Chapter 81 fearful

Since Liu Rushi refused to accompany him, Qian Qianyi had no choice but to hand over the task of receiving guests on his behalf to two students, Gu Ling and Sun Yongzuo.But in doing so, it hurt him.Because he was afraid that if he didn't wait at home, he would dissatisfy the violent Ruan Dacheng, thinking that he was deliberately neglecting.Therefore, during the half day when he went to Donghua Gate to choose a lady, he was always worried and out of his mind.Although the ladies who had already been waiting in the wing rooms, brought in sedan chairs decorated with red silk and gold colors, were called to the hall one by one, his eyes were always blurred and he couldn't concentrate.During the review period, he also let the two eunuchs Tian Cheng and Li Yongfang make decisions, and he rarely expressed his opinions in order to shorten the time for the election as much as possible.Unexpectedly, those two eunuchs were very picky. They had already selected a rich woman named Huang, but they had a side effect and asked a Zhongshu Sheren named Ma to send her daughter to see, saying that it was a long time. I heard that the girl is both excellent in sex and art, so she didn't send a candidate this time, it was really unreasonable.As a result, when it was delivered, the girl was found with her neck tilted, looking sluggish, like a sacrificial chicken with a broken tail.The two eunuchs had no choice but to return it on the spot.However, after such a toss, when Qian Qianyi hurried back to the mansion, it was almost noon, and Ruan Dacheng's guard of honor had already stopped in the shade of the wall outside the gate.

"Oops, I really delayed too long today, he must be getting impatient!" When Xiangmen asked that the guest had arrived for half an hour, Qian Qianyi became more and more busy, "Hey, if he turns over It’s good, how good is it?” He thought angrily, Ruan Dacheng’s angry face seemed to appear in front of him, and the eyes under the broom’s eyebrows were shining fiercely, piled on his round and big belly. The big beard on his chest was also heaving due to shortness of breath. "It's just, why didn't he just walk away? Could it be that he was determined to wait for me to come back so that he could embarrass me face to face? Hey, if that's the case, I can only apologize again and again and ask him to calm down and forgive me!"

In this way, he walked in anxiously until he came to the main hall.When he lifted his slightly weak legs and stepped up the steps, he suddenly heard loud laughter coming from inside. Then, Ruan Dacheng said loudly: "Wonderful, wonderful! Really wonderful! Ha ha ha ha!" Qian Qianyi couldn't help being startled, subconsciously slowed down his pace, first slightly lowered his head, and glanced inside the curtain that was opened by the maid.Now, he was even more surprised—it turned out that besides Gu Ling and Sun Yongzuo, his wife Liu Rushi, Mrs. Liu Rushi, was accompanying the guests in the hall. Sitting upright on a red sandalwood armchair on the right!Probably because of her company, Ruan Dacheng not only didn't get angry because of his master's late return, but smiled happily.

"Thank God, she finally changed her mind! This action saved my life!" Feeling relieved in his heart, Qian Qianyi couldn't help but let out a long breath, and raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat on his forehead in the busy schedule. One step across the threshold. "Oh, Mr. Xiang is back!" Liu Rushi, who was obviously paying attention to the movement outside the door, said with a smile, then stretched out a hand, supported by Hongqing, and stood up gracefully. Ruan Dacheng's reaction was obviously a little slower.For a moment, his dark eyes were still lingering on the mistress in doubt, and then he turned his face suddenly.

"Aha, Mr. Mu!" He stood up in a little haste, and at the same time, he showed a flattering smile unexpectedly, "Is the official business of your yamen over so soon? Have you chosen it?" "Brother Wanwan has to come too! Elder Yuan humiliated his humble home today, this is more important than anything else! It's just that it's rude to return home late, if you don't have time to wait respectfully. I hope Elder Yuan will forgive you!" Qian Qianyi walked with the other party. Salute and apologize. "Oh, where is it! My brother is also just here, Mrs. Meng's wife is not stingy, and she wears veils to pay, which really flatters my brother!" Ruan Dacheng looked quite excited, unlike Qian Qianyi's arrogance and indifference when he saw him in the past. Compared with his demeanor, he was a completely different person.

Qian Qianyi couldn't help looking at Liu Rushi who was standing aside, thinking: "I don't know why she changed her mind again? I don't know what method she used to manipulate this monster so tamely?" But in this way , he was completely relieved, so he let the guest sit down on the chair first, and then immediately started talking with the other party as usual in order not to let the atmosphere cool down.At first, it was nothing more than lighter pleasantries.Naturally, Qian Qianyi carefully avoided the past, and only picked some current news in front of him. For example, the renovation and reconstruction of the Forbidden City has come to an end, and it is estimated that it will be completed in ten or eight days.I heard that the emperor is very happy about this matter, and he will give his ministers credit and grace as usual.It is also more justifiable to talk about the decree issued by the imperial court to recast new seals and remove the original "Nanjing" word.Unexpectedly, Guan Shaoning, the right servant of the Ministry of Rites, lost his official seal, which actually contributed to such a thing.Then it was said that the 19th of this month was the first anniversary of Emperor Chongzhen's martyrdom. The emperor had recently decreed that all officials would set up an altar outside the Taiping Gate for sacrifices.And so on...they didn't stop until Liu Rushi's voice sounded nearby.

"The banquet is ready. How about the two adults going to the west hall for the banquet?" Of course, Qian and Ruan had no objection, so they got up together, followed by Gu Ling and Sun Yongzuo, and walked to the west hall. In the west hall, five rectangular food tables have been set up, and the surrounding walls are displayed as usual with antiques, vases of flowers, calligraphy and paintings.Because today was Ruan Dacheng's first time condescending to come here, Qian Qianyi intentionally arranged the etiquette more grandly, all the bowls and dishes were not served at the table, and there were no chairs on the seats for the time being.It wasn't until the guests and the host had entered the house that a neatly dressed maid presented a tray with a carved gold bowl and a jug of wine.Qian Qianyi first filled the golden bowl with wine, held it in both hands, bowed deeply to Ruan Dacheng, then walked to the yard, bent down towards the south, and poured the wine respectfully on the ground.After returning to the room, he personally replaced another bowl on the tray, bowed to the guests again, and then the two walked towards the food table in the middle together.Qian Qianyi picked up the bowl, a saucer, and a pair of chopsticks from the tray brought by the servant, and carefully placed it on the table for the guests.While he was doing all this, another servant had brought a chair and waited nearby.Qian Qianyi gently supported it with his hand, led it to the food table and put it in order, and then symbolically dusted it with his sleeve.Then he walked back to the house and saluted the guests again.And ask the other party to take a seat.

Seeing that Qian Qianyi was so serious, Ruan Dacheng didn't want to be too casual.So, after Qian Qianyi settled the banquet for Gu Ling and Sun Yongzuo who were accompanying celebrities, he also walked down, picked up the wine glass from the servant's tray, and put it on the two side-by-side dining tables facing away from the hall door , in the same way, arranged the bowls, chopsticks and chairs for Qian Qianyi and Liu Rushi, and then arched his hands, making room with everyone as usual, and then returned to the main seat and sat down.Then, the two accompanying guests and Qian Qianyi and his wife also took their seats one after another.While this cumbersome ceremony of "sending wine and setting a table" was solemnly going on, everyone seldom talked to each other, and only heard the slight sound of bowls clashing.The pleasant and harmonious atmosphere of the previous conversation in the main hall was virtually interrupted.After the servants brought the dishes, and the host and the guest drank the first glass of wine respectfully, it seemed that there was a lot of estrangement between them. Although Qian Qianyi changed the topic again and again, Ruan Dacheng just hummed, He ignored it, so he couldn't be happy on the table.

Faced with this situation, Qian Qianyi couldn't help but secretly anxious.Because this time he took great pains to invite Ruan Dacheng to the banquet, with the purpose of eliminating old suspicions and establishing a new, or at least relatively harmonious, friendly relationship.Today's opportunities are rare and fleeting.In order to reverse the dull atmosphere in the banquet as soon as possible, he had to frequently cast his eyes on Gu Ling who was sitting at the west end, hoping that this eloquent student could help him. However, Gu Ling seemed a little helpless.It was only because of repeated hints from the teacher that he raised his wine glass and said hesitantly to the guests:

"I heard that Mr. Yuan was ordered to patrol the river a month ago, and he made many achievements. The hand-passing between the government and the public, everyone praised it. Especially Mr. Yuan's succinct speech, it is so generous, it is very exciting to read!" Since Ruan Dacheng served as Tianzhu Youshilang of the Ministry of War, Emperor Hongguang entrusted him with the important task of supervising the defense along the river, and granted him the great power to correct every detail.As a result, I heard that during his inspection tour, he did not intervene in any military affairs, and only engaged in party formation, selfishness, and extortion.Anyone who wants to ask him to be exempted from impeachment, or who wants to be recommended by him, must give gifts.It is also said that He Shichou, the servant of the storehouse, was on his way home from his resignation, but he secretly sent someone to intercept him in the Yangtze River and looted all his belongings.These situations have long been rumored in the city of Nanjing, and Ruan Dacheng must have heard of them.Now that Gu Ling mentioned the other party's patrol of the river to his face, Qian Qianyi became nervous instead, for fear that Ruan Dacheng would mistake him for a hint of ridicule.

Sure enough, Ruan Dacheng's face suddenly darkened.He stared at Gu Ling, and asked sullenly: "Oh, what about the words of your majesty? I don't remember exactly. I don't know which few sentences brother Yunmei thinks are the best?" "The whole story is good!" Gu Ling immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "However, what Wansheng remembers the most is that the subject's white hair is growing gradually, his loyalty is not dead, and his virtue is always worthy of others. Mr. Kuang has The grace of rebuilding is hard to repay, if dogs and horses don't repay their rewards, wolves will eat the rest! In the autumn when this minister was ordered, he made friends with the ministers of the second and third comrades with the words "devotion to the best of our ability, and death after death". Mian, and those who aim at the sky'! Just a few words can be equivalent to a "Teacher's Biao", which is enough to coexist with Zhuge Wuhou and live forever!" When Ruan Dacheng raised the counter-inquiry, he obviously had doubts in his heart.Unexpectedly, Gu Ling recited the original text word for word, which was beyond Ruan Dacheng's expectation.I saw his black eyeballs turn for a while, finally waved his hand, and said proudly: "Zhuge Wuhou is definitely a famous minister of a generation, but he has talent but no life. He drives his whole life. There is only one third of the world. To revive the ambition of the Han Dynasty. Today, I am afraid that Fang will be inferior again!" "Hey, Wan Sheng also read Yuan Laolun's 'Recovery' and 'Fangjiang' two books, and they are also excellent writing!" Seeing Gu Ling taking the lead, Sun Yongzuo also said rashly.However, he did not expect that the two memorandums were prepared by Ruan Dacheng for his imperial audience on the eighth day of June last year.As soon as it was published, it attracted a series of fierce attacks from Donglin's side. Now that the previous incident was brought up again, it obviously touched Ruan Dacheng's old scars again, so that his face that had just had a little smile suddenly sank again.