Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 174 There is a legend about me in the world
Xinghua Restaurant is the largest restaurant in Chang'an. It is adjacent to Zhuque Street and is separated by a wall. It covers an area of ​​more than [-] acres.Considering the high price of land on both sides of Zhuque Street, the person who opened this restaurant must not only be rich, but also have an extremely high status.

Because it occupies a prime location, Xinghua Tower has always been a place where dignitaries in Chang'an City like to drink and have fun.The scenery here is superb. In spring, you can see the apricot blossoms in the yard from upstairs.On the other side, you can sit high and overlook the pedestrians passing by on both sides of the wide Suzaku Street.

If its owner had no power, he would have been taken away long ago, and the restaurant would not have been able to open to this day!
Following Fang Chongyong all the way to the door of Xinghua Tower, Du Fu and Yuan Jie were both worried about whether they could go in.

What is the level of consumption here? Even if it is their first time in Chang'an, they know very well: if Fang Chongyong did not treat him, they would probably have to sell their hands and feet to get out if they went in to have a meal.

However, eaters are short-tongued and takers are soft-handed. How could this meal be so delicious?

"Don't worry, it's just a meal. If someone is here, can't we go to Xinghua Tower?"

Fang Chongyong waved his hand gently and said.

Du Fu and Yuan Jie looked at each other and laughed dumbly.

Yes, if someone with such a powerful status as the son of the Lingnan Economic Envoy, the son-in-law of the Hedong Jiedu Envoy, and the governor of Shazhou and a member of the Ministry of Rites, Wai Lang, cannot have a meal at Xinghualou, then this world is already unreasonable!
Now that you're here, eat well and don't think too much about what you have.

However, when Fang Chongyong and the others just walked in and prepared to go upstairs, the shopkeeper of Xinghualou quickly stopped them.

"You three guests, please stay. Today, Mr. Zhang has reserved the Xinghua Building. I'm really sorry!"

Although the fat shopkeeper of Xinghualou in front of me spoke politely, the meaning behind his words was very clear!
"Presumptuous! Zhang Shougui's son, Mr. Zhang, is such a person! Slandering an important official of the imperial court is a serious crime!"

Fang Chongyong's expression changed drastically, and he cursed loudly at the fat shopkeeper.

During the Tang Dynasty, the term "gongzi" could not be used indiscriminately.

Only the son of the prime minister can be called a "gongzi".If a person is not the son of the prime minister, but is called a prince, he must immediately apologize and clarify, and must not accept it openly.

Because Li Erfeng once said, "You are a young master at a certain age," so in this era, you can know the weight of the word "gongzi" with just a little thought.

This can be used as "evidence" for Yushitai to impeach officials!
"Well, the person holding the banquet upstairs...is not Zhang Shougui, the son of Mr. Zhang."

The fat shopkeeper said with an embarrassed look.

I'll just say it.

Fang Chongyong breathed a sigh of relief. If he really faced off against Zhang Shougui's son and started a yamen drama of "fighting for seats in the restaurant", the price would be really low.The main thing is that now he is not necessarily the opponent of Zhang Yanei in playing Pindad Entries!
"Yes, since he is not the son of Zhang Shougui and Xianggong Zhang, why do you call him Mr. Zhang? You can't use the word "gongzi" randomly!"

A hearty joking sound came from behind Fang Chongyong.

The three of them looked back and saw a tall young man with a face that looked to be in his 20s, only slightly shorter than Fang Chongyong.He is a bit thin, but his temperament is not frail at all. He is wearing a blue linen robe that is popular among ordinary people in Chang'an, but his hands are covered with thick calluses.

This is a senior Qiu Ba!
Fang Chongyong, who was of the same kind, secretly made a judgment in his heart.

Behind him were several people who looked like scribes. They seemed to have come to Xinghua Tower to drink with him, and they might have been his entourage.

“Oh, you guys, you guys.

The person booking the table upstairs is Zhang Shi. Do you know him?His father was a favorite of the saint, and Zhang Yi, the censor, was about to become the prime minister.

Today he celebrated his passing in the imperial examination and hosted a banquet for his friends.Is it wrong to give him a harmless flattery and call him Mr. Zhang in advance because he is just making a living in a restaurant?
He is not a young master now, but after a while Zhang Yi and Zhang Yushi will be worshiped as prime ministers, then they will be. What's the problem with this? "

The fat shopkeeper gave his reasons.

Fang Chongyong, Du Fu and others looked at each other in confusion. At this age, it was the first time I heard that flattery could be played in this way. Is it really true that "masters are among the people"?

The shopkeeper of Xinghualou welcomes all kinds of dignitaries who are sent to Chang'an City. Naturally, he has to be well-rounded. The person in front of him obviously has some skills.

"Fang Shijun, how about we eat on the first floor."

Du Fu and Yuan Jie pulled Fang Chongyong aside and said.

Although the words are true, although you can eat on the first floor of Xinghua Building, it obviously lacks a bit of artistic conception.

If you go to a restaurant to eat, is it food?

No, going there to eat is all about mood and happiness.If you feel unhappy, even if you eat the same thing, it will still taste the same.

Those who can eat here are those who are not short of money.

Those dignitaries and poets came here just to go upstairs and enjoy the beautiful scenery from a high position, while reciting poems and composing poems, and at the same time tasting the delicious food provided by the restaurant.

Now that I can’t go upstairs, it’s like braised pork ribs without ribs or Kung Pao chicken without chicken!
"You went to the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion, went to see Zheng Shuqing and told him that he had some work to do, and then..."

Fang Chongyong said to Zhang Guangsheng who was following him, and the two of them whispered to each other for a long time.

Zhang Guangsheng took the order and left.

The fat shopkeeper with excellent hearing vaguely heard the words "Jingzhao Mansion", and suddenly smiled helplessly and said: "Guests, I will take you to eat at a good restaurant elsewhere. No matter how much you eat, it will be counted as my." Yes, is that okay? Don’t go to the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen to find someone. If you don’t tell the truth and end up offending Zhang Yushi, why bother?”

The case of the Xing family's extermination did not have much impact on the people, so the fat shopkeeper did not know Zheng Shuqing's new nickname of "The Yin of the Exterminator".

"Hey! Now, it's not about eating anymore."

Fang Chongyong smiled coldly. He had just heard incredible information from the fat shopkeeper.

This year's imperial examination will be held after Brother Ji's [-]th birthday, which is still more than a month away at the earliest!Not to mention the results, even the list of students who will take the exam has not been completely finalized.At that time, there will still be some "connected households" in Chang'an who will be added to it, and some people may be squeezed out for various reasons.

Then the problem is coming.

Only a few people are admitted to the imperial examination every year, and the number of "connected households" is extremely large. Why do these "idiots", knowing clearly that their backstage cannot compete with those in the same office with a strong background like Fang Chongyong, still have to go through the connections to get in? Join in the fun?

Haha, if you think others are wasting their time, you are totally wrong!
If you fail the exam this time, there will be a next time; if you fail the exam next time, there will be a next time.Participating in the imperial examination is just like being an official. You will gradually accumulate "prestige value".Even if you don't win, it's not all a gain.

If you take more scientific examinations, you will naturally put a premium on your face, and then wear the label of "continuous defeats" and strive for success. You can even label yourself "unappreciated for your talents" if you are thick-skinned.

From then on, he changed from a young man in Wuling, Chang'an who was ignorant and unskilled, to a scholar who was also unskilled but had been working hard to learn and struggle!You can also wear "scholar clothes" openly and force your way into that circle.

Although I couldn't pass the exam, I kept studying (to brag) and took the science exam every year!
In the case of low mobility of people in the circle, it is very likely that such a waste will get some sympathy points in the future and be admitted to easier subjects such as "Ming Jing Ke".

In Fang Chongyong's view, these futile attempts were completely useless, but to the official circles, they were an important means to build their personalities and secure marriages from high-ranking families.

So now a very ridiculous scene has appeared. When nothing has been decided about this year's exam, why did the shopkeeper just now say that Zhang Shi was here to celebrate his passing the imperial examination?

The exam will be held in a month. Now you can say that you have won the exam?Isn’t this fraud in the imperial examination?
But he had no obligation to remind the fat shopkeeper now.

There was less time to burn the incense, and Zheng Shuqing personally led the team, followed by more than a dozen people!Almost everyone in the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen was dispatched!A group of people rushed into Xinghua Tower in a hurry and made the matter a big deal!

"Is it true that someone cheated on the imperial examination?"

Zheng Shuqing quietly approached Fang Chongyong's ear and asked in a low voice.

"We are celebrating Zhang Shi's passing the imperial examination upstairs. Don't ask any questions. Just go up and arrest everyone. Everyone will be arrested.

Don't you want to break the situation?You can't go wrong if you attack the enemy and save him. "

Fang Chongyong continued to confuse.

Passed the imperial examination?The exam hasn't even started yet, how can you pass?
Zheng Shuqing was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized that he didn't expect that riding a horse would be such a big deal, but let him catch it!
"Come here, bring everyone above, no matter who they are or what their status is, back to the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen!
If something goes wrong, I'll take care of it, and it's not your turn to speak! "

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand, pointed at the entrance to the stairs on the second floor of Xinghua Building and shouted loudly.Lao Zheng sighed in his heart, only when Fang Chongyong came back would he enjoy being the governor of Jingzhao. He would be as happy as the "Emperor of the Earth" who became the powerful governor of a local state!

After all the officials and minor officials of Jingzhao Mansion went to arrest people, Zheng Shuqing pulled Fang Chongyong aside and asked cautiously: "Did you talk to the right minister last night? How did he arrange it?"

"The right minister has nothing arranged and is very concerned about your situation."

Fang Chongyong told the truth with some added spice.

In fact, although Li Linfu was more worried about Zheng Shuqing, he was only worried that he would fall too fast. He was not concerned about whether he could survive to the end of this "decisive battle between the two armies".

However, in order not to ruin the atmosphere of the conversation and for the sake of subsequent operations, Fang Chongyong decided not to tell the truth to Zheng Shuqing.

"Ah? What should we do?"

When Zheng Shuqing heard this, he became anxious.

"Don't worry, I'm here. Now you just need to listen to my instructions. I guarantee that before the saint returns to Chang'an, your Jingzhao Mansion Yamen will be the most handsome man in the officialdom of Chang'an City."

Fang Chongyong said a later dialect.

Zheng Shuqing was stunned for a long time before he vaguely understood what this meant.

"So, what to do?"

he asked confused.

Even if we arrest all the people above, what else can we do?We can’t torture these people!
Fang Chongyong waved to him gently, but muttered for a long time, which made Zheng Shuqing look shocked.

"Isn't this... too arrogant?"

Zheng Shuqing was still a little scared.

Catching people like Zhang Shi was okay, but Fang Chongyong's method was a bit outrageous.

"There is a saying in the art of war: If the enemy is strong and we are weak, we cannot defend to the death. We can only break it by attacking instead of defending."

Fang Chongyong said seductively calmly.

Hearing this, the young man who was behind Fang Chongyong just now with a temperament similar to Qiu Ba nodded thoughtfully, obviously agreeing with what he said.

"Zheng Shuqing! I didn't offend you, but you kept messing with me one after another. Believe it or not, I asked my grandpa to impeach you!"

After being escorted downstairs, Zhang Xi cursed when he saw Zheng Shuqing!

This is not the first time. Zhang Shi will have nightmares when he thinks about what happened last time!
Such a big Xing family, if he said that his family would be exterminated, he would be exterminated.

Suddenly, he saw the person who appeared repeatedly in nightmares standing next to Zheng Shuqing. He suddenly felt like a duck being strangled by the throat, unable to speak a word!

Isn't this the famous "King of Hell" who destroys families and lives in Chang'an City!Xing Wei just teased his concubine without even touching her, and then the Xing family was wiped out!

I have seen ruthless people, but I have never seen such ruthless people!

It seems that the Xing family was exterminated only because they committed the crime of deceiving the emperor and committed murder and robbery in the Silla Sea.However, among these dignitaries in Chang'an City, who has a clean bottom?

Who hasn’t done some bad things behind his back?
If the saint really wanted to pursue each of them, there would have been no powerful people in Chang'an City for a long time.

Why didn't the Xing family get into trouble earlier and later, but why did Fang Chongyong get into trouble on the day he came to Chang'an and be exterminated the next day?

How can there be such a coincidence in the world?

Zhang Xi took a few steps back, all the way to the corner, pointing at Fang Chongyong with a look of horror on his face!

He doesn't want to be the next one to be wiped out!

"Don't come here!"

Zhang Xi shouted at Fang Chongyong, as if he saw an evil ghost from hell.

Finding that this "Master Zhang" was so frightened that he hid in a corner, Fang Chongyong also looked stunned and felt inexplicable.

"Hurry back to the Yamen to handle the case, and try to make it a solid case. You must withstand it. If you can't withstand it anymore, ask your right minister for help. Anyway, I say a thousand words and ten thousand, but I won't let him go until the saint returns to Chang'an before making a decision!
If push comes to shove, you threaten to resign!Then go to Zhongnan Mountain and cry to the saint, saying that there is someone in the officialdom who covers the sky with one hand, and you dare not go back, so you can only live in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain. "

Fang Chongyong whispered to Zheng Shuqing, his voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Does it need to be so cruel?"

Zheng Shuqing was frightened.

"As long as you are not afraid, others will be afraid."

Fang Chongyong grabbed Zheng Shuqing's sleeve and pulled hard!

Old Zheng Xiong, a man of high spirits, led the people from the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen to gather up the team and took away all the dozen or so guests upstairs.

Du Fu and Yuan Jie watched the whole process of the fight between gods, without even a chance to interrupt.

"It's better to meet by chance than to invite. Why don't this brother join us at the same table and go upstairs to have a banquet together. While admiring the beautiful scenery, we can talk about life. Wouldn't it be beautiful?"

This is Du Fu and Du Zimei, this is Yuan Jie Yuan Cishan, a certain named Fang Chongyong, the son of Fang Youde. "

Hearing Fang Chongyong's invitation, the man quickly raised his hand and said, "It would be disrespectful to reject the invitation. My name is Zhang Xiancheng, and my father is Zhang Shougui."

The young man in front of him said with a smile.

The fat shopkeeper of Xinghualou next to him was so frightened that he sat down on the ground.

The fake "Mr. Zhang" just now was taken away by the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen. Now this unscrupulous man is the real "Mr. Zhang".

However, Zhang Xiancheng kindly helped the fat shopkeeper up, then patted the dust on his body and said:
"A certain person used to be in Qiu Ba, a border town. He has only been in Chang'an for two years, so he doesn't pay much attention to false reputations.

Either drink or kill, why do you care about being a gentleman or not?

I'll treat you to this meal, and I'll send someone to the Prime Minister Zuo's Mansion to get the money when the time comes. "

Zhang Xiancheng patted the shopkeeper of Xinghualou on the shoulder, then turned around, and the other party Zhongyong made a "please" gesture.

"Brother Zimei, why don't you go upstairs?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Du Fu with a puzzled face. This great poet whose poems were passed down to later generations was already shocked to the point of numbness.

"Go, go, go."

Yuan Jie laughed loudly, calmly took Du Fu's arm and walked upstairs.

Fang Chongyong gave Zhang Xiancheng a meaningful look. Their eyes met, they both smiled friendly, nodded slightly, and went up to the Xinghua Tower together.

Only the shopkeeper of Xinghualou, who almost pissed himself with fright, was left in the same place, disheveled in the wind.

　Dash
　　
　
(End of this chapter)