The Qianqing Palace is brightly lit.
After the dragon case, Emperor Jiacheng's complexion was uncertain.
Zheng Ancheng was serving on the side, but he didn't even dare to lift his head.
Suddenly, a sneer sounded in the hall: "My old Wu Ge really didn't hit the south wall and didn't look back. I thought he could go on as if nothing had happened, but I didn't expect that at this time, he finally made a move."
Now that Emperor Jiacheng has spoken, Zheng Ancheng can't continue to pretend to be dead. He smiled and said, "Mostly Wu Ge is also distressed for the younger generation."
"I feel bad for the younger generation, and I feel bad for the younger generation to take my Qi's country as a child's play! If I feel bad for the younger generation, I will ignore the face of the court!" "My group of good ministers pretended to be very good in the day, thinking of the country's society, they gave their best and died. In fact, all of them were daring and shameless! They all came to demonstrate to me, very good, all very good!"
With a burst of thuds, the eunuchs serving in the hall all knelt down.
"Your Majesty, rest your anger."
"Relieve your anger? How can I relieve my anger? Zheng Ancheng, how many days has Mr. Wu Ge been sick?"
Zheng Ancheng lowered his head: "It has been three days since I returned to His Majesty."
"Believe it or not? Tomorrow this old thing will write a letter to plead guilty, and then my group of ministers will come out to persuade me."
"This… "
Zheng Ancheng really believed in this matter. He served Emperor Jiacheng for many years, and he had seen it when the late emperor was in power. Those civil servants are really hard to provoke. They hang themselves, wipe their necks, hit pillars, or kneel outside the Taihe Gate and cry. Rao is the first emperor, wise and godly, and Zhenwu Zhenlong is alive, and there is nothing to do with these civil servants.
Later, the late emperor's various methods also overwhelmed a group of ministers. They also changed their previous remonstrance to death, but changed to hold a group. No matter how hard they fight with each other, they are quite consistent with each other anyway.
Sometimes Zheng Ancheng, an old eunuch who lost his descendants, would feel sorry for Emperor Jiacheng, but he couldn't do anything about it.
"Your Majesty, let go of your anger, you can't ruin the dragon body with anger."
Emperor Jiacheng snorted coldly, and was about to say something when a little eunuch rushed in in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, it's not good, it's not good..."
Zheng Ancheng rushed up with a few strides, grabbed his collar, and slapped him twice in the face.
"If you don't keep the door on your mouth, you don't want your head anymore?"
This little eunuch is Zheng Ancheng's godson, and his name is Shunxi. Seeing his godfather shoveling him so angrily, he knew that he had broken the rules, so he slapped himself on the left and right.
"The servant should die, His Majesty spare your life. The servant is too impatient to break the rules, then, that Hou Wenqing was hanged in Dali Temple!"
With a bang, something faintly broke.
A cold light flashed in Emperor Jiacheng's eyes: "Okay, very good, I pleaded guilty on the front foot, and hanged myself on the back foot!"
Hou Wenqing's death caused an uproar in the whole court.
It wasn't that there were no officials who committed suicide in prison before, but those people were not of high official rank, which might have raised eyebrows, but it wasn't surprising enough.
But Hou Wenqing's death is shocking, and he has a bright future.
If he can be promoted to the bachelor's degree, he will try it out after this meeting, not to mention that all three hundred jinshi in one subject are his disciples. If you put in six divisions, at least start with the assistant, and it is not impossible to enter the cabinet in a few years. But such a person committed suicide in fear of sin.
In that unknown mansion, Lin Miao came to the door again.
Unlike last time, this time the man in Tsing Yi who played the qin finally gave him a face.
Although this person was called Uncle Shi by Lin Miao, he was much younger than Lin Miao. He was only about thirty years old, with all his black hair scattered behind his shoulders, tied into a bundle with a cyan hairband, his eyebrows were handsome, and he had a rare charm.
When Lin Miao walked in, he was sitting under the window drinking tea, and the light golden sunlight poured in from the window, making his complexion feel crystal clear. His fingers are slender and his joints are like jade, and he is a handsome young man.
"Uncle Master."
"You're here?" Yu Qin didn't raise his eyebrows, just lowered his head and sipped tea.
"Uncle, Hou Wenwen is dead."
"I know about this, he is destined to die."
Seeing the gloom between Lin Miao's brows, Yu Qin smiled and said: "He died, not only to save Wu Ge Lao, but also to save many people. Whether it is for the Wu faction or others, as Yiyou Only his death can quell this dispute, which is why I didn't let you mix in in the first place."
Lin Miao did not speak.
"What did you see in this incident?"
"I..." He was obviously older than this person, but when facing this person, Lin Miao had the illusion that he was a fledgling boy.
"Aren't you surprised? I have told you a lot before, but what you hear is not as memorable as what it seems. In fact, I have said before that there is no complete right and wrong in this world. And the distinction between the enemy and me." Yu Qin sighed and said, "You see that they and Wu Ge are fighting to the death. It will only drag everyone into the water, so Hou Wenqing is dead."
"I thought… "
"Why do you think? Do you think there must be good or bad officials? The former dynasty died in party disputes, but it's not a lie. Many times, it's just a last resort. But after mortals can reach a certain position, there must be countless vassals. People, these people are uneven, some are close, some are not. Sometimes, when you protect others, you are also protecting yourself."
Lin Miao fell silent.
Seeing this, Yu Qin said, "Okay, let's not talk about these, let's talk about other things."
Lin Miao nodded and told the story of Wu Ge's old sickness petition.
Just like what Yu Qin said, even some senior officers who didn't fight with Wu Ge in the past have come forward to intercede for Wu Ge.
Therefore, this matter was put on hold, but it is expected that with the power of Emperor Jiacheng alone, he may not be able to compete with so many courtiers.
After listening, Yu Qin smiled sarcastically and said, "What about your student?"
Hearing this, Lin Miao was stunned, remembering what Xue Tingxiang said when he went to him that day.
"Teacher, the students originally wanted to hold back, but the situation is beyond their control. After this incident, I am afraid that our teacher-student relationship will no longer be able to continue, but you can rest assured, teacher, you will always be the student's teacher in the eyes of the students..."
"Chi'er, you know, you might end up with nine deaths if you go. Even if you are lucky, you will make enemies all over the dynasty. In the future..."
Glancing at Lin Miao in a daze, Yu Qin shook his head: "This son is a good embryo, it's a pity."
Even if Yu Qin didn't say it, Lin Miao knew it was a pity, and there was a burst of pain in his heart.
Just when there was a lot of uproar in the court because of the old Wu Ge, the exam of the Yiyou Division was finally released.
The front of the Shuntian Gongyuan was crowded with people, and after a while, the news that Xue Tingxiang had won Huiyuan was sent back to Jinger Hutong.
When the news came, Xue Tingxiang was holding Honger to look at the flowers.
Hearing the good news, everyone around him was full of smiles, but he was not at all happy.
Zhao'er sent the good news, turned around and went back to the room, and saw Xue Tingxiang sitting under the window thoughtfully.
"what happened?"
"It's nothing, I just don't feel as happy as I imagined."
Zhao'er sighed, this meeting was really difficult. It goes without saying that there are all kinds of difficulties, and from now on, people in this room will probably no longer be as close as they used to be.
However, the two of them didn't feel sentimental for too long, and the two good news that followed made Jing'er Hutong fall into an atmosphere of joy again.
This time not only Xue Tingyan was hit, but Mao Badou and Li Datian were also hit. Although there are more than 200 people, they were lucky enough to hang a tail, but their size can be regarded as a tribute.
A group of people gathered to celebrate, Lin Miao was not there, and Chen Jian was not there either.
These days, Chen Jian has been working on the "History of the Ming Dynasty" in the Hanlin Academy, and Xue Tingxiang specially asked him not to come back.
That night, Xue Tingxiang drank wine, not only he, but Mao Badou and Li Datian were very drunk. The three gathered in one place to drink until the third watch. The sun rose the next day, and it was a new day.
In the days that followed, the new tributes fell into a busy joy.
Before this exam was different, in the past, there were two chief executive officers and vice-presidents, and the eighteen room co-examiners, adding up to no more than twenty people. Among these people, the two chief executive officers and deputy chief executives are the masters, and the eighteenth room examiners are the room masters. And this time, Jiuqing invigilated the examination, and there were more than 30 examiners. Seriously, these people can climb the relationship between the teacher and the teacher.
Those graders are nothing more than Jiuqing as the examiner, which is a ready-made personal connection. There has always been a rule of visiting the master after the exam, which is only natural and natural, and it is not necessary to wait for it at this time. Therefore, it has been quite lively in the palace of several elders and senior officials recently.
By this time, these high-ranking officials who stomped their feet and trembled three times, changed their previous reserved and dignified appearances, and even if they were busy, they would sit and wait at home.
Why has the main and sub-examination always made people rush to break their heads? Because these are contacts and resources.
One subject is 300 jinshi. After passing the test, as long as he is famous on the list, the test will affect the ranking at most, but not affect his basic identity. In the future, these people either entered the Hanlin Academy, or served as the director of the Sixth Department, or were sent out as magistrates, all over the court and the field, and many times the power of a certain department was accumulated little by little.
The most intimate relationship in the court is the relationship between teachers and students. Even today's 95-year-old respect can't refute it. Otherwise, it violates ethics, or makes people fall into a situation of infidelity and injustice. This is a big injustice, and no one dares offend.
Even Mao Badou and Li Datian went out to pay homage to the master with their friends, but Xue Tingxiang stayed behind closed doors.
In fact, Mao Badou and the two did not want to go either. They always took Xue Tingxiang as their leader, or Xue Tingxiang persuaded them. In fact, the reason is very clear. As several people enter the court and become officials, they are bound to separate one day. Everyone has their own life and should not be controlled by others.
And the reason why Xue Tingxiang didn't go is also out of a sense of interest. After hitting Dengwen drum and bringing out a major fraud case, now there are probably not many officials in the court who will see him, so why bother with it.
Even Xue Tingxiang never imagined that one day he would be in the position of a solitary minister. His teacher is his backer and he can only be Emperor Jiacheng. This is a one-person road. That day, Xue Tingxiang walked through Qipan Street step by step alone, and came to the Meridian Gate.
Mao Badou and Li Datian went out for several days, and when they came back that day, Mao Badou and Xue Tingxiang said, "they have been busy handing over their heads these days, so Wu Chengming asked Datian and I to write and hand them all over. , and a good future."
This is coming to ask for advice. Anyway, in Mao Badou's eyes, after experiencing this incident, the apprentice and brother who were close to each other suddenly became much taller.
His mind, vision, and strategy are not comparable to him and Li Datian. Now Xue Tingxiang is blinded by Mao Badou and Li Datian, and he always feels that he is omniscient and omnipotent.
In fact, Xue Tingxiang did know that the so-called 'handling the head' was a private convention. The palace exam is not easy to write, that is to say, the time reading officer will directly see the names and handwriting of the candidates. At this time, the effect of the scroll head is revealed. You hand a scroll head to a senior officer in advance to take a look. If he appreciates you and wants to promote you, it is self-evident that it is time to see your own handwriting.
Although the palace exam is the main exam today, how can it be possible to review more than 300 papers today, there are paper readers, and the paper readers can also greatly affect the ranking in the palace exam.
"Then what do you and Badou mean, do you want to deliver or not?" Xue Tingyan asked.
"Naturally, it is handed over. Everyone handed it, we don't hand it, it's too different and too eye-catching." After a pause, Mao Badou smiled dryly: "I'm not talking about you, Tingxiang, your situation is a bit special, even if you want to hand in the paper. The head should also be handed to Your Majesty."
The last sentence shows that Mao Badou's character has not changed. At this time, he did not forget to joke. Xue Tingyan shook his head with a laugh and scolded: "Okay, don't make fun of me. What do you mean?"
Mao Badou scratched his head and said, "What Datian and I mean is that we were able to pass the test this time, but we don't know how we passed the test this time, and we ended up hanging up again, but since God gave the opportunity, naturally I have to give it a try. Since I entered Beijing, what I have seen and seen is beyond our imagination. I used to think that as long as we were upright and upright, no one could do anything to us, but now I know that is not the case.
"You can't be passive and beaten forever. When you enter the imperial court, your situation will definitely not be very good. What Ba Dou and I think is that at least we both have to fight, so that we can help you in the future. Of course, this is a temporary idea, and no one knows what will happen in the end, but we always have to work hard."
Hearing this, Xue Tingyan's face collapsed very tightly. After a long time, he sighed, stood up and patted Mao Badou's shoulder, then went to the side to get a pen and paper.
On this kang table, Xue Tingxiang wrote a few words on the paper.
He first crossed out a word Wu and said, "This is something you don't need to think about, this person is narrow-minded and likes to express his anger the most. The relationship between the two of you and me can't be hidden, even if I made various preparations before, you fall into his hands. It's still not good."
Following him, he crossed out another heavy word: "This person is on the wall, the wind blows on both sides, and the foundation is unstable. I hate him this time. I'm afraid he can't avoid me, so don't think about it."
After he finished speaking, he crossed out the words Feng and Fei. The two of them were considered to be of the Wu family, so naturally they didn't need to think about it. In the end, only Xu, Ma, Tan, and Yang were left.
Xue Tingxiang thought about it and crossed out the word Xu. Old Wu Ge always thought that Xu Shoufu was a great enemy in his life, and he wished he could get rid of it soon. If Xu Shoufu falls one day, the people below him will not be able to please him, and in that dream, Xu Shoufu finally fell.
"This man has a bright heart, but he is most fond of and thin mud. With his personality, I'm afraid he won't accept the two of you, and he probably won't be in the cabinet for a few years." Xue Tingyan nodded.
Only Ma and Yang were left.
Looking at these two words, Xue Tingyuan frowned, and after thinking for a while, he decided to let Mao Badou and the two choose by themselves.
"As far as his mind is not provoking right and wrong, he is the one who likes to cultivate disciples the most." The most important thing is that these two people were in that dream and had a good death.
Mao Badou's eyes flickered, and with these simple words, Xue Tingxiang let them understand most of the situation in the DPRK and China.
"Ting Yuan, what about Beilu?" Mao Badou couldn't help asking.
Beilu
Beilu is also the only variable in Xue Tingxiang's memory, but in that dream, Beilu gradually became silent since Fu Youde returned sadly. But this life was an accident. In his last life, there was no Lin Miao in his memory, and Lin Miao was not elected to the Hanlin Academy as a Tanhua, and later moved to Wenyuan Pavilion as a member of Zhongshushe.
"Forget it, let's not mention Beilu. It seems that the uncle and the senior brother are quite lively. When something happens, he will disappear all of a sudden." After all, Mao Badou also had some opinions in his heart, including Lin Miao.
"Badou, matters in the court are not so simple, and the gentleman is forced to do so. Don't worry too much." Xue Tingyan said with a wry smile.
"Sir, it's fine, but he will be like this. Does it have nothing to do with Beilu? Okay, let's not talk about them. I will discuss with Datian. Anyway, we are small fish and shrimp, and we can't make any waves. , and others may not necessarily look down on us."
Mao Badou quickly left, leaving Xue Tingxiang behind and sighing again.
In the midst of the chaos, the palace exam came soon, just before the wind and rain had stopped.