Recently, Zhu Youtang has been flipping through small notebooks.
At first, he only found it obscure and difficult to understand, and it was confusing to listen to it. But now when he looks back and reads it, he feels that it is endlessly memorable, and the more he reads it, the more interesting it becomes.
A few days later, he calmed down and visited the Hanlin Academy in person again.
It is true that these talented people who have read poetry and books have a philistine appearance that makes him very unhappy, but if he compares his feelings with his own, he has studied hard for ten years and won the first place in eight-legged essays. Isn't that just to become an official?
At best, this is positive and a sign of enterprising spirit.
The little book not only talks about the way of the emperor and the way of being a king, but also touches on human nature...
Zhu Youtang benefited a lot.
His mentality has also changed. He is no longer panicked, uneasy, and timid.
He gradually became more confident and gained a backbone...
~óΠъ.oяＧ
Suzhou, Wuxian.
Li Qing and Zhu Jianshen settled in a wine shop.
"Brother, please bring me some wine. Come again..." Li Qing looked at the tavern. It was early in the morning and there were no customers in the tavern. He asked, "Does your restaurant have any signature dishes?"
"Sir, the roast duck in this shop is excellent. It's perfect for drinking." The waiter smiled attentively.
Zhu Jianshen curled his lips and muttered: "What kind of roast duck should we eat on this hot day? It's so hot... Are there any cold dishes?"
"Uh...of course there is..."
"Your Majesty, I don't know." A fat middle-aged man came over and explained with a smile, "My roast duck is refreshing and delicious, and not greasy. In this hot summer, it can't be boiling and burn your mouth, right? cold."
He has a rich middle-aged life, a smile with two dimples, and although he is a businessman, he has a bookish aroma about him, which is very endearing.
"Then let's have two roast ducks and some side dishes," Zhu Jianshen said, "How does your wine sound?"
"The guest is joking, the shop is a tavern, how can the wine be bad?" The middle-aged man looked complacent and quite proud. This arrogant little expression made people laugh.
"Oh?" Zhu Jianshen joked, "I'm very picky. If it doesn't taste good, what can I say?"
"If your guest thinks it tastes bad, I won't take any money from you."
"Quite confident," Zhu Jianshen said happily, "Okay, let's get ready."
The middle-aged man nodded with a smile and said to the waiter: "The two guests have come all the way to Su...zhou, so we can't neglect them. We'll add some extra portions to the cold dishes."
A trace of surprise flashed in Li Qing's eyes, and he asked with a smile: "Since you know that we are passing by, why do we do this? We are not repeat customers!"
"It doesn't matter. If you have a good meal, please go back and spread the word. If a friend comes to Suzhou to visit, just recommend a small shop." The middle-aged man said with a smile.
"Haha... that's easy to say." Li Qing nodded amusedly.
At this time, someone else came into the store. The middle-aged man complained and went to receive them.
Not long after, wine, roast duck, and cold dishes were served.
It can be seen that the middle-aged man is not cheating. The cold dishes on the plate are all outstanding. In the area of Suzhou and Hangzhou, the portion is indeed quite generous.
After driving for more than half a month, the two of them had birds in their mouths, and they immediately started to feast.
Don't tell me, this little cold dish is indeed delicious, or maybe the two of them are really hungry, so they eat it deliciously.
Zhu Jianshen puffed up his cheeks and said, "This roast duck is really good. It's ice cold, fragrant but not greasy, and has a hint of sweetness. Not bad, man, let's have two more."
As he said that, he raised his glass and took another sip of wine. Feeling that it was not enough, he added: "Bring me two more bowls."
He turned back and muttered to Li Qing, "This wine is not bad, but drinking it from a cup is not enjoyable at all."
Li Qing shook his head in amusement, but did not stop him. Jiangnan's wine was light and soft, so it didn't hurt to drink more. It was just for fun, so there was no need to spoil his fun.
"Li Qing, where should we go next?"
"There's no rush, we still have plenty of time. Let's stay in an inn first and have a good rest for two days. It's not too late to go sightseeing again." Li Qing said with a smile, "Dongting Lake, Hanshan Temple... we have plenty to do."
"Well, Cheng, I'll listen to you." Zhu Jianshen said, and then immersed himself in eating.
Next door, the middle-aged boss chatted with the customer again. The two seemed to know each other well, chatting happily and laughing loudly.
Just listen to the customer saying: "Your son was selected as a scholar a few years ago. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and received the Enke exam, why don't you let him take the provincial examination?"
"Huh? How can the provincial examination be so easy? You have to be fully prepared and sharpen your knife before chopping firewood." The middle-aged man's words were modest, but his tone was full of pride. Obviously, his son was very up to date, and his old father was very proud. Rejoiced.
"Look how proud you are," the man couldn't see the middle-aged man's complacency and joked, "Don't put too much pressure on your son. Last time I heard someone said that he was confused on the street. Lu, studying is important, but you can’t just study, right?”
"Oh, I can't help it. That kid Xiaoyin is just eager to learn. I really didn't force him." The middle-aged man said helplessly, and then added: "Brother, you are right. I will talk about him later."
"In my opinion, he just doesn't have enough contact with people," the customer said, "I have an idea."
"What?"
"Let him teach my son."
"Okay, just leave it here and wait for me." The middle-aged boss said angrily, "That won't work. Xiaoyin has to prepare for the provincial examination, so how can he have time to teach your son."
"Well, Tang Guangde, you don't give me any face, right?"
"Come on, your family owns a silk and satin shop, and you can't invite many gentlemen, so there's no need for my Xiaoyin." Tang Guangde curled his lips, "Xiao Liuzi, give Mr. Wang two taels of wine, I'll invite him."
"Am I going to give you this little drink money?" Rich Man Wang scolded with a smile, "You are looking down on others."
"Haha... I'm not trying to apologize." Tang Guangde laughed, "Don't worry, I'm greeting the guests."
With that said, he came to Li Qing's table.
He smiled and asked, "Sir, are the food and drinks in the restaurant delicious?"
"That's right," Zhu Jianshen nodded slightly, looked him over, and asked, "Your son won the scholarship?"
The wine shop was not big, and the conversation between the two just now was quite loud. Zhu Jianshen could clearly hear it and couldn't help but feel a little interested.
"Lucky, lucky." Tang Guangde smiled from ear to ear, his expression full of pride.
Li Qing said: "The rich man Wang just said it right. Just studying is not enough. If you just study hard and don't know how to adapt, even if you are named on the gold list, your career will not be smooth."
"Look, I'm not the only one saying that." Rich Man Wang on the side was angry.
Tang Guangde rolled his eyes at the rich man Wang, turned around and smiled bitterly: "To be honest, I have some wealth, but I am really not a businessman. I am already in my forties, and this will be the case for the rest of my life, but my son can't do it." Ah, I don’t want him to follow my old path..."
His words were full of hopes for his son to become a dragon, "This tavern is not big, but its business is good, but I hope it will close one day. What's the point of being a businessman? Taking an official career is the best way!"
On the side, Rich Man Wang also echoed, "Old Tang is right. Businessmen can't be on the stage. It's true that they have a lot of money, but they have no identity or status. We don't want our children and grandchildren to be like us."
Li Qing sighed: "Being an official is not necessarily very prestigious."
"How do you say this?" Zhu Jianshen said with a face on the spot, "I don't agree with what you said. What does it mean that an official does not necessarily have prestige? Being an official is to make decisions for the people and seek benefits for the people. Isn't it a show of prestige?"
"...I made a mistake, how about a drink as punishment?" Li Qing was helpless.
"Hmph, I won't do it next time."
What a shame for you... Li Qing rolled his eyes. In front of outsiders, he had to give them some face.
Tang Guangde was startled for a moment and then asked tentatively: "The guest officer is... a member of the officialdom, right?"
"Uh... let's just forget it." Zhu Jianshen said, "My son has become an official."
"Oh my, my guest is very charming. Come to think of it, your master's official position must be quite high."
"It's just so so." Zhu Jianshen said with a huff, looking proud.
Seeing this, Tang Guangde was even more delighted. He rubbed his hands and said, "Brother... ah no, little brother, can you please let Quan Zi come over and chat with you two so that you can enjoy the nobility of these two gentlemen."
As soon as Li Qing and Zhu Jianshen entered the door, he could tell that they were extraordinary. The aura of those who had been in power for a long time, although he did not deliberately show it, he could really feel it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so deliberately trying to please.
At this time, Zhu Jianshen had almost finished eating. He leaned back on the chair, took a sip of wine, and said proudly:
"Then let him come over. I'm pretty good at judging people. I can make a big difference as to whether or not they can be an official, and how big an official they can be."
"Okay, okay," Tang Guangde was overjoyed and said hurriedly: "Master, wait a moment, I will ask Quanzi to come over. Liuzi, I will serve wine to you two."
"Haha... Wait a moment, gentlemen. I'll be back as soon as I go." Tang Guangde bowed and saluted again. It was really... pitiful to the hearts of parents in the world.
Zhu Jianshen smiled softly and said: "Idle time is also idle. Sir, you have always had a unique vision. Please help to check it."
"Don't mention it," Li Qing curled his lips and said, "How capable you are. You can tell at a glance whether a person can be an official and how big an official he can be. I don't have such ability. You should do it."
"Two distinguished guests, here comes the wine." Xiao Liuzi brought the wine.
Zhu Jianshen took it and said with a smile: "Why don't I just say a few words to you? Seeing how stingy you are, I'll punish myself with three glasses of wine, right?"
Li Qing was speechless: "Are you punishing yourself? You just want to drink."
Zhu Jianshen was not ashamed when his thoughts were revealed, "Come here, I'll offer you a bowl."
"De Xing..." Li Qing muttered, raised the wine bowl and touched it with him, and said: "Although the wine is soft, don't drink too much. After finishing this jar of wine, you are not allowed to drink anymore today."
"It's up to you, you have the final say." Zhu Jianshen drank it all in one gulp, took another mouthful of food and smacked his lips, "Not bad, the side dishes and wine are not bad. Let's pack some when we leave later."
Li Qing said with a smile: "It's useful. There is an inn opposite. If you want to eat, just come over and eat. However, from now on, we can only drink from a small jar. I will make an exception for you today."
Zhu Jianshen nodded helplessly, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."
While he was talking, Tang Guangde led his son over and said, "Xiaoyin, hurry up and give me a gift."
"Xiaosheng Tang Yin, you are polite."
The two stopped talking and turned their attention to the young man...
