The varnished carriage came from the west of the city and headed towards the bustling Zhuquemen Street.
South of Shanhefang, the cold wind was blowing, and the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen stood coldly in front of the street.
The front of the yamen was deserted, and occasionally a few yamen in soap clothes could be seen coming and going. This situation formed a sharp contrast with another small yamen next to it.
"Stop first."
Li Qian looked at the small Yamen located on the west side of Jingzhao Mansion Yamen. The noise in front of the door made him frown slightly.
The carriage stopped steadily at the street corner, and the old eunuch Lu Bu followed Li Qian's gaze curiously.
"Is this Yamen the Guangwen Division?" Li Qian looked at the small courtyard in front of him. There was no plaque, so he stood alone here, forming a very sharp contrast with the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen next to it.
It's just that even the small yamen is not calm at the moment.
There was a group of frivolous young people gathering in front of the door, making a lot of noise, and from time to time bursts of laughter could be heard from the crowd.
The old eunuch looked at it carefully and then said: "Master, it seems that it is indeed the Department of Public Information."
"Those people look like they are causing trouble."
Lu Bu leaned close to Li Gan's ear and looked at the group of hooligans outside the window with an unkind expression: "Do you want me to go down and beat them up?"
Li Qian frowned slightly: "Let's go and find out first why they dare to block here and cause trouble."
Is this the capital city, or is it next to the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion?
Are these trouble-making hooligans so bold as to eat leopards?
Moreover, Li Qian also said at the beginning that the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion would be responsible for taking care of this place, and all security work would also be handled by the Yamen of the Zhuangban of Jingzhao Mansion.
What's going on now? Where are the government officials?
"Okay." The old eunuch rushed to agree: "Master, I will go and inquire first."
Li Qian nodded, and from the window he saw the old eunuch getting out of the car and walking towards the crowded small Yamen.
I saw him listening carefully outside the crowd for a while, and then went in to talk to several people.
After a while, the old eunuch finished asking and walked towards the carriage.
Li Qian originally thought he would come back directly, but the old eunuch seemed to turn a blind eye to the carriage and walked directly over the carriage and walked around the corner of the street.
It wasn't until the gangsters at the entrance of the Guangwen Department lost sight of him that the old eunuch made a circle and returned to the carriage.
Li Qian watched and sighed secretly, he was so cautious.
"Master, I've found out everything."
The old eunuch reported as soon as he came up: "Those people all wrote letters and submitted them to the Public Information Department."
Li Qian was startled when he heard this. He had never received anything from the Broadcasting Department recently!
He originally thought it was because the Guangwen Department had just opened, but he didn't expect that there was such a secret.
Li Qian's face didn't look good. He subconsciously thought of that old Confucian scholar from the Hanlin Academy, Chang Zhi.
He has clearly said that no matter what news the people submit, it must be handed over to him, the emperor, intact.
But what is going on now? Is it possible that he still dares to intercept the message?
Li Qian took a deep breath, suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart, and continued to ask: "Just deliver the news. What are these people doing around the door of the Guangzhou News Department?"
The old eunuch further explained: "Those people come here almost every day and deliver news to the Public Information Department once a day. They don't leave after they finish delivering. They just stay at the door."
Li Qian frowned even more: "What news are they getting?"
"Uh..." This time the old eunuch looked a little hesitant.
But looking at His Majesty the Emperor's gloomy expression, he still lowered his head and said: "Master, I didn't find out carefully, I just heard part of it."
"Many of the cursive scripts they wrote were baseless and groundless things, such as talking about big ships and treasures, and poisoning ministers, etc..."
Li Qian's face darkened: "They come here every day to deliver this kind of cursive writing?"
"It is said to be so." The old eunuch's voice became smaller and smaller.
"Master, how about I kill these people..." Lu Bu stared at the gangsters in the distance outside the window with a fierce look in his eyes.
Li Qian took a deep breath: "You ask someone to go to the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen to report the situation, saying that someone here is causing trouble in the Guangwen Department."
Lu Bu was startled, then nodded: "I understand, sir."
He quickly got off the carriage, and soon Li Qian saw a strange, strong man running towards the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen.
Li Qian originally thought that they would return without success, or that it would take a long time, but he didn't expect that just a moment later, a group of Zaoyi government servants came over.
"What are you doing here?"
The leading yamen officer shouted arrogantly from a distance: "You want to spend this year in jail, right?"
The gangsters at the entrance of the Broadcasting and Information Department immediately ran away like a mouse seeing a cat.
The government officials laughed a few times and went directly back to the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen without even coming over.
Li Qian had been sitting in the carriage and watched this scene from beginning to end.
"Let's go."
He had no intention of going down to contact Chang Zhi: "When I go back to the palace, I'll make another trip from here."
"Yes, sir." The old eunuch responded hurriedly.
Li Qian has his own plan.
If these little hooligans go back after a while and still block the Guangwen Department, it means that they are not afraid of the officials of Jingzhao Mansion at all. Furthermore, it means that Jingzhao Mansion may be involved in this matter.
If these gangsters don't dare to go back today, then Jingzhao Mansion may not be involved in this matter...
As for Chang Zhi's matter, Li Qian's idea was to find out more about it after returning to the palace.
Previously, Li Qian only regarded the old Confucian scholar as a transitional person, as long as he didn't make any mistakes.
Unexpectedly, Chang Zhi had such thoughts and blocked all the things that were harmful to Li Qian outside and did not send them into the palace.
Li Qian still admires his approach...
The horse's hooves trampled, pulling the carriage through Shanhefang South Street, and merged into the wide square-like Zhuquemen Street with the flow of people.
People were coming and going on the street, and many grocery stores had stalls set up in front of them. On the stalls were placed Spring Festival couplets with black characters on a red background, statues of door gods with arrogant teeth, red lanterns... Each garment shop was also crowded with customers, and each shop was filled with customers. Everyone is full of expectations for the New Year.
Li Qian leaned against the wall of the carriage and looked at this scene, but his eyes were a little absent-minded, and his thoughts had already flown to the sky.
The carriage continued to move forward, passed through Zhuquemen Street, and entered the territory of Xing'an County.
As they were walking, Lu Bu suddenly pointed out the window and said, "Master, isn't this Zheng Guan? He is here too."
"Um?"
Li Qian came to his senses after hearing this and looked in the direction Lu Bu pointed.
Sure enough, it was Zheng Guan. At this moment, he was wearing a navy blue cotton robe with a gray mink fur scarf around the collar. He was walking down the street talking and laughing with a plump and extremely gorgeously dressed woman.
Li Qian originally wanted to go to Zheng Guan's house first and ask him about the latest happenings among his sons.
I didn't expect to meet him here. I have to say that it was fate.
"Stop the car and go down and take a look."
Li Qian and the others got out of the car and walked forward. The sharp-eyed Zheng Guan spotted them soon. His eyes lit up, he waved his hands and said loudly: "Brother Li, long time no see!"
"Long time no see." Li Qian greeted with a smile: "I haven't seen Brother Zheng in the city for a few days."
"Yes." Zheng Guan smiled awkwardly: "I have been studying hard at home these days... isn't it the same for Brother Li?"
Li Qian was startled, and then he recalled that the last time he and Yan Zhenqing were separated, they all agreed to study hard at home and prepare for the test.
But looking at the current situation... Li Qian took a look at the beautiful woman following Zheng Guan. She didn't look like she was studying at home.
But in front of others, naturally you can't expose your shortcomings like this.
Li Qian smiled and nodded: "Yes, Wen Shu, just Wen Shu..."
However, his hesitation made Zheng Guan mistakenly think that Li Qian was in the same situation as him. Zheng Guan showed a knowing smile, patted Li Qian on the shoulder and said, "I knew that Brother Li and I were the same. Humanoid.”
Li Qian was a little helpless and didn't know how to explain it, so he directly changed the topic elsewhere: "Brother Zheng, I want to go to the guild hall in the west of the city to have a look. Do you want to go with me?"
Zheng Guan's eyes lit up: "Go, even if I don't run into Brother Li, I still want to go there. I heard that an interesting person has come to the capital these days."
As he spoke, he whispered something to the woman behind him. The beautiful woman yelled at Zheng Guanjiao, but still reluctantly left alone.
"Brother Li, I left all the beauties behind to stay with you."
Li Qianqian laughed, feeling that there seemed to be some ambiguity in his words: "Brother Zheng, let's go."
After several people got on the carriage, Li Qian started talking: "By the way, Brother Zheng, did you just say that an interesting person came to the capital?"
He originally came to Zheng Guan to find out if there was anything new happening in the capital recently, and now he just took this opportunity to ask.
"good."
Zheng Guan retracted his gaze from the window and nodded. The frivolous smile on his face disappeared and became a little more solemn.
"This man can be said to be famous. He passed the Bingwu Science and Technology Provincial Examination in the third year of Mu Zong's reign and passed the Yuan Dynasty. He was only fifteen years old at the time. He was a sensation among the great cadres and was almost as good as Prime Minister Yan."
Even though Yan Song was a treacherous minister, he was also a young prodigy. He won the imperial examination at the age of nineteen and completed a journey that some people would never complete in their lifetime.
"So powerful?"
Li Qian was shocked. The provincial examination required thousands of troops to cross a single-plank bridge. What kind of monster could he pass the exam at the age of fifteen?
Couldn't it be Zhang Juzheng?
Zhang Juzheng was also a young prodigy. He was also a candidate at the age of fifteen, but he was not Jieyuan.
"He later failed the examination?" Li Qian frowned and asked, "Mu Zong was fifteen years old in his third year, and he is now nearly forty."
The young prodigy, besides Zhang Juzheng, may also be Fang Zhongyong.
The carriage was walking on the road, and pedestrians in front of it moved to both sides.
The overall interior of the carriage is in black style, with a low-key sense of luxury. The bottom of the carriage is equipped with shock-absorbing devices such as "Futu" and "Dangtu". Li Qian and others are sitting in the carriage, stepping on the thick Persian carpet. On the car, you can barely feel the vibration in the car.
"It's not that he failed the exam, he never passed the exam once."
Zheng Guan shook his head, with a puzzled look on his face: "It's strange to say that many people have advised him to come to the capital to take the examination, but for some reason he always refuses and doesn't even come to the capital."
"But a while ago, there was sudden news that he had left for the capital. Some people even said that he had appeared in the capital."
"So these past few days, not only us Juren, but also many dignitaries from the imperial court have specially sent people to guard near the guild hall. Cai Jing, Qin Xiang, and Yan Xiang and He, who are not in the capital, have sent people to wait for him. Already."
"I heard that people from the Duke's Mansion and the Marshal's Mansion are also hanging out near the guild hall. They may also be there for him."
"So many people are optimistic about him??"
Li Qian was really surprised this time: "Even if he wins the Yuan Dynasty at the age of fifteen, those big shots don't have to be so eager, right?"
As the emperor of Daqian, Li Qian was very aware of the urinal nature of the ministers who lived with him day and night.
If there is no profit, I can’t afford to go early.
There must be something about this person that attracts them, which is why everyone wants to win over this person.
And in this situation...even the title of No. 1 Scholar is not enough, let alone a mere Jie Yuan?
Da Qian produces seven Jieyuans every three years, and there are even more Jieyuans active in official circles now. Even fifteen-year-old Jieyuans are not enough.
What's more, he is nearly forty years old, and he no longer has much advantage in the officialdom, where seniority is required.
"Is it possible that this person comes from some big family?" Li Qian thought of another possibility.
Just like the Zheng family in Xingyang.
"no."
Zheng Guan shook his head: "He is just a man from a middle-class family. He is valued by so many ministers because of his talent."
"He has interacted with many famous people. Everyone who has interacted with him is full of praise for him. Many people think that he has the ability to understand the world and is one of the best talents in the world."
"It's just that this person doesn't seem to like fame and wealth very much. In addition to studying, he lives in seclusion in the mountains, rivers and countryside, farming and studying to escape the world. Therefore, some people gave him the name 'Wolong', and he has been recognized by many people."
He leaned on the black fur on the back of the chair, his face full of emotion: "This name alone is enough to show how powerful this person is."
"It's just that some people have said that they have seen him near the capital recently. He is also a Juren, and now he is trying his luck in nearby areas, which makes people think more..."
After Zheng Guan finished speaking, he looked at Li Qian, but Li Qian was already short of breath.
Ever since I heard the name Wolong.
"Wolong??"
Li Qian suppressed the excitement in his heart, and his face was just a little surprised: "With such an arrogant name, aren't you afraid of being beaten when walking on the road? What is this man's name?"
The corners of Zheng Guan's mouth twitched and he looked at Li Qian strangely, as if he was curious as to why he could say such things as "being beaten while walking".
But it was weird, so he still replied: "His name is Zhuge Liang, and his courtesy name is Kong Ming."
Zheng Guan looked at Li Qian tentatively: "Brother Li, you're not going to ask someone to beat him, are you? Don't do that."
Li Qian's hands in his sleeves were clenched tightly into fists, and his knuckles were a little white, but he said with a dry smile on his face: "How could I hit him? It's too late for me to cherish him?"
Zheng Guan was startled and subconsciously moved his butt back: "Brother Li...the cherishing you are talking about..."
"I mean make friends, make friends."
Li Qian corrected him again: "Who wouldn't want to make friends with such a talented person??"
"Oh~" Zheng Guan breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "That's it."
The speed of the carriage gradually slowed down, and there were many people in front of it. It seemed that it was not far from many guild halls.
Li Qian looked out the window, the joy in his heart could not calm down for a long time, and even Cai Jing's haze was washed away a lot.
This time I happened to go out, and I didn't expect to get such news.
It turned out to be Zhuge Liang!
Li Qian clenched his fists tightly. If he could be caught, wouldn't he be able to take off with such a person beside him to make suggestions?
This Han prime minister has been compared to Jiang Ziya, who flourished for eight hundred years in the Zhou Dynasty, and Zhang Zifang, who flourished for four hundred years.
Although it is not clear why he came to the capital, if such a person is let go, he will be thundered by the sky.
Li Qian suppressed the excitement in his heart. He had already decided that even if he was tied up, he would have to stay.
Of course, it's best not to do this until the end.
The top priority is to find out where he is, why he came to the capital, and whether he wants to participate in this conference...
When he thought about trying it, Li Qian felt a little worried again.
As the examiner of the examination, Cai Jing, an old man, had a great influence on the examination.
If Zhuge Liang finally participates in a general examination and is rejected by Cai Jing... that would not be good.
Maybe he would be exiled to another country, to a place like Han.
There was a certain urgency in Li Qian's eyes, and his desire to get a hold of Cai Jing became more and more urgent.
"What should we do..."
At the very least, Cai Kyung-tai cannot be allowed to blatantly try to play tricks on others at the meeting.
Li Qian carefully searched all the trump cards he had now and tried to trip up Cai Jing.
The first is Cai Jing's son, Cai You. In Li Qian's expectation, this is the most important point in overthrowing Cai Jing.
It's just that there hasn't been much progress with Cai Jing yet, and Lu Bu has only just met him.
This kind of friendship-building thing should not be rushed. It must be natural and without traces. If you are a little too eager, you may show your flaws, and then be noticed by the other party, and your efforts will fall short.
Next is Cai Jing's younger brother, Cai Bian.
Li Qian originally thought that if he went to the Ministry of Punishment, he would be unhappy with Cai Jing, which might open up a breakthrough in the Ministry of Punishment.
Unexpectedly, Cai Bian behaved like a simple doctor in the Ministry of Justice without any unusual behavior.
Perhaps it was Cai Jing's instruction, and the two ministers of the Ministry of Justice were very tolerant to him. Basically, all the cases handled by Cai Bian were in accordance with his wishes.
Under these conditions, the two brothers have been living together peacefully without any conflict.
When he learned about this situation, even Li Qian had to lament that things between relatives are really complicated.
These two roads are still blocked for the time being, and as for Cai Jing's back house...it won't be of much use for the time being.
Li Qian felt a little irritable and didn't know how to deal with this old man who was slippery.
"Brother Li, we'll be here soon." Zheng Guan pointed at the window and said.
When he said this, Li Qian came back to his senses and looked out the window.
This place is already a familiar scene. The last time Li Qian came here he wanted to find Bao Zheng, but he met the manager of Cai Jing's house.
"Are all the people here almost here?" Li Qian jumped down from the shaft of the carriage.
"They should all be here, right?"
Zheng Guan's voice was somewhat uncertain: "But even if they come to the capital, these people will not all live in the guild hall."
Li Qian nodded to express his understanding.
Someone like Zheng Guan, whose family owns a house in the capital, would naturally not go to a club like this to squeeze in.
There are also some people from well-off families who can stay in an inn in the capital or rent a courtyard directly.
"But there are advantages to living in a guild hall. I also thought about moving to a guild hall."
Zheng Guan explained: "The people who live here are all candidates who are preparing for the national examination. Their knowledge and articles are generally not much different."
"If everyone communicates more, the articles will naturally improve."
While talking, several people walked forward.
"I see."
While walking, Li Qian lowered his head a little, and Lu Bu also took a few steps quickly and stood in front of Li Qian.
Li Qian came here just to meet the people he was interested in, get acquainted with them in advance, get to know these people, and see if he could find some inspiration from them to deal with Cai Jing.
As for the rest... Li Qian didn't want too many people to see his appearance.
“That’s the Xuzhou Guild Hall over the corner, right?”
Li Qian looked at a guild hall located on the corner of the street from a distance: "Let's go over there and have a look."
"Okay." Zheng Guan nodded. He was here with Li Qian and didn't care where he went.
As for Zhuge Liang...that man appears and disappears, who knows where he is?
There are so many people in the capital trying to find him but they can't find him. Meeting him can only depend on fate.
A group of four people arrived in front of the Xuzhou Guild Hall. The vermilion door was open. They walked into the main hall, and then a boy wearing a green cloth and cotton robe came out to greet them.
"Hello, gentlemen, do you want to stay in the hotel or in the hotel?"
The guild hall is also an inn and is open to the public.
After all, the examination is only held once every three years, so it is not used on weekdays.
In an area like Dongcheng where land is at a premium, it is simply a crime to leave such a large area unused, so guild halls in the capital have also opened inns to generate income.
"We are visiting friends."
The old eunuch greeted him with a smile: "Does Wang Hua and Wang Xiaolian live here?"
The boy was startled. He looked past the old eunuch and looked at Li Qian and others behind him. Then he nodded and asked tentatively: "Wang Jieyuan does live here, but you guys are..."
Zheng Guan took the lead and walked up with a smile: "My name is Zheng Guan, from Xingyang. Our family and the Wang family are family friends. I heard that Wang Jieyuan also came to the capital, so I came here to see him."
He has also long wanted to meet the famous Jieyuan.
When the young man heard that he was asking for an audience, he immediately understood and said with a troubled face: "My guest, even if you are a family friend, if you don't know Wang Jieyuan, it will be difficult for me..."
Zheng Guan chuckled, stepped forward and patted the boy's arm, while his other hand secretly handed out a small handful of broken silver in his sleeve.
"Our Zheng family has been friends with the Wang family for a long time, and I am a member of the Jinke family. I came to visit Brother Wang just to discuss knowledge, and nothing else."
"Even if Wang Jieyuan doesn't see us, he will never blame you."
The boy weighed the money in his hand, trembled, gritted his teeth and said, "Since we are discussing knowledge, I will go and report it to you."