Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

Xu Wenyuan and Sun Dasheng were both childhood playmates of Zhang Shikang. These two people made great contributions to his current fame in the capital.

Since these two could come here, the other brothers must be nearby. These brothers are also sons of noble families, and they all have a father who is at least an earl or above.

Among this group of people, Zhang Shikang is the oldest and the best at getting things done, so the others call him Big Brother. Although most of them are only fifteen or sixteen years old, they all talk about loyalty all the time.

The day before yesterday, I had a conflict with Zhu Zhengliang, the sixth son of the Chengguo Mansion. There were only three people on my side, while the other side had more than a dozen people. Zhu Zhengliang hit me on the back of the head with a club.

But when Zhu Zhengliang saw him faint, he guessed that he was scared, so there were no other injuries on his body.

But Xu Wenyuan and Sun Dasheng were not so lucky. They were like fools and didn't even know how to run, so they were beaten up.

But these two guys are thick-skinned and strong, so since they can come to visit him, I guess there's nothing wrong.

The Duke of England's mansion covers an area of dozens of acres. Relying on the original owner's memory, Zhang Shikang walked around a long corridor and took many turns to arrive at a reception room in the mansion.

At this time, Xu Wenyuan and Sun Dasheng had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Zhang Shikang coming from a distance, Sun Dasheng greeted him with a loud voice:

"Brother, I knew you were okay. Let's go. Wenyuan has ordered a table of wine at the restaurant. I'll call them all over. Let's talk while we walk."

Sun Dasheng's ancestors were Mongolian. Although he was only eighteen years old, his height was estimated to be about 1.8 meters and his build was very solid. In those days, he was considered to be strong and sturdy.

But he walked with a limp, his left face was swollen, and his right eye was black and red, like a one-eyed panda.

Zhang Shikang smiled and said:

"Dasheng, you're already injured like this, and you're still drinking?"

Sun Dasheng scratched his head and grinned:

"It's just a minor injury, not worth mentioning. It's not even close to the fight with my father."

Xu Wenyuan also came over and said:

"That's right. Last time your father beat you so hard that you couldn't get out of bed for half a month. Your father is really capable of doing that. You are his only son."

Then he looked at Zhang Shikang and said:

"What do you think, big brother? Neither of us ran away at that time. Isn't that loyal?"

Xu Wenyuan was the same age as Zhang Shikang, both nineteen, only a few months younger than Zhang Shikang. His left arm hung in front of his chest with gauze hanging around his neck. The corners of his mouth were swollen and he had a lisp when he spoke.

Sun Dasheng didn't care at all when he heard this.

"If you don't beat your son, he will become a useful person. My father beats me for my own good. Let's not argue with him.

But I can't swallow Zhu Zhengliang's anger."

Zhang Shikang smiled and patted Sun Dasheng on the shoulder and said:

"We'll talk about this later. I have more important things to do. Are all the brothers gathered here?"

After all, Zhang Shikang has lived two lives. Compared with the great things that are about to be done, fighting among these playboys is really meaningless.

When Sun Dasheng heard that there was something important, his eyes lit up.

"Except for Liu Jiawei from the Marquis Chengyi's residence who was punished by his father to kneel, all others are here.

Brother, what’s the matter?

Did you also know that Chen's Restaurant has brought in a few more good fighting cocks?"

Zhang Shikang shook his head without saying a word. The three of them got on a carriage and headed straight for Chen's Restaurant.

Chen's Restaurant is not considered particularly high-end in the capital. It does not rely on beautiful women to attract business, but instead sets up a cockfighting arena.

Confucian scholars and talented men naturally disdained to come. Most of the guests were wealthy people or businessmen with some wealth. Of course, the sons of nobles such as Zhang Shikang were not picky about the place when drinking.

The restaurant has two floors. The first floor hall has more than a dozen tables surrounding a ten-meter square platform in the center.

Sun Dasheng and his friends booked a banquet in a private room on the second floor. Since there were more than a dozen people, they booked two tables.

At this time, most people had already arrived, and the room was filled with chatter. Most of the talk was about gossip in the capital, where there were fun activities, where there was fun to watch, etc.

Although most of them were only in their teens, their speech and behavior were like those of adults. Zhang Shikang found it a bit funny.

The food and wine had been served, but Zhang Shikang hadn't arrived, so no one started eating.

Seeing the eldest brother coming, everyone gathered around him, each one filled with righteous indignation, denouncing Zhu Zhengliang for being unethical, and saying that if they met him again in the future, he would definitely not have a good ending.

Zhang Shikang waved his hand and asked the brothers to sit down. When they heard Sun Dasheng say that Zhang Shikang had something important to say, they all quieted down.

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Zhang Shikang knew it was his turn to perform, so he picked up a glass of wine, drank it all, and then let out a long sigh.

"Ugh!"

This sigh was so profound that the brothers present were completely baffled, because they had never seen their eldest brother with such a sad expression.

Xu Wenyuan asked at the right time:

"Why are you sighing, brother?"

The other brothers also agreed.

"Yes, if you have any troubles, why don't you ask us for advice?"

“Three cobblers are better than two Zhuge Liangs. With brothers around, there is no need to worry about unsolvable problems.”

"Yes, my father said that when brothers are united, they can break metal."

A group of young and old guys were chattering with sincere expressions, all vying to help Zhang Shikang share his worries and solve his problems.

To be honest, Zhang Shikang suddenly felt a little bit sorry.

"My worries cannot be expressed in a few words. They are not for myself, but for the country and for the king!"

What needs to be done must be done, Zhang Shikang said as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Sun Dasheng has a rough personality and a slow mind. He was confused when he heard all that nonsense, so he said:

"It's hard to explain in a few words, so let's talk more. We brothers have nothing else to do but to be idle.

It’s just that Big Brother… can you please not use such nonsense? I’m not used to hearing it.”

Others also agreed. It’s not that they really didn’t understand, but they were just not used to it.

Zhang Shikang remained silent and just drank. Xu Wenyuan thought for a while and said:

“Brother, are you worried about the affairs of the court?

Yesterday I heard my father and mother tell me that the treasury is empty and the court is arguing over whether to increase taxes. "

Seeing that Zhang Shikang did not deny it, others also said:

"My father also said that the court has no money and wants to levy additional taxes."

"This matter has nothing to do with us, why are you worried about it?"

"That's right. If there's any worry, it should be our father."

"But my father is not worried at all. He even had a party last night and was scolded by my mother."

"It's different in my family. My father is worried, but he's just worried that his family has no money to spend. I haven't eaten meat for two days." Sun Dasheng said as he picked up a piece of fat and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Your father only knows how to practice martial arts. He is not needed in the war. How can his salary be enough? Besides, he hasn't been paid for several months, right?"

"That's right, times have changed, warriors are useless, you have to let your father learn business."

"Humph! You're just a chicken kid. My father once said that if a nobleman doesn't practice martial arts, he's ungrateful.

Wang Jingduo! Besides, my father is a warrior. I beat you up, but you always hide behind me in a fight. You are a coward. "

"Who are you calling a coward?"

"It's you, I'm talking about you!"

"I……"

"Alright, we are brothers, why are you arguing? Sit down."

Zhang Shikang slammed the table and ended the impending conflict with an unhappy look on his face.

This kind of scene is just a daily routine for his group of brothers, and Zhang Shikang has long been accustomed to it.

But this commotion destroyed the atmosphere that Zhang Shikang had worked so hard to create, which made him a little depressed.

After thinking for a while, Zhang Shikang said:

"Brothers, today's dinner may be the last one I have with you."

……