To The Land of Nevernight

Thick clouds covered the moon, and only the rustling of the wind could be heard upstairs in Xuji.When the night wind blows across the border and cuts down the weeds, even in the spring and April, Tang Shen still feels a chill in his heart.

Tang Shen looked at Wang Qin in astonishment at first, but then he settled down, his eyes darkened.

He and Wang Qin came from the same school, no matter what, they are already friends.But Wang Qin said that comrades are friends!What is Wang Qin's ambition, how does Tang Shen know!So if he asks this now, is he trying to force him to stand in line?

Tang Shen is currently in high school, so he must go to the Imperial Academy to take up a post. Not surprisingly, he will stay in the Imperial Academy for at least half a year, and has nothing to do with Wang Qin who is in the Ministry of Household Affairs.He didn't know anything about the situation in the court, and he didn't know anything about it from Fu Wei and Wang Qin until today's dinner.What good would such a him do to Wang Qin?What is Wang Qin's ambition, what kind of person he is in the court, what kind of status he has, his eyes are dark, he doesn't know!

Tang Shen looked calm on the surface, but his heart was full of emotions.

Suddenly, he was startled: Is Wang Qin really asking him to stand in line?

He is only 16 years old this year, he came from a poor family and has no backing background. If it weren't for Liang Song, Tang Shen would never have been able to join Fu Wei's family.He has been with Wang Qin for a year, and now he recalls the scenes, whether it was Wang Qin pointing him several times, helping him soar in the scientific examination, or Wang Qin taking him to release him before the test.

Tang Shen took a deep breath and concluded: Wang Qin was really just asking about my ambitions!Maybe there are other intentions, but it doesn't matter even if you pretend to be stupid at the moment.

Looking at Wang Zifeng's smiling face, Tang Shen hesitated for a moment, and when he spoke again, he said: "I came to Shengjing in March last year, and with the care of my master and senior brother, I have a corner of this strange place to live in. When I came from Gusu Mansion, I never thought that the road to the scientific research would be so smooth, all thanks to the teachings of Senior Brother Zifeng. The scenery is unforgettable in this life.” After a pause, he concluded: “Brother and I, also teachers Also friend."

Wang Qin looked at Tang Shen's vigilant and focused appearance for a long time, then smiled slightly.

"Looking at the appearance of my junior brother today, I think of nine years ago."

Tang Shen looked up at him: "Nine years ago?"

Wang Qin showed a look of emotion in memory: "Nine years ago, when I won the first prize, I was as young as my younger brother."

Tang Shen was really stunned for a while this time.

Wang Qin is 26 years old this year, ten years older than Tang Shen.But Tang Shen never felt that Wang Qin was old. After all, in later generations Wang Qin would be a young man, maybe still studying and not working. No one can say that 26 years old is considered old!But in ancient times, Wang Qin said that he was not young anymore, and Tang Shen couldn't refute it for a while.

He looked at Wang Qin's face, and remembered that Liu Fang, a classmate of the Imperial College, seemed to be 26 years old this year, but he looked much older than Wang Qin.No matter how you look at it, Wang Qin looks like a 20-year-old son of a family who has just reached the crown, as graceful as jade.

Tang Shen said: "Senior brother is also very young now." These words were rarely sincere.

Wang Qin looked back at Tang Shen and said, "It's windy at night, let's go downstairs."

The two walked down the Xuji Building together.

Before leaving, Wang Qin suddenly said: "By the way, does my junior brother know where your Tanhua mansion is?"

Tang Shen: "I don't know yet, I heard that we won't let you know until next month."

Wang Qin pointed to a piece of land in the east of the city, which was very close to the imperial city, and by coincidence, the Fu Mansion and Shangshu Mansion were also nearby.He said: "Every first and third person in the palace examination will get a mansion bestowed by the Holy Majesty. This matter is handed over to the household department. What do you think of that place?"

Of course it was a treasured land of geomantic omen, Fu Wei and Wang Qin both lived there, and there was nothing wrong with Tang Shen living there.

But the Hanlin Academy is just in the west of the city, separated by more than half of Shengjing.

Tang Shen said honestly, "It's a good place, but it's a bit far from the Imperial Academy."

Wang Qin: "Oh, just to tell you, this place has been settled three days ago."

The implication is: just to inform you, not to ask for your opinion.

Tang Shen: "..."

Then what are you asking!

After the two brothers went down the Xuji building together, Wang Qin offered to send Tang Shen home, but Tang Shen didn't refuse.Sitting in the spacious carriage, the seat is covered with a fine tiger skin blanket, the fur is shiny, and there are various snacks and many books in the drawers in the carriage.Wang Qin is a person who knows how to enjoy himself. The car was driving on the already flat road in Shengjing without any bumps.

The carriage with the lights of Shangshu's home slowly drove to the alley where Tang Shen lived, and Tang Shen jumped off the carriage.He turned around and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Zifeng, for sending me off."

Wang Qin lifted the curtain of the car, and said to Tang Shen, "It's late at night, little brother, go slowly."

Tang Shen: "Senior brother too."

The two of them were courteous, Tang Shen was about to turn around and go back, only to hear Wang Qin say again: "A few days ago I read a book, and I got a sentence. Thinking about it today, I think it's a bit interesting. Junior brother, there are some things that you know you can do, but you also need to know what you can do." Can't do it."

Tang Shen froze, raised his head, and looked at Wang Qin in the carriage.

After a long time, he said with a relaxed smile: "Could it be that this saying is taken from the 'know what's impossible' in the Analects, and it's cleverly changed."

Wang Qin smiled, and said nothing, the wheels of the carriage creaked and rolled on the bluestone floor.Tang Shen stood at the entrance of the alley, watching Wang Qin leave gradually, the smile on his face also gradually faded.

Back home, Tang Shen sat in his study and warmed him a bowl of soup, but he didn't have the mood to drink it.

There is a saying in "The Analects of Confucius", "It is the one who knows what is impossible but does it." This sentence is saying that "Confucius is a person who knows that it is impossible but still wants to do it."Wang Qin suddenly said to him a revised version of this sentence, saying that he should "know what can be done, and know what can't be done".

"What is he talking about?" Tang Shen pondered over and over again, and suddenly clenched his hands: "He knows what I want to do in Shengjing?"

Then Tang Shen thought again: "How could it be? I have already joined Fu Wei's family, and I have never experienced any abnormalities in this year. If Wang Zifeng is more powerful, maybe he can still know that when I met Sheng Sheng in the Imperial College that day, I scolded the Songqing party members."

Tang Shen really guessed right about this matter, Wang Qin and the chief eunuch Ji Fu had a good relationship, and the two of them worked hand in hand, and they really knew about it.

Tang Shen thought again: "I did nothing wrong. After Mr. Liang's death, I also distanced myself from him immediately, and rarely even mentioned him in front of Mr. Fu. Besides, I'm only sixteen, I'm just a child, I must be I think too much."

"What if... I didn't think too much?"

"Wang Zifeng is really telling me, if you think about it, you can do it or you can't do it. Is he persuading me to think more about it before making a decision?"

In the study room, candles were burning and crackling.

After a long time, Tang Shen's eyes were as bright as a torch, and he was unwavering: "Although there are tens of thousands of people, I will go!"

Finally figured it out, Tang Shen was relieved, he no longer took Wang Qin's words tonight to his heart, looking for troubles for himself.Picking up the broth and about to take a sip, Tang Shen found that the soup was already cold, and the white meat oil was floating on the soup, making people unappetizing at first sight.Tang Shen put the bowl aside in disgust, thought for a while, picked up the rice paper and rubbed ink to write, copied the copybook given by Wang Qin, and then took out the sharpener to bind the words he wrote.

On the second day, Tang Shen asked Yao San to make some youth groups.

It is still April, which is the Ching Ming season.People in Shengjing don't have the habit of eating Qingtuan, but people in Jiangnan do.In the evening, Tang Shen took a basket of steaming youth balls and a copybook he had written to the Shangshu Mansion.

Waiting in the flower hall for half an hour, finally waited for Wang Qin who came back from Hubu.

Wang Qin was also surprised to see him here.

Tang Shendao: "Senior brother said the day before yesterday that I haven't come to the Shangshu Mansion for a long time, so I came to visit today. It happened that I made some youth balls at home. Although they were rough, I wanted to bring them to my senior brother to taste. By the way, this is The copybook I wrote last month. Brother’s handwriting is excellent, I can only write the shape, but I can’t write the meaning, I want my brother to give pointers.”

Wang Qin looked at Tang Shen, laughed, and said: "If you don't rest at the Minister's Mansion tonight, you will go to the Imperial Academy to take office in two days, even if the Imperial Academy is a leisurely office, you will not have as much time as you have now. Today Our brothers and sisters will talk at night by candlelight, let me see your copybook?"

Tang Shen never thought that he would spend the night in the Shangshu Mansion tonight, but he still cared about what Wang Qin said the night before. At least for now, it seems that if he wants to become a powerful minister, the best shortcut he can use is Wang Zifeng.

Tang Shen said: "Okay, I also had this intention long ago, but I was always embarrassed to disturb senior brother."

Wang Qin: "Really?"

Tang Shen was ignorant of his conscience, and his tone was sincere: "Really!"

Wang Qin: "Then come and spend more nights in the future, after all, Tanhua Mansion is also close!"

Tang Shen: "..."

How do you feel that something is wrong!

After dinner, Tang Shen took out the copybook he wrote, opened his eyes and lied that it was written last month.Wang Qin took the copybook, read it carefully, and asked Tang Shen to write a few more words for him to read.He pointed out a few places, and Tang Shen wrote two more words.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his from behind. Wang Qin held Tang Shen's hand and taught him to write.

"It's a good thing to show your sharpness, but this hook can be lighter."

Tang Shen raised his head slowly and looked at Wang Qin who was standing behind him.

Wang Qin let go of his hand and said with a smile, "Little Junior Brother?"

Tang Shen turned his head: "Should I write it like this, senior brother?"

"Yes, Not Bad."

In the dim candlelight, there is a person who clings to his hand and teaches him to practice calligraphy.It happened a year and a half ago.

Tang Shen wrote earnestly, and Wang Qin also taught patiently.After the two parted, Tang Shen rested in the guest room of the Shangshu Mansion.He lay on the bed and stretched out his hand, looking at the right hand in the moonlight. On the skin, he recalled the warmth from Wang Qin's touch. However, he could no longer recall the feeling when Liang Song taught him calligraphy.

Liang Song's hands seemed to be cooler, while Wang Zifeng's were warmer.

But when he faced Wang Zifeng, he walked on thin ice.Facing Liang Song, he dared to do anything and say anything, to be the real Tang Shen, not Tang Jingze.

To Wang Zifeng, he is Tang Shen, and even more Tang Jingze.

Only for Mr. Liang, he is only Tang Shen, he can only be Tang Shen!

"gentlemen……"

I miss you.

Tang Shen stayed up all night and opened his eyes until dawn.When he got up, Wang Qin had already gone to court.The butler left Tang Shen to have breakfast at Shangshu Mansion, Tang Shen didn't refuse, and went home after eating.It was only Maoshi at this time, and he made an appointment to meet Zhao Qiong again at Qianlilou at noon.

Without further ado, Tang Shen washed up, changed his clothes, and headed to Qianli Tower.