In the south of the Yangtze River, winter is not so cold that spring comes quietly and hardly noticeably.

Inside the restaurant, Lü Qinghou was using an abacus at the counter. The boss pushed the door open, looked around, and when he saw no waiter, he ordered, "Qinghou, go to the door and move the goods to the warehouse."

Lu Qinghou agreed, walked out of the counter quickly, went outside and moved a batch of things needed for the restaurant to the warehouse.

As a scholar, perhaps he could not be considered a scholar. Lü Qinghou started learning at the age of seven or eight, and studied hard for ten years, but he failed the examinations repeatedly and did not even pass the examination to become a scholar.

According to the standards at that time, those who passed the examination to become a scholar could be called a "student" and could enjoy preferential government policies, which was considered to bring honor to the family.

If one could pass the imperial examination and become a juren, or even a jinshi, then one would have reached the pinnacle of life, and even his ancestors' graves would be filled with pride.

Becoming a student exempted one from official duties and land taxes, as well as from punishment and privileges in clothing. Although not lavishly wealthy, one could still be content with a small fortune.

Lu Qinghou was already 24 years old. He had an elderly mother and a wife at home, and the little inheritance he had from his family had been spent on studying and taking exams.

He couldn't just sit there and starve, so in order to make a living, Lu Qinghou had to swallow his pride and work as an accountant in a restaurant run by a relative.

He wanted to find a more elegant job, such as opening a private school or working as a tutor for a wealthy family. But he was not even a scholar, and it was embarrassing to even introduce himself.

Time passed quickly, and as dinner time approached, diners began to enter the restaurant in twos and threes. The sounds of conversation and laughter, coupled with the aroma of onions, ginger, and garlic wafting from the kitchen, made the restaurant lively.

As three students wearing square scarves and long boots entered the restaurant, everyone lowered their voices at the same time, as if in awe.

The man in blue robe was elegant and admired by everyone. Lu Qinghou couldn't help but feel envious, but also a little ashamed of himself, so he lowered his head.

The three students found Yajing's window seat, ordered some food and wine, and started chatting while drinking tea as if no one was around.

The three students looked unhappy. Lü Qinghou listened attentively and understood what was going on.

The court announced last year that it would end the preferential treatment for students, giving them a one-year deadline. They could continue to enjoy the benefits by either opening a private school with free tuition or enrolling in a new school in the capital.

Without the free benefits, they naturally weren't well-received. Even with the opportunity to become an official in the new school, many students complained bitterly.

Lu Qinghou's views on this were somewhat complicated. On the one hand, he was not qualified for preferential treatment and felt that it was none of his business. He even felt a little gloating that those students could no longer get something for nothing.

On the other hand, Lü Qinghou was also somewhat dissatisfied. He still had to take the exam, but even if he passed, he wouldn't receive the same preferential treatment as students, which was a natural dampener on his enthusiasm.

"Brother Chen, how are the preparations for opening the private school going?" The thin-faced student put down his teacup and asked the student named Chen, "There's only a little over half a year left."

Chen Shengyuan snorted and said, "It's unprecedented that the imperial court treats scholars so harshly. They're opening private schools, and teaching them for free. Do you really expect them to produce any talent? At most, they can only learn a few words. What use are they to the country?"

The chubby-faced student nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother Chen's view is the same as mine. The Song Dynasty treated scholars well, so scholars supported it, served the emperor loyally, and devoted themselves to the court. Even when the country was in ruins, there were loyal men like Wen Gong Tianxiang, Lu Gong Xiufu, and Zhang Gong Shijie."

The thin student gave a wry smile and said, "The imperial court only cares about petty gains and doesn't consider long-term plans. They suppress students and treat scholars harshly. What can we do?"

Chen Shengyuan echoed this, becoming even more furious. He slammed the newspaper on the table and said, "The imperial court is promoting new learning and relaxing the admission standards. Imagine if you can't even pass the exam to become a scholar, how can you become a pillar of the country if you enter a new school?"

Lu Qinghou frowned. This hit a sore spot for him. Even though the speaker had no intention, it felt like a mockery.

In terms of hard work and the depth of his scholarship, Lü Qinghou considered himself no less capable than others. His repeated failures were probably due to bad luck or the examiners' blindness, not to a lack of knowledge on his part.

Such disparagement seemed to be directed at him, which immediately made Lu Qinghou very unhappy. He also looked at these students with disgust.

What the hell? It looks like he just passed the exam and became a scholar. What is there to be proud of?

They even brought up celebrities like Wen Tianxiang, Lu Xiufu, and Zhang Shijie, saying, "How have you served the country? You are shameless enough to get something for nothing. You deserve to have your preferential treatment cancelled."

However, another piece of information caught Lu Qinghou's attention.

The new schools previously recruited students from the Imperial Academy and scholars, and there was no talk of relaxing the standards. Could there be some new policy? Could even ordinary people without official titles be admitted?

When the food and wine came, the three students ate and talked, and talked about their plans. Among them, Student Chen planned to enter the Imperial College as a student.

After becoming a student, if one fails to pass the imperial examinations for a long time, there is another path for advancement: gradually moving from a dependent student to a senior student, from a senior student to a stipend student, and from a stipend student to a tribute student.

After becoming a Gongsheng, one obtains the qualification of a Taixue student, but does not need to study in a prison. In this way, one can directly participate in the provincial examination, and secondly, one can be appointed to an official position through the "interpretation selection", mainly as a local school official.

Although local school officials did not have much power, they were upright officials and were highly respected.

Lü Qinghou was no longer interested in this, but he would occasionally glance at the newspapers on the three students' desks. He also often read the "Da Ming Forum," as it reflected the emperor's thoughts and will, and the court's policies.

But Lu Qinghou didn't rush forward. He felt a little ashamed. He was just an accountant. If he was ridiculed in public, it would be a huge loss of face.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!