It’s already the end of February in the blink of an eye.
No news came back from the Capital Examination, but according to Zhu Hao's estimation, without his advice, Gongsun Yi had no hope of passing the Jinshi exam, unless he was blessed by the gods...or he gave Gongsun Yi random questions.
Unfortunately, I won again, but the possibility is basically zero.
Tang Yin had nothing to do that day. He and Jiang Lun went out to listen to a play. Zhu Hao was not seen in the theater. He stayed leisurely in the private room until noon, when he saw Lu Song coming upstairs with a thump thump thump.
"Mr. Tang, Aunt Jiang, something happened."
Lu Song's breath was short and he looked terrified.
Jiang Lun frowned: "Why are you so alarmed?"
Lu Song panted and replied: "At the beginning of spring sowing this year, the seeds we planted in the fields at the junction of Anlu and Xiangyang were bulldozed overnight before they could germinate, and the people on duty in the fields were beaten.
They are covered with bruises and injuries, and the whereabouts of several of them are unknown. They may have been kidnapped by people from Prince Xiang's Mansion."
"Prince Xiang's Mansion is so brave that it dares to go against my Prince Xing's Mansion? Copycat, let's go!"
Jiang Lun has a bad temper, he rolls up his sleeves and is ready to get started.
Now his status in the palace has soared, and he is very close to Tang Yin, a popular figure next to King Xing. He feels that he is capable and can make the decision in everything.
But Lu Song obviously came to talk to Tang Yin. You Jiang Lun... you just happened to overhear our conversation. Why are you talking nonsense?
Tang Yin stood up: "Then I will rush back to the palace immediately... Oh, by the way, Lu Dianzhan, have you reported to the superiors? What did King Xing say?"
Lu Song said: "There have been special personnel to report to King Xing, Yuan Changshi, and Zhang Changshi. I was ordered to come to you specially."
When something goes wrong, the people in the Royal Palace Chief Shi's Department will naturally trust the two chief historians, or even Zhang Zuo. However, because the people in the Palace's Yiwei Department trust Tang Yin's ability to command on the battlefield, they want to ask Tang Yin to make the decision whenever something happens.
"Brother Meng Zai, you and I should go back to the palace as soon as possible. It won't be good if we miss something."
Tang Yin greeted Jiang Lun and set off.
…
…
On the way back, Tang Yin was thinking, it would be great if he could find Zhu Hao at this time and discuss countermeasures.
Lu Song mentioned at the right time: "... Young Master Zhu reminded me many times years ago that Prince Xiang's Mansion would not give up and would suddenly launch an attack. I just wish I didn't listen to him and send more manpower. Now... the Prince's Mansion has suffered a huge loss."
Jiang Lun said: "First of all, we need to make sure that everyone is okay. Can the seedlings be replanted?"
While talking, the three of them entered the palace. It happened that the Admissions Department of the palace also sent someone to notify Tang Yin, asking him to go see Prince Xing quickly.
Tang Yin quickened his pace and asked as he walked: "Have you ever looked for Zhu Hao?"
Lu Song said: "Today is the 29th, and Zhu Hao has gone home to take a bath. It was too late to notify him at such short notice."
"well!"
Tang Yin actually sighed in front of everyone, meaning it was a pity not to find Zhu Hao. This attitude surprised Lu Song and Jiang Lun.
Are you, Tang Yin, really so dependent on Zhu Hao?
Now you want to discuss anything with Zhu Hao?
…
…
It is true that Zhu Hao does not always care about what happens in the palace.
He stayed up late last night recording experimental data and went to bed in the middle of the night. He got up at three o'clock in the morning. Before he could go to the workshop to check the condition of the new loom, Zhu Niang came to inform him that the people who had blocked him before were here again.
"It's a scholar named Sun. He said he knew you. Mom doesn't know why he is so persistent. He comes and asks every time. When you are not at home, he turns around and leaves. Today I know you are back and wants to see you, shop.
There was a crowd of people watching at the door, and I couldn’t do business.”
Zhu Niang was a little angry as she spoke.
I probably thought that the man at the door should have been offended by his son and came to look for trouble.
Zhu Hao immediately thought of the person he and Fan Yikuan had bet with, Sun Ru, a pedantic scholar from a wealthy businessman family.
I thought to myself, this guy came to my door on his own initiative? It’s not easy! Is this because he is motivated, or is he resentful of being criticized and seeking to settle a score with me?
…
…
When Zhu Hao walked out of his shop, he saw a young Confucian scholar standing at the door. Even though he had not seen him for more than a year, he could still identify it as Sun Ru, who had gone to Zhouxue to visit Fan Yikuan that day but was met with disappointment.
"Stop talking! I don't want to see your face..."
Zhu Hao spoke first.
"you!"
Sun Ru suddenly blushed.
"This is not the place to talk. You are affecting my family's business here. If anything happens, let's talk about it somewhere else!"
Zhu Hao spoke and called several nurses to come over and push away the crowd. Sun Ru also brought a servant and followed closely behind.
Several people were about to leave, and the onlookers wanted to follow. Someone deliberately pointed loudly and pointed at the string of money.
Zhu Hao stopped and asked loudly: "Qian Chuanzi, didn't your concubine just have a baby? The one she raised outside!"
"ah?"
A group of neighbors in the street turned to look at Qian Chuanzi.
This news was more explosive than a scholar coming to see Zhu Hao. A group of people immediately surrounded Qian Chuanzi.
Qian Chuanzi said hurriedly: "When did I have a foreign residence? Don't listen to that kid's nonsense!"
"That's not right, Qian Chuanzi, I heard that you have made money recently. In the past, your business in this street was suppressed by Zhu Niang. Now Zhu Niang has switched to the pen and ink business. Your place must be prosperous, right? You are really rich.
Take a concubine?"
"Aunt Li, you can't talk nonsense."
"Who is talking nonsense? Hurry up and tell the truth!"
"fart……"
Qian Chuan Zi was watched by a group of melon-eating people. Zhu Hao took the opportunity to take Sun Ru across the street. After crossing two streets, he found a restaurant and went up to the second floor, where he happened to have something good to eat.
…
…
"Sit down, what do you want from me? If you want to ask questions, I can help you. But if you come to me to settle accounts because of the grievances between me and Fan Xuezheng, it's best not to talk about it."
Zhu Hao's attitude was a bit cold.
Sun Ru sneered: "How talented am I? Do I need to ask you? Just say you made a bet between me and Fan, and being laughed at, do you know how much damage it will cause to my reputation?"
Zhu Hao thought to himself, calling you pedantic is just like rotten wood that cannot be carved!
How many people want to be my teacher but they can't because I casually bet you with Fan Yikuan and give you this good opportunity, but you still don't take advantage of it and come to me to brag and glare at me? If you are more modest, maybe I can help you.
If you become a member of the public, you will gain fame and honor your ancestors.
"Do you know that I have passed the county examination and will be a student after this year's college examination?" Zhu Hao asked.
"Of course you know. What's there to brag about?"
Sun Ru sat down and stared at Zhu Hao.
Zhu Hao said: "Then you are bound to pass the college examination this year?"
Sun Ru said arrogantly: "This is natural."
"No, why did you come to me? You're not here to bet with me, are you? How about this, you and I each put out a hundred taels of silver as a bet. If you can pass the examination as a student member, these one hundred taels of silver will
I will give it to you for free. If you fail the exam, how about you give me one hundred taels of silver?"
Zhu Hao suggested.
"This...of course it won't work."
Although Sun Ru is pedantic, she has a bright mind.
Zhu Hao smiled and said: "Aren't you very confident? Then the probability of you passing the examination should be very high, right? Why don't you bet with me if you have more than half the chance?"
Zhu Hao's purpose was naturally not for the one hundred taels of silver.
The purpose of the bet with Fan Yikuan is the same. With the bet, this guy just doesn't come to cause trouble for him. Even if this guy really passes the exam... Although the probability is close to zero, Zhu Hao can still afford to pay a hundred taels.
of.
"I don't like gambling."
Sun Ru held her head high and looked proud.
Zhu Hao nodded: "My character is quite upright... Let's change the bet. If you can pass the exam, I will still give you one hundred taels, but if you fail, just give me ten taels of silver."
...If you pay ten for one, it should be okay now, right?"
"You...you insulted me?"
Sun Ru heard it again.
Zhu Hao clearly looked down on him, thinking that he must have failed the entrance examination to be so confident that he would bet on him at odds of 1 to 10.
Zhu Haodao: "I insulted you? I'm giving you a chance to make money... Aren't you very confident? Why, you won't even accept a bet like losing ten to one? How dare you tell me that I insulted you?
?Are you afraid that you are insulting yourself?"
When Sun Ru heard this, her face turned red. She felt indignant at being humiliated and almost jumped up to fight Zhu Hao.
"Master Zhu, please calm down first."
The old servant who had been following Sun Ru came out and said, "It's like this. My young master came here to visit me at the old lady's order. I hope you won't blame me if I have offended you before."
Even the servants couldn't stand listening anymore and began to undermine their young master.
Zhu Hao said: "The old lady you are talking about is..."
"This is my young master's high hall," the old servant said.
"Oh, what does the old lady mean... to let your young master learn from me? Or to bet against me? Or to settle accounts with me?" Zhu Hao asked with a smile.
The old servant said: "My old lady hopes that the young master can get your advice and be admitted as a student as soon as possible, so that my Sun family will have a bright future. If it comes true... thank you generously, even if my young master becomes your master, it will be a success."
When Zhu Hao heard this, he said, "Okay, boy."
Your mother is much more discerning than you!
If you didn't have a good mother, look at how I entertained you today, making it impossible for you to survive in the local Shilin, would you believe it?
Since your wife has entrusted a servant to intercede, I will spare you for now.
"That's right, I'm usually very busy studying and don't have much time to teach my disciples..." Zhu Hao said with a smile.
The old servant looked complimentary, nodded and bowed: "We have inquired about Master Zhu's background clearly. You are the son of the Zhu family, a family of thousands of Jinyiwei, and your father is a loyal general who has served the country. Although you did not inherit the position of military household,
But you studied in the palace and were guided by famous teachers...Fan Xuezheng was a teacher in the palace, and I heard that even great scholars like Yuan Changshi praised your knowledge..."
Zhu Hao thought to himself, I was very careful in investigating your family.
Did you know that Tang Yin also taught in the palace?
Judging from what you mean, you have the potential to be a royal guard. You are so thorough in asking for information.
"What my old lady means is that if you are willing to accept my young master as a disciple, my young master's studies will all depend on you in the future. Since you dare to boast about making a bet with Fan Xuezheng, and you have such confidence, my old lady is also optimistic about it and thinks that you can improve your academic performance."
Please give my young master a chance to successfully pass the exam."
At the end of the day, Zhu Hao seemed to have been tricked.
The general meaning is that if you don't accept it, your reputation will be damaged.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
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