Words of One Heart Smells Like Orchids
A lean camel is bigger than a horse, and a phoenix is worse than a chicken.
Mu Weizhou did not care which of the two people had said those words. He hurriedly ran to Liu Qingping's side and asked if she was okay. Liu Qingping saw his nervous look and smiled as she replied that she was fine. Hearing this, Mu Weizhou felt relieved. Ban Chao and the Wei family's class had already gathered. Mu Weizhou asked everyone about their situation one by one. After knowing that the others had only suffered one or two punches and were not seriously injured, he could not help but feel lucky.
At this moment, Jia Di was handing over the Dou brothers not far away. Liu Qingping led the young man in white to Mu Weizhou and said,"There's no need to look. They'll be fine.”
Mu Weizhou glanced at him and asked,""Why?"
"Just now, I saw two people in the stall. One of them seemed to be wearing a golden mask. I guess the person who shouted to stop him was probably him-the leader of the Money Gang, Qian Bu Dai.”It turned out that Liu Qingping had also seen the two people in the stall just now.
Hearing Liu Qingping's words, Mu Weizhou felt that it made sense. He thought to himself that it was no wonder the Money Gang stopped immediately. He looked at Liu Qingping and nodded involuntarily.
Liu Qingping pointed at the white-robed youth and continued,"Big Brother Mu, let me introduce him to you. His name is Ma Xiaoda, and he is my good friend.”
Mu Weizhou had a good impression of Ma Xiaoda. Although he didn't know martial arts, he was not afraid of violence and insisted on justice, especially when he wanted to help Liu Qingping later. "I am Mu Weizhou. Brother Ma's words of 'doing a good deed for a just cause' are truly remarkable."”
Ma Xiaoda also imitated Mu Weizhou and cupped his fists at everyone. He said to Mu Weizhou sincerely,""Big Brother Mu, you flatter me. I've heard Sister Qingping mention you before. It's my honor to see you today.”
Mu Weizhou heard him speak appropriately, and he was a good friend of Liu Qingping. He couldn't help but feel closer to him.
Coincidentally, the Dou siblings had also finished their handover with Jia Di. They walked over and wanted to express their gratitude to Mu Weizhou and the others.
Mu Weizhou, Ma Xiaoda, and the others had gotten to know the Dou brothers, and they began to greet them politely. Although Mu Weizhou's eyes were looking at Dou Xian and his mouth was responding, his heart was always looking at Dou Tao beside him. She nodded slightly and stood quietly beside Dou Xian, watching Mu Weizhou and the other two with a smile on her face. Mu Weizhou's mind was spinning rapidly as he thought about how to find a suitable reason to talk to Dou Tao. He suddenly thought of the treasured sword in his hand, and his heart was filled with excitement. Finding a suitable gap, he picked up the sword and said to Dou Tao,"Miss Dou, this is your sword. Thank you for borrowing it just now.”
Dou Tao blushed when she saw Mu Weizhou talking to her. She hurriedly lowered her head and said softly,"Young Master Mu, what are you talking about? Dou Tao once again thanks Young Master for your help.”As he spoke, he reached out to take the sword. Mu Weizhou saw her shy look and couldn't help but feel delighted.
Liu Qingping saw all of this. She rolled her eyes and poked Ma Xiaoda, who was staring at Dou Tao in a daze, and pouted at Dou Tao. Ma Xiaoda seemed to have woken up all of a sudden. He looked at Liu Qingping with a questioning gaze and a hesitant expression. When he saw Liu Qingping's angry expression and glare, he immediately turned around and cupped his hands. He said to Dou Tao,"Lady Dou, I feel that this sword of yours is quite unique. I have a habit of hiding swords, but I wonder if you can give this sword to me?”
Dou Tao had just held the sword in her hand. When she heard Ma Xiaoda say this, she felt a little awkward. Mu Weizhou was also a little surprised by Ma Xiaoda's actions. Only Liu Qingping stood at the side, looking at them with a smile that was not a smile.
Dou Tao didn't want to give the sword to Ma Xiaoda, but when she thought of how Ma Xiaoda had protected her with his body, she couldn't refuse. She looked up at Ma Xiaoda with sincerity and anticipation and said softly,""Originally, Ma En Gong had taken a fancy to this sword, so Dou Tao had to give it to him as a gift. Just now, when Young Master Mu was fighting against the enemy, this sword had already been injured by Shopkeeper Jia's abacus. My daughter still has a new one at home. Why don't…why don't I give it to my benefactor one day? What do you think?”
Hearing her words, Mu Weizhou realized that the pink gemstone on the sword was nowhere to be found. It must have been sent flying when he was fighting with Jia Di. He could not help but feel apologetic. Ma Xiaoda was about to nod in agreement when he saw Liu Qingping staring at him. He could only say,""Ah, Miss Dou, I just feel that this sword is unique. As the saying goes,'Nothing is perfect in this world.'Although this sword lacked a gem, it was even more unique. I wonder if Miss Dou has the intention to give in.”
Dou Tao didn't expect Ma Xiaoda to be so pedantic. Since he said so, she had no choice but to give him the sword.
Ma Xiaoda took the sword from Dou Tao's treasured sword and was naturally happy. Liu Qingping also smiled and stepped forward."Big Brother Mu, we're going to eat. Why don't we invite Miss Dou and the others?”"What do you think, Brother Dou?"”
Hearing this, Mu Weizhou was naturally happy. He looked at Dou Xian and didn't say anything. Without waiting for Dou Xian to speak, Ma Xiaoda looked at Dou Tao and said happily,""Yes! That's right! That's right! It was better to meet by chance than to invite her. You guys should go too!"
Dou Xian was older than them. He had seen the scene of Ma Xiaodasuo's sword. Although he didn't know where these people came from, he knew that they weren't evil people from their righteous actions. Mu Liuma and the other two's mannerisms and dressing skills showed that they were not ordinary people in the Jianghu. They seemed to have some background. Especially Ma Xiaoda and Mu Weizhou's attitude towards his sister. He couldn't help but laugh in his heart. Thinking of this, he smiled and said,"Since Young Lady has spoken, how would Dou Xian dare to disobey? It's just that we've already arranged things in the afternoon and can't get away. How about this, tonight I will treat you to a meal to express my gratitude. I hope you will not refuse.”The three brothers Dou Du, Dou Jing, and Dou Gui also agreed with all their might. Dou Tao raised her eyes and glanced at Mu Weizhou, but did not say anything.
Liu Qingping saw Mu Weizhou looking at her as if he was asking for her opinion. She thought for a moment and said,"That's good too. Then we'll see you tonight. All of you have to be there!”Why did Liu Qingping agree so readily? It turned out that at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Dou Rong was famous because he attached himself to Liu Xiu. Later on, although the Ming Emperor Liu Zhuang intentionally did it, his family was in decline, but he was still a tyrant. If he could get along with the Dou family, it would not be a bad thing. Moreover, looking at Mu Weizhou and Ma Xiaoda's stance, if he rejected Dou Xian's invitation, he would probably offend them.
After the two sides finished discussing, they bid farewell. Mu Weizhou and the others had a simple lunch at a nearby restaurant and prepared to return to the Sunset Smoke Hall. The Wei family's class was afraid that their performance in the afternoon would cause more trouble, so they decided to move to Dong City. As for the Dou family's banquet tonight, Wei Feng was afraid that it would affect the performance the next day, so she decided to let Wei Luan represent them.
After Mu Weizhou and the rest had discussed with the Wei Family, they prepared to leave Nan City. Mu Weizhou looked back at the square, which had returned to normal. It was hard to believe that a group of people had been fighting here for their own purposes not long ago. This day had become a special Dragon Boat Festival in Mu Weizhou's life. Perhaps Wei Shang, who was walking behind the team and looking back, thought the same. Mu Weizhou looked back in the line, and there were also people looking at the Money Gang's stall. They all had different feelings in their hearts.
When they returned to the Sunset Smoke Hall, Liu Qingping realized that the left armpit of Mu Weizhou's clothes was torn. When she heard Mu Weizhou calmly say that it was because of the abacus, she felt a lingering fear in her heart. However, she did not expect that if it was not the white-haired old man, the one who vomited blood would not be the Money Gang member. Liu Qingping called Xiao Tong in and instructed him to buy a set of clothes for Mu Weizhou. Mu Weizhou saw that the wound was not big, so he stopped her and found a needle and thread to mend it himself. Seeing that Liu Qingping wanted to help, Mu Weizhou felt that it wouldn't take too much effort, so he refused. It made Liu Qingping feel like she had a bottle of oil hanging from her mouth. She returned to the inner room and ignored them. When Ma Xiaoda saw this, he wanted to laugh, but he didn't dare to. It was really hard for him to hold it in.
As it was still early, the three of them chatted while drinking tea. What surprised Mu Weizhou was that Ma Xiaoda was very knowledgeable despite his young age. Especially when it came to the content of the Confucian classics that were the norm in the world, he was even more proficient and his level was not inferior to Ban Gu. The three of them had a good conversation, and the more they talked, the further they went. They didn't even notice when Liu Qingping and Wei Luan had arrived. In the blink of an eye, the sun had already set, bathing the ground in its afterglow.
When it was almost time to light the lamp, a child suddenly ran into the hall and said that the Dou family's carriage had arrived. When they heard this, they packed up and prepared to go to the banquet.
Mu Weizhou and the others walked out and saw Dou Gui leading a horse and waiting. There were also two carriages parked at the entrance. Mu Weizhou noticed that the two cars were very different. The one in front was relatively simple. It was pulled by two horses and had an umbrella cover on the body of the original color wood. The other carriage was pulled by a horse, and it looked like the carriage that people rode in in a costume show. Not only was the carriage surrounded by cloth curtains, but the shaft and carriage were also painted with patterns. In comparison, it looked very luxurious. Mu Weizhou already knew that these two types of carriages were common means of transportation at that time. The one in front was called a light carriage, and the one behind was called an carriage. The side of the hearse was lighter and more common. Although Mu Weizhou had seen it before, he had never stood on it. Why stand? This was because most of the people he had seen in this kind of car maintained a standing posture. As for setting up a car, it was usually done by people with status. Liu Qingping had once told him that in order to regulate etiquette, the current emperor had formulated some rules regarding clothing and riding. If one violated the rules while riding, it was likely to be a serious crime. At that time, Mu Weizhou felt that the Green and Black ribbons were very troublesome, and he felt that they had nothing to do with him, so he did not care at all. However, he remembered that using such a carriage would require the emperor's permission.
Mu Weizhou had ridden in a carriage when he was young. Other than the lack of a cloth curtain and the lack of paint, it was no different from the carriage in front of him. Therefore, he was not interested in the carriage. Instead, he felt that it was very interesting to stand and ride the carriage. He greeted Dou Gui and went straight to the hearse with Ban Chao. Ma Xiaoda didn't even think about it and followed Liu Qingping and Wei Luan into the carriage. Liu Qingping saw this and questioned whether he should sit in the car in front. Ma Xiaoda seemed to wake up from a dream and ran to the front to squeeze with Mu Weizhou and Ban Chao.
It was Mu Weizhou's first time riding in such a carriage. Although the charioteer leading the horse at the front was not fast, this feeling was still novel to Mu Weizhou and he found it very fun. Beside him, Ma Xiaoda also seemed to be infected by him. He also found it fun and looked around in the car. Ban Chao was careful at the side, afraid that the two of them would fall out of the car because of their excitement. He couldn't understand how these two people could have such a common language even though they were sitting in a broken car!
The Dou Residence was not far from the Jin market, so the group of people arrived not long after. Dou Xian personally came out to welcome the five of them in.
The Dou residence was a three-door mansion. From the decorations in the house, one could see the glory of this family. However, there were some things that made Mu Weizhou feel that those glories were long gone, such as the hearse he had just ridden in.
The Dou family had already prepared the banquet. After the host and guest sat down, Mu Weizhou realized that something was missing. It turned out that the four Dou brothers were all here, but they did not see Dou Tao. He wanted to ask, but he was afraid of being gossiped about, so he sat at the table and chatted with Dou Xian. For some reason, Mu Weizhou only had an average impression of Dou Xian. He only felt that this person seemed generous, but his words were very alert, which was very different from Ma Xiaoda's generosity. On the other hand, Ma Xiaoda and Dou Xian chatted happily. Although he didn't answer Dou Xian's roundabout inquiries, he didn't care.
Mu Weizhou saw that Ma Xiaoda and Dou Xian hit it off, and he was happy. This saved him the trouble of finding a topic to answer Dou Xian. Not long after, the dishes were almost all served and the table was filled. Mu Weizhou could name some of them, but he couldn't. At this moment, he heard the ring pendant behind the screen in the Ming Hall clang. A fragrance came over and Dou Tao came out from inside.
It was obvious that Dou Tao had carefully dressed up. Not only was her hair different from the day, but she had also changed into a red robe embroidered with gold and wore jewelry. If the Dou Tao during the day was said to be out of the ordinary because she had the nimbleness and free-spirited demeanor of a Jianghu child, the Dou Tao at this moment was solemn and could be said to be peerless.
Mu Weizhou glanced at it, and his heart couldn't help but pound. He quickly withdrew his gaze and focused on the teacup in his hand. Liu Qingping cleared her throat and deliberately whispered to him,""Big Brother Mu, a woman looks good for the one who likes her. That teacup looks better than Dou Tao?”
When Mu Weizhou heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He happened to see Ma Xiaoda staring at Dou Tao in a daze. He couldn't help but smile and say,"It seems that your good friend is going to become that person who likes you.”
Liu Qingping whispered,"He's not my only good friend." She stood up with Mu Weizhou to greet Dou Tao.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, everyone took their seats and began the banquet. Mu Weizhou's group of five and the Dou siblings each had their own table, separated into the east and west sides of the Ming Hall. Mu Weizhou was afraid that Dou Xian would ask questions after he was drunk, so he gave the main seat to Ma Xiaoda and chose to sit facing Dou Jing. Later, Mu Weizhou realized that Dou Jing didn't like to talk much other than drinking. He was glad that he had drawn a good lot.
Everyone chatted as they ate. At first, the content was nothing more than gratitude. After two rounds of wine, everyone talked more. Mu Weizhou finally learned from Dou Xian about the feud between the Dou family and the Han family. Dou Jing's face turned green, and he swore that he would make the Han Family pay with blood sooner or later.
Mu Weizhou felt a little regretful when he heard this. He felt that his unintentional impulsiveness had caused him to get involved in the muddy water between the two families. However, thinking about the situation at that time, even if he met them again, he would probably step forward. He could not help but sigh inwardly as he looked in Dou Tao's direction. At this moment, Dou Tao was also looking at her. When she saw Mu Weizhou looking at her, her face turned red and she hurriedly toasted Liu Qingping and Wei Luan.
Everyone drank for a while more and had a general understanding of each other. Mu Weizhou was very surprised. Why was there such a huge difference between the five brothers of the Dou family? Big brother Dou Xian seemed to be generous, but he was actually quite shrewd. His words and actions carried some decisiveness and grace. The second son, Dou Du, was very good at speaking. Whether it was toasting or chatting, he was like a spring breeze, but his heart was very utilitarian. This could be seen from his attitude towards Ban Chao and Wei Luan. The fourth son, Dou Jing, was ignorant and incompetent. He was brave and fierce. After drinking a few more glasses, he became a scoundrel. On the other hand, the youngest Dou Gui seemed to have a calm temperament and had a moderate behavior. He would even cover for his fourth brother from time to time. As for Dou Tao, it was difficult to evaluate her because they had not interacted with each other. However, because of the other brothers of the Dou family, Mu Weizhou's feelings for her had also changed. Humans were like this. They would inexplicably develop a good impression of a person, and also inexplicably change their feelings for a person.
The change in Mu Weizhou's heart was also directly reflected in his alcohol tolerance. He only felt that the alcohol was rising. Ma Xiaoda had been forced to drink by Dou Du and was already a little tipsy. If Ban Chao hadn't helped to block a lot of the alcohol, he would have been drunk already.
The meal lasted about two hours. Under Dou Du's compliments, the host and guest bid farewell. Dou Xian wanted to send a car to send them off, but Mu Weizhou and the others saw Luoyang City bustling with people during the Dragon Boat Festival. They wanted to take a look, so they refused. Dou Xian couldn't argue with him, so he sent two servants, Dou Tao, and Dou Gui to walk the guests out.
Everyone walked along the streets of Luoyang and looked around. Mu Weizhou, Ban Chao, and Dou Gui walked in front while Ma Xiaoda mingled with the three girls without any scruples. Although Mu Weizhou didn't feel much about this banquet, Dou Tao got along well with Liu Qingping and the others and felt quite close. When they reached the Big Cross in the city center, Ban Chao and Wei Luan wanted to bid farewell and go home. Ma Xiaoda was reluctant to leave. He pointed to a tea garden by the street and suggested listening to some music. It wouldn't be too late to sit for a while before leaving. The others also had the same thoughts. They found a table by the street and sat down together.
The innkeeper saw their appearance and knew that they were honored guests, so he quickly came up to clean up and serve them. "Oh, I forgot something important today!" Ban Chao suddenly said.”Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he continued,"Haha, drinking realgar on the Dragon Boat Festival." Old Ban hadn't drunk the realgar wine today.”Everyone agreed. Drinking realgar was an important custom at that time. Mu Weizhou and the others had been busy the whole day and had forgotten about it. Actually, Mu Weizhou knew that Ban Chao must have not drunk enough just now and wanted to drink more with him. He had the same idea. Therefore, everyone ordered a bowl of realgar, a few plates of snacks, a jar of Dukang, and a pot of tea for the girls.
It was early summer, and the sky was already long. There were many people sitting in the tea garden enjoying the cool. Mu Weizhou basked in the evening breeze and felt quite comfortable. He heard the guests at the next table talking about joining the army to conquer the Xiongnu. Thinking of the discussion with Ban Chao in the Sunset Smoke Hall a few days ago, he smiled at Ban Chao.
Ban Chao also heard their conversation and sighed when he saw Mu Weizhou smiling at him.
"Brother Ban, why are you sighing?" Mu Weizhou asked with concern.
Ban Chao raised his glass and looked at Mu Weizhou. After drinking it all, he sighed and said,""Brother Weizhou, I won't hide it from you. Yesterday, I went to the government office to inquire about the crusade against the Xiongnu. Only then did I know that the official document had already been issued. It's a pity that Old Ban isn't among them."
"Brother Ban, why is that? Aren't you in the military?" Liu Qingping interrupted.
"Sigh, Old Ban is poor. According to the old Ban's qualifications, it was not too much to add a military marquis, but the head of the duty officer opened his mouth and asked for 1,000 yuan. If Old Ban couldn't fork out the 1,000 yuan, someone else would take his place.”He sighed sadly.
Although Mu Weizhou didn't know what the rank of a military marquis was, he guessed that it wasn't high. In his impression, Ban Chao had managed the entire Western Region in an orderly manner. He should be quite capable. Why couldn't he even become a military officer now?
"Joining the army to crusade against the Xiongnu is already dangerous. There are very few people like Brother Ban who are willing to take the initiative to go.”Ma Xiaoda asked in confusion.
Ban Chao looked at him and explained,"Brother Ma doesn't know." Old Ban was willing to join the army to conquer the Xiongnu. He really had the heart to serve the country. However, not everyone on the expedition had such thoughts, especially the officers. The cost of conquering the Xiongnu was huge. If he could become a military marquis in the army and return safely, he would earn more than ten million dollars. Therefore, these seats were clearly priced for some people.”
"Doesn't the general in charge know about this?”Ma Xiaoda continued to ask.
"Some of them know, some of them probably don't. Even if they knew, sometimes they could only let it be. One had to know that in a war, the key was to use the lives of the three armies. It was not necessarily a good thing to win a battle if everything was clear. After so many years of practice, even if he knew, he probably wouldn't be able to do anything.”Ban Chao replied.
Mu Weizhou heard it from the side and knew that it was the truth. He felt sorry for Ban Chao. He raised his glass and clinked it with Ban Chao's. Ma Xiaoda nodded thoughtfully.
Liu Qingping rolled her eyes and said,"Brother Ban, did the official document say which generals will go out to attack?"”
Ban Chao looked at Liu Qingping and hesitated." The official documents say that the Emperor has selected the four generals, Ji Tong, Dou Gu, Geng Bing, and Lai Miao.”
"Oh?" Liu Qingping nodded. I see." As he said that, he glanced at Dou Tao as if nothing had happened. Then, he pulled at the plate on the table, wanting to pick a piece of edible dried fish.
No one noticed that Liu Qingping glanced at Dou Tao, but Dou Tao knew what was going on. She pondered for a moment and said,"Big Brother Ban, the Dou Gu and Dou Tao you mentioned just now are from the same family. In terms of seniority, Dou Tao had to call him Little Grandpa. If Big Brother Ban is really being made difficult by others and can't make it, I'm willing to tell Little Grandpa. What do you think?”Dou Gui, who was at the side, also kept nodding his head when he heard this.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]