"Bang!" The wick of the sesame oil lamp exploded and spit out a big spark. Li Zhang took advantage of the opportunity to cut the lamp grass and left the dining table. The moment he turned around, he gently rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Okay, why are you sad? Thirty years after Hedong and thirty years after Hexi, who knows that Brother Baosheng's luck will be reversed one day?!" Li Mao knocked on the table with chopsticks and complained a little dissatisfied. Seeing his wife lowering her head and dissatisfied, he felt soft for no reason and said, "I brought a cow this time and three thin horses back. The skeleton is still right. I found someone to tame the ox and familiar with the plow stick. I will add more materials to the horse this winter, and I will sell it at a good price in spring. At that time, I will borrow some capital from Brother Baosheng and ask him to hire a good cook, and then go to the county to invite Master Yang to write a book and hang it in the hall. People who study are lucky, and I may be able to help Brother Baosheng take a walk!"

"That's good, but is it enough for our family to get goods next year? The second brother of Guan Zongchen has been here recently to ask, see when you will come back, so it's time to discuss the money for the ancestors to add incense money next year. Xuzi's book is good, and the county will recommend the township tribute to the capital for the exam in the next year. There will be only two places. If there is no money to handle some..." Li Zhang heard her husband decide to help her parents' family. While grateful, he remembered many troubles in her family, and felt a little hurting money. He talked endlessly, but he didn't explain whether he agreed to her husband's arrangements for a while.

As a tribe, he was always excluded by his tribe members. His husband forced himself to live a lowly business business, and the elders in the tribe took the blame. If everything was not done well, Li Xu's dream of going to the capital for an exam would become a bubble. Although the current emperor repeatedly emphasized that the township tribute sent by various counties (Note 6) should be only talented, and if the students brought by the students are not useful, the local officials should be held accountable. However, those who do not have the word "Bei" will never be as useful as those with the word "Bei". Besides, Shanggu County is so big, how could the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is the one who is in the official school?

"I have prepared the incense money. Ruomu's second brother came to find me just to try some autumn wind when I come back." Li Mao said as his brother's words, "As for Xuzi's exam, I can only apply for Mingjing (Note 7) in the year after taking the exam. If I pass the exam, I will only be a minor official in the local area. It is better to wait a few more years, and after I get the crown (Note 8), I will go directly to the Jinshi exam, and at least I can be a county magistrate after I come out. Once I win, it will be considered that there is a blue smoke coming from the grave of our old Li family!"

"But I heard from people that the twenty-year-old Ming Jing and fifty-year-old Jinshi are! Although I can be a high-ranking official in the Jinshi exam, how many of them can pass the exam? It's not like the Ming Jing exam. Once I can be given a county magistrate and a household sect, I don't have to reach out to myself, and a hundred and suffocating money will be delivered to my door every year." Li Zhang frowned and whispered.

The establishment of a scholarship was the original moral policy of the emperor. This method of obtaining talents without distinguishing family background and knowledge has allowed many small families like the Li family to see hope of changing their living conditions. Although the chance of getting it is very slim, before entering Beijing, they have to deal with the threshold for officials at both county and county levels. But after all, it makes people see the opportunity. Unlike in the previous dynasty, there is no possibility of becoming an official in non-wealthy families.

There are many types of exams in Beijing, but the most popular ones are only two subjects: "Ming Jing" and "Jin Shi". The reason why the former is that it is relatively easy to pass the exam. After memorizing a few books designated by the government, the latter is because once you pass the exam, it is immediately famous all over the world and its future suddenly becomes unlimited. Others, such as Ming Suan and Ming Shu, have high thresholds and few ways out, so there are only a few students who are interested in it.

"It is because the Jinshi is difficult to take the exam, so there is a future!" Li Mao took a sip of wine and his emotions gradually became excited. "Xuzishu is so good. If he really goes to high school, who dares to let us pay more money for incense? In the yamen, Zhao Ergou and Yang Tuzi's idle helpers, who dares to come to bully us?!"

"Then you have to pass the county school first. Although Mr. Yang appreciates our Xuzi, he doesn't care about anything. Although Mr. Liu, who is in charge of the affairs, promises to help us, he is a man in the officialdom after all. He is not like a businessman, spitting out a hole! (Note 9)" Speaking of his son's future, Li Zhang is always unique than her husband. Mr. Liu, who is in charge of the county school, has always been famous and does not refuse people when he put away money. In terms of specific affairs, no one can tell what principles he is in mind.

"No!" As the wine urged each other, some sweat gradually emerged from the forehead of Old Li Mao and murmured: "Mr. Liu took our Turkic horse last year, but he was only four years old! He could only eat without raising his food? Besides, if he didn't look at the monk's face and Buddha's face, Xuzi was also a registered disciple of Master Yang." Speaking of this, he turned his head to Li Xu and asked anxiously: "Before I leave, I asked you to give me a letter. Have you asked him to ask him? Did he agree to get the words for you?"

Li Xu is far from old age, so it is too early to ask someone to take the word. But Mr. Yang is a famous local scholar. If he takes the word, it means that he has the title of master and apprentice. In the future, even if others want to be down on Li Xu, they must first consider his master's feelings.

"I'm begging me, my master gave me the name Zhongjian. Master also suggested that I go to the Jinshi exam. A few days ago, he taught everyone to write policy comments, and criticized my policy comments with the eight words "proper meaning and knowledge", and asked me to read them to all my classmates!" Li Xu interrupted. He didn't understand the difference between "Ming Jing" and "Jinshi". His greatest ambition was to be a household sect, so that his parents and uncle could live a stable life without being bullied for a few days. He just felt that if he could take the exam several years later, he could help his mother take care of the family business, and secondly, he didn't have to let his father always give gifts to Liu Xuejiao. Who among the classmates knew that Liu Xuejiao was a person who only accepted gifts but did not do anything? Only the old father was really, and he always took the initiative to deliver it to him.

"Zhongjian, I don't know which allusion comes from. Master Yang..." Li Mao frowned and expressed his frown slightly. The most knowledgeable Master Yang in the local area was able to give his son a personal name, which means that the old man has recognized the title of master and apprentice with Li Xu. Although this title was relied on by the Li family, with this relationship, Li Xu's recommendation by the government has a little hope. As a conscientious father, Li Mao always does everything he can to prepare for his son.

"You have never been willing to send the good wine your uncle gave to your father the last time. Your mother has never been able to deliver the jar of Kaifeng to Master another day! By the way, I will get some mushrooms from the outside and dried wild game for your uncle. Although it is a drop in the bucket, I can at least get a dish to the table!" Li Mao hesitated for a moment and whispered.

"Oh!" Li Xu agreed happily, suddenly remembered what his uncle asked for him, and whispered: "What my uncle urgently needs is not the rare flavor. My uncle asked me to ask you today, saying that if you come back, I will help him find two raw cowhides. If there is no cowhide, horse and donkey skin, he will also pay. He is willing to buy it at a suitable price, and the government is urging him to hurry!"

"I have a ready-made fur goods in my hands and don't need to buy them from someone else's house. But why did the good government suddenly want fur goods?"

"By the way, Uncle Zhong said that the second head of Zhao in the county town came to the door a few days ago and asked you when you would reply, saying that we have to pay more five more raw cowhides to the government this year. Uncle Zhong begged him for a long time before changing it to three. Before leaving, he also took two reed chickens and took them away!" When Mrs. Li Zhang heard her son talk about raw cowhides, she also remembered the extra taxes levied by her family and reported to her husband in a low voice.

"Five raw cowhides? What's the matter with Zhao Ergouzi? Why do you need so much cowhide? Is it dead at the county magistrate's house? Do you need to use it to wrap the body?" Li Mao slapped the table suddenly and cursed hatefully.

Suddenly, the couple both turned pale. Look at me, I look at you, and my eyes are full of fear.

Although both of them were from small families, they knew a little, and the story of horse-drawn corpse was familiar. Shanggu County was facing the border, and the government enlisted raw cowhide on a large scale. What else could it do besides preparing armor for the soldiers to go on the expedition? But now the Gentiles who could be subdued around the Great Sui Kingdom have long been subdued, and the only one who dared to cause trouble was Goryeo. In the 18th year of Kaihuang, King Yang Liang of Han and the Grand Marshal Gao Ying once led more than 300,000 troops to expedition to Goryeo. According to the emperor himself, the final result was that King Goryeo bowed down and surrendered, but less than 3,000 heroes who could return from the 300,000 Eastern Expedition heroes. Among the 290,000 heroes who stayed in a foreign country, there was Li Xu's brother Li Liang.

At that time, Ryoko had just tied her hair, and her figure and face were as good as Ayuko...

The next day, Li Mao got up and packed his things and went into the city. Before leaving, he picked up four pieces of raw cowhide, two baskets of dried mushrooms, and a bundle of jerky beef, and handed them to his son, and ordered: "Send it to your uncle. Don't go to school these days, you have something to do at home!"

"Ask absent from class, Master Yang will be angry!" Li Xu protested loudly. Seeing his father ignored him, he muttered and added, "I have been talking about policy discussions these two days, and during the examination..."

"If you ask you to go, how much nonsense!" Li Mao was obviously in a bad mood and raised his eyes and scolded him.

Li Xu didn't know why his father was angry and didn't dare to contradict him anymore. He hung a piece of groceries on the mule's back and followed his father out of the house in disarray. It was still early, and the official road was very deserted. The autumn wind swept the yellow fallen leaves in the air, and the colorful butterflies reflected on the light blue distant mountains, with a bit of desolation in its splendor.

"The emperor may be going to fight again. Our Shanggu soldiers have always been famous?" At the fork in the road, Old Li Mao looked at his son with aggrieved face and sighed. Thinking about the words, these words far exceed the understanding ability of a fourteen-year-old child, smiled bitterly and drove away.

"Is it a war? What a good thing? I just joined the army to make a fame." Li Xu thought in confusion as his father's older back. Mr. Yang, who had been in the county school, mentioned his heroic past many times when he was following the Yue Gong Yang Su to wipe out the south of the Yangtze River. Whenever he talked about the feat of the army crossing the river, he waved his palms and slapped the table, and he seemed to be in his teenage years.

"A real man should establish fame and fortune in this life. He will lead the king to the top and defend the people below. If it is beneficial to the country, he will not follow him even if he dies a hundred times..." Master Yang exuded his frivolity in front of the young men. At this time, Li Xu and others were also drunk, as if he had become Han Qinhu and He Ruobi, following the young King of Jin, and he guided the country. He never thought that with his own identity and family background, he could only be a front pawn, and he would have the opportunity to die a hundred times without follow him every day. The possibility of establishing fame and fortune in the world is not much greater than being hit by lightning!
Chapter completed!