fake gentry

At noon, Xie Hong personally cooked a wild mushroom water pancake using freshly picked mushrooms.

Shuiyinbing is a type of soup noodle, similar to flatbread.

The gentry were different from the commoners; they ate three meals a day and also had various snacks as extra meals.

Xie Hong's life has improved now. Li's cooking skills are quite good, and Gu He and Zhu Faqian are very satisfied with their meal.

After the meal, the group sat down on the ground in front of the Incense Burner Waterfall. Xie Shang and Gu He discussed metaphysics, and Gu He was not convinced, which impressed Xie Shang.

"I've heard that you, young man, are skilled in music. May I play a piece?"

Xie Shang did not refuse and directly took out his pipa and played a Qing Shang music piece. Xie Hong did not find anything good about it, but Gu He said with a look of enjoyment: "After Ruan Zhongrong, you should be the one to lead the family."

Ruan Zhongrong, also known as Ruan Xian, was one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. He was skilled at playing the pipa and improved the Qin pipa. After the Tang Dynasty, the Qin pipa was directly called Ruan Xian, a name that has remained to this day.

Gu He immediately ordered his servant to bring a zither, and he played a piece in response to Xie Shang.

"I see there is a zither in Xie Lang's room; may I have the pleasure of listening to it?"

Ah Heng, who was serving her, immediately went to fetch the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither).

Gu He's expression froze, and even Zhu Faqian couldn't help but look up at him.

Xie Shang stared intently at the Jiao Wei Qin, and the pipa in his arms suddenly lost its appeal.

Xie Hong tuned the strings and then played "The Offering of Love" once.

It took Gu He a long time to come to his senses, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Even Ji Shuye is nothing special."

Ji Shuye is Ji Kang, widely recognized as the greatest qin player.

Zhu Faqian also exclaimed, "This music should only exist in heaven."

Xie Hong felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

For someone who was eating coarse food and wild vegetables, a meal of white rice, even if it was made from moldy rice, would be a delicacy.

After their reminiscences, Gu He and Zhu Faqian shared some interesting anecdotes about Jiankang and the Wu region. As the sun began to set behind the mountain ridge, the two made a promise to Xie Hong that if Xie Hong were to take up an official post or travel to Jiangzuo, they would definitely visit Gu He and go to the White Horse Temple in Jiankang. They then bid farewell to Xie Hong and descended the mountain.

Xie Hong asked Chen San to fetch several jars of honey, and also gave each person two bars of soap. Zhu Faqian clasped his hands in thanks, while Gu He shook his whisk and then they each got into the oxcart.

The mountain road was winding and the oxcart was moving slowly. Gu He found the oxcart uncomfortable, so he got off, put the whisk in his arm, and walked side by side with Zhu Faqian.

The azaleas along the roadside had long since faded, leaving only the pine trees covering the mountainside glowing with a bluish-green light in the sunset.

"Master Zhu." Gu He gently shook the whisk in his hand in the twilight. "When I see Xie Fengzhi again, I have only one thought in my mind."

Zhu Faqian turned his head to look at him.

"Who exactly taught this young master Xie? And who could possibly raise such a scion?"

Zhu Faqian slowly said, "I have also thought about this question. I consider myself the foremost scholar outside the secular world, yet his two verses shattered my state of mind. This is not something that can be learned from books; it is innate wisdom."

"Su Hui?" Gu He turned to look at Zhu Faqian.

Zhu Faqian remained silent for a moment: "If it is not innate wisdom, then it is a gift from heaven."

Gu He suddenly laughed: "Who in the world do I not know? I have even met Wang Dun, Wang Dao, Yu Liang, Xi Jian, and Tao Kan, and I thought that the talents in the world were nothing more than this. Today, I finally know what it means to be a god-like figure. How wonderful! I will surely make him famous throughout Jiangzuo."

Gu He was racking his brains, trying to find a suitable young woman from the Gu clan of Wu County. He needed to make a move as soon as possible.

Why do people from the North and South not want to marry each other?

That depends on the person.

The Wang family of Langya couldn't get the daughter of the Lu family, but my Gu family is willing to marry our daughter to the Xie family of Chenjun.

The Xie family of Chen Commandery can barely be considered a second-class aristocratic family now. Although they are somewhat inferior to the Gu family of Wu Commandery, Xie Hong has a promising future, and the Gu family can only benefit from his success.

Unfortunately, despite racking his brains, Gu He couldn't find a suitable girl of marriageable age between twelve and twenty from the Gu family.

Uncle Gu Zhong does have a daughter, but she is of the same generation as him. If she marries Xie Hong, wouldn't he be a generation younger than Xie Kun when they meet again?

The Gu family didn't have any, but what about the Zhu and Zhang families?

nor.

Only the Lu family had daughters, and Lu Na had a younger sister.

Gu He suddenly asked, "Will Zhu Gonghui recommend Xie's son to the Prime Minister?"

Zhu Faqian paused slightly, then said frankly, "I do indeed have this intention. It would surely not be an insult for someone of Xie Lang's stature to serve as an aide in the Prime Minister's office."

Gu He didn't answer immediately, and after a long pause, slowly said, "Does the Master think the Xie family's son will go?"

"Why not go? The position of the Prime Minister's clerk is a prestigious one, and countless people would kill to get it."

"Because your brother has such a bad reputation." Gu He spoke frankly, but there was no sarcasm in his tone: "Although Xie's son is only sixteen, he is very decisive. Would such a person go to serve someone with such a bad reputation?"

Zhu Faqian was slightly taken aback, but then he understood the implication of Gu He's words.

His cousin Wang Dun did indeed have a bad reputation, and he was too domineering and autocratic. Now he had even usurped the emperor's power and dared to kill Dai Yuan and Zhou Yi. Xie Hong would not go to him.

Zhu Faqian was momentarily at a loss for words, and after a long silence, he sighed softly, "This humble Taoist meant well."

"I know you mean well," Gu He said with a smile. "If you want to acknowledge him as your master, I will acknowledge him as my friend. Do you think I don't want to bring him back to Jiankang? But this boy seems to have already made his plans. It's not something you or I can persuade him to do. I dare say that even if the emperor issues an edict, he will find an excuse not to come."

Zhu Faqian said, "There are not many people in the world today who can recruit Xie Lang. My brother is one, and Xi Daohui is another. Xi Daohui is recruiting talents in Yanzhou, and his cousin Xi Zhong has a past relationship with Xie Lang."

Gu He suddenly smiled, a smile that held a deeper meaning: "The Master has forgotten someone."

"Who?"

Tao Shiheng.

Zhu Faqian paused, his brows furrowing slightly: "Tao Shiheng comes from a poor family."

"Tao Shiheng commands a large army and is a formidable figure in Jiangzuo. In terms of strength, he surpasses Wang Dun, and in terms of prestige..."

Gu He paused for a moment: "Master, please forgive my bluntness. You overseas Chinese gentry call him Xi Gou in private, but in terms of practical ability, no one in the world can surpass him. And don't forget Xie Zi's theory of inner sage and outer king."

Zhu Faqian shook his head and said, "I have no prejudice against Tao Shiheng. His achievements are admired throughout the land. However, Xie Lang is a member of the Xie clan, and Xie Youyu will absolutely not agree to it. If Xie Lang insists on going to serve Tao Kan, the sons of the Xie clan will be willing to be driven by dogs in the stream. How could Xie Youyu allow that?"

Gu He shook his whisk. "Master Zhu, you still don't understand Xie's son. I saw it that day at Huangshi Rock. This boy doesn't care about anything. There is a kind of pride in his eyes. It is a contempt for social status. He doesn't care about fame or social status, and he will not be arrogant because of anyone's recruitment."

Zhu Faqian narrowed his eyes slightly: "Then what does he care about?"

Gu He flicked the whisk in his hand sharply: "The world!!"

If Xie Hong could hear Gu He's conversation with Zhu Faqian, he would definitely give Gu He a thumbs up.

You guessed right. Don't guess next time.

I don't care about the world of farts, I only care about myself.

Originally, I just wanted to play it safe and develop my strength stealthily, but you guys forced me to show off.