Chapter 69: Willing to Admit Defeat

  "Sir, this is..." Zhao Yuqing said hesitantly.

  Lu Haoshan smiled and made a welcoming gesture: "Elder Zhao, please unveil it."

  Zhao Yuqing's heart moved, and he gently pulled the red cloth down, revealing a sign with four large characters: "Ji Shan Zhi Jia". The characters were like a dragon flying off the paper, showing great skill. Zhao Yuqing, who loved calligraphy, was taken aback and exclaimed: "Look at this brushwork! It combines Zhang Xu's wildness and Huang Tingjian's elegance, yet it's uniquely different. What a great piece of work! Sir, whose hand is behind this sign?"

  "This has disappointed Zhao, the old clan head. As an official, I don't have many connections, and having just arrived in this noble land, I haven't yet met those great literary masters. These few words are merely my humble scribbles, shameful, shameful." Lu Haoshan said with a smile beside him.

  "These words, are they written by a great man?" Zhao Yuqing was shocked and hastily asked.

  No wonder, the four characters in front of me can absorb the strengths of many people, and after fusion, they still have their own style. They look elegant and refined, and when you appreciate them, the aftertaste is endless. They already possess the demeanor of a master calligrapher. What's even more surprising is that these characters were written by the county magistrate himself. This county magistrate is young, probably only in his early twenties. Is this an innate talent or has he been practicing calligraphy since birth? This handwriting is actually more mature than my own.

  "Lu Xiang is not talented, I'm afraid he will be laughed at by the elder of the clan."

  Zhao Yuqing's eyes suddenly became affectionate, and his face also had a more sincere smile. He couldn't help but loudly praise: "Indeed, the words are like the person, only someone who writes such good characters can write such an extraordinary sentence as 'the fallen red is not an inanimate object, transformed into spring mud to protect the flowers'. It's rare, truly rare."

  In ancient times, having good handwriting was equivalent to having a calling card, especially during the imperial examination. If one's handwriting was good, it would make a great impression on the examiner. This time, Zhao Yuqing personally came out to greet him for two reasons: first, he knew that County Magistrate was presenting a plaque and this courtesy had to be extended; secondly, he also wanted to meet the talented person his daughter had told him about.

  His own daughter usually had high expectations and rarely praised others, but this time was an exception. She couldn't stop praising a small seventh-grade county magistrate. As a result, no matter what, Zhao Yuqing would have to meet this unknown county magistrate.

  "Old Master Zhao, this is a humble gift. It's just a small token of goodwill from the people of Jiang County. Please accept it with a smile."

  "Not bad, not bad, Zhao likes this thick gift very much. Come on, hang it in the study room, I can appreciate it when I have time." After ordering, Zhao Yuqing smiled and made a please gesture to Lu Haoshan, saying: "Please come in, sir, let's go inside and chat."

  The host spoke up, and Lu Haoshan did not refuse. Surrounded by the crowd, they walked towards the house together. As they walked, Lu Haoshan only then noticed that Zhao Min was following behind, her head lowered and silent, unsure of what to say. He recalled the first time he saw her, feeling that she had a somewhat arrogant air about her. After his own "suppression", she should be more humble now.

  Oh, right, there's still a bet that hasn't been settled yet. Two days ago, I was looking for you, but I don't know if it's because of the bet or admitting defeat. At that time, I was busy collecting donations and buying people's hearts everywhere, not in the county government office. Now is a good opportunity to settle this matter once and for all.

  Zhao Yuqing's mood was not bad, and he set up a banquet in the artificial lake of the back garden, with good wine and meat to entertain. Fruits, pastries, cakes and other things were all available, and the standard of the banquet was also very high. All kinds of mountain delicacies and seafood were used, and a large table was filled with them. There were several dishes that Lu Haoshan couldn't even name, and Zhao Yuqing personally accompanied him. At the same table were three elders from the clan and two young talents, and unexpectedly, Zhao Min was among those two young talents, sitting next to Zhao Yuqing. Su Fang, who had come with Lu Haoshan, also had a place at the banquet.

  A young woman of her status, appearing in such an important occasion, can be explained by two reasons: one is that Zhao Min's position in the clan is not low, or she plays an important role in the clan, and the other is that the old patriarch really dotes on her.

  When eating, a small episode occurred, that is, who would sit in the upper seat. According to status, Lu Haoshan was the county magistrate and should naturally sit in the upper seat. However, as the host and elder, Zhao Yuqing sitting in the upper seat was also reasonable. Fortunately, Lu Haoshan insisted on declining and sat in the second seat with a humble attitude, and everyone else followed suit. The mood of the Zhao family was very good because County Magistrate Lu gave enough respect to the Zhao family, whether in words or actions. His identity and talent were also worthy of people's respect.

  After the maid poured the wine, Zhao Yuqing, as the host, picked up his cup and said: "Sir, I'd like to toast you. Since your appointment, the county government has undergone a tremendous change. You handle everything personally, and the common people live in peace and prosperity. You truly embody the spirit of 'doing good for one region while serving as an official.' Especially that phrase 'if officials don't serve the people, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes' - it really struck a chord with me. This cup is to toast you."

  The host raised his cup, and Lu Haoshan also raised his cup high, touched it lightly from a distance, put it to his lips, tilted his head back, drained the cup, and then smiled and said: "Elder Zhao is too polite. These are all things that this official should do as a matter of course. On the contrary, Elder Zhao has a deep understanding of righteousness. This time, he generously lent a helping hand, which can be said to have helped the people of Jiangyou in a big way, and also helped this official in a big way. It is only right that this official should show respect to you."

  Zhao Min smiled and said, "Dad, sir, you're both being too polite. If you keep being so polite, the dishes will get cold."

  "Hehe, Min'er is right, we're all straightforward people, if we keep being polite back and forth, it'll just sound insincere." Zhao Yuqing smiled and said: "Let's just be casual then."

  Su took over the conversation: "Still, Zhao's family head is straightforward. Drinking from the same river, we are all neighbors and fellow villagers. Su Mou respects the elderly family head and everyone, this time it's not just the Zhao family lending a helping hand... never mind, let's not talk about that. Come on, Old Master Zhao, I'll toast you one cup."

  "It's no fun for Zhao to drink alone, how about this: we'll finish this cup together, and then don't be polite, just do as you please."

  Lu Haoshan also raised his wine and said: "To thank the old clan leader's kindness, come on, let's drink up."

  Dry

  Wine is the best regulator on the table. After a cup of wine, the relationship between each other seems to have become much closer, and the atmosphere at the banquet has gradually become lively. Anyway, everyone is carrying the sedan chair, just pick up what they like to say. While chatting and laughing, they started drinking wine. Lu Haoshan was a bit better off, being the county magistrate, the most respected in the county, so no one dared to squeeze him with wine. Su Fang, on the other hand, was an official in charge of examinations, sacrifices, music, and ceremonies in the county, especially since the county examination was approaching, several elders of the Zhao family had the intention of asking him to take care of their children, each competing to toast with him, but after drinking half a cup, he was already 70% drunk, and let the elders and children go listen to the opera.

  Soon, there were only Lu Haoshan and Zhao Yuqing, Zhao Min's father and daughter left at the table.

  Zhao Yuqing drained the cup in one gulp, glanced at Lu Haoshan and said somewhat absent-mindedly: "Sir, please forgive Zhao's boldness, but may I ask what are your lofty views on the current state of the world?"

  "Hey, I'm testing myself now," Lu Haoshan hesitated for a moment: "This..."

  "There's no outsider here, let's just consider it as nonsense spoken after drinking."

  "The emperor is diligent and hardworking, but the accumulated troubles of the great Ming dynasty are too deep. Using strong medicine won't work, I'm afraid it will have the opposite effect. But using gentle medicine, with the Later Jin watching from the side, it's difficult." Lu Haoshan gave a vague answer.

  With a "bang", Zhao Yuqing put down his wine cup and said somewhat indignantly, "Others have been beaten to their own doorstep, yet we still want to fight internally. In the end, who gets hurt? The common people."

  After finishing speaking, Zhao Yuqing's face turned red, and it was unclear whether he was angry or had drunk too much. Beside him, Zhao Min hastily advised, "Father, you've had too much to drink again, go back and rest first." As she spoke, she instructed the servants to help Zhao Yuqing down to rest.

  "All right, Min'er, you take care of Lord Lu for me." Zhao Yuqing felt that he had misspoken and shook his head in dismay. He instructed Zhao Min to entertain Lu Haishan well and then apologized to Lu before leaving the table.

  Zhao Min felt a chill in her heart, and Father was the same, not caring about anyone, and talking to court officials with disdain. Isn't this looking for trouble? If they really calculated it, that would be a big deal.

  After helping his old father down, Zhao Min apologized and said: "Sir, I'm really sorry. My father is getting older and after a few more cups of wine, he becomes garrulous. What he just said was the ramblings of a drunkard, please don't take it to heart."

  Zhaojia Village has such a scale, and the Zhao family is so prosperous. This Zhao Yuqing must not be an ordinary person. How can he have such an immature performance? Is it really because of his age or is there another reason? Lu Haoshan couldn't understand for a moment, but just smiled and said: "In any era, there are always a few loyal bones and souls. Old Master Zhao also spoke out of emotion. Miss Zhao, don't worry, I only bring my ears, not my mouth. It will never be spread."

  "Thank you, sir." Zhao Min thanked him and then gritted her teeth, opening her mouth to say: "A few days ago, I had a bet with you, sir. Now that the agreed time has passed for two days, I am unable to fulfill it, not only can't I solve it myself, but even if my whole family uses all their strength, they still can't match your pair of children. I admit defeat in the bet, please state your conditions, just open your mouth and say."

  Lu Haoshan's couplet, Zhao Min can be said to have searched exhaustively but couldn't make any sense of it. He even offered a large reward to the young men in his clan to decipher it, but no one could solve it. The agreed-upon time was three days, and now that six days have passed, he still can't figure it out. He had no choice but to admit defeat. Father also knew about this matter, and just now when he left, perhaps it was to create an opportunity for himself.

  If the request is excessive, you can directly refuse it, so Zhao Yuqing won't have to lose face or stand by awkwardly.

  Lu Haoshan looked at Zhao Min's face with a smile like a pear blossom in the rain and suddenly laughed.

  (Recommend a friend's new book "Wind Flower Drunk", the author of Green Hat King, all I can say is that he is good at writing this kind of thing, many beauties, many knockdowns, don't miss it if you pass by.)