A Complete Explanation of the Negative Textbooks of the Imperial Examination

Chapter 125: Consort

    On the sixth day of the tenth lunar month, Xiao Jingduo, the governor of Kunzhou, visited the minister of the Ministry of Industry.

    Xiao Jingduo went to the Ministry of Industry to visit the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Qian Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry looked at the young man in front of him with complicated thoughts.

    Some time ago, there was a big change of blood in the court, and many children of the poor family who were released by the imperial examination replaced the gentry that have been passed down from generation to generation. The high-level officials vacated many vacancies. The officials of the fourth and fifth rank were promoted, and a large number of middle and basic officials were vacated to the young and vigorous jinshi.

    Yang Shangshu relied on this trend, and was promoted from servant to Shangshu. Shangshu has a prime minister’s name, and Shilang is the deputy of Shangshu. He has been in the deputy position of Shilang for many years. In his dreams, he wanted to be promoted to prime minister. do things.

    The Ministry of Industry is the last of the six departments, and has always had no sense of existence. Yang Shangshu stood in this position. In front were legendary figures such as Duan Gong and Yuan Xiang, who were well-known founders of the country, and in the back were a group of rookies like Xiao Jingduo and Xia Zhiheng, who were about to become the Gan Ning era. It is a legend of the times, and Yang Shangshu is sandwiched between these two groups of people, how bad it is.

    Promotions in the officialdom are full of routines. The group with the best career development are all expatriates, and then they return to Beijing to be a member of the Sixth Department, first from the Ministry of Industry , The Ministry of Rites and other lower departments started, and slowly moved to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War. After sitting in the Langzhong, he went to Wangzhou to serve as a few governors. If he could move back smoothly, he would start from the Shilang, ascend from the lower to the upper, and then switch to the lower minister, and then slowly move back to the upper minister.

    This is the most ideal way to advance, but for decades, successful people can be counted with one palm. Yang Shangshu originally thought that such a good career path could only be achieved in a dream, but he never imagined that one day his deputy would become such a model.

    Yang Shangshu sighed with emotion and sadness. He was forty when he was a servant, and it took more than ten years before he hit the big luck and became a Shangshu, and Xiao Jingduo this year At only twenty-five, he became the youngest vice-chancellor in the court.

    Yang Shangshu knew that Xiao Jingduo would leave the Ministry of Industry sooner or later, and it was to be expected that he would become his peer in a few years, so Yang Shangshu did not embarrass Xiao Jingduo much, Do your best to be sympathetic to both parties.

    Xiao Jingduo paid tribute to the servant of the Ministry of Industry, and the people in the mansion of the Marquis of Chengxi were very happy, and it was very lively for a while. In addition to the Shangshu, the six ministers are the largest servants and are known as vice ministers. It is only a matter of time before a person who can sit as a servant is promoted to prime minister.

    Xiao Jingduo in Chang’an has become a model for educating children in various schools. The highest-ranking general in the military, with both civil and military skills, is called Chang’an’s proud horseshoe disease, and the most inspirational thing is that he was admitted to the jinshi by himself, and then stepped into the officialdom and created a legend.

    For many years after that, whether in private schools or in the Imperial College, many masters would hold a ruler in one hand and say, “I want you to study hard, but you won’t listen, look! Looking at the current Marquis of Chengxi Xiao Jingduo, he was born as a jinshi, and then…”

    In October, Xiao Jingduo went to the Ministry of Industry, and in November, Dingyong Houfu sent Wu Junru to the temple far away. If the Marquis of Dingyong still had luck in their hearts, and when they saw it in October, Xiao Jingduo had become the deputy prime minister, and it was clear that they didn’t like Wu Junru. If they still served Wu Junru well and deliberately opposed Xiao Jingduo, wouldn’t they be blocked in their minds? mud?

    Wu Junru was immediately abandoned. When making this decision, Xiao Ying was not touched, and the old lady didn’t even blink her eyelids. A man who can cruelly give up his wife for the future, why does he think his next wife will be an exception?

& nbsp; Their mother may really be doing it for their own good, but it’s true that they have always been depressed when they grow up.

    “Wu Junru was sent away?” Under the lamp, Xiao Jingduo closed the book and asked.

    “Yes, we went to see that temple, and the Wu family did clean up in that place.”

    “What about the others, didn’t they say anything?”

    The subordinate paused and said, “Only Lord Shilang and Liu Niangzi cried. Lord Shilang wanted to see the Wu family, but was stopped by the fourth lady. already.”

    “He’s married…” Xiao Jingduo was very emotional. Hearing this, many pictures and speculations appeared in the subordinate’s mind, but they did not dare to accept it.

    Xiao Jingduo didn’t know what to think of, but after thinking for a while, he let out a soft breath. He regained his senses and continued to ask, “In this way, this Zhou family is not a fuel-efficient lamp.”

    Subordinates feel the same.

    The strong and eccentric mother-in-law Wu has left, and the happiest one is the new Zhou. Wu Junru was afraid of the Empress Dowager Cui’s incident, so she married Xiao Jingye before Xiao Jingduo came back. In fact, men generally get married late, Xiao Jingye is too early to marry at his age, not to mention his unmarried eldest brother Xiao Jingduo. Although Xiao Jingduo was separated, it was not a good thing for a man to get married prematurely.

    But Wu Junru firmly believed that she was for the good of her son, and regardless of her son’s wishes, she married the knowledgeable, gentle and capable Mrs. Zhou. Xiao Jingye had rejected this marriage from the very beginning. As soon as Zhou Niang entered the door, Xiao Jingye had a concubine not long after.

    At this time, the folk customs were open, but the orthodox etiquette was very strict. A wife was a wife, and a concubine was a concubine. Marrying a flat wife is a joke. Only women of the same family and family can become wives, and women of good origin from commoners can be accepted as concubines. Under the prevailing climate of jealousy, it is difficult to spoil a concubine and destroy his wife. With the dual blessings of family background and etiquette, Mrs. Zhou is not afraid of a concubine, but it does not prevent her from tossing Xiao Jingye’s concubine.

    Miss Zhou also resented her mother-in-law. It’s strange to see Wu Junru’s goodness. Xiao Jingye wanted to see Wu Junru secretly, but the Zhou family was unwilling. At this time, she was already tied to Xiao Jingye. What if she offended Xiao Jingduo for this?

    Xiao Jingduo sighed: “Looking at her daughter-in-law’s eyes, Wu Junru is wrong again. Zhou’s appearance is weak, but inside is tolerant. Some are messed up.”

    Xiao Ying’s career is sluggish.

    Subordinates agreed, he did not forget to pat the boss’s flattery, saying: “Their family’s vision is not good, even picking a daughter-in-law is far inferior to Hou Hou. Lord, the future mistress of our Chengxihou Mansion will definitely be more generous and sympathetic than the Zhou family.”

    “No.” Xiao Jingduo said indifferently, “She will only be more cunning and tossing than Zhou.”

    These words are very difficult to answer.

    Xiao Jingduo’s appointment to the Ministry of Industry was really just a transition. After he served as the minister of the Ministry of Industry for six months, Xiao Jingduo moved to the Ministry of War and was appointed as the minister of the fourth rank of the Ministry of War.

    The Ministry of Military Affairs is in charge of military generals. After Xiao Jingduo took office, many people in the army were afraid. The most fearful thing about martial artists is that they have culture, and this kind of martial arts practitioners who can be admitted to the jinshi exam is especially scary. Xiao Jingduo has a title of nobility behind him, and he also bears the untold military exploits of destroying the Turks, Potuyuhun, and Pingzheng Liang. It can be said that he has fought both civil and foreign wars, and his confidence is quite strong. How can such a person be the deputy minister of the Ministry of War. Muddle through.

    Xiao Jingduo returned to the Ministry of War once again, and his status has changed from a member of a foreigner to a servant, and his status and status are no longer the same. For all military generals, the most important thing to not offend is the Ministry of War, just as civil officials dare not offend the Ministry of Personnel. The promotion of military generals is under the control of the Ministry of War, and even the provisions, dispatching, and recruitment for future wars are all in the Ministry of War.

    Xiao Jingduo has been in the Ministry of War for a few years, which can be said to be the nightmare of all generals. In his hands, he holds the power to promote the generals, and there is also the news of Yin Xiaowei in secret to support him. Many noble children who rely on the shadow of their ancestors to eat and drink, detour when they see Xiao Jingduo from a distance, and their good days are gone forever.

    Xiao Ying is also a military commander. Military attachés above the third rank and generals who lead troops during the war are all appointed by the emperor. Although Xiao Ying is at the same level as Xiao Jingduo, but Xiao Jingduo is in the Ministry of War, and Xiao Ying is in the army, how can they talk on the same day? The rank of civil servants is different from that of military officers. It turned out that Xiao Jingduo was a second-rank governor, and later he was transferred to a fourth-rank servant. Everyone came to celebrate his promotion. Xiao Jingduo and Xiao Ying are both of the fourth rank, but in fact, Xiao Jingduo is Xiao Ying’s superior, or the kind who holds the lifeline.

    Because of the public opinion in this world, Xiao Jingduo can’t really do anything to Xiao Ying, but there are too many ways to make Xiao Ying uncomfortable. Xiao Jingduo didn’t need to do anything, just put a name on the promotion list, and he didn’t even need to do it himself. As long as he hinted one or two, the subordinates wouldn’t hand over Xiao Ying’s name at all.

    The son’s official position surpassed his father’s, and he was even secretly suppressing it. Xiao Ying was very angry at this recognition, but he couldn’t even find a place to make a statement. In history, it is not uncommon for a son to avoid his father because his father was a high-ranking official in the DPRK, but this is the first instance of a father avoiding his son.

    Xiao Ying suddenly thought that many years ago, in order to drive away Xiao Jingduo, Wu Junru specially invited the master to come back to exorcise the house. The master once said that Xiao Jingduo’s son Kefu Kedi, In the future, the luck of the house will be blocked. Xiao Ying didn’t believe it at the time. He thought it was Wu Junru’s bribe and said this on purpose, but just in case, Xiao Ying still sent Xiao Jingduo to the temple. Later, by accident, Xiao Jingduo went to Qingyuan Temple, a royal monastery. Perhaps from that time onwards, they had taken a fork in the road.

    The weather is gradually getting hotter. In June, the Queen Mother De’an’s filial piety was removed.

    As soon as the filial piety came out, the people of the Chengxihou mansion picked a date suitable for ground breaking and went to the Dingyonghou mansion to move Zhao Xiulan’s tablet. After Zhao Xiulan’s death, the tablet has been parked in Dingyonghou’s mansion. Even if Xiao Ying did not want to admit Zhao Xiulan as his wife, he did not dare to disrespect ghosts and gods, so Zhao Xiulan stayed in the ancestral hall of Dingyonghou’s mansion. Now, Xiao Jingduo opened another house by himself, and even the ancestral temple was dedicated to it. After that, his children will all be the Xiao family of Chengxihou’s house, and they will have nothing to do with Dingyonghou’s house.

    Xiao Jingduo had just built the mansion, the ancestral hall was very cold, and moving Mrs. Tai back to the mansion was the biggest thing. On this day, the Chengxihou mansion was busy early, and the Dingyonghou mansion also prepared incense candles, waiting for Xiao Jingduo to come. In the absence of Wu Junru, Zhongfu of Hou’s mansion had to change the host, and the Zhou family just grabbed the right to manage this matter because she was the grandson-in-law.

    Xiao Jingduo put on the sacrificial clothes, he watched everyone kneel and worship, and then Zhao Xiulan’s tablet was lifted from the confession, covered with a whisk, and respectfully sent to Cheng Cheng Xihou House. The move-out ceremony has ended, and the rest is to enshrine the tablet in the new ancestral hall.

    When he watched all this, his face was calm, neither sad nor happy. Many years ago, he vowed to rectify Zhao Xiulan’s name, and then take her away from this sad place forever. At that time, the setting sun was like blood. At that time, he was young and lonely, covered in thorns. Now that he has really fulfilled his oath, Xiao Jingduo is calmer than he imagined.

    Xiao Jingduo clearly realized for the first time that he and the Dingyong Houfu were already a completely different class. He has a bright future and holds a high position of power, and he is the mansion of Yonghou, which is about to decline and has serious conflicts.

    “Let’s go.” Xiao Jingduo whispered, and the people behind him immediately crossed their hands and agreed.

    As soon as Mr. Zhou got out and drove out, he saw a man in a solemn black sacrificial uniform walking slowly along the wooden corridor. His face was jade-like, but his eyes were sharp, and the servants behind him also raised their chests with murderous aura.

    “Big brother!” Zhou Shi called out, catching up with Xiao Jingduo with his skirt, “Big brother, it’s not over yet, why are you leaving? Grandma I’m still inside with a few aunts, it’s so hot outside, why don’t you go in and talk?”

    Xiao Jingduo didn’t say anything, just glanced at her very coldly: “What’s the matter?”

    “It doesn’t matter, we are all a family, just talk about common things…” With the ready-made court officials in front of us, it would be foolish for the Zhou family not to use them . Seeing that Xiao Jingduo forced Wu Junru away and moved Zhao Xiulan back to her mansion, she thought that Xiao Jingduo valued kinship and family very much, so she started from Zhao Xiulan’s weakness: “Eldest brother deliberately came to move mother-in-law’s remains, it is really filial, if mother-in-law knows that brother is like this Heart…”

    “Stop.” Xiao Jingduo interrupted Zhou mercilessly, “Your mother-in-law is Wu, don’t scream. My mother’s mother-in-law, Not everyone can shout.”

    Zhou’s face flushed with embarrassment. Zhao Xiulan was the wife of her father-in-law. She called her mother-in-law in order to be close. But Zhao Xiulan has only one son, Xiao Jingduo, who can call Zhao Xiulan her mother-in-law, and only Xiao Jingduo’s future wife in the whole world. When Zhou shi shouted, he didn’t think about it, he really didn’t expect this one, it was really embarrassing.

    “When the slave speaks, his brain is not enough, please don’t blame it. Brother, the slave ordered the kitchen to prepare the meal. Do you want to keep the meal?”

    “It is not necessary.”

    “Big brother, big brother…”

    Zhou was still shouting from behind, and Xiao Jingduo had gone far.

    Xiao Jingduo walked out of Dingyonghou Mansion without looking back. His final involvement with the Dingyong Marquis Mansion was finally cut off.

    Although the sun is still hot, the treetops are yellow with the autumn wind.

    Since the end of Empress Dowager De’an’s filial piety, Empress Dowager Xia frequently urged Rong Ke to get married. , live alone.

    Rong Ke migrated, and the people below followed. People come and go every day in Princess Qianning’s mansion, and there are many salutations. Some people come to discuss court affairs, and some people Come and vote.

    The Marquis of Chengxi and Princess Qianning’s mansion are only separated by a street, which is convenient for Xiao Jingduo to find Rong Ke to discuss things, and it is more convenient for Rong Ke to run around.

    After all, in the palace, it is not as comfortable as living in your own princess mansion.

    Rong Ke came to Chengxihou’s mansion to relax again, she saw Xiao Jingduo, her eyes flashed slightly: “What’s the matter? You don’t look in a good mood. look.”

    Xiao Jingduo returned to his senses, smiled lightly, and asked, “Is there any?”

    “Yes, obviously.”

    Xiao Jingduo didn’t notice anything wrong with his expression, when Jing Rongke said this, he no longer concealed it, and sighed: “I took my mother’s remains And the tablet has moved over.”

    Rong Ke also knew about Xiao Jingduo’s family. Hearing what he said, Rong Ke was silent. After a while, she said, “My condolences. If Mrs. Zhao has a spirit in the sky, she must be happy to see this scene.”

    “I just regret, if this day could have been earlier.”

    “You were only ten years old when Mrs. Zhao left. It is very rare that you can recover justice and defend your mother. , you can’t do anything at ten, can you?”

    Yes, and Xiao Jingduo also knew that Zhao Xiulan died of illness that year, mostly because of her own heart disease. Physical illness can blame Dingyong Houfu for delaying the illness, but for mental illness, who can blame? He really did his best.

    Xiao Jingduo sighed: “I’m the one who’s at the point. Everyone has their own choice, I shouldn’t force it.”

    Seeing that Xiao Jingduo’s mood was getting better, Rong Ke also smiled: “Exactly. Although I hear it often, I have never been able to see Mrs. Zhao’s deity. Now, I’ll go burn a stick of incense for Madam.”

    Although the deceased is a big one, Rong Ke is a princess after all. She is willing to say this to make Xiao Jingduo feel relieved. Xiao Jingduo was grateful for Rong Ke’s thoughtfulness and said, “Thank you.”

    Xiao Jingduo took Rong Ke to the ancestral hall, put three incense sticks on Zhao Xiulan, then lit the incense candle and handed it to Rong Ke. Rong Ke took the incense stick, bowed to Zhao Xiulan’s tablet, and stepped forward to insert it into the incense burner.

    After coming out of the ancestral hall, Xiao Jingduo’s eyes really relaxed a lot. Xiao Jingduo remembered that when Zhao Xiulan just died, he met Rong Ke in the backstreet of Dingyonghou Mansion. He asked, “Do you remember one year when you ran out of Ci’an Temple and almost fell off the horse. At that time, you dared to ride out alone to play before the horse’s legs were high.”

    “You stop talking nonsense. I was five or six years old at that time, how could I not have horse legs?”

    “It’s true.” Xiao Jingduo wanted to laugh when he remembered the scene at that time, “I remember a needle was stabbed at the back of the horse’s tail. The foot was enough, and the horse was swept away by the tail.”

    Rong Ke firmly did not believe that, in her opinion, she was perfect from childhood to adulthood, how could there be such a history?

    In Xiao Jingduo’s mind, every grass and tree and every move at that time were in front of him, and he could even remember what clothes Rong Ke was wearing at that time, What color is that horse’s mane. Maybe he told Rong Ke that it was just an attempted stealth game, but to Xiao Jingduo, it was the only light in his despair, the meeting he was most grateful for when he grew up so much. If he hadn’t gone to the backyard and met Rong Ke that day, many things in the future would not have happened, and he would not have been able to walk side by side with Rong Ke like he does now, laughing casually about his childhood.

    Rong Ke didn’t know what Xiao Jingduo was thinking, she looked at the flowers and trees on both sides of Chengxihou’s mansion, and pointed with a smile: “Here should be planted begonia, here is planted Peony, such a deep and beautiful flowers and trees, blooming at four seasons, it is interesting to enjoy the scenery in the courtyard.”

    Xiao Jingduo smiled: “I really haven’t noticed this. Since you like it, then do as you say.”

    The two of them gradually came to a corner. This is an open space where many golden chrysanthemums are planted. After seeing it, Rong Ke said, “It’s not good to plant chrysanthemums here. The chrysanthemum should be placed in the front, along with the seasonal flowers such as bauhinia and peony. Putting it here alone is a bit of a waste. Such a large open space should be planted with a larger tree.”

    “What do you like?”

    “I like a lot of plum groves. It’s best to plant red plums and white plums together.”

    “Alright, let’s grow plums here.”

    Qinghan followed Gan Ning and Xiao Jingduo around the yard, when she heard Xiao Jingduo’s words, Qinghan secretly slandered, what the princess likes, just plant it in the princess mansion, plant it What happened in the Chengxihou Mansion?

    Sure enough, Rong Ke smiled: “Your own mansion, what do I like to do?”

    “You plant it here because you like it.”

    Whose courtyard is not taken care of the way the owner likes, Qinghan can’t close her mouth in surprise when she hears these words.

    Rong Ke just replied with a faint smile, not saying good or rude.

    Rong Ke and Xiao Jingduo stood and talked for a while, then walked towards the front. Qinghan followed behind, almost tripping herself over.

    Could it be…is it…is that so? Qinghan looked up at Xiao Jingduo’s back. No wonder, when Princess Ganning gave 100 servants, Xiao Jingduo directly handed over the housekeeping power to them. Qinghan originally wondered why Xiao Jingduo didn’t worry about waiting for the new lady to enter the door in the future. Would you be embarrassed to see these servants who were given and in power? Now it seems that no wonder Xiao Jingduo never worries about the future wife’s self-harm.

    Qinghan and these people were originally Ganning’s old slaves, how could Ganning not be used to it?

    Qinghan silently touched her arm, it was terrible, her new master and old master were terrible.

    After Qinghan discovered this incident by accident, perhaps not by accident, it should be said that after she finally figured out this matter, she has been paying attention to Xiao Jingduo and The movement between Rong Ke. After visiting the park, the two seemed to have smashed some window paper, and they laughed more obviously.

    After the autumn cold became deeper, Xiao Jingduo accompanied Rong Ke on horseback to relax, Qinghan stood by the racecourse and stared silently, and Xia Lan also stood aside and watched the two people. The eyes of Qinghan and Xia Lan accidentally collided, and the pair of maids who had worked together looked at each other and looked away tacitly.

    I always feel that they are going to work together again.

    The maid opened the curtain for Rong Ke and smiled attentively: “His Royal Highness came down! It snowed again last night, Your Highness was not frozen, right?”

    Rong Ke entered the hall, her fox collar was covered with fine snow chips, and her face was almost whiter than the fur on her collar. She put the hand stove in the hand of the palace maid, then raised her chin and let the palace maid take off her white fox fur.

    “Mother is in there?”

    “The Queen Mother is in the inner hall, Her Highness is coming with me.”

    Rong Ke walked to the innermost palace, and saw a room full of splendid flowers, Empress Dowager Xia was sitting on the Hu bed, next to a game of backgammon, she had already left half.

    Seeing Rong Ke coming over, the maid who played chess with the Queen Mother immediately got up, knelt down and salutes: “Your Highness is well.”

    The Empress Dowager Xia waved to Rong Ke with a smile: “Let’s leave the court today, every day I see you, I have to discuss matters with the courtiers. They are all on vacation, and they can be considered to be able to rest for half a month.”

    “Yes. I haven’t been here for a few days to greet my mother, and please don’t blame my mother.”

    “It’s okay, I’m idle in the palace, if I get bored, I’ll just call two people in to talk. But you, a daughter’s house, have to live Outside the palace, there is no one to speak to.” Empress Dowager Xia’s complexion is now crystal clear, her eyebrows are stretched, and she is very comfortable at a glance. How can I be uncomfortable, there were originally three queen mothers in the palace, Rong Kedou fell two, and now only the queen mother Xia is left in the harem. The empress dowager is different from the queen and the crown prince. The empress dowager is specially used to enjoy happiness. In addition, with Rong Ke and Rong Lang there, the wives do not hold Empress Dowager Xia vigorously in order to vote for Rong Ke’s favor.

    Rong Ke actually felt comfortable living outside the palace, she said: “The Princess Palace has been built for many years, but it is not good that it is always vacant. Besides, I live in Outside, it is more convenient to discuss matters with courtiers.” Entering the palace is so tedious, it takes a long time to walk, but entering the princess’s palace, the etiquette is much more casual.

    After hearing this, Empress Dowager Xia’s smile froze slightly. She pulled Rong Ke down and said, “Ke Ke, play backgammon with me.”

    “Good.”

    Rong Ke played chess, and he has never been afraid of playing chess since he was a child. He can even control how many pieces the opponent wins or loses. When she was a child, she was able to deliberately lose only a little to Gaozu, so as to make her grandfather happy, and now playing backgammon with Queen Mother Xia is really no challenge.

    Rong Ke moves chess with ease and is very relaxed. After a few steps down, the Queen Mother Xia said: “Ke Ke, you are a woman, and it’s not good to let foreign men enter and leave your mansion.”

    “Mother, think of my princess mansion as the regent mansion. They are ministers, not just men.”

    “You’re twenty-one during the Chinese New Year, are you still unwilling to get married? You originally said that you would be filial to the Queen Mother, so just keep it, I won’t force you , but the period of filial piety ends in June this year, why are you still unwilling to get married?”

    “I want to get married, but I have to catch up with it later. I’m going to implement the Nongsang New Deal this year, I’m afraid I won’t have time.”

    The Empress Dowager Xia was clearly relieved when she heard Rong Ke’s words, and even had a faint candidate. The Queen Mother Xia put down the horse-shaped wooden chess in her hand and stopped playing chess. She asked with a straight face, “Who is it?”

    “Mother, what do you think of Xiao Jingduo?”

    “The Marquis of Chengxi Xiao Jingduo?”

    “No, I’m just asking what you think of him.”

    The Queen Mother Xia slapped the chessboard with a slap in the face, knocking down all the chess players standing on the sandalwood board.

    “I disagree.”