On the fourth day of the first month, Zhou Xuan and his entourage came to the north bank of Yuzhang Water, which is the big city of Hongzhou.

Zhou Xuan rode on the horse, feeling a little excited, but the old place revisited a thousand years ago, looking at both sides of the Yuzhang River, the river is wide, the water flow is huge, both sides are flat wilderness, and there is no trace of acquaintance.

The four of them traveled east along the river, wanted to find a ferry to cross the river, and saw a lonely building rising on the opposite bank in the distance, with warped corners and cornices, a green tile corridor, and a green and brilliant color.

"Teng Wang Pavilion! Is this Tengwang Pavilion? Zhou Xuan shouted.

Laifu has never been to Hongzhou, his face is dazed, the four idiots turned their heads and ignored them, and the three idiots responded: "Master, this is Tengwang Pavilion." ”

Looking at King Teng's Pavilion from afar, Zhou Xuan felt very cordial and shouted: "Go across the river, I want to go upstairs to write poems." ”

The three idiots obviously came here, led Zhou Xuan downstream for three miles, and saw a long pontoon bridge connecting the two banks, a large cable boat, each end of which was fixed with eight large iron oxen, each iron ox weighed 50,000 or 60,000 catties, and without such a weight, it was impossible to maintain such a long pontoon bridge.

The pontoon bridge is more than a zhang wide, small carriages can be staggered, there are fences on both sides, when riding a horse across the bridge, a little swaying, the horse's hooves on the thick wooden planks "dongdong" sound, like a drum.

Before arriving at the Tengwang Pavilion, I heard the sound of silk and bamboo orchestras coming from the pavilion, and it seemed that a feast was being held.

Tengwang Pavilion is the first of the three famous buildings in the south of the Yangtze River, it was built by Li Yuan's son Li Xuanying when he was the governor of Hongzhou, and it has been more than 300 years since Li in the Southern Tang Dynasty at this time, and I don't know if it is the place where it was rebuilt later. The building is ten zhang high, with three layers of light and six floors of darkness, which looks majestic and magnificent.

There are entertainers performing acrobatic operas in the square of His Excellency King Teng, floats and dry boats, walking ropes and rods, swallowing knives and spitting fire, fish and dragons, and it is very lively. The Zhennan Metropolitan Protectorate and the Hongzhou Assassin Shi ordered the whole city to celebrate, and these artists performed every day from the Mid-Autumn Festival to Chongyang.

Zhou Xuan took the horse and watched it with great interest for a while, there were two female artists walking on the rope with green scarves tied their hair, dressed in red clothes, with extremely thin waists, and they were flickering, tumbling and jumping on a rope that was stretched like a bowstring two feet from the ground, making all kinds of thrilling movements. The dexterity and agility are breathtaking.

Zhou Xuan asked Laifu to watch the horses, and he and the three idiots were ready to go up to King Teng's Pavilion to enjoy it.

At this time, two young scholars walked past Zhou Xuan, and one said: "Chen Gongzi held a chrysanthemum poetry appreciation party today, I wonder if he will invite Wei Gongzi?" ”

Another said, "The two of them are mortal enemies, I'm afraid they won't invite them." ”

The previous one said: "Although it is not harmonious, but after all, one is the son of Du Hu, and the other is the son of the assassin history, these superficial etiquettes are still required, please be sure to invite, I don't know if Gongzi Wei will come?" ”

Zhou Han listened to the "Chrysanthemum Poetry Meeting". Feeling that the hero has a place to play, he arched his hand and said: "The two brothers stay in Tai, and they also want to participate in this poetry meeting, I don't know if they can recommend it on their behalf?" ”

The two young scholars looked at Zhou Xuan and saw him face to face. It shouldn't be a celebrity in Hongzhou, so he asked: "Brother Tai's surname?" Where is the fairy town? ”

Zhou Xuan said: "In the next surname Zhou, I just came from Jiangzhou, and I am good at chanting poems and lyrics on weekdays, and it coincides with the grand event in the Pavilion of King Teng——"

"Haha, a passing Jiangzhou man also has a vassal elegance to chant poetry, which really makes people laugh off their big teeth!"

An unbridled voice came from behind him, interrupting Zhou Xuanwen's polite words.

I heard the young scholar from before whispering: "Wei Gongzi is really here!" ”

Zhou Xuan turned around slowly. I saw a tall and thin man in a brocade robe walking over proudly surrounded by several Qing guests, looking at Zhou Xuan with squinted eyes, and sneering: "Our seven-year-old children in Hongzhou can also chant poetry. And Jiangzhou people chant prose sentences, but if you want to write a piece, it's difficult! ”

The few gentlemen beside the brocade-robed boy all laughed in agreement.

Essay style, Hongzhou has always been more prosperous than Jiangzhou, Hongzhou is indeed talented, which can be seen from the annual imperial examination, the number of people far exceeds Jiangzhou, when it comes to prosperity and wealth, Hongzhou is also above Jiangzhou, so Hongzhou people always feel that they are so higher than Jiangzhou people, and look down on Jiangzhou people, but ordinary people will not be as direct and explicit as this brocade robe.

Zhou Xuan smiled slightly and said: "Of course, there are very few people in Jiangzhou who can write poetry and lyrics, but it is precisely one of the few; Although there are many people in Hongzhou who are proficient in poetry, no matter how many there are, it will not be Your Excellency's turn. ”

When the boy in the brocade robe heard this, his face turned blue with anger, he didn't expect a Jiangzhou man to have such sharp words, and he dared to contradict him, and he didn't know how to deal with it for a while!

The Qingke gang around him stepped forward and shouted: "Jiangzhou people, do you dare to compete with us?" ”

Zhou Xuan said: "Why don't you dare! ”

An elegant and handsome young man, twenty-six or seven-year-old, walked over from King Teng's pavilion, and said with a smile: "Brother Wei, you are late, you will be punished with three poems." ”

This brocade robe son is Wei Jue, the son of Zhennan Jiedu, and the handsome man surnamed Chen Mingji is the son of Hongzhou Thorn History, these two can be called the two leaders of Hongzhou Qingliu Yashi, but Wei Jue is relying on power to vassal elegance, and Chen Ji is indeed talented and learned, admired by Hongzhou literati, which makes Wei Jue very jealous, often looking for opportunities to destroy Chen Ji's prestige, but he didn't expect that his Excellency King Teng was humiliated first, and he was still an ugly Jiangzhou person!

Wei Jue ignored Chen Ji, pointed at Zhou Xuan and shouted: "You, go upstairs for me, you Jiangzhou people don't chant a few decent poems for me today, I will never spare you!" ”

Chen Ji had already learned the cause of the conflict between Zhou Xuan and Wei Jue from the mouths of the two young scholars, and he was very appreciative of Zhou Xuan's witty words, and said with a smile: "Brother Wei, this is an elegant gathering, don't make scholars talk about Brother Wei's bullying, come, since this Zhou Gongzi can also poetry, then please participate in this annual chrysanthemum poetry meeting." ”

Wei Jue was so full of Sven, he didn't want to give people an image of evil, so he suppressed his anger, nodded and said: "Okay, good, today I want to see what kind of crooked poetry the people of Jiangzhou chant and see what kind of crooked poems they chant!" ”

Zhou Xuanchao Chen Ji arched his hand. took the three idiots upstairs, and the four idiots followed closely.

Spiral straight up to the sixth floor, this is the highest floor, a hall in the middle, a side hall in the east and west, and various chrysanthemums are placed around the pavilion corridor. A group of literati in the hall are singing, some are drinking, some are beating their stomachs and preparing to chant poems, and some are flirting with official prostitutes who help wine.

A courtesan in the south corner held a pipa, played and sang to herself, and sang the following:

"The threshold chrysanthemum is sorrowful, and the smoke is weeping, and the curtain is cold. Swallows fly away. Mingyue does not know how to leave hatred and bitterness, and the oblique light penetrates Zhu Hu. Last night, the west wind withered the green trees, and I went up to the tall building alone, looking at the end of the world. If you want to send colored notes, there is no ruler, and the mountains and rivers know where they are. ”

This is one of the ten small orders "Butterfly Love Flower" that Zhou Xuan transcribed to Rui Chu half a month ago, and I didn't expect it to be sung here!

Zhou Xuan walked over and asked the courtesan: "The girl sang good lyrics and songs, I don't know who composed them?" ”

The courtesan said: "It is said that it was filled in by a talented man nicknamed 'Zhou Qicha' in Jiangzhou, and it was widely sung, and there were people who sang Zhou Ci where there was a well, and the Qinglou sisters were ashamed that they couldn't sing Zhou Ci." If the concubine can see Zhou Qicha and Zhou Gongzi with her own eyes one day, she will really be willing to die. ”

Zhou Xuan was taken aback, and said in his heart: "Is it so exaggerated?" It seems that it is better for me not to reveal my identity, otherwise I will die! ”

Wei Jue kept staring at Zhou Xuan, and when he saw that he was talking and laughing with a courtesan, he came over and said, "Jiangzhou people." Didn't you say that you wanted to go to the pavilion to recite poetry, didn't you say that you wanted to compete with me? Today, in front of so many people, I took the chrysanthemum as the theme, wrote a poem, and saw who was higher and who was lower? ”

—

Zhou Xuan said with a smile: "Wen Wu is the first, Wu Wu is the second, I said that your poetry is poor, but the gang behind you is crazy and praises you." What does this say? ”

Wei Jue was furious: "Let everyone present comment, I already have a seven-character poem, I'll chant first-"

Zhou Xuan thought to himself: "Why are you in such a hurry to chant poetry, more anxious than me!" Either you have a belly draft. Either the few Qingke behind you helped you write it, you want to sing, I won't let you sing! said: "Slow, don't be in a hurry to throw bricks and lead jade, the chrysanthemum hasn't been rewarded yet, what kind of poem!" It doesn't have to be a chrysanthemum, you can also enter the topic if you climb high and look far away, so don't let people misunderstand it as a dormitory. ”

After that, Zhou Xuan walked out of the hall and came to the north ring corridor, looking from afar by the railing, seeing the Nanpu Feiyun, the West Mountain stacking green, watching the Yuzhang Water and the Fuhe River meandering, and flowing at the intersection of His Excellency King Teng——

The four idiots have already finished saying twenty-two taels of gold and two hundred words, and he has been pretending to be dumb since yesterday afternoon, and then he can't help but say: "Zhou Xuan, look at that Wei Gongzi, he is asking his subordinates to help him compose poems!" ”

Zhou Xuan had already noticed that Wei Jue had called the two Qingke aside to whisper, and the two Qingke began to frown and think, obviously to make a few more songs for backup!

"I know, let him memorize it first, and let him work in vain later—you owe me a tael of silver."

"I kindly remind you that you also count me as silver, it's too much!"

"I expected something and I want you to remind you? Not a penny of silver is missing! ”

The four idiots were so angry that they were dizzy again, so they could only grit their teeth and think: "When the tea fight wins, the third brother can't help but protect him at that time, see how I torture him!" ”

Suddenly, I heard a burst of cheers in the hall, and the poets of Hongzhou began to chant poems, and Zhou Xuan looked at the scenery in the corridor by himself, with a detached style.

Wei Jue memorized two more poems, and was eager to recite them, seeing that Zhou Xuan was still wandering on the corridor, he thought that this Jiangzhou man wanted to escape from the poetry, so he pulled Chen Ji over and said: "Hey, Jiangzhou people, you have been looking high enough for a long time, right?" Our Hongzhou talents are looking forward to your wonderful poems. ”

Chen Ji said: "Zhou Gongzi, please feel free, although you have a good time." ”

Wei Jue glared at Chen Ji: "This is the dispute between Jiangzhou and Hongzhou, does Chen Gongzi still want to help a foreigner?" ”

Zhou Xuan said: "Wei Gongzi, don't get involved in Jiangzhou and Hongzhou, this is a fighting poem between you and me - wrong, it's a fighting poem between the next person and the group of people behind Wei Gongzi, but the fighting poem always has to be a little colorful." ”

The four idiots thought hatefully on the side: "This guy is going to gamble again, I can't speak with a despicable and shameless trick last time, what does he want to win this time?" ”

Wei Jue heard Zhou Xuan ridicule him for reciting poetry with the help of Qing guests, his face was swollen, his slender neck slid up and down, and he said angrily: "What do you want to bet on, what kind of lottery can you afford as a Jiangzhou person?" Don't give Ben Gongzi any silver, that's too vulgar, Ben Gongzi never gambles on silver! ”

Chen Ji dismantled his platform on the side: "Didn't Brother Wei gamble three hundred taels of silver last time when he fought cocks with others?" ”

Wei Jue's face swelled into the color of pig liver, and he said loudly: "My son does not gamble with Jiangzhou people. ”

Zhou Xuan knew that he was timid, and asked, "Then what do you want to bet on?" ”

Wei Jue said: "I make a bet, if you can't afford to bet accordingly, then you don't deserve to bet with me at all, and I don't want to listen to any crooked poems you chant, just go back to Jiangzhou for me immediately." ”

Zhou Xuanxin said: "Damn, you don't dare to fight with me to make it clear, on bets, you can take a treasure at will, how can I compare to you when I am alone!" Calm down, he asked, "What kind of bet can Wei Gongzi afford?" ”

Wei Jue hesitated and didn't answer, and a scholar in the corner shouted: "Let Wei Gongzi make a bet with Xiaofeng." ”

As soon as these words came out, they immediately caused a chorus.

Although Zhou Xuan didn't know what Xiao Feng was, when he saw Wei Jue's angry look, he knew that this thing was very important to Wei Jue, and said, "Very good, since the talents of Hongzhou have said so, then I agree with you to bet on Xiao Feng." ”

Wei Jue said angrily: "I bet on Xiaofeng, what bet can you afford?" ”

Zhou Xuan said: "Let me look at your bets first, and then think about whether I can afford it." ”

The scholars in the hall were in a warm mood, and they all said a word, urging Wei Jue to summon Xiao Feng to come.

Wei Jue is now difficult to ride a tiger, and thinks: "This Jiangzhou person is looking for death, and he says that you can't afford to bet accordingly, even if you can afford it, even if you win the poem, can you take Xiaofeng out of Hongzhou?" ”

Wei Jue had already moved to kill, and ordered his subordinates to help and quickly go and fetch Xiao Feng.

Zhou Xuan asked Chen Ji in a low voice: "Chen Gongzi, what kind of treasure is that little chalf?" ”

Chen Ji led Zhou Xuan to the corridor, and then smiled: "It is a prostitute raised by the Wei Mansion, only thirteen years old, with excellent color and art, and is known as the first beauty in Hongzhou." ”

Zhou Xuan was a little disappointed, and thought: "A prostitute, what are you doing when you win?" It's a stupid prostitute like Wei Jue again, and he has long been defiled! ”

Half an hour later, the little money came.

Zhou Xuan decided at the first glance that he must win her over, it was a pity that such a girl fell into the hands of Wei Jue, win it and give it to Chen Ji.