Three days ago, at the residence of Xu Huifu, the chief minister of the cabinet.
Several civil servants in scarlet official robes gathered together. These were Xu Huishou’s adopted sons. Now all of them held important positions and were above the fourth rank.
Tang Mengyang was promoted quickly because of his eloquence and his frequent flattery of Emperor Wen Tai. He was very unlucky a few days ago. He went out of the suburbs of Beijing and was robbed on his way back. Even his carriage was taken away, leaving him with only a pair of underwear!
During the twelfth lunar month, he nearly lost his life. After finally returning to Beijing, he fell seriously ill.
This time it was just right, there were still bruises on his face from being beaten.
There was a young man sitting on the armchair. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked weak. He said in a leisurely manner, "Tang Mengyang, you are the deputy chief examiner for this year's examination, and the deputy assistant is the chief examiner. I want to ask you, do you have the list of this year's students?"
"Yes, Lord Xu, it's here. I brought it." Tang Mengyang handed over the neatly sorted list of students, with thirty people registered on each page, and there were about a hundred pages in total.
Lord Xu opened it and looked.
This Lord Xu is not the Prime Minister Xu Hui, but Xu Hui’s second son, Xu Zhuojun, the Privy Councilor of the Ministry of War, and the top scholar three years ago.
Xu Zhuojun lowered his head and looked at it for a long time, then frowned and closed it: "Why don't you mark the top winners of each prefecture? How do you do things!"
"This... Your humble servant, I am not doing my job well, please punish me, sir!"
It’s not that Tang Mengyang didn’t bid, but that he didn’t dare to bid.
Xu Zhuojun snorted coldly and stopped looking at him. He turned to the other university scholars beside him and said, "Mark out the names of the top scorers in the provincial examinations in each prefecture for me."
The Xu Party, headed by Prime Minister Xu Hui, secretly recruited talents from all over the world. These top scorers in various prefectures were all virtuous and capable people, and they had to be won over before the joint examination. Those who catch Xu Hui's eye would even be adopted as his sons and selected as his best.
He now has more than a dozen adopted sons.
The Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion quickly circled the names of the top candidates from each prefecture with a pen and said, "Master Xu, these are the ones."
There were no more than twenty of them in total, and Xu Zhuojun looked at them one by one.
"Liu Yuanchun, 29 years old, from Jiangxi, participated in the provincial examination three times, in the fifth year of Wentai, he passed the examination at the 26th place."
"Lin Zikui, 17 years old, from Huainan, in the fifth year of Wentai, he passed the imperial examination at the age of 14?" Xu Zhuojun paused, "President of the Imperial Examination at the age of 14, Lin Zikui... this name sounds very familiar."
Tang Mengyang, who was standing by, was almost sweating.
Xu Zhuojun raised his eyelids and said, "Master Tang, this Lin Zikui, could it be that he was the one who said three years ago that he would not go along with us and swindled others, and threatened to file a complaint with the emperor for the palace examination, saying that we had joined forces with Shuntian Prefecture to arrest the most talented candidates and prevent them from taking the exam. And that he died after entering Shuntian Prefecture?"
Tang Mengyang's legs were shaking: "Yes... I think so."
He didn't expect Xu Zhuojun to have such a good memory.
No wonder Xu Zhuojun could remember it so well. There were only two or three geniuses who won the title of provincial champion at the age of fourteen if we count back three hundred years!
"What do you mean by 'should', Lord Tang? You told me back then that Lin Zikui was blind and could no longer take the exam. Why is he here again now?" Xu Zhuojun's face was very gloomy, and he slammed the list on the table with a dark face.
Tang Mengyang was inconsolable and wiped his sweat: "He...maybe he got better after returning home."
"You don't need me to tell you what to do, do you? If I see him taking part in the imperial examination, be careful of your official hat!"
Tang Mengyang lowered his head and replied, "Yes, sir, I will do it right away."
Tang Mengyang was at his wit's end. Three years ago, he felt sorry for Lin Zikui because he was young and innocent, so he saved Lin Zikui's life. He even spent money to bribe Xu Dang's attackers so that Lin Zikui did not really go blind.
But this second time, he could only go blind.
As luck would have it, Tang Mengyang was worrying about what to do when Lin Zikui came.
He put sleeping pills in the tea he gave to Lin Zikui, and late at night, Tang Mengyang quietly entered his room.
Lin Zikui had completely lost consciousness. He seemed very relaxed, perhaps because he had had a good dream. Tang Mengyang remembered that he had mentioned the second young lady of the Xiao family when he was having dinner just now.
It was said that Lord Xiao asked him to come, probably to discuss the marriage.
So Lin Zikui was very happy and ate an extra bowl of rice.
Now Tang Mengyang was holding an embroidery needle in one hand and standing beside the bed, still feeling sorry for it.
"My dear brother, please don't blame me. If I hadn't done this, you might not even be able to save your life."
He pried open Lin Zikui's eyelids with one hand, and his hand holding the embroidery needle slowly fell with trembling hands.
The tip of the needle touched the thin surface of his eyeball and pressed down.
Tang Mengyang turned his head away.
Lin Zikui was unconscious and couldn't even cry out in pain.
Just at this moment, a "creaky" sound came from outside the door. In a panic, Tang Mengyang scratched his pupil with the needle and then dropped it.
He suddenly hid aside and saw a hunched figure holding a lantern and walking cautiously. When he showed his face, it was actually him!
Tang Mengyang immediately grabbed his male lover and took him out of Lin Zikui's room: "Pingle! What are you doing!"
Ping Le was still in shock: "Master, why are you..."
"Don't mind my business," he said coldly, and asked the male lover to go back to his room. "How dare you disobey my words! You are not allowed to leave the yard for the next half month! If you do it again, I will sell you out!"
Pingle was driven back to the yard, sighing and thinking, what else can he do when his master appears in Lin Zikui's room in the middle of the night? Most likely they wanted to take advantage of the situation and kill the person.
Mr. Lin, poor man.
When Lin Zikui woke up the next morning, his head was still a little groggy. He had slept particularly soundly. When he opened his eyes, he saw fog in front of him and could not help rubbing them.
It hurts so much.
pain……
He closed his eyes uncomfortably and reached out to feel for the thing he had placed properly last night, but he couldn't find it.
Where is 叆叇?
He became a little anxious, so he sat up and groped around to search for it. Finally, he knelt on the ground and finally found the flower that had been broken into several pieces, with only the frame still intact.
Lin Zikui's fingers paused for a long while, then he picked up the fragments with some trembling. The stinging sensation in his eyes made it impossible for him to open his eyes. This feeling was very similar to that time. If Brother Tang had not suddenly appeared that time, stopped the people who assaulted him, and took him to see a doctor in time, Lin Zikui would probably have become blind.
At that time, Tang Mengyang told him: "My dear brother, listen to my advice. Don't try to stop a chariot with a mantis arm. You can't afford to offend those nobles! If you insist on trying to hit a stone with an egg, you will only die. Your life is not worth living. Your boy is still young. If something happens to you, do you think they will let your boy go? My dear brother, live well, leave Jinling, and never come back."
In Lin Zikui's eyes, Tang Mengyang is definitely not a bad person.
It is true that he joined Xu Huipeng's party.
Lin Zikui held the broken pieces of the jade in one hand, and the pain in his heart came out. This was a gift from the second girl. How could such a precious thing be broken...
His other hand was groping on the ground unconsciously, and slowly, he actually felt a tiny needle.
Lin Zikui held his breath.
At this time, there was a knock on the door.
It was Tang Mengyang's voice: "Brother Huaifu, are you awake? I have to go to court. Lord Xiao is now a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue and will go to court with me. If you want to see him, can I take you there when I come back?"
His voice was not loud, but full of consideration. Lin Zikui lowered his head, quickly inserted the needle into his sleeve, and stood up with his hands on the ground: "Brother Tang, I'm up, can you come in for a moment?"
"Brother?" Tang Mengyang pushed open the door and saw his miserable appearance. He felt uncomfortable: "Brother, what are you doing..."
Lin Zikui pretended to be nothing: "My eyes feel a little uncomfortable, and I accidentally broke them. Could you trouble Brother Tang to send me to the Xiao Mansion first..." If he was exposed now, it was not certain whether he could leave the Tang Mansion.
"Okay, okay, I'll take you to the Xiao Mansion right away!"
When he thought about the fact that Lin Zikui would be asked by Lord Xiao to cancel the engagement later, Tang Mengyang sighed in his heart.
How could such a talented person offend a villain like Xu Zhuojun?
Lin Zikui remained expressionless and followed him out of the house.
As soon as the two of them left the house, the two spies who were watching Tang Mengyang nearby went back to report: "Master Xu, there is indeed something fishy about this Tang Mengyang. That Huainan Jieyuan Lin Zikui actually stayed overnight at his house!"
Xu Zhuojun sneered: "Tang Mengyang, you want to kill us all, what a bitch! We can't keep Lin Zikui, he is a disaster! If he really passes the imperial examination and files a complaint with the emperor in the palace examination, where will my father's face be?!"
Spy: "Then...kill him?"
Xu Zhuojun shook his head: "It's too easy for him. He wants to threaten me, but he is overestimating his own abilities. As far as I remember, he seems to have a pretty face. Feed him some mute medicine, send him to Chunshu Hutong, and then kill him."
Chunshu Hutong is a place where anyone who enters will be killed.
Xu Zhuojun: "And Tang Mengyang, give him a warning, he likes to play with men, right? Castrate him for me!"
The spy was about to go down when he suddenly remembered something extremely important: "By the way, sir, I have something else to report. Someone went to the Ministry of Rites and investigated the case of a missing student during the imperial examination three years ago."
Xu Zhuojun stood up angrily: "What? Who is so bold!"
The spy replied: "Yes... General Chen."
"General Chen? Which General Chen? The one from the Patrol Battalion?! What is he investigating? Find a way to make him shut up."
The spy shook his head and said, "He is General Chen, who is under the command of Marquis Dingbei and is guarding the interior of the pass."
Xu Zhuojun: “…”
Xu Zhuojun: "...Who are you talking about?"
Spy: "Marquis Dingbei."
Xu Zhuojun clenched his fingers suddenly, it was unbelievable: "What does this have to do with Dingbei Hou! Why is he investigating this? What does the imperial examination case have to do with him!" A general can investigate the case without any problems. The Xu family can cover up the sky with one hand and get rid of him secretly, but Xiao Fu...
That's really not easy to deal with.
The news that came from his sister, the imperial concubine in the inner court, said that the emperor had just ascended the throne and did something stupid to anger Xiao Fu, so Xiao Fu actually slapped him in the face, and the emperor's face swelled up on the spot.
Xiao Fu said slowly, "It is only natural for an uncle to slap his nephew. Yuwen Duo, if you still want to sit on your throne, don't test me."
Xiao Fu.
He is really not someone you can afford to offend.
He is a madman who doesn't care about his relatives.
Xu Zhuojun had a severe headache: "Why are they both trying to pick on me? Dingbei Hou wants to investigate the imperial examination case, Lin Zikui wants to file a complaint with the emperor..."
Lin Zikui sat in the carriage of the Tang Mansion. His expression seemed calm, but his fingers were clenched tightly for no reason, and there was an undercurrent of uneasiness.
Tang Mengyang was also sitting next to him and asked him, "Brother, what's wrong with your eyes? Can you open them?"
"It hurts a little. I can't open my eyes." He suddenly felt a little scared. When he went to see Lord Xiao later, would the other party be very dissatisfied with him because of his behavior?
So Lin Zikui forced himself to open his eyes.
There were a few clear bloodshot lines in the whites of his eyes, and light red tears in the corners of his eyes.
With one eye, he seemed to be able to see something, but with the other eye, it was so painful when he opened it that he had to close it again and rub it with the back of his hand.
Two clear tears of blood slowly flowed down.
He said nothing, but just clenched his hands, seeming very fragile, yet extremely tough.
Looking at him like this, Tang Mengyang wondered for no reason whether he knew everything.
He opened his mouth: "Brother..."
Lin Zikui turned his head away, and one of his eyes met the light outside the curtain. It was too dazzling, so he closed his eyes again and asked calmly, "Brother Tang, how long will it take?"
"It's almost there, just around the corner."
Lin Zikui got off the carriage and learned that Lord Xiao had gone to court, and Tang Mengyang had also gone. The servant of the Xiao Mansion led him in. Lin Zikui staggered a little, and fearing that he would make a fool of himself, he asked the servant: "I stayed up late to read a book yesterday, and now I can't see clearly. Can I help you walk?"
"Hey, young master, please go slowly." The servant reached out and supported him. "Madam said that you should sit in the hall for a while. She will be here soon."
"Okay." Lin Zikui squinted his eyes and saw that there should be a teapot and teacups on the table. He reached out to touch them and it took him several attempts before he found them.
Lin Zikui drank his tea in silence. There was no one in the hall. Or maybe there was someone but he couldn't see them, or maybe they were laughing at him. He could only straighten his back and wait for about two incense sticks. These two incense sticks seemed too long, as if half his life had passed.
Finally, a tall woman walked in. Lin Zikui couldn't see clearly, so he judged based on the sound of footsteps and the shadows of the number of people.
This must be Mrs. Xiao.
Lin Zikui stood up and bowed respectfully: "I am Lin Zikui, the young master, and I pay my respects to my aunt."
This great gift is for parents.
So much so that Mrs. Xiao, who was originally furious, stopped on the spot.
"Nephew, please stand up quickly," Madam Xiao helped Lin Zikui up. She then realized that his eyes were abnormally red, as if he was bleeding. "Oh, nephew, your eyes!"
Lin Zikui said the same thing: "I was reading until 3 p.m. last night, and I am really ashamed. I hope you won't blame me. This is my marriage certificate."
She took the marriage certificate, checked it, felt relieved, and looked at Lin Zikui again: "Don't blame me, don't blame me... Hey, my dear nephew, you have worked hard."
Didn't you say to take a look? How could it be...
Madam Xiao hesitated, and first made a few polite remarks, praising his handsomeness, and then changed the subject: "It's a pity that my daughter is not blessed."
If Lin Zikui was just nervous just now, he was stunned now. He stared blankly at Mrs. Xiao. The blurry face looked bizarre in his eyes.
Asked uncertainly: "Auntie means..."
"What I mean is, cough," Madam Xiao coughed lightly, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, "My dear nephew, you are still young. When you pass the imperial examination, you can marry a better woman. Little girls are spoiled since childhood and cannot endure hardships. You...how about, how about our two families cancel the engagement?"
Lin Zikui's brain buzzed.
A huge sense of confusion enveloped me.
The stinging pain in my eyes could not compare to the chilling feeling of falling into an ice cellar.
At this moment, a layer of mist appeared in his eyes, and he couldn't control his trembling: "Is this what the second elders meant, or what the second young lady meant?"
"As for the engagement, it's all decided by the parents. I've discussed this matter with your uncle Xiao, and I... don't have any objection." Mrs. Xiao tried to be tactful. It wasn't that she didn't like Lin Zikui. She was attracted by his looks and talent in the first place, and was extremely satisfied with him, so she made the engagement.
However, Lin Zikui has an eye disease and I heard that he has cryptorchidism, which makes him almost like a eunuch. So I can't let my daughter marry him and suffer.
Besides, he had no official title; he was just a juren, and could not pass the jinshi exam. Most likely, he would just be a county magistrate in some countryside.
Besides, my daughter is so old and rebellious. She actually hangs out outside and has a big belly. If we delay any further, we won't be able to hide it anymore. She thinks the new son-in-law is pretty good.
Never mind. That's all.
Madam Xiao said, "Whatever you ask for, our Xiao family will try to satisfy you. I heard that you are waiting for the next spring exam. For this exam, you need to take care of everything. The master has prepared 500 taels of silver for you."
She clapped her hands, and the maid beside her brought over a plate full of silver.
In the Ye Dynasty, where one could be thrown into prison for embezzling 60 taels of silver, 500 taels was not a small sum.
Lin Zikui, who was obviously short of money, didn't even look at him.
He knelt down in front of Madam Xiao with restraint, his voice trembling, and kowtowed heavily: "Aunt, I want to see the second young lady and hear her from her own mouth. Please let me see her!"
Mrs. Xiao certainly didn't know why he wanted to see her daughter, but since Lin Zikui was like this, she was not a heartless person, so she asked the maid to tell him.
"My dear nephew, please stand up first and stop kowtowing to me. I cannot bear this. It is my family that has wronged you. If I still had a daughter, I would have let her marry you."
At this time, Lin Zikui no longer felt the pain in his eyes.
My heart was throbbing with pain, and I said, "If the second girl is willing to marry me, can you help us?"
How is this possible!
Madam Xiao didn't say it, but she still responded to him: "Just listen to what my daughter says."
Miss Xiao was still unmarried and had gained weight recently due to her pregnancy. She covered her small, round face with a round fan, stepped over the threshold, and called out, "Mother."
"Come here, Qiaoqiao, this is Master Lin."
Miss Xiao just heard from her maid that when Mr. Lin heard that he wanted to cancel the engagement, he actually knelt down and kowtowed, begging her mother, saying that he wanted to see her and asked her to refuse in person.
She was extremely unwilling, but was anxious to break off the engagement, so she came without makeup.
Lin Zikui's appearance was quite beyond her expectations. He was as beautiful as a landscape painting. If he were a man, his facial features would definitely be considered beautiful and gentle.
Much more handsome than her Wenlang.
However, a pair of eyes, red and somewhat creepy, were looking at him sadly.
"Second Miss...is here?" Lin Zikui did not hear the familiar voice.
"Mr. Lin? I am Xiao Ting." Miss Xiao discovered that this Mr. Lin was not only short-sighted, but also half blind.
"Xiao...Ting." He murmured the name again and shook his head, "No, no, you are not the second girl, I'm looking for Xiao Zhaoling!"
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