Chapter 288 Zhang Ruzhou is greedy
The morning exam finally came to an end in a solemn and tense atmosphere.
Zhu Shengfei and Lu Yihao stood in the empty examination room, looking at each other with a smile of relief on their faces.
The examination process was in order and no improper behavior was found. This is undoubtedly the best reward for their hard work these days.
"Ms. Lu, it seems that everything went well today. I hope it will be the same in the future." Zhu Shengfei sighed softly, breaking the brief silence.
"Yes, as long as we don't relax, this imperial examination will come to a successful conclusion." Lu Yihao nodded in response with a firm tone.
At the same time, in Chunfang Garden, the most famous brothel in Kaifeng City, there was a completely different scene.
Lanterns and colorful lights, playing and singing, flowery decorations and the sound of laughter and curses formed a worldly picture of sensuality and sensuality.
At this moment, Zhang Ruzhou, who was over fifty years old, was sitting in the upper seat of Chunfang Garden, hugging him from left to right. His face was full of pride and satisfaction.
The escorts around him were all red cards in the brothel. They tried their best to win Zhang Ruzhou's smile.
Suddenly, the door of the private room was pushed open, and a scholar-looking man walked in.
He was wearing a green shirt and looked a bit vulgar. He walked up to Zhang Ruzhou, bowed respectfully, and said, "Master Zhang, please be polite."
Zhang Ruzhou opened his eyes and looked at the person coming, with a puzzled expression on his face. He waved his hand to ask the beautiful woman next to him to step back, and then asked: "Who are you? What do you want to see me for?"
The scholar smiled slightly and said, "My surname is Li and my name is Li Ren. I came to see Mr. Zhang this time to ask for something."
Zhang Ruzhou raised his eyebrows when he heard this and motioned for Li Ren to continue.
Li Ren paused, then lowered his voice and said, "I know that Mr. Zhang is the invigilator of liberal arts for this imperial examination, so I would like to ask Mr. Zhang to take care of one of my friends during the exam."
As he spoke, he took out a wad of banknotes from his sleeve and secretly handed them to Zhang Ruzhou.
Zhang Ruzhou glanced at the banknote in his hand and saw that the amount must not be small.
He felt secretly happy in his heart, but remained calm on the surface.
He coughed and then said: "I understand what you mean. But you also know that the imperial examination is a major event for the country to select talents. As an invigilator, I naturally cannot engage in malpractice for personal gain."
Li Ren's heart tightened when he heard this, but he had no intention of giving up.
He quickly said: "What Mr. Zhang said is that I naturally don't dare to let Mr. Zhang do things that violate his principles. It's just that my friend is talented, but he failed to get fair treatment for some reasons. I just want to ask Mr. Zhang to take the exam. Just give him a chance to show off his talents.”
After listening to Li Ren's words, Zhang Ruzhou thought secretly in his heart.
He knew that the "some reasons" Li Ren mentioned were nothing more than money and relationship issues.
As an invigilator, he does have the ability to give some special care to certain candidates during the exam.
What's more, the money is not a small amount to him. So he nodded and said: "Okay, I promise you. But you must also ensure that your friend is indeed talented and learned."
Seeing that Zhang Ruzhou agreed, Li Ren felt ecstatic in his heart. He said quickly: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhang, my friend is talented and will never let you down."
The two chatted for a few more words, and then Li Ren said goodbye and left.
Zhang Ruzhou looked at the banknote in his hand and felt proud. He did not tell anyone about it, including his wife Li Qingzhao. Because he knew that once this matter was exposed, he would not only lose his official position, but also his reputation.
And the reason why he dared to do this was just relying on his power as the invigilator.
At this time, Li Qingzhao did not know that his husband had been involved in a conspiracy about the imperial examination.
She was quietly writing poetry in her study, enjoying her own tranquility and indifference, knowing nothing about what was about to happen.
Although Zhao Yingluo's time travel has changed her life trajectory, she has not been displaced to the south of the Yangtze River. But it did not change the historical trajectory of her first husband Zhao Mingcheng's death and her remarriage to her second husband Zhang Ruzhou, but she has not yet discovered that Zhang Ruzhou was so greedy.
After Zhao Yingluo had finished handling the important affairs of the government, the afternoon sunlight filtered through the delicate window lattice and dappled onto her desk. The golden light spots danced, as if bringing a sense of relaxation to the heavy affairs of the government.
She gently rubbed her temples, put on a pair of exquisite men's clothes, and prepared to go out for a walk.
This time her destination was the Imperial College and Dongshi. She wanted to see with her own eyes the scene of students studying in the Song Dynasty and the real life of the people in the market.
Arriving at the Imperial College, Zhao Yingluo stood in front of the grand door and watched the candidates filing in.
They may look nervous or walk calmly, but their expectations for the future are written on their faces.
Invigilators meticulously check everyone's belongings to prevent cheating.
The entire Imperial College was enveloped in a solemn and solemn atmosphere.
Zhao Yingluo nodded with satisfaction and praised the work of Zhu Shengfei, Lu Yihao and others.
She walked up to them, exchanged a few words with them, and encouraged them to continue to maintain this rigorous attitude and select real talents for the imperial court.
Zhu Shengfei, Lu Yihao and others all bowed in response.
After leaving the Imperial College, Zhao Yingluo turned around and walked towards Dongshi.
The East Market was one of the most prosperous markets in the Song Dynasty, where merchants and people from all over the world gathered.
There are many shops on both sides of the street, with a dazzling array of products, and the sounds of hawking and bargaining come and go, forming a unique market symphony.
Zhao Yingluo walked among the bustling crowds, feeling the excitement and hustle and bustle.
However, when Zhao Yingluo walked in front of Chunfangyuan inadvertently, she couldn't help but frown slightly.
She looked up and saw that this brothel was of extraordinary majesty. The tall gatehouse, exquisite carvings, and rows of gorgeous lanterns in front of the door all showed its extraordinary status.
There was a lot of traffic in front of the door, and many people dressed as scholars walked in one after another. Their faces looked excited and expectant, as if there was something here that attracted them.
Zhao Yingluo turned around and asked Wen Boyuan, her bodyguard: "Is this a brothel?"
Wen Boyuan nodded and replied: "Yes, Your Highness. This Chunfang Garden is quite famous in the capital. It is famous for its singing, dancing and poetry, and has attracted many literati."
Xia He, the personal maid, couldn't help but interject: "Princess, look at these people, they don't take the exams for merit, but come to a place like this to have fun. It's such a pity."
Zhao Yingluo did not speak, but quietly observed the crowd going in and out.
Suddenly, a young scholar caught Zhao Yingluo's attention.
