Chapter 033 Traitor 33
After buying the books, Xiao Yan and Xiao Chen browsed through some more books in Chengshufang. When they came out of Chengshufang, it was already past noon.
At the hour of Si, the sun was hot and dazzling, just in time for tea.
Feihe Tower is quite famous in Zhuzhou City. As the provincial examination is approaching, many candidates come here because of its reputation, and Zhuzhou City becomes more prosperous.
At this time, Feihe Tower was almost full.
The first floor was the lobby, where storytellers or actors would occasionally come on stage to tell stories and compose music. With the provincial examination approaching, the diners were more interested in hearing stories, so when Xiao Yan and his companions arrived, the storyteller on the stage was just beginning to tell a very clichéd story—
A poor scholar meets a rich lady for the first time, and they fall in love. However, the shackles of worldly status stand between them. Despite their parents threatening to commit suicide, their love is stronger than gold, and the lady gives up her wealth and glory to be with the poor scholar.
The story ends with a melodramatic and clichéd theme: a poor scholar passes the imperial examination and wins the heart of a beautiful woman, satisfying the infinite fantasies of some frustrated candidates.
"This young lady is also a person of good character. It's rare that she's not so vulgar. She's a model of a good wife and mother. Unlike some young ladies nowadays who are so ambitious, but the world is going downhill!"
"It's not easy for the two of them to put aside worldly views and finally be together. The scholar is also a good match. Even after rising to prominence, he didn't abandon his wife..."
"Only in the storybooks can there be such a virtuous person. If it were to happen today, huh!"
"Pfft..." Someone chuckled, mockingly saying, "And he abandoned his wife to rise to prominence? Have you forgotten that this young lady was born into a powerful family? Why is it that when they are together, she has to lower herself to become a good wife and mother, abandoning wealth and glory, instead of the scholar striving for progress?"
"If the scholar doesn't get into high school, will he have to endure a lifetime of hardship and hardship until the end of his life? If you were her parents, would you have the heart to watch your daughter suffer? Furthermore, threatening to commit suicide is a bit extreme, but it's still no match for someone you've only known for a few months. If you have children like this, you might as well not have them at all."
"Also, how could a poor scholar break into a young lady's boudoir on a rainy night? Wasn't this intentional? Such lecherous behavior, disguised as a lie, can actually be called a good story as you say! What a joke!"
Everyone looked over and saw that the man was sitting in a compartment on the third floor. From the shadow cast by the man, it could be seen that he was having tea with friends and had some small money. After all, the tea fee on the third floor was not small, and usually only the rich or noble could eat there.
Being ridiculed in person, people almost said that they were wishful thinking like a toad wanting to eat swan flesh!
Under normal circumstances, they might not have angered the children of the powerful, but now that the provincial examination is approaching, perhaps because they are emboldened by numbers, or perhaps because they want to step on the powerful to become famous, these people who agree with the so-called good story have refuted it one after another.
"My dear brother, this is wrong. If you can abandon worldly prejudices, how can it not be a good thing? Could it be that you are the one who suffers from worldly prejudices?"
"Miss, you haven't been so scornful of the poor and yet you've made it sound like you're compromising?" The man shook his head. "We can't be on the same page!"
"The husband is the head of the wife, a principle that has been in place since ancient times. How could this ethical code be violated? I'd say the old lady and the old man are being stubborn. Since the husband is in love with the concubine and they're worried about their daughter's hardship, wouldn't it be better to give her some money as a subsidy? They don't need the money anyway, so why bother throwing everything away?"
The more those people talked, the more outrageous it became, wishing all the powerful people in the world would pay for them. At this time, the waiter finally had some time to come.
"Gentlemen, please come in!" The waiter looked around and felt a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, the table is full. Could you two share a table with someone else?"
The term "sharing a table" here means sharing a table.
Xiao Yan looked at the people engaged in the verbal battle and hesitated. This was different from his imagination of scholars discussing poetry and songs over tea. They were all discussing personal and selfish thoughts...
It's a very meaningless topic.
People always have selfish desires to seek benefits and avoid harm. Some people understand the truth, but they just pretend to understand in order to consolidate their own interests.
It's not that they don't understand reason, but that they don't want to reason. Talking to such people will only waste your breath and provoke a bunch of disgusting "arguments".
Xiao Chen was very experienced in this. He glanced at the compartment on the third floor and said, "Then let's share. I'll have a pot of your new tea, a serving of osmanthus cake, and two bowls of Yidianhong."
Led by the waiter, they came to a table against the wall. The people at this table also looked like candidates. They glanced at them while drinking tea, moved their things away, and did not participate in the conversation.
Xiao Yan was not a stubborn person in some situations. As long as it did not involve principles, he would satisfy some of Xiao Chen's trivial requests. For example, if he was willing to have tea in this noisy place, that was up to him, even though he preferred to have tea in a quiet and elegant place rather than watching people engage in selfish verbal battles.
Fortunately, the people sharing the table with them were not talkative, otherwise he would not be able to drink tea in such a saliva-splattered place.
While the meaningless argument was still going on, the waiter had already brought up tea and snacks.
The teapot and cups should be a set, with a few tender yellow tea leaves scattered in the white porcelain cups, which looks very healing.
The teapot is not big. When you need to add hot water, just wave to the waiter and he will come over to fill the teapot with water.
Osmanthus pastry is also very common. The dough is crispy and soft, and the unique fragrance of osmanthus fills the mouth. It is sweet but not greasy, and is just right when paired with tea.
The most outstanding one is "A Little Red".
A little red is a bowl of white food, which tastes smoother than tofu pudding, with a slight milky taste. It is not fishy, but has a mellow milky flavor. There is a red bean in the middle, so it is called a little red in the bowl. It is a dessert.
In addition, the waiter also brought a stack of melon seeds that had not been stir-fried with salt. This was also what they requested after the waiter asked, because Xiao Yan always felt that although the melon seeds that had not been stir-fried had no soul, at least they would not cause heatiness. Mouth ulcers are not pleasant. He and Xiao Chen are both prone to heatiness and cannot eat too hot food.
Seeing them enjoying their meal, the people sharing the table also became interested and asked, "I wonder what you two ordered?"
Xiao Chen looked up, "A little red, unique to Feihe Tower."
The man ordered a bowl upon hearing this. Perhaps because eating brought them closer, he also started a conversation and whispered, "These people talk in high-sounding terms, but they're just selfish."
"Such despicable ways are ultimately unacceptable."
Xiao Yan and Xiao Chen were not the talkative type to talk to strangers, so they nodded perfunctorily. The man didn't mind much, perhaps because he had no companions around and finally found someone to listen to his complaints.
"If I had known Zhuzhou City was like this, I wouldn't have hurried on my way. The culture of scholars in Yangzhou City is much better than this."
Xiao Yan finally raised his head from his meal and asked, "Brother, are you from Yangzhou City?"
Yangzhou City is where the Murong family is located. I don’t know if it is more favored by the God of Literature, but there are many literati and nobles there, and countless works of great men are widely circulated. It can be called a holy land for literati.
I heard that it's spring-like all year round there, with pleasant scenery, making it the perfect place to escape the summer heat and warm the winter. It's no wonder many high-ranking officials choose to retire there. After all, retirement destinations aren't common, so if there's a place like this, why not just live there?
As a result, Yangzhou City became more prosperous, merchants made a lot of money, and the prices of goods and housing became astonishingly high.
Xiao Yan thought that after he completed the task, he could consider visiting Yangzhou City in his remaining free time, but it was too early, as he was more concerned about his competitor, Murong Yu.
Sun Tzu's Art of War says: Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you will be safe in a hundred battles.
The man nodded: "Yes, Ling is from Yangzhou City."
Xiao Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled faintly, "I heard that the climate in Yangzhou City is very nourishing, and it has produced many scholars and noble men. I wonder if Brother Ling has ever witnessed it with his own eyes?"
The man waved his hand seemingly without meaning to, but in reality, the corners of his mouth were almost raised as he said, "I only witnessed the poetry of the Sage Poet and the famous poet, but that's nothing special."
Xiao Yan: “…”
I was surprised to find that the ancients also knew Versailles!
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. "Brother Ling, if you keep doing this, it's a bit unkind! Who in the world doesn't know the Sage Poet and Renren Bei? You've witnessed these two seniors' poetry duel with your own eyes, a rare sight. This makes Xiao extremely envious."
Brother Ling laughed heartily, his smile now showing some sincerity. "It's not that I'm unkind, it's just that this kind of scene is only a small one in Yangzhou City. There are countless others like the Six Sons of Guanyang, Xue Wen of Yuecheng, and Elder Dong of Ningzhou."
"If you have some free time, Brother Xiao, please come to Yangzhou City. I will definitely welcome you with open arms!"
"Oh, so you've already found out you won't pass and are planning to return home?"
I don't know when the person at the next table had changed. The person who was talking had a pointed face and looked like a sarcastic and mean person.
Brother Ling frowned and looked at them. The two people must be acquaintances, and there seemed to be some friction between them.
"Oh, who did I think it was? Turns out to be the young master of the Zhao family? What? Finally you don't rely on your father and brother anymore?" Brother Ling imitated the man's tone, speaking in a sarcastic tone, making the other person so angry that his face turned blue and red.
"You!" The man was about to say something but was stopped by the person sitting at the same table.
The other friend bowed to Brother Ling and said, "Brother Ling."
A trace of disgust flashed across Brother Ling's face, and he replied perfunctorily, "Brother Cheng."
The other friend didn't care and smiled gently, "We're meeting old friends in a foreign land. Brother Ling, would you like to have a small gathering with us?"
Brother Ling smiled wryly, "No, I've already finished eating. Sorry, I can't keep you company."
After saying this, he looked at the unfinished red food on the table with some reluctance, and asked Xiao Yan and Xiao Chen, "I know a place with beautiful scenery. Would you two brothers like to go there together?"
Xiao Yan knew that Brother Ling must have something to say, but he couldn't say it because of the presence of these two people. That's when he thought of this wording and immediately agreed.
Anyway, most of the chatter here is just verbal battles, and there's no real news. It's better to see what this new acquaintance, Brother Ling, has to say.
The three of them paid the bill and left, arriving at a riverside with a small bridge.
There are trees lining the bridge, which can just block the increasingly strong sunlight, but there are more mosquitoes and flying insects.
[Snap]
Xiao Chen slapped the mosquito that tried to bite him for the umpteenth time. The mosquito was very big, with a long body and legs, and a long pointed mouth. If bitten by it, a big bump would definitely appear, and it would be extremely itchy.
The flower mosquitoes were relatively easy to spot, as they were large and easy to spot. However, the black mosquitoes, which were the size of a pinhole, were far more annoying. Not only were they numerous, but they were also difficult to spot. It often took a painful bite to notice their presence.
At this moment, Xiao Chen was trying hard to drive away the mosquitoes on his exposed skin. He looked at Xiao Yan, who did not attract mosquitoes at all. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that his brother was worthy of being his brother. Even mosquitoes had the heart to "love talent".
but……
He looked at Brother Ling, who was also covered in mosquito bites, with a hint of impatience: "Have you made up your mind?"
Yes, they have been here for nearly a quarter of an hour, and Brother Ling seems to be struggling over whether to tell what he knows. He has been struggling for a quarter of an hour, and they have also been bitten by mosquitoes for a whole quarter of an hour!
In just a quarter of an hour, his wrists, neck, and face were covered with red envelopes!
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Chen with some sympathy, then said to Brother Ling: "How about next time? Or find a place?"
Although he was intrigued, he didn't absolutely need to know. There was no need, there really was no need. Just the sound of the mosquito's wings fluttering was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. Besides, the red envelope on Xiao Chen's body was also very creepy.
Brother Ling gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "First of all, I'm telling you, you can't tell anyone else!"
Xiao Chen: “…”
Xiao Chen was so angry that he turned around and left.
Who is this person? They gathered them here, were bitten by mosquitoes for a quarter of an hour, and still talk about keeping it a secret! If they don't trust us, why bother with this?
Brother Ling pulled Xiao Chen's arm and said, "Hey, don't go!"
"Actually, this has been on my mind for a long time, and it's been bothering me. Do you understand this feeling?"
Xiao Chen, who was being held back, said: "..."
Sorry, he doesn’t understand!
However, seeing how conflicted he was, Xiao Chen didn't mind his attitude of not trusting them but still wanting to talk to them.
"You know that Brother Cheng from earlier, right?"
Xiao Chen: “…”
Xiao Chen thought, this is nonsense? How could he possibly know?
Brother Ling is still talking.
According to him, he, the young master of the Zhao family, and Brother Cheng all came from the same academy.
The Zhao family was a military family, and their father and brother both served in the army. It is said that a new emperor appoints new ministers, and the emperor valued military power. The Zhao family did not know whether the next crown prince would value literature or martial arts, so they sent one of their two sons to the military camp and the other to academy.
Brother Cheng is from a noble family, but it has fallen on hard times.
His family was relatively simple; he was their only son. His father was an official in a remote area, so naturally, he followed suit and pursued the imperial examinations. Conventional wisdom held that he was simply seeking the "literati air" of a scholar. With a decent rank and the support of his family, he could become a moderately influential official.
There was nothing involved between the three of them, but he and the young master of the Zhao family were born with different temperaments. They grew up in Yangzhou City and always quarreled when they met.
After arriving at the academy, he met Brother Cheng. At first, he thought that this person was gentle and easy to get along with, but later he found that he actually got along well with everyone!
Looking at Brother Ling, who looked furious at being betrayed, Xiao Chen took a deep breath, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Is this what you want to talk about?!"
Xiao Chen's stern face was quite intimidating. Brother Ling hid behind Xiao Yan, who looked safe and reliable, without caring at all that Xiao Yan's body could not stop him who was half a head taller than him.
"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Xiao, look at your brother! Calm down, calm down!"
Xiao Chen: “…”
Xiao Yan patted Xiao Chen's shoulder and said thoughtfully, "Are you saying that Brother Cheng is approaching you intentionally?"
Logically speaking, given Brother Cheng's declining aristocratic background, he shouldn't be able to compete with the Zhao family, and should be trying to curry favor with the Zhao family's young master. However, judging from their previous interactions, although the Zhao family's young master was a bit reckless, Brother Cheng clearly took the lead in their interactions.
In this case, either the young master of the Zhao family has something to ask of him, or this person is very cunning and knows how to manipulate and influence other people's thoughts.
Brother Ling nodded with satisfaction, and looked at Xiao Chen with a look that said, "How come you are so stupid that you don't even know this?" However, Xiao Chen took advantage of Xiao Yan's inattention and glared at him secretly, and immediately shrank behind Xiao Yan.
"That's right. These people I sent out are all children of officials, and they are directly affiliated with that party!"
He narrowed his eyes, trying to appear thoughtful, but ended up looking even smaller.
"So, you mean that he might be loyal to a certain prince and try to influence the emperor's mind?" Xiao Yan pondered.
Brother Ling opened his eyes wide, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open them wide, and he looked like he hadn't woken up yet.
He was shocked and said, "I haven't said anything yet, how do you know?!"
Xiao Yan was surprised and asked, "Do I need to explain this? Isn't it something that can be understood just by thinking about it?"
"If he wanted to make connections, he wouldn't be so specific, but he chose the son of an official who was directly under that person."
Xiao Yan said meaningfully: "At this point in time, the only ones who can make such a move and try to influence the emperor's heart are naturally the princes."
Xiao Chen was not stupid either. When Brother Ling said that Brother Cheng deliberately approached the official's son who was directly under that person, he had already come to the same idea as Xiao Yan.
only……
"Why did you tell us? We just met, didn't we? Don't tell me you want to remind us. After all, my elder brother and I are just scholars preparing for an exam."
Xiao Chen said solemnly, "Tell me! What exactly is your purpose?!"
Brother Ling hesitated, "I heard about Brother Yan's grand event, so I wanted to make friends with him..."
"When we met, you acted unfamiliar with me. Did you send someone to monitor us? If you were just trying to make friends, you wouldn't have gone to such great lengths. Could it be that you learned about me from your father and deliberately approached me?"
Brother Ling just said that Brother Cheng's friends are all the children of officials directly under the emperor, and he is also in this category. In this case, it is not surprising that he can hear about his deeds from his father.
At the same time, it shows that the news about the emperor was not kept secret. From this, we can also know that His Majesty admires him very much, even to the point that even his direct party knows about it!
Xiao Chen did not feel any jealousy in his heart. If he had a monitor, he would probably see a screen full of 666.
His elder brother was spitting criticism! The other person's reaction was exactly what his elder brother had expected!
Brother Ling blinked, "No, I haven't said anything yet, how come you guessed it again!?"
Seeing that he couldn't get away with being vague, he simply said it on the spot: "Yes, I heard it from my father."
"Brother Yan, you probably don't know, but that flattering article of yours has already caused controversy in Yangzhou City. At first, I was just a little curious, and then when I asked my father about it, he wouldn't tell me anything. But I knew that not telling him was the best answer, and it meant that the person admired you very much, so he avoided talking about it."
Then he began to understand Xiao Yan's articles. The more he read them, the more he felt that his articles were amazing and he wanted to make friends with him. In order to avoid missing him, he went to Zhuzhou City to look for Xiao Yan, but unfortunately he couldn't find him in any inn.
Look, he had been reading books, drinking tea, and listening to verbal battles for more than ten days at the place where candidates must check in, and finally waited for Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan: “…”
Thank you for thinking of him so much, but it's not necessary.
"Then how did you recognize us?" Xiao Yan was a little confused. With so many scholars taking the exam, how could he be sure it was them? And they didn't mention any names when they spoke, right?
This time it was Brother Ling's turn to be surprised. He pointed at the small words on the purses around their waists and said, "Isn't this hard to recognize? Isn't it something that anyone who can read can understand?"
"I wasn't sure at first, but after all, my subordinates told me that the two talented men of the Xiao family were both outstanding in appearance. They were almost always in and out together, and they looked somewhat similar. Add to that the words on your money bags, and I'm completely certain. I even spent a lot of money on the waiter to partner with you!"
Xiao Yan asked, "Then why did you tell us about Brother Ling?"
Brother Ling said naturally, "You also know that my father belongs to that person, and you will also belong to that person in the future, so we are colleagues. Since we are colleagues, isn't it normal for me to tell you about Brother Cheng's matter and ask you to come up with a solution?"
Xiao Yan: “…”
There are so many things to complain about, this logic is very touching and it is not something that an ordinary person can think of.
He hasn't even passed the provincial examination, but he's already thinking about the future of his colleagues. He's really thinking long-term!
"What if I fail the exam?" Xiao Yan was very curious about what gave Brother Ling such confidence in him. After all, he himself did not have this confidence.
Brother Ling shooed away mosquitoes and said in surprise, "How is that possible? Doesn't that person admire you very much? How could the person he favors be such a fool?"
Xiao Yan: “…”
Oh, it turns out to be the power of authority.
Xiao Chen couldn't stand the guy who set a trap for them, and said unhappily, "Aren't you afraid that we will turn around and work with the prince behind Brother Cheng?"
Brother Ling rolled his eyes in an extremely rude manner. "You're not fools. No matter how old that person is, he still has many years to live. Besides, it's said that a wise counselor chooses to serve the wise. Do you two brothers have a wise master in mind?"
There was something else in these words, and for a moment Xiao Chen didn't know whether to say he was stupid or smart.
He was clever, yet he could come up with logic that ordinary people couldn't even think of, and he trusted someone he had only met a few hours earlier. He was stupid, but he had a pretty clear understanding of some things.
Looking at all the princes, there is really no wise leader to choose from.
Maybe this is what is called great wisdom in the form of foolishness???
Xiao Chen looked at Brother Ling, who had a calm expression but was frantically shaking his legs below the waist to repel mosquitoes. Suddenly, he lost all idea of pretending to be foolish.
What a joke! If this guy is really wise and foolish, he must be the reincarnation of Wenquxingjun!
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