Early in the morning on the eighteenth day of the winter lunar month, Zhang San got up, washed up, and asked Zhang Fu to drive to the Zheng Manor, the venue for the poetry meeting, to attend the appointment.
"Sir, don't we call a few more people together?" Zhang Fu knew that the place he was going to this time was the territory of the Zheng family, and he was afraid that someone would be harmful to his lordship, so he asked.
"No, it's just the two of us. We're not going to fight. Why bring so many people with us? Let's go!" Zhang San said with a smile.
Hearing what Zhang San said, Zhang Fu took the carriage and drove Zhang San to Zheng's Manor.
…
"Brother Shi De, do you think the farmer will come?" Cui Xian asked Zheng Shi De in a low voice in Zheng's manor. From time to time, he looked at the young man wearing a robe sitting on the main seat with awe in his eyes.
.
"Don't worry, brother Xian. My eldest brother said that the farmer will definitely come. When the time comes, huh!" Zheng Shide snorted coldly, and when he mentioned Zhang San, Zheng Shide became very angry.
"Master Da Lang, Zhang San is here and waiting outside the door!" At this moment, the concierge ran in to preach.
"Oh, are you here? Haha, is he the only one?" Zheng Shicai, who was sitting in the main seat, said happily after hearing this.
"There is also one of his servants. Would you like to invite him in now?" the porter asked.
"There's no rush, let him wait a little longer!" Zheng Shicai sneered, raising the corners of his mouth.
"Yes!" The concierge bowed and accepted the order.
"Everyone, the great poet Zhang San, who is widely rumored in Chang'an, is here. Should we go and greet him?" Zheng Shicai looked at the young scholars in the room and said.
"Brother Shicai is joking. How can we welcome the peasant farmer with a mud-legged background? We'd better let him wait outside!" The person who spoke was Cui He, a descendant of the Boling Cui family.
Today's poetry meeting was initiated by Zheng Shicai, and most of the people invited were children of some aristocratic families, as well as some young and talented people in Chang'an Shilin.
"What I'm saying is, that farmhouse man just relied on a little cleverness, how could he get into such an occasion? I'm afraid his knees would spin when he came in." After saying this, he laughed loudly.
Everyone was laughing loudly, as if they had heard some big joke.
Zheng Shicai smiled when he saw everyone talking about Zhang San and did not refuse, but his eyes were full of contempt for these people.
…
"Sir, why has the concierge been in here for so long and still not coming out?"
At this time, Zhang San and Zhang Fu were standing outside the manor. They had just handed over the invitation. The porter said that he was going in to pass the invitation, but he had not seen him after being there for so long. Zhang Fu said a little irritably.
"Don't worry, this door is not easy to enter." Zhang San's eyes flashed coldly, knowing that this was Zheng Shicai trying to give him a blow.
Originally, after hearing what Fang Yiai said, he had a high regard for Zheng Shicai, whom he had never met before, but now it seems that he just doesn't care.
"Sir, this is obviously embarrassing for us, why don't we go back directly!" Zhang Fu said angrily when he saw his master being left hanging in the cold wind.
"Don't worry, we'll be waiting for a while. If you don't come to invite us in, we'll go back. It's really cold today!" Zhang San rubbed his hands and said.
"Son of a bitch, this guy is just like his brother, not a good guy." Zhang Fu cursed.
…
"Has Zhang San gone to the appointment?" Li Shimin asked, holding a thermos in the Zichen Palace.
"I went, but it seems that Zheng Shicai deliberately made things difficult. Uncle Zhang stood outside the manor and was not invited in." Xu Huang replied.
"Haha, it's hard to become a great talent with just this little capacity and means!" Hearing this, Li Shimin happily took a sip of hot tea and said with a smile.
Xu Huang lowered his head and did not dare to answer. Li Shimin asked again: "Is there anyone who arranged the poetry meeting?"
"Back to the emperor, we have made arrangements. If there is any movement, the news will be sent back as soon as possible." Xu Huang replied.
"Let's go, now we have something good to watch! The old fox called his son back to win the game. It depends on how the three picks up." Li Shimin said lazily.
…
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long, Mr. Zhang. Please come in." Just as Zhang San was about to get in the car and leave, the concierge trotted over and said.
"Sir, are we still going in?" Zhang Fu asked in a low voice.
"Since we are all here, I naturally have to go in and take a look." Zhang San said with a smile.
The concierge brought Zhang San and the two to the living room. When Zheng Shide saw Zhang San coming in, his eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he said in a teasing tone: "Hey, isn't this Uncle Zhang, the mud-legged man? The wind outside didn't freeze you to death!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fu immediately stepped forward to teach Zheng Shide a lesson, but Zhang San stopped him because Zhang San saw an imposing young man wearing a t-shirt and an elegant face being surrounded by a crowd and coming to the door of the living room.
"Second brother, what are you talking about? This must be the famous Uncle Zhang. Shicai was reciting poems with his friends just now. I was neglectful for a moment. I hope you can forgive me." Zheng Shicai said he was teaching Zheng Shide a lesson, but his tone was more serious.
Most of it is a kind of favoritism.
"Haha, I dare not take it seriously. Zhang San also saw it today. The Zheng family, which claims to be the heirloom of poetry, calligraphy and etiquette, turns out to be such a hospitable person. I have learned a lot." Zhang San replied.
"You, a farmer, have what qualifications do you have to talk to Brother Shicai like this and ask you to come to the poetry meeting? This is because Brother Shicai thinks highly of you and is ungrateful..."
Zheng Shicai looked at Zhang San with a half-smile, and waved his hand to stop the people around him from continuing. Seeing that Zhang San was calm and composed, he secretly sighed in his heart, he really lived up to his reputation.
"Brother Zhang, please forgive me. My friend's words were a little too extreme. I apologize to you on his behalf. Please come in!"
Zhang San was not polite, and walked into the hall with Zhang Fu. When he passed by the rude person, Zhang San said: "Your dog barks so happily, how do you raise it?"
When the man heard this, he immediately became angry and wanted to scold him back, but was stopped by Zheng Shicai's look, "Brother Zhang is joking, everyone here is my friend."
"Really? Me too?" Zhang San asked pretending to be surprised.
"Of course, as long as Brother Zhang San is from the same group as us." Zheng Shicai replied with a smile.
"A fellow traveler? How do you count it as a fellow traveler? Just like the person just now?" Zhang San pointed at the person and asked.
"You weak-legged farmer, my elder brother is complimenting you by telling you this. What qualifications do you have to ask questions? Why don't you kneel down and kowtow to express gratitude?" Zheng Shide couldn't bear to see Zhang San being angry at this time.
After calming down, he stood up and shouted loudly.
People around him also echoed: "Even so, I don't care about my identity."
"I don't know how this kind of person got in. I'm ashamed to be around him."
Zheng Shicai seemed not to have heard anything. He looked at Zhang San and said with a smile: "Isn't it bad to be like him? Do you know that many people want to kneel down and beg to be my friend, but I have never looked at them."
"Hey, really? Then you are awesome, but hehehe!" Zhang San found an empty cup, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it in one gulp.
"What do you mean?" Zheng Shicai asked coldly when he saw Zhang San acting wildly and speaking rudely.
"It's not interesting. Didn't you invite me here for a poetry party? I just have a poem for you." Zhang San put down his tea cup and glanced at everyone in the room one by one, suddenly laughing.