The pleasure boat was carefully designed, and when you entered the deck, there was a huge hall with tables and chairs; when you walked through the hall, there were a separate elegant room in the wing room... The stern of the boat belonged to the girls' residence, which was not worthy of being spoken by outsiders.

Overall, it is a "entering the house" procedure.

Entering inside, I found an empty table to sit down, and immediately came to greet me and asked me what to eat and drink. Chen Sanlang ordered a few snacks and ordered a pot of wine.

Zhou Hezhi said: "The way is long, there is actually no need to be like this. It's too wasteful."

Gu Linchuan's eyelids couldn't help but stutter when he heard the price. This fun took him half a month to eat and drink.

Chen Sanlang smiled and said, "It's a rare opportunity, it's good to see this romantic life."

The two stopped talking: In this world, it is simply unimaginable that the scholar-official class does not appreciate the romanticism and has become a habit in their bones. On weekdays, people and people who want to be decent, they have to choose to do it in a fireworks place, listen to the music, and talk about things, so that they can have an atmosphere.

Tonight's Qinhuai is particularly lively, and it happens that the provincial examination will be held every three years. I just finished the provincial examination. Hundreds of scholars and candidates flocked to have a relaxing carnival.

As time went by, the pleasure boats were full, and they began to untie the cables and slowly drifted along the water.

Chen Sanlang looked out the window and could see a row of big red lanterns on the Yangzhou city wall archway in the distance. Looking further away, the two lights in the city were bright and bright, next to each other, extremely high, as if hanging in the air.

It was Feilai Peak and Shanse Tower - lighthouses were erected on the top and spires of the tower. Every evening, a special person would go up to light the lights and shine.

Chen Sanlang looked at the two lights and saw them flashing. It seemed that there was some mystery in it.

Buzz!

The two lights in sight swayed suddenly, and flames flew. They were outlined into two characters - the characters were strange in shape, not characters from the Xia Yu Dynasty, but vaguely Sanskrit.

Seeing this strange phenomenon, Chen Sanlang was shocked and almost screamed. With this movement, the landscape in his sight disappeared and returned to normal. But he knew that this was not an illusion, and his heart couldn't help but beating rapidly.

At the same time, on the tenth floor of the Shanse Tower. In the darkness, an old monk was slowly sweeping the steps with a broom in his hand. He felt something and raised his head. His pupils burst into light like two bright lights. Then his figure flashed and disappeared.

The next moment, he had already appeared on the top of the eighteenth floor tower, with bright eyes staring at the light. He was shocked: "The Buddha's lamp warns him, what did it shine?"

In the decree, this is an ominous sign.

Being high, the wind blew. He felt a little chill inexplicably. He stood and looked at Feilai Peak. Then he went over and saw the Qinhuai River farther away - at night. The Qinhuai River is brightly lit and beautiful.

"What's wrong with Daoyuan?"

Seeing that his face was a little strange, Zhou Hezhi asked.

Chen Sanlang calmed down: "It's okay, come, let's have a drink."

"Oh, Lao Zhou, why did you drink it here?"

A sudden sound came out, and a group of scholars came. The leader was about thirty years old, with long hair and jade clothes and jade belts. He was extremely charming and surrounded by a group of people, like the moon surrounded by stars in the sky, which made people feel heart-breaking.

Zhou Hezhi's face turned cold: "It turns out it's Brother Wei."

A burly man stood behind Brother Wei, who should be a guard, and immediately shouted, "I rude! Although Lord Wei is traveling in confinement, how can you, a scholar, call me brother?"

Zhou Hezhi's expression changed drastically, but when he thought of the other party's identity, he did not dare to have an attack. He had to stand up, bent down, and leaned down: "Students have met Lord Wei."

The man laughed: "Mr. Wei heard this sound so happy. Lao Zhou, you didn't expect this to happen ten years ago."

Smiling, he strides through the hall and goes to the wing room behind. He is a distinguished guest, and he has a well-behaved and busy rushing to greet him warmly.

Zhou Hezhi looked miserable, poured a large glass of wine and drank it all in one go.

Chen Sanlang asked in a deep thought: "Lao Zhou, do you know him?"

Zhou Hezhi smiled bitterly and said, "Wei Liming, when I first participated in the provincial examination, I was at the same time as him. He was born in the Wei family in Yangzhou, and was a scholarly family in the prefectures and counties, and he had a great background. At that time, I was only blamed for being young and energetic. He said he was evil at a scholar's gathering and formed grudges."

Chen Sanlang listened and asked again: "What about?"

Zhou Hezhi sighed: "Then in that provincial examination, I failed, and he was so successful that he passed the imperial examination, won the imperial examination, and was promoted repeatedly. Now he should be a bachelor's degree."

The bachelor's degree is a free position in the Hanlin Academy for literary and historical compilation, but the grade reaches the fourth rank, which is quite high. Once such a free position is given the opportunity to be released, it is likely to be a real-time official, such as a prefect.

Gu Linchuan asked: "Then why did he come back to Yangzhou?"

Zhou Hezhi replied: "Seeing his proud look, he probably wants to return to Yangzhou to take up his actual position."

When Gu Linchuan heard this, he was inexplicably envious.

Zhou Hezhi smiled miserably: "The ancestors of the Wei family all served as officials. Wei Leming's grandfather once served as the Minister of Rites. His father was the priest of the Imperial College. We cannot envy such a grandfather and father."

After saying that, it was another big glass of wine, but unfortunately, drinking to relieve the sorrow and sorrow.

The imperial court established the imperial examination and selected scholars in articles, giving scholars from poor families a great opportunity to jump over the dragon gate. However, the road to the imperial examination was full of thorns, and countless scholars with talent were blocked out and depressed for a lifetime. Even if they overcome all obstacles and were named on the gold list, their career path was even more bumpy and dangerous. At this point, if they had no support, they would be the life of being at the bottom of their lives.

Gu Linchuan was drinking wine and couldn't help but glance at Chen Sanlang, thinking: When he was in the college, Daoyuan was favored by the academic and political masters, and he had a bright future...

He didn't know that Du Yinyan had a sudden stroke and continued to be an official, his life in the second half of his life would be a problem.

Zhou Hezhi drank two glasses of wine in a row, and his drunkenness surged in his heart. He said to Chen Sanlang: "The way is long, your talent is beyond doubt. However, for us scholars, human nature is the most important food. We are prone to touch each other. When we are stubborn and bloody, this person will die."

Speaking of the word "death", it has a deep sense of awe, which obviously includes his profound experience and insights.

His youth was successful, but after several consecutive exams, they all returned in a desperate situation, and all their enthusiasm was extinguished. Thinking that this exam in the provincial exam was likely to be a waste, and he was even more disappointed, and he felt that he had no face to go back to face his wife and children at home.

Zhou Hezhi's family was originally a well-off family, but failed the exam many times, and the cost was huge, so his family gradually declined and was very embarrassed. In order to participate in this provincial examination, he already owed a foreign debt. He came to Qinhuai tonight, just to say goodbye, spend some money, and finally took a look. Unexpectedly, he would meet his past "enemy" on the boat and suffer humiliation.

Chen Sanlang picked up a chopstick and suddenly knocked on the porcelain cup. With a "dou" sound, it was very clear.

The crisp sound came into my ears, Zhou Hezhi was shocked inexplicably, and suddenly woke up, and couldn't help but sweat on his forehead. He said that he was depressed and discouraged just now, and he really wanted to jump off the Qinhuai River. Now that he was knocked to death by Chen Sanlang, he was very scared: If he really had a short opinion, what should the wife, children, and young people in the family do?

I am grateful to Chen Sanlang.

Chen Sanlang smiled and said, "Old Zhou, life experiences are impermanent. Perhaps one day, Wei Leming will lean over in front of you and call him "Master"."

Zhou Hezhi smiled bitterly and said, "Daoyuan, don't make fun of me, just because everyone has their own destiny, so you have to be at peace."

Gu Linchuan suddenly said, "Daoyuan, I saw Qin Yushu and the others just now following a group of people behind Wei Leming."

Chen Sanlang nodded: "I have seen it too. As Lao Zhou said, for us scholars, human nature is the most important food. It is not surprising that they go to find food."

Although I don’t know why Qin Yushu hangs with Wei Leming, the Shilin circle is already full of circles, saying that it is small or big. With Qin Yushu’s good at ease, it is normal to cling to Wei Leming.

Although he and Chen Sanlang were the same as Mengshi, classmates and fellow villagers, they had experienced a series of grudges and had no friendship anymore, and there was some hatred.

In a very wide wing room in the middle of the pleasure boat, three large tables were placed, and people were filled with people. Among them, Wei Leming was of course the protagonist. He sat on the top and often came up to toast.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Wei Leming suddenly asked, "Who knows the scholar who sat with Zhou Hezhi in the hall just now?"

The room suddenly became quiet.

Qin Yushu was overjoyed when he heard this. He was worried that he was an outsider and could not integrate into Wei Leming's circle. He was unable to rely on his relationship. Now he was a great opportunity. He quickly stood up and said respectfully: "Mr. Wei, the student knows."

Wei Leming looked at him: "Oh, tell me."

Qin Yushu immediately said it all, emphasizing Chen Sanlang's identity and origin, and finally said: "According to students' observations, this Chen Yuan was deeply favored by the academic and political adults, so that he could obtain the qualification for this provincial examination as a new scholar."

When Wei Liming heard this, he suddenly laughed: "It turns out that he was following Du Yinyan's path. Haha, what a pity, he hugged the wrong thigh."

Qin Yushu didn't understand why he said this: A state of learning government is a real senior official. Although Wei Leming was about to be released back to the prefecture under Yangzhou as the governor, he was still a little worse than studying government.

Wei Liming took a sip of wine slowly and said leisurely: "Du Xuezheng had a stroke a while ago and was paralyzed. This position of Xuezheng cannot be done. I guess this news will be widely announced after the provincial examination results are released."
Chapter completed!