Great Sui Guoshi

Toad looked at the scholar seriously, but his heart skipped a beat.

...don't let him see it.

Don't see it.

don't see it...

"Liangsheng, are you awake?!"

At this moment, Wang Shuhua's voice sounded outside, and the moment Lu Liangsheng turned his head, his long scarlet tongue wrapped around the scroll in his hand and flew out.

Toad Taoist picked up the painting scroll and jumped off the desk, flicked his tongue and ran excitedly into the small compartment of the bookshelf, stretched his webs and pulled, and shut the door with a bang.

"..."

Lu Liangsheng looked at the empty palm and dropped it speechlessly. It seems that the master really lost a lot of good things... Thinking about turning around, he opened the door and walked out.

Outside, the old man was holding his hands behind his back, looking up at the plane tree. On the other side of the Crescent Gate, inside and outside the gate, there were also many maids and servants, looking at the old tree with the same eyes.

In the courtyard, the sycamore tree grew new branches in a few days, which really made the people in the house feel incredible.

"I remember this tree for many years. At the time when the master just became a minister, the young lady was still very young."

"I've been in the mansion for a few years, and I saw that the tree was dying, why did it come back to life?"

"Could it be Duke Shuhua's student?"

"You said Mr. Lu... once heard that the master lost his temper after drinking, and vaguely heard that Mr. Lu is a practitioner..."

"Hey, a cultivator? That's amazing, no wonder it can make this old tree have a second spring."

"Stop talking, Mr. Lu has come out, let's go soon."

……

The whispers over there were naturally heard by Lu Liangsheng. As for the phoenix tree over there, he borrowed a painting a few days before the meeting to save the old tree with magic power.

I don't know if it was a thunder disaster, or if I have improved my cultivation, calligraphy and painting. Every time I sit under the tree, I seem to feel the sadness of this sycamore's imminent death.

The morning light was brilliant that day, Lu Liangsheng looked at the parasol tree and sighed.

"I saved your life just to thank you for sheltering from the wind and rain for many days."

During the nine days between the Spring Festival, the originally scarce leaves gradually became denser, the old skins fell off, and new ones grew, which became the current lush branches and leaves, so that the servants and maids in the mansion who often passed by the Crescent Gate witnessed the miracle of a dead tree in spring , and the mystery is enough to make everyone in the mansion feel in awe of this mysterious Mr. Lu.

After the crowd dispersed, Lu Liangsheng came behind his mentor and cupped his hands.

"Men, didn't you go out?"

"Heh... miraculous and mysterious!" Duke Shuhua looked at the sycamore branches and leaves swaying in the wind, and sighed with his beard, and turned his head with a smile on his face.

"Master Wei just went out, but before he was halfway there, he received a message from Min Shangshu, asking Master to inform you to prepare. You will be entering the palace later for the imperial examination. This is the last test of your official career. Now, treat it with caution."

Lu Liangsheng was a little surprised.

Generally speaking, after the test, there will be an interval of a few days in between. If it comes to important government affairs, the time will need to be extended. The top three horsemen parade through the streets. Lu Liangsheng is ready, but he is asked to go to the palace to prepare for the test the next day

"It doesn't matter how quickly... the matter of He Liangzhou and the matter of the guardian of the country are things that should be done quickly rather than later."

There was still a little time left, Lu Liangsheng immediately went back to the house to wash up and tidy up his appearance. Soon, someone from the palace came to teach him some rules after entering the palace.

"...Lu Jinshi, when you arrive in the palace, don't wander around. Many places are strictly forbidden for outsiders to enter. If you break in, you will be punished. If it is serious, you will be beheaded.

This time, His Majesty personally supervised the examination, but don't cheat, cheating in front of His Majesty, even a god can't save you, Lu Jinshi must keep it in mind, and..."

The eunuch who came out of the palace talked a lot, and Lu Liangsheng didn't take it easy. After listening patiently, he took out some scattered silver from his cuff, and the eunuch smiled and nodded without any trace. Grab it in the palm of your hand and stuff it into your cuff, cover your mouth, and smile obsequiously.

"Lu Jinshi looks great and knows how to be a man. In the future, he will definitely have a great future."

Soon, Lu Liangsheng went to the palace with his carriage.

Chapter 1 Fourteen Palace Examination

At two o'clock in the morning, the carriage drove through the quiet long street in the early morning. Lu Liangsheng sat in the carriage, opened the corner of the curtain, and the fallen leaves that used to fill the street disappeared.

...For the sake of the country, I think His Majesty values ​​scholars very much nowadays, otherwise, I have never seen anyone come to clean the streets in the past. If so, you should be able to listen to me patiently.

Lu Liangsheng thought about it, put down the corner of the curtain, and soon, the shaft of the car stopped slowly, and someone came over and whispered outside through the window frame:

"Lu Jinshi, the Xuanyang Gate is here."

The Baiguan Mansion is not far from the palace gate into the imperial city, and it takes less than half a stick of incense to reach it. After Lu Liangsheng got out of the carriage, in the carriage in front, the eunuch from before lifted up the corner of the curtain with orchids , just looking over, the powder on his face was falling in the flattering smiles that piled up.

"Lu Lang, wait at Xuanyang Gate with peace of mind. The imperial examination has not yet started, and the road behind is not convenient for you to enter. It is for the palace people to go."

Hearing the name 'Lu Lang', Lu Liangsheng trembled all over, he was more infiltrating than seeing ghosts and ghosts.

Hastily lowered his face, raised his sleeves and cupped his hands, and replied: "This father-in-law, go slowly."

The eunuch pursed his lips and nodded, then lowered the curtain.

"go!"

The guard who was driving shook the reins, and the horse pulled the carriage away slowly, and walked along the city wall here to another small gate.

call……

Lu Liangsheng heaved a sigh of relief and calmed down the chill in his heart. Although he was a literati, the stories told in the book had to make him not offend the eunuchs in the palace.

Afterwards, after checking the textual research, Jinshi status and other things, he turned and walked to the Xuanyang Gate over there.

At this moment, the Xuanyang Gate has not yet been opened, and many officials in Beijing have gathered. Lu Liangsheng rolled up his sleeves, bowed his hands politely to a few officials who were watching, and walked to the side to wait. Not long after, several palace carriages drove by. Come on, most of the people who get off the car are young talents who stand out in this ceremony examination of the Ministry of Rites. When they get off, they will hand in hand with the officials they are familiar with and flatter them.

After a while, the carriages from the palace came to this side one after another and stopped. All the people who came down were participating in this palace examination, and there were nearly 20 people.

"The hour has come, and the Jinshi of the palace examination has been submitted to the imperial city."

On the city tower, the eunuch who was summoned made a loud noise, and the officials gathered over there quickly walked to both sides. When Lu Liangsheng was about to squeeze past, someone called him back.

"Don't be nervous about the palace exam, answer whatever you have, just answer what's on your mind."

The official who spoke was none other than Min Changwen. He never liked forming parties for personal gain. When he saw Lu Liangsheng get off the carriage, he didn't go over to speak. When he saw the scholar passing by, he couldn't help telling him.

Lu Liangsheng turned his face and nodded.

"Good students know."

That is, go to gather there, follow the eunuch leading the way, and walk into Xuanyang Gate.

What came into view was not the main hall buildings that Lu Liangsheng had imagined, on the contrary, there were mostly long red-painted walls on both sides, and no one could see what was inside the walls.

After that, after passing the Da Simamen Office, this is the real entry into the palace.

"Over there is Yuehua Pond, which was dug by Emperor Gaozu under the guidance of an expert. There are pavilions and lofts in the pool. It is the favorite place for His Majesty and concubines every day in midsummer. Unfortunately, the moon-watching golden toad in the pool is lost. many years……."

Listening to the leading eunuch introducing the scenery of the various halls in the passing palace, and talking about the great lake in the distance, Lu Liangsheng had heard about the moon-watching golden toad in the Zhou mansion earlier, but he didn't feel much in his heart.

The only feeling is that the palace is too big...

Soon, a total of 19 people from Lu Liangsheng were waiting under the long eaves outside the Wenzhao Hall to be summoned inside. When the breeze blew, the square outside the whole hall was deserted, and there was hardly any sound. Occasionally, nearby guards and eunuchs would cast a glance , and turned back.

Lu Liangsheng turned his head and looked at the palace wall that blocked his sight. He could feel the majestic blood of a warrior inside, who should be the emperor's bodyguards.

"It's not much different from Zuo Zhengyang..."

In the sky outside, the sun had already shone through the gaps in the clouds, and the white clouds were drifting away. About half an hour later, someone came over at the gate of Wenzhao Hall, conducted a second body search, and then entered one by one.

"All Jinshi take their seats, don't look around."

The speaker was a Denglongge bachelor. Lu Liangsheng and the others saluted him, then found their own seats, and put pen and ink on the table.

The decoration of the main hall is simple. Outside the four pillars, there are only four bronze lampposts on both sides to illuminate the flames. In the middle of the first place, there is an empty dragon chair, and four guards stand on each side. On both sides, the hands are less than half a foot away from the handle of the knife.

Looking around, Lu Liangsheng just took out the inkstone and began to grind the ink. After a while, the answer sheets of the palace examination were handed out, and an eunuch brought an incense burner and lit a stick of incense.

The question is not surprising, it is just some way of asking about politics.

"Heavenly creations have always benefited the people, and the benefits of the people have nurtured national power..."

Lu Liangsheng read the title once, grasped the content in his heart, and quickly wrote with the tip of the pen on the paper like a dragon.

The hall was quiet, filled with the rustling of writing brushes and paper.

Just as he was turning the thoughts in his mind into handwriting with the tip of the pen, Lu Liangsheng suddenly stopped writing, feeling two eyes looking over and falling on him.

Slightly raised his face, out of the corner of his eye, a figure was at the top, walked up the imperial steps, and sat on the dragon chair, how could Lu Liangsheng fail to guess the identity of the other party.

Emperor.

"I can personally supervise the examination, and I don't ignore the government as rumored..."

While thinking about it, the tip of the pen also flew away on the paper. In the incense burner, the burning incense broke and fell to ashes.

"The time is up, seal the scroll, leave the seat with both hands, and get up!"

Lu Liangsheng stood up, looking at the test paper full of handwriting, he was still satisfied.

He used He Liangzhou to conceive the content and the political measures mentioned in it, hoping to tell the emperor the plight from another direction.

Lifting his eyes, the man had already left Longting above the imperial steps, only a silhouette was seen.

After the examination papers were sealed and taken away, some of the Jinshi in front of the seat sighed. The time must be tight and the writing was not perfect, as if they didn't know that the emperor came just now.

"Jinshi, please wait outside to be summoned."

An eunuch came over, stood at the gate of the palace, bowed and said something, Lu Liangsheng and other Jinshi came out of the palace, it was still early at noon, and the surroundings were guarded by the palace guards to prevent them from wandering around, take a few more steps , all eunuchs came to persuade or warn.

"If Hui Yuanshen is out of the body, you can take a tour of the palace."

Lu Liangsheng stood on one side and turned his head to watch the other eighteen Scholars chatting with each other. Perhaps they were deeply influenced by Min Changwen and Shu Huagong, and they didn't want to make friends or specialize in them.

So, even though I was looking at the scenery of the square outside, I was thinking of other things, such as the emperor.

To observe a person, one should observe one's aura first. With Lu Liangsheng's current cultivation base, one can still observe a person's aura at will. With a quick glance in the hall, it is not difficult to find that the other person's body has been hollowed out by wine and sex, and he lacks the appearance of a son of heaven and a king.

In the words of cultivating the Tao, the emperor lacked the dragon spirit.

"Sigh... no wonder you are easily confused by Purdue Cihang."

After thinking about it for a while, occasionally future colleagues would come to greet him, chat and laugh casually, and even eunuchs would come to make noise.

Chapter 1 Fifteen

The eunuch stood still in front of the crowd.

"Your Majesty is holding a banquet in Chengyun Hall, everyone, please come with your servants."

Host a banquet?

Not only Lu Liangsheng was a little puzzled, but the rest of the Jinshi were also puzzled. After passing the imperial examination, shouldn't it be the imperial pen who selected the top three?

The eunuch walking in front seemed to understand their doubts, turned around and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty is delighted to entertain all the ministers. You are rare young talents. You are all proficient in poetry, prose and poetry. Naturally, you want to entertain. Even civil and military officials have come."

After finishing speaking, when we arrived at Chengyun Hall, Lu Liangsheng walked among the 18 people with a calm face. When he entered, it was brightly lit even though it was daytime. Min Changwen was also among them, sitting on the left seat with a solemn expression.

The sound of chime bells and silk bamboo was soft, and the green smoke of sandalwood curled up. After Lu Liangsheng and others walked through the middle and stood still, with the dragon table above the front, the emperor raised his cuffs and waved them.

Several long-sleeved dancing women saluted and left.

Lu Liangsheng stood in the middle of the crowd, and only then could he see the front clearly. Under the intertwined gold-rimmed cattail fan, Chen Shubao was wearing a dragon robe. He looked about thirty and had a good appearance. However, there were two women sitting on the left and the right. , one of the girls is wearing a long red peony dress, a blue silk hairpin, and a flower carved from spar is inserted on it, which adds to her beauty and makes people feel amazing.

"He Jingqiu?"

When Lu Liangsheng murmured softly, the woman seemed to have noticed the scholar in the crowd, her beautiful eyes widened for no reason, and her small lips that were painted with bright red were slightly parted.

"Mr. Lu..."

"What did Concubine Ai say?"

"Chenqie, said that this year's Jinshi are all so young."

On the dragon chair not far away, Chen Shubao looked at Aifei who reacted very quickly in front of him, hooked the corner of his mouth, sat upright, put his hands on the armrests, looked ahead, and opened his mouth slowly.

"That's right, they are all my future humerus ministers, my concubine, look, many of them are really young, handsome, and personable...I can't compare them."

Although the words above were just a conversation between the two of them, Lu Liangsheng could hear them and frowned.

...Why do these words feel a bit sour and vinegary?