Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 746 Finally Taking a Break
above the canal,

It's raining heavily,

In the distance, there were dark clouds, lightning and thunder. The rumbling sound made the ships on the canal seem like lonely boats drifting on the river.

Eunuch Yang, the seal holder of the Sishejian, stood in the cabin of the ship with a gloomy face, looking at the heavy rain outside through a crack in the window, and murmured;
"Oh, the heavens are angry. It seems that I came at the wrong time this time."

"Godfather, don't let your imagination run wild. Godfather came to Jiangnan because it was Jiangnan's good fortune. If Godfather hadn't protected them before, I don't know how many officials would have lost their jobs."

After speaking, Xiao Guizi, the godson beside him, took a cloak, walked up to him, put the clothes on his godfather, and then stood beside him and replied.

"Humph, you are just loyal. I originally wanted to stay in the capital and find a way to enter the Imperial Household Department. Unfortunately, the old ancestor did not allow it. So I simply returned to Jiangnan. I just don't know if those people in Jiangnan still remember my kindness."

Eunuch Yang seemed to be speaking to Xiao Guizi, but also to himself. The Suzhou Weaving Bureau was the number one wealth god in the world. If you controlled it, you would control half of the world's brocade. If it weren't for this, Yang Chi would never have volunteered to leave the capital.
Although the capital was safe, Si Zhao secretly mobilized people from the Imperial Stables to help kill the noble families by surprise. He also wrote to the Imperial Household Department, saying that the wealthy merchants in the capital needed to be severely punished, so that those wealthy merchants ended up having their property confiscated and exiled. There were countless memorials impeaching him, and this time he left, he was just hiding for a while, alas!

"Godfather, look at what you said. If it weren't for your kindness, Luo Yunhou's knife might have been much faster. But, Godfather, why don't we go directly to Suzhou Weaving Bureau, but go to Jinling instead?"

Xiao Guizi was a little confused. Her godfather came to Jiangnan mainly for the production of raw silk by the weaving bureau and the supply of silk and brocade. He entered the Jinling County City halfway, and it was late at night. Could it be that he was going to mobilize troops? But wouldn't that make too much noise?

"You kid, you just don't study hard. Suzhou is just our place to stay. Jinling is the melting pot of Jiangnan. I still remember when Luo Yunhou first came to Jiangnan, he arrived in Jinling City, which was Jiangnan. The leaders of Suzhou were waiting for us in the city. Some things cannot be done without a good discussion."

Eunuch Yang stretched out his hand to close the window, letting the rain hit his hands, then turned back to the bed and sat down. The most important thing now was to contact Lord Jing and finalize the matter of converting farmland into mulberry trees in Jiangnan. There had been no progress, and the court and the ancestors were all worried.

No matter how capable the Manufacturing Bureau was, without raw silk, it could do nothing. So they had to rely on Shen Wanhe, the richest man in Jiangnan, to coordinate internal and external affairs.

"By the way, Shen Wanhe's sixth-rank official status is ready."

"Replying to godfather, everything is ready, including the official uniform, official seal, and waist badge. They are all ready. But I just want to appoint an official who is idle and in charge. I don't know if this arrangement suits his wishes."

The so-called "to his liking" was the idle official position that Shen Wanhe had asked for in a letter after receiving the letter. Eunuch Yang thought about it again and again, and simply asked the governor for a trick and told him about it. He thought he would give him a seventh-rank official position as a county magistrate, but the governor said that since he had given it, he had to give it a reputation. The seventh rank was too small and the sixth rank was too much, so he could only be a sixth-rank official, not more or less, just right.

Yang Chi lay down on the bed, slept with his clothes on, and pulled the quilt over a corner of his body.
"What's appropriate or not? It's nothing more than a matter of face. I know what Shen Wanhe is thinking. He has been given an official position and the court thinks highly of him. But there is only one thing he needs to know. When working for the court, he must do it properly. By the way, have the chief officials of the counties in Jiangnan been arranged?"

As he was talking, Eunuch Yang suddenly opened his eyes. There was no need to say much about the various prefectures in Jiangnan. If they wanted to get things done, they still needed the county magistrates to do it. Jing Cunliang had already submitted a memorial requesting the court to send officials to appoint local officials, but the court had not sent anyone yet. These things were hard to explain.
"Replying to godfather, when I came here, my son specifically asked about it. However, the cabinet said that they want to wait until this special examination is over, and then select some people from the previous Jinshi or provincial examination champions to be appointed as officials, especially in Jiangnan. It seems that the ancestors also agree to this."

Xiao Guizi walked to the bed and pulled up the quilt of her godfather, but Yang Chi sat up directly because of this, and said incredulously;

"How can this be? Aren't officials only allowed to be released after passing the imperial examination? How come even those who passed the provincial examination are being released this year? Then will the provincial examination still be passed?"

Yang Chi is now completely confused as to why the methods of this year's special examination are becoming more and more outrageous. However, when he thinks that Marquis Luo Yun can become the chief examiner, what is impossible? Perhaps it was Marquis Luo Yun's idea, but His Majesty actually agreed. What?
"Godfather, when I heard about this, I was also shocked. Generally speaking, if you are appointed as a county magistrate in a local area, you are also an official of the seventh rank, and that is a position that only a dignified scholar can hold. Now, after passing the provincial examination, you can get such an official position. It is really unheard of."

Xiao Guizi swallowed her saliva, she really couldn't believe it. This was the news from the cabinet. Logically speaking, apart from those Jinshi who passed the palace examination, they could be directly appointed to real positions, it had never been heard that those Xiucai who passed the provincial examination could be given real positions. Wouldn't this give people a chance to criticize others?

"Then godfather, will these people go back to take the imperial examination? What if they fail?"

"Hehe, good question. Let me put it this way. This time, the Enke exam is strange. As for the test questions, I think they are even stranger. Some ghosts are hiding in the dark and can never see the light of day. Even if he fails, he has to pass. There should be an explanation for the exam. As for what the explanation is, I can't ask or control it. But some people may be anxious. Besides, the exam is coming soon. It will be just a few months after the provincial exam. Something is wrong."

Suddenly, Eunuch Yang stopped talking, fearing that something unexpected might happen during the imperial examination.

Xiao Guizi looked sideways behind him, waiting for his godfather to speak, but after waiting for a long time, his godfather did not speak, so he asked;

"Godfather, what's wrong?"

"Hmph, what else? Many things in the capital are probably not as simple as we think. Marquis Luo Yun can reach in, and the civil officials don't even fart. We know there is something fishy going on. We were a little careless in what we did. But once we leave the capital, everything has nothing to do with us."

Yang Chi was also relieved. It seemed that all the planning in the capital was in vain. He could only manage the weaving bureau in Jiangnan for His Majesty and the Governor. He might need to use the weaving bureau again to save more money. He would have to count on him for the future.

"That's right, godfather. When we get to Jinling, what should we do?"

This is what Xiao Guizi is most worried about. Although many officials are respectful, in their hearts, they are still scolding these rootless people.
"Don't be in a hurry. Once we get to the territory, let's see who's coming first. In addition, Jing Cunliang and Shen Wanhe are the key. Even if Jing Cunliang is unwilling, he can't get around us. It depends on what conditions Lord Jing wants to negotiate in the end. Now, take a break first, we won't arrive until midnight."

After saying this, Eunuch Yang fell asleep with his clothes on. Xiao Guizi also respectfully walked out of the inner room, went to the bed in the outer room, and also fell asleep with her clothes on.

Hanyuan Hall,
Zhang Jinyu was half lying on a chair, covered with a blanket, and fell asleep with his head tilted. Even Lord Chu Nian had blurry eyes and was leaning there with his eyes half closed.

suddenly,

A student raised his hand.

Then an examiner walked over and asked;

"What's the matter with you?"

"Your Excellency, I would like some water to drink."

"Wait, someone, get him some water."

As soon as he finished speaking, an official came over with a bucket and gave the man a bowl of water to drink. When the others saw this, they also raised their hands. As a result, the inspector scolded him.
"Put them all down and send them over one by one."

Just like that, after the examinees put down their hands, another official would carry a bucket and deliver water to the examinees one by one. After a few rounds, the bucket of water was empty. Although the big pot outside the hall was still boiling water, it was not enough with so many people.

"Those who have water, please don't raise your hands. Those who don't have water, just make do with it. The hot water is still boiling outside the hall. You need to wait for a while. In addition, candidates who have finished writing and handed in their papers can leave their seats only after handing in their papers."

The examiner in this row reiterated it once again. After hearing it, the other candidates who had raised their hands put them back and continued to write with their brushes.

This scene,
Zhang Jinyu on the high platform had seen it a long time ago. After all, he could see everything from a high place. With so many oil lamps lit, he would be considered blind if he couldn't see anything. He was still a little confused. He turned around and saw Chu Nian, who was also resting behind him wrapped in a blanket.

He didn't bother me, but asked;

"Ningbyon, what time is it?"

"My Lord, it is already midnight, and the examiners have already been replaced twice."

Ning Bian was sitting at the bottom of the Marquis. When he heard the Marquis' question, he blinked and glanced outside before replying, "Damn, these students are really crazy. They still don't go back to sleep so late. What's the point of staying up all night? We will be exhausted tomorrow and don't know how to answer the questions."

When he said it in a low voice, the voice was quite loud. Many of the candidates in front of him paused, as if thinking about something.
Especially Jia Lan, who seemed to be obedient, put down the brush in his hand and raised his hand. Zhang Jinyu saw it and pointed at him.

"Say, what's the matter?"

"Well, my Lord, I want to hand in my paper and go back to rest. I am quite tired now, but what should I do if I haven't finished the paper yet?"

This question stumped Zhang Jinyu. Yes, what should he do if he has only written half of the paper?
Zhang Jinyu threw off the blanket and walked down to take a look. This movement woke up many officials on the high platform. They all opened their eyes and looked down. Lord Chu Nian asked with hazy eyes;

"My Lord, what happened?"

"It's not that something happened. It's that someone wanted to hand in the paper but didn't finish it. If it was in the examination hall of the Imperial College, they could put down their papers and go to sleep. But here, it's a bit troublesome."

Zhang Jinyu had already walked down from the platform and checked the test papers of the students in the front row one by one. They did write policy essays, but not much. What should he do?

Chu Nian was stunned when he heard this. What the Marquis mentioned was indeed a problem. In this case, he couldn't just hand in the papers and then distribute them.

He then stood up and walked down the platform, looking at the people below who had already written a small part of the policy essay. According to past experience, they should have started writing these tomorrow, but because the exam questions had changed this year, it was about time.

What the Marquis asked is also a question: how to manage so many people and so many papers.

"My Lord, this is indeed a difficult matter. Once you write something down, you cannot change it. Once you hand in a paper, you cannot take it back. This is an iron rule, and there is no precedent to be found."

In fact, Zhang Jinyu was also a little confused. You said that I had written the beginning, but what should I do if I didn't finish it? Of course, I should continue writing, but how should I save it? Unless everyone goes back or can't see it, this is also easy to deal with.
Glancing at the many examinees in the hall, all of whom were feeling sleepy, he simply said to them;

"My fellow students, it's getting late. I can't bear to see you all in such a state of distress. Many candidates have already started writing their essays. Although it's just a few words, they have been thinking for a long time. I can't just ignore it, so."

Zhang Jinyu went back up to the platform and continued;

"So I have set a rule. If you want to go back to sleep now, dry the unfinished writing in your hands, turn it over, and put it at the bottom of the rice paper. No one can see it. The poems should be finished. You can hand them in and go back to rest. You are not allowed to take anything back. Of course, you must write your household registration number on each page of rice paper. You are not allowed to talk casually. Hand them in one by one. As for those who don't want to go back, just continue writing here."

Suddenly Zhang Jinyu laughed.
"If you don't have the energy tomorrow, don't blame me for not reminding you. You won't be able to sleep well, let alone write. Now, raise your hands if you want to go back."

Chu Nian's eyes widened. He didn't expect Luo Yunhou to come up with such an idea. He was really surprised. He looked at the candidates present. He didn't know if it was discussed beforehand, but almost everyone raised their hands. If that was the case,

Zhang Jinyu waved his hand.

"Begin collecting the test papers. Everyone, get ready. Stand up and go back in rows."

As soon as he finished speaking, the deputy examiners in each row began to collect the papers one by one, while the others, according to Marquis Luo Yun's words, turned over the essays they had already written to the bottom. Du Shuai, the helmsman of the White Lotus Sect, had a gleam in his eyes, and thought to himself that Marquis Luo Yun was indeed a man of talent. This method was unheard of. It really worked when he thought about it. And the most important thing was that the special examination in the palace was a hundred times better than the examination hall in the Imperial Academy. Naturally, the results would be better than those children from poor families. In this way, Marquis Luo Yun, as the master of Hanyuan Palace, must have trained a group of civil servants. That was really amazing.

While he was lost in thought, the examiner had already arrived in front of him. He quickly came to his senses and handed in the poem paper he had finished. His face was slightly red, and he had no idea how well he had written. It was far inferior to the masterpiece handed down by Luo Yunhou.

Jia Lan, who was at the front, also handed in his paper. After standing up, the people in the first row went back empty-handed. The person in the middle, which was Jia Baoyu, was already extremely sleepy. He had already written a poem in the morning, but the policy essay was really difficult for him. He spent the whole afternoon thinking about it before he could finally start writing.

I had just written a little bit when the paper was closed. But that’s okay. I could go back and have a nap early. I yawned, then got up and walked to the back hall together.

Jia Baoyu was still a little nervous, but after a day like this, it was nothing more than that. As a result, his nervous mood disappeared. He just missed the osmanthus cake and other things in the mansion. Today, apart from drinking some water, he did not eat a single hot meal. It was really unbearable. When he saw that people had started to leave, he also stood up and left.

After a while,
Almost all the students in the hall had left. Seeing this, Zhang Jinyu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Damn, I'm so tired.

"Ningbian, boil some water outside and cook some mutton. Give the adults some soup to warm themselves up."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Zhang Jinyu turned around, clasped his fists towards everyone, and said;

"My lords, go back and wash up first. When the soup is ready, go and have a sip when you wake up. If you don't wake up, drink it in the morning. I'm going back now."

Without giving others a chance to speak, he wrapped himself in a blanket and staggered back to the tent. Many officials thanked him and followed him back to rest.

Leaving behind the silent moonlight, it falls on the palace.

The harem Kunning Palace,
The Queen tossed and turned, but could not fall asleep. The noise in the room also woke up Chun He, who was sleeping with her.
"Master, is there anything wrong?"

Chunhe walked in wearing clothes and holding an oil lamp. She placed the lamp on the square table beside the bed and sat down beside the bed and asked.

"I can't sleep. I wonder how the three of them are doing in Hanyuan Palace?"

Jiang Yuqing was really worried about the three princes. Although Marquis Luo Yun was trustworthy, he did not know how to serve anyone. The special examination hall was like a military camp and women were not allowed to enter. Therefore, there was only one eunuch to take care of them. How could Jiang Yuqing feel at ease? She sat up with a look of longing on her face.

Seeing the Queen's expression, Chun He knew that the Queen missed the three princes a little, but at this time, she might have fallen asleep. She stood up and walked to the table, poured a bowl of tea, and carefully brought it over.
"Master, drink some water to calm your nerves. I think you miss the three princes. Although Marquis Luo Yun doesn't know how to take care of people, he won't let the three princes suffer. I heard that when Marquis Luo Yun entered Hanyuan Palace, he brought a lot of dishes and cakes, as well as ten yellow sheep. Master, tell me, how can an examiner be like this?"

With a smile, he told what he had heard from the palace. What Luo Yunhou had done before had dazzled many people in the palace. It turned out that these things could be brought into the imperial examinations, which caused a lot of jokes and rumors.

There were also many concubines in the harem who were talking about it, treating it as a joke, and occasionally mentioned that Marquis Luo Yun was so audacious that there was no precedent even in the imperial examinations of the previous dynasty. Not to mention that some things were treated as normal outside, but in the palace, a small matter would cause a big fuss, and naturally it could not be stopped. Although the Queen had issued an edict not to mention it, it could not be stopped in private!

"Haha, only he can think of these things. You are right. I did think about it. I was supposed to go to the residences of the three princes before, but who knew that terrible thing would happen. This delay lasted for more than half a month."

When Empress Jiang thought about the Ningguo Mansion, she was furious. She had to think of a way to go to Hanyuan Palace to take a look. When she thought of this idea, she couldn't help it.
"Chun He, prepare two sets of clothes tomorrow and let the eunuchs supervise the matter. You accompany me to Hanyuan Palace to take a look."

"This, my Lord, is not a good idea. If His Majesty comes here and cannot see the Empress, wouldn't it cause a big mess?"

Chunhe was horrified. This was absolutely unacceptable. What would she do if His Majesty blamed her?

"Go and prepare if I ask you to. I have my own way!"

"Yes, Master!"

(End of this chapter)