At the Lu Ming Banquet, Wei Min and A Ruan sat on the lower right side of the county magistrate, while Song Rongmian sat on the lower left side. The two sat face to face with a distance in between.
When Wei Min attacked, he hit Song Rongmian on the face. Now, apart from a slightly swollen cheek, there was nothing unusual about her.
In addition to the initial jealousy, Song Rongmian's eyes when she looked at Wei Min now also contained a hint of hatred. Perhaps because she had just been beaten, she did not dare to look at him so blatantly.
When Wei Min's eyes occasionally met Song Rongmian's, he didn't dodge or evade, but just looked at her. Like a hawk watching a rabbit.
Song Rongmian avoided looking at Wei Min, not daring to meet his gaze. She is the type of person who will be weak if you are strong. Although Wei Min took action today, she was in the wrong. If I bring the matter to the attention of the governor, I won't gain any benefit at all.
After the Kuixing Dance was performed at the Luming Banquet, the county magistrate had someone present a red tray with three taels of silver on it.
Although the money is not much, it represents a kind of honor and face that cannot be bought with any amount of money.
Wei Min took the money and turned around to hand it to A'ruan.
It was just afternoon when the banquet ended. It was still early, so many candidates made appointments to go to a teahouse to listen to stories and chat about going to Beijing to take the imperial examinations.
When the people at Luoyu Academy saw Wei Min coming out, they shouted to her to go with them. When preparing for the exam, everyone was only focused on the county exam. Now that the list has been released and the rankings have been determined, and there is still some time before the provincial exam, it is inevitable that they would want to use this rare free time to relax.
Seeing Wei Min's classmates standing at the gate of the county government waiting for her, Ah Ruan turned her head and smiled, raising her hand to gesture:
——You go with them, I can go back first.
Wei Min held A'ruan's hand, held it in his palm, and led him towards the crowd.
"You guys go listen to the music. Ruan and I still have some things to buy. We want to go shopping at the market while it's still early."
When everyone heard Wei Min say that she wanted to accompany her husband, they immediately looked at each other, and said "oh" meaningfully, with a teasing look on their faces.
Seeing that Wei Min's husband's face turned red, a group of women also scratched their heads and smiled, raising their hands to say goodbye to Wei Min, "Then you go, we will leave first."
After separating from the crowd, Wei Min took A'ruan to a bookstore first, and after selecting the pens, ink, paper and inkstone for the provincial examination, they went for a stroll.
Ah Ruan was stunned when she saw Wei Min leading her into the cloth shop. When she heard her tell the shopkeeper that she was "buying clothes for my husband," she grabbed her hand and shook her head hurriedly.
——Save the money for going to Beijing to take the exam, don’t spend it on this.
A'ruan frowned her delicate eyebrows in disapproval, and held Wei Min's hand to prevent her from choosing the fabric.
The so-called clothes are nothing more than buying cloth from a cloth shop and making them yourself at home. If you are a wealthy family, you can have someone measure your size and come back to pick up the clothes after they are made.
Although Aruan didn't have new clothes, her old clothes could still be worn for another two years after being patched up, so there was really no need to waste money on buying new ones.
By leaving the money for buying clothes, Wei Min could at least eat a few more hot buns and drink two bowls of hot soup on his way to the capital.
A Ruan first smiled and shook her head to decline the store owner's enthusiasm, then took Wei Min's arm and pulled her aside.
Wei Min lowered his eyes and let him pull him.
A Ruan knew that his wife loved him and wanted to treat him well, so when he advised her not to spend money indiscriminately, his tone was particularly soft, and even his gestures were gentle.
He pursed his lips slightly and looked at Wei Min:
——I don’t want these things. If you are not at home, who should I wear them for? It’s better for you to keep the money and put it in your pocket for when you go to Beijing to take the exam. Then I will feel more at ease at home.
Wei Min didn't say anything, just stared at A Ruan motionlessly.
Ah Ruan bit her lip, the tips of her ears turned red, she stretched out her hand, hooked Wei Min's fingers, and shook them gently as if acting coquettishly.
Wei Min held A'ruan's hand, looked into his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I want to buy you some clothes. I haven't bought you anything in such a long time since we got married."
Ah Ruan smiled, not knowing what he was thinking about. He gently pulled back his hand and gestured:
——Will you buy me some fancy clothes after I graduate from high school?
Wei Min's throat tightened and he couldn't say anything when he saw A'ruan's expectant eyes.
She wanted to say to him, "Instead of making such a promise, I'd rather be nice to you now. I'm sure I'll have gorgeous clothes in the future, but now I want to buy you a piece of fine cloth and make you a new dress."
As frugal as Aruan was with himself, he was generous to her; as strict with himself as he was with himself, he was tolerant to her.
Wei Min knew that if she didn't leave the cloth shop today, A'ruan would eventually compromise. But after she returned and went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, he would probably touch the new cloth and secretly wipe away his tears out of pain.
Wei Min held A'ruan's hand, smiled slightly, and said, "Okay, after I graduate from high school, I will buy A'ruan a room dedicated to storing fine clothes and jewelry."
The waiter at the side glanced at the two people walking out together. After they walked away, he said to the person next to him: "The scholar relies on her mouth to deceive men. If she has no money, she just says she has no money. What's the point of waiting until after high school? Ha, let alone other things, if she passes the imperial examination in the future, how can she remember where she was born and who is in her family? It's just that her man is stupid and really believed her words."
After saying this, she couldn't help but exclaim, "People like you and me, who work hard and are not glib, how come we can't marry such a stupid man?"
As for the waiter's sour words, Wei Min and A'ruan didn't hear a word. After the two left the cloth shop, Wei Min took A Ruan to the snack shop.
In a small county like Qingping County, the store classification is not as detailed as in the provincial capital. Generally, dim sum shops not only sell dim sum, but also dry food and water bags.
The two of them came this time to buy some dry food for Wei Min to eat on the way to the capital.
After entering the snack shop, Ah Ruan, in contrast to her previous reluctance to cooperate in the cloth shop, lowered her head and selected items seriously. The dry food he selected was able to be stored for a long time and tasted good.
If Wei Min were to choose by herself, she would mostly choose some cheap whole grain cakes. Although this kind of thing would irritate the throat and have no taste, it is easy to carry and very cheap. One or two copper coins can buy a lot.
Wei Min would be gone for about half a year, and the journey alone would take at least three or four months. Winter was approaching, and it would be freezing cold on the road. If he didn't eat better, he would suffer a lot.
A Ruan felt sorry for his wife, so he chose only good dry food when buying it and paid for it without hesitation.
A Ruan was responsible for buying dry food. Wei Min watched him for a while, then turned around and looked at the cakes next to him.
The pastries that were just baked at noon were arranged on the plate. They looked delicate and beautiful, emitting their tempting sweet aroma, tempting people's appetite.
When the clerk saw Wei Min looking over here, he came over and introduced to her what these pastries were, what ingredients they were made of, and what they felt like to eat.
The clerk described the dish vividly, and seeing that Wei Min was interested, he took out a small silver knife, cut a small piece and handed it to her.
After Wei Min took it, he turned around and called out, "Aruan, come here."
Ah Ruan thought Wei Min was in trouble, so she walked over to her and raised her hand to draw a full question mark in the air.
Wei Min put his hands behind his back, lowered his eyes to look at his mouth, and said, "Open your mouth."
Although A'ruan didn't understand what she wanted to do, in front of outsiders, unless it was something like what happened just now, A'ruan would usually give Wei Min face and be docile and obedient.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Wei Min fed him something.
It melts in your mouth and tastes sweet and delicious.
The pastries are sweet, and A'ruan's heart is sweet too. He smiled like a child who had tasted candy, with the tips of his ears slightly red. Realizing that there were outsiders here, he glanced at the clerk next to him with an embarrassed look.
Wei Min asked him, "Is it delicious?"
Ah Ruan stuck out the tip of her tongue, gently licked her lips covered with powdered sugar, and nodded.
Wei Min hummed in an ambiguous tone and said nothing else. He let A'ruan go on to pick up some dry food.
On the way back, Wei Min carefully took out an oil-paper bag from his sleeve and opened it layer by layer in front of A Ruan, revealing several exquisite pastries inside.
Afraid that Ah Ruan would accuse him of wasting money, Wei Min quickly pinched half a cake and stuffed it into his mouth, saying, "All my private money is here. I hope you will be generous and not be angry."
The money in Wei Min's pocket was saved up bit by bit, and this time he used it to buy Ah Ruan some pastries that he thought were delicious, to make up for the regret of not being able to buy clothes.
A Ruan felt a sweet and sour feeling in her heart. She put her hands on Wei Min's shoulders, smiled, stood on tiptoe and kissed her on the corner of her mouth.
It was not until this moment that Aruan's mood, which had been affected in the county government office, was completely lifted.
It doesn’t matter what others think of him, as long as his wife doesn’t mind.
Wei Min lowered his head and licked the pastry crumbs off A'ruan's mouth, his lips curled up in joy.
A Ruan looked at the corners of Wei Min's lips that were raised, and felt as if her heart was hanging there, swaying along the curve.
Qingping County is not close to the capital. As a juren, if Wei Min wanted to take the provincial examination, he should have left at this time.
A Ruan was particularly reluctant to leave and would become distracted even when sitting alone in front of the stove and making a fire.
I heard that going to Beijing to take the imperial examination was very hard, and many people were unlucky and died by encountering villains on the way. There was also a scholar who caught a cold on the road and had no money to see a doctor, and died of the illness. Some even encountered avalanches on the road and were often buried in the snow...
Whenever he thought of this, A Ruan felt his heart tighten. Even when sitting in front of a burning stove, I still felt cold all over.
Ruan may have thought about these many times, and he has also thought about other things.
If Wei Min could enter the capital smoothly and pass the imperial examination, with so many temptations in the capital, would she be willing to come back to pick him up?
A Ruan felt reluctant and worried, as well as a little uneasy and irritated. He couldn't help but rub his face with his hands to suppress his emotions.
Wei Lian came over today, holding an almanac in her hand, and was sitting outside in the yard with Wei Min, looking at the departure date.
Wei Lian actually didn’t really believe this, but couldn’t help but hear others say it was accurate. If you don't choose the right day to go out and the journey is long, who would be willing to gamble their life with God whether this will work?
Wei Min was even more unconvinced than Wei Lian, but seeing that his sister looked serious, he didn't spoil her fun and just regarded it as a way to give the whole family peace of mind.
Wei Luo didn't understand these things, but he still lay aside obediently and asked Wei Min other questions in a low voice.
"Aunt is leaving again?" Wei Luo scratched the stone table in front of him with his round fingers and said in a muffled voice, "A Luo is so reluctant to let her go."
The child didn’t understand anything else, he just knew that they were going to be separated again.
"When will my aunt be back?" Wei Luo looked at Wei Min anxiously, her voice filled with tears, "A Luo is going out to pick you up."
Wei Min smiled and touched Wei Luo's head, rubbed his earlobe, and said, "Auntie will be back soon. Can you help Auntie take care of your uncle at home? When Auntie comes back, I'll buy you some delicious cakes."
When Wei Luo heard about food, he immediately perked up and looked up at Wei Min, "Then my aunt must come back soon."
Wei Min nodded and smiled, "Of course, your uncle-in-law is still waiting for me at home, he will definitely come back early."
Wei Min was sitting with her back to the door of the main hall, so naturally she didn't notice A Ruan who happened to be standing behind her when she said this.
A Ruan lowered her eyes to hide the increasingly strong feeling of reluctance in her eyes, and called them to eat.
Before Wei Lian and Wei Luo came, Sun had already cooked at home, so the two did not stay and left after choosing a day.
The almanac says that September 10th is an auspicious day for going on a long journey.
A Ruan knew that Wei Min would be leaving in two days, and he suddenly lost his appetite for food. His mind and eyes were filled with his wife beside him.
Seeing that Ah Ruan didn't eat either and just sat there watching her, Wei Min couldn't help but call out, "Ah Ruan?"
Ah Ruan came back to her senses after hearing the voice and subconsciously reached out to take the bowl from Wei Min's hand to add more rice to her.
——Have you finished eating?
Wei Min put down his chopsticks, and only then did Ah Ruan see that there was still a lot of rice left in her bowl.
Ah Ruan smiled awkwardly, but the smile seemed forced.
Wei Min didn't show it on his face, but he sighed in his heart. He raised his hand and covered the back of A'ruan's hand, and said with a frivolous smile to tease him, "I haven't left yet, but you don't want to eat or drink? Are you so reluctant to leave me?"
A Ruan didn't say anything, but lowered her head with red eyes.
Wei Min suppressed the smile on his face, stood up, took A Ruan into his arms, and gently stroked his back with his palm.
Ah Ruan buried her face in Wei Min's arms, holding her waist.
When the two of them embraced at night, Wei Min's movements were much more intense than usual. When he was excited, he touched the corners of A Ruan's wet eyes with his fingers and whispered in his ear: "Can you take care of yourself after I leave?"
A'ruan had no time to lie at this time and was the most honest. He put his hands on Wei Min's back, crying and shaking his head.
Wei Min felt very distressed, and hugged A Ruan tightly in his arms, resting his head on his neck, and said in a hoarse voice: "How can I leave with peace of mind when you are like this..."
Ah Ruan was in a daze. Before he could hear what she said, he sank into the waves she created. He was swept into it and shared the greatest happiness in the world with her.
During these two days, Wei Min went to the academy to meet Master Wei and did not go anywhere else. He just stayed by A'ruan's side.
A'ruan worked day and night to make a pair of shoes for Wei Min, took out her winter cotton robe to dry in the sun, and packed her luggage.
The day of separation will always come.
Just like the last time during the provincial examination, A Ruan got up in the morning and made breakfast for Wei Min.
After dinner, Wei Min kissed A Ruan on the forehead and said, "Wait for me to come back."
A Ruan let her hold him obediently, his face against her chest, his eyes closed as he listened to her strong heartbeat.
"No matter what the outcome of this trip is, I will come back." Wei Min lowered his head and said softly, "Take good care of yourself, and I will come to pick you up next spring."
A Ruan's tears flowed silently, but he wiped them away quickly.
——Take care of yourself on the road. Everything is fine at home. Don't worry.
A Ruan forced a smile, handed the bag in her hand to Wei Min, and stepped out of her arms.
After Wei Min and Wei Lian walked away, all of A Ruan's pretended strength seemed to have gone with her. She squatted on the ground and cried reluctantly.
It was a dark morning in late autumn. A'ruan was squatting alone at the entrance of the village, his back looking particularly thin and gaunt.
…
The provincial examination was a national examination hosted by the Ministry of Rites, also known as the Liwei. The provincial examination is held in the second year of the provincial examination, which is the years of Chou, Chen, Wei, and Xu.
At that time, all the candidates from all over the country would come to the capital for the examination, which would be held in February of the spring, so it was also called the Spring Examination. The Spring Examination was also divided into three sessions, held on the 9th, 12th and 15th day of the second lunar month respectively.
Many successful candidates began to rush to the capital city after the results of the provincial examination were announced. Those who travel far should go earlier, and those who travel near should go later.
This year, most of the candidates who went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations did not have the opportunity to celebrate the New Year at home.
Along the way, Wei Min got to know many candidates who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations, from all over the country.
It is much safer if we travel together. At least if we miss the post station, a dozen people can stay in a dilapidated temple without worrying about big beasts breaking in.
After walking for about two months, the weather was getting colder and colder, and Wei Min had already put on his cotton robe. When I woke up today and opened the window, I saw a thin layer of snow in the yard outside.
Snow scenes are usually the favorites of literati and elegant scholars.
At this time of year, with this kind of scenery, it is so beautiful to boil a pot of sweet wine, light a hot brazier, sit on the mahogany floor covered with a carpet, and recite poems to the snow outside the door.
But for the poor people who can only live in dormitory beds, this scene only exists in books and imagination. It is an unattainable existence, and it is also the day they yearn for most in their hearts.
A group of poor scholars got a pot of hot water at the post station and stuffed it into their arms to keep warm. They bought two steaming hot steamed buns and ate them while walking.
Although they held the choking steamed buns in their hands, their hearts were filled with bright and sunny days. Even the coldest weather could not extinguish their enthusiasm for the imperial examinations.
The wind and snow started to blow, making the road difficult to travel.
The cold wind mixed with snowflakes penetrated every corner. The warm and gentle spring wind suddenly changed its nature, like a sharp blade, cutting across people's faces again and again.
Wei Min and others walked on the snowy road for several days. Their feet were warm while they were walking and they didn't feel anything. It was only as soon as they stopped that they felt their feet were cold and painful.
When we arrived at the post station to rest at night, we found that many people had frostbite, especially on their feet and ears.
Wei Min was wearing the ear warmer that A Ruan had sewn for her and the non-slip and warm shoes, and she was fine. When she saw that A Ruan even thought of ear warmers in the bag, she realized how thoughtful he was.
The quilts at the inn are the kind used in autumn, and you won’t get a thicker quilt without paying extra.
There were about ten people in their group, none of them were rich, and they usually squeezed together in a large bunk bed.
Our wallets have become increasingly thinner along the way, and we were all prepared to grit our teeth and persevere until we reached the capital, but now no one is willing to pay. In the end, they simply took off their outer clothes at night and slept in their cotton robes and wrapped in quilts.
The quilt was too thin to keep me warm even after a whole night’s sleep. I was woken up early the next morning by the cold and had to read by candlelight.
Wei Min and his group did not encounter the kind of bad guys that A Ruan was worried about, nor did they encounter an avalanche, but some people were so seriously ill that they could not continue on their journey.
The weather was cold and the weak candidate couldn't hold on at all.
This road to the exam was also a way to select candidates for the provincial examination. Those who are not strong-willed enough cannot endure the hardship and naturally cannot reach the capital. Those who are physically weak will also be eliminated.
Of course, this kind of screening only targets poor students like them, while those from aristocratic and wealthy families naturally do not have to suffer this.
The road to taking the exams is arduous for children from poor families, and it is not easy to pass. They know the hardships of the lower-class people, know how to benefit the people, and have a certain amount of knowledge... But even so, those who hold power in the court today are still aristocratic families. There are very few people from poor families, and there are almost no people who can speak for the people.
This phenomenon has been going on for decades and has become increasingly serious in recent years, simply because the current Majesty was able to sit on the supreme throne with the support of the nobles, and the only people she trusts and relies on are the aristocratic families.
The power of the court was held in their hands. Officials from humble backgrounds were marginalized. Those who maintained their integrity were either not valued or banished from the capital, while those who chose to bow down and flatter became running dogs of the gentry.
When the nobles were in power, they naturally pursued their own interests.
Many students from poor families knew these things before going to the capital, but what good would it do them? After studying hard for many years, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, you have to fight for it.
At the end of December, during the Chinese New Year, the candidates were getting closer and closer to the capital. If they stood in a high place, they could vaguely see the continuous palaces in the center of the capital.
Today is Chinese New Year, and Wei Min bought a hot egg, which he rarely does. He held it in his hand to keep warm, and wondered what A'ruan was doing at the moment.
Wei Min was the youngest among the group, but she had the calmest temperament. Seeing her rarely showing any signs of homesickness, some people couldn't help but tease her with a smile, "Are you missing your husband?"
Wei Min smiled and didn't refute.
Everyone comforted him, "Try hard, and when you pass the exam, you can take him over to enjoy the good life."
Wei Min smiled, lowered his head to peel an egg, put it in a steamed bun, and had his New Year's Eve dinner like this.
The capital city was indeed different from the small county town where they lived. It exuded the prosperity and wealth of an imperial capital.
After entering the city gate, there are so many different shop fronts on the street that it is almost impossible to see them all.
In the bustling market, the shouts seem to sound more novel than anywhere else.
Wei Min and others happened to pass by and caught a glimpse of a juggler nearby. They heard a remark that happened to be the opening witticism.
"I'm a new comer to your precious place, but I've run out of money and can't travel very conveniently. Fortunately, I've learned some simple tricks, and I'm showing them off here on the street. I beg the elders and the young, and the neighbors to support me and take care of me.
If you think I play well, those who have money can support me with money, those who don't can support me with their presence, those who are free can support me with their presence, those who like me can support me with their love, and most importantly, I will make you laugh. ”
The woman who was speaking was young, with a simple face and a canine tooth that showed on one side when she smiled. She looked very pleasing and made the crowd of onlookers applaud and cheer.
It is only the end of January now, and there are still a few days before the provincial examination. But after arriving in Beijing, everyone had no time to watch the acrobatics, but instead looked around for an inn to stay.
The inns close to the Imperial Examination Hall were already overcrowded, and even the cheapest and worst-equipped bunk beds were fully occupied.
After entering the capital, the people who came with Wei Min bowed to each other and said with a smile: "We have been together for a long time, so we will say goodbye. We will meet again in the future. You and I will be in the examination hall. I wish you all a bright future and be nominated on the list."
Everyone went their separate ways, and Wei Min did not look for an inn anymore. Instead, he asked if there were any farmhouses for rent nearby.
Although a farmhouse like this is a bit far from the Imperial Examination Hall, it is cheap.
After finding a place to stay, Wei Min concentrated on reading and preparing for the exam.
The provincial examination was held by the Ministry of Rites of the Shangshu Province and lasted for three days, with a total of four sessions. The first test is about the original scripture, the second test is about combined scripture, the third test is about an essay, and the fourth test is about three questions on current affairs.
Since the provincial examination is a higher-level examination, the number of examiners is twice as many as that of the provincial examination. The chief examiner, co-examiner and supervisor were mostly ministers of the six ministries and Hanlin academicians. The official in charge of the examination is called the chief examiner or the chief examiner. Those who passed the examination were called Gongshi, and the first place was called Huiyuan.
The imperial examination was not only the main way for the court to select officials, but also the main way for imperial princesses to increase their power.
For the annual provincial examinations, the emperor would not only appoint the chief examiner and co-examiners, but would also choose the crown princess to be the chief examiner. Let the princess take charge of such an important matter so as to exercise her abilities.
The emperor's surname was Jiang, and the princess' name was Jiang Wuyong. Her biological father was a descendant of a prominent family and had been the most favored concubine in the harem for many years. As soon as she was born, the emperor was overjoyed and named her the princess on the spot.
Jiang Wuyong was not a very capable person, but there were two things about him that made the emperor extremely satisfied. One was that he was obedient, and the other was that his daughter, like her, attached importance to the interests of the gentry.
The emperor has many sons and daughters. Jiang Wuyong was the eldest, which was why it was so easy to appoint her as the Crown Princess. The Queen had no children at that time, so it was reasonable to appoint the eldest daughter as the Crown Princess.
After receiving the imperial edict, Jiang Wuyong was not in a hurry to meet the chief examiner or to go to the Imperial Examination Hall. Instead, he sat in the study room of the East Palace and used an abacus.
The provincial examination, which is held every three years, is the best time to make money. Jiang Wuyong is in her thirties this year. From the time she came of age to now, has she not made a lot of money?
Sure enough, not long after, someone from the gate said that the Minister of Revenue wanted to see him.
Jiang Wuyong closed his eyelids with an indifferent expression, leaning lazily on the armchair without any expression.
The attendant beside her knew her master too well, so he leaned over to her ear and whispered, "He brought a piece of top-grade blood jade, three buckets of South China Sea pearls, two colorful corals half a person's height, and a box of gold."
"Oh?" Jiang Wuyong opened his eyes and became interested. He twisted his fingers and said, "Minister Liu is sincere enough."
The attendant replied, "Minister Liu has a favorite maid who wants to die in his belly. The maid's sister is taking the provincial exam this year..."
No wonder.
Jiang Wuyong raised his hand to straighten his clothes and sat up straighter, "Let Minister Liu come in."
Liu Wen is just over 40 this year. He is obese and has a greasy face. As soon as she came in, she bowed respectfully to Jiang Wuyong.
Jiang Wuyong stood up from his chair, walked around the desk in front of him, and helped the man up personally. "Minister Liu, you are being polite. You and I are not strangers. There is no need to perform these empty formalities. Come and sit down."
Liu Wen said he dared not, and after a while of polite conversation, they turned the topic to the provincial examination in a few days.
Jiang Wuyong walked from the desk to the back and sat on the armchair, looking thoughtful and hesitant, "If the Queen Mother knew about this..."
She twirled her fingers and spoke only half the words.
Liu Wen understood immediately and took out from his pocket several deeds of shops on the downtown street, all of which were profitable shops such as jewelry and rouge shops.
Liu Wen gently placed the deed on the desk in front of Jiang Wuyong, pushed it forward, and flattered him, "Your Highness has always done things that satisfied the Emperor, otherwise I would not be here, right?"
Jiang Wuyong looked at the deed in front of him with drooping eyelids. He was satisfied, but smiled and said, "Lord of the Ministry of Revenue, have you emptied the national treasury or are there too many people who worship you privately? Are you willing to do this for a spoiled sister?"
Liu Wen pulled up his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead and laughed, "How dare I? It's just the money I saved on weekdays. This pet servant is my sweetheart. I can't do anything about his crying and making a fuss..."
Jiang Wuyong casually tucked the house deed into a book beside him and said, "I am deeply moved by the love that Minister Liu has for his concubine. Given Minister Liu's sincerity, it would be unkind of me to refuse."
When Liu Wen heard this, he knew that Jiang Wuyong agreed, and he immediately bowed and thanked him.
After leaving the East Palace, Liu Wen climbed into his own carriage. As soon as he got in, the people inside came up to him. Two soft, boneless arms hooked around her neck, twisting his body and asking her coquettishly, "My Lord, how is it?"
Liu Wen laughed, put his hand into the hem of his servant's clothes, and eagerly grabbed a handful of it. He stretched out his hand and fiercely grabbed his buttocks, pressed him into his arms, kissed, nibbled, and bit his neck, and said, "Are you still not confident in my work?"
Her tone was full of arrogance, and there was no trace of the granddaughter she had just been pretending to be in the study of the East Palace.
When the servant heard that the matter had been settled, his body immediately softened. He tilted his neck to match her movements, hugged the head against his chest, and a charming smile appeared on his lips.
The servant driving the coach looked at his nose and his heart, with an expressionless face like a wooden man, as if he could not hear the unbearable sound behind him.
There are many people like Liu Wen. The threshold of the Eastern Palace has been almost trampled down in the past two days.
The last person to come over was a staff member of the Eastern Palace. "Your Highness, the examiner this time is not someone from the Shangshu Province, but Mr. Jin."
Mr. Jin is a Hanlin scholar, in charge of literary affairs. He is an old stubborn person who refuses to listen to anything and hates these things the most.
Mr. Jin is over 60 years old and usually stays in the Hanlin Academy. But for some reason this year, he actually took the initiative to be the chief examiner.
The staff asked this question unconsciously, and Jiang Wuyong laughed sarcastically, "What else could it be? You can tell with your toes that it was Old Eight's doing. Old Jin has always liked her. Before she goes to the border, she only needs to whisper a few words in Old Jin's ear, and the old man will definitely help her."
The old lady had a lot of experience and was quite prestigious among the literati. She took the initiative to volunteer, so the emperor naturally would not refuse.
This old man is still not at peace even after going to the border!
Jiang Wuyong's eyes were filled with impatience, and she frowned and said, "Be careful when doing things this year. If anyone gets caught and blocks my way to wealth," she said in a gloomy tone, "don't blame me for being ruthless."
The staff lowered his head, not daring to look at Jiang Wuyong's expression, and replied timidly, "Yes."
The day before the provincial examination, candidates had to present a facial book to prove their identity as candidates before they could enter the examination hall. All examiners had to move into the examination hall earlier than them. During this period, in order to prevent the examination questions from being leaked and cheating, the examination hall was sealed off and no one was allowed to leave until the end of the examination.
The only difference between the provincial examination and the county examination is that in the county examination, candidates live in a small room and have to prepare their own food and drink, while in the provincial examination, each person has his own room with a charcoal basin, quilt, hot water, and three meals a day are provided by the Imperial Examination Hall.
Every exam requires a body search before getting the test paper.
Zhaozhai was one of these candidates. After entering the Imperial Examination Hall, he didn't ask about anything else but paid close attention to the issue of eating.
Zhaozhai spent money to get a ranking in the county examination, so her brother told her not to worry about the provincial examination this time, and she just needed to pay attention to what she eats every day.
As long as she knew how to read, she could easily get a good rank in the provincial examination without having to study hard. Even if she couldn't pass the palace examination and didn't get the top three, she could at least be an official. Besides, she had connections above her, so getting promoted would be a piece of cake.
The person above her was none other than the Minister of Revenue Liu Wen, who had just given a gift to Jiang Wuyong a few days ago.
There are many people like Zhaozhai who pay special attention to their three meals a day.
The meals for all the candidates are the same, the only difference is that some have something mixed in their rice while others don’t.
To prevent cheating, the meals given to candidates are usually carefully checked.
But what if the person delivering the food and the person conducting the inspection are in the same group?
A purposeful, premeditated, and large-scale fraud was happening so "blatantly" under the nose of the emperor, in the Imperial Examination Hall, which was supposed to be fair.
On February 17th, the three exams ended.
On the 18th, just as the students were about to appear on stage, two rows of imperial guards came and surrounded the Imperial Examination Hall.
The general in the lead dismounted with the imperial edict in hand, strode into the Imperial Examination Hall, stood on the steps, glanced at the examinees with different expressions in the yard, and said in a deep voice: "This year's provincial examination was reported to have cheated, so the Imperial Examination Hall is hereby sealed off. All students, wait for investigation."
Wei Min frowned when he heard this, and inexplicably felt a bad premonition in his heart.
As expected, on the second day after the Imperial Examination Hall was blocked, about a dozen people were taken away by the Imperial Guards. Wei Min was among them, and he was the first to be named.
Princess Jiang Wuyong did not receive any relevant information until the fraud was exposed in the court in front of His Majesty.
She was different from the examiners. Her noble and well-off body could not endure the life in the Imperial Examination Hall which was like being locked in a cage, so she did not enter.
When Jiang Wuyong heard someone say that there was cheating in the provincial examination, he was stunned for a moment.
The fraud was discovered thanks to Mr. Jin's greed.
Old Jin is over sixty years old, but she still has all her teeth. She has no other problems except that she is greedy.
I heard that the food in the Imperial Examination Hall was mediocre, but the meals served to Mr. Jin were all delicious and tasty.
After eating too much of this delicious thing, Mr. Jin wanted to try something else. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but at noon before the last exam on the 15th, Mr. Jin strolled into the kitchen alone.
It was almost lunchtime, and meals for all the candidates were ready and placed on the long table, waiting to be delivered when the time came.
When Mr. Jin came, there were not many people in the kitchen, so she didn't hesitate to pick up the chopsticks and picked up one of the bowls to taste.
When the kitchen manager discovered her identity, he was so scared that his face turned pale and his legs trembled.
Old Jin tasted the dish, nodded to the sweaty man beside him, and gave a fair evaluation, "Although it's not as good as mine, it tastes okay."
The steward said, "Thank you, thank you for your compliment, my Lord. Your meal is ready. I'll serve it to you right away."
Old Jin raised his hand to stop her action, then reached out to taste the rice. As luck would have it, she ate from the bowl that had something in it.
The kitchen manager almost knelt down.
Old Jin nodded while chewing, but soon he frowned slightly and spat something out of his mouth. She held it in her palm and looked at it. It was a very small piece of paper wrapped in a layer of pig intestine membrane.
The moment he saw this thing, the kitchen manager fell to his knees with a plop, his face pale.
"This rice is different from the rice I had," Old Jin said, as if she didn't see the person kneeling on the ground. She carefully opened the note, which contained the test questions. She smiled and said, "You are so considerate. I am old. If this thing was placed in my bowl, I might swallow it if I wasn't paying attention."
As he said this, Old Jin sighed in a serious tone, "It's a good thing I have good teeth."
Jin Lao, who had good teeth, sent someone to lock up the manager, replaced all the meals, and left the Imperial Examination Hall that day to discuss the matter with someone.
Mr. Jin handled this matter very carefully. No one in the Imperial Examination Hall could go out to inform Jiang Wuyong, so she had not yet reacted when she was scolded by the Emperor.
The emperor scolded her for not being conscientious enough and for leaking the test questions in the examinees' food. He also ordered a thorough investigation of the matter.
This matter is extraordinary and concerns scholars and students all over the world. If it is not handled properly, it will inevitably discourage the scholars.
If this matter had not been exposed by Mr. Jin in the court, the emperor would not have had to conduct such a thorough investigation.
As the chief examiners of the provincial examination, the emperor asked Mr. Jin and the princess to be responsible for investigating the matter.
Jin Lao had a good idea. She replaced the rice with the questions in the last exam, which meant that those who cheated did not have the answers. She carefully checked which people had the highest scores in the first few exams.
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