The fact that Lu Yunzheng was able to rise from a student to a juren was actually due to his aristocratic family’s influence.
Who knows if he has any relatives in the Lu family, which is the first of the four major families in Beijing
Entering Yuzhou City again, Gu Mubai was filled with mixed emotions.
"I failed the exam twice in a row. I don't know if I can pass it this time."
Lu Yunzheng comforted him: "You can definitely do it. This time we will go directly to the prefect of Yuzhou."
Gu Mubai glanced at him with embarrassment and reluctance: "Is this really the only way? Can't I become a juren after taking the exam?"
Lu Yunzheng didn't say anything, which actually meant he agreed.
"I'll do my job, and you just take care of the exam."
After entering Yuzhou City, they came to the largest inn in the city. Although there were still ten days before the imperial examination, some scholars were already staying here.
Some of them took the exam many times but failed, so they became regular visitors here.
Some of the young scholars came here for the first time.
Gu Mubai was also familiar with some people, and as soon as he entered the inn, someone greeted him.
"Isn't this Brother Gu? He hasn't given up yet and plans to give it a try this year."
Gu Mubai laughed dryly and clasped his fists towards them: "Try again, try again."
"Brother Gu, I think you should give some gifts to the prefect. If you really have no money, you can borrow money from a loan shark."
Gu Mubai had already given up hope. If Lu Yunzheng hadn't needed to disguise himself to go to Beijing, he wouldn't have been willing to take the exam.
"Let's talk about it later. This is the last time."
No one knew where Lu Yunzheng and Qi Ze were going, so they did not go into the inn with them. Xia Ying was in the carriage and had not gotten off yet, but Liu Qiaoer was following behind them.
"Hey, Mr. Gu, this is..."
Liu Qiaoer called Gu Mubai's fiancée to others, so Gu Mubai of course had to introduce her seriously.
"This is my wife."
"Congratulations! It turns out that Mr. Gu is already married."
Gu Mubai quickly explained, "No, it's just that my wife's mother just passed away and she is still in mourning. I saw that she was bored at home alone, so I brought her here to see the world."
Now that Liu Qiaoer's identity has become clear, no one is so curious about it anymore.
At first glance, she understood what was going on.
"Your friend wants you to borrow money from a loan shark, but I don't know if he will arrest you if you can't pay it back."
I think so.
Borrowing money for gifts, loan sharking, and using things as collateral if you can't pay it back, the loan sharks are not fools, what can a poor scholar have? He must be proud.
Once their backbone is broken, the poor scholars will become their servants, or pawn their wives and sell their houses and lands. Those who can afford to study in this dynasty must have something at home.
The matter will not be over until the loan shark has taken advantage of the person completely.
But Lu Yunzheng said that loan sharking is illegal.
How come in Yuzhou City, loan sharking is not illegal
As usual, three rooms were booked. Before Liu Qiao'er could sit down, a yamen runner suddenly came running over.
He bowed to her and said respectfully, "Is this Miss Qiao'er?"
Liu Qiaoer looked around, as if she was looking for her: "I am, but I don't know you."
"I am here on the orders of the prefect to greet Miss Qiao'er."
The prefect? Aunt Wang.
Liu Qiaoer suddenly realized: "It's him? How did he know I was coming today?"
The yamen runner smiled servilely and said, "Replying to the young lady, there are many scholars here these days, and the master asked us to take care of it. He also gave the young lady a portrait."
The bailiff handed the portrait to Liu Qiaoer to look at. Sure enough, although it was winter clothes, the appearance was indeed Liu Qiaoer.
Speaking of Wang Boyan, Liu Qiaoer couldn't help but think of the night when she watched the lanterns.
"Okay, I'll go with you then."
The yamen runner was very happy and became even more servile: "The master said that the girl is his savior and asked us to be respectful when we see her. The master has reserved a yard for the girl in the mansion. Come with me, girl."
Liu Qiaoer had just followed the waiter upstairs when she came out with the yamen runners.
There were many gossips in the inn, and soon the news that Gu Mubai's fiancée had saved the prefect spread.
The door of Gu Mubai's guest room was never closed again.
But even Gu Mubai didn’t know when Liu Qiaoer saved Wang Boyan, and he couldn’t say anything and kept hesitating.
All the scholars who came here had a purpose. When they saw that he was unwilling to speak, some were sarcastic, some were fawning, and all kinds of expressions were on their faces.
It was not until Lu Yunzheng and Qi Ze came back that they were surprised to see so many people in Gu Mubai's room.
"Is Brother Zhuo Li so popular?"
Qi Ze was also surprised after asking around: "Sir, they said that Mr. Gu's fiancée had saved Lord Wang, the prefect, and as soon as she arrived, Lord Wang invited her back to his house."
Lu Yunzheng was also a little surprised and squinted his eyes slightly: "When did Qiaoer meet Wang Boyan?"
Qi Ze: "On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month this year, the Lantern Festival, the Master and Madam celebrated together. Miss Qiao'er had planned to go to the lantern festival with her sister, but her sister went with Niu Dahu, so Miss Qiao'er was left alone. I guess it was at that time... because the next day, Master Wang went back to the prefectural government office."
Liu Qiaoer did not tell Lu Yunzheng about this matter, but she also mentioned that Wang Boyan did not solve the Su family's case and found an excuse to go back.
Lu Yunzheng always thought that Wang Boyan had lost. Thinking of Liu Qiaoer, he thought that it was probably because of something the two of them had said to each other.
Now that Liu Qiaoer had just entered Yuzhou City, she was invited over by Wang Boyan. Was she an enemy or a friend? Lu Yunzheng didn't want them to have too much contact.
"Go and tell Prefect Qian to invite Lord Wang to the banquet tonight."
It turned out that as soon as Lu Yunzheng entered Yuzhou City, he went to see Mr. Qian, the prefect of Yuzhou.
In fact, Lu Yunzheng had already made preparations. He used Gu Mubai's name to send gifts to the prefect of Yuzhou.
The gift is Miss Shaoyao from Zui Le Fang.
Qian Lin, the prefect of Yuzhou, was fifty years old and was not only greedy for money but also lustful.
After the Chinese New Year, Lu Yunzheng had Zui Le Fang opened in Yuzhou City. Yue Nishang was still the most beautiful girl in Zui Le Fang, along with other girls like Shaoyao, Wintersweet, and Begonia.
Some of them stayed in Fengxin County, and some followed Yue Nishang to Yuzhou City.
I heard that Yue Nishang from Zui Le Fang has come to Yuzhou City. The prefect Qian Lin must be able to feast his eyes on her.
He went there secretly twice. The more Nichang looked down on him and ignored him, the more Qian Lin liked him.
After whetting Qian Lin's appetite, Yue Nishang sent the peony to Qian Lin's house.
Peony is clever, has a charming figure, and her dancing makes people think about her day and night.
Shaoyao successfully became the most favored concubine in Qian Lin's mansion.
The prelude was over, Lu Yunzheng arrived, and Shaoyao asked the owner of Zuiyuefang to meet Qian Lin and said that he would give him something good.
Qian Lin had long wanted to meet the owner of Zui Le Fang. There was money to be made and beauties to serve him. Not only did he want the beauties, he also wanted to get a piece of the pie.
Qian Lin scheduled a dinner for the evening and invited Gu Mubai, also known as Lu Yunzheng, to come.
Unexpectedly, when Lu Yunzheng came back from the prefect's residence, Liu Qiaoer was also called away by Wang Boyan.
This banquet tonight is going to be quite lively.
Wang Boyan did prepare a yard for Liu Qiaoer to live in, and he also knew that Liu Qiaoer was now Gu Mubai's fiancée.
But Liu Qiaoer also said that as long as he could find evidence that Qian Lin colluded with the Su family to frame the Lu family, she would give him half of the Su family's property.
Even though I have money, my parents don’t recognize it anymore and only recognize the money.