fake gentry

"What is this?"

Zhou Guang stared blankly at the smoldering ice cream, its coolness wafting through the air, his eyes wide with disbelief. Tao Mao, too, stood there speechless, his mouth agape.

Although June in Lushan is cool, it is still midsummer.

Ge Hong smiled and said, "This dish is called Bing Su, and it was made by Feng Zhi."

Zhou Guang asked absentmindedly, "Where did the ice come from?"

"Feng Zhi's alchemy skills are no less than Hong's, and the ice was also made by Feng Zhi."

Zhou Guang's eyes lit up: "Is it some kind of magic? Could Young Master Xie perhaps be a star deity descended to earth?"

No one can resist the temptation of eating ice cream in the sweltering summer. Zhou Guang and Tao Mao first took a cautious bite, and then immediately began to devour it without any regard for their image.

Ge Hong stayed by his side, knowing that Zhou Guang's visit was definitely to curry favor with Feng Zhi. He didn't mind letting Zhou Guang experience more shock, which would further increase Feng Zhi's importance in this person's heart.

This person has always been favored by Wang Dun. Now that the Jin dynasty is weak, if Fengzhi can befriend Wang Dun, she will have another way out.

High-ranking aristocratic families have always hedging their bets, a practice that has continued from the Han Dynasty to the present day.

Even someone like Ge Hong didn't think Wang Dun's campaign to purge the court of corrupt officials was a big problem, which shows just how much the gentry regarded the Sima clan at that time.

On an occasion like today, Dong Xuan was naturally not entitled to sit down and could only help Chen San deal with the gifts sent by Zhou Guang.

One car was a gift from Zhou Guang, and the other from Tao Mao; both were incredibly generous.

Zhou Guang gave gifts worth about 200,000 coins, while Tao Mao gave even more, worth 300,000 coins. Of that, 100,000 coins were probably a disguised way of returning the rock honey that Dong Xuan had given him in cash.

Even in the most prestigious social settings, such a generous gift would be considered an extremely valuable and prestigious gift.

Based on the current normal yield per mu, it is equivalent to the total annual grain output of nearly 120 to 130 mu of fertile land.

Zhou Guang presented a bolt of top-grade Shu brocade, a rare and precious fabric in the Jiangnan region at that time. A set of celadon porcelain from the Yue kiln, including a wine vessel, food plate, and teacup, was reserved for the elite. Two incense burners for sleeping, used for burning incense and scenting clothes, were also a necessity for the daily lives of the gentry. Thirty bolts of fine white silk could be used for making clothes and for writing.

There is also an ancient zither from the Eastern Han Dynasty and a set of Go pieces with intricate patterns.

Tao Mao's gift was much more practical.

Twenty bushels of top-quality rice, twenty jars of aged wine from Shanyin, and five hundred sheets of fish roe paper.

Silkworm cocoon paper is too expensive; only the most prestigious families can afford it, or even buy it.

However, fish roe paper has a similar texture to silkworm cocoon paper and is often called fish paper. The paper surface has a fine texture similar to fish roe, and it feels soft and smooth to the touch. It is also a top-grade writing paper, with a production volume far exceeding that of silkworm cocoon paper, which has an extremely complex process. However, it is positioned as inferior to silkworm cocoon paper and belongs to the second tier of famous papers.

The hemp paper and yellow paper used by ordinary gentry were naturally far inferior to these two types of famous paper.

The most valuable item was naturally the oxcart used to carry the gifts.

This carriage has two shafts and two wheels, a spacious and tall carriage, and a closed canopy on the top. The four corner pillars of the canopy support a large curtain that covers the entire carriage. The door is located on the rear side of the carriage and is decorated with silk tassels, making it a truly exquisite piece.

This thing is not something ordinary people can afford to sit in; it is a direct symbol of the status of high-ranking nobles.

The carriage can be furnished with armchairs and spices, making it suitable for leisurely conversations, outings, banquets, and visits to friends.

"From now on, my lord, you will no longer need to ride in that old servant's broken carriage when you travel."

Knowing how he got his position as county magistrate, Dong Xuan immediately felt like a lackey of Chen San. He didn't feel embarrassed at all when helping Chen San move things, and he carried them with great enthusiasm.

Zhou Guang and Tao Mao ate a bowl of ice cream and felt they hadn't had enough. They wanted to ask for another bowl, but felt a little embarrassed, so they knelt down and started talking with Ge Hong. Li then brought them tea.

The tea set Xie Hong used to serve guests was the same one Dong Xuan had previously purchased from Chaisang. It wasn't considered top-quality, but the tea was greenish-blue and had a faint fragrance, giving people a sense of inexplicable elegance.

Tao Mao looked at the tea but dared not drink it.

Even the gentry would add seasonings like scallions, ginger, orange peel, or salt to their tea, consuming it along with the broth.

This way of drinking no longer exists.

But Zhou Guang picked up the cup, took a small sip, and immediately narrowed his eyes, exclaiming loudly, "Excellent tea! Mr. Zhichuan, what kind of tea-making method is this?"

Ge Hong laughed and said, "Fengzhi calls it the tea-brewing method, which is quite different from the porridge-tea method. The tea leaves were just sent up by Chief Dong the other day and are not very good, but the tea-brewing method allows you to taste the true essence of the tea, which I also like very much."

Zhou Guang was curious, and Tao Mao also picked up the cup and took a sip. Sure enough, there was a refreshing taste in his mouth, which was far from the sticky taste of porridge or tea.

"Young Master Xie is truly a remarkable person, and his method of brewing tea is unprecedented. I am certain that this method will become popular among the gentry of Jiangnan."

Zhou Guang looked around and became increasingly shocked.

"Mr. Zhichuan, is this the cave where Young Master Xie lives?"

Although the villa has been built, many details still need to be dealt with, and the mud walls also need to be dried by fire before people can move in.

Therefore, Xie Hong has always lived in the cave. Although he has added many items, it is still a cave. At this moment, there is only a straw mat on the floor and two low pine tables against the wall. On one of the low tables are writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone.

Several of the papers seemed to have something written on them. Zhou Guang picked them up casually, and upon reading them, his eyes lit up. He blurted out, "A mountain is not valued for its height, but for the immortals dwelling there; water is not valued for its depth, but for the dragons residing within. Wonderful writing, wonderful writing indeed!"

Ge Hong was also taken aback, and quickly went over to him.

He's a cultivator, and he can't stand hearing such things.

The three characters "陋室铭" (Humble Abode Inscription) were written on the hemp paper.

"This is a humble abode, yet my virtue makes it fragrant. Mossy traces climb the steps, green grass filters through the curtains. Learned scholars gather here for conversation, and no uncultured person comes and goes. Here I can play my simple zither and read the classics. There is no noise of stringed instruments to disturb my ears, nor the toil of official documents to weary my body. It is like Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage in Nanyang, or Yang Xiong's pavilion in Western Shu. As Confucius said, 'What is there to be ashamed of?'"

After Ge Hong finished reading it softly, his expression became dazed and uncertain for a moment.

Isn't this exactly what he's been pursuing his whole life?

In an instant, Ge Hong's heart surged with emotion.

Feng Zhi understands me so well.

Ge Hong naturally did not believe that Xie Hong had just written it down casually.

He planned to have a screen made to serve as a facade, so that other scholars wouldn't come to his door and find that he didn't even have a decent screen, which would invite ridicule.

Little did he know that Ge Xianweng would fill in the blanks in his own mind.

For a moment, Tao Mao also felt a chill run down his spine.

At heart, he was a traditional Confucian scholar. Tao Kan made the family famous in Jiangnan, but he still preferred a simple life of eating simple food and drinking simple wine. He always dreamed of living in a humble alley with wine, poetry and friends.

Tao Yuanming probably inherited his grandfather's genes, which is why he wrote "The Peach Blossom Spring" and "Returning Home," and is hailed as the master of reclusive poetry and the ancestor of pastoral poetry.

Tao Mao looked at the words on the hemp paper and asked in amazement, "Immortal, was this written by Young Master Xie?"

Ge Hong was a renowned calligrapher of the time, and he was greatly amazed when he first saw Xie Hong's calligraphy. Seeing Tao Mao's expression, he understood what Tao Mao wanted to ask and replied, "Yes."

Tao Mao shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Young Master Xie's calligraphy is probably on par with Wang Shijiang's."

Zhou Guang was suddenly startled and immediately began to read the words.

Wang Shijiang was Wang Yi, the cousin of Wang Dao and Wang Dun. He was a man of many talents and was known as the best calligrapher and painter in Jiangzuo.

His apprentice, who was also his nephew, was named Wang Xizhi.

"At Fengzhi's age, his calligraphy is naturally unparalleled among the younger generation, but it is still three points inferior to Wang Shijiang, though it surpasses mine."

Tao Mao quickly flattered, "The immortal's flying white calligraphy is the best among large characters, the best in all of history."

Ge Hong burst into laughter, quite spontaneously.

He excels in the flying white style of calligraphy, but not in the running script.

Zhou Guang's gaze fell on another piece of paper at this moment, his expression gradually becoming serious, then shocked, and finally speechless.

Zhou Guang personally witnessed Xie Hong's charisma at yesterday's gathering.

Today's mountain visit brought him many unexpected joys.

But whether it's "Bieyuan," "Bingsu," or "Lou Shi Ming," Xie Hong's calligraphy is not as stunning as it is at this moment.

Seeing Zhou Guang's astonished expression, Tao Mao immediately asked curiously, "My lord, why have you lost your composure?"

Ge Hong followed Zhou Guang's gaze and saw a piece of hemp paper covered with writing, the top of which read "Training Records".

He was startled and immediately reached out to cover it, saying, "Your Highness, please don't look."

Zhou Guang was the descendant of a famous general. What military strategy could have caused him to lose his composure like this?

How could Fengzhi be so careless?