Chapter 175
Everyone in the courtroom was arguing like black corns, and Zhou Yi watched it with great interest.
Perhaps it was too obvious that he was enjoying the show, Emperor Chongzheng gave him a look, Zhou Yi shrank his neck and restrained his expression a little.
But a pair of eyes are shining, obviously it is the mentality that watching the excitement is not a big deal.
Emperor Chongzheng was a little funny, Zhou Yi was capable, so he had to use him, but he also didn't want Zhou Yi to be promoted too quickly, at least for now, Zhou Yi couldn't be the chief examiner... His eyes passed over all the officials in the hall,
seeing Emperor Chongzheng paused for Wen Qu standing aside.
Xu Shi was annoyed by the quarrel, and Emperor Chongzheng coughed: "Okay, I asked you to recommend the chief examiner, not for you to quarrel. This matter has been discussed in the court for several days, and there is no charter. If so, then Let me designate it."
When the officials in the hall heard what Emperor Chongzheng said, they stopped their quarrel and all looked at him eagerly. Naturally, the emperor's appointment of the chief examiner was the right thing to do, but if the appointed person is really not qualified , ministers can also refute.
"Wen Aiqing has great talent and knowledge, and has a good character. He is really the perfect candidate for Enke's chief examiner. Wen Qu, I order you to be the chief examiner of Enke's examination. Is it possible?
" It's about the pie, but Wenqu was hit by a big pie for no reason at the moment. He opened his mouth wide, as if in a dream.
Emperor Chongzheng snorted: "Why, do you feel that you are not competent?"
Wen Qu just woke up like a dream, hurried out of the team and knelt in the main hall, kowtowed with a bang, his words choked up: "Your Majesty, I... "
"Well, that's good. As for the people who accompany the exam, you can make a note and play it yourself. Retire!" It wasn't
until the emperor left that everyone came back to their senses. How could they fight like something? Why did the position of the chief examiner fall to Wen Qu, a transparent person?
They found it weird, but it wasn't that Wen Qu was not qualified to be the chief examiner. He was a bachelor of the Imperial Academy. There is no problem.
But the key point is that now the Imperial Academy has been reduced to a marginal institution, and the people in the Imperial Academy have little influence in the court. Wen Qu, a scholar, is the most insignificant in history.
He has been a bachelor for so many years, and he has never served as the chief examiner of the general examination. He once served as the chief examiner of the capital city and rural examinations, but can the rural examinations and the general examinations be of the same level!
If you pass the township examination, it's just a juren. After the examination, those candidates still have to go back to their respective homes and find their own mothers. Not to mention how many of these candidates can pass the general examination, but even if they can pass, everyone will go to curry favor. The chief examiner of the general examination recognized him as a teacher, who still remembers the chief examiner of the rural examination!
The emperor ordered Wen Qu to be the chief examiner, everyone had no reason to refute, but for this person who has been transparent for many years to be the chief examiner, it was inevitable that he felt a little bit muttered in his heart. . It was probably saying that Wen Qu somehow made Emperor Chongzheng hang such a big piece of pie on his chest suddenly.
"Master Wen, congratulations, congratulations." Zhou Yi said to Wen Qu in a warm voice.
Wen Qu was still in a daze at this moment: "Zhou Yi, tell me, why did the emperor suddenly appoint me as the chief examiner?"
Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Why can't it be you, your qualifications are already enough!"
"That's what I said, but..." Wen Qu glanced at Zhou Yi, and suddenly stopped, he seemed to understand something, it seemed that he was in Zhou Yi's favor.
As the only person in the court who was closely related to Zhou Yi, he who had not been in the eyes of Emperor Chongzheng before, now being led by Zhou Yi like this, naturally gained a sense of presence in Emperor Chongzheng, and he just happened to be qualified enough.
Wen Qu figured this out, and bowed his hands to Zhou Yi, but he didn't say any words of thanks, but he believed that Zhou Yi would understand.
Zhou Yi said with a smile: "This is the result of Mr. Wen's accumulation over the years. With Mr. Wen's knowledge and qualifications, it is perfect to be the chief examiner of the examination!" Consciously or unintentionally, they approached them, expecting to hear something, but after listening carefully, they discovered that the two were discussing where to drink after leaving the Yamen.
Some people were a little speechless, but Wen Qu got the position of chief examiner, so shouldn't this be the topic of discussion now.
This is too peaceful!
Wen Qu was actually trying his best to suppress it. In fact, he was not calm at all. Since he was appointed by the emperor as the chief examiner of the examination, he closed the door to thank guests, burned incense and bathed every day, and prepared for the examination. Be careful.
This day, Liu Ya brought her daughter Wen Wan to the door and talked with Li Yingru, "My father-in-law won the chief examiner of the exam this time, and my mother-in-law casually mentioned it in front of me from time to time. How amazing, let me not make trouble, I am a woman in the inner house, what can happen to me if I don’t go out of the door on weekdays! She is just reminding me that I am just a country girl and I am not worthy of their Wen family. !"
Li Yingru patted the back of Liuya's hand: "As a daughter-in-law, that's naturally the case. If she just teases you with words, then you can just return the compliment. I'm not boasting. Looking around, the court has Few of you are so promising, Fifth Sister, you can straighten your back." It is the examiner who is the gentle examiner this time, not to mention all of them, but at least the emperor is looking at the face of the husband, Otherwise, there were so many civil and military people in the Manchu Dynasty, and they fought so hard, why didn't it be sooner or later, but it happened to fall on Wen Qu's head at this time?
Of course, these are Li Yingru's own guesses based on Zhou Yi's occasional few words in court, and when Li Yingru speculates on this level, she has worries in her heart. It also holds the extremely important firecracker base.
Li Yingru thought that Emperor Chongzheng should be thinking of ways to take back the firecracker base, but because he is now using his husband again, it is not easy to do it too straightforwardly.
It seemed that we had to find some time to discuss this matter with my husband. Li Yingru was lost in thought on this side, and Liu Ya on the other side replied.
Liuya laughed: "Sisters and sisters, you are talking, that's what I did. Since Liulang stopped her from taking a concubine for my husband back last time, I looked away. I have such a promising younger brother. , why bother to be so complacent, as long as it's my fault, I don't intend to hold back, after saying this a few times, my mother-in-law won't mention it!" Liuya smiled brightly.
Li Yingru said: "It should be so. As daughter-in-laws, it is our duty to respect our mother-in-law, but we should not just accommodate our mother-in-law blindly. People push their boundaries, and regard daughter-in-law's patience as cowardice."
"Yah..." Wen Wan was two months older than Baodun'er, and at this time the two fat dun'er were placed on a low couch with some toys on it. Each of them hugged and played well, but Wen Wan somehow fell in love with the lifelike frog that Baodun'er had sewed, and stretched out her hand to snatch it.
Baodun'er is not easy to provoke, he is so young, so naturally he doesn't know what a gentleman is, so he just slapped Wen Wan's outstretched hand a few times.
"Wow wow wow... mother..." Wen Wan is almost one and a half years old, and she can take a word or two, and the first thing she learned was mother.
Seeing Wen Wan crying, Bao Dun'er innocently glanced at Li Yingru, his mouth deflated, and he was about to howl.
"What's the matter?" But before Baodun'er could cry out, Zhou Yi stood at the door and said softly.
"Quack..." When Baoduner saw Zhou Yi, he put away his ready-to-cry posture, smiled with his eyes crooked, and stretched out his hand to Zhou Yi, looking at him like that, if he could run away, he might have thrown himself into Zhou Yi's arms inside.
Seeing Baodun'er like this, Zhou Yi approached quickly, and hugged Baodun'er into his arms. Baodun'er immediately grabbed Zhou Yi's neck, rubbed his face lightly, and then turned to look at him. Gentle, with a hint of complacency in her big eyes.
"Wow wow..." Wen Wan cried louder, "Mother..."
Liuya picked Wen Wan up, and said dumbfoundedly: "Who told you to grab my brother's things? You are the older sister, so you should let the younger brother!"
Zhou Yi sat down with Baodun'er in his arms. It was still very cold, There was a charcoal fire in the room, Zhou Yi came in from the outside, feeling chilly all over, so he handed Baodun'er to Li Yingru, so that he wouldn't be caught in the cold too.
He roasted his hands and asked: "What's the matter, Wanwan is fine, why are you crying?"
Li Yingru nodded Baodun'er: "It's not Baodun'er, he has a temper like a bully, Wanwan wants to take a look at him The toy in his hand, he will take action."
Liuya hurriedly said: "This matter is wrong with Wanwan, she is a bit independent, and I must break it for her in the future." When
children fight, there are two people who still can't listen. For those who understand human language, it doesn't make any sense to talk too much, so Zhou Yi smiled and teased Wanwan.
His rare ability to recruit children seems to have been brought in from the womb. When he was young, even Goro Shichiro was very attached to him, let alone Hachiro later. Later, as long as his nephews and nieces saw him He also had stars in his eyes, now without teasing Wanwan twice, Wanwan laughed through tears.
"Uncle, uncle..."
Zhou Yi was taken aback, and said with a smile, "Wanwan can be called uncle, she's so capable." He touched Wanwan's cheek as he spoke.
It wasn't a big deal at first, but there was Baodun'er next to him. Even in Li Yingru's arms, he kept staring at Zhou Yi. Now seeing Zhou Yi teasing that idiot and not hugging him, he became anxious: "Ah..."
Zhou Yi glanced at him: "Called Dad."
"Ah..."
"Daddy."
"..." Baodun'er stopped talking, and only his lips moved, as if looking for the pronunciation.
Zhou Yi sighed, "Oh, son, what are you going to do? You can't even call daddy at this age." Baodun'er is now one year and five months old if calculated according to his real age.
"Wow!" Bao Dun'er's face was blushing, and he suddenly uttered such a word.
Although it was just such an extremely non-standard and simple word, it sounded like thunder on the ground to Zhou Yi's ears. He looked at Baodun'er in disbelief: "Son, did you call me just now?" Li Yingru was also surprised, "
Yes It’s called, I heard it clearly just now.”
“Scream again.” Zhou Yi laughed loudly, and hugged Baodun’er into his arms, and Baodun’er arrived in Zhou Yi’s arms, and immediately, like an octopus, She hugged him tightly around his neck, and after she hugged him, she turned her head to look at Wen Wan, her eyes half-covered, showing some provocation for no reason.
When Li Yingru saw it, she couldn't laugh or cry, this child couldn't be called out because she saw Wanwan called her husband, so she blushed and wanted to call out.
Zhou Yi asked Baodun'er to call him again, but Baodun'er refused to speak, and just hugged Zhou Yi's neck tightly.
Liuya talked with Zhou Yi for a while, went to the backyard to accompany Wang Yan for a while, and then left Zhou Mansion.
"What's the matter with Fifth Sister?" Zhou Yi asked Li Yingru.
Li Yingru then told Zhou Yi exactly what Liuya said.
Zhou Yi sneered: "After all, Mrs. Wen was underestimated. I didn't expect her to be such an ignorant person."
Li Yingru looked at Zhou Yi, "Sir, does Mr. Wen's being the chief examiner this time have something to do with you?" "
Zhou Yi took a sip of hot tea, "It's a little bit related, but it's not a big deal, Mr. Wen's qualifications are strong enough, otherwise the emperor wouldn't order Mr. Wen." "Then you, is the emperor guarding against you?
" What?" Li Yingru mulled over this question a few times before approaching Zhou Yi and asking softly.
At this time, there were only the two of them in the room together with Baodun'er who didn't understand, so Zhou Yi nodded, "Yes, the emperor really wants to use me, but he is really guarding against me." "
Then ..." Li Yingru was a little worried.
Zhou Yi laughed: "Don't worry, I will deal with these matters. The emperor still intends to be a wise king through the ages. As long as I am still useful, he will not do anything to me."
Just like Zhou Yi believed in Li Yingru, Li Yingru also believed in Zhou Yi. Since Zhou Yi said that there is no need to worry, then Li Yingru will not worry too much.
The spring breeze in February was like scissors, and spring came soon. Wen Xin could take part in the examination this year, but because Wen Qu was the chief examiner, he naturally wanted to avoid suspicion, so Enke couldn't do it this time.
But fortunately, next year's exam will be the regular exam. He only needs to wait a year before he can take the exam again. ,
It’s just that Zhou Yi read his article. Although it is not bad, it is still very difficult to get a good result in the exam where there are many talents. At best, it can only be regarded as the middle and lower level.
It's good for him to polish it for another year now.
On the day of the examination, at four o'clock, the bell from the upstairs of Mingjing faintly rang into the Zhou mansion, and Zhou Yi woke up immediately. He got up and put on his clothes, and leaned against the bed to listen to the faint sound coming from there. Thinking of this time two years ago, he was like this in front of the Gonglou, with a vague future. He didn't expect the current situation to change, but in just two years, so many things happened to him. As for The way forward...
"Sanggong." Li Yingru had already stood beside him at some point.
Zhou Yi put Li Yingru's hand in his and stroked it: "Why are you up?"
"I saw you standing here, so I couldn't fall asleep." There was still snow outside the yard, which reflected into the room, making Li Yingru's face like jade .
"It's okay, I just heard the bell, and I remembered some old things, go to sleep."
The nine-day general examination passed quickly, and the examiners entered the intensive batch of papers.
After Zhou Yi read the answers given by the students of the Commercial Academy, he was relieved for the most part. If there is no accident, there should be quite a few people who have passed the exam at the Commercial Academy.
The facts were as Zhou Yi guessed, even better than he expected, two of the top ten were from the Commercial Academy, and a total of 300 places were admitted, and the Commercial Academy actually occupied more than 20 places. name.
Most of the students who have won the exam followed Zhou Yi's routine.
In the subsequent palace examination, because the business academy focused on practical teaching, it naturally answered more content than other candidates in terms of strategy questions.
Candidates from the Commercial Academy's rankings in the Palace Examination generally advanced to another level in the General Examination.
The College of Commerce became an instant hit.
Because of this incident, more people came to the Commercial Academy to inquire, intending to study in the Commercial Academy in the next year.
But this matter also aroused discussions in the court, wondering whether Wen Qu and Zhou Yi had some ulterior motives, otherwise how could so many people pass the exam in the Commercial Academy.
Zhou Yi immediately blocked the gossiping person in private: "Swearing must be based on the facts. I never knew that an official appointed by the imperial court could gossip even more than the gossip women on the street. Just put such a big hat on Mr. Wen and me, do you have any evidence, if you have evidence, just submit the book, if you don’t have evidence, then shut your mouth, how important the imperial examination is, how can you let you talk about it arbitrarily ? This is related to the stability of the court, you fish in troubled waters, what kind of mind do you have?"
After being robbed by Zhou Yi, the two officials who were discussing in private suddenly turned pale, "Master Zhou, it is our fault, we also listen to others You said it, please forgive me, please forgive me."
Zhou Yi frowned, "Who are you? You are the pillars of the imperial court. You dare to follow rumors on such a major matter based on other people's unsubstantiated claims. It seems that you are tired of your work, if there is another time, I will definitely report it to the imperial court." "
Yes, yes, Master Zhou, the lower officials will never dare again."
Zhou Yi was still thinking on the way back, could it be that this is the case? Whose conspiracy was it to spread such rumors? Could it be that there is another trick?
He knew that Wen Qu was a man, and he definitely couldn't do favoritism. If anyone was really ready to make a move, it was probably because Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Pei Gong.
Zhou Yi was very vigilant at first, and immediately started to investigate the matter, but the result he got was that he couldn't laugh or cry. It turned out that this was the rumor from the fourth prince, and he was beaten by Zhou Yi several times in succession. He hated Zhou Yi. It's funny to say, he didn't have any follow-up measures, he just thought that the students of Dean Zhou Yi's commercial academy did so well in the exam, and planned to find bad luck for Zhou Yi.
He didn't really want to make trouble with the imperial examination, he just wanted to disgust Zhou Yi.
Sitting in the study, Zhou Yi shook his head immediately after reviewing the cause and effect: "I didn't expect that the people in the royal family are so miserable, and there are people who are even stupider than the prince! Alas, the son is not like the father, how can the emperor have such a shame?" I have a headache."
The facts are just as Zhou Yi guessed, Emperor Chongzheng would naturally care about such a big matter as the imperial examination, and as soon as he cared, gossip and gossip entered his ears.
But the courtiers were only discussing in private, and no one had submitted the papers. It seems that there is something tricky. The fourth prince's actions are absurd. After a little investigation, Emperor Chongzheng found out the cause and effect.
"Niezi!" Chongzheng trembled with imperial anger, thinking that although he was slack in government affairs, but in terms of cleverness, this would pull all the emperors together, and he felt that there were not many people who could surpass him.
Dragons give birth to dragons, but what kind of thing did he give birth to? This is not a dragon. It is clearly not as good as a worm. It is so stupid that there is no cure.
The eunuch stood aside and buried his head almost in his chest.
Emperor Chongzheng was furious, the eunuch thought that Emperor Chongzheng would call the fourth prince to reprimand him, but who would have thought that Emperor Chongzheng would restrain himself.
The eunuch thought for a while, and then he understood that the emperor was completely excluded by the fourth prince, and the fourth prince was useless, so the emperor no longer paid attention to him.
The poor fourth prince thought he had brought Zhou Yi a bad luck, and happily ate two more bowls of rice in the mansion, but he didn't know that in Chongzhengli, he had long been regarded as nothing.
About 30% of the students who passed the examination of the Commercial Academy entered the Commercial Department. Although the others were scattered in other places, without exception, they all visited Zhou Yi in private. For rookies like them who have just entered the officialdom, it is a big tree that can naturally provide shade. Secondly, the ideas instilled in these students by the Commercial Academy have had an effect. Quan Dai Viet, the students of the Commercial Academy can be said to be at the forefront of thinking Now that Zhou Yi is their spiritual leader, they will naturally follow Zhou Yi's example.
Zhou Yi spent so much energy in running the business academy in order to cultivate allies and successors, and he naturally made careful arrangements for these people.
After the positions of these candidates were arranged, it was already the end of March, and spring had really come.
On this day when the fragrance of flowers was full, a young man knocked on the gate of the Zhou Mansion.
"Master Sun Zhu!" Zhou Yi looked at the man in front of him in surprise.
"Zhou Yi, long time no see." Master Sun Zhu smiled brightly.
Zhou Yi hurriedly welcomed Master Sun Zhu in, "Are you participating in this year's Enke, why didn't you come to me at the beginning?" But Master Sun Zhu was not among those who passed the exam this time. Could it be that Master Sun Zhu failed the exam?
Master Sun Zhu shook his head: "I didn't participate in this year's Enke. I came to the capital ahead of time to prepare to participate in next year's Enke."
Zhou Yi was relieved when he heard this. You get what you give.
"Then you have found a place to stay? If you don't mind, you can live in my house. You have seen my house. The population is not large. There are plenty of houses in this house." Zhou Yi sincerely invited.
Master Sun Zhu shook his head, "Don't worry about it, my family is doing well now, and the house has been rented. This visit is just to see an old friend. Of course, if you still treat me as your old friend, After all, I was jealous of you before."
Zhou Yi smiled cheerfully: "Why did you say that? Of course, I have always regarded you as a friend." Zhou Yi didn't say anything about keeping Master Sun Zhu. .
Master Sun Zhu curled his lips slightly. Zhou Yi was his childhood friend. Although there were things he couldn't imagine when he was young, Zhou Yi was always his goal. It is already very satisfying.