Linque

Last night, in the study of Marquis Wenxin's mansion.

After seeing off a dozen or so family officials, Marquis Wenxin and Shen Wende leaned back in the armchair, rubbing the space between his brows wearily.

The suspension of the imperial examination would hurt the foundation of the aristocratic family. These people were very anxious, but when it came time to come up with an idea, they all fell silent again.After all, they were just waiting for others to take the lead, and when it was their turn, they just wanted to follow behind and say "Second ministers".

Who doesn't understand the truth that the rafters die first?

The emperor has only been in power for more than two years now, and no one can understand his true temperament under his indifferent appearance, but his wrists have already been seen by the civil and military courts. Recite the Buddha's name in the Cihe Palace to cultivate one's character?The grass on King Qi's grave is half a meter high.There was silence in the Jingzhang Palace for a few days, and the Hall of Martial Arts did not reveal anything. The emperor's thoughts could not be sensed from outside, so naturally he didn't dare to be the first to go up there.

It was two quarters before Youzheng, there was a knock on the door outside the study, daughter Shen Dai came in, Fushen greeted him and asked him to move to the flower hall for dinner.

Shen Wende nodded, and looked up at his daughter who looked like a lotus in the distant mountains. He heard from his eldest son that Shangsi Festival ran into the emperor on Chaoxian Mountain but was rejected.After Shen Dai came back, she was sad in the room for several days, but as long as she stepped out of the courtyard and walked in front of people, she still looked beautiful, handsome and intelligent.

Shen Wende nodded secretly in his heart, and asked, "Where's your brother?"

Shen Dai replied: "I went to the official office to pick up Qiran, and it's about time I came back."

Shen Wende's eyebrows relaxed when he heard this, and he let out a "huh".

In the spring of the next year, His Majesty asked Ling Qiran to go to Taichang Temple to learn rites and music. Not to mention anything else, the king of the small county is at least obedient and hardworking.

This child lost his father when he was young, and the Yanhe Shen family belonged to his mother's family. Although they have the confidence to protect him for a lifetime of wealth and no worries, Ling Qiran is also a super-grade county king, and he does not have a battle for the throne with His Majesty like Prince Jing. However, there is still a bit of affection between the cousins, and raising him as a child of an idle family has humiliated the title of the county king in vain.

Originally, it was just in Yanhe City in Qingzhou, but now that King Shenjun came to the imperial capital, Shen Wende, the uncle, originally wanted to find an opportunity to mention it to His Majesty, so as to find a decent job for King Shenjun.His Majesty's arrangement now is not bad.

While talking, Shen Yingbo and Ling Qiran had already returned.

"Father looking for me?" Shen Yingbo bowed his hands.

Seeing that Shen Dai was also there at the door of the study, the king of the little county cheered up, called "Uncle" to Shen Wende, and ran to Shen Dai's side, handed over the pastry wrapped in oil paper in his hand, and said with a smile: "Cousin, my cousin and I Brother made a special trip to the outer city to buy it for you! It’s still hot right out of the oven!”

Shen Dai was depressed these days, Ling Qiran saw it, although he didn't directly comfort her, he tried to make her happy in another way.Shen Dai's heart warmed, she smiled slightly, took the pastry and thanked her.

Shen Wende still had something to say to Shen Yingbai, so he asked Shen Dai and Ling Qiran to go to the flower hall for dinner first, and when the two siblings left the courtyard, Shen Wende said: "Your sister's matter should not be delayed for too long, otherwise things will change. .The suspension of volume this time may be an opportunity.”

Shen Yingbai didn't respond in a hurry, watched Shen Dai's back disappear into view, retracted his gaze and pondered for a moment, then asked: "Does father have to let Dai Dai enter the palace?"

"?" Shen Wende was stunned for a moment, and then frowned, "Why do you call it a certainty? The late emperor left an oral order, specifying that your sister is the new imperial concubine, shouldn't she enter the palace?"

But Gu Rou is no longer a queen, Shen Yingbai thought.

"Besides, Your Majesty is young and in full bloom. Sooner or later, he will select concubines to fill the harem. Our family has been teaching your sister the etiquette of concubines for so many years. Is there anything that doesn't match your appearance, temperament and family background? It doesn't make sense for other people's daughters. They all entered the palace to Cheng En, and our family's ready-made 'Quasi-Imperial Concubine' actually retreated."

Shen Wende paused for a moment, then sighed again: "It's impossible to have no one in the palace. This time the volume is stopped, and there has been no movement in Jingzhang Palace for a long time. Our outsiders' eyes are darkened, and we don't know anything. Just look at it." Those aristocratic ministers are huddled together and messed up. As long as there is someone in the harem serving His Majesty, we will not be so passive if we just hand out some wind direction."

But what if there is no "sooner or later"?Or just "late"?Shen Yingbai pursed her lips and remained silent, her thoughts drifted out involuntarily, thinking of the orchid grass bracelet given to King Shenjun by Imperial Attendant Mo on the Shangsi Festival.

The rafters die first, and the emperor's mind is still unclear in the matter of stopping the roll. These aristocratic families are hesitant to take the lead, just want to follow behind, and they are afraid that the emperor will "capture the thief first and capture the king" afterwards.

Isn't it the same reason to switch to the draft Nafei?No matter what the reason is, the emperor has made it clear now that he still doesn't have the heart to open a harem.At this time, pressing his head to force him to pay, not to mention the later, anyway, it may not be a good thing for Shen Dai who was the first to enter the palace.The Shen family has the strength to keep Shen Dai safe, but if His Majesty accepts another girl from the Xiao family to fight with you, it will be hard to tell.When the time comes to win favor and lose favor in the harem, and have children but no children, then it will really be "thunder, rain and dew are all the grace of the king".

Shen Yingbo frowned slightly, thought for a while, and said cautiously: "Xiao Hou left Beijing for Yichong last month, counting the days, when he comes back, the test will just start, whether to stop or set up the paperwork, there is almost a judgment."

"It's such a coincidence to come and go. It's hard to guarantee that he knows something. Xiao Wencong made it clear that he doesn't want to get involved." Shen Wende knocked on the armrest of the armchair, thinking, "There is also Su Que, Lord Ying, who is the governor of the Northwest. Although others have left, The branch of the Su family heard the news of the suspension of the roll, but they were not disturbed at all, I am afraid Duke Ying had already made arrangements before he left. From this point of view, His Majesty has already made up his mind."

Shen Yingbo nodded: "Then what does father mean?"

Shen Wende pondered for a while, then said in a deep voice: "The Shen family has produced three generations of emperors in a row, and their peaches and plums are all over the Jingqing and Yue states, and they are well-known scholars. , in my opinion, not absolutely impossible.”

Shen Yingbo's heart skipped a beat.

Hearing him change the subject again, he said calmly: "But there is no gain in vain in this world. I know that there is a shadow of Chu Heng in your sister's matter."

Mentioning this name, Shen Wende's eyes darkened, and his coldness flashed across: "Your mother said, it's really impossible..."

When the words came to his lips, Shen Wende suddenly thought of something again, rolled his throat, swallowed the ominous word, then "coughed", and said: "The Shen family doesn't want to make too much trouble, how about it, wait for the imperial servant When Mo leaves the palace, you invite him to meet, explain the pros and cons inside, and see what he has to say. If it doesn’t work..."

"Father!" Shen Yingbai frowned and interrupted solemnly, "Don't forget, he is from the Chu family, and even from Lishan. Before Mrs. Mu left, she once said something to her mother. Ye Jianwei is most defensive, you don't think this is just a casual mention, do you?"

"...No further discussion." Shen Wende said.

On the tenth day of the lunar new year, Shen Yingbai's words really invited Chu Heng who turned around.The carriage drove into the inner city and stopped in front of a tea scripture building. Chu Heng followed Shen Yingbai to the top floor of the square building. The viewing platform was cleared early, and it was open in all directions with a panoramic view. It was indeed a place to talk.

Chu Heng glanced at the screen next to him. Behind the entrance was a small room for distinguished guests to rest for a while. His brows twitched, but he didn't speak.

Shen Yingbai invited him to a seat, poured tea from the pot and offered it to him, said: "This spring's Heshan Yuya tea is not expensive and good tea, but fortunately it is tender, General Chu Shimo will have a taste."

With a calm expression, Chu Heng held up the cup and said, "The Heshan Jade Buds in Yanhe City are unique in Qingzhou, famous all over the world, and Mr. Shen is too modest."

Shen Yingbai held his lips slightly, but did not respond.

Chu Heng took a sip and put down the cup, then raised his eyes to look at him: "Your Majesty didn't invite me here just to invite me to drink tea, did he?"

Shen Yingbo didn't make any detours, and said straight to the point: "Your Majesty wants to stop the scrolling."

——When they were talking here, the Xuanzheng Palace was holding a grand court meeting, and this matter should have been concluded by now.

Chu Heng did not deny it.

Shen Yingbo continued: "Once the travel papers are stopped, it will not be as easy for the relatives of the major families to become officials. Whoever your relatives are, if you study hard for ten years, you really don't have the guts to end it. Examination. The Shen family also has quite a few relatives and friends who come to beg these days, and after thinking about it, there are indeed many disadvantages to stopping the examination."

Chu Heng said nothing, waiting for him to finish speaking.

Shen Yingbai didn't hold back, so he changed the subject and said: "Chu Shimo should have heard of it. There is a saying among scholars that 'South Korea and North sink'. In the future, students from all states will definitely focus on 'worshiping the mountain tops'. ' Turn to 'Appreciation of famous teachers'. To put it bluntly, the Yanhe Shen family has produced three generations of grand tutors. They are famous in the literary circles of Xizhou, and they are the first choice for apprentices. If you look at it this way, the stop record doesn't seem to be that bad."

The implication is obvious, the suspension of the volume can be a bad thing or a good thing, the former or the latter depends on whether the conditions can be negotiated.

Out of the corner of Chu Heng's eyes, he glanced at the side screen, slightly twitched the corner of his mouth, did not answer his words, took a sip of tea, and calmly said: "Shen Shizi, Nan Han Bei Shen, you have already seen one, why don't you go How about thinking about it deeply?"

Shen Yingbo was taken aback for a moment, unable to understand the deep meaning in his words.

Chu Heng put down his cup, smiled softly, and said, "You get straight to the point with me, and I won't play tricks with you. Both civil and military people in the court know that Yan Xiang and the current Korean Duke Han Zhuo used to be brothers, but they have different political opinions from time to time. And, we have already parted ways. Let’s not talk about the past, but let me tell you the truth, the Han family will definitely stand on the same line with Yan Xiang when it comes to stopping the roll. "

Shen Yingbo's eyebrows twitched.

"Shizi Shen is a smart man," Chu Heng said flatly, "Why did the Han family choose this way? In fact, you have already said it just now. No matter how famous the Yuyang Han family was at the time, it was only one of the many 'mountains' in Changzhou." Don't say Yichong, Yinghai is stronger than it; but if Xingjuan is not there, Yuyang is the leading literary master in Dongzhou, how do you know that tomorrow will not be as good as today?"

Shen Yingbai's hand holding the teacup tightened.

Chu Heng's brows were pale, and he tilted his wrist and poured some tea from the cup onto the table, and slowly wrote two characters with his wet fingers. pause.

Chu Heng withdrew his finger and said: "The Shen family has had many years of ups and downs. Shen Shizi, the political affairs of Kyushu, grew up from elementary school. He should understand that the forces in the DPRK and China are ebb and flow. It can't last long, Kyushu is so big, it is impossible for the Han family to be the only scholar in the literary world."

Shen Yingbo was silent.

——South Korea, North Shen, Yanhe Shen and Yuyang Han are already in a balance, but it will still not be the case in the future, it depends on how you choose now.

"Your Majesty will definitely do the matter of stopping the paperwork." Chu Heng said firmly, "Not this year, but also next year, if the aristocratic family has the heart, they can unite to oppose it, but if you say something disrespectful, it will be the prince, not your majesty. "

Stopping and hurting the family is beneficial to the imperial power. Once someone plants this seed in the emperor's heart, no matter how long it takes, it will eventually blossom and bear fruit.

Shen Yingbo understands this, and Shen Wende actually understands it too.

"But this is the only chance left to the Shen family, and it depends on whether you Yanhe are willing to catch it." Chu Heng raised his eyes to Shen Yingbai, and said lightly, "Shen Shizi, Xizhou Jingqingyue three places, Shilin literary world is willing Taking Yanhe as the leader is because the Shen family has produced three generations of emperor teachers. But do you think it is difficult to hold another family of emperor teachers?"

Shen Yingbo's heart skipped a beat.

Chu Heng said calmly: "The crown prince will enter school in two years, and the three divisions are all vacant. The Yanhe Shen family is not the only one in Xizhou. For example, the Yuling Rong family in Yuezhou has been keeping a low profile for many years. Your Majesty is not unintentional." .”

Chu Heng stood up, tapped Shen Yingbai's shoulder lightly, and said meaningfully: "Shen Shizi, Your Majesty once praised you highly, saying that you have the talent to become a master in the future. To be honest, I also hope that You have."

He lifted his feet and walked a few steps, and glanced at the side screen again from the corner of his eye, lightly pulled the corner of his lips and paused, turned around and said: "Everything I said to you today, including the direction of the Sacred Heart, is credible. "

Shen Yingbo glanced at the screen and waited quietly for his next words.

Chu Heng's tone was calm: "I once engraved a private seal of 'The Master of Mountains and Rivers' on His Majesty, and he also returned to my side. The four characters engraved on it are - 'Belongs to Chu Heng'."

The sound of teacups falling to the ground came from the pavilion behind the screen.

As if Chu Heng didn't realize it, he said calmly: "Ling Ye once told Miss Shen, 'The family law is very strict', he didn't say it clearly enough, I'll talk about it again today—"

"He is mine, and it can only be mine. This is the family law."

Shen Dai who was sitting behind the screen couldn't bear it any longer, walked out of the chamber, looked at Chu Heng in disbelief, and said in disbelief, "He is His Majesty, the Emperor! You, why do you want to monopolize him?"

"Chu Shimo," Shen Dai took a deep breath, tried her best to suppress the urge to question, and said in a steady tone, "I know you admire His Majesty, but you can't..."

Chu Heng took a few glances at her, and interrupted calmly, "Miss Shen, you haven't met someone you like yet, you come from a famous family, you have a beautiful heart, and you will have a good home."

He didn't stop after he finished speaking, he turned around and walked out after lifting his foot.

Shen Yingbai didn't even refute, and only said after Chu Heng walked a long distance: "Chu Shimo, if the Shen family doesn't object, the Shen family won't discuss the outcome of his appearance in the court. But I still remind you One word..."

He paused in the middle of speaking, shook his head and said: "Forget it, I am talking too much, Your Majesty should understand."

Chu Heng gave a shallow "hmm".

Shen Dai stood on the spot, watching Chu Heng go down to the viewing platform without looking back, and looked at Shen Yingbo in astonishment. She begged her brother to bring her here today, just to hear what Chu Heng would say, but, but ?

Shen Yingbo finally looked back at her, sighed but didn't say anything about Chu Heng, only asked in a deep voice: "Dai Dai, do you like Your Majesty? After thinking it over clearly, does it really have to be him?"

Shen Dai was stunned for a moment, her family has always taught her this way, she will marry into Jiuchongque and become a noble concubine...

She frowned and said hesitantly, "I, the late emperor..."

Shen Yingbo interrupted her: "I don't ask about the family, and I don't mention the emperor's edict, I just ask you, do you like Your Majesty in your heart?"

Shen Dai frowned, subconsciously clenched the handkerchief tightly, and said nothing.

"The family doesn't need to use your marriage as a bargaining chip for future prosperity," Shen Yingbo Wen said, "Think about it carefully, and I'll talk to my father."