Qi family.
Qi Huai took the test paper from Jiang San and hesitated several times, but finally walked to his father's study.
As the Minister of Rites, Qi Gongzhen was used to getting up early and handling affairs in the study when he was not in court.
"Father." Qi Huai knocked on the door, "I have something to ask for."
"Come in." The person inside said.
When he opened the door, he saw candlelight glowing against the piles of papers, filled with the arrangements for royal ceremonies in the past six months. The ink on the latest piece of paper has not yet dried, which shows Qi Resonance's hard work.
The Qi family is not an aristocratic family, and its current status depends entirely on the position of Minister of Rites.
Qi Huai felt a little uncomfortable in his heart and said softly, "Father, I want to ask you something. Can you go to the Gongyuan Exam Paper Pavilion to find a paper?"
Qi Gongzhen turned around suddenly and stared at the son who made him proud and troubled. "What do you want to do? Can you just touch the test papers of Gongyuan? You are the Minister of Rites, not the emperor."
"Father!" Qi Huai was a little anxious, "It's not just touching casually, but... it's a situation where the paper needs to be changed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Resonance stood up, his eyes wide open as if he couldn't believe it.
But thinking of something, he quickly narrowed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
There is fraud in the imperial examination.
It has always been there, never stopped.
On the contrary, being able to ask Qi Huai to help made Qi Xingzhen even more curious.
"Is it that Xu Mo?" He said solemnly, "His test paper was changed?"
"Yes..." Qi Huai nodded, "Brother Xu is much better than me, but he failed. We were all a little confused in our hearts. When we checked the comments, we found that it was not his test paper at all."
Qi Resonance was not surprised at all.
Only outstanding students are easily targeted, while those at the tail end are ignored.
"Father, this is the examination paper he wrote silently overnight. I am not qualified to enter the examination paper pavilion of Gongyuan. I can only ask my father to find out for us who took Brother Xu's examination paper." Qi Huai said sincerely. .
Qi Resonance said nothing.
The last time the knife hunters were ambitious, but in the end they were educated by reality. Some thighs couldn't be twisted by arms at all, and some aristocratic families couldn't be shaken by ordinary people. These children were still naive.
But he was proud of having such a son.
He is an upright and outstanding son, born in Jiyue Qingfeng and upright and clear. Although his strength is meager, he dares to think and do, and is full of drive.
It would be nice if I didn't get involved in such big things every time.
The Minister of Rites sighed, "Qi Huai, what happened this time is much more serious than last time. Once involved, even my position may not be guaranteed."
Qi Huai was stunned.
"In this case, do you still have to make up your mind to help him?" Qi Gongzhen asked.
Qi Huai was silent for a moment. Of course he didn't want to lose his identity as the Master of the Book of Shang, but he also didn't want to watch Xu Mo suffer a loss and admit defeat. As a friend, he should extend his hand in both emotional and rational ways.
"Father." The young man knelt down on his knees, "My son is unfilial."
This is to insist on helping Xu Mo.
Qi Resonance stroked his beard, but before he could say anything, the study door was suddenly broken open.
A girl in a black dress rushed in and knelt in front of him as well, "Father, please help him, please."
It seems that I have been listening outside for a while.
Qi Resonance put his hands behind his hands and shook his head, as if he was laughing at the fact that he had given birth to a pair of good children, but also as if he had nothing to do, "You guys, you guys, Xu Mo is the one Lao Dou likes, and he should be the one to ask for Lao Dou's request. If you come and beg me again, I can still get a favor from the Dou family, but it's better for you to just beg me first, which is really... stupid."
After saying that, he blew out the oil lamp and staggered out of the study.
"Even if I can't wait for Old Dou to come and beg me, I still have to ask for this favor from the Dou family. I can't run away, absolutely can't run away."
Qi Huai and his sister Qi Yue looked at each other brightly and happily.
But when his eyes returned to the desk and saw the piles of etiquette arrangements, he was stunned again.
same day.
The Minister of Rites went to the Gongyuan, borrowed his authority to look through the examination papers for the tribute students, and left in a hurry after a cup of tea.
The people in Gongyuan were confused, and the Qi family brothers and sisters were also puzzled.
The articles in the imperial examination are generally long and lengthy. It is impossible to read Xu Mo's test paper even if you have a cup of tea.
Unless it was the first one he took.
With mixed feelings, Qi Huai arrived at the study again, and as expected saw the Minister of Rites in a daze.
"Father..." He pursed his lips, "Did you find it?"
Qi Resonance nodded slowly.
"Who is that? Whose name is on the paper?" Qi Huai was surprised and happy, "I didn't expect to find it so quickly. My father has checked whether it is the same as the article written silently by Brother Xu."
"Exactly the same." Qi Resonance frowned, "But that one is Huiyuan's paper."
Today, in Huiyuan, the Fang family is far away.
It's really him.
The father and son of the Qi family all stood there in shock, with puzzled faces on their faces.
How could someone cheat and end up cheating on Huiyuan?
But considering the status of the Fang family, it doesn't seem surprising.
"Ah Huai, you have an upright heart and I won't stop you, but we can't afford to offend the Fang family. As a well-established family in Fengjing, with countless military achievements at the bottom, the Fang family's luxuriance is beyond your imagination."
"If you are doing your friend a favor, be sure to persuade him to give up. You can take the exam again in three years and there is still a chance."
"But if you offend the Fang family, there will be no future."
Qi Resonance's heart-warming words are still in his ears. Qi Huai holds the rice paper tightly and stands at the door of the second courtyard, with heaven and man at war in his heart.
Until Jiang Sheng came to open the door and saw him and said in surprise, "Brother, Brother Qihuai is here. There must be good news."
The little chubby girl entered the house with joy in her steps.
Qi Huai let out a breath, walked into the small courtyard with difficulty, and stood in front of Xu Mo.
"Brother Xu..." He said in a difficult tone, "This time, it may be more difficult."
How difficult it is.
It's hard for an ambitious man like him to back down and think about settling the matter in peace.
It was so difficult that he didn't dare drag his family into the water.
It was hard for him to feel ashamed of Xu Mo.
"Brother Xu, it's Qi Huai's fault. Qi Huai is cowardly." He stuffed the paper over at random and turned around hastily, "It's Qi Huai who can't help you."
