After Zhu Pingan finished the couplet, the entire inn was silent.
These six pairs of couplets have been hung up in the inn for two days, and today is the third day. The best record in the past was just three pairs of couplets. It is precisely because of this that many literati came to visit one after another. Come and try it.
Everyone in the lobby concentrated on imagining and thinking hard, thinking about showing off the third or fourth mate to steal the show.
However, in the blink of an eye, the record has been refreshed, and it has almost reached its peak: six couplets, completed in one go, with fluent answers; in the first couplet, seven second couplets were said in one breath...
However, no one could connect that poor country boy with the person who created this record!
In everyone's mind, the person who set this record must be well-mannered and well-groomed, but this is not bad. The young man in front of him has dark skin, unattractive appearance, shabby clothes, and is unscrupulous. When he ate just now, he looked like he had never eaten in eight lifetimes. It's like rice, so worthless.
The painting styles are so different.
For a moment, everyone couldn't accept it and were shocked on the spot.
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, here are two well-dressed teenagers who came hand in hand to Zhu Ping'an's table. The one walking in front was a well-dressed young man, and the one half a step behind was the one named Zhu Ping'an. Vincent's boy. Both of them are almost in their early twenties. In our modern times, they have just graduated from college, and they still look a little green.
"I'm Zhang Siwei from Puzhou. This is Wang Shizhen from Suzhou. May I ask what I call this little brother?"
The young man who spoke called himself Zhang Siwei. He was wearing a dark satin robe with a silver hollow hibiscus border exposed inside the robe. His thick black hair was tied up with a warm mutton-fat jade hosta. He was a handsome guy with handsome features. He looked a bit unrestrained. But the sparkle in his eyes that people dare not underestimate.
The young man named Wang Shizhen next to him is also a talented person, wearing a snow-white robe. Spotless, as if he were a humble gentleman who stepped out of a poem, book, or ink scroll. It looks like he is a well-behaved student with good standards.
When these two people came over. Zhu Pingan felt nothing. However, after hearing what this man named Zhang Siwei said, Zhu Ping'an couldn't stand it anymore.
Zhang Siwei!
Wang Shizhen!
Can you not be surprised? Apart from Zhao Wenhua, this is the second or third famous person in history that I have met. And these two people are not inferior to Zhao Wenhua.
Zhang Siwei was the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty. In history, this guy came to power after Zhang Juzheng died. Although this guy threw away all Zhang Juzheng's policies as soon as he came to power, after all, he was also the first assistant. Zhu Ping'an has previously summarized Zhang Siwei, who can be described as an upgraded version of Sima Yi and Gou Jian!
The person next to Zhang Siwei is named Wang Shizhen. Although his official position is not high, he is much more famous than Zhang Siwei. Does Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng know this? That's this guy's pen name. However, when Zhu Ping'an looked at Wang Shizhen, who looked like a standard good student, he really couldn't connect this guy with that Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, who was the author of the "No. 1 Wonderful Book" in the world, "The Golden Vase ×" . I really don’t know what happened to make such a moral defender write such a strange book.
Of course, in history, there is no clear evidence to prove that Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng is Wang Shizhen, which is controversial. However, who happened to be in the period when this strange book was born, just in time to help future generations determine it.
For a while. Countless thoughts came to Zhu Pingan's heart.
"Ahem, this little brother?" Wang Shizhen asked after coughing when seeing Zhu Ping'an didn't respond.
"Oh. I'm going down to the river Zhu Ping'an. I have never seen two such impressive people before. I was a little dazed for a while and laughed."
Zhu Ping'an cupped his hands and explained calmly.
"What kind of magnanimity do we have? Brother Zhu was eloquent just now. His answers were fluent, that's true magnanimity. I'm not afraid of Brother Zhu's jokes, so I only responded with two words." Zhang Siwei shook his head with a smile.
"I only have three couplets." Wang Shizhen also smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I'm just lucky." Zhu Pingan smiled slightly, then stretched out his hand to ask Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen to sit down, then poured two cups of tea and placed them in front of them.
"Brother Zhu, don't be so modest." After sitting down, Zhang Siwei picked up the tea cup, "Luckily, I can't make such six couplets."
"Especially the third couplet, which is about being a lonely widow with an empty window; traveling far and near to be free and happy. I have been thinking about this couplet for a long time, but I only have a glimpse of it. Brother Zhu blurted out the second couplet, which is really embarrassing. "
Wang Shizhen shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Wang Shizhen's literature is not generally good. Wang Shizhen was born in the Wang family in Taicang, which is famous for its clothes, poetry and books. The Wang family is the remnant of the Langya Wang family that has been around for generations during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the Wang family settled in Tonglu, Zhejiang for a long time. In the Tang Dynasty, there was Qufeng, the governor, in the Five Dynasties, there was Yamen Tui Renhao, in the Song Dynasty, there was Si Jianjin. Honorable from generation to generation. Wang Shizhen, who was born in such an official family, received a good family education when he was young. His parents hired Wang Cai and Luo Jujing, who were both Jinshi-born and knowledgeable teachers, to teach him, making him academically advanced and sharp-minded. Among my friends, when it comes to literature and literary talents, he is second to none.
Literature and literary talent are so powerful that Wang Shizhen only came up with three couplets. However, Zhu Pingan opened his mouth and said all six couplets.
That's why Wang Shizhen smiled bitterly when she heard Zhu Ping'an say she was lucky.
The three of them sat at the same table and chatted while drinking tea. Zhu Pingan became familiar with the two of them before they knew it, and then they exchanged cousin names. Zhang Siwei, Zi Ziwei; Wang Shizhen, Zi Yuanmei, had a nickname named Wensheng. Because when he was a child, he grabbed a book and kept holding it while drawing lots, so his family gave him the nickname Wensheng. Of course, Zhu Pingan also told them his cousin "Zihou".
After chatting, we learned that Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen were the same age, but Wang Shizhen was born a month earlier, and the two had known each other for a long time. They had been elected three years ago, and this time they came to the capital to participate in the Enke Examination together.
When the two learned that Zhu Pingan was also here to participate in the Enke examination, their expressions were very exciting.
"Zihou, you are truly a formidable person."
They chatted and learned that Zhu Pingan was just over fourteen years old this year, and he came to take the examination at the age of fourteen. Although he borrowed Enke's help, it was rare to pass the childbirth examination and the provincial examination at this age. Even if they are as talented as them, they still have to say that their future is to be feared. (To be continued.)
