The sound of firecrackers in the year old,

The spring breeze sends warmth into Tusu.

Thousands of households,

Always replace the new peach with the old charm.

In the Ji Mansion of Xin'an's family, in the ancestral hall, under the spiritual seat of Ji Ling and his wife, there is a large bronze incense burner, and incense is inserted in the furnace. The bright candle flame illuminates the rich offerings on the huge offering table, including oxen heads, sheep heads, whole pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and so on.

In the center of the hall is a charcoal basin that bakes the hall so warm that people completely forget that it is a cold night when the north wind is blowing outside.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged on a mattress with a table of teas and snacks in front of him.

This is the first time he has traveled to this world to celebrate the New Year, and it is the first time in his life that he sits in the ancestral hall to celebrate the New Year.

He tasted the fragrant tea that Yu Ling was waiting to pour, and he couldn't help but have a lot of thoughts, feeling nostalgic for his original world, and couldn't help but read out the "Yuan Ri" by Wang Anshi, a famous poet and politician in the Northern Song Dynasty.

There are also He An, and the two maids and two little maids who bought Jifu not long ago.

He An no longer looks like a housekeeper in a slave green robe, but a housekeeper in a white brocade robe.

Bought four little maids and moved into the Ji Mansion, He An was officially promoted to the Ji Mansion housekeeper, and he didn't have to work hard in the future, just command the little maids below to work and take care of the Ji Mansion.

As for Yu Ling, her identity has not changed, and she is still Ji Ning's personal maid.

However, her identity is second only to Ji Ning in the Ji Mansion, and she is on par with He An.

The four little maids, Zhou Yang, Liu Shi, Xiaoli and Xiaoxiao, were carefully selected by He An and Yuling after spending a lot of time, aged between fourteen and eighteen, and looked like Zhou Zheng.

Hearing that their young master was singing poetry, He An and Yu Ling were both happy in their hearts, and a smile appeared on their faces.

Zhou Yang, Liu Shi and other new little maids all showed a look of admiration and worship, they already knew the identity and status of their master, and they were glad that they could be sold into Ji Ning's name from the bottom of their hearts.

In the Great Yong Dynasty, selling oneself into the mansions of some nobles as slaves was not completely desperate, and even some people brought their own property and rushed to sell themselves into the names of some nobles as slaves.

Zhou Yang, Xiaoli and other four little maids look like Zhou Zheng, articulate and don't speak, but they are all able to read and write.

……

……

The second day of the Lunar New Year.

Early in the morning, Ji Ning prepared a generous gift, took the manuscripts of "Analects" and "The Mean", and took a carriage to Jinling City Guozijian Banshan Residence to pay New Year's greetings to Shen Kang.

Shen Kang did not return to his hometown for the New Year, and his wife and son Sun went to Jinling City from their hometown to accompany him for the New Year.

In addition, today happens to be the day to check the transcription of the Analects and the Mean every five days.

When I arrived at the Mid-Mountain Residence, there were many luxury carriages parked outside, and there was no one who gave Shen Kang New Year's greetings, not only Ji Ning alone, but also many people who came to visit the New Year, and many of them were big names.

However, Ji Ning only waited for half an hour before being received by Shen Kang in the study.

In the study, Ji Ning bowed to Shen Kang and presented the manuscript.

Shen Kang still reviewed Ji Ning's manuscript very carefully and carefully.

Although it has been a few months since Shen Kang publicly "punished" Ji Ning for copying "Analects" and "The Mean" a hundred times, Ji Ning has not copied it more than fifty times so far.

Shen Kang obviously didn't care about how much he copied each time, he only cared about whether he copied it carefully, and of course Ji Ning would not easily give up the opportunity to ask Shen Kang for the title of scholar every five days, so he only copied the "Analects" for "The Mean" almost every five days.

After Shen Kang carefully checked the manuscript, Ji Ning did not immediately ask Shen Kang about his teaching problems as usual.

Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year, and many big people are waiting in line for Shen Kang to meet him, Shen Kang can meet him so quickly, it is already a grace, how can he ask the teaching profession to be so ignorant. Besides, at this time, it is not the way to respect the teacher to make Shen Kang, an old lady who has long passed the age of antiquity, tired.

"Master Tai, the apprentice grandson intends to participate in the imperial examination this autumn." Ji Ning said respectfully.

He must participate in this year's autumn season, and he must be lifted, otherwise the end will be miserable.

Shen Kang shook his head, twisted his snow-white beard and said, "The plan of the year lies in spring. You plan to take the exam this fall, and the old man supports it. After the Lantern Festival, the old man can teach you the art of making. ”

"Thank you, Master!" Ji Ning bowed happily.

Shen Kang has cultivated many scholars, and there is even no shortage of scholars under his disciples. With him personally guiding the craft, Ji Ning is even more determined to win the autumn test.

……

……

On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, there are still five days before the Lantern Festival.

Wu Bei, who was tired of preparing for the Lantern Festival poems last night until the fourth watch late at night, was called up by his attendant early in the morning.

Of course, his attendant didn't dare to disturb him sleeping, but the deacon of Zhang's Mansion suddenly came to the mansion, claiming that he had something urgent and asked him to go to Zhang's Mansion immediately.

This Zhang Mansion is not an ordinary Zhang Mansion, but the Zhang Mansion of Jiangnan Province's transshipment envoy Zhang Hong in Jinling City.

Wu Bei yawned and got up, reluctant in his heart, thinking that Zhang Linwu had returned to Jinling City and asked him to play.

After washing up and dressing neatly, Wu Bei didn't even have time to drink morning tea, and was hurriedly invited into the carriage by the deacon of Zhang's mansion.

When he arrived at Zhang's Mansion and got out of the carriage, Wu Bei suddenly found that the atmosphere was very wrong. The maids of Zhang's house did not have any New Year's joy on their faces, but their faces were gloomy and ugly.

Confused, he was ushered into a small hall.

Entering the hall, he quickly scanned the entire hall and found that the atmosphere in the hall was depressing and low, and there were five people inside.

In the center of the main seat sat a young man who was somewhat similar to Zhang Linwu, and the chief butler of Zhang's mansion stood behind the young man. At the bottom right sat a cold-faced man in the official mansion, who he knew, it was the iron-faced god catching Leng Feng, and behind the iron-faced god catching Leng Feng was also standing a middle-aged man wearing an official uniform and a hanging knife at his waist.

The fifth man, a middle-aged scribe, sits in the lower left seat.

didn't see Zhang Linwu, but saw Zhang Linwu's eldest brother, and the atmosphere was depressed and gloomy, Wu Bei couldn't help but have a bad premonition in his heart.

"Big young master, Wu Bei brought it." The deacon saluted the young man seated in the hall, and then exited the hall.

"Master Zhang, I don't know why you hurriedly asked Wu to come over?" Wu Bei asked Zhang Linwu's eldest brother, Zhang Linde. Because he sensed that the atmosphere was wrong, he didn't politely do anything, and asked straight to the point.

Although Wu Bei and Zhang Linde have never befriended, the two have met at some banquets.

Zhang Linde arched his hand, but did not stand up, and said: "Wu Gongzi, I invited you in a hurry at this time, Zhang Fu has a number of rudeness, but the situation is special, please Haihan." The younger brother Linwu has been missing for more than a month, you are his friend, but do you have any news about him? ”