Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 745: Everyone Has Their Own Thoughts and Gains

In Hanyuan Hall,

With lights on everywhere, it was as bright as day.

Zhang Jinyu sat on the high platform with a carefree attitude, eating the snacks that the three princes had secretly brought from the palace. I have to say, the taste was absolutely amazing. Even though the food was not that good, the snacks and pastries were superbly made, just like the thing in his hand, crystal clear, and even after a day, the fragrance was still fragrant, without changing at all.

After finishing a bite, I looked down at the audience. Thousands of students were thinking hard with their heads down, as if they had something to hide. Looking more carefully, I saw that some people in the front row had only completed a poem, and had not written a single word of their policy essay. I thought it was just an isolated case, but when I looked at the people sitting next to me, they were the same. This was strange.

Poetry should be easy to write, with the capital as the background, and there are so many things, any one of them can be written. As for policy essays, it is nothing more than understanding how to defend against the enemy from outside and shock the inside, so why can't I write it? Suddenly I thought that eight-part essays are popular now, and this is naturally in accordance with the rules of eight-part essays, solving problems and not writing casually, this is the fundamental. If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't know how to write it even if I racked my brains.
"My Lord, why don't you go back and rest? It's already dark outside."

Just thinking,

Lord Chu Nian came over from the audience and came to the side calmly. He found a chair beside the table and sat down. Zhang Jinyu waved his hand and personally poured a bowl of tea for Lord Chu.
"Master Chu, you have worked hard. Have some tea and take a good rest. You see, these examinees do not eat or drink. They just sit here and write a poem. Isn't it a waste of time? It is better for them to go back and take a good rest."

Lord Chu Nian had just picked up the tea bowl and had not yet taken a sip when he heard the Marquis say this. He was quite speechless. If eight-part essays were so easy to write, would they still need to learn the methods of solving the questions in these essays?

"You are joking, my Lord. To write good poems and songs, one needs to think carefully. Maybe if they can write good poems and pass them down through the ages, it is also their good fortune. Of course, they cannot compare to you, my Lord."

After saying this, he calmly took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued;
"As for the eight-part essay, it seems simple, but it is extremely complicated. Today they have to think of how to solve the problem. After all, there are two parts, one internal and one external. If they think about it today, they can start writing tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. If they don't solve the problem today, they may not be able to finish writing two essays in two days. So today, these candidates must come up with a solution no matter what."

Lord Chu Nian was somewhat emotional. What he said was all based on his experience. When they took part in the imperial examinations, they all went through the same process. The more skilled ones could start writing in half a day, but most people started writing after a day. It does not mean that those who start writing early will definitely write well, but it shows that the difficulty of the eight-part essay is universal.

Zhang Jinyu felt a little tired after listening to this. He had been sitting for a whole day and felt uncomfortable all over. However, almost none of the candidates in the hall left. He felt a little embarrassed to go back. As for the three princes, they had already gone back to have dinner.

"Master Chu is right, but it's getting late now, so it should be almost time."

"My Lord, if you are tired, you can go back and rest first."

Ning Bian was beside him and couldn't help but give some advice, which made Zhang Jinyu roll her eyes. Is this what you mean by bringing up irrelevant issues?

He glared at Ningbian and smiled.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute."

After saying that, he looked at the audience awkwardly, and saw many people picking up their pens and starting to write something.
suddenly,

Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but look at No. 16 in the front row, and saw Jia Lanku sitting there, grinding ink, picking up a brush and starting to write an article. Because the distance was not far, he could see clearly what he was writing. It seemed that he was first writing about defending the northern border against the enemy. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed a little familiar.

Isn't this what I often say, the manuscripts I wrote when I have nothing to do? Thinking back, the manuscripts of annotations I sometimes wrote are still with Lin Daiyu and I haven't taken them back. So, Li Wan borrowed them to read. What a clever fellow!
In a short while, Jia Lan had written on half a sheet of paper in a very fluent manner. His handwriting was extremely neat. The key point was that the font was an imitation of his own Slender Gold Style, which was 80% similar. He could be considered a promising talent.
Zhang Jinyu was staring at a candidate without saying anything, which inevitably attracted the attention of Lord Chu Nian beside him. He had just eaten some cakes and saw that the Marquis was concentrating on looking at the candidates below. Out of curiosity, he also looked over with the Marquis, and saw a candidate of twenty years old, concentrating on answering the questions. His handwriting was neat, but the strokes were very rare, like a new font. In addition, the content of the answer sheet was also very unique. He was indeed a rare talent.

The Marquis is really amazing. He can find out with just one glance.

"My Lord, you are indeed amazing. Although that candidate seems immature, his writing is extremely sharp. I don't know where he learned it from, but his handwriting is already a masterpiece. In addition, his policy essay has unique insights. Although I can't read the whole text, I can get a glimpse of the whole picture. His strategy is very good."

Zhang Jinyu came back to his senses, his face a little embarrassed. He was so praised that he almost nodded his head. Another thing was that Jia Lan was a good kid and he did not waste the opportunity. Although it was not his intention this time, Jia Baoyu could only let him fail the selection, unless what he wrote was extremely amazing. Even if it was extremely amazing, he had to suppress it. As long as Jia Lan had no problems, he would definitely pass. In this way, it was unknown whether some things in Rongguo Mansion would change.

"Hey, Lord Chu, your praise is undeserved. Although the court is not struggling, it is still in some difficulties. The civil unrest in the south of the capital cannot be underestimated and should be regarded as a serious threat. As for the border threats, they have not been there for a day or two. Therefore, although the policy is divided into internal and external, the internal should be the most important. To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the internal situation. This has never changed."

Thinking of Jia Baoyu, Zhang Jinyu looked around the crowd after he finished speaking. In the middle of the road, he saw the big-faced Baoyu, with his head drooped, staring at the paper in a daze, not knowing whether he had written or not. He wanted to go down and take a look, but because there were so many examiners patrolling around, it would definitely attract attention, so he didn't go.

Lord Chu Nian, who was touching the tea bowl, suddenly froze. Marquis Luo Yun's remarks were thought-provoking. To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal affairs. Yes, it was a pity that the imperial court was unable to continue. The policy of reducing the power of the vassal states in the interior must not be carried out again. The East Palace and the North Palace had already reached the limit. If they moved again, they might not be able to end it.

Now the people of Taiping Cape are wreaking havoc in the interior of the country and the people are suffering. If the imperial court cannot suppress them in one fell swoop, who knows how many rumors there will be. For a moment, my thoughts were complicated and I couldn't come back to my senses for a long time.

Zhang Jinyu didn't pay attention. He glanced around and saw that most people had started writing. He just didn't know how long they would write. He glanced out the window and saw that it was getting late. He was afraid that he would not be able to sleep tonight.

"Ningbian, go to the big tent and bring some more blankets for the adults to cover. I'm afraid we won't be able to go back to sleep tonight, so bring one for yourself as well."

"Yes, Lord, I will go back right away."

Ning Bian nodded in agreement, stepped down from the platform and went outside the hall. Only the rotating examiners began to change positions and continue to supervise the exam.
Outside the palace, the dark clouds of the rainy night were still covering the sky above the capital, and the moon had disappeared behind the clouds without anyone noticing, and there seemed to be a haze.

The city of Jinling in the south of the Yangtze River,

Heavy rain fell from the sky, as if the heavy rain in the northern sky instantly moved over and poured down on the south of the Yangtze River, just like the Milky Way flowing backwards.

At the west gate of Jinling City, Lord Jing led a number of officials to wait in the attic of the west gate. Many others followed suit and went up to the attic of the gate to avoid the rain.

On the attic platform,
Jing Cunliang, the inspector of Jiangnan, was wearing a brand new official robe that was not wetted by rain. He stood alone under the eaves, looking out into the distance.

The dark clouds in the sky rolled, the rain poured down, the fog rose from the ground, the official road outside the city gradually became blurred, the rain was like a curtain, covering the distant scenery, in the rainy night, occasionally a few lightning flashes, illuminating the outlines of a piece, through the rain curtain, you can see a vague shadow, looming. "Master Jing, why are you looking out here alone, are you waiting for Master Zhuang? I think Master Zhuang is worried about something at home and can't come."

Behind him came the voice of Wang Mengshan, the Imperial Censor of Salt. The two of them were both disciples of Prince Zhongshun and were once close confidants of the Prime Minister. This time, they came to Jiangnan to take up their posts at almost the same time. The internal affairs could be done but not spread.
The reason why Lord Wang was able to appear here today was because he had received the news in advance, so he hurried here from Yangzhou a few days ago, and he was also here to inquire about the news. It was not known whether the salt merchants in Yangzhou were really cooperating or just pretending to do so. This year's salt permits had almost been bought according to the quota, and the nearly five million taels of salt permits had not caused any waves in Jiangnan. Lord Wang, who had prepared some backup plans, felt like he had punched cotton and was powerless. He even sent people to investigate the internal affairs, but found nothing.

Jing Cunliang smiled and glanced at the attic. At this time, if Lord Zhuang didn't come, he really wouldn't come. It was strange to say that Lord Zhuang's attitude changed so much. The matter inside was probably not small. However, he had to deal with it. He was carrying out the emperor's order, so who dared to stop him?

"If you don't want to come, then don't come. Lord Zhuang is devoted to state affairs, so it is normal for him to be tired and exhausted. Now it is raining heavily outside. How can we disturb Lord Zhuang to come? That would be too much for us."

"Lord Jing is still magnanimous. Lord Jing thinks so, but he doesn't know whether Eunuch Yang from the capital knows about it. I think he will ask casually. As for how to answer, I don't know. Lord Jing, what do you think?"

Wang Mengshan, the Imperial Censor of Salt, smiled strangely. Lord Jing understood the hidden meaning of his words, but he became more alert. In the past, he thought that this man was vicious, but he didn't expect that he was also good at adding fuel to the fire. There were some things he could never say, not to mention that Lord Zhuang was deeply rooted in Jiangnan, and the East Palace behind him would not sit idly by.
But why is Lord Wang so impatient and jumping up and down? Could it be the intention of Prince Zhongshun, or a secret letter from the eldest son?

"Oh, Lord Wang is really amazing. Lord Wang has thought of something that I don't even know about. This is very rare. In this case, if Eunuch Yang asks, it would be better for Lord Wang to answer it on his behalf, so that I can save myself the trouble."

Jing Cunliang stared at Wang Mengshan with a half-smile and said,
When these words came out, Lord Wang looked extremely unnatural and smiled.
"Lord Jing, that's not right. Eunuch Yang came here for official business. Lord Jing was also busy in Jiangnan for the affairs of the court. I am ashamed to say that I just took over the ready-made one. It is a blessing from heaven that I can maintain it. I want to help you, but I don't know where to start, so I neglected some things."

Wang Mengshan bowed and explained, secretly blaming himself in his heart, he was a little too anxious, the prince's instructions were extremely dangerous, but he had to do it,
"Thank you, Master Wang,"

Jing Cunliang smiled, shook his head, turned around and went into the attic. Many officials had already arrived in the building, including Jiangnan Transport Commissioner Xu Delin, Jiangnan Imperial City Administration Frugality Officer Ning Kai, Jiangnan Prefect Jiang Xiyu, and Imperial City Administration Captain Yu Yirang, all of whom were here.

However, no one from the governor's office, including the chief secretary and the chief censor, was seen. It seemed that Lord Zhuang's methods were also very powerful. It seemed that his previous idea was correct to postpone the implementation of the policy of converting farmland into mulberry trees. If he had done so as he had thought before, it would have been better to start early and make things difficult for them. He was afraid that someone would have bad intentions. If the policy of converting farmland into mulberry trees was not completed and chaos was caused, the court would not let him go.

Since Eunuch Yang is here, let him take the lead. The weaving bureau still belongs to Eunuch Yang, and the account books sent by the Zhen family will be put to good use.
Thinking of this, everything in my mind became clear.

Just when Jing Cunliang was in doubt, there was a commotion from the corridor. It was Su Jinkai, the number one salt merchant in Jinling City, who came up to the attic with a bulging belly and a few people. When he saw all the adults were there, he grinned and laughed.
"I, Su Jinkai, greet all the masters."

After saying that, he deliberately tilted his body and bowed. This awkward look made many officials in the attic confused. All the people who came today were officials. How dare you, a lowly merchant, come up? Not to mention others, even Jing Cunliang was moved. Isn't Su Jinkai the son left in Jiangnan by Luo Yunhou? Why is he here?

I glanced at the others, all of whom had doubts in their eyes. It looked like something was wrong.
"It turns out to be President Su. I don't know what brought you here."

The person who spoke was none other than the transport envoy Xu Delin. I wonder if they were very familiar with each other before. After all, Lord Xu's legitimate daughter entered the Prime Minister's residence.
Su Jinkai still had a smile on his face, but he shifted his gaze over and saw that it was the transport envoy, Lord Xu, and his smile became even more festive. Lord Xu had cooperated with the Marquis. When he bought those things in the north, Lord Xu made great efforts. Naturally, he was "one of our own."

"So it's Lord Xu. I'm here today just to celebrate with you all. I happened to arrange two tables of banquets. Although it's raining heavily outside, it's not a big deal if the food is ready and served. So everyone is waiting downstairs."

Su Jinkai smiled and explained his purpose, which made those present suspicious. Lord Jing even narrowed his eyes. How could a salt merchant know that he was gathering officials here to welcome Eunuch Yang? He moved his eyes to Ning Kai, the thrifty official of the Imperial City. Unexpectedly, after seeing Ning Kai out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head away. This scene made Jing Cunliang doubt again. It seemed that this Su family was not simple.

"In this case, we cannot waste President Su's good intentions. If you all come early, the dinner may not be useful. President Su is very thoughtful."

When all the officials were silent, Jing Cunliang smiled and spoke. This time, it was the turn of the others to be a little surprised and they looked back in confusion.
However, he could not see any clues on Lord Jing's face. He remained silent. Su Jinkai stood in the corridor and saw that Lord Jing agreed. He did not wait for others to reply and shouted downstairs;

"Someone, bring the food back and set up the banquet."

"Yes, sir."

Subsequently,

Servants came in one after another, carrying food boxes. In a short while, two banquet tables were set up in the attic. The wine and food were still steaming, which meant that the wine must have been warmed up.

Everyone looked thoughtful.
Jing Cunliang was also impressed. The Su family had good means. These two tables of banquets might seem insignificant, but they were all hot like the food in a restaurant, which was extremely rare.

"President Su is thoughtful. Please take a seat."

"Thank you for your compliments, my Lords. Please take your seats. I will just sit at the bottom."

"Okay, come on, sit down."

A burst of shouting,
Everyone sat down together, at the table of several adults, at the bottom. After Su Jinkai saw the adults sitting down, he personally took the sake and filled the wine cups in front of the adults, then returned to his seat.
As soon as he sat down, Jiang Xiyu, the governor of Jiangnan, sneered and asked, not knowing whether he was angry or because Luo Yunhou had left a bad impression when he was in Jiangnan before;

"President Su, when did you get the news that the gentlemen were waiting here? These dishes and wine were just prepared. What's more, the food on the table is still steaming, and even the sake in the cup is warm. Who would believe you if you said you didn't prepare it?"

This question caused many officials at the table to be silent again. Even the people from the Imperial City Department seemed to ignore it. Moreover, they did not sit at the main table, but sat at the west side table. They looked at each other and nodded secretly.
Although no one knew what it meant, no one dared to ask.
On the main table,
Su Jinkai stood up, holding the wine cup, and bowed to everyone.
"Please forgive me, my lords. I didn't explain it clearly. I just got the news. I brought back a batch of goods from the dock not long ago. I heard from the steward that you lords were waiting on the west tower. So I dared to come here to show my filial piety."

After a pause, he looked at Jiang Zhizhou and replied;
"As for what Jiang Zhizhou said, these were prepared early. After all, the Marquis often said that he didn't like to eat cold food, so the meals have always been hot. This rule has been passed down like this."

"you!"

(End of this chapter)