喻世明言穷马周遭际卖缒食旁媪

cerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">巴箸安足酬?所重在知己。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">我饮新丰酒,狐裘力用抵。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">贤哉主人翁,意气倾间里!</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">后写往乎人马周题。王公见他写作俱高,心中十分敬重。便问:“马先生如今何往?”马周道:“欲往长安求名。”王公道:“曾有相熟寓所否?”马周回道:“没有。”王公道:“马先生大才,此去必然富贵。但长安乃米珠薪桂之地,先生资釜既空,将何存立?老夫有个外甥女,嫁在彼处万寿街卖弹赵一郎家。老夫写封书,送先生到彼作寓,比别家还省事:更有白银一两,权助路资,休嫌菲薄。”马周感其厚意,只得受了。王公写书已毕,递与马周。马周道:“他日寸进,决不相忘。”作谢而别。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">行至长安,果然是花天锦地,比新丰市又不相同。马周径问到万寿街赵卖缒家,将王公书信投递。原来赵家积世卖这粉食为生,前年赵一郎已故了。他老婆在家守寡,接管店面,这就是新丰店中王公的外甥女儿。年纪虽然一十有余,几自丰艳胜人。京师人顺口都唤他做“卖缒媪”。北方的“媪”字,即如南方的“妈”字一般。这王媪初时坐店卖缒,神相袁天罡一见大惊,叹道:“此媪面如满月,唇若红莲,声响神清,山根不断,乃大贵之相!他日定为一品夫人,如何屈居此地?”偶在中郎将常何面前,谈及此事。常何深信袁天罡之语,分付苍头,只以买缒</span><span lang="en-us"><font face="times new roman">(</font></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">食旁</span><span lang="en-us"><font face="times new roman">)</font></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">为名,每曰到他店中闲话,说发王媪嫁人,欲娶为妻。王媪只是干笑,全不统一。正是:姻缘本是前生定,不是姻缘莫强求。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">却说王媪隔夜得一异梦,梦见一匹自马,自东而来到他店中,把缒一口吃尽。自己执箠赶逐,不觉腾上马背。那马化为火龙,冲天而去。醒来满身都热,思想此梦非常。恰好这一日,接得母舅王公之信,送个姓马的客人到来；又与周身穿自衣。王媪心中大疑,就留住店中作寓。一日一餐,殷勤供给。那马周恰似理之当然一般,绝无谦逊之意。这里王媪也始终不怠。灾区耐邻里中有一班淳荡子弟,乎曰见王媪是个俏丽孤孀,闲常时倚门靠壁,不一不四,轻嘴薄舌的狂言挑拨,王媪全不招惹!众人到也道他正气。今番见他留个远方单身客在家,未免言一语四,选出许多议论。,王媪是个精细的人,早己察听在耳朵里,便对马周道:“践妾本欲相留,亲孀妇之家,人言不雅。先生前程远大,宣择高校栖止,以图上进；若埋没大才于此,枉自可惜。”马周道:“小生情愿为人馆宾,但无路可投耳。”</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">言之未己,只见常中郎家苍头又来买缒。王媪想着常何是个武臣,必定少不得文士相帮。乃向苍头问道:“有个薄亲马秀才,饱学之士,在此觅一馆舍,未知你老爷用得着否?”苍头答应道:“甚好。”原来那时正值天旱,太宗皇帝谣五品以上官员,都要悉心竭虑,直言得失,以凭采用。论常何官职,也该具奏,正欲访求饱学之士,请他代笔,恰好王媪说起马秀才,分明是饥时饭,渴时浆,正搔着痒处。苍头回去察知常何,常何大喜,即刻道人备马来迎。马周别了王媪,来到常中郎家里。常何见马周一表非俗,好生钦敬。当日置酒相持,打扫书馆,留马周歇宿。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">次日,常何取自金二十两,彩绢十端,亲送到馆中,权为贽礼。就将圣旨求言一事,与马周商议。马周索取笔研,拂开素纸,手不停挥,草成便宜二十条。常何叹服不己。连夜缮写齐整,明日早朝进皇御览。太宗皇帝看罢,事事称善。便问常何道:“此等见识议论,非卿所及,卿从何处得来?”常何拜伏在地,口称:“死罪!这便宜二十条,臣愚实不能建自。此乃臣家客马周所为也。”太宗皇帝道:“马周何在?可速宣来见联。”黄门官奉了圣旨,径到常中郎家宣马周。马周吃了早酒,正在鼾睡,呼唤不醒。又是一道旨意下来催促。到第一遍,常何自来了。此见太宗皇帝爱才之极也。史官有诗云:</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">一道征书络绎催,贞观天子惜贤才。朝廷爱士皆如此,安得英雄困草莱?</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">常何亲到书馆中,教馆童扶起马周,用凉水喷面,马周方才苏醒。闻知圣旨,慌忙上马。常何引到金銮见驾。拜舞己毕,太宗玉音问道:“卿何处人氏?曾出仕否?”马周奏道:“臣乃往乎县人,曾为博州助教。因不得其志,弃官来游京都。今获勤天颜,实出万幸。”太宗方喜。即日拜为监察御史,钦赐袍笏官带。马周穿着了,谢恩而出。仍到常何家,拜谢举荐之德。常何重开筵席,把洒称贸。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">至晚酒散,常何不敢屈留马周在书馆住宿。欲备轿马,送到令亲王媪家去。马周道:“王媪原非亲戚,不过借宿其家而己。”常何大惊,问道:“御史公有宅眷否?”马周道:“惭愧,实因家贫未娶。”常何道:“袁天歪先生曾相王媪有一品夫人之贵,只怕是令亲,或有妨碍；既然萍水相逢,便是天缘。御史公若不嫌弃,下官即当作伐。”马周感王媪殷勤,亦有此意,便道:“若得先辈玉成,深荷大德。”是晚,马周仍在常家安歇。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">次早,马周又同常何面君。那时勒虏突撅反叛,太宗皇帝正道四大总管出兵征剿,命马周献乎虏策。马周在御前,口诵如流,句句中了圣意,改为给事中之职。常何举贤有功,赐绢百匹。常何谢恩出朝,分付马上就引到卖缒店中,要请王媪相见。王媪还只道常中郎强要娶他,慌忙躲过,那里肯出来。常何坐在店中,叫苍头去寻个老年邻姬,督他传话:“今日常中郎来此,非为别事,专为马给谏求亲。”王媪问其情由,方知马给谏就是马周。向时白马化龙之梦,今己验矣。此乃天付姻缘,不可违也。常何见王媪允从了,便将御赐绢匹,督马周行聘；赁下一所空宅,教马周住下。择个吉曰,与王媪成亲,百官都来庆贸。正是:分明乞相寒懦,忽作朝家贵客。王媪嫁了马周,把自己一家一火,都搬到马家来了。里中无不称羡,这也不在话下。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">却说马周自从遇了太宗皇帝,言无不听,谏无不从,不上一年,直做到吏部尚书,王媪封做夫人之职。那新丰店主人王公,知马周发迹荣贵,特到长安望他,就便先看看外甥女。行至万寿街,己不见了卖缒店,只道迁居去了。细问邻舍,才晓得外甥女已寡,晚嫁的就是马尚书,王公这场欢喜非通小可。问到尚书府中,与马周夫妇相见,各叙些旧话。住了月余,辞别要行。马周将干金相赠,王公那里肯受。马周道:“壁上诗句犹在,一饭干金,岂可忘也?”王公方才收了,作谢而回,遂为新丰富民。此乃投瓜报玉,脑恩报恩,也不在话下。</span>

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    <span lang="en-us"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><font face="times new roman">   </font></span></span><span style="font-family: 宋体; mso-ascii-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;; mso-hansi-font-family: &quot;times new roman&quot;">再说达奚刺吏,因丁忱回籍,服满到京。闻马周为吏部尚书,自知得罪,心下忧惶,不敢补官。马周晓得此情,再一请他相见。达奚拜倒在地,口称:“有眼不识泰山,望乞恕罪。”马周慌忙扶起道:“刺史教训诸生,正宣取端谨之士。嗜酒狂呼,此乃马周之罪,非贤刺史之过也。”即日举荐达奚为京兆尹。京师官员见马周度量宽烘,无不敬服。马周终身富贵,与王媪偕老。后人有诗叹云一代名臣属酒人,卖缒王媪办奇人。时人不具波折眼,枉使明珠混俗尘。</span>

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