Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 1207 Postscript 63·My Grandfather is a Romantic

The Nanyi River and the Hutuo River merge into one in Bazhou. The name after the merger is called Duliu River.

The Duliu River meanders for more than 100 miles, merges into the old course of the Yellow River in Duliu Town, and then flows northward into the Song-Liao Boundary River of the past. The Boundary River passes through the urban area of ​​Tianjin in later generations and finally runs to the sea.

Nowadays, the Yellow River has long been diverted, but the old course from Duliu River to the Boundary River has been deepened and dredged to keep the waterway unobstructed.

Cangzhou Prefecture, Jinghai County, Duliu Town Wharf.

Not only did the local gentry come to see him off, but even the county magistrate and the chief clerk came, which made Xie Shizhang very happy.

My grandson is really promising!

The passenger ship slowly left the shore and went west against the Duliu River.

Xie Yan's grandfather Xie Shizhang and second brother Xie Kan both received the telegram and went to Beijing.

Only the eldest brother was in a difficult situation. The provincial examination was held before the Mid-Autumn Festival, so he had to stay in his hometown to prepare for the exam.

The south wind blew, and Xie Shizhang stood at the bow with his hands behind his back.

The old man seemed to have reached the peak of his life at this moment. His younger brother was a Jinshi official, his son was a Jinshi official, and his grandson was about to become a royal consort.

It didn't matter if I had no ability, but it was awesome that my family members all had ability.

"Grandfather, the wind is strong at the bow, let's go in and take a rest." Xie Kan said.

"No hurry." Xie Shizhang continued to stand with his hands behind his back.

Until the officials and gentry who saw him off were so far away that only a little shadow remained, Xie Shizhang finally returned to the cabin.

After sailing for more than a hundred miles, the boat arrived at the confluence of the Nanyishui River and the Hutuo River. The former can go to Baoding, and the latter can go to Zhending.

They naturally went to Baoding, because it was closer to take a train from there.

Baoding is not only the capital of Hebei Province, but also a railway hub. The trains there can go north to Beijing, northeast to Zunhua, southwest to Zhending, and southeast to Nanpi (the end of the Yongji Canal).

Xie Kan accompanied his grandfather Xie Shizhang, first took a boat to Baoding, and then took a train to Nanpi.

The rest of the journey was by water, along the Yongji Canal straight to Kaifeng!

The old man was almost seventy years old, and he was shaking from the train. He insisted on going to Luoyang, and his family couldn't persuade him.

It was finally more comfortable to take a boat to the Yongji Canal, and he stayed in the cabin all day to rest.

When he had nothing to do, he would teach his grandson to play.

Xie Shizhang said: "Don't play all day, your eldest brother is very likely to pass the imperial examination this year, and your sixth brother is about to become a prince consort. You are the only one in the family who didn't even pass the imperial examination, how can you go out and meet people in the future?"

"Grandfather is right." Xie Kan could only listen honestly.

Xie Shizhang added, "I had a chance to pass the imperial examination. But there are only two brothers in my family. Since your second grandfather passed the imperial examination and became an official, I had to give up my career and take care of the family business."

Xie Kan complained: You passed the imperial examination at the age of 38, and failed in the imperial examination for nine years. Your qualification for the imperial examination expired, and you finally gave up the imperial examination when you were almost 50 years old. Do you think I don't know?

Xie Shizhang continued, "Although I gave up my official career to take care of the family business, I still cultivated your father. Your father was amazing and brilliant. He took the imperial examination for the second time, including the central government examination and the provincial examination. When your father passed the imperial examination, he was just 20 years old, which attracted the Baoding Wang family to marry their daughter to him!"

"Dad is really amazing." Xie Kan continued to perfunctorily agree.

Xie Shizhang stroked his beard and said, "It's all because of my good teaching. Although I didn't pass the imperial examination, I have rich experience in the imperial examination, and all these experiences have been passed on to your father."

Xie Kan thought: It's a wealth of experience in failing the imperial examination, right? You failed the exams many times and took 30 years to face the reality.

"Alas!"

Xie Shizhang sighed: "It's a pity that your grandmother passed away early. If she could live to this day, I don't know how happy she would be to go to Luoyang this time."

Xie Kan thought: If you loved your grandmother so much, you wouldn't have traveled far away every now and then and brought back a concubine every time you returned home. If it weren't for the second grandfather sending money home, with your ability to spend money, I'm afraid you would have to sell the ancestral property to support your father's studies.

Xie Shizhang recalled the past: "I know what you are thinking now. Although I have seven concubines in my life, your grandmother is the only one in my heart. Most of those concubines were given by friends. I am thin-skinned but kind-hearted. It is inconvenient to refuse the kindness of friends, and I can't bear to let them be lonely, so I had to bring them all back home to raise them."

Is there such a thing?

Xie Kan was in awe of his grandfather and couldn't help asking, "Grandfather failed the exams many times and didn't bring much money when he traveled far away. Why do friends always give women to him?"

Xie Shizhang smiled proudly, "It's because I am handsome, talented, and treat friends with sincerity. Your third aunt was a famous prostitute in Baoding and fell in love with me at first sight. Knowing that my family is just a country gentry, she still wanted to redeem herself and follow me. You must not spread this matter. Although she has passed away, you must consider her reputation."

"Grandson, remember it." Xie Kan was shocked.

My grandfather's second concubine turned out to be a famous prostitute in Baoding. No wonder she was quite old when she entered the house, and no wonder she had such a high status in the family. It turns out that she is very rich!

Xie Shizhang said, "Later, the money for our family to purchase those lands was claimed to be sent back by my brothers who were officials. In fact, half of it was paid by your third aunt."

Grandpa, you are so awesome, teach me how to pick up girls quickly.

Xie Shizhang never mentioned these things at home. He was probably bored because he had been staying in the cabin all day. He closed his cloudy eyes and continued to recall: "I am not a playboy. I treated each of them sincerely. Over the years, they have all lived well and no one has complained. They even said that they made the right choice to marry me in this life."

Xie Kan thought to himself: I finally know why you always fail in the exams. You have one wife and seven concubines, but you still treat each other sincerely. How can you still have time to study for the imperial examination? All the energy is spent on coaxing women!

Xie Shizhang said: "But you can't learn from me. You should put your studies first."

"Yes!" Xie Kan sighed secretly. He is at the age where he is in full swing and wants to have a taste of women.

Xie Shizhang asked his grandson to fetch the guqin, and the melodious sound of the guqin soon sounded in the cabin.

He had traveled to this river many times in his youth.

At that time, he was stunningly handsome, and his piano skills were superb. He could seduce women with just the sound of the piano.

Alas, time is not forgiving.

The boy in white clothes back then has become a gray-haired old man.

It is not easy to pass on this piano skill to your children and grandchildren, lest they follow in your footsteps.

However, now that I have a grandson who wants to be a prince-in-law, I can give him all my money to teach him. Anyway, I don’t have to worry about delaying his studies and work.

He failed the first examination and was almost recruited into the Hanlin Academy as a violinist.

It's a pity that he was out of his mind at the time, always feeling that if he worked harder, he would be able to get Jinshi in the next examination. Even though he was recommended by a distinguished person, he did not take the Hanlin Academy examination!

The grandson felt that he showed great concern for his family by traveling far away from home every now and then.

But Xie Shizhang never explained that he traveled far and wide to collect music scores. He was a piano fanatic, but he became a lover in a daze.

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On this trip, he insisted on going to Luoyang in person. In addition to attending his grandson's wedding, he also wanted to present the piano scores he compiled to the court.

He spent forty years compiling this musical score, which is worth at least a Jasper Bachelor!

The grandfather and grandson came to Kaifeng with their servants, and soon changed ships and went straight to Luoyang.

They followed the address to Li's house in the south of the city and were warmly received by Li Minqiu. After some small talk, I found out that my children and grandchildren had already moved to the temporary mansion and were busy spending money to buy grand betrothal gifts.

"Father!"

"grandfather!"

"Let's talk after we go in."

Xie Yan met this cheap grandpa for the first time. At first glance, he seemed to have an air of immortality, and his every move had a sense of coolness and spontaneity.

This is completely different from the parents, eldest brother, and second brother.

"Take it." Xie Shizhang threw a book casually.

Xie Yiqin hurriedly reached out to catch it, but almost missed it and fell to the ground: "This is it?"

Xie Shizhang said with a proud smile: "All your betrothal gifts combined are not as valuable as my piano score. There are three lost ancient songs, and I have found them. There are also seven incomplete ancient songs, which I have spent all my efforts to replace." That’s all. The rest are all my own music.”

Xie Yiqin said: "Father is joking. Your piano skills are indeed one of the best in Cangzhou, but they may not be enough in Luoyang. There are many famous piano players from all over the world here. As for the piano score, it is really difficult to include it in the gift list."

"You bastard, you unfilial son, how dare you despise my life's work!"

The fairy-like old man picked up the crutch and swung it over, instantly turning into a farm servant beating up the unruly son with a stick.

Brothers Xie Yan and Xie Kan quickly grabbed their grandfather and helped him.

Xie Yiqin escaped a few steps away and said earnestly: "Father, please calm down, but your music score is just for your own entertainment in Cangzhou. It is really inconvenient to use it as a betrothal gift for Liu Lang. I know you have been revising music music all your life, but if you really have It’s worth it, I’ve already given you a bachelor’s badge.”

"That's your father Xianyun Yehe. I didn't take it out for them to evaluate!" Xie Shizhang was so angry that his beard trembled.

Wang Yitong pulled her husband and scolded him: "Don't say a few words, don't make my father angry. I have heard a little about my father's reputation in Hebei back then."

Xie Yiqin muttered: "Jing Hai is a piano fanatic. This is not a good reputation. On the contrary, it is mostly meant to be a joke."

Xie Shizhang was too lazy to talk to the rebellious son anymore, so he turned to his grandson and said, "Liu Lang, go and get the music score. Don't let this ignorant person get it dirty."

Xie Yan thought the old man was quite interesting, so he walked up to his father and spread his hands: "Dad, give it to me."

Xie Yiqin took the piano score into his son's hands.

He really didn't think this thing was very precious, and he even felt strange to the old man. In the memories of his childhood and adolescence, his father was often away from home and always went out to have a good time and drink in the name of study tours.

He himself had passed the Jinshi examination, but his old father still failed. He looked down on this father from the bottom of his heart.

Over the years, he had been working as an official in various places, but he had never met his father a few times. We only spent the most time together during the few months I spent with my mother, Ding You, and only then did I know what piano music the old man was studying at home all day long.

Compiling a ghost music score, he gets angry whenever he mentions it. He always feels that his father has failed his mother!

Xie Shizhang said to his grandson: "Don't you know someone from the Royal Society? Pass me this piano score and let the music masters of the society taste it!"

"The grandson will be sent tomorrow." Xie Yan didn't care about this.

Grandpa is a musical fanatic, but he is musically blind. Reading piano scores is like reading a book from heaven.