The legitimate daughter becomes cannon fodder? Rebirth to overthrow the system's fatality

Chu Heng didn't expect that he had quietly gained two powerful allies.

As soon as the fifteenth day of the first lunar month passed, he would go to the Ministry of Personnel to take up his post.

This was a lucrative position, and many officials began secretly offering bribes in the name of holiday gifts before the New Year even arrived.

Chu Heng simply stayed indoors and didn't go out.

On New Year's Eve, there were fewer pedestrians on the street, and many shops were closed, with only a few open here and there.

After Cheng Jiuyuan had breakfast, he said something to Lin and went out with Mu Jin and Song Lan.

Lin only told her that she had to rush back home to have the reunion dinner.

Cheng Jiuyuan arrived at Pei's house on the outskirts of the city. As soon as she got off the carriage, she heard Pei Yan's voice coming from the yard.

"Oh, our cousin is here." The doorman stepped forward and saluted with a smile on his face.

Cheng Jiuyuan smiled and nodded: "I brought some holiday gifts for my uncle in the car, you can help move them in."

"The Prime Minister's Mansion just sent a festival gift a few days ago, why are they sending another one today?" Pei Yan heard Cheng Jiuyuan's voice and came out to greet her.

"That was prepared by the Prime Minister's Mansion, and these are prepared by me."

The two of them walked in while talking. Pei Xiu came out of the house and Cheng Jiuyuan called him "Uncle".

"Hey? It's New Year's Eve today. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to have a reunion dinner with my uncle. Who says we can only have a reunion dinner at night? Let's have a reunion at noon."

Pei Xiu responded with a smile and immediately asked someone to tell the kitchen to prepare the reunion dinner.

"Why don't you see my cousin?"

"The Spring Examination is coming up soon, and he is studying in his study."

Cheng Jiuyuan walked towards the study: "I'll go take a look."

The door of the study was not closed, and Cheng Jiuyuan saw Zhishu's back standing in front of the window at a glance.

The demeanor of a scholar, in his early twenties, his mind as clear as autumn water, his learning the best in the south of the Yangtze River.

The beauty is bright and graceful, the shadow is graceful. Who can be like the exiled fairy Qinglian?

Every time she saw her cousin, she couldn't help but sigh.

Pei Xuan noticed someone outside the door and turned around.

"My cousin is here?"

Cheng Jiuyuan walked in: "Cousin."

"You came just in time. I just received a letter from my teacher. After the New Year, they will bring students who are taking the exam to the capital. Your sister Yu may also come with them."

Cheng Jiuyuan's face was full of surprise: "Really? That's great!"

In the past seven years, Yan Yu was her only good friend. After being separated for several months, she really missed her.

"Dad said that he would arrange for them to live here. There will be more than ten students in the academy preparing for the exam, so there will be enough space for them to stay here. This suburb of Beijing is quiet and suitable for students to review their studies. When the time comes, if you want to see your sister Yu, just come here."

“That’s great.”

After Cheng Jiuyuan's joy, he looked at Pei Xuan and said, "Cousin, are you sure you can pass the imperial examination this time?"

"I am determined to win." Pei Xuan answered calmly.

Dad and second brother are working hard, and the Pei family's business is getting bigger and bigger. He must become a towering tree to protect them.

"I believe in my cousin."

In this life, my cousin is surrounded by the protection of senior sisters from the Jiutian Sword Sect, so he will definitely be able to enter the examination room safely.

Once he entered the examination room, Cheng Yun, no matter how long he was, couldn't get in.

The reunion dinner at noon was very sumptuous.

Cheng Jiuyuan stood up, raised his glass to Pei Xiu, and said auspicious words: "Yuan'er wishes Uncle Jingning to see spring, and good fortune and prosperity."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

"Yuan'er, even though it's fruit wine, you should drink less." Pei Xiu said with a smile.

"Dad, my cousin's drinking capacity is like Master Yan's. You can't drink more than her." Pei Yan said.

"Yes, just a few glasses of fruit wine, it won't matter." After saying that, he looked at Pei Xuan and said, "I hope you can move to the long forest and become a pillar in the future."

Then he turned to Pei Yan and said, "May God bless my second cousin and bring him good luck."

After drinking this cup, Pei Xiu refused to let her drink any more and replaced the fruit wine with goat's milk.

Every festival makes people miss their families more. In the past seven years, Cheng Jiuyuan celebrated the New Year in Pei Mansion, and it was always very lively and warm.

"I don't know if your grandparents and aunt are having dinner now. Without you guys around, the mansion must be a lot quieter with just Jin'er being so taciturn." Pei Xiu drank a glass of wine, with a hint of longing in his voice.

Cheng Jiuyuan also knew that now that the business in the capital had been taken over, if it weren't for her, her uncle and two cousins ​​would not have stayed in the capital.

Although her biological father is in the prime minister's mansion, he is far less warm than here.

"Thank you, uncle. I and my two cousins ​​stayed in the capital to accompany Yuan'er."

Pei Xiu smiled and said, "What are you thanking me for? We are a family."

He couldn't bear to leave her alone in the capital.

Although the Pei family is a merchant family, one day, merchants will be able to protect her from the wind and rain.

Cheng Jiuyuan stayed in Pei's house until 3 p.m. before leaving with a few thick red envelopes.

Outside the prime minister's residence, Cheng Jiuyuan got off the carriage and saw Cheng Yunge and a man at the entrance of an alley not far from the prime minister's residence.

Cheng Yunge had his back to her, so she couldn't see his expression. The man opposite her didn't look very happy, as if he was arguing with something.

"Girl, that's the eldest son of the Zhou family." Song Lan followed her gaze and said in a low voice.

The eldest son of the Zhou family, Zhou Xiaoyun? Cheng Yunge's eldest cousin, the arrogant young champion in his previous life?

If Song Lan hadn't reminded her, she really wouldn't have been able to connect the two.

In his previous life, Zhou Xiaoyun won the top three places in the imperial examination at a young age, and even Cheng Zongyang called him "good nephew".

Today, he wears linen clothes, has sunken cheeks and looks humble. How can he still be seen as a trace of his previous life?

Cheng Jiuyuan turned and walked back to the mansion, lowering her voice and saying to Mu Jin, "Arrange someone to watch over Cheng Yunge and the Zhou family."

She just didn't believe that in this life Zhou Xiaoyun could have become the top scholar even though he didn't go to Baichuan Academy and didn't have a famous teacher to guide him.

"Yes."

Cheng Yunge turned around and saw Cheng Jiuyuan and his group entering the mansion.

Cheng Yunge was so helpless that he couldn't help but swear.

"You should go back first. There are so many people coming and going at the door. It would be bad if someone saw us."

"Cousin, you can let me go back, but you have to bring the silver!" Zhou Xiaoyun looked like a ruffian. He was afraid that people would not see him and would spread gossip. It would be even better if he could become the son-in-law of the prime minister.

"Cousin, auntie promised to give us one tael of silver every month, but now she's breaking her promise. During the New Year holidays, you guys are enjoying the feasts and fish in the prime minister's mansion, but we have no rice to eat!"

"Your Zhou family has three healthy men, but you actually rely on my aunt for support. My Cheng family doesn't owe you anything!" Cheng Yunge was mad.

She was not her aunt, so she was unwilling to encourage this evil trend. If they got used to it, there would be no peace in the future.

"Your Cheng family doesn't owe us anything? Why did my father die? Huh?"

Zhou Xiaoyun suddenly became angry and stood up as if he was going to hit someone, scaring Cheng Yunge so much that he took a step back.

"Don't mess around, this is the entrance to the Prime Minister's residence!"

"We are all starving to death, so why should I care if there is chaos or not? At worst, we will both die together!"

Cheng Yunge was forced into a corner and softened his voice, "Cousin, you are also very knowledgeable..."

"What's the point of reading so many books? A scholar is useless!" Zhou Xiaoyun snorted coldly.

"Who said it's useless? The imperial examination is coming soon, doesn't my cousin want to turn things around?"

Zhou Xiaoyun felt a little guilty, as he knew his own worth.

"I... forget it. I'll just set up a stall and write letters for people and sell paintings..."

Cheng Yunge handed a box to Zhou Xiaoyun: "Cousin, you must memorize the article above. This is your magic weapon to become the top scholar!"

"Top scorer?" Zhou Xiaoyun widened his eyes.

He thought that his uncle was the prime minister and must know the examination questions.

Zhou Xiaoyun suddenly became full of confidence and changed his unreasonable attitude: "Cousin, you are so good to me..."

Cheng Yunge suppressed her nausea and said, "Remember to destroy these after you write them down. With these, my cousin will surely become a high-ranking official. I hope you will take care of me in the future."

"Of course, we are a family. It's just that the palace examination..."

"Don't worry, cousin. There is an article here about the skills for the palace examination. It is a universal formula, ahem, a universal article. If you follow my method, there will be no problem."

"Okay, I'll listen to you."