Chapter 065 Cracking Method
Can you help me?
Hearing this, Shen Yichen looked at Mr. Bian carefully to confirm whether he had seen or knew him before.
But after searching my mind for a long time, I couldn't find any relevant memory. I didn't know if I had never seen it or I had forgotten it.
Since you don’t know him/her, why should he/she help you?
Shen Yichen never believed that there was still goodwill for no reason in the officialdom, a place of hypocrisy and right and wrong. Whatever the other party paid, it must be what they wanted to get from you. Equivalent exchange was the way to survive in the officialdom.
"I wonder how Mr. Bian has helped me?"
"Friend Shen, have you seen the crime list?"
“I haven’t seen it yet.”
"As expected of you."
Bian He had an expression of "as expected" on his face. Only someone as extraordinary as Shen Yichen would ignore the capital of the provincial examination at such a young age.
In fact, Bian He was really wrong about this. It was not that Shen Yichen was too lazy to look at the case list. Instead, after the clerk announced the good news, he hurried to inform the two teachers of the news that he had won the first place in the case.
After a round of work, I didn't go home until nightfall, and I had no time to look at the crime list.
"If Mr. Shen had read the list of cases, he would have known that besides you, who topped the list, there were three other relatives from the Chengguo Mansion who were selected as students."
There was no need to make it too clear. Just from Bian He's words, Shen Yichen had already realized the problem.
On the day of the provincial examination, Shen Yichen had a few verbal exchanges with Zhu Qingyu and others. To be precise, Shen Yichen unilaterally crushed them.
Because when it was mentioned that it was unusual for the other party to come together to take part in the provincial examination, Zhu Qingyu obviously didn't dare to retort.
At that time, Shen Yichen didn't take it too seriously. After all, it was just a few words, and it would be forgotten in the past. Even if there was suspicion in his heart, speaking out something without evidence would be more like slander.
Now that Bian He brought up the old matter again, it means that the problem lies with Zhu Qingyu and others.
"Mr. Bian, are you saying that there are problems with the test papers of the other three Zhu clan members?"
"I dare not say that."
Bian He was very smart to ignore it. Not to mention whether it would offend Duke Cheng Zhu Yong, just considering that these three people were selected by his own Dong Weng in the provincial examination, admitting that there were problems with their test papers was not a disguised admission that Li Min also had problems?
A qualified staff member would never make such a low-level mistake.
"I am sorry for being abrupt."
Shen Yichen quickly realized the flaw in his words and hurriedly apologized to Bian He.
"It's okay. After the results are announced today, this matter will definitely be discussed among the candidates. Shen Xiaoyou, you are the top scorer in the exam and will be the center of attention. There is a risk that you will stand out in the forest and be destroyed by the wind."
Bian He used the word "hidden danger", almost telling Shen Yichen explicitly that there were problems with Zhu Qingyu and others' test papers, and there was a high probability that you would be implicated.
And as the first person in the case, the doubts and criticisms you have faced are probably more than those of Zhu Qingyu and others combined, so you have to be mentally prepared in advance.
"I understand now. Thank you Mr. Bian for your reminder."
Shen Yichen showed a bitter smile at this moment. He not only understood that there were problems with the test papers of Zhu Qingyu and others, but also understood more about the conversation with Duke Chengguo Zhu Yong that day. What does it mean to prosper together and suffer together!
Even though he was not included in the family tree and actually had nothing to do with the relatives of the Chengguo Mansion, in the eyes of outsiders, he was still a member of the Chengguo Mansion, sharing the honor and disgrace.
No wonder Zhu Yong didn't care about the rift between father and son at all and still generously recommended himself for the position of Supervisor. The root of the problem lies here.
"But there is no need to worry too much, Mr. Shen. There is a solution to this problem as well."
"The solution is a flower viewing party?"
"That's right, Mr. Shen is indeed very talented."
Bian He nodded approvingly, he was sure that he had not misjudged the person. Shen Yichen's vision and perspective far exceeded those of ordinary students, and this boy would surely achieve great success in the future.
"Most of the candidates for the Yingtian Prefecture exam are the sons of high-ranking officials. If you want to resolve the criticism, you must make it undisputed by others!"
This is the biggest difference between the examination in Yingtian Prefecture and that in other prefectures. As one of the two secondary capitals of the Ming Dynasty, most of the candidates who have a say are sons of noble families.
It's impossible to refute and explain rumors and criticisms one by one. The best way is to gather them all together and resolve them all at once.
And the flower viewing party is the time for this!
"I will always remember Mr. Bian's help today."
Shen Yichen now understood what Bian He meant by "a small favor". If nothing unexpected happened, it was he who suggested to the prefect that he should participate in the flower viewing party.
"You're welcome, Mr. Shen. I'm just trying to make friends with you."
This was what Bian He really said. With Shen Yichen's current ability, he was basically unable to provide equivalent help in return.
The reason why he was willing to do this was that he concluded that Shen Yichen had more potential than that. He wanted to build a good relationship in advance so that if he really needed anything in the future, he would have a basis for asking.
"I understand now. Thank you, Mr. Bian."
"Then I will not bother you any more. Goodbye."
"Mr. Bian, take care."
Shen Yichen politely sent the other party to the gate of the courtyard. Just as Bian He said, being kind to others can often give yourself an extra way out.
Seeing that all the officials in the courtyard had left, Shen walked out of the back room, and at the same time, she put her heart at ease for the time being.
"Chen'er, what on earth did you do that even the prefect came to personally announce the good news?"
Although Shen was not well educated, he had seen a lot in the Chengguo Mansion. He knew that an official of the level of the Yingtian Prefecture Prefect would never announce the good news to a student, even if he won the first place in the case.
This is why Li Min repeatedly explained to Shen to relax and why she was always worried because the situation was too abnormal.
"It's okay. Maybe the prefect thinks highly of me."
Shen Yichen naturally couldn't tell his mother about the bad things happening to the Zhu clan, and to be honest it wasn't a big deal. A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear, and even if the cheating in the imperial examination was eventually exposed, it would have nothing to do with him.
"Really?"
"Don't worry, mother. The prefect is just passing by and came to see you. Don't think too much about it."
"All right."
Shen nodded, but still a little worriedly added: "Chen'er, you may come into contact with many dignitaries in the future, so remember to act cautiously and don't offend anyone."
Maybe this is the state of mind of a mother. In the past, Shen Yichen had no future, and Shen was worried about his future. Now Shen Yichen has become too successful, and even the prefect has come to congratulate him. She is worried that her son is too young and has no experience in handling things, and will offend these nobles.
"I know, mother, go back to your room and rest."
When it comes to dealing with people, Shen Yichen is relatively experienced, to the point that Lin Zhen even thinks he is overly cautious.
"Well, then Chen'er, don't read too late, go to bed early."
Seeing her son's calm appearance, Shen felt relieved. After giving him some instructions, she went back to the house.
One night later, Shen Yichen received the invitation to the party written by Bian He. However, he was a little surprised to see the address, which was actually Zhanyuan in the Duke of Wei's Mansion.
Zhanyuan Garden is quite famous in Nanjing City and is known as "the first garden in Jinling". Its predecessor was the Prince of Wu's Palace before Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, became emperor. Later, it was given to Xu Da, the King of Zhongshan.
It is said that the layout of the rocks in Zhanyuan is ingenious, and through the methods of stacking, displaying and combining, it achieves a majestic, steep and deep natural artistic conception. In addition, the peonies in the garden are unique, and compared with other places, they are more light and elegant, full of fairy spirit.
Shen Yichen originally thought that this so-called flower viewing party was just a group of noble young men and young ladies going out for an outing. Now, judging from the location of the party, the standard of the event was much higher than he had imagined, probably no less than the previous family banquet of the Duke of Chengguo's Mansion.
Theoretically, for a parade of this scale, even if the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is a third-rank official, he is still a junior in it. Even if he can bring in outstanding juniors, there will only be one or two spots at most. The prefect gave him the "ticket" to this parade, which really cost him a lot of money!
But this time Shen Yichen was really wrong. Yingtian Prefecture Governor Li Min valued him very much, but he was not willing to spend a lot of money on him.
Because this so-called flower-viewing party is not about flowers, but people! The reason why it emphasizes that the young men and women of noble families should participate is actually for another purpose, which is the Ming Dynasty version of the "collective blind date meeting".
As early as in the "Book of Zhou", it was recorded that China's original collective blind date was that in the season when grass was lush and warblers were flying, officials in charge of marriage would gather unmarried young men and women and express their love by singing love songs.
Later, as Confucianism became the mainstream culture, especially after the Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, this free marriage method gradually disappeared and was replaced by arrangements made by parents and matchmakers.
At that time, young men and women could not even fall in love freely. They might not even know what each other looked like before marriage. Everything was arranged by their parents and matchmakers.
Of course, there are exceptions to many things. After all, this kind of "blind box" marriage without any prior knowledge is really risky. Especially for the young men and women of noble families, they are already in an advantageous position for marriage and have many options to choose from. Why should they rely on luck instead of choosing the best?
Therefore, the custom of blind dates gradually became popular again in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but the method became more subtle. The matchmaker would bring the man to the woman's home, while the woman would not show up, but would hide in her boudoir and secretly observe the man's every move.
If she feels it is particularly suitable, she will come out to meet him and pour him tea, which means that the matter is done. If she feels it is not suitable, she will not leave the boudoir, so that the man will know what is going on.
To be honest, this method is a bit similar to modern fast-paced blind dates. Both parties meet up for a meal, exchange WeChat accounts if they like each other, and find an excuse to pay the bill and run away if they don't feel the same...
When it comes to the class of officials and dignitaries, things become even more reserved. There is no need for even the word blind date. Instead, there are various tours to give young men and women the opportunity to meet and interact with each other.
Look, this isn't even a blind date. It's purely an outing to enjoy the flowers. It's impossible for it to violate any ancestral etiquette. You can't find any reason to complain, right?
This is like the various Confucian masters in the late Ming Dynasty who went to brothels to have sex with prostitutes for fun, calling it a literary exchange at the soul level. Not only can this not be considered prostitution, but it must be praised as an elegant thing. It is really hard to accept.
The prefect Li Min's eldest daughter was married, and his youngest son was still young, so he couldn't find a suitable son or nephew to bring to such an occasion. With the reminder from his staff member Bian He, Shen Yichen got the chance.
