On Chang'an Street, the crowd was surging. Fei Ling'er held Emperor Chu's arm and looked like she was dominating him. Behind her, Han Bing fell, followed closely by Daji and Zhao Feiyan.
After finally squeezing into the crowd, the group of people learned that the overcrowded place was a place where merchants held couplets. Emperor Chu learned the rules from the people around him and couldn't help but feel horrified.
I have to admit that businessmen have the sharpest sense of touch since ancient times.
The couplets launched by the merchant in front of you have very simple rules. There are ten upper and lower couplets hanging in front of you. Those who match the upper and lower couplets will receive a reward of one hundred taels of gold from the merchant. Those who fail to match only need to pay ten taels of silver.
With the small and broad, the merchant has a very sophisticated strategy, and besides, for the people in Chang'an City nowadays, ten taels of silver may be just the money for a cup of tea.
There was no way, as people lived a prosperous life, they should also have some entertainment activities, so Emperor Chu was not disgusted with merchants launching such activities.
at this time.
The four girls stood closely next to Emperor Chu, their spiritual eyes flickering, staring at the couplet in front of them, muttering to themselves from time to time. At this moment, Fei Ling'er suddenly glanced sideways at Emperor Chu.
"My husband, the reward for matching a pair of couplets is one hundred taels. Even if they don't match, it only costs ten taels of silver. They will also give you souvenirs. Do you want to match a few of them?"
"Girl, it's better not to embarrass your husband. I heard them say that these ten couplets were all made by the current sage. They are all eternal and absolute. No one can match them."
"Looking at your luxurious clothes, you must be from a wealthy and noble family. Ten taels of silver is definitely not worth mentioning. But if you don't tell me right, your husband's face will be damaged in public."
Emperor Chu was a little surprised when he heard the voice prompts from the people on one side. It was indeed him who proposed the couplet, but the couplet hanging in front of him was not made by him.
In order to attract people, this businessman committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. Since he dared to use himself as a gimmick, he was really courageous.
Hear the sound.
Fei Ling'er, Daji, Zhao Feiyan, and Han Bingluo looked at Emperor Chu, their pretty faces showing displeasure, obviously dissatisfied with the businessman using Emperor Chu as a gimmick.
"Ling'er wants to give that pair a try, sir!"
The ten first couplets of Emperor Chu already had corresponding second couplets. Such a first couplet can be regarded as eternal, but is it simply an insult to the world's literati?
If Fang Xuanling, Jiang Shang, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Liang, Fan Li, Liu Bowen and others came, they would probably bankrupt the merchant.
"Mr. Sir, how about this one!"
The Emperor of Chu suddenly raised his hand and looked along Fei Ling'er's jade finger. The first line of the couplet read: There is no beauty in the world. A beautiful woman is pleasing to the eye. Her appearance is stunning for the country and the city, and she is astonishing to all the people in the world.
For a moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Emperor Chu, and they heard the businessman standing in front of the wooden case say: "Sir, this is the most difficult couplet. If you really want to play with it, you should change it to another one."
"It doesn't matter, my wife likes this couplet, that's it, please take a look at it!"
Emperor Chu stepped forward, grasped the writing brush on the wooden desk tightly, painted iron with silver hooks, wandered in the clouds and frightened the dragon, and wrote: "Have a good reputation for all generations, keep your wonderful pen in your heart, shake the earth and shake your talents, you are worthy of being a king in the world."
Seeing Emperor Chu's pen walking around the dragon, the young masters from aristocratic families on one side gathered around to watch and murmured to themselves from time to time. Unexpectedly, Emperor Chu was really right.
The stunning beauty is so domineering towards the supreme hero.
"What do you think?"
Hearing bursts of applause from all around, Emperor Chu looked at the merchant in front of him and asked, only to see that his face was livid. Emperor Chu's Xialian workers were so domineering that this couplet was determined to be passed down for generations.
"Young Master is a great talent, and the second couplet is flawless, which really opened my eyes to this old man!"
While he was talking, the old man looked behind him and saw a young man leaving and returning, dragging a wooden plate in his hand. It was really a hundred taels of gold.
The young man put the gold on the wooden table. The old man raised his hand and pressed it, saying: "Young Master is talented and knowledgeable. I still have a pair of first couplets here. If you can match the second couplet, I will add another hundred taels."
"If the young master can't stand up to me, then I will lose these one hundred taels to the old man!"
"Old sir, the couplet is just entertainment, there is no need to bet so big!"
Emperor Chu advised him. He understood the old man's thoughts very well. His profit in one night was probably not even one hundred taels of gold, but now he was losing blood.
"Why don't you dare, Master?"
"I am afraid that no one in the world can give me this first couplet except the Holy One. I dare not accept it, which is also expected."
The old man's words were to provoke the generals, but in the eyes of Emperor Chu, it was simply childish. On New Year's Eve, when the people were enjoying themselves, Emperor Chu did not want to cause a storm in the city because of this matter.
"Old sir, the bustling night in Chang'an is coming to an end soon. Go back and rest early. These one hundred taels of gold can serve as a lesson. Don't be greedy for petty gains and suffer big losses. There are countless strange people and strangers in the world. Just these ten
It is impossible for the deputy couplet to stump the people."
"If you continue like this, you will lose more!"
Emperor Chu spoke and turned around to leave. The old man's complexion suddenly changed and he stepped forward quickly and said: "As the saying goes, a thousand taels of gold are worth a thousand taels of gold. How about I bet the young master a hundred taels of gold with a thousand taels of gold?"
"A thousand taels of gold!"
This sentence stirred up a thousand waves, and the people present were in an uproar. Unexpectedly, the old man actually proposed a pair of second couplets with a thousand taels of gold. It was really a bit crazy, such a big gesture.
He wanted to leave with Fei Ling'er and the four of them, but the old man stopped him. Emperor Chu smiled bitterly, knowing that the old man would never give up if he couldn't get back a hundred taels of gold.
"Old sir, in this case, you might as well tell me the first couplet and I'm all ears."
How long had the couplets been in the public eye? How could the old man be so sure? In the eyes of Emperor Chu, he was undoubtedly giving away money.
"Master, listen up, the first couplet: There is no intention in the bamboo, but there are extraneous branches."
The old man looked confident, as if he was sure to win. Emperor Chu just smiled lightly and asked: "Old sir, do you really want to know the second line?"
"really!"
"Young master, if you can't forgive me, you can leave, but you have to keep the hundred taels of gold!"
"Listen carefully, old man, the second line is: The silkworm does not bind itself, but actually turns into a cocoon and becomes a butterfly."
Emperor Chu left the couplet and pulled Fei Ling'er and the four of them out of the crowd. Only the old man and everyone else were left immersed in shock. They didn't expect it to be so neat. It was simply a miraculous skill.
The old man was dumbfounded, silently reciting Emperor Chu's second line, suddenly his expression condensed, and he chased in the direction where Emperor Chu had left.
The people on both sides showed regret. Unexpectedly, the old man met the master and lost a thousand taels of gold in a short time. Could it be that there is a mine at home?
Since the beginning of winter, the coal mines in the west of the city have become increasingly popular. People in Chang'an City have been talking about whether anyone has a mine and they will no longer have to work hard.
"Who is the young master? Please leave your name!"
"The first person to propose the couplet, old man, please stay!"
Hearing the sound, the old man was surprised and horrified. The first person to propose the couplet was the current Holy One. For a moment, his whole body became cold and he suddenly knelt down.
The people on both sides also guessed the identity of Emperor Chu. They watched his leaving figure intently, knelt down and saluted, and shouted in unison:
"Long live my emperor! Long live!" (To be continued)