Vermilion Bird Street was bustling with people. Sitting in the carriage, Wang Chong parted the curtains and looked around. There were many blue-eyed, red-bearded Hu shuttling through the streets.
With a single glance, Wang Chong could make out the fearsome Turks, the small but aggressive Tibetans, the Silla and Goguryeons, who looked similar to the Han but exuded a completely different disposition. There were also the tall and muscular Western Regioners, Abbasid Caliphate, Charax Spasinu, and others with red, brown, and golden hair...
Seeing these Hu from various regions, Wang Chong felt an indescribable feeling. Regardless of which parallel world he was in, the Tang dynasty would always be the most confident Tang dynasty.
It would always welcome the entire world with its most open attitude. Even when it was fighting with the Hu, the Tang dynasty didn't completely ostracize the Hu.
In this space-time continuum, it was without a doubt the center of the world. But it was a pity …
Wang Chong felt a twinge in his heart, but he quickly regained his senses.
Vermilion Bird Street was the place where the Hu gathered the most. If he wanted to find the two Sindhu monks from the Western Regions, this was the best place.
However, Wang Chong wasn't here to try his luck. Luck was the most unreliable thing. The person Wang Chong was looking for was someone else.
In the entire Vermilion Bird Street, including the entire eastern region of the capital, there was no one who had a better understanding of the Hu than that person.
In his previous life, due to his' arrogance ', the Tang dynasty missed out on the precious' WuZi Steel '. As a result, there was barely any WuZi Steel left in the Tang dynasty.
Initially, this could have greatly strengthened the Tang dynasty.
Wang Chong was here to correct this mistake.
'Learn from the barbarians in order to subdue the barbarians', this was the saying of a person named Wei Yuan in the world he came from. Humans were divided into barbarians, but technology wasn't. This was even more so for WuZi Steel.
As long as he could change the tragedy of his previous life, Wang Chong didn't care where he came from.
"Go!"
The carriage made a turn, carrying Wang Chong and his sister into an inconspicuous alley.
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Chong?"
As soon as Wang Chong walked in with his little sister, a smiling fat face immediately looked up from behind the counter. The chubby man grinned at Wang Chong, revealing a golden incisor that was very eye-catching.
This was a pawnshop. Although it looked deserted and the fat man was the only one inside, it was a pawnshop.
However, Wang Chong knew that the guy in front of him was filthy rich.
"If you don't open for business for three years, once you do, you'll eat for three years." He specialized in the pawning business of the Hu in the capital and the hedonistic scions.
If anyone was short of silver or soft goods, they would come here to pawn them. This was especially so for the Hu. As guests in a foreign land, they would always be strapped for cash and it was inevitable that they would come here to pawn their goods.
Due to this reason, the chubby man was extremely well-informed about the Hu in the capital, and he was given the nickname of 'Big Golden Tooth'.
Wang Chong had been 'idling around' in the capital, befriending shady characters like Ma Zhou. However, it wasn't completely without benefits.
'Big Golden Tooth' was one of the useful 'friends' that Wang Chong befriended.
Even though he felt the pinch, Wang Chong gritted his teeth. Pah, he placed an ingot of silver on the table. 'Big Golden Tooth' never did things for free. In order for him to speak, he had to 'cut some flesh' every time.
"I'm here to buy some news. A few Buddhist monks from Sindhu have arrived in the capital. They are bald and wearing a large kasaya. They are easy to recognize. I want to know where they are. "
Wang Chong said.
"Hehe, Young Master Chong is indeed forthright. As expected of the descendant of Duke Jiu. … Un? Sindhi monks? Why is Young Master Chong looking for them? These fellows speak strangely, and they often persuade others to believe in their religion. Young Master Chong should avoid greeting them. "
"Furthermore, even if Young Master Chong is looking for them, it is already too late. These fellows have already returned to Sindhu a few days ago. "
Big Golden Tooth smiled happily. As he caressed the silver ingot, he lowered his head and spoke to Wang Chong.
"What?"
Upon hearing those words, Wang Chong's heart skipped a beat and he widened his eyes. "They've returned?"
Even though Wang Chong had expected that the two monks would have arrived at the Tang dynasty, he didn't expect that the two Buddhist monks would have already returned.
"Indeed, they took the carriage of the Zhaowu from the White Agate Jewelry Shop to the west of the city. If Young Master Chong has any business with them, you can head west along the main road. You might be able to catch up to them. "
Big Golden Tooth said.
Wang Chong shook his head. After leaving the capital, heading west would be the vast mountains and deserts. A journey of three days was more than sufficient for them to walk out of the Jade Gate Pass.
The world was so vast, where could he find a carriage that could carry two Buddhist monks?
Big Golden Tooth's words were just to console him.
"Thank you."
Walking out of the pawnshop, Wang Chong felt an indescribable sense of disappointment. In the end, this WuZi Steel was still fated to be with him!
"Let's go! Let's return home! "
The two siblings boarded the carriage and left the pawnshop.
…
By the time they returned to the Wang Family Residence, the sky had already turned completely dark. The entire residence was brightly lit, but it only made it more silent.
"Hold it right there!"
When Wang Chong and his sister tiptoed through the door and were about to return to their respective rooms, a cold bellow suddenly sounded from above.
"Crap!"
The two siblings' bodies froze and they slowly turned their heads around. At the top of the hall, two lanterns were lit, and from the light, a cold face slowly appeared. It was staring coldly at the two siblings.
"Mother, mother!"
Wang Xiao Yao's body shuddered. She turned her head around timidly and called out.
"Mother!"
Wang Chong's face was filled with uneasiness as well. After circling outside, he purposely went to Big Gold-toothed's place to avoid his mother. Yet, he still ended up being caught by his mother.
Looking at his mother's frosty expression, it was hard to tell how long she had waited for him. Clearly, the matter at the Vast Crane Pavilion had been exposed.
"You two bastards, let me ask you, where did you go today?"
Madam Wang's cold expression was daunting.
The two siblings felt their scalps going numb. In the Wang Family, even though Father Wang was strict, he spent most of his time outside and didn't have the time to discipline them.
The one who was truly in charge of the two siblings was their mother, Zhao Shu Hua.
Other families had a 'loving mother and strict father', but the Wang Family had a 'strict mother and loving father'! Compared to their mother, their father was much more 'loving'.
"We went … We went to the Vast Crane Pavilion!"
Wang Chong's heart trembled. Knowing that he couldn't hide it from his mother, he could only brace himself and reveal the truth.
"Went to the Vast Crane Pavilion? You only went to the Vast Crane Pavilion? "
Madam Wang slammed the sandalwood table fiercely.
Peng!
Wang Chong's knees caved in. He didn't argue any further and knelt down:
"I'm sorry, mother. I was wrong on this matter."
Wang Chong knew what his mother was angry about. Regardless of whether it was in this life or his previous life, what Wang Chong couldn't bear to see was his mother's disappointment.
Even though she looked strict on the surface, after his previous life, Wang Chong knew that she was as weak as anyone else in her heart. She loved this family deeply as well.
Because she had lost something, she cherished it.
In his previous life, when his mother's frail body slowly collapsed before him, Wang Chong felt a sharp pain in his heart. As such, when Wang Chong was reincarnated in this life, he swore to himself that no matter what reason he had, he would never anger his mother and make her grieve and cry for him.
"Wrong? Are you only wrong?"
Madam Wang trembled in anger:
"It's one thing for you to mess around, but to bring your little sister to the Vast Crane Pavilion as well. Do you know that the Yao Clan's Old Master Yao has already reported our family to His Majesty and your grandfather? This matter has already caused a huge uproar in the capital! "
"After the morning court session ended, your big uncle didn't even return home. Instead, he paid us a visit in anger and questioned us on what we were up to and whether we were intending to cause the death of the entire Wang Clan!"
"What!"
Wang Chong's body trembled. He lifted his head abruptly in shock. In his previous life, he wasn't involved in this matter at all. Thus, he didn't expect that the Yao Clan's Old Master Yao would report him and his little sister to His Majesty. In fact, even his big uncle had come to question them.
"How could this be?"
Wang Chong muttered to himself as waves of shock surged in his heart. He thought that Yao Guang Yi wanted to frame his father and drive a wedge between his father and the King of Song. Logically speaking, he wouldn't blow this matter up, at least not to the point where the current Emperor would know about it.
However, Wang Chong realized that he had underestimated a person, and that person was the Yao Clan's Old Master Yao.
If Yao Guang Yi was said to be a sly old fox, then this old fox was groomed by the Yao Clan's Old Master Yao.
Compared to Old Master Yao, his ability to turn clouds and rain with one turn in the imperial court was not even one-tenth of Old Master Yao's. Wang Chong remembered clearly that in his previous life, Old Master Yao had a nephew who bribed an official in the royal court. In the end, this official with the surname Wei went to the Holy Emperor and reported his nephew.
Originally, in the royal court, if such a thing happened to an official, his political career would basically come to an end.
However, in the end, Old Master Yao's methods were heaven-defying. In the end, not only did nothing happen to him, the official who reported him was even demoted. As for that nephew, he was naturally acquitted and the matter was left unsettled.
This matter left a deep impression on Wang Chong. Be it in his previous life or this life, he had heard his father, eldest brother and second brother mention it many times. Thus, even though he had never met this Old Master Yao before, Wang Chong had a huge taboo towards this Old Master Yao.
The way he did things was unfathomable and couldn't be judged based on common sense!
Wang Chong knew that in this matter, he had only paid attention to Yao Guang Yi and neglected the hidden Old Master Yao of the Yao Family. Old Master Yao and his grandfather had never been on good terms. The two of them were political rivals and this relationship had been going on since the previous dynasty.
Furthermore, Yao Feng was doted on by Old Master Yao. In his previous life, Old Master Yao even went to the Holy Emperor to seek an official position for his grandson. It wasn't surprising that he would do such a thing.
Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising that Old Master Yao would bring this matter to the Holy Emperor in order to deal a blow to his grandfather.
What surprised Wang Chong the most was big uncle!
Big uncle and his father didn't have a good relationship. Different from his father, big uncle wasn't a military general. Instead, he held an official position in the royal court. His status was high and his authority was immense. His grandfather's old friends and disciples, as well as his influence in the royal court, were all inherited by big uncle.
Thus, he looked down on his father, Wang Yan, as well as his siblings, who were of a lower status than him.
Wang Chong's other uncles and aunts were meek and submissive. However, Wang Chong's father, Wang Yan, was a soldier and had an upright character. Thus, there were many times when he would go against his father and get into conflict with him.
Thus, the relationship between big uncle and his father was the worst. Wang Chong had never liked him in his previous life. He just didn't expect that because of the matter between him and his little sister, Wang Chong would pay a visit personally.
"… You still don't know?!"
Madam Wang's hearing was much sharper than Wang Chong imagined. Hearing his muttering, she was even more furious.
"It's not like you don't know about the relationship between your uncle and your father. He has never liked your father. Your grandfather's seventieth birthday is coming up soon. Do you want your father to lose his reputation and face in front of so many uncles, uncles, and your grandfather's students and old friends?"
At the end, Madam Wang felt bitter and her eyes reddened. Tears were about to fall from her eyes.
Yesterday, she thought that her child had finally grown up. She didn't expect him to barge into the Vast Crane Pavilion today and beat up the Yao Clan gongzi along with his little sister.
This matter involved both the Yao and Wang Clan, and this wasn't a small matter. Furthermore, the old master behind the Yao Clan had even reported his father-in-law to the Holy Emperor!
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