Tranquility

After the county test is the government test, which is held by the prefect of Yizhou in Cangping County at the end of April.

Yizhou is in the east of Cangping County, not far away, and it takes three days to walk there.Yizhou is under the jurisdiction of Weihai, the provincial capital, and Weihai is still to the east of Yizhou. Speaking of which, Cangping County is actually the county seat closest to the capital in Weihai Province.

There were less than two months left before the government exam. Excluding the delays on the road, there was actually only one and a half months left. Tangning did not go home after finishing the county exam.

Ever since Tang Ning moved into Lu's house, the usually deserted Lu's house became more lively. Students from the county would visit Tang Ning, the No. 1 county exam, from time to time. Their purposes were different. Deliberately made good friends, some came to provoke, and some really came to ask for advice and learn.

For these people, Tang Ning adhered to the principle that soldiers will be used to block them, and water will be used to cover them up.Let you see if you are curious, greet politely if you are friendly, be provocative without being humble or overbearing, ask for advice seriously, after several confrontations, Tangning has gradually gained a reputation in the small circle of scholars in the county town, although not yet everyone praises her. However, no one deliberately smeared it.The paintings he consigned in Yimo Studio, under the slogan of being the first in the county examination, the business has improved so slightly, at least a lot of people came to see it.

Although the government examination was coming soon, Tangning did not immerse herself in her studies. He would either discuss with Dr. Lu how to deal with various medicinal materials, or shut himself up in the pharmacy room to tinker with his paints and try to paint new patterns, or he would just meet two people he just met. Friends discuss and study or go out to play, and occasionally there are large-scale gatherings that cannot be rejected, and they will also go out to socialize.

The two friends Tangning knew were Zhao Qian and Jin Yongfu.

He and Zhao Qian didn't know each other. Since the cooperation in the county examination, the two have naturally become close.Zhao Qian was six years older than Tang Ning, and his family was in the county. His father was a Juren. It stands to reason that since he was admitted to Juren, his family should not be too poor. However, Zhao Qian's father was very pedantic, and he was determined not to become an official. As a result, the more he passed the test, the poorer he became. When he died with hatred, the family couldn't even get enough money to buy the coffin.When Zhao's father died, Zhao Qian was ten years old, orphaned and widowed, and his life was miserable, but Zhao Qian was deeply influenced by his father. Although he was not as pedantic as Zhao's father, he was also upright and unyielding. The kind that can't handle the sand.Among the people Tang Ning has met, most people use masks to wrap up their true selves, but Zhao Qian is the only person Tang Ning has met who is genuine. In Zhao Qian's world, black is black and white is white , Never gray said, he treats others like this, and demands himself like this.

People like Zhao Qian had a hard time making friends, and there were even a few friends that Zhao Qian could recognize and make friends with. Tangning was probably one of them.At the same time, his personality would also unconsciously offend many people, and her mother followed her husband's legacy and worked day and night to support the family, but only asked her son to devote himself to studying the imperial examinations, and to be a Jinshi to shine in the family. The magistrate of Min County is covering it up and down. Whether the mother and son can live to this day is still a matter of debate.

As for the friendship with Jin Yongfu, it was posted by Jin Yongfu himself.Jin Yongfu is the second son of the richest man in the town, and the only son of the richest man with a talent for reading.Jin Yongfu is 21 years old this year, his son is able to walk, and he is still taking the entrance examination for children. Fortunately, he finally passed the entrance examination this time.Contrary to Zhao Qian, he is shrewd and sophisticated, and he can be good friends with anyone, but he is also very motivated, and he wants to be a high-ranking official. He can say that he has tried every means to take the imperial examination.So taking the initiative to curry favor with Tangning, a child prodigy who was ten years younger than him, would not cause him any psychological pressure. As long as Tangning was willing to give him advice, it would be fine for him to call him Teacher Tangning.

Logically speaking, Tang Ning would not have gotten along well with someone like Jin Yongfu, but Jin Yongfu managed to do it and got along very well with Tangning.In fact, this was all thanks to Mr. Cheng's good education, which made Tangning fully realize that the human heart is a complicated thing, and one should never just look at the surface.In Tangning's eyes, Zhao Qian and Jin Yongfu were actually the same kind of people. They were both principled and sincere people.Although Jin Yongfu's purpose in befriending Tangning was not pure, he asked Tangning for advice from the bottom of his heart, and he was grateful to Tangning from the bottom of his heart.Although he dreamed of becoming a Jinshi and becoming a high official, he never used those improper methods, but honed himself honestly and relied on his own strength to take the exam.

Although in Tangning's view, his two friends were the same kind of people, but his two friends didn't think so.One is a well-known poor man in the town, the other is a well-known rich man; one is the son of Juren, the other is the son of a businessman;It's a miracle that two people who are completely opposite can see each other well, but they are both Tangning's friends, they both like to go to Tangning, they both like to discuss poetry with Tangning, it's hard not to meet, It's even harder not to fight.

Tangning was caught in the middle of two friends, in a dilemma, so she had to try her best to divert the time for the two to meet.After all, Jin Yongfu had eaten for a few more years, so he soon came up with an idea. He took Tangning to his house as a guest every three days. Just imagine, in a garden full of peach blossoms, in an exquisite pavilion, with a fairy-like figure like Tangning , Cooking wine and tea, reciting poems and making pairs, how pleasant it is!

At first Tangning thought it was a good idea, but later he avoided it.The Jin family's mansion is indeed beautiful, and every time he goes there, the servants of the Jin family treat him very respectfully and politely, which really makes him enjoy the taste of an ancient young master.It’s just that the richest man in Jin is too capable to marry and give birth to a child. The young lady who is a concubine is a big push. He knows that his paintings are very famous in the inner house, but they just watch him by themselves. They want a few paintings for the sake of Brother Jin. , he can accept it, but they can't bring all their girlfriends with them, can they?That's fine, but Jin's richest man's mother, wife, and other concubines summon and give things away, and sometimes pinch him because of his age, he really can't bear it.

Tang Ning wanted to yell, didn't they say that women in ancient times were reserved and shy, didn't they say that they couldn't meet outside men? Was this ancient?

In fact, Tang Ning didn't know that it was true that Miss Gu didn't go out of the door, but she was talking about ladies from all over the world. In this small place of Cangping County, it was still a family of merchants, and there were not so many rules for female relatives. 11 years old, and handsome, such a young lady, from the old Fengjun to the little granddaughter, is a killer of all ages.

But in general, Tangning lived a very happy life during this period. She had no parents, no younger siblings, no burdens of life, only her close friends, romantic and romantic, this is the chic and uninhibited that ancient scholars should have.

It's a pity that time flies by so fast, the government examination is approaching, Tangning and the three of them packed up and set off together five days earlier.

Two days later, in Qi County, two young scholars and a boy were walking on the streets of the small town.

"I know you are poor and can't afford a carriage, but this time I will pay for it, and you don't have to pay for it." Jin Yongfu regretted that he was so angry with this sour man that he didn't bring a book boy and didn't take a carriage. He suffered for a few days , Patience is exhausted, and the smell of gunpowder in the words is getting stronger.

"As expected of being a merchant, I smell like money all over my body. I walk to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way."

"The peach blossom groves in Qixian County are famous all over Yizhou, but do you have time to appreciate it now? If you take a car, you can still stay here for a day now. Brother Tang may be able to draw a picture of peach blossoms. The last time Brother Tang painted The picture of the peach blossom is absolutely amazing, just like the real thing."

"Hmph, Brother Tang, I didn't say that no matter how beautiful your Western paintings are, they are clichéd and have no style. It's not as good as the ink painting of peach blossoms you painted last time, with appropriate shades."

"Fortunately, you are still a scholar. A scholar wants to be inclusive of all rivers. You are so narrow-minded..."

Tangning carried the burden on her back and looked at the sky. The weather is really good today.

However, the three of them didn't realize that the prison door in Qi County they just passed by was slowly opening a crack, and a man with an unshaven beard and gray hair who couldn't see clearly squeezed out.He stretched out his hand to block the glare of the sun, and he didn't notice the three scholars passing by him.

Under the same blue sky, in the capital, in a certain country's mansion.

Xie Baiyun was wearing a bright red uniform, leaning against a peach tree with petals all over his body, looking at the sky from a distance, the weather is really nice today.

Under the rockery not far away, a group of playboys and a group of fat, swallow-thin, and thin maids chased and chased each other wildly, and the beautiful scenery was suddenly destroyed.

Listening to those groans, Xie Baiyun felt a deep sense of boredom in his heart.

He suddenly stood up, flicking his long sleeves, curling the petals all over his body, but he couldn't fall back on the distant figure.

Xie Baiyun knew that it was very unwise for him to leave like this, he should have laughed and joined, but he knew that even if he took another look or listened for a while, he couldn't help but spit it out.Who cares, anyway, Xie Baiyun is the most willful, flamboyant, and flamboyant dude in the capital, so what if he leaves the meeting halfway?

He rushed all the way back to his mansion, rushed into his bedroom, slammed the door, and then slowly slid down along the door panel. This is his bedroom, his forbidden place, except for Mo Yi, even his wife can't step in .

He sat on the ground and let out a long sigh of relief. The feeling of exhaustion hit him again. He closed his eyes, feeling that he could no longer hold on.

For more than ten years, since he was young, he has lived this kind of life, acting recklessly on the surface, but in reality trembling, day after day, life is worse than death.

Except for Mo Yi, he couldn't trust anyone, he couldn't rely on anyone, he was just a person, Xie Baiyun opened his eyes, looking at the empty bedroom, a lonely tarsus came.

However, when he glanced at the picture of peach blossoms on the bedside, his eyes finally softened. Those days were probably the most relaxed and happy days for him.

He looked at the picture of peach blossoms, and before his eyes appeared the back figure of the serious painter under the peach blossom tree last year. Looking at it, his heart gradually calmed down.

Over the past year, every time he saw this picture of peach blossoms when he was irritable, he would calm down again. He tried his best to ignore the figure from behind, and tried to tell himself that it was only because the colors in this painting were too bright and full of vitality that he would be able to calm down again. Give him a sense of hope and joy.He knew very well that when he took the initiative to get close to that child, apart from being amazed by his appearance, he was more interested in taking advantage of him to get close to that adult.

That lord seems to be on the side of the eldest prince, but he is actually a middle-of-the-road faction. Now that he is on good terms with Brother Ning, when Brother Ning recognizes him in the future, he will naturally help his nephew when he is down. People treat each other differently.

Xie Baiyun's eyes flickered, those fragile emotions were pressed back to the bottom of his heart, his mind was filled with all kinds of schemes and schemes, and his heart became cold and hard.

It seems that we have to find opportunities to go to Cangping County more.