Chapter 65, kill while the fire

The sky is getting dark, and the northern courtyard hall of the Taishou Mansion is brightly lit, and many officials and virtuous people have already been present.

Zushao and other people arrived a little slower, and then sat down one by one in the lower hall. On the table in front of everyone, a variety of dishes, or a few delicacies and delicacies were served. There are also small stoves next to the table to cook water and wine, with a thick aroma of wine floating over the whole north courtyard. Outside the hall, the singers of the Taishou Mansion sang together, and several graceful dancers danced to the music.

The servants in white cloth went back and forth between the banquets to refill the guests' wine glasses.

It's really a school of laughter, singing and dancing, and the Buddha's world is in its heyday. Even the drought and the people are not living, they are all blocked from the pink wall and Zhumen.

Liu Taishou invited everyone to a glass of wine, and then announced the start of the dinner. As for when to announce the results of this year's inspection and evaluation, I'm afraid he will not come to a conclusion until the wine is in full prosperity.

Zu Zhao, Li Xin, Tian Kai and others pushed the cup, but among the Founders who participated in the inspection this year, Zu Zhao was the youngest. No matter whether they had heard of Zu Zhao's reputation or not, they all believed that these teenagers had a limited amount of alcohol, so they did not ask Zu Zhao too much. On the contrary, after respecting others one by one, Zu Zhao just drank by himself, but Li Xin did not worry much and came to Zu Zhao for a glass of wine from time to time.

Halfway through the banquet, Liu Taishou, with a slightly red face, suddenly opened his mouth and said loudly to the hall, "Gentlemen, today is not only the day of this year's inspection and evaluation, but also the year of the little girl and the year. Therefore, I specially asked the little girl to play a song to the pavilion to help her have fun.

After his words, the subordinates, virtuous people and others in the hall all smiled, and then some people echoed.

However, Zu Zhao, Tian Kai and others at the bottom of the hall are a little puzzled. The inspection was originally a solemn thing. The dinner is just a way of a party, not a real holiday dinner. Where is there a performance interspersed? Before the official results were announced, they were more or less worried. Although they could not talk about the tastelessness of food and the ruthlessness of drinking, they really had no extra mind to pay attention to other things.

However, after all, it was arranged by Liu Taishou himself and the daughter of Liu Taishou. Even if there are many doubts and dissatisfactions, he must put a correct and sincere smile on his face.

Before long, three or five beautiful shadows came from the porch of the North Courtyard, led by a 14- or 15-year-old beautiful girl, dressed carefully, with beautiful clothes, showing the tenderness, weakness and pure beauty of the childish woman. Behind the girl, she was followed by several other young maids, one of whom was still holding a guqin.

They walked along the porch to a small stone pavilion directly opposite the hall, which has been arranged. There is a veil under the four eaves of the stone pavilion, which is looming. There is a small table in the pavilion, an incense burner next to it, and a fire basin for heating lighting at each corner. The girl bowed to the hall in the pavilion and immediately sat down. The maid put the guqin properly.

When Zu Zhao saw this, he couldn't help laughing: Is this Liu Taishou going to recruit his son-in-law?

Several other people on the side also whispered. Although the stone pavilion is not far away from the hall, because there is a veil around the stone pavilion, no one can see the girl's appearance clearly. They only speculate from each other's every move, and they have different imaginations in their minds.

"What are you going to do?"

"That girl must be excellent."

"Oh, can you see that it's excellent?"

"Dignified and generous, gentle and virtuous, it's really everyone's daughter's style."

"Even so, don't think too much about it. You should know that you already have a family."

"Ha ha, it's just talk, it's just talk."

For a while, the sound of the piano sounded, gradually rising and falling, like the wind like a forest.

The banquet immediately calmed down. Whether the guests present knew the sound of the orchestra or not, they also pretended to listen seriously, and some even fell into intoxication.

After a song, Liu Taishou suddenly said, "The sound of the piano helps to cheer up. Can there be strong men accompanying the piano and dancing swords in the hall, which is even more interesting?"

Hearing these words, Zu Zhao and other 11 people in the hall suddenly found something. If Liu Taishou inexplicably let his daughter Fuqin still have many doubts before, but now the next song has taken the initiative to invite everyone to dance with swords, which more or less makes everyone see the day. This is obviously to hope that the square people under the hall can show their talents and see if they can be moved by it and match their talents and women's appearance. Obviously, this is Liu Taishou's ulterior arrangement to choose a son-in-law from this year's inspection and evaluation.

After only a moment of silence, someone immediately got up under the hall, but it was Han Xi, a local virtuous and decent man in Pinggang County. He straightened his chest and vowed, and said bravely, "I'm not talented. I'm willing to try the girl's piano sound, accompanied by sword dance, to wish Yaxing."

Han Xi is a native of Pinggang County, but he did not appear in Taishou Mansion on the tenth day of the first lunar month. He was born in the door of the local gentry, relying on his father's frequent contact with the county's virtuous people. At the same time, he responded to the call of the county government, allocated food for relief, and donated money to serve the public. Therefore, he was recommended by the county this year.

As soon as he said this, everyone else showed different degrees of surprise. Sword dancing was originally a matter for martial arts practitioners, and five or six brave and square people should be present to dance the sword.

Not only did the guests not understand, but even Liu Taishou was stunned when he heard this. After a while, he said vaguely, "Han Mengli, do you also know the art of fencing?"

Han Xi didn't agree with the reaction present and said with a smile, "Northern men are still martial arts, and they are no exception. Although fencing, bow shooting and riding skills are not good, they are also slightly famous in this county.

Liu Taishou was still a little stunned: "Is that right? Why didn't you hear your father mention this on weekdays?

Han Xi's face changed slightly and said, "My father rarely has leisure time, and he doesn't know about it. I hope you will agree."

Everyone can see that Liu Taishou is reluctant, but Han Xi is not at all, which makes people eager.

At this time, Lord Shi Sun, the county magistrate, hurriedly sent the steps and said, "Han Mengli, you are in the department of virtuous and square, and you can't make a bad step. The meaning of Mingfu is that the two brave sages dance against each other. The swords have no eyes. If there is any mistake, it can't be a joke.

Han Xi disagreed and insisted, "Thank you for your concern, but it's only the wish to enter the subject, just like this Zu Zhao brothers, who are obviously young heroes who are brave enough to fight against thieves, but they are not inferior in the ability, but they just have a wish."

His attitude was very casual, and his words did not show any respect for the Taishoufu.

Especially when Zu Zhao talked about things, he seemed to be a little more powerful. Zu Zhao was young, but at least he was a righteous man who had killed a thief, and everyone present felt admiring his reputation. However, Han Xi is just a dunk who takes advantage of the gentry's family to participate in the inspection. He not only does not know how to be restrained and humble, but also looks arrogant all day long. How can he convince people?

When Liu Taishou and Sun Changshi saw this, they didn't say much, so as not to spoil today's happy atmosphere.

At this time, Lv Wei, a brave and square man in Changcheng County, suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Lord Changshi said that the two are against swords, and I would like to dance with the Han brothers to wish Yaxing! I hope you will agree."

When Liu Taishou saw that Lv Wei was quite heroic, he naturally nodded happily and agreed, "Okay, okay, very good. Come on, prepare the sword."

A servant had already prepared swords outside the hall. Now he listened to the instructions and walked along the corridor to the bottom of the hall.

Han Xi and Lu Wei stepped out of the table and came to a spacious terrace at the upper and lower junction of the hall.

The servant presented the tray of the sword to Han Xi and Lu Wei. They each took a sword, took off the scabbard, and stood with the blade.

Liu Taishou announced: "Take the sound of the piano as the name, stop as soon as you click. The two heroes dance swords to cheer up. Don't fight."

Han Xi and Lu Wei bowed and agreed.

Before long, the girl in the stone pavilion moved her slender hand and plucked the string.

On the terrace, Han Xi raised his sword to meet him, and Lv Wei also stood up with his sword. The two know that they are dancing with swords, and pay attention to the combination of swordsmanship and dance posture, so they are not fast. On the contrary, they also tend to step by step, which complements the rhythm of the piano.

Zu Zhao didn't know much about sword dance and piano sound, and was completely uninterested. As for Liu Taishou's unique scene of piano music and sword dance, he only paid symbolic attention to it for a while at most, and then drank it himself. To be honest, he is not even interested in the final result of this year's inspection. With his previous arithmetic ability, he is sure to enter the move.

Thinking of his coming to the county government this time, the most important thing is to persuade Liu Taishou to be vigilant about folk trends, and I don't know if there will be any follow-up to this matter. No matter what Liu Taishou's final plan is, after returning to Xu Wu, he will still insist on starting to prepare for theft this winter according to his own plan.

The sound of the piano continues, and the sword dance continues.

Waiting for everyone to be immersed in the piano music and sword dance performances, Li Xin, who was sitting next to Zu Zhao, suddenly sucked his nose and said doubtfully, "How come... there is a smell of burning smoke?"

As he spoke, he turned back looking for the smell of burning smoke in the air.

Zu Zhao drank a few more cups and was a little drunk, but he also smelled some strange smells, which even overshadowed the incense burning around the hall. He frowned, turned around and looked in the direction Li Xin was looking at, and said, "It's really strange. Who is burning firewood nearby?"

Another person next to him also said, "Isn't it the lord who ordered the kitchen to prepare any game?"

At this time, the sound of the piano gradually ended, and the sword dances of Han Xi and Lv Wei on the terrace also ended respectively.

Many guests sitting in the hall applauded and praised, followed by another round of cups. No one was aware of the miscellaneous smell floating in the air. Liu Taishou raised his glass and said politely to the two people on the terrace.

"Good swordsmanship, good swordsmanship. Han Mengli is indeed a swordsman. Hahaha, he finally showed his skills today!"

"Thank you for your praise." Han Xi put away his sword and bowed happily to the hall.

However, just as everyone was still busy praising and commenting on the talented sword dance and the sound of the piano, a sudden exclamation came from the direction of the west courtyard: "It's gone, it's not good, it's not good, it's gone, it's gone, come on!"

This exclamation was just the beginning. Before long, the West Courtyard became more and more chaotic, and more people shouted.

It's one after another and it's silent.

Li Xin suddenly stood up, pointed to the direction of the west courtyard and shouted, "Look, there is a fire."

Others, including Zu Zhao, heard this and got up and looked at it one after another. The originally quiet west courtyard of the Taishou Mansion had a sudden fire without warning. In a blink of an eye, the fire was bright, the smoke was in the sky, and the whole sky was reflected red.

Zu Zhao's face darkened and he was half awake. The first thought in his mind was that this matter was by no means unusual.

It was carried out for more than 20 days before and after the inspection and evaluation, but it was really coincidental that there was an accident on the most important day.

In the hall, Liu Taishou stood up in a panic and forgot to put down the wine glass in his hand. He was surprised and said, "What's going on? Well, how did the West Courtyard catch fire?

The county magistrate and several subordinates quickly asked their servants to go over and have a look. If there was a fire, they would call more people to put out the fire quickly.

Sun Changshi quickly comforted Liu Taishou and said, "The west courtyard is a miscellaneous courtyard, which is not very important. Mingfu retreated to the public court first, and then arranged the dinner party as appropriate.

Liu Taishou nodded repeatedly, and in a hurry, he did not forget to say a few words to the distinguished guests.

The people in the hall were about to move down in twos and threes, and at this time, there was a sad scream from the terrace. Looking up, Han Xi, who was still waiting on the terrace, was stabbed through his abdomen with a sword from behind him. Blood splashed everywhere, and the servants around him exclaimed. Han Xi looked stunned, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground. His hands covered his abdomen, and his whole body was gradually twitching because of pain. He desperately wanted to turn his head to see the person who attacked him, but the sword that pierced his abdomen suddenly turned around, and he heard the sound of his spine. He immediately died and fell down.

"Ah, this, Han Mengli!"

"Come on, come on, protect the Lord Taishou!"

Liu Gan, Sun Changshi and a group of Xianda guests in this county witnessed this murder and were all terrific. No one expected that such a major accident would happen in a good dinner?

As Han Xi's body fell, the murderer who had been covering behind suddenly appeared. It's not anyone else, but it's Lv Wei who danced the sword with Han Xi. At this time, Lv Wei sneered and slowly pulled the sword out of Han Xi's body. His murderous eyes glared at everyone in the hall.

"Lv Wei, how dare you hurt people's lives!" Liu Taishou scolded angrily.

"Well, it's better to kill such pigs and dogs? Today, not only will he take his dog's life, but he will definitely kill all of you dog officials!" Lu Wei was so angry that he almost gritted his teeth and cursed.

"Bold maniac, bold madman! It's simply... How can it be? Come on, come on, take down Lv Wei for me!" Liu Taishou was so angry that he gave orders to the left and right.

He immediately ran out of five or six government guards with knives, quickly ran down the steps, and rushed up to Lu Wei.

Lv Wei's face was not afraid at all, but showed a sarcastic sneer, which made people shudder.

------

[It's over, the actresses are all stood up. I'm afraid the short film plan will be over. It's really a good thing!!!!]

[Please comfort, red tickets, monthly tickets, please collect!!!]