Hangzhou and Nanjing are both located in the south of the Yangtze River and both belong to the Wu dialect system, but they are different in terms of accents and food flavors.
Nanjing people love ducks. A duck can be killed in at least a thousand ways under the knife of Nanjing people. Hangzhou people like the freshness of fish and crabs, and they arrange these river fish clearly on the chopping board.
Mu Chun and Hu Shanwei both like the dish of crab roe dumplings, which is made by picking out the crab roe and crab paste, mixing it with pork fat, and wrapping it in bean curd skin and steaming it.
Hu Shanwei can eat four.
Muchun ate ten of them and still felt unsatisfied. It seemed that as long as he focused on eating, he could erase the memory of the "tall and huge" Leifeng Pagoda.
When eating crabs and river seafood, there is nothing better than drinking sweet and refreshing chrysanthemum rice wine to remove the greasiness and fishy smell. It is also a perfect match for women like Hu Shanwei who are not good at drinking.
Tomorrow morning, they have to go back to Nanjing. Mu Chun is reluctant to leave. "It would be great if I could live in Hangzhou forever and never go back."
This was one of the few good times in Hu Shanwei's first twenty years. She said, "I like it here too, but I have signed a military order with Fan Gongzheng. I have to return to the capital within ten days. Why don't you stay in Hangzhou and wait until the news in Nanjing has passed and your father's anger has subsided before going back."
Mu Chun shook his head repeatedly, "No, Sister Shanwei has left, and it's boring for me to be alone in Hangzhou. Anyway, we have been to all the places we should visit in the past few days, so I will go back to the capital with you."
Hu Shanwei asked, "Aren't you afraid that both the Mu and Feng families will be angry with you? I heard from Ji Gang that your uncle Feng Cheng beat your father at the celebration banquet."
Mu Chun applauded: "Well done! Great fight!"
Hu Shanwei asked, "Aren't you afraid that your father will vent his anger on you?"
Mu Chun said, "It doesn't matter. As soon as I return to the capital, I will go to the Empress to pay my respects. As long as the Empress gives the order, my father won't dare to hit me."
Mu Chun knew very well that in his current situation where his father and uncle didn't love him, the emperor and empress were the only ones who could support him.
Hu Shanwei saw that Mu Chun's eyes were gloomy when she mentioned the messy family affairs. He felt sorry, so he deliberately changed the subject and pointed at the steamed crabs and chrysanthemum wine and said, "Thank you for your hospitality today. I will write a poem for you with the crabs and chrysanthemum wine as the theme, how about it?"
Mu Chun clapped again, "Wonderful, wonderful."
Hu Shanwei thought about it and judged from the fact that Mu Chun was illiterate, as shown by the words “tall and big” and “round and bright”, his writing could not be too complicated. It had to be simple and easy to understand, and he had to know every word. Otherwise, he would not be able to understand it at all.
The waiter brought the pen and ink and was about to spread out the paper when Mu Chun took out his own folding fan that he used to display samples and said, "Sister Shanwei, please write on this."
This is an expensive Sichuan gold fan. Seeing that almost every wealthy young man in Hangzhou owns one, Mu Chun bought one for himself - of course, he also borrowed money from Ji Gang.
Hu Shanwei wrote: "The heartless young man should be very charming, wearing a helmet and dancing with a spear and playing the Yumen flute. He fought for 8,000 miles outside the Great Wall, and took off his armor to visit the chrysanthemums when he saw the cooking."
Crabs have no intestines, so they are also called the Intestine-less Prince. Crabs have hard shells and claws, and Hu Shanwei compared them to armor and a halberd, meaning that my Intestine-less Prince is so powerful, wearing armor, waving a halberd, fighting for eight thousand miles, listening to the sound of flutes at Yumen Pass, retiring after success, seeing the smoke from cooking, taking off his armor, planting an acre of chrysanthemums, and returning to the mountains.
This poem is very simple. Mu Chun understood it as soon as he read it and said, "Good poem! Good poem!"
Seeing that Mu Chun was so happy as a child with just a few limericks, Hu Shanwei couldn't help but laugh, "It's just so-so, just read it yourself, don't show it to others."
Mu Chun nodded repeatedly and promised: "I will keep the things that Sister Shanwei gave me well and will not show them to irrelevant people."
result…
At night, Mu Chun lay on the bed in the inn, holding the Sichuan gold fan that recited poems, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Until midnight, the bell of Leifeng Pagoda rang, and Mu Chun could no longer bear it. He took the fan and went to Ji Gang's room next door.
Ji Gang was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He hid a knife under his pillow. When he felt someone approaching in his sleep, he drew his knife and chopped at the person without even opening his eyes.
"It's me." Mu Chun stepped back repeatedly.
"Mr. Mu?" Ji Gang still held the knife cautiously, "What are you doing sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night?"
Could it be that he is attracted by my fair skin, beautiful face and long legs and wants to molest me
Mu Chun was temporarily appointed as a guerrilla general during the suppression of bandits in Jiangxi. After he returned to Beijing victoriously, his title disappeared automatically. Now he is just a small soldier in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so Ji Gang calls him Young Master Mu.
With a snap, Mu Chun opened the Sichuan Golden Fan and said, "Look, isn't the crab chrysanthemum poem that Sister Shanwei gave me very well written?"
The title of the fan is "On July 20th, I ate crabs and drank chrysanthemum wine with Jingchun in a restaurant in Hangzhou."
Jingchun is Muchun's name.
The content is "The Gutless Young Master should be very charming, wearing a helmet and dancing with a spear and playing the Yumen flute. He fought for 8,000 miles outside the Great Wall, and took off his armor to visit the chrysanthemums when he saw the cooking."
The signature is "Hu Shanwei".
Ji Gang lit the candle and read it. He was a warrior, even less educated than Mu Chun. "How charming should a man be? Isn't charming used to describe women? How can it be used to describe men? Fighting for 8,000 miles outside the Great Wall? It's 8,000 miles from Nanjing to Yumen Pass? Are you sure? It seems to be more than that?"
"Also, why should I visit chrysanthemums after a battle? Can't peach blossoms do the same? If I went to fight at Yumen Pass, survived a near-death experience, and returned to Nanjing, I wouldn't want to visit any other flowers but go to the brothel on the Qinhuai River, drink the strongest liquor, and sleep with the most beautiful courtesan. This poem is bullshit!"
Muchun: "You..."
Mu Chun now deeply understood how Sister Shanwei felt when he recited the poem on Leifeng Pagoda today: "Look at this pagoda, it is tall and big. Look at this sun, it is round and bright."
Just like now when he heard Ji Gang interpreting Sister Shanwei’s poem, he felt embarrassed, uncomfortable, and even wanted to beat him up.
Hu Shanwei was just thinking about it when Mu Chun really took action. He kicked the knife out of Ji Gang's hand, then threw him to the bed and beat him up.
"How dare you say Sister Shanwei's poems are shit?" Mu Chun threw the brush to Ji Gang, "Come on, here, I give you the brush, you write."
Late in the night, when everyone was asleep, Hu Shanwei was startled awake. He got up, put on his clothes, pushed the window open a crack and looked out. He just happened to see Mu Chun coming out of Ji Gang's room in torn pajamas, dragging his shoes, and cursing.
Ji Gang covered his injured chest, opened the door and threw a brush as a hidden weapon, hitting Mu Chun on the back of the head. "I can't do it, you are not that much stronger than this brush!"
Hu Shanwei: “…”
The next morning, five hundred and fifty new books were packed into boxes, loaded onto the official ship, covered with moisture-proof oilcloth, and the sail was hoisted.
Mu Chun and Ji Gang were tired of each other. Their friendship that they had fought together at Guaishiling was broken and they were silent all the way.
Mu Chun locked himself in the cabin and no one knew what he was doing. When the Jinyiwei soldier brought him food, he heard some murmuring inside, as if he was talking to himself.
The soldier knocked on the door, and Mu Chun let him in, set the table for the meal, and left. Mu Chun closed the door and ate, put the empty bowls and plates into the food box, placed it at the door, and continued to close the door, muttering endlessly.
The official ship traveled day and night, sailing for one day and two nights, and finally arrived at the Longjiang Post Station in Nanjing at dawn.
The Qinhuai River flows into the Yangtze River from here.
The official ship turned from the Yangtze River to the Qinhuai River, sailed from the West Water Gate of Sanshanmen to the inner city of Nanjing. When it was about to reach Taoye Ferry, Mu Chun, who had been stuck in the cabin for a day and two nights, finally "came out".
He went to the deck to find Hu Shanwei, holding a book that was almost torn apart.
"I have memorized them all. Just pick out a poem at random to test me." Mu Chun handed Hu Shanwei the collection of poems "Du'an Collection" by Zen Master □□ Yan.
Hu Shanwei was very surprised. "So you locked yourself in the cabin to memorize the lessons?"
Mu Chun nodded, "Sister Shanwei likes the poems of Zen Master Daoyan and can recite the Du'an Collection by heart. I only know one poem, Oasis Song, so we can't talk about it. I can't write poems, but I'm good at memorizing them by rote. If you don't believe me, Sister Shanwei will test me."
Hu Shanwei was holding the poetry collection. She admired Zen Master Daoyan and knew the book very well. She asked casually, "Zen Master, which literary giant in the Ming Dynasty wrote the preface to "Du'an Collection" to recommend this poetry collection?"
Mu Chun: “…”
The preface was the most important link in the literary publishing industry at that time. If a literary giant of the time was invited to write a preface to recommend the book, the book's value would be increased and it would surely sell well, gain a good reputation and be widely circulated.
The preface is in the most conspicuous position on the first page of the poetry collection and is the face of the collection. Hu Shanwei thought this issue was the simplest.
But Mu Chun was so busy reciting poems that he didn't pay attention to the densely packed preface on the first page of the cover. How did he know who wrote the preface
Hu Shanwei returned the Du'an Collection to Mu Chun, who was stunned like a wooden stake, and said, "If you don't really like it, don't force yourself. You and I are close friends, why force yourself to please me? It's meaningless. You are you, unique, whether you can recite the Du'an Collection or not is not important at all."
Hu Shanwei pointed at Ji Gang, who was directing the official ship to dock at the other end of the deck, and said, "Do you think I will admire him just because he can recite the Du'an Collection? The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water. There is no need to cater to or please each other between friends."
Ji Gang: What does it have to do with me
When the official ship docked, Hu Shanwei saw with his own eyes boxes of books being loaded into the carriage and tied up tightly before they boarded the carriage to return to the palace.
Mu Chun rode a horse to escort Hu Shanwei and the books. He opened the Du'an Collection on horseback. The preface was signed by Gao Qi, the great master of Ming Dynasty literature, who was known as the "Four Heroes of Wuzhong" together with Yang Ji, Zhang Yu and Xu Ben. He was also one of the three great writers of the early Ming Dynasty, along with Liu Ji and Song Lian.
Mu Chun thought: Gao Qi, I will remember you. Even if I forget my father's name in this life, I will never forget you. Even if I become a ghost, I will never forget you...
Hu Shanwei returned to the palace, put the new book into the Bingzi Library of the harem, took three sample books, and went to the Gongzheng Division to report to Fan Gongzheng.
Fan Gong was touching the gold-embossed cover and flipping it over. The butterfly-bound book fluttered like butterfly wings, emitting bursts of ink fragrance.
Looking at the handwriting more closely, each one is as shiny black as lacquer, the ink is rich, and the white cotton paper is delicate and soft. Fan Gongzheng comes from a scholarly family and is the granddaughter of Fan Qie, one of the four great poets of the Yuan Dynasty. It can be said that she has read thousands of books, but this is the first time she has seen such a beautiful book.
As expected, I found the right person! Fan Gongzheng was known for his seriousness and dignity, and at this moment, he couldn't help but show his joy, "I will go and report to the Queen that the book has been printed. The Queen is also a book lover, she will definitely like it."
Fan Gongzheng walked to the door holding a new book, turned around and waved to Hu Shanwei, "What are you still standing there for? Come with me to Kunning Palace."
"I..." Hu Shanwei couldn't believe it. "I am so exhausted. If I go to see the Empress like this, I am afraid I will lose my manners in front of the palace and bring shame to Fan Gongzheng."
Fan Gongzheng smiled and said, "We need to let the Queen see how hard you've worked. Let's go."
Hu Shanwei followed Fan Gongzheng closely. The sun was scorching outside, and several palace maids held umbrellas to shade the two female officials.
In Kunning Palace, Hu Shanwei and Fan Gong were waiting outside the palace to be summoned. Soon, Liu Siyan came out to summon the two female officials to meet him.
On a hot day, Empress Ma was sewing military cotton-padded clothes in the embroidery room. There was a jar of ice in the room, which made her feel very cool.
The two of them bowed, Hu Shanwei lowered his head and raised the three books above his head. Fan Gongzheng took one book and handed it to Queen Ma.
Only when she saw the gold-embossed cover did Empress Ma stop sewing and go to read the book. There was no expression on her face, but her eyebrows were raised, which must indicate her satisfaction.
Empress Ma slowly flipped through the pages one by one, and only closed the book after making sure the contents were correct. "Hangzhou is indeed a great place for books. This book is well done and deserves a generous reward. Hu Shanwei, what do you want?"
Hu Shanwei didn't expect Queen Ma to blurt out her name. She was flattered and didn't know what to say.
Fan Gong secretly twisted her arm through her sleeve, "The Queen is asking you a question."
Hu Shanwei suddenly woke up and said, "Before, I assisted Fan Gongzheng in editing the book. I was promoted twice and now I am a seventh-rank official. Fan Gongzheng entrusted me with the printing, distribution and explanation of the book. I have only completed the printing step, and I am still far from completing the task. If I want another reward, I will be ashamed to accept it."
Empress Ma found it interesting and said, "Come here and take a seat. I have only heard of you but never seen you before. This time I want to take a good look at you."
Liu Siyan moved an embroidered cushion and placed it next to Empress Ma's Luohan bed.
"Thank you, Her Majesty, for the seat." Hu Shanwei took a deep breath, walked over and sat down steadily.
The author has something to say: "On July 20th, I ate crabs and drank chrysanthemum wine with Jingchun in a Hangzhou restaurant" was written by Lanzhou at random. Hu Shanwei's level is definitely higher, but Lanzhou's writing skills are really limited and he can't write a good one. Please make do with it.
Tonight we will give out 100 red envelopes, and there will be a 100-point red envelope prize quiz on a high school history must-take exam question. The fastest and most correct reader will win.
Please listen to the question:
Woodblock printing was invented during that time period:
aThe end of the Sui Dynasty, bThe beginning of the Tang Dynasty, cKoreans invented woodblock printing, dThe end of the Tang Dynasty.