Walking forward, it is Xiangguo Temple, far away, the noise of Xiangguo Temple has reached the ears of Zhao Xing and his party.

It was boiling like a big pot boiling, noisy, howling, bad laughter, shouting, hoarse shouting. It was like a modern-day free city.

There are several sumo wrestling workshops heading on, which is the "wild field" - there are two kinds of sumo wrestling in the Song Dynasty, one is the sumo wrestlers in the army, and the court will send them out to perform on major festivals, these people are called "inner sons". On the other hand, there are folk sumo wrestlers who make a living by performing, and this kind of sumo scene is called "noba".

At the entrance of Sokokuji Temple are several "wild fields", and performances by female sumo wrestlers are taking place. The female sumo wrestlers of the Song Dynasty performed quite like the kind of women's wrestling competitions in later generations, these female sumo wrestlers wore very few clothes for wrestling performances, and after performing for a while, their clothes were ripped off in the fight, so the two female sumo wrestlers continued to fight in an almost ** state.

This kind of sumo show, it seems to be more obscene than the modern "sumo show", which is actually in the Song Dynasty, which is known as the Song Dynasty with strict etiquette. The main force of people watching this kind of sumo wrestling tournament is not the common people, but the court officials and their families.

It is still in the inner city, and you can see the performance of Sangokuji Temple from the imperial wall. When the officials who are not in charge of the office finish shopping, they bring their families to the temple to watch the sumo wrestling performance. And when he was a worthy official, he secretly stood on the imperial city wall and watched the performance here.

The Song people are simple, they don't know the difference between performance and competition, this sumo show, who wins and who loses is arranged, and the factor that determines the outcome lies in the amount of "betting". Zhao Xing watched this performance, and the audience bet. On the performance stage, a thick layer of copper coins has been piled up, and a line is drawn in the middle of the stage, representing the left and right sides of the competition. Place bets are placed on the chosen side.

Some of the officials who watched the show were pure demons. They don't care if they win or lose, they just want to play a little more intensely and feast their eyes. And he sprinkled the copper coins in his hand into the middle of the stage—all the money went to the victor.

As a rule, the thicker the copper coin on the sumo ring, the more spectacle the match seems to be. So, the officials and family members who were watching from the audience threw the copper plate onto the stage. While shouting and cheering hoarsely. They were emotional, like the modern days of boxing.

Zhao Xing was a little uncomfortable in it, after all, seeing a woman fighting so naked in front of him made him very uncomfortable. He took a look at it and found that Chaoyun and Cheng Azhu had no disgusted expressions on their faces, and that Chen Yiyi actually followed the example of those women on the sidelines and threw copper coins on the stage.

Am I wrong-Zhao Xing asked himself.

But this is the Song Dynasty, and the things that the people of the Song Dynasty were accustomed to were so weird.

Reputedly. Sima Guang, who smashed the cylinder, was also not accustomed to this phenomenon, he once said in a recital: "There is the respect of the Son of Heaven, there are all the people below, the concubine is serving, and the woman is ordered to look around, and the woman is naked in front", which is too unorthodox. Hence the request to the emperor to ban such games, however. Song Renzong did not order a ban after all.

This is the Song Dynasty.

The gambling habits of the Song people are extremely heavy, and the Song Dynasty is also the era of the heaviest gambling habits in China. The ministers did the same. Li Qingzhao, a famous female lyricist, once described the tricks of gambling: "The husband is a blogger." …… And long lines, leaves, Bo, and chess, there is no one in recent times. If you hit brown, large and small pig nests, clan ghosts, Hu paintings, several warehouses, fast gambling, etc., they are all disdainful of slang; Tibetan strings, canopy, double fuse, modern abolition; Selecting immortals, adding and subtracting, inserting the fire, being too qualitative and reckless, and having nothing to do, is ingenious; The size of the elephant drama and the chess game can only accommodate two people; Unique color selection, playing horses, especially for the boudoir play. It can be seen that this famous female lyricist is also an avid gambling enthusiast.

Because of this, gambling in the Song Dynasty was open and legal. Most gambling is "contributing to local tax revenues", so if you see someone gambling in the Song Dynasty, it is almost certain that this person is a time-traveler, at least from the Ming Dynasty.

The reason why sumo wrestling was so popular in the Song Dynasty was that it was inseparable from gambling, and all those who watched sumo wrestling matches were determined by who won and who lost. Everyone was worried about playing on the field, but they didn't know that it was just a show, and the outcome had already been arranged.

After a while, the ending was as Zhao Xing expected, the finale of the most female sumo wrestlers unexpectedly lost, the casino in charge of the field ate those bets, and then paid the winner of the bet, satisfied with the surplus money to the backcourt, the field was a shouting and scolding, only those who did not throw money in the sumo ring people watched the end of the game with satisfaction, they were full of eyes, and there was no heart to gain or lose, naturally satisfied.

In the Song Dynasty, there were three earth gambling festivals, namely the Lantern Festival, the winter solstice, and the cold food. Outside of these three days, the only forms of public gambling are casinos and sumo wrestling venues, and the nature of sumo gambling in broad daylight makes gamblers particularly addicted, so after the female sumo wrestlers withdraw, the people watching the game still do not retreat, but gather more and more, because the main play begins.

Next up was the men's sumo wrestlers – still a show-based game, but much more intense than the women's sumo wrestlers, and when the two teams of men's sumo wrestlers were finished, the ring leader came on, and he first performed a sumo trick with a few apprentices, and then took out a large plate full of silver ingots. The bearer of the plate goes around the arena for a week, and then places the silver plate in the center of the stage and covers it with a piece of red silk cloth - this is the hanging red, and if someone can defeat the champion, he can take the silver ingot.

But can it win?

Sumo wrestlers are challenged to set rules, such as asking you to find a local guarantor in Tokyo under the pretext of life and death – however, you won't find a guarantor;

Then, they will ask you to fight his apprentice first, first with one apprentice, then two or three apprentices will fight you, and then the female sumo wrestler...... It's called "Beat the Three Levels" to prove that you have the strength to challenge.

Of these three levels, dealing with female sumo wrestlers is the most tiring, because you can't be heavy on women, so people on the sidelines will scold you for not having mercy on you. And these female sumo wrestlers are the most pestering. They're going to squeeze your strength out little by little, and then they'll give you no time to rest at all, and they'll let the boss knock you off the stage.

This kind of scene was described in "Water Margin". Yan Qing's third fight was for a woman, who was Optimus Prime's wife, and Yan Qing had to "handle it gently" on stage, so she passed the third level.

Zhao Xing is a modern man. He was already familiar with these gambling cheating skills, but the few entourages behind him didn't know that they were stirred up by the people in the ring, and kept encouraging Zhao Xing to come to the stage, or begging him to allow them to show off their skills on stage. Later, even Chaoyun looked at him expectantly.

Zhao Xing was indifferent: "I'm stupid, I'm tired and sweaty, let others make money, and I only get a laugh." You can't do that...... Not only can't I do it, but you can't do it either."

Seeing that his words had no effect, Zhao Xing changed his angle again and continued: "It's not easy to make a living, earn some money to support your family, and even your wife and daughter have to come out to play naked, what are you going to do." Smashing people's jobs? ”

The words finally worked, and several of the retinue suppressed their impulses.

But they were calm. The people off the field didn't want to.

Zhao Xingchang is majestic, standing under the stage like a flock, the people in the ring, and the people in the ring have already stared at this man with a calm face. The people on the stage originally shouldered the mission of provoking people to the stage, and the audience was also mixed with those helpers. Specially instigated people to come to the stage to compete. in order to entertain the audience.

That large plate of ingots was placed there, and they instigated and instigated. You can always let a few impulsive ghosts go up and fight, but now Zhao Xing stands out from the crowd, everyone is staring at him, listening to the meaning of a few entourages around this person, this person still has a little skill, now he is not on the field, no one below dares to jump, but after a glance exchange on and off the stage, several helpers squeezed towards Zhao Xing.

"Official, I usually beg for food on this street, I have seen that the eagle is not eye-catching, and the martial arts are normal, why don't the officials come forward and try their skills...... That plate of silver is three hundred taels. One of the helpers said with a lick on his face.

Soaring eagles?! Zhao Xing almost laughed out loud, he knew that Song Renyi gave himself a nickname, but he didn't expect that this champion was also nicknamed "Fighting the Sky Eagle".

Zhao Xing was indifferent, he turned around and greeted a few entourages, ready to continue to wander around, the people on the stage were anxious, and they were happy to speak: "Wu Na under the stage, Bai Chang is so wolf-like, but it turned out to be a turtle with a shrunken head, come up, come up, look at this big plate of silver, come up and take it away." ”

Zhao Xing could still bear it, and walked back indifferently beckoning people, but some people in the audience were unwilling, a strong man with a strange hairstyle, knocked into the ring, stared at the shouting sumo wrestlers on the stage with a pair of bull's eyes, and asked menacingly: "Who are you scolding?" ”

This is a Liao man, and he is the second tallest man in the field. Zhao Xing was walking out, and he was the tallest in front of the sumo ring, so he thought he was being insulted, so he jumped on the stage to fight.

According to the burial research of later generations, the bones of the Song people in the south are all under 1.57 meters, while the Song people in the north are 1.7 meters tall. However, during the same period, the minimum height of the Liao Tomb, Xixia Tomb, Jin Tomb and other tomb clans was above 1.59 meters.

That is to say, during the same period, the average height of the people of the three countries of Western Xia, Liao, and Jin was at least two centimeters taller than that of the Song people. It proves that the Liao people are short in front of Zhao Xing, but his height of one meter and eight is also a majestic giant who is one head taller than a group of people about one meter and a half. So it's not an exaggeration to think that the sumo wrestlers in the ring are talking about him.

In this era, the Song people liked sumo wrestling, and sumo wrestling matches were also very popular in Liao, and pictures depicting sumo matches can often be seen in Liao tombs. Moreover, sumo wrestling eventually spread in the north into the 21st century, but gradually died out in the south, so the Liao people preferred sumo games to the Song people.

As soon as he came on stage, after shouting a few words, he immediately grabbed the sumo wrestler on the stage in his chest, and lifted the opponent up with a skillful movement and threw him down the stage.

There was a commotion behind him, but at this time, Zhao Xing had already ignored it and continued to rush downstream.

The antique shops in Xiangguo Temple sell fake antiques. The craft of making fake antiques in China reached its peak in the Song Dynasty, Song Huizong loved antiques, he recruited people who made fake antiques into the palace, and set up a royal forgery workshop to forge ancient jade in batches in the palace. This also caused the Song Dynasty to have the most antique fakes. The antique shops near Xiangguoji Temple are the distribution centers for counterfeit goods.

However, the ancients were not trademark conscious, and they did not consider counterfeiting antiques to be a fraud. Therefore, even if the emperor bought a fake antique of this era, he would only complain that he had no eyesight, insufficient knowledge, and failed to distinguish the authenticity from the fake.

It's also a tradition. In the twenty-first century, this tradition is alive and well.

Others don't know the mystery of antiques, Zhao Xing knows, so he doesn't have the intention of buying antiques at all, since he doesn't have this heart, he looks very leisurely when he goes shopping, all the way, he takes out the ability to bargain on Silk Street, and bargains fiercely, as a result. The group walked all the way, and there was a lot of mourning behind them.

Can the owner of the antique shop not want to cry without tears, shouting for three hundred taels of jade washing, Zhao Xing counter-offered one tael, and never entangled, if he didn't sell it, he would leave, and the result made the boss want to cry without tears.

Chaoyun has never seen such a ruthless counter-bargain in his life. Su Dongpo also likes to visit this antique shop, but when he met the boss, he offered three hundred taels. At most, it is to fight for two hundred and eighty taels, but I didn't expect that a few days ago, Su Dongpo spent two hundred and fifty taels to buy back a jade pen holder, and today Zhao Xing spent two taels and bought two.

Cheng Azhu has no concept of these luxuries. Chen Yiyi was happy. According to the shopkeeper's recommendation, the porcelain with simple shapes is antiques from the Han and Tang dynasties. It was very precious, and as a result, Zhao Xing gave her a basket and bought a bunch of ...... Take it back to the palace like this, and don't let the sisters envy to death.

By the time Zhao Xing swept to the last antique shop, the antique dealers in the entire Xiangguo Temple already knew that there was a fast knife man on the street, and he hated and poisoned the price. In the end, the shopkeeper was negotiating a business with the customer, and when he saw Zhao Xing coming in, he was afraid that the other party would ruin the transaction at hand, so he said with a crying voice: "God, don't say anything, you can take whatever you like in the store, and you are willing to give as much money as you like." ”

The merchant who was talking to the boss in the store was not depressed - when did I also have this treatment.

Zhao Xing did not win for the victory of the set of four treasures of the study, a few rolls of good rice paper, casually dropped two taels of silver, in the boss's farewell, like a gift to the street, raised his eyes to sweep the road, the roadside to pull the guests saw his gaze, have to hide back in the store, for a while, the whole antique street seems very empty.

Everyone flashed to both sides, and the Liao man he saw in the ring just now obviously won, and he walked triumphantly, followed by several retinues.

This guy won, but it was not polite at all, and even the silver plate was brought over, and the entourage behind him ostentatiously raised the silver plate above his head, shouting at the people around him as he walked.

"What kind of sumo wrestling do Nanren play, that small body, our lord will poke down the ...... with one finger"

At this time, with the shouting of the entourage, the Song people all over the street turned their faces in disgust and avoided on both sides of the road, but it seemed that Zhao Xing's figure standing in the middle of the street was particularly conspicuous.

Did it really go through a struggle? Zhao Xing squinted his eyes and looked at the other party, Liaoren's clothes were not messy at all, and his sideburns didn't even sweat, could he have passed the three levels so easily?

At this moment, not long after the Lantern Festival, except for noon, the sun is a little lazy, and the current weather is still a little cold, Zhao Xing looked up at the sky, it is about ten o'clock now, the other party really has to go through a fight, such a little way, he should not go down.

The Liao people's gaze stayed on Zhao Xing for a while, and then turned to the Xiao brothers behind Zhao Xing, their eyes full of doubts: "Are the Song people so tall...... Underheaded? How did the head soldiers of my Liao State serve as slaves to the Song people. ”

The Xiao brothers took the things handed by Zhao Xing and retreated to the side of the road. They didn't speak.

The ancients had no concept of a state, and most of the Han slaves who were taken captive to the north also regarded themselves as northerners. Of course, among these Han slaves, they are not people who have fled to their homeland, but as long as the Liao State finds out, they will open their mouths to ask the Song State for this group of "fugitive slaves", and they will ask for one by one.

In order not to affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Song State arrested these aspirants who had fled thousands of miles and returned them to the Liao State. The Liao people would kill these people who had fled thousands of miles to their homeland on the border line in front of Song Dynasty officials to warn future fugitives.

Over time, no one thought about escaping back to their homeland anymore, and once they entered the Touxia Army, their motherland was Liao.

The Song people were repeatedly defeated in foreign wars, and there was also a great contribution to the Touxia Army, which made the Touxia Army have a kind of contempt for the Song people. Let them obey the command of a cowardly Song man, which seemed incredible at the time, so the Liao man on the other side was surprised.

The Liao people walked all the way, the momentum was violent, and the people around them avoided one after another, only Zhao Xing was still standing in the middle of the road, and at this time Zhao Xing had vacated his hands, and the expression on his face was clearly a look of finding fault.

Yes-seeing the figures of those officials, Zhao Xing was stunned.

It turned out that the identity of this Liao man was not simple, he may be an envoy, so the officials secretly protected him, and the appearance of these officials stirred up the sumo duel, and the owner of the sumo ring did not dare to cause a "diplomatic dispute", so he thought he was invincible and let the Liao take away the silver plate.

"You kid is fast", Zhao Xing shouted without scruples: "I was also in the audience just now, and I was going to go back to clean up that kid after buying things, but I didn't expect you to take the silver plate away first, and slowly, how about leaving the silver plate and doing another gambling game?" ”

Zhao Xing's words had a strong southern accent, which was a typical Huainan Southern dialect, and the Liao man frowned, and immediately shouted to the Xiao brothers: "Han'er, how did you get to the Southern Dynasty, are you a fugitive slave?" ”

Zhao Xing was furious: "How can my slave teach you a lesson, Cook, are you impatient?" ”