In front of the residence of Jiang Zongfang, the Minister of Rites, an ox cart stopped.
It was in the morning, and people were coming and going on the street in front of the Jiang Mansion. There were several cars parked on the roadside. I don’t know if they were the cars coming to visit people. Su Ziji got off the bullock cart.
, glanced at it, and then withdrew his gaze.
The wild Taoist who followed took two steps forward and said to the servant of the Jiang family at the door: "My master is the acting marquis. He sent a greeting letter to the family before, saying that he was coming to visit this morning. Now he is here as promised. Please come in.
Give me a shout out."
"Young man has met the Marquis!" The servant hurriedly bowed respectfully to Su Ziji and said, "Young man, go in and report!"
Not long after entering, I ran into a young man who was about to go out. When the young man saw his panic, he immediately shouted in a deep voice: "What are you so panic about?"
"Master, the marquis is here!" The servant hurriedly returned.
"The Daihou is here?!" The young man was shocked when he heard this. He went to visit friends outside the city a few days ago and just came back today. He really didn't know that Su Ziji had sent a greeting card to him as a son of an official.
, he also knew what it meant for Daihou to come to Jiang Mansion in person, and he felt uneasy, so he quickly asked: "Daihou came alone? But what was the purpose?"
The servant replied: "The Marquis of Dai sent a greeting card yesterday, saying that he was coming to visit the master this morning, but now he has come with only one entourage."
"Okay, I already know about this. I'm going to report it to my father." He immediately asked for the report, and the young man quickly entered the main courtyard.
As soon as he entered the flower hall in the main courtyard, he was first stunned by the two people in the flower hall except his father. When Jiang Shilang asked what happened, the young man stopped and said: "Father, the Daihou is here!"
"The Daihou is here?!" When Jiang Shilang heard this, he stood up suddenly.
The next moment, he said to the two guests beside him with a little nervousness: "Eunuch Zhao, Huang Weiwei, this, this generation of marquises will hand over invitations yesterday. I really don't know why. Normally Japanese officials and Daishou will come here."
I don’t have much contact with Hou Ye, so..."
"Hahahaha!" Eunuch Zhao laughed sharply. The sound was really unpleasant, but everyone in the room could only endure it.
Especially the Jiang family and his son, when encountering such a thing, their hearts have long been put into a frying pan, and they are extremely uncomfortable.
Eunuch Zhao didn't pay attention to it, and the Marquis came to visit. This matter was nothing. But yesterday, as soon as the Marquis sent the greeting card, it attracted the attention of the palace. The arrival of Eunuch Zhao means that the Emperor has paid attention to this matter.
Yes, and as the Minister of Rites, although it is not an important position and his status is not sensitive, if given the choice, the Jiang family would naturally not want to be involved in the whirlpool of fighting for the heir.
"Dai Hou, Dai Hou, you have really hurt me. You must not come here to recruit me." Jiang Shilang cried out in his heart.
Eunuch Zhao smiled and said directly to Jiang Shilang: "Since it's time, our family can't leave. We plan to listen again. Jiang Shilang will invite the marquis into the flower hall."
"By the way, Mr. Jiang can try to bring the topic to the government affairs later." As if he saw that Jiang Shilang wanted to end the meeting as soon as possible, Eunuch Zhao reminded him with a half-smile.
After saying that, he ignored Shilang Jiang's increasingly uneasy expression and took the guards to hide in the secret room next to the flower hall.
It is said to be a secret room, but it is actually a changing room. Some qualified literati often like to change their clothes before painting or writing poems when they are inspired, and they calligraphy and painting with a pious heart. The flower hall of the Jiang Mansion is next to the study.
This is what the room is for.
Last night, when he learned that Dai Hou would come to visit, Eunuch Zhao had already asked someone to slightly renovate the inside and outside. Although the room was closed and a landscape painting was blocked outside, people couldn't see the door behind it, but because there was a door inside,
With pipes and other mechanisms installed, people inside can hear all the sounds outside and see the scene in the study.
This is already the case, what else can be done? Go and invite someone in!
Jiang and his son looked at each other and sighed secretly.
Jiang Shilang hurried out in person and opened the door to welcome the arrival of the marquis.
When Su Ziji was invited in and came to the flower hall, the guests and hosts were seated and the servants served tea. Jiang Shilang's expression became slightly stiff because there were two people not far away listening to the conversation.
But after all, he had been an official for many years, and when he met Su Ziji's eyes, he could still look natural.
He asked: "I wonder what the reason for Lord Hou's visit is?"
"It's not a big deal." Su Ziji said with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Jiang has some research on calligraphy and painting, so I came here to ask for advice."
"You don't dare to ask for advice." Jiang Shilang was busy and modest.
Thinking of Eunuch Zhao's reminder just now, he could only bite the bullet and said seemingly naturally: "It is true that a coup occurred in Yingguo some time ago, which caused discussions among the princes of the DPRK and China. I wonder what the Marquis thinks about this?"
Su Ziji's smile faded slightly: "This kind of matter is decided by the court officials. I have not participated in politics according to the order, so how can I discuss it at will?"
At this point, he seemed to find that his tone was a little harsh, and then softened his tone and said: "Besides, I don't understand this kind of thing, so it would make people laugh if I said it."
His eyes fell on a painting not far away and he said: "This painting is quite good. Is it the work of Wen Zhiqing of the former dynasty?"
After receiving this look from Su Ziji, Eunuch Zhao, who was looking at Su Ziji behind the painting, subconsciously became cold and quickly calmed down.
Not to mention how Eunuch Zhao was sighing, Shilang Jiang, whose heart also trembled when he heard Su Ziji's words, immediately did not dare to test it again.
He didn't know whether Daihou had guessed something in his answer, or whether he really didn't want to discuss government affairs with him.
"Could it be that Daihou came here just for calligraphy and painting, and not to make friends with me?"
Jiang Shilang was guessing in his mind, and couldn't help but think of the rumors about this Daihou that had been circulating during this period.
"I heard that Daihou has been collecting various calligraphy and paintings in order to draw thousands of pictures for the emperor. Could it be that he came here this time for this same reason? Did I guess wrong before?"
Thinking of this, Jiang Shilang smiled and said: "Master Hou really has extraordinary eyes. This painting is indeed the work of Wen Zhiqing of the previous dynasty."
"Now that we have come to this point, I will shamelessly mention the purpose of my visit."
Su Ziji seemed not to notice the inconsistency in the hall, and continued to say to Jiang Shilang: "I heard that Mr. Jiang has a hundred blessing birthday wishes from Xu Banshu, a calligrapher of the early Chu Dynasty, hidden in his home? There is also a painting by the late Qingyun of the early Chu Dynasty.
The ink bamboo painting? I hope Master Jiang can part with me and allow me to buy it."
Master Jiang felt a sudden change in his heart. When Su Ziji finished speaking, he waited quietly. He did not dare to reply immediately, but said that he would think about it.
Su Ziji lowered his head to drink tea, and taking this opportunity, Mr. Jiang subconsciously looked towards Eunuch Zhao's hiding place, because he was a little closer, and from where he was sitting, he could faintly see Eunuch Zhao lifting the calligraphy and painting.
A small half of the face is exposed behind a corner.
Mr. Jiang understood with one look from Eunuch Zhao.
He coughed slightly, and when Su Ziji raised his head and looked over, his expression was troubled: "Master Hou, it's not because Xianguan doesn't want to part with him, but these two collections are really important to Xiaguan and cannot be ceded to Master Hou."