Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the east of Shenjing City, on Yuping Street, there is Hongjin Silk and Satin Shop.

It was a sunny afternoon, the streets were bustling with people, and the shops on both sides of the road were doing a booming business with people coming in and out from time to time.

Although Hongjin Silk and Satin Shop has only been open for a few months, it has already been completely integrated into this bustling street market.

The shop owner, Liu Wenxuan, is a warm and kind person who knows how to win people's hearts and minds and is not concerned with small profits. He has left a good reputation among the surrounding shops.

The newly opened Hongjin Silk Shop, in just a short period of time, has blended in with the crowds in the bustling capital city, without causing any waves or attracting any attention.

Customers often came in and out of the shop counter to buy cloth and silk. Liu Wenxuan checked the accounts behind the counter for half a day, then handed over the business to the clerk and went into the backyard of the shop.

After entering the room, he carefully folded a stack of rice paper with copied text on the table and put it in his arms, then went out the back door of the yard.

He walked in the back alley for a while, then turned into another alley, and made several turns along the way, walking through the alleys behind the main street.

After walking for half a cup of tea, he finally stopped at the end of a clean and quiet alley and knocked on the brass door cymbals of a small courtyard.

The monotonous and regular sound of metal knocking echoed in the quiet alley...

After a tall woman came to open the door, he passed the courtyard with lush flowers and trees and went straight into the inner room.

Under the sunny south-facing window in the inner room, there is an old and large pear wood desk.

A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a convenient short brown robe and with his sleeves rolled up, sat at the desk.

The sunlight outside the house shone through the semi-transparent glazed window lattice, illuminating a piece of copied document with names written all over it on the desk, making every detail clear.

The top line of the manuscript clearly stated the names of three people: Cabinet Grand Secretary Wang Shilun, Minister of Personnel Chen Mo, and Right Vice Minister of Rites Huang Hongcang.

This is exactly the copy of the imperial edict for officials who took the imperial examination this spring that was posted at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall and attracted the attention of countless candidates.

Liu Wenxuan stood in front of the desk without interrupting the middle-aged man's thoughts, waiting until he looked up from the copy of the imperial edict.

He took out the folded rice paper from his bosom and said, "Boss, this is the topic we collected through various channels from various officials."

He took out another piece of rice paper and said: The most important title among them was written by Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

It was also presented to the son of his former classmate, Wu Liang, a candidate from Hangzhou Prefecture, who was accompanied by Zhou Yan, a candidate from Huizhou.

Our people searched the market but did not find this proposed title, which means that Wu Liang and Zhou Yan did not pass the proposed title on to others after they got it.

Since Huang Hongcang was originally a popular candidate for the chief examiner, we had spies stationed near his residence, which is why we noticed these two candidates paying a visit to his residence.

Huang Hongcang was a very strict person. Apart from receiving these two candidates, he declined all other candidates' visits. It seemed that these two people must have a special relationship with him.

I asked someone to bribe Huang Hongcang's servant with a large sum of money to have him look through and copy the questions in his study, and that's how I got this proposed title.

Now that Huang Hongcang has been selected as the chief examiner for the Spring Examination, this question has become extremely important. The day before the examination, the chief examiner will lock the door and set the questions.

If Huang Hongcang sets similar or similar questions, the two candidates who visited the palace will be the biggest beneficiaries, and it will definitely lead to something big! "

……

The middle-aged man took the rice paper from Liu Wenxuan, read the proposed title several times, and then put it on the table without saying a word.

He said: "The three examiners selected by the court this time are all the most outstanding officials in the Jiazhao Dynasty. The current emperor has a good eye for talent.

Cabinet Grand Secretary Wang Shilun became famous at a young age, had an early career start, was shrewd, and entered the cabinet to take charge of government affairs before he was forty. This kind of person is difficult to control and can only be observed from afar, not touched.

The Minister of Personnel Chen Mo was also a veteran who had served in two dynasties. He was also the top scorer in the spring imperial examination in the second year of Yong'an. His career record was brilliant and few could match him.

Moreover, this person had a smooth and changeable temperament and was full of wisdom and resourcefulness. Because he was the top scholar in the imperial examination, he once served as a lecturer in the Cultural Hall and taught the princes of Emperor Yong'an.

Among the princes at that time, Prince Wu was the most talented and gifted, and was highly respected by Chen Mo. The two had a real teacher-student relationship.

When the Wu King Rebellion broke out in Shenjing, many civil and military officials were implicated, their properties were confiscated, their families were exterminated, they were demoted or exiled, and few were spared.

However, Chen Mo and King Wu had a teacher-student relationship, and with such a close relationship, he was able to escape unscathed, and was able to remain in the six ministries for more than a decade without falling, and eventually climbed to the high position of Tianguan in the Ministry of Personnel.

Don't underestimate this man, as he is old. Despite his shameful past, he can still be trusted by the current emperor. His mentality and tactics are only better than Wang Shilun's.

This old fellow has already practiced to perfection, and now that he is about to retire, he has become even stronger than a diamond. Even with sharp teeth and steel, they cannot chew on an old fellow like him.

Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was the runner-up in the palace examination in the 19th year of Yong'an. He was quite prestigious in the officialdom and academia, and had a reputation for being upright and honest. He was one of the few upright and honest officials in the officialdom.

This man is a high-ranking official of the second rank, but now he lives in a two-story house. He has a wife and a concubine and only one daughter. All the clothes and shoes in the house are made by the women.

The current emperor is indeed a meticulous person. He uses these three people as chief examiners, which is really like an iron barrel.

Perhaps before this spring exam, the market was a little volatile. This emperor has always been suspicious, so this situation has occurred. Who knows..."

Liu Wenxuan asked: "According to what the boss said, what we are planning can no longer be accomplished..."

The middle-aged man sighed, "The vast land of China only benefits one person, and the imperial examination is a major event for the country. We have already reached the limit of what we have accomplished.

Success or failure is no longer a matter of planning, but of fate. Who can bear the fate of heaven? Just leave it to God!"

He took the copied imperial edict again, looked at it carefully for a few times, and then looked at the titles copied by Liu Wenxuan, pondering them carefully, his eyes gradually brightened.

He asked, "Who are the other candidates for examiners listed in the blue booklet?"

Liu Wenxuan took out the blue booklet from his bosom, flipped through one of the pages, and said, "Cabinet Grand Secretary Cai Xiang, Minister of Works Li Dekang, and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Xu Liangxiong."

The middle-aged man looked solemn and said, “I heard that Cai Xiang had already mentioned himself as not being selected because he wanted to avoid suspicion because of his son’s death.

Li Dekang, the Minister of Works, is one of the leaders of the six ministries and is quite influential. Moreover, he is cunning and smooth, not a moral gentleman.

"Xu Liangxiong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is a person who was ranked first in the second class of the spring examination in the 19th year of Yong'an. He is arrogant and has a clean face. He is a person who is not easy to control."

The middle-aged man stood up from behind the desk and paced back and forth in the room, looking relaxed. He was wearing a short brown robe with his sleeves still rolled up, looking like a street vendor.

After a moment, he stopped and said to Liu Wenxuan, "Go and call Shenglan over."

Not long after Liu Wenxuan left, a tall woman entered the room...

……

The capital city, the office of the Magistrates, and the official residence of Zhou Junxing.

Zheng Yingquan, the chief officer of the Magistrate's Court, walked into the government office and saw his superior carefully reading through documents.

He took out a document he had brought with him and said, "Sir, as you ordered, I have sent a number of people to search the market for topics circulated by officials from various prefectures.

There are fifty-seven questions in total, and each question has the name and official title of the person who wrote it, as well as whether he or she is selected as an official for this spring's imperial examination."

Zhou Junxing took the document, glanced at the densely listed topics and related additional official records, and put it on the table.

He said: "These topics were all proposed by the officials of this spring examination. These people may be co-examiners or their deputies.

Most of the topics they proposed are just to show off their talents and attract attention. They are irrelevant to the overall situation. We can leave them for reference after the examination. There is no need to spend too much time on them now."

Zhou Junxing handed the document in his hand to Zheng Yingquan and said with a smile: "Yingquan is a scholar from a formal imperial examination, and he is very talented. What do you think of this topic?"

……

Zheng Yingquan took the document with a confused look. He was a very efficient person and had deployed a lot of manpower in the past few days to collect the titles written by the officials listed in the blue booklet.

During this period, in order to prevent omissions, he even went to Xicheng, where many candidates lived, to check many times. The 57 proposed topics recorded on the documents were all traceable and there were no omissions.

Why does Zhou Junxing have a brand new topic in hand?

He opened the document and took a closer look, and saw that it said: Rites, music, punishments and politics are the lifeblood of a ruler's rule and of a teacher's teaching.

All that is discussed and all that is done in government affairs are for the foundation of the country, and are generally considered in line with the will of Heaven. The people's authority and influence all come from the people. Is it true that this is what should be taken lightly?
However, the wonderful use of the oneness is the same as the way of solidification. The way has its origin and the way has its tradition. This is the outline of the master of all things...

This proposed title is quite long, filling up an entire sheet of rice paper, and is roughly estimated to be around seven or eight hundred words.

Zheng Yingquan was a Jinshi who ranked last in the second class. He had quite a bit of talent and learned a lot. He just glanced through it casually at first, but the more he read, the more he was filled with admiration.

He said: "Sir, this topic is about rituals, justice and politics, and it extends the idea of ​​governing a country and herding the people. The thought is profound and grand, and the method of asking questions hits the key points of practical work.

The person who came up with the question has a broad vision and knowledge, which is truly admirable. Although I have collected many proposed questions, none of them is as exquisite and profound as this one. Who wrote this?"

Zhou Junxing smiled slightly, but this smile was somewhat secretive and cold, and said: "This topic was proposed by Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and was given to the two candidates who came to Beijing to take the exam!"

……

Zheng Ying's expression was slightly shocked, and he said, "Sir, according to my investigations these days, none of the three examiners appointed by the imperial edict had their own questions circulated.

I wonder where this question comes from?

Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is the Chief Examiner appointed by His Majesty. Before the examination, the Chief Examiner drafted the questions and circulated them, but they were intended to attract attention. I heard that he was a cautious official, so how could this happen? "

Zhou Junxing sneered and said, "You are right, Huang Hongcang is indeed a cautious person. Ever since the blue booklet was circulated in the market, many candidates who are going to take the exam have come to pay a visit to him.

This person always refused to see visitors and did not give room for gossip, but he made an exception on one occasion and met with two candidates from Hangzhou and Huizhou prefectures, and sent them examination questions he wrote himself to give them some guidance.

I think even he himself didn't expect that he would be chosen as the chief examiner in the end.

The two candidates who received Huang Hongcang's proposed topic kept it secret and never circulated it to others. Therefore, even if you send people to search the market, you will not be able to find this proposed topic. "

Zheng Yingquan was surprised, "Since you said that the two candidates got Huang Hongcang's proposed topic and kept it secret and never told anyone else, how did you get it?"

Zhou Junxing smiled proudly and said, "I naturally have a way to know this that ordinary people don't know, so you don't need to pay attention to this matter.

From now on, you must select capable personnel to keep a close eye on Huang's residence. All his comings and goings with outsiders must be recorded in detail. If you can bribe his family members, that would be the best strategy.

Whenever Huang Hongcang goes to and from the yamen, someone is arranged to follow him, and he must not be aware of anything going on inside or outside the office. Once he is discovered, he must not be alarmed and must report to me immediately.

Before the examination, even if he did something terrible, none of us are allowed to move without authorization, and we must make sure he is the chief examiner for the Spring Examination!"

……

Zheng Yingquan asked with some concern: "Sir, Huang Hongcang is a high-ranking official of the second rank, and he has great prestige in the court and the country. Now that he has been selected as one of the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination, he is even more highly regarded by everyone.

At present, there are more than 3,000 candidates coming to Beijing for the examination, which is an astonishing number. The three chief examiners of the Spring Examination will be the future teachers of these candidates, so this is a big deal.

Just based on a proposed topic, the Magistrates' Court sent people to monitor and track him. It was a big risk to secretly convict such a respected scholar and high-ranking official.

Once the news leaks out and is known by the candidates, it will cause a commotion among thousands of candidates before the examination. There will be no way back, so please think twice!"

Zhou Junxing's expression changed after hearing Zheng Yingquan's words. He naturally knew that Zheng Yingquan's concerns were all pertinent.

Although the staff of the Magistrates' Court were all carefully cultivated by him in recent years, both Zheng Yingquan and his subordinates were trustworthy backbones.

But there is nothing perfect in the world. People make mistakes and horses stumble. No one can guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

Before the Spring Examination, without the imperial order, even Zheng Yingquan felt uneasy about supervising the senior officials in charge of the examination. Wouldn't his subordinates have concerns?
It's not surprising that someone would be noticed if they behaved abnormally...

Before the spring examination, thousands of candidates gathered in the capital. Once the news spread, the candidates would cause trouble.

Given the wisdom and ruthlessness of the emperor at that time, he would never blame thousands of candidates.

The only final outcome is that His Majesty will have to resort to the methods of the Court of Magistrates to calm the situation, in order to ensure the safety of the Spring Examination Ceremony and to preserve the dignity of His Majesty and all officials.

By that time, as the chief judge of the Magistrates' Court, I would probably die without a burial place...

……

Zhou Junxing walked around the official residence for a few rounds, and after just a moment of thought, he made up his mind, with a look of determination and ruthlessness in his eyes.

He said: "Yingquan, I know what you said is reasonable, but the Magistrate's Court is different from ordinary government offices.

The Magistrates' Court is responsible for supervising all officials, protecting the imperial power, and supporting the emperor. As the emperor's lackeys, there are some things that they know are impossible to do, but they still have to do them!
When Your Majesty ascended the throne, the country was in turmoil and people's hearts were in chaos due to the rebellion of King Wu. Your Majesty used the Court of Inquiries to rectify the government and pacify the government and the people, which led to the great peace for more than ten years.

However, after the Wu Wang Rebellion was quelled, His Majesty stripped the Court of power for ten years in order to appease the people inside and outside the court, as well as the civil and military officials. Why is His Majesty re-activating the Court of Judges now?

You and I both know the meaning of this...

You and I accept the imperial edict and serve as officials in the Court of Magistrates, which means we are stepping into a mountain of swords and a sea of ​​fire. There is no way out.

Hawks and dogs cannot catch rabbits, lions and tigers cannot hunt predators, so for the emperor, what is the point of lingering on...

If other officials do not advance, they will regress; if the Court of Magistrates does not advance, they will die!

The Spring Examination is an event that shocks the whole world and is watched by all officials in the country. Once cheating occurs in the examination, how many people will live or die in a day and how many people will rise in an instant.

Now that you and I have noticed the clues, how can we easily miss such a major event? Life and death are but a moment, and life and death are but a matter of years. It is difficult to avoid ups and downs, so we must seek victory in danger!

You must do your best in this matter and never back down. If anything goes wrong, even if I have to be beheaded, I, Zhou Junxing, will definitely be there before you..."

Zhou Junxing's wild and brave words kept striking Zheng Yingquan's heart. His mind raced, and he looked at his superior, sighing slightly in his heart.

As soon as Zhou Junxing finished speaking, Zheng Yingquan replied without hesitation: "I will arrange for someone to handle this matter according to your wishes!"

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

It was almost the end of the Si hour and the courtyard was quiet. Jia Cong finished his morning homework and sat on a chair to stretch his waist. Behind him, a pair of delicate little hands had touched the Yang points on his forehead and were rubbing them gently.

Ever since Lingguan used her method on Jia Cong to save her sisters from the pain of being punished with a ruler, Jia Cong has been fond of Lingguan's skill.

Every day, he was immersed in his studies in the study. When his mind and brain were tired, he asked Lingguan to do the same for him, and it seemed that his fatigue disappeared in an instant.

Lingguan was naturally very happy with what she did to Jia Cong. Every time she calculated the time Jia Cong had to finish half a day's homework, she would appear in the study room unexpectedly.

Those little hands would always touch his head unexpectedly and just right, as if both of them enjoyed it.

At such times, one person would sit half-leaning while the other would stand upright in the study, they would be friendly and tacit with each other, whispering to each other, which was quite warm.

Every time Yinglian saw this scene, she was very envious and often carefully imitated Lingguan's movements and gestures.

He was very excited and tried to manipulate Jia Cong's head several times, but after learning most of the techniques, the force was either too light or too heavy.

Jia Cong's tiredness didn't disappear immediately, but it gave him a lot of headaches...

After this happened many times, Yinglian gave up hope of making progress. As soon as Jia Cong finished his half-day homework, Yinglian did not dare to do anything rash.

If Lingguan didn't show up, she would run to look for her foolishly. The study room for two often became a study room for three, which added a lot of joy to the place.

After Jia Cong finished his homework that day, Lingguan started doing his homework over his head. After a while, Qingwen came in with a royal blue dress.

Qingwen had made that dress specially for Jia Cong to wear during the imperial examination.

The clothes were about 70% to 80% ready, so Qingwen took them to Jia Cong to try on. After the measurement was confirmed, she could have them sewn and altered to make them fit.

Here Qingwen was like a butterfly, surrounding Jia Cong, hugging his waist, measuring his shoulders, and putting her little hands on his legs.

Suddenly, several people saw Wu Er enter the study room, her face flushed, even more beautiful, and her expression was a little strange... (End of this chapter)