[BL MTL] After being dressed as cannon fodder, he fought with the villain.

211-220

Chapter 211 Study Tour

A month later, Gu Zhao started his study tour. In addition to Song Ze, he was accompanied by Ye Xiuming.

Shi Dingshan and Mao Jiangtao specifically put aside what they were doing and handed it over to others, following Gu Zhao to protect his safety. In addition to the entourage led by Song Ze and Ye Xiuming, the number of people in the group was not small.

In addition to walking around to see the customs and customs of various places, they also wanted to visit academies in various places and, if possible, enter them to exchange and study for a period of time.

Song Cheng had long ago given Gu Zhao a letter of recommendation from the academy, recommending him to study in the academy. This letter had never worked, so he sent it this time. In addition, Ye Xiuming's grandfather also had some connections, so he was able to leave this time. It shouldn't be a problem to attend two or three academies.

Although Li and the old lady were reluctant to leave, they had no choice but to let them go and send them away from Qingling Mansion with Song's mother. Fortunately, Li now had a ready-made clothing shop and an embroidery class to keep busy. Otherwise, she would not have known what to do if her son left. How to adapt.

Beijing.

Gu Mu now no longer lives in the palace, but in his Viscount Mansion. Yes, now he has been promoted from Baron Pingnan to Viscount Pingnan. This speed of promotion makes the powerful people in the capital extremely envious. No, but what can be done? The emperor is interested in his identity and wants to use his identity to cause trouble. Can they still stop him?

It turns out that Princess Yongfu went on a patrol for heaven, but officials from all over the capital and from all over the country didn't take it seriously. They thought that Princess Yongfu was just going through the motions. She might have just visited a few prosperous and prosperous places and then went back to Beijing. Unexpectedly, Princess Yongfu It took more than half a year to come back after leaving, and she was on errands seriously. She rarely went to those rich and prosperous places, and only went to poor rural areas, especially those places that could not be reached by government orders. Princess Yongfu and her party led the imperial court He passed on the instructions and personally persuaded local people to vaccinate against cowpox.

Some places are relatively closed-off, and the people in some places do not believe the government propaganda. Of course, there are also some places where the government does not have many people who are actually doing things. They deceive the superiors and the inferiors, and tell the superiors that they have been vaccinated, but in fact there is no good publicity arrangement at all. For vaccination, they also squandered the special expenses allocated by the imperial court.

Princess Yongfu led people to investigate and punish officials in several places and punished a group of people. The vigorous and resolute actions not only shocked the local officials, but also shocked the officials who followed her. After that, Princess Yongfu's words were increasingly enforced. The higher she gets, the more her status in people's minds changes.

During this period, Princess Yongfu also encountered a village where smallpox broke out because the cowpox was not vaccinated in time. The local officials also wanted to conceal the news and prevent the leakage of the news by sealing off the village and letting the villagers fend for themselves. When the princess arrived, they not only deceived the villagers, but also deceived the villagers. There was also a hint of disdain for the princess in her attitude. Before the princess could do anything, the people around her took a breath.

But Princess Yongfu finally found out about the smallpox outbreak, and immediately led people to settle in the smallpox village, scaring the local officials half to death. If the princess contracted smallpox here, they would all die badly. Now she wanted to hide it The news can no longer be kept secret. The princess will send letters to Jingli wherever she goes.

But the princess and her entourage not only did not contract smallpox, they also personally took care of those smallpox patients, vaccinated those who were not infected with cowpox in time, and accompanied the blocked village to tide over the difficulties. When the last smallpox patient recovered, the local officials could no longer blockade the village. , seeing the princess and her party walking out intact, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Princess Yongfu also used this opportunity to publicize to all local people that vaccination with cowpox can prevent smallpox. Such personal statement convinced the local people that they strongly requested vaccination with cowpox.

But even if she left for more than half a year, Princess Yongfu could not visit the entire Zhou Dynasty. After returning to the capital, she could only compile her experiences along the way and write them into the imperial palace newspaper, hoping that officials from various places could learn from them and add more information. Vaccine vaccination was vigorously promoted.

After Princess Yongfu returned to the capital, although she was darker and thinner, her eyes were brighter than before.

The emperor did not expect that his daughter would be able to do this to such an extent. His eyes were shining and he touched his daughter's head distressedly. How could his father, the emperor, do what little things his daughter did under his nose? I couldn't see it at all, and I was shocked at first. Now I see my daughter's ability and resilience. I feel happy, surprised, and at the same time pity, because this road is not easy and is destined to be ten times more difficult than others.

"Xier, have you decided?"

"Father, let your daughter give it a try. My daughter is confident that she can defeat other opponents and get to that position based on her own abilities." "

Okay, then father will treat you very harshly. "." The emperor also wanted to try and ask him to hand over the throne to his nephews. Do you think he was really willing? Only his biological daughter has his blood flowing through her body, and he hopes that the throne will be passed down to his descendants.

The princess rested for a while after returning to the capital. After all, she had been tired all the way. During this time, she did not appear in front of the ministers again. Everyone gradually put aside the princess's affairs, thinking that all the things the princess did were done by her people. The princess was just giving out advice, and at most she could endure some hardships. What else could she do? Didn't she notice that the new scholars and powerful children who followed her on the trip were all promoted after they came back and were arranged to go to the Sixth Ministry for training. .

But one day, when the cabinet ministers were discussing matters with the emperor after leaving the court, the resting princess appeared beside the emperor, supporting her chin with one hand and listening to their discussion. The ministers always felt that it was not good for the princess to stay in such an occasion, but Your Majesty There was no intention of letting the princess avoid it, so what could they do?

Gradually, the princess not only listened to the government, but also interjected, which was an arbitrary comment on the government. It was completely different from the nature of just observing the government before. A pedantic cabinet minister objected on the spot, but Princess Yongfu was sharp-tongued. Identifying with the minister, is this minister treating people but not things, or is he treating things but not people?

Others thought that the emperor would stop her, or protect the princess. Unexpectedly, the emperor just listened with a smile, and had no intention of helping Princess Yongfu even if she fell into a disadvantage. This made everyone unable to guess the emperor's thoughts.

Not only that, even the fourteen-year-old Viscount Pingnan appeared in the court, making everyone realize how much His Majesty loves Gu Mu. They can't wait to give him a title and let him be promoted quickly. Go up.

Fortunately, the emperor also allowed Yan Xiangqi, Yan Xiangjin and Yan Xiangxiao to enter the court at this time. Many ministers' attention was distracted. When these three people entered the court, it was obvious that His Majesty wanted to choose from among them. If the best person is selected to inherit the throne, then the matters involving Gu Mu and the princess will not be so important.

As for Yan Xiangmian? Because of Yu Wenshao's relationship and his temperament revealed in the Yongning Marquis Mansion, the emperor kicked him out of the list of successors. Although the emperor was reluctant to hand over the throne to these nephews, it did not mean that he did not want to choose. He must choose the most suitable successor. This person can be his daughter or one of his nephews, but it needs to have the ability that he recognizes. The Great Zhou Dynasty cannot be defeated by the successor he selects.

The emperor had indeed taken a fancy to Yan Xiangmian earlier, but unfortunately he was greatly disappointed in the end.

No one cares about what Yan Xiangmian thinks.

Gu Mu collapsed on the chair in the study room, looked at Yan Xiangxi opposite and said angrily: "What are you doing here again? I have nothing to entertain you here."

Yan Xiangxi said critically: "Look at you, are you sitting down? Sitting, how are you doing? I have been looking at you all day long. I am kind enough to come and see you." Gu Mu

sneered: "I am very good, you should hurry up and choose your consort. Right."

Yan Xiangxi walked around Gu Mu's study several times with his hands behind his back: "Don't worry, this princess will choose a good consort, and having a consort will not affect your status in the eyes of this palace."

Gu Muzuo It was like vomiting, making outsiders doubt the relationship between the two after hearing these words, and it was too shameless for a girl to talk about picking up men so carelessly.

"Master, Master, the letter from Gu Zijue is here."

Upon hearing the three words "Gu Zijue", Gu Mu instantly changed from a weak state to a lively one. He jumped up from his chair and ran out of the door in three bounds: "Where is the letter? Give it to me quickly."

"Master, it's right here..." The servant held up the letter in his hand, and a gust of wind blew by. The master had already snatched it. He couldn't wait to open the letter, and opened it as he went. Walk in the study.

Seeing that Yan Xiangxi was still there, Gu Mu shooed them away like flies: "Why are you still here? I don't have time to entertain you. You can leave, and don't affect my reading of the letter."

Yan Xiangxi kept getting dirty, this bastard He always had the ability to make people so angry that he wanted to beat him up, but considering the comparison of the two's strength, Yan Xiangxi had to give up her plan again. She couldn't beat this little bastard since she was a child.

"It's Gu Zhao's letter again. He's not on a study tour, so he still has time to write to you? Where is the study tour now?"

We've obviously been separated for such a long time, but it's weird that this kid is so affectionate and keeps writing to you. Gu Zhao is the most important person in his heart. He has been listless during this period, probably because Gu Zhao has not believed in him for a while.

If the two of them were not of the same gender, Yan Xiangxi would have suspected that one of them was a vixen, the kind who specializes in seducing people, making them fascinated and fascinated.

Gu Mu not only read the letter, but also pulled out the map in the study and circled the places mentioned in Gu Zhaoxin's letter against the map. Yan Xiangxi couldn't help but take a closer look. Oh, there are several places circled on the map. Needless to say, these are all places Gu Zhao visited during his study tour.

Gu Mu put down his pen and looked at it carefully for a while. After a while, he put down his pen and found that there was another person beside

him. He was surprised and asked: "Why haven't you left yet?" Yan Xiangxi couldn't help but want to slap him on the head, but unfortunately this kid has been there this year. He was running so fast that she had to stand on tiptoes to hit him on the head.

Chapter 212 Wensi Academy

Gu Zhao is also worried about Gu Mu who is in the capital, but he is not too worried about him. As long as the power of the Southwest King is still there, His Majesty will reuse Gu Mu and will not let him be bullied in the capital. Of course, he will protect his shortcomings. Gu Zhao He also knew that Gu Mu was not someone who would be bullied.

After going back and forth, the three of them all gained a lot. In the end, the three of them were admitted to the prestigious Wensi Academy in Jiangnan based on their true abilities. They entered the academy to study for half a year. After half a year, they could rush back to take the provincial examination without delay. their time.

Wensi Academy was famous throughout the Zhou Dynasty, and was no worse than the Imperial Academy and other well-known academies in the capital. Since the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, Wensi Academy had produced one number one scholar, one Chuanlu, and five Jinshi. As for scholars, None of them were included in the list, thus attracting students from all over the world to seek refuge.

The literary style in Jiangnan is at its peak, and there are many talented people in the academy. Perhaps the name of a talented person is the least valuable here. Although the three of them passed the exam based on their own ability, they were not eye-catching when they first entered. You must know that they have no one in the local area. Reputation, who would take them seriously.

Gu Zhao should be the most famous among the three, but unfortunately he did not show his identity as a viscount at all. Instead, he relied on the official study tour recommendation letter issued by the Qingling Mansion School. Not to mention the students in the college, even the concubines saw Gu Zhao. He didn't think much about the name Zhao. There were too many people with the same name in the world. Jiangnan was not close to the capital. None of them had ever seen Gu Zhao in person.

Besides, since the end of the lawsuit with the Yongning Marquis, there has been almost no news about Gu Zhao, and everyone has gradually forgotten about this person. Although they heard that Gu Zhao is a scholar, it is hard to pass the examination. It would take at least five or six years for someone to be promoted to a scholar, which is still fast.

However, there was no surprise. Among the three, Song Ze was the first to stand out. In the first monthly exam, he left many students behind and ranked fifth. Only then did people realize that this student who had just entered the academy was quick in thinking and literary. Ruyong should not be underestimated. Although Gu Zhao and Ye Xiuming's rankings are not as high as Song Ze's, they are still in the middle and upper reaches. This trio has become a blockbuster.

Gu Zhao and Ye Xiuming were not surprised by Song Ze's results. When they exchanged and studied in other colleges, Song Ze always stood out quickly. They had long been accustomed to it. When they first went to the government school, Ye Xiuming could not compete with Song Ze. He thought of admitting defeat, but in the end he was resigned to losing and admired Song Ze endlessly.

This result brought the trio into the sight of the dean and other disciples. A vice-dean specially investigated their student status and said: "Qingling Mansion, the three of them are all from Qingling Mansion. He studied in the government and traveled all the way to our College of Liberal Arts. One of them is named Gu Zhao. Do you think he and the Gu Zijue are the same person?" "How can you

have any doubts?"

"The same name and the same surname is too much of a coincidence."

At this time, the dean himself walked in and said: "It is Gu Zijue himself, who is of similar age. It is impossible for Qingling Mansion School to have another scholar named Gu Zhao. This is the only one. It seems that this person has some He is so capable, no wonder he caught His Majesty's eye. However, since he did not reveal his identity, we just pretend that we don't know. The three of them are really serious about studying. We have to give them this opportunity, not to mention special care, but also to Treat everyone equally." "

Yes, we listen to the dean." Everyone responded respectfully.

Jiangnan is a prosperous place, and the three of them are not entirely focused on reading books. Sometimes they are invited to attend some cultural gatherings and other gatherings. The three of them go out to open their eyes. Gu Zhao is also interested in comparing with later generations. .

The three of them followed the crowd and took folding fans in their hands, walking on the street and looking around. Gu Zhao said with emotion: "Jiangnan is indeed rich, but our Qingling mansion is also developing very fast." Ye Xiuming smiled and said: "

Coming from Qing Everything from Ling Mansion is sold here, which shows how many businessmen visit Qing Ling Mansion. Qing Ling Mansion is naturally becoming more and more lively." Looking at

the carriages walking on the street, many of them are equipped with black tires. It can be seen that this business has reached Jiangnan. Speaking of this, Ye Xiuming also admires Gu Zhao. It can be said that he alone has driven the development of the entire Qingling Mansion.

"The restaurant is here, let's go in and have a nice meal." Gu Zhao pointed to the restaurant on the roadside and walked forward first.

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming laughed and shook their heads, eating the rich? The biggest household among the three of them is Gu Zhao.

However, today’s guest is Qiao Huan, the son of a wealthy businessman from Jiangnan. Although he focuses most of his energy on studying, he is not indifferent to what is happening outside the window. Therefore, he knows how wealthy the Qiao family in Jiangnan is. Although Gu Zhao has also earned a lot of money in recent years. After earning some money, he considered himself a rich man, but in front of people like the Qiao family and other wealthy Jiang merchants, he was simply not enough.

Qiao Huan was able to enter Wensi Academy entirely with money. After all, the cost of running an academy is not small. For students from poor families, in order to encourage them to study, the academy will waive various fees. Where does this money come from? Of course it is It depends on these wealthy businessmen.

After the three of them entered the restaurant, they found that many people had come. When they saw the three of them arriving, Qiao Huan walked out of the crowd and reached out to hug Gu Zhao, but Gu Zhao held it back with a fan. This shows that the fan is not just a thing. Planting decorations can sometimes be of great use: "Master Qiao, if you have something to say, just say it, but don't touch it."

He had to pay attention to this aspect. He didn't care about it before, but when he got here, he found that the man There are a lot of things with men, even in the academy. Some people regard this as a matter of elegance. Gu Zhao doesn't think this is a good trend, and he firmly resists it.

How did the friendship between Gu Zhao and Qiao Huan come about? Or is it because of their beauty? Gu Zhao's appearance is not bad. He is not the best in reading talent among the three people, but he is definitely the first in terms of appearance. In the entire Wensi Academy, he was quite outstanding, so as soon as he came to Wensi Academy, he was noticed by Qiao Huan, the young master of the Qiao family. He once followed Gu Zhao to try to get his ideas, but Gu Zhao was called ruthless. Beaten up.

Gu Zhao has been taking horseback riding and archery lessons, and he is among the best in the government school. In addition, he has been exercising in the past few years, and he also practices boxing and kicking with the two eldest brothers Shi Mao. Not to mention this one is spoiled. Qiao Huan, even if he came two or three, he was no match for Gu Zhao, so he beat Qiao Huan until he cried for mercy and admitted his mistake.

The scene of beating Qiao Huan was seen by many people. Everyone thought that Gu Zhao, a foreigner who had just arrived, was going to be in bad luck. How could he beat Qiao Huan without being retaliated by him? Gu Zhao didn't take it seriously anyway, so he did whatever he had to do. As a result, this guy stuck to him like a candy bar, and he couldn't drive him away. Of course, he never dared to take advantage of Gu Zhao again.

In fact, Qiao Huan was also very particular about mutual consent. Since Gu Zhao was not happy with it at the beginning, he never thought about it again. However, Gu Zhao's explosive temper was quite to his liking. He looked like a weak scholar, but he didn't expect that he was so skilled. so good.

"Isn't it okay for me to be close to my younger brother? Okay, I admit defeat. Come and sit down quickly. I'm just waiting for the three of you." Qiao Huan pulled Gu Zhao to sit down and called Song Ze and Ye Xiuming who were also coming. Song Ze was the first Their high scores in the exam the next month made many people look at them with admiration, and they no longer looked down upon them as they did when they first entered the academy.

After all, everyone studied together in the academy. Although family background is also important in a place like the academy, the most important thing is academic performance. Most people are eager to get good grades in the exam and win the Jinshi in the future.

Jiangnan is a prosperous place, and the consumption in many places is high. For example, the banquet where Qiao Huan invited people to dinner has exquisite dishes and exquisite ingredients. Just a fish lip dish costs dozens of taels of silver, plus The total amount of wine money was several hundred taels, and Qiao Huan took it out without blinking. Even Gu Zhao, who was not short of money these days, was also sweating. When it comes to pleasure, the wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan know better. Maybe some powerful people in the capital want it. Not comparable.

"I heard that the Buddha Jumping Over the Wall in Qingling Mansion is very delicious, and the vegetarian food is also very good. Brother Gu, you must be familiar with it. How does it compare with our local cuisine?" someone asked.

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I was lucky enough to eat the canned Buddha Jumping Over the Wall once. It was indeed delicious. I believe the freshly baked Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is even more delicious. However, people who have been to that place said that the boiled cabbage served in that restaurant is even more unique. Unfortunately, the local chef If you want to imitate it, you will never be able to capture the essence."

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming laughed without saying a word. Of course they had eaten it, and both dishes were related to Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao smiled and said: "Of course I am familiar with it. Compared with local cuisine, of course each has its own merits. If you have the opportunity to visit Qingling Mansion, I, Gu Zhao, will definitely be the host and treat you to a restaurant for a feast. "

Okay, Gu Zhao, you are so cool."

Qiao Huan said excitedly: "Gu Zhao, it's settled. I will definitely go to Qing Ling Mansion next time. The place has changed a lot in recent years. I have long wanted to go there." Let's go and see it."

"No problem."

"Let's go, let's go, we're going out."

Everyone went downstairs and walked out of the restaurant in twos and threes. Qiao Huan was at the end. He and Gu Zhao were walking and talking, introducing interesting places in Jiangnan. Place, take Gu Zhao out to broaden his horizons during the next break. There are many interesting places in Jiangnan. At this time, there were guests coming down the stairs on the other side, and they happened to see Qiao Huan.

"Cousin, are you eating in this restaurant too?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Qiao Huan looked up and saw that it was his cousin. He said casually: "It turns out that my cousin is here too. My cousin is here with a friend. Do you want to drink?"

"Yes, this is Mr. Ding who just came to our Jiangnan. My cousin is here to have dinner with Mr. Ding. Cousin, please stop hanging around with friends like yours. Since you have entered Wensi Academy, you should concentrate on your thoughts. Don't live up to the expectations of your aunt and uncle in your studies."

Qiao Huan showed an impatient look: "Okay, cousin, just entertain your friends, I will go back to the academy."

He never He loved this cousin and always had a preaching tone towards him, but he knew very well that the young master from the prefect's family looked down upon his merchant cousin at all, seeing that he was even lagging behind in walking. Mr. Ding took only half a step, and Qiao Huan knew at a glance that the friend his cousin was hosting was an extraordinary person, but what did it have to do with him.

After Qiao Huan finished speaking, he waved his hand, pulled Gu Zhao's sleeve and walked straight out.

Gu Zhao noticed that Mr. Ding had paid more attention to him. He glanced back and caught the gaze of Ding. Gu Zhao looked back unintentionally and thought to himself, looking at this man's eyes, could he recognize him? After going to the capital twice, he couldn't guarantee that no one would recognize his face. Maybe this person was from the capital.

Qiao Huan's cousin felt annoyed when he saw his cousin being so disrespectful. He explained to Mr. Ding next to him: "My cousin has always been idle, and his friends around him are also some bad friends." "Foolish friends? Really?

" Mr. Ding With a smile on his lips, he never expected to meet the famous Gu Zijue in Jiangnan. Of course, he had never met Gu Zhao in person, but he had met Yu Wenshao, who looked so similar to Yu Wenshao. There was no one else except Gu Zijue himself.

Chapter 213 Mr. Ding

After meeting his cousin, Qiao Huan's interest dropped a lot, so instead of looking for another place to play, he went back to the academy with Gu Zhao and the others.

As for Shi Dingshan and others who came with Gu Zhao and others, they all stayed outside and could not enter the academy, so they rented another house and helped Gu Ru and others run errands, such as delivering letters and buying some daily necessities to send to the academy.

Qiao Huan didn't mention his cousin, but Gu Zhao and the others had heard about Qiao Huan's cousin's identity. He was the prefect of the city. The prefect's wife and Qiao Huan's mother were sisters, but the former was the legitimate daughter. , the latter was a concubine, Gu Zhao thought that this was the so-called collusion between officials and businessmen through marriage, but it was obvious that the status of businessmen was inferior, and his cousin looked down upon his cousin's family.

After returning to the academy and immersing himself in studying again, Gu Zhao had already forgotten about Mr. Ding that he met that day.

A few days later, Qiao Huan found Gu Zhao and told him the identity of Mr. Ding in a mysterious tone: "No wonder my cousin who is good at pretending is respectful. Mr. Ding turned out to be a real person." He is the young master of the Minister of Rites in the capital. I went out with some friends the day before yesterday and ran into Mr. Ding. He even said something to me and asked me about you, Gu Zhao. But don’t worry, I didn't say much."

Although Qiao Huan is usually a bit careless and spends money lavishly, he actually has a very clear understanding of his identity. Many serious students in this academy look down on such a loser. The sons of merchants who brought in money despised them because they smelled like copper, and his cousin's dislike and disdain for him was even more obvious. Therefore, a man named Ding, a son of an official from the capital, suddenly showed closeness to him. In addition to being flattered, Qiao Huan was Besides, I also got goosebumps all over my body.

There is a saying that showing courtesy for nothing is either a traitor or a thief. Qiao Huan would not think that someone named Ding would get close to him for no reason, so Qiao Huan was very wary. There were people around Qiao Huan, but the alarm bells in Qiao Huan's heart immediately rang loudly. On the surface, he remained calm and picked up some unimportant words.

Of course, Qiao Huan himself did not know the specific situation of Gu Zhao. He only knew that he and Song Ze and Ye Xiuming were both from Qingling Mansion. He knew nothing about their family backgrounds. Therefore, after returning to the academy, Qiao Huan wanted to After thinking about it, he ran over to warn Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao was surprised and said: "It turns out that he is the young master from the house of Ding Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites. His background is really extraordinary, but how could this young master Ding come to the south of the Yangtze River?"

Qiao Huan shook his head: "Who knows, but this guy named Ding I came here and met a lot of people, of course they are all from the younger generation, such as my cousin."

Gu Zhao had several thoughts in his mind. Nowadays, the competition for imperial power in the capital has become more and more fierce. Originally, Shen What was under the water, but because the three clan disciples of Xiangzi's generation entered the court, the fight came to the surface and turned from dark to bright.

At this time, did Ding Shangshu's son come to Jiangnan just for fun? This is not necessarily the case. When he first arrived, he met the prefect’s son, Qiao Huan’s cousin, and he did not hesitate to lower his status to get close to people of the younger generation like Qiao Huan. This was obviously a way to win over people. Could it be that this dynasty The fight in the hall has spread to Jiangnan? Which person is this person named Ding and Ding Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites standing behind?

Jiangnan asked for the title of the imperial money bag. The three Xiangs probably wanted to keep this money bag for their own use.

Gu Zhao shook his head and said: "No matter, Brother Song Zeye and I can't stay here for long. In a few months we will have to go back to Qingling Mansion. Regardless of whether it is Mr. Ding or Mr. Mao, it has nothing to do with us."

Qiao Huan patted Gu Zhao on the shoulder with admiration. Although he was only half-skilled at reading and had not even been able to pass the examination to become a scholar, he still admired people who knew how to read, especially those who were not pedantic like Gu Zhao: " You study hard, you and Brother Song must pass today's provincial examination. If you pass, I, Qiao Huan, will have bragging rights when I go out, and my good brother will also be promoted." Gu Zhao became happy after hearing this

.

Let's just say this, but who wants to wait until the next time to take a break? Qiao Huan sent a message to Gu Zhao with a sad face, and there was a look of surprise in his eyes. When he came to Gu Zhao, he didn't even think about it. Not as casual as before, but a little more reserved.

Gu Zhaoqi asked: "Master Qiao, what's wrong with you?"

Qiao Huan rubbed his face and asked: "Gu Zhao, are you really the same person as that Gu Zijue?"

Gu Zhao quickly realized what was going on: "Is it possible? Was it the person named Ding who said that?"

It seemed that it was true. Qiao Huan handed the post forward and said, "Here, this is the post from Mr. Ding to Viscount Gu, asking him to go have a drink."

Gu Zhao smacked his lips and said, "It's really troublesome." He then looked at Qiao Huan strangely, "I am Gu Zijue, and I am Gu Zhao. Is it any different from before?"

Qiao Huan said happily: "There were still people in the past. He mentioned it to me, saying that Gu Zhao, you and Gu Zijue have the same name, could they be the same person, and asked me to reject it. Gu Zijue is already a lord, so it is necessary to travel so far away. Are you studying hard? It turns out that I am blind and you are really a lord."

Gu Zhao slapped him: "Okay, don't do this. If I don't pass the Jinshi examination, I, the viscount, will The title is not worth much, and it is not as comfortable as you, the young master of the Qiao family. You have family and relatives to protect you, but I have to rely on myself."

Seeing that Gu Zhao still had the same attitude and tone as before, Qiao Huan felt a little more at ease. The curiosity in his heart emerged again, and he approached Gu Zhao and asked in a low voice: "But you gave up on the Marquis Mansion at the beginning. When this news came to us in Jiangnan, do you know how many people felt pity for you." Gu

Zhao With a half-smile but not a smile, he said: "It's a pity for you too?"

Qiao Huan said the same thing. He had the opportunity to inherit the Marquis Mansion. It would be a pity to give up. He would definitely not miss it if he inherited it. In the Hou Mansion, you can sit back and relax, and you don't have to be urged to make progress.

But not long after that, the Marquis was demoted to Viscount, and his friends changed their tone again, saying that Gu Zhao had foresight and no longer felt it was a pity. He was also shocked at the time. Who would have thought that such a superior person would The Marquis Mansion was turned into a Viscount Mansion in the blink of an eye. I felt a chill in my neck. It was not easy to be a powerful person in the capital. Who knew that one day I would lose my head.

"No way, I knew that Gu Zijue was very shrewd. As expected, the Marquis couldn't do it before long and became a Viscount. Gu Zhao, your old Viscount status dropped to the same level as you. What are you thinking? "

Gu Zhao looked at Qiao Huan's gloating expression in silence and said, "What can I think? His surname is Yu and my surname is Gu. They are just insignificant people."

Qiao Huan gave a thumbs up in admiration. It turned out to be I really don’t want to recognize this biological father, so it doesn’t matter whether he is a Marquis or a Viscount: “I know that Gu Zhao, you are definitely not the kind of person they say you are.”

Gu Zhao was curious: “What kind of person do outsiders say I am? ?"

"Hey, they all thought you knew something in advance, so they ignored the good Marquis father. He didn't want the title of Marquis, and he didn't want to cause trouble."

Gu Zhao touched his chin: "Actually, you may not have such an intention. "

"I don't believe it. But do you want to go to this invitation? If not, I will reply to you?" Qiao Huan pointed to the post in Gu Zhao's hand.

Gu Zhao sighed, he really didn't want to go, but it was a pity that this was the young master of the Minister of Etiquette. If he really came back, Ding and his minister would not know how to put on his shoes.

Qiao Huan added: "Actually, it doesn't matter if you go back. I heard that you have a very good relationship with Viscount Pingnan in the capital. Although Viscount Pingnan is also a viscount, he is like this in front of the Holy Emperor."

Qiao Huan gave a thumbs up. This person was the most favored person in front of the Holy Emperor, so Mr. Ding was a giant to them, but Gu Zhao didn't necessarily want to give him face: "And the place for drinking is on a flower boat. Gu Zhao, don’t you like to go to places like this?”

Gu Zhao hadn’t read the address on the post yet, so he opened it and saw that it was indeed yes. He thought about it and said, “Okay, please refuse it for me, no. I'd better not embarrass you. I'll write a letter and you can help me deliver it to Mr. Ding."

"Okay, no problem, I'll take care of it." Qiao Huan said positively.

When my cousin met Mr. Ding, his tail was raised to the sky, and he ran to his parents to lecture him. Qiao Huan was very annoyed, but now he is not bad, he knew a famous person in front of the emperor, even if he is not counted now The big celebrity in front of the emperor is also an acquaintance of the big celebrity, so it is very honorable to go out.

Qiao Huan took the reply written by Gu Zhao and left in a hurry, happily working for Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao turned around and told Song Ze and Ye Xiuming about this matter. Both of them sympathized with Gu Zhao. Not long after they came here, Gu Zhao's identity was revealed. He was still the son of Ding Shangshu's family. It's a troublesome thing, but fortunately Gu Zhao is not without confidence.

Yes, although Gu Zhao felt that it was troublesome to dodge Master Ding's invitation, he was not very worried. Even if Ding Shangshu had objections to him, it would not matter if he fell in love with Ding Shangshu and the person behind Ding Shangshu. He is not afraid of falling out in the end. He is not afraid of wearing small shoes. He also has backers, including Gu Mu, Viscount Pingnan, and Princess Yan Xiangxi, Princess Yongfu.

Speaking of which, the two backers behind him were even more powerful, because Gu Mu and the princess had much more weight in front of the emperor than the three Xiangzi seniors.

Mr. Ding was surprised when he received the reply from Gu Zhao: "You actually rejected my invitation? This Gu Zijue is so arrogant."

Qiao Huan's cousin Wan Maosheng followed Mr. Ding and was puzzled when he heard this: "Gu Zijue? That Gu Zijue who was awarded the title for cowpox vaccination? Is he in Jiangnan?"

Mr. Ding glanced at him and said: "It was when you met your cousin that day, the person next to your cousin, Now he is studying at Wensi Academy in Jiangnan."

Wan Maosheng was even more shocked. He didn't expect that his idiot cousin would actually have a relationship with Gu Zijue. He felt weird in his heart and at the same time felt that he had an opportunity to contribute: "Why don't I do it? I advise my cousin to bring that Viscount Gu to Mr. Ding's treat. This Viscount Gu is too disrespectful to Mr. Ding. Maybe my cousin didn't make it clear."

Chapter 214 Identity exposed

Gu Zhao thought that as long as he did not leave the academy, he would be able to live in peace. Unexpectedly, someone came to the academy and made his identity public. Now everyone in the academy knew that Gu Zhao was the Gu who was awarded the title due to cowpox vaccination. Viscount.

Gu Zhao also didn't expect that Qiao Huan's cousin, who seemed to be smarter than Qiao Huan, would salute him in front of others, call himself Gu Viscount, invite him to the reception sincerely, and blame Qiao Huan next to him. Huan did not explain clearly to Gu Zijue and kept Gu Zijue's identity secret.

At that time, many students from the academy were nearby. They heard the words of the prefect clearly and looked at Gu Zhao in shock. It turned out that Gu Zhao was really the Gu Zijue Gu Zhao. No wonder they had the same name. .

It turned out that this guy just looked smart on the outside, and Gu Zhao's impression of him fell to the bottom in an instant: "This Mr. Wan, Gu is very busy with his studies and has no time to attend any of your gatherings. I forgive Gu for not accompanying me. Qiao Huan , let's go."

Qiao Huan was also furious with his cousin. Gu Zhao didn't want anyone to know his identity, so he didn't say anything when he found out last time. Unexpectedly, his cousin completely ruined it. He still looks like he is doing good for Gu Zhao, does he think that Gu Zhao is a fool like Qiao Huan?

"Cousin, don't you know that Gu Zijue doesn't want anyone to disturb his peace in the academy? Otherwise, the news that Gu Zijue came to Wensi Academy has already spread in Jiangnan. Cousin, you'd better leave as soon as possible." Qiao Huan

said After that, he hurriedly chased Gu Zhao, and the remaining people were in an uproar. If Wan Maosheng's words were not enough, and Qiao Huan's words were added, it was absolutely certain that this Gu Zhao was the other Gu Zhao. Who would have thought that Gu Zijue was actually the other person? He was admitted to their academy based on his true ability, and his results in the last monthly exam were pretty good.

Wan Maosheng did not expect that one day he would be criticized by his cousin, a idiot. He walked away angrily, leaving a group of students talking non-stop.

"It's really Gu Zijue."

"I didn't hear that Gu Zijue didn't want to expose his identity at all. Now, it's been ruined by Mr. Wan."

"Yes, Gu Zijue usually studies seriously. I heard that they The three of us left our hometown for a study tour. Our academy is the last stop. We will go back to take the provincial examination this fall. They are really not just pretending." "I didn't expect that

such a famous figure is around us. It wasn't this young master who brought him out. We're afraid we won't know until Gu Zijue wins the election. Do you think the dean and the others know about it?" " Maybe they know, but because Gu Zijue doesn't want to make it public, they didn't reveal it." "I didn't expect Qiao Huan this time

.

You still have some discernment. I just said how dare Gu Zijue beat Qiao Huan until he cried for his father and mother. It turned out that he had the confidence. No wonder Qiao Huan never thought of revenge and even got close to Gu Zijue." "You.

I misunderstood Qiao Huan. Qiao Huan probably only found out about Gu Zijue’s identity recently. Everything is related to Mr. Ding, who has been very active recently. It seemed that he sent a message to Gu Zijue through Qiao Huan last time. Gu Zijue was busy with his studies. However, this man surnamed Wan came over to invite Gu Zijue on his own initiative."

This matter reached the ears of the masters and dean that day. The exposure of Gu Zhao's identity made many students in the academy feel uneasy. They were not satisfied with Wan Maosheng's actions. He was also very unhappy, but no matter how unhappy he was, he was the son of Wan Zhifu.

The dean personally ordered: "Don't let outsiders enter the academy recently, so as not to affect the study of all students. Many students in the academy will take part in the provincial examination this fall." A vice-dean said: "That Mr. Ding himself

They are indeed very active when they come to Jiangnan. Could it be that Ding Shangshu in Beijing has already taken up his side?" They

are not blind to what is going on outside the window. If they want to write good policies, they must pay close attention to current affairs and court affairs, and try to figure out what is going on. Therefore, this Mr. Ding appears in Jiangnan and has many friends. Do you think they are all blind and can't understand? Wan Maosheng couldn't wait to get closer, and he didn't know if it was what Wan Zhifu meant.

The dean said: "Never mind what Ding Shangshu and Wan Zhifu mean. Our Wensi Academy has the motto of the academy and will not interfere in any disputes in the court." "Yes,

dean."

"Gu Zijue will only stay in the academy for a few days." In a few months, the impact will not be too great. Don't worry too much. Moreover, with Gu Zijue here, he can also set a good example for other students." "

Yes, the dean is right. Gu Zijue is very diligent and eager to learn. , Gu Zijue is like this, other students should work harder."

After Gu Zhao's identity was known to them, they paid more attention to Gu Zhao, so they knew that this person was indeed a very diligent student, and he was not just lying on his merits. They do not care about progress in their books. As masters, they do not ask about the students' origins, but only educate talents who are useful to the country and the family.

With this thought, everyone calmed down, but since then, including the dean, they all gave Gu Zhao a lot of private attention, and they also admired and were optimistic about Song Ze and Ye Xiuming who were traveling with him.

The masters and deans would also review the strategies the three of them wrote during their daily exercises and exams. Song Ze was naturally the best in writing, but Gu was the one who was most pragmatic and meaningful in his essays. Zhao is the first, and the latter also knows where his shortcomings are, so every strategy is much better than the last one.

In addition, Gu Zhao's arithmetic is the best in the entire academy. The master who teaches this course thinks that he has nothing to teach Gu Zhao in arithmetic.

After discovering that after his identity was exposed, other masters treated him no differently, Gu Zhao was relieved. He was also worried that the masters would have opinions about him and affect the learning atmosphere of the academy. Obviously, he thought too much. The masters here They are indeed talented and broad-minded and deserve his respect.

In order to avoid the limelight, Gu Zhao did not step out of the academy for a whole month, and wrote a letter explaining the situation to Shi Mao and others outside, telling them not to worry.

In the academy, Gu Zhao continued to study as he should, and made friends as he should. In addition to Qiao Huan, he also made several other friends, regardless of their class, some were from poor backgrounds, and some were children of officials.

As for those who didn't like him before but came over this time, Gu Zhao's attitude has not changed the same as before. Those people tried several times and found that Gu Ru didn't accept their overtures at all, so they had to stop and talk privately. There were also some unpleasant words coming out, but even if they reached Gu Zhao's ears, Gu Zhao didn't take them to heart.

Qiao Huan felt that this incident had something to do with him. After all, it was his cousin who exposed Gu Zhao's identity. Therefore, he stayed in the academy honestly during this period and became diligent in a rare way. Of course, he was well-informed. Time will bring Gu Zhao news from the outside.

For example, after his uncle knew what his son had done, he sent his followers to the academy to explain to Gu Zhao, but he was stopped by the academy. Outsiders were not allowed to enter or leave the academy. Many wealthy people and officials from Jiangnan posted messages wanting to see him. Gu Zijue also blocked these posts and did not send them to Gu Zhao.

In fact, what Gu Zhao knew about the latter situation was that a teacher who was in charge of student life asked Gu Zhao alone and asked him if he wanted to accept these posts. If so, the academy would help forward them to him, but Gu Zhao did not accept them all. He refused, and it would be better if the academy could help him reject it, so what Qiao Huan said happened.

Because of this, Gu Zhao sincerely thanks the deans of Wensi College. It is thankless for them to block these posts, but the college still blocks them. This is why Gu Zhao has a quiet study environment now. Compared with those outside, , the thoughts of a small number of students within the academy can be considered simple.

Of course, Gu Zhao didn't do anything. In a letter to the capital, he seemed to have accidentally mentioned the matter of the son of Ding Shangshu's family coming to Jiangnan. Needless to say, Gu Mu and the princess would know what they meant after reading these words. , which is a warning to the princess in advance.

With Gu Zhao leading the way, the atmosphere in the academy gradually stabilized, and there was no longer the previous fluctuation of people's hearts. People who had a good impression of Gu Zijue had a better impression of him after meeting Gu Zhao in person. People who originally had a so-so impression of him, and who believed some outside rumors about him, now changed their views on him because of his calm attitude.

"The fact that Gu Zijue doesn't recognize his biological father is still going to be a problem. This will be detrimental to Gu Zijue's future career in officialdom." "But Gu Zijue was raised by the Gu family, and Gu's family tree is

also included in the Gu family. I heard that Viscount Gu’s name was not included in the Yu family’s genealogy, so some old diehards might have problems with him. But at that time, his biological father still tried his best to defend the aunt in the court, and even ran around trying to fish her out afterward. , how can this not make Gu Zijue feel heartbroken."

"Although he did not recognize his biological father, Gu Zijue was very affectionate and righteous. The Gu family was poor, but Gu Zijue still recognized the Gu family couple as his parents. Can I do it without being dazzled by the wealth of the Hou Mansion? Ask yourself, I can't do it."

People who discussed this matter in private were filled with sighs when they heard this. Yes, how many people in the world can regard wealth as floating clouds? Yes, there are not many people who can turn from a peasant boy into a viscount by their own efforts, and Gu Zhao doesn't have any airs of a viscount in him. He is still very friendly to everyone, and it is easy for everyone to get along with such a viscount.

When it comes to status, regardless of those ancestral shadows, there is no one in the entire academy who has a status as good as Gu Zhao. He has a fifth-grade title before he becomes an official.

Gu Zhao didn't know when the young master of Ding Shangshu's family left Jiangnan. Anyway, the last news he heard about him was from Qiao Huan. His schoolwork was getting heavier and heavier, and he had no time to take a break. He went out to play. Fortunately, Song Ze and Ye Xiuming accompanied him to work hard together, so it was not like Gu Zhao couldn't persevere.

The wealthy businessmen and officials in the south of the Yangtze River discovered that Gu Zijue was really dedicated to studying, so they gradually gave up the idea of ​​meeting Gu Zijue. In addition to telling the younger generations in the family to get close to Gu Zhao if they had the opportunity, and not to offend Gu Zijue, they gradually Gu Zhao put it behind him. In the blink of an eye, the six months of study for Gu Zhao and the other two people were over, and it was time to return to his hometown to take the provincial examination.

第215章 鄉試開始

The three of them made friends with Gu and Zhao. Several of them also took part in the provincial examination this fall, so they didn't say much goodbye. They wished each other good luck in the examination and left their contact information.

Before leaving, the three of them also visited their master and the dean who taught them, and all gave them a gift. The gift was given to Shimao and his wife. It was the soap produced by them, especially the bamboo soap, which is still used today. It is loved by the literati. If it was a gift of other things, the masters would refuse it. But this is bamboo soap, and the masters accepted it with a little humility.

It seems that the rumors that the soap business is related to Gu Zijue are not groundless. It is indeed Gu Zijue's industry.

Qiao Huan was the most reluctant to leave him. Serious scholars looked down upon him. He finally made friends with Gu Zhao, but when the half-year period came, Gu Zhao had to go back. If he stayed in Jiangnan, he would probably never see him again in his life. The opportunity arose, and when Gu Zhao and the others were admitted to the imperial examinations, the distance between them became wider and wider.

Gu Zhao patted him on the shoulder: "Why are you being pretentious? We are going to Qingling Mansion. Besides, we will go to the capital after the provincial examination. When we go to the capital, there will be many opportunities to meet." Qiao Huan said in admiration

. "Are you really so confident that you will pass the provincial examination?"

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming laughed and said nothing. Gu Zhao rolled his eyes and said, "Why are we working so hard? It's not just to pass the provincial examination. Well, let's go. Come back."

Gu Zhao waved his hand and turned around to get on the carriage with Song Ze and the others. The carriage moved, the wheels rolled, and disappeared from Qiao Huan's sight in the blink of an eye.

Qiao Huan was really sad. After returning home, his father just patted him on the shoulder and comforted him. He didn't expect that his son, who had always been regarded as a straw bag, would actually be able to meet a famous person. Gu Zijue.

Mr. Qiao admired Gu Zhao very much. He came from a farm and not only got the title of viscount by his own ability, but he also had good business skills. His soap was sold all over the country, and the profit made many people jealous. Unfortunately, Gu Zhao's soap business had been in the industry for a long time. His Majesty has a name on his name, no one dares to reach out no matter how jealous they are. If they reach out here, Viscount Pingnan will probably accuse them severely in front of His Majesty.

Some people say that Viscount Pingnan was young and the relationship between them will fade away after being away from Gu Zhao for a long time. But Mr. Qiao has always known that Gu Zhao communicates frequently with the capital, so who does he need to communicate with? It can be seen that the relationship between the two places has not become shallow as time has passed.

He can read, do business, and run a business. How come his Qiao family doesn't have such a capable person?

Fortunately, being able to establish a relationship with Gu Zijue was something no one could ask for. Only his son could do it, and Master Qiao still felt a little proud.

Without stopping, the three of them split into two groups along the way. Ye Xiuming went directly back to Jiangtaicheng. He would pack up the house for Gu Zhao and Song Ze and wait for their arrival. Gu Zhao and Song Ze continued to return to Qingling Mansion and left home. It's been such a long time, so I should go back and tell my family that I'm safe, so that they won't worry about me all the time.

Li, the Gu family, and Song's mother were really concerned about their situation outside. Although they kept writing letters of safety and saying everything was fine outside, when did they stay away from home for such a long time? , everyone at home wanted to go over and take a look.

This time when the two came back, their elders were crying and laughing around them. Gu Zhao and Song Ze looked at each other helplessly and could only endure it. Who said these were their closest relatives.

After finally comforting his family, Gu Zhao talked to them.

"Brother Yang, has passed the examination to be a child student? Very good. I will keep working hard next time and strive to pass the academy examination and become a scholar."

Gu Yang was shy. Although he was very happy to have passed the examination, he really had no shame to mention it in front of his third brother. , but passing Tongsheng also made him more confident. It turned out that he was not that stupid: "Third brother, I will work hard."

Gu Zhao was also happy for him and ruffled his hair.

Lord Song Cheng's term of office has expired and he has returned to the capital. Now he has entered the Ministry of Household Affairs and became the right minister. He has been promoted to a third-rank official position. It can be said that he has been promoted three levels in a row. He was promoted from the fourth rank of the prefect to a third-rank official of the capital. Before Song Cheng left, he gave it to Gu Zhao He wrote a letter and told Gu Zhao that the new magistrate sent by His Majesty was also one of His Majesty's, so that Gu Zhao could rest assured.

After Gu Zhao reunited with his family, he made a special trip to visit the newly appointed prefect Tang. As Song Cheng said in his letter, the prefect Tang was indeed polite to Gu Zhao. Not only did he not make things difficult for the Gu family and the Qi family's business here, they also provided There are many conveniences, and Master Tang's attitude also makes Gu Zhao feel relieved. Even if he leaves Qingling Mansion in the future, he still wants to regard Qingling Mansion as the Gu family's headquarters.

Afterwards, he and Song Ze went to Fuxue to meet with Jiao Yu and others. After packing up for a while, they set off to Jiangtai City to attend their provincial examination.

Gu Ren rushed back specially, and then accompanied his third uncle to Jiangtai City. In his words, there were businesses and car dealerships in Jiangtai City anyway, so it was not considered that he went there specially for his third uncle. With Gu Ren accompanying him, the two elders of the Gu family also Li was also relieved.

After arriving at Jiangtaicheng and meeting with Ye Xiuming, Gu Zhao and Song Ze moved directly into a quiet house arranged by Ye Xiuming. At this time, there was only half a month left for the examination. It was already September, and the weather in Jiangtaicheng was cooler than in Jiangnan. There was a lot of pain, so the three people preparing to take the exam did not feel any discomfort.

The summer in that place in Jiangnan was unbearable. It was hot and humid. If it weren't for Wensi Academy, the three of them would not have stayed there.

In the past half month, the three of them have participated in two cultural gatherings and communicated with the candidates in Jiangtaicheng. Although Ye Xiuming has been away for a long time, his name still has a certain influence here, and because of him, It reminds people of the head of the court trial case who suppressed Ye Xiuming three years ago and the junior Sanyuan Song Ze, but I didn't expect that Ye Xiuming and Song Ze would get along so well.

With Ye Xiuming leading them, Gu Zhao and Song Ze also integrated into the local circle of candidates. They attended two important literary events and stayed in the house the rest of the time. They no longer studied as hard as before. Most of the time Communicating with each other, sometimes not necessarily knowledge, made Gu Ren, who was originally nervous for his third uncle and Song Ze, gradually relax.

In Gu Ren's opinion, this is because the third uncle and the others are confident. Well, the third uncle will definitely win the exam this time, and Song Ze will definitely be the same. The third uncle often says that Song Ze is better than him in knowledge and has more talent in reading.

Gu Ren's psychological changes were not very clear to Gu Zhao. He just wanted to relax before the provincial examination. He had been studying with high intensity for the past two years, and soon he would be locked in a cell for nine days. Although the weather was cool, A little while ago, but Gu Zhao still felt that those nine days would be worse than death, so it was better to only endure such a tortured day once. He didn't want to have to do it a second time.

Finally, the day of the provincial examination arrived. Gu Zhao, holding the examination basket, felt as if he was going to the execution ground.

He queued up with Song Ze and Ye Xiuming, and some people pointed at him.

"Viscount Gu actually came to take the provincial examination. Some people said before that I didn't believe it. Now that he is a viscount, does he need to compete with us for the limited number of successful candidates?" "Viscount Gu is not allowed to advance

? "

The news that Gu Zhao is going to take part in the provincial examination has spread in Jiangtai City for a long time, so this provincial examination has also attracted much attention. Everyone wants to see if Gu Zijue has real talent and learning, but don't leave the bottle half empty. His reputation has some influence.

But if he can win the exam, given his age and the impression he left on His Majesty, he will really have a bright future in the future.

Someone also checked out Gu Zhao's previous county and government examination results. The results were good, they were all ranked fifth, so a gambling house outside opened a bet on whether Zhao could win the exam and be on the list. If If he is on the list, he will be able to get a higher rank in the exam. In addition, there will be people who are taking custody of the head of the case, but this time there are almost no people taking custody of Ye Xiuming.

In the past few years, Ye Xiuming has not appeared much in the literary circle of Jiangtaicheng. Everyone does not know what his current level is. The same is true for Song Ze. Almost no one is optimistic that he can win the first case again. The competitiveness of the provincial examination is not the same as that of three years ago. The college examination is quite different.

Think about the Provincial Examination held every three years. How many talented people who failed to pass the examination have accumulated to compete for the limited quota of candidates in the Provincial Examination. There are also people who, in order to get better results, will not win even if they win the first prize in the Academy Examination. Participate in the Provincial Examination immediately, but postpone it to a later term. Therefore, in the Provincial Examination, there is not much splash in the court examination cases, because there are not many cases in the Provincial Examination in this time.

Therefore, some people think that Gu Zhao and the others are too impatient. If they wait for another session, they may be more confident. This time, these three young talents may be disappointed.

Everything outside did not reach Gu Zhao and the others at all. The three of them carried the examination basket with confidence and passed the search, and successfully entered the examination room. The reputation of the provincial examination was well-known, and Gu Zhao immediately I first looked at my position, and then breathed a sigh of relief. It was great. It was neither a bad sign nor close to a bad sign. I was lucky.

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming also looked happy, they were no longer making noises either.

Outside, Gu Ren and Shi Mao walked around in circles outside after sending Gu Zhao into the examination room, and then walked to a betting place. Of course, they were paying attention to Gu Zhao's situation.

Shi Mao and the two were very unhappy: "Not many people think highly of our young master. He obviously works so hard and is so talented. How could he not pass the exam?" "

Then let's keep my third uncle in custody. I brought some money. Yes." Gu Ren suggested, he was also unconvinced, his third uncle would definitely pass the exam.

"Okay."

The three of them not only bought the bets on whether Gu Zhaoneng would pass the exam, but also on where Gu Zhaoneng would pass the exam. Each of them spent a hundred taels of silver, and they were very proud.

Not only that, Gu Ren also took Song Ze into custody. He heard from his third uncle that Song Ze might be able to get another case this time, so Gu Ren gritted his teeth and bought the bet that Song Ze would win the case.

St Dingshan asked Gu Ren quietly: "Young master, are you so optimistic about Mr. Song?"

Gu Ren also whispered: "The third uncle said that Song Ze might be able to pass the examination."

Stingshan and Mao Jiangtao looked at each other, so they also placed ten bets. Two silver coins, this is a loss of twenty, the highest odds. Gu Zhao's vision is definitely not wrong, and in Wensi Academy, they also know that Song Ze's results are the best.

Chapter 216 The Difficulties of the Provincial Examination

The Provincial Examination lasted for nine days. Although it was divided into three sessions, he could not leave the examination room in between. He could only hand in the test papers every three days and move his stiff hands and feet in the limited space of the examination room. Gu Zhao also spent two days like this. At this opportunity, I met Song Ze and Ye Xiuming.

Although the weather in September is much cooler than the hot summer, it is still hot and sweaty if you stay in the house during the day. Therefore, after only three days, your body will have a sour smell. By the sixth day Oh my god, the place for outdoor activities was even more sour and smelly. Everyone I met smiled bitterly, and no one was much better than the other.

After personally experiencing the provincial examination, Gu Zhao deeply felt that the college entrance examination in later generations would be much happier. Not to mention the short time and the air conditioning in the classroom, the provincial examination was a complete mental and physical torture. No wonder the ancients said that great responsibilities are handed down from heaven. You must first work hard on your mind and muscles, and those who can stand out are those who have gone through thousands of times.

On the eighth day, God didn't open his eyes, and it started to rain at night. There was a lot of wailing in the examination room in the middle of the night. Gu Zhao, who was sleeping, was also woken up. He read the test paper as soon as he woke up. If the test paper got caught in the rain, This third test was a waste of time. Fortunately, he was lucky. His room did not leak and the rain did not come in.

Keep your ears open and listen to what's going on outside, just in case someone is bad. It can be seen that this imperial examination not only depends on your own strength, but luck is often also important.

The effect of the rain was very obvious, and then the temperature dropped rapidly. Some people fell ill the next day, with constant coughing and nose-blowing sounds, and the candidates themselves were weak. After being hit by the rain to cool down, the whole person fell into a high fever. When he was in a coma, government officials immediately carried him away.

There are doctors guarding the examination room. Even if the situation is so serious, you are not allowed to leave the examination room. The closed door cannot be left until the evening of the ninth day when it is opened uniformly.

Gu Zhao could not help but be affected a little, thinking that no wonder it was not uncommon for people to die during the provincial examination. Fortunately, he had always insisted on exercising. Ye Xiuming's grandfather also helped them prepare a lot of pills to deal with various emergencies.

By the last day, Gu Zhao had almost no appetite. Although he brought a lot of instant noodles, the smell of instant noodles wafted throughout the examination room. Coupled with the sour smell, it was really hard to describe. How could he be like this? The examinees were also tortured to death by the Jiutian Township Examination. After handing in the test papers and finally waiting for the door of the examination room to open and leave, Gu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to the exit.

Gu Ren and the others had been waiting at the exit for a long time, worried about Gu Zhao and the others' situation, but the door was closed and no one outside could find out what was going on inside.

Shi Dingshan comforted him: "Young Master has always been in good health, and he will definitely pass the exam smoothly. Young Master Song and Young Master Ye are not bad either. We also encountered bandits on our study tour with him. Young Master and the others have all fought against bandits, and they will also The bandits were tied up and handed over to the Yamen people."

Gu Ren was shocked: "Third uncle, has this happened to you before? Why didn't third uncle mention it when he wrote the letter?"

Stingshan suddenly slapped his mouth in annoyance, the young master obviously Having told them not to speak out about this, so as not to worry their family, Mao Jiangtao gave Stingshan an elbow, and then explained: "They are just a few petty thieves. Stingshan will talk nonsense. You also know that your third uncle and my son are Those who have shot bandits long ago used arrows to deal with them. Otherwise, what use would the young master bring us with?"

Gu Ren thought it was right, but he also knew that the third uncle would definitely report good news rather than bad news, so he kept his eyes tight Staring at the door in front, more and more people gathered outside, all anxiously waiting for the exam to end.

"The door has moved."

"It's open, the door is open, and the candidates inside are coming out."

First, the soldiers came out and locked the exit tightly, leaving only a passage for the candidates to come out. Outsiders could not break in, and then there was the first A second candidate appeared. He was described as being in a very embarrassed state, and he was shaking when walking. Someone quickly squeezed through the crowd, walked to the candidate, turned around and squatted down, picked the candidate up and left.

Some candidates insisted on walking outside. When they saw a familiar person, they rolled their eyes and fell down, causing a cry of alarm. Someone quickly picked him up and took him to the nearest medical center.

Gu Ren became even more anxious and kept murmuring: "Where is Third Uncle? Where is Brother Song Ze? And where is Mr. Ye? I heard that someone fainted in the examination room. Bah, bah, Third Uncle and the others must be fine."

"Here, I see the young master." Sting Shan saw Gu Zhao coming out of the corner with sharp eyesight, and ran over happily.

Gu Zhaozheng disliked the unpleasant smell all over his body. Even though his sense of smell had failed, he saw the numerous heads when he came out and couldn't find where he was. However, when he saw someone squeezed out from the crowd, Gu Zhao smiled. He found the location of Gu Ren and others.

"Master, let me carry you." Stingshan said, turning around and squatting down so that Gu Zhao could get on his back.

Gu Zhao waved his hands quickly: "Don't, I'm dirty and smelly. Leave immediately. I want to walk a few more steps to stretch my body." "

Young Master, are you really okay?"

"It's okay." Gu Zhao said, still Take a shot at Stingshan.

Feeling Gu Zhao's strength, Shi Dingshan was immediately happy. He said that his young master was definitely not the kind of weak scholar who couldn't bear it, and he quickly took Gu Zhao to join Gu Ren and the others.

"Go to the carriage first. Has Song Ze and Ye Xiuming come out? If

you don't come out, a few people will be guarding you." "Third uncle, you were the first to come out. Third uncle, don't worry, someone is guarding you."

Gu Ren carefully protected Gu Zhao, He was afraid that Gu Zhao would fall down, but Gu Zhao was still able to walk to the carriage by himself and climbed up. There was a prepared medicinal soup, and Gu Zhao picked it up and drank a large bowl.

After a while, Song Ze also came out. He was carried to the carriage by his book boy. Song Ze saw Gu Zhao who had come up earlier and smiled bitterly. His face turned pale and his condition was a little worse than Gu Zhao: " It's finally over."

Gu Zhao said with sadness: "No, I hope I can pass it once, but I don't want to come back a second time."

Seeing the carriage moving, Gu Zhao hurriedly stretched out his head and asked, "Where is Ye Xiuming?"

"Third uncle, The people from the Ye family have taken Young Master Ye back. Let me tell you, Third Uncle, that Young Master Ye seems to have a fever." "

Is it serious?"

"It shouldn't be serious. Young Master Ye also said something to us. ."

"That's good, let's go back." Gu Zhao was a little lucky, thinking that the problem shouldn't be serious. He met Ye Xiuming during the afternoon of the sixth day. He was in good mental condition at that time. It was probably caused by the rain and cooling. Yes, but it shouldn’t be too bad if you bring pills.

Ye Xiuming returned to Ye Mansion, and only Gu Zhao and Song Ze returned to that house. However, the servants had already ordered them to prepare hot water and hot food. The first thing Gu Zhao and the others did when they came back was to take a bath and change clothes. With two buckets of water, I rubbed a layer of skin off my body before I stopped. It was as if a layer of skin had been removed from my whole body, and I felt sleepy. After drinking a large bowl of meat porridge, I fell asleep.

This sleep lasted all night and day. Gu Ren and others watched over Gu Zhao and Song Ze. Seeing that they didn't wake up the next day, they were worried and asked a doctor to check their pulses. Even so, they didn't wake up. Wanmai said that the two of them were just tired and would be fine when they woke up. He let them sleep, and Gu Ren and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Zhao woke up in the evening of the next day. At first it was dark outside and he thought he had been asleep for a short time. When he asked, he found out that he had been asleep for an estimated twelve hours. He was indeed extremely tired and unconscious.

After he got up, he went to see Song Ze anxiously. He was relieved to see that he was still sleeping soundly, and then went to wash up and find something to eat. After sleeping for so long, the bowl of porridge he drank before going to bed had long been digested, and his stomach was growling. He screamed.

After eight or nine minutes of eating, Gu Zhao felt that he was completely alive. When he was kicking his legs and stretching his muscles in the yard, Song Ze also appeared scratching his head. Gu Zhao looked back and smiled: "Are you awake?"

Song Ze smiled bitterly: "I woke up from hunger. I didn't expect to sleep for such a long time." "

I'm not much better than you. Just wash up and go eat."

While Song Ze was eating, Gu Zhao told him about Ye Xiuming's The situation, this house belongs to the Ye family, and the Ye family has been sending people over to ask about their situation, so they also brought news about Ye Xiuming: "He was given decoction when he went back. The fever has subsided today. Send a letter here Tell us not to worry. I'm thinking of taking one more night's rest tonight and going to see him tomorrow morning." "

Okay, I'll pay my respects to Mr. Ye by the way. Thanks to the Ye family's care this time." Song Ze nodded.

After another night's rest, the two of them felt better, so they went to Ye's Mansion together. The servants immediately led them to Ye Xiuming's yard. Ye Xiuming had already gotten up and was being supported by the servants for a walk in the yard, with a look on his face. There is still some whitishness, and the body has not fully recovered.

Seeing Gu and Song, Ye Xiuming smiled: "I feel relieved to see that you are doing well, but I have become the worst one."

Gu Zhao sighed and said: "I heard that your house was leaked . You'll get cold only if it rains, but luckily there were no problems with the test paper."

Ye Xiuming was also very happy: "The weather was not good that day, so I wrapped the paper in oilcloth before going to bed, otherwise it would be hard to tell. At least my luck was not too bad. , the paper in the room next to me was stained by the rain."

The three of them talked for a while and then went to see Mr. Ye. Mr. Ye had always had a very good impression of Gu Zhao and Song Ze, and he was very aware of his grandson's arrogance back then. , being suppressed by Song Ze, he thought that his grandson would be depressed, but after going to Qingling Mansion to study, not only did he not feel depressed, but he also became friends with Song Ze and Gu Zhao, which made him very happy. In the past three years, his grandson He sees his progress.

Mr. Ye didn't ask them about their exam status. He only cared about their physical condition and let them speak for themselves.

Waiting for the day when the results will be released, the candidates who have regained their vitality are becoming active again. Various cultural meetings are going on in the city. Gu Zhao's own status as a viscount also adds a layer of light to him, so he is frequently invited.

Chapter 217 Provincial Examination Results

After attending several cultural gatherings, Gu Wei finally waited for the day when the results were released. He and Song Ze rushed to the teahouse reserved by Ye's family early and waited for the provincial examination results to be posted.

There were crowds of people inside and outside the teahouse. If it weren't for the Ye family, neither Gu Zhao nor Song Ze would have been able to get this seat in advance.

Just two days ago, Qi Yunfei also rushed over. Now Qi's Restaurant has opened in Jiangtai City, so he is no stranger here. Today, he is more nervous than Gu Zhao and the other two, so he sent out all the waiters in the restaurant. Fortunately Get results as soon as the order is posted.

Several people were sitting in their seats. From time to time, other candidates came over to talk to them. However, it was obvious that everyone was not very focused. Even Gu Zhao and the other three could not remain calm at this time. What did Song Ze and Ye Xiuming think of Gu Zhao? Yes, but he no longer wants to go through the pain of a provincial examination. He doesn't really care about the ranking, as long as he gets on the list.

Gu Zhao touched his chin, he should be able to pass, but this guy Song Ze can definitely do it, and he must be at the top. He can get the first place in the world in the book, Jie Yuan, there is no reason why he can't do well in the exam this time. Song Ze in the book world has never been to Wensi Academy in Jiangnan, nor has he studied abroad for such a long time. Now his level will only be better than that in the book world.

However, seeing Song Ze's hand tightening the handle of the fan, his fingertips turning white due to the strength, Gu Zhao knew that Song Ze was not at peace in his heart.

Gu Zhao touched his chin and said: "I heard that there are two people who have the loudest voices in the hometown test. One is Qin Minghang and the other is Shen Rui. Which one do you like?"

When attending the cultural meeting, these two They have all encountered it. Gu Zhao has read Shen Rui's poems, and he is indeed a good poet. Judging from Gu Zhao's appreciation ability, it is better than Song Ze's original poems. However, after studying abroad, Song Ze's poetry level has been greatly improved. It has obviously risen a lot. Compared with it, Shen Rui's one seems a bit meaningless and not as grand as Song Ze's.

These two are both in their twenties. They have been studying hard before. They were also the leaders of the college examination that year. They are famous young talents. They have never participated in the provincial examination before, just to make a splash in this provincial examination. These two people are obviously They all want to win the first place in the provincial examination, Jieyuan.

Ye Xiuming was obviously also very impressed by the names of these two people. He shook his head and whispered: "It's hard to say, I think Brother Song is no worse than them."

Gu Zhao gave Ye Xiuming a thumbs up, and indeed he was as fond of Song Ze as he was. Confidence, Song Ze shook his head speechlessly. Fortunately, no one else heard this, otherwise he would be laughed at when the results came out.

Gu Zhao and Ye Xiuming lowered their heads to exchange views. Ye Xiuming also gave an example of the hospital examination. It was a little hard to accept at first, but now they can joke about it: "At the beginning, everyone was optimistic about me getting the first prize, but actually I am also quite optimistic about myself. , Unexpectedly, I was overpowered by Brother Song, which shocked everyone. I think there may be an accident this time. The more favored by others, the more unexpected things will happen."

Gu Zhao laughed after hearing this, Ye Xiuming had really been there for a long time. Let go.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Qi Yunfei said "The list is released" and asked the three of them to raise their heads and look outside. Sure enough, the list was about to be released. The four of them didn't care to talk. They lay on the railing and looked over there. Unfortunately, the distance was a bit far away. Even if I post it alone, I don’t have the good eyesight to see it clearly.

However, neither Gu Ren nor Shi Mao came upstairs. They were crowded in the crowd with Qi Yunfei's people. Looking from upstairs, Gu Zhao found that he could not find them among the densely packed heads.

There were officials posting lists, officials beating gongs, and many officials maintaining order. Gu Zhao glanced at the teahouse and found that Qin and Chen, who had been acting calm and relaxed before, subconsciously took a few steps outside. Gu Zhaoxin said , how could they not be nervous and looking forward to it, otherwise there would be no need for these two people to take the provincial examination after two years.

There was a lot of noise below, and no sound could be heard clearly. Some people squeezed in as hard as they could, while others squeezed out after reading the list.

"It's on the list! It's on the list! The young master is on the list!"

"Brother Ye, that's your servant, right? Brother Ye is on the list!" Gu Zhao saw that a man was so crowded that his shoes fell off and his clothes were about to be taken away. But this person was still crazy with joy. He stepped on one shoe and ran towards the teahouse.

Ye Xiuming leaned forward and looked out. When he saw the person clearly, he couldn't restrain the joy on his face: "Yes, he is from my family." "

Congratulations, Brother Ye." Before Gu Zhao could say anything, other candidates congratulated Ye Xiuming. .

"Young Master ranked seventh in the exam!"

The people in the teahouse were in an uproar. You must know that many people are not optimistic about Ye Xiuming this time, thinking that he, Gu Zhao and Song Ze are too impatient. Maybe they will be more confident after waiting for another year. It would be a pity if he failed the ranking for the first time, and it might be a bit of a blow to his spirit, but who would have thought that he would win in the first time, and he would still be ranked seventh.

"Congratulations to Brother Ye for achieving good results in the provincial examination."

"No, it's just a fluke."

"Jie Yuan, Song Ze!" There were screams in the crowd, and some people shouted down in disbelief. Jie Yuan is really Song Ze. Ze? Didn't make a mistake?

"Xie Yuan is really Song Ze of Qinghe County. Who is Song Ze of Qinghe County?"

"He was the first in the college examination three years ago. I didn't expect that he would be the first in the high school in the provincial examination three years later."

"Young Master, Mr. Gu is among the top three. Gu Gongzi high school ranked fifth."

"Third uncle, you won. Third uncle, you ranked fifth in the exam!"

Another wave of people squeezed out and ran towards the teahouse, shouting loudly as they ran, especially Gu Ren's voice was the loudest and loudest. His third uncle was in high school, and he actually got fifth place in the exam. This was such a surprise. He read it carefully several times to confirm that he had read it correctly.

Gu Zhao was stunned. After the exam, he avoided talking about the content related to the test paper and refused to think about the exam questions. He felt that he should be able to win if he performed well, but what if? For example, the article he wrote did not suit the examiner's taste, so he was dismissed. Unexpectedly, he got fifth place in the exam again, and he, Gu Zhao, became the fifth person in ten thousand years.

For a moment, the three people in the teahouse were surrounded by cheers of joy. Gu Zhao looked around and saw a lot of jealousy and incredulous eyes. Yes, the results of these three people were beyond everyone's expectations. Not only were all three of them on the list, but their scores were incredibly high, especially Song Ze, who actually beat Qin and Chen to win the first place in Jie Yuan. This was not a college exam but a provincial exam.

Song Ze was so happy that he almost crushed the folding fan in his hand. He could no longer control himself, and the corners of his mouth were raised.

"Okay," Gu Zhao patted Song Ze's shoulder hard, "I knew Song Ze that you would become a hit, and to everyone's surprise, Brother Ye and I didn't miss it."

Song Ze couldn't help but grinned happily: "Your achievements Not bad, everyone is on the list."

"Congratulations to the three high school students. I'm treating you today. Just order whatever you want." Although Qi Yunfei is not a candidate, he is more proud to sit with these three people than to do business. He was happy and proud after making ten thousand taels of silver. Look, the three people around him were all in high school, one was Jie Yuan, one was a Jing Kuai, and one was almost a Ya Kui.

Qi Yunfei was so happy that he almost said that he would cover all the expenses for today's teahouse. Fortunately, he still had some sense to maintain, otherwise others would think they were too arrogant. He just paid it back, but he couldn't damage Song Ze and the others. reputation.

Gu Zhao also said happily: "Okay, today I will eat from the big family, and you will be poor, Brother Qi."

Qi Yunfei beamed: "I'm not afraid of being poor if you really can."

People on the list, especially those at the front, came out one after another. Naturally, both Qin Minghang and Shen Rui were on the list, but Qin Minghang was ranked fourth, and Shen Rui was still behind Ye Xiuming, ranking eighth. In fact, this result was quite good, but it was quite different from their expectations. Therefore, their expressions were not as cheerful as those of other people on the list.

However, they still maintained their demeanor and came over to congratulate Song Ze and Gu Zhao. Ye Xiuming was in their twenties after all. No matter how bad their mood was, they would not show it in front of others. Moreover, they would be considered fellow villagers when they went to the capital in the future. They may need to help each other, and it is not easy to make the relationship tense.

Those who made the list were overjoyed, those who failed were depressed, and some were so sad that they sat down on the roadside and cried. However, Gu Zhao and his party had left the teahouse and moved to other places, and did not go to Qijia Restaurant. , because eating at Qijia Restaurant often is not new to everyone, so we went to another restaurant with the best reputation in Jiangtai City.

Originally, the place in this restaurant had been booked a long time ago. Because the rankings were released today, some people had booked private rooms early to celebrate their ranking. However, when I heard that among the people who came, there were Xie Yuan Songze, Gu Zijue and Gu Zhao. The shopkeeper immediately opened a box and invited them in. Gu Ren did not follow him in, but opened a table upstairs with Shi Mao and others.

After a delicious meal, on the way back, Gu Zhao found that Gu Ren and Shi Mao were too excited, whispering to each other from time to time. Gu Zhao asked funnyly: "Is it necessary to be so excited?"

After actually being on the list, , Gu Zhao's mood has calmed down instead. This is equivalent to passing another hurdle, and he is about to move to the next hurdle. It is not yet time to relax completely.

Gu Ren ran to Gu Zhao, his eyes narrowed with joy: "Uncle Third, we just went to a gambling house and got back a lot of money."

Gu Zhao said in surprise: "Did you bet? What did you bet? "

At that time, he had no thoughts and focused all his energy on the exam, otherwise he would probably have played along.

Gu Ren said happily: "The most cost-effective deal belongs to Brother Song Ze. We bet that he will be a high school student. Brother Song Ze is really a high school student."

This was a nondescript comment, but everyone didn't care and everyone said what they wanted.

Even Song Ze himself was shocked when he heard this: "You really bet on me? Do you have so much confidence in me?"

Shi Mao and the other two also became proud: "This is twenty to one, we bet ten taels, Get back two hundred taels." In addition, Gu Zhao's odds were not low, so each of them made hundreds of taels of silver this time, and of course Gu Ren made the most.

Qi Yunfei also became very happy when he heard this. This profit was really big. He came a little late, otherwise he would have placed another bet.

Chapter 218 Three visits to the capital

Although Gu Ren now made a lot of money through workshops and car dealerships, he was still very excited about this harvest. Gu Zhao reminded him that Gu Ren understood the third uncle's worries and promised that he would only take the third uncle's exam. Bet once when the time comes, and don't bet a word at other times.

He was angry before, why the people in Jiangtaicheng didn't think highly of his third uncle and Song Ze. Now it was proved that those people were indeed wrong, or they had better vision.

The day after the results were released, there was a deer singing banquet, hosted by Mr. Sun, the examiner.

Ordinarily, the three of them, Gu Zhao and Lu Ming Banquet, should shine brightly. In the world of the book, Song Ze was even accepted as a disciple by the examiner, creating a good story between teacher and student. But this time, the examiner's attitude towards them was a little too dull. Of course, In the eyes of others, the three of them were still the focus of the entire banquet, but Gu Zhao still sensed something unusual.

At the Luming Banquet, Gu Zhao also contributed a poem. In fact, it was all composed from his usual practice. His poem can only be said to be above the passing line. It is impossible to stand out, so it is not possible. Don't really care what others think.

As for whether there are doubts about his results, the test papers of the top ten candidates were posted in front of the Yamen yesterday afternoon. Who would dare to question Gu Zhao after reading the test papers? He won the fifth place with his own true ability. , maybe his poetry is not outstanding, but his arithmetic and strategy are quite good.

Not only Gu Zhao felt this way, but Ye Xiuming and Song Ze also felt this way.

"This examiner, Mr. Sun, came from the Ministry of Rites. I think Mr. Sun has a good relationship with Mr. Ding. I didn't give Mr. Ding face in Jiangnan, that is, I didn't give Mr. Ding a letter. As a subordinate of Mr. Ding, naturally I also They will be a little cold towards us."

Ye Xiuming sighed and shook his head: "It's such an eventful autumn."

Gu Zhao said with a smile: "Even if it's an eventful autumn, we still have to face the difficulties. When will we leave for the capital?"

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming looked at each other and smiled. , no one wants to give up on next year’s general examination. We have come this far. How can we not give it a try? Although Juren is also qualified to elect officials, both the starting point and the room for development and improvement are far behind. Jinshi, they are not too old. Even if they fail the exam next year, they can still wait three years before fighting again.

"Then let's make an appointment to set off together. Now that we're back in the capital, Brother Song and I will have to take care of you, Gu Zhao." Ye Xiuming said with a smile. Although his father was also an official in the capital, compared with Gu Zhao's backstage , that’s a long way from the boss.

"No problem, that guy Gu Mu has urged me to come to Beijing a long time ago, and his Viscount Mansion has been repaired a long time ago."

After Gu Zhao and Song Ze attended the Luming Banquet, they set off back to Qingling Mansion. If they didn't leave, they wouldn't know yet. How many people want to visit him? This time he is in the limelight. Who would have thought that he, the Viscount, could actually be ranked fifth in high school? There is a big difference between the Viscount Xiucai and the Viscount Juren, especially his And at this age, it can be said that as long as nothing happens, he will definitely be a Jinshi.

For his bright future, many wealthy businessmen, squires and even some officials wanted to leave their names with Gu Zhao, and many people came to give gifts to Song Ze. Xiao Sanyuan, coupled with the identity of Xieyuan of the rural examination, overwhelmed everyone The two talents Qin and Chen who were optimistic about him made his market price rise rapidly. Song Ze couldn't bear the disturbance and hurriedly packed up all the money and ran away with Gu Zhao.

While they were still on the road, the news that they had passed the provincial examination for high school reached Qingling Mansion first, and the Yamen officers beat gongs and drums to announce the good news. They were so happy that the alley was filled with firecrackers all day long, and children screamed and laughed everywhere. run.

Mother Song and the Gu family were very happy. Mrs. Li also bought a lot of firecrackers and set them off at the door, and also scattered a lot of wedding money, which made some adults grab it with the children. Congratulations kept coming, and many people He said that Mr. Li was a lucky man, but he didn't realize that his son was not only a viscount, but also passed the imperial examination.

I believe that when this news comes back to Shuiyun Village in Qinghe County, there will be a lot of excitement. For Shuiyun Village, there are two people who have been elected at once. One of them is Jieyuan. Shuiyun Village has long been famous far and near. , this time the reputation will reach another level.

In the capital, Gu Mu also immediately got the list of all the candidates for the provincial examination in Jiangtaicheng. When he saw Gu Zhao's name ranked fifth, he cheered with excitement. He was even more forgetful than when he was promoted from baron to viscount.

Yan Xiangxi said in confusion: "As for what, isn't it just that he was admitted to the Juren Examination?"

Gu Mu despised her: "What do you know? This time my brother is coming to the capital, and he will develop in the capital in the future. I don't care." How long have you not seen my brother? Besides, do you think the provincial examination is so easy to pass? Didn't you watch this time's capital examination? How many candidates who failed are crying with their hands in their arms. My brother passed the exam as soon as he passed. That's my brother!" "Yes! ,

I'm your brother and not someone else's brother, look at how cool you are."

Although Yan Xiangxi said this, she was actually quite surprised that Gu Zhao could pass the exam in one try. Of course she knew that it was not easy to get on the list in the provincial exam. This time in the provincial examination organized by Fengtian Prefecture in the capital, there were several well-known talents in the capital who were favored by everyone, but not all of them were on the list. This examination will tell whether their usual talents are worth it.

As far as she knew, Yu Wenshao also participated in the provincial examination. It was a pity that he participated secretly, but left in despair, because he was not listed on the list. This shows how much talent and reputation he had in the past. Compared with Gu Zhao This real legitimate son of the Yu family is much different.

Gu Mu was happy by himself and shared the good news with his mother and concubine. The Southwest Princess was also happy for Gu Zhao. After Gu Zhao came to the capital, her son also had friends. In the past two years, Gu Mu had not left with other contemporaries in the capital. Even though he was close, except for Gu Zhao, he seemed to be quite withdrawn and unsociable towards others.

Song Cheng naturally knew that it would be good for him to have Gu Zhao come to the capital, so he was very happy about this result. After returning home, he told Mrs. Song that Mr. Tang who succeeded him was lucky, and all this was ready-made for him. As for the political achievements in hand, in addition to Gu Zhao and Song Ze on the list this time, the Qingling Mansion also produced two candidates. This achievement is quite outstanding. Ye Xiuming is only a loan student at the government school, so it cannot be counted as the achievements of the Qingling Mansion.

Gu Zhao and Song Ze stayed for half a month after returning to Qingling Mansion. Half a month later, they packed their bags and set off for the capital. Although the elders were very reluctant to leave, they were somewhat impatient to see them off, because they also saw that leaving behind There is no way to study hard in Qingling Mansion and prepare for the next year's examination, because there are too many people who want to come to the door with their posts, and there is no quiet time with all the people coming and going, so I'd better go to the capital as soon as possible, there are too many noble people there , multiple Gu Zhaos would not be too conspicuous.

The people in Qingling Mansion were so enthusiastic that Gu Zhao and Song Ze couldn't bear it, so they seemed to be running away. After leaving Qingling Mansion, they looked at each other and laughed, and rushed to Jiangtaicheng to meet Ye Xiuming first.

Originally, Mrs. Li was supposed to return to the capital with Gu Zhao. She came to Qingling Mansion because her son was here, but she never expected that she would have her own business in the past two years in Qingling Mansion, a ready-made garment workshop and an embroidery class. Her son still couldn't live without her, so she could only send her son away with regret, and planned to train his successor in the next period of time. If Gu Zhao would take the exam and become a high school scholar, she would definitely have to return to the capital. She could not do such a career in the capital. It can be carried out without being too far away from my son.

Therefore, only Shi Mao and the two accompanied Gu Zhao all the way to Beijing. Fortunately, Gu Mu was there in the capital. The two elders of the Gu family and the Li family were not very worried. The reason why Song's mother did not go together was similar to the Li family's. She also planned that Song If Ze High School is in high school, it’s not too late to go to the capital.

It was still autumn, the sky was high and the air was crisp, so it took the three of them twice as long as normal to arrive in the capital, because they stopped to admire the scenery when they came across a place with beautiful scenery. After relaxing for a while, Gu Mu, who was waiting in the capital, was so anxious that he almost wanted to run out of the capital with others. Fortunately, Gu Zhao and the others finally arrived.

"Brother!"

Gu Zhao was a little excited when he heard the familiar and intimate call, but before he could get off the carriage, a gust of wind came over, the curtain was opened, and a handsome smiling face appeared in front of his eyes. Who else could it be if it wasn't wood?

"wood!"

"Brother!"

"Wood!"

Song Ze and Ye Xiuming shook their heads speechlessly. Why don't they call so excitedly and affectionately? Calling once is not enough and they have to call two or three times. The two jumped out of the carriage, not to disturb the brothers' reunion and exchange of words. Brotherly love.

Ye Xiuming saw that Gu Mu had gotten into the carriage. He touched the goosebumps on his arms and said, "The brotherhood between these two people is really touching."

Song Ze teased, "At least I did my part back then. , but I don’t see this guy thinking about me all the time."

Ye Xiuming laughed out loud.

Gu Mu got into the carriage and hugged Gu Zhao hard. The force was so strong that Gu Zhao hit the boy's chest, causing his nose to hurt. The saline solution made his eyes watery, and his eyes were watery. He rubbed his nose and said, "Good guy, it seems you haven't been lazy at all in the past few years. Your body is much stronger than before. You must have become an iron wall." Looking at

his brother's watery eyes, Gu Mu His heartbeat was racing, but he was afraid of scaring his brother. Gu Mu deliberately puffed up his chest and said, "Of course, I am much more powerful than your brother now. I will protect him from now on."

Gu Zhao rubbed the kid's head and said with a smile. : "There are so many people who hate me and want to deal with me. Can you think of me better?"

"I miss my brother." Gu Mu couldn't help but hugged his brother again. It's really great that his brother can come to the capital. This time He will definitely be the one to protect his brother. He can do whatever he wants in the future without any scruples. He knows that his brother knows many more things than he can do now, but because of his worries, he dare not take out some things.

Gu Zhao patted Gu Mu's back happily and sighed. He thought he had saved a wolf cub, but he didn't expect that he would become a domesticated one after raising it. Being separated for such a long time did not change the relationship between them. Damn, this guy is still as clingy as before.

Chapter 219 Moving into the Viscount Mansion

Not only did Gu Mu come to pick them up, but Ye Xiuming's father also sent people to guard the city gate. So after entering the city, he left with the Ye family's servants and made an appointment to meet again. Anyway, Gu Zhao and Song Ze would definitely live in Gu. It was very easy to find them in Mu's Viscount Mansion.

Gu Mu happily took his brother back, and was very considerate to Song Ze and Shi Mao who were traveling with him. After all, they were both people who had spent a lot of time together.

Gu Zhao had been away from the capital for a long time, and most people gradually forgot about him. However, Gu Mu's actions as Baron Pingnan attracted much attention, so when he saw him leaving the city and coming back, the entire scene when riding on the horse was The people were also in a cheerful mood, which aroused the curiosity of some people. This Baron Pingnan was so excited. What was he doing?

"It seems that I picked up someone and returned to the Viscount's Mansion all the way. Someone can live in the Viscount's Mansion?" Many people were surprised. Although Baron Pingnan looked young and was only fifteen years old this year, he was actually He is not easy to approach and his mouth is not forgiving. Some people have seen him bickering with Princess Yongfu.

"Ah! I remembered, it must be that Gu Zijue who has returned to the capital! I seemed to have heard some time ago that this Gu Zijue has already passed the imperial examination. He must be coming to the capital to take part in the examination next year. "

What? Gu Zhao passed the exam? Is he really that good?"

"Look at what you said. Do you think the examiner sent by His Majesty over there cheated on Gu Zhao? Do you know that every time he takes the exam now, The top ten test papers will be posted, and the rest will depend on the situation. If the examiner really cheats on Gu Zhao, there will definitely be a commotion in the local area, and those candidates may not give the Viscount face." "Yes, post

the test papers. It is also to prevent cheating from happening, and it is also for other candidates to appreciate. Isn’t this the case here in the capital some time ago, a lot of the top ten test papers were passed around." "So, Gu

Zhao is really quite good, listen to you. It means that his test papers have also been posted? Could it be that his grades are so good?" "

I heard that he came in fifth place."

Many people present gasped after hearing this. Whether he was ranked at the top or bottom in the provincial examination, among them The bigger the difference, the closer you are to the top, as long as you perform normally, the chance of passing the Jinshi exam will be much greater.

Based on Gu Zhao's performance, even if he fails the examination after the new year, he has a very high chance of passing the exam three years later. If it is not surprising, he can be said to have a Jinshi in his hand.

This made many people present have a much higher opinion of Viscount Gu Zhao. The difference between Viscount Xiucai and Viscount Jinshi is huge. After passing the Jinshi examination in the future, it will be easier to get promotion opportunities than other Jinshi. It can be said that this Gu Zijue has a bright future.

Someone suddenly said: "Tell me, if Viscount Gu passes the imperial examination next year, will Viscount Yu be so regretful that his intestines will turn green?"

Everyone in the capital actually knows that Viscount Yu regretted it after he was demoted. But there is a difference in the degree of regret. Once Gu Zhao passes the Jinshi examination, Viscount Yu will regret it endlessly. Who told him to patronize the concubine and ignore the real legitimate son, and did not quickly recognize the legitimate son afterwards, causing the legitimate son to rather Returned to adoptive parents.

The news of Gu Zhao's arrival in the capital was only spread in a small area. After all, no one would keep an eye on Gu Mu's movements all day long, so Gu Zhao's arrival did not cause much splash in the capital. After all, the capital was at the feet of the emperor. The most prosperous place in the Zhou Dynasty, many interesting things happened every day. The things that happened to Gu Zhao all happened two years ago, so it was a long time ago.

And this was exactly what Gu Zhao needed, not to be disturbed and to read quietly.

After moving into the Viscount Mansion, Gu Mu also wanted Gu Zhao to live in his main courtyard together, but Gu Zhao would not agree and insisted on moving into the courtyard closest to the main courtyard. Song Ze stayed in the courtyard next to him. .

Anyway, the Viscount Mansion is big enough and there is no need to crowd together, and Song Ze has an intuition that Gu Mu may not be happy to see him living in the same courtyard as Gu Zhao. As soon as they meet, he knows that this guy's character has not changed at all, and for Gu Zhao he is still So domineering.

But when Gu Zhao settled in the nearby yard, he found that two people seemed to live in his yard. Mu Mu also stayed in his yard all day long, as if it was no different from moving into the main yard. He had some It was unnecessary, and Gu Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This time he came back to the capital purely to catch up with the exam, so Gu Zhao did not hand the child into the palace. After settling down, he only visited several houses, such as Song Mansion, Yongyi Marquis Mansion and Jing'an Bo Mansion, and went with Song Ze. Ye Mansion met Father Ye, and then concentrated on reading in the Viscount Mansion.

Gu Mu also prepared a lot of preparation materials for Gu Zhao's arrival, such as the top ten test papers for the annual examination every three years. Gu Mu found the transcripts before Gu Zhao came, and Song Ze also received a copy. , which made him very happy. He had no connections in this capital. It was not easy to collect all the test papers from previous years. He was considered to have benefited from Gu Zhao.

Not only did he benefit from his studies, but he also benefited a lot from his life. Living in the Viscount Mansion, he received the best treatment in food and drink, especially since Gu Mu also hired an imperial chef from the palace and ate the food cooked by the imperial chef. Song Ze felt flattered and deeply understood how favored Gu Mu, Baron Pingnan, was.

Although these were all prepared for Gu Zhao, he really enjoyed them.

Gu Zhao and Song Ze met Baozi on the first day they moved in. Now his nickname is Wang Shun. When Gu Zhao heard the name for the first time, he thought it sounded familiar. Later, he thought about it. Fortunately, the Wang family did not name Baozi Wang. Zhi's name is Wang Shun, which expresses the Wang family's expectations and blessings for the rest of his life. They hope that he can go smoothly in the rest of his life and no longer experience ups and downs.

Baozi listened to Gu Zhao's words two years ago and developed dim sum making into his hobby. He still reads and studies obediently.

Mr. Wang personally came over that day with gifts and steamed buns. When he learned that Gu Zhao was coming to the capital, he rushed here as soon as possible. During the Chinese New Year in the past two years, he also sent gifts to Qing Ling Mansion and asked Gu Zhao and Song Ze what they could do. For trivial matters, just tell them about the Wang family.

Song Ze really had something to ask of him. Even if he failed to pass the Jinshi exam next year, he would still have to buy a house in the capital. It was impossible to live in the Viscount Mansion all the time. After all, his relationship with Gu Mu was not as close as Gu Zhao. This kid also took care of Gu Zhao for his sake.

As a semi-employed person in the soap business, no matter how high the housing prices in the capital were, it would be easy for Song Ze to buy a house. After learning about Song Ze's requirements for the house, Master Wang took care of the matter.

Although Mr. Wang had a rough face, he now looked like a happy Maitreya Buddha all day long. He said to Gu Zhao: "Shun'er's talent in reading is not very good, but Xiumei and I never expected him to be able to rely on reading. As long as he is safe for the rest of his life, it is enough. Let him study just to avoid being blind, and it is also what Shun'er should do at his age." Gu Zhao was also very emotional after hearing this

. Baozi, who had been lost and found, wanted to put the best in the world in front of him, so how could he have higher demands on Baozi? Moreover, Gu Zhao could see that Baozi, who had lived in the capital for two years, had the same temperament as before. , still so kind, which is really unlike the Wang family.

It's not that the Wang family's father and daughter are bad-hearted. After all, it's impossible to do such a big business without some tricks, especially since Mr. Wang used to be a businessman, and the people he dealt with were from all walks of life.

Mr. Wang worked very quickly. Ten days later, Gu Zhao and Song Ze went to see the house together. Gu Mu was still in front of Gu Zhao's tail, but this tail was much bigger than two years ago. He is three years younger than Gu Zhao, but he is taller than Gu Zhao. He has been practicing martial arts for many years and his body is much stronger than Gu Zhao.

Wang Laoshi was very careful in searching for this house. The house they went to see was located in the west of the city. The capital pays attention to the wealth in the east and the wealth in the west. It can be seen that there are a group of people gathered in the west of the city. It is not easy to buy a house here, and so is Mr. Wang. By chance, when I was looking for a house, I happened to meet an official who had retired and returned to his hometown. This official's family had no promising descendants, so it was useless to stay in the capital. It was better to return to his hometown, so he was eager to sell the house in the capital.

The house is not too big, but it has three rooms, which meets Song Ze's needs. Even if he gets married and has children in the future, he can still live in it. So after walking around, Song Ze decided to buy it because of Gu Mu. Baron Pingnan followed behind. It turned out that the owner did not dare to raise the price too high, so Song Ze readily paid a sum of money.

After buying the house, Song Ze was very happy. He could be regarded as someone who owned real estate in the capital. This was something that the poor farm boy who was studying hard in Shuiyun Village never expected.

Mr. Wang was not surprised at all that Song Ze could shell out thousands of taels of silver at once. He knew how big Gu Zhao's business was. Gu Zhao and Song Ze had such a good relationship. It was impossible not to take care of him at all. Because of this, Mr. Wang admires Gu Zhao very much. Gu Zijue is good at reading and doing business well. Gu Zhao is still young, otherwise the Wang family's fortune would not be in Gu Zijue's eyes.

Mr. Wang is happy to run errands for Gu Zhao and Song Ze while it is still needed.

In addition to studying hard, Gu Zhao and Song Ze also sought advice from Hui Song Cheng and Ye Fu. After all, these two were both Jinshi scholars, and Gu Zhao and Song Ze also benefited from their half-year study experience at Wensi Academy. That half-year of study was not Just for the provincial examination, the masters' teachings were not only for the provincial examination, but Gu Mu would also get back some Imperial College books and materials for them.

It is also because of this that the students of the Imperial College are very curious. The favored Baron Pingnan has been appearing in the Imperial College recently. What is the reason? Gu Mu is different from them. Most of them have to study hard and pass the imperial examination to become an official. However, Gu Mu has entered the officialdom early. His Majesty can raise him to a noble title with just one sentence. Therefore, many people are jealous of him. .

Chapter 220 Princess Invitation

Someone said sourly: "Perhaps Baron Pingnan suddenly realized that he had read too little and wanted to make progress."

Not everyone would agree with this statement. Is it a problem for Gu Mu to want to make progress? He was studying in the palace before. How could the people His Majesty called into the palace to teach Gu Mu become less knowledgeable? They were all called from the Hanlin Academy.

"I heard a rumor, I don't know if it's true or not."

"What is it?"

"I heard that Viscount Gu came to the capital. I think Baron Pingnan came to get these information for Viscount Gu. This Viscount Gu has already If you pass the local provincial examination, you will definitely take part in next year's general examination."

"You actually passed the provincial examination? Gu Zijue has such a level?"

"This list will be reported to the court, I think it won't be difficult to find out."

Some people don't believe in evil, but they actually do it. I looked for ways to check the newly released lists of candidates from various places. However, I found that Gu Zhao's name was indeed included in the latest list of candidates published in the Jiangtai City newspaper, and he was ranked very high. This news spread in the Imperial College, and many people were shocked. Eyeballs.

I think after Gu Zhao's life experience was exposed, many people still believed that he would recognize him back at the Yongning Marquis Mansion and become their classmates in the Imperial College in the future. He would be able to enter directly based on his identity without taking the exam. With such mental preparation, who would have expected that he would not bother to stay in the capital at all, and left as soon as the lawsuit was over.

Someone else made a sarcastic comment: "I heard that the local provincial examinations are much less difficult than the rural examinations in our Fengtian Prefecture. The Fengtian Prefecture scientific examination is the most difficult and the most competitive. We will know the outcome in the joint examination at the beginning of next year." "

But there are only a few who agree. Those who are well-informed know that Gu Zhao studied at Wensi Academy in Jiangnan before the rural examination. The rural examination in the capital is not easy, but there are many literati in Jiangnan, and the imperial examination is equally difficult. However, I heard that Gu Zhao's performance and achievements in Wensi College were quite good, and he was quite popular among the masters and deans of the college.

Gu Zhao didn't know about the calculations of the students in the Imperial College. He and Song Ze were very happy about the information Gu Mu got back and even sent a copy to Ye Xiuming.

Although there are some students in the Imperial College who got in under the protection of their families, and not necessarily many of them have real talents and academics. They either hang around or use the Imperial College as a place to develop contacts, but there are also many students who got in through their own real talents and have gathered together. Talents from all over the Zhou Dynasty taught their talents to learn more, so the information obtained from it is of great reference value.

In the palace, the emperor asked Yan Xiangxi, who was helping the emperor read zhezi: "I heard that boy Gu Zhao has come to the capital?"

Under the emperor's guidance and guidance, Yan Xiangxi no longer just helped the emperor read zhezi, but also began to read zhezi for the emperor. Imitating the emperor's handwriting directly replaced the emperor's review of the seals. Of course, the important seals still had to be read by the emperor himself. This was also an excellent learning process. The three Xiangzi seniors could not receive such hand-in-hand personal instruction from the emperor.

But who made them just the emperor's nephews and not his biological children? There must be a difference in treatment.

Yan Xiangxi didn't even raise his head: "Yes, I came to the capital. That boy Gu Mu is following Gu Zhao all day long and showing great courtesy. I didn't expect that Gu Zhao actually passed the provincial examination." The

emperor asked. He raised his eyebrows: "Yeah, I didn't expect that, so I looked for his paper and looked at it. He is a man of real ability and learning, and he should be pragmatic and able to do practical things in the future."

Yan Xiangxi kept these words in his heart . , obviously when Gu Zhao is admitted to Jinshi, his father will definitely reuse him. She naturally hopes that Gu Zhao can practice it early. Compared with others, Gu Zhao is naturally on her side.

She really wanted to thank Yan Xiangmian for this. The reason why Gu Zhao mentioned her words in the first place was probably because he was afraid of Yan Xiangmian's existence. If Yan Xiangmian came to power, based on his relationship with Yu Wenshao, Gu Zhaoke was in a bad situation.

Thinking of this, Yan Xiangxi couldn't help but burst into laughter. When his father looked over and quickly stopped him, the emperor shook his head. Sometimes this child was mature, and sometimes he was a little childish, which really worried him.

Fortunately, he has made great progress during this period. In the eyes of the emperor, he is much better than the three nephews, so those three naturally have the gender advantage.

Thinking of this, the emperor asked: "It is better to finalize the candidate for your consort as soon as possible. Don't delay it any longer. You have chosen it yourself, and the emperor will give you the order."

Yan Xiangxi put down the ink brush and touched his chin and said: "Well, it has been delayed for so long, it is time to make a decision. My son is not young now. If we make a decision early, our father can also hold his grandson early." These words suddenly made the emperor a little excited

. Yes, the grandson who inherited his bloodline, and when he saw his grandson born, he might live a few more years to help Xi'er train and teach his grandson. Such a future made the emperor want to take good care of himself even more. body of.

Seeing the brilliance on her father's face, Yan Xiangxi felt that she had made the right decision. Maybe having a child earlier would be a good thing for her father. While she was studying hard, she hoped that her father could live longer than anyone else. A few years, not only because of the love between father and daughter, but also because the longer her father lives, the more beneficial it is to her.

Although she was born in the Heavenly Family, her father's love she enjoyed was much stronger than that of many people. Yan Xiangxi was extremely lucky to have her father who had such plans for her. Even if she wanted to do something treasonous and unethical, after thinking about it, her father would In fact, I am also trying to help her fight for it.

If he couldn't win it, wouldn't he let his father down too much and let down his love for his daughter?

Gu Zhao received the princess's invitation and happily took Song Ze with him to attend the appointment.

Gu Mu muttered that she was very dissatisfied with Yan Xiangxi interrupting his brother's reading at this time. Gu Zhao said with a smile: "Studying should combine work and rest, and it's time to go out for a walk."

Song Ze also said the same to the princess. There is some expectation that Gu Mu was discovered and taken away by the princess who went to Qingling Mansion in disguise. And with the current situation in the court, anyone who pays a little attention can guess some of the princess's thoughts, but everyone still understands it tacitly. The emperor did not say anything, thinking that the emperor's true intention of pushing the princess out would not be made public unless he said it.

Therefore, there is such a tacit understanding in the court now, and one does not know when this tacit understanding and balance will be broken.

Song Ze came from a farm family and was raised by a widowed mother who worked hard to support his education. In addition, when he saw what Gu Yao and Li's mother Song did in Qingling Mansion, Song Ze was not indifferent, because of this In this environment, Song Ze not only didn’t think it was inappropriate for the princess to compete for the throne, but also felt that it would be a challenge. If the princess really succeeded, it would be a good thing for young people like them who are not so rigid in thinking about entering the officialdom. One piece.

What's more, his good brother Gu Zhao was close to the princess, and Song Ze felt that he was naturally on the princess's side.

After dressing up, the three of them arrived at the restaurant where the princess had invited them. The princess was already waiting for them upstairs by the window.

Although this location is not a private room, when he went upstairs, Gu Zhao found that this location was perfectly chosen. It not only took care of privacy, but also allowed him to have a panoramic view of the whole restaurant.

Because outside, Yan Xiangxi waved her hand to Gu Zhao and Song Ze and did not let Gu Zhao and Song Ze salute. She was very polite to Song Ze. Knowing Gu Zhao's situation, Song Ze was also in her information. Winning Jieyuan can be described as a dark horse. Yan Xiangxi is quite confident about him taking the exam next year. She also secretly used some of the information Gu Mu obtained.

Yan Xiangxi and Gu Zhao were not so polite and asked directly: "How did you read the book? Are you confident about next year's examination?"

Gu Zhaoxiao: "Someone asked us this before the provincial examination. Same thing, I don't dare You said you were absolutely sure, it depends on your luck."

"I'm really unambitious, I thought you would say it was absolutely foolproof, no matter what, you have to be the number one pick or something like that."

"Pfft!" Gu Zhao just picked up the tea cup. Fortunately, he didn't drink it, otherwise he would have to spray the tea. Song Ze twitched his mouth when he heard this. He didn't expect the princess to be such a princess, nor did he expect that Gu Zhao got along with the princess like this in private.

"Princess, you are so flattering to me, Gu Zhao. I will be lucky enough to be on the exam next year instead of failing." Gu Zhao changed his tone again, "Master Sun, the examiner in Jiangtaicheng, is a member of Ding Shangshu, right? Is the minister taking a position? Who is he?"

It was difficult to explain these things in the letter, so Gu Zhao had been curious since he came back from Jiangnan as to which Xiangzi did the man named Ding run errands for.

Gu Mu pouted: "Brother, why don't you ask me? I know, they are siding with Yan Xiangjin. Now Yan Xiangjin is the most powerful in the court, and the other two guys have to join forces to compete with him." Gu Zhao was surprised.

He said: "It has reached this level?" He patted the outside of Gu Mu's arm again, "Okay, I didn't think of asking you. I happened to see the princess today, and I still haven't answered this matter." Gu Mu was

very surprised. It was so coaxing, of course, this was only for Gu Zhao, so when Gu Zhao said this, Gu Mu put down his gun and turned to face the princess: "Why did you call my brother out today?"

Yan Xiangxi said speechlessly: " After all, I am an acquaintance of Gu Zhao. Isn’t it normal for him to come to the capital to do my best to serve as a landlord?"

Gu Mu rolled his eyes: "I don't believe you would invite my brother for no reason."

Song Ze He quickly lowered his head and drank tea. It seemed that the rumors outside were not exaggerated at all. The way Gu Mu and Princess Yongfu got along was really surprising, but it could also be seen from this that the two people were actually very close and trusting each other.

Gu Zhao also told him that Mu Mu and the princess had been fighting since childhood. Song Ze had been skeptical before, but after meeting today, he felt that it was very likely that Gu Mu might have really beaten the princess.

Yan Xiangxi glared at Gu Mu angrily. She had obviously known this boy for a longer time, and their friendship was built up through small fights, so why didn't she see him favoring her side?

Yan Xiangxi surrendered and said, "Okay, let me tell you, I really have something I want Gu Zijue to help me with."

"What's the matter?" Gu Zhao asked curiously.

"Help me take a look at the candidates I have selected as my consort."

"Pfft!" Looking back at this, Zhao Zhen spewed tea.