Chapter 1 The Lights of Thousands of Houses in Huaiyang City
Shenqi Dynasty, Huaiyang City, the most prosperous and prosperous place in the south.
The sixth day of the second month of the second year of Tiansheng, early spring.
In the time of Xu, people agree with each other.
A thin figure wearing a gray cotton coat walked briskly out of a narrow run-down alley.
He carried the dandelion noodle stall on his strong arms and walked from south to north, looking down at the road and walking step by step.
Walking out of the quiet, remote and rarely visited slums.
We walked through the dimly lit civilian alleys, filled with smoke.
We arrived at a bustling place full of people and brightly lit.
After walking continuously for two quarters of an hour.
Ye Qing's cotton shoes stepped on the Dongfeng Bridge on the Yingshui River, which is thirty feet wide and divides the north and south of Huaiyang City.
Bang!
The dandelion noodles were spread out on the bluestone bridge, making a low sound.
That gentle and elegant face is as handsome as all the readers.
As the neck is raised, it is exposed to the candlelight and moonlight.
Standing on the bridge, Ye Qing looked down at the dotted lights of Nancheng with a gentle smile on his face.
There were several oil-paper umbrellas in a backpack, and he looked at the amiable old woman walking steadily from the north.
Her wrinkled face burst into laughter after seeing Ye Qing, and reminded her with concern:
"Qing Xiaolang, why are you stopping here?"
"If we don't go to Pinglefang quickly, there will be a curfew in Beicheng soon!"
Ye Qing turned around and looked at Grandma Li, an umbrella seller who lived near his home in Qifengfang, a slum, and smiled softly:
"Wait a little longer!"
Grandma Li was puzzled and said:
"What are you waiting for?"
Ye Qing looked at Nancheng and smiled happily:
"Waiting for thousands of lights!"
Grandma Li looked in the direction where Ye Qing was looking, looking at the night that she had been watching for a lifetime, she smiled and said:
"Aren't the lights all on? It's really hard for people who have read books to understand what they say."
"However, you really need to go quickly. There will be a poem pairing tonight at Zuixiang Pavilion in Pinglefang. I heard that some high-ranking officials will be there."
When Ye Qing heard this, his comfort disappeared, he hurriedly picked up the noodle stall again, and strode towards Pinglefang in Beicheng.
"Grandma Li, if you hadn't told me earlier, I would have taken the first step."
"Hahaha, by the way, remember to go to Mr. Zhang early tomorrow, he will look for you if he has any work!"
Grandma Li smiled, remembered something, raised her head and shouted at the figure that quickly disappeared.
"Okay, I'll finish my work tomorrow and I'll help you make the umbrella ribs!"
The brisk voice dissipated with the night wind.
Pinglefang is the most prosperous place in Huaiyang North City.
It is the place where the brothels, Chuguan, and restaurants and shops of Huaiyang City gather.
The lights are bright here every night, and people stay up all night, singing and dancing every night.
There are many prostitutes who are not inferior to Yuyang City in Kyoto and are sought after by countless people. They can be called outstanding in talent and beauty.
Many dignitaries and talented people spent a lot of money here, indulged in extravagance, and indulged in sensuality.
There are also many scholars who have never been recognized for their talents. They have shown their talents here and become famous in the south, and they are called the blessed place where talented people from poor families can leap over the dragon's gate.
Ye Qing hurriedly hurriedly stepped on the lingering sound of the last dusk drum, squeezed through the gate that was about to close, and stepped into Pingle Square.
"Qing Xiaolang, it's a little late today. Could it be that some young lady stopped you?"
Zhang Shuo, the bad guy who was in charge of the opening and closing of the workshop, laughed and teased Ye Qing.
Ye Qing raised his sleeves and wiped the sweat on his forehead, panting heavily and leaning forward:
"I've seen Zhang Badian. Thanks to Zhang Badian for closing the door a little later."
"If you have free time later, go to our noodle stall and I'll give you a bowl of hot noodle soup to warm you up."
Zhang Shuo thought of Ye Qing's bowl of hot noodles with fragrant and chewy soup. He couldn't help but swallowed his saliva, smiled and waved his hands:
"Okay, go ahead and get busy. I'll go when I have time."
Ye Qing leaned down again and strode to the alley where the stalls used to be. He said hello to the familiar stall owners and asked them to take care of the noodle stalls, and then ran towards Zuixiang Pavilion in high spirits.
The middle-aged man selling preserved fruits next to him looked at Ye Qing's back disappearing into the crowd, scratched his rough beard, and said in a low voice:
"Qing Xiaolang seems to be going to Zuixiang Pavilion. I wonder if he can come out on top."
"So what if I get the lead? At most, I can get some money like before. He is just like the rest of us, he is from a lowly household, hey..."
The woman selling rouge and gouache next to her sighed regretfully.
The surrounding vendors, who were doing good business and had happy smiles on their faces, all looked downcast.
God has revealed that the people are divided into good and bad, and the seven subjects are relegated to the lowly. They are given priority in collecting labor and are not allowed to enter officialdom, purchase land, or serve as officials. This will be followed from generation to generation.
It seems to have a higher status than those poor slaves.
But maybe they are not as good as those slaves in wealthy families, which is a huge difference.
So what if Ye Qing is talented?
At most, I can earn more money and be looked upon favorably by those good people, but that's all.
He is still the lowest person in this Shenqi Dynasty.
Ye Qing, who was wearing a gray cotton coat, stopped for only a moment.
He looked up at Zuixiang Pavilion, one of the six most prestigious flower buildings in Pinglefang, ten steps away, with an inhuman light shining in his starry eyes.
Under the bright lights, the four-story attic looks like it is decorated with carved beams and painted beams, and its cornices are upturned.
There was also silk and bamboo wind music, and the laughter and waves passed through the colorful cloud curtain hanging outside the pavilion.
Let the people who pass by look at it with yearning and hear it, and their hearts will be moved.
Ye Qing did not enter Zuixiang Pavilion, but stood at the entrance of a small alley in front of Zuixiang Pavilion.
The boy who was smiling to please the guests in front of the door glanced at the other side from time to time.
When he saw Ye Qing appear, his eyes immediately glowed green.
The two looked at each other, Ye Qing entered the dark alley, and the young man entered the pavilion.
Not long after, Jiang Nan, the turtle master of Zuixiang Pavilion, walked in and complained:
"Qingxiao Lang, we look forward to the stars and the moon, but we are looking forward to you, the strongest gunman in Pinglefang."
"Look, can you take this job?"
"If you can take it, if you don't come today, we don't know how much money we will lose."
Ye Qing smiled and bowed his hands and apologized: "Brother Jiang, blame me for being late."
"Listen to what you mean, it's a big job today!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan was so thin that she looked at the disfigured monkey face with a bright smile like chrysanthemums. She approached Ye Qing and handed over a piece of paper.
"Yingchuan Academy, one of the four major academies of Shenqi, Xie Qianxie, the great scholar, came to the pavilion and gave birth to this pair."
"Spring will begin in Kyoto at the beginning of next month, and he is one of the examiners. There are many rich and powerful princes who came to Beijing to take the exam tonight."
"Three of the four great talents in Huaiyang have also come, not to mention those wealthy young men in Huaiyang City who are rich but have no money. They all come to praise Xie Daru's ink-scented feet. What do you think of this job?
Isn’t it big?”
"Now we hope that you can play against this pair. It is best to have a few more, divided into upper, middle and lower grades, so that we can make a lot of money?"
When Ye Qing heard this, he smiled brightly and couldn't wait to open the paper.
I walked quickly to the alley and read the five words on the paper clearly by the candlelight.
Ye Qing shivered all over, then he smiled as brightly as spring and said boldly:
"Brother Jiang, I'll take over this job. It's no problem for you to be in the upper, middle or lower grades. Just go back and get a pen and paper, and tell the funders by the way."
"I guarantee with my life that these three pairs will definitely win the favor of Xie Daru!"
