The scholars were led by the eunuchs and waited behind the door. They could only get a glimpse of the emperor's family banquet inside.
Yan Shang was the third place winner, and he and Wei Shu were ahead of the other Jinshi candidates. He was able to see more than the other Jinshi candidates who came after him:
He saw that all the lights in the room were off, except for a lotus tree half a man's height with candles and lanterns, standing behind the evening swaying, lighting it up. None of the royal relatives in the palace spoke, and they all appreciated the guzheng played by Princess Danyang in the dim light.
Princess Danyang was seen kneeling on the ground, with a long skirt woven with gold thread and embroidered with phoenixes and a white, translucent shawl spread out behind her.
She held the phoenix-headed guzheng in front of her, as tall as she was kneeling. The guzheng had a dragon body and a phoenix shape, and was adorned with gold. When she lowered her head in the evening, she plucked the strings with her bare hands, and in an instant, the clear sound of spring water from the sky resounded through the attic.
The sound of the konghou is clear and ethereal, with a sense of floating, like the vibration of the water surface. The music is ethereal and broad, and it is so pleasing to the heart and soul.
All those who heard Princess Danyang playing music sighed slightly and stared blankly at the young princess who was playing with her head bowed.
The emperor's youngest daughter, Mu Wan Yao, was a woman of great talent, good at music, and beautiful. She was also gentle, kind, well-behaved, and clever.
How many young men in Chang'an have thought of marrying this princess.
Now, times have changed. When Mu Wanyao played the guzheng again, everyone in the palace, including the gloomy emperor, seemed to see the Princess Danyang again.
Yan Shang stood outside the door, watching Mu Wan waving and listening to her playing the qin. In the darkness, only she was surrounded by a clear and soft light.
In an instant, Yan Shang felt like he was nailed to the spot, his brain went blank for a moment, and the blood in his body seemed to be frozen. Slowly, his back felt numb, and he actually began to sweat.
When Mu Wanyao teased him during the day, she said that he was too shallow in his love for women.
At that time, I didn't agree with it.
Now, watching her playing the konghou with such tranquility and beauty, he realized how shallow he was...
Yan Shang looked away with difficulty, and didn't look any further. He didn't dare to look at it any more, and didn't dare to think about it any more. In his peripheral vision, he saw that the other scholars were listening to the music in a trance, only Wei Shu was indifferent, which was better than the others.
Yan Shang felt embarrassed, so he lowered his eyes and began to recite silently to divert his attention.
There was music playing in the building. When the song ended, Mu Wan stood up. When the attendants carried away the guzheng, everyone reacted and uttered sporadic exclamations of admiration.
Mu Wanyao pursed her lips and smiled. She played the konghou very well, of course. She just didn't like playing it now. But it was okay to play it at the family dinner.
The lights in the hall were lit again, and when the hall was bright, Mu Wan returned to her seat and sat down.
Amid the endless praises from the crowd, the King of Qin said with emotion: "Yaoyao is so talented and beautiful, I wonder which good boy he is."
Mu Wan paused with her hand holding the wine jar, and the room suddenly became quiet. She raised her eyes and glanced at King Qin.
The King of Jin, who was sitting next to the King of Qin, felt that his third brother was deliberately making trouble. While quietly moving away from his third brother, he carefully said one more word for Mu Wanyao: "Yaoyao has just returned to Chang'an not long ago, so she can rest for two more years. As for marriage and other matters, it's up to the emperor to decide."
The King of Qin sneered.
He glanced at the strange-looking prince, and then looked at the timid Prince Jin beside him.
Of course, Mu Wanyao's marriage was watched by others, but Mu Wanyao and the King of Qin were not on the same page, so the King of Qin took advantage of the opportunity to annoy the Crown Prince. In other words, he wanted to test the Crown Prince in front of his father.
After all, who doesn't know that the prince is trying to win over Mu Wanyao and plot against the Li family behind Mu Wanyao? The King of Qin himself is not envious, because the power behind him is much stronger than that of the prince... However, he is so powerful, but the prince is the eldest son, so he is unwilling to accept it!
The King of Qin said, "What did I say wrong? Girls should get married when they grow up, and we in the Wei Dynasty don't have the saying 'a good girl should never marry again'. Does that mean she won't marry again just because Yaoyao was married? Father, am I right?"
The emperor ignored the King of Qin's instigation, looked at the people here with treacherous thoughts, and then looked at his youngest daughter who was holding a wine jar with a cold expression.
The emperor was silent.
Looking at the prince whose expression was a little tense, he knew that the prince had always wanted to expand his power because of his mother's family background. Relying on Mu Wanyao to win over the Jinling Li family was naturally the best strategy.
However, the emperor and his successors fought for so long before they suppressed the Li family. How could he allow the Li family to prosper again?
The Li family only had Mu Wanyao left on the imperial side and in Chang'an. They would never give up Mu Wanyao, and they must have arranged other ways for Mu Wanyao... in order to revive the Li family.
But again, the emperor did not want this result.
The emperor was thinking silently, and when he looked at the little girl again, he suddenly saw Mu Wan shaking her head, and her icy eyes suddenly met the emperor's.
The emperor was stunned for a moment, with a sigh and regret in his eyes.
Instantly, Mu Wanyao's face changed slightly, she withdrew her gaze, and drank the wine in the bottle. The burning sensation made her heart and lungs uncomfortable, and she coughed twice. Princess Yuyang next to her handed her a handkerchief, but she still didn't understand why everyone was silent.
The emperor looked at Mu Wanyao and thought to himself: What a pity.
According to him, the Li family has already returned to Nanjing, and it would be best for the situation if Mu Wanyao stayed in Wuman for the rest of her life as the princess who was married to a foreign country.
However, Wuman is in chaos and is now at war. Mu Wanyao's ex-husband has passed away, and it seems meaningless to marry into the chaotic Wuman. Mu Wanyao is back in Chang'an, so let's come back.
But why bother with marriage?
Whether it was the Crown Prince or the Li family, the preparations for Mu Wanyao were all too good and would help the Li family to revive. According to the Emperor, it would be best if Mu Wanyao married someone who would never be successful in her life, or just not marry at all.
Wouldn't it be nice to be a princess happily, have a few lovers, and enjoy your life just like Princess Luling?
Of course, perhaps once she died, Princess Luling would no longer have the status she has today... However, Princess Luling had already seen things that ordinary girls would never be able to enjoy in their entire lives.
Why must we stand in line? Why must we have a position and last forever?
The emperor did not respond to the king's words, and everyone in the hall lowered their heads, thinking different things. However, the eunuch who served the emperor was very smart and interrupted at this time to ease the atmosphere in the hall: "Your Majesty, the scholars have come to see you."
The emperor nodded: "Let them in."
The scholars who had been waiting behind the door came in one after another and paid their respects to the master of the hall.
Putting aside the fact that the Crown Prince and other princes had already met these Jinshi candidates, they were currently confusedly wondering what the Emperor's silence at Mu Wanyao's wedding just now meant; while the other people in the palace were looking at this year's Jinshi candidates curiously.
When they first saw the young man in the lead, they could not help but sigh at the elegance of the Luoyang Wei family, seeing that Wei Shu was young and handsome.
The runner-up was an old man, who glanced at him casually and passed by;
It was the third place winner again, and everyone was stunned again.
I thought the top scholar was very handsome, but he was too young to have any idea. However, the third scholar had gentle features and a figure like pine and bamboo. He was really a handsome man like a beautiful tree, shining brightly in the room.
Princess Luling uttered a soft "Ah", her eyes suddenly lit up, and she almost dropped the cup in her hand. She was so excited that she almost stood up. Fortunately, the maid next to her tried hard to hold the princess down, so that she did not lose her composure in the court.
Princess Luling had seen many handsome men, but the third place winner was so handsome and dignified that she really wanted to win.
Even the emperor's first glance fell on Wei Shu, and his second glance fell on Yan Shang. The emperor had seen this batch of Jinshi before, and when he saw it again today, he felt that this Tanhua Lang might have risen from a humble family overnight, and his temperament was much better than before.
The emperor said, "This year's disciples are all very good, so I will test you. Crown Prince, King Qin, what have you been arguing about recently?"
The emperor had just asked this question, but before the crown prince and the King of Qin could answer, they heard Mu Wanyao's laughter.
Yan Shang stood with his eyes downcast, his eyelashes trembling slightly, but he was very upright, not even raising his head to look at her. This attitude made the emperor, who was facing the other Jinshi who couldn't help but peek at the princess, somewhat satisfied with him.
Mu Wan smiled and said, "Father, you just said that we wouldn't discuss government affairs tonight, why are we talking about it now? Father should be fined three cups of wine."
The emperor was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "You are the only girl who is so fussy."
But he did not deny it, and the people below hurriedly poured wine for His Majesty.
Princess Danyang's playful words finally eased the already tense atmosphere in the palace.
The prince replied to the emperor with a smile on his face, "That's right. I just took over the Ministry of Revenue recently, and my third brother asked for money. However, the national treasury couldn't afford the money, so I argued with my third brother for a while."
The King of Qin said, "Father, I am in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War. Which one of them doesn't want money? I am not convinced that my elder brother is holding back on the money."
The prince said: "It's not that I'm stuck, but I really don't have any money."
The King of Qin sneered, "Brother, are you lying to me? Two days ago, I saw you approve a large sum of money for the Ministry of Works. If a small and insignificant organization like the Ministry of Works could get the money, why can't the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War get it?"
Yang Si sneered in response from behind the prince: "Your Highness, Prince Qin, why don't you see that apart from the Ministry of Works, even our Ministry of Revenue has not approved any money? Of course there is a reason for approving money to the Ministry of Works!"
The King of Qin stared coldly at Yang Sanlang, the follower of the Crown Prince. He knew that what Yang Sanlang said represented the Crown Prince. He said unhappily, "The five southern barbarians are at war. Don't the borders need food and fodder? These are all big things. Since you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, you should sort them out."
Seeing that Yang Sanlang was about to retort again, the emperor said, "Well, I think I know what you both mean. Let's use this as a test question. Let the scholars speak freely today and see if they can come up with a solution."
The scholars were immediately overwhelmed. They had not yet entered the officialdom. Should they choose a side? It would be best if they did not help either side. But if they did not help either side, they would have to find a way to make money... This put everyone in a difficult position.
Arithmetic is originally a lowly subject.
There may be people in the world who are really good at managing money, but there are none in the Ministry of Revenue, nor in your Majesty's Imperial Household Department... Even most of the noble families just bought some land and some shops and left them there. Who would really study how to make money?
The emperor looked at them, waiting for their reply.
Wei Shu is the top scholar, so he must be the first to speak.
He was also stunned for a moment, and couldn't think of any way to make money. Fortunately, he was quick-witted. In just two or three quarters of an hour, he roughly thought about all the ways to manage money he had seen, and said: "The last time the Ministry of Revenue conducted a census of the population of Wei seemed to have been ten years ago. In the past ten years, I am afraid that many people have become thieves and refugees, and a lot of land has been abandoned. The Ministry of Revenue can re-survey, redistribute the land, and recalculate the land tax, etc., and perhaps it will be able to get a lot more.
"There are also corrupt officials who can be disciplined.
"In addition, some powerful people in the field have also developed a lot in recent years..."
As Wei Shu spoke one by one, the Crown Prince nodded repeatedly, and the Emperor also looked gentle and approving.
Therefore, Zi's speech was clear and logical, and he thought as he spoke, so he organized it very well... After Wei Shu finished speaking, the prince felt it was a pity and thought that it would be great if Wei Shu could be used by him.
The prince looked at Wei Shu and said, "After Juyuan, please submit a memorial to me and reorganize what you said tonight."
Wei Shu bowed and said yes.
But Wei Shu stole the limelight, and the other Jinshi candidates behind him turned pale and looked extremely ugly, and they simply hated Wei Shu to death.
Wei Shu was too smart. He said everything they wanted to say. What else could they say? This person really didn't leave any room for others to live, did he?
Sure enough, when the runner-up after Wei Shu answered the questions, he stammered, sweated profusely, and spoke incoherently, which made the emperor look at him sideways for a long time: Is this the level of the runner-up?
The prince waved his hand, and understood that Wei Shu had said everything that these people could say. The prince estimated that Wei Shu had said it all, and did not expect the scholars to say anything more. The prince let the second place go, and the next place was the third place, Lang Yanshang.
The prince stared at Yan Shang without much hope. Because this man had not even read many books... He was able to win the third place in the imperial examination, maybe it was just as Yang Sanlang guessed, because of Mu Wanyao's guarantee, or because of good luck.
Yan Shang was also in deep thought.
He should hide his shortcomings.
After all, he just showed that he was not very talented in front of the prince, and now he suddenly talked freely, which was inconsistent, and he might become a thorn in the prince's eyes. In a few months, if he showed his talent again, he would have the excuse of having studied for a few more months, and the prince would not pay too much attention to him.
However, Yan Shang did not intend to say nothing. If he said nothing and became a mediocre person, no one here would remember him.
So it’s best to say something useful, but don’t steal Wei Shu’s limelight.
Yan Shang said slowly, "I think that if you want to make money, in addition to the common methods such as land and shops, trade with other countries is more useful. Not only land trade, but also sea trade is equally important. As someone who comes from Lingnan, many people in the court think that Lingnan is a remote place. When I first came to Chang'an, some people were even curious. If people in Lingnan don't eat raw meat and drink blood, why do they have books? However, there are some special products in Lingnan that are not available in the Central Plains. For example, lychees are expensive in Chang'an, but in our Lingnan, they can be seen everywhere and are extremely common."
When he said this, everyone sitting here laughed.
Yan Shang said again: "If we open up trade routes and exchange the ordinary with the extraordinary, wouldn't it be much better? Moreover, I think that money doesn't have to be left in the warehouse to rot. It can only be put to good use if it is circulated and human and material resources are mobilized."
He said a few words casually, and the emperor's indifferent eyes turned to him.
The prince leaned forward, wanting to hear him continue.
However, Yan Shang raised his eyes and smiled: "These are just some humble opinions, not mature yet. This is all I can think of at the moment."
The prince was not disappointed. After all, he was a child of a poor family, so his experience was fresh, but still too crude.
But unlike the others, the prince nodded and said, "Write a memorial to me too."
Yan Shang said yes.
After that, the other Jinshi were asked to speak, but everyone hesitated and said nothing. After everyone finished speaking, everyone thought it was normal that the prince only wanted the memorials from Wei Shu and Yan Shang.
After this round, the emperor's consideration of the Jinshi scholars came to an end. With Wei Shu and Yan Shang blocking the way, the emperor was barely satisfied and ordered people to reward these Jinshi scholars, with the most generous rewards given to Wei Shu and Yan Shang.
The prince's eyes dimmed, wondering why his father gave Yan Shang such a generous reward? Could it be that Yan Shang was more outstanding than he thought... The prince turned around and was about to exchange glances with Yang Sanlang and discuss it with Yang Si.
Yang Si was seen drinking absentmindedly, his eyes wandering, as if he was in a daze again.
Prince: “…”
I just feel so disappointed.
The emperor looked at Yan Shang with a smile and said, "Yan Suchen, I am moved by your youthful charm. Do you have a wife at home?"
The prince was startled, then suddenly realized that his father gave Yan Shang the same generous reward as Wei Shu, not because of any other intentions, but just wanted to arrange a marriage. But who did he want to arrange a marriage with... The prince's eyelids twitched, and he had a bad feeling.
Yan Shang was stunned. He really didn't expect that his marriage would attract so much attention.
It’s fine that I’ve been asked this every day these past two days, even the emperor is concerned.
Yan Shang had no choice but to answer: "I don't have a wife yet."
He resisted the urge to look at Mu Wanyao's expression.
He just told Mu Wanyao that he would not get married, but if the emperor granted a marriage... he could not refuse.
What would Mu Wanyao think of him?
He was anxious and desperately trying to think of a solution when the emperor smiled and said, "That's great, Yan Suchen. What do you think of my little daughter, Danyang, as a good match for you?"
Yan Shang looked up suddenly, his eyes full of surprise.
The emperor became more and more satisfied the more he looked at it.
Yan Shang has no one behind him. He is a poor man and it is unknown when he will enter the officialdom. Moreover, Yan Shang is young, good-looking and talented. He is the third place winner this year.
Didn't everyone want him to arrange a marriage for Mu Wan? Then he would arrange a marriage for Mu Wan to Yan Shang.
In this way, Mu Wanyao can rest assured for at least three or four years.
Hearing the emperor's words, Mu Wan suddenly raised his head and looked at his father.
The prince's heart sank, and he clenched his fists slightly. Yang Sanlang, who had been in a daze for a long time, suddenly came back to his senses, looked at Yan Shang, and then looked at Mu Wanyao. Yang Si suddenly became angry, thinking that the emperor was really bullying Mu Wanyao.
The first marriage was a marriage of peace; the second time, he was married off to a scholar with no background?
Is it too cruel to Mu Wanyao?
Could it be that after Mu Wan was defeated by the emperor, all that was left was interests, without any family affection at all?
Yang Si was about to stand up, and almost at that moment he wanted to say that he was willing to marry Mu Wanyao, and that he wanted to compete with Tanhualang for Mu Wanyao.
If there is no one in this world who is good to Yaoyao, why would it be wrong for him to join in?
The prince grabbed Yang Si and held him tightly, not letting him come forward at this time. Yang Si glared at the prince, and the prince shook his head at him, indicating that he should wait and see, and not get involved at this time.
-----
Everyone was silent, and the conversation was still in a trance.
If, if... the emperor arranged marriage for him and he couldn't refuse, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing?
Between him and Mu Wanyao...
When Yan Shang was in a state of confusion, he heard Mu Wanyao's lazy and wanton laughter. Her voice was as loud as jade, with a hint of determination: "What did the emperor say? I don't want to marry this country bumpkin."
Yan Shang was stunned and looked at her.
She stared at him coldly and slowly stood up.
The two looked at each other, and many scenes appeared and disappeared one by one as they looked at each other.
Yan Shang looked at her, and saw that she was stubborn and patient, and then she turned her eyes away indifferently and no longer looked at him.
She stepped out from the table, knelt beside Yan Shang, and raised her hands, "He is from such a family, and has little talent and knowledge. If your father loves you, you should not let me marry such a terrible person."
The emperor was silent.
Ask: "Yan Suchen, what do you think?"
Yan Shang said softly: "Your Highness is a noble lady, and I am not worthy of you."
Mu Wanyao knelt beside him. When she heard him say that, her eyelashes trembled and she almost cried. But she pursed her lips and said nothing, her eyes sparkling. He looked at her. She didn't know if she had read it wrong, but she felt that Yan Shang was not angry with her.
His eyes were full of gentleness and tolerance.
It's okay, don't be afraid.
No one can force you.
-----
No one can force her.
At least at this moment, Yan Shang was helping her.
He is so good, so so good.
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