manynovel Chapter 361 The Man Who Saved Yanchu Pavilion from the Water and Fire
Chapter 361 The Man Who Saved Yanchu Pavilion from the Water and Fire
"Your Senior Brother Wen is very famous in Zhanglu Academy. He impressed everyone in the exam to enter the academy."
Tong Huaian said with a hint of admiration in his eyes, this Wen Ruyu is also a good seedling. If he can be won over, it will be a great help to the Fourth Prince.
"As expected of Wen Ruyu! He was spotted by the headmaster right after he entered Zhanglu Academy, and it is said that he is interested in taking him as his disciple."
Jiang Youzhen heard the discussions in the crowd below and couldn't help but feel happy for Wen Ruyu.
"Brother, why didn't you tell me about this great news? I could have been happy about it too."
Wen Ruyu immediately laughed a little embarrassedly, "It's just a rumor, how can you spread it?"
"So you are the famous Junior Brother Wen. My apologies!" The two scholars were a little surprised, and then introduced themselves.
"I am Zhang Li, and I am also a student of Zhanglu Academy."
"It's in Xiafangtang, from Zhanglu Academy."
"So we are brothers. No wonder the two brothers can come to the Fairy Pavilion." Wen Ruyu was a little surprised. It turned out that they were from the same school.
Zhanglu Academy is really too big, and there are many students inside, so it is impossible for him to know all of them.
Then several people started competing over couplets. The three of them were all students of Zhanglu Academy. The people below couldn't help but become interested and gathered in front of the Fairy Pavilion, ready to admire the style of the students of Zhanglu Academy.
Jiang Youzhen was watching the fun from the side. He couldn't persuade Wen Ruyu, so he just made up a couplet.
"Everyone! I have two couplets from last year that no one has matched yet. I wonder if you are interested?"
At this time, Master Luodan stepped forward, looked at the crowd crowded together below, and spoke loudly.
"Master Luodan, didn't I hear that students from Zhanglu Academy and Fuxue are here today? Why don't you hang up those two couplets so that we can admire their elegance as well?"
Many scholars have gathered below, all of them looking forward to it.
"Obedience is worse than respect!" Young Master Luodan clapped his hands three times behind him, and the manager immediately brought him pen and ink.
"One of the couplets was left by a wandering monk, and no one has been able to decipher it to this day. There are some unique features to this couplet, as you will learn later."
He wrote very quickly, and Jiang Youzhen came over to take a look. He found that his handwriting was very vigorous, and it was inconsistent with his somewhat feminine temperament.
“Blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.”
Jiang Youzhen was also surprised when he saw the couplet. This was not the traditional way of writing an upper couplet and a lower couplet. Instead, there were both an upper couplet and a lower couplet, but both had only four words.
As expected, she was not the only one shocked. Even Wen Ruyu and the others were surprised. After the wooden sign was hung up, there were expressions of surprise and doubt from the crowd below.
"You are really surprised by what you have never seen before. I saw this couplet last year. Someone else came up with a couplet at that time, but it was not very neat, and Master Luodan did not adopt it."
"Yes! I heard that after writing the couplet, it will be hung in Yanchu Pavilion!"
Ah? Jiang Youzhen's heart, which was originally about to move, was immediately suppressed.
It's not a good idea to hang it in Yanchu Pavilion! Reputation is too important for scholars like them. What kind of place is Yanchu Pavilion? If you really hang it there? You will get a reputation for being romantic. It doesn't seem good either.
"Hanging it in Yanchu Pavilion? Isn't it inappropriate?" Someone quickly raised the question.
"Since ancient times, many literati and scholars have left their calligraphy works in brothels and brothels. The romantic and talented scholars are no more than this."
It turns out that men in this dynasty visited brothels and were considered romantic. Jiang Youzhen just wanted to laugh.
"Junior brother, are you facing him?" Wen Ruyu looked at Jiang Youzhen who was daydreaming and reminded him quickly.
"I'm just thinking about it, have you figured it out, brother?"
Jiang Youzhen's attitude was very casual, and Tong Huaian knew at a glance that she had the answer in her mind.
"How can it be so fast? This couplet is quite interesting." Wen Ruyu shook his head.
"I guess you already have the answer, right? I heard that as long as you can match this couplet, you will get a reward of three hundred taels of silver." At this time, Tong Huaian leaned close to Jiang Youzhen's ear and said.
"Why is this? It's just a couplet, but it's worth three hundred taels of silver." Jiang Youzhen was very surprised.
"Mr. Jiang, you don't know this." Mr. Luodan suddenly sighed.
"The wandering monk came to our Yanchu Pavilion two years ago. He claimed to be an enlightened master and calculated that our Yanchu Pavilion would be in trouble in three years, so he wrote this incomplete couplet. He also threatened that only those who could match the couplet could save our Yanchu Pavilion from the water and fire."
So weird? And this is a story with a mysterious color. I don't know if this is a gimmick or it's true.
"It shouldn't be so difficult to make this incomplete couplet match? Then how do we determine whether it is correct?" Jiang Youzhen raised his doubts again.
"I also raised the same question at that time, but the master said that as long as I think it is right and everyone thinks it is right, then it is right."
ah? this?
"Did that master go there to beg for alms?" Jiang Youzhen continued to ask.
"Yes!"
The wandering monk's behavior is quite unique. Who would go to a brothel to beg for alms?
It’s hard to comment, the money is really easy to make.
At this time, the three of them all had a plan in their minds. When Jiang Youzhen heard about the three hundred taels, he thought that he might as well give it a try and not treat the three hundred taels as light money.
"Did you see the young man in the azure robe?"
At this time, a student below pointed in the direction of Jiang Youzhen on the second floor and said to everyone.
"Who is this boy? When did this person come to our city?"
"This young man is the top judge in Wen County and is currently studying at the prefectural school."
"Wow! Another genius!"
"Whether he is a genius or not depends on how he performs in the provincial examination."
Jiang Youzhen quickly finished writing the couplet, and the manager hurried over and copied her couplet on the wooden board.
"Everyone! This is Mr. Jiang Youzhen from the prefectural school. She will finish her rehearsal first. Let's admire her first."
Master Luodan spoke directly to everyone without waiting for Tong Huaian and the others to finish writing.
“Good fortune never comes alone, but misfortune never comes alone.”
"Huh? Arrived today, left yesterday, the couplet is very well-balanced. It also cleverly resolves the bad omen of the first few words of the couplet. It's really wonderful!"
At this time, Master Luodan was also very surprised. He read it twice and nodded repeatedly.
"Mr. Jiang is indeed smart and has great literary talent!"
Jiang Youzhen quickly said modestly: "Thank you for the compliment!"
Tong Huaian laughed. Jiang Youzhen was truly gifted. It seemed that it was the right decision to let Jiang Youzhen choose to study.
Although he had other purposes at the beginning, if such a good seedling was buried, it would be a loss for the court.
Wen Ruyu smiled bitterly. With Jiang Youzhen's excellent couplet as an example, his own couplet pales in comparison.
"Junior Brother Jiang is indeed a man of quick wit!" Wen Ruyu exclaimed.
Next, the couplets of both of them were announced. After a while of whispering and discussing, everyone agreed that Jiang Youzhen's couplet was the best.
Tong Huaian felt a little emotional. In just a year and a half, Jiang Youzhen even surpassed him.