As Cao Hao thought, as soon as the sixteenth elder brother saw the prince of Zhuo Liketu, he had a "sense of closeness".

At the reception banquet in the evening, the third elder brother talked and laughed and met Prince Zhuo Liketu; The sixteenth elder brother is the same son who "hates to see each other late", pushing the cup and changing the lamp, so it is not lively.

The two bachelors who came with Hu were both old and smiling as decorations.

There are several princes here, and the waiter of the Li Fan Yuan and the waiter of the Ministry of Rites are not qualified to come forward, so they also accompany them.

Among the crowd, Cao Hao, the household servant, is a little prominent.

Cao Hao's seat was set up below the princes and above the two scholars. Originally, he was embarrassed to be the head of the two scholars, but the sixteenth elder brother said that there was a difference between respect and inferiority, and he was not allowed to sit down.

The fourth elder brother and the fifteenth elder brother are adjacent to each other, and the two are not as busy as the third elder brother and the sixteenth elder brother, so they have gossip that they don't have a match, and occasionally follow the words of the third elder brother and say a word or two with Batma.

Mongolians don't use cups and glasses to drink, they all use bowls. Right now, this chief has put half a palm-sized jade bowl as a wine vessel and a few bowls of wine under his stomach, and Bart Ma is already a little upset.

Although it is said that he can only meet the emperor, these princes and high-ranking officials have a banquet, which is already very decent. Every year in the court, this year's reception banquet is the heaviest.

It seems that last month's excerpt was still right.

Four or five years have passed since his father's orders, and he has no bottom in his heart. I am afraid that someone will urge me from Beijing, and I am afraid that the emperor will think that it is the prince's mansion that is greedy.

Thinking of this, he was a little ashamed.

Because Concubine Hui died early, and then until the Empress Dowager Xutian, no one mentioned this property, so the prince's mansion began to be embezzled one after another.

He had not met the aunt, who had left Korqin long before he was born. But when he was a child, he heard his mother mention the aunt who came into the palace to raise him.

There are different theories about the life history of that aunt.

Some say that it is his grandfather's own daughter, and some say that it is his grandfather's niece, anyway, she was raised in Horqin earlier.

The two empresses of the first emperor during his lifetime were both from Horqin. The deposed Empress Yuan was his aunt, followed by his cousin with his great-grandfather, and his sister Shuhui who entered the palace at the same time as his successor.

I heard that these Horqin nobles were not favored by the emperor. This concubine Hui was sent to the capital, and she was to be crowned a concubine when she became an adult, just to prevent the former emperor from being abolished again.

At that time, there was the empress dowager, and the position of the queen was that of the noble daughter of Horqin.

That Aunt Hui has an unusual status, and the dowry prepared is very rich. I heard that it was prepared by the Empress Dowager herself, and there are countless gems and jade, antique calligraphy and paintings, just talking about gold, there are 100,000 taels.

These are all words left by the aunt that my parents mentioned by chance when they were alive.

Batma always felt that something was wrong, since this aunt was destined to be a nobleman, why did the empress dowager send such a large sum of money from the capital to Horqin?

Just to add a dowry to this aunt, to be more magnificent?

He is a person with a surname, and if he can't figure it out, he won't think about it anymore.

He is an idle prince, with limited annual income and large expenses.

For fear that the palace would ask for this property, he did not dare to act rashly about the precious jewels and jade. There was only gold, which was misappropriated cleanly.

Thinking of this, he felt more and more that his face was burning badly, holding the wine cup, and pretending to glance at Cao Hao inadvertently.

Cao Hao was being pulled by the sixteenth elder brother and fell to the throne of the prince.

"Altan, don't you want to get to know Cao Hao? I'll introduce you to it. The sixteenth elder brother said with a little drunkenness, and then pointed at Cao Hao with a smile: "This is my niece and son-in-law, according to relatives, I should also call you a cousin." ”

During the banquet, Altanghule intentionally or unintentionally mentioned Cao Hao several times.

Who is Brother Sixteen? How can you not see that this Mongolian prince has an "unusual" concern for Cao Hao.

He already suspected that the imperial father had appointed Cao Hao to welcome the prince's father and son, and he had the intention of letting Cao Hao recognize his relatives.

"Cousin?" When the prince heard this, he looked at Cao Hao with a smile, but he was interested.

Although it is the property temporarily kept by the palace, it is always unpleasant to give a huge amount of money directly to strangers.

If you become a junior in your own family and have relatives, this is more comfortable.

In addition, when he listened to his father's words yesterday, he knew that this Cao Hao was valued by the emperor, so he was a little proud of his sudden leap to the elders.

In the final analysis, he still hasn't left Horqin, and under the protection of his father, he has no scheming.

Cao Hao saw that the sixteenth elder brother was talking lively, and his expression was a little stiff.

This really recognizes the pro, what is this called?

In addition to being a Heshuo forehead, he is also a court official, and he is a Jingtang, if this is passed to the ears of which imperial history, a hat of "private alliance with Fanbang" comes down, it is a crime of "ill-intentioned".

"Sixteenth Master, you drank too much...... Cao Hao moved his body, approached Sixteenth Elder Brother, and whispered.

The sixteenth elder brother said "haha" twice, but he didn't hear it, and said to Altangehule: "Shizi, don't look at Cao Hao's politeness, he worked as a guard in front of the emperor in his early years, and his riding and archery is first-class." It's not me bragging, you'll know when someone comes to the Darkhan Palace. I heard that Beizi Sukhbaru's archery skills are also on the top of the platoon in Horqin, and Cao Hao's archery skills are not inferior to him. ”

Altanghul listened, but he was a little unconvinced.

Although he was separated from Sukhbaru by two or three hundred miles, he had met several times when Naadam had met with him, and the two had even tried. Sukhbaru is known for his equestrian and archery skills, with only wrestling being slightly inferior to him.

Seeing that he didn't believe it, the sixteenth elder brother raised his chin and said, "It's too late today, tomorrow morning, let's see Zhenzhang on the school ground!" ”

"The sixteenth master said this, and the designation is true. If Cao Elu didn't have the style of the Mongols, he would not have won the favor of the Queen Mother and his old man. Altanghule said with his tongue wide open.

This sounds a little interesting, and the sixteenth elder brother personally poured a bowl of mare's milk wine for Altanghule, and said: "What the prince said is that the imperial grandmother was very good to Cao Hao, the great-grandson and son-in-law, when she was alive, and we imperial grandchildren will be behind." ”

Altanghule seemed to be a little puzzled, and after looking at Cao Hao for a long time, he asked the sixteenth elder brother: "Is the ancestor of the wife of the Cao family also from Horqin?" ”

The sixteenth elder brother raised his eyebrows and said, "How did the prince think of asking this?" I didn't pay attention to this, I only knew that the Queen Mother regarded Mrs. Cao as her own and often called her to the palace. ”

Hearing this, Altanghule nodded, thinking that he had the answer, and said, "That's right, she designated it as our Horqin bloodline." Horqin people are the most protective of their shortcomings, if it were not for their own flesh and blood, the Queen Mother would not have left a will to transfer the dowry left by Aunt Hui to Mrs. Cao. ”

Saying this, he looked at Cao Hao, he was a little less alienated, stretched out his dustpan-sized palm, patted Cao Hao's shoulder vigorously, and said with a smile: "We are really relatives, maybe you should also call me cousin." ”

He is simple-minded, just casually speaking, but it is the closest answer to the truth.

Cao Hao's expression was as usual, but his mind was calmed by the word "bequest".

The sixteenth elder brother was also a little stunned, although this Li family's life story has been rumored in Beijing for many years, but because it involves royal private interests, and there is no clear evidence, many people only regard it as a false rumor.

After all, except for the queen mother's treatment of the Li family differently before her death, the emperor did not recognize the daughter, and no one in Prince Yu's mansion came forward to recognize the daughter, and the rumors of the queen's daughter were finally over.

Now, why did you pull out Concubine Hui again?

It is obviously a character who has long faded out of everyone's sight and has been forgotten. Now because of the so-called queen mother's will, she has been mentioned in front of people, what is the purpose of this?

After Altanghule finished saying the warm words, he was looking at Cao Hao, and when he saw that he didn't speak, his face was a little indelible, his eyes widened, and he shouted: "Lord Cao doesn't want to recognize our Horqin relative?" ”

Originally, in the tent, everyone was chatting about their own, but his voice attracted everyone to look at the table here.

Prince Zhuoliktu frowned slightly, looked at his son's gaze, and looked a little reproachful.

The fourth elder brother's expression was obscure, the third elder brother had a smile on his face, and there was already more exploration in his eyes, and the corners of the fifteenth elder brother's mouth were raised, and he sneered when he added it.

The two scholars, who are used to pretending to be deaf and dumb, only glanced at them and returned to normal.

The two waiters who sat at the end of the table were very hungry.

is also a second-class squire, because of Cao Hao's high title, he follows the prince; But they can only be minions.

Cao Hao had already woken up, took the wine jug from the sixteenth elder brother, put the empty jade bowls on the table in front of Altanghule and himself, filled them one by one, and took a wine bowl at the back, and said: "The prince misunderstood, Cao Hao didn't have the slightest frivolity, but the prince was so loving, Cao Hao was really flattered." I heard that in Horqin, when new friends meet, they have to make three bowls of wine. Cao Hao is a junior, so he will do six bowls! After speaking, he tilted his neck, took a few sips, and drank the bowl of wine in his hand.

Then he put down the empty bowl and drank the remaining bowls of wine one by one.

Mongolians' surname is Haoshuang, and they also like Haoshuang friends.

After drinking these six bowls of wine, not only did Altanghule's annoyance disappear, but even Prince Zhuoliktu's face also added a little appreciation.

"Good man, I said the wrong thing, don't bother me. Not to mention the seniority, you are a friend, I have made a deal! Altanghule drank all the three bowls of wine in front of him, and said with a little excitement.

These nine bowls of wine emptied the two flasks on the table.

The sixteenth elder brother waved his hand and motioned for the waiter to re-serve the wine, and then looked at Cao Hao, afraid that he would get drunk.

Although this mare's milk wine is not as spicy as soju, it is not as soft as rice wine, and Cao Hao drank these in one go, and he was also a little top-heavy.

Altangehule was interested, and if he wanted to pay tribute to Cao Hao, it was naturally three bowls at a time.

If it was at the wine table in the capital, Cao Hao would not have been sick and drunk, and he would have found a way to get off the table. But if you can't get along with the Mongols, you will be despised.

Cao Hao would not show his timidity, he raised the wine bowl very boldly, and said, "Thank you, do it!" ”

This came and went, and Altanghule's eyes looked at Cao Hao, just like looking at his own brother. The wine was drunk happily, and his reluctance to give Concubine Hui's dowry to the Cao family was gone, and he wanted to fill the seniors, and his mind to occupy Cao Hao also stopped.

The sixteenth elder brother looked at the empty two wine jugs in front of him and was worried, and if he drank it again, even if he could stand it in this life, Cao Hao couldn't stand it.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly interjected and turned Altanghule's attention from Cao Hao to himself. From the one-on-one drinking mode of Fang Cai, it has become a two-to-one between him and Cao Hao.

When Altanghule's front was so wet that he couldn't lift his arms anymore and staggered down, there were a few more empty flasks on the wine table.

By this time, the rest of the tent had long since dispersed. It is estimated that the three of them drank lively, and did not come to disturb them.

The sixteenth elder brother and Cao Hao looked at each other the same, and both of them smiled bitterly.

After pouring the wine down at once, the two of them also weakened their feet.

The sixteenth elder brother still maintained a trace of clarity, so that Zhao Feng changed a few people and sent everyone everywhere.

In the grasslands at the beginning of August, the temperature is much lower than in the capital, especially at night.

Cao Hao was supported by the two of them, originally just with soft feet and a clear mind. When he saw the night breeze when he came out, he only felt that his stomach was overturning, and he couldn't help it, pushed the two of them away, squatted on the ground, and vomited wildly.

At night, he mostly drank wine, did not use a few chopsticks to dish, and did not have much filth. I vomited for a while, and there was nothing.

When he was helped up, he only felt that his eyelids were getting heavier and heavier, and he had already opened his eyes.

The voices of Xiao Man and Wei Hei sounded in his ears, and Cao Hao's heart was at ease, and he indulged himself in a deep sleep...... When Cao Hao opened his eyes again, it was already noon.

He didn't think about it, but his ears kept "buzzing", and he only felt that his head was swollen and cracked, and his mouth was dry, and his throat and eyes were about to burst into flames.

He had no choice but to turn over, but he was facing the sixteenth elder brother.

The sixteenth elder brother was sitting on the chair on the side, rubbing his forehead, and when he saw Cao Hao, he said angrily: "I've called you for a quarter of an hour, and if you don't have a master, you will have to wait for cold water." ”

Cao Hao's head was still a little dazed, he pulled a robe from the side of the bed and put it on, yawned and said, "Why is the sixteenth master free, come here early in the morning?" ”

Seeing him in a daze, the sixteenth elder brother couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's about to be Shen Chu (three o'clock in the afternoon), it's still early." Hurry up and pack up, Prince Zhuoliktu, waiting for us to go over and count the belongings. ”

At this time, Xiao Man has already prepared the washing things.

After Cao Hao finished washing with cold water, his mind was a little clearer, and he asked, "Is that the one that the son of the world said yesterday?" Concubine Hui's dowry? ”

The sixteenth elder brother nodded and said, "That's exactly the one." You slept all morning, not knowing the excitement of the party. "Oh?" Cao Hao listened and was a little uneasy.

Although he doesn't know how much the so-called Concubine Hui's dowry is worth, he is not short of money. He was worried that the whim of the Queen Mother would involve his mother in right and wrong again, disrupting the current peaceful life.

The sixteenth elder brother had a strange face on his face, and said: "Huang Ama said, adhering to the will of the Empress Dowager before her death, she will posthumously crown Concubine Hui as the queen ......."

(To be continued)