Gu Qing was only an eighth-rank petty official. Although he was an official, he was actually not even close to the Tang Dynasty. He was at best a peripheral man.

So he didn't understand why he just sent a jar of wine into the palace, and Li Longji avenged himself so happily. Lu Chengping was imprisoned for no more than three days, just like him.

Of course, Gu Qing would not feel so good about himself that he would think that Li Longji liked him and held him in his hand as a kind of beauty to protect him.

Gu Qing doesn't understand, but there are people here who understand.

Zhang Jiuzhang and Li Guangbi are both veterans of officialdom. They smacked it carefully and immediately tasted it.

The two looked at each other quickly, and Zhang Jiuzhang said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty's punishment of Lu Chengping probably has nothing to do with Gu Qing..."

Li Guangbi nodded: "Lu Xuan has been a bit public in the past two years, and the emperor may be dissatisfied."

Zhang Jiuzhang continued: "It is more likely that it is Prime Minister Li who is knocking Lu Xuan's back. Prime Minister Li and the East Palace faction are now out of balance in the court. Prime Minister Li is pressing closer to the East Palace. His Majesty cannot stand it..."

Li Guangbi showed a playful smile: "Two young men just had a fight, but it led to such a series of incidents. Even Li Xiang was involved. That Lu Chengping will be released from Zuowei Prison in three days. I'm afraid his father will kill him

His legs were all broken."

Zhang Jiuzhang said with a smile: "Let's see how Prime Minister Li will react tomorrow. It's something that outsiders can understand. It's impossible for Prime Minister Li not to know."

Li Guangbi smiled mischievously: "Perhaps Prime Minister Li's condition will worsen again...it is more likely that he will resign, even if he pretends to do so."

Zhang Jiuzhang said: "Aggravating the condition is a solution. If Li Xiangruo is not an old fool, he should know how to advance and retreat. It is unlikely that he will resign. If Li Xiangruo leaves power, the prince will not let him go when he comes to the throne in the future. Besides, your majesty does not want to see Li Xiangruo."

If you talk to each other, the power in the court will be unbalanced, and re-supporting other forces will not have a short-term effect."

"So Your Majesty only beats Prime Minister Li, but won't break his muscles or bones?"

Zhang Jiuzhang sighed: "Your Majesty is so clever. He has the right balance of weight and weight, which not only alerts the ministers, but does not suppress him too much and shakes the foundation of the court. It is just right to operate on Lu Xuan."

Li Guangbi turned to look at Gu Qing and said with a smile: "The good news is that the Lu family and his son are afraid of troubling you these days. They want to keep their tail between their legs, but a mortal enemy is still a mortal enemy. When the news passes, they will still

Revengeful."

Gu Qing smiled and said: "Don't be afraid. If the worst happens, I will resign and return home. Before I leave, I will write a love letter and post it all over Chang'an. I will cry bitterly and say that I was persecuted by the Lu family and his son. Let's see how they deal with it."

The three people in the hall laughed, and Zhang Jiuzhang pointed at him and laughed and scolded: "Where did you learn your sinister temper? You are naturally suitable for officialdom. Joining the army as a minor clerk is a derogation of your talents."

Li Guangbi glanced at Gu Qing and said: "You have just escaped a disaster. Please stay calm recently and don't let anyone catch you. Regardless of whether you are a high official or a small one, being too public is a recipe for disaster."

"Yes, my nephew understands. As my nephew said, I am an honest person and never take the initiative to cause trouble, but sometimes things happen to take the initiative to provoke me. What can I do?"

The word "honest man" immediately attracted the disdainful looks of the three people in the hall. They had only met Gu Qing twice, and these three people had probably seen Gu Qing's true nature clearly.

Gu Qing couldn't help but feel panicked. It seemed that after the honest person's persona collapsed once, trust between people had been lost. Do they need to change their persona?

Zhang Jiuzhang sighed: "It's a pity that you haven't studied seriously. If you can pass the scientific examination and become an official, your promotion will be dignified and your career in the court will be better in the future."

Gu Qing said with a smile: "My family was poor in my early years and I couldn't afford to study. Fortunately, I was lucky. I took a shortcut and became an official smoothly."

"It's different. The right way is to take the scientific examination and become an official. Starting as a county magistrate, and then after earning enough qualifications, entering the province and entering Taiwan, and becoming a highly respected minister, is the right way."

Gu Qing's eyes flashed and he asked tentatively: "If you don't pass the scientific examination, wouldn't it be possible to become a county magistrate?"

Zhang Jiuzhang pondered for a moment and said: "Not necessarily, there is another way, but it is more difficult."

"Please give me some advice, my second uncle."

Zhang Jiuzhang glanced at him, as if he was surprised that Gu Qing raised this question, but he still said: "There is another method, which is 'promoting filial piety and honesty'. It began in the Han Dynasty, and then was revived and abolished in the Sui Dynasty.

After Emperor Gaozong passed away, there were still quotas for those who promoted filial piety and honesty in various places, but now that scientific examinations have taken off, there are fewer and fewer people who commend filial piety and honesty."

Gu Qing knew that promoting filial piety and honesty was a way of recommending officials. In the Han Dynasty, there was no scientific examination. Officials were all children of local powerful clans. After the Three Kingdoms, there were also children from poor families. Without the scientific examination, it was necessary to be an official.

There is a name for it, and that is the name "Xiaolian". If you say you are filial and honest, then you are filial and honest, and you can become an official.

The inspection system began in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Promoting filial piety and honesty is one of the methods of the inspection system. Is it fair? Of course it is not fair. There is too much moisture and elasticity in it, but it is undeniable that it works.

How can there be any real fairness in the thousand-year-old way of joining the officialdom from ancient times to the present?

"Does our court also promote filial piety and integrity?" Gu Qing asked again.

Zhang Jiuzhang said: "Of course there is, but most of them only have one quota for each state. Since Emperor Gaozong implemented the scientific examination, the court has tightened control over the law of promoting filial piety and honesty. In recent years, few people have heard of it.

Those who are filial and honest become officials."

Li Guangbi smiled and said: "There is an example in front of me. Your third uncle, Zhang Jiugao, the younger brother of Uncle Jiuzhang, was promoted to be an official because of his filial piety and integrity. He was first promoted to be the chief minister of Nanhai County to join the army. Later, he passed the Ming Dynasty and was promoted

As the magistrate of Gan County, he has now been promoted to the governor of Guangzhou and awarded the title of Doctor Yin Qing Guanglu."

Gu Qing suddenly realized, with a look of eagerness in his eyes.

Zhang Jiuzhang glanced at him and said: "You have already registered to join the army, and you are in the emperor's heart. There is no need to go through the scientific examination again. As long as you don't make any big mistakes, you can handle your relationship with your majesty and the imperial concubine smoothly. In addition, I

With the help of these old friends, I will be promoted in a few years."

Gu Qing shook his head: "This junior is not doing it for himself, but he has a friend from the same hometown whom we grew up with. He has the ambition to benefit the country, and I want to help him."

Zhang Jiuzhang smiled and said: "It's not difficult to say that. If your fellow countryman can be recommended by the governor of Shuzhou, the governor's office and the local county magistrate will mobilize some wealthy families to submit a Wanminbiao and submit it to the Jiedushi Office of Jiannan Road. It will be done."

The probability is not small.”

Gu Qing tentatively said: "If this junior knows the Jiedushi of Jiannan Dao and has a good relationship with him... isn't it more likely that he will promote filial piety and integrity?"

Zhang Jiuzhang was stunned and laughed: "I almost forgot that you started your career by paying tribute to porcelain. It is said that Xianyu Zhongtong, the governor of Jiannan Road, played a lot of role in it. You also made contributions to Xianyu Zhongtong in the battle to pacify Nanzhao.

It saves Xianyu Zhongtong a big trouble. It should not be difficult for him to do a simple act of filial piety and honesty due to the favor he owes you."

Gu Qing's eyes were eager to try, and he increasingly felt that promoting Xiaolian was a good method. If it was done properly, Song Gensheng might be able to become a county captain or county magistrate.

The county magistrate didn't dare to think about it. It was a bit difficult. Even if it managed to work, it would probably bring criticism to Xianyu Zhongtong and Song Gensheng.

Gu Qing then decided to write a letter to Xian Yu Zhongtong when he returned home. No matter who owed someone a favor, it was better to pay it back as soon as possible.

In the front hall, Zhang Jiuzhang raised his glass and was about to drink with everyone when he suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the screen at the back of the hall. Everyone looked at it in astonishment, and then found that the landscape screen shook violently, and the last woman's exclamation, the screen

She fell straight to the ground. There was a girl in purple palace clothes lying on the screen in a panic. She looked up and found that everyone in the hall was focusing on her. The girl blinked and let out a sweet cry.

He pretended to faint.

Gu Qing was dumbfounded. He learned such a clever way to resolve the embarrassment.

Then everyone looked at Zhang Jiuzhang. Zhang Jiuzhang was stroking his beard and pretending to be calm, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed him deeply, showing that he was not at peace in his heart at the moment and might want to kill someone.

"See, laugh, laugh..." Zhang Jiuzhang sighed sadly.

Li Guangbi was stunned for a long time, and suddenly burst into laughter. Li Twelve Niang also wanted to laugh, and turned her face away kindly.

Li Guangbi laughed and said: "I haven't seen Uncle Li for many years. When I meet him, he bows to me and salutes. Haha, my niece is very polite."

The girl who pretended to have fainted was still lying on the screen motionless, but her cheeks quickly turned red with embarrassment. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't help but faint, and it was very hard to endure.

Zhang Jiuzhang sighed: "Unfortunately, this family has suffered such a calamity. This is Zhang Huaijin, the eldest granddaughter of the third brother Jiugao."

Gu Qing suddenly understood, regardless of whether the fainted girl could see or not, he still raised his hand to her as a courtesy.

Zhang Jiuzhang continued to sigh: "This woman is naughty and wild. She has gotten into countless troubles since she was a child. At first, I thought about being a matchmaker for Gu Qing, but then I thought about it. The Gu family and his wife are my Zhang family's benefactors. I

How can I repay kindness with hatred, so I stopped thinking about it..."

Gu Qing glanced at Zhang Jiuzhang appreciatively.

The term "repaying kindness with hatred" can be said to be used very carefully, but it is obvious.

Gu Qing immediately raised his cup and saluted Zhang Jiuzhang.

Zhang Jiuzhang didn't know if he had presbyopia, but he didn't see it at all.

Gu Qing had no choice but to drink a drink by himself.

Zhang Jiuzhang stroked his beard, without looking at Zhang Huaijin on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "Isn't it enough to be embarrassed? Get up quickly! How long do you plan to lie down?"

Zhang Huaijin then let out a cry and "woke up" delicately.

Standing up and patting the dust on the palace skirt, Zhang Huaijin lowered his head and said aggrievedly: "Second ancestor, it was the hand that moved the screen first..."

"Shut up! Why don't you go and give gifts to Twelve Niang and Uncle Li? There are no rules!"

Zhang Huaijin walked up to Li Twelve Niang and Li Guangbi and saluted one by one.

Li Twelve Niang seemed to like this girl quite a lot. She took out a small and exquisite dagger from her arms and gave it to her, saying: "We haven't seen each other for a few years. She is already a grown up girl. This dagger is quite sharp. Let's play with it."

Bar."

Zhang Huaijin is indeed a ruthless character. He doesn't like red clothes and prefers weapons. After thanking him, he took the dagger and couldn't put it down to play with it.

Zhang Jiuzhang looked helplessly at Li Twelve Niang and said: "She has a very wild temperament, and you gave her a dagger. From now on, she will become even more lawless."

Li Twelve Niang smiled and said: "It doesn't matter. There's nothing wrong with dancing with guns and sticks at my daughter's house. It's better to have something to defend yourself than to be bullied outside."

Zhang Huaijin put away the dagger, his eyes turned to Gu Qing, and looked him up and down curiously.

Zhang Jiuzhang said angrily: "What are you looking at? I haven't seen you Brother Gu Qing yet!"

Zhang Huaijin said oh, walked slowly to Gu Qing, and saluted him: "Huaijin has met Brother Gu."

Gu Qing stood up and returned the greeting: "You're welcome, it's our first time meeting you, I..."

As he said this, Gu Qing touched himself and planned to give him a greeting gift. After searching, he found only a piece of silver cake that he had robbed from Hao Donglai before leaving. It was a bit expensive and he couldn't bear to give it as a greeting gift. Gu Qing gave up decisively and took his hand out of his arms.

He made a heart sign to her with his thumb and index finger.

"I bless you."
To be continued...