Chapter 3: Three Poor Scholars Pass the Imperial Examinations; Her Backers All Collapse...
At the same time, a member of the Imperial Guard disguised as an ordinary citizen, still reeking of blood, stopped in front of Shen Hegui's carriage. He didn't say much, but silently handed over a piece of yellow hemp paper that had been carefully folded twice.
The streets are crowded with people, and it's best to put important matters down in writing rather than speaking them aloud.
Shen Hegui unfolded the letter, glanced at it, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. Though he smiled, his face was extremely cold: "I won't go to Caishikou. All I see are scars the size of bowls. It's quite boring. I'll change course and go to Zhaoyu."
He paused slightly before saying, "Shoubai, I suddenly have a craving for sweet cakes. Go and buy some."
"yes."
Lin Shoubai went to buy sweet cakes, and the newly arrived Imperial Guard, with great shrewdness, got into the carriage and took Lin Shoubai's place.
All of the Crown Prince's confidants knew one thing: His Highness had a phobia of stupidity and couldn't stand people who were both stupid and foolish.
Given the current situation, Editor Lu is likely in deep trouble!
On the street, Lu Wensheng shouted until her throat was hoarse but couldn't find Mule and Dog. Luckily, there had just been a palace coup yesterday, and officials were too busy to care for themselves, while scholars were keeping quiet and hiding in their backyards like quails. Otherwise, she would definitely have become the center of attention.
No, I can't think like that. Shen Hegui is the real cause. If he had stayed in the imperial mausoleum under house arrest, none of this mess would have happened! At the palace banquet later, she'll use the imperial decree to make Shen Hegui suffer. Once she's satisfied, she'll change into women's clothing and run away.
Thinking of the palace banquet, Lu Wensheng subconsciously looked up at the sky and found that the sun was almost overhead. She decided to put the donkey and dog aside for now, go home to change into her official clothes, and then give Yingniang and Song Zhiyun a proper explanation.
...
The donkey cart carried Lu Wensheng through the vibrant and bustling city streets and into the inner city.
From the Daming Gate to the Meridian Gate, the surroundings gradually became solemn and dignified, with an invisible pressure pouring in from all directions, making it difficult for the officials to breathe.
Lu Wensheng was fearless and unafraid of Shen Hegui, but others were. She watched helplessly as several elderly officials staggered out of the car, some falling face-first into the dirt, others kneeling down.
She stepped forward to help, but the officials tacitly avoided her, as if she were tainted by something dirty, their attitude completely different from before.
Being an official is essentially being a corporate slave; she had only a superficial relationship with him, and now that he's fallen from grace, everyone is kicking him while he's down.
Lu Wensheng reluctantly withdrew his hand, turned around, opened the food box on the donkey cart, and took a piece of meat for himself.
The food box was forced upon Lu Wensheng by Song Zhiyun. It had three layers: the top two layers contained meat, and the bottom layer contained rice, wine, and raw meat.
The palace banquet hosted by the Crown Prince had no end in sight; she needed to eat her fill first. Her mother's cooking skills were truly inherited, and setting aside any prejudice, the food was quite delicious.
A cold wind blew across the square in front of the Meridian Gate. Officials from all walks of life gathered with their close colleagues, whispering amongst themselves, their faces grim. Du Lu Wensheng, however, ate with grease on his face, his complexion ruddy.
Lu Wensheng was enjoying her meal when two different hands reached into her food box and snatched away a large handful of braised meat like robbers.
"It smells so good!"
Wow! It's so delicious!
The one who said it smelled good was Huo Qian, who was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the same year as Lu Wensheng and served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
Shang Lian, who said it tasted delicious like a child, was also a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the same year as Lu Wensheng, and also served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
Both of them, like Lu Wensheng, came from humble backgrounds and were not well-informed. They participated in the imperial examination of the twentieth year of Qinghe when the struggle between Prince Su and the Crown Prince was at its most intense.
Throughout history, to thrive in officialdom, one must have a powerful patron. Before entering Yanjing, Lu Wensheng's patron was the governor of Yingtian, a powerful official in a financially vital region. After passing the imperial examination and obtaining her official position, her patrons became the Grand Secretary Zhang Mianzhi, Prince Su, and His Majesty.
The governor of Yingtian and the Grand Secretary were both talents prepared by Emperor Qinghe for Prince Su, so Lu Wensheng naturally became a member of Prince Su's faction.
As for how she met the governor of Yingtian, the story begins in her hometown of Huizhou Prefecture.
That year, six counties in Huizhou were in an uproar over a mysterious "population and silk" tax. This heavy tax, accumulated over two hundred years, had always been borne by a single county, driving countless people to sell their children. Her twin brother, without her knowledge, joined the crowd in protesting at the government office, demanding justice, but he disappeared without a trace.
In the present world, she had only skimmed through this case in history books, which further convinced her that she had transmigrated to another world with a different background. History moves forward, similar yet different.
In the history she knew, this was an even more unresolved mess, with intricate local protectionism and power struggles behind it. In the end, everyone tried to smooth things over, and the person who first discovered the problem and wanted to solve it was punished and became a victim.
With her brother missing, she had no choice but to disguise herself as a man and volunteer to audit the accounts, secretly infiltrating the company to find out her brother's whereabouts. Coincidentally, the governor of Yingtian was also there at that time. Seeing that she was good at calculations and accounting and was well-versed in the ways of the court, the governor immediately took a liking to her talent and took the initiative to befriend her.
Later, her brother disappeared for a long time, and the uncles in the clan had wicked ideas. They wanted to marry her down and then divide her family's assets. With no other choice, she simply took on her brother's identity and had Song Zhiyun lie that she was seriously ill and about to die, so that she had to be sent to a temple to recuperate.
Once a wicked thought takes hold, it's hard to shake off. Before the New Year was even over, her uncles bribed the clerks and tried every means to extort her family by converting the corvée labor that should have been borne into exorbitant "substitute labor silver." Left with no other option, she studied diligently, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and be exempt from corvée labor.
Because she worked so hard, she came in first place in the exam that year. The governor of Yingtian specially sent someone to her home to recruit her. At that time, she didn't want to become an official, so she refused.
The following year, her uncles set their sights on her mother again, because a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination was only exempt from corvée labor himself, not his family, and might even be punished by being forced into lowly clerkships. She had no choice but to continue studying diligently, vowing to pass the provincial-level examination and become a successful candidate in the imperial examination so that her whole family could be exempted from corvée labor.
He was also lucky; that year, Emperor Qinghe celebrated his fiftieth birthday and issued an imperial edict to hold a special imperial examination.
That time, she accidentally ranked first in the exam again, becoming the top scholar. Because of her humble background, young age, and outstanding appearance, she caused a sensation in the literary world.
At this time, the governor of Yingtian came again. This time, he didn't send his subordinates to recruit him, but came in person.
He also told her that as long as she continued to take the exam, he would guarantee that she would become the top scorer.
At that moment, she shamefully became tempted and agreed without thinking, offering a bribe along with local specialties such as tea, ink sticks, and inkstones.
She understands all the tricks and schemes of this world, and since the high-ranking official said so, he must have a way to help her achieve it.
During those days, the governor of Yingtian was so charmed by her that he was like a withered old chrysanthemum, adoring her to the point of almost adopting her as his godson.
In the warm spring of March, when flowers were in full bloom, she was indeed chosen as the top scholar in the imperial examination. Unfortunately, besides the tall and imposing Prince Su, there was also the aloof and expressionless Crown Prince in the court.
With just a few words, Shen Hegui demoted her from the top scholar to the second-ranked scholar. In the end, it was only thanks to the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet speaking a few good words for her that she barely managed to get the third-ranked scholar.
For this, Huo Qian and Shang Lian felt extremely guilty towards her, believing that they had taken her place. Coincidentally, they learned from her that navigating the officialdom requires a powerful backer, and from then on, Lu Wensheng became their backer, and they became Lu Wensheng's inseparable lackeys.
The three of them huddled together for warmth for four years, and their lives were filled with both close calls and safe passages.
In the square, seeing that the two of them were enjoying their meal, Lu Wensheng simply gave them the first floor.
Shang Lian was tall and handsome, and he ate a lot. He chewed on some braised meat and mumbled, "Boss, give me some more. The food box has three layers. How can your small frame eat so much?"
Lu Wensheng put down the slices of braised meat in her hand, and suddenly felt like playing a trick on him. She handed the last layer of the food box to Shang Lian.
Huo Qian paused, "What is this? How is it prepared?" He couldn't understand the combination of rice, wine, and raw meat.
Lu Wensheng pointed to the scallions in the sliced meat, "Scallions are vegetarian, meat is non-vegetarian, add rice, wine and raw meat, what do you say it is?"
The alcohol spurted from Shang Lian's nostrils, and he coughed and mumbled, "Final...final meal...meal! Cough cough cough!"
Huo Qian was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to eat or not, and his face turned green with frustration.
Seeing their reactions, Lu Wensheng felt relieved: "It's alright, this was prepared by my mother, you two can eat it without any problems."
Huo Qian said dryly, "Auntie's thinking is indeed unique!"
Lu Wensheng: "You flatter me, you flatter me."
In this day and age, etiquette is highly valued, and people are expected to remain silent while eating or sleeping. Lu Wensheng and his group, oblivious to their surroundings, ate, drank, and vomited, instantly becoming conspicuous oddities. Not to mention the aroma of the food and wine, which whetted everyone's appetites, yet they couldn't express it.
Just then, Grand Secretary Zhang Mianzhi, supported by his servant, stepped down from the carriage. His expression was normal, as if he were about to attend just an ordinary palace banquet.
Lu Wensheng's gaze lingered on Zhang Mianzhi's hair. She noticed that in just one night, Zhang Mianzhi's originally black and gray hair had turned completely white.
Zhang Mianzhi dismissed his servants, avoided the officials along the way who wanted to exchange pleasantries with him, and went straight to Lu Wensheng. With his old and withered hands, he picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth to chew.
Zhang Mianzhi's voice was hoarse: "The meat is good, but it's a pity we came across it in the wrong place."
Official jargon is often roundabout and prone to being ambiguous, but Lu Wensheng understood it.
Zhang Mianzhi said that she was born at the wrong time, that the timing of her appearance was wrong, and that it was a pity that her talent and ability were wasted.
Seeing that more and more eyes were on them, Lu Wensheng calmly closed the third food box and said, "It's alright, we can keep it and share it with you after the palace banquet."
She was implying to Zhang Mianzhi that she had found a way to escape.
Zhang Mianzhi stared intently at Lu Wensheng with his aged, cloudy eyes. After several breaths, he slowly spoke, his tone carrying a complex mix of approval and disapproval: "You have always been intelligent." It's a pity that such a bright and clever child is not of the Zhang family bloodline.
Seeing that all the officials had arrived, the general guarding the Meridian Gate ordered the palace gate, which was dozens of meters high, to be pushed open. The heavy pivots turned with a deafening roar, and a blast of cold wind rushed out, making the officials' robes flutter wildly before piercing to the bone. The passageway inside the gate was deep and narrow, like the maw of a giant beast, swallowing the silent officials one by one.
The banquet was held in the square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. At first glance, the orderly arrangement of the banquet tables appeared grand and solemn, displaying the scale and grandeur befitting the imperial family. However, upon closer inspection, this solemnity revealed an indescribable perfunctoriness.
Cold water, thin slices of meat, dried mussels, a bowl of soup, and extremely simple pastries.
Lu Wensheng wanted to find an inconspicuous table to sit at, but was stopped by soldiers in full armor: "Editor Lu, you have your own seat, you can't just sit anywhere."
"Alright, please lead the way." Lu Wensheng appeared humble, but inwardly he was clamoring for Chen Hegui.
Fine, fine, Shen Hegui has finally turned his life around and now he wants to make things difficult for her! She'd like to see where he puts her, how petty! How stingy! Her dog eats better than this feast! Luckily she ate her fill before coming.
Lu Wensheng lowered his eyes and followed the soldiers, the cold sound of armor clanking continuing until they reached the head of the column.
"Editor Lu, this is your seat." After leading the way, he silently stood four steps away from the banquet table, a distance that was neither too far nor too close, perfect for drawing his sword and killing someone.
Lu Wensheng looked up at the person above her. The rosewood table, the mink chair, and the smokeless charcoal were clearly prepared for Shen Hegui.
So she's been placed under Shen Hegui's nose?!
An unfamiliar face appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of the sandalwood table. He was not wearing official robes, but his demeanor was calm and composed. His voice clearly carried throughout the surroundings: "Gentlemen, please wait a moment. His Highness has been delayed by some business and will be here shortly."
As he finished speaking, his gaze swept steadily across the room, as if he were counting heads. His eyes swept over the anxious or submissive faces, and finally, unequivocally, fixed on Lu Wensheng.
When Lu Wensheng noticed him staring at her, she was confused for a few seconds, but then she realized that she was the only one standing there blankly among all the officials in the square.
She dusted off her official robes and sat down in her seat as if nothing had happened.
A note from the author:
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The female lead passed the exam on her own merit; she didn't cheat. [doge emoji]
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