Chapter 88： Hikidama

Chapter 88: Attracting Jade

Magistrate Wu did not expect that there was such a connection, and was immediately surprised.

He glanced at the ordinary-looking jar of wine in the New Year's gift given by Gu Mingda, and sighed: "So, doesn't this jar of wine become a top-notch one?"

There were many people present who liked wine, and upon hearing this, they all looked at the jar of wine with burning eyes.

The lid of the wine jar was lifted, and everyone could only smell the intoxicating aroma of the wine. When they took another look at the clear-colored wine, they felt as if they were about to drown in it.

"Good wine!" Magistrate Wu praised.

After just one taste, he felt as if his life had been in vain for decades. He had never been so fascinated by a bottle of wine. He finally understood why more than ten years later, the legend of yellow rice wine was still circulating in Guang'an County. , he couldn't help but regret it, secretly thinking that he shouldn't have brought this wine to the banquet.

If he had known that this wine was so fascinating, he should have secretly collected it and savored it slowly when he had time.

But the matter has come to this, no matter how precious the wine is, Magistrate Wu can only bear the pain and share it with everyone.

Gu Mingda said softly: "The student is stupid. Thanks to the guidance of the adults, I have made some progress. My father has always hoped that I can achieve success in my studies. If he can wake up, I am afraid he will want to offer you a glass of wine."

Magistrate Wu had just tasted the good wine. Hearing this, his whole body softened visibly. He looked at Gu Mingda with a slightly loving look in his eyes and said warmly: "Zhongde, you don't have to be so self-effacing. In fact, your article is very good. If nothing unexpected happens, I won’t be able to escape the title of Juren next year.”

Gu Mingda looked slightly excited, as if he had been greatly encouraged.

Most of the people at the table were scholars, and they were always very sensitive to this topic.

"I'm ashamed to say that my family has always hoped that I could achieve success in my studies. Unfortunately, I am not talented enough. I couldn't make any progress after passing the Tongsheng Examination." A scribe couldn't help but sigh.

Before Gu Mingda had time to say what he wanted to say, as if with divine help again, the topic had inexplicably turned to the children's students.

Maybe it was because the yellow rice wine that had been buried in the soil for more than ten years was too strong. After a few glasses, another clerk started to talk nonsense: "At least you passed the Tongsheng test. I have studied for so many years, and even Tongsheng None of them passed the exam, even in the years when it was easiest to take the exam.”

Although scribes are called "officials", they are actually "officials". There is a huge difference between the two words. Ordinary clerks may seem to have some power, but in fact they are just big heads in the yamen who can read and write. soldiers.

"What years are the easiest to take the exam? Which year are you talking about?" someone couldn't help but ask.

Some of the scribes and officials in the yamen are naturally gifted and perfect in what they say and do, while others have loose personalities and are full of flaws.

Now the person who is taking the opportunity to express his bitterness is obviously a man who has no right words: "What other years could it be? Of course it was the years when Master Gou presided over the Tongsheng Examination. At that time, anyone could pass the Tongsheng Examination. It's a pity. People like this are showing their true colors in the hospital.”

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has intention.

After County Magistrate Wu and Master Chen looked at each other, Master Chen said casually, as if he had received some kind of instruction: "The child test is so important, who dares to do something like this? Brother Wang, are you drunk too much?"

The drunkard couldn't listen to such words, and immediately said: "I didn't drink too much. In those years, this was a secret. Anyone with money could be a child. It's a pity that my family didn't have money, otherwise I would have passed the exam." ”

Before Gu Mingda had time to answer, the drunk clerk suddenly pointed at him: "You, you too!"

Everyone present was stunned, and their eyes changed when they looked at Gu Mingda.

"Brother Wang, I am a student who took the exam in the tenth year of Fengqi." Gu Mingda explained.

The drunkard said: "I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about your brother-in-law! His surname is Zhang, the particularly annoying one! If I hadn't seen you, I wouldn't have remembered him!"

Gu Mingda felt very strange at this moment, as if he was participating in a play that had been arranged long ago. He didn't need to worry about the direction of the plot at all, he only needed to show up on time, and everything had been arranged.

He had already prepared to reveal Zhang Guangzong's fraud at the banquet. He thought that even if he would get the reputation of "reporting on relatives and friends", he would still suppress Zhang Guangzong.

But he didn't expect that God had his own plan, and someone took the initiative to take Gu Mingda out of this matter.

"That guy named Zhang drank too much and started bragging outside. He said that if Mr. Gou had presided over the college examination, he would have become a scholar long ago! He still wants to be a scholar because he got some bad money from who knows where. Bah! "The drunkard said loudly. Magistrate Wu looked at the drunkard like he was looking at a treasure. If he hadn't received a secret order from his superiors, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to find excuses for the previous magistrate as the new year was approaching.

Although Guang'an County is located in a remote area, the party disputes in the imperial court still affected it.

Magistrate Wu is only a minor player in the eyes of those in the capital, but his predecessor, Magistrate Gou, has been rising steadily since leaving Guang'an County. Now there are rumors that Lord Gou will take up an important position soon after the new year.

In the officialdom, important positions are like a piece of fat, and everyone is eager to take a bite.

If someone helps Lord Gou rise to the top, there will naturally be people who desperately want to pull him down.

The imperial court emphasized education, and the crime of cheating in the imperial examination was much more serious than corruption.

It is precisely because the crime is so serious and there are so many stakeholders involved in the crime that many locals will remain silent even if they know about it.

If he hadn't drank too much, no one would have brought this matter to the table.

Master Chen, as a confidant of the county magistrate, seized on the former magistrate Gou. They were all outsiders and did not care whether the locals of Guang'an County were involved.

"Zhongde, are you familiar with your brother-in-law?" Master Chen tried to dig something out of Gu Mingda's mouth first.

Gu Mingda frowned slightly and said, "Mr. Chen, to be honest, my wife and I are not from the same mother. After my mother-in-law died of illness, my father-in-law gave birth to Zhang Guangzong. When my wife was young, the family lacked food and clothing, and she had a lot of quarrels with her stepmother. , so between siblings."

Master Chen heard the implication of Gu Mingda's words, that he wanted to draw a clear line with Zhang Guangzong.

"Zhongde, don't worry, no matter whether your brother-in-law cheated or not, you will not be implicated in this matter." Master Chen first gave Gu Mingda a reassurance.

Gu Mingda deliberately pretended to be relieved and said, "Mr. Chen, I actually don't think my brother-in-law is someone who would do such a thing. Although he strives for fame, he has always been timid."

Master Chen's eyes lit up when he heard this: It's good to be timid, as long as you are scared, you will spit out everything.

Gu Mingda is well aware of the truth that talking too much can lead to mistakes. He will not take the initiative to speak ill of Zhang Guangzong, but will only tell some facts that are not beneficial to him: "It's pitiful to say that he has been in deep trouble during this period. I went to Fucheng. My wife ran away with someone and went to the town for a few days. She was beaten up and a sum of money was extorted from her. "

The excitement on Master Chen's face is about to overflow. He is timid and in a bad way. Such a fragile person will definitely be able to get his testimony easily, let alone the things he has done, even the things he has not done. Everyone will recognize it.

At this time in Qingshui Village, in the Zhang family house, Zhang Guangzong was lying on the bed, his eyes blank, not knowing what he was thinking.

Mrs. Cai walked in from outside the house and said to her son: "Guangzong, do you still have money? Jinbao wants to eat meat. This child hasn't eaten meat for a long time..."

The first year when the Zhang family adopted Niu Niu was the happiest year in Zhang Guangzong's life.

Not only was his wife, who had been infertile for many years, pregnant, he also picked up a ginseng root on the mountain.

He used the money from selling ginseng to build a house. This was actually a rumor he deliberately spread to the outside world.

How could a koi car get only one ginseng when it enters the house?

There was an abandoned temple in Daqing Mountain. He dug a jar of gold and silver under the tree roots outside the temple.

But no matter how much money he has, there will be a time when it will be spent. In the past few years, he has not been engaged in production, and he only cares about eating and drinking. He has been blackmailed one after another, and he can only get out but cannot get in. Finally, he has reached the end of his rope.

"He wants to eat meat, and I still want to eat it!" Zhang Guangzong said fiercely.

Mrs. Cai felt sorry for her grandson and wanted to persuade him again.

Zhang Guangzong became impatient and said, "Why do you feel sorry for him? It's hard to tell whether he is my biological son or not."