Crown Sword

"Go in." Chao Chen made a "please" gesture to the rich businessman's helper. The unlucky ghost who was held hostage secretly glanced at Gong Yangyue, shrunk his neck and chin, wiped his sweat with his sleeve, and walked away. went in.

Small merchants can occupy a place, but they can't speak, and their disguise is the least eye-catching.

"Not everyone can participate in the banquet of the Qian family. It took me a lot of effort to get the greeting card for others. Let's put it this way, I understand you too. Who doesn't want to join in the fun and open their eyes..."

I don't know if it's because people who do business talk too much, but this unlucky guy talked a lot while walking, but the two people beside him were indifferent and "fierce", and the servant of Qian's family who opened the post to see the true and false was a bit dog-eyed Low, he was furious in his heart, and in the end he could only vent his anger by swearing: "It's not as good as when Qian Baiqi, the patriarch of the previous generation, was the 'Fudo Zun'. At that time, at least the interests of large and small caravans could be guaranteed. Now only If you want to squeeze it to death, and turn it all over to the imperial court, it's too ugly to eat."

Chao Chen looked around, and sure enough, he saw quite a few wealthy people with gloomy faces.

There is a Qushuitai in the accompanying building, imitating the appearance of poetry and wine flowing cups, the dishes are placed on the disk, and the water flows in front of each seat.

The person at the head seat was dressed luxuriously, wearing a sable cloak, lazily leaning against the four screens with a wine glass, silently staring at the person below who was toasting and boasting. There was neither arrogance nor disdain in his eyes. Feeling a little tired, and a hazy indescribable regret.

In such an occasion, Qian Yinzhou, the patriarch of the Qian clan, who is known as "excessive and arrogant" among outsiders, is still in a trance, which is really inappropriate.

"Patriarch."

After calling three times in succession, Qian Yinzhou withdrew his casual gaze and stared at the person in front of him who was holding a wine bottle and making amends.Before he even had a bite of the food, he was almost exhausted by the people who came to toast him one after another.

Qian Yinzhou picked up the cup and sent it forward casually, but suddenly his hand fell to nothing, and the jade cup fell to the ground and shattered into crystal flowers. He smiled, not distracted: "I'm sorry."

"How dare, how dare!"

The person toasting the toast turned pale, and his face almost froze with laughter. For a while, he cupped his hands and said, "Every year is safe", and for a while, he asked cautiously: "In the future, the business will need more care from the Chang'an government."

After the people left, Qian Yinzhou coughed twice, and Zhang Jia, the attendant, calmly stopped the people who came after him, fetched dishes from the pool, and presented the jade chopsticks: "Patriarch, try this, it is said that it can be eaten from the east." Sea fish brought by fast horses by the sea for five days and five nights."

Qian Yinzhou took a bite out of his chopsticks, and was not very happy, so he overturned the porcelain plate.

At this time, everyone was surprised, and they backed away for fear of being angered. Only a businessman with a Jiangnan accent stepped forward: "If Patriarch Qian is not happy, I have a peerless delicacy that I want to offer. Let's talk about it."

After finishing speaking, he waved back, and immediately a servant came with a wooden bucket filled with ice and water, and even followed a cook with a dozen or so kitchen knives of different sizes hanging on his waist.

Just listening to the sound of "clang clang" two sword strikes, the live fish was cut into pieces and burned on the spot.

Qian Yinzhou stretched out his chopsticks to pick up a piece and put it into his mouth. After a long time, he smiled and praised him endlessly: "It's delicious!" As soon as the words came out, those who were looking forward to it swallowed their saliva, hoping to get a share of the pie. .

"I thought it was carp just now, but it is not fishy or greasy when eaten. The meat is tender and melts in the mouth, but it is clearly different. What kind of wonderful thing is this?" Qian Yinzhou asked curiously.

The man didn't answer immediately, but touched the bucket and took out several scales: "This is a red-scaled carp, which is rare in the world."

All the eyes of the audience were attracted by what he was holding. After a closer look, it was really red fish scales. The luster had not faded even after soaking in ice water for several days.

"come here."

Qian Yinzhou waved his hand, facing the envious eyes of others, the Jiangnan businessman approached and bowed his hands: "Patriarch Qian, I heard that you are good fish, this red-scaled carp tastes much better than red-headed carp, and it is not hard to find. Go to the mountain stream, wait patiently at the turn of day and night, and you will surely get something."

After saying this, Qian Yinzhou laughed loudly, regained his vigor, and his eyes were burning with vigour, and he immediately ordered: "Zhang Jia, let the word out, don't worry about the red scales and red heads, as long as it is red, I will take care of you." Take them all, and double the price.”

Immediately, someone ran out the door and yelled at the top of their voices. They were too excited and even tripped over the threshold, which made people laugh.

Some are envious, some are surprised, some find it inconceivable, but most of the local people in Chang'an take it as a joke, the Qian family's wealth is not a day or two, compared to the treasure of fighting extravagance, it is only compared to Yuehua Starlight.

Gongyangyue just laughed it off, only Chao Chen looked at the person rushing out of Qingboxuan to report the news, and felt weird—just because he was greedy for fish?No matter how you look at it, Qian Yinzhou doesn't look like a pustule.Or is this the pleasure of the rich that he cannot understand or agree with?

Chao Chen couldn't think of a better explanation, and this feeling accompanied him like a shadow in the days that followed, and became more and more clear, especially when he heard that there were people going into rivers and streams to catch fish, morning and night, and they didn't even bother to harvest the rice. , The land is not turned over, they just want to make quick money.

After drinking for three rounds, the hundred operas and Sanyue began to sing, and the main event debuted.

Qian's banquet was indeed given instructions from above. Qin State wanted to conquer the East and wanted to spend some military expenditures to expand its armaments. However, the empty state treasury could not be known to ordinary people, so they thought of a way to set up a platform and say It's just eating, drinking and joking, in fact, it's just an excuse to fool.

The baby is amazing and extravagant, eye-opening, and the person who won the lottery, dare to just pat his ass and leave?Don't be embarrassed, or just wave your hands away, and then pretend to be a cool big head, whether he is filial to the Chang'an government or the court behind him, at least he can get a safe fortune, which is not a loss too much.

Everything is calculated.

The three of Gongyangyue sat side by side, and watched some of them put their treasures on the Qushui platform. In less than half an hour, the extremely precious Lihe grass on Zhongnan Mountain, and the one dedicated to Emperor Wu of the Western Regions, can enter the water without getting wet. Ji Guangqiu, it's no surprise that one person can teach a full house of cool seven-wheel fans with the help of a machine wheel.

Qian Yinzhou was like going through the motions, showing no expression from the beginning to the end.

When it was the turn of the unlucky guy they held hostage, the three of them stared wide-eyed for a moment, the unlucky guy wanted to move but didn't dare to move, and finally stretched out his hand to dig in his bosom for a long time, took out two beads, stuffed them into Chao Chen's hand, and bowed his head Looking at the palm of Gong Yangyue on his knee, he wanted to cry but had no tears.

Chao Chen stepped forward slowly, lowered his head and placed the object in an inconspicuous corner on the Qushui Platform.

"It's just an ordinary night pearl!"

During the banquet, someone whispered, looking down on them, compared with those rare foreign objects just now, the colorful gem beads are ordinary, not eye-catching.

No one expected that Qian Yinzhou, who had been unresponsive all this time, sat up straight, his eyes trembled, and there was some anticipation: "You bead..."

There are so many rare and rare treasures that you don't like, why did you notice his broken beads?

"It's very shabby." The unlucky guy was already in a bad mood, so he laughed at himself, blushed and gritted his teeth, and saluted, "I heard that 'Fudo Zun' is very good at doing business, I'm not talented, so I want to learn from it."

The person on the seat nodded in response, and then asked again: "This bead reminds me of an old man in Chang'an, can you keep it for me?" He actually used a questioning tone, and everyone in the room was shocked and envious for a while, Those who were jealous and jealous all glued their eyes to the ordinary bead.

Whispers are everywhere, and it is unbearable to hear——

"It's strange, I can show my face like this, but my eyesight is so dull, I don't see anything special!"

"Brother, when you mentioned it like that, I remembered..."

"What do you think of, say it!"

"Come on, I vaguely remember that Qian Yinchuan, the third son of the Qian family, also took out similar orbs during the extravagant feast one year."

"I know this young man. My father attended it back then, and I heard him often chanting about the nine-base box made by Gongshufu. It is soil-shaped, with square openings on each floor, and a core carving on each square opening. The carving is really amazing. There are birds, insects and fish in the vast world, and every masterpiece, A bead of the same color and shape is inlaid with a magical method. The orb is like a cat's eye, let alone worth a hundred gold, no, no, no, a thousand gold!"

"Yo, are you talking about 'Snake Belly Ten Beads'?"

"Is this pearl still famous? Isn't it just ten ordinary night pearls?"

"It looks ordinary, but there may be a story behind it! In the Lancang River in southern Yunnan, there are treasure hunters walking all year round. It is said that there was a big snake entrenched deep in the rainforest. The snake lived for thousands of years and was killed by a warrior. The locals This Dendrobium bead was obtained only by caesarean section, regardless of whether the rumors are true or not, many collectors and appreciators will appreciate this one." The speaker covered his lips with his hand and lowered his voice, "Then what is 'Fudo Zun'? Character? What kind of treasure has never been seen before, what is rare, people may like to listen to stories!"

There were thousands of people at this water banquet, some cheered, and some tore down the stage. As soon as the kid who talked about pearls and legends finished speaking, the second generation ancestor who was wrong immediately scolded: "You show off poorly, if your father is really present, don't you?" Tell you the most exciting, and you'll know it's a lie!"

"You know? Then tell me!"

"Just say-"

"...only the sound of broken jade that could be heard like the crowing of a phoenix gradually rose. Before all the guests could react, they saw the jewels in the nine-base box go and save one of the nine. Who is so bold as to dare to brush off the face of Third Young Master Qian?" Everyone rubbed their eyes and took a closer look, only to see a noble young man in a purple robe standing swaggeringly in front of Qian Yinchuan, with his palm spread out, and in his palm was the precious pearl."

Those who attended the banquet were all businessmen, those who saw it with their own eyes, and those who didn’t, quickly realized that—good guy, this is a real value-added method, the fewer beads of the same type, the higher the price, when there is only one in the world , Nature is priceless.

Chao Chen squinted his eyes and listened with his ears turned sideways.

"It's not enough!" The man chuckled, "The cloud-patterned purple-robed nobleman flew out the orb, and the bead flew over the dome, and it was illuminated by the ice crystal palace lanterns on all sides, and a butterfly was actually reflected on the wall."

"Butterfly, butterfly?"

Gong Yangyue, who was drinking the wine herself, suddenly raised her head.

One winter, he took a double carp to rest and shelter from the rain in a dilapidated temple, and the two of them set up a bonfire to barbecue.The smell of meat was overflowing, and the sleepy Shuangli sniffed it, and subconsciously reached out to pick it up, but it burned its fingertips, and while throwing out the leg meat, its forearm hit its waist, knocking off the orb it was wearing.

"Oh, my beads!"

The drowsiness dissipated in an instant, and the little girl recklessly wanted to pick it out with her hands, but Gong Yangyue stopped her, quickly swept the scabbard over the firewood pile, and swept the beads out.

When rolling to the corner of the wall, the inconspicuous bead was illuminated by the jumping flames, showing the shadow of butterflies flying on the wall.

At this time, Gongyangyue suddenly understood the five senses, and all the voices in the audience were drilled into the ears, and the people at the nearby table borrowed old stories and talked elsewhere——

"In the Qian family back then, Qian Baiqi, the 'Fudozun', preferred the eldest son Qian Yinhai, and disliked the third son Qian Yinchuan the most, and didn't care about whether the fourth son was good or bad. The one with the longest skills is far better than the boss, so it’s okay to be a person or a businessman, but it’s a pity that one of the two died and the other disappeared.”

"No matter how good your skills are, it's useless to die!"

"Don't talk about this, come, come, drink, eat food!"

"I have one last question. You say, although this man was buried, the strange thing should still remain in the world. Where is the snake-bellied orb that the third son only had?"

Gong Yangyue and Chao Chen looked at each other in astonishment.

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The Legend of the Continental Orb Continues to the Prequel