Patriarch, he doesn't want to take the imperial examinations

Meng Qing took Meng Hong and a few servants to the West Sixth Courtyard to see Tong Zisheng, while Meng Zhen and Meng Che and Meng Yuan stayed in the house. Wanting to follow, Montana had no choice but to take him there himself.

Two quarters of an hour later, Ah Qing led the doctor back.The doctor checked Tong Zisheng carefully, and even said that it was not in the way. Tong Zisheng had nausea and vomiting caused by acclimatization, and even had a fever and diarrhea.

In addition, the climate in Beijing is dry in winter, and people from the south can't adapt to it all at once, and nosebleeds from dry throat are normal. The doctor prescribed several medicines, and asked Tong Zisheng to take them on time. After ten and a half months of conditioning, he will recover.

The Meng family immediately breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it's okay, don't let someone have an accident in their house just after they arrived, causing outsiders to misunderstand that there is something wrong with their house.

As the doctor said, after Tong Zisheng took the medicine on time according to the doctor's advice, it didn't work for ten and a half months, and the symptoms of acclimatization disappeared in only five or six days.

After feeling comfortable, the first thing Tong Zisheng did was to visit Mengzhen.Before coming here, the family had warned ten thousand times that although the Meng family depended on Meng Qing for support, as long as the old man was still around, Meng Zhen would be the head of the family.

Just a few days ago, a batch of brocades sent by the family also arrived. Tong Zisheng read the instructions from his family and picked out a few bolts of satin materials with generous colors and soft textures and brought them to Mengzhen's room.

"Cousin!" Tong Zisheng yelled with a smile, "I just arrived a few days ago, and I was not feeling well. I feel better today, so I came here to say hello to you. This is a brocade produced by my family. Today I present it to my cousin. Wearing clothes, be careful, show a little respect, and I hope you will accept it."

The words are nice, and the etiquette is also thoughtful, Meng Zhen looked at the table full of silk and brocade, it looked really good, but the color was too bright, not suitable for him.

"Nephew Tong Xian has a heart." Meng Zhen said.

Tong Zisheng squinted his eyes and smiled: "A little care is not enough to respect, as long as my cousin likes it." He looks fair and innocent, and when he smiles, he looks harmless to humans and animals, which makes people feel close unconsciously.

"I heard that my cousin also took the township exam this year. How did the exam go?" Tong Zisheng heard that Meng Zhen also took the township exam this year when Mengqing was at their house in the winter of the previous year, but he came here for five or six days. Yes, I have been taking care of my body, so I just have time to ask a question today.

Meng Zhen replied: "I failed the ranking."

Tong Zisheng said: "It doesn't matter, I will take the test next time. Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask my cousin. I don't know how many times my cousin is taking the test."

Meng Zhen: "The first time."

"It's the first time..." Tong Zisheng looked at him meaningfully. Before that, he only heard from Meng Qing that this cousin took the township examination this year, and he didn't know anything else.

This cousin looks much older than his father. If it is the first time to take the township exam, has he been taking the children's exam for so many years?

"I'm a half-way monk, and I just started to take the imperial examination in the past two years. I never thought about taking this test before." Meng Zhen knew his doubts, and hurriedly explained.

Tong Zisheng was stunned after hearing this: "That's it, no one can pass the exam in one pass, just take the exam a few more times."

But Meng Zhen said: "Didn't you just pass the exam once?"

"Huh?" Tong Zisheng paused for a moment, and soon a smile appeared on his face: "Yes, I just passed the exam once. This person is different from others, and there is no comparison."

To be precise, he passed the provincial examination in one attempt, but he passed the college examination twice.However, Tong Zisheng didn't think it was necessary to tell Meng Zhen about these irrelevant words.

Meng Zhen looked at him steadfastly, saying that there are talented people in the south of the Yangtze River, and seeing him today, it is as expected.

This Tong Zisheng was only 20 years old, and it was really rare that he passed the provincial examination for the first time.

He couldn't help but think of his group of talented students who entered the same class. A total of four people passed the provincial examination this time. Two of them were in their twenties. 30 years old.

The 19-year-old candidate was Liu Chan who often listened to his sermons.Liu Chan is the same age as Deng Bowen. Deng Bowen usually studies very well, but this time he accidentally failed the ranking.

The township examination is a national unified examination, the time of the examination is fixed, and the number of participants in each province is different. Mengzhen once heard from Instructor Yang that Jiangnan Province had as many as 3000 candidates for the township examination this year, surpassing them in Shuntian Prefecture by ample Forty percent, it is conceivable that there are so many candidates.

In this dynasty, the ratio of admissions to the township examinations was adapted to local conditions. The admissions ratio was 1 to [-] in large provinces, and [-] to [-] in small and medium-sized provinces. It was very difficult to stand out among the more than [-] candidates.

However, Tong Zisheng was able to break through the siege among the candidates and was on the list, which shows that his talent and learning are extraordinary and should not be underestimated.

"Cousin!" Meng Zhen was really thinking hard, and suddenly he heard Tong Zisheng call out, "What's wrong with cousin, but what did my nephew say wrong to make cousin unhappy?"

Meng Zhen quickly waved his hand: "Nephew Tong Xian is right. I was thinking that Jiangnan is really a good place, with outstanding people and outstanding talents, it is fascinating."

Tong Zisheng answered in a hurry: "Yes, yes, yes, what my cousin said is very correct." At this time, the servant changed a new pot of tea, Tong Zisheng took a few sips, and then continued to talk.

"Our south of the Yangtze River is really good, especially our Suzhou Prefecture. Not only are there many talents, but there are also countless beauties. It is wonderful to visit the Taohuawu River and listen to a pipa played by the girls."

Speaking of this, he closed his eyes and became intoxicated by himself, as if he was on a boat on the Taohuawu River at the moment, and a girl next to him lowered his eyebrows and swiped casually, a clear and mellow sound of nature like pearls and jade falling on the plate. come.

Looking at his infatuated appearance, Meng Zhen really didn't understand why he was like this, no matter how beautiful the sound of the pipa is, he wouldn't be so intoxicated just by imagining it.

"Say... um..." Meng Zhen coughed heavily, Tong Zisheng suddenly opened his eyes, and smiled, "If you have time, my cousin will also go to our Suzhou mansion for a while, I guarantee that my cousin will not want to come back after going."

Meng Zhenxin said that with his old arms and legs, Xianghe County would be lazy to move, not to mention the Jiangnan, which is thousands of miles away, he had never thought about it.

"People are old and can't walk anymore." Meng Zhen waved his hand, expressing that he has the heart but not the strength.

"Hey, cousin, don't underestimate yourself. I think my cousin looks very good, and his legs and feet are flexible. He should be well-maintained on weekdays. Then let cousin Mengqing accompany you to our house for a while, so that he can get a taste of us. The people there are very rustic, and my father often talks about you in my ears, if you go, he will be very happy."

His father talking about him?Meng Zhen smacked at this sentence, a little unbelievable.He once heard Meng Qing say that at that time, Meng Qing's grandfather had not yet had a son and a half daughter when he sold Liliangzhuang into bank notes and ran away. That is to say, Tong Zisheng's father was born in another place, and Meng Zhen had nothing to do with him. , he babbled about what he did.

These words were obviously Tong Zisheng's polite words, how could he take them seriously.

"Cousin doesn't seem to believe what I said?" Tong Zisheng picked up the tea and took a few more sips. He didn't know how much water he drank in such a short time in Mengzhen's room.

It's all because the weather in the capital is too dry. Although his symptoms of nausea and vomiting have improved, he still can't adapt to the cold and dry climate.

It's winter, and the charcoal fire in Meng's house is burning. After sitting for a while, he sweated a lot, and his throat was dry. If it wasn't for the tea in front of him, he would have died of drought here .

It’s okay during the day, if your mouth is dry, drink some water to moisten your throat. What’s unbearable is that after waking up at night, usually when you wake up, Tong Zisheng’s throat is so dry that you can smoke. The first thing you do when you wake up every morning It is to drink a lot of water, as if you are in the desert, and you are on the verge of death due to lack of water.

"Didn't your stomach swell from drinking so much water?" Meng Zhen saw that he had only drained a pot of water in such a short time, and he didn't care about his problem just now, he only felt that his behavior of drinking water Very strange.

Tong Zisheng shook his head and laughed: "Cousin doesn't know something, don't blame me for drinking so much water, it's because the climate here is too dry and cold, I can't live without water, otherwise my mouth will feel dry and uncomfortable."

It turned out that it was caused by the climate, and Meng Zhen couldn't help him solve it for a while, so he could only wait for him to adapt slowly.

"But fortunately..." Tong Zisheng continued, "Fortunately, I came early. If I come back after the new year, if I don't get used to it, I'm afraid I won't pass the exam. All these years of hard work will be in vain."

Tong Zisheng's words are not bad at all. The three-yearly general examination is held in the capital. The examination time is in February. Some provinces are far away. Symptoms such as acclimatization to the soil and water, usually left for Beijing years ago.

After the candidates came to Beijing, those who had relatives and friends stayed with relatives and friends, those without relatives and friends stayed in hotels, and most of them stayed in the guild hall of the provincial office in Beijing.

In the early days of this dynasty, in order to make it easier for the candidates from their own provinces to take the exam in Beijing, and for businessmen from their own provinces to come to Beijing to do business, some high-ranking officials or wealthy businessmen bought land to build guild halls, providing a shelter for fellow villagers in difficulties. place.

Of course, it's not that this guild doesn't charge anything, it's just that it's not as expensive as staying in an inn.Moreover, the number of houses in the guild hall is limited, first-come, first-served, and often as soon as the results of the provincial examination are released, the candidates who have won the exam or those who have passed the previous exams will set off from their hometowns and go straight to the guild hall run by the province in Beijing.

The candidates who live in the guild hall can not only discuss the possible questions in this exam together, but also have the possibility to get in touch with the funder of the guild hall, that is, the current Beijing official.

If they become officials in the future, they happen to be in the same department as the Beijing official whom they met a few times in the guild hall. Based on their fellow villagers, it is unknown that they will be supported by the Beijing official.

However, these have nothing to do with Tong Zisheng who came to Beijing to seek refuge with relatives and friends, and Wannian Fudo is either at home or at school, and Meng Zhen, who has not even finished his trip to Xianghe County, has nothing to do with it.

The uncle and nephew sat in the room and talked for a long time. Tong Zisheng drank a lot of water and the air in the room was stuffy, so he got up and left Mengzhen's room because of his stomach discomfort.

But he said that Tong Zisheng came to Meng's house, and after the symptoms of acclimatization disappeared, he would either stay in the room reading a book, or stay and talk with Meng Zhen. Apart from the servants he brought with him, this huge Meng mansion I couldn't find a peer with whom I could chat.

Opening his eyes this morning, Tong Zisheng took a few sips of tea from the servant's hand as usual, and suddenly saw that the outside of the window today was different from the past, it was white, like a layer of white cloth.

Tong Zisheng felt inexplicably excited in his heart, walked to the door and pushed it open, and the vast whiteness of the sky and the earth came into his eyes immediately.He grew up in Suzhou since he was a child, and he has not traveled far in the past 20 years. Although it snows in Suzhou in winter, it usually melts when it touches the ground. The white layer of people's surprise was suddenly blurred by something, and it disappeared after a while.

He had never seen such a big snow scene in front of him, so that when he saw it for the first time, he was stunned for a moment, and he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. It was only after the servant called a few times in his ear that he lost his mind.

"Go, go out and have a look!" Tong Zisheng said and came outside, stepping on the thick snow as soft as cotton, excited like a child who had never seen the world, stepping on to Mengzhen's yard.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped into the gate of Mengzhen courtyard, he ran into a person head-on, and that person was his second cousin Meng Hong.

Meng Hong was busy with the business of the restaurant during this period, and he was rarely at home. He came back from the capital last night. He originally wanted to rest at home and leave this morning. He didn't want to be trapped by a snowfall last night. Living.

"Cousin Meng Hong, long time no see, what are you busy with all day, why don't you even see anyone on weekdays."

As soon as they met, Tong Zisheng greeted Meng Hong with a smile on his face. Meng Hong only said that he was just a lazy person with nothing to do.Unlike him, he passed the Juren examination at a young age, which shows that he is extremely talented, and he will be the number one scholar in the future.

Tong Zisheng even said that he didn't dare to take the title. Cousin Menghong was too famous, and then he said in a low voice: "I don't know if I won the first prize or not. I only know that I will be suffocated to death staying in the room these days."

Meng Hong thought that he was bored from studying, so he said: "It will indeed be boring if you stay at home for a long time. The streets are lively, so you won't feel bored if you go out more often."

Tong Zisheng's brows were tightly furrowed. It's not that he hasn't been to the street before, it's just that he hasn't found the kind of place he wants after wandering around for a long time.

"Where do you want to go?" Meng Hong asked.

Tong Zisheng raised his eyes and took a look. The eaves and tiles, the treetops and branches are all covered with white, the sky and the earth are integrated into one. It seems monotonous, but he realizes that the whiteness is so extreme that it becomes beautiful on its own.

"Good snow corresponds to good scenery, and good scenery should be shared with beautiful people. Cousin Meng Hong, I have traveled in your Xianghe County several times, why don't you see a band playing the pipa. Is there any taboo on the edge of the imperial city?"

Meng Hong raised his eyes and happened to meet him, and said to himself, there is nothing to be taboo about, I think these places are hidden, Tong Zisheng just couldn't find them.

But this scholar is also quite romantic, and he thinks of being a beautiful pipa to relieve his boredom, which is indeed quite emotional.

"Are you really going?"

"Of course, when I was in Suzhou, I often went to Taohuawu with my friends to listen to girls playing the pipa. Now that I'm here with you, I don't have any entertainment except reading. It's almost suffocating. Cousin Meng Hong knows that Zisheng would be very grateful if you take my younger brother through this journey."

He had a humble attitude, which made it difficult for Meng Hong to refuse, he just said: "The place is very expensive, you should bring enough money, otherwise you won't even be able to find the door."

Tong Zisheng smiled and said: "Naturally, please cousin Meng Hong lead the way, I will treat you today."

He raised his hand as a gesture of invitation, Meng Hong followed him, and stepped out of the courtyard door, leaving a string of footprints in the snow soon, and the two walked away together.

The author says:

感谢在2022-05-2002:08:18~2022-05-2202:52:56期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angel of irrigation nutrient solution: 4 bottles of Lemangecat;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!