lotus carp

I am a girl.

A girl who was traveling far away with a bag on her back.

I was sitting by the window on the second floor of the teahouse, facing the soon-to-be-crowded Huangbang.

On the stage in the center of the tea shop, a handsome woman in a red robe and black gauze is singing a babbling Huangmei tune: "To save Li Lang from his home, who would expect to be number one in the imperial list..."

I froze.This word is not very similar to me, it's just that I "leave home in order to marry a beautiful woman, and only want to be the number one in the imperial list".

I was still thinking on this side, but there was a burst of noise from the other side of the street. Officials on tall horses, escorted by officers and soldiers, posted the bright yellow imperial list on the wall.

I finally couldn't sit still, paid the bill and went downstairs, squeezed to the front of the imperial list, and looked up at the first name.

The number one scholar, Jiang Li.

I finally let out a long breath of relief.

I remembered the scene after parting from Zhuo Lian that day.I turned back to the Marriage Tree, untied the red thread tied by Zhuo Lian herself, moved the ladder, and tied the red thread to the highest branch.

I thought at the time, if I can come back, I will give you the best marriage in the world, if I can't come back, I wish you to marry the best person in the world.

Fortunately, Zhuo Lian, I did it.

I'm coming back.

Four months ago, Gusu.

The day after seeing off Zhuo Lian, I went to the private school as usual.My deskmate, Jiang Li, was late again. I saw his bruised nose and swollen face, and thought of the Mingjing score announced by my master the day before, and I understood it in my heart.Jiang Li's parents hoped that their son would become a dragon, but Jiang Li was not really a reading material, nor did he have any ambitions. This is no secret in the private school.

So I went to find Jiang Li after school.

"Jiang Li, I want to take your place in the test of merit." I didn't go around the bush, and got straight to the point.

"Ah?" Jiang Li was a little dazed, as if he didn't understand what I was talking about.

"I mean, I take part in the imperial examination as Jiangli. If I get the honor, your parents will become the parents of officials as you wish, and the Jiang family will be glorious. And you can do whatever you want: go into business , farming, visiting famous mountains and rivers..."

"Use the imperial examination opportunity that you will never be able to use to exchange the Jiang family with the possibility of honoring their ancestors, and give your parents a chance to get what they want. You are not at a loss." I thought about it all night, and it was still very tempting.

of.

"But your grades are so good...why don't you take part in the scientific examination with your real identity?" Jiang Li's brain was not very bright, but he was witty for a while.

"You also know..." I pretended to be embarrassed, "I am an abandoned baby adopted by Guangyang Temple... I don't have a formal household registration...but I really want to take part in the scientific examination..." In fact, I have a household registration, but I do have it. Bringing out the gender on it scares you to death... I slander like this.

"Hmm..." He seemed to be shaken a lot, "I'll go back and ask my parents for their opinion."

"No problem! Go to school tomorrow and give me an answer!" Given Jiang Li's parents' pursuit of fame and wealth, I am very confident that I will win them.

Sure enough, the next morning, Jiang Li dragged me to a corner of the school, looked around for no one, then nodded mysteriously to me: "My parents agree."

I smiled as expected: "Then bring me your household registration card tomorrow."

"What's the use of tomorrow? As soon as my parents heard what I said, they gave me the household registration card and told you to go on the road as soon as possible... The look in the eyes when they gave it to me seemed to have seen the black yarn on my head..." Jiang Li couldn't bear it. He hugged his arms and shook.

I looked at him like that, couldn't help laughing for a while, and finally stopped laughing, and I remembered something important: "Have you made it clear to your parents that I only take the merit test, what will I do after I finish the test?" Officer, is it my freedom to seek any reward?"

He nodded hurriedly: "Having said that, my parents don't think it's a big deal. Anyway, if I were really asked to take the exam, I would not even be able to pass the exam as a scholar. If you really go to high school someday, my Jiang family will be a juren family." The name, that is earned."

That's how I feel relieved.

In the name of Jiang Li, I started from the provincial examination, studied hard day and night, and finally passed the county examination in less than two months before the scientific examination, planning to go to Beijing to catch up with the examination.

The hard work during the period is not worth mentioning, but fortunately today I really became the champion.

Imperial Garden, Qionglin Banquet.

The silk strings are smooth and the sleeves are elegant. I sit in the first place above and below the emperor, waiting for the emperor to speak with tense spirit.

"Where is Jiang Aiqing?" The emperor put down the wine cup in his hand.

"My humble ministers see the emperor." I dare not face up to the emperor on the high platform, bowed my hands and bowed my head to salute.

"Jiang Aiqing must know that every champion can ask me for a reward!" The emperor smiled brightly.

Why don't you know, I'm here for this.

"My minister has heard a little bit about it."

"Then Aiqing has any request, just ask!"

"My minister has the guts to ask His Majesty for a marriage. I beg Your Majesty to grant me a marriage with Miss Liu."

"Liu's family?" The emperor waved his hand upon hearing the words, signaling to stop the singing and dancing, the scene became quiet in an instant, and I suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"But the number one richest merchant, Gusu Liu's family?"

I suddenly understood what the suspicious emperor in front of me was thinking. The combination of money, talent and power is like raising a tiger on the side of the dragon chair.

And I have no way out, I can only gamble on the weight of the sentence "You have no jokes".

"It's the only concubine of the Liu family, Liu Zhuolian." Feeling the eyes of everyone stabbing my back like needles, I bent down and knelt down. "I hope the emperor will help you."

"If you can no longer enter the official career, do you still want this marriage?"

"Yes. If you can get Miss Liu as your wife, you will go through fire and water, and you will be willing to do so."

After a suffocating silence, the emperor smiled.

"Aiqing's infatuation of giving up fame and wealth for true love is really touching. Oh, yes!"

Abandoning fame and wealth, I can no longer enter the official career... Until the banquet is over, I am still chewing on the deep meaning of this sentence.I was led through the palace by the eunuch who claimed to serve me, and I arrived at a dark room.

"It's a pity... It's not worth it, it's not worth it to ruin your future for a woman." The eunuch sighed at me and shook his head, and took out a thin iron needle from the cabinet in the corner of the room.

"Don't blame our family for being ruthless, our family is also following orders." I was held down by several young eunuchs, and I was relieved to see the sharp edge of the needle in his hand getting closer.I came here to catch up with the exam, and it was only for Zhuo Lian. I exchanged my eyes for eight big sedan chairs to welcome her through the door.

There was an unbearable pain in my eyeballs, but my mind was full of Zhuo Lian's face: she laughed, she cried, she was angry, she was angry... Those pictures that are cherished in memory are still fresh, in my memory In her mind, every strand of her hair is still as clear as real.

I finally fainted in relief.