Fortunate Young Gentleman

"Ask for leave?" Xiao Jue looked at him with his arms folded, and asked, "What do you think?"

Tang Ning sighed and said, "I don't think so."

Rules are set by people. It's not that he can't ask for leave at the Qionglin Banquet. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a better reason. If he was the one who broke a few ribs, it would be easy to ask for leave.

Tang Ning looked down and saw the little beggar lowered his head and leaned towards him.

He led her to the bed and said, "I'm going to do something. You eat something first, then take a nap. I'll come when you wake up."

Tang Ning let her lie on the bed, covered her with a quilt, and used the method taught by Tang Yaojing to press a certain acupoint on her shoulder. Not long after, her eyes slowly closed and she could breathe evenly.

When she slept, she was like Su Mei, with her eyes half open, her little fists clenched tightly, and her body curled up, as if she would wake up at any time.

It seems that it will take time to eliminate her defense against outsiders and the external environment.

Tang Ning asked Qing'er to light some calming incense beside the bed, and then signaled Xiao Jue to walk out quietly.

"Who is she, your sister?" Xiao Jue walked out of the room, looked up, and asked in confusion.

Tang Ning gently closed the door and said, "Not before, but in the future."

"You are really good, you can also pick up a sister." Xiao Jue looked at him and said, "Now you should think about it carefully. You just ran away just now. How are you going to explain to His Majesty later?"

Tang Ning looked at Xiao Jue and asked, "Didn't you run away too?"

Xiao Jue thought about it, looked at him and asked, "Are you also His Majesty's brother-in-law?"

Tang Ning really didn't have the power and background like Xiao Jue, and he was not the emperor's brother-in-law, so when he passed by the clinic, he wrapped a white cloth on his hand.

The Jinshi team had to go around the capital in a full circle. The streets were lined with onlookers, and the pace of the march was very slow. When Tang Ning and Xiao Jue caught up with the team, they had not yet entered the palace gate.

Seeing them coming, an official in the team ran forward and hurriedly said, "Hey, No. 1 scholar, young master, you are finally here, hurry up and get on the horse!"

In previous years, when riding horses in the streets, there has never been a situation where the No. 1 scholar ran away halfway through the parade and took someone with him. Both of them were wearing crowns and big red flowers on their chests. If you didn't know, you would think they eloped.

After more than 200 Jinshi went around the capital, they entered the palace and were temporarily placed in a hall.

About an hour later, His Majesty will grant official positions to some Jinshi, and then it will be the long-awaited Qionglin Banquet.

Tang Ning and Xiao Jue waited in the hall for a while, and then an eunuch came in and said, "The top scholar, the young master, the emperor summoned you."

"I wonder how the emperor will punish them?"

"They don't even want this opportunity, I really don't know what they are thinking!"

"But one is the young master and the other is the top scholar, the emperor shouldn't punish them severely"

When the many scholars in the hall saw the two being summoned away, many of them showed a gloating look on their faces.

When they were paraded just now, everyone saw the two of them jump off the horse and run away, which was a great disrespect. The emperor summoned them over, and he should be asking for punishment.

I don't know what disease they had just had. It was such an honor to ride a horse in the parade under the witness of the people of the whole city, but they actually gave up this opportunity to make face. You know, except for them, all the scholars wanted to get on the two horses in front.

The place where Emperor Chen summoned them was in the imperial room. When Tang Ning and Xiao Jue walked in, they saw several unfamiliar officials standing in the hall.

"Student pays respect to His Majesty."

"Xiao Jue pays respect to His Majesty."

Tang Ning and Xiao Jue bowed at the same time.

"No need to be polite." Emperor Chen looked at the two of them and said straight to the point: "An imperial censor reported you two for abandoning your horses and running away during the imperial parade. This is a breach of etiquette. Is this true?"

"Your Majesty, it is true." Xiao Jue bowed and said, "However, we have to act in an emergency. There is a reason why we did this."

Emperor Chen leaned back in his chair, glanced at them, and said, "Tell me, what is the reason that made you ignore the imperial parade?"

Xiao Jue looked at Tang Ning, and Tang Ning bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my sister was kidnapped a year ago and has been missing. In the past year, I have been worried about my relatives and have never stopped looking for her. I just heard the news about my sister and knew that she was in danger. I was extremely anxious, so I was rude."

Emperor Chen looked at him and said in surprise, "You have a sister?"

"That" Tang Ning opened his lips and said, "My sister. "

Emperor Chen looked at Xiao Jue and asked, "He was trying to save his sister, what were you trying to do?"

"I" Xiao Jue naturally wouldn't say he was trying to watch the fun, after a moment of hesitation, he changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty, the champion and I found a gang that kidnapped children everywhere in the capital. They kidnapped these children from all over the country to the capital, made them pretend to be beggars, and used the sympathy of the people to defraud money. It is really a heinous crime. Please make a wise judgment, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Chen nodded and said, "I have asked Ling Yun to investigate this case."

After that, he looked at Tang Ning again, looked at his hand wrapped in white cloth, and asked, "What happened to your hand?"

Tang Ning thought for a while and said, "The student was injured in the fight with the villain just now."

"Fight?" Emperor Chen looked at him and asked, "Why did you hear that you kicked someone out of a distance of ten feet, how could you hurt your hand?"

Tang Ning limped two steps and said, "My foot is actually injured."

An official stood up and said, "Your Majesty, etiquette cannot be abolished without courtesy. Even the champion should observe etiquette!"

Another official echoed, "The champion has disrespected etiquette and should be punished!"

Emperor Chen looked at them and said, "Although the champion violated etiquette, he was worried about his relatives, which is understandable. He also solved such a big case. His merits and demerits offset each other. You don't need to say more."

The two imperial censors looked at each other and lowered their heads and stopped talking.

This matter can be big or small. Whether it is severe punishment or light punishment is all up to your majesty. This champion has always been favored by your majesty. I believe he will not be severely punished for this matter, not to mention that it involves the Xiao family. This matter will probably be passed lightly.

Emperor Chen looked at them and asked, "I heard that you met Tang Zhao of the Tang family there?"

Xiao Jue bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we suspect that Tang Ersha, the second young master of the Tang family, Tang Zhao, is closely related to this matter. Please investigate it, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Chen nodded and said, "I have handed this matter over to Ling Yun."

He looked at Xiao Jue and asked, "You are the first in the palace examination this time. According to the rules, you can enter the Hanlin Academy. Do you want to enter the Hanlin Academy or serve in the palace?"

Xiao Jue thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, the Xiao family is a military family. I want to serve in the palace."

Emperor Chen nodded, looked at Tang Ning again, and asked, "I want you to enter the Hanlin Academy first and study for two years. Do you have any ideas?"

Tang Ning bowed and said, "Your Majesty will arrange everything for the students."

Tang Ning and Xiao Jue walked out of the imperial room, and the matter was just passed by so lightly.

Duke Dingguo had a son in his old age, and Emperor Chen treated his brother-in-law Xiao Jue with great favor. Tang Ning felt that he should have benefited from Xiao Jue.

As for his entry into the Hanlin Academy, it was not surprising.

In previous years, the top scholar would generally get a position as a Hanlin editor. Although it was just editing and giving lectures, without any real power, it was a stepping stone. Generally speaking, after a two- to three-year internship, one could officially enter the officialdom of the capital.

When he and Xiao Jue arrived at the hall, Gu Bai came forward and asked, "How is it? His Majesty didn't punish you, did he?"

Xiao Jue rolled his eyes at him and asked, "Why did His Majesty punish us?"

Gu Bai asked in confusion, "Then why did His Majesty summon you?"

Xiao Jue said casually, "His Majesty asked us to go over to ask what kind of official we wanted to be. Tang Ning said he wanted to enter the Hanlin Academy, and I want to be on duty in the palace."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

The eyes of many Jinshi in the hall looking at them immediately became resentful.

They were both Jinshi, but the difference in treatment was too great. The two of them ran away halfway through the parade, which was against etiquette. His Majesty not only did not punish them, but also asked them what official position they wanted to hold and which imperial examination they would take. They could not just take whatever was given to them. How could they have any choice?

Even if it was a favor, there had to be a limit. The sum of the favors received by the Jinshi present was probably not as good as theirs.