Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 76 Meeting Friends
  Two days later, it was the day of rest for the Yamen.

"Brother Qiang, follow me out today. I've invited some friends at Yuelai Restaurant to introduce you to them!" Lin Ruhai said to Jia Qiang who was studying.

"I'm going to change clothes!" Jia Qiang responded with a smile.

Lin Ruhai accepted him as his disciple. This matter has not been made public yet. This meeting with Lin Ruhai's friends was to announce it to the public.

This is inevitable, but Jia Qiang thinks this time is too early.

Originally, he thought he would have to wait at least a few months. Teachers usually need time to get to know their disciples and only make announcements after they truly approve.

Why is Lin Ruhai dissatisfied with Jia Qiang? Not to mention that in the past few days, Jia Qiang has studied hard and seriously, and is extremely talented. Every time she asks him about questions, she has gained profound knowledge.

Just saying that Jia Qiang saved Jia Min was enough for Lin Ruhai to fully recognize Jia Qiang. Lin Ruhai was eager to tightly bind Jia Qiang to the teacher-student relationship.

That is to say, there were too many things in the past two days, so I waited until today to meet my friends.

Jia Qiang changed into a Confucian shirt, which was made by Jia Min himself. It was made of cyan silk and satin, and looked elegant and free when worn on her body.

Although it was a private matter to go out with Lin Ruhai, Lin Ruhai still brought a team of salt guards to protect him.

He judged that the salt merchant would not attack him directly, but if he really went out without protection and found a reason to start a conflict, it would be difficult to trace the salt merchant to the head of the assassination.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Qiang both sat in sedan chairs. This was the first time Jia Qiang came to this world to sit in a sedan chair, and it was not as comfortable as she had imagined.

But it is still very novel and interesting to sit in a sedan and observe the streets through the curtain. This is also a common way for literati to travel.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Qiang entered the Yuelai Restaurant. A team of salt clerks went up to the second floor first and searched the reserved rooms. After that, the salt clerks stood guard outside the door.

"Now that I'm in Yangzhou, I have to do this when traveling!" Lin Ruhai shook his head and said with a bitter smile.

"Teacher, you have served in Yangzhou for many years, so you should return to Beijing!" Jia Qiang persuaded.

Even though the Salt Patrol Censor is only of the seventh rank, it is a humble and powerful position. After returning to the capital from the Salt Patrol Censorship, one can usually be promoted to several ranks in a row.

It's just that the official position of Salt Patrol Censor is not easy to fill. Many people died in this position. Even if they didn't die in office, they might be involved in a book and unable to leave peacefully.

The silver transferred from the hands of the Xunyan Censor accounted for less than half of Dagan's tax revenue, and it has always been an important money bag for Dagan.

Lin Ruhai used his tactics and was re-elected as the Salt Patrol Censor for many years. In Jia Qiang's opinion, it was time for him to retreat bravely.

"It can't be that easy. There is no one on the Holy Emperor's side who can replace him!" Lin Ruhai knew Jia Qiang's identity and explained in a soft voice.

Jia Qiang nodded. Emperor Jingwen's situation was indeed not good. There were too few officials in Emperor Jingwen's faction, and there were even fewer people who could replace the Salt Patrol Censor.

While they were talking, two people came in from outside the room.

"I've met Mr. Zhang!" Lin Ruhai stood up quickly and saluted the man.

"Brother Ruhai, this is not in the Yamen. It's more casual to have a private gathering!" Mr. Zhang smiled and returned the salute. Then he saw Jia Qiang and said, "This is Brother Ruhai's new student. He is really handsome and handsome." !”

When Jia Qiang heard Lin Ruhai call him Master Zhang, she guessed his identity.

Before he came to Yangzhou, he had investigated Yangzhou's officialdom.

This Master Zhang should be the magistrate of Yangzhou, and he can be regarded as the second highest official in Yangzhou officialdom.

"Brother Jingyun, I have heard the name of Young Master Ling for a long time!" Lin Ruhai changed his name to a more familiar one, smiled and looked at the young man following Mr. Zhang and said.

"You two are of the same age. Let's get closer after meeting each other today!" Mr. Zhang said to his son and Jia Qiang with a smile, and then Mr. Zhang sat down with Lin Ruhai and started chatting.

"Jia Qiang has met my brother!" Jia Qiang stepped forward and said with a smile.

"Zhang Ximing returned the favor!" Zhang Ximing, who was a few years older than Jia Qiang, replied with a smile.

"I wonder where Brother Ximing studied?" Jia Qiang asked curiously when she saw that Zhang Ximing was wearing a Confucian shirt like him.

"I studied at Plum Blossom Academy, what about you?" Zhang Ximing pointed to a plum blossom on the corner of his Confucian robe and said.

Plum Blossom Academy is the most famous academy in Yangzhou. Jia Qiang has heard of it, but she doesn't know the symbol of Plum Blossom Academy.

"I will study at the Imperial College, where I will oversee students for three years!" Jia Qiang replied.

Zhang Ximing became interested and asked Jia Qiang about the teaching at the Imperial College. Jia Qiang also asked about Meihua Academy. After the two sides had a topic, they soon had a lively conversation.

"I'm late, I'm sorry, this meal is mine!" A big fat man came in from the door, next to him was a thin old man, and behind him were two young people.

"Why did brother Quan Yi come here with Mr. Xi?" Lin Ruhai stood up and greeted him.

"We met at the door, and I took advantage of Mr. Xi's grace!" The fat man Huang Quan said with a big smile.

"Mr. Xi, please take a seat!" Mr. Zhang first greeted Mr. Xi, and then made an invitation gesture to Huang Quanyi.

Lin Ruhai stepped forward to support Mr. Xi and helped him sit down.

Jia Qiang's heart moved slightly at this moment, and she observed Huang Quanyi carefully.

Huang Quanyi was one of the eight major salt merchants, but I didn't expect that he was Lin Ruhai's friend, or that Lin Ruhai deliberately introduced him to Jia Qiang.

As for Mr. Xi, Jia Qiang did not know his identity, but seeing the attitude of Mr. Zhang and Lin Ruhai, he was afraid that his identity was extraordinary.

"Student Zhang Ximing has met the dean!" Zhang Ximing came to Mr. Xi and saluted respectfully.

"Ximing is planning to take part in next year's provincial examination. With your talent, you have a good chance of learning!" Mr. Xi praised with a smile.

Mr. Zhang looked at him with a smile on his face. Mr. Xi's status and status, as long as this sentence spreads out, his ranking in the provincial examination rankings can be improved.

"Ling Sun Jinge will also take part in the provincial examination next year. I am afraid that the first place will fall on Jinge!" Mr. Zhang then praised the young man behind Mr. Xi.

"Brother Qiang, you should give it a try next year instead of studying hard at home and give it a try!" Lin Ruhai said to Jia Qiang.

"I took the provincial examination in the capital, so I couldn't participate in the provincial examination in Yangzhou!" Jia Qiang shook her head and said.

"Brother Qiang, I also call you that. You have become a disciple of Brother Ruhai, so you are considered a student from Yangzhou. You don't have to worry about your academic status!" Lord Zhang heard the conversation between master and apprentice and said with a smile.

This kind of thing may be an unsolvable problem for people without power, but for Mr. Zhang, it is a matter of convenience.

Even though the official rank of Zhizhou is the fifth rank, which is much higher than the seventh rank of Salt Patrol Censor, the importance of the position of Salt Patrol Censor is even higher than that of Zhizhou.

In the future, Lin Ruhai's future will not be comparable to that of Mr. Zhang. After being the censor of salt inspection, he will become an important minister in the court.

Therefore, Mr. Zhang intends to make friends with Lin Ruhai, in exchange for a little investment now, to gain powerful friends in the officialdom. "You all take the provincial examination, dad, I want to take the provincial examination too!" the fat man next to Huang Quanyi said loudly.

"You bastard, you're not even a scholar. How can you take the provincial examination? You're ignorant and incompetent!" Huang Quanyi's fat face flushed. He patted the little fat man hard and cursed angrily.

"I want to donate to a scholar, but you don't allow me!" the little fat man retorted.

Now Huang Quanyi was even more angry, and when he was about to hit the little fat man again, the little fat man nimbly stepped aside.

"Brother Quan Yi, this kid Zhiyuan has a pure heart." Lin Ruhai persuaded with a smile.

Everyone present knew what kind of person the little fat man was, and they didn't have any objection to what the little fat man just said. They all looked at him with a smile.

"This kid doesn't like to study. He only knows how to fool around outside all day long!" Huang Quanyi shook his head and said.

The young people present were all young talents. In comparison, his own children were completely useless, which made him feel ashamed.

At first, Jia Qiang really thought that the little fat man had no ability at all, but soon he knew what the little fat man's talent was.

The little fat man's name is Huang Zhiyuan. He knows Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge and they are very chatty.

After Jia Qiang joined the chat, she found that the little fat Huang Zhiyuan was really easy to do all kinds of fun things. He was very good at adjusting the atmosphere during the chat. After a while, Jia Qiang had a good impression of the little fat Huang Zhiyuan.

"Dad, I'll take my new friend Qiang to find a place to play!" After a while, the little fat man Huang Zhiyuan suggested.

Huang Quanyi raised his head and looked at Lin Ruhai and the others. Everyone had no objection to the junior going to play on his own, so he waved his hand to indicate that he could go out.

After coming out of Yuelai Restaurant, the fat man Huang Zhiyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Haha, Zhiyuan, how afraid are you of your father!" Zhang Ximing said with a smile.

"I can't help it. If I don't obey you, I won't get the money. If I don't have the money, it will kill me!" Huang Zhiyuan, the fat man, replied with a bitter look on his face.

"Zhiyuan, where are you going to play?" Xi Jinge asked.

"A painting boat came to Slender West Lake. I heard that Yun Fei, the number one prostitute in the south of the Yangtze River, came from Jinling. I only found out about this news in the morning. How about it? Are you two brothers right?" The little fat man Huang Zhiyuan replied proudly. road.

"Why did Yun Fei from Jinling come to Yangzhou? You can't make a mistake, right?" Zhang Ximing's eyes lit up at first and then he asked worriedly.

Xi Jinge also didn't believe that Yun Fei's reputation as the number one courtesan in Jiangnan made Yun Fei extremely valuable, making it difficult for ordinary customers in Jinling to even meet her.

"I heard that the fifth young master of the Zhen family in Jinling wanted to force Yun Fei. Yun Fei came to Yangzhou to avoid the fifth young master of the Zhen family!" The little fat man is well-informed, and he talks about such things.

"Knowing so much, Yun Fei doesn't come to your house for shelter, right?" Zhang Ximing pointed at him and asked.

"How is it possible? My father hasn't been beaten to death by my mother. According to my guess, it should be the Wang family!" The fat man Huang Zhiyuan looked around and then said in a low voice.

"How could the Wang family fight against the Zhen family for a famous prostitute?" Zhang Ximing shook his head and said.

"It's just the fifth young master of the Zhen family, not the Zhen family's intention!" Xi Jinge said with a smile.

Jia Qiang's eyes were opened. Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge were both talented people from Yangzhou. But look at how rich the life of the talented people in Yangzhou was, and then look at what the life of the graduates at the Imperial College in the capital was like.

Huang Zhiyuan called for a luxurious carriage, and the four of them got on it and headed towards Slender West Lake.

Four people gathered around a low table with several plates of side dishes and a jug of wine.

Whether it's the dishes or the decoration inside the carriage, they all reveal the word 'rich'.

There were several servants waiting outside the car at any time. The scene was so grand that even Jia Qiang came from the capital and had rarely seen it before.

To put it bluntly, except for the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor, no one in the capital would dare to be so extravagant outside.

Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge seemed to have long been accustomed to this kind of scene, laughing and chatting with Huang Zhiyuan.

Part of Jia Qiang's mind was focused outside. She had met the lame Taoist at Slender West Lake a few days ago. This time she still felt a little palpitated when she went to Slender West Lake.

Even though he defeated the lame Taoist, he knew how dangerous it was at that time.

The lame Taoist didn't want to kill him, he just wanted to transform him, otherwise he wouldn't be able to escape from the lame Taoist.

He also knew that hiding was not an issue. With Lame Taoist's ability, even if he hid in the sky, Lame Taoist would still find him.

Fortunately, he has the emperor's mandate. After reading the 'Taixu Fantasy Code', he also has some understanding of the immortals. With the emperor's mandate, he has a certain restraint effect on the immortals.

The carriage did not go on the road that Jia Qiang had walked once, but went to the other side of Slender West Lake. He also saw the painted boat in the lake.

"Guys, you guys have taken advantage of my luck. Look at that boat, it belongs to the Yun family!" Huang Zhiyuan pointed to a boat on the shore and said with a smile.

Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge got off the carriage and tidied their clothes together. They found that they were moving in the same way, and they couldn't help but smile at each other.

Jia Qiang looked at the painted boats curiously. She heard that the painted boats on the Qinhuai River in Jinling were very famous. Although she had been to Slender West Lake before, she did not expect that the cruise boats in the lake were painted boats. Sure enough, they still needed to be led by locals.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Xi, I will provide the money, but you two need to come forward. You two are famous talents in Yangzhou, and then everyone will be honored to meet you!" Huang Zhiyuan said very self-awarely.

In fact, the reason he was treating today was to use the reputation of these two great talents to meet Yun Fei, the first prostitute in the south of the Yangtze River.

If he comes alone, even if he has money, Yun Fei will not see him.

"Brother Jia is here, stop talking about Brother Jia!" Zhang Ximing laughed.

"Brother Jia is too young!" Huang Zhiyuan shook his head and replied.

While talking, the four of them came to the boat.

A nanny came out of the boat. Zhang Ximing and Xi Jinge came forward to talk to the nanny. Within a few words, they greeted Huang Zhiyuan and Jia Qiang to get on the boat.

Jia Qiang walked onto the boat and found that the boat was brand new, which could be seen from the paint on the water surface.

Mammy stretched out her hand to retract the rope that fixed the boat, and a strong woman shook the paddle, and the boat headed towards the lake.

The four of them entered the boat, which was divided into inside and outside by a bamboo curtain.

A woman was faintly visible sitting inside, and the faint fragrance wafted in the room, which made Huang Zhiyuan stretch his neck to get a clear look at the woman inside.

"Although my little girl Yun Fei is new to Yangzhou, she has also heard of the literary names of Mr. Zhang and Mr. Xi. It is such a blessing for me to meet you today!" Yun Fei said through the bamboo curtain.

Her voice was as light and crisp as an oriole, and her words made several people's hearts beat faster.

(End of this chapter)