Ling'er trotted all the way back to the front hall of the palace. The adults who usually work here have also taken a bath in the past few days. After Ling'er entered the room, he went straight to Cao Li's office and picked up the pen holder. He walked out with a brush and an inkstone on the table. When he came to the room next door where the paper was being baked, he saw that everyone had laid a piece of red paper on the desk. After Ling'er handed the brush to Zhao Bin, he began to grind the ink on the table. While grinding the ink, he asked Zhao Bin: " Prince, what couplet do you want to write?"
Hearing Ling'er's question, Lu Biao, Wang Wu, Cui'er and others also looked at Zhao Bin, their eyes full of expectation and curiosity.
It is actually quite rare to write couplets, but it is not that difficult. In later generations, every household would post couplets during the Chinese New Year. In fact, these couplets are the same every year. They are nothing more than those words to attract wealth. , "The garden is full of spring and the earth is full of happiness", many people will remember one or two sentences.
Zhao Bin touched his chin and thought about it for a moment, then dipped the tip of his pen on the inkstone and brushed it on the red paper. After a flurry of dragons and phoenixes, two lines of large characters appeared on the paper:
The door welcomes the dawn and the wealth is abundant; the door welcomes the spring breeze and brings many good fortunes.
"Hey, what do you think?" Zhao Bin said with a happy face.
Or it had to be Brother Wu. As soon as Zhao Bin finished writing, Wang Wu's flattery came immediately, and he suddenly remembered "Okay" with a long cheer.
Zhao Bin also gave Wang Wu an appreciative look with a proud look on his face.
Lu Biao then followed suit and said, "Your Majesty is very talented in literature. He can recite this couplet casually, and my subordinates admire him."
Ling'er had a strange expression on her face. She tilted her head and looked at the couplets on the table and said, "Your Majesty, I remember your handwriting is not so ugly?"
Zhao Bin was a little stunned. He lowered his head and took a closer look at the words he had written. They were crooked, as if scratched by a dog. He couldn't help but let out a light sigh: "Why are you so ugly? If you post this, you will definitely be laughed at." .”
"My lord, don't be afraid. If anyone dares to laugh at your bad calligraphy, I'll have his teeth pulled out first before he laughs his head off." Wang Wu said with a proud look on his face.
"Hahaha, I have to say that Brother Wu is righteous, but it's really ugly to say it again and make trouble. I'll write another one." After saying that, Zhao Bin took another piece of paper and spread it on the On the table, pens were written again and again. On the paper, two lines of big characters appeared on the paper. Looking at the big words on the paper, everyone felt a twitch in their hearts. It is said that one operation is as fierce as a tiger. , take a closer look at the original pestle, this is not as good as what was written in the previous one.
Lu Biao looked at the pen in Zhao Bin's hand and said, "Your Majesty, is this not good? I heard that it is best to use Dahao or Dazao to write such big characters."
Zhao Bin really didn't know much about this. The original host didn't seem to have any experience writing such large couplets in his memory, but he still knew that Dahao and Dazao were actually large-sized brushes, with the front brush head being larger. Or a looser kind that can be held in the hand rather than held in the hand.
"Tui'er, is there one in the house?" Zhao Bin turned to ask Cui'er who was standing aside.
Cui'er shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, we don't have it in the mansion, and no one usually uses it."
Zhao Bin thought for a while and then said: "Let's go to Lao Cao's house. There should be one at Lao Cao's house. Lu Biao brings the paper."
Lu Biao rolled up the remaining ten pieces of paper on the shelf one by one, and a few people left the palace in a hurry. Cao Li's family lived in the east of the city, and the palace was almost in the center of the city. After leaving the palace, everyone headed east, passing by the palace in the middle. Yamen, the Yamen servant of the Yamen government saw Zhao Bin coming and hurriedly knelt down to salute.
Zhao Bin quickly waved his hand and said no, and then headed east without stopping. About two-quarters of an hour, a few people came to a courtyard. The courtyard was a very ordinary courtyard, and the courtyard door was only slightly smaller than the courtyard door of ordinary people. It's a little bigger, with the word Cao Zhai written on it.
This is the first time for Zhao Bin to come to Cao Li's house. He had asked Wang Wu and others to come here to pass on something before. When he came here today, he saw that the word "Cao's House" was written on the plaque instead of "Cao's Mansion", and he felt bad about Yancheng. The commander-in-chief Cao Li was a little more respectful. In ancient times, there was a difference between a house and a mansion. Ordinary people would write "zhai" on their homes, but only officials and nobles who lived there would dare to write "mansion". Cao Li wrote "Cao Zhai" on the door plaque but not "Cao Mansion". It seems that Cao Li really He did not regard himself as a superior official or aristocrat.
Wang Wu stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a while, a man dressed as a servant opened the door and stuck his head out. He looked at the tall man in front of him curiously, and then asked: "Who are you looking for?"
"Go and tell Cao Li that His Highness King Yan is here." Wang Wu said calmly.
Zhao Bin, who was standing behind Wang Wu, couldn't help but chuckled to himself: What a dog-fighter.
The man who looked like a young boy was startled when he heard that King Yan had arrived. Then he looked at the people behind Wang Wu, then turned around and ran inside. As he ran inside, he shouted: "Master, Master, the prince is here." "
Cao Li, who heard the shouting, hurriedly walked out of the central hall. The young man ran forward and said, "Master, Your Highness, Prince Yan, come down."
Upon hearing this, Cao Li thrust a volume of book into the boy's hand and hurried towards the gate.
Two small door panels opened with a swish sound from the inside. Cao Li hurriedly came out. When he saw Zhao Bin standing in front of the door, he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Your Majesty is coming to my humble abode. I am unable to welcome you from far away due to my humble duty. Please forgive me." crime."
"Okay, Old Cao, there's not much to do. Get up quickly. I want to ask you, do you have a big pen in your family?" Zhao Bin said hurriedly.
"Da Hao Bi? There is no such thing in this humble family. Why does the prince want Hao Bi?" As he said this, Cao Li made an invitation gesture and wanted to welcome Zhao Bin and others into the house.
Zhao Bin was about to move forward when he heard Cao Li say no. He was a little surprised and said: "No, you are a scholar and you don't even have a big pen at home?"
"It's true that Bei Zhi doesn't have it in his family. Although Bei Zhi is a scholar, he doesn't usually practice great writing. However, it does exist in Master Lin's family. Bei Zhi has seen Master Lin use it."
"Lin Jingtang?"
"Yes, my lord."
"What are you doing, Mr. Lin? It seems like you haven't seen anyone else for a long time."
"Going back to the prince, I have been working in the palace for the past few months, and Mr. Lin has been on duty in the government office. The approval document from the court has also been issued, allowing Mr. Lin to step down after the first year of his life. He will work in the government office for a long time. Of course, I was a little nostalgic, so I didn’t go to the palace with me to work."
"The king knows about the approval. Mr. Lin has been working in Yancheng for more than ten years, right?"
"I can't remember the exact position. It must have been ten years ago. Your Majesty, let's talk inside. It's freezing outside, so we don't get cold."
Zhao Bin waved his hand and said: "No, your family doesn't have a big pen, so if I don't go, how can Mr. Lin leave?"
Cao Li was also speechless. The prince finally came here once, but he didn't even get through the door. In desperation, he had no choice but to point to the distance and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Lin lives there. I humbly take you there."
"Let's go and have a look."
After a while, several people came to the door of Lin Jingtang, the prefect of Yancheng. Wang Wu still wanted to knock on the door. Zhao Bin hurriedly stopped him and signaled Lu Biao to knock on the door. The reason why Wang Wu was not allowed to go was because he was afraid of him. After a while, another sentence came: Go tell Lin Jingtang...
Lu Biao walked forward with a few pieces of red paper in his arms and knocked on the door a few times. After a while, he heard a creak and the door was gently opened. A little girl about fourteen or fifteen years old appeared inside. The little girl was short, with an oval face and two big eyes, looking at everyone, and then asked: "Who are you looking for?"
"Can I please tell Mr. Lin that King Yan is here?" Lu Biao said.
The little girl was surprised when she heard King Yan, and then asked Lu Biao excitedly: "Are you His Highness King Yan?"
Lu Biao was not angry, but just smiled and said: "I'm not, that's His Royal Highness King Yan. You'd better go and inform Master Lin quickly."
Not only did the little girl not rush back to the courtyard like the young man from the Cao family, but she came out of the courtyard and walked straight to Zhao Bin. Looking at the handsome young prince in front of her, the little girl's eyes were a little excited and curious.
When Cao Li saw this, he was afraid that the little girl would collide with Zhao Bin and cause trouble, so he immediately reminded him: "Yao'er, why don't you pay tribute to the prince quickly?"
After being reminded by Cao Li, the little girl recovered from her curiosity and hurriedly bowed deeply and said: "Lin Yao has met His Highness King Yan."
Zhao Bin looked at the silly and cute girl in front of him and felt a little funny. Others didn't dare to look up when they saw the prince. But this girl dared to stare. She was either brave or a little silly.
Zhao Bin chuckled and said, "No need to be polite. Is Mr. Lin at home?"
"Yes, please come in, Your Highness," the little girl said.
Everyone followed the little girl and walked into the courtyard. The courtyard was not big. It was an ordinary house. There were no pavilions, lofts, or ponds for flowers, birds, and fish. There were two side rooms on the left and right sides. There was a central hall within a few steps, and there should be a backyard. Lin Jingtang, who heard the commotion, happened to come out of the central hall. Seeing that it was Zhao Bin coming, he hurriedly stepped forward and bowed and saluted: "I have met His Highness King Yan. I am unable to welcome him from a distance due to my humble position. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Zhao Bin felt helpless and said that it was just like this again. No matter who he went to, he would have to forgive himself. He thought in his heart, but he still wanted to give face to the Yancheng prefect. Zhao Bin took a step forward and raised Lin Jingtang's hands: " Mr. Lin, there is no need to be polite."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please come."
The group of people followed Lin Jingtang into the central hall. The central hall was not large, with a screen in the front, a square table in front of the screen, two chairs on each side, and several chairs on each side of the lower floor.
"Your Majesty, please take a seat." Lin Jingtang moved Zhao Bin to the leader's position, then turned to Lin Yao and said: "Yao'er, go and make tea." The little girl responded, picked up the teapot on the table and walked towards the back hall. go.
Zhao Bin was not polite and sat directly on the leader's chair, then waved his hand for others to sit too.
"I wonder what the important purpose is for Your Majesty's sudden visit to my humble residence?" Lin Jingtang asked, sitting on the chair below.
"Oh, does Mr. Lin have a big pen in his house?" Zhao Bin said.
"Back to your lord, there are two big men here in humble position. What do you want your lord to write?" Lin Jingtang asked curiously.
When Zhao Bin heard that there was indeed a big man, he immediately became energetic, so he told Lin Jingtang one by one about writing the couplet.
After listening to Zhao Bin's story, Lin Jingtang couldn't help but smile and said: "Your Majesty, you are very interested. This Yancheng has indeed not been lively for a long time. I have humbled myself to lead the people of Yancheng and thank you."
