There are many treasures in this country

Xiao Suo washed up early the next morning, quietly returned to Gouwei Lane by car, picked up Ouyang Xu, and rushed to Xicheng together.

This time, Ouyang Xuzhong is No. 15 in the exam, and he has the deepest affection for the same subject. In the future, he will be selected for the Golden Palace Strategy, and one day he will be an official in the same dynasty, so naturally he must take care of each other.

The bustling outside of the Bazhen Building has long been filled with onlookers and modern subjects.None of the crowd entered the door rudely, and they all waited for him, the first Huiyuan, under the red ribbon.

Xiao Suo was rather embarrassed, but fortunately he concealed it very well.After getting out of the car, everyone rushed up and congratulated each other.While returning the salute, he said: "Little brother is late, I have troubled all the brothers to wait for a long time, I feel really uneasy. Let's go in now?"

Everyone saw that he was so humble and polite, he was not the kind of aloof and self-confident person, so they put down their guards and developed a friendship, let go of the firecrackers, and happily went upstairs to start the banquet.

The old shopkeeper brought the young man up to treat the guests in person, and said to Shizi, who was about [-] years old in the crowd, with red lips, white teeth, and narrow eyes and eyebrows: "My lord, the master has explained it. Today, everyone is very happy. This banquet is open for eating. Don’t dare to take a penny.”

Xiao Suo couldn't help asking Ouyang Xu in a low voice: "Chu Ming knows who that is, why does the shopkeeper call him uncle?"

Ouyang Xu looked in the direction of his finger, and said with a smile: "Why don't you even know him? That's Zheng Xiu, the grandson of Old Shangshu Zheng. He married the eldest lady of the Shi family last year. This Bazhen Building belongs to the Shi family. Well, the shopkeeper doesn't have to call him uncle."

Unexpectedly, Bazhen Building is also the Shi family's property.

Xiao Suo nodded, and Zheng Xiu toasted and said: "Everyone in the same discipline, we are selected today, it can be said that we are destined. In the future, no matter what the future is, we must always support each other. The relationship between the same subjects has been the most sincere since ancient times. If we have conflicts, we should just deal with it. Share certificates privately, but it is better to work together externally. I will drink this cup first as a respect, and you can do whatever you want!" He drank it all in one gulp.

Hearing this, Xiao Suo frowned slightly, and looked back at Liu Siwen with a normal expression, feeling at ease.Although everyone should support each other, Zheng Xiu's words seem to be inappropriate.

After drinking for three rounds, someone at the banquet said to Zheng Xiu: "Brother Zheng's family has a long history, and the two masters taught by example and example. This time, Brother Zheng won the No. 4 again. The future is bound to be bright! I heard that General Shen Yan met with Shi the day before yesterday. The second miss is engaged, and I think she will be Brother Zheng's brother-in-law in the near future. You have one literary and one military, and you are really envious of others!"

Zheng Xiu said with a smile: "Brother Li, what did you say! This is just a rumor in Beijing. Why did General Shen ever get engaged to my aunt? How could I not know? I'm afraid it's just rumors."

Xiao Suo thought to himself, Shen Yan only made a verbal agreement on the marriage with Shi's family, after all, he never went through the six ceremonies, nor was he hired, this matter can only be regarded as a rumor now, but the future is still unknown.

He must not allow Shen Yan to really be engaged to the Shi family, otherwise Shen Yan will feel guilty for his whole life if he withdraws from the marriage one day, and the emperor will not let him go easily.

This matter must be settled as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too late to say anything.

On the way back, Xiao Suo thought over and over again, and said to Ouyang Xu: "Brother Chu Ming, I have something to ask for your help."

Ouyang Xu was overwhelmed with alcohol, and was leaning on the wall of the carriage with his eyes closed to rest his mind. Hearing this, he still closed his eyes and asked, "What's the matter?"

Since Xiao Suo sternly rejected him that time, it was the first time that the two talked so intimately. "I want to ask you to be my girlfriend."

Shen Yan didn't go out for a day, and sat at home sleepily, sighing incessantly.He plucked out this heart with sincerity and determination, and carefully held it in front of others, who knows that others are not rare.

But there seems to be something wrong.

His family's Dubao has always been well-behaved and sensible, and he has been obedient to him, and has never been disobedient. Why is he stubborn on such a big matter as being with him for a lifetime?

Although he didn't say it clearly in the past, but carefully looking at the meaning brought out by his words and deeds, it is clear that he wants to spend the rest of his life with him, why now he has to marry a wife and have children?

Shen Yan's clever mind has never been able to deal with these things.He wanted to break his head, but he only felt that maybe it was his own misunderstanding in the past, Xiao Suo had always thought so.

As a person who has been influenced by Confucian classics since he was a child, and is extremely pure and filial, he probably really thinks that marrying a wife, having children, and carrying on the family line are the most important things in life.

What to call him.

When Yan Jun came, he saw his despondent look, he casually comforted him, and couldn't help reminding him: "Don't just worry about hurting your nerves, there are many rumors out there! If you say that you are really engaged to the Shi family, you can't say it." It's just a rumor, there's no such thing."

At this time, Shen Yan didn't know whether he should get engaged or not: "Let's leave it at that, I'll think about it. I went to Shi's house on the other day, but I just said that I wanted to get married with their family, I didn't say who got married with whom, They didn't say they were dead, and they didn't actually offer a job offer, they just agreed verbally, and there is still room for flexibility."

Yan Jun was invited by him today. In fact, Yushitai was still busy, so he asked, "What else do you need? I'm fine, so I'll be leaving."

Only then did Shen Yan remember to talk about serious business: "After two days, if you pass the test, it's time for you to rank in the palace test. Xiao Suo... I'm afraid that the emperor will wear small shoes for him. Please find a way to make him safe and secure. It’s good to be ranked.”

"I thought there was something wrong!" Yan Jun sneered, "You are really considerate, you worry about his affairs all the time, and you have never seen anyone give you anything! Don't worry, since the emperor has decided to use him, he won't do it again." Secretly causing trouble. I will go back and contact a few people for you, and then I will say something good for him, and he will definitely not make him suffer."

"Thank you." Shen Yan said in a dull voice.

Yan Jun sighed and got up to leave immediately.

Xiao Suo was still sitting in the carriage, Ouyang Xu's tongue was tied up: "You...why is this? You are not... well, you and General Shen are very good, no matter what I said before, you...wouldn't want to."

"It used to be the past, and I've changed my mind now. As long as I can leave him, I can do whatever I want. I know that my request is a bit difficult, and it is reasonable for Brother Ouyang not to want to. But I really have no one else to help, so ..."

"I promise." Ouyang Xu agreed without waiting for him to finish.

Xiao Suo didn't show the slightest joy, with a wry smile on the corner of his mouth, he said: "Thank you, brother Chu Ming. If that's the case, please write a few letters for me."

So, three days later in the early morning, these letters happened to land on Shen Yan's desk.

After reading the files in Shen's residence, Xiao Suo went directly to the official office.Shen Yan personally sent him there, and when he came back, he saw a table of papers and wanted to ask someone to clean them up. He also thought that these were the files of the Jingzhao Mansion and it was not suitable for outsiders to touch them, so he had to sort them out himself.

Although it is a closed test, it has not been tested for a long time since it was abolished, and it was resumed this year, and all the students felt like they were facing a formidable enemy, so they paid more attention to it.

Different from the scientific examination hosted by the Ministry of Rites, the officials of the Ministry of Officials randomly selected them, every 30 people, and entered the test room in batches.It is also different from the number rooms of the township examination and the general examination. 30 people sit in a row in the three huts behind the official office, with one person and one table not far apart, just like the palace examination.

The test time was not long, and the three hundred tributes were divided into ten groups, and they entered the hall one by one to answer.

In the morning, it was good to make a verdict based on the facts of the case, Xiao Suo had read a lot of files, and there were eight hundred verdicts in his belly, so he came at his fingertips, so I guess it should be good.

He was a little uncertain about the question and answer in the afternoon.Because he was the number one, he was the first to take the exam every time, and the examiners were very impressed with him.Others just asked a few questions in a few words, but from the beginning, he asked many detailed questions.

Sitting in front of the hall was Zheng Duo, Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Xiao Suo had seen him before, so he recognized him.Besides, when Zheng Xiu was answering questions, he often evaded, so it could be seen that he could not be someone else.

There was an adult sitting on the top, who seemed to be an official from the Ministry of Officials, and when Liu Siwen was answering questions, he also avoided it.

Xiao Suo originally thought that Liu Siwen was born in a poor family just like him - after all, there is nowhere to put a cat, and he has to be fostered with him - but it seems that he is actually a member of the official family.

The Minister of the Ministry of Officials is a gray-haired old man, Xiao Suo doesn't recognize him, and he doesn't know his first and last name, so he can only be honored with the word "adult".

The old man was in good spirits, and asked him about a case while stroking his goatee beard: "Today, there is a man who robbed property and killed him. After the tolerance captured him, his son covered up his father, claiming that he committed the murder. If you decide the case, you should How to deal with it?"

Xiao Suo bowed his head and said: "Our law stipulates that those who shield the criminal are guilty of the same crime as the criminal, and there is a saying that 'hiding the adulterer is the same crime as surrendering to the enemy'. Therefore, according to the law, the father should be beheaded and the son should be seated. However, the sage said: 'Father hides for son, son hides for father, and it is right in it.' Our dynasty ruled the world with Confucianism, and according to the humble opinion of the students, we should arrest his father for questioning, release his son and return home."

After he finished speaking, there was no sound in the hall, and there was no sound.In the chilly spring season, Xiao Suo was sweating like rain, but he didn't dare to raise his hand to wipe it off, so he had to endure it. There seemed to be a few ants crawling on his forehead, itching.

After a long while, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials asked him: "If this person takes money and kills his mother, how should he deal with it?"

Xiao Suo suddenly felt embarrassed: in the previous question, he advocated releasing his son and returning home on the grounds of the sage's words, which was an acquiescence, and the law must make concessions in front of Confucianism.

In this question, if he said that he should not take money and kill him no matter what, and still want to take this person into custody, it would violate the word "filial piety", which is inconsistent with his previous proposition and contradicts himself.

But if because of his mother's illness, he can connive at taking money and killing his life, disregarding laws and regulations, making the national law lose its prestige and making it impossible to stand, how will others be restrained in the future?This wind cannot last long.

It turned out that the first question was a hidden trap.

Xiao Suo was flustered in his heart, and he was silent for a long time before he said: "Students think that I rule the world with filial piety, so naturally I have to forgive filial sons. 'A husband's filial piety is the foundation of virtue.' The people should be moralized, not restricted by laws alone Otherwise, the grandeur of the society will disappear.”

Old Shangshu said with a straight face: "Then you mean that this person committed a crime due to filial piety, so he should not be detained according to the law?"

Xiao Suo hurriedly said: "The student has no such intention."

"Oh?" Zheng Duo raised his eyebrows and asked, "Then what do you mean?"

Xiao Suo respectfully replied: "Students think that this person who took money and killed him must be unforgivable and should be detained for questioning. If he is released, there will be many people who follow this person in the future, and the court will be lawless."

"Didn't you say you wanted to transform people with virtue, why did you say you wanted to uphold the law?" an unknown adult asked him.

Xiao Suo said again: "The student did say so, and he did so. This person took money and killed his mother to heal his mother's illness. The student thought that this was not true filial piety. Since it is not true filial piety, it is not against virtue and filial piety to arrest this person for questioning. inverse."

"The sage also said: 'A husband's filial piety begins with serving his relatives, and he is centered on serving his ruler. , it is unfilial; it is unfilial to hurt people's lives, corrupt virtues, and make it hard to stand. Moreover, there is a saying of "obedience to righteousness and not obedience to father". It's not true filial piety."

The first few adults whispered a few words, signaling the end of the question and answer, ordered him to step aside, and called the next one.

Xiao Suo saw that it was Liu Siwen who came behind him, so he listened carefully, his case was somewhat similar to his own, he said that a man was persecuted by evil gentry and had no other way out, so he had to steal money to support his old mother, the people all pleaded for mercy and asked how to deal with it.

Liu Siwen's flat and emotionless tone floated in the hall, Xiao Suo didn't hear a word clearly, he just felt like a dream, but it was only a stick of incense, but he seemed to have passed a year.

This question and answer was far from simple and easy as he thought, and he didn't know whether the examiners were satisfied with his remarks and would let him pass.

Before dinner time, Xiao Suo came out with his head drooping.Because he was the first in the first batch, so it ended earlier.

There was a setting sun in the west, and the cold wind was quite bitter.When he came out, there was a long line behind him, and he didn't know how long he would wait.

When everyone saw him, they rushed up to inquire about the situation inside, only to be yelled at by the yamen of the official department, and then they stood back obediently.

Xiao Suo walked out of the gate and saw Babao waiting for him at the corner of the street, he was slightly surprised: Shen Yan said that he would come to pick him up in person, and he had to pick him up for every exam before, but he was not here today.

Probably because he saw the few letters he deliberately left on the table.What Ouyang Xu wrote to him were several love letters, and they were replies.

It was raining and snowing, and it was clearly in the spring, but it was getting colder and colder.