Chapter 651 Going to Xuzhou to meet Mi Zhen
Although they had not seen each other for a long time, but just by looking at him from a distance, Luo Chu knew that it was his elder brother Luo Qi, the eldest son and the prince of Yinghou.
He rode past in a very happy mood. Luo Qi also rode over. The two brothers looked very similar, both with sunny looks. Luo Qi laughed loudly while riding on his horse: "A Chu, welcome home. Father and mother miss you very much."
Hearing that his father had indeed returned to the middle school, Luo Chu's face was even more joyful, and then he pointed at the brave warriors and said: "Brother, please take the brothers into the city to rest. You must be tired after protecting me all the way back."
Luo Qi said loudly: "Boy, our brothers have come to Yinghou Country, can we treat them unfairly?"
The brave warriors burst into laughter when they heard this. Yinghou Kingdom was a place these brave warriors often visited and they were not unfamiliar with it.
The two brothers went to the city. This city located on the border of Qingzhou, no one remembered its former name. After migrating here from the Yinghou Kingdom, it only had one name - Luoying City!
Walking through the city, although there is chaos now, Luoying City is still relatively prosperous and the lives of the people have not been greatly affected.
However, there is an obvious difference between here and Zhaocheng. There is nothing we can do about it. After all, the situation in Zhaocheng is not replicable.
Luo Chu dismounted and hurried into Marquis Ying's mansion. When he saw his parents looking at him with longing expressions on their faces, his eyes turned red. He quickly trotted a few more steps, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed to them.
The Yinghou couple pulled Luo Chu up from the ground and looked at him left and right. It had been a long time since they last saw him and they missed him very much.
Especially Ying Hou Luochuan, he is quite busy himself, and since Luo Chu was born, he has spent most of his time either staying in Zhaocheng or traveling outside.
Even now that Luo Chu is already a teenager, the time that father and son have spent together is actually very little.
After Luo Qi was crowned, he stayed in Luoying City for a long time, so the father and son had more time to spend together.
Luo Qian was naturally delighted to see her son, but she still patted him unhappily and said, "You just left with the elders, aren't you afraid that they will worry?
You are still an uncrowned child!"
Luo Chu chuckled and said, "Back then, our ancestors Duke Zhaowuwei and Marquis Jinghuan were only slightly older than me, but they had already led their armies to fight against the Xiongnu and won a great victory.
I am a descendant of the Luo family, so of course I should regard my ancestors as my idols. My father is known as a role model for the world, and as his son, of course I should assist him."
Unexpectedly, Luo Chuan directly rejected Luo Chu, touched his head and said: "No need.
Your brother can handle the affairs of Yinghou State.
You returned to Yinghou Kingdom, probably not just to visit me and your mother, right?
Whatever you want to do, just do it according to your heart.”
Luo Chu was stunned when he heard this, and when he looked up, he saw infinite concern in his father's eyes.
He opened his mouth but said nothing. He knew what his father meant and didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Han court.
Luo Chu was a person who didn't even have a Han Dynasty household registration. Luo Qi only got a Han Dynasty household registration after he was crowned.
If we look at it from the perspective of the Zhou Dynasty, he was from the Zhao Kingdom, not the Han Dynasty.
Most people don't care much about this concept, and the various states of the Xia and the dynasties are sometimes confused, but for the descendants of the Zhou Dynasty like the Luo family, it is very important.
Although Luochuan and Luo Chu had not spent a long time together, he knew his son best and guessed that Luo Chu returned to Yinghou State, or left Zhaocheng, for other reasons.
Luo Chu whispered, "Five years ago, I was traveling in Jiangdong and encountered danger. You should still remember it.
It was Uncle Qiao Shi who saved the child at that time, and they agreed to meet again in five years.
Since then, I have often seen the scenery of Jiangdong in my dreams. This may be my destiny. "
Luo Chuan, Luo Qian and Luo Qi all straightened up when they heard Luo Chu's words, because for well-known reasons, the Luo family believed in the guidance of fate.
But most people don’t have such an opportunity. The last person in the family who determined his own destiny was Luo Xiao!
"Qiaoshi!"
Luo Chuan muttered a few words, and Luo Qian and Luo Qi said the same thing. This surname is not ordinary.
The Luo family had many small branches during the Bang Zhou era, but most of them disappeared, and many returned to the family. Especially after the surnames merged, many of the former small branches returned to Zhaocheng and changed their names back to the Luo family.
The strongest branch of the Luo clan is naturally the Xiang clan, which even once produced an emperor!
The Qiao family is also quite extraordinary. I will not go into details about their glorious history. Instead, I will talk about their current status in the world.
So far, the Qiao family is the only small clan that has a strong connection with the Zhaocheng Luo family. In the Qiao family genealogy, the lineage clearly starts from the Luo family, and an ancestor of the Luo family will appear every once in a while.
After the demise of the Luo State, the Luo family hid in Luo Village in Tiannan. Later, the Luo family became too prominent in the Han Dynasty and there was no danger at all, so the Luo Village moved to Jiangdong to control the Luo family's resources in the south.
It was at this time that the Qiao family was sent to Jiangdong for development. Although their connections were not as good as those of Ying Hou and Wushuang Hou, many of the heads of the Qiao family could be buried in Zhaocheng and restore the Luo surname as long as they had relatively great achievements.
Being able to enjoy wealth and glory outside Zhaocheng and having the qualification to be buried in Zhaocheng is already a perfect win-win situation.
The six major surnames of the Jiangdong aristocratic families are Qiao, Chu, Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang, plus the relatively nearby Huaiyin and Han. These seven families are the top families in Jiangdong.
Moreover, the development of the Jiangdong gentry was basically led by the three families of Qiao, Chu and Han, which were called the top three families decades ago.
Because these three families had complete Confucian classics, the Jiangdong gentry became real gentry with these three families, rather than those landlords who only had wealth.
The Xiao family of Lanling has always wanted to squeeze into the Jiangdong circle. Compared with the fierce competition among the gentry in the Central Plains, the competitive pressure among the Jiangdong gentry is relatively small. With the status of the Xiao family, they can directly become the leader alongside the Qiao family.
The Qiao family is still relatively prominent in the Han Dynasty, but the Jiangdong gentry has always been excluded in the Central Plains, so it is difficult for them to serve in the court.
Basically, you can only survive in Jiangdong and the area further south.
Luo Qian pondered and said, "Since you have an appointment, then go. Besides, Jiangdong is relatively stable in the world now. It is at least better than staying in the Central Plains."
Because I don’t know what Luo Chu’s fate is, I can only follow the guidance in my dream and go to Jiangdong first.
The atmosphere in the courtyard was a little tense for a while. Luo Qi clapped his hands and said loudly: "Father, Mother, Ah Chu just came back. Can you call relatives and friends to welcome Ah Chu?
There are still hundreds of brothers who sent Ah Chu back, they should be given good wine and good meat.
Besides, even if Ah Chu wants to go to Jiangdong later, he will always stay at home for a while. Isn't this a happy event?"
Luo Qi's words made the atmosphere warm up again. Yes, there is no point in thinking so much. Even if we reach the final destination, we can still shout that the King Su is supreme. What is there to worry about?
After staying at home for a while, Luo Chu decided to leave.
The guards for this trip also consisted of 300 people, who were the elite troops of the Yinghou Kingdom. Although they were far from being comparable to the brave warriors, they would have no problem dealing with those bandits as long as they didn't encounter anyone who deliberately wanted to kill Luo Chu.
After leaving Luoying City, Luo Chu made his own travel plan, "First go to the Mi family in Xuzhou, and then turn to Yangzhou."
The most convenient way to go to Yangzhou is to pass through Xuzhou, which is a good opportunity to keep the appointment with Mi Zhu.
…
It was a mess along the way, but fortunately the 300 elite soldiers protecting Luo Chu were still very intimidating, and there were no blind people who were willing to take on this hard bone that seemed to have no benefits and was difficult to chew.
The five states of Ji, Qing, Yan, Yu and Xu are all very small in area, and even the combined area is smaller than that of any other state, so Luo Chu and his party entered Xuzhou at a very fast speed.
Among all the major states in the Central Plains, Xuzhou is the one that has suffered the least from war. The main reason is that it is easy to attack but difficult to defend. Those bandits have no place to hide and are wiped out before they can develop.
The news of Luo Chu's entry into Xuzhou was soon known to Mi Zhu. He had already returned to Xuzhou from Qingzhou. When he heard that Luo Chu had come to Xuzhou, he could not help laughing out loud several times while eating at home, causing Mi Fang and Mi Zhen to look at him strangely.
Mi Zhu couldn't help but ask, "Do you still remember the Master Chu I mentioned?
He has already entered Xuzhou and will soon be in Donghai County. This is the time for our Mi family to shine."
Mi Fang was surprised and asked, "Is that Master Chu of the Luo family really going to visit our family?"
Mi Zhu said with great satisfaction: "My brother and Master Chu had a very pleasant conversation, and we are close friends regardless of age. Master Luo has always kept his promises, and since he said he would come, he would not lie.
Immediately give orders to clean up the entire mansion and keep it clean and tidy every day so that we can welcome Master Chu in the best possible manner."
Mi Fang responded, feeling that he was a little too concerned, but Mi Zhen turned his big eyes and asked, "Brother, this Master Chu must be more than just a prominent person, he must have some outstanding qualities, otherwise you wouldn't care so much."
Mi Zhu sighed at first, then smiled and said, "Zhen'er is really smart, she is much better than your brother.
That Young Master Chu is indeed talented, a man of both civil and military talents. Although he is young, his conversation is quite extraordinary, worthy of his noble family background.
I have basically never seen such a person among the families in Xuzhou. Moreover, given the status of the Luo family, they will not have the problem of being unappreciated for their talents. They really need to make friends with such people.
Zhen'er is so smart that she can understand her brother's hidden intentions from his subtle words. If she were a man, she would definitely be able to revive the family business of our Mi family."
Mi Zhen heard this but said proudly, "So what if I'm a girl? Although I can't enter the government, I can manage the business for the family. What's so difficult about being your right-hand man?"
Mi Zhu and Mi Fang were used to seeing their sister like this. Their sister had a strong personality and always believed that she was no weaker than others. Although she was a girl, she was very proud.
This is also the reason why Mi Zhu wanted her to marry into the Luo family. Only by marrying into the Luo family can she display her talents without reservation.
Mi Zhu touched Mi Zhen's head. The father of the three siblings had passed away, and the eldest brother was like a father. Mi Zhu said softly, "Zhen'er, the Mi family's small business does not have room for you to display your talents.
This time when Young Master Luo comes, Zhen'er, you must seize the opportunity. Young Master Chu is not only the son of the Luo family, but also the second son of Marquis Ying. You know. "
These words were not hints but explicit statements. Mi Zhen's cheeks instantly flushed, and her perfect face was covered with blushing patches, like the bright morning glow. Her already fair and soft cheeks instantly took on infinite charm.
Seeing this, Mi Zhu clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "My daughter is a good match for the family, and she is also extremely beautiful. If she doesn't find a good marriage partner, wouldn't it be a waste?"
Even a woman with a strong personality like Mi Zhen, when faced with such a situation, she was too shy to know what to say. She could only say "let her brother decide" and then slip back to her own small courtyard.
…
Luo Chu saw from afar a huge convoy waiting for him with loud drums and gongs. Mi Zhu was standing at the front. He was a little uncomfortable with the noisy scene for a moment. It was too exaggerated.
But after all, this was Mi Zhu's sincere intention and he couldn't say anything.
"Sir, it feels like a long time since we last met."
Mi Zhu enthusiastically escorted Luo Chu to the carriage, and the two of them rode in the same carriage. Luo Chu joked, "I heard that Brother Mi once served as the deputy driver of the governor of Xuzhou.
Brother Mi and the governor did not even ride in the same carriage, but now he is riding in the same carriage with me. I am really ashamed of him."
Mi Zhu laughed when he heard this and said, "The deputy governor is just someone trusted by the families, and the difference between him and the governor is just one level higher.
How can it be compared with our personal friendship?
Besides, in Zhu's opinion, the governor cannot be compared with you, young master.
You have a distinguished family background and great talent, so your future is bound to be limitless. Maybe one day, you will become the governor of Xuzhou, and Zhu will be your deputy. "
Luo Chu did not respond when he heard this. It might be difficult for him to be the governor of Xuzhou. However, it would be possible if his brother became the governor of Xuzhou.
The world is in great chaos today, and the Jinling Marquisates have completely lost their effectiveness after the Taiping Rebellion.
The Five Surnames and Seven Families are the remnants of the old era. If they do not transform, the final result will be that they will gradually fall behind like the Huaiyin Han family. In a few hundred years, their names may no longer exist in this world.
No matter what the future holds, these Jinling Marquises will disappear into history, just like the princes who obeyed the king's orders in the former Zhou Dynasty. This is the consensus of knowledgeable people, and the family is naturally also very clear about it.
The two chatted in the car, and then arrived at Mi's mansion. As soon as he got off the car, Luo Chu couldn't help but be amazed. This Mi family is really worthy of being the richest man in Xuzhou. This mansion is so luxurious. Luo Chu has naturally enjoyed these things. Every son of the Luo family has enjoyed delicacies from mountains and seas, magnificent mansions, and finally reached the point of returning to nature.
Luo Chu just felt that the style of wealthy businessmen like Mi was completely different from that of Luo's. The Luo's family mainly supported people by making them noble.
The emphasis is on not showing off anything, yet being particular about everything. On the surface, they appear ordinary, but in fact, each one is more priceless than the other.
For example, when Jia Yi visited Luo Xin, there was a courtyard full of antiques and cultural relics, and when Luo Qi married Zhao Hede, he gave those items to Zhao.
However, Luo Chu could see that this was carefully arranged by Mi Zhu, and it was done to welcome him, and he put a lot of thought into it.
Mi Zhu saw Luo Chu nodded slightly, and couldn't help but said happily: "What do you think, young master? These rare treasures are all collected by Zhu from all over the world. However, although this courtyard is large, I always feel that there is something missing, which makes it look ugly and troublesome."
Luo Chu nodded and praised: “The layout here fully demonstrates the prosperity of the Mi family. As for what is missing, Chu understands it.
This courtyard is full of grandeur, but it lacks nobility. This is because it lacks a treasure. If there is a heavy weapon with profound heritage to suppress it, it will surely have the effect of removing all the dross.
Such treasures as tripods and chime bells from before the Qin Dynasty, or gifts from the emperor, are displayed in the courtyard, which is absolutely beautiful. "
"Well……"
Mi Zhu went from listening to Luo Chu's suggestions with great interest to being filled with astonishment. He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. How could he get such a thing?
"What you said is indeed good advice, but the Mi family is just a merchant in Xuzhou, with a low status, so it is impossible for us to get that precious item."
An extremely clear and pleasant voice suddenly sounded in front of the two of them. Luo Chu looked up and saw a graceful girl standing in front of the main door.
The girl was already of marriageable age, but her age was hard to tell. Her skin was as white as snow, with the unique gentleness of Xuzhou women. She had a slender figure and wore a turquoise dress. There was a hint of heroism between her eyebrows, but she did not look masculine at all. Instead, she had a strange charm, and her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as a painting, and she was so beautiful that she could topple a country.
"hiss!"
Luo Chu took a deep breath. Among all the women he had ever seen in his life, only Diao Chan was obviously better than her in appearance. The rest of the women, whether it was Cai Yan or his aunt, the High Priestess of the Luo family, were only comparable to her. She even surpassed most of the women of the Luo family.
Luo Chu couldn't help but look at Mi Zhu. He didn't expect that there was such a beauty in his family. Now Luo Chu knew why Mi Zhu insisted on inviting him to the Mi Mansion. It turned out that this was his idea.
But Luo Chu had to admit that using such a beautiful woman in the world to challenge Luo's weak spot, Luo really could not withstand such a test.
Because this is not just a personal preference, but also a family mission. Marrying those stunning women is what the ancestor Su Wang required!
As long as these stunning women can join the family, the ancestor Su Wang said that any extra price would be worth it. For the Luo family members who regarded the ancestor as a god, they would certainly carry out this task without any hesitation.
This is called marrying a wife according to God's oracle, and it is definitely not the kind of thing that ordinary people do when they just covet beauty!
When Mi Zhu saw Luo Chu looking at him with a slightly ambiguous look, he knew that Luo Chu already knew his purpose. Then he heard Luo Chu ask in a gentle voice: "Brother Mi, do you know this noble lady?"
Mi Zhu was overjoyed and immediately introduced her: "Sir, this is my sister, her given name is Zhen, and her courtesy name is Wenzhen.
Zhen'er, this is the man who saved my brother, Master Chu."
Mi Zhen bowed slightly, but she was not shocked when she saw Luo Chu's face. After all, Luo Chu's appearance had been famous for thousands of years.
There has never been any ugly person!
Mi Zhen was very smart. She saw that the Luo child in front of her did not reject her, but was very satisfied with her. The only thing that worried Mi Zhen was that the Luo child in front of her seemed to be younger than herself.
She was so beautiful, with a slender and graceful figure. Even when she was bowing, she looked like a willow tree swaying in the wind, with a graceful and elegant beauty. "My humble lady greets you, sir."
Luo Chu immediately waved his hands and said, "It's just a small favor. I don't deserve such a generous reward from Brother Mi and Miss."
The group walked into the house. It was a family dinner. Only the three Mi siblings and Luo Chu were present at the table. Only after three rounds of wine were served was Luo Chu taken to take a bath.
Luo Chu had originally planned to stay for a day or two and then leave, but the appearance of Mi Zhen made him stay for a while longer. He wanted to observe Mi Zhen's inner self.
Another day of drinking and feasting ended. Under the influence of alcohol, Luo Chu smiled and asked in a low voice: "Brother Mi, it may be a little abrupt, but I still want to ask, is your sister engaged?"
He knew there definitely wasn't one, but he still had to ask as part of the process.
Mi Zhu was so overjoyed when he heard this that he almost jumped up, but his good self-control made him hold back. He said with a trembling voice, "Sir, to be honest, my sister has always been very competitive and arrogant. She said she must marry a hero, which made me very worried. Now she is almost 10 years old and still hasn't made a promise to anyone. I am really ashamed to see my father in the afterlife."
Luo Chu heard this and comforted her, "Marriage is decided by heaven, how can it be achieved by human power?
Brother Mi, don't worry, you know I am the son of Marquis Ying.
My elder brother is named Qi, and he is the eldest son of Marquis Ying. He is twenty-four years old this year and has outstanding talents. He is much better than Chu. There is no need to worry about the appearance and character of Luo's son. He has not married yet and has no engagement.
Miss Mi has an extraordinary beauty, a rare beauty in the world. She is also talented and knows how to act and retreat. She is truly the best choice for the future mistress of Yinghou State.
If Brother Mi is willing, Chu is willing to write a letter and inform his parents and brothers of this matter. The noble daughter of the Mi family will marry into the Luo family in no time! "
???
Mi Zhuren was a little dumbfounded. He originally wanted Luo Chu and Mi Zhen to be together. He knew that Luo Chu was observing Mi Zhen these days.
He knew that as long as the son of the Luo family was willing to marry, he only needed to write a letter to the head of the family to explain.
Mi's family background is clean and can withstand Luo's investigation. Since he dared to marry Mi Zhen to Luo Chu, he must have thought of all these things.
But he never expected that Luo Chu would actually introduce Mi Zhen to his brother. But when he thought about it, it was very reasonable. After all, his brother was 24 years old and had not yet married. It was normal to introduce them to each other under the deep brotherly love.
Mi Zhu's mood was a little complicated. It was indeed stable, but it was a little different from what he expected. But it seemed that the result was even better?
He held Luo Chu's hand and sighed, "As a brother, how could you not want your sister to marry well?
If she could marry the prince, it would be a great blessing for Zhen'er!"
Luo Chu patted his chest and said, "If that's the case, I'll write a letter to my parents right away. Brother and your daughter must be a perfect match made in heaven. It's such a happy event!"
————
Madam Mi was the wife of Marquis Ying of Han. Her surname was Mi, her name was Zhen, her courtesy name was Wenzhen. She was a native of Donghai County and was born into a wealthy merchant family. She had amassed enormous wealth and was famous for her beauty and charm at a young age. People of her time called her "There is a Mi in Xuzhou, and she is a goddess."
Mi was gentle in appearance but firm in character. He was good at managing his business. He once said, "Ancient sages said, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace.'
This is truly a wise saying. The way to making money lies in it. A family’s words are also the root of a country.
Can a family worth thousands of gold be compared to the lord of a city?
How can the great and powerful be inferior to the Venerable?
In ancient times, people were granted fiefs to produce wealth and goods. Today, the amount of money earned is tens of thousands. Isn't this a traditional fief?
This is the way of the Luo family for three hundred years!" - Biographies of Extraordinary Women in the Chronicles of the Late Han Dynasty
(End of this chapter)
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