Autumn is scheduled before the Mid-Autumn Festival. It was cloudy early that morning, and strong winds blew, making it difficult to open one's eyes.
Song Qingyue had been busy for days and was waiting for this day.
She was very confident about her natal brother's exam. A few days ago, I asked my mother-in-law Gu for instructions and said:
"It's a great thing for the whole family that my eldest brother is taking charge of Qiuwei this time. Unfortunately, my eldest brother has been busy for days and doesn't even have time to have a serious meal. My wife feels really uncomfortable looking at it. Is it okay for my mother to see this? Today Qiu The exams are over and my eldest brother can take a breather. Why don't we start things at home? My relatives haven't been together for a while, and your old sisters are here. Let's have a good time."
Song Qingyue knew the Gu family well. Her aunt loved face the most. There was a happy event in the family and she wanted to blow the trumpet and talk about it everywhere, especially the matter about the eldest husband Zhang Chengru. Now that the autumn period was over, she was bound to be promoted and make a fortune, so she had to take care of it. Show off and show off in front of relatives and old sisters.
Sure enough, Mrs. Gu nodded and said: "Well, that's what I have in mind. Then you can make plans. Isn't your younger brother Kuan also participating in Qiuwei? It just so happens that you can invite your parents to come together and wait until your younger brother finishes the exam. Come here, let’s have some fun together.”
"Okay, don't worry, mother, my daughter-in-law will take care of everything." Song Qingyue beamed with joy, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help turning up, making Wang Peilan, who was eating melon seeds beside her, roll her eyes.
Everything that was originally prepared turned out to be difficult for Song Qingyue because of the weather.
A total of ten tables of meals were served today, five tables in the main hall were for men, and five tables in the backyard were for women. However, the strong wind was blowing sand and rocks, so there was no way to eat. However, the invitations were also sent out, and the meals were all ready. , we can’t withdraw, so Song Qingyue slapped her thigh and invited everyone. She simply found someone to cover the entire courtyard with a black light-proof and airtight gauze roof, and lit more lamps to make it brighter and more lively. .
Money? Song Qingyue gritted her teeth. She had already used it anyway, so there was nothing missing. So he opened the gilt box with a seal and a copper lock.
It was a dowry brought by Gu's natal family, and it had been kept in Gu's hands. When Shen Que was in charge of the family, Gu didn't dare to take it out. Over the years, there were only a lot of things, but now Song Qingyue coaxed them into it. .
Otherwise, it is difficult to guard against domestic thieves.
Fortunately, the wind subsided a lot that day, and the sky became slightly brighter.
Song Qingyue had already arranged ten tables of food and drinks, and the guests were arriving one after another. Grandma Wang, who was by Gu's side, was specially guarding the concierge. Since it was a happy event, the relatives and friends who came to eat would naturally send some congratulatory gifts. The actions of registering, making books, and collecting the warehouse were all done in one go, all in the hands of the old lady.
Today is the last day of Qiu Wei, and the exam ends at Youshi. Song Qingyue stood at the gate and looked out, eagerly hoping that her brother would come back soon.
Her mother was the second son of her father. She suffered a loss after giving birth to her in her early years. However, in order to maintain her status as a legitimate mother, she had to work hard to maintain her body and give birth to a son. Therefore, this younger brother is several years younger than Song Qingyue. He is just seventeen years old this year. Moreover, she was pampered since childhood and has a very impatient and picky temper.
The scheduled opening time was three o'clock, and the guests had already arrived. Grandma Wang packed up the gift list and said a few words to her before leaving with her butt raised. Song Qingyue was so angry that she gritted her teeth. If there is anything to say, sooner or later it won't be all. mine.
At the last moment, she saw a carriage entering the alley from a distance, and Song Qingyue suddenly became happy.
"Come on, come on, hurry up and prepare tea. Brother Kuan must be thirsty. There is also hot water and a handkerchief. Give him a scrub, change his clothes, and hurry up to the table."
Song Qingyue gave instructions, and the little girls got busy.
The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and Song Kuan lazily stepped out of the carriage. He was exhausted from the three-day exam, and green stubble appeared on his face, with a long face.
"Hey, little ancestor, hurry up, I'm waiting to congratulate you." Song Qingyue went up to help her brother's arm, but he pushed her away.
"Where did you get the test questions? You're fooling me to death by saying they're guaranteed to be true. They're all fake." Song Kuan yelled. The young man who was about to become an adult was in the period of changing his voice. His voice sounded like a male. Duck, hoarse and deep.
Song Qingyue was startled and quickly went up to cover his mouth, but was pushed away by him again.
"What's wrong? Tell your sister what's going on."
"What's going on? The questions you gave are fake, and the article you're taking is completely different from that one."
Song Qingyue was stunned for a moment before asking: "Then how did you answer?"
"How else can I answer the question? I only prepared according to the questions you gave me, so I wrote them directly and didn't care about the question." Song Kuan looked furious, "You tell me what to do."
"It's okay, it's okay. Articles in the world are all the same." Song Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as you write it, it's fine. The topic is different, so the articles you write will always be the same. Besides, your eldest cousin is here, he is responsible for marking the papers, so don’t worry, you will definitely win.”
Song Kuan glanced at her suspiciously, and regardless of whether she believed it or not, he felt tired and hungry and walked into the house.
The twilight shrouded the trees, the moon was shining on the branches, and the Zhang Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, making it look lively and festive.
Song Qingyue has become the protagonist today. She leads her younger brother Song Kuan in toasting inside and outside. When in front of the female family members, she does not forget to say for Gu:
"Originally, the eldest brother is the protagonist today. Who knows that he is busy in the office and will be back late, so I asked Brother Kuan to propose a toast to all the ladies and ladies first."
This was said perfectly. Not a single word mentioned that Zhang Chengru was going to be promoted, but every word hinted at his rapid rise to the top.
Naturally, the female relatives were also flattering for their obedience.
"Da Lang is really promising. Seeing that your Zhang family is about to fly high, old sister, I am very happy and congratulated."
"Yes, I have always thought that Da Lang was a good young man since he was a child. Sure enough, the old lady brought him up well."
"I see that Brother Kuan is also outstanding. I'm just waiting for the results to be released. I'll follow your brothers and uncles tomorrow to practice more, and I will definitely be a promising person in the future."
…
Both Gu and Song Qingyue, who were flattering, were very satisfied. Looking at their enviable situation, they really felt proud and proud.
The pomp was large enough, the atmosphere was harmonious, and the banquet was arranged in a decent manner. Gu and Song Qingyue really stole the show.
Song Qingyue had been in a state of excitement all night, her face was red, and she was actually sweating even on this cold autumn night.
At this time, the boy at the door came to report: "Second Madam, there are officers and soldiers coming... to fetch someone."
"Quick, please come in..." Song Qingyue was startled, "What did you say?"
The young man said tremblingly: "Yes... the government has come to fetch people, and many officers and soldiers have come."
The lively atmosphere suddenly stopped, and the courtyard immediately became quiet. The news was also heard in the front hall, and the second and third masters came running.
Mrs. Gu first appeased the guests and took her children to the gate. Sure enough, two rows of soldiers wearing armor and holding torches stood at the gate of the house. The leader said:
"Song Kuan, he cheated in the Qiu Wei exam and is now ordered to take him back to the Yamen for interrogation. This is the warrant."
As he spoke, someone stepped forward and unfolded the arrest warrant with a "swish" sound. Before anyone could react, two more soldiers came up and took Song Kuan down.
Song Qingyue suddenly panicked: "Master, if you have anything to say, what is going on? Brother Kuan did not cheat."
The man said: "The questions he wrote are imperial examination questions that were resold on the market a few days ago. The answers to the questions on today's examination paper are not what they are asked. The evidence is conclusive. Take them away."
With that said, he was about to take the person away without waiting for an explanation.
Mrs. Gu was so anxious that she scratched her chest and said, "Wait a minute, this is Shilang Zhang's house. Where is my eldest son? Let's wait until he comes and explains it clearly before taking anyone else."
The man sneered and said: "Old madam, your eldest son is suspected of reselling imperial examination questions and has been taken down by the Yamen. He has taken off his hat."
Ah... everyone was stunned.
Mrs. Gu almost fainted and hurriedly shouted: "Hurry, Grandma Wang, go and open my gilded box, take the silver, take it all, use the money as a trust, find out what's going on, be sure to save Dalang first." .”
In full view of everyone, Grandma Wang came over in a hurry and said, "What's wrong, old lady? The seal of your gilt box has been tampered with, and the silver inside is gone."
Gu fainted on the spot, and the banquet ended miserably.
By the time Mrs. Gu woke up, everyone had already dispersed. This old man had been completely humiliated today. She had no time to think about anything else and just asked: "Da Lang, what should I do with Da Lang?"
Candles were burning in the room, and everyone looked at Zhou Xueying, who was sitting in an armchair and sipping tea. Then they remembered that she hadn't been here for a few days since the lotus banquet. When she came to the banquet today, it seemed like she was a different person. The wealth and grandeur throughout his body are astonishing.
"Old madam, don't be anxious." She came over with a smile, sat on the edge of Gu's bed, raised her orchid fingers, took Gu's hand, squeezed it and emphasized: "You can relax, we will discuss the matter of becoming a Confucian scholar." Let me do it and make sure he comes back in one piece."
*
In the imperial study, Emperor Xiaochun threw broken porcelain all over the floor, and everyone in the room knelt on the floor.
"I asked you to do such a simple thing, Zhang Chengru, you did a good job." Emperor Xiaochun pointed at Zhang Chengru's nose and cursed, "Instigating the prince to resell examination questions, you are so capable, Zhang Shilang, Zhang Aiqing."
Zhang Chengru was lying on the ground shivering and did not dare to explain. Seeing that he did not speak, Emperor Xiaochun kicked him and knocked him to the ground. He did not dare to resist, rolled over and got up and continued to kneel. .
"And you, Li Luansong...you..."
Facing his favorite son, Emperor Xiaochun thought of His Royal Highness Prince Jin's obedient and outstanding performance recently. He couldn't bear to scold her for a moment, so he kicked Zhang Chengru again.
When Wu brought the news to Li Luansong in May, Shen Que was still kneeling in the imperial study room and being scolded.
"Your Majesty has been scolding you for two hours." Wuyue said, "That angry one..."
The chaos in Zhang's house had nothing to do with Li Luansong. He was planning to practice martial arts, but after hearing Wu Yu's words, he was so anxious that he put on his clothes and went out.
Zelan hurriedly chased her out and asked, "Madam, where are you going? The kids in the front yard are all crazy. Our husband has been taken off his hat."
"What does it have to do with me?" Li Luansong felt the wind at his feet, "I have more important things to do."
"But, madam..." Zelan couldn't keep up with him. In her opinion, the eldest lady had been crazy for several days. She was really helpless.
Li Luansong walked out in a hurry with his head lowered. He bumped into someone at the side door. He looked up and thought, "Oh my God, how could this little goblin from a brothel get in so openly?"
Take a closer look, isn't this Zhang Guanhua? Good guy, I haven't seen you for a long time. The originally fat little lady is now as thin as a monkey, with a face heavily made up and a head full of pearls, gold and silver. Damn, she looks like a female ghost at night.
"you……"
Before Li Luansong spoke, Zhang Guanhua rolled his eyes and ignored him, turned around and left.
