Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Ning'an Prefecture has actually always been a hot topic in Dianzhou Prefecture.

Who makes this place special.

Whether it was the time when it was incorporated into Dianzhou Prefecture, or the fact that it did not pay land taxes for fifty years, or its reputation for poverty.

All of these have made this place a symbol of poverty and backwardness in the eyes of many people.

It was already famous, and now it is even more famous, especially after Ji Zhuangyuan passed away, the entire Ning'an Prefecture was completely transformed.

In this situation, many people naturally feel uncomfortable and become jealous.

But why are ordinary people like this?

There has to be a reason.

Ji Yuan did not allow his men to argue with the other party, and only said: "The situation in Ning'an Prefecture was different before, but they began to recruit soldiers and perform labor service last year, and the land tax will be collected this year as well."

The other party curled his lips and said, "So what? They can make a fortune from rubber."

So that's how it is.

Chai Feng and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s not that Ning Anzhou really did anything unforgivable.

Just because Ning Anzhou made money.

There is no good way to deal with jealousy.

Anyway, it won’t affect anyone, so just ignore it.

“And the Lumberjacks.”

"They rely on the logging association, and the price of timber is better than other places."

"What kind of things are they taking advantage of?"

Ji Yuan looked up, and although his expression did not change, he took note of this matter.

It is not difficult to solve the problem if we just envy the rubber business.

The demand for rubber in the entire Tianqi country will see a huge explosion in the next few years because more people will discover the benefits of rubber.

In Dianzhou Prefecture, where water melon trees and many Eucommia ulmoides grow, most of the people will benefit from it.

But logging is different.

The logging associations in Zhennan and Ning'an have played a very important role in the past two years.

Local timber prices have also remained stable.

But the stability there seems to have affected other places?

Now that we know the cause, we can investigate further later.

Ji Yuan and others went to the posthouse to rest first, and at the same time handed in a visiting card, which was naturally to meet the prefect of Wuxin Prefecture.

The last time he came to take up the post, he did not meet the prefect himself.

I guess this time it will be different?

At the same time, he also sent a letter to the official school of Wuxin Prefecture, requesting a meeting.

This attitude has already made his intention clear.

He came here just for official school affairs.

Today is the twelfth day of the first lunar month. The winter vacation is over, but as long as it is not the fifteenth day, it is basically the New Year.

The Wuxin government office was lazy and leisurely, but they were still slightly surprised when they saw the visiting card from the Ning'an Prefecture governor.

After knowing his purpose, Wu Xinfu didn't know what he was thinking, and said to the people around him: "It is said that he has a good relationship with the capital of Dianzhou Prefecture, and he has always ignored us, but now he has come to us for help."

"Wait a minute. There's a lot of work going on in the government office lately. Let's talk about it after we're done."

What this means is that it needs to be left to dry.

The academic affairs of the prefectural school have the same meaning, let’s wait and see.

Ji Yuan rarely received such cold treatment, but he didn't care. Instead, he strolled around Wuxin Mansion.

The Dong family of Wuxin Mansion was naturally the first to invite.

The relationship between the Dong family and Ji Yuan originated from Dong Kang, who was the same age as Ji Yuan.

The Dong family is in the business of gemstones, dyes, etc.

They were also the first merchant family in Wuxin Prefecture to use rubber on horse-drawn carriages.

Ji Yuan also asked his family to help take care of the Cheng family.

It goes without saying that his family has a good relationship with Ji Yuan.

Since the master of the Dong family came personally to invite him, Ji Yuan would naturally give him this face.

The master of the Dong family is Dong Kang’s father. His family has had a person who is good at reading for generations.

Also, because of Dong Kang's relationship, he is on good terms with Ji Yuan, so naturally he has to cherish this relationship.

The best way to build closer relationships.

It is to provide what the other party needs.

In the Wuxincheng Restaurant in Wuxin Mansion, the master of the Dong family talked about the "reputation" of Ning'an Prefecture.

"Dianzhou Prefecture is very large, as you know. The eastern part of Dianzhou is basically governed by Dianzhou Prefecture and Dianzhou City."

"As for our western Yunnan region, Wu Xincheng will be in charge."

"Before, there was something going on at Zhennan Pass, so the people above took a detour and went to Dianzhou Prefecture to ask for help from the prefect of Dianzhou Prefecture."

"Then, you also asked the prefect over there for the people from the Engineering Department, so naturally there was some dissatisfaction here."

To put it bluntly.

Originally, the entire Dianzhou Prefecture was nominally governed by Dianzhou City.

In fact, because Wuxin Prefecture has developed rapidly in recent years, it has already surpassed the eastern part of Dianzhou.

Therefore, Wuxin Prefecture intended to compete with Dianzhou Prefecture.

What second place doesn’t want to surpass the first place?

But what happened in Ning'an Prefecture made the people of Wuxin Prefecture very unhappy.

When encountering problems, instead of looking for Wu Xincheng, he went to Dianzhou Prefecture instead?

That's your nominal boss, we are the real one.

But it’s hard to say such things out loud, so I can only be sarcastic.

This is the first thing.

Displeasure at the government level.

The second thing.

That's the Lumberjack Club.

The reasons why logging is unpopular have been mentioned before.

It's nothing more than the logging association protecting Ning'an and the lumberjacks in Zhennan.

But the unscrupulous businessmen’s desire to make profits will not change.

Since they couldn't bully the lumberjacks in Ning'an Town and the south, they took their bullying to other places.

People are afraid of comparison. As a result, many farmers who cut wood feel that the suffering is brought to them by the loggers from Ning'an and Zhennan.

You can't blame them for this.

After all, there is the guidance of those wood merchants, and besides, everyone has more or less strange psychology.

Since he didn't dare to blame the unscrupulous merchants who collected the wood, he could only vent his anger on Ning'an Prefecture.

Ji Yuan nodded, indicating that he knew about this matter, but he did not comment much on it.

Everyone has resentment.

Finally, it is the envy of the profits brought by rubber.

These three points combined are enough to make people jealous of Ning'an Zhennan.

"There is another reason." Mr. Dong deliberately joked, "Who would want to let their poor relatives really get rich?"

“It must be sad.”

Although this is a joke, it also illustrates a point.

While eating, Master Dong explained the situation here clearly.

Finally, I talked about the local imperial examination situation.

Speaking of this, Master Dong himself sighed.

"The Dianzhou Prefecture Imperial Examination is too difficult."

Ji Yuan also knew about this matter, otherwise he would not have made the trip in person.

When he was on his way to the capital for the imperial examination, he had heard a lot about the imperial examinations in various places.

The situation in Dianzhou Prefecture is always mentioned by students from all walks of life.

Why?

Naturally, it is because the difficulty and hardship of studying for students in Dianzhou Prefecture are the worst in Tianqi Kingdom.

The place is far away and the educational resources are average.

More importantly, the number of admission places is extremely small.

There is naturally a reason for this.

At the beginning, there were few local students and few people willing to take the imperial examinations. When the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College allocated places, naturally there were very few admission quotas.

For example, when the admission quotas are first allocated.

There were about 1,200 scholars in Jianmeng Prefecture, so 60 to 70 places were given for admission to the provincial examination.

Previously, in Dianzhou Prefecture, less than 700 people took part in the provincial examination, so the number of admitted places was between 30 and 40.

The increase in the number of people taking the imperial examinations in Dianzhou Prefecture has only occurred in the past twenty years.

The number of local candidates for the provincial examination has gradually increased to more than 2,000 each year, with more than 2,000 taking part in the autumn examination held every three years.

What about the admission quota?

Still between thirty and forty.

Compared with Jianmeng Mansion, in the year of the Jiyuan examination, there were almost 1,700 candidates and 70 places were given.

Dong Kang naturally also took the exams in those years. When he took part in the Dianzhou Prefecture's provincial examination, more than 2,100 local people took the exam, but there were only 37 admitted places.

Just by comparing the data like this, you can see the gap.

Of course, there are some people who say that there are too many candidates from Dianzhou Prefecture and their quality may be average.

But the reality is far from that. Just look at Dong Kang and you’ll understand.

Anyway, no matter what.

In Dianzhou Prefecture, there are more monks than porridge.

This year marks the 42nd anniversary of Huayuan.

The most recent one was the autumn examination of the provincial examination two years ago.

At that time, Ji Yuan was still concentrating on farming, building roads and trading rubber, and did not know enough about the imperial examinations in Dianzhou Prefecture.

Mr. Dong said, "In the forty years of Huayuan's provincial examinations, there have been as many as 2,500 local candidates, but there are still only 39 places available."

"It's no exaggeration to say that it's a head-smacking event."

"Under such circumstances, if you in Ning'an Prefecture also want to set up a government school and hold examinations, you will offend the scholars as well."

"But our Ning'an Prefecture Official School has just been built. How can it threaten them?"

Chai Feng became anxious after hearing this and said directly.

It is not easy to build a school locally. If we don’t give students the opportunity to study, what will happen to them in the future?

Mr. Dong looked at Ji Yuan and asked, is there any need to say more?

Although Ning'an Prefecture had just started a school, it didn't matter who their prefect was.

Ji Zhuangyuan.

Won six prizes in a row.

If he gives some advice, Ning Anzhou's teaching level will not be low.

Ji Yuan said helplessly: "The provincial school has its own person in charge, and I have no involvement at all."

"That woman is not ordinary either."

"The daughter of a scholar who has been selected as a top scholar in the imperial examination. Besides, if she can be assigned by you to Guanzhou Academy, how can her knowledge be bad?"

Ji Yuan was silent again.

This is true.

Miss Cheng is extremely knowledgeable.

Anyway, no matter what, all the people in Dianzhou Prefecture have great faith in Ji Yuan's ability and even more in Ji Yuan's vision.

He let that woman run the provincial school, so how could there be anything wrong with that?

Maybe she is stronger than ordinary men, which is why this result happened.

Oh, era, era.

It would be great if you were from our place.

But he is not.

Count it down.

Ning'an Prefecture, where Ji Yuan was located, was closer to Wuxin Prefecture, but closer to Dianzhou Prefecture, which made local officials unhappy.

He vigorously supported local state schools, making students from other places feel a sense of crisis.

Their own logging association protects the interests of the loggers, which makes the poor people in other places jealous.

That is to say.

Although he has been working in Ning'an Prefecture, he has "offended" everyone?

"It's not that I'm offended, I'm just envious." Although Mr. Dong was flattering, it showed everyone's feelings.

"Believe it or not, if you tell them now that you want to be transferred to Wuxin Mansion, they will definitely welcome you with open arms."

"It will wipe out the current reputation."

Chai Feng already looked terrified.

How is this possible!

No way!

Ji Yuan was amused and helpless, and simply said: "Well, now that we know the reason, we can solve it."

How to solve it?

Mr. Dong was very curious about what new tricks Lord Ji was going to come up with.

Ji Yuan just smiled and didn't say much.

Mr. Dong tacitly asked nothing and continued to eat and drink. However, before he paid the bill, the people from Jiyuan had already paid the money.

In the words of the Era, this was his way of expressing gratitude.

After returning home, Mr. Dong regretted ordering so many delicious dishes and making Lord Ji spend money.

If his son Dong Kang knew about this, he would definitely say something bad about him.

After regretting it, he thought of the painting by Mr. Qingtang that Ji had given him before.

A picture of the various aspects of the imperial examination is good enough.

The pictures of Yunnan scenery sent last year were even more excellent.

He really wants Lord Ji to help introduce him.

If Ji Yuan heard this, he would definitely find it strange.

He thought that with Mr. Dong's intelligence, he already knew who painted the picture.

At that time, in order to help the Cheng family, he didn't care about so many things.

After all, if you think about it a little, you will know the cause and effect.

But in fact, if there were no accidents, Mr. Dong could indeed guess it.

But there are unexpected things.

This accident was discovered when Ji Yuan was invited to appreciate paintings.

Ji Yuan and his party arrived in Wu Xincheng on the twelfth day of the first lunar month and sent a visiting card on the same day.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, I was invited to dinner by the Dong family.

Early in the morning on the 14th day of the first lunar month, Wu Xincheng, the prefect and the academician, invited him to appreciate the paintings.

He said that he had accidentally discovered a masterpiece, and the painter of that masterpiece was a fellow villager of Ji Yuan, so he must invite him to take a look.

excellent work.

Painter.

Fellow countryman?

A few names flashed through Ji Yuan's mind. There was a calligraphy and painting competition arena on the first street of the East Market where Meng Mansion was built, and it had indeed cultivated many talented people.

But who would run so far?

Although Ji Yuan knew that Prefect Chen and Wang Xuezheng of Wuxin Prefecture were just looking for an excuse to see him, he was still curious.

Maybe you even know him?

When they arrived at Chen Zhifu's house, it was still early and Wang Xuezheng had not come yet.

Prefect Chen looked at Ji Yuan and felt deeply moved.

I heard that he had just turned 18, and would only be 19 after the Chinese New Year, but he had already reached the fourth rank in the government.

I am in my forties this year, but I am only 40 years old.

I thought that Ji Zhuangyuan would have no future after being sent to a place like Ning'an Prefecture.

Who could have thought that he would be here today.

Not to mention, he achieved it bit by bit through his hard work.

Ji Yuan met with Prefect Chen and said with a smile, "I wonder which painter from Jianmeng Prefecture has come to Dianzhou Prefecture."

Speaking of this, Prefect Chen perked up and said mysteriously, "You must have heard of his name."

So famous?

Prefect Chen added: "The paintings he auctioned were sold at the highest price in your area!"

Highest price?

Ji Yuan had a bad feeling in his heart.

Chai Feng, a minor official behind him, was curious and asked, "Our Lord Ji also paints on weekdays. Could he be better than our Lord Ji?"

Prefect Chen thought that Ji Yuan's men were just joking, and instead looked at Wu Renhao, who had a very broad body.

What do the people in Jianmeng Mansion look like? Some are tall, some are so smart, and there is even one who is so good at painting!

Wu Renhao actually didn't know much about this, and he wasn't even from Jianmeng Mansion.

But after all, he was admitted from Jianmeng Mansion and he never made excuses.

But if you ask him to tell you his name, he really doesn't know.

Prefect Chen kept the suspense going and didn't notice that Ji Yuan's mouth corners were stiff.

"Qingtang!"

"It's Mr. Qingtang!"

"He has sold quite a few paintings in the past two years! Each one is a masterpiece of exceptional craftsmanship!"

"I am fortunate to have obtained a painting. Let's take a look at it together today."

"It's just that he is too mysterious and never shows up."

"Well, if he knew that his fellow countryman Ji Zhuangyuan was here, maybe he would honor him?"

Will you honor me?

What are you thinking about!

He didn't dare to show up because I was here.

How come Ji Yuan didn’t know that he had been selling paintings in recent years?

Ji Yuan started learning calligraphy and painting from Master Fang when he was nine or ten years old.

Although he is busy on weekdays, he never falls behind. Just like when he was studying, painting is sometimes a way for him to relax and relieve stress.

But so far, he has only sold the painting "Imperial Examination Scenes".

The "Scenery of Dianzhou" at the back was given to the Dong family to thank them for their help.

Selling paintings?

Wasn't the lesson he learned before enough?

So, who is impersonating him?!

This is also the reason why the Dong family did not doubt Ji Yuan’s identity.

In the past one or two years, there has indeed been a Mr. "Qingtang" selling paintings.

The Dong family thought that Lord Ji bought the painting from a fellow villager as a thank you gift.

I never doubted that Lord Ji was Mr. Qingtang.

Some people also say.

Wouldn't it be clear if we compare the two paintings?

But Mr. Qingtang's paintings are valuable and not many people can see them.

As a business family, the Dong family should not show off all the time. After all, the paintings of the local magistrate Chen were not easy to come by, and they are not so lacking in taste.

The paintings that Ji Yuan gave them were all kept in the studio and were not taken out easily.

Ji Yuan couldn't help but make his smile stiffen as he listened to Prefect Chen's praises.

How to say it.

It sounds like the other party imitated it pretty well?

I also heard that Mr. Qingtang sold four paintings, each with different content and price.

But they are all between five thousand and ten thousand taels.

Ji Yuan looked at Prefect Chen with some pity and wanted to ask, how did you get it?

How much did you spend?

Before he asked, the local academician Wang had already arrived and vaguely explained the origin of the painting.

It was donated by students from the local official school and donated to the provincial school, so I borrowed it here to have a look.

Which student is so resentful?

However, Ji Yuan savored this sentence again and said, "His family is so generous."

Prefect Chen, Xuezheng Wang, and Magistrate Ji were on their way to the study to appreciate paintings, so they were naturally chatting.

Wang Xuezheng stroked his beard and said with a smile, "The number of places in the official school is really tight. He and a student have basically the same entrance examination scores. Who gets in and who doesn't is a big problem."

"You should also know that the imperial examination in our Dianzhou Prefecture is too difficult."

So the parents of that family simply bought a good painting and let the two of them enter together.

It means that there is one more student in the official school.

His family is quite sensible. If they bought the paintings and squeezed out the other party, it would not be appropriate.

Now that it is considered appropriate for the two of them to be tied for last place and enter the official school together.

Ji Yuan did not comment on this. This matter had already made him hesitant to speak, and when he saw the painting, he was even more speechless.

As Mr. Qingtang himself, you must be familiar with his paintings.

And this painting actually has some charm.

If you look closely, you can see that he has excellent painting skills and a deep foundation in drawing.

But the style of painting is different from his. If you look carefully, you can find traces of his imitation.

Ji Yuan thought.

His paintings are rare.

Who can imitate so well?

I'm afraid this person is related to the Dong family.

After all, the only thing that can be observed in real time is the Dong family's picture of the imperial examination.

But Dong’s students are not short of money, so who would do these things?

Most of them are people related to the Dong family, but they are not members of the Dong family.

"How about this painting?"

Prefect Chen said, "Master Ji, you should have seen Mr. Qingtang's paintings, right?"

Wang Xuezheng also looked over.

Ji Yuan nodded: "I have seen it."

“This is not his painting.”

Ji Yuan said directly.

In fact, what Wang Xuezheng said just now was not only to explain the origin of the painting, but also to hint to him that the entrance examination in Yunnan Prefecture was too difficult, and it would not be easy for you to get a place in the provincial school.

It’s so difficult for a student to get a place.

Your provincial school can’t be so easy, right?

Wu Renhao was already in a trance, Chai Feng seemed to understand what he was saying, but Ji Yuan already knew what it meant.

But he didn't respond at all.

If you have to follow the other party's ideas when negotiating, the negotiation will definitely not go well.

It's like a quarrel.

If you argue along the lines of other people's thoughts, you will never win the argument.

Not to mention, there was a big flaw waiting for him.

While Prefect Chen and Xuezheng Wang were shocked, Ji Yuan said again: "This painting is fake."

Ji Yuan said it with great certainty.

Both Prefect Chen and Academician Wang were stunned.

ah?

Fake?

They have seen the Dong family's painting "Imperial Examination Pictures".

Moreover, the Dong family also received a painting of "Scenery of Yunnan" last year, and they didn't say that the new one was fake.

Wait, that painting seems to be given by Ji Yuan to the Dong family?

They all thought that it was the Dong family who asked Ji Yuan to ask his fellow villager Qingtang to paint it.

Ji Yuan said: "We can ask the Dong family to bring the two paintings over and take a look, and then we will know."

This was not a difficult task. The prefect said a word and Mr. Dong came over with two paintings in his arms, and he even came very quickly.

Mr. Dong has been doing business for many years, but he still couldn't help getting nervous when he saw a group of officials.

Ji Yuan smiled at him, and Mr. Dong felt a little relieved.

Everyone was quite polite to Mr. Dong. His son was also an official, so in a sense, they were all family members.

But such good cultivation disappeared when the two paintings of the Dong family were spread out.

“It’s fake!”

“At first glance, the techniques seem similar! But there’s something else going on.”

"Mr. Qingtang's painting skills are solid, and his painting method is natural and smooth."

"It would be fine if we didn't compare them, but once we did, we knew it was fake!"

Prefect Chen and Academician Wang were extremely angry.

When I thought about how this painting had been circulated and praised by many people before it came into their hands, I felt less angry.

It is common for scholars and intellectuals to buy fake paintings.

After calming down, the two looked at Ji Zhuangyuan.

But one can tell the authenticity at a glance, he is not an ordinary person.

They both have studied calligraphy and painting, so they like them.

I've never heard that Ji Zhuangyuan is good at this before.

Wang Xuezheng said quietly, "The Ning'an Prefecture School where Lord Youji is located must have produced many talented people."

Talk about it.

Back to official education.

Prefect Chen and Xue Zheng Wang originally wanted to use paintings to invite Ji Yuan to come, and through the paintings, tell him how difficult the imperial examination in Dianzhou Prefecture is.

If you want a place in the children's exam, you have to work hard and make contributions.

But it was over before it even began.

Wang Xuezheng even became more aware that with Ji Yuan in the provincial school, the quality of students might even surpass that of all other official schools in Dianzhou Prefecture.

This sense of crisis does not come out of thin air.

It was because he saw Ji Yuan's ability and thought of his potential that he did so.

Ji Yuan coughed lightly: "The provincial school in Ning'an Prefecture has just been established, and the students' level is still average, so I am going to compile the outline of the Four Books and Five Classics so that students can understand it faster."

Wang Xuezheng:?

Are you serious?

Does Ji Zhuangyuan really want to give guidance to his local students?

If the news gets out.

The entire Dianzhou Prefecture will boycott Ning'an Prefecture's official school, right?

They will even resist giving them places for the child examination.

Unexpectedly, Ji Yuan said, "This book has been written. If anyone in the government school needs it, you can take it and have a look."

Wang Xuezheng stood up immediately.

Where is the book?

Where is the book written by Ji Zhuangyuan?

Ji Yuan just smiled and said, "I didn't bring them with me. I thought that today was a day to appreciate paintings, so I didn't bring those things with me."

"I think it would be better if you bring it with you when we discuss official business some other day."

Talk about official business.

What official business.

Naturally, it is the quota for the provincial school examination.

To put it bluntly.

Do you want Ji Zhuangyuan’s study materials?

Then let’s talk about the quota for children’s exams!

Mr. Dong next to him was even more convinced.

When he invited Lord Ji to dinner, he also asked Lord Ji what he would do next.

No one needs to think!

Everybody is ready!

Prefect Chen and Wang Xuezheng were amused by Ji Tyuan's attitude.

Although he is young, he is very smart!

Unexpectedly, Ji Yuan continued, "Speaking of official business, Mr. Prefect, Ning'an Prefecture's fifty years of tax exemption has expired, and this year's summer tax will definitely be paid on time."

Just a land tax.

That's what you should pay too.

"There's one more thing I need your help with."

"I wonder where there are more water melon trees near Wuxin Prefecture. I want to open a few more rubber factories in Ning'an Prefecture."

"Everywhere in Tianqi wants rubber, but Zhennan and Ning'an can't supply it."

"I would like to ask for your help in dealing with this matter."

This time, Prefect Chen also jumped up.

What did you say?

Rubber business, opening a branch? !

It's also located near Wuxinfu! ?

What's more, you dare to ask him for help. He can even help Ji Yuan!

Negotiations require leverage.

And the chips in his hand are just as much as before.

Just throw it out at the right time.

Ji Yuan looked at the forged painting.

The painter also helped him a little.

Then he could be a little more polite when he finds out the person who sells the fake paintings.

Mr. Dong, who had been stunned by so much news, also jumped up.

Mr. Dong looked at the painting and then at Mr. Ji.

There were fake paintings that confused everyone before, but that’s fine.

It is now known that there are probably only two paintings by Mr. Qingtang in the entire Dianzhou Prefecture.

And both of these paintings are in his family's hands.

Forget about the imperial examination map, it was auctioned at the Meng Mansion which was under construction at that time.

This landscape map was completely given to him by Lord Ji.

Mr. Qingtang's identity is self-evident.

It’s Ji Zhuangyuan!

Ji Zhuangyuan is the famous Mr. Qingtang from Jianmeng Prefecture and Dianzhou Prefecture!

Don’t even mention that Mr. Dong reacted.

Prefect Chen and Academician Wang thought about the origins of several paintings and saw Mr. Dong's expression.

Prefect Chen was shocked: "Are you Qingtang?"

"Mr. Qingtang?"