Chapter 507 Female Official
On the second day after the Luming Banquet, the Gu family of Taohua Village also received the news that Gu Yuchuan and Song Qiquan had passed the imperial examination.
Captain Zhao didn't expect to find himself in Taohua Village again so soon.
It was the same process as last time, except that his attitude was much more respectful this time.
After all, this Peach Blossom Village looked like it was about to enter spring. It was better to be respectful to a place like this, as it was always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.
So when Gu Jiayue handed over the red envelope, he symbolically refused.
But in the end, he still accepted the red envelope, but he definitely didn't dare to keep the meal.
Chen Ada, however, had no such concerns. He felt that coming to Taohua Village was like returning home. Not only did he eat and take things, but before leaving, he also took away a newly published enlightenment textbook from the school, saying he was taking it back to use for his youngest son's enlightenment.
Captain Zhao also wanted something, but was too embarrassed to speak up.
Gu Jiayue saw that he was hesitant to speak, and with a wave of her hand, she gave all the enlightenment books to the two of them, one set for each of them.
Take it and have a look. If you don’t like it enough, you can come back and get it again.
The two men left happily with their men.
Gu Yuchuan passed the imperial examination and the entire Gu family was very excited.
But it's not exciting enough.
After all, this seemed to be something that had been expected.
The village chief came with brisk footsteps. As soon as he opened his mouth, Gu Jiayue knew what he was going to say.
"Open the ancestral hall and set up a banquet!"
Even the three-year-old children in the village know this set of procedures!
"Uncle Village Chief, can we have some new ideas?" Gu Yuhe had already kowtowed to Su Xuetang and had no interest in eating at the buffet.
"for example?"
"How about we have a barbecue at the buffet?"
…
After the college entrance examination, Gu Yuhe no longer went to school, but set up a barbecue stall in front of the school.
Business is pretty good because there are many students from other places coming to the school.
Some people in the village saw this business opportunity and set up small stalls nearby to sell other things.
More and more people set up stalls, and the entrance of the school looks a bit messy.
Gu Jiayue specially marked out a location, helped him level it, and let them set up the stall there.
Only a few months had passed, but the place had already taken on the appearance of a small market.
Now it is almost September and Qiushi Academy is about to start recruiting new students.
So the school gate has been very busy recently, and the stalls are doing very good business. Gu Yuhe is too busy to handle it himself, so he hired two small workers. During this period, he has made a lot of money.
He is now obsessed with making money, so he does not miss any opportunity to make money.
Setting up a barbecue at a buffet? Only Gu Yuhe could come up with this idea.
The village chief didn't respond to him and just walked away with a laugh.
He is the village chief, so what dishes should be served at the buffet? Can't he decide?
He thought setting up a barbecue was a bit unrealistic. He thought setting up a hot pot would be better. You can cook and eat as you go! It saves food and tastes great.
Gu Yuchuan did not go home, but brought back a letter, saying that he went directly to Kyoto with Song Qiquan.
They were not in a hurry, and they traveled as if they were on a study tour, stopping wherever they came across something they were interested in. They did not reach Kyoto until the end of the year.
On the way to Beijing, they met many daughters of officials who were also heading to Kyoto.
After careful investigation, it turned out that Kyoto had established a female official system, which specifically recruited talented and capable women to assist the queen in managing all affairs of the harem.
Note that it's a female official! Not a palace maid, nor a selection.
They have official positions and ranks, receive monthly salaries, and are not the emperor's women. They are free to marry or have funerals, but there are some restrictions, such as having to be at least 25 years old to get married, and after getting married they must settle in Kyoto and take turns to rest every year.
The requirements were somewhat harsh, but many women wanted to sign up. Some even came to Kyoto secretly on their own, even though their families disagreed.
So these women all went to Kyoto to take the exam.
Song Qiquan was stunned. Was the headmaster so quick? It had only been a short time, and he had already gotten the Emperor to agree to the system of female officials?
But Gu Yuchuan knew more than him. When Ye Yuntang wrote back, he saw the content.
He saw Ye Yuntang using many advanced technologies to trade with the royal family.
These women got this opportunity because of his efforts. Although they can only serve as officials in the harem and are not allowed to interfere in politics, this is just the beginning. In the long life ahead, they will get better and better.
"Let's go."
Song Qiquan finally came back to his senses, but the image of the girl he had just glimpsed was still in his mind. "Master, why don't you stay at my house? My parents will be very happy to know that I brought my friends home."
Although Song Qiquan's hometown was in Juzhou City, his father was an official in Kyoto. Although he was only a minor official, not as high as his uncle, he was still an official in the capital, and his family still had some assets.
"No need. I have already booked an inn in advance. After you settle in, you can come to me to continue your studies."
"Hey, how can a slacker like me pass the imperial examination? I'm just going to join in the fun."
He was about to say something, but Gu Yuchuan gave him a look that made him wilted. "Okay, Master, I'll come over early tomorrow morning. I'll bring you a special Kyoto breakfast."
"Well, except for bean juice, anything else is fine. If you're on the way, please bring me a bowl of wonton from the place in front of the Zhao Mansion on Zhuque Street."
Song Qiquan was very surprised, "Master, have you been to Kyoto before?"
Otherwise, how would you know about Kyoto’s specialties?
"I've never been here, but it's famous far and wide." He had lived in Kyoto for most of his life in his previous life, but he still couldn't accept or adapt to this thing.
"Okay, from my house to the inn we just happen to pass through Zhuque Street. I'll remember to bring two bowls of wonton for the teacher."
After making the promise, Song Qiquan ran away in a hurry.
He was not thinking about his parents, but about going to Yingchun Tower to see his sweetheart.
He wanted to tell her that he had passed the imperial examination and that his uncle had agreed to let him marry her.
He would go home immediately and tell his parents so that he could redeem her.
No, he should go home first to get the money to redeem Yunyan. Staying in that place for one more day would be torture.
By the time he had gathered enough money from home to redeem Yunyan, it was already evening, the peak hour at Yingchun Tower.
The men and women inside were laughing together. They were so close to each other that there was a risk of accidental shooting at any time.
Song Qiquan's face flushed, and he jumped three feet high to avoid the girl at the door who was trying to pull him. "Miss, where is your mother?"
Song Qiquan was good-looking and his clothes were well-made. Looking at his demeanor, the girl knew at a glance that he was a fat sheep.
Seeing him talking to her, she quickly approached him. "Sir, what does this gentleman want from me? Just tell me what service you need."
He quickly dodged. "I have something to ask your mother, please let me know."
He met Miss Yunyan not in Yingchun Tower, but in Lingyin Temple outside the city.
They met several more times after that, and each time she would do her best to help those poor beggars or people.
He was deeply attracted to this kind girl, and even after learning that she was the top prostitute in Yingchunlou, he did not change his mind. He only wanted to help this girl escape from her suffering.
But she was the top prostitute, and it would cost tens of thousands of taels of silver to redeem her.
He was just the son of a minor official in Kyoto, how could he come up with so much money? He could only ask for help from his uncle who was a high-ranking official.
Only then did his uncle ask him to pass the imperial examination.
Seeing that he was determined to find his mother, the girl gave him some silver and pointed him in a direction.
Mother Wang moved among the guests, with an unstoppable smile on her face.
Money, this is all money.
"Mother Wang, I have collected enough money. This is ten thousand taels. I am here to redeem Yunyan."
Mother Wang was caught off guard by a foolish boy who stopped her on her way. Then she saw a silver note worth 10,000 taels in front of her, and she felt so excited.
But when he heard Yunyan's name, he calmed down. "You're too late. Yunyan was redeemed by the third son of the Rong'an Marquis's mansion three days ago. I heard that the ceremony of taking her as a concubine took place yesterday."
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