"The imperial examination is just a few days away, and you haven't even gone to submit the certificate yet?" Lu Nan asked in surprise.

Guo Jincheng and Xue Qing glanced at each other, both of them were a little confused, and Xue Qing asked, "What is the name of the vote?" ”

Lu Nan hurriedly explained: "It is whose door you want to attach to, which is extremely beneficial to your future career, most people choose Du Xiangguo, they are the secretary of the ministry!" ”

Guo Jincheng and Xue Qing shook their heads at the same time, they were Li Yu's closed disciples, how could they vote for someone else's disciple again?

Xue Qing said without hesitation: "It's impossible for me to betray the master!" ”

"Hey! These are two different things, voting under Du Xiangguo does not mean that he is your mentor, this is just the rule of officialdom. ”

Xue Qing's father, Xue Xun, is this year's chief examiner, of course he can't go to worship his protégé casually, as for Guo Jincheng, it is estimated that Du You does not dare to accept him as a protégé.

The two still smiled and refused, Lu Nan still wanted to persuade him again, Xiao Zhenye smiled and grabbed him, "They are not old enough, even if they are admitted, they can't be officials, what are you anxious about now?" ”

Lu Nan suddenly came to his senses, patted his forehead and smiled: "I'm confused!" ”

The minimum age to participate in the imperial examination is 14 years old, but the young person who is awarded an official is 18 years old, and even if he is admitted, he will only get fame, and he will continue to study at Guozi School, and he will not have the opportunity to be awarded an official until he is 18 years old.

"Let's go! It's lunchtime, let's go have a drink, I'm in for a treat. ”

"Yo! Lao Xiao has become more generous recently. Lu Nan quipped.

"The old man at home gave me a sum of money, let me make more friends with the powerful, where do I know any powerful people, it is better to invite friends to drink, this is serious, right?"

Everyone laughed together, "Yes, that's the right thing!" ”

Xiao Zhenye quickly glanced at Guo Jincheng, intentionally or unintentionally.

Everyone found a restaurant in Chongrenfang, now all the restaurants in Chang'an are full, although the poor people still have a meal in the morning and evening every day, and they don't eat at noon, but the middle class or above still has to eat at noon, and the worst also has to eat some cakes, and now even the free meals provided by the imperial court have lunch, not to mention the rich scholars?

The restaurant is called Wang Si Restaurant, three floors on the street, but not bad, the Tang Dynasty followed the Sui system, in addition to the street shops, official offices, temples, Taoist temples, official residences, ordinary people are not allowed to build two floors, this is mainly out of a kind of privacy protection, if the next door is a powerful mansion, an ordinary family has built three floors, more than the courtyard wall next door, then it is not every day to hide on the third floor to peep at the privacy of the powerful family.

The restaurant was basically full, and the four of them were lucky, and it happened that a few scholars on the second floor were checking out by the window and leaving, and they got this good seat.

Xiao Zhenye was very generous, he ordered more than a dozen dishes, including two signature dishes of the restaurant, charcoal-grilled venison and secret Weihe carp, and asked for two pots of fine wine.

Soon, the wine was sent first, Lu Nan rushed to pour wine for everyone, among them, only Guo Jincheng never poured wine for everyone, although he has been in the newspaper for almost a year, although he is very modest, but this kind of modesty is just an attitude, he is never flattering, nor arrogant, and there is still the innate blood of the superior in his bones.

Of course, at home, he would take the initiative to pour wine for his parents and a few aunts, which was his obligation.

"Who is the examiner this year?" Lu Nan asked with a smile.

"It seems to be Senior Minister Xue!"

Xiao Zhenye smiled at Xue Qing and said, "Xue Qing knows best, I'm not wrong!" ”

Xue Qing's heart jumped, could it be that who was his own father?

But immediately relieved, they were all the same clan of the Xue family, how could they not know.

Xue Qing smiled and said, "I took the Ming Law Course, and it doesn't have much to do with the examiner, so I don't care either." ”

"Ming Fake, this is the second time to go to the imperial examination! What did you take last year? ”

Guo Jincheng diverted the topic in time, lest they say that the examiner embarrassed Xue Qing, you must know that the examiner is also his grandfather, and he will be embarrassed when he asks him.

Sure enough, Xiao Zhenye and Lu Nan were both interested, "What is the Ming Law Examination?" ”

Xue Qing thought for a while and said: "The Ming Law Examination takes two days, and the first day of the examination of the regulations, a bit like the Ming Sutra, a large section of the silent writing and interpretation of the law, mainly "Wude Law", "Zhenguan Law", "Tang Law Shuyi", "Dazhong Criminal Law System", "Kaiyuan Law" and "Kaiyuan Law Shu", etc., in fact, this is not difficult, if you want to be admitted, these silent laws must be all right, the key is the next day's exam. ”

"What's the next day?" Lu Nan asked with interest.

"The next day to test the case, a total of five cases, three civil cases and two criminal cases, civil cases are generally tried by the county order, and the criminal case is tried by the state criminal law department, the most difficult question is that after the county and state two trials, the plaintiff is still not satisfied, sued to the circuit prosecutor's department, and the circuit prosecutor's department will conduct a review, so the candidates should try the case and answer the questions in the three identities of the county order, the criminal law department and the circuit prosecutor, it is very difficult, the Ming Law Department only admits a total of ten places, more than 700 people apply for the examination, and the competition is very fierce."

"That's not right!"

Lu Nan suddenly remembered that Xue Qing was his junior brother, and he hurriedly said, "Didn't you learn tea from the master?" Why did you change to the law again? ”

Xue Qing explained with a smile: "Taixue does not stipulate that each student can only learn the same, depending on his own ability, I am learning tea at the same time, I am also learning the law, Xiao Xue is because he has too much energy in the newspaper, so he can only learn the law, otherwise he will learn something else." ”

Guo Jincheng smiled and nodded, "Brother is right, if it weren't for the fact that I really don't have time, I would like to learn to build, build houses, build bridges and build cities, which is quite interesting!" ”

As he was talking, the two bartenders brought up seven or eight dishes of dishes, and a pot of charcoal-grilled venison that was still bubbling with oil, one by one roasted to be brown and tender, fragrant, Xiao Zhenye put chopsticks and said with a smile: "Come!" Come! Come! You're welcome, try their signature dish! ”

Everyone ate a few pieces of barbecue and praised them repeatedly, and at this time, someone shouted: "Little Xue Gongzi! ”

Little Xue Gongzi is Guo Jincheng, his pseudonym is Xue Jin, and Da Xue Gongzi is Xue Qing, they are brothers of the same clan, and everyone calls them that.

When Guo Jincheng turned around, he saw that it was a young scholar who lived next door to him, named Bai Juyi, who wrote a small poem in Jiangnan the year before last with the background of Chang'an Leyouyuan: Leaving the grass on the plain, one year old and one withered. Wildfires burn inexhaustibly, and spring breezes blow and regenerate.

This little poem caused a sensation in Jiangnan, Han Rong strongly recommended him to come to Chang'an to participate in the imperial examination, last September, Bai Juyi passed the township examination in Runzhou, just after the New Year this year, Bai Juyi took a boat to the capital to participate in the imperial examination, and happened to live next door to Guo Jincheng.

The two hit it off at first sight, the relationship was very good, and they soon became close friends, Guo Jincheng got up and smiled: "A friend, I'll take a look!" ”

He came to Bai Juyi unhurriedly and asked with a smile: "Didn't Brother Bai go to Xi'anmen Street to visit the glass house in the morning?" How did you come back again? ”

Half a month ago, there was a new thing in Xi'anmen Street, a small building with a lot of windows, all kinds of windows, these windows are installed with the glass of the "Chang'an Express" for several days in a row, under the vigorous publicity of the "Chang'an Express", this glass house caused a sensation in Chang'an, a large number of people rushed to visit, all want to see what this kind of glass window that can shelter from the wind and rain, but does not block the line of sight.

Bai Juyi sighed, "I went late, everyone started queuing in the middle of the night, I went in the morning, and it wasn't our turn until the evening, so I had to come back." ”

Guo Jincheng said with a smile: "Brother Bai wants to see the glass house so much? ”

"Hey! It's just curious, they say it's the same as the top crystal chips, what do I look like? ”

Guo Jincheng thought for a while and smiled: "Why don't you do it in the afternoon!" I'll take you to take a look, I know people, you can skip the line and enter through the VIP channel. ”

Bai Juyi was overjoyed, "Then it's a word, I'll wait for you at the inn in the afternoon." ”

Xiao Zhenye saw that Guo Jincheng and Bai Juyi were talking happily, his expression was very relaxed, and his smile was also very bright, which was completely different from being with him.

He couldn't help but feel a little jealous in his heart, so he asked Xue Qingdao in a low voice, "What is the origin of that scholar?" ”

Xue Qing smiled lightly: "His name is Bai Juyi, his ancestor was originally from the Guizi Bai clan, and he has lived in the Central Plains for many years. ”

"He's a Hu man?" Xiao Zhenye was surprised.

Xue Qing shook his head, "It's not about Hu Ren, it's been nearly a hundred years since his ancestor came to the Central Plains, and this Bai Juyi's poem is well written, which is very appreciated by Han Huang,"

"Humph! Another person who relies on the powerful to ascend to power! Xiao Zhenye said sourly.

In the official room of King Jin in Daming Palace, Guo Song calmly listened to the report of a personal female guard.

"The two people who dined with the prince today are still the same as last time, Xiao Zhenye, the chief bookkeeper of the Yushitai, and Lu Nan, the head of the Zuo Zang Ling, are the guests invited by Xiao Zhenye, and they feel that Xiao Zhenye is very attentive to the prince, and it was the same last time, he actually opened the door for the prince, maybe he didn't realize it himself, but we can see it clearly, and today he is jealous."

"Jealousy?"

Guo Song frowned and asked, "What are you jealous of?" ”

"Shizi knows a new friend, who seems to be called Bai Juyi, who lives next door to his inn."

"Bai Juyi!"

Guo Song was immediately interested and asked, "The prince and Bai Juyi have a good relationship?" ”

"The two of them hit it off at first sight, and the prince also promised to find a way to take him to see the glass house in the afternoon, which has never happened before, but Xiao Zhenye was a little jealous of the relationship between the prince and Bai Juyi."

Guo Song pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I know, it's still the same as usual, protect the safety of the son, don't ask him to make friends!" ”

"Humble duty understands!"

"Go ahead!"

The female guard saluted and quickly left.

Guo Song paced slowly in the room with his hands in his hands, although he did not interfere in his son's life, it did not mean that he did not pay attention, especially his son's special status, would he be taken advantage of by someone with a heart?

Now it seems that his worries are not superfluous, this Xiao Zhenye is likely to have seen through his son's identity and began to deliberately stutter.

Xiao Zhenye is not a big problem with his son, Guo Song is worried about whether this will become a security loophole, Xiao Zhenye will be leaked to more people to know, especially whether he will have hatred because of jealousy.

It seems that after the imperial examination, Cheng'er should have a different life.

This reminded Guo Song of one thing, he had been thinking about the establishment of the Hongwen Pavilion, and now it was time to make up his mind.

He immediately ordered: "Quickly invite Pan Xiangguo and Du Xiangguo to see me!" ”

(End of chapter)