Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Qizhou, the eldest room of the Shen family’s old house…
Qizhou, Mr. Shen, the eldest son of the Shen family's old house, received a transfer order, ordering him to go to Beijing to serve as a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue.
Mr. Shen sighed, went to the Shen family ancestral hall, and lit a stick of incense in front of the ancestral tablet: "Father, since being implicated in the matter of the fourth son, thanks to the blessing of the eldest prince, the Shen family has finally had a chance to recover!"
"This time when the Shen family enters the capital, they will surely bring honor to the family and take back all the honors that belong to the Shen family."
Three days later, more than twenty people from the three branches of the Shen family got on the car and set off for the capital.
Only a few old servants and several illegitimate sons who had married into local prominent families were left in the Shen family's old house.
The Shen family's convoy consisted of more than ten vehicles. In addition to the master sitting in the carriage, there were also many household items and properties being transported, and the rest of the servants were walking slowly below.
The convoy stopped and started frequently, and stayed in an inn at night. It was not until seven days later that they arrived near the capital.
Mr. Shen had the convoy stop outside the capital and sent a servant into the capital to deliver the invitation.
An hour later, someone came on a tall horse to pick them up and took the Shen family to a four-story house in the northeast of the capital.
Officials above the fifth rank in the court all had their own special houses for accommodation.
This four-courtyard house was the one that Emperor Wu of Jin gave to Mr. Shen. It was located in the relatively quiet northeastern part of the capital, and his neighbors were all officials of similar rank to him.
This house is not that big, but it is spacious enough for the Shen family to live in the main house. But this time, three branches of the Shen family came together, so such a house seemed a little small to accommodate them.
The Shen family's motorcade arrived at the house, and several family members got out of the cars. After looking around the house, they said, "This house is really too small. It can't be compared with the old house in Qizhou."
"There are only four courtyards and three rooms. How can more than 20 people live here?"
"I think we need to rent another house. Let's go find a broker and ask."
…
This new house has only a main courtyard and two side courtyards in the east and west.
There are five good rooms in the main courtyard, which is enough for living. The house is big enough to accommodate the Shen family's eldest wife, the two legitimate sons Congbai and Congqing, and the two illegitimate sons Congfang and Congjin.
The east and west side courtyards are not big, and it would be a bit crowded for the ladies and masters from the second and third rooms, as well as the legitimate sons, to live there.
The only ones left were the second wife's legitimate son Cong Yu and illegitimate son Cong Min, the third wife's illegitimate sons Cong Yao and illegitimate sister Cong Xin, and the illegitimate brother Cong Shuang, who had nowhere to live, so they could only squeeze into the worse rooms in the back chambers with the concubines.
When they were in Qizhou in the past, each of them had their own courtyard. Now that I have arrived in Beijing, I naturally feel inconvenienced and can't help but complain a few words.
Master Shen was somewhat unhappy after hearing this, and he immediately said with a serious expression: "The capital is not like Qizhou, the house price is more than ten times more expensive, who will pay for the rent? Anyway, the government certainly does not have that much money, who thinks this house is too small, just spend your own money to move out!"
The Shen family has been hiding in Qizhou in recent years. Although they are still a prominent family in name, their family wealth is no longer as good as before, and they don't have much property.
When the Shen family heard what Mr. Shen said, they immediately fell silent. Everyone knows that renting a house in Beijing is extremely expensive. If the government doesn't pay, they certainly don't have the money to move out. Although this house is small, it is in a good location in the capital after all. It doesn't matter if I live in a worse place...
When everyone had packed up and moved in at night, the second wife's eldest brother, Shen Congyu, slammed the table angrily and said, "How stingy! They only gave us a small room like this. It's not even as big as Feiyan's room in the old house. When you open the window, you're looking at the courtyard wall. There's not even a green tree."
"Hush, Yu'er, keep your voice down." The attendants Feiyan and Feiying hurriedly said to him, "Xinjie'er and Shuang'er from the third room live next door to you! You are in the same courtyard now, be careful not to be overheard by them and report you to the Madam!"
"I am the legitimate daughter and they are just illegitimate daughters, but now they are treated the same. How can it be the same?" Shen Congyu rolled his eyes and said.
"Besides, this time when we go to Beijing, the master still wants to rely on my marriage with the Xue family to win over the support. Why can't he treat me better?"
Feiyan and Feiying broke out in cold sweats after hearing this. Before going to the capital, Master Shen did say that he would pick out one of the brothers and sisters of the Shen family to marry the eldest son of the Marquis's Mansion, but he did not specify that it would be Shen Congyu himself.
It was just that Shen Congyu saw that he was the only legitimate son among the several heirs in his family, so he was certain that he was the chosen one, so he spoke without thinking.
In the next room, Shen Congxin had already heard the complaints from Shen Congyu next door.
She had been very displeased when she heard him talk about legitimate and illegitimate children. Later, when he heard him say that Master Shen was relying on him for marriage, he sneered in his heart.
Shen Congyu herself didn't know that Master Shen had always favored only her.
You know, although boys can get pregnant and give birth, they are not as good as girls in giving birth.
Among the three unmarried children of the Shen family, Shen Congxin is the only sister.
Moreover, Shen Congxin is beautiful and good at dressing up. If she goes to Xue's house to meet the Marquis and his wife, she will definitely be more outstanding than the other two brothers!
Thinking of this, Shen Congxin got up and went to the room next to him to talk to his half-brother Shen Congshuang.
Chen Congshuang is thin and looks very weak.
His mother was just a concubine. Although she and Shen Congxin were both illegitimate children, her status was not as high as hers, and she did not even have two servants to serve her.
As soon as Shen Congxin entered the room, he complained to him, "That Shen Congyu is really narcissistic. He actually thinks that he is already a sure-fire husband of the Marquisate. He is really arrogant in his words and doesn't respect the head of the family, Uncle Da, at all."
After hearing this, Shen Congshuang smiled sweetly and said, "In my opinion, you, sister, have a better chance of getting a position beside the prince. After all, you are a woman, and you are different from us brothers."
After hearing this, Shen Congxin said, "You are smart and self-aware, and your temper is much better than that of Shen Congyu. I think my family will find you a good family in the future to be a concubine."
"Thank you for your kind words, sister." Shen Congshuang responded with a smile on her face. After sending Shen Congxin away, she frowned.
Shen Congxin was just a bastard like herself, but she dreamed of becoming the Crown Prince's wife, and yet she thought that he was only fit to be a concubine!
Shen Congshuang gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. I thought secretly in my heart: I don’t know who will be chosen to fill the position next to the prince. The opportunity to ascend is right before his eyes, he will certainly not miss it!
The day after the Shen family arrived in Beijing was the annual spring examination of the Great Jin Dynasty.
Xue Fenglin prepared for this spring examination for half a year. This time, I was determined to pass the exam, so I arrived at the examination room early in the morning with all the prepared exam tools.
Chen Xuan knew that today was the Spring Examination, so he got up early and took a carriage to see him off at the entrance of the examination hall.
After entering the examination room today, I will not be able to come out for three whole days. The candidates were all carrying large and small bags, and many of their family members were seeing them off, holding food and drinks in their hands.
From a distance, Shen Xuan saw Xue Fenglin already standing in line at the entrance of the examination room, so he sent someone to call him over.
After Xue Fenglin got on the car, Shen Xuan said to him: "There are heavy dews at night these days, be careful not to get sick, remember to cover yourself with a quilt at night and sleep warmly."
"The exam room is strict, and I dare not help you prepare anything. I am afraid that if I find someone outside to do it, they will frame me and make things worse. It is better to trust what you prepare yourself."
"It's okay. I just know what you mean." Xue Fenglin knew that Shen Xuan didn't dare to prepare anything for him because he was cautious.
He had already prepared everything, and the Ye family also sent people to check. Even the cotton wick in the quilt that I brought into the examination room was made by myself.
When the auspicious time arrived, the doors of the examination hall opened and the candidates entered one after another.
Xue Fenglin kissed Shen Xuan on the lips before getting off the car and said, "Go back and wait for me obediently. Three days later, I will come to your house to collect the debt after I leave the examination room!"
Shen Xuan blushed when he heard this, and he touched his lips as he watched Xue Fenglin get off the car and walk into the examination room.
When they reached the entrance, Wuxin handed the backpack and the quilt in his hands to Xue Fenglin. From then on, he had to walk the rest of the way on his own.
In fact, young men from aristocratic families like Xue Fenglin actually received preferential treatment during the imperial examinations.
After all, their network of connections in the capital is extensive, and when the examiners arrange the examination rooms for them, they will inevitably arrange the best seats for these young men.
After Xue Fenglin had his belongings checked by the examiner, he took his badge and was led into a house.
The room was quite large, with a cubicle every ten feet. Each cubicle had a set of tables and chairs that could accommodate one examinee, and could accommodate more than thirty people in total.
Xue Fenglin looked around and found that many of the people around him were his acquaintances in the Imperial College.
Compared to the cubicles outside that are exposed to wind and rain, a place like this is already a very good examination room.
He placed the quilt he brought on the ground, and then laid out all the pens, inks, and stationery needed for the exam.
After finishing all this, I sat upright in my seat and waited for the papers to be distributed.
After a while, Xue Fenglin heard a commotion outside the hall, and then saw a middle-aged man in his forties being dragged out of the door by soldiers.
It turned out that someone was caught smuggling!
The Jin Dynasty was very strict in dealing with cheating in the imperial examinations.
If this person is caught smuggling, he will be beaten on the spot by the soldiers at the door. After being beaten with fifty sticks, he was put in shackles and paraded through the streets. And all your honors and honors will be taken away from you, and you will not be able to take the exam again in this life.
A scholar has studied hard for many years, and if he has such a stain, his life will be over even if he survives.
The man was beaten with a stick outside and screamed like a pig being slaughtered, which was very scary.
After a while, the man's voice died down, and other cheaters were caught and dragged to the entrance of the examination room for punishment.
This method of killing the chicken to scare the monkey is to show it to the candidates, to shock them, and to prevent more people from wanting to take advantage of the situation.
Xue Fenglin and most of his classmates came from prominent families. Especially for someone like Xue Fenglin, even if he didn't take the imperial examination, he could still get an official position in the court. Naturally, he would not bother to participate in cheating.
About half an hour later, the examination room was finally cleaned up and the candidates took their seats to take the exam. The examiners then opened the sealed test papers and distributed them to the candidates.
When Xue Fenglin got the test paper, he curled his lips and answered the questions easily.
He had been studying hard in the Imperial College these days, and now he felt relieved when he entered the examination room. After finishing the test paper in the fastest time possible, he handed it in, and then took out the dry food he had prepared and started eating.
It was already late afternoon and many candidates had already had lunch.
Xue Fenglin ate at this time only because he was afraid that the oil stains from the food would fall on the test paper, which would result in him losing points.
He looked around at this time and saw that many of his classmates were either writing furiously or thinking hard.
Most of those who were deep in thought were those who were usually lax in their studies in the Imperial College. There were also some serious and studious students who finished answering most of the questions after a short while and handed in their papers.
But now, even after handing in the papers, we are not allowed to whisper to each other, and we can only sit in our seats except when going to the toilet.
Xue Fenglin was really bored, so he spread out the quilt and went to sleep. I was even thinking about what I would do with Shen Xuan after I finished the exam in a few days...
At this time, outside the examination room, Shen Xuan had just returned to the Shen Mansion, but suddenly saw Mother You, whom he had not seen for a long time, waiting at the door.
Seeing Shen Xuan coming back, Mother You showed a hint of sarcasm on her face, and handed him a visiting card with a half-smile, saying: "Tomorrow all the clan elders of the Xue family will be present to renegotiate your marriage with the prince. Madam asked you to make sure to go to the Marquis' Mansion."
Shen Xuan was stunned, not knowing why Bai suddenly asked him to come over at this time.
The smile on Mother You's face was obviously one of gloating, which made him feel a bad premonition in his heart.
But since the Xue family said so, Shen Xuan couldn't refuse to go.
If I refuse directly, I will inevitably be accused by the Bai family of being disrespectful to elders!
He pondered for a long time before finally driving to Ye's house.
He is alone in the capital, weak and without the support of his natal family. If he really goes up against the Bai family tomorrow, he will have no chance of winning in the Xue Mansion's territory!
Compared to herself, Mrs. Ye might understand better what the Bai family is planning! ,
Sure enough, after hearing what Shen Xuan said, Madam Ye frowned and said, "The prince is taking the imperial examination, but the Marquis's Mansion is taking this opportunity to discuss your marriage! There must be something fishy about this matter."
"You told me that I was right, and you should do it this way..." Ye whispered in Shen Xuan's ear for a while.
After hearing this, Shen Xuan nodded and said, “Thank you, Madam Ye, for your advice.”
Then he returned home calmly.
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