Emperor Qianlong was one of the most controversial monarchs in history, and his achievements and mistakes led to mixed reviews. He called himself a perfect old man, and he had great confidence in his talents, and wrote a large number of poems, which are rumored to be more than 40,000. However, from an objective point of view, there are not many poems that can really be called far-reaching and valuable. To put it simply, Emperor Qianlong had both strengths and weaknesses, and although his works were large in number but uneven in quality. People have different opinions on his evaluation.
In folk tales, Emperor Qianlong is portrayed as a witty emperor. He likes to travel secretly and show off his talents, but he often makes some funny things because of it. I remember that during his first southern tour, he stayed in Suzhou longer than expected. During this time, he traveled to many places and showed his extraordinary talent, but inevitably there were some ridiculous episodes.
As the saying goes, there is heaven in heaven and Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth, so he decided to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Suzhou more. After playing for most of the day, Emperor Qianlong felt a little tired, so accompanied by several eunuchs and guards, he walked into a lively teahouse and found a place to sit down and drink tea and rest. This teahouse is different and more lively than any other place.
In this place, there are not only storytellers, but also a very beautiful woman who plays the guzheng and sings touching tunes for her guests. The woman's name was Ruyan, and her beauty and charm were unforgettable. After listening to the smoke-like song, Qianlong couldn't help but sigh: "This song is really beautiful and moving, and I am deeply fascinated by her emotional singing voice and beautiful piano sound." If you can enjoy this romance under her knees and soberly control the power of the world, this should be considered one of the most beautiful things in life! ”
As soon as the speaker's voice stopped, a strange man approached, and he said with a smile, "Does this noble gentleman also like the girl like smoke?" At this time, the guards were about to step forward to stop him, but Qianlong waved his hand to stop them, smiled and said, "It is a matter of course that elegant ladies naturally attract gentlemen. A stranger took the initiative to talk to him and asked if the nobleman also liked the girl like a cigarette, but Qianlong expressed his understanding of the matter. The guards wanted to act, but Qianlong's demeanor made the guards stop moving.
The gentleman didn't seem to agree with you, he shook his head slightly, and then said, "There is something wrong with your statement, if you really like it, you should marry her back home." Emperor Qianlong was a little surprised when he heard this, then shook his head with a chuckle and said: "I think that the girl Ruyan has outstanding appearance and extraordinary temperament, I am afraid that it is not easy for ordinary people to get." Qianlong believes that her beauty and temperament are extraordinary, and ordinary people may find it difficult to enter her eyes.
The strange man said, "You may not know that Miss Ruyan has a habit after every performance, that is, she likes to find someone to compete for talent. Whether it is poetry and songs, or piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, she will challenge her opponents. If anyone can overcome her, she will marry that person; If she loses, she is to be given a hundred taels of silver. Emperor Qianlong asked curiously: "In this way, the talent of the girl who is like a smoke should be far beyond ordinary people, right?" ”
The man shook his head slightly and said, "Actually, it's not necessarily, I heard that she is only good at instrumental singing and dancing, and she is relatively weak in poetry." It was even rumored that she couldn't even read. Qianlong asked, "In that case, why don't you go up and try it?" The man sighed and replied, "My lord, do you see that I am dressed like a man with a hundred taels of silver?" I just heard that Ruyan can't write, but this could be a rumor. If I do try and lose, where will I get the money to pay her? ”
Qianlong nodded his head and did not say anything more. While the two of them were talking, they suddenly heard Ruyan ask: "Is there any distinguished guest who is willing to gamble with my little woman, the rules are still the same as before." Hearing this, everyone whispered, as if they didn't dare to compete with Ruyan because they had suffered a loss in the hands of Ruyan. Qianlong noticed that no one else was willing to fight, so he decided to give it a try himself, so he stood up and offered to fight Ruyan. He said, "I'm going to compete with the girl, too!" Everyone present watched this scene quietly, knowing that a competition was about to begin.
Ruyan smiled and said, "As a guest, please come up with a topic first." Qianlong glanced at the strange man next to him, and he nodded in agreement, as if to convey a message of trust. Qianlong thought to himself, if this woman didn't even know the basic words, wouldn't it be very simple to win her? Then he smiled lightly and said, "Okay, then I'll make a link." If you can match the next link, you win. If you can't come out, then you'll have to come with me. ”
Ruyan was silent, just nodding slightly. After Qianlong saw her movements, he said: "You are the host, I am the guest, and the guests obey the host's arrangement." So, let's start with the question. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "The door is hidden in the small door." Qianlong was a little surprised when he heard this, not because of how difficult it was, but because he didn't expect Ruyan to have such profound knowledge. He realized that the word was pronounced "闆" (bāo), which meant praise and was rarely used in ordinary times. The whole conversation is concise, colloquial, and close to the original meaning, but the repetition is greatly reduced.
Qianlong turned around to look for it, but the strange man was gone, and he knew in his heart that the man had already slipped away. He cursed in a low voice: "This scoundrel dares to set a trap on me!" Then he looked at Ruyan, who seemed to be smirking. He realizes that the two may be in partnership to tease him. Qianlong held back his anger and said: "The next link I received was 'outside the mouth and inside the mouth is empty'. At this time, Ruyan chuckled and said, "The guest is very good, but unfortunately it is too late." She pointed to the hourglass, hinting at the passage of time.
Qianlong was so engrossed in searching for the strange man that he forgot the passage of time. He was angry, but he couldn't vent the anger in his heart, and this sense of grievance made him very uncomfortable. Although everything in the world belongs to him, he does not care about the lost silver, but feels despised and underestimated. Coupled with the constant ridicule of the people around him, this gave Qianlong's self-esteem a serious blow. He felt his majesty challenged, and it was too uncomfortable.
Ruyan received a hundred taels of silver, which the guard had ordered to give to her. Then, the owner of the guard quickly left the teahouse. After a long time, Qianlong's mood gradually calmed down, but the corners of his mouth inadvertently rose, revealing inner pleasure. Thinking back to the smoke just now, this woman is indeed extraordinary. She is neither stupid nor cowardly, on the contrary, she is very intelligent and bold. What's even more impressive is that she is talented, and Qianlong can be said to be a natural partner. She and Qianlong are really a match made in heaven, which is thought-provoking.
Emperor Qianlong, as the Emperor of the Ninety-Five, did not need to argue with anyone, and he could always get what he wanted. He smiled and instructed the guards: "After you return to the palace, be sure to find someone named Ruyan, and when the trip to Jiangnan is over, bring her back to the palace immediately." In this way, she became Qianlong's concubine in a daze. Qianlong also renamed the teahouse Longfeng Lou with a pen and paper, which has become a good story in the Jiangnan area.