Mai Fan talked for a long time. When he finished speaking, he found that his father had a shocked face and stood behind the desk for a long time before he could react.
"You, you have been thinking for a long time... My son, the road to the imperial examination is extremely difficult. Even if you fail to pass the provincial examination or the college examination for three years after another, you can still be recognized by others even if you only produce a scholar.
Called a young talent..."
"If it really doesn't work out, my son, don't take it too seriously..."
"I will try to find a way for you to attend the Hanlin Academy where you want to study."
"Also, you usually have been studying hard in the academy. Why did you suddenly remember to ask about your sister?"
Mai Fan had a serious look on his face and expressed his current worries: "Father, although that monk has left, their words are really weird."
"Even if our family has beaten these servants, there is no guarantee that no one will know about it afterwards."
"This kind of reputation is really not a good thing for my sister."
"My son is so anxious to get some results in the scientific examination to prevent these remarks from reaching the ears of people who shouldn't hear them."
"Father, does he know that our Zhen family is here in Jinling?"
Xue Jue couldn't help but tremble when this family was suddenly mentioned. He looked at Mai Fan tentatively: "What did you hear? About the Zhen family?"
Mai Fan sighed: "There is a branch of the Zhen family studying in Qingsong Academy. You can tell a lot of clues just from the behavior of that family."
"Our family possesses wealth that no one else can match, and we are inextricably linked to the well-established noble families."
"But the more this happens, the easier it is for people in the family to miss them."
"I'm a man. If they can't do anything from me, I'm afraid they will try to target our sister."
"I heard that the favored Concubine Zhen has given birth to a son, and all the Zhen family's might will be devoted to him."
"And if my sister has a precious destiny and relies on the Xue family's countless wealth..."
"I'm really afraid. I'm afraid that I have wronged my sister. The girl of the Xue family who should be so noble will end up being a concubine and a slave to someone else."
Just a few words made Xue Jue feel uncomfortable.
"Let's see who dares!" Because of these few words, Xue Jue made the final decision: "I already know about this."
"Now you just need to prepare for the exam with peace of mind!"
"As a father and the head of the family, your sister's matter should be dealt with by me, the head of the family."
"Don't be too stressed. Don't worry, this matter will never be spread."
That's good!
Mai Fan showed a reassuring smile, said goodbye to Xue Jue, returned to his yard, and continued to study hard.
After he left, his father Xue Jue sat in front of the desk and meditated for a long time.
Then he took out a letter from the drawer, along with the contents of the belt, lit it on the candle, threw it into the brazier and burned it completely.
This was a private letter between the head of the Zhen family and him, and it only took him a few days to get it.
Originally, he was deeply moved by the wonderful future described in the letter.
But after what happened today, Xue Jue felt that he should be more cautious and consider it for more time before giving the other party a clear answer.
As for when this period will be extended?
Xue Jue thinks that it will be after Mai Fan’s boy test is over.
As long as Mai Fan can successfully pass the first two of the three levels of the scholar examination and obtain the title of Tongsheng, he will not need to make any substantive commitments to the Zhen family and tie the Xue family's future to a related family.
on the body.
As long as there is one person in the Xue family who can stand up, he will still be the Ziwei Sheren who works hard for the emperor.
After finishing all this, Xue Jue picked up his pen again and wrote down in a special letter stroke by stroke the people or things he had encountered during his business dealings in Jinling, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
superior.
After he sealed it, he sent it to the pigeon house in the backyard as usual, and a specialized pigeon breeder tied it to a special carrier pigeon, completing his half-month or
A letter will be sent to the capital in one month.
It was precisely because of Xue Jue's move that the people in charge of controlling people in the capital felt relieved.
He may not know that the letter sent from the palace by the Zhen family has actually been read by people from both parties.
One is of course the current Zhen family's most supportive supporter, His Majesty the Emperor, while the other is His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince, who has the deepest thoughts and rarely shows off.
No matter which side they are, the Xue family cannot fight against these two parties.
It was precisely because of the Xue family's honesty that they never responded that Xue Jue left a good impression of a person who was willing to work and loyal in the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor and the Zhen family's competitors.
Of course, there were so many people involved behind this matter, and Xue Jue, who was far away in Jinling, had no way of knowing.
Now that he has resumed his usual pace, all he has left is worrying about his son Xue Pan taking the exam for the first time.
The first level of the boy's examination is the county examination.
The county examination in Jinling City starts in February every year.
The first exam took five consecutive exams. Although each exam did not last too long, the weather in February was still late winter and the wind was biting.
For this exam, the Xue family started preparing as early as the middle of last month.
They first followed the notice from the government office and found out who were in charge of the county examination, which was presided over by the county magistrate and supervised by the instructor of the Confucian Studies Department.
I registered for Xue Pan according to the examination period (announcement) announced by the county office. The registration place was in the ceremonial room of the county government office. Xue Pan personally went to fill in the personal confession, mutual agreement and acknowledgment.
What is a personal confession? It is a personal resume.
Your name, age, place of origin, body shape, and facial features. Also fill in the surviving resumes of your great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. If you are an adoptive person, you must also write down the three generations of your biological parents to be considered qualified.
As for mutual ties, Xue Pan was more cautious in doing so.
Because this requires the examinee to take the exam from five people who took the exam together, and the five people who wrote the documents signed a guarantee with each other, and the five people who cheated took the exam together.
If he only passed the test in terms of academics but not in character, he might be dragged to death before Mai Fan even passed the exam.
From this, the people he was friends with came from the academy to Xue's house. He checked again and again to make sure that everyone was rushing to take the exam. Only then did the five of them encourage each other and formed this partner.
As for the most difficult guarantee for ordinary people, it is to ask a local resident to sign a guarantee, which is called a "guarantee." It guarantees that he will not impersonate his nationality, conceal his funeral, use a substitute, or use a false name, and that he will be clean and not a prostitute.
The descendants of officials themselves have not committed crimes or practiced their profession.