28. Chapter 28
Scroll King
In the golden autumn season, the rice fields are golden. After the harvest, many rice ears fall to the ground. Some brave birds fly over and compete with the children who are picking up the rice ears for food.
Qi You bent down and picked up a few plants. Zhang Bai had already picked up a large handful and ran past him to the front. He turned around and smiled to show off to him: "Seventh Master, I've surpassed you!"
Zhang Bai was originally casually called Zhang Goudan, but his full name was chosen by Qi You. He also had an older sister named Zhang Daya, whom Qi You named Zhang Song. Together, the siblings were called Songbai, hoping they would be as resilient as pine and cypress.
Zhang Bai was one year younger than Qi You and was Lin Daniu's neighbor. Slave children had to start learning to work as soon as they could walk.
When going to the fields to plant rice seedlings in the spring, Qi You had difficulty walking and was still struggling with the mud, while Zhang Bai had already planted several rows of rice seedlings.
Qi You often went to Lin Daniu's house. At first, Zhang Bai was scared and hid when he saw him.
Later, after the family renovated a new house and could barely fill their stomachs with food, they gradually grew bolder. After a few visits, they became familiar with Qi You and regained the lively demeanor of their age.
Qi You smiled, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, took out his purse from his pocket, and called to Zhang Bai and the other children in the field: "Come over and rest for a while."
Usually Qi You would bring some snacks to share with everyone. They were not expensive, but just sweet.
Seeing Qi You take out the purse, Zhang Bai ran the fastest, and the other children followed him like birds grabbing food, running towards Qi You.
Qi You sat on the straw pile and said with a smile: "Don't worry, don't worry, we have everything. Just follow the rules."
The children immediately pushed and shoved each other to line up. Zhang Bai was at the front and stuck his head out. Qi You took out a winter melon candy from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth.
Zhang Bai took a sip and chuckled, "Thank you, Master Qi, it's so sweet!"
The other children were already accustomed to Qi You's rules. Qi You had told them many times that they couldn't eat directly from dirty hands, as it would make them sick. Like cormorants, they followed suit, poking their heads out and obediently letting Qi You feed them.
All the children got some candy, and after saying thank you, they scattered like frightened birds, chirping and laughing, and bending down to continue picking up rice ears.
Lin Yicheng and Master Xia stood by and watched. Lin Yicheng was fine, but Master Xia came less often. Seeing the vibrant scene before him, he felt an indescribable emotion. After a while, he said, "This is the way to prosperity! This is the way to prosperity!"
Lin Yicheng looked at him sideways and said with a smile, "Have you figured out the way to prosperity?"
Master Xia said bluntly, "Master, you need to look further ahead. You and I are both old. Even if these children are just bondservants, they are the future of the Qing Dynasty."
Lin Yicheng was startled. Master Xia suddenly stood up straight, looking taller. He straightened his collar and said, "Let's go. Master Qi has seen us."
When Qi You saw Lin Yicheng and Master Xia coming together, he understood that they couldn't wait any longer.
The two smiled from a distance and came forward to greet each other. Qi You nodded in return, stood up and said, "Let's go back to the house and talk."
Lin Yicheng and Master Xia looked at each other, and seeing the excitement in each other's eyes, they quickly turned aside to let Qi You: "Seventh Master, please."
Qi You waved goodbye to the children and took them back to the house. After moving to the village, Qi You saw that the yard was close to the wall, so he asked Dachun to open a door in the wall.
It is convenient to enter and exit, and can barely avoid Dachun's sinister eyes that occasionally peek at me.
Qi You took the two of them to the study and took out the bound book on the desk and gave it to Lin Yicheng: "You guys read it first, I'll go wash up."
Qi You left, and Lin Yicheng and Master Xia huddled together to watch. They were filled with wonder, confusion, puzzlement, and excitement, a crisscross of emotions.
"Old Xia, look..." Lin Yicheng's Adam's apple moved and he spoke hesitantly.
Master Xia remained silent for a long time, his eyes blazing with fire. "Boss, this is unheard of. This is unheard of. How do you want me to explain this?"
After washing up, Qi You walked into the study and saw the two of them bumping heads with strange expressions, half crazy and half dazed.
Especially Master Xia's eyes, which were very creepy. I couldn't help but laugh: "I know you have a lot of questions. Come, ask them one by one."
Mr. Xia, who was quicker-tongued than County Magistrate Lin, asked impatiently, "Seventh Master, please forgive my limited knowledge. I'm requesting you to revise the memorials to the yamen. There are certain prescribed formats for official correspondence. Neither I nor my employer have ever seen anything like this. May I ask what your intention is?"
The design that Xia Shiye had mentioned was actually quite common in later times. It consisted of only a price list for the various wood, stone, and other building materials needed to build the yamen, along with a set of design drawings.
Qi You uttered an "oh" and explained, "I previously asked County Magistrate Lin to provide me with all the wood. The price of the purlins is for this purpose. When asking for money, you must make it clear to the person giving you the money where your money is being spent. If you want to build a government office, what style do you want and whether it complies with the regulations? Only when the higher-ups can see clearly, will they be happy to pay you."
Lin Yicheng came back to his senses and said hurriedly: "Seventh Master, the price I gave you is 30% higher..."
Master Xia secretly glared at County Magistrate Lin, feeling indescribably angry. What a stupid and incompetent man!
County Magistrate Lin also realized his mistake, his face turned pale, and he quickly stopped talking.
Qi You understood what they were thinking, so he said directly, "Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking for favors. If you need 100 taels of silver to repair the government office, the price you submit should be higher than the actual price. This is because there will definitely be discounts, and after deductions, it's already good if you can get 70%. As for the difference, you don't want to pay for it yourself, so you can only cut corners. It's better not to repair it then."
The two of them suddenly understood what was going on. Master Xia said with shamefacedness, "Don't blame me, Master Seventh. It's all my fault for thinking wrongly."
Qi You said sarcastically: "I don't blame you, because the court does things this way, and everyone is used to it."
Neither of them dared to respond. Qi You smiled coldly and said, "Sooner or later, this rotten atmosphere will have to be corrected. Let's not talk about this for now. The main goal is to repair the government office and get things done first."
Master Xia picked up the architectural blueprint and asked in confusion, "Seventh Master, this drawing... I know that before the palace builds a house, they have to make a sample first. What is this drawing used for?"
Qi You said, "It's expensive and laborious to make the pattern, but the drawing is just as clear and easy to understand. The drawing clearly states why the yamen was built in this style. The emphasis is on the base, brackets, and mortise and tenon joints, all for earthquake resistance. The Dule Temple in Ji County, Zhili, has survived numerous earthquakes and remains standing. Bodhisattvas are compassionate, and all beings are equal. It's unlikely that Dule Temple would be like this. We need to read more, learn more, and think more."
Lin Yicheng was completely convinced and couldn't put the detailed list of materials and the accompanying drawings down.
Master Xia thought about it for a while and said, "Seventh Master, this memorial is too eye-catching. Once it sets a precedent, it will be difficult for others to do things in the future. I am worried that this memorial will be rejected by the Ministry of Works."
Qi You said calmly, "They dare not. Because I am in Shunyi, this memorial will be delivered along with my letter to Khan Ama. Speaking of which, I haven't written to Khan Ama for a long time."
Master Xia breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "The Emperor must be very pleased with the letter from Master Qi and the good harvest. Master Qi has chosen the perfect timing."
Qi You just smiled and said nothing, without further explanation.
He did not deliberately choose the time of the grain harvest to make Kangxi happy, but waited until all the houses of the bondservants were repaired before writing a letter to Kangxi, carefully describing the actual situation in the farm.
There were many slaves like Dachun who were extremely bad. When Kangxi learned about it, no matter how powerful the power behind Dachun was, he was just a slave and was dealt with easily.
Dachun's fate was either beheading, exile, or being forced to become a bondservant with his property confiscated.
It is most satisfying to see the bad guys being punished, but after that, the situation itself has not improved at all and the problem still exists.
The confiscated property was taken away, but it was transferred to another person.
The canals were still blocked, and the bondservants still lived in shacks, with no clothes to wear and no food to eat, leading a life worse than that of pigs and dogs.
Qi You first took what Dachun had eaten, asked him to spit out some of it, and gave it to the bondservants.
Qi You knew the so-called overall situation, but he could not close his eyes and ignore the suffering before him.
Although he could not change slavery for the time being, he had seen these people and he had to do something to protect them and let them live like human beings.
Qi You laughed, looked at the excited Lin Yicheng and Master Xia, and asked, "You have set a precedent for requesting funds for repairs. This will surely leave a mark in history books. Aren't you excited?"
Lin Yicheng nodded vigorously and said excitedly, "I can't express my joy in words. It's all thanks to Master Qi. Everything is Master Qi's work. I dare not take any credit for it."
Qi You smiled and said, "I said I would send you to the sky. The memorial you handed in will be considered your contribution."
Lin Yicheng hurriedly stood up to express his gratitude. Qi You smiled even more broadly: "Don't thank me yet. We still have to repair the city wall."
Master Xia reacted faster and his smile froze on his face.
Qi You looked at the two of them and said with a smile, "From now on, you have to follow this. How to build the city wall, how many workers are needed, and how to strengthen it must be detailed and precise. Just writing articles and official letters may no longer be enough."
Lin Yicheng was completely stunned, and Master Xia was sweating profusely.
This ladder to success is not easy to climb. To be an official, one must first be a good person. In addition, one must have real talent and the ability to get things done.
The river was repaired year after year, and the Ministry of Revenue provided no shortage of money, yet it still broke every few years. Some officials who repaired the river were beheaded and their property confiscated, but this did not stop the officials who came after them, eager to grab this lucrative job.
Money is too tempting.
Master Xia only felt his mouth dry and his heart almost beat out of his chest.
Qi You's seemingly trivial memorial might change the imperial examination system, the standards for selecting officials, and the structure of the court.
It is far from enough to just pass the imperial examination. For example, those officials who have not even learned mathematics well but are responsible for the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue must be feeling uneasy.
Master Xia's face was pale, and he said worriedly: "Seventh Master, you..."
Qi You said to him gently, "Just do the right thing and don't worry about the future. Are you still willing to submit this memorial?"
Lin Yicheng's eyes were red as he said firmly, "Even if it means sacrificing my life, I will do it."
Master Xia gave Lin Yicheng a rare look of respect, then said in a deep voice, "It is my honor to be able to follow Master Qi."
Qi You laughed and said, "It's not that serious. However, Magistrate Lin, you still have a lot to learn. Here, I've left you a copy of the table-making pattern. Take it and study it. You must also study mathematics, water conservancy, and how to build bridges and roads. If you really can't learn, you must find someone who knows and learn with an open mind. Don't venture into areas you don't understand without authorization."
Lin Yicheng took the paper handed to him by Qi You, and when he saw the grid lines and the dazzling array of items on it, he felt like crying but had no tears.
Learning these things was a hundred times harder than writing essays when he was in school. He had worked so hard to pass the imperial examination and become an official, and now he had to study hard again.
Master Xia leaned over to take a look, his face full of gloating, "Hey, boss, just treat it as enlightenment for children and learn from the beginning to the end."
Qi You saw that the official was rolled up and his achievements and fame were hidden.
On the third day after the letter and memorial were submitted, Qi You received the imperial edict from Kangxi.
After opening Kangxi's handwritten letter, Qi You's face changed drastically. He put down the letter and his mood was in turmoil. He couldn't calm down for a long time.
The author has something to say:
I will become a v tomorrow, and leave comments on the last three chapters of v. Red envelopes will be dropped from time to time. I ask for your support, little angels.
I would like to mention the pre-collection of "The Bad Student is Forced to Take the Imperial Examination". The text is as follows. Please collect it.
Cheng Zian came back after spending a few years abroad. He was happily eating, drinking and having fun, waiting to inherit the family mine, when he traveled to Daxia and became a seven-year-old kid who had to study hard to take exams.
The poor student Cheng Zian has gone crazy. Not to mention taking the imperial examination, he can't even recognize all the words in the book!
The original body's father happened to be a teacher in a college, and he was surrounded by spies. He had no way to skip school and could only bite the bullet and study.
Who would have thought that this reading would eventually turn him into a role model for scholars, an imperial tutor for two dynasties, assisting the emperor for thirty years, and becoming a famous prime minister whose name would go down in history.
The young prince asked Cheng Zian, "Sir, have you loved reading since you were a child?"
Cheng Zian smiled but said nothing.
Oh, don't say it anymore, it brings tears to my eyes...
This is just a fiction, please do not verify it.
There is basically no emotional line.
A lighthearted, coming-of-age story with no cheat codes or plot twists.
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