Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 165 Be Prepared
After a chase, the group of young men squatted on the ground, panting slightly.

"Brother Que, what kind of drug did you give that little princess? How did she fall for you?" Linghu Baodi quietly crept up to Wang Xi's side, her eyes darting around, and asked in a low voice.

"Don't ask."

Li Jie said, "This kid is very stingy about this matter; he won't say anything."

Wang Xi chuckled and said, "I don't disagree with Xiaoman's statement."

"I know."

Li Tong suddenly said.

"What is it?"

Everyone looked at him.

Li Tong said, “It’s very simple, it’s that opera. My mother also went to that charity banquet, and when she came back she said that Brother Que performed well and was handsome. My little sister even wants me to bring her to meet Brother Que.”

Wang Xi asked anxiously, "What does your little sister look like? My house has a big yard."

Huangfu Sengnian said, "It seems we haven't had enough fighting yet."

"Enough is enough!"

Wang Xi quickly said, "I was just asking casually, brothers, just pretend I farted."

"You know what."

Li Jieman suddenly stood up. “That’s exactly right. That little princess had never interacted with Que Ge’er before. She just watched one of his plays. There’s no other reason. No way, I want to play Liang Shanbo too.”

"We want to perform too."

Xue Jun and the others said in unison.

Just then, a servant came to report that the managers of various restaurants were requesting an audience.

Huangfu Sengnian said, "It seems they've come to urge us to finish the performance."

Wang Xi stood up and laughed, "Act, act, act! You're not allowed to escape a single one. Let's see which princess you can hook up with this time."

Just as Huangfu Sengnian had predicted, the managers of the various restaurants came to urge the performance to begin.

It's not that everyone is so eager to listen to Dream of the Red Chamber.

It was because of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.

The story of this play has long been known, and those who have seen it praise it with tears in their eyes. Some ladies, in particular, cannot let go of it for a long time, and cannot help but shed tears whenever the story is mentioned.

But only a few people can attend such banquets; most have never seen one.

Everyone was itching to get started.

So these high-ranking officials and nobles began to pressure the restaurant owners, urging them to hurry up and see why the Nameless Academy hadn't come to perform for charity, even though the New Year was already over, or that the common people didn't need help anymore.

They all specifically requested to see Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.

Having no other choice, these merchants came here and begged Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai on their knees, saying they were willing to negotiate any price.

Wang Xi didn't make things difficult for them and readily agreed, with the price to be discussed separately.

If we don't put on an act, how can we deal with these spoiled brats?

We need to find them things to do; that's the teaching method at the Nameless Academy.

Of course, these playboys also really wanted to act.

They have realized that male actors easily win the hearts of women.

The merchants came here with great trepidation, since the contract did not specify this point. If the Nameless Academy did not agree, they would be powerless to do anything about it.

So when Wang Xi agreed, these people were so eager to call him "Dad" that they practically cried.

After seeing these people off, Wang Xi, Li Jieman, Huangfu Sengnian, and Wang Shuang went to squat on the mound of earth again.

Wang Xi rested his chin on his hand, then suddenly frowned. "Damn! There seems to be so much going on this year. There's opera, wine, and even rouge and eyebrow pencils... Ah--ah--!"

As he spoke, he suddenly felt overwhelmed.

Li Jie, fearing this fellow hadn't suffered enough, quickly added, "Isn't there also the matter of Taoism?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xi slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "My God!"

Huangfu Sengnian suddenly asked, "By the way! What are your plans for the affairs of the Daoist school?"

Wang Xi pondered for a moment and said, "I have really thought about this carefully these past two days. We still want to tell Taoist stories through opera, but this time the audience will be children."

"child?"

Li Jieman scratched his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Wang Xi said, "It's a type of opera specifically performed for children."

Huangfu Sengnian asked in confusion, "Taoists and children?"

This is truly a strange combination.

Wang Xi nodded and said, "I've told you before, where does rain come from? And why does water flow downwards? I'm trying to explain Taoism through the laws of change in all things. But these aren't the Taoist theories that everyone is familiar with. The elders won't be interested in this. If they are, it'll be the kind of interest that makes them want to criticize us."

Therefore, we cannot force its promotion; otherwise, either no one will care, or it will cause trouble, which would be counterproductive. We need to think of another way. If it's just for children, then it doesn't matter, and the elders won't care either. But children have a very strong sense of curiosity, and they will definitely be interested.

Wang Shuang said, "So what if I'm interested? It's meaningless."

Wang Xi said, “You don’t understand this. If the children don’t understand, they will definitely ask their elders. The elders will then have to rack their brains to figure it out. In this way, we can quietly spread the new theories of Taoism through the children’s mouths.”

When the time is right, we'll launch a major initiative—that is, we'll establish a dedicated course on this topic within our academy to lay the foundation for this entirely new theoretical framework of Taoism.

In ancient times, propagating theories was a very troublesome matter, especially since it involved the debate between Buddhism and Taoism. Nowadays, trolls, lacking keyboards, are all erudite and talented, and if a debate is sparked, it will be difficult to extricate themselves.

After weighing the options several times, Wang Xi decided to start from an inconspicuous place to ensure he had room to maneuver.

Huangfu Sengnian nodded and said, "This kind of publicity makes sense, but can you answer those questions?"

Wang Xi said, "I was just thinking, since nobody understands anyway, as long as we tell the story well, it will be hard for them to refute it!"

Li Jie asked nervously, "Will this work?"

Wang Xi said, "Why not? I can sell a piece of cloth for a sky-high price. Can't I handle this?"

The group was still somewhat flustered.

You're completely lying!
Little did they know, Wang Xi wasn't lying; he simply didn't know how to explain why he knew these things. In short, he was trying to fool them all, but with a mix of truth and falsehood.

Wang Xi suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Huangfu Sengnian, "By the way, how is your father?"

Huangfu Sengnian said, "Have you noticed that one person is missing this year's New Year celebration?"

Wang Xi hesitated for a moment, "Yuwen Rong?"

"Exactly."

Huangfu Sengnian said, "In the past two years, the return of hidden households to their registered residence has not achieved great results because the implementation in various places has been weak. Therefore, Yuwen Rong has appointed more than a dozen agricultural judges this time, and he personally led them to various places to investigate land and hidden households."

"This person is indeed capable."

Wang Xi nodded and then asked, "Can our father keep up?"

Because Wang Shouyi doesn't talk to him about this much, his current contact with his father is all through Huangfu Sengnian.

Huangfu Sengnian said, "For the time being, there should be no problem. In terms of manpower, we far surpass Yuwen Rong, and they are all our servants. Their execution ability is no worse than Yuwen Rong's, but their skills may not be as good. We'll see what goes wrong and whether those servants can handle it."

Simply put, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Although Yuwen Rong has fewer people, he selects only the best soldiers and generals. Although his family has more people, they are all servants. The most capable are their family's merchants.

Wang Shuang suddenly complained, "You three fathers all do a great job, but what about my father?"

The three of them looked at Wang Shuang at the same time.

Wang Shuang said excitedly, "My father has been taking me around visiting people all year, all for the sake of the Minister of War. You all have to find a way to help my father!"

Wang Shuang has mentioned this issue more than once.

Wang Xi said, "The position of Minister of War is still concurrently held by Minister Zhang." Currently, Zhang is said to be a third-rank official in the Secretariat and Chancellery, concurrently serving as Minister of War.

Huangfu Sengnian said, "I think that's exactly why Uncle Wang has his eye on the Minister of War. Judging from the matters that Minister Zhang is currently in charge of, they are all the work of the prime minister. If a suitable candidate is found, he can be replaced at any time."

He paused slightly, then added, "Moreover, the military system is currently undergoing reform, which is indeed an opportunity."

Wang Shuang nodded and said, "That's what my dad thinks too."

Military reform? The Ministry of War. Yes! If Uncle Wang could take control of the Ministry of War, it would be crucial for the Wang family. But the problem is, Wang Maozhong is somewhat uncontrollable!
Wang Xi pondered for a while, then suddenly turned to look at Wang Shuang, "There is a way, but Shuang-ge, the three of us can control our father, can you?"

Wang Shuang's expression changed, and she shook her head, saying, "My dad is the one who calls the shots in my family. I don't want to be in control. I want to live."

Wang Xi said, "If we rashly push your father up there, it might harm him, because your father won't listen to us."

Wang Shuang said, "My father is not the same as your father. My father has always done a good job and never asks me for anything. Why should he listen to me?"

Wang Xi said, "Although your father has done a good job, there may still be hidden dangers. After the fight at the Imperial Academy last time, it is not hard to see that the prime ministers do not have a good impression of your father. They think that your father is too arrogant and domineering. Based on this, it is impossible for Prime Minister Zhang to hand over the position of Minister of War to your father. Moreover, this is also a major hidden danger."

Wang Shuang said excitedly, "They looked down on people first, always thinking that my father was born a servant, so how is it my father's fault?"

Huangfu Sengnian said, "But Shuang-ge, if your father wants to become the Minister of War, he must gain the approval and support of the prime ministers. Otherwise, even if he becomes the Minister of War, he won't be able to accomplish anything, and he might even bring trouble upon himself."

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Seng Nian is right. This is exactly what I'm most worried about. If we can't control your father, we shouldn't act rashly."

Wang Shuang scratched his head and asked, "Then how do I control my dad?"

Wang Xi said, "That depends on you."

Wang Shuang said, "I wouldn't dare to order my father around, or I would really die. I'm not like you; my father doesn't only have me as his son."

Wang Xi said, "But we can change our strategy."

Wang Shuang hurriedly asked, "What strategy?"

Wang Xi said, "Just trying to scare your father."

Meanwhile, Ashina Mi followed Hongxiu to the dance studio and quickly became friends with Linglong and Qingzhi. This was because Wuming Academy did not emphasize status. If it did, Wang Xi and Linglong would not have been able to stand together, since one was a palace prostitute and the other was a member of the imperial family.

Therefore, no one kept their distance from Ashina Mi because of her identity.

In addition, Ashina Mi was born on the grasslands and was truly skilled in singing and dancing, which happened to be the main teaching content of the Nameless Academy, so he quickly integrated into it.

"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen."

Linglong and Qingzhi clapped and shouted in unison.

Ashina Mi was in the middle, spinning around, her long skirt fluttering in the wind.

This is a type of Hu dance, mainly characterized by the dancer's posture and the fluttering of the skirt during the spinning.

After spinning around for more than ten more times, Ashina Mi finally stopped. Her snow-white face was slightly flushed. She gave a graceful bow and said, "I have made a fool of myself in front of my senior sisters."

"Ashna, you danced so well."

"Could you teach us too?"

"Okay!"

In a short while, they addressed each other as sisters, and the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

Standing in front of the door and looking at Hongxiu, they couldn't help but smile and nod, saying, "That man must have accumulated a lot of good karma in his past lives to be able to marry such a virtuous wife. It's just that this little princess is too easygoing, and I'm afraid she won't be able to control him in the future."

"teacher!"

At this moment, Ashina Mi suddenly walked over.

Hongxiu was slightly taken aback, then said, "Mi'er, I didn't expect your dancing skills to be so exquisite."

Ashina Mi smiled shyly, "But I can't compare to my teacher."

Hongxiu shook her head and said, "Teacher hasn't danced in a long time, and her steps are already rusty. I'm afraid she'll strain her back after just a few turns."

Ashina Mi said, "Teacher is too modest. Little Sparrow often mentions you, saying that you have extremely high talent in singing and dancing, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

Hongxiu laughed and said, "Don't listen to his nonsense."

Ashina Mi's blue eyes flickered slightly. Seeing that no one was around, she asked in a low voice, "Teacher, are you really not bothered?"

She looked quite nervous, but being a straightforward person, she felt she should ask in person.

But Hongxiu looked bewildered: "What do you care about?"

Ashina Mi said, "It's about my marriage to Wang Xiaoque."

Hongxiu smiled slightly: "That's between you and Wang Xiaoque, why should I care?"

Ashina Mi said, "Wang Xiaoque has already told me everything."

Hongxiu asked anxiously, "What did he say?"

Ashina Mi said, "He said he had already told his teacher about it, but the teacher didn't care."

Hongxiu asked again, "What did he mean by that?"

Ashina Mi said, "Actually, I also realized that you and Wang Xiaoque had feelings for each other first."

"That gull-headed vulture."

Hongxiu rarely swore, so she turned and left.

Ashina Mi was taken aback. "Strange! Why is the teacher angry? Did Wang Xiaoque lie to me?"

Wang Xi was squatting on the mound of earth, trying to persuade Wang Shuang to fool his father, when suddenly a shout came, "Wang Xiaoque!"

Wang Xi looked up and exclaimed, "Teacher?"

Hongxiu stood at a distance and called out, "Wang Xiaoque, come here."

"Oh."

Wang Xi immediately ran over, "Teacher, what's wrong?"

Hongxiu asked, "What did you say to Ashina?"

Wang Xi said, "You've said a lot, but I don't know what you're referring to, teacher?"

Hongxiu said, "Have you ever told him that I don't care about your marriage?"

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Did you mention it? Does the teacher care?"

Hongxiu said, "Of course I don't care."

Wang Xi asked, "Then why is the teacher angry?"

"Me!" Hongxiu stomped her foot angrily and said, "But is that what you meant?"

Wang Xi chuckled and said, "So that's what you're angry about, teacher. I'm just being prepared, and I hope you'll forgive me."

"Better safe than sorry?"

Hongxiu asked in surprise.

Wang Xi nodded and said, "Because Ashina also attended the charity gala that day, and we acted so well, she always thought that I had feelings for the teacher. So I just said that the teacher didn't care, and that put her at ease."

Hongxiu was so angry that her face turned red. "Why don't you explain to her that it was just acting, not real?"

Wang Xi quickly said, "You can't say that."

"Why?"

Hongxiu asked, puzzled.

Wang Xi said, "Ashina hates being lied to the most, and I don't want to lie to her either. Although my teacher and I are currently innocent, I need to explain things clearly to Ashina. If something happens in the future, she will think that I lied to her before, and I will be unable to defend myself. This will cause problems for my family. That's why I said that. This is called being prepared."

Hongxiu was a very patient woman, somewhat similar to the princess of Xue, but at this moment, she was also furious, her teeth clenched. "We are just teacher and student, and that will never change. Go and explain this to Ashina right now."

Wang Xi shook his head and said, "I don't object to the teacher explaining things to Ashina, but I will always maintain this stance to avoid any future changes."

(End of this chapter)