After coming to Yanjing from Chengdu, Wu Jie has become accustomed to smooth sailing, and many things he doesn't even need to pay attention to, and he does it naturally.

This time, I encountered this inexplicable thing, and I suddenly felt that I didn't know how to start.

In fact, the key to this matter Wu Jie still figured it out after he came down, mainly because his intersection circle was still too narrow. After coming to the capital, except for a few days after the middle lift, I had a few literary meetings with the same year and met a few colleagues, and I had little contact with the mainstream Shilin. One is that the affairs on the emperor's side involve too much energy, and the other is that he has to prepare for the exam, and he feels that he can speak with real skills in the imperial examination, and no matter how many people he knows, it will not be of much use.

Now that I think about it, I regret it a little, and if I know it again, I will know a few more seniors in Shilin.

For a while, Wu Jie didn't have much to think about, so he had to write a letter to his mentor Bao Yingxia, who was far away in Jinan, and asked someone to bring it over, asking the old man if he could help him write a letter to prove it.

As for what role this letter can play and when it can be brought back, Wu Jie can't guarantee it, and he can't wait to die at home.

Wu Jie couldn't study quietly at home, so he went to the street to inquire about the news.

With the gradual approach of the Spring Festival, the period of spring is close to a day, and there are more and more people reading in Yanjing City. As far as the eye can see, on a cold day, folding fans are shaking everywhere.

After roughly estimating, at least tens of thousands of scholars suddenly appeared in the entire Yanjing City, and they were all famous and famous.

Scholars in the Ming Dynasty have always had the habit of discussing government affairs, just as the famous couplet of the later Donglin Academy said: the sound of the wind and rain and the sound of reading, the sound of the ear; Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything is concerned.

Where there are scholars, there are inevitably talkers.

In the past few days, the teahouse that Wu Jie often goes to is overcrowded, and all the people who come are old men who are reading, and they can't find a place when they go late. Or, if you only have talent and fame, you are not embarrassed to stay in it for a long time. This teahouse is of a very high grade, a pot of ordinary incense pieces costs a penny, and there are often singers and storytellers begging for a living in it.

However, since it was occupied by the Reading Seeds, these Lower Riba things have become extinct and have been replaced by the rhetoric of the Readers.

Recently, there have been two main issues on the minds of the capital's readers: the new system of lijin issued by the imperial court and the upcoming Spring Festival.

Because the Lijin system was too broadly involved, it was the first time in the two hundred years of the dynasty that it opened the world, and greatly weakened the centralization of power, so it was naturally scolded by the scholars.

Not only that, but the imperial envoys also wrote letters one after another, impeaching Yan Song, and scolding Yan Song as the number one annihilator in the past, as if not killing was not enough for the people to be angry.

Wu Jie was funny when he heard it, this Chen was obviously from his own hands, but it was Yan Song who was scolded, and Lao Yan was really wronged. However, whoever benefits and who is scolded is also fair. You can't just eat meat and not get beaten and take all the good things!

"In my opinion, as soon as this Lijin Bureau is set up, the five southern provinces will be his Yan Ge Lao's territory. That's the territory of the iron bucket, a big feudal town that is alive, I see, this old thief is a living Cao Yan, and the intention of rebellion has been revealed. A few human-looking scholars were talking loudly.

"I think the court and the Son of Heaven are also confused, can't they see the great harm of decentralization. Our dynasty has always governed the military with civility, but now it is good, the civilian-military confluence, and the tail is out of tune. ”

"Brother Weng is too worried, according to his brother, His Majesty is still sage. I am afraid that the reason for this move is that the treasury has been so empty that it cannot afford to pay a penny of military salaries, so it has to make this decision. Compared with rescuing the people of the southeast who have been repeatedly affected by the army, there is nothing else to worry about. It's really not good, and after the extermination of the Japanese bandits, then the Lijin Bureau will be abolished. "The one who spoke was a man with a loud voice, who looked very strong, but more like a martial artist.

Another weak scholar sneered: "I guess Your Majesty can't do anything about it, but if you can calm down the Japanese argument without spending a penny of the country this time, I'm afraid that Your Majesty will know the taste of the marrow, and if there is a war in the country in the future, this example will also be followed!" In my opinion, His Majesty is indeed a saint, no, he should be too shrewd. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten to the point where every family is clean now. ”

"Ahem, Brother Weng, let's not talk about the monarch's father, let's talk about this spring festival. Brother Weng has been in the capital for six years, how are you ready? ”

Hearing the loud voice of the raised question, the scholar surnamed Weng was a little depressed: "This is my third Spring Festival, when I left my hometown to go to the capital to take the exam, my son was only ten years old, and now they are married, and I don't know what he looks like now." Come to think of it, I am also arrogant, determined to be born on the right path, and refuse to go to the ministry to choose. Otherwise, he would have been a county governor for two terms now. There is such a thing as the imperial examination, which is to like the young and bully the old, and the more you pass the exam, the more difficult it will be to get in. Jinshike ...... at the beginning of spring next year"

He smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I don't have any confidence anymore, I really don't have that level!" ”

The loud voice comforted: "Brother Weng doesn't have to be arrogant, to be honest, although this test and the township test are both the same questions and the same rules, there are many differences." To tell the truth, who can get a reputation for being famous, who has not worked hard for decades in Bagu Shiwen, and it is difficult to distinguish which is better than the worst in the articles written. Many times, the examiner takes you for your fame. Brother Weng has been in the capital for so many years, and he is also a little famous in Shilin, so it stands to reason that he should be selected. ”

The surname Weng smiled bitterly: "Brother Tai, you don't have to comfort me, my little name is nothing." Besides, who knows who you are before you have to transcribe, obfuscate, and don't ink rolls? ”

The loud voice raised his head and shook his head, and said solemnly: "You can't say that, as long as you are famous enough, even if you are not favored by the master of the house at that time, you will be searched out." For example, if a famous person enters the examination room and can't even get into the top three, doesn't it mean that the examiner's level is really inferior, and he will lose the face of the imperial court. If your fame is really big enough to shake the world, even if you don't go to the exam, the Ministry of Etiquette and the examiner will come to your door and beg you to enter the exam room. ”

Weng Juren was stunned: "There is still such a statement? ”

"Why not?" raised his voice and said: "When Emperor Hongwu opened the imperial examination in Nanjing, Xie Jinjie didn't think about taking the Nalao Shizi Jinshi Scholar. He happened to be visiting friends in Nanjing at that time, and somehow, he was actually known by Song Lian, haha, a good Xie Jin came just in time, I am the new dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, you don't come to the exam, do you not recognize me Zhu Ming as a positive trace, let me go into the examination room. So, after a lot of coercion and temptation, Xie Dacai couldn't enter the examination room under the pressure of knives and guns. ”

The story of the loud voice was wonderful, and the teahouse suddenly fell silent, and even Wu Jie listened to it.

Seeing that all the colleagues could hear it, he was proud in his heart, and then said: "Xie Dacaizi's article knowledge is excellent, and the writing is wonderful, and it stands to reason that he should be the first to be the champion." But ......"

"But what, how do I remember that Xie Dacai won the fourth place in the second class and the seventh overall ranking in the Hongwu one-year palace examination?" Someone couldn't help but interject and ask.

"You don't know this, just because the article of the scholar is so good, Emperor Taizu Gao wants to make him the champion. However, Hu Weiyong, a great annihilator, was jealous of his talent and learning, and said that he should be the first to open the first branch and win the yuan for the country, and he should take auspiciousness to obey the people's wishes. The word "Jin" is the gentry, and the point is the champion, and the "Jin" and "gentry" are all "solution", which is unlucky in the country. Taizu was silent when he heard this, and when he thought of Guozuo, he reluctantly parted his love but relieved himself, and hand-picked the more auspicious "Ren Hengtai" as the champion. ”

"Oh, I see!" Everyone was stunned.

Weng Juren sighed: "Even so, the fourth in the second class is also very remarkable, at least you can get a Jishi background." If we have this kind of creation, we may not be able to enter the cabinet in the future. It's a pity that there is only one scholar in the world, and our reputation will not make the imperial court send people to force them into the examination room. ”

"Yes, how many people in the world are like scholars?" The crowd exclaimed.

If he had started operating the name "Wu Jie" a year earlier, relying on the Tang poems and Song poems he had memorized, he would have become the world's number one talent and the leader of the literary world.

When the time comes, I only need to release a little rumor, saying that I want to take the Jinshi exam, can the people in the Ministry of Rites still use my appearance to embarrass me?

Hey, mistakes, mistakes, this is ancient times, but the ancients valued fame more than modern people can understand.

Think about it, if you are a literary giant like Su Dongpo, who would dare to show me your eyes? I came to participate in the imperial examination, which is already to give you the Ministry of Rites and the face of the imperial court.

…… There are still two months left to gain fame.

It's still too late.

Wu Jie silently picked up the teacup, took a few sips, and suddenly had an idea in his heart.

For a period of time, Bao Yingxia had no way to be a witness for herself, so she could only find another one by herself.

If a while ago, he won the name of Shuntianfu Township to test the first name Xie Yuan, and it was considered to be a Ming Manchu capital, but now, with tens of thousands of people pouring into the capital, this little fame has been quickly diluted. The so-called fame in one fell swoop is known to the world, if you don't get into the top three, you can only become famous in one fell swoop, and the local knowledge is known.

Therefore, Wu Jie doubted that his current name still had many Yanjing people remember.

However, a few elders who want to come to the cabinet know themselves, so why not go straight to the door to meet friends?

That's a really good idea!

Wu Jie suddenly admired his idea.

As far as he knows, Gao Gong, Xu Jie, and Zhang Juzheng of the cabinet are all article masters, and they are the most accomplished people in this era, so they must know the weight of their articles.

As for Yan Song's father and son...... It's better to keep a certain distance from these two guys.

So, Wu Jie asked the owner of the teahouse to bring pen and paper, sat in the teahouse all day, and made three albums in detail. Each album contains a copy of an essay, an eight-strand essay, a seven-character poem, a five-character poem, and a poem.

The prose is selected from Ouyang Xiu's "Autumn Shengfu", and the eight-strand essay is directly used in the examination questions of the Sichuan Academy, the seven words are Du Fu's "Ascending", and the five words are Gu Wang Wei's "Qingxi" "Words enter the Huanghua River, and each chase the clear stream." With the mountain will be ten thousand turns, the fun journey is five hundred miles. ”

As for the poem, it is naturally "The bright moon was there, and the clouds returned".

The five themes and five styles are all the pinnacle works of Chinese classics. As long as these three pavilion elders are not blind, they will definitely be able to see the value.

Wu Jie was full of confidence in this, and did not feel complacent, and wrote more and more handsome and beautiful in Song Huizong's thin gold style.

"That's a roll, isn't it?" Wu Jie put down his pen and smiled and remembered the story of Bai Juyi in the Tang Dynasty.

When the Tang people entered Beijing for the exam, in order to get a good ranking. Most of them will make a roll of their proud work in advance, and then send it to the secretary of state to make a name for themselves. When Bai Juyi was sixteen years old, he went from Jiangnan to Chang'an, and brought a scroll to meet the famous people at that time. After looking at the name, he joked: "Chang'an rice is expensive, and it is not easy to live in a big place." But when I opened the scroll of poetry and read the two sentences in the scroll, "The wildfire burns inexhaustibly, and the spring breeze blows and grows again", I can't help but praise it again and again: "If you have talent, why is it difficult to live!" ”

Also because of the recommendation of the situation, Bai Juyi is a high school jinshi.

When it comes to the plagiarized poems in his own volumes, Wang Wei's one is not weaker than Bai Juyi's, and Du Fu's one is even much better, and there should be no problem in impressing the three elders.

Wu Jie did not intend to use this to make them his witnesses, nor was he allowed to do so. In fact, as long as you can sit with three people, it is enough to gain great fame for yourself. When the time comes, it's not easy to enter the exam room?

Out of curiosity about Zhang Juzheng, the first politician and reformer of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Jie's first copy of the book was delivered to Zhang's mansion.

Zhang's mansion is quite wealthy, the house is very large, and the threshold is also high.

But after the roll was handed in, it was quickly withdrawn. The porter politely said to Wu Jie, who was waiting in the living room, that he had heard of Mr. Wu's name a long time ago, and he also admired Mr. Wu's governance philosophy and methods. It's just that the Tao is different, and the technique is also different. In order to avoid meeting and arguing, it is better not to meet...... Yunyun.

Looking at the scroll again, people didn't open it at all.

made Wu Jie a big troublemaker, so he had to leave and leave.

Next, Wu Jie went to Gao Gong.

Here, Wu Jie was stunned. The porter came out not long after he took the volume, and then threw the album in front of him, scolding "villain, national thief!" "They let him be blasted out.

It turned out that Gao Gong already knew that the gold system was made by Wu Jie. In his mind, Wu Jie is a villain.

There was no way, Wu Jie had to go to Xu Jie's place in the end. Speaking of which, he also has some origins in Xu Jie, after all, Gao Wentao, the chief examiner in the county examination, is a student of Xu Gelao, ranked by generation, and Wu Jie is his apprentice and grandchild.

It's a pity that Xu Ge is an honest man and a very stable person, how can he meet with a close minister of the Son of Heaven at such a critical moment, and only say that he is sick and does not see guests, and he stays. It's not too late to wait until you're in good health.

Wu Jie didn't know if Xu Jie's illness was a real illness or a fake illness, but it was true that people were not enthusiastic about him, so he had no choice but to go home depressed.

There is still a glimmer of hope in his heart, no matter what Xu Ge Lao said, he will also leave his own scrolls, maybe he will like it at a glance!

There's no hurry, wait a little longer, maybe there will be news in a few days.

In the next few days, Wu Jie was not idle. He still went to Xiyuan every two or three days to help the emperor.

Jiajing recently had a hot fight with a Taoist priest surnamed Lan, and when he saw Wu Jie coming, he was happy, and the three of them sat together and talked about Taoism for a long time.

He asked Wu Jie how he was preparing for the exam, and how did Wu Jie dare to say in front of the emperor that he didn't even report his name, and only replied that everything was ready, and he was just waiting to enter the examination room, and he should live up to his father's expectations.

In order to gain fame, Wu Jie also had an interesting relationship with the same year in the township examination, and participated in many literary meetings. is not clumsy, Tang poems and Song lyrics can be copied vigorously, couplets, wine couplets, and words are all involved, and it can be regarded as having a lot of fame in the circle of readers in the capital.

But that's not enough.

Seeing that more than half a month has passed, there is still no news from Xu Jie's side.

Wu Jie on the other side of the Ministry of Rites has also been to it a few times, and what I encountered is still an official cliché.

Bao Yingxia's letter came, saying that he would not be able to return to Beijing until after the Chinese New Year.

"I didn't go back to Beijing until the New Year, and the daylilies would be cold by then!" Wu Jie was a little flustered at this time, this feeling was a little strange to him, and he didn't know what to do for a while.

Through what he learned by the emperor's side during this time, Wu Jie suddenly understood that the reason why the three ministers did not treat him was mainly because his identity was really sensitive, which was directly related to their attitude towards the gold system. If you are too close to yourself, you will inevitably be suspected of agreeing with Li Jin, and you will inevitably be attacked by the royal envoys. Now, Yan Song is scolded like his grandson, his fate is clearly there, and others naturally refuse to find this uncomfortable.

It snows heavily every day, but the streets are still bustling with people.

Sitting in the teahouse, looking at the high-spirited candidates with high-spirited eyes, Wu Jie recalled what he had done for most of the month, and suddenly burst out laughing: Damn, I think I, Wu Jie, is also a talented person, and I am a person around the Son of Heaven. It would be a little embarrassing if this was known. We are people who aspire to enter the cabinet, if this is the case, how can we meet Xu and Gao in the future, as well as Zhang Taiyue?

To be a man, you have to rely on yourself.

This smile suddenly made the mood feel comfortable.

At this time, Wu Jie saw the person surnamed Weng Juren who was talking in the teahouse that day, and that loud voice.

Loud voice: "Brother Weng, it's going to be the New Year in a few days, these days are hard to study, you are rich, just break some money, let's find a place to have fun, I heard that there is a new girl named Xiangyue in the east of the city, born with the beauty of the country, proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and has pressed the previous Oiran Caiyun." Why don't you and I go over and have a look tonight? ”

(To be continued)