In the inn room, Zhong Huan and Su Ce looked at Chao Qing dissatisfied. They were not fools. Chao Qing had always said that he had not met Chen Qing, but today they saw clearly that Chao Qing not only met Chen Qing, but also had sex with him.
Familiar, otherwise he wouldn't be so abnormal, are they still good friends? He kept such an important thing from himself.
"I didn't want to hide it from you!"
Chao Qing was a little embarrassed and said: "My eldest brother is still an official in the court, and my father is also waiting for a vacancy in the court. If this matter spreads, it will have a great impact on them, and I am also afraid of being misunderstood. If I pass the exam,
In the imperial examination, others would say that I relied on connections."
Zhong Huan was silent for a moment and said, "If you find it inconvenient, then don't say anything."
"No! I still want to tell it, at least I want to tell you. I just hope you will keep it a secret for me."
"It's okay to keep it secret, what is it?" The fire of gossip in Su Ce's heart was ignited.
Zhong Huan also looked at Chao Qing expectantly. It would be a lie to say he was not curious. Chao Qing actually knew Chen Qing. What kind of relationship could they have?
Chao Qing whispered: "I actually know Mrs. Xuan Fuzhi. She is the granddaughter of Lu Yihao, and my aunt is her mother."
"Mrs. Lu is your cousin?" Su Ce was the first to react.
Zhong Huan also realized, isn't he the same as Lin Jianqing? Of course, the level is much higher. Lin Jianqing's cousin is Chen Qing's concubine, but Chao Qing's cousin is Chen Qing's first wife.
"Have you always been in contact?"
Chao Qing shook his head, "We haven't seen each other for ten years. In the first year of Jingkang, the Lu family moved to Yingtian Mansion, and our family came to Xiangyang. Later, they went to Lin'an, and our family moved to Chengdu. But the eldest brother wrote to my father that we
I just found out that my cousin is married to Chen Qing. Didn’t you go to the examination room two days ago? I just went to visit my cousin."
"I see, that's when you met Chen Qing?"
"Actually, I only had a one-time relationship with Ambassador Xuan. I was too embarrassed to go in at the gate of the mansion, but he just came back and said a few words."
"So in this imperial examination, do you think Chen Qingzhen will not be open to the Internet?" Zhong Huan thought of Lin Jianqing again.
Chao Qing shook his head, "My cousin told me that Xuanfushi was very principled. Even her brother started as a military officer, then became the county captain of Ganquan County, and the magistrate of Chengji County, step by step to become what he is today in Jingzhao.
Magistrate, I just found out that the magistrate of Jingzhao is my cousin Lu Wei. As for the imperial examination that you are concerned about, if they really wanted to help me, I would know the test questions tomorrow. Unfortunately, I don't know. Of course, I don't want to know either.
"
"Not even a hint?" Su Ce said unwillingly.
Chao Qing smiled bitterly and said, "We are good friends. If I knew, I would definitely tell you that my topic is Sichuan-Shaanxi Commerce. I told you before. If this is the test tomorrow, it will be my own guess. They
But you didn’t tell me.”
Chao Qing's words reminded Zhong Huan that if Chen Qing wanted to help Lin Jianqing pass the exam, he could just give Lin Jianqing a high-level policy theory to memorize. There was no need to make it so complicated, and the dignified Xuanfu envoy would not do anything.
The low-end trick of using a hero to save a beauty will make people in the know laugh.
Zhong Huan suddenly realized that all this was just his own speculation and he had no evidence. Could it be that the tall and thin man was not sent by Chen Qing and had nothing to do with Chen Qing, so who could he be?
Zhong Huan had a vague feeling in his heart that something was wrong with this matter. There seemed to be a big conspiracy hidden in it, and someone was taking advantage of Lin Jianqing.
...........
The imperial examination will proceed as usual the next day. Today is the first day of the imperial examination. There will be a day of examinations. A simple meal will be provided at noon in the examination room.
Gu Qi
Countermeasures have always been the focus of the imperial examination. The Imperial Examination is about countermeasures, which are more pragmatic and often related to the current situation. This requires scholars to broaden their horizons and focus on reality while consolidating their basic skills.
When the second tom drum sounded, the soldiers came in holding a question board, and the scholars paid attention nervously. The title was "My Views on the Strategy of Hanzhong".
This question makes people a little crazy. They say it is difficult, but it is not difficult. Everyone knows Hanzhong. This time the Bashu scholars went north to take part in the imperial examination and passed through Hanzhong. Every scholar could say a few words, plus The battles between Song and Jin Dynasties between Sichuan and Shaanxi were basically fought over Hanzhong.
Basically every scholar can write a countermeasure, but it is too difficult to write about Hanzhong in depth.
This topic made Chao Qing secretly happy. His father and Li Jiong, the prefect of Chengdu, had discussed Hanzhong together many times. When they discussed, Chao Qing was by his side. He still remembered the topics discussed by the two elders.
Chao Qing quickly wrote down his views on the manuscript paper. Hanzhong is not only the strategic barrier of Sichuan, but also the strategic depth of Shaanxi. It is the strategic passage between Sichuan and Shaanxi.
The strategy of Hanzhong needs to be written around these three aspects, and then divided into four points, terrain, population, food, and roads, and then a main line is used to connect these three aspects and four points. This main line is the strategy of Sichuan and Shaanxi. For a moment, Chao Qing felt like a fountain of thoughts.
........
In Yiling County, a fleet of large ships was moored at the Yiling County pier, and nearly a hundred large ships were moored on the other side of the Yangtze River.
Liu Guangshi stood on the bow of a large ship, looking expectantly at the fleet from Yiling County. It was 20,000 barrels of kerosene that Chen Qing sold to him privately, of course, in the name of Li Longwu, a big black market businessman.
Liu Guangshi didn't care what the name was. He only cared about whether the kerosene was genuine. He bought it at a high price of twenty guan per barrel. Chen Qing added ten bolts of silk to each barrel. He reluctantly agreed. He was so angry with the fierce fire. He was so eager for oil. With the fierce fire oil, he could deal with the imperial warships and defend Jiangling City. Even if the opponent used a hundred thousand troops to attack the city, he would not be afraid at all.
He had seen with his own eyes the effect of using fire oil to defend the city. If a barrel of fire oil was poured on the siege ladder, the siege ladder would be completely burned and the soldiers below would be burned to charcoal.
The person who went to inspect the goods was Wu Chang, the leader of his own soldiers. After the inspection was completed, they would exchange goods with each other. They would still exchange goods one by one according to the method of trading soldiers and armor last time.
"Does the military advisor think there is something fishy about Chen Qing?" Liu Guangshi turned around and asked the military advisor Yang Cui'an.
Yang Cui'an smiled and said: "I think the possibility is unlikely. I have said before that Chen Qing is not a despicable person. He can speak like a lion. But once the lord meets his asking price, then the transaction is usually genuine and will not be done." Fame."
Liu Guangshi nodded, "You are right. Speaking of despicable, people like Zhang Jun are despicable people. I will never trust him. Although Chen Qing has had issues with me, he is more trustworthy than the imperial court."
"The key is that he also hopes that the lord will always exist. The court's focus will be on the lord, and his pressure will be much less. He is actually secretly supporting the lord by selling high-value strategic materials. , you can’t buy it if you have money.”
Liu Guangshi snorted, "He pushed me in front as a shield!"
"That's the truth!"
At this time, a small boat came from the opposite side. Wu Chang and his entourage boarded the big boat, bowed and clasped his fists and said: "I smoked fifty barrels at will. I am sure they are all fire oil. The goods should be correct!"
Liu Guangshi nodded, turned around and shouted loudly: "It's time to trade, the first ship will go by!"
A three-thousand-stone cargo ship loaded with copper coins and grains slowly sailed toward the other side of the Yangtze River under the pull of the other party's trackers.
At the same time, a cargo ship loaded with kerosene from the other side was slowly approaching.