Aspirations

Chapter 89
"It's not what Xiaguan wants to do, but since he is fighting wine, he must fight a fair and fair one. Besides, Zheng Tong is not a rude person." Xu Heguang deliberately provoked Zheng Hao, "Of course, if Zheng Tong is incapable of drinking alcohol, then Xiaguan There is no problem with doing it for you. Come on, have a drink."

"This official and Xia Xian Zun fight over wine, what's your business?" Zheng Hao got a little drunk, pushed Xu Heguang hard, and shouted, "Come on wine! Didn't you just spill half a jar of wine? This official fills up another jar. , to see who dares to say that this official is rude."

Xia Xiang persuaded Zheng Hao not to be impatient, but saw Cui Xiang's face smiling, Li Heng buried his head and drinking tea, but Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan wanted Zheng Hao to make a fool of himself, he sighed secretly, Zheng Hao Well, he is too young and energetic, and he has become the target of public criticism.

"This official will accompany Zheng Tong to sentence." Xia Xiang knew that it would be difficult to end today in a calm manner, so he simply accompanies him to the end. Today's events also made him see something clearly.

"Xiamin also dared to accompany Xia County to honor an altar." Xu Wangshan made up his mind and wanted to approach Xia Xiang. He saw that Xia Xiang was mellow in his affairs, and he was not leaking in front of Cui Xiang, and he was also aggressive in the face of Zheng Hao. He can deal with it calmly, is a good official who is exquisite in all aspects but knows the general advance and retreat. Compared with the previous magistrate Hao Haiji, he is not much stronger than the previous magistrate, and he is trustworthy and worth following.

"It's this official and Xia County Zun fighting for wine, why do you have to worry about it?" Zheng Hao squinted at Xu Wangshan coldly, "It's okay to accompany you, this official and Xia County Zun have one altar, and you have two altars."

I'm really not afraid that things won't escalate, Cui Xiang is also a little angry, Zheng Hao is so unreasonable and willful, how will we work together in the future?In today's matter, he had to read Zheng Hao's book, so he impeached Zheng Hao for being rude and disrespectful on the grounds that he was drinking and teasing officials.As an official of the imperial court, he behaved in a misdemeanor, disrespected the magistrate and the county magistrate, and was not worthy of being sentenced by one government.

It would be better if Zheng Hao could be dismissed from office or transferred from Zhen Ding in one piece. After thinking about this section, Cui Xiang secretly winked at Xu Heguang.

Xu Heguang and Cui Xiang had the same mind, and immediately understood what Cui Xiang was thinking, and immediately laughed: "Zheng Tongjudged that this is wrong, you have one altar and Xu Yuanwai two altars, this is obviously bullying Xu Yuanwai. Xu Yuanwai is really determined. He is also a highly respected rich man, and even Cui Fuzun respects him three points..."

Xia Xiang frowned slightly, Xu Heguang's words obviously had the suspicion of fanning the flames, he was digging a hole for Zheng Hao, and his intentions were sinister, Zheng Hao must not jump in.

To Xia Xiang's disappointment, Zheng Hao sneered when he heard it: "This official did not bully Xu Yuanwai. It was Xu Yuanwai who insisted on joining the fight between this official and Xia Xianzun. He asked for it by himself."

"Okay, okay, it was Xiaomin who asked for it, and Xiaomin accepted the punishment." Xu Wangshan smiled, he couldn't tell whether he was provoked by Xu Heguang or didn't care, he threw his hands at Cui Xiang, "Cui Mansion respect, can the common people borrow a few jars of good wine from the mansion? He will return it tenfold in the future."

"It's just a few jars of wine, just take it." Cui Xiang waved his hand generously and laughed, "The wine fight is just for fun, don't take it seriously, let alone get drunk. Come on, take ten jars of Changchun wine! "

"But it's Changchun French wine made with more than 30 famous and precious traditional Chinese medicines and cold maceration?" Ma Qingyuan exclaimed, his eyes showing surprise and envy, "This wine is a tribute wine, and it was made by Ye Muping, a master of Taoism. Chuang, after presenting it to the emperor, the emperor loved it very much, and wrote the title Changchun French Wine. It is said that this wine has the effects of "removing dampness and strengthening the spleen, promoting stagnant qi, nourishing blood vessels, strengthening muscles and bones, widening the middle and fast diaphragm, and promoting diet."

"It is this wine." Cui Xiang twitched his beard and smiled, with a complacent look on his face, "This official is fortunate to meet Ye Zhenren, Ye Zhenren gave him the prescription, and this official ordered more than ten jars to be brewed, and there are just ten jars left. It’s rare to be happy today, and the good wine will be shared with you.”

"That's it..." Ma Qingyuan smiled and his mouth moved, "Thanks to the love of Cui Fuzun, so generous to share the good wine with us, the small people also dared to join the fight, I don't know what Zheng Tong thinks?"

"I only care about fighting wine with Xia County Zun. It's up to you if you are willing to accompany me. It has nothing to do with this official." A look of contempt flashed in Zheng Hao's eyes. At that time, Changchun French wine came up, he patted off the paper, picked up the jar, and drank another jar in one breath.

In the big summer, the degree of wine is very low. Lianche once said, "The mountain road is as short as a hundred miles, and the wine glass must be three liters in one fell swoop." People who can drink three liters of wine are massive.A jar of wine may seem like a lot, but it is actually about one liter.

"Changchun French wine has medicinal effects. Cui Fuzun may wish to drink a few cups, it is very good for the body." Xia Xiang turned to the guest and instructed the housekeeper next to him, "Come, take a warm bowl and note. Cui Fuzun is not in good health. Don't drink cold wine."

The steward left in response, and after a while he brought out a blue-white glazed warm bowl with a note from the Hutian kiln in Jingdezhen.In the middle is the note, which is the jug.There is a warm bowl around the note, and the bowl is filled with hot water to warm the wine in the note.

Xu Heguang's eyes flickered, and he wondered how Xia Xiang knew that Cui Fuzun was in poor health. Could it be that he knew medical skills?
Cui Fuzun nodded and smiled: "Xia Xianzun has a heart..." He pondered a little, "If there is no wine order, wouldn't it be boring? Zheng Tongjued, this official proposes to fight wine while exercising the order, how about it?"

"It's okay to be an official." Zheng Hao was three-point drunk, and looked at Xia Xiang with provocative eyes, "I wonder if Xia Xian would dare to compete with this official?"

"The civil and military fighting wine mentioned by the official just now is not only about the combination of red wine and white wine, but also the wine order." Xia Xiang smiled happily and applauded, "Wouldn't it be better if there were geishas to help the fun?"

Cui Xiang instructed the housekeeper: "Call the geisha."

Not long after, several geishas appeared, each with their own characteristics.Some of them played drums, some passed flowers, and some sang.

The flower passer is holding flowers and turning behind several people.

"I have a flower and pour some wine. Only the heart of the flower is like my heart, and we have been together for a few years. The cup is full of gold, and I will smell the flower again. I don't want the flower branch to be next to me and give it to others."

As soon as the drums stopped, the flower geisha handed over the flowers to the person in front of him, who had to drink.After several times, Ma Qingyuan drank more.Ma Qingyuan refused to come and drank several large bowls in a row.

The geisha passed flowers just to add to the fun. After a few times, they stepped aside and just played drums and sang, and stopped passing flowers.Zheng Hao couldn't hold back for a long time. In addition, he was a little drunk. He rolled up his sleeves, patted the table and said, "Xia Xianzun, you and I said that it was you and me fighting wine, why did you join in?"

"Okay, from now on, it's just me and the two of us fighting wine." Xia Xiang rolled his eyes, thinking about it, "This official has issued a wine order, each of them will write two poems, and each poem must violate the Daxia law, and Sin is above imprisonment."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked.Everyone has seen a lot of wine orders, and this is the first time they have heard of a crime.Zheng Hao was stunned for a moment, and then laughed inexplicably excitedly: "Miao, great. Xia Xianzun is really extraordinary, this official comes first, listen carefully - use a knife to coax the widow, and go to sea to rob people and ships."

Cui Xiang smiled slightly, and he was also the first to see it because of the crime, so he couldn't help but feel curious.

Xia Xiang thought for a while: "The moon is dark and the night is killing, and the wind is high and the sky is set on fire."

"Okay." Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan applauded at the same time.The two of them don't understand the laws of Daxia, and they also know that murder and arson must be a serious crime.

Zheng Hao thought for a while and said, "Aconite is added to the tea, and ephedra is added to the wine."

Cui Xiang and Xu Heguang's expressions changed slightly, Zheng Hao had something to say, alluding to the murder of Fu Ke.

However, Xia Xiang seemed to be a little drunk. He didn't hear what Zheng Hao meant. He tilted his head and thought: "Killing officials in the street, harming people behind their backs."

Zheng Hao raised a jar of wine: "you and I are equal, how about drinking the same jar?"

"Okay." Xia Xiang also held up a jar of wine, the two touched it, and at the same time took the jar and drank it.

After the jar of wine, Zheng Hao's taste surged up, and he couldn't hold it any longer. He got up and left his seat, swayed to a geisha, reached out and touched the geisha's chin: "Hua Xia asked a geisha, late at night. Go down to Yaochi."

"Haha, these two poems did not violate the law, they should be punished, they should be punished." Xu Heguang finally seized the opportunity. Seeing that Zheng Hao was six or seven points drunk, he quickly got up and took a jar of wine and handed it over, " Zheng Tong sentenced, you must not refuse to drink."

"This official will never cheat." Zheng Hao took the jar, and when he was about to drink up, Xia Xiang got up and grabbed the jar.

"The official is divided into the first half." Xia Xiang poured out half of the wine in the jar into another jar, and then touched the jar with Zheng Hao. He drank it without waiting for Zheng Hao to speak. ."

Although Zheng Hao was slightly dissatisfied, he couldn't, so he had to drink up the remaining half of the wine and said with a big laugh, "Ask the geisha under the flower, go down to the Yaochi in the night, Xia Xianzun, do these two poems violate the law? Law?"

Xia Xiang said without hesitation, "It's not against the law to ask a geisha, but it depends on what the geisha is asking."

Zheng Hao said with a smile: "This official wants to pay [-] yuan of money to invite a geisha to linger with a person day and night, let him go home with no face, and finally commit suicide... Is it a violation of the law?"

Xia Xiang thought for a while: "It doesn't count."

Zheng Hao laughed again: "Going down to Yaochi in the middle of the night, it is Li Shangyin's Yaochi, does it count as a violation of the law?"

Cui Xiang's face changed, and he coughed immediately: "Zheng Tongju, don't make a fool of yourself."

Li Heng also heard the clue, and his face changed greatly, and his face was shocked.

Xu Heguang, Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan looked at each other, the three of them didn't know what Zheng Hao meant by Li Shangyin's Yaochi.

Xia Xiang's heart skipped a beat. Does Zheng Hao's remark imply that he knows something about the emperor's condition?Li Shangyin has a poem called "Yaochi": Yaochi's mother Qi opened the window, and the yellow bamboo sang sadly.The Eight Horses traveled [-] miles a day, why didn't King Mu come back again?

The poem borrows the myth of King Mu of Zhou's journey to the west and encounters the immortal Queen Mother of the West, and ridicules the emperor's delusions of seeking immortals and delusions of immortality.In the late Tang Dynasty, several emperors were superstitious about the ways of the gods, took medicinal pills, and vainly sought longevity, and even died of poisoning by taking golden pills.Today's emperor also respects the magic of immortals, and most trusts Taoist priest Ye Muping, and treats him as a state teacher.

Ye Muping can not only refine Jindan, but also concoct alcoholic beverages, and is proficient in the art of Qihuang.However, the emperor's greatest belief in him is refining the golden pill, and the technique of Qihuang still trusts the golden armor more.

It is rumored that the emperor has always been healthy, but since taking Ye Muping's golden pill, his health has not been as good as before.After he fell ill, many imperial physicians begged the emperor to keep his worthy ministers away from the villain, apparently to keep the emperor away from Ye Muping.However, Ye Muping wrote several times to defend himself, and even prescribed a prescription for the emperor's treatment.However, Jinjia is the most sincere person. Seeing that Ye Muping's prescription is in line with the emperor's illness, he speaks favorably to Ye Muping in front of the emperor.

Ye Muping therefore stayed.

In fact, Xia Xiang is also very clear, Jin Jia seems to be simple and does whatever he wants, but he is actually very discerning.Jin Jia saw that the emperor did not intend to expel Ye Muping, so he took advantage of the situation to speak favorably for Ye Muping, so that the emperor could have steps to go down.

Zheng Hao's poem is obviously a satire of the past, implying that the emperor today, like King Mu of Zhou of the past, wants to live forever, but in the end it can only be wishful thinking.

Although the atmosphere of the summer is clear and bright, the emperor has always been tolerant to the voice of the royal family, and even the emperor laughed at the anti-poems of scholars, but Zheng Hao is the official of the court. The duty of a servant.Besides, Zheng Hao also has another identity - a child of the Zheng family.

Although Xia Xiang didn't know the current emperor's attitude towards the four great families, he could guess that no matter who was the emperor, he didn't want to have an aristocratic family that could compete with the imperial court.Today, the four great families are far less brilliant than they were in the Tang Dynasty, but Yu Wei is still there.It is also related to the intention of the four major families to keep a low profile. Nowadays, it is obvious that there are four major families who want to re-emerge. Not to mention the identity is unknown, but most of them are from one of the four major families. Lian Ruohan's gradual layout in business. Zheng Hao's son Zheng Hao's move to become a jinshi in the examination is really determined to be an official. If you consider Li Heng's status as a side member of the Li family, and Lu Zhiyue's move to appear in Zhending to seek a half-official position, then In addition, Cui Fuzun is a member of the Cui Clan of Qinghe, and the small place of true determination has gathered all the four great families of Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng.

If the emperor misunderstands what Zheng Hao did to him on behalf of the Zheng family as a child of the Zheng family, things would be delicate.Fortunately, the children of the aristocratic family are outside, if it is not the head of the family, personal speech has nothing to do with the family.

Xia Xiang's mind flashed, and he thought about the inside and outside of the matter in an instant, and said with a smile: "Li Shangyin is from the Tang Dynasty, even if he violates the law by going to Yaochi, it is the law of the Tang Dynasty, and what does it have to do with Daxia? Zheng Tong sentenced, You still lose, drink, drink."

Cui Xiang heard Xia Xiang's intention to excuse Zheng Hao, so he wanted to hold on to the matter, but then he thought about it, although the Cui family and the Zheng family have a normal relationship, they are also family friends, and it is inconvenient to tear their faces. The family has always been married to each other, and recently the Lu family and the Zheng family have tended to get closer, so it is better to let it go for the time being, and it will not be too late to find an opportunity later, so I coughed and stood up: "It's rare to have such a good time today, come, let's raise your glasses together. Chinese wine, and I will meet friends with wine in the future."

Everyone got up one after another and toasted the wine.At this time, there were not many jars of Changchun French wine left. Except for Cui Xiang, all of them were six or seven points drunk. Zheng Hao Shao said that he was also eight or nine points drunk, and he could not even walk steadily.Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan wanted to help him, but he pushed him away.

He broke a branch and held it in his right hand. He lifted the hem of his clothes with his left, and raised a branch with his right. A horse neighed in his mouth, and he laughed: "In the past, the filth was not enough to boast, but now the debauchery is boundless. See all the Chang'an flowers."

Xia Xiang, a poem written by Meng Jiao in the Tang Dynasty, naturally knew that the poem was recited by Zheng Hao who was drunk at this time, but it had a different flavor.He took a step forward and saw that Zheng Hao was staggering and almost fell, so he hurriedly supported Zheng Hao and said, "Zheng Tongju, be careful with your feet."

"Don't worry about it, this officer is fine." Zheng Hao pushed Xia Xiang away, strode through the arch, and walked away. In a blink of an eye, his back was gone, and in the laughter, there was his cadence chanting poetry, " When I go out with a big laugh in the sky, how can I be a Penghao people?"

"Cui Fuzun, please stay." Xia Xiang stood at the door of Ertang's house and refused to let Cui Xiang take one more step. He cupped his hands and said, "FuZun take care of your health, and the lower official has developed a medicine chair that can relieve pain. , I will send a pair to the palace in the future."

"Then the official will accept it with a smile." Cui Xiang did not refuse, but smiled.

After leaving the Zhending Mansion, the Hutuo River is rushing in front of you.Xu Heguang stayed in the mansion, Li Heng was sent to the door, Xia Xiang waved goodbye to Li Heng, and walked along the river with Xiao Wu, Xu Wangshan, and Ma Qingyuan.

"Xiaxian Zun, Liu Changting and Xie Huagai have unknown origins. If they are used for the government, I am afraid there will be problems." Xu Wangshan boldly expressed his thoughts by drinking wine, "If it is the opinion of the common people, the common people will be more May Lian Ruohan take over the granary and the grain growing business."

"So, have you two really let go of the grain and grain growing business?" Xia Xiang stared at Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan with interest. He had a good impression of the two of them, and the two of them were straightforward. The North and the Central Plains The simplicity and unrestrainedness unique to the people in the intersecting area make it easy to deal with.

"It's really not thankful to work hard. It's nothing if you don't make money. It's not good to be scolded by the villagers. Wangshan and I are both born and raised. After drinking today, he recognized Xia Xiang even more. He felt that although the new magistrate Xia Xian Zun was young, he was a serious person and acted in a very measured manner. He saw hope, "Xia Xian Zun, I don't understand. , it’s obviously not a good thing, why can’t the new law be repealed?”

(End of this chapter)