Chapter 246

Ye Xiaotian was sent to the Confucian Temple to pay his respects to Confucius before returning to the magistrate's office with Instructor Li. Mao Wenzhi and the others followed them as if they were watching a play. On the way, Ye Xiaotian found a moment to say to Hua Yunfei, "I'm going to the magistrate's office to attend a banquet, so it won't be good for me to take you with me. Take them around and find a place to eat when it's time. "

Ye Xiaotian pulled him to the side and whispered, "Wen Zhi doesn't know what to say or do, and that old fellow Dong Tian only knows how to deal with insects and doesn't know the ways of the world. You may be young, but you need to be careful and don't let them cause any trouble."

Hua Yunfei nodded, "Don't worry, big brother. I'll do my best and not let them cause any trouble."

Ye Xiaotian nodded and raised his voice to Yaoyao, "Yaoyao, be a good girl. Go play with brother Yunfei first. Brother Xiaotian has to go to the magistrate's office. If I have time tomorrow, I'll go play with you in the suburbs." Yaoyao nodded her head obediently. The group then stopped and watched Ye Xiaotian leave.

In the magistrate's office, Zhang Duo had set up a banquet in the third hall. Instructor Li and Ye Xiaotian thanked the magistrate and sat down in the lower seats. The potbellied magistrate Zhang sat at the head of the table and chatted with the two of them.

Ye Xiaotian had originally thought that a magistrate who had the seal of a magistrate and was a hereditary nobleman would be an extremely arrogant person. It was unavoidable for him to put on airs and show his authority. But this magistrate Zhang didn't put on any airs and didn't speak in the slightest, which made Ye Xiaotian have a good impression of him.

After three rounds of wine and five different dishes, magistrate Zhang drank happily and suddenly grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off his forehead. He said excitedly, "How can there be no wine and no poetry at such a banquet? I'm suddenly in the mood to write poetry. Do you two want to listen? "

Instructor Li was shocked, "Magistrate Zhang, are you going to write another masterpiece? I'm all ears. "

Ye Xiaotian also said, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm all ears."

Magistrate Zhang clapped his two chubby hands, and two strong servants came over and pulled Magistrate Zhang out of the round chair. Magistrate Zhang pondered as he paced in the courtyard while Xiaotian whispered to Instructor Li, "Master, magistrate Zhang is a hereditary official. He doesn't need to take the imperial examination to become an official. But he's from a noble family after all, so he must be very knowledgeable."

Instructor Li smiled and nodded, "That's right. Although Tongren is relatively closed, the Zhang family has been the ruler of Si Zhou and Si Nan since the Sui Dynasty. Thus, they brought our Confucian culture here. Although not many ordinary people are literate, the rich and powerful have the same customs as our Chinese."

Even though he felt that his culture was limited and he might not be able to appreciate the magistrate's masterpiece, he still put on a cultured and refined appearance. He raised his cup and happily listened to Magistrate Zhang recite the poem. Magistrate Zhang lightly slapped his forehead and paced around the hall. He suddenly said happily, "I've got it. Listen up."

Magistrate Zhang pointed at the iron tree in front of the hall and recited loudly, "A thousand year old iron tree doesn't bloom. Is it not a thousand years old? The Elementary Scholar is only nineteen. You blockhead can't compare to him! "

"Cough, cough, cough …"

Ye Xiaotian almost spat out a mouthful of wine. He hurriedly shut his mouth, choked, and coughed incessantly. His face was as red as a hen laying eggs. He hastily lifted his sleeve to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, afraid that Magistrate Zhang would see him doing something inappropriate and offend the local tyrant.

Instructor Li's expression was calm as he clapped his hands and shouted, "Good poem! Good poem! Magistrate Zhang's poem uses the tree as a metaphor for people. It has a deep meaning and is memorable. It makes one think deeply. It is really a good poem. "

Ye Xiaotian looked at Instructor Li in shock, "This person is so shameless! He doesn't have any of the spirit of a scholar. Such mushy flattery, if it were me, I would never be able to say it. You are a teacher of the prefectural school. As a teacher, don't you have any shame? This … is also called a poem? "

Instructor Li clapped his hands with a face full of smiles. Without batting an eyelid, he handed a handkerchief to Ye Xiaotian and said, "Wipe your nostrils. The wine is spitting out."

Magistrate Zhang laughed loudly and returned to his seat proudly. He glanced at Ye Xiaotian and said, "What does Elementary Scholar Ye think of my poem?"

"Good! Very good! "

Ye Xiaotian quickly removed the handkerchief he was using to wipe his nostrils. With a face full of admiration, he said, "I have long heard that Magistrate Zhang lives in Tongren. He is famous for his literary works. Your poem is full of melancholy and deep meaning. Listening to it today, the rumors are indeed true. "

Hearing this, Magistrate Zhang was even happier. He laughed loudly and pointed at Ye Xiaotian, saying, "You are a person who knows what's good and bad. Hmm, my poem is indeed a bit profound. Only a talented scholar like you would be able to understand the meaning behind it. You are so young and already so talented. It is a pity that you are only a Elementary Scholar. I have the intention of recommending you to participate in the Guiyang Prefectural Tribute Examinations and help Tongren become a High Scholar. What do you think? "

"Ah?"

When Ye Xiaotian heard this, it was as if he had swallowed a bitter gourd. The corners of his mouth almost reached his ears, "If I had known that flattery would have such serious consequences, I would have kept my moral integrity even if you beat me to death!"

… …

In Li Qiuchi's residence, Li Qiuchi and Xu Boyi were sipping tea and discussing how to deal with Ye Xiaotian.

Li Qiuchi smiled, "This Ye Xiaotian really has a lot of problems. The first one is impersonating an official. "

Xu Boyi said, "That's right! It's just that this matter involves too many people. The Ai Dian Shi that he impersonated has already been rewarded by the Imperial Court and has been buried as a county magistrate. If this matter is exposed, even the Imperial Court will lose face. It is very likely that it will be handled in a low-key manner. When that time comes, not only will we offend everyone in Gourd County, even the Imperial Court will have a bad impression of us. "

Li Qiuchi nodded his head in agreement, saying, "That's right. Then the second one is impersonating an official to participate in the Elementary Scholar Examinations. According to the Imperial Court's regulations, if a scholar wants to participate in the Elementary Scholar Examinations, his or her grandfather must have lived in the area for more than twenty years. He or she must have a grave and a farm. "

Xu Boyi hurriedly reminded him, "Brother Qiuchi, don't forget that Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou are special. That is why the Ministry of Rites allows anyone who has lived in Guizhou for more than twenty years to participate in the examinations."

Li Qiuchi asked, "Could it be that his family has lived in Guizhou for more than twenty years?"

Xu Boyi was only showing off his knowledge. Now that he has achieved his goal, he slapped his forehead and softly said, "Little Brother is confused."

Li Qiuchi smiled contentedly and said in a low voice, "This one can be used. But it can be used as a backup. "

Xu Boyi said, "Brother Qiuchi, what do you mean?"

Li Qiuchi said fiercely, "If someone is found to be impersonating an official, he will only be stripped of his official title and will never be allowed to participate in the examinations. His life will not be taken!"

Xu Boyi said, "So Brother Qiuchi is planning to make a fuss about the Xue family's murder case?"

Li Qiuchi said, "That's right!"

Xu Boyi frowned slightly and said, "This matter is a bit difficult."

Li Qiuchi said, "What do you mean?"

Xu Boyi said, "When I was questioning Xue Liu Shi, her daughter interrupted several times. It seemed that Xue Liu Shi was not telling the truth. I heard from her daughter that the person who killed her father was someone from Jingzhou's Yang family. But this old woman insisted that it was Ye Xiaotian. It is hard to say whose words are not telling the truth. "

Li Qiuchi raised his head and said thoughtfully, "Jingzhou's Yang family? Jingzhou's Yang family. Oh, I remember. "

As a litigation master, Li Qiuchi knew all the powerful forces in Guizhou like the back of his hand. When Xu Boyi mentioned Jingzhou's Yang family, the knowledgeable Li Qiuchi remembered some connections even though it was not part of Guizhou. Li Qiuchi said, "Jingzhou's Yang family, isn't that a branch of Bozhou's Yang family?"

Xu Boyi was stunned. "There is such a thing?"

Li Qiu Chi said, "I'm definitely not wrong!"

Xu Boyi said happily, "That's great! Bozhou's Yang family is amazing. Among the four heavenly kings, Bozhou's Yang Heavenly King's strength has already reached the level of being second to the An family. Whether it is the disciplinary bureau or the administrative bureau, no one dares to provoke Yang Heavenly King. "

A cold smile flitted across Li Qiuchi's face. "That is why the authorities are not willing to drag the Yang family into this. However, that girl from the Xue family is a bit strange. She seems to have some connection with Ye Xiaotian. If the daughter of the victim acts as a witness for the murder suspect, it will be troublesome. When the time comes, we will have to control her to prevent her from ruining our plans. "

Xu Boyi said, "Brother Qiuchi's words make sense."

The two of them had come to a decision. After sitting down for a while, they went their separate ways. Xu Boyi had just returned to the administrative bureau and sat down when the manservant who attended to him came forward to report, "Master, someone from the Tian residence has just come to ask Master to find some time to go."

When Xu Boyi heard that it was the Tian residence, how could he dare to wait? He immediately got up and rushed to the Tian residence. Ever since the two Tian families fought, the Tian family had fallen into the schemes of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di. Their strength had been greatly damaged. Although they were ranked third among the four great families of the An, Song, Tian, and Yang families, their strength was actually at the bottom. However, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The Tian family was still a political force that could not be underestimated in Guizhou's officialdom.

The Tian residence occupied an area of three hundred mu. If one looked down from above, the entire building would look like a ferocious tiger choosing its prey. The Tian residence was a building with one residence, eight courtyards, and nine floors. There were many doors inside, giving off the feeling that the gates were as deep as the sea.

The eighth courtyard was a quiet and elegant courtyard. Xu Boyi hurried over. He took off his official boots and was only wearing cloth socks. Under the guidance of a maid, he walked along the wooden floor to a house at the end of the corridor that faced a mountain stream. The wind chimes jingled in the corridor, but the sound of a zither could be heard from inside.

The maid stopped in her tracks and said respectfully, "Miss, Xu Boyi has arrived." There was no reply from inside the room. The zither stopped playing and clanked twice. The maid bowed slightly and retreated to the side. Xu Boyi nodded his head to express his thanks. He held his breath and walked into the room.

The room was decorated very simply and elegantly. The outer room was a warm and elegant guest room. On one side, there was a red plum blossom and snow screen that separated the space behind. Straight ahead, there was another door. This door was built on a platform in the forest. There was a large tree on the platform. Under the tree, there was a woman in white with her back facing this direction. She was gently playing the zither.

This woman was the self-proclaimed Lian Xie Ji, but outsiders secretly called her the White Tiger, Tian Miaowen. She was now twenty years old and had been married to three husbands. All three husbands died mysteriously during the period between the exchange of marriage invitations and the arrival of the bride. Since then, her notoriety had spread far and wide. No one dared to marry her anymore.

Xu Boyi raised his head to look at Tian Miaowen's back. Separated by a bead curtain, he could still feel the softness and charm seeping into his bones. She did not look like a fierce tiger at all. Xu Boyi did not dare to look too much. It was as if the woman had a pair of eyes on the back of her head and could see him. He immediately lowered his head and respectfully stood still, saying, "Miss."

The woman's slender fingers gently pressed down and stopped the zither. In a gentle and beautiful voice, she said, "During the time you have been at the Grinding Bureau, I have always been paying attention to your performance. Very good."

Xu Boyi was overjoyed. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, Miss."

The woman continued, "However, it is easy to arrange an idle position for you in Shui Xi. If you want to advance further, even if you are not a Jinshi, you must at least be a Juren. After all, you are not a direct descendant of the Tian Clan and cannot directly become an official. Now that the Imperial Examinations are around the corner, I want you to resign from the Grinding Bureau and take the Juren examination. What do you think? "

Xu Boyi respectfully said, "I will listen to Miss's instructions!"

The woman lightly plucked the zither a few times. She lightly said, "Since that is the case, go and prepare for the examinations. If you pass, I will give you a proper future!"