Chapter 132: The Chosen One, the Popularity Stops

October 7th is the beginning of winter.

As the saying goes, the first sign is that the water begins to freeze; the second sign is that the ground begins to freeze. In northern Zhili, the weather has already started to get colder, especially in the early morning. Farmers who used to wade through the water barefoot to take a shortcut now mostly choose to find a bridge to cross the water.

Of course, there are differences between the north and the south.

There is still some heat in the south, the weather is crisp, cool, and dry with little rain. It is a good time to travel and enjoy the scenery.

Winter is gradually approaching in the north, and a feeling of desolation is gradually rising.

During this season, people traveling from south to north can feel the climate differences between the north and the south particularly clearly.

A horse-drawn carriage with a yellow flag that read "Ministry of Rites Examination" was moving slowly on the official road.

This yellow flag was a symbol of the candidates going to Beijing for the imperial examinations, and was called a "gongche" (official carriage). The local provincial governments would issue silver and fire cards to the candidates, which could be used to borrow a carriage at the post stations along the way.

The joint examination will be held in February, which means that there are more than a hundred days left before the spring examination.

It is inconvenient to walk in winter and it is easy to catch a cold.

I came to Beijing too late in the spring and was unable to review the past and learn new things.

Therefore, going to Beijing to prepare for the exam in late autumn became the choice of most candidates.

At this moment, the sky was still dark and the road was very dim.

A morning breeze blew by.

Li Kun, who was driving, couldn't help but shiver and tightened his clothes.

Logically speaking, since he came to Beijing from Henan, the climate should not be much different, but he clearly felt that the further north he went, the colder it became.

Maybe... it's because he is already 38 years old and is no longer afraid of the cold. Li Kun touched his beard and sighed.

It’s a pity that the bus that can be borrowed at the post station with a fire card is only a horse-drawn carriage, and there will be no postman to drive you.

If I had known this earlier, I would have waited until it was light and warmer before setting out.

Li Kun was thinking aimlessly and whipped the horse twice with the whip.

As the morning light faded, the chill gradually faded away and the weather became cool and comfortable.

There were gradually more and more pedestrians and carriages on the road.

After all, this is the territory of Northern Zhili, and many people go out to cut wood and farm early in the morning, and even more people go up the mountain to pray to gods and Buddhas.

The carriages are luxurious and majestic, while the peddlers are burdened with heavy loads, hunchbacked and ragged.

Li Kun took both of them in, shaking his head and sighing repeatedly.

Just when he was lost in thought, someone suddenly blocked his way.

"Sir, could you please give me a favor?"

Li Kun pulled the reins and looked towards the side of the road.

I saw a large carriage stuck on the side of the road and the driver looked worried.

In front of Li Kun was a man dressed in Confucian clothes, waving his hand. It was obviously the person who stopped the car.

The man was in his early twenties, with a fair face, and he wore loose clothes and a flowing belt. His every move seemed elegant.

She can be described as being graceful and elegant.

Seeing that he had an extraordinary appearance, Li Kun did not dare to act arrogantly because of his age.

He immediately got off the car and greeted him: "I am not worthy of this honor, but I wonder what advice you have for me, sir?"

He did not introduce himself.

When you go out, caution is the first priority.

The visitor replied in a serious tone: "Your Excellency is not allowed. I am Gu Xiancheng, and I am honored to be honored by you, a gentleman."

After returning the gift, Gu Xiancheng gave a helpless wry smile and explained his purpose: "I am no different from a gentleman, and I am also a candidate who came to Beijing to take the imperial examination."

"The carriage was bumpy all the way and was neglected for maintenance, so it broke down by the roadside."

"But I have an appointment with a friend to host a banquet for me today. If I delay, I am afraid that my friend will be unhappy."

"I dare to bother you, sir. I beg you to take me with you for a while."

After hearing this, Li Kun breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s easy to say as long as he is not a ranger.

This was just a small matter, and considering that they were all scholars with such outstanding manners, Li Kun was not too opposed to it.

However, he still had a last bit of caution.

He took out a fire card from his bosom, showed it to Gu Xiancheng, and said enthusiastically, "It's just a gesture."

"My name is Lu Kun, courtesy name Shujian, and I am from Ningling County, Henan Province."

When Gu Xiancheng saw this, he understood what it meant. This was to ask him to confirm his identity as a candidate.

He immediately took out the fire card from his bosom and said with a smile: "That's a coincidence. My hometown is Wuxi, and I am the third child in my family. My cousin's name is Shushi."

Bo, Zhong, Shu and Ji, both of them have the word "Shu" in their courtesy names, which basically means the third son in the family.

Li Kun took Gu Xiancheng's fire card and took a closer look. It was indeed the standard logo of the Governor's Office, so he felt relieved.

He immediately smiled and said, "Please get in the car, I'll drive."

Now that you've given your name and identity, there's no need to be so polite as to call you "Sir".

Gu Xiancheng quickly declined: "In terms of logic, it is me who is bothering Brother Lu and causing trouble."

"As for the relationship, Brother Lu is fourteen years older than me, so I should treat him as my elder brother."

"It is reasonable that I should be the one driving for Brother Lu."

Seeing his handsome face and polite manners, Li Kun couldn't help but feel fond of him.

He immediately smiled and said, "Since we are traveling together, why not ride together?"

The doctrine of the mean can always convince people.

Gu Xiancheng immediately expressed his gratitude and responded, then turned back and told the coachman to stay with the carriage and wait for help.

Afterwards, Li and Gu got on Li Kun's carriage, one on the left and one on the right.

The horse was whipped twice and snorted in dissatisfaction, and the carriage slowed down again.

Li Kun sat sideways with his legs hanging outside the carriage.

Gu Xiancheng sat cross-legged, took off his official hat, and tidied his hair which was a little messy from dragging the carriage.

"By the way, Brother Lu, why did you call yourself Lu when we announced our names, but on the fire card, it's Li?"

Gu Xiancheng asked casually.

It’s not that I suspect I’ve been cheated. After all, I’ve been shown the hot cards, so there’s no need to hide it.

Just a little curious, that's all.

After hearing this, Li Kun just shook his head and sighed: "It's a long story."

Gu Xiancheng became interested.

He looked at Li Kun curiously and said with a smile: "This is a good time and a good autumn mood, it's just the time to kill time."

He could tell that Li Kun was just expressing his feelings and there was no inconvenience.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Li Kun sighed again, and then continued, "My sixth-generation ancestor, whose taboo name was Lü Heisi, was born in the late Yuan Dynasty."

"When he was young, he studied and understood morality. He worked as a farmer in Xin'an and watered the garden as his occupation."

"Afterwards, war broke out everywhere. My ancestor had always been ambitious about governing the country, so he joined Taizu..."

Gu Xiancheng listened with great interest to Li Kun's telling of the family story, occasionally interrupting to ask for details.

"…After the war, Taizu rewarded my ancestor with the command of a thousand households, gave him a pound of silver, and asked him to see the emperor in person to restore his family."

"Who knew that something unexpected happened when the decree was issued?"

When Gu Xiancheng heard this, he couldn't help but look strange, obviously he already had a guess.

as predicted.

Li Kun sighed three times and said, "The end of the decree says: Command Old Li, the vegetable farmer in Shuinan Village, to do this."

"It turns out that he wrote 'Lu' as 'Li'!"

Gu Xiancheng suddenly coughed twice.

This was a bit rude, so Gu Xiancheng quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve to cover it up.

After he calmed down a bit, he said, "So you are the descendant of a founding hero. I am really disrespectful."

Then he asked curiously, "Then your ancestor didn't defend himself for this?"

Li Kun shook his head: "According to the inscription on my ancestor's tomb, at that time, the black servants argued about surnames, and Taizu threw down his pen and said, "It doesn't matter if you call it Li."

Having said that, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

It was a good thing that Taizu bestowed the surname, but the change of name due to a clerical error was somewhat embarrassing.

It is said that "those among the tribesmen who love courtesy will find it unsettling in their hearts."

There are countless embarrassments in life.

Li Kun's mother's surname was Li, and his parents had the same surname, which was considered unethical in Henan Province. "So most of my family married people with the surname Li, and after the coffin was closed, a memorial tablet was erected with the name of the deceased, and the name was always Lü Gongyun."

This is called following the king in life and following the ancestors in death.

Even after his parents passed away, it was still a big problem for Li Kun how to write the inscription on the stele.

Therefore, even though Li Kun is nearly forty years old now, he is still unwilling to give up pursuing fame and fortune.

It is impossible to correct the typo made by Emperor Taizu whenever he wants. He has to get the emperor's approval before he has a chance to restore his original surname.

Without taking the imperial examination and achieving a certain status, how can one be qualified to ask the emperor to issue an edict to restore one's surname?
A founding hero? The thousand households sent back to their hometowns, passed down to the sixth generation, had nothing left except a little wealth.

Gu Xiancheng, who was attending the meeting, was well versed in the world and naturally understood the inconvenience.

I also understand why Li Kun insisted on calling himself Lu.

Seeing that Li Kun was in a low mood, he could not help but sympathize with him and said, "Taizu misunderstood, and there is nothing we can do about it. When Brother Lu is on the list of successful candidates, you might as well submit a petition to request a reply on the grounds that our ancestors had misheard the news." This was to remind Li Kun the ways of officialdom.

Don’t always say that it was Emperor Taizu who did it, otherwise the ancestral laws will become unchangeable.

Instead, if you say it was a miscommunication, things will be a hundred times easier.

Li Kun was shocked.

His family was already poor, otherwise he wouldn't have used the bus rented by the post station.

He had no idea about the ins and outs of officialdom, but now that he has been reminded, he immediately realizes the key points.

Li Kun nodded with some fear, and then quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Gu Xiancheng remained unperturbed, saying it was just a trivial matter and refused to accept the thanks.

With this incident as a prelude, the two gradually became familiar with each other.

Start exchanging knowledge.

From Chen Hao's "Collected Sayings" to "The Complete Works of the Four Books and Five Classics", from essays to policies on classics, history and current affairs.

When it comes to current affairs, there are always people who can't help but give advice.

"...Not only that, I have just witnessed the tyranny of Jiangling. This time when I come to the capital, I will definitely meet with Lord Yaoquan and persuade him to help solve the problem."

Jiangling is naturally Zhang Juzheng, and Yaoquan Gong is the pseudonym of Shen Shixing.

Gu Xiancheng said this as if it were a matter of course, and he looked even more dazzling.

Li Kun listened attentively and glanced at Gu Xiancheng quietly.

Is this an expression of political inclination, an invitation to like-minded people, or a display of relationships and building connections?

The first sentence clearly expresses the dissatisfaction with the prime minister of the dynasty.

The latter sentence shows his close relationship with Shen Shixing, the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel.

No matter what, between the words, a feeling of being a child of destiny came to the fore.

He suddenly came to his senses. Although Gu Xiancheng had an extraordinary appearance and good conversation, it was his temperament as an opinion leader that made him so dazzling.

Li Kun was not very familiar with the government affairs. After some consideration, he asked curiously, "What does Shushi mean by the tyrannical government in Jiangling?"

Gu Xiancheng shook his head repeatedly: "That's too much."

"To threaten the Lord in the West Garden."

"The government is in chaos in Southern Zhili."

"The examination system was established to seize power in the cabinet and demote colleagues."

"..."

Gu Xiancheng was about to continue speaking.

The carriage suddenly stopped, interrupting his words.

He looked up in confusion and saw a line of soldiers and two prisoner carts in front of him, moving slowly and blocking most of the road.

Only half of the path was left for pedestrians and carriages to pass alternately.

Gu Xiancheng narrowed his eyes, glanced at the group of people, took the reins from Li Kun, and whispered, "Let's go, go around."

Li Kun was still looking around curiously.

He especially looked at the group of Jinyiwei and eunuchs in front of him.

Hearing this, he couldn't help but ask, "What's the origin of this?"

Gu Xiancheng sneered: "Who's behind it? Of course it's a false case in Huguang."

Li Kun was stunned.

Puzzled, "A false case?"

Gu Xiancheng raised his hand and pointed at the two people in the prisoner car, and explained: "These two people should be the King of Dong'an and the King of Wugang of the Chu Clan."

"The former said that they were plotting to murder the imperial envoy and gather troops for rebellion."

"And the latter has more crimes."

"As for why it was a false case, it was because Jiang Ling was forcing the royal family..."

Halfway through his words, he turned around and saw Li Kun, who looked confused, and stopped talking.

That sentence has many charges, implying that the imperial envoy is fabricating charges.

But neither this incident nor the sentence that followed could be understood by this colleague who had never experienced officialdom.

So Gu Xiancheng thought about it and swallowed it back.

Li Kun seemed to understand something.

He comforted her, "Don't be angry, Uncle Shi. I heard that your Majesty took the granddaughter of Lord Li into the palace this year. Maybe you will experience human affairs in the next two years."

"Then the Duke of Jiangling will return power to Your Majesty."

Gu Xiancheng nodded absentmindedly and dealt with it.

Li Kun turned around and continued driving.

The confused look immediately disappeared, and his eyes became deep, as if he was thinking about something.

The two of them had their own thoughts and fell into a brief silence.

……

The official road under the emperor's feet is always the smoothest.

In addition, the horse-drawn carriage with a yellow flag that read "Ministry of Rites Examination" could avoid some of the corruption and extortion - this is also the reason why some places called the candidates "official buses", which has the same effect as "eating food from the national treasury" in later generations.

Therefore, Li and Gu had a smooth journey and arrived in Tongzhou, Shuntian Prefecture before noon.

Li Kun heard that Gu Xiancheng's so-called friends had already booked a manor for a banquet.

This is the emperor's place, I don't know how much it will cost.

He is indeed a favored child of heaven with connections from Southern Zhili to Northern Zhili, which really makes Li Kun speechless.

Li Kun sent Gu Xiancheng outside the manor, and then went to the post station to return the carriage with a fire card - no one dared to affect his career for a few taels of silver for a carriage.

But Gu Xiancheng laughed and said, "I will have my servants to do this. Uncle Jian has helped me all the way, so how can I be stingy with a lunch?"

"Uncle Jian is so talented, you should introduce some good friends to him. You and Junxiu, Yanjie, will complement each other perfectly!"

After saying that, he grabbed Li Kun's hand and wouldn't let him leave.

Then he leaned forward to call the servants waiting at the door: "Why don't you quickly ask your master to come out to greet me, and tell him that I have brought a beauty with me, so I should have one more person!"

It has to be said that Gu Xiancheng's appearance and demeanor, as well as his sincere desire to make friends, are extremely lethal.

Li Kun couldn't break free and was pulled out of the car in a few seconds.

The two hadn't taken a few steps yet.

At this time, a clear voice came from the gate of the manor: "This morning, a fortune teller said that I have a peach blossom curse, and it turned out to be true!"

Li Kun saw a man in a brocade robe, about twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a smile on his face, calm and relaxed, walking quickly forward.

"I was wondering why Uncle Shi came so slowly. It turns out he has a new love and is on the way to be with her. Poor brother, I am so tired!"

The visitor joked with Gu Xiancheng.

He turned to look at Li Kun and saluted solemnly, "I am Li Sancai of Lintong, with the courtesy name Daofu. This gentleman is invited."

He looked at Li Kun and pointed at Gu Xiancheng: "When I was young, I had little knowledge and sometimes played around. But my uncle warned me seriously and encouraged me to study. He reminded me of everything and kept me alert. He was called a good friend, but in fact he was a strict teacher."

"Since this gentleman is my friend, he is also my friend."

After saying that, he grabbed Gu Xiancheng with one hand and Li Kun with the other and led them to the manor.

This attitude is very well measured.

Plus he has an extremely handsome face.

Everyone who sees her will instantly feel a fondness for her.

Li Kun introduced himself with a confused look on his face.

But in my heart I was sighing. It was obvious that these two people wanted to form a society. I just hoped that they would take the right path.

Well, let’s leave after eating.

At this time, after Li Kun finished his introduction, Gu Xiancheng finally had room to interrupt.

He looked at Li Sancai and said in an unhappy tone, "Why are you the only one coming out to greet me? Where are the others? Is it because I ranked too low in the imperial examination this year and my foundation is too shallow that they bothered to come out to greet me?"

Speaking of which, he is not quite up to the mark in taking the imperial examination this year and may not pass.

But who was responsible for the commotion in Nanzhili last year, with rumors that the central government was going to suppress students in Nanzhili?

Many students in the college who were ahead of him in academics were affected and became upset, and ended up failing the list.

Gu Xiancheng almost passed the imperial examination.

It's just that the ranking is last.

Facing Gu Xiancheng's teasing, Li Sancai did not respond with a smile as before. Instead, after hearing the words, his expression restrained and slightly showed color.

He glanced at Li Kun, somewhat hesitant.

But after thinking about it, he still said, "Something happened in the Hanlin Academy today, and they said they couldn't spare time."

Gu Xiancheng was stunned.

The Hanlin Academy is so idle, is there ever a time when you can't spare some time?
He asked curiously: "What happened?"

Li Kun also pricked up his ears silently.

Li Sancai suddenly grabbed the two men's shoulders, pulled them together, and whispered, "It is said that today's scholars..."

"Because Xiong Dunpu was exiled last month, I knelt down outside the Wenhua Palace to complain!"

　Although the Ming History states that Li Sancai was from Shuntian Tongzhou, in July 1979, when the Nanle County Cultural Center in Henan Province moved its site, a tomb inscription of Wei Yunzhen was found, which was signed as Lintong Li Sancai. It turned out that Li Sancai was from Lintong and lived in Tongzhou. Therefore, this point in the Ming History is a mistake.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)