The chef Yu is good at arranging, the eight-pound big white goose, half of the noon and half of the night, so that the leftovers will not be eaten, and the rest of the meat and vegetables and green vegetables and cold dishes are properly arranged, although they are not as flavorful as the dishes in the restaurant, they are better than the freshness and cleanness-

Wine is a big jar, there are more than 20 catties, at noon only drank three or four catties, at this time with a wine spoon scooped wine to the wine hot warm, looking at the snow on the wall under the twilight, drinking hot wine, it is really a happy year.

Zheng Shi slept for two hours, the wine was slightly relieved, then the table was relieved by wine, Xu Wei and Zeng Yu talked about it, he only had the share of listening, he also had a lot of knowledge in the way of calligraphy, painting was a black eye, and his head was still dizzy at this time, listening to what the two said about burnt ink, thick ink, rising ink, broken ink, thirsty ink, light ink, from work to release, raw paper stained...... I heard it in the clouds, and I looked half-drunk and dazed.

Zeng Yu instructed Sixi to cook a cup of tea and let Zheng Shi replace the wine with tea, because he would have to go to the dock early tomorrow morning to send the grandmaster off the country, so he couldn't make a mistake.

This night, Zeng Yu was also rare to be half drunk, drunk and refreshed, and Xu Wei in the same bed, talking about Hongfa, knocking each other, Xu Wei is a temperamental person, from the calligraphy and painting and his own life experience, suddenly tears and sorrow:

"The remnants of the flowers in the basket are still bright, and it is clear that the world is separated from the previous life. Sitting down, I didn't realize that the west window was dark, and the cold plum and snow were not clear.

The gold button is warm, and the sleeve folds still have the marks of the case. I didn't feel tears when I opened the box, and the snow in the court was dim. ”

Singing poems, the half-drunk Xu Wei confided in Zeng Yu about his thoughts about his deceased wife Pan, these two small poems were written a few years ago when Xu Wei returned to his home in Shaoxing to check the old things when he saw the beaded flowers and the red shirt worn by his deceased wife Pan before his death, he saw things and thought about people, and wept and wrote, although Zeng Yu knew a lot about Xu Wei, but he didn't know how to say these two small poems of mourning, the poems were easy and true, better than the three contrived mourning poems of Yuan Zhi -

In addition to being famous for calligraphy and painting, Xu Wei is famous for killing his wife, thinking that Xu Wei is a combination of genius and madman, who knows that Xu Wei has such a deep affection for his wife Pan, when he wrote these two poems, Pan has been dead for ten years, Xu Wei still remembers himself, drunk tonight, and met a confidant, he poured out his heart, Zeng Yu listened quietly, and then the two of them fell asleep I don't know when I said.

The next day, Zeng Yu woke up, but Xu Wei was no longer seen on the other side of the bed, he got up and got out of bed only to find that he had not taken off his robe, and slept like this last night, and even did not practice the vitality method in the Baduan Jin kimono, rubbed his head and remembered that he had not written a letter to Yan Shaoqing and Mr. Yan Er, although he benefited a lot from talking with Xu Wei overnight, but getting drunk is indeed not a good thing, and he should take it as a warning in the future.

Zeng Yu arranged for Xu Wei to rest in this wing room and Zheng Shi's room next to it, and then it was the calligraphy and painting room, Zeng Yu was going to go to the calligraphy and painting room to write a letter, and went out of the door to the porch, but he heard movement in the calligraphy and painting room, and walked over to take a look, in the twilight, under the south window, Xu Wei swept all the books and papers on the desk aside, spread out a large piece of paper, selected a long wolf, and was smearing and outlining on the paper, suddenly concentrating, and suddenly the vertical pen was flying-

Zeng Yu quietly walked behind Xu Wei to watch him paint, this is an excellent learning opportunity, no matter how miraculous the verbal words, it is better to really smear a few strokes on the paper, many calligraphy and painting are not allowed to others to watch him paint, only the disciples who enter the hall can, this is the reason.

Xu Wei is painting wild vines on a piece of leather paper, the vine is old and stubborn, the vine leaves are half withered, as if the wind is blowing, the leaves on the wild vine are in various postures, although they are withered, but they are vibrant, showing a unique personality——

Xu Wei talked with Zeng Yu last night, talked about the past, fell asleep drunk, woke up at the beginning of the morning, only to feel that the painting was turbulent, just like Zeng Yu said that he would not be happy if he did not paint, so he got up and went to the calligraphy and painting room next door, grinding ink and waving, painting a half-withered wild vine in autumn and winter, and an ink-colored peony flower swaying out of the vine, which has a unique posture in the wild vine full of paper——

Xu Wei feels that this is the most satisfactory ink painting he has painted in recent years, Xu Wei is in his early forties, energetic, in the painting is from the work to the release, cursive as the general idea, with the hand of the pen straight to express the chest, Zeng Yu although the painting skills are still naïve, but many insights to Xu Wei inspired -

After a night of brewing, Xu Wei's pen was as fast as wind and rain, and it only took half an hour to complete a "Wild Vine Peony Picture", Zeng Yu praised it loudly: "Wonderful, this painting brother wants to keep it for himself." ”

Xu Weiha smiled and said, "I have a lot of inspiration from my brother, and of course this painting should be given to Brother Zeng." So he inscribed the title and touched up the painting.

When Xu Wei inscribed the inscription, Zeng Yu sat down on the other side of the desk, and wrote a letter to Yan Shaoqing and Mr. Yan Er with the leftover ink from Xu Wei's painting, briefly describing the experience of encountering a thief on the way back, and thanked Shaoqing Gongzi for sending people to visit, saying that if he passed the entrance examination this time, he would have to prepare for the township examination in August next year, and he would not be able to go to Fenyi to teach for the time being-

For Yan Shaoqing, Zeng Yu actually has a lot to write, but he gives up after thinking about it, he still has a chance to talk to Yan Shaoqing face-to-face, it is not good to write on paper, black and white is evidence, it will be misunderstood as instigating and misleading Yan Shaoqing, this crime Zeng Yu can not afford.

The two sergeants sent by Qi Jiguang who were specifically responsible for Xu Wei's safety went out of the city to wait in front of the gate of Zeng's house as soon as the city gate opened, because Zeng Yu and Zheng Shi were going to Sanjiangkou Wharf to send Huang Xuedao, Xu Wei also went out with Zeng Yu and Zheng Shi, Zeng Yu rode a horse, Zheng Shi straddled a donkey, and when they broke up by the north gate, Xu Wei asked Zeng Yu in a low voice: "Brother, what about the case of your fellow villager surnamed Xia?" I'm almost going back to Zhejiang in two days. ”

Zeng Yu said: "Let Xia Chaofeng shout for a retrial today, the elder brother can watch from the sidelines, and the younger brother will also take the opportunity to watch the trial of the Lin Governor's Mansion, whether this case can turn around depends on whether the rats are willing to support it." ”

Xu Wei smiled and said goodbye, last night's sorrow and bitterness were gone, and those were buried in the bottom of my heart.

Zeng Yu and Zheng Shi rushed to the wharf outside the East Gate, it was the end of the hour, and most of the Xiucai who took the exam the day before yesterday had arrived, and the official ship of Xuedao was moored to the side, and Huang Tixue had not yet come.

Wu Chunze walked over and said to Zeng Yu: "I don't dare to fight with you in the future, I and Brother Shi were both drunk yesterday, you are not drunk, Brother Xian is massive, I am willing to bow down." ”

A group of Xiucai hugged over and greeted Zeng Yu, Zeng Yu is a new Xiucai, and he was admitted through the make-up examination, and he didn't stay in the school for a few days, so in addition to Wu Chunze and a few other people who are familiar with each other, and other Xiucai are just nodding friends, and some don't know each other at all, but now, Zeng Yu is famous, and there is no one else in the city who will not know the road Zeng Yu Zeng Jiu carp, Zeng Yu is the west seat of the old grandson of Yan Ge, the mansion and the Tao are extremely important to Zeng Yu, and the two heads of the palace go to the banquet in three days, these things are known to the talents, Except for a few pretentious or withdrawn talents, who doesn't want to befriend Zeng Yu?

When it was lively and lively, Lin Zhifu and Shangrao Zhixian accompanied Huang Ti to learn, Huang Tixue briefly instructed all the students, and then said goodbye to the officials of Guangxin Mansion and got on the boat, Huang Tixue's confidant Huang Lubao quietly found Zeng Yu and conveyed a few words of Huang Tixue, which is nothing more than to ask Zeng Yu to study quietly and strive for next year's township test Chinese style, which is a very common few words, but to say to Zeng Yu alone, that is the meaning of treating each other differently, and this also contains a news, that is, Zeng Yu passed the admission exam this time without any problems, It should be noted that the list of those who passed the examination will not be announced until the beginning of spring next year, and Huang Xuedao's love for Zeng Yu can be regarded as a bit of favoritism-

The official ship of Jiangxi Xuedao went down the river, and all the beings dispersed, Zheng Shi, Zeng Yu, Wu Chunze and a few Guixi County Xiucai were still standing on the riverside, Zheng Shi smiled: "It's a pity that I don't dare to propose to take the grandmaster's boat back to Yingtan, otherwise it will be safe and smooth." ”

Wu Chunze said: "Jiu Carp has this qualification, he is the proud protégé of the grandmaster. ”

Zeng Yu said: "Don't make fun of me, I came back from Fenyi, didn't the grandmaster also go all the way to Guangxin Mansion, and I didn't dare to take a boat, so I want to avoid taboos." ”

As he was talking, he saw the yellow head soldier come over and sing: "Zeng Xianggong, the eldest lord asks you to speak." ”

Zeng Yu followed the Huangtou servant to the sedan chair of the Lin Governor's Mansion, and the Huangtou servant bowed down and said, "Master, Zeng Xiu is here." ”

Governor Lin lifted the curtain and nodded to Zeng Yu with a smile, and asked, "When will the two Yan Mansion family members leave to return to Fenyi?" ”

Zeng Yu said: "The student plans to let the two of them leave after lunch. ”

Governor Lin said: "Why are you in such a hurry, let's stay them for two more days." ”

Zeng Yu said: "Yufuzun, the two of them originally planned to go back yesterday afternoon, saying that the eldest prince of Yan was waiting for the two of them to reply, and I forced the two of them to rest for a day." ”

Governor Lin said with a smile: "Prince Yan Shaoqing is very concerned about your safety, so he is anxious to wait for a reply-okay, you will bring the two of them to the government when you go back, and the mansion still has something to tell the two of them." ”

Zeng Yu returned to Zheng Shi and Wu Chunze, Zheng Shi was discussing with the three Guixi Xiucai to hire a boat to return to Guixi and Yingtan, and the four of them, together with their respective servants, could hire a larger passenger boat, which was larger and safer to travel on the waterway.

Zeng Yu said: "Go to Guixi from here, go straight down the river, morning and evening, today is only the eighteenth day of the lunar month, it is still early to celebrate the new year, there is no need to rush to the road, or stay in Shangrao for two more days, and wait for the general soldier and the inspection department of all roads to clean up the bandits and then return to their hometown." ”

When Wu Ping led the bandits to ransack the northeast of Jiangxi, there were many ruffians in Yiyang and Guixi to join the gang, these people were defeated under the city of Shangrao the day before yesterday, and were killed and captured, and there were still many people who took the path to get rid of the pursuit of officers and soldiers, and wanted to run back to their hometowns, these people relied on the thieves to do all the bad things in their hometowns, and the villagers hated them to the bone, and now they definitely have no place to stand on them, and they must be robbed in groups of three or five, although the prefect of Lin has strengthened the pursuit and arrest in various counties, but it will take some time to clear up, Therefore, Zheng Shi and those Guixi Xiucai heard Zeng Yu say this, and they all felt reasonable, so they agreed to board the boat here on the morning of the 21st day of the lunar month and return to the township in the evening.

Zeng Yu said to Wu Chunze: "Brother Wu, you lead my cousin and these Guixi friends to take a look around the famous places in this city, Guangjiao Temple and Lu Yuquan can take a look, I have another urgent matter today, the son of a fellow villager of Yongfeng has committed a lawsuit, I have to help him come up with some ideas, sorry, sorry." ”

Saying goodbye to Zheng Shi and the others, Zeng Yu rode back to the house outside the north gate, and instructed Sixi to rush to the Chenghuang Temple Square immediately, and asked Xia Chaofeng to hurry to the outside of the palace hall to shout a grievance, and the mansion should not stop if he was not promoted.

Yan Jian and Fan Huyuan came over to greet him and said, "Mr. Zeng, the villains are about to leave, please Mr. Zeng lead the villains in to kowtow to grandma." ”

Zeng Yu said: "The prefect of Lin said to me that the two of you want to go to the mansion to meet, and the prefect has something to say, which must be a good thing, so you two can clean up and go with me." ”

Fan Huyuan said: "The villains' horses are still raised in the stables of the government office, and the government always has to go there." ”

Great-mother Zhou came out and was bowed by Yan Jian and the two, and each of them sealed a tael of silver as a reward, Yan Jian and Fan Huyuan did not dare to accept it, Yan Jian said: "The eldest prince has ordered, I can't receive Mr. Zeng's reward, I have done a good job, and the eldest prince will have a heavy reward when I go back this time." Yan Shaoqing knew that he was poor and poor, so he ordered so.

Zeng Yu smiled and said: "This is my mother's reward, if you two don't accept it, it will be disrespectful." ”

Yan Jian and the others were terrified.

Zeng Yu said again: "I understand Shaoqing's intentions, he is worried that I will be poor and afraid that I will break the bank, but you two also see it, I am not a poor scholar, my life is okay, you go back and tell Shaoqing Gongzi that one day, he is welcome to come to the cold house as a guest." Handing the two letters to Yan Jian, "This is the letter I wrote to Mr. Yan Er and Shaoqing Gongzi, you have taken it." ”

At this time, it was about the middle time, Zeng Yu instructed the cook Yu to close the door, and then entered the city with Yan Jian, and when they arrived at the gate of the Defu Yaqiao Building, they did not see anyone who shouted grievances, Zeng Yu thought: "If Xia Chaofeng goes out, Sixi can't find him, then it's a little troublesome, and it's rare to have such a good opportunity today." ”

A servant led Zeng Yu and the three of them to the back hall of the South Ya, and the prefect did not go up to the court to try the case, but generally was in the back hall of the South Ya when dealing with daily government affairs.

Governor Lin said to Yan Jian and the others: "I have a small gift, you two bring it back to Yan Shilang——"

Yan Jian hurriedly said: "My lord, my lord has already returned to Beijing. ”

Governor Lin nodded and said, "The governor of this mansion said, you two bring the gift back and hand it to Mr. Yan Er." ”

After a few words, Governor Lin asked Zhang Muke to take Yan Jian and the others down for dinner, and said to Zeng Yu: "Zeng Sheng will accompany Mr. Xu at noon, by the way, Mr. Xu was your house last night to rest, you two hit it off at first sight." ”

Zeng Yu said: "Fuzun said that the student and Mr. Xu are indeed at first sight, talking about books and paintings last night, and I don't know the whiteness of the East." ”

Lin Zhifu said: "You love calligraphy and painting, erudition is a good thing, but at the moment you still have to study, as soon as the year passes, spring to autumn is the period of the township test, if you can be lifted, then you can meet the source, even if you do not enter the jinshi, it doesn't matter, you can also choose officials, there is a strict squire to appreciate you, there will always be a day when you get ahead." ”

Zeng Yuwei said yes, thinking in his heart: "Why hasn't Xia Chaofeng come to shout injustice." ”

Just thinking about this, a servant came in and reported that someone knelt in front of the yamen to complain that there was a major grievance, and if the eldest lord did not go up to the court to inquire about the case, that person would beat the drum of grievances and present a complaint.

Governor Lin glanced at the complaint twice, and said angrily: "It turns out to be Xia Guiyu's father, does this Diao people want to make trouble unreasonably!" ”

Zeng Yu asked: "Fuzun, who is crooked, this is almost the New Year?" This complaint was not written by him on behalf of Xia Rongpi, but at his behest.

Governor Lin said: "It's the **** death case, and there was a lot of uproar in the previous time." ”

Zeng Yu said suddenly: "It turned out to be that case, and the student also heard about it, the criminal's father, Xia Rongpi, was a fellow villager with the student, and the student took his boat from Yongfeng to Fucheng last time. ”

Governor Lin glanced at Zeng Yu, but Zeng Yu didn't mean to intercede with his fellow countrymen, and Governor Lin said: "This Xia Yupi said that his son was wronged, and if this government does not avenge his son, he will go to the provincial capital to report to the judge." ”

Zeng Yu said: "This is also a strange case, it stands to reason that Xia Guiyu hooked up and raped the fan pendant that was privately given by the woman, and it should not be swaggered in the neighborhood or even in front of Zhao Jiaweng, Fuzun might as well retry it." ”

Governor Lin pondered for a moment, and instructed the official who handed over the paper: "Tell that Xia Yupi that this mansion will not be promoted to the court to ask about the case from time to time, and you must not stay in front of the yamen to harass before this, otherwise you will be punished with twenty bamboo feathers." He also said: "Zhao Yuwu's father and son are also confronted with the neighbors." ”

……

There were not many guests at the luncheon in the house, except for a few subordinates of the Lin Governor's Mansion, Xu Wei and Zeng Yu, Qi Jiguang went to Fenglingtou and did not come back until the evening.

Xu Wei said casually: "The students just saw someone shouting grievances outside the gate of the mansion, and they thought that the political voices of all the adults in Guangxin Mansion are famous in Zhejiang, but who is crying out grievances in the cold winter?" ”

As soon as these words came out, all the bureaucrats on the table couldn't help but be a little embarrassed, they all knew that Xu Wei had a strange temperament and was not very easy to get along with, but the people of the ministry appreciated him, if he returned to Hangzhou and said such a few words in front of Hu Butang, although it didn't matter, but if Hu Butang had a bad impression of the officials of Guangxin Mansion, it would not be good-

Zeng Yu explained to Xu Wei the origin of this wrongdoer, and Xu Wei said: "I see, this case is bizarre, I don't know if Lord Fuzun is willing to let students observe the trial?" ”

Xu Wei opened his mouth, of course Governor Lin had to agree, drank a cup of tea after the luncheon, it was almost the first moment, sat down in the lobby of Nanya, passed the sign, and after a while, Soap Li came to the hall with a group of people, Xia Rongpi was on the left, Zhao's father and son were on the right, and those neighbors were in the center, all kneeling to listen to the interrogation.

Zeng Yu and Xu Wei sat on the side and watched, Zeng Yu saw that Zhao Yuwu's son Zhao Xu was really born with a different appearance, and the nineteen-year-old man was still a child, this is a dwarf, and it looks stupid and stupid, can such a person marry a wife? Can it be humane?

After a while, Xia Guiyu, who was imprisoned, also limped to the church, and when he saw his father Xia Zhenpi, Xia Guiyu cried bitterly, saying that he was not filial to drag down his father, let his ancestors be ashamed, and he was innocent of death, but today he was beaten to death in the court, and he would never admit to adultery with He, and the Canaan incense fan pendant was not given to him by He, and he didn't know where it came from, but he picked it up on the desk in the house-

Governor Lin's face was very ugly, and he shouted: "Picked? How can you pick up such a precious fan pendant? "I want to wait for the torture to be used again, but because Xu Wei is here, I have to be careful with the torture tools, otherwise I will look incompetent." I see, this case is bizarre, I wonder if Lord Fuzun is willing to let students observe the trial? ”

Xu Wei opened his mouth, of course Governor Lin had to agree, drank a cup of tea after the luncheon, it was almost the first moment, sat down in the lobby of Nanya, passed the sign, and after a while, Soap Li came to the hall with a group of people, Xia Rongpi was on the left, Zhao's father and son were on the right, and those neighbors were in the center, all kneeling to listen to the interrogation.

Zeng Yu and Xu Wei sat on the side and watched, Zeng Yu saw that Zhao Yuwu's son Zhao Xu was really born with a different appearance, and the nineteen-year-old man was still a child, this is a dwarf, and it looks stupid and stupid, can such a person marry a wife? Can it be humane?

After a while, Xia Guiyu, who was imprisoned, also limped to the church, and when he saw his father Xia Zhenpi, Xia Guiyu cried bitterly, saying that he was not filial to drag down his father, let his ancestors be ashamed, and he was innocent of death, but today he was beaten to death in the court, and he would never admit to adultery with He, and the Canaan incense fan pendant was not given to him by He, and he didn't know where it came from, but he picked it up on the desk in the house-

Governor Lin's face was very ugly, and he shouted: "Picked? How can you pick up such a precious fan pendant? "I want to be tortured again, but because Xu Wei is here, I have to use the torture tools carefully, otherwise I will be incompetent.