The sky is dim and bright.
Inside the Hu Mansion, laughter had already begun to fill the room.
A bird landed on the top of the pavilion in the distance, tilting its head and staring at the people messing around in the distance.
Hu Changren was disheveled and his face was red. He opened his hands and embraced a beauty on each side. At this moment, many ministers took him as the core and surrounded him, forming a big circle.
Of course, Sangou was also present.
Among the crowd gathered around, two roosters were pecking at each other crazily.
One red and one black, the red rooster was very majestic. It flapped its wings, jumped up and kicked the black rooster. After a few fights, the black rooster was bloody and began to hide around. However, the red rooster did not give in to its opponent.
Leaving no chance, the black rooster jumped, kicked, and pecked wildly again and again, and the black rooster ran away in all directions.
Hu Changren was overjoyed and even let go of the beauties on his left and right.
"Won! I won again! Won!!"
Zou Xiaoyu couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty's red general is really invincible in the world!!"
"It is said that this thing follows its owner. This red general really follows the bravery of some great kings!! It is really extraordinary!!"
Everyone nodded and praised the red general.
Seeing that Zou Xiaoyu had taken the lead, Lu Renhui hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this is a good omen. The fighting cocks under your command can win every battle, let alone the soldiers under your command? It can be seen that this time the Zhou people came to kill, and they were also victorious.
We will be easily defeated!!"
"God help me!!"
Hearing Lu Renhui's words, Hu Changren became even more happy, "Reward!! Reward!!"
A beauty brought the wine, and Hu Changren took another sip, and then looked at the rest of the crowd, "Who has a fighting cock? Ah? You can quickly fight with me!"
Everyone just smiled and didn't dare to answer.
Lu Yuanliang came out at this moment, "Your Majesty, this red general of yours has defeated my black general with great force. However, I have a good friend who keeps a rooster bought from Hu Shang at home. That rooster is particularly special."
It's majestic, much bigger than ordinary roosters, and I'm afraid General Red is no match for it."
Hu Changren was very angry, "Go and find me now!! I have to convince you to lose!"
Lu Yuanliang hurriedly arranged for someone to bring it over and whispered: "Before you bring it, don't forget to give it medicine."
"only"
While everyone was still laughing, a servant hurriedly walked in and looked at Hu Changren in the crowd in the distance. He didn't know how to get closer and could only make gestures.
Hu Changren did not see him, and the servant walked out. Soon, Hu Changmu came here quickly. He looked around, passed through the crowd, came to Hu Changren's side, and took his hand, "Brother, and
Follow me!"
Hu Changren looked at his younger brother drunkenly, and suddenly pulled out his hand, "How dare you be rude when all the sages are here?"
Hu Changmu lowered his voice, "Brother, I have something important to do."
Hu Changren then followed him staggeringly to the side. Hu Changmu asked people to get water and wash his brother's face to make him sober.
"Brother, His Majesty issued an edict to see you yesterday, why didn't you go?"
"Is there anything important that can happen in the palace? I will naturally go there after I finish my business in the palace!"
Hu Changren looked unconcerned.
Hu Changmu asked again: "What happened to the officials in Taiwan? Not even the doctor who was on duty in the palace went today. There were so many absent that the emperor was very angry!!"
"Channel 3 has just gone through a big change and there are not enough officials. So what if there are some who are absent?"
"Aren't you asked to stay with the emperor? Why don't you explain to him?"
Hearing that Hu Changren wanted to blame himself, Hu Changmu was shocked. He hurriedly said: "Brother, it has been many days since King Pengcheng left. You can't always eat and drink in the house. Do you think that major domestic events are just a matter of time?"
Why don't you just ignore it?"
"The autumn harvest is coming, and there is a powerful enemy at hand. What are you doing??"
"The whole temple is in chaos, the whole Ye city is in chaos, the west city gate was opened yesterday, and no one even registered the people coming in and out."
Hu Changren squinted his eyes and slowly lowered his head. Hearing his brother's words, he was so sleepy that he almost fell asleep.
Although it was only daybreak, their game was clearly not just beginning.
"Brother!!"
Hu Changmu couldn't help but raise his voice.
For a time, everyone was attracted to look here.
Hu Changren trembled and glanced at his younger brother, "What are you shouting about? I understand, isn't Zhao Yanshen still there? Let him do it."
"Zhao Yanshen?? He has always been able to do things without doing anything. Brother, please go to the palace and confess your guilt as soon as possible. Your Majesty is really angry."
Hu Changren was helpless and just nodded, "I understand."
After seeing off his disappointed brother, Hu Changren did not rush to the palace. He first waited until Lu Yuanliang brought back the big rooster and his Red General won easily, then he ordered the carriage to be prepared.
Going to the palace.
Hu Changren didn't even take a shower, and his whole body exuded the unpleasant smell of alcohol.
The whole person looked haggard, and even though he changed his clothes, he could not hide his stench of dissoluteness.
Just like that, he came to the emperor.
The little emperor was also having fun in the front hall at the moment. There were more than thirty warriors standing inside and outside the palace. The little emperor was playing with one of them. The formal holding of the sword is a chess technique that can very well exercise military talents.
The warrior accompanying the little emperor looked very young, but rather burly and somewhat fierce.
"Your Majesty Hu Changren pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor!!"
Hu Changren bowed respectfully.
The little emperor stood up suddenly and looked at Hu Changren. His face that was quite happy at first became a little solemn, and he didn't look very happy at first glance.
Hu Changren is a terrible person in power. In a sense, He Shikai can beat him.
When He Shikai was still around, these people were only qualified to praise He Shikai's bad feet.
His rise to the top was an accidental factor, inexplicable, and he may have been pushed to his current position without even realizing it.
After Gao Zhan came to power, he was a dispensable little official, hanging around among the three offices. When Gao Zhan came to power, he jumped up and became a minister. When the little emperor came up, he became even more important.
To directly become a minister, neither talent nor virtue are worthy of the title.
After he drove out Gao Jun and those who were not close to him in the court, the temple, the palace, and even Yecheng became impossible to look at directly.
The stench is unpleasant.
The little emperor slowly walked up to Hu Changren, his expression very cold.
Hu Changren was also a little worried at this moment. Could it be that someone was talking nonsense next to the emperor?
Gao Wei squatted down and asked:
"I was summoned yesterday, why didn't you come?"
"After King Pengcheng left, there were many important events in Santai. I was busy with state affairs and could not come in time."
"nonsense!"
Gao Wei was a little angry, "I heard someone say that you have been fighting cocks in the house!"
Hu Changren immediately clenched his fists and dared not speak in anger.
"Your Majesty, this is"
"I ask you, what is the name of that rooster? Is it so powerful?"
"ah?"
"Asking you!"
"Your Majesty, your name is General Red. He is quite brave."
"Hahaha, great. You don't know. Not long ago, someone gave me a rooster and named it 'Chongtian King'. It's very powerful. You send someone to bring your Red General over and let's fight."
fight!"
Hu Changren raised his head and looked at his own nephew in front of him in shock.
"Your Majesty, the matter of Santai"
"Oh, what big thing can happen to Santai? The cockfighting is more important! Send someone quickly to pick up the red general!"
"Okay, okay, I'll do it now!"
Hu Changren hurriedly sent someone to pick up General Hong, while Gao Wei confidently took his uncle to see his Celestial King.
The two were intimate, chatting and laughing happily.
In the distance, Luo Tipo has been quietly observing the situation.
The people under Hu Changren were very quick in doing such things. Soon after, the invincible big rooster was brought to the palace to face off against the emperor's Chongtian King.
The red general raised his head and held his chest out, with a look of pride on his face.
Facing the opponent in front of him whose physique was obviously superior to its own, it did not show any fear.
It flapped its wings skillfully, jumped up, and was about to kick.
King Chongtian counterattacked, and General Red fell to the ground. King Chongtian quickly began to peck at it. For a moment, General Red seemed confused.
It doesn't seem like this was the case in the past.
Just in the first round of fighting, it started to run away, being chased around, and it no longer had the original courage.
Hu Changren's face was ashen, Gao Wei laughed loudly, jumped up and clapped his hands.
Gao Wei raised his head proudly.
"King Longdong, if you find a decent rooster again in the future, remember to come to me again. This red general of yours, hahaha, is not very useful!"
Hu Changren lowered his head and nodded, his face unhappy.
Gao Wei sent someone to see Hu Changren off, and it was his younger brother Hu Changmu who saw Hu Changren off.
The two brothers walked to the door.
Hu Changmu then whispered: "In the past few days, the person who came to the emperor to persuade and report was Pingyang King Gao Yan."
"Maybe we can find a way to send him somewhere."
Hu Changren's mood became even worse and he left here without looking back.
At the same time, Luo Tipo was telling her mother exactly what she had just seen.
Lu Lingxuan was sewing clothes in her hands. When she heard her son's words, she chuckled, "These two are really relatives."
Luo Tipo then asked: "Mother, Gao Rui, and Gao Jun have all been eliminated."
"Should we take action against the Hu family?"
"Now as long as we kill them, the temple will be ours."
Facing his anxious son, Lu Lingxuan said calmly: "Don't forget Yang Min's teachings. Power alone means nothing. You must have soldiers."
"It's impossible for the two of us to reach out and take control of the military."
"Let Hu Changren be satisfied first. Stabilize him and let him continue fighting. We will protect His Majesty and contact everyone first. The leading general Qi Lianmeng is a veteran who followed Emperor Shenwu. Although he is not famous, he has great military achievements. Hu
His family divided his military power, but Hu Changren refused to give him any compensation."
"I summoned him with His Majesty earlier, discussed a lot with him, and talked about the canonization and reward. He was very excited and thanked him several times."
"First draw this person over and use him to gather the officers for His Majesty's use. Then contact the Lou family. When there are enough generals supporting the emperor, the Hu family can easily sweep them away. There is no need to worry at all."
Luo Tipo said: "Qi Lianmeng is easy to talk to, but Lou Rui, he has always been close to King Pingcheng."
"No problem."
"In all these years, Lou Rui has only been close to money."
Lou Mansion.
Inside the Lou Mansion, it was very noisy at the moment. Some people were demolishing the wall, several people were working together to pick up the wood, and there were specialized craftsmen digging the foundation.
People come and go.
Ever since Hu Changren started building a mansion, Lou Rui couldn't sit still.
How could he let a rat catch up with him? Now that there is no control from the Queen Mother, Lou Rui has completely let himself go. He is determined to compete with Hu Changren. At this moment, his mansion is aiming to catch up with Hu's mansion.
Re-expand.
Lou Rui's youngest son was walking back and forth here, telling everyone to work carefully.
As for Lou Rui himself, he is also extremely busy at the moment, discussing important matters with guests in the study.
It was quiet in the study, not affected by the noise outside at all.
Lou Rui took a sip of tea and looked at the young man in front of him.
Speaking of which, the young man in front of Lou Rui is more than thirty years old, probably older than Lou Rui himself. But sitting in front of Lou Rui, he is a 'young man', with a restrained expression and a respectful attitude.
"You also know that the Commander-in-Chief of the Arsenal is a huge fat man. I don't know how many people are watching him."
"You have no qualifications, and you are not good enough in all aspects."
This man was chubby, with thin skin and tender flesh. Hearing Lou Rui's words, he quickly laughed, "It's just because it's difficult that I came to the king for advice."
"I know that in the whole city of Ye, only the king can accomplish this."
Lou Rui glanced at him and said, "I heard that the Hu Mansion often does things, why don't you go find them?"
"Then how can Hu Changren be as fair and fair as the King? He still has to take care of it!"
After hearing these words, Lou Rui finally felt much better. He chuckled and said: "Many people in this city are stupid and ignorant, and they come to Hu Changren to ask for an official position. How does Hu Changren know the rules? They are just messing around.
, they don’t clearly mark the price, they can’t treat them fairly, they go back on their word, and they let people bid in public, isn’t this bullying? How can anyone do this kind of business?”
"If you know this truth, then I might consider helping you."
"However, I still want to make things clear to you. The current arsenal is different from the past. Now the arsenal is empty, completely empty, especially the Yecheng Sijia arsenal you want. You are now spending
It’s a big sum of money, and if you ask for this governor, I’m afraid it will be difficult to get your money back.”
"Of course, if you have no objection, then I won't stop you."
Hearing Lou Rui's words, the other party was obviously a little anxious, "It can't be empty, Your Majesty, is there any other position?"
"Yes, I can recommend a few to you."
The two discussed in the study for a long time, and after a full hour, the man just walked out of the study. He bowed to Lou Rui several times, his face full of gratitude.
Lou Rui stood at the door with a smile and watched the other party leave.
Lou Zhongyan hurried to Lou Rui's side and looked at the guests leaving, "Master, are you done?"
"What's the reason why it can't work?"
Lou Rui looked around and then walked into the house with his son.
Lou Zhongyan hurriedly said: "Master, my brother just sent someone to deliver a letter. Those merchants in the south can pay three times the price for uncastrated war horses."
Lou Rui laughed and said, "It's not even ten times the price."
"Other things are easier to deal with. Do you want a stallion? Oh, are southerners worthy?"
Lou Zhongyan lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Lou Rui quickly sat down in his seat and asked, "What is Hu Changren doing recently?"
"It's still the same as before. He plays in the house all day long, and the ones doing the work are his brothers and the three good dogs."
"The official positions in Santai have become a treasure trove for them! They even extended their hands to the local government. Grandpa, every time this guy summons officials, he doesn't report it to us. Does it make him have a memory?"
Lou Rui waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "As long as it doesn't delay my business, let him do whatever he wants."
Lou Zhongyan looked at his father and hesitated to speak.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you want to say?"
"Grandpa, many people say that the platform set up at the border fortress is for General Wei to prepare for rebellion."
"Many celebrities in the Qing capital moved their families to the frontier fortresses."
"Will King Pingcheng really rebel?"
Lou Zhongyan secretly looked at Lou Rui.
Lou Rui's expression remained the same, and he gently stroked his beard, "Who can say clearly what will happen in the future?"
"The general trend of the world is that prosperity and prosperity alternate. It does not rise because of Yao, nor does it perish because of Jie. A true man lives in the world and enjoys himself in time. Why bother with these important things?"
"Grandpa, we are nobles. If King Pingcheng rebels, what will we do?"
"What are you afraid of?"
"Is there an immortal dynasty in this world? It's just a matter of time. If the emperor can't protect it, what does it have to do with us?"
"Besides, I have a close relationship with Taozi. Even if he took control of the court that day, would we still be starving to death?"
"Don't worry about these things in the future, just do what I tell you."
Lou Zhongyan was particularly shocked at this moment. As a relative of the current dynasty, does the demise of this dynasty have nothing to do with us?
Lou Rui didn't explain anything to him, but roughly drove him out of the study.
Sitting alone in the room, Lou Rui opened the account book from the side and began to calculate the gains and losses.
If the Queen Mother was still there and his family's power was still there, he would be willing to fight to the death. But now, as soon as the Queen Mother left, the whole country became strangers to them, and the bond between them and the clan was gone.
Relatives? The emperor had many relatives, and there was no shortage of them.
Besides, in these years, the emperors have killed their own relatives. Aren't enough of them?
The temple is full of people like Hu Changren, so forget it and earn your own money in peace. If Taozi comes over one day and leads people to open the city gate, you might be able to keep your title!
Thinking of this, King Lou put all the unpleasantness behind him and happily counted the money.
Chapter completed!