Chapter 123 Ximen Qing: Cao Jie can do it, but I can’t?
When the ancients wanted to do great things but felt alone and helpless, they always liked to make friends or adopt godchildren.

For example, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers in Taoyuan, and the "Thirteen Guardians" of Li Keyong, the military governor of the late Tang Dynasty.

Cao Jie doesn't need this because he is young. If he were to become friends through the eight sworn brothers system, wouldn't he have to be the youngest?

So he set up the Hongmen, and did not distinguish between the eldest brother and the second brother based on age, but based on strength and ability.

Isn't it better to bind ourselves with righteousness than to make the oath "We don't ask to be born on the same day, month and year, but we ask to die on the same day"?

Ximen Qing also has his own brothers.

At home, rely on your parents; when you go out, rely on your friends. Who doesn’t have a few close friends?
Ever since he saw Wu Song subduing the tiger and returning home, Ximen Qing couldn't sleep. After he became rich, he wanted to do great things.

Before, he had only used silver to bribe the county magistrate. Now, after thinking about it for half the night while holding his second concubine Li Jiao'er, he finally figured it out.

Under the resentful gaze of his concubine Li Jiao'er, he got up, put on a thin fur coat and went to the room of his second wife Wu Yueniang.

"Shouldn't you sleep in my second sister's room tonight?"

Wu Yueniang had a face as red as a silver basin, eyes as big as apricot seeds, and gentle manners. She led Ximen Qing into bed and asked.

She was the daughter of Wu Qianhu of Qinghe County. Because Ximen Qing's original wife Chen died early, she married in as a second wife. Since getting married, she has followed the rules in all her actions, managed the family's financial power, arranged all the affairs in the mansion in an orderly manner, and only persuaded Ximen Qing to indulge in lust, but did not stop or interfere.

"Yue Niang, do you know Cao Jie from Yuncheng?"

"How can a woman like me know about Cao Jie?"

"Alas! He was originally just a poor fellow from Liangshan. At the beginning of last year, he made friends with the three Ruan brothers from the same village. Later, he made friends with a group of brothers. They were all poor people who were living in the rivers and lakes and could not afford to eat wine and meat...

Unexpectedly, he became powerful, and his brothers flattered him, calling him Yan Wangdi and Xiao Mengde. These people helped each other, and now they are all rich.

Even the magistrate of Yuncheng County was invited to be a guest of honor..."

Seeing that the master was yearning and not interested in sex, Wu Yueniang took her hands out of the quilt and said with a smile, "Why are you telling me this? Isn't the master also a guest of honor in the county magistrate's mansion?"

"You know how much money I spent. Do you think I can also achieve success if I form a group of friends and help each other?"

Ximen Qing couldn't bear the itch, so he grabbed the little hand and pushed it into the bed.

Wu Yueniang fiddled with it and asked, "Ying Bojue, Hua Zixu and the others?"

"Yes!"

"They are a bunch of heartless people. How can you want to become brothers with them?"

"Then you underestimated them! My brothers are all capable people! Hiss! I have made up my mind. We will discuss the sworn brotherhood tomorrow. From now on, they will be my Ximen Qing's sworn brothers. You must be a good sister-in-law and don't ruin my good deeds."

"Okay! I understand. This night is long. You may as well stay and rest. You don't have to work hard. Just lie down and enjoy yourself..."

Seven or eight minutes later, Ximen Qing shouted to the maid outside, "Quick! Quick! Change the plaster for me again."

On the second day, Ximen Qing indeed invited a group of friends.

As the saying goes, there are four iron bonds in life: studying together, carrying guns together, visiting prostitutes together, and dividing the spoils together.

There's nothing wrong in saying they are close buddies.

Time: October 3rd, the fifth year of Zhenghe
Location: Dongping Prefecture, Yanggu County, Jade Emperor Temple
Characters: Ximen Qing, Ying Bojue, Xie Xida, Hua Zixu, Sun Tianhua, Zhu Nianshi, Yun Lishou, Wu Dianen, Chang Zhijie, Bai Laiguang.

Each of them contributed money and prepared things for sworn brotherhood. The Taoist priests in the temple prepared sacrificial offerings for them. After the worship, they all elected Ximen Qing as the eldest brother, and then they ranked in order.

He also paid someone to write the oath, which made the swearing-in ceremony look more formal.

"I am deeply moved by the righteousness of Taoyuan, and everyone admires and dares to emulate its spirit; the love between Guan and Bao is so deep that people of all families follow and want to share their aspirations."

"Besides, all people in the world can be brothers, so how can people with different surnames be inferior to blood relatives? Therefore, on this Zhenghe year, month and day, we prepare pigs and sheep as sacrifices, and use the phoenix to drive the golden money to knock on the altar and pray devoutly, worshipping the Jade Emperor of Heaven, the Five Directions Duty Officers, the City God of this county, and all the gods in the past, relying on this true incense, to observe together."

After the ceremony, the ten friends in the meeting were formed!

Yanggu County, Zishi Street.

Shi Qian hurried back and said, "Brother, those ten people, Ximen Qing, swore brotherhood at the Jade Emperor Temple. I wonder what they are planning?"

"They are just some bad friends I made from visiting brothels. Don't worry about them, brother."

When Cao Jie heard the news, he naturally didn't care.

Unless you, Mr. Ximen, are also a time traveler, go drink the foot washing water!
That night, ten friends from the party booked the entire brothel in Yanggu County.

After three rounds of drinking, Ximen Qing embraced the girls on his left and right, and said with a smile: "Now that we are ten brothers, we will never be weaker than Cao Jie from Yuncheng next door."

"Brother is right. Cao Jie's nickname is Yan Wangdi or Xiao Mengde. Brother, why don't you give him a resounding nickname? Tomorrow, we will hire someone to publicize it. I guarantee that your name will be known throughout Shandong."

"My brother's family also runs a herbal medicine shop, so why not call him Sai Hua Tuo?"

"Brother, you are so loyal and righteous that you are even more timely than that timely rain. Find another living Mengchang."

"Very good!"

Ximen Qing was a little flattered, and laughed loudly, "Ying Bojue, I'll leave this matter of fame to you."

Ying Bojue hugged Ximen Qing's thick legs because Ximen Qing was rich and powerful, so he could benefit from it.

He took advantage of Ximen Qing's pursuit of Li Guijie and his frequent visits to brothels so that he could keep prostitutes and eat and drink with them; he instigated Ximen Qing to form a partnership with the foremen Li Zhi and Huang Si to monopolize the incense and candle business, and he also got a share of the money; he interceded with Ximen Qing for others, lent them money, and helped them find jobs, so naturally everyone benefited from it.

Now that he has got a famous job, it is natural that he will have to pay for it.

He immediately stood up like a lackey and said, "Brother, you have entrusted this important matter to me. I will do my best to make a name for myself. I will make my brother's name louder than that of Cao Jie of Yuncheng."

"Becoming famous is just the beginning. Cao Jie also sponsored Wu Song and Wu Erlang to become officials. Now he is a general of the Xuanyi Army and a seventh-rank general."

Ximen Qing frowned and slammed the table, saying, "We're going to do the same."

The brothers were embarrassed: "Brother, we brothers are good at using our brains, but we are really not good at wielding swords and guns!"

"Military officers are nothing. Our dynasty controls the military with civil officials. If you want to be a civil official, you have to be a civil official. Of course, you have to spend money to win over a few military generals."

Ximen Qing burped and said, "If Cao Jie could do it, why can't I, Ximen Qing, do it? I spent a lot of money to support General Wu and took him away. I don't believe that there are people who don't love money."

"Brother is right. Let me toast to you!"

That night, there were more than twenty naked men and women in the brothel, but we won’t talk about that for now.

The birthday gift stored in Liangshan was transported here overnight.

(End of this chapter)