Forcing me to raise a concubine? The mistress of the Marquisate has gone mad

For this year's spring examination, candidates from all over the country will go to Shengjing.

The emperor valued civil officials over military officials, and after taking power, he had always wanted to cultivate his own people among the civil officials, because more than half of the people in the court had a great relationship with Empress Dowager De'an.

And this spring examination is a good opportunity!

Shili Street was the place he had chosen before. He wanted to provide a place for out-of-town candidates to shelter from the wind and rain so that they could prepare for the exam with peace of mind.

The conflict between the aristocratic families and the poor students has become increasingly fierce. When the Empress Dowager was still alive, they were able to maintain a balance.

Because although the Empress Dowager herself was from an aristocratic family, she treated poor students with courtesy and only looked at ability and morality, regardless of identity and background. However, after the emperor took power, it was inevitable that he was unfair.

He talks about fairness and justice, but more often than not, he still favors the interests of the aristocratic families.

After all, the emperor cannot do without the support of the aristocratic families.

The idea of ​​buying the shops in Shili Street and having the government manage them to provide accommodation for candidates was not proposed by the emperor.

Instead, it was the civil servants who, considering the poor students' interests, submitted the report after collective discussion.

It was precisely because of the large number of participants that the emperor had to take it seriously. Although many noble families opposed it, in order to win over the poor students, the emperor finally agreed.

As soon as this news was announced, it immediately received unanimous praise from the people!

They all praised the emperor for his compassion for his people and for considering even such small matters for the students. He is truly a wise ruler!

When Shen Ruoyan heard these words, she felt mixed emotions.

This is how the common people are. For them, it doesn't really matter who is sitting on the throne. After all, it is so far away that some people may never have the chance to go to the imperial city in their entire lives, let alone see the emperor.

All they care about is how much tax they have to pay and whether they can have enough to eat this year.

A good emperor is one who can do practical things for the people, no matter what your surname or name is!

"Madam, the government has contacted us!" Qiu Ye ran in excitedly from outside. Before, she was still wondering what the place in Shili Street was for, but now, she was smiling so hard that she couldn't close her mouth.

After buying the inn, the lady asked her to find someone to renovate it as quickly as possible.

Now, the inn has several floors, and later they also bought the land next to it, and directly connected it to make an economical and practical dormitory, no matter how many people come, they can accommodate it.

The government was the first to find them!

Qiu Ye took out the deed and placed it on Shen Ruoyan's desk. "It says that all candidates who come to Beijing to take the exams will stay here. The government will pay for it and we will be responsible for their reception."

Shen Ruoyan had expected this to happen, otherwise, she would not have gone there to watch in person.

"Tell them to treat these examinees well and never treat them badly!"

Even if the government would give money, it would still be difficult to earn much from just contracting the accommodation for the examinees. Especially in order to create the largest capacity, Shen Ruoyan's renovation money alone during this period exceeded the cost.

But it doesn't matter, because she didn't go there for this in the first place.

Worried that Qiu Ye didn't understand, Shen Ruoyan explained again: "The candidates who can go to Beijing to take the exam are all capable. Even if they don't pass this time, they may become famous next time. So our inn must have a good relationship with them, not seeking flattery, but seeking to be guiltless."

Flattery may not necessarily work for literati, but respect will definitely leave a good impression.

There are too many rich and powerful people in Shengjing City, and bullying others by taking advantage of their power seems to have become tacitly accepted. Others also follow suit. People without powerful backgrounds can hardly make any progress here.

Shen Ruoyan had heard before that some candidates from other places could not stay in a good inn even if they paid money because of their shabby clothes. In the end, they could only rent a house in a place like Shili Street. Even so, they might still be harassed by the locals.

Bullying the good and fearing the evil is sometimes really frustrating.

Therefore, this is also the reason why those civil servants who came from humble backgrounds jointly recommended this matter.

Because these are the paths they have walked and the hardships they have endured.

Once you have an umbrella, you don’t want others to continue getting wet in the rain.

Shen Ruoyan spared no expense just to provide these students with a good study environment. If there were students who passed the exam, her inn would also become more popular - most importantly, all the students gathered here, which meant that they could make friends widely.

Qin Shaobei is one of them.

"I didn't expect the venue provided by the government would be so good. It's even better than the inn I stayed in before at a high price!"

"Yeah! I thought it would just be enough to keep out the wind and rain, but now it seems like it's way beyond that!"

"Your Majesty is wise and considerate of the people. I must study hard for the exam and serve the court!"

The first floor of the inn is a public tea room, where there is free tea and tables and chairs, allowing candidates to relax in their spare time.

When Qin Shaobei came in, he heard the people inside talking loudly. First they thanked the emperor for his grace, then they expressed their loyalty in various ways. If the exam was held tomorrow, they would probably want to study hard right now!

"It is a blessing for us that you brothers have such ambitions!"

He walked forward laughing, waving a folding fan in his hand, a jade crown on his head, and a huge jade ring on his thumb. When he walked in front of the crowd, he was shining brightly under the sunlight, making it hard to ignore him.

"May I ask if you are from the Qin family of Xuzhou?"

The Qin family in Xuzhou had a genius this year. Although he was born in a merchant family, he was very knowledgeable. Most importantly, the Qin family member was extremely eloquent. If he quarreled with others, he would win every time. Even the young prince of the Southwest Palace was scolded by him without any resistance!

His most iconic item is the jade ring on his thumb.

Ordinary people cannot afford to buy something that big, but Qin Shaobei carries it with him wherever he goes. Anyone who sees it knows how wealthy the Qin family is.

"I am Qin Shaobei from the Qin family in Xuzhou."

Qin Shaobei generously admitted his identity, which won him unanimous praise from everyone.

"Master Qin is indeed a hero among men. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved!"

"Yes, Mr. Qin's heroic deeds back then are truly a role model for our generation! I admire him so much!"

Qin Shaobei waved his hand, "A hero never talks about his past achievements. They are all things of the past. I just heard you all talking about this inn. Do you know who is the owner behind this inn?"

Everyone was puzzled, "Isn't it the government?"

"You all don't know this." Qin Shaobei said with a smile: "Although this inn was booked by the government, it was just a small inn before. I heard that it was prepared for the candidates, so the owner of the inn spent a lot of money to redecorate it."

He asked everyone to look around, "Look, these tables and chairs are all brand new!"

When everyone saw it, they found it was true. They immediately asked curiously, "May I ask who is the owner of this inn?"

He is such a thoughtful person, he is really a good person!

They, the scholars, are not fools. The government has limited power. The fact that the place for candidates to temporarily stay before the exam is so complete is thanks to the owner behind the scenes.

Looking at these pairs of curious eyes, Qin Shaobei spread out his fan and smiled, "The owner of this inn is none other than Lord Changning Marquis Lu Jing!"