Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 748: People are more beautiful than flowers, gathering of talents
The crackling firecrackers were set off by the people in Zhang Garden. In fact, firecrackers have gone through more than 2,000 years of development. At first, they were made by burning bamboo tubes in a fire, and then using the sound of the bamboo tubes bursting to celebrate. Gradually, they were filled with charcoal and saltpeter to make even louder firecrackers.
As gunpowder became more common, firecrackers, which were banned everywhere because of polluting the air in later generations, actually came into being. There were even names such as "one thousand poles" and "two thousand poles", just like "one thousand bangs" and "two thousand bangs" in later generations.
However, the Taizu of this dynasty had very strict control over gunpowder. After he ascended the throne, he claimed that gunpowder firecrackers were easy to cause fires and difficult to control, so he banned firecrackers loaded with gunpowder, including Kongming lanterns. He even issued a strict ban on officials and wealthy families in the capital, requiring that no gunpowder firecrackers be set off from top to bottom, and only firecrackers could be set off, literally...
Even though it has been a long time since the founding of the country, many old rules from the Taizu period have long been thrown into the dustbin of history, but most officials still abide by the rule of not setting off firecrackers to avoid being caught by some over-correcting censors. As for the firecrackers produced by private gun workshops, that is, some people set them off privately during festivals and weddings, the government has no control over them.
Although the sound of these firecrackers was not as powerful as the deafening firecrackers, Zhang Shou was not so picky since the artistic conception was there. At this time, Fatty Lu Sanlang, who had just quietly mixed into his wedding procession on the road and then quietly slipped away at some point, came out to greet them with his chest and belly protruding.
That's right, the male sponsor of Zhang Yuan's wedding today was the little fat man. This was also the reason why he didn't compete with Zhang Chen and others to be the best man.
At this moment, he accompanied Zhang Shou with a big smile to welcome Zhu Ying who was getting off the bridal sedan. Seeing that the eldest lady's bright red wedding dress was more gorgeous than the other brides, he couldn't help but sigh. When he sent the young couple to the bridal chamber to perform the ceremony of being buried together and drinking the same wine together, he lowered his voice and said, "Young sir, your wedding today will really make a sensation in the whole city."
Zhang Shou was originally thinking that Zhu Ying's red veil was lifted too quickly today, and he was one step behind and couldn't see clearly whether she was wearing heavy makeup, or light eyebrows, or was she uniquely not wearing any makeup. But when he heard Lu Sanlang's words, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and suddenly remembered Ah Liu's abnormal behavior these days.
However, before he could ask Lu Sanlang too many questions, the little fat man, whose tonnage was obviously increasing, slipped away like a gust of wind.
When they arrived at the bridal chamber, when Zhang Shou took off Zhu Ying's bright red veil, he saw a radiant face. The young lady might go out with a plain face or wear light makeup, but on occasions like today, she was always good at dressing herself up and had carefully applied makeup since the morning to create the most perfect look for herself.
At this moment, Zhu Ying saw Zhang Shou's undisguised amazement as she wished, and she immediately smiled triumphantly, but the next moment, she saw that his face became a little strange. After being stared at in silence for a long time, she finally felt a little uneasy, and even thought that there was something wrong with her makeup.
But at this moment, she heard a sigh coming from the front: "Yingying, I'm afraid no one will dare to come into this new house today. If they see you, they will feel ashamed of themselves. I'm afraid that people will cover their faces and leave. If they turn around, most of the few female guests in the backyard will run away."
"Slippery tongue!" Zhu Ying cursed angrily, but she was very happy in her heart. Even though she was used to hearing compliments, she still felt extremely happy after hearing such disguised praise.
However, although she wanted to say in return that the way you welcomed the bride today was really very attractive, when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she remembered the warnings from her grandmother and parents when she left home, so she calmed down a little. Only after all the food and drinks for the wedding ceremony were swallowed, she felt hungry because she had not eaten much in the morning and afternoon.
As for before that...she had no time to eat because she was busy giving herself a wedding without any regrets.
Although he wanted to stay in the bridal chamber for a while longer, Zhang Shou had to leave reluctantly when Lu Sanlang's newlywed wife Liu Qing sent someone outside the door to inform him that Lu Sanlang wanted to tell him that there would be many guests today and he, the groom, would be the one to receive them and that she would take care of the bridal chamber.
It was because wedding socializing was too troublesome, so he was not interested in such formalities...
Although Wu should have wanted to accompany her new daughter-in-law in the new house, it was not reasonable for a mother-in-law to go to her son and daughter-in-law's new house on their wedding night, so he had nothing to worry about with Liu Qing, an acquaintance, coming to take charge. However, Liu Qing's words "house full of guests" really made him feel uneasy.
The reason was the huge number of fifty tables, and he had no idea who Liu had sent the invitations to...
"Then... Yingying, just wait here and call for help if you need anything." Zhang Shou paused for a moment, thinking of the troublemaker in the bridal chamber at Zhu Tingfang's wedding that Zhu Ying mentioned, and added, "If someone comes to the bridal chamber to cause trouble, you can get rid of them however you want. Don't worry about causing any trouble. If someone doesn't consider himself a guest, there's no need to be polite!"
"Okay, okay, I know. I'm not a pushover. It's good enough that I don't bully others. Why are you afraid of being bullied?" Zhu Ying didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She pushed Zhang Shou on the back and said, "Go ahead, but don't come back drunk. Otherwise, I won't talk to you tonight!"
As soon as she said this, she realized the error in her words and her face turned red. What she didn't expect was that Zhang Shou suddenly leaned close to her ear, as if he wanted to whisper something to her, but just when she was about to listen attentively... he suddenly blew a breath in her ear, then smiled and took a step away, blinked his eyes and left.
After a long while, Zhu Ying, with red ears, finally realized that she was being teased by Zhang Shou again! Although they were a legitimate couple, she couldn't help but feel angry after being teased by him twice today. Unfortunately, Zhang Shou had already left the house, and Liu Qing entered the room at the right time. She could only punch the pillow with her fist and said angrily, "Ah, I'm so angry!"
"What's going on?"
As soon as Liu Qing came in, she saw Zhu Ying blushing and throwing a tantrum, and she was immediately shocked. Before Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying got married, they were as sweet as honey. How come now that they are finally married, they are quarreling? But Zhu Ying completely ignored her question, because she only saw the young lady pinching and squeezing the soft pillow as if she was venting her anger, as if she mistook it for Zhang Shou.
Let's not talk about how Liu Qing, who had just passed the bride stage, and Zhu Ying, who had just entered the bride stage, would communicate with each other. When Zhang Shou left the courtyard where the bridal chamber was located, he met Lu Sanlang who was waiting there. Just by looking at the smile on his face, which was full of fat that could not be hidden at all, he knew that the so-called surprise that Ah Liu had mentioned before should be waiting for him there.
Knowing that the praiser Lu Sanlang probably already knew the answer, but was definitely still trying to keep it a secret, he simply ignored it and walked out as if nothing had happened. Sure enough, the little fat boy who had just sneaked away to avoid his questioning, now found that he really didn't ask any more questions, and felt a little itchy. But in the end, the little fat boy actually held back!
So, Zhang Shou followed Lu Sanlang to the main venue of the wedding banquet, which was the Jiusi Hall in the center of Zhang Garden. When he saw the crowds of scholars, the guests, and the toasts, he realized that the guests who came today were not just there to make up the numbers.
The problem is, when he looked around, he only saw countless unfamiliar faces!
The appearance of the groom would naturally not be ignored. When someone shouted that Master Zhang was here, even though everything was not completely silent, countless pairs of eyes suddenly changed direction at the noisy wedding banquet tables, and the voices of conversation suddenly became much quieter.
Just as Zhang Shou was worrying about having to recognize faces, he heard a loud voice: "Jiu Zhang, you finally came out of the bridal chamber! Come, come, come and sit here. On this auspicious day, no one can stop me, your last disciple! And Lu Gaoyuan, come here too!"
Having seen the Grand Master Ge who was sitting in the chief position today, Lu Sanlang immediately smiled and said to Zhang Shou in a low voice: "Teacher, you see, Grand Master Ge really protects you. When you went to welcome the bride, Grand Master Ge was so enthusiastic that he praised you, his last disciple, to the sky. I couldn't even get a chance to interrupt at that time."
He hadn't said anything more. With Ge Yong blocking the way, Zhang Shou didn't have to deal with a lot of things like recognizing people and toasting! After all, the seniority and status of Grand Tutor Ge were there, so no one could put on airs in front of Zhang Shou!
Zhang Shou was indeed relieved by this, but the little fat man kept chattering beside him, so he couldn't help but turn his head and chuckled, "They say that when the master is in trouble, the disciples should do the work. I say, Lu Gaoyuan, do you want to toast to each table for me?"
The fat guy who was talking so eloquently just now suddenly had a bitter face. Normally, he would be willing to do such a thing to show off his face, but the problem was that there were fifty tables today! If he toasted each table, wouldn't he be drunk to death?
Therefore, he could only quickly beg for mercy: "Teacher, please don't do this. Many of the guests who came today are well-known in the capital and even in the whole world. I am not qualified enough!"
Zhang Shou, who was walking towards Ge Yong's table, paused for a moment and then deliberately smiled in a low voice: "A famous person in the world? It's only been a few months since my wedding date was set, and it will be very late by the time I send out the invitations. So, even if the celebrities in the capital area are really willing to come, they can still make it in time, but how can the famous people and wise men from other parts of the world make it? What's more, how can I have such a big face?"
"Teacher, why don't you have such a big face? Just because you are the most trusted teacher of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, this face is greater than the sky! Teacher, do you think that all the famous people in the world are detached from the mundane world? Of course, there are people with noble natures, but the problem is that most people have to eat, support their families, and carry forward their own schools. How can they not come out?"
Seeing Zhang Shou's thoughtful expression, Lu Sanlang pursed his lips at the four guests who continued to chat and laugh: "The emperor summoned the four mountain masters to the capital before, and then made three of them lecturers in the East Palace. Who among the famous scholars and wise men in the world would not be moved by the news and regard those three as benchmarks?"
"No, it should be said that when these four came to the capital, many people were already tempted when they heard that they might become the prince's teachers. At that time, the third and fourth princes were young princes at the end of the order, but being a prince's teacher was an opportunity to get the upper hand. Maybe one's own teachings could be appreciated by the emperor?"
"So, these people were already on their way to the capital at that time. When they heard that the crown prince had been enthroned, they left even faster!"
"However, many people are regarded as wise men in their respective places, and even local officials have to show respect to them. When they arrive in the capital, how many people know them except for the local scholars? The senior officials in the court may know a few of them, but knowing them does not mean they should be treated with courtesy. For example, didn't some of the mountain chiefs mentioned above not have the title of Jinshi?"
"Among these so-called celebrities and wise men, some have written many books, but there is only one position for each person in the court. Who is willing to give them a chance? And they don't want to run around the door of the powerful and look at other people's faces and rely on others. In this case, teacher, your wedding, which is already known to everyone in the city, has even specially sent invitations to them. How many people would not come?"
Perhaps because he had been hiding it before, and now that he finally found an opportunity to speak, Lu Sanlang naturally spoke out. As a result, Zhang Shou, who had been kept in the dark for many days, finally knew that his wedding banquet had become a gathering of wise men - the word "wise men" was actually written on the invitation that he had sent out before!
It turned out that now that Zhang Shoujing called the other party a wise man, the other person would actually happily come to attend his wedding banquet?
Zhang Shou had never thought of adding such political or cultural factors to his wedding, but when Lu Sanlang exaggerated and said that the people who wrote the invitations for Ah Liu were none other than his father Lu Wan and Liu Zhiyuan, and that the invitations were sent by the Lu family, what else could he say? Blame Lu Wan for cheating him? He seemed to have cheated others more times...
When he came to the main table, Grand Master Ge was sitting at the head of the table with a smile on his face. When he saw him, he coughed and said, "I'm already old, and I should have stopped accepting disciples a long time ago. But back then, Jiu Zhang's father-in-law came to invite me, and I was still hesitant at the time, and I almost missed out on this talented person."
Ge Yong mentioned very obscurely his past life as a hermit who went to the countryside to teach students but was not successful at all. Seeing Zhang Shou's embarrassed face, he laughed again: "It's fate after all. If they are meant to be my students, then they are my students, and no one else can take them away!"
Chu Ying, who was sitting next to him, almost got angry at Ge Yong's words. Who wants to steal your students? Old Ge, do you need to bring it up? Qi Jingshan saw that these two old kids were going to argue again, so he could only leave them alone, smiled and stood up and said, "Today is a big day for Jiuzhang, but it is also a rare gathering of talented people!"
