At that time, servants and maids were like private property and could be disposed of at will. The situation in the Tang Empire was slightly better. The law of the Tang Empire strictly forbade the intentional injury of slaves, but it did not forbid the sale of slaves. It was not uncommon in Chang 'an to give beautiful concubines and smart maids to them. And the gifts between the distinguished men were often legendary and beautiful.
When the West-Hill Taoist child said Prince Long Qing's words, no one present felt strange. Although the students of the Academy, Hua Shanyue and other Tangs were somewhat disgusted by the Taoist child's arrogant and generous words, it was, after all, in line with the class difference between the two parties, so they remained silent.
In the eyes of the crowd, Little Sangsang, who was standing beside Ning Que, was only 13 or 14 years old. She was as thin as a bean sprout, with an ordinary appearance and dark skin. Prince Long Qing naturally did not want to take her back to his mansion to warm his bed because of her beauty, but because of the drinking competition.
The bigwig of West-Hill, who was high above, had taken a fancy to an inconspicuous little handmaiden in Chang 'an because of the four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, banquets, archery and so on. In the upper class, this was considered elegant. If Ning Que was willing to give the little handmaiden to Prince Long Qing, the prince would naturally give him a generous gift in return. It might be another anecdote in the future.
Therefore, no one felt shocked, strange or angry. Instead, some people, such as Zhong Dajun, cast a faint look of envy at Ning Que. They secretly thought that if Ning Que could gain Prince Long Qing's favor by gifting the little handmaiden, he would be able to gain a lot of benefits and convenience in the future.
Princess Li Yu also remained silent at this time, but her silence had nothing to do with her demeanor. She was thinking about something that happened last year and looked at Ning Que with a faint smile, knowing that this matter might develop in an interesting direction.
…
…
In fact, after hearing the West-Hill Taoist child's gentle and extremely generous announcement, Ning Que was stunned for a long time before he figured out what the other party wanted to do. The reason why his reaction was so slow was that he had never thought that anyone would ask for Sangsang from him in such an arrogant manner.
Why? Sorry, there's no reason or reason. It's just because he's the high and mighty Prince Long Qing, a bigwig in the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace. He likes your little handmaiden and wants to have a little handmaiden to drink with him when he's bored. So you should send your handmaiden, who you've raised painstakingly and slept by the kang bed for more than ten years to him, and then smile and wait for the Prince to reward you with money, a bright future, and some glory when he's happy?
Because the scientific reasoning was actually unreasonable. Ning Que's mood suddenly became extremely bad, but the smile on his face became brighter. He looked at the table in the distance and sighed, "Prince Long Qing, you are really beautiful."
His reaction was very slow. Sangsang, who was slow to react to many things, especially after drinking too much liquor today, reacted even slower than him. It was not until now that she realized that the prince at the banquet wanted to take her away from her young master. She couldn't help but frown and refute, "Young master, he looks ugly."
Sangsang had not thought, and as she had thought, as long as her as her. as her. as, if Master Master, as long, she would become become. They only cared about Ning Que's answer and had been quietly waiting for his answer.
Most of them guessed that Ning Que would agree, and a few of them thought that he would refuse. But no one expected that Ning Que's answer had nothing to do with this matter. It seemed somewhat inexplicable — Prince Long Qing, you are really beautiful … What does that mean? (Note)
Prince Long Qing had just sobered up and was quietly looking at the empty wine jar on the table. Suddenly hearing this, he slightly frowned and raised his handsome face to look into the distance. He said indifferently, "Thank you, I know."
"Since you know you are beautiful …"
Ning Que looked at that place and said very seriously, "Then don't be too optimistic."
…
…
As soon as these words came out, the whole table was in an uproar.
Even if the people present had thought that Ning Que would refuse to send his little handmaiden, they also thought that he would use a very graceful way to refuse, such as saying that he was used to using this little handmaiden, that this little handmaiden came from a rough background, and so on and so forth. But they did not expect that he would refuse so simply, directly, crudely and fiercely!
You want my little handmaiden? You are too optimistic!
Prince Long Qing's face gradually darkened, but then he smiled a little.
Ning Que looked at him with a smile and explained, "The reason is very simple. Because I am not willing."
Prince Long Qing slowly stretched out his hands from his sleeves and calmly placed them on the table. He calmly looked at Ning Que in the dark corner in the distance and slowly said, "Because you are not willing, you may have missed a lot."
"I never worry about missing anything." Ning Que replied.
Prince Long Qing's sharp eyes fell on his face from a very far distance. After a moment of silence, he said, "It may even be … my friendship?"
Ning Que slightly raised his eyebrows and replied, "Maybe your friendship is not as valuable as you think."
Hearing this, Prince Long Qing's picturesque eyebrows seemed to be plated with a layer of frost. He said in a low voice, "It seems that you value your little handmaiden very much."
Ning Que replied with a smile, "What does it have to do with you?"
Prince Long Qing coldly said, "The master of the little handmaiden is really interesting. I am more and more interested in you."
Ning Que shook his head and said, "Mix your interest with wine and drink it, if you can still drink."
…
…
When the two were talking, it was quiet in the courtyard of the Victory House. Even the birds outside the Yanyu Corridor were nervous and did not dare to make a sound. As the conversation went on, people's faces became more and more wonderful and strange. They never thought that Ning Que, an ordinary Academy student, could actually talk with the bigwig of the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace. Not only did he not lose the upper hand, but his words were extremely sarcastic and tough.
Prince Long Qing's expression was still calm, but everyone could see the burning emotion in his indifferent eyes and the tough meaning revealed in his words. Only he coldly asked, "But I am still very curious, in your mind, who is qualified to be the master of this little handmaiden."
Under this strong power, Ning Que seemed to feel nothing. He slightly raised his eyebrows and replied, "In fact, this still has nothing to do with you. But since Your Highness is so interested, I can only say … at least you are not qualified."
"If I am not qualified, then who is qualified?"
Prince Long Qing laughed loudly, but there was no joy in his laughter, only some kind of strong confidence and domineering. The laughter gradually stopped. He glanced at the silent Lee Yu and asked, "Is it Her Highness?"
Ning Que smiled, and the dimple on his left cheek was particularly small and fresh. He said, "No, she is not."
As soon as this sentence came out, there was another uproar. However, before these shocked and complicated emotions could ferment, Lee Yu smiled and gave an answer. She looked at Prince Long Qing and the others and said, "I have asked this guy for Sangsang several times, but he did not care about me. So obviously I am not qualified. As for you, Prince Long Qing, I think you are not more qualified than me."
In the field, Prince Long Qing and the people of West-Hill and Yan had been in the upper hand for a long time. Lee Yu had been silent and watching the chess game without saying a word. She was the most favored princess of the Tang Empire. Even if you were a peerless genius, a bigwig in the Judicial Department of West-Hill, and a prince of Yan Kingdom, you were not qualified to be mentioned in the same breath as me. I did not care about Ning Que's repeated rejection, so what right did you have to care?
This was a very simple and powerful logic, which was the typical principle and style of the Tang people.
The Princess of the Tang Empire made a strong endorsement, and this little storm seemed to come to an end. Sangsang pulled Ning Que's sleeve and looked up, saying, "Young master, let's go home?"
Ning Que smiled and nodded. However, everyone present, including Lee Yu, did not expect that he did not leave. Instead, he reached out and rubbed Sangsang's head. He looked at Prince Long Qing and said very seriously,
"Prince, I have a few questions to ask you."
Hearing this sentence, many people present thought of what Xie Chengyun had said when he stood up, and suddenly there was a silence. The Academy looked at Ning Que in shock, thinking that the third young master Xie had been defeated in the debate. Did this guy, who avoided the exam by claiming to be sick, want to make a big splash?
Prince Long Qing's expression gradually became serious. He reached out to tidy up the front lapel of his clothes, sat up straight, and spread out his right hand, saying, "Please."
"Don't get me wrong. I have no interest in debating. In fact, I am not good at it. I am just a little confused about your previous confidence, so I have a few questions to ask you."
Ning Que took a step forward and asked, "Prince, may I ask if the firmament has eyes?"
The clear blue sky was gray and cloudy, and snow was falling. How could there be eyes above the winter sky? Even the stars above the night sky could not be regarded as eyes, right? However, although Ning Que said it was not debating, Prince Long Qing still responded very cautiously. After a little thought, he understood what Ning Que meant. Haotian lived above the firmament, and looked down on millions of people with compassion and benevolence. Then …
"The firmament naturally has eyes."
Ning Que then asked, "Is there primordial Qi between heaven and earth?"
Prince Long Qing replied, "Of course there is."
Ning Que quickly asked the next question, "Is there any regularity in the fluctuation of primordial Qi?"
Prince Long Qing replied, "Yes."
"Does the locust tree have roots?"
"Yes."
"Does the milkworm have life?"
"Yes."
"Does a normal person have thoughts?"
"Yes."
"Does the Tang Empire have an emperor?"
"Yes."
"Does the West-Hill have doctrines?"
"Yes."
…
…
Ning Que asked the questions faster and faster, but these questions were indeed very simple and had nothing to do with the debate. Prince Long Qing answered faster and faster as well. Their questions and answers were as quick as frying beans. The crowd became more and more confused about what he wanted to do. At this moment, they heard Ning Que's next question.
"Are there holes in the socks?"
"Of course …"
Prince Long Qing suddenly raised his eyebrows and stopped talking. Then he looked at Ning Que standing in the field with a faint smile, as if he was looking at a pitiful worm whose cleverness had been crushed. He continued to answer in an indifferent tone,
"No."
This series of questions was dull and even boring. But because it was related to Prince Long Qing and the previous storm, everyone listened very carefully. When Ning Que asked the questions, all the students thought along with him and silently answered with Prince Long Qing in their hearts. When the last question appeared, they even directly answered "yes" in their hearts. Until now, when they heard Prince Long Qing's sudden change of topic and answered "no" … they thought for a while and were shocked to realize that all this was just a verbal trap set by Ning Que.
Situ Yilan frowned and thought for a while. She looked at Ning Que and shook her head. She lowered her voice and said to Jin Wucai beside her, "It's a pity that we didn't make Prince Long Qing look bad."
Prince Long Qing was indeed a bigwig in the Judicial Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace and a genius who was the center of attention. However, at the most critical moment, he found that Ning Que's series of questions were just to lure him into a certain psychological pattern and verbal inertia. Ning Que wanted him to make a mistake on the last question, which was so simple that it was stupid, and wanted him to admit in front of everyone that the socks had holes. Naturally, he would not be fooled.
He looked at Ning Que with a pitiful and disgusted look and said, "I didn't expect that I would patiently listen to your question, but in the end, it was just this kind of petty cleverness. I really didn't expect you to do that."
Ning Que also looked at him with a faint smile. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "It's indeed a petty cleverness. But it's a pity that you can't even deal with it. I'm really disappointed."
No one understood what he was talking about. They thought he was talking nonsense out of shame and anger. Those Academy classmates who had always been estranged from him turned their heads and showed that they were ashamed to admit that they were classmates.
Ning Que shook his head and looked down at Sangsang. He sighed and said, "Do you remember the story I told you when you were young? How did most of the bears die in the end? "
"They died of stupidity."
Sangsang said, "Young master, you were right the other day. Most men who are too good-looking are not smart."
Then she looked at Prince Long Qing and explained seriously, "If there are no holes in the socks, then how do you put them in?"
…
…
Once again, everyone was silent. Those who understood the matter were dumbfounded and shamefully lowered their heads. They did not understand the matter, but looking at the expressions of the people around them, those who could guess were dumbfounded and had no time to lower their heads.
Li Yu and Situ Yilan couldn't help but smile. The expressions of the people from West-Hill were extremely ugly. As for Prince Long Qing himself, after being called a man who was not smart by Sangsang and figured out the abominable language trap, his face was so gloomy that it looked like a beautiful watercolor painting on a rainy day.
"I asked you just now, and you also answered me. We all know that Haotian has eyes. He is looking at the mortals in the secular world. You and I are like insects under the locust tree, living in the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth. We have to follow certain rules."
Ning Que looked at Prince Long Qing and said calmly, "These rules in the Tang Empire are the golden words of the Emperor or the laws of the Tang Empire. In West-Hill, they are the laws of the Holy Church. However, no matter which one is, it clearly recognizes that everyone's private property is not to be violated. Therefore, my things are always mine. As long as I don't agree, then don't think about taking them away."
Only then did everyone realize that there was such a hidden meaning in those seemingly boring questions.
Ning Que continued, "I asked these questions just to let the Prince know these principles. Even if you answered the answer that a three-year-old should know, it would be meaningless. Of course, the socks have holes, and of course, my handmaiden is mine. As long as I don't agree, you can't take away a penny from me. "
Prince Long Qing stared at his face, and after a long silence, he suddenly laughed and said calmly, "What you said makes sense, but I also know some other principles. If you don't have power, even if you only have the last penny on you, sometimes it will be difficult to protect it."
Ning Que smiled and asked, "Prince, are you threatening me?"
Then he looked at Zeng Jing and Li Yu at the table. He bowed with his hands folded in front and asked seriously, "Your Highness, Grand Secretary, he is threatening me. What should I do?"
Grand Secretary Zeng Jing was pushed to the wall by his words. He stroked his beard and said with a forced smile, "How could there be such a thing? You must have misheard."
Li Yu replied with a smile, "Do you want to fight to your death with your insignificant ability?"
Suddenly, she changed the topic and said calmly, "But I really don't know who dares to threaten the people of Tang Empire in Chang 'an."
This sentence was the real threat.
Priest Moli flew into a rage. He slammed the table in front of him and was about to stand up. However, at this moment, Prince Long Qing coldly looked at his former teacher and forcibly suppressed him. Then he looked at Ning Que and asked with a smile,
"You are also a student of the Academy. Will I see you when I enter the Second floor?"
Someone suddenly answered, "He didn't even enter the course of magic skills, so naturally he can't enter the Second floor."
The person who interrupted was Zhong Dajun. Ning Que's previous question about the socks had directly embarrassed everyone present, and he felt the most strongly. At this time, when he heard Prince Long Qing's question, he immediately pointed out that Ning Que had no cultivation potential and was not qualified to enter the Second floor, as if he could humiliate Ning Que in this way.
Prince Long Qing looked at Ning Que expressionlessly and said, "That's a pity."
After a moment of silence, Ning Que smiled and said, "Perhaps there aren't so many regrets in the world."
Sangsang pulled his sleeve and said for the second time, "Young master, let's go home."
Ning Que glanced at Zhong Dajun and the other students of the Academy and said, "I know you have always been ashamed to be associated with me. Today you will only think that I played some tricks, but I don't care. I just want to remind you to put these moral thoughts into your studies. If you still can't answer these questions that even a three-year-old can answer in the future, then it will be my turn to be ashamed to be associated with you."
After saying this, he bowed to Li Yu and several officials of the imperial court, and then turned to leave with Sangsang.
As he walked out of the courtyard, Ning Que sighed with emotion and said, "Peerless … genius … hope for resurgence …"
Then he shook his head and sighed with a smile. "Piapia!"
Listening to the constantly floating voices, there was an awkward silence. Prince Long Qing's face was extremely ugly.
…
…
(Note: I like this line very much. In my hometown dialect, people often say this to satirize others for overestimating themselves: Do you think you are prettier than others? P.S.: I wrote this chapter very painstakingly, and every paragraph was dug out. I hope the effect is good. In addition, I miss home. My favorite Xiamen is not beautiful now. Finally, I need a recommendation vote. In the next few days, I will probably only be able to read 3K, and then I will be too embarrassed to ask for votes.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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