Xiangye

Chapter 90 No Small Negligence

Time was running out, Gao Wen didn't dare to delay, so he ran all the way to the ceremony room.

In the Ming Dynasty, the county-level yamen was generally organized with three classes and six rooms, and the county magistrate was in charge.That is to say, the magistrate of a county is in charge of the overall situation, and there is a county magistrate below, and below that are the master and the three classes and six houses.

The third class is the fast class, the strong class and the soap class; the sixth class is the ritual, household, official, soldier, criminal, and worker.

Among them, the ceremony, the imperial examination, and the school, that is to say, the county examination, are in charge of the ceremony.

As soon as he arrived at the door of the ceremony room, before seeing him, Gao Wen suddenly remembered something, and his face changed drastically: Oops, there is no guarantor.

It turned out that according to the official election system of the Ming Dynasty, when a scholar took the county examination, because he did not have a student status, the file was not completed.Because, when you apply for the exam, you have to find a janitor to act as a guarantee.It proves that your surname is who, and that you have read the book, you are a member of the famous religion.When you go to the government for the test, you need two guarantors.

I have just arrived here, my eyes are darkened, and I don't know anyone in Zhuanglang County, so where can I find a janitor to provide insurance for me?
Actually, it's easy too.I don’t know each other, just find a chance to get to know each other.Find a janitor, visit directly at the door, talk about it, the key is that you have to give a generous gift.Of course, literati exchanges.If you fall into the eyes of the other party, they may return you a gift.

It's just that Gao Wen is penniless at the moment, so there is no way to discuss this matter.

For a moment, Gao Wen was stunned.

There were a few book offices sitting in the ceremony room chatting about something bored, one of them saw Gao Wen standing outside for a long time, and beckoned to him: "Come in."

It would be wrong for Gao Wen to leave at this time, so he could only bite the bullet and walk in, cupping his hands: "I've seen the book office."

The book office asked, "What's your name and where do you live?"

Gao Wen: "My surname is Gao Mingwen again, and I live in Kushuihe Village." He reported his ancestral home, and when he said his name, his heart beat wildly.His eyes couldn't help falling on the face of the book office, and he just waited for one bad one and ran away.

Fortunately, there was no difference in the expression of the book office. I think there are many people with the same name and surname in this world: "Oh, from Kushuihe, is there someone with the surname Gao in that place? You look like a decent person, why did you come to the yamen?" ?”

Gao Wen: "I..."

"It's okay to say something."

Gao Wen put his heart to one side: "I have studied for several years, and I heard that our county is holding a county examination, so I'm here..."

Before he finished speaking, all the book offices in the room turned their heads to the back room and shouted: "Master Su, someone has come to sign up." There was a hint of joy in the voice.

Gao Wen was a bit puzzled, it felt like he had entered a black shop.

"Here we come, here we come." A middle-aged man ran out disheveled, obviously taking a nap to digest his food: "Who wants to sign up? It's you... come, come, write down your name and place of origin."

He handed over something like a form with bright eyes, and Gao Wen picked up a pen to write, and several book offices surrounded him, tsk-tsk in his mouth: "What a beautiful willow style, delicate and elegant. Atmospheric, when did our Zhuang Lang produce such a character."

"Good handwriting, good handwriting, it sounds a bit like the writing of the new county lord."

"Yes, yes, it's a bit similar. Let alone other things, just with good handwriting, you must pass the county test this time."

……

Yes, the Shanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region is poor, and scholars are scarce, and there are even fewer people who can write well.Take Hancheng, where Gao Wen lived, as an example, that place can be regarded as the affluent Guanzhong Plain, but many scholars are so pedantic about handwriting that it is so ugly that they can't read it.

Gao Wen was dissatisfied when he heard everyone's praise, and hurriedly said humbly: "Show your ugliness, show your ugliness."

After filling out the resume, and checking the household registration.The master smiled and said: "It turns out that after you were a refugee from Hancheng who moved back to your hometown, I said that there is no farmer surnamed Gao on the Kushui River. Also, there is such a person in my county. Why didn't you hear about it before?" said."

Gao Wen carefully looked at the master with a happy face: "Dianli Su, this, this..."

Su Dianli: "What's the matter?"

Gao Wen: "When I came here, I left in a hurry, and forgot to ask someone to guarantee it."

"What, there is no guarantor." Su Dianli was furious: "You didn't hire someone to be a guarantor for such an important matter. You don't want to take the county exam this year. You will be disqualified from the exam!"

After finishing speaking, he was still angry, let out a long roar, and cursed, "The rebels, despise the yamen, play tricks on the officials, come here, beat the generals out!"

Several book offices rushed up, carrying Gao Wen to rush out of the house.

Gao Wen's heart suddenly fell to the bottom, and he was indescribably frustrated.He just wanted to slap himself: Gao Wen, Gao Wen, what are you doing?If I knew it earlier, I would have found a guarantor... But, I have no money, and I don't know anyone, so where can I find a guarantor to be a guarantor.Is it possible that I have suffered so much, but it still ends like this in the end?Not reconciled!
At this moment, Gao Wen suddenly had an idea in his mind.Immediately, he said loudly: "Let go of me, I will go by myself. Haha, haha, ridiculous, ridiculous!" He looked up to the sky and laughed.

Hearing Gao Wen's laugh, the book office was stunned and let go of their hands.

Su Dianshi slapped the table and shouted angrily: "Extremely arrogant, what are you laughing at?"

Gao Wen put his hands behind his back, looking like a famous scholar: "I am a loafer from my hometown. Three generations of my family have been wandering abroad for many years. I originally thought that returning to my hometown this time would be regarded as returning to my roots. Besides, I have been living in a poor family for ten years, and I want to be in the examination hall. Gain fame, show your ambitions, don't talk about honoring your ancestors, and you can't lose the name of my Zhuanglang County. When Xiaosheng used to study in various prefectures in Guanzhong, when he mentioned his ancestral home Zhuanglang, his classmates and friends all looked puzzled , They all asked: Where is Zhuang Lang, but what extraordinary people have come out, and how many people have passed the examination? Every time I ask this, Xiaosheng is speechless."

"I have been studying at the lower level for many years, and I can write a few decent articles on my own. This time I went back to my hometown to settle down, and I wanted to earn face for Zhuang Lang. But because of the long distance, I came in a hurry, and I was afraid of making mistakes. After the exam period, I came to the ceremony room to report my name, but forgot to ask someone to be a guarantor. Of course, this was negligent." Gao Wen arched his hands slightly, with a haughty expression on his face: "It's a pity! Well, I came here today, but I’m so disappointed. Come on, Xiaosheng will go back to Hancheng, so maybe there’s still time to take the exam there. Farewell!”

Gao Wen's move was to retreat as an advance, and he was determined to take a gamble.

"What did you say...wait." Su Dianshi suddenly shouted, and called Gao Wen: "Are you going back to Hancheng for the exam?"

Gao Wen said indifferently: "Naturally, I was born in Hancheng for three generations, and I have passed on poetry and rites for generations. It is not easy to find three or five guarantors. Don't ask more questions about Su Dian Shi, and Xiaosheng is still in a hurry to go back to his hometown to catch up with the exam. This year's academy examination showcasing fame, I am determined to win it. As for Qiu Wei, it may not be impossible to fight for it."

Hearing the words "Xiu Cai" and the following "Qiu Wei", Su Li's face trembled, and he roared loudly: "You are from my Zhuanglang County, since you have moved back to your original place, why should you go to Hancheng?" Can you rely on it? Isn’t it just a guarantor, what’s the big deal, I’ll take care of it for you!”

As he was talking, he turned around and asked a book office: "Go to the county school, Mr. Guo Linsheng, Mr. Guo, and ask him to protect you. Just say, this is what the county official wants, and ask him to help you no matter what."

After finishing speaking, he sat down angrily and began to register with Gao Wen. While writing, he shouted: "Zhuang Langren went to other places for the imperial examination, is it like saying, is it like saying? How can you be worthy of the hometown where you were born and raised, and your hometown?" Ancestors and ancestors, this is unfilial and unrighteous!"

With big hats pressed down, Gao Wen had no choice but to pretend to be wronged, "Yes, since Su Dianshi said so, Xiaosheng should stay in Zhuang Lang."

After completing all the formalities and leaving the yamen, Gao Wen shook his fist fiercely at the sky: "Victory, everything is under control!"

Yes, the reason why he said those words just now was to use aggressive methods.

In the end, it really provoked Su Dianshi to cry and beg him to sign up for reference.The reason is very simple, Zhuanglang County is really short of excellent students.

In ancient times, reading was an extremely expensive thing.A person starts enlightenment at the age of six and needs to go to school to study. The annual tuition fee is two or three taels of silver, and the annual consumption of pen, ink, paper and inkstone is not a small expense.Hanchuang has spent ten years studying off-duty, so the work in the field is naturally of no help.

After reading the book, you have to take the imperial examination, the county examination is okay.When you go to the government test, you have to go to Fucheng for the government test and the college test, the provincial capital for the rural test, and the capital city for the general test. Once you come back and forth, you will travel thousands of miles, and the travel expenses are enough to make an ordinary family go bankrupt.

In addition, you have to participate in Shilin activities when you are studying, right?Doing essays, worshiping the master, singing poems and wine, communicating joints, and establishing contacts, made a sea of ​​money go.

In this way, if you want to support a scholar, you usually need the power of the whole family.Of course, once you gain fame and become an official, you have to give back to your family.The people of the tribe have to ask for something, and it is their duty to do so.Otherwise, you are unreasonable and will be condemned by the public opinion of the whole society.

Many officials suffered mental breakdowns because of being blackmailed by their clansmen.

For example, Li Zhi, a great philosopher in the Ming Dynasty, was forced to abandon his official position and become a monk because he was funded by his tribe in his early years and was constantly asked for money and things when he was an official.

Reading is really expensive, because whether a place's literary style is at its peak or not, and the number of scholars it produces are directly related to the degree of economic prosperity.This directly led to the fact that most of the dignitaries in the court were from Suzhou and Nanjing, but the northerners could not see a few.

Shaanxi is a poor province, Pingliang Prefecture is the poorest place in Shaanxi, and Zhuanglang is a poor county in the poor government.

Earlier, Gao Wen had heard from Yu Xingyan and Shi Linsheng that several outlying counties in Pingliang Prefecture were dissatisfied with their names in the county examination every year, and they hadn't produced a scholar for many years.

There are usually three hard indicators to measure the performance of a local official: taxation, public security, and culture and education.

In a place like Pingliang Mansion, taxation can't be counted on, so we can only focus on public security, culture and education.Especially in culture and education, there hasn't been a famous scholar in this place for many years, but any scholar who has a good eye is a treasure!

Just now Gao Wen has already shown his beautiful brush calligraphy, as the saying goes: Handwriting is like a person.

A boy who loves to laugh is usually not too bad luck... No, a scholar who can write well is usually not too bad in education.

And Gao Wen also made big claims that he must be a scholar, and he can even strive for fame, which must have aroused Su Dianshi's vigilance.

Taking a step back, if Gao Wen moved his household registration back to Hancheng, he would have passed the examination of scholar this year, and even passed the exam in Qiuwei.This matter happened to be known to the county magistrate again, and the consequences can be imagined.

The county magistrate will definitely know, because any county magistrate is a Jinshi, a typical scholar.He is also very enthusiastic about education.Every time an imperial examination is held, any scholar will buy this year's collection of Chinese-style candidates' essays and take a look at it.

It is tolerable for a scholar to even get a quota, and a political achievement slips away from his hands like this. It is unbearable, and the relevant responsible persons must be held accountable.

In fact, let alone the Ming Dynasty where the imperial examination was directly linked to the performance of local officials.Even in modern society, the same is true.Back when Gao Wen was in high school, the school dared to use any means in order to compete for outstanding students, except for directly throwing money.

I **** Traditional culture comes down in one continuous line, this is the case in modern society, even more so in ancient times.

Gao Wen was convinced of Su Dianshi's mentality and decided to take a gamble.

Turns out, he won the bet.

(End of this chapter)