The heat of May has not yet reached, and the sun is just right.
The mountains in the distance are lush and green, and the creek in the mountains turns eastward and flows into a small lake.
The water vapor was steaming and the rice flowers were fragrant. A young man walked slowly along the stream and came to a small courtyard by the lake.
The young man came forward, knocked on the door, and asked respectfully: "Excuse me, is Mr. Qingteng at home?"
In the courtyard, the old man Qing Kui finished a set of Taoist breathing and meditation exercises and put on his Confucian robe.
An old servant brought him tea to rinse his mouth with, and then offered him a cup of freshly brewed Yangxian Snow Bud.
The old man was lying on a wicker chair, basking in the sun leisurely. When he heard the door knocking outside, he didn't look back, but just gave the old servant a wink.
Then he picked up a book from the side and squinted his eyes to read it.
The old servant understood, went out, opened the courtyard door, and said to the young man who knocked on the door: "My master is not here, please come back."
Wei Chen stood at the door, angry and funny.
Through the crack in the door, he saw an old man reading a book in the courtyard. Isn't this servant lying with his eyes open?
However, Wei Chen also knew that the old servant in front of him was just following orders, so he did not vent his anger on him, but bowed his hands respectfully and said:
"Wei Chen, who was born late, was asked by Mr. Futai to pay a visit to Mr. Qingteng."
"Which Futai?"
"Of course it's Shen Futai."
The old man in the hospital listened to the questions and answers of the two people outside, and suddenly a thought came to his mind.
Did this guy Shen Du call him here?
Yes, the imperial examination has been completed, he must have found a good talent and good quality, and he has brought it to my door!
The old man put down the book in his hand, stretched, stood up slowly, and shouted outside: "Ah Fu, there are guests coming to the door. What are you doing to stop people outside? Why don't you serve tea quickly?"
"Yes, sir."
The old servant Ah Fu responded, then stepped aside and invited Wei Chen into the courtyard. He apologized and turned around to prepare tea.
Wei Chen stepped into the courtyard and saw the old man in Confucian robes with a calm temperament. He thought to himself that this must be the rightful owner. He immediately saluted and said: "Student Wei Chen, please pay your respects to Mr. Qingteng."
The old man nodded as a return gift, pointed to the short stool beside him and said: "Sit down."
"Mr. Xie."
Before arriving, Wei Chen had already asked Sheng Changbai, Tao Dazhi and others about the life of Mr. Qingteng.
Mr. Qingteng, surnamed Zhuang Mingjun, courtesy name Zihe, is from Ji'an Prefecture, Jiangxi Province.
Some people may not know his name, but when it comes to Mr. Shannong Yan Xiren, everyone knows him.
And this Yan Xiren is one of Zhuang Jun’s disciples.
Zhuang Jun has little chivalrous spirit, is good at swordsmanship, and is anxious for others' needs.
His teacher Xu Pingzhang died in the battle in Hehuang. Zhuang Jun traveled thousands of miles, over mountains and ridges, and traveled for several months just to collect his teacher's bones. At that time, he was known as the Qingteng Righteous Hero.
At the age of nineteen, Zhuang Jun passed the Jinshi examination and was awarded the title of Hanlin editor. It can be said that he was a young man with a bright future.
However, he chose not to resign and went south to work under Xu Pingjing, the Marquis of Yongyi. During this period, he made many ingenious plans and helped Marquis Yongyi put down the rebellion in Guangxi.
After that, Zhuang Jun followed his army to fight all over the world, attacking Dangxiang in the west and the Khitan in the north, and made great military exploits.
During the Yong'an period, Marquis Yongyi was tabooed by the villains in the court because he held a large number of troops. There were numerous impeachment memorials. Marquis Yongyi had no choice but to beg for his bones and return to Jiangning to live as an idle marquis to take care of himself.
Zhuang Jun also left the army and returned to his hometown to study hard. In ten years, he achieved great success in learning.
Needless to say, he is a master of the nine streams of classics and history, and hundreds of schools of thought. He is also proficient in military strategy, divination, arithmetic, topography, mountain classics, materia medica, laws and regulations, and other miscellaneous subjects. His extensive knowledge is unparalleled in the world. .
After that, Zhuang Jun lectured all over the world, and his followers were countless, and his disciples spread all over the country.
Among them, there are great scholars like Yan Xiren and capable officials like Shen Du.
However, Zhuang Jun only lectured and solved their doubts, but never recognized them as his disciples.
At the age of fifty-two, Zhuang Jun was invited by Fan Yang, the then Chief Assistant, to give lectures in Tokyo to the seven hundred candidates who were participating in the joint examination. The occasion was unprecedented and caused a sensation in the capital. Even the officials of the current government asked him for employment.
At this point, Mr. Qingteng became famous all over the world.
If I could sum up Zhuang Jun's life in two words, it would probably be a legend.
Now Shen Du introduced Wei Chen to such a strange teacher.
After Wei Chen learned about this old gentleman's deeds, he was filled with admiration and suddenly wanted to become his disciple.
On Wei Chen's path to study, if Shi Kai was Wei Chen's mentor and Lin Yan was Wei Chen's Confucian teacher, then Mr. Qingteng was the most suitable master in Wei Chen's mind.
After inquiring about Zhuang Jun's residence, Wei Chen originally wanted to bring Sheng Changbai and the others with him, but Sheng Changbai hesitated and seemed to have something to hide. Chen Jun and Tao Dazhi even considered themselves mediocre and were afraid that they would not be able to catch the eye of Mr. Qingteng. None of them can be shied away from.
Wei Chen had no choice but to come alone.
After entering the door and sitting down, Wei Chen looked at the world-famous Mr. Qingteng in front of him, and felt quite strange in his heart.
Although the other party is idle and far away from the court, his reputation among scholars is such that even the governor of Jiangnan dare not ignore it.
Unexpectedly, today I would be able to chat with such a famous person while sitting on a small bench in the farmyard.
While Wei Chen looked at Zhuang Jun, Zhuang Jun was also looking at the young man in front of him.
He was well versed in the art of physiognomy, and when he saw that Wei Chen's eyes were as bright as paint, he knew that he must be an extremely intelligent person.
Zhuang Jun was silent for a while, and then suddenly said: "I have never had any intention of accepting a disciple. It's just that the boy Shen Du made his own decision and wanted to find a closed disciple for me to support him until his death."
Wei Chen's heart skipped a beat.
Don’t want to take on a disciple?
Then wouldn’t my trip be in vain?
You old man are just kidding me!
"But——"
Just when Wei Chen was slandering, Zhuang Jun suddenly changed his topic and revealed a smile: "We are destined to meet each other, and since you are here, it is also fate. Anyway, I have nothing to do, so it's okay for you to take the exam. ."
Wei Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully: "Sir, please come up with a question."
Zhuang Jun pondered for a moment, picked up the scroll on the side, opened a page at random, pointed to the content on it and asked: "The story of General and Prime Minister He is indeed wonderful. What do you think of Lin Xiangru?"
Wei Chen said loudly: "If it were the time when the imperial examination was taking place, the students would naturally praise Lin Xiangru in their articles for his wisdom and courage, for not being afraid of power, and for safeguarding the dignity of the country, which is admirable."
"You only write it like this when you are making art?"
Zhuang Jun heard the unfinished meaning in Wei Chen's words and asked with interest: "So, you don't actually think so in your heart?"
Wei Chen peeked at Zhuang Jun's expression and said boldly: "Students think that Lin Xiangru is just a desperado who is seeking fame and reputation. Everything he does is for his own promotion, and it does a lot of harm to the country and the people without any benefit. !"
"Keep talking."
Zhuang Jun sat on the wicker chair, his expression still calm, but his straight upper body quietly leaned forward a little.