Chapter 385 Elimination
Zhu Lingxu found that this sixth young master of the Wei Prince's mansion was very easy to talk to.
Instead of scolding him for arriving late in his pajamas, she gently told him to rest for a while.
Fifteen minutes later.
A private study.
The Persian merchant, Li Li, disappeared and retreated.
In the courtyard outside, the ascetic Mi Yin and others sat or lay down, keeping watch at night.
In the study, only Wei Shaoxuan and Zhu Lingxu remained, sitting at a table.
There were some hastily prepared wines and dishes on the table. Zhu Lingxu, who had gotten up in the middle of the night, dressed himself and then solemnly received Wei Shaoxuan.
The door was open, and the guards outside, including the ascetic Miyin, could see clearly what was happening inside.
Meanwhile, several beautiful concubines came and went, serving dishes and attending to the master of the house and his distinguished guests.
Zhu Lingxu wore a close-fitting silk brocade robe and a fox fur round hat. His old hands were adorned with a dazzling array of jade and jewelry rings.
This governor of Hongzhou and former military commander usually wore armor or casual clothes when he was out.
However, upon arriving at his residence tonight, I discovered that he dresses so luxuriously and elegantly at home, and with beautiful women serving him, it's truly a case of keeping a mistress hidden away.
Ah, they really know how to enjoy life.
The rumors were indeed true.
The person touched their chin and nodded slightly.
"Sixth Young Master, you have come from afar. My humble abode only offers simple food and drink. I hope you will be lenient with me."
"It's alright. Xunyang City is a remote place anyway, and the conditions here with Steward Zhu are already quite good. I'm quite satisfied."
Wei Shaoxuan smiled and waved his hand.
Xunyang City is remote? This is already considered one of the top major cities in central Jiangnan Province... Zhu Lingxu clicked his tongue in amazement.
However, upon further reflection, this young master Wei was rumored to be one of the most favored sons of the King of Wei, born into a life of wealth and luxury in Chang'an and Luoyang. The music and instruments of Xunyang City in Jiangzhou were indeed considered remote and ignorant to him.
Zhu Lingxu smiled apologetically at Wei Shaoxuan, bent down, and poured him a drink.
Faced with an older man pouring wine in a somewhat obsequious manner, Wei Shaoxuan remained calm and composed. He took the hot towel handed to him by his beautiful concubine, wiped his hands, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite of food.
As he chewed, he brazenly glanced at the mature women and concubines around him as dishes were served, making no attempt to conceal his gaze.
Women are naturally sensitive to men's gazes. Given Zhu Lingxu's current status as the commander-in-chief of the vanguard, there are very few people in Xunyang City who would dare to stare at them so blatantly. If it were any other uncouth servants who dared to look at them like that, they would have been dragged away and fed to the dogs long ago.
However, seeing Zhu Lingxu's sincere and respectful attitude towards this effeminate and unruly young man as he poured him wine, the concubines dared not be angry or reprimand him.
Some of the more shrewd concubines, well aware of Zhu Lingxu's current predicament, glanced at the "Wei" character token on the waist of this effeminate young man who had suddenly appeared tonight, and secretly clicked their tongues in amazement.
Despite his prestigious position as the General Commander of the Vanguard Army and Governor of Hongzhou, commanding tens of thousands of troops to quell the rebellion, even the Prefect and Chief Secretary of Xunyang City had to yield to him and cooperate with him in the best of their ability.
But looking at the whole Great Zhou, to put it bluntly, Zhu Lingxu was nothing more than a strong dog raised by the Wei family and the Prince of Wei's mansion. If it weren't for the Wei family rewarding him with bones and his status as a defector, he would have been completely controlled by Ouyang Lianghan, the Jiangzhou Prefect, who was said to be his rival.
Faced with the effeminate young man's blatant gaze, the concubines either blushed or laughed, and some of the bolder ones even secretly flirted with him.
Zhu Lingxu, who was bending over to pour wine, ignored this scene.
Until Wei Shaoxuan withdrew his gaze, his eyes filled with amusement, he took the initiative to speak:
"Steward Zhu is indeed as rumored, living up to his reputation and serving as a role model for us all."
"Oh?" Zhu Lingxu feigned confusion: "What rumor are you referring to, young master?"
Wei Shaoxuan smiled slightly, without any hesitation:
"Outsiders say that during Zhu Zongguan's tenure as the governor of Hongzhou, he curried favor with the Prince of Teng's mansion, was greedy for money and lustful, and amassed wealth and women, which has earned him a rather controversial reputation."
Zhu Lingxu gave an awkward smile.
"Now it seems like nothing but rumors, but in my eyes, the evaluation is quite the opposite."
Wei Shaoxuan spoke eloquently:
"Steward Zhu is clearly a remarkable person. He knows how to appreciate beautiful things and is not just a lecher. Tell me, who doesn't like beautiful things? Even a gentleman like Ouyang Lianghan is just hypocritical. He pretends to be an honest official, but isn't he just after a good reputation? On the contrary, Steward Zhu is very frank."
"Having just abandoned the darkness and come to the light from Hongzhou, amidst the chaos of war, Chief Steward Zhu did not forget to take care of his beautiful concubines, bringing them all with him, thus saving your lives. He is truly a great man."
Even Zhu Lingxu blushed slightly after being praised so indirectly, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Not at all, not at all."
However, Zhu Lingxu's goodwill towards the sixth young master of the Wei Prince's mansion immediately increased, and he subtly suggested:
"If any of you, Sixth Young Master, find any of your beauty pleasing, please speak up. We women have long admired your name and wish to offer you a toast. To receive your guidance would be a blessing we have accumulated over eight lifetimes."
Please advise?
Which "points"?
Wow, so you're one of us?
Wei Shaoxuan struggled to suppress the twitching at the corner of his mouth and took a sip of wine:
"We'll talk about it later; we have important matters to discuss tonight."
The sexual bribe offered openly was politely refused, but Zhu Lingxu didn't blush at all. He just smiled and continued pouring wine.
After Wei Shaoxuan finished speaking, his eyes glanced at Zhu Lingxu's hand, which was adorned with a beaded ring, on the table.
There was no attempt to conceal their gaze.
Zhu Lingxu quickly realized something, and following the Sixth Young Master's gaze, he looked down at his palm.
I vaguely understood something.
A silent, unspoken understanding settled into stillness.
It wasn't until Wei Shaoxuan took a bite of food and finished eating that he spoke calmly.
First, on behalf of the King of Wei, he praised and encouraged Zhu Lingxu.
Immediately afterwards, he earnestly mentioned that Li Zhengyan's Kuangfu Army might possess the Dingjian sword.
He embellished and repeated what he had just said to Li Li.
As expected, Zhu Lingxu was startled and his face turned solemn.
Wei Shaoxuan, however, remained completely calm, picking up food and drinking wine with an air of nonchalance.
Zhu Lingxu frowned and nodded slightly:
"I never expected Li Zhengyan to possess such a mythical artifact. It's just luck, not destiny. However, it's troublesome that a villain stole the cauldron. If he were to act desperately... I don't care if I die, but it might endanger the safety of the prince who will arrive soon... What should I do?"
After speaking, Zhu Lingxu glanced at Wei Shaoxuan, whose expression remained as calm as still water, and then asked:
"The Sixth Young Master doesn't seem to be in a hurry. Does he have a well-thought-out plan?"
Wei Shaoxuan glanced at Zhu Lingxu, who was trying to extract information, and muttered with a pout:
"It's just a cauldron and a sword, everyone has one."
He stopped there, said no more, and continued picking up food.
Zhu Lingxu paused, his chopsticks snapping to attention. A sudden glint appeared in his eyes as he recalled something Li Li had subtly hinted at when he had dangled promises and boasted to him…
No wonder the Prince Wei's Mansion had been forcing Boss Li to search for this sixth young master in Yunmengze. It seems that the matter was true... In this case, with such leverage, the successor of the Prince Wei's Mansion will most likely be this sixth young master. What can the other young masters use to compete with him?
In fact, Zhu Lingxu only recently learned that the Wei family and even the Prince of Wei's mansion were not as united and peaceful as they appeared on the surface; in fact, there were many factions within them...
Zhu Lingxu swallowed hard, then immediately stopped hesitating and responded even more enthusiastically to the Sixth Young Master, who had suddenly arrived that night and seemed to be subtly trying to win him over.
He repeatedly offered toasts, expressing his gratitude to Wei Shaoxuan for reminding him tonight. In his drunken, eloquent words, he described this kindness as comparable to the grace of parents creating a human being.
Wei Shaoxuan's smile brightened.
Soon, after several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the meal was finished.
Wei Shaoxuan glanced at the night view outside the window, put down his empty wine glass, and stood up:
"Steward Zhu, please be careful and keep an eye on Li Zhengyan... It's getting late, and I have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so I'll take my leave now."
Zhu Lingxu couldn't help but try to persuade him to stay:
"It's so late, and Sixth Young Master has drunk warm yellow wine. The wine is mild and easy to get drunk. Why don't you rest at my humble abode for the night? A guest room has already been prepared. Please move over and rest. I will have my humble servant bring you a cup of hangover soup later."
Is this some kind of hangover remedy? You're disgusting.
Wei Shaoxuan shook his head expressionlessly.
"No, thank you."
He glanced at Zhu Lingxu, whose face showed some disappointment, then suddenly took the "Wei" token from his waist and tossed it to Zhu Lingxu:
"However, I found we shared similar interests during my chat with Steward Zhu tonight. Here, keep this safe. It's my token. In case of any emergency, you can bring this token to me..."
A few words of gentle encouragement brought a sudden change in Zhu Lingxu's mood. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his smile becoming very sincere.
"From now on, under the King of Wei, this humble servant will follow the lead of the Sixth Prince!"
Wei Shaoxuan looked satisfied.
Zhu Lingxu carefully put away the token, looked up and found that Wei Shaoxuan had not left, but was looking at him with a smile.
Zhu Lingxu asked in a low voice, "Does Sixth Young Master have any other instructions?"
Wei Shaoxuan remained calm and joked:
"It was a pleasure to meet you today. Steward Zhu will be setting off the day after tomorrow. What would you like to give me, so that I may think of you when I see it?"
Zhu Lingxu was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening.
The Warlords.
These three words instantly came to mind.
Having pledged allegiance, he would now be considered a member of the Sixth Prince's lineage within the Prince Wei's residence.
Zhu Lingxu didn't hesitate for long before making his choice. He rummaged through his clothes, then remembered something and took off the largest jade ring from his palm, solemnly handing it to Wei Shaoxuan.
Wei Shaoxuan took the ring, tossed it casually, nodded, put it in his sleeve, and turned to leave.
Zhu Lingxu touched the token in his pocket and watched Wei Shaoxuan's figure disappear into the night.
The ties between the interests of the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Wei's family are now more firmly established, but the lineage of the Sixth Prince is indeed a good choice.
His face lit up with joy...
After leaving the Prince of Wei's residence, the effeminate young man first made an excuse to send away the Persian merchant who was as clingy as a leech.
Then, using Li Li's connections, they secretly left the city overnight.
The effeminate young man habitually stroked his chin. After leaving Xunyang City, he quickly went to Shuangfengjian Ferry, boarded a long-awaited boat, and headed west.
At dawn, around the time of the White Dew solar term, the effeminate young man arrived in Longcheng County.
When he disembarked, he was carrying a long, narrow object wrapped in a gray cloth.
Returning to Longcheng County, Yin Rouqing arrived at Luming Street with practiced ease, passing by the Longcheng County Government Office which was not yet open for business, and came to a long-abandoned house at the end of the street.
He took out his key, opened the door, and went inside...
morning.
In the plum grove courtyard of Meiluyuan, which had been meticulously cleaned by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Ouyang Rong sat upright on a stone bench, resting with his eyes closed.
On the stone table in front of him, there were four items: a bronze mask, a sword case and a zither case, a jade ring, and a felt hat.
After a short while, he glanced at the water clock, stood up, and put on the bronze mask.
He habitually touched his chin.
The air distorted slightly.
Ouyang Rong's figure disappeared, replaced by a smiling, effeminate young man, Wei Shaoxuan.
He gathered up the remaining items.
Go out.
A short while later, the effeminate young man, carrying the zither case, left the Sika Deer Park.
Following the information provided by Yan Liulang, he waited in the bustling city center of Longcheng County.
Around noon, a effeminate young man walked into a bustling restaurant by the roadside.
I chose a spot right by the window, put down the violin case, and leaned against the white wall by the window.
The effeminate young man sat down, drank, and waited.
At this moment, a group from Jishui County appeared on the street, preparing to pass through the marketplace to board a boat at Penglang Ferry.
The leader of the Jishui team was a man with a limp. From the shouts of his followers behind him, it seemed to be calling for General Zhao.
Zhao Ru looked around with interest as she surveyed the streets of Longcheng, her mood quite pleasant.
This successive recapture of several counties in southern Jiangzhou was achieved effortlessly, practically a freebie.
He couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had chosen to help his old leader, Zhu Lingxu. Back then, in Jishui County, he was just a minor county constable who accepted Zhu Lingxu's instructions to kill the county magistrate and county assistant and pretend to resist.
I thought that the old leader Zhu Lingxu was going to help Cai Qin, using Jishui County as bait, to besiege the enemy and attack their reinforcements, and then take Jiangzhou.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Lingxu was going to betray them, even trying to frame Cai Qin.
Zhao Rushi naturally had no objection. This was perfect; he could avoid being infamous and remain a hero who was responsible for defending the territory.
In any case, Zhu Lingxu, the former leader of Hongzhou, was indeed reliable and did not break his promise, allowing him to gain credit for nothing.
The recapture of several counties is just the beginning; from now on, it will be a meteoric rise...
The slightly lame man, looking refreshed, rode his horse through the market.
Inside the restaurant, the effeminate young man stood up, without taking the violin case, and walked straight to a female violinist in the center of the hall, speaking a few words softly.
The woman playing the zither stood up and gave up the zither platform.
The effeminate young man sat down, lowered his head to adjust the piano, and began to play.
The new piano music gradually attracted the attention of the guests in the building, and many people cheered and gave tips.
The woman playing the zither was delighted. After receiving a round of tips, she turned to look at the effeminate young man with admiration.
at the same time.
Outside the restaurant, Zhao Rushi's troops, who had successfully recovered the counties and returned victorious, passed through the streets.
An "arc" appeared in mid-air.
On the street, including pedestrians like Zhao Rushi passing directly below, no one noticed the view above them for a moment.
Aside from a few children squatting on the street corner playing a game of throwing stones, one of the children looked up as the stones were being thrown.
The pebble clattered twice and fell to the ground at my feet; I didn't catch it.
The companion let out a strange cry, gloating, while the child who had made the mistake rubbed his eyes incredulously, pointed above, and stammered, "Look, the moon... the moon!"
But in the next instant...
The "moon" disappeared.
From appearance to disappearance, it takes no more than three breaths.
In the center of the crowd, the lame man on horseback had his head roll off his neck, slamming heavily to the ground and bouncing several times.
The head with its wide, round eyes and bushy beard rolled to a vegetable and fruit stall, where cabbage leaves were soaked red.
The headless body, bleeding profusely, continued for three more steps due to inertia, before finally falling off the horse as it convulsed and twisted.
The head falls on the street, the body is thrown to the ground at the end of the street.
The body was separated from its head, which was thirty feet apart.
The entire city was in an uproar.
The vendors and pedestrians were all shocked.
In broad daylight, while walking along, did your head just fall off?
I've seen hats and money bags fall off while walking, but I've never seen someone lose their head.
Those who witnessed it looked on incredulously, as if they were seeing things.
Inside the restaurant, no one was in the mood to listen to the music anymore; everyone had run outside to watch the excitement.
Isn't watching dead people more interesting than appreciating a musical instrument?
At times like these, who among the respectable would appreciate the music?
Are people who appreciate the zither considered respectable?
The Sona player next to her also went out.
The effeminate young man continued playing the piano without raising his head until the piece ended. He then calmly stood up, picked up the piano case from the window, walked out of the empty restaurant lobby, and passed behind the crowd of onlookers on the street.
The effeminate young man, carrying his violin case, brushed past Magistrate Diao and his stern-faced entourage who had rushed over to enforce the law.
Behind Magistrate Diao, a young constable frowned and turned to look at Bao Qin's back. He opened his mouth to shout, but suddenly a hand reached out from the side, pulling the young constable back. He turned around with wide eyes and saw that it was an old constable from the next team who was very senior and had followed the legendary magistrate who was loved by the people and who fought against the tyrants.
The old constable withdrew his hand from the man's grasp and followed closely behind Magistrate Diao, not even glancing at the newcomer. The young constable hesitated for a moment, then shut his mouth and followed the crowd. After a few steps, he couldn't help but look back again...
The figure carrying the zither vanished without a trace.
(End of this chapter)
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