Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Hangzhou, Qiantang Town.

The surrounding environment of Qiantang Town is extremely beautiful, with white walls and black tiles, and is surrounded by the West Lake on one side.

It was summer at this time, the lotus flowers in the lake were in bloom, and the fragrance was fragrant. From time to time, a few fish jumped up and played in the water.

A breeze blew by, blowing several green leaves into the air and dancing gracefully on the blue waves.

On the lakeside, there is a small courtyard surrounded by a fence made of bamboo poles. There is a grape trellis next to the east wing covered with ivy, and there is an old rocking chair underneath.

"Gah~"

Hearing the sound of ducks quacking, Zhu Di and Ji Gang helped Zhu Gaochi around for a few steps. The grass beside the lake was green and green, and several trees were blooming with pink and white flowers, which contrasted with the floating ducks hidden behind the delicate lotus flowers.

There is a big rock in front of the lake. Standing on the big rock is a child in cloth. There are also several children surrounding it, who don't know what they are doing.

"Is Yu Qian here?"

Hearing Zhu Di's question, Ji Gang bowed and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Jin Yiwei has quietly investigated the entire Hangzhou city, and the child who fits your Majesty's description is this child."

Then, Ji Gang pointed at the child standing on the big rock from a distance.

"This child came from a family of officials. Now his family is in ruins, but he has been very smart since he was a child. It is said that he loved reading stories about Su Wu, Zhuge Liang, Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang and others when he was only four or five years old."

Zhu Di nodded slightly, suppressed the urgency in his heart, and walked slowly while supporting his elder brother.

When the children surrounding the big rock saw three strangers arriving, they all stopped arguing.

There was only one fat child who kept shouting: "Why are the fish given to Ergou more than the fish given to me?"

The "Second Dog" whom he selected was thin and thin, with a knot in his mouth. At this moment, he was holding several fish strung up with straw ropes in his arms. He was at a loss for words. He stayed for a few breaths and then said "Wow" He cried out loudly.

"Er Gou came up with the idea. Brother Qian'er worked the hardest to catch fish in the afternoon. It's not your turn anyway. Brother Qian'er gave himself the least. Aren't you satisfied?" A girl next to her pointed at Pang Dun. said.

Fatty still looked dissatisfied and muttered: "I have been working hard all afternoon and I am not hungry enough."

After quietly listening to the stories of several companions, the child in commoner clothes stood on the big rock and carefully counted the fish in the bamboo basket before jumping down.

Probably seeing that Zhu Gaochi was well-dressed, and the powerful Zhu Di and Ji Gang beside him were also well-dressed, the child saluted seriously.

"I've met three officials."

"Are you Yu Qian?" Zhu Gaochi's eyes were full of scrutiny.

Zhu Di had told him that when he came this time, Zhu Gaochi would be the leader, while Zhu Di and Jigang would pretend to be his servants.

Yu Qian looked into Zhu Gaochi's eyes and replied neither humble nor arrogantly.

"That's right, but our quarrel disturbed the peace of the three of us?"

Zhu Gaochi shook his head and said, "If that's not the case, just keep going. Just pretend I'm not here to wait."

Yu Qian was quite magnanimous when he heard this, and turned around to talk to his companions one by one.

"Xiao Ni, everyone has worked hard all afternoon, and it's the same. No one works harder than others. You really shouldn't say this. It hurts people's hearts in vain."

"Brother Qian'er, me"

The female doll didn't agree with what he said, but she still nodded and apologized to Pang Dun.

Later, Yu Qian took out a starched and white handkerchief, carefully wiped away the nose and tears of the thin Ergou, and then put it in his arms.

Finally, Yu Qian jumped on the big stone, picked out two larger ones from the only four fish left in the bamboo basket, and handed them to Pang Dun.

"I know you eat a lot, so you must be hungry now, so take it."

Fatty gritted his teeth as he looked at the fish, but in the end he refused. Then with a red face, he picked a big fish and stuffed it into Ergou's arms. He ran away in a hurry without waiting for thanks.

When Zhu Di and others saw this, they smiled.

After his friends dispersed, Yu Qianfu came to several people and said, "The guests seem to have come from afar. My family is poor and has nothing else. If you don't mind, please treat some of them to grilled fish."

"How can you tell we've come from afar?"

Yu Qian pointed to the thin layer of dust floating on their boots, and Ji Gang's eyes suddenly became sharp.

Zhu Gaochi waved his hand and asked with an intriguing smile: "Why don't you ask us what we are here for?"

"When you come, you are a guest. There is no reason to ask why you are here without hospitality."

"That's fine." Zhu Gaochi nodded.

A bonfire was lit on a big stone by the West Lake, and several people sat around and grilled fish.

The lake fish is not big and not very fat, far inferior to the Yellow River carp or Songjiang perch, but it does have a unique flavor when grilled and crispy.

"I was passing by here and heard that there was a young boy named Yu Qian who was very intelligent, so I came to visit him."

Zhu Gaochi, who was pretending to be the host, was not polite. He took the largest fish and ate it generously, asking questions while eating.

"What are the similarities and differences between a young child dividing fish and a prime minister weighing the world?"

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Di originally thought that Yu Qian would answer something like "If you don't sweep a house, how can you sweep the world?" Unexpectedly, Yu Qian took the fish and pondered for a few breaths, but he answered seriously.

"I am young and don't know how the Scarlet Princes weigh the world, but I always feel that the principles of the world are roughly the same. I must always do my best to take care of those who can't speak. I can't pretend just because I can't hear. Can’t see.”

"Is that so?" Zhu Gaochi was stunned for a moment.

"Of course!" Yu Qian raised his small face at this time, but his eyebrows looked a little frightened, "If today I see the weak and the speechless being bullied by others, to say the least, it means that the thoughts in my heart are not clear; To put it more seriously, if I am bullied by others in the future, who will dare to speak up for me?"

Zhu Di, who was busy eating fish, suddenly said: "Then why do you still share your fish with the bully? Is it because you are weak and easy to compromise, or do you want to take care of the unity among your partners?"

"It's because I divide things."

Yu Qian's answer was unexpectedly candid: "If I give myself more, I will put in more effort, and others will have nothing to say. Others may not think that I give myself too much, but there are only so many fish, and others can't eat it." If you are full or feel that your share is less, you will naturally slack off tomorrow. In this case, why do you talk about catching more fish to keep everyone full?"

When Zhu Di heard this, he suddenly remembered Jiang Xinghuo's theory of "making a big watermelon".

In a daze, Xiao Yuqian, who was sitting upright with grilled fish in his hand, and Jiang Xinghuo, who was lying lazily holding a watermelon, actually overlapped in Zhu Di's eyes.

There were not many fish, only four fish for each person, and they were all eaten quickly.

After eating and wiping clean, Ji Gang took out a large ingot of silver.

"You treated us to grilled fish. You can't eat it for nothing."

Looking at the white money in front of him, Yu Qian swallowed, and there was even a little desire in his eyes.

Zhu Di felt that at this time Yu Qian might be thinking about how many books, how many pens, inks, paper and inkstones, or how much food he could buy with this money.

But in the end, Yu Qian shook his head firmly and said softly.

"A gentleman is poor, but a villain is poor in many ways."

The phrase comes from "The Analects of Confucius: Wei Linggong", which means that a gentleman will stick to his inner integrity even if he is in adversity. It means that a gentleman can be rich and humble without losing his integrity.

Zhu Gaochi, pretending to be the master, patted Ji Gang's arm, and Ji Gang took back the money he took out.

After all, Ji Gang had studied. As a poor scholar in Jinan, he was expelled from the academy for his bravery and fierceness, so he joined the Yan army to find a way out. At this time, when he recalled the words of the sages, they were a bit sarcastic.

Zhu Gaochi bowed his head seriously to the little Yu Qian, and replied with the same quote from "The Analects of Confucius·Yong Ye": "A basket of food and a ladle of drink, in a back alley, people can't bear their worries, and they won't change their happiness even when they return. It's so virtuous to return." "

This is how Yan Huihui, a famous disciple of Confucius, compares Yu Qian's behavior, that is, people always have to have a little spirit, and they can be happy even if they live a poor and difficult life for their own ideals.

"I don't dare compare myself with sages." Yu Qian felt a little embarrassed.

Zhu Di and the other three waved goodbye to Yu Qian. After they walked more than a hundred steps, they would see a carriage prepared by the Jinyi Guards.

When leaving, Zhu Di moved his lips as if he wanted to say something. He hesitated for a moment, but finally said it.

"Look at the three of us."

But Yu Qian raised his head and blinked at him.

"The king of Wei is very noble, but the person who catches the sword at the bedside is a hero - I have read "Shishuo Xinyu"."

Zhu Di was speechless for a moment, shook his head and left quietly.

When he came to the carriage, he helped Zhu Gaochi get on the carriage. When he stepped on the edge of the carriage, Zhu Di suddenly looked back. Zhu Gaochi was waiting for him to come in with the curtain raised, and he was at a loss for a moment.

Ji Gang, who was standing behind Zhu Di, even became nervous, wondering if Zhu Di had discovered his secret throwing money into the grass, which made Zhu Di unhappy.

Zhu Di didn't know what the two of them were thinking, so he just turned around and laughed heartily.

"I am lucky enough to meet Jiang Xinghuo, so I can reserve this talent for the world!"

"After I leave, Yu Qian will weigh the world for the Ming Dynasty!"

The light and shadow of the setting sun are like a red streak, and the water surface under the Fenghe Bridge reflects a little bit of light, which is especially beautiful.