Looking for the flattering voice, several scholars turned around and saw a young man in white holding a folding fan and walking gracefully in a long straight gown trimmed with snow fox velvet. A white jade belt, an emerald gourd pendant, and a thousand silk bag. The gold waistbands all look very noble. Looking at the red silk forehead inlaid with three-color jade, if others don't recognize it, they might think it's Jia Baoyu from "A Dream of Red Mansions".
But everyone around him recognized him. He was a prominent figure among the literati in the Jiangnan area, and was known as Jiangnan's most prodigy—Jiang Qian.
This man was very knowledgeable, well-written, and good-looking. In addition, he was both civilized and military, and was very popular with young girls in the Jiangnan area. He once refused the Hanlin Academy's special recruitment, preferring to be an idler, which won him a lot of favors. name.
However, this person has a very high self-esteem, and rarely shows his identity in public. Jiang Gan is rarely seen in various gatherings.
Appearing in front of Mr. Dongyue's house today was a rare surprise. When others saw him, they also sighed that Mr. Dongyue was so proud.
The person following Jiang Gan was also dressed as a scholar, but he lowered his head unconsciously, and his expression was particularly flattering. However, this person was also a famous person, his name was Shang Jie, and he was Xie Yuan in the autumn of this year. He will go to Beijing to attend the Spring Festival in 2017, and now he is also a famous figure in Suzhou.
"Mr. Jiang, the girls from before probably didn't know that the young master was behind them. If they knew that the young master had woken up, they wouldn't know what their expressions would be. Brothers see that they haven't gone far yet, so why don't they say hello and let these girls accompany them? Okay, it’s not a big deal. Do you think?”
Jiang Gan didn't speak, but he held the folding fan and tapped his palms, looking leisurely.
Seeing Jiang Gan's gesture, Shang Jie naturally understood. He hurriedly handed over the invitation and quickly entered the mansion. When he saw a few girls at the door of the mansion who were only a few meters away, he shouted: "Ladies in front of me, Mr. Jiang Gan invites you to come and enjoy the garden together." .”
After speaking, Shang Jie smiled, hoping to leave a good impression on the girls when they turned around.
But the only person who responded to him was that girl Fang glanced back, glanced at Shang Jie like she was looking at an idiot, and then continued talking to the three sisters who were traveling with him. From the beginning to the end, the girls in front were all There was no pause at all, as if he didn't hear anything.
Shang Jie's voice was not quiet, so logically it shouldn't be inaudible.
Shang Jie looked confused, but Jiang Gan came over behind him and asked, "Where are the ladies?"
Shang Jie pointed ahead: "They are already far away. I guess you didn't hear me. Wait until I call out again."
"That's all, I don't like making noise."
"That's because Mr. Jiang, a fresh and sophisticated person, always keeps a low profile. Those girls following him are too eye-catching. By then, all the girls in Suzhou City will gather around. Wouldn't it be a mess?"
While they were talking, the two of them entered the house unhurriedly.
The girls walking in front only had one question: who is Mr. Cao?
"Is the news accurate? Are you sure Mr. Cao will come today?"
"Oh, you have asked hundreds of times. Don't worry, my father and Mr. Dongyue have always been on good terms. It was Mr. Dongyue who told you personally that I had a person who called himself Mr. Cao Xueqin come to visit me, and Mr. Dongyue also I replied to the invitation and said I would definitely come today."
"I don't know if Mr. Cao who calls himself Mr. Cao is really the one who wrote "Dream of Red Mansions". There are many people pretending to be Mr. Cao these days."
"This is Dongyue Mansion. If Mr. Cao pretends to be Mr. Cao in Dongyue, that person will definitely be infamy for thousands of years."
"Whether it is true or not, you have to see him to know. I just don't know what Mr. Cao looks like. There are all famous people in Dongyue Mansion. It would be inappropriate to ask others rashly. Tell me what kind of person he is. Where is Mr. Cao?"
"Mr. Cao must be a middle-aged man in a green shirt and coat, with a lively face and a short beard. His image is similar to that of my father, but his demeanor and behavior are by no means ordinary."
"No! Mr. Cao should be like Jia Baoyu in the book, a young man who is sentimental, thoughtful, and a little sad. He was just getting married at that time, but he thought he was rich in economics, and now he is single."
"You are talking about Jia Baoyu, could it be the famous Jiang Gan? If you really like him, why not like Mr. Cao instead of Jiang Gan?"
"So what does Jiang Gan mean? So what if he is famous? Is Mr. Cao one ten thousandth as famous? Is Mr. Cao one ten thousandth as knowledgeable? Is Mr. Cao one ten thousandth handsome?"
When the girls heard this, they all nodded: "That makes sense."
Today, there will be celebrities visiting the garden with invitations, as well as ordinary literati with greetings, but the real big shots have already lived in the courtyard a few days ago. Dongyue Mansion was the residence of Mr. Dongyue given by the emperor of the dynasty. The front hall is small, the backyard is wide, and it is one of the best gardens in the whole of Suzhou. It has all kinds of flowers, vegetation, ancient pines and new trees. However, in the middle of winter, the flowers have withered, the green grass has withered, and the old trees have withered branches. , only a few plum blossoms stand proudly in the cold winter. Although the beauty is momentary, it cannot hide the monotony of the whole garden.
In the back garden of the mansion, in a verandah of a wide pavilion surrounded by old trees and new branches, a woman in imperial attire came in front, followed by an old man with a gray beard.
"Sir, I heard that your garden poetry party has been held every year in these days when the flowers are withering and the trees are withered and the grass is yellow. In this scene, there are only a few solitary plum blossoms standing in the cold winter. How many places can you visit?" The woman in palace clothes Looking at the deserted garden, I wasn't very excited. Only a few koi carps on the ice in the small pond under the corridor seemed to be somewhat alive.
The old man behind him was Mr. Dongyue, who was very famous in the Jiangnan area. At this time, he still had to half-bow and replied softly: "Princess Nishang, you don't know something. The purpose of this garden poetry party was to test what the disciples had learned. What I feel is not to let people enjoy flowers. If the garden is full of spring colors and all the flowers are in bloom, all the younger generations will go to see the flowers and enjoy the scenery. How many people will really listen to the old man's words?
At first, this garden party only had Lao Chen's disciples. Later, Lao Chen stopped accepting students, but he was alone, so the custom of this garden party was preserved. It was no longer just for Lao Chen's disciples, but for the learned people from Suzhou and Hangzhou, and invited Many famous people came here to test and teach the young talents from Suzhou and Hangzhou. That’s why today’s scene happened.”
"I see. I have always disliked corrupt literati, but Mr. Dongyue is one of the few great scholars I admire. Therefore, when I came to Suzhou this time, I did not forget to pay him a visit."
"When the princess comes, the humble house will be filled with splendor."
"However, I will not hide it. I just heard that Mr. Cao Xueqin will come to visit. At that time, Mr. Cao Xueqin would like to introduce me to you."
Mr. Dongyue felt quite helpless. Although he had been famous for decades, he was not as good as Cao Xueqin, a rising star. But who would like the princess?
"Reporting to the princess, it remains to be verified whether the Cao Xueqin who came today is authentic or not."
"The truth is the best. If it's fake, I won't let him reap the rewards." (To be continued)