Ren He rented a courtyard house in the alley behind the provincial pavilion, studied hard behind closed doors every morning, and took his younger brother Ren Ren to the provincial pavilion or government pavilion in the afternoon, and went home when the sun set, no longer chanting poems and drinking and having fun outside like before.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the Provincial Pavilion, he heard Director Zhang say that Han Si had been promoted again, and he was no longer a registered prefect but a registered Taoist.

Ever since he heard that Han Si had become a "little military machine", Ren He realized that it was impossible to compete with Han Si in this life, so naturally he would not have any ideas. On the contrary, it was more or less unpleasant, and as soon as he got home, he muttered: "This is the fourth grade, and I will have to be honored as an adult when I see him in the future!" ”

"You can call it whatever you want," Ren He took the tea from his subordinates, and said with a smile: "But whether it is a registered prefect or a registered Taoist, after all, it is named, and it is no different from donating silver." Compared with the top of the four products and the title of Taoist, it is the glory to wear a yellow coat. ”

"Brother, are you saying that Han Si's Dao platform is not serious?"

"It's not that it's not true, it's ...... It's not lacking, it's not a real platform. ”

Looking at his younger brother who seemed to understand whether he understood or not, Ren He continued: "Just like Lord Yan, who has just been promoted to the general political envoy, he has acted as the political envoy of Guangxi and Hubei before he became the deputy envoy of the General Political Department. The political envoy was from the second grade, but he was only the rank of Gabu political envoy at that time, and he was only acting. After finishing the errand and returning to Beijing, he could only be the deputy envoy of the General Administration Department of the Fourth Grade, because he was still only a Taoist in the Ministry of Officials.

For example, Wen Xiang, who asked Yu Youfu to go to the mansion to find Zhang Zhidong this afternoon, was first rewarded for his meritorious service in patrolling and defending from the top of the fourth grade, and was added to the title of prefect; Immediately afterwards, due to the acceptance of the grain, the genuine top belt was rewarded, and the rank of Taoist was added; A few days ago, because of the funeral ceremony of the Queen Mother, he was rewarded with a three-grade top belt. But the official position was not promoted, but he was promoted from the former member of the Ministry of Industry to the Ministry of Labor. ”

Thinking that some magistrates have donated from the fourth grade or even the top belt of the fourth grade, Ren Ren reacted: "Just looking at the majesty, but when you meet an official of the same product, you don't need to make a big salute?" ”

"It's almost, but Han Si's top belt is rewarded by the emperor, which is much more noble than donating silver."

"So in the Ministry of Officials, he is still the general secretary of the fifth grade?"

"It should be a resignation from the General Administration Department, if you change to an ordinary official, you can only wait for the time you need to return to Beijing after the system, if you are lucky and there is a vacancy, you can continue to be a General Secretary Senator, or go to the Sixth Department to be Langzhong. If you are lucky, there is a vacancy in Zhang Jing, maybe you can continue to make a small military aircraft, but it is difficult for most officials to find a vacancy after worrying. ”

"What about Han Si?" Ren asked after resentment.

"Han Si is different, he is a saint, as long as he wants to continue to be an official after the system, the emperor will not only reward him for his shortcomings, but may also make an exception."

"What's the rule?"

"Isn't he now the fourth product, if he is released, he can not only be the prefect, but also the luck of the salt transportation envoy."

"Isn't Zheng Sipin a Taoist platform?"

"The bigger the official, the less there is a shortage of Taoists, and there are only a few Taoists in the world, and he is from a donation background, so it is not so easy to be a Taoist."

"Brother, if you can do Chinese style this time, your career in the future will definitely be smoother than his!"

Looking at his younger brother's expectant look, Ren He smiled bitterly: "How can things in officialdom be as simple as you say, not to mention that I may not be able to Chinese, even if I can really be named on the gold list this time, and I can be admitted to the Hanlin Academy, I have to work up my seniority like Master Ji and Master Ao." If it's just Chinese, but there is no museum to choose the Hanlin Academy, then it will be distributed to the six departments to learn to walk, and it would be good to be able to be a magistrate in this life, and the prefect or even the Taoist don't have to think about it. ”

"But how can Han Si do it?"

"Didn't you say it just now, he is in the heart of the emperor, the saint is enlong, the emperor values him, and his career is naturally smoother than that of ordinary officials."

……

At the same time, after arriving in the capital, Zhang Zhidong, who temporarily lived in the Chóng Qìng Guild Hall, followed Yu Youfu to a deep house compound in the Zhiqiao Hutong, walked into a flower hall hung with "Listening to the Rain Xuan", and finally saw the beautiful Gongbu Lang Chinese Xiang during this time.

"Brother Xiaoda, I'm sorry, I'm a little busy these days, and I haven't bothered to send someone to invite you. First of all, this is Wang Naizeng, the director of the Armed Forces Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You helped Zhixing carry a letter to Mr. Wang, you should have an impression. ”

Zhang Zhidong relieved himself, and hurriedly bowed down and said, "Zhidong to meet Mr. Wang." ”

"Brother Xiaoda, you are the person recommended by Master Han, that is your own person, no need to be polite." Wang Naizeng arched his hand and smiled.

Wen Xiang was very busy, so he didn't care about being polite, and said straight to the point: "Brother Xiaoda, I have been to the Chóng Qìng Hall, and it seems that there are only a dozen champion rooms. According to Lao Yu, there are a lot of Chóng Qìng people who came to Beijing to take the exam this year, so you can only stay there temporarily, and maybe in a few days you will have to pack your luggage to make room for others. Instead of staying in a mixed inn or renting a house, it's better to move here. There are three entrances inside and outside this house, there are more than a dozen empty rooms, and it is quiet in the middle of the noise, and there is no one to come, so it will not affect your hard work. ”

"Master Wen, isn't this appropriate?"

Although Zhang Zhidong is not very old, Wen Xiang is as interested in making friends with him as Han Xiufeng. Not because his father and his father-in-law are both prefects, but because he won the first place in the child test and won the "first case", and the township test won the first place in the "Xie Yuan".

Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, Qian Di of the Shunzhi Dynasty, Chen Xin of the Jiaqing Dynasty and Chen Jichang of the Daoguang Dynasty have done it.

Because of this, Wen Xiang smiled: "As Brother Yunqing said just now, you are not an outsider, so there is nothing inappropriate." I have already ordered someone to clean up the room for you, next door to Brother Yunqing. There are also people to serve three meals a day, so you don't need to worry about your brother. If the elder brother really doesn't want to go, he will reward those subordinates as room money and meal money. ”

The Chóng Qìng guild hall is just about to be full, while the guild halls in Zhili are already overcrowded.

Guizhou is poor, there are few guild halls in the capital, and next year is the year of the examination, and Guizhou Juzi, who came to prepare in advance, has already occupied those champion houses. Thinking that the inns outside were indeed too noisy and noisy, and if you want to rent a house, you may not be able to rent it for a while, Zhang Zhidong simply bowed down and said: "Lord Xie Wen and Mr. Wang take care of it, and it is better to be respectful than to obey your fate." ”

"That's right." Wen Xiang nodded slightly, and then changed his words: "Yuan Datou Yuan Guard, you should listen to Lao Yu, he and his family live in the inner house, there are all inside and outside, and you don't need to go to the inner house if you have nothing to do after you move over." Moreover, the guard of Qianqingmen is friends with Mr. Wang, and he will often come to Mr. Wang, so don't feel strange if you meet him. ”

"Lord Xie reminded you, and the hole was recorded."

"There's nothing else to do, let's go, go to the dining room, and wash the dust for my brother."

"Master Wen, how embarrassing is this, I ......"

"I said that I was my own person, so what was there to be embarrassed about," Wen Xiang pointed to the courtyard and said with a smile: "I almost forgot to tell my brother that this mansion is not rented by me, nor is it rented by Brother Yunqing, but rented by Han Zhixing!" The lease is in his name, and the rent is also paid by him in advance, brother, you are his guest, Brother Yunqing and I naturally have to help him pick up the wind and wash the dust for the elder brother. ”

"Master Wen, is this the mansion rented by Master Han?" Zhang Zhidong couldn't believe it was true.

"This can still be fake," Wen Xiang stopped, looked back at him and said meaningfully: "Xiaoda, everything is based on karma, don't think about anything else." ”

……

After eating Wen Xiang's reception banquet, as soon as he took Wen Xiang away with Wang Naizeng, Zhang Zhidong was shocked to find that his family member Zhang Xi had jumped down from another carriage, and when he saw him, he happily asked: "Young master, the luggage is all in the car, which room do we live in, and where do we move the luggage?" ”

Zhang Zhidong didn't know what to say, Yu Youfu got out of the carriage, turned around and hugged a bag and said, "The room is inside, follow me." ”

"Hyoda, leave them alone. Let's go, let's go have some tea and wait for the inside to be cleaned up before going in. ”

"Mr. Wang, you and Lord Wen are so polite, Zhidong doesn't know how to be grateful."

"Here you go again, you're treating us like outsiders?" Wang Naizeng asked with a smile, and then said meaningfully: "If you come, you will be safe, so don't treat me and Master Wen as outsiders, let alone treat yourself as outsiders." From now on, this is your home in the capital, just talk to Lao Yutou if you need anything. ”

"That's embarrassing."

"Be a free and easy person, I'm a guest like you, so I'm not embarrassed. Since the host is not at home, then we will be the main guest, and it is a big deal to invite him to have a drink and chat to express our gratitude after he returns to Beijing. ”

"Just a drink?" Zhang Zhidong couldn't help but smile and asked.

"So what else, in terms of being an official, his official is bigger than mine; He is greater than my king in terms of riches. Thinking about it, this wine should be invited by him, and those of us who have no ability and no interest can be bold and bold eaters. ”

"Mr. Wang is really good at laughing."

"I'm not joking, I can't tell for a while. In short, you and I don't need to be polite to him. ”

The luggage has been moved, and Zhang Zhidong can only come and be safe.

After staying for two days, I found that as Wen Xiang and Wang Naizeng said, this mansion is definitely Han Xiufeng's home in the capital, not only Lord Yuan, who also lives here, has an unusual relationship with Han Xiufeng, but even the old man of the porter and several subordinates who serve tea and pour water mention that Han Xiufeng is a "fourth master".

This mansion is also very quiet, the only thing that makes him feel a little strange is that the guard of Qianqingmen, Enjun, not only does not go to the palace on an errand, but runs here every day; The second-class guard Yuan Datou not only did not enter the palace on duty, but even stayed in the inner house every day and did not go out; Even Wang Naizeng didn't go to the Wubei Academy to order Mao, and every day he was either reading a book in the Rizhao Pavilion opposite Yuxuan, or going out to fight against those famous people and celebrities, and talk about wine.

Zhang Zhidong secretly thought that they took the imperial court but did not serve the imperial court, isn't this a corpse vegetarian meal? But he can only think about it, and he will never say it, after all, everyone is good to him.