In the Chengdu Mansion Prison, Liu Zongying from Anren Town, Dayi County, came out of the cell with his sleeves folded and was pierced by the sun at noon. He was imprisoned for the mass arrest in Gongyuan Street in Chengdu on charges of "unlawful assembly," which was said to have been sentenced to exile in Borneo. However, because his family sold some land and raised money, the Hunan "big teacher" who was invited to have some skills was a little capable, and he was stunned to plead guilty to a very big crime, but because the trial of the whole case dragged on for a long time, he still stayed in prison for several months.

At present, Sichuan Province is still under "military control," and the new laws in the eight southeastern provinces are not very large, and the old system is still being implemented, and most of the officials and officials are also people left over from the Qing Dynasty. The Chengdu Mansion Prison is the former Chengdu Mansion Prison, and the jailers and officials in charge are all the original old people, of course, they are all masters who see money. If the family is rich and powerful, they can be treated preferentially, and even the hall is arranged earlier, and those who are willing to spend money are released early. Anren's Liu family is a first-class local tyrant in the local area, but it is nothing in Chengdu. That's why they were locked up for so long, and those scholars who were poorer were even treated as the first offenders and sent to Borneo.

Although the Ming Dynasty is trying to build the rule of law, it is a long road. Even in Guangzhou and Shanghai, which were the first to open up the atmosphere, there are laws that are not followed, law enforcement is not strict, and the problem of judicial corruption still exists. Only a handful of "model courts" for large commercial disputes and foreign-related cases are a little more decent – yes, citizens of the Western powers still have a bit of national treatment in the current Ming Dynasty, especially in judicial cases. Although the Ming Dynasty maintained judicial sovereignty in the Ming-British Treaty, it did not give Britain extraterritoriality. However, it was agreed to establish a "model court". Handle foreign-related cases in strict accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty. And ordinary courts outside the "model courts". The laws of the Ming Empire did not work in many cases. The judiciary of Sichuan, a "military province", has a lot of problems, and everyone is accustomed to it, including Liu Zongying, a victim of the dark judicial system of the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Zongying, who had adapted to the dazzling light and had lost weight in prison for a few months, exhaled and smiled bitterly at Liu Zongxian, the sixth brother who came to pick him up: "Sixth brother, I really don't blame others this time, it's my own bad and I'm too ambitious...... My ability is to show off talents. Even in the former Qing Dynasty, he couldn't be moved. Not to mention Jinshi. It should be content to have a mayor of Anren, and we will buy a few books on Western studies and read them later, and let's go to participate together when the imperial examination begins. ”

He had a talent reputation in the Qing Dynasty, if it was when Zhu Ming just rose up to seize Guangdong, as long as he was willing to cut his braids and send a disciple to join the Ming army, he could directly obtain the Ming Dynasty's talent reputation. However, when the Ming Dynasty occupied Sichuan, they were no longer so kind to the gentry, and this fame still needs to be retested. However, Liu Zongying is confident in his knowledge, and he may not be able to win the lift, but a showman is still able to catch it. Now as long as you win the show, you can be an official, with the Liu family's power in Anren Town. Mayor Mare, for sure. Although he is only a petty official of the eighth grade, he is an official anyway. is still the soil emperor of Anren Town, and he is still not satisfied! Now that I think about it, he doesn't complain about sitting in this prison.

Out of the Chengdu prison, the Liu brothers went straight to the Qiongzhou Hall. Dayi County belongs to Qiongzhou, there are salt wells in Qiongzhou, producing salt, so there are many salt merchants, Qiongzhou Hall is built by Qiongzhou salt merchants, used to settle down in Qiongzhou villagers who go to Chengdu to do business. Liu Zongxian lives there now, and in order to rescue his brother, he also asked some warm-hearted Qiongzhou salt merchants to find a way.

The streets of Chengdu are still bustling, and the "White Terror" of a few months ago seems to have been completely forgotten by the people of Chengdu. When passing by Gongyuan Street, Liu Zongying suddenly found that many scholars had gathered here again, and there was a long queue outside Chengdu Gongyuan.

"Sixth brother, what's going on? Is there someone who wants to make trouble again? Liu Zongying asked his sixth brother. For some reason, Liu Zongxian's brows never opened, as if he was ready to say something to his brother but couldn't.

Hearing his brother's question, Liu Zongxian sighed heavily: "It's not a trouble, it's all boneless scholars, ready to jointly write a letter to implore the imperial court to open a imperial examination in Sichuan!" ”

Liu Zongying looked at his younger brother incomprehensibly, "Sixth brother, what's wrong with you?" It's a good thing to open a department, I think I've been reading the sage books for half my life, aren't I looking forward to getting an official? Even if you want to take the Western study, it's nothing, Sichuan wants to get 30,000 officials, and there are always two of us. ”

Liu Zongxian smiled bitterly and stomped his feet: "Big brother, the rules of this imperial examination have changed again!" This official ...... I have, you don't! ”

"I don't have it anymore?" Liu Zongying was stunned, "Is it because I was arrested by them?" But I'm acquitted......"

"No, it's because of ...... age"

"Age?"

Before Liu Zongxian could figure out what was going on, he heard someone suddenly shout.

"Fan Xiucai, if you want to open some, you can't jump, even if you want to jump, don't jump here with me, I beg you, the store money and meal money are free these days......"

Liu Zongxian followed the shout and looked, there was an elderly scholar sitting on the roof of an inn with a somewhat dilapidated decoration, his clothes were still in the style of the Qing Dynasty, and he had a white-washed Confucian towel on his head, as if he was about to jump down! Downstairs, there were some people who were also dressed as scholars who were talking about it, Liu Zongying walked over, and only then did he hear it, and suddenly he couldn't move like a stone statue.

"Looking at Fan Xiucai's appearance, he must be over 28 years old and can't participate in the imperial examination, so he can't think about ......it for a while."

"Alas, eight of them died on Gongyuan Street this month, all of whom were scholars who couldn't go to the imperial examination after the age of 28, what a pitiful!"

"Yes, they are all people who have read the books of sages for more than 20 years, and they don't know how to do anything else, so they won't be allowed to take the exam all of a sudden, how can they live......"

"Yes, how are you going to live now, after reading the sage books for half a lifetime, you can't take the exam now......"

What the!? After the age of 28, you can't take the imperial examination!? Liu Zongying's face was already full of tears, he was already 35 years old! From enlightenment at the age of 5 to now, I have been studying the sage books for 30 years, and now I can't go to the imperial examination, but if I don't take the imperial examination, what else can I do? And what will you do!?

"Second brother......" Liu Zongxian opened his mouth, wanting to enlighten the eldest brother. But what can be said?

There seemed to be other scholars at the scene who were too old to take the imperial examination, perhaps because they were hurt by the scene, and some people actually cried.

"It's over! It's all over...... This life is completely ruined......"

"Don't live, I won't live, Fan Xiucai, let's go to the underworld together, don't read in the next life, never read again!"

At this moment, a loud sound of "Peng" came, Fan Xiucai had already jumped down, the building was not very high, only three floors, but Fan Xiucai fell with his big head down, his head smashed on the bluestone slab, and it was immediately shattered, and the plasma and brains gradually got everywhere, and even Liu Zongying, who was watching from a distance, gradually got a trace of blood on his face.

"Second brother, let's go, go back to Anren, if you don't take the test, you won't take the test, who is rare about the officials of their Zhu family? My younger brother didn't take the test either, so I plowed the countryside with my brother......"

With a "snap", Liu Zongxian had already received a slap in the face, which was hit by his brother.

"Bastard! My brother is too old to take the test, and you are only 19 years old, so why don't you take the test! Not only do you have to take the test, but you must also pass! This time is the easiest to take the test, and it is easy to get a miss if you pass the test...... The mayor of Anren must be someone from our family! ”

In fact, Liu Zongxian didn't plan to give up the exam, a few days ago he had already signed his name on "Sichuan Scholars Please Open the Imperial Examination" - this time the book was initiated by a group of 27 or 8-year-old scholars, they were in a hurry to die, and they couldn't wait to start the exam tomorrow. In addition, Liu Zongxian also registered in the western class of Jinjiang Academy, and was ready to study it temporarily, maybe he could get a good result in this imperial examination. In this way, it is easier to get an official, and the future career may be smoother. (To be continued......)