A Complete Explanation of the Negative Textbooks of the Imperial Examination

Chapter 115: Give Way

When I walked out of the Wude Hall, the wind of late summer was blowing on my face, and I was immediately refreshed.

The Hall of Wude is getting farther and farther away, and Rong Ke and Xiao Jingduo don’t have to worry about talking. Rong Ke lowered his voice and said to Xiao Jingduo: “This time you found out very timely, otherwise, you would have been caught off guard by them.”

“I didn’t expect that her heart would be so big.” Even the queen mother in the palace dared to reach out.

“Boldness and carefulness are what ordinary people can’t do. Although your stepmother’s methods are inferior, her temperament is very ruthless, and her bizarre ideas are really hard to guard against.”

He was silent for a while, and said, “It’s all over. Now, even if she has more means, I won’t let her succeed.”

Now he will not let the same tragedy happen again.

Rong Ke sighed: “Yes, it’s over. Your stepmother is really persevering and thinks of you in everything, but this time, she has caused herself a lot of trouble.”

It turns out that although Wu Junru is vicious, she mostly acts on her stepson. But this time, she dared to extend her hand to the harem and lost the bet. Even the aristocratic family couldn’t take her back.

What’s more, the Cui family of Qinghe will be in great trouble. For Xiao Jingduo, Wu Junru was just a trivial accessory while bringing down the Cui family.

“You find a monkey for me these few days. If you want to be smart, you should tie it in front of the Taiji Temple, which is the road that everyone walks when going up. I want to see , how long can she last.”

Xiao Jingduo was a little sad, but he couldn’t help laughing when he heard this sentence: “You really plan to do this?”

“Yeah. Why not?” Rong Ke said confidently, “Since she doesn’t admit it, then I’ll give her a try in front of the civil and military officials to see if she dares to plot against it. I!”

“You really…” Xiao Jingduo couldn’t help but want to laugh, “Where did you learn your tricks?”

Although Xiao Jingduo thought it was ridiculous, it didn’t affect his work at all. Not long after, a monkey was **** in front of the Taiji Temple, which was majestic and a symbol of supreme imperial power.

The **** sprinkled a spoonful of diamond powder on the monkey’s meal in front of the civil and military officials, and when he turned around, he saw the ministers wearing red and purple, and the **** smiled: “Good luck, all ministers! Empress Dowager Wu was poisoned, and His Highness wanted to know if the culprit was this kind of stone powder, so he raised a monkey here. By the way, when the results come out, I would like to ask you to be a witness.”

In less than a day, everyone from the princes of the palace to the common people will know the story of the monkey and the Queen Mother Cui. That monkey was very lively, not afraid of people at all, sitting in front of the Taiji Hall, squealing and screaming, every palace official passed by and couldn’t help but glance at the monkey.

His Royal Highness Gan Ning does things like this.

The Empress Dowager Cui was so angry that she vomited blood, and now she felt like the monkey in the Taiji Temple that was admired by others. Empress Dowager Cui gritted her teeth: “Gan Ning she is just… deceiving too much!”

“The Queen Mother, what can we do here?”

“How do I know! This idiot, at the time, he clearly said that this method of killing people will be invisible, and in the end no one will notice it. But how long has it been? Right here! She hides and disappears, and Aijia has to cover her again.”

“The Empress Dowager calms down.” The palace maid persuaded carefully, “How about I invite Mrs. Dingyong Hou to the palace?”

The Empress Dowager Cui sneered: “What do you want her to do? Listen to her cry, or to hear her say she is innocent?” King, please come here.”

In Dingyonghou’s mansion, Wu Junru also fell to the ground in despair after hearing what happened to the upper side.

The maid asked, “Madam, what’s the matter with you?”

Wu Junru didn’t realize it, and said to herself: “What does this have to do with me… I just came up with an idea, the real layout is done by the Queen Mother Cui. That’s right. , I haven’t left any traces, even if they suspect, what can they do to me?”

“Madam, what traces, what are you talking about?”

Wu Junru couldn’t hear anything and shouted, “Go find Shilang-kun!”

Xiao Jingye was in class when he was called in a hurry, very strange: “Mother, are you looking for me?”

“Jingye, how is your homework?”

Xiao Jingye thought there was something urgent, but Wu Junru was asking these questions. Xiao Jingye’s arm was sorely pinched by Wu Junru, and his expression became cold: “It’s still good. What does mother want to do?”

“You are thirteen this year, and you will be fourteen this year. How about you participate in next year’s spring festival? If you can become the champion, your mother will be able to follow you, and your sister, too. Can shine.”

“Participate in the Spring Festival?” Xiao Jingye thought it was absurd, “I’m so old now, why should I be in such a hurry? Besides, even if I apply, I can’t pass the test, so why not settle for a few years before going.”

“I’m doing this for your own good! Be famous as soon as possible, look at that, isn’t it a jinshi at the age of sixteen! He can do it, why can’t you? You have to do better than him Good. It’s August now, just in time, I’ll go and sign up for you at the Ministry of Rites in a few days.”

Xiao Jingye wanted to express her objection, but Wu Junru seemed to be stunned, so she decided to let Xiao Jingye sign up for Chunwei. Xiao Jingye looked at his mother, and felt unhappy in his heart. He turned his head and just happened to meet Xiao Yuya at the door.

…

It was Rong Ke who was framing her. The eldest regent and the empress dowager are biting tightly, and for a while, no one pays attention to the matter of the report.

The famous post of the imperial examinations was sent to the Ministry of Rites, and the director of the Department of Rites put the copy of the famous post in Xiao Jingduo’s hand, and said: “Lang Zhong, I see a person named Xiao Jingye on next year’s Spring Festival. Yes…”

Hearing the master’s question, he replied, “It’s my brother.”

The imperial examination is over. Since it is Xiao Langzhong’s younger brother who entered the examination, does that mean…”

The more the chief spoke, the lower his voice, Xiao Jingduo kept waiting for him to finish, but wanted to see what he dared to say. The principal didn’t dare to point it out to the end, Xiao Jingduo smiled lightly, and then said, “What does his imperial examination have to do with me? The principal doesn’t have to think so much, just do whatever he wants.”

“Don’t you need to arrange a better place for your brother in Gongyuan?”

“The principal is careful, this is a favoritism.”

The chief suddenly shut his mouth, and looked around to make sure that no one around heard him, he was relieved: “Xiao Langzhong really likes to joke, and now that he has ears, these words can’t be said. .”

Ears naturally refer to Gan Ning’s minions and lackeys, Yin Xiaowei.

Xiao Jingduo just smiled when he heard this, and his eyes became cold when he looked at the principal: “I’m not joking.”

The boss shuddered inexplicably: “Ah? Oh, well, my subordinates understand.”

A grey nose.”

“Xiao Lang is proud of his youth, has military merit and a title, isn’t it?” The head of the ancestral hall approached and whispered, “I heard that he is also trusted by the eldest princess, and his temperament Bigger, totally confident.”

The two principals looked at each other, and both waved their hands to indicate that this person could not be provoked. The Ministry of Rites is one of the six departments. Although it is not a key department in the Shangshu Province, the Ministry of Rites is in charge of sacrifices, canonizations and tributes, and it is also a clear and important department that everyone outside. The chief of the “Ministry” of the Ministry of Rites is the minister, commonly known as the prime minister, and the deputy chief is the servant. There are four divisions under the department, the chief of the “division” level is Langzhong, and the deputy chief is Yuanwailang. Among the four divisions of the Ministry of Rites, the head of the Ministry of Rites, and Xiao Jingduo is the head of the Ministry of Rites. It can be said that in the Ministry of Rites, apart from the rare ministers and servants, Xiao Jingduo is the largest of the Ministry of Rites. The head of the Ministry of Rites was willing to vote for Xiao Jingduo’s favor, but unexpectedly, he was reprimanded instead.

After listening to the complaint from the head of the Ritual Department, the head of the Temple Department asked curiously, “What did you do to be buried?”

“I saw a person named Xiao Jingye on the list, the name is similar, I thought that most of them were related to Xiao Lang, so I asked Xiao Langzhong, whether it is necessary to give his brother a convenience. No. Thinking of it, I was scolded by him for favoritism.”

It’s very unpleasant, you haven’t seen him have an independent door, have you opened a mansion yourself, you ask him about his stepmother’s younger brother, isn’t this going to be buried!”

“There is such a thing!” The head of the Ministry of Rites was surprised, and he was a little anxious after thinking about the joints in between, “Then I can’t open which pot I can’t lift? What should I do with this Xiao Jingye? Need not…”

“No, just don’t know.”

The Empress Dowager Wu continued to vomit blood, and often suffered from severe abdominal pain, and could not even eat well. In the past few days, Empress Dowager Wu has lost weight quickly. Rong Ke sent the doctor from the Imperial Physician’s Office and the Monk Pharmacy Bureau to order Haosheng to treat Empress Dowager Wu. In order to show her innocence, Empress Dowager Cui often stood in the Hall of Wude. Although the matter of diamond powder has not yet come to a conclusion, but in private, the mistresses are on guard against this kind of murder that is invisible.

In the second year of Qianyuan, the system was added, and Rong Ke recruited more than 20 children from poor families to enter the court. The imperial examination in the third year of Qianyuan was also much earlier. Just after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the spring season begins. Ten days later, the Ministry of Rites placed a list on the east wall.

The students were waiting outside the east wall of the Ministry of Rites early, waiting for the announcement. Xiao Jingye also mingled in the crowd, and a lifter from the same field came over and said, “Xiao Shilang, who do you think are the people who were lifted this time?”

“How did I find out.”

“Your eldest brother is the eldest brother of the Ribu, don’t you know?”

Xiao Jingye pursed his lips, not wanting to talk. Since he participated in the imperial examinations, Xiao Jingduo has been constantly mentioned in front of him, no, since he began to study and set foot on the imperial examination, the shadow of Xiao Jingduo has always shrouded him.

Yes, he has an excellent eldest brother, a 16th jinshi, a 20th nobility, and 22nd a fifth grader, half of his foot into the circle of high officials. Everyone felt that Xiao Jingduo had a promising future, and he, the half-brother, would always be shrouded in Xiao Jingduo’s shadow, and even his mother kept comparing him to Xiao Jingduo.

Xiao Jingye really hates this kind of comparison from the bottom of his heart. Over the years, he has been forced to do things he doesn’t like, but Wu Junru is always beside him every day. He is the hope of the whole family. In the early days, he supported his mother and sister, and he wanted to catch up with his brother… Xiao Jingye was sometimes out of breath, but then he comforted himself, he could do it, his resources were better than Xiao Jingduo since he was a child, and what Xiao Jingduo could do , there’s no reason he can’t do it.

Xiao Jingye raised his head and looked at the door of the Ministry of Rites expectantly.

Firecrackers and bells and drums were played in the courtyard of the Ministry of Rites. Afterwards, the people of the Ministry of Rites opened the door and took out a yellow silk.

Many people rushed forward to see it, and the scene suddenly became noisy. Xiao Jingye squeezed into the crowd, looked up for a long time, and finally had to bow his head in despair.

Zhizi, who was in the same exam, saw him and came over to say: “Xiao Jingye, did you fail? It’s okay, you are only fourteen years old, and with your eldest brother here, sooner or later you will be able to make it to the gold medal list. By the way, is your eldest brother also a jinshi? If you are also admitted, then your family is a two-jinshi…”

Xiao Jingye said coldly: “He has already split up, and there will be no more scholars.” After speaking, he cut away the crowd and walked out.

Xiao Jingye didn’t want to go back to the Hou’s Mansion, or face his disappointed mother and sister. He wandered outside the Ministry of Rites, but he didn’t know where to go.

Suddenly the door of the Ministry of Rites opened, and many officials in red and green came out, saying goodbye to each other: “Xiao Langzhong is good to go.”

Xiao Jingye had an unknown fire in his heart.

The rest of the Ritual Department left, and gradually only Xiao Jingduo was left. Xiao Jingye followed quietly and was about to go out, but he opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound.

What does he want to call Xiao Jingduo, eldest brother? Or Chengxihou? Or Xiao Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites?

Before Xiao Jingye could think of a reason, he suddenly heard a cold voice coming from the front.

“Come out!”

Xiao Jingye was taken aback, he didn’t think his whereabouts would be revealed, he continued to hide behind the corner, and did not intend to show up. However, Xiao Jingduo turned around and looked precisely in Xiao Jingye’s direction: “Have you not come out yet?”

Xiao Jingye couldn’t lie to himself this time, he felt puzzled, how could Xiao Jingduo find him?

When Xiao Jingduo saw Xiao Jingye, he didn’t look surprised at all: “What do you want to do with me?”

Xiao Jingye walked out slowly and asked, “Why do you use power for personal gain and suppress my ranking?”

Speaking of this, he shook his head amusingly, he seldom smiled, such a smile seemed to stop even the snow, and floating gold was also beating in his eyes: “Why, do you think you don’t It’s probably because of me?”

Xiao Jingye also thinks this statement is extremely ridiculous, obviously Xiao Jingduo is not much older than him, but facing him, his momentum is always a little short: “You are in the Ministry of Rites, you are still the fifth rank Lang Zhong, if you did something, who would know?”

“It’s up to you if you want to think so, and I won’t accompany you.”

.”

. The steed was restless, leaping with hooves, but Xiao Jingduo always sat firmly on the horse. He tightened the reins a little, restrained the irritable mount, and then said to Xiao Jingye: “Go back and tell Wu Junru, if she always puts her hope in the wrong way, she will suffer backlash sooner or later. Is it so difficult to admit her failure? ?”

After saying this, he drew the reins and rode away. Xiao Jingye stopped in place and did not move for a long time. In the end, Xiao Jingye’s book boy couldn’t stand the cold and reminded, “Sirō-kun, it’s time for us to go back.”

“Is he and I really that much different?”

“No, how can this be done…” Shutong praised Xiao Jingye without thinking, but after going over and over again, he didn’t dare to say anything wrong with Xiao Jingduo.

Xiao Jingye raised his head and looked in the direction where Xiao Jingduo left. Snow dust was raised on the road, Xiao Jingduo’s back could no longer be seen, Xiao Jingye was facing the vast snow, and for the first time, he had a feeling of being both born and born.

Last winter’s snow was one after another, but this winter it didn’t snow much, but it was extremely cold, sharp and dry. Cheng Huizhen’s maid entered the door, still complaining about the weather: “what the hell, the weather was fine just now, but it snowed suddenly, it really froze to death. But it’s okay to snow, it’s not so dry, the lady’s wind chill It’s alright. Hey, madam?”

Cheng Huizhen is not in the house. She hid behind the corridor, watching the scene in disbelief.

The maid beside her was wrapped in a cape and spoke with a man in black. Across the wind, a few words floated intermittently.

“The Empress Dowager Wu has not been doing well these days, and the imperial doctor has no choice in the end… Yes, through the funeral of the Empress Dowager, the princess wants to attack King Zheng, just like King Jiang An… I have yet to know how to do it. Said, this is a secret, you have to keep it well, you can’t say a word…”

Cheng Huizhen turned around suddenly and leaned against the pillar, covering her mouth tightly.

What did she just hear? Empress Wu is going to die? Gan Ning still wants to attack King Zheng?

My God, how dare she be so bold! And even burying the eyeliner beside him, this is really terrifying!

Cheng Huizhen covered her mouth and moved back carefully. After finally walking away, Cheng Huizhen breathed a sigh of relief and accidentally stepped on a dead branch.

Cheng Hui was stunned in her heart, she didn’t care much, and immediately ran away.

This is the fastest speed Cheng Huizhen has ever had in her life. She ran to her room and was still out of breath. Xia Feng lifted the curtain and came in, and found that Cheng Huizhen’s cheeks were flushed and she was gasping for breath. It was very strange: “Miss, what’s the matter with you?”

“It’s okay.” Cheng Huizhen said with difficulty, “I went out for a walk, it was too cold, so I ran back by myself.”

Xia Feng looked at her softly: “Ma’am, how can you be so foolish, your body will not be able to bear it. Madam, please take it easy, I will make tea for you.”

When Xia Feng handed over a cup of hot tea, Cheng Huizhen took it with both hands and sighed comfortably. After a while, Cheng Huizhen asked, “Xia Feng, what time is it now?”

“It’s the end of the first month. Madam, what are you asking?”

“It’s nothing.” Cheng Huizhen lowered her eyes and carefully watched her fingers trembling slightly, not knowing whether it was excitement or cold, “My wind chill is almost better, tomorrow you hand the sign to the palace, I should It’s time to go back to the palace.”

“Okay.” Xia Feng responded, she was about to turn around and go out to arrange this, when she bumped into a little maid. “Why did you come back? You are so cold, don’t enter the house, lest you bump into the lady.”

Little maid Nuonuo agreed and went out backwards. Xia Feng was about to go out, but was called by Cheng Huizhen: “Xia Feng, what is the origin of this girl?”

“She? She was bought by Madam from the West Market a few days ago and sent to Niangzi to be a rough maid. Madam, why did you ask her all of a sudden?”

Cheng Huizhen snorted coldly. She had just wrapped her cape, and she still couldn’t see clearly. Now the little girl entered the door, just so that Cheng Huizhen could recognize the other party’s clothes. It was this girl who had just tipped off the man in black! She is Gan Ning’s spy, and maybe she is colluding with Yin Xiaowei. Cheng Hui really doesn’t want such a person.

“I don’t like this girl who is clumsy.” Cheng Huizhen said as casually as possible, “Just beat her out.”

Xia Feng looked at Cheng Huizhen, pursed her lips and smiled: “Since the lady doesn’t like it, just call it out. The lady will enter the palace tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll make arrangements now.”

After walking outside, Xia Feng directed the servants to prepare things for Cheng Huizhen to enter the palace. The little maid who just entered the house also wanted to come and help, but was stopped by Xia Feng: “You are clumsy, you are not needed here. Go and do the laundry.”

Other maids are gloating about the misfortune. Laundry in this weather is not a good job. The little maid walked out aggrievedly holding a basket of dirty clothes, and when she passed by, she raised her head and looked at Xia Feng. With just one glance, the two of them looked away one after another.

On the second day, Cheng Huizhen entered the palace and went straight to Empress Dowager Cui’s palace.

“The Queen Mother, I am Cheng Huizhen, I have something important to report.”