On the second day of the fifth month, the good news came from Huazhou, the Zheng army annihilated 50,000 allied troops in the Western Regions, the allied army retreated thirty miles to the west, and the siege of Huiye Mansion was relieved. The good news immediately spread from the court to the people, and the whole Yongchang City was full of joy, I don't know who set off the firecrackers, and the sound of "crackling" decorated DìDū with joy.

Shi Chongwei personally took Jiang Anyi's recital to Yanshan Villa to report the good news, Shi Fangzhen was overjoyed after seeing it, and there have been unlucky things since the establishment of the martial arts for seven years, and he needs this victory too much to rush to rejoice.

Shi Fangzhen struggled to get up, and Shi Chongwei hurriedly stepped forward to help him. Shi Fangzhen paced a few steps in the hall and said excitedly: "I didn't see the wrong person, Jiang Anyi lived up to my trust, solved the difficulties of Huiye Mansion, and won the thunderbolt car, these are two great achievements, and they should be rewarded." He made great contributions when he was in the desert, and I intended to crown him as the Marquis of Pingshan, but he was disturbed by the complaint of the Military Intelligence Department, so I might as well reward him together. ”

Shi Chongwei said with a smile: "My father is very kind to Jiang Shi, but his son thinks that Huazhou has not been restored, so it is better to wait for him to retreat from the Western Regions Alliance, restore the territory of Huazhou and then seal the marquis, otherwise how should he be rewarded at that time?" ”

Shi Fangzhen stopped, looked at his son with relief, and said, "Wei'er is right, but I was in too much of a hurry." During this period of time, Wei'er has made great progress and thought about it. Tell me, how? ”

Shi Chongwei thought for a while and said, "It's better to seal his mother and posthumously seal his father, what does my father think?" ”

"Good." Shi Fangzhen decreed: "Add Jiang's mother as the second-grade lady, posthumously seal her father as the fifth-grade Chaosan doctor, reward 2,000 taels of silver, and let the Xinqi County Commander repair the tomb and sacrifice." ”

…………

On the tenth day of May, the list will be released on a trial basis. Under the east wall of the south courtyard of the Ministry of Rites, there are mostly sad and frustrated people. Of more than 10,000 candidates, 336 were selected, 62 more than those in Shangke.

Sun Sixian couldn't bear the panic in his heart, and carefully scanned the list from the beginning again, this was the fourth time he had reread the gold list, and the three words "Sun Sixian" did not appear on the gold list.

With a long sigh, Sun Sixian staggered away, his head empty, like a wandering ghost, and he didn't notice that someone next to him was calling out to him.

"Brother Sun, Brother Sun, stay here." The man stretched out his hand and grabbed Sun Sixian's sleeve, Sun Sixian looked at the man blankly, his eyes were blank, and it took a long time to wake up like a soul, and said with a wry smile: "It turned out to be Brother Zhang and Brother Tian." ”

It was Zhang Changlin, Tian Fengliang and others who stopped him, Sun Sixian just looked at the list, and the names of these people were not on the list, so they were sympathetic.

Zhang Changlin said angrily: "Brother Sun, you and I have failed in the imperial examination this time, I'm afraid it's because of the last knock on the book."

The list is full of powerful children, and it is unfair for the court to take judges, and the younger brother wants to contact some of the fallen sons and go to the Ministry of Rites to reason. Brother Sun is a famous scholar in Houzhou, the article is famous for his knowledge, and the righteousness in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate is even more admirable to the world. ”

"Yes, we will follow Brother Sun to the Ministry of Rites to reason", the people behind Sun Changlin shouted chaotically, these people are all named Sun Shan.

Sun Sixian came back to his senses, looked at Zhang Changlin who was full of indignation, and thought to himself that he later learned that this person was the tongue of King Chu'an, and it was he and Tian Fengliang who took the lead in agitating when he knocked on the top, and the Military Intelligence Department slandered Jiang Anyi and Chu

King An alluded to the crown prince, the water in this is too deep, and it is really not something he can participate in. His name fell to Sun Shan, I am afraid that because he was involved in this matter, he was hated by the prince and deliberately deposed.

Thinking of this, Sun Sixian shook his head and sighed: "Sun is ashamed, he is really shallow and does not complain about others. I took care of my bags, went back to my hometown to study hard, and tried again in three years. Farewell, everyone. ”

After that, Sun Sixian gave up his hand and left in a hurry regardless of Zhang Changlin and others. Zhang Changlin and Tian Fengliang glanced at each other, feeling helpless.

…………

In the palace of Chu'an, Shi Chongjie angrily slapped the stack of spy reports handed over to him by Huang Xi on the table, and scolded angrily: "The silverfish of the country, there are actually ninety-eight people in the three hundred and thirty-six who are entrained, how unfair it is to the world, I want to report this matter to my father, and I must not let them do such nonsense." ”

Huang Xi said: "Don't worry, don't worry, and it's not too late to wait for the palace test to play long live." "Handed over these spy reports to King Chu'an, Huang Xi did not reveal the intention of dealing with Tang Wenzhong, and even Shi Chongjie couldn't say anything about this matter.

Shen Wenqing said: "Zhang Sixian, Zhang Changlin and others have all been deposed, I am afraid that something will happen, and Gonggong Huang will send secret guards to keep an eye on Zhang Changlin and others, so as not to cause extraneous branches." Lord Wang, you have to tell Sun Chaofeng to send someone to appease them, don't let them make trouble, and it is not beautiful to be held by the prince. ”

At the beginning, Zhang Changlin, Ye Qingming and others were instructed by the Chu'an Mansion to instigate a move to deal with Jiang Anyi, and now Jiang Anyi has recently made great contributions through Liuhua Prefecture, and is winning the favor of the Son of Heaven, Shen Wenqing is afraid that Zhang Changlin and others will show their feet and involve the Chu'an Palace.

Huang Xi said: "It's unfair to take the scholars today, the prince is behind the scenes, and the prince will definitely take people to settle the matter, and then the news of the fraud will be dispersed, and the matter will not end in trouble." There was a disturbance in the first year of Jianwu, and if it came again after six years, the Son of Heaven must have been disappointed in the prince, even if there were some obstacles, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. ”

"My father is very kind to my brother, even if there is a mistake, I have a lot of tolerance, and he didn't blame his father for being at a loss in Jiang Anyi's case." Shi Chongjie sighed: "This imperial examination fraud case is difficult to shake the position of the prince, my father will scold him a few words at most, and then find two ministers to take the blame." ”

Huang Xi thought to himself, what he wants is for someone to take the blame, and what he wants to deal with is Tang Wenzhong, and when the time comes, the disaster will lead to Tang Wenzhong and get rid of him.

Shen Wenqing said: "The water drops are worn by stones, the prince has made many mistakes, and he will eventually be dissatisfied and give birth to the heart of easy storage." ”

Shi Chongjie was silent, his father's health was not as good as before, and he heard his mother say that he was coughtyptysis a few days ago, I am afraid that he will not be able to support it for long, and the time left for himself is not long, and the prince's luck is really good.

Shen Wenqing tapped the folding fan in his palm and said: "Last time, I was deducted by the prince with an arrogant hat, this time I might as well let Zhang Changlin and others go to the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial History Platform to sue, and stuff more report letters in the copper box, so that the fire will be prosperous, and the prince will not be able to live in peace." ”

Huang Xi said gloomily: "Don't be in a hurry to tell the truth first, there are a lot of true and false rumors in the capital, let the rumors ferment for a while, and it can also make the prince feel lucky." After the results are announced, those favoritists will be at the top of the list, and then tell them about bribing the examiners, and the prince will have no room for maneuver. ”

"Huang Gonggong is calculating", Shen Wen

Qing praised a sentence and said: "Let the world see what kind of virtuous ministers appointed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince are, let the world lift the son to the prince and deviate from morality, the prince will raise his arms again and ask for the investigation of the fraud case, which will naturally win the hope of Shilin." ”

…………

Yongchang Dì Dū has a population of more than one million, plus the Sixteen Wei and Donggong Mansions, and the number of foreign migrants is nearly 1.5 million. Here live the Son of Heaven, the kings and grandsons, the powerful relatives, civil and military officials, farmers and businessmen, monks and Taoists, merchants from all over the world, all walks of life, each with a purpose, in the capital into an invisible storm.

Recently, the hottest thing in Beijing is the upcoming palace examination, which is held every three hundred and thirty-six times this year. At the end of each session, some people complained about the unfairness of the imperial examination, and all kinds of news about favoritism and malpractice flew all over the sky, and the people of the capital had a lot to talk about after tea and dinner. As a common man, he has a sense of arrogance, and he knows everything about the affairs of the powerful relatives and the hundred officials, and they seem to know which concubine the prince of the East Palace visited last night.

In May, the weather gets hotter. There is a canal water flowing through Fengyi Fang next to Chonghua Gate, there are guardrails on both sides of the canal, weeping willows are planted and flowers are planted, there are stone benches and stone chairs inside, the people who eat dinner shake the pu fan, and gather together with a low stool to enjoy the cool and make a leisure, and the topic is naturally inseparable from this year's trial.

"Have you heard, those who knocked on the troublemakers gathered in front of the yamen of the Ministry of Rites again, saying that the examiner had gained a favor and cheated for personal gain, so that the Ministry of Rites could re-examine the examination papers."

"Snort, in what year did the imperial examination not make trouble, if you want me to say that the court is too soft on them, arrest the leader and beat a few boards, to ensure that no one dares to make trouble."

There was a big-bellied man who shook a fan and said mysteriously: "Yesterday, my cousin and nephew came to my house, and I asked him about it, and he said that the Tongkuang Supervisor has received a large number of report letters every day in the past few days, and he can't even fit the Tongkuang, and many of them are piled up outside, and Lord Wei is so worried. ”

The cousin of the big-bellied man is guarding the door in Tongkuang Prison, he is afraid that others will not know this relationship, every time he chats, he must mention his cousin, and everyone around him knows his temperament, and some people ridiculed: "Your cousin didn't come up with ideas for Lord Wei, maybe he made him a petty official after calling his heart, wouldn't you Lao Hong meet only a toad and boast for a long time." ”

Lao Hong was not angry, smiled and scolded a few words, shook the pu fan and continued to say: "These people are just idle and panicked, say this today and scold that tomorrow, and said that Lord Jiang is a national thief in the early paragraph, but as a result, Lord Jiang is not only not a national thief but a loyal and good country, the Western Regions Alliance Army besieged Huiye Mansion, and Lord Jiang broke the siege as soon as he went, if he sent this group of people to go, it would not be enough for the people of the Western Regions to cut it all." ”

"You can't say that", someone retorted: "I went to see it on the day the list was released, and there were many children of powerful people in Beijing, including the old Liu family, the old Huang family, and the old Li family, and Li Donghong from the top five." ”

"But no, I heard that Cangshan Bo's third grandson also won it, that kid I know, playing with women to visit Qinglou is an expert, how can I write poems and make articles. A few years ago, I worked as a horse in Cangshan Bofu, and I knew that he was bought with money. Alas, powerful people can buy people, buy tributes, and sell scholars, and we clay-legged ancestors can only work for others. ”

The sky was cloudy and rainy, and the dark clouds over Yongchang City were pressing down on the city, not that there was lightning flashing silently from the black clouds, and a storm was coming.