The filthiness of the past is not worth boasting about, but today my unbridled thoughts have no limits.
The horse gallops in the spring breeze, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day.
—Meng Jiao, "After Passing the Imperial Examination"
The streets were filled with surging crowds, and their enthusiasm could ignite the air. The wide Chang'an Avenue was packed to the brim. Zhu Ping'an rode his horse slowly onto Chang'an Avenue. Looking at this scene, the first thing that came to his mind was the poem "After Passing the Imperial Examination".
It is true that after ten years of hard study, no one cared about him, but he became famous overnight and known all over the world!
As Zhu Ping'an rode his horse onto Chang'an Avenue, the people who had been waiting in the streets and alleys for most of the day went crazy. As soon as people's eyes fell on Zhu Ping'an, their excitement boiled.
"Look, look, the number one scholar is so young, even younger than my brother."
"That's right. This top scholar is probably not even an adult yet. How was he taught? What did he eat to grow up? How can he be so powerful?"
"Oh my god, I can't believe my eyes. This top scholar is really promising at a young age. It's worth it for me to come here for such a long time. I have to tell my wife about this when I go back, so that she won't spoil my good grandson too much."
People looked at the top scholar Zhu Ping'an and exclaimed one after another, as if they saw aliens invading the earth. They were full of disbelief and screamed continuously.
"You probably don't know this, but my seventh uncle's eighth uncle's little nephew works for an elder master. This elder master is a good friend of an elder master in the Ministry of Rites. I just got the news that this number one scholar is only fourteen years old this year, the youngest number one scholar since the founding of the Ming Dynasty."
An old man started talking to the screaming people nearby with a proud look on his face, and then he revealed another piece of news under the urging of everyone:
"This number one scholar is really not simple. You may not know that he was born in a poor family. Do you know what a poor family is? It means that he has no connections in the court. He is from a farmer's family who grows crops at the foot of the mountain. He relied on himself to become the number one scholar."
The uncle's revelation set off a wave of even more surprised screams from the crowd. In addition, revelations like this one were also being made everywhere on Chang'an Avenue.
Whether in modern times or ancient times, ordinary people love to see the story of a poor man turning into a rich and handsome man. Not to mention this inspirational story of a farmer's son turning into the top scholar!
People looked at Zhu Ping'an with even more fiery eyes, and their screams were like a tsunami.
Especially some beautifully dressed girls, with rosy faces and charming eyes, raised their delicate hands to throw the handkerchiefs and hair flowers they carried at Zhu Ping'an, and for a moment it was like a rain of handkerchiefs and sachets.
Zhu Ping'an, wearing a red robe and red flowers, riding a golden saddle and a huge horse, with people following him and flags leading the way, suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention. Even the second and third place winners were reduced to figures behind them, not to mention the other Jinshi who were following him on foot.
I should be the one riding the horse!
Ouyang Zishi walked behind and looked at the focus of everyone, Zhu Ping'an, the one who thousands of girls threw their handkerchiefs to. His handsome face was filled with jealousy.
Ordinary people in the capital were crowding in the streets to watch the champion. But the rich were different. They had booked private rooms on both sides of the street early, arranged for servants to tidy up and decorate them comfortably, and sat in front of the window to watch leisurely.
For example, the second floor of a streetside restaurant was reserved by the Yan family. Actually, it cannot be said to be reserved, as it was originally the property of the Yan family.
A private room by the window on the second floor was cleaned up and furnished with a soft couch, a quilt, a flower vase, a glass cup, etc. It was very comfortable. A curtain made of pearl necklaces was hung in front of the window, so you could see clearly from the inside, but you couldn't see clearly from the outside.
Miss Yan stood in front of the window, stretched out her delicate hand and lifted a corner of the curtain. Her bright eyes looked out the window, calm and peaceful.
Miss Yan was accompanied by several maids, who were in high spirits, as if they were very excited. They gathered in front of the window and stretched their necks. They stared out the window without blinking, tiptoeing and waiting for the imperial street official to pass by.
"Miss, Miss, when my husband left, he specifically told the housekeeper to clean up this room, saying that Chang'an Street can be seen most clearly from here. Now it is indeed very clear."
"My uncle said that this time the top scholar is almost certain to win. My master said that he would ask my uncle to propose marriage after the palace examination. Miss is so lucky..."
"That's right, my son-in-law will lead the way on horseback and pass by here later..."
A few little girls were leaning against the window, chattering about their uncle-in-law.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Who is your son-in-law? I didn't agree. If you dare to talk nonsense again, you'll be in trouble." The second lady of the Yan family moved her eyes away from the window, turned her head, bit her lip, and glanced at the little girls intently.
The little girls shrank their necks, stuck out their tongues, and forced a smile.
Suddenly, there was a bustling crowd outside the window, with the sound of gongs and drums and the blast of firecrackers. The little girls standing in front of the window stretched their necks to look out the window like cats smelling fish.
Outside the window, I saw a team of imperial officials walking towards me on Chang'an Avenue. After a while, I saw a man wearing a big red robe and a big red flower, riding a big red horse, slowly approaching me.
"Uncle-in-law~Uncle-in-law~ is here."
"Miss, look, my uncle is coming~~"
As a result, the little girls reached a climax of excitement.
The excited voices of the little girls came one after another, but when the number one scholar wearing a red robe, a red flower and riding a red horse approached, the chattering of the little girls suddenly stopped as if an old hen had its throat strangled.
Oh, that's not right, how come the top scholar is not the son-in-law, who is this person? The little girls looked at the top scholar outside the window and were dumbfounded.
However
When their chattering stopped abruptly, the screams of their young lady suddenly rang out in the room.
“Yeah~”
Their calm and composed young lady suddenly let out a scream that pierced the sky.
When Miss Yan Er screamed, the little girls thought in their hearts, look, Miss is also surprised, just now Miss said that she would not allow us to call her son-in-law, but now Miss is worried, Miss was shy just now, but now she is showing her true feelings...
The gossip fire of the little girls had just started to burn when it was extinguished by Miss Yan's next words.
"Ah~~it turns out to be you, the pervert!"
After Miss Yan II screamed, it was with such gnashing teeth that the little girls around her were stunned.
Deng... ... Dengtuzi... ...
The girls were stunned. They were dumbfounded. Lecher? What was going on? Could it be that the young lady had something going on with this number one scholar
Don't scare me, miss?!
As soon as the little girls had this thought, they saw a scene that frightened them to death:
After the young lady shouted this, she looked left and right, then gritted her teeth, took off the gold hairpin with kingfisher enamel on her head, and threw it hard towards the number one scholar in a red robe and riding a red horse outside the window.
The young lady... actually gave her favorite hairpin to that man
The little girls couldn't help but have an idea in their minds. No wonder the young lady didn't agree when the master proposed the marriage with the son-in-law. It turned out to be because of this person? !
When did this happen and why don’t we know about it
If the master knew about this, he would skin us alive!
The little maids turned pale with fright when they saw their young lady throwing away her gold hairpin and then taking off her embroidered shoes to throw them away.
Zhu Ping'an was riding his horse and smiling back at the enthusiastic crowd around him when he suddenly saw something that looked like a hairpin flying past the horse's head. He thought it was something like the handkerchiefs that those shy girls had thrown before, so he didn't take it seriously.
But after taking two steps, he saw an embroidered shoe falling from the sky and hitting the horse's head with a thud.
Well
I can understand losing a handkerchief, a hairpin or something like that, but it's a bit too much if you lose a shoe.
He couldn't help but look up to see who lost it, but when he looked up, he saw a terrifying scene!
A young girl in front of the second-floor window facing the street was glaring at him with gritted teeth, holding an embroidered shoe in her hand and pretending to throw it away. Several little girls beside her were trying to persuade her with all their hearts.
This girl was none other than the Second Miss Yan who he accidentally caught coming out of the bath when he attended a banquet at the Yan residence last time!
So Zhu Ping'an immediately lowered his head, stretched out his sleeves to cover his face, squeezed the horse's belly hard, increased the speed, and whispered, "You can't see me, you can't see me..."
cover!
You scoundrel, I will recognize you even if you turn into ashes!
Miss Yan Er was filled with grief and indignation. She turned her grief into strength, broke through the little maids' obstruction, and threw the embroidered shoes hard at Zhu Ping'an who was fleeing in disgrace... (To be continued.)