When it was close to the wax moon, it snowed intermittently for seven or eight days in Luoyang City, and it has not stopped so far.

The snow has not been heavy, but the sand has accumulated into a tower, and before you know it, it has accumulated nearly two feet thick. The snowflakes are still falling, the sky and the earth are white, and the old houses and ancient temples in Luoyang City are all decorated with new ones.

A few plum trees in Cheng's courtyard also bloomed at this time, and the elegant fragrance floated in the plain ice and snow. The light yellow flowers and brown branches are dyed pure white by fine snow, and the jade tree is like a flower.

Although Cheng Hao is an idle position, Xijing Bamboo and Wood Affairs still has some affairs to deal with after the heavy snowfall, so he will go to the door early in the morning. Cheng Yi got up at the usual time, first went to greet his father, and then returned to the study to read as usual. From the slightly open window, a trace of the fragrance of plum wafted in, but the matter of burning incense was saved.

It's just that not long after Cheng Yi was immersed in the book, an old servant in the family sent a letter, followed by a door.

Cheng Yi took the letter first. On the letterhead of the envelope was written Berwyn's cousin and Bochun, Zheng Uncle and two nephews, which was Zhang Zai's own handwriting.

A letter was thick, and when you looked through the opening, there were more than a dozen pages of letters stuffed inside. As soon as Cheng Yi saw the thickness of this letter, he knew that there must be Zhang Zai's recent research results in it. Ignoring everything else, he took out the letter and read it.

I don't know how long it took, the cup of hot tea on the table was no longer steaming, Cheng Yi shook his head and put down Zhang Zai's letter.

In this letter, in addition to greetings, there is indeed a lot of insight about Gewu. There is a metaphysical Tao, and there is also a metaphysical instrument. Zhang Zai has indeed gone far in the aspect of learning from things, although the practice of empirical evidence as stated in the letter is not wrong, but there will be times when it is difficult to verify. Moreover, the phenomenon of separation between heaven and humanity in Guanxue has become more and more serious.

After all, it's still hard to get close. ’

Putting down the letter, Cheng Yi picked up the door. The title is a late student, and the name of the suffix makes Cheng Yi stunned, it turned out to be Han Gang.

But think about it, Han Gang is going to Beijing to take the exam, and with the importance that his brother values him, according to the number of etiquette, when he passes through Luoyang now, he should also come to pay a visit. does not write an official position, but only says that he was born later, which makes Cheng Yi very comfortable. took the paper, picked up the pen and wrote a few sentences, then folded it and handed it to the old servant who had been waiting aside.

"Take out the Lu and let the person come to reply to its master, it is already good to pass the family, and it will come directly to the door."

The old servant hesitated, but did not go any further.

"What's wrong?" Cheng Yi paused.

The old servant bowed his head, "Xiucai, who delivered the letter, is waiting outside the door!" ”

"What?" Cheng Yi's face was surprised, and he stood up immediately.

In terms of official position, Han Gang is already above Cheng Hao. The old father of the Cheng family has been an official for decades, and he has been grinding for many terms, and he is only a positive five-grade, and only after his death can he be qualified to touch the door of the fourth-grade. And an official like Han Gang, not only personally delivered the letter, but even waited outside the door to hear back, this courtesy is heavy.

The normal meeting between scholars and doctors, unless it is already a good family, or someone will send someone to send a name card first. If the host is willing to meet, he will make an appointment with the book. If you don't see it, you will find a reason in the book. But this passage of text is basically a servant's run, which is also a room for the two sides to turn around.

And now Han Gang's approach is that the younger generation visits the elders, and the number of courtesies when the lower officials worship the president, Cheng Yi is not surprised.

"Quickly invite the Han officials outside the door to come in."

'Official? The old servant of the Cheng family got his life, so he turned around and walked out, with some doubts in his heart: "Wearing Xiucai's clothes, and standing outside the door waiting for news, how can he be an official?" ’

But he knew that his master had always used words well, and only those who had official status would be called officials. is not like in the market, just an ordinary rich man, who can say nothing about him. God knows how difficult it is for the court to mix with the seventh-grade outsider.

Let an official wait outside the door on a snowy day, thinking of this, the old servant became more and more uneasy, and hurriedly took two steps faster.

……………………

The snow in the sky has not stopped, the snowflakes have been accumulating, and the companions guarding under the horse stake are walking back and forth impatiently, but Han Gang is still calmly waiting outside the gate of Chengfu.

After bidding farewell to Cheng Fang, who was entrusted with the emperor's order, Han Gang and Chong Jianzhong continued to go to the capital.

Although it was difficult to walk in the snow, it was still smooth to Luoyang. settled in the post house, and went to visit relatives and friends in Luoyang City. Han Gang, on the other hand, took Zhang Zai's letter to his cousin and nephew and found the door of the Cheng family in Luoyang.

Before leaving Hengqu Town, Zhang Zai gave Han Gang a few letters. The first letter was addressed to Zhang Jian, the younger brother of the supervisor of bamboo and wood affairs in Zhouzhi County. The second letter is to Cheng Hao, who holds the same position as Zhang Jian in Luoyang and has nothing to do with bamboo, as well as his father Cheng Jue and Cheng Yi.

Since listening to Cheng Hao's teachings in the capital, Han Gang would also write letters to Cheng Hao, but not as often as he did to Zhang Zai. He passed through Luoyang several times in the past two years, but Cheng Hao was an official abroad, and Cheng Yi followed Cheng Jue, the old father of the Cheng family who was in Shudi, and he couldn't see anyone when he visited him. Until this year, Cheng Jue returned to his hometown, and Cheng Yi came back. And Cheng Hao also wrote to ask for a more leisurely dispatch in Luoyang.

Now that Cheng Hao has returned, he has always had to meet Han Gang when he passes by Luoyang, not to mention that Zhang Zai also entrusted him with the task of delivering a letter by the way.

It's just that as soon as the old servant of the Cheng family, who guarded the door, entered, there was no response, and Han Gang waited silently, with snow falling on his head and shoulders. The pedestrians, cars and horses passing by the roadside looked at Han Gang in front of Cheng's house, pointed, and were surprised. The companion came to persuade him several times, but Han Gang never wanted to leave. Since you are already waiting, you should wait to the end, and giving up halfway is unacceptable.

A horse stepped on the snow and stopped in front of Cheng's house. The rider turned over and dismounted, and looked at Han Gang several times in disbelief.

At this moment, the side door of the Cheng family was opened. As soon as the rider saw the door open, he stepped forward in two steps and said with a smile: "It's just a coincidence, I still want to knock on the door." Liuzhang, the boy is here today at the order of my master. ”

"Mr. Yaofu's invitation?" The old servant of the Cheng family asked, and said to the rider anxiously: "You wait a minute." ”

Leaving behind the acquaintance who sent the invitation, the old man hurriedly ran to Han Gang's side. looked at Han Gang, who had snow on his head and shoulders, and apologized sincerely: "Don't blame the officials, don't blame the officials, the villains have offended a lot, so the officials have been waiting for a long time." ”

Han Gang smiled, his body moved, and the snow fell one after another: "Mr. Bochun and I have a half-teacher friendship, and it is also polite to wait outside the door." ”

The old servant of the Cheng family made way out, "My master has invited officials, and please come in for a while." ”

Han Gang was led through the door of the family's house, and his companion followed with a gift and passed by the rider.

Mr. Yaofu in Luoyang City is naturally only one. Shao Yong Shao Yaofu is also the great Confucian of today's world, academic and Confucianism, Tai Chi, and the ancestor of Chen Tuan. However, he is more famous for his ability to tell fortune points. Shao Yong's mansion in Luoyang City's 'Comfort Nest' was earned by helping the parents of Wang Gongchen, the champion of the Renzong Dynasty, to order auspicious points. Two years ago, Sima Guang and Fu Bi bought the land that was originally an official property in Anlewo and gave it to Shao Yong.

That's all Han Gang's understanding of Shao Yong, in addition, it is the sentence that is widely circulated and sounds profound, 'Tiangen Moon Cave is idle, and the thirty-six palaces are all spring'.

After Han Gang came in, the servants of the Shao family were also led into the door. It's not a big mansion, and the four of them walked back and forth.

Cheng Hao is not here today, and he already knew the Tao when he first delivered the letter. is about to face another one in the second journey, and Han Gang also has some expectations. Zhang Zai's evaluation of Cheng Hao is above Cheng Yi, but he is also a person in Cheng Zhuzhong, one of the founders of science. What's more, the sentence that is also famous in later generations.

'Death by starvation is a small matter, but loss of festival is a big matter'.

If this sentence is not directed at women, but about scholars, then it is really very reasonable and worthy of admiration. However, Han Gang has not heard that Cheng Yi has said this now, and it is inconvenient to inquire in front of Zhang Zai and Zhang Jian.

walked into the living room of the Cheng family and finally saw Cheng Yi.

is completely different from Cheng Hao, who is gentle and elegant, and talks like a spring breeze, Cheng Yi in front of Han Gang has a solemn demeanor, and his movements are also one-size-fits-all, without half a point discount. It was not because Han Gang waited in the snow outside the door for more than an hour, and his external attitude changed by half a point, but the appreciation in his eyes was not concealed.

This great Confucian of the time, in the future, will first be a famous Mr. Yingchuan, and then a hundred years of stinking. The first impression of Han Gang was as if a "Book of Rites" had become a living person, teaching him what is the correct etiquette for meeting guests. Standing still, returning the salute, greetings, and even nodding and bowing the waist at an angle are all appropriate in line with the relationship between him and Han Gang.

After meeting Han Gang, Cheng Yi confessed to him according to standard etiquette, and then received the invitation from the Shao family's servant.

Shao Yong sent a sticker, but said that the plum blossoms in the nest of peace and happiness were blooming, and he planned to set up a banquet three days later and invite Ercheng to come to the meeting.

"Let's go and reply to your lord: Thank you for not giving up, and even the invitation of the book. Cheng Yi was grateful for his hospitality and attended the meeting. However, my brother went to the north of the city on a business trip today, and when my brother returned, he would send someone to reply to your lord. ”

In this process, Cheng Yi did not pretend to the servants of the Shao family, and the servants of the Shao family did not see Cheng Hao when they entered the door, and their demeanor became obviously restrained.

Han Gang saw everything in his eyes.

It seems that Zhang Jian is really right. Speaking of the relationship between Ercheng and Shao Yong, another great Confucian in Luoyang City, it is indeed a little delicate. Cheng Hao is okay, he can treat everyone peacefully, even if Wang Anshi, who has different political views, has not made trouble to the point of turning his face, and he and Shao Yong can make peace with each other. But Cheng Yi is not very close to Shao Yong and Shao Yaofu.