Promotion and fortune in Song Dynasty

After making such an agreement with Liu Qi, Lu Ci didn't take it to heart anymore, but comfortably watched the beautiful scenery along the way, admiring an article written by a few future great writers who became popular in Ci. A beautiful article.

Fortunately, the journey was peaceful and quiet, without any unexpected disturbances, and never met some car bandits and road tyrants who were dismayed by business travelers.

Ten days later, Lu Ci and his party arrived at Daming Mansion as planned, before the night city gate was closed.

As one of the accompanying capitals of the Great Song Dynasty, Daming Mansion was not only extremely strict in the examination of the public inspection, but also the brightly lit and non-stop bustling scene in the city was far more than those states and counties that Lu Ci and Zhu Shuo had visited.

Zhu Shuo and Yi Shu, who had never seen such a lively scene, couldn't help looking around.

Lu Ci looked at them lovingly, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Liu Qi, who was supposed to be used to the more prosperous Bianjing, showing a look about to move...

He frowned calmly, and quickly looked away.

Zhong Yuan was motion sick all the way, and besides Lu Ci, he was the one who had the most distractions at the moment.

He wished he could lie down and rest for a while, so he took the initiative to ask the passers-by. After he came back and told Lu Ci, the latter urged the coachman to drive the carriage to the largest guest house in the city, and asked for three rooms. on the room.

After all, this is one of the most luxurious residences in the capital, and the asking price for the room is quite high. Naturally, it is spacious enough to be worthy of its price, and the service attitude is very warm and thoughtful. He bluntly said that as long as the guests need it, an extra bed can be added at any time. .

Zhong Yuan and Yi Shu were traveling together in the same car, although they still hadn't had much chat, they lived in peace, and naturally they would not have any objection to the arrangement of sharing a room with each other.

Zhu said with a secret sigh in his heart, knowing that the lonely room must be reserved for himself.

He glanced at Lu Ci indiscriminately. Although he felt sorry, he obediently didn't complain.

But Liu Qi, who had been silent all this time, suddenly became uncharacteristically generous at this moment, and offered to propose: "On the way, Zhu Di and Lu Jieyuan were separated for a long time, and I feel sorry for it. Why don't you stay in the room alone? .”

Zhu said his eyes lit up, and he was about to agree, when Lu Ci raised his eyebrows, patted the back of his hand reassuringly, and then calmly rejected the suggestion: "No. I still have a lot to say, wait Let's talk with Brother Liu at night by candlelight."

"...Yes, is it?"

Unaware of Lu Ci's reaction, Liu Qi laughed dryly.

He knew that his purpose of sneaking out in the middle of the night to find his old friend had been seen through, and with a guilty conscience, he couldn't hold on anymore.

It's just that when the five of them gathered on the first floor for dinner after taking a bath, he absent-mindedly used it up hastily, and couldn't hold back again, suggesting: "It's rare to come to Daming Mansion, and we will only stay for one night. Wouldn't it be a waste of this beautiful time to go back to the room to rest like sleeping in the car while on the way?"

Lu Ci took a local specialty ginger shrimp with his chopsticks, and waited until he finished chewing it leisurely before he said noncommittally, "Oh?"

Liu Qi nodded, and said courteously: "Brother Yu used to go to Beijing for the exam, and he passed by this place. Although he doesn't know very much about the interesting places in this city, he knows a lot. If you don't mind, I would like to be a guide and lead you It’s worthwhile for you to take a stroll.”

Zhu said with a soft snort.

He also knew Liu Qi very well, so of course he could guess that the other party was probably a singing girl he knew in the city, and when he passed by, he wanted to renew his romantic relationship.

Lu Ci nodded: "Brother Liu's words do have some truth. It's a rare visit and only a short stay. It would be a pity if you just stay in the room and wait to leave early tomorrow morning."

Liu Qiyile, just as he was about to speak, Lu Ci lowered his eyes, and while carelessly wiping the little shrimp oil on his white jade-like fingertips, he said slowly, "Business is closed in the lanes and markets here. , Fanlou with lights..." He counted the treasures, and said a dozen of them in one breath: "I also heard a little bit about it, and I have longed for it for a long time."

But before Liu Qi got up with a smile and recommended himself again, Lu Ci gave him a flat look, and said bluntly: "But Liu brother, you are a drunkard who doesn't care about drinking, so don't even think about inviting anyone."

Lu Ci obviously made all the preparations when he saw through Liu Qi's intentions before moving in.

As soon as the words were finished, there was a soft 'pop', and a half-finger-thick booklet brought out of the room in advance was placed in front of Liu Qi.

Facing Liu Qi's astonished gaze, Lu Ci said with a smile, "As Brother Liu said, even though I am seventy percent lucky to be able to get Jieyuan, I also have three percent experience. Now I have specially compiled it into a book, and I made some suggestions for Brother Liu's next schedule, and I hope it will be helpful to Brother Liu."

Liu Qi hadn't finished digesting the funny saying 'drunkards don't want to drink', but was stunned by the itinerary that was so packed that almost included eating, drinking and drinking, with no gaps.

If it is really carried out like this, let alone visit the Qinlou Chu Pavilion, there is no time to even have a drink.

Seeing Zhu Shuo and Yi Shu's envy, and Zhong Yuan's sympathetic eyes, Liu Qi was speechless for a while, and then responded with cold sweat: "Brother Yu Yu is very moved by your kindness, but—"

After all, he was dismissed only after reaching the imperial examination. How could he be worried about the result of this provincial examination?

Lu Ci interrupted him with a smile: "After all, it's been many years since Brother Liu was exempted this time, which saves a lot of trouble, but also misses the opportunity to respond to the exam, and the tribute examination regulations have also changed a little, so I went to the exam rashly." It is inevitable that you will feel a little unfamiliar and difficult to adapt to the atmosphere. Now if Brother Liu is willing to take some time to double the rewards, Brother Yu can feel relieved."

"As far as Brother Yu knows, in the past there were many people who were exempted from taking the exam. Talented people made mistakes in the exam because of being too negligent, and were even dismissed. If they really fell to that point, their face would inevitably be damaged, which is very embarrassing. regret."

"Or," Lu Ci raised his eyebrows, and looked at Liu Qi with a smile that was not a smile: "Brother Liu is quite sure, but he must pass the provincial test?"

It is conceivable that no matter how frivolous and talented people are, they would not dare to play such a ticket.

Liu Qi was speechless, complaining incessantly.

Although he really liked to tease this exquisite and thoughtful young gentleman, to let him show his true temperament, he never thought that the final goal would be achieved, but not only did he get angry, but he was also dumbfounded by the sharp and merciless sarcasm Mouth speechless.

After successfully avenging the past few days, Lu Ci was in a good mood after being called "Lu Jieyuan" by the other party to see his embarrassing appearance. When he looked at Zhu Shuo, Yi Shu and Zhong Yuan, he changed his mind. The imposing manner that had just been fully manifested became much softer.

Especially when facing Zhu Shuo, he smiled the most gently. He patted the other person's shoulder lightly and said: "Zhu Di has always been diligent in his studies, so it's good to relax for a while. As the saying goes, it is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books. Strolling around can greatly gain some insights that cannot be read in books."

Zhu responded with a smile.

The four of them walked out of the guest house under Liu Qiwan's resentful gaze, and followed the crowd to the downtown area.

However, the four of them have different interests, especially Zhong Yuan, who was quickly attracted by the Cuju performance here, looking at the people on the field, even more eager to try.

Lu Ci's original intention was to lead this group of young people for a stroll and see the world, so of course he didn't intend to hold him back, so instead of agreeing on a time to return to the guest residence, he led Yi Shu and Zhu Shuo to the other direction went.

When passing by the dazzling array of mats, Zhu said that the business in his mind was already running unconsciously, and he stared at a few of the products for a few more times.

After Lu Ci noticed it, he couldn't help laughing a little: "If Brother Zhu doesn't find it troublesome, it's not impossible to dump the goods now."

Seeing that Zhu said that he was slightly stunned, Lu Ci explained: "The special goods of Daming Mansion must also be favored by the citizens of Bianjing. It's just that the road conditions are unclear, so it's not appropriate to bring too many."

Although they were very cautious along the way, even if they took a detour, they still had to follow the official path of the world, and followed some large caravans, but there was no guarantee that they would not encounter people who did evil.

If you really encounter it, the first thing you have to leave behind is the cargo on the car.

It is not only to exchange for the hesitation of the road bandits, but also to make the carriage speed up as much as possible.

Zhu said that he was shocked, and without hesitation, he looked back at the goods.

Yi Shu seldom had the opportunity to go out with the brother Yu Yu whom he had always dreamed of, even if he only wandered in the crowded market, he was satisfied.

When Lu Ci saw some light, easy to carry, and very delicate small objects, he bought them and prepared to take them to his teachers and his mother as souvenirs.

Zhu Shuo and Yi Shu were too full just to watch, but in the end they were empty-handed and didn't really buy anything.

Before I knew it, I had been shopping for an hour.

The market is still full of people, noisy and lively.

Feeling a little tired, Lu Ci took the two of them in when passing by the extremely elegant Beishanzi Tea House.

The clerk came up immediately with sharp eyes and quick hands, and said with a smile on his face, "Guest officer, how many people are there?"

Lu Ci smiled slightly, and replied, "Three, I want a private room."

"okay!"

The buddy quickly led the three of them to the second floor.

Zhu said that he frowned, and was about to say something to Lu Ci in a low voice, but the latter was so blessed that he lowered his voice and whispered in his ear: "Since I got rid of Yuan, I haven't had time to celebrate with you. Now So please don't decline, brother Zhu, if it were you, I would definitely not be rude."

Zhu said that he pursed his lips and remained silent.

After going up the stairs, it suddenly became clear. The layout is even more ingenious than the first floor. There are fake mountains and rivers, fairy caves and fairy bridges inside, plus the fragrance of tea, snow-white water mist, it is really as beautiful as being in a hazy dream.

Zhu said that although he followed Lu Ci and was lucky enough to go to a good restaurant, he had never been to the most elegant teahouse in the city.Now that his eyes were wide open, he couldn't help but sigh in amazement with Yi Shu.

Lu Ci is used to seeing more ingenious and cleverly arranged high-end clubs in later generations, and he has enjoyed much better treatment than this, and he has enjoyed countless times.

Naturally, he was not surprised by the proud work of the teahouse owner, and he still looked calm and composed.

The casual and relaxed appearance he was accustomed to fell into the eyes of the guy who was quietly looking at these customers, and he couldn't help but pay more attention to him.

——It must be a pampered and noble person.

After thinking about it, he said, "Here we are," and pushed open one of the doors.

The bamboo door opened, and there was a thin bead curtain. After opening it, the three tea rooms separated by several screens and bonsai could be seen.

There were already guests in the other two tea rooms. After hearing the sound of the door being pushed, they all stopped talking and looked over.

Lu Ci was calm and composed, and just sat down behind the clerk; Zhu said that after admiring the novelty enough, he didn't look sideways, and only cared about his every move, Brother Yu.

Only Yi Shu reacted the fastest. After meeting those gazes, he couldn't help speeding up his steps a little, and his face flushed slightly.

The tea drinkers in the other two tearooms were actually ladies with exquisite makeup and graceful clouds.

The author has something to say: Notes:

1. The opening and closing time of the city gate.

Taking Tokyo (Bianliang) as an example, in 1078, the opening and closing times of the city gates were one o'clock at five o'clock (about 3:11 in the middle of the night) and one o'clock in the middle of the night (about [-]:[-] in the middle of the night).During other time periods, the city gate is closed and no entry or exit is allowed. ("Living in the Song Dynasty")

2. Public inspection: the identity certificate for walking in the territory of Song Dynasty.

Before leaving their hometown, Song people need to go to the household registration management department of the jurisdiction to apply for a public inspection: first, the user must post a sticker to prove their identity, and also explain the purpose of their trip, where they are going, where they are passing through, how long they will stay, and so on.This is not over yet, who will be accompanying this trip, what things or goods they plan to bring, even how many donkeys and horses they will ride, and how many livestock they will bring will all be reported one by one. ("Living in the Song Dynasty")

3. Women in the Song Dynasty also went to teahouses to drink tea.Beishanzi Tea House is borrowed from "Tokyo Menghualu"

"Tokyo Menghualu" said that in Panlou Dongjie Lane in Bianliang, "Beishanzi Tea House has a fairy cave and fairy bridge inside, and ladies often go out at night and drink tea there" ("Song: Modern Dawn")

4. I wanted to explain it a long time ago, but I have forgotten to explain it:

People's houses, no matter how large they are, can only be residential buildings, and residential buildings are not called "houses", but "homes".

For a "fu", it must be a prince, or a powerful minister at the prime minister level, to be called a "fu".

If the size is finally an official, but not qualified to "open a mansion", then it is a "house".Houses have different grades and sizes, which are mainly determined by the bay and depth.And the same house, the "big house gate" is different-according to the regulations of the Song Dynasty, only officials of the sixth rank and above can use a kind of archway-style "wutou gate"; It is no longer popular, and using it is arrogance, and it will break the law. ("Living in the Song Dynasty")