The Crown Prince Chases His Wife

When Ji Nanfeng entered Qin Yan's study in the Duke's Mansion, he saw the master in Su Xiuyuehua's brocade shirt painting a fan in front of the sandalwood desk.

Qin Yan's expression was light, while Shen Ying, who was waiting for the brush and ink, had a bitter look on her face.

Shen Ying raised her head to see the person coming, and was ecstatic:

"Mr. Ji, come quickly, the master thinks that my ink is either too thick or too light..."

Qin Yan didn't come to paint very often. In the past, Ji Nanfeng was always on the sidelines. Shen Ying's hands that danced guns and made sticks really couldn't do the errands of grinding ink and brushes.

Ji Nanfeng stepped forward slowly, stopped by the desk, and took the ink ingot in Shen Ying's hand.

The ink on the hand is not as violent and flamboyant as the new ink, sometimes it loves the pen, and sometimes it is damp. Its color is simple and black, and its flavor is like zhilan, which is the first-class ancient Hui ink commonly used by the master.

There is a Meiyue Duanxi inkstone on the table. Its color is blue and purple, the quality is as smooth as jade, and the sound is deep when grinding. It is the famous inkstone of Laokeng.

The incense burns in the house. It is said that the incense is soaked into the ground, and even the earth and rocks have a fragrance.

Their master is extremely picky about these elegant things.

Ji Nanfeng looked at Qin Yan who was concentrating on writing. The woman beside her had a delicate and perfect profile, her red lips were slightly pursed, and when her eyelashes fluttered, Ji Nanfeng also moved in her heart.

Ji Nanfeng closed his eyes slightly, calmed down the delusions he shouldn't have in his heart, then opened his eyes again, forcing himself to focus on the bookcase, the painting pressed by a white jade bergamot paperweight.

On the fan of the Sujian, there is a mist of mountains and forests. The brush, ink and color used are light but not thin, sparse but precise, exquisite but not rude. Between the dry and wet shades, it's the best.

Ji Nanfeng has seen Qin Yan's writings, including beauties, monks, and pawns. She has painted splendid peonies, misty clouds, landscapes, bamboo shadows and cool moons.

Qin Yan's brushwork is interesting, charming, thick, easy to advance and retreat, unpredictable, and unexpected. In the vulgar and elegant room, it is like sadness and joy, and everything is integrated.

Just like her...

When it was over, Qin Yan took out a black lacquer with golden scroll grass pattern and purple hair from the agarwood carving pen holder. After dipping it in ink, he inscribed the word "Drunken Mountain" on the lower right side of the fan. The writing is vigorous, not like a seventeen-year-old girl at all.

As usual in paintings, there are inscriptions, no inscriptions, and no seals.

Qin Yan cleaned his hands with the basin held by Shen Ying and wiped them dry with a towel.

"Master, is the fan bone made of white jade, red sandalwood or Xiangfei bamboo?" Ji Nanfeng asked, these are the common fan bone materials used by Qin Yan to make fans.

When Qin Yan was interested, Ji Nanfeng took care of all the paintings he made casually. Or mounted, or made into a fan, or as a pattern to the embroidered mother to make clothes and sachets.

Qin Yan took the tea cup that Ji Nanfeng handed over, and sniffed the fragrance of the tea. A few pieces of green tea leaves were floating in the white porcelain cup, and the cords were stretched. She took a sip, and the tip of her tongue filled with fragrance, it was a good tea.

"It's about to enter the summer, the bamboo fan bones are soft and clear, just use Xiangfei bamboo." Qin Yan's tone was slow.

Seeing that Qin Yan was quite satisfied after drinking the tea, Ji Nanfeng said,

"This is Yunhai Pekoe. The new tea has been in storage for more than a month. It won't be too cold, so it is suitable for the master to drink."

------

"Mr. Ji came to deliver tea in person?" Qin Yan looked at Ji Nanfeng.

"The matter for the firm's entry into Beijing has been arranged, and Wenluo's Wen's firm is also being arranged in an orderly manner. After a while, we can start." Ji Nanfeng replied.

"En." Qin Yan is not very interested in Song Mei's affairs. Compared with the events she has handled over the years, Song Mei's affairs are not important, and they are not worth her constant attention. The mother is just unhappy.

"How is Jiang Mu lately?" Qin Yan suddenly thought of Young Master Jiang who was taken to the Imperial College by her.

Ji Nanfeng explained Jiang Mu's situation.

"Young Master Jiang has been in the Imperial College for seven days. He is assigned to an outside class, and can return to his home and go to school every day."

"There are six schools in Guozijian, and the six schools are divided into high and low. According to the school rules, all students who have mastered the "Four Books" but have not been able to pass through the scriptures will be placed in the Zhengyi, Chongzhi, and Guangye Halls, and those who have been literate for more than a year and a half Xu Sheng cultivated Taoism and Chengxintang, and sat in the hall for more than a year and a half, and those who were both versed in both classics and history and who were excellent in literature and science were promoted to Xingtang.”[1]

"It stands to reason that as a student of the Yin Supervisor, Young Master Jiang's foundation is not very good, and he should be admitted to the Justice, Chongzhi, Guangye Hall, and at most the Taoist and Sincerity Hall. However, the Guozijian arranged for Young Master Jiang to directly enter the Fangxing Hall, which may be It means the one in the palace."

"However, the young master has been studying for several years with the tutor he hired a few years ago, and he can still keep up with his homework."

"However, according to the report from the Dark Guard, since the first day he entered Guozijian, Young Master Jiang will encounter a little trouble every day when he goes to school and when he leaves school." Ji Nanfeng looked at Qin Yan, hesitating whether he needed to say what happened next. The master doesn't seem to be very interested in the people and affairs of the Qin Mansion.

"Oh?" Qin Yan looked indifferent, "Tell me about it."

Seeing Qin Yan's advice, Ji Nanfeng continued:

"The son of Qin Xiangfu, Qin Ming, brings a group of small followers to gamble with Young Master Jiang every day when he arrives and leaves school. He just played some lip service, neither of the two sides did anything, and there was no major conflict."

Heh, Qin Yan smiled, but he was just playing around as a child and didn't take it to heart.

------

In the northeast corner of the imperial city, two buildings stand opposite each other. On the left is the Confucian Temple, which worships the sages. The courtyard is paved with blue bricks, shaded by pines and cypresses, and there are stone pillars and railings carved with white marble, which is solemn and solemn. 【2】

Since entering the Imperial College, Jiang Mu has only listened to lectures and did his homework every day. Because of Jiang Mu's special status, it is not easy for other supervisors to get close to Jiang Mu. So Jiang Mu is always alone.

After school that day, Jiang Mu was walking alone on the main road out of the prison. Not surprisingly, he was blocked by a group of little kids again.

Jiang Mu was very irritable. Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, the other party just blocked him, provoked each other with words, but did not do anything.

Among the little boys in Jiang Mu's eyes, the leader was Qin Ming, the son of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion.

Qin Ming became angry when he saw Jiang Mu. He was Qin Yan's serious younger brother, but he couldn't even see him. He went to the Duke's Mansion several times, but he was stopped outside, and his father and mother did not allow him to see the eldest sister.

The boy on the opposite side was just the so-called righteous brother adopted by the eldest sister. The eldest sister also asked the royal family for a quota to send him to the Imperial Child Prison, and the boy was also arranged in the best spontaneity hall. Qin Ming's father was the right minister, and he could only be in the next-level Chengxin Hall. This made Qin Ming even more unconvinced. Qin Yan was his eldest sister, so what kind of onion is this kid!

"Boy, tell me, why did you become my eldest sister's righteous brother? What is your point that my eldest sister valued so much?" Qin Ming took the trouble to ask the questions that he had been asking every day for the past few days.

Jiang Mu still ignored the idiot opposite and just stood there idle. He knew that in just a cup of tea, the supervisor of the Guozijian would pass this road to patrol, and he would be able to escape. If Qin Yan hadn't told him not to cause trouble, he really wanted to beat up these boys and waste his time.

"Yo, Qin family boy, he's bullying Zhaoren County Lord's younger brother again!" It was Wang Jingyu, the second son of the Zuo Prime Minister, who was the same age as Jiang Mu and was also enrolled in the Guozijian.

"Hahaha..." Wang Jingyu was also followed by a group of followers, and everyone laughed.

In the past few days, whenever Qin Ming brought people to block Jiang Mu, the prince of Zuo Xiangfu would bring people over to say some sour words.

Wang Jingyu is the direct descendant of the Zuo Prime Minister's mansion. In addition to his mother, his father's backyard has several concubines. Those concubines also have some concubines. His mother has eaten in the hands of the concubines and those concubines suffering. Therefore, he hated the identity of the concubine extremely, and even looked down on Qin Ming, the precious concubine of the right minister.

Wang Jingyu and Qin Ming had conflicts in prison from time to time, and it was not uncommon for them to fight.

The Shengxuan Hall is the office of the supervisor of the Guozijian. There are koan cases in the hall, two red stools are specially arranged, and two clerks are on duty. The Shengxuan Hall is in charge of the school rules. Supervisors and students who violate the rules can be directly punished. If the circumstances are more serious, the violators will be pressed on the red stool and beaten with bamboo strips. 【3】

"It's none of your business, get out of the way, Wang Jiawan!" Qin Hao also disliked the second son's playfulness in the Zuo Prime Minister's residence, and sent him to Guozijian in vain. This fellow does not look like a scholar at all. , is a standard dandy second generation ancestor.

"I'm not that interested in meddling with you, Qin Xiang's son-in-law. This son is here to find Jiang Shao." Wang Jingyu has always used Qin Ming's status as a son-in-law to insert a knife into his heart.

"You..." Qin Ming was about to rush towards Wang Jingyu, but was held tightly by a group of boys behind him.

"Young Master Qin, the superintendent is coming over at this point, so don't be provoked and act first, it's not worth it."

Wang Jingyu laughed wickedly, he was not as timid as the Qin family boy, and the boy knew that he was a scumbag, hehe.

Wang Jingyu turned to look at Jiang Mu and said with a smile:

"Jiang Shao, you and I are the same age, how about being brothers with different surnames? Although I don't know anything, but I think that people are honest, and I can eat well in Shangjing. With my cover, how can there be cats and dogs who dare to harass you. Don't keep your face cold all the time, do you want to stop thinking about it?"

This little dude from the Zuo Prime Minister's Mansion also said the same thing every day. The two sons of the Left and Right Prime Minister took him Jiang Mu as a tool person, and the two of them set up a ring with him.

"What are you doing, go back after school, do you want to eat rattan? Tomorrow will be at the Grand Ceremony of Emperor Yong, His Royal Highness will come to Guozijian in person. There are still many things to prepare in the prison, so don't cause me trouble." The supervisor of Guozijian The supervisor in charge of educational affairs always had a serious face and held a cane in his hand.

This group of boys instantly scattered.

In managing these supervisors, the supervisor is sometimes very powerless. In his capacity, he cannot offend the sons of senior officials, and rarely does he really do it. He just felt sorry for some poor and outstanding Gongsheng. He didn't do his studies well. One day he stood in line behind the children of these noble families to make trouble, trying to please these sons and brothers to take shortcuts in the court, but he didn't know that the emperor and the courtiers took these crooked ways. Sooner or later something will happen.

------

The emperor's Linyong Grand Ceremony is based on respect for teachers and Taoism as the foundation of education. From time to time, the emperor personally went to the Confucius Temple in Guozijian to worship Confucius, and after the sacrificial ceremony was completed, he would go to the Yilun Hall of Guozijian to listen to the explanation of the scriptures. It should have been Emperor Hui who came to offer sacrifices, but in recent years, Emperor Hui became ill, and the crown prince oversees the country, and it is the crown prince who presides over it.

Prince Feng Zhan has fasted for a day in the Prince's Mansion in Xishan. The entourage officials below the prince, civil servants of the third rank and above, military officers of the second rank and above, and officials of the Hanlin Academy of the seventh rank and above have all fasted at home for a day.

The next day, six quarters before sunrise, Taichang Si Qing went to the Prince's Mansion in Xishan and asked His Royal Highness to leave the mansion. Prince Feng Zhan, dressed in sacrificial clothes, left the palace by car.

After entering the city, after passing through the Meridian Gate, the bells and drums rang in unison, and the civil and military officials below the prince who did not accompany the shrine stood in a row on the wing, kneeling and sending His Royal Highness the prince passing by.

Guozijian sacrificed wine, Siye led Guozijian officials in court clothes, and all students in official clothes knelt on the left side of Guozijian Outer Street to welcome His Royal Highness.

The day before Linyong, the Ministry of Industry had set up a large tent dedicated to the prince at the Confucius Temple in advance. The prince went to the tent to change his clothes and ascended the hall to worship Confucius. 【4】

------

All the students in Guozijian were supposed to go to the Confucius Temple to offer sacrifices, but no one noticed how many people were missing when they were busy.

When Qin Ming arrived at the Guozi prison this morning, he suddenly had a stomachache. After using the toilet in the thatched hut, he was on his way to the Confucius Temple alone. When he passed in front of the Chongwen Pavilion, the library building, he was beaten violently with a sack over his head. The people stayed behind and had no way to ask for help. Later, their hands and feet were tied, their mouths were gagged, and they were still covered with sacks. After knocking unconscious, they were dragged into Chongwen Pavilion.

And Jiang Mu was stopped by a Gongsheng, saying that the Guozijian sacrificed wine and asked Jiang Mu to go to Chongwen Pavilion to fetch the "Qimin Yaoshu". After a while, the sacrifice to Confucius, and the prince would use it when he went to Guozi to monitor the sutras. Jiang Mu was skeptical about this, but he was recommended by His Royal Highness the Prince to be admitted to the Imperial College. Considering that if the prince wanted to use books, Jiang Mu still went to Chongwen Pavilion.

After Jiang Mu entered Chongwen Pavilion, he was looking for the books he needed in the vast volume of books. Suddenly, there was a creaking sound, and the door of the library was closed from the outside, followed by a click of a lock. Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes and rushed to the door, but the door was locked, and it seemed that the door was blocked with wooden boards.

At this moment, a burning smell came, and Jiang Mu turned his head to see flames starting to ignite in the corner of the library. There seemed to be pitch-black kerosene on the bookshelves and the floor there, and the fire burst out at a very fast speed.

The books in the library are flammable, and the fire is not easy to put out. Jiang Mu violently kicked the door with two feet, but he still couldn't open it. At this time, the thick smoke had spread in the bookstore. Jiang Mu covered his mouth and nose with his cuffs. He kicked all the way around the bookstore, but there was nothing weak enough that he could break the door with his bare hands.

At this time, Jiang Mu saw a hapless man covered in a sack in the corner of the other end. Jiang Mu pulled the sack on the man's head and saw that it was Qin Ming who was unconscious. Jiang Mu slapped him and Qin Ming woke up leisurely.

"You hit me, cough, cough..." The fire rushed over through the bookshelf, and the smoke became more and more smoky.

Jiang Mu pulled the ropes that bound Qin Ming's hands and feet, and said anxiously, "It's on fire, I have to find a way to get out."

"What, cough, cough..." Qin Ming was already dizzy from being beaten, but now he was frightened, and there was thick smoke in his nostrils, and he felt that he had to faint again.

Jiang Mu was not much better. At this moment, thick smoke was billowing in the library, and the smoke made him dizzy. Jiang Mu sighed in his heart.

At this moment, the door of the bookstore was violently smashed open, and two masked men in black rushed in. The two were dressed in similar clothes, only the details were slightly different.

After entering the pavilion, the two searched on both sides as if they had a tacit understanding, and saw Jiang Mu and Qin Ming at about the same time. The two masked men dragged a wolf boy who was choked on the ground by the thick smoke out of the book pavilion. They dropped them in the open space outside the Chongwen pavilion. The two men in black jumped onto the roof and disappeared separately. .

Because most of the people went to the Confucius Temple, and no one put out the fire, the fire in the library of the Guozijian was getting bigger and bigger.

When the people worshipping at the Confucius Temple saw the thick smoke billowing from the Guozijian, their hearts were not good, and they lost their way.

The prince ordered Guozijian's sacrificial wine to immediately convene people to put out the fire, so he hastily ended the sacrificial ceremony and waited in the big tent.

By the time everyone put out the fire in Chongwen Pavilion, the attic had been burnt down, and the house next to it was simply not involved.

Destroying the attic is a small thing, but the collection of books inside made the sacrificial wine of Guozijian very distressed. There are many isolated and rare books in it, which is really a heavy loss.

But it wasn't this that shocked him the most. Although there were no casualties this time, the son of the Right Prime Minister's mansion was tied up, knocked unconscious and sent to the Book Collection Pavilion. Jiang Shao, the master mansion of Zhaoren County, was also trapped there. In the Book Collection Pavilion, the two almost lost their lives. That was a murder case, and it was not something he could handle.

After placing Jiang Mu and Qin Ming in the Jijiu Office and the Siye Office respectively, Guozijian Jijiu asked his deputy Guozijian Siye to immediately go to the Imperial Hospital to ask for an imperial doctor. And sent someone to notify the county master of Zhaoren, after which the sacrificial wine immediately returned to the Confucius Temple.

When reporting the matter to His Royal Highness, the right minister Qin Wenzheng heard that his precious son Qin Ming almost died on the spot, almost fainted, and immediately rushed to the imperial guard to monitor Qin Ming.

Zuo Xiangyou asked: "Today, all the supervisors and students should worship at the Confucius Temple. Why are these two people in the library alone?"

Jian Cheng had told the sacrificial wine that Qin Ming would take people to contain Jiang Mu during these days. Guozijian did not dare to hide the wine, so he said it at this time.

Zuo Xiang asked: "Is this accident caused by the two's personal grudge?"

Guozijian Jijiu didn't answer. He didn't dare to speculate on this matter, and he was still distressed by his collection of books.

Prince Feng Zhan lightly buckled the armrest of the chair, and said solemnly: "This case involves two young masters from the You Xiangfu and Zhaoren County's main residence, and almost injured their lives. I order Jing Zhaoyin to investigate strictly."

The author says:

[1] In this article, "Guozijian... Xingxingtang." Adapted from page 23 of "Illustration of Guozijian: The Highest School of the Feudal Dynasty";

[2] In this article, "the northeast corner of the imperial city... stone pillar railings" is adapted from the data, the source is unknown;

[3] In this article, "The Hall of Rope Traps is ... beaten with bamboo strips." Adapted from page 21 of "Illustrated Guozijian: The Highest School of the Feudal Dynasty";

[4] In this article, "The Emperor's Grand Ceremony of Linyong...Rising to the Hall to Sacrifice Confucius." Adapted from pages 56 and 57 of "Illustrated Guozijian: The Highest School of the Feudal Dynasty".