Listening to the old man's question, the man replied seriously: "Although Shen Shilang left the children to eat in his house, he did not eat crabs. We have friendship in the same year, more than ten years of friendship, but just an ordinary banquet, the child sees Brother Shen Nian is particular about drinking and eating, not like a person with a splendid mind. ”

After a pause, the man said: "If it weren't for that, how could the prime minister allow him, with him as his right and left hand, there are many people in the court who bow down to their ears at the moment, which is really chilling to my generation." ”

The old man dipped the crab in ginger vinegar and nodded, "So you entered Beijing twice, but you didn't go to Zhang's Mansion?" ”

The man was silent for a while and said, "Daddy, it's the child who didn't listen to you. ”

The old man said: "I didn't go to Zhang's Mansion, that's it, Zhang Jiangling welcomed his mother into Beijing, and the officials along the way prepared more generous gifts to greet you, as the prefect of Taiping Mansion, but said to the subordinate officials, how can I rob the people of the people's fat and ointment, and befriend the powerful people, so I swept the face of Lord Shoufu, do you do this outsiders think it is your brother's meaning, or your meaning?" ”

Although the old man's words were calm, he was already harsh.

The old man sighed: "You are twenty-two years old, your career is too smooth, this time you resigned at home, give me a good reflection, study at home, do not go out of the house, and sharpen your heart." ”

"Yes, Dad, the child is tired, so he will retire first." The man immediately got up and left.

The old man stroked his beard and shook his head.

Soon Lin Shibi and Lin Shisheng walked on the cobblestone road and walked to the pavilion.

"Meet Grandpa!"

"Meet my uncle!"

Of course, the old man is Lin Tingji, the Shangshu of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites, who has been Zhishi, and the local people in Lianjiang call him the old Shangshu Xianggong.

Lin Tingji smiled and said, "It's you." This crab is cold, and eating it while it is hot is not only delicious, but also not easy to upset your stomach. ”

Lin Tingji waved his hand to the maid, and the maid immediately took the cold crab on the table away, took the hot crab from the kitchen and put it on the table.

After Lin Shisheng took his seat, he asked, "Grandpa, where is the second uncle?" ”

Lin Tingji said: "Don't talk about him, why is Shibi late?" Are you afraid of seeing me and your second uncle and urging you to study? ”

Lin Shibi poured himself a glass of wine and said: "Uncle, if you are there, anyway, you have to mention it once when you see me, my ears hear that the cocoon is coming, and I have long been used to it." ”

As soon as these words came out, Lin Tingji and Lin Shisheng all laughed. Lin Shibi has always been informal, and he is not Lin Tingji's own grandson, so everyone is not surprised to talk like this.

Lin Shisheng said with a smile: "Grandpa, the eldest brother is fighting with a little boy, the two of them take four books and one paragraph, see who can solve the problem quickly, and the eldest brother loses two battles in a row." ”

Lin Tingji said strangely when he heard this: "It's not unusual for your eldest brother to compete with others, but it's the first time I've heard of losing to others, is that kid very deep in Jingyi?" ”

"The study of Jingyi is not deep, but I don't know, but I solve the problem very quickly and without thinking."

Lin Shibi said with a dark face: "What's this, it's just this kid's trick." ”

Lin Tingji said: "The quality of the righteous is still good, the poetry is endowed with the text, you like the poetry, as an elder, don't say that you are wrong, but if you are heavy on poetry and light on the righteousness, it is heavy on the text and light on the quality." That's what yours isn't anymore. ”

If Lin Tingji preaches like this on weekdays, Lin Shibi can be automatically immune, he has been talented since he was a child, and he thinks too highly of himself, but today he actually lost to a teenager who is younger than himself, and he was hit hard at the moment.

At the moment, when Lin Tingji said this, he was suddenly touched, and immediately lowered his head and said, "What my uncle said is that my nephew has been taught." ”

Lin Tingji smiled kindly and said: "This young man can beat Shibi, he wants to be a little opportunistic, even if he has some talent, there are more talented young people in this year than the crabs in this river." ”

Lin Shisheng laughed as he spoke, and Lin Shibi did not listen to Lin Tingji's words, but lowered his head in contemplation.

Lin Tingji and Lin Shisheng were talking and breaking crabs, and after eating a few fat crabs, Lin Tingji said to Lin Shisheng: "Today, Mr. Wangzhai, write to me, begging me to intercede with Futai and save his grandson." ”

Lin Shisheng nodded and said, "I almost forgot Mr. Wangzhai, it was Grandpa's friendship when you took the township test." ”

"Our two families are world friends, his son has a good relationship with your father, and his grandson is also your friend. Now Mr. Wangzhai begged me, you also know that I have lived to my age, there are few old friends, he wants to save his grandson, how can I ignore it, but at the moment it is not that I am reluctant to sell this old face, but this matter is dead after all, and the influence of Shilin is very widespread, if I interfere in this matter, if I am not careful, I am afraid that the old woman will remarry, and she will lose her temper in old age. Lin Tingji said.

Lin Shibi, Lin Shisheng also knows that the offside position is high, and the more worries he has, not because he is afraid that he will not be able to do it, but because he is afraid of damaging his reputation.

Lin Shisheng said with a smile: "Grandpa, please rest assured, I have already taken care of this matter, and it is not difficult for us to save Mr. Wangzhai's grandson, but we are worried about the public opinion of Shilin afterwards, since this is the case, we will give them an explanation." ”

Saying that, Lin Shisheng gave a piece of paper and said, "Grandpa, the solutions are here." ”

After Lin Tingji saw it hastily, he couldn't help nodding, and even drank a few more glasses of wine and said, "Wonderful, did you come up with this?" ”

Lin Shisheng showed a look of shame.

Lin Tingji said with a smile: "You are all serious readers, and you can't imagine that Shisheng, who did you ask to catch the knife for you?" This is not the group of Qing guests who only know how to recite poems and make friends on weekdays, whether it is the curtain guest of the Sansi Yamen, or the master in the government office of the prefecture and county, is it possible that he is a famous lawyer in the provincial capital? ”

Lin Tingji put down the crab in his hand, and the maid on the side brought mung bean noodles to clean his hands.

Lin Shibi and Lin Shisheng glanced at each other, and they were a little embarrassed.

Lin Tingji cleaned his hands, took a towel to dry, and the maid brought fragrant tea and rinsed her mouth. Lin Tingji turned his head and saw that the two grandchildren didn't answer and asked, "Why didn't I guess correctly?" ”

Lin Shisheng said abruptly: "Grandpa, do you remember the boy who just competed with his eldest brother?" ”

"It's him, it's rare, it's rare."

Lin Shibi said: "Uncle didn't say that there are more talented young people than crabs in the river, what is rare." ”

Lin Tingji muttered: "It is also common sense that young talents are outstanding, but he can use the scriptures, apply what he has learned, and use it to judge cases, this is not an ordinary teenager." ”

Hearing this, Lin Shisheng said: "What Grandpa said is that the child thinks the same way. ”

Lin Tingji asked, "What kind of background is this young man?" ”

"Uncle, he is a disciple of Lin Chengyi, studying at Lianjiang Academy."

"It turned out to be him, I remember that he recommended Lin Chengyi to Hu Tixue, and I also wrote a letter recommending him to enroll."

"Yes."

"I remember that he is also surnamed Lin, and he is our son of Lianpu?"

"Probably not."

Lin Tingji listened to it, showed a look of pity, took the paper and looked at it again: "This method is okay, I will write a letter to Zhou Zhixian, and Mr. Wangzhai's grandson can be released." But this boy has done you a favor, what do you want him to do? ”

"He said that he wanted to worship a Confucian as a scripture teacher and learn the scriptures."

"What is the scripture to prepare?"

"Shangshu."

Lin Tingji was a little surprised and said: "Shangshu, there are not many people who govern Shangshu in Fujian." ”

Lin Shisheng said: "Although there are not many, the child finally knows a few people." ”

"Tell me about it."

"My grandson has already thought about it, there are not many famous scholars in this mansion, but Mr. Wangzhai is one, and it is just right for him to teach the young man Shangshu, not to mention that this young man has also helped their family so much."

Lin Tingji stroked his beard and said: "Mr. Forgetzhai taught Ma Zicui, and Ma Zicui taught Wang Yangming, which is not authentic learning. ”

"Grandpa, what about Mr. Hengzhou?"

"That's even worse, the book inherited by Mr. Hengzhou has no family law, nor is it taught by a famous teacher, and the saying of piercing and chiseling is beyond words, but it is a misguided child."

Lin Shisheng said with a smile: "It seems that grandpa has already chosen someone in his heart, if it weren't for me to treat Mao Shi, and the eldest brother to govern the Spring and Autumn Period, I also want this young man to learn scriptures with us, and no one in the family except for the second uncle is to govern the book, doesn't my father want to?" ”

Lin Tingji nodded and said, "Why not." ”

Lin Shibi and Lin Shisheng glanced at each other, and Lin Shibi said: "Grandpa, the second uncle is a two-rank jinshi, born in the Hanlin Academy, teaching a schoolboy?" ”

Lin Tingji said: "What about the two Jinshi, now that he is resigned at home, he is also an idler." ”

"What second uncle resigned?" Lin Shibi and Lin Shisheng were both surprised.

Captain Lin Tingji sighed, showing a little regret and said, "Your second uncle is reckless and has offended Zhang Jiangling. It's okay to resign, go home and sharpen your temperament. I asked him to teach a few disciples, so that he would not have nothing to do, and I also saw myself who was studying in the school from the way he was eager to learn. Some people leak to rush to the scientific examination, and some people resign and return to their hometowns, which is really ridiculous, ridiculous! ”

"Grandpa is doing this for the second uncle!" Lin Shisheng and Lin Shibi both nodded.