Good luck with koi carp

Chapter 153
The streets of Kyoto are particularly lively today, with many people gathering on the streets or sitting in front of windows facing the street, waiting eagerly.


When some passers-by who were not well-informed saw this battle, they couldn't help but ask others in confusion: "What happened today? What are you guys doing?"


"Brother, you don't know about such a big thing? Today is the day for Jinshi canonization, which is a good day for the top three to parade through the streets. Everyone is waiting here to see the style of the second and third top picks. Oh, by the way, there are flower sellers over there, brother, if you want to join in the fun, you can buy two flowers and throw them together with everyone in a while, it will also be considered a good luck."


The passerby who was questioned looked at the confused brother in front of him with a surprised look on his face, and then kindly informed him of the reason, and pointed to a little girl on the side of the road holding a large bouquet of flowers for sale.


The atmosphere had reached this point, and those who had some extra money in their pockets also wanted to help the little flower seller in shabby clothes, so they all went to buy one or two flowers from others, and then joined in the fun and threw them away with everyone.


Originally, this kind of activity was all about big girls and young wives throwing flowers, handkerchiefs, and sachets. Later, it evolved to the point where everyone, male, female, old, and young, threw flowers together. Maybe they thought it would be more participatory.


The passerby who was answered by a kind-hearted person was also not short of money. He rummaged through his wallet and took out a few coins from a pile of silver. He ran to the little flower seller and bought a lot of flowers and divided them among them. He asked the passerby who gave him the answer, and said with a smile: "Throw it together, everyone will get good luck."


"Thank you bro."


The kind-hearted person actually prepared flowers himself, but since there was no money given by others, he naturally did not refuse.


As soon as I took the flowers, there was a sudden surge of people. Many people were shouting "Come on, come on" and so on. They also cheered up quickly, stood on tiptoes, stretched their necks, and walked towards the middle strip. Go up the avenue that has long been cleared.


They hadn't even seen half of the people yet, but they heard a burst of festive gongs and drums first, and then saw a parade slowly approaching, led by three tall horses and the horses riding on them. , wearing a Jinshi uniform, a hairpin on her head, and a big red flower on her chest, with a face full of joy, as if she was going out to meet her bride.


It's just that this year is different from the past. Everyone was stunned for a moment when they saw that the person at the front, who was obviously the number one scholar, was actually sitting with a young girl with a lively temperament and extremely beautiful appearance.


Some people even wondered: "Am I right? The number one scholar in this subject is actually a girl!"


"Still so young and beautiful!"


"That's right, I heard that her surname is Chi, and her last name is the word "pear". She is no more than eighteen years old, and is several years younger than the top pick in the list." Someone with knowledge stood up and proudly introduced it to the others. road.


As she said that, she raised her arms hard, threw the sachet in her hand at Chi Li, and shouted: "Miss Chi, look here, Miss Chi!"


This person cast the ball accurately, and the sachet fell into Chili's arms. She picked it up. She subconsciously looked for where the sound came from, but unexpectedly when she glanced over, many people there suddenly exploded. Both men and women screamed violently, as excited as a group of fanatical fans.


And this group of people is not alone.


Maybe some people will be surprised for a while when they see that the number one scholar in the imperial examination is actually a girl. However, it has actually been two or three years since the imperial court allowed women to participate in the imperial examination. Even those who are not used to it should get used to it, so the surprise will only last for a moment. , after confirming that the other party was really the top pick of this session, many people were filled with admiration, and their enthusiasm for throwing flowers only increased.


This is true for those who only realized it late, not to mention those who learned the news early and came specifically to watch Chili.


I saw those people who had reserved a seat by the window on the street early in the morning throwing away all kinds of flowers, sachets, handkerchiefs, etc. They were even more enthusiastic, like rain, and almost drowned Chili.


Not only Chi Li, but also Meng Zhengqing and Yao Yongzhi, who were half a stature behind her, were also treated similarly.


The top three in this class are all good-looking, and all of them are young and talented. No wonder they are so popular.


Meng Zhengqing has a very upright and handsome appearance. He is the oldest among the three. He is already 28 this year and is already married and has a child. Yao Yongzhi is only 21 this year and is only three years older than Chi Li. He has an aura of wealth and nobility, and one can tell at a glance that he comes from a powerful family and is a standard noble son. I heard that the other party is not yet married.


This personal information is not collected by Chili on his own initiative, but relies on the enthusiasm and enthusiasm of the melon-eating public to collect it on their own.


Since the examination results were released, everyone on the list, especially those in the top ten, had their personal information turned upside down by the melon-eaters, and even Chili was not immune.


And where is your favorite place to chat?

That is of course the dining table, especially the dining table outside. Chili and the others happen to live in the inn. Whether they are coming in and out or eating in the lobby of the inn, they can overhear the chatter of other guests intentionally or unintentionally. The more you listen, the more you understand.


In addition to the personal information of the second and third overall pick, Chi Li also knew that the unlucky person was the son of the current prime minister, named Xing Hongfei, who was 35 years old this year.


It is worth mentioning that the party headed by Prime Minister Xing was the group that was most opposed to Empress Si Zhaoling proclaiming herself emperor as a woman. They also opposed fiercely the issue of allowing women to participate in the imperial examinations, but in the end they failed. It's just that he can withstand the empress's insistence.


I heard that Prime Minister Xing was also involved in the Three Kings' Rebellion some time ago. However, the Prime Minister was too cunning and cunning, so the Empress could not grasp anything. In the end, only some indifferent tentacles were cut off, and basically no damage was done.


I thought that the empress would continue to remain silent for the time being and swallow her anger as before. Who would have thought that she actually played this trick in the palace examination, knocking her extremely talented son down to No. 4 and promoting Chi Li instead? The female student he hates most takes over.


Chili has been paying close attention to the current affairs of the DPRK and China for a long time. Even if she didn't understand the coincidence at first, when she heard that she was really selected as the number one scholar, she could understand that her rise to power this time was actually due to various reasons. The outcome of political games.


Because her existence was more in line with the interests of the empress, she was promoted. It was as simple as that.


In this regard, Chili doesn't feel that she just robbed others of their opportunities.


Originally, as long as she entered the top ten in the general examination, she would be eligible to compete for the top three. If she was not outstanding enough and could not even enter the top ten in the general examination, then even if the opportunity came and the empress wanted to promote her, I'm afraid I can't find a justifiable reason.


So the premise of everything is that she herself is good enough.


As for the fact that she would be targeted by Prime Minister Xing's party after taking the lead, Chi Li didn't care. Once she got the benefits, she had to bear the corresponding risks. She couldn't just want to get but be unwilling to pay, right?


There is no free pie in the world.


Secondly, as the talent that the Empress most urgently needs, even if it is to consolidate her own power, the Empress will try her best to keep Chili and not let her be defeated by her opponent all at once. If that is the case, it would be too wasteful.


Sanlai Chili still had the life-saving talisman of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion. If it didn't work out, she could still get some protection by taking the token and begging to the man's house.


No matter what happens, she has merit to protect her body. Those who want to harm her have to consider whether they will harm others first.


Perhaps because she was thinking about something in her heart, Chili didn't notice a complex look mixed in the crowd.


When their figures on horses gradually faded away, the owner of that gaze still refused to leave for a long time.


"Madam, she has left." Wu's voice sounded from behind, awakening Lu Shuwen's unconscious consciousness.


"She's really amazing," she murmured softly.


"What?" Mrs. Wu didn't hear clearly what her wife was saying.


"Go back home. Sister, if you haven't seen me for too long, you will cry." Lu Shuwen shook her head, lowered the curtain of the carriage, and ordered the coachman to drive back home.


Those who can come out with her today are all her confidants. Without her permission, her whereabouts will never be revealed to her husband.


Lu Shuwen didn't know why she did this. It was clear that He Xueluo was also on duty at the Hanlin Academy now, and the one who won the first prize in the examination was bound to enter the Hanlin Academy. Even if the two could not meet now, they would definitely meet in the future. She The current concealment was only temporary and would not actually have any effect, but she just didn't want He Xuexu to know about Chi Li's existence in advance.


Precisely because of her deliberate silence, no one in the entire He Mansion told He Xueji Chili that he was in Kyoto and had won the first prize, so he was still kept in the dark.


Chi Li didn't know that her whereabouts were well concealed in front of Chen Shimei. In fact, she didn't care if the other party knew her whereabouts and came to her door. In other words, this was what she expected.


Tell me something cool.


He Xuexu was initially admitted as a second-class Jinshi, and he wanted to enter the Hanlin Academy. According to the Hanlin official selection process, he had to pass the Shujishi examination and then enter the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi for three years. After passing the examination, he could be transferred to the Hanlin Academy for review. , awarded a formal official title.


The Hanlin Academy review was from the seventh-rank official, and Chili was awarded the sixth-rank Hanlin Academy after passing the imperial examination. In other words, her official position was one rank higher than Chen Shimei's, and rounding off did not count him. His boss is also his superior.


I believe that when He Xuexi saw Chi Li in the Hanlin Academy, his expression would be quite wonderful.


If he had not returned to his hometown to worship his ancestors after passing the Jinshi examination, Chi Li would have really wanted to go to the Hanlin Academy to take up a post and look at He Xuexu's expression.


Each person who passed the Jinshi examination was given a bonus by the court. The specific amount was determined according to the ranking. The number one scholar received a full 300 taels of silver, the second and third place winners each received 200 taels, and the remaining second-class Jinshi scholars received 100 taels each. Tongjinshi is 50 taels per person.


This money was used to pay for their travel home to worship their ancestors and to repair the Jinshi monument. If they had a large amount, they could put it into their own pockets, while if they had a small amount, they had to make up for it themselves. The court would leave it alone after the money was given to them.


In addition, before each Jinshi officially enters the court as an official, he can apply to the court for a vacation to go home and worship his ancestors. The specific time is decided by the Jinshi himself, but it cannot exceed half a year at most.


After Chi Li finished her horse parade, she went back to discuss it with her father and decided to take four months off.
After deducting the time spent on the round trip in just four months, I am afraid that the time she could stay at home was less than half a month in the end. This was because the new canal project of the imperial court was recently completed and opened for transportation, so their return trip this time was straight away. You can board the official ship at the New Canal Port near Kyoto, go all the way south along the New Canal, and turn into the Old Canal to reach Nanhuai Prefecture.


This directly shortened the total journey that would have taken two months by a few days, and finally managed to make up nearly half a month for Chi Li to stay at home and complete the tasks of worshiping ancestors and erecting a Jinshi monument.


Of course, before leaving, Chili still needs to attend the Qionglin Banquet.


The so-called Qionglin Banquet is a banquet set up by the Holy One to entertain the new scholars. Before officially entering the court as officials, this is the only banquet where the new scholars can have close contact with the Holy One, and it is also a banquet for them to make friends with each other. occasion.


As the number one scholar, on the day of the banquet, Chili's seat was naturally arranged at the front position. If she raised her head slightly, she could directly see the face of the empress above her.


It was also at this time that she took a serious note of what the empress looked like.


Undoubtedly, with the combination of good appearance genes provided by her parents, Si Zhaoling has good looks. Even though she is over forty, she is still as gorgeous as ever, surpassing all the beauties younger and more beautiful than her.


Her appearance is not as majestic and aggressive as where she is sitting now. On the contrary, when you see her for the first time, you will think that she is a beautiful big sister who is easy to get along with, especially when she restrains her aura and When he smiled at you, his inexplicable kind beauty almost made people forget the danger of the other person being an emperor.


However, no one present, including Chi Li, dared to forget her identity, so in front of her, almost everyone was too arrogant and dared not speak out. They could only remind themselves to be cautious and never make mistakes.


Contrary to her looks is her height.


Chi Li didn't feel anything when the other person was still sitting, but when the other person stood up, especially when he was standing very close to her, she suddenly realized it.


This man is so tall!

He's a head taller than her, probably not as fast as 1.7 meters or 1.8 meters.


But considering that the other party is a pure northerner, it seems...


Isn't that a big surprise?


Southern stereotype +1

I heard that the empress was not only proficient in literary and military strategies, but was also extremely good at leading troops in combat. She once personally led troops to defeat the enemy at the border, and she still won the battle with fewer troops and more troops. At that time, the general who protected the country was no more than He was his deputy general, far inferior to the current status of the commander-in-chief of the first army.


All these experiences can be written into a legendary biography. Even Chi Li, a god from the sky, couldn't help but admire him. So when the other party condescended to come and talk to him in person, Chi Li could not help but admire him. Said he was flattered.


"Chen Chili has met your Majesty."


Chi Li bowed her head to salute the empress. Before she could bow her head completely, she was lifted up by the other party's hand. A gentle yet majestic voice sounded above her head: "Chi Aiqing, there is no need to be polite. Today at the Qionglin Banquet, You are the protagonists."


These words were said to be beautiful on the surface, but in fact, who dared to act arrogantly in front of the monarch of a country, so Chili showed more respect and silently waited for the empress to reveal her purpose.


Si Zhaoling didn't say anything important to Chi Li. She just tested her knowledge a few times as an elder. After getting a satisfactory answer, she turned around and had a few more conversations with Meng Zhengqing and Yao Yongzhi. sentence.


It was also at this time that Chi Li learned that Yao Yongzhi was actually the empress's nephew.


His mother was the empress's cousin. She married Lord Yao, the minister of Dali Temple, and gave birth to three sons and one daughter. The second son was Yao Yongzhi. The family were all staunch supporters of the empress, so Yao Yongzhi naturally received preferential treatment from the empress. From the fact that the other party can still call the empress affectionately "aunt" in such a public place, we know how favored the other party is by the empress.


Chili watched the empress turn to talk to the other four female students who were ranked second-level Jinshi, while listening to the whispers of various people in her ears, silently collecting some information that she could not find out among the people alone. information.


Generally speaking, in such a place where the imperial power is supreme, even if the empress wants to show her closeness to someone, she does not need to do it herself. The person who is summoned will naturally approach him with joy and fear, and in the end, he has to be proud. He was appreciated by his superiors.


It was simply unheard of for the Empress to condescend and step down from the first seat like this. Naturally, those who were favored were so excited that they almost fainted on the spot.


But because of this, everyone in the audience could see that those people were favored by the Empress, and those people who were favored by her felt a strong sense of loyalty to the Empress almost instantly.


She is winning people over.


Not to mention Chi Li, many people can actually see this, and this method of win over seems a bit urgent.


why?

As soon as doubts arose in her heart, Chi Li had some vague guesses.


I'm afraid that Prime Minister Xing did something to force the empress to do this.


Also, the empress previously defeated Prime Minister Xing's army in conferring the top three generals. How could the other party be able to swallow this sigh of relief?


I'm afraid she did something afterwards to create some obstacles for the Empress, so much so that the Empress now has no time to hold back and directly recruits new ministers openly and openly to ensure that the team she has selected for her future will not escape her control.


This move seemed to have been made in a hurry, causing the empress to lose her royal dignity, but in fact, the effect was really good.


Chi Li watched helplessly as the new scholars who had been talked to by the empress personally turned into fans of the empress. Not to mention them, she actually had a good impression of this flexible and flexible emperor.


I believe that when these people truly enter the officialdom in the future, even if they do not officially take sides, they will be more inclined to the Empress's side.


With these new forces, and if the empress continues to train them more, why can't she break the monopoly of Prime Minister Xing and his party on the court?

This is a very subtle conspiracy.


However, if the enemy was a little blinder, he might still be complacent at this moment thinking that he had forced the empress into a panic, and that was why he made this move.


Chi Li saw everything but said nothing to anyone. Even when Meng Zhengqing and Yao Yongzhi came over to make friends with her later, they cooperated and had a pleasant conversation with them.


Meng Zhengqing seems to have no background on the surface, but in fact, the Meng family standing behind him is the Meng family of Bohe Prefecture. That family is a scholarly family that has been passed down for thousands of years, and its background is no worse than that of the Yao family, or even better.


The empress promoted the other party with the intention of winning over the Meng family.


I am afraid that the Meng family also has some interest in the empress, so the two parties hit it off immediately, and Meng Zhengqing was sent to the stage. As an invisible party of the empress, it is not surprising that he and Yao Yongzhi would come together to help the empress win over Chi Li.


When three smart people get together, they are quite comfortable getting along with each other. They all speak well and know how to control the situation without touching each other's bottom line. They also have the intention of making good friends together, so naturally they are in harmony.


Especially after chatting, we found that both of us are quite talented people. Once we discovered common topics, we became more and more enthusiastic about chatting.


When the banquet was over, Chili was still a little unsatisfied. When she returned to the inn where she lived with her father, she realized that she had actually fallen into a trap and was won over by the empress.


But she jumped in on her own initiative. It can only be said that they rushed to each other?


Amused by her own thoughts, Chi Li laughed twice before realizing that Fu Lu next to her was looking at her strangely. She couldn't help but restrain her laughter and covered up her embarrassment: "Have you packed everything? We have to leave early tomorrow morning. Don’t leave anything behind because it won’t be easy to come back and find it later.”


"Go back, Miss. Your luggage is all packed. I checked it three times and found nothing missing."


Chi Li still trusted Fu Lu to do things. Once she heard what she said, she stopped worrying and lay down to sleep after washing away the smell of alcohol.


Although she didn't like drinking, she couldn't avoid it when attending a banquet, so she drank some. Fortunately, her body has a high tolerance for alcohol, so she didn't get drunk even though she smelled bad. You need to add more perfume to cover up the smell of alcohol.


Maybe it was due to drinking before going to bed. Chili always felt like she was swaying when she was sleeping, as if she was in the sea. She also saw a familiar and unfamiliar figure in the haze. She couldn't recognize it for a moment, so she couldn't help but look at it. I looked again, until the other person suddenly turned around and walked in, and I was shocked to realize that it was Jian Yuan from the previous world.


Opening his eyes suddenly, Chili looked confused.


I don’t know why I dreamed about the person I knew in the previous world, and that person seemed to have an inexplicable feeling that something was wrong.


But it was just a glimpse in a dream, and it soon gradually dissipated in her mind. When she tried to recall it, she could only remember that she seemed to be dreaming about Jian Yuan, but she didn't know why she dreamed about him. , even the memory of his appearance is a little blurry.


"Li'er, are you up?"


Before Chili could delve further into this inexplicable dream, her father's urging voice came from outside the door. Chili quickly replied loudly: "Get up, Dad, please wait for me."


Under Fu Lu's service, Chi Li quickly washed and dressed, and then followed Chi Xiucai in the carriage he hired early in the morning, all the way to the dock, boarded the official ship with the newly issued Jinshi certificate from the imperial court, and set off home.

(End of this chapter)