Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 871: The Ultimate

Southeast shore of Qinghu Lake,
There was a gentle breeze on the shore, and many people gathered here, which should have been noisy. Unfortunately, now there was only the sound of the wind, and everyone was almost silent.

They were all frowning and thinking. It seemed simple, but they just couldn't figure it out. Even Zhang Jinyu's carriage was silent at this moment.
Zhang Jinyu was stunned for a moment. This couplet, isn't it that? It had a familiar thought. Qin, Se, Pipa, all have the same radical, the character Wang. It must be neat and have the same meaning. In this way, the second line must have the same character. This is difficult.

I looked up into the car.

Chun He and the nanny beside her were still the same, not paying any attention. The Queen and His Majesty were also thinking about it at this time. Even Dai Quan was rubbing his hands and thinking.

After waiting for a long time,
Dai Quan finally stopped rubbing his hands. Zhang Jinyu thought that Eunuch Dai had figured it out, and asked in surprise;
"Butler Dai, have you figured this out?"

Who knows,

Dai Quan's face turned red. He had no idea where this came from. He had no idea who had come up with this pair. It was so tricky that he had never seen it before.
"You are joking, my Lord. I don't know who came up with this couplet, but it is really tricky. It looks simple, but in fact, it is impossible to get it right. I can't get it right. I can't get it right."

Dai Quan kept shaking his hands, but the couplet was still interesting. Who were the Eight Kings?
Emperor Wu pondered over it for a while, but it was really difficult to figure it out. Who were the eight kings with the same head and appearance referring to? The four kings and eight dukes might be referring to the vassal kings within the Great Wall. It seemed that the person he was referring to was not a simple person!

"This first couplet is absolutely correct. It must have been thought up by some headmaster. However, I have no idea how to answer it. Yuqing, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty is right. The headmaster of Qinglian Academy is Ling Yunfu. He is a man of great talent, but he is also arrogant and looks down on fame and fortune. He does have talent,"

Empress Jiang had heard a little about this person. Because of this character, he refused the court's recruitment three times. The retired emperor was furious and the court ordered that this person would never be employed again. Later, he was invited by Qinglian Academy to be a teacher. Not long after that, this person actually climbed to the position of principal, surpassing the other two academies in the capital. These things caused a lot of trouble during the reign of the retired emperor.

Wu Huang Zhou Shihong naturally knew about this and smiled.

"Ling Yunfu is a genius, what a pity, Luo Yunhou, what do you think?"

A sudden question,
Zhang Jinyu didn't know how to answer. There was no such thing as true nobility. It was nothing more than waiting for a good price. He couldn't agree with it. He clasped his fists and shook his head.

"Master, I don't agree with your Majesty. I think Ling Yunfu is just seeking fame and reputation and wants a high position. He may not have achieved his wish, so he refused. I didn't expect that he went too far. If the court follows my idea and allows him to join the cabinet, he may have crawled in."

cut,
It's just that what they give is not enough. These scholars have learned all kinds of skills just to sell them to the emperor. What they want is to be remembered in history. If anyone were given the same condition, they would swim across even if the Qinghu Lake was blocking their way.

As soon as this word comes out,
Everyone in the car looked over, and Qin Keqing's eyes were also full of emotion. Her husband was really free and unrestrained.
"You are talking nonsense, kid. Can anyone join the cabinet? Besides, what do you mean by "playing too hard"? Explain it to me."

Emperor Wu scolded angrily, "This kid has no control over his words. He says whatever he wants.
Zhang Jinyu grinned and told me to tell the truth.

"Master Huang, what the kid said is true. Although I don't know Ling Yunfu, I think the court would only offer him a seventh-rank official if they recruited him. This is the first time. The second time, it would naturally be higher, and the sixth rank would be the highest. He refused again. He refused even if the court gave him face. The third time, they might give him an eighth-rank official. There are so many scholars in the world. I'm afraid the scholars who want to be officials can stand around the walls of the capital. He will definitely not go. He is riding a tiger and it is difficult to get off."

This is Zhang Jinyu's explanation. As the saying goes, if you don't have the face you give, you will only be humiliated. Three times is the limit. This is the case. When Emperor Wu saw that Luo Yunhou said it lightly, he paused in his heart. Thinking back, it was true. When his father was in power, he did the same thing. So it was a pity for Ling Yunfu. At that time, he was given the sixth rank, sat in the Hanlin Academy for a year, and was directly sent out as a fifth-rank governor. Unexpectedly, this person was arrogant and missed the opportunity.

"You are the only one who has many crooked ideas. Today, do you have any idea about that absolute?"

"Well, Master, I have some ideas, but I haven't figured it out yet. However, Master Huang, if it comes to that, do you want to take the silver or not?"

Zhang Jinyu was jealous. Two hundred thousand taels of silver would be a waste if he didn't take it. Even if the Queen and His Majesty were by his side, wouldn't this be a bad idea?

"You look like a money-grubber. Why can't you take it? If you can find the answer, you can take it. If you can't find the answer, you will be embarrassed."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your words. I will leave now."

Zhang Jinyu's face was filled with joy. He clasped his fists and opened the curtain to go out.

outside,

Almost everyone was thinking with a sad face. Many students and candidates looked helpless and could not think of anything at all. Many of them complained.

"It looks simple, but it's impossible to get it right. That's for sure."

"It must be absolute. Otherwise, anyone can take the two hundred thousand taels of silver. So, who paid for it?"

"Yes, whoever came up with it, it's the best for all time."

There was a buzz of discussion, and even the Jiangnan Academy was in an uproar. The three heads of the carriage behind pondered for a moment and shook their heads.

"It's really Ling Yunfu's work. This couplet is well-balanced and well-balanced, but I just can't find the right one. It has to be neat and meaningful. Wow, he is really a genius."

Lian Yuming, the headmaster of Bailu Academy, is proficient in music and poetry, but he is not good at making couplets, let alone the other two sitting in the room.

"Brother Lian is right. I wonder if Ling Yunfu has gotten sick from all these years of holding back. Haha."

Cheng Yafu, the president of Yuelin Academy, laughed without concealing his feelings. Only Si Yuan shook his head. These two really were something that could not be said!

outside,

When Hua Congyun saw that no one answered, his face became even more joyful and he shouted:
"Everyone, everyone, have you ever matched up with anyone? If not, today we'll end up in a tie. The poetry gathering has been moved up, and many students, including young masters from aristocratic families, have already arrived. In order not to embarrass you, let's just let this matter go!"

Hua Congyun also wanted to end it early, it was anticlimactic, so he should leave early, and wanted to shout one more thing, but Zhang Jinyu lifted the car curtain and walked out, shouting;
"Wait, everyone. You have been blocking the road and wasting so much time. Now you want to leave like this, but it's not that easy. Since you have made a bet, why don't you let people join in? I will also make a pair, with a bet of 200,000 taels of silver. Do you dare to follow suit?"

He looked at the two carriages opposite jokingly. This meant that the other side was going to raise the stakes. Two hundred thousand taels of silver, three portions would be six hundred thousand taels. In this way, whoever matched the bet would be rich.
Everyone was shocked, looked in Zhang Jinyu's direction, and started to make a noise.

"Follow, follow."

Hua Congyun was a little at a loss, and asked back,
"May I ask who you are and where is the banknote?"

"Haha, I am Marquis Luo Yun. I have been blocked by you two families for quite a while. As for the banknotes, they are here."

After saying this, he took out a 200,000 tael banknote from Yunhai Bank and threw it in his hand.

At this time, a voice suddenly came from the carriages of both parties. One word, "It's Luo Yunhou, interesting, follow,"

As if receiving an order, Hua Congyun took the banknote from the car and seemed to be more confident.
"Okay, in that case, I'll follow you. You ask the questions, right?"

The people from Jiangnan Academy did the same and also shouted "Follow".

"Well, in that case, listen carefully, the Eight Kings of Qin, Se, Pipa, the King is supreme!"

Zhang Jinyu had a smile on his face. Just now, he had actually thought of this absolute couplet, so this happened. However, as soon as he said this, there was an uproar below. Isn't this the couplet from before?

What does Luo Yunhou mean? Hua Congyun asked in a panic.

"My Lord, the couplet you proposed is the one I just mentioned, which was proposed by Qinglian Academy. Aren't the two duplicates?"

"That's wrong. Although the two seem to be the same, my couplet is much more difficult. How come you should ask the questions, not others? There is one thing. As long as you can answer them, anyone can get the silver note in my hand. I will also give you time to think about it. After all, it is absolute. Anyone who goes to Yanchun Tower to participate in the poetry meeting has a chance. As for those who can't go, you can think about it now. If you remember, just fire three cannons at the door of Yanchun Tower and shout, "If you get the right answer, someone will come to find you. But you can't make trouble, okay!"

Zhang Jinyu actually lost his patience, and instead thought of something interesting in his heart. Now that he had the absolute, he thought of these two princes. There were so many nobles from aristocratic families, and they came for more than just these two. At least the five princes had seats as guests of honor.
I don't know who was at the bottom, but there was a loud cheer. Everyone was cheering and making a scene, which made it difficult for the two people in front to back down.

The two of them also picked up the banknotes in their hands, and Qin Yuxiao shouted;

"Since the Marquis has placed the bet, our three Jiangnan academies have followed suit. Anyone who can match the pair will be presented with the two hundred thousand taels of silver. This will be visible to the world and we will never break our promise." Seeing that everyone agreed, Hua Congyun immediately ordered the carriage to open the way.

"Okay, in that case, the three academies in the capital will follow. Anyone who can match up, no matter who it is, hand over the banknotes with both hands and go."

A shout,
The originally crowded street suddenly became smooth, and two cars slowly drove away. Zhang Jinyu also got into the car, pretending to be thinking, but the eyes of the people in the car were quite strange.
Not far from Yanchun Tower,
But the news of the bet spread across half of the capital in an instant. Luo Yunhou and the six major academies were betting on each other, especially the bet of 600,000 taels of silver. It shocked the whole city. Wine shops, academies, and tea houses were all discussing the pair of the Eight Kings.

Even the Yongcheng Prince Zhou Ying, who was hiding in a car on the side of the road, was full of curiosity. Who came up with this couplet?
"Zou Xiao, do you think this couplet was proposed by Ling Yunfu, the genius headmaster of Qinglian Academy? From my perspective, he himself can't come up with one."

"Master is wise. He is probably the only one who can come up with such a rare talent that will last forever."

"Hmph, this is interesting. Let's go to Yanchun Tower. My sister must be waiting anxiously. This will definitely be a lively place."

immediately,

The carriage moved slowly towards Yanchun Tower.

At this time, Yanchun Tower

The place was already full of guests, and the front yards were filled with carriages. Not only the sons of the noble families in the capital, but even the gentry and wealthy merchants were flocking to it, leaving no room for anything.

Zhang Jinyu's carriage moved faster and arrived first. When they arrived, Liu Chen and others got off the carriage first and asked the secret guards to spread out around.
"My Lord, Lord Governor, we have arrived!"

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"Okay, wait a moment. Send a few people to wait at the door first. Also, change your name. I'm the steward, and the one behind me is the housekeeper. Hurry."

"Yes, Steward!"

Zhang Jinyu complained that he was blind. No wonder he was still a captain for so long. That Ma Mengquan was already a deputy commander. He lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. He looked around. It was really well maintained. He didn't know when a pond was dug in the yard and many golden scales were raised in it. It was a taste.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual, and that the bustling convoy on the street behind him was coming soon, he stretched out his finger and knocked on the door frame.

"Master, Master, we're here!"

"it is good,"

Emperor Wu rolled up his sleeves and got off the carriage with the help of Dai Quan, followed by Qin Keqing and Chunhe, and finally the Empress.
When the people came down, Emperor Wu was still calm, and he must have been here before. But the Empress looked around. Yanchun Tower was nearly five stories high, which was rare. There were corridors all around, carved beams and painted buildings, and it was very imposing. At first glance, it was no worse than those in the palace.

"It looks festive. I didn't expect Xiangxue to be so good at taking care of this place."

Seeing the Empress praising him, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but laugh. He thought that since there was so little entertainment nowadays, anyone with some money would come to the brothel to listen to some music and relieve their fatigue. As long as they could open a brothel, they would make money. It was just a question of whether they could open it or not.

"That's right. Let's go in and see what the poetry club will do."

Emperor Wu's eyes fell on Zhang Jinyu's face.
"Uh, sir, please come in."

finished,

He made way for a moment, took out the invitation from his arms, and walked in. The receptionist at the door took the invitation and looked at it, his face was startled, and he immediately ordered the servant beside him,

"Quick, Lord, please take a seat. There is a private room on the third floor. Also, there is a seat reserved for you at the main table on the second floor."

"Yes, Steward."

The servant nodded and bowed, then ran over quickly.
"My Lord, go upstairs. There is a private room here, which is quieter. The seat on the second floor is reserved for you."

As he spoke, he pointed to the right. It turned out that there was a secret door here. Just like last time, this thing was mysterious. He winked at Liu Chen, who understood and personally led people to take a look. After ensuring safety, he came back to report.
"Nothing unusual."

"That's good. Lead the way. Ningbian, give the reward."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

A piece of silver was thrown over, and the boy smiled and bent even lower.

Zhang Jinyu turned around and pointed to the hall in front. He saw that a high platform had been built on the first floor. A troupe of actors were invited to perform on it. People gathered below the stage to watch the excitement. There was a temporary ladder that connected the platform to the second floor. Just behind the platform, the side rooms had long been demolished and replaced with a spacious hall, and rows of low tables and futons were set up opposite each other.

When I saw these,

Zhang Jinyu's mouth twitched, and her legs felt numb. This was obviously the preference set by the eldest princess.

"Master Huang, this high platform should be the place for poetry gatherings. As for the second floor, I think it is where the mountain masters sit. Above the third floor, there are all private rooms."

"Well, it looks pretty good. There are a lot more people here. Come to think of it, do many officials from the court come here often?"

Emperor Wu looked around. Not only were people coming and going, but the life was extremely extravagant. The treasury of the imperial court was becoming increasingly tight. He had never thought that the officials in the capital were so carefree. How could he not be angry?
Dai Quan followed behind with a wry smile. Looking around the hall, he saw many familiar faces. It seemed that His Majesty had something on his mind.

"Uh, Master Huang, how would I know if others are here or not? Anyway, I never come here. If I hadn't wanted to investigate a case last time, I wouldn't have had a conflict with the Imperial Guards."

Zhang Jinyu complained, still wondering in his heart who was on His Majesty's mind, who came early or late, and was caught first,

"Forget it, go up."

Thinking about today's poetry gathering, they came here, and waited for the Imperial City Bureau to investigate it in the future. It was only after Emperor Wu left the order that a group of people went upstairs and entered the box on the third floor. They put a table near the window and opened the window, facing the high platform below. It was clear at a glance. It was a good place.
"Mr. Huang, please come in, the seat is perfect,"

Turning his head to look at the servant, he ordered some tea and snacks to be brought over. Seeing that the empress and the emperor had taken their seats, Zhang Jinyu then pulled Qin Keqing to sit with them.

Ning Bian, Liu Chen and others were waiting inside the house. At this time, the door was opened and maids brought tea and snacks.

"My Lord, everything you requested has been delivered. If you have any further instructions, I will be waiting outside."

"Okay, go down,"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The servant was very tactful and waved his hand, and a group of maids slowly retreated.

"Your Majesty, try the golden tea here. It is said to have come from the Western Regions. It has a sweet smell and a bright yellow color, so the people in the capital call it that."

Zhang Jinyu picked up the tea bowl and served tea to the few people. Dai Quan tested the poison with a silver needle as usual. After it was confirmed, he added another mouthful.
"My Lord, how do you know that this tea came from the Western Regions?"

Dai Quan was also a little puzzled. This tea was rare, how did the Marquis know about it?

"It's hard to say. Some people show off this tea everywhere, and everyone knows about it."

Zhang Jinyu laughed. What he said was referring to the old procuresses of the Jiaofangsi. They were boasting to the sky. Emperor Wu was moved and took a sip of tea from the tea bowl. The taste was okay, but not as good as the tea from the Central Plains.
"Oh, someone is showing off to you. I guess it's not bragging. It tastes pretty good."

Just at this time,

Outside Yanchun Tower, the sound of firecrackers was heard and students from the six major academies came in one after another!

(End of this chapter)