Chapter 381

Near the Examination Hall,

It was bustling with traffic,

The roadside was full of the sound of slightly noisy chatter

"Young Master!"

Xu Zaijing turned his head and saw Qingcao, who had gotten off the carriage, holding his cloak and calling him.

Behind Qingcao stood the Yunxiang sisters, who were carrying the book box for brushes and ink together.

Watching Qingcao walk over on tiptoes, wanting to put the cloak on him, Xu Zaijing shook his head and took the cloak from her hands.

The eighth month was already the beginning of autumn,

It was still a bit cold in the early morning and late evening,

After putting on the cloak, he indeed felt warmer.

Beside Xu Zaijing's carriage, Zaihang helped Hualan down, and just as the two were about to speak, a girl's voice came from the other side: "Sister! Brother-in-law!"

Xu Zaijing turned his head and saw it was Rulan pulling Minglan over at a trot, calling out to them, with the maids Magpie and Little Peach chasing behind them.

Watching Rulan chattering and talking to her sister-in-law, Xu Zaijing smiled slightly.

At this moment, a female voice came from behind him: "Little Five, your sister and brother-in-law are here!"

Xu Zaijing turned his head, greeted them while cupping his hands to Gu Tingyu and Pingmei, and Qingcao and the Yunxiang sisters beside him also bowed.

After glancing at the few people behind them, Xu Zaijing cupped his hands again: "Greetings, Princess, greetings, Aunt Bai, greetings, Little Sister Tingyi."

Princess Pingning and Madam Bai nodded to Xu Zaijing with a smile, while Tingyi bowed with a smile.

"Duke, Ye Ge'er, Heng Ge'er, good morning!"

Everyone greeted each other.

Soon Xu Zaijing gathered with his classmates from the school, while Qi Yiqiu, the Duke of Qi, went to find Magistrate Sheng, who had also arrived here.

While speaking, Xu Zaijing, relying on being taller than the others, scanned the area and happened to see the side of the mothers and ladies, where his mother was talking to the somewhat reserved Wang Ruofu.

Tingyi, beside Wang Ruofu, was hugging Minglan's shoulder with her hand, whispering something.

Rulan opened her big eyes, listening intently.

Seeing Mo Lan kept looking toward Xu Zaijing and Qi Heng, and when she saw Xu Zaijing look over, she also bowed with a smile.

Xu Zaijing nodded politely and then looked in other directions,

He saw a few examinees of similar age to Qi Heng and Changfeng, about thirteen or fourteen years old,

He also saw many who were about Zaihang's age, around twenty,

There were also many examinees who were over thirty or forty years old,

And some with graying hair...

After withdrawing his gaze, Xu Zaijing scanned Gu Tingye and Changbai, and secretly raised his eyebrows.

After a while,

The soldiers at the gate began to loudly prompt the examinees to start entering.

Xu Zaijing took the book box from Yunxiang's hand, and after locking eyes with his friends and family who were full of encouraging looks, he turned and walked toward the entrance of the Examination Hall in the distance.

The examinees lined up to be checked and entered the venue,

After lining up for a while,

Just as it was almost Xu Zaijing's turn, Xu Zaijing turned his head and looked at the direction of his friends and family again.

He saw Gu Tingyu standing not far from the crowd, with an inner palace eunuch standing beside him, whispering something into Gu Tingyu's ear.

Perhaps because it was far away, Gu Tingyu thought Xu Zaijing couldn't see clearly at this distance, so he didn't control his solemn expression,

Gu Tingyu looked up and saw Xu Zaijing's vaguely turning figure, and he even waved his hand, pretending to be relaxed.

"Next one, please step forward!"

Xu Zaijing turned his head back and handed over the book box in his hand.

After the check was completed, he exhaled lightly and walked into the courtyard.

Sitting in his seat, Xu Zaijing placed his brushes and ink.

Xu Zaijing didn't think about what the eunuch and his brother-in-law had said,

Instead, to relieve stress, he thought about what Zhuang Xuejiu had said to his classmates in the school after hearing Changfeng talk about a twelve-year-old scholar from his hometown:

The courtyard examination,

Students who pass are called scholars, those who don't are called child students.

Based on Xuejiu's many years of teaching experience, a twelve-year-old scholar is indeed rare, but one cannot use such extremely rare people to measure oneself.

Because in all these years of the imperial examination in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the scholars that Zhuang Xuejiu has seen pass the scholar examination are mostly over twenty years old.

At the age of Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and Changbai, it is already quite good!

Changfeng and Qi Heng don't need to force it.

Thinking about this, Xu Zaijing cheered himself up, and then thought that Changbai passed the jinshi examination at twenty!

Well, he passed the jinshi examination at the age he should have been a scholar or a tribute student.

"Sigh! Why does it feel like the pressure is even greater!"

Xu Zaijing shook his head.

Soon,

The clerks of the Examination Hall distributed the paper,

After copying down the topics for this courtyard examination, Xu Zaijing calmed his mind and began to answer the questions.

Unlike the provincial and metropolitan examinations that take three days, the courtyard examination only takes one day.

Enter in the morning and hand in the paper in the afternoon, no candles provided.

The list is posted three days later.

In the afternoon,

Xu Zaijing walked out of the Examination Hall with his book box, and after looking around, walked toward Gu Tingye, who had already come out, with a smile.

Walking closer,

Madam Bai, who was standing with Sun Shi, asked with a smile: "Jing Ge'er, how do you feel?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and said: "Aunt, I don't feel it's very difficult, the topics for this examination were once taught by Xuejiu!"

Gu Tingye: "Mother, see, I didn't lie!"

Madam Bai smiled.

Xu Zaijing looked at Hualan, who was standing with Xie Shi, looking at the entrance of the Examination Hall with some worry, and said to Sun Shi: "Mother, hasn't my brother come out yet?"

Sun Shi nodded.

After a while, Qi Heng and Changfeng also walked out.

After Qi Heng greeted Princess Pingning, he also gathered with Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye to "compare answers."

Finally, Zaihang and Changbai walked out of the Examination Hall.

Only after asking did they know that both of them had finished answering the questions long ago, but they just hadn't handed in the papers too early.

Everyone talked for a while longer, and after agreeing to meet at the Sheng family school tomorrow, they prepared to return home separately.

Boarding the carriage,

Xu Zaijing lifted the carriage curtain,

And looked thoughtfully at his sister Pingmei, who was boarding her carriage not far away.

"Young Master!"

"Hmm?"

Looking at the teacup in Huaxiang's hand, Xu Zaijing nodded and took it.

Holding the teacup in one hand and lifting the carriage curtain with the other, Xu Zaijing said toward the side: "Qingyun!"

"Young Master?"

Qingyun, who was on horseback, lowered his head and asked.

"You go find Magistrate Gao and ask if anything has happened recently!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

After speaking, Qingyun lightly reined in his horse and left the place.

First quarter of the You hour (5:00 PM)

The Marquis Yongyi's mansion,

Beside the wooden house of Grandpa Yin at the horse racing track,

Qingcao and Yunxiang were shelling corn kernels from corn cobs that had just been harvested from the Xu family farm,

And after shelling them, they handed them to Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing used these corn kernels to feed the pregnant dragon horse, Xunshu.

At the horse racing track,

The sleek little Xiao Li Ju was walking in the horse racing track accompanied by Alan, with the dragon horse of Alan's that was not yet pregnant.

Xu Zaijing watched the dragon horse finish eating the corn in his hand and touched the dragon horse's head with great affection.

Hearing the movement behind him, Xu Zaijing turned around to look.

Qingyun dismounted and walked to Xu Zaijing's side.

Looking at Qingyun, whose expression was somewhat solemn, Xu Zaijing said: "How is it? Has anything happened?"

At this time, Grandpa Yin also walked out of the wooden house.

After glancing at his uncle, Qingyun said: "Young Master, Magistrate Gao doesn't know what happened!"

"But when I was about to return, I happened to run into Big Brother Zhao, who had returned from the palace, and he told me... during the morning court today, someone impeached the Marquis again, saying the Marquis had been defeated once more."

Xu Zaijing frowned: "Someone impeached him again?"

"Yes! And they also said... said the Marquis had the intention of competing with the Marquis Tuoxi for the merit of conquering the nation, repeatedly and rashly sending troops to attack cities, losing soldiers and generals, and should be replaced..."

Since there were noble children like Wang Hou who guessed that the Marquis Yongyi was drawing the snake out of its hole, naturally there were also people who would say Xu Minghua was trying to earn merit.

After all, the opportunity to achieve the merit of conquering a nation is not something one can have just casually.

To the side, Xu Zaijing's master, Grandpa Yin, said: "This group of people, in order to fight for power and profit, are truly insane, even daring to say such things!"

"Replacing a general before a battle, the person who impeached your father is truly a 'good person'! It's quite possible that in a few days, the streets and markets will be full of discussions about your father, just like last month!"

Listening to these words,

Xu Zaijing didn't know why,

But he suddenly thought of the Daoist academy last month, the relatives of those Bianjing children who died in battle, those people wearing white cloth.

He also thought of the familiar friends who were missing from the Duke of Ying's Zhang family and the Marquis of Zhongjing's Zheng family,

And, in the cold winter months before, when Gu Tingye was hosting guests at the Bai family's mansion, his own sighing with the Zhang family young master, and the feeling of the Zhang family young master patting his arm.

As well as the sacrificial volcano burning fiercely in the Daoist academy that was reflected in his own eyes.

Thinking of these, Xu Zaijing said hesitantly: "Master, I want to enter the palace! I want to request to go to the north to see Father."

"Whether it's Father's strategy of drawing the snake out of its hole or something else, if I go, the situation will always be better!"

Grandpa Yin looked at his disciple, his single eye full of thought, and after thinking for a while, said: "It's not bad for you to go! The courtyard examination has just ended, next year you can only take the provincial examination, you won't be able to catch up with the metropolitan examination!"

"Master, my academic knowledge isn't enough to reach the threshold of the metropolitan examination anyway!"

Grandpa Yin nodded and said: "Hmm! Then you enter the palace first, whether you go or not, come and tell me!"

"Yes, Master! Qingyun, have Alan put the saddle on the little Xiao Li Ju. Qingcao, you and Yunxiang, Huaxiang, bring out the token bestowed by the Empress."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Leaving the horse racing track,

Xu Zaijing walked straight toward his mother's courtyard.

Half a quarter of an hour later,

Xu Zaijing returned to his own courtyard, took the token, went to the horse racing track, took Qingyun, and rode toward the Imperial Palace.

On the hour of the You hour (6:00 PM)

Imperial Palace

Inside the hall

The Great Zhou Emperor was habitually standing in front of the huge map of the Great Zhou Northwest, looking at it.

Behind the Emperor,

Zhao Zilong, the director of the Imperial Guard, said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I found out last month that the Marquis Yongyi's matter was spread by idlers and ruffians in Bianjing found by the relatives of the three dukes' families."

"Today, the matter regarding the Marquis Yongyi is also spreading in the same way as last month. Your Majesty, should we manage it this time?"

The Emperor looked at the map and shook his head: "No need! I want to see how many officials will listen to those words and then let me replace the general before the battle!"

"Yes!"

At this time,

The great inner palace eunuch standing at the door walked in: "Your Majesty, the female official sent by the Empress says that the Xu family's Fifth Young Master has entered the palace!"

The Emperor was stunned and said: "What is this kid doing entering the palace? Let him come to me!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After a while, Imperial Prince Zhao Fang walked in: "Father, I heard that Jing Ge'er is coming over later?"

The Emperor turned around, nodded, and smiled: "Fang'er, today you were kept after class by the Grand Tutor; if you don't finish your lessons, don't even think about seeing that kid Jing Ge'er!!"

Zhao Fang's eyes widened, he turned and left, saying as he walked: "Ah? Father! I'll go write it immediately! Please, Father, keep Jing Ge'er for a while longer!"

The Emperor turned back: "That's not certain!"

After speaking, he continued to look at the map of the Great Zhou.

After a long while,

"Your Majesty, Jing Ge'er is here."

"Let him in!"

"Jing Ge'er, please come in."

Xu Zaijing walked into the hall, saw the Great Zhou Emperor in front of the map, bowed, and cupped his hands: "Greetings, Your Majesty! Director Zhao."

The Emperor glanced at Xu Zaijing and beckoned: "Jing Ge'er, come over and take a look!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing walked to the Emperor's side and looked at the huge map of the Great Zhou.

There were many marks on the map.

"Jing Ge'er, do you recognize this map?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, it's the map of the Great Zhou Northwest, where we are fighting the Bai Gao."

"Hmm, not bad! Can you understand the marks on it?"

Xu Zaijing raised his head and looked carefully, and after a while said: "Your Majesty, this... is Old General Cao sending troops to my father's side?"

Zhao Zilong smiled to the side, and the Emperor also nodded in approval.

The Marquis Tuoxi is using his own troops to help the Marquis Yongyi, Xu Minghua, achieve merit!

Xu Zaijing bowed sincerely, his tone sincere and loud: "Old General Cao is selfless and devoted to the country!"

Zhao Zilong's eyes were full of approval for this sentence.

The Emperor turned back, his face full of smiles: "You kid really know how to flatter!"

Xu Zaijing straightened up and said: "Your Majesty, these words are from the bottom of my heart! It's not flattery!"

The Emperor nodded perfunctorily and said: "Alright, do you understand now? Then put your heart at ease and go back!"

Xu Zaijing bowed again, his tone firm: "Your Majesty, I want to serve under my father's command!"

Zhao Zilong's eyes widened, and the Emperor flicked his sleeve, somewhat angry: "Nonsense! Aren't you studying?"

Xu Zaijing was stunned: "Your Majesty, I am studying! It's just..."

"If you have something to say, say it, don't be wishy-washy."

Xu Zaijing bowed and cupped his hands: "Your Majesty, when I entered the palace just now, going under my father's command was just an idea in my heart! But now seeing the map in front of Your Majesty, I have firmed up this idea."

The Emperor looked at Xu Zaijing: "Why? Tell me and let me hear it!"

Xu Zaijing looked at the map and said: "Your Majesty, I can see from the map that although war is inseparable from death, Your Majesty is benevolent and does not want the Great Zhou soldiers to suffer too many casualties in exchange for capturing Keyi Gate."

"So you thought of letting Father draw the snake out of its hole, leading the Bai Gao garrison outside the fortress to find an opportunity to annihilate them."

"If this battle is won, the northern gateway to the Bai Gao Kingdom's Xingqing Prefecture will be wide open. If this battle is lost, the Bai Gao Kingdom might be able to catch its breath, making the war situation confusing!"

The Emperor deliberately asked with a straight face: "How do you know the Bai Gao garrison will definitely attack out of the city?"

Xu Zaijing scratched his head, glanced at the Emperor, looked at Zhao Zilong, and said uncertainly:

"I think, first, Father's successive defeats will make the Bai Gao people arrogant, and the Liang Yi family in Xingqing Prefecture will also urge the Keyi Gate garrison to attack and defeat Father! It will be convenient to return the army and fight Old General Cao later. Second, let Zhao Taifeng, the uncle from the Chuihuan Department, take action???"

Hearing this,

The Emperor and Zhao Zilong looked at each other, their eyes full of smiles.

The Emperor lifted his chin, signaling Zhao Zilong to speak.

Zhao Zilong said earnestly: "Jing Ge'er, Taifeng is in Xingqing Prefecture, he won't approve of the Keyi Gate garrison attacking out of the city to fight a decisive battle with the Marquis Yongyi!"

Watching Xu Zaijing's surprised appearance,

Zhao Zilong continued: "Moreover, he will also tell the Liang Yi family the possibility of the Marquis Yongyi's plan!"

(End of chapter)