Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 374 Brother, what are you looking at? [Thank you! Goodbye! words are owed]

Rong Xian sat up straight and looked straight at Rong Feiyan: "Sister, are you serious?"

Rong Feiyan nodded.

Rong Xian put down the teacup, stood up and said, "Your brother told me that you are a little girl from the inner house, and you still don't accept it!"

"Let me tell you this. When Jing Ge'er and I first met, Marquis Yong Yi was already serving in the Western Army."

"After fighting Baigao for more than a decade, we fought Wusi Zang. That was an old battle. Have you ever heard that the Marquis of Yongyi was defeated?"

Rong Feiyan's eyes rolled around, looking as if she was thinking.

"Don't think about it, I've never lost!"

Hearing her brother's words, Rong Feiyan nodded quickly.

"This veteran general who has been through many battles faced a fortress like Keyi Gate, and some people actually said that Xu Hou underestimated the enemy?"

Rong Feiyan said hesitantly: "But, Xu Hou really won a great victory! He destroyed a military commander of Baigao State and captured a piece of land for breeding horses! Maybe he was thinking of taking it down in one battle like he did at Dengkou!"

Rong Xian: "Uh, this. This is different!"

Seeing his sister's inquiring eyes, Rong Xian's mind raced, and he racked his brains and said, "I heard that Keyi Gate is a fortress! If Xu Hou really wanted to take it down in one battle, he would have started the battle last month. Why wait until this month?"

Rong Feiyan shook her head in disapproval and said, "Brother, isn't Marquis Yongyi preparing baggage and arrows so he has to wait until this month?"

"You. My. Sister! Which side are you on? Maybe this is Marquis Yongyi's plan!"

Rong Feiyan pursed her lips and said, "Brother, what strategy is there to make yourself lose first? Won't it lose morale?"

Rong Xian swallowed his saliva, stood up and said, "I can't argue with you! I don't want the pocket money anymore! Anyway, I think that Marquis Yongyi will not underestimate the enemy so easily!"

Having said that, Rongxian picked up his helmet and was about to leave the house.

"elder brother!"

"what?"

"If something happens to the Marquis of Yongyi, the Xu family might be implicated! There are many people in Bianjing who don't like him, and there will be no shortage of sarcasm and ridicule. Brother, you..."

Rong Xian held his helmet in one hand, turned his back to his sister, closed his eyes and took a breath.

Turning back, he said helplessly, "Okay! I'll go find Jing Ge'er when I get off duty these few days. If I meet someone who is not careful with his words, I'll help Jing Ge'er out! Okay?"

"Thank you bro!"

Looking at his sister's smiling face, Rongxian waved his hand and walked straight out of the house.

Just as he walked out of the Moon Gate of Huixueyuan, a voice behind him called out, "Young Master, wait a minute!"

Rong Xian had handed the helmet in his hand to the servant. He turned around and looked at Ning Xiang who had caught up with him, and said, "What's the matter? Is there anything else you want to tell me, young lady?"

Ningxiang smiled and took out a few silver bills from her sleeve and said, "Sir, this is what the girl asked me to give you!"

Rong Xian took the banknote, unfolded it, and stared at the amount on it. He put the banknote back into his arms and said, "Your daughter is willing to give banknotes to her brother now."

Ningxiang smiled and bowed.

Jiying Lane

Moriya
Shouantang

The old lady walked slowly in the hall with her hands behind her back and a serious expression.

"The master is here!"

A maid called out from outside the door.

Sheng Hong opened the curtain and walked in. He quickly walked up to the old lady and said, "Mother, you know the news that my son asked Dong Rong to bring back, right?"

The old lady nodded and raised her chin, motioning Sheng Hong to sit down.

Sheng Hong looked at the old lady walking back and forth and wanted to speak several times, but seemed to be afraid of disturbing the old lady's thoughts, so he swallowed his words.

When the old lady sat on the Luohan chair, Sheng Hong leaned forward and said, "Mother, will the emperor punish my cousin for his defeat?"

The old lady narrowed her eyes and frowned, and said, "Hong'er, did you hear in the court how many soldiers your cousin lost in this battle?"

Sheng Hong: "Some say hundreds of people were killed, others say thousands!"

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in a thankful tone: "It's okay, it's okay!"

Seeing Sheng Hong's surprised look, the old lady said, "Your cousin is a general with nearly 100,000 soldiers under his command! The battle was fierce, and the loss of these people means that the army was not completely defeated!"

"Otherwise, there would never be such casualties."

Sheng Hong nodded and said, "That's good! Mother, since he won't be punished, will my cousin be replaced?"

The old lady hesitated for a long time before speaking: "It shouldn't be!"

"But, mother, didn't you see that His Majesty's face looked very unhappy after hearing this in the court today?"

The old lady was stunned: "Hong'er, are you saying that His Majesty was unhappy after hearing about this?"

Sheng Hong thought about it and nodded: "Mother, that's right!"

The old lady's eyes showed understanding, and she pounded the table lightly with her fist.

Sheng Hong saw the old lady's expression, thought for a moment, and then his eyes lit up and he said, "Mother, are you saying that His Majesty is not angry because of my cousin's minor defeat, but that a court official exposed this matter?"

Look at the old lady and nod.

Sheng Hong felt relieved and said angrily, "Hey, mother, I finally figured it out!"

Seeing that the old lady's face was not relaxed, Sheng Hong said, "Mother, why are you still worried?"

The old lady sighed, "Alas, I'm afraid my two nephews in the school will be disturbed by this news! The college entrance examination is approaching, it's really a sin!"

"Send someone and ask them to come to my place after school!"

"Yes, mother!"

Quyuan Street,

Xu Zaijing stopped his horse and looked at Rong Xian, saying, "Brother Xian, come to my house for a cup of tea!"

Rong Xian shook his head and said, "I just wanted to play with you on a whim. I won't go. I have something else to do in the evening."

Xu Zaijing smiled and bowed, saying, "Then, when my college exam is over, I will treat Brother Xian to a drink."

Rong Xian smiled and waved his whip: "You said that, I'll keep it in mind! Zhang Ge'er is gone!"

Zai Zhang: “Walk slowly!”

Watching Rongxian walking away, Xu Zaijing and his brother rode their horses and turned onto Quyuan Street.

roadside,

Seeing Zai Zhang and Xu Zai Jing riding over,

Shu Bo and Chu Zhan forced a smile and bowed to the two brothers.

After the two brothers nodded in return, Zai Zhang said, "It seems that everyone knows about father!"

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Yong Yi Hou Mansion,

Second door,

Xu Zaijing got off the horse, patted the little black colt's neck, and then took Qingcao and his brother into the inner courtyard.

When I arrived at my mother's yard, I saw a respectable steward standing at the door.

"Youqing! Is it my brother-in-law?"

Youqing, Gu Tingyu's personal attendant, bowed and said, "Greetings, Sanlang and Wulang! The young master is here to accompany the lady."

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing and his brother quickened their pace and entered the house.

"Sister, brother-in-law!"

After calling someone, they sat on the chairs.

Xu Zaijing asked, "Sister, why didn't you bring my nephew and niece?"

"Your nephew and niece are at home with their grandmother!" Pingmei said.

Gu Tingyu didn't say anything. He looked at the expressions of Xu Zaijing and Zai Zhang, then turned his head to look at Sun and Pingmei, and said, "Mother-in-law, my wife, it seems that my two brothers have been enlightened."

Sun listened to her eldest son-in-law's words and looked at her two sons questioningly.

Zai Zhang nodded and explained a few words with a smile.

Gu Tingyu on the side said: "Your Majesty ultimately wants to recover his homeland, and you won't care about some twists and turns!"

"Even though we, the sons of noble families, have been granted titles, it is still better to have achievements and honors! What my great-aunt said is absolutely right."

Zai Zhang nodded.

Xu Zaijing frowned and looked at everyone in the hall and said, "Brother-in-law! I was watching at the gate just now. My family's soldiers and old friends all know about this. So..."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing stood up and looked at his mother and said, "Should we send someone to Fourth Sister? Let her know too!"

Pingmei and Sun looked at each other and said, "You are the only one who loves your sister. Mother and I are not related to Anmei."

Xu Zaijing scratched his head embarrassedly and sat down again.

Gu Tingyu, who was sitting next to him, waited for Xu Zaijing to sit down and said in a deep voice:

"Actually, I find it strange too! Whether it was the opening of the Hehuang frontier or the war between Tuoxi Hou and Baigao Kingdom, the news of the victory or defeat on the battlefield has never spread as fast as my father-in-law's!"

"Maybe some people in Beijing have some ideas!"

Sun said: "When the Huyan family was in trouble before, someone wanted your father-in-law to return to Beijing. The situation now is similar!" "Mother-in-law is right!"

Afterwards, Xu Zaijing and his brother asked some more questions about studying, and then Gu Tingyu got up and prepared to leave the Xu family with Pingmei.

Zai Zhang stood up and looked at his mother with some doubt, and said: "Brother-in-law, you won't stay..."

Xu Zaijing tugged at Zaizhang's sleeve, and Zaizhang didn't finish the rest of his sentence. Xu Zaijing leaned close to Zaizhang's ear and said, "Brother, the Zhongyuan Festival is approaching, and my brother-in-law and sister shouldn't go back too late!"

Zai Zhang sighed in annoyance.

After leaving the hall, Gu Tingyu bowed and said, "Mother-in-law, please stay. Let Zai Zhang and Zai Jing take me away."

Pingmei was also there to persuade Xie and Hualan.

Sun nodded and walked the person to the gate of the courtyard.

On the way to the second gate,

The four of them walked side by side.

Gu Tingyu turned his head to look at his two brothers-in-law and said, "We will go to the Taoist temple tomorrow. When the Lu family's brother arrives, we will go directly to the Gu family in Xingguofang. We will go together."

Pingmei, who was standing outside Gu Tingyu, said, "Before you guys finished school, the Lu family sent someone to meet you tomorrow."

This is also telling people who see it that the Duke Lian's Mansion does not care about the affairs of Marquis Yongyi.

At the gate of Xu's house,
Looking at the Gu family's carriage going away, Xu Zaijing and his brother smiled and waved, then nodded to Chu Zhan who was looking at them, and turned back to the mansion.

Chu Zhan walked back under the tarpaulin and said, "Grandpa Shu, I see that the two young masters are fine!"

Shu Bo said, "Don't let any customers in. We're closing the stall today!"

"So early?"

"Ok!"

July 15
Zhongyuan Festival,
In the Xu Family Ancestral Hall,
In front of the forest of spirit tablets,
Placed on the altar are three bowls of vegetarian food, symbolizing a good harvest in the family and asking the ancestors not to worry about the descendants not having enough to eat.

Just like last year, Xu Zaijing knelt behind Zai Zhang and listened to Zai Zhang's low whispers.

The difference is that this year there is a little figure beside Xu Zaijing, who is also kneeling on the ground like Xu Zaijing. Who else could it be but Lu Zezong?

After Zai Zhang finished speaking, he kowtowed to the many spirit tablets, and Xu Zaijing and Lu Zezong quickly followed suit.

Then, the three of them stood up and walked out of the ancestral hall together.

After leaving the gate of Hou Mansion,

Together with Shu Bochuzhan and others, he got on a flatbed carriage and headed towards the Taoist temple he had visited last year.

On the way, he went to Xingguofang and met up with the two brothers from the Gu family.

Entered the Taoist temple,

Everyone got off the carriage.

Seeing the huge wooden frame set up in the yard, although holding Xu Zaijing's hand, Lu Zezong still leaned towards Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing gently shook Lu Zezong's hand, and when he looked over, he gave him an encouraging smile.

Just like last year, the wooden frame contained a huge mountain of money prepared by the Ministry of Rites.

The difference is that there are many more Taoist priests from the Taoist temple around the wooden frame. When they see children approaching, they immediately wave their whisks to block the children outside.

What happened last year makes my scalp tingle just thinking about it.

People from the surrounding families were busy placing all kinds of paper offerings on the huge wooden rack.

The offerings from the Xu family were similar to those from last year, except that there were a lot more paper swords, spears, and halberds.

Shu Bo looked around from time to time beside the carriage, and chatted with old friends from the Marquis' Mansion when he met them.

Sometimes when talking about old friends whom he had met at this time last year but have passed away this year, Shu Bo would sigh heavily.

When they had almost put half of the items in place, Zai Zhang said, "Xiao Wu, don't just stay here. You and Zong Ge'er should go take a look at the Lu family too!"

"I know, brother!"

After saying that, Xu Zaijing led Lu Zezong to the place where the Lu family placed the offerings.

Seeing Xu Zaijing and Lu Zezong coming over, the steward of the Lu family hurriedly asked the two to place a few things symbolically and then asked them to stand aside.

The Lu family is closer to where the Yinggong Zhang family places offerings, and not far away is the Zhongjinghou Zheng family.

However, this year, when the two families visited the place where offerings were made, none of Xu Zaijing's familiar Zhang Sanlang, Silang or Zheng Xiao were there. Only the managers and old friends of the two families were busy.

Lu Zezong beside Xu Zaijing noticed something. He looked up at Xu Zaijing and asked, "Brother, what are you looking at?"

Xu Zaijing lowered his head and smiled: "Nothing!"

Lu Zezong continued, "Brother, why didn't we see so many people wearing white cloth strips on their heads last year?"

Xu Zaijing looked around, looking at the person with the white cloth in his brother's mouth, and whispered: "Zong'er, that is the Bianjing boy who died in the northwest this year. This is the first year that relatives have to wear white cloth."

Lu Zezong: "Oh! No wonder there are so many on Tuoxihou's side!"

Xu Zaijing sighed, wondering how many families in the Cao family of Tuoxi Hou had died in the battle because of protecting their brother-in-law.

Afterwards, Xu Zaijing continued to look around.

He happened to make eye contact with a young man wearing a white cloth who looked familiar. Xu Zaijing had excellent eyesight and could tell that this man must have been crying just now.

Perhaps he had finished his own things, because when the young man saw Xu Zaijing, he walked over.

Xu Zaijing also recognized this man. It was Wang Hou, Wang Chudao, whom he had met before in Panlou. His father, Wang Shao, was in charge of the expansion of the Hehuang frontier. He was now in Hehuang with the generals of the Great Zhou to attack the Baigao Kingdom from the south.

Xu Zaijing whispered a few words to Lu Zezong, and Lu Zezong loosened his grip on Xu Zaijing's hand.

Xu Zaijing bowed and said, "Brother Chudao!"

Lu Zezong: “Brother Wang Hou!”

"Brother Jing! Brother Zong!"

Wang Hou bowed in return and stood beside the two men without saying a word, continuing to watch the huge wooden shelf gradually being filled with all kinds of things.

"Brother Wang Hou, did you also have relatives who died in the war?"

Hearing Lu Zezong's voice, Wang Hou shook his head to Xu Zaijing who was about to say something, indicating that it was all right, and then nodded to Lu Zezong and said, "Yes, a cousin who grew up with me, during the siege. Alas!"

Wang Hou sighed, looked at Xu Zaijing and said, "I heard about the matter of Marquis Yongyi. After chatting with Chaojie, Herui and others, I felt that Marquis Yongyi was trying to lure the snake out of its hole. Brother Jing, don't think too much. Concentrate on the college entrance examination!"

Xu Zaijing bowed and said, "Yes, thank you for your enlightenment, Brother Chudao."

Wang Hou patted Xu Zaijing's arm: "It's okay!"

The few of them were speechless and continued to watch the people around them put things away.

After more than three quarters of an hour, there were fewer people placing offerings around the shelf.

suddenly,

Xu Zaijing's eyes focused on a person who put his things down and walked away from the offerings full of paper money, paper horses, etc.

Noticing Xu Zaijing's gaze, the man took a look, then walked over and bowed:
"I've met Goro."

"Brother Gao, what are you doing?"

That person was none other than Gao Yunqing, the clerk of the Imperial City who followed Zhao Meifeng.

Gao Yunqing sighed and raised his chin towards a family of two children wearing white cloth standing in the crowd.

Xu Zaijing looked over and saw a mother with two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was holding a
Perhaps infected by the sad atmosphere, Xu Zaijing took a deep breath, adjusted his mood and said, "Are they the family members of the two Imperial City clerks who failed to do their job when the Baigao country's masters came to my house?"

Gao Yunqing: “Yes.”

Xu Zaijing looked at the long sword in the boy's hand, which was quite characteristic of Bai Gaoguo, and asked, "How did he die?"

"When I followed Xu Hou to attack the military camp at Dengkou, I was the first to reach the top and fought until I was exhausted."

"How many have been killed?"

"The military newspaper said he killed twelve of them himself."

Seeing Xu Zaijing not saying anything, Gao Yunqing said, "Brother Jing, don't take it to heart! According to the rules of the department, they should be beheaded on the day they commit dereliction of duty."

"Now that they have the merit of being the first to land and these twelve bandit leaders, their family will not be living in poverty."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

After Gao Yunqing finished speaking, he bowed and said, "Wu Lang, I'm going over."

"Ah."

Another quarter of an hour passed,

A drum sounded,
The Taoist priests from the Taoist temple began to check the shelves.

After the Taoist priests came out,

A huge mountain of money was ignited.

The raging flames spewed out, igniting the offerings around Qianshan. The huge flames were reflected in Xu Zaijing's eyes.

A quarter of an hour later,
Lu Zezong tugged at Xu Zaijing's clothes and said, "Brother, let's go!"

"go!"

Time flies
It's August now.

Xu Zaijing walked out of the carriage.
Looking at the plaque of "Examination Institute" on the gate not far away, he breathed a sigh of relief nervously.

(End of this chapter)