The voice sounded like it was aged. It was articulate and full of energy, and its words had a refreshing energy that was cordial and warm but not flattering. It was not annoying, so the onlookers all cheered. They all asked him to explain.
The man seemed to have made a collective salute before continuing: "His master is very fond of lantern riddles. Every year during the lantern festival, he will come to our store in person and visit the third floor! Regardless of men, women, old or young, poor or lowly, all the lantern riddles on the first floor will be displayed together. If you make thirty mistakes on the second floor, you can go to the second floor; if you make ten mistakes on the second floor, you can go to the third floor! At the stairway of the third floor, there are three lantern riddles written by his master himself. If they can be solved, his master will scan them. Welcome me on the couch and offer you a hundred taels of red and silver as a reward!"
One hundred taels of red and silver was not worth mentioning to Sheng Weiqiao, but to ordinary people, it was a huge sum of money.
After all, the monthly salary of a Sheng family guard is only four taels of silver, which is already a generous salary in Nanfeng County.
One hundred taels of silver, a Sheng family guard could save for two years and one month without food or water.
At that time, they were asked to guess forty-three lantern riddles correctly and they would get it. There was a sudden commotion among the crowd of onlookers. Several people with obvious foreign accents asked in half-baked Mandarin: "Is this true?"
"It seems that several of our guests came to Chang'an not long ago and don't know about our 'Sleepless Pavilion'?" The person inside was not annoyed and said with a smile, "Is our Pavilion a time-honored brand in Chang'an? The rules have been followed for more than 20 years. I have never broken my promise. If some guests don't believe it, you can ask the regular customers around you if I am a good person."
As soon as he finished speaking, there were echoes from the crowd. They all said that the "Night Pavilion" had been offering riddles for a year or two, and the shopkeeper alone had served several terms. Now the shopkeeper who announces the rules I have been hosting it for the longest time, more than ten years.
Speaking of the reward, every year at the Lantern Festival there is someone who can take the reward from there. It is said that the proprietor behind the Night Pavilion has a lot of background. If the person who steps on the third floor and sweeps the couch to welcome him closes his eyes Because of their good fortune, they are even likely to be recommended and enter and leave the homes of high-ranking nobles. Some people may even become famous in Chang'an City overnight and be envied by countless people.
After hearing those words, those who had previously questioned were moved. After saying thank you, they stepped out of the store without hesitation, as if they were afraid that they would be robbed of the benefits if they entered late.
I was looking to enter the store, but I seemed to be blocked again. I asked everyone to guess a riddle correctly before they could enter. Fortunately, I could guess for them.
Some of those people questioned whether the rules of guessing in that generation were not very good? Wouldn't it be a smooth journey for many people because they have powerful companions
The shopkeeper explained: "The lantern festival usually goes out together, and it is impossible for everyone in the group to solve the puzzle. So if we have to answer the questions individually, wouldn't it mean that the good playmates will be separated?" The owner set up those three levels of checkpoints and offered a reward of one hundred taels of red and silver. The idea was not to 'enjoy', so how could it ruin your interest in traveling together?"
Those words were applauded by people inside and outside, and those who had doubted before became silent.
Sheng Weiqiao, who was outside the crowd, was a little impatient when she heard about the reward, and she even shook Sheng Weiqiao's legs and arms vigorously: "Third sister, let's go in and guess! Is tomorrow the last night of the lantern festival?" What if I get in late and my boss arranges for me?"
"I'm talking as if we can definitely go to the third floor!" Sheng Weiqiao smiled and pinched her cheek. Although she didn't take a hundred taels of silver seriously, such a reward was too much for ordinary people. It is very expensive, especially the temptation to gain access to high-level families and become famous in Chang'an. With so many benefits, how many talented men and women should be attracted every year
That shop actually did not lose money and closed down. It was open for more than 20 years. How difficult must it be to create a riddle
Sheng Weiqiao knew that she was lazy and couldn't do her homework well. Her cousin Sheng Weiwu was still young and didn't pay much attention to her studies. Unless the store's silver reward was the same as the deer tendon on the Lantern Festival, which was free, otherwise the two sisters had no hope at all. Go to the third floor, I guess it would be better on the second floor.
At that time, Sheng Weiwu was confident that "they can definitely be on the third floor." He was worried that she would cry when she couldn't guess a few lights later, so he reminded her, "We are not good at that!"
Who would have thought that Sheng Weiwu was stunned when she heard this and asked, "Why are you asking us to guess?"
Before Sheng Weiqiao could shut up, she pointed at Sheng Sleeping Crane behind her back and said confidently, "Brother, isn't he the leader of our county? Everyone says he is very talented? He should be there for that kind of thing, anyway. The shopkeeper said we can guess for you, so we can just stand there and wait to get the money!"
Sheng Weiqiao, who ignored Sheng Sleeping Crane all the way: "..."
... I always feel that tomorrow... it seems that not only the manager is betraying the government, but also the ruthless little cousin is also holding him back
On the contrary, Sheng Suihe curled up the corners of his mouth again and again, feeling that Sheng Weiwu had never been so pleasing to the eye.
In the noisy city, their circle of pedestrians was strangely silent.
Everyone looked at Sheng Weiqiao, waiting for her answer.
At the same time, on the third floor of the Evernight Pavilion, which was also the top floor, someone was saying "Hey" softly. Although he immediately stopped speaking, because there was someone standing next to him, he had already heard it, so he asked in surprise: "Brother Juanfei?"
"I'm a little surprised to see someone I know." Hearing this, Meng Guiyu, whose cousin was tired, turned away from looking down, smiled warmly at the man standing next to him leaning on the railing, and said, "No, I'm about to take the taxi exam. Son, it is said that you should seize the time to study your books at this moment, and you should not have time to go out for fun."
"I don't think I have the strength to deny it. I see spring approaching month after month, and I feel anxious and uneasy." The person who asked the question before did not answer, and a clear and sarcastic voice came from behind, He said contemptuously, "No, you would rather come out and wander around like a headless fly than continue to work hard in the east? The kind of person who can't even sharpen a gun in front of the battle... Is it possible to come to Chang'an to join in the fun?"
The man from before smiled and agreed: "No, Lord Marquis said that."
But Meng Guiyu smiled and changed the subject: "The riddle that the Marquis made tomorrow is very difficult. We have brainstormed and worked hard to guess it! I don't know what the answer is." How many people were there on the third floor tonight, dining and drinking with him?"
"Gao Shaoyang, right?" His companion guessed, "He is known as the most talented man in the south of the Yangtze River. Although his writing may not be as good as that of Huang Ziyue, his poems, songs, and riddles are really good! In the past two months, he was in the hook column. , Isn’t it true that three mysterious couplets were revealed, which stumped the most famous business in Chang’an?”
"The leader of the line knew Gao Shaoyang's identity, so he pretended to be powerless to make him famous! Please tell me that Huang Ziyue became famous at a young age and was known as a prodigy in Shu." Some people contradicted him, "Although this man's reputation for literary talent and grace is indeed not as good as Gao Shaoyang, but it must also be considered that he is a calm man and does not like sensuality. After coming to Chang'an, although he had close contacts with the Gaomi Palace, he has always lived in seclusion and rarely went out. On the other hand, Gao Shaoyang was well-known as a romantic talent when he was in Jiangnan. After coming to Chang'an, he lingered in the land of fireworks for the whole month, acted in a flamboyant and wild manner, and showed no repentance even after being reprimanded several times by Marquis Wu'an... Such Gao Shaoyang was well-known for his poetry, songs, and riddles. But it doesn’t mean that Huang Ziyue is weaker in those areas. After all, all kinds of skills are similar, and Huang Ziyue’s literary level in the past has always surpassed Gao Shaoyang. Doesn’t his overall literary talent also lie with Gao Shaoyang?”
At that time, one person sighed or said sarcastically: "Although the two we are talking about were once popular candidates for the No. 1 pick in Mingke, it is a thing of the past. He Mingyue really wants to meet the rumored one. How outstanding a talent is this south-feng scholar who shows off his prowess but outshines both of them in front of Duke Zheng and King Gaomi?"
After those words were spoken, there was silence in the building.
After a while, the former Marquis said slowly and calmly: "No matter how resounding the name is, the article will still have the final say... It's hard to say whose family Mingke's number one scholar belongs to! We don't have control over our place. But in Gongyuan, we just competed with each other with lantern riddles, and we kept trying to figure out what to choose as the number one scholar in Mingke? Do you look down on his Night Pavilion?"
Meng Guiyu went to apologize, admitting that he was not guilty, and punished himself with three glasses of wine in public. The crowd booed for a while, and the previous slight silence was over.
He walked to the railing again and watched. Sheng Sleeping Crane and his party had disappeared from the crowd in Didong. He thought to himself: "Have they left or entered the store? If not, that's fine. If not, it's fine. In the store, if you really ask for the silver reward there, I'm afraid it will be troublesome tomorrow night."
After all, although Gao Shaoyang and Huang Ziyue were not here at the moment, they had made an appointment with the people in the building to borrow the lantern riddles from Mingyue's shop to compete in the ring.
Calculating the time, I've almost arrived.
One of the two was the direct nephew of Wu'anhou, the second wife of the Meng family; the other was a ruthless man from the old army of King Gaomi, and was the candidate highly recommended by both parties for the top prize. For this reason, Wu'anhou and King Gaomi even participated in the battle in person and performed several games. At the beginning, they reluctantly decided to come to Donglai. Which of the two would be ranked number one and who would be ranked second would depend on their performance in the scientific examination.
Unexpectedly, not long after the matter was settled, Sheng Sleeping Crane actually got involved and used the incident in Bishui County as a hook to scheme all the way back east. Not only did he obtain the same qualifications as the two of them, but even the Meng family and the Gaomi King I checked Sheng Suihe's articles when he was admitted to the Xie Yuan Dynasty, but I couldn't find them all highly praised.
Rumors spread intentionally or unintentionally in the temple, but the two court giants, Zheng Guogong and Gaomi Wang, all agreed that Sheng Suihe's literary talent was even worse than Gao Shaoyang and Huang Ziyue...
It is said that there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. How can we be convinced that both of them are young and talented people
However, he had long wanted to trouble Sheng Suihe, but Nao Sheng Suihe had been living in seclusion, and it was also rumored that he brought several female relatives with him to Chang'an. The place where Ru Ming lived was not spacious, so Gao Shaoyang and Huang Ziyue Because of his identity, he just shows up at the door to cause trouble. He loses his restraint and is suspected of disturbing other women's family members. It is really shameful, so he endures it for the time being. He is working hard and plans to slap him in the face severely in the spring!
If we had met there in advance... we would have known about it by chance!
Bu Nao…
Meng Guiyu's face was solemn at that time, he was not worried about what happened to Sheng Sleeping Crane when he came to ask for help from the east. He was worried: "The master who can kill people without blinking is not what he looks like on the surface." It's so simple to be a gentleman... But he was very easily dragged into the water by him. It's just a big win tomorrow if he asks! If he loses, he will become angry and want to follow the wrong mother and daughter. Same thing, if you ask him to help kill Huang Ziyue and Gao Shaoyang at night, what should you do?"
No wonder he thought that Sheng Suihe was so narrow-minded. After all, Sheng Weiqiao had not even been directly targeted before, so it was just affected. That person could sneak into the back house of Zheng Guogong to poison his legs, not to mention Huang Ziyue, Gao Shaoyang and other scholars later. , then is it 100% that he will directly attack Sheng Suihe? !
With a long sigh, Meng Guiyu covered his eyes with worry, but also some expectation: he could see clearly just now that not far away from Sheng Suihe, there was a little girl pulling him, could it be Sheng Weiqiao, whom he had been interested in for a long time
"I wonder if I'll have a chance to chat with Miss Sheng San later?" He mused to himself, "There are so many people tomorrow, so I'm afraid it won't be convenient to use the same formula, and if that Miss is really what he thinks, He’s so thoughtful that he won’t even have the chance to seize any clues... Well, why don’t we try to make a good impression first?”