In the back hall of the mansion, Master Xu Yu, his uncle and nephew, bowed to the ground respectfully.
Mrs. Chen was very cheerful and waved her hands repeatedly, "Quickly, get up, get up, we are all family members, there is no need to be so polite."
Master Xu Yu got up and said with a smile: "My nephew has been taken care of by his aunt and has caused you a lot of trouble..."
Before he could finish speaking, Mrs. Chen said with a smile: "You all sit down quickly. Where do you get so many kind words? Our families are family friends. I couldn't keep you at home to prepare for the exam before. Your uncle will definitely ask for it when he comes back."
Annoys me.
But there's nothing I can do about it. Although this mansion is big enough to accommodate you, it's not a quiet place. I'm afraid it will disturb your studies. Just don't blame me. What else do you think it's troublesome?"
Hao Chujun kowtowed. According to seniority, he had to call Mrs. Chen great-aunt. Since the two families were not related by blood, it was not wrong to call them aunt or aunt.
It's just that he came with his uncle Master Xu Yuen, so naturally he was called Master Xu Yun.
…………
Mrs. Chen is very amiable. This time she asked the kitchen to prepare Jiangnan dishes, and she entertained her very attentively.
After the two of them sat down, Mrs. Chen exchanged a few words with them, asking about their health, studies, living conditions, etc. After the two had eaten a few bites of the food, she toasted her with two glasses of wine.
Mrs. Chen then asked tentatively: "The results of the Beijing Examination will be released within a few days, right?"
Master Xu Yu nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens, the results will be released seven days after the exam."
Mrs. Chen said: "It would be a good story if your uncle and nephew can be admitted on the same day. I heard that during the last Beijing Examination, two brothers of the Li family were admitted together. There was a lot of rumors outside. I
Everyone in the mansion is talking about it."
Hao Chujun smiled and said: "You are talking about Li Yichen and Li Yiyan brothers. Following your auspicious words, we may not be worse than them. If we can win the Jinshi together, we will come to see you and make you happy."
Mrs. Chen laughed. Among the two young men, she still liked Hao Chujun better. This boy was ambitious and didn't mince words when he spoke. He was very Western-style.
Master Xu Yu was as gentle as jade, with a weak temperament, and could be described as a humble gentleman. She felt that such a person would suffer in the future, just like her husband, who was unlucky because he didn't want to fight with his brother, and in the end he was almost punished by that damn brother.
Can't turn over.
So this person still had to be competitive when she was young, just like her emperor's son-in-law, even if he is not the emperor, he will never suffer any loss.
Why? I haven’t read so many books...
…………
"Of course I'm happy for you if you do well in the exam. It doesn't matter if you don't do well in the exam. Your uncle will return to Beijing soon. Even if he fails the exam then, let him think of a way... He won't see you without a solution."
This is a promise. Looking at the two young people who are full of energy and have their own charm, Chen is in a very good mood. In fact, she has already begun to plan in her heart to find a good marriage for them.
Of course, it will naturally be based on the daughter of Li and Chen.
No matter what the two young people think in their hearts, whether they are willing to accept this arrangement or not, Master Xu Yu will not hesitate at this moment. He immediately stood up and bowed and said: "Thank you Auntie for making it happen. When the time comes, my nephew will have no choice but to come to see you shamelessly."
Uncle."
Ms. Chen was very happy. With her current status, it was actually very easy to arrange someone, but it just had to depend on her good fortune.
In a good mood, Mrs. Chen drank two more drinks and asked about the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River. She was a true northerner. In her early years, Li Jing went to Chang'an County to take up a post, and she followed him.
Later, Li Jing returned to Beijing to serve as a member of the driving department, and since then she has never left Chang'an again.
Listening to Hao Chujun talk vividly about the mountains, rivers, rivers and handsome people in the south of the Yangtze River, Mrs. Chen yearned for them very much.
It's just that she is old and is the queen's mother. She probably won't be able to go as far away as Jiangling in this life, so she can't help but feel very regretful.
I was also thinking in my heart, the southerners I met said Jiangnan was good, but they left their hometown and came to Chang'an. It seems that no matter how good Jiangnan is, it is not as important as a smooth career.
While he was talking, a female officer hurriedly walked in, came to the side and whispered a few words.
Mrs. Chen was stunned for a moment, but she immediately stood up. Seeing this, the two young men didn't know what was going on, so they didn't dare to neglect and stood up too.
Mrs. Chen looked at them and hesitated for a moment, then pressed her hands and said with a smile: "You don't have to be like this, you are all family members, and you can drink here in peace..."
Go and call Erlang to accompany you, don’t be too slow to treat your guests..."
Mr. Chen left in a hurry, and the uncle and nephew looked at each other after saying goodbye. Hao Chujun felt bad. Young people always need more respect.
Master Xu Yun didn't care. He was very considerate of others and could tell at a glance that something was going on, otherwise he wouldn't be so rude.
When Mr. Chen left, he took his nephew to the table again, drinking and eating as before.
After a while, a young man walked in and saluted the two of them. This is Li Jing's grandson. He is seventeen this year and has been enrolled in Chang'an Academy for three years. In other words, he is the first batch of students of Chang'an Academy.
one of the members.
In terms of seniority, he was of the same generation as Hao Chujun, but they were close in age, and Li Erlang seemed to be very open-minded. When greeting his uncle and nephew, he called them brother, saying that everyone had different opinions.
Master Xu Yu was also very happy to see this. Since they were talking together with peers and they were both scholars, it was easy to find topics to talk about, and they were no longer as restrained as they were when they met Mr. Chen just now.
Li Erlang is the key training target of Li's generation, and he is much better at dealing with people than his father.
As the owner of the room, he did not sit down at the main table. Instead, he sat across from Master Xu Yu and his uncle and nephew to accompany him. He talked and laughed without any arrogance, which made the uncle and nephew very fond of him.
Li Erlang was very polite. He apologized for his grandmother first and did not hide anything from the two of them. He just told them that his uncle came to visit his grandmother.
Hao Chujun was still wondering who the uncle Li Erlang was talking about, but Master Xu Yue had already understood. This was... the emperor was coming?
Li Jing had three biological daughters and some other relatives. There were many people who could make Li Erlang call him uncle, but there was only one person who could make Mrs. Chen rush to meet her in such a hurry.
Isn't this such a coincidence? Being able to live in the same house as the emperor... Master Xu Yu couldn't help but have a very ridiculous feeling.
At this time, Hao Chujun also thought about it and said in shock: "Your Majesty is here in person..."
Halfway through his words, he immediately stopped, gaping at his words, and seeing the change in his expression in the eyes of the other two people, they couldn't help but laugh, making Hao Chujun blush.
Master Xu Yun helplessly glared at his nephew. This nephew was good at everything, but his temperament was not calm and sophisticated. Sometimes he was so forthright that people didn't know what to say.
Even though Li Erlang is younger than them all, he has studied in a place like Chang'an Academy for three years and met many dignitaries. His worldliness is beyond compare.
At this time, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty often comes to my house as a guest and is very close to my grandmother. This is not a secret. Most people in Chang'an have heard of it.
The two brothers have come from afar and this is the first time for us to meet each other. I would like to propose a toast to the two brothers..."
The three young people toasted each other and quickly found the feeling of a cultural gathering.
…………
"This year's examiner is Liu Zi, the Minister of Rites, right?"
Li Erlang asked.
Master Xu Yu smiled and nodded, "That's Shilang Liu, the deputy examiner is Zhang Fang, the official's examination doctor, and there seems to be Gao Shilian, the imperial censor."
Li Erlang smiled and raised his glass, "So, these two brothers have good prospects in high school. I would like to congratulate my two brothers here."
Xu Yushi and Hao Chujun also laughed. They naturally understood what this meant. Liu Zi was from Jiangling and a township party member. Naturally, he wanted to take care of the scholars from his hometown.
It’s just not clear to what extent it will be taken care of.
But having said that, Liu Zi's official reputation is very good. No one knows whether he will be biased during the grading. If he judges others by himself, if they are two uncles and nephews, they preside over the scientific examination.
Naturally, you will feel a certain amount of kindness towards the people in your hometown. Under the same conditions, they will feel it is okay to win over fellow villagers, as long as you don't have selfish motives and affect the fairness of the college entrance examination.
What they fear most is actually meeting that kind of stubborn person. In order to avoid suspicion or to show his selflessness, he will most likely deliberately suppress the locals, which will not be good for Xu Yushi and Hao Chujun.
Is Liu Zi that kind of person? They don't know that the Minister of Rites is a high-ranking official in the court. There is a huge gap in status. Unless for special reasons, they will not understand his personality.
Li Erlang was still young, so he pretended to be profound and said something like this. It was actually quite funny. It did not make Master Xu Yu and Hao Chujun feel at ease. Instead, it slightly pricked the heart of the arrogant Hao Chujun, making him quite uncomfortable.
…………
On the other side, Li Po had already eaten his chicken stewed with mushrooms. It was just a coincidence that it was originally prepared for Master Xu Yu and Hao Chujun, but he cut it off before it was even served.
The son-in-law came quite suddenly every time, and Mrs. Chen was busy for a while, stewing a fresh fish for her son-in-law and making some pickles. Anyway, she now knew Li Po's taste very well, so she was not worried that her son-in-law would not be able to eat well.
When Mr. Chen sat down, Li Po told his mother-in-law that he had worked hard. In fact, he was the one who really worked hard.
These days, government affairs are heavy, the war has left the Central Plains, and various places are seeking development. In the seventh year of Yuanzhen, with the end of the East China Sea War, the court's attention returned to the country, and many problems were exposed at once.
For example, the various post stations that the imperial court started to build last year had a chaotic management and unclear division of powers. Many people including Fang Xuanling, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, were impeached by the supervisory temple.
Mainly because Fang Xuanling was presiding over the reduction of redundant officials, some things involved the establishment of the post system. Local people had to work and prevent being eliminated, so some messy things happened.
