Chapter 7 Chapter 6 The dream of the imperial examination was broken in Hangzhou, and the three brothers went to Shanghai Bund together
The two of them boarded the boat as they wished, and after a long afternoon and a night of turbulence, when the sun was a pole high, they stepped off the side of the boat by the Qiantang River.
Jeong Jee has already gone to two big competitions with his father, so he is very familiar with the road. He neither asks anyone nor takes a ride. As soon as he leaves the pier, he and Shun An stretch their long legs and head straight to the Gongyuan.
Shun'an has a big burden.Before going out, Fu Han wished to stuff all his belongings into his luggage, but in fact many things were not needed at all.The boat ride was fine, but it was time to walk, and the weather was sweltering, so the burden became a burden. After walking for more than two miles, Shun An began to wipe his sweat with a towel.
"Brother, why don't we switch backs?" Jerk paused.
"Brother, you underestimate people!" Shun'an wiped off his sweat, and hurried a few steps, "It's because the weather is too hot. I was suffocated in the cabin of the ghost ship, and I managed to get my head out. I haven't had a good breath yet, and I'm going to sleep again." walk under the sun."
"Hehehe, yes." Jeremy smiled, pointing to a shade in front, "It's still early, we don't have to hurry, how about we rest there?"
"Good."
The two walked to the shade and put down their burdens.
"Brother, how far is it from the Gongyuan?" Shun'an wiped his sweat and looked at the dirt road ahead.
"Twenty miles at most, and it will take less than two hours."
"That's great." Shun'an was obviously absent-minded, and he replied, looking away from the dirt road, looking at Jeong, "Brother," just as the words came out, they stopped abruptly.
"What's the matter?" The jerk made him completely confused.
"I... want to have a discussion with you."
"If you have something to say, just say it, what's the point of being polite."
"That's it," Shun'an no longer hesitated, "A few days ago, my mother had nothing to do, so she sewed a long gown for me, imitating elder brother's clothes, I... want to try it on."
Jerk chuckled: "Isn't it just a gown, you can wear it if you want!"
"I..." Shun'an gritted his teeth, "I still want to ask for something, that is... When I went to the Gongyuan, I saw other students, not to mention that I was a brother's student, but that I... also came to rush for the exam. "
"Good."
"Thank you brother!" Shun'an smiled, quickly took off the short shirt, opened the package, took out the long shirt and put it on, straightened the front of the skirt, and bowed deeply to the jerk, "Xiafu Shun'an, thank Brother Wu for his great kindness! "
Jerk returned a salute, and half-jokingly changed his address: "Brother Fu, you're welcome!"
"Brother, rest well, let's go on the road now." Shun'an picked up the burden and walked forward energetically.
Jerk picked up the burden and followed Shun An.
After walking a few steps, Shun'an seemed to realize something, and slowed down, letting Jeong go ahead, and he followed behind.After walking a few steps, Shun'an felt something was wrong again, so he took two steps forward and walked side by side with Jerk.
"Hehehe," Jeer saw the anxiety deep in his heart and laughed it off, "As the saying goes, a man depends on his clothes and a horse depends on his saddle. When brother wears a long gown, he becomes energetic, quite like a raw worker."
"It's a gift from elder brother." Shun'an was a little embarrassed, changed the subject, and said with a concerned tone, "This time, elder brother...will there be any obstacles to enter the list?"
"Oh?" Jeer smiled slightly and stared at him, "Do you have no confidence in Elder Brother?"
"Where is it! I just thought, my brother has encountered a major incident, and the books have been burned, will it be..." Suddenly realizing something, Shun'an hurriedly changed the subject again, and slapped his mouth, "Look at my crow's mouth!"
"Brother, I'm worrying too much. There's not a single book missing, and they're all still there."
Shun An was taken aback and asked, "Where is the book?"
"Right here." Jerk pointed to his chest.
"Hehehe," Shun'an said with a repeated laugh, "I'm relieved now. Elder brother, this is called being confident! Elder brother, if you are named on the gold list and become a high-ranking official, brother, I will definitely do my best. Little follower."
Jeer laughed and said, "Aren't you doing business?"
"I won't do it." Shun'an replied with great emotion, "Brother has become a high-ranking official and set up a huge business. There must be someone reliable to take care of it. Think about it, brother. Is there anyone around me who can compare with him?" Brother use it for peace of mind?"
"Hehehe," Jeer laughed, "I'm going to tell you a story."
"what story?"
"An old incident in the examination room, I witnessed it with my own eyes."
"Brother, tell me, I'm just about to learn about the examination room. I'm a fake student. If someone talks about the examination room, wouldn't it be embarrassing?"
"In the 23rd year of Guangxu (1897 A.D.), that is, the Dingyouke Township Examination, I accompanied Abba to this competition for the first time, and saw a scene with my own eyes. Among the students from various prefectures who lined up to enter the field, there were twelve people It turned out to be white-haired and bright-headed. Later, I heard from my father that the youngest of them was 81 years old, and there were five of them who were over 90 years old."
"Oh my God," Shun'an exclaimed, "I'm over ninety and I'm here for the exam, can I hold a pen and paper?"
"Not only can they write well, but they also survived nine days and nine nights like young people in a three-foot-square dormitory. .”
"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm convinced." Shun'an repeatedly praised, "Brother, I want to ask, did any of them pass the exam?"
"For them, it doesn't matter if they fail the middle school exam."
"Then... what's important?"
"The dignity of a scholar."
Shun'an was puzzled: "What is the dignity of a scholar?"
Wu Fu's family appeared in front of Jeong Jee's eyes, and her voice sounded in her ears: "What is your father doing? For the face of a scholar, for the freedom of mind... Your father is gone, and Mommy has figured it out too. A person lives with a face, a tree lives with a layer of bark, and a scholar should have a way of living as a scholar. As a student, instead of going to the competition, you go to fight for money with a bunch of vulgar servants who don't know how to read. What's the face of it? ?”
"Brother," Jeer paused, and looked at Shun'an solemnly, "The dignity of a scholar is to live, learn, and take exams."
"Hehehe," Shun'an was suddenly happy, "brother, this... doesn't sound like what brother should say."
"why?"
"Because as far as I know, elder brother has never been a nerd."
"What does this have to do with nerds?"
"Oh, brother," Shun'an was a little anxious, and cracked, "Let's put it this way, a nerd is an idiot who reads books. Why study? It's nothing more than fame. What is fame? Fame is a natural beauty. Beautiful women are pleasing to the eye, everyone wants to have them. However, such beauties can only be used in the arms of young heroes like elder brother. For the elderly, even if they are lying in front of them, they are beautiful and can be touched. What's the use? The fame at this time is nothing but a false name."
At this point, Xu Shi felt that the analogy he used was really genius, and Shun An couldn't help laughing again.
Jeong-jeong neither laughed nor dismissed Sun-an because he couldn't.
That's right, Qingdeng accumulates learning, has a brilliant head and poor experience, and those old people spend their whole lives diligently pursuing it, not for fame, so what is it for?His father had pulled out of the scriptures before he was alive and turned to study medical books, which shows that he gave up voluntarily. Could it be that he has realized something but is unwilling to tell it?
Jerk seems to understand something, but also seems to understand nothing.
Because it was still early in the morning, there was no need to hurry, so Jeong-Je and Shun-An just walked unsteadily, having a hearty meal on the way, and it was already late afternoon when they arrived at Gongyuan Street.
The two walked along Gongyuan Street from east to west, watching as they walked, especially Shun'an, who couldn't stop wondering, asking this and that.
Gongyuan Street is an old street. It is said that it was first built in the Song Dynasty. After more than 800 years, there were nearly 5,000 houses in the Ming Dynasty.In the Qing Dynasty, the number of houses increased again and again, reaching more than 12,000 during the Kangxi period, becoming one of the largest rural examination places in the Jiangnan area, second only to the Jiangnan Gongyuan in Nanjing in terms of scale.
Jerk and Shun An walked outside a tall fence.Inside the wall is the dormitory, which is the place where the students do their homework. It is about six feet high, four feet deep, and three feet wide. They are next to each other, just like pigeon cages.Inside the dormitory, the left and right walls are all made of bricks, with upper and lower brick brackets built one or two feet above the ground, and two layers of wooden boards are placed. The upper layer is a table and the lower layer is a bench. Candidates sit at their desks during the day , When sleepy at night, take off the upper plank, put it into the lower one, and curl up to rest.Three big competitions, seven nights and nine days, candidates old and young are not allowed to step out of this house, and going out means giving up.
When they reached the main entrance of the Gongyuan, the two stopped at the same time.
Shun'an cast his eyes on a pair of couplets on both sides of the gate:
Write a thousand words when the osmanthus is fragrant
Go out and smile to see the moon in the West Lake and the tide in East Zhejiang
Shun'an chanted it once, and asked: "Brother, this couplet is hard to pronounce, how can it be wrong with the exam questions?"
"What's wrong?"
"The couplet in the examination room should write about the help of gods, the help of heaven, the comparison of Sanjiang, the contention of a hundred schools of thought, etc., but here it is written about romance, isn't it off topic?"
"My brother doesn't know something," Jeong replied, "Candidates have studied hard for several years, and once they enter the examination room, they will feel nervous and in a trance. This couplet can relax the candidates physically and mentally, and they are right on the topic."
"How can I not see that there is no relaxation, brother here to explain."
"Candidates enter the venue on the ninth day of August and leave the venue on the night of August 17. Think about it, my brother. After the candidates enter the venue, when the courtyard is full of sweet-scented osmanthus and peanuts, they will feel comfortable physically and mentally. It’s like a god’s help. After nine days of hard work, when I went out, I was exhausted physically and mentally. When I looked up, I saw the mid-autumn moon in the sky, and when I listened carefully, I heard the sound of the Qiantang River tide.
"Hehehe," Shun'an said with a simple smile, "After my elder brother's explanation, this couplet is really correct." Pointing to the gate of the courtyard, "We will enter the venue on the ninth day of August, and now it is the fifth day of the eighth month, according to the rules Someone should take care of this place. But look, the gate is deserted, how could there be no one there?"
After Jing Shun’an said this, Jee-je also realized something, couldn’t help but let out a “huh” and turned his head to look around: “My brother’s words are true. The last two times I came with my father, no matter how many days in advance, this place is also a human voice There is a lot of people in long-clothed students wandering around the streets. It is strange now, the streets are deserted, and there is not a single person in long-clothed." Frowning slightly, "Will something serious happen?"
"Look, brother!" Shun An shouted excitedly, pointing to the front.
Jee-Je looked up, there was a crowd of people not far in front of him, Ji and Shun-an ran away, it turned out that a group of people were watching something around the Dragon-Tiger Wall of the Gong Yuan.The two squeezed in to take a look, and there were several notices on it, all related to the Revolutionary Party. The first one was Chen Jiong, a key criminal of the Revolutionary Party who was arrested for assassinating the imperial officials in Shanghai. Whoever informs the criminal's whereabouts will be rewarded Guangyang with one hundred yuan.
The dragon and tiger wall of the Gongyuan, where the list was posted, actually posted this thing, and the jerk was suddenly dumbfounded.When he came back to his senses, Ting Je saw a cheeky man wearing a bamboo hat standing beside him, he clasped his fists and asked, "Excuse me sir, how can I stick these on this wall?"
The cheeky man glanced at him: "What do you think should be posted?"
"It's the Dragon and Tiger Wall, it's time to post the list!"
The cheeky man looked him up and down and smiled, "Old Huang Li."
"Sir?" He asked with jerk eyes.
The man pouted at the notice: "What you want to see, let this notice suppress it!"
Jere stared at the notice, and saw that there was one under it, probably it had been soaked by the rain for a long time.
Jeong-je gave a wry smile, and clasped his fists again: "Dare to ask brother, what is written on it?"
"It says that from this year onwards, the imperial court will ban scientific research!"
"Ah!" Jeer was dumbfounded.
"Then..." Shun'an asked anxiously, "When will the exam start, did the above say?"
"It's banned forever. The announcement said that starting from this year, the imperial court will no longer select scholars through the imperial examination."
"Through what?"
The cheeky man shrugged and spread his hands.
"You..." Shun An rolled his eyes at him, "Don't you just talk nonsense, right? How can we not know anything about important matters? Besides, this announcement..." Glancing at the wall, "Why do you It is said that it is about the banning of the examination room?"
"If you don't believe me, why don't you take a look at this piece?" The cheeky man pouted towards the notice.
This effort didn't matter, a corner of the beard on the man's face fell off, even though he turned his face and held it down in an instant to cover it up, Shun'an still saw it clearly.
Shun'an was heartbroken, then looked at the notice in front of him, compared that face with that of the cheeky man, he couldn't help being startled, and when he recovered, he suddenly saw that Jerk's face was pale, dumbfounded, and a stream of blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth, he said in surprise : "Brother!"
Clean and jerk but as if he didn't hear it, his eyes were stiff, his body was like a zombie, he turned around and ran away.After taking two steps, he staggered and fell to the ground, just right next to the bearded man, he bent down to help him up, took his elbows and walked away.Shun'an was in a hurry, wanted to call out, but didn't dare, wanted to get away from the reporter, but was worried about jerk, so he had no choice but to follow behind them not far or near, to see where they were going.
In the middle of the journey, there was another commotion ahead, with the sound of gongs, and pedestrians gave way.Shun'an hid on the side of the street, and saw a group of Qing soldiers escorting three death row prisoners parading through the street.Shun'an inquired and learned that the three were all members of the Revolutionary Party and were sentenced to be beheaded for the crime of rebellion. They were only parading in the streets today, and they were taken to the execution ground to beheaded tomorrow.Thinking of the bearded beard, Shun'an was frightened into a fool. When he came back to his senses, he hurriedly searched for the two of them, but they had disappeared.
Jerk and jerk followed the cheeky man to the edge of West Lake like sleepwalking.The cheeky man let go of his jerk, stood still under a weeping willow, and looked at the lake quietly.Jeong stood under another tree, leaned against the tree, and stared at the lake, feeling bored.
After being bored for half an hour, the jerk obviously came back to his senses, he looked around, looked at the other party, clasped his fists and said: "Jing jer in the lower army, a native of Ningbo, may I ask your brother's name?"
The cheeky man hesitated for a moment, cupped his fists and said, "I'm Chen Jiong, a native of Huzhou."
"One of my brothers has disappeared, Brother Chen, do you know where he is going?"
"But the one with you?"
"Exactly."
"I was following behind, but on the way, I ran into a yamen parade in the street. I think I went to watch the excitement."
"Thank you, Brother Chen, there will be a period later!" Jeong-jee clasped his fists again, turned around and left.
"Brother Wu, stop!" Chen Jiong shouted.
Jerk off.
"It's getting late," Chen Jiong pointed to the sky, "Hangzhou is the provincial capital, and there are thousands of streets and alleys. Where can I find Brother Wu? In my opinion, it's better to find a resting place nearby, until tomorrow, and slowly look for it." He's not late."
"This..." Jeer looked at the sky and hesitated.
"There is an inn in front of this lake. It is quite elegant. If Brother Wu has no other place to go, he can have a drink with me!" When the voice fell, Chen Jiongren had already stepped forward and walked forward.
It’s not good to say anything about clean and jerk. I walked with him for a while, and I saw an elegant place facing the lake and the mountains. Entering and exiting the Phoenix Pond to serve guests", the second line is "the person on the list of dragons and tigers". This also reminds him that his father once mentioned this inn to him, saying that every big competition, this inn is always full. Not on the number yet.
This year, however, there are very few customers.Xiao Er eagerly guided the two into the store. Chen Jiong chose two elegant rooms facing the lake, paid a deposit, and asked Xiao Er to buy some appetizers, set them up on the stone table by the lake, opened a jar of aged Shaoxing wine, and took Filling up the big bowl, he pushed a bowl to Jeong-ji, and he picked it up himself, saying, "The imperial examinations have been abolished, Brother Wu has been liberated. Congratulations. Come, come, congratulate Brother Wu, do it!"
The eagerness turned into a bubble, and there was no way to resolve it. He picked it up and drank it all, and then filled it up, and drank it with Chen Jiong's big bowl. If there are more, I can't help but mention the imperial examination again.Seeing that the jerk was full of worries, Chen Jiong let out a long laugh and asked, "Dare to ask Brother Wu, is the examination a merit?"
Jerk thought for a while, and said: "For fame, and for something other than fame."
"Fresh!" Chen Jiong praised with a thumbs up, "Brother Wu is the first scholar I have asked to admit to fame. Tell me something other than your fame?"
"Home country."
"Hey, why do you put your family first and then your country?"
"Without a home, there is no country."
"Brother Wu is wrong," Chen Jiong corrected loudly, "On the contrary, without a country, there is no home. Alas, you talented people are all suffering from stereotyped essays."
"Brother Guan Chen is also a well-learned person, hasn't he read stereotyped writing?"
"I've read it, I've read it," Chen Jiong said with a laugh, "I'm ashamed to say it, but my dad was so pissed off by this stereotype."
Without waiting to be questioned, Chen Jiong boldly talked about his family background, how his father trained him, how he asked his husband to teach him to read, how he hated literature and martial arts, ran away from several teachers in a row, and how he failed to pass the Tongsheng exam several times. Trying this big hurdle, why my father wondered, how he found out in the middle of the night that he was reading heresy, martial arts secrets, how he beat him all over the yard with a stick, how he couldn't get up and fell to the ground, and he was left alone. How did you sell the land and properties little by little, and then wandered around the world, visiting teachers and making friends, repaying your lifelong ambitions, etc., one by one, and talking about it in detail, your eyes straightened when you heard it, as if you heard about Jianghu Fantastic man.
Seeing that Chen Jiong stopped talking, he asked curiously, "Brother Chen just talked about his ambition in life, so where is his ambition?"
"Is it possible to die in a country?" Chen Jiong squinted at him, picked up the wine bowl, raised it towards him, and said with a half smile.
The jerk shocked.Life and death of loyalty and filial piety are so unbearable in the eyes of this person, which is really unexpected.
"May I ask Brother Wu what he wants to do?" Chen Jiong asked back.
Jeer smiled wryly, turned to look at the lake, and sighed for a long time: "Oh, besides the examination room, I really have..." There was another wry smile, and he shook his head slightly.
"I'm asking about Zhi, not the examination room!"
Jerk took a long breath, turned his head, and let out a long sigh.
"Can I answer Brother Wu?"
Jerk look over.
"I will die in the country, and the family and the country will be one. Brother Wu's aspirations should be the same. Is it possible to die in the family?" Chen Jiong laughed loudly, and drank with his neck up.
Just as Jeer was about to answer, his ears pricked up.
A faint voice came from a distance: "Brother Clean and Jerk, Wu Jerk and Jerk, where are you? Brother Clean and Jerk——"
"Brother, I'm here!" Jeer suddenly stood up and ran towards the voice.
After a while, Jeong and Shun'an came to the lakeside, put his burden aside, just sat down on the stone table with him, when Chen Jiong came out of the store with an empty bowl and sat in his original position.
Seeing his full whiskers, Shun'an suddenly froze, and froze there for a while.
"Brother," Chen Jiong squinted at him, filled the bowl with both hands on the altar, and pushed the bowl over, "You are late, you will be given three bowls of fine wine!"
Shun An was still stunned there.
"Brother!" Jerk pointed at the bowl and nuzzled.
"Brother", Shun'an woke up suddenly, stood up suddenly, held the jerk with one hand, and picked up the bag with the other, "Follow me!"
"Oh?" Jerk was startled, "What's the matter?"
"Don't worry about anything, just follow me!"
"It's getting dark, where are you going?"
"Go anywhere!"
"Hey, why?"
"Oh, brother, if I tell you to go, just go, I can't speak clearly for a while!"
Instead of going away, Jerk took a few steps back and sat down again.
"Brother!" Shun'an stomped his feet anxiously.
"Brother, Brother Chen and I have agreed to live in this hotel. If there is nothing else to do," Jere pointed to the stone table, "sit down and have a drink."
Chen Jiong also looked over, with contempt in his eyes.
Shun'an shivered, didn't dare to say anything, and sat down obediently.
Jeong-ju drank his sorrows with wine, Chen Jiong was pleased with his grievances, Shun-an was restless, and pretended to socialize.After drinking one jar, Chen Jiong got up, took another jar after drinking Xiaoer, and opened the altar to drink freely.
After a few more rounds, Chen Jiong looked really drunk, and stared at Jerk: "Brother Wu, it's worth it to have you as a friend."
"I recognize you too!" Jerk poured wine, pushed a bowl each, "Come, come, drink, drink, don't stop getting drunk, drunk death counts!"
"No, no, no," Chen Jiong pushed, "Chen can't die drunk, and brother Wu can't die drunk either!"
"Why can't you and I die drunk?"
"Because Chen is going to do a big job tomorrow, so he has to bother Brother Wu!"
"Small things, let me tell you what to do, Brother Chen just tell me!"
"Just do this," Chen Jiong pointed at his body, "If I screw up, I have to ask Brother Wu to find a place to bury the weight of more than one hundred catties, so as not to be cheap to wild dogs!"
"That's easy to say," Jeer was obviously drunk, and didn't understand what Chen Jiong was talking about, so he just answered, "Brother Chen, what kind of tricks do you want to play?"
"The governor of Gou Ri got the next few brothers, and will be executed tomorrow, and I will kill that guy here, and rescue the brothers!"
When Chen Jiong said this, Shun'an got a mouthful of vegetables stuck in his throat, blushed from choking, and stared at Chen Jiong with his eyes wide open.
"Okay, okay!" Jeer gave a thumbs up, picked up the wine bowl, "Come on, I wish you success, do it!"
"Do it!" The two drank at each other.
"Brother Wu," Chen Jiong put down his wine bowl, slapped the table fiercely, and said impassionedly, "China has come to the end of life and death. The great powers are raging, using opium to harm our people, setting up leaseholds on our soil, showing off their might, and looking at us. The Chinese are pigs and dogs. I hate the Allied Forces of the Eight Nations, relying on foreign guns and cannons, attacking my capital, killing my boxers, plundering my treasures, raping my wife and daughter, and doing everything. Burning the Old Summer Palace, Sino-Japanese War, etc., the court turned a blind eye, singing and dancing Shengping is still the same, profligate up and down, completely unsympathetic to the suffering of the people, not thinking of national humiliation, corrupt and incompetent, to this extent." The voice became more and more passionate, and let out a long voice, "I lament that China is a huge country with hundreds of millions of Han people, who are controlled by the Tartars. Being bullied by foreign ghosts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!" After saying the last word "喵", he rubbed his chest and cried loudly.
"It's time, it's luck." Jee-je put down his wine bowl, and calmly comforted him, "Brother Chen, don't worry. Thinking about my Chinese civilization, it has been continuous for thousands of years, and it has been passed down to this day. How can it be broken in a day? No matter what Whether it's the Huns, the Jin people, or the Mongols, even though they can be vicious for a while, it's just a fleeting moment, and the Tartars will also be grasshoppers after autumn, and it won't be long!"
The two spoke in extremely high voices, completely forgetting what they were doing.
"Brother," Shun'an also vomited something stuck in his throat, ruthlessly pulled at the front of his shirt, lowered his voice, and cried, "You are going to..." He gestured, "Decapitate!"
"Hahahaha," Chen Jiong let out a long laugh suddenly, pulled the braids on his head, and swung his eyeballs in all directions.
Jere stared at him and asked, "What is Brother Chen looking for?"
"What your brother said is very true," Chen Jiong replied loudly, "I am the revolutionary party, grandma is a bear, and today my surname Chen will kill him first!" Looking at Shun'an, "Brother, Find a pair of scissors, and I'll cut off that damn braid with a click!"
"Brother Chen is refreshing," Jeer echoed, "cut scissor scissors, I'll cut off its bastard!"
"Brother!" Shun'an hoarse and his voice was stern.
"Heaven above," Chen Jiong shook the braid in his hand several times, "I swear to the sky in front of the two brothers: Chen Jiong will not only cut off this long braid in his life, but also cut off thousands of braids." The long braids of a million-dollar man!" Looking at Shun'an, "Brother, where are the scissors? Didn't I tell you to get the scissors?" Standing up unsteadily, "Okay, brother, I won't take it, I will find it myself !"
Just as Chen Jiong took two steps, he fell to the ground and fell asleep soundly.This clean and jerk also rested his chin on the table, and fell into a deep sleep.Xiao Er, who was waiting far away, called the shopkeeper, muttered for a while, the shopkeeper glanced over, and dragged the two of them into the room with the waiter.
Shun'an saw it clearly, woke up immediately, pretended to be drunk, picked up the burden, staggered to the jerk room, lay down on the spot, snoring.Someone closed the cell door and walked away.
Hearing the footsteps disappeared, Shun'an got up suddenly, quietly opened the door, and followed outside, only to find that the shopkeeper and Xiao Er were discussing whether to report to the official.The shopkeeper pondered for a long time, as if he had made up his mind, he whispered to Xiao Er for a while, and Xiao Er went out, but there was no one there.Immediately afterwards, the shopkeeper turned to where they lived.Shun'an hurried back, entered the door, lay down and pretended to be asleep.Sure enough, the shopkeeper opened the door to check, and saw that the three of them were all asleep, so he let out a sigh of relief and sat down outside the door.Shun'an was anxious and angry, and after waiting for half an hour, the shopkeeper finally got up and left.
Shun'an hurriedly called jerk, but no matter how hard he tried, jerk just didn't wake up.Shun'an was in a hurry, got a washbasin, quietly opened the door, sneaked down to the lake, scooped up a basin of cold water, and poured it on his head.After this shock, Jeer finally woke up, and looked at Shun'an in a daze.Shun An tells him to leave quickly, but Jee-Jer asks why.Shun'an had no choice but to lower his voice, explain everything in a hurry, and tell him to leave quickly, otherwise he would die.The jerk wine was completely awake, and without further ado, he rushed to Chen Jiong's room, but he couldn't afford it.Shun'an has already carried the burden on him, urging him to leave this troublemaker behind and leave this place of right and wrong.Jerk and jerk, but he didn't seem to hear it. He squeezed and twisted again, exhausted all his efforts, and finally woke up Chen Jiong.Before Chen Jiong could understand what was going on, footsteps sounded in the distance. Hearing the sound, I don't know how many soldiers rushed to the inn bravely.Obviously, it was impossible to go out through the gate, Shun'an was in a hurry, kicked open the window, jumped down, jerked Chen Jiong up with one hand, dragged him to the window, pushed him down, hurried back to the door, and pushed him down. Lock the door firmly, turn around and jump out of the window, together with Shun'an, take off Chen Jiong and flee.
Under the cover of night, the three of them escaped from the gap in the city wall and came to the outskirts of the countryside.In the morning of the next day, Shun'an went out to investigate and heard that the Qing soldiers had sealed the gate of the city in the early morning and were searching everywhere in the city.Until this time, Chen Jiong Fangxin escaped death last night, and thanked Jeong and Shun An.The three of them walked along the country road for another half a day. Shun'an rented a covered boat from a farmer. He wanted to pull the jerk and slipped away, but the jerk dragged Chen Jiong desperately. They were all thrown in the inn, and Chen Guang was penniless this time.
The three came to Huzhou by water.Shun'an went ashore and found that Chen Jiong was also being arrested here, and there was an extra beard on the portrait.It seems that Chen Jiong's hometown can't wait.Hearing that Chen Jiong intends to go to Japan to vote for Sun Yat-sen, he persuaded Shun'an with a clean jerk, and the three of them abandoned the boat, and went to Shanghai at night along the country road.
After returning to Shanghai from Ningbo, Lu Junyi used all his resources to conduct continuous detection for several days.Neither Shanyiyuan nor Runfengyuan have heard any feedback.The batch of goods from McKee & Co. was also wiped out by Lao Pan and the others, and they made a net profit of more than 30,000 yuan.
Junyi breathed out, but he didn't feel relieved, because he still had a big problem on his mind, which was why Taiji suddenly deposited one hundred thousand taels of silver in his bank.
Jun Yi learned from Lao Pan that after Tai Ji deposited the silver, there was no further news.Lao Pan also asked questions, but it is the customer's right to deposit and withdraw silver in the bank, not to mention that Taiji deposits for a three-year period, so Maosheng can use it with confidence.
Junyi didn't dare to take it lightly.He knows very well that in Shanghai, where only real money can speak, there is neither love nor hatred for no reason.The Ding family owns a bank with great wealth and wealth, but deposits money in his estate inexplicably, there must be an excuse behind it.
Junyi and Lao Pan discussed for a long time, but they couldn't come up with a reason.
This morning, when Junyi was packing the suitcase he brought back from his hometown, he saw the calligraphy and painting of the Wu family's Jinghu Shuangshou, and he seemed to think of something, so he called Qibo and asked him to find tools to hang the calligraphy and painting.
Qi Bo finished hanging the painting, while Jun Yi stood a few steps away, admiring it, when the phone rang.
"It's Brother Heyi." Junyi picked up the phone, smiling broadly, "Hehehe, when the phone rang, I thought it was you... Yes, I'll go back to see the old lady. I just came back and was about to visit You. What's the matter?...Okay, I'll go right away."
Junyi put down the phone, picked up the black bag, turned to Qibo and said, "Qibo, I'm going out now. When you are free, you can make a room in the backyard and prepare a bed. There may be guests in the near future."
Qi Bo asked: "Is it male family or female family?"
"Male family."
"What time is it?"
"I'm not sure. If there are no accidents, it will be in these few days."
"Okay."
Zhu Heyi is about the same age as Junyi. They are from Dinghai, Yongdong. His son inherited his father's business. He mainly deals in hardware, and also runs or takes shares in steel, textiles, tap water, flour, aquatic products and other industries. Yushen, Yuxin, Yuyuan and other dozens of stores were originally second only to Chajia among Ningbo merchants, but they were overtaken by Junyi only in recent years.Zhu Heyi is relatively open-minded among Ningbo merchants. Instead of being jealous or repelling Lu Junyi, who came from behind, he became a confidant and had many contacts in private.
Junyi was led all the way to the collection room by the housekeeper, and he saw that Heyi was holding a magnifying glass, admiring the three calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall with great interest.
"What kind of treasure, it's shocking." Jun Yi leaned over.
"Junyi, come here," Heyi handed over the mirror, "I just got three calligraphy and paintings, and I've passed your eyes."
Jun Yi pushed the mirror over, admiring each one, his eyes fell on the third one, and seeing the signature, his eyes widened: "Jinghu couple?"
"How is it?" He Yi was quite complacent.
"Where did you get it?"
"To tell you the truth, I just bought it from a vendor today."
"Street vendor?" Junyi was taken aback, "How much money?"
"Three hundred taels."
"Three hundred taels," Junyi took a deep breath, took a few more glances, and shook his head, "I've been fooled, brother Zhu has been fooled. This is a genuine fake. Shuangshou's calligraphy and paintings don't have ten thousand taels of silver, brother Zhu can't even think about it." .”
"Ah?" Heyi was anxious, and handed over the magnifying glass again, "Junyi, take a look again. Use a mirror to examine carefully. Look at this skill, it is not inferior to Banqiao at all. And this seal, this signature, with me The calligraphy and paintings of the old man seen at the old man's house are not bad at all."
"That's the difference." Junyi pushed open the big mirror, pointed to the signature, "Jinghu two old men, one old man is the calligraphy, the other old man is the painting, and the calligraphy and painting are combined to make the two old men. This picture has only paintings, no words." , but it was signed by Shuangsou, so I believe it is a fake."
"This..." Heyi was discouraged when he heard his words clearly and logically, "Oh, I thought I found a treasure, but if I didn't think about it, I was fooled. Anyway, three hundred taels of silver is worth buying a lesson, who will tell me?" Lonely and ignorant."
"Hehehe," Junyi said with a smile, "Brother Heyi, you can't be greedy for cheap. When you have time, I'll let you learn what it means to be a double old man."
"Walk, walk, there will be dawn in front of my eyes." He Yi was excited.
"Brother Zhu, you don't want me to come just to appreciate a fake?"
"Hehehe, yes," Heyi also laughed, "Almost forgot." Leaning closer to him, "There is an important matter. Mr. Ding Chengen, the left servant of the Ministry of Industry, is coming back to Shanghai this time, and he wants to play a big game."
"What big chess?" Jun Yi stared at it closely.
"Establish a chamber of commerce."
"Chamber of Commerce?" Junyi was stunned, thought for a while, then scratched his scalp and said, "I've never heard of this thing. How is it different from our Siming Gong?"
"You are out of date!" Heyi smiled and shook his head exaggeratedly, "Do you know the Ministry of Industry Bureau of the British? Chamber of Commerce is that thing!"
Junyi took a deep breath.
After being assassinated in the Madam Theater, she exaggerated her injuries to invite pets, but in the end it didn't work out.In the first few days, Master Ding visited every day, then once every other day, and then once every three to five days, and he disappeared completely in recent days.
Mrs. Ru gradually became depressed.
What made Mrs. Ru even more depressed was that, from Che Kang's tone, Master Ding didn't seem to pursue the matter of Taiji's business decline anymore, and he didn't say a word about Mrs. Li's indulgence of several sons.
This is not the most depressing.
The most depressing news came from daughter Qianwen who came to visit her after school, saying that the old man was busy.Qianwen is twelve years old, and she has begun to grow taller. Her small breasts have bulged slightly. Like her mother, she has been studying in a missionary school since she was a child. She has retained her natural feet and can walk and jump. She is very popular among the young ladies of the Ding family. Criticism, especially Mrs. Li's dislike, calling her a wild girl and frowning when meeting her.
"What are you busy with?" Madam Ru asked her with a smile.
"Learn opera from a girl!"
"Girl? Learning to sing opera?" Mrs. Ru was taken aback, thought for a while, and asked repeatedly, "What does the girl look like? How old is she? Where is she singing? What opera?"
"Not much older than me, about the same size, handsome, stays in the old man's study all day and sings, I don't know what kind of opera is sung, I don't like to listen to it at all!"
Mrs. Ru couldn't sit still anymore, her big eyes flickered a few times, and she sat up from the bed: "Wen'er, you go back and tell Manager Che that Muma's wound is completely healed, and she will be discharged from the hospital today, let him arrange it!"
Qianwen complied and trotted out.
"This old thing is getting old, and it's still—" Mrs. Ru smiled wryly, shook her head, and slipped out of bed to find a doctor.
For example, Madam used Che Kang, the chief manager, to make a big move and a hero triumphantly returned, but Lord Ding was not there to greet him. After asking the servants, he found out that Lord Ding went to listen to the opera with Lord Yuan on the Daotai later.
Hearing that it was another drama, Ru Furen was sad, and when she closed the door and was crying, she reported that Mr. Ding had returned to the house.Madam Ru wanted to go out to greet her, but when she heard that the Liyuan girl was traveling with him, she suddenly became angry and lay down on the couch with a black face. She felt a severe headache, so she put a wet towel on her forehead to relieve the fire.
After waiting for a long time, Mr. Ding still didn't come.Mrs. Ru suddenly felt aggrieved, tears gushed out, and she was grieving herself, the two pet dogs who had been waiting by the bed jumped out like flying, and after a while, hurriedly embraced Master Ding and walked in.
As soon as Master Ding came in, he flicked his clothes to examine the injury, and seeing that he was completely healed, he just grabbed her hand, sat on the edge of the couch, and looked at her with concern.
Mrs. Ru smiled through tears, and asked with something to say: "Master, I haven't seen you for a long time, what are you up to?"
"Oh," Master Ding sighed, "it's not about the chamber of commerce. You came back just in time, and the old man is about to discuss it with you."
"Sir, please tell me."
“老佛爷恩准老夫奏请，在沪设立商务总会，圣谕已经传递道台，上海各大行帮这也晓谕过了。”
“太好了，”如夫人贺道，“有老佛爷做靠山，老爷就能高枕无忧了。”
“夫人有所不知，高处不胜寒哪！”
"Oh?"
“辛丑之后，老佛爷痛定思痛，决定仿效西夷，推立新政，重工商，练新兵，兴学堂，办警政，裁冗衙，制宪章，表面上风生水起，欣欣向荣，实则是外忧内患愈甚，暗流涌动，险象环生。眼前有老佛爷在，尚能弹压。但老佛爷年事渐高，龙体不支。中国未来，局势堪忧啊！”
“老爷？”如夫人愕然。
“几年前，”丁大人面现忧容，“中堂大人临终之时，扯住老夫的手由衷慨叹，'大清这艘破船，就跟老朽之躯一般无二了。'当时老夫不以为然，眼下始信中堂所言哪。南北掣肘，满汉博弈，思潮混乱，官贪吏腐，国库虚空，地方坐大，更有袁氏坐拥天津，根本不以朝廷为念，顾自壮大羽翼，中饱私囊，看来此船真的行不远矣。”
“老爷，要是连老佛爷也靠不住，我们岂不……”
“夫人勿忧，”丁大人换过语气，“即使一艘朽船，也不是说沉就沉的。再说，他姓袁的只知其一，未知其二。他以为练好兵就可掌控一切，却不知兵是要吃饷的。我们只要守住银子，把握实业，就可立于不败之地。”
“老爷这是至理名言，我们得尽快壮大泰记。”
“壮大泰记固然重要，更重要的却是眼前这个商会。”
“哦？”如夫人不解地看着丁大人，“这东西没权没柄，又生不来钱，有啥可重要的？”
“夫人有所不知。”丁大人解释道，“上海滩华洋杂处，商帮行会多如牛毛，虽然繁华，却如一盘散沙。我们若是立个总会，就等于在这盘散沙里搅进水门汀（cement，水泥），使之结成一个硬块，坚如磐石。上海滩堪称中国钱都，既远离朝廷，又远离袁贼，原本就在我们泰记的掌握之中，倘若再有这块磐石做基……”顿住话头，意味深长地看着如夫人。
如夫人听得大张两口，好半天，方才吁出一气：“还是老爷想得远哪。老爷，既如此说，这个商会真正是个宝哩。”
“是哩。”丁大人点头，“商会一旦立下，就将影响上海未来的商务格局，是以由何人出面张罗，非同小可，迄今尚未定下。刘大人希望老夫定夺，依夫人之见，交由何人筹办为妥？”
“老爷可曾问过阿姐（夫人）？”
“问过了。她的意思是由泰记出面，我问过老车，老车提到士杰，你看士杰如何？”
如夫人沉思良久，抬头道：“老爷，贱妾以为不妥！”
“士杰不妥，何人为好？”
“贱妾以为，非士杰不妥，是泰记不妥。”
"Oh?"
“贱妾以为，张罗商会一事，老爷大可交给四明和广肇！”
“讲讲理由。”
如夫人的目光落在榻下的两只宠狗身上：“要让这两个小东西俯首听命，老爷可有办法？”
“扔骨头就是。”
如夫人拿出几根骨头，笑道：“请老爷赐赏！”
丁大人摸出两块骨头，扔下。二狗欢快地叫一声，各叼一块，蹲一边啃去了。
“老爷叫叫它们，看它们听话不？”
丁大人叫道：“春夏，秋冬，过来！”
春夏、秋冬抬头看看他，就又埋头啃去了。
丁大人苦笑一声，看向如夫人。
“老爷请看我的！”如夫人跳下床，走过去，将两块骨头收回来，放好。二狗啃得正在兴头上，哪里肯依，跑过来百般讨好。
如夫人拿出一块，在它们头上晃晃。二狗越发听话，让它们打滚，作揖，叼鞋，无不听从。如夫人显然觉得满意，扔下去。二狗咣咣汪汪，你龇牙，我咧嘴，你凶我，我瞪你，争抢一阵，终是春夏得去。秋冬追一阵子，无果而返，回到床边，可怜兮兮地望向如夫人，发出呜呜咽咽的求请声。
丁大人显然看明白了，捋须有顷，点头道：“看来，夫人驯狗确有一套，这根骨头，老夫就交由夫人扔吧。”抬腕看下手表，“夫人，辰光不早了，你刚出院，这要好好将养身子，老夫去书房了。”
“老爷？”如夫人扯住他的胳膊，两眼含情，紧盯住他。
丁大人扶她躺回床上，盖好被子，再次叮咛几句，径出门去。又过半个时辰，书房方向果然传来那女子的唱戏声，咿咿呀呀，听得如夫人捂住耳朵悲哭。
哭有一阵，如夫人擦干泪水，使丫环召来车康，吩咐他如此这般。车康应允，匆匆去了。
四明公所又叫宁波会馆，占地五十亩，原为老城厢北门外的一块荒地，早在嘉庆二年（公元1797年）即由在沪的宁波商人集资购买，作为宁波同乡会的永久会馆。
公所正门朝南，分为两个部分，进门为正殿，是一进大院，有议事厅、关帝殿等；正殿后面是寄柩处和义冢，也即公墓，为客死上海的宁波人暂时寄柩或葬身之用。
这日后晌，公所正殿议事厅里，现任同乡会长、润丰源钱庄的总董查敬轩正襟端坐，老眉紧锁，两手托着一管阿拉伯产水烟壶，烟嘴含在口里，看样子不像是吸，但壶里的水仍旧咕噜噜作响。旁边几案上摆着丁大人的信。
查敬轩年逾六旬，为胡雪岩把兄弟，与湖广总督张之洞、两江总督刘坤一等南洋派大员过往甚密，甲午战前又通过张之洞捐了个二品后补道，在官阶上跟上海道平起平坐。查敬轩是携官商于一体，屡经摔打而不倒，堪称混迹于上海滩的老江湖，其麾下的润丰源钱庄更是财大气粗，实力雄厚，与粤人彭伟伦主持的善义源并驾而驱，难分伯仲。
润丰源总理查锦莱站在他旁边，小心翼翼地侍候烟具。
“阿爸，”查锦莱小声说道，“丁大人让咱筹建商会，这是大好事体，阿爸何以不喜反忧？”
“唉，”查敬轩长叹一声，“你永远记住，天上不会凭空掉下馅饼。如果不出老爸所料，就这辰光，此信也必摆在广肇会馆。”
查锦莱震惊了，侍弄烟具的手僵在那儿。
“锦莱呀，”查敬轩的一双老眼紧紧盯在书信上，“这么多年，该看的你也看到了。姓丁的精于权谋，又仗了北洋李中堂的势，在官场、商场纵横驰骋，如鱼得水，莫说是老爸我，纵使你胡叔，也不曾是他对手。想当年，你胡叔左算右算，仅仅漏算一步，竟就让他抓了个准。可叹你胡叔辛苦半生，大风大浪不知经历多少，终了却栽在姓丁的手里。对于此人，我们是防不胜防，又不得不防啊！”
“阿爸，”查锦莱试探着说，“既然姓丁的是故意设套，让我们与善义源起争，我们不必睬他就是。要叫我说，商会什么的过于虚浮，在上海滩，永远是凭实力说话。”
“唉，锦莱呀，”查敬轩收回目光，看向锦莱，伸出水烟壶，示意他换锅新烟，半是开导，半是责怪道，“做生意，讲究的是规矩，是气势。商会正是订规矩、出气势的地方，你哪能讲它虚浮呢？”
“阿爸教训的是。”锦莱侍候换烟，小声认错。
“锦莱呀，”查敬轩咕噜又吸几口，吐出一团浓雾，“老爸在上海滩混了几十年，什么都看淡了，唯对洋人的生意经，老爸是敬畏三分哪。老爸琢磨来琢磨去，多少也算悟出些洋人做生意的道道，那就是，抱成团，拧成绳，结成势，共同挤对中国人。这些年来，老爸不惜一切，处心积虑地打造四明公所，接济甬人，为的就是让在沪甬人抱成一个团，结成一个势。也多少因了这个势，我们方能在上海滩打下方寸之地，不但令粤商刮目相看，纵使他姓丁的，也不能不对老爸有所倚重啊。”
见查敬轩讲出这等名堂，锦莱听得傻了，不由深吸一气，全神贯注。
“可是，”查敬轩接道，“这点势只能用来对付个行、帮，支应个官差，若是拿来应对洋人，就显得差强人意了。姓丁的发起这个商会，倒给老爸提个大醒。如果上海的所有行帮凝成一个团团，就会形成一只铁锤。如果这只铁锤的把柄掌握在我们四明手里，锦莱，你想想看，整个上海滩又将会是什么前景？”
“阿爸，”锦莱听得心花怒放，放轻声音，“莱儿……这就寻人谋议去。”
“事体倒也不急，”查敬轩缓缓吐出一口烟，“你可先给合义、俊逸透个气。合义平稳，俊逸灵敏。这群后生里，我看好的只此二人。尤其是俊逸，跟洋人打交道，少不得他呀。前几日，我听合义讲，俊逸的岳母病了，他回去尽孝，不知回来没？”
“他尽什么孝？”想起那宗生意，锦莱当即气炸了，“阿爸，他这是溜人！他把我们口中的鸭子夺去吃了，当然不能心安理得地守在此地！”
“呵呵呵，”查敬轩开导儿子，“锦莱，你要好好学学，这才是做生意啊！鸭子是摆在桌面上的，啥人筷子伸得快，啥人夹得牢，自然就该啥人来吃。俊逸能吃去，且又吃得干净利落，我们应该高兴才是。”
“阿爸，”锦莱急了，“你哪能总是替这人讲话哩？鲁俊逸最是靠不住，胳膊肘儿一直朝外拐，跟粤人——”打住话头，不解地盯住父亲。
“晓得，晓得，老爸啥都晓得！”查敬轩毋庸置疑道，“他的胳膊肘儿向外拐是不假，不过，眼下该是他拐回来的辰光了。”敛住笑，一字一顿，“莱儿，你记住，所有甬人都是你的兄弟，争东抢西，无非是窝里斗，对外，我们的对手只有一个，就是广肇会馆。”放缓语气，“你这就备份大礼，去俊逸府上，以我名义慰问老夫人。”
“阿爸教训的是，”锦莱大是叹服，“孩儿这就去。”
“还有，”查敬轩交代道，“商约及商会章程诸事，可以先让进卿他们议出个框框，再扔给俊逸，由他执笔为好。”
“好主意。”锦莱豁然开朗，“待框框议出，我再造出个势，让进卿他们在俊逸屁股下面烧几把火，免得他不识大体。”
查敬轩微微点头：“也好。办去吧。”
一切让查敬轩料到了。
几乎是在同一天的同一个时辰，广肇会馆总理室的几案上摆着同样的信。
室里只有两个人，一个是善义源总董彭伟伦，另一个是大英怡和洋行的总买办马克刘（Mark Liu）。彭伟伦朝那封信努下嘴，掂起开水壶开始冲泡功夫茶。
彭伟伦是个茶迷，绰号茶仙，沏茶是他永远的嗜好。
马克刘拿起信，看一会儿，神色敛起。
“老弟，”彭伟伦朝一只盖碗里倒水，“姓丁的这在给我们上道好菜呢！”
“彭哥，”马克刘放下信，眉头凝起，“小弟想不明白，筹建商务总会，这是一盘大菜，姓丁的为何不留给泰记？”
“呵呵呵，”彭伟伦将冲好的茶推过来，“泰记想吃，也得有这能耐才行。泰记仗的是朝廷，但在这上海滩，有哪个做实业的把朝廷放在眼里？洋人才是大树；商会不是官办，是民选，要服众才行。”
“那他——”马克刘深吸一气，“我是说丁大人，明知彭哥是袁大人的人，为何又要……”
“因为他想坐山观虎斗啊！”
“你是说——”马克刘惊愕，“这样的信，他也送给四明了？”
“呵呵呵，”彭伟伦的脸上浮出笑，“让你说对了。我们与四明这一仗，不打也得打哟！”
“打就打！”马克刘血气上来，“彭哥，就这几年，四明越来越不把我们广肇放在眼里了，是得给他们点color see see（颜色看看）！”
“Wrong，wrong，wrong（错错错），”彭伟伦连连摆手，“老弟仅仅盯住四明，就跟那姓查的老家伙没有二样，把这仗打小喽。”
"Oh?"
“我们的对手不是姓查的，而是姓丁的。我请教穆先生了，先生要我们趁此良机，把握商会，说这是袁中堂之意。听先生讲，袁中堂在天津卫也要倒腾商会，先生要我们南北呼应，把住中国的银盘子。”
“好！”马克刘将拳头震在几案上，茶杯也让他震得弹起来，“要是这说，我们就当仁不让嗬。彭哥，我这就安排去！”
彭伟伦没有接腔，却换了话头：“听说鲁俊逸回来了，有这事不？”
“彭哥，你提那个小人做啥？”
“请他喝杯酒。”
“请他喝酒？”马克刘愤愤地说，“彭哥，你……哪能不长个记性哩？那小子能有今朝，能攀上洋大人，能挣上洋钿，还不是靠彭哥提拔引荐？彭哥把他养大了，他这辰光翅膀硬了，竟连彭哥的货也上手抢哩！”
“呵呵呵，生意场上，没有抢与不抢的。”
“彭哥？”
“甭提这事吧。”彭伟伦摆下手，“地方由你安排，人嘛，就我仨。”
Notes:
Notes: