Chapter 72: The Green Cloud Covers the Head and Is Even More Domineering
"At this birthday party, Sister Lin looked more rosy. I heard that since she started practicing your aerobics, her three meals a day have become much sweeter."
"oh."
"I don't know why that widowed grandmother is always a little evasive towards me - do you think she looks down on me?"
"oh."
After coming out of Rongguo Mansion, Sun Shaozong rested his head on Ruan Rong's legs, his mind full of thoughts about the party in the evening. Naturally, he ignored Ruan Rong's nagging and only responded incoherently.
When it comes to things in this world, you really don’t know until you check and you’ll be shocked!
In the eighth year of Guangde, a total of 127 military scholars were admitted. It has only been one year and seven months since the list was posted, but many "capable people" have already emerged: some embezzled military rations, some were captured alive by Japanese pirates, some instigated civil unrest, some molested decent women...
Within a year and a half, more than a dozen people were dismissed, and four were sentenced to immediate execution. This is definitely the highest number in all the history of martial arts examinations!
Of course, there are positive characters among them. For example, Xu Tai, the second place in the first class, was transferred to a civil service position and became the magistrate of a county on the southeast coast. Last autumn, when he encountered Japanese pirates landing to plunder, he personally led the militia to repel the pirates, killing, wounding and capturing 17 real Japanese pirates, more than 100 fake Japanese pirates, and seized three warships.
Xu Tai became famous because of this, and now he has been promoted to the fifth-rank prefect, becoming the highest-ranking official among his peers [because low-level military positions are not worth much, when compared with civil officials, they must always be deducted one or two levels before making any calculations].
However, in terms of real power, Xu Tai, the prefect, can only rank second.
The person who is generally recognized as having the most power is not the top scholar, not the third place scholar, nor Sun Shaozong, the "divine judge", but Zhu Peng, the ninth place in the second place. He also transferred to a civil service position and is now serving as an eighth-rank Zhaomo in the Ministry of Revenue.
If we only talk about official rank, the Minister of Revenue is naturally far inferior to the prefect.
However, the 'Hubu Zhaomo Suo' was directly led by the Shangshu, and held the power to evaluate the merits and demerits of the Ministry of Revenue and audit the accounts. It was a position of low status but great power - through the control of the Qingli Si of the Ministry of Revenue in various provinces, it could even radiate its influence throughout the country.
Generally speaking, let alone a military scholar transferring to a civil position, even if he was a genuine civil scholar, he couldn't even dream of getting this position without some connections.
And the reason why Zhu Peng was able to take up the post of Minister of Revenue was because when he was waiting for selection for the official position, he married the only daughter of Wang Guangzu, the Minister of Personnel - with the favor of the 'heavenly official', wasn't it a matter of minutes for him to get an official position of low rank but great power?
It was for this reason that almost all of his peers in the capital, whether civil or military, now looked up to Zhu Peng. Even this so-called reunion of peers was organized by him.
but……
Rumor has it that the daughter of the Shangshu loved to hang out with male servants and was already pregnant before she got married, so she had to cancel the original engagement, and "got the upper hand" over to Zhu Peng, who had no background.
Sun Shaozong was just wondering whether the official hat on Zhu Zhaomo's head was of the color of "forgiveness" when he was suddenly pinched by two slender jade fingers on his ears and rotated 90 degrees without any pain.
"Ouch! Stop, stop, stop, or it will fall off!"
Sun Shaozong shouted exaggeratedly, raised his head to meet Ruan Rong's dissatisfied eyes, and laughed: "What's the matter? How did I offend the Madam again?"
"I'm not some lady."
Ruan Rong pouted her cherry lips, but she immediately let go of Sun Shaozong's ear, poked his forehead with a finger, and asked, "Then, sister of the Shi family, are you going to marry her or not?"
"What Shi family sister?"
Seeing Sun Shaozong's confused look, Ruan Rong had to repeat what she had just said.
It turned out that when Lin Daiyu was celebrating her birthday at noon, the wife of Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding had also been there to congratulate her. When she heard that Sun Shaozong's aunt was also there, she specially called Ruan Rong over and asked her a lot about the situation in the Sun Mansion.
At this point, Ruan Rong said with a hint of jealousy: "Look at her expression, she is definitely planning to give her niece to you!"
Seeing this jealous little look, Sun Shaozong quickly reached out and put his arms around Ruan Rong's shoulders, intending to say a few intimate words to comfort her.
Before he could say anything, Ruan Rong sighed again: "You are going to marry a wife anyway, and Sister Xiangyun seems to be honest and cheerful. If she can really marry into the family, it will save a lot of trouble."
After hearing this, Sun Shaozong was actually quite tempted. Although the two marquises of the Shi family had no real power, they were still a well-known name in the officialdom.
Besides, Shi Jue has many students and old friends in the army, and now they all hold real power...
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but curiously ask: "What's Shi Xiangyun like? Compared to... compared to Lian's second sister-in-law?"
"Well..."
Ruan Rong thought seriously for a moment, then said: "Sister Xiangyun is still young, so she is naturally not as charming and seductive as the second wife, but it can be seen that she is also a beauty. Maybe in the future..."
"etc!"
Before Ruan Rong could finish, Sun Shaozong's expression changed. He asked anxiously, "What do you mean by 'not grown up'? How old is she this year?"
"She is about a few months younger than Daiyu, and is not yet twelve years old."
I'll go~
Sun Shaozong immediately fell back on Ruan Rong's legs like a deflated ball, and said weakly, "She's so small, how long will it take to marry her?"
"how?"
Ruan Rong pretended to be dissatisfied and asked, "Master, are you in a hurry to marry a lady?"
"How is that possible! I just..."
Just as Sun Shaozong was about to figure out what was going on, he suddenly felt the carriage beneath him shake and slowly stop.
Arrived home so soon?
Just as he was wondering, he heard a haughty voice from outside: "Is that Brother Shao Zong's bicycle frame in front?"
Sun Shaozong lifted the curtain and looked out, but he only saw five or six riders blocking the front of the carriage. The leader was a tall and handsome man with a gilded whip in his hand. He sat lazily on the horse, looking sideways at the carriage with a defiant look on his face.
What kind of birdman is this?
Sun Shaozong was just frowning when he heard the fellow chuckle a few times and said in a teasing tone: "Brother Shaozong, you are forgetful. You probably don't recognize me, Zhu Peng, right?"
Zhu Peng?
Sun Shaozong glanced at the bright red hairpin on his head and automatically imagined it to be a pale green. At the same time, he stretched out his hand and pressed on the shaft of the carriage, jumped off the carriage neatly, and smiled and said, "Brother Zhu, you are so rich and powerful, I naturally dare not make random acquaintances with you - but I don't know what advice Brother Zhu has for you to stop my carriage?"
Zhu Peng returned the greeting without hesitation, then dismounted and said nonchalantly, "I can't say that I need your advice. Brother Sun is the guest of honor today. It would be inappropriate to go too late, so I, as the host, came to greet him first. Since we happened to meet on the way, why don't we leave right away?"
Coincidentally?
Judging from the direction he came from, we knew he had already been to the Sun Mansion, and then he was waiting on this road. How could this be a coincidence?
There is still at least an hour before the party starts, and Sun Shaozong has no interest in accompanying this kind of unruly guy to the restaurant to warm up the party.
So he refused calmly, "Brother Zhu, I should obey your order, but I have a female relative in the car, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient..."
Who knew that before he could finish his words, Zhu Peng asked with his eyes shining: "Are the women in this car the red-haired concubine that Brother Sun brought back from Qianxiang Country?"
If this question was asked by a familiar friend, it would be fine, but how could he ask this?
Therefore, Sun Shaozong's face suddenly darkened. Zhu Peng also knew that he had said something wrong, but he did not apologize. Instead, he laughed it off and pointed behind him and said, "Brother Sun, you can let the women go back home. I have a good horse here for you to ride."
Seeing this guy being so entangled, Sun Shaozong became angry. With a sullen face, he walked around him and went towards his followers.
One of the strong servants quickly dismounted and handed the reins to Sun Shaozong, saying, "Lord Sun, you can ride my horse."
Sun Shaozong ignored him, put his hands on the horse's back, and then pushed down with all his strength!
"Er~!!!"
Then the green horse let out a miserable neigh, then fell to the ground with its knees bent, unable to straighten !
Sun Shaozong gave another gentle push with one hand, and the big black horse next to him staggered sideways a few steps, then fell to the side of the road with a plop.
Under the dull gazes of several followers, Sun Shaozong turned around, bowed to Zhu Peng, and said with a smile: "I am very heavy, and I am afraid that Brother Zhu's horses cannot carry me. Let me go back to the mansion to change mounts, and it will not be too late to go to the banquet later."
Having said that, he got into the car and drove away.
After watching the carriage disappear at the street corner, Zhu Peng finally came to his senses. Looking at the blue horse that still couldn't stand up straight, he couldn't help but mutter, "Could this guy have taken some magic medicine in Qianxiang Country? Otherwise, how could he be so much stronger than he was two years ago?"
