Chen Xiaomu pondered for a moment, pointed at Wei Yushang and others who were getting off the car one after another, and said with a smile: "Master Jia, why don't you have someone take them to the living room to have a rest first, and I will go with you to see Magistrate Bai."
Jia Gui followed Chen Xiaomu's fingers and looked over, and was about to speak. Suddenly, the expression on his face was startled, and then he was surprised and said to Chen Xiaomu: "Oh, Prince Consort, why did you bring Miss Wei from the Prime Minister's Mansion with you? Why are there magpies chirping above my head this morning? It turns out that a noble person is going to visit today!"
Chen Xiaomu secretly laughed, "You go ahead and lie to ghosts. How can magpies come out under such heavy snow?"
While they were talking, Wei Yushang walked up to the two of them. Jia Gui quickly raised his hands and said, "I didn't know that Miss Wei was coming, so I didn't welcome you from afar. Please forgive me, Miss Wei!"
Wei Yushang bowed slightly, made a Wanfu salute, and said in a voice: "Master Jia, you are too polite, the little girl just came here to accompany the teacher to the government office!"
"Teacher?" Jia Gui was stunned when he heard this, and his eyes couldn't help but look at the people who had just got off the carriage behind them.
When Chen Xiaomu saw this, he smiled and said, "Master Jia, stop looking for me. Miss Wei's teacher is just me."
"Oh!" Jia Gui then realized, and he said curiously: "Unexpectedly, the Prince Consort is actually Miss Wei's teacher. Miss Wei herself is the most talented woman in our Xinjing Prefecture. To be her teacher, the Prince Consort must be He must be a man of great talent and a wealth of knowledge!"
Chen Xiaomu waved his hand and said politely: "Mr. Jia, thank you for your praise. You are extremely talented and knowledgeable. I really don't dare to take it!"
Wei Yushang came up and said mischievously: "Teacher, this is the heaviest snow I have ever seen this year. Faced with such a rare snow scene! The student would like to ask the teacher to compose an impromptu poem to relieve the student's feeling that he wants to say something but wants to It’s an indescribable feeling!”
Chen Xiaomu nodded with a smile, "Okay! But the teacher has a condition. I wonder if you can agree to it."
Wei Yushang's cheeks heated up slightly, she lowered her head and said shyly: "The teacher taught the students a poem, and asked the students to agree to one more condition. Teacher, do you think this is okay?"
Chen Xiaomu laughed and said: "You are right, teachers teach students as a matter of course, so we can negotiate conditions! But if the teacher teaches students quatrains that can be passed down through the ages, can we put in a small condition?"
Chen Xiaomu's bragging made Jia Gui's favorability towards him drop to the bottom. Fortunately, Wei Yushanghao knew a little bit about Chen Xiaomu and knew that he was unlikely to be just talking nonsense. He must have a good poem brewing in his heart. After all, she had seen him tell the truth many times before, but this Jia Gui was different. He didn't know Chen Xiaomu before. He had heard some rumors about him, and most of them said that he was particularly good at fighting. He is a good man who can command the army, but he has never heard of any outstanding literary talents. In Jia Gui's mind, general generals who can fight are brave warriors, and they are very thoughtful. , Literary people with flying colors are not of the same class at all. Therefore, if in the past, even if Chen Xiaomu was the second-grade prince-in-law of the imperial court and the prince-son-in-law of the princess's palace, he would have despised him from the bottom of his heart. This time he took great pains to ingratiate himself with Chen Xiaomu through his fellow villager Wang Wu. It was entirely because at a party with some of his peers who participated in the scientific examination, he suddenly realized that he was too far behind these peers. Among them, Dai Jun, who has the highest official position, has become the second-rank Minister of Household Affairs, and Wang Jing, the youngest, has also reached the fourth-rank position of Shaoqing of Dali Temple. Only he took advantage of the national crisis and the time when the court was in urgent need of employing people. The seventh-grade county magistrate of Linhe County was promoted one level, and was transferred to the Xinjing government office as the sixth-grade magistrate. Moreover, in the scientific examination that year, his ranking was nearly twenty points higher than the best among these people of the same year. Because of his unbalanced mind, he thought that by building a relationship with the little fellow who worked at the Princess Mansion and letting someone in the court speak for him, maybe his promotion would be faster.
Although Jia Gui had lost all goodwill towards Chen Xiaomu, with his self-cultivation, it was impossible to show it on his face. He still said with a smile: "How virtuous and capable is this official? I can actually listen to the poems written by the prince-consort himself. It's really impressive." It’s such an honor!”
Wei Yushang nodded slightly and said: "Since Mr. Jia is so interested, I can't deny Mr. Jia's interest. I wonder what conditions the teacher is going to ask the students to agree to?"
Chen Xiaomu smiled and said, "I haven't thought about this condition yet, so I'll leave it there for now, and wait until I think about it. Let's write the poem first, otherwise, as time goes by, I will forget the poem I have been brewing in my heart!" "
Wei Yushang covered her mouth and chuckled: "Teacher, if that's the case, then you should start writing poetry first!"
Chen Xiaomu smiled at Jia Gui and said, "Mr. Jia, my students have already said that they agreed to my conditions so as not to spoil your interest. How about I give this poem to you, Mr. Jia?"
"Oh, Prince Consort, you've killed this official!" Jia Gui was frightened and was about to bow down.
Chen Xiaomu hurriedly stretched out his hand to support him, and said half jokingly and half seriously: "Master Jia, you have to listen to me finish reciting the poem, and then decide whether to bow down or not if it can be called an eternal quatrain! If my poem doesn't make sense, you Wouldn't it make people laugh if this word of worship spread?"
When Jia Gui heard this, he thought it made sense, so he said to Chen Xiaomu: "Prince-in-law, it's better for me to be respectful than to obey my orders. Let's ask the prince-in-law to recite a poem first."
Chen Xiaomu looked up at the dark sky full of snow, and said softly: "The title of the poem, "Send a Letter to the New Capital" is a thousand-mile yellow cloud in the daytime, and the north wind is blowing snow. Don't worry about the road ahead without friends, who in the world doesn't know you? "
As soon as Chen Xiaomu's poem came out, the scene was immediately silent. Even the rustling of snowflakes falling to the ground could be heard clearly. Everyone was mesmerized by the poem!
After a while, Jia Gui bowed and said: "My Prince Consort is really a talented person in the world. I am willing to follow my Prince Consort till the end of my life!"
Chen Xiaomu helped Jia Gui up and said with a smile: "Master Jia, you are so polite. I hope that you and I will work together to do a great cause for the court in the future! How about that?"
Jia Gui raised his sleeves to wipe his eyes and nodded cautiously, "Prince-in-law, we have an agreement!"
At this time, Wei Yushang came over and showed off: "Mr. Jia, do you think this poem by the teacher can be passed down through the ages?"
Jia Gui raised his hand to Wei Yushang and said, "I would like to congratulate Miss Wei on being lucky enough to have Prince Consort Chen as my teacher. This poem by Prince Consort Chen will surely be recited by future generations!"
Wei Yushang winked at Chen Xiaomu and said humorously: "Teacher, with Master Jia's judgment, I can agree to you even if your conditions are too much!"
Chen Xiaomu laughed and said: "Yushang, you said this yourself, don't regret it when the time comes!"
When Wei Yushang heard this, her face turned red and she said angrily: "Teacher, you are not allowed to make fun of others!"
Seeing the snow falling more and more, Jia Gui said to Chen Xiaomu: "Prince-in-law, it's too cold! I'd better take you and Miss Wei to the living room! I just sent someone over to light the heater."
Chen Xiaomu waved his hand and said with a smile: "Master Jia, I just told you to let them go to the living room to warm up, and you and I will go to see Magistrate Bai to discuss something."
"Oh! Yes, look at my memory!" Jia Gui patted his head, smiled, turned to the row of side rooms in the courtyard and shouted: "Zhang Feili, come out!"
"Hey, it's coming, it's coming!" As soon as Jia Gui finished his words, a man wearing a green uniform of a government official, like a whirlwind, opened the door and ran and jumped out of the house. In the blink of an eye, he ran to In front of Jia Gui, he bowed and clasped his fists and said, "Master Tongpan, what are your orders?"
Jia Gui pointed behind Chen Xiaomu and ordered: "Take these guests to the government office living room to have a rest, and then get two pots of good tea and some pastries for the guests to warm themselves up."
Zhang Fei bent his legs and said with a smile on his face: "Master Tongpan, you can leave this matter to me. You can go about your business without worries!"
Jia Gui glanced at him, nodded, and said nothing more. He turned to Chen Xiaomu and Wei Yushang and made an invitation gesture. He smiled and said: "Prince-in-law, Miss Wei, please come with me."
Chen Xiaomu was startled when he heard the sound, knowing that Jia Gui must have misunderstood him. He didn't want to take Wei Yushang with him to talk things over, but at this time, Jia Gui had already said what he said, and he couldn't change it again, for fear of causing Wei Yu's anger again. There was some misunderstanding about Shang, so he had to bite the bullet and follow the two of them.
Bai Zhifu is a middle-aged scholar who is about forty years old, with a thin build, a white and clean face with three black beards, and a pair of slender eyes that make people look very intelligent.
At this moment, he was anxiously circling around the room, waiting for Jia Gui who had been out for a while. A prosperous charcoal fire made this small room warm as spring. Originally, he and Jia Gui were in the room. Jia Gui was discussing a very urgent matter, but suddenly he heard the sound of horse bells in the yard. Jia Gui said to go out and see if someone had sent someone to deliver a message again. Who knows that he has not come back since he left? , Magistrate Bai decided to wait a moment at most, and if Jia Gui still didn't come back, he would send someone out to find him.
Bai Zhifu was thinking about something in the house. The door of the house creaked and was pulled away from the outside. A gust of cold wind blew in his face from outside. Bai Zhifu shivered all over, and he couldn't help but speak. He lectured: "Old Jia, why did you take so long? Is it...?" " Before he finished speaking, Magistrate Bai was stunned as soon as he raised his head. It was Jia Gui who came in. It was clearly Miss Wei from the Prime Minister's Mansion and a handsome young man. Jia Gui stood by the door outside, waiting for the two of them. After everyone came in, he followed the two of them into the house.
Magistrate Bai stared at the three people with his mouth agape, unable to react for a moment. Wei Yushang smiled sweetly and said, "What? Uncle Bai, don't you recognize me?"
Upon hearing this, Magistrate Bai hurried over to greet him, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "What did Miss Wei say? I don't know anyone, so I can't help but know you, Miss Wei!"
Wei Yushang nodded and said with satisfaction: "Well, that's pretty much it!" Then she pointed at Chen Xiaomu and said to Magistrate Bai: "Uncle Bai, let me introduce you to a noble man!"
"Oh!" Magistrate Bai looked at Chen Xiaomu with a smile on his face, and a sharp look flashed across his eyes. Wei Yushang did not notice it, and continued to introduce: "Uncle Bai, this is my teacher, and he is also the prince-consort in the imperial court. , Captain Chen!"
"Oops! It turns out that Prince Consort Chen is here!" Before Wei Yushang finished speaking, Magistrate Bai hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. At the same time, he felt relieved, because he had always wanted his son Bai Cheng to marry Wei Yushang as his wife, so that the Prime Minister Wei Wen became his family's patron in the court.
At that moment, Magistrate Bai bent down and cupped his hands and complimented: "I have heard about the name of Prince Consort for a long time, and it is like thunder in my ears. I am really lucky to meet you today!"
Chen Xiaomu clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Prefect Bai, you're welcome. I came here today mainly because I want to ask Prefect Bai and Judge Jia Tong about some things. I hope you two can tell the truth."
Magistrate Bai couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this. He really couldn't think of any relationship between his Xinjing government office and Princess Qingfeng's mansion, so he smiled and said: "Prince-in-law, as long as Jia Tongpan and I know about it, We will definitely tell you everything we know, and we will tell you everything!”
"Well, I would like to know how many cases have been committed in the Sanqing Temple in Mangdang Mountain outside the city but are still unsolved?" Chen Xiaomu asked straight to the point without beating around the bush.
"Ah! Prince Consort, why did you think of asking about this?" Bai Zhifu was obviously surprised. He never thought in his wildest dreams that this Prince Consort was so wrong that he actually thought of asking about something that had nothing to do with him. !
Chen Xiaomu smiled and said: "Sanqingguan gathered dozens of desperadoes last night to attack my princess's mansion, but I caught them all!"
"What?" Jia Gui exclaimed, "Prince-in-law, you said those men in black last night were Taoists from Sanqing Temple?"
Chen Xiaomu nodded, "Yes, they openly wore Taoist robes this morning and came to my princess's house to ask for someone!"
At this time, Wei Yushang who was standing by could not hold back his temper for a long time. He could not help but clenched his fists and said bitterly: "These thieves are simply too arrogant. I wonder how the teacher plans to deal with this matter?"
Chen Xiaomu pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked at the three people and said with a smile: "How's your courage? If you think you're not brave enough, you can avoid it first!"
The three of them looked at each other. Wei Yushang and Jia Gui remained silent, but Magistrate Bai hesitated and said, "I wonder how brave the Prince Consort must be?"
"The kind of courage that can kill one's life!" Chen Xiaomu said decisively.
"Haha, then...?" Bai Zhifu forced a dry laugh and said no more.
Chen Xiaomu immediately understood his hidden meaning and directly made the conditions, saying: "After the matter is completed, each of the two adults will be promoted to two levels, and each of them will be paid a reward of 50,000 taels of silver. Although Yu Shang is my student, But I won’t treat her badly, and I can try to ask my father to be the Prime Minister of Wei in the future!"
When Wei Yushang heard this, she quickly declined: "Teacher, I don't want these benefits from you. It is only natural for students to do things for teachers. How can I..."
Chen Xiaomu waved his hand to stop her before she finished speaking: "Yushang, you don't need to say more. Teachers must be fair and just to everyone."
At this time, Magistrate Bai cupped his hands and said: "Prince-in-law, if your head falls off, it's just a scar as big as the mouth of a bowl. I'm determined to do it with you!"
Jia Gui hurriedly followed: "Prince-in-law, please give me your orders. Even if you have to go up the mountain of swords and go down into the sea of fire, I will do whatever you want to do."
Chen Xiaomu nodded, "Okay, if we want to do it, let's do it for the big ticket! We will directly take down Sanqingguan, a den of evil Taoist thieves!"
