Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 134: The Multi-View Pavilion - Spring River Banquet!
Jinling.

Mingyue Tower.

Beyond the carved vermilion railings, the painted boats on the Qinhuai River shimmered with light, and the faint sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifted by.

Inside the private room on the second floor, glasses clinked and the aroma of wine filled the air.

Jiang Xingzhou, dressed in a blue robe, was surrounded by Han Yugui, Cao An, the Xue brothers, and dozens of his classmates and old friends from Jiangzhou. Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, and laughter filled the air.

"Brother Jiang, you have been honored as the 'First of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan,' so we should drink three cups of wine in celebration!"

To the best of my knowledge, no one in Jiangzhou Prefecture has received this title in the last fifty years!

Cao An, his face flushed, slammed his wine cup together.

"lucky!"

Jiang Xingzhou shook his head and chuckled, but his eyes couldn't hide his spirited demeanor.

If it weren't for the willingness of Zhou Dunshi, a senior scholar from the Jiangnan Book Society, to mentor him, he wouldn't have received this honor.

Slightly tipsy, Jiang Xingzhou was about to call the waiter to settle the bill when he saw the manager of Mingyue Tower leading four waiters briskly towards him.

The shopkeeper was around fifty years old, dressed in a long brocade robe with cloud patterns, and the mutton-fat jade pendant at his waist jingled with his steps. At this moment, he was bowing his body into a full moon shape, and his round face was all wrinkled from smiling.

"Greetings to Young Master Jiang!"

Before Jiang Xingzhou could respond, the shopkeeper blurted out, "Since the birth of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan, our Jinling Prefecture has had an unwritten rule."

The Four Great Talents of Jiangnan, literary giants, never charged a penny for drinks and snacks in elegant places like restaurants, teahouses, pleasure boats, and singing stages!
If you are hosting a banquet with relatives and friends, all other guests' bills will be charged at 30% of the original price!

He rubbed his hands together, bent over even lower, and smiled broadly.

The title of "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan" is not just for show.

His reputation among the scholars of Jiangnan was like the rising tide of the spring river, and he had a very strong appeal.

Wherever they stopped, countless literati and scholars flocked to them.

The merchants of Jinling City had long ago calculated this matter thoroughly.

Not to mention that the popularity of the Four Great Talents alone could fill up any restaurant,

If the scholars were to compose poems in a restaurant and, in a moment of inspiration, write down one or two masterpieces of calligraphy on the spot, they would be even more fortunate!
The restaurant would definitely make a copy, and frame the poems and articles on the walls and beams in the most conspicuous places with exquisite scrolls, wishing they could even change their own signboard name!
From then on, this place became a must-visit scenic spot for literati and scholars.

Jiang Xingzhou's four poems and essays, which were renowned throughout the region, were written at a poetry gathering on a painted boat on the Qinhuai River. They have now all been copied and mounted as twelve-foot-long gold screens, attracting countless literati to spend money to see them.

Every day, scholars lined up, and students vied to host banquets.

The shopkeeper glanced at Jiang Xingzhou's expression and began to calculate in his mind: if he could leave behind half a poem today, he could have a golden signboard hanging in front of the shop tomorrow that read "Inscribed by Jiang Lang, the Number One Talent in Jiangnan".

Thinking of this, the smile on his face became even more enthusiastic.

"Is such a good thing possible?"

Lu Ming snapped his folding fan shut, his eyes wide with surprise. This saved him nearly half the money.

"The title of 'Jiangnan Talented Scholar' is more tangible than I imagined!"

The Xue brothers exchanged a glance, then suddenly slapped the table and burst into laughter: "Brilliant! From now on, when we go to the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River to listen to music, we must bring Brother Jiang along!"

"Exactly!"

Han Yugui winked mischievously, "We can't let this 'Jiangnan Talent' reputation go to waste."

Outside the window, the blazing sun hangs over the Qinhuai River, reflecting the shimmering waves like scattered gold.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the stairs.

A constable dressed in black robes hurried upstairs. After a quick glance around, he walked briskly toward Jiang Xingzhou, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Young Master Jiang, we've finally found you!"

He respectfully presented a gold-embossed invitation with both hands, saying, "Prefect Wei is hosting a banquet tonight at Duojing Tower in Jinling City, inviting a group of famous figures from Jiangnan. He specifically instructed that the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan, especially Young Master Jiang, be invited to the banquet."

Jiang Xingzhou was slightly taken aback. He took the invitation and his fingertips touched the gold foil pattern, feeling a surprisingly heavy weight on it.

The governor was a high-ranking official in charge of the Jiangnan region, and the banquets he hosted were reserved for powerful and influential figures, literary giants, and other prominent individuals.

The fact that they personally sent someone to deliver the invitation shows the great respect they are being shown.

After a moment's hesitation, he returned the greeting with a cupped hand and said gently, "Please inform Lord Wei that I will attend the banquet on time and will not dare to be negligent."

"Yes!"

The constable bowed in agreement, gave another salute, and then hurriedly left.

The scholars of Jiangzhou were all astonished upon hearing this, exchanging bewildered glances and asking, "What kind of grand feast is this?"

"The governor's banquet is of such high caliber that it is beyond the reach of ordinary scholars like us. Brother Jiang is the foremost of the four great talents of Jiangnan, and only he has received this honor."

Cao An laughed.

Jiang Xingzhou smiled calmly: "Please rest assured, everyone. When I return from the banquet, the outcome will be clear."

As dusk settles and the city lights begin to twinkle.

Jiang Xingzhou, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, arrived at Duojing Tower, the most famous building outside Jinling City.

The area in front of the building was bustling with carriages and horses, with long rows of sedan chairs covered in brocade and jewels. Amid the neighing of horses, the figures of powerful and wealthy people were everywhere—the heads of the twelve powerful families of Jinling, the wealthy salt merchants of Suzhou, the heads of various noble families, and even the commissioners of various prefectures in charge of canal transport and brocade, all came in droves.

"Brother Zhang! It's been a long time!"

"Brother Wang! It's been many years since we last met at the Hanlin Academy. You look even more energetic than before!"

The sounds of guests exchanging pleasantries filled the air in front of the building; amidst the elegant attire and graceful figures, they were all the most prominent people in Jiangnan.

Holding the gold invitation, Jiang Xingzhou climbed the steps and entered the Duojing Tower.

This building is built along the river, with its upturned eaves offering panoramic views of the river and sky.

Leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance, the twilight deepens, the river flows like a ribbon, and distant fishing lights twinkle, reflecting the sunset on the horizon, further highlighting the magnificent scenery of Nanjing.

He took his seat and immediately saw that Zhou Dunshi, the old scholar from Jiangnan Book Society, was already there.

Although Mr. Zhou is over sixty years old, he is still in good spirits and looks as elegant as ever in his blue robe. He is smiling as he looks at us.

Jiang Xingzhou straightened his sleeves slightly, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Greetings, Elder Zhou."

Zhou Dunshi stroked his beard and smiled, raising his hand to indicate: "Young Master Jiang, there's no need for such formalities. Please take a seat! We have many distinguished guests here today, and I'd like to introduce you to some of them."

Jiang Xingzhou bowed slightly and greeted the several scholars around him with clasped hands.

Looking around, the banquet was filled with dignitaries—successful candidates in green robes, scholars in scarlet robes, and several academicians dressed in Hanlin Academy robes, all seated among them.

His conversations and laughter exuded the air of a learned scholar, and his every gesture revealed the grandeur of a high-ranking official.

Jiang Xingzhou, dressed in a rather plain scholar's robe, was clearly among the very few at the Duojinglou banquet.

Only three scholars—Jiang Xingzhou, Xie Qihe, and Wang Moqing—among the "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan," were qualified to attend the banquet and ascend the Duojing Tower.

Another of the Four Great Talents, Gu Yong, held the rank of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination).

Whispers filled the room as the heads of various powerful families exchanged glances, all with puzzled expressions.

"This banquet has attracted hundreds of powerful clans and noble families from Jiangnan! Such a spectacle has not been seen in decades."

"What exactly is Lord Wei's purpose in doing this?"

A salt merchant covered his mouth with his sleeve and whispered to the head of a powerful family next to him;
The head of the powerful family held a fan and gently waved it, his gaze frequently drifting towards the main seat;
The transport commissioners of each prefecture looked solemn and secretly pondered the situation.

The crowd looked around and saw that the room was filled with people in red and purple robes, but no one knew the true purpose of this grand banquet.

The heads of the families couldn't help but ponder—for the high-ranking official of Jiangnan to mobilize such a large force, it must be no ordinary gathering.

As guests gradually arrived, the room was filled with radiance.

Suddenly, three gongs sounded outside the main hall of Duojing Tower, and a servant announced loudly: "Prefect Wei of Jiangnan Circuit and Education Commissioner Du have arrived—"

Two teams of yamen runners, carrying halberds, cleared the way.

Wei Guanlan, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, had a solemn face like an ancient pine tree standing on a cliff.
Du Jingchen wore a blue robe and a wide belt, yet a sharp edge was hidden between his brows and eyes.

The two walked with a brisk pace, followed closely by more than ten important officials from the government office, displaying an imposing and dignified presence.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Prefect! Your Excellency the Director of Education!"

Upon hearing this, all the distinguished guests rose to their feet, and hundreds of nobles bowed in unison.

As the brocade robe billowed, the jade pendants jingled.

Jiang Xingzhou bowed to the crowd, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a meaningful smile on the lips of the Provincial Education Commissioner, Lord Du, and glanced at him.

The two high-ranking officials went directly to the main seats, and the waiters quickly served tea and placed it on the golden nanmu wood table.

"Gentlemen, please be seated!"

With a flick of his wide sleeves, Wei Guanlan caused all those who had been standing solemnly to take their seats.

At this moment, the evening clouds hung low outside the building, and a ray of sunset pierced through the carved window, illuminating the main seat with a golden glow.

Wei Guanlan slowly rose, the gold thread on his purple robe shimmering faintly in the candlelight.

His gaze swept over the assembled guests, and he said in a deep voice, "Ladies and gentlemen." His voice brought the entire hall to a standstill.

Even the waiters held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

"Today I have gathered you all, the sages of Jiangnan, to discuss a matter of great importance concerning the military and the nation."

His brows furrowed even deeper as he rubbed the jade belt around his waist. “As you all know, the demon court’s Ao Li occupies the Taihu Lake Water Palace, and his tens of thousands of demon soldiers run rampant.”

A rustling sound suddenly filled the room.

"The people along the coast dare not cultivate the land, the fishermen have closed their nets, and trade has ceased. The prefects of various prefectures have jointly written petitions in blood, which have piled up on my desk."

Wei Guanlan's voice grew deeper, "I request the court to grant me permission to personally lead an army of 100,000 to conquer the demon court of Taihu Lake!"

The last four words resonated powerfully, lingering long afterward among the carved beams and painted rafters of Duojing Tower.

As soon as Wei Guanlan finished speaking, the entire room erupted in cheers.

"Your Excellency is wise! This evil scourge should have been eliminated long ago!"

A wealthy and powerful scholar, dressed in brocade robes and jade belt, suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, completely unaware that the wine in his cup had splashed onto his embroidered gold sleeves.

His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse: "Several months ago, my three cargo ships sank near Taihu Lake, and three thousand dan of millet were fed to the fish and shrimp!"

The room erupted in uproar.

"It's not just trade routes!"

Another white-haired old scholar, leaning on his cane, rose shakily, his withered fingers almost crushing the sandalwood cane. "My three thousand acres of fertile land in Jiaxing County have yielded nothing. It's all the work of those evil spirits!"

"Kill them! They deserve to die!"

Angry shouts rose and fell.

Jiang Xingzhou watched coldly as the heads of those usually reserved aristocratic families now all had ferocious expressions on their faces.

On the gilded candlestick, the candlelight flickered, stirred by the murderous aura of the crowd.

Wei Guanlan raised his hand and pressed down lightly. After the noise subsided, he said in a deep voice, "This governor wishes to raise an army to punish them! However, the deployment of 100,000 troops will consume a huge amount of resources, and the grain and provisions in the Jiangnan Circuit are insufficient."

At this banquet, I hope that all the heads of noble families will donate the military supplies and provisions needed for the expedition of 100,000 troops, contributing your modest efforts—after all, annihilating the Taihu Demon Court will benefit everyone!

In an instant, the entire assembly of powerful and wealthy families fell silent.

The twilight outside the window of the pavilion cast flickering light on the faces of the people inside the hall.

"what?"

"this!"

The faces of the assembled powerful family heads, still flushed with anger, had frozen into an awkward silence.

This Spring River Banquet actually requires them to pay for food and supplies?

Wei Guanlan's gaze slowly swept across the hall.

The wealthy merchant, who had just lamented the evil spirits, was now staring intently at his wine cup, as if the celadon porcelain held a lifeline.

The white-haired old man was stunned. His cane had slipped and fallen to the ground with a dull thud.

All the prominent families and gentry looked toward the Twelve Families of Jinling without prior agreement.

The twelve elderly men from the Jinling families, dressed in fine clothes, looked like clay or wooden sculptures, but their gazes were fixed on the two heads of the most powerful Wang and Xie clans—Hanlin Academician Wang Su and Hanlin Academician Xie Yuheng.

Wang Su, dressed in a plain robe and jade crown, lowered his eyes and looked down, while Xie Yuheng, dressed in black, remained silent.

The two of them remained silent, and the Twelve Families of Jinling did not express their opinions.

If the twelve families of Jinling don't take the lead, the other powerful families of the ten prefectures in Jiangnan will certainly not step forward either.

Xie Yuheng, the head of the Xie family, paused with his fingertips, causing ripples to spread across the rim of the jade cup.

When he looked up, there seemed to be a cold star in his eyes: "Your Excellency, the extermination of demons is a military matter of the imperial court, and the funds should be allocated by the Ministry of Revenue or the Jiangnan Treasury."

Instead of imposing heavy taxes and levies that would increase the burden on the people of the Great Zhou!
If we talk about apportionment
How can my small family and modest business possibly support an army of 100,000?!

Upon hearing this, Wei Guanlan couldn't help but sneer.

The Ministry of Revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty allocated grain and provisions.
Every year, the imperial court would withdraw a large amount of grain and provisions from the Jiangnan Circuit to compensate for the border wars in the northern region.

Could the imperial court possibly return the money and grain collected from the north to the Jiangnan region?
It’s impossible even if you think about it!

As for the treasury of Jiangnan Circuit, it had been completely devoured by some ravenous rats. Where did the grain and provisions of Jiangnan Circuit go? The twelve powerful families of Jinling present knew better than he did!
Otherwise, why would he have summoned the powerful clans of Jiangnan tonight?
“The Jiangnan government treasury is short of grain and salaries, and your families cannot afford to support much more.”

At this moment, Du Jingchen, the educational commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit, suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, the jade token in his sleeve jingling: "I have a solution that satisfies both sides, so as not to put you all in a difficult position—"

He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips.
"It would be better to establish a system based on civil service rank."

The lowest-ranking scholar (xiucai) took the lead in donating silver.

For every tael of silver donated by a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination), the amount donated by a Juren (a scholar who passed the provincial-level imperial examination) is five times that amount, and the amount donated by a Jinshi (a scholar who passed the highest-level imperial examination) is ten times that amount.

Is that too much to ask?

With this remark,
The tense shoulders and necks of everyone in the room suddenly relaxed.

Five times the number of scholars? That's certainly not an exaggeration!

The hundreds of family heads present couldn't help but look at Jiang Xingzhou, Xie Qihe, and Wang Moqing, the only three scholars. Jiang Xingzhou, a scholar from a poor family, was dressed in a thin blue robe, Xie Qihe, the young master of the Xie family, was playing with a gilded wine cup, and Wang Moqing was staring down at the gold-embossed invitation card for the "Spring River Banquet" on the table.

The three of them had only plain tea on their tables, which stood out conspicuously among all the fine wines and spirits.

"The Academician's idea is brilliant!"

"Then proceed with this to raise funds for the army's expenses!"

They immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Xingzhou, a scholar from a poor family, even though he had money, could not escape the stinginess typical of those from humble backgrounds, so his donations would certainly not be much.

No matter how much he donates, he can't possibly have more money and resources than the powerful families present.

Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing, both from the powerful Wang and Xie families of Jinling, knew their place and would certainly not donate too much!

Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing's eyes met briefly before looking away, each reflecting the other's slightly furrowed brows in their eyes.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting a faint glow on the mutton-fat jade pendant at Xie Qihe's waist.

You can't get out of here without paying tonight!

The autumn imperial examinations are just around the corner!
They dared not leave a bad impression on the governor and the education commissioner at this moment—otherwise, would they still want their positions as candidates for the imperial examinations?

However, we can't give out too much either.

The twelve families of Jinling are likely to suffer heavy losses, and they will surely be severely reprimanded by their grandfather when they return!

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, then suddenly smiled and said, "Brother Jiang is the foremost of the 'Four Great Talents of Jiangnan,' so why don't you go first?"

Before he finished speaking, Wang Moqing had already poured tea and pushed the celadon cup in front of Jiang Xingzhou, his face full of smiles: "Brother Xie's words are very kind. No matter how much grain Brother Jiang donates, we two will definitely follow suit."

The room fell silent.

Upon hearing this, everyone secretly praised him!
What a plan!
What a great move to turn retreat into advance!

Even if a poor scholar had a little money, it wouldn't be much. Even if he gave it all, it would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the sons of powerful families in Nanjing.

They invested the same amount as Jiang Xingzhou, so that others could not criticize them.

This way, one can maintain appearances and silence public criticism.

"Boom!"

Jiang Xingzhou slammed his teacup down on the table, shattering the carefully laid plans in the room.

The ripples of the tea reflected the untouched delicacies on the twelve rosewood tables.

The lights in the hall illuminated the fleeting, cold smile on his gaunt face.

Jiang Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, then reached into his sleeve and rummaged around. A look of embarrassment crossed his face. He stood up and bowed to Du Jingchen, the provincial education commissioner.

"Master Xuetai!
To my shame, I have lived in the Xue family since I was a child and have relied on their support. I have never gone out to earn a living and have very little money. I have no income, and my daily expenses for studying and buying various books are also quite high.

He had only forty or fifty taels of silver left in his purse, which was the tuition money given to him by Madam Xue before he came to Jinling from Jiangzhou. It was hardly something he could offer!

Immediately, the assembled nobles and gentry burst into laughter, completely relieved.

Would Jiang Xingzhou be short of money?

They don't believe it!
Even a small fee for polishing someone else's writing can amount to a considerable sum.

However, this poor scholar from Jiangzhou Prefecture was indeed stingy, unwilling to even take out a few dozen taels of silver.

Even if they donate tens of taels, they only need to add five or ten times that amount.

They have at least given an explanation to the Grand Secretary and the Governor!

(End of this chapter)