Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 593: The Beauty of the Pillow

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Just now, when he was having dinner with his sisters, in order not to arouse suspicion among them, Jia Cong downplayed the poisoning of the official from the Ministry of Rites.

But in fact, he had not let the matter go. He talked with Daiyu for a while, sent her back to his residence, and then returned to the study alone.

He took the blue booklet from the bookshelf and flipped through it until he came to the page containing the list of candidates for the chief examiners of the Spring Examination.

The names on the list include Wang Shilun, Chen Mo, Huang Hongcang and three others who have been selected as examiners.

They were the few who failed to be selected and declined the election for various reasons, including Cabinet Grand Secretary Cai Xiang, Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, and Junior Secretary of Taichang Temple Zheng Yan.

Others who failed to be selected due to lack of qualifications include Li Dekang, Minister of Works, and Xu Liangxiong, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue…

Huang Hongcang was accidentally poisoned and will definitely not be able to serve as the chief examiner of the Spring Examination. Which of these people will be the substitute chief examiner?
Although, on the surface, it seems that it doesn't matter much to the candidates who the chief examiner is, as the only thing they need to do to get their names on the list is their knowledge and talent.

But when the examination results are announced, the chief examiner will know who the successful candidate is.

The chief examiner and the successful candidate will form a strong master-disciple relationship. This kind of relationship has great implications in official circles and may even determine the ups and downs of one's future career and the two will share weal and woe.

Although Jia Cong is from a noble family, his master would not have that much influence on him.

But within the possible scope, he himself also hopes that his future teacher will be someone with similar temperament and political views to himself.

Therefore, he was naturally concerned about who would replace Huang Hongcang as the new chief examiner.

……

He was holding the blue booklet in a daze.

Suddenly, I heard soft footsteps beside me and a faint fragrance. I didn't know when Xing Xiuyan came into the study. There was a sweet smile on her face, and her hands seemed to be holding something, but it was behind her back and I couldn't see it.

Jia Cong saw that she was dressed pretty today, unlike her usual plain attire. She wore a round-necked gown with a bright red background and embroidered magnolia branches, a white lingerie with a collar underneath, and a light red long skirt.

The whole person is fresh and gentle, just like a young girl in February, really pleasing to the eye.

He smiled and asked, "Sister Xiuyan, what are you hiding in your hand? Why don't you take it out and let us see it?"

Xing Xiuyan's face turned slightly red, and she took out the thing hidden behind her back. It turned out to be a soft silk pillow made of light blue satin with dark patterns, embroidered with patterns such as laurel trees, and delicate and exquisite workmanship.

Jia Cong took it with a smile. He knew the meaning of the pattern of the bright moon and laurel tree. It was naturally a good omen for winning the first prize in the imperial examination, which was just in line with his result in the imperial examination this time. It seemed that Xing Xiuyan had put a lot of thought into it.

Xing Xiuyan said, "My cousin is going to take the imperial examination. I heard he will have to stay in the dormitory for nine days. The bed in the dormitory is narrow and hard. I made a soft pillow for my cousin so that he can sleep better at night."

In fact, Xing Xiuyan had made this soft silk pillow two days ago, but she was embarrassed to give it to Jia Cong.

Originally, she thought that when Jia Cong was about to take the imperial examination, he would need food, clothing and living expenses, and the trusted maids around him would naturally help him prepare everything, so she would not have to do anything.

Later I heard that the examination rooms in the Imperial Examination Hall were not only small in size, but also had to be slept in with wooden boards spliced ​​together to make beds, which was not as comfortable as home.

She was worried that Jia Cong would feel uncomfortable in the cell, so she had a sudden idea to make him a soft pillow so that he could sleep more peacefully at night.

I just finished the things excitedly, and suddenly I thought of giving him a pillow for sleeping. But it seemed too intimate and ambiguous, and I was a little embarrassed to give it to him.

Today, the sisters went to Jia Cong's courtyard for a small gathering. She calculated that Jia Cong would be killed in two days, and if she didn't send him the pillow she made by herself, it would be too late.

But I felt a little shy in front of my sisters, especially since Xiangyun, that quick-talking girl, would definitely make fun of me.

So, Xing Xiuyan came over alone only after the sisters had dispersed, and she knew in her heart that he would definitely like what she made...

Jia Cong patted the pillow twice, which was very soft and fluffy, and said with a smile: "Sister, you are very thoughtful. This thing is just right for taking to the dormitory.

I have slept on the number board of the Imperial Examination Hall more than once, and it was so stiff. With the soft pillow my sister gave me, I will definitely sleep much better at night."

Xing Xiuyan was delighted to hear his praise.

Although she has just passed the age of 18, she is still childish, but her sweet smile at this moment can't hide her natural beauty, bright eyes, white teeth, and a smile as beautiful as a peach, which is elegant and moving.

Jia Cong suddenly thought of something and said with a look of regret, "I actually forgot about this. Candidates who enter the Imperial College to take the exam are strictly checked at the entrance to prevent them from cheating and bringing in smuggled documents.

Such a beautiful pillow, most likely those yamen runners will tear it open for inspection, wouldn't that be a waste of my sister's kindness?"

Xing Xiuyan smiled complacently after hearing this and said, "I have inquired about all this and thought of it when I made this soft pillow."

She took the pillow from Jia Cong, turned it over, and said with a smile, "Look, cousin."

When Jia Cong saw that there was a row of buttons on the back of the pillow, he couldn't help but smile.

Xing Xiuyan's slender fingers were deft and she unbuttoned the buttons in a few moves, spreading out the soft pillow and filling it neatly with fine brown silk.

She smiled and said, "Look, cousin, I've thought it through. When you enter the customs, you will be checked by the yamen runners. Just unbutton these buttons and let them check. You don't have to worry about damaging your pillow."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister, you are so thoughtful. A pillow can have buttons. Why didn't I think of that?"

Xing Xiuyan grabbed two handfuls of palm fibers from the bush, put them close to Jia Cong's nose, and asked with a smile, "Cousin, smell it, is it fragrant? I heard from my second sister that my cousin likes to use Qinghun incense every day.

But you can’t light incense in the dormitory, so I used Qinghun incense to fumigate these palm fibers for a few days before putting them in the pillow. My cousin will sleep more peacefully with this pillow, and he will win the first place in the exam and go home.”

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister, this pillow is really well made. It's amazing that you put so much thought into it.

I'm just afraid that sleeping on your pillow will be too comfortable and I won't be able to sleep on anything else in the future. I think I'll let you make all the pillows in my room from now on."

Xing Xiuyan couldn't help laughing when she heard that. They put the pillows on the table, feeling relaxed, chatting and laughing, and then put the palm fibers back into the pillows.

A breeze blew in from the window, and the blue booklet on the desk was flipped by the wind, making a rustling sound...

……

Shenjing, east of the city, Gongyuan.

The notice of the Spring Examination posted at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall had faded noticeably because of the passage of time and the bright yellow paper.

Only the names of the chief examiners and their subordinates in the imperial edict are still vivid in my mind, every stroke as clear as if they were carved with a knife or an axe.

The gentle spring breeze continued to blow, and a corner of the edict had dried up and curled up, making a strange rustling sound in the wind.

The sun was setting and the sound of horse hooves could be heard from the other end of the street, along with the low rumble of wheels rolling on the road.

Five horse-drawn carriages followed one another, appearing from the other end of the street and driving slowly towards the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall. More than twenty horsemen in brocade robes, carrying swords and riding horses, accompanied them as guards.

Zhou Junxing, the director of the Court of Inquisition, and Zheng Yingquan, the chief official, also marched in the cavalry, accompanied by more than ten inspectors.

The wheels rolled, the swords and spears shone, the horses' hooves thundered, and it was quite impressive.

Because the day after tomorrow is the opening day of the Spring Examination, most of the candidates are doing their final hard studying.

Therefore, few candidates would see this scene.

Although there were many pedestrians and vendors on the road, the Spring Examination was a distant and unfamiliar thing to these people. At most, they would stand on the side of the road and watch the majestic and lively cavalry and carriages.

Liu Wenxuan was sitting by the window on the second floor of the teahouse opposite the Imperial Examination Hall. He had been there for nearly half an hour, looking at the street below calmly.

When the tea doctor was refilling the second pot of tea, he saw a large cavalry team stop marching in front of the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall.

He saw two people getting off the first two carriages. He had seen the portraits of these two people before. They were Wang Shilun, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and Chen Mo, Minister of Personnel.

At sunset on March 16th, it was time for the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination to go into seclusion in the Imperial Examination Hall. They entered the Imperial Examination Hall today and could not leave until the Spring Examination was over.

Before the hour of Si on March 17th, the final questions for the Spring Examination drawn up by the three chief examiners would be delivered to the palace by a special person. After being approved by the emperor, they would be filed as the questions for the opening examination of the Spring Examination.

Moreover, the three chief examiners set the examination questions separately, and they were unaware of each other's questions before the actual examination began.

If any examiner takes advantage of the opportunity to cheat and sell questions, he will be held responsible for the crime and will not be able to blame others.

The methods of setting questions and clarifying responsibilities for the imperial examinations in each dynasty have been somewhat different. The Great Zhou Dynasty also used the etiquette of the imperial examinations of the previous dynasties as a basis and extended its own set of rules...

At this moment, Liu Wenxuan's eyes were burning. The appearance of Wang Shilun and Chen Mo at this time was reasonable. His attention was all on the third carriage.

Because the person who got off the car was the third examiner who replaced Huang Hongcang.

At this time, the curtain of the third carriage was lifted, and a middle-aged man in his forties came down. He was wearing the uniform of a third-rank civil servant, had a decent appearance, was self-respecting and calm, had a short beard under his forehead, and had a clear and noble bearing.

When Liu Wenxuan saw who was coming, his eyes lit up slightly, and he stood up, paid the bill, and quickly left the teahouse.

……

At the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, Zhou Junxing watched the three examiners of the Spring Examination enter the Imperial Examination Hall. The two hundred elite soldiers of the Imperial Guards, who had been mobilized, swarmed to the various gates and exits to guard the entrances and exits. Zhou Junxing watched the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall rumble shut, then turned his horse around and returned to the magistrate's office.

Zheng Yingquan, who was standing by, stepped forward and said, "Sir, the owner and his wife of the Hongxing Southern Goods Store, as well as the servant who delivered the goods to the Huang Mansion, have all been arrested and questioned.

These three people have been punished, but they did not know that alligator meat is poisonous. I observed from the side that these three people did not lie.

If they are tortured again, they will definitely tell whatever they are asked, and it will be useless to find the real murderer of Huang Hongcang. "

Zhou Junxing sighed, "I also guessed that the three people in the southern goods store were just ordinary people, and we couldn't get anything out of them.

The person behind the scenes could easily poison the chief examiner of the third-rank spring examination. This is a serious matter. The other party would not be stupid enough to leave an obvious flaw. The Hongxing Southern Goods Store is just a cover."

Zheng Yingquan looked puzzled and asked, "Since you have already made up your mind, why do you want to arrest these three people in such a big way? Wouldn't that alert the enemy?"

Zhou Junxing smiled grimly: "I arrested the three people in the southern goods store just to show others. Although Huang Hongcang cannot serve as the chief examiner, the matter is not over yet!"

Seeing that Zhou Junxing was so secretive in his words, Zheng Yingquan knew that he had other plans in mind. Since he didn't say it clearly, he would never ask. This was the tacit understanding between the two of them after working together for many years.

He added: "Sir, this morning at Huang's house, we used the method of the imperial physician Li Chengming to feed the wild dog with roasted alligator meat, and the wild dog was not poisoned.

This shows that the alligator meat in the Southern Goods Store is not poisonous. The Huang mother and daughter and Li Chengming all witnessed it with their own eyes. The new examiner was very dissatisfied with us going to the Southern Goods Store to arrest people.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Now that the three people from the Southern Goods Store have been tortured, and it has been proven that they had nothing to do with this incident, should we release them first to avoid giving others a handle against them? "

Zhou Junxing frowned slightly and said, "The people at the southern goods store want to release it, but not now. They must wait until the 18th when the candidates enter the examination hall.

However, there is one thing that I just can't figure out. Huang Hongcang has been on vacation at home for many days and has never left the house. He eats at the same table with his wife and daughter every day.

If I want to kill him, I can't think of any other way except to poison the alligator meat, but the alligator meat is not poisonous."

……

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

Liu Wenxuan returned to the shop, casually gave the shop assistant a few words, and then went into the backyard of the shop.

He left from the back door of the yard without stopping and entered the back alley of Yuping Street.

He walked in the back alley for a while, turned several corners along the way, and walked through the alleys behind the main street.

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

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

However, the person who opened the door this time was not the tall woman, but the middle-aged man in a short brown coat.

After the two entered the courtyard, Liu Wenxuan said, "Boss, your guess about the new chief examiner is spot on. I just saw him at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall for retreat."

But this person took over the position of chief examiner. Like Huang Hongcang, he is also a key official of the court. How can the boss be sure that he can help us succeed? "

The middle-aged man smiled calmly: "I have never been sure that this person can help us succeed."

Liu Wenxuan was confused after hearing this, but he knew that his boss was always a man of deep strategy, but he was just doing things without any purpose, so he must have his reasons for saying this.

The middle-aged man took Liu Wenxuan into the study, took the blue booklet on the desk, and opened one of the pages, on which were written the names of five or six candidates for the chief examiner of the Spring Examination.

Said: "I am just certain that the person who made us succeed must not be Huang Hongcang!

Huang Hongcang has a serious character and is an honest official. I have been paying attention to him for a long time.

Although he gave Wu Liang and Zhou Yan some advice on drafting questions, as long as he was the chief examiner, he would not allow anyone to take advantage of the opportunity, and there would be no possibility of selling questions.

Ever since the imperial court announced the spring examination decree and this man was chosen as the chief examiner, I have arranged spies to keep an eye on the daily movements at the Huang residence.

Before being poisoned, this person had been resting at home for five days, refusing visitors and never going out. He must have been concentrating on preparing questions for the spring examination.

With his talent and vision, it is impossible to expect him to repeat the test questions I have set after spending so much time and effort to figure them out. This is completely against his nature.

Among the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination, Wang Shilun was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, holding the highest position among ministers and highly regarded by the current emperor; Chen Mo was the Minister of Personnel, one of the top six ministries, with deep roots in the court and the country.

These two men are both top officials in the political arena. They have experienced the ups and downs of their careers and are in charge of the imperial examinations. It is difficult for them to reveal any flaws no matter what.

Moreover, they are both important ministers with deep connections in the court. No matter which one of them gets into trouble, it will be like stirring up a hornet's nest, which will be difficult to clean up from beginning to end.

However, Huang Hongcang was different. He was the lowest-ranking official among the three examiners. He had been an official for ten years and was honest, incorruptible, low-key and pragmatic. Such a serious and honest official was not popular in official circles.

Apart from some prestige in the Ministry of Rites, he has almost no connections in the court. If something happens to him, it is unlikely to cause much trouble.

Since these three examiners are as solid as a rock, if you want to pry one of them apart, Huang Hongcang is undoubtedly the best choice!"

The middle-aged man casually flipped over a page in the blue booklet...

He continued, “I was a little hesitant about this matter at first, until I got the news from a bookstore on Wenham Street.

Two candidates went to a bookstore to buy books, and there was a conversation about the Spring Examination. Their names are unknown. One was given the courtesy name Xiwen, and the other was given the courtesy name Baokun.

The middle-aged man glanced at Liu Wenxuan and said, "You can get the proposed topic from Huang Hongcang's study, so you should know who these two people are."

Liu Wenxuan's eyes lit up and he blurted out, "Wu Liang and Zhou Yan!

The boss decided to remove Huang Hongcang because of this incident and let someone else take over his position as the chief examiner. But the new chief examiner will definitely be beneficial to us?"

The middle-aged man said: "Liu Xuan, I once said that the Spring Examination is a major event for the country. We have already reached the limit of what we have accomplished.

Wang Shilun and Chen Mo cannot act rashly, and I cannot be sure that the new examiner will be in our favor.

However, if Huang Hongcang remains in power, we will never be able to accomplish anything!

Only by breaking the balance among the three major examiners can we seize the opportunity. Success or failure no longer depends on planning, but on fate.

Before Huang Hongcang entered the retreat, I cast a spell to take him down, and I also chose the right time to create an urgent opportunity.

This is how things are in the world. Changes lead to innovations, and haste leads to chaos..."

……

As the two were talking, they heard a slight sound of falling in the yard.

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "It must be Shenglan who has returned. She is the only one who didn't go through the front door."

Liu Wenxuan saw a figure swaying at the door, and a tall and graceful woman walked into the room steadily.

The middle-aged man asked, "Shenglan, what's the situation outside?"

The woman named Shenglan said, "This morning, Li Chengming, the director of the Imperial Hospital, came to Huang's house. He must have been sent by the palace to treat Huang Hongcang."

When the middle-aged man heard Li Chengming's name, his eyes narrowed slightly and he said, "Li Chengming has a good master and is a very capable person. I think he can probably cure Huang Hongcang."

Sheng Lan said, "I followed the master's instructions and used a non-lethal poison made from rat grass. I mixed it with hallucinogenic substances from Miao, which will only stagnate his vitality and make him unconscious.

Even if Li Chengming finds a way to detoxify Huang Hongcang and wake him up, it will take at least five or six days. It will take at least ten days to fully recover. He can't delay our business."

Sheng Lan added, "This morning, the Inquisition Court's captain arrested the owner and his wife of the Southern Goods Store, as well as the servant who delivered goods to and from the Huang Mansion, and brought them all to the Inquisition Court."

The middle-aged man asked in a serious tone, "We are using that southern food store as a cover this time. Did you leave any loopholes?"

Sheng Lan replied, "Don't worry, Boss. The alligator meat sent from the southern food store was tampered with by me beforehand. It is indeed poisonous.

But after sunset yesterday, Huang Hongcang had used alligator meat to make a stew, so I replaced the remaining alligator meat in the kitchen overnight. Even the stew residue thrown away by the Huang family's cook was cleaned up by me.

Zhou Junxing was a meticulous person and Li Chengming was an expert in medicine. They would probably realize that Huang Hongcang might have been poisoned by alligator meat, but the alligator meat left in the Huang family was non-toxic.

Since the boss said that Li Chengming had a good master and was quite capable, he would definitely be able to find out that the alligator meat was not poisonous, so the Hongxing Southern Goods Store could not be blamed for this matter."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly and said, "You are right. With Zhou Junxing's scheming, he must have figured out that alligator meat is poisonous. Li Chengming's methods must also have confirmed that alligator meat is not poisonous.

But this Magistrate Zhou Yuanshi still went to the southern goods store to arrest people with great fanfare, and he didn't seem to worry that Li Chengming would impeach him for breaking the law and harming people. There is something behind this..."

The middle-aged man glanced at Liu Wenxuan and said with a smile: "I just said that we are only doing our best in this matter. Whether it can be accomplished in the end depends on both human efforts and God's will.

Now it seems that we are not the only ones who pay attention to the affairs of the Spring Examination. Zhou Junxing of the Court of Advisers is good at fabricating cruel things in order to win the favor of the emperor and develop his official career.

We have already created the situation, so naturally there will be people like him who will go against the wind and waves to achieve their goals and fish in troubled waters. I hope he won’t let me down…”

(End of this chapter)