Rise From the Humble

The red sun is three feet high, and the golden furnace is filled with fragrant animals one after another.

In the early morning, the Linhuai Marquis Mansion was resplendent under the sunlight. Red lanterns, green bonsais, screens embroidered with exquisite patterns, carved phoenix incense burners for burning incense, and various items rarely seen by ordinary people were all displayed. The decoration of Linhuaihou's Mansion suddenly changed.

The maids and maids of Linhuai Marquis Mansion all dressed up early, put on the new clothes given by the house, put on the jewelry given by their masters, dressed up beautifully, and got busy.

Today is the 60th birthday of the old lady of the Hou Mansion. The maids and servants of the Linhuai Hou Mansion got up early in the morning to clean the court, serve the master to wash up, and under the command of the stewards, packed the Hou Mansion properly and put out the things needed for the birthday. Get ready.

Zhu Ping'an got up and washed up as usual. He put on the new clothes brought by the little maid Baozi yesterday. He wore an ink-colored robe, white deerskin boots, and his hair was simply pulled up. Although his appearance was ordinary, there was something about him under the clothes. A touch of nobility.

However, there is a big gap compared with Mr. Zheng.

Mr. Zheng stood at the door of Zhu Pingan's courtyard with his hands behind his back. He was wearing brocade clothes with jade belts and fluttering sleeves. He also held a bone fan in his hand behind his back. It looked like the jade trees were facing the wind. Standing there was a beautiful scenery, and he was full of preciousness. The air is rippling and the style is transparent.

"Today's Madam's birthday banquet has many distinguished guests. You are incompetent and have nothing to gain, so don't lose the face of the Marquis. When you go out later, I advise you to stay quietly in the corner, so as not to injure cousin Shu'er's face. Light."

Mr. Zheng, who stood with his hands behind his hands, stood at the door of the small courtyard of Zhu Ping'an's guest room and finished speaking. Then he left with his hands behind his back. His lonely figure looked like a lonely master.

Well

The concave half-day shape early in the morning blocked me at the door. Just to say this to me, look at the posture of shaking your legs when walking, they must be cramped after being sunken for so long! Well, I'll take that attitude at you. I'll give you 80 points for this pretending. Zhu Pingan couldn't help but smile when he looked at Mr. Zheng shaking his legs and leaving.

When Zhu Ping'an arrived at the front yard, he found that he had been arranged in a corner and was ignored.

The Hou Mansion organized several courtyards and used the front hall as a place to entertain guests. There were dozens of tables for birthday banquets, but Zhu Ping'an's table was alone in the corner, and you couldn't see it unless you looked carefully.

Early in the morning, the second master of the house, who had been away from home for ten days and a half, was busy outside for who knows what, and he also had a rosy look. From the outside, he rushed back to Linhuaihou's mansion. As soon as he entered the door, he went straight to the old lady's yard to say hello to the old lady.

The old lady is the birthday girl, and the furnishings in the room are also full of longevity. The image of Magu offering birthdays is a standard feature of the room. There is also a white jade carved old fairy offering peaches on the table by the window. The old birthday girl is smiling with a smile on her face. Holding a fairy peach, the carving is lifelike. Of course, a big Chinese character "Shou" is indispensable in the room. The font is full of immortality and longevity.

The floor of the room was covered with a scarlet blanket, on which was embroidered a big birthday character. In the middle of the room, there was a mahogany table with a stove burning incense and two red candles next to it. It is as thick as a child's wrist, and has the word "longevity" carved on it.

There is longevity everywhere in the room, and there is no joy in life.

The old lady of the Hou Mansion was sitting in the room wearing a red birthday suit, and the girl from the Discipline Inspection Commission was waiting on her to comb her hair.

"My son has paid his respects to his mother." After the second master entered the old lady's house, he smiled and knelt down to pay her respects.

"You scoundrel, you still know how to come home, so please be safe. I will be disturbed by your scoundrel." When the old lady saw her second son enter the door, she waved her hand to let the girl combing her hair out of the way, and cursed , Holding Yu Ruyi as a gesture to hit the second son.

"My mother has wronged my son. These days, my son has not messed around. My son has found the most effective temple. These days, my son bathes and fasts, and kneels under the Bodhisattva to recite scriptures. The scriptures are also specially asked by the Zen master for advice." "The Sutra of Prolonging Years and Increasing Life", believers say that this sutra is the most effective. The son recited it several times last night, and in order to catch up with his mother's birthday, he stopped talking and rushed back overnight. If you give birth to your son, your mother will be relieved, and your son will be willing to be beaten by your mother every day."

The second master knew that the old lady was unwilling to give up the beating, so he stretched his head over with a smile, as if he was willing to be beaten even after being wronged.

"You're so old, I'm not ashamed. If there weren't foreign guests coming today, I would have to loosen your skin." Seeing her second son like this, the old lady couldn't help laughing and scolding.

"Why don't you bother mother to do it? Mother, just give me a message and my son will do it himself. I'm sure to satisfy mother." The second master said with a smile.

"I'm not doing anything right. I'll settle the score with you another day." The old lady laughed and scolded her.

"Smiles are always happy and comfortable, and the pearls are round and beautiful. The body is healthy. My son is celebrating his mother's birthday. I wish the old birthday star good luck like the East China Sea, and the sun and the moon are prosperous. The Songhe Changchun, the spring and autumn are not old, the life is longer than Nanshan, and the joy is far longer."

The second master knelt on the ground, took the small silver pot from the maid's hand, poured a cup of tea, and smiled to wish the old lady her birthday.

"Okay, okay, let's go and help your brother in the front yard. You're not a decent person." The old lady took the teacup and took a sip.

"Son, resign."

The second master complained, got up and left. When he was about to exit the door, he touched the buttocks of the little maid who was holding the curtain at the door without leaving any trace.

The little maid's face turned red when she was touched, and she nodded to the second master with excitement, as if she had agreed on something.

Not long after waiting for the second master to leave, the second young lady of the Hou Mansion took the lead and led Li Shu, the daughter of the Hou Mansion, Fatty Zhou, and the naughty little Lolita to come in with a snoring. They sorted themselves by class and slipped into the room, giggling. He smiled and knelt down to pay birthday respects to the old lady.

When everyone in the Hou Mansion knelt down to pray for the birthday of the old lady of the Hou Mansion, a white-faced and beardless Xiao Huangmen rode his horse to the Shuntian Gongyuan in the southeast of the capital again, and handed the sealed book bag to Xu Jie and others. In the hands of all examiners.

After Xu Jie and others broke the intact seal in front of Xiao Huangmen, Xiao Huangmen resigned and was escorted away by Jin Yiwei.

After Xu Jie and other examiners opened the seal, they found that inside were the draft list and past life test papers they submitted to the imperial examination, as well as a note.

"How to send talents down."

There were only these six simple words on the note, and nothing else. There was no instruction from Emperor Jiajing on the draft list, not even a single ink dot.

This kind of note was Emperor Jiajing's unique art of controlling people. The words on the note were code words. Emperor Jiajing liked to use this method to control his ministers. I have to admit that Emperor Jiajing's political skills were very strong and he was very skilled in the emperor's mental tricks. This kind of paper could perfectly control the government affairs in his hands. Of course, Emperor Jiajing did not rely on this kind of skill to control people. This was just one of Emperor Jiajing's many political tactics. However, this code word is definitely the most representative scene among the many tricks.

The code words on this kind of note are extremely irregular. It can be said that Emperor Jiajing did whatever he wanted, but it nevertheless represented Emperor Jiajing's thoughts and intentions. If you can't understand Emperor Jiajing's thoughts represented on the note, then how can you satisfy Emperor Jiajing with your errands? If Emperor Jiajing is dissatisfied, then don't even think about being promoted. It would be good if you are not punished. Therefore, if you were an official during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, understanding the code words to identify the Jiajing Emperor was a required course. The most outstanding minister in this course is Yan Song. He can read the code words of Emperor Jiajing and understand them thoroughly. However, it is said that the best person in reading code words is Yan Song's son Yan Shifan. It is said that Yan Song cannot read some of Emperor Jiajing's code words. He understands, but his son Yan Shifan can read it and does it word by word, so Yan Song can firmly take the position of chief minister.

What should be done to reduce talents? "Jiang" means "coming to select". The clear meaning of this sentence is, what should be done to select talents?

Isn't our imperial examination just to select talents?

Yan Maoqing and others looked at this note and pondered over and over again. They were at a loss. What did the emperor mean by this?

Xu Jie looked at the note with a clear smile. I'm not bad at playing code words.

These six words do not ask how talents should be selected, but how the test paper for demoting talents should be ranked. In other words, where should the test paper for demoting talents be ranked? Obviously, the emperor asked how this paper should be ranked as it was a test paper with the word "demoting talents" in Qing Ci.

Why ask that.

Isn’t it clear at a glance what the emperor means?