I go to the ancient imperial examinations

Chapter 637
A farce ended with the appearance of Bai Zhaohui. In terms of the power of the Bai family, it must be inferior to the Zhe family, but the Shuntian government office can be regarded as the territory of the Bai family.

"Miss, do you want to go?" He Nuan looked at Zhan Feiyu who was holding a post. The post was sent by the daughter of Zhu's family, the Minister of Rites, to invite Zhan Feiyu to participate in the poetry meeting held in Zhu's Xiyuan three days later.

Just looking at the handwriting on this post, one can tell that Ms. Zhu is definitely a talented woman. This calligraphy has a strong character. It seems that Ms. Zhu has put a lot of effort into calligraphy.

"There is a lot of trouble between me and Zhejing, the Zhu family is not afraid of offending the Zhe family?" No matter how he looks at it, Zhan Feiyu feels that this post is strange. Which family is willing to offend a girl of unknown origin? folding home.

"Bai Zhaohui's second uncle married a girl from the Zhu family." Zhan Feiyu understood when He Nuan said it.

The Zhu family and the Bai family are relatives by marriage. Although they are separated from the Bai family by a layer, but the Bai master is the governor of Shuntian Fu, who is the third rank, and Zhan Feiyu is Bai Zhaohui's savior. The Zhu family sees it in front of the Bai family Just sent this post.

Zhan Feiyu looked at the pile of unfinished homework. Even if the homework is finished, it is not good to lie in the warm bed in winter. After participating in the Lao Shizi Poetry Meeting and racking his brains to write poems, this is definitely full Hold on.

"Tomorrow, when you go to Zhu's house, you say that I am ill and can't participate. I have failed Miss Zhu's kindness." Zhan Feiyu resigned to his fate and picked up his pen to continue his unfinished homework.

As the spring is approaching, it is natural to burn the ointment and continue to read the sundial, otherwise there will be another one in three years, and the weather that drips into ice will have to stay in the examination shed for three days, which is simply not human life.

He Nuan exited the study quietly, and closed the door gently. The young lady fell asleep more and more late because of reading, it seems that she needs to cook more medicinal food to replenish the young lady's vitality.

On the second day, Zhu's house.

Zhu Yuting took off her cloak and threw it to the maid, and walked into the house, "Mother, the maid from Yufeng Building just came over and said Miss Zhan is ill and cannot attend the poetry meeting tomorrow."

Mrs. Zhu smiled nonchalantly, "If you don't participate, you won't participate. This post is only for your aunt's sake."

Zhu Yuting sat down next to Mrs. Zhu, and complained with disappointment, "I have made an agreement with Wan'er and the others. I wanted to meet this strange person who is not afraid of Jing Jing, but who knows that she won't come."

Being ill was just an excuse, Zhu Yuting thought that the other party was not even afraid of Zhe Jing, and had gained the upper hand in several conflicts, he must be a strange person, who knew that hope would be greater than disappointment.

"Maybe it's because you're not good at composing poetry." Mrs. Zhu smiled and nodded her daughter's forehead, "You're also doing some kind of poetry fair, and your aunt is still waiting for news."

She curled her lips, and Zhu Yuting's brows and eyes showed a bit of pride, "There are rumors that this girl Zhan has a bookish look, and she looks like she came from a scholarly family. I didn't want to compete. Cowardly."

These boudoir daughters in Beijing who are not much different in age are actually dissatisfied when it comes to talent and learning, but it is true that Wen Ruyi can occupy the top of the talented women because she is full of talent, proficient in poetry, poetry, calligraphy and painting. There is nothing wrong with the rules and etiquette.

Zhu Yuting and the others are a bit inferior. She herself is good at calligraphy, and the Wan'er she talks about is Master Wei's niece. She likes to play chess since she was a child. It is said that she can get away with winning with Master Wei.

They are all "specialized in art", but Wen Ruyi is outstanding in everything, perfectly suppressing the limelight of all the noble girls in the capital. It is said that the master of the Imperial College once saw Wen Ruyi's article by accident, and only said that this girl is the number one scholar. talent.

"Mother, my aunt and Aunt Bai just let people go to Yufeng Building to invite Miss Zhan, so why go around such a big circle?" Zhu Yuting posted to Zhan Feiyu because she was curious about what kind of person she was, I want to see her; secondly, I am not convinced by the praise of Zhan Feiyu outside, and I want to see if she is really full of poems and books.

Who knew that my aunt and Aunt Bai planned to go to Xiyuan in the next day, which was clearly aimed at Miss Zhan, but even if they wanted to repay the kindness of saving their lives, it wouldn't be so troublesome, Zhu Yuting always felt that there was something wrong with it .

Mrs. Zhu looked at her young daughter, who was as beautiful as a flower and like a jade. She originally liked Bai Zhaohui. Although she was still studying in the Imperial College, the master said that Bai Zhaohui would definitely have a place for him this spring.

In addition, the Bai family has a clean and upright family style, and the youngest daughter has an innocent and romantic temperament. It is most suitable to marry a youngest son like Bai Zhaohui. Life, and Bai Zhaohui is impeccable from talent to character to appearance.

With a sigh, Mrs. Zhu withdrew her thoughts, and Wen Sheng explained to Zhu Yuting, "Before Zhejing made trouble with the Wen family's sold cook, Bai Zhaohui rushed to the Shuntian government office immediately after receiving the news, and there were some rumors outside Rumors spread."

Whether it is Bai Zhaohui or Ning Chen'an, they all have to participate in the Spring Festival in February, and it is only a matter of time before they are named on the gold list. These children from aristocratic families are also the best son-in-law candidates in the eyes of the wives in charge, and any troubles can't escape their eyes.

As soon as the rumor spread, Mrs. Bai became anxious, worried that Zhan Feiyu would really rely on Bai Zhaohui for saving his life, and given the uprightness of the governor of the White House, it is estimated that this marriage will really work out.

After listening to it, Zhu Yuting's eyes widened in shock, she looked at Mrs. Zhu blankly and asked, "So Aunt Bai wants to use my poem to warn Miss Zhan so that she will not pester Bai Zhaohui?"

"But the rumors are rumors. Miss Zhan has not gone out in Yufeng Building, and Miss Zhan saved Bai Zhaohui's life. Isn't it too rude for Aunt Bai to do this?" Zhu Yuting was still jealous of Zhan Feiyu outside. Praise, this will make her feel sympathetic.

After all, this rumor is also a matter of nowhere, and Aunt Bai is clearly repaying her kindness with revenge.

"Silly girl, your Aunt Bai is taking precautions. If Miss Zhan's boudoir reputation is ruined because of this rumor, I'm afraid Bai Fu Yin and Bai Zhaohui will really agree to this marriage." Mrs. Zhu shook her head helplessly.

Although the rumors only stop at the wise, but there are so many rich families in the capital, who is willing to marry a girl whose reputation is compromised.

Furthermore, after all, there is still a life-saving grace. If Bai Fu Yin and Bai Zhaohui ignore it, it will be regarded as ungrateful, and it may affect the official career of the father and son.

"You all go down." As Madam Zhu spoke, the servant girls in the room immediately retreated under orders, and Madam Zhu's eldest maid even stood guard outside the door to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

There were only mother and daughter left in the room, so Mrs. Zhu lowered her voice and said, "Your Aunt Bai intends to let Bai Zhaohui honor the princess, so naturally you can't let any gossip affect Bai Zhaohui's reputation."

It was also upon hearing this rumor that Mrs. Zhu gave up the idea of ​​appointing Bai Zhaohui for Zhu Yuting. Zhu's family and Bai's family were well-matched, but they were really far behind the royal family.

Eyes widened in an instant, and Zhu Yuting recovered her voice after a while, "But isn't Bai Zhaohui going to be an official through the imperial examination? Doesn't he not be able to be an official if he becomes a son-in-law?"

A son-in-law can also be an official, but they are all idle jobs, and they will not have any real power in their hands, especially if the crown prince has not been established, the princess's son-in-law probably cannot stay in the sixth department.

Zhu Yuting couldn't figure it out, but when He Sheng told Zhan Feiyu the outside rumors, including Mrs. Bai's intention to let Bai Zhaohui honor the princess, Zhan Feiyu immediately knew Mrs. Bai's intention.

"The Governor of the White House is just like the teacher, but he is a lone minister, but once he is the emperor and a courtier, the Governor of the White House is stern and selfless. Once the new king ascends the throne, the Governor of the White House has offended many people. sit.."

Zhan Feiyu put down his pen, looked at the policy theory just completed, and said without raising his head: "The governor of the Shuntian government has always been a minister trusted by the new king. Madam Bai is worried that the governor of the Bai government will lose his position, so she thought Let Bai Zhaohui honor the princess."

Not to mention the merits of the dragon, no matter which prince ascends the throne in the future, it is not easy to embarrass a princess, so Bai Zhaohui, the son-in-law, will naturally be safe. With Bai Zhaohui's care, the Bai family has a way out.

What Zhan Feiyu doesn't know is that there are three sons in the White House Yin. Bai Zhaohui is the youngest son, and his temper is also the most like the White House Yin. Both the eldest son and the second son of the Bai family have been released as officials. Bai Zhaorong, the eldest son of her in-laws' family.

It's a pity that the governor of the White House was too upright, and Bai Zhaorong was only a seventh-rank magistrate when he was released. Mrs. Bai wanted to ask the governor of the White House to transfer the eldest son back to the capital as an official many times, but he was always rejected by the governor.

Moreover, Bai Zhaorong's marriage was also arranged by the Governor of the White House back then, and he married the daughter of a classmate of the Governor of the White House, and now his father-in-law is only a fourth-rank magistrate.

Bai Zhaorong's Yue's family did not help him in his official career, Madam Bai couldn't help feeling sorry for her eldest son, and felt ashamed of him.

If Bai Zhaohui became a son-in-law, Mrs. Bai could use her status as a mother-in-law to ask the princess to transfer the eldest son back to the capital. Although she prefers the younger son, Mrs. Bai will rely on the eldest son in the future, and what she does is planning for the eldest son.

Of course, Mrs. Bai doesn't think that Princess Bai Zhaohuishang will wrong him. Isn't the imperial examination for the purpose of becoming an official, and maybe she will be a small official outside, marrying the princess but ascending to the sky in one step, with power and status. The most correct shortcut.

……

Zhan Feiyu doesn't participate in the poetry meeting, and Mrs. Bai can't take the initiative to go to Yufeng Building because of her self-proclaimed status. Besides, she doesn't dare to act rashly to make Bai Fuyin aware of her intentions, so the most convenient way is to let Zhan Feiyu go out on her own initiative. .

"Ah Nuan, why is it so noisy outside?" Zhan Feiyu turned over and tried to tuck his head into the bed.

It's a pity that the shrill howls in the early morning still penetrated through several walls, making Zhan Feiyu, who had slept for less than two hours, violently want to kill someone, maybe he should go to the scholar's mansion, at least he can sleep well Sleep.

He Nuan's complexion was also a bit ugly, the young lady didn't go to bed until the end of Yin hour after reading last night, this meeting is only Chen time, "Miss, you continue to sleep, servants go out and have a look."

Zhan Feiyu opened his eyes, which were bloodshot because he didn't sleep well.

Is there really someone mourning this early in the morning?Zhan Feiyu wanted to continue sleeping, but it was less than two months before Chun Wei, "I woke up too."

Zhan Feiyu struggled to get up from the bed, as for the troublemakers outside, whoever was there, no matter who they were, they couldn't break in.

Two quarters of an hour later, Cui Ya put the breakfast on the table, glanced at Zhan Feiyu who was eating slowly, and walked out with an empty food box.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Xiao handed the extra buns in the steamer to Cui Ya, "Eat it while it's hot."

"Auntie, don't you care about the old and the young outside crying like that?" Cui Ya was really surprised, the crying alarmed the neighbors, and there was a circle of people outside the door .

But what surprised Cui Ya was that Zhan Feiyu still washed and ate breakfast as usual, and was so calm that he didn't seem to hear the crying.

Although Cook Xiao didn't know Zhan Feiyu's identity, she also saw clues from Zhan Feiyu's basic necessities of life. Miss He was the only one who waited on her, but everything she ate and used was expensive, and there were many tributes. Well, I'm afraid that Miss Wen's family doesn't have this kind of treatment.

"Miss doesn't even care about Miss Zhejia, let alone those people outside are just clowns." Cook Xiao smiled and began to clean up the kitchen, "As long as you follow Miss and have no second thoughts, you will be fine in the future of."

"I know." Cui Ya bit her bun and nodded vigorously. She was not smart, but her aunt was right, she could eat well and dress warmly with the young lady, was not tired from errands, and had two taels of silver every month. Take it, even if someone chased Cui Ya away.

After Zhan Feiyu finished his breakfast, put on the fox fur coat and walked to the side door with the stove in his arms, the crying and howling that lasted for half an hour finally subsided a bit.

No one has the strength to cry continuously for such a long time, not to mention how cold it is to kneel on the ground, but also to say that this voice can't hold it.

"Come out..." Seeing that the door was opened from the inside, the people around shouted, and looked at Zhan Feiyu who walked out of the door.

"Miss Zhan." Captain Ke is still patrolling the street today, and now he will bypass the old and young who are kneeling at the door, and explain to Zhan Feiyu in a low voice: "This is Yao Damin's old lady and his wife and children. Yao Damin committed suicide in prison last night."

To be precise, Yao Damin committed suicide after making a confession. Unlike before, Yao Damin never let go of his mouth even after the torture. Last night, Yao Damin took the initiative to speak to the jailer. After eating and drinking, he confessed. The presiding judge was Sun Fucheng.

It's just that Yao Damin's confession was completely nonsense in Sun Fucheng's view. This didn't wait for Yao Damin to sign the painting and put him back in the prison, so that the jailers would strictly guard him.

Sun Fucheng originally planned to report the case to Bai Fuyin early this morning, but who knew that the two jailers were staring at him, and Yao Damin was bumped to death in the cell, his skull was cracked, and his brains burst out. out of breath.

Zhan Feiyu looked at Yao Damin's wife and children who were not wearing filial piety, but were wearing white filial hats on their heads, "Could it be that before he died, he falsely accused me of instigating him to murder Bai Zhaohui, so the Yao family came to me to seek justice?"

Detective Ke smiled awkwardly, Miss Zhan had already guessed it, and she didn't need to say anything more.

If the Yao family makes trouble, Detective Ke can still bring people back to the government office, but the old and young of the Yao family are kneeling and crying here, and Detective Ke can't do anything about it. , the rest of the Yao family didn't know about it.

"Miss, my son is here to do things for you." The old lady Yao was crying so much that she couldn't kneel, she could only lean on her daughter-in-law, and looked at Zhan Feiyu pleadingly, "Miss, please give us One family, one way to live..."

When Mrs. Yao cried, Yao Damin's wife and children also began to cry. Two girls in their teens, a brother who was seven or eight years old, and a younger sister who was less than four years old. This crying made people feel unbearable.

A guy who knew Chef Yao said in a low voice at this moment: "Mother Yao is the only son, Father Yao is not mentally good and has to take medicine all the year round, Chef Yao's daughter-in-law relies on washing for some money, Chef Yao died There is no way out for this family.”

This big family needs to eat, drink, and wear clothes. The key point is that Yao’s father is still a medicine jar. The sad Yao’s mother is about to die, and with four children, the boy is only seven or eight years old. This big family relies on Yao Damin's wife to wash clothes for them, and they are afraid that they will starve to death.

Captain Ke told Zhan Feiyu about the situation of Yao's family in detail. Yao Damin used to work as a chef in Yufeng Building and earned five taels of silver a month, but Yao's family had a lot of expenses, so the house was still rented. The medicine costs one or two taels of silver a month.

Not to mention that his wife had given birth to four children in succession over the years, and the children would always get sick when they were young. In addition to eating and drinking, the Yao family really didn't save much money.

"Before the accident, Yao Damin approached Manager Zhou of the dental office to buy the small yard rented by his family." Detective Ke quickly suspected that the money Yao Damin wanted to buy the yard was ill-gotten gains.

Zhan Feiyu nodded, and glanced at the seven members of the Yao family who were all patched on their clothes, "The courtyard in the capital costs at least two or three hundred taels of silver?"

Chef Yao's salary is not low, but the expenses of a large family are also not small. It is estimated that he only saves ten taels of silver a year. It will take at least 20 years to buy a yard.

But in the past 20 years, daughters have to pay dowry when they get married, and sons have to spend money when they get married. If the old man in the family dies, this is another money expense, so ordinary people can’t save enough money to buy a house even if they spend 20 years.

"Yao's yard is at the entrance of North Street. The yard is cramped and only has two rooms. The price offered by the dental shop is 220 taels of silver. At least 200 taels of silver is required to buy it."

Detective Ke answered in detail, the yamen had found out about Yao Damin's affairs, but the money had not been found yet, and it was unknown where Yao Damin hid and who gave him the money.

"Miss, please do me a favor. My brother and sister and I don't want to starve to death." The eldest daughter of the Yao family looked at Zhan Feiyu with tears streaming down her face. Eleven or twelve-year-old girls are already sensible, and there is only fear and anxiety in her crying red eyes .

"Sister, I don't want to be hungry...I'm hungry..." The youngest child is only three years old, and he can't speak clearly, so this crying makes people feel more sympathetic.

Even a hard-hearted person would feel soft-hearted when he saw the four children kneeling on the ground begging. After all, Yao Damin deserved what he deserved, but he had already paid for his own life, but the child was innocent.

"Miss, saving someone's life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. Just do your best and give this family a way to survive." The elderly old woman couldn't help but look at the old and young family with sympathy.

"That's right, it costs a few taels of silver to live in this Yufeng building for one night. If you donate a little, Miss, these tens of taels of silver can keep their family alive."

The onlookers all sympathized with the weak, and besides, where they live is not a place to live, but a place to sleep, these noble people cost a tael of silver for a pot of tea, which can save a few lives.

When Mrs. Yao heard this, she was even more grateful and kowtowed to the mother-in-law who spoke. Yao's cook and daughter-in-law also took the four children to kowtow, which caused another burst of sighs.

"The wine and meat of the Zhumen stinks, and the road is frozen to death. Being rich is not kind, and the law of heaven is not fair!" Some scholars who have passed through feel compassionate. Looking at Zhan Feiyu is more like watching a murderer. After all, she is trying to force this big family to death. .

"Miss, my Damin is dead." Mrs. Yao felt sad when she said this, she wiped her tears and choked with sobs. After a while, she regained her breath before continuing to speak.

"Miss, I beg you, because Damin is serving you, please save my poor grandson. I have lived enough with my old bones, and I can't drag my daughter-in-law down."

Yao Lao Niang didn't know where the strength came from, she got up from the ground suddenly, and even slammed into the wall next to her, she really didn't want to live with such strength.

"Ah!" The timid woman closed her eyes in fright, lest she see the bloodied side.

He Sheng had been standing by Zhan Feiyu's side all the time, and when Mrs. Yao moved, He Sheng noticed it, and stopped him the moment she was about to hit the wall.

The expected bloody scene did not appear, but the people watching were still terrified.

Father Yao was also shocked, "Old lady..."

"Mother." Chef Yao's daughter-in-law began to cry, and rushed to hug the old lady Yao who was about to die, "Mother, if you have something wrong, how can I be worthy of my husband under the nine springs!"

"Grandma..." The four children also cried, the older and the younger crying around Mrs. Yao.

All of a sudden there were cries everywhere, those who heard it wept, and those who saw them were sad.

In the morning, when he received the notification from the yamen that his son had died, Father Yao felt a severe headache. , Father Yao rolled his eyes and passed out.

"Master!" The eldest daughter of the Yao family yelled again in horror.

(End of this chapter)