A month after leaving home, Chang Bai came back with a sluggish face. After seeing his grandmother and mother, he threw himself into the room and fell asleep. This time, Sheng Hong didn't give a lecture. He had passed the exam himself and knew The rural examination is completely different from the previous Xiucai County Examination, the Government Examination, and the Academy Examination. It really requires you to shed a layer of your skin.
The provincial examination was held in Jinan, the provincial capital, and the results were released a few days after the examination. Therefore, the good news had already reached Dengzhou before Changbai returned home. Changbai's brother passed the examination and scored more than a dozen, which was a good result. Sheng In order to show that he was well-connected with the world, Hong did not make any extravagance. He only invited some colleagues and friends, Mr. Zhuang, to hold a few Qionglin banquets at home to celebrate.
At the banquet, everyone was boasting, and Sheng Hong felt proud. He looked at the magistrate on the left and remembered his cockfighting lackey and prodigal son. He looked at the magistrate on the right and thought of his pig-headed cub who was looking for flowers and willows. Above, the Wang family was also in a respectable situation. There were a lot of compliments from the officials and wives. They had a daughter of the right age at home and they even vaguely expressed their intention to get married. The Wang family just pretended to be dumbfounded and only told Sheng Hong at night. She was so proud and proud. It's beyond words, just like a farmer's sister-in-law who has worked hard for many years to harvest cabbage is being appreciated - it's because the land is good.
Sheng Hong refused: "Madam, don't be impatient. Bai'er is the eldest son, and his marriage should be solemn. Don't rush to marry him now. Wait until spring next year. If he is nominated on the apricot list, we will find him again." A good reputation, good family background and good marriage are the right principles."
Wang hesitated and said: "What if I don't win? Is it possible that I have to wait until I win the first prize before getting married? Don't miss Brother Bai's age."
Sheng Hong said: "I'll just wait until next year. If I don't win, I won't have to wait until three years later. Madam, I have to think about Bai'er. There is no hope for me to enter the cabinet or the central government in this life. I won't be able to become a court official in the future. It is enough to have a decent honorary title of third rank. Even if Bai'er has a mentor of the same age to support him in the court in the future, it would be better to find someone from a well-off family; those noble and scholarly families who want a son-in-law must at least choose a Jinshi."
These words were originally spoken by Mrs. Sheng to Sheng Hong twenty years ago. When he was in the imperial examination, people came to propose marriage, but Mrs. Sheng rejected them all, saying that his father had died early and the Sheng family was in business. When he started his career, except for a few old friends who died in the same year as his father, there was no one in the court to support him. So he waited until Sheng Hong won the top ranking scholar the following year before marrying the second lady of the Wang family. After that, although Sheng Hong made progress on his own, he was also influenced by The Yue family helped a lot.
Now that I think about it, Sheng Hong's official career went smoothly, he was never bullied or made things difficult by his superiors, and the people in the official circle were all decent. I wonder if it wasn't his mentor Yang Ge Lao and the Wang family face, but Mrs. Sheng was really knowledgeable and insightful.
Qi Heng’s grades are about one hundred, but for a child of a powerful and noble family like the Qi family, Qi Heng is simply weird. It is said that starting from the time of Taizu, the entire Zhou Dynasty has no more than 100 children of knighted families who can pass the imperial examination. Forty, although they have held many official positions, most of them were awarded the title or later donated their official positions. They always feel a little embarrassed in front of their colleagues who came from the imperial examination. This time, Qi Heng took the examination, and Mr. Qi was peaceful. Princess Ning was overjoyed and quickly sent a letter to Qi Gongfu and Xiangyang Houfu in the capital. For a time, Qi Heng became one of the outstanding representatives of Prince Sun in the whole kingdom.
Compared with the Sheng family who only held a few banquets, the Qi family held a banquet for half the city. They set off hundreds of taels of firecrackers at the door and carried several baskets of white flour steamed buns to give to the poor. The next day, Mr. Qi and Ping Ning The princess took their newly elected son Qi Heng to the Sheng Mansion to communicate with each other.
Ming Lan had just gotten up early in the morning and was sitting in front of the mirror yawning. When she heard that the girls were going to meet Mr. Qi and his wife, she immediately asked Dan Ju to break up her newly combed hair and change it into a bun with double hair. Wear a pair of red gold sardonyx hairpins with small tassels, a light rose red embroidered yellow satin jacket with folded magnolia branches at the front and back, and a moon white plain satin slender pleated long skirt. The golden light is still shining on the chest. After the collar and jade lock were dressed up, they were shown to Old Mrs. Sheng. The old lady thought it was too simple, so she asked for a pair of gold wire inlaid with pink hibiscus and jade bracelets for Minglan to wear. Who knew that Minglan had small hands and it was difficult to wear them? Sighing, she put on two pairs of twisted shrimp whisker bracelets inlaid with southern pearls and red gold.
Minglan raised her arms to look, and saw two jingling bracelets hanging on each of her round, white, fat arms. She suddenly felt strenuous.
Mr. Qi is not as elegant and dignified as Sheng Hong, but he is more noble. He seems to be easier to talk to than the princess. When he met the children of the Sheng family, he asked them one by one, and then asked the princess to give him a heavy and beautiful gift. After receiving the ceremony, Old Mrs. Sheng went back to rest, leaving two couples and a few children talking. Since the Qi family and the Wang family are still somewhat related, they are considered cousins, so they are not Too much to avoid suspicion.
"...Thanks to Mr. Zhuang's hard work, my son is here today. I wanted to thank you very much, but I didn't know that Mr. Zhuang recently took leave to visit relatives and friends, so I have to wait until next time to come and say thank you." Mr. Qi stroked his chin and smiled. Yes, he looks very cheerful.
Sheng Hong said with a smile: "In those days, Mr. Zhuang gave them two lectures without taking a break. They were really tired. They went to Jinan. Mr. Zhuang lay down on the back. When he got up, he said that he would take advantage of them before they had to take the exam. Come back and go for a walk quickly, otherwise you won't be able to be free when class starts. When Mr. Zhuang comes back, let's set up a table and have a drink."
Master Qi high-fived him in agreement, and then sighed: "Mr. Zhuang really has the enthusiasm and rigor of teaching and educating people like the ancient saints!"
The princess smiled and said: "...it's really an advantage for Shanda people to invite Mr. Zhuang to Dengzhou. My Heng'er has been a lot of trouble in the house these days, and my wife has taken great pains to take care of me. I have a lot of regrets here, so I'm afraid I missed my brother from the mansion studying."
Mrs. Wang also smiled and replied: "It's better for several brothers to study together than to study alone. Brother Heng is a sensible and polite child. He won't cause any trouble, so the princess can rest assured."
The princess held up the hairpin on her temples and glanced at Changbai, with a look of satisfaction in her eyes: "That's right. It would be better for your eldest brother to have Heng'er studying with him." He said it politely, with a look on his face. But she couldn't hide her arrogance, as if Zunfo Qiheng's study in Sheng Mansion had given them face, Wang's eyes lowered and he remained silent.
It was at this time that Sheng Hong's ability was revealed. For the first time, Minglan saw her father behave in front of his superiors. He was neither humble nor arrogant, good at dancing, well-spoken and well-known. He said loudly: "Studying relies mostly on hard work. Those who come from a poor background How can scholars be so particular? When Taizu was the prime minister, Liu and Li, and when the late emperor was Sanyang, they were able to coordinate and strategize. They were all from poor backgrounds. That's really admirable!"
It turned out that Mr. Qi's grandfather, Mr. Liu, was Mr. Qi's grandfather. Mr. Qi had always admired this ancestor the most. After hearing this, he looked very happy and praised: "Exactly! Although our family is in a better situation, you must not slack off and lose the reputation of our ancestors."
This was said to the boys. The three boys from the Sheng family stood up together with Qi Heng and bowed their heads in response. Master Qi saw that the three sons of Sheng Hong all had handsome features and couldn't help but said: "Brother Sheng is so lucky. The three of you are so lucky." All the young masters are outstanding talents." Then he looked at the girls and said, "Having strong children is a blessing to the whole family."
The princess's wife suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, but these moments of uneasiness disappeared in the blink of an eye. Seeing that the princess was unhappy, Mrs. Wang knew what was going on, so she smiled and said: "Although many children mean blessings, we are not a farmer's family. I am anxiously waiting for the male to work and compete for the child. There is no need to have too many children. If you want to live up to your expectations, one is enough. If you don't live up to your expectations, the more children you have, the more headache you will have."
The princess's eyebrows widened and she smiled and said, "Sister said yes."
After saying that, he casually pulled Ru Lan aside and looked closely. He couldn't help praising her for being dignified and generous. He liked her very much. He then took off a jade bracelet from his wrist and put it on Ru Lan. Ru Lan's face turned red after being praised, and her expression turned red. She was quite smug, and deliberately glanced at Mo Lan, like Ming Lan, with a demonstration in her eyes. Mo Lan's face was pale, and she only said a few words when she took the gift after entering the room. Until now, she had no chance to speak, and her thin white hands were tightly Holding the handkerchief, Minglan was squeezing the beautiful purse and feeling it carefully, guessing what was inside, without seeing Rulan's wink at all.
Here the princess and Mrs. Wang are holding Ru Lan and talking, and over there Sheng Hong and Mr. Qi are testing the teaching knowledge of four boys. Mr. Qi was also a progressive young man in his early years, but unfortunately he was rejected before he could take the imperial examination. After receiving Mengfeng, although he later became a big official, he always felt that he lacked confidence when he saw those officials who came from the first class in the right way, so he admired the young men who were good at studying. After asking a few questions, he found that Changfeng was very talkative and spoke well. However, Changbai cherished his words like gold, and his words were as empty as grain. Mr. Qi couldn't help but said to Sheng Hong: "Your eldest son, you have the character of the boss of the Wang family back then."
The eldest man of the Wang family in his mouth was Wang's late father, Changbai's grandfather.
This grandfather of the Wang family was one of the few capable ministers and officials who survived through three dynasties. He was low-key and calm, and was unfazed by honor and disgrace no matter how high or low he was. No matter which emperor he served, even if he had doubts at first, he had to appreciate him in the end. It is a pity that several uncles in the Wang family are not outstanding in talent and knowledge, but with Zu Meng and Emperor Gu Nian, they are still able to hold their positions as officials, which makes Sheng Hong envious.
In fact, Changbai looks exactly like Sheng Hong, but his temperament has taken a strange turn, copying a quarter of his maternal grandfather. Although Sheng Hong doesn't like Wang very much, he is very satisfied with the excellent genes she brings, but when he faces When he looked like his second son Changfeng in appearance and spirit, his mood inevitably changed slightly. Sheng Hong said: "It would be great if he really looked like Mr. Taishan. I'm afraid it's just a tiger." No matter how satisfied he was, his father often said I can't spit out my son's ivory.
Sheng Hong and Mr. Qi held Changbai and recalled Mrs. Wang's voice and smile. Princess Wang and Princess Ping Ning held Ru Lan and talked. Mrs. Wang kept talking about her profession and couldn't help praising her daughter's good things here and there. When Mrs. Wang praised Rulan for her needlework, the princess's eyes flashed and she caught a glimpse of the young and charming little Minglan beside her. Her heart moved and she suddenly said: "I was about to say this; speaking of which, I want to thank your sixth girl. Already."
Mrs. Wang was stunned. Princess Pingning smiled and called Qi Heng over. Qi Heng saw Minglan sitting next to her and the little girl with a blank look on her face. Qi Heng was amused, so he explained the whole story in detail; that day, Mrs. Sheng After instructing Minglan to do some work for Changbai, Minglan immediately implemented it. She inquired that all the clothes in the examination room could not be sandwiched, and thought of the cold weather in the deep autumn, so she found a large piece of thick velvet from the warehouse. Cut it up carefully and make a pair of knee pads (similar to stockings) that go from the toes to the thighs. Unexpectedly, one day Qi Heng, who was coming to have a meal, saw it. He thought it was funny, so he also ordered a pair. After the last out-of-print book "Mirror Flowers Wrong Needle Book", Minglan reluctantly agreed.
"The first two days after arriving in Jinan were fine, but the day before the exam started, the weather suddenly turned cold. Sitting in the slate dormitory, a cold air came up from under my feet. Fortunately, I had my sixth sister as a knee protector.
It's not cold either." Changbai also came over at this time, stood next to Wang, and said warmly.
The princess smiled and said: "Heng'er, why don't you thank Miss Six. She is so smart at such a young age. It's really rare."
Qi Heng raised his eyebrows and said: "Thank you, you have to thank me, but you also have to settle the account."
"What account?" Rulan looked at Minglan in shock.
Qi Heng walked to Minglan
In front of me, he hummed: "What did you embroider on my knee pads?"
Minglan spread her little hands and said innocently: "It's nothing? There are no words allowed in the examination room, so I embroidered a mark on my knee pads to avoid losing them."
Qi Heng smiled with beautiful white teeth: "I knew you little girl would be lazy!" Then he turned around and gave a few instructions to a little girl, then turned around and continued, "She embroidered one on each side of Brother Zecheng's knee pads.
A small pine and cypress, very strong and straight, but she embroidered it on my knee pads... hum..."
At this time, the little maid came back. Qi Heng took a ball of furry stuff from the maid's hand and scooped it out in front of everyone. He saw a small piece of stuff shining on the neatly folded flannel cloth. Everyone came up to take a look - it was neat and straight.
There is a small gold ingot embroidered on it, which is round, plump, and cute, very interesting.
Wang laughed and said, "What does this mean?"
The princess understood: "Oh, Brother Heng's character is Yuanruo, Yuanbaoyuan, so you embroidered this?"
Minglan blushed and nodded, then shrank back behind Changbai. Changbai also stayed in front of him very loyally.
Everyone looked at the handsome and elegant Qi Heng, and then looked at the fat-headed, big-eared little gold ingot. They all laughed immediately. Even Ru Lan and Mo Lan covered their handkerchiefs and smiled, and Xiao Changdong covered his little mouth and kept giggling.
.
Qi Heng deliberately pinched Minglan's little ears and said, "Even if I'm not as good as your brother, I'm not as good as a gold ingot! Little girl, you are so partial! Let's see if I can give it back to you in the future.
Bring fun!”
Minglan's ears were pulled in public, her little white face turned red with embarrassment, she pulled Qi Heng's hand away with all her strength, and argued desperately: "Yuan, Yuanbao Yuan, are both the same characters! Jin Yuanbao is so big and fat.
, but it cost me a lot of gold thread! If you don’t like gold ingots, then I’ll embroider the Lantern Festival next time!”
Everyone almost fell down with laughter. Mr. Qi and Sheng Hong also heard it. Sheng Hong pointed at Minglan and said with a smile: "You little girl, you are almost as fat as Yuanxiao!"
Minglan covered her ears and pretended to be good. She peeked at Wang and found that she didn't seem unhappy. She was a little relieved. She then looked at Ru Lan and Mo Lan and saw that their faces were slightly stiff. Minglan felt that
She suddenly knew that her days of playing the role of an ignorant child were numbered.