Chapter 10 Chapter Nine Twin Flowers

In the past few days, the most eye-catching event in Chang'an City, or the entire Han Dynasty, is probably the "Salt and Iron Conference" decreed by the emperor. When the first emperor Liu Che was in power, because of the frequent use of troops and huge military expenditures, important matters related to the national movement and people's livelihood such as salt and iron were stipulated as government franchises, and private transactions were not allowed. The government's privileged management has led to rising prices of salt and iron.During the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, the price of salt was equivalent to that of camellia oil. By the end of Emperor Wu, the price of salt and iron was several times higher than that of tea oil.The price of ironware is also many times higher than before.

The folks were overwhelmed and began to traffic in illegal salt. In order to crack down on illegal salt trafficking, the government imposed heavy penalties. Once caught, it would be a felony of beheading. Since Liu Fuling came to power, the government orders have been lenient, and people of insight have dared to speak up and ask the emperor to allow salt and iron to be privately owned, but they were strongly opposed by the two powerful officials, Sang Hongyang and Shangguan Jie. silence. Liu Fuling issued an edict to summon more than 60 virtuous people from various counties to Chang'an to discuss the state affairs, so as to collect information and opinions.

These virtuous people all come from the people, and they have a better understanding of the sufferings of the people, and their opinions reflect the real thoughts of the people.For the emperor's move, the common people cheered and cheered a lot, but the rich and nobles who mainly belonged to the aristocratic family, the rich family, the surname, the surname, the family, and the famous family were more opposed. The "Salt and Iron Conference" lasted for more than a month and became a topic of daily discussion in restaurants and teahouses.Clever people even searched for the content of the "Salt and Iron Conference", compiled them into jokes, and made a lot of money by speaking in restaurants.

Officials and scholars headed by Sang Hongyang and Prime Minister Tian Qianqiu advocated the official operation of Yantie, believing that the Yantie official benefited the country and the people. The big forces finally messed up the Chao Gang. The virtuous people advocate returning the management right to the people. They believe that the current policy is to compete with the people for profit. The dispute between the two parties gradually expanded from salt and iron to all aspects of the current government, and the two sides are tit-for-tat in all aspects. In dealing with the Xiongnu, Xianliang believes that the use of foreign troops has brought heavy military service and corvee service, resulting in "the eldest son does not return, the parents are worried, and the wife sings. Resentment and hatred are aroused in the heart, and the pain of love is accumulated in the bone marrow." It is recommended that now The most important thing to do is to "retire the soldiers, make peace with thick coins, and cultivate literature and virtue in person." They advocated Wen Jingshi's kinship policy.

The doctor faction has the opposite view, and is still actively fighting.They believe that since Hanxing, the Xiongnu has implemented a peace policy, but the Xiongnu's invasion activities have become more and more day by day.Because of this, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty "widely recruited generals and recruited them to attack Jue Jue". The doctor believed that "the military revolution is for the purpose of the country, and the city is fortified fortification". , to attack the emptiness", the result is disaster for the country and the people. From the salt and iron economy to the Xiongnu policy, from the appointment of officials to the law and moral punishment, a "salt and iron conference" has already surpassed the salt and iron, consciously or unconsciously.

Meng Jue and Liu Bingji often sat in a secluded corner of the hall, listening quietly to people commenting on the war of words between scholar-bureaucrats and virtuous people, and listening to virtuous people who occasionally came to the restaurant to express their views in public. Yun Ge once saw Huo Guangyin sipping tea and listening quietly among the crowd, and for the first time saw Shangguan Jie in civilian attire. She even suspected that she saw Yan Wang Liu Dan again, but the other side was covered by a screen and guarded by guards. Don't dare to delve into it. Amidst the lively quarrels, Yun Ge felt like a storm was brewing.

When Yun Ge came out with the dishes, he heard Meng Jue ask Liu Bingji, "Bingji, what do you think the emperor's intention is for doing this?" Liu Bingji smiled casually: "Who knows? Maybe it's because he cares about the sufferings of the people and wants to hear the voices from the people; maybe it's because there is too much resistance to the reform of the government, and he wants to use the power of the people to support the new rich; maybe it's because he was harassed by Prince Wei Yes, instead of letting the people talk all day about how he took the throne from Prince Wei, it is better to create topics for the people to discuss, so that the people can see him and understand the hearts of the people. In this salt and iron meeting, the struggles of various parties are on the surface. Getting out of the water is also a good opportunity for everyone. If the emperor finds an official in the court who is not pleasing to the eye, he just found a legitimate opportunity to use one side to overthrow the other; Let's fight to the death first, and wait to reap the fisherman's profits."

Meng Jue struck the chopsticks and praised: "I should have a big drink with you." Liu Bing had already drank a cup with a smile, "Which side do you support?" Meng Jue said: "From the standpoint of a businessman, I naturally support the policies of virtuous people. It is beneficial to me. As for whether it is beneficial to others, I can't take care of it. People have different interests and choices in different positions, and the same is true for a country. In fact, the policies of both sides have their own advantages and disadvantages, but different choices should be made at different times."

Liu Bing already clapped his hands lightly, "It's a pity that I have no power or power, otherwise I will definitely recommend you to be an official in the court. Virtuous people are pedantic and conservative, and doctors are greedy and radical. What the court lacks now is your style of meeting." Merchant at the helm." Meng Jue asked with a smile: "Are you calling it a compliment or a derogation? From my point of view, you have so many 'maybes', and the latter ones are probably really maybes." Liu Bing already nodded, "Although a little fox is smart, but its strength is too weak after all, it is facing a wolf and a tiger with rich hunting experience. I am afraid that his action will not only lose its benefits, but will also irritate it." I lost the wolf and the tiger. Poor old lion, he could have lived in peace for the rest of his life, but he still doesn’t like power because of his old age, so the tiger probably disliked him a long time ago, and now he finally has a chance to attack.”

Xu Pingjun came out with the bowls and chopsticks and asked with a smile: "Who wants to hunt? There are all wolves, tigers and leopards, which are dangerous enough." Both Liu Bingji and Meng Jue laughed, one laughed loosely, and the other smiled softly, "It's a bit dangerous." Yun Ge propped his chin, looked at this, then at that, and said word by word: "Be careful." Meng Jue and Liu Bing were already taken aback, Ping Jun smiled and said, "Don't just talk, let's eat first!" The "salt and iron meeting" that was about to turn the world upside down finally came to an end.

Although none of the relevant policies have been truly implemented yet, more than sixty virtuous people have their own places to go. Some are left to work in the capital, and some are sent to other places. Huo Guang, the great general of Da Sima, held a banquet in Da Sima's mansion to celebrate and farewell all the virtuous and virtuous, accompanied by court officials, well-educated folks, talented singers, wealthy sons, and the proud daughters of heaven. It is said that celebrities and beauties in Chang'an City gathered in Huo Mansion. Although Huo Guang came to Qilixiang to eat Yunge's dishes two or three times, but because he knew that Yunge didn't like the rules of meeting people, he never ordered her to cook in Huo's residence.What's more, such a large banquet is not suitable for Yunge to do it at all. Instead, an experienced banquet chef should design the dishes and organize several groups of large, medium and small chefs to divide and cooperate.But the servants of Huo's mansion sent Yunge a message, ordering Yunge to go to the mansion to cook. Yun Ge showed that he was not capable enough to afford such a big banquet, and wanted to reject the invitation. The family member said in a firm tone: "Even if the cooks of the Da Sima Mansion are comparable to the imperial cooks in the palace, they are not much worse. You are not needed at all. I asked you to go, but to give my wife and female relatives a taste of something new. My wife is the least I like others to spoil her interest, you will give me the answer after you think about it." Seeing Uncle Chang's pleading expression, Yun Ge secretly sighed, and said lightly, "Just go down." "Forgive me, you dare not say no." Jia Ding snorted coldly, and left arrogantly. Yun Ge brought Qilixiang's two cooks with him, Xu Pingjun likes to be lively, and it's a rare opportunity to go to the Grand Sima's Mansion to learn more and watch free singing and dancing, so naturally he will go with Yun Ge. The dishes to be cooked were all ordered by Mrs. Huo, and Yun Ge didn't bother to bother, so she cooked them according to the methods she had done in the past. Some dishes were simply handed over to two cooks, and the three were busy. It took over an hour and everything was done. The maids in the mansion were responsible for serving the food, so Yun Ge didn't need to worry about it. "I don't know what Mrs. Huo is thinking. The cooks in her mansion must be as good as me in cooking these dishes. Why does she invite me here?" Yun Ge complained softly. Xu Pingjun curled his lips and said, "Show off! Everyone in Chang'an knows that elegant cooks are hard to come by, even if you go to Qilixiang for dinner, you have to make an appointment in advance, but Mrs. Huo ordered you to cook. The wives of those officials wait a moment He must have complimented Mrs. Huo desperately while eating the dishes." "Mr. Huo's mansion is deep, calm and stable, and his emotions and anger are almost invisible, but why is his wife... so domineering? It makes Huo's mansion like a crab walking sideways." Xu Pingjun laughed, "Yun Ge, how can you say that everything has something to do with eating? The current Mrs. Huo is not Mrs. Huo's original partner, but Mrs. Huo's dowry girl. She was originally Mrs. Huo's concubine. , Mr. Huo helped her into the main room, she was a very aggressive person. But..." Xu Pingjun leaned into Yunge's ear, "I heard that she is pretty good, and she is good at dealing with men, otherwise with Mr. Huo's status at that time It is also impossible to help her into the main room." Yun Ge smiled and twisted Xu Pingjun, "I have seen Miss Huo Chengjun, a very charming and beautiful person. If she looks like my mother, then Mrs. Huo is indeed a beauty." Xu Pingjun said with a smile: "Don't bother, anyway, the dishes have been finished, and now we can't leave for a while, let's sneak out to watch the fun. Think about it, the celebrities in Chang'an City will gather here tonight. I heard that Luoyufang The top performer Chu Rong and the top performer in Tianxiangfang, Su Yiyi, will perform on the same stage tonight, this is the first time in Chang'an City, even if you have money, you have no place to watch. Of course... I have never seen their singing and dancing before." "Sister Xu, where did all your money go? I think you can't even bear to make a new dress." Although the money earned from selling wine, Chang Shuliu and the four of them, Xu Pingjun's income is not small compared to ordinary people. "I have to give some of it to my mother, and I will save the rest. I will buy a house, a field, and make furniture in the future. It will cost a lot of money! You also know that sick people like to make friends, and he is a bold person. Those gangsters like to find him Help, money goes in with the left hand and goes out with the right. I don’t keep any money here, and if something needs money, there’s no place to cry.” I don't know since when, Xu Pingjun didn't hide his feelings for Liu Bingji in front of her at all, and in his words, everything seemed to be a foregone conclusion and a matter of course. It was difficult for Yun Ge to distinguish her own feelings. Since she was sensible, something that she took for granted had become another person's. Maybe from the very beginning, from her appearance, it was a superfluity, and all she could do was to bless her. Seeing Xu Pingjun's smiling face, feeling Xu Pingjun holding her hand tightly, Yun Ge smiled and held Xu Pingjun's hand, "Sister Xu, sister." "do what?" "Nothing, I just wanted to call you." Xu Pingjun smiled and twisted Yunge's cheek, "Silly girl." "Sister Xu, I have been running around with my parents since I was a child. Although I have been to many places and seen many interesting things, because I have no fixed place, I have never had any friends. There are only two older brothers and Ling... "Yun Ge paused, "Second brother is very good to me, but he is too much older than me, and I don't have many opportunities to see him. Third brother always quarrels with me. Of course I know that third brother is also very protective of me. Although the protection of the third brother is that he is only allowed to bully me, and others are not allowed to bully me. I always thought that it would be great if I had a sister who was about the same age. We could play together and talk about our thoughts together. I would not be so lonely." Xu Pingjun was silent for a while, then turned his head and said to Yun Ge: "Yun Ge, you also know about my family, my brother... don't worry about it! I have always wanted a sister, and I will always be your sister. " Yun Ge smiled and nodded vigorously, "We will always be sisters." Yun Ge felt genuine joy in his heart. There are losses and gains, she lost a dream in her heart, but gained a good sister, God is fair. In the dark night, because a flower called 'Friendship' was slowly blooming, Yun Ge felt that even the air was fragrant. It was the first time for Xu Pingjun to see a feast of a wealthy family. He had fantasized about it countless times when he heard stories told by people before, but only after he actually saw it did he realize that the life of a wealthy family is definitely beyond what she, a humble citizen, can imagine. Not to mention food, drink, and use, just the candles for lighting are already beyond the reach of thousands of ordinary households for a lifetime. Thinking of my own home, I can’t afford to use candles during the Chinese New Year. In order to save fuel, I even spin under the moonlight at night. My mother is not old and her eyes are not good.At the banquet, Xu Pingjun looked at his hands, and suddenly felt sad. Yun Ge was looking around among the servants, and found that the talkative Xu Pingjun had been silent, so he tugged on Xu Pingjun's sleeve, "Sister, what are you thinking?" "It's nothing, just lamenting how people's lives are so different! Have you seen anything interesting?" "No... yes." As soon as Yun Ge finished saying "no", she saw Meng Jue, and Huo Chengjun was sitting at the next table, and the word "yes" almost disappeared. "Isn't that Brother Meng? Who is the woman talking to him next to him?" "The lady of this mansion is the treasure of Mrs. Huo." Xu Pingjun slapped his nose, "Why do I smell a sour smell?" Yun Ge glared at Xu Pingjun, then pouted at Meng Jue.A sentence suddenly popped up in her mind, the old love cannot be kept, and the new love cannot be pursued. Which god has she offended? If it's purely self-deprecating and joking, whether old love is old love is still debatable. As for new...Yun Ge covered her mouth in shock, new love?Is he her new love?When did she have such an idea? Xu Pingjun took Yunge by the hand, slid left and right, saw every stitch, and finally squeezed into a place that was relatively close to Meng Jue and Huo Chengjun, but there was still a distance between them and they couldn't get close. Xu Pingjun still wanted to get closer, but the girl serving outside started to curse, "Which house are you girls from? Why don't you understand the rules? It's not impossible to join in the fun, but there is a place for you to stand, can you come here? Hurry up and leave , Do you want to eat the board?" Xu Pingjun smiled helplessly at Yunge, and could only pull Yunge back. Huo Chengjun wanted power and power, and he wanted good looks. Which unmarried men of the same age in Chang'an City never thought of her? Many noble sons have long been interested in Huo Chengjun, and the upstarts and virtuous people sitting around the banquet also pay attention to Huo Chengjun. Many people fantasize in their hearts that the young lady can recognize talents with discerning eyes and form a good relationship. However, the beauty's smile was only directed at one person, but this person had no flaws in his demeanor, speech and behavior, so that those who saw it could only feel ashamed. Meng Jue quickly became the most hated person tonight. Yun Ge smiled gloatingly, "Sister Xu, Meng Shitou's food must be tasteless now." Right after he finished speaking, he felt that he had said something nonsense again, of course he was tasteless. "Change from the King of Jade to a stone?" "The best jade is but a stone." Xu Pingjun decided to keep silent, so as not to accidentally poke a hornet's nest. Yun Ge's temper is usually very gentle and he likes to laugh very much, but once he gets angry, he changes from a lady to a demon, and it's not surprising to do anything. Xu Pingjun was just wondering, and felt that Yunge's anger was weird. Looking at her expression, she was not so much angry with Meng Jue, but rather angry with herself. Could it be that she was angry that she cared about Meng Jue? Here is Huo Guang's daughter Huo Chengjun, and there is Shangguan Jie's daughter Shangguan Lan. Those who kiss Huo's mansion naturally follow Huo Chengjun's voice, and those who kiss Shangguan's mansion also respect Shangguan Lan's meaning. As for Huo Chengjun and Shangguan Lan, the elder sister and younger sister shouted in a friendly voice, and it seemed that the house was full of spring breeze, but they were clever and reserved. Shooting cover hidden hooks, dismantling Baidao characters, gesture rebuses, poetry bells and drinking orders.Comparing each other's talents in the game, those who speak beautiful words will win applause from the house, those who are difficult to deal with for a while, and those who are perfunctory, will inevitably look annoyed when they sit down. Those who can recite poems and compose Fu show their talents with poems and Fu, and those who can play the piano show off their limelight with piano music. Although the generals do not have archery competitions, they are also unique in the scene of throwing bottles. Intentionally or unintentionally, Meng Jue became the target of many people, always hoping that he would make a fool of himself. Meng Jue's soldiers came to block him, and the water came to cover him with soil, and he saw the tricks. Someone patted Yun Ge on the left shoulder, Yun Ge turned to the left, but didn't see anyone. "Why are you here?" A human voice suddenly sounded from the right, startling Yun Ge, and hurriedly turned to the right. The eldest son was looking at them with a smile, and beside him was the red-clothed woman whom he had seen off last time, still dressed in red. "Why are you here?" Yun Ge and Xu Pingjun asked in surprise, without answering. "Chang'an City is so much fun now, how could I be missing?" The eldest son took it for granted, while talking, his eyes wandered among the women at the banquet, his lust was completely exposed. Xu Pingjun and Yun Ge said to the woman in red: "How can sister bear him?" The woman in red looked at the eldest son with a smile, and nodded to Xu Pingjun and Yun Ge with a smile. The woman's smile was clean and pure, and she kept nodding her head in a very charming manner. Both Yun Ge and Xu Pingjun couldn't help feeling fond of her, "What's your sister's name?" The woman smiled and pointed to her clothes. Yun Ge was stunned for a moment, feeling uncomfortable, "You said your name is Hongyi?" The woman nodded happily and smiled, and gestured towards Yunge, as if to praise her for being smart. Xu Pingjun also sensed something was wrong, patted the eldest son, and asked in a low voice: "Can she not talk?" The eldest son didn't look back at all, his eyes were still staring at the front, "Well, I was able to speak, but my mother made me dumb. If you can't understand her gestures, give her your hand, she can write." Such an understatement?It's the same as saying it's a nice day. Yun Ge rushed forward in anger for a moment, just wanted to beat the eldest son violently, wanted to ask his mother who she really was, she didn't treat her as a human being, and suddenly remembered that the eldest son said last time that his parents were dead long ago. Hongyi sensed Yunge's anger, held her hand, shook her head with a smile, and wrote on the palm of her hand: "You look beautiful when you smile".Point to yourself, I am very happy, then point to Yun Ge, you should be happy too. Hong Yi's smile was not forced, but was genuinely smiling from the heart. There are some flowers in the world that are still bright in frost, but clearer in snow. Such a woman does not need the pity of others at all. The pity for Hongyi faded in Yun Ge's heart, and a little admiration appeared instead, and he smiled at Hongyi. Suddenly there was a loud noise at the banquet, Yun Ge and Xu Pingjun hurriedly looked at what was going on, it turned out that everyone was booing, asking Meng Jue to answer Shangguan Lan's test questions. Huo Chengjun helped push it twice, but instead of pushing it away, Shangguan Lan laughed at him. So many people's eyes were on Huo Chengjun, if she pushed back, she would embarrass herself, so she could only look at her father for help.Before Huo Guang could speak, Mrs. Huo agreed first, so Huo Guang was no longer able to express his opinion. Huo Chengjun knew that his mother thought that Meng Jue was just a commoner, so he probably wanted to use this to humiliate Meng Jue and let Meng Jue back out of difficulties, so don't overestimate yourself. At this moment, it was difficult to evade, she could only stare at Shangguan Lan angrily. The princess of the Huo Mansion needs to be humble to others, but Shangguan Lan doesn't buy into Huo Chengjun's account at all, and just looks at Meng Jue with a smile, as if it doesn't matter if you don't dare. "Since Miss Shangguan is so elegant, how dare I disobey it?" Meng Jue walked to the center of the banquet with a smile, tall and tall, with a relaxed expression, as if what she agreed to was just a romantic affair, not a trick. The eldest son laughed, "Fortunately, you are here, there is such an interesting thing. Let's go and find a good place to watch." Xu Pingjun curled his lips, looking like "you and I are here to join in the fun, let's see what you can do". But I saw that the eldest son had silver in one hand and gold in the other, and he called his elder sister when he saw his aunt, and his younger sister when he saw his elder sister. His eyes were flying wildly, and he was full of lies. Xu Pingjun and Yun Ge were dumbfounded. However, he seemed to know the forces in the court very well, and his lies were more plausible than the truth, so he forced him to buy a fan general, and found a seat in a place with a good view, but it was the last seat. After the red clothes waited for them to sit down, the first thing they did was to blow out all the lights around them, and now they were the only ones looking at others, and no one else was looking at them. Xu Pingjun sighed, and the eldest son smiled and said: "What is this? The mansion is big, and it is common for slaves to bully the master. Old tea replaces new tea. The master drinks old tea, but the slaves drink new tea. He tastes the dishes in the mansion. It’s the freshest, and the host has chosen what he eats. What’s a few seats? Some people like money, some like sex, and some like power. As long as the price is right and affordable, there are people who dare to poison the emperor. .” The eldest son's indulgence and arrogance made Xu Pingjun dare not speak again, and could only pretend that he didn't hear it. Yun Ge glanced at the eldest son, and said flatly: "Not everyone in the world has a price." The eldest son sneered and snorted coldly, but did not speak. In the silence, several people turned their eyes to the center of the banquet to see how Meng Jue would deal with Shangguan Lan's difficulties. Someone handed Shangguan Lan a silk handkerchief, Shangguan Lan glanced at it, and smiled before saying a word: "Today, the virtuous people present at Uncle Huo's banquet are all well-educated people. The little girl is bold, Mr. Meng forgive me." Where there is water, there is a stream , No water is Xi. Remove the water by the stream, and add birds to make chickens. A successful cat is worse than a tiger, and a downhill phoenix is ​​not as good as a chicken.'” The eldest son laughed loudly, "Xiao Jue also has today, and is insulted in public." Xu Pingjun asked: "Is this question easy to answer?" "It's hard to say, but it's easy to say. The key is that the other party's word game hides the meaning of ridicule. The words are second, and how to repay the other party is the key." The eldest son thought for a moment, and said: "Wood is chess, No wood is one of them. If you remove the wood on the side of the chessboard, you will be cheated if you owe more. A dragon swims in shallow water and gets tricked by shrimps, and a tiger falls in Pingyang and gets bullied by dogs.” Yun Ge was somewhat surprised, and glanced at the eldest son with admiration.I thought in my heart that this person seems to be beautiful and reserved, not the idiot he appears on the surface, and this pair is quite unsatisfied, looking down on the world. The Eldest Young Master ignored Yun Ge's appreciation, instead Hong Yi smiled brightly at Yun Ge to show his thanks. The eldest son felt that his response was very neat even in a haste, with a slight smile on his lips, with a secret comparison in his heart, he waited quietly for Meng Jue's response. Meng Jue didn't seem to understand Shangguan Lan's ridicule, and smiled and bowed to Shangguan Lan, with a graceful demeanor, "I'm not talented, so I can only deal with the situation. If there is disrespect, I hope Miss Haihan." The wood is also Qiao. If you remove the wood by the bridge, you will be charming if you add a girl. The whole house is full of talents, and it is hard to endow beauty and beauty with a thousand dollars.'” Shangguan Lan froze with a mocking smile on his face, mixed with annoyance and joy, Huo Chengjun also had an expression of joy and annoyance, and the young talents who were originally waiting to pick the wrong looked embarrassed. Huo Guang, Shangguan Jie and the others were just taking care of the conversation, and it seemed that they didn't pay attention to the mischief of the children.Hearing Meng Jue's response, they all looked at Meng Jue. Xu Pingjun couldn't tell whether everyone's reactions were good or bad, so he asked anxiously, "How? How? Brother Meng is right?" The Eldest Young Master stared at Meng Jue with complicated eyes, fell silent for a moment, his lips became unrestrained again, he slapped his knees and wanted to laugh out loud, and the red robe covered his mouth. Xu Pingjun is an impatient person, he couldn't wait for the eldest son to answer, and hurriedly shook Yun Ge's arm, asking Yun Ge to explain to her. Yun Ge snorted coldly, "It's just like a lecherous apprentice, he can talk sweetly." The eldest son smiled and pulled away the red-clothed hand, first kissed the red-clothed hand, and then said to Xu Pingjun: "Xiao Jue repays grievances with virtue, and praises all the virtuous sons who are full of Sima Xiangru's talent, but even if someone Like Queen Gillian who was willing to spend thousands of dollars for a gift, but it is difficult to make a poem to describe Shangguan Lan's charming face. His trick is much better than my scolding back. , resolved part of the hostility, especially Shangguan Lan's hostility, and showed his own demeanor, which made our little Jue look more modest and generous. Although this is a game, it is by no means a game, Sang Hongyang, Shangguan Jie, and Huo Guang are all watching!" "It's no wonder Shangguan Lan is annoyed and happy, but Huo Chengjun is both happy and annoyed." Seeing the expressions of the two daughters, Xu Pingjun couldn't help laughing softly, "What a brother Meng!" The eldest son looked at Yun Ge and said, "Although Xiao Jue turned his back on Huo Chengjun, he can definitely imagine what Huo Chengjun's expression would be." Yun Ge pretended not to hear the eldest son's words. There was awkward silence at the table.Although Meng Jue matched up with a pair, he praised Shangguan Lan highly. The people who supported Huo Mansion didn't know whether this palm should be slapped or not. This slap is congratulations to Meng Jue for winning, or to congratulations to Shangguan Lan. Is it the pride of the country?Although Shangguanlan's boudoir sisters felt that they had a good face and were secretly happy, but after all, they lost on their own side, which was really not a good thing, so naturally they couldn't make a sound.In the end, Huo Guang was the first to applaud, and everyone applauded. This match was regarded as Shangguan Lan's side losing. Shangguan Lan raised her glass and bowed to Meng Jue, she raised her head and drank it all in one gulp, looking like a general's daughter, her boudoir friends all drank with her. Shangguan Lan murmured with her friends for a while, then smiled and said to Meng Jue, "Mr. Meng is so ingenious. My sisters and I will have a second question..." A servant placed a square table ten steps away from Meng Jue. On the table was a food box, a long bamboo pole, and a piece of rope beside Meng Jue. "...Our problem is that you stand still and cannot move, but you have to find a way to eat the food on the table. You can only use your hands, and you lose if you move your feet." Everyone at the banquet thought about it intently, asking themselves what would they do if it was Meng Jue, and discussed in low voices. Those who know some martial arts said: "Take a rope and put the food box over." The impatient person said: "Pick it with a bamboo pole." Immediately refuted: "The bamboo pole is thick at one end and thin at the other end. The thin part can't be used at all, and it's so long, how to choose?" People who don't know martial arts wanted to say: "First make the rope into a net, hang it on the bamboo pole, and then bring the food box around." But seeing the thin, long and soft bamboo pole, he began to shake his head again, feeling that the rope could not hang it. How can I get the food box again? The eldest son thought about it for a moment, and felt that with his own skills, he could easily and beautifully fetch things from the air, regardless of the rope or the bamboo pole, but he absolutely couldn't do this. Thinking about it, this was Meng Jue's only choice. If you can't win, you can only show weakness. The eldest son smiled and said: "This topic is very difficult for literati, but it is not difficult for those who know kung fu, but it is difficult to win beautifully. That food box looks very smooth, no matter whether it is a rope or a bamboo pole, it is not easy to exert force on it." , and going to set food boxes at such a distance, I am afraid that the posture will inevitably be ugly, so this question is actually a question of checking personal martial arts. The higher the skill, the better the winner. It seems that Shangguan Lan is in a good mood, no Why do you care about winning or losing, you just want to make Xiao Jue look ugly, so you plan to give up." Everyone stared at Meng Jue, waiting to see how he clumsily won the test. Yun Ge looked at Huo Chengjun, then at Shangguan Lan.The eldest son followed Yun Ge, and his eyes fell on Shangguan Lan. It was just in the 28th year, and it was the most beautiful flower on the branch of cardamom. The hair ornament on the side of the bun showed her extraordinary status. When she smiled delicately, the jewels trembled slightly, and the shining precious light reflected more and more glamorous. The smile on the eldest son's lips did not change, but there was a bit of pity in his eyes looking at Shang Guanlan, and he sighed secretly: "Although the flowers are beautiful, it's a pity that the flowing water is cruel, and the wind and rain are merciless." The eldest son tilted his head to Yun Ge and said with a smile: "Xiao Jue can fall in love with anyone, but this Shangguan girl is absolutely impossible. Don't worry." Yun Ge's cheeks flushed, she gave the eldest son an annoyed look, and hastily looked away, like everyone else, she turned her eyes to Meng Jue to see how he "answered" this question. Meng Jue asked with a smile: "Have you finished explaining Miss Shangguan's rules? Can I start now?" Shangguan Lan said with a smile: "It's all over, Mr. Meng can start." I saw that Meng Jue's eyes didn't sweep the bamboo poles and ropes on the floor at all, and his eyes only fell on Shangguan Lan. Shangguan Lan grew up surrounded by everyone's eyes. She has long been used to all kinds of eyes: fear, flattery, flattery, admiration, yearning, longing, even jealousy and disgust.But she couldn't understand Meng Jue, she just felt that there seemed to be many words that could not be expressed in the darkness along the way, separated by heavy mountains and surrounded by thick fog, but they pierced people's hearts. Shangguan Lan's heartbeat suddenly became chaotic, and she was worrying whether she had gone too far, but she saw Meng Jue had turned her head to the side, and said to Huo Chengjun with a smile: "Miss Huo, please pass the food box to me, please?" ?” Huo Chengjun was stunned for a moment, then Shanshan went to the table to get the food box, opened it, and brought it to Meng Jue. Meng Jue smiled and took a bite of food with her chopsticks, and said to Shangguan Lan, "Thank you for the delicious food, Miss." The audience was surprised first, is that okay? !No matter how dumb and silent, this seems to be okay! ? Huo Chengjun stood beside Meng Jue, looking at Shangguan Lan with a smile on his face. Shangguan Lan was stunned, but couldn't say a word, because Meng Jue's feet didn't move at all from the beginning to the end. Xu Pingjun put his arms around Yun Ge, and lay on Yun Ge's shoulder laughing so hard that he couldn't stand upright, Yun Ge finally couldn't help but pursed his lips and laughed.After a while, everyone in the audience seemed to be suppressing their voices and laughing. Even Shangguan Jie looked at Meng Jue with a smile and just shook his head. The eldest son had already collapsed into Hong Yi's arms laughing, and let Hong Yi rub his belly, looking heartless, but his heart was somewhat awe-inspiring.Xiaojue's advances and retreats are well grasped, as if everyone is his chess piece, they all listen to his orders, and everyone's reaction is under his control.What Xiaojue cares about is winning or losing. What he wants is Shangguan Lan's next move. The "talented men" present here think that Xiaojue is fighting for the beauty, but in fact Xiaojue's goal is only three bad old men: Shangguan Jie, Huo Guang, Sang Hongyang.Get their attention and approach them naturally. Meng Jue asked Shangguan Lan with a smile: "I don't know the second question, so I can count it as a pass? Miss, is there a third question?" Looking at Meng Jue and Huo Chengjun standing side by side, Shangguan Lan felt that the smile on Huo Chengjun's face was particularly glaring, and felt inexplicably annoyed in her heart. She suddenly picked up the wine glass, tilted her neck, drank it all in one gulp, and said with a smile: "We're going out!" The most important thing is not to win or lose, but to add more fun to the game while drinking. Although Mr. Meng has won two questions, I still have to answer the third question. If I lose, I am willing to play the flute. If Mr. Meng loses, the punishment will not be too great, just ask Mr. Meng to pour a glass of wine for all of us here." The punishment was not severe, but it was extremely humiliating, treating Meng Jue as a servant. The way Huo Chengjun stared at Shangguan Lan was no longer simply angry.Even Mrs. Huo, who originally wanted to see Meng Jue's jokes, turned unhappy. No matter how ordinary Meng Jue's background was, she was a guest invited by her daughter after all.The so-called dog beating depends on the owner, let alone a guest of Huo's mansion, or her daughter's guest? Huo Guang's expression remained unmoved, and he still chatted happily with Shangguan Jie, as if he didn't notice the undercurrent among the juniors at all.Shangguan Jie's smile didn't change, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with his daughter's actions. Meng Jue's smile remained unchanged, and she made a "please" gesture freely and freely, indicating that everything should be listened to Shangguan Lan. Shangguan Lan was still smiling, but the speed of her speech slowed down significantly, "Just now when I was serving the wine order, I heard Mr. Meng talking about the music, saying that 'everything in the world has a sound'. The little girl can't understand it without talent, but Meng You are a talented young man, so what you have said is naturally impossible to be false. No musical instruments such as qin, flute or xiao are allowed, but please use the objects you can see within ten steps of your body to show the little girl what is "everything is everything." There is sound'." Shangguan Lan glanced at the kabuki Su Yiyi, Su Yiyi stood up gracefully, walked to the banquet room, and bowed to everyone, "To add to the joy of drinking, I will sing a piece of "Autumn Wind Song" made by the late emperor and a song by Mr. Meng." .” Someone applauded immediately, and everyone rushed to agree with this romantic and elegant thing. Only some astute people noticed that something was wrong, and lowered their heads to concentrate on drinking and eating. Sang Hongyang stroked his beard, looked at Shangguan Lan and Huo Chengjun with a kind smile on his face, and praised Shangguan: "It's really a tiger father without a dog girl!" Shangguan Jie took a deep look at Sang Hongyang, and his disgust towards the old man grew stronger in his heart. He laughed and said, "In a family like ours, the sons and daughters will inevitably be rough, but as long as you understand the general principles, it's okay to be rough and messy. We old men will take care of them." Huo Guang smiled faintly, "What Brother Shangguan said is absolutely true." A banquet was being held. Except for the wooden table, Meng Jue was surrounded by bowls, saucers, pots and chopsticks. Because the floor was covered with carpets, there was not even a blade of grass. There were barely...the cooked vegetables and meat on the plate, which should be considered items. . The eldest son clicked his tongue and sighed, "This is a woman! If you can misinterpret a good sentence for you, even a saint can be so angry. Xiao Jue has a good demeanor, and she can still laugh now. Poor Xiao Jue! You have to think about it carefully. "Autumn Wind Song" is a song made by a dead old man. On this occasion, if you make a mistake, it is not as simple as being a slave and pouring wine for everyone. You can simply admit defeat, but...要小珏服侍他们喝酒……”大公子视线扫过宴席上的人，笑着摇头。 红衣满面着急地对大公子连比带画，大公子笑摊摊手，“我没有办法想。如果出事了，大不了我们假扮山贼把小珏劫走，直接逃回昌邑。” 大公子完全一副天要砸死孟珏，他也要先看了热闹再说的样子。 许平君不平地问：“太不公平了，明明孟大哥已经赢了，这个上官小姐还要搞出这么多事情！真没有办法了吗？” 云歌蹙着眉头叹了口气，对大公子说：“把你的金子银子都拿出来，找个有价钱的奴才去办事。还有……红衣，孟石头可看得懂你的手语？” 霍成君出身豪门，自小耳濡目染权势斗争，虽日常行事有些刁蛮，可真有事情时，进退取舍颇有乃父之风，察觉事情有异，前后思量后，遥遥和父亲交换了个眼色，已经决定代孟珏认输。 她刚要说话，却见孟珏正有意无意地看向挤在奴婢群中的一个红衣丫头。霍成君几分奇怪，正要细看，不过眨眼间，红衣丫头已消失在人群中。 孟珏笑看向上官兰：“碗碟筷子酒水都算我可以用的物品吗？” 上官兰怕再被孟珏利用了言语的漏洞，仔细地想了一瞬，才带笑点头，“不错，还有桌子和菜你都可以用。” 孟珏笑说：“那我需要一张桌子，一摞空碗，一壶水，一双银筷。” 上官兰面带困惑，又谨慎地思索了会儿，觉得孟珏所要都是他身周的物品，的确没有任何超出，只能点头应好。 霍成君向孟珏摇头，孟珏微微而笑，示意她不必多虑。 不一会，有小厮端着桌子、碗、和一双雕花银筷上来。上官兰还特意上前看了一番，都是普通所用，没有任何异常。 孟珏其实心中也是困惑不定，但依然按照红衣所说将碗一字排开。 只见一个面容黝黑的小厮拎着水壶，深低着头，上前往碗里倒水，从深到浅，依次减少，神情专注，显然对份量把握很谨慎。 孟珏看到小厮，神情微微一震。小厮瞪了他一眼，低着头迅速退下。 红衣和许平君都困惑地看着云歌，不知道她究竟想做什么，大公子笑嘻嘻地问：“云大姑娘，怎么帮人只帮一半？为什么不索性让红衣给孟珏解释清楚？” 云歌冷哼一声，没有说话。 孟珏想了瞬，忽有所悟，拿起银筷，依次从碗上敲过，宮、商、角、徵、羽，音色齐全。他心中暗暗将《秋风辞》的曲调过了一遍，笑对苏依依说：“烦劳姑娘了。” 细碎的乐声响起，一列长奏后，曲调开始分明。叮咚、叮咚宛如山泉，清脆悦耳。虽然雄厚难及琴，清丽难比笛，悠扬不及箫，可简单处也别有一番意趣。 苏依依愣愣不能张口，霍成君笑着领头朝苏依依喝起了倒彩，她才醒悟过来，忙匆匆张口而唱： 秋风起兮白云飞， 草木黄落兮雁南归。 兰有秀兮菊有芳， 怀佳人兮不能忘。 泛楼船兮济汾河， 横中流兮扬素波。 箫鼓鸣兮发棹歌， 欢乐极兮哀情多。 少壮几时兮奈老何！ 传闻此曲是刘彻思念早逝的李夫人所作，是刘彻仅有的情诗，酒楼茶坊间传唱很广。 许平君听着曲子，遥想李夫人的传奇故事，有些唏嘘感叹，李夫人应该是幸福的吧！从歌伎到皇妃，生前极尽帝王宠爱，死后还让他念念不忘，女人做到这般，应该了无遗憾了。 红衣听着曲子，时不时看一眼大公子，似有些探究他的反应。大公子依旧笑嘻嘻，没有任何异样。 一曲完毕，亲霍府的人都跟着霍成君极力叫好。 大公子也是鼓掌叫好：“云歌，你怎么想出来的？” 云歌笑说：“小时候和哥哥闹着玩的时候想出来的呗！敲破了一堆碗，试过了无数种陶土才掌准了音。正儿八经的琴不愿意弹，反倒总喜欢玩些不正经的花样，三哥可没有少嘲笑我。” 许平君也笑：“谁叫上官小姐不知道我们这边坐着一位雅厨呢！厨房里的事情想难倒云歌可不容易。不过孟大哥也真聪明，换成我，即使把碗摆在我面前，我一时也反应不过来。” 以碗水渡曲，上官兰闻所未闻，见所未见，怎么都没有想到，此时面色一时青，一时红。 霍成君笑问：“兰姐姐，不知道想为我们奏一首什么曲子？正好苏姑娘在，二位恰好可以合奏。” 孟珏却是欠身向上官兰行了一礼，未说一语，就退回了自己位置，君子之风尽显无疑。 桑弘羊望着孟珏点了点头，问霍光：“成君好眼光。这年轻人叫什么名字？什么来历？”上官桀也忙凝神倾听。