Aspirations

Chapter 79 Going to the Three Treasures Hall

Ma Zhanguo was so angry that he locked the handle of the knife tightly, wishing to cut off Fu Ke's dog's head with one blow. He has served as a county lieutenant for many years, and he has seen many thieves, but he has never seen someone as crazy as Fu Ke.If it's normal, if you hit the [-]th killing stick, you can call Fu Ke to be honest, and don't dare to be arrogant anymore.

Unexpectedly, what stunned everyone was that Xia Xiang's face relaxed, and he said with a smile: "Captain Ding, remove the shackles for Fu Ke."

"County, county lord?" Ding Ke thought he heard it wrong, and stood on the spot in astonishment, "Fu Ke is about to commit a crime."

"Hurry up and get rid of the shackles!" Xia Xiang's face darkened, showing impatience, "Why, can you not listen to my orders?"

"Don't dare, my subordinates don't dare." Ding Ke didn't dare to neglect, and hurriedly took off Fu Ke's shackles.Although he didn't dare, he was still a little puzzled, and secretly exchanged glances with Ma Zhanguo.

Ma Zhanguo remained calm, made a wrong step, and stood on top of Fu Ke, in case Fu Ke made any changes.Seeing this, Ding Ke took a step forward and stood at Fu Ke's lower head, forming a flanking attack with Ma Zhanguo.

Xia Xiang noticed the tacit understanding between the two, and nodded slightly. High skill, boldness and carefulness are the necessary qualities for a fast catcher.Just this one action can be concluded that Ma Zhanguo and Ding Ke can be of great use.

"Xia Xianzun is really a hero, and those who know current affairs are heroes." Fu Ke happily stretched his wrists a few times, looked back, sat down on Ma Zhanguo's seat, and said carelessly, "From Shile to Zhending, Didn't even take a sip of tea, does Zhending know how to treat guests?"

"Serve tea." Xia Xiang responded to every request and ordered, "Serve good tea."

Wang Xianke and Wang Sunshi glanced at each other, they were both stunned, why did Fu Ke become the guest of Xia Xianzun in a blink of an eye?If things go on like this, not to mention that Fu Ke can be sent to jail, maybe Fu Ke can walk out of the Zhending County Office swaggeringly, and they will be killed by Fu Ke in the street as soon as they leave the county office...

Dong Duan also couldn't believe his eyes, why did Xia Xianzun treat Fu Ke so viciously?Could it be that the majestic county official is also afraid of a rascal?
Even Xu Heguang couldn't figure out what Xia Xianzun's intentions were. Before, it seemed that he wanted to blackmail Dong for a fortune, but now he was so good at dealing with Ke, he couldn't help being confused. What exactly Xia Xianzun wanted to do?

Xia Xiang ignored everyone's puzzled eyes, sat on top of Fu Ke, picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea: "Fu Ke, what is the difference between Zhending water and Shile water?"

Fu Ke picked up the teacup and drank it down. How could he taste the difference between water and water? He wiped his mouth and said, "It's all the same water, what's the difference? Xia Xianzun, I'm a big boss, I don't understand these things. Now I also drank the tea and asked questions, should I be released back to Shile? Shile still has a lot of things waiting for me to go back, so there should be no delay."

"No hurry, no hurry." Xia Xiang gently put down his teacup, looked up at Fu Ke, "Zhending is adjacent to Shile, and they are both plains. It is a place of water and soil, whether it is Zhending River or The well water in Shile is no different. I am wondering why Dong Xian and Ma Xiaosan and his wife have to travel fifty or sixty miles overnight and insist on coming Is it true that the Hutuo River committed suicide by throwing itself into the river? Fu Ke, you are well-informed, and in your opinion, have Dong Xian and Ma Xiaosan lost their minds?"

Fu Ke reached out to pick up the teacup, and put it back again. Although he concealed it skillfully, Xia Xiang still noticed a flash of panic in his eyes.The movement of picking up the teacup and putting it down again was just to cover up his panic.

"Hui Xianzun, I don't know Dong Xian very well, nor do I know Ma Xiaosan and his wife. I don't know if they are insane." Fu Ke picked up his teacup again, and shouted at Jiang Xiaoqi, the yamen servant. , "Please have another drink, I'm dying of thirst."

Taking another gulp of Chinese tea, Fu Ke rubbed his hands, changed the topic and said, "Xia Xianzun, when will you let me go back to Shile?"

"When the time is right." Xia Xiang smiled slightly, and stopped asking about Dong Xian's case. As soon as he got up, a yamen servant came in to report.

"Xia Xianzun, Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan are asking to see you."

The yamen servant respectfully handed over two greeting cards.

Xia Xiang took the greeting card and was stunned. Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan are the two most famous wealthy businessmen in Zhending. Xu Wangshan is in the east of the city, and the mountains and mountains are connected by gold, which means that Xu Wangshan is as rich as a mountain.Ma Qingyuan in the south of the city, Ma Pingchuan, means that Ma Qingyuan's family has a thousand pieces of fertile land.The two are different from ordinary merchants. They are not only giant merchants, but also heirs of poems and books. Although they are not high-ranking families like the four great families, they can be regarded as aristocratic families in the Zhending area.In addition, someone in the family is an official in the court, both powerful and rich, it can be said to be rich and prosperous, and the scenery is incomparable.

Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan came to visit him when he first took office, which was considered as a way to save face. Given their status, he should be the one who took the initiative to visit.It has always been said that if a county magistrate wants to manage a county well, he must first make good friends with the local gentry, aristocratic families, and famous people.

After all, the county magistrate is new here and doesn't know how deep it is, and the local gentry, aristocratic families, and famous people have all been operating in the local area for many years, with deep roots, and there are people with sophistication, so the county magistrate has a lot to rely on.

Xu Heguang was also taken aback. Hao Haiji, the former county magistrate, had been in office for more than a month, not to mention Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan came to the door to ask for a meeting.It was not until half a year after Hao Haiji took office that Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan invited Hao Haiji to meet at Linzhong Tea House.

Meeting in the teahouse instead of in the mansion, it can be seen that Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan do not approve of Hao Haiji.After that, during Hao Haiji's three-year tenure, Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan maintained a close relationship with Hao Haiji. In addition, it is not a bad thing to help Hao Haiji in other matters, but it is also peaceful.

Xia Xiang had only been here for a day, but Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan visited at the same time, and solemnly handed over a greeting card. How could they value Xia Xiang so much?The shock in Xu Heguang's heart was unparalleled. Could it be that Xia Xiang really had some mysterious origin?No, everyone knows that Xia Xiang offended the Third Prince. Looking at Da Xia, who else is more powerful than the Third Prince?Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan were not fools, they dared to approach Xia Xiang at the risk of offending the Third Prince, they must have something to rely on and some ideas.

Xu Heguang couldn't figure it out, Xia Xiang was also at a loss, but he was just a guest at the door, so he hurriedly ordered: "Xu Xiancheng, you go to meet Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan on my behalf. Ma Xianwei, send Dong Duan and Wang Xianke , Wang Sun took him back to the inn. Ding arrested the head and escorted Fu Ke back to his cell."

"Yes." The three took orders one by one.

Fu Ke quit: "Xia Xianzun, didn't you say you can let me go back to Shile, why do you want to go back? No, I want to go home."

Xia Xiang smiled coldly: "Put on the shackles and lock them up!"

Under the puzzled eyes of everyone, Ding Ke put the shackles back on Fu Ke's head with all his strength, and pulled Fu Ke away with all his strength.Fu Ke was furious, and jumped up and said, "Xia Xianzun, you contradict what you say, and you don't mean what you say..."

Xia Xiang smiled and said nothing, so he ignored Fu Ke, and he didn't personally promise Fu Ke to let him go back. Fu Ke was too self-righteous.

Xia Xiang came outside the second hall and just went down a few steps when he saw Xu Heguang leading them in from a distance.One was tall and tall, about forty years old, more than a head taller than Xu Heguang, wearing a purple shirt, holding a folding fan, wearing a square scarf, and wearing small leather boots.

The other was thin and thin, about forty years old, wearing a flowered shirt, holding a handful of Ruyi in his hand, wearing a Haoran scarf, not tall or short, dark skin, long thin face, mustache, deep-set eyes, walking Sometimes it wobbled from side to side, as if standing still.

Xia Xiang walked a few steps, came to the gate of the house, and smiled: "Mr. Xu and Mr. Ma came here, and they have not greeted them from afar. I'm rude, I'm rude."

Xu Heguang's eyes fluttered, Xia Xiang stepped down to greet them, and treated them with courtesy, clearly trying to impress them. For some reason, a panic flashed in his heart, as if the situation that was under control suddenly changed. It's getting out of hand.

Dazed for a moment, Xu Heguang noticed Xia Xiang's slightly dissatisfied eyes, knowing that Xia Xianzun blamed him for not being a referral, he hurriedly said: "Xia Xianzun, this is Xu Wangshan and Xu Yuanwai, this is Ma Qingyuan and Ma Yuanwai. Yuanwai, Ma Yuanwai, this is Zhending's new magistrate Xia Xianzun."

Xu Wangshan crossed his hands and saluted: "Xu Wangshan has met Xia Xianzun."

Ma Qingyuan didn't pay attention to the salute, and after Xu Wangshan finished the salute, he handed the Ruyi in his hand to Xu Wangshan's hand, and after freeing his hands, he crossed his hands and saluted: "Ma Qingyuan has seen the Xia county lord."

Xia Xiang returned the salute, and chuckled: "I should have gone to visit the two of you, how dare you bother the two of you to come to the door in person?"

Xu Wangshan laughed, glanced at Xu Heguang intentionally or unintentionally, and said with a smile: "Brother Qingyuan and I heard that Xia Xianzun has arrived, so we can't hold back, so we put down our work and come over to pay a visit to Xia Xianzun. I want to see with my own eyes whether Xia Xianzun, who pulled Wen Changju in the capital city, has three heads and six arms, haha, I am really curious. Another point, the two of us heard that Xia Xianzun is a tea lover , that's why I rushed to the door to beg for a good tea, I wonder if Xia Xianzun will dislike our abruptness?"

"Brother Wangshan, why are you talking to the county magistrate like this? I'm so rude, too rude." Ma Qingyuan took the conversation, his eyes narrowed, and he smiled humbly without being overly enthusiastic, with just the right amount of sense of proportion, "It should be said yes The two of us brought tea, please ask Xia Xianzun to appreciate it, haha."

While speaking, Ma Qingyuan flipped his wrist, and there was a bag of tea leaves in his hand. The tea leaves were wrapped in white paper, with three layers inside and three layers outside. It was obviously very precious, and there was only one small bag.

"Where there is good tea, there is good water." Xia Xiang stretched out his hand and nodded slightly at Xu Heguang, "There is Lao Xu County Prime Minister who has prepared water."

Xu Heguang knew that Xia Xiang was deliberately dismissing him, so he could only smile: "It's my job, it will be done right away."

Xia Xiang led Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan to the study room. There was no one else in the study room. Seeing this, Xu Wangshan laughed, clapped his hands and said, "It's fine if Xia Xianzun doesn't have a servant girl by his side, why even a servant who is taking advantage No? If you don’t mind, I’ll ask the mansion to send a few people over to serve Xia Xianzun.”

"No way, I'm used to being quiet. Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your kindness." Xia Xiang waved his hand and refused, and smiled, "The main reason is that you don't get rewarded for nothing, and it's also the first time you and I meet. How can I accept such a big gift from you? I'll get to know you later. Yes, it won't be too late."

Xu Wangshan frowned when he heard Xia Xiang's previous words, and when Xia Xiang's words changed later, his brows relaxed, and he said with a happy smile: "Xia County respects you, if you are familiar with it, it will not be too late."

Ma Qingyuan also laughed: "Master of Xia County, Brother Wang Shan and I came to visit this time, so it's the right time."

"Brother Qingyuan, I said that Xia Xianzun must be very ordinary if he can do the thing of posting a black list in the Gongyuan. I said that I would come to visit, and you still want to wait and see, wait and see, what the hell? Like Xia Xianzun How many years does it take for a character to appear, if you don’t hurry up and make friends, you have to wait for others to climb first?” Xu Wangshan opened the folding fan in his hand, slapped it randomly a few times, then closed the fan and said, “It’s been more than ten years since Zhending County Master said Such a young and promising county venerable, Xia County lord came to take office, it is the blessing of Zhending, and the blessing of the people."

"Where is it, Xu Yuanwai has won the award." Xia Xiang smiled modestly, and his eyes slanted, and fell on Ma Qingyuan, "Why is Ma Yuanwai's good tea hidden again? Why don't you quickly take it out and let me taste it?" Learn one or two?"

Ma Qingyuan was sizing up Xia Xiang secretly. Let alone Xia Xiang's youth made him amazed, only Xia Xiang's extraordinary demeanor and calm demeanor made him doubt his previous judgment. Xia Xiang really came from ordinary people. Family, not a descendant of an aristocratic family?Why is it that his every move, speech, and demeanor have the demeanor of being born in a wealthy and famous family?
Perhaps Xia Xianzun's family education is very good. Although he was born as a commoner, his parents are scholars.There is poetry and bookishness in the stomach, and the most scholarly fragrance can go far.

Ma Qingyuan took out the tightly wrapped tea leaves from his sleeve, and carefully opened six layers of paper, revealing a tea ball the size of a copper coin.Although the tea balls are not big, they are very delicate, snow-white in color, with imprinted patterns of dragons and phoenixes on the surface, dark and intertwined, with rich pictures and texts, extremely exquisite.

Xia Xiang was startled after just one glance, and exclaimed: "The dragon group wins the snow!"

"Exactly." Ma Qingyuan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, "Three years ago, I accidentally got a cake of tea in the capital, and kept it as a treasure, and never showed it to anyone. It's rare that Xia Xianzun took office today, and I was happy for a while, so it was a treasure offering." .”

"Oh, brother Qingyuan, you really treat one another more favorably than another. I have mentioned dozens of times that I want to taste your Longtuan Shengxue, but you are so petty, you push and resist, but you just refuse. When Xia Xianzun comes, you will be stingy." I took it out, irritating, so irritating." Xu Wangshan stretched out his big hand to grab Long Tuan Shengxue, but Ma Qingyuan dodged it, and Ma Qingyuan hurriedly hid Long Tuan Shengxue behind him.

Xia Xiang knew in his heart that when the two sang together, they clearly told him that it was a good show. He saw through it, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "I am ashamed of receiving such a generous gift. I am terrified, terrified."

"Xia Xianzun is out of touch when he says that." Ma Qingyuan blinked at Xu Wangshan, and signaled Xu Wangshan to accept it as soon as he sees it, and don't act too much. Xia Xianzun is a smart person. It’s just cake and tea, no matter how good the tea is, you have to drink it with your confidant to get the taste.”

"I don't know if Xia Xianzun knows the origin of Longtuan Shengxue?" Xu Wangshan wanted to test Xia Xiang to see if Xia Xiang knew the value of such a precious tea.

"I heard about it." Xia Xiang smiled slightly, took Longtuan Shengxue in his hand, and checked it a few times, "Longtuan Shengxue is made of silver-threaded water buds, which are also called silver-threaded ice buds. Tea leaves It is divided into three grades: purple buds, medium buds, and small buds. Purple buds, that is, the tea leaves are purple. When making good tea, purple buds are generally discarded. Medium buds, that is, one leaf and one bud. There are poems saying, one shot The leaves are already laughing, and all the herbs are ashamed to bloom. The small buds are the newly grown tea buds, which are shaped like a tongue and eagle claws. Among the small buds, the most delicate ones are called water buds or water buds. Ice Bud."

Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan looked at each other, and both of them could see the astonishment in each other's eyes.It's not that Xia Xiang's understanding of the tea ceremony was unexpected to the two of them, but Xia Xiang's familiarity with Longtuan Shengxue's production made them even more suspicious of Xia Xiang's origin.Longtuan Shengxue is an imperial tea, and non-kings and nobles can't see it. Even if they are high-ranking officials above the third rank, there may not be one or two Longtuan Shengxue.

"Pick out the ripe buds from the small teeth, take only a sliver of the tea heart, soak it in a clear spring with a precious and famous utensil, it is bright and clean, like a silver thread. If you take it to make tea, it is like a small dragon winding on it, so The famous Dragon Tuan Shengxue." Xia Xiang secretly called a fluke, he only heard the name of the Dragon Tuan Shengxue, and he had never tasted it once. Hearing Lian Ruohan talk about the origin of Longtuan Shengxue, he knew so much about Longtuan Shengxue.I don't want to use it now, I really want to learn and sell it now, and continued, "The beauty of tea is the best of all. It is worth [-] yuan per catty, and the cost is astonishing. It is exclusively for the emperor to enjoy."

Xia Xiang naturally understood that Ma Qingyuan offered the Dragon Tuan Shengxue as a gift, firstly to show grandeur and respect for him, and secondly to let him know that Ma Qingyuan had someone in the court, otherwise the Dragon Tuan Shengxue exclusively for the emperor would not I am afraid that the six ministers of the current dynasty are not blessed to enjoy it, but there is a piece of cake far away from Zhending. The reason for this is very meaningful.

(End of this chapter)