Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 799: Will It Work?
A beautiful voice came,

These are the words of Xichun, a girl at the table. Her pretty cheeks are slightly flushed, and the beauty of the young girl has begun to emerge.

Li Wan was stunned for a moment and didn't know how to answer. Lan Ge'er wanted to speak, but Li Wan quickly pulled him under the table. Lan Ge'er understood and took another bun and put it into his mouth.

When everyone saw that Lang'er didn't say anything, they thought that Jia Lan was young and felt embarrassed. Only Wang Xifeng, who was sitting next to him, felt something was wrong. She thought that her eldest sister-in-law's behavior just now might be hidden from others but not from her, so there couldn't be something fishy going on.

Everyone turned their eyes to Jia Baoyu again. Jia Baoyu had just finished his bowl of porridge. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he was delighted and said without hiding it:
"It's a coincidence that the exam this year is not very difficult. The first one is to write a poem on the theme of the capital. The length can be any."

Writing poetry is not difficult for them, not to mention others, even if Sanchun girl hears it, it would not be difficult for them. The only thing is that I don’t know if they can come up with something outstanding.

"It's not that difficult. What about the eight-part essay and the lyric writing?"

Tanchun was a little confused, how could it be so simple? So she asked.

"The poem is simple, without any meaning. It is just a topic of policy discussion, with two solutions. I seem to have heard it before in your residence, but I can't remember what it said. Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the country. What is the solution for internal and external affairs?"

Jia Baoyu seemed to have heard someone in the mansion say this before. He forgot who said it, but as soon as Baoyu finished speaking, the room fell silent again. Even Jia's mother looked at Zhu's wife in disbelief. Wasn't it she who explained it last time?
This is the Enke exam question.

The eyes of the others were even more scorching. The eldest sister-in-law was indeed amazing. Even Wang Xifeng suddenly realized. No wonder she was like that just now. The eldest sister-in-law obviously knew the test questions. She didn't know whether she knew it last night or a long time ago, and knew it on the bed. Thinking of the eldest sister-in-law's cry, her heart trembled and her face blushed with shame.

The second wife and Mrs. Xing looked unpredictable. In this case, the imperial examination questions were not difficult. After all, Li Wan had said a lot that day. Even if it was the content of the questions, she should have had some ideas. The second wife then showed some joy on her face. It was true.

Only Mrs. Xing was a little suspicious. How could Li Wan know all this? She heard that day that it was the book that was taken from Lin Daiyu's study. Isn't this the question set by Luo Yunhou? She is really lucky. If it were Jia Zong, maybe he could do it too.

"That's good, that's good. It's also a happy day. It's just an accident and it's a good coincidence."

Grandmother Jia knew that the matter was serious, so she smiled and made a joke, and put the matter aside. If Baoyu could get an official position and pass the imperial examination, the rich and prosperous life of the second family could continue.

I don't know why, but I was looking at Baoyu from the bottom of my heart, and suddenly I glanced at Jia Lan. I just felt that Lan Ge'er had such a strong literary aura, but then I suppressed the thought again. My old eyes were blurry, so maybe I saw it wrong.

that's it,
After everyone had finished their meal, Jia's mother also gave instructions.

"After dinner, everyone should understand the situation and keep their dignity. Don't be afraid to spend money at Ningguo Mansion, and be dignified when you leave at the gatehouse. Miss Feng, remember this."

"Got it, old lady. I have arranged for people to buy things this morning and set up the east and west intersections of Ningrong Street. Also, I have notified my noble relatives."

Wang Xifeng had sat there in silence the whole morning. If she hadn't asked now, she would have almost forgotten about her.

"That's good, you guys go together, pack up and go,"

"Yes, old lady."

However, the Rongguo Mansion was busy inside and outside.

The Beijing Prince's Mansion was the first to receive the news. The housekeeper did not dare to neglect it and delivered the letter to Shui Rong. Shui Rong opened it and found that it was about the funeral of Jia Jing from the Ningguo Mansion. He thought about it and thought that the Jia family was going to hold a big funeral. Well, many things need to be dealt with in a timely manner. He casually instructed the housekeeper to buy various funeral supplies and find a time to pay tribute to the deceased.

As the Northern Prince's Palace started moving, other duke's palaces, noble palaces, and the Eastern Prince's Palace also followed suit. In addition, students gradually woke up and went shopping in the capital. Amid the hustle and bustle, there was a hint of chilliness.

South Bank of Qing Lake,

Zhang Jinyu rode on his horse, yawning, and followed the packed caravan behind. Trembling, he saw that there were quite a few people. As soon as he got to the front, a personal soldier came over with a large bundle of firecrackers.

"My Lord, my Lord, I bought a lot of fireworks and firecrackers, two full carts, should we light them now?"

I looked at the car full of red fireworks and firecrackers, and then looked around. There was no one in sight. What were I supposed to light?

"You have no sense. Didn't you see that there is no one around? You walk in front, and then, Ning Bian, let those people follow behind, holding the tray, and you, holding the imperial edict, lead the way, turn the street in front, go into the city street, light firecrackers, and then beat the gongs and drums."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, I will finally understand."

Then, according to the Marquis's order, the entire team, with the vehicles following behind and the people walking in front, became much longer.
that's it,
After swaying all the way, we arrived at the corner. In front of us were the shops along the street and the intersection of several residential areas.
Zhang Jinyu waved his hand, and the soldiers behind him took out the fire starters, walked forward, and began to drag the firecrackers and light them directly.
Instantly, the sound of explosions was heard, echoing throughout the street, and passers-by all looked over here.

When the firecrackers were finished, Ningbyeon held up the imperial edict and shouted loudly;
"The results of the Hanyuan Palace candidates are announced. The results of the Hanyuan Palace candidates are announced."

Shouting all the way,
This caused a lot of discussion among the people around.

"Is this true? The list is out so soon."

"Yes, the dragon gate was just opened yesterday. Is it possible that it was reviewed and completed overnight?"

"But it seems that there are so many people holding something."

"It looks like an official uniform."

The sound of discussion spread farther and farther. Many candidates heard it and ran back excitedly to inform their friends and relatives.

Word spread quickly, and just like that, the news of the release of the list of candidates for the Hanyuan Hall, where Luo Yunhou was the chief examiner, spread. People far away were not very happy, but people nearby all rushed over.

However, because the inns in the south of the city were cheap, most students lived there, so when they got the news, not many people were able to come to the east city.
Even if it's not much,

Those who knew about it began to gather together and followed him. Neighbors and those who had nothing to do also followed. As the saying goes, when it comes to reporting good news, if you are one step faster than the official, you can even get a reward.

As for Luo Yunhou Mansion,

The front of the gate is still the same as before. The old butler is now informing the gatekeeper to clean the courtyards inside and outside the gate, especially the gatehouse at the main entrance. He has also asked many people to hold coarse cloth and wipe it carefully. The vermilion gate is now polished to a shine.

At this time, a troupe of actors came from nowhere, a large group of people, and began to build a stage in the open space on the west side of the mansion, leaning against the wall.

When the housekeeper Wang saw this, he was furious and took his men over to question him.

"Wait a minute, you guys over there, what are you all doing here? Don't you know this is the mansion of the Marquis? Why are you setting up a stage here? Who asked you to come here?"

A scolding made many of the theater's helpers stop and stop there. It was not right to do it, and it was not right not to do it. At this time, Taoyuan's deputy boss Zeng Shuoqu hurried over and yawned.
"May I ask who is this person from the Marquis' Mansion?"

"Humph, who are you? I am the housekeeper of the Marquis' Mansion. Why don't you ask around when you get here?"

The old butler was a little confused. Since he was able to come here, shouldn't he find out who was in the mansion? Maybe he had come to the wrong place.

"Ah, Steward Wang, I was indeed reckless. Please forgive me. What you just asked is that we came here because the Marquis's Mansion sent people to Taoyuan to hire our troupe. They set up a stage in the open space to the west of the Marquis's Mansion to perform for three consecutive days. The money has been paid. These are the words."

After the deputy troupe leader finished explaining, he took out a written contract from his bosom and handed it over. The old housekeeper was also a little confused. Who could order a troupe in front of the Marquis's mansion? Could it be the Marquis's doing? However, the Marquis was in the palace and hadn't come back yet. He carefully took it and opened it. The signature was indeed from the Marquis's mansion, but it didn't say who signed it, just a seal. He couldn't be sure for a while, so he asked;
"Then tell me, who signed the contract for you?"

"Well, old butler, I dare not hide it. The person who came was wearing armor, and it was heavy armor. He could not write, so he just signed the document and generously gave me money. He asked me to come over now and set up the place as quickly as possible. Let those who can sing go on stage and sing a song first."

Seeing that the housekeeper didn't believe him, the deputy boss was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. Isn't this a joke? The Marquis' Mansion didn't even know the person they invited. Who can he complain to?

At this time, the old butler believed it 80%. The only people who had heavy armor were the Marquis's Mansion and the Imperial Guards. There were not many in the Imperial City Department. This should be the case. I think it was arranged by the Marquis.

"Okay, you do your thing first, I'll report to the master, just in case it doesn't work."

The deputy boss nodded and said, "Don't worry, old housekeeper. If it doesn't work, or if it's a mistake, I will dismantle the stage and take it away. I will never let you off."

Seeing that the deputy boss was quite persuasive, the old butler nodded, turned around and told the doorman to keep an eye on it, and then led the servant into the mansion.

In the house,

Madam Wang was having dinner in Dongyun Tower. Several girls were sitting around the table, eating in silence. Only Yang Hanyu seemed unable to sit still. She drank some porridge, fluttered her eyelids, ate a bun, and looked around. The others were used to it and no one said anything to her. Only Yue Shu and the other two girls beside her would look up and glare at Yang Hanyu from time to time. However, the latter ignored her.

At about the same time,
outside the door,

I remembered the butler's words.

"Excuse me, old lady, I have something to report."

"Well, come in and talk."

"It's the old lady."

As the door was pushed open, the old housekeeper entered the inner room and stopped at the door with his body bent. Seeing this, Mrs. Wang put down the bowl of porridge in her hand and asked;

"Is something wrong?"

"Madam, I have something to tell you. I just came back from outside and found the Taoyuan Opera Troupe setting up a stage to the west of the main gate. They said it was ordered by the Marquis' Mansion. I'm not sure if it was done by the Marquis, so I can only come to tell you."

The old butler was a servant brought by Madam Wang in her early years. He had been with her outside the Great Wall for nearly twenty years. His words could not be false. Since it was appointed by the Marquis's Mansion, it must have been arranged by Jin Yu. The opera troupe was interesting.
"Just build it, send people inside and outside to watch it, it's just a show, no need to make a fuss,"

"Yes, old lady, I understand."

After saying this, she was about to leave. Unexpectedly, Yang Hanyu, who was sitting at the west end, glanced at Qin Keqing and saw no reaction. She could not help but gently pulled Qin Keqing's sleeve and asked again,
"Wait, is there Master Li Jili in the opera troupe coming from Taoyuan? I heard that she can sing Jiangnan Kunqu Opera Shuimoqiang. Sister, should we go and listen?"

Qin Keqing was not used to having her sleeve pulled by Yang Hanyu. Why did she like listening to music and watching dances so much during this period? She heard that the palace maids in her courtyard who came with her as a dowry practiced some kind of dance every day. How could she go out and watch this? How could a woman like her show her face in public?

"It's just a piece of music. What's so good about it? There are so many people outside. It's not good to show your face in public."

As a result, she was not allowed to leave as well. Yue Shu and the other two girls stood aside, covering their mouths and laughing softly. Only Yang Hanyu was left, pouting in grievance.
Mrs. Wang did not say anything, but waved her hand. The old housekeeper understood and left, closing the door.

"You, just listen and watch in your own yard. There are too many people outside, why are you going out to join in the fun? This stage should be called by Jin Yu, and there must be a reason. You don't want to do the serious work, and you have been doing these things every day. You have also taken a lot of medicine. You should concentrate on it."

Mrs. Wang's tone was not joyful or angry, but as soon as she spoke, she said to all the women present, "Everything is fought for. You are not anxious because your stomach is not moving, but I am anxious."

"Okay, go back and clean yourself up and get some water ready. They should be back soon."

After another instruction, Mrs. Wang put down her chopsticks, stood up and left, leaving the girls looking at each other with blushing faces.

Outside the house,

Suddenly, a group of people came from the west. After getting off their horses, they entered the mansion and started moving things. They also found a few tables and moved them out, and put big stones on them to press them down.

"Hurry up, be quick, press the table firmly, don't let it touch you."

Who knows,

After all, the table is a table. Even with the stone on it, it still shakes. This is not acceptable. The leading captain saw it and hurried to take another look. Fortunately, the large wall on the east side was also clean.

"Remove the table, clean the east wall, and assign someone to guard it."

"Yes, Captain."

After receiving the order, several personal soldiers hurried over.
The noise outside,

Apparently, the returning butler Wang heard it. At the gate, he saw several soldiers discussing something. Upon closer inspection, they were the personal soldiers of the Marquis. It seemed that the troupe was not lying, but they looked like this.

"Where is the concierge?"

"Old housekeeper, here I am."

The steward waiting at the door came running over.
"Go and ask someone to clean the ground outside the door. I think it's the Marquis' order, so don't neglect it."

"Yes, old butler."

The doorman ran back again, called the servants, and started cleaning outside the door.

Zhang Jinyu paraded through the streets, setting off firecrackers, attracting many people to watch. The team behind him was even more crowded. Many people even brought their children with them, eating snacks in their hands and laughing. The noise could be heard from far away.
Qinghu Lake is not too close to the Dongcheng Marquis Mansion, but it is not too far either. After walking for half an hour and turning a corner, we are almost there.
At the street corner,

There were candidates who had heard the news in advance and had been waiting here for a long time. Among them were many candidates from Hanyuan Hall who lived nearby.

More and more people are waiting here.
"Brother Li, hurry up and squeeze forward to see if the Marquis has announced the results."

Anxious words came from the crowd. They were Zhao Mingsheng, Sun Xinshan, and Li Chongwen from Hanyuan Hall. They happened to be looking for food at the street corner. It was fate that they met.
"Come on, come on, make way."

"Look, the teacher is here."

Zhao Mingsheng did not avoid people at all and directly called Luo Yunhou "teacher". Seeing this, the other two immediately changed their words. According to the rules of the special examination, the chief examiner of the examination room would be the teacher of the candidates of that year and there was no way to change it. Although Luo Yunhou was a military hero, the rules of the examination room remained the same.

With that, the three of them leaned against the roadside and squeezed in. There were many other students watching the excitement. I don’t know who took the lead at another corner of the street, and they all shouted in unison;
"Teacher, how are you?"

Zhang Jinyu, who was sitting on his horse, was so frightened that he almost dropped the cakes he had just bought. Seeing many examinees in Confucian robes at the street corner bowing to him, Zhang Jinyu was embarrassed to be casual. He quickly put away the cakes and nodded pretentiously.

It can be regarded as accepting the so-called student, and the title of master is obtained.
Seeing this, Zhang Jinyu saw the steward at the main entrance leading people to sweep the floor, and quickly waved his hand.

The concierge saw this and ran over.
"My Lord, what do you want me to do?"

"Open the main gate. Today, many examinees will come to see you. Clean up the entire courtyard on the west side, open the gate and arrange for people to serve. Don't lose face."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

It seems that the Marquis is accepting students. This is a serious matter, so you should go back and prepare it quickly.

Just like this swagger,
This also attracted the attention of many spies, who went back to report that at a small stall at the corner of the street, Prince Zheng Zhou Zhengbai and Mr. Fan were sitting at the table, ordering a plate of peanuts and two bowls of wine, and they were drinking quite happily.

"Teacher, isn't that Marquis Luo Yun? Why is he so ostentatious and even has a stage set up? Whose concubine did he marry?"

The crown prince Zhou Zhengbai was puzzled. He happened to look at the gate of the mansion and saw that someone had hung up red silk in the main room of the gatehouse. It looked festive.
Fan Wenhai, who was drinking, spat out the drink he had just taken when he heard this. Seeing the confused look on the prince's face,
Looking back at Marquis Luo Yun's mansion, no wonder the prince understood it so well. With such an arrangement, according to Marquis Luo Yun's reputation, everyone would speculate whether Marquis Luo Yun had taken a fancy to another girl and wanted to marry her into the family. After all, everyone knew that Marquis Luo Yun was fond of women.

"Your Highness has misunderstood. It is impossible for a nameless woman to enter Marquis Luo Yun's mansion. According to Marquis Luo Yun's preference for women, he would not look down on ordinary women!"

"Then, why is this?"

(End of this chapter)