Our family has been rebelling for generations, and you've become the top scholar in the imperia

The capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Inside the magnificent palace.

"Who went?"

The Imperial Study.

Emperor Zhou Zhengde sat upright behind his desk, looking down at the memorials before him, and asked a question in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, the Vice Minister of Rites, Ren Qianyuan, personally went to Yunxiang County to deliver the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination!"

Grandpa Miao, who was standing to the side, hurriedly came over, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"snort!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhengde couldn't help but snort coldly, his face immediately darkening.

"Your Majesty, Scholar Qin comes from a poor family. Many of the people who recommend him are farmers from the village, unlike the aristocratic families. They should not agree to Lord Ren's proposal."

Miao Gonggong wiped away his sweat without showing any emotion, while in his heart he cursed Ren Qianyuan's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Damn!

Why did the Emperor personally select Qin Feng as the top scholar? He asked some questions, but Qin Feng's answers were very average, far inferior to those of the other candidates.

However... Qin Feng is the only student from the North to participate in the palace examination this year.

Without exception, all the others were students from the South.

Factional strife was rampant in the court, with the majority of officials coming from the south.

"Hopefully I won't join the Nanlin Party, otherwise..."

Zhou Zhengde narrowed his eyes and murmured something in a deep voice.

The Great Zhou Dynasty appeared to be prosperous and powerful, with a stable court.

But only he himself knew the truth: more than half of the cabinet members were members of the Nanlin Party, and the cabinet would even directly withhold some of the government's reports instead of sending them to the Imperial Study.

They claimed that these were all minor matters and did not require his decision.

Some of his decrees, even when issued personally, might not even leave the cabinet; they would be intercepted directly.

If they flew into a rage, these officials would kneel at the entrance of the imperial palace and threaten to kill themselves.

"Send someone to keep an eye on him. If Qin Feng does indeed join the Nanlin Party after arriving in the capital, find a pretext to get rid of him."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Grandpa Miao's heart skipped a beat.

He naturally understood what the emperor meant.

For the sake of the crown prince, we must find a way to suppress the Nanlin Party.

If it weren't for the fact that the emperor only had one son, the crown prince, and that the crown prince was unruly and incompetent, how could the Nanlin Party have dared to go so far and completely disregard the emperor?

Even now, it's still like this.

When the crown prince ascends the throne, the Zhou family's empire will likely be overthrown.

Stepping out of the imperial study, Eunuch Miao licked his lips, a ruthless glint flashing across his face.

"Scholar Qin, you mustn't make the wrong choice. If you do, we won't be lenient."

……

Yunxiang County.

Daliu Village.

Qin Feng held a thousand taels of silver notes in his hand and gently pushed them in front of Ren Qianyuan.

He said with a smile:

"This banknote is not acceptable to the student; please take it back, sir."

Let's explain why such a high-ranking official as the Vice Minister of Rites would come to deliver the list.

Love awaits you here.

Invitation to join the Nanjing Forestry Party.

But they were really stingy; it took them ages to give me a thousand taels.

Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?

If you lead a group to rob a caravan, the stolen goods will amount to more than a thousand taels of silver.

not to mention.

Qin Feng would never, even if it meant death, join the Nanlin Party.

When he was taking the imperial examination in the capital, he offended the students of the Nanlin Party in order to get a good ranking.

Secretly kidnapping and extorting, setting up honey traps for blackmail, robbing people by drugging them, and bribing inns to give them laxatives.

It's fair to say that he's done everything that would make him a favorite to win the Nanlin Party title this year.

In the end, he couldn't even participate in the provincial examination.

Given this kind of grudge, wouldn't joining the Nanlin Party be suicide?

They are all from prominent families, and their elders are all in the imperial court.

"Qin Zhuangyuan, do you know that the top three scholars will enter the Hanlin Academy? Without entering the Hanlin Academy, one will never have a chance to enter the Grand Secretariat, and one's path to promotion will be cut off from then on."

Looking down at the silver notes on the table, Ren Qianyuan's face darkened.

Even the voices sounded somewhat cold and desolate.

The reason I came here in person is because this year's imperial examination in the capital is very strange.

Some of the promising students they favored either fell ill or were drunk before the imperial examinations.

Or perhaps their clothes were stolen on the way, and they entered the capital wrapped in leaves.

The most outrageous thing was that someone slept with a girl in a brothel without paying her, which led the girl to file a complaint with the Jingzhao Prefecture.

This prevented him from participating in the imperial examination.

Otherwise, why would a student from the north have won the top scholar title?

If Qin Feng can join the Nanlin Party and receive its support, it will surely be able to attract more officials from the north in the future.

The Nanlin Party will have a greater say in the government.

This is a great opportunity that many students can only dream of, and this kid actually doesn't want it?

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Ren. As for joining the Nanlin Party, I really cannot agree to it. I hope you will forgive me!"

"You really won't agree?"

Ren Qianyuan completely lost his patience and slammed his fist on the table.

He came from a poor family, had no connections, and received no financial assistance.

Such people would be very easy to control if they joined the Nanlin Party.

"I regret to inform you that I cannot agree to this."

Qin Feng really wanted to give this guy two electric shocks. Can't he understand human language?

How could he join the Nanlin Party when it had offended so many people?

"I'll give you one more chance. Once you get to the capital, you'll naturally understand what the consequences will be if you don't join the Nanlin Party!"

Ren Qianyuan stood up and coldly uttered a sentence.

He suddenly waved his hand.

"Scholar Qin, set off for the capital as soon as possible, lest you waste time!"

"Walk!"

talking.

Under the astonished gazes of many Yunxiang County officials, Ren Qianyuan stormed out of the village in a fit of rage.

None of them had any idea what was happening in the courtyard.

Weren't you just fine a moment ago?

How can someone change their face so easily?

"Your Excellency, what should we do? Should we posthumously appoint you? Or...?"

"Chase my ass!"

Magistrate Li curled his lip.

He muttered curses at the group.

"Can't you use your brains? I'm not going to the capital. Why should I curry favor with a mere Vice Minister of Rites? The top scholar is from Yunxiang County, so he's one of our own. Can't any of you tell the difference between close and distant relationships?"

"Renovation of Daliu Village will begin tomorrow, using the best materials!"

"Go back immediately and tell them to cancel the banquet!"

Everyone suddenly realized.

That's right!

Qin Feng is from Yunxiang County, what kind of relationship will that be in the future?

When fellow villagers meet, their eyes well up with tears of affection.

In addition, there are so many neighbors in Daliu Village, and the Qin family members who are six or seven years old are still here. They will have to take care of them in the future.

Isn't this relationship stable enough?

As expected of the county magistrate, he thinks far ahead.

Magistrate Li and his entourage bowed to Qin Feng in the courtyard, giving him a knowing look that said, "We support you," before leaving with their men.

Qin Feng stood at the door and waved, watching Magistrate Li and his entourage leave.

Only then did he walk into the courtyard with a gloomy expression.

"Father, Grandpa..."

"Everything was arranged. Men were lying in ambush on the road beforehand. It's not over until this guy has robbed us clean. He really looks down on people. He spent so long to pull out a thousand taels of silver. Is he trying to give money to a beggar?"

Before Qin Feng could speak...

Old Master Qin waved his hand, indicating that he had already made the arrangements.

"By the way, you can't take too many people with you when you go to the capital this time. Niu Wu and Liu Tu will go with you."

"If you encounter danger, Niu Wu is a superb fighter and can help you buy time, while Liu Tu is the fastest runner and can carry you to escape as quickly as possible."

"That's it, pack your things and get going as soon as possible!"

"what?"

Looking to the side, one sees Niu Wu, the expert donkey carrier, and Liu Tu, the champion rabbit chaser.

Qin Feng was completely dumbfounded.