Four Seasons Building is one of the restaurants in Ming Shi Fang, as the test is approaching, thousands of people from all over the country gather, the business here is becoming more and more prosperous, despite the cold weather, the meal is still full.

In a private room on the second floor, a pot of rice wine was warmed on the small red clay stove, and Xu Jin, Fei Maozhong, Wei Yang, Jiang Yun, and Huang Dacan sat around the table, drinking wine and eating steaming mutton shabu.

Don't think that this way of eating hot pot has only appeared in modern times, in fact, it was popular as early as the Yuan Dynasty, and the chef of this Four Seasons Building obviously has two brushes, and the smell of mutton is still relatively thorough, which makes Xu Jin feel that the fly in the ointment is that the seasoning is too monotonous, and there is no chili, otherwise it should be so refreshing to eat sweating in this weather.

After a few months, classmates and friends gathered in the capital, everyone's interest was very high, chatting while eating and drinking, and the topic was naturally inseparable from the upcoming Spring Festival. For example, the Ministry of Rites has issued a notice this morning that the examination will be presided over by Liang Chu, a scholar of Huagai Temple, and Shi Xuan, a scholar of Hanlin University; For example, who are the popular candidates for the top of the current science and technology examination......

Among the five people here, Jiang Yun and Huang Dacan are both born in cloth, especially Jiang Yun's family background is the weakest, although it has improved after the lift, but it is rare to go to a high-end restaurant like Sijilou to play fasting, it is rare for Xu Jin to treat today, so gobble, a large pot of mutton nearly half of it went into this guy's stomach.

"It's a pity that Ziqian entered Beijing too late, otherwise the Shangyuan Festival Spring Festival held by Wei Guogong would definitely have a place for Ziqian." Jiang Yun chewed the mutton while regretting the authenticity.

Xu Jin smiled, with his current "status in the rivers and lakes", he naturally didn't need to rely on any literary club to make a name for himself, and asked casually: "Who is Wei Guogong?" ”

Everyone present looked at each other with strange eyes, and it was really unreasonable for Xu Jin, a noble of the level of Duke Wei, to know him. Xu Jin couldn't help but sweat secretly, as a traverser, he couldn't even recognize how many vassal kings there were in the Ming Dynasty, let alone the nobles of the national prince.

The honest man Huang Dacan introduced: "Xu Pengju, the Duke of Wei, is the seventh grandson of Xu Da, the king of Zhongshan, and the heir to the Duke of Wei. ”

Xu Jin couldn't help but suddenly realize that the famous Xu Da he naturally knew, he was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's founding generals, led the army to fight in the south and the north, and made great achievements, it can be said that nearly half of the Ming Dynasty was laid by him.

Jiang Yun said with a smile: "It is said that the name of Xu Pengju, the Duke of Wei, has a history, it is said that on the day he was born, his father dreamed that Yue Fei, a famous general of the Song Dynasty, said to him: I have a hard life, I have been victimized by power and traitors, and I will join your family in this life and enjoy decades of peace and wealth."

Therefore, Xu's father thought that his son was the reincarnation of Yue Fei, so he took Yue Fei's name as his son's name, so he named Xu Pengju. ”

Fei Maozhong joked with a smile: "It is unknown whether Xu Pengju, the Duke of Wei, is the reincarnation of Yue Fei, but he has indeed been a rich idler in this life." ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

It is said that this Wei Duke Xu Pengju also has a nickname called Xu Caobao, who attacked the title of Duke of Wei from his grandfather Xu Li, and was later named the Nanjing garrison by today's son, but happened to encounter the Zhenwu Battalion Mutiny, and the frightened goods fled in embarrassment on the spot, without the prestige of the reincarnated famous general, and since then he has gained the reputation of a straw bag, and he has insulted Yue Fei's prestige.

Xu Pengju returned to the capital after being dismissed from the post of Nanjing garrison, and honestly became his rich idler, and this thing is obviously after Wuxun, but he likes to be vassally elegant, keen to engage in various literary meetings, and proudly boasts: there is a great Confucianism with a light smile, and there is no white ding.

Every year on the Shangyuan Festival, Xu Pengju will hold a spring appreciation meeting, especially in the year of the Spring Festival, the meeting is quite grand, and invites all provinces to participate, which makes him gradually famous.

In the past few years, Xu Pengju's Spring Festival has changed to a "boutique route", and in the past, literati were widely invited to participate, and those who came did not refuse, and the more the merrier. And now, only quite famous literati can participate in Wei Guogong's Spring Festival Appreciation Meeting, especially in the year of the Spring Festival, Xu Pengju only invited the top ten who were the most famous.

As a result, the people who went to Beijing to catch the exam were eager for Wei Guogong's Shangyuan Festival Spring Appreciation Meeting, and they were proud to receive Wei Guogong's invitation to the Spring Festival Appreciation Meeting.

It is worth mentioning here that Xu Pengju, the Duke of Wei, has held two sessions of this model of spring appreciation meeting, and more than seventy percent of the participants are from high school, among which there is also a champion and two tanhua. Because of this, the fame of the Spring Festival Appreciation Spring Festival of the Duke of Wei became even more famous.

Therefore, those who enter Beijing in advance to take the exam will desperately participate in various literary meetings, trying to make themselves famous, hoping to finally receive an invitation from Wei Guogong to appreciate the Spring Festival.

After listening to Huang Dacan's explanation of the origin of the Wei Guogong Spring Appreciation Meeting, Xu Jin couldn't help but be a little funny, maybe this Xu Pengju didn't have the ability to lead troops to fight, but he was definitely a master of "brand marketing".

Jiang Yun said with envy: "It is said that in the last Spring Festival Appreciation Literary Meeting, Wei Guogong gave each of the ten participants a beautiful concubine, and Shu Fen, the leader of the Literary Society, won the jackpot and accepted a pair of stunning twin sisters into the private room, which is really envious of others." I don't know what Wei Guogong will come up with as a lottery this time? It's a pity that I am definitely not qualified to participate, but the senior brother and the people have the opportunity to receive an invitation, and you have all performed quite well in participating in the cultural meeting during this time. ”

Xu Jin frowned imperceptibly, he was very disgusted with this practice of giving women away as wealth, but in the feudal upper class, it was common practice to give concubines and beauties, and some people even let their concubines sleep with guests, and they didn't think it was at all.

Senior Brother Wei Yang saw that Xu Jin didn't seem to be in a high mood, and thought that he was worried about the rumors, so he comforted: "Senior Brother Xu, although there are rumors outside that you have taken Zhang Zhong's path, but the Qing is self-purifying, so there is no need to worry too much. Moreover, you are a township test to solve the yuan, and the master Liu Hanlin and Governor Wang both approve it, and it is well deserved, so why not be afraid of criticism from others! ”

Huang Dacan nodded and agreed: "Exactly, and the president who presided over the test this time is Liang Gelao, Liang Lao is honest and generous, and he will definitely not pinch you because of this matter." ”

Xu Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart, when he gave Zhang Zhong the drawings of the Francophone cannon, it was just a quid pro quo for the release of Fei Jixiang's mother Lou Suqin, who knew that Eunuch Zhang couldn't keep his mouth shut, and actually "confessed" himself in front of the Son of Heaven, which was equivalent to telling himself good things in disguise. So in the eyes of outsiders, he must have walked through the back door of Eunuch Zhang, and it was the yellow mud that fell into the crotch of his pants - it must be if it is not.

However, Xu Jin, as a traverser, has no sense of belonging to the so-called civil official group, and he doesn't care how the literati see themselves. Moreover, Xu Jin is no longer a poor boy who is struggling to survive at the bottom of the society, with his current status as a person, coupled with a lot of income, even if he tries to fail, he can continue to live a good life.

Of course, if you don't pass the Jinshi exam, I'm afraid you will be wronged, so it's best to be able to get the title of the Jinshi and get the Jinshi fame, and then you can be more upright to propose to the Fei family.

Fei Maozhong said apologetically: "Ziqian, I shouldn't have asked you to come forward to negotiate with Zhang Zhong in the first place. ”

Xu Jin smiled and said: "Fei Ge Lao is teaching his teacher, and when Fei Ge was not there, the disciple should obey him." Moreover, as the elder brother said, those who are clear are self-purifying, and they can have a clear conscience, and gossip is enough to be afraid. I want to thank Shaoyun for speaking up yesterday. ”

Huang Da Chan smiled thickly!

……

This party banquet lasted until more than two o'clock in the afternoon, and everyone settled the bill and left the Four Seasons Building, Wei Yang and others returned to the Jiangxi Hall, while Fei Maozhong took Xu Jin to the Ministry of Rites to report to the Ministry of Rites.

It is worth mentioning here that anyone who participates in the examination must report to the Ministry of Rites (registration form) before the specified time limit, so the first place in Jinshi is called the champion.

The office of the Sixth Department of the Ming Dynasty was not located in the Imperial City, but opposite the Chengtianmen Gate (now Tiananmen Square) in the Imperial City, which happened to be the central axis of Chang'an Street, and the Xiaoyongfang was on the left side of the Six Departments.

Because of this, most of the high-ranking officials in the court live in Xiaoyongfang, and it is convenient to commute to work every day, and because of this, the housing prices of Xiaofang and Xiaoyongfang are the most expensive in the city.

Fei Maozhong had already reported to the Ministry of Rites before, so he was familiar with the road and took Xu Jin to the Ministry of Rites with ease.

The registration process is not complicated, you only need to show the certificate issued by the local government, fill in the personal information, and confirm that it is consistent with the file reported by the local government, and the official in charge of registration will issue a certificate for taking the examination, but no one is required to guarantee it. After all, at the level of lifting people, only idiots will find someone to take the exam on their behalf, and no one dares to take the exam on their behalf, because once the consequences are found to be very serious, the removal of fame is light, and if you don't get it right, you will lose your head, and the gains outweigh the losses.

"Hello! Hello! Hello ......"

Xu Jin was filling in his personal information, and the person who signed up behind him actually sneezed several times in a row. Xu Jin felt that some saliva was sprayed on his neck, and secretly said "My day", glanced back, and found that the lifter behind him turned out to be a forty or fifty-year-old guy, his nose was red from the cold, and he wiped his nose with a handkerchief, and apologized embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, I occasionally felt a cold on the way to Beijing." ”

Xu Jin naturally didn't care about him, and continued to fill in the information, during which the lifter behind him sneezed a few more times, but this time he turned around very interestingly, but he didn't spray spittle on Xu Jin.

After registering for the examination and getting the citation, Xu Jin and Fei Maozhong walked out of the Ministry of Rites and visited the administrative center of the Ming Dynasty by the way.

"Brother Liangren, please stay!"

Xu Jin and Fei Maozhong were walking, when they saw the old man who had sneezed just now catching up, so they stopped. The old man walked closer, his eyes fell on Xu Jin's face, and he arched his hand and said, "Your Excellency is the Jiangxi Township Trial Yuan Xu Jin Xu Ziqian appointed by the emperor?" ”

Xu Jin secretly frowned, this guy wouldn't be unconvinced to talk to himself, nodded and said, "Exactly!" ”

Lao Juzi said with a smile: "It turns out that it is really Xu Jieyuan, no wonder he is so beautiful, and he is raising his son Zhang Xuan in Wenzhou, Zhejiang!" ”