Chapter 9 This is Si Nanbo's fault
"Dragon roars and tiger roars, Dragon and Tiger Ranking?"
Ye Ling'er was muttering in the carriage.
Her brother's idea of setting up a guild and establishing a ranking system was quite to her liking.
"This name is quite domineering, but...is it a little too ostentatious?" Although Ye Ling'er was reckless, she came from a big family and had some sensitivity to the court.
"Can you be as ostentatious as me? You have reached the age of marriage now, so you should calm down or be careful that no one will want you." Ye Zheng said painstakingly.
Ye Ling'er was stunned for a moment, then her eyebrows rose with anger. She closed her eyes, suppressed her emotions, and said calmly, "First of all, I didn't provoke you today. Secondly, I didn't provoke you today. You..."
"I'll teach you the grappling technique." Ye Zheng was too familiar with this rhythm. Later, he was afraid that both of them would appear in the poetry gathering of Prince Jing in a slightly embarrassed manner, so he interrupted directly.
He said that earlier not to deliberately provoke his second sister, but to change the subject.
There is no need to force something on you if you don't understand it.
Although his Ye family seems to be flourishing, there is actually a crisis lurking.
After his eldest brother showed amazing talent, he left Kyoto and followed his uncle to practice martial arts.
What are these relatives of his eldest brother and his great uncle in Kyoto?
The current emperor is holding his elder brother and great uncle as hostages!
He had some understanding and also collected some rumors. The current emperor was good at scheming and scheming, had a complex and sensitive personality, was ruthless and had a strong desire for control.
At the birthday party for Old Lady Qin a few days ago, he got angry and asked for his thoughts to be understood. I'm afraid he has completely entered the sight of Emperor Qing, and not only Emperor Qing, but also his two sons.
His experiences to date are different from those in the game. The people he encounters are real people. He can play the game over and over again without any scruples, but he can't.
He knows some things, some details and inside information, and some people's weaknesses. Why doesn't he make some plans earlier and wait until the car reaches the mountain?
He was not that confident in his own martial arts ability. At least he couldn't defeat his great-uncle Ye Liuyun at the moment. As for his father...
He will fight with all his might, even he is not afraid of the ninth rank!
He established a guild hall and a martial arts ranking list. Firstly, it was to muddy the waters. There were so many talented people in the world, why bother focusing on the Ye family? Secondly, he wanted to win over some connections and build up some power. He didn't ask to rebel against someone in the future, but only to make it easier for him and his family to escape one day in the future, and to buy some time for him to "grow".
After all, as the saying goes, it is better to rely on yourself than on others.
Be prepared with both hands.
"Really?" Ye Ling'er looked like a face-changing performer in Nanshifang, staring at Ye Zheng intently.
"Really." Ye Zheng met her eyes, smiled and nodded.
After carefully examining her brother's eyes, she sat back down and muttered, "Don't just teach me one or two moves, right?"
Ye Zheng smiled, "It's not a profound technique. Second sister, don't be too obsessed with it. The same realm may be similar, or you can achieve great results with a small effort. But if the difference is too great, the effect will be minimal."
"You don't know the hunger of a hungry man until you are full." Hearing this, Ye Ling'er was in a good mood. It was obvious that he would give it all to her. She habitually said something, then restrained her tone and whispered, "Be honest with me, you can beat a general ninth-grade warrior now, right?"
"Nonsense, the eighth rank is already struggling. Qin Hong wanted to win with one move, so he withdrew his body-protecting Qi." Ye Zheng argued.
Ye Ling'er looked at his expression and curled her lips.
"You don't believe me? Second sister, I am a sincere young man recognized by everyone in the Ye family."
"Well, you are a thick-faced but dark-hearted young man."
"You slandered me!"
"hehe…"
……
A villa in Kyoto City with red pillars, carved rafters and flying pavilions
"Third Young Master, I have been looking forward to seeing you for a long time. Today, I meet you and you are indeed a handsome man with extraordinary grace." Prince Jing's son Li Hongcheng held Ye Zheng's hand with an enthusiastic expression and sincere words.
"Your Excellency is too kind. I have often heard that you are good at calligraphy and painting, and your talent is well-known. I will inevitably come to your house to ask for your advice in the future. I am sorry to bother you."
Who doesn't know how to say hello in public?
Everyone in Kyoto knows that Prince Jing is obsessed with poetry, calligraphy and painting, and doesn't care about state affairs. What talent and reputation does Ye Zheng have that deserves Li Hongcheng's enthusiasm?
It's nothing more than trying to win him over for the Second Prince.
This is Ye Zheng’s response. Anyone who believes these polite words is a fool.
Li Hongcheng looked stunned.
How come you are more enthusiastic than him?
Ye Zheng's performance in the Qin Mansion made many people who attended the banquet that day read the news. As the prince of Jing Wang and had the information network of the Second Prince, it was natural that he heard first-hand information. After he and the Second Prince analyzed it, they found that the three sons of the Ye family were not as frivolous and naive as they appeared to be, and they must be very scheming.
"It's quite lively today, the sons of military honors are also here to participate in the poetry gathering."
While Li Hongcheng was stunned, several people came over, first saluted him, and then made veiled remarks.
"Ok?"
He frowned, who is so blind?
Take another look, oh...
"Who is this?" Ye Zheng seemed not to realize that the man was mocking him for being pretentious, and asked curiously instead.
Li Hongcheng looked surprised.
He is a follower of the Second Prince and is gathering connections for the Second Prince. Few people know about this, but as the Second Prince's opponent, the Crown Prince naturally knows about it.
This person who speaks rudely...
"Compiled by Guo Baokun in the palace."
Without waiting for him to introduce him, Guo Baokun introduced himself.
He did not lose his manners and bowed, but he was very perfunctory and kept looking at Ye Zheng sideways.
The attitude is obvious.
Li Hongcheng didn't want this guy to ruin his plan to win over Ye Zheng, but he also wanted Guo Baokun to leave a bad impression of being rude on Ye Zheng, so he didn't take any action to react.
Ye Zheng straightened his collar and sleeves, and bowed to Guo Baokun in a neither humble nor arrogant manner. "I am the son of Minister Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites. Young Master Guo, I deeply respect the virtuous name of Minister Guo. I will come to you for advice in the future. Please do not mind disturbing me."
This…
It's a bit difficult for both Li Hongcheng and Guo Baokun to do it.
This sounds familiar, huh?
After being stunned for a moment, Li Hongcheng came to his senses, lowered his head and covered the upturned corners of his mouth.
He is a veteran who makes friends with everyone and never neglects anyone.
The other party has his hair tied up, so it’s fifteen, right?
Interesting, interesting!
Li Hongcheng's desire to win over the man became even stronger.
Guo Baokun's mind didn't work so quickly. He just felt that the other person's attitude was so sincere and his previous words were really rude.
He hurriedly lifted up his robe sleeves, returned the greeting in a proper manner, and said, "I will convey Third Young Master's words to Father. I think Father is also very willing to answer questions and give guidance to a talent like Third Young Master."
Ye Ling'er, who had been standing behind her brother the whole time, smiled secretly.
Another idiot who fell for his brother's trick!
Ok?
Idiot?
Was she the one who often fell into the traps dug by her younger brother?
"In that case, thank you, Mr. Guo."
"Okay, let's go into the mansion and talk." "Okay, Prince, Brother Guo, please."
"Shi…Oh, please, Third Young Master."
"... "
Ye Zheng's purpose of resting his eyes failed.
After all, he underestimated the restrictions on women in this era.
I think the reason I was able to meet Fan Ruoruo face to face at the Qin residence was because my parents and elders were there.
How can a woman show up at a poetry gathering like this?
A layer of gauze blocked the seats of each invited woman.
Hazy...can't see anything clearly.
He could only deal with the conversations from people around him in boredom.
Guo Baokun is such a fool.
He just said a few nice words to him, but he kept sticking to him and talking non-stop.
There was also a hint of his intention to win over the prince in his words.
Opposite, behind the tulle
"A good sentence is naturally formed, and it is accidentally found by a skilled hand... The third young master has a deep understanding of poetry."
Fan Ruoruo sighed.
"Really? My brother is indeed talented." Seeing her praise, Ye Ling'er smiled happily.
The noble ladies around heard it, recited it to themselves several times, and nodded in agreement. As for Ye Zheng's talent?
Fan Ruoruo looked at Ye Ling'er with a smile and said, "I envy the brother-sister relationship between you and the Third Young Master even more."
"Hmm?" Ye Ling'er was stunned for a moment, thought for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter? Is Young Master Fan not on good terms with you?"
She was a little confused.
Never heard of this before.
Look at the way Aunt Liu is taking care of Fan Ruoruo, it doesn't seem like it.
Fan Ruoruo's eyebrows were filled with worry, and she shook her head slightly, "That's not the case."
"Then why..." Ye Ling'er almost blurted out the question, but she remembered her brother's instructions before getting off the car, and shut up in time.
Fan Ruoruo looked at Ye Ling'er, hesitated, and still didn't say anything. She just smiled at her and said, "Let's listen to the next person's poem."
"... "
The poem ends quite plainly.
No one instigated or fanned the flames to ask Ye Zheng to compose a poem, except for his status as the eldest son of the Ye family. At today's poetry gathering, both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince's followers wanted to win him over.
Ye Zheng wanted to show off his prowess in front of others without even standing on tiptoe.
"Sister Ling'er, Third Young Master, goodbye."
In front of Si Nanbo Fan's house, Fan Ruoruo blessed Ye Ling'er and Ye Zheng.
"Miss Ruoruo, you are so polite."
Ye Zheng cupped his hands.
Ye Ling'er winked at her and said, "Ruoruo, I'll come and play with you in a few days."
"it is good."
After leaving Fan Mansion, Ye Zheng and his sister did not ride in a carriage back home. Instead, they each drove a horse and went to South City.
He had promised before that he would treat his second sister to some crispy noodles, cold porridge and thirst-quenching water.
In this world, there are technologies such as seawater salt drying, saltpeter ice making, yellow mud decolorization method for sugar making, as well as hot pot, barbecue, soup dumplings and other foods.
With his knowledge, it is not impossible for him to put his skills to good use, but he needs to measure the technical level of the three major workshops in Jiangnan before doing anything else.
In Nanshi, you can find all kinds of local snacks and all kinds of goods from the north and south. There are also wine shops, tea shops, brothels and other entertainment venues. It is considered a celebrity street of the time.
There were stalls of all kinds on both sides of the road, selling food and small items or performing acrobatics. Fortunately, Nanshi Road had been expanded several times, so there was still plenty of space for vehicles and pedestrians.
The brother and sister walked side by side, carefully observing, regulating their horses, and moving slowly.
According to the Daqing National Law, anyone who rides a horse galloping in a busy street will be flogged thirty times.
"I heard that Si Nanbo has an eldest son who has been raised in his hometown in Danzhou." Ye Zheng reminded his second sister after listening to her description of Fan Ruoruo's troubles.
Ye Linger thought for a moment, frowned, and reasoned, "Ruoruo was raised in Danzhou for a period of time, and returned to Kyoto when she was four years old. In the years since then, there has been no news that Aunt Liu treated Ruoruo harshly, so I guess they got along well. She is so distressed, could it be..."
The two men didn't pay any attention. A carriage that was supposed to pass them, under someone's instruction, the coachman pulled the reins and slowly followed behind them.
Ye Zheng noticed it immediately and looked back. It was an official's carriage, of low rank.
He held the reins tightly, patted the back of his right hand with his left hand, and said with a smile, "Sure enough, under my influence, Second Sister has made progress. I am very happy."
Ye Ling'er snorted proudly, "I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with you."
Then, she sighed and spoke up for her new friend, "Well, it's really hard to be caught between your illegitimate eldest brother and your aunt who you've lived with for ten years."
“Heh.” Ye Zheng chuckled and said, “If you ask me, this is Si Nanbo’s fault. He is not upright and does not distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children.”
Ye Linger glared and said, "How dare you criticize your elders?"
A muffled groan came from the carriage behind.
Ye Zheng glanced back again and frowned. Could it be that this person would pass on his words to Si Nanbo?
Forget it, he won't force his marriage with Fan Ruoruo.
Glancing at his second sister, Ye Zheng said fearlessly, "I have to advise my parents a lot."
The latter laughed and scolded, "You are really... shameless, and you haven't even started yet."
"What did you say? Second sister, I don't understand."
"Don't play dumb, you..."
"Ok?"
"Second sister, be careful!"
(End of this chapter)