Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 179 Water Source Travel Notes

The poor water quality in the capital city has always been the heart disease of the powerful and nobles. Even the emperor can't let people carry water every day from the south of the Yangtze River, where the water quality is sweet and clear.

In order to obtain high-quality water sources, the dignitaries in the capital also racked their brains. Some people tried to filter the well water, and some people swept the winter snow into urns and stored them for enjoyment in summer.

But the real solution to the problem is to rely on mountain springs. In the south of Bianliang, there is a low and gentle hill called Qifenggang. The hill is about fifty miles long and several miles wide. There are hundreds of small hills on the hill. .

Since the Later Zhou Dynasty, the imperial court has strictly prohibited the people from logging and hunting in Qifenggang and the surrounding tens of miles, even collecting firewood.

After hundreds of years of closing the mountain for afforestation, the entire hill has become lush and the valley is deep.

In winter, this place becomes one of the famous scenery in Bianliang. Baigang is snowed in winter, and the people in the capital will come out with their families to enjoy the snow.

The strict protection of the hills ushered in the harvest, and the sweet spring water finally appeared, which made the royal family and dignitaries and high-ranking officials and scholars ecstatic.

At present, there are five mountain springs in Qifenggang, and a garden has been built in the water pool of each mountain spring, the most famous of which are Meiyuan and Liangyuan.

The plum garden is a royal garden, and the mountain spring water here is of the best quality, and it is usually reserved for the imperial palace and royal dignitaries.

Every morning, there will be special people driving ox carts and donkey carts to the plum garden to fetch water. The place is guarded by soldiers, and ordinary people are not allowed to enter.

The second is Liangyuan. The quality of the spring water in Liangyuan is slightly inferior to that of Meiyuan, but the water volume is much larger than that of Meiyuan. Court officials can enjoy it for free. At the same time, they are also sold to major teahouses in the capital. Of course, Fanlou is an exception. Lou was specially approved to draw water from the plum garden.

Further south, there are Chen Garden, Chai Garden, and Jichun Garden. These three gardens are owned by the government, and the quality of the pond water inside is a little worse. Of course, it is much better than the well water in the capital.

Ordinary people can come here to get water for free, but there are special guards to prevent damage to the water quality, and they are not allowed to take more water. Each person is only allowed to take one pot of water.

The water sold on the street mainly comes from the mountain spring water of Jichun Garden, which flows out of the garden and merges into a small stream into Bianshui. The water sellers take water from the stream to the capital for sale every morning.

After more than an hour, an ox cart slowly stopped at the gate of Liangyuan. At the gate of Liangyuan, a large carriage had already parked.

Zhu Pei's carriage was faster and had already arrived one step ahead. Her carriage could not accommodate so many people, only Cheng Yuanyuan and the little maid came with her.

Fan Ning, Su Liang and Cheng Ze went by bullock cart.

"This is Liang Yuan?"

Cheng Ze jumped out of the bullock cart and looked at the garden in front of him. It was a garden covering an area of ​​over a hundred acres, which climbed up the mountain and was surrounded by high walls. Inside the high walls were hundreds of exquisite pavilions.

A mountain stream is flowing down a rocky cliff, and the sound of rushing water can be faintly heard outside the garden.

Fan Ning also got out of the bullock cart, and saw that the gate was open, and a dozen workers were repairing some dilapidated gateposts.

He looked at the carriage in the distance again, and said to the three of them, "They should have already gone in!"

At this time, the little girl Du Juan ran out, saluted and said: "The two girls are resting in the teahouse inside, please come in!"

"There is also a teahouse here?"

Cheng Ze's eyes widened, and he asked in surprise, "Is it possible for anyone to enter?"

Su Liang smiled and said, "I heard that there is another gate at the place where the water is fetched. I guess it is strictly controlled there."

The three of them walked into the gate of the garden, and saw a two-story shop at a glance. Above the shop was a flag with a yellow background and a black border. On the flag was written the four characters of "Liangyuan Tea House".

On the second floor by the window, Fan Ning faintly saw Zhu Pei's figure, and the three walked into the teahouse quickly.

The teahouse was filled with a faint tea fragrance, and it was elegantly furnished. There were small tables for four people sitting around, exquisitely crafted tables and chairs, and the lobby was very quiet, except for two old men sitting opposite each other drinking tea in the corner.

A clerk greeted him with a smile and said, "The three officials, please follow me!"

The three of them followed the buddy up to the second floor. The layout of the second floor was similar to that of the first floor, but there were many more screens. A frame of exquisite screens separated the teahouse into an independent space.

"Why did you come here? We've been waiting for a long time!" Zhu Peiying complained a little.

Fan Ning spread his hands, "A bull's leg can't outrun a horse's leg, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Then you can't run over by yourself?"

Zhu Pei rolled his eyes at him, then greeted Su Liang and Cheng Ze with a smile, "Come and sit down, the tea here is good!"

Cheng Ze asked Su Liang in a low voice, "I found that Miss Zhu has never been nice to Fan Ning? She has a very good attitude towards us."

Even Su Liang found out that Cheng Ze was too interested in Zhu Pei. He said angrily, "That means that he is close. The more polite he is to you, the more unfamiliar he will be. Don't you understand this?"

Cheng Ze was right after thinking about it, so he touched his nose resentfully, walked to the table and sat down.

"A-Ning, sit here!"

Zhu Pei pointed to his side naturally, Fan Ning blushed a little, and sat down under Su Liang's secretly teasing eyes.

Seeing that Fan Ning gave him some face, Zhu Pei was very happy. He picked up the teapot and filled a cup of tea, handed the teacup to Fan Ning, and said with a smile, "I also made a pot of tea. How would you like it?"

The biggest feature of this teahouse is that only water and tea sets are provided, and the tea is made by the guests themselves.

"When did you learn how to make tea?" Fanning asked curiously.

Zhu Pei curled his lips, "I've always been good since I was a child, but when I'm in a good mood, I cook it for myself!"

"Then I am very honored today!"

"Drink as much as you want, how can there be so much nonsense?"

Fan Ning picked up the tea bowl and sniffed it. A fragrant tea scent came to his nostrils. He drank it down in one gulp and praised: "Good tea!"

Zhu Pei burst into a smile all of a sudden, and refilled Fanning's teacup.

Cheng Ze, who was sitting opposite, looked itchy, and wanted to ask for a cup of Zhu Pei's fried tea, but before he could open his mouth, Cheng Yuanyuan had already filled his teacup.

"Brother, try the tea I made, the water here is okay."

Cheng Ze looked greedily at the teapot in front of Zhu Pei, but Cheng Yuanyuan kicked him under the table.

Cheng Ze had no choice but to pick up the tea, took a sip, nodded and said, "Although it can't compare with the Mingyue Spring in Shugang, Yangzhou, it is much better than the water in the city."

Cheng Yuanyuan filled another cup of tea for Su Liang, and said with a smile, "Brother Su, have a taste too!"

Su Liang's heart melted at the delicate "Brother Su".

He was flattered to pick up the teacup, sniffed it, and exaggeratedly praised: "Good tea, this tea is only found in the sky, how many times can we taste it in the world?"

Everyone laughed together, Cheng Yuanyuan's face was immediately shy, and she gave Su Liang a light look, but her heart was full of sweetness.

Su Liang was triumphant and pretended not to see Fan Ning's vomiting.

Fanning couldn't stand this guy's grotesqueness, so he got up and walked to the window.

From the window, you can clearly see the water pool a hundred steps away. The water pool is blue and blue, and the white waterfall falls from the cliff in the air, filling the surrounding water mist.

Zhu Pei walked up to him and said with a smile: "The water here is not bad. I heard that the water quality in Chen Yuan and Chai Yuan is much worse. We don't want to go to see it anymore."

"I heard that the water here doesn't seem to be for sale!"

Zhu Pei smiled slightly and said, "The water here is only supplied to the court officials and the top ten teahouses in the capital. If you like the water here, I can get it in my father's name without spending any money."

Fanning didn't really want to use the name of Jupe's father, so he asked with a smile, "Is there any other way?"

"Then you have to spend money to buy it. Just now the shopkeeper of the teahouse said that he has to deliver water to the teahouses in the city every day. He can send you five pots of water every day and send them directly to your residence, but each pot costs [-] Wen. Is the price acceptable to you?"

Fan Ning said with a smile: "Actually, there are five of us. Let's share it among each other. I think it's acceptable!"

At this time, the three of Su Liang went down the teahouse and ran towards the water pool. Su Liang turned his head and waved to Fan Ning and shouted: "Fan Ning, let's go together!"

Fan Ning said with a smile: "You guys go first, I'll come over later!"

Fan Ning said to Zhu Pei again: "Do you know why this Cheng Ze brought his sister to the capital?"

"I see it!"

Zhu Pei smiled and asked Fan Ning again, "Listen to what Cheng Yuanyuan said, did you go to Yangzhou halfway?"

Fan Ning briefly described what happened in Zhenjiang, and finally sighed: "I don't know how to persuade Su Liang now, it seems that he is completely involved, I hope this matter can have a satisfactory result, Su Liang's parents can accept Cheng Yuanyuan, if the end result is to beat the mandarin ducks, I will feel sorry for my friend."

Zhu Pei calmly listened to Fan Ning's narration, and she said sharply: "The key is whether Su Liang can be admitted to the Children's Department. If he is admitted, he can say anything. If he fails, Su Liang's parents will definitely think that Cheng Yuanyuan has delayed the exam." son."

(End of this chapter)