Niu Laosan left, but he did not return to his cell.

Instead, he slipped out of the prison alone.

Later, I learned that the two jailers on duty that night did not know who they had received, so they let go of Niu Laosan, and the two of them also fled from Pi County with their families. Soon became wanted by the county government, but these two disappeared and never appeared again.

Therefore, it is impossible to have conclusive evidence to identify the person behind the scenes.

Although Bai Song was sure that it was the Zheng family's people who were doing ghosts, there was no evidence, so he could only keep this account in his heart.

The next day, Niu Da was released.

He was the one who was beaten and never fought back.

It is obviously unconscionable that such people are convicted.

On the same day, the small year review, which was concerned by the entire Youzhou, began.

Not only in the Lin Mansion, but also outside the Lin Mansion, countless literati and students have gathered.

This is the most lively time in Pi County in the past ten years.

In fact, Bai Song was looking forward to the Xiao Sui review, and he wanted to see what the gathering of ancient literati was like.

But it's a pity that he didn't have the opportunity to participate in this year's Little Year's Review.

At noon, Xiaocui came to visit the prison with wine and food, and brought her aunt's favorite green onion roasted donkey tongue.

The wine is the wine of the Xia family, and after drinking Moutai, I naturally don't like this.

But it's better to talk than nothing, and it's good to drink some.

Today is so lively that even the jailers are discussing what happened to Xiao Sui.

But Xiaocui didn't seem interested, and when she saw that no one came to drive her away, she stayed in prison with her uncle.

Bai Song was full of food and drink, and he was fine, watching Xiao Nizi honestly guarding herself, a little strange: "Hey." ”

"Huh?" Xiao Cui shook her head and blinked her eyes.

"Have you changed sex?"

"Huh?" Xiaocui doesn't understand very well.

"Didn't you look at me before? Why don't you even read the little year's review now, but guard me in this damp prison? ”

Xiao Cui's face was slightly red, and she pouted with disdain: "What! It's not pretty! It's all little white-faced people holding books, shaking their heads, and they don't know what to say, it's very boring. ”

"Isn't it more boring in this prison?"

"What Miss said, let Xiao Cui accompany her aunt more. Otherwise, who will be with you? ”

"Why didn't Xiang'er come to see me?"

"Miss is afraid of gossip."

"What's there to gossip about?"

"You...... You don't want to see me, do you? ”

Bai Songle shook his head hesitantly: "Not really, the main thing is that now you have become obedient, and you don't quarrel with me anymore, it's a little boring." ”

"Who...... Who...... Who is good! Xiaocui said dissatisfied, "People see that you are pitiful in prison, otherwise they won't give you a good face." ”

"Okay, you can do whatever you like, Uncle, I'm going to sleep."

"That'...... That little green is gone. ”

"Let's go, let's go, hurry up and take a look at the little year review, Ming'er will tell my uncle about some rare things in the little year review."

……

This year's Little Year's review is a bit unusual.

It's not just the introduction of "sponsors" that is puzzling.

Many people are talking about this year's Little Year's Review, but at the same time, they are not missing gifts from sponsors.

On the other hand, among the children of the family, there are fewer people discussing articles, but there are more people discussing the Lin family's son-in-law and the Zheng family's young master.

These off-string sounds have more or less made this year's Little Year's Review a little tasteless.

But when it comes to the most important book review in the past years, the children of all families are also very concerned.

This year, there are more than 30 articles to be evaluated, and the main reviewers are the famous Qin Lao, who is over the age of old, and several family heads led by the Zheng family as re-evaluators.

The book review will take place over two days.

On the first day, more than a dozen articles by the children of the family were also published.

Although the chief reviewer praised it with great praise, the articles of the children of the family were not as bad as a year.

The article and comments spread out, and they did not cause any sensation, but were ridiculed by some poor children who did not enter the Xiaosui review outside.

This incident made all the participating families gloomy, and even a little embarrassed.

The first day of the little year's review ended hastily, and the children of various families mixed together to laugh and play, without the slightest sense of urgency, but sang in the flower building in the county that night.

The heads of the families above are worried about this, and if they continue like this, they are afraid that their families, which have been inherited for hundreds of years, will have no successor.

……

The next day.

Xiaocui still came at noon and changed a few delicate side dishes for her uncle.

Bai Song was eating vegetables and drinking wine, and asked, "What is so strange about yesterday's Xiao Sui review?" ”

Xiao Cui shook her head: "What's so strange?" It's just that the stories of some uncles beating the young master of the Zheng family are all nonsense and annoying. ”

"Isn't there a decent article? No, there should be a lot of stories in the gathering between literati. I heard that there are a lot of works that will be circulated at the beginning of the previous year for people to discuss. ”

"Uncle, when did you like articles?"

"Hey!" Bai Song sighed, "It's the sponsorship I went to talk about, but at that time, I patted my chest and promised that I would definitely make the Xia family's wine famous all over the world with the help of Xiao Sui Ping, but now Xiao Sui Ping has passed a day, and there is no wind at all." Didn't it make the Xia family's sponsorship go down the drain? How will people sponsor again in the coming year? ”

"Uncle, why do you care about this? You still care about yourself. Xiao Cui hoped that the Zheng family would leave as soon as possible, so that her uncle would be able to leave this ghost place as soon as possible. ”

Bai Song pondered: "No, take people with short hands and eat people with soft mouths...... After receiving the Xia family's money, you can't do nothing. Has Lin Xun's article ever been rated? ”

"Second Young Master's article...... It seems to be at the end of this afternoon. What can the second young master write at that level? ”

"Find a pen and paper right away."

Xiaocui looked puzzled, but when she saw that her uncle looked serious, she didn't want to ask too much, so she hurriedly went to find a pen and paper.

A moment later, Cui returned with pen and paper.

Bai Song hurriedly took the pen and wrote on the paper.

Xiao Cui looked curious and watched silently from the side.

The little girl looked at what her uncle wrote, but she felt that the word "uncle" was strange and funny, and she laughed with tears in her eyes while covering her mouth.

But Bai Song didn't pay attention to it at all, and kept writing for half an hour before he shook his hand, feeling a little tired.

Bai Song gently picked up the written paper, blew the ink, and after it dried, folded it and handed it to Xiao Cui, and said:

"The things on this were handed over to Lin Xun, and he said that he wrote it, and asked him to comment on it to the chief reviewer of the Xiaosui review. If someone says that the words are too white, the rhyme is different, the style is not neat, and there is no word card to fight. Let Lin Xun reply that the good writing is casual, easy to come by, there is no need to organize the battle, and he is obsessed with stylistic word cards, but the incompetent people draw the ground as a prison, and I disdain it. If you want to follow the ancient law, and the poems and texts are neat, I can also write a poem casually. Then let Lin Xun choose one of these poems to read as appropriate. ”

After speaking, Bai Song patted Xiaocui on the shoulder: "Go quickly, time is pressing, don't let Lin Xun's article have already been reviewed." ”

Xiaocui seemed to understand whether she understood or not, and repeated her uncle's words again, and after confirming that she was not mistaken, she ran home with the article written by Bai Song.

……

On the second day of the Xiaosui review, the quality of the article has improved, and the faces of the parents have looked better.

However, due to the influence of yesterday, some students from poor families outside threatened to be unconvinced, saying that it was the family's article that rats gnawed on ants and crawled, and it was rotten.

But the chief commentator praised it to the fullest, but he actually referred to the donkey as a horse, which was insulting to everyone's name.

The children of the poor family were bullied by the family a lot in the past, and today they have this opportunity to question in public, and no one let them go.

One person shouted, and countless people responded positively.

The boos outside the Lin Mansion grew louder and louder.

On weekdays, a group of family members had already rushed out of the Lin Mansion to break up this group of people.

But today, all the children of the family in Youzhou are gathered, whether they are elders or juniors, all watching here.

No one wants to offer to drive people away, everyone wants to save this last bit of thin noodles.

"Brother Lin, you see that there is such a commotion outside, I'm afraid it will be difficult to eliminate the resentment of the cold family. Since they are not convinced, why don't you let one or two people outside enter the Xiaonian review to take a look and see how their articles are? ”

Lin Tingzheng was a little surprised when he heard this, and wiped his sweat: "Brother Zheng, if that Hanmen's article surpasses our and other scholars, wouldn't it be laughed at?" ”

Zheng Tai'a also felt the same way, and took a deep breath: "There is no way, instead of covering your ears and stealing the bell to avoid it, it is better to face it head-on, I am afraid that the children of my Zheng Lin family will be difficult to take on the big responsibility, just look at the other families, whether there are young people who can ......"

"That's it, I just want to save the face of the family!"

Lin Tingzheng had already made up his mind and beckoned Steward Liu to go outside to spread the word.

The gate of the Lin Mansion opened, and the literati surrounding outside made a louder noise.

"Shady! Shady ......"

"What kind of bullshit, the bull's head is not the right horse's mouth, and the article can be blown to the sky!"

"You families just can't afford to lose!"

"Have the ability to take a look at our article! Although we were born into a poor family, we are no worse than you......"

Steward Liu's eardrums were buzzing, signaling everyone to be quiet.

After a while, the crowd converged, and Steward Liu had the opportunity to speak: "Everyone, my master said, select the best of the two literature from among you to participate in the Xiao Sui review, and see if you and other Han scholars have real talents." ”

As soon as he heard this, the audience shouted.

Although there were only two of them, it was also a victory for the Han scholars, and it was obvious that the scholars were overwhelmed and began to succumb.

"Xu Xuan, Ma You!"

"Xu Xuan, Ma You!"

"Xu Xuan, Ma You......"

The two names shook the world, which shows that these two people have a high reputation among the Hanshi.

It seems that it has long been decided that the two of them will participate in the Xiaosui evaluation as Han Shi.

At the same time, in order to deal with the impact of the cold door, Lin Tingzheng and Zheng Tai'a were also thinking of a way.

Lin Tingzheng frowned and pondered: "Those Han Shi are so noisy this time, obviously they came prepared. If we use the articles they have prepared in advance, I am afraid that it will not be good for us......"

"Brother Lin means ......"

"There are so-called sponsors in this year's Xiao Sui review, and the Xia family once proposed that the Xiao Sui review be titled 'wine' and let them write articles, but the old man stopped them. Seeing that the situation of Xiao Sui's review is unclear, it is better to let them write articles with 'wine' temporarily, and we will be more sure. ”

Zheng Tai'a nodded: "This is a good way, just do what Brother Lin wants." ”