Liaozhai Great Sage

Chapter 364
Early this morning, the scholars in Jinling City had already woken up early. They bathed and burned incense, groomed themselves, and wore brand-new clothes. Even some scholars from poor families gritted their teeth and took out their savings to buy a few decent winter clothes.

There are also many scholars who recited the good poems and essays they have accumulated over the years overnight, preparing to show them at the literary meeting tomorrow.

There are many more such things.

It can be seen that the scholars in the city attach great importance to this literary meeting.

Li Xiuyuan didn't pay much attention to it, but when the literary meeting was about to start, he invited all his friends to the forest garden of the Hou Mansion.

The Lihou Mansion in Jinling City is the real home of the rich and powerful. Fu Tianchou, the Minister of the Ministry of War, would borrow the manor of the Marquis Mansion to hold cultural conferences in order to show his dignity. One can imagine the status of the Marquis Mansion in Jinling City high.

"Brother Li, we're late, you see those scholars have already entered the park."

When a group of people came to the side door of Hou's Mansion, they saw that the door of the mansion was wide open, and there were already many scholars wandering together inside.

Although it is winter, the beauty of Houfu Forest Garden is still worth admiring.

"It's not that we're late, it's that other people came early. The bulletin says that the essay meeting will be held at noon, and the time is right now." Li Xiuyuan looked up at the sky.

However, seeing today's thick clouds covering the top, the sky is dim, and it seems that there will be heavy snow that is about to fall, which makes people feel depressed.

This is not a good weather.

"It seems that we were too honest. We didn't expect other people to come to the literary conference so early. We made a mistake, a mistake." Wang Ping shook his head and sighed regretfully.

Li Xiuyuan smiled and said: "What kind of mistake is this? The Wenhui has not started yet, and many important people have not come. The officials in the city, the servant of the Ministry of War, Mr. Fu, the Marquis Li of the Houfu, and some academies near the Qinhuai River The chief, as well as the respected old Confucians in the city, these will only show up at the beginning of the Wenhui, and now it is just the scholars in the city making friends with each other and wandering in the forest garden of the Hou Mansion."

"Brother Li is right, it's better to come early than coincidentally." Ning Caichen nodded.

"It's not too late, let's go and have a look first. I heard that the forest garden of the Hou's Mansion is a great beauty of Jinling City, but all the scholars invited by the Hou's Mansion praise it." Zhu Yu said a little excitedly.

Li Xiuyuan said: "If it was in midsummer, we could see some beautiful scenery, but now it is winter, and even the most beautiful scenery will wither. To say that it is beautiful is a bit flattering."

"This brother can't be sure. You can tell at a glance that you are a scholar from other places. The forest garden of the Hou Mansion is like spring all year round. Even in winter, there are peonies blooming and hibiscus blooming. Otherwise, how can you be qualified to be a Jinling city?" A great beauty?"

A passing scholar suddenly smiled, and after saying a word, he folded his hands and entered the forest garden.

"It's like spring all year round, so I really want to see it." Li Xiuyuan was a little curious at this time.

Could it be that the garden of the Hou Mansion is blessed by Taoism?Can it cut off the heat and cold?
But when the group of people stepped into the forest garden, they felt a rush of warmth, as if suddenly entering the warm spring from the harsh winter outside, and felt extremely comfortable.

Moreover, the forest garden is really lush and lush, with flowers blooming in all seasons, and bursts of singing birds and fragrant flowers are coming, which is not the scene that should be in winter at all.

"Hey. It's amazing, it's so warm inside."

"Yeah, it really is like spring all the year round, it's not a rumor, you see, it's a flower that only blooms in midsummer, and it's actually blooming at this time."

"Brother Li, you have seen a lot, do you know the mystery of this?" Zhu Yu asked.

The other scholars also looked at Li Xiuyuan with puzzled thoughts,
They are all scholars from ordinary families. Wherever they have come into contact with such powerful families, they naturally know many things about them.

"Floor heating, floor heating is laid underneath."

Li Xiuyuan felt the heat coming out of his feet and said immediately.

"Ground heating? Is it the kind used by ordinary people?" Wang Ping asked in surprise, "But, how can this make the entire forest garden so warm?"

"There is no need to be surprised. There are hot air pipes built under the soil in this forest garden. You only need to burn charcoal in one place to heat up. The hot air will spread throughout the forest garden along the pipes and heat the entire forest garden. It will make the forest garden warmer in winter. , if the well water is poured into the pipes in the hot summer, it will make the forest garden extremely cool in summer, so that the four seasons will be like spring." Li Xiuyuan said with a little emotion.

This is not Taoism, but man-made.

"Hey, how much money will it cost to maintain such a large forest garden in winter." The other scholars gasped when they heard this.

Although they don't understand, they can roughly imagine how much charcoal they need to burn in a winter to ensure the heating of a forest garden.

Li Xiuyuan said: "For ordinary charcoal, it is estimated that it will cost several thousand taels of silver in one winter, but I can't smell charcoal smoke here. This should be the best silver charcoal. If this is calculated, it will cost at least two taels of silver in a winter." Ten thousand to thirty thousand taels."

The so-called silver charcoal is the charcoal used by the imperial court. It is regarded as a treasure among charcoal because its color is frosty and there is no smoke.

Only dignitaries can afford it.

But if you can afford it, you can afford it. It is a luxury to use silver charcoal to maintain the operation of a garden like this.

It's no wonder that when Li Xiuyuan and Li Liang Jinwen were fighting that day, 3 taels of silver didn't even bat an eyelid. Living in such a rich and powerful family, 3 taels is indeed easy to get out.

"Although there is money, it is really inappropriate to waste it like this." He shook his head secretly in his heart.

Countless money and silver were poured out just for the four seasons of a forest garden to be like spring. It is impossible for anyone with a little bit of thrift to build such a forest garden, because this is a bottomless pit, and money has to be swept every year.

When a few people heard about burning silver charcoal, their faces changed even more.

Especially Wang Ping looked extremely pained. When he bought carbon before, he asked about the price of silver charcoal. It was really expensive beyond imagination. He just bought a pack and kept it at home. It was winter. Came here for friends to entertain friends.

"This, this is too extravagant and wasteful." After a while, Ning Caichen choked out a word.

Li Xiuyuan shook his head slightly and refused to comment.

This is the case for high and powerful families who only care about enjoyment and don't care about extravagance and waste. In their eyes, there is no such thing as extravagance and waste, as long as they like it.

"Brother Li, your Li family may not be able to build this garden." Zhu Yu suddenly joked.

"Well, it's hard to say. It's not a question of whether it can be built, but a question of whether it will be built. My family will never build such a forest garden." Li Xiuyuan shook his head and said.

His Li family holds the Shunfeng Escort, and it can be said that he is making money every day, but he makes a lot of money and spends it fiercely. He has to support a group of desperadoes in the Escort every month, and he must continue to expand the Escort, so The money he got was not much, and if he stopped expanding and accumulated money for a few years, the Hou Mansion would be nothing in his eyes.

Not to mention one forest garden, ten forest gardens are not a problem.

It's just that Li Xiuyuan has always believed in the belief that Dazhi can help the world, so most of the family's money is spent, and only his father Li Dafu keeps a treasury of gold and silver.

It is a great merit for a bodyguard company to gather a lot of desperadoes and let them go on the right path instead of looting houses.

It's worth it even if it costs a little more.

A few people walked and chatted, wandering around the forest garden of the Hou Mansion with some curiosity, and met some scholars on the same list along the way.

This is a way for scholars to make friends. Classmates, exams, rankings, same places, etc., now in Jinling City, it is natural to get closer to the scholars on the same list.

"Okay, good poems, as the ancients said, people should treat each other with admiration after three days of farewell. Unexpectedly, after seeing each other for a few days, brother Zhu is full of writing and thinking, and the exquisite poems are constantly flowing. It is really admirable."

"The pairing of Li Xiuyuan that day made me think hard for several days, but Brother Zhu actually came out yesterday. It's really amazing."

"Based on Brother Zhu's literary talents, it seems that the title of the gold list in the future will be secure, and I am convinced."

When a group of people passed by a gazebo, they saw a group of scholars gathered together, and from time to time there was a sound of clapping their hands in agreement.

There are also scholars who loudly praised someone for their exquisite poems, which suddenly attracted the attention of many people.

Standing in the crowd, Zhu Erdan stood with his hands behind his back at this moment, with a confident look, a bit of arrogance, and shrewd eyes, completely different from his previous temperament, as if he had changed into a different person.

"Everyone is absurd, I don't deserve such praise for my talent." He was modest, showing neither humble nor overbearing, full of etiquette.

"Jurdan?"

Li Xiuyuan's expression changed, and he looked over subconsciously.

He thought of what happened in the Qinhuai River that day. At first he was angry and punished Zhu Erdan, but now there is a grudge between them.

Apart from Li Liangjin, this is the second person Li Xiuyuan doesn't want to interact with.

"Hey, isn't this Li Xiuyuan, Brother Li? What a coincidence, I didn't expect Mr. Li to come to this literary meeting." At this time, Zhu Erdan also found Li Xiuyuan who was passing by, and even bowed his hands with a smile on his face. .

Seeing the danger of his enthusiasm, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but froze for a moment.

When did Zhu Erdan become so polite?
However, when he vaguely noticed the indifferent look in Zhu Erdan's eyes, he frowned again.

"Happiness and anger are invisible. Even I can't do this. Only the old prime minister Li Linfu has this ability. Zhu Erdan can do it at such a young age? What stimulated him?" Li Xiuyuan's heart sank, feeling Arriving here, Zhu Erdan experienced an indescribable change.

"It turned out to be Zhu Erdan, what a coincidence."

Thinking about it in his heart, Li Xiuyuan returned a salute. After all, this etiquette cannot be lost, but he can't be that enthusiastic, so he just replied calmly.

"Haha, brother Li, you came just in time. The pair you played for me last time is here, and now I have a pair. I invite brother Li to come over and have a look. I don't know if it is neat or not?" Zhu Erdan walked over with a smile, very enthusiastic He grabbed Li Xiuyuan's hand and invited.

What a big hand.

Li Xiuyuan felt the strength coming from Zhu Erdan's hand, and was a little startled.

Is this the power a scholar should have?

Rather than saying please, it is better to say forcefully pull.

(End of this chapter)