In Minglun Hall.
From time to time, the laughter and laughter of the students could be heard.
Except for a few who are slightly older, most of the students are in their teens or twenties.
At this time, with a hairpin on his head and a blouse on his body, he was young and successful, and he was naturally high-spirited and looking down on heroes while talking and laughing.
Everyone was chatting and laughing for a while, and then Walrus Gan walked into Minglun Hall. Everyone hurriedly pressed down their chat button and saluted the academic administration.
Walrus Gan smiled and said: "You don't have to worry about me. As the saying goes, to be an official, you must be a prime minister, and you must fight for the first place. When I entered Pan, I was also young and frivolous like you."
The sentient beings couldn't help but smile when they heard this, and the tense atmosphere relaxed a lot.
Walrus nodded with satisfaction, then waved his hand gently, and a scribe came forward and distributed Confucian red flag silver to the students, six or eight yuan each, for the purpose of encouraging students to learn.
Seeing that the money was obtained, everyone couldn't help but smile on their faces.
Although there are many Jiangning families, not every member is from a family. This sixty-two silver is also a considerable amount of income for those members who have no money left.
After the reward, there is a hairpin feast.
The hairpin banquet after the college examination is much grander than the banquet after the government examination, and the rules are more complicated.
After Wei Chen finished a set of etiquette and returned to his seat, a thin layer of sweat broke out on his forehead.
Under Walrus Gan's scrutinizing gaze, no one dared to eat or drink, and they moved their chopsticks slowly and slowly.
Seeing that everyone was so restrained, Walrus Gan deliberately cheered up the atmosphere and said with a smile: "Everyone, if you have nothing to do, why don't you make a drinking order. If you eat food instead of drinking as a penalty, what do you think?"
Wei Chen was a little surprised when he heard this. Hai Xuezheng was serious and meticulous when presiding over the college examination, which made people awe from the bottom of his heart. Unexpectedly, he was quite easy-going in private.
Since the academic master made this suggestion, the students present naturally agreed one after another.
Although the drinking order requires some ingenuity, it is still just a recreational pastime among literati, which is much easier than reciting poems and composing poems.
Seeing that everyone agreed, Walrus nodded, twirled his beard and said with a smile: "Four words or eight sentences. My topic is [Unclear, clear, easy, hard, rare]. Well... let's start from the beginning of the case. let's start."
The so-called four words and eight sentences means that the questioner speaks four long sentences in a row, but only the second half of the sentence. The answerer must complete the four and a half sentences. Not only does it rhyme, but it must also conform to the proposition of the questioner.
Walrus Gan looked at Wei Chen. Wei Chen pondered for a moment and then replied: "The snow is in the sky, it's not clear or white; when it falls to the ground, it's clear and white; it's easy for snow to turn into water; it's rare for water to turn into snow."
Everyone continued to say good things, and Walrus Gan also stroked his beard and smiled. Wei Chen immediately put a chopstick of boiled mutton into a small plate and winked at Sheng Changbai who was not far away: "Brother Zicheng is next."
Sheng Changbai was slightly startled when Wei Chen pointed him out.
He usually only studies classics and articles, rarely socializes with people, and has really never had much contact with the "little ways" of drinking wine.
However, the Sheng family is also a heirloom of poetry and calligraphy, and the people in the family are all literati. Sheng Changbai has been influenced since childhood, so naturally he will not be stumped.
After pondering for a moment, Sheng Changbai then read: "The ink in the inkstone is unclear; when the words are written, it is clear; the ink turns into words, easy and easy; the words turn into ink, it is rare and rare."
Walrus Gan glanced at Sheng Changbai appreciatively, nodded and said, "Good."
Sheng Changbai bowed slightly, picked up a chopstick of boiled mutton, and then ordered Chen Jun to take the next one.
Chen Jun couldn't figure it out after thinking for a long time, so he had no choice but to knock the bowl with his chopsticks and drink a cup of Xuanjiu with a wry smile. Fortunately, the Xuanjiu was actually just water and could not intoxicate anyone.
The frustrated Chen Jun turned to Tao Dazhi and said with ill intentions: "Brother Tao, it's your turn, take it."
Unexpectedly, Tao Dazhi had already prepared. He pointed at the wine pot on the table and said with a smile: "The wine is in the pot, it's not clear; when it's poured into the cup, it's clear; if I want to drink wine, it's easy; if the wine wants to eat me, it's easy." , rare and rare.”
After hearing this, everyone staggered into laughter, but there was no way to say that Tao Dazhi answered the question wrongly. Chen Jun watched Tao Dazhi wink at him proudly, and could only admit that he was unlucky, and turned away depressedly.
When Wei Chen and Sheng Changbai saw this scene, they couldn't help but smile at each other.
The hairpin banquet came to an end, and Wei Chen and his friends walked out of Ti Xuedao Yamen.
It was drizzling outside at this time, and the river was clear, reflecting the bright moonlight. Wei Chen stood in the middle of the street, letting the rain splash his clothes.
He listened to the sound of raindrops falling on the eaves, and couldn't help but think of the scene when he left home to study at Sheng's Free School more than a year ago.
Time flies, and the young man who was penniless at that time is now a student in a government school, with a bright future waiting for him.
At this time, Sheng Changbai walked up to Wei Chen holding an umbrella and called softly: "Xian brother."
Wei Chen came back to his senses, looked at Sheng Changbai, Chen Jun, and Tao Dazhi beside him, grinned and said: "Everyone, we are either going to study in the government or in the county, and we are about to go our separate ways. Why don't we meet and see Whoever gets on the spring list first will be passed on to the Golden Palace, how about that?"
After hearing Wei Chen's words, everyone smiled and praised him.
Sheng Changbai couldn't help but feel great pride in his chest, and he cupped his fists and said, "Everyone, just as brother Wei Xian said, when we meet on the Spring Festival in three years, we will fight together again!"
Everyone responded with a roar: "Okay!"
…
The next day.
Wei Chen got up early and bid farewell to Chen Jun who returned to Youyang with Sheng Changbai. Then he went out of the city gate, carrying gifts, to the small lakeside courtyard where Zhuang Jun lived in seclusion.
Wei Chen stepped forward to knock on the door, and soon an old servant came out to open the door. It was Uncle Fu who was accompanying Zhuang Jun: "It turns out that the young master is here. Sir is waiting for you inside!"
Wei Chen nodded, handed the gift to Uncle Fu, and entered the door in a familiar manner.
In the courtyard, Zhuang Jun was sitting on a wicker chair reading a book. When he saw Wei Chen coming, he immediately put down his book, looked at Wei Chen and asked, "You are here, how did you do in the academy exam?"
Wei Chen bowed and said, "I don't dare to live up to my teacher's expectations. I was lucky enough to get the case. My disciple is now a student in the college."
"Um."
When he heard that Wei Chen had taken the head of the hospital examination case, Zhuang Jun didn't show the slightest surprise on his face, as if it was just a matter of course.
"Don't slack off after entering a government school. Don't look down on those old scholars because you are just a junior college student. They have been studying for many years and have a much better foundation than you. They may be late bloomers."
"Disciples should remember the teacher's teachings."
Wei Chen bowed his head and said yes, then paused and said: "This disciple is actually here because he wants to ask the teacher for something."
Zhuang Jun raised his eyelids and said calmly: "What's the matter?"
Wei Chen opened his mouth and said: "Although my disciple has not reached the top, he has already entered school, so I would like to ask the teacher to give him a calligraphy!"
Zhuang Jun pinched his beard and said: "In ancient times, people were crowned at the age of twenty. Nowadays, scholars mostly hold the crown ceremony at the age of sixteen. You are twelve years old after the New Year. Although you have not reached the age of crowning, you are already a student. , I rarely interact with others, and it is really not appropriate for my peers to call me by their first names."
Wei Chen said softly: "The student has this intention, so he came to invite the teacher."
Zhuang Jun stared at Wei Chen, half-smiling but not smiling, and said: "Since you worship Walrus Gan as your master, why not ask him to give you a calligraphy? He comes from a well-known family and is an academician in Jiangnan. He still has some advice for you. Please The words he gives you will be of great benefit to you in the future."
"As for me..."
Zhuang Jun shook his head and laughed at himself: "I am just a poor scholar with no official position, idle in the mountains, and only an old servant by my side. It is really useless to give you a title."
Hearing Zhuang Jun's words, Wei Chen could only smile bitterly in his heart.
Teacher, teacher, you are already old, why are you still so arrogant?
