Regarding Li Chaoyang¡¯s suggestion, it would be a lie to say that Meng Ju was unmoved: Yu Huailie bullied him out of nowhere, and if he could retaliate in kind, it would be a very satisfying thing.
But now Mr. Meng is no longer the impulsive and reckless young man he once was. His first reaction to this sudden good thing was not surprise, but confusion: What is the purpose of these young people doing this?
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dare to bully a few fledglings into looking for the famous Marshal Jingxiang? That¡¯s not brave, that¡¯s suicide! When he reaches the level of commander-in-chief Yu Huailie, even if he doesn't put on airs, there will be no less than a hundred soldiers around him. The guard of a hundred people does not seem to be many, but these are not showy soldiers, but the elite soldiers selected from the elite soldiers who have been fighting with the Northern Wei Dynasty all year round. These young masters said that they could defeat them with a group of domestic soldiers, but Meng Ju only regarded them as bragging.
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Unless the Forbidden Army deploys a powerful weapon like the Doukai, even if they send out a Forbidden Army battalion, they may not be sure of victory. As for sending more people, please, this is in the capital, at the feet of the emperor!
¡°If someone is really so bold as to mobilize thousands of imperial troops in the capital to attack the palace of a court minister, you think the censor¡¯s platform is just a decoration! When people are held accountable afterwards, a lot of people will lose their heads. At that time, it is not known whether Yu Huailie will suffer a loss, but as the one who takes the lead, he will definitely be in serious trouble. Inciting a mutiny in the imperial city was a crime that would make him miserable. Even if the emperor still needs the Northern Xinjiang Army, it is impossible to kill him, but he will definitely not be able to escape if he pleads guilty. At that time, the only way out for me was to work hard, work hard, and let the Dongping soldiers go all out to cooperate with the Tang Dynasty to kill the Xianbei people, so as to atone for their sins.
It¡¯s not like I¡¯m full. Why would you bother yourself with this kind of trouble?
This strategy is very vicious. On the surface it is to deal with Yu Huailie, but in fact it is aimed at himself. He will be fooled as soon as he gets hot-headed. Such a vicious plan to drag himself into trouble is impossible for these young people in front of him to come up with.
Meng Ju glanced calmly at Prince Xu Yan who was instigating these young men behind his back. Could it be the Emperor Li Gongwei himself? Or, is it the important general in the court or the prime minister?
Meng Ju could not guess the instigator behind the young men, but he had decided not to get into the muddy waters of his grudge against Yu Huailie. It was a personal vendetta. It would be no problem for me to invite him out for a one-on-one fight another day. But when he gets mixed up with these princelings of the Forbidden Army, as soon as he comes forward, he can't control the matter at all. All the bad debts caused by the misbehavior of those Forbidden Army men will be recorded on his head. This is too unfair.
But telling the teenagers clearly that I don¡¯t want to do it seemed too weak, as if I was afraid of Yu Huailie. Men, at this kind of wine table. It¡¯s all about face.
Meng Ju pondered for a moment, then sneered: "Brothers are interested, Meng thanked you here first. But fighting in the imperial city is a serious crime, especially attacking an important court official. It caused a great alarm. How could Meng do it? Letting brothers take such a big risk because of personal grudges? This is not the way to be friends! But Meng still accepted the wishes of all the brothers."
Li Chaoyang opened his mouth, as if he wanted to persuade him again. But Meng Ju immediately went on to say: "Don't worry, everyone, I am going against the grain and doing many evil things. People and gods have long been angry with each other. The ancients said that if you do too much injustice, you will die. Even if you brothers don't take action, I am determined to be angry with God and others. It won't end well. Meng guesses that he will be punished soon, so you might as well wait and see."
These few words, Meng Ju said so meaningfully, several dandies were stunned. They looked at each other, and Li Chaoyang asked on behalf of everyone: "What the Marquis said is really unfathomable. Could it be that for Yu? Man, the Marquis has already made arrangements?"
Meng Ju raised his head and laughed: "There is no arrangement. Meng is just discussing the matter and making random guesses. Come on, have a drink. I'll give you a drink."
Meng Ju raised his glass first, and everyone followed suit. Putting down the cup, Meng Ju said to Xu Yan: "Your Majesty, you asked me to come tonight, but you said that there is a beauty from Qinhuai who is both talented and beautiful. I have already seen the fine wine tonight, but the Crown Prince's beauty, But so far, there is no trace of her. My lord, is it possible that you have a hidden beauty in your heart and are reluctant to let everyone see it?"
The dandy young masters were all clever people, and they all heard something strange: there was a hidden meaning in Meng Ju's words just now, and now he clearly wanted to change the subject. Young masters, you are looking at me, and I am looking at you, all thinking: "Could it be that this Jiangbei general is so ruthless that he has already made arrangements to take revenge on Yu Huailie? Just now, he said that he spilled the beans because he was afraid of being caught. I leaked a few things myself, so I quickly changed the topic.?? "
At this time, the benefits of Meng Ju's high status were revealed. If someone else dared to speak half-heartedly and make a lie like this, it would be strange if these fearless young masters didn't grab him and force him to speak clearly. But when it came to Meng Ju, they didn't dare to be rude.
Everyone knows that in terms of seniority and weight, Meng Ju, a meritorious general who was awarded a title for his military merits and held a heavy army, should be comparable to the generals of their father or grandfather's generation, and far from them. Several juniors who have not yet succeeded to the title can compare. Although everyone now treats each other as brothers and sisters with courtesy, this is just because Meng Ju doesn't care because he sees that everyone is close in age. If we really wanted to follow etiquette at tonight's banquet, Meng Ju should sit down and they should all stand up to talk. Therefore, the young masters really wanted to arrest Meng Ju and torture him, but it was difficult to pursue the question.
Seeing Meng Ju turn to him, Crown Prince Xu Yan was startled, but he smiled and said: "Since the Lord Hou arrived in the capital, he has been staying at home and studying behind closed doors. I thought that the Lord Hou was an expert who did not eat the fireworks of the world. In fact. To be honest, the beauties are already waiting below, but we are still discussing important matters and cannot let outsiders hear about them, so we asked them to wait for a while. Since the Marquis has given orders, can we call them up to serve? "
"Your Majesty is making fun of me again. I am not a god who has attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven. How could I not eat the fireworks of this world? I have been listening to His Majesty talk about the talents and beauty of several people. I have admired them for a long time and wish I could do it right away. What do you think about getting close to Fangze?"
Li Chaoyang, Cao Shuang and Huang Changlv looked at each other with helplessness in their eyes.
Tonight they entertain Meng Ju. It does have some intention. They originally thought that this Jiangbei warrior, who was famous for his bravery, was a rough warrior and it would not be difficult to seduce him. However, they did not expect that this guy was also very smart and cunning, just like a greased eel. He could not hold back at all. , the three of them took turns provoking him and coaxing him. Most people would have fallen into the trap in the morning, but Meng Ju refused to express his position. They were a little reluctant to fail to achieve their goal, but now. Meng Ju was mainly a guest and had firmly controlled the conversation. They couldn't get in the conversation at all. Meng Judu had already talked about this, could they still object and say: "It's better for the girls not to come up now, let's talk about business for a while"?
Seeing that all three of them had no objections, Xu Yan chuckled and clapped his hands. Soon, the door of the boat was opened from the outside, and a beautiful woman in full dress appeared at the door. Xu Yan called her to his side. After giving instructions in a low voice for a while, the beautiful woman nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know. I will invite them to come up now. A few of them are doing their makeup. I have to trouble you to wait for a while."
"Go, go, go~"
Xu Yan dismissed her impatiently, and when the beautiful woman walked backwards out of the hall, he said with a smile: "It's strange, no matter how early I come. Even if I send someone to inform me in advance, the beauty will always I'm getting my makeup done. If one day I can wait for less than a quarter of an hour for a beauty to get her makeup done, then I'll be thankful."
The men present all laughed. Huang Changlu, the head of the Ministry of War, said with a smile: "Xiao Xu, you still claim to be a master of horse racing. Don't you still see through these little tricks of your daughter's family to hide their identity?"
"Haha, I know it, but I still find it interesting."
Everyone talked and laughed for a while, and then they all stopped when they heard a series of small footsteps outside the door.
The door opened, and a beautiful woman appeared at the door with seven or eight beautiful girls. The group of people walked in, and the fragrant breeze filled the people.
The young woman led the girls in a line, knelt down to say blessings to Meng Ju and others, and said in a sweet voice: "I pay my respects to you nobles and pay my respects to the young masters."
These girls are all impeccable in appearance, figure and silhouette. In the north, each of them can be regarded as one of a thousand. After they entered, the lights in the hall seemed to be a little brighter. Suddenly seeing so many beautiful girls like flowers and jade, Meng Ju felt dazzled and his eyes were not full. He felt that he had heard for a long time that Jiangnan was rich in beauties, and this was indeed a well-deserved reputation.
The beautiful woman came up and introduced the names and talents of these girls to everyone. Sure enough, as Xu Yan said, three famous geishas including Li Xiuyu, Lin Jiayin, and Lu Bingxue were among them. It can also be seen that the girls are all beautiful, but the appearance and temperament of these three are indeed the most outstanding.
Among them, Meng Ju paid special attention to the oval-faced girl who was wearing a plain skirt and had a delicate temperament. According to the beautiful woman's introduction, this was the geisha Li Xiuyu who was famous for her poetry.
When it came time to choose a female companion, Xu Yan and others all gave in and asked Meng Ju to choose first. Meng Ju looked at the situation and realized that he had the highest status and was the host and guest. If he didn't choose someone, it would really be difficult for everyone to choose. He smiled and said, "Brothers, I'll be sorry if you accept the offer. Li, everyone, tonight I¡¯m sorry to bother you.¡±
Li Xiuyu smiled and said slightlyTurning around, Yingying came over and sat at the table next to Meng Ju. She stretched out her white hands to help Meng Ju pour wine.
Meng Jin was a good man, and the other young masters also chose their candidates. Beauties came to the table one after another, with fragrant clothes and fragrant wind. The beautiful bird cuddled up to the young master like a human being, chatting, laughing and playing, and the atmosphere at the table suddenly became fragrant.
Li Xiuyu looked a little embarrassed when she saw several selected women around her being intimate with men. She trembled nervously and said: "Li Xiuyu from the slave family, thank you for your appreciation for choosing the slave family. It's just that the slave family has a shallow knowledge and a clumsy tongue. If If there is any inconsideration, please forgive me."
Meng Ju was surprised: Since she is a famous geisha, isn't it their basic skill to accompany guests to drink and chat? Why does Li Xiuyu look so nervous and terrified?
Meng Ju looked funny and asked: "Everyone Li, you look like you are afraid of me?"
Li Xiuyu's delicate body trembled. She raised her head to look at Meng Ju, then hurriedly lowered her head: "I dare not hide it. I am indeed a little afraid of you Your Majesty, you are extremely majestic. You sit upright with your eyes as sharp as a temple." The image in it is like a god, with extraordinary momentum. The slave family dare not face it."
"Huh? Majesticdid you think I was a court official?"
"My lord, are you an official of the imperial court? The Nu family dare not say anything. However, the Nu family has seen officials in the imperial court before, including marquises, generals and court officials, but they have never given the Nu family this feeling. Noble man Even if you raise your eyebrows casually, in the eyes of slaves, you are as dangerous as a big man wielding a knife and a gun, and he will feel timid when he sees you. Sitting close to you, noble man, I will feel a chill all over my body. I am so timid that I just lost my composure. .I would like to apologize to you, officer."
Meng Ju raised his sword eyebrows, thoughtfully. He vaguely guessed the reason: he had killed too many people on the battlefield, hundreds of thousands of people had died under his command, and he might have already condensed the actual murderous intent in his body. Just like pigs are afraid of approaching butchers, this girl named Li Xiuyu may have a keen sense of Qi, and she can feel it as soon as she sits next to her.
"Asura Sea of ??Blood, is this my destiny?"
Meng Ju sighed secretly in his heart, and he said calmly: "It doesn't matter. Everyone Li, let's just have a casual chat tonight. You don't have to be afraid, I won't do anything to you. You have a glass of wine. Relax."
"Yes, I would like to give you a drink."
Meng Ju raised his glass and took a sip of the wine, but Li Xiuyu drank it all in one gulp. A blush appeared on her face, her expression became more relaxed, and she moved closer to Meng Ju. He whispered: "My lord, what kind of drinking games do you like to play? It's just that the slave family doesn't know many drinking games. They only know tricks and throwing stones. They are not good at drinking orders and tricks. I'm afraid that I won't be able to accompany the noble man."
"Eh? Mr. Li, I would like to ask: Since you work in Qinhuai, don't you usually drink with guests? Why do I look at you, you seem to be very nervous."
Li Xiuyu hesitated for a moment, and then she smiled awkwardly: "It makes you laugh. To be honest, the slave family usually performs singing and dancing, and rarely sits down to accompany guests to have fun, so they appear to be unfamiliar with their skills, clumsy, and I hope you won¡¯t be offended.¡±
"That's right, then I understand. You don't have to force yourself, Li. In fact, I don't really understand the rules of Jiangdu and the drinking and flower chips. Let's just chat and talk like this."
Li Xiuyu seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief: "That's very good. Thank you for your consideration. If I'm brave enough to ask, what do you call me?"
"My surname is Meng, and I am the eldest in the family. Everyone Li just calls me Meng Dalang."
"It turns out that it was the official Meng who came face to face. From the official's accent, he sounded like someone from Jiangbei."
"You guys really have a good ear, Li. Yes, I am indeed from Jiangbei."
While Meng Ju was talking, he looked at his companions. Over there, several young men were having a great time playing and drinking with their female companions. As if sensing Meng Ju's gaze, Li Chaoyang raised his head, smiled at Meng Ju, and raised his glass. Meng Ju also raised his glass to him with a smile and drank all the wine in the glass.
Meng Ju understood the reason: although Li Xiuyu and others were also geishas, ??their status was much higher than that of ordinary singers. They usually did not accompany guests to drink and have fun, but only danced, sang or It should be said that in this era of lack of entertainment life, the status of these popular geishas is similar to that of popular movie stars in later generations. They have a high status and are respected by others.
However, some things are really consistent throughout the ages. For example, in later generations, no matter how big-name celebrities and singers are, they will inevitably be forced to attend dinner parties by unspoken rules, and it is the same now. In front of powerful people like myself, these "artists" who are sought after by thousands of people still obediently act as waiters. Girl?With the beauty by her side, everyone¡¯s interest also rose. After three rounds of drinking, Li Chaoyang shouted to make a drinking order. Everyone used the liquor license to write poems and drink. Anyone who made a mistake in the drinking order would be fined. After three drinks, Meng Ju was not familiar with poetry and allusions, and he didn't understand Jiangdu's drinking rules. He couldn't cope with it at all. He made consecutive mistakes and was fined three glasses of wine. The last glass was drunk by Li Xiuyu on his behalf.
Seeing that Meng Ju failed to understand the drinking order and repeatedly gave in, several young masters knew that this Jiangbei general was really not good at this. However, this was also expected. Although drinking order was called a small skill, he was indeed very particular about the order. Meng Ju is famous for his strong knowledge and reaction ability. Such a famous general should only know how to fight.
Afraid that Meng Ju's face would look ugly if he lost too much, Xu Yan was considerate. He put the wine aside and said with a smile: "It's pointless to drink like this when we come out to have fun. It's rare to invite a few talented and beautiful people today. We Why not appreciate their talents?¡±
Everyone applauded loudly, and Meng Ju was relieved to be able to avoid making a fool of himself. present. Everyone called the servants and moved the tables, leaving a large open space.
Lu Bingxue played the piano, while Lin Jiayin and Li Xiuyu danced gracefully with their long sleeves amidst the sound of the piano. The girl Lin Jiayin danced particularly well. She had a graceful figure and strong and soft movements. Her several movements of swinging and swinging sleeves were crisp and unrestrained. Her long sleeves flew out like snowflakes, floating in the hall like waves of the sea. The rolling and undulating movements made several young masters stare blankly. Meng Ju was applauded repeatedly and watched with gusto. He thought it was interesting, but it was just interesting.
Lin Jiayin's dance skills are very skillful and her movements are beautiful and flawless. Although Meng Ju is an outsider in rhythmic dance, he can also see that from a technical point of view, Lin Jiayin's skills are far superior to Ouyang Qingqing's in his heyday. , and in terms of appearance. She is no worse than Ouyang Qingqing, even more gorgeous and beautiful. But Meng Ju always felt that there was something missing in her dance, and the feeling she gave him was not as good as when he first watched Ouyang Qingqing perform "Southern Wind Dance". There is a sense of shock that goes deep into the soul, and it is hard to get back to your senses after watching it.
Logically speaking, this shouldn¡¯t be the case. Jiangnan is a place where humanity gathers. There are many celebrities and countless elites. Artists who can make a name for themselves here. Her level should be higher than that in the cultural desert in northern Xinjiang, right? Why do you think this Lin Jiayin doesn't feel as good as Ouyang Qingqing?
Meng Ju thought about it for a while before he figured out the reason: it wasn't that Lin Jiayin's skills were inferior to Ouyang Qingqing's, but that the environment and atmosphere they were in were different. Dongping in the northern Xinjiang is the front line in the fight against the demons beyond the Great Wall. The border officers and soldiers are stationed here to defend the country and the people are fierce. In that environment, what people admire is the heroism of a man who is determined to die, the tragedy of a strong man who lives and dies with a glass of wine, and the man who values ??life and death and values ??separation. Ouyang Qingqing lives in the frontier and has heard stories about the frontier for a long time. Her thoughts are obviously affected by this. Dance is the voice of her heart. Her songs and dances naturally bring out the heroic spirit of "a brave man never comes back" and the courage to do so. The fierce sense of determination and the power of the soul will naturally make you feel the same, and it will be a huge shock.
" On the Jiangdu side, peace has been rising for a long time, and the people have enjoyed peace. The people here advocate elegance, poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, and music. Two completely different cultural and social atmospheres have also created completely different artist styles. As a side general, I naturally prefer Ouyang Qingqing's exciting style.
While Meng Ju was still daydreaming, the song and dance ended, and everyone cheered loudly.
Li Xiuyu sat back next to Meng Ju. After dancing, she was sweating slightly. She shook her fan gently, and a fresh and fragrant female body fragrance passed into Meng Ju's nose. It was not clear whether it was her natural body breath or the scent of powder.
When he was dancing just now, Meng Ju always looked thoughtful and was not as involved as the others. Li Xiuyu also noticed it. She said apologetically to Meng Ju: "Mr. Meng, a nobleman like you is well-informed and must have seen more exciting singing and dancing. I'm afraid our sisters' simple skills will not be able to attract the eyes of the public and will be embarrassing. Please give me more Bear with me.¡±
"You are too modest, Mr. Li. The singing and dancing just now are very wonderful, and your dancing skills can be said to have reached the pinnacle of transformation. But there are some things that are beyond the so-called 'exquisite skills', and you can't do it with force."
Meng Ju spoke profoundly, and Li Xiuyu was stunned. She was still thinking about Meng Ju's words, but Li Chaoyang over there had already spoken: "I have heard for a long time that Mr. Li is not only proficient in singing and dancing, but also the most good at poetry and music. Mr. Li's We have heard about your elegant name for a long time. We are gathering here tonight and I would like to take the liberty to ask Mr. Li to compose a poem to congratulate us and open our eyes. I wonder if Mr. Li can agree? "
Li Xiuyu was stunned for a moment. She didn't say anything, but she looked at Meng Ju first, silently searching for his meaning with her eyes.
Meng Ju kept silent??, but he was surprised in his heart: Does this Li Chaoyang not understand the rules? Tonight, since Li Xiuyu has been arranged to accompany him, according to etiquette, others cannot provoke her casually. Even if Li Chaoyang really wants to hear a talented woman write poems, you should first ask Meng Ju for permission, and then ask for Meng Ju's consent before inviting her.
Of course, if we are familiar and informal friends, we don¡¯t have to pay attention to these things. But the problem is that Meng Ju and they just met for the first time tonight, and they are not familiar with each other at all. If Li Chaoyang does this, he will simply treat Meng Ju as if he doesn't exist. Is he really drunk, or is he doing this on purpose?
Meng Ju lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Since Mr. Li is so interested, then you should try it and make it fun for all the nobles. It doesn't matter if you can't do it. There is no need to force it."
Since Meng Ju agreed, it will be easier for Li Xiuyu. She stood up and first humbled herself, saying that although the Nu family had a reputation for poetry in the past, their knowledge was actually shallow. How could they dare to show off in front of all the great sages? But since it was all the gentlemen who invited her, she had no choice but to make a fool of herself. I hope everyone will forgive me.
After saying that, she pondered for a moment and recited a poem on the spot to commemorate the elegant event of everyone going boating to admire the moon. Meng Ju listened and felt that the wording and artistic conception were just mediocre, but to be able to do this in a hurry was already very good, and she lived up to the name of a talented woman.
In this era, the popular poetry was still Yuefu poetry and poetry. Both the genre and the wording were immature, and they did not pay much attention to the oblique phonology. Even the symmetry was not very strict. They were far from the pinnacle beauty of Tang poetry. and artistic achievement.
Seeing Meng Ju frowning and closing his eyes, as if he was savoring the poetry of the talented Li Xiuyu, Li Chaoyang smiled and said: "Meng Guan, you are so thoughtful, are you also dabbling in poetry? If there are any good works, you can also Please don¡¯t be stingy, please share it with us.¡±
As soon as these words came out, everyone present frowned and looked reproachfully at Li Chaoyang. Just now, Meng Ju had clearly lost his literary talent. By saying this, weren't you trying to make him look bad? (To be continued)