling with the Ming family was not completely exposed in the court, many people actually knew that he was doing it with the eldest princess. The owner of the business.
And behind the Niulan Street assassination, there was also a vague figure of the second prince.
Fan Xian's expression did not change.
"In life, it is natural to enjoy what you can."
"No one can tell what will happen next moment."
Everyone was silent.
Knowing that Fan Xian was alluding to the assassination in the suburbs of Beijing, the two deputies of the Privy Council drank a glass of strong tribute wine with lowered eyebrows.
Lu Ze ignored the matter between Fan Xian and the second prince.
At the main seat in the hall, he was just minding his own taste of delicious delicacies. The two women serving him were one with a beautiful appearance and a slender waist, the other with a round figure and a lot of money, and Lu Ze didn't have much. His excessive behavior was just touching his little hand occasionally and chatting and laughing. It seemed that he was really the one who came to the banquet.
Accompanying Fan Xian is the shopkeeper of Baiyue Tower, Xiao Ping
Miss Xiao.
The shopkeeper's appearance is not very gorgeous, and he is an ordinary type at the banquet, but he is famous for his graceful and beautiful voice. When many big and powerful people in Kyoto hold banquets at their houses, This Miss Xiao will be invited to wrap up the show.
Before, the second prince had a good relationship with this shopkeeper.
But something happened later. Several of Miss Xiao's songs that shocked Kyoto were circulated. Only later did people know that it was Mr. Xiao Fan who composed the lyrics.
The second prince lowered his eyebrows and glanced at Lu Ze who was sitting on the main seat.
Then he smiled at Fan Xian and said, "Indeed, isn't it sung in Miss Xiao's song? To be successful in life, you must have all the fun. Thanks to Miss Xiao for planning today's banquet, I would like to propose a toast to you."
The second prince raised his wine glass to Xiao Ping who was beside Fan Xian.
Everyone was not surprised that the second prince behaved like this. Everyone knew that the second prince was always "courteous and virtuous", and no matter who he treated, his status was not too important. This was also the reason why the second prince had a good reputation in Kyoto in recent years.
But some people were thinking silently in their hearts. The second prince attributed all the credit for today's dinner to this shopkeeper. So where was today's real protagonist Fan Xian placed?
Not long after the banquet had just begun, the silent smell of gunpowder gradually emerged.
At this moment, everyone admired His Highness the Crown Prince who was chatting and laughing with two beautiful women in the main seat. This His Highness could really ignore everything on the court and simply enjoy the beauties, delicious food and beautiful...grape juice.
When Xiao Ping heard this, she was slightly startled and turned to look at Fan Xian beside her, who smiled and nodded at her.
Xiao Pin stood up, bowed to the second prince, picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp. He also toasted to Lu Ze and the eldest prince in a polite manner, and finally even toasted to the third prince.
[In view of the general environment,
At this time, the second prince's voice came up again: "Miss Xiao has not sang her singing voice in public for a long time. It is rare that all the adults are here today, so there will be a show to add to the fun. Can you please ask Miss Xiao Pin to sing a song? So that we can have a good meal today." Ear blessing."
Xiao Pin nodded slightly and just stood up, ready to get the guqin, but unexpectedly Fan Xian next to him grabbed her hand.
Fan Xian's face was dull and he looked at the second prince quietly: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, Miss Xiao has stopped singing."
Everyone at the banquet was stunned.
Obviously, he did not expect that Fan Xian would refute the second prince's face over such a trivial matter.
Today's dinner was about everyone sitting together to test each other's attitudes, and even the theme of most of the dinner was this. For the so-called benefit, they kept pushing and changing cups, and you came and went. In the end, they spent a lot of effort to achieve a goal. A weak balance of interests, everyone is happy.
But Fan Xian's response... was so disrespectful and disrespectful.
"What Mr. Xiao Fan said... Ignore all the adults present, just because of the status of several princes, shouldn't it be possible for Shopkeeper Xiao to work hard and use her voice? Is it possible that she still has a golden voice?"
The speaker was Chen Zhenyi, deputy envoy of the Privy Council.
This assassination in the suburbs of Beijing created a gap between Fan Xian and the Qing Dynasty that was difficult to heal.
The military and the Overwatch Council need to cooperate in a tacit understanding on the battlefield. The Privy Council doesn't know who specifically made the move here, but the entire court is not happy to see that this Supervisory Council chief will inherit Chen Pingping's position in the future. The yard.
Even if he is the emperor's illegitimate son.
Faced with Deputy Chen's persecution, Fan Xian didn't get angry at all. He smiled softly and said, "Miss Xiao Ping only sings in Chen Yuan now. If Mr. Chen really wants to hear it, then go ask Chen Yuan." Sir, you two are from the same family, so I guess Dean Chen won’t refuse.”
The smile on the second prince's face turned pale.
Deputy Chen's face turned red, he snorted softly, and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.
At this time, the atmosphere at the dinner table became extremely quiet. Lu Ze, the host, and the woman beside him
The chatter and laughter became much louder. Fan Xian glanced at Lu Ze again without changing his expression, and said in a gentle tone, "Does His Highness the Crown Prince also want to listen to music?"
At this time, the third prince who was next to Fan Xian calmly pulled his master Fan Xian.
Even the third prince felt that Fan Xian's display of sharpness at this moment was too strong, and even the East Palace, which had no interest in today's smoke and fire fight, was dragged in.
Lu Ze stopped talking and laughing with the two women beside him, turned to look at Fan Xian, and said seriously: "I want to."
In an instant, the atmosphere at the dinner became even more bizarre.
The smile appeared on the face of the second prince again, while the two deputy envoys of the Privy Council looked at Fan Xianshan with mocking eyes. This illegitimate son from Danzhou was really embarrassing to the extreme. At this time, he actually wanted to talk to the prince. His Highness showed his wrists.
"My Wan'er has had nothing to do in the house recently, and somehow she started thinking about music. I was thinking of finding someone in Beijing who knows music to teach her, and Miss Xiao Ping is definitely the most suitable candidate."
Lu Ze's simple words settled the matter.
You, Fan Xian, are using Chen Yuan’s old guy as a shield, then I’ll use my daughter-in-law to speak out. After all, Chen Pingping is still Emperor Qing’s old black dog. Can this old guy still come out to compete with my Wan’er?
Lu Ze had no idea what to do.
But since Fan Xian wanted to come out and make a presence known, Lu Ze would only agree to it.
The smile on Fan Xian's face disappeared.
Because he also remembered that the girl with chicken legs that he missed most was now the mistress of the East Palace.
"drink wine!"
"Eat vegetables!"
Even if the eldest prince's loud voice sounded, he took the initiative to come to the rescue.
Lu Ze raised a glass to the eldest brother with a calm expression, did not look at Fan Xian anymore, and then started to taste the dishes again.
But everyone knew in their hearts that the owner of the dinner party, Mr. Xiao Fan, had suffered a big loss this time.
...
On February 2, the dragon raises its head.
Kyoto becomes extremely lively after nightfall, and restaurants of all sizes are overcrowded. But what many people don't know is that under the hazy night, people are filling the yard called the Overwatch Council, like dragons and dragons. It rotates like a precision instrument.
That night, Fan Xian held a banquet in the Moon Worship Tower to entertain the princes and dignitaries.
But the real purpose was to take action outside the Moon Worship Tower. Lord Fan, who was determined to take revenge, naturally did not forget the hatred of being assassinated outside the capital. Although the black hand hidden in the dark had not been fully exposed at this time, Fan Xian still Choose to take action against your enemies.
In the court, the Ye family became the culprits for this assassination.
Outside the court, the second prince and the eldest princess became the targets of Fan Xian's revenge.
Accompanying the second prince to the Moon Worship Tower tonight is the swordsman he trusts and values the most, the fast sword Xie Bian.
The second prince just thought that Fan Xian would not be bold enough to attack him. This assassination had nothing to do with the second prince, so he asked Xie Bian to go back and rest early, which also showed his respect for this swordsman who was about to enter the ranks of the ninth rank. of attention.
The second prince didn't expect it.
This move turned out to be the grave where Xie Bian was buried.
Fan Xian in the Moon Worship Tower did not take the heavy loss he had just suffered to heart, although the importance he attached to Lu Ze in his heart had risen to an extremely terrifying level. Looking at Lu Ze's calm and composed look, Fan Xian didn't know what he was doing. Where is the confidence?
As time passed, the atmosphere at the dinner finally became a little more harmonious.
Fan Xian recounted his encounter on the outskirts of Beijing: "I never thought that the power of military crossbows could be so powerful. No wonder masters below the master level would not easily fight in person on the battlefield. If there are too many ants, they can be killed by them." Elephant, just seventy military crossbows are already terrifying to that point, if..."
Fan Xian smiled: "Maybe it's because I haven't shown my face in Kyoto for more than half a year, so many people have forgotten what my temper is."
This is a guy who just arrived in Kyoto and dared to beat him openly at night
The role of Shangshu Gongzi.
What's more, there are several more labels attached to him at this time.
After the second prince heard this, he felt a thick gloom shrouded his heart. Tonight's dinner was far more peaceful than he imagined. Apart from the unpleasantness at the beginning, everyone was just chatting, and it looked like a simple banquet. .
Soon, it became noisy outside the Moon Worship Tower.
Many forces had their eyes and ears to report. In the end, only the eldest prince and Lu Ze were the only ones who whispered in their ears. The eldest prince frowned and looked at Fan Xian: "Did something happen?"
The second prince's slightly rosy cheeks instantly turned pale, and his expression looked a little painful, but it soon returned to its original state.
After Lu Ze saw it, the corners of his mouth raised, expressing admiration for his second brother's reaction.
"The second prince's family, generals, and ministers were all executed tonight."
"Among them, Xie Bi'an, the eighth-level master of the fast sword, died...pierced by random arrows."
"Master Xiao Fan, don't you want to say something?"
Deputy Privy Councilor Chen's expression was equally ugly.
Even the military did not expect that Fan Xian's counterattack would be so straightforward, and he would even dare to kill someone openly.
Fan Xian tilted his head with a deep smile on his face. Looking at the shocked expressions of everyone on the field, he felt extremely happy in his heart: "Oh? Are they all dead? But what does this have to do with me? ? Maybe they offended someone on the street who shouldn't be offended."
But when she glanced at Lu Ze, she looked at his face that was calmer than her own.
Fan Xian suddenly felt that he was not so happy either.
.......
The dinner came to an end so quickly, and all the adults left one after another.
This time, not only the second prince's lineage suffered a brutal blow, but also some low-ranking officials in the court were taken away and imprisoned by the Overwatch Council. The scale of Fan Xian's counterattack this time seemed to be more extreme and bloody than people imagined.
Before leaving, Lu Ze, who had eaten and drank enough, turned his head and showed a sincere smile to Fan Xian.
"Father told me yesterday that he wanted me to marry your sister."
"Don't be so hostile to me. Maybe we are all family now."
At this moment, Fan Xian's face looked as ugly as if he had eaten a fly.
