After breakfast the next day, Yan Shaoqing's mother Cao sent someone to invite Zeng Yu to go to the Peony Garden where she lived to discuss something.

Zeng Yu followed the two servants and maidservants sent by the Cao family to the outside of the Peony Garden, and Yan Shaoqing greeted him first and said, "Mr. Zeng, my mother just wanted to ask about that." ”

Zeng Yu nodded and said, "You should explain it to Ling Tang." ”

Mrs. Cao was already waiting for Zeng Yu in the small hall of the second door, talking to Zeng Yu through the curtain, first thanking Zeng Yu for his attentive teaching to Shaoqing these days, and Shaoqing's knowledge has obviously grown a lot......

After saying a kind word, he turned to the topic, and Cao asked: "The concubine heard that Mr. Zeng advised Shaoqing not to enter the position of a scholar in Jingyin for the time being, I don't know what Mr. Zeng's considerations were?" "Ming Dynasty officials pay attention to qualifications, one day earlier for the official on one more day of accumulation of qualifications, although the scholar is a small official of the seventh grade, but serving in the cabinet, Shaoqing's grandfather is still the first assistant of the cabinet, it is reasonable to carry it, if two years later, less than two years of seniority, not to mention, Shaoqing's grandfather is over eighty years old, who knows whether he can continue to be the first assistant of the cabinet after two years?

Zeng Yu was well aware of Cao's thoughts, and said: "The filial piety of Shaoqing's grandmother Old Lady Ouyang has not yet expired, and it may not be appropriate to enter Beijing this year. ”

Cao said: "By the end of this year, the period of filial piety will expire, and it will be good to join the cabinet next year." ”

Zeng Yu didn't want to say some things too clearly, but in the face of Cao's question, he had to explain, and said: "Madame doesn't know, it was rumored outside that Yan Shilang had been impeached by the official because he entered Beijing before his filial piety, so he persuaded Shaoqing Gongzi not to enter Beijing for the time being." ”

Influenced by Yan Shifan's arrogance and conceit, Cao did not take the impeachment of the official seriously, and said: "The big officials returned to Beijing last year because Shaoqing's grandfather was old, and the emperor allowed the big officials of my family to return to Beijing to fulfill their filial piety. ”

Zeng Yu said: "But the officials will make a big fuss about this filial piety, and the capital will definitely be uneasy, Mrs. can write to ask Yan Ge Lao and Yan Shilang first, do you want Shaoqing Gongzi to enter Beijing this year?" He also said: "Late life and Shaoqing Gongzi are like brothers, how can I not hope that Shaoqing Gongzi will become an official and be promoted as soon as possible, but the current situation is quite complicated, and Shaoqing Gongzi is afraid of causing trouble when he enters Beijing at this time, so he thinks that it is better to wait and see." ”

Yan Shaoqing on the side said: "Mother, Mr. Zeng is from the bottom of his heart, and he really thinks about my future, and the child has promised Mr. Zeng not to go to Beijing for the time being." ”

The Cao family is in a hurry to return to Beijing to get together with her big official Yan Shifan, and can't fall behind Yan Shaoting's mother, Liu, before the Qingming Dynasty, the big official sent a letter saying that the cabinet deputy Xu Jie intends to marry his granddaughter to their Yan family, I don't know whether it is Xu to Shaoqing or Xu to Shaoting, so Cao's is anxious, if Shaoqing can marry Xu Jie's granddaughter as a wife, and in the future, there is such a powerful relative family as the Songjiang Xu family as support, Shaoqing will not always be pressed by Yan Shaoting, she can also raise her eyebrows as a mother, she feels that this Zeng Yu is quite scheming, Teaching Shaoqing is indeed very attentive, so he did not hide this thought to Zeng Yu.

Zeng Yu shook his head secretly, and said in his heart: "Xu Jie's old treacherous and slippery, the depth of the city is really rare, last year's marriage with Yingzi failed, and this year he wants to marry his granddaughter to Yan Song's grandson, Xu Jie's stammering is clearly deliberately paralyzing Yan Song and Yan Shifan, isn't the mastermind of Yan Jie!" Asked: "Did Yan Shilang's family letter ever summon Shaoqing Gongzi to Beijing?" ”

Cao said: "That's not true, after all, it's still in filial piety." ”

Zeng Yu said: "That's it, even if Prince Shaoqing wants to enter Beijing, he must first consult Yan Ge Lao and Yan Shilang's opinions, wouldn't it be bad to rush into Beijing at the right time for his anger." ”

Cao nodded and said: "Mr. Zeng is right, then according to what Mr. Zeng said, let Shao Qing write a letter to Beijing first, and ask when it is suitable to enter Beijing, is this good?" "I thought that the big officials must have hoped that Shaoqing would enter Beijing as soon as possible.

Zeng Yu said: "This is the best. After a few words, he resigned.

Yan Shaoqing walked silently behind Zeng Yu for a while, and when he saw that there was no one else left and right, he said loudly: "Mr. Zeng thinks that I will suffer bad luck for the Yan family, right?" ”

Zeng Yu didn't want this young man to worry early, and said with relief: "Young Master Shaoqing is serious, I just said that the political dispute between the DPRK and China is thorny, and I don't want you to step into it early. ”

Yan Shaoqing nodded and said, "Mr. Zeng, I promise you that I will be clean and self-conscious as an official in the future." ”

It's rare to hear such words, maybe the original intention of many people who are about to enter the official career is like this, but officialdom is a big dye vat, as the white-robed guest said, the abalone has been raging for a long time without smelling its smell, but Yan Shaoqing is afraid that there is no such opportunity, although Yan Shifan is arrogant, now facing the impeachment of the six branches and the imperial history of the Dao, I am afraid that he is also anxious, and he should not let his son enter Beijing at this time.

……

The day before the mid-July Festival, Cao took Yan Shaoqing back to the city's Youzhuju, the summer has disappeared, there is no need to stay in the deserted Xianghu Manor, Zeng Yu naturally returned to the city together, the candidate for the president of the Jiangxi Township test has been revealed, it is Tao Dalin, a Zhejiang native of Bingchenke, who was the leader of Bingchenke five years ago.

Zeng Yu was not so shocked by the well-informed information of the white-robed guest, let alone worried, Tao Dalin will be Tao Dalin, the township examination papers are all sealed and transcribed, it is not so easy for the president to bend the law, and the party of the white-robed guest should not make such a fuss and make a big deal to rectify him.

After half a July, Zeng Yu went to the "Chunfeng Building" on the edge of the East Hubei Playground to ask, and the shopkeeper said that he should be able to vacate eight rooms on the 20th, Zeng Yu wanted to move over as soon as possible, Yan Shaoqing tried his best to stay, saying that it would not be too late for Mr. Zeng's friends to move out when they arrived in Nanchang.

Since July 18, Zeng Yu hired a porter at Laozhou Wharf, every time there is a boat from the direction of Guangxin Mansion, this porter will come forward to ask if there is any Wu Xianggong and Zheng Xianggong who have come to Rao City to catch the exam, if they receive Wu Chunze and Zheng Shi and their party, the porter will rush to Gaosheng Lane to report to Zeng Yu -

Zeng Yu and the shopkeeper of the Chunfeng Lou Inn said that they would start moving in on the 20th, and by the 20th, the eight rooms had been vacated, but Wu Chunze and they had not yet arrived, Zeng Yu went to the Chunfeng Lou Inn again, and paid a deposit of one or two silver, and the room money was still calculated from the 20th, and it was expected that Wu Chunze and they would arrive in this or two days.

On the afternoon of July 22, the porter at the Laozhou wharf came sweating profusely and reported to Zeng Yu that Wu Xiucai from Guangxin Mansion had arrived, and Zeng Yu was overjoyed and rewarded the porter with 80 yuan, and asked the porter to go back to the wharf first and ask Wu Xiucai and them to wait, and he arrived later.

Yan Shaoqing heard Zeng Yu say that he wanted to move out, he was very reluctant, discussed it with his mother Cao, and took out fifty taels of silver as a gift, Zeng Yu exclaimed: "How can such a generous gift be consumed." "I insisted on refusing to accept it.

Yan Shaoqing said: "This is the student's apprenticeship gift, Mr. Zeng must accept it, Shaoqing has to meet a Master like Mr. Zeng, it is really fortunate, if Mr. does not accept this gift, the student will not let Mr. go out." ”

Zeng Yu shook his head and laughed, and Yan Shaoqing also laughed.

Zeng Yu said: "Then I will accept it, you and I will be teachers and students for a year, and we will be friends for life." ”

Sixi had already packed his luggage, leading a horse and a donkey to wait by the back door, Menzi and two Yan Mansion family members and a middle-aged scholar stood outside the door under the shade of a sycamore tree to talk, after a while, Yan Shaoqing sent Zeng Yu out, but saw that Menzi crossed his hands and said: "The eldest prince, this Tang supervisor has been here a few times, I just want to see the eldest prince, the eldest prince——"

The middle-aged scholar stepped forward, with a smile on his face, and was about to salute Yan Shaoqing, Yan Shaoqing said angrily: "Don't see you, let this person leave quickly, don't you see that I am sending Mr. Zeng." "Taught by Zeng Yu, Yan Shaoqing generally doesn't see these people.

Zeng Yu took the reins from Sixi's hand and said, "Young Master Shaoqing doesn't have to send it, I'm in a hurry to pick up my friends, I'll come over to take a look when I have time, you don't have to waste your daily homework." ”

Yan Shaoqing said respectfully: "Yes." ”

Zeng Yu stepped on the horse, raised his hand and said "goodbye", rode the horse, Sixi also turned over and rode on the donkey Heibao with his hands and feet, and followed the young master out of Gaosheng Lane.

The master and servant rushed to the Laozhou wharf, Zheng Shi and Wu Chunze had already gotten off the boat and drank tea in a tea pavilion near the wharf.

This time, with Wu Chunze and Zheng Shi to the provincial capital to go to the test, there were four students from Shangrao and two students from Guixi, all of whom were old acquaintances of Zeng Yu. ”

The young businessman was Yuan Sanli, the son of Yuan Zhong, and when he saw that Zeng Yu recognized him, he hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

Wu Chunze said: "Yuan Daguan came to the provincial capital to sell cloth, and he was on the same road with us, and the money for hiring the ship was paid by Yuan Daguan, and he was a lot of trouble along the way. ”

Yuan Sanli hurriedly said: "It is the honor of the villain to be in the same boat with all the ministers, there are ministers in charge, and there are no Jiang ruffians and unscrupulous soaps to harass along the way, but the villain has made money." ”

The crowd laughed.

Zeng Yu said: "I have planned the guest room, on the edge of the East Lake, lying on the bed, you can see the Gongyuan on the other side of the lake, let's go." ”

Yuan Sanli said: "Zeng Xianggong, all ministers, the villain will leave first, there is my shop in the city, and I will come to visit you another day." Asked Zeng Yu to live in the Chunfeng Lou Inn near the north playground, so he left.

Sixi went to hire a big car and loaded everyone's luggage, Zeng Yu said loudly: "It's about seven or eight miles to the Chunfeng Lou Inn here, do you walk or take a sedan chair?" ”

All the students said that they were walking, just taking this opportunity to familiarize themselves with the path of Nanchang City, and by the way, they watched the customs along the way, so a group of more than 20 people went towards Guangrunmen.

When approaching Guangrunmen, Wu Chunze asked Zeng Yu how many rooms he had booked, and when he wrote a letter, he only asked Zeng Yu to book six rooms, but now there are a total of nine students including Zeng Yu, and each of them still has one or two servants, and six rooms must not be able to live-

Zeng Yu said: "I booked eight rooms, each with two beds, if it is not enough to stay, the inn should still be vacant." ”

In the triennial township examination, thousands of candidates gathered in all directions, as well as their slave retinue, totaling no less than 10,000 people, the merchants of Nanchang were full of spirit and ready to make a lot of money, and the business of the liquor shop Qinglou was particularly prosperous, and even the cries of street vendors were extraordinary.

Zeng Yu and his entourage of nine students only two have participated in the township test before, the others are the first time, of course, it is particularly fresh and interesting, and walk and see and linger, one by one is full of interest, at dusk only came to the Chunfeng Lou Inn at the northwest end of East Lake, unexpectedly a basin of cold water poured down: the shopkeeper said that there is no vacancy, to return the deposit of two taels of silver to Zeng Yu.

Wu Chunze and these talents were also stunned for a while, they didn't know how Zeng Yu negotiated with this inn at the beginning, and why they regretted it when it came to the end, so they all looked at Zeng Yu.

Zeng Yu had a calm face, asked Sixi to find out the deed, and said to the shopkeeper: "I made a contract with you half a month ago, and I paid a deposit of one or two silver the day before yesterday, and the house money has been calculated since the 20th. ”

Zheng Shi and Wu Chunze heard Zeng Yu understand what he said, and they had the contract in hand, so they were all filled with righteous indignation and shouted loudly, and the young and strong servant crossed his arms and stared, making a gesture to beat the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper looked at such a group of angry Xiucai, of course, he was afraid, and said again and again: "Everyone, everyone, please listen to Xiao Lao'er's explanation, it's not that Xiao Lao'er breached the contract and didn't talk about honesty and gave the guest room to others to live, it's really that group of guests are bigger, Xiucai is a few people who don't say it, one of them is still a prison master, and he will soon enter Jingquan Xuanzhi County, yesterday I came to see that there was a vacant room in the store, so I forcibly moved in to live, where can Xiao Lao'er afford to offend." He said in a low voice: "Xiao Lao'er has a brother-in-law who also has a shop around here, and Xiao Lao'er can take a few ministers to live over there, not far, not far-"

Wu Chunze, Zheng Shi and others are almost angry, can a prison be so domineering, and they don't take their group of talents in their eyes, it is really unreasonable, clamoring for the prison to come out and reason.

In the midst of the commotion, several well-dressed young men walked out of the inn, and one of them, a tall and thin man, said in a vicious voice: "Whoever is making noise here and disturbing my brothers' thoughts and thoughts, what is the crime!" ”

Zeng Yu took a look, this person is familiar, isn't it the evil young Luo Shangxiang who met in Linchuan last year who wanted to buy his four paintings for four yuan, is this guy occupying the guest room, this is really a narrow road!

Zeng Yu walked up a few steps and shouted: "Young Master Luo, don't come to harm?" ”

Luo Shangxiang couldn't help but be a little surprised when he saw that someone in this group of Xiucai with an accent from Guangxin Mansion actually recognized him, and when he saw Zeng Yu's appearance clearly, the expression on his face changed from surprise to astonishment and then anger, and he blushed and shouted: "It's him!" It's almost like looking up to the sky and howling, singing a sentence "There is a way in heaven that you don't go, and there is no door in hell for you to come in." ”

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2014 has passed, 2015 is coming, Xiaodao is here to wish book friends good health and good luck in the new year.