Denghuaxiao

Chapter 76 Mountain seedlings and pine trees

The tribute examination was a major event in the Liang Dynasty. The news on the Autumn Palace swept every corner of Shengjing like a violent wind.

The vendors on West Street all came out of their shops, squeezing the originally narrow West Street to the brim.

“Have you heard that the scholar who died in the Gongyuan Hall was actually Wu Xiucai from our West Street Fresh Fish Shop?”

"Where did this rumor come from? Youcai is usually kind and honest to others. He doesn't go anywhere except reading books and fish stalls. Who would have any trouble with him? I'm afraid he heard it wrong?" This was said by the warm-hearted Sister-in-law Song. .

Widow Sun, who was well-informed, was passing by with a vegetable basket on her arm. Seeing this, she moved forward and said, "I just came back from the Gongyuan. The scholar was not poisoned by others, he died after drinking the poison himself."

"Drinking poison by yourself?" Everyone looked at her, "You are so good, why do you drink poison by yourself?"

Just as Widow Sun was about to reply, another wailing sound came from the end of the street: "You are talented—"

The crowd looked forward and saw an old man with a sallow complexion and a thin face, with a gray beard and tears streaming down his clothes, staggering up the street. Someone recognized him as Father Xun from the entrance of the temple, and asked, "Father Xun, what are you doing?" Didn’t you also end up this year? What happened in Gongyuan? "

As soon as he said this, Father Xun burst into tears again, coughed and sighed: "You are the one who was forced by those people -"

People around him crowded towards him and asked him questions. The figures were far apart, as if they were densely packed ink characters on the examination paper, swirling towards him, reminding Father Xun of the scene in the Gongyuan. —

The people from the Military and Horse Division took away the twelve people who took the exam, and the medical officer also found Youcai's paper bag containing poison in the exam basket. These alone were not enough to prove that Wu Youcai committed suicide by taking poison.

It was Wu Youcai’s last scroll that truly confirmed the truth about his suicide.

Since Wu Youcai broke the window of the dormitory before the end of the last game, even because of the critical situation, this year's autumn results cannot be counted. Several examiners from the Ministry of Rites were taken away for questioning by people from the Department of Criminal Justice, and the bachelor from the Hanlin Academy took away Wu Youcai's paper.

At that time, they, the candidates, were still immersed in the lingering fear of the death of Gongyuan and the anger of Qiu Wei for cheating in the examination, but Father Xun saw the bachelor staring at Wu Youcai's paper with a strange look on his face.

 He ​​and Wu Youcai had a friendship of the same age, and he felt sorry for Wu Youcai's fate, so he shyly approached the bachelor and wanted to see what Wu Youcai wrote on the last scroll before his death.

 He saw—

　　"What a pity for a Confucian, he never tires of learning. His eyes are dark when he reads, and his hand is callous when he writes..."

With tears in his eyes, Father Xun raised his head and shouted: "If those examiners hadn't colluded with the candidates to take the autumn exam in broad daylight, how could a talented person have wasted more than ten years without a name?

“He knew that fraud was rampant and it was difficult for ordinary people to shake high-ranking officials, so he had no choice but to die to show his ambition and use his own death to attract people to thoroughly investigate the examination room.”

 “Mountain seedlings and stream pines, the terrain changes with the heights...the terrain changes with the heights!”

He screamed sadly, and there was also a sense of resentment in his heart that things harmed others. Wu Youcai died to expose the darkness of the examination room. The twelve people who took the exam were taken away. The examiner caught the interrogator, but Wu Youcai lost his life. Even in the past twelve years, maybe he could have been nominated for a gold medal, shined at the top of his family, and let his mother see his potential, but this possibility was cut off.

 The same goes for himself.

 Winning fame all his life, only to realize in the end that all his efforts were in vain. The most unbearable thing in the world is not getting something, but losing something that could have been gained.

unfair!

 The old Confucian's depression had not yet calmed down, when the boy from Tailor Sun's house at the end of the street came running hurriedly again. While running, he shouted, "It's not good, it's not good, uncles and aunts! Many officers and soldiers have gone to Brother Wu's house in the fresh fish shop, and they are searching everywhere, as if they want to punish Brother Wu!"

"Purpose a crime?" Sister-in-law Song asked suspiciously, "All the talented people are dead, so what crime should be punished?"

“It’s said...it’s said that Brother Wu’s residence took poison, which is an act of disrupting the examination room and shaking people’s hearts. We are currently searching the Wu family to see if there are any relatives who want to be taken away together.”

Relatives? Wu Youcai's only mother passed away last month. He was alone and had no relatives. The officer's idea of ​​repeating the crime was afraid that it would come to nothing this time.

Just... disrupting the examination hall and shaking people's hearts?

 The surroundings gradually became quiet.

After a long time, someone in the crowd said, "Isn't this just bullying?"

 “Oh, human life is really worth less than grass.”

 …

As to whether human life is worth less than grass, Hu Yuanwai is currently arguing with others.

In the dilapidated thatched house of the Fresh Fish Shop, a group of scholars crowded at the door, confronting the officials with swords.

The officials at the trial court quickly occupied the Wu family's house after the Gongyuan case. The curtains in the house had not been removed in the past few days, and the white cloth lanterns had been violently torn down by the officials. The inside and outside were in a mess, making the empty house even more lonely and desolate.

Hu Yuanwai's face turned red with anger. He raised his arms and blocked the door to prevent the officials from leaving: "You are going too far!"

Wu Xiucai is dead. He committed suicide by taking poison in his dormitory in Gongyuan, because he discovered that in the examination room where he had worked hard for more than ten years, there was another kind of ladder invisible to ordinary people. Frustrated, he committed suicide by taking poison. No matter why he announced in the examination room that someone had poisoned him, the answer was already given in his last examination paper.

Ordinary people have been bullied to this point and even lost their lives. However, in the eyes of the superior men, they cannot see the suffering of the people and only see the stigma of "picking provocations and disturbing the examination room". Even after death, there is no peace. The residence must be so trashed.

If Mrs. Wu had not passed away now, wouldn't this seriously ill old mother also be implicated? Every step the officials took in the dilapidated house seemed to trample on the hearts of ordinary people.

Although Hu Yuanwai was pedantic in the past, he had always been kind-hearted. He was an old friend of Wu Youcai. When he saw Wu Youcai end up like this, he felt sad and angry for him. Now he was even more furious. He led a group of scholars at the door of Wu's house to seek an explanation for Wu Youcai.

The officials looked at the scholars with contempt and said, "Get out of the way. If you disturb the government officials again, I will arrest you too!"

 “No!”

The official ran out of patience and pushed the scholar in front of him away. The scholar was so thin that he fell to the ground after being pushed so viciously.

Normally, a group of ordinary people would naturally not want to quarrel with officials. However, perhaps it is because this thatched cottage is too shabby and the white flags hanging are too dazzling, or perhaps it is because a group of scholars gathered together, with a sense of justice and impulse. There was always a lot of turbulence. Hu Yuanwai's blood rushed to his head. For a moment, he forgot to protect himself wisely and suddenly rushed towards the officers and soldiers in front of him.

“It’s too much to bully others, I’ll fight with you—”

 …

Hu Yuanwai led a group of scholars to fight with the officials at the entrance of the temple. When the news came back to Renxin Medical Center, Du Changqing was also shocked.

"Old Hu fights? How can he fight with others when he is an old man and can curse?"

"It's true." Acheng curled his lips, "Many neighbors on the West Street have gone to help, and now it's a mess." At first, it was just the scholars who had a dispute with the officers and soldiers because of Wu Youcai. Those officials behaved arrogantly and spoke with disdain and contempt for ordinary people. The neighbors who called West Street to help break up the fight were also outraged. For some reason, the officials and the common people started fighting.

Not to mention, this group of neighbors on West Street looked inconspicuous, but they each had their own advantages when it came to fighting, and they didn't get the favor from the officials. But if this continues, I'm afraid it will be necessary to take him back to crack things up.

Acheng asked: "Master, do we want to help?"

Du Changqing said nothing and looked at Lu Yun in front of the medicine cabinet.

Xia Rongrong's master and servant went out, and Lu Yan was checking the newly collected medicinal materials. The hospital in autumn was not as hot as it was a while ago, and her peaceful look made the surroundings feel even colder.

Du Changqing sent Acheng to sweep the floor at the door. He approached Lu Huan in a few steps, stared at her and whispered: "Did you do what happened to Wu Xiucai?"

Lu Zong paused and looked up at him.

He lowered his voice, unable to hide the anxiety in his eyes, "That day you went to his house to deliver the money, and you went there for a long time... He committed suicide by taking poison, was it the poison you gave him?"

Lu Yan looked at him quietly for a long time, then nodded slightly.

Du Changqing looks careless and careless on the outside, not very reliable in everything, but in certain details, he is extraordinarily careful and shrewd.

"He's crazy, and so are you!" Du Changqing couldn't help but raise his voice, fearing that Acheng would hear it, and hurriedly lowered his body, gritting his teeth and staring at Lu Chen: "He asked you for poison, and you gave it to him. Do you think this You’re helping him, but you’re getting yourself involved too!”

 Lu Zhuo was startled.

Du Changqing actually thought it was Wu Youcai who asked her for the poison.

 That's right, in Du Changqing's eyes, she had no reason to encourage Wu Youcai to commit suicide for no reason.

"Wu Xiucai, too!" Du Changqing licked his lips and said, "Why do you want to take poison in the dormitory? It's inexplicable! No matter how frustrated you are, you won't even risk your life."

Lu Zhuo's eyes moved and he said calmly: "Poor and lowly people have nothing, and when they die, they take off the word "hate". Rich people have everything, and when they die, they wear the word "love". Take off the word The word "hate" is like being relieved of a heavy burden; the word "love" is like carrying a yoke."

Du Changqing said angrily: "Don't be so literate, I don't understand."

She was silent and then said: "The poor have nothing but a humble life. Since it is difficult to get justice in life, it is good to fight for this life and drag a few people down. For Wu Youcai, dying like this is the best choice. A relief."

“Really?” Du Changqing wondered, “Wu Xiucai thinks so?”

 Lu Zong smiled.

 Wu Youcai certainly thinks so.

 Because, she thought so too.

Du Changqing waved his hand: "I only know that it is better to die than to live. Forget it, if I don't mention this, everyone will be gone, and it is useless to talk about it. The matter is getting serious now. I will investigate here and there in case I find you." what to do?"

He pressed his forehead and said: "Although you just gave poison, if Gongju caused such a big scandal, the people who suffered the loss will inevitably find someone to vent their anger on. Wu Xiucai is dead. If you are found guilty, you are in trouble But it’s too big. Now one of us is half the boss, and I’m relying on you to get rich. If you end up in Zhao Prison halfway, who should I cry to?”

“Doctor Lu,” he slapped the table and sounded serious, as if he was going to do a big business with others, “we have to think of a countermeasure in advance.”

Lu Zhen was stunned for a moment.

She didn't expect that at this point, Du Changqing would still treat them as a group and worry so much about her future that she didn't say anything for a while.

While he was silent, someone lifted up the felt curtain on one side, and Yin Zheng's face emerged from behind the curtain, looking at the two of them: "I have an idea, do you want to hear it?"

Du Changqing's eyes widened, and Yin Zheng hurriedly defended: "I didn't eavesdrop on purpose, I just happened to be standing here to hear it."

Du Changqing subconsciously glanced at Lu Huan, and when he saw that Lu Huan had no reaction, he snorted: "Tell me, what bad idea do you have?"

Yin Zheng walked in and got close to the two of them. Looking from a distance, the three of them were like an inseparable ball of thread. Yin Zheng said: "Now the officials and the scholars are quarreling. It's not the east wind that overwhelms them." The west wind means that the west wind prevails over the east wind. If they want to take the lead, Wu Xiucai must be punished, otherwise the girl will be implicated. It is better to strike first."

 “Strike first to gain the upper hand?”

Yin Zheng stroked her hair, and there was a cunning light in her bright eyes: "Those officials who dare to be so arrogant are just relying on their official skin. If they take off that skin, there will be nothing. scary."

Du Changqing laughed: "You are just peeling the shrimp shells."

Yin Zheng ignored him and said to herself: "Didn't Father Xun say that Wu Xiucai decided to die because he was disheartened about taking the exam? He even left a poem on the exam paper before he died. How many scholars in Shengjing always... They may not all be young masters from wealthy families. Students from ordinary families will inevitably feel sympathy for each other when they see them. People's hearts are full of flesh and blood. Those officials have a guilty conscience, so we have to make the matter bigger and make them anxious. It’s also a way to vent your anger for Wu Xiucai!”

 When she said this, her tone was sonorous and forceful, without her usual caution at all. Looking carefully, it seemed that there was still a little eagerness to try.

Lu Tong thought, maybe he stayed with himself for too long? Yin Zheng is the same now. Every time he talks about being scared, in fact he seems to enjoy the sudden stimulation brought by this secret arrangement.

Du Changqing touched his chin and thought for a moment, then humbly asked for advice: "Excuse me, how can we make things worse?"

"This is not simple," Yin Zheng glanced at him, "As the saying goes, there are four kinds of people in the world who cannot be offended, wandering monks, beggars, idle men, and toothless people. Shopkeeper Du has so many leisurely friends. He can call them all at will. You can teach others to endure hardships, right?"

I don't know whether this was a compliment or a criticism. Du Changqing was also choked up. He couldn't find the words to answer for a moment and stood there staring at Yin Zheng.

On the other hand, when Lu Zong heard this, he couldn't help but lower his head and smile. When he raised his head again, he also showed a rare hint of teasing towards Du Changqing.

 “I think this is a good idea.”

She said: "Shopkeeper Du, I'm completely relying on your help this time."

“There are four kinds of people in this world that you cannot mess with...” - "Three Words and Two Pats"

“It’s sad to be a Confucian...Mountain seedlings and stream pines...” - "It’s sad to be a Confucian"

 (End of this chapter)