Sun Jiagan was full of reason, but he touched a hard nail in front of Yongzheng, and walked out of the heart cultivation hall, only to be dizzy and weak, and his steps seemed to be filled with lead, and he staggered out of Yongxiang. The eunuchs are the fastest to report to God, I heard that a six-grade chief monk is in discord, and the kink fight is to the Longzong Gate, and the emperor personally disposes of it, which is a rare thing that has not been seen since the founding of the country, who doesn't want to look at this character? Anything is in the Heavenly Street[1]

Wander around. Seeing that Sun Jiagan was not wearing a supplementary uniform, the collar buckle was scattered, he took off a big hat and a winter melon with tears on his face, his mouth was crooked and his eyes were staggering out, the palace maids covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and smiled backwards, and the eunuchs pressed the male duck's throat and poked and poked, sometimes whispering, sometimes laughing.

Out of Yongxiang, there are more people watching the excitement, but this is a place with rules, people don't dare to gather, they just stand far away and sweep their eyes to him, like looking at a monster. Sun Jiagan stood still, his face was so pale that there was no trace of blood, and a thought suddenly came to his heart: With today's humiliation, you can't live in the world! It's right here, it's a hundred! He glanced at the eight huge gilded copper jars in front of the Qianqing door, and walked over with his head held high after a little groaning.

"Brother Nian!" A young official was waiting in front of the Qianqing Gate to be met in the study, and when he saw Sun Jiagan approaching the golden jar, he knew that he was going to commit suicide, so he hurried over to meet him, and said with both hands, "Sun Mengzhu, don't come to harm?" Sun Jiagan's plague head and plague brain, after looking at it for a long time, he recognized that he was the best candidate in Beijing when he was named in the same year as Yang Ming. Because he saw Yang Mingshi wearing a nine-python five-clawed robe, wearing a peacock mending suit, the sapphire top was shining, and the snow-white horseshoe sleeves were turned up, neatly repaired and graceful, and it looked more and more elegant and elegant under the snowlight. Sun Jiagan's heart was really full of flavors, and he said in a trance: "Ah...... It's Songyun...... It's good to say goodbye when you see it today...... If you are willing to do something, I know it, and if you are not, I don't blame you...... Keken? I'm in the hall—"

Yang Mingshi didn't wait for him to finish, he dragged him and said in a low voice: "I know you as a person, and I also know your affairs, I am a feudal lord and in charge of Huguang's finances, I don't know if you are reasonable or not?" Although the emperor is mean, he is not stupid, can't you wait and see? This is not the place to talk, you wait for me at home next night, and we will have a long talk all night. You must not take your own life, look at this bastard, they want you to die! As he spoke, he saw more than a dozen eunuchs and subordinates, as well as Sun Jiagan's nemesis Ge Dahun hugging the eighth brother Lian Prince Yunxi, laughing and walking out of the Qianqing Gate, Yang Mingshi let go of his hand, greeted him with a smile and saluted Yun Xi's Qian'er, and said politely: "Minister Yang Mingshi greets the prince!" ”

"It's Songyun!" Yun Yu's face was full of smiles, and he casually glanced at Sun Jiagan, who was looking up at the sky, stepped forward a few steps, and when he helped Yang Mingshi with both hands, he said kindly, "When did you enter Beijing?" Seeing the emperor? Yang Mingshi bowed down and said unhurriedly: "The minister entered Beijing the day before yesterday, and the emperor was too busy to take time out. Yun Yu nodded with a smile and said, "I know, it's about Kaienke." Zhang Tingyu's brother Tinglu is the main exam, you are the deputy, you will know when you see the emperor - who is that? You talk so affectionately! ”

Yang Mingshi glanced back at Sun Jiagan, but before he could say hello, Sun Jiagan snorted and walked away with his face raised. He Zhu'er, the head of the eunuchs of the Eight Princes' Mansion, laughed and said: "Lord Wang, he is Sun Jiagan who is confused with Lord Ge, the sage has two or five eyes, and the most uninteresting, the slave originally thought that he was a Sun Xingzhi, who knew that he looked like a pig Bajie-" He said proudly, and he didn't expect Yun Yu to raise his hand and "snap", and rewarded him with a crisp slap!

"You bastard!" Yun Yu was furious when he boarded, "Soldiers can be killed but not humiliated, do you understand?!" Sun Jiagan is an official of the imperial court, and right and wrong have their own court judges, and it is your turn to make irresponsible remarks? He Zhu'er was full of thoughts to please Yun Xi and Ge Dahun, but he was slapped in the face, and his face was suddenly as frightened as earth, and he shrank a few steps back and didn't dare to say anything. Yun Yu turned his face and said with a smile: "The villain's heart is really stupid, if you want to be angry for them, you can't be born angry every day - Song Yun, the Tao is lacking, the capital is a Gui Mizhu, you are as clear as a puddle of water, what do you want, go to my house." ”

Yang Mingshi smiled faintly, bowed down and raised his head again, and said without being soft or hard: "Lord Wang, don't dare to forget the imperial court's merits!" He raised his face to look at Yun Xi's smiling face, without the slightest hint of cringe and shame, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, as if he was always smiling, and seemed to be sarcastic, Ge Dahun only at this time, did he see that this person was very tough, and he was a role that was even more difficult to dismiss than Sun Jiagan.

"Yes, civil and military officials are not allowed to befriend Elder Brother, this is the ancestral family law." Yun Yu looked at Yang Ming appreciatively, "But there are few who remember it now." This king has never yielded to the will of others, so be it! So saying, he went with the people. Ge Dahun said as he walked: "This person is very popular. Yun Yu had no expression on his face, and only said two words: "Guoshi".

After such a stir, Sun Jiagan's heart to seek death is gone, but his mood is still depressed. Leaving Xihuamen, he called a warm sedan chair, rushed back to the Yunguisi of the household department, sorted out the documents by himself, pressed the official seal of Yunguisi and the coinage mold to be submitted on it, took off the messy robe and put it on the back of the chair, and looked at the frozen earth outside the window in contemplation. When the subordinates saw the appearance of the hall official, they all stood with their hands down and sobbed, and no one spoke. After a while, Sun Jiagan smiled at himself and said: "You have all seen it, and you must have guessed it, my business is over, and the official affairs that should be explained are all put on the table, and Ma Bi Ti is temporarily in charge of it." Whoever will take the seal, you will hand it over to whomever you want, and if you don't understand, just go to my house and ask. ”

"Master Sun," Ma Bi Ti Shi had tears in his eyes, bowed down and said, "My lord...... My lord...... That's it...... Go? ”

"Hmm." Sun Jiagan said quietly, "Who told my father that my father didn't give birth to a Sun Jiagan who looked like a son? This place is the first fat shortage in the household, I am a breeze with two sleeves, a glass of water to go - treat you too strictly, mistake you to get rich, I feel very sorry not to go. Come, a glass of water is wine, and I will say goodbye to you! As he spoke, he poured a few glasses of water from the tea hanger, handed one to each person, and said, "At the moment, I only picked the top, not an official, and there is no other punishment." Tianwei is unpredictable, plus some villains hate me so much that my teeth itch, who would have predicted what would happen later? Ge Dahun is our 'big situ' again, and you can't offend him. Therefore, none of you should look at me. After that, he raised his head and sucked up the glass of water, because he saw that everyone had drunk it, Sun Jiagan threw the cup, and smashed it to pieces with a "dang" sound - he tied the crimson belt around his waist and strode out of the Hubu Yun Guisi, standing in the courtyard, and suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed: "The husband goes to the north of the book, brushes his sleeves in the south mountain, this is also a great joy in life!" After that, he didn't go back, and the northwest wind blew, blowing his gray cotton robe back and forth.

Sun Jiagan had no family in the capital, and only rented three private houses in a small alley on Gongyuan Street in the northwest corner of the imperial city. His silver is only eighty taels of silver a year, because he is a low-grade Beijing official, and the foreign officials do not have his share of the "ice and charcoal respect" silver that respects the Beijing officials, and he never issues a "seal knot" for the donor officials and fellow villagers, and he has no extra income, and he can't even afford to hire a servant, so he has to call a distant nephew in his hometown, a child who is only fourteen or fifteen years old, to be in the same room and take care of the tea and rice washing. Now that he has dismissed the official, there is no need to put on an "official body", and he also wants to save money, Sun Jiagan simply walked back to the next place. After stepping through the alley, I saw my nephew Sun Jingui waiting at the door, and when I saw him coming back, Sun Jingui called from afar: "Fifth uncle, there are guests to worship!" Sun Jiagan couldn't help but be stunned, who came at this time? As he walked briskly, he said, "Which brother is it?" ”

"It's not a 'benevolent brother', it's a 'virtuous brother'." Yang Mingshi smiled and picked up the curtain, let his hand go, and invited Sun Jiagan to come in, while saying: "I'm waiting for you to have a meal, and if you don't come back, I thought you had an accident in the household department again!" Sun Jiagan smiled reluctantly: "You also underestimate me, I refuse to let people because I have to be reasonable." If Ge Dahun didn't do it first, I didn't bother to mess with him - why did you come down so fast? Yang Mingshi smiled, very relaxed and active, sat in front of the charcoal brazier, and said: "This is all routine, how much do you have to say?" Long Keduo asked a few more questions about local matters, and then served tea to the guests. came out to see Zhang Hengchen (Zhang Tingyu), held his hand and said a few words, and he also asked where you live, it seems that the emperor is not really annoyed with you. ”

Sun Jiagan casually plucked the charcoal with fire chopsticks, and sneered: "You don't know that these prime ministers, Ming'er killed your head, and today he still holds your hand and asks for warmth - I don't admit his affection." What else is the news? Yang Mingshi also calmed down and smiled for a while: "I haven't heard anything else, I have a reason to see the emperor when Ming'er handed over the sign." Oh, do you know Tian Wenjing, who went to Shaanxi to deliver the message to Nian Qianyao? When Sun Jiagan looked up at Yang Ming, he said, "I had a one-sided relationship. He followed the Thirteenth Master in the household department to clean up the envoys of the officials' points of public funds. Jiang Chenying is an old celebrity, born in the champion, because he borrowed two taels of silver, the surname Tian insisted on writing him into the reference book, the most mean, a person who broke two pounds, what do you ask him to do? ”

"He sent a decree to return, and like you, he also made a big fuss in Taiyuan and Shanxi Governor Nuo Min." Yang Mingshi looked at Sun Jiagan and said with a smile: "Long live the decree, so that Tian does not have to return to Beijing for the time being, and he will go to wear the decree - you finally have a companion this time, not a single filament." Saying that, Sun Jingui put the lamp in his hand, and while placing the lampstand, he said, "Fifth uncle, do you want to get some wine?" ”

"What kind of rice?"

"The same old thing, white rice, pickled shredded radish."

Yang Mingshi laughed and said: "The monk of the empty phase invited Su Dongpo to eat '皛' rice, Su Dongpo happily went, it turned out to be white rice and white radish pickled with white salt, and it happened that I also ran into it." Poor sour, let's go, let's go out together, I'm in for a treat! Sun Jiagan also felt that it was too shabby to treat guests with this "white" meal, Yang Mingshi's rich family, although it was clear, but not poor, so he also got up with a smile and said: "There is still the second half, Su Dongpo invited the empty phase to eat the '毁' rice, and the empty phase rushed over, but there was no rice (hair), no vegetables (hair), and no wine (hair). You can't do this with me! ”

The two followed each other, and it was already a unitary card. The winter days are short, the sky has completely darkened, and the street of Waigongyuan at the mouth of the alley is full of snacks from east to west, such as wontons, dumplings, siu mai oil cakes, fried buns, pot helmets...... A sheep's horn lamp "dead wind" is spread all over the two rows along the street, and it is half a mile long and winding. The streets are bustling with people, the steaming food stalls are filled with oil smoke and white mist, exuding the enticing smell of green onion and ginger, and the hawkers are shouting loudly one by one, and the customers are bargaining, which is noisy. Yang Mingshi said with a smile: "Last time I came during the day, it was very deserted, but I didn't expect this to be a night market, it was so lively!" Sun Jiagan seemed to be still preoccupied, frowned and said, "This is not for you?" Enke is about to open, the shops here have long been full of filial piety from other provinces - the picture is close to the Gongyuan - Brother Songyun, I forgot to ask you, is Tian Wenjing dismissed from his post and waiting for investigation, or is he staying in Shanxi to listen to the ministry? Yang Mingshi stood on his feet and asked in surprise: "What does this concern you for?" I heard that the emperor sent a person named Tu to Taiyuan, and together with Nuo Min, he checked that the inventory was complete, and then punished Tian Wenjing. ”

"It's not that I'm 'sympathetic' with Tian Wenjing, this person has a philistine, and I have never associated with him." Sun Jiagan muttered, "But Tian Wenjing also has a strength, he is very scheming, he is very serious, and he can't be erased...... I thought, how could he, a small fourth-rank Beijing official, dare to provoke such a hot feudal official as Nuo Min for no reason? Nomin is no idle person! Yang Mingshi was stunned for a moment and didn't squeak, of course he knew very well what kind of person Nuo Min was. When he was the prefect of Anqing Mansion, Nuo Min was ordered to go to Jinling, and once received Nuo Min, who was passing by, a very easy-going person, somehow went to Shanxi, got off the car for half a year, and actually cleared the 2.3 million taels of silver owed by Shanxi officials to the treasury in one fell swoop; Moreover, the former officials and the current officials are dealt with separately, which does not spare the corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and does not affect the current innocent officials - this shrewd and strong work, this vigorous and resolute action is really eye-popping. But Sun Jiagan asked what this is for? After thinking for a while, Yang Mingshi smiled and said: "I understand your thoughts, Ming'er will act on my camera when I see the emperor!" You may not be able to tear up your own affairs now, national affairs, and let them go - what's the hurry? The emperor is clear, and sooner or later it will come to light; The emperor is not clear, and it is useless to say it. You are really in the rivers and lakes, and your heart is hanging! Sun Jiagan also laughed when he said this, "No, I'm also confused, thinking that I am still in the household department, we are talking about politics, it's really a joke." Let's go, let's eat! ”

The two of them puffed up their heads, rubbed the crowd and walked forward half a stone, and saw a wine shop standing high in the north of the street, with a row of six facades on the green steps of Zhu Ying, and the top was a mountain-style roof, and the wooden corridor out of the eaves was facing the street, hanging four red gauze watermelon lanterns, and four words were written on the black plaque:

Chamberlain does not return

"Liu Ling is going to die of drunkenness here." Yang Mingshi said with a smile, "This boss is so angry, but this word is very good, as if I have seen it somewhere." Sun Jiagan said: "This was only opened last year, the poor Beijing officials are powerless, I have never been here, I only heard that the boss is also surnamed Liu, called Liu Shulun, but it is difficult for him to think about this name." Now with you, I'm going to feast. The two of them said one end and climbed the stairs one by one, and the runners inside had already come out, flicked the towel on their shoulders with one hand, lifted the curtain with the other, and shouted loudly like singing: "Come two, please - want a seat?" ”

When Yang Mingshi looked, there were dozens of people sitting downstairs, groups of three or five, all dressed up, some were shouting five and six thumbs fighting, some were drunk and looked up at the sky, some shook their heads and chanted poems and lyrics, and some were drunk, forcing others to listen to their eight current arts, and they were noisy. Looking at the private seat downstairs separated by a gauze screen, Yang Mingshi said: "I want to be quiet, is there a good place upstairs?" When the guy glanced at Yang Ming, he saw that he was wearing a sauce-colored lake silk gray squirrel cotton robe, with a rose purple lynx monkey wind hair on it, and a new six-in-one felt hat with a crimson velvet knot. Sun Jiagan is not good-looking, but he is also clean and neat, and he hesitated for a moment, and said with a smile: "Yetai is the first time to come back, right?" Go up and take a look, you know, the newly installed red pine wood private room, large glass partition, all over Beijing, our Bolun Building is the first one! Yang Mingshi nodded and smiled and Sun Jiagan climbed the stairs upstairs, and saw that there were six elegant seats in the north, all of which were clam painted and fresh, but the south side was opened, and it seemed that it was specially used for the banquet hall, the tung oil floor was wiped clean and the fiber was not clean, and there was a large file in the southwest corner, with pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and next to the water card on the wall for inscription poems, there was a gilded self-striking bell that was extremely rare among the people at that time. Yang Mingshi saw that the seat in the west was empty, and pushed open the glass gate to enter, and said with a smile: "It's very good here!" ”

"How dare you be a little one!" The runner came in and wiped the table and chairs and said with a smile: "Since this place is in the master's eye, there will be a few more small ones to reward when you go back!" - May I ask you, what kind of food and drink? ”

"The dish is casual, two meat and two vegetarian." Yang Mingshi sat down comfortably, and threw a big oily and slippery braid behind the chair, "I don't know what wine you have?" ”

"If you go back to your master, what kind of wine do you want!"

Yang Mingshi saw him bragging so much, and it was difficult for him to become a heart, so he took out five taels of silver and put it on the table, and said, "I want to be Yuquan Luchun!" "Yuquan Luchun is brewed with Jingxi Yuquan water, because Yuquan water is exclusively for Ouchi use, so it is extremely rare for the folk to use to make wine, but as soon as the words were spoken, the guy replied: "Yes!" I don't know how heavy my taste is? Do you want a single evil, a double evil, or a triple or four evil? Sun Jiagan was also surprised, he set up a feast for the big interior in the household department, accompanied the banquet with the department, and only tasted the four evil jade spring dew springs. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, Yang Mingshi smiled and said: "Although Yuquan wine is good, it has only been brewed in the past few years, it is too violent, is there any aged Moutai that has been tributed?" ”

"Yes." The man hesitated for a moment, and said, "Don't tell you that the wine for the tribute is from the old man[2]

We got it there. The goods are really authentic goods, only you are old Mingjian, and the stolen gongs and drums can't be beaten. I don't spread it, it's just that I am sympathetic to the small forage. Yang Mingshi was surprised, and he didn't know where the boss came from, so he glanced at Sun Jiagan and said, "This is natural." Let's hit a pound and a half! ”

The runner retreated, and on this occasion Yang Mingshi and Sun Jiagan were inconvenient to speak, and they sat in the private room in a daze, and seven or eight people on the wall of the partition room were using wine to raise orders, and the two of them gradually listened.

"It's your turn to smoke," said one person, "Saint Kong bless you in the spirit of heaven, smoke a good one, and each of you will be fined a cup!" As he spoke, he heard the casting of lots, and the man drew the lots, and read:

I asked you quietly, and you whispered.

"One glass to each of the whisperers!" The man shouted: "The two benevolent brothers of Shen Qiyuan and Tang Jizu have exchanged heads and ears, and everyone has seen it." Marvilen, dude pour it for them! ”

Then I heard the sound of pouring wine, about Ma Weilun, and said while pouring wine: "Fill it for you!" A voice said: "My step-ancestor and I are the most shallow, don't fall!" You see, it's all sprinkled! Tang Jizu smiled: "If there is one, there must be a report, I'll draw one!" As he spoke, he lifted the lot and read aloud:

The shadow does not seem to be leaving—the companion comes to drink!

There was an uproar at once, and the sound of pouring wine, sipping, and laughing was incessant, and it turned out that these people had come at the same time, so everyone drank a large cup. Sun Jiagan saw that the food and wine came up, but it was a plate of cold jellyfish, a plate of green celery and stone flowers, and two meat dishes were palace fried deer belly and yellow stewed spicy chicken, so he ordered the dish with a chopstick: "It's just the two of us, and we can't be lively, so we have to enjoy the mouth." Yang Mingshi smiled and said: "The line next door is indeed Yaling, and it is a collection of sentences from "West Chamber" - we drink wine and listen to the order, are we happy?" After that, he raised his glass and took a drink, and said: "Sure enough, it is the old Moutai of the old tribute!" This shop is really unambiguous! As he was talking, there was laughter next door, and it turned out that someone drew a lot to "scare the courage first - those who are afraid of the inside drink", a group of people have defended their own families, how to learn Taoism, how not to be afraid of their wives, noisy for a long time, and the public pushed a strong irrigation called Yu Dian. Yu Dian was not good at drinking, so he smoked a stick with the smell of wine, and read with his tongue in a knot:

Speak flatteringly to others, and tears and sorrows behind your back.

"——I'm afraid that people will say that they are afraid of the inside! Good! It's really good to sign - just now you all confessed that you are not afraid of your wife, please enter the urn! ”

Then they laughed again and drank from each other. But I heard an oily and smooth voice: "Feng Xiao elephant board, Jin Se Luansheng - those who are good at silk and bamboo drink...... Unlucky! I only heard the sound of "bang", the man put the wine chip aside, and then heard the chaotic sound of the tables and chairs, and several people came over and said: "When it comes to poetry and music, who can compare to you Liu Molin?" Drink! Don't look at him in disguise, and drink in his ears! ”

"Come on, I really can't do it, all the virtuous brothers spare their lives!" Liu Molin begged for mercy: "I'll tell you a joke to relieve everyone's hangover?" And the people probably knew that he was shallow, and they stopped. Sun Jiagan and Yang Mingshi drank wine, and listened to Liu Molin: "I am a middle-aged person, and the master of the house is Lord Li Wei, the political envoy of Zhejiang. I went to the deer feast to pay homage to him, and he was eating tea. While our teacher and student were talking, he came up sleepy and asked for a snuffbox.

The chief listened to this, hesitated for a long time before agreeing to go out, and after a while, came with a bulging object in his arms.

"Master Li's temper is known to everyone in the world, and he is the most irritable, and when he saw that he was late, he scolded, 'Why did you go so hard to work?'

"'Returning to Uncle Fang's words,' the servant said with a bitter face, 'I have already brought it, but how can I use this object in front of the guests?' As he spoke, he took his hands out of his arms. I laughed so hard at the time - it turned out that this dog thought that Master Li wanted a 'potty pot', and he actually came with a night pot! ”

The next door immediately applauded and laughed, Yang Mingshi had always been reserved, only smiled, Sun Jiagan couldn't help but "pounce" a sip of wine on the ground. But I heard the group of people shouting: "It's not good, it's not good! We ate and drank, and he said that the potty peeed, and he scolded! Punish him for another one! ”

"Well......" Liu Molin pondered for a moment and said, "I was walking on the street today, and a thief grabbed my hat, and with this as the theme, I wrote a poem about "Yellow Crane Tower" to accompany the wine for Brother Zhuren, how about it?" After that, the strange voice groaned:

The people of the past have stolen their hats, and there is nothing left here to wear hats.

The hat is gone, and this head is empty for a thousand years.

Before the poem was finished, everyone laughed. Yang Mingshi couldn't help but hold on to the back of the chair and leaned back and closed, Sun Jiagan rubbed his stomach, smiling with tears in his eyes. After a while, when he came back to his senses, Yang Mingshi said to Sun Jiagan with a smile: "I just want to invite you out to get rid of the depression in my heart." How's it worthwhile, right? Here, two more drinks! While speaking, a middle-aged man pushed open the glass gate and came in, wearing a red silk cotton robe, a black satin horse coat, mille-feuille cloth shoes under his feet, a black satin melon skin hat on his head, a few pockmarks on his white skin, two thick mustaches under his nose, and a Tai Chi gossip map in his hand. Do you want to meet each other? ”

"Don't, don't!" Sun Jiagan was listening to it with interest, waved his hand and said, "You go elsewhere!" ”

The man smiled and said, "Which of the guests who came to eat and drink upstairs has not been counted?" Since you have eaten tribute wine, don't you want to take the tribute exam? I'll give you a name for yourself! ”

"Dare to ask your surname, Taifu?" Yang Mingshi's heart moved, and asked: "This Enke is a ceremony for the imperial court, life and death are rich and noble, how can you dare to boast of Haikou 'sending fame'?" The man snorted and said, "It is in heaven to make things happen, and it is up to people to plan things!" If I don't have real learning, how dare I show off in this place? I don't have to ask my name, it doesn't matter, but I have to take the fame, and after my appearance, I will get nine out of ten! Yang Mingshi smiled, took out two coins weighing a silver horn from his sleeve, and said, "Please!" ”

When the man saw this, he suddenly clapped his hands and smiled: "This is the first time you have entered the palace, right?" Two coins of silver to buy two tributes? No, he has an iron abacus to calculate all the talents in the world, and he has never encountered such a strong iron rooster! Sun Jiagan knew: The exclusive first-class warlock in the rivers and lakes, under the guise of fortune-telling and divination, pointed to the chaotic and complicated clues of the officialdom of the Beijing Division, betrayed the exam questions and cheated money, because he was anxious to hear any new jokes over there, so he said: "I have seen a lot of this kind of thing, go to other places to get people!" The man didn't argue, turned around and left, and sighed, "Idiot! Silly! I don't know where this is! ”

"Wait!" Yang Mingshi suddenly said: "Are you selling exam questions?" I buy! How much silver? ”

"Seventy taels!" The man looked at Sun Jiagan, "You are two people, and you should have sold for a hundred taels." I'm talking about the real price, Tong Suo is not deceiving! As he spoke, the bartender came in with a porcelain plate, there were no dishes on the plate, and two big red posts were placed in a dignified manner, but he only glanced at the man, and retreated without saying a word. The man laughed, "That's the question." If the question does not match, go to this store with the post to get back the original silver. As for failing to pass the exam, it is what Mr. Fang Cai said - life and death are fate, and wealth is in the sky. ”

Yang Mingshi was the deputy chief examiner, and even he didn't know what exam questions the emperor produced, so he was just curious, seeing that this person sold exam questions so surely, and actually had such a big industry as a guarantee, the more surprised he became. He nodded, took out a few silver tickets from the pages of his boots, picked one and pushed it to the man, and said, "If I don't have this shop as a guarantee, how can I believe you?" This is a hundred taels of silver tickets, if you really get this question, I still have a 'reward'! After that, he took the post, handed a copy to Sun Jiagan, and when he opened it, it was written:

The beneficiary, the sum of righteousness

The sun and the moon shine for a long time

Emperor Yi returns to his sister, and his king's robe is not as good as his di's robe

At the end of the small book, "Bolun raised wine to congratulate the Beijing newspaper Lian Denghuangjia". Sun Jiagan couldn't help asking: "This is all on the Book of Changes, can't you make three questions?" The man rolled up the guise and said with a smile: "Guest Mingjian, take one of the three exams!" I'm also figuring it out, is there only one question? I don't dare to protect the order, and I'm afraid that the people of Shuntianfu will come to take me! ”

"Okay, that's it!" Yang Mingshi put away the post, stood up and said to Sun Jiagan: "It's late, we should go too." So the two of them left the store before and after, and Sun Jiagan sent Yang Mingshi out of the entrance of Gongyuan Street, watched him get on the sedan chair and go away, and then staggered back to his house. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the house, he was surprised: the cabinet scholar, the minister of the upper study, the minister of the guard, and Zhang Tingyu, the first assistant of the Hanchen, were sitting and waiting in his room sipping tea! Sun Jiagan was also half awake from the wine, and said in amazement:

"Zhang Zhongtang, are you here to take a humble position?"

[1]

The square between the three major halls and the Qianqing Gate is commonly known as the "Heavenly Street".

[2]

Husband: That is, a eunuch.