Chapter 1155 Xiang Mingxue
Xiang Chao struggled to prop up half of his body. Bai Shan and the others dragged the table to the edge of the kang and put a bowl on it for him so that he could eat by himself.
The three of them ate and chatted, and Manbao asked curiously, "What's the name of your second son?"
"Xiang Mingxue, our old patriarch named it. Doesn't it sound nice?"
Bai Shan and Man Bao nodded, "That sounds good. So, is he studying?"
"Of course he studies. Our Second Young Master is the best student in our Xiang family. Of course, the eldest son is also good at studying, but the Second Young Master is smarter." Xiang Chao said, "Originally, during the flood year, the clan decided to send the Second Young Master to Beijing after the autumn harvest to take the next year's exam to see if he could be admitted to the Imperial College."
He said, "But the doctor in our state said that the second young master has enough knowledge. As long as he performs normally, he has a good chance of passing the exam. His family is not short of money. Even if he fails the first year, he can study in the capital for a year and take the exam again the second year."
"Is your second young master studying in the prefectural school?"
"Yes, the provincial school in Suizhou. He was originally going to go to Yizhou, but he was still young when he took the exam, less than thirteen years old. His family was worried, so they only let him go to Suizhou."
Xiang Mingxue was a disciple of the direct branch, while Xiang Chao was a disciple of the side branch, two years older than Xiang Mingxue. Although the two were from the same family, they had very little interaction.
Xiang Mingxue rarely stayed in Dongxi Village. He was sent to the county to study when he was young. He would only go home during holidays. Even when he went home, he would not play with Xiang Chao and the others who were running around.
When Xiang Mingxue was thirteen years old, he went to school in Suizhou Prefecture. He basically didn't even come back on holidays. He only went home during major festivals and busy farming seasons, so the two of them were not familiar with each other before.
When meeting someone at the village entrance, Mingxue would simply bow to someone he didn't know. If he heard someone call him "Second Young Master," he knew they were of the same generation or a younger generation. If he heard someone call him "Mingxue," he knew they were an elder...
There was a flood in the tenth year of Dazhen. It was the time when the provincial school was on holiday for the busy farming season. Xiang Mingxue returned to his hometown and discussed with his family about preparing to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination after the autumn harvest. He was sixteen years old that year.
When the flood came rushing down, he fled to high ground with his family, and waited for the flood to recede a little the next day to walk down. However, he was a weak scholar and walked slowly, so he and his mother and sisters-in-law fell behind.
When he heard screams from the front and rushed out to see, his grandfather, the head of the Xiang family, as well as his father and brother, had been killed by armored men on horseback...
At that time, he could only stumble and support his mother and sister-in-law to escape, but they were separated. He only took his little nephew with him, and in the end even his little nephew was lost. It was Xiang Chao and others who were running around with him who pulled him into the turbulent and turbid river, and he survived by grabbing a piece of wood and floating along with the water.
After that, he lived in revenge.
Xiang Chao was right. The direct descendants of the Xiang family were rich, and their wealth was not only in Dongxi Manor, but also in other places.
Although they had no land deeds or house deeds and did not dare to sell those things, they could still find some money by looking for it in a private courtyard or a shop.
They survived in the early stages by doing this, and then began to operate anonymously with the money.
Taking care of the victims who are full of vigor and want revenge, making money, and gathering information... these are all led by Xiang Mingxue.
After chasing and blocking him from all sides, they finally traced the case back to the King of Yizhou, and began to pursue him from the 13th year of Dazhen.
They spent nearly a year planning the assassination of Duanwu, but unfortunately, they were just a little short of success...
Then, at the end of July this year, they ambushed the King of Yizhou on his way to the capital, but they did not expect that the King of Yizhou had secretly brought a team of soldiers into the capital. Most of the people they brought were killed, and the second young master was seriously injured and captured.
Bai Shan was perked up after hearing this and was no longer sleepy. "You said the King of Yizhou brought a group of soldiers with him to the capital? How many soldiers were there?"
Xiang Chao said, "It was too chaotic at the time, but I estimate there were about a thousand people."
Bai Shan and Man Bao exchanged a glance. Man Bao seemed a little uncertain. "I remember that the princes entering the capital were not allowed to bring more than three hundred guards, right?"
Bai Shan's eyes sparkled. "That's right. When the adults come to interrogate you, you have to tell them this... Remember, just like you told us just now, you have to reveal it inadvertently, okay?"
Xiang Chao nodded repeatedly and asked, "Will this be beneficial in overthrowing the King of Yizhou?"
Bai Shan and Man Bao nodded vigorously, "Yes."
"Okay, I'll make a note of that."
Seeing that he was full, Manbao took his bowl, washed it, and poured him a bowl of boiled medicine. He said, "Drink it once it cools down. Put the bowl aside. We need to sleep for a while."
Xiang Chao saw that she had put out all the fire, so he quickly asked, "What about the second young master?"
"He's already taken it once, and there's still some left in the jar. Keep an eye on him. If he gets a fever, call me. Call us too at noon."
After that, she went to sleep with Bai Shan.
There were three quilts, but now only one was left. Bai Shan touched the straws with disgust and reluctantly accepted that they be spread on the other half of the kang. However, he still spread two large clothes on it, and then he and Manbao lay down on his left and right.
Xiang Chao stared at them in amazement and wanted to say something, but he saw that they closed their eyes and fell asleep as soon as they lay down, so he didn't know what to say.
Not long after Manbao and the others lay down, an officer came over with two wooden barrels, knocked on the cell door, and shouted, "It's time to eat, it's time to eat..."
Bai Shan and Man Bao woke up from their sleep, opened their eyes and looked forward unconsciously for a long time, their eyelids trembled, their heads shrank into the quilt again, and then fell asleep again.
Xiang Chaojian saw the two little heads getting closer and closer, and turned to look at the people outside the prison door, staring at each other.
Xiang Chao just forced a smile and wanted to say something, but the person outside the cell door had already glanced at the remaining food on their table, shrugged his shoulders and left.
Of course, the standard meals provided in the cell were not left for them. Everyone already had food to eat, so wouldn’t it be a waste to leave them more food?
It would be better to feed it to pigs.
Manbao and the others slept very soundly and peacefully. Xiang Chao slept a lot last night. He was so bored that he touched Xiang Mingxue's head from time to time to see that he didn't feel hot. He didn't know whether the time had come or not, so he could only listen. When he heard someone say that the shift would change after noon, he hurried to call Manbao and Baishan.
Bai Shan opened his eyes and looked at him, then tried to get up. Man Bao, who had gotten up dazedly, slapped him down and said, "Go to sleep. We don't need you right now."
Bai Shan turned over and went back to sleep.
Manbao yawned as she came over to check on Xiang Mingxue. She felt his pulse and then went to change the medicine. Of course, before that, she heated up the medicine in the jar and gave it to Xiang Chao to drink. Then she said perfunctorily, "You just had breakfast, so you're definitely not hungry. Take the medicine first to fill your stomach. Someone should bring food later."
Xiang Chao: ...
I almost typed "See you tomorrow"
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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