"Bang!" The wick of the sesame oil lamp exploded, spitting out a big spark. Mrs. Li Zhang took the opportunity to cut the lamp grass and left the dining table. The moment she turned around, she gently rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Okay, why are you sad? Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi. Who knew one day Brother Baosheng's luck would turn back again?!" Li Mao knocked on the table with his chopsticks and complained with some dissatisfaction. Seeing his wife lowering her head,
He didn't answer anything, and felt soft for no reason. He said relaxedly: "I brought back a cow and three skinny horses this time. The skeletons are still acceptable. I will find someone to tame the cows tomorrow and familiarize them with the plow sticks. I will give them to them this winter."
Add more ingredients to the horse, and it will sell for a good price in the spring. When the time comes, borrow some money from Brother Baosheng and ask him to hire a good cook. Then go to the county and invite Old Master Yang to write a calligraphy and hang it in the hall to make the book a human being.
Big, maybe I can help Brother Baosheng turn around!"
"Then it's good to be kind, but do we still have enough money to do the shopping next year? The second brother in charge of the ancestral hall recently came over and asked when you would come back so that we could discuss how to pay for incense for our ancestors next year. Xu Zi
If you read well in the book, the county will recommend rural tributes to take the exam in the capital the next year. There are only two places. If you don’t have some money..." Mrs. Li Zhang heard that her husband decided to help her natal family. While feeling grateful, she also thought of her own family.
There were a lot of troubles coming up, and I felt a little bit sad about money. I kept talking nonstop, and for a long time I didn't say clearly whether I agreed with my husband's arrangement.
As the last member of the clan, he has always been ostracized by the clan. Forced by life, his husband returned to the humble business of doing business, which gave the elders in the clan a handle. If everything is not taken care of carefully, Li Xu's dream of taking the exam in the capital will turn into a
Bubble. Although the Holy Father has repeatedly emphasized that the rural tributes (Note 6) sent by each county should be selected based on merit. If the selected students are not worthy, the local officials must be held accountable. However, those who do not have the word "贝" will always be compared with others.
It's not worth mentioning the word "Bei" for wealth. Besides, Shanggu County is so big. How can it be that Xu Zi is the only one who stands out in the official school?
"I have already prepared the incense money. Brother Ruomu came to look for me, just to catch some autumn wind when I come back." Li Mao explained by calling his brother's cousin. "As for Xuzi's exam,
If you want to take the exam the next year, you can only take the Ming Jing exam (Note 7), and if you pass the exam, you will just become a local official. It is better to wait a few more years, and after getting the crown (Note 8), go directly to take the Jinshi exam, and after passing the exam, you will be at least
I can be a county magistrate. Once I succeed, it will be like smoke rising from the grave of our old Li family!"
"But I heard people say that twenty old Ming Jing, fifty young Jinshi! Although Jinshi can become a high official, how many of them can pass the exam? It's like Ming Jing. Once you can be appointed as a county magistrate or household trough, you don't need to
If you just stretch out your hand, you will get hundreds of drops of comfort money delivered to your door every year." Ms. Li Zhang frowned and argued in a low voice.
Opening a subject to obtain scholars was an original policy created by the late emperor. This method of selecting talents based solely on knowledge regardless of family background has given many small families like the Li family the hope of changing their living conditions. Although the chances of success are very low.
It was slim. Before he could enter the capital, he had to clear the threshold for officials at the county and county levels. But after all, people saw the opportunity. Unlike the previous dynasty, there was no possibility of becoming an official for non-rich families.
There are many types of exams in the capital, but the most popular ones are only the "Ming Jing" and "Jin Shi" subjects. The former is popular because it is relatively easy to pass, and you can pass by memorizing a few books designated by the government. The latter is because
Once you pass the exam, you will immediately become famous all over the world, and your future will suddenly become limitless. For other exams, such as Mingshu and Mingshu, because the threshold is high and there are few outlets, only a few students are interested in them.
"It is precisely because it is difficult to pass the Jinshi exam that we have a bright future!" Li Mao took a sip of his wine and became increasingly excited. "Xuzi is so good at reading books. If he really gets to high school, who will be the brothers and sisters-in-law in the clan?
Do you still dare to ask us to pay more for incense? Who among the helpers Zhao Ergou and Yang Baldzi in the yamen would dare to come and bully us again?!"
"Then we have to pass the county school first. Although Old Master Yang appreciates our Xuzi, he doesn't care about anything. Although Mr. Liu, who is in charge, promised to help us, he is an official after all, not like a businessman.
Spit at the mouth and hit a hole! (Note 9)" When it comes to her son's future, Mr. Li Zhang always has a more discerning vision than her husband. Mr. Liu, who is in charge of the county school, has always been famous. When collecting money, he will accept anyone who comes, and when it comes to handling specific matters
On the other hand, no one can tell what principles he has in mind.
"No way!" Under the influence of alcohol, some sweat gradually appeared on Lao Li Mao's forehead, and he murmured: "Mr. Liu took in our Turkic horse last year, but it was only four years old! He
Can you really just eat and not eat? Besides, you don’t look at the monk’s face or the Buddha’s face. Xu Zi is also a registered disciple of Master Yang.” At this point, he turned to Li Xu and asked anxiously: “Before I leave,
I want you to ask Master to give you a nickname. Have you asked him? Has he agreed to give you a nickname?"
Li Xu is far younger than Xiang Guan, so it would be too early to ask someone to pick a name at this time. But Old Master Yang is a famous local person, and if he picks the name, it means that he has the title of master and disciple. From now on, even if others want to
If you disrespect Li Xu, you must first consider his master's feelings.
"Please, Master gave me the title Zhongjian. Master also suggested that I take the Jinshi examination. A few days ago, he taught everyone how to write policy papers. He marked my policy papers with the words 'reasonable and rational, and knowledgeable', and asked me to read it.
For all the students to listen to!" Li Xu interjected from the side. He didn't quite understand the difference between "Ming Jing" and "Jin Shi". His biggest ambition was to be a household trough, so that his parents and uncle could not be ignored for a few days.
I just feel that if I can take the exam a few years later, I can help my mother take care of the family business, and secondly, I don’t have to ask my father to always give gifts to Liu Xuexue. Who among my classmates doesn’t know that Liu Xuexue is a mere
Those who don’t do anything about accepting gifts? Only my old father is honest and always takes the initiative to send gifts to his door, only to be deceived by him.
"Zhongjian, I don't know which allusion it comes from. This Master Yang..." Li Mao's furrowed brows showed a little. If Master Yang, the most knowledgeable local man, could personally give his son the name, it means that the old man has recognized his relationship with Li Xu.
The title of master and apprentice. Although this title was relied on by the Li family, with this relationship, there is a little more hope for Li Xu to be recommended by the government. As a dedicated father, Li Mao always uses all means to
Prepare for your son.
"Take the good wine your uncle gave to dad last time. Your mother has never been willing to open the jar and send it to the master someday! By the way, take some mushrooms outside the Great Wall and dry game for your uncle. Although it is a drop in the bucket, at least I can make up for it.
Serve the food on the counter!" Li Mao hesitated and ordered in a low voice.
"Alas!" Li Xu happily agreed, suddenly remembering what his uncle had asked him to do, and whispered: "What uncle urgently needs is not rare flavors. Uncle asked me to ask you today, saying that if you come back, help him find two raw materials."
Cow hide. If there is no cow hide, horse hide or donkey hide will be enough. He is willing to pay the right price to buy it, and the government is urging him!"
"I already have leather goods ready-made, so I don't need to go to other people's homes to buy them. Why does the government, which is so nice, suddenly want fur goods?"
"By the way, Uncle Zhong said that Mr. Zhao Er from the county town came to our door a few days ago and asked when you would come back. He said that we should hand over five more rawhide to the government this year. Uncle Zhong begged him for a long time before changing it to three.
Zhang, he even took two reed chickens with him before leaving!" After hearing her son talk about raw cowhide, Li Zhang also remembered the extra taxes levied on her family and reported to her husband in a low voice.
"Five pieces of raw cowhide? Why is Zhao Ergou so crazy? Why does he need so much cowhide? Does it mean that someone in the county magistrate's family died and he needs to use it to shroud his body?" Li Mao slammed the table and cursed bitterly.
Suddenly, both husband and wife turned pale. You looked at me and I looked at you, with fear in their eyes.
Although both of them came from small families, they were somewhat literate, and they were familiar with the story of corpses wrapped in horse leather. Shanggu County was near the border, and the government expropriated rawhide on a large scale. In addition to preparing armor for soldiers going on expedition, what else could they do for it?
But at present, the foreign countries around the Sui Kingdom that could surrender have already surrendered, and the only one who still dares to cause trouble is Goryeo. In the 18th year of the founding of the Emperor, Han Wang Yang Liang and Marshal Gao Xi once led an expedition of more than 300,000 horses to Goryeo. According to the emperor himself
It is said that the final result of the war was that the King of Korea surrendered, but less than 3,000 of the 300,000 warriors from the Eastern Expedition returned. Among the 290,000 heroic souls who stayed in a foreign country, there was Li Xu's brother Li Liang.
At that time, Ryoko had just tied her hair and had the same figure and face as Asahi...
As soon as it was light the next day, Li Mao got up and packed his things and went into the city. Before leaving, he picked out four pieces of rawhide, two baskets of dried mushrooms, and a bundle of beef jerky from the goods brought back from outside the Great Wall, and handed them to his son.
Order: "Send it to your uncle. Don't go to school these days. You have something to do at home!"
"If you skip class casually, Master Yang will be angry!" Li Xu protested loudly. Seeing that his father ignored him, he mumbled and added, "These two days are about strategy. During the exam..."
"Go if I tell you to, what nonsense!" Li Mao was obviously not in a good mood, he raised his eyes and scolded.
Li Xu didn't know why his always amiable father got angry and didn't dare to contradict him anymore. He hung a bunch of groceries on the back of the mule and followed his father out of the house in panic. It was still early, the official road was very deserted, and the autumn wind blew in the morning.
The yellow fallen leaves are flying in the air, and the colorful butterflies are set against the light blue distant mountains. The splendor is a bit desolate.
"The Emperor may be going to war again. Our Shanggu soldiers have always been famous?" At the fork in the road, Lao Li Mao looked at his son with aggrieved face and sighed. Thinking about it, these words are far beyond the understanding of a fourteen-year-old child.
Ability, smiled bitterly, and rode away.
"Wanting a war? Is it a good thing? I just joined the army to make a name for myself." Li Xu looked at his father's increasingly older figure and thought puzzledly. He had been studying in the county school, and Old Master Yang who had followed Yue Gong Yang Su to conquer the south of the Yangtze River often mentioned him.
My heroic past in those days. Whenever I talk about the heroic feat of the army crossing the river with overwhelming force and pulling Empress Chen out of the well, I keep slapping the case with my hands, and I seem to be more than ten years younger.
"In this life, a real man should establish an unparalleled reputation, serving the king at the top and protecting the people at the bottom. If it is beneficial to the country, he will die a hundred times but not fail..." Old Master Yang showed off his frivolity like this in front of the young people. Every time
At this time, Li Xu and others were also intoxicated, as if they had become Han Qinhu and He Ruobi, following behind the young King Jin to guide the country. He never thought that with his identity and family background, if he joined the army
You can only be a pawn. The chance to die without giving up comes every day, but the possibility of achieving unparalleled fame is no more than being struck by lightning!
After thinking about it, I came to the door of the "Youjian" inn. In recent years, the people have been in decline, and ordinary people eat two meals a day. There is no business in the inn in the morning, and there is usually no fire. It was beyond Li Xu's expectation.
Yes, uncle Zhang Baosheng didn't prepare any food in the inn. The inn was so empty, not a single person was seen. (To be continued)
