"..." Song Weifeng's cheeks turned red, but his left hand dishonestly touched the back of Zhou Ziyan's hand.
He knew that he was waiting for others to take the exam too slowly, so he made Brother Zhou wait anxiously.
Zhou Ziyan felt the softness on the back of his hand and took Song Weifeng's hand again.
Tianchi Mingzhi said that he just said that to liven up the atmosphere and did not mean to blame anything, but since he had free tofu now, he didn't mind.
"Then when are you going to get married?" Gu Siwen pried off Wen Zhao's hand and squeezed towards Zhou Ziyan, "If my father knew that you were getting married, cousin Zhou, he would be so happy that he wouldn't know what to do! Don't worry , my dad will definitely prepare a big gift!"
Wen Zhao was not as heartless as Gu Siwen. He looked at Song Weifeng's passing imperial attire and asked tentatively: "This little brother Song, does he want to continue the imperial examination?"
"Absolutely!" Gu Siwen blurted out, "Otherwise, why would I come to the capital—"
As soon as he said this, Gu Siwen himself was stunned.
Since he passed the imperial examination and came to the capital to enter the official school, he must want to continue the imperial examination.
But...but Brother Song is a brother and cousin Zhou's sweetheart. If they get married, then Brother Song...can't continue the imperial examination.
"..." This is exactly what Wen Zhao is worried about.
He noticed that among this group of people, there was another female judge and a younger brother, the judge.
Although they are still young, they and Brother Song are facing the same situation - should they continue the imperial examination, or choose a good man to get married?
Wang Xiaoniu and Jiang Qingqing are both sensible now, and they naturally understand what Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao mean.
Over the years, they have seen many students in the same situation as them, and they also know what choices those students have made.
But when it was their turn, they realized how difficult this choice was.
Jiang Qingqing didn't like such a depressing state. He picked up his chopsticks and put vegetables into the pot, and said with a smile: "Master Zhou, we have grown a lot over the years, right? We are almost as high as your chest now!"
Zhou Ziyan followed Jiang Qingqing's words, propped up his chin and smiled: "Yes, you have all grown up to be teenagers."
The hand under his sleeve was still holding Song Weifeng's hand tightly and never let go.
This seems to be an answer.
Song Weifeng felt the warmth in his palms and did not flinch.
This is also his answer.
Wang Xiaoniu suddenly said: "By the way, Master, I have a new name!"
"Oh? Which one did you choose? Or a new one?" Zhou Ziyan originally wanted to choose a name for Wang Xiaoniu, but he felt that such a big thing as a name should be left to Wang Xiaoniu to decide, so he just thought There are so many names on a piece of paper, send them back and let Wang Xiaoniu choose.
"Wang Chusui, the meaning of Sui He, is it nice or not!" Wang Xiaoniu particularly likes her new name. "The name I chose is also nice, but it is too formal. I came up with this name myself. At that time, my aunt was growing grain in the field. You sent me a copy of the harvest, and there happened to be an ear seedling sandwiched on it, and the buds were vigorous and growing."
"It sounds nice." Zhou Ziyan felt that this name sounded better than the names he had thought of, and it was also very meaningful.
Wang Xiaoniu rubbed her head, "But everyone still calls me Xiaoniu. I'm used to it. It's the same as Ergun."
Ergun nodded and silently helped Wang Xiaoniu and Jiang Qingqing prepare the dishes.
Siniang also asked the waiter to bring many portions of fruit for them to enjoy.
Everyone reunited after a long absence. Zhou Ziyan opened a jar of wine for the first time and stayed with everyone until they were drunk.
At the round table, everyone gradually became familiar with each other over a cup and a pair of chopsticks.
Letters from Song Weifeng and the others have not been sent since the end of the provincial examination. Zhou Ziyan finally filled this period of time from Song Weifeng.
It turns out that as soon as the township examination was over, the results of the county's candidates were brought back from Yuenan Mansion by various people.
Students from Nana Academy took the exam for seven or eight years and finally passed the exam.
Which family's "Wenquxing Xianxia" performed abnormally in the provincial examination this year and failed to pass the examination...
In public, the most amazing thing is the small town of Maminggou.
Maminggou is just a very small town in the local county. Even though it has a dock, it is not very large in terms of population.
But in such a small town, more than a dozen people were elected in one go!
Especially the Xinyang Academy in Maminggou, which holds nine out of a dozen candidates!
But what makes everyone unbelievable is the age of these candidates.
Song Douding, Wang Xiaoniu, Jiang Qingqing... one by one, these children were only seven or eight years old when they passed the scholar examination.
At that time, everyone was waiting for them to make a splash, but they did not expect that they did not take part in the provincial examination.
Instead, he went to Xinyang Academy and became a good student.
Gradually, everyone's attention no longer focused on these children.
No one expected that these children would give them a big surprise during the provincial examination a few years later!
From the age of twelve to fifteen, there were really so many years of success in their town!
That's a great achievement!
How many students have been taking exams all their lives, only to be stuck at the stage of being promoted, and have regrets all their lives.
But what about these children?
They were able to pass the imperial examination at a young age of ten. As long as they do not go astray, it is not impossible to pass the imperial examination in the future!
Palace examination!
That is to meet the Holy Emperor and become the person beside the Emperor of Daqing!
Imagining them taking the imperial examination in the capital, the residents of the town finally had a clearer understanding of 'reaching the sky in one step'.
Compared with these children, Song Weifeng, who passed the examination at the age of twenty, did not stand out.
Song Weifeng didn't even expect that he would be so 'lost to everyone'.
After the provincial examination, they were considered to be "returning to their hometowns in fine clothes". Chief Wen personally took the teachers and classmates from Xinyang Academy to pick them up on the official road. All the fellow villagers came to congratulate them along the way.
It made these children feel embarrassed.
They had made an agreement with Zhou Ziyan that as long as they passed the provincial examination, they would go to the capital to continue their studies.
Their parents also knew about this, but they didn't have much confidence that they would be able to pass the examination.
Anyway...just give it a try.
Who would have thought that I would actually pass this test!
But, after passing the exam, I have to go to the capital!
For Song's father, being able to go to the capital was like a pie falling from the sky. It didn't matter whether he could eat it or not, but he had to get it.
So as soon as Song Weifeng and Song Douding returned home, Song's father urged them to prepare their luggage for the capital. They must bring everything they need to avoid being too busy when they set off.
Needless to say, Wang Xiaoniu, neither family has the right to control her decision, so she can just follow the Song family.
Song Douding and Wang Xiaoniu, two children, have been playing in the mud hand in hand since they were young, and now go to the capital to study side by side. Their friendship has been in the small open space in Chunliu Lane for many years, which is not enough for outsiders.
Ergun and Pang Pangshan were also easy to deal with. The two elders of Ergun's family were entrusted to Song's father. From now on, Ergun would regularly give Song's father a sum of money, so that the lives of the two old people could be guaranteed.
The vow Ergun made in front of the small shabby house has finally come true.
The hard days are over, and from now on, every day is a good day.
Pang Pangshan is the eldest son of the family, and whatever he decides, the Pang family will do as he wishes.
The family's expectations all fell on Pang Pangshan. His trip was not only for himself, but also for all the relatives he cared about.
As for Zhong Qiaoyi, the magistrate of Zhong County had never been to the Imperial College, which was a pity in this life.
Now that Zhong Qiao can go to the Imperial College, Zhong Zhixian is really happy and shows off to his old friends every day, which is very annoying.
Zhong Qiao was grateful for Magistrate Zhong's care, so after he passed the Juren exam, he specifically asked Magistrate Yuenan to help him change his name.
Officially changed from Lu Qiaoyi to Zhong Qiaoyi.
He now wants to go to the capital to study hard, and in the future he will be assigned an official position, hoping to be transferred to the area around Maminggou, so that he can be able to help Zhongzhi County live out his old age.
The Lu family of Yuenan Prefecture, after learning about Zhong Qiaoyi, sent people to the door many times, trying to take Zhong Qiaoyi back and have Zhong Qiaoyi change his surname to Lu again.
Here in Daqing, it is extremely treasonous to change your surname privately even though your parents are still alive.
But Zhong Qiaoyi persisted in spite of the abuse from all sides and never compromised.
Jiang Qingqing is in bigger trouble.
Although the Jiang family did not object to Jiang Qingqing taking the imperial examination, they did not want Jiang Qingqing to go so far away from the capital.
Besides, Jiang Qingqing is getting older and it's time to look for her husband's family. How can he go to the capital?
The Jiang family is naturally unwilling.
But Jiang Qingqing was even more reluctant. He wanted to see the capital. Even if he failed the next examination, he still wanted to see the capital.
The wishes of the Jiang family and Jiang Qingqing were inconsistent, and a huge conflict naturally broke out.
Jiang Qingqing was firm in his opinion and would never back down. The Jiang family simply locked Jiang Qingqing in the house and prevented him from running out again.
This incident finally alarmed Zhong Zhixian and Wenshan Chief.
For Chief Yu Wenshan, Jiang Qingqing was trained by him personally, so how could he stop at being a successful candidate? No matter what, I have to go through the National Examination and the Palace Examination!
For Zhongzhi County, Jiang Qingqing is his political achievement from being an official. If Jiang Qingqing can continue to obtain merit in the future, it will be an even greater achievement for him, and he must not be locked up in Maminggou!
The two old men personally visited the Jiang family, showing kindness and power, hoping that the Jiang family would let Jiang Qingqing go to the capital.
Although the Jiang family was dissatisfied with Jiang Qingqing's stubbornness, they just locked him up and did not treat the children harshly.
So Jiang Qingqing just cried for several days and her eyes were a little red and swollen.
Facing Magistrate Zhong and Chief Wenshan, the Jiang family would definitely not be able to defeat them.
In addition, Jiang Qingqing knelt down and begged, and the Jiang family finally let go and agreed to Jiang Qingqing's trip to the capital.
However, before Jiang Qingqing left, he had to arrange a marriage first. If Jiang Qingqing failed the college entrance examination, he could go home and get engaged directly.
Although Jiang Qingqing is still young, Daqing does not care about age when it comes to engagements. It is decided first and then the marriage is done when they are old enough.
Hearing this, Zhou Ziyan was stunned, "Qingqing, did you say we were kissed?"
"It's not decided yet. We just met and the two families made an agreement privately." When it came to this marriage, Jiang Qingqing didn't care. "The decision is that he is the brother of my mother's distant cousin's cousin... maybe Well, I can't remember clearly either."
"What about that person?" Zhou Ziyan frowned, not expecting the Jiang family to do this.
Jiang Qingqing put down his chopsticks and sighed: "He is actually quite nice, honest and honest, and good-looking. If he were placed in the town, he would definitely be a good husband that every household would like."
But he is definitely not Jiang Qingqing's good husband.
Song Weifeng said: "We have also met that person. He is seven years older than Qingqing. His family is a businessman and has a lot of money, but there is no child who can study. That's why we pay special attention to Qingqing, who has the reputation of being a successful candidate. middle."
"When we enter the capital this time, that man will also follow us, but he is bringing goods to the capital for inspection, so his journey is a little slow. We will leave first, and he will come later."
"..." Zhou Ziyan looked at Jiang Qingqing. The child was only a teenager now, and he was about to get engaged.
Jiang Qingqing didn't think this was anything. He had always been able to muddle along. If he could pass the national examination, he would definitely not go back to get married.
If you don't pass the exam, your character is still passable anyway, so you won't lose much if you go home and get married.
"Come on, let's not talk about this anymore. We finally met each other. It's so frustrating to talk about this!"
Skipping this topic, everyone toasted again.
However, Zhou Ziyan is no longer as relaxed as he was just now. He found that after a few years, although these children have grown up, they have inevitably encountered their own problems.
After finally getting over the hurdle of being a "child" and now becoming a young man with a bright future, new difficulties have come to his door.
Man, the journey of life is really full of thorns.
I don't know how much blood it will take to get to the end.
Regardless of the past, today's hot pot meal left Siniang's shabu-shabu shop with everyone's belly feeling full after eating it.
The weather in early spring is still slightly cool.
Zhou Ziyan is now always following Song Weifeng, never missing a step. He said: "You just came to Lixinfang, should I show you around?"
After hearing this, Gu Siwen's eyes widened again.
If he remembered correctly, cousin Zhou was going to handle official court affairs today, so he wore official uniform and canceled his classes at the Imperial College.
His cousin Zhou always puts official duties first and never lets anything or anyone delay him from carrying out official duties. He will definitely have to go back to the Hanlin Academy to continue his work later. How come he has time to visit Lixinfang now?
Zhou Ziyan was smiling at Song Weifeng one moment, but the next moment he avoided Song Weifeng and made a 'hush' gesture towards Gu Siwen.
With that posture, if Gu Siwen dared to say one more word, Zhou Ziyan could directly sue Mr. Gu, and then make Gu Siwen's ass explode.
Gu Siwen: "..."
Where does this libertine come from? He actually puts the official duties of the court after his sweetheart!
That guy Wei Cong must have been tricked!
Of course Zhou Ziyan knew what burdens he still had, but he knew how fast he could handle it, so he set aside a little time to accompany Song Weifeng and the others so as not to delay things.
Song Weifeng didn't want to be separated from Brother Zhou now, so he planned to visit Lixinfang with Brother Zhou.
When he left the capital, although Lixinfang was prosperous, it was not as prosperous as it is today.
There are many novel things here that he has never seen before!
A few people turned around and wanted to follow Siniang's meat-shabu-shabu shop to the busiest place.
But before they even stepped out of the small courtyard of the Shabu Shabu House, several bearded men walked in surrounded by several students and old men.
Although these people are wearing Daqing clothes, they are all very muscular and round-waisted. In terms of their frame and appearance, they seem to be somewhat different from the people of Daqing.
Sure enough, when several of them opened their mouths, they spoke some incomprehensible foreign language.
【Who is the boss here? We want to book the biggest room! 】
[The taste is so delicious, it is indeed the most popular shabu-shabu restaurant in the outer city! 】
[There is nothing else like this in Daqing. The food is indeed much better than ours. 】
These people were talking in a high-pitched voice, which immediately made everyone in the shabu-shabu shop stop what they were doing and look at them with strange eyes.
When Siniang heard about the arrival of outsiders, she hurriedly came out, but...but she couldn't understand either!
These people don't seem to be talking about the same country, which makes it even harder for her!
Gu Siwen put his feet up and looked, "Master, are these the people Zheng Jijiu said before that they would come to Daqing to study?"
"It should be."
Zhou Ziyan put his hands behind his back and looked at the people in the Shabu Shabu Hall, "I didn't expect it to come so soon."
There seem to be a few familiar faces here.
Regular study tours between countries have long been established.
Due to the issue of national strength, small neighboring countries usually come to Daqing for study tours, which last for a few months or a year or two.
Every five years is an interval, and this tradition has been going on for countless years.
Before Zhou Ziyan left Beijing for the last time, he happened to receive a wave of students studying abroad.
Unexpectedly, we met again now.
Chapter 115
The people from the surrounding small countries were still chattering, but Si Niang couldn't understand a word.
Finally, the old man who had been waiting behind came forward and explained their purpose in Daqing Mandarin.
Zhou Ziyan and others waited outside and saw that it gradually became quiet before leaving Siniang's shabu-shabu shop.
"Master, are those students from the countries surrounding Daqing?" Song Douding thought about the appearance of those students and said seriously, "They seem to be very knowledgeable."
"Yes." Zhou Ziyan briefly introduced the tradition of multi-country study tours.
Only then did a few "little bumpkins" from Maminggou know that there was such a rule in Qingjing Province.
Song Douding has grown up now, but he still likes to hold Master's hand, just like he did when he was a child. He grabbed Zhou Ziyan's big palm and asked: "Master, didn't those people come to Daqing to study? Why don't they talk about our Daqing?" It's official language."
"Among their group, only the tutors understand some Daqing dialect. As for the children, it would be good if they can understand Daqing Mandarin." Zhou Ziyan explained, "The students who come to Daqing for study tours are all relatively young. They know little about Daqing Mandarin, so they come to Daqing for study tours and use Daqing's living environment to strengthen their Daqing Mandarin."
"I thought they were here to compete in knowledge." Song Douding said.
It turns out that I just came here to learn Daqing Mandarin.
Zhou said to himself: "I also have this intention, but I still focus on experiencing Daqing life."
So Zhou Ziyan always felt like a modern exchange student.
Perhaps, modern exchange students also developed slowly based on historical facts?
Zhou Ziyan took Song Weifeng and others through various "doors" and walked all the way to another mansion.
This capital city can be said to be Zhou Ziyan's "hometown", so when Song Weifeng and the others came to Zhou Ziyan's "hometown", Zhou Ziyan couldn't wait to move all the good things into their little bag.
Passing by a gold and silver shop, Wang Xiaoniu wanted to go in and buy a pearl hairpin.
As a result, Zhou Ziyan waved his sleeves, and Wang Xiaoniu was stuffed with three complete sets of hair and face.
A set of magnolia and golden flowers, suitable for Wang Xiaoniu to bring to various parties.
A set of sapphire bamboo carvings is suitable for taking to class.
There is also a set of small hook moire patterns, which are relatively simple and can be taken with you for fun.
Wang Xiaoniu held three wooden carving hollow boxes, her big eyes were dull.
She...she just wanted to buy a small hairpin!
Zhou Ziyan took out a finely crafted pearl hairpin directly from the box and pinned it to Wang Xiaoniu's bun.
The pearl hairpin is round and jade-like, just suitable for a young girl in her prime.
Zhou Ziyan kept nodding and patted Wang Xiaoniu on the head, "Consider this a congratulatory gift from Master. Congratulations to our little girl for passing the provincial examination and getting a new name."
Wang Xiaoniu touched the pearl hairpin on her head, her face turned red and she looked shy.
There are several pen and ink restaurants in the capital, and Zhou Ziyan rushed in when he passed one.
When I came out again, my hands were empty but my heart was satisfied.
And those who followed him, such as Song Douding and others, would each have an extra set of pens, inks, paper and inkstones in their hands, and they were all very expensive.
"No... they also bought a lot themselves." Song Weifeng helped to take it, but still wanted to persuade Zhou Ziyan not to spend so much money. "They now have the imperial reward silver and the regular silver in their hands. They can buy whatever they want."
"I know."
This is Zhou Ziyan's answer, but he forgets it after hearing it and does not change it.
When passing by a clothing store again, Zhou Ziyan looked at the store plaque solemnly.
Song Weifeng understood and quickly pulled Zhou Ziyan's sleeves, "Clothes...clothes are really unnecessary."
With one look from Zhou Ziyan, he could understand what Zhou Ziyan was thinking.
With such a solemn expression, I am definitely going to spend money again!
"..." Zhou Ziyan slowly took Song Weifeng's hand and said in a more solemn tone, "Since we are all coming to the capital, we must change into some nice clothes."
Saying that, he lifted his feet and went in.
Song Weifeng stood there, looking at Zhou Ziyan's unwavering back, "..."
Forget it, as long as Brother Zhou is happy.
Song Douding had a sad face, "Brother, I've already spent a lot of money on it. If I buy it like this again, I'm afraid I'll have no money left."
"...This costs several hundred taels." Wang Xiaoniu felt even heavier than Song Douding, because her three sets of hair and face alone cost Zhou Ziyan one hundred and twenty taels.
That's one hundred and twenty taels!
Zhou Ziyan was already halfway in, but the young boys behind him did not follow. He picked up the door frame and stared at these people, dissatisfied: "Why don't you come in? What are you thinking about?"
"..." Song Weifeng looked calm, but he kicked Song Douding from behind.
Song Douding jumped up immediately, "It's coming, it's coming!"
Led by Song Douding, everyone rushed in quickly.
Master Zhou has gone crazy. With them watching, Master Zhou might be able to buy less.
Song Weifeng did not follow him in, and Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao also stayed outside.
Gu Siwen leaned against the pillar of the clothing store and beat his leg, "I have never seen cousin Zhou so excited. It's really strange."
In fact, they could have left long ago, but they refused to leave. They just wanted to stay here and watch the show for a while longer.
As a result, I followed Zhou Ziyan running here and there, almost breaking both of his legs.
Gu Siwen almost fainted from exhaustion, but Zhou Ziyan was still tireless.
This is nothing like the usual Cousin Zhou who can sit and never stand!
"It's inevitable to be excited when we meet again after a long absence." Although Wen Zhao stood beside Gu Siwen, his eyes always flew to Song Weifeng next to him.
Gu Siwen couldn't help but look at Song Weifeng.
This young man named Song Weifeng seems to be in his early twenties. He looks fair, handsome, calm and elegant.
He's about the same age as them!
But she has already been elected, and she is still in love with cousin Zhou.
From now on...do I have to call my cousin sister-in-law?
Wen Zhao seemed to understand the thoughts in Gu Siwen's eyes and warned him: "Don't talk nonsense, or you may be beaten by Master Gu."
"...Tch." Gu Siwen rolled his eyes at Wen Zhao, then nuzzled up to Song Weifeng, "Brother Song, you and Cousin Zhou have a very good relationship."
"Not bad." Song Weifeng knew that Gu Siwen was not Brother Zhou's real cousin, but Zhou Zi said that since he could tolerate Gu Siwen calling him that, he must like Gu Siwen, so Song Weifeng was also very kind to Gu Siwen.
Gu Siwen thought of Zhou Ziyan's current official position, "Then are you going to study in the Imperial College?"
Song Weifeng nodded.
"That's great! Cousin Zhou is now concurrently serving as a Doctor of the Five Classics in the Imperial College. If you go, you can study with Cousin Zhou as before." Gu Siwen suddenly thought of something and lowered his face, "Wait until school starts. At that time, both Wen Zhao and you were going to Shuxing Hall, but I was the only one still hanging around in the original hall."
"Who told you that you have no responsibility to take the provincial examination?" Wen Zhao hated the iron. "If you miss this time, you will have to wait another three years. After three years, we will not know where we are going."
"Aren't I scared..." Gu Siwen rubbed his hands.
Now the greatest hope of the entire Gu family lies in him, but he is not as smart as his brother, and he is afraid that he will not be able to bear everyone's expectations.
So he ran away.
"Actually, waiting three years is not necessarily a bad thing." Song Weifeng saw that Gu Siwen was really distressed and said a few more words, "Dou Ding, I, and Brother Zhou all passed the Children's Examination at the same time, and then Brother Zhou went to take the Provincial Examination, and None of us went."
"Brother Zhou has great literary talent and solid knowledge. It is certain that he will take the provincial examination, but Douding and I are not good enough. We are both afraid of failing the provincial examination and suffering the blow of failure for no reason at that time, so we did not go. Only Zhou Da went to take the provincial examination."
"No wonder Cousin Zhou came to the capital alone first." Gu Siwen suddenly realized, "Then you have been separated from Cousin Zhou for more than four years?"
"Yes, Brother Zhou has been waiting for us for four years in the capital, and we have been waiting for him for four years in Maminggou." Song Weifeng said with a smile, "Fortunately, we are reunited now. So, sometimes it's okay to be slower. No matter what bad thing happens, as long as you have a clue in your own mind."
Gu Siwen thought thoughtfully, nodded, and suddenly crooked around Song Weifeng's neck like a monkey, "Brother Song, you are so kind, I like you!"
"..." Wen Zhao pulled Gu Siwen's back, "Cousin Zhou is out!"
Gu Siwen, the unlucky man, said this just as Zhou Ziyan had finished shopping.
Zhou Ziyan heard Gu Siwen's confession completely, and then he pulled Gu Siwen off Song Weifeng with a smile, "Gu Siwen, I remember that you still have two analytical articles that you haven't written while I'm here?"
"..." Gu Siwen clasped his hands together, "Dr. Zhou, my father took me to Zhang Hanlin's birthday party a few days ago, and I really, really forgot."
Zhou Ziyan said selflessly: "Today is the deadline. If you can't hand it in again, you won't be able to pass my class."
"..." Gu Siwen fainted on Wen Zhao.
Wen Zhao quietly stepped aside, letting Gu Siwen fall to the ground without a trace of dust on him.
Zhou Ziyan was thinking about the fact that these children came to the capital for the first time, and he missed them for four years, so he tried his best to make up for them with all kinds of good things.
After a brief stroll around, Zhou Ziyan bought a lot of things for them.
Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao also helped carry some, but everyone was still carrying a big baggage and a small one, which was very embarrassing.
Looking at that posture, if something else comes, they will probably fall down.
The children had everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation to pens, ink, paper and inkstones, but Song Weifeng had not received anything yet.
However, Song Weifeng only helped everyone carry their luggage and didn't seem to care at all.
Gu Siwen bumped Zhou Ziyan with his elbow and whispered: "Cousin Zhou, why don't you buy it for Brother Song."
Brother Song is his little cousin! How could there be nothing!
Zhou Ziyan glanced at Gu Siwen strangely, "Gu Siwen, you can't really-"
When did Gu Siwen, the little devil in the world, care so much about a little brother he had just known for less than half a day?
"Oh, what!" Gu Siwen was anxious, "I'm afraid you'll be abandoned, okay?"
His father said that if a man is a fair man and cannot buy what his wife wants, that means the man is incompetent and will be abandoned.
People like Cousin Zhou who still have money in their pockets but don't buy it for Brother Song should be abandoned even more!
If Cousin Zhou, a thirty-year-old man, was abandoned at this time, he would definitely be ridiculed by the court ministers for several years.
"Wei Feng, do you want to go and see my mansion in the capital?" Zhou Ziyan looked at the time and felt it was still too late.
Song Weifeng's eyes lit up, "Can I go and see it?"
Zhou said to himself: "Of course, but I live in the Imperial College now, so it should be empty."
Zhou Ziyan's residence was in the inner city, so he rented a carriage and took Song Weifeng and the others to the inn where they were staying to put away their things.
Then rush from the outer city to the inner city.
The outer city is a place of flourishing business, while the inner city is a place of solemn aristocracy.
The people living in the inner city, excluding the prince's grandsons and aristocratic families, are the ministers who are inextricably related to the imperial court.
The closer you are to the imperial city, it proves that this person is more valued by the emperor.
Entering the inner city from the outer city, everyone clearly felt that the noisy noise outside gradually became quiet.
There were also many patrols with knives on their waists passing by.
In the outer city, you can see many faces from outside the customs and with accents from various places, but in the inner city, whether it is the vendors or the gate guards, they all speak the same Daqing Mandarin without a second accent.
The restaurants on both sides of the street don't have red flags flying like those in the outer city. There are also various servants and maids standing at the door shouting, hoping that the passing guests can come in and have a drink.
At the restaurant in the inner city, they only put up a flag to prove that this was a restaurant, and then it was quiet. There were no plaques or eye-catching objects in front of the building.
This environment was a bit depressing, and Song Douding and the others' originally happy faces gradually turned serious.
Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao have lived in the inner city for more than ten years and have long been accustomed to it, so Gu Siwen can still lift the curtain and introduce everyone one by one, "Look, that winery is owned by his wife's natal family, the Minister of Industry, because Backed by the Minister of Industry, the business is extremely prosperous. It is because they send wine to Zhang Hanlin every year, so that Zhang Hanlin drinks every day."
"This, this jewelry store is the property of Concubine Wen's natal family in the palace. Hey, it belongs to the Wen family."
Wen Zhao nodded, "If you want to buy something, just give Wen Zhao's name, and the boss will charge the price as appropriate."
It is said that the price is collected at discretion, but Wen Zhao is the direct heir of the Wen family, and anyone who can give his name must have a close relationship with Wen Zhao.
But anyone who has eyesight will never ask for silver again.
Song Douding and the others looked more and more nervous as they listened to the titles of 'Minister of Industry' and 'Concubine Wen' from Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao.
They were just Juren from a small place, and they were far from these dignitaries. Even if they were riding in the same carriage as Gu Siwen and the others, the tight feeling in their bodies still could not dissipate.
Zhou Ziyan sighed in his heart when he saw the stiff expressions of Song Douding and others.
He could understand their current discomfort, but if they wanted to stay in the capital, they would have to come into contact with these people sooner or later. This was all necessary.
But for now, let them be happy.
"Gu Siwen, stop talking, aren't you tired?" Zhou Ziyan interrupted Gu Siwen's rambling, propped up his forehead, and pretended to be sleepy, "There is still a short distance to go, let's take a rest."
"Cousin Zhou, are you tired from work today?" Gu Siwen saw Zhou saying that he wanted to sleep, and quickly covered his mouth, "Then you have a good rest."
The carriage was covered with a layer of mats and soft cotton pillows.
Song Weifeng hurriedly picked up a cotton pillow and wanted Zhou Ziyan to rest on it.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Ziyan abandoned the soft cotton pillow and directly leaned on Song Weifeng's shoulder with his arms folded.
Song Weifeng has practiced martial arts all year round. Even though he is a young man, his body is not soft, and it is definitely not as comfortable as a cotton pillow.
But Zhou Ziyan felt that this hard shoulder was warm and had a familiar smell.
Just leaning on it made him really start to fall asleep.
After a while, Zhou Ziyan was really sleepy, his arms were hanging down, and the dark red sleeves of the official uniform covered half of his and Song Weifeng's bodies, which was secretive and ambiguous.
Song Weifeng could feel Zhou Ziyan's soothing breathing on his body. He changed his sitting position to make Zhou Ziyan more comfortable.
The carriage moved forward steadily, and everyone silently lowered their voices and closed their eyes to rest.
Gu Siwen had been surprised so many times throughout the day, but when he saw the quiet scene in front of him, he still felt his heart tremble.
He knew there was a secret hidden in Cousin Zhou.
Many adults know this secret, even his father knows it.
But they all kept silent and did not let more people know, including juniors like him and Wen Zhao.
However, he could somewhat guess that Cousin Zhou could be so close and familiar with many adults, so his past must be unusual.
Ever since he received his official position, Cousin Zhou had been running around the Imperial Academy and Imperial Academy.
Come and go, rain or shine.
His cousin Zhou showed extraordinary execution ability. No matter how troublesome the dilemma was, he could always solve it calmly and receive a lot of praise.
His Majesty's various rewards were carried to the Imperial College as if they were free of charge.
However, His Majesty will always find an honest reason to reward Cousin Zhou, so that Cousin Zhou will not suffer a loss or others will be jealous, and at the same time, he can make the Imperial Academy look good.
Gu Siwen felt that Zheng Jijiu loved cousin Zhou to death.
However, he often felt that Cousin Zhou might be a man made of iron, otherwise how could he be so indestructible.
Today it seems that he will rely on others when he is tired.
Cousin Zhou is still a living person.
The carriage stopped and everyone got out of the carriage one by one.
Song Weifeng stood there and looked around, but suddenly he saw a towering red gate city wall at the end of the road.
There are also a group of guards waiting outside the city wall. Every time a passer-by comes closer, they will be stopped and interrogated.
Song Weifeng actually had some impressions of that place.
There is the imperial city.
It turns out that Brother Zhou's mansion is on the same road as the Imperial City, connected end to end.
"Master, your mansion is so big." Song Douding stood at the entrance of the courtyard next to the two stone lions.
He felt that he had grown a lot taller, but he was still not as tall as these two stone lions.
When Emperor Jingxuan returned the mansion to Zhou Ziyan, he had already found someone to clean it in advance.
Although all the bedding inside is gone, when you walk in, you will not see a dilapidated yard.
Rockeries, flowing water, corridors and long pavilions.
All the big house scenes that Song Douding had imagined appeared in this mansion.
They held hands and ran through the empty mansion. Their endless laughter echoed through the courtyards, unexpectedly bringing a lot of life to the mansion.
Gu Siwen and Wen Zhao were both sons of official families, and they knew all the families on this road, so when they saw the mansion for the first time, they immediately understood the true identity of cousin Zhou.
"Cousin..." Gu Siwen's palms were numb, and he felt that everything before him was unreal.
It turns out that Cousin Zhou is the Lord General Xian.
No wonder his father knew Cousin Zhou so well and always kept secrets about him!
They are both classmates and colleagues, how can you not understand!
Wen Zhao also pursed his lips tightly, "..."
His mood was extremely complicated.
As a clan clan, the Wen family's attitude towards Mr. Zongxian is definitely not gentle.
His family even discussed how to get the President to abandon those policies.
Starting from various interests, the Wen family and Mr. Zongxian are absolutely opposite.
But starting from Wen Zhao, he is Lord Zongxian's student, and what he has learned is also Lord Zongxian's knowledge... In this way, Wen Zhao and Lord Zongxian have a teacher-student relationship.
The Wen family will definitely teach him in the future. How should he choose then?
Wen Zhao looked at the figure standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, and his palms gradually became sweaty.
When the mansion was sealed, the sign was taken off.
When it was returned to Zhou Ziyan, there was no sign on the door, so it is now an unknown mansion.
Zhou Ziyan and Song Weifeng stepped on the fallen leaves and soil accumulated in the courtyard.
I smelled the dry, rough earthy smell of the mansion.
"Wei Feng." Zhou Ziyan opened his palm, with a long key inside. "This is the key here, take it."
"..." Song Weifeng raised his eyebrows, "Why is this?"
Zhou Ziyan took Song Weifeng's hand, put it in Song Weifeng's palm, and then rolled up his hand, "I should have done this a long time ago."
"I've been waiting for you to come. Let's plan carefully and rearrange the layout. In such a big mansion, we can definitely allocate a wing to each of them."
This house can be said to be his first home in Daqing, and it means a lot to him.
So he was willing to hand over the key to this mansion to Song Weifeng.
"..." Song Weifeng felt the shape of the key in his palm, and also felt Zhou Ziyan's heavy heart.
There was no one around now, just the two of them and the quiet sound of the wind.
Song Weifeng raised an eyebrow and curled his thin lips, "Brother Zhou, are you giving me all your wealth?"
Zhou Ziyan traced Song Weifeng's features, lowered his head, and said in a voice as soft as the mist floating in the sky, "I always feel that everything has to go its way... In fact, in my heart, I am still secretly hoping for a good outcome with you. "
Traveling to Daqing, he accepted the situation and participated in the imperial examination.
As he rose higher and higher step by step, he just let nature take its course and only wanted to be clear in his heart.
Suddenly living in the south, he calmed down and set up a stall again to become a master.
Everything he does can comply with destiny and remain at peace, but his human heart is uncontrollable and can change rapidly.
When he met Song Weifeng, he began to pray to the gods, hoping that the gods would allow them to find a perfect path in their destined destiny.
"...Then I'll accept it." Song Weifeng put the key in his arms, but sneaked up on Zhou Ziyan, grabbed his cheeks and said, "Brother Zhou, Master Zhou, you have only been in Beijing for a few years, how come you are so old?" A mansion? And it's so close to the imperial city."
"Now that I have arrived in the capital, I have some little secrets. Shouldn't it be time to reveal them openly?"
Zhou Ziyan held Song Weifeng's hand and put it down, raised his eyebrows with confidence, and said not to be outdone: "Weifeng, you really picked the wrong time."
"I heard that... there is a Wei family in the capital. The Wei family used to have a fourth young master... The fourth young master only had one eldest son. Later, I don't know where he found another second son..."
"...Yes, what else do you know?" Song Weifeng was not surprised at all that Zhou Ziyan knew these things. After all, he could understand all the bad things about his family with just a little inquiry.
"Otherwise, I don't actually care that much." Zhou Ziyan narrowed his eyes, "Brother Song, your current name shouldn't be your real name, right?"
"This name was given to me by Father Song, so why is it not my real name?" Song Weifeng smiled, "But I do have another name... But Brother Zhou, is your current name your real name?"
"Of course." Zhou Ziyan said with a hint of provocation on his brows, "But I also have another name."
Song Weifeng bit his lower lip, his eyelashes trembled, and he deliberately put on a sincere and gentle look, "Wei Yu, the rich Yu. This is my name."
"It's a nice name." Zhou Ziyan held Song Weifeng's hand, gently clasped the knuckles, and muttered, "Wei Yu, Wei Yu... Wei Yu..."
"What about your name?" Song Weifeng blushed slightly and wanted to exchange one name for another.
But Zhou said he was a no-nonsense person and rejected the idea directly.
He was not a fool, so how could he not see that the person in front of him was pretending, just to get his name out?
"Xiao Weiyu, what about your name? If I ask around the capital, no one should recognize it."
"But if Brother Zhou's previous name is told to you, then Brother Zhou will be no different than having no clothes on. This is unfair."
"You!" Song Weifeng was so angry that he was no longer coquettish at all. There was only burning anger in his clear eyes, "Then when will you tell me?"
"Hey, you just took the initiative to tell me. I didn't make any promise to you." Zhou Ziyan let go of his hand, put his back behind him, turned around and continued walking forward.
"Then you plan to hide it from me for the rest of your life?" Song Weifeng chased after him and walked on Zhou Ziyan's right.
But all I could see was Zhou Ziyan's triumphant profile.
If possible, he really wanted to beat Zhou and talk to himself.
Zhou said to himself "Ouch" twice and said "double standard": "Aren't you in the capital now, and you can go to the Imperial College soon, you will know sooner or later, just let nature take its course, let it take its course!"
Song Weifeng couldn't help the expression on his face and rolled his eyes, "..."
Who is this?
When Brother Zhou just said those little love words, he didn't want to let nature take its course.
When it came to him, Brother Zhou just let others take their own course...
Brother Zhou, Brother Zhou's temper really makes people love and hate him!
But that day, Zhou Ziyan still told Song Weifeng a casual limerick.
Left and right, left and right.
On the left are rice paddies rising from the peaks, and the autumn grains are abundant and strong.
On the right, there is a clear pond reflecting hundreds of flowers, but there is no dispute in Tangdi.
Chapter 116
The opening times of various official schools in the capital are inconsistent, but the Imperial College must be the one that starts the latest.
The Imperial College has always been the highest institution of learning. In the past few dynasties, it also opened its doors along with other official schools. As a result, many scholars were dissatisfied.
It turns out that although those scholars from other places were not able to go to the Imperial College to study, they wanted to join in the fun when the Imperial College was in session so that they could absorb some of the Imperial College culture.
As a result, the Imperial College coincided with the start of their official school term.
They can't go to see the prosperous literati at the opening of the Imperial College. How can this make people not angry!
At first it was just one or two people complaining, but then gradually the voices became louder and louder.
A few scholars don't make trouble or gather in crowds. They just pick up their pens and write articles. Today they will write an article called "Dream of the Imperial College" and tomorrow they will write a "Poetry of Repentance". They are talking about not being able to see the opening of the Imperial College. Great scene, regret in this life.
There were several articles that were so well written that they were sung in the palace.
His Majesty also saw it, and even called the then Imperial College Master Jijiu to the palace to make fun of it.
In the end, it was Lao Jijiu who couldn't help but reapply for the start time of the Imperial College.
Since then, the Imperial College has been the last official school to open in the capital.
The start time of the Imperial College is at noon (two o'clock in the afternoon).
Zheng Jijiu and others went to court at around ten o'clock in the morning, went back to their hometown to rest for a while, had lunch, changed clothes, and came to the Imperial College just in time to supervise the opening of the Imperial College.
When the sunlight hit the ground, the entrance to the Imperial College was already full of people.
In fact, if someone wants to enter the official school, he can get in if he passes the assessment.
A relatively grand and unified enrollment like this only occurs when students from the capital and out-of-town are admitted.
Song Weifeng and a group of young men were waiting at the entrance of the Imperial College. Like other students, they all wore the same t-shirts.
The local families in the capital are all in the capital, so they are familiar with each other. They often gather together in twos and threes, either sitting on carriages or standing in one place.
As for the out-of-town candidates, the number of people in previous years was very small, so they would also stand in groups.
After all, we will all be classmates in the future, so it's a good idea to get acquainted with them in advance.
However, this year, the people from other places were obviously more skilled than before.
Especially the age of this foreigner... seems to be a lot younger.
Song Douding just stood there obediently, but he clearly felt the eyes coming from all directions, "Why are so many people looking at us...Are we wearing the wrong clothes?"
He lowered his head and took a look. They were all brand new shirts. Master Zhou had bought them. There was nothing wrong with them!
"They are curious about our ages." Zhong Qiao shook his fan, quite enjoying the gaze.
Wang Xiaoniu and Jiang Qingqing stepped on their feet and looked around. They were surprised to find: "There are many female students and older students here! Those of us who are going to take the provincial examination, not counting Qingqing and me, seem to be only two people. It is rare to say that there are many here. There are more than twenty people."
Although they have a good relationship with Douding, they may be happier to see students of the same gender as themselves in a place like the Imperial College!
"This is the capital after all."
Just as he was talking, several students who looked like they were students from out of town came over.
Song Weifeng and the young people bowed their hands and got to know these foreign students one by one.
Counting them, the Imperial College has admitted a total of fifteen foreign students this year.
Although it is only a drop in the ocean compared to the number of local people in the capital, it is not bad.
Two Doctors of the Five Classics slowly opened the gate of the Imperial College.
The heavy wooden door separated, and standing behind it were the wine ministers and clerks of the Imperial College.
After Si Ye, there were several Doctors of the Five Classics from the Imperial College.
Zheng Jijiu was wearing formal imperial uniform, and his unsmiling appearance was particularly solemn.
Gu Hongwen, the businessman, also put away his usual amiable smile and became serious and distant. Wearing a dark red imperial uniform, he stood with Zheng Jijiu, showing no anger or authority.
The Doctors of the Five Classics at the back all wore uniforms issued by the imperial court, with one-foot-wide sleeves pressed together. Their collared shirts and belts were neat and clean, and there seemed to be faint golden embroidery thread on the edges.
Song Weifeng stood at the front and quietly searched among the people in the Imperial College for a while. Hey, he didn't see Brother Zhou.
Zheng Jijiu has already gone to court. Brother Zhou should also have gone to court. Why isn't he here?
Zheng Jijiu is the dean of the Imperial Academy. Whether you are a student from the capital or a student from other places, it is a great joy to see the dean of the highest institution in person.
The crowd suddenly became excited and the sound was like a loud bell.
Zheng Jijiu was not surprised by this scene. He waved his hand, suppressed the voices of these people, and said some words as usual to encourage everyone to study hard and get nominated for the gold list as soon as possible.
In Daqing, children start school for the first time, also known as opening books.
You must dress properly and perform the apprenticeship ceremony.
Then wash your hands and purify your mind, use cinnabar to open your mind, fill in your personal confession, etc.