When we arrived at the waterside pavilion, we could see willows planted all over the lake.
There are already seats here, and the women's envoys on the Wufu are here. Zhang Yue saw that these women and envoys were very young and beautiful.
“I’ve met Duke Zhuangyuan!” A female envoy brought tea to Zhang Heng.
Zhang Yue didn't know how the other party knew that Zhang Heng was the top scholar, but when he saw her shy and affectionate look, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel envious. She has such a halo and aura, isn't this what many people pursue throughout their lives.
Zhang Heng looked at the lake view, and when he saw Zhang Yue's envious look, he understood immediately. He looked at the female envoys in the waterside pavilion without stopping, and asked Zhang Yue again: "Sanlang, what are you doing?"
Is there a girl you like?"
Zhang Yue shook his head and said, "I am so focused on studying that I have no time for other things."
Zhang Heng said happily: "Very good, this is the right thing to do. I'm worried that at your age, it's the time to covet the beauty of women."
Zhang Yue said in surprise: "If you don't covet a woman's beauty, then what do you covet?"
Zhang Heng smiled and said: "What are you greedy for? Sanlang, what do you think these female envoys thought of me just now?"
“Of course it’s because you are the number one scholar today and I respect your talent.”
Zhang Heng said: "Of course there is a reason for this, but if talent is not put into practice, who can see it? This woman does not marry for wealth or power, so how can she marry for coloratura? When you reach my age, you will know that no matter how beautiful she is,
Let’s watch it for 12 or 3 days at most.”
Zhang Yue said: "Thank you very much, Chief, for the tip!"
Zhang Heng said: "It's rare that you can listen to me, so let me say a few more words. Women can wrap themselves around vines and climb up, and men can climb up dragons and drag their tails. I now regret that I got married too early when I was young. After I was released from marriage, I lost the support and now I am on my official career path."
It’s actually a difficult journey.” (Note 1)
Zhang Yue couldn't accept it for a while after listening to it. It was really too snobbish to say so.
But this was already a first-class custom in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. The son-in-law of the prime minister's family may not be the prime minister, but the prime minister's father-in-law is most likely the prime minister.
Even Zhang Heng and Zhang Yue couldn't help but want to ask, is it really because I told you the best allusion that you are willing to talk to me now?
That’s because I entered Taixue.
For example, someone like Su Shi whom I admire, I admire and admire, but after meeting, we are neither close nor friends, so it is difficult to have a heart-to-heart relationship with him.
It is also like a relationship between brothers, but one of them is vulgar and cannot be said to be communicative.
Therefore, Zhang Heng had a heart-to-heart relationship with me today, firstly because they were relatives and classmates, and secondly because he was a student of the Imperial Academy.
Zhang Yue suddenly discovered a very cruel truth in interpersonal relationships.
It turns out that the relationship between people really changes with their status.
There is nothing snobbish about this, just like if you say a common thing casually, others will think it is pretentious or jealous, so there is no talk of sincerity.
If this is the case in later generations, how much more so in the Song Dynasty where people were not equal.
Zhang Yue thought about Guo Lin again. If the identities of the two were very different in the future, could their friendship remain as good as before, no matter how good they were?
Is this what life is like?
While I was drinking tea, I suddenly saw a group of people coming from the opposite side, entered the theater next to the waterside pavilion, and then walked towards the waterside pavilion.
Everyone discussed for a while, guessing that Wu Chong was here.
When everyone came out of the waterside pavilion, Zhang Yue saw a middle-aged man with excellent bearing slowly walking towards him. Wu Anshi and Wu Anchi rushed forward to greet the middle-aged man, and then Wu Anchi followed Wu.
Behind him, Chong walked towards the waterside pavilion, while Wu Anshi went to the auditorium.
Everyone bowed together and shouted: "I have seen the prefect."
Wu Chong is currently the magistrate of Shaanzhou, and everyone calls him Taishou, which means the governor of a county in the past. Ouyang Xiu also calls himself Taishou in "The Drunken Old Pavilion", and he was also the governor of Chuzhou at that time.
Wu Chong said with a smile on his face: "You don't need to be polite."
At this moment, in the theater, which is only a dozen meters away from the waterside pavilion, Wu Chong's wife, Mrs. Li, and the Wu family's eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Fan, are both looking towards the waterside pavilion through a curtain in the theater.
At this time Wu Anshi arrived panting.
It turns out that the Wu family is not just here to watch a show.
Wu Anshi introduced.
“Mom, the man next to dad is Wang Guan, whose name is Taosou. He is from Rugao. He is very talented in literature and is now married to a wife.”
“Mother, this is Zhang Heng, the number one scholar. He is also married.”
Li Shi said: "Wen Quxing is really extraordinary. Who is his wife?"
Wu Anchi said: "I heard that it was a marriage arranged by my hometown. She is a girl from an ordinary family."
Fan said: "This is because my parents are short-sighted. They are only thirty years old. Why not wait a few years?"
Li said: "According to what you said, scholars should not get married before they are thirty years old?"
Mrs. Fan lowered her head and said, "Mother is right."
Wu Anchi said with a smile: "Brother Ziping is a good man! After he won the first prize, he brought his wife to Huzhou and followed him on his official career. He heard that his wife was in poor health, but he kept seeking medical advice for her."
Li praised: "There are too few men with such affection and righteousness."
Wu Anzhi said: "Mother, this is Zhang Dun, named Zihou, who abandoned the list last year. Now he is married to the daughter of Zhang Yushi, who is also the Yuan of Kaifeng Prefecture."
Li looked at Zhang Dun and said, "He is quite talented."
Then he asked Fan: "What do you think?"
Fan said: "I heard that he abandoned the imperial edict and the list last year, and everyone in the capital said that this person has no good deeds."
Li said: "Don't listen to the wind and it will be rain. Others say that no action means no action. So what if you give up the exam? It's all that matters if you pass the exam. He is now the Yuan of Kaifeng Prefecture. No accident, he can pass the exam in high school."
.Who dares to mention his past affairs again then."
Fan Shi couldn't help being annoyed when Li Shi choked her twice, and stood aside with a dull voice.
Li said to Wu Anshi again: "If you don't tell me one by one, let's just say there are not many suitable couples!"
"It's my mother. This Liu Ji is the one who talked and laughed with my father. He is the number one person in Imperial College. It's a pity that the last article was not taken by Bachelor Ouyang. Otherwise, he would have won the Jinshi long ago. Jinke Guozijian's exam passed the first place.
Second, I’m a little short of getting Guo Ziyuan.”
Li said: "This lady knows that he is very talented in literature, but he has a reputation as a romantic. He likes to have sex with prostitutes and stay in brothels."
Wu An's poem said: "Mother, the prostitute thing... is somewhat inappropriate, but how can we abandon the great righteousness because of a trivial matter? What's more, although he likes the wind, flowers, snow and moon, it is not hindered by his studies, and his talent is well deserved to be the first in the Imperial Academy."
"Having a prostitute is a big mistake. You can tell the autumn by looking at a leaf. What did my father teach you brothers? We, the three generations of officials in the Wu family, if the family tradition is not upright, the family will also be ruined." Li scolded.
Wu Anshi lowered her head and muttered in a low voice, it turns out that Shi Qi’s scolding temper was learned from you. Those who didn’t know better thought you were mother and daughter.
“Where is this person?”
Li suddenly pointed at a young man and said.
Wu Anshi followed Li's gaze and saw that the young man was following Zhang Heng and seemed a little reserved in front of Wu Chong.
“In terms of age, this person is similar to seventeen!” Li said.
"Mother, this is Zhang Yue. I am a member of the family. I was originally going to take the Nine Classics exam, but because of Li Zhi's advice, I have now switched to the Jinshi exam. I don't know how sure I am."
“Oh? You said he was not a Jinshi major before?”
Wu Anshi said: "Exactly, the fifty-year-old Jinshi. Zhang Sanlang is not yet fifteen years old. If he really wants to be a Jinshi, he doesn't know when he will wait..."
At this time, Mrs. Li smiled and said: "Why can't you wait? I think this guy is good."
Wu Anshi couldn't help but be surprised, why would Mr. Li fall in love with Zhang Yue?
If Liu Ji and Zhang Yue were to be chosen together, Liu Ji would definitely be chosen.
Wu Anshi thought to herself that her mother didn't want Shiqi to marry into a good family so that she could outshine her sisters in the future, so she tried her best to arrange a bad marriage for him.
ps: This chapter comes from Liao Peizhi’s book friend.
