Outside the city of Qujingfu, on the bank of the Nanpan River, there is a broken and large temple called the White Lotus Temple. It was probably brilliant for a while when it was peaceful before yesterday, but after experiencing the chaos of the world in the Ming and Qing dynasties, this temple has been dilapidated, except for a few palace monks' houses are still rickety and supportive, most of the buildings are either overfired, or simply collapsed. Between the ruins and broken walls, bullet holes and broken arrows piercing into the earthen walls can be found from time to time.

Although the temple is dilapidated, it has not been closed, and there are still a few monks and nuns who came out of nowhere to survive the last round of troubled times, and also kept this piece of incense for the Buddha. However, it is also a dismal operation, struggling to support, and sometimes it has to provide some tea, food, and lodging for merchants on both sides of the Nanpan River, earn a little money, and subsidize their lives.

But if today's vitality is far from recovering, how many merchants can Yungui, which is located in the southwest corner, come and go? Therefore, the tea, rice, food and lodging business of this broken temple is also miserable and bleak, and it is rare to open it again.

And today, this ruined temple seems to have a big customer, but this big customer is not interested in burning incense and worshiping the Buddha, and he doesn't even bother to go into the temple, but sets up a curtain outside the temple facing the Nanpan River.

The monks, nuns, and servants of the White Lotus Temple were busy raising the stove outside the tent, setting up the kitchen, and cooking chicken, duck, and fish...... Of course, people in Buddhism do not kill. Although the chickens, ducks, and pigs were all raised in the White Lotus Temple, and the fish were caught by the monks of the White Lotus Temple this morning, the servants of the great patron's family were responsible for the killing.

After the killing, donate some sesame oil money, and the great monk will come to chant the sutra to ensure that the sin of killing is gone.

This attitude of serving the common people is really no one.

On the official road next to the ferry on the west bank of the Nanpan River, there was a long line of carriages and horses, as well as the guards of the Pingxi Wangfu clan wearing blue coats and robes, and red tasseled hats. These palace guards, coachmen, grooms, and even the slaves who followed, and the White Lotus Temple also had wine and meat to entertain, and they set up broken tables and rotten benches next to the official road, and gathered in groups to eat and drink.

It seems that there are officials from the Pingxi Royal Mansion who are traveling far away today, and they are taking advantage of the wine and candied food here.

In the curtain, there were not many people sitting, and in the center were Wang Fuchen, Wu Guogui and Liu Xuanchu, all wearing melon skin hats and gowns. The one who was accompanied by the Lu Governor of Qujing Mansion, a big fat man in his thirties, a native of Yunnan, was a rich man with a mine at home, and he made a name for himself, and spent money to become the prefect of the Western Election.

As a famous civil official in the Western Election, the prefect is the ceiling, but this fat man Lu is not giving up, and wants to go to the next level. So he took Wang Fuchen, who had a background in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and wanted to climb up with Wang Fuchen's ladder. Today's feast was arranged by him.

At this time, he was laughing with Wang Fuchen, Wu Guogui, and Liu Xuanchu, while his small eyes were rolling around, looking for Wang Fuchen's second son, Wang Zhongxiao...... He can inquire clearly, this kid is a capable young talent who is praised by the king of Pingxi, and the prince is ready to recommend him to Ao Bai Ao, so this time he will definitely be able to choose the imperial guard, and now is the right time to make money!

But where did this Wang Zhongxiao go? Why don't you see anyone? Why don't you vote the money for his father, the king, and the ministers! Thinking of this, Lu Fatzi took out three envelopes, two of which contained two thousand taels of silver tickets each, one was for Wu Guogui, and the other was for Wang Zhongxiao to be a Sichuan capital. There was also an envelope containing five hundred taels of silver tickets, which was given to Liu Xuanchu.

When Wang Fuchen collected the money on behalf of his son, Wang Zhongxiao was of course reluctantly saying goodbye to Wu Xiaowu...... According to his thoughts, he actually wanted to kidnap Xiao Su directly. It's a pity that his thoughts seem to have been seen through by Wu Shicong and Wu Shijue, two good brothers. Therefore, the original lonely man and widow, the good thing of meeting in the ancient temple is that there is such a pair of good brothers with five big and three coarse. Wang Zhongxiao not only had no way to abduct the girl from a good family, but it was inconvenient to even move his hands and feet.

There is no way, Wang Zhongxiao can only let people set up a table of sixty percent vegetarian noodles in a tattered Daxiong Treasure Hall to say goodbye to Wu Shicong, Wu Shijue, and Wu Xiaosu - sixty percent vegetarian, rounded up to be vegan!

In addition, the four of them also replaced the wine with tea, and said goodbye while drinking Pu'er.

"Xiao Su, don't worry, at most five years, I will definitely come to Yunnan to marry you, and I will definitely become a big official by then!"

patted his chest and made a five-year appointment with Wu Xiaosuo, of course, it was the infatuated man, the final minister of the Qing Dynasty, and Wang Shikai of the righteous Bo Yuntian. He has already calculated, this year is 1668 in the Western calendar, and five years later in 1673 in the Western calendar, and it was in this year that Wu Sangui rebelled against the Qing Dynasty. By that time, he would probably have won the trust of Kang Mazi, the young British lord of the Qing Dynasty, and maybe he would become Lord Wei, no, it would be Lord Wang.

At that time, Wu Xiaosu was accepted in private, so that the Wang and Wu families were both brothers and in-laws, and then Wang Zhongxiao could be a Qing Dynasty minister who lived up to the word "Shikai"!

He must be as loyal as Shikai!

"It's going to take five years......" As soon as Wu Xiaowu heard this, his mouth was so high that he could hang a small bottle on it.

Xiao Su is fifteen years old this year, and he will be twenty years old in five years.

Twenty years old is almost enough for an old girl in this day and age!

Wang Zhongxiao glanced at Wu Xiaosuo, Xiaosu was about to cry out if she was aggrieved, it was so sympathetic, she couldn't help but want to kidnap her.

"Xiao Su, Shi Kai has to be a big official first, and he has raised the flag, and then he can marry you." Wu Shicong is really an empathetic and good big brother, and at this time, he didn't wait for Wang Zhongxiao to "kidnap his sister", so he first explained the truth for him, "Otherwise, Shikai married you as a coat, aren't you also a white flag coat Han army?" The wife and daughter of the cloth are to serve the master......"

"What? Serving the master? Xiao Su looked at Wang Zhongxiao in surprise.

Wang Zhongxiao said: "That's right, the master of our white flag is still a hemp with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, but it's ugly!" ”

Wang Zhongxiao thought to himself as he spoke: That Mazi is probably surnamed Kang, called Kang Mazi...... But it's lustful, let him see Xiao Su, and he will definitely take it for himself!

Wu Xiaosu stuck out his tongue with a disgusted expression, "I'm a chaste martyr, don't want to touch me if the master of the white flag is right!" ”

Wu Shicong and Wu Shijue were stunned by Wang Zhongxiao's words, and they knew that the owner of the Zhengbai Flag was the little emperor of Kangxi...... Can this loyal minister say that the emperor is a "hemp with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks"? Could it be that you, Wang Shikai, also have the same rebellious thoughts as us?

Wang Zhongxiao knew that he had said something that loyal ministers should not say, so he quickly changed the topic and said: "Xiao Su, don't worry, my father has the way of the pearl of the bachelor of Hongwen Academy, as long as the silver is in place, he can become a Lanling guard in a year at most." In another two years, a third-class guard will definitely be able to have it. At that time, my father must have already been on the side of the town, and he will become the admiral, so it is not difficult to ask for the grace of raising the flag......"

"One year plus two years is three years...... Okay, just three years! Xiao Su didn't let Wang Zhongxiao continue, but took care of himself and counted his fingers, and his white and tender face became puffy and smiling, looking very delicious, Wang Zhongxiao couldn't wait to take a bite.

Just when Wang Zhongxiao was thinking about finding some reason to separate Wu Shicong and Wu Shijue, Master Yu suddenly walked in from outside in a hurry, and saw that Wang Zhongxiao was still eating and drinking with Wu Shijue, Wu Shicong and Wu Xiaosuo, so he hurriedly said to him: "Second son, it's almost time, the master and Wu Sanye have already closed the stall, we have to go." ”

"Howler!" Wang Zhongxiao stood up and bowed his hand to Wu Shicong and Wu Shijue: "Big brother, third brother, let's stop here today, it's time for me to set off...... We'll see you later! ”

Wu Shicong smiled and hugged his fists: "Second brother, my brother wishes you to become a high-ranking official as soon as possible and show your ambitions!" ”

Wu Shijue also arched his hand and said: "Second brother, you have real skills, in a few years, you will definitely be able to become a general, and in the future, it will be no problem to be the chief soldier and commander, and then we will be loyal to the Qing Dynasty together!" ”

Wang Zhongxiao listened to Wu Shijue's words, and almost laughed out loud, Wu Shijue is the son of Wu Guogui, and he is loyal to the Qing Dynasty? It's almost the end!

At this time, Wu Xiaosu also stood up and gave a blessing to Wang Zhongxiao, "Brother Shikai, let's say goodbye...... You, don't forget today's covenant. ”

Wang Zhongxiao said with a straight face: "Xiao Su, my Wang Shikai will not be defeated!" ”

Xiao Su took out a handkerchief embroidered with a pair of fat black swans and handed it to Wang Zhongxiao, "Brother Shikai, this is Xiao Su's embroidered mandarin duck handkerchief, you take it to Beijing, and take it out when you miss Xiao Suo." ”

Wang Zhongxiao took the handkerchief, groaned for a while, and said, "Xiaosuo, in fact, I have also prepared a farewell gift for you, which is a poem called "Farewell". ”

"Words?" Xiao Su was stunned for a moment, "Brother Shikai, do you still know how to compose lyrics?" Can you read it aloud and listen to it? ”

Wang Zhongxiao nodded, then brewed his feelings, opened his throat, and sang in his rather thick voice and a little Henan accent: "Outside the long pavilion, by the ancient road, the grass is green. The evening breeze blows the willow flute, and the sunset is outside the mountain. The end of the sky, the corner of the earth, the acquaintance is half scattered. A scoop of turbid wine is all over the rest, don't dream of the cold tonight......"