Although in various folk commentaries and novels, the main hall where the Son of Heaven is in the palace and deals with military affairs is called the Jinluan Palace, but in fact this is not the case.

In the imperial palace, close to the Hanlin Academy, the Jinluan Hall is actually a side hall in the palace, and usually, it is not a place to discuss politics, but a place where the Son of Heaven summons his courtiers to ask for other knowledge, or to talk about family affairs that have nothing to do with state affairs.

At this moment, Ning Jiang and more than 120 other students were waiting for the summons of the Son of Heaven in front of this Jinluan Palace.

Their final hurdle on the road to the dragon in the imperial examination depends on this moment, and in this Jinluan Palace, the impression they left on the Son of Heaven.

This is their most nervous moment, and no one can know what the Son of Heaven will ask them next. In the past, there were even cases where the Son of Heaven was dethroned just because he was too ugly, or there were bad rumors in advance, which reached the ears of the Son of Heaven, so that the Son of Heaven had a fixed opinion and directly abandoned it.

The rain, dew and thunder are all Jun's grace, and no one dares to complain about it.

The ranking of the students is still according to the ranking of the examination, which makes no one know what their grades are in the marking officer's marking, and they are even more worried.

Ning Jiang, who was in first place, raised his head.

The two ends of the roof ridge are made up of thirteen pieces of yellow colored glazed tiles, this beast is called "Owl Kiss", they face each other at both ends of the ridge, open their mouths, as if they want to swallow the whole temple ridge.

"Kiss of the Owl" is one of the nine sons of the dragon, and it is said that it is used to suppress fire.

The stone beasts placed at both ends of the main ridge of the mansion are called "spine swallowers".

Only the palaces of the Son of Heaven, concubines, and princes are allowed to use dragons, phoenixes, and dragons as spine swallowers, and the mansions of officials can only use lions and tigers, while ordinary local squires can only use miscellaneous beasts such as bullfights at most.

The golden crow rose from a corner of the Jinluan Palace, and from his point of view, the owl on the right side of the temple's ridge seemed to be shrouded in golden light, with a mysterious majesty.

"Tongzhou student Ningjiang, enter the temple and face the saint!" The voice of the celebrant eunuch sounded on the white jade steps at this time.

Without any hesitation or hesitation, Ning Jiang walked up the stairs step by step along the right side of the white jade steps. Behind him, the other students looked at his back, and the decisive back of Gongsheng, who was the first to enter the temple to face the saint, also affected them more or less and made them feel at ease.

Ning Jiang stepped into the hall and met the Son of Heaven, who sat on the throne and nodded.

In the palace examinations of the past dynasties, there are many who have achieved good rankings in the written examination, but in the right level, because they are too nervous, so that they are incoherent, and even unable to speak, and it is precisely because of this that the young man's calmness at the moment makes him very satisfied...... Or not satisfied. If he is not satisfied, the old lady will be dissatisfied with him.

He lowered his head and looked at the scroll of poetry in his hand. On a volume, there were actually eight "A" characters, which was unique among the more than 120 tribute students.

Of course, this is also a very normal thing, this time the palace exam, the test is poetry, with the strength of this young man to be able to write "Long Song Xing" and "Biluo Fu", the level of poetry is not difficult for him at all. Or rather...... In fact, it was with this in mind that Song Shao chose poetry instead of asking questions as the topic of this palace examination.

Then again, during the examination, the young man's strategy was also deeply in line with the ministers' intentions, and even several ministers said that they should be implemented, but from his point of view, there was a feeling that if the young man's strategy was really followed, although the ministers were happy, they would definitely fall into the pit, so they forcibly pressed it.

Of course, young people, after all, have no real experience in politics, and it is normal for them to be inconsiderate.

Flipping through the test paper in his hand, he glanced down the stairs and asked lightly: "My royal sister, Princess Luanmei, has been a little sick in the past two days and is not very well, have you ever been to see her?" ”

Hey...... Do you really ask this? Ning Jiang was a little speechless.

Even the courtiers on both sides couldn't help but look at the Son of Heaven together, although no one has ever stipulated that in the last level of the palace test, "Jun Prelude Pair", the Son of Heaven can ask something and what he can't ask, but this has nothing to do with the palace test, right?

Since the Son of Heaven asked, Ning Jiang naturally replied truthfully: "The student has already visited the eldest princess's mansion yesterday, and he left before the curfew. ”

The Son of Heaven nodded, and then looked at the test paper in his hand: "Mother's hand is on the line, and the wanderer's shirt is on the shirt." Before leaving, I am afraid that I will return late. Whoever says an inch is careless, and he will be rewarded with three springs...... This poem is quite well written, and the heart of mother's love and son's filial piety is all in it. But I heard that you lost your mother since you were a child......"

Ning Jiang bowed down at the bottom of the steps: "Although the student lost his mother since he was a child, he still has a heart of admiration, and he always misses his dead mother in his dreams. ”

All the courtiers are on the side, all sighing, the tree wants to be quiet and the wind does not stop, and the son wants to raise a child and does not wait, sigh, sigh. The Great Zhou Dynasty attaches the most importance to filial piety, and this "wandering son's yin", it can be considered that the ancient and modern poems that promote maternal love are unsurpassed, "the dense seams before leaving, I am afraid of returning late", the Great Zhou Dynasty has always had a tradition of being officials in different places, it is these officials, the heart of the wanderer, is also deeply experienced, at this moment to hear Ning Jiang's words, I feel a lot.

The Son of Heaven bowed his head again and said, "Go down!" This "Jun Prelude Pair" is over.

The courtiers naturally knew that the Son of Heaven asked so simply, which meant that he had already made up his mind about the students being asked, and this question and answer was just a formality.

Ning Jiang was about to retreat, and the Son of Heaven suddenly said, "Wait a minute, there is one more thing." ”

Ningjiang Station.

Song Shao was on the throne and looked at him condescendingly: "When you were in Tongzhou Kongshan, you sent poems to Luanmei...... At that time, you already knew that Luan Mei was my royal sister? ”

The courtiers couldn't help but look at Ning Jiang, the words of the Son of Heaven were already more or less condemned, if this son knew that Princess Luanmei was the sister of the Son of Heaven, and he was showing his love with poems, then he was so young and had such a scheming......

Ning Jiang's face did not change, and he saluted at the bottom of the stairs: "The students didn't know the identity of Her Royal Highness the eldest princess that day. ”

Song Shao's tone was quite cold: "But you and my royal sister only have one side, and she is even older than you, you don't know her identity and origin, how can you have a poem?" ”

Ning Jiang said a little embarrassedly: "Since Your Majesty asked, the student didn't dare not answer." Although it was the first time to see the eldest princess, the eldest princess was kind-hearted, dignified, soft-spoken, and older than the student...... I know that I am a very motherly person! ”

Song Shao: "Uh......"

***

Ning Jiang shook the folding fan and walked among the criss-crossing neighborhoods of the inner city.

As the first student to enter the temple, he naturally came out much earlier than others.

Thinking back to Song Shao, the Son of Heaven, who was stunned just now, and the ministers around him looked at him speechlessly, Ning Jiang was amused in his heart. I'm afraid they have now decided that the reason why he is looking for the eldest princess who is older than him is because he lost his mother since he was a child and has never experienced the admiration complex of maternal love...... Although to some extent, it can't be wrong.

Since you are looking for it, you naturally have to find a person who is gentle, will not have a dispute with Xiaomeng, and can take on the role of "eldest sister-in-law like mother" very well.

Walking around, before I knew it, I came to Qishengfang. He looked up at the sky. In the middle of the night last night, he vaguely sensed that something appeared in the sky in this direction, but he couldn't tell what it was.

He stood in the midst of the crowd that came and went, and just looked at it like that for a moment, pondering for a long time.

With a snap, the folding fan was closed, and he walked forward with his hands down.

When he arrived at the eldest princess's mansion, there was no need for any official announcement, and the maid guarding the door quickly brought him in.

When he came to the garden at the back, he saw Luan Mei sitting there quietly, looking up at the sky.

Walking to her side, Ning Jiang arrived: "Isn't the disease yet?" How did it come out? ”

Luan Mei turned her head, glanced at him, and smiled: "It's much better." ”

Ning Jiang stretched out his hand and touched her forehead, and saw that the heat had subsided.

Luan Mei blushed slightly, but she was dressed like that last night, hugged by him, and now she was just touched by him, so naturally it was nothing.

Ning Jiang turned around, sat down beside her, looked into the distance outside the pavilion with him, and said, "What were you thinking just now?" ”

The eldest princess of Luanmei sighed lightly: "I just suddenly feel that a person's life is really very short, just like the short life of a moth, which has not yet been saved, and is suddenly burned by fire." Not only people, but even this world, I am afraid that it is the same, all things, the day when they will eventually be destroyed, in the good things, in front of the gods, it is just a passing cloud as small as dust. ”

Ning Jiang smiled and said: "How come you have an illness and have such an understanding, since there are no eternal things in this world, then just live this life well?" To think so much about what to do? ”

The eldest princess of Luanmei hesitated for a moment, as if whispering, and said in a low voice: "Although there are no eternal things in this world, what about outside this world? The fungus does not know the obscurity, and the cockroach does not know the spring and autumn! Maybe there are eternal things in the universe that we don't know, but we can't understand them. Where did the world come from, and where is it going...... What do you, what do you do? ”

In front of her, the boy spun around, grabbed her shoulders, and stared at her eyes. At this moment, she seemed to see her own eyes reflected in his deep eyes, they were so misty, and so strange, they were full of fear of the unknown, like the stars and the moon obscured by dark clouds, even she looked at herself, and gave birth to an inexplicable panic.

"I ...... What am I doing? She subconsciously touched her face.

The boy continued to stare at her: "Qimeng...... Who has been here this morning? ”

"Morning?" She said in a panic, "In the morning, Jian Li, Situ Lei, and the daughter of Lord Cheng Fang of Dali Temple visited Qing and came to visit together...... What, what's wrong? ”

Ning Jiang said: "What did they say to you?" ”

"They, they said...... I remember, I can't remember, they said a lot of things, but ...... But I can't remember! Luan Mei first lowered her head, a little distressed, and then raised her head to look at her lover, in her eyes, the young man's expression suddenly became cold, the whole person seemed to turn into a blade, murderous aura for no reason, inexplicably swept around them, the leaves outside the pavilion, like a cold autumn knife, suddenly swept over, countless leaves, swaying down.

She had never seen such a terrible expression on his face, it was a ...... The expression of wanting to kill.

***

Not long after noon, the three girls got out of the carriage in front of the eldest princess's mansion.

One of the young girls, dressed in red and bright red as fire, stood next to the stone statue in front of the eldest princess's mansion, raised her head and looked at the golden crow in the sky that had begun to look vicious.

Some time ago, there was a rainstorm at night, but such a rainstorm did not bring many days of coolness to the summer season, and now, the weather has really become hot, making people really feel the coming heat.

The three girls arrived at the gate of the mansion and made a report, and soon, someone led them in.

In front of the attic in the garden, a beautiful woman and a handsome young man were sitting there, talking with each other.

Unexpectedly, the young man was also there, and the girl in red who entered the eldest princess's mansion with two companions, her face became a little pale at this moment.

The young man also looked over to them casually.

The girl in the red dress looked a little flustered.

Three women came to the eldest princess and greeted her. The two girls in it...... Chun Jianli and Situ Lei originally knew each other with Ning Jiang, but it was another girl, and when they met him for the first time, they inevitably had to introduce each other.

That girl is Fang Wanqing, the adopted daughter of Dali Temple's Cheng Fang Mingda.

"It turns out that Ning Gongzi is also here," Situ Lei said in surprise, "Isn't today the day of the palace exam?" ”

The young man smiled: "Jun prelude is right, I am the first to enter the hall, the first to come out, and I am ranked low in the examination, some of them are afraid that they haven't started yet, right?" ”

Situ Lei said with a smile: "The little girl forgot, Ning Gongzi is here for Huiyuan." He added: "The 'water tune song head' composed by Gongzi in Shangyuan the day before yesterday has been spread throughout the capital, and Gongzi's poetry is really amazing." ”

Ning Jiang said with a smile: "Suddenly the Queen Mother was announced to Shangyuan, and it was just an emergency." Then he glanced at Chun Jianli again: "I thought that Miss Jianli had left the capital." ”

Chun Jianli lowered her head and looked at her own feet: "Although I have this idea...... But it hasn't been done yet. ”

Ning Jiang said lightly: "Really? (To be continued.) )