Five years as county magistrate, hundreds of millions of kilograms of grain shocked Li Shimin Chapter 121 It’s hard to study, but it’s hard to reach the sky
Chapter 121 It’s hard to study, but it’s hard to reach the sky
Chapter 121: Studying is difficult, but it is difficult to reach the sky
"My lord, what you mean is...
Su Chen looked at Fang Yuan tentatively and said.
He led people to arrest Zhang Ji, but was stopped by the people of Sanjia Village.
But when faced with those unruly people, Su Chen actually didn't take them to heart at all.
It was only when I heard some people saying that Sanjia Village was protected by Fang Yuan that I didn't dare to arrest people by force.
"Let Si Gong come out and see me."
Fang Yuan pondered for a moment and asked someone to call Si Gong next door.
Destroying billboards is interfering with state government policies and is a serious crime.
But the people in Sanjia Village stopped arresting people. If they were arrested by force, the impact would definitely be huge.
Now we are about to popularize the imperial examination, but forcing people to do so is the opposite of promoting the imperial examination. We should first understand the situation before talking.
"Lord Governor, did you call me?"
Si Gong Wang Wenshu walked out and saluted Fang Yuan and Su Chen.
"Zhang Ji, Sanjia Village, Liaoshan County, do you know?"
Fang Yuan looked at him and said.
"Know a little."
Wang Wenshu trembled and said.
"Tell me about him, don't hide anything."
Fang Yuan said in a deep voice.
"This Zhang Ji took part in the imperial examination five times during the Wude period, but failed every time."
"Xiaguan has presided over his three imperial examinations and has read his papers. His handwriting and strategies are quite good, but he is a bit ugly, so he has never been able to pass the exam."
"The last time he made a big fuss in the examination room, threatening unfairness and saying that the imperial examination was only for the children of aristocratic families, he was imprisoned for a few days. Later, his old mother became seriously ill and he was released as an orphan and a widower."<
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Wang Wenshu saw that Fang Yuan had a serious face and did not dare to hide anything, so he said slowly.
"Just because it's ugly?"
Fang Yuan frowned and said.
The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was rather strange, with four talents and three merits as the criteria for talent selection.
The four talents are body, speech, writing, and judgement; the three realities are virtue, talent, and hard work.
Shen means good health and good looks, and the appearance should be average and upper-class, and should be close to handsome.
This judgment is made by local officials and examiners. Whether it is ugly or not is just a matter of their words.
This gives local proctors great power and can directly eliminate candidates from ordinary backgrounds.
Of course, they don't dare to ask for something that is really ugly. After all, they have to go to Beijing to take the exam after the provincial examination, and the officials will check it.
"There is nothing we can do about the imperial court's regulations."
Wang Wenshu said sarcastically.
"You go down."
Fang Yuan waved his hand and said helplessly.
If someone is causing trouble secretly, Fang Yuan can still bring things right.
But Fang Yuan had no way to solve the problem of the imperial examination itself.
It is a matter for the entire country, not a state or county.
"Yes."
Wang Wenshu breathed a sigh of relief and left.
"Lord Governor, do you want me to lock him up?"
Su Chen said in a deep voice.
He felt that since it was a policy provision, Zhang Ji had committed a crime and could be arrested justifiably.
"I'll go take a look."
Fang Yuan thought for a while, shook his head and said.
In the Tang Dynasty, the country was governed by filial piety. Zhang Ji supported his eighty-year-old mother and was respected by others.
If he is arrested, it will not be said that the government is at fault, but at least the implementation of the imperial examination will be resisted.
It is also a good thing to go and see for yourself. If the appearance is acceptable, it can be used as a case to promote the imperial examination.
"Yes."
Su Chen was stunned for a moment, then responded.
After confirming, Fang Yuan took Zhang San and Wang Wenshu and set off.
Not long after, Fang Yuan and others arrived at the entrance of Sanjia Village.
I happened to meet the mayor of Sanjia Village, who was replacing a billboard that had been cut down.
"Prince...Prince? Meet the governor!"
The head of Sanjia Village was shocked when he saw Fang Yuan.
I thought I had seen it wrong, so I rubbed my eyes before I dared to salute Fang Yuan.
The villagers working nearby didn't know Fang Yuan, but when they saw their village chief saluting, they also saluted quickly.
"No gift."
"Village chief, take me to Zhang Ji's house."
Fang Yuan waved his hand and said politely.
"Lord Governor, Zhang Ji, his mother is almost 90, can you be more generous and let our village help repair the billboard?"
The village chief begged.
The news about Zhang Ji cutting down the billboard has spread.
The villagers all felt that Zhang Ji was wronged and felt unfair for Zhang Ji.
But cutting down the billboard is no small matter, so the village chief and several villagers spontaneously repaired the billboard.
"Don't worry, village chief, I'm not here to arrest Zhang Ji."
"I'm here to see if Zhang Ji has real talent and knowledge, and I want to give him a chance."
Fang Yuan chuckled.
My old mother is almost ninety.
It is a rare old age in this era.
If there is a commotion and Zhang Ji's old mother is driven away, it will be news all over the country.
"So that's it, so that's it..."
"I just said that the governor is a good person and a good official. Those bastards still doubt... please come here, the governor."
The village chief breathed a sigh of relief and said excitedly.
He asked the villagers to continue working and took Fang Yuan towards the village.
Su Chen who was following him looked at Fang Yuan in surprise, then quickly lowered his head to follow.
This is the second time Fang Yuan has come to Sanjia Village. The first time he did not go into the village to see.
When I came in this time, I found that every household in the village was an earthen house, and the better ones could be built as pipa courtyards.
Generally speaking, they are all villagers living in a difficult environment. It is impossible to tell that any family is rich and there is not a single mansion.
Not long after, the news of Fang Yuan's arrival in Sanjia Village spread, and many curious villagers came around, and the brave ones even greeted Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan mostly responded and was very friendly to the people, which deepened the impression of Fang Yuan on the people.
Soon, Fang Yuan came to an earthen house.
Looking from the outside of the dilapidated guardrail, one of the two doors of the earthen house is broken, and the threshold is also rotten.
Looking inside again, there is only a rotten table, and there are some wet grooves on the ground. It feels like the air is filled with the smell of decay.
Looking above the groove, you can see the tile cracks. Sunlight is shining in through the cracks, and rainwater is dripping from the cracks on rainy days.
"Zun Zhou, this Zhang Ji may be very lazy."
Zhang San leaned close to Fang Yuan's ear and whispered.
Fang Yuan heard this but did not respond and looked at the village chief aside.
The village chief didn't hear it. He had already walked into the guardrail and was about to call someone.
But as soon as he entered the yard, he saw Zhang Ji's old mother collecting firewood on the side.
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"Aunt Zhang, is Zhang Ji here?"
The village chief said loudly.
It instantly attracted the attention of Fang Yuan and others.
Following the village chief's voice, I looked over and saw an old woman sitting on the ground.
The old woman's hair was completely white, her face was sallow, and she was skinny. Her waist was bent, and she struggled to stack the firewood on the ground neatly.
The village chief's first call didn't attract the grandmother's attention, and his second call didn't attract her attention either. It wasn't until he walked next to her that he heard the third call.
"Oh~, village chief, you want to scare me to death~"
Aunt Zhang's body bounced a little, and she touched her chest with her right hand and said.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Zhang, where is Zhang Ji now?"
The village chief smiled, feeling embarrassed.
"What are you looking for Zhang Ji for?"
"Then, did those people capture Zhang Ji?"
Aunt Zhang was not yet confused. When she heard that the village chief was looking for Zhang Ji, she immediately looked around.
Soon I saw Fang Yuan and the others at the door, and their faces suddenly showed panic, and their voices also became panicked.
"That's the governor, not Zhang Ji."
The village chief said loudly.
But at this time Aunt Zhang seemed not to hear.
She turned over and knelt on the ground, kowtowing in the direction of Fang Yuan.
"Please don't arrest Zhang Ji, please don't arrest Zhang Ji, it's all my fault, you have to arrest me, arrest me..."
Aunt Zhang cried and begged.
The almost ninety-year-old man was crying like a knife was being cut on everyone.
There were villagers watching around the scene, shaking their heads and sighing, unable to bear witness to the scene in front of them.
Fang Yuan also sighed in his heart and walked quickly towards Aunt Zhang, followed by Zhang San and others.
"Aunt Zhang, the governor is not here to arrest Zhang Ji."
The village chief was embarrassed and quickly squatted down and said while helping Aunt Zhang up.
Aunt Zhang was as skinny as a stick, and with a little effort he was lifted up.
However, Aunt Zhang is bent over and cannot stand up straight. Her current height may be only one meter.
"Aunt Zhang, you misunderstood, I'm not here to arrest Zhang Ji."
Fang Yuan just arrived, helped Aunt Zhang, and said nicely.
After touching Aunt Zhang's hand, Fang Yuan sighed in his heart: cold and dry.
"Really, really not?"
Aunt Zhang stopped begging.
He looked at Fang Yuan and then at the village chief.
There were tears in the corners of her eyes, and her body was shaking. She had been so frightened just now.
"It's really not true, I guarantee it in the name of the village chief!"
The village chief patted his chest and said.
After finishing speaking, he looked at Fang Yuan and felt that he spoke too quickly.
But Fang Yuan didn't blame him. Aunt Zhang might trust the village chief more now, so it would be better for him to say this.
"That's good, that's good, it scares me to death."
Aunt Zhang patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aunt Zhang, this is the governor. I want to see Zhang Ji. Where is Zhang Ji?"
The village chief took the opportunity to ask.
"What did you say?"
"I can't hear clearly."
Aunt Zhang stood on tiptoe and raised her ear to the village chief.
"I asked, where is Zhang Ji?"
The village chief had no choice but to speak louder.
"I went to the vegetable garden. It may take a long time to come back."
Aunt Zhang pointed to one side and said.
"There is a vegetable patch over there at Zhang Ji's house. Let's go there and ask for a stick of incense. How about us?"
The village chief said quickly.
But before Fang Yuan could make a decision, there was an urgent sound outside the courtyard.
"Mother, mother, mother..."
A middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd and walked in.
He is lame, has dark skin, and fairly normal facial features, except for a bald spot on the top of his head.
Soon, Zhang Ji walked up to everyone. After seeing that his mother was fine, he noticed Fang Yuan and others.
"You, you guys?"
Zhang Ji was startled and took a step back.
He didn't know Fang Yuan or Su Chen, but he knew the official uniforms worn by Fang Yuan and Su Chen.
There is a governor, a county magistrate, and perhaps a long history, and there are also a group of state officials.
I just cut down two billboards to vent my anger. Do I need so many big shots to arrest me?
"Zhang Ji, this is the governor, why don't you salute quickly?"
The village chief reminded from the side.
"Grass, the common people pay homage to the governor."
Zhang Ji was so frightened that he took a step back.
After swallowing, I managed to calm down and salute.
"No courtesy, no need to be formal. I'm here to talk to you, not to arrest you."
"Village chief, please let the villagers go home individually. It's not good to have so many people around here."
Fang Yuan said calmly.
"Yes, yes."
The village chief quickly responded.
He let go of Aunt Zhang's hand and walked to the door to drive away the villagers.
Soon, the villagers left, and the village chief came back again, looking at Fang Yuan and waiting for the next step.
"Please take Aunt Zhang aside first. I want to talk to Zhang Ji alone."
Fang Yuan pondered for a moment and said softly.
"Okay."
The village chief should be here to help Aunt Zhang.
"Sir, Zhang Ji knows he is wrong, please don't arrest him, okay?"
Aunt Zhang didn't hear what Fang Yuan said, but when she saw the village chief trying to take her away, she thought Fang Yuan wanted to take Zhang Ji away.
"Don't worry, Aunt Zhang, I'm not here to arrest Zhang Ji."
Fang Yuan smiled.
"Aunt Zhang, don't worry. The governor is a good person and a good official. He won't be arrested if he says he doesn't know how to arrest him."
The village chief said loudly from the side.
Aunt Zhang felt relieved and followed the village chief.
"Prince, Sir, would you like a bowl of water?"
Zhang Ji said nervously.
"Then bring me a bowl of water."
Fang Yuan nodded calmly.
Looking at the situation at the scene, there was no place to sit.
Finally, Fang Yuan walked to a stone under a pomegranate tree and sat down.
Zhang San and Su Chen looked at each other and finally did not sit down.
Soon, Zhang Ji came back, brought back two bowls of water, gave them to Fang Yuan and Zhang San, and prepared to leave.
"Okay, these two bowls are ours. If they need it, they can drink it themselves."
Fang Yuan waved his hands.
He had already seen Zhang Ji fetching water directly from the well.
For rural people, this is how they drink water. They have no concept of boiling it, and it is a waste of firewood.
"See you, I'm sorry."
Zhang Ji said to Zhang San and others.
Zhang San shook his head and said it was okay, while Zheng Jiu went directly to fetch water.
"Zhang Ji, I learned that you cut down the billboard in the state capital."
Fang Yuan's expression condensed and he said in a deep voice.
"Prince, forgive me, the governor. The common people were so angry that they did stupid things. Please forgive me, forgive me."
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Zhang Ji was startled and almost knelt down.
"I'm not here to hold you accountable this time, but I won't do it next time."
Fang Yuan's face remained calm.
"Yes, yes, yes."
Zhang Ji breathed a sigh of relief, almost sweating on his back.
"I'm here this time because I heard that you have some talent, so I want to give you a chance."
"But I would like to apologize, but with your image, even if I am willing to give you a chance, the staff will not give you a chance."
Fang Yuan sighed.
If you only have a patch of bald spot on the top of your head, you can barely get by by changing your hairstyle a little.
But the leg is also lame, and the problem is huge. I will definitely not be able to pass the official level.
Even though Li Chengqian has such an awesome status, his status is shaken because of his lameness.
"I, that was not the case at that time!"
"I'm not lame, and I don't have so little hair!"
Zhang Ji suddenly became a little angry and said in a deep voice full of hatred.
Fang Yuan frowned and looked at Wang Wenshu, who was following him.
"Zhang Ji's legs were still good when he took the last imperial examination, and the alopecia areata was not so big."
Wang Wenshu explained.
He doesn’t know what happens next.
"Do you still want to take the imperial examination now?"
Fang Yuan pondered for a moment and looked at Zhang Jidao.
"If I don't think about it, I won't be able to pass the exam."
Zhang Ji shook his head and sighed.
"Will you still denounce the darkness of the imperial examination?"
Fang Yuan continued to ask.
"Lord Governor, I, I won't dare do it next time."
Zhang Ji was startled and waved his hands repeatedly.
He drank some wine that day and thought about what happened to him. He did something wrong.
"Humph, you know now that you don't dare to do it anymore. Do you know how difficult it will be for me to implement the imperial examination because of your behavior?"
Fang Yuan snorted coldly.
If it weren't for Zhang Ji's particularity and special situation, we wouldn't be sitting face to face now.
"With all due respect to the people, it would be better for the governor not to bother with the implementation of the imperial examination."
Zhang Jisan smiled, but gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice.
"How can we see it?"
Fang Yuan frowned and said dissatisfied.
Zhang San and others also stared at Zhang Ji with unkind expressions.
"It is difficult to study, but it is difficult to reach the sky."
"It's so difficult to study, why should I take the imperial examination?"
Zhang Ji sighed.
At this moment, his eyes were filled with vicissitudes of life and ending.
"Tell me how difficult it is to study and reach the sky."
Fang Yuan frowned deeper and said in a deep voice.