In the post house in Huangliang Dream Town, Jin Fu and Feng Zhiren were talking with Chen Huang. Unexpectedly, without saying a word, Chen Huang got up and was about to leave. Jin Fu hurriedly stretched out his hand and grabbed him and said:

"Brother Tianyi, please stay and listen to me. Tonight, you and I met for the first time, but we fell in love, hated to see each other late, and we should put our hearts in our hearts and talk about everything, so I just said the difficulties of governing the river, please don't misunderstand. Although Jin Fu is not talented, he is not confident that he is not a person who is inactive and greedy for life and afraid of death. Since the emperor has made up his mind to cure the river disaster and entrusted me with the important task of controlling the river, what I am worried about is that if the water control fails, it will harm the country and the people, and I will also live up to the emperor's trust! ”

"I'm afraid that I will miss the future of Zhongcheng's fame and my life, right?" Chen Huang smiled and said: "The river affairs are difficult, the tasks are heavy, and it is difficult to return, the previous river governors have all been ruined, how can Zhongcheng not be afraid?" But Chen Huang knows the situation of Zhongcheng in Anhui River, if he can do things honestly, there is nothing to do in the world - I will talk to you openly tonight, just because I have the vision to choose you! -- Wrong energy-saving tools, the river has been ungoverned for a long time, and someone must rise up to bear it. It is none other than the public who can take on this huge responsibility, and the achievement of a great cause for a thousand years is in one move, so why look ahead and look backwards, afraid of hesitation? ”

Jin Fu's eyes flashed with tears, he grabbed it in two steps, grabbed Chen Huang's shoulder and asked:

"Mr. Chen, this is really a heartfelt word! I have read your books, I have read your books to see them, and I have seen them now...... Sure enough, he is knowledgeable and open-minded. Jin is determined to control the river, I wonder if you are willing to help me? ”

Chen Huang felt a fever in his heart, and said in a trembling voice: "Huang is a reckless and cold man, and he has the ambition to make meritorious contributions, but he has no reason to enter the body. The soldier dies for his confidant, since Lord Jin looks up to me like this, Chen Zai is willing to repay him for the rest of his life and travel to the shore of the big river with the adult# "Okay, bring the wine." ”

At the moment, three like-minded people with different identities have a careful discussion, and you and I will discuss in detail what Kangxi should play. Before you know it, it's even worse. Chen Huang wanted to go back to the next place to rest, but the doorman of the post house came in, held a package, and said with a smile: "Master Chen, the Han family of the Cong family sent someone to send this, saying that it was your thing......

"What about others?" Chen Huang was taken aback and asked.

"Drop the things and go," the doorman said with a smile: "He said that he asked Chen Ye to open the package and take a look." ”

Chen Huang opened the package suspiciously, which was his manuscript "The Essentials of River Defense", and a piece of Xue Tao's poem was folded below, and when he opened it, there were no words, only a bundle of green silk black hair tied with red thread, and a forget-free flower made of silk yarn. This night, Chen Huang was in turmoil after thinking about it, Ah Xiu's shadow was always shaking in front of him, and he had insomnia!

Since the summer and autumn of the sixteenth year of Kangxi, the filial piety of the bus will be tested in an endless stream of water boats and land vehicles, gathering in Beijing. All kinds of sedan horses, cars and boats fill the streets, temples and halls outside Beijing, restaurants and tea shops have become places for literati to stay and meet friends. The most prominent is still the doctoral masters who are recommended for the examination from all over the world. These people came by water, and they took the ships of the feudal officials; Coming by land, it is an eight-person official sedan chair, and the sedan chair drivers who carry the sedan chair in shifts are all riding high-headed horses, hugging and beating the road in front of them - the apricot yellow tiger head card of "taking the test by order" and "quiet avoidance" is inserted in front of them - and they do not live in the store when they enter Beijing, and they live separately in the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles. The Erudite Hongconfucianism was held at the same time as the Changke of that year, which caused a sensation in Beijing. This liberal arts discipline was opened once in the nineteenth year of Tang Kaiyuan, and again after Song Gaozong crossed to the south, which has been more than 500 years. The original name was "Erudite Hongci", Kangxi changed a word, and changed "Hongci" to "Hongru". Regardless of whether they are successful or not, they have the identity of "Hongru", which is very glorious.

The people who participated in the ordinary Beifu examination were much more humble compared to these Confucians.

Gao Shiqi entered Beijing and brought five hundred taels of silver. He had a big temper and a big hand, and he quickly lost his money. As soon as he entered Beijing, he worshiped Menzi, but he didn't understand the rules here, and he asked for a sum of money when he crossed a threshold, and he was in charge of "Brother Kong Fang" everywhere, and it took four hundred taels of silver to get acquainted with the second housekeeper in the two mansions of Mingzhu and Suo Etu. Now that the points are counted, there are still two taels and six coins of cash left, and the money owed to the store for sixteen taels of food has not yet been settled. Although Gao Shiqi was angry in his heart, he didn't know how to worry, so he still put it on a wide show and asked the store to "just keep accounts". The owner of this shopkeeper was originally born as a tortoise in the courtyard, and he was well-informed and sophisticated, and saw that although Gao Shiqi played tea every day and made the drama boil, he was slowly stingy at hand, knowing that the situation was not good, and he promised it verbally, and his face was disrespectful. Gao Shiqi hated it in his heart, but he was helpless.

The day before yesterday, Suo Etu's housekeeper came to inform Gao Shiqi, saying that on March 15, Lord Zhongtang invited a celebrity to gather a scholar, and asked him to join in the fun. Gao Shiqi looked forward to this day, changed out of the blue gong satin robe, wore a green cloth shirt, and walked to the Suofu on the Jade Emperor Temple Street. The housekeeper was already standing at the head of the door, and when he saw him dressed like this, he stumbled and complained: "Oh, Lao Gao, how can you see Zhongtang when you are dressed as a flower child?" - You have to wait for a while, Lord Li Guangdi and Master Jin Fu are talking to the master in the study......" Before the words were finished, there was a call of "sending off guests" from the back hall, and Gao Shiqi had to step aside.

For a while, Li Guangdi and Jin Fu came out with swaying steps one after the other, both of them with blue faces. Out of the gate, the two of them stood at the same time, and Li Guangdi waved and said, "Jin Gong, please-" and let go of his hand.

"Brother Guangdi," Jin Fu said coldly, "If the matter of Mrs. and the child is concerned, I still want to think twice, if it alarms the Son of Heaven, it will not be appropriate." After that, he got into the sedan chair with his waist. Li Guangdi said stupidly: "Whatever you want." Then he boarded the sedan chair and drove away. Gao Shiqi and everyone on the door were puzzled when they saw it. Gao Shiqi saw that they were gone, so he turned his face and smiled at the housekeeper:

"Don't look at my clothes, this is the true nature of a scholar. The rich and the poor are resigned to fate, Lao Cai, you just have to rest assured. As he spoke, he came in with Lao Cai, but saw Suo Etu pacing out of the back hall.

"You're Gao Shiqi?" Suo Etu mediated Li Xiuzhi's matter, Jin Fu and Li Guangdi turned their faces, and they were uncomfortable, and when they saw Lao Cai bringing someone in, they remembered this officer, so they stopped, looked Gao Shiqi up and down and asked.

Gao Shiqi saw that he was such a slow guest, and his heart was unhappy, he followed Suo Etu into the hall, and saw that the guests and staff inside looked proud one by one, and he didn't feel angry. He took out the uninhibited temper of an arrogant scholar, suddenly gags, suddenly laughed and scolded, drank and sang, and looked around at no one. In the blink of an eye, the guests in the seat were teased. In particular, Wang Mingdao, who respected his teacher with his teacher, was scolded the most.

Suo Etu finally couldn't bear it anymore, and said with a sinking face: "Mr. Gao, please respect yourself." Come on, take him out, he's drunk! ”

Gao Shiqi heard that Suo Etu had given the order to evict the guests, and he also took advantage of the situation to pretend to be drunk and staggered out. After the cold wind blew, Fang regretted that today's move was very inappropriate. Suo Etu is the current minister of power, even if he doesn't expect him to carry him, he can't make a mistake and disappoint him. He returned to the Xuanwumen Inn with remorse, and it was already the end of the day. When the shopkeeper saw him coming in with a drunken face, he greeted him with a smile and said, "Master, are you back?" Nowhere to find you! Our store is in the store today, and all the guest officers have rewarded the room money......"

This is really unlucky, drinking cold water and stuffing his teeth, Gao Shiqi sneered and said: "Ho! Dare to love you are afraid that I will run away, I thought you were thinking about the master? Come, come to my room, settle the accounts# The owner of the store was stunned by him, and hurriedly followed behind with a stack of laughs: "Where do you want to go!" Master Gao is a righteous gentleman, and he can be trusted even if he doesn't settle his accounts for a year! It's just that you also know this Beijing city, in the words of the masters, it is called Mi Zhu Xingui...... I really can't do it......" Gao Shiqi strode into his room, fell to the bed, glared and said: "Master is dizzy this time, and he doesn't wait to hang himself and jump into the river, what's the hurry?" Look at that inkstone...... That pot of flowers...... The wrapper...... Isn't it all money? You're going to have to wait impatiently, eh! Just take it ......"

He was full of nonsense, nondescript, saying that he would meet the account, but he only talked to entertain the boss, but the boss was angry, and he was thinking about how to deal with this bachelor, but Gao Shiqi jumped up, picked up a post on the table, and asked with bright eyes: "It's Mr. Cha, what time has it been?" ”

The shopkeeper saw that he was drunk and woke up, and replied inexplicably: "Oh, you said that poor man? I came at noon, and I left without waiting for you, saying that I would come to worship later—"

Gao Shiqi snorted, threw the post on the table and said, "Poor people? It's really a dog's eye that doesn't know Jingshan Jade - that was the last science to explore flowers and check the prudence, and now it is the sacrificial wine of the Hanlin Academy! Divide half of the third-class slaves of the Cha family with you, and you will not be able to use them for the rest of your life! ”

The shopkeeper didn't believe it at all, and he couldn't bear it, so he smiled dryly: "The little one doesn't want to be rich and rich, how many big bowls to eat, as long as the guests pay the bills seriously, life will be passable!" ”

The two were arguing, but they heard someone in the courtyard shouting: "Is Brother Shanren back?" Gao Shiqi looked up, "ouch", walked out of the door to greet him, and said with a smile: "Say Cao Cao, Cao Cao has arrived!" Brother Cha hasn't seen you for a long time - I haven't seen you for three years, and you have been so graceful - please come in! I asked him to invite me today, I thought it was the effect of the two hundred taels of silver, I didn't want my brother to say it for Gao first - I hate this slave, I actually said that you are a poor and sour person! ”

When the shopkeeper saw it, Cha Shenxing was dressed very differently from when he came in the morning, wearing a white fox style trimmed azure satin shoulder, wearing a dark poplin robe, and a piece of Hanyu tied to the sauce-colored belt around his waist, with a beige tassel, greeting and shaking step by step, the shopkeeper was dumbfounded.

Cha Shenxing smiled, waved a sandalwood fan and said: "It seems that it is not possible to blindly pretend to be cold - seeing Suo Zhongtang, are you still proud?" ”

"See!" Gao Shiqi smiled and gave up his seat, and said to the shopkeeper: "What are you stunned about?" Don't ask someone to make tea for Mr. Cha! The shopkeeper agreed to go as if he had been granted amnesty. A guy had already brought tea respectfully.

Gao Shiqi saw that there were no outsiders in the room. Fang sighed: "I went to go, but I didn't get the lottery, and I was ashamed to recommend my brother." Then he said that the situation of the Suofu meeting was long and short.

Cha Shenxing shook his fan and listened quietly, and said with a smile: "Suo Xiang is also a little family, is it worth being so domineering?" So—Ming Xiang asked me if I had any literati to recommend—and I went to his house again in the evening. ”

Gao Shiqi and Cha Shenxing traveled to Jiangsu and Zhejiang together in the past, although it was good, always because of a poor and a rich, Gao Shiqi was unwilling to look up, but he did not expect to enter Beijing with a high and a cheap, Cha Shenxing was so sincere and helpful. Gao Shiqi was grateful, but he refused to say the word "thanks", because he smiled and said: "Mingzhu seems to be eager to seek talent-I heard that he and Suo Etu are not on good terms - you can go around on both sides!" ”

Cha Shen said: "None of them are talented and talented. The emperor examines them every day and forces them to do their studies, and they just have no choice but to do it—me, sometimes they ask me for some evidence to deal with the emperor, and they don't really have any face. ”

Gao Shiqi's heart moved, the Son of Heaven is so talented, the prosperous era is coming. was about to speak, but when he saw the boss come in, he cautiously called Qian'er and said, "Master, the flowers you ordered before were sent by someone from the flower shop." ”

As soon as she finished speaking, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl came in with a pot of two-color daffodils, the green leaves lined with water-red and snow-white two-color flowers, the water spirit trembling and towering is very good-looking, reflecting the girl's eyebrows and phoenix eyes, light red vest, and moon-white skirt, just like the picture of Magu sending off her life on the painting. Gao Shiqi couldn't help but be stunned, in the flower market under the Dashilar Corridor, he saw this girl selling flowers every day, but he didn't pay attention to her being a stunning beauty! Cha Shenxing glanced at Gao Shiqi, and couldn't help laughing: "Shanren, do you look at human faces or flowers?" ”

"Oh? Oh! Gao Shiqi came back to his senses and said busily, "Put it on the table - Brother Shen Xing, let's enjoy the flowers!" ”

The girl smiled brightly, put the flowers away, and blessed her hands on her knees. Cha Shenxing teased: "If you talk about this flower, you still hold Mr. Gao to appreciate the color, but unfortunately the pot is too heavy - what is your name?" Only then did the girl hear that the two were praising her appearance, and her face immediately turned red, and she replied in a low voice: "The second master made fun of her, and the slave family is called Fang Lan." ”

Gao Shiqi praised loudly: "Good, good name!" Cha Shen said: "If you don't get drunk with wine, everyone gets drunk, and if you don't get charming, people are fascinated by yourself." ”