fake prince

Chapter 1202 Spying on Public Opinion
Beijing·Chunnifang

In the 30 years since the founding of the country, it has become more and more prosperous. There are businesses opening their doors early, and the traffic is like a stream, with high and low shouts, which is extremely prosperous.

Not far away, a young man got off the bridge, stopped and looked back sadly: "Everything is wrong!"

Half a year ago, he was still a servant, but now he is the eldest son of Zhennan Bo, but his father doesn't even have a title, even though he still has a third-rank loose title, it is still going from bad to worse.

As a son of his own, he has no honor to attack, and he is also unpopular, so it is very tasteless.

"But, after all, there is a bright future. It's not like before. I've been a slave all my life." Xie Hongdao smiled to himself, and when he turned his eyes, he saw a wine shop!
"It's here."

Recently, a new restaurant opened on this street, and the business is booming.

I heard that this "Four Seasons Fresh" restaurant has recruited a few chefs from several restaurants, and they are best at cooking the dishes that the nobles in the palace love to eat.

Once anything has something to do with the court, even if it is just a cricket, its value will double.

What's more, the taste of the dishes in this restaurant is really good. Although it is not as good as the top restaurants, the price of the "Four Seasons Fresh" restaurant is also not that high.

This makes some literati, scholars, merchants and officials of medium net worth regard this place as a place for teeth-beating festivals and treats.

Sometimes foreigners who are newcomers, if their families are rich, will come here to call friends and have a good meal.

For them, this is a good place.

Even better, the owner of "Four Seasons Fresh" specially invited a few singers to sing, usually on the stage on the first floor.

Whoever thinks it is good, can throw silver horns up to reward.

If you feel that this song is sung in general, you can ignore it.

Anyway, the singer was hired by the owner of the big restaurant, and diners can listen to it for free.

Other restaurants usually have singing or storytelling, but the singers in this big restaurant also spent a lot of money to hire them. They are all beautiful and pleasant. They are eighteen years old and their voices are like orioles. Sweet and beautiful.

Just for these singers who sing, many people are happy to come here at meal time.

"Officials, scholars, and common people of some value are all here."

"It's the target Taisun wants me to investigate."

Xie Hongdao turned his eyes and saw the meal time. People in twos and threes looked up at the signboard of "Four Seasons", and walked in feeling hungry and not short of money.

There are two guys, and they are dedicated to welcoming guests at the door.

Seeing another young man come in, he doesn't look like an ordinary person. Although he is dressed in a low-key manner, but if you look closely, you can tell that it is not cheap material, especially clean and neat. Although he is not very old, his eyes are very special when looking at people. If you have a god, you can see that you have a certain status, maybe not some powerful person, but you must be someone with errands.

The waiters in this kind of big restaurant have poisonous eyes, and after only one glance, one of the waiters immediately sang: "Another distinguished guest has arrived—I have invited you—"

The guy bent slightly in front, smiled and invited people to go in, and asked at the same time: "Oh, this guest officer, you look at me, this is the first time to come to our Four Seasons Fresh? We are new here. Your chef, cooking palace dishes is a must! You are in charge of the cooking today, it is a coincidence that you are here! I wonder if you are going to sit upstairs, or find a place on the first floor to listen to music and eat?"

Xie Hongdao glanced at the first floor, seeing that it was extremely lively and noisy, and it was not his main goal, so he said lightly, "Let's go upstairs to the private room."

"Okay! One of the private rooms upstairs—"

Upstairs and downstairs, the price is different.

The price downstairs is cheaper, and the price upstairs is a little more expensive. In fact, the food is the same style, but the private room requires a small venue fee.

Walking up the steps, I heard creaking upstairs, someone singing.

Because the downstairs is too lively, some people who are not short of money are willing to come to the private room if they want to have a heart-to-heart chat with others.

And there is usually more than one singer, some sing exclusively on the first floor, and there are still queues waiting for rotation.

If a distinguished guest invites someone to sing in the private room upstairs, this is a fat job, and the reward will not be less than if you sing downstairs for a day, and you don't have to sing for so long.

But there is one thing, what you sing often needs to be a little new, not old-fashioned, otherwise you will not be able to please the guests in the private room, and your income will be low.

Xie Hongdao deliberately slowed down his pace, and when he passed by the creaking door of the private room, he heard political affairs being discussed inside.

"Zhijing, Chengda and other prefectures suffered from drought for more than 700 miles, and the people suffered from hunger and cold. Alas, in a peaceful and prosperous age, this hunger and cold are also indispensable."

"This is a natural disaster, and no one can do anything about it, but as long as the local government requests to open a warehouse to release relief and relieve the victims, it will naturally subside."

"It can be said that it is difficult to adjust the granary."

"No matter how difficult it is, the first three years were bumper harvests, and the granary should be full."

Listening to the tone, this is actually a group of Juren.

This is also normal, these Juren from good families may not want to eat with the three teachings and low-ranking people downstairs at meal times, because they feel that they are not elegant and too noisy.

And what they are talking about is actually not suitable for talking in a place where there are many people talking, so as not to cause trouble.

Even if there is nothing taboo about what they discuss, but they are all raising people, so they still need to be a little careful.

"Grandfather asked me to collect scholars' opinions, I'm afraid I just ran into it." Xie Hongdao, who went upstairs, pointed to the next room and said, "Let's just take this one."

This room is in the middle, which is just suitable for listening to the conversations of the neighbors. With my own hearing, I can hear the discussions farther away, which is a very good place.

The clerk responded immediately, went in to wipe the table, and asked if he wanted to invite the singer to come in, but Xie Hongdao denied it.

"I'm going to make a fuss while drinking, and don't let people come in to disturb you after the food and drink are served." Xie Hongdao was not too generous, and threw a small piece of silver, about a tael, as he said.

"Okay, little man understands."

This is something that many literati like to do, and indeed many people like to use the strength of alcohol to write poems.

After ordering the dishes, the waiter rushed to greet them, and after a while, four dishes and a pot of pear flower stuffed rice were brought up.

"Look at this time, the grandson should have already started driving?" Xie Hongdao pushed Xiaocai aside without moving, only thinking to himself.

Afterwards, I took out a notebook, opened it and it was small script, densely packed with what I heard in a certain month, a certain day and a certain place, I casually flipped to the blank space, added ink and wrote a few strokes, remembered what happened just now, and calmed down , pay attention to the next door.

"...The spring comes, the fragrance of the jade decreases. The willows are under the rich gate and the small bridge. A few times the red window, I mistakenly recognize it. The heartbroken wind and the moon are pitiful. I can't bear it, and the two places are boring..."

At this time, there was no discussion, it was the singing girl who just tapped her eyes lightly with silk bamboo and clappers, and sang softly and softly, with continuous curls, was she actually singing a somewhat familiar poem?
"It's Taisun's word."

Xie Hongdao muttered, a little stunned, when he followed Xie Zhenqing, he not only had to do things for him, but also read books.

Because Xie Zhenqing has always been concerned about the grandson, even Xie Hongdao had to passively understand many poems and things about the grandson.

After Xie Hongdao took refuge in his grandson, those understandings he had had in the past were like homework done in advance, and none of them were wasted!

At this moment, he was listening attentively. It was obvious that the guests next door had stopped their glasses and listened intently. When the singer finished singing the poem, someone immediately applauded.

The age of a person should not be too young, at least three or forty years old, and the voice sounded a bit mature, sighing: "I didn't believe in God's gift, but now I have to believe it. The grandson is only a weak crown, but the literary talent can be said to be the best in the world! "

As soon as these words came out, they immediately got the approval of several people.

"Repeatedly appreciated!"

Xie Hongdao's slightly locked eyebrows also slowly loosened, so that no matter how many times he listens to the content, it will make people feel comfortable.

In the past, I was reluctant to admit it, but now I have changed my position. Naturally, what I said in my heart, the poems of the grandson are naturally the number one in the world!

Besides Taisun, who else can have such a reputation?
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard a hoarse voice saying: "Of course, the grandson's poems are rare, but it may not be the best in the world, right?"

Xie Hongdao frowned, and when he passed by the door next door, he heard this person talking loudly, he seemed to be a middle-aged man staying in Beijing?

Although a few of them were also Juren, they basically lived near here. Unlike this Juren, who came to Beijing from other places to stay here, because the family was very rich, they did not continue to leave, but stayed here.

This Juren actually said not necessarily?

When Xie Hongdao thought this way, some people also thought the same way, and directly retorted: "Then tell me, who can compare to Taisun's poems now?"

"If there are any famous poem names, you can sing them directly."

"Yeah, although we say that Wen Wu is the first and Wu Wu is the second, but who is higher and who is lower, we all know who is higher. We can't say that it is not necessarily, but we can't give examples, right?"

The two of them were really blunt when they spoke, even when they were talking and joking before, they were very friendly, but when they said this, the middle-aged Juren was choked up and was speechless.

The bystanders seemed to want to ease the atmosphere, but someone said, "If you want me to say, what I admire the most is actually what the grandson did in the fraud case!"

"Although the grandson is the heir apparent, he cannot directly interfere with the imperial examinations, but he supports his friends in reporting fraud, so that poor families such as me can have a chance to be listed. Isn't this a great kindness?"

Even if they are all rich, and some of them are natives of the capital, even if they are rich and well-connected, they are still poor, and they are incomparable with aristocratic families and dignitaries.

Taisun supported the reporting of fraud before, which was very supported by people from poor families.

"That's right!"

"This is a great deed. Without the support of my grandson, how could I have such a poor family? I am afraid that I will be squeezed out by those dirty bastards!"

"That's right, that's right!" The people around nodded their heads in agreement and raised wine to congratulate each other.

Xie Hongdao listened and wrote his name on the unfolded paper with a pen.

The paper on the booklet is not too big, but because of the small handwriting, not only the name can be written, but also a brief comment next to the name.

"Xu Chenghui, a Juren in the capital, admires the grandson the most, and he is full of praise."

"Chen Guangqi, a Juren in the capital, has a friendly attitude."

"Su Qiyuan and Gu Deyu can also be said to be the same, but Huang Luolin is a candidate from Guangyang County. He failed three times and is already forty years old. He seems to have resentment and blamed it on his grandson."

It turned out that when Xie Hongdao came to this restaurant, he followed these people, but these people were in front and he was behind, and there was a short period of time difference.

Because he had heard about the invitation to dinner a long time ago, he even knew how many people were in the private room next door before he came.

Eight people came from the next door, plus the records of these eight people, a hundred and seven people have been randomly checked.

This is according to the method given by the grandson, randomly selected scholars to gather, and then listened to the comments. Although the grandson did not comment every time, the grandson was the center of the discussion, so about half of them would hear the comments, and the feedback was very good. good.

"One hundred and seven people, 67 people said that the grandson is good, 23 people are neutral, neither good nor bad, and only [-] people have some opinions."

For example, among the eight people next door, only Huang Luolin, a Juren from Guangyang County, seemed to have some opinions on Taisun, and the evaluations given by five of them, whether they refuted or eased the atmosphere, were considered favorable, and it could be felt that they really had a good impression of Taisun.

The remaining two do not speak, that is, they are neutral.

"Scholar's heart, to praise the grandson so much?" Xie Hongdao was surprised, raised his glass to eat, and got up after a few glasses of wine.

"In addition to scholars, we also need to spot check market reviews."

This is different from the study of literati, you can't stay in this kind of place, Xie Hongdao naturally stayed for a long time, moved his chopsticks with four side dishes, drank half a small pot of pear flower brewing, paid the bill, and left the restaurant.

If you want to investigate the public opinion, you have to go to the places where ordinary people go.

Don't look at the first floor of the restaurant where there are three religions and nine streams, but those three religions and nine streams are by no means ordinary people. Only the noodle restaurants and small restaurants on the street hide the various life styles and ordinary people.

Xie Hongdao didn't plan to go to the restaurant anymore. He didn't have the mind to eat food and wine, but he wanted to eat a bowl of noodles, so he went into a noodle restaurant with many customers.

Although there are many guests, there are still vacancies due to the large area inside and the many tables and chairs, but the location is not good, neither near the window nor in the corner.

But this happened to be convenient for Xie Hongdao to listen to the voice, he pulled out his chair and sat in an empty seat in the middle, and said to the waiter: "Here, have a bowl of meat noodles, bring me something good."

"Okay! A bowl of high-quality meat noodles—" The waiter immediately responded and went inside to ask someone to prepare it.

Xie Hongdao was observing the left and right, and he didn't hear anyone discussing the grandson for a while, and after a while, he became familiar.

He heard a yell: "The guest officer wants noodles——"

The waiter was holding a bowl of sliced ​​noodles, on which there were about six or seven slices of very rare beef!

Seeing that Xie Hongdao glanced at the meat, he was a little surprised, so the waiter smiled and said, "A cow in Huangjia Village, ten miles away, was sick, and the government allowed the slaughter, so thirty catties were taken!"

Xie Hongdao nodded his head and was about to speak when a steady bell sounded in the distance: "Grandfather get up, everyone stay away!"

One after another paging, accompanied by a clanging sound.

"The grandson is driving, is this a soldier?"

Xie Hongdao, who had reacted, stood up together and looked outside. He saw that this time the guard of honor was different. There were fifty guards with swords in front, holding the dragon flag that the grandson could use, and then fifty guards guarding the chariot. Come here, followed by servants and maidservants, mighty and mighty.

"The grandson's ceremonial ceremony is a bit unusual." For some reason, Xie Hongdao just looked at it, and the backlog of doubts just now became heavier and heavier.

"What happened?"

(End of this chapter)