Women dressed as men: powerful officials

Chapter 152 "The New Nobles of Beijing"

When I made a wish and went back, there was no one waiting at the door.

After Xu Yuan said goodbye to Chen Shan, she opened the door carefully. Before she stepped in, she heard someone calling her from behind.

"Mr. Xu, please stay."

It’s Qi Shengxin.

Xu Yuan turned around, half leaned against the door, looked at Qi Shengxin and asked, "Master Qi, are you here so early to take a detour?"

"Of course not. I came here specifically to look for you."

Qi Shengxin said, looking behind Xu Yuan and asked, "Is it inconvenient at home?"

This is a disguised way of asking for a cup of tea.

Xu Yuansui said, "No one is here. I'm just afraid that someone might come in without knowing the truth, so I'm being cautious."

Xu Yuan turned aside and said, "Master Qi, my house is simple and I am afraid that I cannot entertain you well enough."

"It doesn't matter."

Qi Shengxin shook his sleeves, walked over with his hands behind his back and said, "There is no reason in this world for a guest to dislike the host."

The yard was desolate.

Xu Yuan had just arrived in the capital and didn’t take much care of the place, just sweeping up the fallen leaves.

Qi Sheng had just arrived, so she took him to her study room and said, "Mr. Qi, wait a moment. I'll go prepare some tea."

Qi Shengxin nodded.

After Xuyuan left, he looked around the room.

What you see are almost all books.

These are not books bought from Wenzhai, but books that I copied by myself.

Qi Shengxin read a few books, but before he put them down, he saw Xu Yuan coming back. He said frankly, "You are very diligent. At your age, few people can read so many books."

"Mr. Qi, thank you for your praise."

Xu Yuan placed the teacup on the bedside table and said again, "It's a little simple, sorry."

"I don't care about that."

Qi Shengxin sat down and saw that Xu Yuan was still as dignified as before. He said, "Mr. Xu, you know that nearly half of the street was blocked yesterday. Everyone who came here had the same idea, which was to make friends with Mr. Xu."

"I know." Xuyuan nodded.

"Who is Mr. Xu going to choose?"

"I don't want to get involved in the affairs of the court."

"But you took the national exam, didn't you, in order to gain a foothold in the government?"

Hearing this, Xu Yuan said, "Then I will make it clear. I am an official and have no intention of forming a clique for personal gain."

"Then you know that such an official is destined to have a poor future in the court."

"What I want is not a future."

Qi Shengxin was stunned. It was as if he was seeing Xu Yuan for the first time.

If such words were spoken by someone else, Qi Shengxin would definitely not believe it. But when it came from Xu Yuan's mouth, Qi Shengxin knew that it must be what Xu Yuan was thinking.

So he said, "In that case, I will show you a way. Join my father. He has been upright and honest all his life, and has never been suspected of forming a clique for personal gain. With his protection, you can do what you want in the court without having to rely on others for support."

Xu Yuan knew that the Prime Minister's Mansion was trying to win her over.

This is also the original purpose of making a wish.

Whether it was the widespread publicity of the Shen family's intention to recommend her to the Wenhua Palace, or her amazing poems in the Poetry Pavilion.

She only had that one purpose.

However, some things still need to be said clearly.

Xu Yuan asked, "If this is the case, will Master Qi continue to slander Master Shen?"

Qi Shengxin paused, he didn't expect Xu Yuan to still think about this matter, he paused, and said: "That day, I was reckless and said something without thinking, please don't blame me, Master Xu."

"Master Qi is generous, and I am not a stingy person."

Xu Yuan raised his cup and said, "After this cup of tea, everything will be like smoke."

"Okay." Qi Shengxin nodded.

After finishing the tea, Qi Shengxin did not want to stay any longer, so he stood up and said, "In two days, there will be a test at Wenhua Palace. The examiners are all teachers from Wenhua Palace. Tomorrow I will send a servant to deliver some exam questions from previous years. On the day of the test, I will escort you to the palace."

Xu Yuan stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for troubling Master Qi."

After Qi Shengxin left Xuyuan's house, he immediately took a carriage back.

There were still a lot of people gathered in the alley. When they saw the Qi family's carriage coming out, they all said, "We're late."

Some people left, while others are still waiting there.

After Qi Shengxin returned home, he went to the study.

Qi Chengen was practicing calligraphy by the window with a lamp lit next to him.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Qi Chengen guessed that it was Qi Shengxin, so he spoke directly: "I am old, and the sky looks like it is going to rain today. It is so gray and gloomy. If I don't turn on the lights, I can't even see these words clearly."

"Father is in his prime, how can he be considered old?"

Qi Shengxin went to pick up the wick, and waited by the side until the light became brighter.

When Qi Chengen put down his brush, he read the words on the paper and said, "The sea is peaceful and the river is clear. My father's handwriting has become more elegant."

"I wrote it while I was writing it, just for fun?"

After Qi Chengen finished speaking, he rolled up the rice paper, put it on the fire and lit it, then asked, "What did he say when he saw Xuyuan?"

Qi Shengxin then told him everything, including the incident with Shen Yichuan.

Qi Chengen smiled and said, "I didn't expect Xu Yuan to be someone who still cherishes old times. He is a good person. If you study at Wenhua Palace in the future, you should ask him for advice more often."

"I understand, kid." Qi Shengxin nodded.

"I'm glad you understand. You should also take a closer look. If it is really as we know, he is a person who does not know and does not act the same, but he is still a good match for your sister."

Qi Chengen said this while looking out the window.

As dark clouds gathered, he said, "With your elder sister's matter ahead, I don't want to get involved in the royal family at all. I just want you two to live your lives in peace."

Qi Shengxin was stunned for a moment, somewhat confused.

He didn't seem to be a person who would keep things secret, so he asked directly: "Father, there is something I don't understand. Why did you keep silent before, and even feel unhappy about it, and why did you suddenly change your mind today? Could it be..."

It’s because Xu Yuan became famous in the Poetry Pavilion.

Qi Shengxin didn't know whether he should say this out loud.

Qi Chengen was not angry, he smiled and said: "I didn't mention it before because I didn't know his identity."

Qi Shengxin asked again: "Does father know now?"

Qi Chengen nodded.

Wei's house.

Wei Chen is over fifty years old and his hair is completely white, but he is still in good spirits.

He sat in the pavilion, listening to the incessant sound of rain, but his eyes were focused only on the bait.

Soon, a man in black came in hurriedly and said, "Master, there is a letter for you."

"Oh? Who sent it?"

"I don't know, it's a black envelope..."

The person who said this seemed a little strange, as ordinary people would never use black envelopes when writing letters.

But Wei Chenyi suddenly stood up, took the letter, and opened it impatiently.

Xu Yuan, whose courtesy name is Zhiguo.

A native of Sishui County, Hanzhou. At the age of fifteen, he was educated in a private school in Sishui County. His father, Xu Wenxian, also known by his courtesy name Hanzhi, was a native of Sishui County, Hanzhou. He suffered from a leg disease. His mother, Zhang Qingyu, was also a native of Sishui County, Hanzhou... If you are not an old friend, don't panic and reveal your true identity.

Wei Chenyi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Bring the candlestick."

"Yes."

Immediately, a maid brought a candlestick. Wei Chenyi put the letter back into the envelope and put it on the fire. After the flames devoured the entire letter, he said with his hands behind his back, "Prepare a gift. Go to the Xu family tomorrow. The Xu family is so lively. The Qi family and the Song family have all gone. How can my Wei family be left out? Go and meet them tomorrow. I want to take a good look at what kind of person the so-called "new noble of the capital" is."