surnamed Wang

Chapter 284 Entering Beijing
On the official road on the west side of the capital, an old man was leading a donkey. To say that he is an old man is actually a little too much. The man is only in his early fifties. However, the demeanor he exudes is far more noble than that of the country people.

When he was less than a hundred steps away from the city gate, the man stood still and looked up at the word "Wangjing" on the gate tower.

Wangjing is not the name of the capital, but a reminder to those who leave Beijing to look back at the capital.

Throughout the ages, many officials who have been demoted from Beijing are good at writing a few poems about "climbing high and looking at Beijing". Eyes, so as not to hurt the spring and autumn in the future.

I don't know who came up with this idea, when Wang Bingquan left Beijing, when he saw the plaque on the gate tower, he couldn't help admiring this person's bad taste.

……

The middle-aged man leading the donkey looked up at the plaque for a while, then withdrew his eyes and planned to continue on his way. Unexpectedly, as soon as he took a step, his sleeves were "pulled" and caught.

The man turned his head helplessly, looked at the donkey behind him biting his sleeve, and said with a wry smile:
"You, you, you really are a lazy donkey who grinds a lot of shit and urine."

After speaking, he took out a handful of buckwheat from the donkey's sack and put it in his hand to feed the animal that had accompanied him all the way.

He has indeed come all the way. The donkey next to him probably was the young master of a certain rich family in his previous life. He is used to living a good life. Running to the next door to find the little female donkey, he lived a more nourishing life than ordinary people.

If it wasn't for the rich family of the man, and these few bags of fodder, I'm afraid this lazy donkey would have been dragged to the back kitchen to make donkey offal soup...

The donkey snorted cheerfully after eating the food, and walked forward with its head raised first. Seeing this, the man smiled and shook his head, and was led by the donkey towards the city.

When he came to the city, the man looked at this and that for a while, as if there was an endless scene. At this time, a clerk of a restaurant touting business noticed him, and hurried forward and said:
"Hey, sir, this is the first time to visit the capital? Our Wangyue Tower is the best restaurant in the whole capital. The food is delicious and the price is reasonable. Would you like to come in and have a look?"

The man smiled when he heard the words, and thought that the No. [-] restaurant in the capital is not the Yanque Tower, but he didn't point it out, and directly handed over the reins to the other party and said:

"One upper room, the food and drinks are up to you, and this donkey..."

"My little one understands that donkey meat is a must in our restaurant. I didn't expect that you are an expert, and you brought the ingredients yourself. Not to mention, this donkey is really well-raised, with this fur."

The donkey on the side was quite spiritual, perhaps understood the words of the shop waiter, the eyes of the two donkeys were wide open, and they were about to bite each other when they opened their mouths.

The waiter was so frightened that he almost threw the rein in his hand.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man stretched out his hand to appease the donkey, and said:

"It's not for food, you help me take care of it, three meals a day, the money is indispensable to you."

After finishing speaking, he stuffed a piece of broken silver into the opponent's hand.

Seeing this, the waiter immediately smiled, and as long as he had enough money, he would be able to offer the donkey as an ancestor.

"Don't worry, I won't take it with me if I don't eat it, please come inside."

After making a "please" gesture, the waiter led the donkey and walked to the backyard.

……

The capital is brightly lit at night, and the influx of foreign students in recent days has made the already bustling streets even more lively. Not to mention people coming and going on the streets, even restaurants and teahouses and nearby brothels are also crowded. A scholar in a long gown.

At this time when the most money should be made, many big restaurants just do the opposite, not only reducing the room and meal costs, but also providing free drinks, but this wine is not free, you need to leave a decent picture. calligraphy.

You know, once these scholars jump over the dragon's gate and become prosperous, they can't ask for it. If they are lucky enough to get the authentic work of a future top three, it is not too much to be a treasure of the town store.

Now, just a piece of calligraphy and painting of the county magistrate outside has already been sold for 50 taels. If that person happens to write good characters and write good words, then hundreds of taels will not be able to beat it.

Other officials of the fourth and fifth ranks, such as Futai Minister, are even more difficult to find even if they have money.

In the dynasty, knowledge was valuable, and official rank was even more valuable.

These inns and restaurants worked hard enough, but those Fengyue Goulan worked harder than them.

Those girls, whether they were sold into Jiaofang since they were young, or they were willing to step into the brothel, without exception, all want to find a good husband with both talent and official luck.

This is not some idiot's dream. More than ten years ago, there was a tepid kiln sister who gave up a dozen taels of silver to a down-and-out scholar because she saw that she was pitiful. In one year, he carried eight sedan chairs to marry this firework girl.

Later, the woman gave birth to two sons and a daughter for him, and the family of four enjoyed themselves happily, making others envious.

Afterwards, people began to follow suit. Once they met talented scholars, not only did they not earn any money, but they also paid dozens of taels back. Those girls who were slightly less beautiful would never refuse to come, even if the articles were nonsense. Ton of wine.

Throwing a handful of copper coins can always hit a few people.

Among them, there were blind cats who ran into dead mice. Even if they were not married home by eight sedan chairs, they were carried back by a small sedan chair and became concubines.

With the lessons learned from the past, more and more people gradually began to imitate, and finally formed a trend.Even later, many ruffians in central Beijing also learned to buy long gowns. Every time they met Enke, they would dress like dogs and go to the brothel to eat and drink. Even the fair-looking ones could be kept overnight.

Of course, if they are found out, the consequences will be disastrous. Generally, the legs will be broken and thrown out, but which leg to break depends on the mood of the brothel.

Therefore, those who join the hooligan circle in the capital can more or less open their mouths and recite a few lines of famous poems, which is not found elsewhere, and it can be regarded as a major local feature.

……

The middle-aged man was probably bored in the room, so he came to the backyard of the restaurant, unexpectedly, he happened to meet the waiter during the day here.

The waiter in the shop is also a kind person, he took the customer's money, and did not neglect the donkey who almost gave him a mouthful during the day, not only filled the ground with hay in the trough, but also took a radish from somewhere, he took a mouthful, Take a bite from the donkey and eat with gusto.

Seeing the middle-aged man, the waiter immediately greeted him:
"Guest officer, why did you come here? This place is full of livestock, and the smell is very strong."

The man smiled and said:
"I used to spend a lot of time in the cattle and sheep sheds. I'm used to it. By the way, is there any place for recreation around here?"

When a man asks this question, it is probably not a decent place. There are wine and food in the restaurant, and the only thing missing is a girl.

When the waiter heard what the other party said, he knew it right away. He showed a smile that men could understand and said:

"My lord, if you want to say that the best place around here is Tongque Tower, every girl there can pinch water.

If you like older ones, it doesn't matter. I know Mama Chen in Tongque Tower very well. Don't look at her old and decrepit, but her waist... tsk tsk. "

When the waiter in the shop talked about Mama Chen, his eyes lit up unconsciously, as if that old lady who was over fifty years old was more in line with his taste.

The middle-aged man just laughed at the salesman's hard work. Almost every brothel buys a few guys from the inn to help them attract business. Under the advocacy of these people, many ordinary-looking girls are even more famous than the oirans. ring.

"Okay, let's go to Tongque Tower, but mother Chen still forget it, just find me some young ladies."

"Got it!"

The waiter threw the rest of the radish butts to the donkey, while he led the man out. The two of them walked through the streets and alleys. Where there are the most high-ranking officials, even the Goulan girls stay overnight to catch up with the scholar exams.

The man was over half a century old, and he was dressed in bunt clothes. He didn't look like a scholar who took the scientific examination. Even if he was a scholar, he didn't reach the age, and he probably had no hope in his life.

Although the waiter in the shop has never read a book, he also knows that reading requires a talent. He has no talent himself, so he can't be a master who orders others, but can only be a buddy who is ordered by others. This is fate.

The two circled around eight times, and suddenly they saw a big river in front of them, and there were many boats and boats beside the river. Among them, the business was the most prosperous, with the words "Tongque Tower" written on the plaque.

The shop waiter led the man into the door with ease, and the sharp-eyed mother Chen saw it at a glance, and immediately twisted her waist to meet him.

"Mother Chen, find two young actors who can play music for this uncle." Xiao Er said.

Chen's mother immediately smiled when she heard the words, "Guest officer upstairs, please, Lamei, come out to pick up the guests."

After the girl named Lamei brought the middle-aged man upstairs, Mother Chen turned her head to look at the waiter who was smiling all over her face.

"Damn, take it." Mother Chen said, handing over a piece of broken silver.

"This... is too much."

The shop waiter looked at the money in the other party's hand, but did not reach out to take it.

"Here, go back and buy some decent clothes. Don't dress up like this next time."

Xiaoer was taken aback when he heard the words, and then he showed joy, "Okay!"

……

Enke is just around the corner, even a place with fireworks like the Tongque Tower is crowded with scholars from all over the world.

Some of them with literary faces and fair faces were taken back to the room by the girls in the building long ago, and those who were left in the lobby were either slightly inferior in appearance or lacking in talent and learning, in short, they were picked out by others.

One of the tables was like this. There were all kinds of crooked melons and dates. A ruffian man on the table said first:

"In the past years, I would spend dozens of taels of silver in my pocket before I left, but this year, for some reason, there are especially many people here. Even serious scholars like you have no chance to go. building."

"That's right, I'm a well-known local talent in Donglu. These girls are so ignorant, they just know how to pick good-looking ones and bring them to the house. Isn't it the same when the lights are turned off?" A tall and thick man echoed.

"No, you need to know that the more you look at a beauty under the lamp, the more energetic you are. There is no distinction between men and women in this beauty." Another long-faced scholar shook his folding fan coquettishly.

The ruffian said angrily: "When I get rich, I must marry seven beauties who are as beautiful as flowers and jade."

Unexpectedly, when he opened his mouth, the rest of the people burst into laughter, and one of them joked:

"Wang Gui, you come here to drink flower wine, does your cook know?"

The man named Wang Gui still had a rascal face, and said without shame:
"Woman Jiajia, what dare she say?"

"I've heard that the guy in your family knows martial arts. You peeked at the widow taking a bath in the first meeting, and you were disarmed when you went back." Another companion said directly.

"Come out to drink to have fun, don't talk about those bad things." The ruffian hurriedly laughed, "It's fate to meet each other. Tomorrow, my brother and I will have a big exam. I invite you to eat today, and you will be successful in another day. Don't forget Brother, I'll do it, come on, let's go!"

Most of the righteous people are dog slaughterers, and Wang Gui, who is a ruffian, is extraordinarily generous to these few scholars he just met.

Several non-local scholars were eating and drinking other people's food these days, so they were naturally embarrassed to refuse. They raised their glasses of wine one after another, and said words like "never forget each other", but they still looked down on this brothel-born man in their hearts. kid.

Wang Gui was originally called Xiao Guizi, and he grew up in Zuixinglou. He liked to read but had no chance to read. Later, Zuixinglou closed and he got some compensation. He wanted to concentrate on studying, but he was too old and his talent was limited. , and finally can only let it go.

Xiao Guizi never knew who his biological father was, and his mother was unwilling to tell. It was not until recently that under his persuasion, did he reveal that Yue Mo's surname was Wang. As for the others, he couldn't ask any more.

Compared with the bustling downstairs, the private room upstairs is much quieter.The two young ladies pointed out that the sound of the piano was quite pleasant, and the man who was over fifty years old and still not old-hearted was sitting quietly by the window, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of the piano.

Suddenly there was a sound of orderly footsteps downstairs, Qingling stopped her movements when she heard the sound, and the sound of the piano also stopped abruptly, the middle-aged man opened his eyes, stood up calmly, and then appeared in Qingling's puzzled eyes. room.

……

Suddenly a large number of officers and soldiers came downstairs, no doubt they were Jing Hu Wei in their attire.

Ms. Chen was quite able to talk in Tongque Tower. Seeing that the leader of the team was an old acquaintance, she hurriedly greeted her and said:
"Hey, what is the military master doing here?"

As he spoke, he conveniently slipped a piece of silver in a place where no one else could see it. Unexpectedly, the general, who had to use two handfuls of oil every time he met, was surprisingly "unselfish" today, and pushed the old lady in front of him away. Opened the mouth and said:

"Search!"

Mother Chen was unprepared, and was pushed to a stagger. If the waiter at the side of the shop hadn't been quick to support her, she might have fallen to the ground.

At this moment, a majestic voice came from the second floor: "No need."

A man in coarse linen came down the stairs.

The general was taken aback when he saw this, then he cupped his fists and said in a deep voice:
"Prince Pan, Your Majesty has a request."

The person in front of him is the only king with a different surname in the previous dynasty, Anbei King Pan Yuanzheng.

Pan Yuanzheng nodded, looked around, and then came to the waiter who was supporting Chen's mother, handed over a bank note and said:
"Help me take care of the donkey. If a young man surnamed Pan comes looking for it in the future, you will hand it over to him."

After finishing speaking, he followed Jing Huwei out of the gate.

The shop clerk was dazed with the bank note in his hand, and he didn't expect that this humble old man was actually the current prince after killing him.

Surname Pan?Could it be that Prince Pan who was demoted from Beijing?

The shop clerk was not stupid, so he guessed right away. He lowered his head and looked at the bank note in his hand. It was 100 taels. Well, now he really has to offer the donkey as his ancestor.

……

Everyone in the lobby was also a little dazed, Wang Gui was the closest and could hear the most clearly.

Seeing these Beijing guards flaunting their might, he swore secretly that he would definitely become a high official in the future.

……

(End of this chapter)