fake gentry

Seeing that Xie Hong did not respond, Xi Zhong had no choice but to temporarily abandon his recruitment plan.

While enjoying roasted rabbit and drinking wine, and reminiscing about anecdotes from our travels in Jiangnan, time flew by.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind Xie Hong, and a maid stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "Young Master Xie, my mistress invites you in."

Xie Hong recognized her as Xi Xuan's personal maid, named Caiwei.

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was little separation between men and women among the aristocratic class. Their lives were quite open and free, far more unrestrained than later generations imagined. The Wei-Jin style had a version specifically for women.

However, they had a very strong sense of social class, and their so-called freedom and openness were basically limited to those who belonged to the same aristocratic family.

If the social status is unequal, it is even more serious than the so-called strict separation between men and women.

Before Xie Hong could answer, Xi Zhong smiled at him and said, "Feng Zhi, go ahead. Just remember what I said tonight."

Xie Hong thought for a moment, then smiled and got up, leading Xi Yin and following the maid named Caiwei toward Xi Xuan's carriage.

It was now completely dark, and a bright candlelight shone from inside the wagon.

Caiwei stood at the door and bowed: "Thank you, young master, please get in the carriage."

Xie Hong only glanced inside and did not go up.

Xi Xuan had changed her clothes and was wearing a plain silk robe with the collar slightly open, revealing the cross-collar of her moon-white inner garment.

The Jiaowei Qin (a type of zither) was placed on the low table opposite her, and the table in front of her was covered with clean, fine paper.

Xie Hong recognized it as silkworm cocoon paper, an extremely precious and high-end paper with a very limited production, exclusively for the use of the upper-class nobility, and a single sheet was worth a thousand coins.

"Thank you, brother. Why didn't you go up when your sister invited you?"

Seeing that Xie Hong didn't get into the carriage, Xiao Xi Yin couldn't help but tilt her head and look at him.

Xie Hong smiled and bowed to Xi Xuan, saying, "Greetings, young lady. I will not go up now. Caiwei, please move the zither down."

Caiwei couldn't help but widen her eyes as she looked at Xie Hong.

My wife has never asked anyone to ride in her carriage before; along the way, many noble young men have wanted to ride in her carriage but have not been able to.

Xi Xuan lowered her eyelashes, nodded slightly to Xie Hong, and then instructed Caiwei and another maid named Zhishu to move the zither and zither stand out. She also laid out straw mats and cushions on the ground. Xie Hong sat down in front of the zither, plucked the strings a couple of times, and then began to play.

He first played the pipa, and his hands were even smoother than when he played it in the afternoon. The sound of the zither spread throughout Taoping, and the refugees and craftsmen and laborers in the distance listened with rapt attention.

Xi Xuan lowered her head to write down the music, her pen flying across the paper, writing symbols one by one.

Xie Hong played it once, then played it again, and then played the two tigers again.

Xi Xuan put down her pen, looked up at Xie Hong, pursed her lips slightly, and smiled: "Young Master Xie, does this piece really not have a name?"

Xie Hong smiled and shook his head: "This is just a game, hardly worthy of serious consideration. If the lady likes it, then I'll give it to her."

Xi Xuan felt a sense of suffocation again. She suddenly turned to the maid in the corner and ordered, "Zhishu, go and fetch a bowl of cheese."

Zhi Shu responded and soon walked over to Xie Hong with a lacquered tray, kneeling down before him: "Young Master Xie, my wife invites you to drink some dairy milk."

On the tray was a celadon bowl, a fine porcelain item that only high-ranking noble families could afford, filled with a milky white liquid.

Xie Hong smelled a yogurt aroma, then looked up at Xi Xuan and noticed a hint of mischief in her eyes.

He suddenly thought of the story of Lu Wan eating cheese in "A New Account of Tales of the World".

Wang Dao, representing the top aristocratic families in the north, specially brought out cheese, a northern delicacy that was very rare in the south at the time, to entertain Lu Wan, a key figure among the aristocratic families in the south, in order to help Sima Rui win over Lu Wan.

However, Lu Wan was probably lactose intolerant. He had diarrhea after eating it and almost lost half his life. So he wrote a letter to Wang Dao, mocking himself, saying, "Although I am from Wu, I have almost become a scoundrel."

"Northern barbarian and southern barbarian" are derogatory terms used by both sides.

Xie Hong picked up the bowl, first smelling the aroma of yogurt. He then took a closer sniff, took a sip, and immediately his face scrunched up.

acid.

Moreover, it's an acidic drink without added sugar.

The sour taste was pure and domineering, shooting straight to the top of one's head.

He forced himself to take another sip, this time managing not to frown, but his face showed a conflicted expression.

Xi Xuan looked at his expression, her shoulders trembled slightly, then she lowered her head, pretending not to care, and covered her mouth with her sleeve.

She then lowered her sleeves, her face still cool and aloof, with only a barely perceptible curve at the corner of her lips.

"Thank you, young master. This cheese is made by boiling cow's milk, then cooling it, then boiling it again, repeating this process six or seven times. A pound of it can be worth ten thousand coins. You mustn't waste such a delicious food."

Xie Hong gritted his teeth, drank it all in a few gulps, and then put down the bowl: "Thank you, young lady."

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he immediately looked up and asked Xi Xuan, "May I ask, young lady, do you still have any yogurt?"

Xi Xuan looked at him and asked, "Why does Young Master Xie ask this?"

"I'd like to buy some yogurt from you, ma'am," Xie Hong said. "Money is no problem."

Xi Xuan tilted her head slightly. She didn't ask Xie Hong why he suddenly wanted to buy cheese, but simply glanced at him and then asked the maid, "Zhishu, how much cheese is left?"

Zhi Shu replied, "My lady, there are still more than ten catties left."

Xi Xuan hesitated for a moment, then instructed, "Bring them all and give them to Young Master Xie."

Ten catties of cheese cost 100,000 coins, an astronomical price for ordinary people.

The finest cheese would cost thousands of dollars per kilogram in modern times, let alone in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Even the gentry couldn't afford it; it was a truly high-class delicacy.

Xi Xuan can drink a lot, probably because Xi Jian had his daughter bring him nourishing drinks from afar, and how could he shamelessly take them all?

In the end, he took a third of it, and thanked her with a smile: "Thank you, young lady. In a few days, I will treat you to something delicious that you have never tasted before."

Caiwei and Zhishu, the two maids, couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile.

What good food hasn't my daughter eaten?

Xi Xuan returned the greeting, saying, "Since you have gifted me the score, I shall repay you with a piece of music."

After saying that, she got out of the car, sat down in front of the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither), and began to play. The melody was quiet, gentle, and lingering. She was playing Liu Kun's "Looking Towards Qin".

Inside the curtained room not far away, Xi Zhong was writing a letter. Hearing the zither music, he paused slightly, chuckled, and shook his head. His niece seemed gentle, but she was just like her father, with an overly competitive spirit.

He continued writing.

Dao emblem:

My brother, along with his daughter and guests, traveled to Mount Lu. On the left side of the road, they encountered a young man named Hong, the son of the Xie family of Chenjun. This boy was only sixteen years old, and his handsome appearance was no less than that of Pan Wei. His demeanor was elegant and refined, and he looked like the morning glow reflecting on a pine tree.

When he spoke with him, his words were clear and bright; he favored Confucianism and disliked metaphysics, a quality that was not easily found in ordinary people.

To test his talent, the boy spontaneously composed a poem, astonishing everyone. The girl then tested him with a zither, which he immediately picked up and played, producing a novel and unheard-of melody that captivated the listeners. The girl, holding a candle, memorized the score and was unable to sleep that night.

When we discussed matters of state again, he said that Wang Dun would surely be defeated and Dao Hui would surely become an official. The situation in Yanzhou was exactly the same as what you had said in your letter.

At first I thought it was a coincidence, but after repeated questioning, his analysis was clear and insightful, far from being a casual remark. Observing this young man, his talent and knowledge far surpass his peers, and he will surely become famous throughout the world in the future. It is a pity that he claims to be from a minor branch of the Xie family, that his parents died early, and that he wandered alone. Now he has built a hut on Mount Lu and lives there, with the air of a recluse.

These men are indeed good matches for A-Nü, but their social standing is a matter that needs careful consideration, so I dare not speak rashly about it.

My brother is recruiting talented people in Yanzhou. You can send a trusted confidant with a letter. If this person is recruited, he will surely be able to assist you in military affairs.

Brother Zhong paused.

After finishing writing, Xi Zhong sealed the letter and handed it to the old servant beside him, instructing, "Tomorrow, send a troop to Yanzhou and personally deliver it to the clan chief."

The old servant took the letter, turned around, and left the tent.