When we arrived at the waterside pavilion, we saw willows planted all over the lake.
There was already a seat here, and the female envoy from the Wu Mansion came with tea. Zhang Yue saw that these female envoys were all very young and beautiful, and one or two of them had particularly outstanding looks and showed mercy.
"I've seen the Number One Scholar!" A female envoy brought tea to Zhang Heng.
Zhang Yue didn't know how the other party knew that Zhang Heng was the top scholar, but when he saw her shy and affectionate look, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel envious. She has such a halo and aura, isn't this what many people pursue throughout their lives.
Zhang Heng was looking at the lake view. When he saw Zhang Yue's envious look, he understood immediately. He looked at the female envoys in the waterside pavilion without stopping, and asked Zhang Yue, "Sanlang, is there any girl you like?"
Zhang Yue shook his head and said, "I am so focused on studying that I have no time for other things."
Zhang Heng said happily: "Very good, this is the right thing to do. I'm worried that at your age, it's the time to be greedy for the beauty of women."
Zhang Yue said in surprise: "If you don't covet a woman's beauty, then what should you covet?"
Zhang Heng smiled and said: "What are you greedy for? Sanlang, what do you think these female envoys thought of me just now?"
"Of course it's because you are the number one scholar today and I respect your talent."
Zhang Heng said: "Of course there is a reason for this, but if talent is not put into practice, who can see it? This woman doesn't marry for wealth or power, so how can she marry a coloratura? You will know when you reach my age, no matter how beautiful she is, Let’s watch it for 12 or 3 days at most.”
Zhang Yue said: "Thank you, Chief, for the tip!"
Zhang Heng said: "It's rare that you can listen, so let me say a few more words. Women can wrap themselves around vines and climb up, and men can climb up dragons and drag their tails. I now regret that I got married too early when I was young. After I was released from marriage, I lost the help. Now I have a career in the officialdom. It’s actually a difficult journey.” (Note 1)
Zhang Yue couldn't accept it for a while. It was too snobbish to say so.
But this was already a first-class custom in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. The son-in-law of the prime minister's family may not be the prime minister, but the prime minister's father-in-law is most likely the prime minister.
Even Zhang Heng and Zhang Yue couldn't help but want to ask, is it really because I told you the best allusion that you are willing to talk to me now?
That's because he entered Taixue.
For example, someone like Su Shi whom I admired, I admired and admired, but after meeting each other, they were neither relatives nor friends, so it was difficult to have a heart-to-heart relationship.
It's like a relationship between brothers, but one of them is vulgar and can't be said to be friendly.
Therefore, Zhang Heng had a heart-to-heart relationship with him today, firstly because they were relatives and classmates, and secondly because he was a student of the Imperial Academy.
Zhang Yue suddenly discovered a very cruel truth in interpersonal relationships.
It turns out that the relationship between people really changes with their status.
This is not snobbishness, just like if you say a common thing casually, others will think it is pretentious or jealous, so there is no talk of sincerity.
If this is the case in later generations, let alone the Song Dynasty where people were not equal.
Zhang Yue thought about Guo Lin again. If the status of the two were very different in the future, would their friendship remain as good as before?
Is this what life is like?
While drinking tea, I suddenly saw a group of people coming from the opposite side, entered the theater next to the waterside pavilion, and then walked towards the waterside pavilion.
Everyone talked for a while, guessing that Wu Chong was here.
When everyone came out of the waterside pavilion, Zhang Yue saw a middle-aged man with an excellent bearing slowly walking towards them. Wu Anshi and Wu Anchi rushed forward to greet the middle-aged man. Then Wu Anchi followed Wu Chong and walked towards the waterside pavilion, while Wu Anshi went to the auditorium.
Everyone saluted together and shouted: "I have seen the prefect."
Wu Chong is currently the magistrate of Shaanzhou, and everyone calls him Taishou, which means the governor of a county in the past. Ouyang Xiu also claimed to be the prefect in "The Drunken Old Man's Pavilion". He also went out to Chuzhou at that time.
Wu Chong said with a smile on his face: "You don't need to be polite."
At this moment, in the theater only ten meters away from the water pavilion, Wu Chong's wife Li and the Wu family's eldest daughter-in-law Fan were both looking towards the water pavilion through a curtain in the theater.
At this time Wu Anshi arrived panting.
It turns out that the Wu family is not just here to watch a show.
Wu Anshi introduced.
"Mom, the person next to dad is Wang Guan. He is named Taosou. He is from Rugao. He is very talented in literature. Now he is married."
"Mother, this is Zhang Heng, the champion. He is also married."
Li said: "Wen Quxing is really extraordinary. Who is his wife?"
Wu Anchi said: "I heard that the marriage was arranged by my hometown. She is a girl from an ordinary family."
Fan said: "This is because my parents are short-sighted. They are only thirty years old. Why not wait a few years?"
Li said: "According to what you said, scholars nowadays should not get married before they are thirty years old?"
Mrs. Fan lowered her head and said, "Mother is right."
Wu Andi said with a smile: "Brother Ziping is a good man! After he won the first prize, he took his wife to Huzhou and followed him on his official career. He heard that his wife was in poor health, but he kept seeking medical advice for her."
Li praised: "There are too few men with such affection and righteousness."
Wu Anzhi said: "Mother, this is Zhang Dun, named Zihou, who abandoned the list last year. Now he is married to Zhang Yushi's daughter, who is also the head of the Kaifeng Prefecture."
Li looked at Zhang Dun and said, "He is quite talented."
Then he asked Fan: "What do you think?"
Fan said: "I heard that last year he abandoned the edict and abandoned the list. Everyone in the capital said that this person has no achievements."
Li said: "Don't listen to the wind and it will be rain. Others say that no action means no action? So what if you give up on the exam? Just pass the exam now. He is now the Yuan of Kaifeng Prefecture. No accident, he can pass the exam in high school." . Then who dares to mention his past again."
Fan was choked by Li, and couldn't help but feel annoyed, and stood aside with a muffled voice.
Mrs. Li said to Wu Anshi again: "If you don't tell me one by one, let's just say there are not many people who are suitable for marriage!"
"It's my mother. This Liu Ji is the one who talked and laughed with my father. He is the number one person in Taixue. It's a pity that the last article was not taken by Bachelor Ouyang. Otherwise, he would have won the Jinshi long ago. Jinke Guozijian's exam passed the first place. Second, I’m a little short of getting Guo Ziyuan.”
Li said: "This lady knows that he is very talented in literature, but he has a reputation as a romantic. He likes to have sex with prostitutes and stay in brothels."
Wu Anshi said: "Mother, the prostitute thing... is a bit inappropriate, but how can we abandon the great righteousness because of trivial matters? What's more, although he likes the wind, flowers, snow and moon, he doesn't hinder his studies, and his talent is well deserved to be the first in Imperial College."
"Having a prostitute is a big mistake. You can tell the autumn by looking at a leaf. How did my father teach you brothers? We, three generations of officials in the Wu family, if the family tradition is not upright, the family will also fall." Li scolded.
Wu Anshi lowered her head and whispered softly, it turns out that Shi Qi's scolding temper was learned from you. Those who didn’t know better thought you were mother and daughter.
"Where is this person?"
Li suddenly pointed at a young man and said.
Wu Anshi followed Li's gaze and saw that the young man was following Zhang Heng, but he was a little reserved in front of Wu Chong.
"In terms of age, this person is similar to Seventeen!" Li said.
"Mother, this is Zhang Yue, who is a member of the family. I was originally going to take the Nine Classics exam, but because of Li Zhidao's advice, I have now switched to the Jinshi exam. I don't know how sure I am."
"Oh? You said he wasn't in the Jinshi Department before?"
Wu Anshi said: "Exactly, the fifty-year-old Jinshi. Zhang Sanlang is not yet fifteen years old. If he really wants to be a Jinshi, I don't know how long it will take..."
At this time, Mrs. Li smiled and said: "Why can't you wait? I think this guy is good."
Wu Anshi couldn't help but be surprised, why would Mr. Li fall in love with Zhang Yue?
If it were Liu Ji and Zhang Yue who had to choose together, Liu Ji would definitely be chosen.
Wu Anshi thought to herself that her mother didn't want Qi Qi to marry into a good family so that she would be better than her sisters in the future, so she tried her best to arrange a bad marriage for him.
ps: This chapter comes from Liao Peizhi’s book friend.
