The Little First Grand Secretary in My House

==Chapter 134==

Now Hong'er is almost two years old and looks like a little adult.

At this time, the child likes to ask questions the most. When his father told him to sleep alone, he asked questions.

Why do you let Hong'er sleep by himself? I want to sleep with my mother.

Hong'er has grown up, and he can't sleep with his mother when he grows up. Xue Tingyan said seductively.

Hong'er thought for a moment and compromised: Then I can't sleep with my mother, so I'll sleep with my father. As he said that, he looked at Xue Tingyan with his small eyes, which seemed to indicate that I am more obedient.

Xue Tingyan's face stiffened: You can't sleep with dad either. When you grow up, you have to sleep by yourself.

Hearing this, Hong'er's little face wrinkled up immediately, and he looked at his father and then his mother.

Zhao'er tried his best to remain serious and pretended not to notice his son's request for help.

Seeing that there was no way to ask for help, Hong'er began to think on his own. His face was very expressive. He frowned and pursed his lips for a while, as if he was worried.

Dad, you can't do this. He tried to persuade Xue Tingyan.

His father became interested and looked at him seriously: Dad is actually doing it for your own good.

How can you do this for my own good? Although Hong'er is already very old, he is still a child after all. Which child doesn't sleep with his parents?

Whose child have you seen sleeping with his parents?

Da Mao and Er Mao, who live next door, both sleep with their mother. And Da Nier, who lives next door, also sleeps with her mother.

These are all friends that Hong'er has just met. He is the youngest among the few kids, but he is the most popular because Da Ni'er likes to play with Hong'er.

Da Nier is the granddaughter of the Huang family next door. She is only four years old this year.

Because of Da Nier's relationship, the big boys from the Liu family next door naturally have to like playing with Hong'er, otherwise Da Nier will ignore them.

They are all older than me, and they still sleep with my mother.

Xue Tingyan choked, and the child became serious, but he was so serious that he was speechless for a moment. However, he did not intend to give up, but continued to persuade: But Da Nier is a female doll, and you are a male doll, so they cannot be compared. As for Da Mao and Er Mao, do you like playing with them?

Hong'er shook his head. He didn't like playing with Da Mao Er Mao. They didn't wipe their runny noses and were extremely dirty.

Xue Tingyan knew what her son was thinking, because Hong'er had told him and Zhao'er more than once before that Da Mao Er Mao didn't wipe his runny nose, and he was very disgusted with it.

Do you know why they always have runny noses? It's because they still sleep with their mothers when they are so old.

Hong'er was so frightened that he looked at Xue Tingyan suspiciously: Really.

Of course. Xue Tingyan nodded.

Zhao'er didn't look at it, so he could only pretend to tidy up the bedding and turn his back to get busy.

What can I do? I don't want to turn into a slug.

So you'll sleep by yourself from tonight on.

Hong'er was deceived and looked dejected, obviously struggling.

Xue Tingyan continued to persuade: Look, it's not that I won't let you sleep with your mother, or I won't let you sleep on the same bed. You are young, so you should sleep on your own bed.

What about you, dad? Hong'er suddenly asked.

Of course I'll sleep in the same bed as your mother.

But why can you sleep on the same bed as mom, but Hong'er can't? Isn't dad afraid of turning into a slug?

This question was so difficult to answer, Xue Tingyan could only bite the bullet and said: You are different from dad. You have grown up. When you grow up, you can sleep on the same bed as your wife.

I sleep in the same bed as my mother. Hong'er corrected.

It's not mother, it's daughter-in-law. Hong'er will also have a daughter-in-law when she grows up. Then you can sleep on the same bed with your daughter-in-law.

But it's obviously my mother!

Zhao'er couldn't help but laugh and got into bed. Xue Tingyan got angry and stuffed Hong'er into the quilt, then went to blow out the light on the kang cabinet before getting under the quilt.

In the darkness, Hong'er's eyes were burning brightly.

Go to sleep.

Dad, why don't you tell me a story. This so-called story is actually the Four Books and Five Classics divided into parts. It is a useful tool for Xue Tingyan to coax his son to sleep when his son is away these days.

Then close your eyes.

Having said that, when Xue Tingyan told the story, Hong'er still opened his eyes from time to time and looked over the quilt. At the end of the story, Hong'er was not asleep yet, but Xue Tingyan was already sleepy.

After finally getting the little boy to sleep, Xue Tingyan was also very tired.

Zhao'er laughed again under the covers. He rubbed her waist bitterly and whispered, This little bastard must have done it on purpose.

Who called you... Zhao'er said the next few words too vaguely and couldn't hear them clearly.

What did you say?

Under the quilt, Zhao'er blushed and pushed him: Go to sleep quickly, don't wake him up again.

Are you eager to wake him up?

No way, how could it be?

If you don't want to, then you definitely want to...

The quilt was covered, and I could only see movement inside, but I couldn't see anything. Even if it moves, the amplitude is very small.

I don't know how much time passed, but Zhao'er couldn't bear it anymore and lifted up the quilt to get some air. But as soon as he breathed out, he stopped breathing.

You, be gentle...

Who asked me to focus just now?

The next moment, this person was silenced. The moonlight was thick and the night was still very long.

*

The closer to the New Year's Eve, the more lively the capital becomes.

Not only was it the New Year's celebration, but also many scholars from other places rushed to the capital.

The examination is in February, but the scholars who are going to take the examination have to find a place to settle in advance, so many people will arrive early. Firstly, because I am afraid of being delayed on the road, it is better to arrive early than late. Secondly, I also want to come early to inquire about the situation in the capital.

At times like this, the scholars taking the exams were particularly active. In addition to socializing in various guild halls and inquiring about news, they also naturally went around to ask for favors and visit high-ranking officials.

As for who the CEO will be this time, some people have long been guessing in private. Someone even published a special tabloid, which listed officials in the DPRK and China who might become the president this time. Even the candidates who took the exam listed some of the most popular figures.

These people are naturally the ones who have a high chance of becoming Jinshi in this examination.

The tabloid is an unknown one, published every three days and circulated only in private. Almost every citizen has a copy.

Xue Tingxiang is unknown on the list.

Without him, first of all, because every examination is a time when all the heroes gather together, Dachang is rich in resources. Although Xue Tingyan can win Jieyuan in Shanxi, he can also be regarded as a number one person, but outside Shanxi, no one knows him. who. In particular, Shanxi is not a place with the heyday of literary style, but the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas have been the most fertile places in all dynasties. When the place is rich and people have enough food and clothing, naturally there will be more people studying, and the more people studying, the more outstanding people will be. Also many.

There was once a saying that the talents from the south of the Yangtze River and the generals from Shandong will bury the emperor in the loess of the northwest.

It’s evident!

Jiangsu and Zhejiang have always been major provinces in imperial examinations, and the number of talented people in Jiangnan is well known both inside and outside the court. Therefore, it is understandable that Xue Tingyan will not be named on the list.

As for the other point, it's because Xue Tingyan doesn't like going out very much.

Other scholars socialized everywhere, including tea parties, poetry parties, cocktail parties, and hometown gatherings. Even Mao Badou and Li Datian had to go to the Shanxi Guild Hall to become familiar with each other, but he was indifferent.

The so-called guild hall is a place where people from the same hometown and industry stay and gather.

At first, there was only one kind of guild hall, which was for the people who came to the capital to take the exam. These candidates were either from poor family backgrounds or were discriminated against because of their local pronunciation. In addition, they came from thousands of miles away, so they would inevitably be bullied by the locals. So some fellow villagers who were officials or doing business in Beijing, out of the friendship between fellow villagers, established a guild hall to accommodate the children who came to Beijing to take exams.

Of course, apart from these feelings of being from the same hometown, since I can come to Beijing to take the exam, I can be regarded as a good person among people. I can get to know more people and help more people to build good relationships. There are three gangs of heroes, whether you are an official or a businessman, you still understand this principle, and it can be regarded as a kind of invisible investment.

Later, this kind of guild hall gradually multiplied into commercial and gang guild halls, which will not be mentioned here. The Shanxi Guild Hall that Mao Badou and the others went to was for candidates taking the examination.

There are a lot of gossips about this kind of guild hall, and Mao Badou has always liked to join in the fun. Especially after being bored for a whole winter, I am really bored. Naturally, I am like a cat who gets very excited when he smells fishy smell.

Of course it was not without its benefits, at least I heard a lot of gossip from him.

For example, so-and-so visited a high-ranking official privately, but was accidentally bumped into; for example, so-and-so has a particularly bad moral character and has a good reputation; and for example, so-and-so has connections and can visit the CEO during this popular event. One of the chosen ones.

Especially the third point, in fact, a large part of the reason why these scholars are jumping up and down everywhere is because of this reason.

The imperial examination is as difficult as reaching the sky.

Some people start learning by babbling, and by the time they are gray-haired, they may not even be able to pass the exam. Some young people become famous, but fail at the Jinshi level, which happens once every three years. If you fail, you will come back again, and the test lasts for decades. It requires not only manpower and material resources, but also spiritual and energy investment.

There were thousands of candidates taking the examination in each subject, but only three hundred were taken. Those who are not selected will have to go home and come back three years later.

It’s so difficult, why do so many people still enjoy it so much? Once you become a Jinshi, the carp will leap over the dragon's gate. From then on, your family will be honored and it will not be difficult to change the family.

Since such a huge benefit is involved, it is inevitable that someone will have other ideas.

Not to mention all kinds of cheating methods, these heretics are too dangerous after all. If you are not careful, you will be exiled or banned from taking the exam. Therefore, what is more popular nowadays is to go through the joints, which is the so-called back door.

Just like in this interview, those people are the ones who can be selected as the CEO, and then some are removed based on some other factors, and there are only a few left. Those who have connections and connections have their own methods. It does not matter if there are no connections, you have to find a way to change your method.

If it doesn't work, I'll have good luck with every house. If I can get someone to help me, and that person is finally selected as the CEO, maybe I can change my destiny this time.

And who has the most people in the capital, naturally there are the most officials. These officials have relatives and heirs, so there will always be some opportunities that people can seize.

Of course, there are still a small number of people who follow this kind of heresy, and more people do it just for social interaction.

Nowadays, there are three strongest relationships: the same hometown, the same year, and the same teacher.

Not to mention fellow countrymen and fellow teachers, the same year refers to people who took the exam in the same subject and were admitted. Even if you take a step back, even if you can't win, now that you have become a juren, your status will naturally be different from before, and you are destined to have a lot of interactions with the officialdom. If you have a good friend who passes the Jinshi examination and becomes an official somewhere, these will be your future capital.

During the Spring Festival this year, the capital was very lively. This liveliness lasted until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and reached its peak. As more and more candidates entered the capital, the capital was overcrowded, and people were overwhelmed with all kinds of gossip. It felt like you were singing and I was going to appear on stage.

At the same time, a private gambling game called Wei surname also spread in Beijing.

The so-called Wei surname refers to the surname of the person who went to take the imperial examination as the object of guessing. If you win, you win, if you don't win, you lose.

Before gambling starts, there will be bookmakers who will set rules for guessing. For example, if there is a big name like Zhao Qian and Sun Li, it will not be opened. If it is opened, the compensation will be very small. And the compensation for those with minor surnames is naturally much higher.

This kind of gambling based on surnames does not actually attract too much attention. The most attention-grabbing thing is buying a certain person.

The nameless newspaper was aimed at this category. Those who could be named on the list were all famous talents who took the exam this time. These people were within the scope of speculation. Of course, there are also some people who are not on the list who also gamble, and the payouts for these people are huge, some even as much as two hundred for one. That is to say, among the people who buy one tael, if this person really wins after the list is revealed, the banker who started the bet will pay two hundred taels.

This situation is really appalling, and it is hard to imagine that such a thing could happen under the Emperor's feet.

As everyone knows, the imperial court has repeatedly banned it, and since these bookmakers dare to gamble in Beijing, they must have a backend, and they will naturally become popular.

Xue Tingyan heard about this from Mao Badou. This guy couldn't bear the loneliness. Someone he knew took him to a gambling place to see the world, so he took Li Datian with him.

It didn't matter if I went there, but I was extremely upset when I came back.

Without him, he and Li Datian were not included in this bet, but Xue Tingyan was. Unfortunately, he was pushed to the bottom of the box. No one paid attention to it, and naturally no one placed a bet.

The reason why Xue Tingyan is among them is probably because of his reputation as Shanxi Jieyuan. Unfortunately, this Jieyuan failed the last time he passed the examination, and he has no talent and reputation. He is rarely known, and others don't care whether he is. With Xiao on his side, he was naturally given a huge odds.

The biggest compensation is two hundred for one, and Xue Tingyan's is one hundred for one. Just looking at his compensation, you can tell that it is a big upset, and the possibility of winning the Jinshi is extremely low. Isn't this a clear curse!

How come they have the names of candidates for the examination? Isn't this something only the government has? Zhao'er asked.

There is no need to ask. Of course, these private gamblers have connections with the government. In fact, it is conceivable that if there are no connections, who would dare to try gambling in the capital.

After listening to Mao Badou's explanation, Zhao'er sighed: These people are so bold.

More than audacious!

Xue Tingyan sneered.

Immediately, he cheered up and comforted Mao Badou: Actually, if you think about it differently, the compensation is too high. You will lose more if you win the bet.

Mao Badou's mind always turned quickly, and he immediately reacted: Ting Yan, do you want to kill yourself? As he said, he laughed: Hey, why did I forget this? Since you have ended up, you must You will win. I will buy it now and you will win, so that those good people who look down on others can see.

Xue Tingyan hurriedly grabbed him: Why do you say that wind is like rain? Even if it is buying, it is not your way of buying.

Then what else can you say? Mao Badou asked curiously.

Betting is something that should be avoided as much as possible, but these people- Xue Tingyan paused for a moment before saying, I'd better go out with you and have a look before we talk.