The grass is green in March, and the spring breeze cuts through the cold winter. The fine rain shrouded the entire capital under the foggy sky.
Thanks to the rain, the taverns in the city were extremely busy. The traffickers and lackeys gathered in the lobby. They crowded into a small table in a group of five or six, and ordered a pot of simmering knives (t/n: name of a wine), had two plates of side dishes, three cups of yellow soup, and then began to talk uncontrollably over wine.
"Have you heard that the situation in capital is about to change drastically?!" A red-faced man with a square face and a thick neck said mysteriously.
The others gave face, so they leaned over and saw that several faces were quite close to each other - everyone smells like alcohol anyway, so no one was afraid of intoxicating anyone, "What did you say?"
The square-faced man couldn't hold the peanuts with chopsticks for a long time, so he just grabbed them with his hands and threw them into his mouth. He chewed them randomly, and said incoherently: "My cousin is on duty in the palace, and he said it was the one above who wanted to rectify it. Of the existing sons, leave his seat to the youngest!"
"The youngest one? The one who hasn't come out yet?"
"Exactly!"
The crowd dispersed with a loud "bang" and laughed loudly: "That's nonsense, it's still in the stomach, and you don't even know whether it is a boy or a girl!"
The square-faced man snorted from his nose, "Do you think the Emperor... the one above is as incompetent as you? He has asked Master Jue to calculate it, and the one in the belly is one with a pee-pee."
Everyone's interest was aroused again, and they whispered: "No joking, is it really one with a pee-pee?"
"Still young enough to have a son. Excellent waist! Excellent waist, ah!"
"I'm afraid it's the use of some tiger-wolf medicine, hahaha, I wish I could get some!"
Someone said sourly: "If you have many wives, you will also have many sons! How can she be like that woman in my family who has such a bad belly that she even gave birth to three girls and refuses to give me a smaller one!"
Immediately, someone yelled at him and cursed: "Damn you, you can't even take out three coins in your pocket, and you still want to beg for a small one? Your wife is willing to live with you but she is pitiful! If you don't like it, give me your wife and children, and I will take care of them for you!"
The man shrank his neck, knowing not to attract attention, and kept silent.
Someone else poured a bowl of wine for the square-faced man and continued to ask enthusiastically: "What else did your cousin say?"
The big man with a square face raised his head, drank the wine sluggishly, and wiped his mouth roughly with his sleeve. He thought he lowered his voice, but in fact, his voice was like deafening thunder, "That eldest one was caught staying overnight with an official as a guest few days ago. I heard he ordered three at once, three!"
Everyone was disgusted and envious, "The young man follows after the old man. Good waist, good waist!" They also urged, "There's more, keep talking!"
"The second child, the second child does like women but one of his staff was found guilty of bribing officials. He embezzled hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. He didn't dare to spend it when he got it, so he buried it in his own land... ...When the people from the Ministry of Justice seized it, they only saw a pit full of money, oh! That is called a spectacular sight!"
"Damn it, indeed it's such a black patent leather lantern, so corrupt and dark!" (t/n: black patent leather lantern - describes the corruption and darkness of society)
Everyone smacked their lips and dreamed in unison: It would be great if you could give me a fraction. It doesn't need to be much, a hundred taels of silver is enough!
"There is also the sixth child. It is hearsay that his own mother was the most beautiful woman in the south of the Yangtze River back then. She was very good at seducing men and was very popular for her age. However, news recently broke that she was plotting to murder the heirs of the harem. Now she has been imprisoned and may never be able to stand out again!"
Everyone listened with great interest and marveled at the secrets of the royal family, which was indeed exciting!
"The most poisonous thing is a woman's heart! She even dares to murder the heirs of the royal family. What's the point of being imprisoned? Beheading is not an exaggeration!" Suddenly he remembered missing one person, "What about the fourth child?"
"The fourth child belongs to Imperial Concubine Zhang. Imperial Concubine Zhang is very prosperous now. She is both the Imperial Concubine and the Prime Minister's..." The square-faced man burped from the wine and said in a daze: "I see that he has some real ability."
"Back then, there was a flood in the Bianhe River and the plague spread. Thanks to his good management, otherwise I don't know how many people would have died." Everyone praised him, "If you ask me, compared to that unborn baby, this one is more reliable!"
"So what if he's reliable? The little one will come out of the Imperial Empress's belly!"
"I don't want to hear what you are saying! So what if you are born noble? Do you have an extra eye or an extra leg compared to us ordinary people? According to me, the one who is capable will rise to the top, regardless of whether he is of high or low origin!"
Immediately, some people nodded as if pounding garlic, racking their brains to come up with a cultural phrase, "Yes, yes, yes! Isn't there a saying, princes, generals, and ministers would rather have their own kind!" (t/n: in other words, "are those who call themselves princes and worship generals nobler than us?" – these words are used to stimulate people's anger and are very rebellious words)
"Okay, Wang Mazi, you can still speak words!"
Everyone burst into laughter. After laughing, they felt very depressed. They poured wine into their mouths: If I was born as a prince or a noble, would there still be these bastards! Damn, it's just relying on a good background... Bah...
The atmosphere was full of alcohol. Amid the noise and laughter, there was a man in the corner with his back to everyone, drinking in silence, seemingly indifferent to everything.
After a long time, he stood up and walked out of the tavern. He lowered his hat, and stepped into the rain expressionlessly.
*
In Dengyun Pavilion, Cui Muli and Zhou Niannan sat across from each other.
There was a chess game and a pot of Lansheng wine on the rosewood table. While the two were drinking, they would play chess moves from time to time, chatting away.
Zhou Niannan put down the white chess piece in his hand and took a sip of wine. The wine was mellow and had a long aftertaste, but it was a pity...
"Good wine should go with good things, but it's a pity that Li Hongye is so cunning and cautious that it's hard to find any clues." Zhou Niannan curled his lips in disappointment and asked, "I heard that he made things difficult for you at Zhang Xianzong's promotion banquet?"
Li Hongye is the taboo name of the Fourth Prince of the dynasty.
"Yes." Cui Muli said in an understatement: "His Highness is young and vigorous. He may have to suffer some setbacks before he can mature."
Zhou Niannan looked gloating when he heard this. These words meant that someone was going to be in bad luck. He rubbed his chin and said jokingly: "After the Bianhe River flood disaster, his reputation among the people increased greatly, and he was praised by the Emperor. I guess he was extremely proud, so proud that he got carried away."
Cui Muli picked up a black chess piece, his eyes hovering over the chess game, "With Zhang Xianzong making plans behind his back, he thinks he has nothing to worry about."
"Zhang Xianzong..." Zhou Niannan said: "A thousand-year-old fox, I used to underestimate him."
Cui Muli took a moment, and wrapped his slender fingers around the wine cup. He brought it to his lips to drink. "Although he has no military power, he is a good hand at winning people's hearts and playing political tricks. He and Imperial Concubine Zhang worked in tandem, cooperating inside and outside and spent a lot of effort to attain political achievements for Li Hongye. If there is no disgrace, I'm afraid the Emperor will not touch him easily."
When it was Zhou Niannan's turn, he raised his eyebrows cynically and tossed it to a random position, "The Emperor is still in his prime, why be anxious?"
"Man is prone to misfortune and good fortune, and the sky is unpredictable, but the country cannot be left without a master for a day. Although the Emperor has a deep love for the Empress, he cannot be desperate." Cui Muli added the last move accurately and chuckled: "You lose."
Zhou Niannan took a closer look and saw that the black pieces were silently encircling the white pieces with no room for turning. He snorted, and leaned back in his chair. He raised his head, and said meaninglessly: "Playing chess with you is really boring... Hey, Cui Er, when will you compete with me in Liubo? I will definitely win and you will lose your pants!"
Cui Muli took care of the chess pieces and ignored his provocation, "If you want to play Liubo, someone else will accompany you."
Speaking of this, Zhou Niannan was speechless and said: "Qin Tianyu's wife gave birth to a fat son for him. He takes care of the child at home every day and never leaves the house. If I didn't know, I thought he was in confinement."
"Baili Sheng?"
"That guy is even more outrageous. He said that he had fallen in love with a merchant girl and kept pestering her every day to be his concubine. Even when I made an appointment with him, he refused."
"Oh?" Cui Muli pushed the chessboard aside, "They are like this, don't you have any ideas?"
"Of course." Zhou Niannan slammed the table and yelled angrily: "A bunch of guys who forget their friends when they see beauty, forget their brothers when they have a woman!"
Cui Muli:......
He put two fingers together, and pressed his forehead. He looked at him pointedly, "Niannan, you are the same age as them, you are nineteen this year." Don't you have any idea about the opposite sex?
Zhou Niannan sensed something and looked him up and down, "Aren't you nineteen? Or have you lost your virginity by carrying me on your back?"
Cui Muli:......
"The eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother's poverty. Please worry about yourself first." Zhou Niannan was sitting lazily, but suddenly straightened up. He winked at him, and said with a narrow smile: "Cui Er, could it be that you have taken a fancy to some girl? Are you getting married?"
A silent silhouette flashed across Cui Muli's mind at an inappropriate time. His thoughts froze, and he half-closed his long eyes again, "How can you start a family if you haven't established a career?"
Zhou Niannan paid attention to his expression and said, whether deliberately or unintentionally: "I think Su Panyan is very good. She is already engaged. I heard that she and her fiancé have been childhood sweethearts and have a very good relationship -"
Cui Muli refused to comment and threw out five words, "Do you like Xie Miao?"
The conversation stopped suddenly, and Zhou Niannan seemed to be strangled by the neck. His face quickly turned red and he denied it: "Who would like that guy!"
Cui Muli pointed out calmly: "You gave her a lamp."
"That's because... because I saw how pitiful she was!" He poured the wine angrily, taking three gulps in a row like a cow. He ignored his heartbeat like a drum and sneered: "Did she talk nonsense in front of you? I'm telling you, don't believe even a word of it! She is, she is—"
He wanted to hurt her with a few words as usual, but he remembered her peaceful and playful look in the snow, and his heart softened for some reason. He swallowed the rest of the words back into his stomach. He weakened his voice and muttered in a low voice: "Who would like her if she is so barbaric?"
Barbaric?
Cui Muli also remembered the kick he received when he was drunk, and silently curled his lips, "Yes, I understand, you don't like her."
"Yes!" Zhou Niannan emphasized again and again, "You must never involve her with me again."
The two of them had their own thoughts and drank a few cups of wine. Cui Muli's fingers began to tap the table rhythmically.
"Two years ago, Li Hongye invited himself to go to the Bianhe River Basin to control the flood epidemic. At that time, there were more than 300 people traveling, including a traveling official named Qiu Zhao."
It seems like there is drama.
Zhou Niannan's eyes flashed, "Give me a few days and I will catch him."
Cui Muli shook his head slowly, "Three months ago, all of Qiu Zhao's family died in a fire, and only the second son was missing. I received news that the Zhang family sent fifty elite soldiers to secretly search for traces of this son for as long as he survives."
Zhou Niannan thought for a while, his expression gradually became serious, "He must have Li Hongye's hidden secret."
Cui Muli dipped his index finger in water and drew a winding path on the table, "The spies reported that Qiu Zhao's son went from east to west to Yandu."
Zhou Niannan said in a deep voice: "That's the fiefdom of King Rui."
King Rui is the younger brother of the current Emperor, who is stationed in the fief all year round. Although he and the Emperor are not born from the same mother, they have had a close brotherhood since childhood. However, no matter how gentle a person is, if a knife is handed to his hand, it is inevitable that he will make a move.
The movement of knocking on the table stopped, Cui Muli raised his eyes and said softly: "Send someone to intercept."