Chapter 190 Escape

That was Xie Wenyuan, who was arranged by Feng Yuanhao to live in a side courtyard of Feng Mansion.

He looked up to the south. That was his hometown, where his parents, wife, children, brothers and mentors lived.

Fortunately, it was far away and he didn't hear the news from the capital, otherwise they would be so disappointed.

At the same time, he was very glad to meet Feng Yuanhao, otherwise he would not even be alive at this moment.

And today, Duke Zheng was shocked when he received the news of the list of names.

He didn't think much about the first place being Feng Yuanhao, but he was not calm when the second place was Huang Shaoteng.

Why is it the second place? The three people he chose were just very likely to pass the imperial examination, but they would not be too outstanding.

Once they were too eye-catching, Huang Shaoteng's ink would definitely be exposed once he took the palace examination.

The second place, became the last backup after the palace examination.

The emperor is not a fool, he can't see the problem even if it is so obvious.

Zheng Zigang paced back and forth in the study. He couldn't think of a solution to such a tricky problem. He

immediately wrote a letter and sent it to the Second Prince's Mansion.

Everything he did was for the Second Prince, his grandson.

To support so many secret guards and to win over some officials, money is needed everywhere. The Duke Zheng's Mansion alone can't support it.

He thought of targeting some wealthy businessmen, and he also obtained Yun Ransheng's consent.

And his letter had just been sent out.

Huang Shaoteng couldn't hold back, and came to him in broad daylight. Fortunately, he made some disguises and asked someone to inform through the back door.

Zheng Zigang had to see him.

Huang Shaoteng, the son of the richest man in Ganyang City, was 25 years old. He had taken the imperial examination in the previous term, but failed.

The Huang family often imported various commodities from Shuilong Country and transported them to Yanyan Country, and also transported things unique to Yanyan Country to Shuilong Country, making them very rich there.

However, no matter how rich a businessman was, he had to kneel down and kowtow in front of the officials, even if he was just a small county magistrate.

In order to smooth the relationship, a large amount of money had to be spent every year on officialdom on both sides.

Therefore, the Huang family was eager to change their family background.

Zheng Zigang seized this point and selected Huang Shaoteng.

As a result, he selected a candidate with such excellent grades to take the exam for him.

In fact, Zheng Zigang was unlucky. He met Feng Yuanhao, who liked Xie Wenyuan's character, and became friends with him. The two of them learned from each other for two or three months, and both of them made great progress.

Otherwise, Feng Yuanhao might not have been able to get the first place in the exam.

Zheng Zigang knew that the two of them were friends, but he didn't know to what extent they were friends.

Because Feng Yuanhao was not only friends with Xie Wenyuan, a poor student, he was also friends with six or seven people at the same time.

"Duke, what should the student do? How can the student be the second place material?"

As soon as he saw Zheng Zigang, Huang Shaoteng knelt down, crying and looking very scared. It's

really unpresentable. He was so scared when something happened. How can he be an official in the future?

Zheng Zigang complained in his heart, but in fact, he was also at a loss at this time.

"Don't worry, I have already written a letter to His Royal Highness the Second Prince, let's see what he says." Zheng Zigang hurried to comfort him.

The Huang family has already given him two hundred thousand taels of silver, so he must do this beautifully.

Not long after, Yun Ransheng's reply also arrived.

Yun Ransheng was also very anxious. Although he was not directly involved in this matter, Duke Zheng and he were one and the same. Once something happened to Duke Zheng's Mansion, he would lose a lot of help.

Yun Ransheng didn't have any good ideas.

There is still a month before the palace examination, so let Huang Shaoteng study hard in this month.

Let Zheng Zigang invite a few more teachers with good knowledge to tutor him, and at the same time, according to the emperor's previous habit of setting questions, write articles on various topics for him, and let him use them selectively when the time comes.

He was able to pass the imperial examination, which showed that he was knowledgeable and should not be a big problem.

In front of Huang Shaoteng, Zheng Zigang told him what the second prince meant.

There was no other way, it had to be this way.

At night.

Zheng Zigang was still in a state of anxiety.

He always felt that this matter was mysterious.

What if Huang Shaoteng was a hopeless person?

He had to think of a way out for himself.

But if the truth came out, he couldn't escape. But what about the Zheng family?

Moreover, even if he escaped, where could he go? His daughter was in the palace.

He was not worried about the second prince, because he was the emperor's biological son after all. At most, he would be punished.

Zheng Zigang went back and forth, and he didn't know how long he hesitated.

Finally, he made a decision.

"Someone, bring Jie'er to me."

The gatekeeper left in response.

Zheng Jie, Zheng Zigang's fourth child, was also his legitimate son.

His second son was murdered. Now he values ​​Zheng Jie the most.

After a while, a young man in his twenties came to the study. His face was six points similar to Zheng Zigang.

He looked dignified and gentle.

Since Zheng Rong was murdered, the Zheng family has placed all their hopes on him as a key training target.

The effect has been very obvious over the past year, and he has abandoned his original dandy image.

Zheng Zigang sent all the servants, including the secret guards, far away.

"Dad, it's so late, why are you looking for me?" Zheng Jie bowed respectfully to Zheng Zigang.

Zheng Zigang was relieved to see his son like this.

"Jie'er, you are my only hope. Now our family may have encountered a difficult situation. Dad asked you to come tonight because he wanted to arrange for you to go to a secluded place.

No matter what happens at home, you must not come back. If you find out that nothing has happened at home in half a year, you can come back."

Zheng Zigang said seriously and seriously.

"Dad, what happened?" Zheng Jie was shocked.

He was actually going to hide, which might put his life in danger.

How could he accept this?

"Don't ask anything, just do what Dad says."

"No, Dad, how can I abandon my family and only care about my own life? Am I still a human being?" Zheng Jie shouted angrily.

Zheng Zigang closed his eyes and sighed.

"Jie'er, maybe nothing will happen, it's just that Dad is worried."

"Dad, tell me, what is the matter? We can think of a solution together."

Hearing this, Zheng Zigang felt relieved. This child was not raised in vain.

In order to make his child leave obediently, Zheng Zigang told Zheng Jie what he had done in the past few days and the consequences.

After hearing this, Zheng Jie was shocked and speechless.

Once this matter was exposed, his father would have no way to survive, and the entire Duke's Mansion would collapse.

"Child, listen to your father and leave. Maybe nothing will happen. If something really happens, you can help the second prince secretly. As long as he ascends the throne, everything will be fine. You can then support the Duke's Mansion and bring back the rest of the Zheng family."

Duke Zheng had already thought of the consequences. He would definitely have no way to survive, but the emperor might not kill all the other members of the Zheng family.

"I listen to you." Zheng Jie cried and accepted his father's arrangement.

Someone from the Zheng family must escape, just in case.

Even if something goes wrong, there might be hope of making a comeback in the future.

The next morning, he left the capital under the escort of secret guards, taking the 200,000 taels of silver given by Zheng Zigang.

——Yun

Hongxiao attached great importance to this joint examination. The palace coup launched by Yun Xinglu resulted in the loss of many officials. This joint examination is a good opportunity to replenish fresh blood.

The Ministry of Personnel has already sorted out the vacant official positions.

Yun Hongxiao has promoted many local officials to Beijing in the past two months.

Some county magistrates were directly promoted to state governments.

Some prefects and co-magistrates were directly transferred to the capital.

It was also through this opportunity that many officials were promoted.

Song Shuqing's third brother Song Shuan was also on the list of those promoted this time.

He was previously the Tongzhi of Ganyang City, and now he was promoted to the prefect, rising two levels to become a fourth-rank official, only two levels lower than his father.

The state where Ganyang City is located is Ganyang Prefecture, which borders the Shuilong Kingdom, and General Guan is stationed here.

The day after the announcement of the results of the imperial examination, the Ministry of Rites presented the list of candidates for this imperial examination to Yun Hongxiao.

Yun Hongxiao opened the special red memorial.

The names of one hundred and twenty people were arranged one by one, including their grades, birthplaces, ages, and where they came from, all clear at a glance.

He looked at them carefully one by one, one hundred and twenty people, from the youngest seventeen years old to the oldest in his forties.

After reading it, he looked at the names again from beginning to end, and there was no name in the list of strategies that the prime minister's father-in-law gave him that day. He

looked at it three times, but still didn't find it.

Yun Hongxiao was so angry that he threw the memorial on the case.