Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Zhao's eyes flashed and he said urgently, "Quick, let him in."
At this moment, County Magistrate Zhao's face was flushed, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.
He passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty, and after more than a decade of ups and downs in the officialdom, he was never more than promoted from one county magistrate to another. That's how the officialdom works: if you have no connections and no achievements, promotion is basically impossible.
Magistrate Zhao, with no support from the court, could only achieve success during his term if he wanted to be promoted. With Japanese pirates wreaking havoc in Ningbo Prefecture, Magistrate Zhao had already ordered the city closed. Under such circumstances, food shortages would inevitably lead to starvation. Truth cannot be hidden; if the higher-ups learned of this, not only would he lose his promotion, but he might even lose his official position.
But now it was different. The young man from the Xu family had taken the initiative to donate grain. As long as he accepted this batch of grain as an official and distributed it in the city as relief, ensuring that the people under his rule did not starve to death, then he would not only not have committed a crime, but would have achieved merit.
Thinking of this, County Magistrate Zhao couldn't help but feel a bit favorable towards the young man from the Xu family.
Not long after, Xu Yan was brought to the second hall.
He had already prepared a speech before arriving at the county government office. He bowed deeply to Magistrate Zhao and said, "I, Xu Yan, pay my respects to the Magistrate."
The Ming Dynasty treated scholars with courtesy, and those with the title of scholar or above did not have to kneel when meeting officials.
Although Xu Yan had not yet obtained the title of scholar, he was a student of the great scholar Mr. Wu. In addition, the Xu family was a local noble family, so Xu Yan was very respectful when he privately paid a visit to County Magistrate Zhao and bowed to him.
County Magistrate Zhao naturally knew what was going on. He nodded and smiled, saying, "I heard that you are here to donate grain?"
Seeing that Magistrate Zhao had gotten straight to the point, Xu Yan replied respectfully without hesitation, "That's exactly what you said, Your Excellency. With the Japanese pirates wreaking havoc, the city's supplies are running low. I've heard that a bushel of rice is now selling for two coins of silver. It's truly astonishing."
"Mr. Wu often taught: The sage is always selfless, taking the hearts of the people as his own. Those who are good, I treat with kindness; those who are not good, I also treat with kindness; this is virtue. Those who are trustworthy, I trust; those who are not trustworthy, I also trust; this is virtue. When a sage is in the world, he is humble and selfless, making his heart pure for the world. The people all pay attention to him, and the sage treats them like children."
"Although I am not talented, I also want to do something for the elders and fellow villagers of Dinghai County. My father always taught us to respect the elderly and the young, and to respect the elderly and the young of others. Therefore, I am willing to donate 3,000 dan of rice on behalf of the Xu family."
Xu Yan spoke passionately, and County Magistrate Zhao was naturally very satisfied with what he said.
Of course, his focus fell on the last part.
Three thousand shi, Xu Yan actually wanted to donate three thousand shi of rice!
Even though County Magistrate Zhao was extremely cunning, he couldn't help but show his joy.
Three thousand dan of rice is enough to feed the whole county, young and old, for a month.
Xu Yan really helped him and Dinghai County solve their urgent problems!
“Okay, okay, okay!”
Magistrate Zhao said "good" three times in a row, took a deep breath and continued, "You are so sensible and considerate of the overall situation. You have done such a righteous deed in times of crisis. You are truly worthy of being from a distinguished family. This county is very pleased, this county is very pleased!"
Magistrate Zhao now liked Xu Yan no matter how he looked at him. This wasn't just because of Xu Yan's donation of grain, but because he was able to speak such righteous words at such a young age. Although these words were originally spoken by the sage, they were so fitting when spoken again by Xu Yan.
What is even more commendable is that this boy is only fourteen or fifteen years old, but he has such a high vision and such a broad mind. Given time, his future will surely be limitless.
At this moment, County Magistrate Zhao felt a pang of appreciation for talent. He stroked his short beard and said, "Old Master Wu is a great scholar in this area. You, my good student, must learn from him."
"I will follow the instructions of the county lord."
Xu Yan said very respectfully.
"Xiansheng, you haven't chosen a name yet, right?"
"Replying to the County Master, I have not yet been crowned, nor have I taken a given name."
"Well, I see. If the county were to grant you a name now, would you be willing?"
County Magistrate Zhao laughed gently.
Xu Yan was excited when he heard this.
When a man reaches the age of twenty, he will usually be given a name by his elder, who is usually a teacher.
But this is not absolute. Sometimes, if the elders are in a good mood, it is okay to give the name in advance.
County Magistrate Zhao took the initiative to offer Xu Yan a name, so he naturally had no reason to refuse.
You know, this is equivalent to County Magistrate Zhao accepting Xu Yan as his disciple.
Of course, due to Zhao Zhixian's special status, he could not directly become Xu Yan's master. Xu Yan's nominal master was still Master Wu.
However, the relationship with County Magistrate Zhao would be of great help to Xu Yan in his future imperial examinations.
How could Xu Yan refuse?
"How dare I disobey the orders of my elders?"
"good!"
Magistrate Zhao beamed with joy. This young man was truly tactful.
He was seen twirling his beard while pondering. After a long moment, he said in a gentle voice, "Speech is a doctrine. A doctrine is established according to the times. How about naming the wise men of this county according to the times?"
I have to say that County Magistrate Zhao is quite knowledgeable, and the choice of this word is very clever.
Xu Yan immediately responded, "I thank the Magistrate for the gift of the calligraphy."
County Magistrate Zhao nodded slightly and smiled without saying anything.
Both parties were well aware of this, and when Xu Yan accepted the name given by County Magistrate Zhao, he acknowledged the relationship between master and disciple.
As a human being, we should pay attention to reciprocity.
It is impolite to come without giving anything in return.
Xu Yan took the initiative to donate 3,000 shi of grain to solve Zhao Zhixian's urgent needs. Of course, Zhao Zhixian had to give something in return as a token of his appreciation.
His expression cannot be too vulgar or too materialistic, so accepting Xu Yan as his disciple is the best choice.
Of course, this relationship was rather obscure, and outsiders wouldn't even know about it. But as long as County Magistrate Zhao and Xu Yan knew it in their hearts, it was enough.
Of course, Xu Yan would not be stupid enough to brag about it everywhere. After all, this bond could help him make further progress in his studies at a critical moment.
"Oh, County Master, I have already asked someone to transport the rice to the outside of the government office. Master, you can send someone to receive it later."
"kindness."
County Magistrate Zhao responded, "Although the Japanese pirates are brutal, as long as the people of Dinghai County are united, I think they won't be able to gain any advantage."
He paused, then continued, "This year's county exam has been postponed due to the Japanese invasion, but it will not be cancelled. You must study hard and achieve good results. Don't let this county down."
Smart people always speak to the point.
Xu Yan naturally understood the elegant meaning by listening to the string music.
You should know that the chief examiner of the county examination is the county magistrate. As long as Xu Yan performs well in the exam, County Magistrate Zhao will definitely let him pass.
Of course, Xu Yan would definitely try his best to take the exam. After all, the better the county exam score, the higher the impression he would make on the prefectural exam. If he could get first place, it would basically be like being recommended for the prefectural exam.
"I will follow the instructions of the County Master. I will do my best to prepare for the exam and live up to the County Master's expectations."
Xu Yan bowed deeply to County Magistrate Zhao.
......
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
