Cheng Xuanhu is reminding Mei Zhenyi not to let Pei Yu'e grab the handle and clean it up. As mentioned above, the Tang law stipulates: "If the elders are there, the descendants have nothing to do with themselves." If the lowly does not respect the elders, and uses the wealth of the house for his own sake, he shall be punished with ten swords, and ten swords shall be added to one degree, and the sin shall be stopped by one hundred rods. This person is different from ordinary scholars, he is proficient in both financial accounts and criminal laws, and he thinks that Mei Zhenyi's money was borrowed directly from his uncle Liu.

Mei Zhenyi borrowed huge debts without authorization, and the Mei family will still need to repay them in the future. If Pei Yu'e really wants to investigate it, this is also a violation of the law, if she returns the money to Liu Zhi and forces him to accept it, and then sends Mei Zhenyi to the government to sue a child and grandson for unfilial piety, according to Mei Zhenyi's debt amount, it is definitely enough to meet the standard of "one hundred rods".

Hitting a hundred canes can be light or heavy, the light one can be wiped with some medicine and the buttocks will be fine, and the heavy one can be beaten to death, who can guarantee that Pei Yu'e will not take the opportunity to be ruthless to Mei Zhenyi? Anyway, now Mei Xiaolang is not at home, and Mei Zhenyi herself has made a mistake. Cheng Xuanhu has been in Jingwu Villa for a long time, of course, he knows some of the internal contradictions of the Mei family, and at this time he reminds Mei Zhenyi that he is also the face of Master Xingyun.

Mei Zhenyi replied when he heard this: "Mr. Cheng misunderstood, I didn't borrow money from my uncle, in fact, this money was not from me, but from the previous master of Qiyunguan, Pure Yangzi Lu Xianren." You must have heard of the deeds of Chunyangzi, when he left, he left a sum of money to entrust future generations to benefit the people of the world. ”

Zhang Guo also explained on the side: "Yes, yes, what the young master said is right, it is indeed the money left by Lu Xianren, I can testify." ”

At this time, Master Xingyun asked, "Mr. Cheng, you are in charge of the accounts of Jingwu Villa, and you should be cautious in the flow of money. But do you know what the stone building that the little boy built for Sun Zhenren is?"

Cheng Xuanhu: "I don't know, I only know that it is a stone building, and the son wants to erect a monument for his teacher." ”

Master Xingyun shook his head, took out a few pieces of paper from the bookshelf behind him, handed them to Cheng Xuanhu and said, "You misunderstood, it is not for someone to erect a monument, but for the benefit of all the people in the world, you can understand it by looking at the carvings on the stone building." ”

What was written on these pieces of paper was the words that Sun Simiao handed over to Mei Zhenyi and asked him to engrave on the "Shi Taiyi". Cheng Xuanhu took it and looked at it a few times, and immediately understood, he put down the paper and said: "Little boy, I misunderstood, such a meritorious act, no matter how grand it should be, I thought you were going to erect a monument for Sun Zhenren, and the people took the opportunity to accumulate private wealth." ...... This stone building should be erected, Jingwu Villa immediately allocated money, and I will explain it clearly to the Chang'an Marquis Mansion. ”

Mei Zhenyi waved his hand: "Sir, this is not necessary, Sun Zhenren is my master and my benefactor, and there is no need to trouble Jingwu Villa for the matter of standing stones." As for the Green Snow Shrine, it is my father's order, and it is also the matter of the Mei family, this expenditure should be given by Jingwu Villa, don't worry now, wait until you return to the Chang'an Hou Mansion and then settle the account. ”

Seeing that Cheng Xuanhu said that he was going to allocate money immediately, Mei Zhenyi waved his hand and said: "Sir, this is not necessary, Sun Zhenren is my master and my benefactor, and there is no need to trouble Jingwu Villa for the matter of standing stones." As for the Green Snow Shrine, it is my father's order, and it is also the matter of the Mei family, this expenditure should be given by Jingwu Villa, don't worry now, wait until you return to the Chang'an Hou Mansion and then settle the account. ”

The result of this meeting is very good, it seems that people need to deal with each other in order to understand each other, Cheng Xuanhu is not a bad person, since he was invited by Pei Yu'e, it is inevitable that he will be prejudiced against Mei Zhenyi, and after understanding the situation, things will take a turn for the better, especially the relationship between Master Xingyun.

When Cheng Xuanhu said goodbye, Mei Zhenyi personally sent him and Xingyun Shitai to the bottom of the mountain, and the two got on the boat for the return trip. Before getting on the boat, Cheng Xuanhu pulled Mei Zhenyi aside and asked privately: "Mei Gongzi, I heard Mrs. Hou Ye before, and I misunderstood you, and I found that you are not stubborn when I met today, but yesterday someone said that you were drinking bricks in front of Jingwu Villa, what is going on?"

Mei Zhenyi smiled: "Mr. misunderstood again, yesterday I was deceived by a Taoist priest in the mountains to the door of Jingwu Villa, and I had a little quarrel with him, not against you." ”

Cheng Xuanhu: "Oh, then I'll be relieved! But I still have something to remind you." ”

Mei Zhenyi: "Sir, please speak." ”

Cheng Xuanhu: "It's not unreasonable for Mrs. Hou to say that you spend time in luxury in Wuzhou. If you invite me to a banquet today, do you know how much labor it takes to eat those dishes at the banquet? If nothing else, let's just say that the steamed crab roe and wild crucian carp seeds are your favorite things to eat during the banquet. You were born in a wealthy family, and it is nothing to taste such a delicacy occasionally, but it has become a regular daily use, and it may not be the way to cultivate oneself at home, and don't blame anyone in Chang'an for criticizing it. ”

Today, Mei Zhenyi invited Cheng Xuanhu to eat, of course, the preparation was sumptuous, there were two dishes during the banquet were local aquatic products, Mei Zhenyi told Cheng Xuanhu that he usually liked to eat, and asked Mr. Cheng to taste more. Cheng Xuanhu was well-informed, and he could see at a glance that these two dishes seemed ordinary but were actually unusual, and he turned around and asked the chef who cooked them.

The steamed crab roe is a special product of Qingyi Lake, after steaming, the crab roe and crab paste are specially removed, and the crab foot meat is minced into a soup in proportion, a small dish needs seven or eight four or two heavy golden crabs, and four or five people are also required to be busy all morning. What's more particular is the wild crucian carp seeds, which are not complicated to say, that is, the seeds of braised wild crucian carp, but the complexity is complicated in this dish to eat seeds, and other fresh stem and leaf vegetables can not see the fish.

At that time, there was no aquaculture, and crucian carp were caught in the rivers and lakes. The growth rate of wild crucian carp is extremely slow, and it takes several years for a half-pound crucian carp to grow, and there are very few suitable fish caught in a net, but only the roe of this fish is suitable for cooking, and it needs to be fresh. When cooking, the seeds are not specially cooked, but the whole crucian carp is braised together, and after cooking, the seeds are taken out separately and processed with other side dishes and served on the table. Think about how much effort it takes to make this dish, and how many fish do you need to make fresh?

Mei Zhenyi was a bitter child before the crossing, he didn't know the life of the rich and noble in the world, and after the crossing, he became a little marquis, and he enjoyed all this inexplicably without thinking too much, just trying to fit this role. It's okay to try a dish like this once in a while during the New Year's holidays, and the Mei family can afford to eat it, but when the daily dishes are often eaten, it is indeed too extravagant. If he develops such an extravagant habit at a young age, it may not be a good thing when he grows up, which is exactly why Cheng Xuanhu reminded him.

Hearing Cheng Xuanhu's explanation, Mei Zhenyi was excited, and suddenly felt like waking up from a dream - he really didn't realize how extravagant his life was during this time! This is not his own habit, but he is used to it unintentionally, if Cheng Xuanhu does not remind him, he is afraid that he will continue to live like this.

How many people are in the kitchen every day to catch crab shells, and how many tenants brave the cold and heat to cast nets and fish in Qingyi Lake, just for his dishes, for the young master to feel good when he eats vegetables. These people are all subordinates who serve Mei Zhenyi, they could have done more meaningful or practical things, but now they can only do these things every day. Thinking of this, Mei Zhenyi gave a deep salute and said: "Thank you, Mr. for waking up, today's words are enough to be Teng'er's teacher!"

Cheng Xuanhu asked again: "May I ask if Sun Simiao is really dining with you?"

Mei Zhenyi shook her head and said, "No, Master never dined with me, so he didn't accuse me. He was telling the truth, when he first woke up, Sun Simiao would make a daily recipe, which was eaten by Mei Zhenyi alone. Later, his body recovered, Sun Simiao no longer prescribed recipes, and the chef of Jingwu Villa was responsible for three meals a day, and Sun Simiao never ate with him.

When Mei Zhenyi was eating, he felt that the dishes made by the chef were very good, so he often instructed the kitchen to do them, and he thought about a lot of things, so he didn't worry much about life. And who would the subordinates, including Zhang Guo, say these things about the young master?

Cheng Xuanhu patted him on the shoulder and said: "Not everything, you have to let the teacher teach you, when you grow up and ask to learn, you must first learn how to introspect." As for the matter of the Marquis of Chang'an, at least on the face of Miss Chong Yunxing, I will not embarrass you, but you yourself must be cautious in your words and deeds. ”

met Cheng Xuanhu for the first time, and Mei Zhenyi gained a lot. At least he figured out one thing, the history books record that in ancient times, Emperor Hui of Jin heard that there was a famine among the people, and the people had no chestnut rice to satisfy their hunger, so he actually asked back, "Why don't you eat minced meat?" sounds absurd, but it is entirely possible. If Mei Zhenyi is a little marquis who grew up in Jingwu Villa, he is accustomed to this kind of life every day, and even he may ask - "Why not eat crab powder?"

On the way back, Mei Zhenyi sighed to Zhang Guo: "Old Zhang, this Mr. Cheng is a talent." ”

Zhang Guo said with a smile: "Of course there are some means, otherwise why would the Marquis of Chang'an send him? Today's incident is also a coincidence, he turned out to be Chu Suiliang's protégé, and Xingyun Shitai is the daughter of Chu Gong, presumably he will not be too embarrassed in the future, young master." ”

Mei Zhenyi: "I mean something else, this person not only reads poetry and books, but also is proficient in money and food accounts and criminal laws, which is not simple." It is not uncommon for people to be well-educated since ancient times, but there are too few scholars like him who are proficient in practical and mundane affairs. In any case, we must pay attention to this person in the future and have a good relationship with him. ”

Zhang Guo nodded and said: "Since the young master commanded, the old slave must do it, as long as he doesn't embarrass the young master, I will be polite and respectful to him in the future." ”

Mei Zhenyi sighed: "You can't always blame others for embarrassment, and you have to think about whether there is something wrong with yourself." ”

Zhang Guo looked at the two boats on the Qingyi River that were gradually moving away, and said thoughtfully: "Actually, what surprised me even more was Master Xingyun, today I knew that she actually had that kind of life experience, why did she become a monk, how could she end up here?"

Mei Zhenyi: "Since you want to know, why didn't you ask just now?"

Zhang Guo: "I don't want to evoke her sad past, so naturally it is inconvenient to ask, but I just sigh in my heart." ”

Mei Zhenyi looked at him and suddenly smiled, her smile was a little mischievous: "Elder Zhang, I heard Gu'er say that you have been practicing calligraphy recently when you have free time, and you will take the ink left by Master Xingyun to copy." At such an old age, do you want to practice calligraphy?"

Zhang Guo coughed: "I have been practicing in the world for many years, and I have read a lot of sage books, but I don't have the blessing of a young master, I can invite a famous master as a teacher, and I haven't even learned serious calligraphy." I saw that the calligraphy of Master Xingyun was exquisite, and I was envious in my heart, so I copied and practiced in private. His old face was a little hot, and he lowered his head slightly and twisted his face.

Mei Zhenyi: "I'm just asking, you don't need to explain so much, do you have envy or admiration in your heart? According to my observation, there is something wrong with your teacher's eyes!"

Zhang Guo coughed a few times in succession, like a chicken bone stuck in his throat: "Cough, cough, the young master is still young, don't talk nonsense about things you don't understand, Master Xingyun is a monk." ”

Mei Zhenyi didn't let him go, and continued to entangle this topic: "Although I am young, you are not young, to be honest, do you fall in love with other people's teachers? It was completely normal for this kind of thing to come out of his mouth, and the sixth aunt before the crossing often went to the temple in the scenic area to play a cameo role as a nun when she was in the countryside, and this job was introduced by the uncle.

Zhang Guo's old face finally turned red, as if he had heard some rebellious words, and lowered his voice and said: "Young master, don't be so open-mouthed, Shitai is a Buddhist practitioner who worships Guanyin Bodhisattva, don't blaspheme her." "In the Tang Dynasty, the status of monks was very special, and the conditions for monks and nuns to obtain formal ordination were very strict, and it was rare to hear of any marriage that was still customary.

Mei Zhenyi's joking expression was very serious, and she put away her smile and said: "Admiration should be a compliment, how can it be said to be blasphemous? Then again, when Empress Wu of Chao is now a mother of the world, didn't she also become a nun once?" He was telling the truth, Empress Wu was originally a concubine who served Li Shimin, and the then crown prince Li Zhi got involved, after Li Shimin's death, she became a monk and made a secret plan for the nun, and later returned to the palace to marry the new emperor.

Zhang Guo really couldn't refute this, so he leaned into Mei Zhenyi's ear and said, "Young master, don't say it, the master may hear it, and it will be embarrassing to meet in the future!"

At this time, they had already come to the halfway point of the mountain, Mei Zhenyi turned around and pointed to the boat that sailed away on the Qingyi River: "It's so far, Mrs. Shi can hear it?

Zhang Guo: "The young master doesn't know anything, Shitai is a person with cultivation, and his cultivation is not low. ”

"Hmm, how do you see that?" This time it was Mei Zhenyi's turn to be surprised, he only knew that Master Xingyun was too talented to learn, and he really didn't see that she was also a master of cultivation.

Zhang Guo: "The young master's cultivation is still shallow, and it is normal if you don't find it, when you reach the realm in the future, you will inadvertently pay attention to many things around you, the old slave has been practicing for a hundred years, so he will naturally be aware of it." Did you pay attention to Shi Tai's footwork when he went down the mountain? The sound of landing was quiet, like a cloud of smoke. ”

Mei Zhenyi: "I really didn't pay attention to this, and I didn't send Shitai down the mountain before, what is the point of this, can you tell me carefully?"

Zhang Guo: "Actually, it's not too magical, as long as the young master's cultivation is reached, he will also be able to do it, it is nothing more than the technique of shrinking the earth, but the master is a person in the Buddhist sect, and it has its own peculiarities when it is performed, and I won't walk like her......" This magic of shrinking the earth, Mei Zhenyi can't do it, but the masters he has encountered, such as Zhang Guo, Mei Yi, Sun Simiao, and even that Lu Chunyang.

Some people may mistakenly understand that this is a light skill described in martial arts, and it is similar to it. A practitioner's supernatural power is said to be "imperial object", which means that he has the mana that can sense external objects, and this mana may be mental power, concentration force, retraction force, etc., all of which are collectively referred to by the word "mana". The supernatural power of the imperial object is the basis for the practitioner to use various special magic instruments, and is further called the "imperial weapon", which senses external objects to make them one with the body and mind, and can be used freely.

This realm is further up, called "Imperial Shape", the shape of a large block of the world, and what the mana can sense is no longer a specific thing, but the surrounding heaven, earth, mountains and rivers. At this time, people's behavior can have a floating interest, some people call it the earth shrinking technique, some people call it the magic technique, some people call it the imperial form technique, in short, it is a similar magical power.

Buddhism has a side of "sweeping the floor for fear of hurting the lives of ants, cherish the moth gauze cover lamp", Xingyun Shitai walked on the mountain road and walked quietly, and the ants under his feet were not injured, which is a kind of footwork for Buddhist practitioners. (Note: In later generations, some people also called it "Yun Xingbu", which also contrasts with Chu Yunxing, the name of Xingyun Shitai.) ）

Zhang Guo is not a disciple of Buddhism, although he can also use similar forms of imperial techniques, but he will not use them at any time while walking like Xingyun Shitai, so he will say that he will not walk like that. Mei Zhenyi nodded and smiled after hearing this: "I have heard the master talk about the imperial object and the imperial weapon, and the theory of the imperial form has not yet been taught, and the master only told me that I don't need to study deeply, and the kung fu will naturally be successful when the time comes, so I didn't notice the master's footwork." ...... Elder Zhang, since you can see that she has cultivation, how does it compare to you?"

Zhang Guo scratched his head a little embarrassed and said: "Shitai is a famous family, and she is not very old, she may not have practiced Buddhism for a long time, and if you talk about mana, you can't compare to an old goblin like me." But she's—pure, refined!"

Mei Zhenyi smiled and said: "Elder Zhang has been praising Shitai, why should he be afraid to let her hear? Let me ask you, Shitai is going away on a boat, and if she is talking on the boat at this time, can you hear her?"

Zhang Guo shook his head: "It's too far away, I can't hear it." ”

Mei Zhenyi stomped her foot: "You can't hear her speak, and her mana is not as good as yours, are you worried that she can hear us talk......ing? Elder Zhang, if you are really interested in her, I will find a chance to find out Mrs. Shi's tone?"

Zhang Guo grabbed Mei Zhenyi and begged: "Young master, please, just spare the old slave! But don't say that to Mrs. Shi, otherwise how can you be embarrassed to meet in the future?" He did have some admiration for Master Xingyun in his heart, but he didn't dare to think about it, but Mei Zhenyi took it all out in a few words.

Mei Zhenyi: "Oh, are you embarrassed to say, or do you not want her to know?"

Zhang Guo: "I don't dare to think about it!"

Mei Zhenyi: "Okay, I'll cooperate with you for the time being, don't expose it to Mrs. Shi, and talk about it when you dare to think about it." ”

Zhang Guo asked Mei Zhenyi to grab a pigtail again, and he was even more obedient to this young master in the future, so he didn't mention it for the time being. Since meeting Cheng Xuanhu, Mei Zhenyi has also begun to pay attention to many details of her daily life, and she is changing little by little. The confusion of some time ago gradually faded, and he was gradually finding himself, after experiencing so many things, he gradually understood a truth - no matter what environment people are in, the most important thing is to maintain a clear self and not get lost.

Many changes in living habits happen unconsciously, and he doesn't immediately plan to live a hard and simple life, as the son of Meifu, there is no need to be so pretentious, that is also embarrassing for the people around him. The subordinates around him, including Gu'er and Sui'er, didn't even find out what Mei Zhenyi was deliberately doing, because the little boy was growing up every day, and people would always be sensible when they grew up - even Zhang Guo thought so.

Others didn't notice it, but Sun Simiao discovered Mei Zhenyi's conscious change. One day, after teaching what he had learned that day, Sun Simiao wanted to leave Mei Zhenyi to eat together, although it was just a natural thing inadvertently, but this was the first time.

This meal is neither too hearty but not shabby, Wuzhou's special purple rice with millet boiled miscellaneous rice porridge, steamed buns, a plate of silver carp from Qingyi Lake on the table, and a plate of chicken vegetables picked in the mountains, which are also meat and vegetarian. Although Sun Simiao was a Taoist priest, the Taoist priest at that time was not completely vegetarian.

During the meal, Sun Simiao specially took a bowl of porridge and handed it to Mei Zhenyi, Mei Zhenyi hurriedly bowed forward and stretched out her hand to take it: "Master, how can you always serve me rice, it's really killing a disciple." ”

Sun Simiao sat down and replied, "That's right, then you can also serve me a bowl." ”

Mei Zhenyi put a bowl of porridge and respectfully placed it in front of Sun Simiao. The old man smiled and said, "Teng'er, this is the first bowl of rice you have served with your own hands in your life, right?" Thank you for the teacher!"