my empire simulator

Chapter 42
Zeng Shuchang was very happy during this time.

Don't look at how busy Chaozhong is, but he is not worried at all.

No matter how Miao Jiang rebelled, he knew in his heart that he would never be able to fight against those in Sichuan.

After all, the national power is at stake, and even if it takes a few years of cultivation in the Shu Kingdom, it will consume the rebels to death.

Taking a ten thousand step back, even if Miao Jiang really wins the Kingdom of Shu, he will not be afraid, because this group of people will still find him in the end.

The Zeng family, one of the four great aristocratic families in Sichuan, can be described as deeply rooted in Sichuan.

When the state of Shu was founded, there were also some shadows of the Zeng family behind it, and the Zeng family has been serving as officials in Shuzhong since then.

From this we can see the status of the Zeng family. Even if the rebels win, they will still have to rely on them in the future.

Yawning a little, Uncle Zeng collapsed lazily on the wooden couch, with a maid fanning the wind beside him, and the incense burner on the table curled up with anger.

In the courtyard, there are dancing girls dancing in Shuzhong, and the beautiful sound of the piano echoes in the courtyard.

Opening his mouth slightly, he peeled a grape and put it in his mouth.

Grapes are only sold outside the region, and ordinary people can't afford them because they are too expensive.

The Zeng family also spent a lot of money to buy it.

"very sour……"

Frowning slightly, Uncle Zeng winked at the maid, who understood and threw away the whole bunch of grapes.

Then the maid picked up another red fruit and put it into Zeng Shuchang's mouth. Zeng Shuchang bit the maid's finger, and the latter seemed to be used to it, quietly waiting for Zeng Shuchang to let go.

After a while, Zeng Shuchang let go, pinched the maid's cheek, turned his head, and another maid immediately offered fragrant tea.

In this way, Uncle Zeng often enjoys the treatment of a vegetable.

In the middle of the court, he has a modest job, he doesn't need to take care of big things, and he doesn't have to worry about small things. Is there a more comfortable life than this?

As long as the interests of the Zeng family are not damaged, it doesn't matter what happens to him...

Not long after, Uncle Zeng felt a little sleepy, stood up slowly, stretched his waist, and prepared to go back to his room to sleep.

Unexpectedly, the servant walked in quickly.

"Master, Xu Jiuchang sent an invitation."

With that said, present the invitation.

"Xu Jiuchang..."

Uncle Zeng was a little puzzled at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he remembered who Xu Jiuchang was.

Jiang Xubai's poems are still hung in his shop, so many scholars visit his shop and restaurant.

"A merchant..."

There was a trace of contempt in his eyes, Zeng Shuchang didn't want to pay attention to this Xu Jiuchang, he could not be invited by anyone, let alone a merchant.

If it weren't for the third son, I am afraid Zeng Shu would never have heard of this name.

Taking a look at the invitation card, Zeng Shuchang's eyes froze for a moment, it was not like the invitation card he had seen before, it was much thinner.

Feeling a little strange in my heart, I reached out to pick up the invitation card and weighed it.

Why is it so light...

Most of the invitations are made of bamboo and wood, but the one in his hand is too light...

Feeling something was wrong, Uncle Zeng quickly opened the invitation.

"Zeng Sifu..."

"...Tomorrow at you time, I will prepare a banquet at Chanchanju, and Wangsi's mansion will come to you..."

"... Yours sincerely, Xu Jiuchang."

Staring at the invitation card in his hand, Zeng Shuchang remained silent.

It wasn't that there was something wrong with Xu Jiuchang's writing, but that the material of the invitation card was as thin as a cicada's wing, not bamboo or wood.
This is not cloth, but other writing materials.

Could it be paper?
Uncle Zeng had seen some papers before, which were not as good as cloth and bamboo slips, but the paper in front of him was different, with clear and powerful characters, as if it had been improved.

A new, lighter writing material...

Slowly closing the invitation, the lazy temperament on Zeng Shuchang's body gradually disappeared, and his originally loose brows slowly frowned.

The value of this kind of thing can be realized as long as you have read some books.

Xu Jiuchang has such a treasure in his hand, and even made a special invitation to send to his house. Is this a way of showing his favor?

It makes sense for a first-time merchant to surrender to himself with these things.

Letting out a breath slowly, Zeng Shuchang said to his servants: "Get the car ready, I'm going to Chanchanju to have a look."

……

Chanchanju at this time is much more lively.

After the poem of the third son was published, countless literati came here, not for anything else, but to appreciate the poem.

Some people even want to write a poem to stand shoulder to shoulder with the three sons.

"Where in the world, God's will is sincere and cunning, and the soul arrives overnight. The thousand-year hatred will disappear..."

"The common people are hungry and cold, misfortunes and blessings have always been dependent on each other, the king is hospitable, and the West Garden loses gold and emaciation..."

There are countless calligraphy like this, and as of today, there are no less than a hundred.

However, there are always two poems that can be suspended in Chan Chanju.

One is by the third son, and the other is also by the third son.

"Shanpo Yang · Sheng caring about the ancient": "The peaks and mountains are like gatherings, the waves are like anger, and the mountains and rivers are inside and outside the Shengguan road..."

"Lang Tao Sha Ling": "The rain outside the window..."

In short, these two poems have become the treasures of Chanchanju's town store, overwhelming countless literati.

It also allowed Jiang Xubai to gain enough reputation.

Among them, "Lang Tao Sha Ling" is the most eye-catching, because Xu Jiuchang deliberately took out this half of the words, threatening that as long as he can answer the second half of the words, he will be rewarded with a hundred gold.

As the bounty gradually increased, more and more scribes came here.

But all the truly talented people, after seeing these half-words, were silent for a long time, and turned into a sigh, sighing to themselves.

So until now, no one can match the remaining half.

A scholar walked to the center of Chan Chan and looked at the two poems on the central stage, as if two mountains were lying in front of him.

"Ugh……"

Thinking about it, the scholar let out a long sigh, his eyes full of melancholy.

"Why are you sighing?"

Another scholar came forward and handed him a glass of fine wine.

The scholar took the wine, still looked at the two poems, and said, "Sigh, no one in Shu can match these two poems..."

"..."

Hearing this, another scholar nodded slightly, drank the fine wine in his glass, and sighed: "There are no words in the world..."

Pointing to the half que "Lang Tao Sha Ling", the scholar went on to say: "The third son only wrote half que words, and no one among us literati can match the upper and lower half ques?"

The rain is gurgling outside the window, and the spring is fading.Luo Qun is not resistant to the cold before dawn.In the dream, I don't know that I am a guest, and I am greedy for a long time...

……

In fact, the reason why Jiang Xubai did not write the second half is because of the sentence in the second half: "Don't lean on the railing alone, there is no limit to the country, it is easy to see sometimes, but difficult..."

He is not even the son of the eldest son, why is Jiangshan "don't be easy and difficult", so Jiang Xubai wrote a half que and gave it to Xu Jiuchang.

……

Appreciating the half-words again, the scholar clapped his hands and sighed: "There is one stone in the world, and the three young masters have eight fights..."

As soon as this remark came out, it immediately aroused the unanimous approval of the surrounding scribes...

(End of this chapter)