It's the tenth day of February, eight days before the start of spring.
In Changle Palace, Concubine De was leaning tiredly in front of a small table. She was still holding the handwritten reply from the old head of the Qin family. She read it again, looking at the firm tone in her words, and felt sadly. Place it on your lap.
Yesterday's quarrel in the outer court hall also reached her ears, making the sadness on her face even more intense.
"Mother concubine!"
Dongfang Bai, the Prince of Jiaodong County, walked in with short legs, frowning, and a serious look on his childish face that looked somewhat happy.
"Concubine, what should we do now?"
Concubine De gently took him into her arms and said, "Xie'er, it's time for you to go back to Tushan. Mother and concubine will definitely find a way to deal with my uncle's affairs. You don't have to worry about it."
Dongfang Bai raised his head and said seriously: "Concubine, the gentlemen have said that filial piety is the foundation of human beings. Please let me and my concubine think of a way to rescue my uncle in these days and then go back."
Concubine De subconsciously stretched out her hand to rub Dongfang Bai's head, but he dodged it and had no choice but to pat his shoulder angrily, "There is a concubine here. What you have to do now is to learn from the three gentlemen. Don't let it down." Your uncle has worked so hard to help you win this opportunity that is the envy of scholars all over the world. Do you know that even if my mother-in-law lowers her face and goes to the Qin family to beg and threaten them, she will still rescue your uncle. "
"No, there are only eight days left. I can also study books by myself in the palace during these days. I have to wait for my uncle to come out."
Concubine De sighed, feeling quite pleased with her son's warmth, so she did not force herself and had no choice but to nod.
"The flowers are blooming well in the imperial garden. My mother-in-law will take you for a walk. Don't stay bored in the palace all day."
With that said, she led Dongfang Bai and several palace maids to the Royal Garden.
"Oh, sister De Fei is here! I haven't seen you for a few days. What is sister busy with?"
As soon as he heard this coquettish tone, he knew that today was another encounter.
I just don't know if this is a meeting of enemies on a narrow road, or an ambush waiting for the enemy.
Concubine De calmly said: "What can a woman do? She only cares for her husband and raises her children. Where is my sister?"
Concubine Shu, who had no husband to marry and no children to teach for the time being, choked up. After a short pause, she chuckled and said: "Sister, you are really leisurely! Why have I heard from outsiders that my sister's brother has met some people recently?" Trouble?"
Concubine De was still neither happy nor angry, "I was busy taking care of my husband and raising my children, so I really didn't pay much attention to it. It seems that my sister does have more free time!"
You won't let go, right? Concubine Shu was annoyed and snorted, "I heard that she helped you a lot, but I didn't expect that my sister would be so cruel. It turns out that only ruthlessness and destruction of nature can achieve great things. Prince of Jiaodong County You have to study hard."
Concubine De frowned, but Dongfang Bai saluted respectfully, with a serious look on his face, "Thank you, Concubine Shu, for your teachings. I will definitely convey these teachings to Prince Linjiang when I return to Tushan in a few days."
Concubine Shu's expression froze, "Ahem, don't worry about that I was just joking. Sister, look at how smart the pig is. It's a pity. The prince doesn't take part in the scientific examination, otherwise my sister's sworn brother and the prince will be the next generation. Participating in the Spring Festival at the same time will definitely become a legend for generations!"
Concubine De took a deep breath: "Sister Concubine Shu, if you are really free, ten days from now will be the death anniversary of the Empress Dowager, and there are still dozens of scriptures that have not been copied."
Before she finished speaking, Concubine Shu had already turned around and left.
A sentence came from the fragrant spring breeze, "Sister, don't be too sad. Sometimes in life, life is your destiny. You can't force it!"
Concubine De closed her eyes and let out a long breath of turbid air trapped in her chest.
Dongfang Bai gently shook his mother's hand, "Concubine, we must rescue uncle!"
Concubine De hummed, "Concubine I promise you that I will rescue him before spring."
——
February 11th, there are seven days left before the Spring Examination starts.
There are no secrets in Zhongjing City, especially for these scholars who claim to have entered the upper echelons of the empire, they are more willing to know about the changes and stories in the court.
Although when the news reached their ears, it was unknown how many times it was received, and most of them were beyond recognition, but it did not hinder their enthusiasm for discussing politics.
When De Concubine personally wrote a letter but was rejected by the Qin family, and Wei Yuanzhi, Wang Ruoshui and others who were regarded as the last resort of De Concubine's line publicly made remonstrances and were attacked by groups, but returned without success, it seemed that Xia Jingyun's spring was over. The road has ended with absolute certainty.
In the Surabaya guild hall, a man smiled and said: "Xu Boyi, what do you say now?"
Xu Dapeng rolled his eyes at him and said nothing.
This gesture fell into the eyes of the other party, and he gave up on the spot, so he became even more arrogant, "Oh, it's rare to see Brother Bo Yi in such a gesture. Didn't he still firmly believe that Xia Gaoyang could participate in the Spring Festival? Why? Are you silent now?"
Xu Dapeng turned to look at him, "If I don't argue with a fool like you, you're still in high spirits, right?"
He spoke in a high tone, "What good does it do to you that Gao Yang can't participate in the Spring Festival, so that you can be so unabashedly gloating about his misfortune? Why didn't you see that Shi Zixian from Guangling Prefecture when he led his people to trample the faces of students from our states on the ground? You are so powerful, why do you come out to show off your power and stand up for us? Who exposed the other party's conspiracy and saved our face? Have you forgotten it now? "
"I"
"What the hell are you! You just think that if Gao Yang, a person like Gao Yang who is definitely qualified for high school, doesn't participate, you will have more opportunities, right? With your dirty thoughts, don't take the exam as soon as possible. You won't be able to pass the exam if you do. It’s such a disgrace! Scholars of our generation are not vying for the top spot, so how can you hope that others will not get into your high school!"
"you"
"What am I! Did I say anything wrong? The time has not yet come, why do you assert that Gao Yang can't participate? If he can participate, would you pick a piece of horse dung on the street and eat it in public, or would you take off your clothes? Why don’t you put on your clothes and go out for a run on the imperial street?”
"Vulgar! Vulgar! How can the dignified Juzi Guild Hall allow you to make such vulgar remarks? It is simply an embarrassment to us scholars!"
"You are so ungrateful, don't want to help, and take pleasure in others' misfortune. This is what truly disgraces the scholar!"
Xu Dapeng was full of firepower, and his sentences were directed at the opponent's vital points, causing the opponent to hide his face and leave in isolation.
But after he finished cursing, he sat down angrily, and Zeng Jimin, who was sitting opposite him, said softly: "Bo Yi must be so excited because he must be worried."
Xu Dapeng sighed, his worries clearly displayed on his face.
——
February 12, there are still six days before the start of spring.
"Master! No"
The steward of the Qin family ran into the house in a hurry, but finally remembered the scolding he had received before and held back the words that came to his lips, "Master, something happened!"
The head of the Qin family took a sip and said, "I'm fine, what happened?"
The steward said: "Jingzhao Mansion sent people today to seal several of our shops. They said they had received reports that some of them were hiding thieves and smuggling salt and iron!"
The head of the Qin family frowned and immediately sat down, "It's just a few shops, it doesn't matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, another steward ran in, "Sir! Just now, the Ministry of Etiquette called over several direct or branch young masters who were referred for this year, saying that there was a problem with their qualifications and they needed to be verified again."
The head of the Qin family looked hard, "Are you going to start playing dirty tricks? They say that Concubine De is kind, is this the way to be kind?"
He thought for a while, and just as he was about to speak, the concierge ran in again, "Sir, some officers from the Ministry of Household Affairs came, saying that they had received a report and wanted to investigate the hidden properties of my Qin family for illegal activities!"
"What!" The face of the head of the Qin family changed suddenly. For the big family, who can avoid this kind of thing, especially for the Qin family, which is the richest in the world, it is an exaggeration. This is not a direct attack on the Qin family. Fighting at the gate of life!
The head of the Qin family gritted his teeth and said, "They are trying to force us to submit!"
He turned to look at the butler beside him, "You have to wait for me first and try to delay it as long as possible."
After saying that, he walked to the backyard and found the old owner.
Unexpectedly, the old master didn't panic after hearing this. He just put down the writing pen in his hand and said softly: "It seems that there is no other way."
"What trick? Who has no other tricks?"
But the old head of the family shook his head, "You go and deal with it, don't resist, just delay."
After nearly half a day of exhausting response, in the evening, the Qin family sat tiredly in the mansion, and several clan elders were invited to the front of the hall to discuss countermeasures.
At this moment, they finally experienced firsthand what it was like to have no power, no protection, and to be targeted by someone as big as the Qin family.
"Master, Mr. Qin is here to visit."
? ? ?
After being stunned for a moment, the head of the Qin family nodded and said, "Invite him in."
Soon, Qin Sichao, who was dressed in white and had a calm and gentle demeanor, walked into the house and saluted the head of the Qin family politely, "My nephew has met Uncle Shi and all the elders."
Hearing this unfamiliar title, the head of the Qin family remembered what his father had said that day, and could only smile and said: "My dear nephew, without any courtesy, why did you come here today?"
Qin Sichao smiled and said: "I heard that the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Rites, the Jingzhao Mansion and other parties are all launching an attack today. My nephew is here to ask if there is anything I need help from the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
The head of the Qin family frowned slightly, and an elder next to him said excitedly, "It would be great if the prime minister's office could help. The Qin family now has no support in the palace. It is like a child holding gold to get through the busy city. Surrounded by wolves!"
Another clan elder also nodded slowly, "That's true. Previously, all parties were peaceful. We didn't think so. Now that the fight has started, we realize that we can't be without confidence in the court! A few fifth- and sixth-grade officials can do this. When you take advantage of us, my Qin family has never been humiliated like this!"
Seeing that the two clan elders had leaked all the details, the head of the Qin family said helplessly: "What do you have to say, nephew?"
Qin Sichao smiled and said: "There is an emergency method, and there is a permanent method. It depends on which method Uncle Shi and the elders want."
"What's the emergency solution, and what's the permanent solution?"
"The emergency rule is that tomorrow the Prime Minister's Office will send someone to find an excuse to stop these yamen's practices, but they may find other excuses, or there may be people outside the line of concubines who will covet them, and they may be exhausted. It’s a rush.”
“What about a once-and-for-all solution?”
"The one-and-done solution is to merge the Prime Minister's Mansion into the family tree of the Dragon Head Qin family and become members of the same clan. In this way, the power of the Prime Minister's Mansion can be used by the Qin family. Anyone who wants to deal with the Qin family must go through the Prime Minister first. This level of government."
The clan elders looked at each other, and one clan elder suddenly said: "This will give the Qin family full confidence, but what good will it do to the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
Qin Sichao sighed softly, "Everyone knows that my father grew up in a humble background. Both his parents died when he was young. Although he is now a very popular minister, he is still like a duckweed. He doesn't know where he will be in a hundred years. But now all his wealth and power are gone. It is the ultimate in the world, and there is no other thought than to return a fallen leaf to its roots. In fact, both sides are just getting what they need."
"That's a very good statement!"
"I think it's feasible."
Seeing that these clan elders were about to turn against each other, the head of the Qin family quickly said: "My dear nephew, this matter is of great importance. Have you ever reported it to your Majesty?"
Qin Sichao smiled and said: "Although I have not informed my father about this matter, my father's thoughts have been revealed to me a long time ago. If this matter can be accomplished, he will be extremely happy."
The head of the Qin family nodded, "Look, you know your father's thoughts, and I have to tell my father, right?"
Qin Sichao:.
The head of the Qin family didn't care so much, and said shamelessly: "How about I go and discuss it with my father first, and then the clan will discuss it together, and then we can confirm the integration of the clan?"
Qin Sichao smiled and nodded, "As long as Uncle Shi and the Qin family are not in a hurry, the Prime Minister's Office will certainly not be in a hurry either."
"Okay, that's what I'll say today. Uncle Shi has gotten something good in the past two days. I'd like to trouble my nephew to take it back to your father for a taste."
After sending Qin Sichao away, the head of the Qin family put away his smile and looked at the elders, "Let's all think about it first and weigh the pros and cons. I'll wait for a discussion in the meeting hall tomorrow afternoon."
Immediately, the head of the Qin family came to the backyard, found his father, and told the prime minister's proposal.
The head of the Qin family narrowed his eyes when he heard this, did he recognize his ancestor and return to his clan? It's so nice to say it, maybe it will lead the wolf into the house, and then Li Daitao will freeze, right?
Then by relying on the name of the same clan, you can swallow up the Qin family openly, right?
Moreover, the attitude of those clan elders is also very suspicious. Could it be that they want to fish in troubled waters and profit from it?
Or, maybe they have already secretly communicated with the Qin family?
"Father, how should we make a decision now? There are already signs of being anxious on the other side of the Concubine De, but I always feel that something is wrong with this proposal from the Prime Minister's Office. But if we don't agree, how can we withstand such a big deal?" What about the pressure?”
While they were discussing, the housekeeper hurried over again and said mysteriously: "Master, we have guests."
The head of the Qin family frowned and said, "I don't have time now, just let the housekeeper meet me."
"Master, I'm from the East Palace."
In the room, a father and son looked at each other in horror.
Not long after, the head of the Qin family saw a middle-aged man in the main hall.
"Your Majesty, Prince Zhan Shi Lu Hongyuan, has met Mr. Qin, the head of the Qin family."
The head of the Qin family didn't even dare to be too polite. After ordering people to serve tea, he said directly: "I wonder what Mr. Lu is here for?"
"Your Highness also heard about the assassination of the prince of your house, and felt deeply pained. Now the Qin family is resolute in resisting the power of the powerful, which makes your Highness deeply admired. Your Highness is also related to your house by blood, so he is willing to lend a helping hand. To comfort Mr. Qin’s spirit in heaven and to enhance the friendship between the in-laws.”
The head of the Qin family was shocked. What happened? Has the Qin family suddenly become a hot topic? Why are you rushing to help?
The old head of the Qin family said: "The Qin family is deeply grateful for His Highness the Crown Prince's kindness. However, the current situation is still manageable. If necessary in the future, the Qin family will not hesitate to ask for help from His Highness."
The prince Zhan Shi naturally knew that such a big matter could not be settled by him in just a few words, so he did not bother and took out a token from his arms, "If necessary, you can send someone to enter the East Palace directly with this token." , His Highness will definitely lend a helping hand."
Patriarch Qin reached out to take it with tears of gratitude on his face, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
When the head of the Qin family sent the guests away and returned to the hall, he found that his father's face was so ugly that it was scary. He quickly persuaded: "Father, what's wrong? This is a good thing. We no longer have to worry about not being able to deal with Concubine De. It’s a desperate attack! It’s nothing more than making a choice.”
The old head of Qin's family glanced at him and strengthened his previous opinion. If the family is left to this stupid son, it will definitely be completely defeated. He is the kind of person who has to help count the money after being sold.
He said nothing, shook his head, and began to think about how to end this scene.
But sometimes, the world is so unpredictable. You can choose to start, but often it is not up to you to decide when it will end and how it will end.
How can we end this drama?
Until he fell asleep late at night, Mr. Qin was still thinking about this problem.
——
February 13th, five days before the start of spring.
In the prison of Heibingtai, Xia Jingyun was still reading calmly, but his heart was starting to get really panicked.
Originally, after Feng Xiuyun informed him of Qin Li's decision and provided a lot of information to the Hou Mansion, he thought that his chances of winning were better, but when one after another news came to his ears, and time passed so quickly, As the days passed, he was not a god after all, so it was impossible for him not to have any ups and downs in his mood.
Troubled times are about to arise, one step at a time, one step at a time, this is not just a test, it is to let him get the ticket to the troubled times card table.
Without this ticket, the capital he can rely on will be much smaller, and his room for maneuver will be much smaller. Even the people who originally bet on him may change their minds, creating endless variables.
There was a sound of footsteps outside the silent prison door.
Xia Jingyun put down the book and looked at the cell door. This time, it was no longer Feng Xiuyun who came, but Su Yuanshang.
The two looked at each other, and the almost identical solemn expression between their brows was worth a thousand words.
Su Yuanshang pretended to be concerned about his health and told some well-known news by the way.
Xia Jingyun picked up his hand and made two words on his palm.
【Lv Yi】
Su Yuanshang's expression became more solemn. According to the previous plan, Lu Yi's actions were Xia Jingyun's last resort. They were used to make a comeback in a desperate situation when he went to court again after his successful scientific examination. Not to mention What exactly did Lu Yi find out now? If he used it in this situation, not only would it not necessarily be effective, but it might actually alert the enemy.
Xia Jingyun shook his head, indicating that he had no choice, and then marked another date on his palm.
【Day after tomorrow】
That is three days before the start of spring.
Su Yuanshang said softly: "Why not as soon as possible?"
Xia Jingyun pursed his lips and said, "I still want to wait."
Su Yuanshang nodded, did not question his decision, and said a few hidden gossips to him, then stood up and left.
Looking at Su Yuanshang's back, Xia Jingyun let out a long sigh, and the sighs continued for a long time in the small cell.
——
February 14th, four days before the start of spring.
In Changle Palace, Concubine De stood by the window, looking at the bright moon outside the window, recalling her first meeting with Xia Jingyun in her mind.
That is also the day when the month is about to be full.
"When will the bright moon come? Ask the sky for wine. People have joys and sorrows, and the moon waxes and wanes. This is a difficult thing in ancient times. I hope that people will live long and share the beauty of the moon thousands of miles away."
She slowly recited the poem that Xia Jingyun gave him, and her eyes gradually became firm.
Isn’t all the forbearance, obscurity, and harmony to better protect the people you care about and make them live a better life?
What's the point of holding on to all this if you see the people you care about suffering a disaster?
There are things a man does and things he doesn't do, so what's the difference between a woman!
She picked up the wine glass at hand and drank all the wine in the glass.
Tomorrow morning, she will personally plead with His Majesty to let her out of the palace and threaten the Qin family. As long as they don't let her go, she will fight with the Qin family until death!
——
Under the same night, the old head of the Qin family sat at the table, stopped writing furiously, put down the pen, and looked at the memorial he had just written to agree to Xia Jingyun's participation in Chunwei, his eyebrows full of tangles.
We can't delay it any longer. If we delay it any longer, there will only be three days left, and there will be many variables.
Moreover, if it continues to be delayed, even if Xia Jingyun is released and successfully takes part in the imperial examination, he may still hold a grudge against him. In the future, he will retaliate in the same way as he did to others, which he may not be able to bear!
But the dilemma is, if he makes such an inexplicable trick at this time, what will His Majesty think? What would the ministers think? What would those wolves peering at me from the dark think?
Have all the disguises and confusions I have done before come to nothing?
At this moment, there was a knock on the door.
The old master quickly folded the memorial and wanted to put it in the drawer, but then he thought about it and put it directly into his arms and said, "Who is it?"
"Father, it's me."
"What's wrong?" Mr. Qin walked over and opened the door.
"have a guest."
The old head of the family frowned, "Who is it? It's so late, why don't you just see it yourself?"
The head of the Qin family looked solemn and uttered four words, "He's from the bamboo forest."
Two chapters and more than 9,000 words. It needs to be divided into chapters. It can be divided into four chapters. But we don’t play with those fictitious things, we just write it down to the end in one breath.
It's Friday, so I wish all readers a happy weekend.
Great chapter to enjoy!
or2
(End of chapter)
