In the next few days, Xu Ping was still on vacation, celebrating with the old department from Yongzhou, accepting congratulations from his colleagues, and not returning to the Third Division until November.

Han Zong's father, Han Yi, was sentenced to Liunequan at this time, and he was also an official in the capital, so he returned home early. The Han family is a family of eunuchs, with many relatives and friends, and there is an endless stream of people who come to congratulate them, which is much more lively than Xu Ping.

The snow did not fall lightly, but it fluttered for three days and three nights, and did not stop until October 24.

In the small courtyard of the Xu family, a wine feast was arranged from noon to entertain those who came to celebrate the same year in Beijing.

Han Qi, Zhao Xu, Wu Yu and a few others arrived first, sitting in the courtyard chatting and enjoying the snow.

This is the first snow of the year in the capital, and today the snow has stopped, and there are people enjoying the snow everywhere inside and outside the city. Today is another double day and no court, and the literati and doctors don't know how many groups of people have gathered to praise this snow.

Gao Daquan recorded the merits, Li Yonghe helped find a relationship, and the small envoy Zuo was forbidden to enter the forbidden army in front of the palace. Xu Ping's family is now only greeted by a few small servants, and there is no effective helper. This is the house of the sudden noble, and the lintel has risen so fast that even the servants who can use it can't be replenished.

After the little servant served tea, Xu Ping sat down with the three of them to chat.

While a few people were chatting, the little guy led the three people in.

Wang Yaochen, who was walking in front, saw Han Qi, Zhao Yi and others, and said loudly: "You guys are so idle, you arrived so early." Who am I coming with? ”

Xu Ping stood up with a few people and said to the visitor: "Gongshi, when will you go back to the capital?" Why don't you say it in advance, and we'll go and greet you. ”

Ji Ying behind Wang Yaochen said: "You came in a hurry, how dare you bother you?" Boyong and I also happened to meet, so we came together. ”

After speaking, he hurriedly congratulated Xu Ping with Wang Yaochen. Their current Jinshi, Xu Ping's official position at this time is already high, and he has been named the founding marquis, and he has a bright future, he is already a natural leader, and everyone is also counting on Xu Ping to carry him.

Although the title can be promoted by seniority, there is a gap between the prince and the boy, the marquis is actually rarely awarded, and there are even fewer among the ministers, and the marquis must wait for the above food to be made to a thousand households before the marquis.

After congratulating, Ji Ying introduced the young man behind him to everyone: "This is the eldest son of my sister's family, Zhang Fangping, who will come to the capital with me in the coming year." ”

Zhang Fangping was seventeen or eighteen years old, and he was busy saluting everyone.

The system is different from the usual Jinshi course, and it requires a strong memorization of the expo. At the age of less than 20 years old, Zhang Fangping dared to have the confidence to apply for the subject, and he must have an amazing memory, so Xu Ping and the others naturally redoubled their encouragement. In particular, Wu Yu also wants to apply for the subject, and he is very close to Zhang Fangping, after all, there is no quota limit for the subject in this era, and there is no competition between candidates.

Ji Ying is a real family of poets and calligraphers, and his father studied under Qi Tongwen, the founder of Yingtian Academy, which was the largest academy at this time, and there were dozens of students from Fan Zhongyan to Zhongjinshi. Ji Ying himself has been known to the former prime minister Wang Zeng since he was a jinshi in the fifth year of Tiansheng, and he has always made him a subordinate. This time, Wang Zeng was sentenced by the Tianxiong Army to Xijing Henan Mansion, and he still accompanied Ji Ying, and he entered Beijing this time to change the official notice.

Everyone saluted and sat down, while Zhang Fangping stood behind his uncle Ji Ying.

After gossiping for a while, Ji Ying smiled at Xu Ping and said: "My nephew often mentions you, and I admire you very much. ”

Xu Pingqi said: "I'm just a little in the limelight these days, you were still on the road at that time, how can you know my name?" I'm a frontier petty official, can my name be passed on to the Central Plains? ”

Zhang Fangping said respectfully: "The younger generation used to travel to the land of Qilu a few years ago, and when I saw Shi Manqing, I often talked about the county marquis. ”

"I see, no wonder."

Zhang Fangping traveled between Qilu and Qilu when he was fourteen or fifteen years old, and had a lot of contact with a group of government and opposition Yishi led by Shi Yannian, but since he responded to Tianfu's hometown, he slowly broke off contact. At that time, Xu Ping was in Yongzhou to bracket the Ding Law, and it was also very lively, and he also had correspondence with Shi Yannian, so it was not unusual to hear him talk about it.

At this time, Shi Yannian came out of Zhilangzhou, and the border pass was the time to make contributions, and those who were depressed and had no ambition to be proud of the mountains and forests all day long had a lot of companions, but gave them a chance to fight for themselves.

At this time, it was full of the same year, and Xu Ping couldn't talk to Zhang Fangping in depth, so he just asked a few words.

Not long after, Zhao Yan dealt with the errand in the three divisions and hurried over.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xu Ping ordered a wine feast, took the good wine that had been blended with the old wine that had been sealed for many years, and poured it full one by one. At this time in winter, there are no fresh fruits and vegetables, just a table full of fish and meat.

Everyone drank three cups and congratulated Xu Ping on his ascension.

After three rounds of drinking, everyone gossiped, but the words were measured, and they deliberately avoided the government at this time. This kind of private year-of-year gathering is already eye-catching, and if political affairs are discussed, it is easy to be labeled as a party.

Li Di, the prime minister of the court, was at odds with Lu Yijian, and although Li Di was in the first place, he acted carelessly and basically had no ability to contain Lu Yijian. But he has a big temper, and often argues with Lu Yijian, and the discord between the two is known to everyone in the government and the opposition.

In this situation, except for those who have deep connections, other officials are wise to protect themselves and try not to get involved.

Just when everyone was drinking lively, the little guy wanted to bring someone in, it was Xu Ping's little fellow Wang Gongchen.

Although Wang Gongchen was not the same year of the fifth year of Tiansheng, Xu Ping's fellow countryman was the champion of the previous session, everyone hurriedly got up to greet him, and Wang Gongchen sat down at the bottom.

After drinking a drink, Wang Yaochen asked Wang Gongchen: "If you don't go to court today, how can Jun Zhen come?" ”

Wang Gongchen said: "I was going to come in advance, but something happened in the court, and I watched it for a while." ”

Xu Ping asked casually, "What's the matter?" Can I keep you in the snow and ice? ”

Wang Gongchen took a sip of wine and said slowly: "Zhumen's wine and meat stink, and there are frozen bones on the road. Now that the snow has stopped, the weather is even colder than it was when it snowed two days ago. The snow came suddenly, and the road was closed, and the price of charcoal in the capital skyrocketed, and the price of charcoal before the snow was only 30 wen per weigh, and now it is 600 wen per weigh. Where can ordinary people afford it? People froze to death in the capital, and when I came, someone beat the drum, and a lot of people gathered in front of the drum courtyard to make trouble. Speaking of which, I can't afford to light charcoal for 600 wen a year, and I will have to borrow some from the county marquis later. ”

Listening to Wang Gongchen's words, Xu Ping was stunned. One weighs fifteen catties, and one weighs six hundred wen, and there are really not many people in the capital who can afford it. Wang Gongchen is a meager man, and he has brothers and widows to support, so it is not an exaggeration to say that he can't afford it. But his neat appearance was because Xu Ping was once reprimanded by the Chinese book for reminding him of the soaring prices, and retribution came. (To be continued.) )