Chapter 137: After the Exam

When Zhang Yue walked out of the tribute courtyard, it happened to be raining lightly in the sky. It is said that spring rain is as expensive as oil, especially for the arid and rainless north, but unexpectedly, this rain happened at this time. He didn't bring an umbrella at all before entering the examination room, and at this time, he knew that the person sent by his family to pick him up must be waiting outside, and he wouldn't be able to come for a while.

Recalling the horrible days he spent in the exam room, he just wanted not to set foot here for the second time in his life. This is not better than the college entrance examination, the tribute courtyard is simply worse than the pig's nest, no matter how powerful you are in the family, there will be no difference in the number room of the tribute courtyard, and there are officials who patrol all the time, and the examiner regularly supervises, and it is more uncomfortable to be bored for a few days than to be in prison. Fortunately, this rain only fell after the exam, otherwise in such a rain inside, the dampness could still be bearable, but if the roof leaked, it would not be able to take the exam.

"Metaverse."

Standing in the street, he was watching the people who came out, or dejected, or elated, or in high spirits, or shaking their heads silently, waiting for their acquaintances and his father, when he was suddenly slapped on the shoulder. He naturally turned his head, only to see an unexpected figure.

"Imperial ......" Zhang Yue swallowed back the other two words that came to his mouth, glanced around, and saw several big men scattered around, all of them with vigilant eyes, so he asked in a low voice, "Why did you come here?" ”

"Today is the day when the Ministry of Rites will end the exam, so I naturally came to see what outstanding people in Jinkedu, who knew that I would find one at this time." Although Zhu Zhanji said a joke, he only had a faint smile on his face, "The penultimate level of this carp jumping the dragon gate is the Ministry of Rites test. I heard that the first test question of this year was 'Those who are ministers have benevolence and righteousness to serve their rulers', and the other two questions are about the same. How did you do on the exam? ”

This article is naturally a duality of the prose, and it is done like a cluster of flowers, but how can it be said accurately? Thinking of this, Zhang Yue simply spread his hands and said: "I have tried my best, but I am about the youngest in this subject, if I pass the exam, for those old people with gray hair." That's probably too unreasonable. ”

"If you don't win, then it's unreasonable!" Zhu Zhanji originally had other thoughts, and when he heard Zhang Yue say this, he suddenly sighed, "Of course, this imperial examination is a simple talent, but for the imperial court, talent is not as good as moral character, you have left a deep impression in front of the emperor twice, and this mere tribute is not a hand-to-hand capture?" ”

At this time, the light rain gradually became heavier. Zhu Zhanji had someone behind him with an umbrella, and Zhang Yue was carrying the exam basket at this time, half of his body was a little wet, and he was very uncomfortable with the coldness. Rao is like this, and he has no intention of hiding from the rain under the umbrella of the future emperor at all. I only hope that my father Zhang Zuo can come out of the tribute courtyard as soon as possible. So, I heard Zhu Zhanji's words at this moment. Ren is bold and thick-skinned, and he also feels a little fever on his face.

"Metaverse!"

Hearing this voice, Zhang Yue hurriedly looked up. I just saw Wan Shijie standing at the gate of the Gongyuan with Zhang Zhuo in a blue satin robe, and it was Wan Shijie who shouted at him. Zhu Zhanji was by his side, even if he wanted to go over, he always had to say something, and immediately smiled: "I really don't dare to take what you just said, this time I will try to take the test with real knives and guns, but I am not very sure." It is already a blessing to give a lifter, and Gongshi Jinshi will not come so easily. My father is here, and I have to go and greet him. Please also forgive your sins. ”

Zhu Zhanji watched thoughtfully as Zhang Yue squeezed through the crowd with a deep bow, and greeted Zhang Zhuo and Wan Shijie at the gate of the Gongyuan, the father and son were very close to each other, and he couldn't help but think of his father Zhu Gaochi, who was still in Nanjing. Although he is a father and son, he has been taken by his grandfather Zhu Di to the north all the year round, and there are not many opportunities to be with his father, and it is impossible to talk like this. On the contrary, a few Eastern Palace courtiers, such as Yang Shiqi or Liang Qian, were closer to him.

At this time. The entourage who was holding the umbrella for him at the back saw that there were more and more people in front of the tribute courtyard. So he reminded in a low voice: "Imperial grandson, it's raining heavily." There are too many people, so it's better to ......"

"It's not a knife, what are you afraid of! These are all powerless moves, there are so many guards here, and I'm afraid they will hurt me? Zhu Zhanji snorted impatiently, and saw that another person and Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue had joined together, and the four of them were all embarrassed by the increasingly heavy rain, so he turned his head and said to an entourage behind him, "Take two oil-paper umbrellas and give them over, they are all court talents, don't let them freeze!" ”

Although Zhu Zhanji kept saying that he cherished the talents of the imperial court, the entourage who obeyed the order was not a fool, so he naturally would not recognize the wrong person. There are only two oil-paper umbrellas, and there are not 100 but 80 lifters on the street, how can it be? So, he hurried to Zhang Yue and the others, and handed over the umbrella with both hands.

"Third son, my son-in-law saw that it was raining heavily, so let me send two umbrellas over."

Zhang Zhuo and Fang Rui of Wanshijie felt strange when they heard it, but Zhang Yue knew that it was Zhu Zhanji's kindness, and hurriedly took the thanks. casually handed a handful to Wan Shijie and asked him to support Fang Rui together, and he quickly opened the handful in his hand that covered his father's head.

At this time, the raindrops became more and more dense, and the lifters in the tribute courtyard were almost gone. Wan Shijie and Fang Rui walked in front, Zhang Yue covered most of the umbrella with his father, but half of his body was exposed in the rain, who expected that he didn't walk a few steps away, he felt that the hand holding the umbrella was gently pushed, and then he saw that it was his father.

"Look you're soaking wet, don't just look at me. This spring is not better than summer, the weather is warm and cold, what if you are sick? Zhang Zhuo treated his son with a fierce attitude that was not the usual father's words, and at this time, he couldn't help but reach out and wrap his hand around Zhang Yue's shoulder, because he smiled, "I don't know the person who kindly gave the umbrella, you don't want to let the kindness of the family be in vain." ”

Although the weather was cold and half of his body was wet, Zhang Yue felt warm in his heart at this time. A street in front of the Gongyuan is a stone road, it is good to walk when the weather is fine on weekdays, but now it is raining, the road is slippery, not to mention, the gap between the stones is also crowded with water, if you don't pay attention to this walk, you will slip your feet, not to mention holding an umbrella that affects the line of sight.

It's so easy to pass the test. Many candidates are floating under their feet, and there are not a few who fall into the muddy water. Even Fang Rui stumbled halfway down the road, and it was only after Wan Shijie pulled it that he could barely stabilize it. And Zhang Yue's father and son supported each other, and finally walked to the intersection with one foot low and one foot high, and then saw a long carriage over there.

"Young master, young master! We're here! ”

Zhang Yue saw at a glance that Dai Li, who was standing there and waving vigorously, and hurriedly helped his father to walk over, and saw that there was a black oil car behind him. He couldn't help but sigh that the family was well arranged, so he motioned for Wan Shijie and Fang Rui to get into the latter car, and told the coachman to go to Pailou Lane in Xicheng first and then turn back to the British Mansion, and then get into the front car with Zhang Zhuo.

Zhang Zhuo came to Beijing to take the exam, and originally did not plan to live in the British government, but Zhang Fu was not better than Mrs. Wang, and his face was undoubtedly refuted. At this time, it was easy to finish the exam, and when I sat in the car and went back. The father and son talked about Gu Lao Taijun and others moving from Kaifeng to Beijing. Zhang Yue pinched his fingers to calculate the time, and finally found that during the test, the big family of the Xiangfu Zhang family was very likely to have arrived.

Thinking of this, he didn't care that it was raining outside, so he hurriedly lifted the curtain and asked, "Liansheng." Grandmother, have they all arrived? ”

"Young master, the old lady, they arrived three days ago, and the British duchess arrived two days earlier than them!" Lian Sheng, who was sitting on the horse, turned his head, wiped the rain from his face and smiled. "Because although the big house over there is almost rested, it still has to buy furniture and other furnishings, so the British duchess and the lady insist on leaving the old lady and them to live at home."

Even the tiger reined in his horse, and when the carriage caught up with him, he interjected happily: "The young master learned that the eldest young master is back now." Although Songshanwei was captured by the Japanese before, the eldest young master was very desperate in Jinxiangwei, and now he is a deputy thousand households. The British Duke asked the emperor for leave for the eldest young master. This time, I came back to the wedding place on purpose. ”

Zhang Zhuo and Zhang Yue didn't expect that there would be so many things in the examination room for so many days, and when they thought of the lively scene in the British Mansion now, the father and son couldn't help but look at each other, and laughed at the same time after lowering the curtain.

Despite the continuous rain, the carriage finally arrived at the west corner gate of the British Mansion. Zhang Yue jumped out of the carriage before it could stop, and then rushed into the door like a gust of wind. Zhang Zhuo got out of the car after him, and screamed angrily, seeing that his son did not react at all. I had no choice but to shake my head helplessly. took the umbrella handed over by Lian Sheng and walked quickly inside. Although it was also raining and the road was slippery, his steps were much lighter than when he had just left the Tribute Courtyard. Thinking of his wife and daughter after a long absence. He couldn't help but smile.

There was still a long way to go from the second gate, and Zhang Yue saw the figure standing at the door. Although he could only vaguely see the honey-colored dress in the rain, he still recognized it at a glance as his mother Sun, and hurriedly quickened his steps. Seeing that he was about to reach the hanging flower gate, seeing that Sun couldn't care about the rain, the mother-in-law who dropped the umbrella ran over, and he also rushed up in three or two steps.

"Mother!"

Sun was full of joy at this time, and he didn't care about Zhang Yue's wet body, so he took him in his arms. It wasn't until the back woman came over with an umbrella in a panic that she laughed out loud, but she said angrily: "They are almost sixteen years old, and they still run so fast on a rainy day, what if they bump into it?" Seeing that you are drenched, and you don't know how to put on a cloak and an umbrella, come in with me to change your clothes, the old ladies and women are all on the floor of the Duchess of England......"

Before he finished speaking, Sun raised his eyes and caught a glimpse of her husband walking with an umbrella and a smile, and for a while her eyes were suddenly covered with a layer of mist, and she didn't know if it was rain or tears.