Xue Ji only saw Chu Qiu's scenery in front of people, where could he have thought at this time that more than twenty years later, he was sitting in that position more tormented than Chu Qiu.

When the hour came, the door was open, and when I entered the door, I searched my body one by one and found a lot of things. After entering the examination room, the candidates waited in their respective positions, and from time to time they could hear the cries of the candidates who tried to carry the cheat sheets outside the door.

The examination room is a three-point space blocked by a partition for one person, and I can't even stretch my legs, so I have to take the exam here for two days and two nights, and I feel tormented when I think about it. Before the paper was issued, several examiners whispered in the middle of the examination room, and the thousands of candidates present were all hanging with one heart, each with their own thoughts and ghosts. A pair of eyes looked straight at Chu Qiu, with anticipation in his eyes, just waiting for the prime minister to make a move.

Xue Ji was keenly aware that there were two familiar figures among the several examiners, and even if he changed into an official uniform, Xue Ji could still recognize these two faces. Zhang Fu and Jiang Yan, it seems that he guessed well, the angler has a great background, a Shangshu Ling and a Zhongshu Ling, and he has a big face.

Compared with the business field or the street of the capital, the reader sitting in this examination room, no matter how rich or poor the family is, as long as he is a candidate, he is equal.

The bell rang suddenly, and Chu Qiu ordered in a deep voice, "Start the exam." With this order, the officials stationed next to each row of houses shouted in response, "Exam! ”

Lifting the pen and swiping the ink, what is left on the paper is not ordinary handwriting, not pen and ink marks, it is the pride and ambition in the hearts of scholars, and it is the road to the court officialdom.

Day and night changed, the chief examiner rotated several times, and when Xue Ji stopped eating and ate, he could see Chu Qiu patrolling in a blue background and a golden python robe, and an official of the Ministry of Rites hurriedly came and whispered in his ear, Chu Qiu's face suddenly changed, and he looked around.

Seeing this, Xue Ji hurriedly lowered his head, and only raised his head when the figure faded out of his sight. But after a while, he faintly heard the sound of an argument in the distance.

Chu Qiu glared at Zhang Fu angrily, and Zhang Fu sat on the chair without changing his color, and the tension between the two was so tense that outsiders were panicked when they saw it.

"Prime Minister, the lower official said - it can't be stopped."

"I'm the prime minister, I now order the exam to be suspended!"

Zhang Fu stood up, stared straight into Chu Qiu's eyes, and said categorically: "This is Chunqiu, and no one can stop it without the will of the Holy Lord." ”

Chu Qiu laughed angrily: "Someone is selling the question, I think this matter should be thoroughly investigated, and this Spring Festival must be stopped!" ”

Zhang Fu also smiled: "Cut the meat and stop the loss? ”

Chu Qiu's fists behind him were clenched tightly, the bones were distinct, and the green tendons on his forehead were visible, he was extremely angry, and gritted his teeth. "I think you're scheming."

"Prime Minister." Zhang Fu lowered his voice: "There are people selling questions every year, how can the prime minister be sure that what you hear is true?" When the saint came up with the question, only you, me, and Lord Jiang were present, do you mean that one of the three of us couldn't leak the question? ”

"Maybe?"

Zhang Fu sneered, and said: "You can go to the book to report to the saint, but this exam will never be suspended, if the prime minister is tired, find someone to replace him and rest for a while." ”

Speaking of which, it is certainly impossible to suspend the exam. Chu Qiu knew that behind this person was His Majesty, and even if he was one level higher than him, he couldn't help it, so he waved his sleeves and turned around with anger, and dispersed unhappily.

The two of them moved too much, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites in the Gongyuan couldn't help but look and probe, and the candidates heard trivial voices, some frowned and were very irritable, and the ghosts in their hearts were naturally like sitting on pins and needles, and they were terrified.

As soon as Chu Qiu left, Jiang Yan came up, obviously knowing in his heart, but he still asked tentatively: "Master Zhang, what's wrong?" ”

"The prime minister is worried about the country and the lord, but the state has national laws, and the spring festival is by no means a trivial matter...... Is the Book of Rites available? ”

As soon as Zhang Fu spoke, someone immediately went to ask Yu Huan, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, Yu Huan patrolled for most of the day and finally went down to rest for a while, just sat down and had a meal with the tea and called back, stuffy and full of grievances, he is a first-class official, but the Ministry of Rites has a lot of things to do in this place, and he is tired all day long but can't get it well, and when something goes wrong, he will be counted, annoying!

"Master Zhang."

"Lord Yu worked hard." Zhang Fu stepped forward and arched his hand, "It's troublesome for the adults to run, something happened just now, I see that this person's heart is floating and the order is scattered, which is inappropriate." Tired of the adults settling the candidates, the official went to the book to explain the matter. ”

Good guy, let me clean up the trouble you made? It sounds good to write to Your Majesty, the credit is yours, and it is a dereliction of duty in the Ministry of Rites to calculate the accounts, who doesn't know that you Zhang Fu is Your Majesty's henchman, and you are superior to others if you are a first-class member......

Yu Huan was furious in his heart, and Jiang Yan hurriedly pressed his shoulder when he saw this. "Lord Yu works hard, it's all for Your Majesty."

Zhang Fu didn't wait for him to answer, he was all in charge. "It's good that Lord Yu can think like this, as a minister, you always have to think about the saint."

After Zhang Fu left, Yu Huan's anger could no longer be suppressed, and he looked directly at Jiang Yan and said: "Lord Jiang, where is this for the sake of the saint, this is clearly ......"

"Lord Yu!" Jiang Yan hurriedly gestured to persuade him to silence him, "What is Lord Yu anxious about, this time the prime minister can't find a good one, and Lord Zhang may not be smart...... Let's just take advantage of the fisherman. ”

"Oh?" Yu Huan was puzzled: "How do you say this?" ”

"You're optimistic, it's a good show."

The wind and clouds are temporarily resting, and in the blink of an eye, it is another day and a night, this spring festival is nearing the end, Xue Jiyan looked at the ink in front of him, and fantasized countless times about the steady progress, the marquis and the prime minister, and the extremely human minister...... He didn't realize that this imperial examination had become a chess game in the eyes of several powerful ministers, and he was just one of many chess pieces at this time.

Leaving the examination room and returning home, Shen Yurong prepared a table of good food and wine and waited, but Xue Ji was not interested, so he ate a little at will and went back to the house. Shen Yurong looked haggard and distressed, thinking that it was because he had not rested well in the examination room, and he had bothered to write articles for two days, and he was tired and could fall asleep standing at this time. "Quicksand, let's remove all of this."

In the next few days, Xue Ji didn't go out, waiting at home with full longing for the release of the list, accompanying his wife to paint and play the piano, he always felt that time passed too slowly, and the nine days and nights waiting for the release of the list were longer than nine years.

When the city was full of peaches and plums, one morning, before the sky was bright, an official of the Ministry of Rites wearing a three-grade official uniform was busy outside the tribute courtyard. After dawn, I don't know who saw it first, and shouted "The list is released!" It attracted hundreds of candidates to look in front of the list, and the street in front of the Gongyuan was crowded for a while, not to mention the carriages and horses, and even a person or a yellow dog couldn't pass.

Due to the large number of people, or his own nervousness, when the sun set in the evening, Xue Ji came to the list outside the Gongyuan, feeling uneasy, but faintly looking forward to finding his name.

His gaze quickly skimmed over Yijia, and there was no word Xue Ji, and it was useless to even a Jiangling person. Xue Ji nervously checked the list of the top two again, and he looked at it word by word, still ...... didn't see himself, but he saw Ji Baiqing, the third in the second grade, which was also a good result. Xue Ji already felt a little chill in his heart, if he didn't even have the second grade, what was the use of being in the top three? If you really get into the top three, it's better not to win, and you can take the exam again in three years.

I don't know whether to be disappointed or happy, Xue Ji searched for the past word by word, and there was no him in the top three.

"Brother Qing?"

Xue Ji turned his head and saw that Xu Lang was sitting in front of the gate of the Gongyuan. "Brother Wubo!"

The two looked at each other, opened their mouths, and both stopped. However, both of them are clear-minded people, and they can guess that all they can ask at this time is whether they can be on the list and what their results are.

Xu Lang smiled bitterly: "Brother who doesn't hide it, I'm afraid I'm going to return in vain this time." ”

Xue Jiyi sighed: "I'm here with you, and I'm going to go back again." ”

Xu Lang was stunned, but actually laughed: "You and I are destined!" How, will we reunite in Chang'an after three years! ”

Xue Ji no longer bothered about being nameless on the list, walked to Xu Lang and sat down, and turned his head to look at him: "Brother Wubo...... Are you really going to go home? ”

When these words were asked, both of them were filled with bitterness in their hearts, both of them were not allowed to agree with their families and insisted on entering Beijing, and now if they return in vain, it is not certain whether they can come after three years, and it is inevitable that the city will be full of rumors and ridicule. Xue Ji was even more annoyed, he seemed to be able to hear the voice of Shui Ying'er and Chen Shao mocking openly and secretly in front of him.

Xu Lang said: "Where do I want to go back, but I am also temporarily staying at my uncle's house in Beijing, and it is not a big problem to stay here for a few days, but I am afraid that three years is not appropriate." Besides, I don't even have the skills to make a living, so I can't move an inch in Beijing......"

Xue Ji's mind was in a mess, and he began to think nonsense, he didn't understand the business of business, but Shen Yurong may not ...... Or the dagger given by the Shen family! King Ning!

Xue Ji patted his leg, as if he was suddenly opened, Shen Changqing had left all the ways for him to gain a foothold in the capital, and how could he let him return in vain!

Xu Lang was overjoyed when he saw him, and was puzzled for a while: "Brother Qing has a clever plan?" ”

Xue Ji secretly thought that the road in his hand could not be assigned to Xu Lang, but Xu Lang's uncle was not an idle person, they were all doorways, could they still be blocked? "Brother Wubo, Lord Shangshu of the Criminal Department should be able to find a way out for you, right? Three years, not long. ”

Xu Lang's face changed and changed, and finally turned into a wry smile, and sighed: "I can't hide it from Brother Qing." ”

"I have hardships, I didn't go to my heart, and I didn't go to my heart without Brother Bo." After saying that, Xue Ji got up and patted the hem of his clothes, looking up at the sunset in the distance. "Let's go, take care of Brother Wubo."

Passing by the cold or lively shops on the street, Xue Ji had mixed feelings in his heart, with indescribable loneliness, a trace of hesitation, and more unquenchable desire and fighting spirit.

When I got home, there was a letter on the floor, unsigned and unmarked.

Xue Ji picked up the letter, tore open the seal, and took it out to take a look

"Success or failure is not a moment."