Rise From the Humble

Zhu Ping'an followed a middle-aged Taoist priest up the stairs to the altar. He looked at the dazzling array of ritual objects and offerings on the altar, smelled the strong smell of incense, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. Any magical artifact on this Zhaiqiao altar is enough for a well-off family to chew.

Yuan Wei saw Zhu Ping'an shaking his head and sighing from a distance on the highest altar. He couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips with a sarcastic smile, hum, boy, Guizhou donkey is exhausted!

Ever since, surrounded by the smell of burning incense, Yuan Wei began to brew the Qingci Huazhang.

Not long after he boarded the altar, Zhu Pingan saw the Taoist priests standing under the altar holding magical instruments begin to dance a very weird dance, reciting some kind of scripture loudly in their mouths, and waving their hands from time to time. The magic weapon performs various actions such as greeting and driving away.

Dance master...

Zhu Ping'an curled his lips and summed up the Taoist priest's behavior under the altar in his mind.

After the Taoist priests under the altar finished dancing to the gods, several Taoist priests brought pens, inks, peach charms and other objects from a distance, and sent them to each altar one by one for Zhu Pingan and others to use to write Qingci and couplets.

There were many things including writing brushes, peach charms, ivy paper, paperweights, etc. However, no ink was found.

"May I ask, Master, where is the ink?" Zhu Ping'an stopped the Taoist priest who was sending him to the altar and asked.

The middle-aged Taoist priest smiled when he heard this, pointed to one of the jars of sticky gold powder and said with a smile, "Sir, this is ink."

"Is this ink?" Zhu Pingan's mouth twitched.

"Exactly, this is made from milled pure gold powder, mixed with the immortal liquid prepared by the master. Zhai Qiao Qing Qing's poems and couplets are all written with this ink." The middle-aged Taoist priest nodded, with a little pride in his eyes. It seemed that he was very satisfied with Zhu Pingan's reaction.

Hearing this, the corners of Zhu Pingan's mouth twitched even more fiercely, as if he was possessed by an evil spirit.

"Is everything okay, sir?" the middle-aged Taoist priest asked indifferently.

"Nothing." Zhu Pingan looked at the jar of gold powder, which weighed several kilograms, and almost gritted his teeth.

What a waste!

This is not a woodcutter, this is clearly a waste of money! The ink is actually made from gold ground into powder! The fairy liquid mentioned by the Taoist priest is probably ordinary water, or some kind of clear oil. This kind of ink is too luxurious. After this fasting and woodcutting, the gold powder alone would not exceed hundreds of kilograms!

There were so many things about this firewood fasting ceremony that made Zhu Ping'an's eyes drop!

It seems that these gold powder will be thrown away by these Taoist priests after they use up this fasting and firewood! Just look at the gold threads on their Taoist robes!

After the middle-aged Taoist priest gave away the pen and ink for writing Qingci, couplets and other things, he went down to the altar. He probably had other things to do next. Only Zhu Ping'an and another middle-aged Taoist priest who arranged magical instruments and other objects were left on the altar.

The Taoist priest just said before leaving that Zhu Ping'an would write five couplets and one Qingci to decorate the altar.

Seeing that other Hanlins on the altar had already started writing, Zhu Pingan also gathered his thoughts and prepared to write couplets and Qingci. This is not difficult for Zhu Pingan, and Qingci couplets are not difficult to write either. They are just a type of couplet, just in the style of Qingci. The Taoist priest just sent me eight brushes. Maybe he was thinking of the auspicious number "eight", or maybe it was because gold powder was more expensive to use for making ink.

Looking at the brush on the table, Zhu Pingan was thoughtful.

Zhu Pingan laid the table, took a writing brush, dipped it vigorously in the gold powder, placed the writing brush on the ivy paper, and wrote "Emperor" with the brush.

This word proves Zhu Pingan's conjecture just now. The brush strokes are obviously not as smooth as ordinary ink, with a kind of sandy undulations, and the brush is also slightly bifurcated. The Taoist priest just sent so many brushes probably because of this kind of gold powder. Bar!

After confirming what he was thinking, Zhu Ping'an smiled slightly, then dipped the brush in his hand vigorously into the gold powder again, completely immersing it in it, and then pulled the brush out of the gold powder, exerting slight force on his wrist, and once again It fell on the ivy paper.

As soon as he started writing, the brush had serious forks, and then Zhu Pingan picked it up.

"I'm sorry, Taoist priest, please prepare a few more brushes. The brush is too heavy for multiple uses." Zhu Pingan shook the obviously forked brush in his hand and said to the Taoist priest who was placing the magical tools on one side.

"My lord, wait a moment." The middle-aged Taoist priest nodded, then turned around and got off the altar.

When the middle-aged Taoist priest came down from the altar, Zhu Pingan put the brush dipped in gold powder into the sleeve pocket without leaving any trace.

Strike when you dare!

Rather than being coveted by these Taoist priests, it is better to keep some for yourself temporarily and give it to those who need it more when the time comes!

In addition, this is also an unwritten practice. In ancient times, there was a brush retouching fee, which means a brush loss fee. I remember I heard a certain Hanlin say when I had dinner last time that if you write in Xiyuan, you can take the brush home, which is considered a reward from the Holy Emperor. But at that time, Hanlin was a little disdainful. What do I need so many brushes for?

But, ahem, oh, that’s weird, I just like these brushes.

What should I do? I can only thank the Lord for His kindness.

Naturally, Zhu Ping'an took another brush, dipped it in gold powder and quickly wrote the first couplet in full: The emperor's dome bless him and he will eliminate nine misfortunes to eliminate three disasters; Ziji Chuixiu gathers thousands of auspiciousness and achieves a hundred blessings. .

After writing the first couplet, Zhu Ping'an dipped the second brush in gold powder and put it into his sleeve again. At this time, Zhu Pingan felt that the sleeve bag of the ancients was really a good thing. It was big and easy to use and could fit many brushes.

After Zhu Pingan finished writing the first couplet, the Taoist priest who went down to the altar to get the brushes came up again. This time he brought ten brushes.

"Thank you, Taoist priest." Zhu Ping'an cupped his hands and thanked him.

After writing couplets, Zhu Pingan would dip his hands in thicker gold powder before writing. After writing a few words, Zhu Pingan would dip his hands in thicker gold powder again, and then as soon as he started writing, He shook his head gently, the brush bifurcated and couldn't be used anymore, then he quietly put it into his sleeve and replaced it with another brush.

In order to change a few more brushes, Zhu Ping'an's last four couplets are all very long. For example, the fourth couplet is a reuse of the couplet written by Yuan Wei a few years ago:

The number of heaven is five, the number of earth is five, the number of five and five is twenty-five, the number is born in the Tao, the Tao is in harmony with the Heavenly Lord of the Yuan Dynasty, who is the supreme being without distinction;

The bamboo tube is cut with the rhythm of association, and there are six yang sounds, six yin sounds, and six, six and thirty-six sounds. The sound is heard in the sky, and the emperor Jiajing is born, and the emperor reigns for ten thousand years.

This is Yuan Wei's couplet used in translation. Of course, it is different from Yuan Wei's original couplet. The difference may be big or small, but it doesn't matter. Is there anything that says it must be original when writing couplets? Every household every year Almost every pair of couplets hanging on the door must be the same in at least millions of homes. In addition, there are still many differences between this couplet and Yuan Wei's original couplet.

Of course, in order to avoid criticism, Zhu Pingan’s other couplets are all original. For example, the fifth couplet is an original long couplet:

Forty-five years after the dragon flies, he celebrates a time when the five numbers unite with the sky, the five numbers unite with the earth, the five things are cultivated, the five blessings are prepared, the five generations live together, and the five colors are brilliant and colorful;

The crane counts thirty days as eight days, and I wish you a long life. Eight thousand is spring, eight thousand is autumn, eight yuan is advancing, eight is ascending, eight notes follow the rhythm, and eight winds are ethereal playing Danqi.

Long Fei's forty-fifth year corresponds to Emperor Jiajing's forty-five years old this year; Crane's calculation of thirty is on the eighth day, which means today is the eighth day of thirtieth day of this month. As for the words that follow the couplet, they are all flattering and flattering to Emperor Jiajing.

After writing five couplets, Zhu Pingan already had ten brushes in his sleeves! Zhu Pingan has no intention of keeping these brushes for himself. They are waiting to be given to those who need them more in the future and used in places where they are needed more! I believe that every use is more valuable than today!