In the Duke's Mansion, in the ancestral temple.

Xiao Tuo was holding a book, kneeling on the cold and hard floor.

Xiao Yuning was wiping the sword with a handkerchief.

Xiao Tuo was kneeling in front, yawning and showing no remorse at all. Xiao Yuning raised his lips and smiled, suddenly stretched out the sword: "Boy, your brother has only been away fighting for a few years, how come you have become such a jerk?"

He has tough features, sharp lines, dark skin, and his body is as straight as a gun when holding the sword, and his momentum is as strong as a mountain.

Xiao Tuo put away his sword and said with a smile: "Brother, I have been practicing martial arts and learning the art of war these years. I have read all the military books in your study and made notes. Didn't you see them all?"

Xiao Yuning put away his sword, straddled his waist, walked to Xiao Tuo, and patted Xiao Tuo's forehead with his thick palm:

"When I returned to Beijing to drink with my old friends, they talked about your heroic deeds and talked to me for almost an hour. Your life is really wonderful, Master Xiao."

Drinking and fighting, going in and out of brothels, hunting and gambling, a frequent visitor to casinos. Isn't it wonderful?

Xiao Tuo licked his lips and smiled: "It's okay, it's okay."

Xiao Yuning's face changed, and he slapped Xiao Tuo on the head: "Do you really think I'm exaggerating you?! If it weren't for your grandmother's habit of you, I would beat you to death!"

Xiao Tuo shrank his neck and stopped making trouble.

Xiao Yuning shouted: "Raise your hands! Kneel straight! Show me the ancestors of the Xiao family, which one is like you? Ah! You can just waste your time, in a few months you will be sent to the army!"

When Xiao Tuo heard the word "army", he felt like he was stabbed by a needle.

He raised his head, his eyes staring straight into Xiao Yuning's eyes, and retorted:

"What right do you have to decide for me?! Just because I was born in the Xiao family, do I have to be a soldier

all my life?!" Xiao Yuning frowned, pursed his cheeks, and said angrily, "Yes! Being born in the Xiao family means you must fight for your country! Your father named you Tuo because he hoped that you could expand the territory, strengthen the Ning'an Kingdom, and take back the territory that was occupied by the Weiyuan Kingdom decades ago. But you don't want to join the army. " It's time for the imperial examination! The imperial examination will be held in a few days, go and take one for me!

You idiot, the Xiao family raised you to be carefree until you were 18 years old, and they turned you into an ungrateful person, right?!"

Xiao Tuo's face turned red with frustration, and he whispered, "You have only let me read military books since I was a child, but I..."

Xiao Yuning slapped Xiao Tuo on the back of his head: "What are you mumbling about?"

Xiao Tuo pouted and said nothing.

Xiao Tingyi stood at the door of the ancestral hall without knowing when, and looked at Xiao Tuo: "Tuo'er, get up, we have to go to the palace."

Xiao Tuo stood up and looked at Xiao Tingyi: "Why go to the palace?"

Xiao Tingyi turned and walked out, and said calmly: "To discuss my marriage."

Xiao Tuo froze in a daze, and Xiao Yuning rubbed Xiao Tuo's neck with his rough big hand from behind: "Do you really think that we came back this time just to take care of you?"

Xiao Tingyi had an upright posture and a slender back, but she was more powerful than the average girl.

She was still wearing a simple outfit and a high bun, not as delicate as any girl Xiao Tuo had seen. His sister is always calm, wise, ruthless and decisive.

Xiao Yuning said: "The year Tingyi decided to join the army was the most tense time of war since the founding of Ning'an. She spent six years, from the age of seventeen to twenty-three. Now she is a little tired and wants to retire from the battlefield."

Xiao Yuning punched Xiao Tuo on the back and said hoarsely: "You have to hold on, brat!"

Xiao Tuo was silent, watching Xiao Tingyi's back disappear around the corner, and walked out with his eldest brother.

Carriages were ready at the door, one for the parents, one for Xiao Tingyi, and one for Xiao Tuo and Xiao Yuning.

When the carriages passed through the inner street, a carriage came speeding, and a woman's scream was heard from inside. The carriage of the Duke's Mansion was unable to evade and was stuck on the road.

The road here is relatively narrow, so only one party can move back to let the other party pass first.

Liu Ruyan screamed at the maid in the carriage: "Who is blocking the road?! Let him get out of my way! Get out of my way!"

The maid was frightened by the shouting and hurriedly said: "I will go and see!"

She just took a few steps and saw three carriages painted with light vermilion, decorated with golden bells and painted with eagles and red clouds. The maid's face turned pale and she called to the coachman: "Quickly get out of the way! This is the carriage of the Duke of Ying's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, the coachman hurriedly backed the carriage a few steps.

Liu Ruyan felt that she was not making any progress but was actually going backwards in the carriage, and she was so angry that she cursed: "Useless thing, I told you to go back to the mansion, move forward!"

The Chu family and the Xiao family are the two most prosperous families in Ning'an today, one is civil and the other is military, but Liu Ruyan is just a concubine of the Chu family, how can she stand in the way of the Duke of Ying?

If the head of the family heard about it, he might even lose his life with Liu Ruyan, this idiot.

The maid turned pale and explained: "Madam, the carriage in front is the Duke of Ying's carriage."

Liu Ruyan cursed again in the carriage and then fell silent.

Xiao Tuo pulled open the curtain in boredom, and saw a familiar figure coming out of Yunxian Pavilion. The woman was graceful and dressed in moon-white clothes. Xiao Tuo quickly put his hands in his mouth and whistled loudly.

Jiang Yuanyi raised her head and saw Xiao Tuo sitting in the carriage, smiling with his eyes crooked, and then someone hit him on the head with a palm. He covered his head in pain, and the curtain was immediately lowered, and he could not see anything. Jiang Yuanyi smiled and bent down to get into the carriage.

Xiao Yuning looked outside and said, "You really can't rest for a moment, can you? All the words I just said to you were in vain!"

Xiao Tuo smiled and said, "Isn't there only a few months left?"

The carriages moved aside, and the Xiao family's car moved slowly forward.

The Jiang family's carriage stopped beside the gate of Yunxian Pavilion. Jiang Yuanyi listened carefully to the bells outside until the last carriage jingled past, then a familiar voice came from inside: "Brother, I'm not looking at anyone! You're looking at the wrong person!"

Jiang Yuanyi blushed, and heard his sister say softly: "This must be the famous Mr. Xiao, he's really different." Jiang Xirong looked at Jiang Yuanyi with bright eyes, "Sister, which girl do you think he is looking at?"

Jiang Yuanyi lowered her face slightly and shook her head: "I don't know."

The woman's voice was coquettish and soft. Jiang Xirong looked at her sister and saw that her little face was slightly red, her long eyelashes were trembling slightly, and her lips were rosy, like the peach blossoms in full bloom at this time, delicate and tempting.

After the Duke of England's carriage passed by, the Chu family's carriage started moving. Jiang Yuanyi opened the curtain and looked at the carriage with a dark light flashing in his eyes.

Liu Ruyan, tonight you will know how sinister and cold-hearted the gentleman you admire is.

The third floor of Yunsheng Pavilion is not accessible to merchants like the Jiang family, but the private rooms on the second floor are open to everyone. Jiang Yuanyi and Jiang Xirong helped their mother to the second floor, and the three of them ate the new dishes of Yunsheng Pavilion.

After eating, Jiang also packed a few dishes for Jiang Ruchao, who had been studying hard these days.

As soon as they left Yunsheng Pavilion, a group of ragged and smelly little beggars came up. One of them had a dark face, curly hair, and black and bright eyes. He looked at Jiang Yuanyi and stretched out his black little hand, but he didn't grab the girl's clothes like other little beggars. He just stretched out his hand from a distance, with a cunning light in his eyes.

The servant of Yunsheng Pavilion came out with a wooden stick in his hand, looking ferocious: "Go! Go! If you do it again, I'll beat you up!"

Jiang Yuanyi shook his head at the servant: "No need to hurry, they will leave naturally after I get the money."

Jiang Yuanyi stretched out her hand to the side, and Xiaoqing handed the money bag to Jiang Yuanyi.

"Use it to buy things, divide it up," Jiang Yuanyi took out a few silver ingots and put them in the child's palm. She touched his dirty hair in the child's shining eyes and said softly: "Go."

The little beggar shouted happily, OK! "

The eldest lady and the lady at the side were also harassed by the little beggars. After they smiled and gave the money, the little beggars ran away.

The three of them got on the carriage and went home.

The bell rang crisply, and with the clattering of horse hooves, they walked towards the most magnificent building in the capital.

The palace was symmetrically arranged along the central axis, with neat rows of green tiles and red walls, and layers of green, reaching the sky. From time to time, palace maids in palace costumes saluted softly and bowed their heads as they passed by. The whole palace was solemn and magnificent.

Xiao Tuo walked casually with his brother, and suddenly a eunuch's shrill voice came from the front: "Please come this way, Your Majesty. His Majesty has been waiting for everyone in the Yangxin Palace for a long time. "

The scenery of the imperial palace is so vast that it encompasses everything in a small space, and it is exquisite and luxurious everywhere. However, Xiao Tuo had no intention of appreciating it, and he followed his father and brother into the Yangxin Palace.

The five of them half-knelt down, with their right hands on their knees: "Your Majesty, we are here to see you!"

The emperor was wearing a yellow casual suit with dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread, and a pattern of flying dragons. He was leaning on the couch with his eyes slightly squinted. Even with his eyes closed and resting, he still exuded an aura of majesty without anger.

The emperor slowly opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Kangyuan: "My dear ministers, please stand up."

The three children of the Xiao family have grown up, and each of them has a tall posture and outstanding temperament. The emperor narrowed his eyes, looked at Xiao Tingyi, and said in a low voice: "How old is Tingyi this year? "

Xiao Tingyi replied, "Twenty-three."

The emperor waved gently to the eunuch beside him and said, "Your Xiao family has been guarding the border for me. Even our only daughter has been sent to the battlefield by you, my old man. If I don't find a good husband for Tingyi, wouldn't I be sorry to your Xiao family?" Xiao

Kangyuan hurriedly said, "It is my duty to guard the border for Your Majesty. How dare I ask for credit?"

Xiao Yuning and Xiao Tingyi knelt on one knee, and Xiao Tuo knelt down with him.

The emperor took the book from the eunuch and said with a smile, "What are you doing, my dear minister? Get up quickly." After that, he waved to Xiao Tingyi, "Tingyi, come and take a look at the husband I have chosen for you, and see if there is anyone you like. "

But Tingyi knelt down on his knees, knocking his head against the cold floor: "Your Majesty, Tingyi has an unreasonable request."

The emperor was interested and said, "Oh, tell me about it."

"Tingyi grew up in your majesty's lap, I only ask your majesty to let Tingyi be willful for once," the woman raised her head, her eyes like the cold moon in the middle of the night on the battlefield, Xiao Tingyi said in a calm voice, "Tingyi wants to hold a martial arts competition to recruit a husband."

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