Liu Ximing never imagined that there would be a group of people on Wudang Mountain thousands of miles away who were very interested in him.

Although news came from Hanchuan Village in December that he had met a Taoist priest with strange words and deeds, this person could tell Wei Jingguo's life at a glance and seemed to be extremely good at fortune telling.

However, this news only aroused Liu Ximing's interest for a while, and he was immediately thrown into the briefcase.

In his previous life, he had experienced a lot of this kind of scam, and since it was thousands of miles away from Xiangyang, it was impossible for him to ask someone to tie someone back to take a look, so he didn't take it to heart when he saw it freshly.

At this time, he was concentrating on the upcoming exam.

Just after the Spring Festival, Liu Ximing arranged many matters such as the expansion of his family, and Chen Yiding, Dou Yuquan, Xu Wei and others took 500 personal guards to set foot on the eastbound ship again.

Chongzhen's nine-year township test is a new starting point for both the Liu family and the Datong Society.

In Liujia Village, there were four more lifters at once, and there were 13 people in the Datong Society, and such a big scene shook the heads of the officials and gentry of Shunqing Mansion at that time.

Those gentlemen who had not been able to join the Datong Society before all beat their chests, and the Datong Society has evolved into a society where everyone sees the Chinese fortune center, and the gentlemen who came to sign up for a time were like a tide.

It was in such an atmosphere that Liu Ximing and others went to Shunqing Fucheng to meet Xie Wenle, Du Liangji, Zhao Xiangyang, Ren Yuanjia, Lei Hong and more than a dozen other lifters, and went down the river together.

Liu Ximing had already estimated the distance, and it took him more than a month to return against the current, and now he is going down the river and should be able to reach Beijing before February.

In the Ming Dynasty, the examination was arranged to be held in the second year of the township examination, and because the time was set in February, it was also called Chunqiu.

With the escort of the guard battalion, the group had a smooth journey.

When passing through Wuchang, although there were some doubts in their hearts, Liu Ximing and Dou Yuquan still went to Tang Xiuyuan's mansion to visit.

This time, there was nothing strange to encounter, Liu Ximing and Dou Yuquan were in a hurry to take the exam, so they could only put the matter down first and go to the capital again.

On January 28, the tenth year of Chongzhen, Liu Ximing and his entourage finally arrived at Tongzhou Wharf.

The two guards battalion teams left behind in the capital had already arranged their carriages and horses, and the group went straight to the Xin'an Earl's Mansion.

Seeing the Earl's Mansion, which occupies a large area, Xie Wenle, Du Liangji and others inevitably made fun of Liu Ximing again.

The people of the Datong Society were also accustomed to eating and living in Liu Ximing's place, so the group settled down and prepared for the examination in 12 days.

As soon as Liu Ximing entered the capital on the front foot, Cao Huachun got the news on the back foot.

He hurried all the way to the Qianqing Palace and found Chongzhen, who was reviewing the military affairs in Henan.

"Emperor, the new Amber has arrived in the capital, what you said is that as soon as he enters the capital, it will be like you, and you will ask the emperor to show it, but do you want the old slave to send someone to invite the new Amber?"

Chongzhen, whose face was full of fatigue, put down his hand and rubbed his brows, raised his eyes to look at the sky outside, thought about it, and shook his head.

"Forget it, it's getting late today, let's summon him tomorrow."

Cao Huachun bowed and stood, "Yes, the old slave obeys the order." ”

"Wait", without waiting for Cao Huachun to retreat from the Qianqing Palace, Chongzhen glanced at the fold in his hand, his face was full of disgust, and finally stopped him and said: "The Central Plains is in a hurry, you better go and summon him." ”

Liu Ximing, who had just experienced a long journey, was complaining to Xie Wenle and others in the house at this time.

"The township test will be held in August, but the meeting test will be set in February, and now it is inconvenient to come and go, and it is really a little urgent for me and other scholars, if I am an official, I will definitely ask His Majesty to play and move the time back."

Xie Wenle, who had freshened up, grinned, "You are a full man who doesn't know how hungry a man is hungry, how many middle school scholars ask to come to the capital but can't, but you come early, it's really weird." ”

"Hahaha", Du Liangji and others laughed when they heard this.

"Second brother, someone in the palace is here", Li Biao's appearance interrupted everyone's conversation, Liu Ximing was shocked and hurriedly got up and went out to greet him.

The person who came was Cao Huachun's godson, the little eunuch Lin An, and he greeted Liu Ximing with a smile as soon as he saw him.

"The little one is saying hello to my uncle."

Liu Ximing stepped forward and grabbed Lin An and was about to walk towards the main hall with an intimate look, and said with a smile: "What kind of wind blew Lin Gonggong to my house, let's talk in the main hall." ”

Lin An hurriedly waved his hand and said with a smile: "Don't dare, don't dare, the emperor is still waiting in the palace, and please follow the little one into the palace quickly." ”

Liu Ximing's face was pale, and when he saw Lin An coming, he naturally knew that it was Chongzhen who summoned him, but he didn't know why he was so anxious.

"Father-in-law Lin waits for a while, and Rong Benbo changes his clothes."

The carriage had already been arranged in the palace, and Liu Ximing changed into his earl's regular clothes and traveled all the way under the leadership of Lin An.

In the heavily guarded Qianqing Palace, Liu Ximing, who had not inquired about any useful news from Lin An, was a little apprehensive in his heart, and his heart was not relieved until he saw Chongzhen's smiling face.

"Minister Liu Xi ordered to meet Your Majesty."

"Aiqing is exempt from courtesy", at this time it is already unitary, the incense candles have been lit in the Qianqing Palace, and Chongzhen put down the folds in his hand in a piece of light and shadow.

"Aiqing Fang came to the capital, and I summoned you to come, but you have complaints?"

Chongzhen's slightly ridiculous words made Liu Ximing's heart tighten, and he hurriedly bowed his head again and said: "Your Majesty has a call, it is the honor of the minister, how can there be complaints." ”

"Hahaha, I laughed, Xin Amber doesn't have to be nervous, I heard that you won the second place in the township high school, and I haven't had time to congratulate you yet."

Liu Ximing answered with a smile: "If it weren't for the blessing of Your Majesty, the minister's talent Anneng High School would have the opportunity to serve Your Majesty now, and the minister would be overjoyed." ”

"That's right, I see that you are not like other ministers who only know Qing talk, you have done a good job in the matter of the thief Gao Yingxiang, I have already punished him a year ago, but unfortunately Aiqing is not in Beijing, and I can't watch the grand occasion."

Liu Ximing keenly heard Chongzhen's resentment towards Liukou, but this was also a matter of course.

"Thanks to Your Majesty's Shengde, the soldiers can use their lives to capture the head of the thief, and now that the thief is dead, the momentum of the rogue will inevitably be greatly hit, and it will be pacified in a few days."

Chongzhen threw the fold in his hand on the table with a snap, with a slight anger on his face.

"It is said that this should be the truth, but Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangsheng and others came to play again and again, saying that the thieves were coerced by the Japanese people, and the provinces of the Central Plains were devastated, and hundreds of thousands of officers and soldiers could not exterminate them, which was really infuriating."

He raised his head and looked at Liu Ximing with hopeful eyes, "The Qing family first saved Fengyang, and then helped Sun Chuanting capture the high thief. ”

Liu Ximing sighed in his heart, Chongzhen was already exhausted, and he actually asked for advice on such a courtier as himself.

He pondered for a few minutes, and after thinking about it, he bowed down and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is shallow in his education, and he has no official position, so he shouldn't have discussed the government in vain, but His Majesty inquired, and the minister had to do his best to repay His Majesty's kindness." ”

"The last time I faced the saint, the minister said to His Majesty that there are only two reasons why the thieves are raging, one is that the local officials are not virtuous, so that the people are displaced, which is the reason why the thieves are inexhaustible."

"The second is the impermanence of the Liukou, today in Henan, tomorrow in Huguang, the officers and soldiers are busy pursuing, often taking care of one and losing the other."

Chongzhen stood up from the throne lightly, thought about it carefully, and felt that what Liu Ximing said was quite reasonable.

He stepped down from the throne and came to Liu Ximing's side, stared at Liu Ximing's face and asked, "Does the Qing family have a good way to suppress bandits?" ”

Liu Ximing bowed his head slightly, "The minister thinks that if you want to exterminate the thieves, you must first tie their hands and feet so that they can't wander around, and now the thieves are harming the Central Plains, so that the governors of Henan, Huguang, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi and other provinces can suppress the thieves under their respective jurisdictions, and the soldiers will block the passes of the provinces." ”

"At the same time, appoint the ministers of the five provinces to suppress and appease, and exterminate the thieves when they are trapped in the Central Plains, so that the thieves will be captured."

Liu Ximing's words were hearty, and Chongzhen was also very interested in listening to them.

He circled around the hall a few times and looked at Liu Ximing with an excited expression.

"The Qing family is really a minister of affairs, I have asked the ministers of the Ministry of Planning and Military Affairs many times before, such as Shangshu Zhang Fengyi and others are unable to plan good strategies, but the Qing family can answer like a stream, which shows that what I have learned is extraordinary."

"By the way, since it is as the Qing family said, is there a plan for this specific suppression of affairs?"

Liu Ximing couldn't cry or laugh, Chongzhen This is a typical temporary cramming.