Nine years of auspicious charms, late spring and early summer.

Imperial capital.

In a tavern in the neighborhood, a group of teenagers got drunk and got together to gamble and fight. Some people were held on the table, and they carried the wine jar and competed with their companions to see who drank more. The young people didn't think it was a big deal to see the excitement, and they coaxed vigorously, and the surrounding guests applauded and cheered, pushing the lively atmosphere to the top.

The curtain of the tavern was suddenly opened, and the cool spring breeze rushed in, and the atmosphere was frozen for a moment.

The sloppy and arrogant teenagers saw the person coming clearly, and almost rolled off the table with their heads in their hands, not knowing for a moment whether to hide the wine jar or pull the neckline first.

"Big, Miss, ......"

After returning to the imperial capital, Chu Zhixia's military power was withdrawn, and he was no longer Yu Linwei's top boss. But the Yulin guards still remembered Chu Zhixia's appearance of riding a horse and killing people, and they were a little indescribably in awe in their hearts. They gathered to drink tonight to celebrate their triumphant return, some people got promotions, some people got rewards, it was a happy thing, but they were still a little apprehensive when they saw Chu Zhixia.

Chu Zhixia smiled, took out the money bag and threw it on the counter, and smashed it with a sound, "I'm here to pay for you Cheng Weichang." He was on duty in Miyagi tonight, and he couldn't get out. ”

Chu Zhixia said to the boss again: "I paid for their wine." If it is not enough, the Autumn Leaves Mountain Residence on Minghua Street will report the name of Chu Zhixia to account. ”

The boss untied the money bag and saw that it was all white money, and nodded with a smile on his face, "I must serve the best wine to the young masters." ”

Chu Zhixia waved his hand at the restrained Yu Linwei, turned around and left the tavern. The curtain of the door fell together, completely isolating the gradually boiling bustle in the tavern. Chu Zhixia slowly walked on the moonlit street with the reins of the snow skull, and the shadows of the trees were swaying.

Walking out of that quiet street, turn out and turn out is the bustling night market of the imperial capital.

The storyteller on the side of the road caught the trend and quickly compiled the Gyeongju rebellion into a romance and sold it vividly; On the small building leaning on the red verdant, a beautiful girl waved a handkerchief with fragrant powder to greet regular customers, and the sound of the piano and flute lingered.

The plague in Binju and the war in Gyeongju seem to be the affairs of another world. Chu Zhixia's feet were still stepping on the blood-soaked land, but he was dazzled by the world of flowers.

Chu Zhixia had an illusory feeling, for a while he felt that the trip to the south was a dream, and for a while he felt that being here was the most gorgeous and illusory dream.

The charlatan performing juggling commands the monkey with a colorful stick, and the monkey walks on the tightrope and spews out a mouthful of liquor -

Chu Zhixia turned back at this moment.

The white wine spewed out by the monkey exploded into flames and exploded into a golden flower, and the flowers composed of light and flames were fleeting.

At the moment of withering, Chu Zhixia didn't see anyone.

She was a little disappointed.

"It doesn't seem like it's the same monkey that year anymore."

Chu Zhixia stiffly looked at the person next to Xue Cong.

He was dressed in a black robe, holding a sword, and his pale face resembled a painting of ink on rice paper. His eyes were shining brightly with flames, and he looked down at Chu Zhixia, like an indulgent lake.

"The last time we looked at it, it didn't seem to breathe fire." Shen Zhou discussed with her seriously, and his tone was natural and familiar, and he was intimate.

Chu Zhixia choked up a little inexplicably, and reluctantly laughed, "That's another monkey." It's just its son. ”

"Really?" Shen Zhou's eyes widened slightly.

"Really." Chu Zhixia's eyes were sour, "You have been away from the imperial capital for five years. Five years is a long, long time, enough for a little monkey to learn to walk a tightrope and breathe fire, don't you know? ”

Shen Zhou shook his head, reached out to hold her palm, and said in a soft tone, "There are a lot of things I don't know...... If you teach me, I'll understand. ”

"I'm a fast learner."

Chu Zhixia curled his knuckles and gently rubbed the pale scar on his throat, "This time...... Were there any other injuries? ”

——

Nine years of auspicious charms, April 20.

Learn to become a literary and martial artist, and the goods are with the emperor's family. The scientific examination is held once every three years, the autumn township examination, the spring examination, and the palace examination on April 20 is the vanity fair that all scholars in the world yearn for. The first place in the palace examination is the champion, followed by the list eye and the flower.

"The examiner of this year's palace exam is interesting."

Pei Zhang handed Chu Shixia a list, and the long resume of the examiner was attached to the back of the list. Chu Shixia sat cross-legged on the mat, and a handful of pale pink peach blossoms fell on his shoulders. Pei Zhang sat beside her leisurely and poured tea.

"It's all the Zhuang Party." Chu Zhixia said with a lack of interest, "What's so strange about this?" ”

"Scientific research can determine who will replace the vacant official positions in the DPRK and China, and it is also the general trend in the future. Whoever controls the scientific expedition controls the vast majority of officials. Otherwise, why did the regent and the first assistant have to go to the camp ceremony? ”

Pei Zhang blew off the steam of the tea and said with a smile, "In previous years, where was the regent willing to let the Zhuang family dominate. Donggong lost power, he should grab more power, how could he show weakness, people can't understand. ”

"What don't you understand about this?"

Chu Shixia brushed off the peach blossoms on his shoulders, looked at the clear sky, squinted his eyes slightly, and said, "The regent has more than one prince in his hands, as long as Bai Huan or Bai Yu succeeds to the throne, even if all the scholars in the world are the first assistants, it will not help." The regent is already old, and as long as he - and can only grasp the East Palace, he can keep the glory of the Chen family. ”

Pei Zhang shook his head and sighed: "Our Royal Highness the King of Qin just made a big splash in the spring shooting, and there was gossip that on the day of the triumph of the mission, the King of Qin personally burned the 10,000 scrolls of scriptures that had been hand-copied in the Huguo Temple for three years to pray for the prosperity of the country. ”

"It's really pretending." Chu Shixia sighed sincerely.

Pei Zhang shrugged his shoulders and smiled helplessly.

"Don't talk about him. The palace test is about to start, does Pei Gongzi have a promising candidate? ”

Bai Ziche has made great contributions in Jiangnan, and naturally has the right to participate in the discussion of politics in the DPRK, and what he says also has a certain weight. Bai Huan regarded him as a thorn in the flesh, grinding his teeth and ready to tear him apart and eat him at any time, if Bai Ziche did not cultivate his henchmen, he would take stupidity as integrity.

"Speaking of which, this person still has some connections with the Huo family." Pei Zhang handed her another dossier.

The Huo family is a famous family in the south of the Yangtze River, and its reputation and prestige are spread all over the world, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the leader of the world's scholars. The Huo family opened the academy widely, enlightened their young son, and reached out to the poor family, claiming that there was no class in education and a clear conscience.

Many people in the government and the opposition have received the favor of the Huo family, and these people do not worship the dock or cling to the powerful after entering the imperial capital. They were nominated in the much-anticipated scientific examination, and then they fell silent in the lifeless Hanlin Academy, waiting for the appointment of the officials in the distant future.

"Xu Yan graduated from the Huo family's academy, but after he entered the imperial capital, who did he worship?"

Chu Zhixia looked at Pei Zhang's subtle smile and realized that a third-color chess piece had appeared in this chess game—or rather, the black and white chess pieces in the corner had taken off their disguise and exposed their faces.

"The eldest princess of Qi Kingdom."

"Qi Country" is not a country, but a title, and it is a rather honorable title. Chu Zhixia only paused slightly, and then matched this title with the face in his mind. Bai Yi, the eldest princess of Qi Kingdom, is the emperor's half-sister, the daughter of the noble Emperor Ling, Bai Huan and Bai Ziche have to call her "aunt".

Emperor Ling's heirs are meager, and she is also the only remaining eldest princess today.

"On the whole, there are more readers and friends who ask for corrections, so I'll arrange a time to add more~ I will inform you in advance in my writing~"