Emperor Kangxi: Yuyu Chengxiang

Chapter 16 White-clothed scholars talk about river governance, frivolity, filial piety and incorruptibility (2)
Gao Shiqi brought 500 taels of silver to Beijing.He used to have a big temper and a lot of money, but he spent all his money very quickly.As soon as he entered Beijing, he paid homage to the door, but he didn't know the rules here. He needed a sum of money to pass a threshold, and "Brother Kong Fang" was in charge everywhere. He spent 400 taels of silver to only get acquainted with the second housekeeper in Mingzhu and Suo'etu. .Counting now, there is a total of 16 cash in cash, and the [-] two room meals owed to the store have not yet been settled.Although Gao Shiqi was angry in his heart, he didn't know any worries. He still showed off his wealth and told the shopkeeper to "just keep the accounts".The owner of the shop was originally from a tortoise in the courtyard, and he was well-informed and experienced in the world. Seeing that although Gao Shiqi played tea circles every day and called opera actors to make a scene, he gradually became stingy with his hands. Promise, the color reveals disrespect.Gao Shiqi secretly hated him, but there was nothing he could do.

Because the housekeeper Suo'etu said the day before yesterday that on the [-]th of March, the master of the middle hall gathered famous scholars and asked him to join in the fun. As long as he pleases the middle hall, he can be recommended as a great scholar without any test.Looking forward to this day, Gao Shiqi changed from his blue tribute satin gown to a green cloth cut-off shirt, and walked to Suofu on Yuhuangmiao Street.The butler was standing at the front of the door. Seeing his attire, he stumbled and complained: "Old Gao, how can you see Zhongtang in such a beggar's attire? - You have to wait for a while, Mr. Li Guangdi and Mr. Jin Fu are in the study with the master. Talk..." Before he finished speaking, there was a call to "see off the guests" from the back hall, and Gao Shiqi had no choice but to step aside.

For a moment, Li Guangdi and Jin Fu walked out one after the other, their faces livid.After leaving the gate, the two stopped at the same time, Li Guangdi said with a bow: "Jin Gong, please—" and gave up his hand.

"Jin Qing," Jin Fu said coldly, "Think twice about what you said just now, it would be inappropriate to listen to it if it alarms the heavens."Li Guangdi resentfully said: "It's up to you." Then he boarded the sedan chair and walked away.Gao Shiqi and everyone at the door were puzzled.Seeing them go, Gao Shiqi turned his face to smile at the butler, "Don't look at my poor clothes, I am a scholar, rich and poor are at the mercy of God, Lao Cai, you just need to rest assured." Tu walked out from the back hall.

"Are you Gao Shiqi?" Jin Fu and Li Guangdi turned their faces because of Suo'etu's mediation of Li Xiuzhi's matter. They were feeling uncomfortable. When they saw Lao Cai brought someone in, they remembered this matter, so they stopped and looked up and down. Gao Shiqi asked.

"Yes, student Gao Shiqi!" Gao Shiqi swallowed a mouthful of saliva and replied after seeing him so slow.Suo'etu also felt that the same words just now were too blunt, so he let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "You are quite famous, even Zha Shenxing recommended that you have talent and learning—sit casually when you come, don't be restrained—Old Wang Mingdao The master is giving a question to test everyone!" Then he entered the main hall, sat on the big kang at the front door, leaned on the big pillow and watched the excitement.

There are four tables in the middle of the hall, and only the chief table is the most lively.There were five or six people sitting around an old man with a goatee and talking and laughing.Gao Shiqi knew that this was Qing Ke, an aide of Suofu.There are also more than 20 people at the three tables next to it. There are quite a variety of categories here. Some are famous fighters, some are failed candidates, famous doctors, famous divination, some are good at poetry, and some are good at painting. Yes, it seems a bit restrained and reserved.

Gao Shiqi took a look, and thought that the thin old man with a goatee must be Wang Mingdao—one of the famous four Confucian scholars in Yanbei—so he bowed generously, announced his name, went straight to the seat of the seat, and sat down on his buttocks. Sitting down, he asked: "I heard that the old man is taking a test on the characters of the people, dare to ask questions?"

Wang Mingdao is the number one staff member of the Suo'etu Mansion. He entered the Suo'etu Mansion in 13 years of Kangxi, Suo'etu treated each other with respect as a teacher, and drafted a memorial for Suo'etu. Said: "Well. There are three stereotyped questions in total. Someone has already done 'Thirty Erli', and there are two more--'There is Li in the Well' and 'Tong Que General's Life'. Everyone is thinking about it." Gao Shiqi Glancing at Suo'etu, he poured himself a glass of wine and said with a smile, "What's so difficult about these two problems?"

"It's not difficult." A man in his 30s on the opposite side pushed his tortoiseshell glasses and said coldly, "It's not easy to come up with new ideas."

Wang Mingdao laughed dryly, and said to the middle-aged man and a young man beside him, "Tie Jia, Xi Jia, since this person speaks big words, how do you know that he has no real learning? Brothers, listen to Mr. Gao's wonderful essay." Only then did Gao Shiqi know , These two are Tongzhou celebrities Chen Tiejia and Chen Xijia.He lazily picked up two peanuts, put them in his mouth and chewed them loudly, without making a sound for a while.Seeing him so wild, everyone couldn't help being stunned.

Chen Xijia couldn't bear it anymore, and asked: "Mr. Shiqi, since you said 'what's so difficult', why didn't you say a word?" Broken—it looks like a peach but not a peach, it lacks a layer of hair; it looks like an apricot instead of an apricot, it has an extra seam..."

Before the words were finished, the whole room was already roaring with laughter.Su Ertu sprayed out a sip of tea, and his front was wet. He was about to speak, but he heard Gao Shiqi shaking his head and continuing: "...East wind blows, and west wind blows, and he falls under the well fence. If you look at it, then Li Yan..." As soon as the problem was solved, the people in the hall fell down with laughter.

"Frivolous!" Wang Mingdao didn't smile, but stroked his beard and said, "This kind of thing has come to the hall of elegance."

"May I ask the old man what is frivolity?" Gao Shiqi asked with a smile without changing his face, "The composition is so valuable that it is true, not deceitful, and humorous. I don't know what is wrong with the late student's problem solving?" The face said: "The Son of Heaven always wins heroes with articles. How can a person who wins with frivolity and smallness enter the forest of the best?" Gao Shiqi smiled, seeing that he couldn't bear it like this, he simply said boldly: "I also have "The Life of Tong Que" That's it—in a place where guests come and go, suddenly you see someone who knows nothing!"

"Tong Que's life" comes from "The Analects".Confucius originally meant to entertain guests and order servants to serve them.Gao Shiqi came up with a new solution, and used the topic to express himself and secretly cursed Wang Mingdao for "knowing nothing".Although everyone wanted to laugh, they didn't dare to laugh because Wang Mingdao was the chief consultant of the company.Chen Tiejia was Wang's student. Seeing Gao Tuqi's rudeness, he couldn't help being furious. He sneered slightly and looked around. Seeing the crabapple blooming in the pot, he said, "This composition is too disturbing. I have a couplet, please correct me." Putting down the chopsticks, he smiled and said, "Teach me."

"Spring Begonia!"

Gao Shiqi couldn't help being taken aback, feeling that it was difficult to get it right.But he is an old hand after all, he pondered for a long time, clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Yes——Xia Yam!"

"Bring Ye Chun Haitang!" Chen Xijia saw that his brother couldn't help but be surnamed Gao.Then he came out to help.

"What's so difficult?" Gao Shiqi responded, "Lianxuxia yam!"

"One branch with spring leaves." Chen Tiejia said.

"Half a root of summer yam with beard!"

"Jiangnan Pink Beauty has a spring begonia with leaves on her temples!" Chen Xijia interjected, her tone aggressive.

Gao Shiqi looked at the Chen brothers who were attacking in turn, and said with a grin, "You know how to write, why bother to be so tense? Gao can't stand the two of you——the Kansai black hemp man with half a root attached to his waist Xuxia yam!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone applauded and laughed.A few girls were at the door, listening to indecent, blushing and lowering their heads and snickering.Gao Shiqi got up and said to Suo'etu who was laughing: "Zhongtang, there is a joke, do you want to hear it?"

Although Suo'etu felt that Gao Shiqi was too wild, but Wang and Chen had been in the mansion for a long time and had never met an opponent, so they found it interesting, so he choked with laughter and said, "Just stop swearing!"

"People don't force me, of course I don't scold me." Gao Shiqi said, "There is an old Mr. Gou who makes a living teaching and studying. It's a beating if you don't have a face—the boys were so angry that they put a few loaches in the old gentleman's pot..."

Gao Shiqi raised his eyebrows while picking up vegetables, and talked eloquently, everyone was startled.

"In the middle of the night, none of the students slept. They hid in the next room and listened to the teacher's movements. They heard him groping for the potty, and they only covered the quilt and laughed quietly..."

"There was a 'bang', and the old gentleman threw the pot out of the window, smashing the pot to pieces!"

Speaking of this, everyone laughed.Gao Shiqi sternly said again: "On the second day, Mr. Gou changed another tin chamber pot, but the students accidentally drilled a hole the size of a finger in the bottom, and at night the bed was sprinkled with urine... ...Mr. Gou became impatient, so he simply replaced it with an iron potty, and he survived."

Everyone first heard what he said was interesting, thinking that it must be better later on, but Gao Shiqi said it coldly, eating with discretion and not saying anything.Suo'etu couldn't help asking: "Is it over?"

"It's over." Gao Shiqi said lightly, "I only heard that after a day, the students asked the master, 'Which is better, the tile chamber pot or the tin chamber pot? Which is better, a chamber pot or an iron chamber pot?' Mr. replied, 'Iron is good (Jia)!'”

"You!" Wang Mingdao came to his senses. Hearing Gao Shiqi say such a "joke", he abused the Chen brothers, and even compared himself to a "dog". Scholars must follow the etiquette...You are like this...cough, dirty and debauched...Whose disciple are you?"

Gao Shiqi made a strange face with a playful smile, and replied: "Students only read the books of Confucius and Mencius; Confucius and Mencius, my teacher, have no other masters, Cheng Zhou, Wang Lu, and others are all my senior brothers!"

"Mr. Gao," Suo'etu always respected Wang Ming, and discussed many important matters of the court with Wang, Chen and others. Seeing Gao Shangqi's face full of arrogance, he became disgusted, coughed dryly, suppressed his smile, and said, "Please respect yourself! Someone help him out, he's drunk!"

(End of this chapter)