Chapter 99
I have never forgotten your teachings; I must strive to be a loyal subject.
He was also nervous during the last imperial examination, but he was in the last seat of the last row.
Things are different now. They have to write directly in front of the emperor. He took a breath. Copying more books has its advantages. One is that it improves concentration, and the other is that it helps him practice his calligraphy.
He has beautiful handwriting, partly due to the guidance of his first teacher when he started school, and partly because he wanted to earn money.
If a person's handwriting is crooked and messy, the book they copy will be worthless.
He had no family support at the time and was in dire financial straits. Even so, he gritted his teeth, spent money to buy calligraphy practice books, and kept practicing calligraphy.
In previous years, he copied books countless times until his wrists ached and his fingers went numb, but he never gave up and persisted.
For him, copying books, no matter how tiring, was much better than carrying sacks at the docks. This was also why he could recite the Four Books and Five Classics fluently.
His excellent handwriting and familiarity with books were both a great help to him.
Since you've made up your mind to take this path, you should do as much preparation as possible for the future.
The people were writing while standing, and the emperor was watching directly. Some were nervous and even wrote a word incorrectly, so the emperor had to cross it out and start over. The clean Xuan paper suddenly looked somewhat out of place.
He was a little annoyed, but it was no use. It was already a mistake, and it was impossible to rewrite it. Each person only had one sheet of Xuan paper.
Wen Shi was very focused. He kept his head down and could feel eyes watching him from not far away. He tried his best to stay calm.
In a short while, everyone had finished writing.
After the writing dried, Eunuch Zhou collected all the writings they had made and respectfully presented them to the head of the table.
Teahouse
Yingxiang was also noticeably distracted today. The matter of the washbasin was in the past, but she was more concerned about meeting the emperor today.
In ancient times, the future of this family was entirely up to the emperor.
"Shopkeeper, what are you thinking about?"
"Is the child fussing again?"
Granny Yang took some time to come over and looked at Yingxiang. Yingxiang glanced at her and shook her head.
"no."
"I was worried that no one would come to watch the show, but it seems that it's not too bad now. They haven't taken away much of our business."
Yingxiang smiled upon hearing this, and then said, "Although we all live in the capital, there are some places where those high-ranking officials and nobles will not come."
"Those with money can even hire a variety show troupe to come to their homes."
Yingxiang has a very clear vision for the teahouse: to attract ordinary people who have some spare money and are willing to spend money to have some fun.
She wasn't too worried about others imitating her.
High-end teahouses are not in the same league as them, and the smaller ones are just as competitive. They don't have much financial resources either.
The actresses here have the advantage of being trained early, and they are all slaves, so they are obedient.
Nowadays, actors have a low social status, considered among the lowest of the low. Slaves are even worse off than actors in some respects, and can be killed or beaten at will.
Yingxiang didn't let them do any heavy or tiring work, only letting them act. They had no worries about food and drink, so everyone put in their best effort to perform, fearing that they would be sold off again later.
The indentures were in Granny Yang's hands, and they didn't want to one day be dragged to the market and chosen by anyone.
Granny Yang was looking forward to the end of the year, as she was waiting to collect her money. In fact, she thought she could continue to work with Yingxiang afterward, since these people wouldn't be hers anymore by the end of next year. She wanted to continue doing her old job.
"That's true."
"Shopkeeper, the fried meat is fresh out of the fryer, let me get you some."
Yingxiang didn't refuse. Thinking of something, she took out three packets of tea from the counter drawer. She couldn't forget them when she went back. She hoped that God would bless Wen Shi and let him shine brightly today.
Palace
After reading it, the emperor smiled and ordered the poem to be put away.
"I still have memorials to review, so I won't keep you here any longer. Zhou Ping, give them some rewards later."
"yes."
"Wenqing, you no longer need to stay in the Shuchang Hall. I think the position of editor is quite suitable for you, so go do that."
As a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, he was currently a seventh-rank official, a respectable position. Upon hearing this, Wen Shi immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
He was able to stay in the capital and even got a proper official position, although it wasn't high. He was still in the Hanlin Academy, which was pretty good for him right now. As long as he worked hard, he would eventually get ahead.
"No need for formalities, you may leave."
The others were also taken aback. After leaving the Imperial Study, regardless of their own thoughts, they all congratulated Wen Shi.
The weather was sunny, and the sun was slowly rising. It was a little hot, but when I looked up at the sky, I felt incredibly happy.
Eunuch Zhou quickly brought the rewards, which were silver notes. When the emperor bestowed rewards, there was a set amount. In his eyes, these people were all small fry. Silver notes were the most appropriate. Each person received five hundred taels.
"Thank you, Eunuch Zhou."
Wen Shi was very polite and courteous; he was the emperor's chief eunuch.
"Lord Wen, you needn't be so polite."
The others didn't say anything. After thanking them, they left the palace with the money. The reward wasn't much, just average, but it was better than nothing. Nobody would turn down money.
After leaving the palace, on the way back to the Hanlin Academy, the Grand Secretary glanced at Wen Shi intentionally or unintentionally. This man was really lucky, but he would still have to work under him in the future.
He knew Wen Shi well and knew that Wen Shi was a good person, diligent and studious, and never complained.
The seventh rank isn't high, but at least his future is secured. He'll stay in the capital, work in the Hanlin Academy, and have more opportunities to see the emperor in the future.
The editor's daily work mainly involves organizing historical records and drafting imperial edicts for the emperor. If he gains the emperor's favor in the future, his official position will definitely be transferred.
Therefore, he was much more polite to Wen Shi.
After returning to the Hanlin Academy, the Grand Secretary led Wen Shi directly to his future workplace, the library.
I explained to him what he needed to do on a daily basis. It was mostly small, trivial tasks. Wen Shi was meticulous and there was nothing he couldn't do. Wen Shi nodded slowly and respectfully.
"Wen Shi is still young, and he has just arrived, so please take good care of him."
These words were spoken by the Grand Secretary to the other editors, two of whom were this year's second and third place winners. Everyone nodded in agreement.
This is the advantage of being ranked first in the imperial examinations; one can directly become an official.
"That's your seat. Do a good job and don't let His Majesty down."
A fairly new set of chairs was in the next room, which served as the duty room. For those of low rank, two people shared a room, which was sufficient.
It should be noted that after the Shuchangguan (a branch of the Imperial Academy) closed down, only half of the people could stay in the Hanlin Academy. The rest had to wait for the Ministry of Personnel to assign them, and they might not even be able to stay in the capital. Wen Shi's early entry into officialdom was already quite remarkable.
"Go over and pack your things first, then come right over."
"yes."
After settling Haowei in, the Grand Secretary departed.
Wen Shi went back to pack his things, and many people knew about it. Those who were close to him immediately came to congratulate him, and those who were not close to him also said nice things. He was already surrounded by people. In any case, he was one step ahead of these people.
Everyone had different thoughts, but they all said nice things.
Wen Shi smiled and made the polite promise, even mentioning that he would treat everyone to a meal at a restaurant in a few days. Hu Yong'an looked at Wen Shi and felt a pang of sadness.
He thought he had performed very well when he last met the emperor, but the emperor didn't give him an official position, and he didn't care about the small reward. But when he heard about this, he was immediately made a compiler. Although the official position was not high, it was still a government official in the capital.
He was younger than Wen Shi and came from a wealthy family, which made him somewhat irritable.
Yang Xun was much better. He felt that he would have this opportunity sooner or later, and he sincerely congratulated Wen Shi.
After seeing Wen Shi off, everyone went back to their usual routines, some reading, some chatting.
After finishing his shift, Wen Shi was somewhat excited, carrying five hundred taels of silver notes in his pocket. Of course, he didn't forget to pick up his child and took him home first.
When Yingxiang heard the good news, she was overjoyed. Her salary would remain the same for the time being, but she would suddenly receive an extra 500 taels of silver as a reward. With a proper official position, she would receive some bonuses during festivals and wouldn't have to rely solely on her salary to make a living.
"father."
The child noticed that his father was very happy. He hugged him again, and Wen Shi looked at his son in his arms and patted his head.
On the way, I came across a vendor selling candied hawthorns. I bought two skewers immediately and gave one to the child in my arms.
After returning home, there was another matter that the couple needed to discuss.
Those are his family members. They haven't separated their households. Before, he could say that he didn't have a proper official position and couldn't support so many people in the capital. But things changed after that. He had already entered officialdom, and his reputation was extremely important.
When he got home, Yingxiang hadn't returned yet, so Wenshi let his son play in the yard while he went to prepare the meal.
Children are naturally like that. After the door was closed, he ran and jumped around in the yard, looking very happy. Wen Shi was in the kitchen and would occasionally come out to look at him.
I didn't pay too much attention to him. After all, he's just a child. He acts one way outside and another way at home. He's not even four years old yet.
Yingxiang was worried about Wenshi, so she went home half an hour early. Unexpectedly, the two of them had already returned home when she arrived, and the food was almost ready.
Wen Shi is a very steady person. He and Yingxiang have been married for many years and know him well.
Seeing the undisguised joy in his eyes, she knew that Wen Shi must have good news today.
As usual, she hugged and kissed her son. When they sat down at the dinner table, she couldn't help but tell him the good news.
"My lady, this is the five hundred taels of silver that His Majesty has bestowed upon me today. I will also have an official position in the future, serving as an editor, with the salary of a seventh-rank official, and I will receive rewards during festivals."
"Okay, husband, you're amazing."
"There's one more thing I need to mention earlier."
Yingxiang had just put the silver notes into her bosom when she heard Wenshi's words and was subconsciously stunned.
"I need to write home and tell them to pack their bags and get ready to come over. I think my older brother and the others will come with me too."
Yingxiang calculated that, including the children, there would be more than ten people, and the house definitely wouldn't be able to accommodate them all.
But with five hundred taels of silver, it's impossible for you to buy a house in the capital. She's not naive; Wen Shi has already entered officialdom, and his future is of utmost importance. She can't let people attack him for being unfilial in the future.
Even if you tell people that you learned it yourself, that you earned your own money and studied on your own, your family will still be criticized for it.
People will say, "Weren't you born of a father and mother?" That's how it is in this day and age; filial piety is paramount.
With the incident of the washing tub exploding still fresh in her mind, Yingxiang didn't want to be too careless. Moreover, she needed to give Granny Yang a sum of money at the end of the year, and she would also need capital to start a business. She couldn't possibly use all her money to buy a house, as she couldn't afford a decent house in the capital with that amount of money.
Wen Shi's salary, besides rent, also covers his own expenses, and he also has to treat people to meals afterwards.
"Husband, what are you thinking?"
Yingxiang looked at Wenshi and listened to his thoughts first. He was a man of his own mind, and after all, they were his family.
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