Chapter 89 Are you Du Heng?
This Mr. Xi, whose surname is Xi and whose given name is Xiyue, was a former classmate of Du Heng in the academy. Because he was a few years older than him, Du Heng called him "senior brother".
Xi Xiyue was a free and easy person with many friends. He was not outstanding in the academy, but he had a wide network of contacts and was well-informed. Although he was one year later than Du Heng, he was finally on the list and became a scholar.
Du Heng was a little confused. This Senior Brother Xi always said, "No problem, no problem." Du Heng had already written a letter to decline his offer, but Senior Brother Xi actually came to him. If he was always so pushy, Du Heng would never associate with him.
Although he was impatient, he couldn't just leave the guest outside the mansion, so he straightened his clothes and went out to greet the guest.
"Junior brother, you are finally here!"
Xi Xiyue came in a hurry and drove the car himself. He was as unrestrained as usual. When he saw Du Heng coming, he jumped out of the car, took Du Heng's arm and tried to invite him into the car.
"Brother, what are you doing?"
Du Heng dragged his feet and was unwilling to move forward. Xi Xiyue did not expect that although Du Heng was thin, he was strong and powerful. Although he was strong and muscular, he could not pull Du Heng.
"Junior brother, you must give me a favor at today's literary appreciation meeting. I heard that the emperor intends to advance the Spring Examination to fill the vacancies in the civil service. This is a matter of great importance, and I must verify this news again and again."
Du Heng paused, noticing his senior brother's serious expression, unlike his usual joking nature. But how could he verify the truth of the news just by attending the literary appreciation meeting?
Xi Xiyue saw Du Heng's doubt and answered without waiting for his question, "Junior brother, you may not know this, but I've met Shandong Jie several times. Coincidentally, he's also acquainted with Zhejiang Jie. This Zhejiang Jie is the direct nephew of Yuan Zhixu, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. He's a man of unpretentious manners and chooses his friends carefully. Only Zhang Jie could barely get along with him."
"Originally, I couldn't invite him to my small literary club. But he heard from Zhang Jie that you and I were from the same school, so he agreed to come with Zhang Jie."
"He's already in my house, and because he couldn't see you, he's yelling to leave. That's why I came here in person to invite you. Junior Brother, if the Spring Examination is indeed moving forward, it's of great importance to you. So, please do me a favor today and meet this Young Master Yuan to find out if there's any truth to the news!"
Xi Xiyue clasped his fists towards Du Heng and said, "I and everyone in the Tongwen Society will be endlessly grateful to you, Junior Brother."
Du Heng pondered for a moment. What Senior Brother Xi said made sense. If the Spring Examination was indeed moved forward, early preparations would be necessary. He then ordered Qingquan to prepare the horses.
Soon, Xi Xiyue looked delighted and drove the carriage himself, taking Du Heng with him.
The literary appreciation meeting was held in a side hall in Xi Xiyue's residence. Du Heng had been there several times before, so he wasn't unfamiliar with the place. Today, it was noticeably busier than usual. Upon arriving at Xi's residence, he saw a long queue of carriages and horses at the gate, an unprecedented spectacle. Du Heng left his horse with Qingquan, thinking that if he learned anything, he would return quickly, not having to stay overnight like last time due to the slippery snowy roads.
Xi Xiyue led Du Heng to the side hall. Halfway there, he heard a clamor of voices not far away. Someone seemed to be complaining and mocking him, "This talented Du, said to be the top scholar in the capital, isn't necessarily more punctual than others. Is he coming or not? If not, this will save me from wasting my time here!"
Du Heng paused, frowning. Who was this person so arrogant and rude? Could he be the Zhejiang Jieyuan who specifically wanted to see him? Just by listening to his words, he felt that this person did not live up to his reputation.
Upon hearing this, Xi Xiyue apologized to Du Heng and said, "Don't blame me, Junior Brother!"
After saying this, he took two steps at a time and shouted towards the side hall, "I'm coming, I'm coming! Master Yuan, it's all because of me that I was half an hour late in writing the letter to Junior Brother Du. I beg Master Yuan's forgiveness."
Zhang Jie, the Shandong Jieyuan, had exhausted all his words and was at his wit's end when he heard the voice of Xi's brother from outside the side hall. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to himself, "Finally, the person I've been waiting for has arrived!" If he had been a moment later, he would not have been able to stop this young master Yuan.
Yuan Song stopped, put his hands behind his back, and tilted his head slightly to look outside the door. He held his chin high, as if disdainful, but his gaze fixed on the door made people feel that he had been looking forward to the visitor for a long time.
At this time, Xi Xiyue stepped in first. Yuan Song clicked his tongue impatiently, and he smiled awkwardly and tactfully stepped aside.
Immediately afterwards, a tall figure came and walked in slowly. It was Du Heng.
Yuan Song glanced at Du Heng sideways, looking at him hesitantly.
His fair complexion lacked some masculinity. His sword-like eyebrows, though thick, made his eyes dull. His nose was high, but that was all. And his lips were incredibly red. Yuan Song snorted inwardly, thinking it was just his youthful energy.
After a careful examination, he had a firm conclusion in his mind. This face was indeed the person he was looking for, so he raised his hand to stop Xi Xiyue who was about to introduce him and asked directly, "Are you Du Heng?"
As Du Heng entered, he saw a man with a slightly raised chin, looking sideways at him. It was obvious this was their first meeting, yet the man studied his face without hesitation. Du Heng felt repulsed, and if it weren't for Senior Brother Xi's entreaties, he would have walked away.
Du Heng frowned slightly when he saw the other party asking the question, and said in a restrained tone: "It is me, sir. Who are you?"
Unexpectedly, the other person's mouth curved up, with a half-smile, and said: "It's you."
Then his tone changed, and he added casually, "I am Yuan Song from Hangzhou Prefecture."
Xi Xiyue was puzzled. Young Master Yuan had specifically requested Junior Brother Du come, yet when he arrived, he looked dismissive. He was baffled. Seeing the tension between the two men rising, he stepped forward to smooth things over. "Now that everyone's here, gentlemen, why don't you take a seat?"
Yuan Song then clasped his fists towards Du Heng, his eyes seeming to say, "Let me test your true strength, you, the Imperial Scholar!"
Du Heng also bowed and saluted, feeling patient in his heart.
Xi Xiyue's side hall was specially designed for literary appreciation meetings. Usually, there were only three or five tables, incense burning and the atmosphere was peaceful. But this time, it was a bit too crowded and seemed a bit impetuous.
Everyone took their seats and the noise gradually died down. Xi Xiyue, the host, stood up and bowed, saying, "Since we're discussing essays, we can't do without a title. Today, we're fortunate to have three top scholars from the capital, Zhejiang, and Shandong here. It's a great honor for our humble residence. How about asking one of them to choose a piece from the Book of Songs as a starting point?"
Normally, the three people mentioned by the host should show courtesy to each other, but unexpectedly, Yuan Song had already stood up first, his eyes filled with mischief and interest. After scanning the crowd with a half-smile, his gaze finally settled on Du Heng's face, and he bowed slightly and said:
"Yuan will overstep his bounds for once and ask a question first."
"On the Lantern Festival, I happened to be reading "Zhinwei" from the "Zhengfeng" section of the "Book of Songs." March, in early spring, is the Shangsi Festival in Zheng State, where young men and women travel together. I'm sure you all had beautiful women by your side on the Lantern Festival, too."
"Why don't you all use the Qin and Wei poems as an introduction to discuss emotions, rituals, and the ways of a gentleman?"
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