Yuan's posture of not being afraid of anything made Chen Zizhuang feel a little weird.

The two are a young husband and wife, growing old together, having children, Chen Zizhuang even though he takes a concubine, but he has great respect for the Yuan family. Chen Huaiyu is the youngest son, because the first three sons have been cultivated into talents, but the upbringing is strict, the fourth son, the Yuan family is raised by his side and is arrogant a lot, on weekdays, she is extremely protective of the young son, what is wrong today, it seems that there is no fear.

The group went out of Chen's house, crossed two streets, and arrived at the mouth of an alley, there were vendors selling food at the mouth of the alley, and a vendor selling flat food saw Yuan's sedan chair and saluted again and again, and asked the maid next to Yuan's: "Three girls, do you want a copy today?" ”

"Ask for a serving of shrimp." Yuan Shi lifted the curtain and said.

"Yes, I'll send it to the young master in a while." The hawker replied.

A line of two sedan chairs into the alley, there is a secluded courtyard inside, here can no longer hear any sound, as soon as you enter the door, you see a lamp on one side of the room, there is a figure in it, one hand holding a book, one hand behind the back, pacing back and forth, but the mouth is reciting a passage in the "Book of Songs", the voice of Lang Lang, endlessly.

Chen Zizhuang immediately heard that this was the voice of his youngest son Chen Huaiyu, and hurriedly got off the sedan chair, he couldn't help but rub his eyes, looking completely unconvinced.

Chen Huaiyu is the most sequitable on weekdays, because his mother spoiled him, he stopped studying at the age of ten, before he went to Nagasaki, Chen Zizhuang no longer hoped for his scientific name, and let him take care of the family's business.

"Who's out there?" Chen Huaiyu, who was in the room, suddenly heard a voice outside and asked.

Yuan immediately replied: "It's me, your father has returned from Wuchang." ”

"Then let my father rest at home, and when I have finished my errand at the Ministry of Rites, my son will go back to see him. Mother don't always come, disturb my homework, just let people send some food every day. Chen Huaiyu didn't open the door either, and said with a slightly anxious arrangement.

Seeing Yuan's reply, Chen Huaiyu recited again.

"Master, do you want to go in and have a look?" Yuan asked.

Chen Zizhuang hesitated, and before he could make up his mind, Yuan handed the door bolt to Chen Zizhuang again: "If the master doesn't go in, how can he fight?" ”

"You ........" Chen Zizhuang flicked his sleeves and walked out of the courtyard, he was an official in the court, even if he beat his son, he couldn't beat him outside. He left immediately, but he didn't get into the sedan chair, and walked all the way, but he saw the vendor who came to deliver flat food with a tray to send things in, and he didn't say a word, and it was very quiet.

When they arrived at the mouth of the alley, the Yuan family chased him out, and Chen Zizhuang said to the housekeeper: "You send Mrs. back, sir, I will go around here." ”

Yuan Shi was not annoyed, took out a small money bag containing broken silver and copper coins from his arms, handed it to Chen Huairen, and then got into a sedan chair and left.

Chen Zizhuang saw that Yuan's sedan chair had gone away, sat in front of the stall that had delivered food to Chen Huaiyu just now, asked for two servings, and then asked, "I saw you delivering things to the people in the courtyard, who is he?" ”

"This little man doesn't know ......." The peddler said, but when he saw Chen Huairen take out a piece of broken silver, he picked it up and said with a smile: "It's a young man who is less than twenty years old, he rented this yard ten days ago, and studied here, and the sedan chair that left just now was the young man's mother, who came to see it every other day, and gave us some money for these stalls, saying that the young man can eat whatever he wants."

Breakfast, dinner and supper were all arranged. My flat food is a supper, which has just been delivered. ”

"Is he only reading in it? There are no outsiders coming. Chen Zizhuang asked.

The peddler shook his head: "Then I haven't seen it, he is endorsing books all day long, and it is strange to look at it, it stands to reason that reading should also be taught by a gentleman, he is not, he just recites it himself." ”

Chen Zizhuang also felt strange, but he didn't say anything, after the hawker left, he asked Chen Huairen; "Your brother has happened to this time, how to open up, he likes to read."

Chen Huairen thought about it carefully and hesitated for a while before saying, "I heard that he broke into Meixiang Mansion drunk that day and was smashed on the head by Zheng Sen with a scabbard, is it .......?" ”

"Nonsense, where does he Zheng Damu have such ability! If he had, he would have smashed his own head, why did he go to the Guozijian with his head in the first place. Chen Zizhuang said directly, he said: "Looking at Huaiyu reading, it doesn't look like it's fake, but when my father came back today, how could I see the group of gentlemen who wanted to see him at the door?" ”

Chen Huairen said: "Father, the reason why those people came is because they haven't seen the fourth brother for more than half a month. I told him that the person who beat him was Zheng Sen, the former Yanping Bo, who was working in the Beijing camp, and was Shoufu's henchman, and he was even more valued by the Son of Heaven.

He said that our Chen family would not avenge him, so he would find friends by himself and must clean up Zheng Sen.

Chong mother asked for twenty taels of silver, and if he didn't give it, he would hang himself, and his mother thought that twenty taels of silver could not be used to buy murder, kill, or hurt Yan Pingbo, so he gave it, who would have thought that he would go for seven or eight days without news, and when he came back, he would become like this.

If there is anything to enlighten him, it must have something to do with the trip out. But where he went, my son doesn't know, so why don't you ask your mother when you go back. ”

"Your mother will definitely not tell your father, anyway, when Huaiyu comes home in two days, I will ask him." Chen Zizhuang said.

Two days later, Chen Zizhuang had finished the affairs of the Ministry of Rites and saw his son in the afternoon.

Chen Zizhuang arranged to meet in the main hall, except for his wife and eldest son, the rest of them were all driven out, and Chen Huaiyu was different than before, much more honest, he bowed down and said: "I heard that my father is not feeling well because of the child's affairs, and the child is safe." ”

"You get up, even if you cough a few times, it's okay." Chen Zizhuang said lightly.

In the past two days, he also got another piece of news, he thought that his son's drunken night invasion of Meixiang Mansion would make Yanping Bo Zheng Sen and the Chen family suspicious, but he never thought that when he met in the court, Zheng Sen did not mention this matter, and his attitude was the same as always. And Chen Zizhuang unexpectedly heard a news, saying that someone had come forward to mediate, and the person who mediated turned out to be Lu Jiude, the eunuch with palm prints in the palace.

And openly and secretly, it seems to be related to the emperor. The emperor once wanted to summon Liu Rushi into the palace, and Chen Huaiyu broke into the Meixiang Building where Liu Ru lived, Chen Zizhuang couldn't help but wonder if there was any connection between this.

"The child acts recklessly, making the father worry, it is all the child's fault, the child will definitely study hard in the future, and the father will never worry again." Chen Huaiyu kowtowed again and again, and the distressed Yuan Shi hurriedly helped him up, and said: "Huaiyu, don't kowtow again, your father has forgiven you, I heard that you studied hard, and I was very happy, and I also gave incense to the ancestral tablet." ”

Chen Zizhuang coughed lightly, and said in his heart that his wife loved this little son too much, and he missed it cleanly.

He wanted to beat his son first, lest he not tell the truth, but now it seems that he can't beat him, so he asked: "Huaiyu, you are honest with your father, some time ago you asked your mother for money to travel, but you met someone, how did you come back to study." ”

"The child is afraid to say it, and the father is annoyed." Chen Huaiyu said.

Chen Zizhuang said: "You are dedicated to studying, where will you be annoyed by your father." If someone enlightens you and advises you to learn, you still have to thank others as a father. Just say it. ”

Yuan's also gave his youngest son courage: "Huaiyu, say boldly, you want to study and take the imperial examination, these days for my mother to see you study until late at night, this is the right way, no one can annoy you." ”

Chen Huaiyu said: "The child asked for money some time ago, took a boat to Songjiang Mansion, where he saw a school called Kodansha, and after entering, he found that there were more than 200 people studying and studying.

The child also wants to enter that school, but the entrance requires an exam, at least to memorize the four books and the five classics, the child returned to Nanjing, is to study seriously, thinking that he is familiar with memorization, and enters the Kodansha to study. ”

"You don't want to be a father, over the years, you have spent money to hire a famous teacher to teach you to read, but you are unwilling, and you are willing to enter the free school?" Chen Zizhuang was not stupid, and immediately asked.

Chen Huaiyu looked at his side, and there was no one else, and said: "Actually, this Kodansha is run by Chen Shangchuan, the prefect of Songjiang, and has received funding from many businessmen, including Li Zhaoji of the Oriental Trading Company. ”

"What, Lee Siu-kee funded the school?" Chen Zizhuang's expression was solemn when he arrived, but he quickly adjusted again, he still had to inform Shen Youlong about this kind of thing.

Chen Huairen interjected on the side and said, "Fourth brother, the Kodansha you are talking about is the one that has not yet built a school, and is already recruiting students, and everyone is studying in a temple, right?" ”

"You've heard of it too?" Chen Zizhuang saw his youngest son nodding and immediately asked Chen Huairen.

"Yes, my son was in Nanjing with local scholars, and I heard that there was a school in Songjiang that provided free accommodations and books, and if the scholars were poor, they could go there to study. I also heard that several teachers of Shiwen in Jiangnan were also invited to give lectures.

Most of these teachers worked as husbands in the homes of scholars, and Kodansha promised to give them double their salaries. Chen Huairen said carefully.

But soon, Chen Huairen looked at Chen Huaiyu with a look of disbelief and said, "Fourth brother, how could you be willing to enter that kind of place?" ”

"What's going on there?" Chen Zizhuang asked.

Chen Huairen immediately said: "My son heard that the rules of Kodansha are very strict, and all students are not allowed to bring any female dependents and servants with them when they go in, and they can communicate with the outside once every five days. Food and lodging must be in the temple, and later in the school.

There is only one day off per month, and you can come out, and you can't go in and out the rest of the time. Even the clothes and quilts were given by Kodansha.

My son also heard that the students get up before dawn in the morning, wash up before eating, and then read books at dawn and wait for the teacher to attend class. I only have a one-hour break at noon, and then study again in the afternoon until it gets dark. I also have to do my own laundry, and there is no one to serve me.

The fourth brother has always lived a good life, where did he suffer those rules. ”

"Huaiyu, you tell your father honestly. What kind of ecstasy soup did Li Zhaoji pour you in, you are willing to study. Chen Zizhuang listened to the words of his eldest son, and became more and more disbelieving that his younger son was willing to go to Kodansha to be controlled and listen to those rules, and his living conditions were not as good as when he was imprisoned in Japan.

Chen Huaiyu looked at his mother, but the Yuan family asked him to say boldly, Chen Huaiyu said: "Li Zhaoji promised, as long as his son can pass the township examination and win the promotion, he will let his son govern one side and be a parent official, and he will not delay his son in the Jinshi examination. ”

"Listening to his nonsense, have you even forgotten the rules of the court? If you become a lifter and become an official, how can you be admitted to the Jinshi, even if you are successful, how can he ensure that you are the champion!

You don't know how to learn, and you don't know if you've been deceived by him. Chen Zizhuang said.

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