Meng Zezhi's departure date was set for the second day of October.

Before that, Xiao Shi kept himself busy as a spinning top.

"I heard that there are a lot of mosquitoes in Jiangxi, and this blue gauze curtain must be brought."

"Bring more cotton-padded clothes in winter. The weather there is not as good as the capital, the humidity is heavy, and it is not easy to dry the changed clothes... It is also possible to dry with charcoal fire, but pay attention to opening the doors and windows for ventilation."

"And the Tuanlonggong tea that you love to drink. This is the only pot left at home. You can take it with you first, and I will send it to you in a hurry when it will be rewarded again in the palace."

"It's thousands of miles away, and it's a long way to go. I'm worried that you will encounter a bandit, a bandit, or someone who doesn't have long eyes. You need to bring a few more guards, just Hongwu and the others, they belong to the mansion. I'm old, and I'm relieved to have them with me."

...

Meng Zezhi listened carefully, occasionally echoing.

After packing up the luggage, Mrs. Xiao took someone to check it twice to make sure that there was nothing missing, and then he was relieved.

Seeing this, Meng Zezhi quickly handed over the tea cup prepared in his hand: "Mother, you are tired too, drink some water."

Mrs. Xiao reached out and took it. As soon as the tea came in, she seemed to remember something. She put down the tea bowl and looked back at Mammy Zheng: "By the way, Mammy Zheng, bring the things I prepared for the young master."

"Hey." Mother Zheng responded, and immediately brought the things in her hand to the table with her maid who knew chess.

Xiao opened the top wooden box, and what caught his eye was a stack of one hundred tael denominations of silver bills, depending on the thickness, at least ten thousand taels.

She said, "You take the money with you, spend it as you need it, and use it as you need it. Don't feel wronged. Our family doesn't lack your spending money. When you run out, I'll send someone to deliver it to you."

Meng Zezhi's eyes lit up, and he smiled happily: "Thank you mother."

Xiao shi can bear it with peace of mind. The most important thing she does not lack now is silver. You must know that matches alone can bring her a net profit of more than 200,000 taels of silver every year. This is after manipulation on the books. number.

The maids all around looked at the nose, nose and heart, lowered their heads and stared intently at the patterns on the shoes, motionless like a mountain.

"And these." Xiao shi opened a wooden box about half the size of a drawer.

The wooden box was divided into two halves of different sizes. The big one contained one or two to three taels of small and delicate gold and silver nude seeds, and the small one contained golden melon seeds, all of which were engraved with the words of Song Guogongfu.

"Your father is of great seniority, and even the patriarch of the Zhao family has to call him uncle. When we get there, the members of the Zhao family must come to visit. Our family is powerful and powerful, and the relatives over there are all out of three servers. Yes, so you don't have to look at the dishes, prepare gifts for each family, just give them a red envelope."

The Xiao family explained in detail: "The relatives within the five clothes and several clan elders, the older ones will be given two taels of gold naked children, and the younger ones will be given one tael of gold naked children or a golden melon seed. After the five clothes, Those who are within seven servings will be given three or two taels of silver naked, and those who have given seven servings will be sent away with one tael of silver naked."

"I guess after dealing with these relatives, there is still a lot of money left. You can keep it for rewarding people."

At present, it has only been twenty-five years since the founding of the Great Yang Dynasty, and the people have just come out of the war, so the people are not rich, and one tael of gold can often be exchanged for twelve taels of silver or even more. The weight of a golden melon seed is half a tael, which is equivalent to six taels of silver.

"good."

The Xiao family had considered this aspect, and it was Meng Zezhi's turn, just nod and say hello.

"This is the peace talisman I asked for from the Longevity Concept. You wear it with you, so don't lose it."

Saying that, Mrs. Xiao took out a purse and bent over to tie it to Meng Zezhi himself.

The purse is embroidered by Xiao's own hands, and the front is a picture of tiger eating and five poisons, which is vivid and lifelike.

"And this." Xiao Shi finally took out a jade pendant that was not of good quality, and tied it to him as well, but said, "This is a relic left by your biological mother."

Meng Zezhi's expression changed slightly.

I just listened to Xiao Shi continued: "I didn't want to give it to you, but after thinking about it, if she has a spirit in the sky and knows that you are about to take the exam, she will definitely keep you safe. With one more person to protect you, I feel more at ease. ."

Meng Zezhi looked down and felt that this jade pendant was inexplicably familiar, but he couldn't think about it, he just said softly, "Mother"

Xiao Shi's brows and eyes were gentle, and he sighed meaningfully: "My An'er has grown up."

A few days later, Xiao Deren sent a steward from his house over.

The steward's surname is Liu, and his two sons who have served Xiao Deren returned to their hometown to take the exam. They are very experienced.

In this way, Meng Zezhi set out on the journey south with some twenty people.

All the way through mountains and rivers, Xu was deterred by a group of guards, but on the way, he didn't meet anyone who didn't have long eyes.

When the group arrived in Jiangxi, it was already the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.

The patriarch of the Zhao clan personally brought someone to the inn to pick him up.

Song Guogong Zhao Lingwu's ancestral home is Zhaojia Village, Wannian County, Raozhou Prefecture.

After Zhao Lingwu established his family, he built ancestral tombs, genealogy and ancestral halls for the clan, and set up 3,000 mu of clan land (the land jointly owned by clan members) to worship ancestors, provide relief to clan people, and establish Yixue (clan established for the clan’s children). private school) etc.

It can be said that more than 50 families in Zhaojia Village are now supported by the Guogong Mansion, and perhaps they reciprocate.

But Meng Zezhi knew that Zhao Lingwu had done so much just to stop the mouths of these Zhao clan people.

Because they all know that Zhao Lingwu was married before he joined the Xiao family.

Because of this, Meng Zezhi didn't like to see them, but who made him bear the title of the young master of the state's government now? He still has to say what he should say.

After greeting the recent situation in the Guogong's mansion, the Zhao clan chief said: "Your family's ancestral house has already been cleaned up. Ninth young master, do you think you will go directly to Zhao's village or not?"

"I'm not going to Zhaojiacun." Meng Zezhi picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He probably felt that it was not suitable for his taste, so he put it down again.

"What?" The Zhao clan who were present looked at each other in dismay, this is the reason why no one has gone home to the door of the house, but did not go in.

Meng Zezhi said lightly: "This time, Zhao's village is too far away from the county seat, and it is inconvenient to travel. Second, the clan brother forgot that I am a succubus."

According to the clan etiquette, concubines are not eligible to enter the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors.

As for Zhao Lingwu's ancestral tomb, it has long been moved to the capital.

So it's the same if you don't go back this time.

Hearing this, the patriarch of the Zhao clan looked embarrassed. The Zhao family has only been fortune for more than 20 years, and he is still a peasant in his bones. At least the older generation has never heard of anyone who took a concubine and made a concubine. Come.

Looking at Meng Zezhi's style again, didn't they forget his identity?

But even if they knew it now, they didn't dare to despise Meng Zezhi.

Looking at the silk and satin that he was wearing, then looking at the line of maids and servants beside him, and thinking of what Mrs. Guo Gong said in the letter, it is conceivable that even if Meng Zezhi is a son, he is also a favored son. , thousands of times stronger than their mud legs.

Thinking of this, the Zhao clan chief tightened the silk clothes that he had pulled out from under the box, and smiled with him: "So, is your residence arranged for the ninth young master?"

"It's all arranged, right here—" Meng Zezhi's voice was stagnant.

Liu Guanshi, who was waiting by the side, said immediately: "If the Hui patriarch, it will be arranged on Xishui Street outside the ceremony room of the county office."

"Okay," the Zhao clan chief immediately stood up with a cane: "Then we won't disturb the ninth young master today. After the new year, we will come back to greet the ninth young master."

Meng Zezhi followed and stood up: "I will send a few clan brothers."

"Ninth Young Master, please stay."

After sending these Zhao clansmen away, Meng Zezhi raised his folding fan and clapped his palm, then turned to look at Liu Guanshi and the others: "Pack up and enter the city."

"Yes."

After moving into the county seat, Meng Zezhi began to close the door to thank guests. Except for the Zhao clan, no one was there.

In mid-February of the 20th year of Guangde, the county trial released the list, and Meng Zezhi was named as the county leader as he wished.

"Master." When Ji Liang hurriedly pushed the door in, Meng Zezhi was writing a letter to Mrs. Xiao.

"What's wrong?" He put down the pen and dried the ink on the paper.

At the beginning of this month, the Duke of Song, Zhao Lingwu, returned to the court.

"Several candidates who failed the list were blocked at the entrance of the county government office, shouting that the students from Wannian County were famous and famous in Jiangxi. If it wasn't for the magistrate Dong clinging to the powerful, how could you possibly be the head of the county case, young master."

Southern literary style is prosperous, especially in Jiangxi. It has only been 25 years since the founding of the Great Yang Dynasty, and a total of 13 scientific examinations have been held, and a total of more than 500 scholars have been admitted. Among them, candidates from southern China accounted for two-thirds, and candidates from Jiangxi accounted for one-fifth. In the 15th year of the Guangde examination, the candidates from Jiangxi took the top three in the top three. Over the years, Wannian County has put great emphasis on education and culture, and has achieved excellent results.

All of a sudden, a northern student overwhelmed a group of well-known talents in Wannian County and got the case. This is again at the stall where the government of Song Guogong is returning to the court, and it is no wonder that some people feel unbalanced.

"Naive." Meng Zezhi disagreed.

Since the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, which case of imperial examination fraud has not been bloodshed, and the imperial examination fraud case in the 18th year of Guangde has directly abolished a prince (eldest prince).

These candidates don’t even think about it. Can the magistrate never think of the things they can think of? If he really wants to operate one or two, at most, he will give Meng Zezhi a better ranking, and directly point it to the case. This is not a gun. Are you hitting the jackpot?

Sure enough, after only half a day, the storm subsided.

County magistrate Dong acted resolutely, and while posting Meng Zezhi's test papers, he dragged several candidates to Caishikou for public hearing.

Only after the first trial did find out that these were just a few candidates with great ambitions and talents, because they failed in the repeated tests, their hearts were not distracted, and they made a fool of themselves after being drunk, so they spoke madly.

They were confused, and the county magistrate was sober. If this incident was careless, it would be a fatal disaster. He directly let the yamen press the candidates to hit 20 big boards, and then sentenced them to the One year in prison, three generations of descendants were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations.

This is undoubtedly a disaster for a student.

After this incident, Meng Zezhi participated in several literary conferences in succession. Although his performance in poetry and prose was quite satisfactory, he overwhelmed a group of talented people in the four-calligraphy and parallel prose, which could be regarded as an indirect name for himself.

Killing the chickens to warn the monkeys, thanks to this incident, no one dared to cause trouble in the subsequent government and hospital exams.

Until the township exam comes.