That's how things settled.

That night, Zhao Lingwu wrote a letter and asked Qiao Renyuan to send it to his hometown in Jiangxi, asking the patriarch of Zhao to help change the name of Meng Zezhi on the family tree to the name of Xiao. In this way, it can be regarded as a clear road for Meng Zezhi's identity.

The next day, Meng Zezhi deliberately got up early, and prepared to visit Xiao Deren with the prepared earth ceremonies.

When passing by Huayuanzi, met a group of craftsmen, carrying things in and out.

Meng Zezhi asked casually, "What's the matter?"

"If you go back to the grandfather, the former grandfather of the state returned to the court and handed over most of the military power due to illness. Long live, when he was happy, he rewarded the mansion next door to the grandfather, which is currently being rebuilt. I heard it. If you can have five more yards, the young masters and young ladies in our house will no longer have to crowd into one yard." Ji Liang replied.

"The mansion next door," Meng Zezhi was stunned, "I remember that it wasn't the mansion of Lord Gan Zhengfu, the left servant of the household department?"

"You remember correctly, he moved out, and Long Live rewarded him with a big mansion."

"Oh." Meng Ze didn't understand.

When arrived at Xiao's house, there was no need to mention it again. Mrs. Xiao even joked that if her youngest daughter and Zhao Yijing had not discussed kissing, she really wanted to kiss her and give her youngest daughter to Meng Zezhi. .

This was originally a joke. It wasn't true, but somehow it got into Xiao's ears and made her take it to heart.

After studying so hard for more than a month, it was finally the New Year's Day.

Let go of firecrackers, eat New Year's Eve dinner, drink plum wine, pay New Year's greetings, keep New Year's Eve...

On the first day of the new year, it is customary to open an ancestral hall to worship ancestors.

Seeing Zhao Lingwu calling Meng Zezhi into the ancestral hall, the expressions of the concubines who were waiting outside the door immediately changed.

"I didn't expect my father to actually recognize that bastard as his heir!"

As soon as he returned to the newly moved Zhong Yunxuan, Zhao Yikang could no longer contain his anger. With a wave of his hand, the teapot on the table was swept to the ground by him, and it smashed to the ground.

Why, just because Zhao Yijing is the direct son, he is a concubine, so no matter how favored he is, he will always be the mud that Zhao Yijing stepped on under his feet.

Zhao Yijing can live in a yard alone, with brocade clothes and jade food, and a group of servants, but he can only squeeze together with four or five brothers.

Zhao Yijing was taught by a famous teacher, a great Confucian, specially invited by his father, but he could only stay in the clan and accept the training of a group of half-assed gentlemen.

...

Finally, Zhao Yijing died.

He thought that he finally had the day to come forward. With the favor of Song Guogong in the past, prosperity and wealth were in sight, but what he was most worried about happened.

"Just because you said a few words to Zhao Yian last year, but you can see how our family has lived this year. We drink tea made from rotten leaves, burn black charcoal, light white candles, that stuff. A big smoker can smoke people to death." Zhao Ba, who is a compatriot of Zhao Yikang's mother, couldn't help but said, when has he lived such a hard life since he was a child.

In the end, he even complained to Aunt Xu: "If it wasn't because Auntie lost his father's favor, how would the Xiao family dare to spar with our family like this!"

Zhao Yikang had a gloomy face, and said resentfully: "It's already like this. If Zhao Yian is really allowed to get six yuan and become the heir, will there be a way for our family to survive in the future?"

Concubine Xu's face stiffened. She touched her faintly wrinkled face and gritted her teeth. She hated her status as a concubine, the Xiao family who saw the wind and the rudder, and even more hated the two who robbed her of the prince. The doting twins Orchid.

A flash of resentment flashed in her eyes: "Don't worry, Zhao Yian will definitely fail the six-yuan test."

Brother Zhao Yikang's pupils shrank by coincidence and looked up at Concubine Xu.

After the new year, there is only one month left before the exam.

Before that, Zhao Lingwu and the Xiao family took Meng Zezhi to Huguo Temple again, but this time, they didn't bring those concubines and concubines in the backyard.

After giving up 6,600 taels of sesame oil money, the three were invited into a meditation room by the host.

On the futon in the meditation room sat an old monk with white eyebrows.

"Chan Master Huihe." Zhao Lingwu and Mrs Xiao greeted him politely.

Master Huihe?

Meng Zezhi felt a sudden shock, he had heard of this name a little.

It is rumored that this Zen Master Huihe was the direct descendant of Master Sanzang in the Tang Dynasty. (Congling, Pamir Plateau, a section of the Silk Road. To the east of Congling, it generally refers to the entire East Asia region.)

In the third year of Guangde, the Tartars invaded the border and once invaded the capital. Emperor Guangde fled in a hurry and was on the verge of danger. It was Zen Master Huihe who saved the life of Emperor Guangde who was seriously injured and dying.

After Emperor Guangde returned to the dynasty, he was grateful for his kindness, and named him the Zen Master Huguo, and his name was passed down to the world.

Meng Zezhi remained silent, just silently followed behind Zhao Lingwu and Mrs Xiao, found a futon and sat down.

I just heard Xiao Shi say, "I'm harassing the Zen master because I want to ask the Zen master to give orders for my son."

"Amitabha!"

Zen Master Huihe folded his hands together, silently chanted the Buddha's name, and then raised his head to look at Meng Zezhi.

He smiled slightly, as if to greet and comfort, his cloudy eyes showing a belly of shrewdness, he said, "Speaking of which, six years ago, when the prince and his wife went up the mountain to pray for the soldiers who went on the expedition, I once saw them by chance. Pass the commander's side."

Meng Zezhi was stunned, how could he not remember such a thing.

Zen Master Huihe didn't explain much, but said, "The first impression my son gave me at that time was that it was indescribably expensive."

Hearing this, both Zhao Lingwu and Xiao Shi were shocked.

Zhao Lingwu thought he was talking about Meng Zezhi's career.

What Xiao thinks is her own plan. If this is the case, it is no wonder that Zen Master Huihe will take the initiative to help her.

"If the young master wants to stand out, he must remember one thing: before the age of twenty-two, he must not marry a wife and have children, otherwise he will have the worry of his life."

After speaking, Zen Master Huihe closed his eyes, stopped talking, and silently fiddled with the beads in his hand.

Meng Zezhi frowned slightly, why didn't he know that he couldn't marry and have children before he was twenty-two.

After getting what he wanted, Xiao Shi's excited heart gradually calmed down.

Zhao Lingwu wanted to know more: "Zen master?"

The host interrupted Zhao Lingwu's words: "Master Guo, all the Zen masters have said, please come back!"

Hearing this, even if Zhao Lingwu had a thousand words, he could only give up.

When Zhao Lingwu and his party left the meditation room under the leadership of the little novice, the host couldn't help but said, "Zen master?"

Xiao Shi originally wanted to ask him to give Meng Zezhi's order, but when he was still hesitating whether to help, Zen Master Huihe took the initiative to answer the matter.

Zen Master Huihe knew what he was going to ask, and he only said: "Monks don't make slang words."

The host's face softened slightly.

"As for the 100,000 taels of silver given by Mrs. Xiao," Zen Master Huihe said with a sigh, "You keep it as it is, it will be of great use in the future."

"Yes." The host responded respectfully. Zen Master Huihe was a great wise man, and the host believed his words without a doubt.

The next day, Zen Master Huihe's order to Meng Zezhi spread throughout most of the capital. Of course, the only thing that spread out was "Before the age of twenty-two, you must not marry a wife and have children, otherwise you will be in danger of life".

If others say that, they will only think that this is the family that the Duke's government is bothering to inquire about Meng Zezhi's marriage, so they deliberately use this to prevaricate them.

But these words came from the mouth of Zen Master Huihe, and everyone believed it even if they didn't believe it.

For a while, Xiao's Muyuantang returned to its former calm.

On the ninth day of February, the exam will start.

Before the fifth watch, the candlelight was already lit in the Guogong's mansion.

When Meng Zezhi finished washing up and went out of the room, Mrs. Xiao was taking Manager Liu to make a final count of the test equipment he was going to bring.

Seeing Meng Zezhi coming out, Mrs Xiao said quickly, "Breakfast is ready for you, eat it quickly."

"Eh." Meng Zezhi replied with a smile.

Halfway through the meal, the exam materials were finally counted, and after confirming again and again that nothing was missed, Mr. Xiao finally felt relieved. She looked back at Meng Zezhi, her eyes fell on the dining table, and her brows were slightly wrinkled: "What's the matter, why hasn't the ginseng soup been delivered yet? Shiqin, please go to the kitchen to remind her."

Just as he was talking, a maid walked in with a bowed body and a soup cup.

Meng Zezhi saw it in his eyes and said helplessly: "Mother, there is still plenty of time, don't worry!"

Xiao Shi, who experienced such a thing for the first time, was not comforted at all, she sighed: "Can I be in a hurry!"

Saying that, she reached out her hand to pick up the soup cup offered by the maid.

The next moment, a faint sound of breaking the air came.

Immediately after, the maid exclaimed, and the soup cup in her hand fell to the ground and shattered.

"What's the matter?" Seeing this scene, Xiao shi scolded.

"Madam forgive me, Madam forgive me, this servant didn't do it on purpose..." The maid knelt down with a plop, and hurriedly kowtowed to confess her guilt.

Meng Zezhi raised his head and looked at the corner of the courtyard wall outside the door, the corners of his lips curved slightly, thoughtfully.

Thinking that today was the day when Meng Zezhi was taking the exam, Mrs. Xiao managed to suppress the anger in her heart, and read 'Smashed Peace' a few times before she said, "What are you still doing, I haven't finished cleaning up the things on the ground."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Meng Zezhi retracted his gaze, and his eyes fell on the chaotic maid on the ground: "Wait, which yard are you from, why haven't I seen you before?"

The maid's movements were stagnant, and her whole body was trembling.

Xiao Shi also noticed something was wrong: "Who are you, and how do you know chess?"

Hearing this, knowing that the matter was exposed, the maid clenched her teeth, got up and rammed into the corner of the table.

Seeing the person coming, Mammy Zheng glared at her and raised her foot subconsciously.

The maid immediately lay down with her stomach covered, and Steward Liu, who was on the side, took the lead in reacting, grabbed her, took off her shoes and stuffed them into her mouth to prevent her from committing suicide by biting her tongue.

"lady?"

Xiao Shi recovered, and her eyes fell on the mess on the ground. At this time, how could she not know that there was a problem in the ginseng soup, she was inexhaustible: "Check, give me a hard check..."

A group of servants immediately stepped forward and pressed the maid down.

As if remembering something, Mrs. Xiao turned to look at Meng Zezhi with a worried look on her face: "An'er..."

"It's okay, mother, I'm okay." Meng Zezhi reassured.

Xiao Shi was not at ease, for fear that the breakfast he had eaten before was also manipulated, and hurriedly invited the doctor back.

It was not until the doctor confirmed that he was safe and sound that Xiao Shi was relieved.

At this point, the sky has been white with fish belly.

Before leaving, Meng Zezhi glanced at the corner of the courtyard wall again, as if he had remembered something, and said meaningfully, "Mother, I remembered that something fell in the study."

"Shiqin, go and fetch it for the young master."

"No, I'll just get it myself."

Because of these words, when Meng Zezhi's figure completely disappeared at the gate of Gongyuan, Lu Li turned back to the Duke's Mansion.

As soon as he entered the study, Lu Li saw a letter raft on the desk.

He picked up the letter raft and looked at it, only to see that it was written: The flowers and shadows on the wall are moving, it is suspected that the jade person is coming.

The handwriting is sharp.

Lu Li took a short breath, and a flush spread from the eyelids to the earlobes.