On the second day of the township test list, the governor Yamen held a deer banquet, and the seven people of Weichen each wore official uniforms and took a carriage to the banquet together.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the street, and the seven people got out of the carriage, but they saw that in front of the governor's yamen, they had already put up lanterns, dressed in red and green, and there was a scene of celebration and grandeur.

Seeing Wei Chen and the others getting off the carriage, they walked straight towards the governor's yamen, and the officers and soldiers stepped forward and asked, "Do you have an invitation?" ”

Yuan An took out the invitation and handed it to the other party lightly, the officers and soldiers took it and glanced at it, and said with a smile: "It turned out to be Xinke Xie Yuanlang, disrespectful and disrespectful." ”

Then he took the initiative to lead the way, leading Wei Chen and a few people to the front of the Fuya gate, and after the handover at the door, there were officials inside to greet them and take them straight into the Fuya.

The Luming Banquet originated from the pre-Qin township drinking ceremony, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and then continued to the present dynasty, and has always been set up by the local magistrate on the day after the township examination to entertain the examiners, invigilators, and the new subject lifters.

Young deer chirp, eating apples of the wild.

It is said that when the deer discovers the delicacy, do not forget to greet the companions, the ancients took this as a virtue, so they opened the deer feast, and took the meaning of the same year.

At this time, the Luming Banquet had not yet begun, but most of the new imperial examination people had already arrived.

In the governor's yamen, elegant music was playing, the red candles hung high were as thick as a baby's arm, the seats were wrapped in red silk, and the aroma of fine wine and wine came from afar.

Some of the people in the new imperial examination talked about it in the hall and the same year, and some went to the back to meet the teacher, and everyone had a happy smile on their faces.

However, as soon as the seven of Wei Chen came in, the room was instantly silent, and both the examiners and the new imperial examination people all turned their eyes over.

There is no way, the seven sons of Jiangning, seven people in the same department, and there is also a Jingkui and a Xie Yuan, it is really difficult to keep a low profile.

It is said that many scholars have heard of the name of "Jingxi Society" and are wondering how to join it!

In order to avoid becoming the focus of the audience, the seven people had to separate, according to what was written in the inscription, find their respective house masters, thank them for their recommendation, and perform the gift of master and apprentice.

Wei Chen found his room master and went to visit Walrus Qian, both of them were very happy, and said some words of encouragement to Wei Chen.

Finally, Wang Wenqing.

In the past, because of various scruples, Wei Chen and Wang Wenqing had the fact of master and apprentice, but they did not have the name of master and apprentice.

Now that Wei Chen learned about Yuan in the township test presided over by Wang Wenqing, Wang Wenqing naturally became Wei Chen's teacher.

This time they met, and the two officially decided on the status of master and apprentice.

There was still time to leave the banquet, Wei Chen found a place to sit down, watching the musician gently ring the chime, tuning the piano and drums, and enjoying the beautiful scenery of the good day at this moment.

"Lord Futai has arrived!"

As the officers and soldiers shouted in unison, Yale paused, and everyone stopped talking and stood with their heads bowed.

In a solemn atmosphere, Liu Xun, the governor of Jiangnan, came slowly with official steps, walked directly to the main seat and sat down, Wang Wenqing and other examiners saluted Liu Xun, and they also sat down.

After the banquet, Governor Liu Xun got up first and delivered a speech: "This dynasty is customized, the meaning of perfunctory words, the gift of Binxing, and the ...... of Zhou Zhou."

Governor Liu quoted scriptures and classics, starting from the history of the imperial examination, until the holy virtue of the Son of Heaven, and then encouraged the people of the new imperial examination to make persistent efforts to fight for next year's spring examination, which made people sleepy.

It wasn't until the last sentence fell that everyone woke up from their stupor and smelled the aroma of delicious food.

The Luming banquet is of extremely high standard, the ingredients are extravagant and exquisite, the hot and cold dishes, plus the dessert soup are full of fifty-eight dishes, which is far from the banquet with little water that Weichen Tongzi participated in after the trial.

Looking at the roasted mutton, steamed crab, preserved venison, and all kinds of delicacies that have never been seen before, the people of the new imperial examination were slightly refreshed, and they only waited for Governor Liu's permission to open the table.

However, when the governor had finished speaking, the examiners had to continue.

The chief examiner, Wang Wenqing, stood up solemnly and persuaded the people of the new imperial examination to "work hard to lead the world"; The deputy chief examiner called them "to protect their name and inspect their merits";

This is not over, the six fellow examiners and the two supervisors also stood up, and one of them said a sentence or two.

If it weren't for the charcoal stove under the plate, the dishes on the table would have cooled down.

Finally got through until the examiners finished speaking, and in the midst of the eagerness of the people in the new imperial examination, Governor Liu finally waved his sleeves and said in a deep voice: "Banquet!" ”

After the feast, the bells and drums rang in front of the court, and the musicians played the tune of the deer song.

Xie Yuan Weichen got up and sang first: "Young deer chirp, eat wild apples." I have guests, drummers and shengs. Blowing the sheng drum yellow, the basket is the will. People are kind to me, show me to walk. ”

After Wei Chen finished singing, all the people responded one after another, and then the five classics entered and danced the dance of the stars. Sheng Changbai, as the leader of the Spring and Autumn Room, naturally has to sing and dance.

Imagine what it was like for Sheng Changbai to sing and dance at the banquet?

Four words, I can't bear to look at it directly.

Wei Chen, Chen Jun and the others didn't watch it for a long time, so they all covered their faces with their hands, buried their heads in eating, and relieved the depression in their hearts with delicious food.

There is a famous dish called "honey-stained squid (squid intestine)", it is said that it needs to be prepared 100 days in advance, it is very popular with people in the past, Wei Chen specially found it to taste, it was really sweet and delicious, the aftertaste was endless, and he ate a big bowl in one breath.

After three rounds of wine and the banquet was in full swing, Wang Wenqing looked at the talents gathered together, and said with a smile: "This official reads the scrolls of all life in the curtain, and sees many scrolls with talents and clear words. Not only can you stand out from the 3,000 scholars, presumably the poems are as splendid as the articles, but which genius can be the first to write poems that meet the occasion? ”

Hearing Wang Wenqing's words, everyone was not surprised, but they all took it for granted.

The Luming Banquet is a banquet for literati, eating and drinking are all incidental, the text singing and harmony is the main topic, and it is also customary for everyone to write a poem.

】

At that moment, everyone looked at Wei Chen, and according to the ranking of the middle lift, Xie Yuanlang should write a poem first.

Wei Chen thought for a moment and was about to get up, but Xu Shizheng, who was sitting in the second seat, was one step ahead of him and said: "If the student gets a song, he will come first to offer the ugly." ”

Although the order of the poems is conventional, it does not say that it must be who comes first, Xu Shizheng first thought about the poem and read it first, and it seems that he can't find anything wrong.

But no matter what, this is Wei Chen's face as Xie Yuan, and everyone present can see Xu Shizheng's provocation to Wei Chen.

I only heard Xu Shizheng read to himself: "I went from the field house to Jinglun and watched the edict of the dynasty." Talent is loyal and good, and it is not honorable to have food and clothing in life, and the current affairs of the country are worried. ”

After the poem was chanted, the hall was full of applause, and everyone praised: "This poem should be in line with the situation, and it has the air of wealth and nobility, Yayuanlang is really talented!" ”

Wang Wenqing also stroked his beard and smiled, obviously quite satisfied with Xu Shizheng's poem.

Xu Shizheng smiled, made a gesture, and after sitting down, he deliberately glanced in the direction of Wei Chen.

For a while, everyone looked at Wei Chen with a lively look.

"Ya Yuanlang is the first to take the lead, Zhuyu is in front, I don't know how Xie Yuanlang will respond?"

Only Sheng Changbai, Wang Yaochen and the others shook their heads, and continued to push the cup and change the lamp casually, without worrying about Wei Chen at all.

It's nothing more than anything else.

And Wei Chen's poetry?

This Xu Shizheng is really asking for his own hardships......