Chapter 265 Bet with King An
On a June night, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. Xiao Jing led the people on their way, wearing stars and moons. He had no intention of admiring the moon and the scenery now. He just wanted to return to the capital as soon as possible and return to the first day of the Yuan Dynasty. When passing by an inn on the roadside, he saw the bright lights and bustling people inside. He also saw that everyone was exhausted after walking for several hours, so he led everyone to get off their horses and go into the inn to rest.
The group of people got off their horses, and a waiter immediately came out to welcome them in. A group of people entered the store and saw that there were almost no seats inside. They did not expect that a roadside store would do such good business.
"Excuse me, do you want to work in a hotel or stay in a hotel? If you stay in a hotel, only Datong will be available tonight, and all the rooms will be gone!" the waiter asked with a pleasant smile.
"Then let's get something that can fill our stomachs first!" Lou Xingyun said.
Not long after the waiter went down, he came up with several plates of food.
"Boy, is your business always so good?" Lou Xingyun asked as he took a steamed bun and gnawed it.
"Guest officer is joking, we are just a roadside shop for pedestrians to rest. How can there be so many people there every day? Today we just happened to be here by chance!" the waiter said with a smile.
"Are they all in the same group?" Xiao Jing asked the waiter, motioning to look at the customers in the store.
The waiter looked at the guest and smiled, "I don't know about this young one, but there are several tables of customers who came into the store together. Guests should be slow to use it. If anything happens, just call the young one." After saying that, he left. .
Ning Wuying looked at the back of the waiter and then at the people in the store. They were all wearing knives and swords. "This store must be a black store!" He whispered.
Xiao Jing threw the steamed bun in his hand back to the plate irritably, "Have a rest and go!"
"Yes!"
Several people were about to wait for the horses to drink water and eat some food before leaving, when they suddenly heard voices next to them.
"Alas! It's really unlucky that the Cao Gang is having internal strife, and it's actually hurting our business!"
"Alas, several of my shipments were gone without any explanation. How can this be true in the world?"
"The business of your Flying Eagle Gang is nothing more than tinkering with cloth and silk. Our Salt Gang suffered a big loss this time. We finally managed to get two ships of official salt, but we still entrusted them to transport it through the Cao Gang. After decades of cooperation, It doesn’t matter, the salt is gone right away, it’s really unreasonable! If they don’t give you an explanation, they won’t give up this time!”
"I heard that the old gang leader was killed. He died miserably."
"No way, the old gang leader is so shrewd. He can calculate the shipping cost even if I pay him a penny less. How could such a calculating person be murdered?"
"Hey, there are no absolutes in this world. No matter how good at calculating people are, they will be calculated by others!"
"Who was plotting against him? The eldest young master or the second young master?"
"We don't know that."
"Then you still need to ask, the second young master is in charge now!"
"You can't tell. The second young master looks gentle and elegant on weekdays, but I didn't expect him to be a ruthless person!"
"Otherwise, there's no way he could even explain how he dared to swallow our goods."
"It's not necessarily the Second Young Master who did it..."
"Oh, does Brother Yu know something?"
"Oh, it's just some hearsay."
"What is it? Tell us quickly so we can make preparations. We can't let them swallow our goods in vain!"
"I heard that the imperial court has been involved in their Cao Gang's affairs for a long time!" The voice was obviously much lower, but Xiao Jing and the others could still hear it clearly.
"Oh, this can't be true."
"What's strange? I heard that our new alliance leader is also from the imperial court!"
"How is it possible? The imperial court has never been involved in Jianghu affairs. How could it suddenly intervene now?"
"Who knows? I heard that the person who defeated Leader Ling was named Ning, but the person who was really in charge was someone else!"
"Who is that?"
"I don't know. I didn't go to this martial arts competition either. I only heard what my brother said."
"Who cares about him? Anyway, the leader of the martial arts alliance is only in his position and does not want to do anything. He will not help us recover the air from the Caogang."
"What I'm saying is, brothers, let's go. After drinking this pot, let's take a rest and go to Caogang early tomorrow morning to ask for an explanation."
Then there was a sound of cups being pushed and cups being replaced.
Xiao Jing looked at Ning Wuying, who nodded in understanding. When Xiao Jing and the others were on their way again, there were obviously a few fewer people in the team.
Beijing, palace banquet.
On the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, she listened to Tuoba Yin's boastful talk on the stage about how mysterious the object was, which made her drowsy.
"Your Highness Prince Huan, you have been talking on stage for a long time. What kind of mysterious object do you bring? Can you uncover the red silk and let us see it?" Nangong Yu finally couldn't help it anymore and asked. .
"Then it will be as King Yu wishes!"
Tuoba Yin didn't want to whet their appetite anymore, and immediately opened the red silk cloth, revealing a large black triangular-shaped object with three legs.
Everyone craned their necks to look at the stage.
"What is this? I've never seen it before!"
"Why does this thing look so strange?"
Tuoba Yin was very satisfied with the curious reactions of all of them. He saluted the emperor complacently and said, "Your Majesty, if all of you are interested in this object, you can ask everyone to come up to the stage and watch it closely!"
"Okay!" The emperor agreed and asked everyone to go up to the stage to see the large, almost triangular-shaped object. He led the queen and others up to see it first, then the adults and male guests, and finally the female guests.
"What on earth is this object? It's as smooth as a mirror!"
"It's weird! Could it be some kind of monster!"
The adults were watching and discussing. Tuoba Yin immediately became angry when he heard someone said it was a monster.
"Monster! What is a monster! This is a divine creature descended from heaven. You ordinary people don't know it if you don't know it. How can you slander it with such nonsense!"
The minister apologized hastily.
Yuan Chuyi also came up to the stage to look at this large object with smooth lines and dignity. The corners of her mouth could not help but raise slightly. She was too familiar with this object, but now she did not show it. After watching it, she got off the stage and sat back down to sit quietly. With.
Tuoba Yin looked arrogantly at the emperor on the high platform and asked: "Your Majesty, this object has been unveiled and everyone has seen it. Is there anyone in your court who knows this object?"
"This..." The emperor was embarrassed. He, the queen, and several noble concubines had never seen this object before. He looked at his highnesses and asked, "Do any of you know this object?"
"..." His Highness was silent.
Tuoba Yin looked at everyone's reaction and became even more proud. He looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I wonder if you are willing to continue this bet with me?"
"This..." The emperor hesitated. So many civil and military officials didn't know this thing. Is there anyone among the people who knows this thing?
"Your Majesty, this bet must never be made!" the right minister was the first to stand up and stop him.
"Yes, Your Majesty, this bet involves three cities of our dynasty. We don't have to give away three cities for a mere Phoenix Blood Vine!" Other ministers also came out and said.
"..."
The emperor looked at Yuan Chuyi and was in a dilemma!
"King Huan, this bet is of great importance. Can you wait a few days before I give you an answer?"
This matter is not only related to the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, but also related to Xiao Jing. Unfortunately, Xiao Jing is not in the court now. He wants to wait for Xiao Jing to come back before making a decision.
"Your Majesty, the king of a country, whether to gamble or not is just a matter of words, why do you need to think about it for a few days!" A sneer appeared on the corner of Tuoba Yin's mouth, "The little king came all the way here just to find a capable person. If it is your country If no one recognizes this thing, then Xiao Wang will leave and return to his country tomorrow."
"..." The Emperor could not help but curl his hands slightly into fists, and finally apologized to Yuan Chuyi. Just as he was about to make up his mind, Yuan Chuyi stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, if the Emperor doesn't bet with you, how about I bet with you?" Her voice was loud and clear.
Tuoba Yin looked at Yuan Chuyi, "Xiao Wang just wants to bet with the emperor. If he doesn't dare to bet, then Xiao Wang will return home. Why should he bet with you!"
"Your Majesty and the Emperor are betting against each other because they want to get back the three cities on the border. But if the Emperor doesn't bet with you, you will lose the chance to get back the three cities! Why don't you bet with me? You might still be able to get back the three cities. Get other benefits!”
"Oh! Then I wonder what Princess An's bet is?"
"Prince An! I bet you on Prince An! If I lose, I will take Prince An back to the mountains and forests. I will never set foot in the court again in this life, and I will only ask about the affairs of the court. What do you think?"
Yuan Chuyi was confident of victory at this time and was very proud of herself, but she did not show it completely and kept a calm expression on her face. But as soon as she said this, the entire banquet hall couldn't help but take a breath.
"Princess An, do you know what you are talking about!" the emperor said angrily.
Xiao Jing is the God of War who protects the country. If he retreats to the mountains and forests, who else can suppress the armies of neighboring countries that are eyeing him with eagerness. By then, not only will the Beidi army be able to easily break through the border and march straight in, but the armies of other neighboring countries may also do the same.
After hearing what Yuan Chuyi said, Tuoba Yin couldn't help but put his chin in his hands and pondered. If Xiao Jing could really withdraw from the Xia Yang Dynasty's court this time, it would be far better than getting three cities. It can be said that a thousand troops are easy to get, but a general is hard to find! Without Xiao Jing to guard the border, the Xia Yang Dynasty's border army was just a sheep without a leader. If Xiao Jing was there, the army would be a tiger force.
"Princess An, I don't allow you to bet on Prince An!" the emperor said coldly.
On the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, he looked at the emperor and said calmly: "Your Majesty, King An and I are husband and wife. Husband and wife are one body. If King An were here, I thought, for the Phoenix Blood Vine, he would definitely agree to what I did. !”
"You..." The emperor's hand pointed at Yuan Chuyi and couldn't help but tremble. Yuan Chuyi was right. If Xiao Jing were here, he would definitely agree with Yuan Chuyi's approach, "You are really a beauty!"
The ministers looked at the emperor and Yuan Chuyi in confusion. They didn't know why Yuan Chuyi did not hesitate to bet on King An and bet against Tuoba Yin.
"Princess An, this bet is related to our country, country, and country. I hope you will not act willfully and destroy our country!" said the right minister.
On the first day of the Yuan Dynasty, he looked at the right prime minister and smiled, "What the right prime minister said, the crime he charged me is really big! In your minds, King An may be related to the stability of the country, but in my heart, he is my husband. !”
"He is my Prince Chao'an first, and then your husband!"
The right minister sneered, "How can you, a mere Princess An, arrange the fate of Prince An at will?"
The first day of the Yuan Dynasty also smiled, "I dare to ask your right minister, if King An was injured and lame on the battlefield and could no longer fight, would you still treat him like this and still think that his existence is related to the stability of the country?"
"..." The right minister was speechless.
"But he is my husband no matter when and where! I will always treat him the same!" Yuan Chuyi said. Seeing that the right minister had nothing to say, he looked at the emperor again, saluted and asked: "Your Majesty, please believe me. Concubine, give me a chance! If I lose, I will die without regrets!"
The emperor looked at Yuan Chuyi, saw the light in her eyes, and finally nodded, "Okay, I agree!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, he expressed his gratitude to the emperor with great joy.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed!" The Right Prime Minister led all the civil and military officials to kneel down and admonish, "This will destroy our country, our country, our country!"
"Please, Your Majesty, take back your order!"
Looking at the officials who were kneeling in obeisance, the emperor waved his hand, "My lords, please stand down. I have made up my mind. I believe that Princess An will not let me down!"
Tuoba Yin laughed loudly, "Great! Princess An, with this, our bet is settled!"
"Your Majesty, it's not fair to me to make this bet like this!" Tuoba Yin said with a smile at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty.
Tuoba Yin became interested, "Is it possible that Princess An has any other conditions?"
Yuan Chu smiled and said, "Your Highness must have seen it too. Our Prince An is very valuable. If I bet him against you for just one Phoenix Blood Vine, then I would suffer a huge loss. Why don't you agree to one more condition?" Bar!"
"Princess, please tell me!"
Tuoba Yin smiled.
Yuan Chuyi tilted his head and thought for a moment, then put his eyes on the dinner plate in front of him, "If I win, why don't you give me some money?"
Tuoba Yin laughed loudly, it was just money, what did he think it was, "I wonder how much the princess wants?"
Yuan Chuyi pointed to the dinner plates on the table in front of her, "I have twenty-five dinner plates on the table. Just put some silver on these dinner plates. Put one or two silver coins on the first plate, and one tael of silver on the second plate." Put two taels of silver on the third plate, four taels of silver on the fourth plate, and so on. The next plate is twice as much as the previous one. Twenty-five plates are filled in this way. how?"
Tuoba Yin laughed loudly, "It's only twenty-five plates, how much can it hold, okay, Xiao Wang..."
"Your Majesty, wait!" An envoy beside Tuoba Yin hurriedly stopped him, "Be careful that Princess An's condition is fraudulent!"
"Fraud! What kind of deceit is there? It's just twenty-five plates and such a small amount of money. Even if I lose, I can still afford it!"
"My lord, think twice!" the envoy advised, "don't fall into Princess An's trap!"
He always felt that the condition proposed by Princess An was not that simple.
"Stop talking, I have made up my mind!" Tuoba Yin said coldly, looking at Yuan Chuyi, "Princess An, the little king agreed to this condition! Do you have any other conditions?"
Yuan Chu smiled, "I only want these silver and Phoenix blood vines, nothing else!"
"Then, let's make a covenant. If you can find someone to recognize this thing tomorrow and use it, then Xiao Wang will give you the silver and Phoenix Blood Vine you want as you said. If you return it before tomorrow night, If no one recognizes this thing and uses it, then you and Prince An can follow Xiao Wang back to Beidi and retire to the mountains and forests!" Tuoba Yin said with a proud smile, he also looked like he was sure of victory, "Set up the word as evidence, please Your emperor, all ministers, and our envoys bear witness!"
"Okay!" Yuan Chuyi readily agreed.
The emperor asked people to draw up a contract according to what they just said, and asked them to sign and pledge it. The bet was officially established.
"Alas!" The ministers sighed one after another, and their eyes became angry when they looked at Yuan Chu.
"Demon concubine!"