The Most Romantic of the Three Kingdoms

This section was yesterday.

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A group of people came to the village pavilion.

This is not the first time Xun Zhen has come to Xiangting. For Cheng Yan's matter, he came twice, and then at the invitation of Gao Su, he came twice in Xiu Mu Shi, although they only came and went in a flash, but he was no stranger to the general environment of Xiangting. Entering the pavilion, after passing two miles, I turned off the country road and walked among the mulberry elms. There were more and more passers-by, and I heard the noise from a distance.

"Why is there so much noise ahead?"

Gao Su said with a smile: "Zhenzhi came here by chance today, just in Shangxiang City."

An old man in his fifties, chasing two geese, with a piece of meat in his hand and an empty sack on his shoulder, walked across from the opposite side with a smile, maybe he was old and had bad eyesight, squinting towards this place. After watching it for a few times, he probably recognized Gao Su, so he quickly put away his smiling face, and shoved the goose off the road with a "huhu" sound, and he and himself hid in the forest by the roadside.

Everyone looked at this scene with different expressions.

It seemed that the village officials who greeted Xun Zhen had long since become accustomed to it. Xu Zhong has a palace, but just glanced at Gao Su. Wenpin was young and had just had a conflict with Gao Su. He was unhappy. Although he didn't say anything, there was a hint of contempt on the corner of his mouth. Xiao Xia and Xiao Ren just followed Xu Zhong and Xun Zhen's horse. Xun Zhen didn't see it, but her expression didn't change.

When passing the old man, Cheng Yan smiled at him and said hello, "Father Qi, did you just go to the market? You bought good meat and caught geese!"

"..., 噫! Ayan?" The old man patted the empty sack on his shoulder and smiled, "Isn't that true? The corn that was harvested in Qiu couldn't be eaten, and there was some left over, so I brought it to concentrate and exchanged some meat. two geese." asked Cheng Yan, "Why are you back?"

"This is the newly appointed Master Youzhi Xun in this township. This is the pavilion chief of our Fanyang Pavilion. I'm here to take up the post today, and I'm here with me." As he spoke, Cheng Yan had already walked past the old man and turned his head. Hands over, he said, "Sell some good wine another day, go home and watch you grow old."

The old man was still respectful, rubbed his eyes, watched them go away, and muttered: "Cheng's boy has a bright future! He used to be disheartened, but now he is very spirited. . . . Is it the newly appointed Youzhi? I was frightened by Gao Su just now, but I didn't see him clearly. I only saw from the back, sitting on a horse, with a straight back, not like a Confucian weak... How can I go with Gao Su? Are we together?…, sigh, I just hope that he will not only go to Hao everyone, but also take care of me and wait for the first one or two." Muttering, he drove the geese to pick up the meat, and then went back to the village road, facing the cold wind. , went home.

Xun Zhen and the others walked along the road, passed this small forest, turned right along the road, and a market appeared in front of them.

This market is much larger than the "Ting Market" in Fanyangting. - "City" is divided into several types, in the county town is "county city", in the township is "township city", in the pavilion is "Tingshi", and in some ri there is "li city". "Counties and cities" are like "markets" in later generations, with walls, shops, warehouses, and specialized institutions and people to manage them. The "township city", "ting city" and "li city" are just like the "collection" of the northern rural areas in later generations. On a certain day, the common people gather by convention and spontaneously gather to buy and sell goods and exchange their needs.

The "city" in front of you is a "township market". The place is relatively large, there are many merchants, and the goods are relatively complete. There are also many villagers who come to buy things. Even from abroad. The whole market was full of shouts of hawking, men and women, people coming and going, clamoring and flowing.

Gao Su was on the horse, so the second and third graders stepped forward to clear the way.

A stall selling bronze mirrors was blocking the front, and the second grader trotted over, arguing and scolding, instructing the stall owner and hawker to clear the road, and pointed at Gao Su and Xun Zhen like a dog, and said, "I didn't see who it was. Are you here? My young master and the newly appointed master of the township, Youzhi Xun! What's wrong with your stall? It's in the middle of the road! Hurry up and pack up and go curled up."

Xun Zhen frowned slightly. He was different from Gao Su. When he first took office today, he never wanted to give the villagers a bad impression. He dismounted from the horse and handed the reins to Cheng Yan, asking him to lead him. , stepped on the knife calmly, said with a smile: "Second year of high school, don't rush! Isn't there a place next to this stall? If you can't ride a horse, just walk over."

He came to the front of the stall, held down the stall owner and peddler, picked up a bronze mirror, and reflected it in front of him. Looking at the image in the mirror, he saw a young man with a flat beard and a short mustache. He smiled and said: "The mirror is good, and it's well polished." On the other hand, an inscription was engraved on the back of the mirror: "Chang Fugui, Le Weiyang", written in official script, but crooked and unsightly, he nodded and said: "Good word!" asked the stall owner, "Did you make this mirror yourself? Or did it come from somewhere else?"

The stall owner and hawker panicked, Wei Wei said, "Yes, yes."

Seeing Xun Zhen dismounting, Gao Su followed him, threw the reins to a village official, staggered forward, heard the question and answer between Xun Zhen and the peddler, raised his eyebrows and said to the peddler: " You kid, 'what' is' is'? Didn't you hear what Xun Jun asked you?... I ask you whether you made this bronze mirror yourself?

"Yes, yes, ..., it was made by the villain himself, a family craftsmanship."

Xun Zhen asked cheerfully, "What's the price?"

"Three hundred and fifty money."

Gao Su took the mirror, put it in front of him, and sneered, "This kind of inferior mirror, the mirror surface is dim, and there are no carvings around it. Even if there are a few words, it is ugly. . . . It is worth three hundred and fifty. Ten?" The mirror surface of a good bronze mirror is as white as silver, and there are various patterns and patterns carved around it. - From these aspects, this mirror is indeed called "inferior".

Xun Zhen smiled and said, "You can't say that. At today's market price, a pound of copper is about fifty or sixty dollars for the cheap, and more than a hundred dollars for the expensive. This bronze mirror is not small, it is quite heavy, it weighs about a pound or so, although The material of the mirror is not all copper, and some tin and lead are doped, but the price of tin and lead is not cheap, plus 'modeling', polishing, carving, etc., three hundred and fifty dollars, no Expensive!"

Gao Su Daqi: "Zhenzhi, you and I have known each other until now. I only know that you are good at telling stories, good at fencing, and good at archery, but I don't know that you, a Confucian scholar, actually know about merchants? Not only do you know copper, lead, etc. The price of things, and how to make mirrors?"

Xun Zhen laughed dumbly and said, "The prices of copper and lead are available in the county and city. The method of making mirrors can be known by just asking the mirror seller. What is this? What's surprising?"

Gao Su shook his head again and again and said: "You don't know anything, I also know a few scholars. There is a person in Yangzhai Huang's family who also reads, and I am friends. They often drink and play, and they know each other well. I don't know the price, let alone copper and lead!... As for the bronze mirrors, he has several extremely delicate mirrors, especially the 'Four God Beast Mirror', which is made of sterling silver and is worth ten gold." Speaking of this, He tut tut praised and admired it for a while before he continued, "It's just that although the mirror is good, he only knows how to use it, but he doesn't know how to make it. It really surprised me."

Xun Zhen laughed and said, "Although I'm not talented, I'm not comparable to them." He called Xiao Ren, who was holding the money bag, to him, and ordered, "Give him three hundred and fifty money."

Gao Su asked, "What? Are you going to buy it?"

"I just don't know if there is a bronze mirror in the cottage. Since I came across it, I might as well buy it."

"You can just find me if you want a mirror. Why buy this kind of junk?"

Xun Zhen smiled, nodded again at the stall owner and hawker, got up and bowed, bowed, and said, "Farewell. . . . The inscription on your mirror is very good, I like it very much, and I wish you great happiness and wealth! "Wait for Xiao Ren to pay, accept the camera, and pull Gao Su away.

The peddler recognized Gao Su, and when he was first scolded by the second year of high school, he thought that a disaster was imminent, but he didn't realize that Xun Zhen was as warm as the spring breeze. In front of the stall, he watched Xun Zhen go away. A few villagers who were scared away just now turned back, formed a bunch, and said, "Is this the new comer? How can I go with Gao Su? ... But I heard him speak just now, but it doesn't look like Gao Su. All the way, they are very peaceful and upright.”

Gao Su was dragged away by Xun Zhen, and was still chattering: "Zhenzhi, even if you want to buy it, you don't have to buy such an inferior mirror, and the wife can't take it. Mirror, I can't use three hundred and fifty."

Xun Zhenan walked in a car, walking in the crowd without rushing, sometimes turning around and instructing Cheng Yan to lead the horse slowly, not to disturb the villagers, sometimes pulling Gao Su sideways to avoid passing people, he laughed: " Zixiu, do you know Guo Linzong?" Guo Linzong is a famous person in the world, although Gao Su is a villain in the countryside, he has heard his name and replied, "Is he the one called 'Mr. Youdao'?"

"Exactly."

"I heard someone mention him at Huang's house." Gao Su wrinkled her nose, tilted her head to think for a moment, and said, "Isn't he dead? Has he been dead for more than ten years?"

"Guo Linzong is a native of Taiyuan. He died in the second year of Jianning, that is, twelve years ago."

"What did a dead person say about him?" Before Gao Su finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, smiled and asked, "Zhenzhi, are you going to tell me a story again?"

Xun Zhen smiled and nodded: "A story related to Guo Linzong that happened in the 'city'."

"It happened in the 'city'? ..., aren't we in the 'city' now?" Gao Su was walking on the road of the stall, looking around, listening to the voices of hawking and bargaining, and witnessing the hustle and bustle of vendors and villagers. More and more interested, he urged, "Speak up, speak up!"

"There are three people in this story, one is Guo Linzong, and the other two are from Chenliu County. Chenliu County borders Yingchuan, not far from Yingyin. Have you been there?" I told him a story, and I met him a few times later, and I talked about the life of several rangers. I had a good grasp of Gao Su's psychology, but I didn't start the talk directly, but spread the topic and sold it.

Sure enough, Gao Su was impatient and said, "I've been there, I've been there! ..., Zhenzhi, tell me the story quickly."

"The two Chen Liuren in the story, one Wei Zi and the other Wen Sheng." Speaking of Wei Zi, Xun Zhen suddenly thought of Le Jin, remembering that Le Jin also mentioned Wei Zi when he told him about Yanzhou Yingjie that night. He was taken aback and thought: "I have been away from Le Jin for many days, and I don't know if he has come to Kunyang? He said that he would return in half a month or a month, but I don't know if he will be able to return before the end of the month?"

"Zhenzhi? Zhenzhi?"

"Um?"

"Speak quickly!"

Xun Zhen smiled, recovered her thoughts, and walked past a stall selling hoes, sickles and other agricultural implements. In front of the stall, there were more than a dozen people looking for goods, a short robe of coarse cloth with several patches on it. The villagers are bargaining with the stall owner. He was very careful not to let Gao Su touch them. After walking over, he said: "Weizi and Wen Sheng are equally famous in the county, and they are both known by the county people as having great virtue. Once, Guo Linzong went to Chenliu to visit them, day and night. Drink and talk. On this day, we went to the market to buy things together."

Gao Su guessed: "But met a ranger and a strong man in the city?"

"No."

"So there was a dispute or fight with someone?"

"no."

"what is that?"

"It's just shopping."

Gao Su was very disappointed: "What can I say about buying things? It's boring, boring!"

"Listen to me. It's just shopping, but different people do things differently. This is the case with Weitz and Vincent."

"What is the difference?"

"The two of them buy things differently."

"Why is it different?"

"Weizi is determined by the price. He pays as much as the merchant sells. Wen Shengzi, the price is reduced, so you have to bargain, and you have to cut down some money.  …, Zixiu, do you think the two of them are? These two different approaches, who is good and who is bad? Which is better and which is worse?"

Gao Su didn't think about it, and said: "The Wei family is rich and the Wen family has less money, so the two are different. Should I ask which one is better? Hehe, I don't know which of the two is better, I just know that it is to change. Me, I'm different from him."

"Oh? Different? What about you?"

"If in this town, whoever dares to ask random prices, I'll kick over his stall first, and then grab the things and leave. If anyone dares to say nothing, haha, my fist will be opened. already."

Xun Zhen laughed, shook her head and said, "Zixiu, you, you, you! You really are all 'true temperaments'.... Then again, do you know how Guo Linzong commented on Wei Zi and Wen Sheng's two different ways of buying things? ?"

Gao Su received the "compliment", triumphantly, and asked, "How did you evaluate it?"

"'Zixu has little desire, Wen Sheng is passionate'. Zixu, it's Weiz's word."

"'Small desire', 'amorous'? What do you mean?"

The more people enter the city, the more people. Although it was a cold winter, because of the high popularity of this episode, there were pavings on both sides and pedestrians to block the wind, which made it a bit warmer.

Xun Zhen dragged Gao Su, passed the villagers, and carefully passed in front of a car selling lacquer ware. The stall owner stood on a stone, higher than the crowd, holding a lacquer box and shouting: "All the Yewang lacquerware sold by our family is cheap and exquisite. There is not much stock, and those who want to buy it quickly!" Yewang (now Qinyang, Henan) is a county in Hanoi County, famous for its lacquerware. UU reading www.uukanshu.com

Xun Zhen glanced at it, and saw that the cups, 卮, boxes, and plates placed outside had rough lacquer surfaces, patterns, and characters, and had nothing to do with the word "exquisite", so they must be counterfeit products. Gao Su's words just now, thought: "This stall owner sells the goods to people who don't know the goods. If the buyer is someone like Gao Su, I'm afraid it is impossible to escape the disaster of 'overturning the stall'." He walked quickly, picked up the topic, and explained, "Those who have less desires don't care about money. Those who are more affectionate, pay more attention to each other."

Gao Su thought about it for a while, and said, "These two comments have some meaning. ... Yes, Zhenzhi, are you talking about you and me? Zi he reduced the price'. So, I am a 'passionate' person? Hey, no wonder Guo Linzong is famous all over the world, the evaluation is true! I am indeed a 'passionate person'." He took this comment as a praise.

In fact, the word "passionate" is an objective evaluation, neither praise nor depreciation. Xun Zhen smiled bitterly and thought, "Anyway, my purpose in telling this story is not to 'speak the truth', but I'm just afraid that he will cause trouble in the market, so I use this to distract myself from it. . . . It will be over soon, he can understand it as he wants."

There is a wine shop at the end of the market. The shop is small, with a thatched roof and white walls. A wine flag is hung high in front of the door, swaying in the wind.

When Xun Zhen passed by, he glanced at the store and saw that there were seven or eight drinkers sitting, mostly young people, and they were all looking opposite. He turned his face and watched, there were two stalls opposite, one selling salt, onion, ginger, garlic and other condiments, and the other selling rouge rice noodles.

In front of the gouache stand, a woman was picking.

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1. The county and city have full-time management agencies and personnel.

A small number of large-scale pavilion cities also have "ting pavilion rafters" to manage market affairs.