Chapter 66066 I Will Not Marry Her
The wolfhound, which is half the height of a man, is extremely aggressive. If it bites you, you will be seriously injured and bleed profusely.
If Du Qingtang was the only one here, Qi Heming might choose to face the challenge head-on and use his blood to win a little mercy from her.
It’s a pity that Du Qingtang has that annoying Qi Hezhou by his side.
These days, Qi Heming watched them coming in and out together, and saw Du Qingtang occasionally smiling at Qi Hezhang, and he was jealous to the point of going crazy.
They are both from the Qi family, so why does Qi Hezhou have Atang's favoritism while he can only watch from afar, getting hurt again and again.
This is not fair.
So Qi Heming came to Yao's house and revealed Qi Hezhou's identity in front of Du Qingtang.
Given Atang's hatred for the Qi family, she would definitely part ways with Qi Hezhou and even become his enemy.
But Qi Heming never expected that even after he said so much, Du Qingtang still stood on Qi Hezhou's side without hesitation and even let the dog bite him.
A dangerous growl escaped from the wolfhound's throat, its sharp white teeth flashing with a cold light.
A fierce look flashed in Qi Heming's eyes, and he raised his foot to kick him.
"Wangcai."
At the critical moment, Du Qingtang spoke.
The wolfhound braked suddenly, and the black boots embroidered with cloud patterns narrowly missed it.
“Ah~”
The wolfhound ran towards Du Qingtang with its tail wagging, squatting beside her legs, with no trace of ferocity on its upturned face.
Du Qingtang held down Yao Jingzhou with one hand to prevent him from clashing with Qi Heming. His eyes were as cold as frost, and his voice was equally icy: "Get lost."
There are many families living nearby, and there are countless eyes watching us, both openly and covertly.
It's okay to use tricks behind the scenes, but God and the earth know it, and you and I know it.
If she let the dog bite Qi Heming in public, the Duke of Changguo's Mansion would definitely not let it go.
The word "roll" was extremely lethal. Qi Heming's gentle smile seemed to be engraved on his face, and his facial muscles twitched: "I..."
Yao Jingzhou gently brushed away Du Qingtang's arm and gave him a soothing look: "You've got the wrong person. I'm not Qi Hezhou. I'm the only son of my parents."
Qi Hezhang laughed, as if mocking his naiveté: "Hezhou, your grandfather has been thinking of you all these years since you left. Stop being so petty."
When saying the last sentence, "Qi Hezhang" spoke in a slightly heavier tone, as if emphasizing, but also as a warning.
Wangcai keenly noticed that his two masters were in a bad mood. His pointed ears stood up and his dark brown eyes were sharp and ferocious.
What a shameless guy! Du Qingtang didn't even bother to say "get out" and pulled Yao Jingzhou into the house.
The housekeeper who had been guarding the door the whole time came out and closed the gate in front of "Qi Hezhang".
The guard put down the long stick in his hand and continued with the unfinished work.
After entering the door, Du Qingtang did not let go of Yao Jingzhou, and pulled him forward.
The two of them didn't speak all the way, passing through the hanging flower gate, walking through the corridor, and finally arrived at the third courtyard.
Wangcai wanted to follow but was stopped by the housekeeper.
"Oh?"
The housekeeper looked calm, but his eyes were cold: "Don't disturb them, let's play ball."
“Ouch!”
Wangcai happily agreed.
The butler threw the ball of string out, and the wolfhound jumped high as fast as lightning before the ball hit the ground, grabbed it in its mouth, ran back and squatted in front of the butler, wagging its tail wildly.
"Good boy." The butler took the ball of string and sighed, "It would be great if everyone could be as carefree as you."
Rather than carrying hatred and being unhappy all day long.
......
After entering the courtyard for the third time, Du Qingtang pressed Yao Jingzhou onto the stone bench in the yard, poured a glass of water and pushed it in front of him.
Yao Jingzhou rolled his eyes slightly and looked at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang sat opposite him and met his gaze calmly.
Yao Jingzhou's throat moved slightly, and he raised his tense and trembling fingers, grasped the teacup, and slowly brought it to his mouth.
The water was cold. It meandered down the throat after entering the mouth, flowing into the stomach and extinguishing the raging flames of hatred in the heart.
The suppressed emotions broke through the dam at this moment and poured out like a flood.
"Father was the eldest son of the duke's family. Before he even came of age, my grandfather wrote a petition to have him named Crown Prince."
"My father, when he was just 18, passed the imperial examination and won the third place in the imperial examination. He married my mother with great fanfare. The couple treated each other as equals and lived a happy and loving life."
"I was nine years old that year. My father was a fourth-rank official and deeply favored by the emperor, but he died suddenly."
"That night, my mother hid me in the closet, and I saw with my own eyes... I saw my grandmother lead people into my mother's room, strangle her to death, and then fake it to make it look like she had hanged herself."
Uncovering the past that has been buried for many years is like tearing open a wound that has not yet healed, with blood dripping and excruciating pain.
Yao Jingzhou choked and sobbed, crying like a child.
"Later, I learned that when the Second Prince entered the court to participate in politics, he soon caused a huge mess."
"The Second Prince asked my father to clean up his mess, but my father refused, unwilling to be complicit. Furious, he teamed up with my Second Uncle to poison my father, fabricating the illusion that he had committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"My father died with a stigma on his face. He was condemned by thousands of people. They called him a corrupt official and said his death was his own fault."
"It wasn't until three years later, when an official who had colluded with the Second Prince spoke out the truth while drunk, that my father was able to clear his name."
"But even so, the culprit who harmed my father and mother has never been blamed in the slightest. Someone died for him, and he still lives on with a clean conscience, being the incomparably noble Second Prince."
"I often dream of my father lying in his coffin, his face peaceful. I dream of my mother being hung on the beams of the house by them, the windows open, her plain skirt fluttering in the wind."
"I dream of killing my enemies with my own hands, avenging my father and mother, and letting them rest in peace."
"He's a prince, and countless people took the blame for him and covered up the evidence."
"Even his accomplices are at large under his protection."
"When the Qi family was tragically wiped out, I wished they had died with them. It's a pity that the disaster has lasted for thousands of years."
"Now that I've passed the imperial examination after overcoming countless difficulties, they've come to me in a hypocritical manner, demanding that I forgive our past grudges and reconcile with them."
Yao Jingzhou laughed out loud: "That's just wishful thinking. The reason I live is, first, for my grandfather, and second, for revenge."
Even if it takes my entire life, I will make those people pay the price!
Du Qingtang was silent for a long time, then he said slowly, "If you want to be a good hunter, you must learn patience and learn to lie dormant quietly."
"It's a long process, waiting for the prey to get close, reveal a flaw, and then delivering a thunderous blow."
"Wen Jing, you have to remember—"
Du Qingtang stared at Yao Jingzhou, his dark eyes burning with fire: "Laying dormant is not cowardice, but a necessary wait before charging."
"You have to wait, wait until they are defeated, wait until they dig their own graves." Du Qingtang smiled slightly, "That will be the best time for your revenge."
Just like Yuansheng.
Du Qingtang spent several months weaving an impenetrable net for him, luring him into the net step by step, and then successfully captured him and sent him to hell.
If Qi Heming had not been reborn and harassed her repeatedly, Du Qingtang had originally planned to deal with him in the same way.
But it doesn't matter. Even if accidents happen frequently, Du Qingtang is still fully confident that he will send Qi Heming down to accompany Yuan Sheng soon.
The underground is deserted, and it will be lively with more people.
Du Qingtang's thoughts raced as he stood up with a calm expression. He walked over to Yao Jingzhou and patted his left shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. If your parents knew about this, they wouldn't want to see you put yourself in danger for revenge."
Yao Jingzhou blinked, and his fingers gripping the teacup loosened a bit.
Du Qingtang withdrew his hand and reminded him, "Don't forget to write a letter to your master to announce the good news. If he knew that you passed the imperial examination, he would be very happy."
Thinking of his grandfather, Yao Jingzhou's cold and hard expression softened completely. He then blushed, covered his face and wiped away his tears, saying in an inaudible voice, "Uncle Master, please forgive me for laughing."
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back and said very considerately: "Tears are not the privilege of children and the weak."
Yao Jingzhou paused, a warm feeling welling up in his heart, and muttered, "Thank you, uncle-master, for standing up for me. The people in the Duke of Changguo's Mansion are narrow-minded. I'm afraid..."
Du Qingtang raised his hand to stop him and said calmly, "If he wants to continue to be the eldest son of the first wife, he won't dare to make this matter known to others."
The bastard really forgot the pain after the wound healed. If he comes again, she doesn't mind letting the dog bite people, or stabbing him a few more times.
The more blood you bleed, the clearer your mind will be.
Du Qingtang spoke a few more words to Yao Jingzhou, then left and returned to the second courtyard.
When she entered the house, she looked at the hanging flower gate leading from the first courtyard to the second courtyard.
The butler stood there with a worried look in his eyes.
Du Qingtang said in a neither light nor heavy tone: "He's fine."
A light flashed in the housekeeper's eyes, and it was hard to tell whether it was tears or joy: "Thank you, Mr. Du."
Du Qingtang waved his hand, went into the house, closed the door, and wrote letters to Qinqishuhua, Meilanzhuju, Fu Ci and Yao Xuan to announce the good news.
After writing the letter, Du Qingtang put the letter paper into the envelope.
She remembered the letter of safety she had received last month. It had taken a month to arrive in Qingyuan County.
I don’t know how Du Qingmei is doing now. She was still depressed before going to Beijing for the exam. I hope she can think it over as soon as possible, otherwise Du Qingtang doesn’t mind teaching Guo Qian to be a good person again.
Du Qingtang handed the envelope to the servant, and later sent it out together with Yao Jingzhou's letter. He went to the study next door, opened the real questions of previous palace examinations, and did them again.
Although it is already a sure thing that you will become a Jinshi, you still cannot slack off until the very end, lest all your efforts go to waste.
-
Qi Heming stood beside the carriage, watching the housekeeper close the gate, and the backs of Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou disappearing behind the door as they left together.
He stood there for a moment and then went to the cabinet to report to Qi Lianmao.
The Qi family has few descendants. Qi Lianmao learned yesterday that Yao Jingzhou passed the imperial examination and agreed to Qi Heming's proposal to let Qi Hezhou return to his ancestral home.
Qi Heming omitted the confrontation between Du Qingtang and him and simply said, "He Zhou refused."
Qi Lianmao was not surprised by this and responded calmly.
For him, the fact that the eldest son of the boss abandoned his hatred and returned to his ancestral home was the icing on the cake.
If Qi Hezhou doesn't want to, he won't force it.
He knew best which was more important, the grandson who had the hope of ascending the throne or the legitimate grandson who harbored resentment.
Qi Heming informed everyone of the results and returned home in a carriage.
Today is not a day off, but thanks to Du Qingtang, Qi Heming holds a sinecure position of the sixth rank. He only needs to report for work every day, and no one cares where he goes or what he does.
Just as Qi Heming was on his way back to the Duke of Changguo's Mansion, Xue Yishu learned that Du Qingtang had won the top spot in the imperial examination. She immediately took Shanhu to meet Qi's second wife, Xue, and explained her purpose while shyly speaking.
"Du Qingtang?" Xue recalled and realized that there was no Du family among the powerful and influential people in the capital. A guess arose in her heart, "She is not from a prominent family?"
Xue Yishu nodded: "She is just a farmer's daughter."
Xue's expression suddenly changed: "No, I don't agree! How can a farmer's son be worthy of the Xue family's daughter?"
Xue Yishu refused, acting like a spoiled brat and praising her to the utmost, "...Aunt, she's already won five prizes before she even reached adulthood. Her future is bright. Most importantly, she's a chaste woman. Isn't she much better than those men who keep a houseful of concubines and maids at such a young age?"
Mrs. Xue couldn't stand her unreasonable nagging and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Forget it, since you insist on doing this, tomorrow I will have someone check on that Du Qingtang. If she is really as good as you say, this marriage is not a bad idea."
Xue Yishu quickly said: "Qingtang is of course the best. Not only is she talented, but she is also taught by Yao Daru himself..."
Xue was stunned: "Master Yao?"
Xue Yishu didn't notice the flash of panic on her aunt's face. She smiled and said, "It's the great scholar Yao Xuanyao, the headmaster of Qingyuan Academy."
Xue's pupils suddenly shrank, and for a moment she almost screamed out in shock. She clutched her handkerchief tightly to prevent herself from losing her composure: "No! You can't marry her!"
Now it was Xue Yishu's turn to be stunned: "Why not? Didn't you promise before..."
Xue slammed the table, losing the dignity and gentleness of a wife from a wealthy family, and her voice was sharp: "No, that's no way. You can't marry her no matter who you marry!"
Xue Yishu didn't understand why her aunt suddenly changed her attitude. She looked disgusted and horrified. Just as she was about to ask for details, Xue spoke again.
"I've spoiled you. Since ancient times, marriages are decided by parents and matchmakers. Your parents died young, so it's only right that your second aunt and I arrange a marriage for you."
"You must go back now and copy the Nu Ze Nu Jie ten times. You can only come out when you have finished copying!"
After saying that, he asked the maid beside him to send Xue Yishu back to the Xue Mansion.
Xue Yishu was a delicate young lady, so how could she compete with the broad-waisted and strong-armed old woman in terms of strength? She was half-pushed and half-pulled to be asked to leave.
No matter how she cried and screamed, Xue never softened her heart and just watched coldly.
Xue Yishu couldn't help but feel resentful when she saw this, and blurted out, "I will not marry anyone but Du Qingtang in this life, or I will become a nun!"
Xue was so angry at her words that her vision went dark. She clutched her chest in shock and anger: "I love her so much, but she's trying to tear my heart out!"
The maid beside her hurried to help Xue calm down.
Xue leaned back on the chaise longue, rubbing her forehead lightly, her tone weary: "Tell me, is all this Yao Xuan's conspiracy?"
He deliberately made Xue Yishu fall in love with his disciple at first sight in order to avenge his past.
The old woman was Xue's wet nurse and also her confidant. She was well aware of the filthiness beneath the glitz and glamour of the Duke of Changguo's Mansion. After a moment's hesitation, her expression gradually became serious: "It's not impossible."
Xue's heart skipped a beat. She said angrily, "Why is the Qi family's grudge going to be avenged on the Xue family's daughter?"
Is it because she was an insider and planned Yao's death together with her deceased mother-in-law?
"And that Du Qingtang? She's also a scheming, treacherous, and cunning villain. How can a lowly peasant like her be worthy of marrying a girl from the Xue family? Maybe in the next life!"
If Du Qingtang had not had any achievements, her unclear death in Xiajing would have caused trouble. Xue really wanted to send someone to kill her and eliminate the trouble once and for all!
The more Xue thought about it, the angrier she became. Her face flushed as she paced back and forth, muttering, "No, we have to marry Shu off quickly."
When a woman gets married, her heart is all on her husband. She also has to respect her parents-in-law and manage the backyard. She has no time to think about other things and have her mind full of romantic thoughts.
After a long time, he naturally forgot about Du Qingtang and lived an honest life.
Who to marry?
There are many powerful people in the capital, but not many good men. She needs to think carefully and must not push Xue Yishu into the fire pit.
When she was anxious and restless, the maid came to report: "Madam, the second young master is here."
The second son, the eldest son of the first wife who was found a few years ago.
Xue took good care of him, and Qi Hezhang also respected her very much and came to pay his respects to her almost every day.
Of course, this is what we say to the outside world.
Xue knew Qi Hezhang's true identity. Looking at her only son who strode in and bowed to her to greet her, she suddenly had an idea. She dismissed the maids in the room and left only the wet nurse.
"He Ming, you are already twenty-five years old, but your house is empty and you have no children. It's time to get married."
Qi Heming's eyes flashed with Du Qingtang's cold face. He lowered his eyelids to hide the determination in his eyes and said calmly, "Now I work for the Second Prince. I go out early and come back late every day. I am too busy to think about these things."
Xue disapproved: "How can this be possible!"
"In the past few years, you've always said that your career came first, and I never pushed you. But now, seeing people your age becoming fathers one after another, and you don't even have anyone around you who cares about you, I'm so worried that I can't sleep well at night."
Qi Heming was not moved at all.
After Du Qingtang died in his previous life, he followed his grandfather's arrangement and married a girl from a noble family. Although he had many children and grandchildren, he was never happy until his death.
If he could do it all over again, he only wanted Du Qingtang.
Qi Heming's face darkened slightly. He bowed and turned to leave. "My son has important matters to attend to. I will take my leave now."
"Why are you leaving right after arriving? Are you trying to trick me?"
Xue sighed in the direction where Qi Heming left, and became more determined in her thoughts.
-
With Du Qingtang's comfort, Yao Jingzhou quickly came out of his self-pity.
The uncle and nephew practiced martial arts together every morning, then went to the study to read and do homework. After dinner, they would play the ball throwing and picking up game with Wangcai.
Just like that, half a month passed in a flash.
On April 12, the palace examination came as scheduled.
The new tribute scholar arrived at the palace at dawn, wearing a Confucian scarf and a blue round-necked robe.
Three hundred and sixty people were arranged into two teams according to their ranking in the imperial examination and stood in front of the steps of the Baohe Hall, with odd numbers on the east side and even numbers on the west side.
The princes and officials also wore court robes and stood inside and outside the red steps.
At noon, Emperor Qingyuan arrived at Baohe Hall in a dragon chariot.
The palace ladies cracked their whips and drums and music played.
All officials and tribute scholars performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows to Emperor Qingyuan.
After the ceremony, officials from the Ministry of Rites distributed the examination papers and the candidates entered the hall to answer the questions.
Du Qingtang ranked first in the imperial examination and sat in the first seat in the middle.
After taking his seat, Du Qingtang filled in his name, place of origin, age, resume for three generations and other information on the test paper, and then moved his eyes down to the question.
The palace examination only tested one policy essay question, which was prepared in advance by cabinet officials and finally selected by Emperor Qingyuan.
"Ask about the emperor's politics and the emperor's heart."
Based on this topic, write a policy paper of no less than 2,000 words.
Du Qingtang has participated in the palace examination three times. The questions were different each time, and this time was no exception.
She pondered for a moment, thinking about the current situation in the court - the government is weak and chaotic, and power is in the hands of the ministers.
The civil officials and nobles acted independently and only cared about fighting for power and profit.
Most of the military generals were good-for-nothings, and losing battles became almost commonplace. They had to cede land and pay compensation, and tribute every year. Countless princesses died in their marriages to foreign invaders.
Under internal and external troubles, the imperial power was gradually hollowed out.
In the former dynasty and the harem, the Cao family was the dominant one.
Prime Minister Cao was so powerful that even the Emperor Qingyuan, the supreme ruler, had to avoid him.
The harem was controlled by Empress Cao, and even though she killed many princes and princesses, she still sat firmly on the throne.
All of the above are signs that a dynasty is turning from prosperity to decline and towards destruction.
This dynasty is rotten from the root. Although it looks good on the surface, it is actually rotten to the core and urgently needs drastic reforms.
Remove rotten roots and treetops to allow them to take root and sprout again, growing into towering trees.
Du Qingtang thought she knew how to answer.
“I replied: I have heard that when an emperor rules the country, he must have practical policies to manage…” [1]
While answering, Du Qingtang could feel the scrutiny from Emperor Qingyuan above him.
She seemed unaware, calm and at ease.
Time passed by drop by drop as Du Qingtang wrote densely packed words on the rough paper. This was only the first draft of the policy paper.
"...I am a new scholar, ignorant of taboos, and have violated the majesty of Your Majesty. I am terrified and overstepped my bounds. I respectfully reply." [2]
It was noon when Du Qingtang finished writing the first draft. He ate the palace cakes given by the court as a reward. After filling his stomach, he went back and revised and polished it word by word.
Fill the hollow skeleton with flesh and blood to make it full and vivid.
An hour passed in a flash. Du Qingtang finalized the draft and read through it again to make sure there were no problems. Then he copied it into the answer sheet in neat regular script.
It was already dusk when the last stroke was made.
Unlike the joint examination, papers for the palace examination are not allowed to be submitted in advance.
Du Qingtang waited for an incense stick of time, and with the sound of a clear gong, he handed the test paper to the examiner. Then, he and a group of candidates filed out of Baohe Hall and left the palace on foot.
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou were walking on the palace road, both of them had relaxed and comfortable expressions on their faces.
Yao Jingzhou exhaled a breath of turbid air and said with emotion: "After sixteen years of hard study, I finally made the leap to the dragon gate. The hard work has finally paid off."
Du Qingtang thought that this was just the beginning. When he became an official in the court, he would still have to get up early and work late to do his job. At the same time, he would have to face the intrigues, exclusion and frame-ups in the officialdom.
The two chatted casually and walked out of the palace against the rosy sky.
"Young Master!"
The guards of the Yao family had been waiting outside the palace gate since early morning. When they saw people, they waved and shouted.
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou boarded the carriage. The guard cracked his whip and sped away along the long street.
"This year's policy essay topic is truly tricky. The emperor's politics and the emperor's heart—let's not even talk about the former. The emperor's heart is unfathomable, how can we speculate on it without authorization..."
A tribute scholar complained incessantly, his face full of sorrow and sighs.
After talking for a long time without getting any response from the person he was traveling with, he turned his head and found that the other person was looking straight ahead with a look of disappointment in his eyes.
Disappointed?
Being in the Cao family and being the second-in-command of the family, he could get whatever he wanted. What was there for him to be sad about?
"Brother Cao, what are you looking at?"
Cao Xingcan withdrew his gaze and said nonchalantly, "Nothing, just taking a look."
The scholar had no doubts and complimented him, "Brother Cao ranked second. You will definitely win first place in the palace examination. When you ride a horse through the streets and see the whole of Xiajing, it will be a very glorious sight."
The three top scorers were personally selected by His Majesty, and Cao Xingcan knew that Emperor Qingyuan would not let him be the top scorer.
Either the second or the third place.
If he were the runner-up, Fu Ci’s words “always the runner-up” would really come true.
Cao Xingcan clicked his tongue.
Fortunately, Fu Ci was not there, otherwise I wouldn’t know how to laugh at him.
Gongshi's compliments went unanswered, but he didn't care. After all, his family background wasn't as good as Cao Xingcan's. Then he changed the subject and said in a low voice, "Brother Cao, now that the palace exam is over and it's getting late, why don't you and I go out and have some fun together?"
Cao Xingcan understood his hint and sternly refused, "I have other things to do. I'm sorry I can't accompany you any longer."
Gong Shi was very sorry: "Then we can only do it next time."
There will be no next time.
Cao Xingcan has always been a man of integrity and never indulged in women.
Now that he has a family and his wife is three months pregnant, he knows how difficult it is for a woman to be pregnant and that he should stay by her side instead of hanging out in brothels.
If it were Du Qingtang and Fu Ci, they would definitely curse such behavior. Fu Ci would even kick him a few times, point at his nose, and scold him for being a worthless person.
Unlike the person in front of him, who repeatedly invited him to go to brothels, completely disregarding the fact that this would ruin his reputation and cause the couple to separate.
The melancholy of watching Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou leave once again came to his mind, and Cao Xingcan said nothing more and left in a huff.
-
April 13th is the day for marking papers.
The collecting official took out the examination papers and handed them to ten examiners, giving each of them thirty-six papers.
There is a label on the back of the test paper with the examiner's surname written on it.
Each examiner occupies a table and marks the answers according to five levels after marking the papers, namely "circle, point, dot, straight, and cross".
After marking it, it is handed over to the next reader, who also marks it on the test paper.
In this way, each exam paper will be reviewed by ten examiners in turn, leaving ten marks.
After reviewing the 360 test papers in turn, they were sent to the chief examiner for final review.
The chief examiner flips through the test papers one by one and puts aside the ones with the most circles.
According to regulations, these test papers must be placed at the front so that His Majesty can see them at a glance.
If nothing unexpected happens, the top three will be selected from among these people.
After the final review was completed, the chief examiner placed the ten papers with the most circles on the top, called two clerks, and carried the heavy papers to the imperial study.
When they reached the Imperial Study, a eunuch went in to announce the news. A short while later, he came out, smiling and saying, "Sir Huang, His Majesty wishes to see you."
Lord Huang was known for his strictness, so he just nodded slightly and led the clerk inside.
"Your humble servant pays respect to Your Majesty."
Behind the imperial desk, the emperor, who was already in his prime, had a fair complexion. Although he had a beard, it was not difficult to see that his face was round and elegant, and his eyes revealed unfathomable wisdom.
Seeing him, it is easy to think of what it means to be "a gentleman who is upright and gentle like jade."
"Get up."
Emperor Qingyuan held a red pen in his hand, his eyes fell on the examination paper in the hand of the clerk for a moment, then he lowered his eyes and continued to review the memorials.
Mr. Huang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the examination papers of the 360 candidates have been reviewed. Please review them."
The chief eunuch, Fu Rui, gave a look and a eunuch brought the answer sheet and placed it on a corner of the imperial desk.
Fu Rui personally took out the first ten and placed them next to Emperor Qingyuan.
As soon as Emperor Qingyuan picked it up, he saw the eight circles on the first test paper and raised his eyebrows slightly.
The test papers had already been opened and sealed, and the names of the candidates were clearly visible.
Emperor Qingyuan glanced over, and it seemed unknown what he was thinking about. His eyes moved slightly, and he read the candidate's essay from beginning to end.
After reading it, he did not express his opinion, but continued to look at the second picture.
After looking at the tenth picture, I go back to the first one.
Emperor Qingyuan stared intently at the sharp, iron-stroked handwriting on the paper. After a moment, he spoke, "Who among these ten, Lord Huang, do you think, deserves first place?"
Mr. Huang said without hesitation: "The one with the most circles."
Emperor Qingyuan twirled his beard, a satisfied smile crossing his lips: "Good!"
After saying that, he picked up the imperial pen and selected the person with the most "circles" as the first in the first class, and then he selected two people as the second and third in the first class.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Lord Huang sent the examination papers with the rankings to the Cabinet, where they were filled in by the officials who filled in the rankings.
One of the officials who filled in the list was from the Ministry of Rites. After filling in the list, he returned to the Ministry of Rites, and the Minister of Rites asked him to send the budget list of silver needed for the Empress Dowager's birthday to the Ministry of Revenue.
Because it was the Empress Dowager's birthday, no carelessness was allowed, so the official filling out the list directly handed it to the Minister of Revenue.
When he saw the Minister of Revenue, he suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "Master Wu, you may not know that this year's top scholar is from Qingyuan County in Baoding Prefecture."
Everyone in the court knew that the Minister of Revenue Wu Guangwu had served as the county magistrate of Qingyuan County in Baoding Prefecture for ten years. Because of his outstanding political achievements, he was transferred to Xiajing and appointed as a sixth-rank official.
Wu Guangwu held a sixth-rank official position for five years, and later defected to the Prime Minister. In just eight years, he was promoted from the sixth rank to the current second rank.
Wu Guangwu frowned and asked subtly, "Do you know her hometown? What were the names of her three generations of ancestors? Perhaps I have an impression."
The official who compiled the list had just recently seen the first-place exam paper, and his memory was still fresh in his mind: "The new number one is eighteen years old, his hometown is Taoyuan Village, Qingyuan County, and his father is Du Dahong..."
Eighteen years ago.
Taoyuan Village, Du Dahong.
Wu Guangwu's pupils suddenly shrank, and a smile appeared on his face: "Perhaps it's been a long time, I don't remember it."
The official who filled in the list didn't hold out much hope. He just took the opportunity to get close to Wu Guangwu, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then bowed and said, "I'll take my leave."
Wu Guangwu nodded, and when he turned around, his smile disappeared instantly, leaving only a sinister look in his eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
