Three Kingdoms

Inside the library.

A study in the Wang family's manor.

The lights flickered.

Outside the window, the shadows of the trees are also swaying.

That night, countless people had no sleep.

Wang Ying and Zhen Mi also didn't sleep.

Zhen Mi was wearing a small dress, revealing her delicate and smooth skin, like a pearl under the moonlight. She covered her mouth with her hand, yawned silently, and then pushed the book in her hand forward. "This is the list I hand-copied of the Wang family, Wen family, and some officials in Jinyang City, as well as Xihe and Shangdang related personnel... Some of them are written as "unfounded", which means there is no conclusive evidence... You Make a copy and report it to Qiao Qi. I...haha, I need to squint for a while..."

In the list of documents, the ink words are like beans, but it is related to the lives and futures of countless people.

Below the list, Wang Ying saw a long list of officials involved in "unfounded" smuggling charges.

The sky was dark, and even with the light of candles, the room still looked dim, and the "unnecessary" list on the list made Wang Ying feel an inexplicable darkness.

"Why... why are there so many..." Wang Ying looked at the roster and was surprised, "Why... why are there so many of these people..."

Zhen Mi had already found a few cushions, and either pulled them into her arms or put them aside, curling up on the floor next to the table like a cat, "Hmm... because... ha." Phew...I'm not sure either...don't bother me..."

"..." Wang Ying seemed to want to say something, but in the end he didn't. He just looked at the list and was silent for a long time.

Wang Ying has made a lot of progress, but she is not as ruthless as Zhen Mi.

Zhen Mi seemed to be very tired. She lay down and fell asleep, snoring sweetly.

Wang Ying looked at Zhen Mi and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he picked up the pen and copied the names one by one according to Zhen Mi's roster.

Wang Ying didn't understand many things. She didn't even know the significance of the entire Taiyuan smuggling case at all levels. She was like a person trapped in a whirlpool, and all she could see was the chaos in front of her.

Fortunately, Wang Ying is not the kind of person who pretends to understand, and she is also willing to learn. While she was copying the list, she was thinking about the things hidden in the list...

The chaotic night also comes to an end, but the doubts in Wang Ying's heart are not made clear by the rising sun. On the contrary, they are becoming more and more numerous.

Morning comes and the darkness fades.

『 # ￥ @……』

Some unintelligible voices sounded. Wang Ying turned around slightly and saw Zhen Mi sitting up. Her hair was messy, her eyes were blurred, and one shoulder was exposed, shining with a warm luster like silk in the morning light.

"Hmm...are you awake?" ” Zhen Mi tugged on her small clothes to cover her exposed shoulders, and then yawned, “Let’s go and wash up first...”

Wang Ying did not move, but gestured to the copied roster in his hand, "I have copied the roster." 』

"Then just ask someone to send it to Chang'an quickly." "Zhen Mi straightened her messy hair, then frowned slightly, and walked out, saying, "I'm going to change..."

Wang Ying nodded, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you here." 』

"Um? Zhen Mi stopped and looked back at Wang Ying, "You...have you figured it out?" 』

"A little, just a little. Wang Ying lowered his head, looked at the roster in his hand, and then squeezed it tightly, "I still don't understand most of it." 』

Wang Ying lost her father herself, so she understood that if she handed over the list, many families might lose their fathers, or even more people...

"This is already very good..." Zhen Mi chuckled twice, "Let's go, let's go change first..."

"No, this is not good. Wang Ying raised his head, his eyes rested on Zhen Mi's face, and said, "You go ahead, I'll wait for you here." I still have some questions..."

"..." Zhen Mi squinted her eyes, as if she was pierced by the morning light outside the house, or as if she had encountered a prey cat, "It seems that you really just want to understand something... Then you first Hold on……"

Wang Ying nodded again.

After a while, Zhen Mi came back.

Dressed in fine attire.

Bright and gorgeous, every gold and silver thread on the clothes shows elegance and elegance.

Eye-catching, prosperous, every bit of decoration on the face reflects the elegance and elegance.

Wang Ying looked at it, slightly absent-minded. Even though she was a woman, she couldn't help but be distracted by the dazzling beauty in front of her.

This is an almost extreme beauty, full of feminine charm, like a blooming peony, standing proudly.

"I'm going to pay my respects to Marquis Yuyang..." Zhen Mi stepped forward and bowed.

"Sister Zhen, what are you doing..." Wang Ying stood up, not knowing what was going on.

Zhen Mi straightened up and asked, "Does it look good?" Well, I worked hard to bring a suit... I was going to wear it for you..."

"Well? I? Why? "Wang Ying seemed to understand something, but also seemed not to understand anything more.

"Marquis Yuyang," Zhen Mi looked at Wang Ying and said slowly, "Why do you think the Hussar sent me here?" 』

Wang Ying was stunned. She really had not thought about this problem. After a long time, she said: "Yes... I want you to help me..."

"right. ” Zhen Mi walked up the steps and sat next to Wang Ying, “But it’s not entirely right. 』

"What else don't you understand?" ” Zhen Mi asked.

Wang Ying frowned and lowered his eyes, "Do you need... do you need to kill so many people?" 』

Zhen Mi smiled, "What if that's not the case?" We can't just come to Taiyuan for sightseeing, right? 』

Wang Ying was silent.

Zhen Mi still smiled, "What's more, we have given them such a long time... Who can blame them for refusing to surrender?" 』

"Well, let's put it this way," Zhen Mi looked at Wang Ying, "You think the killing list is too heavy because they are concentrated in this list. If they were separated one by one, would you still think so?" Sooner or later. What's more, it's March now. If we don't take action, wouldn't it be too late..."

"But, it's "unfounded"? "Wang Ying raised her head, "If the evidence is conclusive... But it's unfounded..."

"Wang Chang, the hero of Xihe, was charged with assisting smuggling, assassinating the envoy, and conspiring to cause rebellion. There is no evidence of the crime. ” Zhen Mi didn’t read the brochure and said directly, “Wen Wan, the governor of the Shangdang sect, was charged with assisting smuggling, assassinating the envoy, and conspiring to commit rebellion. The evidence of the crime was trumped up... and Li Jing, Zhang Qiang, Chen Bin, Wang Fei...』

Wen never expected that the rumors he spread would eventually become a noose for himself and others.

Zhen Mi read a long list, and there was no mistake in any of them, "Do you think these people should not die?" 』

Wang Ying looked at Zhen Mi, hesitating at first, and then nodded with a firm look on his face, "Since it cannot be confirmed that there is a direct connection with the crime of smuggling, then he should not be found guilty, at least, it is not a death penalty." 』

Unlike those who were sentenced and dealt with yesterday.

Wang Ying believes that if there is conclusive evidence of guilt, then they should naturally be punished, so she does not feel the need to show mercy to those people. However, Wang Ying feels a little bit concerned about the long list of "unfounded" people on the current list. Can't let go.

Zhen Mi laughed and muttered softly, "It's really..."

Zhen Mi pointed slightly at the ribbon tied around her slender waist, "What do you think this is?" 』

"Official ribbon." ” Wang Ying said softly.

"Then what is the official ribbon made of?" Zhen Mi nodded, "Tear out the silk threads of this ribbon one by one, and what's next?" Can it still be an official title? 』

"..." Wang Ying began to think.

"These officials have lived in Taiyuan for a long time and controlled the place. They thought that they could not be touched without evidence... Unfortunately, they were wrong... Since they were wrong, why do they need evidence? Zhen Mi smiled and said, "When I was running a business, if I noticed that the shopkeeper had a bad intention, I would just replace him. Why wait for these people to do evil?" 』

"But..." Wang Ying understood somewhat, but still couldn't bear it.

"Look, the principles are obviously the same, but the execution seems to be different..." Zhen Mi said slowly, "It's like I'm here to help you, but why am I not fulfilling myself?" ? 』

"Sister Zhen?" ” Wang Ying looked at Zhen Mi.

Zhen Mi said quietly: "That day, I put on even more luxurious and gorgeous clothes than now, and then became the noble person in the rumors. But I found out that I was just a wealthy ornament placed in the backyard of the government office, just for Good-looking and good-looking...I don't want to be that kind of person, but at that time I had to be like that...until one day..."

Zhen Mi stood up and showed off her gorgeous robe, "Can such clothes be worn when traveling long distances?" Is it possible to want beautiful and gorgeous clothes and also want to embark on a journey? When I bowed down in front of the hussar that day and took off this gorgeous robe, I decided that in this life, I would see the world that ordinary women cannot see, and the mountains and rivers that ordinary women have never set foot on! 』

"And you? What do you want to be? Marquis of Yuyang? Or a girl from the Wang family? Zhen Mi said. She looked at Wang Ying, and there seemed to be some morning light dancing in the child's hole. "You want to be a marquis with clean hands?" In other words, where do you think the title of Marquis came from? Is it so colorful and untainted by dust? Do you think any official's hands are not contaminated with dirt? You have to know that in a store, whether items are useful or easy to use are two completely different things. 』

"Now that we have come here, if you can't move forward," Zhen Mi straightened her back and raised her head, "Then it's me!" The reason why I have this rank and title is all given by Hussar, so what I want to do is what I want to do! Since these officials do not have such awareness, they cannot hold this position! If it affects the great cause of Hussar, he should be killed! 』

Wang Ying was silent for a long time, and then said slowly: "Even if...it becomes a knife?" 』

Zhen Mi met Wang Ying's gaze and said in a clear and firm voice, "Of course!" Now, should you wear this outfit, or should I wear it? 』

…(= @· @=)…

Hedong.

Anyi.

Pei Mao and Sima Yi were sitting in the high hall, and below were a group of students, all wearing green shirts and silk scarves.

Lunjin means no crown.

No crown means no official position.

Although the hierarchy of crowns among the Han Dynasty is very rough, without wearing a crown, there are basically no specific positions.

Among the Han Dynasty, there are many crowns worn by different positions, but there is little difference between the upper and lower levels. For example, the Wu Bian worn by the central court military attache is basically the same as that worn by the local lieutenant. Even the Jinxian crown is slightly different. It's just a division of levels into beams one, two, and three, and it's impossible to distinguish the respective levels in detail.

"The student has seen the envoy!" I have met Dali Qing! 』

All the students bowed and saluted.

Pei Mao stroked his beard and said, "Now the Dali Minister has come to Hedong to supervise the scientific examination. This is a grand event for our literature. You are talented people in this county. You should be entertaining guests in a beautiful hall. Unfortunately, there are many inconveniences. Here Please forgive me for the hurried summons and the hasty Jane Han. 』

All the students quickly handed over their hands and said they didn't dare.

Pei Mao said a few polite words, and then asked Sima Yi to speak.

Sima Yi smiled slightly, and then said loudly: "You don't need to be polite." I have long heard about the outstanding people and places in Hedong, and when I see you today, you are indeed a man of great talent and beauty, and your simplicity is worthy of appreciation. I am now supervising the examination in Hedong under the orders of my lord. I hope that you can show your talents and do not let down your lord, your envoy, and the elders of Hedong! 』

Everyone responded in unison again.

Among the students, a middle-aged man who was the leader bowed and saluted, "Now that I see the envoy coming, I feel extremely happy. Students are of a common nature, so to have this good opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned will be a real achievement for students." Great luck. 』

Sima Yi nodded, and then asked some of these people about their past experiences.

"I am originally from Hedong. At the beginning of the fourth year of Taixing, I went to Chang'an with Gong, but unexpectedly fell behind and returned home with regret. In the following years, I read several literary explanations, but nothing was achieved, but my blood was not cold. If I fight again, I am afraid that I will laugh at the magnanimity again..."

"The student is from Anyi and knows the Qiusi Enke. However, he is blocked by Guanshan and has no money to take the examination. Now that he knows that the examination will be held in Hedong, he is really overjoyed..."

"...I went to Chang'an, but during the exam, I was caught in the cold and dizzy, and it was difficult to write..."

"We arrived at Tongguan, but unexpectedly the carriage and horse were frightened... Fortunately, the doctor from the Baiyi Hospital set the bones, so he was not disabled. It was a pity that he could not take the exam that year..."

Everyone was talking.

After Sima Yi heard this, he was also quite sad.

Generally speaking, failure to succeed after trying for a long time is often synonymous with failure, but this is not necessarily the case. When Sima Yi took the exam, it was still a small-scale competition in the academy. The examination halls and dormitories are all in the academy, so there is no fatigue and risk involved in traveling across mountains and rivers, not to mention the pain of being chilled by the cold wind after arriving in Chang'an but not being able to find a place to live.

Relatively speaking, it is relatively convenient for students in Chang'an Sanfu to take the exam, but it is more difficult in other counties. Those who can really take the exam in a comfortable manner are often only those students with relatively good wealth, while the average , and generally lower-level students, it is very difficult to collect travel expenses, let alone if they encounter some unexpected circumstances.

Fei Qian had also organized a tribute examination before, that is, when counties and counties escorted taxes to Chang'an every year, local students could follow the tribute to Chang'an and take the exam. In this way, the students had more guarantees on their journey.

But the problem is that the quota for Sui Gongke is not unlimited. In each county, according to the level of taxation, the most is two or three people, and the least is only one. Some counties are even too small, so they don't have any at all. After all, the county is also responsible for the food and other things that the students of Sui Gongke have. If it has something to do with it, it can be said. If it does not matter, I still want the county to bear the travel expenses and food expenses of one more person. If it is a big county, it is okay, but a small county? …

And it’s not like in later generations, where one ride on a train or plane is all done. Stopping and stopping along the way is quite expensive. At the same time, these students who follow the tribute may not be able to pass the exam, so they have to prepare the travel expenses themselves, which is difficult for a large number of people.

After all, every time Feiqian takes the exam, except for the small number of people in the first few times, there are more and more people in the future. The number has been thousands in the past two times. With so many people taking reference, the top talents from all counties and counties gather together, and It is not the model of taking the exam to get sixty points, but to take the top ten or twenty, at most forty or fifty people. The competition among them is huge, one can imagine.

This is because Fei Qian deliberately relaxed the amount of talent selection and added examinations in different subjects. If this was really the imperial examination in history, it would be more strict, or rare. Many talented people may not be lucky. For example, Du Fu was never able to obtain any serious honors in his life, Wang Wei immigrated from Taiyuan to Jingzhao, and Li Shangyin also took the exam for several years.

In the early days of scientific examination in history, there was no such thing as Fei Qian, who also paid attention to students from other counties. Historically, the imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty, before the Kaiyuan Dynasty, were only focused on two prisons, namely the Imperial College in the east and west. Students in the Imperial College had a higher chance of passing the exam. As for students from other counties, only one or two students could be admitted, and often even No grains were harvested.

If you don't want to waste energy on the road, want to stay in Chang'an, and don't compete with the students of Sui Gongke, but join the Enke added by Feiqian, then you must have the financial resources to live in Kyoto for a long time. And many people's financial resources do not allow it. If you are not from a wealthy family with a strong family background, it is not easy to be a Beijing beauty.

Although Enke is good, but unlike Sui Gongke, the subject examinations held by Feiqian are specifically for selecting talents, so in principle, the number of people who take the examination is naturally wider, not just limited to Students from the academy and students from various counties, as long as they think they have this expertise, can take the exam.

This means that not only ordinary students, but also ordinary officials who are not satisfied with their current official positions can also take the exam!

Such a system is of course a great thing for ordinary officials, but for ordinary students, the assessment standards have been invisibly raised, without actual administrative experience, no broader view of the pattern, and no The practice in the fields is often difficult to surpass these grassroots officials who have been settled for a year or two, or even longer.

Therefore, whether it is Feiqian's current imperial examination or the imperial examination in history, the winners are only a few, and there are a large number of denominators who will never climb that line.

Sima Yi said in a deep voice: "The country's selection of scholars does not follow the same method. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. There is nothing to blame." There may be deviations in your destiny, but if you keep it in mind, there will be repercussions. You may have experienced setbacks, but you can still maintain your passionate ambitions. If you keep your ambitions and never give up on one thing, you will be able to overcome the world and the world. It is really not easy. Today's Hedong examination is to pick out those who have high talents but cannot reach it, and those who are silent and cannot win, so that you can show what you have learned and live up to your years! 』

The middle-aged student at the head bowed his head and said, "I don't dare to say that I am better than others. I can only do what you said and live up to the time!" Now that I have received pity from the hussars, and I have opened a favor in the east of the river, I am like a withered field that welcomes the sweet rain! I am willing to go all out and use what I have learned to prove this! 』

At this point, all the students responded in unison and bowed.

What is said by one middle-aged student is not the voice of all students?

People who fail to achieve their goals are common in the world, and who doesn’t want to prove themselves?