Red Mansion Reader

Chapter 27 Seeing the Poor Dagger (Second)

"Why don't you take it seriously? Ban Shan Gong, do you think I'm full of money and don't want to recognize me as an old friend?" Feng Zhu pretended to be loud, with deep pain and regret on his face.

"If you change this anxiety and call me my fault, I'll be a little gentle." Mei Hanlin reluctantly looked away from the painting, teasing Yangzhou Yifu in front of him.

"If the half-mountain said that, it would be better to be a kind-hearted living Bodhisattva and take the dog into his family to teach him carefully, so that he can cure the smell of copper in my house."

Mei Changlong smiled, but said nothing.He had met Feng Zhu's son, who was fat and big-eared and had a perverse temper. If his father hadn't been in charge of him, he would have been lawless.

"The viewing of this painting is over, why don't we have a few drinks. I just have a naughty joke to tell you, you will definitely laugh when you hear it." Feng Zhu took Mei Changlong's hand and made a gesture of intimacy.The latter just got a precious painting, so he didn't refuse it.Just asked: "What is it?"

"Not long ago, Master Lin's beloved daughter celebrated her birthday?" Feng Zhu pulled Mei Changlong onto the table, and as soon as he sat down, seven or eight maidservants came up to serve them, and the two of them washed their hands and rinsed their mouths. "At that time, Mr. Lin invited us to accompany him. That idiot from the Zhao family sent a pair of handwriting in a daze. Guess whose is it?"

Holding the teacup, Mei Changlong blew lightly, and said cooperatively in a good mood, "Who is it?"

"Li, Tai, Bai!!"

Feng Zhu finished speaking every single word.

"Pfft!!!" Mei Changlong, who was half dead from choking, blushed, patted his chest, and pointed at Feng Zhu. It took him a long time to slow down and said, "It's an insult to the gentleman, it's an insult to the gentleman!!"

Feng Zhu just smirked, and continued: "He only knew that Li Bai was a banished immortal, but he thought Li Taibai was just an arty lunatic. He wanted to give it away as a gift. This man is always stingy. When he found out about it at the banquet, he beat up the servant who was in charge of it as soon as he got home, and sold it out."

Mei Changlong didn't care about this anymore, he stood up and walked around the table a few times, muttering to himself anxiously: "How can a little girl be such a rare treasure. No, I'm going to read his copy in front of His Majesty."

Hearing this, Feng Zhu couldn't help curling his lips.If you have the ability, you can't let a young Jinshi climb on your head.Don't look at Lin Ruhai as a small official now, but he is powerful, and he is in charge of Yangzhou's first-class salt administration.

And I heard that he has won the trust of His Majesty, and he will take over the post of magistrate after his term expires.You, a top-ranked Jinshi, are just pretending to be a Hanlin Gong in front of me. Who doesn't know why you came to Yangzhou here.

"What happened to that pair of calligraphy? They really took it into the mansion?" Mei Hanlin was very sorry, feeling deeply that the treasure had fallen into the hands of thieves.

"Then I would like to congratulate Mr. Banshan." Feng Zhugong cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Mr. Banshan is coming to Yangzhou, isn't he going to serve as a teacher at Yangzhou Academy? It just so happened that Master Lin donated it to the academy. If you want to come and take office, you can hang it in the study to admire."

"I can't do this. I'm entrusted by His Majesty to assist Senior Fellow Pei in running the academy. How can I hang this thing in my study? Since it was donated to the academy by Master Lin, it is for the scholars to copy every day to improve their writing skills."

Mei Hanlin shook his head in disapproval, but returned to his seat and sat down peacefully, no longer mentioning Shen Lin Ruhai in his words.

Feng Zhu doesn't understand elegance, but understands people's hearts.He couldn't see what the other party meant, he just poured the wine with a smile.It so happened that a row of servants came in with various delicacies.

When a dish is served, there are servants reporting the name of the dish.The first four items are: licorice ice and snow cold water, lychee paste, mustard melon, plum ginger.They are all meals with a lot of attention. Why do you think there are lychees in March?As a salt merchant in Yangzhou, there is a way to do everything if you have money.

Four of them are: Mafu Chicken Skin, Chicken Head Rang Sha Tang, Pan Rabbit Rotary Roast, and Di Crispy Crystal Kui.

The last four dishes have been changed again, in order: fragrant candied seeds, fried carved flowers with honey, shredded peony chicken, and lettuce shoots.

After three rounds of drinking like this, drink until half drunk.Under the maid's attire, Mei Hanlin even summoned calligraphy and wrote four big characters to Feng Zhu: Extremely elegant.

Feng Zhu accepted it very happily, saying that he had discovered a treasure today, and gained another treasure, and he was really overjoyed.

Mei Hanlin was also happy, his face was red and his ears were red, he was really happy in his life.

Feng Zhu got up and said that he was going to prepare a gift for the other party.Leaving the other party to drink alone, he got up and walked outside. When he walked to the veranda, a steward came up to him and handed him a stack of bank notes.

Feng Zhu took it in one hand and asked directly, "How are the scholars in the front hall taking care of you?"

"I went to take a look. I was accompanied by Steward Ji. They drank with all their heart."

Feng Zhu nodded and continued to walk forward quickly.At this moment, the mansion was brightly lit like daylight, but there were still six maidservants and servants lighting lanterns in front.

After some haste, Feng Zhu walked into the hall panting. He was so rich that he walked in such a hurry.He couldn't help panting, but when the scholars saw his appearance, half of the blame that had been subtracted from their hearts disappeared.

"Forgive me, everyone. Today is really an unfortunate coincidence. I have old friends coming to meet. I missed my meeting with future Juren and Scholars."

Everyone declined again and again, after some courtesy to each other.Feng Zhu opened his mouth to explain what he had promised in front of the magistrate two months ago, promising to give each county case 100 taels of silver.

He also said: Today, I made a mistake first, and the 100 taels was entrusted by the magistrate.The other 100 taels was an apology between him and Mei Hanlin.

The scholars are drinking happily, so there is a reason not to agree.In addition, he got a windfall, and in his words, he praised Master Feng's righteousness and the magistrate's compassion.It's absurd to talk about wine.

Taking this opportunity, Feng Zhu walked up to the county chief case one by one, handed over the 200 taels in person, and said words of forgiveness.

After the matter was over, Steward Ji stood up, held up the wine glasses, and invited everyone to drink.Only Chen Heng noticed that Feng Zhu had quietly left, and continued to accompany his Hanlin Gong.

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Returning to Mei Changlong in a hurry, Feng Zhu sat down without changing his face.Seeing him go in a hurry, return empty-handed.Mei Changlong couldn't help asking curiously: "Didn't you say you were going to get the treasure and appreciate it with me? What about the treasure?"

Feng Zhu smiled mysteriously, leaned sideways and put his ear next to each other, and told about the scholars one by one.He also mentioned that he gave an extra 100 taels in the name of the other party.

"Ban Shangong has won the trust and friendship of the students before he entered the academy. This is not a treasure. It is important to know that it is easy to get a priceless treasure, but it is difficult to know a confidant. If there are such gang leaders, Ban Shangong will also reap a piece of fragrant peaches and plums when he is in the academy."

After hearing this, Mei Hanlin was very moved.Standing up and holding Feng Zhu's hand, he sighed, "You are also my confidant."

"Can a rough man like me be the confidant of a half monkey?"

"Why not, sincerity is the most important thing."

Feng Zhu laughed and raised his wine glass to respect.The two drank a few more times, and Feng Zhu suddenly sighed.Mei Changlong couldn't help asking why.

"It's troublesome to talk about." Feng Zhu shook his head and sighed, "Didn't it be said that Mr. Lin invited him earlier, and he set up a trick with Mr. Zhifu to deceive and kill us salt merchants."

After telling the whole story of what happened in Lin's mansion, Feng Zhu said half eagerly and half regretfully: "Ban Shangong, I don't feel sorry for the money, but I can turn around for a few thousand taels. It's just that since Mr. Wei took office, he has been pressing us ordinary people step by step. I really don't understand. What did we do wrong? Please ask Ban Shangong to clarify."

"You idiot, it's because His Majesty is short of money." Mei Hanlin shook his head. Although he has been studying in the Imperial Academy for a long time, he has been living in the court for a long time, which can be regarded as a good eye. Now it is suitable to show off, "In the eighth year of Wuding, various ministries of the grassland came to invade. Your Majesty wanted to send troops to crusade, because the treasury could not afford the money, so he had to give up."

"Then just tell us no, money can be earned, and I, Feng Zhu, am not a wolf-hearted person for such a righteous deed of helping the country. I am definitely willing to spend my family's wealth to help His Majesty."

"Are you really willing?" Mei Changlong really drank too much, and dared to say such words in person, but fortunately, he continued to babble smugly, "You still think too little, instead of bowing your head and asking you to donate, why don't your majesty directly take the Yanzheng as the sword, this is the ninety-five supreme ruler of the world, and the courage of a hero."

"Then I'm done waiting?" Feng Zhu's face became as white as paper when he heard this.

"Why are you in such a rush! Do you think I don't know if those Jinling nobles behind you are successful? This matter is easy to think but difficult to do. Who is to say that the Supreme Emperor is still there, and some people make things difficult for His Majesty. Just look, the eldest daughter of the Jia family entered the palace as a female official the year before last, and was named a talented person last year."

"This is His Majesty's condition for the nobles to allow them to go down the slope. It's a pity that even Yang Guang has never touched the Yanzheng. His Majesty's wishful thinking may not be so easy to realize."

Speaking of this cruel emperor in the history books, Feng Zhu made a smirk, and commented: "A tyrannical government is fiercer than a tiger. This kind of truth requires a half-monkey to often tell the scholars."

"That should be the case. Being warlike is the sign of subjugation. Your Majesty only cares about your own fame, so how can you make fun of the country. I am going to the academy this time, and I am going to tell them more about the Qin and Sui Dynasties."

"Good, Mr. Mei is Gao Yi."

Feng Zhu laughed and raised his glass to invite him.

　I was also quite surprised when I checked the information.It is said that Lao Yang had a great sense of joy all his life, and the people were in dire straits during this period.As a result, the salt government, which can make the most money, was not even touched.I don't know if it's true or not.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)