Chapter 80
Lu Shang stood up unconsciously, which made him stand out in this small shop with few customers.
Just as he was thinking about how to mention the old events of decades ago to the old woman, he saw the old woman glance at him. At first, she didn't notice anything wrong, but as soon as she turned her head back, shock gradually appeared in her eyes.
Not long after, the old woman suddenly widened her eyes and pointed her finger at Lu Shang, looking surprised and incredulous: "You, you are——"
Lu Shang tentatively cupped his hands and asked, "Grandma, do you still remember me?"
"Remember!" The old woman suddenly became energetic and shouted with full energy, followed by a deep bow to him, which stunned everyone present.
The man looked left and right, and for the first time he felt that his brain was not enough.
Lu Shang was also a little uncomfortable with the courtesy, and he did not dodge it completely. After accepting half of the old woman's courtesy, he had to bow in return.
Before Lu Shang could explain the relationship between the two, the old woman had already introduced them to her son and daughter-in-law: "Ahui, come quickly, come quickly—"
"This is the kindhearted person I was talking about. It was this young man who offered to write a letter to you on my behalf, and his wife as well..." The old woman said this, and subconsciously looked around the herbal tea shop. When she didn't find the person she wanted to see, she turned to ask Lu Shang, "May I ask who your wife is?"
Lu Shang said, "I came to the capital alone, and my wife did not come with me."
After receiving this answer, the old woman could hardly hide the disappointment on her face, but she quickly cheered up and told her son and daughter-in-law what happened that year again.
Decades ago, when Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning first went to Tang Town, they wrote the first letter to this old woman. At that time, considering her old age and pitiful condition, they did not charge her any money. However, their miniature paintings still set off a new trend in Tang Town.
After seeing the old woman's appearance, Lu Shang connected all the past events together, including why the man was able to draw simple drawings that had never been circulated in the capital, and what kind-hearted person he learned from, which led to the free letter stall at the city gate today.
The old woman had told her children and grandchildren many times about the story of how a kind-hearted person in the town helped her decades ago. Especially in the past two years as she had grown older, she would talk about it every ten days or half a month, so that both her son and daughter-in-law could basically recite those things by heart. It was just the first time they saw the real person, and they felt a sense of surprise that the story had come true. While listening, they kept looking at Lu Shang.
"If you hadn't run into the Master and Madam, how would you have been able to see your father for the last time? And Hui Niang and I, we're still struggling to make a living somewhere. I'm afraid we'll waste half our lives waiting for you to return... You're our family's greatest benefactor!"
As the saying goes, it is easy to add icing on the cake, but difficult to provide timely assistance.
Over the years, since the old woman was brought to Beijing by her son, her life has been getting better and better. She has also met many friends who often interact with her family. During festivals or just on ordinary days, they always send some gifts to her home.
The old woman would remember their kindness, but these kindnesses were still too shallow and could never compare to the concern hidden in her heart. Perhaps in her heart, only Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning could be called the benefactors of their Li family.
The man's surname is Li, and his given name is Hui. The old woman's surname is Tong, and the daughter-in-law is Li Jiang.
Li Hui looks like a big and strong man with a fierce look, but he is actually a filial son. He is very considerate and caring towards his wife and children at home.
Just from the moment Lu Shangguang saw him at the city gate, he knew that he was a man with a conscience. He would not bear any grudge against the person who came to write a letter because he had no money. Maybe his words and actions were a little rude, but from beginning to end, he never saw him drive anyone away.
It’s not so much that he is impatient, but rather that he is just like that by nature, he is just an impatient person.
Old Madam Tong went back and forth and read the old story several times, but no one interrupted her. They just listened silently and nodded from time to time to show their agreement.
Lu Shang was rarely praised like this, and he felt a little ashamed. In the end, he could only wave his hand hastily: "You are too kind. It's just a small favor, not a big deal."
However, not only did Mrs. Tong disagree with this, but even Li Hui and Li Jiang, at Mrs. Tong's request, expressed their gratitude to him one after another.
Judging from the expression of Old Lady Tong, if they were not still in the shop, she would have asked her son and daughter-in-law to kneel down and thank their benefactor.
Lu Shang was ashamed, but he didn't dare to accept Madam Tong's invitation to visit her home.
It was almost evening, and the capital city was different from other places. A curfew would be imposed soon after nightfall. Lu Shang's hotel was still some distance from the city gate. In order to get back in time, he couldn't stay there any longer. He could only make another appointment with Li Hui to meet again in the future.
The Li family members also had to hurry home, regretting that they had known each other for too short a time, leaving them no time to reminisce about the past.
Finally, Li Hui could only patiently coax the old lady: "Don't worry, mother. When I meet Mr. Lu in a few days, I will definitely invite him to my home for a few days."
Hearing this, Madam Tong cast a hopeful look at Lu Shang.
Lu Shang had no choice but to agree for the time being.
Before parting, Lu Shang and Li Hui agreed to meet at Xianxian Tower at noon two days later. They exchanged a few final greetings and said goodbye.
The Li family wanted to close the herbal tea shop, but Lu Shang and Zhan Shunan left first.
After they were a little further away from the herbal tea shop, Zhan Shunan smacked his lips. "I really didn't expect such a coincidence. I heard from that old lady Tong that it's been more than ten years, but their family still remembers the letter. They really value friendship and loyalty."
"That's right." Lu Shang echoed, "I was wondering why there were also figurines in the capital's letters. It turns out there's a connection. But this is also perfect. I can get to know Brother Li."
"Boss, did you hear that? Li Hui said he wanted to meet at Xianxian Tower. Boss, do you know where Xianxian Tower is?" During the days when Lu Shang was concentrating on his studies, Zhan Shunan did not stay at the transit point all the time. He would go to the capital every now and then, on the one hand, to bring some rare things unique to the capital to his family, and on the other hand, to see the world.
It is no exaggeration to say that the status of Xianxianlou in Beijing is no less than that of Guanhelou in Tangzhen. Both are extremely famous restaurants.
Lu Shang also nodded: "I've heard a little bit about it. I just heard from the people writing in the city gate that Brother Li is doing business overseas. There aren't many people going out to sea these days. As long as there aren't any big storms, he will definitely make a lot of money."
"I don't know if you noticed just now, but the Li family's clothes may seem simple, but they are made of extremely fine and soft materials. It's obvious that they are from a wealthy family."
"The boss wants to..."
Lu Shang did not hide his ambition: "Of course I'm interested in the maritime trade routes."
"As early as when the logistics team was first formed, I thought about shipping by water. However, Tang Town and even the entire Songxi County are located inland. Naturally, there is no such thing as shipping. Even the few rivers are controlled by the local wealthy, so the water route has been abandoned."
"Now that I have the opportunity to make friends with people who have sailed the seas, I'm thinking of resuming maritime shipping and seeing if I can develop overseas trade."
"If it's feasible, we can connect the trade routes to the Western Regions and the maritime trade routes together, and we can develop them simultaneously. This will also be another opportunity for the development and growth of Lu's Logistics."
When others heard this, they might question the feasibility of Lu Shang's decision, but Zhan Shunan had been with him for too long, and he knew that the decision he would eventually make would most likely be implemented.
His only worry was, "But boss, the court has ordered that you can't be both an official and a businessman. You've already passed the imperial examination, and if you pass the palace examination and get an official position, what will become of your business?"
Lu Shang turned to look at him and asked with a smile, "Do you know what the last question of this spring's examination is?"
Zhan Shunan was stunned for a moment, not knowing how this related to what they were saying.
Lu Shang didn't point it out, but only said something ambiguous: "I'm afraid that the person above is intending to make something in business..."
It was late today, and for safety reasons, Lu Shang did not ask Zhan Shunan to go to the transfer point outside Beijing. Instead, he paid for a room in an inn for him. It was not far from where he lived and could be reached in just a quarter of an hour by walking.
When Lu Shang returned to the small courtyard where he was staying temporarily, Feng He and Pang Liang were both at home.
After the imperial examination, there were more poetry gatherings and banquets organized by students in the capital. Lu Shang did not like elegance and did not want to join in the fun, so he declined all invitations.
Pang Liang, on the other hand, was quite interested in the candidates of the same year. After discussing with Feng He, he went to the meeting and banquet together. Since he was young, he would not be embarrassed if he went. He just stood in a corner and listened. During these days, he met many scholars from all over the world.
The next day, Lu Shang still did not stay at home for long. He went out early in the morning and went to several famous commercial streets in Beijing with Zhan Shunan. He also took the initiative to ask several shops if they needed a special logistics team to escort the goods.
However, those who can open shops in Beijing and afford to hire logistics teams are basically those who have some business reputations. They have fixed partners. Even if the conditions of the logistics team seem better, they are unwilling to make enemies with old partners and take the risk of trying new partners.
Lu Shang and Zhan Shunan were in a good mood. They did not seem discouraged even after being rejected seven or eight times in a row. They simply stopped thinking about business and just wandered around the shops.
Zhan Shunan had just gotten married and was very happy with his new wife. There was no one else in his family, so he wanted to bring some of the good things he saw to his wife.
Lu Shang was no less impressive, but in addition to bringing some things for Jiang Wanning, he also took care of several elders in the family. Before leaving, he thought of his unborn baby, turned around and went into a jewelry store, and bought a small longevity gold locket that could be worn by both men and women.
Night falls and another day has passed.
At the same time, the chief examiner of the imperial examination delivered more than 30 specially selected test papers into the palace gate, and waited at the door of the imperial study with the covered test papers, waiting for the emperor to arrive.
Not long after, the emperor arrived.
The chief examiner brought more than thirty test papers to the imperial desk, then stepped back half a step and stood to one side. He would never speak until the emperor asked a question.
However, the current emperor had a heroic face. Perhaps it was because he had been in a high position for a long time. There was a sense of majesty in his eyes and eyebrows, and his every move showed his dignity.
The chief examiner who had been in the court for a long time knew that their emperor was a man of his word. He said that for this special examination, half of the people in the court believed that the disaster situation last year was still under control and there was no need to hold a special examination.
But this emperor shut everyone up with the words "There is no one in the court who can be used", which was like a slap in the face to all the court officials, and they couldn't even say a word of rebuttal.
Later, it was the Spring Examination. The questions in the examination were all standard, with difficulty arranged in order. However, when it came to the last question, the emperor insisted on his own way and for the first time included merchants and scholars in the imperial examination.
The chief examiner looked at so many test papers, and found that the vast majority of the candidates were talking about the low status of business. Even if there were some candidates who came from a business family, they were ashamed of their origins and sang praises to the emperor for his great grace in reforming the imperial examination system. They also repeatedly assured that if they were lucky enough to serve as officials in the future, they would abandon their family business and never be involved in the smell of money.
However, could it be so simple that the emperor could write the last question of the imperial examination against all objections?
The emperor did not hide anything in the court. All those who answered no to the last question were doomed to fail. Those who answered vaguely and neutrally would be ranked based on their other answers. Only those who wrote with certainty that traveling for business and entering the officialdom did not conflict would have a chance to move forward.
There were more than 900 candidates for the imperial examination this spring. The examiners were overwhelmed and could only pick out less than 50 papers whose last question met the emperor's requirements. Excluding those whose answers to the previous questions were too terrible, there were only 32 left.
Because the emperor said that he would personally review the answers to the last question, this actually indirectly indicated that he would intervene in the ranking of the examination.
After all, how could the examiner dare not record the answer sheet that was favored by the emperor?
In short, everyone from the examiners to the examiners was exhausted during this year's examination. For the first time, I envied the simplicity of the invigilators.
The chief examiner originally thought that the thirty or so test papers they had carefully selected, even if not every word was a gem, would at least be able to catch the emperor's eye.
Who would have thought that the sound of flipping papers above his head became louder and louder, and the speed of turning pages became faster and faster. The emperor even made a few light clicks from time to time, and from the sound of it, he did not seem satisfied.
The chief examiner broke out in a sweat.
After an unknown amount of time, the movement overhead suddenly slowed down. The examiner bravely looked up and saw the emperor holding up an answer sheet, examining it carefully under the candlelight. His frown gradually relaxed, and after reading the last part, he actually laughed out loud: "Excellent! A fresh approach, and a very reasonable point! This is exactly the talent I need!"
Such a high evaluation really surprised the chief examiner.
The officials who were marking the papers this time had all been immersed in officialdom for more than a decade. Most of them came from scholar families, or at least from farming families, and they had natural prejudices against merchants.
Because of this prejudice, they really couldn't tell whether the answer to the last question was good or not. It was just a matter of whether they could be barely convinced and the logic was coherent. Basically, they could get an A grade. There were a few who answered yes, but the logic of the whole article was not coherent. When it came to officials and business colleagues, I'm afraid they couldn't even convince themselves, let alone the examiners.
If it weren't for the purpose of reporting to the emperor, these answers would at best be ranked at the bottom.
Behind the imperial desk, the emperor looked over the test paper in his hand several times, but the chief examiner below was very anxious because he really couldn't figure out which answer sheet it was.
Until the emperor tore off the name sticker with his own hands, he asked in a deep voice: "This - Lu Shang, do you know what he said before?"
The chief examiner quickly regained his composure and hurriedly searched through the answer sheets on one side. Finally, he found Lu Shang's answer sheet in the lower middle. He only saw one or two answers on the first page, but he actually had some impression in his mind.
He remembered that this person's answer sheet was praised by several examiners at the time. They said that it was sincere and pragmatic, down to earth, and the math was also good. Except for the poems and essays which were a bit bland, the rest could be rated as A. It was the poems and essays that dragged him down, and in the end he could not get out of B.
At the time, someone even joked, "This candidate's answering style is quite similar to that of Wang Shijiang. If Wang Shijiang saw this, he would definitely be attracted to this talented person."
After recalling the situation of this answer sheet, the chief examiner's fluctuating heart finally settled down. He handed the test paper over with both hands and said, "Your Majesty, this is the test paper of candidate Lu."
Regardless of the answer to the last question, let’s just talk about the first ones. Since they caught the eyes of these examiners, they must not be too bad.
However, the chief examiner ultimately underestimated the emperor's determination to carry out commercial reforms.
Time passed slowly, so long that his legs became weak from standing, before he finally heard the emperor's voice. He stroked the answer sheet carefully, with satisfaction in his eyes.
He asked someone to bring a red pen and personally wrote the word "first place" on the examination paper. After doing all this, he called the chief examiner to his desk and said, "Take a look at this paper. Does it deserve the first place?"
The chief examiner saw the imperial edict at first sight. Since those who were chosen as the first by the emperor had no intention of disobeying the imperial order, they would certainly not raise any more doubts.
After all, it is just a special examination. If they want to choose their confidants, it will not be too late to choose during the regular examination next year.
The chief examiner pretended to look through the test paper, but in fact he was wondering about the background of this candidate named Lu. In the end, he couldn't figure it out and had to give up.
At the same time, he placed the test paper back on the table and said loudly, "Your Majesty has a keen eye for talent. I have no objection. Congratulations to Your Majesty for finding such a good minister!"
The emperor received a satisfactory answer, and the smile on his face became even more sincere.
But he at least waved his hand: "The palace examination has not yet begun, and the final result is still undecided."
The chief examiner secretly complained:
So what if the palace examination hasn't started yet? Is it possible that the champion chosen by the emperor can't even make it into the top three in the end?
No matter what he thought in his heart, the chief examiner still had to flatter the emperor. He did not leave the palace until the emperor was satisfied with the test paper.
As for the remaining thirty or so test papers he brought, the emperor also picked out seven or eight that were acceptable. Although he did not specify the ranking, they would not be too far behind. As for the others that were not asked about, they were not liked by the examiners and did not win the emperor's favor. When they were sent back, they would only be placed at the end. It remains to be seen whether they will be lucky enough to be at the end of the list.
With the emperor selecting the top candidate, the examination marking came to a temporary end.
They just need to rank the remaining test papers, and it will take no more than five days to sort out the examination rankings and post them on the list.
…
Lu Shang didn't know what happened in the palace. He just went to Xianxian Tower as scheduled the next day after a night's rest. Following the guidance of the waiter, he went to the private room on the second floor and met Li Hui.
This time, without Madam Tong present, Li Hui was still enthusiastic about Lu Shang, but not as enthusiastic as last time that was overwhelming.
After the two sat down, they inevitably talked about some past events.
Li Hui said: "I was introduced by a neighbor and entered the maritime trade by chance. Maritime trade is really a matter of luck. It depends on the route and the weather at sea. Both are indispensable."
"For the first few years at sea, I was just a handyman on the ship. I was worse than an apprentice. After all, an apprentice can at least learn a craft, but I only had enough to eat and learned how to sail and steer, which were completely useless once I left the ship."
"That's why I haven't been home for several years and haven't written home. Mother is right. If it weren't for Mr. Lu's kindness, I would have missed out on so much. This kindness is something I, Li, will remember for the rest of my life!"
Lu Shang nodded slightly. "It's also the fate of my husband and I and the old lady. It was because of writing letters to the old lady that we decided to open a letter stall. Although we don't make much money, at least we have something to do."
Li Hui nodded. "I've had some luck over the years, and I've managed to rise above the ranks of a small boatman. Now I have two boats of my own. Although they're not as big as other boats, they're still enough to sail around the neighboring countries. I've made a bit of money in the past few years, so I've been following Mr. Lu and Madam's lead and writing letters for people for free at the city gate."
Lu Shang praised his kindness, and as he spoke, the topic unconsciously turned to his maritime business.
Sincerity is the most important thing when doing business with others. If you don't establish a good attitude from the beginning, the other party will only think that you are insincere, and even the best opportunities will be lost.
So Lu Shang told the truth, "I won't hide it from you, Brother Li. When I saw you at the city gate that day, I was attracted by your little paintings. At that time, I was just curious and surprised that there were such letters with words and paintings in the capital. Later, I heard that Brother Li had a business on the sea. I was really interested in the business at sea, so I had the nerve to ask about it."
Li Hui was stunned for a moment, a little uncertain: "Master Lu also wants to go out to sea for business?"
"That's the idea, but not entirely. I wonder if Brother Li has heard of logistics services in recent years?"
Li Hui nodded. "I've heard a little bit about it. I heard it started in Songxi County. Songxi County is also my hometown, so I paid more attention to it. However, the logistics business is not circulated in Beijing, so I don't know much about it."
Lu Shang chuckled: "I am not talented, but I am the boss of that logistics business."
He then carefully introduced the scope of services provided by Lu Logistics, and finally asked, "I wonder if Brother Li would hire an escort agency when traveling on the sea?"
Li Hui was shocked when he heard about Lu's Logistics. He subconsciously replied, "Of course not. The escort agency only provides land escort. Although we have to guard against pirates when we go out to sea, ordinary people can't stand long ship rides, let alone guard against pirates."
"Take the big ship I was on before, including the two ships I own. The guards on board were all selected from the long-term workers and trained. They may not be as skilled as the escort agency's people, but at least they are used to long-term life at sea and will not show any abnormalities."
"From what I hear, Master Lu..." Li Hui gradually figured it out. "Lu's Merchandise is also in the escort business, but do you also want to escort goods at sea?"
"That's right!" Lu Shang said with a smile.
In the past few years, fewer people went to sea, and there were only a handful of so-called sea merchants. Even though more people have gone to sea in recent years, compared with the merchants on land, they are really not worth mentioning. Take the route that Li Hui often takes, for example, it is rare to encounter other merchant ships.
There are many overseas capitals, so naturally there are many businesses that can be done. Not to mention that only Lu Shang wants to join, even if there are a few more people, there will be no conflict of interest.
Therefore, Li Hui did not refuse, he just hesitated: "But for those who are used to walking on land, it will take a long time to adapt to the sea..."
Lu Shang had only thought about opening a shipping route before, and indeed hadn't considered everything so thoroughly. He nodded and said, "I understand what Brother Li means. I haven't decided on either the boatman or the ship that can sail. This idea just came to me suddenly, and there are still many things I haven't considered yet."
"Here's what I'm thinking now. If I want to send a few farmhands and Brother Li to the sea, would Brother Li be able to do that?"
"Of course, I'm not saying I'm just using Brother Li's merchant ship for free. If Brother Li has experience in manning ships, I'll pay you based on your previous experience. If not, Brother Li, let me see if there's anything I can do. We can even do a resource exchange."
Lu Shang didn't know any other sea merchants yet, so he could only place all his hopes on Li Hui.
If his ship does not allow outsiders to board, then he can only ask other merchants and see if they can pay him or find a way to send a few people to travel around the sea.
He even thought that after two years when he had some free time and bought his own big ship, it would not be a bad idea for him to go to sea himself.
Fortunately, after listening to his request, Li Hui agreed without hesitation: "Of course there is no problem just going out to sea with me!"
"As for the compensation, Master Lu, it's really too formal. I already have empty seats on my boat, and a dozen people won't take up much space, so it won't hurt to have more people come."
Lu Shang said shamelessly, "Besides having them go out to sea with your boat, Brother Li, I actually want them to learn how to steer and identify routes...are these confidential?"
Li Hui laughed. "I know, I know. I understand what Master Lu means. It's nothing. Steering and identifying routes are things that any experienced seafarer can do. I'll lead them myself when I can. If I'm too busy, I'll assign them to the managers below. We've all lived at sea for years, so it's no exaggeration to say we're more familiar with it than on land."
Since the general direction was decided, Lu Shang couldn't help but be happy. He drank tea instead of wine and thanked Li Hui again and again. However, he couldn't leave the capital in the near future and couldn't choose a long-term worker who could go to sea. He had to give up going out with the ship at the end of the month and wait for the next opportunity.
It was only then that Li Hui realized, "Mr. Lu is actually going to the capital to take the imperial examination!"
His surprise at this time was far greater than when he learned about the existence of Lu Logistics, especially when he learned that Lu Shang was already a juren, he was even more in awe.
He sighed twice, not understanding why Lu Shang would give up his job as a juren scholar and worry about all kinds of business. However, their relationship was not that close, so there were some things that he could only guess in his mind and it was not appropriate to ask out loud.
In the subsequent conversation, Lu Shang learned that the goods purchased by Li Hui from the sea were sold directly in the capital. Their goods were sold directly to merchants from all over the country waiting in the capital, and these people transported them to various places in Dazhao, saving them the effort of finding sales channels.
Lu Shang said, "If Brother Li wants to sell these things himself in the future, and if he opens a shop outside of Beijing, he can ask me to help with the cargo. Our Lu's Logistics also has a transfer point in the suburbs of Beijing, which is within the scope of Beijing. No matter how much cargo there is, it can be delivered within a day. All losses caused by improper transportation will be compensated by Lu's Logistics."
Li Hui wrote it down: "Okay, when I have this plan in a few years, I will definitely come to find Mr. Lu!" He also took the initiative to give his home address so that Lu Shang could come to find him in the future.
The two chatted a little more about business, but as it was getting late, they stopped talking reluctantly and said goodbye to each other.
There were signs of problems with maritime merchants, but it was not something that could be solved overnight, so Lu Shang was not in a hurry. He only briefly told Zhan Shunan about the matter and told him to ask around after he returned to see if there were any people willing to go to sea all year round. As for further arrangements, it would not be too late to discuss it later.
…
In the blink of an eye, another three days passed, and on May 18th, the results of the imperial examination were announced.
Ever since they received the news that the examination papers had been marked and the results would be announced soon, Feng He and Pang Liang had been restless day and night. On the day of the announcement, they went to the yamen early, determined to see the results first.
Lu Shang originally didn't care much about his exam ranking, but influenced by the two of them, he couldn't help but become nervous. Because he couldn't remember his answers in the exam room, he began to doubt whether he would fail.
He did not join Feng He and the others in the crowd in front of the yamen, but he could not concentrate on anything and could not do anything if he stayed at home. Finally, he simply went out and sat down on the threshold of his house, watching the people rushing to and fro, quietly waiting for news.
At three quarters past noon, the examination results will be posted.
Feng He and Pang Liang arrived early, and they were lucky enough to be in a relatively front position, so they could naturally see the names on the list first.
Feng He knew his level and did not hope to rank high, so he just counted from the last place upwards.
There were a total of 180 people who passed the imperial examination. When he saw that his name was not even on the 150th place, he felt very disappointed and didn't think he could get any higher on the exam.
Pang Liang did the exact opposite. He immediately looked at the top three names, and when he found that his name was not on the list, a look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
But the next moment, he suddenly came to his senses——
"It's Master!" He exclaimed and pulled Feng He's sleeve with his backhand.
"What master-master?" Feng He felt a chill in his heart and was unable to react for a moment.
Until Pang Liang shouted in his ear: "Go look at the top of the list! Look who's at the top!"
Feng He looked over subconsciously, and after seeing the two words at the top of the list, he was shocked again, and blurted out words of shock.
Before he could recover from his shock, Pang Liang said again, "We're on the list! Brother Feng, you and I are both on the list! You're number 24, I'm number 25, we're next to each other!"
"What?" Feng He felt that he had suffered too much shock in a short period of time, and his brain was a little confused. His eyes were a little white, and he could not even see the words on the red list clearly.
Although Pang Liang was disappointed that he failed to take the first place, he had not yet reached the age of adulthood this year, but he had already become a tribute scholar, which was not bad. Besides, the first place was not taken by an outsider, so he had reason to be happy.
After a long while, Feng He finally followed Pang Liang's instructions and saw his own name and Pang Liang's name at the 24th and 25th positions respectively.
He was completely dizzy, asking "Is that really me?" and then "How could I be ahead of you?" In short, he was in disbelief.
The two of them exclaimed in succession, attracting a lot of people's attention. Pang Liang then hurried to tell Lu Shang the good news. After taking a last look at the list, he pulled Feng He out of the crowd.
Even though the two were about to get home, Feng He still looked as if he was still in a daze.
After seeing his appearance, Lu Shang couldn't help but ask, "Did you fail the exam?"
Pang Liang answered loudly, "No! We're on the list! We're all on the list! Brother Feng and I are ranked twenty-fifth and twenty-fourth respectively, and you, Master, are at the top of the list! You're the champion!"
"What?" This time, Lu Shang gave the same reaction as Feng He.
Just as Feng He didn't believe that he could rank ahead of Pang Liang, Lu Shang didn't think that his mediocre level could make him the champion.
However, the facts are clear. Within just one hour after the results were announced, an official delivering the good news delivered the list to the doorstep and personally congratulated the three new candidates.
One is the top scorer chosen by the emperor, and the other is a tribute scholar who has just reached the age of 20. Either one of them is rare in several years.
The officer who brought the good news was happy to make friends with him. He was already grateful for having such a good job. After receiving the reward from Lu Shang and others, he kept saying flattering words to them.
After sending off the messenger, the three of them returned to the yard one after another and closed the gate.
Lu Shang finally came back to his senses from the unreality. Thinking about the ranking of Feng He and Pang Liang, he had a vague guess.
Lu Shang asked, "Do you still remember the last question?"
After getting a positive answer, he asked the two about their responses. Regarding the issue of officials and businessmen being the same, Pang Liang took a cautious approach. He did not say no, nor did he say yes. Instead, he analyzed the pros and cons from both sides and gave the final choice to the superior.
Feng He was different: "Of course I have to write it! My family is a merchant, if I write it and it doesn't work, wouldn't that be a slap in my own face?"
Lu Shang never expected that his idea would be so simple and crude. After being stunned for a moment, he burst out laughing.
Pang Liang asked, "Master, do you have any advice?"
"It's not a brilliant idea. When I first received the test paper, I was suspicious of the last question. Logically, His Majesty has only been reforming the imperial examination system for a few years, so he must have stabilized the new system first. The court officials' prejudice against merchants is already deeply rooted, so they certainly wouldn't ask such questions."
"So, it's self-evident who would put such a question on the imperial examination paper. Just think about it, how could someone who allowed a merchant's son to take the imperial examination firmly believe that officials and businessmen can't coexist?"
"Feng He, you should know that last year, Songxi County suffered a severe drought. In order to commend the merchants of Songxi County for their righteous deeds, the emperor not only presented them with plaques of praise, but also privately granted them grace, allowing their children to continue running the family business after entering the court. Is this true?"
Feng He nodded and did not deny it.
Lu Shang added, "Since the possibility of government and business collusion was already apparent last year, isn't the point of this last question self-evident?"
Lu Shang had sincerely believed that doing business and being an official were not in conflict. Even if corrupt people were not allowed to do business, it would not prevent them from exploiting the people.
A truly honest person would allow him to do business, fearing that in the end his business income would subsidize the people.
There is no crime in collusion between officials and businessmen. What is the crime is the collusion between the two parties and what is their purpose.
After hearing his analysis, Feng He suddenly understood, and then he felt relieved: "Fortunately, I didn't write "no" at that time, otherwise I would definitely not have a chance to pass the palace examination."
Pang Liang was a little annoyed: "I just wanted to answer quickly, but didn't analyze it so much. As expected, every question on the test paper was not targeted."
"After all, you're still young, and you've been studying all these years, so you don't know much about many things. It's also because the exam questions this year were unusual, otherwise you might have been the first." Lu Shang comforted him, "Keep up the good work in the future."
Pang Liang nodded slightly and pondered Lu Shang's words in his mind. He finally realized that he had been studying with Jiang Wanning all these years, and his understanding of all the government affairs came from books and teachers' explanations.
If you ask him about his understanding of people's livelihood issues, he has not really participated in them, nor can he think from the perspective of others. He just recites everything.
After figuring this out, Pang Liang no longer felt that there was anything wrong with his ranking. If he really judged his heart, he was afraid that he was not worthy of being an official at all. Only by truly getting into the lives of the people could he know what they really needed and understand what being an official meant.
…
After the results of the imperial examination came out, Lu Shang immediately wrote a letter and sent it back home, but he didn't know when it would arrive. Perhaps by the time the letter reached Jiang Wanning and the others, it would have been half a month or a month later.
As the results of the joint examination were announced, the arrangements for the palace examination were also announced in quick succession.
The palace examination is scheduled for the last two days of May. The first day is a written test, which is answered on the spot in the Golden Throne Hall. The emperor may personally inspect the examination, but this is not always the case.
On the second day, the emperor personally asked questions and decided the palace examination rankings on the spot.
The three people in Lu Shang's courtyard all passed the imperial examination. Once the news spread, many people came to visit them. They were anxious to prepare for the palace examination and were naturally overwhelmed by the inconvenience. They had to quickly contact the brokerage firm, change places, and finally stay for another half a month.
In order to prepare for the palace examination half a month later, the three of them were working hard.
Lu Weiwei had never thought that he could become the first in the imperial examination. When the result exceeded his expectations, he could not help but think of higher goals. He did not think about the top place, but he could still think about the third place, right?
Feng He was so excited to get such a good ranking that he was determined to go further and strive to get a small official position.
Compared to the other two, Pang Liang was relatively less nervous. He had realized his shortcomings and was considering whether to go abroad to study for two years. Only after he had truly seen the lives of ordinary people would he know what he really wanted to do.
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