The sixteenth day of the lunar month, the marquis banquet!

The formalities of the mansion were completed quickly, and Cheng Chumo accompanied Wang Xi to the Wannian County Government to complete all the documents. Wang Xi's family and a group of villagers moved to a new house with their families, and began to prepare for the marquis banquet.

At first, Mrs. Cheng sent two slaves and maids to serve Cui's and Xiaoxiao'er, as well as a handyman and a cook, and the rest were Old Man Zhang and Zhang Shi and others, so it was no problem for them to serve the crops, and it was completely impossible to count on such a thing as preparing a banquet, let alone a bastard like Xu Sidao!

If he couldn't beat him, Wang Xi couldn't wait to beat him up, since Lao Cheng gave him the title of Jingyang Xiaobawang, the sons and nephews of various military generals often came to challenge, Xu Sidao did not refuse, and he came and went to make this bastard famous in Chang'an City, and now he and a group of little grandfathers mingle in the wine shops and singer houses in Dongshi every day, and they usually don't see people.

That's not all, seeing that the New Year is approaching, Xu Laoyuanwai misses his son and sends more than a dozen letters to Wang Xi's mansion, but Xu Sidao is nostalgic for Chang'an's drunken dream and death, so he actually coerced Wang Xi to reply to Xu Laoyuanwai, so that Xu Laoyuanwai finally agreed that Xu Sidao would stay in Chang'an until the end of the year, and he must return to Xu's Zhuangzi before the first day of the Yuan at the latest.

I can't count on it, but fortunately, Mrs. Cheng is a confidant, and she brought a group of stewards and servants to help Wang Xi take care of the top and bottom, and her stepmother Cui was born in a big family and sat in charge in person, so that although the banquet was tight, it was also prepared in an orderly manner.

Niu Jinda explained very clearly to Wang Xi that day, the matter of sealing the marquis, all the courtiers below the three provinces were opposed, and Cheng Yanjin and other familiar military ministers could only keep silent, and Wang Xi's feudal banquet would be deserted nine times out of ten.

However, Wang Xi still wrote dozens of invitations in his own hand, instructing the steward of the Cheng Mansion to take Zhang Shi and others, from the sixth rank or above in the court, as long as there are officials with knighthoods, to serve them one by one, including Gao Shilian, Kong Yingda, and Xiao Yu, the Duke of Song and others.

Wang Xi's purpose is very clear, from today onwards, I, Wang Xi, will officially enter the circle of honors and nobles of the Tang Dynasty, and Wang Xi, who is willing to come to appreciate his face, is naturally regarded as a friend, and Wang Xi who does not come is not to blame, but in the future, I must not ask to go to a certain door!

The palace has been very chaotic recently, not only Li Yuan moved to Da'an Palace, Li Er also began to enter the Taiji Palace, the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace were cut off by Li Er on the grounds of frugality, Li Yuan is even more crazy in Da'an Palace, holding banquets every day, Li Chengqian as the eldest grandson Li Erri accompanies him every day, poor eight-year-old dolls, every day looking at Li Yuan's various children's inappropriate wandering forms, I don't know how to feel.

In this way, Wang Xi is on vacation, and he doesn't have to go to the palace every day to accompany him, and it also gives him time to deal with the affairs of the marquis banquet.

After Cui Shi entered the back house, he set up an ancestral hall in the back house, after consulting Wang Xi's opinion, insisted on placing the tablet of Guiguzi Wang Xu on the main seat directly above, the righteous father Wang Qi was on the left below, Cui also asked Wang Xi to enshrine the ancestors of the Guigu Gate, Wang Xi insisted on refusing, and found an excuse that Yunmeng Mountain was not heavy on the form to cover up the past.

The horizontal knife raised by Ouyang Yin's father-in-law, "Dawn", was also placed in the middle of the offering table.

Xiaoxiao was lying on the Taishi chair on the side of the ancestral hall and dozing off, and Wang Xi lovingly covered her with a mink collar given by Li Chengqian.

Wang Xi has always been lonely, inexplicably came to Datang, everything is so strange, everything in 2018 is sealed in Wang Xi's heart but no one can tell, it is the honest love of the father-in-law, the silent care of the mother-in-law, the simplicity of the villagers of Zhangjia Zhuangzi and the well-behaved activity of the little children gave Wang Xi the warmth of his family, and also made Wang Xi feel the truth of life again.

Tomorrow is Wang Xi's big day, and Wang Xi will accept the congratulations of the Tang Dynasty honors as the white deer of the Tang Dynasty.

In the ancestral hall, Cui's respectfully incense, then walked to Wang Xi's side and said softly: "Xi'er, since you came to Chang'an, you and my mother and son have not had a heart-to-heart chat for a long time, now, you are already the Hou Ye, when your father-in-law carried you back on a rainy night, who would have thought that the little little man with a white face, but less than a year later, he became the founding county of the dynasty, Xi'er, for the mother to know that you have a deep secret, think about what is the difficulty, you don't want to say, for the mother and not ask, but for the mother to know, What are your plans for the future? ”

Wang Xi tucked the big pinch for Xiao'er: "A-Niang, why did you think of asking this?" ”

Cui sighed: "For the mother from the Qinghe Cui family, since childhood I have been accustomed to seeing the world's deceit, fighting and rolling, since ancient times, the court is the battlefield of the major family battles, the five surnames and seven hopes are the defeat of the former Sui, today's court for the mother does not understand, but you are alone, unlike those family children who have elders to take care of, relatives and friends to help each other, for the mother is also considered to have read, no family care, no matter which dynasty and which generation, without the care of the family, in the court of disputes are not very smooth. ”

Wang Xi frowned: "What did A-Niang hear?" ”

Cui Shi shook his head: "Although you don't leave the house, the ministers criticize you for being a marquis has spread all over Chang'an, how can you not know about it." Alas, Xi'er, for the mother of a woman's family, Xiao'er is still young, can't help you anything, but if you need it, for the mother may be able to find something to rely on. ”

Wang Xi was puzzled: "What does A-Niang mean?" ”

Cui's was a little stunned: "Qinghe Cui's!" Although the Cui family is in decline now, the heritage of the first family of the five surnames and seven wangs is still there, with Xi'er, your current prestige, as long as you open your mouth to the Cui family for your mother•••••"

"No way!" Wang Xi took the case: "Qinghe Cui's forced his stepmother to marry his father-in-law that day, tired of the death of his stepmother's parents, and then treacherous, chasing and killing his father-in-law, tired of the fetus in the womb of the stepmother, the father-in-law was disabled, and half of his life was miserable. If not, how will you face your father-in-law in the future! ”

Cui Shi had tears in his eyes: "Okay, okay, don't say it, it's just that my mother only has you and Qiao'er at the moment, and I can't bear you to live so hard••••••"

Wang Xi soothed: "A-Niang filtered, the child was born in the mountains, and it was common for him to be in the court and suffer some troubles, besides, His Majesty is a man of great talent today, and the former Sui suffered from the suffering of the family, and now the foundation is solid, and he will definitely vigorously suppress the family, and at that time, whether it is the Qinghe Cui family or the five surnames and seven wangs, they will all run away and attach to them, but they will be burdened by it••••••"

As he was talking, he saw Zhang Shou's head probing his brain at the door, and Wang Xi walked over angrily: "Brother Shou, if you have something, come in and say..."

When I walked in, I found that the old man Zhang was holding Xiao Shou'er and Zhangjia Zhuangzi and all the soldiers and villagers were all outside the door.

"This, Uncle Zhang, is there something wrong with you?" Wang Xi took Xiao Shou'er into the house with some confusion and disgust, and warmed up by the fire.

Cui Shi got up: "I asked them to come." ”

Wang Xi was even more puzzled: "What the hell is going on?" ”

Zhang Shi looked at Zhang Shou, Zhang Shou looked at his father again, everyone was divided, and finally Cui said: "Xi'er, Zhang's Zhuangzi was killed, your Uncle Zhang and they are already homeless, and the great enmity of Zhang's Zhuangzi will also fall on you, now that you have been feuded, a family will rise because of you, it is better for everyone to be together, you are the head of the family, they are the retainers, so..."

"No!" Wang Xi shouted, the word retainer, Wang Xi had discussed with his father-in-law in the small river of Zhangjia Zhuangzi, which originated from the private minister of the Qing doctor in the Spring and Autumn Period, and later the slavery system collapsed, and in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the retainer was not in the household registration, but in the master's family slave, to put it bluntly, it was just a high-level domestic slave!

The "Tang Law" clearly reads: "Slaves have a price, and the law is better than livestock." "In the Tang Dynasty, where the feudal system is as glorious as the slave system, the status of domestic slaves is the same as that of livestock!

At the beginning, Qinghe Cui's family forced his stepmother to marry Wang Qi, who was a retainer, why did his stepmother's parents die of grief? ! It's because even if Wang Qi was beautiful at that time, he was still a slave! How can the stepmother and father of the scholarly heirloom endure it?!

Wang Xi looked at his stepmother: "Auntie! Uncle Zhang, Zhang Shi and Zhang Shou are all our neighbors! The child and Brother Shi and Brother Shou were all brothers in the past, although I was made a marquis today, but they are still my Wang Xi's brothers, how can they be my retainers? Brother Shi has been in the countryside for a long time, and I don't know what it means to be a retainer, but A-Niang, you understand! ”

Old man Zhang hurriedly pulled Wang Xi and said: "Brother Xi is a serious person, the old man and the villagers all understand that it was me who asked Mrs. after discussing with Shi and them, Brother Xi, I must have a name to stay in your house, Zhang Shi and others are all government soldiers, if they are recalled by the Jingyang County Government, maybe one day they will die in a daze, can you bear it?" ”

Zhang Shi also said: "Yes, Brother Xi, Uncle Zhang used to be a retainer in the Rongguo Mansion, how could he not know the stakes, but everyone wants to kill the Turks to take revenge, and you have to have Brother Xi, you are in charge!" It's better to follow Brother Xi than to eat in the countryside with brothers, isn't it? ”

Zhang Shou also muttered: "Retainers, I understand, my father said, it's just the house slave of the master of the family's confidant, Brother Xi is asked by the university, being Brother Xi'er's house slave, it is better to have meat to eat, it is better than eating corn cakes on Zhuangzi every day, Brother Xi, don't dislike us is..."

Everyone, you say a word to me, Wang Xi is helpless, Cui Shi also said: "Xi'er doesn't accept them now, in the future they will be recalled to Zhangjia Zhuangzi, farming and conscription, if there is a big drought year, can't go on, or will be committed to other people's slaves, how can you bear it when the time comes?" Following you, you're just a nominal retainer, and with your temperament, you'll treat them well..."

Old man Zhang saw that Wang Xi was a little moved, so he simply knelt on one knee: "Zhang Zhenggu knocks to see the head of the family!" ”

Zhang Shi, Zhang Hu, Zhang Lin and others have the same example: "Knock to see the head of the house!" ”

Wang Xi sighed and helped everyone: "In this case, I, Wang Xi, swear again: Although I and you are in the name of the lord and minister, we use the righteousness of brothers in our own family, and I Wang Xi will be rich and prosperous one day, and I should share it with you!" Together, we will fight hard to wait for the north to go north to the grassland in the future, and the blood will destroy the enemy! ”

Cui Shi looked at everything with relief, everyone took the wine, each had a bowl of spirits, broke out of the sheath, crossed the palms of everyone, and made a bloody alliance.

Then Cui's family hugged Xiao'er and Wang Xi sat on the main seat, and the retainers officially met the head of the house.

Wang Xi hugged Xiao Shou'er again and said: "Xiao Shou'er has no mother, and Brother Shou'er and Uncle Zhang are both old and coarse, so I will accept them as disciples as my chief disciple of Yunmeng Mountain!" In the future, it will be raised by the family and the back house, and the degree of application is no different from that of a small child. ”

Old man Zhang cried with joy when he heard the words and Zhang Shou, learning, university questioning, those high-ranking officials and nobles can't ask for knowledge.

Wang Xi looked at Zhang Shi and the others again: "Brother Shi and everyone's wives have not escaped the catastrophe, if they continue to have the strings in the future, after having it, both men and women are the same as this example, as long as they don't dislike it, I will accept them as disciples!" ”