Tribute is a major event of the Liang Dynasty, and the news on the autumn field swept every corner of Shengjing in an instant.

The vendors on the West Street all walked out of their shops, crowding the originally small West Street.

"Have you heard, the scholar who died in the house of the Gongyuan was originally Wu Xiucai from our West Street Fresh Fish Shop!"

"Where did the rumors come from? Talented people are kind and honest on weekdays, except for reading books and fish stalls, they don't go to the side places, who will have a holiday with him, I'm afraid I heard it wrong, right? These words were said by the warm-hearted sister-in-law Song.

The well-informed widow Sun was passing by with a vegetable basket, and when she saw this, she leaned forward, "I just came back from the Gongyuan, Xiucai was not poisoned, he drank poison and died." ”

"Drink poison yourself?" Everyone looked at her, "Good and decent, why do you want to drink poison yourself?" ”

Widow Sun was about to answer, when another wail came from the end of the street: "Talented—"

The crowd looked forward, and saw a yellow-faced and thin old man staggering down the street, with a gray beard and tears flowing all over his clothes, and someone recognized him as Daddy Xun from Miaokou, so he asked: "Daddy Xun, aren't you also out this year?" What happened in the Tribute Courtyard? ”

As soon as he said this, Father Xun rolled down into tears again, coughed and sighed: "Yes, I was forced by those people-"

The people around him squeezed towards him, chattering and inquiring with him, the portrait was far away, as if it had become dense ink characters on the exam paper, circling towards him, reminding Daddy Xun of a scene in the Gongyuan -

The people of the Terracotta Division took away the twelve people who took the exam, and the medical officer also found a paper bag containing poison in the examination basket, which alone was not enough to prove that Wu Youcai committed suicide by taking poison.

What really confirmed the truth of self-destruction was Wu Youcai's last volume.

Wu Youcai broke through the window of the number building before the end of the last game, even if it was because of the critical situation, this year's autumn results could not be counted. Several examiners of the Ministry of Rites were taken away for trial by the people of the Criminal Prison Division, and the bachelor from the Hanlin Academy took Wu Youcai's papers.

At that time, these candidates were still immersed in the aftermath of the dead man in the Gongyuan and the anger of Qiu Yu's cheating in the exam, but Father Xun saw that the bachelor staring at Wu Youcai's scroll, and his expression was a little strange.

He and Wu Youcai had a friendship of the same year, and he was concerned about Wu Youcai's fate, so he went to the bachelor's side with a shy face, wanting to see what the lyrics were written on the last volume of Wu Youcai's life.

He saw—

"Sadly, Confucianism is tireless. Reading eyes are dark, and the pen is callous......"

Father Xun's eyes were filled with tears, and he raised his head and shouted: "If it weren't for those examiners and candidates colluding with each other, and taking the autumn exam in broad daylight, how could you have been unknown for more than ten years?"

"He knew that fraud was rampant, and it was difficult for ordinary people to shake high-ranking officials, so he had to use his death to make his will clear, and use his death to lead people to conduct a thorough investigation of the examination room."

"Mountains and pine streams, the terrain follows the high and low...... The terrain is high and low! ”

He shouted bitterly, and there was also a resentment in his heart. Wu Youcai exposed the darkness of the examination room with his death, the twelve substitutes were taken away, and the examiner caught the trial, but Wu Youcai's life was gone. Even in the past twelve years, maybe he could have been nominated for the gold list, glorified the lintel, and let his mother see his own scene, but he was cut off by others.

He himself is the same.

After a lifetime of fame, he found that what he had learned was nothing more than nothing. The most unbearable thing in this world is not that you can't get it, but that you can get it and lose it.

It's not fair!

The depression in Lao Ru's heart had not subsided, and the young man from Sun's tailor's house at the end of the street hurriedly came again. As he ran, he shouted, "Oh no, no, uncles and aunts!" There are many officers and soldiers in Brother Wu's house, and they are searching everywhere, as if they want to cure Brother Wu's crimes! ”

"Punishment?" Sister-in-law Song said suspiciously, "Talented people are dead, what kind of crime is treated?" ”

"Say yes...... It is said that Brother Wu is taking poison in the house, which is a move to disrupt the scientific field and shake people's hearts. Now I am searching at the Wu family to see if there are any relatives to take with me. ”

Relatives? Wu Youcai's only mother was buried last month, and he was alone, where did he come from. The official wanted to convict him, but he was afraid that this time it would be in vain.

But...... Disrupt the scientific field and shake people's hearts?

The surroundings gradually fell silent.

After a long time, someone in the crowd spoke: "This is not a bully." ”

"Heh, it's really cheaper than grass."

……

Regarding whether human life is cheaper than grass, Hu Yuanwai is arguing with others at the moment.

In the shabby grass hut of the fresh fish shop, a group of scholars crowded at the door, confronting the officials with knives.

The officials on the other side of the trial court quickly occupied the Wu family's house after the Gongyuan case. The curtain in the house has not been taken down a few days ago, and the white cloth lantern has been rudely torn off by the official, and it is a mess inside and out, which shows that this empty house with no one is desolate.

Hu Yuanwai's face turned red with anger, and he blocked the door with his arms crossed, preventing the officials from leaving: "You are deceiving people too much!" ”

Wu Xiucai was already dead, and he committed suicide by taking poison in the house of the Gongyuan, just because he found that in the examination room where he had worked hard for more than ten years, there was another kind of ladder that ordinary people could not see. Frustrated, he committed suicide by taking poison, no matter why he claimed in the exam room that someone had poisoned him, but he had already given the answer in the final exam paper.

Ordinary people have been bullied so far, and even lost their lives, but in the eyes of the high-ranking old men, they can't see the suffering of the people, only see the stigma of "picking provocations and disrupting the examination room", and even after death, they will not be at peace, and their former residence will be trampled like this.

If it weren't for the fact that Sister-in-law Wu had passed away now, wouldn't this seriously ill old mother also be affected. Every step that the officials stepped on in the dilapidated house was like trampling on the hearts of ordinary people.

Although Hu Yuanwai is pedantic, he has always been kind-hearted, and he is an old friend of Wu Youcai. At present, he is even more furious, and he took a group of scholars to the door of Wu's house, asking for an explanation for Wu Youcai.

The officials looked at the scholars with contemptuous eyes: "Get out of the way, and then disturb the government's errands, be careful to arrest you together!" ”

"Don't let it!"

The official ran out of patience and pushed the scholar in front of him away, and the scholar was so thin that he was pushed so viciously that he fell to the ground at once.

This is ordinary, a group of ordinary people naturally do not want to have a bad relationship with officials, but perhaps because this grass hut is too dilapidated, and the white flags hanging are too dazzling, or maybe it is a group of scholars who get together, the sense of justice and impulse are always much more turbulent together, Hu Yuanwai's blood surged into his mind, and he forgot for a moment to protect himself, and suddenly rushed towards the officers and soldiers in front of him.

"It's too much of a deception, I'm fighting with you—"

……

Hu Yuanwai led a group of scholars to fight with the officials at the entrance of the temple, and when the news was transmitted back to the Renxin Medical Center, Du Changqing was also shocked.

"Old Hu fighting? His old bones, it's okay to scold people, how can he fight with people? ”

"It's true." Ah Cheng pursed the corners of his mouth, "Many neighbors on West Street have gone to help, and now it's a mess." ”

At first, it was just that the scholars had a dispute with the officers and soldiers over Wu Youcai. Those officials acted arrogantly, and there were many disdainful and contemptuous insults to ordinary people in their words, and all of a sudden the neighbors who called West Street to help persuade them also committed public anger, and somehow, the officials and the people fought.

Not to mention, the group of neighbors on West Street looked inconspicuous, but they had their own advantages when they got into a fight, and they didn't ask the officials to please them. But if it goes on like this, I'm afraid it's indispensable to take it back to play the board.

Ah Cheng asked, "Boss, should we go and help?" ”

Du Changqing didn't speak, and looked at Lu Tong in front of the medicine cabinet.

Xia Rongrong's master and servant went out, Lu Tong was checking the newly collected medicinal materials, the autumn medical hall was not as hot as some time ago, and her quiet expression lined the surroundings a little more lonely.

Du Changqing sent Ah Cheng to sweep the floor at the door, approached Lu Tong in three or two steps, stared at her and whispered: "Wu Xiucai's matter, you did it, right?" ”

Lu Tong paused and looked up at him.

He lowered his voice, unable to hide a certain anxiety in his eyes, "You went to his house to deliver the money that day, and you went for a long time...... He committed suicide by poisoning again, was it the poison you gave him? ”

Lu Tong looked at him quietly for a long time and nodded lightly.

Du Changqing is a person who looks very arrogant on the outside, and he is not very reliable in everything, but in some details, he is more careful and shrewd than ordinary people.

"He's crazy, you're crazy too!" Du Changqing couldn't help but raise his voice, afraid that Ah Cheng would hear it, so he hurriedly lowered his body again, gritted his teeth and stared at Lu Tong: "He asked you for poison, and you gave it, you thought that you were helping him, and you were involved in yourself!" ”

Lu Tong was stunned.

Du Changqing thought that it was Wu Youcai who took the initiative to ask her for poison.

Yes, in Du Changqing's eyes, for no reason, she had no reason to encourage Wu Youcai to commit suicide.

"Wu Xiucai too!" Du Changqing licked his lips, hated iron and said: "Why do you want to take poison in the house, it's inexplicable!" No matter how disheartened you are, you won't even want your life. ”

Lu Tong's eyes moved, and he said lightly: "Poor and lowly people have nothing, and when they are dying, they get rid of words." Rich and noble people have everything, and when they are dying, they bring a love word. Take off a tired word, feel relieved; With a love word, such as a shackle. ”

Du Changqing said angrily: "Don't write Zou Zou, I don't understand." ”

She was silent and spoke: "The poor have nothing, only a cheap life." Since it is difficult to get justice in life, it is good to fight for this life and pull a few people down. For Wu Youcai, dying like this is a relief. ”

"Really?" Du Changqing was puzzled, "Wu Xiu thinks like this?" ”

Lu Tong smiled.

Of course, Wu Youcai thinks so.

Because, she thinks the same way.

Du Changqing waved his hand: "I only know that it's better to die than to live, forget it, if you don't mention this, everyone is gone, and it's useless to say this." Now that things are getting bigger, what if they find out what happens to you? ”

He pressed his forehead: "Although you just gave poison, but Gongju made such a big scandal, those who suffered losses will inevitably find a gas raft." Wu Xiucai is dead, if you find out about it, you will be in big trouble. We are now one and half owners, and I still rely on you to develop, if you enter Zhao Prison halfway, who will I cry to? ”

"Doctor Lu," he slapped the table and said in a serious tone, as if he was going to do something big with someone, "we have to think of a countermeasure in advance." ”

Lu Tong was stunned.

She didn't expect that at this time, Du Changqing would treat them as a group, and he was so worried about her future, so he didn't speak for a while.

was silent, the felt curtain on one side was lifted, and the face of the silver kite came out from behind the curtain, looking at the two of them: "I have an idea, do you want to hear it?" ”

Du Changqing's eyes widened, and Yinzheng hurriedly defended: "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to be standing here and hearing it." ”

Du Changqing subconsciously glanced at Lu Tong, and saw that Lu Tong didn't react, so he snorted: "Tell me, what bad idea do you have?" ”

Yinzheng walked in, and also approached the two of them, looking from a distance, the three of them seemed to be a pile of inseparable threads, Yinzheng said: "At present, the officials and scholars are in trouble, either the east wind overwhelms the west wind, or the west wind overwhelms the east wind." If they want to take the talk, they will really give Wu Xiucai a crime, and it will affect the girl. It's better to strike first. ”

"First strike?"

Yin Zheng stroked his sideburns, and a pair of sparkling eyes flashed with some cunning light: "Those officials dare to be so powerful, they are nothing more than relying on an official skin." If you peel off the skin, there's nothing to be afraid of. ”

Du Changqing snorted: "You should be picking shrimp shells." ”

Yinzheng ignored him and said to himself: "Didn't Father Xun say that Wu Xiu decided to die because he was discouraged about the substitute exam?" Before he died, he left a poem on the exam paper. How many scholars in Shengjing are not necessarily all young masters from rich and noble families, and when the students of the ordinary people see it, it is inevitable that they will not have relatives, and people's hearts are flesh and blood. Those officials are thieves, so we want to make things bigger, make them anxious, and be angry for Wu Xiucai! ”

When she said this, her tone was sonorous and powerful, and she didn't see Su Rili's caution at all, and when she looked closely, she seemed to hide a little eager anticipation.

Lu Tong thought, maybe he stayed with him for too long? Yinzheng is also now, every time he talks about being afraid, he actually seems to enjoy the abrupt excitement brought by this secret layout.

Du Changqing touched his chin and thought about it, and humbly asked for advice: "Excuse me, how can I make things bigger?" ”

"It's not simple," Yin Zheng glanced at him, "As the saying goes, there are four kinds of people in the world that can't be provoked, you Fang monks, beggars, idle men, Ya Po, Du shopkeeper has so many leisure friends, call at will, can teach people to endure hardships." Isn't it? ”

I don't know whether this is praise or disparagement, so Du Changqing also choked up, couldn't find a word to answer for a while, and stood in place and stared at Yinzheng dryly.

When Lu Tong heard this, he couldn't help but bow his head and smile, and when he raised his head again, he rarely showed a little ridicule at Du Changqing.

"I think that's a good idea."

She said: "Shopkeeper Du, this time it's all up to you to help." ”

"There are four kinds ......of people in this world who can't be messed with" - "Three Words and Two Beats"

"Saddened for Confucianism...... Mountain seedlings and pine ......" - "Sorrowful Walk"