Troubled times: Start practicing spiritual practice by taking care of your sister-in-law

The third year of Yong'an, July 5th.

In front of a huge house in the east of Xiangyang City.

It was not even the hour of Chen yet, but many people were already standing in front of the gate. They were all candidates who had passed the last joint examination.

Some of them were excited, some were rubbing their hands nervously, some had stern faces and no expression, and some were very calm.

The mansion was almost full of soldiers holding spears. They looked around with stern faces. The alleys and streets around were all sealed off, and no outsiders were allowed to enter. Only candidates who passed the identity check were allowed to pass.

And this mansion was where the palace examination was held.

The palace examination was different from the previous provincial examination and joint examination. If it was still held in a simple examination room, it would be somewhat shabby, and it would make people feel that the King of Wei did not pay enough attention to the tribute scholars. So Chen Mo asked Wei Linchun to requisition a wealthy businessman's mansion to hold the palace examination.

Although it was called requisition, the rich businessman did not have a trace of dissatisfaction. On the contrary, he was very happy and excited when he heard that his mansion was used to hold the palace examination, and he even planned to give money to Chen Mo.

For this rich businessman, it was like the consecration of a magic weapon. His mansion had been visited by so many "literary stars", and it must be full of talent. His children living in this house wrapped in talent would definitely be extremely intelligent.

Even if he did not live in it himself, he could sell it for a high price.

The rich businessman was very smart.

Chen Mo did not ask him for money, and of course did not give him money.

The palace examination was held at 3:30 in the morning. As time gradually approached, more and more people came to the mansion.

They did not whisper to each other or make noise, but whispered to themselves. If you look carefully, you will find that they are reciting the words of the saints in a low voice.

One of them was an exception.

He was Guo Ning.

Ever since he saw Dai Tu outside the Prince of Wei's mansion that day, he had been waiting outside the mansion, wanting to find Dai Tu to reminisce about the past and comfort him.

After all, he did not see Dai Tu's name among the more than 300 names on the list of tribute scholars, and thought that he should have failed.

After Dai Tu came out of the Prince of Wei's mansion, he got on a carriage directly, which put an end to his plan to reminisce about the past. So he asked the guards of the Prince of Wei's mansion and learned that the carriage belonged to General Zhang He, the Inspector of the Sikong.

And Zhang He was the first old man to follow the Prince of Wei, and he was "highly respected" in the army.

So Guo Ning asked the guards where General Zhang lived.

The guards knew that Guo Ning was the champion and had been received by the prince, so they did not hide it.

After learning about Zhang He's residence, Guo Ning planned to find Dai Tu in person.

But when he arrived at the place, he was told by Zhang He's servants that there was no such person as Dai Tu.

Guo Ning felt that he couldn't have been wrong, so he asked around. When the servants of Zhang's house saw that Guo Ning was the champion, they immediately told him that the one who went to the Prince of Wei's Mansion with his master was their uncle, called "Guo Xian".

"Guo Xian, uncle?"

Although Guo Ning thought this was extremely strange, he was not a nerd who only knew how to read. He didn't ask about it, nor did he say that your uncle looked like a good friend of mine. Instead, he left with doubts.

Afterwards, at the cocktail party held by Qin Shi and the poetry meeting held at Yaoyue Tower, almost all the tribute scholars who made the list last time attended, but Guo Ning didn't see "Guo Xian".

This was the big day of the palace examination, and Guo Ning didn't believe that Guo Xian could be absent.

He wanted to see if this Guo Xian was the Dai Tu he knew, or if he really saw it wrong that day or something else.

...

Speaking of Dai Tu (Guo Xian).

In a house that Chen Mo gave to Zhang He.

Nowadays, the housing prices in Xiangyang are very high. With Zhang He's salary, he naturally cannot afford to buy a house in Xiangyang. After the last lesson, Zhang He dared not be greedy again.

Zhang He originally planned to rent a yard.

But Chen Mo saw that he was an old man who followed him after all, and couldn't bear to see him being so "shabby", so he gave him a mansion as a wedding gift for his daughter in advance.

In Dai Tu's room.

His fiancée Zhang Zhu was tidying up Dai Tu's clothes and said softly, "Guo Lang needs to work hard in this palace examination. Although Dad said that even if Guo Lang failed, the King of Wei would still witness our marriage, but that was in exchange for Dad's friendship.

If Guo Lang passes this time, he will be a real disciple of the King of Wei, which will also make Dad proud. Then Dad can also find a good job for you in front of the King of Wei."

Dai Tu looked at the beauty leaning on his arms, feeling her soft body and the rouge fragrance that permeated his nose. He couldn't help but hug her soft waist, and his thoughts flew far away.

He thought of the yellow-faced woman at home.

The reason why he married her was because he had entered a difficult situation at that time. His family had no money to support him to study, while her family was relatively well-off.

After the marriage, the other party took out her dowry to support his studies, subsidize the family expenses, and redeem the ancestral land for him.

Although the other party looked average, she treated him very well, and he didn't need to worry about the trivial matters at home, and she kept the house in order.

He was not a person who didn't know how to be grateful, and he decided to stay with her for the rest of his life.

People say that the feelings between husband and wife are like wine, the longer they are together, the more mellow they become, but the longer he and the other party get along, the more unfamiliar they become.

She paid less and less attention to dressing up, and she was unkempt every day, and sometimes she wiped her wet hands directly on her body.

When he was studying, she would no longer knock on his door, but would just push it open and barge in.

She quarreled with her neighbor like a shrew over a very small matter.

She also spoke carelessly.

Every time they hugged, the first thing he smelled was the sweat on her body.

Even the name - Huang Zhaodi, was so rustic.

He no longer had any feelings for her.

For Dai Tu, the two of them just made do with each other.

Unlike Zhang Zhu.

She was young and beautiful.

She spoke softly and was well-educated.

She would cover her mouth with a handkerchief when she laughed, and she would not speak carelessly.

She smelled good every day.

She also had a good father.

And the father of the yellow-faced woman was just a businessman with no status, which would only bring shame to him.

If he had married the daughter of a businessman in the previous dynasty, he would not even be qualified to take the imperial examination.

"Guo Lang, what's wrong with you? You hug me so tightly, I can't breathe." Just when Dai Tu was lost in thought, Zhang Zhu whispered.

"Sorry." Dai Tu loosened his grip a little, but still hugged Zhang Zhu, saying, "I will work hard on this palace exam and will not disappoint my father-in-law."

"Guo Lang, I believe in you." Zhang Zhu tiptoed slightly, quickly kissed Dai Tu's mouth, and then blushed and buried her face in Dai Tu's chest, whispering, "After we get married, I will give Guo Lang a few big fat boys to expand your Guo family."

"Yeah."

Dai Tu stroked the hair of the beauty in his arms, cherishing everything he had now, and absolutely not allowing others to destroy it.

"Guo Lang, it's itchy, your beard is so long, it hurts." Zhang Zhu said in a soft voice.

"Sorry." Dai Tu let go of her.

"You and I will be a family soon, there is no need to say sorry all the time, it seems strange, and I don't hate it, I'm just acting like a spoiled child."

Dai Tu's heart palpitated.

Not long after he met Dai Ling last time, he found a way to remove the moles on his face and neck, and went to the doctor to get some medicine that could promote beard growth, hoping to make a difference from his past self.

He even thought about hurting his face, but gave up after thinking about it.

He was worried that if he became ugly, he would be disliked by Zhang Zhu and it would affect his official career.

So he could only make some subtle changes.

He was moved and planned to be gentle with Zhang Zhu, but at this time Zhang He's voice sounded outside the house: "Are you ready? The palace examination is about to begin."

When Zhang Zhu heard his father, his head buzzed and he let go of "Guo Xian" and his face turned red.

The two have not yet married, so far, the behavior just now is the most intimate and bold move.

"Okay."

Dai Tu replied, then held Zhang Zhu's hand and whispered: "I won't let you down either."

Taking Zhang He's carriage, Dai Tu went to the location of the palace examination.

At this time, the candidates had already started to enter the examination room.

Guo Ning saw that he didn't see "Guo Xian" and had to go in first.

It was a huge hall.

There were long tables in the hall, about half a meter apart from each other.

Guo Ning, as the first place in the joint examination, was in the first row.

Dai Tu arrived at the examination room only after Guo Ning sat down.

He was the 47th place in the examination, and was still far away from Guo Ning.

"I am Wei Linchun, the prefect of Linzhou. Before the examination begins, I will tell you the precautions. It is forbidden to whisper, look around, etc. Once violated, it will be treated as cheating and expelled from the examination room. In serious cases, you will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examination for life. I hope all candidates will remember this, so as not to end up with nothing." Wei Linchun said at the top.

When the palace examination begins, three gongs will be struck outside the hall.

When the first gong is struck, the examination papers and questions for the palace examination will be distributed.

When the second gong is struck.

"The King of Wei is here." A strong voice sounded outside the hall.

In the hall, Wei Linchun, who heard the voice, said with a serious face: "All candidates stand up."

When Chen Mo, dressed in a python robe, walked into the hall, he heard a chorus of greetings: "Meet the King of Wei."

"Sit down."

Chen Mo waved his hand, walked through the middle, and sat down at the top of the hall.

Wei Linchun saw Chen Mo coming, bowed respectfully, and then left.

At the same time, the third gong sounded.

The candidates' eyes were withdrawn from Chen Mo, and their attention was all on the test paper in front of them.

The palace examination lasted a total of four hours.

Four hours may be short for the candidates, but for Chen Mo, it is very long and very boring.

On the table in front of Chen Mo, there was a book, the test questions of this palace examination, and the extra test papers.

Although Chen Mo had already seen the test questions, he was fine and took it up and looked at it again.

The test paper was surprisingly long, with no words on the three or four-meter-long white paper.

The examination room provides the pens, ink, paper and inkstone. Candidates are not allowed to bring their own.

There are not many questions, only about a dozen, and almost all of them are policy essays.

For example, there is a question about privately owning armor and crossbows, but the first question says that there is only one spear. The weight is different, and how to punish them.

Also, what are the crimes of those who should be exempted from punishment but are not given, those who should not be given punishment, and those who are subject to minor corvée?

If a prisoner sentenced to death has no relatives in his family, he can ask for pardon and be allowed to serve as a servant. If he is pardoned, should he be spared from death?