Women Wearing Men: The Growth Path of the Bastards of the Aristocratic Family

Everyone in the Gu family didn't expect Cheng Yan to get Yayuan in this provincial examination. They were shocked, but they couldn't help but look at him with admiration. For a moment, they looked at Cheng Yan with a little more inquiry and respect.

The first time he took part in the township examination, he took the Zhongya Yuan test in one fell swoop, and according to Gu Yunji, Cheng Yan started studying at the age of ten, and now he is only 17 years old. In just seven years, he has completed the leap from Baiding to Juren. It's a genius, it's a ghost.

To be honest, even Gu Mingxuan, who is proud of the Gu family, is far inferior to Cheng Yan.

Thinking of this, Gu Zhengde, who has been an official for decades, now has a rare feeling of regret.

If he didn't care so much about the face of the Gu family, if he had cared a little bit about Cheng Yan's feelings, if he could have trusted Gu Yunji's vision of making friends and paid more attention to Cheng Yan... Would the situation be completely different now?At least, Cheng Yan would not be so repulsive and alienated from the Gu family.

It's a pity that there is no if.

It is better to bully the white-headed man than bully the young and poor.Thinking of him, Gu Zhengde, who was smart all his life, he still makes the mistake of hastily underestimating others when he is old, it's really ridiculous.Gu Zhengde sighed imperceptibly, his eyes gradually dimmed.

Looking at Cheng Yan, who was surrounded and flattered by everyone, but still calm and humble, without any ostentatious arrogance, Gu Kaiqi's eyes became more appreciative, and he couldn't help nodding in satisfaction.

He was able to pass the imperial examination at the age of 17. With Cheng Yan's talent, it was almost a sure thing to pass the Jinshi examination and be selected for the Imperial Academy. Even if he entered the cabinet one day and became an important minister near the emperor, it was not impossible.

At the beginning, it was only a little bit close, and Cheng Yan could be recruited and let him become the support of the Gu family. If it wasn't for Gu Mingan...

Thinking of this, Gu Kaiqi narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression turned cold.

There are many people who have similar ideas with Gu Kaiqi.So in an instant, Gu Mingan in the corner was suddenly locked on by several chilly eyes, which made him shiver. He shrank his neck for some unknown reason, buried his head lower, and tried to reduce his sense of existence.

After congratulating Cheng Yan, the noise in the hall gradually dissipated, and as the familiar silence returned, everyone in the Gu family continued to fall into great anxiety and tension.

The township examination report is based on the rankings from the back to the front. Cheng Yan is No.2, which means that only Xie Yuan is left. But it has been so long, and there is no news. Could it be that Gu Yunji didn't win?
Time passed bit by bit, Gu Yunji was wrapped in deathly silence, his hands and feet gradually became cold.

Even though he was as calm as Gu Zhengde, he couldn't sit still because of the torment at this moment, so he beckoned someone to come: "Has the person sent to the Gong Yuan to read the list come back with a message?"

The attendant bowed his head and replied: "Go back to the old lady, not yet."

Gu Kaili stood up impatiently: "Then send someone to urge you! No matter if you win or not, you have to send a message back. You can't tell the people in our room to just wait like this!"

The release of the list is later than the announcement of the good news, and the family can't wait for the news of the selection. Can you still see the name on the list out of thin air?The attendant slandered silently, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. After Gong Shun agreed, he turned around and left.

"Ding, dong——ding, thump——ding, thump—"

A mechanical bell sounded, and Gu Yunji's empty eyes sparkled a little, and he turned his neck stiffly to follow the sound, and saw the Western clock in the corner swinging the pendulum, and the pointer on the clock face just stopped on the Roman numeral twelve—— Calculated according to the time of the Great Xia Dynasty, it was four quarters noon.

In the minds of the people of the Great Xia Dynasty, the third quarter of noon is the most yang moment of the day, and many important affairs that need to be carried out in the morning will be completed before this time point, and even the cut is at noon Three minutes to go.

Now that the three quarters of the noon have passed, and the time has come to four quarters of the noon, this means that the township examination announcing the good news is over, and they can't wait for the announcing officer.

In an instant, Gu Yunji suddenly felt as if his throat was being choked, and his whole body sank into deep water. The indescribable suffocation hit him like an overwhelming feeling, making him unable to breathe.In just a few moments, despair appeared in his eyes, and a look of despair appeared on his face.

"Impossible..." Cheng Yan shook his head in disbelief, and murmured, "It's impossible for Yun Ji to miss..."

As a friend and classmate living and studying at Luxi Academy, besides Xu Chengyu, Cheng Yan is the one who knows Gu Yunji's strength best.In the past few years, Gu Yunji's grades have always been among the best, and most of the time his ranking was higher than Cheng Yan. If there is a comparison between the two, Gu Yunji must be the one who wins.

Now even he passed the Yayuan exam, how could Gu Yunji not pass?
Not only Cheng Yan, but the rest of the Gu family also found it difficult to accept this result.

From being the head of the county trial case to being accepted as a disciple by Xu Chengyu, to being commended by the emperor, Gu Yunji gradually refreshed the Gu family's perception of him.Correspondingly, the Gu family's expectations of him have also been raised a little bit.

Gu Yunji, who showed extraordinary talent in front of everyone, made the Gu family subconsciously think that he would pass the provincial examination this time. Gu Kaili even prepared all the banquets and firecrackers, waiting for the good news to arrive, and then began to celebrate with gongs and drums. , Let the neighbors know that the Gu family has produced another genius.

But looking at the current situation, he might not have this chance.

Gu Zhengde frowned, and after a long silence, he said: "...Could it be that you accidentally dirty the test paper, Yunji, which made it impossible to enter the book, so you have no grades?"

Gu Zhengde has read many of Gu Yunji's articles. Whether it is his own literary talent or his familiarity with the imperial examination questions, he is at the top level, and it is impossible for him to fail the exam under normal circumstances.Unless—— an accident.

The imperial examination has extremely strict requirements on the examinee’s answer sheet. There must be no omissions, no defects, no illegible handwriting, no mess on the paper, and even slightly larger ink blobs. If there is anything wrong, it may be judged as dirty, Discarded papers cannot be included in the book, and there are no grades and rankings.

Hearing this, Gu Yunji's dull expression did not fluctuate at all, his eyes were still empty and empty, like an empty shell that had lost its soul, and it took a while to slowly shake his head to express his denial.

He has been preparing for the rural examination for three full years, so how could he not know the relevant requirements of the paper? During the entire rural examination, he was careful and careful. He checked every paper repeatedly to make sure that there was nothing wrong with the paper. .

Seeing Gu Yunji shaking his head, Gu Zhengde's face turned solemn: "Since there are no dirty or waste papers, it may be that there are omissions in the papers during the transfer process, or something went wrong. No matter what, we can't just accept it like this. Next, at least there must be a result."

With that said, Gu Zhengde stood up and made a gesture to go out: "Let's apply for a grade review. I want to see what is wrong with it!"

Just at this time, a young servant came in and reported: "Great old man, big old man, Mr. Meng Yuanjin, the academic officer, is here to visit."

Hearing the arrival of the academic officer Meng Yuanjin, Gu Kaili was taken aback for a moment, then with a wry smile on his face, he sighed resignedly and said, "Please come in."

According to the usual practice, after the release of the results of each township examination, the academic officer, as a representative of the state's academic administration, will personally go to the homes of the top three to encourage the candidates, showing that the government and the imperial court value and care for the scholars.

Meng Yuanjin's visit to Gu's family at this time is probably to visit Cheng Yan specifically, which also shows from the side that the township examination has indeed ended, and Gu Yunji has no chance.

Hearing this, Gu Yunxiao and the others, who had just had a glimmer of hope, suddenly gave up completely, and the light in their eyes was completely extinguished.

But Gu Yunji was still silent, not saying a word, not talking or laughing, like a puppet without emotion, Cheng Yan was very distressed when he saw it.Wanting to go forward to comfort him, but worried about the coming guests, he had no choice but to restrain his emotions and look at him worriedly.

Disappointment is disappointment, but Gu Kaili is an old fritter who has been in the officialdom for more than ten years, and he will not express his feelings on his face.In order to pass the scene, he quickly cleaned up his emotions, put on a kind smile, and greeted him warmly:

"Brother Meng! A rare visitor!"

Meng Yuanjin was dressed in a formal official uniform, with a smile on his face, he shook Gu Kaili's hand affectionately, and jokingly said: "Look at what brother Gu said, didn't I bring the whole family to have a drink when the old man celebrated his birthday last year? How can you be considered a rare visitor?"

Gu Kaili and Meng Yuanjin were in the same year, and they were both Jinshi in the same imperial examination, so their relationship can be considered close.Therefore, although Gu Kaili's official rank is higher, the two of them don't have too many polite words when they meet, and they get along more casually and naturally.

"You still have the nerve to mention it? When did my old man celebrate his birthday? It's been almost a year, and I don't want to walk around more!" Gu Kaili raised his eyebrows pretending to be angry, and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The official uniform on his body, "This visit is also for business, right?"

Meng Yuanjin smiled slightly: "That's right. I heard that Cheng Yan, the runner-up of this year's provincial examination, is currently residing in your mansion temporarily. As the promotion officer in charge of education and administration in Songjiang Mansion, he should come here to express his concern and encouragement to the new candidates."

As he spoke, Meng Yuanjin raised his head, and his eyes slowly swept across the people in the hall.

He is very familiar with the Gu family, and there are only two strange young people in the hall that he has never seen before. One is standing quietly at the side, holding a scroll of the good news in his hand. It is Yayuan Chengyan; He didn't speak a word, and looked a little slumped. It should be Gu Kaili's little nephew Gu Yunji.

Meng Yuanjin's eyes froze on Gu Yunji, the corners of his lips curled up in a smile that was not a smile, his eyes were filled with admiration, and after a while, he turned away and turned to Cheng Yan next to him: "This... should be Cheng Yan Bar?"

Cheng Yan stepped forward in response, bowed and saluted: "Student Cheng Yan, I have met Mr. Meng."

Meng Yuanjin nodded with satisfaction: "Well, look at this whole body demeanor, you really are a young talent. I read your article carefully, and it looks like a bunch of flowers, and the writing power is profound, far exceeding ordinary people. I think I will pass the test next year."

Cheng Yan humbly lowered his head slightly: "My lord has given you too much praise, Cheng Yan will work harder in the future and concentrate on his studies, and he will definitely live up to your expectations."

Meng Yuanjin laughed heartily: "Hahahahahaha, yes, I have ambition! This is a good young student of my Songjiang Mansion. If you are on the gold list in high school next year, I, Meng Yuanjin, will also be able to add an extra sum to my political record. Mr. Cheng's light is gone!"

Gu Kaili listened to it for a while, and finally couldn't hold back and pulled Meng Yuanjin in front of him, and tentatively said, "...it's already half past afternoon, brother Meng must have been to the homes of the candidates, right? Who will win the top three places?"

"Not yet! I just came out of No.3's house." Meng Yuanjin waved his hand, "No.3 is called Bai Xingjia. He is 21 years old this year. He is not from an aristocratic family, but a son of a peasant family. Although his family is not poor , but not rich, the family lives on dozens of acres of land, and in order to support him to study, life is very tight."

"Fortunately, the kid was upbeat. He didn't get discouraged when he failed the first provincial examination. He went back and studied hard for three years. He got No.3 in the second examination. When I went to his house, his family members were so happy I'm busy killing chickens and sheep."

Gu Kaili was a little absent-minded, hummed perfunctorily a few times, and then asked: "Then what else?"

"Yayuan is Cheng Yan!" Meng Yuanjin pouted in Cheng Yan's direction, "The main reason is that Bai Xingjia lives in the outskirts of the city and the journey is far away. It took me a lot of time to come and go, otherwise I would have come to your house long ago."

Looking at Cheng Yan's handsome and tall figure, Meng Yuanjin was in a good mood, and sighed: "Speaking of which, the new recruits in our Songjiang Mansion this year are all very young, which is a good sign, indicating that the local literary style is getting more and more prosperous. !"

"The local scholars strive for success, and I, the academic officer, have a bright face. If this continues, maybe I can get a top grade in the next assessment." Seeing that Gu Kaili's face was not looking good, Meng Yuanjin patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "Of course, this is also your credit. If you really want to talk about it, how can you forget the Tongzhi adults who allocated funds and materials for our school affairs?"

Gu Kaili didn't have the heart to listen to his compliments, and asked urgently: "What credit is not credited, I'm asking No.1——Jie Yuan, who is it?"

"Oh, Xie Yuan..." Meng Yuanjin looked suddenly enlightened, nodded thoughtfully, suddenly changed the topic, and raised his eyebrows narrowly, "How about—— guess?"

"How can I guess that!"

Gu Kaili had grown impatient after listening to Meng Yuanjin's idle talk for so long, and seeing that he was still whetting his appetite, he felt more and more frustrated, so he didn't bother to go around in circles, and simply said openly: "...I'm actually not much I care about who the top three are, and I mainly want to ask my nephew who failed the ranking, what is wrong with his article?"

"You are an academic officer. You have read the essays of the scholars who took the exam in this government, and you know it well. It doesn't matter if you fail the provincial exam. The important thing is to know your own shortcomings. It is best if you give my nephew some advice. It is to let him understand the gap between him and others, so that he can learn a lesson and encourage him more in the future."

Meng Yuanjin showed a mysterious smile when he heard the words, and said meaningfully: "Let me tell you, your little nephew doesn't need to learn a lesson."

Gu Kaili didn't understand, so he asked, "What do you mean? Could it be...he is hopeless?"

"It's not that there is no cure, but that no one can match it! Brother Gu, congratulations to your family for getting another unicorn!"

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Meng Yuanjin laughed heartily, unhurriedly took out a scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it, then solemnly read loudly and clearly: "Happy news!"

"No. 1 in the Songjiang Prefecture Examination in the fourth year of Jingfeng! Huating County native——Gu Yunji!"

The progress of these chapters is a bit slow. The original intention is that the exam and ranking will appear several times in this article. I want to write the differences, but it is really procrastinating. Sorry.I'm not talking about adding updates, just combine two chapters into one chapter, and there will be a [-]-word chapter tomorrow morning.