Chapter 68: The leader of the first class is a famous playboy in the capital. ...
Guizhier knew at a glance that this was correct.
She couldn't help but sigh that Minister Ma had a sharp eye and was able to guess the answer from clues.
Prince Yue went from being the crown prince of the previous dynasty to a fake prefect living in a remote corner.
It's really a miserable situation!
"Times have changed, and the opportunity to fight for the throne has passed. What are your plans now?" Guizhier stood up to add tea, and her wooden clogs made a crisp sound on the stone slabs.
The tied mist cherry-colored ribbon fluttered slightly in the night rain.
The people suffer from the rise and fall of a country, and outsiders just want to stand by and watch.
"In the fifteenth year of Tianyou, the Crown Prince encountered Ryukyu pirates during his southern tour. Due to the conspiracy of a traitor, King Yue was seriously injured and died." Luan Shuangbai sat upright, his body straight as a pine tree.
He lowered his voice, his eyes like cold stars, deep and stern.
"What the murderer behind the scenes didn't know was that the Emperor's Seal had already been handed over at that time, and the secret guards desperately escorted him. King Yue managed to save his life, but he was also unconscious for a long time." He explained.
No wonder, the world has changed when I woke up.
If you rashly raise the flag of rebellion, the current emperor only needs to say "The prince has been dead for a long time, this is an impostor", and your plan will be difficult to succeed.
"Build high walls, store up food, and slowly declare yourself king..." Guizhier muttered slowly, feeling a mixture of helplessness and astonishment, and for a moment she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
King Yue is accumulating strength in the northern border, his ambition is obvious!
She recalled that at the city gate, a cold Mo Dao flashed like a dragon emerging from the sea, cutting the neck of a Danu bandit.
The prefect's face was pale and his lips were dry in the wind and snow, but his actions were ruthless and decisive.
Guizhier was slightly distracted.
"Well, King Yue admires the young lady very much. It would be a waste of her talent if she were to be a counselor under his command." Luan Shuangbai sounded a little embarrassed.
He didn't want Guizhier to get involved in the power struggle.
In the young general's heart, Miss Gui always placed a small stove in the inn, with the firewood burning brightly and the food in the iron pot steaming.
A peaceful and leisurely life with no worries.
But since Guizhier mentioned it, he had to help King Yue extend the olive branch.
"Young general, do you also want to gamble on a life-saving achievement?" Gui Zhier asked with a sneer.
If he could assist the emperor in ascending the throne, he would surely be granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister, and in the future he might even be the next general to be enshrined in the Taimiao.
"It's late at night, General. You have to go to court tomorrow to report. It would be better for you to rest early." Guizhier stood up and drove the guest away.
She stroked the white horse's mane and raised her hand to extinguish the lights and candles.
"Wheeze, wheezle." Bai Ma was unaware of the subtle atmosphere between them and just rubbed her palm affectionately.
The raindrops are like a net, covering the small world.
The damp water vapor and the lingering fragrance of flowers penetrated the boy's nostrils. He sneezed and shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care.
"You talk as if I'm King Yue's lackey." Luan Shuangbai was indignant.
He picked up the last piece of mung bean cake and took a vicious bite.
In the end, he couldn't resist explaining to Gui Zhier. He shook the reins, walked side by side with the white horse, and gradually walked away. His figure gradually merged into the hazy morning mist.
He came to Beijing for another purpose.
At the beginning of the morning hour, a hint of paleness appeared in the eastern sky.
The outer gate of the Imperial Examination Hall is tall and majestic, appearing and disappearing in the morning mist, exuding a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
The inner gate was brightly lit. The candidates, dressed in Confucian robes, climbed up from their wooden beds, their bodies aching as they struggled to reach the examination basket containing pens, ink, paper, and inkstone.
After ten years of hard work, we are now testing our skills.
Answer one more question and leave behind a thousand people.
Yang'an student Li Mi only regretted that he didn't buy a few more cups of coffee so that he couldn't work all night.
"This lotus root starch isn't bad," he consoled himself. "It's smooth and delicate, and even a few bites won't stain the test paper."
It is perfect as a morning meal.
In addition to the candidates who were racing against time, the chief examiner of this imperial examination, Grand Secretary Lu Hanwen, also broke his usual habit and came out to inspect the venue.
Mr. Lu has been an official for many years and has already reached the second rank. He is highly respected among the Confucian scholars.
Shouldering the heavy responsibility of "making the exam better", his most important step is to lead the examiners to review the exam papers after each exam paper is sealed and transcribed.
"The candidates nowadays are really getting worse and worse." Last night, Master Lu took a sip of bitter strong tea, and his eyes were dark.
The man originally had a gaunt face and starry eyes.
But marking the papers was tiring, and he rubbed his solar plexus for a long time, but still felt dizzy.
"The papers that failed the initial screening were even more disjointed and illogical." The deputy examiner frowned in agreement.
At first glance, the language lacks talent, and at a closer look, the solutions seem clichéd.
There really isn't any good article that's impressive.
If they were to pick and choose among this group of scholars, they would feel that they would be failing the emperor in his ardent hope of seeking talented people, and would bring shame to the Hanlin Academy!
"After careful review, these essays are pretty good, at least they have some spirit." The deputy examiner raised his eyebrows slightly, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes revealed a look of joy.
Mr. Lu took the test paper and glanced at a few lines, his eyes lit up.
He waved the brush and made circles, and the long beard under his chin trembled.
One of the excellent pieces had a lofty purpose. He read it, murmured his approval, and finally sighed deeply, "There's not a lot of empty talk, and the writing is straightforward. It shows that he's an honest and loyal child."
After saying this, he picked up the paper and read it carefully.
During the last imperial examination, Mr. Lu served as the deputy examiner and the candidate he strongly recommended was eventually selected by the emperor in the palace as the third place winner.
Although he felt a little regretful, he could do nothing about it.
After all, his colleagues had advised him that the Xie family of Sishui did not enjoy the emperor's favor, so there was no need to bring trouble upon himself for someone who had nothing to do with him.
He shut his mouth and said nothing more.
As time goes by, Mr. Lu is already old, and he has only one wish in presiding over this imperial examination.
That is to select the real pillars for Daliang.
"In line with your opinions, this article should be ranked first among the top." Scholar Lu clapped his hands and laughed.
He couldn't wait to open the paper to see who had answered the question. Was it a famous teacher and disciple from Nanyuan Prefecture, or a poet from the Chuhuai area?
With such literary talent, he must not be an unknown person.
The ranking was registered according to the procedure. After the seal was opened, Master Lu took a closer look.
"Ah? This, this..." His eyes widened, and he almost pulled his beard out. "How is this possible!"
The corners of his lips trembled, and he seemed to be choked when he wanted to speak, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Master Lu asked sternly.
The goat-hair brush in his hand slammed onto the table with a "click", splashing a few spots of ink.
"In reply to the examination, the Mifeng and the Duiwen were strictly following the rules and regulations, and we dared not make any mistakes. Why do you say this, sir?"
The invigilator on duty was slightly hunched over, with his head lowered very low, and his words were somewhat cautious and flattering.
After saying this, he glanced up secretly and saw that Master Lu's expression was still stern, so he quickly lowered his head again.
Master Lu stood up suddenly, and then sat down slowly after a while.
"Nothing, I just misjudged you." He took a sip of herbal tea. "You've worked hard all night, everyone should go to bed quickly."
He didn't show it on his face, but his heart was boiling like a frying pan.
Scholar Lu knew the author of the top-ranking paper. Not only did he know him, he also knew that he was a well-known playboy in the capital.
The youngest son of the Dali Temple Chief and the youngest child of the Pei family.
That fellow had a round waist and belly, and was as fat as a water jar. He entered the Imperial College with the help of his father's official title, but he was completely useless in academics.
"Could it be that he was a fool when I was giving lectures to him, but now he suddenly got wise?" Master Lu didn't believe it from the bottom of his heart.
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