Soon, it was time to release the results,
Xia Lu had asked the servants to exchange the copper coins early in the morning,
They would be spread out after the exam.
Jia Zhen, on the other hand, was able to remain calm.
Zhong'er, who was following beside him, had gone out with the manservant to see the results early in the morning. The other servants in the residence were also excited, causing Xia Lu to be excited as well,
Xia Lu had to admit that in ancient times,
Everything was low-class, and only studying was high,
How difficult it was to pass the imperial examination. Fortunately, Jia Zhen was from a noble family, and his father was a Jinshi,
It was better for those students who came from the agricultural school,
To pass the Jinshi exam,
It was really difficult to ascend to the heavens.
However,
After the exam,
It also meant that the carp had leaped over the dragon's gate,
He had ascended to the heavens in one step,
However,
Before that,
Whether it was a dragon or a worm,
They all had to be coiled up. "You're so relaxed,
Aren't you worried? "Xia Lu looked at Jia Zhen, who was still in the mood to play chess with Jia Lian and the others.
"It's a foregone conclusion,
"If you don't pass the exam, you can continue to take the exam next year. However, if you want to take the exam, you'll have to wait another three years." Jia Zhen was very open-minded. If he really didn't pass the exam, it didn't matter. Anyway, he had a title of nobility. When the time came, he would let Lian'er and the others take the exam. These children had good aptitude, and their Jia family would always have another Jinshi.
"That's true." Hearing this, Xia Lu also settled down. At worst, he would take the exam again. Hadn't he heard of it? Fifty young Jinshi. Xia Lu sat peacefully beside them and watched them play chess. As for Jia Rong, she ran out to patrol her territory again. This was what he had to do every day.
Playing chess was the best way to pass the time. Soon, Zhong'er ran back, panting. "I got it, Master, I got it." Zhong'er had an extremely excited smile on his face. "27th place in the provincial examination."
"The results are not bad. Zhong'er, go down and receive your reward. Today, the entire residence will receive an extra two months' salary," Xia Lu said with a smile.
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Madam." Zhong'er smiled. Sure enough, their madam was generous.
"Cough" Jia Zhen kissed his throat and said, "You can go down."
"Yes." Zhong'er quickly.
After Zhong'er left, Jia Zhen puffed out his chest and looked at Xia Lu with a longing expression. "Violent woman, I passed the provincial examination. Shouldn't you give me a reward?"
Xia Lu smiled and walked forward. He put his arms around Jia Zhen's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "That's great. You actually got 27th place in the provincial examination." Xia Lu naturally wouldn't disappoint him. To put it bluntly, Jia Zhen had the temperament of a child. He liked to act coquettishly in front of the people he was close to. If they didn't respond to him, he would feel disappointed. That was why he often competed with Jia Lian and the others for favor.
"Hehe." Jia Zhen smiled proudly. He was that powerful.
Jia Lian and the others stretched out their small hands and covered their eyes. Big brother was being silly again.
Jia Jing, who was an official in the imperial court, knew about the results of the provincial examination earlier than Jia Zhen and the others. The results of the provincial examination were already out last night. Today, the examiners had already gone to the imperial court. Jia Zhen's name was on the list. It was understandable for them to reveal the results to Jia Jing in advance. Therefore, Jia Jing was quite calm at this time.
After Jia Zhen passed the provincial examination, it was inevitable for him to go out and participate in some activities among the students. After all, these people might become officials in the imperial court in the future. They were the same batch of people who passed the provincial examination at the same time, so they could be considered to have connections with each other.
Jia Zhen first went with all the examinees to attend the Teacher Appreciation Banquet. The chief examiner at the Teacher Appreciation Banquet was the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He was one of Jia Jing's people. Among all the students, even the first place in the provincial examination, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites was indifferent to him. However, he took great care of Jia Zhen. Therefore, Jia Zhen became famous among the examinees.
In fact, the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites could not be blamed. After all, he was only the first place in the provincial examination. Even if he was extremely talented, he had not entered the officialdom. Even if he entered the officialdom, it was still a question whether he could go far. He was already the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a secondary second-rank official. With this position, he naturally did not need to consider the opinions of the examinees who did not know their future. The only one who could make the Minister of the Ministry of Rites think highly of was Jia Zhen.
"Who exactly is this Jia Zhen? I have never heard of him. Is he very talented?" an examinee who did not understand the situation asked.
"Jia Zhen is the current Count of Ningguo Province. His father is the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Jia Jing. His grandfather is the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Ning Guogong. The Ning and Rong Manors came from the same family. Among the four princes and eight dukes who founded the country, there were two in the Jia family. Among the four princes and eight dukes, only the Jia family did not decline. Today, they are still favored by the Emperor. Not to mention the importance that the Retired Emperor places on the Jia family, even the Emperor today relies heavily on the Jia family," an examinee who understood the situation explained in a low voice.
"Isn't that Jia Zhen a meritorious person? Why is he fighting with us for a place? "Hearing about Jia Zhen's background, some examinees were dissatisfied.
"Meritorious person? The current Minister of the Ministry of Rites is a Jinshi. It is normal for Jia Zhen to take the imperial examination. Moreover, the Jia family has long since handed over their military power to the Emperor. If they want to pass on their scholarly legacy, other families have the ability to change their families. How can you be jealous? " Examinees who knew a little more could understand how difficult it was for a family to change their families. However, as the world became peaceful, the meritorious and meritorious people became less and less valued. Many meritorious and meritorious people wanted to pass on their scholarly legacy, but in the end, they failed. Those who could successfully change their families were very rare. Thinking about it, among the eight founding dukes, the only surviving Jia family was still favored by the Emperor, it was not unreasonable.
"Then tell me, if Jia Zhen takes the provincial examination, will he..." Some examinees began to suspect the Jia Zhen.
"Do you think the imperial examination is child's play? If the Jia family really has such ability, then the Second Master of Rongguo Province would not have failed." After the examinee finished speaking, he lifted his foot and quietly took two steps away from the student. It was not good to have a close relationship with someone who used such bad intentions to question others. This kind of person was definitely cynical. No matter how talented he was, with such a personality, he would not be able to go far in the bureaucracy.
Even if other people cheated, they also had the ability to do so. Furthermore, with the Jia Zhen's current performance, he still had to continue taking the examination. There were still the metropolitan examination and the court examination. The examiners who set the questions would live in a secret place when they set the questions. It would not be easy for the Jia Jing to leak the questions. Furthermore, the court examination was set by the Emperor himself. Unless the Emperor was also shielding the Jia Zhen.
The Jia Zhen saw that the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites was taking special care of him and felt a little helpless. However, he also understood that the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites was doing this for the sake of his father. After all, his identity was not a secret. Rather than revealing it after the metropolitan examination, it was better to reveal it first so that others would be prepared and the impact would be minimized. After all, he had a father who was the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Furthermore, the position of the Minister of Rites was in charge of the imperial examination. Everyone would feel that there was something going on behind the scenes.
"I have already seen your examination papers. I did not expect Lord Jia's son to be so talented. It is no wonder that Lord Jia usually hides you. It turns out that you have been waiting for this. What a surprise." The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites did not call out the name of Jia Zhen's nobility. After all, they were competing in literary talent and taking part in the imperial examination. If he called out the name of Jia Zhen's nobility, everyone here, including the chief examiner, would have to salute the Jia Zhen.
"My father is worried that I will play outside and not study properly." The Jia Zhen smiled.
"Your father has indeed given a lot of thought." The assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Jia Zhen chatted casually. However, his attention was also on the other students, especially the top few in the provincial examination. After all, he was the chief examiner and could be considered the teacher of these people. He still had to observe them. These students could be roped in. After all, even if he was the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, he still needed to gather support in the imperial court. After all, his family was not yet at the level of a Jia family. He had the Emperor's reliance on him. As the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, there was also the Right Assistant Minister who was eyeing him covetously.
Therefore, every imperial examination was the time when he and the Right Assistant Minister fought fiercely. The current Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Jia Jing, was still relatively fair. In every imperial examination, he and the Right Assistant Minister each took turns. If it was the previous Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he would give the job to whoever could curry favor with him. At this time, he had to give some benefits to the Minister of Rites. In the long run, the benefits would become greater and greater, causing them to be unable to bear the burden. Thus, it was inevitable that the people below would be filial to him.
Seeing the Minister of Rites treat the Jia Zhen so generously, some of the students did not look sideways and did not have any unhappy expressions. However, some of the students' faces were very ugly. They felt that they had been neglected. There was no lack of famous students among them.
Looking at the performance of the students present, the Minister of Rites was slightly disappointed. It was normal to have some temper now. After all, they only needed to be tested for literary talent now. After entering the imperial court and being awarded official positions, such a temper would no longer be suitable for officialdom. They had to suffer a few big losses before they understood the dangers of officialdom. Those who survived these few big losses would have a slightly smoother future. Those who could not survive would lose their lives at worst, and those who could not recover from the setback would lose their lives at worst.
Finally, someone could not hold back and suggested that drinking alone was boring. They wanted to play a drinking game. Moreover, this kind of drinking game was different from the ordinary Flying Flower Game. It used flowers as the theme and one had to write poems. This was a test of one's talent and ability to write poems.
The Jia Zhen raised his eyebrows. He had a feeling that this was directed at him. However, he was not worried. His wife did not know how to write poems. The poems in the travel book were written by him. After all, in the travel book of Madam Sun, Lord Sun was a very talented person. In order to fit the character's image, according to his wife, he had to pretend and recite a few poems. Moreover, when he was with his concubine, Qin Se, in order to highlight the high-class feeling that his wife had mentioned, the two of them would recite poems to replace those erotic scenes. Therefore, at that time, the Jia Zhen discovered that he was quite talented in reciting poems.
How could the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites not understand the meaning of this student's suggestion? He just wanted to show off in front of him. The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites naturally agreed. In order to attract more attention, he wrote a poem first. The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites was also a Jinshi. Naturally, he was full of talent. Because of his experience, he wrote flowers on the surface of his poem as a metaphor for these students. He used flowers as a metaphor for these students so that they would be able to bloom brilliantly in the future.
The moment the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites wrote this poem, all the students present knew that the Minister of the Ministry of Rites was not only a high and mighty official. He was also full of talent. Moreover, their poems might not be better than this poem, but they could not be too far off. Fortunately, there were indeed some talented people among this group of candidates. They made a poem that was not too far off and barely managed to muddle through.
Throughout the entire Teacher Appreciation Banquet, everyone received the information they wanted, including the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He initially selected a few students. These students basically had a high chance of passing the Jinshi examination. Then, he took in the students that he thought highly of. In fact, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites valued Jia Zhen the most. He had a background and talent. His family was also valued by the Emperor. When he entered the Imperial Court, his future would be bright. Unfortunately, he was the son of his superior. He could only rope him in, but not take him in.
As for the students that he thought highly of, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites would also remind them to make friends with Jia Zhen. It was not obvious now, but when they entered the Imperial Court, they would understand how important connections were to them.
After the Teacher Appreciation Banquet, Jia Zhen also got to know quite a few students. However, he still had reservations about their characters. He still needed to interact with them more before he could determine who he could make friends with. His father said that he should take this opportunity to make friends with a few more people. This would be beneficial for him in the future. After all, they had switched from martial arts to literature. Many of their previous connections could no longer be used.
Jia Zhen also felt that it was quite reasonable. He looked at the locations of some of the invitations. As long as it was not at a place where he drank with prostitutes, he would usually go.
When Jia Jing saw the number and quality of the invitations his son received, he could not help but sigh. Jia Zhen's luck was really good. Until now, Jia Jing was the only one among the nobles who became a Jinshi. Thinking back to when he was born in a noble family, he mingled with a group of people. Those people flaunted their status and were not willing to take him along. Because he was born in the imperial examination and walked the path of a civil official, his family's connections could not help him much. He also suffered a lot at that time.
Fortunately, the Retired Emperor was kind to the Jia family. He knew that it was not easy for a noble family to produce a civil official. At that time, Jia Daihua's old illness relapsed and he handed over the position of Jiedushi in Jingying. The Retired Emperor also understood that the Jia family wanted to change their family. In this way, Jia Jing was able to get through the discomfort of being a civil official. Even so, among the students who were in the same batch as Jia Jing, Jia Jing did not have many good friends. However, among the students who took the provincial examination at the same time, there were a few who did not become a Jinshi and got along well with Jia Jing.
However, when he thought of those Jinshi who were in the same batch as him, including the Zhuangyuan and Tanhua, who were not as good as him, he instantly felt relieved.
"Jia Zhen, I found a problem. Every time I asked you to drink wine with girls, you would find an excuse to refuse. However, when I asked you to drink tea or go sightseeing on the lake, you never refused. What do you mean?" Yuan Lin asked.
Jia Zhen pursed his lips. He remembered that after he observed mourning in Jinling, a clan brother of the Jia family saw that he was studying hard and took him out to relax. In the end, he took him to drink wine with girls. Jia Zhen was about to turn around and leave at the entrance of the brothel, but he was stopped by his clan brother. In the end, he could not refuse such kindness and had a meal in the brothel. When he returned, he was directly discovered by his wife. He originally thought that his wife would be angry, but to his surprise, his wife actually asked him to take her to the brothel to have a look. The main reason was that she was curious about what a brothel looked like.
The next day, his wife even changed into men's clothes and put on makeup to look like a man. She plugged her ears and asked him again to take her to the brothel to have a look. Of course, he refused. Later, he made an agreement with his wife. If he did not go, his wife was not allowed to go either. If he went to drink wine with girls again, he must take her with him.
"I'm tired of those places. Besides, scholars and beauties are just those lecherous scholars who flatter themselves. It's not that I look down on the girls in the brothel. After all, they are forced to live like that. However, I still like to be clean." In order to prevent his wife from going to the brothel, he could not go either. Of course, he could not say this reason out loud. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing.
"Haha, that's true." Yuan Lin smiled. He looked at Jia Zhen and said, "I find that you are really a wonderful person."
"Haha." Jia Zhen laughed. It was not a lie to say that he was tired of going there. Before he married the violent woman, he often went there. At that time, his father did not have much hope for him. Moreover, his father felt that he owed him, not to mention his mother. The Qian Clan did make all the masters in Ningguo Province unhappy. Therefore, his father never stopped his mother from sending him concubines. Even if he went to the brothel to have fun, his father did not say anything. Only when he made trouble in the Qian Clan, his father would say a few words. After that, he still did what he should do.
However, after marrying the violent woman, he felt that whether it was his concubines or the women in the brothel, they were all the same. They were not as lively as the violent woman. On the first day of their marriage, she dared to break his leg and put the blame on him.
Then, she even scared him. Sometimes, her behavior was so bold. When he really opened his heart, he would find that the violent woman actually had more different faces. When he did something wrong, she even dared to chase him around the mansion with a whip. Moreover, her travel notes were more open-minded than those written by ordinary men. She was not bound by love. Mrs. Sun's travel notes had been finished. Mrs. Sun had gone to travel the world. For some reason, Mr. Sun did not divorce Mrs. Sun, nor did he make his favorite concubine his wife. Jia Zhen understood that because Mr. Sun understood Mrs. Sun's charm, which ordinary women did not have. Therefore, he did not break Mrs. Sun's wings again. He chose to let Mrs. Sun pursue her dreams by herself.
"Brother Jia, have you always lived in the capital?" another student who came to visit the lake with him asked.
"Yes, but my hometown is in Jinling," Jia Zhen said. This was not a secret. As long as someone asked about it, they would know.
"Then do you know which shop is the most talked about shop in the capital?" someone asked.
"Yes, I also went to that shop to take a look. It is very secretive, but there are often carriages driving in. The shop doesn't even have a name. No one knows what is sold inside. They don't receive customers without a keepsake. Tell me, how can there be such a business in the world?" When it came to the most talked about shop in the capital, these students could not remain calm.
"What do you know? That shop not only doesn't receive customers without a keepsake, it also doesn't receive male customers. It also doesn't receive female customers other than the main wife. Of course, unmarried daughters are an exception. Right now, that shop is very popular with female customers in the capital. If you have a keepsake from that shop and attend a party, other people will think highly of you. Moreover, the keepsake of that shop is divided into three grades. The highest grade is made of wood, the lower grade is made of silver, and the lower grade is made of copper," a student who knew a little more said.
"What's the difference between these three grades?" a student asked.
"Of course, it is limited to the main wife and unmarried daughters. Moreover, if a person with a wooden grade brings a keepsake over, they can apply for a copper grade keepsake on the spot. A silver grade keepsake can also bring people over to play. However, if the shop is busy, they will make you wait. Moreover, if you can't bring people over, you can't apply for a keepsake. As for a copper grade keepsake, they can only go over to play by themselves. If the shop is busy, they will make you wait," the student continued to answer.
"I see. I don't know what's sold in that shop. It really makes me curious." The student sighed.
Hearing so many people talking about his shop, the Jia Zhen was secretly happy in his heart. Hum, as expected, they had achieved their original goal.
"In fact, there are not only three kinds of keepsakes. In fact, there are four kinds of keepsakes. One of them is made of jade and is only given to the women of the royal family. No matter how curious you are, you can't sneak in. This shop has a very deep background. With the royal family as its backing, no one dares to investigate it," someone answered.
The Jia Zhen was a little curious. This person knew quite a lot about it.
"How do you know so much about it?" a student asked.
"My family and the Fifth Princess are old friends. The Fifth Princess took my mother there once. My mother told me about it," the student said with a smile.
"Then what's sold in that shop?" Suddenly, someone was curious.
"It's not really selling anything. After you go, there will be people who will help you bathe and massage you. It's said that there are several beautiful maids serving you inside. After you're done, they'll even help you freshen up. After a woman goes there once, she'll look several years younger when she comes out. However, the things inside are very expensive. Going there once costs at least fifty taels of silver," the student said modestly.
The Jia Zhen looked at the student and frowned slightly. He was old friends with the Fifth Princess. He didn't know his identity. He looked modest. However, was it really a man's behavior to talk about this so openly and use the contents of the shop to make himself the center of attention of these students?
"Is there really such a magical shop? How many years younger can one go there once?" A student was surprised.
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