De Shizi opened a mansion, recruited talents, and did not restrict civil and military affairs.

This news is only a few days of effort, it spread all over Shandong, although the imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty is divided into the north and the south of the list, but the five northern provinces of the middle of the book is still not much, the countryside does not know how many scholars who have repeatedly failed, they are eager to try when they learn the news, and then look forward to the future - the prince of the country is very strong, in case the court wants to kill him in the future, in case he rebels, is not on the thief ship?

Of course, there are also people who are thinking, one step at a time, when he rebels, what if he takes the throne?

There are thousands of ideas, but one thing is for sure, for many, this is an opportunity!

Even, the recruitment information spread along the Grand Canal and the Yellow River, all the way to Nanzhili and Henan next door.

In Kaifeng Prefecture, not far from Shandong, there was a big man in the early years - Li Jingbai, who once served as the governor of Shandong and the title of secretary of the military department, but in the early years of Chongzhen, in the Wei Zhongxian rebellion case, he was convicted of the punishment of "befriending close servants, and secondary, three years in prison, and redeeming for the people", in other words, this is a proper eunuch. However, in the officialdom of the late Ming Dynasty, whether it was the eunuch party or Donglin, it was actually nothing. At least it does not affect their reputation after returning to their hometown, although they were cut to the people, the Li family is still one of the top squires and rich people in Qi County.

However, after Li Jingbai died a few years ago, the Li family seems to have declined - no one in the Li family has come out.

In this regard, Li Xin can be said to be deeply touched, there is no one in the court, and he has to pay a few more stones even to hand over grain! Although he is the year of the Apocalypse, it stands to reason that the court should have elected him a long time ago, but no, his father is a eunuch.

In fact, Li Xin has a very good reputation in Qixian County, and the locals are full of praise when they mention him. The year before last, Qixian County first drought and then locusts, almost no harvest, even so, Qixian Song County still urged money and grain, and the people were miserable. Seeing this scene, Li Xin naturally couldn't sit idly by, he went to see the Song County Order and asked for the life of the villagers in Qi County. But Song County Ling only needs to be responsible for the upper authorities and keep his black yarn, and he doesn't care about the life or death of the people at all. In desperation, he could only go home and take out more than 300 stones of grain stored at home to help the victims. The Li family only relied on rent collection for a living, and in such a disaster year with locust drought, it was obviously just a drop in the bucket, so he also composed a "Song of Persuasion" and took it to the rich families to exhort for relief.

I don't say how much food was donated, but in the surrounding counties, Li Xin's reputation is very good, but his reputation is ...... It's not useful, and there is no one in the family to be an official.

"Master, Mr. Liu asks to see you."

On this day, as in the past, when Li Xin was studying in the study, a servant came in to give a report.

Li Xin hurriedly put down the book and said:

"Hurry up, please!"

This Liu eldest son Liu Shengzhen is a good friend of Li Xin, he himself is not only the person of Geng Wunian, but his father Liu Lishun is also the champion of the Jiaxu family. Historically, a few years later, when Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Liu and 12 of his wife and concubines died together, and two sons died together, only Liu Shengzhen in Qi County survived.

"Brother Liu, why are you so idle today?"

As soon as they met, Li Xin smiled.

"You and I haven't been together for a while, today is just right, yesterday the little brother just got a jar of wine, you and I will get drunk today!"

There is no Qinhuai River in Qixian County to let the frustrated taxis go to the arms of the courtesans to worry about the country and the people, so they can only use wine to eliminate their sorrows. Hearing this, Liu Shengzhen waved his hands and said:

"Brother is having this matter, and when he didn't come, he specially brought some choppy pickled vegetables from Beiguan!"

Yes, people put Qin Huai in a place of wine, drunk pillow beauty legs, the eldest son of the champion family came to the door with some miscellaneous braised vegetables.

Li Xin said with a smile.

"I haven't tasted it for a long time, but today thanks to my brother's blessing, I can feast my appetite......"

instructed the servant to take the miscellaneous pickled vegetables, and Li Xin invited him to sit down in the house, but after a while, a few plates of pickled vegetables were served, and the two chatted after warming the wine. chatted and chatted, and naturally talked about Li Xin.

Slightly drunk, Liu Shengzhen said with emotion:

"It's a pity that the curtain is so talented, but it has been buried so far, this year, will you go to the capital to take the exam?"

Friend's words made Li Xin look bitter.

"I don't want to go. But...... Hey, time, life. ”

He understands his own family affairs, although he has passed the examination, it stands to reason that he can wait for the imperial court to elect an official, or to be elected as a magistrate, or to be elected as a state scholar, or as a county scholar, or even if it is again, he can also be a warden or an official. But he definitely won't be elected - who made his father a eunuch.

But even if you take the exam this year, can you get into the Jinshi?

Looking at his friend with a lost expression, Liu Shengzhen suddenly asked.

"I heard that my brother ordered the son of De to move to Lushun, and opened a government in Lushun, and is currently in Jinan, recruiting staff, regardless of civil and military background. Brother Mubai Xian can be described as an all-round talent in civil and military affairs, why not try it? ”

Li Xin shook his head.

"Although the son of De Shizi has great military achievements, he can act aggressively, if he breaks with the court in the future, how can the younger brother deal with himself? The father is already stigmatized, how can the younger brother ignore the Li family? ”

Hearing this, Liu Shengzhen persuaded him.

"The virtuous brother was surprised, although the son of De Shizi said that he acted domineeringly, but he was also loyal to the state, went south to resist the captives, drove thousands of miles by sea, smashed the Yellow Dragon, and protected them without losing them. I think that from my brother's point of view, although the son of the world is a domineering, he is also a sincere and loyal minister, and he will never do anything that is not a minister. Besides, even if he doesn't obey in the future, it's not too late for the virtuous brother to leave, so why not give it a try? ”

Hearing this, Li Xin was silent for a while, a little moved, but also a little afraid.

Although he can't talk about his lofty ambitions, it has always been Li Xin's wish to become an official, but since his father was dismissed and returned to his hometown, he has tried and failed for many years, and because of his father's relationship, the election of officials is also far away, and it is inevitable that there will be some resentment in his heart in recent years.

After thinking about it, what if it was the son of De Shizi who rebelled in the future? The son of the German world is not a master! If it is the master who wins the world, it is also a blessing for the people of the world.

Although this thought startled Li Xin, for so many years, because of his father's status as a "eunuch", there was no hope of electing officials, and he was not even treated by local officials, and he always harbored a trace of resentment in his heart.

"Let's try it!"

Looking at his thoughtful friend, Liu Shengzhen, who didn't know what he was thinking, continued to persuade.

"Although the son of De Shizi is easy to kill, he can use the clan to make the court break the two-hundred-year ban and make him take charge of the army to open the mansion, so it can be seen that he is by no means an ordinary person, and he will definitely be discerning."

After thinking about it again and again, after all, the trace of desire in his heart made Li Xin nod and said.

"Thank you, Brother Liu, for your kindness!"

Liu Shengzhen immediately laughed.

"Why do you want to say, come to you and me to drink a full cup, and congratulate my virtuous brother for showing what he has learned......"

In fact, he came here this time to persuade his friend and persuade him not to give up on himself, even if he can't be promoted by the imperial examination, he must always find a way to advance.

……

Beizhili Tongzhou, which is the actual end point of the Grand Canal, most of the passengers from the north come from the canal, and abandon the boat and car in Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou Prefecture. However, Zhangjiawan in Zhangjiawan is no longer as prosperous as yesterday, and the two successive invasions of Dongyu have ruined everything here. At this time, on the side of the Zhangjiawan wharf that was burned to the ground by the Dongyu, a scholar wearing a square scarf and a gray cotton robe saluted several friends in front of him.

"I am going to Jinan, not for the glory of one, let alone to cling to the powerful, I am only willing to use my own strength to attack the east in the north, protect my people, and protect my famous religion! A few virtuous brothers stayed, and the younger brother went! ”

"Take care!"

"Take care!"

In a reluctant voice, Yan Yingyuan stepped on the gangplank and got on the boat, and he was on the boat, until the boat was sailing, he still waved his hand at the friends who saw him off.

Although this farewell is less than a thousand miles, it may be rare to see in this life!

When the figure of his friend disappeared from sight, Yan Yingyuan secretly thought in his heart that although he had been promoted for many years, he had never waited for the election of the imperial court. This time the opening of the mansion of the prince of De made him see the opportunity, of course, what really attracted him was probably because of the prince's essay that called on the world's scholars to resist the captivity. That's why he chose to go south.

In fact, even Zhu Guoqiang himself couldn't guess what kind of tornado it caused when this butterfly began to flap its wings......