When I returned to the inn, I lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. Too much gossip makes people feel sleepy.
When I was very sleepy, I started to dream.
I have never been married, but my dream was about getting married.
The mansion in front of you is very tall. The lion at the door is stepping on the hydrangea, but the hydrangea is new. The red silk thread is embedded with gold thread, shining brightly in the sun, embellishment of the lion in red robe.
It looked like it had come alive. I evaluated it and found that this lion was newly carved. I don’t know which craftsman’s craftsmanship it was. I’m afraid it would take several years to complete such a lion.
The plaque on the door has been decorated with red silk. The two large characters in the middle are written with strong force and have the overwhelming momentum: "Zhao Mansion".
I was wearing a red robe, with a big red flower on my chest, and a very elegant hat on top. The pure red clothes on my body were evenly embroidered with golden inscriptions. I got off the horse and stared at the plaque for a long time, and then turned around to look.
He looked at a small purple sedan behind him.
Inside is Tianyao.
The night before, I told her that I was going to be the top pick.
She was very happy and specially cooked a sumptuous meal for me.
I hesitated for a long time, and then I said that before becoming the number one scholar, according to the rules of the human race, I had to marry the daughter of a minister of the dynasty.
Her hand slowed down, and she didn't seem to be too unhappy. She asked, "You are married, can you still take me with you?"
I originally thought she would ask why you don't marry her, but she didn't ask that question, but asked me if I would take her with me. I looked at her and didn't know how to answer, and finally squeezed out a sentence nervously: "If you want to
To be the number one scholar, you have to marry the daughter of a current minister."
My memory in the dream contains the memory of physical pain, which is the result of resistance, so this sentence has mixed feelings.
Because I can't always recognize a person's face in my dreams, I don't know if the Yao of this day and the Yao of that day are the same, but her expression at the moment seems to be the same as that of my maid.
In the dream, I still had thousands of reasons in my mind that I had to realize this thing: Tianyao was bought by the prefect, and her status was not high enough to be a legal wife; Tianyao was a fox demon, and if being a legal wife would be detrimental to her husband, she might be civilized.
The saint in Dedian will despise me as the number one scholar; the bet between me and the prefect is there. I have no money to pay him back, so I can't redeem Tianyao's life. Without redemption, I can't decide Tianyao's identity; I have worked hard
Isn’t it just for today that I have been studying for so many years? Do I have to give up the hard-earned number one scholar for a woman?...
However, I couldn't express these reasons, so I finally chose this sentence. "If you want to be the number one scholar, you must marry the daughter of a minister of the dynasty."
Unexpectedly, Tian Yao sighed and smiled heartlessly: "What I'm asking is if you marry her, can you still take me with you?"
"Yes! Of course you can. And I told the teacher, and she said that they agree to let you be a concubine!" I said it quickly, but very weakly.
Guilty.
Tianyao sat down, continued to serve me the soup, and said: "Then let's eat. I don't have anything to do, I just don't want to leave you. Aren't you human beings all three wives and four concubines? There are still five sisters missing.
When they all come together, we'll have someone to play cards with. Don't worry, I know you people have rules."
I'm speechless. Rules? What does she know?
Just when he thought of this, the master of ceremonies beside him shouted arrogantly, "The auspicious time has arrived. Liu Xilai, the newly crowned number one scholar and groom, enters the Zhao Mansion. Everyone is here to greet him!"
The door of the Zhao Mansion opened in response, and the midday sun shone down from above, paving on the stone steps in front of me.
I bit my lip, lifted my front slightly, and walked up the stairs slowly. Behind me, two young men holding gold seals and imperial edicts followed me with their heads held high. Inside the door were most of the various officials from the imperial court.
Everything after that was like being in a dream within a dream. I couldn't tell the difference between east, west and north. I just felt dizzy. In the dream, everyone was laughing, including the officials. They were bowing almost to the root of my nose.
My father-in-law is smiling, my mother-in-law is laughing, and the people who once met me in the same palace are also laughing, not to mention the servants of all sizes in the mansion. The joy is blended into a glue in the eyes, sweetly touching everyone.
Sticking together and dangling in front of me.
Naturally, I didn't remember a few faces with the same expressions. I couldn't remember them at all. All the features that should be displayed on each face were gone.
Especially my teacher Zhuang Fuzi, he is also smiling. He is dressed very nicely today. He is wearing a new official uniform. If I am not mistaken, it is the color of a third-grade minister. If it were not for this new clothes, I probably would not even recognize him.
Out.
Naturally, I was laughing too.
But what is going on with these bursts of sadness?
The sound of "Congratulations! Congratulations!" echoed in my ears, while my mouth said either "I am so happy" or "Thank you very much".
Before I woke up, a beautiful lady in red makeup walked out of the dizzy hall. Her face was covered by a veil embroidered with colorful phoenixes. I couldn't see clearly what she looked like, but I knew
She was extremely beautiful. But I stood on the other side of the high hall, clenching my fists anxiously.
She came in all directions, and I stood there in panic.
She is so graceful and elegant, I feel ashamed of myself.
She is surrounded by stars, but I am a duck on the shelf.
The only thing that's equal is that she hasn't seen me and I haven't seen her.
But having seen each other does not affect the wedding ceremony, just like a meal does not affect the marriage. After three kowtows, I was dragged to the drinking hall, and she was sent to the bridal chamber with candles and flowers.
Then the people in front of me became even crazier, pulling me one by one, as if they wanted to carve them into my mind. The seven aunts and eight aunts I had never seen before... Oh, no, it was the seventh uncle and the eighth uncle who came out,
It was there like a goblin with its mouth open to eat me.
I don’t know how much I drank, and I don’t know how much I talked. When I woke up, I sat alone by the lotus pond, staring blankly at the empty water, not knowing what I was doing. The night was cold,
There were only two impatient boys standing behind me, as if they were afraid that I would jump into the pond without thinking.
Actually, I didn't have much thought, I just didn't know whether to go to the bridal chamber or find where Tianyao was sent.
Is this the number one pick? I have already become the number one pick? I smiled to myself.
There was neither happiness nor sadness in my heart. Probably when I was drunk, they fought in my mind until both sides suffered, and they slowly sank to the bottom of the water, and no trace of them could be seen anymore.
Someone was walking slowly from behind. I could hear it, but I couldn't turn around, let alone think about who it could be.
Look, it's easy, isn't it?
It was Master Zhuang's voice.
I was in a trance, and naturally I couldn't tell whether it was my teacher or Master Zhuang, or whether he was the two combined into one. Even the words he said seemed to be carved from the same mold: ...Actually, whether I force you or not, you can see
It shouldn't matter if I come. I can't say whether I will harm you in the future, but at least I won't harm you now. You should understand this. Sometimes, even gods can't see the road ahead. You are a mortal, and
How can you see the road ahead clearly? Since you can't see clearly, forcing you to take a step may lead you to a bright road? Therefore, before you have experience, you must first learn not to refuse.
I was still confused and didn't know how to answer him, so I didn't say anything.
Master Zhuang saw that I didn't answer, so he patted my shoulder, squeezed it thoughtfully, and said, Alas, in fact, life is only a few decades, and who doesn't live in a state of control? Not to mention a woman, some
People can't even control their own lives. If nothing else, do you still remember those people who went to drink wine with you? Didn't they just get drunk and become ghosts in the restaurant in a daze? With them?
In comparison, you should feel how lucky you are! They don't even know where to bury the bones now, but you became the number one scholar!
Of those deceased Juren, who can you say did not have the talent to be the top scholar?
Let's look at it more openly. Most of the time things in life are not what you want. If you are too happy, wouldn't everyone be able to be the number one scholar? If everyone could achieve what they want, the world would have been destroyed long ago. If nothing else,
, just like me, if I could become the prime minister, how could I involve you? I'm afraid if you frowned at that time, I would let you go. Just look at it...
Hmm, what a big ambition, I said.
He was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, yes. If you don’t want to be the prime minister’s official, how can you be a good official? Being the prime minister is indeed our ambition, to cultivate oneself, to manage the family, to govern the country, and to bring peace to the world. Isn’t this the goal of our studies?
What?
His smile was hearty and there was no hint of embarrassment at all. His embarrassment may have been smoothed away over the years.
So I got up, arranged my clothes, untied the big red flower on my chest, and took off the groom's hat on my head, then looked at them, threw them into the pond, and then turned to face the prefect seriously.
He bowed and said, "Thank you, teacher, I understand."
Master Zhuang couldn't understand what I understood. He just stood there blankly, watching me salute him seriously without saying a word.
But I stopped looking at him. I turned around and walked towards the study room. I figured it out, since I didn’t want to go to the wedding room and couldn’t go to Tianyao, then I would just go to the study room. As the number one scholar, you don’t have to open the door to me for anything else.
The door is open, but the study probably won't refuse my intrusion.
In fact, he doesn't understand me, but I understand what I want to do.
When he was talking, I suddenly remembered the time when Tian Yao was carrying me around in a pile of building materials. From that time on, I was struggling. From that time on, I was struggling for a clear goal.
.I want to be the No. 1 pick! Now that I am the No. 1 pick, do I still have to struggle?
want!
I want to get back what I deserve!
Did I choose this path myself?
no!
But it didn't stop me from going on!
And this first night of my wedding was the beginning of my struggle!
...Maybe my idea in the dream was too high-spirited. I suddenly felt that my senses became sharper because I felt someone gently put their hand on my forehead!
Then, I suddenly woke up.
In front of him was a pair of surprised eyes.
She looked a little flustered when she saw me waking up: "Sir, are you awake?"
I asked: "Hmm. Why is it you?"
It's Tianyao.
She hesitated slightly and said: "You... Young Master, you have been talking in your sleep. You can hear it not only inside this room, but also outside the room!"
Oh? Really? I stood up briefly and looked outside through the window screen. It was quiet outside and there was no one.
It's already getting dark.
I turned to look at Tianyao again, and she had shrunk to the ground. Since I woke up from the dream, I had basically forgotten half of everything in the dream, but the name of Tianyao was still in my mind. I was about to say that I dreamed
When I saw what seemed to be another "Tian Yao", she gave me a blessing in a slight panic and said: "Young master, please rest for a while, today is the day when I have to go to see the saint." Then she walked away.
.
I also wanted to say: "How are you now?", but before I had time to say it, another question suddenly popped up in my mind. I remember that my door was closed from the inside, how did she get in?