When Jiaoyu returned home, his wife had already prepared sobering soup and came to greet him. However, Jiaoyu pushed him aside harshly: "I didn't drink today, so I don't need this soup. I have something to do, so don't disturb me." .”
After saying that, she rushed into the study angrily, leaving Mrs. Jiaoyu with a confused look on her face, not knowing what she had done wrong.
It is said that as soon as the teachings came into the study, I found the excerpts and wanted to write an article to destroy Tang Zhen's reputation. Today's big scandal will probably drag down Jiangping County's reputation, and the teachings themselves will be demoted. I was upright and couldn't tolerate the sand, so I started writing at this moment.
Tuan Xun did not go to the literary meeting today and did not know about it. Later someone came to inform Tuan Xun about what happened on the boat today. When Tuan Xun heard this, he couldn’t help but be shocked: “This thing is bad. Just talk."
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
When Pei Ziyun returned home, his mother had already warmed up the soup and prepared it. This was the sobering soup. As he drank the soup, he felt warm in his stomach. He put down the bowl and said with a smile: "Mom, I can't even try it for ten days in Liqiu. I have to go to the state capital.”
… …
Dong'an Mansion·Zhang Mansion
The next day, a pot of tea was burning on the tea stove in the room. Hot air was blowing out. A chessboard was placed on the table. Zhang Jieyu walked into the room. Unable to suppress his anger, he kicked the tea stove over and the fire was burning. The tea was poured on the ground, and the charcoal fire and tea mixed together, making a sizzling sound, and ashes and smoke rose up.
Zhang Jieyu sat on the chair, feeling angry. He stood up and swept all the chessboards away, saying: "This kid must have seen through the plan, so he did this to tease me. I want to Kill him."
At this time, as Zhang Jieyu was behind Li Wenjing, he kept thinking. After thinking clearly, he stepped forward. Seeing the chess pieces on the ground, he quickly said: "Jieyu, this great Xu Xinli, he has the reputation of being a scholar, so we can only Temptation and frame-up cannot be done directly. If you do it directly, you will be evil to the dragon. If you are noticed, it may bring disaster to our sect."
Zhang Jieyu, after listening to Li Wenjing's words, calmed down a little. It was such a big deal to become enlightened that he couldn't be cautious, but he really couldn't swallow it: "Then use mortal hands, our holy sect, to get rid of my men. The Black Wind Pirate must have other threads, right?"
"Of course, there are our people on the Luhe River in the gate of my holy prison."
"But he is a scholar who went to the state to take the exam. He can be attacked by mortals, but if he is killed, he will not be able to escape the eyes of the local river god. Once the imperial court's Shinto traces him, he may cause a lot of trouble."
Li Wenjing saw that Zhang Jieyu was about to explode in anger, and added: "But if you fall into the water, get sick, or eat something bad on the way, and get beaten up, it's a trivial matter."
"Whether it is a scholar who goes to Beijing or a province, it is common for him to get sick even in the examination room."
"No matter how smart he is, as long as he fails this time, he will have to waste three years. A scholar has only a small fame. If he really wants to kill him, our holy sect can kill him, but he has to pay a price. After this period It's a sensitive time for the exam, and Jieyu is still angry, so just kill him."
Zhang Jieyu's anger subsided: "Okay, just do it like this, and I'll leave this matter to you."
Li Wenjing nodded and said, "I'm going to give orders to the Luo Gang!"
… …
Houdu Town·Li Mansion
Li's Mansion is not in Dong'an Fufu City, but along the official road for twenty miles, in the town of Houdu, a dock. The town is bustling with people. But at this time, a group of people are seen coming, and pedestrians have to avoid it.
"Who are these people?"
"It's Yang Kun from the Luo Gang. He has a great reputation."
"Bah! What kind of reputation is there? It's just a desperate act." Someone else was disdainful.
Approaching the door, Yang Kun pointed: "This is the Li Mansion. You guys stay in the town and find a place to live. I'll go see Mr. Li."
After saying that, Yang Kun went in. This man was a man in his thirties. He entered the mansion cautiously. When he saw Li Wenjing writing a letter at his desk, he shouted from a distance: "Meet Mr. Li."
It turns out that during the previous dynasty, Yang Tongshou formed a gang. At the beginning, most of the homeless beggars joined and stole and robbed. However, when the county magistrate found out about it, he became furious and ordered them to be captured.
The patrol took action upon hearing the order and killed several people. After capturing Yang Tongshou, he was about to behead him. At the critical moment, the Holy Prison Gate extended a helping hand and only beat him with forty sticks. Yang Tongshou was released from prison and hid in this town to recuperate and changed his approach. , they would go to help the rich and powerful at weddings and weddings, or transport goods for the bodyguards of merchants, and gradually become white.
Gradually it became a climate, and the government simply handed over water transportation, some salt, grain, cotton and linen to the Luo Bang. The Luo Bang collected protection fees and earned transportation fees, and the momentum grew.
Now Yang Kun is the second generation gang leader, but he is still respectful to the Holy Prison Sect.
"It's good if you come, I have something for you to do!" Li Wenjing called in, got up and walked around, looking at the blooming flowers outside the window, and said in deep thought.
"Master Li, as long as this matter on the Luhe River is concerned, no matter what the order, I will give you face within a hundred miles. Even if you sink a few people, it is a trivial matter." Yang Kun said.
Li Wenjing sneered slightly: "This is not serious, but it is not a small matter. If you send your cronies to handle it, go to Jiangping County and supervise the dock."
"I keep an eye on all the talented people who go to the province to take the exam."
"This man's name is Pei Ziyun, and his portrait is here."
"Master Li, did you sink into the river?" Yang Kun was eager to give it a try.
"No, it's exam time now. When it's sensitive, you can't kill people. Just let the person fall into the water and get cold." Li Wenjing whispered: "The water may not be too cold now, but it doesn't matter. After falling into the water, , you can just sprinkle this medicine on him."
"I'm sure he'll have chills."
"It turns out it's just this matter. Don't worry, I will take care of it for you." Yang Kun said, patting his chest repeatedly.
… …
Jiangping County·Jiao Yujia
Jiaoyu still kept a straight face during the interview this time. Pei Ziyun didn't know that Jiaoyu and Jiaoyu had argued about Tang Zhen just now, so he could only lower his head and be careful.
The instructor continued: "You are still young and need to be polished. You are selected as a scholar when you are only fifteen years old. It is inevitable that you will succeed. How can you go to the provincial level and win the exam like this?"
Pei Ziyun glanced at the instructor and thought to himself, had he offended this person
The teachings said calmly: "Aspirations don't lie in your age. Articles are important these days, and this article has reached its peak. My friend, please don't make excuses."
The instructor snorted and turned around, going to another room.
The instructions immediately said: "This time I call you, there are no other instructions, only two."
"First, the yin energy has been removed from your article. This is a good thing, but you must not be too yang-y and overbearing. This is also taboo in the examination room."
"Secondly, I want to let you know. The president of this province's provincial examination has been decided."
The president of the provincial examination is actually the chief examiner of the provincial examination. He is usually appointed by the imperial court and dispatched from the central government to preside over the examination in the provincial capital.
In order to prevent fraud, the appointment was not announced to the outside world before the exam, but in fact once the appointment was made, the local government knew about it, and the people with connections also knew about it, so ordinary candidates could only inquire on their own.
There is absolute fairness in the imperial examination. If you know who the examiner is, you can figure out his articles and prepare for the exam. From this point of view, Yue Yu is not a pedantic person.
After all, everyone can figure it out, but if you don’t figure it out, it’s unfair to be self-reflective.
Pei Ziyun asked: "Who is it?"
Jingyu lowered his voice: "It's Hu Luzhou."
"Master Hu Yingzhen?"
This person was a scholar at the age of fifteen, a scholar at the age of eighteen, a Jinshi at the age of twenty-two, and is famous all over the world. Now he is only thirty-five years old, and he is here to preside over the provincial examination
"Yes, the news has been transmitted. Have you read the article?" Jiaoyu asked.
Pei Ziyun replied: "I have seen some of them, but I am afraid that they are not complete."
The teaching metaphor nodded: "This is the collected works of Hu Luzhou. You can try to figure it out on the way. Although the article focuses on the pattern and the law, the imperial examination is a major matter, so some contingency is normal."
"I won't keep you long, there is plenty of time, so go quickly and don't delay on the road."
"Yes!" Pei Ziyun bowed respectfully and exited.
After a while, the instructor came over and said, "You are very considerate towards him, why can't you be more tolerant towards Tang Zhen?"
"After ten years of hard work, once you are stripped of your merit, you will no longer be able to take the exam again. Do you want to think about it again?"
"Old friend, you don't have to say it, these are two different things." Jiaoyu waved his hand and said: "Although this man is young, he has the jade from Jingshan Mountain in his body and the Pearl of the Spirit Snake in his mouth. He is destined to descend in this world. How can this ridiculous man Tang Zhen be a metaphor for his talents?"
… …
Pei Ziyun rushed to the dock area and said that this world is a bit similar to the Song Dynasty - prosperous business.
Although the scholar-bureaucrats were still noble, they often married businessmen. Although it was the beginning of the founding of the country, water transportation was already open. Boats of fruits, bamboo fans, mats, pillows, food, medicine, and ceramics were all flowing in. Pei Ziyun arrived. At the dock, it was July or August, and I couldn't help but sweat.
I looked around under a shed and saw that the river was wide, with thousands of sailboats racing in the distance, and seven or eight large ships parked at the pier.
However, there was only one passenger ship waiting for the guests, so I walked forward, and then the boss came out to greet him. Seeing the guests, he smiled and greeted him: "Is the guest officer my husband who is taking the exam in the province?"
"how do you know?"
"I can tell by looking at your dress, and several husbands have already booked a boat today. My boat is deep, and I have prepared two full sacks of watermelons. All guests can eat melons to cool off on the way."
"The boat fare is not much, there is a bed, the food on the road is fresh, and the hotel only costs one or two silver."
The price is actually not cheap, but Pei Ziyun has no interest in saving a few hundred taels and getting on the boat. He got 4,000 taels and gave 3,000 taels to his mother. In fact, he still had a thousand taels of silver notes with him. Even if he used some, it would not be enough. After paying only a few dozen taels, he immediately said: "Then let's book a room... and set off now?"
"Mr. Sir, the boat is not full yet, so we have to wait for a while."
"We will definitely set off at noon today."
Of course, if Pei Ziyun is willing to charter the boat, he can start it immediately, but Pei Ziyun didn't want to waste it like this, so he said: "Forget it, I'll go to the hotel to cool down and have a meal first, and you can call me when the boat starts."
He was talking about a hotel fifty meters away, and the boss of the ship responded.
(End of chapter)