Chang'an [Rebirth]

However, there is such a stage every year. The disadvantage of the Dajing imperial examination lies in this. Even in the period of the first emperor, there was a vicious incident where the winner of the head armor was killed in the street. Influence.

Chai Zheng is capable. When she was eight years old, she danced swords in her own courtyard. Chai Ji knew that there were few people in Chang'an City who would be her opponents. There are many capable people in the world, but few of them end well.

The sky was a little white, and Chai Ji was waiting at the door. The sedan chairs from the palace to pick up Chai Zheng arrived earlier. At this time, there was a layer of dew on the golden-red roof, and the bearers couldn't lift their spirits. is yawning.

On the surface, Chai Zheng has done all the work that should be done. The servant girl in the mansion took Chai Ji's clothes and changed them to make them fit better. Zhao Linlang personally tied a crown for her. Zheng's hair is not as long as that of ordinary ladies, and the tail of her hair looks a little playful, sweeping back and forth on Chai Zheng's shoulders.

Entering the palace to face the Holy Spirit is an important occasion, so you need to wash up a bit, not to mention Ruan Linshuang will also be there, Chai Zheng almost forgot how high-spirited his little Ruan was when he played against the king in the prelude.

Before leaving, he bumped into Chai Ji who was waiting for a rabbit at the door.

Chai Ji didn't speak, and stretched out his hand to hand over a book. The book was very thin, it looked like no more than a few sheets of paper, but it was heavy in his hand, "What is it?" Chai Zheng asked.

"It's already there at home. I found it by sorting out the bookshelves a few years ago." After finishing speaking, her brother turned around and left, not to mention answering questions, not even giving an extra look... Chai Zheng pursed her mouth in anger, and reluctantly endured it. Resisting the urge to pluck Chai Ji's hair.

It was not until he got into the sedan chair that Chai Zheng had time to open the book quietly. The things written in the book were common, nothing more than sayings and Xunzi sayings, but Chai Zheng knew it when he pressed his fingertips on the paper. Something extraordinary.

The paper is very thick and has no scent of ink. Although the imitation has no flaws, the paper is made of iron wire and gold thread. The toughness is better than that of ordinary weapons, and the words on it are carved stroke by stroke.

The pages of the book are infused with internal strength, so they can be easily torn off and put on again, and this thing is highly realistic, the edges of the pages are extremely thin, and the skin can be easily broken with a little force. Zheng is going to suspect that he is a master of the rivers and lakes who collects strange weapons.

But it's hard for Chai Ji to give up this heart. No one in the court is allowed to wear a sword except the guards. If he is found out, he will be charged with "intending to assassinate the current emperor". It's just that his eyelids have been twitching since last night. , I always feel uneasy in my heart, I am afraid that Chai Zheng's visit will not be peaceful, so I donate this book as a gift.

Chai Zheng thought to himself, "Go back and ask him where he got this book from."

The bearers sent by the palace walked lightly, obviously they were also Lian's sons, and they arrived at the place very quickly.

Chai Zheng was the last to arrive, and those who went to pick up Ruan Linshuang and Zheng Qinghe had already returned. The eunuch who came to announce the list yesterday was Chai Zheng's guide today. , ran over with a smile on his face, "Young master, come with me quickly, don't keep the emperor waiting too long."

The prelude to the king requires Zhao Qian to write a question. In addition, there are four great scholars from the Hongwen Museum, the prime minister of the dynasty, the minister of officials, and the minister. This is the smallest scene. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the performances of the juniors, but those who were not able to bear it might have to be terrified on the spot.

When Chai Zheng entered the hall, he found that everyone else was there, which was similar to what he had imagined, except for Ruan Yuzhang, who said that the Prime Minister took the initiative to avoid suspicion, but Ruan Linshuang was also hit in the head in his previous life, but he did not see any avoidance by the Prime Minister mean.

Chai Zheng even remembered that Ruan Yuzhang's health was very bad at that time, and he was given a seat in the court, so he couldn't stand for a long time, but he still dragged his sick body to see Ruan Linshuang's every word, and Zhao Qian was speechless.

But at that time, everyone didn't know that Zhao Qian had already harbored evil intentions, and when Ruan Linshuang was finally selected as the champion, Chai Zheng still thought that his uncle was a good person, he could listen to criticism, and he could put down his face.

The past flashed by before his eyes, and Chai Zheng's eyes fell on Zheng Qinghe again. In his memory, Zheng Qinghe was a somewhat poor scholar. He wore a blue and white shirt back then, but it was also neat and clean, but now Zheng Qinghe was dressed like Young master of the family, still blue and white——

Blue satin costs at least five taels of silver a foot, and is covered with white gauze. The gauze is thin and delicate, which is more expensive than satin.

Chai Zheng just glanced at him and knew that this outfit would not be worth a hundred taels of silver, not to mention that Zheng Qinghe was wearing Yunzhou boots, which were tributes, and no one except the palace could afford them.

"Oh?" Chai Zheng thought, "It seems that the rich man behind Zheng Qinghe is still from the palace."

Not only the people in the palace, but anyone can see that the person related to Zheng Qinghe must be the current emperor, otherwise who would dare to reward the tribute.

But there is one thing that Chai Zheng doesn't know... Ruan Linshuang also has friendship with Zheng Qinghe, and it's still not shallow.

Zheng Qinghe and Ruan Linshuang used to be officials in the same dynasty, but one stayed in the capital and the other went to Suzhou. They will call back to Jingzhong to report on their work, and after going back and forth, they finally recognize a familiar face. Occasionally, when they meet on the road, they will stop, clap their hands, and ask, "Have you eaten?"

And Ruan Linshuang really got acquainted with him at a birthday banquet. At that time, the third-rank bachelor of Hongwen Hall was regarded as the mentor of the two. They had to go for their [-]th birthday. Since they were classmates, it was inevitable that they would be arranged at the same table. "Young and promising, toast."

Although Ruan Linshuang is not fierce in appearance, but has a gentle and gentle temperament, most of the people in Chang'an City regret when they mention her, saying, "Such a beautiful daughter's family, there are many matchmakers, but they are still unwilling to marry, and the delay is in vain", but Ruan Linshuang didn't dare to say these words for some reason. This woman always gave people a sense of loftiness like an abyss and a wilderness. She didn't even dare to send the wine glass to Ruan Linshuang, which made Zheng Qinghe already drunk, and Ruan Linshuang didn't drink a single drop. dip.

After being drunk, it is inevitable to say a few sincere nonsense, Zheng Qinghe explained everything about the situation at home, and said with pride that after entering the court, he must be a good and honest official, serving the country and the people...

In the end, it was Ruan Linshuang who called the carriage to take him back.

They are about the same age, and Zheng Qinghe is the son of that boatman, and they have been in frequent contact since then. In his previous life, Zheng Qinghe was a bit paranoid and extreme, and the sentences he handled would be a bit harsher, but they were limited to stealing a hundred taels of silver for tattooing and distribution. It has not yet reached the posture of execution after a disagreement.

Later, Ruan Linshuang raised his army and the world was divided into two parts. Zheng Qinghe also gave up the corrupt court to vote for Ruan Linshuang. In those years, Zheng Qinghe did his best.

People who have experienced hardships are of course different from young people who have just embarked on this road. At this time, Zheng Qinghe was still very young, in his twenties, with pride in his chest, and when he saw the two classmates, he just smiled politely.

Chai Zheng clasped his hands together, and he moved silently, from Zheng Qinghe's left side to Xiaoruan's right side. Swipe across, causing Ruan Linshuang to give a smiling look——

Although the wound on Chai Zheng's mouth from being bitten was healed in many ways, there were still traces of it when he looked carefully, and Ruan Linshuang didn't just use his heart.

"..." Zheng Qinghe felt very clearly that he was being ignored.

Chai Zheng originally thought that the eunuch announcing the list was in such a hurry, Zhao Qian was already sitting in the main hall at least, who knew that when she arrived, several old scholars were still whispering to each other, and it took a while for Zhao Qian to show up, accompanied by the priest of Musang .

Of course, only Chai Zheng and Ruan Linshuang knew that the woman who covered her head and covered her face without revealing her appearance was the priest Mu Sang, and the others only regarded this as some kind of "Taoist nun". .

These two people seem to be parasitic to each other, no matter what the occasion is, they will not be separated, even Zhao Qian prepared a golden screen for Mu Qing to stay behind and listen... This move has aroused the anger of most people in the court. Dissatisfied, but Zhao Qian insisted on going his own way, and even a speech officer surnamed "Xu" was punished for this, and his waist was broken down, just like a useless person.

Since then, the speech officials have restrained their temper a lot, and they all watched with cold eyes, watching how Zhao Qian prospered, and even opened their mouths, only talking about trivial things, and those who were extremely disappointed by the court simply resigned. Officials, it is no longer a thing to go to the mountains and rivers far away to scold the emperor.

It is not difficult for Zhao Qian to solve the problem. With the experience of the previous life, Chai Zheng and Ruan Linshuang performed well. Of course, they did not deliberately stand out. It is not good to frighten the scholars. Instead, Zheng Qinghe had two stumbling blocks , His forehead was sweating, and his whole body was a little red. From the corner of Chai Zheng's vision, he saw several adults in the official department shaking their heads.

Chai Zheng's original intention was to keep the ranking in her previous life, and she would be proud enough to be a top pick, not to mention that she had a shame for Zheng Qinghe, so she couldn't suppress her chances of getting ahead.

But in this situation, Zheng Qing and Jun's prelude can't even be considered fluent, and there is nothing to talk about throughout the whole process. If he hadn't only ordered three people, he would not even be the third one.

Jun Qianqian needs to be the number one scholar on the spot, and according to Zhao Qian's opinion, even if the bachelors are blushing and neck thick from arguing below, it is the sound of gnats.

Zhao Qian picked up a pen, and wrote the names of Jinke No. [-] Scholar, No. [-], and Tanhua, and Li Duan read out loudly, "Come on! Chai Zheng from Chai Guogong's mansion is the Jinke No. [-] scholar!"

"Point! Zheng Qinghe, the eldest son of the Zheng family in Pingjiao County, Chang'an, is the second place!"

"Come on! Ruan Linshuang, the daughter of Ruan Yuzhang, the prime minister of the court, is the prostitute!"

Li Duanxuan couldn't believe his eyes at the end, and Chai Zheng also had an expression of "Am I deaf, Zhao Qian, are you crazy", but Ruan Linshuang remained calm and even said " Thank you Lord Ron."

When Zhao Qian went to look for her, he was thinking of being the No. [-] scholar to challenge her. If it doesn't work for him, he might as well find another way.

It's a pity that Zhao Qian's vision is narrowed. He only fears Chai Yuandao's military power and Ruan Yuzhang's popular support, but he doesn't know that the two little girls in front of him who he regards as pawns are the "culprits" who miss his imperial power.

The number one scholar and Tanhua... have already happened in the last life, not to mention that this kind of thing obtained by relying on others is not worth rare.

Therefore, it seems that Zhao Qian's conspiracy methods are very stingy.

Chai Zheng was also a little surprised at the beginning, thinking that Zhao Qian's brain was broken, but then he accepted it calmly, thinking about putting on the big red robe of the champion, and pulling a team of people to beat gongs, drums and suona on the way, swaying all the way At the door of the house, let the people from all over the world and the neighbors look at it. I have come back with a champion in the exam, and the big red flower on my chest is worthy of being framed.

Chai Zheng laughed a little too happily, and the corners of his eyes narrowed. Ruan Linshuang didn't accept that he wanted to make a fuss on the spot, and even looked at Chai Zheng, and he was also a little happy——

No matter who Zhao Qian chooses to be the champion, this champion will be hers.

The atmosphere in the main hall suddenly became weird. The top three scenes in the Dianjin Division like this are all recorded. Sometimes the recorder is specially arranged, and sometimes the Minister of the Ministry of Officials is also in charge, but it is obvious that today's minister There were disagreements among them, so it was too late to write... Chai Zheng and Ruan Linshuang may be indistinguishable in the first or second place, but Zheng Qinghe clearly cannot be compared with them. In the end, he took the second place, and Ruan Linshuang had to Tanhua?

The imperial examination is extraordinary, it is the foundation of the country's selection of talents, if it is so messy, who knows how many people will fish in troubled waters in this court in a few years.

Some of these bachelors had a stubborn temper of recognizing talents but disregarding others, so they picked up their official robes and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I think it's wrong."

"What's wrong?" Zhao Qian didn't give him a chance to speak at all, "I think the three of you today are all young talents, each with their own advantages." The conversation changed, "It is said that the selection of talents for the country In the end, it has to be used smoothly, if everyone is like Xu Zhangyou back then, the court may have already fallen apart."

Xu Zhangyou was the speech officer who was beaten to death with a cane.

Today's majesty has said all these words, even if the old man dies today, he can't change the result, so he made a record reluctantly, and then the official department will issue a list of announcements, the number one scholar will go home and rest for a day, On the second day, the whole city was paraded, and there were also those who blew gongs to clear the way and set off firecrackers. This is the same rule over the years.

Chai Zheng shrank to the side and didn't dare to breathe out, not because she was cowardly, but because she felt pitiful, weak and helpless at the moment...

In my previous life, I knew that Zhao Qian was greedy and moody, but because Chai Zheng wandered around Mobei all the year round, the days when he returned to Beijing were few and far between, and he didn't go to court very often. He didn't see Zhao Qian's gloomy face in front of the officials very much. What kind of country is this? The monarch behaves like a bandit, doing what he likes, even if the people around him are very reasonable, they can ignore it.

Chai Zheng couldn't help thinking, "Then why set up so many official positions, you're the only one in the court who's struggling so hard... No wonder my father asked Xiao Ruan to go to Mobei to be my military advisor, and Xiao Ruan agreed without even thinking about it." , the officials in Beijing are worried all day long, are they living a normal life?"

Zhao Qian was obviously very satisfied with the dead silence in the hall. He lowered his head and saw that everyone was kneeling under the high position, and no one dared to look up at him, so he nodded in satisfaction, "Everyone back down, everyone prepares." go."

After such an encounter, even though they were out of Zhao Qian's sight range, everyone was still silent. Chai Zheng never found a chance to talk to Ruan Linshuang. The two walked one after the other, and could even hear each other's breathing.

Chai Zheng was a step behind, she was able to look at Ruan Linshuang's back openly... Little Ruan seemed to have lost weight again, after all, Chang'an and Mobei were separated by thousands of miles, perhaps a little uncomfortable, and then Chai Zheng focused all her attention on Ruan Linshuang's body. hair tip.

The hair of a scholar is different. Ruan Linshuang still looks more stable when she is dressed like a man. Her hair is thick and long. She didn’t wear a crown today. The hairband is red, which is Chai Zheng's favorite color, and she wants to pull it with itchy hands, but unfortunately there are eyes everywhere, and the sedan chair to carry her home is very close at hand.

Chai Zheng held a breath in his heart, and before he had time to spit it out quietly, the person walking in front suddenly turned around, and the tip of his hair swept across Chai Zheng's eyes, then Ruan Linshuang smiled innocently, "Sorry, I forgot to pick it up." What does my sedan chair look like, it passed by in a moment."

As she said that, she brushed past Chai Zheng, and the hand gathered under her sleeve lightly hooked Chai Zheng's fingertips, like an unknown kiss.

But this tenderness was extremely short-lived. Sitting in the sedan chair, Chai Zheng stared blankly at her fingers, which had the breath of the snow-capped mountains, cold and timeless. After a while, Chai Zheng stared coldly and sat up straight.

She had just realized that the sedan chair had gone a long way, but it was not in the direction of Duke Chai's mansion. In a blink of an eye, all the noises around her disappeared, and Chai Zheng was carried to a deserted place.

The book made of gold wire and iron wire became Chai Zheng's only weapon at this time. Even after all the battles, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Chai Zheng really couldn't figure out what was going on now... her enemy?Enemy of parents?Or is it that Zhao Qian wants to give up his original plan to sow dissension, and intends to kill one by one?

It stands to reason that such a reasonable and lovely person as himself would have no enemies.

Chai Zheng sat in the silence for a while, and depending on the situation, the other party had plenty of time to confront her, only the rustling of the wind passing through the treetops could be heard all around, and the four bearers carrying the sedan chair for Chai Zheng had disappeared out of thin air——

This kind of organized and disciplined retreat must be instigated by others, and ordinary escapes have long been wailing and stomping.

Chai Zheng made a quick judgment and thought that she hadn't left the palace yet, so she should have circled around and brought herself back.

In the entire Chang'an city, only the palace has the most flowers, plants and trees, and you can smell a faint fragrance all year round. It is a wealth that cannot be concealed by elegance... This wealth is the only one in the palace. Where did it go.

In fact, Chai Zheng was a little strange just now. It stands to reason that the night Zhao Qian and Xiao Ruan made a deal, he covered his head and face because he didn't want Xiao Ruan to guess his identity. Why did he bring Mu Qing directly today?He thought that if Mu Qing was wrapped tightly from head to toe, he wouldn't be able to recognize him?

Did he underestimate Xiao Ruan, or was he just being stupid?

However, Chai Zheng knows Zhao Qian too well. Her big uncle may make mistakes, but he will not reveal such a big flaw... Chai Zheng's mind was spinning quickly, and she suddenly remembered Zhao Qian's layout in the Wolf Valley. In addition to killing and silence, he just wanted to test himself and Xiao Ruan.

What is the test for?

When Xiao Ruan kills himself with a sword, it will already be able to cause Chai Guogong's government to turn against the Prime Minister's government, the generals will not agree, the government will shake up, and the effect of eradicating dissidents will be achieved, unless Zhao Qian has other plans.

Chai Zheng's thoughts were not as concentrated as Ruan Linshuang's, so she stopped abruptly, and then jumped to—"With Yin Sui's ability, there are few people in the world who are his opponents. If Zhao Qian's conspiracy to silence his mouth is exposed, I will not be able to bear it." Get rid of Yin Sui and let him escape back to Chang'an City... How will Zhao Qian save his life?"

Of course Zhao Qian would not gamble with his own life. He dared to secretly silence him, so he must have made all the preparations. I am afraid that there is still a master in this palace, a master above Yin Sui.

Chai Zheng's hairs stand on end, she has fought with Yin Sui, and Yuan Si used a bamboo branch to whip her teeth all over the floor, these two are both Taishan Beidou in the martial arts, and they can discuss seniority with them... … Chai Zheng squeezed her slender arms and legs when she was only 15 years old, and decided to run away first, since she couldn’t fight anyway.

Chai Zheng came out of the sedan chair with a book in her hand, looked up, it was indeed a deep palace, her place was a dead end, and there was a straight avenue in front of her, with no end in sight, Chai Zheng looked around all around without changing her expression After a while, he secretly groaned in his heart.

The number of times she came to the palace is really not many. Even with the foundation of her previous life, it is still pitifully few. No, it blocked Chai Zheng's chance to ask for directions.

Years of staying in Mobei has made Chai Zheng bleed to the bone. He is wild. If he can't escape, he will go forward. It is not the style of a young general to give up on the spot.

"Hey," Chai Zheng sighed softly, "I'm just a nobody, why send out a master like Senior to test me out?"

No one answered, and the surrounding area was still quiet, making Chai Zheng look like a psychopath.

"Since senior refuses to show up, I'm going home first." Chai Zheng said, and really took two steps forward.

The wind direction suddenly changed, and the three leaves were inserted into the cracks of the bricks with precision, within half an inch of Chai Zheng's toes.

Chai Zheng was helpless, "Senior, you are hiding your face and refusing to let me go home. Could it be that you want to starve me to death... Isn't this way of dying too time-consuming?"

"The little girl is eloquent." Finally, Chai Zheng heard the first sentence that this person spoke today.

This senior must be quite young, maybe about the same age as Yuan Si, or maybe a year or two younger, and you can't tell just by his voice, but the strange thing is that the sentence just now was very short, and there was no turning point in the middle. Zheng heard two different tones before and after.

"Little girl" is uttered by a man. It is powerful, with a bit of contempt, but not deep. I laughed several times.

Chai Zheng felt uncomfortable all over.

She remembered Xiao Ruan once said that the masters in the world are all covered in a poem, her mother is at the end, Yin Sui is the fourth, and Chai Zheng counts on her fingers, she thinks Yin Sui should be the fifth...

40 years ago, Mobei Jinghong and Jiangnan Yeyu were both ranked number one. 30 years ago, the grand thief Wanlai was the most outstanding, and his junior sister, Sword Master Lingxiao, was recruited into the palace to teach the young eldest princess, It is Yin Sui.

With a thought in his mind, Chai Zheng suddenly asked, "Senior, is Ling Xiao sword master Mei Xueyun?"

"It's pretty smart, you guessed my identity so quickly," the man squeezed his throat and laughed again, "Then guess again, who is the other one?"

"I heard that senior went to Jiangnan and had a deep affection with senior Ye Yudaoqiu at that time. If you dare to ask the other one, it's Qiu Yeyu, senior Qiu." Chai Zheng's head was as big as a bucket, so he could only guess wildly.

"Wrong!" The man's voice suddenly rose, and then there was a chaos like singing a big drama, with a few "female" ridicules in the middle, "I and Qiu Daxia are originally in love with each other, look, this The little girl thinks you are him."

Then there were endless "wrong, wrong, shut up!", for an instant, Chai Zheng thought that the next second would be beating gongs and drums, and a group of people emerged from the inside and started to set up the stage.

However, the stage was not set up yet, Chai Zheng felt a cool wind blowing from the back of her head, she jumped forward instinctively, turned around in the air, and saw a black shadow land on the top of the sedan chair.