"This is Chang'an City. The gate tower is so big, it's like a mountain!"
"This city wall is really high, and it's even made of bricks!"
"The roads in this city are really wide and flat, wider than the wheat fields in our village!"
Young Gou Sheng grabbed his grandfather Liu Baofu's hand, his eyes full of shock.
"Stop and pass by?"
At the gate of the city, a guarding officer drank and stopped the grandfather and grandson who were about to follow the carriage and horse in. The soldier was tall and strong, wearing iron armor and standing like an iron tower. He held a gun eight feet long and shouted.
I was so scared that I cried.
Liu Baofu didn't care to comfort his grandson, and quickly took out an official document from his arms. Before coming to the capital, he specifically asked the village leader to help vouch for it, and asked Li Zheng to go to the settlement house opened by Hucao in the county.
A thin piece of paper cost a lot of favors, but without this piece of paper, he couldn't even leave the county, let alone enter Chang'an City.
It's great to be at home, but it's so difficult to go out.
These days, if you are twenty miles away from home, you must have connections and status, otherwise it will be difficult to move.
The city gate officer looked through the pages and asked, "Is Yizhou Tongguan County coming to Beijing to visit relatives?"
"Who to vote for?"
"Follow our village bastard, he is my nephew,"
"Chang'an is full of lights, but who knows who Goudan is? Where does he live and what is his identity?"
"He is a Chang Gong Jinshi, a great talent," the old man said.
"It's not unusual to be a Jinshi in Chang'an. In the Imperial Examination of the Tang Dynasty, there were six subjects of Changgong. The scholar was ranked first, followed by the Ming classics. The Jinshi subjects were only ranked third. The Ming classics had four grades, A, B, C and D. Jinshi also had two subjects, A and B. Jinshi admission
It's just a title given to someone from the ninth rank. That Liu Jinshi is still in the capital, so what position will he be given by Quanxuan?"
In the eyes of the villagers in Liu Baofu's hometown, the great talent of Wen Quxing was nothing at all in the eyes of the city gate guards in Chang'an.
Jinshi is not as good as Ming Jing. Ming Jing, Ding and others are all awarded the ninth rank.
Liu Baofu then stood there thinking and recalling, and finally remembered in the impatience of the defenders for a long time, "Being an official, being an official is the correct word."
"Secretary Province's orthographic character or Hongwenguan's orthographic character, Secretary's Office's orthographic character, or Chongwenguan's orthographic character?"
Little did the old man know that there were so many orthographic characters.
"Then do you know where he lives?"
"I seem to live in the south of the city,"
When the city gate guard saw this, he couldn't help but shake his head, "Do you think Chang'an City is the same as the countryside in your hometown? You can't remember anything. Where can you find people?"
However, it was not easy for this person to see the appearance of their grandfather and grandson, so he kindly gave some guidance and asked them to go all the way to the south gate of the imperial city along Tian Street, where they asked someone to ask if there was anyone with the correct name Liu Goudan in the Secretariat.
There are only a few yamen with official officials.
Liu Baofu and his father finally entered Chang'an City. Looking at the sky street that was a hundred paces wide, they were both dumbfounded.
"Grandpa, is this a road? It's too wide. It's wider than our village."
"This is called Tianjie. Your brother Goudan said in his previous letter that Chang'an Tianjie is a hundred steps wide and ten miles long."
After taking only a few steps, they were scolded and asked to go to the side of the road.
His legs were tired and hungry from walking all the way, and he finally found the south gate of the imperial city. After asking around, he finally remembered that his nephew's name was Liu Xu.
But after asking for a long time, no one knew Liu Xu. When I was helpless, I met the school secretary Lai Ji and asked, "Are you looking for Liu Xu?"
"Sir, do you know him?"
"Liu Xu used to be in the Secretarial Department with me, but now he has been transferred to the Chongwen Hall of the East Palace. Are you his relatives?"
After explaining, Lai Ji said: "How about I send you to Liu Zhengzi's house. Their family lives in Jing'an Square, east of Jingshan Temple in the south of the city."
Lai Ji even rented a mule to take the hungry and tired grandfather and grandson to the south of the city.
In Jing'an Square, Liu Xu's wife was a little surprised when she saw her husband's boss, Shi Yilang, coming. When she saw an old man and a young man behind him, her eyes were a little complicated.
"You must be Goudan's wife, uh, his uncle, and this is his brother Gou Sheng,"
The old man came to Liu Xu to borrow money and food. There was a famine at home.
Liu Xu's wife invited them into the small courtyard. Lai Ji said he had something else to do and left first.
"You haven't eaten yet, I'm cooking for my uncle and brother."
Liu Xu's wife turned around and went into the kitchen, but when she opened the rice jar, it was empty. She returned to the bedroom and opened a box, which contained a few pieces of silver jewelry, which were the only jewelry she had left.
Picking up a silver hairpin, Liu Xu's wife came to the front and said, "Uncle, you drink a glass of water here first, and I'll buy some food."
"It's not convenient in the city. You have to buy everything. It's not as convenient as in the countryside, where you can grow vegetables in the yard."
Liu Xu's wife pawned the silver hairpin and exchanged it for some money. Then she went to buy rice and noodles, cut some meat, and bought some eggs, but there was no money left.
When he came back, he kneaded the dough, cooked it over a fire, and cooked the meat and eggs.
The big bowl was brought up without a support, and the grandfather and grandson didn't care about being polite. They squatted on the ground and ate it. There were large pieces of pork belly and poached eggs in the bowl.
The grandfather and grandson ate five bowls in a row.
When Liu Xu's wife finished serving the last bit of soup in the pot to the grandson and grandson, they were still a little bit unfinished.
After they had eaten and drank enough, the two men began to talk about their daily life. In the summer, there were flash floods, and the crop yields were reduced. Then the Turks looted again, and the crops in the autumn were even less harvested. Although the court reduced or exempted the rent, the family was still short of food.
He could only come to seek refuge with his nephew, hoping to borrow some money and food to survive the famine.
Liu Xu's wife listened quietly.
Her hometown is Hedong. She entered the palace of the Sui Dynasty when she was fourteen years old. Three years ago, Liu Xu went to Beijing to participate in the Jinshi Department.
He took the post and stayed in Chang'an from then on.
Three days after Liu Xu was born, his father was bitten by a venomous snake and died. When he was three years old, his mother also died of illness. He grew up eating the food of hundreds of families. Later, he worked for the landlord's family as a herder. Because he was smart, he was chosen to be the school boy for the landlord's son.
After studying with him, the landlord's son failed to read the book, but Liu Xu learned very well, so his husband cherished him very much and made him his disciple.
Later, he became a township tribute, participated in the imperial examination, and won the first place in one fell swoop.
Liu Xu came from a poor background and had poor conditions. He was already quite young when he passed the Jinshi examination. Later he married the Mei family from the palace.
Mei family has no relatives and no reason, and Liu Xu also has no father or mother, but they pity each other.
It's just that it's not easy to live in Chang'an. It's really difficult to rely on Zhengzi's small salary. But Liu Xu's hometown still receives letters from time to time. There is such an official in the village. Everyone looks for him for everything. They think he is great. He is a high official in the capital.
.
Little did they know that he was just a little Zhengzi.
With a small salary, he not only rented a house to support his wife and children, but also raised a donkey for transportation. He also had to buy paper and pens. The remaining money was used to support relatives and neighbors in his hometown.
From time to time, villagers would come to visit, and they had to be well entertained, and when they finally left, they had to give them some dry food.
Although Mrs. Mei felt in her heart that this was not the way to go, she couldn't avoid it.
If she doesn't entertain her, the villagers will poke her husband in the back and accuse him of eating human milk and shitting pigs.
My husband has been an official for three years and has not saved any money. He has borrowed money from colleagues, friends and every acquaintance. Now he is owed favors everywhere.
The newly made Lumi is gone again.
This was the first time Liu Baofu met his niece-in-law, but he did not regard her as an outsider. He told her about the hardships in the village today, borrowing food, selling land, and even selling his children to raise his wife.
"Xiaodouzi, who grew up with Goudan in the past, pawned his wife to Scarface, a bachelor next door. They agreed to marry his wife for three years. During these three years, he would live with Scarface, and the baby he gave birth to would also belong to Scarface. He would take her back after three years.
, three stones of millet will be exchanged for three years.”
"Zhao Da from Qian Village couldn't afford a coffin after his father died, so he sold his three-year-old daughter and bought a thin-skinned coffin..."
Listening to this, Mrs. Mei could only sigh in her heart. It was difficult for them, but it seemed even more difficult for the villagers.
·······
East Palace, Economic Bureau.
Goudan Liu Xu was sorting and correcting the collected books when his superior, the schoolmaster, came to help him and said, "Liu Zhengzi, there is someone from your hometown."
Liu Xu was a little panicked after hearing this.
What he is most afraid of hearing now is the arrival of people from his hometown. He and his family can no longer afford it, and it makes him breathless.
But he can't get rid of these. That's his background, that's the debt he owes. He grew up eating the food of the villagers. Even when he was young, his mother was sick and he drank the milk of many wives in the village.
Not to mention that when he came to Beijing to take the imperial examination, all the villagers in the village collected two thousand coins for him, as well as thirty eggs and two buckets of wheat rice for him.
Now that he has made a career and has become an official, it is natural for him to repay his fellow villagers.
Although it was difficult for him to support his own family, there was nothing he could do.
He can only keep borrowing money, demolishing the east wall to pay for the west wall.
"It's getting late, why don't Liu Zhengzi go home early today," Lai Ji said.
Liu Xu stopped what he was doing and stood up, but he stood there hesitating again. He wanted to ask Laiji to borrow money, but he couldn't. It was only a few days after the last borrowing and he still hadn't paid it back.
"But do you want to borrow some money?" Lai Ji asked with a smile.
"Yeah." Liu Xu could only give a heavy hum in the end, "Is it convenient to come to school?"
"Colleagues should help each other," Lai Ji patted his arm, "But you don't need to borrow it today. Come on, I'll take you to see the martial arts master."
After listening to Lai Ji's words, Wu Huaiyu looked at the thin Liu Zhengzi in front of him. He felt a little pitiful but more admirable. If he were to be left to future generations, I'm afraid no one would always remember these kindnesses. After all, who doesn't think about himself first?
"Didn't we just pay everyone one month's salary earlier?"
"I borrowed a lot of money before I went to the official position. I used it to pay back the debt as soon as I got it." Liu Xu said embarrassedly.
Now Liu Xu is trapped in a death spiral. His meager salary cannot withstand the demands of many villagers, but he cannot refuse.
Now he has borrowed too much money, and his colleagues and friends cannot borrow any more. Fortunately, he did not borrow Beijing debt, otherwise the interest rate would make him despair.
"Liu Zhengzi, your situation is indeed not easy, but I still want to advise you. Although you have received a lot of help from the villagers in the past, it is natural for you to give back to everyone now, but you must also do what you can.
You should focus more on your job. You have been Ren Zhengzi for more than three years, so you have some talent, but your energy has been distracted by other things.
I transferred you to the Economic Affairs Bureau. I hope you can concentrate on your work and not be distracted by too many chores. If you can be promoted, then you will be able to help more. Otherwise, if you can't support your own wife and children, how can you help others?
"
"In your case, the bureau can take care of you and give you an advance of three months' salary. They can also lend you a sum of government rations."
Liu Xuyue's monthly salary was only one thousand and fifty, and the daily supplies and miscellaneous supplies were equivalent to four hundred and fifty, which was four thousand five hundred yuan for three months, and the double salary was nine thousand yuan. Huaiyu lent him two more stones of grain without charging interest.
It can be regarded as a help from the bureau to the officials who are in trouble.
"I'm going to be the official, I'm going to be the official..." Liu Xu was so excited that he didn't know what to say. This person came from a humble background, but he was able to work hard and become a Jinshi from a shepherd boy. Wu Huaiyu also heard what Ji said about this person's ability and character.
Outstanding, I was transferred here after his recommendation.
He also discovered that this man was indeed very talented. He knew nine classics and five classics. Moreover, he was not just a poor Confucian scholar, he was also good at general affairs and was worthy of training.
"We are all colleagues in the yamen, so we won't talk about that." Huaiyu waved his hand, "If you still have difficulties in the future, you can just come to me directly."
Liu Xu thanked him gratefully.
"We have a very heavy task of copying books recently. We cannot copy them by hand in regular script. I am planning to subcontract some of the copying work and give it to the students of the Imperial College to do the copying."
Liu Xu immediately said that he could also copy at night.
"I'm not saying this so that you can make money by copying books. You can only earn a piece of silk by copying a book, which is just a bit of hard-earned money." He waved his hand, "I see that you are very capable of doing things, and I plan to outsource this copying of books."
·····”
Huaiyu wanted to outsource book copying, and asked Liu Xu to be a small outsourcer. For example, if the task of copying five hundred and one thousand volumes of books was packaged into a project, how much money would be given to outsource it to Liu Xu? Liu Xu could then subcontract it to the students of the Imperial College.
Wait, it's a bit harder here, but there's definitely a big price difference.
Even if you only earn a few dozen dollars from one roll, you can earn thousands from a hundred rolls. If you really want to operate it, there are still some benefits, but it will be more laborious.
But Liu Xu is not afraid of hard work. This is much faster than copying books, and there must even be some space in the pen, ink and paper.
This matter is not considered corruption or anything like that. After all, it is the real needs of the Bureau of Economic Affairs. These operations are within the normal scope.
Even this subcontracting model is relatively efficient.
Of course, it is also human nature to seek some small benefits for one's subordinates. Poor literary and literary characters like Zhang Chengde and Liu Xu should take the opportunity to make some money to subsidize their families.
This is also an important means to win over the hearts and minds of his subordinates.
"My only requirement is that the quality of the books copied must be guaranteed and meet the requirements. The price I will give you for copying each book is 10,000 words of silk, which is equivalent to the current price of silk, or 200 yuan. If you can find someone to copy it for you,
It costs a hundred dollars to copy a book. As long as you can copy the book well, that's your skill.
The bureau can provide paper, pens and ink, or you can pay to purchase them yourself according to the bureau's requirements. It's still the same requirement. You must meet the bureau's requirements..."
"I can pay you 30% in advance, and then pay some more for each batch delivered, and finally leave 20% as the balance. As long as everything passes the inspection, I will pay you all."
These conditions are all taken care of very much.
"Thank you, Master."
"Just do things beautifully, that's all. Now go and pay the money and food and go home to entertain your relatives."
