Not to mention Thorpe treating this conversation as a foreign language, even military attachés like Lin Ming, who had limited education, knew nothing about it. Xie Peng only understood it slightly. Of course, he couldn't get in the conversation.
Seeing that the three of them were left alone, Mellen was quite embarrassed and said quickly: "We will talk about poetry in the paper later. Don't let the beautiful scenery live up to it. Come on, let's have some drinks to add to the fun, and we can write poems without restraint.
, as long as someone matches up, he will get a tooth chip. I have a Duan Inkstone given by Master Xiong here. Although it is not from the old pit, it is still very precious. Whoever gets more tooth chips will use this as a gift.
As he spoke and clapped his hands, a servant took out an inkstone and placed it on a high table in the middle of the room. It immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Zhaoqing is the origin of Duan Inkstone, which was listed as a tribute very early in history. Every time the pits were quarried, it was organized by the imperial government. Each pit was guarded by a dedicated person, and private quarrying was strictly prohibited. In the Ming Dynasty, several pits were dug for quarrying, and it was all done by the palace.
The high value of sending eunuchs to take charge is evident. After Xiong Wencan took office as the governor, he ordered the reopening of Lanke Mountain Water Rock Pit for "operational" purposes. Although this batch of Duan Inkstones was "new", it was of no use to these poor people.
It is still very precious to literati.
"Now that you have a good fortune, you must set up rules." Among the guests was Xie Shiming, a local scholar who has always been self-reliant and talented. After Xiong Wencan came to Zhaoqing, he hired him into the curtain - not that he had much talent.
, it is actually because this scholar grew up in Sichuan when he was a child. Not only can he speak standard Mandarin, but he can also speak a few Sichuan dialects to comfort Xiong Wencan's homesickness.
He stared at Duan Yan and said with a straight face, "Let Mr. Chang supervise the field. Anyone who messes with orders or makes mistakes will be counted. Whoever has the best opinion will be judged by everyone. How about it?"
Mr. Xianhe smiled and said: "Brother Xie is going to win the first prize in one fell swoop."
Xie Shiming smiled proudly and said: "I don't dare! I think I will ask Mr. Mei to give the title to the Lord first."
Mellen knew that since Thorpe and others were from Jinyiwei, they probably didn't have much talent. It would be embarrassing if they came up with something like a couplet of poems. He immediately laughed and said: "We are drinking here for fun."
, it just makes it too complicated and boring. I just guessed it when I saw it."
Xie Shiming said: "Master Mei agrees with me. I don't like to compose poetry either. I spent half the night arranging a rhyme yesterday, and that's enough for me. Fortunately, there are many people here, so those who write poetry can just write poetry.
Those who guess can just guess. Mr. Mei is happy, so why not give us a guess?"
Seeing that he had no objections, Melun was just about to think of one. He heard Mr. Xianhe say: "Let me first ask you for an auspicious suggestion: 'Peace in the world', name the state."
A person next to me said: "I guessed it, but 'Puan'?"
Mr. Xianhe nodded and said: "Exactly." Then he came up with another riddle: "Another one: 'Peach and dew seeds in the sky, red apricots planted against the clouds by the sun.' Give a flower name."
Mellen sighed in admiration: "It's so clean and majestic! This question must be good!"
Xie Shiming said: "I guessed it, it's 'Lingxiao Flower'."
A scholar next to him said: "What a mystery! Often when people make names for flowers, they only mention the first few characters. They ignore the characters for flowers, just like peony flowers and only name them with the word "peony" but not the characters for "flower". Who knew this?
The whole puzzle is full of flower characters."
Xie Shiming said lightly: "This is nothing, just listen to me: 'Just treat the officialdom as a theater', just like the Analects of Confucius."
Chang Qingyun smiled and said: "This is the most common question among the four books. I already know the answer to the riddle, so I'm not surprised."
Xie Shiming said: "Although the title is vulgar, it has many wonderful points."
Someone next to me joked: "This question is elegant and elegant. No need to talk about it, the question must be good."
Chang Qingyun said: "Since it's good, wait a moment to praise it. You praise it all first. Someone will guess it soon, so there's nothing more to say."
Thorpe couldn't bear it and asked Xie Peng in a low voice: "What the hell is this?"
Xie Peng replied: "This is a riddle based on the contents of the Four Books and Five Classics. It is not unusual to say that it is 'official and excellent'. I don't know why the man named Xie is so proud."
Suddenly, they heard someone clapped their hands on the table and said, "That's great!" Everyone was startled, and when they quickly looked, it was Mr. Xianhe.
Mellen asked: "How good is Mr. Xianhe that he slaps the table and the bench like this?"
Mr. Xianhe said: "I'm saying 'just turn officialdom into a show', but 'be good at being an official'?"
Xie Shiming said: "Yes."
Mellen said: "What's so wonderful about this mystery? It's so earth-shattering, old master."
Mr. Xianhe clapped his hands and praised: "This mystery is nothing. You can do it and you can fight. However, there is something else inside. This one is even better than the 'Lingxiao Flower'."
Chang Qingyun smiled and said: "In my opinion: they are all the same, what's the difference? If you say there is a difference, I don't accept it. If Mr. !”
Mr. Xianhe said: "Listen to me, I don't care about his borrowing. Only the word 'er' jumps up to the virtual spirit. It is really descriptive. This riddle is borrowed from people to use virtual characters to show the ingenuity of the literary spirit." .In all riddles, borrowing should be the first, followed by positive. However, there are two levels of borrowing, such as "Guo Shi Wushuang", there is "What is faith"; "Qin Wang's order to expel guests", "Believe Si Yan Ye" Although these are also borrowed, the focus on the topic is completely different from the focus on the topic, which is secondary. Recently, there is also a kind of numerology book. I use similar books all day long to check out many. Who knows that the paste has not dried yet, and it has already been The wind blows and the remaining clouds are gone, everything is gone in an instant, this is a third-class product."
This high-level argument made everyone here nod frequently, saying that it was ingeniously made, and Mr. Xie was so talented. Xie Shiming had a look on his face. At this moment, Thorpe wanted to be like Li Kui, jump up on the table and shout first : "Straight bitch, give me a machine gun!" He couldn't help but whisper: "What a bunch of nonsense!"
Although the voice was small, it was vaguely heard by Xie Shiming. He was originally dissatisfied with this "distinguished guest" being treated so politely, and now he deliberately wanted to embarrass him, so he picked up the wine glass and said in one fell swoop: "You guys are so complimentary. .For such a good time and beautiful scenery, I am not talented enough to write a poem to congratulate you!"
Then he chanted loudly:
The flying building crosses the dangerous battlement, and the clouds and mist are covering the sky at dawn.
The shape is so good that I can overlook it. I came to Yanyi for the rest of my life.
The river is wide and wide, and the mountains are sparse and strange.
The wind and the moon are priceless, but the situation of the king and the prince has poetry.
Everyone cheered, and Chang Qingyun said: "It has the artistic conception of the Song Dynasty." Mr. Xianhe sneered slightly, but also cheered.
Seeing that Xie Peng had a slightly aggrieved expression, Lin Ming still smiled and looked at ease with Guang Tongchen, but Thorpe had an expression of indifference. Apparently he did not hear the charm of this poem.
He couldn't help but secretly cursed: "You are really playing the piano to a cow!"
Mr. Xianhe said: "This poem is wonderfully done, let's celebrate together." After raising their glasses, everyone drank together. Mr. Xianhe put down the glass and sighed: "This country's unparalleled scholar is truly unparalleled!
It’s a pity that it’s so expensive and hard to come by.”
Chang Qingyun smiled and said: "What's the problem? The old man likes it. I have a few bottles here and will send them to you tomorrow. I just hope that the old man can write a few more poems to go with the wine."
Mr. Xianhe smiled and said, "I'm returning what I said, so what's the difficulty?" But he hit the bowl with chopsticks and chanted in a manly voice:
If the wine is not intoxicating, everyone will get drunk. Liu Ling will be ashamed after drinking a thousand cups.
Invite the moon to drink with Chang'e, and meet melancholy in the wine.
Cooking sheep and slaughtering cattle is a pleasure, and you will have to drink thousands of cups at a time.
Lord Grim is lying drunk at the table. How many people can cure the hangover?
The poetry is very shallow and can only be regarded as limericks. Even Thorpe can completely understand: Mr. Xianhe seems to be a grumbling person. But he saw the singer Yunju holding the pipa in her arms, and her cherry mouth murmuring, her eyes
I couldn't help but glance at Mr. Xianhe, obviously feeling admiration for him. I couldn't help but secretly wonder: What is there to admire about this old man with a habit of cutting off his sleeves? My heart felt slightly sour.
After Mr. Xianhe finished chanting, he picked up the wine cup and drank the wine in one gulp. He said with a smile: "Although Kun people are hateful, their tools are not without their exquisiteness. They are truly unique."
"If the thief Kun is willing to submit to the imperial court, it will be a blessing for our Ming Dynasty."
"The ships are strong and the artillery is strong, and the soldiers are good at fighting. If the whole army is recruited and transferred to Liaodong to quell the Eastern captives, regardless of victory or defeat, it will be a wonderful thing to kill two birds with one stone."
"The Kun people claim to be Miao descendants of the Song Dynasty. They are actually a pretense of overseas barbarians." Xie Shiming said, "His glass mirrors, cold pots, and tap fires are all strange and ingenious things. They can't fill them when they're hungry, and they can't clothe them when they're cold.
It's just the icing on the cake, those cannons and warships, which seem to be amazing, but people all over the world are rebelling, so what does a few cannons matter? No matter how well-built the warships are, can they be driven ashore? If the family manages the country and brings peace to the world,
You still have to rely on moral articles!”
Several scholars nodded repeatedly and praised Mingshi: "The poems are well done, and the knowledge is even more profound." Some people also talked about the Kun thief's disobedience to etiquette and many shameless things, which actually aroused everyone's conversation.
All kinds of anecdotes were flying around for a while, and Thorpe shook his head repeatedly: This executioner has been around since ancient times.
Mr. Xianhe said, "I heard that Mr. Chang once fell into Lingao for several years and saw the real Kun with his own eyes. Why don't you tell me what you saw about the thief Kun?"
Chang Qingyun smiled bitterly and said: "In the past, when I was conquering Hezhen, I was defeated and fell into Lingao. It is really something I hate. However, I also learned the inside story of many thieves..."
This is indeed true. The key to Chang Qingyun's ability to join the staff of the Governor's Mansion is that he is one of the few local talents who is proficient in "official affairs".
"...This is a place for entertainment, and to mention the brutal military events would spoil the scenery. I was in jail that day, enjoying my misery, and composed fifty poems of "Lingao Zhuzhi Ci". Today I will recite a few poems for you to drink with.
"
Thorpe's heart skipped a beat. He didn't expect that there were prisoners here who had been to Lingao! This Chang Qingyun was probably one of He Rubin's aides who was captured during the counter-encirclement and suppression campaign. Unexpectedly, he actually got involved in Xiong Wencan's work again!
Since he has been to Lingao, he wonders if he has seen through his disguise? Maybe he has seen himself before! Thorpe remembered that he had inspected the prisoner camp. Of course, at that time, he would not have noticed the group of shavers.
Are there any of the unlucky guys with shaved heads and trembling in "freshmen uniforms" like Chang Qingyun?
Thorpe forced himself to calm down, and looked at the master of the Juren Festival. He was calm and calm, and chanted:
At the end of the world, on Hainan Road, there is a county named Lingao. The hot ground is suitable for kissing the ice, and the high buildings are suitable for picking stars. I sincerely worship, my heart is good, and I still uphold the scriptures. I only hate the flying yellow generals, and the war will not stop.
The mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the mountains are covered with thrushes. Women are given high honors, and the earth should be nourished. The girl has a red face, and the beauty has white jade skin. The origin is love and love, and the couple is happy to depend on each other.
On the upper floors of the high pavilions, luxurious mansions are bulging. Iron bars are close to the houses, and rivers flow around the walls. The white walls are painted with literary styles, and the glass is decorated with brocade red. It is best to look from the street, and the buildings are among the pictures.
The roads are mostly flat, with many cross roads. There are people walking on both sides of the road, and cars are racing on the middle road. People in the night market are noisy, and the autumn night rain is lingering. At night, the lights are hanging on the road, and the candles are shining like stars.
He recited a poem and explained a little bit. Everyone was very interested and talked about it.
Xie Shiming was a little unhappy. Seeing that he had finally made a splash, but was snatched away by Mr.
He couldn't help but hold a grudge against the "nonsense" comment, so he deliberately wanted to embarrass him. He picked up his glass and said, "Mr. Suo is sitting here and bored, why not write a poem to cheer him up?"
Lin Ming saw that the momentum was not good: The leaders did not think that they knew astronomy and geography, but they were "ignorant" when it came to poetry, let alone writing poetry. It was difficult to even write a rhyming sentence. He was here
I have seen so-called new poems by Australians in the literary section of Lingao Times, such as "The Senate is better than my father", "My noodles are the most delicious in the world", etc. If you really want to recite them, you have to give them to this person.
Helping the literati laugh out loud - it seems that this sourness has the intention of making Thorpe unable to get off the stage.
Thorpe smiled lightly: "I'm not talented, I don't know how to do these things."
Melun secretly complained that it was not good, and secretly scolded Xie Suanzi that he had nothing to do after he was full - many of the Jinyiwei were relatives of nobles, and there were many who were not literate. Such a loss of face in public, even if he did not show any anger at the moment, he would hold a grudge.
I thought maybe I would write a big article when I went back! Just when I was about to change my mind, Chang Qingyun had already come out to smooth things over.
"Master Suo is a martial artist, so he doesn't care much about poetry and poetry. Come on, I think we can just ask the little boy to sing for fun..."
Mellen quickly called two singers to come in and wait. The two little boys had already finished the food. Thorpe saw that they not only knelt on the ground while eating, but also licked the plates clean after eating. He couldn't help but frown secretly.
, what kind of way is this? Could it be that he is very hungry. When he heard the greeting, the little boy came up quickly and kowtowed first to thank him.
"Sing some meaty songs to make wine for all the gentlemen!" Mellen said with a smile.
Xiao Yaoer understood the idea and sang another song. This was not "elegant" anymore, it was full of lewd words and songs. Everyone was drinking, and everyone was laughing and making a lot of noise.
Thorpe saw that there was no point in staying here any longer, so he motioned to Lin Ming and stood up to leave. Chang Qingyun said a few polite words and was about to say goodbye when Xie Shiming was already drunk and could not help but cover his face with wine.
He started drinking like crazy: "Don't leave... don't leave... In such a peaceful and prosperous time, with beautiful scenery, it's just... it's... it ruins the scenery... you can't go there without having fun!" As he said this, he started to pour Thorpe's wine.
Thorpe was already angry when he saw that they were making such a fuss, but now he saw that this sour scholar was drunk and crazy. He sneered and said: "A peaceful and prosperous age, good times and beautiful scenery? Rogue bandits are causing trouble in the Central Plains, Eastern captives have repeatedly breached the border, and everyone is in ruins... Everyone
It's really interesting. As the saying goes, 'It's so sad to sing in a leaky boat and drink in a burning house without knowing that drowning is coming!'"
The words were not loud, but they were like a bucket of ice water poured on the people who were making noises and having fun. The huge floor suddenly became silent.
Thorpe added: "Last year I traveled to three towns, climbed to the Yellow Crane Tower, and met a scholar. Feeling worried about the decline of the country's power, I wrote a poem on the wall - I can't write poetry, so I will give this to you."
Shengman chanted:
The smoke trees are harvested in the hope, the homeland is wandering, and the domineering power of the country is left floating. The yellow crane should shed tears when it returns, and the tears will fill the Tingzhou. Looking at the autumn of the great river, you may have leisure and sorrow. One after another, guests and the clear stream are moving. If a hero is so high, he will cry bitterly in China.
.
After chanting, he waved his sleeves and walked away.
When the group returned to the boat, Thorpe was silent. Lin Ming thought that he had lost face because of the poetry, so he comforted him: "Master Suo, don't be upset. Poetry is just a pastime. Whoever wants to make a contribution relies on it...
"
Thorp said: "I'm not upset about this. What use are those lines of poetry? I just...just..." He didn't know what to say for a while, and then said after a while, "They are all one out of a hundred, out of tens of thousands."
There is only one scholar like this, what use is it to the country and the people?"
Lin Ming thought to himself that this was strange. The country and the people are not the "country" and "people" of Australia. Why is he, an Australian elder, worried about this? After thinking about it, he understood and said with relief: "The chief is worrying too much. Don't worry about it."
It seems that they only know how to do this now, and they are complacent by writing a few crooked poems. If one day the imperial examination of the Song Dynasty is held, they will learn the same from Macao..."
As we were talking, someone suddenly came to report: "Master Chang is here to pay his respects."
"Eh? What's he doing here?" Thorpe looked at Lin Ming doubtfully, "Why didn't you talk to me just now if you have something to say?"
"It doesn't hurt to invite him in for a chat." Lin Ming said, "I'm afraid there are some things we can't talk about during the banquet."
"Okay, then invite him in."
The two parties had met with each other. Just as Thorp was thinking about how to speak, Chang Qingyun had already got straight to the point: "This Master Suo is probably a chief."
Thorpe was startled. Lin Ming had already revealed his murderous intent. Xie Peng also quietly revealed the dagger. Thorpe shook his head slightly, signaling not to act rashly and said, "Why do you say that?"
"Mr. Suo, I stayed in Lingao for a full year and a half." Chang Qingyun said calmly, "Digging sand, breaking stones, carrying soil, paving roads... I have done all the work I have never done in my life.
I have endured all the hardships I have endured." He sighed, "I have met more than a dozen leaders like Mr. Suo - naturally, they may not remember that there was a person like me."
Just listen to him continue to say: "...Anyone who has met the Australian Prime Minister a few times will never forget their expressions. Mr. Suo, although there is no flaw in your words and deeds, the magnanimity on your face is...
You’ll know just by looking.”
Thorpe smiled and said: "Mr. Chang, you are really exaggerating. In that case, what do you want from me?" (To be continued.)
ps: The poems in this section are all written by specific authors. Xie Mingshi’s poem is the work of Huang Gongwang of the Song Dynasty, which is inscribed in praise of Piyun Tower. What Thorpe is reciting is the work of Yu Youren. I will not explain the details one by one.