The road back(15)

The running-water mat must be set up for seven days, and it must be done in the name of the Jia family, and then the whole capital will be aware of it?

What is this for?

Helping the Supreme Emperor to slap the Emperor?

What are these people thinking? Don’t you know that this time Enko only admitted 138 people? Nkoenko was originally a scholar in the world. Generally, Enko admitted more people than the normal imperial examination.

To admit more than a dozen people or even hundreds of people is called showing kindness. Now, if it were not for the intervention of the Supreme Emperor, it would be a disaster.

The Huiyuan he ordered happened to be from the home of the old noble Jia. If Emperor Zhenglong had not met him before and made a private agreement, Emperor Zhenglong would have been even more unhappy.

Of course, no one else knows about this. Anyone who understands the two or three things behind the imperial examination should understand that the things here are not simple. Several old Hanlin officials tried to persuade the Fourth Master to keep a low profile. Because you

Everyone knows that you must not attract the emperor's attention at this time.

Anyone with some sense would not come up with such a stupid idea.

The Fourth Master frowned: "The palace examination is just around the corner. Being so high-profile now may be detrimental to the palace examination. If we can win the Kui Yuan again in the palace examination, it won't be too late to discuss it then."

Jia Zhen disagreed and said: "Now we have already solved the Yuan Huiyuan of two yuan. Isn't it easy to pick up another number one to make three yuan?"

The fourth master hurriedly said: "How can the Sacred Heart be inferred?"

Jia Zhen stopped now, but her face was still a little disapproving.

The fourth master only said: "Go back and tell the master this. He will definitely understand."

What do you understand?

At most, he understands that the Sacred Heart is unfathomable, and nothing else can be thought of at all.

It's just a day of congratulations and socializing until curfew.

The next day, Lin Yutong responded, but he only accepted gifts and did not entertain guests. As he said, he was preparing for the imperial examination. No one else could find fault.

Jia's mother sent people twice, but Lin Yutong didn't want to go. There happened to be a few people who passed the exam together with Fourth Master. Now they are considered to be in the same year. People came to visit one after another. She had to entertain them at home. So,

He didn't care at all. The person who came to invite someone was the servant girl from Jia Mu's yard, so Lin Yutong asked her to follow him and asked her to see if she was really busy or pretending to be busy.

After returning home, the servant woman told Jia Mu: "...I always say that for a family like ours, if there are not a hundred or eighty trivial matters in a day, it is thanks to capable people like the Second Mistress who can handle all the trivial matters.

Everything inside and outside was taken care of clearly. Now that I went to Uncle Heng's house, I realized that the newly rich family also has no leisure. The style is incomparable with ours, but there are still a lot of trivial things. Visiting again in the same year,

I’m asking for advice on articles, and I’m also inviting people to a tea party, poetry gathering, and cultural gathering. I have to ask clearly who organized it and where it was held. Some of them are allowed to go after considering it, and some are not allowed to go. But there is no regular routine of going back and forth at home.

You have to do everything by yourself. It is considered disrespectful to give any gift to someone. If someone gives too many gifts, others may think too much..."

Jia Mu understood that everything in her family was done according to the rules. The master told her, and the servants would prepare according to the rules. There were some unimportant things that the master didn't need to know, the steward could take care of them. But there was a new one over there.

There are no rules for starting a family, so you have to think about it yourself. She nodded: "It's true that I didn't think carefully. But that's what it means. Everything is created from scratch."

After saying that, he lectured his daughter-in-law and grandson's daughter-in-law, "Now our family is living on the legacy saved by our ancestors, so we should cherish our blessings." He also said to Wang Xifeng, "I usually just slap you and tell you how capable and capable you are.

You can just talk about your ability at home. If you are asked to make something from scratch, you really may not be as good as Tong Yatou."

Wang Xifeng laughed: "My ancestors are really good at sending people to the wrong side. When did I say that I am capable? I am originally a clumsy talker. I only follow the rules of my ancestors when doing things, or if I don't understand, my wife will ask me."

Light it up. Now that’s the point, old lady, you’ve sent me here. Who will tell me I’m capable in the future? I won’t listen to you anymore. It’s just a slap in the face.” After saying that, he sighed, “I know.

The old lady doesn't love me anymore, and now I'm afraid she regrets asking me to come to our house. It's also Lian Er's bad luck. If he was born a few years later and Tong Meizi was born a few years earlier, wouldn't this be a ready-made good marriage?"

Jia Mu smiled and said to Ping'er: "Slap your master in the mouth for me. How soon will you be able to say something serious?"

Everyone in the room laughed, and the matter was over.

Pian Baoyu interjected: "It's strange that the Taoist said, 'Repent and teach your husband to find a title.' Sister Yuan Tong came here when she had time to talk and laugh with her sisters and sisters. Now that her husband has gained fame, she is

I don't feel at ease anymore! Why bother with this?" As he said that, he sighed again, feeling very sorry for Lin Yutong.

The room was quiet for a while, and then Aunt Xue said: "It's really a child's talk."

Mrs. Wang's face looked better: "It's really a curse. I don't know how long it will take for me to grow up."

The room suddenly burst into laughter again, and Jia Baoyu ducked into Jia Mu's arms. She probably knew that she had said something stupid again, so she pursed her lips and smiled.

.

It's been noisy for half a month, and it's time for the imperial examination.

During this period of time, these more than 100 people were very proud of themselves. Many of them had passed the half month through their social interactions. Under normal circumstances, when Enke reached this stage, he would not be deposed.

Therefore, they are relatively relaxed. Maybe they think interpersonal relationships are more important.

The Fourth Master was an outlier here. He was bored at home for fifteen days without even leaving the house.

On the day of the palace examination, I got up in the middle of the night. The fourth master slept in the afternoon and woke up after midnight. Then he washed and ate, and did not dare to drink soup. It was certainly not very convenient to go to the palace for a day.

Although it's warm now, it's still a bit chilly when I get up in the middle of the night. It's probably even hotter at noon. You have to be careful about what you wear. In short, entering the palace and preparing to enter the palace are both very uncomfortable things.

The fourth master and Lin Yutong knew this very well. It could be considered that they had experience. Lin Yutong showed the same energy as when he sent the fourth master to the palace, and filled his purse with medicine, dried meat, sour plums, and mint.

All the sweets are put away.

The medicine is to prevent accidents and symptoms such as stomachaches, the dried meat is to satisfy hunger, the pickled plums are not to quench thirst, and the mints are to remove the taste in the mouth.

Since they are all people with a bright future and are scholars, there is no such thing as inspection. There is no way to fake the exam in public.

I arrived outside the palace gate early, and many people were already standing there waiting. The one said, "Brother Li, you came early!" The one said, "Brother Wang, let's talk to each other." The one said, "Brother Zhang, we will definitely win."

First place.' The response was 'How dare you?'

From what I heard, I was quite excited.

The Fourth Master did not get out of the car before midnight. He squinted again in the car. When he arrived at the gate, there was some movement. Someone came out to verify their identity, and then let them in. The Fourth Master then stood up and wiped it with a wet handkerchief.

Face, got off the car, moved on the spot, moved around, and then moved closer.

All processes are as they are for others. There is no sign of special care.

After entering the palace gate, stand and wait at the door of Baohe Hall.

Waiting from dark to dawn, and then waiting until the red light appears in the east, and a red sun is about to jump over the horizon, the whip sounds. Then the door of Baohe Hall creaks open, and the officials of the Ministry of Etiquette sing loudly, "

"The auspicious time has arrived" or something like that. Then the junior officials and eunuchs from the Ministry of Rites came over and led everyone inside.

The seats you take after entering are not random. The eunuch at the door randomly distributes number plates. If you don't get to this point, you won't know where you will sit. It's completely random.

The fourth master's position is quite satisfactory. He is not in the front, so that he will not sit under the emperor's eyes, but he is not in the back or in the corner, so that others cannot notice him. He is in the middle position.

There are long desks one by one, and each desk is equipped with a small round stool. On the desk is a set of pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

After everyone was seated, Lin Ruhai, the chief examiner, and six deputy examiners stepped in. The candidates were greeted by the invigilator, and the sound of whips sounded again. After nine blasts, the sound of "Nai" was heard: "The Emperor has arrived!"

Okay! Now you have to get up and wait, wait for the emperor to come in, then ascend to the throne, and then salute the emperor.

The emperor was accompanied by several ministers from the court.

At this moment, it seemed that the more leaky time was coming, and there were nine more whips: the Supreme Emperor had arrived.

The Fourth Master saw with his own eyes that Emperor Zhenglong got up from his seat, and then a eunuch cleverly moved another chair and placed it sideways to the east.

Then the Fourth Master followed the crowd and knelt down to greet the Supreme Emperor.

During this process, he really wanted to look up and take a look, and he almost couldn't contain his eagerness. Until the Supreme Emperor sat on the chair in the middle, and Emperor Zhenglong sat on the newly moved chair to the east. Over there

The Supreme Emperor shouted, and the Fourth Master stood up and then raised his eyes to take a look.

But this one sight also made his heart beat wildly.

At this time, he really only had one feeling, and that was that there was a certain destiny.

Back then, Huang Ama deposed his second brother. Now, the second brother named Huang Ama and became the Supreme Emperor.

Is that the same thing?

He was a relative, but not a relative. The fourth master slowly calmed down little by little.

When we sat down, no one was talking nonsense. The test papers rolled up and tied into a bundle came down.

Then read the questions without any distractions, review them, think about them, and polish them by the way.

He is familiar with his Emperor Ama, and also knows his second brother. If the insinuation comes here, then in addition to their different identities, are their interests and hobbies also quite similar? If so, then their thinking patterns,

Naturally, the views on the problem should be similar.

If this is the case, then when it comes to exams, you cannot include too many of your own opinions. There must be something in the article that can impress both the Supreme Emperor and Emperor Zhenglong.

But this time the test questions were actually about the sea ban.

Marquis Jinghai moved the capital from the west coast to the west, which was a signal. Of course, in order to protect itself, Marquis Jinghai's mansion must have tried its best to promote this matter.

Yes! The coast is not stable, and the court cannot spare any money to appease the border. A sea ban can temporarily maintain peace in the short term.

If it continues for a long time, this will inevitably become another policy of sealing off borders and locking down the country.

Therefore, Fourth Master took a compromise approach and divided it into two parts: short-term and long-term policies. He believed that within 30 to 50 years, a temporary phased sea ban is feasible. In the long term, using these 30 to 50 years,

Rectifying coastal defense, building strong ships and cannons, and training naval forces are the only ways to achieve long-term peace and stability.

The Supreme Emperor was old, so he must have advocated a sea ban. But this gap was opened. In the future, if Emperor Zhenglong wanted to impose a sea ban, he would inevitably overturn the Supreme Emperor's decree. There are a lot of wranglings in this process.

Fourth Master’s article covers both ends. This is the examiner’s favorite article, no one else.
To be continued...