The current Zhu Zhishan is not the literati who failed the seventh test in Chunwei and can only indulge in the literary world like Tang Yin. He wears Confucian clothes and a Confucian hat. He looks no different from ordinary scholars. He even has the arrogance of talent that is common in so-called talents.
You can't even see it on him.
Perhaps a few years ago, when Zhu Zhishan came to Beijing with high spirits and felt that the Jinshi title was within reach, he would have been arrogant. But counting the time, plus last spring, he had failed in one subject for the third time in a row. Even if he was not desperate, it still made him feel arrogant.
His temperament became introverted and gentle. This was not the "old woodcutter" who had given up his official career and could only devote his love to landscape paintings, but this was Zhu Yunming who was dedicated to becoming an official.
Even though Shen Rui and the others were only half a teenager, they were standing nearby, and Zhu Yunming couldn't see them anywhere.
After meeting the old woman, Zhu Yunming looked at these young men.
The most eye-catching one among them is the one wearing a red brocade robe. The young man has a smile on his face, but the pride between his eyebrows looks a bit familiar.
Zhu Yunming felt sad and saw his youthful self in this young man. Once upon a time, he was as proud as this young man. He was taught by his grandfather when he was a child. When he was a little older, his grandfather resigned and returned to his hometown. Under the guidance of two old people, he became a child at the age of five.
He could write Chinese characters in square feet, composed poems at the age of nine, and was already famous when he was ten. However, when he was twelve, his grandfather passed away, and when he was sixteen, his mother lost his mother. In his early twenties, he lost his father and grandfather one after another.
A proud boy grew up into a dissolute young man, and unknowingly reached the age of forty, still accomplishing nothing.
In a daze, Zhu Yunming felt a line of sight staring at him. He followed it and saw Shen Rui.
Shen Rui didn't have any thoughts about Zhu Yunming. Even a great scholar like Wang Shouren, who was famous throughout the ages, had been with him for more than half a year, and he calmed down when he saw the talented people like him.
Seeing this, the old woman pointed to a few young men and said, "Xizhe, Xiao He almost got into trouble just now. Thanks to these young brothers who came to help, we and I didn't suffer."
When Zhu Yunming heard this, he held his hands and bowed, saying, "Suzhou Zhu Yunming thanks a few brothers for their generous help."
Because of these young men, Shen Jue stood at the front, and the other two were behind him. The book boy and the boy were omitted. Therefore, what Zhu Yunming said was "a few young men", but in fact he was watching.
Following what Shen Jue said.
Shen Jue didn't want to be greedy for merit in vain, so he looked at Shen Rui and saw that he had no intention of speaking, and said: "My dear Shen Jue, I have met Mr. Wen, but I have not done anything. It is because of me... I am a kind-hearted brother."
, seeing that things had to be settled, he stepped forward to solve the dilemma of respecting relatives."
Zhu Yunming was wearing Confucian clothes and a Confucian scarf, so Shen Jue called him that. When speaking on weekdays, he would not admit that Shen Rui was his brother, but in front of outsiders, it was not easy to call him random names.
Shen Rui was pushed out and had no choice but to say: "It's just a small effort, Mr. Wen doesn't need to take it to heart."
His calm posture was different from Shen Jue's youthful demeanor. Zhu Yunming liked him for his stability, so he did not treat him as a child and still thanked him solemnly.
Shen Rui calculated the distance from Suzhou to Songjiang in his mind. It was more than three hundred miles away, and he planned to go to Nanjing next year. Even though he knew that Zhu Yunming would go to Beijing four times to attend the Spring Festival, unless he specifically searched for it, the two of them wanted to go to Nanjing.
It was not easy to see each other again, so he said shamelessly: "It's a trivial matter, but Mr. Wen is so solemn, but I feel uneasy. If Mr. Wen is cheap, can you give me a calligraphy treasure?"
Zhu Yunming was stunned when he heard this and said hesitantly: "Does Little Brother Rui know about Wen?"
Shen Rui calculated the time in his mind and found that Tang Yin had been expelled from the country, Zhu Yunming started to take the general examination, Wen Huiming started to take the provincial examination, and the last Xu Zhenqing also began to experience the pain of failure. However, he failed less often than the other three. , it seems that it was the second time that he won the Jinshi title when he participated in the Spring Festival for the third time, and died of illness a few years later. Judging from the age of these four people, Zhu Yun will live well in the next year, Tang Yin, Wen Hui will stand in the next year, and the youngest Xu Zhenqing will also be crowned. There should also be some signs of the name "Four Great Talents in Wuzhong".
Shen Rui nodded and said: "I heard that there are four talented people in Wuzhong, and Mr. Wen is among them. I am honored to meet you today."
Zhu Yunming laughed at himself: "Wen is just a failure in the examination, how can he dare to be called a genius? Shen Huating is the number one scholar and the second in the money rankings, so he is a great talent in the world."
Hearing that Shen Li was mentioned, Shen Jue and Yourong Yan asked, "Mr. Wen, does Suzhou Prefecture also know about my brother from the Sixth Clan?"
Zhu Yunming said: "He became famous all over the world in one fell swoop, and it only took three years for a top scholar to emerge. Not to mention Suzhou Prefecture, no one knows his name even in prefectures and counties all over the world."
Shen Jue was a little proud, but Huating had just produced a champion, and Suzhou's literary style was at its peak. In the past two or thirty years, there were also three tripod armors, and there were countless Jinshi, so he took away his pride again. Although he had never heard of it What are the "Four Great Talents"? Come to think of it, since Shen Rui has heard of them, most of them are from the Zhuangyuan clan. Shen Li has been mourning in the past few years, and some scholars from Suzhou Prefecture came to meet friends through literature. It can be mentioned by the Zhuangyuan clan brother. , that means he is not an ordinary talented person.
And because Shen Rui wanted this pen and ink, Shen Jue rolled his eyes and said, "This place is so messy that it's really not a place to talk. Since Mr. Wen has come a long way, can we have tea with him as a compliment? It will also be convenient for Mr. Wen to give me ink."
Seeing Shen Jue socializing like a young adult, Zhu Yunming twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking that these two were both Shen boys, he looked at the old woman and said: "Aunt, look...
The old woman smiled and said, "I'm tired too, so I'll take advantage of Xizhe's light to ask for a cup of tea."
Because Dong Shuang was in a hurry to go home, he did not go to the teahouse with everyone. He made an appointment with Shen Rui, then said goodbye to everyone, took the bookboy and left.
The others, led by Shen Jue, walked to the tea house.
Others paid it back. The little boy He Taizhi had been eaten by Shen Jue. Even though he had just been protected by Shen Rui and others, he was still a little aggrieved, so he whispered to the young man named Wei: "Cousin Wei, you are well-read, but I heard that Pass Xingyiquan?”
The famous young man surnamed Wei shook his head and said: "This is the first time I have heard of it, what kind of boxing is this?"
He Taizhi curled his lips and said: "It is said that the health-preserving boxing method was spread in the monastery. The ancestor was Yue Wumu. He imitated five beasts, five birds, one reptile, one sea and twelve shapes, and combined with the five elements boxing method, it was combined into Xingyiquan. I don’t know how good a person’s combat effectiveness is against the enemy, but keeping in good health should be good.” Having said this, he pointed at Shen Rui’s back and whispered: “That person was born prematurely and is in poor health. After practicing this Get better soon."
He originally didn't believe Shen Rui's words and felt that the so-called ancestor Yue Wumu's statement must be far-fetched, so he mentioned the matter to his cousin and wanted to find someone to respond. However, as he talked, he was a little unsure. .
Apart from other things, Shen Rui just stopped the strong beggar, and his aura was not ordinary. In addition, after getting along with Shen Rui for a while, he could see that he was not a boastful person, and He Taizhi unconsciously understood the rhetoric of Xingyiquan. I believed most of it.
When Principal Wei heard the word "premature infant", he got interested and carefully looked at Shen Rui who was walking in front. After paying attention, he discovered the difference. Shen Rui walked very steadily, his body barely moved, and his feet were light and silent. The first few people were walking and talking. Zhu Yunming and Shen Jue's words were blurred because they were walking and talking. Only Shen Rui's voice was very clear.
As everyone walked forward and backward, the two cousins murmured to themselves, wondering why Shen Rui couldn't hear them. Listening to the child's tone, which ranged from disdain to hesitation to approval, it made me laugh in my heart.
However, this old woman travels not with her children or grandchildren, but with her nephews, and three nephews at that. This is really unusual.
Zhu Yunming's grandfather was the chief minister, so wasn't his aunt the daughter of the chief minister? According to the current marriage rules, it is more important to be of a good match. This old woman's husband's family should also be from an official family. No wonder the old man carries the power of a superior person.
Shen Rui later remembered this matter. Xu Youzhen had no children and had nine daughters. He had three famous nephews in history. One was Zhu Yunming, one of the "Four Great Talents"; the other was Wei Xiao, one of the "Four Gentlemen of Nandu". Looking at The surname is either the one at the end or his brother; there is also Jiang Tao, who died at the age of fourteen, but still left his name in Shilin.
The group of people walked down to the teahouse, and before entering, they saw Shen Bao and Shen Qin coming towards them. The boy and the book boy behind them had their hands full, and their hands were not empty either.
Seeing Shen Jue and Shen Rui, Shen Qin cheered and said: "Brother Jue, brother Rui, come and help me, brother is really exhausted."
Shen Jue saw that he was holding a bunch of paper bags in his hand, and while stepping forward to pick them up, Shen Jue asked curiously: "What is it? Did you bring so much? Did Fourth Brother Bao buy some delicious food?"
Shen Qin rubbed her wrist and said, "We have everything. Aunt Liu asked someone to prepare it. We have some snacks and old clothes to wash. Aunt Liu said that there are many beggars at the temple fair. If you bring money, , even if it is given to them, it cannot be looted by others, so we have prepared these for us to bring over."
Shen Rui also took the paper bag from Shen Bao's hand. Shen Bao gasped and said, "I didn't expect there would be so many people. The carriage couldn't get in when it reached the front street alley."
The clan brothers were talking when they heard someone say: "Brother Rui, Brother Jue..."
Following the sound, I looked over and saw that the window on the second floor was open. Shen Quan leaned out and said with a smile: "You guys are getting together? Come up and have tea."
Hearing this, Shen Jue glanced at the old woman and Zhu Yunwen, hesitated a little, raised his head and said, "Brother Quan, there are foreign guests here, I'm afraid it won't be cheap."
Shen Quan was stunned for a moment, glanced at the old woman a few times, and then retreated.
The waiter in the teahouse saw the guests at the door and welcomed them out. However, he heard that he wanted a private room, so why did he say, "There are only two empty tables in the hall. The private room upstairs is either full or someone has booked it early."
At this time, Shen Quan came out of the lobby and said to Shen Jue: "There are many people at the temple fair today, and there are also many people who come to have tea and rest. It is not easy to find a private room. Brother Jue would like to invite the guests to come up first. My mother will be here soon." I'm going home, I just have some room for you to use."
Since there were women and children among the guests, Shen Quan did not think that these "foreign guests" were guests from out of town. He only thought that they were relatives of the clan, so he informed the Guo family and came down to invite them.
Shen Jue saw that Zhu Yunming and his party were headed by an old woman, so he looked at the old woman.
The old woman nodded kindly and said: "Guests, please do as you please. I and others are disturbing your dear ones."
Shen Jue then looked at Shen Bao and Shen Qin and said, "What's wrong with the two brothers? Does Auntie ask you to donate these things yourself?"
Nowadays, female relatives believe in cause and effect a lot, so this donation is also a way to accumulate merit.
Shen Bao waved his hands and said: "No, I can't walk without me. I have to take a break with Brother Jue. But these things were carefully prepared by my mother. I have to borrow a few people from Brother Quan San first to give up the things first." Let's go." The latter sentence was addressed to Shen Quan.
There were only two little book boys behind Shen Jue and Shen Rui, and they were useless. Shen Baofang spoke to Shen Quan.
Shen Quan said nothing, and called two male servants to follow Shen Bao's instructions, pick up the things, and leave with Shen Bao and Shen Qin's servants.
The child couldn't help but be speechless when he saw that several young men were called brothers and even omitted their surnames. He whispered to Wei: "Cousin, they are all from the Shen family? Why are there so many brothers?"
Wei Mou said: "The Shen family is a large family in Songjiang. It has been passed down for six or seven generations and has many descendants."
There was no place to talk downstairs, so everyone followed Shen Quan to the private room on the second floor.
Just now downstairs, Shen Jue had already told Shen Quan about Zhu Yunming's identity. Hearing that he was a famous scholar in Wuzhong, Shen Rui wanted to ask for a calligraphy treasure. Shen Quan was slightly surprised, but he still sent the boy to look for pens and ink.
Entering the upstairs, Shen Quan took a few steps ahead and entered the private room ahead of time.
The private room is not big, but there is a screen in the middle, which can separate men and women. No wonder Mrs. Guo knew that there was a foreigner among the guests, so she still sent Shen Quan down to invite him.
Shen Quan whispered to Mr. Guo: "Mother, Brother Jue's guests are not family friends, but distant guests. They are the talented people from Wuzhong and their relatives who met at the temple fair. After hearing Brother Jue's words, Brother Rui is quite fond of this person. For admiration."
When Mrs. Guo heard this, she couldn't help but frown. Because Shen Jue was young, she was worried that he would be coaxed away. But considering that this is Songjiang, the guardian is here, and he is someone Shen Rui likes, the word "talented scholar" must have some background. , then said: "Since there is an elder, it would be disrespectful for me to sit back and wait, so I will go out with you to greet him."
She is already in her forties, has her son accompanying her, and is meeting new friends of her nephews, so there is no need to avoid many things.
Shen Quan hesitated for a moment, wanting to remind Mrs. Guo, Shen Jue, and the "new friend" brought by Shen Rui were middle-aged and felt that they were rotten, so they asked people to take good care of Sister Fu and helped Mrs. Guo out.
Everyone was already waiting at the door of the private room. When they saw Guo's mother and son coming out, the old woman's lips curled up into a slight smile.
When Mrs. Guo saw the old woman, she thought deeply. Then she opened her eyes wide and said in surprise: "But, is this Mrs. Xu who sent Sister Sun off to get married?"