After New Year's Day, Da Sima's Mansion was indeed as General Jiang Wan said, with bustling streets and busy streets.
Feng Da Sima's disciples and former officials in Chang'an City, whoever had connections with him, would come to visit him.
That's all. Many ministers in the court also sent greetings.
In addition, all the new family members who had benefited from the Han Dynasty Reform were not left behind.
As in previous years, people with close relationships, even students in Tsing Yi and Cang Tou Ye Lao, can enter.
If the relationship is not in place, even if the clan relatives Liu Yan and Liu Junhou arrive, they can only go to the front hall and drink tea with Feng Da Sima's disciples.
Then when Da Sima is free after finishing his work, he may come over and sit for a while.
If you don’t have time, there’s nothing you can do!
Da Sima occupies a large area, so the front hall specially used for entertaining guests and banquets is also very large and long.
Some people sit so far away that they may not even be able to see clearly whether the person on the main seat in the inner hall is a man or a woman.
As for the remaining people, it was even worse. They only accepted greeting invitations, no gift orders, and were not even allowed to enter.
But this year, there was an exception.
In full public view, Shangshu Ling Fei Yi was personally welcomed into the Grand Sima's residence by Wei Rong, the eldest disciple of the Imperial Academy.
Even guests who can enter the front hall are not treated like this.
Even some people who have access to the backyard cannot meet this standard of treatment.
For example, Zhao Guang.
When the concierge saw him, he didn't even bother to talk to him.
Whenever he brought his wife over, he would always get into a lot of trouble with Mrs. Zuo.
As for the treatment like Fei Yi's, it is full of VIP treatment.
But...when did Fei Yi become a distinguished guest of the Da Sima Mansion?
Everyone standing outside the mansion was astonished.
"Sir, this disciple has brought Shangshu Ling over."
Da Sima's Mansion can run horses and enter the courtyard second. Da Sima and Mrs. Mei are playing chess.
There is a small stove next to the small table.
Water was boiling on the small stove, and white hot steam was puffing out.
Not far away, Mrs. Zuo and Mrs. Zhao Huang were competing in martial arts.
There was a clanging sound, weapons clashed, and sparks shot out from time to time.
It seems that the weapons are made of real materials and the blows are made with real force.
If you're not careful, you might get seriously injured.
Further away, Zhao Sanqian was having fun with a group of children, big and small.
From time to time, the children cheered and even screamed.
As for the places that couldn't be seen clearly, there were figures moving around, probably other female members of Da Sima's family.
"I'm lowering my official rank to pay my respects to Grand Sima."
Feng Dashima, who was sitting there, turned his head and said with a smile:
"This is not the chancellery, and the chancellor did not come here today to discuss any political affairs with me. Why is this necessary?"
Pointing to the seat next to him, "But please sit down."
Then he said to Wei Rong, "Gouzi, go get a cup of tea."
In this world, probably only Feng Da Sima and Wei Rong's mothers would call the proctors of the Royal Academy that way.
Wei Rong responded respectfully, asked Fei Yi to sit down, and then poured another cup of tea.
After he finished all this, Feng Dashima waved his hand again:
"Go ahead."
Wei Rong bowed and left.
Today, all the guests in the front hall of Mr.'s house will be entertained by him, so naturally he cannot stay here any longer.
After Wei Rong left, Feng Da Sima did not speak immediately. He just picked up a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard.
From the moment he came in to the moment he sat down, Fei Yi acted calmly and elegantly.
Unexpectedly, Feng Da Sima Luozi's movements made him frown slightly:
The position of this chess piece...
Why is it so weird?
Mrs. Mei on the opposite side immediately followed and also lost a piece.
Then Fei Yi frowned again.
this……
Could it be that I am ignorant, why have I never seen such a move before?
Go has a lot in common with the art of war.
Feng Da Sima had great military exploits and was invincible across the battlefield.
Such people who are proficient in military strategy must have unique skills in playing chess.
Mrs. Mei, on the other hand, was a famous arithmetic master. She was the editor-in-chief of the Enlightenment Arithmetic of the Han Academy.
How could he not be a chess piece?
Thinking of this, Fei Yi's spirit suddenly lifted.
I wonder, can we see top chess players competing today?
Moreover, it is a chess move that I have never seen before.
After seeing Amei's position, Feng Dasima raised his head and looked at Fei Yi, who was about to observe:
"Shang Shuling, do you want to negotiate for me?"
Although Mrs. Mei was granted a title by the imperial court and was a gentleman of the Royal Academy, Fei Yi still did not dare to look at Mrs. Mei:
"How dare you, a lowly official, be so presumptuous? I'm afraid you'll lose your etiquette."
Feng Dasima smiled suddenly:
"Shang Shuling's face didn't change when he entered the hall. Why did he become so reserved when he sat down here?"
In fact, the second courtyard is not really the backyard of Da Sima Mansion.
This can only be regarded as the transition between the front yard and the backyard.
However, the family members of the Feng family would often appear in this place, so it would make sense to say that they were entering the house - for example, now.
When Fei Yi heard what Feng Da Sima said, his face turned slightly hot, and he felt a little ashamed:
"Yi is too conservative."
Feng Da Sima stood up and gave up his position:
"Your Majesty, please."
This time, Fei Yi was no longer humble. After sitting down, he bowed his head and said to Mrs. Mei:
"Yi is rude."
Amei, who has brought many disciples over the years, is no longer the barbarian girl from Nanzhong she used to be, but when she saw her, she stretched out her hand generously:
"Please also ask Shangshu Ling for advice."
Fei Yi started thinking about this game of chess from the moment Feng Da Sima made his first chess piece.
But until now, I still can't figure out why these black and white stones on the chessboard are played like this.
He thought about it again and again, but in the end he did not dare to continue Feng Da Sima's chess game, but took a different look.
Amei's expression remained unchanged, and she followed Fei Yi's move and made another move.
Fei Yi finally understood this time.
His face felt hot again, and at the same time he secretly felt ashamed.
It seems that Mrs. Mei is deliberately playing chess against herself using a chess game that she can understand.
The two played very fast at the beginning, but after the middle game, the speed began to slow down.
"when!"
"Qiang!"
"drink!"
"kill!"
It turned out that Mrs. Zuo and Mrs. Zhao Huang were too involved. While moving around, they did not know when they came close to the place where the game was played.
The sound of fighting, whistling in the wind, shakes the eardrums and frightens the mind.
If he didn't look back, he would almost suspect that he was coming with a sword or a spear.
Both Feng Dasima and Amei are used to the fight between the two. Well, it has been almost twenty years, right? Or has it been twenty years already?
I can’t remember clearly, but I’ve long been used to it, and my expression remains the same without any change.
Only Fei Yi, who had encountered such a situation for the first time, could sit still like Feng Da Sima, without even the slightest change in his expression.
Not only that, he kept his eyes fixed on the chessboard, thinking about the next move, and turned a deaf ear to the fierce fighting just around the corner.
At this moment, the cheering and screaming of children could be heard in the distance.
Then there were fireworks shooting into the sky.
Then, there was another "bang" sound, which sounded like thunder.
Fei Yi finally raised his head and looked at the source of the sound:
"Could it be that the spring thunder has arrived?"
"Oh, it's just fireworks, no need to be nervous."
Feng Dasima explained with a smile.
Fei Yi looked at the rising smoke in the distance with some curiosity, and finally didn't ask any more questions.
Feng Da Sima possesses unparalleled knowledge. This thing is probably something from his master's sect.
"Bang! Bang!"
Crackling.
The explosion started again.
Only this time, it's not separate, but continuous.
The screams of children were also mixed in during this period, which was not even louder than the sound of fireworks.
Coupled with the sound of swords and guns clashing.
For a moment, the courtyard was as noisy as two armies beating drums and fighting in a battle formation.
Feng Dasima, who was sitting there as the referee, carefully observed Fei Yi for a long time.
But I saw that Fei Yi was not tired of looking at him, he was focused and not disturbed by the outside world at all.
It was not until the end that he raised his hands to Mrs. Mei, with admiration on his face, and said sincerely:
"Madam, your chess skills are superb, and you are not as good as you!"
Amei smiled implicitly, stood up, returned the salute, and left.
As soon as Mrs. Mei stood up and left, the fireworks stopped.
Mrs. Zuo and Mrs. Zhao Huang left before the end.
The courtyard suddenly went from extremely noisy to extremely quiet, with not even a single person in sight.
Feng Da Sima poured Fei Yi another cup of hot tea.
Fei Yi quickly took it with both hands: "Thank you, Da Sima."
Feng Da Sima smiled, shook his head, and looked at the chessboard.
The black and white chess pieces have almost covered the chessboard.
The remaining eyes are exactly where Fei Yi's pieces were strangled and vacated.
Obviously, Shangshu Ling had tried his best, but still failed to win against Calculator Ji.
Reaching out his hand to mess up the chessboard, Feng Da Sima stood up.
Seeing this, Fei Yi quickly put down the teacup and stood up.
Looking up at the sky, Feng Dashima said:
"This game lasted quite a long time, and it was getting late. My original intention was to let Wen Wei stay and have a casual meal with me."
"But now it seems," Feng Dasima smiled apologetically, "I'm afraid there is no time."
This seemed to be a bit rude, even considered a slight, but Fei Yi smiled and said:
"The Grand Sima's guests gathered together, and Yi came to the door arbitrarily. The Grand Sima ignored the guests and summoned Yi alone for a long time. I am afraid that this matter will be spread throughout Chang'an City today. Yi, how dare you have any more extravagant hopes?"
"Besides, it happens to be the official day of the holiday, and you also have to get together with your relatives. My wife and children at home are waiting eagerly for it. Even if the Grand Sima keeps me, I'm afraid the lower officials will not be satisfied."
Hearing this, Feng Da Sima laughed, pointed at Fei Yi, and then pointed outside:
"You also know that there are many guests in my house, not to mention those outside the house, not to mention that I want to entertain them."
"Even if we only allow them to enter this courtyard and say a few words to me, I'm afraid there will be many who burst into tears."
"I didn't expect that I would be disliked here by Wen Wei."
Fei Yi's expression remained unchanged:
"When I first came in, Da Sima called me Shangshu Ling. Now that I am called Shangshu Ling, I already know the meaning of Da Sima!"
"If I stay too much, it will make me look like an ant. Everything is too much, and it is not enough. If the Grand Sima thinks that I don't know how to advance or retreat, it will be unsightly."
"Okay, okay!" Feng Dasima couldn't help but smile with his palms raised, "It's easy to talk to smart people."
Then he said with some sigh:
"Mr. Jiang strongly recommends you as his successor. I'll test your ear by talking to Liao. You are trustworthy. I have no worries anymore."
When Fei Yi heard this, he bowed deeply and saluted:
"Yi, thank you Da Sima."
This sentence not only means that Feng Dasima officially recognized himself, but more importantly, it is a kind of praise.
Feng Da Sima waved his hand nonchalantly:
"Don't thank me. What you really want to thank is the general."
Feng Da Sima did not need to take this favor for himself regardless of his conscience.
"I want to thank the general, and I also want to thank the great Sima."
The achievements of Sanxing Han Dynasty are destined to give many people an opportunity to be remembered in history.
As the successor of the Han Dynasty, there are still more scholars on Ji Han's side who are influenced by the traditional Confucian classics of the two Han Dynasties.
Unlike Wei State, where metaphysics was prevalent.
Fei Yi was not a person who followed the trend of others, but he could not escape the obsession of most scholars.
In other words, studying things to gain knowledge, being sincere and upright, cultivating one’s moral integrity, harmonizing one’s family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world.
Fei Yi didn't want to give up this opportunity to prove himself.
As the saying goes, do your duty!
Feng Da Sima was very happy to see that Fei Yi was neither humble nor arrogant, and had a way to advance and retreat:
"Jun Yue is like this, which makes me regret it a little. Now I really want to keep you and accompany me to the banquet. How about you think about it?"
Seeing Da Sima's kindness, Fei Yi showed a look of embarrassment on his face and shook his head with a wry smile:
"Thank you, Great Sima, for your kindness, but it's just like an ant attached to a mutton, too much is not enough, Great Sima..."
Feng Da Sima suddenly laughed:
"It seems that at Wen Wei's house, his wife and children are really looking forward to it, so I won't stay any longer."
After personally taking Fei Yi to the small side door to avoid the crowd at the gate, Feng Da Sima waved and a servant came over carrying a rattan box.
Feng Da Sima took the rattan box and handed it to Fei Yi:
"It's the New Year's Day, so I won't disturb Wen Wei's get-together with his wife and children. Here are some homemade snacks at my house. You can take them back and give them to your family to try."
If it were replaced with something else valuable, Fei Yi would definitely refuse it directly.
But if it’s food…
The food served in Feng Da Sima's house was created by an expert from the mountain sect, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the best in the world.
Fei Yi accepted it simply and thanked him at the same time:
"Yi, thank you Da Sima."
"It's just a meal, why do you need to say thank you?"
Feng Dasima waved his hand grandly.
"Then Yi will leave first."
Jiang Wan still had a carriage after all. Although it was a bit shabby, it was still a carriage.
As a minister, Fei Yi was actually more simple than Jiang Wan, coming and going on foot.
Feng Da Sima watched him disappear around the corner of the street carrying the rattan box, and suddenly asked:
"Where's the gift list? Where's Fei Wenwei's gift list?"
"When I returned to Da Sima, there was no gift note, only a greeting card."
Feng Dasima was not angry but happy:
"A box of food is exchanged for a greeting card, no loss at all."
"Hey! What do you mean by not losing money and making a lot of money?"
The voice of the right lady came from behind, "Fei Wenwei's family does not accumulate wealth, and his wife makes commoners eat vegetarian food. She does not ride in cars when going out. She is no different from ordinary people."
"If people like this can interact with Alang and do good things, they will be of great help to Alang."
When Feng Da Sima heard this, he did not look back. He still looked at the direction where Fei Yi disappeared and murmured:
"So, I really have to keep him here for a meal, right?"
Mrs. Right smiled lightly and walked to Feng Da Sima:
"What if he really stays?"
"Then naturally he has not passed my test and will only be able to be used in a small way in the future, not in a big way."
In other words, from the moment Fei Yi was ceremoniously welcomed in to Feng Da Sima personally escorting him out, he was being observed and tested from beginning to end.
The temptations admitted by Feng Da Sima in the previous chapter are just part of them.
If you feel good when you enter and if you feel happy when you go out, you are a snob.
Changing your mind and staying for the banquet shows that your mind is not firm and your position is uncertain.
He is not even willing to accept a mere box of food. He is just putting on a show. His reputation is as important as his life. He is not a pragmatic person.
The reason for the small use is to give Jiang Wan face, but the reason for being unfit for the big use is because he failed the test.
Mrs. Right turned to look at Mr. Feng and said expressionlessly:
"The king of ghosts is far-sighted."
"Nonsense!" Feng Da Sima argued, "This is the technique left behind by the Prime Minister to know people. It is just as the saying goes, look at someone's integrity when you see him for benefit, and look at his trustworthiness based on what he expects."
“How can we not be careful in measuring the length of our tasks in order to avoid omissions in major affairs of the country?”
The right lady remained unmoved and continued to utter another sentence expressionlessly: