The spring cold is expected to be steep, the east of the imperial city is the place where the royal family and dignitaries live, the night is silent, the biting cold wind blows through the streets, a thin figure on crutches walks on the street, the long swing of the clothes sweeps the loose snow at the corner of the street.

He walked through the solemn palaces, and stood at the gate in every place, and by the faint light of the lantern, he tried to make out the words on the plaque, and his eyes were always cloudy, and the other eye was not very useful. After taking a closer look, he sighed in disappointment and continued to walk towards the next one.

This cold wind is biting, the night is long, and the family goes to look for it, which is indeed a kind of torture for an old man with bad eyes.

But he didn't give up, he still searched one by one, and then recognized the words on the plaque. If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

At last he stopped in front of a mansion, judging by the majestic stone lions and the guard of honor at the door, this was a royal palace. There are five golden words on the plaque, "Dong'an County Palace".

He paused, turned to the side door of the courtyard on the other side, and knocked on the brass ring on the side door.

"Who......" The side door creaked open, and a porter-like person rubbed his hazy sleepy eyes to open the side door, only to see a blind old man on crutches standing at the door, and the first thing he said was: "Take me to see Lou Rui." ”

The porter looked the poor old man up and down, pouted, "Who are you?" Open and close your mouth to see our prince? Also, you dare to call our prince by name, and you are tired of crooked?"

The blind old man said again: "Tell Lou Rui that if he doesn't see me, then he will die!" ”

These words are hard, with an unquestionable taste. The porter wanted to ridicule him a few words, but looking at the old man's appearance, he couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "You wait, I'll go over and report!" After saying that, he closed the door with a "bang".

The blind old man turned his back, leaned on crutches, and his eyes "looked" at the bright moonlight in the dark blue sky, although he could only see a hazy halo, but this did not prevent him from enjoying the beautiful moonscape.

After touching the three pillars of incense, the door slowly opened again, and then the porter changed his respectful attitude and bowed down and said, "Distinguished guests, please come in......"

It is completely different from Fang Cai's attitude of scolding the old man for being "tired and crooked". The porter's body trembled with fear, he didn't expect that this old man was really the guest of his own prince, Wang Lou Rui of Dong'an County was just about to go to bed, and when he heard a blind old man visiting outside the door, he immediately ordered someone to come out to greet him.

The porter followed the old man to lead the way, trembling, and remembered that he had scolded him for being "tired of living" just now, and he felt a chill in his heart.

This is a guest that even the prince has to treat solemnly, but he almost expelled him. Now he only hopes that this old man will not take the scene just now to heart, treat him as a fart, and let him go. Otherwise, he will definitely end miserably!

The old man ignored the pleading glances he occasionally turned, and could not see the porter pleading with him.

He had been blinded by his ordeal, and he didn't know how many white eyes and cynicism he had suffered, which were really small things that were not worth mentioning for him, but they were just a small episode in the great wind and waves he had experienced......

His steps were gentle, and his crutches made a sonorous and crisp sound on the staggered stone path.

In a few moments, the porter led him to a small, richly decorated warm pavilion.

A short, fat and bloated old man with a purple waist was kneeling on the couch, hearing the sound of crutches on the ground, opening his lazy and sleepy eyes, and looking at the old man who was slowly coming step by step.

The corners of his mouth hooked up a touch of sarcasm, and said: "I heard that you are blind before, I still don't believe it, but now it seems that you are really blind......"

The short and fat old man glanced at the butler standing in the warm pavilion, and the butler made a gesture and slowly retreated with a group of maids. He is naturally Lou Rui, the nephew of the prince of Dong'an County and the empress dowager of Emperor Shenwu.

"Heh, ......it's blind," the old man didn't feel the unkindness in Lou Rui's words at all, and said with a smile: "When I was escorted into Jiafang, they dug a big pit to greet me, and I couldn't leave the shackles all day long, and I blinded my eyes with turnips......"

"Fortunately, I can still see a little, and I am not completely blind. Otherwise, I can only ask for directions all the way to find you, the Dong'an Palace......"

"You guy has always had no one in his eyes, comparing himself to Fan Zeng and Zhang Liang...... Oh, why didn't you think you'd be where you are today?" Lou Rui still looked sarcastic, "I'm afraid you didn't expect such a bleak ending, right?" ”

"The old man just wonders why you are still alive in this world! The first emperor was still too merciful, he shouldn't have just blinded your eyes in the first place, he should have killed you! ”

The old man also brought some anger, and said: "Lou Rui, you don't play the old man with the trick of not yin and yang, the old man is here to ask you to help the old man do something......

Lou Rui stared at him suspiciously, and spit out a word, "Say".

"I want you to help me get a place for the exam, isn't that a problem?"

"Exam?" Although Lou Rui has been away from the government for many years, he has heard about the recent uproar about the examination.

"Why do you want this spot?" Lou Rui looked at him suspiciously.

"I want a place, so naturally I'm going to take the exam......," he said lightly.

"You're going to take the exam? Heh, this is really ......" Lou Rui was stunned for a moment and laughed dumbly.

"You've stepped into the coffin with one foot, and you're not at home to care for a long time, why are you running to fight for this? Could it be that you also want to carp with those scholars to cross the dragon gate and slaughter the officials? Ha ......"

He slowly put away the smile on his face, looked at his silent appearance, frowned slightly, and said, "You don't really want to go back to the court, do you?" ”

"You just have to say if you can get a quota, and the rest, don't let the old man take care of it!"

Lou Rui looked at him playfully and said with a smile: "Oops...... I never thought that this old man of yours is really old-hearted, and he was scolded with two hundred sticks with a cane, and he wasted a pair of eyes, why do you still want to go back?"

"Will you be able to get a spot?"

Lou Rui said: "I'm afraid this is very difficult, the Ministry of Rites is now managed by Feng Zicong there, and it is very strict, I'm afraid I won't be able to get a quota...... You want a spot, why don't you sign up yourself? Won't they have a lot of scholars involved? ”

"I wasted a pair of eyes, and they wouldn't give me this place, otherwise why would I ask for you?" The old man's tone was full of indignation.

"I'm afraid this won't be easy......" Lou Rui just wanted to push over, but heard the old man say: "If you don't help me and try it, see if your fate will be worse than mine!" ”

The corners of Lou Rui's forehead suddenly burst with green tendons, his eyes stared at the old man, and said, "Do you think the old man is afraid of you?" The old man doesn't have long to live, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to do it in your hands? You can't help but underestimate me Lou Rui! ”

He sneered: "Believe it or not, if I kill you, absolutely no one will know!" ”

The blind old man sneered disdainfully: "In the past, you would only use this to bluff people...... When the old man is dying, he is still so virtuous!

If you dare to kill me, all the things you did in the past will be known!

The old man wants to see under Huangquan Road whether you can still sit firmly in this Taiping prince!

You're dying, but you still have children and grandchildren, you don't want to implicate them in dying together, do you? ”

Lou Rui stared at him for a while, "It's all old things, what can that handle do to me?" ”

"Oh, these really can't move you, but the old man has a lot of them, such as ...... How did Emperor Wenxiang die in the first place, the old man had heard a little about these things......"

"Enough! ......" Lou Rui whispered, a trace of panic flashed in his cloudy old eyes, "The old man promised you that he would definitely give you a place!" ”

The blind old man smiled slightly, turned around and prepared to leave, and said, "Then the old man is waiting for good news at home......

"Zu Ting!" Lou Rui looked at his back and said faintly: "Why are you so troubled?" It's not the same as it used to be. If you go, even if you pass the exam, you may not be able to use a concubine like you who was abolished by the first emperor......"

The blind old man paused for a moment and said, "My Zu Ting's talent is not inferior to Fan Zeng, if it is so wasted, the old man is unwilling!" ……”

"The old man wants to tell the people of the world that my ancestor ...... has the ability to help the world! ……”