Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 53: Shangyuan Lantern Festival
At this time, Liu Kang ran forward and pulled Fan Ning, "Don't you want to see what our county magistrate looks like? The one riding the horse in front is that."

"Look at it!"

Fan Ning ran forward following Liu Kang, and arrived not far from the county magistrate in a short while.

Fan Ning only knew that the county magistrate's surname was Li, a native of Kunshan County, with a mediocre official voice. In the local dialect of Wu County, he was called a big deal, but a small matter was clear, so he was well received by his superiors.

The county magistrate of Li is about 30 years old, but he is good-looking, with a straight nose and a square mouth, a black beard under his jaw, a black gauze hat with wings on his head, a dark blue official uniform, and piercing eyes.

Liu Kang said to Fan Ning: "I heard that the father-in-law of County Magistrate Li is a dignitary in the court. He gave his daughter a dowry of [-] mu of land, [-] yuan of money, and hundreds of large boxes of various treasures, which filled several ships. A lot of people are counting on the shore."

The more Liu Kang talked, the more he envied him, his eyes sparkled, and his parents often used this incident to encourage him to study hard and be admitted to Jinshi.

Fan Ning yearned for it leisurely, and he was pretty good-looking. Once he was admitted to Jinshi, the rich and powerful would fight to marry their daughters to him.

Fan Ning imagined that scene, and suddenly felt that the boring scriptures became full of life. For a while, he was full of longing for the future life, and the ten-year window was worth it.

County magistrate Li was accompanied by four archers holding water and fire sticks, eight yamen servants at the front and rear, and an aide riding a donkey next to him, but he looked treacherous and cunning.

"Your Majesty, the opposite should be County Magistrate Zhang Zhang of Wujiang. I heard that he is a disciple of Mr. Wen Xianggong. Do you want to step aside?"

County magistrate Li glared at his staff dissatisfiedly, "Why should I avoid it? Could it be that Mr. Wen's disciple can ride on my head?"

The staff knew that he had said something wrong, and the backstage of the two people was at odds.

He hurriedly ordered the left and right, "Go and see his brand!"

A hand next to him immediately rushed over, and a yamen servant ran over from the opposite side, both of them came to look at the cards.

It was only then that Fan Ning noticed that Li County Magistrate's brand was the same as the previous county magistrate, and he was also a Jinshi in the second year of Qingli.

After a while, he came back with his hands and reported, "I will report to the county lord, the other party is also a Jinshi in the second year of Qingli, No. 90 in the second list."

County magistrate Li waved his hand, "Then don't let me!"

I am No. 7 in the second class, and I was born as a Jinshi, while the other party is the 94th in the second list. I have the same background as a Jinshi, and it is too far behind me. It should be him who let me.

This is the rule of civil servants. When you meet on a narrow road, the higher official wins. If you are of the same rank, you will be born in the imperial examination.

On the opposite side, the county magistrate of Wujiang began to retreat slowly, all the way to the small bridge, giving way.

At this time, the other party's staff ran over and saluted with cupped fists, "Magistrate Li, my county lord passes through Guixian County. I have to hurry back. I will visit you another day to make amends!"

"It's okay! It's okay! I'm going to Yuanye today, and I'm on official business. I'll entertain you county lords some other day."

Although the two don't want to see each other, they have to say enough on the scene, each has important matters, and we will talk about it later.

County magistrate Li shouted, "Continue to patrol!"

The yamen servants blared the gong to clear the way, and when the two teams passed by, the two county magistrates greeted each other with a smile.

"Little brother has to go on patrol to guard the security. I will invite my brother to drink another day. I will definitely not get drunk forever!"

"Business is important, we will have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future, ha ha!"

County magistrate Li cupped his hands and walked away with the yamen servant. After he had gone far, the county magistrate of Wujiang, who was sitting in a sedan chair, returned to the street and continued on his way.

Fan Ning was really interesting to watch. It turned out that the officials of the Song Dynasty fought all kinds of battles, and compared their qualifications and fame. If the fame was the same, they had to compare their rankings.

At this time, the two mothers sitting in the snack shop were all yearning leisurely. When will their sons sit in the official sedan chair and walk on the street majestically?
． ． ． ． ． ． ． ．
Although the lanterns in Wu County are not as good as those in the capital city, they are also bright and colorful. In addition to the wealth of the people in Pingjiang Prefecture, many wealthy families put up lanterns for fun, such as beauty lanterns, longevity lanterns, lotus lanterns, carp lanterns, dragon lanterns, and deer lanterns. ． ． ． ． ．
Among the colorful lanterns, there is also an exquisite revolving horse lantern, the lampshade can be rotated, and the horses drawn on it seem to be running non-stop.

For a while, large colored lights of various shapes can be seen everywhere, making tourists linger and forget to return.

However, in addition to the main character of the lantern, Shangyuan Night also needs various supporting roles to join in. Small vendors and small colorful sheds can be seen everywhere.

The little ladies are in groups of three or five, wearing jackets and skirts, with beautiful eyebrows, and each of them is very beautifully dressed. They are attracted by the cosmetics, powder and copper hairpins on the stalls from time to time, and gather around the stalls to buy jewelry.

The urchins wore new clothes, combed their hair, and ran among the crowd with lanterns. Looking from a distance, they looked like groups of fireflies dancing on the shore.

Liu Kang's two-year-old sister is sitting on her father's shoulders, holding a small fish lantern in her hand, her face blooming with smiles.

"Daddy, isn't that third uncle?" Fan Ning suddenly saw a familiar figure in front of him.

"Third brother!" Fan Tiezhou also recognized his brother, waving his hands and shouting.

A stout man turned around. It was Fan Tieniu, Fan Ning's third uncle. He also grinned happily when he saw his elder brother's family.

Fan Tieniu was wearing a brand-new short jacket, new trousers, and a cloth belt around his waist. He carried his precious daughter on his shoulders and held his son in his hand. Next to him was his wife, Mrs. Lu, who was buying lanterns for his son and daughter at the stall. .

A family of four also came to the county to watch the lights.

Fan Tieniu pointed to the lady who was bargaining with the peddler, feeling a little embarrassed.

Fan Tiezhou waved to him and asked the family to play by themselves, as long as they said hello.

"Third Uncle seems to be doing well!"

Fanning laughed and said, "The clothes are all newly made."

Fan Tiezhou sighed: "Although their husband and wife have a good relationship, if there is no court case last time, how could he have the opportunity to bring his wife and children to visit the lantern?"

"It seems that it is quite effective in court."

"Of course it works. Yuanwai Lu dare not offend Mr. Zhu."

Speaking of this, Fan Tiezhou remembered one more thing, and smiled at his son: "Your third uncle admires you very much, would you please name his daughter?"

Zhang Sanniang next to her frowned, she was a little unhappy and said, "It's not from a wealthy family, what name should I choose? I think Fan Xiaoniang would be fine."

Fan Tiezhou hurriedly laughed and said, "There are already three Fan Xiaoniangs in the family, and the third brother means to have a baby name."

Zhang Sanniang fell silent, she also had a baby name, Ah'e, but she didn't like this baby name very much, so she never mentioned it.

Fan Ning thought for a while and said, "Let's call it Aqiao!"

Fan Tiezhou repeatedly praised, "That's a good name, I'll tell him later."

At this time, Fan Ning saw Liu Kang winking at him, and he knew it, so he smiled obediently at his mother and said, "Mother, Akang and I will go to the Confucian Temple and guess some lantern riddles. Earn a few hundred Wen to buy food."

Zhang Sanniang rejoiced, "Look at how filial my son is, then we have agreed, mother will let you guess lantern riddles, but you have to hand over the money you earn, and you are not allowed to keep it privately."

"Mother has piercing eyes, can you hide your son's money?"

"That's true, hurry up and come back, I'll give you half an hour."

Fan Ning turned around and ran, Fan Tiezhou hurriedly shouted: "We will meet at the dining place later!"

"understood!"

Fan Ning's voice came from afar, and he and Liu Kang had run away without a trace.

． ． ． ． ． ． ． ．
The Confucian Temple is a place that scholars like to go to. Usually, there are various bookstores and study shops on both sides of the Confucian Temple, but the Confucian Temple Square on the Shangyuan Festival is even more lively, with various lantern riddles and various arenas, attracting a large number of scholars.

The Confucian Temple is on the north side of Jingxian Bridge, which is the main bridge of Wu County. The Yingchun River under the bridge divides Wu County into two. To the south are various shops, warehouses, restaurants, inns, tile houses, while to the north are government offices, schools, The seat of institutions such as temples and Confucian temples.

The Yingchun River is full of big boats of dignitaries and dignitaries, and they directly enjoy the lanterns on both sides of the river from the boats.

Just as Fan Ning was about to get off the bridge, he suddenly heard someone calling him, "Fan Ning! Fan Dumb!"

It seems to be Jupe's voice, why is she here?

Zhu Pei returned to Wujiang after the annual exam last year. She said in a letter that she would not be back until the end of the month. Could it be that she heard it wrong?
"Fan Ning, I seem to hear Zhu Pei calling you." Liu Kang pointed to Qiao Dong.

That's right, Fanning ran off the bridge and ran east.

On the east side of the bridge, there are three large painting boats parked, which are also full of colored lights, which look extraordinarily radiant.

No need to look for it, Fan Ning saw Zhu Pei at a glance. She was wearing a fox fur short jacket, a black skirt with gold thread, and a bun with double rings on her hair.

Standing on the side of the boat, jumping up and down excitedly, she waved to Fan Ning, attracting the attention of many people on the shore, this little lady is so handsome!Many people were amazed.

"I'm going to tell my grandfather, wait for me!"

Jupe shouted, and it rushed into the cabin like a gust of wind.

At this time, a young man came leisurely from the other side of the big boat. He was tall, thin and very handsome. He was wearing a moon-white scholar's robe, a long-legged headband on his head, and a leather belt around his waist. He looked extraordinarily chic.

Fan Ning couldn't help but startled when he saw him, why is he also on the boat?

Liu Kang spoke quickly and asked directly, "Why are you on Zhu Pei's boat?"

This young man was Xu Ji, No. 2 in the annual examination. He looked at Liu Kang with a hint of contempt on his face, and said to Fan Ning indifferently: "What a coincidence, I actually met my junior."

After the yearly exam, when the middle school students saw Fan Ning in the school, they either made sarcasm or glared at him. They were very hostile to him. Fan Ning never gave him a good face. He and Xu Ji were even strangers. will ignore each other.

But at this time, Fan Ning felt a little uncomfortable, why is Jupe with him?
At this time, Zhu Pei galloped out from the cabin. She wore a black gauze hat and a large scholar's gown.

She ran towards the shore, closely followed by her bodyguard, the Great Sword Woman.

"Little Qiniang, where are you going?" Xu Ji shouted from behind.

Zhu Pei ignored him, and ran directly to the shore. She smiled and said to Fan Ning, "Just now I was wondering if I would meet you, but I did."

Fan Ning asked with a smile, "When did you come back? Why don't you go to school?"

"I just came back this morning, and I plan to go to school after the Lantern Festival."

She was very interested, and smiled at Fan Ning: "Where are you going to play, I will go with you."

Fan Ning scratched his head and smiled, "We plan to go to the Confucian Temple, you can go, but have you told your grandfather?"

"I told my grandfather, he said it's okay to be with you, let's go!"

Zhu Pei was suffocated in the boat, and suddenly met Fan Ning, which made her very happy. Like a bird that was suddenly free, she took Fan Ning's hand and ran towards the Confucian Temple.

Xu Ji watched Zhu Pei follow Fan Ning away from the boat, and he was so frustrated that he had nowhere to vent, so he kicked the side of the boat hard.

At this time, an old man with white hair and childlike face, wearing a crown on his head, came out, stood behind Xu Ji, and looked at Zhu Pei who was running away with his hands behind his back.

"Who is that boy next to Xiao Qiniang?" the old man asked lightly.

"Reporting to grandfather, that is her classmate and also from Yanying Academy."

"Student?"

The old man sneered, "You are also her classmate, why doesn't she go to see the lantern with you?"

Xu Ji didn't say a word, the old man lowered his eyes to look at his grandson, and asked calmly, "What kind of family background is he?"

"He seems to be a member of Fan Zhongyan's clan."

A sternness flashed in the old man's eyes, Fan Zhongyan has fallen, and the Fan family's children are still so arrogant?
"Fan Zhongyan has hundreds of people, what does his family do?" the old man asked again.

"Reporting to my grandfather, his family seems to be in the countryside of Mudu, near Taihu Lake, and my father is just a fisherman."

"Is he the number one in the exam that year?"

"it's him!"

The old man snorted coldly, "You are very competitive, not even a fisherman's son."

The old man glared at his grandson very dissatisfied, and turned back to the cabin.

Walking to the door of the cabin, he threw another sentence: "How can a mere country boy be worthy of Miss Zhu?"

Xu Ji's eyes lit up, his grandfather was hinting at himself!

． ． ． ． ． ． ．

"Why is that guy with you?" Fanning glanced back at the big ship in the distance.

Zhu Pei curled his lips, "Don't mention it, their boat is in the back, and they happened to meet today, so my grandfather invited them over to talk. Xu Ji wants to take me to see the lights. I'm so annoyed. You came just in time."

"You two are family friends?"

"It's a family friend. The grandfathers of the two families knew each other when they were young. His father and my father were classmates in the county school. They were both admitted to Jinshi. They both served as officials in the imperial court. The relationship between the two families is very good, and there is a little bit of kinship."

"But in the school, it's like he doesn't know you!" Liu Kang blurted out next to him.

Zhu Pei frowned, "This person is very good at pretending. At a young age, the city is very deep. I hate this kind of person the most."

Fan Ning couldn't help laughing when she heard her talk old-fashioned, she must be young!

The Confucian Temple Square is very lively, with scholars crowded in front of more than a dozen large colored sheds.

It is a bit like the color shed of Daxiangguo Temple, except that it is night, and the color shed is surrounded by lanterns, which are dazzling and more festive and lively.

"Which one to go first?" Fanning asked with a smile.

Zhu Pei thought for a while, then pointed to the guessing shed in front of him, "I want to do the riddle first!"

The Great Sword Woman opened the way for them in front. She had long and strong hands, and with a light swipe, the scholars in front couldn't stand still and jumped to both sides.

Many scholars were annoyed. When they looked up and saw such a tall woman with a long sword behind them, and then looked at their own small bodies, they couldn't help muttering, "A good man doesn't fight with women!" and walked away resentfully.

Fan Ning was afraid that the Sword Woman would hear, so he lowered his voice and asked Zhu Pei, "Where did your family find her?"

Zhu Pei was in a very good mood today, contrary to her usual savagery, she smiled and said: "Sister Jian is actually a female Taoist priest, she became a monk since she was a child, and her martial arts skills are very high. The Zilin Temple she became a monk was donated by my family, and she has followed me for a whole year. "

Only then did Fan Ning suddenly realize that this heroine of swordsman is a female Taoist priest, so there is no need to consider the problem of marriage.

The three of them walked into the lantern riddle shed. A dozen ropes were hung with lantern riddles, and they could be torn away if they guessed right. Under the strips, many scholars were looking up and thinking hard.

Liu Kang ran over excitedly and said, "I asked, and if I guess one, I will be rewarded with ten coins."

Fan Ning tapped him on the head with a fan, and said disdainfully, "Ten pennies will make you happy like this?"

But he forgot that when he heard in the capital that he could earn five cents for guessing a lantern riddle, he was much more excited than Liu Kang is now.

"Dumb, come and guess this lantern riddle!" Zhu Pei waved and shouted from the other side.

(End of this chapter)