Yanzhou Prefecture, Teng County.
Gu Zhengchen stared at the night sky outside the window. The endless stars were filled with stars, making the quiet world feel particularly cold.
I can't figure it out, I really can't figure it out. I just soaked in a hot spring and recited Li Bai's "The goddess died in the quiet realm, the soup pool flows into the great river", how could I travel through time?
Lao Li, you are a poet, not a god. Send me back. I want to return to the red flag...
"Madagascar?"
The childish-looking Gu Qingqing looked at her brother worriedly. He was shouting this name again. He jumped into the lake three days ago and pointed at the sun and shouted this name for a long time.
But there is no one named Ma in Dayan Village...
Aunt Hu said that her brother couldn't stand the stimulation and went crazy. No, she said that her brother just had a strange disease.
“It’s all the court’s fault!”
Gu Qingqing lowered her voice and gritted her teeth, full of resentment.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the starry sky and nodded heavily.
That's right, it's all the fault of the court, to be precise, it's all Lao Zhu's fault.
It is April of the sixth year of Hongwu!
Three years ago, in May of the third year of Hongwu, Lao Zhu issued an edict on the imperial examination, saying with great fanfare that "the imperial examination is specially set up to raise talented people who embrace the Tao" and "observe their knowledge, rank their superiors and inferiors, and let them do whatever they want." "official" and ordered each province to conduct a three-year examination to select talents.
It is estimated that there were too many talents in the third and fourth years of Hongwu, and there was no one left. Gu Zhengchen, a guy who was not good at learning, actually also passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of Hongwu.
Winning the imperial examination is a good thing and a great joy. Not only did he have more people to please the Gu family, Gu Zhengchen also signed a marriage contract with the third lady of the Zhao family. Hearing that the Gu family did not have to pay the expenses of going to the capital to take the exam, the Wang Fugui family took the initiative to lend the Gu family forty dollars.
The examination is also called Chunwei. In February, Gu Zhengchen, who was in Teng County, Yanzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province, had to go out in the middle of winter in the twelfth lunar month, brave the wind and snow, and rush nearly a thousand miles to Nanjing in order to rush for the exam.
After finally arriving in Nanjing, I bought a brand new paper, ink, pen and inkstone, and was gearing up to prepare for the examination. I was only one step away from entering the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.
Then……
Lao Zhu issued a notice in a very unreasonable manner: "I seek talents with sincerity, but the world responds to me with empty words, which is not my intention to seek talents with sincerity. Now it is better to suspend the imperial examinations everywhere..."
In one sentence:
So what, the imperial examination is no longer held, everyone should go back.
Gu Zhengchen was screwed by Lao Zhu, and the Gu family was screwed by Lao Zhu.
Lao Zhu, you asked me if you could do something serious. If you don't hold the imperial examination, you won't do it. You gave me two months' notice. You also spent the travel expenses, bought things, rented an inn, and all the expenses. It's half past time and you're driving people home?
There is no way, Lao Zhu is willful.
Gu Zhengchen returned home in despair, with only three strings left in his hands. News of the cancellation of the imperial examination also spread to Teng County. Everyone knew that the imperial examination would no longer be held, and that would be the end of it for scholars and candidates.
The past flattery was gone, and the Zhao family also began to keep a distance from the Gu family, never mentioning the marriage contract. Wang Fugui's family remembered that they still had a debt of forty dollars, and forcefully took away the old scalper of the Gu family, forcing Gu He had sold all ten acres of his land, and still owed six thousand dollars, and came to collect debts from time to time.
Fan Jin won the imperial examination and benefited a lot, while Gu Zhengchen won the imperial examination and went bankrupt.
Not as good as Old Man Fan...
Unable to think about it, Gu Zhengchen jumped into the lake. When he was fished out, the original Gu Zhengchen was no longer there, replaced by the later Gu Zhengchen.
In Gu Zhengchen's opinion, it was all Lao Zhu's fault that the Gu family was like this!
If Lao Zhu had informed in advance that the imperial examination was canceled, the Gu family would not have had to borrow such a large sum of money to rush for the examination.
If Lao Zhu had not canceled the imperial examination, even if Gu Zhengchen had no Chinese skills and could not pay for it for a year, Wang Fugui would not dare to torture the imperial court to elect people, and his family would not be in such a difficult situation.
Unfortunately, there is no if.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Gu Qingqing who fell asleep after crying, and reached out to gently wipe away the tears on her young cheeks.
This is not a dream, it is a hard and cold reality.
This is no longer the 21st century, but the Hongwu era, which is turbulent and about to cause countless bloody storms. This is not a dynasty that is easy to mess with...
You must cheer up. When a man is born in the world, he should strengthen himself and make a difference.
The next morning, Gu Zhengchen was awakened by a sound.
"Don't come here!"
Gu Qingqing held the sickle, looked at Wang Youcheng who was approaching, and stepped back step by step.
Wang Youcheng is Wang Fugui's scholarly son. He has a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and is looking at Gu Qingqing with a lewd look on his face. I have to say that this little lady is pretty and cute, and her big bright eyes are even more touching when she is sad.
"Miss Gu family, this is a contract of sale. As long as you press your fingerprints, you will become my maid. Your brother's debt will be canceled in one stroke. How about that?"
Wang Youcheng skillfully took out a contract from his sleeve and unfolded it for Gu Qingqing to see.
Gu Qingqing looked struggling.
Wang Youzheng was overjoyed to see that Gu Qingqing was not as resolute as before, and said quickly: "Your mother went to the Zhao family to borrow money yesterday and knelt outside the gate for two hours. The Zhao family didn't even open the door. This is not the case in Teng County. People will lend your family six thousand dollars, and your mother is reluctant to sell you, but as a daughter, shouldn't you be considerate of your mother's difficulties?"
Gu Qingqing felt sad, her mother had indeed begged the Zhao family.
Wang Youcheng took a step forward and continued: "Think about it, as long as you follow me, you can have enough to eat, and your mother will no longer have to beg for help. If you follow me well and serve me comfortably, there is no way I will beg my father." , give your brother two acres of land, at least he can live on, you don't want your mother and your brother to starve to death, right?"
Gu Qingqing retreated to the threshold, almost tripping, tears streaming down her face. He was right. There wasn't much food left at home. Even though the neighbors helped a little, they couldn't survive the summer.
"me……"
Gu Qingqing bit her red lip and finally made up her mind: "Give me back my ten acres of land, and I will put my fingerprints on you and follow you."
Wang Youcheng was distracted, took a step back, asked the boy to take out the ink pad, and said to Gu Qingqing: "As long as you sign this contract, I will go back and ask your father to return your land. Come on, your mother will come back and say no, but she doesn't agree." .”
Gu Qingqing dropped the sickle and moved forward step by step with heavy steps.
The boy handed over the red ink pad, and Gu Qingqing slowly stretched out his right hand, curled his four fingers, and pressed his thumb into the ink pad.
The book boy turned his back knowingly, and Wang Youcheng slapped the contract on the book boy's back and said to Gu Qingqing: "You sold yourself to save your mother and brother. You are a very loving and filial woman. Everyone will praise you. Please press your fingerprints. "
Gu Qingqing raised her hand and looked at the deed of betrayal, hesitating and feeling like a knife in her heart.
"Press quickly!"
Wang Youzheng noticed that Gu Qingqing had not made any move, so he grabbed Gu Qingqing's hand and without any explanation, he pressed it towards the contract of betrayal!
Bang!
A hand stretched out from the side and grabbed Wang Youcheng's wrist heavily. A low voice sounded: "Wang Xiucai, if you want to buy my sister, have you asked me as your brother?"
