"It's not gold, it's not jade agate? Can this Zhang Shaoxian still pick up a vein of gemstones? ”

Ran Qiunian said jokingly, but seeing Xiao Yin's eyes showing seriousness, he slowly spoke in a heavy tone:

"It's a piece of iron ore."

The relaxed smile on Ran Qiunian's face when she joked disappeared instantly, her eyes locked tightly on the stone in Xiao Yin's palm, and she opened her mouth, but found that she didn't know what to say.

"Was Zhang Shao crazy first?"

After a long time, Ran Qiu Nian spit out such a sentence weakly, she sat down at the table as if she was deflated, and the hand that had just touched the iron ore suddenly became a little hot and spasmed.

She finally understood why the Ran family had collapsed so completely in her previous life, leaving no mercy, it turned out that Zhang Shaoxian had stolen such a terrible thing in her Qiubai's brother's caravan.

According to the laws of this dynasty, all the iron ore veins are in the hands of the imperial court, if there are private businessmen who find iron ore veins in private but conceal them and do not report them, they just know but do not report them, they are all exiled from their families.

Not to mention selling it privately for huge profits, if the iron ore continues to flow into the enemy country and the vassal king's territory...... This is a great sin that truly shakes the foundations of the country.

Thinking about this, Ran Qiunian couldn't squeeze out the slightest smile on his face. She looked at the same solemn smile with a worried look in her eyes, and said anxiously:

"Big brother, we have to hurry up and tell Brother Qiubai about this, so that he can prepare early. By the way, how much iron ore like this is hidden in Zhang Shaoxian's warehouse? ”

"It's piled up, and that's just the tip of the iceberg."

What Xiao Yin didn't tell Ran Qiunian was that such a large-scale iron ore smuggling business could not be done on such a scale without a few years of accumulation, but he was afraid that Ran Qiubai's caravan had been almost infiltrated by Zhang Shaoxian.

"Brother Qiubai trusts Zhang Shaoxian so much, this wolf-hearted white-eyed wolf actually dares to smuggle such a thing in the caravan."

Although Ran Qiunian was eager to immediately send Zhang Shaoxian to the government for investigation, he took into account that Ran Qiubai was also involved, whether he knew it or not, once Zhang Shaoxian's basket broke through the sky, he would certainly be unable to escape death, but Ran Qiubai would also have to hurt his muscles and bones.

"This matter needs to be considered in the long term. Qiubai is there, he is staying in Ran's house now, as long as he doesn't go out to run a business for a short time, with Zhang Shaoxian's caution, this matter will not be opened. ”

Xiao Yin meant that he would hide it for the time being, he was afraid that Ran Qiubai would not be able to hold his breath and would startle the snake.

Although Zhang Shaoxian smuggled iron ore, Xiao Yin was sure that he was just a small chess piece, and there was a deeper chain of interests hidden behind it, and there was a more terrible conspiracy.

Compared with these, Zhang Shaoxian, a little pawn, is insignificant. He believes that in a short period of time, as long as they don't act rashly, Zhang Shaoxian's chess piece will not be detonated.

"I believe in the judgment of the eldest brother, since this is the case, before returning to Splendid City, Nian'er also promises to keep this matter in her stomach."

After Ran Qiunian finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, and looked up at Xiao Yin: "I met Qi Ruoyun in Tianxiang Building today, and he saw my men's clothes." If I meet Zhang Shaoxian as Ran Lei again in the future, I am afraid that there will be another coincidence like today, and it will inevitably not be exposed. ”

At least during these days in the capital, Ran Qiunian can no longer show people in men's clothes, and he is not afraid of 10,000 just in case.

After knowing such a shocking secret, Ran Qiunian lost the interest of leaving the mansion, and in the following days, he simply stayed in the general's mansion honestly, counting the days and waiting for the meeting in the next month.

Early in the morning, Ran Qiunian and Gu Zheng accompanied Xiao Yin to the examination hall, but they didn't expect to see an unexpected person here.

"Liu Yufei? Why did he come too? ”

Sitting in the carriage, after watching Xiao Yin leave, Ran Qiunian glanced at Liu Yufei who walked down from the corner carriage and exclaimed.

"Who? Liu Yufei? Gu Zheng sat on the wheel outside the carriage, and when he heard this, he also followed Ran Qiunian's line of sight, but only saw a strange young man walking into the science field, "Looking at his dress, he is also a scholar, it shouldn't be strange to appear here, right?" ”

"But he obviously didn't take the exam......"

Ran Qiu Nian muttered, Gu Zheng didn't understand, and asked strangely: "What does Nian'er mean by this?" Does he have any stake in whether he participates in the imperial examination or not? ”

"It's nothing, cousin doesn't know who this person is, right?" Ran Qiunian shook his head, just as if he hadn't said what he said just now, he threw out Liu Yufei's identity to attract Gu Zheng's attention.

"Look at you like this, I can guess it." Seeing that Ran Qiunian deliberately sold Guanzi, Gu Zheng pretended to be disdainful and said, "He's your cheap brother, right?" ”

Gu Zheng had also heard about what happened in Ran Qiunian's house, and at this time, seeing Ran Qiunian staring at such a strange man so concerned, Liu Yufei's identity was not difficult to guess at all.

Ran Qiunian nodded, put down the curtain that had been lifted, and sat back in the carriage: "The exam will take three days, let's go back to the house and wait." ”

After the carriage was quiet again, Ran Qiunian had time to think about this change.

In her previous life, Liu Yufei should not have participated in the imperial examination, so she never thought that Liu Yufei would also come to the capital to take the exam. But he made a different choice, which made Ran Qiunian very irritable.

Therefore, Ran Qiunian couldn't help but think that if Liu Yufei also won the first place in one fell swoop this time, and the Jinshi was added, and even more, he could be appointed as the top three Jinshi in the Jinluan Palace, then the status of Liu Rumei's family in the mansion would be even more difficult to shake.

It was not easy for her to pull Liu Rumei from the lady of the main room to the position of concubine, if Liu Yufei was promoted again, it would inevitably put pressure on the Ran family with fame, so that Liu Rumei would be corrected.

Three days passed in a flash, and Ran Qiunian was tormented by all kinds of thoughts, waiting for Xiao Yin.

"Fortunately, the big brother has a good foundation, and after the three-day imperial examination, it is okay to look at the spirit."

In the past few days, whenever she heard that there was a torment in the field and fainted, and she was carried out, Ran Qiunian couldn't help but feel sorry for Xiao Yin, but fortunately, although Xiao Yin looked a little tired, it was fine, and she was completely relieved.

"I have instructed someone to prepare hot water and light side dishes for you, wash up and rest for the night, and talk about everything tomorrow."

Ran Qiunian had a lot of things to say to Xiao Yin, but in the end, she just picked up this sentence to say, and after sending the person back to the room, she stood still outside the door, breathed a sigh of relief, gathered the messy thoughts in her head, turned around and slowly returned to her courtyard.

After that, it was another three days of waiting, and the day of the release of the list was fast approaching.

Although Ran Qiunian had already prepared, but because the imperial examination was advanced this time, and Liu Yufei also made a different choice from his previous life to participate in the imperial examination, Ran Qiunian did not dare to fully believe the memories in his mind.

"Nian'er, why do you look more nervous than the main master? Look at Xiao Yin, people are not in a hurry at all, and those who don't know think it's the scientific expedition you participated in. ”

Gu Zheng accompanied Xiao Yin and Ran Qiunian to wait for the results of the list, and couldn't help but laugh when he saw the completely reversed attitude of the two.

"Cousin, don't be kidding."

Ran Qiunian glanced at Gu Zheng angrily, and sat away from him angrily, how could he understand the complicated taste in his heart? Thinking of this, Ran Qiunian couldn't help but look at Xiao Yin with a calm expression on the side, a little envious of the eldest brother's calmness.

"What are you worried about? The article that Xiao Yin wrote in the field has been silently read to my friend who is a former science detective, and he is full of praise, not to mention that he is among the top three, and the Jinshi and the first are more than enough, just look at the rankings before and after. ”

Gu Zheng couldn't see Ran Qiunian looking restless, and knocked her head with a smile.

Ran Qiunian covered his head and sat on the side, ignoring Gu Zheng, Xiao Yin saw it, and also felt that Ran Qiunian was too nervous, and was about to make a sound of comfort, when there was a noisy sound of gongs and drums outside the door.

"It's coming," Gu Zheng couldn't help but be a little excited when he heard the voice, he subconsciously took a few steps forward, and suddenly came to his senses, "Why did the envoy from the official government come first?" ”

An incredible thought came to his mind, could it be that Xiao Yin's ranking was particularly high this time? Therefore, the official roll call will be faster than the little guy sent by the general government to see the list.

Ran Qiunian stood up from the chair all of a sudden, grabbed the handkerchief in his hand, walked outside the door and looked, a heart that was originally seven up and eight down, gradually with the approach of the roll call team, was placed back in its original position.

It's in the bag. Ran Qiunian suddenly had these four words in her head, and her eyes lit up.

"Which one is Xiao Yin, Xiao Huiyuan?"

Because Xiao Yin came from the General's Mansion and won the first name Huiyuan, the attitude of the envoy of the official mansion was very enthusiastic.

"Huiyuan? You said that Xiao Yin won the first place in Huiyuan? Although Gu Zheng had been prepared for a long time and knew that Xiao Yin's imperial examination this time would be on the list, the title of Huiyuan had never dared to think of it.

Looking at Gu Zheng's look of surprise, Ran Qiunian completely calmed down.

"That's right, the General's Mansion is really full of talents, I heard that our Xiao Huiyuan is not only the first place in this examination, but also Xie Yuan in the township examination, with Xiao Huiyuan's talent, he may be able to shine in the palace examination, so that this dynasty can reproduce the grand occasion of three yuan and the first."

The words of this roll call official are not completely polite, but a fact that is very likely to come true, since the current saint ascended the throne, there has not been a grand occasion of the three yuan and the first in more than ten years.

Xiao Yin has already connected the middle Xie Yuan and Hui Yuan, as long as there is not much deviation in the performance of the palace test, in order to make up a good omen of three yuan and the first, the name of the champion will inevitably fall on him.

Obviously, Gu Zheng also immediately reacted to the mystery of this, and immediately laughed unfathomably, and asked someone to seal a thick red envelope to the official messengers on the roll call.

Several people thanked the roll call officer, sent off the team that had come to congratulate them, and then returned to the front hall.

"Today is a great day, and we must send a message to my grandparents so that they can also know the good news sooner."