When Kong Xiu finished speaking, there was obvious eagerness in his eyes.
The eyes of Xie Shu in front of him were as cold as obsidian. When Kong Xiu realized this, he felt a stinging pain on his face as if he was burned.
But Xie Shu did not show a mocking look. His tone was both light and unquestionable: "It was not because I had no choice, but because I was willing. The love left by Nanyuan and the deep affection for the old sword, Xie will not give this heart to anyone else, so please do not mention it again."
Kong Xiu was speechless for a moment. For a moment, he felt that the fame, wealth, royal power and honor he had been pursuing seemed to be really not worth mentioning in the eyes of the person in front of him.
But Kong Xiu didn't believe it, and didn't want to believe it.
Besides, he didn't want to reveal it, nor could he.
Kong Xiu suppressed his turbulent emotions, and when he spoke again, his voice was a little dry: "Brother Xie, why are you so decisive? Things in the world are unpredictable, and old friends are easy to change. Besides, Brother Xie, do you really not want to know who entrusted me with this?"
Hearing this, Xie Shu's heart sank.
As soon as Kong Xiu opened his mouth just now, Xie Shu knew his intention.
Although passing the imperial examination would bring infinite glory, if one wanted to have a smooth career in the future, one would need the favor of the wealthy and powerful. This was especially urgent for the common people.
Therefore, many new scholars looked forward to marrying into aristocratic families, which would be equivalent to gaining a firm foothold in the entire court.
But what others dream of, Xie Shu is afraid to avoid it.
Xie Shu had encountered people who came to him to inquire about his opinions before, but he always brushed them off so easily. After all, he was in the officialdom and had to consider everything, so he couldn't make enemies with anyone.
Often, once Xie Shu made his attitude clear, others would be very tactful and would not bring it up again. After one or two times, few people would talk to him about it again.
However, Kong Xiu still refused to give in, there must be something fishy going on.
You should know that although Kong Xiu's family has no roots, they are descendants of Confucius, so they are naturally different from ordinary commoners.
Kong Xiu had previously climbed up a big tree like Prince Yu, and his relationship with the powerful and wealthy was deeper than others. Now that he was an editor with him, he quickly put aside his past engagement and re-arranged a marriage with the wealthy Lu family.
The people behind him can enable him to do things with such dedication, which is definitely not due to wealth and status.
At this point, Xie Shu also knew that this matter would not end well no matter what.
Xie Shu tapped the table lightly, asking people to stop the music, and looked at Kong Zheng with a serious face, "What do you want to say?"
Seeing that everyone around him had noticed, Kong Xiu's face changed slightly. Under pressure from Xie Shu, he could only speak vaguely: "Brother Xie, the person sitting on the Purple Cloud Tower is Princess Weihe's son Lu Jiao. It is not an exaggeration to describe him as a golden branch and jade leaf. If he has taken a fancy to Brother Xie, what do you think?"
After saying this, Kong Xiu was certain.
Princess Weihe's son Lu Jiao is young, beautiful, and invaluable. Who among you doesn't want to marry her? Even if Xie Shu pretends to be a gentleman and a decent person, he wouldn't dare to do anything extreme in front of everyone, right?
Xie Shu's lips curled slightly, and Kong Xiu's eyes were not yet full of triumph. Xie Shu said jokingly, "I was wondering why Lord Kong kept looking at Ziyun Tower. You are now the son-in-law of a wealthy family, and you must be enjoying yourself. Do you want to add another step?"
As soon as Xie Shu finished speaking, the whole audience burst into laughter.
Everyone knows that Kong Xiu had previously broken his promise to the wealthy Lu family and cancelled the engagement. Although this kind of thing is despicable, it is not uncommon. In addition, Kong Xiu's current status is different, so others will not mention it in front of him, and finally say a few words behind his back.
But now, when Xie Shu made a joke, everyone saw that Kong Xiu had obviously married into the Lu family, but still focused his attention on Lu Jiao, who was of a higher status. It was obvious how heartless and greedy this person was, and it was naturally very funny.
Kong Xiu never thought that Xie Shu would really be so dismissive of Lu Jiao and dare to treat him like this. He didn't want to, wasn't he afraid...
Kong Xiu opened his mouth in astonishment, his face turning pale and blue, just like a dyeing workshop.
He wanted to explain something, but amid the laughter of the crowd, he couldn't utter a word.
After the banquet, the news that Kong Xiu had a crush on Lu Jiao spread widely. It was said that the head of the Lu family was very angry after hearing this, and Kong Xiu had to go to the door to apologize. As for what happened next, no one else knew.
But Xie Shu knew that this dispute would not end so easily.
Sure enough, the head of the Lu family did not cancel the engagement between Lu and Kong Xiu. He and Kong Xiu were colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, and they saw each other every day. He could see the lingering hatred in Kong Xiu's eyes for him.
The work in the Hanlin Academy was not as interesting as Xie Shu had imagined, although it was indeed very leisurely. Most of the scholars were either studying poetry or compiling books, and the increasingly intensified political activities in the court seemed to have nothing to do with them.
Here, Xie Shu also met his old acquaintance Wang Jing, who had joined the company a year earlier than him and had become the chief in charge of history books. Now, Xie Shu, Kong Xiu, and Gao Yi were all led by him to familiarize themselves with the affairs, and Xie Shu could clearly feel the difference in Wang Jing's attitude towards the three of them.
Wang Jing once had an inexplicable hostility towards him, and the other party seemed to have never forgotten it. Although he would not do anything on the surface, he was bound to cause some trouble in private.
He and Kong Xiu seemed to hit it off right away. As for Gao Yi, he was submissive and didn't add insult to injury.
This was the first time Xie Shu suffered a real setback, and he didn't have any good way to deal with the oppression in official circles.
Even though he knew that as long as he agreed to one condition, all the problems he faced seemed to be solved.
But is it really so?
Although Xie Shu had been prepared since the moment he decided to enter politics, he was still surprised at how insignificant he was in the face of this sudden storm.
Faced with the supreme imperial power again, even though he is no longer the down-and-out scholar who has just arrived and doesn't know his place in this world, he is still helpless and out of control.
At this moment, Xie Shu examined himself, with many confusions and bewilderments in his heart.
Another spring has quietly arrived. It has been almost three years since he came into this world. So many things have happened in these three years. He met the love of his life, but had to part with him.
He left the misty Jiangnan and headed for the prosperous Chang'an, but he never had a truly happy day.
Finally, on this day, his name was on the list of successful candidates in the Nine Palaces, and he was honored with unrivaled glory. Only then did Xie Shu realize that "The spring breeze is blowing, the horse's hooves gallop, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day" was not an exaggeration, but a perfect expression.
He was no exception, and developed the pride of being appreciated by others and the arrogance of becoming famous overnight.
He still missed Jiangnan, but everything here also made him nostalgic. Until this moment, Xie Shu had never realized so clearly that although he was above the clouds, there was an abyss below him. His achievements were far from enough, and he could not fulfill his promise to Yu Chuxi at that time.
My dear, when he thought of my dear, Xie Shu felt endless tenderness and warmth in his heart, as if it could dispel all the darkness and hesitation in his heart.
But this time he became so determined not for Yu Chuxi.
Of course, this was not because his mind had changed. Xie Shu had never doubted his love for his lover. He and his lover had been separated for a year, but his love for him had not diminished in the slightest.
But when Xie Shu suddenly looked back, from the time he came into this world to now, all the details of the past came to his mind.
He suddenly realized that he had been on edge from the beginning to the end, without a moment's relaxation. Even if he occasionally wanted to stop and spend the rest of his life with his lover in the misty rain of Jiangnan, the next wave would hit him again, and he had no choice but to keep going, moving forward.
Those who urged and threatened him included Gu Zhong, Shao Zhen, and now there was also the Princess of Weihe.
But in this vast space and time, there are more than one or two people who have the same experience as him, but will others be as lucky as him?
Xie Shu's mind was clear, and figures emerged one after another. History and the past seemed to form an endless painting of mountains and rivers. He reanalyzed everything.
A talented scholar can write beautiful articles, but they are just wasted in the Hanlin Academy and cannot save the government. In the end, they become an insignificant embellishment of an era.
It's not that there aren't officials who know how to manage the country's affairs, but once they step into the officialdom, they have to curry favor with everyone and mingle among them, and all that's left of their vast knowledge is power and desire.
So was all this caused by the darkness of this dynasty, or by the lack of a wise leader?
Xie Shu closed his eyes slightly, he already had the answer.
The road ahead will be difficult. Maybe in the end he will be deserted by everyone and have nothing. Maybe he won’t even see hope, but he still has to keep going.
My dear, when Xie Shu thought of Yu Chuxi, he couldn't help but raise a slight smile at the corners of his lips. My dear was the softest concern in his heart, and also the most beautiful comfort in this cold night.
How nice it would be if I could see my lover in my dream tonight.
At dusk, the gates of Kyoto were about to close. At this moment, a canopied carriage slowly moved across the bridge.
The guard looked carefully and saw that the carriage was of rare value and without any heavy loads. He thought it must have come from the residence of some powerful noble in the capital, so he immediately stepped forward to greet him.
At this time, the driver handed over the pass, and a beautiful and well-mannered woman got out of the car to talk to him.
The guard couldn't help but feel flattered and wondered which young lady was so kind.
If the guard had not noticed that the pass was not from the capital, he would not have known that the other party was actually from Jinling. Strangely, the woman spoke Mandarin very well, unlike other people from the south of the Yangtze River who spoke the authentic Wu dialect.
According to the rules, the guards still had to check the things in the car. The woman blocked the guards and carefully lifted the curtain. She smiled and explained, "Our husband is in the car. The officer cannot go up."
At this moment, a figure was vaguely visible behind the light gauze curtain, his lush black hair fell like a waterfall, covered with brilliant rays of light.
When the bead curtain was lifted, he glanced outside the car.
At this moment, it seems as if all the jade flowers and jade trees are in full bloom, with a kind of splendor that is so bright and beautiful that no one dares to look directly at it.
The red mole at the corner of his eye is like a cinnabar embellishment, which can make the spring scenery of the entire capital city pale in comparison.
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