"Your Excellency?" Xiao Rui looked at the middle-aged scribe dressed in front of him, and was very puzzled in his heart, a person from the Central Plains could command and lead a group of Turks? Carefully recalling the Turkic intelligence, Xiao Rui suddenly realized: "Zhao Deyan? ”

Zhao Deyan's smile was even worse, "No, it's just below." ”

Su Lie shouted angrily: "It turned out that you, a traitor to the country, gave me my life!" ”

Xiao Rui stretched out his hand to stop the furious Su Lie, staring at Zhao Deyan calmly, while recalling Datang's intelligence and evaluation of this person.

Su Lie's reaction was not expected by Zhao Deyan at all, he had taken refuge in Jieli for many years, who had never seen it? Such things abound, some scold themselves as national thieves, some scold themselves as villains, and some scold themselves for forgetting their roots...... I've heard it even if it's ugly.

On the contrary, it was Xiao Rui's calmness that surprised Zhao Deyan slightly.

"Does Xiao Concubine's horse also think so?"

Xiao Rui shook his head, "For those who don't understand, Xiao doesn't make an evaluation." Everyone's actions are personal choices, and there is no love for no reason, and there is no hate for no reason. Although you have been in the Turks for many years, you are in a high position, and you are deeply trusted by Jieli, but you are still dressed as a Han, which shows that you have not forgotten that you are a Han. If you appear before me today in Turkic clothes, you are already a dead man. ”

Zhao Deyan ignored the arrogance and threat in Xiao Rui's words, but as if he had met a confidant, he stroked his palms and praised, "A good sentence 'There is no love for no reason, and there is no hate for no reason', just by virtue of this statement, Xiao Yu Ma is also a confidant." If it weren't for the hostile relationship, I really wanted to have a drink with the colt. ”

"Would you like to hear the story below, donkey?"

Xiao Rui stretched out his hand and pointed at the Yumen Pass behind Zhao Deyan: "Aren't you afraid that I'm delaying time and waiting for rescue?" ”

The appreciation in Zhao Deyan's eyes was even greater, "The horse is a bright and upright person. I know that you want to delay time, but since you dare to ambush here, you are not afraid. The Yumen Pass is full of only a few thousand old and weak defenders, relying on the Guancheng to pay it back, and if you dare to go out of the pass, you will be sent to death. ”

Xiao Rui smiled bitterly: "It seems that Your Excellency has calculated Xiao today." In this case, let's listen to Mr. Zhao's story. ”

After speaking, he waved behind him, meaning to have someone bring tea. Zhao Deyan also made people carry a set of tea-drinking low tables, blankets, and cushions. Xiao Rui and the two sat opposite each other, boiling water and cooking tea, like a pair of old friends who had been friends for many years.

Su Lie, Cheng Huaimo and a group of other second-generation people all stood behind Xiao Rui, all with different expressions, Zhao Deyan glanced at it, didn't care, but slowly told about his experience.

"Under the fifth year of the emperor's birth, Luoyang people, ancestors were officials, to the father's generation was down, and the family opened an ordinary bookstore for a living. Before the age of 20, I had been studying in peace, and I had also been bent on serving the country and restoring the glory of my ancestors. In the first year of the Great Cause, the Emperor of the Great Cause issued a decree to implement the imperial examination and select talents, which was the first in ancient times. ”

Xiao Rui added a cup of tea to the other party, "What happened later?" ”

"Thank you, it turns out that the tea is boiled and brewed, and it is fragrant, but in the past, we drank tea but it was a terrible thing." Zhao Deyan took a sip and said with emotion.

"I thought that the poor family would finally have a day to come out. Unexpectedly, although the decree was good, the people who implemented it were a group of dumb ink officials. Almost all of them are from wealthy families, and when they screen and correct the test papers, they don't look like they are from famous families, so they all abandon them. ”

"From the day the imperial examination began, a new way of trickery arose, called throwing papers!"

"Pitching?" Yu Chi Baolin muttered puzzled.

Zhao Deyan smiled: "It seems that this is the son of an official eunuch who does not need to participate in the imperial examination, and he doesn't know what a paper is." Probably speaking, if you want to be hired in the imperial examination, you must first choose a wealthy family to give gifts and get the protection of one party, and then you can show your talent in the imperial examination, and finally you may be hired by the imperial court. ”

What??? Isn't this cheating? Yu Chi Baolin exclaimed.

Xiao Rui added with emotion: "To put it bluntly, it is to hand over a letter of nomination to a famous family, which means that from now on I am willing to be loyal to the family and become a vassal of others." Then people will review the test papers, and you will have a place when the title of the gold list is titled, otherwise don't want to be selected as an official. ”

"How can this be reasonable, the imperial examination is for the country, how can this be like choosing slaves for various families?" Yu Chi Baolin said with indignant hatred.

Zhao Deyan smiled with emotion, "What a familiar child's words, back then, I was also as righteous as you, and I was angry and complained about the injustice of the imperial examination, but unfortunately, in the end, I ended up with a miserable end of ruined family." As a last resort, he could only go to northern Xinjiang alone. ”

Xiao Rui somewhat understood the other party, and explained to Yu Chi Baolin: "Before the imperial examination system, the imperial court has always used the nine-grade Zhongzheng system, which is similar to the earlier filial piety and honesty. In fact, it is all a game between the nobles themselves. All those who can become officials are the children of nobles. A helpless and talented man from a poor family, who can't squeeze in. ”

"Emperor Daye is a great emperor, and the imperial examination system is also a precedent in ancient times, just to break the confinement of the aristocratic gate lords, if the imperial court is all their people, then what is the decree? Do you listen to the emperor and the court, or do you listen to the family of the gate lords? ”

"It's a pity that the officials responsible for the implementation of the imperial examination are all children of the family, so there is the harm of throwing papers. Even in today's Datang, there is no good way to block the evil of throwing scrolls. ”

Cheng Huaimo reminded in a low voice: "Brother Xiao, don't talk nonsense, Emperor Daye is a famous tyrant. ”

Xiao Rui laughed, "Tyrant? How many years has the emperor died? Whether he is a tyrant or not, the people of the world are clear. There is nothing that cannot be said, if a country wants to really stand up, then facing up to the gains and losses of the previous dynasty should come first, only knowing that smearing the predecessors is a manifestation of cowardice and incompetence, and such a court is hopeless. Only by daring to face up to the rights and wrongs of our predecessors, and then standing on the shoulders of our predecessors, and walking out of a broad road that surpasses the past and the present, can we be regarded as a real strong country. ”

"You go back and relay this to Your Majesty as it is, in front of him and the civil and military ministers, and I, Xiao Rui, also said the same."

Hearing the words, a group of second-generation people were deafening and stood on the spot. Su Lie's eyes were full of admiration.

Zhao Deyan's face was full of consternation, and then he got up and bowed to Xiao Rui: "Xiao Yuma's open-mindedness, Zhao Deyan admires!" Datang has you, the luck of the people of the country! ”

Xiao Rui returned the salute and joked with a smile: "Mr. Zhao, when your words reach Jieli's ears, I'm afraid it's not good for you." ”

Zhao Deyan said brightly: "You can't say anything to people, and say bright things to bright people." The colt is the target of Jieli Khan's confession, and he will definitely catch you back today. It's a pity that the food king is loyal to the king, please forgive me. ”

Wei Chi Baolin scolded: "Zhao Deyan, just because you were unfairly treated in the imperial examination room, you joined the enemy country and took revenge on the Central Plains?" What kind of reader are you? ”