Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Distant Brothers Ascend to the Heights

One-third of the spirits soaked in wild chrysanthemum, one-third of the spirits soaked in orange peel, and one-third of the spirits soaked in osmanthus were placed in a copper kettle and shaken evenly, poured into four white porcelain cups respectively, and then added a drop of peach-colored flower water to the surface of the mixed wine, and then a slice of cut orange was stuck on the side of the cup.

As for why the wine is mixed with wild chrysanthemums, orange peels and dried osmanthus flowers, the reason is actually very simple. The liquor in Zhang Qian's hand was filled with the wine gourd brought by He Zhizhang, Zhang Ruoxu and Sun Anzu, and then he saw the bottom. However, the wine worms in the stomachs of the three old-timers were making a lot of noise, forcing him to contribute the wine that was used this morning to do flavor extraction research for different flowers and plants.

However, it is not a waste to do so. Although the cocktail he concocted was much less meaningful than the real cocktails of later generations. The porcelain cups used to hold wine are also a bit nondescript. But by mistake, he still had a full house for him.

The Tang people drank wine and avoided sweetness, whether it was the wine sold by Hu Shang from the Western Regions or the rice wine produced in Chang'an, it was inferior to sweetness. The sweeter the taste, the less classy it is in the eyes of drunkards. What's more, He Zhizhang, Zhang Ruoxu and Sun Anzu, the three immortals of the wine country? At this time, there was neither honey nor juice in Zhang Qian's Zhuangzi, but he was crooked.

Unlike the Chinese banquets of later generations, drinking must be accompanied by more than ten or even dozens of dishes. The Tang people are very casual about drinking, candied fruits, dried fruits. Even like drinking tea, you don't have anything, as long as you have a good chat, you can hold a cup and drink for most of the day. And the host personally mixed the bartwine, which just alluded to the hospitality of the host personally cooking tea, therefore, in addition to feeling that Qin Mo was deeply knowledgeable, and even the things in the cup could be made so elegant, He Zhizhang and Zhang Ruoxu, the two old wine fairies, felt more and more pleasing to the eyes of Zhang Qian, a junior.

Exactly the same as in later generations, if the elders look at the younger ones and are pleasing to the eyes, the next time, the ears of the younger generations will be tortured. I saw that Zhang Ruoxu, first holding the porcelain cup and swimming leisurely to take a few sips of wine, and then, while savoring the afterglow of wild chrysanthemums and orange peels in his mouth, he asked with a smile: "Thirteen Lang, the old man looks at you, you should have reached the crown!" I don't know if your mentor has given you a letter? If you live here for a long time, you'll definitely want to socialize with friends. If you don't have a table, it will be very inconvenient to call it! ”

"Oh, Senior Lao asked, the junior is already twenty-three this year." It's been almost a month since he came to Datang, and of course Zhang Qian has secretly made a lot of preparations. Listening to Zhang Ruoxu's question about his cousin, he immediately put down his wine glass and brought out the answer that had been prepared a long time ago, "Three years ago, when the crown ceremony was performed, the family teacher once gave the table words and used Zhao. ”

"Knowing the potential and using Zhao, the master has high expectations for you!" In front of the real literary leaders, they can't pretend to be thirteen at all. As soon as his words fell, Zhang Ruoxu pointed out the meaning of the words. "Letting you out of the mountain this time may not be as you say, because you are stupid. According to the old man's opinion, this move is to let the Mo family re-enter the world and show that the sages have learned from the world. ”

'I'm in a mess myself, I'm in trouble. The main owner of this name is the prefect of the Ming Dynasty, Shandong Jinshi, such as a fake Confucian disciple, and has nothing to do with the Mo family! Zhang Qian secretly complained in his heart, but he could only respond to the other party's tone, "The teacher has always done whatever he wants. The younger generation did not dare to speculate on its intentions. However, since it has come, it can only be settled for the time being, and then think about other things! ”

"It's a good one, if you come here, you will be safe, Yongzhao is so young, but he has such a calm mind, it's rare!" If people look at each other well, even if the scars on the other party's face are pleasing to the eye, they can see the extraordinary spirit, not to mention, Zhang Ruoxu and Zhang Qian still have the same surname! Therefore, the old wine fairy immediately took the young man's words and praised them with a smile.

"You have to eat the food in one bite." Zhang Qian was embarrassed to be praised, and bowed his hand with a red face, "Besides, Confucianism also has the saying that the heart is right, self-cultivation, and family harmony, and then the country is governed and the world is safe." ”

"What a good one to be right, self-cultivation, Qi family!" Seeing that Zhang Qian was never arrogant or impatient, Zhang Ruoxu felt more and more that the future of this junior was limitless, so he took over the conversation again and stroked his palm gently. "When many people first come to Chang'an, they can't wait to climb to the sky. Even if you go to live in seclusion in the mountains of Zhongnan, you are still selling for the price. According to the old man's opinion, I am afraid that he has forgotten the three things of righteousness, self-cultivation and the Qi family, just thinking about assisting the king to govern the country and level the world! ”

With that, the impact is a bit wider. Even Lu Zangyong, who was with him yesterday, was piggybacked. You must know that the latter relied on the means of seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain to attract the attention of the imperial court, and then sold himself for a good price.

Fortunately, He Zhizhang was old enough to find that Zhang Ruoxu's words were not intense, so he hurriedly grabbed before Zhang Qian's stubble, and smiled and diverted the topic to the side: "Shi Weng, there is nothing wrong with the world in your heart!" Isn't it just to study and practice martial arts in order to one day assist the king and rule the world and help the people? ! Besides, as you said, using Zhao Xiaoyou's mentor to send him out of the mountain may not contain this meaning. Although the imperial court now governs the country with Confucianism, my Confucianism has been eclectic since ancient times. But anyone with insight will not turn it away because the Mohist learning has not been passed down in the world for a long time! ”

"That's nature!" Zhang Ruoxu listened, quickly realized that his words were easy to cause trouble for Zhang Qian, and nodded with a smile. Immediately, he took another sip of wine, with a bit of smoke, and said in a low voice: "Everyone in the world loves peonies, Ji Weng and the old man, but they all love the elegance of chrysanthemums." Therefore, after buying the Zhuangzi next to your house, the old man ordered people to plant hundreds of different chrysanthemums in his yard. Seeing that the Double Ninth Festival was approaching and the flowering period had arrived, Ji Weng couldn't bear to let the chrysanthemums bloom in vain, so he asked some friends and juniors to come to Zhuangzi to enjoy the chrysanthemums on the day of the Double Ninth Festival. Yongzhao you live close to the old man, and you are the only heir of Qin Mo in the world, if you are free, you might as well go to Zhuangzi and sit down. The old man can also introduce some young talents by the way and get to know you. ”

"Thank you for the invitation. It's just that the younger generation has just arrived, and Tang Yan hasn't learned to speak neatly...... "Zhang Qianqian in the 21st century, he doesn't like to make friends very much, and he can't show much interest in flower appreciation, so he instinctively wants to decline."

Unexpectedly, only halfway through the words, He Zhizhang gently put the wine cup on the table, and interrupted with a smile, "Let you go, you will go, young man, who can learn to pretend to be high like this?!" ”

didn't give Zhang Qian a chance to explain at all, and after a pause, he smiled and counted again, "If you have the heart to become a career in the future, just imagine that you have a free life like now, and it doesn't hurt to know more talents of the same age." In the past, Tao Yuanming did not bend his waist for five buckets of rice, and picked chrysanthemums all day long. In his later years, there were also Wang Ruzhong's sons who were burdened by their father's sighs. You can choose to be lonely yourself, but you can't drag down your children and grandchildren for this! ”

That's a bit heavy. And took out Tao Yuanming and Wang Zhongru, two generations of famous hermits, as a lesson from the past. I can't help but be taught.

Whether it is the former king Zhongru or Tao Qiantao Yuanming, their noble ambitions are admirable, but their children and grandchildren have paid a huge price for their seclusion.

In particular, Wang Zhongru, when he saw the son of his former colleague and came to visit him in a carriage, his son was so inferior that he couldn't even speak. caused his belief to collapse in an instant, and he left with hatred soon after!

"Isn't Yongzhao worried that autumn has arrived, and he can't find enough flowers to extract their essence? On the other hand, there are chrysanthemums all over the garden. After the Chung Yeung Festival, it's time to thank the flowers. Instead of letting the chrysanthemums scatter yellow mud in the autumn wind and autumn rain, how can you pick a few wisps of fragrance to benefit the world? Sun Anzu's knowledge is not so high, but he knows how to "make the best use of things", listening to He Zhizhang's words too heavy, he smiled and knocked on the side. 、

Now, Zhang Qian has no reason to refuse. I can only clench my fists with both hands, and thank Zhang Ruoxu and He Zhizhang for their warm invitation. And solemnly said that he would definitely bring wine to the door at that time, so as not to live up to the autumn colors of the garden.

"That's right, young people should look like young people, they haven't experienced a few ups and downs in the sea, what nonsense are you talking about picking chrysanthemums under the east fence?" Seeing that Zhang Qian knew that he was wrong and corrected it, He Zhizhang was very satisfied, holding the wine cup and shaking it in his hand, while continuing to add with a smile: "Also, Yongzhao said that he was led into the mountains to practice by his master since he was a child, but there must be family members in the world." The old man's travels are quite extensive, and he has been idle recently. If you have time, you may wish to write down the names of your parents, the location of your home, and the situation in your childhood memories on a piece of paper. The old man invites relatives and friends all over the past, sparing no effort and time, he will definitely be able to help you find your family and send you to recognize your ancestors and return to your ancestors as soon as possible! ”

In his mind, no matter how high Zhang Qian's ability is, he is alone after all. If there is no family backing, the road ahead will definitely be very difficult for a long time. And it will be much more convenient to find family members and recognize their ancestors.

Even before Zhang Qian was admitted by his master, he was just the son of a tenant. As long as he has a career and becomes famous, there will still be local celebrities of the same clan, and he will take the initiative to climb to the door with his family tree.

Who would have expected that the kindness of the old man would startle Zhang Qian. After being stunned for a long time, he sighed and gave a deep salute, "Thank you for your concern, but the younger generation's family, I'm afraid the hope of finding it is very slim." ”

With a long sigh, regardless of the shock on the faces of the three old men, Zhang Qian continued to add, "In the next few days, I have been trying to recall the things of my childhood, and compare them with the customs of the Tang Dynasty now. found that Datang's clothing, dress, language, and customs were incompatible with the only memories he had when he was a child! Come to think of it, I have been brought into the school by my teacher for eighteen years, but outside the mountain, it may not be eighteen years. Watching chess is rotten, and the author is envious. For those who watch chess, it may not be a kind of luck! ”

"Bad chess? What does Zhao mean by that you are, actually, not only twenty-three? He Zhizhang, Zhang Ruoxu and Sun Anzu were all shocked, and almost dropped the wine glass in their hands directly to the ground.

"I'm only twenty-three years old, but it's already passed outside the mountain, I don't know how many years!" Zhang Qian grinned bitterly, embarrassed.

"Ah-" The wine glasses in the hands of He Zhizhang, Zhang Ruoxu, and Sun Anzu shook together, and several streams of wine splashed to the ground one after another.

Taoism prevailed in the Tang Dynasty, and although He Zhizhang and the other three had families and businesses, they all regarded themselves as Hongchen cultivators. Therefore, the allusion to the bad chess game is not only familiar to me, but also convinced. (Note: Watching chess is rotten, seen in the Southern Dynasty allusions.) A woodcutter went into the mountains to chop wood, and when he saw someone playing chess, he watched a game. As a result, the chess game ended, and a hundred years had passed outside the mountain, and his axes were rotten. ）

And Zhang Qian, the way he treats people, his language habits, and even his eyes on people are completely different from the young people of the Tang Dynasty that they are familiar with!

There is neither the arrogance and arrogance of the children of the powerful, nor the humility common to the children of ordinary people. Whether it is an official like Lu Zang or a family general around him, it always seems that he has the same status as anyone else, regardless of their height or shortness.

Comparing the two sides, the allusion of watching chess and bad Ke is used on Zhang Qian, which could not be more appropriate. He was not a Tang man at all before, of course, what he did and how he treated people was very different from the current world.

From this point of view, Zhang Qian's life experience is a little pitiful. Separated from his parents since he was a child, there is still a glimmer of hope to find his family. And watching chess is rotten, but when I wake up, I don't know that hundreds of years have passed, parents and brothers, where to find them?

"Whew-" The autumn breeze came in through the window, rolling up a faint aroma of wine, which made everyone's hearts feel a little drunk.

Chung Yeung Festival is coming soon.

On this day every year, the people of Datang like to climb together and watch the autumn colors.

Travelers who go out will stick dogwoods on their heads and look at their hometown from the top of the mountain to send homesickness.

Dogwoods are easy to find, and they are within reach of the wild.

But where is Zhang Qian's hometown and family?