"The falling flowers have feelings, but the flowing water is heartless." Wang Shizhen was dressed in white as white as snow, with his hands behind his back, talking and laughing.
"I was just joking. I thought you would be moved by my spirit of doing good without expecting anything in return." Zhu Ping'an shook his head slightly and smiled.
"Come on, Zhu Zihou, you are as ruthless as time passes. Didn't you see the affectionate look in the girl's eyes?" Zhang Siwei nudged Zhu Ping'an with his shoulder and asked jokingly.
"I just want to save the old man, not the girl." Zhu Ping'an smiled calmly, like a ray of sunshine in winter shining on the earth.
"Zihou is a true gentleman." Wang Shizhen said with emotion.
The three of them chatted along the way and soon arrived at the foot of Chongfu Temple. Chongfu Temple can be said to be the oldest temple in the capital.
If not for Zhang Siwei's guidance, Zhu Ping'an would not have been able to find Chongfu Temple. Chongfu Temple is located in a small alley. At the door, there are people selling incense and chanting "Amitabha". From the moment you enter the gate, the rich fragrance and inexplicable silence fill the entire courtyard.
After entering the mountain gate, Zhu Ping'an, under the instigation of Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen, also bought three incense sticks like them and walked towards the main hall. ( ) There were ancient trees such as pine trees, cypress trees and locust trees in the courtyard. The birds on the trees kept chirping, as if they were not affected by the Buddhist chants and the crowds, and they were very brave. There were also sparrows pacing back and forth on the ground. When people approached, they did not fly away, but just jumped a little further away. It was probably because believers or monks often scattered food to feed them.
As we approached the main hall, we could hear the sound of Buddhist chanting, which was harmonious and balanced. There were also the crisp sounds of wooden fish. When we entered the main hall, we found that a monk was chanting in the hall. There were many people in the hall, some of whom were praying in piety. There were also people walking around or talking, and there were also many people dressed like scholars like Zhu Ping'an and his group.
In fact, burning incense is just a form of psychological comfort. Zhu Pingan did not take it seriously, and Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen did not take it too seriously either.
On the contrary, the three of them were very interested in the beautiful apricot blossoms on the mountain behind the temple.
What disappointed them was that the small gate leading to the apricot forest on the back hill was guarded by several people, who looked as if they wanted to keep away strangers.
"Hurry up, hurry up, the back mountain has been reserved by my master." The people guarding the small gate, Ping An and the other two came over and waved their hands to drive them away. Even though Zhu Ping An and the other two were well dressed, they did not take Zhu Ping An and the other two seriously at all.
"Why? The temple was built with funds raised by thousands of believers, not your master's." Wang Shizhen stepped forward to argue.
"Go back to where you came from. This is for your own good." A gatekeeper waved his hand.
"Why waste time talking to them? They are nothing. Hurry up and leave, or don't blame us brothers for being ruthless." Another gatekeeper was even more arrogant. He didn't try to reason with Wang Shizhen. He held a long sword with a sheath. With his nose in the air and his eyes narrowed, he threatened Zhu Ping'an and the other two directly.
"You are blatantly committing crimes and making intimidation and threats. Aren't you afraid that the military will arrest and punish you?" Zhang Siwei pulled Wang Shizhen behind him, stared at the gatekeeper with a sharp gaze, and asked loudly.
After hearing Zhang Siwei's righteous words, the gatekeeper was stunned at first, and then he looked at each other and laughed as if he had heard a very funny joke.
"Hahaha... Bingmasi, ask Wucheng Bingmasi to come over and give it a try. Do they have the guts to..."
"The Five Cities Army and the Imperial Guards are useless!"
"I don't care who you are. Now, before you disturb our master, go back to where you came from!"
The gatekeeper smiled contemptuously and chased the people away again.
"Excuse me, who are you, sir?" Zhu Ping'an reached out and grabbed Zhang Siwei, and asked the gatekeeper.
"Hmph, I'm not afraid of scaring you. Our master is Minister Yan, Lord Yan." The gatekeeper mentioned their master with arrogance on his face.
Minister Yan
Oh, that's Yan Shifan. With the help of his father Yan Song, Yan Shifan was admitted to the Imperial College. When many scholars were struggling with the boy's examination, provincial examination and imperial examination, Yan Shifan became an official as soon as he graduated from the Imperial College. He didn't need to take any provincial examination or imperial examination. His promotion speed was like a rocket, and now he is the left vice minister of the Ministry of Works.
Well, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works is equivalent to the current Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Construction, in charge of engineering construction, which is a lucrative job among lucrative jobs.
No wonder Lian Du is so arrogant, it turns out that Yan Shifan is behind it.
Zhang Siwei, Zhu Ping'an and Wang Shizhen looked at each other. Although Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen had no good feelings towards Yan Song and his son, they were still very wary of their power. After all, Yan Song was still the prime minister, and even Yan Shifan was a vice-ministerial figure. Zhu Ping'an and the other three were still praying for the imperial examination, and now they were not even high-ranking officials.
What a feudal society! Even though we are admiring the apricot blossoms, we have to seal off the mountain behind the temple!
As far as history is concerned, Yan Shifan was a ruthless character. The fact that Yan Song could still serve as the prime minister at such an old age and Yan Shifan played a crucial role in giving advice and assisting in handling government affairs behind the scenes.
Of course, there is another very important point: Yan Shifan’s character is notorious.
Zhu Ping'an was still thinking about how to resolve the conflict with Yan Shifan if Wang Shizhen got angry and insisted on going in; there was no need to worry about Zhang Siwei, because Zhang Siwei had the genes of Goujian in his bones.
However, what Zhu Ping'an did not expect was that when Wang Shizhen heard that there was Yan Shifan in the apricot forest in the back mountain, his face was full of contempt and he turned around and left.
Zhu Ping'an and Zhang Siwei also turned around and followed him out.
The gatekeeper curled his lips in disdain as he watched the man leave. He had seen many people leaving in such a miserable state!
"I'm afraid nothing good will happen to Xinglin as long as that person is here." After Wang Shizhen walked away, he looked back at the back mountain and said with disdain.
"I've heard for a long time that Blind Yan is greedy and lustful. He has blocked the back mountain. I'm afraid he is doing something shameful in there!" Zhang Siwei also looked down on him.
"Haha, I also heard that Fatty Yan is a homosexual. Fortunately, you two didn't go in." Zhu Ping'an thought of some unofficial history in modern times and couldn't help but joked with a smile.
"No way?"
Wang Shizhen's face twitched when he heard this, and he seemed a little unconvinced.
"I've heard about this as well. Blind Yan is indeed fond of Tao Longyang, but he probably just wants something new and is more into women." Zhang Siwei also nodded.
"They indulge in pleasure and ignore the national economy and people's livelihood. It is a misfortune for the country and the people that the country's major affairs fall into the hands of such people!" Wang Shizhen shook his head and sighed, feeling deeply disgusted.
"However, the situation is unlikely to change in a short time." Zhu Pingan patted Wang Shizhen on the shoulder and shook his head. Zhu Pingan knew history, and Yan Song and his son would remain in power for another ten years.
"Yeah..." Zhang Siwei was full of admiration for Zhu Ping'an's insight. He also came to this conclusion from the conversation with his elders. Now seeing that Zhu Ping'an had just arrived in the capital not long ago, he was full of admiration and nodded.
"How sad and hateful." Wang Shizhen sighed.
On this sunny early spring afternoon, on a small path in Chongfu Temple, the three of them stared at each other for a long time. Then, Zhang Siwei, Wang Shizhen, and Zhu Ping'an spoke in a serious tone:
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. With your talents, you will surely achieve great things. I wish to encourage you to rise to the top in the future, become a general or a prime minister, support the country, and establish immortal achievements! Let the world be bright and clear!"
Zhu Ping'an and Wang Shizhen looked at each other, then turned to look at Zhang Siwei who was in high spirits, then walked forward and nodded firmly.
The world's ups and downs are created by our generation, and time flies by once we enter the world. (To be continued)