Pei Ziyun accepted Xiao and got on the bullock cart, followed by hundreds of households with anxious faces. As soon as he got on the cart, he ordered: "Send the information up."
"What happened? The prince announced my entry into the capital?" Pei Ziyun asked as he sat still.
Hundreds of households quickly reported: "My dear, King Lu has restored his title to the king and has taken charge of three mansions. Several military towns seem to have connections with King Lu."
Pei Ziyun frowned: "I once advised the prince to prevent King Lu from leaving the capital. What went wrong?"
Listening to Pei Ziyun's words, Baihu said nothing.
Pei Ziyun raised his eyebrows and did not continue to ask. After a long time, he said: "The prince does not want to see King Lu in Beijing. This is actually quite right. But how did King Lu regain the title of king so quickly and take charge of the three palaces?"
Baihu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly reported the process. After hearing that the fish was not fresh, Pei Ziyun reached out and rubbed his temples: "There is someone in King Lu!"
In fact, from the prince's point of view, it is not wrong for Prince Lu to join the feudal clan. It is even right. The central government is a matter of great righteousness and status. Prince Lu's joining the feudal clan is tantamount to withdrawing from the central government.
If he had stayed in the capital, the emperor might have been confused and carried King Lu up.
But he knew that the emperor's life was not long, and he had planned to pull out many of King Lu's foundations in Beijing, which would not be restored within a year. When the prince ascended the throne, as long as the Xuanwu Gate incident happened, King Lu would have no chance - but The prince doesn't know.
Pei Ziyun couldn't really stop it - the reason was that the emperor was going to die, or that King Lu was definitely rebelling
Then if I ask you how you know, I will be speechless.
"Is there anything else?" Pei Ziyun asked after thinking for a while.
"The emperor's health is getting worse and worse, and he gets angry when someone tries to dissuade him. It is said that several officials have been ordered to surrender recently. This is the first time since the beginning of the dynasty. The prince has also been reprimanded. His Highness hopes that the real person will come to the capital immediately." Baihu said. There was no taboo at all, and he began to speak fluently. He stretched out his hand to wipe his forehead, and a lot of his hair was stained with sweat.
Pei Ziyun held his forehead and frowned.
Seeing Pei Ziyun's expression, Baihu quickly added, "Master, you have collected hundreds of monks' belongings that you asked for last time. When the prince heard that you wanted to find them, he ordered us all to participate, so that we can have so many."
As soon as he said that, Pei Ziyun nodded: "I'm going to Beijing right now, but I'll take a short detour. I might bring someone with me!"
"who?"
Just asking, Baihu reacted and said quickly: "If the real person wants to take anyone with him, we can just turn around at any time."
Zhoucheng Gongyuan
The sergeant was stationed outside the Gongyuan. Under the sunshine, a group of scholars arrived in front. Forty-three-year-old Ren Wei stopped in front of the Gongyuan and looked towards it. The red walls, yellow glazed tiles, and many trees with their branches could be seen at intervals. The wall stretched out.
Ren Wei suddenly thought of his wife who was sent to Wutoudu. He sighed at that time: "If I fail this time, I will not take the exam. Mr. Pei is Jieyuan and he is generous. If I go to join him, I will always have a hundred taels of silver a year." It is to let you and your son live some blessed days."
My wife is a little haggard, her complexion is a little sallow, and not much of her former beauty remains.
Thinking of this, Ren Wei took a deep breath and entered the examination room. With the inspection and the sound of drums, the door was closed. This is the place where the fate of thousands of students is decided.
When Pei Ziyun arrived in the city, it was already autumn. Unlike the last time at dusk, this time it was early in the morning. He could faintly see the city gate standing straight. It was not yet bright. The docks had been lit with lights. He could faintly see boats moored everywhere in the water. , Pei Ziyun smiled and said: "It's better to come here by chance than to find it. Today seems to be the opening day. Let's go to Gongyuan to have a look."
After hiring a car, we went straight to the Gongyuan. At this time, the sky was bright and dark clouds were gathering. The Gongyuan was closed tightly. Two red lanterns were hanging on the gate, illuminating the steps.
It is usually quiet here, but today it is lively. The inns and restaurants not far away have opened their doors, lit red lanterns, and flags are fluttering in the wind. The rain falls from the sky, hitting the branches and tiles, and dripping on the eaves. On the bluestone board.
It started to rain lightly, and it also brought a bit of coolness. The candidates for the scholarship all put on more clothes and looked for a restaurant near the Gongyuan to wait.
There is a depressing smell permeating the restaurant and inn.
A scholar, whose green shirt had been washed many times and turned white, reached out and threw out a small bunch of money and said, "Boss, bring me a bowl of wine."
"Here we come." The boss handed over the wine with a smile on his face. He couldn't neglect it now, he might win the election and become a master.
At this time, I suddenly heard a sound of gong beating and shouting: "The results have been announced."
Thousands of people came out of the inn and hotel, crowds of people crowded together, and the lanterns in some people's hands were squeezed out.
The two yamen servants in front of the screen wall of Gongyuan were preparing to post the list. According to the rules, the B list was posted first, and then the A list was posted. Three cannons were fired amidst the noise of the scholars.
An official went out to get the list and read it.
"Li Zhidao, No. 30 on the B list!"
"Congratulations!" This man looked dazed in the congratulations of everyone, happy, but also a little confused. This is the last one. Although there is not much difference as long as he wins, he will be given 20 taels of silver plaques for the archway, and the crown and robes, but Reputation is different.
As he read them one by one, the scholar would say "hit" or "I hit" from time to time.
"Hu Yuanan, number 11 on the A-list!"
After hearing this, one person felt as if he had been struck by thunder. He immediately knelt on the ground and cried loudly: "Mom, Dad, Wan Niang, I've been hit, I've really been hit."
As the names became fewer and fewer, some people began to cry, and some even tore their clothes into tatters, and threw their umbrellas on the ground until they were tattered.
Renwei was so nervous that his heart was pounding. When he saw that he had finished reciting, he put up the red list again. He looked at the B list first, and there was no one there. Then he looked at the A list and there was no one either. He suddenly felt dizzy and sweated. He calmed down and looked again. Still. No, my legs suddenly became weak, my head felt dizzy, and I looked up at the sky.
Some rain from the sky hit his face, and the skirts of his clothes were wet and sticky. Ren Wei looked up and shed tears.
The lights were dim, drizzle filled the air, and the bullock cart was parked on one side. At this time, the crowd gradually dispersed, and a young man got off the bullock cart, holding a black umbrella in his hand.
Pei Ziyun signaled that Baihu returned to the bullock cart and did not follow him. He glanced around and saw Ren Wei. From a distance, it was clear that he had failed.
Ren Wei's eyes were blank and he murmured: "It's just that I didn't succeed in the exam."
All the strength had been drained from my body, and I was walking a little swaying. I didn’t know when my umbrella fell, and raindrops fell on my face. I couldn’t tell whether it was rain or tears.
"Qingfeng Tavern, a drink will relieve a thousand worries." The restaurant shouted on the street.
Some frustrated scholars came in and drank as they were called. They were in groups of three or five. They were anxious when they came and returned in despair.
Ren Wei didn't know how he got in, so he sat down numbly. Someone next door shouted: "Come on, serve me some wine. It's really hateful. What's the use of studying for twenty years? What's the use?"
He was crying as he spoke.
"I hate it, I hate it." Another person scolded and tore up books. The clerk in the store did not care about serving wine or food. The boss ordered him to ignore the frustrated scholar and concentrate on selling wine and vegetables.
At this time, the waiter brought the food and wine up, reached Ren Wei's seat, and whispered: "Mr. Sir, your food and wine have been served."
A plate of chicken, a plate of peanuts, and a wine flask. Ren Wei smiled bitterly and reached out. One hand had already picked up the wine flask, and a familiar voice said: "Come, I'll drink with you!"
Ren Wei raised his head and saw a familiar person, Pei Ziyun, who was wearing white clothes and holding a black umbrella in his hand. He put the umbrella on one side with a graceful and enviable demeanor.
"It turns out it's the young master, man, please buy a pair of bowls, chopsticks and a wine glass." Ren Wei shouted to the waiter. Pei Ziyun didn't say anything and just poured the wine. Ren Wei's hair was a little wet. Seeing the waiter bring it, he raised his glass and said to Pei Ziyun : "A toast to the young master."
He held the wine glass with both hands and drank it in one gulp. He drank so hard that he burst into tears.
Pei Ziyun didn't say anything, he just poured wine and drank it in one gulp. After three glasses in a row, Ren Wei's face turned red and he burst into tears, with big tears falling down.
"A man doesn't shed tears easily because he hasn't reached the sad point yet." Pei Ziyun sighed.
Ren Wei shed tears on his clothes and drank the wine in one gulp: "Master, don't blame me for being crazy. Thirty years of hard work have been wasted!"
"Speaking of which, my grandfather passed the imperial examination and served as an official in the previous dynasty. My father was convicted of a crime and his literary reputation was spread. However, he was deprived of his fame for disrespecting the ritual law and could no longer take the imperial examination. Therefore, he died with regrets. "
"I don't want to be like my father. Although I haven't lost my fame, I still failed many times. Now, I am very old!"
Pei Ziyun sighed and wanted to pour some wine, but found it was empty, so he just shouted: "Brother, bring me another pot of wine."
"What kind of book are you reading? Reading is worse than plowing the fields. Stop reading, stop reading, ah." At this time, a scholar was so drunk that he threw the wine bottle to the ground, squatted down and started crying.
When the rain falls, some people are happy and some are sad.
Ren Wei just glanced at it and pointed with a wry smile: "Another poor scholar."
"Sir, the wine is here," the man said.
"Good wine!" Ren Wei poured the wine, smelled it under his nose, laughed, drank the wine, and then looked at the roof: "Actually, in terms of my heart, I don't love stereotyped writing, I only love the study of world affairs, don't you?" If you learn the eight-legged essay, you won’t be able to pass it.”
"I was selected as a scholar when I was twenty-eight years old. I have never been selected since then. I went to seek refuge with King Lu, but was rejected and useless. I had no hope at all, but the young master gave me some advice and gave me money. I had hope again. I studied hard for half a year and became conscious of myself. It suddenly dawned on me that it was not difficult to win. If I didn’t want to or if I didn’t win, it seemed like I was dead.”
As he spoke, tears fell down. After a long time, he wiped them away, then stood up and bowed: "In this case, Wei has received the great kindness from the young master and has nothing to repay. He can only repay with his own life."
Pei Ziyun quickly helped him up, and then he found that Ren Wei was unconscious. He immediately threw some money and helped Ren Wei back to the car.
Seeing Pei Ziyun bring a scholar into the car, Baihu asked, "Master, why did you bring this drunken scholar up?"
"This person is the friend I'm looking for. Now that you have nothing to do, just go back to the boat and go to Beijing." Pei Ziyun ordered. The driver listened, whipped his whip, and turned the cart away.
"The fate is bad!" Pei Ziyun looked at Ren Wei and just shook his head.
(End of chapter)