Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 142 The Marquis's Mansion Divides, Gu Qianfan Participates in the Imperial Examination
Along with the Ningyuan Marquis's family, other noble families who suffered the same fate included the Lingguo Duke's family, as well as more than ten officials in the court. None of them escaped unscathed.

After the trial concluded, Gu Tingbing, Gu Tingyang, and others were escorted to Lingnan for exile.

Lingnan was a popular place for the exile of officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since the founding of the country, nearly a hundred officials of all ranks have been exiled there.

The journey from Bianjing to Lingnan was long, nearly 5,000 li.

According to the law, convicted officials are required to carry heavy loads for fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers) each day, and their rations amount to only eight liang (approximately 400 grams).

This was far from enough for someone who had to traverse mountains and valleys, traveling day and night. The escorts would also embezzle money along the way, and some would even resort to beatings and kicks, deliberately making things difficult for the person.

They were noble sons who had lived in Bianjing since childhood and had never experienced more than half a year of hardship.

Without someone secretly making arrangements, they would most likely die on the way.

With Gu Tingye's word, no matter how much trouble the people from the fourth and fifth branches of the family caused, no one dared to care about Gu Tingbing and Gu Tingdi.

Today, in the main hall of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, the aroma of tea filled the air, creating a slightly strange atmosphere.

The elders of the Gu clan were all seated here.

Dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, Gu Tingye bowed to the crowd and said in a clear voice, "Dear uncles and elders, since my late father's passing, the Marquis's mansion has received your support, for which I am deeply grateful. However, as the tree grows, it naturally branches out."

“My two cousins, Tingbing and Tingdi, have done something that disgraces the Marquis’s family. If my father knew this in the afterlife, he would be furious and heartbroken. He even appeared in my dream last night!”

"I have invited you all here today to settle this matter."

"Let's discuss the division of the family property, lest a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch."

Upon hearing this, the clan elders exchanged silent glances.

Gu Yanming and Gu Yanzhi had gloomy faces, and the two aunts standing behind them had red eyes.

Especially Aunt Gu, who only has one son, Gu Tingbing, unlike the fifth branch of the family who has Gu Tingdi.

An elder said in a deep voice, "Second Brother, since you have made your decision, it is neither morally nor logically our place to stop you."

"But for such a major event as dividing the family property, shouldn't we invite a few accountants over?"

Gu Yanming's eyes darted around.

“That’s right. Since those two wretched children have already gotten what they deserved, Erlang, you can’t just kick us out like this.”

"In my opinion, we should indeed ask the accountant to carefully inventory the Marquis's estate and shops and redistribute them!"

In his heart, he was actually unwilling to separate the family. At present, Gu Tingye held a high position and was highly valued by the emperor. Countless people in Bianjing were eager to curry favor with him.

Staying in the Marquis's mansion would allow him to profit from the situation.

Unfortunately, Gu Tingye's attitude was adamant, and Gu Tingyu, using the pretext of feeling unwell, refused to even show his face today.

It can be said that no one in the entire Marquis's mansion can do anything to him now.

Since there was no room for negotiation on the matter of dividing the family property, it was natural to try to take as much money as possible with them.

The fifth branch of the family also chimed in, wanting to divide the family property again.

Over the years, relying on Gu Yankai's kind and gentle nature, they have only cared about acting arrogantly and domineeringly in the Marquis's mansion, and have never thought about the future.

Gu Tingye knew they would pull this stunt. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and pointed to the thick stacks of account books on the table not far away.

"Re-dividing the family property? Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle are dreaming."

“When my grandfather was alive, the family had already divided the property once, and my grandmother clearly divided it again before she passed away.”

“Back then, my father led troops far away on the frontier. You bullied him because you couldn’t confront him directly, and you lied through your teeth. He knew exactly how much silver you had embezzled.”

“My late father was kind and mindful of our brotherly bond, which is why he allowed you to continue living in the mansion.”

“Over the years, you have been drinking and patronizing prostitutes outside, buying antique fans and paintings. The monthly allowances, three meals a day, holiday gifts, and clothes for all four seasons for the maids and servants in the courtyard—you have all come to the main house to ask for them.”

"What's more, what you've squandered is all my mother's dowry. Back then, it was transported from Yangzhou in three or five boatloads, and now there are only a little over 100,000 taels left in total."

"Since we're having the accountant do the math today, let's get it all straight and ask Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle to make up for all the losses from these past years."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanming pointed at Gu Tingye and said, "Second Brother, you..."

"Fourth Uncle, don't get agitated. I haven't said anything even worse yet."

"If you keep going like this, I won't give you any face!"

Upon seeing this, the clan elders whispered among themselves for a few moments before the most senior elder spoke up: "Since this is the case, we shouldn't divide the family again. We should just choose an auspicious day, pack our belongings, and move out."

Gu Tingye currently inherits the title and is the most talented member of this generation.

His words had to be presented with some dignity, and besides, the ostensible purpose of inviting them here today was to have them serve as witnesses, so as to avoid giving others cause for criticism later.

“That’s right, your two families should have moved out of the Marquis’s mansion long ago.”

“To condone such a disgraceful act by one’s descendants, according to clan rules, even expulsion from the clan is permissible.”

"Erlang is still kind-hearted after all. He didn't make you make up for the deficit. You should be secretly happy."

"..."

Hearing these words, the members of the fourth and fifth branches of the family felt somewhat embarrassed.

Disregarding appearances, he stood up, bowed respectfully, and was about to leave.

Gu Tingye's lips curled up slightly as he called out loudly, "I wonder when Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle plan to move out?"

"If you need any help, just say the word, and I will be happy to assist you!"

-

In the eighth year of the Jiayou era, as the year drew to a close.

In the Imperial Palace, Shi Keng, the leader of the Canal Gang, stood respectfully in the Wenhua Hall, cupping his hands in greeting and saying, "This humble subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities. During this western expedition, there were no problems with the supplies, and the grain transport team deserves much credit."

Zhao Han looked up at him and saw that Shi Keng had dark skin, a rugged appearance, and a strong sense of righteousness between his brows, as well as a bit of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air about him.

"Your Majesty flatters us. The canal gang are all rough and hardworking men. They are valued by the court and are responsible for supplying provisions to the army. Naturally, they would not dare to be sloppy in their work."

Since Shi Keng took over the canal gang many years ago, he has vigorously reorganized the gang's affairs, and the transportation of grain has been carried out in accordance with regulations.

Any member who dares to smuggle or leak goods, or delays the deadline without cause, will be dealt with leniently.

When it comes to rewarding members who do a good job, we are never stingy.

Gu Tingye stood to the side with a beaming smile. Ever since the fourth and fifth branches of the family moved out of the Marquis's mansion, their lives had plummeted, and chaos reigned.

The fourth wife was so poor that she had to dismiss several of her concubines, and debt collectors would frequently come to cause trouble, causing her to lose face.

The Dongchang Marquis's residence, in an attempt to curry favor with him, had just sent over a beautiful concubine's daughter a few days ago, urging him to take her as a concubine.

However, with the shadow of Madam Qin still lingering, he didn't want to have anything to do with the Qin family anymore, so he made up an excuse to politely decline.

"Brother Shi, if the Emperor intends for you to serve the court wholeheartedly from now on, would you be willing?" Gu Tingye asked with a smile.

When he ran away from home and roamed the world, he even joined the Canal Gang for a period of time.

In his view, there were many loyal and righteous people in the canal gang, who were far more upright than those officials in the court who spouted benevolence and morality but resorted to underhanded tricks to seize power and profit.

Upon hearing this, Shi Keng turned to look at him, his face showing great surprise.

"Your Majesty, I am a commoner who has not even received much education and is merely a boorish man. How can I possibly serve the court?"

Zhao Han smiled slightly and said in a deep voice, "When I appoint people, I do not only look at their literary talent."

"In the Jiangnan region, collusion between officials and merchants was commonplace, with deeply entrenched factions and a constant stream of tricks for transporting smuggled salt."

"The canal gangs were spread all over the waterways of Jiangnan and were well-versed in the rules of the underworld, so they naturally knew the ins and outs of it like the back of their hand."

Shi Keng took a deep breath, and after weighing the matter in his mind for a moment, he lifted his robe, knelt down and said, "Although we and the members of the Canal Gang are of humble origin, we know the meaning of loyalty and righteousness. We are deeply grateful to Your Majesty for valuing us so highly today."

"Shi Keng is willing to lead his brothers from the Canal Transport Gang to serve the imperial court!"

Zhao Han personally stepped forward and helped him up, saying, "From now on, if there is any disturbance in Jiangnan, there is no need to go through layers of intermediaries; just send a message directly to me."

"If anyone is smuggling salt, and the evidence is conclusive, the person and the goods can be detained directly. I will order someone to handle the follow-up matters and will never let the members of the Canal Gang suffer any injustice." "By the way, your brother Shitou is also doing very well in the Valiant Cavalry Camp."

"That kid Shi Tou is very reckless and doesn't know how to act properly. It's really unexpected that he's turned out like this."

Shi Keng chuckled dryly twice, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

He agreed to serve the imperial court, not only so that his brothers in the canal gang could have hot meals in the future, but also for the future of his younger brother, Shitou.

Che San Niang injured her body during childbirth and only has one daughter. Out of consideration for their marital bond, he has never considered taking a concubine.

He just hopes that Shitou will have several children after he gets married, so that he can adopt one to carry on the family line.

After Shi Keng withdrew, Liu Ming, the Vice Minister of Rites, slowly entered the hall with a scroll of documents in his hand.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites and the Hanlin Academy have discussed and selected three reign titles in the past few days, and we are presenting them to Your Majesty for your decision today."

Zhao Han took the document, her gaze sweeping over it lightly.

The reign titles were mostly selected from ancient books such as the Book of Changes, the Book of Documents, and the Book of Rites.

If auspicious omens appear from the sky, the reign title will be chosen based on the auspicious signs; otherwise, the emperor will improvise the title on the spot.

"Yanqing, Xuande, Qianwu, they're all quite catchy," Gu Tingye said, unable to contain his curiosity, craning his neck to take a look.

Liu Ming cupped his hands and said, "Yanqing wishes for the longevity of the nation and the peace and prosperity of the people."

"Xuande means to promote virtuous governance and educate the world, while Qianwu means to inherit the will of Heaven and establish the country through military force."

Zhao Han narrowed his eyes slightly, secretly thinking to himself that Yanqing and Xuande were too mild-mannered and suitable for a ruler who wanted to maintain the status quo.

Qianwu certainly exudes an aura of dominance, but he is also somewhat too fierce and ruthless.

"What does Lord Liu think of the name Hongwu?"

“Hongwu…” After pondering it carefully, Liu Ming replied respectfully, “The character Hong means a solid foundation and a prosperous and flourishing enterprise.”

"Combined with the character '武' (martial arts), it combines strength and gentleness, creating a magnificent and wondrous effect!"

Gu Tingye raised his hand and touched his chin. "It sounds more resonant when read aloud. As expected, the Emperor is wise indeed!"

Zhao Han put down the documents, stood up, and said gently, "In that case, let's set it as Hongwu."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Liu Ming bowed respectfully.

The year has passed in the blink of an eye, and it is now the first year of the Hongwu reign.

The first reign title of a new emperor after his ascension to the throne has always been given special attention.

It not only represents the appearance and image of the new dynasty, but also embodies the new emperor's ambition and future governing philosophy.

"It seems that His Majesty is determined to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and this is clearly a declaration to the world!"

"I think so too, otherwise they wouldn't have used the word 'martial'."

"The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun have been in the hands of the Liao people for so many years, they should have been returned long ago!"

"..."

Several people gathered together, discussing the matter in hushed tones. After all, the reign title of Hongwu was something that made people want to think deeply about it.

With the spring imperial examinations approaching.

Inside the east wing of the Shou'an Hall in the Sheng Mansion, the silver bone charcoal burning in the stove emitted a faint sound.

Minglan was leaning against the soft couch, holding a needle and thread, sewing knee pads.

Xiao Tao sat to the side, resting her chin on her hands, occasionally picking up a piece of pastry and putting it into her mouth.

“Miss, Third Brother is now even asking you to make him knee pads.”

“During the last imperial examination, I overheard the servants at Linxi Pavilion gossiping that the knee pads you sent were not even given a second glance and were simply thrown away.”

Minglan raised her bright, clear eyes, smiled gently, and continued what she was doing without stopping.

"Let's not talk about the past. With Sister-in-law Liu here, I'm sure Third Brother will pass the imperial examination this time."

"Making the right knee braces only takes a few days of effort, it's nothing, let's just do it for Sister Liu's sake."

Xiao Tao nodded lazily, "What you say is true, Miss. If you get tired of sewing, take a rest, and I will take over for you."

"Okay." Minglan's eyes crinkled with joy.

Last spring, Sheng Changfeng didn't bring his knee pads to the examination hall because he felt ashamed of them.

It was during a cold snap in early spring, and the night wind was like a knife. The cell was narrow and small, with drafts coming from all directions. Even under the blankets, people were huddled together from the cold, and their knees were almost frozen stiff.

When I got back, my legs were sore and numb, and it took several days of applying hot compresses to help them recover.

At that time, Mo Lan and Lin Qinshuang were only concerned about whether he would pass the exam or not, and paid no attention to his affairs.

A few days later, the area outside the examination hall was packed with people, with long queues forming.

The chief examiner for this imperial examination was Xue Pu, the Minister of Personnel, and the deputy examiner was Lü Hui, the Vice Censor-in-Chief.

Furthermore, Shen Shiqi, Sheng Hong, and Liu Ming must avoid any involvement in matters related to the imperial examinations.

Princess Pingning did not make a grand entrance as she had last time, with a large entourage and an obvious desire for the whole world to know that she, the only son of the Duke of Qi's family, was going to participate in the imperial examination.

Inside the carriage, Princess Pingning looked at Qi Heng and frowned, saying, "Heng'er, success or failure hinges on this."

"You must give it your all in this spring examination and not let your mind be distracted."

"The Empress Dowager is now only concerned with cultivating her character and does not care about worldly affairs. Although I can still say a few words to her, our Qi family is no longer what it used to be."

"Only if you pass the imperial examination and become an official in the court will our family have more support and face."

Qi Heng's gaze was calm as he slowly nodded. "Mother, rest assured, I understand the importance of this."

Upon arriving at the examination hall, outside the carriage.

Shen Hezhen squeezed Qi Heng's cold hands and said softly, "My lord, there's no need to be nervous. You've prepared so well, you'll definitely perform as usual. Even if you don't pass, we still have the special imperial examination next year."

This year's spring imperial examination was postponed from last year, so it's considered a regular examination. There will be an additional special examination next year, so you don't have to wait another three years.

Qi Heng exhaled a breath of stale air, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for your comfort, my wife."

"I will certainly live up to my studies and your care these past few days in this spring examination. I don't want to wait until next year."

"Alright, I believe in you, my lord." Shen Hezhen's eyes were full of expectation; she naturally hoped that Qi Heng would pass the imperial examination with flying colors.

At this moment, the carriage of the Marquis of Ningyuan's residence stopped not far away, and Qi Heng couldn't help but feel curious upon seeing it.

"Why is Uncle Gu here too? I remember his third brother didn't even have the title of Juren..."

"It's windy outside, you and your mother should go back first, I'll go check on him."

Shen Hezhen nodded slightly, and waited for Qi Heng to step forward.

She pulled her cloak tighter, turned around, boarded the carriage, and headed back home with Princess Pingning.

"Second Uncle Gu!" Qi Heng greeted him warmly.

"Oh, it's Yuan Ruo!" Gu Tingye looked at him with a big smile.
Then he introduced a young man beside him, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, who was no more than twenty years old, "Come, let me introduce you. This is my cousin from my clan, named Gu Qianfan."

"You should have heard of his grandfather, the former Vice Minister of Rites, Lord Gu Shenyan."

Gu Qianfan remained calm and bowed to Qi Heng, saying, "I am Gu Qianfan, greetings to Young Master Qi."

Qi Heng smiled and returned the greeting, "Young Master Gu, there's no need for such formalities. I heard my father mention your grandfather's talent when I was young."

Gu Qianfan is from a branch of the Gu family, the Marquis of Ningyuan. His ancestors had moved away from the capital many years ago and only returned in Gu Shenyan's generation.

Gu Shenyan has only one son, named Gu Mingjing, who was transferred to the Northwest Army last year.

Four years ago, Gu Shenyan passed away due to illness, and Gu Qianfan stayed at home to observe mourning while studying hard.

It's not easy for a scholar to emerge from the clan, so Gu Tingye, as the clan head, came here today to see him off.

(End of this chapter)