171-180

Chapter 171

The next day, Lin Zhen, Gu Lin, Chen Xing, Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen said goodbye, took their bags and went to the house they had rented and packed up yesterday.

The house Chen Xing rented was not far from Lin Zhen and his family's house, just one street away, and said goodbye to them at the street entrance.

Lin Zhen asked him: "Have you decided whether to find a teacher or review your lessons at home?"

Gu Lin, Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen were all studying at Huaishan Academy, but Chen Xing, after passing the examination for Tongsheng, returned to Anyuan Town to continue studying with Master Xu. After passing the examination for Xiucai, he could not find a better teacher in the prefecture because of his poor family. Now that the time for Huaishan Academy to recruit students has passed, he is a little embarrassed here. He can only find a teacher outside to help him make the transition for the next two months, or review his lessons at home.

But there is still a difference between reviewing by yourself and having someone teach you. After all, those who can teach Xiucai are all Juren. They have all experienced the provincial examination, answered the test papers by themselves, and can teach students some precautions.

Chen Xing shook his head: "I haven't made a decision yet. I'll see if there are any schools run by old scholars around."

"Okay, don't think of troubling us if there is anything. Just tell us. And be careful about safety on weekdays."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Chen Xing carried his bag and walked towards the house he rented. Lin Zhen looked back at Gu Lin, "Let's go, let's go home."

The rented house was in the middle of the alley, and there were people living in front, behind, and on both sides.

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin just walked to the door of the house and hadn't opened the door yet. The middle-aged woman in the house next door happened to come out with a basket. Seeing the two of them, she greeted them enthusiastically: "My husband is also here to accompany my husband to study. We will be neighbors in the future."

"..." Lin Zhen didn't expect that after the hawker selling lanterns at the Lantern Festival, someone else would mistake his identity for Gu Lin.

He said quickly, "I'm his uncle, and I'm here with him to take the provincial examination. Are you going to buy some groceries?"

The woman didn't expect that she had made such a big mistake, and she apologized repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, I don't think you look old, I thought..."

"I'm sorry." " No

problem, it's better to be familiar with each other."

The woman was so embarrassed to have mistaken the uncle and nephew for a couple. She simply exchanged names with Lin Zhen and left with the basket.

As she walked, she couldn't help but look back at the uncle and nephew, thinking to herself, it's not her fault that she mistook them. The boy and the girl are really good-looking. Although they look a few years apart in age, they are a perfect match.

And the young man is actually a scholar who is taking the provincial examination. He is really promising.

After the mistake of being mistaken for a couple, Lin Zhen's heart was still pounding when he entered the house. He took Gu Lin to take a look at the layout of the house.

Especially his bedroom and a room reserved for his study. "The light here is good, reading during the day does not hurt the eyes, but I need to buy some bookshelves and desks, the previous owner did not buy these things."

"Tomorrow, Uncle Lin and I will go to the street to have a look."

"Okay." Lin Zhen nodded.

The prefectural examination is before the provincial examination. After settling down for more than half a month, the prefectural examination for the title of scholar began.

The prefectural examination is also held every three years. The last one was two years ago. This year is exactly the third year. The students who came from all over the country and the scholars waiting for the provincial examination almost filled the prefectural city. Students wearing long robes can be seen everywhere in the inns, restaurants and small restaurants on the street.

Wang Qin, who had taken the exam once but failed, was so nervous that he ran to Gu Lin every day with his books, "Gu Lin, Gu Lin, will this be tested?"

"I think it will be tested here, let me read it again."

Then he read a few pages and put his head on the table, "What should I do, I can't concentrate, my mind is a mess!"

Lin Zhen, who was standing next to him, almost laughed to death. Wang Qin looked exactly like those modern students who want to cram for an exam. His expression was very vivid, and his eyebrows and nose were almost all mixed together.

Gu Lin suddenly pulled out the book that was under his face and casually said the name of a sutra.

Wang Qin, who had been suppressed by him in Liyu Village for several months, subconsciously recited this sutra without dozing off.

After he finished reciting, Gu Lin put the book on the table in front of him and continued to write a policy paper with a pen.

Wang Qin blinked and looked at Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing who were sitting next to Gu Lin: "I, I memorized it so well?"

"Gu Lin meant that you should stop worrying and relax a little so that you can memorize it all. If you still can't do it, it only means that you are unlucky." Huang Yuwen said.

Chen Xing also nodded. These days, he would come here to discuss some academic issues with Gu Lin after school. Gu Lin also showed him the policy essays and interpretations of the classics assigned by the teacher of Huaishan Academy, and asked him to follow along. Chen Xing was

very grateful and knew that he didn't have to worry about finding a teacher anymore.

After all, there were not many candidates, and he only studied there for two months, so there were too few people who would accept him. Moreover

, Chen Xing didn't think that his knowledge was so outstanding. If he hadn't followed Gu Lin to review his studies for a few months, he would probably have failed in this provincial examination.

Wang Qin was comforted by this alternative comfort. He put his hands together and bowed to Gu Lin, "As long as I can pass the exam smoothly this time, I will immediately ask someone to go to the most popular temple in the city to light two eternal lamps for you, Gu Lin."

Gu Lin raised his eyes from the book and looked at him.

Wang Qin's heart was pounding, and a light bulb suddenly flashed in his head: "One for you and Uncle Lin."

"Yes." Gu Lin nodded.

Wang Qin was as happy as a puppy gnawing on a meat bone. He ran to Gu Lin's desk and stared at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin asked him while writing a policy paper: "What are you looking at?"

If it wasn't a question, just from his straight tone, it really couldn't feel any ups and downs.

Wang Qin lay on the table and said, "Why are you still so clingy to Uncle Lin now that you are so old? When we first met, you were like Uncle Lin's little tail. Wherever Uncle Lin was, you were there. Whatever Uncle Lin did, you did. Now you are just one step away from becoming a juren. Alas, you haven't changed at all."

"If you still cling to Uncle Lin like this after you get married, your wife will definitely be mad at you."

"Ahem, ahem, ahem—" Lin Zhen, who was standing by, was laughing happily at first, but he didn't expect that the topic would suddenly turn down and he talked about Gu Lin clinging to him and Gu Lin getting married, which made him choke on the water in his mouth.

Gu Lin stood up and patted his back, "How is it?"

"It's okay." He choked for only a moment, and it was over soon. Lin Zhen took Gu Lin's hand away and said as he walked out, "I'll go wash some peaches for you. I just bought them this morning. They are very fresh."

Gu Lin walked to the kitchen before him, "I can do it."

He had long legs and stepped from the wing room to the kitchen in a few steps. Soon, the sound of water being poured into the basin and washing peaches could be heard.

Wang Qin and the others were no longer surprised and continued to chat with Lin Zhen.

The provincial examination for the title of scholar began. Wang Qin was sent to the examination room of the government office by his family's servants early in the morning. The examination lasted for three days in total, and the results were posted half a month later.

On the day of the announcement, Wang Qin did not let Lin Zhen and the others go, and he went to the government office with his servants.

Lin Zhen was writing a business plan for his future business when he suddenly heard the door being pushed open, followed by Wang Qin's voice: "I passed the examination for the title of scholar! Uncle Lin Gu Lin, I really passed!"

Wang Qin, who was sweating profusely, had a bright smile on his face and ran into the house in a hurry.

Seeing Lin Zhen and Gu Lin, Wang Qin panted and said, "Uncle Lin, Gu Lin, I passed the exam and got the title of Xiucai. I ranked not badly, 39th!"

"Congratulations, call Yuwen and Chen Xing tonight, come to my house for a good meal to celebrate for you." Lin Zhen put down the plan in his hand and was happy for Wang Qin.

"Good!!!" Wang Qin was so happy that he was stunned. God knows how happy he was when he saw his name appear at the 39th place.

Since he made up his mind to take the imperial examination, several of his friends were Xiucai, but he was the only one who was stuck at Tongsheng. This made Wang Qin very stressed. He was afraid that his friends would go further and further away, and he would never catch up. He

also thought of his sister who was divorced by Liu Ming, who climbed up the social ladder, and wanted to win face for his family.

Now, he finally took this step.

After another 20 days, the more grand and tense provincial examination kicked off.

Hundreds of students with the title of Xiucai stood in four long lines, waiting to be verified, searched, and enter the examination room.

In order to prevent cheating, all students entering the examination room had to take off their outer robes and shoes and let the government officials carefully search them. If there was anything wrong, they would be pulled aside and let a few sharp-eyed people check again.

Gu Lin arrived early and stood in the middle of the line. He was holding a basket of pens, inkstones, and looking forward. Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were just behind him, and the three of them stood together.

Lin Zhen and Wang Qin, who sent them here, could only stand far behind the area circled by the soldiers. In front, behind, and on both sides were men, women, old and young who also came to send their relatives. People were almost squeezed out.

Suddenly, Wang Qin whispered in Lin Zhen's ear: "Uncle Lin, look, that's the high-ranking official who is supervising this provincial examination. He is wearing a scarlet official uniform and is an official of the fifth rank or above."

The official robes of this dynasty are strictly standardized. Those above the ninth rank are blue, those above the seventh rank are green, those above the fifth rank are dark scarlet, and those above the third rank are purple or black.

In addition, the official robes of the four seasons are distinguished into spring, summer, autumn and winter. The materials used for official robes in each season are different, and the accessories are also different.

Dark crimson is a color similar to rich red mixed with black. It is simple, elegant, and eye-catching. It is not picky about skin color and color. As long as you have a good figure, you will look good in it.

This inspector of the imperial court has a regular appearance and a fairly tall figure. He looks very imposing.

Behind him, there is a somewhat flattering official who is also wearing a dark crimson official robe, but with different patterns. He should be the lord of the prefecture.

Lin Zhen watched as Gu Lin quickly walked up to the government servants who were searching him. He was asked to take off his outer robe and shoes. After touching his body for a while, he waved to him and let him in.

He said to Wang Qin, "This exam will take two hours. Let's go to the teahouse next door and wait."

Chapter 171

The next day, Lin Zhen, Gu Lin, Chen Xing, Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen said goodbye, took their bags and went to the house they had rented and packed up yesterday.

The house Chen Xing rented was not far from Lin Zhen and his family's house, just one street away, and said goodbye to them at the street entrance.

Lin Zhen asked him: "Have you decided whether to find a teacher or review your lessons at home?"

Gu Lin, Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen were all studying at Huaishan Academy, but Chen Xing, after passing the examination for Tongsheng, returned to Anyuan Town to continue studying with Master Xu. After passing the examination for Xiucai, he could not find a better teacher in the prefecture because of his poor family. Now that the time for Huaishan Academy to recruit students has passed, he is a little embarrassed here. He can only find a teacher outside to help him make the transition for the next two months, or review his lessons at home.

But there is still a difference between reviewing by yourself and having someone teach you. After all, those who can teach Xiucai are all Juren. They have all experienced the provincial examination, answered the test papers by themselves, and can teach students some precautions.

Chen Xing shook his head: "I haven't made a decision yet. I'll see if there are any schools run by old scholars around."

"Okay, don't think of troubling us if there is anything. Just tell us. And be careful about safety on weekdays."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Chen Xing carried his bag and walked towards the house he rented. Lin Zhen looked back at Gu Lin, "Let's go, let's go home."

The rented house was in the middle of the alley, and there were people living in front, behind, and on both sides.

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin just walked to the door of the house and hadn't opened the door yet. The middle-aged woman in the house next door happened to come out with a basket. Seeing the two of them, she greeted them enthusiastically: "My husband is also here to accompany my husband to study. We will be neighbors in the future."

"..." Lin Zhen didn't expect that after the hawker selling lanterns at the Lantern Festival, someone else would mistake his identity for Gu Lin.

He said quickly, "I'm his uncle, and I'm here with him to take the provincial examination. Are you going to buy some groceries?"

The woman didn't expect that she had made such a big mistake, and she apologized repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, I don't think you look old, I thought..."

"I'm sorry." " No

problem, it's better to be familiar with each other."

The woman was so embarrassed to have mistaken the uncle and nephew for a couple. She simply exchanged names with Lin Zhen and left with the basket.

As she walked, she couldn't help but look back at the uncle and nephew, thinking to herself, it's not her fault that she mistook them. The boy and the girl are really good-looking. Although they look a few years apart in age, they are a perfect match.

And the young man is actually a scholar who is taking the provincial examination. He is really promising.

After the mistake of being mistaken for a couple, Lin Zhen's heart was still pounding when he entered the house. He took Gu Lin to take a look at the layout of the house.

Especially his bedroom and a room reserved for his study. "The light here is good, reading during the day does not hurt the eyes, but I need to buy some bookshelves and desks, the previous owner did not buy these things."

"Tomorrow, Uncle Lin and I will go to the street to have a look."

"Okay." Lin Zhen nodded.

The prefectural examination is before the provincial examination. After settling down for more than half a month, the prefectural examination for the title of scholar began.

The prefectural examination is also held every three years. The last one was two years ago. This year is exactly the third year. The students who came from all over the country and the scholars waiting for the provincial examination almost filled the prefectural city. Students wearing long robes can be seen everywhere in the inns, restaurants and small restaurants on the street.

Wang Qin, who had taken the exam once but failed, was so nervous that he ran to Gu Lin every day with his books, "Gu Lin, Gu Lin, will this be tested?"

"I think it will be tested here, let me read it again."

Then he read a few pages and put his head on the table, "What should I do, I can't concentrate, my mind is a mess!"

Lin Zhen, who was standing next to him, almost laughed to death. Wang Qin looked exactly like those modern students who want to cram for an exam. His expression was very vivid, and his eyebrows and nose were almost all mixed together.

Gu Lin suddenly pulled out the book that was under his face and casually said the name of a sutra.

Wang Qin, who had been suppressed by him in Liyu Village for several months, subconsciously recited this sutra without dozing off.

After he finished reciting, Gu Lin put the book on the table in front of him and continued to write a policy paper with a pen.

Wang Qin blinked and looked at Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing who were sitting next to Gu Lin: "I, I memorized it so well?"

"Gu Lin meant that you should stop worrying and relax a little so that you can memorize it all. If you still can't do it, it only means that you are unlucky." Huang Yuwen said.

Chen Xing also nodded. These days, he would come here to discuss some academic issues with Gu Lin after school. Gu Lin also showed him the policy essays and interpretations of the classics assigned by the teacher of Huaishan Academy, and asked him to follow along. Chen Xing was

very grateful and knew that he didn't have to worry about finding a teacher anymore.

After all, there were not many candidates, and he only studied there for two months, so there were too few people who would accept him. Moreover

, Chen Xing didn't think that his knowledge was so outstanding. If he hadn't followed Gu Lin to review his studies for a few months, he would probably have failed in this provincial examination.

Wang Qin was comforted by this alternative comfort. He put his hands together and bowed to Gu Lin, "As long as I can pass the exam smoothly this time, I will immediately ask someone to go to the most popular temple in the city to light two eternal lamps for you, Gu Lin."

Gu Lin raised his eyes from the book and looked at him.

Wang Qin's heart was pounding, and a light bulb suddenly flashed in his head: "One for you and Uncle Lin."

"Yes." Gu Lin nodded.

Wang Qin was as happy as a puppy gnawing on a meat bone. He ran to Gu Lin's desk and stared at Gu Lin.

Gu Lin asked him while writing a policy paper: "What are you looking at?"

If it wasn't a question, just from his straight tone, it really couldn't feel any ups and downs.

Wang Qin lay on the table and said, "Why are you still so clingy to Uncle Lin now that you are so old? When we first met, you were like Uncle Lin's little tail. Wherever Uncle Lin was, you were there. Whatever Uncle Lin did, you did. Now you are just one step away from becoming a juren. Alas, you haven't changed at all."

"If you still cling to Uncle Lin like this after you get married, your wife will definitely be mad at you."

"Ahem, ahem, ahem—" Lin Zhen, who was standing by, was laughing happily at first, but he didn't expect that the topic would suddenly turn down and he talked about Gu Lin clinging to him and Gu Lin getting married, which made him choke on the water in his mouth.

Gu Lin stood up and patted his back, "How is it?"

"It's okay." He choked for only a moment, and it was over soon. Lin Zhen took Gu Lin's hand away and said as he walked out, "I'll go wash some peaches for you. I just bought them this morning. They are very fresh."

Gu Lin walked to the kitchen before him, "I can do it."

He had long legs and stepped from the wing room to the kitchen in a few steps. Soon, the sound of water being poured into the basin and washing peaches could be heard.

Wang Qin and the others were no longer surprised and continued to chat with Lin Zhen.

The provincial examination for the title of scholar began. Wang Qin was sent to the examination room of the government office by his family's servants early in the morning. The examination lasted for three days in total, and the results were posted half a month later.

On the day of the announcement, Wang Qin did not let Lin Zhen and the others go, and he went to the government office with his servants.

Lin Zhen was writing a business plan for his future business when he suddenly heard the door being pushed open, followed by Wang Qin's voice: "I passed the examination for the title of scholar! Uncle Lin Gu Lin, I really passed!"

Wang Qin, who was sweating profusely, had a bright smile on his face and ran into the house in a hurry.

Seeing Lin Zhen and Gu Lin, Wang Qin panted and said, "Uncle Lin, Gu Lin, I passed the exam and got the title of Xiucai. I ranked not badly, 39th!"

"Congratulations, call Yuwen and Chen Xing tonight, come to my house for a good meal to celebrate for you." Lin Zhen put down the plan in his hand and was happy for Wang Qin.

"Good!!!" Wang Qin was so happy that he was stunned. God knows how happy he was when he saw his name appear at the 39th place.

Since he made up his mind to take the imperial examination, several of his friends were Xiucai, but he was the only one who was stuck at Tongsheng. This made Wang Qin very stressed. He was afraid that his friends would go further and further away, and he would never catch up. He

also thought of his sister who was divorced by Liu Ming, who climbed up the social ladder, and wanted to win face for his family.

Now, he finally took this step.

After another 20 days, the more grand and tense provincial examination kicked off.

Hundreds of students with the title of Xiucai stood in four long lines, waiting to be verified, searched, and enter the examination room.

In order to prevent cheating, all students entering the examination room had to take off their outer robes and shoes and let the government officials carefully search them. If there was anything wrong, they would be pulled aside and let a few sharp-eyed people check again.

Gu Lin arrived early and stood in the middle of the line. He was holding a basket of pens, inkstones, and looking forward. Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were just behind him, and the three of them stood together.

Lin Zhen and Wang Qin, who sent them here, could only stand far behind the area circled by the soldiers. In front, behind, and on both sides were men, women, old and young who also came to send their relatives. People were almost squeezed out.

Suddenly, Wang Qin whispered in Lin Zhen's ear: "Uncle Lin, look, that's the high-ranking official who is supervising this provincial examination. He is wearing a scarlet official uniform and is an official of the fifth rank or above."

The official robes of this dynasty are strictly standardized. Those above the ninth rank are blue, those above the seventh rank are green, those above the fifth rank are dark scarlet, and those above the third rank are purple or black.

In addition, the official robes of the four seasons are distinguished into spring, summer, autumn and winter. The materials used for official robes in each season are different, and the accessories are also different.

Dark crimson is a color similar to rich red mixed with black. It is simple, elegant, and eye-catching. It is not picky about skin color and color. As long as you have a good figure, you will look good in it.

This inspector of the imperial court has a regular appearance and a fairly tall figure. He looks very imposing.

Behind him, there is a somewhat flattering official who is also wearing a dark crimson official robe, but with different patterns. He should be the lord of the prefecture.

Lin Zhen watched as Gu Lin quickly walked up to the government servants who were searching him. He was asked to take off his outer robe and shoes. After touching his body for a while, he waved to him and let him in.

He said to Wang Qin, "This exam will take two hours. Let's go to the teahouse next door and wait."

Chapter 173

The three of them came out of the examination room, but they couldn't see Lin Zhen and Wang Qin for a while. There were so many students and their relatives waiting outside, and everyone was standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to look towards the examination room.

Lin Zhen, who was almost crushed in the crowd, saw them easily, and waved his hand high.

Finally, Gu Lin saw them, and walked towards them with Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing. They

had been inside for four hours, and they were afraid that drinking water would delay going to the toilet, so their lips were dry.

Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin, who was still in good spirits, and Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing, who were obviously tired, and said, "Go back and have a rest after dinner, and get enough energy to cope with the exams tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

Taking the exam for three consecutive days requires some mental and physical strength. After all, you have to sit for four hours, and you can't move around as you like outside, so as not to leave a bad impression in front of the examiner.

Gu Lin and his friends who were in their teens and twenties were fine, but those old students who had failed the exams for many years and whose hair and beards were already dyed with silver frost were more tired.

There was no need to review the lessons at this time. Several people went back to their own homes. On the road, Lin Zhen saw someone selling wild vegetables that were unique to this season, so he bought a bunch and carried them with him.

After arriving home, he blanched the wild vegetables and put them in cold water to remove the bitter taste, then steamed them for cooking.

A bowl of wild vegetables, a plate of stir-fried pork with sour beans, a plate of pork belly, and a soup. Gu Lin's appetite was getting bigger and bigger. He could eat five or six bowls of rice in one meal. Lin Zhen always added a lot of food when cooking, and today's dishes were just enough for the two of them.

On the second and third days, Gu Lin took the remaining two exams with Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing. After the exams, Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were both dazed and their eyes were wide open. They only recovered a little after comparing answers with Gu Lin.

But as time went by, the two of them almost returned to their original state. They had already taken the exam, and they couldn't take the test papers back to retake it. If they really couldn't do it, they could try again in three years!

Of course, this was self-consolation. Otherwise, what else could they do?

They couldn't just hang themselves on a crooked tree.

Half a month later, it was time to announce the results.

Lin Zhen, Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, Wang Qin and others were all crowded in the crowd.

Lin Zhen, who had experienced Gu Lin's examinations for Tongsheng and Xiucai, only realized at this moment that he had really underestimated the grand occasion when the results were announced. The front of the government office where the results were announced was full of people. Not to mention leaving, they couldn't even move. They could only squeeze forward with the crowd.

And it wasn't just the students and their families, there were also the gentry and wealthy people in the city who had other ideas. They had money in their hands, but no reputation, so they hoped to find a talented and suitable Juren as their son-in-law.

And these people were good at calculating, and didn't provoke those sons of the gentry. The sons of the gentry were too arrogant and looked down on them.

But the poor candidates were much easier to talk to. Even if they married a wife who had lived with them for a long time, they could find a way to get her divorced and remarry their daughter.

Lin Zhen was protected by Gu Lin's hands on both sides of his body, but he was still sweating profusely from the crowd. He was just about to ask Gu Lin to take him to a place with fewer people so that Gu Lin could be alone and more convenient, when someone from the government office suddenly came out and knocked the gong three times.

"No one is allowed to squeeze forward. The Lord of the Mansion has ordered that in order to prevent students from getting injured due to crowding, I will read out the list of successful candidates. Everyone, please be quiet."

Upon hearing this, the examination room, which was noisy just now, suddenly became quiet. Everyone was afraid of missing their own name.

Lin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Lord of the Mansion knew how to see the signs. It was so crowded before the list was even posted. If the list was posted, there might be a stampede.

Seeing that the crowd had quieted down following his voice, the man in the government office cleared his throat, took the list of successful candidates from the tray, and read aloud: "No. 100, Wang Hanxing from Zezhou Prefecture."

In the crowd, a scholar in his forties was so excited that he almost jumped up: "I passed, I passed, I passed!"

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

Everyone's eyes were all on him, some envious, some jealous, and some disappointed. So

what if he was forty years old? At least this scholar had passed, officially entering the ranks of middle-level scholars. Even if he couldn't pass the imperial examination next year, he could at least donate money to become an official in a remote place and change his family from then on.

If you pass the imperial examination, you are a juren. The person reading the list did not dare to scold casually. He paused for a while and waited for the middle-aged scholar who passed the imperial examination to lower his voice, and then continued to read: "99th place, Fu Wenming from Guangshun Town."

"98th place, Chen Zuyou from Pingba Town."

Every time he read a name, there was a person who was ecstatic about passing the imperial examination. Even those who were considered stable on weekdays had a full smile on their faces and spoke modestly amid the compliments of the people around them.

But gradually, as the rankings gradually moved forward, they had reached more than 70. Many students who felt that their rankings could not be in the front were trembling, and their eyes almost saw through the list.

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing, who were standing next to Gu Lin and Lin Zhen, were like this. Especially Chen Xing, he had estimated at home that even if he was lucky enough to get the rank of juren, he would probably be outside the 70s or 80s, but he was about to be in the 60th place, and he was still not on the list.

Could it be that he really...

Huang Yuwen and Wang Qin could not help but look at him.

"No. 63, Chen Xing from Anyuan Town."

They were standing some distance from the entrance to the government office. This sentence seemed to float from the horizon, but it was like thunder hitting Chen Xing's head.

Huang Yuwen and Wang Qin were also stunned. Juren, the county magistrate of Anyuan Town was a Juren, and now someone around them has become a Juren.

This feels like a dream.

Chen Xing was even more so. He couldn't speak clearly. He asked Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin, Lin Zhen, and Gu Lin, "I, I passed the exam?"

Wang Qin put his arm around his shoulders, grinned, and patted his arm, "Yes, I passed the exam! From now on, you will be Juren Chen!"

"Congratulations, Chen Xing." Huang Yuwen said beside him.

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin also sent their blessings.

Chen Xing suddenly covered his eyes with his hands and closed his mouth tightly. After passing the Tongsheng exam, he went home to study with Master Xu.

Later, he passed the examination and became a scholar. He continued to study under Master Xu. Master Xu told him more than once that staying there would delay his future and asked him to come to the city to find a good teacher. Maybe he could make some progress in the future.

But the burden of the family made him breathless. No one knew that he cried in the quilt last year because he could not come to the city to participate in the provincial examination.

But God was kind to him. He met Huang Yuwen and Wang Qin, and Gu Lin who never kept secrets. That's why he is what he is today.

He put down his hand covering his eyes. Chen Xing's eyes were a little red. He was not handsome, but he had a smile on his delicate eyebrows: "Yuwen, Gu Lin, wait for your good news."

After a while, Huang Yuwen's name appeared.

"35th place, Huang Yuwen from Anyuan Town."

"35th place..." Huang Yuwen murmured, and a smile broke out on his round face.

Wang Qin, who had grown up with him, was so happy that he rubbed his round face excitedly: "Yuwen ranked 35th in the exam, Yuwen is really amazing!"

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin were also happy beside him. Huang Yuwen worked hard and diligently, and it was not in vain to get this ranking.

Now only Gu Lin was left.

The person who read out the rankings seemed to be a little tired and wanted to finish the work as soon as possible. His speed was much faster than at the beginning, and soon he read out the 20th place and above.

There were several students from Huaishan Academy among the dozen or so, all of whom were in Class A. Then came the tenth, ninth, and eighth.

These students were already the best in this provincial exam, and they were strong contenders for next year's college exam, and they might just be one step away from becoming a Jinshi.

A Juren had to donate money to become an official, and had to start as a minor official, but a Jinshi could be sent directly by the court to the local area to hone his qualifications. Whether he could hone his qualifications was another matter, but his starting point was much higher than that of a Juren.

The eyes of the gentry and wealthy families who were staring at the young Juren all lit up, and they all looked at the people who had passed the exam in the crowd.

"The fourth place is An Yu from Luozhou Prefecture."

"The third place is Du Chengxiang from Luozhou Prefecture."

Lin Zhen, Gu Lin, and others who had been standing in the crowd pricked up their ears when the top ten names were read out, fearing that they would miss Gu Lin's name.

But the ninth was not, the eighth was not, the fifth and the sixth were not.

Until the third place, it was not.

An idea came to the minds of Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing and others. They knew that Gu Lin was well educated, but there were thousands of students from all over Luozhou who came here. Those who could make it to this point were all talented and hardworking.

Among so many people, the third place was not Gu Lin.

The man from the government office, who was so thirsty from reading the list, licked his lips, and finally got more spirits. He said loudly: "Second place, Ouyang Jiang from Maling Town."

"First place, Gu Lin from Anyuan Town."

Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing could no longer speak, but just stared blankly at Gu Lin standing beside him.

What they thought came true. Gu Lin won the first place, the champion of this Luozhou County Examination.

The cries of students who had not heard their names and gave up only after all the rankings were read out, the cheers of students who passed the exam, and who knew who was shouting Gu Lin's name.

After reading the list, the man from the government office posted it and turned away.

There were still many people who surrounded it and confirmed it over and over again.

Lin Zhen looked at Gu Lin, who was about ten centimeters taller than him, and was really happy for him: "Gu Lin, congratulations on getting the first place."

Wang Qin and others, who had just woken up from a dream, also hurried to congratulate him, "I didn't expect that our Anyuan Town also has a champion. If you go back, I'm afraid many families are waiting for you to hold a celebration banquet, so that they can make a name for themselves in front of you."

Luozhou champion, Dayu only has nine states, and there are only nine champions in the provincial examination held every three years. Who wouldn't be jealous and excited.

Gu Lin, who won the championship, told Wang Qin and others about his congratulations, and then looked at Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen suddenly remembered what he had promised Gu Lin before, that if he passed the provincial examination, he would consider the matter between them.

Lin Zhen suddenly felt that the air around him was very thin, and it was like a small drum in his chest, which was knocked by Gu Lin.

Chapter 174

Suddenly, just as Lin Zhen was beating like a drum, Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were all immersed in the joy of passing the imperial examination, many strong and sturdy men came over from the side.

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were surrounded by some people before they noticed, and they grabbed their arms like chickens: "Master, the master invites you."

Although they said they invited them, the actions of these people were impolite, and they almost lifted the two of them up

. The surroundings were full of teasing sounds of people watching the show and the voices of servants in their own house who were angry because they didn't get the man. The fight for a son-in-law under the list, which was staged every three years, began.

Lin Zhen's head was confused, and he quickly realized what was happening. He looked at Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing being lifted up by the servants of the gentry and wealthy family, and he was enjoying it. He didn't worry about the safety of the two.

The most important thing about the fight for a son-in-law under the list is to see the attitude of the juren who was robbed. If the juren who was robbed is interested in the daughter of the gentry and wealthy family, then it is exactly what the gentry and wealthy family planned.

But if the candidate is not interested, the gentry and rich families can't do anything to him.

But Lin Zhen found that the number of people who came to Gu Lin was beyond his imagination. More than a dozen groups of servants all asked him to go to the appointment. When he looked at the direction these servants pointed, he saw the gentry and rich families in rich clothes, and the young ladies who were surrounded by maids and servants, with only a little corner of their clothes and their figures exposed.

Gu Lin's mind and eyes were now full of Lin Zhen's answer. He didn't even look at these servants. He pulled Lin Zhen to leave.

How could the servants let him leave like this? Amid the booing of the onlookers, they stretched out their hands to his shoulders, intending to use force if soft tactics didn't work. After all, the fight for a son-in-law under the list was just a matter of fighting, and whether it would succeed or not was another matter.

Just when these servants were about to touch Gu Lin, everyone didn't see what was going on. They saw the servant closest to Gu Lin spinning like a top, and knocked the servant behind him to the ground, and a lot of people fell to the ground.

The servants on the other side didn't know what happened, but since they were no longer fighting for the person, they immediately moved closer to Gu Lin.

The next moment, he and the people behind him fell to the ground like the people in front.

Without their shielding, the onlookers could see clearly that it was Gu Lin who did it. No one knew how he did it, but he knocked down all the servants surrounding him with just a little effort.

No one expected that Gu Lin, a weak scholar, could have such great strength. It was not until Gu Lin walked out of the government office with a boy and walked to the street that several wealthy gentry, surrounded by servants, walked quickly over to him and saluted him: "Mr. Gu, I want to sit with you for a while. I wonder if you are willing to give me this honor."

Another gentry said directly: "I will not beat around the bush like this old man, saying something like sitting for a while. Mr. Gu, I want to find you a marriage. My daughter is famous for her good appearance and is well educated. She is also good at poetry and can write and paint."

"Lianlian, come and meet Mr. Gu."

As he said this, the gentry actually waved to his daughter directly.

The girl named Lianlian was surrounded by several maids and walked to the gentry. She had fair skin, willow-shaped eyebrows, a straight nose, and a small mouth. She was really as the gentry said, a beautiful woman.

The girl knew why her father called her over. She was a little resistant at first, but she had just taken a sneak peek at Mr. Gu. She didn't expect that he was about the same age as her, and he was so handsome that she felt numb.

She looked up at Gu Lin, knelt down and saluted, with two blushes on her face.

The rich man who first called Gu Lin didn't expect the gentry to be so shameless. He gritted his teeth and waved to his daughter behind him: "Hui'er, come and see Mr. Gu."

The rich man was worried that Gu Lin was young and couldn't resist the temptation of beauty, so he agreed to the marriage proposed by the gentry.

The girl named Hui'er was slightly inferior to the girl named Lianlian in appearance, but she was dignified and generous, with a face like a full moon, and looked very friendly.

Lin Zhen, who was pulled by Gu Lin and also stopped, was dazzled by the increasing number of gentry and rich people in front of him, as well as the young girls of different shapes and sizes.

My goodness, this is simply a blind date scene that started right at the beginning!

Some of these wealthy gentry knew Lin Zhen and knew about his relationship with Gu Lin. They wanted to take a roundabout way to save the country by explaining to him that Gu Lin was of the right age and that it didn't matter if they didn't get married now, they could get engaged first.

Lin Zhen raised his eyebrows, not sure what he felt at that moment.

He raised his eyebrows and said to Gu Lin, "The market is pretty good, why don't you--"

Gu Lin suddenly tightened his grip on his hand, walked out of the encirclement of the wealthy gentry with big strides, and said, "I already have a lover."

His steps were big and fast, and Lin Zhen, who was just watching the show and teasing him, almost ran to catch up.

Lin Zhen was panting and wanted to pull his hand out.

But Gu Lin had already pushed open the door of the rented courtyard and closed it with lightning speed. In this courtyard where there was no one else except the two of them, his dark eyes looked at Lin Zhen.

Although he didn't say a word, Lin Zhen still understood what he meant. He

agreed to give him the answer after the provincial examination, and now he wanted the answer.

Because of the interruption by the gentry and wealthy families just now, Lin Zhen, who had finally calmed down, felt his heart beating like a drum again.

He licked his lips and touched the tip of his nose, but his eyes did not evade. He looked up at Gu Lin: "Gu Lin, there is no impenetrable wall in the world. When the two of us are together, you are like walking on the edge of a knife. Once your political enemies catch this in the future, your career may be ruined."

Gu Lin: "I know."

So he hoped to be faster, faster, so that his wings would be full as soon as possible, even if that day really came in the future, he would be able to protect the people in front of him.

The expression on his face was very gentle, an expression rarely seen on his face, like feathers, gently falling on Lin Zhen and wrapping him up.

Lin Zhen looked at him and sighed: "With your talent, you may leave a few marks in history in the future."

"Gu Lin, I hope you won't regret this in the future."

Gu Lin's emotionless eyebrows were as always: "You were glorious in life, what does it have to do with me after your death."

He sensed the meaning of Lin Zhen's words, and held Lin Zhen's hand even tighter. His voice, which was still in the developmental stage, became a little deep: "You promised, right? You promised to be with me."

The hand he was holding was hot, and Lin Zhen's eyelashes trembled, but he nodded very straightforwardly.

The next moment, his vision suddenly changed and shook, and he was actually hugged by Gu Lin face to face.

Feeling his arms around his pig and his hands supporting his back, the muscles on Lin Zhen's forehead almost popped out. He asked the question he had wanted to ask for several times: "What's wrong with you? You always like to hold me like this, like a child!"

Gu Lin's thin lips opened up a clear arc, and his dark eyes were full of gentleness and joy that could make people indulge: "Zhenzhen used to like holding me like this."

Lin Zhen: "..."

He held Gu Lin's shoulders with both hands and almost vomited blood: "You were still a child back then, the same as me now?!"

Gu Lin held him steadily: "Same, Zhenzhen is my favorite treasure, I want to look at you every moment." Even hugging from behind was not enough.

Lin Zhen: "..."

Lin Zhen knew without touching it that his cheeks were terribly hot. He didn't know where the taciturn Gu Lin learned these words. It was simply, simply...

He said softly, "You, don't call me Zhenzhen, it's so weird."

"Zhenzhen." Gu Lin lowered his hand a little, and Lin Zhen, who was originally held taller than him, was level with him.

He looked at Lin Zhen, who was held by him, very close to him, so close that their breaths were intertwined, "Zhenzhen."

Lin Zhen's head was about to smoke.

No one had ever called him that.

His father and father at home called him Zhen Ge'er, his brothers and sisters-in-law called him Third Brother, Lin Xiaoyao called him Third Brother, the children called him Uncle, and people outside called him Lin Ge'er or Lin Fulang.

They had never called him Zhenzhen, as if they were calling a different him.

Suddenly, just when Lin Zhen felt that his skin against Gu Lin was about to burn, there was a knock on the door that Gu Lin had closed: "Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin! We heard that your nephew passed the imperial examination, and we came to congratulate you."

Gu Lin's gentle aura instantly disappeared, and he had a stern face as before, looking very difficult to approach.

He was about to carry Lin Zhen into the house, but when he didn't hear the voices of the neighbors, Lin Zhen seemed to have been saved, and said in a slightly tense voice: "I'm coming."

Then Lin Zhen pushed Gu Lin's shoulder: "Put me down quickly."

It was not easy to get his response, but Gu Lin didn't want to put him down for a moment, and his thin lips were pursed, making it clear at a glance that he was unwilling.

The neighbors who had been together for more than two months started chatting outside the courtyard wall.

"Oh, Mr. Lin is so lucky to have such a good nephew who passed the imperial examination."

"I have been staying at home and have not gone out. I only heard about it from you. Your news is not wrong, right?"

"It must be!"

"Many people who came to watch the fun are saying that Mr. Lin's nephew seems to have a very good ranking. Many wealthy families in our city want to marry their daughters to him."

"..."

These neighbors seemed to think that Lin Zhen agreed in the house, so they came over to open the door to ask for some time, lowering their voices and gossiping impatiently

. Although their area is famous for its strong scholarly atmosphere and is inhabited by scholars, those who can pass the imperial examination are definitely rare. Everyone wants to see Gu Lin, the scholar, to bring good luck to their own students.

Seeing that Gu Lin was reluctant to let go of her, Lin Zhen lowered her head and pecked him on the lips: "If this goes on for a long time, people will get suspicious." Gu Lin's

body was stiff, staring blankly at Lin Zhen's face, who was a little further away from him. He held Lin Zhen in one hand and put the other hand on his lips. His ears turned red quickly.

Soon, even his cheeks, the corners of his eyes, and his neck were red.

Chapter 175

Lin Zhen was shocked by his rapidly reddening face and neck. He just did it suddenly, and he didn't feel embarrassed. He had already agreed, so there was no need to be shy.

But seeing Gu Lin like this, he felt like he was taking advantage of the child, which made him embarrassed.

He pushed Gu Lin, but this time Gu Lin's hug was loose, so he pushed him away. He immediately turned around, straightened his wrinkled clothes, and removed the bolts from the other doors.

The neighbors who had been chatting outside looked at Lin Zhen and Gu Lin inside the door, and stuffed the things they picked up into Lin Zhen's hands in a lively manner: "Congratulations, Mr. Lin, Mr. Gu has passed the imperial examination, and there will be many good days waiting for you in the future."

"Thank you for your kindness," everyone was holding things in their hands, and Lin Zhen couldn't hold them all with both hands. He hurriedly greeted the neighbors, "Come in and sit down, I'll pour everyone a glass of water."

Gu Lin, who was standing behind him, took all the things in his hands. His hands were stronger than Lin Zhen's, and his fingers were longer. After taking the things in Lin Zhen's hands, he also took all the things in the neighbors' hands. He greeted them very politely but somewhat distantly, and walked into the house with the things.

These neighbors were all husbands and wives. They always had endless things to say in front of Lin Zhen, but they couldn't help but fall silent when they met Gu Lin, for fear that they would say something wrong in front of him and make him unhappy.

As soon as Gu Lin left, the middle-aged woman who lived next door to Lin Zhen and his family took Lin Zhen's hand and said, "Mr. Lin, is your Gu Lin overheated? Why is his face so red? Don't let the child get sick from the heat."

Lin Zhen: "..."

Lin Zhen almost choked on his saliva. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "We just came back from the government office after looking at the list. There were a lot of people there and it was very crowded. He has been afraid of heat since he was a child, and his face gets red when he is hot." The

middle-aged lady said "oh" and nodded in understanding. Suddenly, she looked at Lin Zhen's face and said, "I think this child inherited this from his uncle, you. You can't stand the heat either, and your face gets red." He

didn't think too much about it, but when she said that, Lin Zhen felt like he had done something and was stabbed. His cheeks became hot even though they were not hot.

He said quickly, "Yes, this child will follow me."

Six or seven people entered the house. Gu Lin, who entered first, had already put the chairs aside. He greeted them and was walking towards the kitchen. Lin Zhen knew that he was going to boil water for tea, and said, "The tea leaves in the jar are gone. The new ones are on the second layer of the cabinet."

"Yeah." Gu Lin stopped when Lin Zhen was talking, and waited for him to finish before walking towards the kitchen.

The husbands and wives were all stunned. They looked at Lin Zhen sitting on the chair, and then looked at Gu Lin who was scooping water into the pot in the kitchen with his sleeves, which they could see from the wing room: "This, this scholar Gu can also boil water?"

Everyone had scholars in their family, and they understood the meaning of the saying "a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen" very well. Not to mention scholars like Gu Lin, even ordinary men would never enter the kitchen.

The kitchen is the one-third acre of land for the husband and wife. Since childhood, the elders in the family have taught them to have good cooking skills and serve their husbands and parents-in-law well. When the children grow up and marry, they will hand over this important task to them.

But Gu Lin, a scholar, actually went to the kitchen to boil water by himself, and judging from his skilled appearance, he was

definitely not just doing it casually. Since childhood, as long as Gu Lin was at home and not studying, Gu Lin would light the fire beside him when he cooked. When he was older, when Lin Zhen was busy with the shop and tired, he would also cook some meals.

Lin Zhen used to think that at least Gu Lin's wife would be very satisfied with the kid he raised, but he never thought...

he couldn't think about it. Once he thought about it, he felt that the grass he was eating was too tender. He replied, "We live in the village. Sometimes the adults are busy with work and can't take care of the children, so they taught him a little."

The middle-aged woman who lived next door to Lin Zhen's house nodded and said, "That's great. My kid always used the saying "A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen" to block my mouth, saying that scholars would be ridiculed if they entered the kitchen, but Mr. Gu also entered the kitchen, let's see what he would say."

The other woman frowned slightly and whispered, "It's not good to ask scholars to do these things. They consume a lot of their energy reading a day. It seems like something if the boys or girls at home don't serve them."

Lin Zhen looked at the woman who was talking behind him and said, "If you want to talk about tiredness, everyone is equally tired. They will have sore backs from sitting around the stove from morning to night. If they are more relaxed, it's okay to ask them to do something."

"Mr. Lin, you are right. I cook three meals a day and clean the house. It sounds like not much work, but it is tedious and complicated. Sometimes my waist and legs ache badly after I am done," said the woman who lived next door to Lin Zhen. "I will be a little lazy in the future. When he is not so busy, I will ask him to do some work with me. Maybe he will pass the exam like Mr. Gu."

She and Lin Zhen obviously get along well. The woman who spoke just now still doesn't agree with what they said. Before the tea was brewed, she found an excuse to go home.

Lin Zhen didn't force him to stay. People are different from each other. There is no need to force them to blend in.

After a while, Gu Lin came up with the brewed tea and sat next to Lin Zhen.

The woman and her husband who were chatting with Lin Zhen in high spirits could not help but lower their voices when they saw him coming. The woman who was chatting with Lin Zhen secretly glanced at Gu Lin several times, and finally plucked up the courage to say: "Mr. Gu, I want to ask you for a few words to bring good luck to my child. I wonder if it is convenient."

Gu Lin recognized her. On the first day he and Uncle Lin came to live here, she thought that he and Uncle Lin were husband and wife, saying that she was Uncle Lin's husband. Gu

Lin nodded: "Yes."

"I'll go get paper and pen."

The woman didn't expect that Gu Lin, who had a cold face and looked like he was a thousand miles away, would be so easy to talk to. She was so happy that she couldn't help laughing: "Thank you, Mr. Gu, thank you, Mr. Gu."

Others also wanted Gu Lin's calligraphy. Seeing that Gu Lin agreed to the woman, they also spoke quickly.

Gu Lin didn't refuse. He got up and went to the room behind where he read and wrote to get the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and returned to the hall.

Lin Zhen took the ink stick and said, "I'll grind the ink for you."

Gu Lin glanced at him, and his face, which had originally returned to its original color, was slightly red again: "Okay."

Gu Lin looked at the inkstone and added a little water to grind the ink. Lin Zhen took the ink stick and rubbed it in circles on the inkstone. Soon, the ink was ground and exuded the unique smell of ink.

Gu Lin held the pen in one hand and held the sleeve of the hand holding the pen with the other hand, leaving a few words on the paper that were sharp and murderous, and almost penetrated the paper.

Chapter 176

Lin Zhen knew that Gu Lin was very suitable for wearing a long robe. He was tall and had a good figure. He couldn't help but think about what Gu Lin would look like if he had the opportunity to wear a scarlet official robe in the future.

A few words were written quickly. The women and husbands who came to congratulate were very satisfied. They took the words sent by Gu Lin and thanked him repeatedly. Before leaving, they invited Lin Zhen to visit their homes.

After seeing them off, Lin Zhen and Gu Lin turned back to the house. The atmosphere that was interrupted by them returned a little with their departure.

Lin Zhen touched his nose and said, "You go and pack up the pens and ink, I'll wash the cup."

As he said that, he walked into the house, poured the remaining tea in the cup under the roots of the tree in the corner of the yard, and then rubbed the cup inside and out with tea dregs that had a cleansing effect, then put it in the pot and added water to boil.

He didn't have mysophobia, but Gu Lin did. Over time, he also noticed these details.

After tidying up the room, Gu Lin took a book to read, while Lin Zhen continued to fill in his plan in the booklet and wrote down some modern things that were already a little vague.

This year is his eighth year here. He can clearly feel that some things in his memory are becoming blurred. He wrote them down while he can still remember them. Maybe they can be used in the future.

Lin Zhen was writing, but he clearly felt Gu Lin's eyes on him.

He raised his head and looked at Gu Lin. Gu Lin looked like he had done something wrong and moved his eyes back to the book.

After a while, Lin Zhen and Gu Lin heard a knock on the door after lunch. They thought it was a neighbor who came to congratulate them like before, but after opening the door, they found that it was a yamen runner from the government office.

The yamen runner respectfully clasped his fists and saluted Gu Lin: "Greetings, Mr. Gu. I have been ordered to come and inform Mr. Gu that the Luming Banquet will be held at Chenyan Peak tomorrow."

The Luming Banquet is a banquet organized by local officials for successful candidates after the provincial examinations, inviting superior officials of the supervisory inspection. It is named because the poem "The deer is calling, eating wild apples. I have guests, playing the harp and blowing the sheng..." from the Book of Songs is sung at the banquet.

As famous as the Luming Banquet is the Qionglin Banquet held for new Jinshi after the palace examinations.

Gu Lin thanked the yamen runner, and after the yamen runner left, Lin Zhen said: "Since you are attending the Luming Banquet, let's go buy you some clothes. All the clothes at home are old."

The two of them didn't have any requirements for clothes. They just needed enough clothes for all four seasons, especially now that clothes are made of natural fabrics, which will look particularly old after washing twice.

Gu Lin nodded, turned around and locked the door, and the two walked out to the street together.

Just out of the alley, Wang Qin, who did not participate in the provincial examination and is still a scholar, ran over here holding Huang Yuwen on his left hand and Chen Xing on his right hand.

Seeing that the two of them had not run to the front before they came, a voice came: "Hahahahaha Uncle Lin Gu Lin, I tell you, they are so funny, they almost got married on the spot!"

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing's families had not arranged marriages for them yet. The first time they faced this pile of things was when they were surrounded by a bunch of girls. At that time, they didn't know where to put their hands and feet.

Now being teased by Wang Qin, their bad friend, their faces were as red as rouge.

Lin Zhen, who had seen that scene with Gu Lin, smiled and looked at them: "How is it, did you meet a girl or boy you like?"

"Uncle Lin," Huang Yuwen's round face showed an expression of "Why are you following Wang Qin's lead?" She kicked Wang Qin's calf like a big rabbit, "Why aren't you done yet? Wait, when you pass the imperial examination, Chen Xing and I will also watch you being snatched away."

Wang Qin laughed: "I wish I could, as long as I can pass the imperial examination, I would be willing to be snatched away by a hundred or eighty girls and boys."

Lin Zhen looked at the three noisy people and said, "You didn't go home and came here directly, did you see the yamen runners leaving here?"

"I saw them." Chen Xing finally broke free from Wang Qin's hands and answered Lin Zhen.

"They are here to inform the students who passed the imperial examination to go to Shenyan Peak to attend the Luming Banquet tomorrow. The doormen of your family should know about it. Gu Lin and I are planning to go to the street to buy some clothes. Do you want to go?" Before the provincial examination, the detailed information of all students had been collected by the government, so the yamen runners could find the house rented by Lin Zhen and his friends so accurately.

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing didn't expect that they missed the notice from the yamen runners, so they turned around and ran back home.

Lin Zhen hurriedly stopped them: "You are going to the yamen

runners now, so you can go directly to Shenyan Peak tomorrow." "To celebrate your success in the prefectural examination and your success in the provincial examination, I will pay for your clothes today as a gift of congratulations to you."

Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen were immediately happy: "Thank you, Uncle Lin!"

Chen Xing was a little reserved.

Lin Zhen walked in front: "Hurry up, clothes are not so easy to shop for. If you are late, the ready-made clothing shops will be closed."

Only two hours had passed since the announcement of the results, and the sun was still hanging over everyone's heads, making people feel hot all over.

There were still many students and their families who came here to take the provincial examination on the street. No matter how well they did in the exam, it was already irreversible and they could only wait three years to come back.

Before leaving the prefectural city, those who had some spare money wanted to take some new and interesting things from the prefectural city back home, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining were heard one after another.

Lin Zhen was familiar with these places, and took Gu Lin and the others to the familiar ready-made clothing store.

A beautiful woman in a scarlet jacket and dark green skirt in the store saw him and her eyes were filled with joy: "When did Boss Lin come to the city? It's been a long time since we last met."

This ready-made clothing store is mid-range and high-end. The spacious store is filled with many colorful silks and satins, and there are also ready-made clothes on racks.

Lin Zhen greeted the boss and said, "I came here two months ago to accompany my...nephew to participate in this provincial examination, but he doesn't come out often, so we didn't see him."

"Your nephew?" The boss was familiar with Lin Zhen. Lin Zhen had bought ready-made clothes from him in the past few years.

She looked at the young man behind Lin Zhen, and while sighing at his appearance, she couldn't help but say, "How did he become your nephew? Isn't Gu Xiucai your stepson?"

"..." Oh my god, as soon as the word stepson came out, Lin Zhen felt his face burning.

This was simply reminding him what his relationship with Gu Lin was before and what his relationship was now.

The boss lady quickly realized that Lin Zhen was afraid that she had met someone she wanted to marry, so she severed her relationship with Gu Lin's biological father, and Gu Lin naturally became his nephew.

Speaking of which, Lin Zhen had been a widow for so many years because of Gu Lin's biological father, and no one dared to say anything if she remarried.

Everyone in Sitong Street knew about Boss Lin's reputation. Just by his appearance, his future partner could not be an ordinary person.

The boss lady whispered in Lin Zhen's ear: "Tell me where the new one is from, what he does, and what he looks like?"

"We don't need to say those polite words to each other like sisters and brothers. We must find someone of the same age and with some family background. Moreover, the person cannot be ugly."

"Most importantly," the boss pinched Lin Zhen's pale face mischievously and whispered, "You can't find someone who looks good but is useless. If the man is not good at his job, everything else will be in vain!"

Chapter 177

Lin Zhen covered the boss lady's mouth with his hand, and looked at Gu Lin standing beside him. He found that Gu Lin's expression did not change. He was obviously relieved that he did not hear the boss lady's words.

The boss lady immediately understood and nodded: "I know, I know. It's not good for the children to say these things. I will talk to you in detail when the children are not around."

"..." No, I don't want to talk to you about this, Lin Zhen said in his heart.

He pointed to the four children behind him and said to the boss lady: "Sister Hong, give each of them a set of clothes. If the size is not suitable, ask the embroiderer in your store to change it. They will be in a hurry to wear it tomorrow."

There was something to do. The boss lady changed her previous look, stood up and glanced at Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen, Wang Qin, and Chen Xing, and instantly estimated their sizes. She

quickly took out more than a dozen clothes from the store and put them on the counter: "All the robes in my store that fit their sizes are here, you can take a look."

The robes are all made of good materials. At first glance, they are different from cotton and linen materials. The colors are more gorgeous and the workmanship is also very fine.

Lin Zhen picked up a crab green robe and pulled Gu Lin, who was closest to him, to compare it to him.

Gu Lin was now about ten centimeters taller than him, with broad shoulders and a thin waist, and his legs were too long. Although his skin was not as white as his, he was also one of the whitest in the crowd. The crab green color made people feel bright when they got close to him.

The proprietress said, "This robe is made of silk. It is just right to wear in this season. It is neither cold nor hot. With a thousand-year-old green silk ribbon, it will definitely make our little Gu look very good."

Some scholars in this dynasty used belts, but most of them used thin silk ribbons, which were long and hung to the ankles, matching the wide sleeves.

But such an outfit is picky. Short people will become even shorter, and tall people will look very free and elegant.

With Gu Lin's figure, he can wear anything.

Not only this crab green one, but also Qingshan blue, brown, blue-white, black, and white.

Wang Qin, Huang Yuwen, and Chen Xing's robes are similar in size and are also in these colors.

Wang Qin always dresses in a casual way. At first glance, he fell in love with a robe that looked a bit like dark red. He liked it very much after trying it on himself.

He came to Lin Zhen and said, "Gu Lin looks good in anything. Uncle Lin, take a look at me."

He unfolded the dark red robe, like a colorful peacock, and asked Lin Zhen to take a look at himself.

Gu Lin glanced at him with dark eyes. In fact, with his hearing ability from martial arts training, he heard everything the owner's wife and Uncle Lin said just now, but he didn't quite understand.

What is a man's job?

He wanted to understand it clearly, so that his Uncle Lin would not think that he was not good enough.

Lin Zhen felt that he couldn't try it this way, so he simply asked them to take turns to put on the robes, and then let them come out and let him and the owner's wife take a look. Needless to say, this way it would be very intuitive.

Wang Qin's favorite dark red robe was not as good as the light-colored one. Huang Yuwen preferred the yellow one, which he usually wore. However, the yellow color of this dress was quite special, slightly whitish, light and yet steady. Huang Yuwen decided on this one on the spot.

Chen Xing chose a brown one with a white silk ribbon.

When it came to Gu Lin, Lin Zhen was in a dilemma. He felt that every dress looked good on him, and they were all similar, so it was difficult to choose.

In the end, Gu Lin packed up all the ones he tried, and then picked out the matching silk ribbons and hairbands. There were so many

things, a big bag.

The proprietress's white fingers fiddled with the abacus, and she calculated for a while, and put the calculated abacus beads in front of Lin Zhen: "The total is fifty-three taels and four cents of silver. Since you bought so much, the four cents of silver will be waived."

The materials of mid-range clothes are not cheap, and they are ready-made clothes made by embroiderers. The unit price is several taels of silver, not to mention that Lin Zhen bought so much for Gu Lin.

Lin Zhen took out a fifty-liang silver note from his purse, and then took out a three-liang silver coin and put it on top: "Thank you, Sister Hong, the children and I will leave first."

The proprietress put away the silver note and silver: "Take care, come again next time."

Stepping out of the clothing store, Lin Zhen thought about Gu Lin's appearance when he just changed his clothes and walked out of the compartment, and tilted his head to look at Gu Lin.

Tomorrow they have to go to the Luming Banquet, Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing have returned to their own homes early, planning to go to bed early to rest up.

Wang Qin, who didn't have to go to the Luming Banquet, consciously didn't disturb them, and took the servants to go shopping somewhere else.

Lin Zhen and Gu Lin went home, and Gu Lin washed the clothes he bought first and hung them on the bamboo poles in the yard.

Luo was thin, and now there was sunshine, and the moisture was blown dry in a short while, and they could be put in the closet after dark.

Lin Zhen, who bought him several clothes, didn't buy them. He always liked to wear short brown, mostly in plain colors such as black, white and gray. There were many at home, and it would be a waste to buy them.

Suddenly, when Lin Zhen was thinking about something, Gu Lin, who had just finished washing clothes, came to him and asked, "Uncle Lin, what is the man's job that Aunt Hong told you just now?"

"Cough cough cough cough cough!!!" Lin Zhen almost choked himself to death with a mouthful of saliva.

He thought Gu Lin didn't hear it, but he didn't expect to hear it so clearly.

His head was a little dizzy, "Well, well, Gu Lin, you are still a child, you know."

"It's not the time to know this thing now, you will understand it when you grow up."

Gu Lin frowned slightly: "I am fifteen years old."

Lin Zhen looked at him, fifteen years old is too old, fifteen years old is not just a junior high school graduate, what are you so proud of!

But when he thought that Gu Lin was already a juren and became a reserve official of Dayu's court, he silently crossed out the words of junior high school graduation from his mind.

He calmed his thoughts and said, "Fifteen years old is still a little young, two years older will be enough."

"Okay, go to the kitchen to see if there are any dishes left, cook the rice, and I will cook."

I don't know what to do, just let Gu Lin do it!

Sure enough, when Gu Lin heard what he told him to do, he immediately stood up and walked towards the kitchen, and soon the sound of cooking could be heard in the kitchen.

Huh.

Lin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

He suddenly realized that in addition to teaching Gu Lin the principles of being a man, he seemed to have forgotten something very important, that he had never instilled physiological knowledge in Gu Lin.

And thinking about this, he also remembered that Wang Qin once said in front of him that in this era when boys have to learn to be independent at the age of eight or nine, start to discuss marriage at the age of fourteen or fifteen, and become fathers at the age of sixteen or seventeen, Wang Qin invited Gu Lin to drink several times, but Gu Lin refused.

The reason was that he told him that drinking would make him not grow tall and become a dwarf.

"..."

"Pa." Lin Zhen held his forehead with his palm. He remembered that when he said this to Gu Lin, Gu Lin was only nine years old. At that time, Gu Lin was already a student, and he was the first in the student examination. Many students older than him invited him to play. He thought that

he was young at that time and drinking would affect his development, so he said this.

Who would have thought that he still remembered it.

What should I do now?

Lin Zhen pinched the flesh on his forehead unconsciously, thinking, let's leave it this way for now, yeah, let's leave it this way for now, the kid will only be sixteen next year, but there should be few people who can beat him in a fight, and he is very safe, no one can have bad intentions towards him in that regard.

I should have known that I would hurt myself by doing this.

Gu Lin knew that Uncle Lin had deliberately sent him away, but he did not ask any questions.

The next day, Gu Lin got up early, washed and dressed, and cooked porridge for Lin Zhen in the pot. He walked to the entrance of the alley as agreed with Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing yesterday.

When he arrived, Chen Xing was already waiting there, wearing the brown robe that Lin Zhen bought for him yesterday, and he looked very energetic.

Gu Lin was wearing the crab green robe, with a thousand-year-old green silk ribbon tied around his waist and the lower end hanging down to his ankles. His slightly long hair was tied into a high ponytail with a crab green hairband.

He walked out of the old alley with his sleeves flying, his eyebrows and eyes were handsome, without the slightest emotion or desire, and in a trance, he was like a young god born from this city.

Chen Xing waved to him, "Gu Lin."

Gu Lin walked to his side, "When did you come?"

Chen Xing's face was relaxed, which was not seen before, "I just got here not long ago."

"I was in a hurry yesterday and didn't have time to thank you. If it weren't for you and Yuwen Wangqin's help, I would never have passed the imperial examination. I will remember this favor in my heart."

Gu Lin stood with his hands down, "You are our friend, you're welcome."

The word "friend" coming out of his mouth seemed very inconsistent with his unkind face, and it also seemed more precious.

Chen Xing's smile became more obvious, "My greatest luck is to meet you."

The two were chatting casually, and a carriage drove over from the other end of the street. Gu Lin and Chen Xing had seen the servant driving the carriage before. It was Huang Yuwen's man.

The next moment, the curtain of the carriage was pulled open from the inside. Huang Yuwen sat in the carriage and stretched his head out: "Gu Lin and Chen Xing, come up quickly, we're going in the carriage."

Gu Lin and Chen Xing didn't hesitate. When the carriage stopped, they jumped up by pulling the crossbar outside and bent down to get into the carriage.

The carriage compartment this time was different from the long journey. There was no couch for sleeping, but it was replaced with a more convenient low couch on three sides, with a table in the middle for placing tea.

Noticing that they were sitting firmly, the servant driving the carriage gently urged the horse, and the carriage paused and then moved forward.

Shenyan Peak is on the outskirts of the city, and is as famous as Luoxia Mountain. However, Luoxia Mountain is famous for its pear trees all over the mountain. Although Shenyan Peak has the word "peak" in it, it is the water that makes people linger.

It is said that there are 19 large and small waterfalls in Shenyan Peak, and there is water everywhere. The scenery is extremely beautiful. In the rainy season, there are more people than Luoxia Mountain.

Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen, and Chen Xing were sitting in the carriage, and they could hear the same sound of carriage wheels rolling on the road and people talking outside.

After half an hour, the carriage stopped, and the coachman seemed to be afraid of something, and whispered behind the carriage curtain: "Master, we're here."

Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen, and Chen Xing pulled open the carriage curtain, and before they got off, they saw the neatly arranged yamen runners and soldiers in armor standing at the foot of Shenyan Peak, with flags whistling in the wind.

These yamen runners and soldiers were all there to ensure the safety of high-ranking officials of the court.

Chapter 178

Gu Lin and the other two got off the carriage. There were not only the three of them, but also other successful candidates who also came here to attend the Lu Ming Banquet.

"Junior Gu." Two students came over and greeted Gu Lin with a bow.

Gu Lin recognized them. Both of them were students from Class A of Huaishan Academy. They often met each other when they were in Huaishan Academy, but he went home after class and had little interaction with them.

Gu Lin returned the greetings to them, and the two students left tactfully. Soon, some familiar people gathered around the two of them, all of whom were successful candidates from Huaishan Academy.

"I'm not surprised at all that he became the champion of this provincial examination." One of them looked at Gu Lin standing with Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing from a distance.

The person next to him said, "When he was in the academy, he always ranked first. It would be strange if he was not the first place winner."

"So what if you ranked first? When you enter the officialdom in the future, will you be asked how many places you ranked in the exam and whether you are the first place winner before greeting?" Several people praised Gu Lin so much that someone immediately couldn't stand it and shouted back.

The person who was choked by him thought that what he said was very boring, but knowing that this person had relatives in the court, he didn't fight back in the end, but just shut his mouth and stopped discussing the matter. At the same time, he intentionally or unintentionally distanced himself from this person.

The two sides were far away, so Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing naturally didn't hear the voice from the other side, but judging from their expressions, it shouldn't be a good thing.

Gu Lin took the lead and walked towards the mountain road sandwiched between soldiers and yamen runners.

Shenyan Mountain, which was bustling and noisy in the past, was cleared by the government. Except for the officials who were about to arrive and these students, there was no one else.

As soon as they reached the entrance of the mountain road, the clerk in the official uniform of the government office respectfully saluted the three people, and compared their identities with the facial descriptions and basic physical descriptions of the scholars that had been recorded before.

After checking, the clerk knew that Gu Lin in front of him was the champion of this provincial examination, and his expression became more humble: "The three of you will just walk up from here."

In addition to the governor and the small officials with ranks, the other dozens of clerks in the government office were not all students with the title of Juren. Most of them had some connections in their families or slowly climbed up from the bottom. Compared with Gu Lin and other Juren who passed the examination, they were born shorter.

Gu Lin, Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing thanked the clerk and walked up.

There is a lot of water in Shenyan Peak. There are trickles of water winding down on both sides of the mountain road, and you can also hear the unclear sound of waterfalls.

Due to the heavy moisture all year round, a layer of green velvety moss has grown on the steps of the mountain path, and there are lush orchids and unknown wild flowers in the cracks of the stones.

One step, one scene, one wonder.

Having stayed in the city for five years, Gu Lin and his friends have naturally been here before, but never as secluded and charming as now.

The three of them quickly followed the mountain path to the place where the Luming Banquet was held, and saw more than a hundred tables placed from bottom to top on a slope with strange rocks.

There are also small streams flowing from top to bottom between the strange rocks. Next to the gentle slope is a waterfall with a medium flow of water from Shenyan Peak, and under the waterfall is a pool of water.

This is not the time when the rainfall is the heaviest, so the water flow of the waterfall is not large, and it lacks a little momentum, like transparent raindrops falling into a pool.

After Gu Lin and his companions arrived, another clerk like the one at the entrance of the mountain road came up to ask the names of the three people, and then ordered the people behind him: "Take Huang Juren and Chen Juren to their seats. Gu Juren, please follow me."

Gu Lin looked at Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing. Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing knew that he, as a champion, would definitely not sit with them, so they bowed and said that they would go back together after the banquet was over.

Gu Lin nodded and walked to his seat under the guidance of the clerk.

Then, in the eyes of many new candidates who had already taken their seats, he walked higher and higher, and finally sat not far from the highest table.

Gu Lin just realized how smart the person who scheduled the Luming Banquet here was. Such a gentle slope was played with them. The adult at the highest point could enjoy the pleasant feeling of "looking down on all the mountains".

Of course, these tables are arranged according to the official positions and the rankings of the candidates, just like Huang Yuwen, who ranked 35th, and Chen Xing, who ranked 63rd. Huang Yuwen sat a little higher.

Gu Lin's position was second only to the officials sent by the court to supervise and inspect and several officials from the prefectural city. The mountain breeze blowing in his face blew up the silk ribbons that hung from his waist to his ankles, and his wide sleeves fluttered like wings.

Gu Lin stood in front of his own desk and knelt down calmly.

Almost all the candidates of different ages who came saw Gu Lin sitting above all of them with his back straight, wearing a crab-green robe and long hair tied up high. For a moment, they actually felt the absolute oppression of the high-ranking officials in red robes who supervised and inspected in the examination hall a few days ago. Those who were chatting quietly stopped at the same time.

I don't know who started it, but after a while, most of the candidates bowed to Gu Lin from a distance.

Gu Lin returned the greeting.

Gu Lin was a cold person, so naturally he would not take this opportunity to get close to these candidates, so everyone quickly returned to their original state, but there were many more eyes on him, and the discussion became centered on him.

Li Quan, who was being flattered by the Lord of Luozhou Prefecture, saw the clever seats on the hillside after he emerged from the mountain road. Although he didn't like these empty things, he didn't mind a little flattery. And

Li Quan also saw the student who had left some impression on him in the examination room.

Before the examiners graded the papers, they covered the names, and they didn't know whose papers they were grading. So Li Quan didn't know in advance which examiner had Gu Lin's paper and how it was graded. It was not

until all the papers were graded and the number of people who passed the exam was counted that he saw the familiar name Gu Lin again.

In terms of classics, current affairs, poetry and prose, except for poetry and prose, which was above average, he ranked first in all of them, a well-deserved champion.

The new candidates who had arrived early also saw Li Quan and the Lord of the Palace and their party, and quickly stood up and saluted: "Greetings, sir, greetings, Lord of the Palace."

Li Quan raised his hand: "Today is the Luming Banquet, it's your day, no need to be so reserved, sit down."

Li Quan is the most traditional image of a scholar, with a white face and a beautiful beard, looking very literary, and with the added power of an official, which gave the new candidates a great sense of oppression.

The Lord of the Palace next to him was much inferior to him.

When Li Quan walked to the top position accompanied by Lord of the Palace and others, they all lowered their heads. Li

Quan was not old, and his legs were flexible. He quickly walked to Gu Lin, who was above the candidates. He paused, but did not say anything, but continued to walk up and kneeled behind the highest table.

According to the procedure, Gu Lin, the champion, led the candidates to toast Li Quan and Lord of the Palace.

Then Gu Lin began to introduce himself, which was equivalent to letting everyone know each other. Not to mention what would happen in the future, at least in this place, they should not recognize the wrong person.

After they reported their families, the Lord of the Mansion stood up and gave some words of encouragement to all the candidates. Then came the favorite part for scholars, writing poems.

Gu Lin's test paper had been posted outside the government office along with the list of winners for everyone to see. Everyone knew that his poetry was ranked in the middle. They knew that his poetry was not the best, and that the main factors were the interpretation of classics and current affairs.

But now that he was the champion, he was naturally the first to go, and most of the eyes were on him.

Gu Lin did not show any shyness at all. He just bowed to Li Quan and Fu Jun, and then composed a poem with the theme of Cold Pond.

Li Quan knelt behind the desk. To be honest, this poem was not the best, but it had a sense of vastness and grandeur, which was acceptable to him.

Li Quan took the lead in clasping his hands and repeated the two most powerful lines in Gu Lin's seven-character quatrain, "Not bad, is there anyone else who wants to try it?"

"Student." As soon as Li Quan finished speaking, a handsome man in his twenties stood up. He first bowed to Li Quan and Fu Jun, then after a moment of hesitation, he also composed a seven-character quatrain.

Compared with Gu Lin's poem, this student's poem was much more spiritual. Even though Li Quan admired Gu Lin in his heart, he thought this poem was better.

He looked at the student and asked, "What's your name?"

The student knew that his poetry talent was better than Gu Lin's, and he was not averse to Gu Lin's success in the imperial examination. He cupped his hands and said to Li Quan, "My student Ouyang Jiang."

Hearing his name, Li Quan remembered that he was the one who won the second place in the provincial examination.

He was a good poet, but his current affairs policy was too flowery. It looked good, but it was a bit general inside, and there was not much that could be put into practice.

Thinking of this, Li Quan couldn't help but think of Gu Lin's current affairs strategy. He stroked his beard, asked Ouyang Jiang to sit down, and waited until everyone who was willing to write poems had done so. Suddenly, he pointed to the rich food on the table and said, "Just now, you all wrote poems about the cold pond, the wind, flowers, trees, birds, insects and fish . Now why not look at the things on the table in front of you, whether it is writing poems or writing articles, just say what you want to say."

"This is just what I do casually, don't take it seriously."

Everyone has a table in front of them. These tables were personally selected and moved by the government office. Naturally, they are exquisitely made, with beautiful patterns, and even the paint on them is bright.

And on the table are placed seasonal fruits, chicken, duck, and mutton of this season.

Ouyang Jiang immediately stood up and wrote a poem praising this scene, comparing Shenyan Peak to the heavenly palace, the people here to the people in heaven, and the things on the table are naturally objects that are not found in the human world.

The words are gorgeous, complex and exquisite, and there is a kind of spiritual aura that is not vulgar, which makes people feel good when they hear it.

Li Quan, who was sitting high up, smiled and nodded: "Okay."

He looked at the other students and encouraged them to stand up and show their talents.

For a moment, all kinds of five-character and seven-character quatrains, fu, and prose made people unable to react.

Fu Jun suddenly looked at Gu Lin, and the meaning was very clear.

Gu Lin stood up and bowed to Li Quan and Fu Jun: "My lord, my lord, the students have already written poems, fu, and prose, and I will discuss some strategies."

"My lord, you pointed to the table, which refers to both the table and the things on the table."

"The things on the table are food. My lord wants to hear the students discuss the drought that occurred last year."

The smile on Li Quan's face deepened.

Chapter 179

Gu Lin and Lin Zhen had personally experienced last year's drought, as well as the tragic situation of nine out of ten houses being occupied by refugees. Before the provincial examination, Lin Zhen told Gu Lin that the current affairs policy might test this, and discussed it with him.

But the current affairs policy did not test this, but salt.

Salt has been expensive since ancient times, and it is closely related to people's livelihood, so it is reasonable to ask this question.

But compared with the drought that swept across many places last year and displaced countless people, the topic of salt seems a bit abrupt, and it also seems to be a bit of an attempt to cover up something.

Gu Lin stood behind the desk, integrated the points and methods discussed with Lin Zhen, and expressed them concisely.

First of all, it is stated that natural disasters are uncontrollable. Neither the court nor the local governments knew that a drought would occur, so it is understandable that some places with less rain originally had more severe droughts, such as Yongzhou, which gave birth to the refugee army.

Yongzhou is above Luozhou. The land cultivated by the people is mostly loess with low fertility. In smooth years, they can barely make a living. Once God does not give face, they have to rely on the court to allocate grain and reduce taxes.

However, droughts occur frequently in various places, and the court has no food. Taxes have to be restored after being reduced for three to five years. It is impossible to reduce them forever.

Therefore, Gu Lin and Lin Zhen discussed two points of view. One is to increase the people's resistance to natural disasters and make changes in farming methods. For example, vigorously promote the use of compost. The choice of seeds should also be based on local conditions. In arid areas, sorghum, buckwheat, wheat and sweet potatoes are planted, and in humid areas, they can plant the rice they want to plant.

The second is that Gu Lin proposed that granaries should be built in various places according to the population ratio. The grain in the granaries should be replaced every three years. The people can buy the replaced grain at a few percent lower than the market price. This can ensure that the government has a certain ability to control the situation when natural disasters come and reduce the pressure on the court.

But at the same time, supervision should be done well to prevent granaries from becoming a tool for local officials to make money and public granaries from becoming private warehouses of officials.

Gu Lin used very concise words, and he was still talking about fields and grain. In the ears of some scholars from aristocratic families, it seemed too down-to-earth and difficult to be accepted by the public.

But some ordinary people, or those with some foresight, were attracted by what he said.

Whether it was compost that could increase production or the construction of granaries in various places, they were all practical strategies that could be implemented. Once they were confirmed to be feasible, the people of several states would benefit.

The Lord of the Mansion looked at Gu Lin before because he noticed that Li Quan was interested in this student, and he made a move to flatter Li Quan.

Although it is rare to be a champion, the provincial examination is held every three years, and there are champions every time. It is unknown where he can go in the future.

Haven't you seen a lot of champions sitting on the bench in Kyoto, and they are still serving as small officials of the sixth and seventh ranks in the Hanlin Academy when they are old?

But at this moment, the Lord of the Mansion looked at Gu Lin differently. He quickly deduced the two methods that Gu Lin just mentioned in his mind, and the more he deduced, the more feasible he felt.

Li Quan's sitting posture also changed. He looked at Gu Lin and said two good words: "After you go back, you should write down this policy in detail and send it to the post station."

"Yes." Gu Lin bowed.

Li Quan's expression was gentle, and he picked up the wine glass in his hand: "Come, drink this cup with me."

The person serving beside Gu Lin immediately poured wine into Gu Lin's glass and handed it to Gu Lin. Gu Lin, who had just drunk a few cups, paused for a moment and took it in his hand.

Li Quan was in high spirits, and his love for Gu Lin was obvious to the naked eye. He asked Gu Lin to accompany him to drink one cup after another.

It was evening when the show ended. Li Quan and the Lord of the House left first. After the 100 candidates saw them off, they came down from their seats and walked down to the bottom of Shenyan Peak.

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing were waiting for Gu Lin below. As soon as they approached, they smelled the strong smell of alcohol on Gu Lin.

Huang Yuwen knew that he had never drunk before, so he quickly asked Chen Xing to support him: "How are you, are you okay? Do you want to sit for a while to cool down before going down?"

"No problem." Although he was drunk, Gu Lin's face did not look strange at all, and his steps were no different from when he came.

Huang Yuwen and Chen Xing made sure that he was fine, then they let go of his hands: "You scared me, I thought I was going to carry you down."

Huang Yuwen said: "When you were discussing strategies before, all of us below were watching, and many people said that it was not unfair to lose to you."

Chen Xing's background was the same as Gu Lin's, but if he asked himself, he could not make Gu Lin's strategy.

Gu Lin, who was walking beside them, had the same expression on his face as before, without any change. When they mentioned the strategy, he occasionally mentioned the key points in it. After

going down the mountain, the three of them took a carriage back to the town as they did when they came. Chen Xing got off first, and Huang Yuwen sent Gu Lin to the entrance of the alley.

"Shall I take you in?" Huang Yuwen grabbed the carriage curtain and looked at Gu Lin, who had already gotten off the carriage and was standing at the entrance of the alley.

"No, be careful on the road." Gu Lin said, and turned to walk into the alley.

Huang Yuwen confirmed again and again that he was no different from when he went down the mountain, and then asked the servants at home to turn the carriage around.

After staying at home for a day and taking a nap, Lin Zhen, who was now very energetic, dug out the sweet potatoes from the fire pit and blew away the ashes on top.

The roasted sweet potatoes were sweet and soft, like honey melting in them, and they were so comfortable to eat in the mouth.

There were two more in the fire pit, which he threw in on purpose to roast. He didn't know when Gu Lin would come back, and whether he could eat more. If Gu Lin didn't want to eat, he would eat it himself.

Suddenly, Lin Zhen heard someone knocking on the door. He subconsciously stood up from the stool and walked out, opening the courtyard door at a rather fast speed.

Before he could see the familiar figure outside the courtyard gate, Gu Lin, who was drunk, had already hugged him in his arms, and he wanted to strangle him tightly: "Zhenzhen, I'm drunk."

Lin Zhen knew that he was drunk at once. His voice was not right, a little rising and loose.

He separated a little from his arms with difficulty, "How much did you drink?"

Gu Lin hugged him and shook his head on his shoulder: "Twenty-seven cups."

The drinking cup was small and the alcohol content was not high, but it was Gu Lin's first time to drink, and he drank a lot, so he couldn't hold it.

"Will I not grow taller? Zhenzhen said that drinking will not grow taller and become a dwarf." Gu Lin muttered in Lin Zhen's ear, and he was a little confused when he listened carefully.

Lin Zhen choked up.

He was about 1.7 meters tall, and he was now ten centimeters taller than him, definitely 1.8 meters tall.

Even if he didn't grow taller, it would be okay.

Lin Zhen pushed him away a little and said, "You won't stop growing taller. You are already very tall now. Come into the house and I will make you a bowl of hangover soup."

"Yes." Gu Lin nodded obediently, but he did not let go of Lin Zhen's hand.

Lin Zhen: "I can't pull you into the house like this."

Gu Lin said, "Oh!" and suddenly picked him up in this position. He was so steady that Lin Zhen doubted whether he was drunk or not, and walked towards Lin Zhen's room.

Lin Zhen's room was the wing room on the right. Except for the extra room at the back that could be used as a study, it was exactly the same as Gu Lin's room.

The bed curtains were milky white, the bed was covered with light gray blankets, and there were cabinets, tables and other furniture.

Gu Lin, who was drunk, carried Lin Zhen in and walked towards the bed. He did not put Lin Zhen down in front of the bed, but just looked up at Lin Zhen, who was a head taller than him because he was holding him.

Lin Zhen felt that the atmosphere suddenly became sticky and gradually out of his control. He held Gu Lin's shoulders and asked him to put him down.

Gu Lin looked at him: "Zhenzhen, can you do the same as that day?"

"What?" Lin Zhenzhen skipped a beat.

Gu Lin said: "That's right, eat my lips."

Lin Zhen: "!!!"

Lin Zhen's head was humming and smoking. He never thought that Gu Lin, who was drunk, could say anything.

No, that's not right. Even if he didn't drink, he could say "I miss you" after waking up from a serious injury.

Lin Zhen blushed and said quickly: "No!"

Gu Lin blinked and asked anxiously: "But I really want Zhenzhen to eat my lips. I have been thinking about it from yesterday to today."

I don't know if it's because he is looking down from above or what, his eyes are very beautiful, and they are a little pitiful because they can't get satisfaction. Lin Zhen saw something cute in him for the first time.

The temperature on Lin Zhen's face rose rapidly, but he still didn't agree to his damn request, and asked Gu Lin to put him down. He was going to make sobering soup for him and take him back to his room to sleep.

Suddenly, just as Gu Lin put Lin Zhen down and Lin Zhen's feet had just landed on the ground, Huang Yuwen's voice rang out from outside the yard: "Uncle Lin, Uncle Lin, is Gu Lin back?"

Lin Zhen asked Gu Lin to sit down first and went to open the gate.

Outside the yard, Huang Yuwen had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. As soon as he saw him open the door, he asked anxiously: "Uncle Lin, is Gu Lin back home?"

After parting with Gu Lin just now, Huang Yuwen always felt a little strange in his heart. He quickly realized that Gu Lin must be drunk. On weekdays, he would never say something like "be careful on the road" when parting with them. So he immediately asked the servants to rush over, fearing that Gu Lin had an accident in the alley.

Lin Zhen nodded: "He's back... and has fallen asleep now."

"Then I'm relieved." Huang Yuwen also drank a little wine, and his round face was a little red.

He said to Lin Zhen: "Since Gu Lin is back, I'll leave first. Uncle Lin, you should also go to bed early."

"Yuwen, you can sleep here with Gu Lin to save the trip."

"It's okay. The servants beside me haven't drunk any alcohol. I'll be there in a while." Huang Yuwen felt relieved when he knew that Gu Lin had returned home.

Lin Zhen looked at the servant beside him. He was the most stable and capable one among the people he often used, so he didn't keep him any longer. He just told the servant to take good care of him and drive the carriage slower.

After Huang Yuwen left, Lin Zhen went to the kitchen to cook the sobering soup, and then went back to his room to see Gu Lin.

He thought Gu Lin should have lain down on his bed, but when he went in, he saw that he was still standing when he went out with him, and his face finally had a red flush from the alcohol.

He casually said: "Why don't you lie down and rest?"

Gu Lin said in a lingering tone: "I haven't married Zhenzhen yet, so I can't do this."

Chapter 180

Lin Zhen felt his heart collapse, and something was surging inside.

He looked at Gu Lin who was standing in front of his bed, walked over and covered Gu Lin's eyes with his hands, then stood on tiptoe and pecked Gu Lin on the lips.

With his eyes covered, only his tall nose was exposed under Lin Zhen's palm, but even so, one could feel that the upper half of his face under his palm would never disappoint.

Their lips pressed together, which was a very private and wonderful feeling. After the kiss, Lin Zhen wanted to separate a little, but Gu Lin's hand was placed on his back at some point, pulling him towards himself and preventing him from leaving.

Lin Zhen thought Gu Lin was going to do something, but the two of them kept this position for a long time without Gu Lin moving.

He suddenly remembered that Gu Lin had never been involved in this kind of thing. He had only kissed his lips, so this was all he asked for. As for the other things... he didn't know how to do it... and he didn't have the awareness...

The two of them hugged each other for a long time with their lips pressed against each other. Gu Lin slowly leaned his head on Lin Zhen's shoulder: "Zhenzhen, I feel a little dizzy. I'm going to wash up and go to bed. You should

go to bed early too." Lin Zhen was hugged by him, as if he was surrounded by a big furnace. He tilted his head and looked at the face on his shoulder: "Do you still need to wash up when you are drunk? It will be the same when you get up tomorrow."

Knowing that he was very particular about cleanliness, Lin Zhen just wanted to tease him.

"No, it's not clean."

Gu Lin shook his head firmly, letting go of Lin Zhen and walking out with a little fluttery steps, but basically steady.

Lin Zhen was afraid that he would bump into her, so she followed behind him, watching him fetch water to wash his face and rinse his mouth, and then mixed hot water to wipe his body in the small room specially separated for taking a bath. By the way, he rubbed the clothes he had changed with soap bean powder, wrung out the water and hung them on the clothesline in the yard.

This was a habit he developed under the influence of Lin Zhen. He would never push anything he could do by himself onto other people. The only change was that he was too fond of cleanliness.

Lin Zhen watched him clean himself up, brought him the hangover soup he had cooked, and watched him lie down on the bed before returning to his room.

"Squeak--" Lin Zhen turned over in bed. He unconsciously reached out to touch his lips, and suddenly grabbed the quilt to cover his head.

The next day, Lin Zhen, who hadn't slept all night, got up from the bed when the sun slowly moved to the window. As soon as he walked out of the room, he bumped into Gu Lin, who was dressed neatly.

Their eyes met, and it was obvious that there was something different.

Lin Zhen straightened his collar and said, "The kimchi I made a few days ago is ready to eat. Go pick some out and cut them up. I'll go make some porridge."

"Okay."

While eating breakfast, Lin Zhen suddenly remembered what he had been thinking about yesterday and said to him, "Now that the provincial examination is over, the next step is to go to Kyoto to participate in the imperial examination in April next year. There is still a lot of time in between. I want to go back to see your mom and grandpa--"

Lin Zhen suddenly realized that what mom and grandpa are? These are what the grandchildren like Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou call them. The relationship between the two of them now should be the same as calling them dad and father.

However, Lin Zhen didn't dare to think about what would happen if Lin's father, Lin's father, and the people of the Lin family knew about his and Gu Lin's affairs. This time when he went out, Lin's father repeatedly told him to take good care of his grandson and not to treat him harshly just because he was no longer his father.

Lin Zhen quickly threw these things out of his head and said, "Look at your situation. Do you want to wait for me in the city or go back with me?"

Without any hesitation, Gu Lin said, "I'll go back with you."

"Okay, I'll ask Yu Wen and Wang Qin and Chen Xing later. If they also go back, we'll be on the road in two days."

"Yeah." Gu Lin naturally had no objection.

He also took advantage of these two days to polish and revise the policy paper he had written at the Luming Banquet, and personally took it to the post station and handed it to Li Quan.

This policy paper not only elaborated on his views that day in detail, but also added the composting method.

This was added by Lin Zhen after he showed the policy paper to him. According to Lin Zhen, the earlier the composting method is promoted, the earlier the people can have a good harvest a year, and the more people can fill their stomachs.

When leaving the post station, Gu Lin had a gift from Li Quan in his hand, a piece of top-quality pine soot ink that is almost unavailable on the market, and a piece of uncut purple jade as big as an adult's fist, with the stone skin removed.

The former was a gift from Li Quan, and the latter was for Lin Zhen.

Because when Li Quan asked Gu Lin where he got the composting method from, Gu Lin said that it was developed by Lin Zhen. Li Quan, who understood the changes that composting could bring to the people, was extremely happy. Considering that Lin Zhen was a brother, he gave this purple jade.

On the other hand, Lin Zhen also asked Huang Yuwen, Chen Xing, and Wang Qin for their opinions. When the three heard that he and Gu Lin were going back to Anyuan Town, they also wanted to go back together. First,

it would take at least half a year to come back after going to Kyoto, and they were worried about their parents and brothers at home. Second, they all had fame, so they naturally wanted to return home in glory to make their families happy.

So two days later, Lin Zhen and Chen Xing gave up their rented house. Wang Qin and Huang Yuwen asked the servants to guard the yard as before, and the group got on the carriage and headed for Anyuan Town.

This time, Lin Zhen learned his lesson. Except for sleeping in the carriage at night, he sat outside with the servants driving the carriage during the day, and his butt was less tortured than last time.

It was the golden autumn season. As soon as we entered the area of ​​Anyuan Town, we saw that the fields reclaimed by the people were full of people. Everyone was busy collecting grain to avoid a year's work being ruined by a rain.

Lin Zhen's body swayed with the carriage. He looked at the farmers who were sweating profusely but smiling on their faces, and he couldn't help but smile.

After experiencing the hellish scene on his way back to Anyuan Town from the capital last year, what he saw now was nothing compared to what he saw.

Soon, the carriage entered the town. Wang Qin leaned on the window and said to Lin Zhen: "Uncle Lin, you can have some tea at my house when we arrive, and then let the carriage take you back."

If it were normal, Lin Zhen would not bother him to come for the three-hour journey, but from the capital to Anyuan Town, even if he sat outside the carriage for most of the time, his waist and legs were still sore, so he nodded: "Okay!"

Wang Qin, who was extremely excited since entering the town, smiled with eight teeth showing, and urged the servants driving the carriage: "Hurry up!"

Huang Yuwen in another carriage didn't know his little thoughts. He just wanted to show off in front of Wang's father and mother after passing the examination. He couldn't wait to make them happy.

The Wang family and the Huang family's houses were next to each other. If it weren't for the two gates, people would believe that they were one family.

The Wang family's doorman was leaning against the wall and drowsy, and suddenly he seemed to hear the voice of the second young master.

The doorman thought he was hallucinating because he heard the master, mistress, eldest son and young mistress talking about the second young master every day, so he leaned his head against the wall and planned to continue taking a nap.

Suddenly, a hand patted his arm: "Your second master is back!"

The doorman woke up suddenly, looked at Wang Qin standing in front of him, and bowed quickly: "The young master is back, I will tell the master and mistress right away."

"You don't have to go in and help, I'll go in and find them myself," Wang Qin had long wanted to give his parents, brother and sister a surprise, and quickly raised his hand to stop the doorman who was about to run in, and asked him to entertain Lin Zhen and Gu Lin well, and ran in first.

He ran through the corridor and came to the main hall at the back where the family lived. The door of the main hall was open, and he could just see his father and eldest brother sitting in the main hall.

Wang Qin ran into the main hall like a hurricane, "Dad, big brother, I'm back after taking the provincial examination."

Mr. Wang and Big Brother Wang, who were talking about this year's rent, were startled by his sudden appearance. After seeing who it was, they stood up and surrounded Wang Qin, "Why are you back? You came back without taking the exam!"

Wang Qin looked at his father, "What are you talking about? I took the exam."

Big Brother Wang stroked his head like a dog at home, "It's okay. It doesn't matter if you didn't do well in the exam. Our family can still afford you to take more exams."

Wang Qin pulled down his rebellious hand, and said with his tail raised, "I have passed the provincial examination and am already a scholar."

Mrs. Wang, who was just informed of the news of Wang Qin's return by the people below and was walking towards the main hall with Wang Yu, twisted her foot and almost fell to the ground.

Mr. Wang and Big Brother Wang also stared at Wang Qin blankly, "Really, he is really a scholar?!"

Their family is a wealthy family in Anyuan Town, but they don't have many connections in the government. In order to be convenient, they have to pay a sum of money every year to open up the door.

As the saying goes, it is easier to deal with the King of Hell than the little devils. The money spent on the people under the county magistrate alone is not a small amount.

Who would have thought that their Wang family would also have a scholar!

Wang Qin was satisfied by the joy and surprise on their faces, and said, "My situation is nothing, Yuwen is even more amazing, he has already become a juren."

"And our friends Chen Xing and Gu Lin who went with us, Chen Xing got 63rd place in the provincial examination, Yuwen got 35th place, and Gu Lin got first place, he is the champion of this provincial examination."

"Hiss——" The three Wang family members took a breath, "Yuwen and the others all passed the examination and became juren!"

"They actually got first place, it's amazing."

Three juren, they are so golden wherever they stand, their county magistrate of Anyuan Town is also a juren.

And the three of them are good friends with their son, maybe their son can also get some of this joy.

Wang Qin said, "Yuwen should go home now and tell Uncle Huang and Aunt Huang the good news. Chen Xing's family lives in the town, so they should go back too. Only Gu Lin and his uncle live in Liyu Village. I'll let them have a cup of tea at home and then call a carriage to take them back." Madam Wang

and Master Wang were at a loss as to what to do with their silly son. They actually asked servants to serve such a distinguished guest, so they quickly asked him to go meet Gu Lin and Lin Zhen.