At the eighth hour of August, the businessmen who were shortlisted for the second round gathered in Huangzhuang in the west of the city.

As soon as the time came, everyone entered the Huangzhuang with number plates.

According to the number plates in their hands, the guide led everyone to different waiting areas.

Nearly 5,000 people were divided into 60 groups, namely A 1 to A 6, B 1 to B 6...... 壬一 to 壬六, 癸一到癸六.

Group A is: 11th, 71st, 131st......

Group A and 2 are: 12th, 72nd, 132nd......

……

The five groups were: 69th, 129th, 189th......

The six groups were: 70th, 130th, and 190th......

The other four players in the top 10 who participated in the second round were all placed in Group A.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs organized a total of 60 jury, and interviewed people in 60 rooms at the same time.

According to the performance of the businessmen, six judges in each judging panel will score from five dimensions: loyalty, ability to resist pressure, adaptability, political sensitivity, and principle of doing things, and finally the average score of the six people will be the final score of the interviewer.

When the drum sounds, the interview begins, and each group of guides posts the order of the interview.

The guide officer of Group A said to everyone: "Who is Zhang Chengxin from Taiyuan, Shanxi?" ”

Zhang Chengxin stood up and said: "Back to the adult, the contemptible person is!" ”

"You follow me, the second Su Ruowang in Yangzhou, Jiangnan is ready, and the next one is you!" Then he said to the rest of the people, "You compare the order above, and after the previous one is finished, the next person will enter the room." ”

After speaking, the guide officer took Zhang Chengxin to the interview room of Group A.

Lu Jing attaches great importance to the top four people in Group A, and they are all seeded players in the selection of the emperor, so he personally participated in the interview of the top four.

Zhang Chengxin is nearly sixty years old, and he thinks that he has experienced too much right and wrong, and his mentality is as usual at the moment.

He originally intended to train his son Zhang Jingyi, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs stipulated that the head of the family must participate, so he came in person.

After entering the room, Zhang Cheng sincerely saw that there were only two young people, and he didn't dare to despise it, so he hurriedly saluted: "Contemptible Shanxi Zhang Cheng sincerely greets the two adults!" ”

"Excuse me, please be seated!" Lu Jing said with a smile that before all businessmen go to the interview of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they need to pass the checkpoint of the General Administration Department to test their heart and loyalty.

Zhang Chengxin did not hesitate, gave a salute, and sat down opposite Lu Jing and Chen Ke with a calm demeanor.

Seeing this, Lu Jing nodded slightly, worthy of being a wealthy businessman in Shanxi, only those who have experienced strong winds and waves will have this calmness.

After taking out the recommendation letter of the Zhang family, Lu Jing asked lightly: "Your Zhang family got a letter of recommendation from the governor of Shanxi, I don't know how much money you spent on this recommendation letter?" ”

When Zhang Cheng heard this, his complexion suddenly changed, and his previous composure immediately disappeared without a trace, he imagined that the imperial court would ask each other a strange question, but he never expected the imperial court to ask this question.

hesitated for a while, if he answered truthfully, betrayed the governor and didn't say it, his family might be punished for this, but if he didn't tell the truth, the consequences might be more serious.

Looking at the two people in front of them, I am afraid that they already knew the truth, but they didn't expect the imperial court to set a trap at the very beginning, and they suddenly fell into a dilemma.

Lu Jing just watched quietly, and did not urge, asking this question was actually related to the nature of the imperial business.

In addition to supplying the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Imperial Merchants also acted as the eyes of the imperial court in the local area, so they had to ensure their absolute loyalty to the imperial court.

This question is to test the merchants' hearts, to see their loyalty to the imperial court, and to divide their relationship with local forces.

Zhang Chengxin struggled for a long time, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he still didn't make up his mind.

After thinking about it again, he asked with an ugly face: "Dare to ask adults, does everyone ask this question?" If you answer truthfully, will you be punished? ”

Lu Jing smiled and nodded: "Yes, everyone has the same questions in this round of interviews, as for how to answer, it depends on you, whether you will be punished or not depends on whether you dare to bet!" ”

When Zhang Cheng heard this, he no longer hesitated, and immediately said: "For this letter of recommendation, our Zhang family spent a total of 5,500 taels of silver, and sent 3,000 taels of silver tickets and calligraphy and paintings worth 2,000 taels to the governor, and in order to see the governor, we also sent 500 taels to the officials of the governor's yamen. ”

After Zhang Chengcheng explained clearly, he closed his eyes and did not explain why he would bribe the governor of Shanxi.

Lu Jing looked at Zhang Chengxin with appreciation, but he didn't expect him to be quite decisive and sell the governor of Shanxi completely, so he asked: "Aren't you afraid that the imperial court will cancel the Zhang family's candidacy because of this?" ”

Zhang Chengxin heard Lu Jing's question, and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, knowing that he had won the bet, he hurriedly replied: "It is estimated that all the merchants who got the recommendation letter have spent a lot of money, and if the court wants to pursue this matter, I am afraid that nine out of ten people will be eliminated." ”

Lu Jing said with a smile: "Having said that, if you betray the governor of Shanxi so happily, aren't you afraid that the imperial court will see you as a villain who does not keep his word and crosses the river and demolishes the bridge?" ”

"Although the contemptible people are businessmen, they also know that there is a big and small difference in loyalty and righteousness, loyalty to the emperor, loyalty to the court is great loyalty, the court asks, and the contemptible people should be truthfully reported!" Zhang Chengxin regained his composure.

Lu Jing just nodded, did not comment on his words, but let Zhang Chengxin go directly to the next room.

After Zhang Chengxin left, Lu Jing interviewed Su Ruowang and the other three, although the three of them were a little hesitant, they all made the same choice as Zhang Chengxin.

The next few people, Lu Jing was not interested, so he said to Chen Ke: "I'll leave it to you here, I'll go inside to have a look, and after the score is played, just hand it over to the inside for statistics!" ”

"Adults, please take care of yourself!" Chen Ke still replied in a voice without the slightest emotion.

Lu Jing nodded, then got up and entered the inner room, the outside room was the person from the General Affairs Department, and the inside was the person from the Internal Affairs Office, and the focus of the interview was different.

When the six interviewers saw Lu Jing, they hurriedly got up and saluted: "The lower officials have seen Lord Lu!" ”

"No need to be polite!" Lu Jing smiled.

Zhang Cheng's heart moved, and suddenly realized that the person in front of him should be Lu Jing, and when he heard that he designed this imperial business selection, he secretly admired it in his heart, and his attitude began to be respectful.

"I'll ask the next question!" Lu Jing said.

When the six of them heard this, they hurriedly made room for Lu Jing.

Lu Jing saw that he had already passed the question, so he asked the next question: "If you could only choose one thing from your family and pass it on to your heir, what would you choose?" ”

"Silver, calligraphy and paintings, antiques, jewelry, books as long as you want!"

Zhang Cheng said without thinking: "A flat pole!" ”

"If there was a fire in your house and you could only salvage one thing, what would you choose?" Lu Jing continued to ask.

"It's still a flat pole!" Zhang Cheng said firmly.

Lu Jing was a little curious: "Why do you have to take a flat shoulder and take something valuable, wouldn't it be more conducive to your comeback?" ”