On the twenty-fourth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Chen, the censor in the front hall, went out to Anzhou on the Liangzhe Road as the censor.
Logically speaking, it was not a demotion. Zhang Fen should have held a banquet to invite officials to remonstrate with him as a farewell. However, in fact, Zhang Fen only invited a few friends from the Sansi Yamen, because he was originally the palace attendant of the Sansi Tuntian Yuanwai Langsheng. The censor, compared to the censor who had stayed at the censor station for a short time, was more familiar with his colleagues in the Sansi Yamen.
But despite this, the censors Zhang Guan and Guo Quan and the supervisory censors He Tan, Chen Xu, Zhang Zexing, Zhang Zhongyong, Peng Siyong and others went to see each other off together, and Zhao Yang also went to see him off.
Zhang Chen was quite touched by this, and said to Zhang Guan and others with a bit of shame: "A few days ago, I'm sorry to all of you..."
Zhang Guan shook his head indifferently and said: "We are all censors, don't we know our responsibilities? I hope Zhang Yushi will take care of him when he goes to Anzhou."
The rest of Guo Guan also echoed.
It is undeniable that Zhang Di did impeach everyone at the court meeting before, but since Zhang Guan and others did not join hands with Qian Mingyi, Gao Ruona and others to impeach Zhao Yang, the officials did not punish them, and they did not even say a heavy sentence. No words.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this that Zhang Guan and others appear here.
Later, Zhang Fan said goodbye to Zhao Yang again, with a rather complicated mood and said: "Thank you very much Zhao Zhengyan for taking time out of his busy schedule to say goodbye. Zhengyan is young but holds an important position. I hope he can stick to his duty and serve the country. Not much more to say...I say goodbye, everyone, take this seriously."
"treasure."
Immediately, Zhang Fan got on the rented carriage and embarked on the journey to Liangzhe Road.
After he left, Zhang Guan, others and Zhao Yang looked at each other in silence, and the atmosphere was slightly awkward.
To be honest, these censors were all very surprised by Zhao Yang's appearance. Zhao Yang was also surprised that these censors would come to see Zhang Yu off, and they all felt a little better for each other.
Before saying goodbye, Zhang Guan thought carefully and said: "Zhao Zhengyan comes to sit in our courtyard?"
These words are all polite at first sight. Although they are both admonishers, the censor is affiliated with the censor station, and Zhao Yang's You Zhengyan is affiliated with the admonishment officer of Zhongshu Province. Although they can be attributed to the admonishment court, they have nothing to do with the censor station. , what kind of door are you going to visit when you have nothing to do?
"Next time."
"Okay, I'll do it next time."
As Zhao Yang politely declined, the various censors exchanged polite greetings, and the two parties said goodbye.
After Zhao Yang took the lead to say goodbye and leave, the supervisory censor Zhang Zexing couldn't help but said: "It's quite surprising that he would come to see Zhang Yushi off. I heard that after the court meeting that day, Zhang Yushi was not very polite to him. He bluntly stated that he was not helping him..."
Censor Zhongcheng Guo Quan said with a smile: "It can be seen that this young colleague's character is still good, but I don't know where he came from, and the officials have kept it secret, which is very strange."
"Could it be...that one?" Chen Xu whispered: "Didn't Leng Qing appear last year?"
Leng Qing in his mouth was the delusional man who claimed to be the prince in Kaifeng Mansion last year, which shocked Qian Mingyi who had the right to know the affairs of Kaifeng Mansion at that time.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Zhang Guan said sternly: "That's just a delusional person. After verification, his mother is just a member of the same palace, so what's the matter..."
"What about the Wang family?" He Tan said coldly.
Zhang Guan's face froze, and then he scolded in a low voice: "She is Liu Congde's widowed wife. Just remember it in your mind, don't talk nonsense!"
Several censors looked at each other and stopped talking. Guo Quan, who was also the censor Zhongcheng, shook his head and said something fair: "I'm not the right age, so don't talk nonsense, lest you get into trouble."
He Tan and Chen Xu thought about it carefully and finally nodded in conviction.
At the same time, Zhao Yang was riding a carriage back to the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry.
A moment later, when the carriage stopped outside the main entrance of the Ministry of Industry Yamen, Zhao Yang stepped out of the carriage and caught a glimpse of a carriage parked a little further away. The coachman standing beside the carriage smiled and saluted him, and he was not surprised.
"Why is this Zhang Yaozuo here again?"
Zhao Yang walked into the Yamen with a slight frown. Not long after, he saw Zhang Yaozuo in Yang Yi's case room. This guy was bragging about his nephew named Shi Butong with Fan Chunren, Lu Dafang and the Shen brothers.
Judging from Fan Chunren and Shen Dun's lack of interest, it was obvious that they were not interested in this.
"Is Kaifeng Mansion so idle?" Zhao Yang interrupted and walked into the house.
As soon as they saw Zhao Yang, Fan Chunren and Shen Tao felt relieved. Zhang Yaozuo stood up to greet him and greeted him with a smile: "Brother, don't make fun of me... I took office yesterday. I was busy for two days and dealt with some long-standing issues. files……"
Zhao Yang couldn't help but be a little surprised. After looking at Zhang Yaozuo for a few times, he said in surprise: "Are you serious?"
"That's natural." Zhang Yaozuo said seriously with some excitement: "I am in my position and planning my government. Since I know the affairs of the Kaifeng government, I must properly handle the affairs of the upper and lower government and devote myself to it."
These words made Fan Chunren, Shen Yu and others nod secretly. Even Zhao Yang changed his mind slightly and asked in confusion: "Since you have such an ambition, why did you come to the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry?"
Zhang Yaozuo smiled and said: "Isn't this free? Come and thank me for your recommendation. If it weren't for me, how would I be able to sit in the position of knowing the affairs of Kaifeng Mansion?"
While Fan Chunren was only slightly stunned, Lu Dafang and the Shen brothers were greatly surprised. Lu Dafang couldn't help but ask Zhao Yang: "Jing Xing, your distant cousin in the palace actually has such power? "
Seeing Fan Chunren looking at him strangely, Zhao Yang hurriedly explained: "Don't listen to his nonsense, this is Zhang Guifei's fault."
oh……
Fan Chunren and Shen Tuo suddenly realized, and looked at Zhang Yaozuo with a little more contempt.
Distant cousin?
Zhang Yaozuo was stunned for a moment, not paying attention to the contemptuous glances of Fan Chunren and others.
Firstly, it is true that he relied on his eldest niece to rise to prominence. As we all know, there is nothing to quibble about; secondly, this matter also depends on the dish. These young people in front of him are obviously talents that Zhao Yang intends to win over. How dare he put on airs.
He said nonchalantly: "Brother, why should I be humble? ... In short, I will keep my kindness in my heart. Just tonight, I will hold a banquet in Fanlou to entertain you. I hope you will appreciate me."
"Fan Lou? It costs a lot of money there, right?" Zhao Yang was about to refuse, but he hesitated when he heard about Fan Lou. After all, he had long wanted to visit the most prosperous restaurant in Bianjing, but because of a certain Just delayed for some reasons.
Zhang Yaozuo said hurriedly: "How can a mere banquet compare to my brother's kindness? Then it's settled?"
After saying that, he turned to look at Fan Chunren and others, and said boldly: "Several distinguished figures in the country are also invited to the banquet. If you know anyone, you can also invite them too. I will introduce my nephew to you. All of them are here this year." Kaozi, I hope we can get closer to each other more in the future."
"..."
Lu Dafang and the Shen brothers looked at each other and did not agree or refuse rashly.
After all, they were self-aware and knew that Yao Zuo was obviously hosting a banquet for Zhao Yang. They were just passing by, so naturally they shouldn't take themselves too seriously.
After Zhang Yaozuo said goodbye and left, Lu Dafang asked Fan Chunren in a low voice: "Zhang Yaozuo is hosting a banquet for Jing Xing, do we really want to go with him? This guy... doesn't have a good reputation."
Fan Chunren was also a little embarrassed, and turned to look at Zhao Yang. Zhao Yang said with a smile: "Let's go together, otherwise how boring would it be for me to be alone? You just treat me as my mother's family, and you don't need to talk to that guy after you get there, just eat and drink. Why don't you go to a banquet for free? Call on Brother Gongfu, Brother Huang, and Brother Wentong. Anyway, someone is paying."
Not mentioning Qian Gongfu, Zhao Yang had drinks with Huang Qi, Huang Xu brothers and Wen Tong yesterday. In contrast, Qian Gongfu only reluctantly interacted with Zhao Yang because of his sincerity. Huang Qi and Huang Xu The brothers are more practical and know how to build relationships for themselves, but the one who impressed Zhao Yang the most was Wen Tong.
In terms of age, Wen Tong is older than Qian Gongfu. He is already thirty-one years old this year. It is said that he even has a son named Chaoguang. However, his personality is free and easy and his words are humorous. He feels as if he is the same age as Fan and Lu. Quite... no, in fact Fan Chunren looks more stable than Wen Tong.
"Isn't this appropriate?"
Fan Chunren and Shen Yu were dumbfounded by Zhao Yang's metaphor. Although they felt a bit inappropriate, they could not help Lu Dafang and Shen Liao being very interested in it.
Now that we are in Bianjing, how many people can resist not visiting the most prosperous restaurants in Bianjing?
So in the afternoon that day, Fan Chunren tried to invite Qian Gongfu and the Huang brothers, while Shen Tao invited Wen Tong.
About two hours later, Qian Gongfu, Huang Qi, Huang Xu brothers and Wen Tong were invited to the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry first.
Qian Gongfu still had the same serious attitude, which made people think that he was the eldest among them. The Huang brothers behaved quite well. In contrast, Wen Tong, who was actually the eldest, was the least stable. The Ministry of Industry Yamen looked around the courtyard curiously until Lu Dafang volunteered to take him to visit the entire Yamen.
As dusk approached, Zhao Yang led everyone to the Alum Tower.
Nine people plus ten people from Wang Zhongzheng, a total of nineteen people, the carriage of the Yamen of the Ministry of Industry could not fit in. Fortunately, Zhang Yaozuo was smarter and sent people to rent a few carriages in advance. Otherwise, Zhao Yang would have to send people to rent carriages. Well, after all, we can’t take a group of people to Aunlou on foot, right?
Fanlou is located in the north of Yujie, specifically in the Yuxiang area outside Donghuamen. Together with the nearby streets and alleys, it is the most prosperous place in Bianjing, but it may not be as lively as the Tianshui alleys. Different grades.
About a quarter of an hour later, a group of five carriages slowly stopped in front of the main entrance of Fan Tower.
Zhao Yang got off the carriage first and looked around. He saw a particularly conspicuous archway at the main entrance of Fan Tower, decorated with lanterns and colorful lanterns. There was a place near the archway for guests to park their carriages. In terms of density, Compared with some places in later generations, there are no more concessions, and it is difficult to see the edges at a glance.
Looking up and forward, we can see three towering buildings behind the archway. From west to east, they are the west, south and east buildings of Fan Tower. Although the sky is getting dark at this time, the lights inside and outside the building are brightly lit. After finishing the decoration, it was not difficult for Zhao Yang to see that both the south building and the east building were three stories high, while the west building, as the main building, was even better, with a full five stories.
Just as a few people were looking at the beautiful scenery formed by hundreds of colorful lanterns, Zhang Yaozuo's servant who came with the car came to Zhao Yang and said respectfully: "Little Mr. Zhao, my master is hosting a banquet in the west. It's in the middle of the second floor of the main building, facing the pear platform below. Please come with me."
Zhao Yangwei nodded and asked everyone to follow Zhang Yaozuo's servants to the west building.
During this period, another guest from Fanlou came over to greet him. When he learned that he was a guest of Zhang Yaozuo, the new official of Kaifeng Prefecture, he was even more courteous. He nodded and bowed and led everyone to the main building of the west building. On the way, in order to prevent everyone from being impatient, he also introduced Fanlou. The history and conditions of each building.
Compared with Fan Chunren, Lu Dafang, and Shen Yu who were listening with great interest, Zhao Yang was more interested in the singing of the women in Geya indoors along the way. Unfortunately, he didn't know what those women were singing, but he felt that the timbre was quite good. Pleasant.
Unknowingly, everyone had arrived at the elegant room where Zhang Yaozuo was hosting a banquet.
It is said to be an elegant room, but in fact, it is not an exaggeration to call it an elegant room. The huge interior, carved beams, paintings, calligraphy, paintings, potted plants and other furnishings make the entire house extremely elegant and elegant, even if it is the residence of the then Prime Minister Chen Zhizhong, it is far behind. .
There are two rectangular low tables on the left and right of the room. It is visually estimated that one table can seat nearly twenty people, and two tables equal forty people, which is enough to seat Zhao Yang and his party, a mere nineteen people.
"This cost is not small, isn't it?" Zhao Yang clicked his tongue.
"Not much." Zhang Yaozuo said, showing his wealth and magnanimity.
"How much?" Zhao Yang asked curiously.
"Uh..." Zhang Yaozuo suddenly became hesitant, and Zhao Yang understood immediately.
It is estimated that the cost of this elegant hall tonight is more than thirty thousand - his monthly salary.
Guessing this, Zhao Yang naturally stopped looking for trouble. He smiled and greeted everyone to sit down and said: "Come on, everyone, take a seat. The rich man is inviting you to a banquet today, so we don't have to be polite."
"Yes, yes, sit down, sit down." Zhang Yaozuo disagreed but was quite happy. He called everyone to sit down and introduced his nephew Shi Butong to everyone: "You are the pillars of the country, this is my nephew Shi Butong, Bouton, these We are all students of the same year as you, I hope we will get to know each other more in the future."
For the sake of Zhao Yang and Zhang Yaozuo's banquet with everyone, Shen Yu and others also greeted Shi Butong one after another.
During this period, Zhao Yang told Zhao Yang in a low voice that it turned out that he had not only booked an elegant hall today, but also another one next door. He was hosting a banquet for officials from his Kaifeng mansion, and asked Zhao Yang if he wanted to go say hello later.
Zhao Yang waved his hand and expressed no interest, so Zhang Yaozuo stopped asking.
After a while, as Zhang Yaozuo sent someone to urge, the wine doctor of Fanlou on the second floor of the west building brought drinks, and people served food one after another, and soon the two long tables were covered. Zhang Yaozuo invited everyone to drink and eat. While praising his nephew Shi Butong's talent.
Fan Chunren was indifferent to this. Lu Dafang and Wen Tong just cared about eating and drinking as Zhao Yang said. However, the expressions of Qian Gongfu, Shen Yu and the Huang brothers gradually became a little subtle, and they quite wanted to try Shibutong. The meaning of talent.
It can be seen that Shibutong is a little unnatural.
After finally enduring it, Zhang Yaozuo went to the elegant room next door to greet the officials of Kaifeng Mansion. Shi Butong felt relieved and hurriedly stood up and apologized to everyone present: "Uncle has too high expectations of me. In fact, I am not as smart as he thought. Dear brothers and sisters, please don’t pay attention to what he just said.”
His sincere attitude changed everyone's outlook, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
After a few glasses of wine, Shi Butong gradually began to reveal his true feelings. It was simply that Zhang Yaozuo had too high expectations for him, which overwhelmed him.
After hearing this, everyone who had a changed impression on him also tried to persuade him.
Wen Tong was even more nonchalant: "It's good to pass or not to pass, what does it matter? I went to Beijing to take the exam and I didn't think about high school. I just passed the state exam by luck. I took this opportunity to come to Bianjing to gain some experience. If If you can't get the Jinshi, you can just go back to your hometown and study hard, just like my distant cousin, who studied literature at the age of seven and gave up halfway. Before he reached the top, he imitated Li and Du, traveled south and north, and experienced the mountains and rivers of the Song Dynasty until he was twenty-five years old. He started studying again at the age of 20, but failed to pass the state examination. After that, he studied hard and passed the state examination at the age of 29. Although he failed in the provincial examination, he was not discouraged. He is 40 years old this year and has never given up his studies. How old are you when you study hard while studying abroad?"
"I've learned a lesson." Shi Butong cheered up and thanked him.
Shen Tuo from the side asked with interest: "Brother Yu Ke, what is your cousin's name from far away? Has he ever come to Beijing this time? Why haven't I heard you mention it?"
Wen Tong shook his head and said: "My old uncle passed away two years ago. He had to stay at home and teach his son. Otherwise, with his current knowledge, it would not be an exaggeration to become a Jinshi... Oh, my cousin's name is Su Xun." "
"Cough, cough." Zhao Yang choked on his drink, covered his mouth and coughed twice before asking anxiously: "What's your name Su?"
"Su Xun, my name is Mingyun."
Good guy, Su Dongpo’s father...
Zhao Yang looked at Wen Tong with some shock. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard Zhang Yaozuo suppressing his anger and shouting from outside the elegant hall: "What did you say? That's unreasonable!"
Well?
Zhao Yang frowned slightly, stood up and walked outside the elegant hall. As expected, he saw Zhang Yaozuo with an angry look on his face.
