Chapter 283 Examination
Zhou Houfang's face turned pale as he watched Lin Er die. Then several secret guards swiftly took Lin Er's body out and cleaned the ground.
During the whole process, Xu Zhenying didn't say a word, just staring at the bloodstains on the ground. His eyes were dim, as if there was a dark fire burning in them.
Zhou Houfang, on the other hand, held his chest with his hands the whole time, trembling with fear.
Xu Zhenying said to Zhou Houfang, "You go down first. What happened today must be kept secret from everyone."
Zhou Houfang naturally knew the seriousness of the matter and left immediately.
When she walked away for a distance and looked at the man again, she found that the door was closed.
The man is nowhere to be seen.
But even at such a long distance, across the covered bridge, in broad daylight, she could still feel the murderous intent from the people in the house.
Zhou Houfang returned home somewhat distraught.
She began to review every word of her conversation with Xu Zhenying today, and before she knew it, she was at the door of her home.
Then he remembered the Chang family's marriage.
She also remembered that Xu Zhenying promised to help her solve her marriage problem, but she couldn't guess how Xu Zhenying would solve it.
Did he kill Chang Ze's family?
Won't.
Xu Zhenying would never kill innocent people.
Even if Xu Zhenying wanted to kill someone, she would probably find a legitimate reason.
Although Lord Chang was not a good official, he was not a corrupt official either, and he had a good reputation among the people.
Xu Zhenying would not kill the Chang family so simply and brutally.
What's more, Zhou Houfang just wanted to cancel the engagement and didn't want to bear the sin of murder.
Before I knew it, I had reached the door of my home and was welcomed in by the maid Amber.
Zhou Houfang was absent-minded, and Mrs. Zhou at the dinner table could see it clearly.
What's more, her hair was cut into pieces, only an inch long.
Now she really looks like a female official from Jinzhou Prefecture.
Mrs. Zhou wanted to say something several times but stopped herself, but in a wealthy family, people did not talk while eating or sleeping. After a large table of concubines' sons and daughters had dinner together, Mrs. Zhou took Zhou Houfang to her room to talk alone.
Before Madam Zhou could even mention the hair incident, Zhou Houfang informed her mother that Chang Ze had come to visit her privately. Madam Zhou was furious. "That eldest son of the Chang family is so unruly! They say that marriages between men and women are decided by the parents and the matchmaker! Not only did he already have a third concubine before he married you, but now he's come to you to gossip about that idiotic cousin of his. He's completely ignorant of etiquette! Who does he think he is? Now we're on Xu Zhenying's territory. Honestly, the Chang family is nothing but prisoners!"
Zhou Houfang couldn't help but look at his mother twice more.
Then she recalled that Chang Ze said that Mrs. Chang had visited several times, but her mother was not at home. Now she thought about it, it was just an excuse made by her mother.
Could it be that... my mother has changed her gender now?
Zhou Houfang then began to probe, "I heard from the city lord today that he might be dealing with those officials who were imprisoned during the siege. I guess that includes my father and Uncle Chang."
Madam Zhou's expression changed, and she anxiously grabbed Zhou Houfang's hand: "Did the City Lord say what to do with your father and the others?"
"The city lord has sent a joint investigation team composed of inspectors and military personnel. Those who have done nothing wrong will be released and will be treated as civilians from now on. If they are corrupt officials, they will be dealt with according to the law and the severity of the circumstances."
Mrs. Zhou felt reassured, muttering "Amitabha" to herself, "Fortunately, the city lord isn't that cruel. Although your father wasn't a good official, he definitely didn't commit corruption, bribery, or harm the people. I guess he'll be able to come back safe and sound. Great, that's great."
Only at this moment did Mrs. Zhou realize that it was easier to get things done when you had someone in the court. Now that Zhou Houfang was working in the government office, she naturally had more information than others. If it weren't for this relationship, she wouldn't have known that Lord Zhou was actually not having a bad time in prison.
Apart from the lack of freedom, they were never treated harshly in terms of food, clothing and other daily necessities, nor were they abused or beaten.
Her heart was relieved.
Madam Zhou warned Zhou Houfang: "Don't tell anyone in the Chang family about this."
Zhou Houfang asked knowingly, "Why?"
Madam Zhou tapped her daughter's forehead. "I heard you were quite clever when you were working for Xu Zhenying, and the people of Jinzhou Prefecture praised you highly. Why do I think you're still the same as before? Don't you think about it? Madam Chang is so talkative, she's always flaunting any information she has? What if the city lord knew you were spreading rumors behind your back? Will you still be able to advance in the future?"
Madam Zhou glanced around, making sure no one was around before she spoke, "I've heard that Xu Zhenying's secretaries are all very impressive. Take the first two, Feng'er and Xu Yinxi. One of them now manages the Ministry of Commerce, and merchants from eight states have to call her "Auntie." Not to mention the bridges, roads, and military expenses in Jinzhou Prefecture. Almost all of the tax revenue comes from the Ministry of Commerce. You can imagine how powerful they are! And Xu Yinxi is even more powerful. She's now the governor of Qianzhou Prefecture. You're about the same age as her. Besides, the second round of civil servant assessments is coming soon, and I'm afraid there will be vacancies in many places. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Who knows, you might even make a big leap forward."
At this point, Madam Zhou's eyes lit up. "Houfang, if you make another step forward this time, according to the rank system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, your official position will be at least a second-rank one!"
Zhou Houfang noticed that her mother was holding her hand so tightly, and her heart instantly became clear as a mirror.
Sure enough, ever since the city lord took over the six prefecture cities, everyone's mentality has changed, and the wind direction has also changed.
It seems that my mother now doesn't want to marry into the Chang family just like me!
And obviously, the Chang family was also anxious.
"My Zhou family... has never produced such a high-ranking official. Even if your father had worked hard for over a decade, he still couldn't match you. So at this critical moment, you must stand firm and stand straight. Don't let anyone catch you with any evidence."
Zhou Houfang hesitated and said, "Then the Chang family's marriage..."
"Don't worry about it. I'll be there to support you! If you meet the eldest son of the Chang family again, just avoid him."
Zhou Houfang's heart cheered with joy!
But then, she thought of a bigger problem, "What if my father comes out and doesn't approve of me being an official?"
Mrs. Zhou frowned slightly.
She was a woman with no opinions of her own. If it weren't for the change in the atmosphere in Jinzhou Prefecture, she would probably not like to go out much, let alone have a change in her thinking.
"Houfang, you're the only one our family can rely on right now. If you don't serve in the imperial court, what will we eat and drink? The fertile land has long been confiscated, and our family's assets are just a few shops. With so many mouths to feed in this family, your father... I'm afraid he has no other choice."
Mrs. Zhou did not explain to her daughter.
Now the most promising person in the family is Zhou Houfang. She is her daughter, her biological daughter, and her complete hope for the rest of her life!
In the past, she relied on Zhou Houfang's father for her livelihood, and she had to put Zhou's father first in everything. But now that Zhou Houfang has made it big, she wants to be the mother of a second-rank official rather than the wife of a fifth-rank official!
Seeing that Zhou Houfang has a bright future, she would not let Zhou's father affect Zhou Houfang's future even if it costs her life!
Even Zhou Houfang, a thoughtful woman, was moved by her mother at this moment. Her eyes were red as she held her mother's warm hand and said, "In this life, no matter what I do, no matter if I get married or not, no matter if I am granted a title or become a prime minister, I will always be filial to you!"
Mrs. Zhou touched her daughter's cheek lovingly.
yes.
A daughter is much more reliable than a husband.
She has been weak all her life, but this time, for her daughter and herself, she must give it a try!
The mother and daughter finally got together, so naturally they chatted for a long time. It was not until Mrs. Zhou was exhausted that Zhou Houfang took her leave.
Amber was waiting for her outside the door.
Zhou Houfang smiled and said to Hubo, "Hubo, thanks to you for often taking mother out, she has gained more knowledge and broadened her horizons. Otherwise, my work as an official would not be so smooth."
Amber seemed to be hesitant to speak, lowering her head and remaining silent.
Zhou Houfang said, "Amber, you and I are like sisters. If you have any questions, you can tell me directly."
Amber bit her lip, then raised her eyes, looking at her timidly but expectantly, "Miss... I... I... I also want to go to the clerk assessment next week..."
Zhou Houfang raised his eyebrows in surprise, stopped and looked Amber up and down.
"You want to take the civil service exam?"
Amber nodded, her face flushed with shame. "Well, today they issued a notice saying that regardless of place of origin, gender, or whether one is a slave, as long as one passes the assessment, their official slave status will be automatically invalidated. Miss... I... I want to give it a try!"
Zhou Houfang opened his mouth wide.
Because at this moment, she discovered her own shallowness.
She was the one who sent out the notice today. Qian Zhenniang reminded her to add this sentence, but she didn't care at the time.
She just thought that the words on the notice should be more beautiful, after all, promoting equality for all is Xu Zhenying's basic national policy.
But in fact, were there really slaves and lowly people who took part in the civil service examination?
Not to mention whether the master would agree or not, what servant would be so bold as to hope to change his fate and actually take the examination to become an official?
But now Amber was looking at her expectantly, which made her feel guilty.
As Xu Zhenying's secretary, and as a person who might hold power in one of the eight states in the future, she actually has no idea what the grassroots people are thinking!
She was still trying to struggle out of the quagmire of the Chang family and was obsessed with becoming a marquis or a prime minister. How could she forget that Amber was also a living and thinking person like her?
Who can stop an unyielding and upward soul?
As a member of Xu Zhenying's political team, Zhou Houfang naturally could not stop Amber. Not only did she not stop her, she had to do it in a high-profile manner to let the entire Jinzhou Prefecture know that she, Zhou Houfang, never envied talented people and even allowed her servants to take the civil service exam.
If Amber can really pass the exam, it will not only be beneficial to her official reputation, but Amber can also help her in the officialdom, which is simply killing two birds with one stone!
Zhou Houfang quickly smiled and said, "How could I not allow you to be so ambitious?! Amber, I'm so proud of you!"
Amber suddenly became excited, "Miss... allow me to take the exam?"
"Of course! Have you reviewed the original exam papers from last year? Let me tell you, the number of people taking the exam this year is several times greater than last year, and the competition is even greater! If you're unsure, I'll have Mother allocate some money from her private treasury for you to attend a training course! A week isn't long, but every point you can improve counts! What if you actually pass the exam?"
Amber was immediately moved to tears, "Miss!"
Zhou Houfang frowned, "Alright, there's no time to be moved! There are only seven or eight days left before the exam, you have to hurry! Hurry, while there's still time, I'll give you a feel for it!"
The second civil service examination in Jinzhou Prefecture has begun again.
However, within these few short days, a major event occurred in Jinzhou Prefecture.
Hu Wei from the Supervisory Department died suddenly at home. After a preliminary examination by the coroner, it was found that Hu Wei had been ill and had worked day and night, which was why he died.
It is said that the city lord was very sad and even lost his appetite.
The people below didn't feel anything. The Xu family's government team had never gotten along with Hu Wei. In addition, Hu Wei's inspection position was special and he shouldn't have been too involved with the officials. Therefore, except Xu Zhenying, not many people seemed sad about Hu Wei's death.
Some people even think that Hu Wei's death was a good thing. The position of supervising officials was vacated, which meant another opportunity.
The common people below didn't have much thought about Hu Wei.
Hu Wei was not good at getting along with the common people. In addition, due to his special position, he seldom dealt with the common people at the bottom like the Miao and Lian families. Therefore, except for Xu Zhenying, no one in the entire Jinzhou Prefecture reacted much to Hu Wei's death.
What's more, the civil servant assessment is imminent, and most people are trying their best to pass the assessment. The inns, restaurants, training classes, and street vendors in Jinzhou Prefecture are all crowded with people, and there are not many opportunities to pick up money everywhere.
Hu Wei's death did not seem to cause any ripples at all, and it just disappeared without a trace.
The only thing that everyone is concerned about is the assessment of officials in various places.
This morning, as soon as the examination was over, the entrance to the examination hall was packed with people, chattering and there was no place to stand.
"Oh my god, why are the questions this time so hard? Compared to last year, the difficulty has increased, and the number of questions has increased. How can I finish this?"
"Yeah, last year's question format is completely useless. I see there are even more multiple-choice questions this year! And multiple-choice questions! Those multiple-choice questions, I really... every answer looks the same!"
"Haven't you taken Mr. Jiang's class? He has a class specifically teaching how to guess the answer!"
Some people looked dejected, while others looked happy.
The relatives standing at the door waiting to greet them also looked nervous.
Zhao Qiaonian came out first, so he waited for Qi Er at the door. When he saw Qi Er coming out, he went to greet him and asked, "How is it?"
Qi Er frowned, "I feel it's even harder than what I usually practice."
Zhao Qiaonian also nodded. "There are too many applicants this time, so we have to increase the difficulty. So it's possible that the admission score will be very low this time."
"That's not necessarily true. There are always people who are smarter than us."
"It's hard to say... I just saw Xu Ming cuckolded."
"The city lord's cousin?"
Zhao Qiaonian made a gesture to silence everyone and pointed to the second floor. "Ming Xiaoshuang reserved a private room upstairs for us. He and Daniu are waiting for us there now. Why don't you go up and sit down?"
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