Zhang Yue's journey to the west was escorted by Zheji Ming, the former capital of Yanyuan.
There is another companion on this trip that is Huang Haoyi.
Huang Haoyi had no hope of failing the Imperial Examination, and he had no intention of pursuing an official career. He also heard that Zhang Yue's Imperial College recruits all his classmates from Imperial College.
So Huang Haoyi hugged Zhang Yue's thigh and decided to find a job in Jiaoyin Prison.
After all, they have been classmates and fellow villagers for several years. Although he knew that Huang Haoyi was unable to support him in some ways, Zhang Yue still took Huang Haoyi with him to train him and see if he could take the lead on his own in the future.
Along the way, more than a dozen riders rode along the official road, and when they arrived at the post station, they used the post coupons to eat and exchange horses. For Zhang Yue, since he was on a business trip, the sooner he could get things done quickly, the better, so he didn't have much time to observe the people's sentiments or go around along the way. Make friends.
Just ride horses during the day and sleep at the inn at night.
After arriving in Luoyang, Huang Haoyi looked at the passers-by on the official road with a curious expression on his face.
Huang Haoyi and Zhang Yue rode together and said, "I have heard about Xijing for a long time. When Yi Zu established his capital, he intended to establish it in Xijing, but he gave up because of the opposition of the civil and military officials. Some court officials said that Kaifeng's water transportation is convenient and there is no problem in providing gifts. If Who would want to starve with the officials if they stayed in Luoyang? But it seems that there were always plans to move the capital to Xijing."
Zhang Yue said: "It's true that Emperor Zhenzong went to Luoyang twice and intended to move the capital here. Fan Wenzhenggong of this dynasty also proposed to move the capital. Zeng said that in times of peace and prosperity, the capital can be stayed in Kaifeng, but in times of war, the capital can be moved to Luoyang. I think this is very insightful. ."
"But I heard that Xijing is now a retreat place for many princes and ministers. It is adjacent to Bianjing. If there is any trouble in the court, you will know it."
Huang Haoyi said: "Yes, although Bianjing is good, it is at the foot of the emperor after all. Xijing has the honor of accompanying the capital, and it is prosperous and not inferior to Bianjing. At that time, Ouyang Gong, Qian Gong, Mei Gong and others lived here, drinking, composing poems and walking horses every day. Taiwan, it’s really lively.”
Zhang Yue glanced at Huang Haoyi and said, "You didn't come to Luoyang to see the famous people, but you came here to walk around Zhangtai!"
Huang Haoyi said hehely: "I heard that the prostitutes in Luoyang like to wear small feet. You also know that my wife has big feet. It's a pity. Sanlang heard that your sister-in-law is keeping a close eye on you at home..."
Zhang Yue said: "We still have business to do. Don't delay business by going to the fireworks and willow alley."
Huang Haoyi sighed: "I know, in fact, I have no other meaning in Fireworks and Willow Alley. I once asked someone to find out that Yulian is now in Xijing..."
Zhang Yue was stunned and said: "Yulian...you still miss her now? I also said that after you get married..."
Huang Haoyi sighed: "How can I forget, after all, Yulian is the first woman I have met in my life. I have been thinking about how well she is doing these years. Even though I know that she has never cared about me for a moment in her heart, But I also miss her in my heart."
Zhang Yue said with disdain on his face: "Silang, let me tell you, I call your behavior 'dog licking'."
"Dog licker?" Huang Haoyi sighed after hearing this.
Soon Zhang Yue arrived in Luoyang, Xijing.
The first thing Zhang Yue did when he arrived in Luoyang was to visit his relatives.
There are many wealthy families in Luoyang, such as the Liu family and the Ning family. After Emperor Taizong pacified the Northern Han Dynasty, many officials and influential families of the Northern Han Dynasty moved to Luoyang. The natal family of Zhang Yue's mother-in-law, Li, was in Luoyang, which was also where the Li family settled in Longxi.
Seventeen Niang's maternal grandfather, Li You, once informed Jiangning Mansion by admonishing the officials.
My great-grandfather, Li Jue, once served as Minister Yuanwai Lang.
Li Jue's father, Li Cheng, was the first landscape painter at the end of the Five Dynasties. Empress Dowager Cao once liked Li Cheng's paintings very much, so she ordered many of them to be collected in the palace. However, she did not know the authenticity, so she invited Li to the palace to inquire, and finally she picked out four authentic paintings from the paintings.
Li You had two sons, Li Chen and Li Xun. Li Chen was the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, and Li Xun was the judge of Dali Temple. They were both Yin officials but did not serve in official positions.
When Zhang Yue arrived in Xijing, he went to visit Li Chen and Li Xun and presented them with the gifts given by Li. These two people are now ordinary people. They knew that Zhang Yue was visiting Gu and were very respectful and received Zhang Yue warmly.
Like his great-grandfather, Li Chen also liked calligraphy and painting. He also specially asked Zhang Yue to leave a copy of the book for his collection.
After visiting Li Xun and Li Chen, Zhang Yue went to visit Wen Yanbo.
Wen Yanbo served in Luoyang for several times. In the third year of Jiayou's reign, he retired from the post of prime minister and became a stay-at-home in Xijing. He settled in Congshanfang, Luoyang, and did not leave until February of the fifth year of Jiayou's reign. In February of the eighth year of Jiayou's reign, Wen Yanbo When Wen Yanbo's stepmother passed away, he returned to Luoyang to mourn.
After the new king came to the throne, he summoned Fu Bi and Wen Yanbo, who were in Xijing, back to the capital. However, Wen Yanbo did not go to Bianjing because the mourning period was not over.
However, after Fu Bi left, Wen Yanbo became the de facto boss of Luoyang, and everyone from top to bottom looked after him. Officials from Henan Prefecture or those going to Shaanxi Road to take up posts would have to pay a visit to Wen Yanbo's house when passing through Luoyang.
There is a saying that goes well: A leader cannot remember who has congratulated him, but he must remember who has not congratulated him.
Of course, if you don't go to visit him, Mr. Wen is a highly respected man and will not care about you in a petty manner, but if his old officials of the same age find out about this matter, they may not let you go.
Therefore, Zhang Yue must go to Wen Yanbo's house to pay a visit, not to mention that he is still related to the Wen family by marriage. When he was an official, he also received favors from Mr. Wen Xianggong.
What's more, Wen Yanbo's fifty-eighth birthday is coming soon, and his mother-in-law also has generous gifts for him.
Zhang Yue immediately went to Dongyuan where Wen Yanbo was located.
He and Huang Haoyi rode horses through the streets of Xijing, but they saw that the scene here was indeed different from Bianjing, and the people, clothes and customs were different from Bianjing.
Bianjing is noisy and prosperous, full of market atmosphere, and the streets are very cramped. But walking to the streets of Xijing is a different scene. Everything here is well-organized, and few shops are opened along the street, so there is no sound of shouting. It fills the ears, and both sides of the street are lined with gardens that show the rich families of officials. The bamboos and exotic flowers in the courtyard press over the walls to show their elegance to passers-by. As for the street gardens, there are also many waterways, and gurgling water can be seen everywhere.
Moreover, the pedestrians were very leisurely and calm, wearing broad robes and long sleeves that resembled those of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Even the scholar-bureaucrats traveling on the road were not in horse-drawn carriages, but in ox-carts and donkey-carts. When I walked to the street, I did not see the pomp and pomp of the officials from Bianjing, and the officials on the left and right Holding a wooden stick and shouting, whipping the ground and so on.
The scholars and officials here seem to travel slowly and leisurely, as if taking a walk. Even if they drive, they rarely see the emperor urging them.
Zhang Yue saw this scene and thought to himself, "With such a wealthy and leisurely Luofong, it's no wonder that after retirement, senior officials of the Song Dynasty were happy to settle down in Luoyang for retirement."
Not only are there many high-ranking officials and dignitaries here, but the cultural atmosphere is also very strong. After the great scholar Shao Yong traveled around the world, he finally settled in Luoyang and said, "The Tao is here". He never came back and stayed in Luoyang for the rest of his life.
After Zhang Yue arrived at the house, he first revealed his identity.
When the disciple heard that Zhang Yue was in charge of seducing the prisoner, he thought that he had never even heard of this.
But then Zhang Yue presented family letters from the Wu family and Mr. Wenliu, and the family became serious. When they learned that Zhang Yue was the number one scholar, they immediately changed their looks and went in to report.
Soon a middle-aged man who looked 30% to 50% similar to Wen Jifu stepped out. The man held up his hands and said to Zhang Yue, "It turns out that the in-laws are here, and they are not welcome from afar!"
Zhang Yue said that he did not dare to take it seriously. The other party's self-proclaimed name was Wen Gongzu, the eldest son of Wen Yanbo, and a former judge of Fengxiang Mansion.
Zhang Yue bowed to the other party, and Wen Gongzu immediately invited Zhang Yue inside and said along the way: "My father is at the house, and I should have gone out to greet him in person, but he suffered from a foot disease a few days ago and it is inconvenient to walk, so I still ask you to come and meet him."
Zhang Yue said: "I have admired the name of Duke Wenlu for a long time, and I have long wanted to come to Xijing to meet him. It is a blessing to be able to meet him now."
Wen Gongzu smiled and said: "The in-laws have met outside the family. Among the daughters-in-law, the one that my father and mother praise the most is Liulang's daughter-in-law..."
Zhang Yue and Wen Gongzu were talking while walking.
Talking to people, getting closer, and reading people's faces are all things that the second generation official is good at, and soon the two of them were talking and laughing.
Zhang Yue and Wen Gongzu walked for a while and were even more shocked that there was such a big garden.
We learned from Wen Gongzu that the garden where Wen Yanbo lived was called Dongyuan, and it actually covered an area of hundreds of acres.
In particular, a water area in the mansion occupies an extremely large area.
Wen Gongzu invited Zhang Yue to board the boat and went boating in the pond. He saw the vast water and the mist rising, as if he was walking in the rivers and lakes. There are two large islands in the center of the pool, each with a courtyard that can accommodate dozens of people.
Zhang Yue thought to himself, this is really enjoyable.
After passing this island, Zhang Yue and Wen Gongzu landed. Zhang Yue thought he was going to see Wen Yanbo, but he went west for another mile and saw two temples that were even larger than the ones on the island.
I heard Wen Gongzu introduce a hall called Xiangfu and another called Medicine Garden.
This East Garden was originally a medicine garden, but it was purchased and transformed by Wen Yanbo.
After speaking, Wen Gongzu smiled and said: "Master Shao once said that since ancient times, there have been many gaps in the city. It would be difficult to build such a garden in Bianjing, which means that it can only be done in Xijing, where all the princes and princes have gone east. It is so big on weekdays. My garden is often visited by idle guests, inviting friends and company, and they never ask about the owner’s house.”
"My father also couldn't help but let tourists come to enjoy it, and even invited them to drink and have fun with them."
Zhang Yue gave a thumbs up and said: "He is really the Prime Minister of Taiping!"
Wen Gongzu laughed.
Zhang Yue followed Wen Gongzu to the medicine garden hall and walked to the backyard, where he saw countless exotic flowers and plants. In the courtyard, there were both lush bamboo forests and ancient pines.
There was even half a piece of farmland opened up. Wen Gongzu smiled and explained to Zhang Yue: "My father was idle after his resignation, so he did some farming."
Finally, Zhang Yue was led to a pavilion and met an old man with extraordinary spirits.
Zhang Yue knew that the other party was Wen Yanbo and met him immediately.
Wen Yanbo smiled gently and said nothing. He just stretched out his hand and motioned for Zhang Yue to sit down next to him. After Zhang Yue sat down as he was told, he didn't dare to speak actively and just waited for Wen Yanbo to speak.
Unexpectedly, Wen Yanbo sat there without saying a word.
Zhang Yue didn't know what Wen Yanbo was doing, so he had to sit there and wait, but he saw that orchids were planted on both sides of the pavilion, and they were in full bloom.
Zhang Yue sat like this for a long time, and suddenly Wen Yanbo said with a smile: "The fragrance comes!"
I just felt the cool breeze blowing, and the fragrance of orchids in the courtyard suddenly filled the surroundings. Zhang Yue had never smelled such a refreshing fragrance, and couldn't help but said: "This fragrance is really good!"
But seeing Wen Yanbo smile slightly when he heard this, he said calmly: "It's not good to smell the fragrance, you have to wait for it to come naturally due to the wind!"
