In the east courtyard of Xue's house, the small tree that was transplanted just recently sprouted small flower buds.
Du Wulang watered the tree and heard Liu Xiangjun calling him to eat. He turned back to the lobby and saw hot lamb chops, Hu cakes and a few seasonal vegetables on the table.
"Go wash your hands first."
Liu Xiangjun said that before he left, Xue Sanniang had already scooped out water and was washing Du Wulang's hands under the eaves.
"Liu Lang said to wash hands before meals, and also said that children should eat more meat when they are growing up." Liu Xiangjun handed Du Wulang a lamb chop, "Wu Lang is in the cooking business, don't dislike the cooking skills at home."
Du Wulang thought for a while and realized that "Liu Lang" referred to Xue Bai.
"I ate too much stir-fry, but my aunt's steamed lamb chops were delicious. Why doesn't Xue Bai come to dinner? I only see the rules he left behind in this house, but I haven't seen him in a day or two."
Xue Xin was holding a piece of mutton and chewing it fiercely. His mouth was filled with oil, and he said: "Brother Six, put it in your folder."
Du Wulang didn't understand, so he sighed and said, "Just close the gate of the west backyard and separate from him. From now on, he and Qinglan will live together there."
This complaint really spoke to Liu Xiangjun's heart.
She had long thought that everything was fine with Xue Bai, except that he was not close to her. He lived in a small private courtyard and sometimes felt like a neighbor.
On the contrary, this young man from the Du family is enthusiastic and careful, and is really a good boy.
Xue Xin put down the clean bones in his hands and said, "Sixth brother is not at home. He took Sister Qinglan to the mountains. Don't fifth brothers know?"
"Oh, he told me." Du Wulang said, "I forgot."
Xue Sanniang couldn't help lowering her head and snickering.
Du Wulang glanced quickly, knowing that she could understand his humor and felt very proud.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, the steward Xue Gengbo hurriedly ran to greet the guests, and the faint sound of conversation reached the front yard.
"Your Alang hasn't come back yet? But the wedding has to be done."
"..."
Not long after, Uncle Xue Geng came back and whispered: "Madam, it's the Xiao family here."
Liu Xiangjun then asked his daughters to stay away, opened the screen, boiled water and made tea, and entertained the guests in the hall.
Du Wulang had already guessed which house he was coming to.
Sure enough, a father and son in Jinyi led the servants into the hall. The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was the Xiao Fan mentioned in the marriage certificate. He looked... indeed not bad.
Du Wulang was stunned for a moment. He usually joked, but now he suddenly panicked.
"The eldest lady of the Xue family is polite. At the beginning of Tianbao's fifth year, you and I agreed on a marriage contract. The Xiao family has already given a betrothal gift. I guess it is time to fulfill the engagement now, right?"
The Xiao family was being polite, because it was indeed Liu Xiangjun who was wrong.
At that time, Xiao Fanzhi had just moved to the capital. He was deceived by Xue Ling in the name of Pingyang County Duke. He paid a very generous betrothal gift to his son to marry Xue Sanniang. However, Xue Ling lost everything in the blink of an eye. The Xiao family heard that After talking about it, I checked carefully and found that the Xue family still owed a huge debt.
Xue Bai meant that after paying back the betrothal gift, the marriage would be forgotten. Sanniang was still young and there was no need to climb up to the Xiao family.
Liu Xiangjun was a little hesitant, and Wan Fu said, "Originally, Mr. Xiao, you said you were done with this marriage..."
Xiao Fanzhi waved his hand and sighed: "That's because Xue Ling went too far... Oh, but there is no need to involve the younger generation, the marriage is still the same."
"Can……"
"Does the Xue family want to regret their marriage?"
Liu Xiangjun had nothing to say. She actually thought it was a good marriage. Her only concern was that Xue Bai disapproved of it.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Xiao Fangzhi said: "Since there is no reason to regret the marriage, the two families are asking for a date and a wedding..."
"No!" Du Wulang suddenly stood up.
The father and son of the Xiao family looked at each other with doubts. They thought that Xue had an extraordinary playing style. Why did he look like this?
"Dare I ask, but in person to Xue Liulang?"
"No, but Xue Bai and I are brothers, and his opinions are mine." Du Wulang waved his hands in a desperate manner: "This marriage can't happen!"
"Why?"
Du Wulang said excitedly: "The Qian family regretted the marriage first, but then went back on their word and refused to break off the engagement. This is just because they dislike the poor and love the rich. They are definitely not a good match!"
This was said quite rudely. Xiao Fang was stunned, his anger welled up, and he suppressed it and said: "Whose family doesn't pay attention to well-matched marriages? Is it your family?!"
Du Wulang was immediately choked. Of course the Du family also cares about family status, and his grandfather's most important consideration in arranging the marriage of his children was family status.
But he subconsciously glanced in the direction of the backyard, thinking of Xue Sanniang, and felt confident in his heart.
He is different.
It wasn't because the Xue family was now rich that he started thinking about it, he just... liked it.
"my home!"
"What?"
"My family doesn't pay attention to being well-matched!" Du Wulang suddenly said harshly and shouted: "If I can marry Xue Sanniang, even if her family is poor and heavily in debt, I will never regret the marriage!"
"What on earth is Shuzi talking about..."
"You won't be nice to Sanniang, so I will be nice to her!"
"..."
Xiao Fangzhi was sprayed with saliva inexplicably, but he still didn't react; Xiao Fan was shocked, wondering that this little fat man, who looked so ordinary, would compete with a beautiful young man like himself.
Xue Xin had stood up and looked at Du Wulang with admiration; Liu Xiangjun was completely stunned and didn't know what to do.
The sun was shining brightly outside the door, and magpies flew over and landed in their nests under the eaves.
There was the sound of hurried footsteps. Xue Sanniang, who was eavesdropping outside the window, was startled and hurriedly ran back to the boudoir.
The flower trees under the boudoir swayed gently in the wind...
~~
Nowadays, the Du sisters are busy with branching out, and the Fengwei Building in Daozhengfang has been basically handed over to Da Xi Yingying.
On that day, Da Xi Yingying was sorting out the market news she had learned in the darkroom, when she saw Shi Zhong running in a hurry.
"Madam, something happened, Du Wulang got involved in a case in Jingzhao Mansion!"
"Are you going to construct the East Palace again?"
"No." Shi Zhong said quickly: "This is just a small case, but some disputes over the marriage contract..."
Just hearing this, Da Xi Yingying couldn't help but smile and asked: "But which family is engaged to him and wants to break off the engagement after meeting me? In fact, he is not bad after seeing him for a long time."
"He stole someone else's bride. The defendant is in Jingzhao Mansion."
"Huh?" Da Xi Yingying couldn't help but be surprised, "Wu Lang still has this ability?"
She put down the brush in her hand, listened quietly to what happened, and asked, "What does the Du family say about this?"
"We haven't informed Du Zhai yet. Du Erniang has sent someone to withdraw some money, and she wants to go to Jingzhao Mansion to settle the matter."
"I'll take care of this."
It was rare to be able to help the Du family's siblings with their personal affairs. Da Xi Yingying refused to let go of this opportunity and sent people to prepare carriages and horses to go to Jingzhao Mansion in Guangdefang.
…
When we entered Jingzhao Mansion, the case had not yet been brought to court. Only a group of people were arguing in the front yard, and the officials were sitting on the steps watching the excitement.
Du Wulang stood in front of a little woman with his head held high, showing a manly spirit that he had never seen before, and his voice was as loud as thunder.
"Shuzi, there's no need to say any more, we're just doing things according to Tang law."
"I've already arrived at Jingzhao Mansion, why are I still afraid of following Tang law?!"
"Well, the Xue family has received the betrothal money. If you regret it, the rod will be sixty, and the marriage will still go as promised."
"Who is still 'married as promised' to you?!" Du Wulang raised his hand and said, "I say, this engagement is ruined!"
"According to the law of the Tang Dynasty, the marriage will still go as promised. Even if the woman gives someone else a hundred sticks, the marriage will still go as promised."
"Ha." One of the officials shouted, "The woman has promised someone else. It's already done, but it only lasts a year and a half."
"Okay, disciple me!"
Du Wulang turned around, took the little girl's hand, and shouted: "The Xue family has promised Sanniang to me. If you are capable, you can follow me, but I won't marry into your family anyway!"
In a word, everyone around was shocked.
Da Xi Yingying looked around and saw that the little girl whose hand was held by Du Wulang was a little panicked, but did not move away. Her face was red, but her eyes were full of joy and excitement.
In her opinion, she was not beautiful, she was thin, her hair was a little yellow, her skin was neither smooth nor fair, and her figure was even thinner.
Da Xi Yingying then smiled slightly, stepped forward, stood in front of Du Wulang, and Wan Fu said: "May I ask, Mr. Xiao? Everything can be discussed, why bother going to court?"
"I will be the supervisor of the prison, Xiao Fangzhi, of the Lanling Xiao family." Seeing her beauty, Xiao Fangzhi immediately became more polite and saluted, "I have a clear conscience, and I will never accept the humiliation of this prince for nothing."
"No matter how much loss Mr. Xiao suffers, the slave family will pay for it, okay?"
"My wife is a sensible person." Xiao Fangzhi said: "But now, it is no longer a matter of betrothal gift."
Da Xi Yingying's mind was spinning.
She knew that the supervisor was in the hands of Ge Nu, and Li Julang would be the supervisor of the right school. So whether this was a coincidence or the right prime minister's office was behind it, she had to think deeply.
Originally she had a way, but now she didn't dare to make the decision without permission.
"Wu Lang comes with the slave family."
She smiled, turned around and pulled Du Wulang to the corner of the courtyard, and asked, "Did Wu Lang ask Xue Langjun about his actions this time?"
"No."
Du Wulang was forced to take a step back by her plump figure and said: "Send someone to tell Xue Bai quickly and ask him if... can you marry Sanniang... to me."
Da Xi Yingying took another step forward and said in a low voice: "We are in the wrong for this matter. It should not be made public. It should be resolved privately. Otherwise, it will not only be bad for Sanniang's reputation, but also put the other party in trouble. Today, please give in and let the slave family handle it. ?”
Du Wulang was forced to the wall and did not dare to look at her, but he shook his head stubbornly and said: "They took advantage of Xue Bai's absence to force my aunt to ask for an appointment. I can't let them succeed."
"Jing Zhaoyin's surname is Xiao. If he goes to court, he may be imprisoned."
"I'm not afraid if I can marry my third wife if I go to jail."
"Then did you know that Xiao Fangzhi might be the right..."
Da Xi Yingying spoke again, but Shi Zhong had already rushed over and whispered: "Madam, Du Erniang has sent a message."
"say what?"
"It's up to them to make trouble..."
~~
Taipingfang, Wangzhai.
In a few days, the wheat harvest will begin in some places, and Wang Fei has been busy with the harvesting business recently.
That is to say, they are forced to buy food from the people.
When Pei Mian arrived at the study, he saw that Wang Zhi had just finished writing an official document.
"You've come just in time, let's take a look."
"Prince, is this price too low?" Pei Mian looked at it and said hesitantly: "In the past five years of Tianbao, a bucket of three liters of highland barley was valued at one dollar. Now a bucket of five liters is valued at one dollar. Farmers may be..."
Wang Fei said: "The year is good, the harvest is large, and the price of grain is low, so the price of Hebian is naturally a little lower."
In fact, both of them knew very well that when this official document was sent to the prefecture and county to force grain collection according to household registration, the local officials would have to pay for it in variegated bolts of satin, and the farmers would receive far less than this price.
In addition, the farmers have to be forced to transport the purchased grain to the county warehouse, and the losses on the road will still be charged to the farmers.
Even if it arrives, there will still be a fee for transporting it from the county warehouse upwards.
"I'm afraid that if this happens, there will be many more refugees." Pei Mian sighed.
"Then recruit troops." Wang Zhi said, "Helong is short of troops."
Pei Mian was speechless.
This battle is fought hard and brutally, no matter how much it costs. The treasury was short of money, so it was forced and violent levies were made. The equalization of land and the collapse of government troops will lead to more households fleeing, more soldiers to be recruited, and more and more supplies to the state... The cycle goes on and on. Although it is a grand and prosperous era, how can it withstand such torment?
There is no use in persuading, I just want to support a new king in the future, rule the world, and wipe out the accumulated shortcomings!
After talking about peace and purchase for a long time, Wang Xian waved his hand and suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Party Yang."
Pei Mian was about to turn around, stopped, and asked, "Dang Yang is making another move?"
Wang Xidao said: "You also know that I have always only dealt with the mission of the saint, unlike the right prime minister who always makes plans to eliminate traitors in Yanyue Hall. But the tree wants to be quiet but the wind does not stop. Party Yang has been too arrogant recently..."
He really rarely engages in intrigues, and he will directly let Yushitai do it if he wants to get rid of anyone. Because he has done a good job in his duties and the saint trusts him, he has this confidence.
But it’s different recently. Yang Zhen and Xue Bai have also gained the Sacred Heart.
"Xue Bai transferred a group of craftsmen from the general to supervise the construction of giant objects in Fenggu. It was An Bobo who built Yuting for me."
"Dang Yang wants to investigate the prince?"
"Originally, I was also wary of this matter." Wang Zhi said: "However, I secretly sent someone to investigate. There are junior officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry in Fenggu Supervisor, as well as Wang Zhongsi's daughter. The items made are suspected to be weapons..."
This matter is not difficult to investigate. The craftsmen were originally mobilized based on Wang Zhi's documents, and the lumberyard was crowded with people.
After hearing this, Pei Mian muttered: "In a small way, it is Xue Bai who secretly made weapons and befriended the generals. In a big way, it is Yang Dang who colluded with the East Palace."
Wang Fei shook his head and said: "The right prime minister has repeatedly accused Xue Bai of constructing the East Palace. I'm afraid the saint won't believe it anymore."
Pei Mian became more and more confused and thought: "If you can make a useful weapon, you don't have to make it privately. You can just show it to the saint. Why be so sneaky?"
"This is exactly what I can't figure out." Wang He said: "The Right Prime Minister asked you to check his life experience. Is there any progress?"
"Yes, I searched through the files from ten years ago and found that officials close to the deposed prince had protected the slaves involved in the three commoners' case. For example, the granddaughter of Huangfu Deyi's natal family was the maidservant beside Xue Bai now. . And the Tan family who bought Xue Pingzhao is Zhang Jiuling’s wife. I have sent people to Jingzhou to conduct a detailed investigation..."
"We'll talk about it later when we have the results."
"Here."
Pei Mian lowered his head and responded, with regret in his eyes as he stepped back.
Wang Fei thought for a while and went to report the matter to the right minister in person.
~~
On the outskirts of Chang'an, Fenggu Prison.
A few sparrows were resting on the branches and chirping, enjoying the early summer sunshine.
suddenly.
"Bang!"
A huge thunder suddenly sounded, like a bolt from the blue. The sparrows were frightened and fled in a hurry, disappearing in the sky.
In the lumber yard, a huge stone cannon was still shaking.
The craftsmen have cheered.
An Bobo raised his head and watched a huge boulder disappear from his sight. He didn't turn his head until his neck felt a little sore and asked, "What do you think, Mr. Xue Langjun?"
Xue Bai actually saw this for the first time when the huge rock cannon was thrown. He didn't know whether it was powerful or not, but he said lightly: "It's not enough, we can continue to improve."
An Bobo kept stroking his thick and curly beard with his hands, staring at the cannon tip and muttering.
"We still need to improve...make it bigger..."
"Xue Lang."
Xue Bai turned around and saw that it was Yuan Zai and Wang Yunxiu who invited him to whisper.
The three of them then walked for a while to the edge of the forest.
"I want to inform Grandpa about this." Wang Yunxiu said.
Xue Bai then asked: "Why are you in such a hurry?"
"My grandfather came to Beijing this time because Dong Yanguang, the general of Youjin Wuwei, asked the saint to attack Shibao City. My grandfather cared about the lives of the soldiers and wanted to persuade the saint to take back his orders. Dong Yanguang had taken the opportunity to seize the vanguard military power and appointed a forbidden army general as his commander. What's the difference between being a vanguard and directly letting the soldiers die? My grandfather is becoming more and more passive." Wang Yunxiu said: "Instead of doing this, it is better to let my grandfather know about the giant stone cannon and see if he can try to regain the trust of the saint."
After Xue Bai heard this, he glanced at Yuan Zai first.
Yuan Zai smiled bitterly, as if to say, "I know it's not good, so I hope you can forgive me."
Xue Bai actually tolerated it, nodded, and said: "In this case, brother and sister-in-law will return to Chang'an first and inform General Wang of the matter."
"Thank you!" Wang Yunxiu clasped his fists and responded cheerfully.
Yuan Zai was slightly surprised and saluted with a smile.
After a while, the sound of horse hooves sounded and the couple had left early.
…
Xue Bai glanced around and walked deeper into the woods. Suddenly a big man jumped out of the trees, it was Lao Liang.
"Mr. Lang."
"Did the fish take the bait?"
"No, I'm afraid Lang Jun won't catch any fish this time." Lao Liang said with a strong Longxi accent: "Only one shrimp jumped out today. In order to marry Sanniang, Wu Lang was sued to Jingzhao Mansion. Killed or not?"
"Don't worry, they will regret their marriage." Xue Bai asked: "Pingkangfang and Taipingfang didn't respond?"
"I'm sure not, villain."
Xue Bai couldn't help but ponder and murmured to himself: "You really can't do more than three things, and you don't want to take the bait?"
Well, if everyone is in peace, then we can smoothly donate the weapons to the country...
The second chapter is still being written, I don’t know how long it will take, so you don’t have to wait~~
(End of chapter)
