As the only eldest brother in the family, Xu Mo almost single-handedly became a role model for his younger siblings when his second brother Zheng Ruqian was unreliable and his third brother Fang Heng was not at home.
He abides by etiquette, is diligent, conscientious, and punctual.
As long as it was the time agreed upon by Xu Mo, he would arrive early and never be late.
Yesterday, he told Zheng Ruqian that he would help look at the accounts for the past three days after returning from the Imperial College, and gradually analyze the passenger flow at Tianjiekou, as well as the pastry categories that will be focused on next.
As a result, it was already past the meal time and Xu Mo was still nowhere to be found.
Chang Yan was the first to stand up, frowning and said, "Brother, something might have happened."
Everyone else was startled. Zheng Ruqian no longer worried about the pastry shop and stammered, "No... no way. My eldest brother goes to and from school every day. The Imperial College is only a tea time away. What can happen? ?”
The most important thing is that this is Fengjing.
It's not the remote Xieyang County, nor is it the short-staffed Anshui County.
There are more government officials in Fengjing than there are street children in Xieyang County. There are almost every sentry post every three steps and a checkpoint every five steps. Soldiers on horseback can be seen everywhere, and there are rows of spearmen at the gate.
Who dares to snatch the students from the Imperial College here and bully the dignified Jie Yuan?
Zheng Ruqian thought it was impossible.
Only Chang Yan said solemnly, "How is it impossible? There are many dignitaries in Fengjing. With them here, what is impossible?"
Zheng Ruqian was speechless.
Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun next to them both became nervous and said in unison, "Let's go find Big Brother."
No matter what danger there is, they must face it together.
Zheng Ruqian and Chang Yan stood up at the same time. Zheng Ruqian was the first to rush to the entrance of the courtyard due to his height and long legs. He opened the wooden door and vaguely saw a human figure.
He was still horrified.
Jiang Sheng, who was behind him, shouted and rushed over, "Brother."
It turns out to be Xu Mo, so that’s okay.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, pulled Xu Mo up under the moonlight, and gathered him into the room.
It was also at this time that when the candles were lit, the younger brothers and sisters discovered that their eldest brother, who was usually clean and dusty even in cotton robes, was actually in a mess.
Not only was his face smeared with mud, his clothes were in tatters, and his sleeves were torn into strips, revealing the pure white cotton inside.
"Brother." Jiang Sheng was about to cry as he hurriedly took off Xu Mo's clothes.
The stunned man came to his senses, held his sister's hand and whispered, "I'm fine."
"Your clothes are all torn. I wonder if there are any wounds on your body." Zheng Ruqian also raised his voice and opened his eldest brother's cotton-padded jacket, revealing his white skin.
Thank God, although there were some red marks, there was no bloody scene.
The brothers and sisters all breathed a sigh of relief.
Xu Mo's cheeks turned a bit bright red. He put his clothes back in shame and said angrily, "Second brother, my sister is already big!"
If you have a solid storehouse, you will know etiquette; if you have enough food and clothing, you will know honor and disgrace.
Although it is nothing for a brother and a sister to share a piece of pastry, they still have to avoid the younger sister when they lift up their clothes to expose their skin. After all, there are differences between men and women. They are very close, and they must abide by the bottom line.
Jiang Sheng on the side stretched out his head to look at it confusedly, not knowing what it meant.
Xu Mo breathed out again and rubbed her little ball head, "I'm fine. It's just that Zhu Sihuan gave me a piece of news, which shocked me too much."
Just yesterday, Zhu Sihuan and the girl from the Tao family exchanged wedding invitations and signed a marriage contract.
According to the rules of our ancestors, they are unmarried men and women. They can invite each other out and keep each other company.
Zhu Sihuan and Miss Tao were childhood sweethearts, but Miss Tao was two years older than him and had always treated him as a younger brother. It was not until the two set a wedding date in January next year that Miss Tao faced up to her husband, who was two years younger than her.
The two chatted on the street in the afternoon. Zhu Sihuan couldn't help but express his admiration to Miss Tao for so many years, and promised that he would definitely pass the exam in three years and would never let the girl be looked down upon by her parents' family.
At this time, Miss Tao asked in astonishment, "Didn't the Zhu family find a way to help you pass the exam?"
"Find a way?" Zhu Sihuan was stunned.
What to think of?
Isn’t it the fairest and most impartial examination? It can’t be fake at all, and it can’t be fake?
Thanks to Miss Tao's sincere treatment after the silence, Zhu Sihuan knew that there was also a guessing question in the national examination.
Those who guess the question correctly and memorize the standard answers in advance will stand out and pass the test.
This is considered normal. No one has guessed the test questions yet.
But the Juren Examination not only includes question and answer papers, but also long essays on topics.
There are usually no standard answers to such articles, and it is impossible to memorize them all. You can only choose the two most likely to be tested and write them in the Gongyuan.
Some people took the exam eight or nine times before passing the exam, either because they were not talented enough in literature, or because they did not bet on the right questions. Only in the last attempt did they succeed in becoming a candidate.
"But it's not too much." Xu Mo wondered, "Whether the article is written in daily life or temporarily in the Gongyuan, it is written by this person, and it represents this person's talent."
I am so lucky to be able to see the test questions that I have written in Gongyuan.
Zhu Sihuan smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Brother Xu, you really think that people are too kind. Since they all memorize gambling questions, will a person with ordinary literary talent memorize his own or someone else's?"
If he can really write good articles by himself, does he still need to memorize two articles before the exam? Can't he improvise on the spot or create a second time?
Xu Mo was not a fool. These words struck his ears like thunder, washing away his traditional understanding of the imperial examination and allowing him to find direction in the confused road ahead.
After ruining Zhu Zhi's marriage, he was not sure how to deal with Zhu Zhi so that he could get revenge without compromising his siblings.
Zhu Sihuan's words opened up a new world for him and made him determined to destroy Zhu Zhi.
"If this thing works, it will be done. If it doesn't work, we can also get rid of the moth in the imperial examination that wants to achieve success in one step by relying on gambling questions." Xu Mo said in a deep voice, "If this step is not enough, then I will have to make the last move."
Zheng Ruqian, Jiang Sheng, Wen Zhiyun, and Chang Yan were all silent.
They didn't dare to ask what Xu Mo's last move was. They could feel that it was Xu Mo's desperate move.
After a long time, Zhang Yan finally broke the silence with a forced smile, "The Tao family already knows that Zhu Zhi's appointment may be unjust, and it requires a person's identity to discuss the marriage. They are also a family with high airs."
Facts have proved that it is indeed a show.
Otherwise, for the sake of more cooperation between the two families and for the sake of profit, it would not be possible for Miss Tao to get engaged to Zhu Sihuan, who was still a scholar.
"If you keep showing off, you are from the Fengjing family and want to save face." Xu Mo thought of another angle, "Zhu Sihuan does not have the title of Young Master Sihuan, and the Tao family cannot get engaged to him."
Just like the Zhu family, they knew that Zhu Zhi's appointment was probably a result of gambling, but they would still abandon Zhu Zhi without hesitation as soon as this matter was exposed.
Aristocratic families, what matters most is reputation.
Xu Mo pursed his lips slightly, his eyes showing perseverance and perseverance.
