hotmtlnovel Chapter 575 You old bastard, you are better at flattering than them
Chapter 575 You old bastard, you are better at flattering than them
Jiang Youzhen was a little surprised to see Tong Huaian's serious expression.
"It's hard to say. Anyway, you just need to pay attention to yourself later." Tong Huaian saw Jiang Youzhen still eating pine nuts on the table in a leisurely manner, and couldn't help but said unhappily: "Anyway, don't be too prominent later."
Jiang Youzhen saw that Tong Huaian had raised his eyebrows, and knew that this was a sign of irritation. He could not help but nodded solemnly, "I know! I know!"
Really heartless, Tong Huaian shook his head.
"Hahaha! I was delayed for a moment because of something else. I am a little late. Please forgive me."
Suddenly a cheerful voice was heard. Jiang Youzhen looked in the direction of the voice and found a man wearing a dark blue round-necked robe.
This man is over twenty years old, with a long face and fair skin, and looks like he has lived a life of luxury.
This should be today's host, Luo Jinshu. Look at his clothes, made of plain colorful brocade with hidden patterns, which looks low-key and luxurious.
She looked casually dressed, but her gestures were confident. This must be the confidence of a noble family! Unlike those who came to the banquet, they were dressed more formally.
"Lord Luo is very busy with official duties, it's okay, it's okay!"
Everyone said they didn't mind, and after some polite exchanges, the host and guests took their seats.
In fact, it was just an excuse. Luo Jinshu was taking a day off today. What official business should he handle?
And as the host, how could he not welcome the guests outside the hall? It was just that the people who came today were all students who had not yet entered the officialdom, and they were not of high status enough for Lord Luo to personally welcome the guests!
That's it, no one can say anything, everyone has full self-awareness of their own identity.
Jiang Youzhen is just going through the motions and has no comment on all this. Anyway, the class system in this dynasty exists, and if you are really upset, just work hard to climb up!
"Thank you all for taking the time to come. My Luo family likes to hold literary gatherings, and it is an honor to invite all of you students to come this time."
Luo Jinshu sat at the top, his eyes swept across everyone, lingering on Tong Huaian and Jiang Youzhen for a moment, and he couldn't help but frowned.
"Where? Where? Lord Luo is knowledgeable and talented. When he wrote an essay titled "On Learning" during the palace examination, it astonished everyone. I, a junior student, have been reading this essay and am impressed by Lord Luo's unique insights."
Jiang Youzhen recognized the person who was speaking. He was a candidate in his thirties named Song Sheng. He was quite talented, but arrogant.
Although farming and studying were the family tradition, he always considered himself a noble scholar and refused to work in the fields. He lived on the money his widowed mother and his first wife earned from sewing for others.
Didn't the candidates receive subsidies for tax-free land? Of course, it was because this person was extravagant, and the quota for tax-free land of 200 mu was taken by others every year, and the money collected was used for drinking and entertainment.
He had some fame among the candidates, but his talent was limited; what made him famous was his character.
This man is married and has one son and two daughters. The eldest daughter is fourteen years old this year. She was arranged to marry last year. The man is a small businessman with a wealthy family. She received a betrothal gift of three hundred taels of silver.
Jiang Youzhen heard about this from Wen Ruyu, because Wen Ruyu and Song Sheng were classmates before.
In addition to being a spendthrift, he also likes to flatter the powerful and bully the weak. He used to think that Wen Ruyu's family was poor and ignored him. Later, when Wen Ruyu entered the academy and topped the monthly rankings every time, he changed his attitude towards Wen Ruyu.
In general, this person is a real villain. It is normal for him to curry favor with the powerful, but he has not done anything harmful to others. He has just made his family suffer.
"No way? No way? My grandfather at home said it was just ordinary, not a masterpiece!" Luo Jinshu seemed humble, but his expression and the smile in his eyes betrayed him.
"That's because the Shangshu is strict with his children. If Lord Luo's writing is not outstanding, how can he be admitted as a Jinshi? Lord Luo, please don't be so modest!"
Song Sheng was still complimenting, and many people around him echoed him. Whether it was out of courtesy or true admiration, giving face to the host was inevitable.
Jiang Youzhen also read this article. At that time, the literary style was at its peak. The sentence "All things are inferior, only reading is superior" vividly explained the respect for scholars at that time.
However, from Jiang Youzhen's perspective today, the article is written in gorgeous language, just like the title of the article, which is full of the maintenance of the status of scholars and the disdain for people other than scholars.
Some parts of the book are quite extreme, mixed with some scholar's arrogance. It has no achievements, but it must be said that this person quotes classics and has good writing skills.
After the previous emperor conquered the country, he had to maintain it, and then it was the battlefield for civil officials. At that time, Luo Chengyi, the Minister of Rites, was the most famous, and Luo Jinshu, the eldest son of the Luo family, was naturally a favored child of heaven.
Even now, the status of civil officials is much higher than that of military generals, but it is also true that it is not easy for civil officials to be promoted.
Jiang Youzhen was distracted for a moment, but he heard his own name the next moment.
"Speaking of writing, I am inferior to Jiang Huiyuan."
Hmm? Are you talking about me? Jiang Youzhen was about to pick up the tea bowl when he heard his name and quickly stood up to return the greeting.
"Mr. Luo, thank you for your compliment. I have read your article carefully and found it very brilliant. I cannot compare with you."
Jiang Youzhen is not stumped by flattery. It doesn't cost any money, so he can just say whatever he wants.
"Jiang Huiyuan has always been modest. Whether it is current affairs or articles, he is second to none. You will have no worries about your future as an official. I have always heard my grandfather mention you, saying that you can be a role model for scholars, and I admire you very much."
Jiang Youzhen's heart suddenly trembled. She looked at Luo Jinshu and found that he was praising her without any disingenuousness.
"Your Excellency, Shangshu, are too kind to praise me. I was just encouraging you, a junior. With Lord Luo as a shining example, I am overshadowed by him."
When everyone heard this, they were all disgusted. Damn it! You, Lao Liu, are even better at flattering than them.
Even Tong Huaian picked up the tea bowl to cover up the twitching of his mouth. Asking you to be more low-key does not mean you should say that you are worthless!
What was Luo Jinshu to him? He was ranked 42nd in the second class, the last person to graduate from the second class that year.
If that article had not had some merits, how could his other two articles have made it into the top two?
Everyone knows that although cheating is not allowed in the imperial examination, at least there is still a sense of dignity. Even if your name is covered, it is not easy to find out who you are. For the emperor, you can get in if he wants you to, just because he has a good grandfather.
A look of satisfaction flashed in Luo Jinshu's eyes. He originally thought that his grandfather had over-praised Jiang Youzhen, but now it seems that Jiang Youzhen is still very promising.
His smooth character will serve him well in official circles. In addition, he is very talented and strategic. With the help of his grandfather, he will be a great help to the Luo family in the future.
"Young Master, the female guests have already taken their seats." At this time, a steward leaned close to Luo Jinshu's ear and said.
Luo Jinshu nodded, "Jiang Huiyuan is really humble, worthy of being Huai'an's good friend. Huai'an is also of this kind, never speaks nonsense."