The county prince indeed came on behalf of the emperor. He said a few concise and concise words to indicate that everyone should eat and drink. Lord Zhu, the chief minister who was at the center of the storm, did not speak, and the banquet officially began.
After Gu Hai sat down, he didn't look at it again and lowered his head to compete with the food on the table.
Members of the royal family have a distinguished status and rarely show up. Other scholars would not miss the opportunity. Of course, they looked careless and ungentlemanly, so they thanked other adults and took a look at this one of the candidates for the succession of the throne. .
He is seventeen or eighteen years old, and it seems that he comes from a wealthy family. His skin is as delicate and fair as mutton fat, his temperament is elegant, and he is not angry or intimidating.
"I don't know which faction this prince belongs to..." someone couldn't help but whisper, and his eyes swept over Lord Zhu, the chief assistant, and Lord Gao, the great scholar, who were sitting next to King Wen.
The first assistant, Mr. Zhu, is about fifty-four or five years old. He is slightly chubby and has a handsome appearance. After all, people who can win the first prize are not too bad in appearance. His calm expression reveals that everything in the world is under my control.
This gentleman followed the emperor from birth to death, and his relationship was extraordinary.
Academician Gao is about sixty years old. His beard and hair are all white, his face is dark, but he has a light smile and looks very easy to get along with.
When Da Jin went south, his whole family died under Da Jin's iron heel in order to protect the emperor from escape.
These two people have been in the same situation recently. They once said that there is no one but you. Now they are sitting together, toasting each other and joking. This group of scholars are amazed in their hearts. It is their first taste of the unfathomable complexity of human beings in the officialdom.
"Eat your wine," someone whispered, "I don't want to live anymore."
Some people immediately fell silent while others looked disdainful.
"Of course the county prince belongs to the holy sect..." Gu Yu whispered as if to himself.
Gu Hai felt his eyes looking towards him.
"Do you think so, Hanzhi?" Gu Yu turned sideways and asked in a low voice.
"The Lord of Heaven, the Holy One has his own judgment." Gu Hai put down his chopsticks and turned to look at him with a solemn expression, "You don't have to try to trick me here. I don't care what you think. I can tell you clearly that I believe Ye A true general is unjust and believes that evil cannot prevail over good.”
His voice was neither loud nor quiet, and several of the surrounding scholars heard it. They stopped their chopsticks and looked at him.
The people who came this time coincidentally excluded the two factions of scholars who usually spoke sharply and had clear attitudes. Although these people currently have their own thoughts in their hearts, they have never spoken out, and they have not favored one side.
What's more, this is definitely not the time to express one's position. Don't you see those adults on the stage who are rumored to be incompatible with each other, but they are still as affectionate as a mother-in-law.
This guy is really different.
There was a low laugh, and Gu Hai felt his leg under the table being knocked down. He looked down and saw someone stretching his leg over.
"Strong man, I am willing to offer you a shoe..." A scholar in his twenties opposite said with a wink and a low smile.
These words immediately diluted the solemn atmosphere just now, and bursts of laughter rang out one after another.
There was no shame or anger on Gu Hai's face, and he certainly didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled.
"A gentleman does something and doesn't do something. Brother Nian, do you think I'm a fool?" He said lightly, and as soon as he finished speaking, he raised his foot and stomped on the scholar's foot.
The scholar was in pain and wanted to cry out, but at the critical moment he remembered where he was and swallowed his voice abruptly.
At this time, the scholars around him were laughing so hard that their stomachs ached.
Gu Yu also smiled, glanced at Gu Hai, and said no more.
The small movements here did not escape the eyes of the adults on the stage. Although they could not hear clearly what these people said, they knew from their expressions that it was a hot topic today, and all the adults smiled tacitly.
When the banquet was going on, everyone on the stage stood up and bid farewell to King Wenjun.
Gu Hai still lowered his head, and suddenly heard the sound of footsteps, and the scholars around him stepped back one after another.
Prince Wenjun, who was surrounded by officials and servants, came at a fast pace and then stopped in front of Gu Hai.
Gu Hai felt his heart skip a beat.
"Your article is well done, but it's just mediocre, and your skills and spirituality are not enough. You need to work harder." A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from in front of Gu Hai.
There was silence all around. Gu Hai lowered his head and felt countless surprised and visiting glances coming from all around.
"Student knows, thank you Prince for your advice." He bowed respectfully and saluted.
The golden orchid's clothes swayed as people walked past.
"Gu Hai, do you recognize Prince Wen?"
The crowd suddenly surrounded Gu Hai, asking questions with surprised expressions on their faces.
Even the adults showed curious expressions and looked at this unremarkable scholar thoughtfully.
Gu Yu stood outside the crowd with a calm expression. The conversation between two adults not far away reached his ears intermittently.
"...This son is from Jiankang..."
"….Xianren County…."
"...The prince once traveled abroad to study..."
"In this case, sir, you can rest assured..."
Gu Yu turned his head slightly and saw two elegant officials talking side by side. When he looked over, one of them nodded slightly and smiled.
"Master Hu..." Gu Yu walked over in a few steps and bowed to salute.
"No need to be polite." Mr. Hu nodded and smiled, introducing to the official standing aside, "This is the leader of this session, Gu Yu and Gu Cunzhi..."
He paused for a moment and then added, "Cunzhi and one hundred and fifty tributes, Gu Hai and Gu Hanzhi, are cousins."
"Oh?" The official became interested, his eyes lit up, and he aimed his somewhat arrogant gaze at Gu Yu.
Gu Yu raised his eyes and saw that this man was about forty years old. He had a fair face and straight facial features, but a pair of slender eyes ruined the overall sense of neutrality. His lower jaw was slightly raised, and he looked at the person from bottom to top. With a sense of arrogance.
Gu Yu's eyes were venomous, and he could see at a glance that this man was actually on good terms with Master Zhu, the chief minister of the dynasty. In addition, this man came to the banquet and it was understandable that he did not recognize all the students here, but it was a little unreasonable that he did not recognize the leader of Huiyuan. Either this person is poorly informed or he is too powerful to know.
Given this person's appearance, Gu Yu thought it was the latter.
"It's a beautiful story that two brothers were both awarded tributes." The man said with a smile, and his eyes became narrower when he smiled, adding a bit of femininity.
"Your Excellency is so complimentary, but students don't dare." Gu Yu quickly bowed and saluted.
His voice was clear and his posture was elegant. He didn't have the fear or unconscious flattery of those who first met the emperor's important ministers. Although everyone liked the villain's beard, they still looked down on the villain in their hearts. This was really a contradiction.
"Cun is young and promising, and he has a handsome appearance. I think he looks like the number one scholar." The man said with a smile.
Gu Yu felt his ears jump.
If another official had said this, Gu Yu would have thought that this person was crazy. The number one scholar was determined by the emperor. Who in the world would dare to decide for the emperor
"Thank you for the compliment, sir." Gu Yu bowed and saluted again.
This guy is so brave. Mr. Hu looked at the official. If other scholars had heard this, they would have been so frightened that they could not say a word, but this one still responded calmly.
Mr. Hu laughed loudly, "Brother Huai'en, please stop showing off your knowledge of physiognomy. Young people believe it to be true. If...you have to be responsible..."
The conversation ended in a joke and everyone laughed.
"The emperor's sage will not bury talented people." The man twisted his beard and said with a smile.
There was a lot of excitement at the door. The chief assistant who had sent King Wen off respectfully came back with several officials.
"Brother is here, let me go over and talk." The man smiled and strode away.
Master Hu suddenly reached out and patted Gu Yu on the shoulder, smiled meaningfully, and left immediately.
The autumn wind blew by, and Gu Yu felt a chill on his back, only to realize that his inner clothes were soaked with sweat.
Brother...
Sure enough, he was indeed the cousin of Lord Zhu, the first assistant, Zhu Chunyang, the official title of Tongzheng Envoy and Minister of Criminal Affairs.
This is the person who presided over the trial of General Ye Zhen's rebellion case. It is said that this person was once a county government clerk before he became prosperous. He is most accustomed to confusing black and white and judging life and death with his pen. Now, with his brother's power, he is even more popular among people wherever he goes. People's faces change and children stop crying.
However, it seemed that he was very satisfied with what he had just dealt with. Gu Yu's pounding heart gradually calmed down, but was replaced by an unprecedented sense of excitement.
In the officialdom, the situation is unpredictable, and without warning, if you are in a high position and enjoy respect today, you may be delegated and put aside and become a prisoner tomorrow.
However, wealth is found in danger, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit.
He looked to the side, and saw that Gu Hai was still surrounded by many people, and he seemed to be unable to find out what was going on. However, Gu Hai looked calm and had a fitting smile.
So he and Prince Wen met in Xianren County, and the boy didn't know that this person was Prince Wen at that time. Originally, the two met by chance and never saw each other again, but after arriving in the capital, they unexpectedly met Prince Wen... unexpectedly , this is a good guess, it should be the time when I entered Yunmeng Academy...
Good luck indeed
A trace of jealousy flashed across Gu Yu's face, but soon a smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes shifted to the chief minister over there who was obviously the focus of all the officials. Luck depends on God, but since he is a person forgotten by God, Then you can only rely on yourself to snatch and fight for it.
At the end of September, the river was bleak, and boats of all sizes passed by on the river.
The boat sailed upstream, and the initial freshness became boring within a few days. The two boys couldn't stand it in the cabin, and Gu Hai didn't need them to serve him in front of him, so he sent them out to catch fish and shrimps.
The river is surging and the water is so fast that it would be strange to be able to catch it.
The little girl boiled a pot of hot tea and pushed open the cabin door. She saw her young master holding a book and looking at the flowing water outside the window, meditating.
Since the Hairpin Banquet, Gu Hai's family has become crowded. Not only students, but also some ministers have sent invitations to visit, so Gu Hai had to advance his trip. In the dead of night, one master and three servants boarded a ship and left the capital like thieves.
Gu Yu had already returned home earlier than him, and the two of them finally stayed away from each other as promised, which was fine. They didn't talk much about each other, which saved them a lot of trouble and effort, and they were still comfortable alone.
The little maid put down her tea and tiptoed out.
Gu Hai didn't seem to notice, he was thinking about Cai Wen, Prince Wen repeatedly in his mind.
Thinking about the news they learned later, the royal family recruited a total of four princes to Beijing. The oldest was twenty years old and the youngest was only six years old. Prince Wen was neither above nor below. Another advantage was that he was the seventh generation of Taizu. Sun, in theory, is more qualified to get the throne.
And this man was actually his classmate... He was so elusive...
Gu Hai suddenly thought of the scorpion again, as if he had touched upon some taboo, and his thoughts stopped abruptly.
"How many days until you get home?" He put down the book and asked while picking up the teapot.
"There are still three days left." The little girl replied crisply, opened the door, came in with a smile, and snatched the teapot from Gu Hai's hand, "Young master, leave it here, slave girl."
Unknowingly, it had been six months since I left home. This was the first time I had been away from home for so long and so far. Although his sister said in the letter that everything was fine, Gu Hai never let go.
"Master, you don't know, matchmakers have to break the threshold..." The little girl chattered about family affairs.
She came to the capital only after getting the news about Gu Hai's high school tribute. She never had a chance to talk to the young master, but she had a lot of fun talking along the way.
Gu Hai smiled, "No way, our lady will definitely order the door to be closed..."
"Scared, young master, how do you know?" The little girl stared at Gu Hai with a bit of reverence, her eyes widened. The young master is a Wenqu star who has descended to earth, so he will definitely be able to pinch and count...
Gu Hai laughed loudly, "How many Wenqu stars would have to come down to earth to be enough..." He stretched out his hand and tapped the little girl's forehead.
The little girl's face turned red. She looked at the young master who picked up the book again and couldn't help but be stunned. The young master has such a good temper and good looks. I wonder which young lady is lucky...
Three days later, the ship docked in the autumn rain. On the bustling pier, Gu Hai saw the mother and daughter standing with umbrellas at a glance.
"Brother." Gu Shiba Niang had sharp eyes and immediately raised her hand and shouted.
Mrs. Cao looked down at her hand and immediately burst into tears.
Because Gu Yu arrived first, the lavish ceremony to welcome Hui Yuan seemed to overwhelm the enthusiasm of the people of Jiankang Mansion. Gu Hai's arrival was very calm, and even no one from the Gu family came to greet him.
"They didn't come to ask, so naturally I wouldn't tell them." Gu Shiba Niang smiled and looked at Gu Hai.
Mrs. Cao took her son's arm, and while stroking his face and saying that he had lost weight, she shed tears.
"Mom, which student doesn't shed a layer of skin after taking the exam? My brother is fine." Gu Shiba Niang smiled and comforted Mr. Cao.
Not to mention how to celebrate after returning home, as Gu Shiba Niang said, this imperial examination is a severe test for students both physically and mentally. Coupled with the fatigue of traveling and traveling, Gu Hai felt unprecedentedly stable after returning home. I fell asleep and slept all day and night.
Ms. Cao had to cry again and took turns making various soups to feel at ease.
After thanking the master of ethnology, Gu Hai came home slightly drunk and happened to meet Gu Shiba Niang who was about to go out.
Seeing his sister, wearing a dark cloak and holding an umbrella, walking through the steady autumn rain, Gu Hai felt his heart ache.
"Brother is back? Eat less wine." She smiled and stopped.
"Going to the drug store?" Gu Hai asked, reaching out to help his sister tie the loose cloak straps.
Except for the day when he came back, my sister would go to the drug store every day, going early in the morning and coming back late in the evening. Although she always smiled and talked to Yan Yan, the trace of sadness between her brows could not escape Gu Hai's eyes.
"But what are you hiding from me?" Gu Hai asked.
Gu Shiba Niang lowered her head, sighed, then raised her head again, her eyes were slightly red.
"Master is gone..." She whispered, her voice a little dry.
"Did you go out again?" Gu Hai asked, but he had a bad feeling in his heart.
Gu Shiba Niang's tears finally fell. She quickly took out her handkerchief and wiped them away. She tilted her head slightly and said, "This is what we say to the outside world..."
Gu Hai felt like his heart was hit by a huge boulder, which meant...
Gu Shiba Niang couldn't help but burst into tears. In order to give her more time, Liu Gong left without saying goodbye and left a letter prohibiting her from looking for Zhang Yang.
The old man left like this, just like when he came, but this time Gu Shiba Niang knew that when she encountered people questioning her again, and when she frowned and wondered about her medicinal skills, he would never be like a magic weapon descending from the sky again. He appeared like this and protected himself behind him. From this moment on, Mr. Liu completely disappeared from the world.
"But I can't fulfill my filial piety and see him die...let his bones lie scattered..." Gu Shiba Niang hugged Gu Hai and choked.
"Such a great kindness...nothing can be repaid..." Gu Hai's voice was choked with sobs, and he stroked his sister's hair, "Mother Eighteen, you must not let him down... This is the only repayment you can give..."
Gu Shiba Niang leaned on Gu Hai's chest and nodded.
The brother and sister sat down in the small pavilion. Gu Shiba Niang wiped her tears and said with a forced smile: "Brother is back, and I haven't heard you talk about the latest news in the capital..."
Gu Hai deliberately changed the topic and picked up some things to talk about, including how he got into Yunmeng Academy and Cai Wen.
Gu Shiba Niang was shocked. The two looked at each other and thought about the scorpion, but because it involved royal secrets, they kept silent.
"Sister, General Ye Zhen later..." Gu Hai said suddenly.
Gu Shibaniang sighed and nodded, then lowered her head and said, "…conspiracy for treason…the whole family will be beheaded…"
Gu Hai's hands clenched loudly, "Impossible...impossible..."
Is there any justice or justice
"Brother, don't get involved in this matter. This matter cannot be changed by just a few people..." Gu Shiba Niang was startled and said hurriedly, "Although I am a housewife who doesn't know the world, I also know that because of General Ye's Many people have been implicated in the case...Brother, you must not..."
"Sister, destiny can be changed, right?" Gu Hai raised his head and asked seriously.
Gu Shiba Niang was stunned.
"Sister, according to fate, mother and I are already dead, right? But we are still alive... Then why can't General Ye Zhen..." Gu Hai said in a deep voice, his eyes sparkling.
Can fate change? Still can't change? Gu Shiba Niang's head was buzzing for a while. She felt that what her brother said was right, but she also felt that it was wrong. She couldn't help but sit and look at Gu Hai in a daze.
"Brother, we are like ants..." she murmured, "...but...General Ye is different...if...if his fate also changes..."
Then a lot of things will have to change, and these things are all big things.
"Brother, General Ye was later avenged...not long after...as long as...as long as Prince Zhe ascends the throne..." Gu Shiba Niang stammered from her limited memory of national events.
If General Ye was not dead, why would he ask Prince Zhe to clear his name? If the grievances are not rectified, will Prince Zhe still ascend to the throne
When this idea came up, a few words from Jiu Yuan suddenly flashed through my mind. Is it Prince Zhe who ascended the throne? Prince Zhe? King Wenjun….
Gu Shiba Niang was startled and stood up suddenly.
"Brother, tell me, do you think Cai Wen is Prince Wen?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yes, the son of King Xiu..." Gu Hai replied, looking at her with some confusion. He guessed something. Although his sister was a housewife, she would not be unaware of the important matter of the emperor's replacement. He laughed in a low voice, "He wasn't the one who took the throne last, was he?"
It doesn't matter, there are so many county princes to choose from, who says that Prince Wen is bound to win.
"It's nothing, I don't intend to take refuge in anyone's power..." He said softly, trying to appease Shiba Niang.
But Gu Shiba Niang thought of something, shook her head, covered her mouth, and her eyes, which were originally calm, showed fear.
"No, no, there is no Prince Wen in this world. Prince Wen died of illness in the fifth year of Jianyuan's reign..." She looked at Gu Hai and murmured.
"What?" Gu Hai stood up in surprise.
The fifth year of Jianyuan? Wasn't that last year...
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I’ll give you 5,000 words today. I’ll update on Saturdays and Sundays. Don’t wait.