Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 281 Cockfighting
The sky was bright.

However, laughter had already begun to fill the Hu Mansion.

A bird landed on the roof of a pavilion in the distance, tilted its head and stared at the people making a fuss in the distance.

Hu Changren was disheveled and had a red face. He opened his arms and embraced a beauty on each side. Many ministers formed a big circle around him.

Of course, San Gou was also present.

Amid the crowd, two roosters were pecking at each other frantically.

One is red and the other is black. The red rooster is very majestic. It flaps its wings, jumps up and kicks the black rooster. The black rooster resists for a few times and is covered in blood. It starts hiding everywhere. The red rooster does not give its opponent any chance. It jumps, kicks and pecks wildly again and again, and the black rooster runs away everywhere.

Hu Changren was overjoyed and even let go of the beauties on his left and right.

"I won! I won again!! I won!!"

Zou Xiaoyu couldn't help but sigh: "This red general of your majesty is truly invincible in the world!!"

"They say that things follow their master. This Red General really has inherited some of the King's bravery! He is truly extraordinary!"

Everyone nodded and praised the red general.

Seeing Zou Xiaoyu taking the lead, Lu Renhui hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is a good sign. The fighting cocks under your command can win every battle, let alone the soldiers under your command. This shows that the Zhou people will be easily defeated by us this time!!"

“This is God’s help!!”

Hearing Lu Renhui's words, Hu Changren became even happier, "Reward!! Reward!!"

A beauty brought some wine. Hu Changren took another sip and then looked at the others. "Who has fighting cocks? Ah? Come and fight me!"

Everyone just smiled and didn't dare to answer.

Lu Yuanliang stepped forward and said, "My lord, your Red General defeated my Black General. He is indeed very powerful, but I have a good friend who has a rooster at home that he bought from a Hu merchant. The rooster is very strong and much bigger than an ordinary rooster. I am afraid that the Red General is no match for it."

Hu Changren was very angry, "You better come here right now! I will make you admit defeat sincerely!"

Lu Yuanliang hurriedly arranged for someone to bring it over, and whispered, "Don't forget to feed the medicine before you bring it over."

"only"

While everyone was still laughing, a servant hurried in, looked at Hu Changren in the crowd in the distance, and didn't know how to approach him, so he could only make gestures.

Hu Changren didn't see him, and the servant went out. Soon, Hu Changmu came here quickly. He looked around, walked through the crowd, came to Hu Changren, and took his hand, "Brother, come with me!"

Hu Changren looked at his brother drunkenly and suddenly pulled his hand away, "How dare I be rude with all the wise men here?"

Hu Changmu lowered his voice and said, "Brother, I have something important to do."

Hu Changren then staggered to the side, and Hu Changmu asked someone to fetch water to wash his brother's face to make him sober up.

"Brother, His Majesty issued an edict to see you yesterday, why didn't you go?"

"What important things could possibly happen in the palace? I'll go there when I'm done with the things in the palace!"

Hu Changren looked indifferent.

Hu Changmu asked again: "What's going on with the officials? Even the doctors working in the palace didn't show up today. There were so many absentees that the emperor was furious!!"

"The three stations have just gone through a major change, and the officials are not all there. So what if there are some absentees?"

"Weren't you asked to stay with the emperor? Why didn't you explain to him?"

Hu Changmu was shocked to hear Hu Changren hinting at blaming him. He hurriedly said, "Brother, it's been a long time since King Pengcheng left. You can't just stay in the mansion drinking and having fun all the time. Are you just going to ignore the domestic affairs?"

"The autumn harvest is approaching, and there is a powerful enemy at hand. What are you doing?"

"The whole temple is in chaos, the whole Yecheng is in chaos, the west gate was wide open yesterday, and no one even registered the people coming in and out."

Hu Changren squinted his eyes and slowly lowered his head, listening to his brother's words. He was so sleepy that he almost fell asleep.

Although it was just dawn, their game had clearly not just begun.

"Brother!!"

Hu Changmu couldn't help but raise his voice.

For a moment, everyone looked over here.

Hu Changren shuddered and glanced at his brother, "What are you yelling about? I know, isn't Zhao Yanshen still here? Let him do it."

"Zhao Yanshen? He has always been the type who would not do anything if he could avoid it. Brother, go to the palace and confess your guilt quickly. His Majesty is really angry."

Hu Changren was helpless and just nodded, "I understand."

After sending away his disappointing brother, Hu Changren did not rush to the palace. He waited first. After Lu Yuanliang brought back the big rooster and his Red General easily won the victory, he asked people to prepare a carriage to go to the palace.

Hu Changren didn't even take a shower, and he reeked of alcohol.

He looked haggard, and even though he had changed his clothes, it couldn't hide his dissolute and foul smell.

He came before the emperor like this.

The little emperor was also having fun in the front hall at this moment. There were more than thirty warriors standing inside and outside the hall. The little emperor was playing lance with one of them. Regular lance is a kind of chess method, which can train military ability very well.

The warrior accompanying the little emperor looked very young, but was quite burly and looked somewhat fierce.

"Your Highness Hu Changren pays respect to His Majesty the Emperor!!"

Hu Changren saluted respectfully.

The little emperor stood up suddenly and looked at Hu Changren. His originally happy face became a little solemn, and it was obvious that he was not very happy.

Hu Changren is a terrible person in power. In a sense, He Shikai can beat him.

When He Shikai was still around, these people were only worthy of flattering He Shikai.

His rise to power was accidental and inexplicable, and he himself might not even realize that he was pushed to his current position.

After Gao Zhan came to power, he was an insignificant minor official, idling his days in the Three Palaces. When Gao Zhan came to power, he rose to become the Shangshu Pushe. When the young emperor came to power, he was directly made the Shangshu Ling. His talent and virtue were not worthy of the position.

After he drove out Gao Yun and those people in the court who were not close to him, the temple, the palace, and even Yecheng became unbearable to look at.

Bad smell.

The little emperor slowly walked up to Hu Changren with a very cold expression.

Hu Changren was also a little worried at this moment. Could it be that someone was talking nonsense around the emperor?
Gao Wei squatted down and asked:
"I was summoned yesterday, why didn't you come?"

"After King Pengcheng left, there were many important events in Santai. I was busy with state affairs and was unable to come in time."

"nonsense!"

Gao Wei was a little angry, "I heard from others that you have been fighting cocks in the mansion all the time!"

Hu Changren immediately clenched his fists, but dared not say anything.

"Your Majesty, this is"

"Let me ask you, what is the name of your rooster? Is it powerful?"

"what?"

"I'm asking you!"

"Your Majesty, General Hong is quite brave."

"Hahaha, that's great. You don't know, someone sent me a rooster not long ago. I named it 'Chong Tian Wang'. It's very powerful. Send someone to bring your Red General here, and we'll have a fight!"

Hu Changren raised his head and looked at his own nephew in front of him in astonishment.

"Your Majesty, the matter of Santai"

"Oh, what big deal can happen at Santai? Cockfighting is more important! Send someone to pick up the Red General!"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it right away!"

Hu Changren hurriedly sent someone to pick up General Hong, while Gao Wei confidently took his uncle to meet his Chongtian King.

The two were very close and chatted and laughed happily.

In the distance, Luo Deva had been observing the situation quietly.

The people under Hu Changren were very quick in doing this kind of thing. Before long, the invincible rooster was brought to the palace to fight against the emperor's Chongtian Wang.

General Hong held his head high and chest puffed out, looking proud.

Facing the opponent in front of it who was obviously taller than it, it did not show the slightest fear.

It flapped its wings skillfully, jumped up, and was about to kick.

Chong Tian Wang counterattacked, and General Hong fell to the ground. Chong Tian Wang quickly began to peck at him. For a moment, General Hong seemed to be confused. It didn't seem to be like this in the past.

It started running after just the first round of fighting, being chased around and no longer having the courage it once had.

Hu Changren's face turned pale, Gao Wei laughed loudly, jumped up and clapped his hands.

Gao Wei raised his head proudly.

"King of Longdong, if you find a decent rooster in the future, remember to come to me again. You, the red general, hahahaha, are not very useful!"

Hu Changren lowered his head and nodded, looking unhappy.

Gao Wei then sent someone to see Hu Changren off, and the person who saw Hu Changren off was his younger brother Hu Changmu.

The two brothers walked to the door.

Hu Changmu then whispered, "The person who came to the emperor to advise and report these days was Prince of Pingyang Gao Yan."

"Perhaps we can find a way to send him to the local area as well."

Hu Changren's mood became even worse and he left without looking back.

At the same time, Lok Deva was telling his mother everything he had just seen.

Lu Lingxuan was sewing clothes in her hands. When she heard her son's words, she chuckled, "These two are really relatives."

Luo Deva then asked, "Mother, Gao Rui and Gao Yu were both eliminated."

"Should we take action against these people from the Hu family?"

"Now we just need to kill them and the temple will be ours."

Facing her anxious son, Lu Lingxuan said calmly: "Don't forget Yang Yin's teachings. Power alone is nothing. You need soldiers."

"It is impossible for the two of us to take control of the military power."

"Let Hu Changren be satisfied first, stabilize him, and let him continue cockfighting. We will protect His Majesty and make contact with everyone first. General Qi Lianmeng is an old general who followed the Emperor Shenwu. Although he is not famous, he has made great achievements in battle. The Hu family divided his military power, but Hu Changren did not give him any compensation."

"I summoned him to meet with His Majesty earlier and discussed a lot with him. I told him about the title and reward. He was very excited and thanked me several times."

"First, win this man over and use him to recruit officers to serve Your Majesty, and then contact the Lou family. When there are enough generals supporting the emperor, the Hu family can be easily wiped out. There is no need to worry at all."

Luo Depo said: "Qi Lianmeng is easy to deal with, but Lou Rui has always been close to the Prince of Pingcheng."

"No problem."

"For so many years, Lou Rui has only been following money."

Lou Mansion.

It was very noisy inside the Lou Mansion at the moment. Some laborers were dismantling the walls, several people were working together to carry wood, and some specialized craftsmen were digging the foundation.

People come and go.

Ever since Hu Changren started building the mansion, Lou Rui has become a little restless.

How could he let a rat catch up with him? Now that the Queen Mother was no longer in control, Lou Rui completely let himself go. He was determined to compete with Hu Changren. At this moment, his mansion was being rebuilt with the purpose of surpassing Hu's.

Lou Rui's youngest son was walking back and forth here, instructing everyone to work hard.

As for Lou Rui himself, he was extremely busy at the moment, discussing important matters with guests in the study.

The study was quiet, not affected at all by the noise outside.

Lou Rui took a sip of tea and looked at the young man in front of him.

Speaking of which, the young man in front of Lou Rui was over 30 years old, possibly older than Lou Rui himself, but when he sat in front of Lou Rui, he was the 'young man', with a restrained look and a respectful attitude.

"You know, this position of Commander-in-Chief of the Zhiwu Depot is a very lucrative one. I wonder how many people are eyeing it."

"You have no qualifications and are not good enough in all aspects."

This man was plump and had delicate skin. Hearing Lou Rui's words, he quickly laughed and said, "It's because it's difficult that I came to ask the king for advice."

"I know that in the entire Ye City, only the king can accomplish this."

Lou Rui glanced at him and said, "I heard that the Hu Mansion often does business there, why don't you go find them?"

"How can Hu Changren compare to the king in being fair and just? The king has to take care of it!"

Hearing this, Lou Rui's mood finally improved a lot. He chuckled and said, "Many people in this city are stupid and ignorant. They ask Hu Changren for an official position. How could Hu Changren know the rules? He is simply messing around. He doesn't mark the price, and he doesn't treat people fairly. He also goes back on his word and publicly invites people to bid. Isn't this bullying? How can you do business like this?"

"Since you know this, I can consider helping you."

"However, I still need to explain things to you clearly. The current arsenal is different from the past. Now the arsenal is empty, completely empty, especially the Yecheng Sijia Arsenal you wanted. You are spending a lot of money now, and I am afraid it will be difficult to get your money back if you want this governor."

"Of course, if you have no objection, I won't stop you."

Hearing Lou Rui's words, the other party was obviously a little anxious, "It can't be empty, my king, is there any other place?"

“Yes, I can recommend a few to you.”

The two men discussed in the study for a long time. After a full hour, this man finally walked out of the study. He bowed to Lou Rui several times, his face full of gratitude.

Lou Rui stood at the door with a smile, watching the other party leave.

Lou Zhongyan hurried to Lou Rui's side and looked at the departing guest. "Grandpa, is it done?"

"Why can't it be possible?"

Lou Rui looked around and then walked into the house with his son.

Lou Zhongyan hurriedly said, "Grandpa, my brother just sent a letter to deliver it. The merchants in the south want uncastrated war horses, and they can offer three times the price."

Lou Rui laughed, "Not even ten times as much."

"Other things are easy to deal with. You want a stud? Oh, do southerners deserve it?"

Lou Zhongyan lowered his head and didn't dare to speak. Lou Rui quickly sat in his seat and asked, "What is Hu Changren doing recently?"

"It's still the same. He plays in the mansion all day long, and the ones doing the work are his brothers and the three good dogs."

"All the positions in the three ministries have become their treasure chest! They have even extended their hands to the local areas. Grandpa, this guy never informs us every time he summons the ministers. Should we teach him a lesson?"

Lou Rui waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "As long as it doesn't interfere with my work, let him do whatever he wants."

Lou Zhongyan looked at his father, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

"what happened?"

"what you want to say?"

"Grandpa, many people say that the establishment of the Xingtai at the border is to prepare General Wei for a rebellion."

"Many famous people in the Qing capital moved their families to the frontier."

"Will Prince Pingcheng really rebel?"

Lou Zhongyan looked at Lou Rui secretly.

Lou Rui's expression remained the same. He stroked his beard gently and said, "Who can tell what will happen in the future?"

"The general trend of the world, the alternation of prosperity and decline, is not due to the rise of Yao, nor the fall of Jie. A real man should enjoy himself in time when he lives in the world. Why bother with these major events?"

"Grandpa, we are nobles. If Prince Pingcheng rebels, what will we do?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Is there any dynasty in this world that will never perish? It's just a matter of time. If the emperor can't even protect it, then what does it have to do with us?"

"Besides, Taozi and I have a close relationship. Even if he took power that day, would we still starve to death?"

"Don't worry about what's going on. Just do what I tell you to do."

Lou Zhongyan was extremely shocked at this moment. As relatives of the emperor, does the fall of this dynasty have nothing to do with us?
Lou Rui didn't explain anything to him, but just rudely kicked him out of the study.

Sitting alone in the room, Lou Rui opened the account book and began to calculate the gains and losses.

If the Queen Mother was still alive and his family was still powerful, he would be willing to fight to the death, but now... Relatives? Once the Queen Mother left, the whole country became unfamiliar with them, and the links between them and the royal family were gone. Relatives? The Emperor had many relatives, and there was no shortage of them.

Moreover, over the years, the emperors have killed their own relatives. Aren’t the number of royal relatives who have died enough?

The temple is full of people like Hu Changren. Just forget it and focus on making your own money. If Taozi attacks one day, you can lead people to open the city gate and maybe you can keep your title!

Thinking of this, King Lou put all the unpleasantness behind him and happily counted his money.

This thing is still the best!
(End of this chapter)