Cross the Sea in the Red Chamber

Of the one hundred examination papers, the emperor obviously couldn't let the emperor read each one by himself. The so-called palace examination also required the examiners to mark the papers first.There are eight readers, each with a table, and they are circulated in rotation.After reading the volumes, make a mark representing the grade on the volumes, draw a circle for the highest grade, and a cross for the lowest grade. After reading all the volumes, submit the ten volumes with the most circles to the emperor, and then the emperor will Delineate the ranking.

Even the emperor was taken aback when he saw Jiang Yuan's paper, why is it so thick?

Looking again, eight circles were drawn on the paper, and the eight readers all thought the paper was excellent, so the emperor was interested.After reading it carefully, the emperor couldn't help but applaud, "Good!"

Such a topic of water conservancy has been debated in the court for a long time, so he casually put it in the palace examination as a topic, and didn't take it seriously at all. How can a student who has never been an official have any ideas, and it turns out that he really came up with such a good article.According to this article, the problem of passing through the mountains can be solved, and the loess can be prevented from collapsing when it encounters water. Moreover, this article also writes how to raise funds and how to supervise them. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to build such facilities at any time.

The emperor smiled and gave instructions with a red pen, and the examiner who was waiting next to him knew after reading that the paper belonged to Xinke Zhuangyuan Lang.All the rankings have been determined, the examiner unsealed the seal, and the number one scholar's paper was written - "Jiangyuan, Chengdu, Sichuan"!

The number one scholar, wearing three nine-leaf golden flowers on his head, straddled his horse and paraded through the streets, attracting the attention of thousands of people.Riding on a white horse, Jiang Yuan finally understood what it means to be an empty alley, and what it means to be a sensation in the city.

In the Tang Dynasty, Mengjiao failed the imperial examinations twice, and only won the Jinshi at the age of 46. He wrote a poem "After Enrollment" in a frantic manner. , See all Chang'an flowers in one day.

What kind of scene does a 46-year-old person feel when he sees it?Jiang Yuan knows now.The modern champions in provinces and cities are just interviewed by a few TV stations, how can we see such eye-catching scenes.

The second place Tang Ming was an old man in his fifties, and Tanhua was Fang Han. The three of them rode a white horse around the entire Forty-Nine City, and the crowd gradually dispersed.Tang Mingjiu is not intoxicating, everyone is intoxicated, although he is uncomfortable from being padded by the horse, but he is smiling.Fang Han was even more happy. He thought that he would become a second-class Jinshi after taking the thirteenth place in the exam. Maybe he would go to a remote place to be a county magistrate. He didn't expect that if he was selected as a candidate for the palace exam, he would be able to stay in Beijing for a job. So that his mother would not worry about him.

After parading, he greeted Fang Han before Jiang Yuan returned home.We all know that he might be tired from straddling the horse all day long, hot water has been prepared for him to take a bath at home, and after changing his clothes, some food that suits his appetite has already been set on the table.Jiang Yuan didn't drink much on weekdays, so today he only asked Li Da to take a pot of Lihuabai to drink slowly.The news that he became the No. [-] Scholar has already spread throughout the mansion, and the servants have also received silver rewards, and they are all cheering loudly. He is too lazy to restrain him. At this time, there is no talk of Qionglin Banquet, so let's drink toast in this lively atmosphere. The drinks are also good, Jiang Yuan smiled slightly, father, mother, the child has finally come to the end of all hardships...

The Jing Dynasty was more humane. Xinke Scholars had a half-month vacation, so that they could return to their hometowns, and those whose families were far away could also take advantage of the time to celebrate with relatives and friends.

Jiang Yuan and Tongnian drank a few times, went back to the academy to visit the teacher, and went to Wenshu Temple to pay homage to their parents, and then they were free.Thinking that he hadn't had a good time shopping in the streets of the capital for so many years, he took Qing Lian to go shopping together.

It was inevitable to be tired from walking around, so Jiang Yuan walked into an antique shop to rest.The clerks in the shop saw that he was dressed in common clothes and didn't look at the antiques carefully, thinking that he was a poor scholar and ignored him, Jiang Yuan was happy and quiet.At this moment, he heard someone call him, "Brother Jiang." Jiang Yuan looked back, he really knew this person, it was the young man he had rescued that fell into the mountain gorge.

Seeing him turn his head and look over, the young man smiled and said, "Brother Jiang, long time no see, I owe you my congratulations."

Being able to call out his first and last name at once, and knowing his identity as the number one scholar, this person in front of him is really not simple.Jiang Yuan raised the corner of his mouth, "This brother, it's been a long time."

Situ Sheng pointed to the antiques on the shelves on both sides, "Brother Jiang has something to like, so I'll buy it as a congratulatory gift for Brother Jiang."

As soon as the guy saw the business coming, he immediately trotted forward to introduce him. How enthusiastic he was, how could he see the indifference just now. "My lord, look at this, this is the official kiln porcelain from the previous dynasty..."

He was interrupted by Jiang Yuan before finishing his sentence, "From the previous dynasty? The glaze is loose and soft, how can it be as dense and hard as the previous dynasty? The inscription is even worse, and the decoration of the tangled lotus is even more impossible. This kind of pattern has only been out for less than 30 years, and there was no such thing in the previous dynasty. Just such a cheap bottle is worth a hundred dollars at most, and it still depends on the size of the bottle."

As soon as the guy heard this, he knew that this person was an expert in porcelain, so he quickly unfolded another painting, "Look at this painting again, this is the authentic work of Chen Hanqing, "Moon at Guanshan"..."

"If you want to talk about this painting, it's not bad." Jiang Yuan took a look, and when he said this, the guy immediately smiled, and who knew that the next sentence hit his smile on the ground, "I think it was imitated by an expert." .”

"This, this is the real work, why, how could it be a fake?!" The man quickly quibbled.

"Look." Jiang Yuan pointed to the place where the signature was signed, "It says that Ding Weinian was written in Jiangdong. He was [-] years old in Guangping, but he died [-] years ago. Do you think this was painted by him when he was [-] years old, or after his death? Will Chen Hanqing still cheat on corpses?"

He pointed to the signature again, "The most common thing a person writes is his first and last name. The name signed here is written with hesitation and hesitation. It takes two cups of tea to turn the pen. What do you think? Who would sign it like that? He even said it wasn't a copy!"

The clerk was also convinced, and could only take out a cloth bag from behind the counter. After opening it, there was a paperweight made of white jade. "Sir," he didn't dare to stop calling you young master, and only begged him to be merciful, "Look at this thing, I dare not deceive you, it is definitely an ancient relic from the previous dynasty."

"Oh?" Seeing what Jiang Yuan said was interesting, Situ Sheng took the paperweight and looked at it carefully. Anyway, he didn't see anything wrong.Looking back, a Kuilong looks back. There is also a small dragon on the back of the dragon. This is called Canglong Jiaozi. It is a very common subject of jade carving.

"Well, at least you didn't lie this time. This is indeed the paperweight of the Canglong teacher of Baiyu in the previous dynasty." Jiang Yuan looked at it, "It's a pity..." This sentence almost didn't scare the guy. Is there something wrong? "Look at the ooze on it, it's a sign from the tomb. It's a good thing, but it's a pity that it's buried with the dead. It's too unlucky. You can keep it for yourself."

When he heard that it came out of the tomb, the corners of Situ Sheng's mouth twitched, but he still put the thing down.Seeing the guy's tongue-tied expression, he knew that Jiang Yuan was right again, amazing, really amazing... "Brother Jiang, my mother's birthday is approaching, so I want to choose something as a congratulatory gift, I wonder if Brother Jiang can help Zhang Changyan? "

Jiang Yuan thought for a while and smiled, "Okay, then come with me to the Yuquan Zhai on the street." Then he took Qinglian and walked out the door.

Situ Sheng followed with his entourage, and asked inexplicably, "Since the shop facing the street is better, why did Brother Jiang choose to go into this shop?"

Jiang Yuan didn't care, and said casually: "Oh, although Yuquanzhai's food is good, but the tea and snacks are too bad, if you want to find a place to rest, of course that's the one just now."

This answer...Situ Sheng was amused, and followed Jiang Yuan into Yuquanzhai.

After looking at a few antiques, Jiang Yuan pointed to a painting of a cat fluttering a butterfly and asked Situ Sheng to buy it. The young man knew little about these antiques, so he ordered his attendants to pay for it as soon as he heard Jiang Yuan's words.A picture scroll is only more than 100 taels of silver, which is not too expensive.

After leaving the shop and sitting in the private room of the teahouse, Jiang Yuan said: "It's dangerous, but I picked up a big leak."

"How do you say that?" Situ Sheng asked, he really couldn't see anything special about that painting.

Jiang Yuan ordered Qinglian to unfold the scroll, and pointed to the name on the inscription, "It says on it that it was given to Layman Shuyu. Few people have heard of Layman Shuyu, but if it is said to be given to the people of Qingshi Mountain Then you will know."

"He Zhaolin?" He Zhaolin from Qingshi Mountain was a great poet of the previous dynasty, and Situ Sheng had naturally heard of it.

"He Zhaolin began to believe in Buddhism after the age of 60, so she changed her name to Shuyu Jushi. At that time, he basically didn't write poems, and he didn't publish a collection of poems, so few people knew about his name. I also read a single copy. I only know about it from ancient books." Jiang Yuan pointed to the next inscription again, "This inscription is inscribed with Chai Yutang, Yutang is Chai Zhao's character, and this painting was painted by Chai Zhao."

"Chai Zhao? Isn't Chai Zhao's signature always under his name Zhongnan Sanren?" Situ Sheng still knows Chai Zhao quite well, and this master's paintings can be said to be priceless, and they are the most famous paintings and calligraphy in the previous dynasty Everyone, a painting needs at least 1000 taels of gold.

"That also depends on who he gave it to." Jiang Yuan said: "He Zhaolin is Chai Zhao's benefactor. Back then, Chai Zhao's family was living in poverty. They used to live in He Zhaolin's house for nine years. He didn’t leave He Zhaolin’s home until he was promoted as a doctor, and it was He Zhaolin who gave him money so that he could buy a house in Beijing. It’s not formal enough to give the painting to his benefactor even if it is named Zhongnan Sanren, so he left the words Yutang, it means that he is a junior, and he worshiped his benefactor. Calculating the time, He Zhaolin received this painting on his [-]th birthday, which makes sense."

Jiang Yuan pointed to the butterflies and cats on the screen with his fingers, "The butterfly cats are meticulously drawn with fine brushwork, and they are clever inside. Looking at the freehand rocks behind this, there are only a few strokes but they have their own style. The boss has no vision. The fake painting was sold for only 100 taels. This is the authentic work of Chai Zhao, even 1000 taels of gold may not be able to buy it. The cat butterfly is an old man, which is a good implication. Both He Zhaolin and Chai Zhao have a long life. He Zhaolin lived to be 92 years old, and Chai Zhao is even a centenarian. Isn’t it a rare treasure that a long-lived person give another long-lived person a painting representing longevity? It’s the best gift for birthday celebrations.”

Situ Sheng hurriedly asked people to put away the scroll, the real one by Chai Zhao?So how big of a loophole did he have to pick? 1000 taels of yellow... Without Jiang Yuan, how could he see these ways...

"Thank you, Brother Jiang." Situ Sheng picked up the teacup, "I'll thank you with tea instead of wine."

Jiang Yuan picked up the teacup and drank it down, "I don't dare to be the third prince, thank you."

As soon as these words came out, Situ Sheng was shocked, but he quickly relaxed. He believed that Jiang Yuan would never harm him with the other party's character, "But I don't know where I missed a loophole."

Jiang Yuan stood up and gave a salute before sitting down with a smile. He filled the teacups for both Situ Sheng and himself, "Your Highness did not show any flaws, but unfortunately your attendant couldn't cover it up. Although he didn't speak all the way, he When I looked up, I saw that he didn't have an Adam's apple. The servant is a servant, so who is the master? There are not many princes and grandchildren of this age, so I was fooled."

Situ Cheng smiled wryly, what a fool, he, the third prince, was not the only one who was almost killed in the mountains by the prince Wang Sunzhong, but couldn't make any waves. "Sure enough, he is the number one scholar of the Sanyuan Jidi. He really knows the details."

Jiang Yuan toasted each other, "I don't know how much offended His Highness was in person that day. Jiang Yuan has always admired His Highness's character, and seeing him today is enough to comfort his whole life." He bowed to offer tea, but Situ Sheng was at a loss. Jiang Yuan admired him very much, which was beyond his expectation.

"His Royal Highness acts to relieve the worries of the people, answers the difficulties of the people, not for fame and fortune, not for himself, and takes personal risks to bear the burden of hard work, and the officials admire him very much." Jiang Yuan said with clear eyes: "Three years ago, the Yellow River broke its embankment, Thousands of miles away, His Highness went to the dikes and dams without hesitation, eliminated profiteers, opened granaries, and saved the lives of thousands of people. On behalf of the people of the world, Jiang Yuan thanked His Highness for his kindness."

Jiang Yuan sincerely thanked the Third Highness. Opening a granary privately is a great sin, not to mention that the profiteer he beheaded was the younger brother of the concubine of King Nanan. At that time, the emperor was furious and Situ Sheng was almost condemned. Spontaneously going to the capital to ask for help, he was exonerated, and Situ Sheng was convicted of treachery and loyalty, otherwise, this Highness would be in his twenties, why would he still not have an official position as a prince?Situ Sheng is willing to gamble with his own future to save the people in the disaster-stricken area. If it is nonsense to say that he is fishing for fame, this man is definitely a true man of benevolence.