The bad emperor of Tang Dynasty

With Guo Nuan's lure of a lot of money, the shopkeeper immediately helped Guo Nuan contact copying masters very attentively.

It is said that in the literati square, these scholars who are poor in life but have some cultural talents, there are many people there, it can be said to be Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Any painter, maybe all the court painters in the palace have their amazing skills, maybe because the painters hidden in the literati workshop are aloof and don't pay much attention to fame and money, as for those inscription writers, copying scholars, painting, composing, blowing and drawing Playing and singing artists can be found in any corner of a small courtyard.

Under the leadership of the shopkeeper, Guo Nuan walked around more than a dozen streets and alleys, which dazzled him. Guo Nuan didn't have a good sense of direction. If he didn't know which corner he was in, a dilapidated small In the garden, there is a well water, a vegetable field, and a small thatched cottage, which is extremely simple.

"There is a beggar in this garden. He is very good at imitating calligraphy. You should be more polite when you see him later," the shopkeeper told Guo Nuan in advance, saying that Guo Nuan was a little curious. As for beggars, master copyists should at least be able to read and write, and they can copy calligraphy, so they dare to be called masters.

Well, Guo Nuan was a little surprised. A master imitator, didn't he mean that he could easily imitate the handwriting of famous calligraphers from the previous dynasty and the contemporary era with great charm.

Before the shopkeeper came, he packed a roasted duck, a roasted chicken, and a pot of high-quality Huadiao wine, all of which the beggar liked to eat.

Guo Nuan stepped into the garden and said that the garden covers an area of ​​about three mu of land, which is full of weeds and dead trees. There is a small vegetable field in one corner, with sweet potato leaves planted in it, but during the day, the vegetable field is still shuttled. A few huge gray mice, they are gnawing on the sweet potatoes in the vegetable field with relish, they are not afraid of people at all.

As for most of the vegetable leaves withered and yellow, it seems that the owner of this family is very lazy, he just planted some vegetables in the vegetable field and let them fend for themselves.

The shopkeeper led Guo Nuan to a locust tree, and immediately behind the thatched hut, a thin yellow dog sprang out. It was as thin as a beggar, but its eyes were still bright, and it rushed towards Guo Nuan and the others. .

At this moment, Guo Nuan's face turned serious, and he immediately bent down to pick up a dog-beating stick, intending to make the dog eat a sap.

"Young master, wait a minute, don't hit Xiao Huang." When Guo Nuan was speechless about his name, the shopkeeper hurriedly stopped Guo Nuan's actions, saying that if Ah Huang, the only relative of the beggar master, was injured, it would be a big deal. It will make the beggar owner unhappy all of a sudden. Now he still needs to ask for help, and he still needs to look at the owner when he beats the dog.

As he said that, the shopkeeper skillfully removed a greasy duck leg from the roasted duck wrapped in oil paper.

"Tsk tsk, Ah Huang, eat duck legs, eat," the shopkeeper's face was full of polite smiles, a parabola, and immediately threw the duck legs into the air, and the earth dog named Ah Huang jumped into the air very cleverly , Holding the duck leg in one bite, it can be said to be a flying god dog.

Guo Nuan was amazed, saying that with the shopkeeper's duck leg, the dog immediately wagged its tail, gnawed on the duck leg, and cast friendly glances at Guo Nuan and the others.

"Hehe, by the way, this dog is special and very smart. I have visited here more than ten times. I am an old acquaintance. Every time this Ah Huang doesn't recognize anyone at all. After a dog barks, he only recognizes duck legs." Let go,"

Guo Nuan laughed, it seems that duck legs are the pass to visit the owner next time.

However, the shopkeeper briefly told the deeds of this strange dog. He said that the dog was very lazy and only went out to beg for food when he was hungry. Every butcher shop squatted. The offal meat was rewarded to the dog.

As long as the store rewards the meat, this Ah Huang will eat it, but if there is no reward, it will starve to death and will not eat a bite. Guo Nuan heard the shopkeeper say that once, the store had something to go out and went to the opposite side of the store. I bought some raw materials in the vegetable market, and the shop owner knew Ah Huang very well, so he immediately asked Ah Huang to guard the store.

Half a quarter later, when the store owner came back, he saw that Ah Huang was biting a thief who had stolen more than a dozen roast ducks from his own store. What's terrible is that the thief was still holding a large string of copper coins from the cash drawer in the store, estimated to be more than a dozen taels. At that time, the chickens and ducks were scattered on the ground, but Ah Huang just bit the thief's arm and did not let go until he dragged it to the store. Come back and escort the thief to the Yamen together.

Speaking of which, the store owner is grateful for Ah Huang's bravery and for recovering the loss in his shop. Looking at the blood spilling from the corner of Ah Huang's mouth, it seems that it was kicked by a vicious thief, and it was still limping when it walked forward. At that time, the store gave A Huang the chickens and ducks scattered on the ground. At that time, A Huang went in and sniffed the barbecue wrapped in oil paper on the ground. He didn't eat it, and then left with the chicken intestines in his mouth by the ditch in front of the store.

The shopkeeper lamented that this dog really looks like a proud scholar. After the news spread, it immediately became famous. Everyone in the streets and alleys knew Ah Huang, and at the same time, the owner in the garden was also well-known. Be known by everyone.

Of course, the master has the same character as Ah Huang, aloof and noble, like a good dog, although he has inherited the hidden foundation of his ancestors who were officials, but regards money as dung, after all the money is gone, he has always been willing to be a beggar and have a good time , Eating meat and drinking are his only hobbies, and copying calligraphy is his last resort, earning some pocket money to survive.

The shopkeeper climbed up the steps and knocked on the crooked broken door. In fact, the door was already crumbling, and there were still a few holes. It was really rotten.

"Who,,, ah" came a belching voice from inside, lazily, but loud and clear.

"Shopkeeper Gao of Literati Square, Master Yu, I have a guest to introduce to you," the shopkeeper replied respectfully outside the door.

"Oh, wait a minute," a rustling voice came from inside, saying that he was putting on clothes, it was a busy day, no doubt it was because Young Master Yu was still sleeping late.

"Who are you?" A young man with disheveled hair and a smell of alcohol tore down the broken door and put it on the wall.

Guo Nuan was a little surprised, this thatched cottage is too desolate, the door does not need to be locked, it can be dismantled directly, it seems that it is not used to prevent theft, but to keep out the wind and cold at night.

"Um, my name is Guo...male," Guo Nuan didn't want to reveal his identity, but he was not good at lying, so he hesitated when he said it.

"Hey, I'm well dressed, so I guess he's rich," Young Master Yu muttered, "I've got the money for the wine, so call him Guo Nan or Guo Nu."

Entering the small thatched hut with four bare walls, Guo Nuan looked around, and indeed hurriedly, there was a straw dog kennel on the ground, and there was a straw bed board shop.

However, there was a vertical bookcase in the corner, which was filled with densely packed yellowed linear books, and there was a wooden table next to it, which was mended and rotten at one corner, but there was no stool under the table.

"Tell me, whose work do you want to copy?" This poor and messy young beggar, who was called the young master by the shopkeeper, asked very directly.

"Well, I want to ask, can you copy Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy?" Guo Nuan now wanted to test the young master, and took out a piece of paper from his sleeve.

The shopkeeper's expression at the moment is extremely rich. Speaking of Guo Nuan's calm tone, this piece of paper is extremely authentic by Yan Zhenqing. Ah, Yan Zhenqing is a high-ranking official in the dynasty. Not only that, he is also a master of the literary world. To get his authentic work, even if it is a waste manuscript in the wastebasket, it is worth a thousand gold.

Unfolding the paper, the shopkeeper and Young Master Yu took a closer look. Young Master Yu dug out one hand from the back of the tattered linen clothes for a while, pinched out two lice with his fingertips, and crushed the twins to death.

Then he glanced lazily, let out a sigh of relief and said, "Well, this is undoubtedly the authentic work of Yan Zhenqing."

By the way, this is a piece of waste manuscript paper that Guo Nuan asked for from Yan Zhenqing before, this time it is just to check the quality of the copyists hired.

Young Master Yu walked to the broken table, bowed his head and took a breath, blowing away the thick layer of dust on the table, took paper and spread it on top.

"Ah Huang, go and get the young master's inkstone and writing brush," Yu Shao whistled, and Ah Huang, who was gnawing on a duck leg in the corner, immediately stood up, sniffed a few times in the straw, and then barked in a low voice He let out a sound, took a brush in his mouth, and then found an inkstone from the dry wood in another corner.

Guo Nuanhe was amazed by the shopkeeper, this Ah Huang is so smart, he can understand it with a word and a gesture from the master.

Young Master Yu spat a few sips of water on the bald, rotten brush tip, then ground it a few times on the half of the inkstone, dipped some toner, and it was considered ready.

"Tsk tsk, the level of this old man Yan Zhenqing has dropped. Could it be that he has something on his mind recently?" Young Master Yu sighed, saying that Guo Nuan didn't expect this guy to be able to tell his level by glancing at his handwriting. It is true that when Yan Zhenqing was ill for a period of time, he wrote a few pieces of calligraphy, felt that the charm was not good, and then threw it into the wastebasket. When Guo Nuan came to visit, he saw a piece of manuscript paper in the wastebasket. Yes, he It is convenient for waste to be used and collected.

"Scrub," swiped the pen a few times, and a few large characters were immediately displayed on the paper. It is said that this paper is still toilet paper. I don't know where Young Master Yu picked it up. This light red toilet paper is not for wiping buttocks. This is the free pressed straw paper at the bottom of the box that he asked for from the boss in the paper product store. It was soaked by the rain from the roof, so he got it to practice calligraphy.

As for using these toilet paper to wipe his buttocks in the latrine, it is said that Young Master Yu is not willing to part with it. Usually he is in the bamboo forest when he is in the tuba, and after pulling it, he just picks up a bamboo piece on the ground and scrapes it a few times.

"Hehe, not bad, not bad," Guo Nuan clapped his hands and applauded immediately. The handwriting on the straw paper was almost the same as Yan Zhenqing's handwriting, and there was a charm in it.