The big man entered the city, and at this moment in an inn in the capital, a group of scholars were more excited than the others.

"The new monarch is finally going to succeed to the throne. Ladies and gentlemen, it's been more than a year! ”

It is said that one of the three joyful events in life is the title of the gold list, and this group of scholars had already experienced that kind of ecstasy last year: they were all winners of the 15th year of Zhengde's rite department examination.

But the ecstasy was followed by more than a year of depression: because the emperor was seriously ill after returning from his southern tour, the palace examination that should have been held after the end of the Ministry of Rites examination has been postponed until now.

The palace test is no longer removed, and all of them are already quasi-jinshi, but after all, their current status is only a tribute student, and they have not been punished.

"The talent ceremony is a first-class event, and the palace test should be scheduled for next month." One of them smiled and teased at the other thin scholar, "Uncle Cai, your bad luck has come to an end." Liang Ge has always appreciated your talents, and you are fellow villagers. This time, Liang Ge Lao went to Anlu to welcome the new monarch with an ancient body, and he only needs to mention your name in front of His Majesty, and Uncle Cai will be on the rise. ”

The scholar waved his hand a little embarrassedly: "Liang Ge Lao is just merciful in the twists and turns of the next department, which list the palace test is on, and what position will be temporarily awarded after that, it still depends on the article and ranking." ”

"Blessings and misfortunes!" The tributes were not only excited that the palace test was finally about to open, "Your Majesty is the son of a vassal king to succeed the unification, this is really extremely rare!" Although we are the tributes of Zhengde Xinsike, we will be the first Jinshi taken by His Majesty! He has always been a son of heaven and a courtier......"

Gongsheng, known as Uncle Cai, is named Huang Zuo, and he and Liang Chu are both from Guangzhou Prefecture.

Now thirty-one, Huang Zuo has become a young man, and the teacher who was enlightened at the age of six said that there was nothing to teach him and let him go home to study on his own. He finished his homework before the imperial examination at the age of eleven, but after that, he officially embarked on the road of the scientific examination, but it was a bumpy time of nearly 20 years.

was already the head of the college examination, but due to the grievances of the two school inspectors, Huang Zuo, the original head of the case, was not allowed to participate in the examination.

Later, I learned about the Yuan in the township test, but how far away is Guangzhou Mansion from the capital? Huang Zuo didn't make it to the Ministry of Rites exam in the spring of the following year.

Three years later, I took the exam again, and my father died halfway through and went home to keep my filial piety.

In the next subject, this time I got sick, and I couldn't continue to take the test halfway through. Huang Zuo was disheartened, but it was at that time that Liang Chu encouraged him, a fellow countryman, to try again.

Then it was last year, and this time it was even more speechless: Huang Zuo's road guide was lost, and he couldn't take the exam according to the regulations. If it weren't for Mao Cheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, who gave a special exception, Huang Zuo would have had to delay for another three years.

finally became a tribute student in the eighteenth place, and the palace test was delayed again and again.

During this time, Huang Zuo didn't know how many people in the same family or ridiculed or complained about being called Kedao Buster.

Now that the opportunity is finally coming, Huang Zuo sat by the window and looked at the moving guard of honor of the Son of Heaven in the distance, looking at the people in various official robes of vermilion, blue and green.

When he went to visit Xie Liang Chu after high school last year, Huang Zuo knew that he had been placed at the top of the list, and later he was replaced by the eighteenth when he disagreed.

At this moment, Huang Zuo sincerely hopes that this new monarch is a Bole.

……

In the book, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy also looked at the big chariot in front of them with different eyes.

The bachelors and scholars of the Hanlin Academy are of low grade, but the place of talent storage has always been the best in each subject to enter. As a close minister of the Son of Heaven, after the establishment of the cabinet, a de facto threshold has been formed over the years: non-Hanlin is not allowed to enter the cabinet.

Now that the new monarch will ascend the throne, the emperor and the courtiers will be more vividly reflected in this emperor, who was originally the prince of the vassal king.

Among the four cabinet ministers, Yang Tinghe is sixty-three, Liang Chu is seventy, and Jiang Mian and Mao Ji are both fifty-eight years old.

In a few years, it is not known how many opportunities will arise in the court.

Now these Hanlin scholars are all figuring out what kind of articles Xinjun likes, what kind of people he admires, and what knowledge he admires.

For a fifteen-year-old emperor, a sutra feast is indispensable. In addition to the important ministers, the bachelors of the Hanlin Academy also have the opportunity to study and speak!

Among these people was a man who had just turned forty.

He was Yan Song, who was the second in the second class and the fifth in the overall ranking in the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, and entered the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi at that time.

But then Emperor Zhengde ascended the throne, Liu Jinquan fell into the world, and Yan Song retired and returned to his hometown, staying in his hometown of Yuanzhou Prefecture for ten years.

Yang Tinghe, the chief examiner of the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, once invited him to be reinstated, but he refused.

Some people say that he is raising hope, but he understands the danger of the court at that time.

The eunuchs were in power, and the emperor was prejudiced against the ministers, so it was really not a good time to work hard. Yan Song, as Yang Tinghe's protégé, may be on the cusp of charging forward at that time.

Even five years ago, the eunuch power had been suppressed a lot, and when Yang Tinghe invited him to reinstate, he agreed, and after returning to Beijing, he only stayed in the noble Hanlin Academy.

But now, Yan Song's mind finally came alive. Yang Ting and Gui are the first assistants and the merit of supporting the establishment, and the intensity of eliminating maladministration and suppressing the power of eunuchs in the past month or so is quite glorious.

The most important thing is that Yan Song is already forty years old!

He has accumulated so many years, how long can he wait?

……

When the master was about to arrive in front of the Daming Gate, in a small mansion in the Xizhi Gate of the capital, the owner Zhang Ji knelt tremblingly in the courtyard, trembling and asked: "I don't know that the heavenly officials are coming, the students are rude, the cold house is rude, and I don't know ......."

"Zhang Xiucai, this can't be helped, our family is not here to announce the decree." The man dressed in eunuch clothes helped him up with a smile on his face, "Zhang Xiucai also knows that His Majesty is about to ascend the throne." Those of us who are slaves and maids have to help our masters think about things first. The Queen Mother decreed that the slaves and maids should first pre-select some ladies in Beijing. I heard that Ling Qian's daughter is outstanding and knowledgeable, I wonder if you can let our family see it first? ”

Zhang Ji's face suddenly changed drastically when he heard this, and he replied hesitantly: "How can the little girl get into the eyes of the heavenly family." This celestial official ......"

The eunuch's face sank for a moment, and then he said with a smile: "Zhang Xiucai, just pre-selected some ladies first." Our family is serving the order of the Queen Mother, Zhang Xiucai can know that if Ling Qianjin has both talent and appearance, he will have a great chance to be a mother in the world after entering the palace in the next year's draft. At that time, Zhang Xiucai's position as an earl is indispensable. ”

Where is Zhang Ji's room to refuse in front of the people personally arranged by the Queen Mother?

He knew where this misfortune had begun.

Over the past year or so, many slaves of powerful families have come several times, but they have all been prevaricated by Zhang Xiucai on the pretext that his dead wife is new and his daughter is still in the filial piety period.

There has been no way for this period of time, how can he, a talent who has failed many times, compete with those powerful people?

Just thinking that his baby daughter was going to be accepted as a concubine by those notorious magnates, Zhang Xiucai was reluctant in every way.

I don't know which relatives and friends saw the filial daughter at the funeral of the deceased wife, so it was spread.

Unexpectedly, now it has spread to the palace again.

Zhang Qinghe, who was ignorant and frightened, was extremely uncomfortable and was stared at by the eunuch for a while, and after his restless father sent those people out, he asked in fear: "Father, what happened?" ”

Zhang Ji sighed sadly, looking at his fourteen-year-old but beautiful daughter.

There is glory and wealth in the harem, but it is all dangerous.

Now it is the Empress Dowager Zhang who sent someone out to pre-select the lady, there is no doubt that she wants to choose some people with excellent appearance, and then affect the new gentleman who is not a parent. I don't know how many of these are unpredictable.

Zhang Ji knew that with his daughter's talent, it would be difficult to escape this catastrophe.

The most important thing is that the daughter's reputation has spread faintly. If the draft really starts next year, Suncheonfu will also come over, right?

He only hated that he hadn't told his daughter earlier that he was a good family.

"Father...... Could it be...... Draft? Zhang Qinghe was smart and clever, seeing his father's expression, thinking of the eunuch just now, his fair face became even whiter.

Zhang Ji covered his face worriedly: "It's late...... has been registered, and it is still a pre-selection ordered by the Queen Mother herself. Even if you want to hide, you will anger the Queen Mother. ”

Although Zhang Qinghe is both talented and beautiful, this big change also made her at a loss.

Zhang Ji's guess was right, from the moment she decided to make Zhu Houxi the emperor, Empress Dowager Zhang had already arranged the pre-selection of ladies.

At the moment when Zhu Houxi approached Daming Gate step by step, some of these people who had been contacted in advance were ecstatic, some were shocked, and some were extremely frightened.

Who doesn't know that the Forbidden City is a life-devouring beast?

Now, Zhu Houxi has passed through the Daming Gate and entered the scope of the imperial city.

Directly in front of him was the familiar and unfamiliar Chengtian Gate.