Shen Qianchen: "..."

The night breeze was blowing, carrying the laughter of some passers-by in the distance, as well as the meowing of a wild cat hidden deep in the alley.

These tiny and fragmented sounds made the surroundings seem even quieter and more empty.

The middle-aged man took another step closer to Gu Jue. The two were only four steps apart. Gu Jue still stood there motionless with an unclear expression.

The middle-aged man kept scanning the surroundings with vigilant eyes, and continued: "Young Master, you have studied hard for ten years in order to get your name on the imperial examination one day. As long as you know the test questions in advance, I believe that with your 'ability', it will be easy for you to pass the imperial examination."

"Sir, this is the first imperial examination after the new emperor ascended the throne. Jinshi are the emperor's disciples. The new emperor will definitely look at this first batch of Jinshi differently. Especially since you are still young, about the same age as the new emperor. After you enter the court, you will be valued by the new emperor and have a bright future."

The middle-aged man spoke eloquently and began to paint a bright future for Gu Jue.

Gu Jue finally moved. This time, it was his turn to take a step towards the middle-aged man and asked calmly, "How did you get the exam paper?"

For the middle-aged man, the other party's step closer was tantamount to heart-beating.

It worked! The middle-aged man said to himself with pride, and put on an unfathomable look on his face, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir, there will be no problem with the test paper, we have our own way."

Gu Jue stared at the middle-aged man steadily, as if he was considering whether what he said was true or false. After a moment of silence, he continued, "There are three examinations, and the examination papers for these three examinations..."

"We have all the questions for the three exams," the middle-aged man said confidently before Gu Jue finished speaking, "I guarantee that your wish will come true."

“This price…” Gu Jue’s eyes flickered, as if he was a little hesitant, yet also seemed aloof and self-respecting.

The middle-aged man was not surprised by the false nobleness of these scholars. He pointed three fingers with his right hand and said, "Three thousand taels."

Gu Jue stared at me, his expression unchanged. He pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "This is not a small sum of money. How can I believe that the test questions you gave me are correct?"

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, looked around cautiously again, then waved at Gu Jue, leaned closer, and whispered, "This test paper was obtained through the Queen's family, there must be no problem."

Gu Jue: “…”

Shen Qianchen: "..."

Shen Qianchen also heard this. She was originally looking at the two lotus lanterns in the basket, but now she couldn't help but look at the middle-aged man and slightly raised her eyebrows. She tried hard to hold her face tight and began to regret not wearing a mask just now.

Gu Jue chuckled and nodded in agreement: "Okay."

After a pause, he asked again: "What about the test questions?"

When the middle-aged man saw that Gu Jue wanted to buy it, his smile became more attentive, and he said with a brotherly attitude, "Young Master, please pay me a deposit of 100 taels today. Ten days later, at 3:00 pm on the evening of the twelfth hour, I will bring the test questions here, and you can pay the balance then."

Gu Jue took out a silver note worth one hundred taels from his purse and handed it to the other party.

After checking the banknotes, the middle-aged man gave Gu Jue a bamboo plaque engraved with orchids as a proof of contact in ten days, and then asked, "Sir, what is your surname? I think you are not a local, right?"

"My last name is Yin, the same as the Yin of the Shang Dynasty." Gu Jue replied, "I'm from the north, from Bingzhou."

"You speak Beijing dialect very well, but I am still a little different from the people in Beijing." The middle-aged man greeted casually and said carefully, "Young Master Yin, remember to bring your travel permit in ten days."

Gu Jue agreed as if nothing had happened.

He knew in his heart that if the other party was really selling the test questions, then these people would certainly not sell all the test questions to candidates from the same place. Otherwise, once the results of the joint examination came out, the top few places would all be concentrated on candidates from the same place. By then, even a fool would be able to see that there was something wrong, and it would inevitably attract doubts from students all over the world about this joint examination.

The person who sold the question was quite cautious.

Gu Jue quietly watched the middle-aged man leave, then lowered his eyes to look at the bamboo plate in his hand. The bamboo plate was only half the size of his palm and was flipping flexibly between his slender fingers.

His fingers were nimble, powerful, and quick, as if the bamboo token was part of his fingers, and finally he held it in his palm.

Seeing that the middle-aged man walked away, Shen Qianchen took two steps forward, walked to Gu Jue's side, and asked: "Could this test paper be real?"

Gu Jueyun smiled calmly: "You will know after ten days."

He did not let the secret guards follow him, fearing that he would alert the enemy. After all, to him, being cheated of a hundred taels was nothing. If someone really leaked the test paper, it would be a major case that would shake the court and the world.

Shen Qianchen tilted his little face and smiled: "It seems that this examination is quite interesting."

Gu Jue put away the bamboo card, then took Shen Qianchen's free hand and said with a smile: "Let's go."

The two went to Shichahai to release river lanterns as originally planned.

When they arrived, the river bank was already crowded with people, all releasing river lanterns.

Under the moonlight, the river surface sparkled, and small lotus lanterns floated on it, drifting away with the swaying river water. The wicks burned with clusters of flames, illuminating the surrounding river surface...

Thousands of lotus lanterns reflected the sparkling water below. At first glance, they were brighter than the stars in the night sky, adding a splendid scene to the night of Chinese Valentine's Day.

People on the river bank either admire the river lanterns or put their hands together and pray for blessings. Some are lovers, some are relatives and friends, and some are families. Everyone has a smile on his or her face.

Shen Qianchen picked an open space nearby and pulled Gu Jue to squat by the river. The first thing he did was to use a tinder to light the two lotus lanterns.

One for her and one for Gu Jue.

The two carefully placed the lotus lantern on the river...

The river was rippling, and the small lotus lanterns were swaying back and forth on the undulating water, drifting farther and farther with the current, like sparkling gems...

Shen Qianchen also clasped his hands together and made a wish, then hooked his little finger with Gu Jue's little finger, and they stood shoulder to shoulder on the shore to admire the river lanterns.

Occasionally, she would gently hook his little finger, and the two little fingers would be intertwined to form a hook, as if she was making some kind of silent promise, and as if she wanted to hook the other person's heart in her heart forever.

So did he.

There is no curfew tonight, and there is a lantern festival in the capital. Many people are planning to party all night long, but Shen Qianchen and Gu Jue have no plans to do so. Shen Qianchen never allows Gu Jue to stay up late, and seeing that it is almost time, she pulls Gu Jue and sets off on the return journey.

The two of them strolled back, chatting, admiring the lanterns, and occasionally smiling... It didn't feel like they had walked for a while before they arrived at Chang'an Avenue.

Chang'an Avenue is also very lively tonight, with bright lights and crowds of people, because a Qixi lantern stand is also set up in the Wumen Square in front of the imperial palace, and many people go there to admire the lanterns.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Suddenly, there were bursts of drum sounds coming from the front, one after another, like thunder, continuous, spreading from one end of Chang'an Avenue to the other, and passers-by on the street could also hear it.

As we all know, there is a Dengwen drum outside the right gate of Chang'an, which has been passed down from the previous dynasty to the present. According to the laws of the Great Qi Dynasty, whenever the Dengwen drum is beaten, the relevant officials must immediately handle it and report it to the emperor.

The purpose of setting up the Dengwen drum was to allow officials and common people to beat the drum to complain and have their grievances heard directly by the emperor. However, in order to prevent unreasonable and malicious people from petitioning, the laws of the Great Qi Dynasty stipulated that those who beat the Dengwen drum should be punished with 30 strokes of the cane in the court first, as a warning to others.

Because the conditions for beating the Dengwen Drum are harsh, few people dare to take the risk. Most people who beat the Dengwen Drum have indeed been wronged, and only then will they take a desperate gamble.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sound of drums continued, and the streets of Chang'an became abuzz. Passers-by on the street rushed to leave, and gathered together excitedly to discuss: "Hey, hey, do you know who is going to beat the drum for hearing the news?"

"This guy is so bold, he's not afraid of being beaten to death by thirty sticks!"

"Hey, if they weren't forced into a last resort, who would go and beat the drum to report it?"

"That's right! Why don't we just go and see what's going on?"

“…”

The more these passers-by talked, the more they felt that the drummer must have been wronged, and there would be something exciting to watch today.

The crowd on the street was in an uproar. Hundreds of curious people swarmed in and rushed towards the right gate of Chang'an like waves. They were shoulder to shoulder, and the whole street became more and more crowded and noisy.

Gu Jue and Shen Qianchen looked at each other, and a hint of interest appeared on their faces.

This person was beating the drum on the Qixi Festival. It seems that this might be the unjust case of "Snow in June"! Gu Jue first put a magpie mask on Shen Qianchen, and then put a mask on himself, and said with a smile: "Let's go and take a look."

The two of them walked along with the crowd, walking slowly and leisurely.

Soon, the square outside the right gate of Chang'an was packed with people, and everyone stretched their necks to look in the direction of the Dengwen Drum.

Finally, the drumming stopped.

"I have a grievance!"

A middle-aged woman in a sky-blue cloth dress stood beside the drum holding a wooden hammer and shouted excitedly. She had no jewelry on her body and her dress had several patches on it. She looked like a person from a poor family.

The judge standing by the drum was so overwhelmed that he cleared his throat and said kindly, "Empress Dowager Yang, if you have such a thing, you can pass the sign to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager in the palace." Why did she have to beat the drum here? Wouldn't this offend the new emperor for nothing? !

The onlookers thought that the drummer was an ordinary woman, but they didn't expect that she was actually a concubine. They were shocked. Shouldn't a concubine be a noble lady? How could she be dressed worse than an ordinary citizen? Concubine Yang ignored the judge, raised the gavel, and hit the drum again: "Dong!"

Concubine Yang had a bitter face and continued to shout in a miserable tone, "I want to sue my stepson Gu Jin for being unfilial and unvirtuous. When the family was divided, he cheated away a large amount of our property and money. I beg the emperor to do justice for me!"

Concubine Yang complained pitifully, with red eyes.

During these days, life in Prince Jing's mansion was really hard. Her petition for a title for her son Gu Ming fell on deaf ears after it was submitted to the palace, and Gu Ming was never able to inherit the title.

Because 70% of the family property was given to Gu Jin when the family was divided up before, there is not much property and money left in the public treasury of the Prince's Mansion. The family is almost out of money even for food. Concubine Yang can only use her dowry to subsidize the mansion. In addition, Gu Ming needs money to find someone to work, so even her dowry is almost used up.

At this point, they have no other choice but to take a gamble.

Concubine Yang gritted her teeth secretly and continued to hit the Dengwen drum with her drumstick, each time getting harder and harder.

Seeing that the crowd was getting bigger and bigger, Concubine Yang stopped beating the drum again and her voice became three points higher than before: "My stepson Gu Jin is related to the Queen. Gu Jin's wife Shen Wan is the Queen's aunt. The Queen is partial to Gu Jin and his wife. Gu Jin is not an heir, but he took away 70% of the property of the Prince's Mansion. Where is justice!"

As she spoke, Concubine Yang's eyes became even redder, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was shaking with anger and looked pitiful and helpless.

The onlookers nearby listened and watched, and couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Concubine Yang.

The so-called "adopted son" is the eldest son who has the right of inheritance.

As an adopted son, he would inherit the family title and property, and he also had to support his parents and elders, so it was only natural for him to get 70% of the property. However, Gu Jin was a separated family, and he was not an adopted son, but he got 70% of the property. This was a bit too much.

Every country has its own laws and every family has its own rules. Even if the relationship between step-son and step-mother is not as good as that between biological mother and son, Gu Jin has gone too far.

There were also some students standing in the crowd who had come over after hearing the news. They also frowned in disapproval and were whispering about the matter.

It is obvious that since the queen was able to help her uncle get 70% of the family property, it must be because of the support of the new emperor.

"Brother Xuan, Brother Zhou, Brother He... Did you all see and hear it?" Li Juren stood at the front of the group of candidates with his hands behind his back, with a look of foresight on his face. "The new emperor is like this, he acts according to his own preferences and blindly protects the queen."

"I remember that the previous emperor, Emperor Xiaozong, favored only Empress Sang and did not appoint any concubines. He also favored his maternal relatives because of Empress Sang and never restrained them. This led to the Sang family being unscrupulous and committing crimes repeatedly, but they were safe and sound. Those who were harmed by the Sang family had no place to seek redress."

Speaking of Emperor Xiaozong of the previous dynasty, the other students were all thoughtful.

Emperor Xiaozong was not a despotic ruler, but a good emperor who worked hard to govern the country, employed virtuous people, eradicated treacherous officials, abolished harsh laws, and established the praised Zhongxing Reign. The most criticized point in his life was that he sheltered and indulged his foreign relatives, but in other aspects he was almost impeccable.

The new emperor, like the previous Emperor Xiaozong, had only one empress in his harem and he doted on her alone.

Seeing that they were moved, Li Juren sighed and said, "Alas, in fact, the reason why Ji Yushi angered the new emperor was because he advised the new emperor to take a concubine during the morning court session. He was originally acting out of justice and was loyal to the emperor. After all, whether in the court or the harem, it is never a good thing for one person to dominate."

"Sure enough, the new emperor has only been on the throne for two months and something has already happened. The Queen's uncle actually took 70% of the property!"

As he spoke, Li Juren looked towards Concubine Yang in front of him and shook his head with a sigh: "It's pitiful, a royal concubine even has patches on her clothes. I'm afraid she can't live like this, so she can only come here to beat the drum to report the incident."

The other students looked even more solemn, and several of them spoke up:

"Brother Li is right!"

"When the relatives of the emperor's wife run rampant, it is a sign of great disaster."

Most people felt that what Mr. Li said was reasonable and well-founded.

If the emperor really shielded the empress and indulged his maternal relatives without any principles, then the maternal relatives would run rampant and the court would be unstable. Since ancient times, haven't there been many disasters caused by maternal relatives? !

Concubine Yang also heard some of the discussions among the students. She felt much more at ease and thought to herself: It turned out to be right to listen to that person.

The imperial examination will be held next month, and the capital is now full of students coming to take the exam. When the students get to know about this, they will surely be indignant and condemn the new emperor for being partial and unfair. However, Gu Jue has just ascended the throne, and his position is unstable, so he will definitely take the opinions of these students into consideration.

Today, because of the Qixi Lantern Festival, there are many people around here, which is the best time to create momentum.

See you tomorrow morning~~ 　　 　 (End of this chapter)