One year after Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, Liaodong Huang Taiji had not yet bypassed Shanhaiguan and entered the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty from Zunhua, and the tiger-character flag was only in the northwest and Henan areas of the Ming Dynasty.
Beizhili has not been invaded by either side, and the capital is still the most prosperous and lively place in the hearts of the people.
Even because the gentry from Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan fled to Beizhili, the capital of the Ming Dynasty was more lively than before.
Prosperous places naturally have places like restaurants and tea shops.
There are even more tea shops opening in the capital.
There are many kinds of tea shops. Some are just big bowls of tea on the street, where most of the tea is broken. They are specially designed places for Lipa to rest and quench his thirst. The other one is a bit more upscale.
Not only does it have a dedicated street-facing shop, but the tables, chairs and benches are neatly arranged inside. There is a high platform inside, where there are usually people on the stage for storytelling or other artists to perform, specifically to attract customers.
Naturally, a place like this can not only sell tea, but also seasonal fruits and snacks.
It is rare to see poor people who come here to spend money. Even if they are not wealthy households in the capital, they are at least servants of wealthy families.
Especially the tables in the front and center are usually occupied by dignitaries and some powerful people. Ordinary scholars, even if they are scholars, are not qualified to sit on the tables in the middle.
As for ordinary people, they don't even have enough to eat, so they don't have the money to spend in places like this.
"Brother Cui Wen, it's a coincidence that we are here today. I heard that the shopkeeper of this tea shop invited a descendant of Jiang Mingqi. He can play the three strings well and the lingering sound lingered in my ears for three days." The speaker was a scholar wearing a square scarf.
The person sitting at the same table with him was also dressed as a scholar.
It is said that dragons do not live with snakes. Naturally, people with similar interests like to gather together.
Cui Wen, who was sitting on the other side of the table, picked up the tea bowl in his hand and said: "I just don't know how much inheritance this descendant has from Jiang Mingqi, one of the eight masters. It's a pity that you and I were born a few years later and couldn't hear Jiang Mingqi with our own ears." The three strings and one must.”
"Haha, if you can't hear Jiang Mingqi's Sanxian, it's the same thing if you listen to his descendants." The person at the same table laughed.
The two of them showed off their knowledge to each other, and when the sound of the Sanxian being lifted sounded, they stopped talking about Sanxian and Jiang Mingqi and started talking about other things.
The sound of the three-stringed instrument is soft and clear, and it is uniquely beautiful when matched with the singing tune of the artist on the stage.
And sitting in a seat a little further away will not delay the guests' conversation at all.
The table made by these two scholars was against one side of the wall. In addition to two cups of tea, there was also a plate of fried peanuts in shells.
In the early days, it was mostly grown in the southern states, and there are also some in the north, but the quantity is sparse, and it is more of something only the nobles can eat. However, with the widespread planting of tiger-character flags, more and more people can eat peanuts, and peanuts are also available. No longer as precious as before.
Peanuts are generally sold in restaurants and tea shops, but the price is still not enough for ordinary people to eat them for a long time.
If a family can afford a scholar, such a family will not be particularly poor even if it is poor. More scholars come from wealthy families, while those with worse circumstances are also farmers or family members, so naturally they will not be unable to afford peanuts.
Whether it's fried, stir-fried in the shell, or boiled, there is always a way for scholars to eat it.
"Have you heard about Lushun?" Cui Wen peeled off the peanut shell, threw a peanut kernel into his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
The peanuts fried in their shells became more and more delicious to him as he ate them.
The scholar at the same table said: "Brother Cui Wen is asking about tiger thieves?"
The news about the Tiger-Character Banner's use of troops against Lushun was first spread into the palace, and then began to spread in the capital. There was no need for others to add fuel to the flames. Scholars who liked to talk about some important national affairs spread the news themselves.
Cui Wen swallowed the chewed peanut kernels in his mouth and said: "The tiger thief killed a Belle of the slave thief on Pi Island. When I first heard the news, as a brother, I admired them very much. Although they were born as thieves and bandits, they also It kind of exalts the prestige of us Han people."
"No, I heard that the slave thief Baylor who died on Pi Island was killed by Mao Wenlong. It was said that he had a nose and eyes." The scholar at the same table frowned slightly.
Originally, he had always thought that what he knew was the truth, but after hearing Cui Wen's words, he began to hesitate about what he knew.
Cui Wen picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip of tea. He snorted softly in his nostrils and said, "You still don't understand. The reason why Mao Wenlong killed the fake gold Baylor outside was not to survive. If he was really capable, How could it be possible for tiger thieves to capture Pi Island?"
"It's not that the tiger thief's ship is so powerful that Mao Wenlong lost Pidao." The person at the same table said what he had heard.
Cui Wen, who heard this, said contemptuously: "No matter how powerful the ship is, it can still go to the island. If the ship is so powerful, the navy has already reached the fake capital of fake gold."
He firmly believed that the pseudo-Kimbel Azig died in the hands of the Tiger Flag.
"This!" The scholar at the same table looked hesitant.
It's not that he doesn't want to believe it, it's just that it's different from his own understanding. He doesn't know whether to believe what the other person said.
Cui Wen saw the other party's hesitation and said again: "If Mao Wenlong really killed a Baylor who faked gold, why did the court fail to succeed for so long, but instead sent Mao Wenlong to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment? You must know that the person who died was a Baylor. The fake gold Baylor was really going to be killed by Mao Wenlong. How could the court not publicize it to boost the morale of the officers and soldiers in the border areas? It was not because the person who killed the fake gold Baylor was a tiger thief."
"If you say that, it does make sense." The person at the same table nodded gently.
The balance in his heart began to shift, and he felt more and more that the other party's statement was true, rather than the rumors he had heard about Mao Wenlong killing the fake Jin Beile.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's talk about this tiger thief." Cui Wen turned the conversation to Tiger Flag again.
The people at the same table echoed: "Yes, yes, yes, we are talking about tiger thieves. In recent years, tiger thieves have become a serious problem for the imperial court. I heard that Henan has also suffered."
"Brother Wang's news is a bit out of date. Henan has not only suffered from thieves, but has now fallen into the hands of tiger thieves." Cui Wen leaned back on the chair and picked up the teacup in his hand.
The scholar at the same table is named Wang.
The reason why he is more willing to believe Cui Wen's words is simply because Cui Wen is a supervisor of the Imperial College.
There are several levels of prison students in the Imperial College, and the worst is the regular prison class.
The regular prison was because the number of prison students was not enough or the state's finances were insufficient. After the common people paid grain to the government, their children were granted permission to enter the prison. Cui Wen was the regular prison.
It seems that regular prison is the worst, but it is also not possible for ordinary people to get such a quota.
First of all, you need to have a rich family fortune and a certain amount of personal connections. Even if an ordinary wealthy household has a lot of wealth, without this level of connections, you are not qualified to enter the Imperial College.
