Sheng Shi Merciful Light

According to the practice of imperial examinations, Emperor Deguang will receive the top ten in the palace examination at the highest level Qingyuan Hall to show his grace.But it is not possible to roll the names immediately, because this time the top ten candidates are summoned, commonly known as 'Xiao Chuan Lu', which is actually the final interview.

The purpose is to observe the appearance and demeanor of the top ten. The emperor has an intuitive impression, and then decides who will give the champion and the second place, the second place, and the third place. Really determine the top three.

The top three will leave a deeper impression on the emperor, and have a better future than other Jinshi in the same list. Su Yan and Wang Youlun are good examples.These people will represent the face of the imperial court in the future, and it will be easier to enter the central government. Those who stand on duty every day will also be on duty to assist the emperor in handling government affairs. Image is of course very important.

The emperor is also a human being, and it is of course better for the courtiers who are by his side every day to be pleasing to the eye.

If the appearance is ordinary, the temperament is poor, and the expression is dull, it is no matter how good the literary talent is... I'm sorry, I can only move back.

Because I want to face the king, there is no room for any mistakes, so that the king will lose his appearance.Therefore, the Ministry of Etiquette will send people to give the top ten people guidance on dress etiquette and training on duet rules. In order to ease the tension of the top ten, they will also find a fellow official to accompany them to the audience.

Su Min entered the top ten, accompanied by his father Su Yan.

Wang Youlun's eldest son, Wang Zhihong, did not make the top ten, but he and Shui Lianxin, who entered the top ten, came from Yizhou and are from the same hometown, and he is worried about Shui Lianxin's noodle king... the king of Chu will also be there today!So Wang Youlun bit the bullet and accompanied Shui Lianxin into the palace.

During the meeting, although the ten young people couldn't hide their nervousness, they were quite well-behaved and there was no major mistake.Wang Youlun was relieved to see that Shui Lianxin was being honest for the time being and not looking around.

Wang Youlun subconsciously looked at King Chu again.

These days, Mu Ci is not feeling well and mentally exhausted, so she leans on the wide and soft throne, resting her forehead with one hand.The astonished eyebrows were as calm and indifferent as before, like the coldness of the bright moon on the top of the peak, but also with a little careless laziness.

In the court hall, one should sit upright, but everyone knew that King Chu was in poor health and couldn't support himself, so few people picked on him for his indecent posture.Besides, his looks are too good-looking, and he is so lazy that he has a kind of demeanor, without the slightest "indecent".

Emperor Deguang didn't pay attention to Wang Youlun, so he gave Mu Ci a look first—do you want to have an "interview" together?

Mu Ci waved his hands casually, not wanting to move.

Emperor Deguang had no choice but to look at the ten young people by himself, compared the names and test papers one by one, asked some small questions that were not difficult to answer, and praised the old minister who brought them in by the way.Except for Su Yan... To praise him is: "Have a good son!"

When it was Shui Lianxin's turn, Emperor Deguang knew that he was in the palace examination, he took a few more glances at the handsome man, smiled deeper and more sincerely, and asked several questions.

Shui Lianxin uses a clear and clear song with a slightly mellow baritone voice, which is neither humble nor overbearing, and responds perfectly without panic or confusion.The Emperor Tianshou thought to himself: Even the voice is so pleasant, is there a second person in this world who is so perfect, who combines the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?

Then, Emperor Deguang saw Shui Lianxin sneaking a glance at the King of Chu, his eyes were full of bewildered admiration.

Emperor Deguang subconsciously took a look at his own little ninth brother, and found that Mu Ci was still that lazy, and didn't pay much attention to this handsome man, letting his affection go down the drain.Emperor Deguang couldn't help being a little confused-it's not a rumor that the ninth brother loves handsome men the most.There are a bunch of beauties around him, regardless of their background, they are indeed beautiful, each with its own glory.

Ok?Such a perfect man with a good family background, top knowledge, handsome appearance, elegant temperament, and a gentle and mellow voice, why didn't the ninth brother take a second look?

Emperor Deguang was a little distracted, and he was surprised when his servant Peng Yu cleared his throat in a low voice, then smiled and praised very happily: "Shuiming Jing is so handsome, like a person in a painting, and it is even more rare that he has both inside and outside. , the temperament is outstanding...Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

The ministers will not spoil the emperor's interest, and follow the flattery, praising Shui Lianxin for his unparalleled beauty and extraordinary literary talent, and His Majesty will get another talent.

The scene was peaceful for a while.

Shui Lian hid her disappointment, lowered her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes, and bowed to thank the emperor for her praise. Her demeanor was graceful and natural. Compared with the young people around him who were a little bit young, and their movements were a little tense and stiff, she stood out from the crowd and was extraordinary. .

Emperor Deguang didn't dare to look at the reaction of the ninth younger brother. After thinking about it, he moved up the test paper of Shui Lianxin, who was under the pressure.

This is Chi Guoguo's promotion, but it can't be said, so Shui Lianxin didn't thank her.

The young man in the back is Zhou Bi, who doesn't look very good.Because the water lotus heart jewel was in front, Emperor Deguang didn't have much interest in asking questions. He looked at the second test paper, thought about it, and finally didn't move.The next one was the oldest one present, 31 years old, thin and short, with small eyes and sharp face, and two mustaches. He was not like a scholar, but more like a Jiangnan master in a certain film and television drama.

According to the dual aesthetics of ancient and modern times, although this person is neither ugly nor hunchbacked, he is not elegant.

Emperor Deguang was obviously taken aback, and asked his name.

The man said respectfully but not obsequiously: "Student Qian Fangyuan." His voice was not pleasant.

Emperor Deguang stared and raised his voice: "You are Qian Fangyuan?" He was obviously surprised.

"Yes!" Qian Fangyuan responded neither humble nor overbearing.

"Oh." Emperor Deguang was even more dispirited, and without even asking a question, he took out the top test paper and simply pushed it to the bottom.

Obviously, because of his appearance, Qian Fangyuan won the first place in the test, and he was also the No.1 talent in the palace test. Because of his appearance, he was pushed down to tenth place, missing the first place and the first place.

Chai Rengui, the new political counselor, and Qian Fangyuan are close relatives, and he opened his mouth slightly...but then he took another look at Qian Fangyuan's appearance, and finally...Chai Ge kept his mouth shut.

Only then did Mu Ci raise his eyelids a little, and casually glanced at Emperor Deguang, who was not deep enough in the city mansion, and who made the transfer so obvious and didn't care much about other people's feelings.

Mu Ci looked again at Qian Fangyuan's downcast eyes but clenched fists, bearing the humiliation.

Hey... Think about the feeling of being a civil servant, getting first place in every written test, and being rejected in the interview.It's a pity that interviews are always judged by appearance (die), cruel and unreasonable.

But Mu Ci said something first, he didn't care who was chosen as the top three, so he calmly withdrew his gaze, changed his posture, and continued to look lazy and boneless.

Soon, the ranking was settled.The number one scholar Zhou Bi, the second place Su Min, Tan Hua Shui Lianxin. No.4 Erbang Chuanlu is called Wang Jiamu.Others were awarded Jinshi and were born with Jinshi.

Zhou Bi, the No. [-] scholar this time, was a bit lucky, but he deserved his name.

Zhou Bi, whose name is Kuangzheng, is 24 years old. He is above average in appearance and not tall. He comes from Liangzhou and comes from a poor family.Both of his parents died, and he was raised by his uncle and aunt for him to study.He also has a heart, and he can't bear the hard work of his uncle and aunt. He weaves straw sandals and sells them, helps people copy books, and goes to the fields to help his uncle and aunt in farming. He is a model of filial piety in Liangzhou.

The one who followed him into the palace this time was Chang Ke, a senior scholar.

Zhou Bi had no one in the court, and was arrested by Chang Ke, a senior scholar, as his son-in-law and given to his granddaughter, so he became a "leader".

The two brothers Chang Ke and Chang Bao, one is the dean of Mingli College and the other is the head of the Gewu Department. Although they are not real officials in the capital, they are the confidantes of the emperor and the king of Chu.

As the saying goes, the prime minister's concierge is a seventh-rank official.Chang Ke fell in love with Zhou Bi, who was poor and not very handsome. If someone else could fall in love with the close relatives of the two brothers of the Tian family, he would probably nod his head quickly and wake up laughing in the middle of the night.However, in order not to increase the burden on his uncle and aunt, Zhou Bi ordered Hongyuan not to win the exam and not to get married.He was arrested by Chang Ke, and insisted that the marriage should be ordered by his parents, and that his parents were not in his uncle and aunt to make the decision, and he had to ask his uncle and aunt Liangzhou to agree to the marriage, and he could not make a private decision for life.

Among a bunch of tribute students who abandoned their wives in order to cling to the powerful, Zhou Bi, who was unmoved by the powerful and insisted on his heart, seemed commendable and became a good story for a while.

Even the King of Chu had heard about this good story, and when Emperor Deguang decided on the ranking, he asked the King of Chu, "Does the Ninth Brother have anything to say?"

Mu Ci just sat up a little bit, and his eyes swept across every young man...

Shui Lian stared at the King of Chu infatuatedly, her eyes lit up, blooming in splendor, making her look even brighter and more handsome... This kind of star-eyed expression, the courtiers have seen too much among the fans of the King of Chu, said that they are used to seeing it long ago .It seems that Tanhua is another admirer of King Chu.

Emperor Deguang squinted his eyes, and then looked at his ninth younger brother, but he didn't seem to be special to him...

Could it be unrequited love?

Oh no!He almost forgot to continue persuading his ninth younger brother to get married and not just hang out with men... Emperor Deguang's thoughts spread to infinity.

Wang Youlun felt "thumping" in his heart, secretly worried that Shui Lian's heart would be rash, and he didn't dare to make any sudden movements in the hall.

Mu Ci really didn't pay attention to Shui Lianxin, she didn't look at him for a second, she just kept her eyes on Zhou Bi, and said slowly: "Please come over here!"

Zhou Bi ignored him and only looked at the emperor.

Everyone: "..."

Everyone was sweating for Zhou Bi - none of the first and second rank princes and officials of the imperial court would dare to disobey the King of Chu's command.But Zhou Bi was obviously waiting for Emperor Deguang's instructions before he would listen to King Chu's words.

Emperor Deguang was stunned for a moment, nodded his head quickly, and looked at Jiudi cautiously, fearing that he would get angry.

Only then did Zhou Bi slowly walk up to King Chu.

Everyone was worried that the king of Chu would retaliate against Zhou Bi, but this time the king of Chu... did not turn his back on him! !Sure enough, King Chu's temper is like a baby's face, and it is really confusing to understand the law of change.

Mu Ci didn't seem to notice anything strange. After Zhou Bi saluted, she even changed her limp and undisciplined manner, stepped off the throne and went to help Zhou Bi's hand in person, and said gently: "No need to be too polite, I just want to see you hands."

Although Zhou Bi was surprised, he still stretched out his hand respectfully, not taking it back in a hurry.

Mu Ci flipped through it, and felt it everywhere... These are indeed a pair of working hands, with calluses and scars, not beautiful, but with a different kind of beauty.

Emperor Deguang murmured in his heart: Could it be that the ninth younger brother does not look at the face when looking for a male pet, but only looks at the hands?

What kind of hobby is this?

"Third Brother, this son is excellent in character and learning, with an upright and sincere heart, and will definitely be your humerus minister in the future." Mu Ci's words set the stage for Zhou Bi's prosperous future.

Emperor Deguang was stunned for a moment, and then he felt a little ashamed, "Ninth brother is dedicated to serving the country, what are you thinking about in such a mess?"Thinking of this, Emperor Deguang immediately raised his spirits, became serious, and solemnly ordered the title of the Golden List to be sung outside the palace—this is the official Golden Palace Biography.Then give the number one scholar fresh clothes, and the horse praises the street.

It was rare for Mu Ci to be a little interested, and asked: "What are the rituals of the number one scholar boasting on the street?"

Gong Shuqing, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, hurriedly came out to answer: "Return to Your Highness! Thanks to the emperor's grace, the edict is specially placed in the main hall, and passed down in the Golden Palace of Qingyuan. The names are given, written into the "Yellow List", and posted on the Qingyun Gate to inform the world. The No. [-] Scholar bestows a formal attire, and leads the new Jinshi out from the main gate of the Golden Hall. The parasol covers the ceremony and the drums and music are guided by the royal staff, and the main gate of the Nande Gate is opened wide to leave the palace. Shuntian Fu Yin arranges flowers for the No. [-] Scholar and wears red silk. Walk through the Imperial Square all the way, and first visit Tianjie... Emperor Wencheng of Dahe (the posthumous title of Emperor Yonghe) was kind and promised to celebrate with the people. Then go back to Qingyunmen to watch the rankings. After watching the rankings, send the champion back to the ranking."

Qingyun Gate is the south main gate of the imperial city. Because of the great fortune that the houses are all facing south, and the south of the gate is respected, Qingyun Gate is called the "Dragon Gate" that goes straight up to the Qingyun. Become a lucky new rich man and become famous all over the world in one fell swoop.

This is the complete ceremony of "Golden Palace Passing on Lu", and it is the most glorious moment for scholars in the world.

Mu Ci blinked, and there was a vivid gleam in his eyes: "Throwing fruit and flowers? Seems interesting." He quickly waved to Emperor Deguang, "Third brother, I'm going back home to prepare flowers, see you later!"

Emperor Deguang couldn't laugh or cry, he had nothing to do with the ninth brother who said that the wind is the rain, and he didn't want to spoil the rare joy of the ninth brother, so he hurriedly told: "Be careful, let people follow more, don't be crowded and tired!"

"Got it!" Mu Ci waved his hand, and Mou Yu followed him and left the palace.

Shui Lianxin was extremely disappointed, and she watched Mu Ci's back without nostalgia go away, and the sudden bloom of brilliance in her eyes was as lonely as fireworks.

It's really unbearable.

……

Mu Ci was in a hurry to go back home and didn't take the carriage, but shared a ride with Mou Yu, turned around and only ordered: "Investigate Qian Fangyuan, if this person is used well, he will be of great use!"

"Yes!" Mou Yu responded, but didn't ask Mu Ci what was the use.

As soon as the two of them returned to the palace, Mu Ci told Qi Yan: "Bring more people, and help me cut three hundred flowers that are easy to throw in the garden. They should be bright in color and strong in fragrance."

Qi Yan wondered: "What a coincidence, Mr. Mei had ordered before he left yesterday, and Li San sent over [-] fresh red roses early this morning. They are bright in color, rich in fragrance and easy to throw."

Qi Yan sometimes thinks that Mei Rong is amazing, no wonder she can become the No.1 around His Highness.

Ten bundles of red roses wrapped in soft cloth were delivered quickly, and a beautiful card was attached, on which was Mei Rong flying like a phoenix dancing, with vigorous quill words "May everything go well for you!" The signature was, "Love you There is also a line of small words under "Only Beloved", "Be careful of thorns, I will feel distressed".Obviously it was thought of later and added on the spur of the moment, overflowing with care.

Mu Ci smiled, Mei Rong was a smart and considerate lover, and even a confidant, even if he didn't say anything, he knew exactly what he would be interested in.And smart, can infer some things that may happen in the future.

Mu Ci also understands: it must be extremely deep love, a person will think about everything for you in advance.

Also, this romantic means of giving gifts that suits one's heart and surprises people is a perfect lover who can make women crazy and men turn their backs.

Fortunately, it's a great luck that people don't know the goods, so that such a treasure can fall into his hands, Mu Ci thought.

Mou Yu grabbed a handful of them, pinched them, and found that there were quite a few thorns, and said, "It just so happened that Julu sent some fine steel scissors, which are especially sharp, so you can take them with you."

Mu Ci nodded and instructed: "We have developed a new type of fine steel, and rewarded the personnel involved in the research and development according to the rules. But in the future, good steel will be used on the blade, so don't make me any scissors. When it becomes popular in the future, the common people will be able to use it." After that, the palace will be used."

Mou Yu didn't justify the words "just two scissors", he always knew that Mu Ci was a little different from ordinary people, but he had a very reasonable bottom line and persistence, so he agreed very seriously.Then he buried his face in the delicate petals and took a deep breath, hiding the complexities and hesitation that flashed in his eyes.

……

A group of people went to Mingli Street. The street was already full of people who were preparing to see the number one scholar parading the street. Everyone knew the frame of the king of Chu. Because there was a precedent of assassinating the king of Chu in a busy city and injuring innocent people and finally paying a heavy price. Dare to assassinate again in the busy city.However, Jin Yiwei would not relax at all. Some of them wore uniforms to accompany the carriage, while some Jin Yiwei who were good at assassination scattered among the crowd in casual clothes.

Most of these guards in the dark are brocade guards converted from dead soldiers of the Huqiu Army.The aura is extremely mysterious, and assassins can always easily find the same kind in the crowd.

But although everyone gave way to the King of Chu, there were too many people. Mu Ci never disturbed the people, and finally got out of the carriage. The guards in white and silver armor cleared the way, surrounded Mu Ci and went to the Taihe Building with difficulty.

The No. [-] scholar parades through Taihe downstairs.

Fortunately, eight out of ten people are loyal fans of King Chu, and they are not afraid of King Chu, and greet King Chu warmly.

Mu Ci is always different. He is a little indifferent to the powerful and powerful, but he is extremely gentle to the ordinary people who have no power.

Once a little lady got excited, she threw a sachet over, and Mou Yuyi, who wrapped Mu Ci's shoulders to protect him, grabbed her and prevented it from hitting Mu Ci.

In an instant, dozens of arm crossbows were aimed at the little lady.

The little lady knew that she was in trouble, her face turned pale with fright, Nuonuo said: "My family is just... to express my admiration."

Mu Ci waved her hand: "They're all our own people, don't accidentally hurt them."

Jin Yiwei let go of the safety catch of the arm crossbow with his fingers, but did not open it.

Mou Yuhan said to the big guy with a straight face: "Don't throw things anymore!" This is to prevent bad people from mixing with the people and taking the opportunity to throw dirt and poison.

The common people knew the rules of the King of Chu, and they also wanted the safety of the King of Chu, and they all expressed their compliance, and they squeezed back to withdraw from a larger area.

It was very difficult, and a group of people moved to Taihe Building.The entire Mingli Street has become a sea of ​​people, and even the trees are covered with children.Jingzhao Mansion was in charge of the daily administration of Tianjing City, and Weiwei Temple was in charge of city defense and security. Both mansions dispatched all government servants to maintain law and order, and urgently dispatched manpower from the Sixth Imperial Army and Sixth Guards Army.

More than half a year has passed since the hair-shaving turmoil, and more than [-]% of the soldiers under King Chu's command have shaved their hair.Now when the common people see the bald green scalp, they will know that it is the "green skin army" under the jurisdiction of Chu Wangfu. Not only are they not afraid, but they are also very kind.

A "Green Skin Army" over there opened his hand to catch a child who climbed to the top of a tree and fell.The bear boy was naughty, he kept stroking his green-skinned head with both hands, and laughed at him as "bald, bald...".The young soldier was not annoyed, he scratched his head with a silly smile, handed the bear child back to his parents, and by the way, found a better place for the elderly around him that was not crowded and had a good view.

Sometimes this job is out of the question, because the common people will spontaneously take care of the children and old people around them, whether they are their own or not.

Neighbors help each other and help each other, which has been rooted in the soul of Daxing people, and "do not help when you are dying, and do not help when you are in trouble" will be punished by the government.Besides, maybe my own children and the elderly are being taken care of by others.

There are also many young ladies taking to the streets today. The married ones follow their husbands and children, and the unmarried young ladies follow their parents and relatives. None of them dare to take the opportunity to touch their buttocks.

Hooligans, please open your eyes and look around you. How many people are there?Stretch out the "salty pig's hand", and when the little lady screams, she will be beaten into a real dead pig's head by the angry people, okay?

There are also few pickpockets on the street. In the past, only a few daring kidnappers were the only ones to guard against. However, because the King of Chu wiped out the "Loyalty Society", the underground forces in Tianjing City were wiped out.

Mu Ci only went up to the second floor of Taihe Building, and the shopkeeper who got the news earlier had already reserved a few tables facing the street with the best view.Mu Ci didn't like to disturb the people, and Taihe Building didn't chase away customers. The Jinyiwei occupied the peripheral tables and separated them into a safe zone, and the other seats were reserved for specially reserved guests.

Today, people who can book seats on the first, second and third floors of Taihe Building in the "No. [-] Building in the World" are basically the children of the top dignitaries and senior officials in Tianjing City.

Mu Guangxiao and Mu Yongqing's ranks were not in their turn, so they could only get into the two positions by following Prince Xian and Princess Chaoyang.There were also a few Mu Ci who looked familiar and knew their identities, but generally Mu Ci didn't socialize with others, and only nodded to the people at Chaoyang's table, and leaned lazily against the window with one hand on his forehead.

Mou Yu touched his forehead, it was slightly hot but not high, he was a little worried: "Brother, you haven't been feeling well for several days, and you haven't had any obvious symptoms. I'm worried that you're going to be seriously ill."

"It's okay, just rest for a few days and you'll be fine." Mu Ci didn't care too much, he was indeed not seriously ill, and his body's immunity and energy were fighting the germs, so cleverly maintained a delicate balance, but his body temperature was a little higher. Of course the spirit is more tired.

Mu Ci didn't care much about this level of discomfort. He glanced at the crowd and saw a few people who were jostling and jostling by virtue of their physical strength, pushing everyone around them to one side.

Mu Ci said indifferently: "Brother, it's not in vain that I held up my energy and came here with great fanfare... The person we were waiting for took the bait!"

Mou Yu glanced out the window, and made a few subtle gestures to the Jin Yiwei downstairs.

Jin Yiwei had to order to block the few people wearing fur clothing, with black and broad faces, prominent cheekbones, and short but extremely stout people.These people are the typical appearance of the loyal tribe of the Beirong royal family - the Black Tatars.

These people are surrounded by a man who is obviously a leader, with deep facial features, slightly dark complexion, taller stature, wearing a gem-encrusted fur-brimmed hat, and a Beirong nobleman's dress trimmed with fur and embroidered with golden pythons.

The Beibei nobleman was stopped, and he looked up at the lazily leaning man by the window... Then he widened his eyes, lost his mind for a moment, and was so fascinated by it.