Nightwatcher

"Strange thing?"

Xu Qi'an opened the chair and sat down, and told Susu to pour water for herself.

I'm not your little concubine, so I just made people like this Su Su, the gorgeous ghost, gave him a look, and poured water obediently, after all, we are talking about the tragedy of her family's death.

She has to rely on this man for help, otherwise she and her master Li Miaozhen alone will not be able to find Chou Yinmao after ten years of investigation.

After Xu Qi'an took a sip of tea, Li Miaozhen said:

"Susu's father is Su Hang. He was a Jinshi in the 29th year of Joan of Arc, and in the 14th year of Yuanjing. For unknown reasons, he was demoted back to Jiangzhou as the magistrate. He was executed the next year for bribery and corruption."

Xu Qi'an stroked the teacup and asked, "What's the problem?"

"Yes," Li Miaozhen looked sideways at Susu, "she doesn't remember that she ever stayed in the capital. Susu's soul is complete. When my master found her, she absorbed the yin energy of the mass graves to practice, and she has a little Achievement, as long as she doesn't leave the mass grave, she can live forever.

"A resentful soul with such a cultivation base will not lose her memory, unless her memory was erased during her lifetime."

Susu said: "Maybe, maybe I have never been to the capital."

Xu Qi'an shook his head: "Anyone who enters the capital as an official will have to move his family to the capital. I'm more inclined to have problems with Susu's memory during his lifetime, um, it's interesting."

The two were silent for a moment, Xu Qi'an said: "Since he is a Beijing official, then the Ministry of Officials will have his information The case files of the Ministry of Officials.

"So don't worry, wait for the opportunity."

Li Miaozhen and Susu nodded.

Xu Qi'an sipped the warm tea and said, "What's your brother's name? How old was he when the Su family had an accident?"

Su Su tilted her head and thought for a while: "My name is Su Chengzhi. He was about eleven or twelve years old when the family accident happened."

The current age is about 31 or 2 years old, so there is no way to find this little brother-in-law.

"I'll try to find it for you, but don't expect too much."

Susu gave a "hmm", knowing that finding relatives was too difficult, so she didn't force her.

After this matter was resolved, Xu Qi'an mentioned the second matter, looked at Li Miaozhen, and said, "When do you plan to start the struggle between heaven and man?"

Li Miaozhen didn't hesitate, "Let's go to war first, and then make an appointment, within seven days."

Xu Qi'an nodded slowly, and bluntly expressed his thoughts: "Before the dispute between heaven and man is over, you'd better leave the capital. No matter what kind of letters you receive or who you contact, don't leave."

Li Miaozhen raised her eyebrows, "You mean someone will be against me?"

"This is obvious." Xu Qi'an sighed: "If you have an accident in the capital, the head of the Tianzong Tao will let it go? I'm afraid the first-rank land gods of the Taoist sect are no worse than Jianzheng."

Susu straightened her paper chest, with an arrogant expression: "Knowing that our Daoist leader is first-rank, who would dare to harm the master?"

Xu Qi'an felt sorry for the female ghost's IQ: "Your father is a Jinshi, but you have not inherited your father's intelligence at all. It is because Miaozhen is the saint of Tianzong that people miss you.

"Your Majesty is obsessed with cultivating Taoism. In order to maintain the stability of power, it has contributed to the current situation of multi-party chaos in the court. Some people have long been dissatisfied with this. The struggle between heaven and man is a good opportunity for them to take advantage of."

"In addition, everyone is aware of the incident. People from all walks of life have poured into Beijing, and there must be spies from other countries among them. These people wish Li Miaozhen could die in the capital."

Susu suddenly realized.

"You are the fourth rank of the Taoist sect. Waiting for idlers is no match for you. Foreign masters of the fourth rank and above want to enter the capital to kill you. It is wishful thinking. And the masters of the imperial court are even less likely to do it in the capital unless they have the will to die."

"Thank you for reminding me, I understand." Li Miaozhen said: "I will arrange a ghost alert around Xu's mansion. If any suspicious person approaches, I will immediately give a warning. At that time, I will take action in advance, or leave Xu's mansion, so that there will be no harm. Your family. Although this possibility is not great."

Then, she couldn't help but mocked: "Damn Emperor Yuan Jing."

Hey, hey, be careful, it's good to talk about this kind of thing on the Internet Xu Qi'an nodded with a smile, got up, and said: "Then, I, an outsider, will not disturb the dreams of the two girls."

Under Li Miaozhen and Susu's slightly blank eyes, they left the room.

March 27 is suitable for consecration, tailoring, travel, and marriage.

Today is the day of the palace examination, and it is exactly one month before the end of the examination.

The sky was hazy, and my aunt got up. She was wearing a well-embroidered long skirt, her hair was a little messy, and she only had a golden hairpin pulled back from her head.

Her beautiful eyes were a little dull, as if she hadn't woken up, and her eye bags were swollen.

While arranging for the cook to cook breakfast for Erlang, the aunt took the maid Lu'e and knocked on the door of Erlang's room.

Xu Xinnian was wearing a light white robe, with a purple jade gift from Layman Ziyang hanging on his waist, and came to open the door for his mother in good spirits.

"Erlang got up so early?" Auntie yawned and said:

"Mother asked the kitchen to make breakfast, Erlang, do you want to sleep for another quarter of an hour, mother will call you."

"Need not."

Xu Erlang is a Confucian scholar of the eighth grade, and his energy is far superior to that of ordinary people. He comforted his mother: "Mother, don't worry, the palace exam is a ranking exam. As I am a Huiyuan, I won't be too low."

My aunt felt relieved at the moment, and led Lu'e out of the room. When she crossed the threshold, she suddenly screamed.

Xu Erlang was taken aback, and ran out of the room to check the situation, and saw a woman in white with a red umbrella standing quietly in the courtyard.

It was not long after the third watch at this time, and it was not yet dawn. The woman was holding a scarlet umbrella and wearing white clothes, with a strange feeling all over her body.

"Madam Xu."

Su Su smiled sweetly and saluted generously.

My aunt breathed a sigh of relief, and said to herself, at this point, she is not sleeping in the room, what is she doing out here. I almost thought I saw a ghost.

Xu Erlang stared at Susu for a moment, then looked away calmly, and said to his aunt, "Mother, go back to your room and rest."

After sending his aunt away, Xu Erlang looked at Susu in the courtyard and said, "Does my elder brother know your identity?"

He sees me as a charm? As expected, Su Su, a student of Yunlu Academy, smiled lightly, outlined two dimples, and said softly:

"You know, he said that he would reshape my physical body and then be his concubine for three years."

This is really something that the eldest brother will do. Is the oiran of the Jiaofang Division no longer able to satisfy his taste? He even missed ghosts.

Xu Nian was dumbfounded and was speechless for a long time.

Knowing that today is the palace examination, just after midnight, the Xu Mansion lit candles, Li Miaozhen heard about this and came out to join in the fun. Everyone had breakfast and sent Xu New Year out of the house.

"Erlang, today is not only a palace exam about your future, but also an opportunity for you to prove your innocence and cleanse yourself of your grievances. You must pass the exam." Wearing armor and holding a helmet, Xu Pingzhi urged earnestly.

Xu Nian nodded as he walked out: "I know, don't worry, Dad, I"

The second half of the sentence suddenly got stuck in his throat, and he looked at the opposite street with a stiff expression. There were two "old acquaintances" standing there, one was a burly and tall monk, wearing a starched and white robe.

One is a swordsman in green shirt, with a strand of white hair hanging down his forehead. He is not very old, but he feels like he has gone through vicissitudes.

These two again, these two again! !

Xu New Year was roaring in his heart.

"That's the big brother's friend." Xu Qi'an patted him on the shoulder to calm the anger in the little brother's heart.

He didn't have any contact with No. 4 before, so Xu New Year was asked to take the blame for him and cover it up. Now that Xu Qi'an's identity was gradually stabilized, Chu Yuanzhen gradually accepted the persona of the number three cousin.

Once the inherent concept is formed, Chu Zhuangyuan will not deliberately scrutinize it, and will not have doubts such as "the number three person is weird". People are always more likely to trust their friends and people they know well, and that's why.

Heng Yuan and Chu Yuanzhen nodded with a smile, and after saying hello, their eyes immediately fell on Li Miaozhen.

This Tianzong saint has a fair and clean oval face, her face is facing the sky, her eyes are like black pearls, clear and bright. The eyebrows are sharp, highlighting the seemingly sharp temperament on her body.

She is not so much a saint of Tianzong, but more like a battle-tested female general. She has been in the army in Yunzhou for a year. Monk Hengyuan put his palms together and smiled at Li Miaozhen.

The aura is restrained, she doesn't let it out, and she can't see through her cultivation. But since she came to the capital, it means that she has stepped into the fourth rank. Hey, after the fiasco with Zhang Kaitai, I haven't fought against the fourth rank for many years.

Chu Yuanzhen had a smile on his face, and fighting spirit was quietly burning in his pupils.

The one with the bald head is number six, and the one with the sword on his back is number four. Yes, number four is exactly as number one said, and he is not following the orthodox path of Renzong. Li Miaozhen nodded his head as a greeting.

As for No. 5 Lina, she was still sound asleep in the room, just like her apprentice Xu Lingyin.

"Da da da"

The three men from the Xu family rode away, Li Miaozhen watched their backs, and Hengyuan's voice came from his ears: "Amitabha, I hope No. 3 can be ranked first in high school."

Chu Yuanzhen chuckled: "It's not bad to be a second-class student. After all, he is a student of Yunlu Academy. However, No. 3 has a big secret."

Hengyuan asked in surprise, "Secret?"

Chu Yuanzhen nodded with a smile, and said in an inscrutable way: "If I'm not wrong, the vision of the clear air in the Sub-Holy Hall of Yunlu Academy is related to No. 3.

"Of course, these are my guesses. There is no basis. Believe it or not."

Hengyuan suddenly realized.

Li Miaozhen's face suddenly became weird, No. 4 and No. 6 didn't know that Xu Qi'an was No. 3, they always thought that Xu New Year was No. 3.

If they know the truth in the future, when they recall what they said today, will they be ashamed as I am, wishing to beat up Xu Qi'an? But he had to hide it for him.

Because in this way, everyone can pretend that nothing happened.

Thinking of this, she looked at No. 4 and No. 6 with pity.

The darkness was the thickest before dawn, and four hundred tributes gathered outside the Meridian Gate, waiting for the palace examination.

Surrounded by two rows of imperial guards holding torches, they were as motionless as sculptures.

Civil and military officials gathered together, watching the tributes who participated in the palace examination from a distance, and whispering a few words from time to time. Only officials from the Ministry of Rituals worked hard to maintain order on the scene.

The third time to verify the identity and count the number of people.

The Meridian Gate has five openings, three main entrances and two side entrances. Usually when going to court, civil and military officials all enter from the side, and only the emperor and empress can go through the main entrance.

Of course, the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 1 players can also enjoy the honor of going to the front door once.

Xu Nian, who is Huiyuan, stands at the head of the tribute, with his head held high and his face expressionless. That posture, as if everyone here is rubbish.

However, scholars still like it very much, especially when a talented Huiyuan poses in such a posture, even the officials in the distance are admiring in their hearts:

This son is extraordinary.

The drums sounded, and the three links were completed. Civil and military officials entered the Meridian Gate first, and then the tributes, led by officials from the Ministry of Rites, also passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Jinshui Bridge, and stopped at the square outside the Jinluan Hall.

Xu Nian squinted his eyes and looked at the Jinluan Hall in the distance. He could only see the civil and military officials on Dan Majesty, but he had no chance to see the performances in the Jinluan Hall.

After a long time, the civil and military officials withdrew from the court, and the next step was the palace examination.

Even Xu New Year couldn't help but get nervous at this time.

"gulu"

Gongshili, there was the sound of swallowing saliva.

In such a tense atmosphere, everyone suddenly heard noisy voices behind them, scolding and cursing.

I couldn't help but look back, through the opening of the Meridian Gate, I vaguely saw a warlock in white, blocking the way of civil and military officials.

The white-clothed man turned his back to the crowd and ignored the scolding around him.

Xu Xinnian, the eighth grade of Confucianism, even vaguely heard scolding.

"Yang Qianhuan, do you want to rebel? Get out of here quickly."

"Yang Qianhuan, what do you want to do? This is the Meridian Gate. Today is the imperial examination. You can't make trouble if you want to."

Amidst the furious cursing, a deep sigh came, and the white robe said slowly: "Er Cao's body and name are destroyed, and the rivers and rivers will not be ruined forever! Bah"

There was such a moment of silence, and the next moment, all the civil and military officials were in an uproar, and the scene was in chaos.

"Fa, what happened?" A tribute asked blankly.

"This, isn't this the Yin Gong Xu Qi'an's poem mocking the princes, then, that white clothes seems to be the person of Si Tianjian?"

"He's gone"

More than 400 Gongshi, no matter how hard it was to keep quiet, whispered to each other, and kept looking back at the Meridian Gate.

"Silence!" The official of the Ministry of Rites shouted loudly, "It's none of your business, you can take the exam with peace of mind, if anyone keeps whispering, they will be expelled from the Meridian Gate, and they will wait for another three years when they go home."

The gongshi immediately dared not speak.

The princes who had just dispersed returned, either with gloomy faces, excited expressions, or filled with righteous indignation, and entered the Golden Luan Hall. Then there was arguing inside.

A quarter of an hour later, the princes came out of the Golden Luan Hall and never came back.

Yang Qianhuan's name is so familiar, it seems that he has heard of Xu Erlang somewhere and murmured in his heart.

"Chinese-style tribute from Yunlu Academy in Beijing, Xu New Year."

At this time, the voice of the official from the Ministry of Rites interrupted Xu Nian's thoughts. He came back to his senses, took the sealed test paper from the preface officer of Honglu Temple, and strode into the Jinluan Hall with his head held high.

The palace examination only examines strategies and questions, only one day, and the papers are handed in at dusk.

Xu Xinnian left the palace in the afterglow of the setting sun. At the gate of the imperial city, he saw his elder brother sitting on the back of a horse, holding the rein of another horse, waiting with a smile on his face.

"I told Second Uncle that I will pick you up." Xu Qi'an asked, "How did you do in the exam?"

"good!"

Xu Nian said lightly, "If I were a student of the Imperial Academy, I would be very stable."

Stop pretending! Xu Qi'an nodded in satisfaction: "That's right, you deserve the prestige of a big brother like this, and people won't call you a tiger brother or dog brother in the future."

Xu Nian sighed: "Even though the elder brother is well-known, he is not a scholar after all. If Xu's family wants to gain a firm foothold in the capital and be respected by others, it must have a scholar who graduated from the imperial examination."

Xu Qi'an said "Yes", "Erlang worked hard, I just came out of Princess Lin'an's residence."

"" Xu Xinnian cupped his hands.

He lost, but he still couldn't pretend to be a big brother.

Xu Qi'an threw the reins to Xu Erlang, and said, "Erlang, you have passed the imperial examination. Tonight, big brother treats you to the Jiaofang Division to celebrate."

"Mother and sister?" Xu Xinian frowned.

"I told my aunt that today is the night patrol. As for you, after the palace exam is over, isn't it normal to have a drink with your classmates?" Xu Qi'an said.

"Brother is right." Xu Nian laughed.