Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Floating Clouds in the World, Thousands of Replies New
Half of the first quarter moon hangs in the sky, which is as cold as frost.The silver light flows down the earth, but it does not shine into the dense bamboo forest path.The dim light of the lantern can only illuminate three steps away, except for the feet, most of the body is wrapped in the darkness of the mountain forest.A gust of mountain wind passed by, stirring up the vitality of the bamboo forest.In the deep forest, bamboo whistles a few times.The breeze sees you off, whispering softly.Is this the famous "Sheshan Bamboo Roar" at home and abroad?It's more like a deep sigh that I'm pregnant with.
Liu Rushi has just experienced a huge turning point in her thinking, and deep down in her heart, she no longer has the shock and curiosity she felt when she first heard "A Handful of Snow".But when she heard that Shi Shaoxin had come to Wanxiangtang, her breathing was involuntarily rapid, she turned around and left.Because he was walking too fast, he tripped over the corner of his skirt and almost fell off the steps.
Li Daiwen rushed over to support her, didn't let go until the corridor, said: "Yinniang, what do you want to ask Mr. Shi face to face? That person has a weird temper, he doesn't always get along well, Yinniang should be more careful. "
Liu Rushi said: "Yes, I see." After walking a few steps, he turned his head and asked, "Young Master Li didn't follow us to the back hall just now, did you rush to invite Mr. Shi?"
Li Daiwen was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No. I was walking outside, and I happened to meet Mr. Shi."
It was extremely rare for Liu Rushi to see that this person helped others without taking credit for it, so he didn't point it out at the moment, just smiled slightly, and said: "Thank you." Then he rushed towards the front hall.
She is so eager to see Shi Shaoxin, of course, not because she is interested in him, but because she wants to know the origin of the jade cup "A Handful of Snow" in the opera "A Handful of Snow". "A Handful of Snow" is not a fiction, there really is a white jade cup called "A Handful of Snow", and she was expelled from the Zhou Mansion by Zhou Daodeng in the name of lewdness, and she lost all face, it has a lot to do with this cup ——
A year ago, after she became Zhou Daodeng's favorite concubine, she saw many rare treasures collected by the Zhou Mansion.Among them, the most precious are two jade cups: one is called "Bixiangsheng", which is green and lovely; the other is called "A Handful of Snow", which is more white than snow.The two jade cups are kept in a secret room, only Zhou Daodeng has the key to open them, and he doesn't show them easily, among the concubines, only Liu Rushi has seen them.Liu Rushi himself doesn't like gold, silver and jewelry, but he is very fond of the two jade cups.Zhou Daodeng made an exception once and asked her to drink tea with "Bi Xiangsheng" and drink wine with "A Handful of Snow".Who knows that the world is unpredictable, but these two jade cups later became evidence of her affair with the luthier Wang Lan.
The general course of events is: although Liu Rushi is favored by Zhou Daodeng, the age difference between the two of them is too large, he is more than enough to be her grandfather, and the two of them don't have much in common.Liu Rushi is eager to learn by nature, and when he saw Wang Lan, the violin master of Zhou's residence, had superb piano skills and smooth fingering, he offered to learn piano skills from him.
Liu Rushi also loves Wanglan's name very much.Lan who, big waves also.The ancients said: "There is skill in observing the water, and you must observe its waves." There is also a saying that calm the waves, turn the tide, and make the world peaceful.Guanlan, Tinglan, and Xilan are all extremely beautiful images, but his name is Wanglan, and he has the taste of an outsider, as if there have been countless magnificent past events, but he wants to forget them.
Coincidentally, Wang Lan is a few years older than Liu Rushi, and he claims to be a person who has suffered from misfortune and has no one to depend on.The two were sick and sympathetic to each other, and sometimes they would talk about topics other than piano skills. Over time, they became good friends who talked about everything.
Liu Rushi grew up in a brothel since she was a child, she was used to love between men and women, and she never avoided suspicion of men and women.But as Zhou Daodeng's favored concubine, she had frequent contacts with a young luthier, and others saw her, so she couldn't help gossiping.Liu Rushi asked herself that she had a clear conscience, and still went her own way, not caring at all.
One day, a maidservant came to report to Liu Rushi, saying that Wang Lan was in a hurry to find her.She rushed to the small room in a hurry, but there was no one there, even Wang Lan's usual piano was gone, there was only a bundle on the desk.At the time of Nahan, the group of concubines led Zhou Daodeng in, all accusing Liu Rushi of having an affair with Wang Lan, and the two of them planned to elope and escape for a long time.
Without waiting for Liu Rushi to defend, someone snatched it up and opened the bag, and inside it were some clothes and jewelry of Liu Rushi herself, which became the ironclad evidence that she was going to elope with Wang Lan.
Zhou Daodeng was half-believing at first, and felt that even if it was true, family ugliness should not be made public, so he ordered people to put Liu Rushi under house arrest, and did not send anyone to chase Wang Lan who had escaped.When he discovered that "Bi Xiangsheng", "A Handful of Snow" and several other rare treasures were stolen from the secret room, he became furious. While sending his trusted confidants to Shanyin, Wanglan's hometown, to catch people, he ordered his servants to take Liu Rushi was tied up and hung up, using family law to torture her, forcing her to confess where Wang Lan fled with the stolen goods.Liu Rushi didn't know where he was, how could he tell where Wang Lan went.Zhou Daodeng didn't believe her account, and believed that she had an affair with Wang Lan and conspired to steal the treasure from the secret room.Because only a few people in the Zhou mansion knew where the secret room was located, apart from Zhou's wife, children and old mother, it was Liu Rushi, an immature concubine.
The ruthless stick fell on Liu Rushi like raindrops, and the severe physical pain aroused the stubborn and arrogant side of her character. She simply shut her mouth and stopped making unnecessary struggles.Seeing that she refused to give in and begged for mercy, Zhou Daodeng became even more angry. If Mrs. Zhou hadn't heard the news and came to stop her, she would have been beaten to death on the spot.
In the end, it was her adoptive mother Xu Fu who rescued her, returned all the money from the Zhou family, and took her back to her home to recuperate.For a concubine suspected of colluding with outsiders to steal valuables, this is actually a pretty good ending.
But this is precisely what Liu Rushi himself was puzzled by—all the things stolen from the Zhou mansion were priceless valuables, but Zhou Daodeng did not report to the officials, nor did he continue to track down "Bi Xiangsheng" and "Bi Xiangsheng" on her. The whereabouts of "A Handful of Snow" only made one request to her, that is to keep her mouth shut and not to reveal anything about the Zhou Mansion to others.
The meaning behind it seems to be that they don't want outsiders to know that there are "Bixiangsheng" and "a handful of snow" in the Zhou Mansion.However, the Jiangnan style is inherently extravagant, and the Zhou family is rich in Wujiang, so a few rare treasures in the family are really nothing.On the contrary, it was Zhou's deliberate concealment and refusal to report to officials that aroused suspicion.
What is so unusual about it?Could it be because the origins of "Bi Xiangsheng" and "A Handful of Snow" are unknown?If this is the case, "Bi Xiangsheng" and "A Handful of Snow" should be treasures and famous utensils. She thinks she is not an ignorant person. Before entering the Zhou Mansion, she had never heard the names of these two jade cups.
In fact, since the Ming Dynasty, the most famous jade article is called "Grape under the Moon".In fact, it is a white jade jug, the whole body is milky white and translucent, except for a stalk of ink in the middle, which looks like a grape, hence the name.It is said that whenever the bright moon shines, the jade pot is lingering, and a little grape is crystal clear, full of fun, and those who see it will never forget it.People at that time didn't bother to use sayings like "how much it's worth" to estimate the value of this jade pot. They only said that a handful of "grapes under the moon" could be exchanged for salt notes from several counties in the south of the Yangtze River.This pot was originally owned by Shen Wansan, a wealthy man in the early Ming Dynasty. After Shen's defeat, the jade pot was also confiscated by the government, and its whereabouts have been unknown since then.It is expected that it should be sent to the imperial palace and become Ouchi's collection.
Of course Liu Rushi has never seen "Grapes under the Moon", but judging from her own taste, "A Handful of Snow" jade is of high quality and finely carved.And every time the wine is poured into the "handful of snow", there will be clouds and smoke rising up, swirling in the jade cup, wisps and lingering for a long time, just like white snow.In the mouth of the wine, there is really a cold feeling, which is most suitable for drinking in summer. "Grapes under the Moon" is just a rare pattern, while "A Handful of Snow" is strange. From this alone, the value of the latter is not inferior to the former.This is why Zhou Daodeng cherishes him so much.
Zhou Dao kept his secret, could it be that he was afraid that his family would be wiped out because of wealth, just like Shen Wansan in the past?However, even if there is no "a handful of snow", the Zhou family is also a rich man in the south of the Yangtze River.What's more, he used to be the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty, so Shen Wansan, who is a businessman, can't be compared.
Could it be that Zhou Daodeng was afraid that he would be killed and suffer disaster just like the legendary Wang Zhu because of "A Picture of Rising the River During the Qingming Festival"?This is too ridiculous.Zhou Daodeng was the person Chongzhen tried every means to draw lots to be the chief assistant. The emperor was not good at property. In today's world, who would dare to seek "a handful of snow" from the hands of the old prime minister?Besides, the jade cup has been stolen.
There must be some special reason that forced Zhou Daodeng not to publicize that he once owned "a handful of snow".But what is the reason?If he doesn't say it himself, it's hard for others to explain it.
Of course, what made Liu Rushi even more sad was the actions of the luthier Wang Lan.Although he was a bit decadent and weak, she always regarded him as the only good friend in Zhou Mansion, who was trustworthy and someone she could confide in.In turn, how did he treat her?He left without saying goodbye, where did he go?
Thinking carefully about the whole incident, what Liu Rushi wanted to know most was Wang Lan's whereabouts.It is true that she was framed by concubines, did Wang Lan participate in it?If he didn't know, how could he happen to disappear mysteriously before the incident?The most important thing is, have things like "a handful of snow" and "Bi Xiangsheng" been stolen by him in private?
In her heart, she was unwilling to suspect Wang Lan, but he was indeed the most suspicious, because she had inadvertently talked about the treasure in the secret room to him, and specially emphasized that she loved the "handful of snow" jade cup most.If he was involved in it, she had no intention of speaking, but the listener was interested in convenience.Perhaps Wanglan became malicious when he heard that there were many precious treasures in the secret room of the Zhou Mansion. After all, as long as he stole any one of the secret room treasures, it would be enough to get a lifetime of food and clothing. pregnancy.
But how did Wang Lan get the key to the secret room?There was only one oddly shaped key, which was hung around Zhou Daodeng's neck every day, and he would only take it off and put it beside his pillow when he was sleeping.Wang Lan lived in the front yard and was not allowed to be summoned by his master, and he could never enter the back yard. No matter what, he couldn't get close to Zhou Dao.She was the only one who accompanied Zhou Daodeng's pillow every night, and she was the only one who could easily get access to the key. That's why Zhou Daodeng believed that she secretly copied a key for Wanglan while he was asleep at night.But the truth is, she didn't.Then, how did Wang Lan open the mechanism behind the bookshelf and enter the secret room quietly?
There is another possibility that someone else stole the treasure and secretly captured or killed Wang Lan, so as to create the illusion that he fled in fear of crime after stealing the treasure.But just as Zhou Daodeng said, except for her, the ones who know the location of the secret room are all his close relatives. It can't be his own old wife and son who stole the treasure.And even if the old wife and son live in another place, how did they get the secret room key from Zhou Daodeng's neck?
Besides, is the fact that she was framed by other concubines for adultery with Wang Lan related to the theft of "A Handful of Snow"?Although those concubines are vulgar and try their best to win the favor of their masters, they are determined not to have the guts to steal Zhou's property.They also didn't know about the jewels in the secret room, which should have nothing to do with the theft of "A Handful of Snow".But why are these two events such a coincidence in time?
Innocent being wronged, with Liu Rushi's personality, he was naturally indignant.After she returned to the home courtyard, she suddenly became dissolute and unrestrained, which was related to this.However, when she set foot on Sheshan today, she had already decided to bid farewell to the past and not to worry about it anymore.Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the hall of Wanxiangtang, he unexpectedly heard an opera titled "A Handful of Snow". Immediately, his mind and body were once again shrouded in heavy doubts, and he couldn't wait to get acquainted with the playwright Shi Shaoxin.
When he rushed to the front hall, he happened to meet Wang Wei and Xu Hongzu in the courtyard.The snow had stopped outside, but it was still very cold.The two just stood under the osmanthus tree so casually, exchanging their experience and insights from traveling to famous mountains and rivers, and the chat was extremely speculative.This is really rare for Wang Wei, who has always been quiet and inactive.
There were also two spectators standing by the side.The middle-aged man in his thirties and forties was a little fatter, and his expression was quite serious.The other man was in his mid-twenties, his face was bright red, and he always had a smile on his face, looking casual and friendly.When Liu Rushi rushed across the courtyard with small steps, he was the first to turn his head sideways, immediately shocked by her beauty, and stood there in a daze.But he had strong self-control, and quickly turned his head away, not looking at Liu Rushi any more.
Liu Rushi is no stranger to this kind of reaction. According to his adoptive mother Xu Fo, this kind of man is actually more feminine than anyone else in his bones, but he usually has to pretend to be a hypocrite.
Hearing footsteps, Wang Wei turned to see Liu Rushi, hurriedly beckoned and said, "I'll introduce Yinniang, Mr. Xu, you just met in the back hall just now." Pointing to the young red-faced man, he said: " This Mr. Luo is surnamed Luo and named Jifu, and his surname is Pengju, which is the same as General Yue Fei, and he is a good friend of Mr. Xu."
Xu Hongzu smiled and said: "Brother Luo Xian is also Xu's savior. He once saved my life from bandits."
Liu Rushi said: "Young Master Luo, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Luo Jifu glanced at her briefly, then quickly turned his eyes away, and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." He looked coy and strange, as if he was talking to someone else.
Wang Wei pointed to the middle-aged man again and said: "This is Mr. Xu Yuqing." Liu Rushi said: "I have heard Mr. Xu's name for a long time, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Although Xu Yuqing is a member of the Donglin Party, he is not considered a celebrity in the world.However, whenever people talk about the famous general Yuan Chonghuan, they always mention the famous imperial meeting and Xu's calmness.Reminiscent of the tragic ending of Yuan Chonghuan being executed by Ling Chi, apart from emotion, they all admire Xu Yuqing's vision.Because of this, Liu Rushi knew his name.She had something on her mind, so she didn't have time to exchange greetings, so she just nodded her head slightly, and rushed towards the front hall.
Opera performances on the hall stage have been suspended.The guests in the audience scattered separately, chatting in groups of three or four, enjoying themselves.
On Chen Jiru's seventy-fifth birthday, scholars in the south of the Yangtze River heard the news and wanted to hold a grand "Sheshan Conference" for him.For the vast majority of people who came to Huating, celebrating Mrs. Chen's birthday is the second priority. The most important thing is to use this Sheshan Conference to meet celebrities, make new friends, and meet old friends.Even Zhang Pu, a leader of the Fushe who "responses from all over the world", deliberately arranged the members' assembly in the middle of Dongsheshan.
Liu Rushi was about to ask people about Shi Shaoxin, when he suddenly smelled a strange fragrance, and suppressed the fragrance of plum blossoms in the room.Everyone noticed the strangeness, there was a commotion, and they looked along the fragrance——
But I saw a burly and sturdy young man stepping in through the door, followed by eight attendants, in groups of four, each carrying a dead tree with white flowers and leaves like oranges.The strange fragrance comes from those two trees.
The servants of the Chen residence instructed the attendants to temporarily place the dead trees on the left and right sides of the stage.Among the crowd, a man named Li Changxiang recognized it first, and said, "This is the Honey Fragrance Tree." The burly man nodded and said, "That's right, it's the Nanyang Honey Fragrance Tree."
Honey fragrant tree is a special species of Nanyang.In the past, when Ming Chengzu was in power, he sent eunuch Zheng He to the West several times.Zheng He once collected six honey fragrance trees from the Jiuzhou Mountain in Manjaga, Malay Peninsula, and used their roots to make yellow ripe incense. The aroma is thick, long and penetrating, and it is a superior fragrance.Huang Shuxiang has always been a Nanyang tribute, which is exclusively used by the court and is extremely rare among the people.These two intact honey fragrance trees should be brought to Chen Jiru as a birthday gift, but the gifts are so rare that everyone couldn't help being extremely curious about the identity of the strange man.
The man was not well-mannered, and he did not introduce himself in public. He was a bit rich and arrogant, and he just rushed to the door to meet his companions—but he was a white-clothed woman in her early thirties, desolate and quiet. , The erratic streamer, the skin is jade snow, and the charm is natural.She is about the same age as Wang Wei, but her temperament is cooler.It floated in lightly, and then stood there like no one else, like green water and clear lotus, Shen Shen Yaoyao.
When Liu Rushi saw it, he felt ashamed of himself, and thought, "This must be the legendary Hangzhou famous prostitute Lin Xuelin Tiansu. People in the world talk about beauty, but they will be disillusioned when they look at it from a distance. I can't see it but I want to end it. I thought it was just an unreasonable imagination of ordinary men, but when I saw it today, I realized that there really are such outstanding women in the world."
Sure enough, a guest who recognized Lin Xue also called out, "Isn't this Lin Xue?"
When Liu Rushi saw that the man who was accompanying Lin Xue diligently was strong and strong, his voice was like a young tiger, and he had a reckless and heroic spirit, he couldn't help being taken aback, and thought: "Could it be that he is Wang Ruqian, a wealthy businessman in Hangzhou who is known as the 'Yellow Shirt Hawker' ? Meigong called him "Lu Ji's so-called noble man, and Ling Yuan's so-called wise man". But Wang Ruqian should be in his fifties or sixties, but this young man is only in his mid-twenties, so he doesn't match his age."
She saw that the man was very attentive to Lin Xue, cared for him with utmost care, affectionate and diligent, and she was quite envious in her heart.Sighing, she didn't want to go up to get acquainted with everyone, so she scanned the hall carefully, looking for the person she was looking for.
Liu Rushi didn't know Shi Shaoshen, but I heard that he was known as the "Wandering Immortal". When he was young, he was a prodigal son. the old man.And because of living in the mountains and forests for a long time, it will bring some spirit of beautiful mountains and rivers.Seeing that there was no one with such characteristics in the hall, she went straight to the backstage of the troupe.It turned out that a tall and thin old man was talking about Nanqu with Gu Mei, a beautiful prostitute from Jinling who had played a role as a niche on the stage just now.The old man's beard and hair were all white, his complexion was pale and pale, and he looked like a fairy.
Gu Mei has changed back into women's clothes, her temples are like clouds, and her face is beautiful.A slender waist is like a willow in the spring moon; half of the face is shining like a lotus in water; a pair of eyes are like spring waves, full of water, full of affection.She really deserves to be a famous prostitute on the Qinhuai River, she can sing very well, and she is also very beautiful.
Liu Rushi stepped forward and announced his name.
Gu Mei said: "Ah, you are Yinniang, I have heard a lot about you in Jinling." Then she laughed and said: "I never thought that Sister Yin was born so beautiful, it really makes me jealous."
This is the most common greeting among prostitutes.Liu Rushi didn't want to pay any attention to him at first, but she was the one who interrupted the conversation between the other party and Shi Shaoxin, so she could only perfunctoryly say: "Meiniang is both excellent in folk music and art, and Yinniang is lucky to witness it today. But I have something urgent to ask Mr. Shi, and I will talk to Meiniang another day. Ask for advice."
Gu Mei stepped forward to hold Liu Rushi's hand, and said sincerely: "I live in the mountain house to the south of Dongshe Mountain Residence. If sister Yin is free, she must come to me. I have something to say to my sister."
Liu Rushi was quite surprised, seeing that the other party didn't seem to be pretending to be polite, she nodded and said: "Okay."
Gu Mei then smiled slightly, twisted her waist and left.
Shi Shaoxin said: "Is Yinniang looking for something to do with the old man?" Liu Rushi said: "Yes, I have something I want to ask Mr. face to face. But there are too many people here, so it's not convenient to talk. Sir, please move, let's find a quieter place Let's talk about it later."
However, tomorrow is the birthday banquet, with a cloud of guests, laughing and laughing everywhere, where is there any quiet place.
Shi Shaoxin said, "There is a plantain grove to the west of the corridor, there should be no one there. If Yinniang doesn't think it's cold outside, why not go there and have a look."
Then he came to the west of the corridor.But I didn't want a man and a woman to emerge from under the banana tree.The man seemed to be a peddler, tall and sturdy, and the woman was dressed as a maid, so she should be a villain in Dongshe Mountain.They were smashed by Shi Shaoxin and Liu Rushi, they didn't dare to raise their heads, and each raised their sleeves to cover their faces.
Shi Shaoxin expected the two to have a tryst here, although this kind of thing is very common in rich families, he couldn't help shaking his head and said: "The world is going down, the world is going down. Even Meigong's place is not clean anymore." See left and right No one was there, so he asked curiously: "This is the first time this old man and Yinniang have met, right?"
Liu Rushi said: "Yes. Yinniang took the liberty to disturb you, but she wanted to ask Mr. Shi about something. Is Mr. Shi the author of "A Handful of Snow" performed on the Wanxiangtang stage today?"
Shi Shaoxin was full of suspicion, and asked: "Yinniang called the old man outside on purpose, in order not to be heard by others, just to ask this?"
Liu Rushi said: "Yes, not all. I actually want to know if Mr. Shi knows the origin of the jade cup 'a handful of snow'?"
The expression on Shi Shaoxin's face suddenly froze, and he became obviously unnatural. He faltered and said: "This...doesn't have any special origin."
Liu Rushi wholeheartedly wanted to find out the truth, so as to give an explanation for the past, and paid special attention to Shi Shaoxin's words and deeds.Hearing his answer, I immediately became suspicious—"There is no special origin." This is clearly an uncertain tone, and the meaning behind it is: Maybe there is a history, but I don't know; or it is indeed There is a history, but I can't tell you.
Liu Rushi hurriedly said: "Sir, has anyone ever heard of 'a handful of snow'?"
Shi Shaoxin didn't answer directly, but said: "Yinniang should know that this "A Handful of Snow" is based on the legendary Wang Shizhen's revenge story, but the name and surname are not named in the play, and "A Picture of Shanghe at Qingming Festival" is replaced by a jade cup. , 'a handful of snow' is just a prop."
Liu Rushi said: "That's right, 'A Handful of Snow' is just a prop in the play, but why don't you use 'Grape under the Moon'? This is the most famous jade artifact in this dynasty."
Shi Shaoxin's expression suddenly became extremely strange, revealing a look of vigilance.He looked Liu Rushi up and down, and then asked, "What is Yinniang's pursuit of 'A Handful of Snow'?"
When Liu Rushi left Zhou Daodeng, he promised not to reveal the secrets of the Zhou mansion, including the secret room treasures and theft.She couldn't speak clearly, so she had to say: "I'm just a little curious, why does the master use 'a handful of snow' as a prop."
Shi Shaoxin said: "This... is really..."
Liu Rushi saw that the other party was hesitating, so he asked straightforwardly: "Mr. Shi, do you know a person named Wang Lan?"
Shi Shaoxin frowned, narrowed his eyes slightly, and was about to answer, when he saw Song Zhengyu rushing over, he changed his words and said: "There are still many people here, let's talk about this matter when it is convenient." He quickly turned and left.
Song Zhengyu was very surprised, and asked, "Hey, why did Mr. Shi turn his head and leave when he saw me?" Liu Rushi shook his head and said, "It's not because of Mr. Song, maybe it's because of Yinniang's inappropriate words just now, which offended Mr. Shi. "
Song Zhengyu said: "Don't pay attention to him, he is just a weird person." He also said: "It's getting late, my mother sent someone to urge me to go home early, I came here especially to say goodbye to Yinniang."
Liu Rushi said: "Sheshan is not close to Fucheng, and the road is not easy to walk. Is there still time to go back to the city before dark?" Song Zhengyu said with a smile: "My family has a small house in Sheshan, not far from here. If not There are too many guests, and some Fushe friends want to stay at my house, but I really don't want to leave." The reluctance to part is beyond words.
Liu Rushi said: "Then...see you tomorrow."
She is particularly fond of Song Zhengyu, not for other reasons, but because he is the only unmarried man among the men she met today, and she herself swore to God that she would never marry as a concubine again.
Song Zhengyu saw Liu Rushi's amicable face, and he was quite nostalgic. He was overjoyed and said, "Yes, see you tomorrow. Please take care of yourself, Yinniang. By the way, brother Zilong and brother Daiwen live in the city, and they will be there tonight." Stay at Dongshe Shanju, if you need anything, you can go to them directly."
Just as he was talking, Li Daiwen came over.He was nearly thirty years old, fifteen years older than Song Zhengyu. Song Zhengyu had always regarded him as his eldest brother, so he personally entrusted him to take care of Liu Rushi with all his heart, so he was relieved.
Li Dai asked: "The housekeeper of Chen's house has already arranged a place for Yinniang in the mountain house, do you want me to show Yinniang?" Liu Rushi said: "No hurry. Has Mr. Li seen Mr. Shi?"
Li Dai asked: "Mr. Shi has already left. Why, didn't Yinniang see him just now?"
Liu Rushi said: "People have seen it, but they haven't asked me what I want to know." Thinking of Shi Shaoxin's unusual reaction, he couldn't help but become more eager to know the truth, so he asked: "Mr. Shi's Xishe Mountain Residence How to go?"
Li Daiwen hesitated for a moment, and said: "Yinniang is not familiar with the place, why don't I go with Yinniang."
Liu Rushi said: "Thank you. In fact, Mr. Li doesn't need to go all the way, you just need to show Yinniang the way." Li Daiwen only said: "Let's go. It will be dark in a while."
When the two walked out of the corridor, they happened to meet Lin Xue, a famous prostitute from the West Lake, and that extremely heroic young man.Li Daiwen met Lin Xue and hurriedly introduced Liu Rushi.Lin Xue also introduced her companion to the two.It turned out that the man was Zheng Zhihu, the younger brother of Zheng Zhilong, the guerrilla general of the Fujian Five Tigers.Lin Xueyuan is from Fujian. Not long ago, when he went back to his hometown to visit relatives, he was robbed by thieves, but was saved by Zheng Zhihu.He traveled thousands of miles to send the beautiful woman back to the south of the Yangtze River, just in time for the Sheshan Conference, so he simply prepared a generous gift and came with Lin Xue to pay homage to her birthday.
Liu Rushi thought: "No wonder it's so different, it turns out they are pirates recruited by the imperial court."
Lin Xue was very reserved, she only greeted her briefly and didn't say much.Liu Rushi came out together with Li Daiwen, informed the servants of Chen's residence, and left Dongshe Shanju through the west door, and walked on a narrow path.
This path goes straight through the middle of the bamboo forest, wide and narrow enough for only one person to pass through.The top of the head is completely covered by bamboo leaves. Although it covers the sky and the sun, it has some benefits, and no snowflakes fall.The road is covered with a layer of soft dead leaves, which is very easy to walk.After walking for less than half an hour, we arrived at Xishe Shanju just as night fell.
The door servant of Shi's mansion hung up a lantern and was about to close the gate when he saw Li Daiwen bringing a young girl to visit, he wondered: "Hey, didn't Mr. Li come here just now?"
Li Daiwen felt a little embarrassed, and asked, "Has Mr. Shi come back?" The doorman said, "Just came back not long ago."
Li Dai asked: "Please tell me again, and say that Li Dai asked him for urgent matters."
The doorman wanted to enter the concierge to enjoy the fire, but he didn't want to make a further trip in the cold, so he lit a lantern and handed it over, saying: "After returning, sir, I went directly to the study. Mr. Li is familiar with the way, go there to find it by yourself." Him."
Li Daiwen had no choice but to take the lantern, and led Liu Rushi to the house in the back garden.
Liu Rushi saw that this Xishe Mountain Residence was the same as Wanxiang Hall, with several groups of buildings, not small in scale, but deserted and deserted, and there was not a single person along the way, which was completely different from Dongshe Mountain Residence, which was full of guests. Asked: "Why is there no one here?"
Li Dai asked: "Mr. Shi's family lives in the city. He and his troupe live here on weekdays. Xishe Shanju is most famous for its 'two sons', one is a troupe and the other is a cook. However, the theater troupe, cooks, servants, maidservants, etc. were temporarily borrowed by Meigong to Dongshe Mountain Residence, so Yinniang could only see the servants in the front yard."
In fact, Shi Shaoxin is not alone, Chen Jiru's family and children also live alone in an old house in the western suburbs of Fucheng.
Liu Rushi said: "Didn't Mr. Li say that Mr. Shi has a weird temper? He is willing to borrow his own cook and maid, and he sounds like a warm-hearted person."
Li Dai asked "hehe" twice, and said, "That's because the borrower is Meigong and his old man. Yinniang think about it, isn't it a bit strange that a person doesn't want to live with his wife and children?" Liu Rushi said : "It's a little strange." Then said: "Why didn't Mr. Li ask me what I came to see Mr. Shi for?"
Li Dai asked: "Well, I think... Yinniang will take the initiative to tell me when she is willing to tell me." Then said: "Yinniang should just call me by my name. Mr. Li, it sounds weird."
Liu Rushi was a generous person, after thinking about it, he responded, "Well, I'll ask you to ask me."
Seeing that Li Daiwen was gentle, honest and honest, she expected that the matter would not be hidden from him after all, so she asked: "Wenlang is in the same county as Mr. Shi, so I should know him a little bit, but do you know when he wrote the book "One Time"?" "Holding Snow"?"
Li Dai asked: "It should be recently. Whenever Mr. Shi has a new song, he will invite Mei Gong to enjoy it. The rehearsal of this "A Handful of Snow" is just the last month."
Although he was calm and calm, he was still curious after all, and couldn't help asking: "Why is Yinniang so interested in this "A Handful of Snow"?" Liu Rushi said: "I'm just curious, why is it called "A Handful of Snow"."
Li Daiwen was puzzled, was taken aback for a moment, and then said: "I'm afraid I have to ask Mr. Shi himself face to face. To be honest, Mr. Shi was able to write such a good play, which is beyond the expectations of many people in Songjiang. It's right." Seeing the bright lights not far ahead, he said, "Mr. Shi's study is in front."
As he approached the study, he faintly heard someone arguing loudly in the room.
Liu Rushi thought: "It turns out that there are guests in the study. Could it be related to 'a handful of snow'? Why don't you go quietly to the window and listen carefully before talking."
As soon as she thought about it, Li Daiwen called out, "Is Mr. Shi there?"
The debate inside stopped immediately, Shi Shaoxin responded, and asked: "Who is outside?" Li Dai asked: "It's me, Li Dai asked. There is also Miss Liu Yinliu."
After a while, Shi Shaoxin came to open the door, and asked displeasedly: "You two came here, what's the matter?"
Liu Rushi took a step forward and said, "I have something to do. It was the matter I asked Mr. Shi about at Dongsheshan residence just now. Mr. Shi promised me that we would talk about it when it is convenient. Right now, it is only me and Wenlang here, please Mr. Shi made it clear."
Shi Shaoxin shook his head again and again and said: "It's not very convenient right now, not very convenient. Yinniang, please go back first, we'll talk about that matter another day."
Liu Rushi saw his eyes flickering, his expression was suspicious, and he occasionally looked back at the study, as if there was something he couldn't rest assured about, suddenly he had a thought, and asked, "Is the person in the study Wang Lan?"
Shi Shaoxin was taken aback, and said, "What?"
Liu Rushi came here with a strong determination, seeing the other party evasively, deliberately rejecting him thousands of miles away, so he rushed up the steps with a few steps, slipped past Shi Shaoxin sideways, and entered through the door.
But he saw a man in his forties or fifties sitting under the light in the hall, with a Chinese character face full of beards.He is not Wang Lan, but Ruan Dacheng, the most famous dramatist in the world, and also the most notorious cunning character.
Liu Rushi once traveled to Nanjing with his adoptive mother Xu Fo by boat, and watched the performances of the prestigious Ruan family troupe. He was particularly impressed by the bearded face of the troupe leader Ruan Dacheng. Isn't it Ruan Dacheng, Mr. Ruan? Why are you here?"
Ruan Dacheng didn't remember who Liu Rushi was, but he had a special identity, and he was quite embarrassed after being recognized, so he stood up and replied, "Well, this..."
Shi Shaoxin has already snatched it over, grabbed Liu Rushi's wrist, pulled her to the door, and said angrily, "Yinniang is so rude! How could she just barge in without the master's permission?"
Li Daiwen rushed over and shouted: "Mr. Shi, let go quickly! I never imagined that you are disrespectful, and secretly associate with the eunuchs. Now that the matter is revealed, are you so angry?"
Shi Shaoxin let go of his hand angrily, not knowing what to do for a while, so he turned to look at Ruan Dacheng.
Ruan Dacheng, a collection of characters, nicknamed Yuanhai, also known as Shichao, Baizishanqiao, was born in Huaining.Jinshi in the forty-fourth year of Wanli (1616).At the beginning of Tianqi's tenure in Shizhong, he resigned and returned to his hometown because of Dingyou.In the fourth year of Apocalypse (1624), there were vacancies in the official department. Ruan Dacheng coveted this powerful official position and wanted to rely heavily on his prestigious fellow villager Zuo Guangdou.Zuo Guangdou was the leader of the Donglin Party, and Ruan Dacheng worshiped under the Donglin Party.Although Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong, Yang Lian and others who were in charge of inspecting the candidates for officials were all members of the Donglin Party, they still agreed that Ruan Dacheng was "light" and could not hold important positions in the official department, and planned to use Wei Dazhong instead.Ruan Dacheng secretly bribed the eunuch and asked him to seize and use Wei Dazhong's memorials, which made the Ministry of Officials push Ruan Dacheng as a last resort.
After these twists and turns, Ruan Dacheng hated Zhao Nanxing, Gao Panlong, Yang Lian and others.In order to fight against the Donglin party members, he turned to Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch, and became "dead friends" with Huo Weihua, Yang Weiyuan, and Ni Wenhuan, the key figures of the eunuch party, and compiled the "Hundred Officials Map" attacking Donglin party members, through the hands of Ni Wenhuan Send it to Wei Zhongxian's desk.
But Ruan Dacheng is insidious and the city is very deep. He knows that he was born in Donglin, and later he is attached to the eunuch party, so it is difficult to please both sides.Moreover, Wei Zhongxian is afraid that he will lose power one day if he acts against the trend, so he is very careful in his actions. Less than a month after the "Hundred Officials" incident, he hastily resigned and returned.Soon, Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou and other Donglin gentlemen were persecuted to death by the eunuchs, and Ruan Dacheng was very proud of his "foresight".This man is clever and fickle, quick-witted and cunning, which can be seen from this.
Later, Ruan Dacheng was appointed as Taichang Shaoqing, and he tried his best to flatter Wei Zhongxian, but he was afraid that the political situation would change and Wei Zhongxian would not be able to rely on him for a long time. under the trace.A few months later, the scheming Ruan Dacheng resigned and left the officialdom, a place of right and wrong.
After Emperor Chongzhen came to the throne, Wei Zhongxian's party disappeared.Ruan Dacheng immediately wrote a letter, pointing out that both Donglin and the eunuchs were "eunuchs attached to the party" and should be dismissed together.But Chongzhen did not listen and dismissed Ruan Dacheng as a citizen.Since then, the Ruan family has avoided living in Anqing and Nanjing, recruited rangers, talked about soldiers and swords, and formed a literary society.But because of his capriciousness, he was despised by scholars.He took the initiative to make peace with Fushe and Donglin many times, expressing his willingness to return to Donglin, but he was never accepted.
阮大铖品格本不足道，但其人颇有才华，深谙音律，尤善词曲。他能自编自演自唱，作品辞采华艳，其戏班阮家班在南京极为有名，不但生旦等表演出众，就连戏台上的纸扎装束等道具亦无不尽情刻画。
柳如是对阮大铖的过往并无多大兴趣，相反还对其文采颇为赞赏，乍然见到这位戏剧大名家在西佘山居出现，惊讶之余，忽然想到李待问刚才提及松江人对施绍莘写出《一捧雪》很是意外，又联想起施绍莘在东佘山居时的种种怪异反应，脑海中冒出一个念头来，忙问道：“那出《一捧雪》的戏，该不会是阮先生写的吧？”
阮大铖被识破身份，正难以自辩，见柳如是注意力只在戏曲上，忙应道：“不是，不是阮某写的。”
柳如是狐疑道：“当真？”阮大铖道：“千真万确。”忽然认出柳如是来，道：“呀，我记得小娘子，你是吴江归家院徐佛的养女，我们在南京见过，对也不对？”柳如是道：“是的。三年前我随徐妈妈到过南京。”
她志在追查“一捧雪”的下落，没有兴趣闲聊，又转头问道：“施先生，我还是那个问题，你是从哪里听来的'一捧雪'？”施绍莘冷冷道：“老夫无可奉告。”
李待问道：“隐娘连夜翻山越岭赶来，只求一个简单的答案，施先生如此不近人情，是因为要坚持与阉党为伍吗？怕是明日传扬开去，松江上下尽会对先生掩鼻而退，避让三尺。”
施绍莘怒道：“好小子，你敢威胁老夫？老夫跟你爹称兄道弟时，你小子还没出世呢。”
一旁阮大铖忙插口道：“阮某自知声名不佳，对此也不想多说什么。但李公子需要知道的是，阮某人在西佘山居，只是为了协助施公编排《一捧雪》，好为眉公贺寿，让宾客尽兴。若是二位将阮某在此的消息泄露出去，天下人也会因此知道眉公在其七十五岁大寿时，为江南诸多名士安排的助兴节目《一捧雪》正是阮某编排的戏曲，那么眉公名声败坏，脏污狼藉，'山中宰相'之誉毁于一旦不说，你们东林、复社多有士子拜在眉公门下，怕是也脸上无光吧。”
此人曾经游走于东林党和阉党之间，奸猾之极，眼光也极其精准，一语即点破了关键。李待问仔细想了想，果然是这个道理，勉强不再吭声。
柳如是见威逼难以奏效，便改为软语相求，道：“隐娘苦苦追问'一捧雪'来历，实是大有隐情，干系一位故人的行踪下落，还望施先生能够坦诚相告。”
施绍莘“咦”了一声，转头看了一眼阮大铖，见对方点点头，这才道：“好吧，那老夫不妨直言告诉隐娘，这'一捧雪'是随便取的名字。老夫立志肆力于戏曲创作，要让天下戏班竞相争演老夫作品，一人永占。这《一捧雪》就是第一部，取的是'一人永占'的一字。老夫不怕告诉小娘子，后面三部分别《人兽关》《永团圆》《占花魁》，加上《一捧雪》，字首合起来，就是'一人永占'。”
论戏曲成就，阮大铖远在施绍莘之上。他当着大行家的面说出一番大话，自称“一人永占”，可谓妄自尊大之极。柳如是听了不免失望之极，但施绍莘的解释合情合理，他之前不肯明说，大概就是因为“一人永占”太过自大，不便在名流荟萃的东佘山居口出狂言。只得道了谢，与李待问悻悻辞出。
出来书房时，正好遇到门仆领着一名身材短小的年轻男子进来，称是圆海先生的客人。圆海即是阮大铖的号，大概他贸然在松江出现，怕被旁人认出，不敢使用本名。
那男子一双眼睛飞快地从柳如是身上扫过，露出了意外的表情。柳如是阅人不少，一见那男子的眼神，便知道他是认得自己的，他意外的是自己如何也会出现在这里。但她却一时想不起来在哪里见过对方。尤其这男子长相猥琐，污手垢面，一望便是市井小民，不像是有能力出入归家院的人。正想要多问一句，那男子却迅速低下头，从她身边擦过去了。
到山居大门时，又遇到陈府仆人，却是陈继儒特意派来请施绍莘过去一道吃晚饭的。陈府临时借走了施府的戏班、厨子、下人，吃饭只是小小意思。陈府仆人本来还说不如等到施绍莘出来，四人一起上路，好有个照应。但柳如是不愿意多等，便与李待问一道先回来。
天上挂着一半上弦月，清冷如霜。银光流泻大地，却照不进密密匝匝的竹林小道。灯笼的微光只能照出三步远，除了脚下之外，全身大半都挟裹在山林的黑暗中。无边无际、无处不在的黑暗倒给了人一种厚实的安全感——你看不清世界，世界也看不清你。
柳如是默默跟在李待问身后，思绪好像突然被掏空了，什么也不想，什么也不想去想，只这样在竹林中步履蹒跚地走着，哪怕不知道将要走向何方。
一抹山风掠过，撩拨动了竹林的生机。冥冥深林，竹啸几声。清风送迎，呢喃细语。这就是闻名中外的“佘山竹啸”吗？倒像是嗟我怀人的低沉叹息。
再长的路也终有尽头。走出竹林时，喧嚣立即浮现，欢声笑语、灯火通明的晚香堂就在前面不远处。她短暂的心理历程结束了，全部身心再次为世俗所笼罩。一时之间，她忽然有些不舍起来，想在这宁静的月色中多逗留一会儿，于是就那么静静地站在山坡上。
良辰美景，雪朝月夕。零落依依，天涯倦旅。
蓦然之间，有琴声“叮咚”响起，在这深冬的月夜，仿若寒泉乱涌，金盘珠迸，一下子盖过了所有的嘈杂和人语。
柳如是聆听片刻，脸色大变，急忙往朝山居赶去。不料一脚踏空，身子失去平衡，往前摔倒，就此滚下了山坡。所幸山坡不长，又为衰草落叶所覆盖，倒也不觉得如何疼痛。
李待问“呀”了一声，急忙跟过来，扔了灯笼，扶她起身，问道：“可有伤到哪里？”柳如是道：“我没事。多谢问郎。”
李待问肃色道：“我之前一直忍住不问，是怕提及隐娘的伤心往事，可现在看起来，事情并不简单。隐娘今日精神很是不好，总是失神。到底有什么心事，不妨说出来，我也许可以帮得上忙。”
柳如是道：“这琴声……啊，我是说这弹琴人的指法太像他了。我要去见他，当面问个清楚明白。”
李待问见她情绪激动，料想事情非同小可，遂劝道：“今晚宾客甚多，隐娘还是不要公然发作的好，不然陈公面上挂不住。”
柳如是冷笑道：“我当然不会发作。我只是想看到当他看到我站在他面前时，会是什么样的表情。”
一路奔进来花厅。堂中坐着一名三十来岁的锦衣文士，正当众抚琴。花厅中站满了听客，显是为优美琴声吸引而来。
八音广博，琴德最优，古者圣贤玩琴以养心，士人自古就是琴的主流。那弹琴者贵气十足，怡然沉醉，颇为忘形。一曲《挟仙游》，弹南风之雅操，发清商之妙曲。蹰躇畦苑，游戏平林，濯清水，追凉风，钓游鲤，弋高鸿，讽于舞雩之下，咏归高堂之上。逍遥一世之上，睥睨天地之间。
张溥、吴梅村同年进士王含光曾作《听琴歌》云：
雪映书堂夜色明，炉烟泛泛响琤琤。
不同丽玉箜篌引，时带湘娥水竹声。
蝴蝶座中飞杳袅，梅花窗外影纵横。
曲终欲问焦桐谱，那得连成写此情。
堪称描摹琴声的杰作，与目下时令、情形极为相符。
李待问一眼就认出了弹琴者，讶然道：“他是太仓名士张岱，就是你口中的那个'他'吗？”
柳如是也极是惊愕，道：“不是。原来他就是张岱，他……他弹琴的指法跟那个人一模一样。”
张岱，字宗子，又字石公，号陶庵，出生仕宦世家，家世殷富。然而这位富贵公子学书不成，学剑不成，学节义不成，学时文不成，学仙学佛学种地皆不成，时人呼为“废物”“败家子”。柳如是原以为这位著名的纨绔子弟也跟吴昌时一样，带些妖气，但此刻一见，竟是位风流俊赏的佳公子，大出意外。
李待问道：“听说张岱年轻时跟随同乡著名琴师王侣鹅学琴，也许他跟你所指的那个人是师出同门。”
柳如是奔波了一天，实在有些疲倦，加上向施绍莘追问“一捧雪”无果，弹琴者也不是预想中的忘澜，不免意兴阑珊起来，只道：“也许跟《一捧雪》的剧名一样，只是巧合。也许是我听错了，我可没有'曲有误，周郎顾'的本领。”
李待问沉吟道：“张岱有这本领。他有《洞箫度曲》一诗，自称：'少年曾擅周郎顾，静审微茫及穿度。曲中藤脉只丝毫，说是名师偏有误。'一会儿隐娘不妨问问他，是否认得'那个人'。”
柳如是摇头道：“我的私事，实不足为外人道，哪敢劳烦张公子。”
正好此时琴声戛然而止，主人陈继儒缓步进来，鼓掌叫好，道：“昵昵儿女语，恩怨相尔汝。划然变轩昂，勇士赴敌场。浮云柳絮无根蒂，天地阔远随飞扬。张岱小友，许久不见，你的琴技愈发出神入化了。”
张岱忙起身赔罪，道：“张岱未曾拜见主人，即擅自操琴，班门弄斧不说，还惊扰了眉公及宾客，罪过，罪过。”
陈继儒本人也是鼓琴名家，曾订正琴谱，笑道：“东坡《琴诗》云：'若言琴上有琴声，放在匣中何不鸣？若言声在指头上，何不于君指上听？'东坡以琴说法，张君是以琴助兴，均可称为风流佳话，何罪之有？”又笑道：“可还记得'采石江边捞夜月'？”
张岱笑道：“当然，未曾忘怀'钱塘县里打秋风'。”抢上来拜见。陈继儒忙伸手扶起，两人双手握在一起，一齐哈哈大笑。
张、陈两家是世交。张岱祖父张汝霖与陈继儒交情极笃，曾赠送一只大角鹿给对方做礼物。陈继儒携鹿至西湖，每日竹冠羽衣，骑鹿往来于长堤深柳之下。见者目之为神仙，称羡不已。陈继儒因此又号“麋公”。
张岱六岁时，祖父带他到杭州拜见陈继儒。陈继儒听说张岱善于对对联，便随手指着房中屏风上《李白跨鲸图》道：“太白骑鲸，采石江边捞夜月。”张岱应声答道：“眉公跨鹿，钱塘县里打秋风。”
“跨鹿”是陈继儒时常骑着大角鹿。“打秋风”原指趁秋天丰收时去分享一点，借指拉关系、借名义、找借口向人索要财物。陈继儒家境一般，他游历四方的消费、包括后来建筑东佘山居的部分费用都是靠达官贵人奉养，后来才专心致力于文学创作，以润笔为生。张岱的对句对偶工整，还带着几分揶揄嘲讽。陈继儒宽厚豁达，丝毫不以为忤，还大笑道：“那得灵隽若此，吾小友也。”极力称赞张岱才思敏捷。
此时旧事重提，虽然一番玩笑，不免又有岁月如流的感叹来。陈继儒道：“当年钱塘旧事尚历历在目，想不到一晃居然已过三十年。”张岱道：“是。流光荏苒，韶华不再，遥溯当时，心已惘然矣。”
一旁许誉卿接口道：“张老弟就爱文绉绉地掉书袋。你当年与眉公相遇时才六岁，虽然早慧，可还称不上韶华。而今你不过才三十出头，还可勉强称得上韶华，又有什么可惘然的？”
张岱为人洒脱，当众被责难，也不大当回事，笑道：“许兄就爱玩笑。”
陈继儒哈哈笑道：“张岱小友这是在取笑老夫老了。”又道：“当年尊祖父馈赠的那只大角鹿就埋在后山，改日老夫再带你去看。”
又为张岱介绍华亭训导王彦泓、前中书舍人姜云龙、华亭乡绅俞廷锷等人，均是参与撰修《松江府志》的儒士，不乏文才杰出者。如姜云龙文笔极为出色，时人认为他“所撰赠章神采陆离，足令九原不朽”。又如王彦泓人称王次回，出自金坛望族，其曾祖王樵、祖父王启疆、父亲王懋锟均是文章诗词大家，甚至其妻子贺氏、女儿王朗亦是当世文学才女。王彦泓本人才华横溢，善书法，工诗词。有《寒词》诗云：“从来国色玉光寒，昼视常疑月下看。况复此宵兼雪月，白衣裳凭赤栏干。”绝世姿容，冰雪操守，诵之感心嫮目，回肠荡气，被誉为由古至今描写美人的绝顶佳作。
陈继儒因约了老朋友们一道吃晚饭，不便久留，问道：“要不要跟我们一群老头子凑一张桌子？”
张岱忙道：“多谢眉公美意。我刚从水西园过来，是来寻人的。眉公请自去招呼客人，不必管我，明日再正式为您老人家上寿。”
陈继儒听说，也不勉强，遂自去了。
柳如是见花厅中人陆续散去，便也打算去用些饭食，然后到山房歇息。
李待问道：“隐娘累了，是要好好休息。”还欲陪着柳如是前去饭堂，却被复社松江社长周立勋有事叫走。
正好王微走了过来，问道：“隐娘去了哪里？叫我好一阵找。”
柳如是道：“四处逛了逛。”又问道：“那位与微姊姊很是谈得来的旅行家徐先生呢？”王微道：“徐弘祖先生和他的朋友罗吉甫罗公子在天黑前就离开了。”
她和徐弘祖虽今日方识，却是志趣相投，中庭一番长谈，互相畅述山水之志，她自己颇有相见恨晚之意。然徐氏此番来只是为求陈继儒书信，好方便西南旅途，目的既已达到，竟不顾明日即是主人大寿，决然离去，可谓为寻奇访胜而不顾一切。可惜她就没有此等意志和决心。想到此次一别，下次相会不知又在何日，心头不免怅然若失。
柳如是见王微神情落落寡欢，猜想她对徐弘祖有好感，均钟情于名山大川，有情投意合的相知相惜。然对那些志向奇大的男子来说，即使是志同道合的女子，也仅仅情趣兼备的知己，赏心悦目的游伴，相见既欢悦，别后亦思念，如此而已，双方对情感的期待完全不在一条线上。王微已经历与另一名妓杨宛同侍茅元仪一事，早该明白这一点。可惜，其人表面缥缈清淡，心中却是天真无邪，总是期待得到一份完整真挚的感情，是以花非花，雾非雾，如霜华一般，去似朝云无觅处。那么她自己呢？人们总说旁观者清，当局者迷，她与王微性情不同，但心底深处所渴望的，难道不是一样的吗？
王微勉强定了定神，道：“我找隐娘，是有事相告。今日宾客太多，山房房间不大够，眉公将自己居住的宝颜堂让了出来，命你我今晚到那里暂歇。”
柳如是“啊”了一声，有些不相信地问道：“是宝颜堂吗？”
她如此激动，当然不是因为宝颜堂是陈继儒居处，而是因为那是陈氏收藏珍品章的地方。陈继儒学识广博，诗文、书法、绘画均所擅长，并喜爱戏曲、小说，所藏碑石、法帖、古画、印章、图书甚丰，均收在宝颜堂中。镇堂之宝为唐人颜真卿《朱巨川告身》真迹，“宝颜堂”的名字即因此而来。
王微笑道：“正是宝颜堂。咱们走吧，即使见不到颜真卿真迹，见见眉公收藏的历代珍品碑刻也是好的。”柳如是道：“实在太好了。”
寻常人想入宝颜堂而不得其门，而她不过是个娼妓，却得主人青睐，准予入堂留宿一夜，怎能不兴奋雀跃、感激涕零？
二女避开人群，出来厅堂，刚到回廊，便见到冒襄正在垂涎着脸调笑一青衣婢女。那婢女几次想要闪避，均被他用身子拦住。
柳如是心头登时火起，叫道：“冒公子，你在这里做什么？你的老相好不是都在大厅里面吗？”
“老相好”即指来佘山贺寿的南曲名妓李十娘、王节、李贞丽等人，均与冒襄交好。
冒襄是陈继儒的记名弟子，也是东佘山居熟客。他自负风流，好色成性，其实并不想对那婢女做什么，只是凑巧在僻静之处偶遇，见她生得端庄清秀、娇羞可人，想要趁左右无人时调戏一番罢了。在他看来，以他天下第一美男子的容貌、复社才子的名头，对一名身份卑微的婢女假以辞色，实在是给她天大的面子，她该万分荣幸才是。即使被人撞见，在当时普遍好声色狎戏的社会风气下也不算什么。只是他被雏妓柳如是以言语讥讽，面子上还是挂不住，一张白脸登时红到脖子根儿，也不敢答辩，举袖掩面，快步离去。那婢女亦是羞愧之极，不敢看人，低着头往另一边去了。
柳如是愤愤道：“什么所谓的风流才子，只是专门玩弄女性的绣花枕头而已。”
王微叹了一声，道：“算了，咱们走吧。”
复社名士陈子龙忽引着张岱过来，叫道：“隐娘请留步，张兄有话要对隐娘说。”
柳如是极是愕然，问道：“张公子有何指教？”
张岱笑道：“头一次见面，指教不敢当。隐娘果真是位绝色佳人，难怪徐府徐三公子对你一见倾心。”
张岱出身官宦名门，成年后开始怀疑科举的不合理，从此放弃追逐功名，这一点倒是与二十九岁后的陈继儒极像。幸运的是，张家家底丰厚，在家乡山阴和杭州拥有多处园林池沼，足以供张岱挥霍。他本人精于鉴赏，极爱繁华，自蓄声伎，鼓吹戏剧，是江南有名的纨绔子弟。既是风流成性的富贵公子，柳如是又是娼妓身份，是以调笑毫无忌讳。
他见柳如是不以为意，又道：“张某来寻隐娘，是有一件事相告。前些日子，我在西湖遇到一位熟人，他曾托我打听隐娘的近况。我本来还打算参加完陈公寿筵后专程去趟吴江，想不到竟能在这里