national surname chiming

Chapter 19 Standing and Bought the Official
Shen Shuren originally wanted to invite Gu Yanwu and Zhang Huangyan to drink flowers and wine in private to comfort Gu Yanwu who failed the ranking.

Unexpectedly, after the end of the provincial examination, the newly promoted Juren, Jujian students, and Gongjian students had a lot of social activities, and they collided in time.

Wu Weiye, the Secretary of the Imperial College, personally posted a post, asking relevant people to come to Bailuzhou for a boat tour in the garden and a drinking and cultural meeting in the future, to encourage all students to make persistent efforts.

After Shen Shuren got the post, he read it over and over carefully, and it didn't say "only those who passed the exam are allowed to attend the meeting", so he suggested to Gu Yanwu:
"Where to go to drink is not to drink, why don't you go with brother Gu. Everyone knows your knowledge, and no one will be dissatisfied at this kind of literary meeting."

Zhang Huangyan didn't have much experience, and he didn't see anything tricky, so he agreed.

Only Gu Yanwu has participated in the provincial examination several times, and he knows the tricks after the rural examination is over, so he laughed at himself: "Why am I going to join in the fun? There will always be brokers from the official department in this kind of literary fair, who will secretly sell the official position. If you are interested, you can do it in private first." After paying the deposit, we will formally pay the donation later.”

Shen Shuren was taken aback for a moment, and quickly realized.

Sure enough, even in the reign of Chongzhen, the court allowed to sell officials openly, and the officials still had to search for the benefits.

Before and after buying an official, you have to pay twice. The first time it goes into a private pocket, and the second time it goes to the court.Moreover, the money stolen by the bureaucracy is definitely more than what was given to the emperor.

After learning the truth, Shen Shuren continued to insist:

"Brother Gu, even so, my younger brother and cousin are inexperienced after all, so you can do me a favor and go have a few drinks together. I want to buy an official as soon as possible, with a knowledgeable star like you, It's not easy to be cheated."

In spite of everything he said, Gu Yanwu had no choice but to lower his face and help his brother check it out.Shen Shuren was overjoyed, saying that there will be a reward in the future.

……

Two days passed quickly, and it was August 27 in a blink of an eye.

Many Juren made some poems in advance, trying to match the late autumn atmosphere of Bailuzhou, so as to find a chance to sing and show their faces in front of Wu Shanzhang or other seniors in the literary world.

Of course Shen Shuren and Zhang Huangyan didn't do anything.

Shen Shuren doesn't know how to write poetry at all. He spent money to buy the prison students. It is completely meaningless to do so, and sooner or later he will be ruined.

Zhang Huangyan could barely write a little bit, but he also knew that it would not be successful, so he simply hid his clumsiness.

After arriving at the place, Zhang Huangyan was also very curious. They had come early and had chartered the boat by themselves, so they could watch around while no one was present.

In Bailuzhou, the ports are criss-crossed, and the reeds and reeds are green.There are countless table tables on the long embankment on the bank, and there are orchid boats going back and forth in Tingzhou in the water, and there are singers playing piano and singing on Tingzhou to add to the fun, looming.

"This prosperous place in Jinling is really extravagant and decadent. The newly established Humanities Association, with senior teachers and teachers, even invites singing girls to help. If teachers and students all fall in love with the same woman, I don't know how it will end."

After Zhang Huangyan observed it, he couldn't help complaining.

Shen Shuren listened to it, and laughed knowingly, despising the hypocrisy of those rotten scholars.

Gu Yanwu was relatively knowledgeable, so he played a guest role as a commentator:

"This Bailuzhou Literary Club is also a game that has been pondered over the years. The harbor here is full of branches, but the water surface is not wide. Let the singers go up to the island to play the piano, and people on the shore can still see clearly, but they can't touch it.

Coincidentally with the Book of Songs, "the reeds are green, the white dew is frost, the so-called Iraqi people are on the side of the water", which means that teachers and students have fun together, and it is not insulting to the gentleman. "

When Shen Shuren heard this, he was quite disdainful in his heart, these gimmicks are still hypocrisy after all.

However, he casually took a few glances, and there were quite a few girls who played the piano after Luwei in Tingzhou. They were indeed beautiful, and they were probably carefully selected.

The guests of the Wenhui arrived soon, and Shen Shuren didn't know many people, so he needed Gu Yanwu to give advice:

"Today's host is Wu Shanzhang from our Imperial College, and the two distinguished guests around him seem to be Qian Qianyi and Gong Dingzi who are as famous as Wumei Village."

Both Shen Shuren and Zhang Huangyan met Qian, Gong and others for the first time.But Shen Shuren knew the history, so it was not surprising.

Zhang Huangyan was very surprised: "How did the three of them get called together? Then Gong Dingzi doesn't look much older than us, but Qian Qianyi is an old man in his fifties."

Gu Yanwu nodded: "Gong Dingzi is indeed young. He was a Juren in the sixth year of Chongzhen, and a Jinshi in the next year. That is, the first two sessions, No. 90 and seven in the top three. Ashamed, I will also come to take the exam when he won the Juren. Yes, we haven't taken the exam yet, and we don't plan to."

With the arrival of the participants one by one, the essay meeting will officially begin soon.

Wu Weiye got up first and said some words of encouragement.It is nothing more than to let everyone serve the country wholeheartedly after they have completed their studies, and to address the difficult times, scholars should take the world as their own responsibility and so on.

Qian Qianyi is still in the body of guilt, resigned from office, and said that he did not speak publicly, but only accepted private consultations from some scholars.

Gong Dingzi, the youngest of the "Three Great Masters of Jiangzuo", will go to the capital to take up his post at the end of the year, and he belongs to the real power faction. On this occasion, he will inevitably be complimented and give a speech.

Gong Dingzi used to be a local official in Hubei. It is said that Xiong Wencan made a contribution in the process of besieging and forcing Zhang Xianzhong to surrender last year. Therefore, he was evaluated by the Ministry of Officials as the best in political performance, and was promoted to the Ministry of War as the head of the sixth rank.

None of the other candidates at the essay meeting questioned this statement, but Shen Shuren and Zhang Huangyan felt that it was very abnormal:
But now that Zhang Xianzhong has resigned, and Xiong Wencan himself has been imprisoned, the person who helped Xiong Wencan last year was still able to get promoted smoothly by relying on this old work. It would be too false to say that he did not deceive others.

"It's probably because His Majesty is too busy to catch the big and let go of the small. The senior officials have to personally check the promotion and promotion, and the junior officials don't have the energy to look at them one by one, and the people below took their private goods and mixed in."

Shen Shuren speculated in a low voice, not without malice, and Zhang Huangyan nodded heavily when he heard the words, and the two looked at Gong Dingzi with less respect than at first.

In particular, Shen Shuren knows the history. He knows the so-called "Three Great Masters of Jiangzuo", that is, Wu Weiye's character is slightly better, and he insisted on not being an official for many years (but he was threatened by force after ten years in Shunzhi, and became an official. resigned after the next year), and the rest of Qian Qianyi and Gong Dingzi are of even worse character.

Qian Qianyi took the initiative to surrender when the city of Nanjing was broken. Gong Dingzi was in Beijing when Chongzhen died.

After Shen Shuren put on colored glasses, he felt even more disgusted when he looked at those who were showing their articles next to Qian Qianyi and Gong Dingzi.

Soon, he noticed that there were two young people around Gong Dingzi.One of them looks thin and sunken, like a consumptive ghost who has had too much whoring, and the other has a swollen face, which does not look like a scholar.

And many newly promoted candidates who were not too high in the provincial examinations, gradually and naturally gathered around those few people, chanting poems against each other, and complimenting each other.

"Who are those two people next to Gong Dingzi? Are they very knowledgeable? Are they so sought after?" Shen Shuren asked Gu Yanwu humbly.

Gu Yanwu observed for a while, then shook his head and smiled: "These two should be responsible for matchmaking and selling officials today, why, Brother Shen Xian doesn't even know any of them?
The man with a fierce face is Zhu Guangshi. I remember that your father had some feud with Zhu Dadian, the Governor of Water Transport, right?This Zhu Guangshi is Governor Zhu's nephew. You have never seen the Imperial Academy who joined you at the same time? "

Shen Shuren smiled awkwardly. He has been in the Imperial College for more than 20 days, but he has not attended a single day of class, and he has not made up any knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics.Except for those old friends, he didn't know any of the other Guozijian classmates.

Gu Yanwu continued to educate him: "I heard that Mr. Yang Ge deployed troops in An and Lu to encircle the thieves and criminals. This year, he needs to add a lot of money, food and military supplies officials. In addition to the official department, he has to communicate with the household department, water transport department, etc. Discuss and proceed.

In today's meeting, the intention to buy an official is mostly because of the help of these few people.Zhu Guangshi was able to follow the path of the Governor of Water Transport. Gong Dingzi was going to Beijing and had friends in the Ministry of Officials. He came to help collect the money this time.

There is also the tuberculosis ghost named Hou Fangyu, whose father is Hou Xun, the former Minister of Household Affairs—speaking of which, before Hou Xun was dismissed from office, he was still your father's immediate boss.

After Hou Xun was impeached and imprisoned by Wen Tiren four years ago for the crime of wasting money, the Hou family lost power.In the past few years, no one had burned Hou Fangyu's cold stove.

But last year Wen Tiren was dismissed from office and died of illness, and there were no people in the court who deliberately suppressed Hou Xun, saying that there were many old friends who wanted to rescue him.

In addition, Hubei Zuo Liangyu was Hou Xun's person back then, and most of the money wasted in the case of Hou Xun's illegal "excessive payment" was allocated to Zuo Liangyu.This time Zhang Xianzhong rebelled, Zuo Liangyu did not work hard, surrounded but did not attack.

It is heard that someone in the court has advised His Majesty to release Hou Xun and let him use his old benefactor's status to supervise Zuo Liangyu.If this is done, the Hou family will be prosperous again.

Hou Xun has been Minister of the Household Department for many years, and the money and grain officer under the Household Department needs to fill in the vacancy, so he can speak well.Now that so many people are surrounding Hou Fangyu to burn the cold stove, most of them have seen this clearly. "

The Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Households, and Water Transport are the selection of a new batch of logistics officers needed by Yang Sichang.The spokespersons of the three parties who can speak are all present.

It's really a clear price tag, and there's nothing wrong with it.

The one-stop service for selling officials in the Ming Dynasty was really in place.

However, among these three people, one is an enemy of the Shen family.

Although the other two have no enmity, Shen Shuren can't talk to those spineless people who will actively serve in the future, and Shen Shuren doesn't want to curry favor with these soft bones.

I'm afraid it's not easy to buy this official.

"Is there any way to buy this official without giving these three people good looks or flattering them?" Shen Shuren's brain was running at high speed, and alternative strategies flashed through his mind, but he couldn't think of a suitable one for the time being. .

No way, he decided to wait and see how others bought officials.

(End of this chapter)