In the afternoon, Zhu Pingan just finished eating the future Empress Dowager Li sent meat buns, the window began to drip drip drip drizzle, followed by the east wind gradually, swept raindrops knocking on the window, and then the rain is more and more big, Teng Yun like chung smoke, dense rain chaotic as hemp.
In the heavy rain, Zhu Pingan received an invitation, which is the seat of the master Xu Ji sent to the Yu Wang House.
“S day set handkerchief good hour, wu huan zhongtian ……”
Xu Shi sent people to send an invitation, Zhu Pingan received an invitation, curious to open, watched.
When a person reaches half a hundred, he prepares wine to toast his birthday.
Today is Xu Shi’s wife’s fiftieth birthday, inviting himself and a group of disciples to go to the residence to eat birthday noodles.
Master’s wife’s fiftieth birthday, of course she should go to toast her birthday.
After reading the invitation, Zhu Pingan respectfully received it into his sleeve and said to the person who had sent it, “Please report back to Master Xu, the student will go on time after the release of the government office, and I hope that Master Xu will not mind the student’s nuisance.”
“I will definitely bring your lordship’s words.”
The person delivering the invitation respectfully replied back, then excused himself and left, he still had to go and deliver the invitation to Zhang Juzheng and the others from the Hanlin Academy.
When the government office was released, the heavy rain outside had not abated at all, and the dense rain was like hemp, intertwining heaven and earth. Wearing a straw raincoat, accompanied by Liu Dazhou, Zhu Pingan rode his horse to the residence of his seat master, Xu Shi.
“Haha, Zihou you can come a little late today, oh, people Zhongfang (Yang Jisheng’s word Zhongfang) and Shudai (Zhang Juzheng’s word Shudai) have arrived long ago.”
The eldest son of the Xu Mansion, Xu Fan, greeted the guests in front of the door, and upon seeing Zhu Pingan, he greeted them with a laugh and joked.
“Hehe, Shibei. Pingan came late, I will definitely punish myself with three cups later.”Zhu Pingan smiled back.
“Good, this is what you said, I’m going to check it later.”Xu Fan smiled and patted Zhu Pingan’s shoulder, pushing him towards the courtyard, “The old man asked me to welcome the guests here, so I won’t see you off, you’re familiar with the family anyway.”
After pushing Zhu Pingan into the courtyard, Xu Fan turned to Liu Dazhou and smiled, “Dazhou, a banquet has been prepared in the guest courtyard, you should go in as well.”
The banquet in the guest courtyard was specially prepared for escorts like Liu Dazhu.
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Liu Dazhou had been here with Zhu Pingan several times and was quite familiar with Xu Fan, so naturally, he was not polite and smiled as he thanked Xu Fan before handing over his horse to an underling of the Xu Mansion and followed him into the Xu Mansion.
After Zhu Pingan entered the banquet site, he found that he was indeed quite late, many people had already arrived, such as Yang Jisheng and Zhang Juzheng.
The birthday banquet at the Xu Mansion was set up according to ancient rituals, using a split meal system. There were two tables and chairs in the middle for Xu Jie and his wife to sit, and fifteen tables on each side. The seats were already eighty percent full.
“Zi Hou, here, here.”
“Zi Hou here.”
Zhu Pingan had only entered the scene when he heard two familiar calls and looked up to see Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen waving at Zhu Pingan. The two were seated at the back and just happened to be blocked by the pillars, so Zhu Pingan didn’t get to see them first, this time the two got up and waved before Zhu Pingan saw the two.
The two had already taken a good seat for Zhu Ping An, right in front of the two.
“Ziwei, Wensheng.”Zhu Pingan smiled and walked over, sitting on his arse on the seat the two had occupied.
“Why didn’t you guys ask me to come along.”Zhu Pingan asked after taking his seat.
“Didn’t we hear that you were summoned by the saint to the Western Garden Bun Festival, and we thought that you would come back with your teacher today.”Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen both laughed and explained, “Otherwise, we would have already gone to the Yu Wang Mansion to look for you.”
“Alright, you guys are forgiven.”Zhu Pingan laughed.
“Zi Hou, stop. You’ve forgiven us, but we haven’t forgiven you yet, since you’ve returned from the Western Garden long ago, why didn’t you stop by to look for us.”Zhang Siwei knocked on Zhu Pingan’s table, in an accusatory manner.
“Erm, my head hurts a little ……”Zhu Pingan touched his forehead with a pained expression.
“What’s wrong, Zi Hou?”Wang Shizhen asked with concern.
“What happened at noon, I seem to have lost my manners, my brain is blank, and I have a bit of a headache from thinking ……”Zhu Pingan said with an innocent face.
“Pfft ……Zi Hou, your excuse is also too hard ……”Wang Shizhen couldn’t help but laugh out.
Zhang Siwei looked at Zhu Pingan with a speechless face, crying and laughing.
“Alright, I admit my mistake, I’ll punish myself with three cups later to make amends.”Zhu Pingan playfully confessed.
“Come on, it’s enough that you have this heart. With that amount of alcohol you have, after three cups of wine, I guess I’ll have to carry you home with Wensheng.”Zhang Siwei rolled his eyes, not at all optimistic about Zhu Pingan’s drinking capacity.
“That’s right, Zi Hou your drinking capacity is now well known. If you want to sincerely make amends, why don’t you write two couplets for Ziwei and me.”Wang Shizhen continued.
“Hey, not bad, this is a good suggestion from Wensheng, we have heard about Zi Hou’s couplets of green words from your jiao-festival today. The couplet you wrote to us in reparation can only be as good as it has been.”
Zhang Siwei raised his hands in favour of Wang Shizhen’s proposal and demanded that Zhu Pingan’s couplet should only be better than the one written to Emperor Jiajing at the Jiaojiao Festival.
“As you wish.”
Zhu Pingan answered with a smile, and with the accumulated history of being hundreds of years ahead of his time, he said that he was under no pressure.
While Zhu Pingan was laughing with Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen, Zhang Juzheng, who was seated in the front row, was also chatting with Yang Jisheng. Both of them were from the same batch of scholars and were sitting relatively close to the front, one right next to the other.
At this moment, the two were chatting.
However, compared to Zhang Juzheng’s continuous smiles, Yang Jisheng was much colder, uncool to be exact, and did not care for Zhang Juzheng.
“I’ve heard for a long time that Brother Nian studied music and music with Lord Han Bangqi, the Minister of the Ministry of Mandarins in Nanjing, and he has deeply learnt the essence of it, and he even made twelve rhythms with his own hands, and the sounds are all extremely harmonious and beautiful when he plays them. Today coincides with the birthday of the master’s mother, I do not know whether Juzheng has the honour to hear the music of the heavenly music of the elder brother.”Zhang Juzheng leaned his body slightly and said to Yang Jisheng with a smile.
“Unfortunately, Sheng is fasting and is not allowed to entertain.”Yang Jisheng returned nonchalantly, flatly refusing.
“Oh, that’s because Juzheng has no ears.”
Zhang Juzheng was not at all surprised by Yang Jisheng’s refusal, he knew that after Yang Jisheng’s visit yesterday, he was very disappointed in himself, and felt that he was a timid, fearful, mettlesome softie, and was not on the same page as him, so it was more than normal to be cynical about himself.
“Moreover, the sound and rhythm of a road, the path is also, shu da, the national weapon is also, the talent of the national weapon can not be delayed in the path, will not be detrimental to the name of the national weapon, there is a stain on the body of the national weapon. Shuda brother, when from the country treasure, avoid disaster avoid this small road for the top.”
Yang Jisheng words through a thick mockery, after finishing, self-centred pick up the tea cup drinking tea, no longer pay attention to Zhang Juzheng.
Tea to send guests.
Mockery and alienation so obvious, for a time, Zhang Juzheng actually speechless, the atmosphere is a little awkward.
However
Inside
Zhang Juzheng is happy, Yang Jisheng is too dangerous, he just want to draw a line with Yang Jisheng.
