son, don't mess around

The capital city seems a little bleak after the autumn.

Perhaps it was the constant news of war in the north that caused unrest among the people. The once bustling streets of the capital were now a little deserted.

The streets and shops that used to be bustling with businessmen were now deserted. People gathered in groups of three or four, talking in low voices.

From time to time, people in a hurry walked by quickly, adding a sense of urgency to this cold environment.

However, a manor not far from this deserted street was extremely bustling.

There were numerous guards guarding the manor. A party was being held inside the manor. In the garden, which was like spring all year round, there were men and women in gorgeous clothes, toasting each other and talking heatedly. It was a bustling and lively scene.

The owner of the manor is a very prestigious young man from an aristocratic family in the capital. Since the rebellion of the third prince more than half a year ago, the situation in the capital has undergone earth-shaking changes.

In the past, many old families in the capital were implicated, and many forces suffered heavy blows. But at the same time, the forces that firmly followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince naturally rose and began to emerge.

The master behind this manor is the staunch supporter of the current emperor.

Today's gathering invited young talents from all over the capital, including the sons of officials in the court, or children of aristocratic families. Of course, there were also many talented men and beautiful women.

Amid the current turbulent situation in the north, various forces in Beijing have gathered together to keep each other warm.

At this moment, in the backyard, many young men in gorgeous clothes and many Confucian scholars gathered together and talked a lot.

"Everyone, Xu Hong is ambitious and unworthy of the kindness that Taizu showed to his Xu family. He actually raised an army to rebel. This is a great act of treason!"

"But now the bandits of Xu are coming aggressively. It is rumored that they have occupied the entire territory of Xuzhou. Now the army is heading south, eyeing our Daning court covetously. Once the bandits of Xu go south, the capital will be lost, and all of you present will be doomed. What should we do?"

"This is truly a critical moment for our survival. Everyone here should stand up and respond together!"

Inside the garden, a scholar raised his arms and shouted in indignation, which attracted the applause of others.

As scholars in the imperial court, they still had some integrity and were extremely sensitive to treason. Moreover, most of them were frustrated and could not get into the eyes of the imperial court, so they were wooed by the aristocratic families.

The world is in chaos now, and it is a great opportunity for them to come to the fore. Naturally, they want to seize the opportunity and stand out.

Apart from this, the rest of the people also had their own thoughts.

"Has Xuzhou really fallen? How long has it been?"

"I heard that it had been occupied a long time ago. Xuzhou has always been the fief of Prince Xu's Mansion. Since the Xu family started the rebellion, Xuzhou has hardly put up any resistance."

"What should we do? Xuzhou is not far from the capital. If they really attack us, what should we do?"

"Don't worry, they won't be able to attack us in a short time. Even if they do, it has nothing to do with us. That's something the court should worry about."

"But what if the Xu family attacks us?"

"Oh, the Xu family doesn't have the guts to do that. If they really dare to touch us, they will be going against the whole world. Besides... the Xu family is rebelling against the Li family's kingdom, what does it have to do with us?"

"That's right, who cares who becomes the emperor?"

"..."

There are many young people in the crowd who have such thoughts and ideas.

Those gathered here today are all descendants of aristocratic families and officials. To them, national affairs are too far away and are just topics of conversation after dinner.

No matter how chaotic the situation in the capital is now, they remain unmoved.

This is the confidence that the family power behind them gives them!

Since ancient times, the world has been in turmoil, and most of the time, it is always the lower-class people who are in turmoil. For the aristocratic families, no matter how the world changes, it is still the same world.

The worst result would be a change of master in the imperial city!

To whom is loyalty not loyalty?

Of course, where there are these fearless people, there are also those who are worried and uneasy.

"But, I heard that the Xu family is coming with great force and their methods are quite cruel. If the imperial court is unable to stop them and Xu Hong comes to kill them, will they settle accounts with us then?"

"He Xu Hong doesn't have the guts!"

"What if?"

Someone expressed concerns and doubts: "Some time ago, many of my friends heard about the news and have already found a way out in the south. If something unexpected happens, they plan to go to the south to avoid the limelight. Do you think we should also think about a way out?"

"Oh, are you so scared? Or do you have no confidence in our court?"

"We have no grudges against the Xu family. Even if the Xu family really attacks us, they won't embarrass us. Just be patient."

"Besides, the Xu family may not have this ability. Don't underestimate our court. Even if the Xu family is aggressive, the court is not a pushover. I have confidence in the court."

This statement has won the approval of many people.

Almost all of the young and powerful children present here have never been exposed to war. In fact, most of them have lived in a greenhouse since childhood, so no matter how much they discuss it, it is just talk on paper.

The so-called treason and the court's suppression of the rebellion were too far away for them.

Until someone suddenly brought up something.

"By the way, isn't there also the Linwang Mansion in the south?"

As everyone was discussing, someone suddenly brought up the matter. The topic was brought up, causing silence for a moment. Then, everyone's eyes fell on an elegant woman in the pavilion next to them.

This woman's name is Hu Yao, the daughter of the Hu family in the capital. The Hu family is quite powerful in the capital. Although it is not a top family, it cannot be underestimated in the capital's gangs.

In addition, this woman named Hu Yao often appeared in the capital city. She had a good temperament and beautiful appearance, which attracted the favor of many dignitaries in the capital city.

At this time, the question she suddenly raised aroused the interest of many people.

"Yes, Miss Hu is right. We almost forgot about the Lin family? The Lin family is a big threat, right?"

"The Lin Palace has a large number of troops. If the Lin Palace has any intention of rebelling at this time, it will be very bad!"

"If I remember correctly, the Prince of Lin was still in the capital half a year ago, right? Has he returned to Linzhou now?"

"If you ask me, Your Majesty should not have let this boy go back. He has acted recklessly in the capital and offended so many people. Letting him go back is like letting a tiger go back to the mountain. The right thing to do is to keep him in the capital to control him and check and balance the Lin Palace."

"A mere prince of Lin Wang is not a tiger released back into the mountains. It was only because I was not in the capital that he was allowed to act so recklessly. If I were here, I would definitely teach him a lesson." The speaker was a dandy young man who had just returned to the capital not long ago.

Naturally, few people took his words seriously.

Did I install it for you?

Why didn't you come out when Prince Lin was showing off his power in the capital?
"Can you guys tell me what to do now?"

"What can we do? If the Lin Palace dares to rebel, just suppress it!"

“The question is, who will suppress it?”

Someone sneered and said, "The Lin Palace also has an army of 300,000 strong and powerful soldiers and horses. The imperial court is now unable to take care of itself, so who can take care of it?" These words really made many people silent.

At this time, the woman named Hu Yao looked around and spoke carefully: "Now that Prince Xu's Mansion is plotting a rebellion, the court has mobilized troops from all over the country to suppress the rebellion. As a minister of the court, Prince Lin's Mansion should have the responsibility to suppress the rebellion, right?"

"Why can't the court order the Lin Palace to send troops north to suppress the rebellion on the pretext of suppressing the rebellion? In this way, wouldn't it be possible for the Xu Palace and the Lin Palace to fight each other?"

"However, after both sides have fought and suffered heavy losses, the imperial court will sit back and reap the benefits?"

Her words made many people's eyes light up.

"Yes, why didn't I think of that? Miss Hu is really smart. She can actually think of such a solution."

"Let the Lin family and the Xu family fight each other, let them fight each other and both suffer losses... This is really a rare good strategy, Miss Hu, a brilliant plan!"

"Miss Hu is truly a woman of both talent and beauty. She can be called the most talented woman in our capital!"

"..."

A series of praises and exclamations came from the crowd.

Hu Yao, who was surrounded by them, blushed slightly, and seemed a little embarrassed. She waved her hands repeatedly: "Stop joking and talking nonsense. How can I be considered the most talented woman? I don't deserve this title."

A young man from an aristocratic family nearby said, "Hey, Miss Hu, why are you so modest? In my opinion, Miss Hu absolutely deserves the title. Apart from Miss Hu, who else can be worthy of the title? Don't you agree?"

When he said this, he attracted a bunch of bootlickers around him to follow his lead.

Hu Yao's face flushed slightly, and she continued to deny it, but the joy that inadvertently flashed in the corner of her eyes still exposed her thoughts.

"Ah!"

Just as the crowd was talking, an unintentional but inappropriate voice full of sneer sounded.

"Is this clever? This is downright stupid!"

The sound was not loud, but it rang out in the brief moment of silence among the crowd and was heard by everyone.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned back and fell on a young figure standing by the lake not far away.

He was a young man in his twenties, leaning against the lakeside, listening to the discussions of people around him, with a look of disdain on his face.

Soon, someone recognized the young man's origin and identity.

Xu Zhongshan!
The second son of the Xu family in Beijing!
To be precise, it is the Xu family of Linzhou.

The Xu family originated from Linzhou. The old man of the Xu family was the Minister of Rites, which allowed the Xu family to have a place in Beijing.

As the third prince rebelled, the Xu family was implicated and their property was confiscated. Later, for unknown reasons, the Xu family was suddenly pardoned and escaped.

The old man of the Xu family retreated behind the scenes and rarely appeared in public.

This matter also caused quite a bit of discussion, with many people speculating that the Xu family might have some connection with the emperor of the time.

In addition, the Xu family kept a low profile and had never offended anyone. Therefore, even though the Xu family had lost power in Beijing, no one bothered to provoke them.

But I didn't expect that Xu Zhongshan would suddenly be so rude today.

"Xu Zhongshan, what do you mean?!"

After a brief silence, the son of an official in the crowd was the first to stand up and said, "Why did you insult Miss Hu for no reason? If you can't give a reason, don't blame me for being rude to you!"

The person who spoke was named Liang Chengjie, the son of the current Vice Minister of Personnel, and was considered the son of a newly-promoted dignitary in the capital.

A year ago, Gao Boyan was the Vice Minister of Personnel in this court. Unfortunately, after the third prince rebelled, the Gao family was ransacked and all the members were executed. The position of Vice Minister of Personnel became vacant, and Liang Chengjie's father was promoted to the position.

As a result, the Liang family's status rose rapidly.

Liang Chengjie was naturally one of those who admired Hu Yao. Seeing the goddess being humiliated, he was the first to jump out and seek justice for the goddess.

"abuse?"

When everyone's eyes were fixed on him, Xu Zhongshan frowned slightly. He saw that these people were speaking rudely, not only did they say such stupid words, but they also belittled and mocked His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Lin. Naturally, he felt a little uncomfortable with this, and he didn't expect to become the target of public criticism.

Even so, he had no intention of being in the limelight.

He glanced at the Miss Hu Yao in the pavilion and saw that her smile was slightly stiff and there was a hint of displeasure in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to insult Miss Hu, you guys misunderstood!"

Xu Zhongshan shook his head and had no intention of getting entangled with them.

But Liang Chengjie didn't intend to let him go like this. He finally caught a chance to show off for the goddess. He didn't want to let it go.

"No? Then what did you mean just now? Who did you call stupid? Who did you sneer and mock?"

"What? Do you think everyone here is stupid and can't hear it?"

Liang Chengjie said confidently: "You are clearly insulting Miss Hu!"

Seeing that Liang Chengjie wanted to make a big deal out of it, Xu Zhongshan looked at Hu Yao and cupped his hands: "I have no intention of insulting Miss Hu. If I have offended you, please forgive me."

After saying this, Xu Zhongshan prepared to leave.

But Hu Yao in the pavilion suddenly spoke up at this time: "If there was no insult, why did Master Xu sneer just now? Who did Master Xu refer to when he said "extremely stupid"?"

"Or does Mr. Xu have something against me? If so, I would like to apologize to Mr. Xu first."

What a fresh and refined little white lotus.

If Lin Jiangnian were here, he would be able to see the true nature of this woman at a glance. As expected, her words aroused the indignation of a large group of licking dogs nearby.

"Miss Hu, this person was the one who insulted you first. How can you still apologize to him?"

"This Xu Zhongshan really doesn't know what's good for him!"

"What is the Xu family in the capital? Even his grandfather has to keep his tail between his legs, how dare he go out?"

"If I remember correctly, the Xu family has a close relationship with the Lin Wang Mansion, right? I guess they want to stand up for the Lin Wang Mansion?"

"Also, I heard that he has a younger sister who grew up with the Prince of Lin. The Xu family is in such a good position now, maybe they secretly sold their daughters."

"..."

Xu Zhongshan, who originally had a gentle expression and was prepared not to bother with these people, suddenly stopped after hearing these words.

Then, he turned around abruptly and stared at Liang Chengjie in the crowd with cold eyes: "What did you say?!"

"..." (End of this chapter)