Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, east of the city, Gongyuan.

The night was dark. Ever since the three chief examiners of the spring examination entered the Imperial Examination Hall for seclusion, the gates around the Imperial Examination Hall had been guarded by imperial guards, and the guards would remain stationed there until nine days after the examination.

The interior of the Imperial Examination Hall was pitch dark and dead silent, except for an exquisite three-story pavilion to the north where a few rooms still had lights on.

This building was originally the residence of officials of the Imperial Examination Hall, but now it is used as the living quarters of the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination.

When the spring examination begins, the eighteen examiners will also stay here and assist the chief examiner in handling the examination affairs.

At this time, although it was past midnight, in a room on the right side of the first floor, bright candlelight was overflowing from the window, and figures walking back and forth could be seen.

On the desk in the room, there were five or six pieces of ink-soaked rice paper scattered around, all covered with words, and several books spread out on the table.

On the hanger in the room hung a set of official uniforms for a third-rank civil servant.

A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a green robe and walking back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.

He frowned, sometimes thinking hard, sometimes muttering to himself, as if he was pondering over his words.

That year, he was also the first in the second class of the imperial examination. His talent and knowledge were not inferior to Huang Hongcang, and his official position was even higher than Huang Hongcang.

However, Huang Hongcang had a higher official rank than him, and he was more successful in the imperial examinations, having won the second place in the spring examination in the 19th year of Yong'an.

The blue booklet had listed him as a candidate for the chief examiner, and he was sought after by many candidates.

However, he knew in his heart that he did not have much hope of being selected as the chief examiner, so he was quite low-key when the candidates came to pay him a visit, and in the end the selection of the chief examiner went as he expected.

Although I missed the honor of being the chief examiner of the Spring Examination, which is somewhat regrettable, at least I feel relieved.

But he never expected that the matter would take such a sudden turn. Huang Hongcang was unexpectedly poisoned. After careful consideration of the pros and cons, the palace decided to let him take over as the new chief examiner.

Originally this was a pleasant surprise, but Huang Hongcang encountered an accident on the eve of his retreat in the Imperial Examination Hall. He took over the position of chief examiner in a hurry under extremely hasty circumstances.

This was somewhat like a temporary scapegoat, which made the position of chief examiner seem a little unrighteous. This made him, who had always been somewhat arrogant, quite unwilling to accept this.

But since the emperor's order had already been given, he could only take it seriously and not be too negligent.

It had only been less than a day since he took over as chief examiner and he had to compile the questions for the Spring Examination. He really did not have enough time to think about them.

Originally, I was ordered by the emperor to visit Huang Hongcang that day. There was a transition between the old and the new, official etiquette of visiting and greeting, and also the idea of ​​using Huang Hongcang's theme to write the text.

Unexpectedly, Huang Hongcang was very cautious. Before the accident, he actually burned all his manuscripts, forcing him to start all over again.

Ever since he entered the Imperial Examination Hall, he had stayed indoors, pondering over how to write the examination questions. Wang Shilun and Chen Mo knew his situation, so they skipped the usual greetings and didn't bother him.

That night, he had drafted the topic five or six times, but he was still not satisfied with it.

The policy questions are the most important part of the imperial examination, used to measure the political vision and talent of candidates from all over the world. How could he dare to slack off when he is being criticized by talented people from all over the world?

The clepsydra in the room made a dull dripping sound. It was past midnight. He crumpled up a few drafts of the topic and unfolded the rice paper again to write quickly...

……

Xiuchunfang, west of Shenjing City.

This is the most prosperous district in the west of the city. Exquisite and elegant courtyards and pavilions can be seen everywhere. The villas of many high-ranking officials in the court are located in this district.

In the guest room of a villa in the district, the room was dark and filled with a strong smell of alcohol.

Zhou Yan woke up from his hangover coma and subconsciously tried to get up. His neck led to his head and he couldn't help but gasp. He had a splitting headache after drinking.

He calmed himself down a little before sitting up, and all he saw was darkness.

It is no longer a gorgeous and exquisite hall filled with delicious food and rich wine...

He felt a little regretful in his heart that he had missed the invitation from Wu Liang because he was greedy for wine.

On that day, on his way to Beijing for the imperial examination, he met Lin Zhaohe and Wu Liang. After arriving in Beijing, they stayed at the Hongxiang Inn in the west of the city together. They studied and discussed together every day, and they got along quite well.

He had a relative in Shenjing, who went north to study and travel many years ago, and the two families lost contact since then.

When he was leaving his hometown, he happened to hear that this relative of his was now an official in the capital, holding an important position and enjoying a great reputation. However, because he had changed his name many years ago, his deeds had never been reported back to his hometown.

As soon as he arrived in Shenjing, he went to pay a visit to his family, but perhaps the two families had been separated for many years, and the other party's descendants could not recognize him as a distant relative and refused to let him in.

Zhou Yan returned to the inn full of disappointment. He originally thought that the matter was over, but he did not expect that a few days later, the family of that clan relative would find the inn.

Not only did he apologize for the young man's inappropriate behavior, he also warmly invited him to live and study in his villa.

Zhou Yan was devoted to the imperial examination and studied hard for half his life, but unfortunately he was not gifted. Now he is nearly forty years old and still hasn't passed the exam. However, the more this happened, the more his hope for a career in officialdom became.

This time he went to Beijing to take the exam. He thought that the time was right and had great expectations for the spring examination. He believed that he would pass it this year.

However, even if one has the blessing of passing the imperial examination, for someone like Zhou Ping, with a family background to rely on, it would be difficult to enter the officialdom.

So he was surprised to learn that his former relatives were prosperous. Even though the two families had lost contact for many years, he still tried his best to make friends with them.

Having such a relative and elder from the Beijing official family in the court would be of great help to his future career.

Although there were some twists and turns during the visit, the other party finally acknowledged their relationship and warmly invited him to live in their villa, which was a great surprise for Zhou Yan.

Since he moved into the family villa, the other party, due to being busy with official duties, only showed up once to host a banquet and asked him a lot of questions about his trip to Beijing for the exam.

Although this relative never showed up again, he asked his beloved son to treat him warmly. During this time, Zhou Yan studied in the other garden and his life went very smoothly.

Originally, he and Wu Liang had an appointment yesterday to meet one last time before the Spring Examination ended to exchange their recent thoughts on the topic.

However, his cousin happened to come to the villa yesterday.

He said that his father had been busy with official duties and had not entertained him properly. Now that he was about to take the exam, he was specially asked to host a banquet to send him off and wish him success in the exam.

Zhou Yan, a relative of the clan, is a high-ranking official in the court. It is said that he is quite powerful in the court and the country. It is precisely people like Zhou Yan who are obsessed with official careers and are eager to flatter and make friends...

Now that he had sent his own sons and parents to host a banquet to send him off, Zhou Yan naturally did not dare to refuse such a courtesy.

Moreover, ever since he moved into the clan villa, they would get together every few days to share what they had learned. In fact, this one time would not make a difference, and they could only prioritize.

Originally, Zhou Yan wanted to deal with the banquet hosted by his relatives and then go to Hongxiang Inn later to fulfill his appointment with Wu Liang.

However, he didn't expect that his cousin got a jar of aged wine from somewhere. The wine was not only of rare mellowness, but also had a strong aftertaste.

Zhou Yan used to be able to drink quite a bit, but today his cousin treated him so warmly that he drank a few more glasses. Unexpectedly, he ended up getting drunk. Perhaps it was because the wine was too mellow.

When he woke up, it was already late at night. Not to mention making up for the appointment with Wu Liang, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He was feeling a little confused, thinking whether he should go to Hongxiang Inn to meet Wu Liang again after dawn, which would be the last day before the imperial examination.

……

At this moment, the candlelight at the door suddenly lit up, and the door of the guest room was pushed open. A slim and graceful woman came in with a candlestick in her right hand and a steaming hot towel in her left hand, smiling attentively.

When Zhou Yan saw the girl, he smiled and said, "Feng Ming, why are you here so late?"

This girl named Fengluan was a maid in the clan's villa. She was beautiful and curvy, and in her twenties, she was considered an outstanding figure.

Ever since Zhou Yan moved into the villa, she has been assigned to take care of Zhou Yan's daily life. Such a pretty maid, Zhou Yan comes from an ordinary family and has never seen such a grand ceremony.

Zhou Yan was very happy to have her take care of his daily life these days. He would always find some light words to make the pretty Fengming smile, which was a great pleasure.

But that was all. On ordinary nights when he read by lamplight, Fengming would come in and out to add tea. Even in a dark room, Zhou Yan did not dare to do anything frivolous.

It’s better to avoid doing something ridiculous that would make your relatives look down on your character and cause them to resent and despise you in the future.

According to common sense, it was now late at night. Although Fengming was a maid, there was a difference between men and women after all. She should not have appeared in Zhou Yan's room at this time.

However, she just happened to appear, making Zhou Yan feel a little weird. Perhaps it was because he was still drunk and his guard was down, or maybe it was because the beauty under the light was too tempting, Zhou Yan's heart was actually agitated.

Feng Ming saw Zhou Yan's burning eyes, constantly looking at her slender figure and waist, her pretty face couldn't help but turn red, and even her voice trembled.

She said, "When the master left, he told me that my husband would have a headache when he woke up, and asked me to take good care of him. My husband should put a hot towel on his face to sober up. The sobering soup is still boiling."

Zhou Yan took the towel from Feng Ming's hand. Perhaps because of the alcohol, he was emboldened and couldn't help but pinch her little hand.

Fengming's pretty face became redder and redder, but her eyes were watery and she showed no sign of resistance, which made Zhou Yan even more eager to make a move.

In fact, even though Fengming was pretty, she was just a servant girl. Usually this villa was empty and the master seldom came back.

A maid like Fengming only did odd jobs like cleaning the courtyard, and she had never come into contact with a well-mannered scholar like Zhou Yan in her life.

In her eyes, Zhou Yan, a candidate taking the imperial examination, was like the God of Literature from heaven. Moreover, although Zhou Yan was nearly forty years old, he looked young and had a handsome appearance.

Zhou Yan liked Fengming's beauty every day. Although he didn't have any evil intentions, he used many provocative words to tease her.

Fengming was a maid who came from a poor family and had never seen the world, so Zhou Yan had already provoked her.

She thought again of the bewitching and threatening instructions given by her young master when he left today. Although she was afraid, she was not unwilling.

I even thought that this might be my chance, that I could be with a juren gentleman, and in the future I would become a jinshi, a blessing that I had accumulated over several lifetimes...

At this time, Zhou Yan was still hungover, and his aggressive and covetous eyes seemed to light a fire in Fengming's heart.

She mustered up her courage and said, "When the master left today, he told me that my husband was drunk and had a cold body, and asked me to take good care of him..."

Zhou Yan was about to apply a hot towel to his face, but when he heard Feng Ming's words, he was stunned for a moment, and then he was overjoyed. Feng Ming had just said it so shyly, Zhou Yan naturally understood that the service she was talking about was not just serving tea and water...

Zhou Yan asked anxiously, "Did Brother Zi'an really say that?"

Zhou Ming blushed and said, "I dare not lie. Young Master... Young Master gave me to my husband."

Zhou Yan was overjoyed and couldn't help but laugh, "Brother Zi'an actually has such kindness."

What else did he have to worry about now? Besides, he had always coveted Feng Ming. Now that he was still drunk, he suddenly became angry.

He took Fengming's soft hand and pulled her to his side. He couldn't help but kiss her thin lips, and his hands became dishonest.

He said, "Since it was given by my good brother Zi'an, I will definitely treat you well. Although I cannot marry you, I will definitely take you as my concubine."

When Fengming heard Zhou Yan's words, she couldn't help but be overjoyed. She was just a servant girl, but she could actually become a concubine of a juren. It was a blessing that she had earned in several lifetimes.

Moreover, my husband Zhou is about to take the imperial examination, and I will soon be his concubine, and in the future I will be the concubine of an official.

Such ambitions are undoubtedly a good omen for a servant girl like Fengming to rise to fame overnight.

She was so excited that she was naturally afraid and resisted Zhou Yan's unbridled behavior towards her, but she soon became reluctant and finally let him do whatever he wanted.

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

Seeing Fengming becoming obedient, Zhou Yan could no longer bear it.

In just a moment, the buttons of the dress were undone, half of the bed was covered with snow and half of the couch was covered with spring...

Fengming placed the candlestick on the table. The flames were dancing and the candle flowers were slightly popping. There was a commotion in the room, and there were also ecstatic chants one after another...

At this moment, Zhou Yan had already fallen into the land of gentleness, thinking of a tree of pear blossoms covering the crabapple tree, and the world would be filled with spring from now on.

As for the idea of ​​making up for the appointment with Wu Liang after dawn, he had already thrown it out of his mind.

……

To the west of Shenjing City, Hongxiang Inn.

There is a small courtyard behind the inn that was rented out. Lin Zhao and Zhou Yan were invited by their relatives and friends to move out one after another. Now only Wu Liang lives there.

It was already past midnight, the night was deep, and the entire inn was silent.

Because it was already midnight, strictly speaking, there was only one day left before the Spring Examination. Few candidates would stay up late to study. Instead, they would go to bed early and get enough rest to prepare for entering the examination room.

However, Wu Liang's room was still brightly lit.

He was working tiredly at his desk, his book in hand, writing furiously. It seemed he was still practicing writing contemporary essays, working very hard.

As the night grew darker, Wu Liang finally finished writing an article.

He walked back and forth in the room with the document on which the ink had not yet dried, reciting it aloud and pondering it. He often returned to his desk to polish and revise it halfway through reading.

Then he would pick up the document again and ponder over it, repeating this cycle over and over again, seemingly tirelessly.

In the bright candlelight in the room, Wu Liang held a scroll in his hand, his eyes sparkling, and his slightly plump face was full of excitement.

In the morning, he overheard the conversation of two passing scholars in the store. He was shocked and hurriedly hired a car to go to Hongxing Southern Goods Store.

When we arrived at the place, we found that the shop was closed and had a seal of the Magistrate's Court on it, with a red seal of the Magistrate's Court on it.

He even went to the Huang residence in Qingliu Lane. He had visited Huang Hongcang for advice, so he naturally knew the route.

When he arrived at the place, he saw that the gate of Huang's residence was closed. He even noticed that there were many burly men wandering around the house.

He didn't need to ask the neighbors nearby to understand that the conversation he heard in the store was not just gossip but solid facts.

He really didn't expect that Huang Hongcang, who he and Zhou Yan had placed high hopes on, would be unable to serve as the chief examiner of the Spring Examination at this critical juncture.

However, he was unable to inform Zhou Yan of this fatal news in time, because Zhou Yan did not show up for the appointment today, and he didn't even know where Zhou Yan lived.

Out of friendship, even if he wanted to pass on the message, he was powerless and had to give up.

Fortunately, there are nearly two days left, and he still has a chance to make up for his loss. For the sake of his own career prospects, he racked his brains, worked hard, and spared no effort.

There is still room for a good night's sleep...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

In the early morning, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, Jia Cong woke up naturally due to the work and rest habits he had formed over the years.

He had just sat up when someone came over and lifted the bed curtains.

Jia Cong saw that Zhishao was already dressed and washed neatly, with a pretty face like a lotus and a bright smile that was dazzling.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Looking at you, it seems that you got up earlier today than usual. Don't get too little sleep."

Zhishao smiled and said, "The Third Master will soon take the imperial examination. I don't know why, but I have been thinking about it these past two days and I have not been able to sleep well.

The Third Master himself didn't care at that time. Seeing him sleeping more soundly than usual, he was really carefree. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have been studying hard these years. Apart from doing official business, I have not dared to slack off for a moment. It is all for today's matter.

I think I have done my best, and my heart has become more clear and confident. When everything comes to an end, I can put my worries aside. "

While helping him put on his robes, Zhishao said with a smile, "What Third Master said makes sense. Although I have never seen other scholars, studying like Third Master must be considered very hardworking.

I have heard that Master Bao from the West Mansion only goes to the clan school every other day, and never touches the books until the Second Master takes an exam. How can a Third Master be so studious? "

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Baoyu's study is just a show to fool people. It's a pity for the master. He has been obsessed with studying all his life, but he doesn't have a son to help him fulfill his wish."

Zhishao pressed Jia Cong down on a stool, and swiftly combed his hair and tied it into a bun, saying, "Now that Third Master has passed the Spring Examination, his studies are over. He won't have to study so hard every night in the future.

We all feel that it is hard for him to live like this, and we hope that Master San can have an easier life in the future."

Jia Cong smiled and took Zhishao's hand, pulled her in front of him, and gently held her slender waist. Zhishao's pretty face blushed slightly, and she was guided by his wrist and sat on his lap unconsciously.

A pair of hands naturally wrapped around Jia Cong's neck.

Among the several personal maids around him, Jia Cong has always been the most intimate with Zhishao, and such intimate actions would always be revealed unconsciously in daily life.

After all, the two of them grew up together and experienced life and death ordeals. This friendship is extraordinary.

Zhishao had long been accustomed to Jia Cong's unconscious intimacy. Back in the Panxiang Temple in Gusu, Jia Cong was devoted to her and cared for her, taking care of everything for her, and even risking his life for her.

Zhishao had long been devoted to him, and even though the past was vague, she still regarded him as the man of her life.

Moreover, there has been a rumor in the mansion recently that Jia Cong will take her and Wu'er into his room after his fifteenth birthday.

Although Zhishao was restricted by her status, even though their marriage was successful, she did not have a phoenix coronet and a bridal bridal robe, nor a red sedan chair.

But she didn't care about these things. She had practiced Buddhism before, which made her understand her mind and nature. What she wanted most was to be together in life and death...

……

Jia Cong smiled and said, "As long as I can pass the exam this time, my path to the imperial examination will be fulfilled. I won't have to waste my energy and effort studying books every day. I don't have the addiction to studying.

But I must never let Master Liu know this, otherwise he will definitely think that I am teaching the wrong person and scold me for not being determined enough to study.

I have told you this, but you are not allowed to tell anyone else, or else it will be too unfair to Master Liu and it will be too much of a sin."

Zhishao found what he said funny and couldn't help but chuckle. Jia Cong felt gentle in his heart and hugged his slender waist tighter.

She said, "After I pass the Spring Examination, I won't be so busy as long as I'm at home. I'll spend more time talking with you, drinking tea and wine, listening to music and drawing pictures. You can do whatever makes you happy.

Once I have some time off, I will accompany you to Muni Temple to visit Master and Sister..."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Zhishao's beautiful eyes sparkled and she smiled and said, "Third Master will definitely pass the imperial examination this time. You won't have to work so hard in the future and will live the life that Third Master said every day."

……

Shenjing, east of the city, Gongyuan.

In the early morning, when the sky was bright, the candlelight in the room on the left side of the first floor of the Imperial Examination Hall was just extinguished.

A middle-aged man in a green robe walked out of the room with a tired look on his face. In his hand, he held a long and narrow wooden box, which was not only sealed with a strip but also sealed with wax.

Three captains of the imperial guards had already been waiting outside the door. One of them lowered his head to take the wooden box from the middle-aged man, while the other two were already carrying the same wooden box on their backs.

These wooden boxes contain the test questions prepared by the three chief examiners of the Spring Examination. They must be sent to the palace at a designated time and reviewed and approved by the current emperor to serve as the test questions for this Spring Examination.

At this time, a man came out from the next room. Although his hair and beard were white, he was in high spirits. He was one of the chief examiners of this spring's examination, the Minister of Personnel Chen Mo.

For middle-aged people, Chen Mo should be considered a junior regardless of his qualifications, age, or his success in the imperial examinations as the top scholar.

He clasped his fists respectfully and said, "Good morning, old man. I am honored to be here.

Chen Mo smiled and said, "Hongyuan was given the task in a critical moment. He must have worked very hard last night. It was hard work."

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and said, "You are too polite, old man. I put a lot of thought into it last night and I finally succeeded."

At this time, the main gate of the Imperial Examination Hall opened wide, and three imperial guards' horses rushed out of the gate and galloped towards the direction of the Great Zhou Palace... (End of this chapter)