Hangzhou people avoid the moon like hatred, except for the half of July, there are very few night tours of the West Lake at other times, especially today is only the eighth day of the first month of May, the moon wheel is not full, the boat can hardly be seen on the lake, the painting boat in the white day Xiao Gu, at this time there is nothing to hear, the noisy and noisy fade away, and the water and sky are rare and quiet.

Zhang Dai, Zhang Cao, Zhang Yuan brothers, and Wu Ling and other five servants took the three rows of waves in the night from south to north cut into the lake, Zhang Dai instructed the boatman not to be too anxious, slow sailing, they want to enjoy the moonlit night West Lake.

The night breeze blows, the cool water vapor is permeated, the sinking lake water ripples to both sides of the bow when the wave boat cuts over, the half round of bright moon sprinkles silver glow, as if there are countless silverfish swimming in the lake, the spire of the three bottle-shaped stone towers exposed to the lake surface appears quiet and mysterious under the moonlight, as if the water monster is suppressed under the stone tower, Zhang Dai is very familiar with the West Lake, and introduced that eight years ago, Qiantang County ordered the organization of the people to clean up the silt at the bottom of the lake, and built a dam with silt to form the lake island Xiaoyingzhou, there are islands in the lake, there are lakes in the island, and these three Zhenhu stone towers were built near the Dongpo Tower, here has become a scene of the West Lake - hazy, mysterious, remote, the West Lake under the moonlight is like the West on the corridor of the Wu Palace, from far and near, but along the corridor light gauze thin curtain floating, people always can't see clearly, only feel that the beauty is indescribable.

Zhang Cao, who was three or four points drunk, patted the side of the boat and shouted: "There is no wine in the lake, what's the interest, go back to Ningxiang Restaurant and buy some wine and food——"

The ship's family had already prepared, saying that there was good wine and good fruit, but the price was more expensive, Zhang Cao shouted: "Put it up as soon as possible, will you get less money." ”

A pot of two catties of Wuxi Songhua wine, Lingnan's lychees, Linggu Temple's cherries, Yaofangmen's jujubes each served a large plate, and some Hangzhou pastries, all of which are quite delicate and elegant, Zhang Dai and the three of them were very satisfied, so they watched the night view of the West Lake while drinking and eating fruits.

It is the beginning of the day, the half of the bright moon in the sky has been slanting to the west, Zhang Dai, Zhang Cao, Zhang Yuan brothers bathed in the night breeze on the lake, eating Lingnan lychees, very happy, Zhang Dai chanted Dongpo poem "said to eat three hundred lychees, do not give up as Lingnan people." ”

Zhang Cao continued to sing his "Single Knife Meeting", Zhang Yuan also sang indiscriminately through wine, the former sentence is "The moon comes out and shines brightly", but the latter sentence is "The Door Covers the Pear Blossom Deep Courtyard, and the Pink Wall is as High as the Blue Sky" in "The Story of the West Chamber".

The three-lull wave boat bypassed Xiaoyingzhou, along the right side of the Su Causeway to the north, and then passed by Ruan Gongdun, sailed straight to the Baigong Embankment, and then to the broken bridge, Zhang Cao had seven or eight points of wine, refused to get off the boat, lay on the bow of the boat and looked at the sky and sang: "There is a Huang Hansheng fierce like Biao, there is a Zhao Zi Gentian as big as a fight, there is a Ma Mengqi, he is a murderous leader, there is a reckless Zhang Fei, the Tiger Prison Pass fought the eighteen princes, rode a Biyue Wu, made a zhang eight spears, he was like a thunder roar in that Yangban, and drank back Cao Chengxiang's one million iron-clad Pixiu, He took a look at the dusty sky and the bridge broke first, and drank a slap on the shore and the water went against the current......"

At this time, the second drum has not been handed over, and the hour is still early, Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan are howling by Zhang Cao, slowly peeling the lychee to eat, and the lychee shell and jujube core are thrown into the lake, and there are swimming fish floating up to devour them - I suddenly heard a boy on the broken bridge calling: "Is the Xianggong boat willing to take my girl to Xiling Bridge?" ”

Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan turned their heads to look together, and saw a fair girl standing on the shore under the faint moonlight, and a boy with hair was waving to take a boat.

Zhang Dai lowered his voice and said strangely: "Whose girl, take a boat at night!" ”

The boatman said in a low voice: "Or the Jijia, the three ministers don't want to carry her." ”

Zhang Cao heard it and hurriedly said: "What's the matter, just carry it, it's fun to help others." ”

Zhang Yuan said to the boatman: "This is two or three miles away from Xiling Bridge, take her a ride, it won't be less of your boat money." ”

The boatman laid out the pedals, and the boy with the hair walked up to the boat first, and looked into the cabin, there were three young scholars, all of whom were scarves and shirts, and they were famous, so they nodded to the girl on the shore, and the girl lifted the corner of the robe lightly in one hand, and carried a bamboo cane in the other, and slowly got on the boat - Zhang Cao also sat up at this time and stopped howling, and Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan looked at the girl together, the moonlight was obscurant, the lights in the cabin were dim, the girl's eyebrows were not clear, but her facial features could be distinguished by feeling alone, especially those eyes, between Gu Pan, The eyes flowed, like a cold star and autumn water, about sixteen or seven years old, combed a bun, with a bamboo hairpin, but not like a female Taoist priest, wearing a tunic robe, simple and elegant, not as gorgeous and enchanting as the West Lake Ji family, when he got on the boat, he blessed Zhang Yuan and the three of them, and said: "Thank you to the three ministers." He didn't enter the cabin, so he sat down on his knees at the bow of the boat, and said to the boatman: "I'm tired of rowing to Xiling Bridge." ”

The boatman shook the oar, and the boat went along the white causeway to the lonely mountain.

Zhang Cao saw that this girl was in a bamboo cane and cloth robe, and her temperament was very different from that of a girl like Wu Lingchun, she didn't know the details, she didn't dare to tease Meng Lang, and arched her hand and said: "Xiaosheng Shanyin Zhang Cao, the word Yanke." ”

The girl tilted her head to look over, smiled gracefully, and said, "Do you want to say that you look up for a long time?" ”

Zhang Dai and Zhang Yuan both laughed.

Zhang Cao is very famous in Shanyin, and he is the first gentleman, but who will know him in Hangzhou, he can't help but be a little depressed, but Zhang Cao's interest is cork in the water, and he can't suppress it, so he immediately said: "You don't have to look up for a long time, why don't you pour it like that." ”

The girl smiled slightly, did not answer, looked at the lake at the bow of the boat, stretched out her bamboo cane to the side of the boat, and rowed the water like a boatman's rowing, breaking the moonlight.

Zhang Cao had no reason to talk, scratched his ears and cheeks, and said without words: "This is my eldest brother Zhang Dai Zhang Zongzi, a prodigy in Shanyin, who was a Xiucai at the age of twelve——"

Zhang Dai rolled his eyes and said, "Why are you still a prodigy." ”

Zhang Yuan added: "A prodigy who has grown up. ”

The three brothers sang and harmonized, and the girl smiled "sneering", straightened the robe, covered the slender lotus feet, and was still speechless, and the boy with a hair of about ten years stood beside the girl.

I didn't believe that none of the three brothers could make this girl take a look, Zhang Cao said: "Jiezi, you have to appear." Said to the girl: "This is my brother Zhang Yuan Zhang Jiezi, Shaoxing Mansion Xiao Sanyuan-"

The girl let out a light "huh", turned around, and her eyes shone on Zhang Yuan's face, still facing each other, and said, "This time I really looked up for a long time." ”

Zhang Cao said happily: "Ha, it's still meson's reputation, and he really got a long admiration." ”

But I heard the girl say softly: "I beat Dong Zuchang and spread my reputation." It seems to mean sarcasm.

Zhang Cao was not so keen, he didn't understand the girl's sarcasm, and said triumphantly and endlessly how Zhang Yuan beat Dong Zuchang twice, and said: "Wait and see, there will be three dozen Dong Zuchang, just like Sun Wukong three times against the white bone spirit and Song Gongming's three generations of Zhujiazhuang——"

Zhang Cao has always been talking nonsense, he has no words, he drank too much wine tonight, seeing that this girl is charming and lovely, he is excited, and he talks a lot, and he has to deal with the Dong family, Zhang Yuan diverted the topic and said: "What do you do about these beautiful things." He said to the girl: "The girl is like Zhang Yimei, can you drink with the bearded guest?" "Zhang Yimei is a red whisk girl, and Zhang Yuan is a test girl's identity.

The girl glanced at Zhang Yuan, hit the water with a bamboo cane, and said: "How much do men know now, and the official is an immortal - An has a bearded guest!" ”

Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dai both raised their eyebrows, and the two brothers glanced at each other, feeling that this girl was extraordinary, and the two sentences that the girl just said were Li Zhen's poems, which were used here, very arrogant.

Zhang originally wanted to say "you have to have a discerning eye to recognize the hero", but after thinking about it, he didn't say it, and felt that it was unnecessary.

Zhang Cao didn't know that "the best official is an immortal" was Li Zhen's poem, but he felt that what this girl said was a very confidant, and praised: "Well said, like my eldest brother and my son, I read the stinky eight shares all the time, and I am bent on passing the imperial examination, I can't look down on it, and I Zhang Yanke regards fame as dung." As he spoke, his eyes burning, he stared at the girl.

The girl only looked at the lake outside the boat and asked, "Then where did you get this turban?" ”

Zhang Cao drank too much, forgetting that he had become a prisoner, and when he touched his head, uh, there was a square scarf, but he didn't hide it, and said: "I like to travel, so I will pay for the prison with money, and be less restrained." ”

The girl said, "Oh, I see. ”

While speaking, the wave boat bypassed the lonely mountain and arrived at the Xiling Bridge, the girl stood up and blessed Zhang Dai and the three of them, and said, "Thank you." When the boatman had laid out the pedals, he went ashore with the boy and dragged away with his staff.

This girl came suddenly and drifted away, quite annoying, Zhang Cao reluctantly said: "I'll follow to see where this girl is sacred." "Walked over the pedals, and chased the girl with Nengzhu and Fu'er.

Zhang Yuan and Zhang Dai sat on the bow of the boat, watching Zhang Cao's footsteps staggering and holding Fu'er's shoulders to chase after the girl's residence, the two shook their heads and smiled, Zhang Dai said: "This woman casually recites Li Zhuowu's poems, which shows her erudition, and her complexion is also extremely beautiful, which is really strange." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "And he is very arrogant, and he often sneered at me when he beat Dong Zu, for some reason? ”

Zhang Dai said: "Dong Qichang is famous, although many people often applaud you for beating Dong Zu, but there are also people who are dissatisfied with you, this girl may know Dong Qichang, maybe she is a relative of the Dong family." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled and said in his heart: "This girl has a very strange background, if the world I am in is not the late Ming Dynasty, but the martial arts world, then I must guess that this girl is a beggar, Huang Rong, don't you have a green bamboo cane in your hand." ”

Zhang Dai asked, "What are you laughing at?" Do you know where this woman comes from? ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Don't bother to guess, won't the third brother know when he comes back." ”

After about a moment, Zhang Cao came back, Nengzhu and Fu'er supported him left and right, Zhang Cao "sigh yo yo" on the boat, but he fell and his knee was broken, and asked him if he had chased him to the girl's residence?

Zhang Cao said: "Watching the girl and the little boy pass the tomb of King Yue, I accidentally fell, and I had to get up and chase after it, but there was no one at all, and I didn't see anyone behind King Yue's tomb." ”

Zhang Dai said in horror: "People? God? What the hell? Fox yes? ”

The boatman on the side exclaimed: "Isn't it Miss Silver Bottle's apparition!" ”

Zhang Cao hurriedly asked, "What?" ”

The boat family said: "Grandpa Yue Wang was killed, Miss Silver Bottle also committed suicide by throwing herself into the well, the grave is near King Yue's tomb, according to people, every moonlit night, Miss Silver Bottle will wander on the lakeside, if the evil and lawless people meet Miss Silver Bottle, they will get sick-" asked: "The three ministers have just noticed whether the girl is holding a silver bottle in her arms?" ”

Zhang Cao was drunk and confused, and slapped his head and said, "It seems to be silver-"

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "Nonsense, I can see it clearly, when that girl got on the boat, she was holding a cane in one hand and the corner of her robe in the other, how could there be any silver bottle!" ”

The boatman asked, "Did the boy hold the silver bottle?" ”

Zhang Cao shouted: "The boy seems to have hugged the silver bottle. ”

Zhang Dai said: "No, the boy is empty-handed." ”

Zhang Yuan didn't bother to argue, that girl was definitely not a silver bottle lady apparition, but he couldn't guess who it was, he originally guessed that it was a memory family, but it was not like it, but how could a woman from a good family only take a boy to travel this night?

Zhang Cao said: "None of our brothers are evil destroyers, and we are not afraid to meet Miss Yinhua - alas, my knee has broken the skin." ”

Zhang Dai suddenly said: "That girl appeared on the broken bridge, isn't it a white lady?" ”

Zhang Cao forgot the pain and shouted: "Sure enough, it's the White Lady, who came to find the reincarnated Xu Xian, I don't know if I am the reincarnation of Xu Xian?" ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "The third brother is not the reincarnation of Xu Xian, but the reincarnation of Xu Chu, you see-" He pointed at the Leifeng Pagoda on the south bank, "Leifeng Pagoda does not fall, how can the White Lady come out." ”

Zhang Cao said vaguely: "That's hard to say, maybe it came out of the bottom of the lake, tonight is really an affair, wonderful, wonderful." ”

The wave boat still returned to the broken bridge, paid the boatman two dollars of silver, Zhang Yuan and his party of eight people went ashore, back to the canal port four or five miles away, at this time it had already passed the second drum, along the way Zhang Dai and Zhang Cao were still guessing that the girl was a god? Is it a ghost? Or a fox?

…… The next morning, the three brothers of the Zhang family entered Hangzhou City to find Liu Jingting, crossed the cloth market lane, went around to Wangxian Bridge through Chaotianmen, there is a teahouse called Wangxian Tower by the Wangxian Bridge, Liu Jingting has been telling stories in this teahouse for many years, a story is said to be a time, cashier eight dollars, because there is Liu Jingting, this Wangxian Restaurant is full of seats, and earns far more than eight dollars of silver - the Zhang brothers came to Wangxian Tower, found a table in the tea house on the second floor and sat down, and the tea doctor asked the three ministers what tea they wanted, is it West Lake Longjing or pineapple tea? Zhang Dai said: "If there is tea, let's go to tea." ”

Dr. Tea went to cook tea, Zhang Yuan and the three of them slowly tasted tea, waiting for Liu Jingting to come, at the end of the hour, Liu Jingting appeared, his clothes were quiet, his eyes were fluent, Zhang Cao frowned and said: "This person is really ugly, his face is full of pockmarks, not to mention, and his face is full of scars." ”

Zhang Dai said: "People can't be good-looking, although this person is ugly, but not good." ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "This Liu Jingting is less than thirty years old, look at this face seems to be disfigured, it should be a murder in the original township, so he was disfigured and changed his name." ”

As soon as the silence sounded, the teahouse was silent, Liu Jingting began to say "Jingyanggang Wu Song beats the tiger", Zhang Yuan listened for a while, and was surprised, this Liu Jingting said that Wu Song beat the tiger and Shi Nai'an's "Water Margin" is very different, Shi Nai'an wrote the paragraph from the three bowls but the post to Wu Song beat the tiger but only 4,000 words, but this Liu Jingting said that Wu Song has nearly 3,000 words in the section of the three bowls but the post hotel, the description is described, the subtlety is subtle, the cut is clean, and it is not nagging, when it comes to Wu Song to the store to sell wine, seeing that there is no one in the store, Wu Song roared, The empty tanks in the store are buzzing and echoing - Zhang Dai praised: "Wonderful, coloring in leisure, Shi Nai'an has no such subtlety." ”

Zhang Dai's voice was a little heavier, after Liu Jingting heard it, he glanced at this side, paused to tell the story, this Liu Jingting is very surnamed, if he sees the listener talking or yawning when he says the book, he will shut up and not say, and he will not continue to say until everyone sits quietly with bated breath and listens attentively - Zhang Dai Yao bowed to Liu Jingting and apologized, Liu Jingting smiled slightly, and began to say that Wu Song beat the tiger, the voice was light and heavy, and when it was heavy, he shouted, and the house collapsed, and when it was light, he whispered, just enough for the tea guests here to hear, Its speed and severity, grasp is exquisite, Zhang Yuan, Zhang Cao and others can listen attentively - Liu Jingting said that when Wu Song interrupted the whistle stick and the tiger jumped over, the action description became more and more refined, as if he had seen it himself, and after half an hour of "Jingyanggang Wu Song beating the tiger", there was no one who left the table, and they were all fascinated by it.

Zhang Yuan saw that Liu Jingting was going downstairs, so he followed Zhang Dai and Zhang Cao, and arched his hand: "Mr. Liu, Zhang Yuan Zhang Jiezi in Xiashanyin——"

Zhang Dai and Zhang Cao also reported their names, and Liu Jingting said quietly: "What do the three Zhang Gongzi have to teach Liu?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "How about inviting Mr. Liu to the Jianbi Restaurant for a drink or two, and then talk about it in detail?" ”

Liu Jingting saw that Zhang Yuan and the three of them were young and famous, and they were polite, they didn't dare to slack off, and they were bothered, so they followed Zhang Yuan and the three of them to a restaurant on the edge of Wangxian Tower, and the four of them were at the same table, and put a pot of Suzhou three white wine and six plates of exquisite dishes, Zhang Cao took the lead and said: "Mr. Liu, it's not the first time we have dealt with each other, someone asked Mr. Liu to talk about Yao Fu the year before last, Mr. Liu still remembers, right?" ”

Liu Jingting patted his head and looked at Zhang Yuandao: "It turns out that Zhang Gongzi is the person who beat that Dong Zuchang, and he fought well, Zhang Gongzi and Yao Fu fought eight shares the year before last, Liu Mou also heard about it, Zhang Gongzi can be regarded as eliminating harm for the people, admire, admire." ”

Zhang Cao said happily: "Mr. Liu also said that it is good to beat Dong Zuchang, wonderful, my brothers came to Mr. Liu today to find Mr. Liu is related to this matter." Said to Zhang Yuan: "Jie Zi, you can talk about it." ”

Zhang Yuan showed the "Record of Dong Eun's Evil Deeds" to Liu Jingting, for some reason, Liu Jingting's forehead was blue and tendons bloomed when he read this article, and the scars on his face were purple and red, looking hideous, and after a while, he calmed down as usual, looked up and said: "Liu understands what Zhang Gongzi means, Zhang Gongzi wants Liu to make up a story to promote Dong's evil with this matter, right?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "There is Mr. Lao Liu, and Mr. Liu will be invited to Songjiang to tell the story, and the honorarium will be set by Mr. Liu." "It is still very risky to publicize Dong Qichang's scandal in Songjiang, so you must pay a lot of money.

Liu Jingting pondered for a moment and asked, "Is what Zhang Gongzi wrote true?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The Lu Yangfang mentioned here is the brother of my brother-in-law, there are actually a few beings from Songjiang in the cottage, Mr. Liu can ask them, I will invite them in the afternoon, or Mr. Liu can ask the people of Songjiang Mansion, these things are not difficult to inquire." ”

Liu Jingting said angrily: "Liu is willing to serve, Liu hates the evil gentleman who bullies men and women the most." ”

Liu Jingting agreed so happily that Zhang Yuan and the three of them were overjoyed, and made an appointment to meet at the canal port tomorrow and go to Qingpu together.

(To be continued)