Chapter 459: Is the Imperial Envoy your relative?
When Su Tai heard the name Xiong Feng, she instinctively stared at the other person for a long time, and only looked away when Xiong Feng turned around.
Shen Congrong noticed her strangeness and asked in a low voice: "Mom, what's wrong? Do you know Xiong Feng?"
Su Tai hurriedly shook her head.
They left the study only after Shen Congrong got the set of ancient book annotations and paid the silver.
As soon as they got on the donkey cart, Su Tai curiously asked, "Do you know the guy named Xiong Feng?"
Shen Congrong nodded without hesitation, “He had been copying and reading books in the study a long time ago, and stayed there almost all day, and didn’t leave until the study closed.”
"Do you know about his family situation?" Su Tai continued to ask.
Shen Congrong thought about it and kept recalling, “I heard the shopkeeper say a little before, he doesn’t seem to be a native of Dahe Town, he just went to the study last year, there is a grandmother at home, and the two depend on each other.
I was curious about how they made their living. The shopkeeper said that Xiong Feng had good handwriting. During the Chinese New Year, he set up a stall outside the town to sell Spring Festival couplets and earned a lot of money. Occasionally, people would ask him to help with some work that required writing or drawing, so he could earn a little money to support his family.
Mom, you really don’t know him?”
Su Tai still smiled and nodded, "I really don't know him, I'm just a little curious. I came back this time mainly for the imperial examination pilot. Son, you must seize the opportunity. I don't expect you to get a top score right away. As long as you can get a middle score and work hard to get a top score in three years, you can not only be promoted to an official position, but also find a good marriage. Then I really don't have to worry about it."
Shen Congrong was a little speechless, "Mom, how old am I? Three years later, my eldest sister will just be a marriageable girl, so don't talk nonsense."
"Hahahaha" Su Tai laughed uncontrollably at her son's seriousness and stopped teasing him.
In the blink of an eye, spring came and the snow melted. The aftermath of the imperial examination was still there, but the villagers finally regained some of their senses and stopped focusing all their attention on the examination. They just continued to farm honestly.
Shen Yi is the county magistrate and is very busy at the moment.
Whenever his subordinates reported that there were problems with spring farming in a village, he would have to go there. Fortunately, he could send people to the ice field to negotiate this year, so he didn't have to make the trip in person.
Even so, he was very busy.
Wait for spring ploughing to proceed in an orderly manner.
Before Shen Yi had time to breathe a sigh of relief, he received news that the imperial envoy had returned to Zhaohua County from the provincial capital.
He and Lu Tong hurriedly packed up and went to pay the visit.
The two of them walked into the hall with great fear and trepidation. Chen Yi kept his head down, "Your subordinate greets the Imperial Envoy!"
"Everyone, get up!"
Shen Yi stood up properly, and caught a glimpse of Tang Yu beside the imperial envoy from the corner of his eye. His eyes widened instantly.
Tang Yu winked at him and whispered respectfully in Murong Chen's ear: "Your Highness, this is County Magistrate Shen."
"Marquis Yong'an's adopted son? Concubine's adopted brother?" Murong Chen's gaze fell on Shen Yi.
Shen Yi's muscles tensed up and he knelt down again, "This is your humble servant."
Murong Chen smiled gently, "Since he is the concubine's sworn brother, we are also family, so there is no need to be polite."
Shen Yi stood up carefully, but he didn't dare to really try to establish a relationship with the imperial envoy in front of him.
Murong Chen did not exchange pleasantries and said seriously, "I asked you to come here today because of the preliminary examination. I heard that this was proposed by County Magistrate Shen?"
"Yes!" Shen Yi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Speaking of which, it should be my wife who reminded me. When she returned to the village, she talked to the villagers about the imperial examination. At that time, all the men in the village were eager to try. Regardless of whether they were joking or sincere, I thought this matter was serious and should not be taken lightly.
The initial test can stop some people from taking advantage of the situation and reduce a lot of unnecessary troubles."
Murong Chen nodded thoughtfully, looking at Chen Yi with a little more appreciation, "Since it was you who proposed it, you can discuss it with Lord Tang later and write a detailed plan for me to review."
"Yes!" Shen Yi retreated respectfully.
After the meeting, Lu Tong looked at Shen Yi eagerly, "Good brother! When did you become a relative of the Sixth Prince?"
He only knew that Shen Yi was the adopted son of Yong'an Marquis, but he didn't know that he also had connections with the prince! This is a real thigh, he must hold on tight!
Chen Yi smiled bitterly, "That was the Sixth Prince giving face to my godfather. What kind of relative am I? Brother Lu, please stop making fun of me! But it's Mr. Tang next to the Sixth Prince. He is really my relative!"
Lu Tong: “.”
Good fellow! It turned out that he was the only outsider in the room just now!
Tang Yu first sent the Sixth Prince back to the back house of the county government office to rest, and then ran to find Shen Yi, "Brother-in-law, can I have a word with you for a moment?"
Shen Yi led Tang Yu back to the mansion.
As soon as Tang Yu entered the door, he couldn't help but say with envy: "Zhaohua County is still the best. Such a big house is really hard to afford even in the imperial court where every inch of land is worth a lot of money."
Chen Yi teased leisurely, "If you really like it, just buy a house here. Five or six hundred taels is not a problem. The problem is what are you going to do with it? A while ago, Da Gou and his family bought all of them to compete with the Zhu family, and now the house is still there with no use."
"Zhu family? What's wrong with the Zhu family?" Tang Yu put away his joking intention.
Shen Yi explained the situation in detail, "The Zhu family had previously gone against the county government because of the demolition, and later offended the garrison troops. In the end, the county government agreed to compensate them with a street, and the matter was finally settled.
After Da Gou and his friends found out about the situation, they secretly competed with the Zhu family and all set up houses and shops nearby. Fortunately, the county town was more prosperous than the countryside, and the houses and shops would not run away if they were left there, so I turned a blind eye and let them do what they wanted.
Zhu Yixuan also signed up for this imperial examination."
Tang Yu raised his lips sarcastically, "I wonder what Zhu Yixuan would think if he knew that Ah Cheng got an average grade in Lushan Academy! Haha. I am overthinking it. I am afraid he has forgotten that he has such a biological son."
"That may not be the case." Chen Yi's eyes were dark. He poured a cup of hot tea for Tang Yu and spoke slowly, "Zhu Yixuan's wife Cen became pregnant during the mourning period. She had a difficult labor and hemorrhage. Although she survived, her body was damaged and it was difficult for her to get pregnant again. No one knows whether the child is a boy or a girl. The Zhu family has not heard any rumors. On the surface, Zhu Yixuan does not even have a legitimate child now."
Tang Yu was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "Serves you right!"
Knowing that Zhu Yixuan's situation was not as smooth as they had imagined, Tang Yu's mood improved significantly and he turned to talk about business with Shen Yi.
Shen Yi told the plan he had thought of in advance.
"The preliminary exam is not a big deal. I mean, let the town officials of each town do it. They will organize it and filter out those who try to take advantage of the situation. The test paper can be simpler, such as learning big characters, and reciting the basic Hundred Family Names and Three Character Classic. If you can't even write these simple things, is there any need to take the exam?"
As a pilot county, Zhaohua County must play a good leading role. If those who come to take the exam are illiterate, wouldn’t it be a joke!
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