A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 254 Provincial Examination Registration
Lu Daozong did not refute the official's words.

"How should Song Twelve be rewarded?"

Emperor Lu Daozong did not expect that His Majesty would actually want to reward Song Xuan.

After thinking for a while, he said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to rush this matter."

"Ok?"

Lu Daozong then suggested that Song Xuan's identity be concealed for the time being, so as not to affect his performance in the imperial examinations and prevent him from demonstrating his abilities.

Because he found that Song Xuan's policy essays were mediocre.

With this reform of the imperial examination system, people like Song Xuan, who are skilled in poetry and prose, will likely not be able to gain an advantage in the examinations.

Hearing Lu Daozong's words, Zhao Zhen felt somewhat worried.

Because Lu Daozong is an honest man, he wouldn't lie to himself about such a thing.

When Song Xuan passed the provincial examination with top honors, Zhao Zhen was genuinely happy for a while, and even fantasized that Song Xuan could achieve the triple crown of top honors.

Now that his policy essay is mediocre, wouldn't he fail at the provincial examination stage?

“What Councilor Lu said makes sense. I will consider this matter more carefully.”

Emperor Zhao Zhen had some faith in Song Xuan's abilities, but he had never personally witnessed Song Xuan's strategic thinking.

Lu Daozong saw it, and he wouldn't lie!

The thought of this made Zhao Zhen feel somewhat agitated.

He especially wanted Song Xuan to be on the list of successful candidates, or even to become the top scholar.

But you still need to have the ability to do it.

“Counselor Lu, please tell me about the policy essays written by Song Twelve.”

Zhao Zhen listened to the story about the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Unlike his father, who did not want to take them back, Zhao Zhen still longed to fulfill the ambitions of his ancestors, Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

Otherwise, the next time the Liao Kingdom attacks, they will have to sign a humiliating treaty.

Emperor Zhao Zhen did not want to sign such an alliance.

However, listening to Lu Daozong recount Song Xuan's policy essay, he found it rather ordinary, and rather, a rehash of old ideas with nothing new.

They couldn't come up with any good solutions.

As for Lu Daozong's words about Cao Liyong, Zhao Zhen wondered if Lu Daozong had been misled by his twelfth brother.
Those words were clearly Cao Liyong repeating what others had said.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was absolutely certain of this.

"Alright, go and explain this matter to my mother first. She is also extremely angry about it."

Zhao Zhen did not keep Lu Daozong for a long talk.

Having achieved his desired result, Lu Daozong respectfully withdrew.

This way, they could explain themselves and the Empress Dowager wouldn't be able to refute the Emperor's decree.

No matter how the imperial family is dealt with, the emperor has the final say.

Liu E originally intended to punish him severely.

However, Lu Daozong first went to the emperor to set the tone.

All she could do was sulk and not take it to heart.

Even the Eight Kings have gone insane.

The claim of the Eighth Prince is clearly nonsense.

Apart from Song Xuan mentioning it briefly that day, no one in the capital city of Tokyo actually spread this title.

Bad parenting skills.

Only a normal person can raise a child.

Zhao Yuanyan was just like his elder brother Zhao Yuanzu.

How can someone who is mentally unstable raise their children?

Moreover, Lu Daozong was someone her husband had specifically mentioned wanting to promote, so Liu E wouldn't retaliate against him.

After all, he still needs this person.

"Song Xuan?"

Liu E looked at the detailed report that Lu Daozong had sent.

"In response to Your Majesty, it is indeed this scholar."

To be honest, Lu Daozong had no intention of telling anyone except the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

"This boy is not afraid of powerful people."

I greatly admired Liu E's words to Song Xuan: "You don't even deserve the surname Zhao."

Lu Daozong glanced at Liu E with considerable surprise.

If he were to enter the court, wouldn't he be the first to criticize you, the Empress Dowager who shouldn't be in power?

However, Lu Daozong did not remind her.

Moreover, he felt that Song Xuan's policy essays were mediocre.

Although he became the top scholar in Yingtian Prefecture, that was before the reform of the imperial examination system.

Song Twelve's poems and essays were renowned throughout the three capitals.

Now that the imperial examination system has been suddenly reformed, it is not an advantage for Song Twelve.

"Your Majesty is right, this boy is indeed the top scholar in Yingtian Prefecture."

"Oh?"

Empress Liu E never paid attention to such trivial matters, except that last year, she manipulated the ranking of the Song and Qi brothers in the imperial examination.

He helped Song Xiang achieve the feat of passing the imperial examinations in three consecutive years, even though no one in the scholarly community recognized his achievement.

"He's a good kid who excels in both character and academics."

Liu E had a deep impression of Song Xuan's name. He was a scholar from a commoner background who had once been discussed by the prime minister and was already quite outstanding.

Not to mention we've discussed it several times.

Lu Daozong nodded, and then explained his idea: to protect Song Xuan's name from being known to outsiders as much as possible before the imperial examination ended.

Otherwise, given how lively the people of Tokyo are, they probably would have been bothering Song Twelve day and night.

How could he still devote himself wholeheartedly to the imperial examinations at that time?
Hearing Lu Daozong's words, Liu E asked with some confusion:

"Since Song Twelve has already passed the provincial examination with top honors, how could he possibly fail?"

Lu Daozong further explained the imperial examination to her, along with his investigation.

He happened to see Song Xuan's policy essay, which was mediocre and unremarkable, so he was somewhat worried.

Liu E nodded and said nothing more.

She didn't say much about the imperial examinations; she just listened to the prime ministers' suggestions.

Song Twelve was rather unlucky.

However, he is still young, and perhaps he will adapt in three years.

Liu E didn't think much of it, after all, given Lu Daozong's honest character, he wouldn't lie about this.

"Forget it, let's talk about this after the imperial examinations are over. If Song Twelve doesn't pass with flying colors, then we'll discuss it again."

Furthermore, since Song Twelve was living in Zhang Qi's house, Liu E subconsciously felt that Song Twelve and Zhang Qi had a close relationship.

For so many years, no outsiders have lived there.

Zhang Qi didn't say anything, and Liu E wouldn't ask him about such a trivial matter.

"Here."

Lu Daozong quickly completed his mission and didn't want to stay with Liu E any longer, as it would make him feel resentful.

After all, the person in front of him genuinely wanted to emulate Wu Zetian.

The phrase "You don't deserve the surname Zhao" became a common saying in Tokyo.

Zhao Yundi, the son of the Eighth Prince Zhao Yuanyan, was dismissed from his post by the Emperor and ordered to reflect on his actions in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs.

Zhao Yundi never expected that his usual playboy lifestyle had never caused any problems.

Moreover, he wasn't the only member of the royal family to act this way.

But when Zhao Yundi met the person who said, "You don't even deserve to have the surname Zhao," he never imagined he would end up like this.

To this day, Zhao Yundi still doesn't know that person's name.

Fortunately, Zhao Yundi was not demoted to a commoner, which was a mercy shown by the emperor.

As long as he behaves himself, perhaps in two or three years, after the storm has passed, he can be given an official position again, which is also feasible.

Zhao Yundi couldn't understand how she had ended up like this.
Whether it was because he disregarded the laws of the Song Dynasty or because he acknowledged the title of the Eighth Prince, he was attacked by Empress Dowager Liu.

Surprisingly, Zhao Yuanran did not fall ill. Instead, he voluntarily left the palace and went to the imperial palace to express his gratitude to Emperor Zhao Zhen for the first time in many years.

Zhao Zhen looked at the Eighth Prince, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and was surprised to find that he had aged so much. He gave him a good talking-to.

However, this matter had already spread among the royal family.

This has caused many members of the royal family to feel insecure.

Some even suspect that Empress Dowager Liu was behind this.

She did this to strike at the Eighth Prince, hoping to emulate the old ways of Empress Wu Zetian.

Regarding that person who targeted Zhao Yundi.

Few people in the general public knew his name, and even officials were baffled by it.

Because Emperor Lu Daozong never revealed this information to outsiders, even Cheng Kan, the censor, was unaware of it.

Anyway, it really happened.

No one would question the emperor.

When asked, Lu Daozong said it was the Emperor's will.

To prevent that person from being retaliated against.

Therefore, the matter of Song Twelve angrily rebuking a member of the imperial clan for not worthy of the surname Zhao.

Ultimately, it's missing the name of a main character.

But it is still praised by the people.

Many people were scratching their heads in frustration.

They were eager to find someone who dared to publicly rebuke a member of the royal family.

Such explosive news.

Whoever discovers it first will surely receive a substantial reward.

Because someone has already offered a reward to find out who is behind it all.
But Song Xuan really didn't show up much, and he was a newcomer to this place.

Even if the local bullies wanted to find someone, they wouldn't easily find Zhang Qi's residence.

There were only his family members and servants there.

Who would live there?
Zhang Qi was quite strict with his sons, and they would not go out and cause trouble.

There were no vendors or anything like that on that street.

In addition, everyone knows that Zhang Qi is the most favored minister of the Song Dynasty.

Who would be so foolish as to investigate him?

Then you're not just going against Zhang Qi, you're embarrassing Empress Dowager Liu.

Do you have the guts?
Ultimately, the idlers on the streets of Tokyo could only paraphrase a line from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms written by Song Twelve:

"What did that person look like?"

"Handsome appearance, extremely imposing, name unknown!"

This story circulated among the common people of Tokyo.

Moreover, the theater troupe fabricated a whole drama.

This kind of confrontation between ordinary people and the powerful is especially popular among the people of Tokyo.

The theaters in the entertainment district were always packed.

Most importantly, the Hu woman didn't know the names of Song Xuan and the others, and it was because of this incident that her fame greatly increased.

They were even invited to perform their own roles in the entertainment district in order to earn more money.

This conflict only resulted in minor losses for the royal family.

But to the curious people of Tokyo, it was a huge celebration!

What makes you, a member of the imperial clan, still so arrogant?

They often flaunt their power and influence.

Now they are being questioned.

"You don't even deserve the surname Zhao."

They were routed in no time.

The people of the Song Dynasty were not fanatical rebels, but rather they resented your abuse of power and bullying of others, even though you have rights.

It's unbelievable that ordinary people would encounter something like this.

Needless to say, even high-ranking officials, and even temporary workers in county government offices, will use their power to oppress ordinary people.

The people of Bianjing (Kaifeng) in the Song Dynasty did indeed often joke about the imperial family.

Moreover, under normal circumstances, the emperors of the Zhao Song dynasty would not be overly harsh.

They didn't even care that the houses built by merchants to attract customers were taller than the royal palace.

In the previous and subsequent dynasties, who would dare to be a merchant who was treated like a servant?
Do you not want your nine generations of relatives anymore?

Li Junyou hasn't come out for the past few days. Today, while wandering the streets, he heard the words "You don't even deserve the surname Zhao," and hurriedly went home.

"grandfather."

Li Shiheng made no attempt to hide his wealth; his house in Tokyo was also very large.

He's currently engaged in bird fighting in his backyard.

"Have you been out for a stroll?"

“I’ve been there, and many people are saying that you don’t even deserve the surname Zhao, even the young children are saying that.”

"do not mind."

Li Shiheng put down the trinkets in his hand and continued to gaze at the valuable bird:

"Anyway, it was the Zhao family who got into trouble; you were just someone he forced to spend money on."

Li Junyou's father was an official in another city, while he lived with his grandfather in Tokyo.

"Grandpa, I don't understand, who is that person?"

"Don't ask, and don't think about it. His background is none of your business."

Li Shiheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at his grandson:
“You should go study at the Imperial Academy. Zhao Yundi brought this on himself, it has nothing to do with you.”

"As for the fact that you lost money riding a horse, it's not a big deal."

"Live your life while you can, and if you happen to meet on the street in the future, just say hello."

Li Shiheng understood that this was Liu E's attempt to frame the Eighth Prince, and had nothing to do with his Li family.

In any case, his reputation for corruption has been proven true over the past twenty years.

The offspring don't need to be too successful; it's enough if they can get official positions.

Losing points.

How much money can I spend?
"As long as you don't provoke him, he's just a scholar who's going to the capital for the imperial examinations, he's no threat to our family."

"But he was staying at the home of Zhang Qi, the Privy Councilor."

"Let them stay. Our Li family isn't afraid of the Zhang family."

"But."

Li Junyou wanted to say more, but when he looked into his grandfather Li Shiheng's eyes, he dared not say anything more.

grandfather.

The waters of Tokyo run deep.

Even our Li family can't control it!
Li Shiheng felt that his younger relatives were becoming more and more cautious.

His father's upbringing has made him utterly useless.

Even spoiled brats can't act?
I'll have to teach him myself!
"You dare to use the surname Zhao?"

Young children on the street were also playing games and shouting loudly.

Zhang Fangping and his fellow students were immediately surprised.

They finally arrived in Tokyo together to participate in the provincial examination.

"What happened?"

Lu Lejian loved gossip, so she immediately went to listen to the gossip to her heart's content.

Upon returning, Lü Lejian recounted the events.

They were also surprised.

Zhang Fangping immediately spoke up:

"Handsome and extremely imposing, but his name is unknown. Could this have been done by my twelfth brother?"

"cant."

Lü Lejian immediately retorted:

"Given Twelfth Brother's reputation as a timely rain in Songcheng, how could he do good deeds without leaving his name?"

Wang Tai and the others nodded repeatedly.

Who doesn't know the name of Songcheng's Timely Rain?
Song Xuan also mentioned the person who redeemed people, Zigong.

Doing good deeds should be publicized.

Otherwise, it would block others from doing good deeds and receiving benefits.

The group of people, laughing and joking, headed towards the address Song Xuan had written for them.

"Tokyo is so prosperous!" Zhang Fangping couldn't help but exclaim.

Wang Tai had lived in Tokyo in his early years, but he just scoffed:
"With a population of one million, as long as there is enough money, everything you need for food, drink, and entertainment will be readily available."

Zhang Fangping and the others marveled.

Don't even mention that there's plenty of money.

They didn't have much money in their pockets.

Students like them, who were traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, arrived in droves during these days.

Many people from the brokerage firm gathered around, asking if I wanted to rent a room or something similar.

In short, Wang Tai was right; once you come to Tokyo, you're willing to spend money.

They can take care of everything for you, even cleaning up your messes.

Not only brokers, but all sorts of people, including beggars and thieves, would approach to test the waters.

It's all a business with no initial investment anyway.

They had seen plenty of these clueless students who came to Beijing, and they were the easiest to take advantage of.

Besides, most people won't be on the list, so there's no need to worry about retaliation.

In addition, since they operate as a gang, they are more familiar with the terrain, so you just want to chase them.

They might be taken to an alleyway, where they could get beaten up and robbed of even more things.

Although Chen Yaozi enforced the law strictly in Kaifeng Prefecture, the city had a population of one million.

Many people also live in the underground Ghost Fanlou.

Despite the government's repeated attempts to suppress and besiege Gui Fanlou, the campaigns were mostly unsuccessful.

"Go away."

Jiao Ming pulled out a kitchen knife and shooed away the thief who was trying to steal.

"If you dare to reach out again, I'll cut off your claws."

Wang Tai, who was lavishly praising the prosperity of Tokyo, suddenly became alert and turned to run away when he saw the thief.

"You're a jerk."

Wang Tai cursed angrily.

My father was honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and I, the son of a former prime minister, was almost robbed in Tokyo.

That would be incredibly embarrassing.

"Thank you."

Jiao Ming simply nodded and put away the kitchen knife.

He observed that Tokyo remained unchanged.

There are still many beggars, thieves, and idlers.

There are probably more and more scholars now.

He came along to ensure Song Xuan's meals before the exam, and that nothing went wrong.

Everyone sees Tokyo differently.

This is known as the pregnancy effect.

Led by Wang Tai, Zhang Fangping and others walked from the dense crowd onto the wide road.

"Didn't we lead you the wrong way?"

"Not really."

Wang Tai became increasingly alarmed as he walked.

Because he already knew where he was.

"I had heard that with the exam approaching, the rent in Tokyo, the round-trip fare, and the cost of living in Tokyo for several months would cost at least 30 kan even for someone like us who lives nearby and is frugal."

"In places like Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, and Fujian, local governments would provide candidates with travel expenses and meal allowances to help them travel to the capital for the examinations."

Zhang Fangping had seen it when he was reading the official gazette with Song Xuan.

Starting from the third year of the Tiansheng era, postal coupons became available in remote areas such as Sichuan.

Bao Zheng was the oldest. Looking at the streets and the luxurious eaves, he figured Song Xuan must have spent a lot of money.

Many candidates who came to the capital for the imperial examinations had family support.

Or they borrow money from relatives and friends.

Or they would borrow money from loan sharks.

Once I become an official, I can pay off all my debts.

Wealth and poverty are not fixed; a ruler can become a subject of a new emperor.

During the Song Dynasty, prime ministers had to be selected from among scholars, and the emperor was surrounded by Confucian scholars.

Moreover, among officials of the same rank, civil officials are always half a rank higher than military officials.

To participate in the imperial examinations and meet the emperor.

Once you leap across several levels, no one can help but be tempted.

Moreover, the imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty were fairer than those in the Tang Dynasty.

Becoming an official in the Song Dynasty was the fastest way to improve one's social status.

Emperor Taizong of Song decreed that the sons of farmers, merchants, and even Taoist priests could participate in the imperial examinations.

These people have a strong desire to transcend class and rise from the ruled to become the rulers.

Li Di, Wang Zeng, Zhang Zhibai, and Du Yan, who were known as wise ministers during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, all came from impoverished backgrounds.

Du Yan, in particular, was born posthumously and grew up in poverty. He achieved upward social mobility through the imperial examinations.

Fortunately, Yan Shu was a decent person. Even though Nanjing was not far from Tokyo, at the Deer Cry Banquet, Yan Shu specially gathered local worthies to give a gift to the candidates who were participating in the provincial examination.

Those who pass the imperial examination will receive 300,000 coins and a new set of silk clothes; those who take the exams will receive 3,000 coins and a set of ordinary cloth clothes.

The rest are things like writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

"Twelfth Brother is really rich."

Lu Lejian, however, seemed completely unconcerned.

If he didn't enjoy studying and taking exams with everyone, he could have stayed at his cousin Lü Yijian's house.

However, after taking everyone to the Ministry of Rites to report for duty, we went back to my cousin's house for a simple meal.

Zhu Yu remained silent, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Han Qi shook his head: "In Tokyo, even if you have money, you can't spend it all."

Wang Tai nodded in agreement and remarked with emotion:
"Living in Tokyo is not easy."

However, the rental business is extremely profitable. There was a prime minister named Zhao Pu who was said to have governed the country with half of the Analects of Confucius. He was impeached for building large mansions, operating inns and shops, and seizing the people's profits.

Bao Zheng understood the meaning behind Wang Tai's words.

Among the social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were at the bottom. Even if a merchant was as rich as a country, he could still be ruined and bankrupted by officials without even needing an imperial edict.

Therefore, they all hoped that their offspring would hold official positions, so that they could protect their property.

Fan Xiang was somewhat dumbfounded: "How much does Twelfth Brother pay to rent this place?"

Lü Lejian stared at the gate.

Even if it's not exactly magnificent, it's still extremely luxurious.

Especially in areas of Tokyo where land is extremely valuable.

There would be no one around to disturb you, making it an excellent place to study. Plus, it was only a couple of blocks away from the examination hall.

"Would it be several tens of strings of cash per month?"

"I don't know. I heard that some classmates rented places outside the city, in order to save money. There are only graves outside, similar to when we spent the night in Beiman Mountain."

Bao Zheng wasn't very familiar with the prices in Tokyo, but judging from the cries of street vendors, they were significantly higher than in Nanjing.

"I have also heard that, faced with the high cost, some scholars from afar are unwilling to come to the capital to participate in the provincial examinations."

Everyone understood that the money problem was difficult to solve.

Many impoverished scholars who had no fixed means of income had to rely on the entire family's resources to cover their travel expenses. The resulting sense of guilt and psychological pressure were the internal factors that led them to abandon their plans to take the imperial examinations in Beijing.

"However, Twelfth Brother's success today is all due to his own hard work and struggles, which he has never told us about."

Even Wang Tai, who came from a family of prime ministers, greatly admired Song Xuan after learning about his background.

If an ordinary person were born into such a family, they would waste so much energy on internal conflicts alone, how could they possibly have time to study?
Perhaps I'll just drift through life like this, in a daze.

"good."

Zhang Fangping naturally understood Song Xuan's situation in Lema Town.

If he weren't the "number one of the three evils," he, a mere child, would have been devoured long ago.

However, these people who had not experienced much hardship did not know that there were quite a few people like Song Xuan.

The Song Dynasty did not prohibit merchants from participating in the imperial examinations, nor did it prohibit scholars from engaging in business activities.

Even officials are openly renting out houses for profit.

Even as late as the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court issued a ban on officials and candidates for the imperial examinations, prohibiting them from selling salt. However, due to resistance, this ban was not implemented.

Nowadays, Song Dynasty officials do not prohibit the highly profitable commercial activity of selling salt.

In particular, many scholars would take out loans to transport local specialties from their hometowns to Tokyo to sell in order to earn travel expenses, and then buy local specialties in Tokyo to transport back to their hometowns to sell, thus making a profit from the price difference.

In fact, because Sichuan candidates were transporting goods and their arrival in the capital was delayed due to customs duties and tax payments, the imperial court would proactively extend their time to participate in the imperial examinations.

During the Southern Song Dynasty, some local governments, in an effort to increase revenue and meet tax quotas, would be subject to stricter tax collection. However, many candidates wanted to evade taxes, and some who successfully evaded taxes even wrote in their diaries to remind themselves of their success.

"Several tens of strings of cash?"

Although Fan Xiang received some travel expenses from Yan Shu, two years had already passed since then.

He doesn't have that much money on hand right now.

"You can rent this place for just a few dozen strings of cash? Do you even know whose residence this is?"

Wang Tai's earlier exclamation was not without reason.

"It can't be the prime minister, can it?"

Lü Lejian also lived in Tokyo, but later went into seclusion in Luoyang with his father, Lü Mengzheng.

If it weren't for Yan Shu's invitation, he would have been studying at Taishi Academy.

“It belongs to Zhang Qi, the Privy Councilor.”

Wang Tai certainly knew that his father, Lü Meng, had served as prime minister three times.

However, Zhang Qi is still the most favored minister in the world today.

Lu Lejian was quite surprised to hear this.

"Is that really true?"

Why would I lie to you?

After saying this, Wang Tai went straight to knock on the door, and this time it was Wang Bao who opened it again.

"Haha, you've arrived."

Wang Bao opened the door, and Wang Tai looked at Wang Bao's attire, never expecting that he would wear such gorgeous clothes.

Given Wang Bao's physique, Gengshi wasted no clothing materials.

Twelfth Brother is really willing to spend money.

Wang Tai had to admit that even though his family was not short of money, he could not afford to dress his servants and bodyguards in fine clothes.

Is Twelfth Brother training assassins?
Wang Tai felt that Wang Bao did not understand the principle that if the ruler treats me as a national hero, I will repay him as a national hero.

But if Twelfth Brother asked him to kill someone himself, Wang Tai was certain that Wang Bao would not even flinch.

"Hahaha."

Zhang Fangping punched Wang Bao directly: "I feel like you've gained a lot of weight again!"

"Hey hey hey."

Wang Bao laughed heartily, enjoying good food and warm clothes with Song Xuan. Despite his large stature, he still felt somewhat empty and weak.

Unlike now, it has been made up for.

Even if they were to run away carrying a long spear, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Lu Lejian looked at the furnishings in the courtyard and said, "This courtyard is really luxurious, especially in Tokyo, where it is even more luxurious."

Bao Zheng readily agreed, never expecting that Song Xuan would choose such a luxurious place to stay for his exam.

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan walked from the back hall to the front hall, stood at the door, and smiled:

"I heard magpies calling on the branches early this morning, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly!"

"The ice melted quickly, so we came."

Zhang Fangping, carrying his bundle, smiled and said:
"Twelfth Brother, while the sun is still high, let's hurry to the Ministry of Rites to submit our registration forms. I see there are quite a few students coming to the city today."

“Alright, I’ve already scouted the route. It’s very close to the Ministry of Rites’ offices from here.”

Song Xuan told them to choose their own rooms, since there was enough space.

Zhu Yu walked over and said, "Twelfth Brother, I can live in the back hall by myself."

"No problem, choose whichever you like."

"Thank you." The package in Zhu Yu's hands was very heavy.

Song Xuan simply had his servants carry Zhu Yu's bag and lead the way, while he tidied up a bit.

He had no intention of helping Zhu Yu carry things.

"Good guy."

Lu Lejian was a man of great experience.

But I also felt that the house was a bit too luxurious.

Was Zhang Qi, the Privy Councilor, so wealthy that he could rival the wealth of a nation?
Even the furnishings in the rented house are quite valuable.

Is he really not afraid of it being taken by someone with dirty hands?

However, Lü Lejian felt that, given Song Xuan's personality, he would definitely look down on such a thing.

He just couldn't understand how Song Xuan had gotten in touch with Zhang Qi.

The group rested for a while before heading to the Ministry of Rites in the Ministry of Rites with their recommendation certificates to complete the pre-examination procedures.

"It's really fast."

Zhang Fangping was overjoyed, noticing that there weren't many people queuing at the government office.

Even at this point, brokers were still coming to ask if I wanted to rent a room or something.

In short, it's cheap, close to the exam venue, and they even highlight the "top student room".

The earliest example is the residence of the top scholar in the imperial examinations, while the most recent example is the residence of the Song brothers.

In short, you can absorb some literary atmosphere from them.

Lu Lejian, however, couldn't help but smugly say:

"No need, we'll stay at Privy Councilor Zhang's house."

Upon hearing this, the broker noticed that the students were dressed very neatly.

One of them, dressed in fine clothes, smiled and took his leave.

These people are not his target customers.

As for that student from earlier, whether what he said was true or false, he wouldn't care.

When did Zhang, the Privy Councilor, start making money by renting out houses?
They don't need it at all.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites in the Ministry of Rites were also discussing whether you were worthy of the surname Zhao.

After all, this is the most discussed topic in recent days.

"Handsome in appearance, extremely robust, his name is unknown."

"Some of them said they were students from other places who came to Beijing to take the imperial examinations."

"Perhaps they can come and report here."

"will not."

"Logically, it should have been reported long ago. How could it have been delayed for so long?"

"Besides, I've never seen such a description of a face before, even though I've read so many descriptions of faces."

Another official, however, laughed and said:
"That's just something described in storybooks. How can you find someone who's seven feet tall in real life? There are so many people who can't even reach that height."

The version circulating in Tokyo has been updated and iterated several times, and with word of mouth, things have become completely distorted.

From the chivalrous interpretation, to the imperial uncle interpretation, and finally to the homosexual interpretation.

Anyway, there are all sorts of versions.

However, no matter how the plot unfolds, the descriptions of Song Xuan are surprisingly all based on the version from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

When the officials and clerks saw that new students had come to register, they said nothing more.

The group of people stood in separate lines.

Zhang Fangping bowed respectfully and quickly placed his recommendation certificate on the table.

The official opened his recommendation certificate, which showed Zhang Fangping's name and his ranking in the preliminary examination.

Then, in the other compartment, if he has a given name, he should write it down, along with his nickname, birth date and time, and the names from his great-grandfather to his father, all of which are recorded.

If there is a marriage, it must be written down who the bride is.

Write Zhang Fangping's current age in another box, his complexion (white/black/yellow, etc.), sparse beard, and a black mole on his left eyebrow.

Finally, a guarantor from Yingtian Prefecture proved that Zhang Fangping was indeed Zhang Fangping.

"Are all of you from Yingtian Prefecture?"

Pang Ji asked the question, and the others responded.

"Don't rush, everyone come and line up here."

The group immediately returned to Zhang Fangping's back. Song Xuan wasn't in a hurry to have them all line up at the front; instead, he began to examine the government office.

At the foot of the imperial city, the unspoken rule of neglecting government offices for many years has been followed, allowing them to deteriorate and become old.

The Ministry of Rites, in particular, was a very low-paying government office. Even if it had official funds, it wouldn't be used to repair its offices.

After Song Xuan presented his guarantee, the officials from the Ministry of Rites carefully checked it against the details sent by Yan Shu.

After all, this person was the top scholar in the provincial examination of Yingtian Prefecture.

"His face was like jade, his eyes like black lacquer, and he was about six feet tall (according to the official Song Dynasty measurements, this is 1.9 meters, but not quite), and he was extremely imposing."

Pang Ji raised his head and glanced at Song Xuan, raising an eyebrow.

Back then, when he and Han Yi went to Yingtian Prefecture to investigate the Dou Chou case, Song Xuan hadn't grown this tall yet.

Pang Ji still remembered being verbally attacked by Song Xuan in a sarcastic tone, leaving him speechless.

When he saw his old friend again, he found that Song Xuan had grown into a grown man and had even passed the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture.

"Song Twelve?"

"Master Pang, it's been several years since we last met."

Song Xuan politely bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"I am not worthy of being called 'husband'."

"You really have grown into a grown-up."

Pang Ji smiled with some emotion and asked, "Are you confident about going to the capital to participate in the provincial examination this time?"

"Of course there is."

"That's good."

Pang Ji chuckled and stamped Song Xuan's seal, then told him to go to the next room to pay the money.

In short, it's a form of registration fee; they'll give you a receipt.

Seating will be arranged according to the number of people, and then you can check the posted seat number.

After Song Xuan left and went to pay the money, Pang Ji picked up Song Xuan's guarantee and examined it carefully.

He then looked up and saw Song Xuan enter the house.

"Handsome in appearance and extremely majestic."

Pang Ji felt that among all these students, only Song Xuan himself fit this expression pattern!

In addition, Song Xuan had a criminal record when he was young, which led to the death of Dou Chou, a Hanlin scholar who held a position comparable to that of prime minister.

Now, it's perfectly acceptable for him to openly berate Zhao Yundi, a member of the imperial clan, on the street, saying, "You don't even deserve the surname Zhao."

In the few words Pang Ji exchanged with Song Xuan just now, he found that the young man had become more reserved and was not as aggressive as before.

"Could it really be him?"

Pang Ji's speculations attracted the attention of the others.

What are you muttering to yourself?

The other officials in charge of the review immediately gathered around:
"Two top scholars from Yingtian Prefecture came to report together. It seems they have a good relationship!"

These people are all strong contenders for the top spot in this provincial examination.

According to their observations, many students who are "good at studying" do not have very close relationships.

After all, everyone is in a purely competitive relationship.

"Good heavens, look at Han Qi. His face is fair and flawless, his features are clear and bright, and he's tall too. Could he be the one who angrily rebuked Zhao Yundi, the member of the imperial clan?"

"He looked like he had just arrived; he hadn't changed his clothes and they still smelled of water."

"Ah, Song Xuan, with a face like jade, eyes like black lacquer, and a height of six feet, is extremely robust."

"what?"

Several officials looked at it intently. They initially thought it was Han Qi, but the more they looked, the more it resembled Song Twelve.

After all, Han Qi's description did not include the word "extremely magnificent".

"Judge Pang, do you think that person could be Song Twelve?"

Pang Ji originally intended to respond directly.

But considering that this matter has been going on for so long, and no one has revealed who it was!
Even if it really was Song Xuan who did it, things are rarely coincidental.

That must have been because someone from the royal family helped Song Xuan cover it up to prevent him from being retaliated against before the imperial examination.

This wasn't the first time that Empress Dowager Liu and the Emperor had heard of Song Xuan's name.

So in an instant, Pang Ji subconsciously shook his head:

"How could the characters in storybooks possibly have real-life counterparts?"

“Especially Song Twelve, he looked just like the other students, having just arrived in the capital, Tokyo, and reporting to the Ministry of Rites as soon as he put down his luggage. How could it be him?”

Several people agreed with Pang Ji's answer.

These students are new to Tokyo, how could they possibly get involved in what happened a few days ago!
"Do you think it's possible that Song Twelve ran away back then, found out nothing was wrong, and then came to report with the others?"

Several onlookers nodded again, thinking it was possible.

"impossible."

Pang Ji immediately smiled and said, "Judging from that person's behavior of daring to publicly rebuke a member of the imperial family in the capital, he doesn't seem like someone who has run away."

"Judge Pang is right after all."

Song Xuan ignored the words of Pang Ji and the other onlookers, and they didn't intend for Song Xuan to hear them either.

After all, discussing it behind someone's back isn't exactly something to be proud of.

Moreover, these students were under immense pressure as they faced the imperial examinations.

There's no need to ask any more questions.

Song Xuan was leaning against the door, and their chatter unconsciously reached his ears.

After the students paid their fees, the Ministry of Rites officials said that their reporting time was not early enough.

Three days later, that is, before the provincial examination.

There are two important events that you should both attend.

The first was the ceremony where candidates for the imperial examinations collectively met with the emperor, known as the "group audience."

The second is the ritual of paying homage to Confucius, called "paying homage to the Master".

"May I ask how many scholars have come to the capital to take the imperial examination this time?"

Song Xuan immediately inquired about it.

"The number has now exceeded seven thousand."

Pang Ji explained it to Song Xuan:
"Although you are the first group to encounter the reform of the imperial examination system, the number of you is smaller compared to the earlier periods."

Previously, there was no need to repeat the exam, but now, if one cannot pass the provincial exam, one must take the provincial exam, which may not be successful.

Upon hearing this, Song Xuan breathed a sigh of relief:

"That's alright. Only seven thousand people. We were selected from among tens of thousands. We're not afraid."

Pang Ji glanced at Song Xuan, wondering if he was pretending to be confused.

The students who participated in the exam were of varying quality.

But the students who participate in the provincial examination are the elite!

The students who participated in the palace examination were the elite of the elite.

How can they be compared at the same time?
Zhang Fangping and the others didn't care much; as long as they could participate in the provincial examination, that was enough. If they didn't pass, they could just consider it practice.

It's like everyone's failed an exam before!

"Alright, just remember to attend these two events. Be sure to take care of yourselves and don't get an upset stomach, or you'll suffer a lot."

Pang Ji patiently gave these "seed" players advice.

"Thank you."

The group thanked them and quickly left.

Another official laughed at Pang Ji and said, "Song Twelve thinks like that; he must be a bookworm. How could he possibly be the kind of person who would rebuke a member of the imperial family?"

"Yes, yes, we thought it was him just now."

(End of this chapter)