Li Kui took Fang Chongyong to Xuanpingfang. Before he entered the gate, he saw people lining up outside.
The fortune-telling business is so popular. It must be said that the people of Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty were quite superstitious.
Fang Chongyong was amazed by this scene, and he asked Li Kui with some confusion: "This Wang Sheng, how much does it cost to tell a fortune?"
"Five hundred coins, no bully, no counter-offer."
Li Kui said very confidently.
It’s so easy to fool people with so much money. That’s all, everything in Chang’an is expensive anyway, so it’s not far behind.
Thinking of this, Fang Chongyong was speechless and gave instructions to A Duan to prepare some money.
Fang Chongyong originally thought that the queue would have to wait until dark, but he didn't expect that the queue moved very fast, and it wasn't long before it was their turn. Wang Sheng looked like a Taoist immortal, and there was a little Taoist boy beside him who was responsible for collecting money.
The whole yard was filled with all kinds of things, including boxes containing money and various kinds of cloth. It was obvious that business was going very well.
Fang Chongyong somewhat believed why Hong Lianchun was so popular in Chang'an.
Even a fortune-telling costs 500 yuan at a time. The price of "tertiary industry" in Chang'an is indeed not cheap. The price of Honglianchun was set too low at the beginning!
I wonder if there will be a chance to ask Li Longji for some mental compensation in the future.
"Are you asking for a future?"
The Taoist priest named Wang Sheng looked at Li Kui and asked.
"Yes, the Taoist Master is really a master of calculation. He knows what he wants before the lot is drawn."
Li Kui said excitedly.
"Looking at the way you are dressed, the Taoist priest certainly knows that you are here to take the imperial examination in Chang'an, so there is no need to worry about it."
Fang Chongyong said angrily, this Li Kui is simply someone who is stupid and rich in money.
"Hey, it doesn't matter. I'll tell you my fortune later and collect his money. I won't take any of your money."
Wang Sheng stroked his long beard and said with a smile.
Soon, it was signed. Fang Chongyong did not see the words on it, but he saw that Wang Sheng said to Li Kui indifferently: "After winning the title this time, I will make a small official with a higher rank, and then be sent to Chang'an.
If you don't want to, just don't take the exam. Misfortunes are where blessings depend, and blessings are where misfortunes lie. "
Wang Sheng spoke very casually, but Fang Chongyong was counting how many words he said.
Are there fifty? One word probably costs more than ten cents, so it's hard for him to dare to say it.
Fang Chongyong mentally mourned for Li Kui for a few seconds. Sure enough, he found that Li Kui's complexion had turned from sunny to cloudy and was about to rain.
Li Kui had been familiar with poetry and books since he was a child, and believed that he was knowledgeable and talented in literature.
All in all, he felt that when he was awarded an official position after being promoted to middle school, only the official position was not worthy of his talent, and his talent was definitely not worthy of the official position!
If I can get the first place this time, it would be fine if I became a senior official in Chang'an. After all, I am an official in the capital. Those who are near the water and the towers will be promoted sooner or later.
But if you want to be a minor official, it's better to rely on family support instead of taking the imperial examination! The Guzang family of the Li family in Longxi has never stopped serving as officials. It can be said that they have been officials for many generations.
It's really not a problem for Enyin to become an official, but it's just a bit sorry for his "talent".
Li Kui looked unhappy. He dropped a money bag on the table and turned to leave, but was stopped by Fang Chongyong.
"Taoist Priest, I want to go to Zheng County, Huazhou to find my wife. What do you think?"
Fang Chongyong looked at Wang Sheng and asked calmly.
I didn't expect that the kid in front of me could talk in such detail. It still sounded like a "ridiculous" thing. Wang Sheng was stunned, nodded and asked Fang Chongyong to draw lots. Fang Chongyong randomly took one and handed it to the other party for inspection, but he didn't even read what was written on it.
Soon, Wang Sheng waved his hand and said: "You can go or not go, it's all in one thought, it doesn't matter."
Um?
Hearing this, both Fang Chongyong and Li Kui felt a little baffled. What kind of interpretation is this?
"Can the Taoist priest explain in more detail?"
"You are just a boy. Do you need Pindao to tell you in such detail about marrying a wife?"
Wang Sheng asked somewhat speechlessly.
"That's all."
Fang Chongyong sighed, put the money bag in Aduan's hand on the table, and wanted to take Li Kui's one.
He has three thousand guan of working capital, so he can still afford the treat.
“How can fortune-telling be spent on other people’s wealth?
It’s just about losing money and eliminating disaster.
Pindao just said that he would do it for you for free. People cannot stand without faith. "
Wang Sheng pressed his big hand on Li Kui's money bag very insistently, and then motioned to Fang Chongyong with a calm expression to take away his money quickly.
"Let's go. Thank you, Taoist Priest, for clarifying my doubts."
Li Kui bowed respectfully to Wang Sheng, a little discouraged, and took Fang Chongyong away. Aduan silently carried the money, and the group left Xuanpingfang in a blink of an eye.
After coming out, Li Kui still looked depressed and unhappy. He was the one who originally asked Fang Chongyong to play, but now he is the first to be unhappy. None of the children have good concentration. At this moment, Li Kui feels a little ashamed.
"This is close to my home, so why not go to my house for a drink. There are also two scholars living there who are rushing to take the exam. It would be nice to have a meal together and join in the fun."
Fang Chongyong comforted Li Kui.
When the two came to the Fang family's house, they found that Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun had gone out to visit "distinguished guests" and were not here at all.
Fang Dafu served a plate of steamed chicken, a plate of fried eggs with leeks, a plate of pickled pig ears, and a plate of pickles that looked a bit like sour radish.
It is also very common in Chang'an City. One hundred coins can buy several buckets of turbid rice wine.
This is down-to-earth ordinary food and wine.
Fang Chongyong suddenly discovered that Fang Dafu seemed to know a lot about how to serve guests of whatever level he received. It will not make Li Kui lose face, nor will it be too generous to make the other party feel flattered.
He arranged the food and drinks without giving any orders. Fang Laique's father was really capable.
Thinking about things in his mind, Fang Chongyong said to Li Kui: "Brother and I hit it off as old friends. A small amount of wine is not enough to show respect. Come on, I'll do it first as a mark of respect."
Fang Zhongyong drank the turbid rice wine in the white porcelain wine glass in front of him in one gulp. It tasted similar to the rice wine in his previous life, but was sweeter and tasted like a drink.
This kind of wine is very simple to make. You just need to take out the liquid after brewing the rice wine without filtering it.
However, due to the subtle differences in the koji and craftsmanship, a good turbid rice wine is neither sour nor overbearing, and is a drink that is usually consumed when entertaining friends. Even if the drinks are of the same type, they can be ranked high or low.
The two of them ate and drank, and soon the rice wine became more powerful, and Li Kui began to complain about the court.
"Nowadays, there are countless people in the court who are lying on their backs and eating nothing. If I become prime minister in the future, I will definitely get rid of all these mediocre people and let the capable people take over.
When the time comes, if you are worthy of the support and cultivation of the saints and worthy of the support of the people, this life will be enough! "
Li Kui began to talk about his ambitions, and Fang Chongyong just listened quietly, nodding from time to time without making any comments.
In addition to agreeing with Li Kui's suggestion that "the imperial examination should be open-book, but the questions are more difficult," Fang Chongyong spent the rest of the time listening and drinking alone with deep thoughts.
"My dear brother! Why should a man be without a wife? You are the son of Fang Jieshuai, why should you worry about marrying a wife? Even if I am a relative of General Wang's wife's family, I still have to say a few words to you.
Men, don't think of yourself too lowly. Will Fang Jieshuai's son still be unable to marry his wife? "
Li Kui was not a good drinker. After drinking half a liter of wine, he started talking nonsense. Both inside and outside the words, they were puzzled that Fang Chongyong was so active in seeking marriage with Wang Zhongsi's family.
"If a person has no faith, he will not stand. If you promise something to others, you must do it. Whether it can be done well is another matter, but it cannot be treated as if it does not happen."
Fang Zhongyong put down his wine glass and said in a deep voice.
"Oh, no matter how hard things are, General Wang is really lucky to have a son-in-law like you."
Li Kui sighed and said.
"Brother Li, what do you think the world is like now?"
Fang Chongyong asked slowly.
"Although there are flaws, the words "Peace and Prosperity" are still worthy of it."
Li Kui said very carefully, such words should not be said carelessly. It doesn't matter what Fang Chongyong is like, but he, Li Kui, is going to take the imperial examination. If his nonsense spreads, the consequences will be unpredictable.
"Many things are hidden under the surface. Ordinary people can see the beauty on the surface, but cannot see the cruelty inside.
For example, hard work in the fields, on the surface, seems to be a matter of course for farmers. In fact, those are unnecessary things for farmers.
In other words, this kind of thing is not something they are born to do, like eating and drinking; they are driven by external things and have to do these things.
In order to survive, you must work; and the products of labor can only survive, year after year, day after day.
When farmers work in the fields, they are not affirming themselves, but denying their own existence;
Instead of feeling happy, the farmer will feel unhappy and even numb;
When working in the fields, farmers cannot use their expertise as they wish, and they suffer physical and mental torture.
Not only can you not get rid of it yourself, but you also have to pass it on from generation to generation.
Whether they are tenants without acres of land or good families with acres of land, they can only feel comfortable and happy outside of working in the fields, such as drinking a sip of wine, eating a meal, or enjoying the happiness of a married couple.
After all, farmers work just to make ends meet. The harvest of the acres brought them food and daily necessities, but they were tied to the land and continued to cultivate as a matter of course.
From this point of view, they can no longer be regarded as a group of people, but are controlled by the land, something like cattle and horses.
However, when they saw others taking away the things produced in the fields, their inner emotions were numbness, or... hatred? "
Hearing these words, Li Kui was shocked!
If it seems easy to understand, why can't he fully understand it all together?
"What do you want to say, my dear brother..."
Li Kui asked in a low voice, feeling that his aura was much weaker.
"A businessman sells wine. When he sees the wine, what does the wine look like to him?"
Fang Chongyong asked with drunken eyes.
"Businessmen value profits. I'm afraid they only have eyes for money."
Li Kui sighed.
"Yes, if I were a businessman and saw those fine wines, I would never pay attention to how delicious the wines were. I would only think that the wines in front of me are gold and silver!
Other things, I don't care at all.
Even if the wine tastes like horse urine, as long as it doesn't hinder my sales, I don't care.
Do you think that I am controlled by the thought of making money? I worked hard to make money, but in the end, money controlled me.
Sons of good families were assigned fields, but instead they were restricted by mediocre rents and exorbitant taxes, and lost the opportunity to change their lives. Day after day I don’t know what I’m doing.
The brave generals made great contributions to the country's opening of borders, but for the sake of their achievements, they had to continue killing people, setting fires in border towns, and provoking disputes.
Those who have established meritorious deeds are controlled by their own merits and have to continue to make contributions in the border town and continue on the road of killing people.
Brother Li, tell me, can the answers to these things be found in today's peaceful and prosperous age?
How can a person not be controlled by his own creation? "
Fang Chongyong was already drunk and lying on the table. He almost muttered these words.
"I……"
Li Kui looked at Fang Chongyong, who was drunk to death. He had so many words stuck in his heart that he didn't know how to say them out.
He thought that after he became an official, he might also encounter things similar to what Fang Chongyong said.
In order to climb up, I have to do things I don’t like and become a dog official.
What I want to do cannot be done due to various restrictions.
The purpose of fighting is to climb up. After climbing up, you will continue to fight until one day you can no longer survive and end miserably.
There is great wisdom in what Fang Chongyong just said that is difficult for ordinary people to understand.
It's hard to imagine that a child could say such a thing.
"I'm not as good as you..."
Li Kui stood up and sighed, looked at the drunk Fang Chongyong, bowed deeply, saluted, and then turned around and left the courtyard.
…
"Stop pretending, stop pretending, you can't pretend anymore!"
In front of a bullock cart outside Chunming Gate, Fang Dafu was still loading the things needed for the trip into the cart, and Fang Chongyong quickly stepped forward to stop him.
Such as bamboo umbrellas, oil caps and oil coats, medicine bags (with many emergency pills and snake repellents in them), belts (similar to suitcases), and many baked dry biscuits as dry food.
Nothing is lacking!
On this trip to Zheng County, Huazhou, not only did A Duan act as a guard, but Zhang Xun, who was both civil and military, also volunteered to be a driver to drive Fang Chongyong.
According to him, this is "the great virtue of repaying kindness in case of emergency."
"Young Master, do you want me to play the drum to clear the way?"
Fang Dafu asked with a smile.
Beating drums to say goodbye is a custom passed down from the Wei and Jin Dynasties. This time Fang Chongyong traveled to the Wang family. Although it was not a marriage proposal, it was almost the same.
Don't let people look down upon you.
"No, no, no, keep a low profile, a low profile."
Fang Zhongyong said nonchalantly and waved his hand, indicating that Fang Dafu could go back.
The bullock cart began to bump forward, and Fang Chongyong sat in it, his body swaying. This official road was almost one of the best roads in the Tang Dynasty. However, Fang Chongyong, who had already experienced a horse-drawn carriage on the way back to Chang'an, was not looking forward to traveling by land at all.
Bumps are inevitable, it just depends on how big the bumps are, alas.
He couldn't help but sigh.
"I always feel like I've forgotten something important. What is it?"
Fang Chongyong suddenly felt that he had forgotten something, and he couldn't remember it for a while.
We have successfully found a home. Now let’s solve the problem of Wang Zhongsi’s transfer. What else remains unsolved?
It shouldn't be difficult for Lao Zheng to escape. By the way, who else is there?
Fang Chongyong remembered that there seemed to be an inconspicuous little person who followed their group into the city. What was the name of the person who had been persecuted by his scumbag father?
Is that person supposed to be okay? Jin Wuwei shouldn't embarrass him, right?
Fang Chongyong thought with some guilt.
