Adrian Huan admired Xie Xuan's demeanor. Several young men from the Xie family got off the ox cart and looked at the strong servants of Huan's mansion, also marveling at them.
Nowadays, people admire handsome men with elegant figures, such as Pan An. A wide-sleeved shirt with a light and graceful figure is in line with the aesthetics of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Young men and women from aristocratic families also refer to this standard when selecting servants.
It was such an elegant event for the sons of the Jiankang noble families to gather together on the Shangsi Festival. For example, Xie Xuan and others were surrounded by handsome maids and children.
But Adrian Huan did the opposite.
There were children and servants, who looked good, but the more than 20 strong servants following the carriage all had bronze skin, broad shoulders and backs, strong arms and waists, and their biceps bulged so much that they almost burst through their sleeves.
Princess Nankang specifically ordered that when going out with her husband, one must look presentable.
But no matter how you choose, a soldier is still a soldier. Especially among the Southern Army who have been on the battlefield, it is a miracle to find one with few scars on his body. It is really a fantasy to want to have a good appearance and meet the aesthetic standards of today's people.
"Brother Yi, Brother Rong."
Adrian Huan and Sebastian Huan were both under the age of adulthood and had not yet taken a name.
Xie Xuan stood in front of the carriage and greeted the two men. Of the several young men traveling with him, only seven or eight could stand with Xie Xuan. They were either from the Wang family of Taiyuan or the Wang family of Langya. The rest just greeted them and did not come forward.
After a little thought, Adrian Huan's mind became as clear as a mirror.
The noble families were also divided into different levels. The Wang and Xie families were the biggest families among the biggest families, at the top of the pyramid, representing the top power among the noble families. Most other families had to rely on the three families for support.
Huan Wen held great power, stamping his feet and making Jiankang tremble three times, but the Longkang Huan family was just an ordinary family. They also had some relationship with Cao Wei. Even though Grand Marshal Huan had the final say in the court, led two northern expeditions, and had great prestige among the people, the Huan family still could not be ranked among the top families.
The aristocratic families headed by Xie An and Wang Tanzhi will not play with you if they say they don't want to.
This is the rule of the world.
There's no point in getting into the circle, no matter what. It's useless to raise a knife.
Family is the foundation of life.
If the Xi family had not been declining, Xi Chao might not have been willing to serve under Huan Wen and become a military officer in the shogunate.
Xie Xuan personally went to invite Huan, which gave Huan great face.
Therefore, Princess Nankang was suspicious, but she did not stop Adrian Huan from leaving. Yu Xi was deliberately trying to establish the reputation of Huan's tyranny, and the appearance of Wang Jing and Xie Langjun would naturally dilute it a lot.
Xie An was concerned about his country and would never allow personal vengeance to harm state affairs. Yu Xi was narrow-minded and short-sighted. If he could not stop in time, he was doomed to fall.
Qingxili is located in the east of the city, and Wuyixiang is in the south of the city.
Adrian Huan sat on the ox cart, bending his long legs casually.
The car hood was not opened, and the sun shone down from above, bringing warm and gentle warmth, along with the fragrance of grass and trees, and the sweetness of river water, making the spring day intoxicating.
Going down along the Qinhuai River, you can see all kinds of shops along the way.
Most of the shop doors are open facing the street. The large ones hang door plaques with ancient seal characters on them, while the small ones have colorful cloth canopies hanging down, which sway gently in the wind, creating a beautiful contrast with the swaying willow branches on the river bank.
On the river, merchant ships and sampans were busy traveling.
The boatman at the bow, half-arm bare, with a bamboo hat hanging behind his shoulders, was holding up the boat pole with all his strength. With the splashing of river water, the boat had already passed by the merchant ship.
At the dock, servants wearing flat hats shuttled back and forth, climbed up the creaking wooden ladders to board the ships, and unloaded the goods from the north and south one by one. Merchants of market goods came in an endless stream, and many goods were sold out at the dock soon after they were unloaded.
Adrian Huan was curious and noticed several tall, dark-skinned, curly-faced ship owners. Although they were wearing Hanfu, they did not look like Han Chinese at all.
"Xianbei Hu."
Perhaps his expression was too obvious, and when he was watching curiously, someone beside him helped to answer his questions.
"Judging from his appearance, he should be a Yuwen Xianbei."
The man who spoke was wearing a jade-colored gown and a hemp scarf on his head. His face was handsome and elegant. His eyebrows flew into his temples and his eyes were narrow and upturned. However, he did not give people a frivolous feeling, but instead had an indescribable scholarly air.
"Brother Zijing."
Just now, through Xie Xuan's introduction, Adrian Huan learned that this man's surname was Wang and his name was Wang Xianzhi. He was the seventh son of the calligrapher Wang Xizhi, a famous talent in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and was highly praised by Xie An.
Adrian Huan was no stranger to him, but it was not because of Wang Dacai's talent, but because of his wife.
Wang Xianzhi had two wives. His first wife, Xi Daomao, was a talented woman in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. She was from the Gaoping Xi family. Her grandfather was Xi Jian, a famous official in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Xi Chao, a military officer under Huan Wen, was her cousin. His second wife, Sima Daofu, was still the wife of Huan Ji and the second sister-in-law of Adrian Huan.
No matter the predecessor or successor, they can all be related to the Huan family.
Adrian Huan looked at Wang Xianzhi carefully with a smile on his face, secretly wondering, if Sima Huan had not died and the Huan family's power had not been suppressed, would Sima Daofu have divorced Huan Ji and married Wang Xianzhi even at the cost of bearing the infamy of driving away his ex-wife?
Unfortunately, assumptions are just assumptions.
Everything that involves politics is bound to be too vulgar. Maybe the handsome guy was so powerful that the Princess of Yuyao County kicked Huan Ji out.
Adrian Huan was very handsome, and the cinnabar mole between his eyebrows made him look even more intelligent.
The boy's voice was clear, not hoarse like his peers, but rather pleasant to the ear. When he spoke, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up, and his eyebrows curved slightly, which actually reminded Wang Xianzhi of his mother's favorite tabby cat.
Thinking about the affairs of the Huan and Yu families, Wang Xianzhi could not help but feel pity for them. He left his brothers and cousins behind and rode side by side with Adrian Huan along the way, introducing him to the scenery of Jiankang and the customs and folkways of Changganli.
Xie Xuan was pushed aside instead.
Looking at the two ox carts in front of him on the right, Xie Xuan smiled and said to his brother Xie Jing: "It's not easy to win Zi Jing's favor."
Wang Xianzhi's temperament seems to be easygoing and humble, while Wen Rong's temperament seems to be honest and kind, but in fact, they are not like that. If you look down on someone, you will not bother to pay attention to them at all. The most typical example is the Yu brothers.
Regardless of whether it was Yu Youzhi or Yu Fangzhi, they were slapped in the face every time they visited. In order to ask for a piece of calligraphy, they had to continue to send it to be slapped, and it would not be over until they were swollen.
Knowing that Adrian Huan was favored by Wang Xianzhi, Yu Youzhi would probably be so angry that he vomited blood.
In other words, in the age of face recognition, having a popular face is extremely important.
Adrian Huan memorized the family tree with great difficulty, killing countless brain cells, and barely sorted out the marriage relationship with the Jiankang gentry. On the way, except for Wang Xianzhi and Xie Xuan, all the young men with the same surnames that he remembered could talk to him to some extent.
Sebastian Huan was beside him, and when he saw this scene, his mouth opened wider and wider.
He didn't even know that his younger brother was so powerful!
The strong servants who were traveling with him were even more proud. Their husbands could talk and laugh with the king and Xie Gaomen at ease, and they were on good terms with each other. There was nothing more proud than this!
Thinking back to the time when the three previous young masters went to the Shangsi Festival, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh secretly.
A legitimate son is always a legitimate son.
With the guidance of Princess Nankang and the Grand Marshal, the young prince was the best in the Huan clan in terms of character, appearance, talent and learning. Even Huan Mi, who was known as a great talent in his early years, did not have such a situation at Adrian Huan's age.
The ox cart moved slowly forward, and the wheels creaked as they passed over the stone road.
Young men from noble families in long-sleeved gowns sat on the carriages, enjoying the beautiful scenery while discussing poetry and philosophy. Some of them were stern, some were elegant and gentle, some were unrestrained and uninhibited, and some were pure and peaceful. Regardless of their demeanor, they all had handsome faces, upright postures, and extraordinary bearing.
As the carriage passed by, it attracted a huge crowd of people on both sides of the Qinhuai River.
Young ladies and charming women all walked out of their homes and stopped by the river bank, looking forward to seeing their lovers passing by. Some young ladies even took off their hair ornaments, took out their embroidered handkerchiefs, and rushed to throw them into the carriage.
There was a fragrant breeze and bursts of flower rain.
The daughter's laughter flows in my ears, clear and beautiful, like a beautiful song composed in spring.
This situation is unique to the Jin Dynasty.
Adrian Huan was still young, and in the middle of the team, his head was covered with an embroidered scarf, and countless silk flower hairpins fell from the cart. The ox carts of Xie Xuan, Wang Xianzhi and others were the "hardest hit areas", and in the blink of an eye they were filled with brocade and various kinds of rings, pendants, hairpins and other ornaments.
The further you go, the more enthusiastic the girls become.
When it reaches the river gate, the ox cart can no longer be called an ox cart, but has become a colorful "float".
Xie Xuan and the others were already used to it, and took off the embroidered silk flowers calmly.
The little boys and servants counted them skillfully, comparing them from time to time to see which young man received more "admiration" and which young man was worse than last year.
Adrian Huan did not know about it in advance, but A Gu was well prepared. While cleaning the car, he secretly said that he would inform His Highness after returning home that the young master had extraordinary manners and would be able to stand on equal footing with Mr. Wang and Mr. Xie when he came of age.
Adrian Huan's brothers did not have this honor back then.
Sebastian Huan's ox cart was on Adrian Huan's left, and a lot of embroidered silk flowers also fell. It was unknown whether the young lady really liked it or he didn't have good aim and accidentally threw it off.
No matter what, Sebastian Huan was happy, and his eyes were quite hot as he looked at Adrian Huan.
In the words of later generations, it was worship, naked worship!
Adrian Huan felt embarrassed to be looked at, and moved uncomfortably. Seeing A Gu packing up the car, an inexplicable thought came to his mind, fortunately it was still March, and fortunately the people thrown were all embroidered silk flowers. If he had "thrown me a papaya" or something, let alone feel the enthusiasm of the girls, he would probably have been hit and hurt halfway.
In the Jin Dynasty, as a handsome man, no matter if he was quiet or not, he would be blocked by enthusiastic crowds when he went out. If he met a few irrational people, his life would be in danger.
Passing through the gate and going up along the stream, the crowds gradually thinned out and the noise was replaced by faint music.
The stream gurgles, and the places it flows through are uneven, which turn out to be natural stone steps.
Green willows are planted on both sides of the waterway, and the water is full of green in early spring in March.
Under the willow tree, beside the stream, maids had already prepared cushions and low couches.
There is a pavilion near the upstream, with a corridor crossing the water and connecting to a bamboo bridge. There are gauze screens around the pavilion, which should be where the girls are.
As soon as Xie Xuan and the others got off the car, maids came forward to greet them.
The gentlemen who arrived earlier did not move. Some of them were more unruly and leaned against the bank of the stream, opened their coats, and raised their glasses to the distant view.
More than 90% of the people present were strangers, but that did not stop Adrian Huan from opening his eyes wide with a shining light.
No wonder later generations talk about the elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties. These young men from the aristocratic families, whether they are in their forties or thirties, whether they are young or dancing elephants, all have one thing in common: they are handsome! Handsome to the point of hurting the heavens and the earth!
Even Yu Youzhi, who was sitting on the bank of the stream and glaring at him, looked good.
but...
Adrian Huan's gaze moved and fell on a figure wearing dark clothes standing alone under a willow tree.
She has a slender figure, black hair like satin, and skin like jade.
I couldn't see his appearance clearly, but judging from his overall temperament, he was completely different from everyone else present.
Rather than a romantic young man from aristocratic family, he was more like the Grand Marshal Huan in Adrian Huan's memory, full of murderous aura, a typical ancient soldier.
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