Detective in the Red Chamber

In addition, each candidate also comes with a portrait of a character...

In the past, Sun Shaozong always felt that the idle yamen of the Ministry of Rites had kept so many subordinates, which was a waste of the country's food--now it seems that they really don't eat dry food!

"Could it be that before entering the examination room, all these details must be compared one by one?"

Sun Shaozong threw the roster back into the burden, and said speechlessly, "If you are so careful, maybe three days will not be enough for them to enter the arena!"

"It's mostly a concern about someone impersonating someone."

Cheng Rixing said helplessly, "However, Dong Weng doesn't need to be too distressed. At that time, the soldiers from the patrol battalion and the city defense battalion will help to verify his authenticity. Dong Weng only needs to be on the sidelines to check."

No wonder the fraud in the examination room can't be stopped. It's no wonder that the gang of soldiers in the patrol camp will do their best to check!

"Through the tossing once every three years, doesn't anyone think of a way to save time and effort?"

"This is..."

Cheng Rixing said, "When the Supreme Emperor was in power, someone really thought of a way. He asked someone to build a big pool in the tribute courtyard, ordering the examinees to take a collective bath before entering the arena, and then change into the clothes prepared by the court."

Sun Shaozong felt his eyes light up when he heard the words, and said happily, "Since there is such a rule, why didn't you say it earlier?!"

Cheng Rixing hurriedly called Qu and said, "Dong Weng, if you don't tell me it's not a student, it's because this method has been banned. Even if you know it, it's useless."

"Why? This method should be quite practical?"

"At that time, after the examination of that subject, dozens of people were infected with the willow disease. The common people called that subject "the subject of cutting off sons and grandchildren". As a result, the scholarly community was excited, and this method was completely abolished."

ok~

This reason is indeed very strong. If Sun Shaozong were to be replaced, he would definitely oppose it!

After calling several scribes to put away the roster by category, Sun Shaozong was really not interested in looking at it. After hesitating for a while, he simply suggested, "After all, there is something wrong with talking about war on paper. Why don't we go to the Tribute Court first and conduct on-the-spot investigations?" For a while, it will be better to adapt to local conditions when the time comes.”

Naturally, Cheng Rixing would not have any objections.

So Sun Shaozong ordered people to prepare the carriage, recruited Zhou Da and Zhao Wuwei to accompany him, and prepared to rush to the examination room.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they left the Criminal Department, they bumped into the officials of Jia Yu Village, saying that it was Mr. Fu Cheng who invited Sun Shaozong to discuss matters.

Although he was upset that Jia Yucun had betrayed him, he still had to go when summoned by the Shangguan.

So Sun Shaozong asked Cheng Rixing and others to wait in the gatehouse, and hurried to Jiayu Village's yard by himself.

He came and went to this yard often, so he didn't need to report anything, he went straight into the living room, and saw Jia Yucun coming and going with his hands behind his back, with an indignant expression on his face.

What kind of drama is this going to sing?

Seeing this old fox's acting skills a lot, Sun Shaozong would not trust his exposed emotions.

So Quan acted as if he hadn't seen it, stepped forward and bowed, "I don't know if Mr. Fu Cheng summoned the officials, what orders do you have?"

However, Jia Yucun took a few more steps, and then turned around and asked, "Brother, do you know the chief steward of Rongguo Mansion?"

The butler of the Rongguo Mansion?

"Your Excellency is talking about that Lai Da?"

"It's this fellow!"

Jia Yucun gritted his teeth and scolded, "It's unreasonable for a mere bastard to come and threaten me just now!"

Chapter 102 Manager Lai Hopes His Child Will Become a Dragon, Jia Yucun Double-faces Three Swords

But it is said that the Lai family has been slaves in Jia's mansion for generations, and they are most trusted, especially in Lai Da's generation, who have been in the position of chief executive for more than ten years.

Up to now, although Lai Da is still a slave in name, he can be regarded as a half-master in the Rongguo Mansion - even Jia Lian and Baoyu, the sons of the direct descendants, have to call him "Uncle Lai" when they see him. .

Not only that, this Lai Da also built a mansion outside, he worked as a housekeeper in the Rongguo Mansion during the day, and returned to his own house to do his best at night, closing the door as if he also regarded himself as a master and wife!

And his only son, Lai Shangrong, got rid of his slave status since he was a child, and was raised by maids, wives, and nanny like a phoenix. He was also taught to read and write, and to be an official.

But said this afternoon.

Lai Da returned to his mansion in a hurry, just as his front foot stepped over the threshold, his only son Lai Shangrong appeared diagonally down.

"master!"

Lai Shangrong asked urgently, "Did Jia Yucun agree?"

"Shh!"

Lai Da hurriedly made a gesture of silence, and dragged his son into the hall again, and then scolded his face, "You dare to shout all over the world about this terrible business? Are you really tired of working?!"

Lai Shangrong also knew that he had been reckless just now, he quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake, and then looked at Lai Da eagerly.

"Okay, don't mess with me anywhere!"

Lai Da took a seat in the middle of the chair, and said in a deep voice, "That Jia Yucun was pushy at the beginning, but I took advantage of his shortcomings, and immediately softened, and I have already agreed to recommend your article."

"real?!"

When Lai Shangrong heard this, he jumped three feet high with joy, clapped his hands and laughed, "So, my son is going to be the master of Juren soon, ha...haha..."

"Don't be too happy."

But Lai Da shook his head again and said, "Then Jia Yucun is just a 'co-examiner' after all, and he can't keep his promises——your article must at least be passable on the surface, so that he can recommend it in front of others."

"What's so difficult about this?"

Lai Shangrong showed his folding fan, and said in disbelief, "Didn't I buy the 'Complete Book for Examination Preparation' long ago? At that time, as long as I find a way to carry it in and piece together an article, it will not be a problem."

"That's where the problem lies."

Lai Da frowned and said, "According to Na Jia Yucun, it is the Sun Shaozong who is known as the 'Divine Judgment' who is serving as the tour envoy of the Tribute Academy this time—this Sun has never rubbed sand in his eyes, and he has once refused. Second Grandma Lian's words, I'm afraid that he will be merciless and spoil your good deed!"

"How about that?"

When Lai Shangrong heard this, he panicked again, closed the folding fan with a bang, and walked back and forth like ants in a hot pot, suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly said, "Isn't Jia Yucun his immediate boss? He stepped forward to suppress that Sun..."

"You think I haven't thought of this idea?"

Lai Da said helplessly, "But I heard from Jia Yucun that he just had a quarrel with the person surnamed Sun a few days ago, it's fine if he is not mentioned now, if he is mentioned, the person surnamed Sun will probably even refuse to help! "

"So, isn't there nothing we can do?!"

Lai Shangrong was completely discouraged, so he simply found a chair and slumped, and shouted without a mouth, "Forget it, forget it, what kind of bullshit does not raise people, anyway, I don't care about it, so don't be embarrassed by it!"

"Why are you so anxious, let me think about it later!"

Lai Da frowned and pondered for a while, then got up suddenly and walked out.

Lai Shangrong hurriedly chased after him, and asked expectantly, "Master? Master! Are you going to..."

As Lai Da walked out, he said, "I'll go to Lian's second grandma to find out. She is the most face-saving person. Since the person surnamed Sun has offended her face, she will definitely not let it go. In the past few months , maybe he has already found the weakness of Sun Shaozong!"

--split line--

At the same time, in the Yamen of Shuntian Prefecture and the courtyard of Jia Yucun.

"My brother knows me. I have been an official for many years and never dared to bend the law for personal gain!"

Jia Yucun's righteous face was awe-inspiring, "Not to mention a lowly slave, even if the first and second masters of the Rongguo Mansion came forward, I would absolutely refuse to do such a fraudulent thing!"

To his remarks, Sun Shaozong could only respond with the word "hehe" in his heart-in the past half a year, Sun Shaozong had heard of no less than a dozen cases of Jia's prime minister bending the law for personal gain. It's a good thing he still has the face to boast.

slap~

He was slandering himself, but he saw Jia Yucun slap the coffee table suddenly, his gums clenched his beard and said tremblingly, "Who knows that after I politely refused, that Lai Da actually spoke rudely, and even threatened, what did you say?" If the Rongguo Mansion can help you recover, it can also step on you' and other nonsense!"

"If these words come from the mouths of the two clan uncles, it's fine, but he, a mere lowly slave, dares to be so arrogant and rude, and regards the country's plans for talent as a child's play, which is really intolerable !"

"Brother!"

Speaking of this, Jia Yucun stood up and bowed to Sun Shaozong to the end, "I have already rejected that dog slave, and if he is unwilling to come, he will definitely find you. At that time, please be careful, brother It has failed the trust of the Holy Majesty and the expectations of scholars!"

Threatened by Hao Nu, he retaliated angrily.

This reason is still plausible. If it were someone else, Sun Shaozong would believe it.

But put it on Jia Yucun...

Sun Shaozong didn't think that this old fox would fight to the death with a powerful slave like Lai Da just because of a momentary impulse!

The deeper reason is probably because Emperor Guangde will be enthroned for ten years soon, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this subject, so Jia Yucun refused that...

and many more!

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to Sun Shaozong's mind. With Jia Yucun's level of cunning, who can guarantee that he really rejected Lai Da?

Maybe he agreed to Lai Da first, and then came to him to put on a show, trying to instigate himself to fight that Lai Da to death, so as to reap the benefits of the fisherman!

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was Jia Yucun's usual way of doing things. Sun Shaozong couldn't help saying "it's dangerous" in his heart, and he was almost used as a gunman again by this guy!

But since he has seen the flaws, he might as well use the trick...

"This damned bastard!"

Sun Shaozong immediately put on a look of indignation, and said bitterly, "When my Sun family was down and down, I was bullied by these dog slaves. I can't imagine that today, I still dare to be so rampant and rude!"

As he spoke, he patted his chest again and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, brother. I haven't agreed to the former Lian's second sister-in-law to speak up, let alone a mere old slave?! If any dog ​​slave dares to make noise in front of me, I'll take it all at once." If he spits out, he can vent his anger on my elder brother's behalf!"

"Brother!"

Hearing this, Jia Yucun looked at Sun Shaozong emotionally.

"Brother!"

Sun Shaozong also looked at him affectionately, his four eyes blended together, full of the word 'sincerity'!

Chapter 103 The Silver Hook Wants to Catch Golden Softshells

After performing a "Wisdom Fight" with Jia Yucun in Houya, Sun Shaozong was able to go out, but he always felt that there was something wrong there, but after thinking about it, he couldn't figure out where this feeling came from.

Seeing outside the gate, Cheng Rixing and others had been waiting for a long time, so he had no choice but to suppress his uneasiness, got on his horse, and set off towards the Gongyuan near Chongwenmen.

It goes without saying that a group of people ride horses and ride cars, on the road.

When I got near the Gongyuan, I saw that the streets and alleys were full of colorful flags fluttering. This one said 'Sanyuan Jidi', and the other hung 'Toad Palace Zhegui'.

The more refined ones posted couplets related to the imperial examination.

For example, "living in a side door, the county test is difficult, the government test is difficult, the college test is even more difficult, and you can only enter Pan when you are half a hundred years old; living here, the township test is easy, the general test is easy, the palace test is easier, and you have already boarded Yingying on the 25th" and so on, belittle others , Elevate your own sour words.

The rude and straightforward ones simply wrote in gold letters on a red background, stating how many Juren and Jinshi he had produced here.

Seeing Sun Shaozong reining in his horse to watch, Cheng Rixing poked his head out of the car and explained, "Dong Weng, the restaurants and inns here are always closed for three years, and the owners who have been open for three years usually just make ends meet. At the time of autumn and spring, I immediately made a lot of money."

Sun Shaozong asked thoughtfully, "So, there are many candidates living here?"

Cheng Rixing replied, "Naturally, the news here is the most well-informed, not to mention those candidates who come from afar, even those who live in the city, there are many people who will come to book a room to get acquainted with the seniors. Gentle."

Hearing what Cheng Rixing said, Sun Shaozong paused for a while and pondered for a while, and then urged his horse to rush to the gate of the Gongyuan.

Although this place is not open on weekdays, as Sun Shaozong is the judge of the Shuntian Mansion, no one will stop him if he wants to go in and have a look.

After entering the tribute courtyard, the first thing that catches the eye is a road more than [-] meters long.

"grown ups."

Cheng Rixing explained again, "This is where the body search takes place. It would be indecent to strip naked on the street, and besides, it was still cold in Chunwei, if there was no place to keep out the wind, maybe a bunch of people would fall ill before the exam started. "

Sun Shaozong nodded noncommittally, and went to Lixing first.

When he arrived in the middle of the aisle, he saw no one left and right, so he confessed to Zhou Da, "Mr. Cheng, after you go back, you choose a few reliable knife and pen officials, pretend to be scholars who are taking the exam, and live in the opposite side of the street." In the inn——you don’t need to deliberately inquire about anything, as long as you eat delicious food and pretend to be rich.”

"Dong Weng is trying to lure those 'literature dealers' into the bait?"

Hearing the words, Cheng Rixing immediately understood what Sun Shaozong meant, but his face showed a look of embarrassment, and he muttered, "Dong Weng, it's not so easy to pretend to be a rich man here, if you don't have four or five Two silver coins..."

Before he finished speaking, Sun Shaozong said in a wealthy manner, "Then first set the daily expenses of five taels of silver per person, and I will pay for this money first. If you really catch a big fish, you won't have to worry about getting back the money—if If you can’t catch a single fish, just treat them as me paying them to enjoy it!”

Hearing what Sun Shaozong said, Cheng Rixing naturally wouldn't have any objections. In fact, if he wasn't afraid of being recognized, he would have wanted to go undercover in the inn himself!

A group of people passed through the narrow road, and what they saw head-on was still not the examination room, but the hall where the most holy teacher was enshrined.

According to Cheng Rixing and Zhou Da, every time before the official examination, the examiners would pay homage to Confucius here, beg for the protection of the most holy teacher, and at the same time prove to others that they have a clear conscience.

If you change to a serious 'inspector envoy', you have to go in to pay homage at this time.

But Sun Shaozong has nothing to do with Kong Lao Er, no matter in his previous life or in this life, so he naturally doesn't bother to admire his old man's appearance.

So, under the guidance of Cheng Rixing, they walked around the hall and arrived at a large courtyard on the east side.

This time, Sun Shaozong finally saw what the 'examination room' looked like!