Entering from the back door is the back garden of Youzhu Ju, there are five or six acres of size, green bamboo, ink bamboo, Xiangfei bamboo, square bamboo, arrow bamboo, piano silk bamboo, there are many kinds, no less than 10,000 rods, it seems that all kinds of bamboo suitable for planting in the south of the Yangtze River are gathered here. Wang Huizhi of the Jin Dynasty said, "How can there be no such king for a day", and Su Dongpo said, "I would rather eat no meat than live without bamboo; No meat makes people thin, and no bamboo makes people vulgar; People are thin and fat, and the vulgar cannot be treated", the back garden of Youzhu Ju is full of all kinds of bamboo, the forest is Xiaoxiao, secluded and blue, which makes people's vulgar thoughts disappear, but those who tend to be inflammatory, come in from the back door of Gaosheng Lane, and walk through this Youzhu Garden to bribe Yan Song's father and son, vulgarity and elegance are so contradictory and unified.

Yan Shifan returned to his hometown to keep filial piety for his mother, his wives and concubines in addition to the sick and disgraced most of them followed the south, some lived in Nanchang Youzhuju and Xianghu Manor, some in Fenyi Jichang Garden, Yan Shaoting's mother Liu originally lived in this Youzhuju, Liu is the daughter of Liu Xun, Marquis of Anyuan, Yan Shifan was the main room of Yan Shifan's original marriage after Xiong's death, last year he went to Nanjing with his son Yan Shaoting, and may soon return to the capital, Liu and Yan Shaoting will not leave, and Cao will not take Yan Shaoqing here.

In this way, Zeng Yu lived in "Youzhuju", and the first thing he did after settling down was to write a letter to his mother in Shangrao to report his safety, and at the same time entrusted the express shop to bring away pearl powder, dried whitebait and other Nanchang native products, his mother because of embroidery pain, so that the eyes are often sore and painful, and taking pearl powder is good for the eyes——

The letter and the package were sent by the survey card of the Yan Mansion through Guò, which was regarded as taking advantage of the privileges of the gentry, and the family replied to the letter unless the relationship between the prefect of Guò Lin was also delivered, otherwise it was only piggybacked by the merchants, Zeng Yu wrote in the letter that if you want to reply to the letter, you can ask Wu Chunze, Wu Chunze knows how to send letters to and from the merchants who come to Nanchang through Guò, and there are many merchants who come to the provincial capital from Shangrao -

The days of the guest residence to do the west seat are idle and busy, every morning, Zeng Yu taught Yan Shaoqing to read the three legends of spring and autumn, Chinese, national policy, and then practice calligraphy, calligraphy is very important, must be practiced diligently, every morning Zeng Yu is practicing with Yan Shaoqing, in addition to the law stickers brought from the Shan Shan Hall, there are also many famous law books on the side of Youzhuju, Yan Shaoqing's calligraphy is just getting started, and the benefits are not deep, and Zeng Yu is immersed in it every day, he feels that his eyes are opened, the weather in his pen is improved, and the calligraphy and paintings collected by the Yan family are really like a treasure trove, In particular, he loves Mi Fu has a lot of real works, let him wander in it and forget to return, he entered the Yan Mansion to do the West Seat, of course, because of Yan Shifan's domineering invitation, Yan Fu's rich collection is a big reason for attracting him, of course, there is a peerless beauty Lu Miaoxiang -

In the afternoon, Zeng Yu taught Yan Shaoqing painting and Go, and at night was his free time, reading the Chinese style of the last subject of the township examination in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Nanzhili, which were prosperous in the imperial examinations, and then he prepared a topic to write an eight-strand essay, and his daily life was quite fulfilling.

In this Nanchang City, Zeng Yu did not make friends with relatives, so there was no communication, reading and painting every day, living in a simple place, from April 15 to Nanchang, until the end of May, he only went out twice, one was to see Huang Tixue did not meet, the other time was the Dragon Boat Festival with Yan Shaoqing to watch the dragon boat race, the rest of the time is closed to read, enjoy bamboo, painting, hope to be safe until the August Township test, but how can the world be as Zeng Yu intended, Gaosheng Lane, Youzhuju is such a good place to stay?

The summer season in Nanchang is very hot, after the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is hot like a day, in late May, Yan Shaoqing mentions yì go to the Xianghu Manor in the south of the city to escape the summer, and then return to the city after the beginning of autumn, Zeng Yule is clean, although the city is a friend of the bamboo residence is a high gate deep courtyard, and Yan Song, Yan Shifan is not here, but there are still officials visiting every three or five times, some even send a powerful family to give gifts, can not see Yan Song, Yan Shifan, can talk with Yan Shifan's son Yan Shaoqing is also an honor, In order for Yan Shaoqing to return to Beijing in the future, he can say a few good words in front of his father and ancestors, anyway, these belongings are all extorted from the people's fat and people's ointment, and they are not distressed-

Yan Shaoqing is young, and he is not greatly affected by his father's arrogance and lasciviousness, and he is still willing to listen to teaching, and he has to be advised by Zeng Yu, and he will not see these people anymore, but the traitorous slaves and evil servants of the Yan Mansion often blackmail those officials, how can the fat sheep sent to the door be let go in vain, and they must knock on the bamboo bar before they are willing to let go, and these are what the young Yan Shaoqing can't see or restrain him, Zeng Yu also heard Sixi talk about it to know some roughly-

Yan's "Youzhuju" from the housekeeper to the door up and down colluded with wolves, it was a complete mess, not something that Zeng Yu could clean up, just when the catastrophe came, the big trees were uprooted and scattered, so I heard Yan Shaoqing say that he was going to go outside the city to escape the summer, Zeng Yu was also happy to go, there might be cleaner, in Yan's mansion, he didn't like to show his head the most-

Zeng Yu lived in Xianghu Manor for more than a month, and in addition to reading and painting every day, there was one more swimming, Yan Shaoqing naturally had to participate, and felt that the days with Mr. Zeng were the fastest time in his life, and the friendship between teachers and students became more and more deep.

In fact, putting aside those Yan's Diao slaves, Zeng Yu has lived a very pleasant and fulfilling life in Youzhuju and Xianghu Manor in the past few months, mainly because there are a large number of good books and famous calligraphy and paintings to read and figure out, and the bamboo of Youzhuju and the clear water of Xianghu Manor are all intoxicating and intoxicating.

The days passed quickly, the beginning of autumn passed, it was the beginning of July in a blink of an eye, Zeng Yu had not received a reply from home, his heart was inevitably worried, he thought about it for a long time, thought about it for a long time, thought about walking around the city, and was told that Huang Tixue was told that Huang Tixue would not be able to come back until June when he went back to Jiujiang Mansion and Raozhou Mansion, and it was already the beginning of July, and it was expected that Huang Tixue had returned to the Yamen of the School Department, so on the morning of the fifth day of the seventh month, Zeng Yu carried the gift of seeing and entered the city with four joys to meet Huang Xuezheng.

Yan Shaoqing sent it to the gate of the manor and asked Zeng Yudao, "Mr. Zeng, when will you come back?" ”

Zeng Yu thought that Huang Tixue might keep him for lunch in the school office, even if he didn't keep food, he also wanted to try something new in the city restaurant, so he said, "Come back before sunset." ”

Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology Yamen in the right side of the judge, not far from the East Lake, from the "Friends of Zhuju" in fact, only more than two miles of road, and from the Xianghu Manor outside the city to learn the Yamen of the Tao has more than ten miles, Zeng Yu did not ride a horse, and the four happy two walked into the city, the sun did not go up the mountain in the morning, the weather is still quite cool, until the distance to see the Nanchang City of the high Jinxian Gate, the morning sun only shines from the right side of the body, the master and servant two foreheads sweat slightly, but the mood is very refreshing.

The master and servant did not enter the city from the Jinxian Gate, and went west to the Guangrun Gate, and entered the city from the Guangrun Gate to go directly to the Yamen of the School Administration.

Jiangxi Provincial Deputy Envoy Huang Guoqing ended the scientific examination in various prefectures and counties in Jiangxi in early June, and a total of 7,232 students were qualified to participate in the township examination, and this year's Jiangxi Provincial Quota is 95 people, and more than 7,000 candidates are vying for the fame of less than 100 people, and it is not an exaggeration to say that thousands of troops have crossed the single-plank bridge.

Seeing Zeng Yu, Huang Tixue was quite happy, since Yun was treated by Xue Tingxian, a famous doctor in Yuanzhou, his body was much healthier than last year, and the daily director was no longer dizzy, and asked Zeng Yu about his experience this year, and learned that Zeng Yu was still teaching Yan Shifan's eldest son, Huang Tixue frowned slightly and said: "Zeng Sheng, did you say in public that you would no longer go to Yanfu to be a teacher at the night banquet in Shangrao Lin's prefect's mansion last year!" ”

Zeng Yu said: "It was Yan Shifang, the student of Yuanzhou, who insisted on the student going, but the student was not affectionate, and Yan Shifan's eldest son was indeed a teachable son." At that moment, he told Huang Tixue about Yan Shaoqing's refusal to give gifts from officials.

Huang Tixue nodded and said: "Zeng Sheng himself has to be careful, recently Shilin Feng has been very unfavorable to the Yan family, you don't want to be implicated." ”

Zeng Yu was stunned, bowed down and said, "Yes, the student understands." ”

Huang Tixue asked Zeng Yu how he had prepared for the exam in the past six months, and asked Zeng Yu for his recent assignments, Zeng Yu said: "The students knew that the teacher was busy with official business, so they didn't dare to bring their assignments to disturb. ”

Huang Tixue said with a smile: "I'm afraid that the old man will be dizzy and can't read the text, you might as well do it, you have been in good spirits in the past few months - you go to my study to record two proud works, wait for me to read them, and use them casually in the school office for lunch." "Instructed his confidant Huang Lu to take Zeng Yu to the study of the house.

Zeng Yu wrote two eight-strand essays in Huang Tixue's study, one is a four-book sub-topic, and one is a five-book question, near noon, Huang Tixue walked in to read these two eight-strand essays, nodded approvingly: "Yajie is smooth, the recognition of reason is accurate, compared with last year, there is a lot of progress, and it is expected that this Kexiang will test the Chinese style." ”

After receiving Huang Tixue's praise, Zeng Yu was of course very happy, and after thanking Huang Tixue for his cultivation, he casually asked: "I don't know who is the president of my Jiangxi Daoxiang test?" ”

Huang Tixue said: "It has not yet been determined-", and changed his words: "The DPRK and China should have been determined a long time ago, but the official document has not yet arrived in Jiangxi, but the rumors have arrived first, saying that the two major scientific weightlifting places of Nanzhili and Jiangxi will be served by the champion and list of Bingchenke." ”

Bingchenke is the thirty-fifth year of Jiajing five years ago, Zeng Yu knows that the champion of that subject is the Zhu Dashou of Shanyin, Zhejiang, as for who the list is-

Huang Tixue thought that Zeng Yu didn't know everything, and said with a smile: "Bingchen Ke is the second great, Zeng Sheng doesn't know?" The champion is Zhu Dashou, the list is Tao Dalin, they are all from Zhejiang, that one subject Zhejiang overwhelmed Jiangxi, these two people are now one is the Hanlin Academy revision, the other is the editor, and the word forest official serves as the chief examiner of the township examination is the usual rule and style. ”

Zeng Yu didn't have much to hear of Tao Dalin, but Zhu Dashou knew something, Zhu Dashou and Xu Wei were friends, they were all ranked among the top ten sons of Yuezhong, and their reputation was far and wide, Xu Wei was trapped in the field house for decades and could not be sold, but Zhu Dashou was a young man, and he was only in his early thirties when he was the champion, well, wait until he went to the bookstore to find the Cheng Wen collection of Zhu and Tao, the imperial examination, six points of strength and four points of luck, if the text can be voted by the examiner, this is luck.

Had lunch in the school office, Zeng Yu said goodbye and went out, Sixi also had dinner with the servants in the yamen, and the gift box picked up from more than ten miles away was left in the school office, Sixi followed the young master shopping with empty hands and easily, and suddenly remembered something and said: "Young master, do you say that the reply from the grandmother at home has been sent to Youzhuju, and the lazy guys in Youzhuju are not necessarily willing to run errands to send the letter to Xianghu Manor on a hot day." ”

Zeng Yu nodded and said: "It makes sense, the Yan Mansion family is only enthusiastic about the officials who give gifts to the door, and I am really not in their eyes for a little show-let's go to Youzhuju to ask now." ”

The school department is adjacent to East Shuyuan Street in the east, and it is only less than a mile away from the front door of Youzhuju, but the front door of Youzhuju has been closed for many years, and you must go around to Gaosheng Lane to enter through the back door.

There is a White Horse Temple at the south end of the East Academy Temple Street, bypassing the White Horse Temple is Gaosheng Lane, there is a square in front of the White Horse Temple, there are many vendors who sell food, wine and fruits, Zeng Yu's master and servant are casually strolling, and they are about to buy two kinds of seasonal fresh fruits, when they suddenly heard someone shouting in a hoarse voice: "Sell calligraphy and paintings, avenge your father's grievances - sell calligraphy and paintings, avenge your father's grievances -"

Zeng Yuyou looked at it and saw a young scribe sitting on the front steps of the White Horse Temple, with a few large pieces of paper spread out beside him, the paper was pressed against the corners with small stones, the wind blew, and the paper on the ground was hunting.

Sixi was surprised: "Young master, young master, there is also a person here who sells calligraphy and paintings. ”

Sixi used the word "also", that is because Zeng Yu sold paintings in Linchuan County, Fuzhou in June last year, when Zeng Yu was most embarrassed and depressed, in order to sell paintings, there was also a big turmoil, and now, there is also a seller of paintings here.