The sun was scorching his scalp, and Xu Ping felt a little dizzy, and he couldn't stand the weather. Lingnan is hotter than Xiangzhou, but in Xu Ping's impression, the sun is not so scorching.

Not far away, two monks, one large and one small, were turning into edges along the street, and Xu Ping looked at it again. The two bald heads were bright, and they didn't know how to hold on to the sun, Xu Ping always felt that he would be cracked by the sun if he was not careful.

Zhizhou Wang Qi rode a horse and followed Xu Ping silently, sweating profusely. He listened to the news of Xu Ping's arrival, and rushed to the post station early in the morning to visit, and after the two talked, he listened to Xu Ping talk about coming to visit Hu Dan.

Wang Qi is riding a little donkey next to his younger brother Wang Qi, who is studying with Wang Qi and is fifteen years old this year. Originally, Wang Qi took him to meet Xu Ping, a figure who was a first-class scholar in the eighteen-year-old high school in the fifth year of Tiansheng, so that he could see for a long time, and where did he think of encountering such a drudgery as visiting Hu Dan.

Although he is a younger brother, Wang Qi has grown up in Wang Qi's family since he was a child, just like a brother. Seeing that Wang Qi was listless, Wang Qi was also distressed.

Wang Qi was born in a family of eunuchs, and his father Wang Han was originally from Chengdu, Xichuan, and moved to Shuzhou because of the eunuchs. Wang is a rare official, once served as a judge of the household department and a transfer envoy of Guangnan East Road, and finally died in Mingzhou with Guangluqing.

Circling the city, to the west of the city, a short walk, came to a small river. Not far from the river, there is a row of thatched houses, and there is a fence in front of the houses. The grass hut was dilapidated, the grass on top was moldy, and it was time to replace it.

Wang Qi sighed: "Eunuch Hu's home has finally arrived, and the hot weather is really not conducive to hurrying!" ”

Xu Ping looked at the somewhat dilapidated grass hut in front of him and asked in surprise, "This is Eunuch Hu's house?" It's unbearable again. He is also a secretary and supervisor, why is his residence so shabby? ”

"Eunuch Hu has many descendants, and he doesn't give birth, so he eats a lot of money, isn't that it!"

Wang Qi replied casually, and didn't want to go deeper. If it is a normal official of Zhishi. Even if the family is in difficulty, there will be a magistrate to help, so that it will not be too poor. But this eunuch Hu's popularity is extremely poor, and there is no one who can help him, so he has become like this. Wang Qi was so annoyed that he couldn't do it, except for sending messengers to deliver some gifts at four o'clock and three festivals, he usually ignored him.

Gao Daquan dismounted, took Xu Ping and Wang Qi's name cards and called the door.

With just one slap, the door creaked open. Hu Quanquan showed his body from behind the door, took the name post, and said to Gao Daquan: "Please wait outside for a while, I will go in and report to my father, and I will come when I go!" ”

After saying that, he ran into the yard like a fly.

Xu Ping and Wang Qi got off their horses, took Wang Qi to the gate, and waited quietly.

After a while. Hu Quanquan hurriedly came out of it and saluted Xu Ping and Wang Qi: "Father, my lordship is in good spirits today. Invite the two officials to the living room for tea. ”

Xu Ping and Wang Qi glanced at each other and walked into the courtyard of the Hu family together. This Hu Quanquan was obviously waiting behind the door early, and even Hu Dan was already waiting anxiously at home.

The courtyard of Hu Dan's house is very large, divided into several places, and I think there are many children and grandchildren. It was divided into several houses. The courtyard was a little messy, with chickens flying and geese barking, and two yellow dogs scurrying around, which looked messy.

With Hu Quanquan, Xu Ping and Wang Qi went all the way into the living room of the main house. Only Gao Daquan was left outside the door, and there was nowhere to go. The Hu family seems to be a little poor, there is not even a subordinate, Hu Quanquan is taking care of it, and Gao Daquan has no one to greet him.

When I entered the living room, I saw an old man with a white beard sitting on the main seat, and the official clothes on his body were obviously carefully cleaned up. However, I don't know how many years this big red official uniform has been worn, and it has been worn out.

The old man was already very old, and the wrinkles on his face overlapped, but his complexion was ruddy, and he looked in good spirits. He sat on the main seat, and because of his inconvenient eyesight, his head was raised upward, giving people a very arrogant feeling.

Hu Quanquan entered the living room and stepped forward to salute: "Father, the official of Zhizhou and the official of Shi Xu Ping came to visit. ”

Hu Dan raised his head, unconsciously turned his head, and said, "Oh, hurry up and take a seat, I'll go and serve good tea to the two officials!" Noble people are coming, don't slack off! ”

Xu Ping saw a long bamboo cane beside Hu Dan, and saw his expression, it seemed that his eyes were completely unable to see, and he had become blind.

After meeting Wang Qi, Wang Qi introduced his younger brother Wang Qi again.

Hu Dan politely praised two sentences and asked him to study hard, and a few years later, he won the high school championship in the imperial examination. As soon as he talked about the champion, Hu Dan talked about his own time, and he didn't stop until his son served tea.

Poor Wang Qicai is only a fifteen-year-old boy, who was dizzy from the sun all the way, and was lectured by Hu Dan, only feeling confused. That is, he has been taught well since he was a child, and he is gentle and elegant, and he has listened to the rules and regulations.

It is not easy for people to remember the past, and no one can foresee the future. Hu Dan couldn't imagine that the immature boy in front of him was actually similar to him when he became an adult, and he was also famous for his literature, but his actual talent was lacking. However, Wang Jue is self-aware, unlike Hu Dan, who is determined to drill into the camp, and finally spends his life favored. In the history of Xu Ping's previous life, although Wang Qi did not win the champion, he was also the eye of the list, and his literary talent was the choice of the moment, and he served in the two systems for many years. Later, he worshiped the prime minister, known for his mediocrity, when he entered the temple, he called "take the holy decree", after the emperor's ruling, he called "receive the holy decree", and when he returned to the court, he said that he had "obtained the holy decree", and he was called the three decrees.

The Three Decrees are just mediocre, but they are not as bleak as Hu Dan in his later years. If Hu Dan had Wang Jue's bearing, his achievements would inevitably be far above him, he was in the time of Taizong, Taizong was in charge of general affairs, and what he wanted was this kind of prime minister.

After drinking tea, Hu Dan looked ahead directionlessly and said, "Wang Zhizhou, we haven't seen each other for many years since you took office three years ago." ”

Wang Qi replied casually: "Yes, the late students are busy with affairs, and they are not allowed to come to see the eunuch." ”

At the reception banquet of Wang Qi's inauguration, Hu Dan's high-minded talk had annoyed the people at the same table, and when he was full of wine and food, he had to pack the dishes on the table and take them home to eat, which became a joke for a while. There are officials passing by here in Xiangzhou every three or five days, and Wang Qi is already impatient to welcome the send-off, where is he in the mood to see Hu Dan.

Hu Dan shook his head and sighed: "Hey, it's a pity that I'm blind, and I can't go out to see Zhizhou." The old man has been here for many years, and he has some experience in state politics. ”

Wang Qi casually said a few polite words and gently lifted this section. What are you kidding, you didn't have any political achievements when you were the governor of the state, and you were demoted because you drank every day and mishandled political affairs, and now you dare to guide people.

Seeing that Wang Qi didn't talk about sex, Hu Dan said to Xu Ping again: "Yushi came from Lingnan, and I heard that you have made a career in Yongzhou, and even the king of Jiaozhi has been arrested?" ”

Xu Ping arched his hand: "It's just a fluke to learn late and enter late." ”

"Even if it's a fluke, it's your luck. For the government to govern the people, luck is also indispensable, and the old man was a little less lucky back then, so he has today. ”

This statement opened the conversation box again, and he chattered countless things about the year.

Seriously, Hu Dan had a bright future when he first entered the career. As the champion, he got the imperial poem of Emperor Taizong, which has a sentence: "Report the new jinshi, and know that the move is an official", and specially told him that he was a protégé of the Son of Heaven. The last Jinshi of the year was Tanhua Feng Zheng, who also got the imperial poems, and was the only Tanhua Lang who got the imperial poems in the two Song Dynasty, and Xu Ping did not have this treatment.

After the champion and the first, Hu Danchu took office and received Lu Mengzheng's Shengzhou general judgment, which was completely the same treatment. But he himself was not angry, and he was bent on getting the attention of the emperor and the ruler by relying on his writings and words, but he didn't care about government affairs, and the road became narrower and narrower.

Although I heard Wang Qi talk about Hu Dan's deeds, Xu Ping didn't take it to heart at the beginning, and always felt that he was the champion of the previous dynasty and a figure who knew the system, and tried his best to echo his words. Later, when I heard him talk more and more outrageous, and he talked endlessly, he lost his patience, and only occasionally replied, and became excited.

After talking for a long time, Hu Dan was tired himself, so he stopped.

At this time, it was noon, the weather was hot, and Hu Quanquan had some bits and pieces of food to relieve everyone's boredom. It's just some water chestnut tender lotus roots, which are the cheapest things that can be bought casually outside.

After eating a snack, Hu Dan's interest rose again, and he said to Xu Ping and Wang Qi: "The old man is at home on weekdays, and he has no hobbies, just writing books." A few years ago, he was on "Han Chunqiu", which was very popular with the officials, and he rewarded countless money. ”

"Han Chunqiu" is Hu Dan's most proud work, with the meaning of the Spring and Autumn Period to remember the Han Dynasty, there is a meaning for the sage to continue the work. This is also Hu Dan's character, who thinks very highly of himself and thinks that his talent and learning are comparable to those of ancient sages. Such a tome was offered, and it was naturally valued by the emperor and ministers, and the official was engraved. Hu Dan took advantage of the situation and said that his family was poor and had no money to buy pens, ink, and inkstones, so he asked for a sum of money from the imperial court and gave his two sons official positions.

Speaking of these knowledge, Xu Ping and Wang Qi did not dare to be perfunctory. Hu Dan is a little crazy, but he has a real talent to learn, and he can really learn something by talking about it.

Speaking of the rise, Hu Dan stood up and said to Xu Ping and Wang Qi: "Recently, I have another experience, I have written a sequel to "The General Theory of Performing Saints", which was just completed a few days ago. ”

As he spoke, he stood up, fumbled and picked up the bamboo cane next to him, and walked towards the study next to him.

Xu Ping and Wang Qi had no choice but to stand up, follow Hu Dan, and enter his study.

The furnishings in the study are very simple, with a desk and a lot of books piled up next to it. The thick manuscript on the desk is particularly eye-catching, and it is the "Continuation of the Holy Treatise" mentioned by Hu Dan.

Since he lost his sight, Hu Dan relied on his son to read poems and books to him, and then memorized them silently. That's it, I just finished several tomes. If only as a scholar, Hu Dan is quite remarkable.

After an introduction, Hu Dan groped for the manuscript on the case and said to Xu Ping: "Xu Yushi wants to enter Beijing, how about I entrust you to bring this manuscript into Beijing and dedicate it to the official?" Cultivating books in the prime of life is also a great meritorious thing! ”

When Xu Ping heard this, he glanced at Wang Qi beside him. This old man did all kinds of things, it turned out to be such a thing.

Bringing the manuscript to Beijing for him, of course, he couldn't take it empty-handed, it turned out to be a sum of money from Xu Ping.

Seeing Hu Dan caressing the manuscript and looking up at the desk table, he was extremely complacent, and the shabby official robe on his body was particularly dazzling at this time. Xu Ping looked at the old man, and a sad feeling suddenly rose in his heart. (To be continued.) )