Idle courtiers

Chapter 43 The Difficult Wang Ruoxu ([-])

A bunch of unruly guys.

Seeing the long line of carriages and horses at the gate and the county gentry in Russian crowns, Zhou Nan cursed helplessly.

These guys, a few days ago, when they talked about the need for everyone to pay for the preparation of the reception of Master Wang, they all pushed back and forth, calling it poor.It seemed that their whole family would be starved by the side of the road tomorrow. Today, when Mr. Wang arrived, they all came to pay a visit to please him.Looking at their makeup, taking off a piece of jade pendant by the way is worth dozens of taels.

These guys are too stingy, worse than Lao Xi'er in the later Qing Dynasty.Unfortunately, they either have fame or a considerable background, and I really can't do anything about them as a small official.

Thinking about it, it was right, changing the land to mulberry was directly targeting them, and it was good not to make trouble, so why would they give money to him, the instigator.Besides, even if money is needed, it's not good to give it directly to the king, so why give it to the county government?
This is the house of a squire named Jian in the fourteen miles east of the city. The Jian family in Anton is not considered a common surname, and there has been no one in the family in recent decades.However, his ancestor had a minister of the Ministry of Rites during the Hongzhi period, and he was also doing business in Nanjing. He was quite rich and his house was beautifully built.Therefore, the county government often borrowed the compound of his family when receiving officials with status in the past.This time, the Jian family also gave face. Shi Zhixian sent a message, and he responded straightforwardly.

The reason why it is so refreshing, Zhou Nan thought for a while, is probably because the consciousness of this squire Jane is relatively advanced.His family originally had thousands of acres of fertile land, but they have been sold off one after another in the past ten years, transferred their assets to Nanjing and Huai'an, bought a large number of shops and houses, and started a business as a merchant.

The mid-Ming Dynasty was the burgeoning era of capitalism, and the market became more prosperous.A business in Fucheng can do business for a year at will, and it is worth the output of a thousand acres of land.The so-called "no business, no wealth", Jian Squire is quite enlightened.

Changing the field to Sang this time has nothing to do with him, and he has the opportunity to meet such a big man as Mr. Wang, why not do it?
It's good to have him as the head, so Zhou Nan saved a lot of expenses.He still has ten taels of public money to pay for the inspections in the next few days, tea, food, shoes and socks... I don't know if it is enough or not.

Huai'an is located in the middle of the Grand Canal, which is the geographical dividing line between the north and the south, and also the transportation hub of the Ming Dynasty.As far as its status is concerned, it is really similar to Zhengzhou, which was located at the junction of the Longhai Line and the Beijing-Guangzhou Line in the 80s.The gentry have seen many big figures, but such a powerful figure like Mr. Wang who can decide the appointment and removal of officials in a province with a single word is really rare.Especially if the children in the family are famous, they will go up to please Wang Ruoxu together like a hungry tiger, hoping to make a good impression on Wang Ruoxu and make him familiar.In the future, when someone in the family wants to seek an official position, he can find the temple gate with a pig's head.

Among them, Zhou Nan also saw his old acquaintance Weng Chun.This guy is a student of the county school and has the reputation of a scholar. I heard that there are still some talents.Scholars dare not say it, but if you fight for it, you will probably be able to raise people.He can become an official if he wins the exam, and today is also a good opportunity for him.

Today, more than 60 people came, plus entourage and servants, at least 300 people, and the huge Jian family compound was packed to the brim.There was a lot of people, and red lanterns were hung everywhere.

Zhou Nan was just a small clerk with a low status, so naturally he couldn't squeeze in, so he could only wait outside for a long time, and when the inside became quiet, he quickly walked up to the small two-story building and went up to the big flower hall upstairs. .

Seeing that the guests and hosts were seated inside, he walked up to the head of the king, bowed his hands and saluted: "The humble Zhou Nan has seen the head of the house."

This was the first time he took a closer look at this Wang Ruoxu, this king's boss had a weird temper, he took an official boat, and only the people from Andong County who were going to pick him up followed behind.

I saw that Mr. Wang was about fifty years old.On the one hand, he has big ears, a fair face, and a short beard.He is probably well maintained on weekdays, his hair and beard are black and shiny, but his appearance is dignified and dignified.

This is also understandable. The appointment of an official in the Ming Dynasty not only depends on your rank in the imperial examination, but also on your appearance.If you are born too ugly and lose the dignity of the court, most of the time it is not good to arrange work.

But the only bad thing about this person's appearance is the triangular eyes, which seem to have a hint of sarcasm and contempt when looking at people.

It's worthy of being a discipline inspection cadre in the six departments, with a trace of murderous intent invisibly.Don't look at the professional smile on his face when he met Shi Zhixian and the gentry, he might not be a good match in his bones, Zhou Nan thought while observing.

After all, he comes from a society where everyone is equal at least on the surface. Zhou Nan still can’t learn how to be fearful when meeting important people like the ancients. He kept looking at Mr. Wang. Somewhat rude.

This caught Mr. Wang's attention, and he also set his sights on Zhou Nan.Immediately, I felt that this person was tall and arms long, and his demeanor was partial, and I became fond of him.Hearing that Zhou Nan claimed to be a low-ranking official, he was also puzzled.Didn't Anton's county magistrate, county magistrate, boss and inspector all arrive today? Who is this person?

Next to it, Shi Zhixian said: "This is Zhou Nan, an official of my Andong county government."

Wang Ruoxu smiled, and his sarcasm turned into admiration: "But Zhou Nan, who is 'how much I hate the west wind, my eyebrows can't be blown away'? A while ago, your county made a statement saying that there was a yamen servant with outstanding literary talents in the county, and recommended him as a model. Officials. The affairs of Nanzhili are not under the control of the official. However, when the colleagues of the Qingli Department in Nanjing talked about Zhou Zimu's poems, they were amazed. The power of enlightenment."

Shi Zhixian bowed his hands again and again: "The principal is absurd, and I can't afford to be an official."

"Ashamed, in front of the elders, such a small talent is nothing." Zhou Nan also bowed down, humbly.But he was proud of himself, and thought to himself: This song "Linjiang Immortal" must have been added by Shi Jieren when he went to the court to gain his own reputation for his political achievements. Love him, Mingyue is good, and haggard is also related, but Nalan Xingde One of the representative works.As long as people who are not blind can recognize the beauty of it, it may have been sung in the capital at this moment.If I offend Weng Chun, it can be said that I have offended the entire cultural circle of Andong County. Hehe, ban me, can I be banned?This is why the east is not bright and the west is bright, the capital is much bigger than Anton.With the awl in your pocket, it's hard not to stand out.

Wang Ruoxu was proud of his youth in his early years, and he was also a romantic figure.After being selected as a scholar in desperation, the road to the imperial examination has not been smooth, and it was not until he was in his forties that he made it to the top of the list, and because of his busy work, Yiyi had not worked hard on poetry for many years.When I saw Zhou Nan today, he was such a handsome and high-spirited person again. The youthful spirit of the year was revived, and he stroked his beard and smiled: "Don't be modest, your work is really good, but I can't write it."

Probably remembering the unbridled joy of indulging in poetry and wine with his three or five friends back then, he said: "Since the sages of Tang and Song Dynasties, there have been few poems that are so soul-stirring. Most of them are picking up people's teeth, imitating others, and are unbearable to read. In the final analysis, there is no soul and no emotion in their poems. They only imitate the style of the ancients, and they only get superficial and small. The ancients said: Poetry is born from the heart. When my generation composes, I should focus on the pen first, and only then can I post it when I feel it."

"Okay, well said. The old master's words are deafening, like pelican empowerment, which makes the late students harvest a lot." Next to him, Weng Chun deliberately flattered him, stood up and touched the ground.He is a high-talented student of the county school, and he is also the head of a group of young scholars.Naturally, the banquet is here today, and the seats are also at the front, just sitting next to Wang Ruoxu.

With him starting, not only a group of Confucian scholars, but even the gentry echoed loudly, flattering the sky for a while.

Zhou Nan thought in his heart: This Wang Ruoxu is crazy, he doesn't even care about the seventh son, he is 50 years old, can he be more stable?
The seven sons mentioned by Mr. Wang refer to the seven leaders in the poetry circle from Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty to the present, namely Li Mengyang, He Jingming, Xu Zhenqing, Bian Gong, Kang Hai, Wang Jiusi and Wang Tingxiang.These people are very famous in the literary world, most of them are still alive, and some of them are still officials in the same dynasty as Wang Ruoxu, and their disciples and former officials are all over the world.Master Wang is not afraid to disapprove of people in public, and he is not afraid of offending the seniors in the literary and official circles?That's right, this man is a speech official himself, offending people is his instinct.

"If one sentence can give you enlightenment, what do you need to study for ten years?" Wang Ruoxu said coldly, which made Weng Chun speechless.

Seeing him holding back, Zhou Nan couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth.

Wang Ruoxu asked coldly again: "Scholar Zhou, have you ever had a feud with Weng Sheng? Why do you gloat over misfortune? It can be seen that you, a thief, have a very low character. My official advises you, poetry is just a small way, you should read the words of sages more and more. Learn how to behave and do things."

Zhou Nan was also speechless, what's the matter with this man surnamed Wang, how could he bite anyone he sees?It was inexplicable that he had praised me so much before, but turned around and scolded me sharply.

Wang Ruoxu: "Well, seeing the situation, the banquet will have to wait for a while. I have heard for a long time that the culture and education in Andong County under the Shizhi County is prosperous. It is rare that all the gentry and county students are here today. Why don't you write a poem to cheer up the fun. The title, Let's take this official's visit to Andong this time and go upstairs to drink as the topic. Shizhi County, didn't you say that the government and civil education are prosperous, and even a small subordinate can write poems and essays. By the way, this is also Zhou Nan. I wrote you a song about..."

He rubbed his forehead, pretending to have just remembered, and chanted: "I heard about Shi Zhiqun in the past, and Chang Xiao climbed the tower alone. Looking down at this place, it is famous for Baidailiu. The dawn of the white cloud sea, the name of the moon, the river and the autumn. Those who want to come back , the murmur of the Huaihe River. Hehe, the writing is good. He is far away from the rivers and lakes, worrying about his king, and living in a high temple, worrying about his people. The county magistrate compares himself to Fan Wenzheng in the Song Dynasty. It is really a school of celebrities!"

The words were full of sarcasm, Shi Zhixian felt embarrassed, held back his breath, and said: "The master is laughing."

Suddenly, Wang Ruoxu laughed again, looked at everyone, and said: "A gentleman has three immortals, meritorious deeds, morality, and words. I have read sage books all my life, and have been an official in the court for more than 20 years. I only know how to be diligent in the affairs of the king. I have worked hard, but I have no credit at all, but I am ashamed. The old man has a bad temper, and he is not as generous and gentle as a modest gentleman. Instead, he has gained something from the classics of "Mao Poems". It is a pity that the grass and trees are dying together. I want to combine the past writings into a collection. But I am old, and I don’t have the energy to sort out the old manuscripts. Today, if you are interested in writing a poem, if you win the first name, you will You can see me as an old man, if there is a day when you go to Beijing to rush for the exam, you might as well come and find me to discuss and exchange ideas, and help the old man sort out old works."

As soon as this remark came out, the scholars who were aspiring to fame or the gentry at home who had children studying at home were all invigorated, and four words flashed in their hearts at the same time-a great opportunity.

(End of this chapter)