fake gentry

"My lord, if you have this pipa from the Western Regions, you should also have wine from the Western Regions."

Xie Hong smiled as he looked at Wang Dun.

Upon hearing Xie Hong's words, Wang Dun's eyes widened, then he took a breath before laughing and saying, "Fengzhi actually knows about Western Region wines?"

Xie Hong thought to himself, "I know a lot. How else can I make you so eager to hunt?"

If Wang Dun had a pipa in his hand, then he probably had wine.

It seems that trade along the Silk Road was far more prosperous than historical records indicate.

In fact, during the Western Jin Dynasty, there were already specialized Silk Road trading groups in Luoyang and Chang'an that had formed their own settlements and traded in silk, jewelry, and spices.

These merchant groups were descendants of the Yuezhi people, who originally lived in Beizhaowu City in the Qilian Mountains. They were later driven westward by the Xiongnu and migrated to Central Asia. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a large number of them entered the Central Plains along the Silk Road.

They adopted Zhaowu as their surname to show that they had not forgotten their ancestors. Later, they established nine states, so they were known as the Nine Zhaowu Surnames and were the controllers of the Silk Road at that time.

Even in the mid-to-late Eastern Jin Dynasty, many people still held official positions in the northern regimes.

The Sogdians were the nine Sogdian clans, renowned merchants from the Central Asian region during the Tang Dynasty.

The Sogdians monopolized the Silk Road, so wine was naturally one of their specialty products.

How expensive is this thing?

During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, a man named Meng Tuo exchanged a bushel of wine for the position of governor of Liangzhou.

By the Western Jin Dynasty, the scarcity of wine had eased slightly, but it was still only affordable to the highest-ranking nobles.

Only top-tier wealthy families like Shi Chong and Wang Kai could afford to host banquets.

Wang Dun once drank in the Golden Valley Garden. When Shi Chong invited Wang Dun to be his guest, Wang Dun refused to drink. It was at that time that Shi Chong beheaded three beauties.

To put it bluntly, this stuff isn't meant to be drunk; it's meant to be flaunted as a sign of wealth.

In this time of chaos, the Eastern Jin Dynasty's Jade Road and Silk Road have been cut off, and wine is extremely rare and hard to come by. The people in the main hall are all Wang Dun's trusted advisors, and even Wen Qiao and Lu Wan have never tasted wine.

Even the Langya Wang clan couldn't afford it, but Wang Dun had not only obtained Song Yi from the Golden Valley Garden, but the wine was also a treasure of Shi Chong, so he naturally wouldn't let it go.

"I originally thought that the young Xie was just trying to gain fame through words, but I didn't expect him to know so much. I underestimated him. Yi Ji, you may have someone bring in some wine."

Song Yi accepted the order and left. Not long after, he returned with two servants carrying a uniquely shaped pottery jar with a large belly and a thin neck, featuring two handles.

Wen Qiao and Lu Wan both became interested.

They had never drunk wine before, nor did they know that Wang Dun possessed wine, nor had he ever mentioned it to them. In their hearts, they all cursed Wang Ahei for being stingy.

They were renowned scholars who might have no interest in beautiful women, but had an insatiable passion for fine wine.

The more this was the case, the more amazed they became. The Xie family of Chenjun had only risen to prominence in recent years, entirely thanks to Xie Kun's efforts. Even they knew nothing about the Western Regions. They wondered where Xie Hong had learned about it. Had he read any books on the subject?

Wang Dun, somewhat smugly holding the jade ruyi and pointing at the pottery jar, laughed and said, "This is my treasured possession; you gentlemen can enjoy it today."

He ordered the wine to be opened, and a strange fragrance wafted out, causing everyone to inhale deeply.

Xie Hong remained seated and motionless.

This rubbish is clearly a high-sugar wine made from fermented grapes. Its alcohol content exceeds that of rice wine. It tastes sweet and has a unique flavor, but it's also more likely to make you drunk.

Soon everyone received a glass of wine and began to savor it.

Xie Hong remained seated and motionless.

Wang Dun asked curiously, "Why doesn't Feng Zhi drink?"

Xie Hong said, "This wine must be drunk from a glass cup. Your Excellency may grant me one. Rest assured, I know glass is precious and I will not ask for it."

Wen Qiao, Lu Wan, and the others were all taken aback, and suddenly the wine in their hands lost its appeal. Compared to Xie's son, they seemed like complete country bumpkins.

Wang Dun was also stunned; he hadn't expected Xie Hong to even know this.

This was because Shi Chong had proudly boasted to him and Wang Dao in a private setting that drinking Western Region wine required using Western Region glass cups, and only the three of them knew about this.

A single glass cup is worth a fortune; even Shi Chong only owned one set.

Unfortunately, this set of glass cups also ended up in Wang Dun's possession.

So for a fleeting moment, he wondered if Xie Hong was deliberately picking a fight.

But deep down, he truly looked at Xie Hong with new respect.

Is this child so knowledgeable?

What a prodigy!

The Xie family was far inferior to the Wang family in terms of social standing, and Xie Hong was said to have just been included in the family genealogy. His knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics was astonishing enough, but even the great Confucian scholars of the time could not find any fault with it.

Unexpectedly, Xie Hong was also very knowledgeable about various secrets, to the point that even Wang Dun himself felt ashamed of his own ignorance.

He could discuss metaphysics and Confucianism, write classics, was skilled in music, and had extensive knowledge and a wide memory...

This child is only sixteen years old.

Talent.

A genius!

This kind of person must be firmly held in our grasp.

Who in the world is qualified to recruit such a great talent?

Only I, Wang Chuzhong!!

"Hahaha." Wang Dun laughed loudly and ordered, "Yi Ji, bring the gentlemen some glass cups."

An entire collection of Sasanian glass wine vessels was brought up, making Xie Hong's eyes water and his heart race.

A complete set.

This thing is probably priceless even in the entire Eastern Jin Dynasty.

The glass already has the prototype of a modern cognac glass, with a wide mouth, round bottom, and high foot. It is pale yellow-green and has a high degree of transparency. It feels heavy in the hand, but the blowing process is not very good, with uneven thickness.

Xie Hong had seen the actual artifact in a museum, but it was from the Northern Qi Dynasty, more than a hundred years later than the present one.

When the wine is poured into a glass, its color is as deep red as blood, giving it an unreal feel.

I took a small sip, and the taste was just so-so, but the richness far surpassed that of fermented rice water.

Wang Han glanced at Wang Dun, then looked around at the others in the hall, his gaze landing on Xie Hong, a very ominous thought flashing through his mind.

Ahei seems not only not to kill this boy, but even wants to recruit him.

Although Xie's son did not display any other talents and did not speak much, every word he uttered was full of allusions, demonstrating his formidable knowledge.

Wang Han thought of Wang Ying, and a murderous intent flashed through his mind.

If Xie's son is indeed recruited by Ahei, then my son is in danger.

Wang Dun was already dissatisfied with Wang Ying and had been considering replacing the heir apparent.

It should be understood that Wang Dun was dead, so the position of prime minister could not be inherited. However, the title of Duke of Wuchang was a noble title, and what Wang Ying should inherit was not only the title, but also Wang Dun's staff.

Even the future... throne!!

if……

Wang Han suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at Xie Hong and said loudly, "Xie family son, I've heard that you are good at writing seven-character poems and compare yourself to a roc. If you don't want to talk about metaphysics and Confucianism, then use this wine to write a poem to repay the Prime Minister. It must be appropriate for the occasion, otherwise you are a fraudster who steals fame from the world."

Wen Qiao's expression immediately changed, and he was about to retort, but Lu Wan gestured for him to remain silent.

Wen Qiao was greatly displeased, thinking to himself, "You, Lu Shiyao, are unwilling to step forward at this time. I, Wen Tai, have overestimated you."

Regardless, I'm determined to protect Xie's son.

Just as he was about to get up, Xie Hong laughed and looked at Wang Han, saying, "General Wei, if you wish to dance, I will."

Enraged, Wang Han rose to his feet, drew his sword, and shouted at Xie Hong, "How dare you insult me, you brat!"

Xie Hong wanted to grab the glass and smash it, but Wang Dun was sure he would kill him. So he looked at Wang Dun and sneered, "Is this the talent of the Duke's staff? If this is all there is to it, the Duke might as well go to sleep."

Wang Dun's face immediately darkened, and he glanced at Wang Han again.

Everyone could understand what "wash up and go to sleep" meant, but Xie's son's choice of words always gave people a strangely disjointed sense of novelty.

His speech is either full of allusions or satirical slang.

Xie Hong asked Song Yi to hand him the pipa. Song Yi was taken aback, but then his eyes lit up. He took the pipa with both hands and handed it to him.

She had heard musicians from Kucha playing this instrument in the Golden Valley Garden, but none of them could learn it.

Xie Hong didn't care about anything else once he started playing. He suppressed his excitement and carefully adjusted the pitch, then tried plucking a few more times to make sure the pitch was accurate.

Inside the main hall, everyone, including Wang Han, stared intently at him.

A melodious tune rang out in the main hall.

Xie Hong almost burst into tears.

It's a shame that my strong-willed little girl is no longer here.

Only what is played on the pipa can be called "Pipa Language".

Of course, it has been renamed now, called Zengzifang.

Of everyone in the hall, apart from Wang Han and Guo Pu, all the others were skilled in music. Song Yi was naturally the most skilled. Xie Hong's pipa music was far more powerful than that of the guqin. Its poignant and melodious tunes, so tender and moving, even brought tears to Wang Dun's eyes.

Song Yi actually started to sob softly in front of everyone.

Wen Qiao, Lu Wan, and the others were listening with rapt attention when the music suddenly became urgent and exciting.

A chilling, murderous aura spread throughout the hall.

Xie Hong's eyes were half-closed, one hand frantically plucking at the four strings, while he chanted loudly.

"Fine wine in a luminous cup, I long to drink, but the pipa urges me on."

"Do not laugh at me, drunk and lying on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?"

Shen Chong, Wen Qiao, Lu Wan, and the others stared intently at Xie Hong, while Qian Feng narrowed her eyes.

Wang Han's gaze was extremely complex.

This child... is he really that talented?

He looked at Wang Dun and found that Ahei had frozen there, unaware that the jade ruyi in his hand had fallen to the ground and broken into two pieces.