The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 279: Killing a horse for its liver, killing a man for his head, the wrath of Chang'an

The white horse's eyes lit up.

His pupils shrank to the size of needle points in the dim light of the lanterns under the eaves, and his nostrils flared slightly due to his rapid breathing.

The bluestone bricks reflected the cold light of the remaining snow, casting mottled shadows on his python-patterned robe.

[Sir, this guy really has ulterior motives. That will be easy to deal with.]
The fingers hanging in the wide sleeves curled up, and the nails dug into the palms, bringing pleasant pain.

When she lowered her head, her neck bent in a submissive arc, and the tassels of her hair crown swept across the collar embroidered with white cloud patterns.

The eldest son of the Bai family smiled with a touch of humility, and squeezed out a breath from his throat:

"Don't worry, sir. The people around here are all my loyal servants and retainers..."

The gold thread on the cuff flickered as the arm swung slightly. The white horse moved closer and spoke even more quietly:
"There are also close friends who are willing to open their hearts and offer their livers and gallbladders, but the news will not reach the king's ears.

"It was spread to..."

Bai Ma suddenly raised his eyelids, and the fine lines at the end of his eyes formed flattering wrinkles. His skinny fingers slightly hooked under the cover of his body, pointing in the direction of Xianyang Palace.

The copper bells on the eaves of the Bai family were struck by the north wind, and the jingling sound was mixed with the deliberately suppressed hoarse voice of the eldest son of the Bai family:

"In this Qin State, you are the one that everyone wants."

Ying Chengjiao laughed loudly, and his laughter broke the silence of the night, shaking the golden tassels of the two lanterns hanging on the door of the Bai family's mansion.

The black cloak fluttered in the night wind, and the jade belt hook hit the scabbard with a clanging sound, fully displaying the young man's arrogant nature.

On two nearby streets, two teams of guards from the Neishi Palace, who were on their daily patrol to look for thieves or thieves, heard the noise and rushed over one after the other.

They hurried along the frosty rammed earth road, the clattering of leather armor and scales continuing the laughter that had just broken the silence of the night.

The soles of everyone's boots were covered with remnant snow, and every step brought up tiny pieces of ice.

The two teams of guards arrived one after the other and stopped about three blocks away from the gate of Bai's mansion.

One Qin team consisted of ten people, and two teams of guards consisted of twenty people, and the leaders were all called squad leaders.

The two squad leaders looked unhappy when they arrived. When they arrived, they saw that it was indeed the Bai family. They felt even more uncomfortable than when they followed General Wang Ling to eat human flesh.

But it is my duty and I cannot just turn around and walk away. I will be put in jail.

Later, the squad leader of that team stopped far away and waved his torch towards the team that came first - you come first, you ask, and if there is any problem, we can come together.

The squad leader who came first spat on the ground and cursed inwardly, "Bad luck." When he turned around, the bronze plate on his waist jingled, pointing out a guard with sinister eyebrows and eyes.

This is not to say that he is letting his subordinates take the blame and is irresponsible.

In fact, the nobles of the old Qin Dynasty were not filial sons, especially the Meng, Xi and Bai families.

Not to mention the members of Meng Xibai's family, they are all adults and cannot be offended.

The key is that the servants of the three families are just like their mother's nobles. Once they know that you have climbed up from the common people through military merit, they will be unwilling to answer or pay attention to you.

Is he really a dog who takes advantage of his master's power? He is so used to serving his master that he thinks he is an adult? The lowly birdman who was shot dead on the battlefield is more arrogant than a noble!
The guard selected by the captain for questioning was the one with the best background in the team.

His father was an official who participated in the Battle of Changping and the Battle of Handan and survived, and was awarded the sixth rank of nobility.

Don't think that this sixth-rank official is too low.

After Duke Biao's death, the three dukes became the military leaders of Qin.

Wang Ling, one of the Three Dukes, is now the ninth-rank official.

The father of the guard was only three ranks lower than Wang Ling in rank, but once he went into the battlefield he was a Qin general who could hear military secrets.

The guard walked forward and arrived at the gate of Bai's mansion.

I saw a majestic and extraordinary horse lying on its side in a pool of blood, its mane stained with congealed blood beads, which glowed an eerie blue in the moonlight.

Heat rose from the wound, mixed with the smell of rotting hay wafting from the stable, and condensed into white mist in the winter night.

The guard who was questioning him first said, "My father is an official doctor." Then he pointed the scabbard of the Qin sword in his hand at the horse that was still breathing, and a deep pain flashed in his eyes.

[This is a good horse...] His voice was as cold as the north wind that blew from time to time:

"What happened?"

The guard who was questioning had raised war horses in the Lantian camp, but none of them could defeat the dying horse on the ground.

The servant of the Bai residence who was here to clean up the mess had a sneer on his face and arrogance in his eyes.

When he heard that the guard's father was an official, he lowered his eyes and saw the gold and silver sword pendant on the guard's waist - such a precious item was beyond the reach of ordinary guards.

The arrogance has been restrained a little, but it still exists.

What's wrong with Guan Dafu? He's just an outsider! The old patriarch is a 15th-class noble!
I am proud in my heart, but I still have to answer.

Three years ago, a servant of the Meng family treated a guard of noble birth like a lowly ruffian and ignored him. The guard was so angry that he stabbed him to death with a gun.

Although the guard paid a price later.

But after that, the servants of Meng Xibai and the other two families no longer dared to ignore these guards of noble birth and did not dare to gamble with their own lives.

The fat man who was leading the group of servants pretended to bow, his Adam's apple sliding in the layers of neck flesh, and his voice was as sticky as a venomous snake's tongue:

"Sir, Lord Chang'an has just arrived..."

The fat master said that with the help of the other servants, we quickly completed the whole story.

[Inhuman!] The guard who was questioning had an ugly expression on his face, and his hand holding the gun was shaking. He wanted to shoot the eldest son of the Bai family, Bai Ma, and pierce him with eight or ten bloody holes!

The dying horse suddenly twitched, and its open eyes reflected the jade pendant dangling from the waist of the guard under the porch.

A few servants laughed and pulled off the dirty and smelly linen tied to the horse's mouth.

The sound of cloth tearing mixed with the horse's final wail.

The fat man bowed and commanded the other six people to carry the horses into the gate of the Bai family with a smile on his face. The discussion drifted outside the door:

"I guess the horse liver must be roasted!"

"Why are you talking about this? You can't eat it, you birdman? But this horse meat... slurp."

"This horse is so big, even if all the guests in the mansion share it, we might get a piece!"

"We don't have any, but you definitely have some, and your brother will definitely be able to leave some for you."

"I also want to have a brother who is a chef..."

"Don't even think about it. His cousin has been a cook in our family for four generations, and our family hasn't hired a chef from outside for a hundred years."

"Move it quickly! What the hell are you talking about!"

"..."

Most of the old Qin nobles did not eat horse meat.

Horses have well-developed sweat glands, which amplify the fishy smell on their bodies, and this cannot be eradicated by any means.

Jianma is always running and moving, even sleeping standing up. It is full of muscles and has a very rough texture.

For these two reasons, the Qin nobles would rather eat pig meat, which was known as cheap meat, in private than eat horse meat, which was fishy and tough.

Outside the Bai Mansion, two doormen squatted beside a pool of blood, cleaning up the mess with great heartache:

"This blood should be mixed with millet wine..."

If they had known that the adults were going to kill the horse, they would have used a clay basin to catch it.

The guard who was questioning them resisted the urge to stab the two bastards to death, turned around and walked back, crushing one icy blood scab after another with his boots.

The captain noticed that the guard who had returned to question the team had a very bad look on his face, and his hand holding the torch tightened slightly:
"What happened?"

The guard who was questioning took a deep breath and stated the reason with lingering anger:

"Those bitches said that when Lord Chang'an arrived, Master Baima saw the horse Lord Chang'an was riding and thought it was very slow.

"He offered to give his favorite horse to Lord Chang'an, saying that it was a horse of great mileage." Lord Chang'an refused.

"Yan Prince Dan was also a guest invited by Prince Bai Ma. He said he heard that the liver of a thousand-mile horse was very delicious and a rare delicacy, so he asked Chang'an Jun if he had ever eaten it.

"Changan Jun shook his head."

Heartache flashed in his eyes, his breath became heavier, and he continued with gritted teeth:
"After Prince Bai Ma and a group of guests welcomed Lord Chang'an into the palace, he ordered to kill the horse and take its liver."

As the words "Kill the horse and take the liver" came out, the flame of the torch suddenly burst into a spark, reflecting a cold light in the captain's eyes.

The nine guards behind the captain tilted their heads slightly and stared at the gate of the Bai family, which was not very clear due to the darkness and distance.

A thousand-mile horse that can travel a thousand miles a day to deliver urgent reports, a thousand-mile horse that can seek a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation, a thousand-mile horse that is a treasure in the army and is priceless.

killed.

Eat liver.

White horse should die!

Later, the squad leader of the guard team noticed that the atmosphere was not right, and slowly raised the hand that was not holding the torch, with five fingers pointing to the sky.

Afterwards, the ten guards tensed up slightly, ready for battle, waiting for their captain to make a fist.

The torch on the opposite side flickered slightly - nothing happened.

Later, the sergeant's expression relaxed and he quickly put his hand down.

[Pretending to kill someone for no reason...] He complained in his heart and shouted at his colleague who turned around and left:
"What's the matter?"

The wind brought the roar of resentment from those who could not vent their anger and could not kill:

"Dirty things!"

Bai family banquet room.

Twenty-four bronze lamps illuminate the hall in every detail.

The flames crackled on the tallow candle wicks, and the aroma of sandalwood mixed with the aroma of roasting meat floated in the warm air.

The left and right rows were filled with people, all of whom were guests invited by Bai Ma, the eldest son of the Bai family.

The folds of the brocade gown spread out like clouds on the mat. Waiters shuttled back and forth holding gilded wine jugs. The rubbing sounds of fabrics and the clinking sounds of jade objects intertwined into an undercurrent.

The most honorable guest in the right row was Young Master Cheng Jiao.

Ying Chengjiao looked at the steaming hot horse liver on the table in front of him, and the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched uncontrollably.

The second person on the left, Prince Dan of Yan, has his neck bent forward like a crane waiting to be pecked.

His eyes were full of eagerness, his Adam's apple slid up and down as he swallowed, and he said in an envious tone:
“Dan has seen only a handful of thousand-mile horses, and this is the first time he has seen a thousand-mile horse liver.

"I heard that this liver is extremely delicious, even the ancient sage kings have never tasted it. Lord Chang'an, please try it."

Ying Chengjiao placed his hands on the table, on his knees, shook his head, and smiled with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes:

"Even the ancient sage kings did not eat it. How can I, your Majesty, eat it?"

Sitting in the main seat at the top is the host of this place, Bai Ma.

One of her hands touched the bronze Yi (yi, second tone) used for washing hands, and the cold touch made her little finger curl slightly.

With his other hand, he grabbed the collar of the shirt embroidered with white cloud patterns and shook it left and right a few times - it was a bit tight around the neck, and then he said in a flattering tone:
"Chang'an Jun was born a child prodigy, and when he was young he was called Zi. His reputation as a gentleman spread throughout the nations, and the world all praised Qin Gongzi Chengjiao as a virtuous man.

"Would it be possible for the ancient sage king to do what Chang'an Jun did when he was Chang'an Jun's age? No.

“It can be seen that the ancient sage kings were not as good as Lord Chang’an.

"That's why! The ancient sage kings did not eat things that Chang'an Jun can eat, and he should eat it!"

When Bai Ma spoke the last sentence, he suddenly raised his voice, which startled the servant beside him and caused him to accidentally knock over the salt dish.

The servants were so frightened that their faces turned pale. The last companion who made a mistake was tied up in the yard and beaten to death in front of them, the slaves.

He fell to his knees with a plop, banging his head on the ground, trembling with fear, but not daring to say a word to beg for mercy.

"Go away, don't disturb my good mood." Ying Chengjiao waved his hands with a look of disgust.

The ferocious-looking Bai Ma immediately smiled again, gently patted the snow-white salt grains on his robe, and said lightly:
"You are annoying me, so why don't you get out of here!"

The servants who survived the disaster kept responding "yes" and crawled out of the banquet hall.

Before leaving, he gave a grateful look to Chang'an Jun who saved his life, and saw Chang'an Jun said humbly:
"I am far inferior to the ancient sage kings."

The first person on the left looked to be in his thirties, with spider-web-like bloodshot eyes under his swollen eyelids.

His face was pale, his eyes were dark, and he looked like someone who had indulged in alcohol and sex.

He was drunk when he arrived, and the jade pendants on his waist jingled as he walked.

He stood up immediately, swayed his body three times, and there was another "ding-dong" sound. The amber liquid in the wine jar soaked half of his sleeve.

He seemed unaware, and raised the wine bottle and shook it towards the light, the turbid liquid swung dangerously on the edge of the bottle:

"Yi heard that when King Zhao of Yan wanted to recruit talented people, the famous scholar Guo Wei told King Zhao of Yan the story of an ancient man who spent thousands of gold coins to buy horse bones.

"The dead horse's bones cost five hundred gold coins, and the horse's liver taken from a live horse, hiccups, should cost at least eight hundred gold coins, right? Huh?
"Yes and no!"

The four words "yes and no" were shouted out by the intoxicated person.

He held the wine jar in his hand, and the three-legged bronze goblet twirled between his fingertips.

He raised his head, looked around, his neck curved with bulging veins, and actually asked for answers from the guests present who were either noble or more noble.

The guests were really respectful to this man who looked like a drunk troublemaker, and several glances shifted secretly between Ying Chengjiao and the white horse.

With this nod, the pearls on her temples trembled rapidly.

That nod, his eyes and brows filled with eagerness.

"That's what the Marquis of Chunping said."

"Eight hundred? One thousand!"

"Your Excellency said eight hundred, so that's eight hundred!"

"Yes Yes Yes."

"..."

Zhao Yi, Marquis of Chunping, was a hostage of the State of Zhao, the son of King Xiaocheng of Zhao, and the former crown prince of the State of Zhao.

Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes, looking at Zhao Yi, whose words suddenly livened up the table, and tapped his leg joints with his fingers again and again.

Before Zhao Yi spoke, Ying Chengjiao ate a horse liver worth a thousand gold coins to represent his acceptance of Bai Ma's surrender.

Zhao Yi told the story of buying horse bones for a huge sum of gold, implicitly pointing out the white horse's feelings. It didn't matter to Ying Chengjiao whether he ate the huge sum of gold horse liver or not.

As long as Chang'an Jun does not turn against him on the spot, he will accept Bai Ma's surrender.

As the young man was observing, a large tripod with a lid was suddenly placed on his desk.

The white horse hurriedly left the table, trotted to Ying Chengjiao, and personally opened the cauldron.

The fresh smell of blood spread instantly.

Ying Chengjiao shifted his gaze and his eyes fixed. His teeth clenched together, making a "dang" sound that only he could hear.

There is a human head in the tripod.

The head of the salt-sprinkling waiter who had just been rescued by Ying Chengjiao.

"This man has disgusted you, and he deserves death." Bai Ma said flatteringly, "Does your Majesty feel better after seeing this beast?"

"Okay." Changan Jun smiled and nodded frequently: "Very good."

(End of this chapter)