Lu Runzhen, Tan Zongjun, and Li Guolou sat together in Fengze Garden, and the other Jinshi drank and laughed, they didn't dare to drink, there were a lot of things tomorrow, waiting for them to come out and do it, and the three of them were at the same table in the same year, either rich or expensive, and even Li Guolou's friend Zhu Dinghe, the 120th Jinshi in the top three, couldn't take his turn to sit.

The topic couldn't help but talk about tomorrow's apprenticeship, and the jinshi had no scruples to say the rules of the apprenticeship ceremony and gave the teacher money.

Not long after Lu Runzhen came to Beijing, he didn't bring much silver taels, so he couldn't help but worry about tomorrow's apprenticeship, and explored: "Li Laosan, you have been in Beijing for a long time, I don't know how many silver taels I will give to the teacher tomorrow!" ”

Dong Sui, the hundredth Jinshi of the top three in the Manchurian people, lifted his sleeves and interjected: "A little back, I didn't expect to be planted after a pass, Li Laosan, your position was originally me, cheap your grandma, Boss Lu, don't ask other people's rules, I don't know anything, you apprentice at least 200 gold, this is the rule, there is not so much gold around, just go to the money bank to borrow, wait a few days and you can't get back 2,000 gold, my eyeballs will be deducted for you!" ”

Li Guolou was quite dissatisfied and said: "Boss Lu, don't go to the money village to borrow, I'll lend it to you, don't want a penny of interest, Dong Baiming, you don't have a backache when you stand and talk, Lu Lao is not a Beijing teacher, his hometown is Yuanhe County, Jiangsu, and he has to return to his hometown to make money, how much gold do you give to the champion father!" ”

Dong Sui slapped the table and shouted: "Li Laosan, look down on me, the two gold ingots always have to be given to the champion of the princess, a friend is not a dime, not us Manchurians!" ”

Lu Runzhen stroked his beard and nodded slightly, he was considered to have a heart, he was born in a scholarly family, his family is rich, and he has friends who are willing to help him anywhere.

Li Guolou pointed at Dong Sui and said with a smile: "When I wrote the test paper in the hall, I thought that no one would write 'Xiang Yuli pulled out the mountain and covered the world, not to mention that it was you, don't blame the teacher, it's all your own fault, who told you not to read history books, take history as a mirror, you don't know the affairs of surrounding countries, how can you govern the country and the country!" ”

Dong Sui sighed: "It's all my godfather who is not good, and he doesn't let me read miscellaneous books, otherwise with my old background, how can I mix into the ranks of the top one, now I can only compile and repair books first, and be a poor Beijing official for a year, watching you stand in class, give education lessons to those tribute students, and carry it home, unwillingly, I will fall to the next level." After speaking, Dong Sui and the other Jinshi at the table toasted together, they could open the ring and drink freely, and in the future, the Hanlin Academy shared weal and woe and formed a deep friendship.

Lu Runzhen said: "Since Tan Lao Er said that he would have a treat today, I will treat you tomorrow night, where to put Dong Bai, you local snake!" ”

"In a word, it's all over the building next to the proud building, where I have the final say, I originally set up a treat, but now I have a different master." Dong Sui nodded in agreement.

Li Guolou couldn't help but be a little embarrassed, he was going to get married tomorrow night, or marry three wives at a time, this kind of thing is too bad to say, marrying into the house is three "rotten peach blossoms", and there is even a big-bellied French girl in it, not to mention, if you don't come to drink tomorrow night, you just don't give face to the champion Gong Lu Runxuan, and there are so many Jinshi.

Li Guolou was asking questions left and right, unable to make up his mind, and didn't know what to do.

Zhu Dinghe thief stiffened his neck, walked over from a table next to him with a wine glass, put one hand on Li Guolou's shoulder, and said with a smile: "Ah, you don't know, Tanhualang will get married tomorrow night, or a wedding, Zhuangyuangong, you have a treat, let Tanhualang do something, he has no skills!" ”

Li Guolou is a spirit, who told him about his family affairs, he thought that God was unaware, did not invite relatives and friends, and his family had a happy drink, and asked his subordinates to make a fuss.

This is over, all the Jinshi said that Li Guolou was not enough friends, and they all said that they wanted to drink a glass of wine, and Zhu Dinghe kept laughing next to him, as if he was watching a joke under the stage.

Li Guolou collapsed, and was forced to say helplessly: "Boss Lu, Tan Er, you all listen to me, my marriage is not in accordance with etiquette, whoever thinks that it is a shame to lose the face of Confucianism and Taoism, don't come to drink wedding wine, because I marry three wives at a time!" ”

Lu Runzhen glanced at him and said: "Li Laosan, don't we know about your, the meaning of long-term admiration is to know, the major events of marriage and life, the so-called long-term drought and sweet rain, meeting old acquaintances in other places, when the gold list is named, the cave room is spent on candle nights, we congratulate it is too late, when the time comes, I will give you a piece, I can come, do you say yes!" ”

"Yes." The audience stood and applauded, giving Li Guolou a lofty tribute, and he had never met the marriage of a seven-rank official marrying three widows in his life.

Tan Zongjun said with a smile: "Tanhualang marries three wives at a time, there is no shame in talking about it through the ages, this marriage system allows, as long as you don't marry a little minister, we can accept it!" ”

Li Guolou was a lot of relief, nodded with a smile, expressed his gratitude, and it was nothing to think about it, others got married three times, and he solved it at one time, and saved money for relatives and friends.

Other Jinshi also shouted one after another, wanting to come to the Baozhi room to drink the wedding wine, and the wine banquet ** came, frequently raising their glasses and scurrying around each other.

At this time, Western culture had a very strong impact on the Qing Empire, and many cultural people had already agreed with monogamy, and some people even advocated late marriage and late childbearing, but they did not openly oppose the system of three wives and four concubines, that is, they took practical actions to clean themselves, and they just laughed at Li Guolou's "one marriage and three marriages" behavior, and no one jumped out and scolded Li Guolou for being "despicable, indecent, shameless, my generation, don't cut it down!" ”

Lu Runzhen said with a smile: "Li Laosan, didn't you say that the Qionglin banquet is not worth eight taels of silver, tomorrow you will drag three, how can you drop it and ask for eight taels of silver for a table, if you let Tan Lao Er say that you Baozhi room has a false name and a vain appearance, then you will hang the plaque of Baozhifang upside down tomorrow night!" ”

With so many friends cheering on the party, Li Guolou felt very face-saving, ready to bleed, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I guarantee that it is worth the money, it is more authentic palace dishes than eating Qionglin banquet at noon today, shark fin, abalone, plus French foie gras, Russian caviar, and my daughter's red for 20 years is not mixed with water!" ”

Tan Zongjun knows everything about Jingshi's cuisine, how can he not know restaurants and restaurants, there is something awkward when he hears something, and he is suspicious: "Hey, what the hell is going on, I heard that Baozhifang is a Manchurian uncle and a Han widow who jointly run a restaurant, how did he become Li Laosan!" ”

Lu Runzhen smiled and said: "Tan Laoer, you are hearsay, you know a little, that widow is Li Laosan's fiancée, don't call it a widow in the future, call it Sister Peach Blossom, it's really a waste of reading twenty years of sage books!" ”

The lobby erupted in warm laughter, Tan Zongjun couldn't help but squint at Li Guolou, secretly revealing his selfishness, he just likes delicacies, enjoys gluttonous meals, is a gourmand and a senior chef, likes to study food by himself, Tan Zongjun went to Baozhi room last time, he has a soft spot for a roast duck, and wants to try to make one himself, but he didn't expect to be able to do it, eat the raw materials in the roast duck, but he can't roast the color and fragrance of the roast duck in the Baozhi room, he also wants to open a private dish, this is his hobby, travel all over the country, taste the world's deliciousness, Have strong cooking skills.

Tan Zongjun separated Li Guolou from a seat, and took advantage of Dong Sui to go to other tables to drink, he sat next to Li Guolou, and said with a smile: "Li Laosan discussed something with you, I know you are good to talk!" ”

Li Guolou was immersed in great joy and blurted out: "Tan Er, what's the matter, don't worry, so many friends!" ”

Tan Zongjun smiled and said: "Li Laosan, I don't hide it, I like to cook very much, I have a unique study of dishes, I am very interested in a few dishes in Baozhifang, I want to learn to make them, but I haven't broken through the doorway, and I invite you to become an adult and complete my food dream!" ”

Li Guolou raised his eyes and glanced at Tan Zongjun, a son of a rich family, he thought in his heart that a "high-ranking official" learning to cook was just a personal hobby, and he didn't think much about whether he would become a competitor, and he didn't think about it.

Li Guolou stretched out three fingers and said with a smile: "Okay, Li Laosan promised you, three dishes, enough friends, but you have to swear not to tell others, the secret of three dishes!" ”

"Okay, I swear, I will never confide in outsiders, Li Laosan is a friend, come to Siyang Hutong to play in the future, I will personally take charge of the spoon and try my skills!"

Tan Zongjun raised his wine glass, drank it, and smiled slyly, his son Tan Yuqing is not an outsider, teaching his son Tan Yuqing to cook is a master, it is justified, he wants the Beijing Hanlin Academy as an official, the family is just fine, the private restaurant "Baozhi Fang" Jingshi succeeded, opened a window for him, he mastered the private dishes, there are all over the world, you can create your own faction, plan to open a private restaurant, called "Tan Family Restaurant", has been in his schedule, never thought that Li Guolou was so good to speak, just one sentence, On the Guangzheng University will be three dishes of Baozhi Fang.

The so-called careless dating, luring the wolf into the room, Li Guolou was secretly calculated by Tan Zongjun, and he still thought that so many rich Jinshi, the future pillars of the country, are all his future career and business capital, and he was excited to run around, and he raised a glass to the Jinshi of the same year at the side of the table, and invited his friends to drink his wedding wine tomorrow night.

Most of these Jinshi are foreigners, and they have nothing to do in Beijing, so how can they miss the opportunity to make friends with Li Guolou, a son of a famous family, no one can not come, and more than 200 Jinshi who came to Fengze Garden said that they must be cheering.

Li Guolou was grateful, and every table made a glass of wine, expressing his gratitude to the Jinshi of the same year, and he drank more than a dozen glasses of wine, and then joined hands with Lu Runzhen and Tan Zongjun, and the three of them left Fengze Garden first.

The three of them will ride horses tomorrow to praise the official and parade the streets, and they must go back to rest early, so that they can recuperate enough to ride horses, so that the people of Beijing can watch, otherwise the people of Beijing will see the three sick seedlings and the big red horse staggering, and they will lose the face of the court, and say, "See you tomorrow morning." So they got into the carriage and went back.

The other more than 200 jinshi in Fengze Garden have nothing to worry about, drink openly, express their feelings, take advantage of the wine to compose poems, and write full of words on the walls of Fengze Garden.

Li Guolou's poems also have two poems written on the east wall:

In the year of Si Wannian, the great empire of Yadong, the banner of the vertical and horizontal in March, the rivers spread the civilization wave, the four hundred trillion people and gods, the land is large and the products are rich, unveil the flag of the Yellow Dragon Empire, and sing the song of our empire.

Work hard for the Qing Dynasty, unforgettable to find the truth, the road ahead is long, I will seek the right way.

One of the poems was very forgotten by the world, while the other lyrics were widely sung and became a popular ballad.