"'Incorruptible' Yan Maoqing..."
"It seems that our gift is too heavy, hahaha..."
After Zhu Ping'an and the other two came out of Yan's Mansion and walked for a distance, they looked at each other and couldn't help laughing anymore.
Yan Maoqing is like some modern leaders. He shouts slogans loudly. He made righteous speeches at a meeting the day before, calling for strict implementation of the integrity policy. But in the evening, he went out to bring warmth to some fallen women at public expense.
After coming out of Yan Maoqing's mansion and teasing Yan Maoqing, Zhu Ping'an, Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen separated and went to visit their own teachers. Because they had different teachers, they could not go together.
Zhu Ping'an's tutor was Zhou Chengting, the examiner who had highly recommended Zhu Ping'an's paper. When Zhu Ping'an paid a visit to his tutor Zhou Chengting, he felt Zhou Chengting's full appreciation for him, especially after Zhou Chengting discussed some issues in the Four Books and Five Classics with Zhu Ping'an, he admired Zhu Ping'an's generous conversation and good knowledge even more.
"Zihou, are you married? I have a daughter, thirteen years old, beautiful and intelligent, a good match for you."
With admiration, Zhou Chengting began to think of betrothing his daughter to Zhu Ping'an. In his eyes, Zhu Ping'an was a rough jade who would become a national treasure in the future.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master Fang. It's just that Ping An is not blessed enough, so I dare not let Miss down. Before Ping An came to Beijing, my family had already arranged a marriage for Ping An."
Zhu Pingan stood up and bowed deeply, thanking his teacher Zhou Chengting with an apologetic look. Now that he thought about it, the engagement was not completely useless, at least it was a perfect shield.
"It's okay. A man should keep his promise. He should not divorce his wife who has shared his hardships with him. Zihou's action is the behavior of a gentleman. How could I be a villain?" Zhou Chengting's idea of marrying his daughter to Zhu Ping'an was just a whim. After listening to Zhu Ping'an's explanation, he understood it very well and admired him even more.
When he came out of his teacher Zhou Chengting's house, the sky was already full of sunset glow. He thought that the Linhuai Marquis's Mansion should have had dinner by now, so Zhu Ping'an found a restaurant on the street to have dinner, so as not to go back hungry or cause trouble for the Marquis's Mansion.
At this moment, the Marquis's Mansion was in a state of panic. Since the birthday banquet, the old lady has not been happy. Her appetite has been decreasing day by day. Today, she simply did not eat a single bite. In addition, the eldest lady is also very irritable. The concubines in the first room have suffered from the eldest grandmother's anger these days and have been irritated several times. A maid who served the old lady gossiped that it was because the most profitable shops in the mansion lost a lot of money a few days ago. Not only were the shops taken away, but even the furnishings in the mansion were taken away by several carts to pay off the debts. There were also many maids who gloated and gossiped that most of the shops in the mansion were taken from the third master, and they deserved to be taken away by outsiders now.
The best atmosphere in the entire Linhuai Marquis Mansion was only in Li Shu's boudoir. The little maid Baozi watched her mistress put a stack of house deeds and land deeds into a jewelry box and lock it up, and her face was so happy that it almost dislocated its joints.
"Look at you, why are you so happy? This is just the beginning. Send a message to Wang Xiaoer tomorrow and tell him that the quail has landed and we can cast the net now." Li Shu rolled her eyes, stretched out her slender hand and tapped the forehead of the little maid named Baozi, pursing her lips and said angrily.
Zhu Ping'an had no idea what had happened in Linhuai Marquis Mansion. After eating, he paid the bill and returned to Linhuai Marquis Mansion leisurely.
The night was peaceful and sweet.
The next day, Zhu Pingan got up, washed, and practiced calligraphy and morning reading as usual. After breakfast, he continued to review his lessons for the exam. At noon, Zhu Pingan realized that the naughty child had not come recently. In the next few days, the naughty child did not come either. Later, Zhu Pingan found out the reason, because there were many things going on in the mansion recently. In addition, the Marquis of Linhuai was away on official business, and no one could restrain the naughty child. The naughty child did not like to study, so naturally he was unwilling to take the initiative to come to Zhu Pingan to suffer.
Reading books, practicing calligraphy, and referring to the ancient palace examination papers in his memory, Zhu Ping'an calmly reviewed and prepared for the exam in Linhuai Marquis' Mansion.
Time passed quietly as Zhu Ping'an splashed ink and turned the pages of the book, and the day of the palace examination was getting closer and closer.
The palace examination was held on the first day of March. During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, the date of the palace examination was changed to March 15 to mourn the death of Crown Prince Gong, and it has been used ever since.
Today is March 14th.
On this day, Zhu Ping'an was interrupted while reviewing his lessons at Linhuai Marquis' Mansion. The manor's doorman led a manager-like person to Zhu Ping'an's courtyard, and the person handed Zhu Ping'an a note.
The post was very familiar, the style of the Yan Mansion, and even the content of the post had not changed much. Yan Shifan invited me to a banquet again, but the location of the banquet had changed from the original Yan Mansion to a place called Zhuangyuan Building.
"My master said that the palace examination will be held tomorrow, and he wants to send you off in the Zhuangyuan Building. He said that there have been several top scorers in the Zhuangyuan Building, so he is hosting a banquet in the Zhuangyuan Building for a good omen. I wish you success in the imperial examination tomorrow."
After delivering the invitation, the manager-looking man spoke to Zhu Ping'an with a respectful attitude. Compared with the attitude of the person who delivered the invitation last time, there was a world of difference between them.
Well
Why did you invite me to the banquet? It's ok to send Ouyang Zishi off, why did you invite me? Besides, the palace examination will be held tomorrow. Today's banquet is so sudden. Why does it feel like the Hongmen Banquet? Zhu Pingan took the invitation and complained in his heart.
"My master has already prepared a banquet in Zhuangyuan Building. I hope you will come and have the honor of visiting." Seeing that Zhu Ping'an did not make a clear statement after receiving the invitation, the steward walked up to Zhu Ping'an and urged him on.
"Thank your master for me, and tell him that I will come to your house in person to apologize some other day." Zhu Ping'an casually placed the note on the table and spoke lightly.
A gentleman does not stand on a dangerous wall. Who knows what Yan Shifan is planning? Anyway, I don’t believe that Yan Shifan hopes that I will become the top scholar.
After Zhu Ping'an refused, the man who looked like a manager had to give up and left the mansion. However, not long after, another person came and delivered the invitation again.
"Master Zhu, the sedan chair is outside the door. I hope you will come. The master said that the palace examination will be held tomorrow. Today's banquet in the Champion Building is to wish you the top scorer tomorrow. There is no other meaning. My master admires you very much. If you don't come, then my master will have to come to the Marquis' Mansion in person to cheer you on for the palace examination."
This manager's attitude was even better than the previous one, and he conveyed Yan Shifan's intention to Zhu Ping'an.
If I don’t go, Yan Shifan will come!
Damn, now that it's come to this, how can I refuse? The palace examination is approaching, and the emperor is selecting scholars. It is expected that at this time, Yan Shifan will not and dare not do anything at the banquet, after all, so many eyes are watching.
However, even though this banquet would not be the Hongmen Banquet, Yan Shifan definitely had no good intentions.
Zhu Ping'an packed up his things for the exam, put them in place and locked them in a cabinet, then quietly put a white jade hairpin into his sleeve and gave instructions to the servants of the Marquis' Mansion, asking them to pass on a message to the Marquis' Mansion, saying that he was going to attend Yan Shifan's farewell banquet and that the mansion didn't need to leave any food for him.
After the explanation was completed, Zhu Pingan followed the manager out of the mansion. (To be continued.)