"… I have long heard of Liheng's talent in the Prince's Mansion. It's a pity that Liheng didn't attend the last party, so I never had the chance to meet him. I'm very sorry. Seeing him today, I know that Liheng is young and talented. He really deserves his reputation. Mr. Zhang and I were going to Dongji to see a good inkstone. I don't know where Liheng and the Commandery Princess are going … "
"It's just that the Commandery Princess is coming of age. It's not appropriate for her to walk around like this …"
It was only the beginning of February. Jin 'er's shop had only been open for a few days, and the business was quite good. But it was finally after lunch time, and there were still private rooms on the second floor. When Ning Yi, Zhou Pei, Song Qian, Zhang, and Li came together, the lobby below was quite lively. They didn't know if Yunzhu and Jin 'er were there. Because they were outsiders, Ning Yi didn't need to look for them. They got a room on the second floor and sat down to drink tea and chat.
This room was beautifully decorated, and the original location was also good. Opening the window at the back, they could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Qinhuai. But it was still cold at this time, so the window couldn't be opened. A few potted plants were placed around, and there were a few ink paintings and poems on the wall. It was a very scholarly atmosphere. When they sat down in the room, the waitress in the shop served tea and snacks. Zhang and Li also started to talk.
The slightly fat Li Tong smiled amiably. Between the two, he was basically the good guy, and he was friendly to calm Ning Yi. Zhang Rui's status was there, and he was also old. He directly frowned and questioned Ning Yi. In fact, the two were not without envy. Although Li Tong was famous for his talent, he didn't have much contact with Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu since he entered the Prince's Mansion. Zhang Rui taught the two siblings some things in the Prince's Mansion, so they were master and apprentice. But in any case, it was impossible for him to let the two siblings attend classes in some academy like Ning Yi. It was said that he often took them to walk here and there. This kind of relationship was really too different.
Zhou Pei was an independent girl. If it was in the past, she would probably be a little sullen about Zhang Rui's remark that "the Commandery Princess is coming of age, so it's not appropriate for her to walk outside". But today was a little different.
She had just argued with Ning Yi in the morning, and she was seen crying by the side. Now, it was obvious that the two masters were here to make trouble for her master. Little Zhou Pei was secretly very happy, and she didn't care about the old master saying that she didn't have the freedom to go out. She was a little hungry, and now her appetite increased. She took a pastry and sat down to eat, like a obedient child who respected her master and listened to his teachings. She wished she could nod her head vigorously. On the other hand, she was looking forward to what kind of fallacious reasoning Ning Yi would use to refute the two masters. Of course, at this time, the topic was still brewing. Ning Yi smiled and answered that he was going to the Prince Consort's Mansion to deliver something, so he brought Zhou Pei along.
Li Tong smiled and nodded. "The Prince Consort's Mansion … Is it Duke Ming's Mansion? I heard that Liheng and Duke Ming are friends? "
"We can be considered chess friends."
"I believe that Liheng's chess skills are quite good, and I happen to have some experience. If there's a chance in the future, we can arrange a time to play a game."
While Li Tong was speaking politely, Zhang Rui glanced at a corner of the room. "Are those the things that Liheng is going to deliver to Duke Ming's Mansion?"
Ning Yi looked at him. "Old Zhang, do you know them?"
"This is probably the army's flamethrower. I wonder where Li Heng got it from?"
Zhang Rui frowned. Ning Yi gave him a rough explanation. He had asked Kang Xian to get these assault rifles for him to study. The assault rifles weren't very technical, and he had already understood most of them. It was useless to leave too many of them in the courtyard, and two of them were already broken. Although Kang Xian had a lot of influence in the dark, these assault rifles were military items. Ning Yi felt that it would be better to return them to Lu Agui and report them to him. Thus, he took them and prepared to deliver them.
At this time, everyone had already talked for a while, and the topic suddenly turned to guns. Zhou Pei chewed on her pastry and looked left and right in confusion. Originally, the topic should have been about literary talent and poetry. The three of them would compete here, provoke each other, and then the two masters would compete with Ning Liheng. They would play drinking games, write poems, and write essays. That was the development she was looking forward to.
At this time, Zhang Rui and Li Tong talked about some trivial things about Kang Xian. Zhang Rui said, "I've seen that assault rifle a few times. This kind of thing is really disgusting. In the army, it's like chicken ribs. It's strange and obscene, and it does more harm than good. I've heard that Liheng is interested in these things a few times. This kind of thing is really inappropriate. Liheng should focus on learning and put his mind on useful things. Otherwise, I'm afraid it's hard to avoid making mistakes. "
With a loud thud, Zhou Pei's eyes widened. She held the pastry with both hands, moved her butt back, and sat still. Her eyes darted around, paying attention to Ning Yi and the other person's expression. She pursed her lips, looking like a rabbit, waiting for Ning Yi to refute. However, Ning Yi smiled and cupped his hands. "You're right, Old Zhang."
The rabbit's ears drooped down when the fire didn't start. She had heard from Kang Xian about Ning Yi's temperament in the past. Her master had always been the kind of person who would politely apologize a hundred times, nod his head a thousand times, and never change his actions. Today, if Grandpa Qin or Grandpa Prince Consort were here, perhaps he would bring out his sincerity to discuss with them. However, the two people in front of him clearly couldn't arouse his fighting spirit. He actually went along with the flow and nodded.
However, even if Ning Yi was willing to back down, the other side might not be willing to let go. Zhang Rui shook his head. "Liheng is young and full of vigor. Perhaps he doesn't agree with what this old man has said. However, what this old man is referring to is actually not the firearm itself. In this old man's opinion, this firearm only makes a lot of noise when it's fired and can scare people. Its range isn't as good as a bow and arrow, and its accuracy is also extremely low. Every time it's fired, it's extremely troublesome to reload. After firing a few shots, there's a chance it'll explode and injure the user. Furthermore, it can't be used on rainy days. The only advantage is that because it's fired with gunpowder, even if it's a child or an old man, as long as it's aimed in the right direction, it can still be used. But … this is also the biggest disadvantage. "
Although this old man clearly had the attitude of challenging the school, he wasn't an idiot. Unexpectedly, he understood this firearm very well. "What's the advantage of putting a weapon that even a child can use in the army? Nowadays, what our Wu dynasty's soldiers lack is never these strange objects, but the morale of the army. To think that the Nüzhen tribe was able to defeat the Liao army even though they were outnumbered. But when our Wu dynasty's soldiers saw the Liao people, they crumbled at the mere sight of them. Could it be that there's really such a big difference between people? I've also seen the Nüzhen, and they aren't three heads and six arms. Nowadays, our Wu dynasty's soldiers are greedy for life and afraid of death. They only know how to enjoy themselves. We can only harshly reprimand them to awaken their courage and vigor. Only then will we have any hope of winning. Right now, they're trained to be lazy. They can't wield their sabers or draw their bows. It's not that they don't have the strength, it's that they don't have the courage and vigor. If we put these things in the army, it'll only make the army even more useless. Even if the power of these firearms is doubled, it'll still do more harm than good! "
"That's true." Ning Yi nodded. This time, he wasn't being perfunctory. He really did agree with some of the other's words.
"The heavens move vigorously, and so must a gentleman ceaselessly strive to improve himself. These strange and obscene tricks can only make people lazy and degenerate. The words of the wise men of the past are all true. I heard that Liheng is interested in these things. He's a young man, so it wasn't a problem at first. But now that Liheng is a teacher, I heard that he wants the young prince to learn these things as well. Isn't this a bit too much … "
Zhang Rui and Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu were master and disciple. Although they weren't very close, he knew that the young prince had recently suddenly taken a liking to the study of things. This statement might be able to deceive ordinary people, but in the eyes of these old people, it was truly a strange and obscene trick, the study of craftsmen. The old man changed the topic, finally turning it to this matter. Li Tong, however, didn't understand. He frowned and said, "With Liheng's talent, he shouldn't be like this. I wonder what Elder Zhang is referring to …"
At this time, the atmosphere in the room finally became strange. In a sense, it could be said that they had finally entered the main topic. Zhou Pei put the pastry to her mouth and took a bite. She frowned and looked at Ning Yi, feeling that this matter was troublesome. If the story of old man Zhang reprimanding Ning Liheng spread in the Prince's Mansion in a short period of time, she would also feel embarrassed. At this time, she was worried about what words Ning Yi would use to refute.
On the other side, Zhang Rui and Li Tong were talking to each other. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. A moment later, a woman wearing a veil came in with a tea tray. She wasn't a servant of the restaurant. The woman's figure was extremely beautiful, and her eyes behind the veil were quick-witted. It seemed that she was at least a steward of the restaurant. With a smile, she said a few polite words, added tea and pastries, and then turned to leave. Li Tong seemed to think of something. He stared at the woman's figure in a daze, momentarily forgetting to criticize Ning Yi. However, Zhou Pei recognized the woman. She had seen her in Takeshi's headquarters. This was Yuan Jin 'er, the top courtesan. She had already removed her citizenship and knew her master.
Sure enough, after the woman went out, Ning Yi also stood up with a smile. "You two can chat first. I'll go out for a while."
After saying goodbye, Ning Yi left the room. As expected, on the side of the corridor not far away, Yuan Jin 'er was sneakily looking in this direction. In the past, when she came here to direct the workers, she didn't mind being seen by others. But now, as the boss of Jin 'er's restaurant, she became reserved and hid her face behind the veil to maintain a sense of mystery. When Ning Yi walked over, she said, "You've been busy recently. Why are you here?"
"Just passing by. Where's Yunzhu?"
"Sister Yunzhu was upstairs just now, but I can't find her now. I don't know why she was called out. I heard from Little Min that you seemed to be here, so I came to see. Besides that little girl, who are the others who came with you? "
"A great scholar who argued with me."
"Scholar?" Jin 'er blinked. Ning Yi nodded. "He's very famous."
"No wonder … I seem to have seen that fatty before …"
While they were talking, noises came from the hall on the first floor. There was also the sound of a performance mixed in with the noise. Jin 'er probably had something to do as well. She looked out from the window on the second floor several times. Ning Yi also looked out, but it was just a street full of pedestrians. "What are you looking at?"
"Uh … nothing, it's none of your business. You go and argue with those two scholars." She thought for a while and snorted. "To be honest, it's not fun when you stinky men fight without a woman. After all, you're showing off in front of a woman. Why don't I call someone in to watch you fight with words? The two sisters of Yan Cui Lou are here today, and they're both beauties. You don't want Sister Yunzhu to accompany them, although she will definitely side with you … "
Men always wanted to show off in front of women. Yuan Jin 'er's casual words really hit the nail on the head. In fact, there was nothing to argue about today's matter. Zhang Rui and the others had their own logic system, and it was impeccable. If it was someone like Elder Qin who everyone had known for a long time, they might seriously think about it. However, these people wouldn't.
No matter how sincere they were, there was no possibility of convincing each other. There was no point in being sincere about this kind of matter. Ning Yi, on the other hand, was planning to go back and list out all the detailed data related to his obscene skills to trick the two of them. He was bored anyway.
He went downstairs to the toilet to wash his hands before coming back up. The data had already been listed in his mind. Just as he entered the corridor on the second floor, something happened inadvertently.
The noise mixed with the music came from behind. Ning Yi was walking towards the room. Footsteps came from behind, and then he was pushed on the shoulder.
Takeshi's Second Store was spacious, and the corridor was not narrow. The person wanted to push Ning Yi because he was in a hurry, but Ning Yi didn't mind. The person was a tall and burly man. Judging by his clothes, he seemed to be from the north. He directly entered a room in front of him.
"That's the person …"
That was what the man said. When Ning Yi walked over, someone closed the door of the room. He could vaguely hear the conversation inside. Ning Yi didn't pay much attention to it. He looked at the corner of the corridor in front of him. At this time, Yuan Jin 'er was nowhere to be seen. She seemed to be in a good mood today, but he didn't know why … Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly stopped. After a moment, his fingers tapped on the side of his body.
After self-learning the second-rate internal energy that Lu Hongti taught him, his physical fitness had improved a lot, and his hearing was better. When he walked past just now, he seemed to vaguely hear something like "That's Qin Siyuan's … bodyguard …", but he couldn't be sure. At this time, he took two steps back and listened attentively. He vaguely heard some incomplete sentences.
"… Are you sure you want to do it?"
"… It's a good chance …"
"… It's too hasty …"
"Watch it first. After it's done, leave the city immediately …"
What's going on?
Someone in the room had a loud voice, so he could hear it clearly, but he couldn't make out the whole picture. The people inside talked for a while, and Ning Yi walked forward. Then the door opened. The people who came out of the room glanced at him and then walked toward the exit of the corridor. When Ning Yi looked back, he saw a tall and thin man wearing an animal fur coat. The other man looked like a noble son. Both of them walked very steadily.
Ning Yi thought for a while and also turned back.
After walking out of the corridor, there was a platform connected to a row of stairs. From there, he could see the situation in the hall. The two people who came out of the room stood there and looked down. At this time, the noise in the hall was a little less. The girl from Yan Cui House was performing on the stage. Ning Yi stood beside the two and looked down. Then, he waved to the side and called a waiter over. After asking the name of the girl performing on the stage, he didn't look anymore and turned to leave.
At a table on the side of the hall, Nie Yunzhu and Elder Qin were talking to the waiter. There was no food on the table. It was obvious that Elder Qin had just come and sat down. A few days ago, Elder Qin said that after the opening of the second Takeshi Restaurant, he would come and take a look when he had time.
The two people next to him were also looking in this direction.
*****
In the room, Zhang Rui was talking to Zhou Pei. As for Ning Yi's departure just now, Zhang Rui and Li Tong's explanation should be that Ning Yi fled. However, Zhou Pei knew that was not the case. The departure of Ning Yi and Yuan Jin 'er made her want to gossip. She wanted to chase after them and peep. After all, one was the number one scholar, and the other was once the head of the four brothels. Maybe there really was a touching love story between them. However, on the one hand, she didn't want Ning Yi to lose face. On the other hand, she was still a little angry about what happened in the morning. Therefore, she didn't go out with them. She just waited for Ning Yi to come back. There was no doubt that her master could make a comeback. She just didn't know how to use the theory.
Zhang Rui was very happy with the remarks he had made against Ning Yi just now, so he pretended to earnestly instruct Zhou Pei. His main purpose was to make this clever little princess realize the error of her ways and realize who a better master was. Li Tong was thinking that when Ning Yi came over later, he would have nothing to say. It was just that this matter was a little strange. Scholars had always competed with each other. If others said they were wrong, they would never admit it. But today, Ning Yi wasn't angry. He just smiled and said, "What you said makes sense." It really made people uncomfortable. When he came later, he would have to speak a bit more seriously. If this spread out, people would definitely realize that Ning Liheng had lost face. He then remembered that this shop was called Jin 'er Shop and the woman who looked like Yuan Jin' er. For a moment, he thought about it.
Not long after, the door finally opened and Ning Yi walked back. First, he said a few words to Song Qian, the guard of the wang fu who was sitting at the side like an invisible person. Song Qian frowned and went out with a serious expression. Ning Yi came over. Li Tong said with a smile, "Liheng, just now I talked with Elder Zhang for a while. I have some thoughts …"
Zhang Rui frowned. "It's not just thoughts. Liheng, I really think that this matter is very serious. It concerns the young prince's future. It can't be taken lightly. In the next few days, you have to give an explanation. Otherwise, not only will it spread in the prince's residence, this old man will also speak to the prince. This matter isn't targeted at you, but … but … "
The old man didn't finish speaking and blinked. Li Tong's eyes also widened. To the side, Zhou Pei was eating a pastry with her head shrunk. Her mouth was open and she couldn't bite down for a moment. Ning Yi did not reply to the two of them. He turned around and looked at the door. Instead, he picked up the long bundle that contained the five assault rifles from the corner of the room. He put the bundle on the table, opened it, and took a look. He picked up a gun and opened a small gunpowder bag. He poured the gunpowder into the barrel and used a long iron rod to poke it. Then, he began to load bullets.
At this time, Ning Yi was standing there doing the work at hand. He had no interest in the boring debate. Zhang Rui and Li Tong were sitting across the table. They didn't know what this guy wanted to do. Ning Yi loaded a gun, thought for a moment, and then loaded another. When his eyes swept over the two's faces, he gave them a kind smile, but his eyes glanced at the door. Of course, Zhang Rui and Li Tong couldn't notice such a movement at the moment.
"You … You …" Li Tong swallowed a mouthful of saliva, "A … A gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists …" He stuttered, but couldn't continue. How could there be such a debate? Just because he said that his perverted tricks were useless, he wanted to destroy both of them …
Ning Yi took out a match, opened it, and shook it in his hand a few times to light it. Then, he closed it and put it away. Then, he wrapped up the two loaded muskets and put them on his back so that he could pull them out at any time. Then, he took a deep breath.
"There's something going on outside. You guys sit inside for a while … maybe there's a mistake …" He thought for a moment and said, "I hope there's a mistake …"
*****
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