Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Confidant
Back in Nanjiang County, Su Qing's days became much more leisurely.
Fei Kaiyu and Zhu Fangjie are here, and their subordinates, from the scholars to the constables, and even the village chiefs and militia, are basically all Su Qing's people. She doesn't have to worry about anything, big or small.
Moreover, Mei Niang felt sorry for her and made all sorts of delicious food for her every day, saying that it would be better for her to gain some weight.
But what surprised Su Qing the most was her younger brother, Su Cheng.
Su Cheng is nine years old this year. She started school at the age of five, and it has been exactly four years now.
He not only read most of the Four Books and Five Classics, but also read a lot of books from other schools of thought in his study.
He was nearly nine years old and was already able to write essays.
From Su Qing's current perspective, it's already quite good.
But this handwriting is clearly copied from her.
Su Qing found it amusing and told her younger brother to continue reading: "When you get older, you'll be able to help your older sister."
Su Cheng nodded repeatedly.
His role model is his older sister!
Su Cheng is doing well.
Fourteen-year-old Su Xi is slightly less impressive and doesn't talk much.
He must have been beaten badly by his father when he was a child.
Fortunately, he studies hard enough and will be able to try the imperial examination next year. If he passes, his and his mother's lives will be better.
Compared to the Su family children, the two Mei siblings were much more lively.
When they first arrived last year, the two of them looked dark and thin, but now they've grown up to be fair and plump, and their personalities are just like when they were at home.
Therefore, while studying medicine at the Bai family, he not only learned medical books but also made many good friends.
Normally, it's just the two of them taking Su Cheng and Su Xi out to play.
Nanjiang County is peaceful and stable.
It's not a big deal for children to go out and play together.
Mei Niang sighed, "I knew it. They weren't this careful when they were little. It seems they were really hungry at home."
Su Qing nodded and said, "Mother, don't worry. I've asked the Ye family business to help. They have carriages and horses in our hometown of Tongmin Prefecture. There's no shortage of food and clothing there now."
Mei Niang was surprised.
She usually takes care of things in her hometown.
Regardless of whether it was the husband's family or the wife's family, they would send money and clothing materials.
Unexpectedly, my daughter has gained another layer of protection.
Su Qing didn't care before.
But when her younger cousins came to visit, she became even more aware of the difficult situation back home.
Whether it's the maternal grandfather or the paternal grandmother.
They are all people who don't speak easily.
It's better for us to take the initiative.
They turn a blind eye to the hardships the world is in.
Mei Niang hugged her daughter; the whole household was supported by her daughter.
How could she not be proud of Qingqing?
The leisurely days passed quickly.
Lord Cui, who was temporarily in charge of Gaoqing Prefecture, would write from time to time, looking for someone to take over.
"It takes time for the master to send someone over, and it also takes time for the handover to take place."
"It's already July 20th, sir, have you chosen a suitable person yet?"
Su Qing was helpless.
They don't want the perfectly good Gaoqing Prefecture, but they're eyeing the grain from Yisong County.
But Su Qing also understood.
Lord Cui was a man of his word; he wanted to see a bountiful harvest in Yisong County and also wanted the local people to live a better life.
But she really didn't have anyone available.
Gaoqing Prefecture needs officials.
We also need to arrange more manpower in Nanjiang County.
The provincial examination is just around the corner, and Fei Kaiyu, the acting magistrate, should be taking the exam to become a successful candidate.
Su Qing called Fei Kaiyu to the study, and they discussed the same matter.
Unexpectedly, the other party looked worried, and what they said surprised Su Qing.
"My lord, may I not take the imperial examination to become a scholar?" Fei Kaiyu asked directly.
Su Qing asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Didn't you study well?"
Some people back down before a major exam.
Fei Kaiyu didn't stand on ceremony with Lord Su and sat down directly, saying, "I feel it's not very useful."
"My lord, if we test our knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics according to the methods used in the imperial examinations, will we really be able to become good officials?"
"Can that kind of exam really select suitable talent? Especially in the current situation."
Fei Kaiyu is not denying the Four Books and Five Classics; otherwise, these classics would be irrelevant.
After experiencing so many things, I realized that reading is important, but not for the sake of the imperial examinations, but for learning the profound truths within.
Fei Kaiyu talked for a long time, but even he felt that he was rambling.
Su Qingze said, "No matter what, the imperial examination system is still irreplaceable in selecting talent."
"You should think this through. If you don't take the provincial examination and only serve as the magistrate of this county, it will be extremely difficult to get promoted in the future."
"If you pass the exam, you'll have the opportunity to advance further, regardless of whether I'm here or not in the future."
This is also what troubles Fei Kaiyu.
If only Lord Su could have spent his whole life at Guangyuefu.
That way he can do anything.
Whether or not one takes the imperial examination to become a scholar makes little difference.
In any case, it's all about obeying orders and caring for the people.
Why can't Lord Su become the local tyrant of Guangyue Prefecture?
As soon as the idea came to mind, Fei Kaiyu felt that he was committing a great act of rebellion.
But after thinking it over for a long time, he gave up.
He's not going to take the imperial examinations anymore.
"My lord, wherever you go in the future, please let me be your scribe," Fei Kaiyu pleaded earnestly. "I wouldn't even accept the title of top scholar if you just said the word!"
For Fei Kaiyu, if someone had told him a few years ago that he would give up the imperial examination, he certainly wouldn't have believed it.
This could be a life-changing opportunity.
They spent their entire lives pursuing this goal.
But that's not the case for him now.
Whether it's a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination or a graduate who passed the provincial-level imperial examination.
Even those without official titles or honors are welcome.
As long as one can uphold the law and love the people, and maintain local stability so that the people can live peacefully, then it is all good.
And that's exactly what Fei Kaiyu wanted to do.
New residents of Nanjiang County, and fields that have just been cultivated.
And now that medicinal herbs have become grown on a large scale, we still need to curb the practice of people only growing medicinal herbs and not farming.
These are the more crucial things.
But he was also afraid.
Once Lord Su leaves, he won't be able to remain the county magistrate.
Therefore...
As long as the adults say so, and he can be her attendant in the future, he will feel more confident!
Su Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Who would want to be a clerk or attendant?
Fei Kaiyu's idea was similar to that of Lord Cui, who was far away in Gaoqing Prefecture.
Thinking of Gao Qingzhou, Su Qing smiled and said to Fei Kaiyu, "Then I know what to do."
What's the meaning?
Fei Kaiyu had no idea what had happened, and he returned to the main hall of the yamen in a daze.
As I passed by the County Magistrate's Hall, I happened to see County Magistrate Zhu working, so I quickly went over to talk to him.
Although the two had worked together for a long time, this was the first time they had discussed the idea of not taking the imperial examinations.
After Fei Kaiyu finished speaking, Zhu Fangjie's expression was not good, and she only said coldly, "I know."
knew?
You'll find out then?
Do you know what I gave up?!
Zhu Fangjie was incredibly clever, and she didn't mince words: "Then should I praise you for giving up an opportunity that we didn't have?"
Whether or not Zhu Fangjie gave up the imperial examination was not important.
The important thing is to act as if you're making a huge sacrifice in front of yourself.
Fei Kaiyu fell silent, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt.
Zhu Fangjie waved her hand: "It's none of your business, no need for that."
Zhu Fangjie has always been objective, not personal.
Fei Kaiyu truly admires this kind of personality.
However, Lord Su's arrangements for them soon brought them both a pleasant surprise.
Su Qing planned to send Fei Kaiyu to manage affairs in Gaoqing Prefecture.
Of course, he wasn't going to be the prefect there; Su Qing didn't have the authority to appoint someone as the prefect.
The purpose was simply to send him there to take over the duties of Lord Cui and become the de facto "local tyrant" of Gaoqing Prefecture, encompassing its one city and six counties.
To put it bluntly.
He had the power of a prefect, but not the title.
He didn't even have the title of county magistrate.
They cannot stay by Prefect Su's side yet.
Even so, Fei Kaiyu was still extremely pleasantly surprised.
He's stopped taking the imperial examinations, so why would he care about these things?
He knew about the situation in Gaoqing Prefecture, and even more so, what had happened there.
He would definitely be willing to do so if it could bring about some changes for the local people.
He truly remembered the four characters "Guardian and Love the People" on the Nanjiang County Government Office.
Moreover, the fact that he was sent here proves that he is Lord Su's confidant!
How could he not be overjoyed?!
Zhu Fangjie will also be promoted from county assistant to county magistrate.
Su Qing said, "I will temporarily serve as the county magistrate, but I will submit a memorial to the court and ask the emperor for his approval."
Nowadays, there are quite a few female scribes in the Guangyuefu.
After all, ever since Su Qing became the prefect of Nanjiang County, other places have followed suit.
But the highest-ranking official was Wu Shanyue Wu Husi, who worked in the Guangyue Prefecture government office.
However, when she was appointed, the Guangyue Prefecture was still a mess.
The imperial court didn't care.
Now that the war is over, another female county magistrate needs to be appointed.
The Confucian scholars in the capital must have something to say.
Su Qing bluntly stated, "This is a tough battle. It will take time before the actual county magistrate is appointed."
"You need to be patient, and you can't let them catch you making a mistake."
Zhu Fangjie nodded immediately.
She was given this opportunity.
She certainly wouldn't let it go, much less let anyone take it away.
But Zhu Fangjie clearly still had a question.
Fei Kaiyu suddenly said, "No, Lord Su!"
"You're asking me to take the imperial examination, which is to make way for Lord Zhu, isn't it!"
Su Qing raised an eyebrow: "After passing the county-level exam, you should take the provincial-level exam. Isn't that what you should do? Who would have thought you wouldn't want to go?"
Speaking of which...
Zhu Fangjie's path is the safest.
I first worked as a clerk in the Household Revenue Department, and then I also worked in the Personnel Department for a period of time.
When Wu Shanyue goes to the prefectural city, she will become the head of the household affairs department.
Later, the position changed.
She took Fei Kaiyu's position and became the county magistrate of Zhu County.
Now, a year has passed, and he is now steadily serving as the acting magistrate.
With this level of experience, even if he were sent to the capital, there wouldn't be any major faults to be found.
However, Su Qing did not expect that Fei Kaiyu did not want to take the imperial examination and wanted to stay here.
Fortunately, Gaoqingzhou is short of people.
Otherwise, it will be really difficult to handle.
Zhu Fangjie couldn't help but have tears in her eyes.
She hadn't expected Lord Su to be so thoughtful.
What she didn't expect was that Lord Su had also seen and remembered her thoughts.
Back at her home in Nanjiang County, Zhu Fangjie lit a candle and sat alone in the darkness.
It was around March or April of the third year of Yongsheng.
She followed her mother to her relatives' home in Nanjiang County, where the purpose was to find her a marriage partner.
After all, her reputation was already ruined in her hometown of Shanyang Prefecture.
You definitely won't find a good family to marry into.
The reason is that she doesn't want to marry her mentally challenged fiancé.
Her so-called fiancé was mentally challenged since childhood, but they had secretly arranged a marriage between them by coaxing and deceiving her family.
She was only three years old that year.
She was already thirteen when her family learned that her fiancé was mentally challenged.
At that time, she was well-educated and reasonable, so she naturally refused.
However, after much deliberation, her family said that the marriage was already arranged and could not be canceled.
Moreover, the other party's family owns thousands of acres of fertile land and is very wealthy, so marrying into their family would not be a loss for her.
Zhu Fangjie was intelligent from a young age and naturally knew why her family agreed.
They were only after the generous dowry.
But she insisted on not getting married, and kept it up until she was seventeen or eighteen.
That family insisted on marrying her, and even tried to kidnap her.
Zhu Fangjie would rather hang herself than comply.
Her mother, being soft-hearted, took her to a relative's house in Guanglefu.
The relative said that since the local magistrate was a woman, she should be able to protect her and find her another marriage, then the matter would be settled.
But she didn't listen and secretly went to apply for a position as a clerk in the government office.
The mother and the relatives were dumbfounded and extremely puzzled.
My mother even fell ill as a result.
If Lord Su hadn't gone to see her in person, she certainly wouldn't have been able to stay at the yamen.
But what happened next was still incomprehensible to her mother and relatives.
Men were the only ones entering and leaving the government office.
In total, there was only Steward Wu, her maid, and the two newly recruited female clerks.
This made the families who already thought she was betrothed even more unwilling.
Those who come knocking on the door are mostly people who want to live off women and aren't respectable.
So her mother tried her best to persuade her to quit her job as a clerk and go home instead.
Seeing that she still disagreed, someone from her hometown came to pick her up.
Zhu Fangjie's mother could only leave in tears.
This relative also used the excuse of renting another house for her.
Zhu Fangjie moved directly to a detached house, paying her own rent.
until.
She became the county magistrate.
"Sister Fang, when did you get back?"
Zhu Fangjie's parents came over with kind smiles on their faces: "Come on, no one in the family has eaten yet, they're just waiting for you."
Opposite Zhu Fangjie's courtyard is a two-section house.
Her whole family moved here last year.
Because of the soaring grain prices in his hometown of Shanyang Prefecture, his family was increasingly unable to make ends meet and had to find another way to make a living.
This has nothing to do with the so-called "foolish child betrothal".
After seeing that Zhu Fangjie had become a clerk, that family immediately broke off the engagement.
They said their family couldn't afford to lose face like that.
However, last year, Zhu Fangjie became the assistant magistrate of Nanjiang County.
First, the fool's family went to the Zhu family to beg for peace.
After that, the Zhu family moved to Nanjiang County on their own initiative.
They originally wanted Fangjie to live with them.
Zhu Fangjie naturally refused, saying that she was used to living alone.
So the family found a place across the street.
And that relative, needless to say, is now extremely close to me.
He only became a county magistrate.
My family's attitude completely changed.
Zhu Fangjie knew what they were thinking, so she neither took the initiative nor refused, and she would never use her status to help them gain benefits.
But everyone knows that as long as she, the county magistrate, is around, life in this family will be extremely peaceful.
So she became the head of the family.
Her father was unhappy that she wanted to break off the engagement.
She complained that her mother wanted to be a clerk.
One can only treat them with utmost respect.
Even if she comes home late, the whole family waits for her to eat together.
Zhu Fangjie would not refuse anything that was convenient for her.
She just had a mischievous streak.
Once these families find out she's going to be the county magistrate, will they become even more obsequious?
never mind.
It's not very interesting.
Instead of wasting time, it would be better to build more medicinal herb workshops.
Listen to Lord Su, they will not only produce medicinal herbs here, but also process them.
But we still have to eat.
"Let's go," Zhu Fangjie said.
After a good meal, I continued working.
May your family enjoy peace and tranquility.
Fei Kaiyu's home was in complete chaos.
Upon learning that he was not going to take the imperial examination to become a scholar, but instead was going to "make his way" in Gaoqing Prefecture.
The family members could only wipe away their tears.
How can this be?
The family was in such dire straits; it was only after he became the county magistrate that life became a little better.
Now, instead of taking the imperial examination to become a scholar, we should strive for further advancement.
Instead, he quit his post as county magistrate and went directly to Gaoqing Prefecture.
Don't you know what's going on over there?
Nine out of ten houses are empty, and cries of sorrow fill the air.
Fei Kaiyu replied, "When Prefect Su returned from over there, the situation wasn't as bad as it had been."
"When you went there, did you hold any official position?" the family asked.
That's definitely not the case.
The appointment of a county magistrate by the Guangyue Prefecture still requires the Emperor's approval.
Moreover, there's the matter of Gaoqing Prefecture.
Fei Kaiyu didn't explain much, only saying, "I resigned from my official post and went there to see if there was anything I could do. Naturally, I have no official position or post."
Sure enough, these words left the Fei family utterly devastated.
They all knew that no one could persuade the person in front of them.
Fortunately, their farmland and medicinal herb fields in their hometown are in good condition, so they should have no problem making a living.
But expecting Fei Kaiyu to become extremely wealthy is highly unlikely.
When people become officials, they all rise higher and higher in rank.
Fei Kaiyu not only gave up his official post, but also stopped taking the imperial examinations.
Who doesn't have a headache?
July 24th, the fifth year of Yongsheng.
Fei Kaiyu left, and Zhu Fangjie became the magistrate of Nanjiang County.
Most people don't know where Fei Kaiyu is.
But then a female county magistrate appeared, even if she was only an acting magistrate.
This still caused a stir in the surrounding states.
One woman is fine.
Another one?!
He even became a local official!?
Even within the Guangyuefu (a government-run music bureau), there was discussion about it.
What surprised them even more was...
Before Su Qing went to the prefectural city, he said to Zhu Fangjie, "It will be August soon, and I think we will soon have to prepare for next year's children's examination."
"This year, girls are allowed to register for the children's examination."
"His Majesty values the imperial examinations, so we must respond accordingly."
That doesn't seem right.
The Emperor values the imperial examinations, but not in this way!
They didn't say anything about allowing women to sign up too, did they?!
Is that correct?
Countless people were filled with questions.
Su Qing left behind a bombshell message and leisurely headed to the prefectural city.
She believed that Magistrate Zhu could handle it.
Moreover, only by going to the prefectural city can she suppress the dissenting voices within Guang Le Prefecture.
As for the murmurs in other parts of the surrounding area.
She'll have to wait until she's at the prefectural government office before she can argue with them one by one.
The news that Zhu Fangjie had been appointed as the county magistrate, and that women could participate in the children's examinations.
The neighboring Shanyang Prefecture naturally reacted the most strongly.
The reason was simple: this woman was from Shanyang Prefecture and had left because she resisted an arranged marriage.
She already had a very negative impact on local women.
Now, not only has he become a county magistrate, but he also wants to recruit other women.
It's absolutely outrageous.
Here's the situation.
Other women in Shanyang Prefecture saw that Zhu Fangjie's resistance to marriage not only did not suffer any bad consequences, but her life actually got better and better.
The entire family listened to her and even followed her to Nanjiang County.
Even her mentally challenged fiancé and his family, who had broken off the engagement, treated her with utmost respect, almost like relatives.
They agreed that after the engagement was called off, their lives would be over.
They said that if you don't listen to your parents, you won't have a good future.
This is completely different from reality.
In a short time, girls' schools sprang up in Shanyang Prefecture.
Families with only daughters are the happiest, wishing their daughters would immediately study hard, become successful, and rise to prominence.
As for the women, they naturally had books in their hands and each of them read the Four Books and Five Classics.
In the words of the prefect of Shanyang Prefecture, "The people's hearts are restless, and the scene is unbearable."
"The moral character of women has deteriorated to this extent, all because of Zhu Fangjie!"
Therefore, the prefect of Shanyang Prefecture was most opposed to Zhu Fangjie becoming the county magistrate, not even acting as the county magistrate!
On the first day of the eighth lunar month, Su Qing arrived at the government office and saw piles of documents everywhere.
Letters were sent from neighboring Shanyang Prefecture, Shiwen Prefecture, Bazhu Prefecture, and other places.
Most of them were criticizing Su Qing's actions.
What about ethical principles, the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, and the laws of our ancestors?
In short...
Zhu Fangjie became the county magistrate?
no.
A woman participates in the children's examination.
That won't work either.
Prefect Shen of Shanyang Prefecture was practically pointing his finger at her and cursing her.
Despite the sheer volume of documents, Su Qing remained unfazed.
When she brought this up, she anticipated the reactions from other parts of Shunchang Kingdom.
But she didn't really care about those places.
Instead, she asked Wei Lai, the head of the clerk's office, to take a look, but the officials in Guangyue Prefecture strongly objected.
"Don't pay too much attention to those who complain a little."
"Those who harbor resentment should be replaced within the year."
Su Qing said directly.
The Wei Li Si, deeply rooted in the prefectural city, has always kept a low profile.
But he had been a confidant of Su Qing since Su Qing became the county magistrate, so he naturally obeyed his orders.
Wei Lisi suddenly realized something.
Prefect Su did indeed want to promote Zhu Fangjie, and he also did want to start a women's imperial examination.
We can make better use of this.
To find the officials who are dissatisfied.
These people are well hidden and can't be caught normally, but now they've all come out.
In the past, Su Qing wouldn't have bothered with it.
But now the situation is different, and her goals are different too.
Naturally, some extraordinary measures must be used.
Su Qing returned to the government office and first reviewed the duties he had performed over the past few months.
There are generally no problems.
All counties are now preparing for the autumn harvest, and all farming tools are ready.
Two of the counties have experienced excessive rainfall this year, which is expected to reduce production. Wuhusi has prepared grain and will transport it there depending on the situation.
Fortunately, the river embankments in these two places were well-maintained, and the head of the engineering department, Jiang, had sent people to keep an eye on them long ago, so there were no incidents.
After reviewing several months' worth of official documents, Su Qing still couldn't rest.
The letters from the prefects and governors of each prefecture must be replied to.
Yunxi and Lvlan stayed by her side, but couldn't help dozing off. Su Qing woke them up and said, "Let's go back to our room and sleep."
Stepping out of the study, I saw a sky full of stars and utter silence.
The letter was sent the next day, and Su Qing was already sitting in the main hall.
Listen to reports from various departments on their assigned tasks.
Registrar Luo added from the side.
The third squad is still led by Constable Wu, so there's no problem.
The six offices were headed by the Wei Li Si, Wu Hu Si, and Jiang Gong Si.
After everyone had finished speaking, Wang Xuezheng, who was well-prepared, was finally able to speak.
Wang Xuezheng's face showed both joy and anxiety.
The joy stems from the fact that the autumn imperial examinations are just around the corner on the 16th of August.
In Guangyuefu, whether it's the preliminary preparations, the number of students, or even their quality, it far surpasses other places.
They were anxious because Nanjiang County allowed women to participate in the children's examinations.
However, he knew the importance of the matter and only mentioned the autumn examination when reporting.
"The examiners and chief examiners sent by the Ministry of Rites in the capital arrived in July and were all arranged to rest in the examination hall."
"Lord Liang is very satisfied with the preparations for the autumn imperial examination at our Guangyue Mansion."
Wang Xuezheng said a lot, but only vaguely mentioned it at the end.
Lord Liang and his colleagues were generally satisfied, but they still had some complaints about the small number of Confucian scholars in the prefectural school.
Fortunately, there were quite a few candidates taking the imperial examination, and their results were excellent, so no one said anything.
Finally, Lord Liang and his entourage wanted to see Prefect Su and asked if he had time.
Su Qing knew that Minister Liang and others from the Ministry of Rites had come, and there had been official correspondence between them.
But they haven't officially met yet.
It was Wang Xuezheng who spearheaded the meeting between the two sides.
Su Qing nodded and said, "Then let the education commissioner arrange the time."
The upcoming autumn imperial examinations are indeed very important.
Su Qing had no intention of fooling them.
But Lord Liang's special request to meet with her was unexpected.
The information came from Officer Wu's side.
It is said that when the officials from the Ministry of Rites first arrived, they were aggressive and clearly looking for trouble.
When they actually arrived at the location, their attitude softened considerably, and they even praised the Guangyuefu for its effective governance.
However, when news of Magistrate Zhu of Nanjiang County and the children's examination arrived, it was a different story altogether.
Su Qing thought to herself, "These officials from the Ministry of Rites, Lord Liang and his group, are playing a game of changing faces."
It seems that the reason for wanting to see her is mostly because of the matter of Zhu Shuli and the girls taking the imperial examination.
Since Su Qing had started, she had no intention of stopping.
The attitude of the prefect of Shanyang Prefecture was even less important.
After reading the letter that someone else had sent, Su Qing casually tossed it aside.
All the women in your Shanyang Prefecture are studying and want to become officials, what does that have to do with me?
The ninth day of the eighth lunar month is an auspicious day.
Wang Xuezheng hosted a banquet, inviting Prefect Su and Lord Liang from the capital to drink separately.
Of course, everyone knew that Prefect Su couldn't drink alcohol, so they replaced it with osmanthus honey water, and no one else objected.
Su Qing gladly went.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites who came from the capital had much to discuss.
They had heard this man's name many times since Su Qing became the county magistrate.
Her appointment as prefect was a highly anticipated event.
However, at that time the emperor was still in Nanjing, and most of these officials were in the provinces, so they didn't have time to think about so much.
The war is over now.
There has been much discussion about this in the capital.
I mention it every now and then.
Many people still have objections to Su Qing being appointed as the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture.
Even Lord Liang.
As an official of the Ministry of Rites, he did indeed believe that it was inappropriate for Su Qing to be appointed as the prefect.
Few people know that this Lord Liang's first post was in Tongmin Prefecture.
That's Su Qing's hometown.
The people of Tongmin Prefecture are simple and honest, which left a very good impression on Lord Liang.
Therefore, he held goodwill towards Su Qing.
Especially last year, on his way to take up his post in the capital, he passed through Tongmin Prefecture and the scene before him was almost unbelievable.
The once peaceful and honest Tongmin Prefecture has become rife with bandits.
The people were living in extreme hardship.
Although Lord Liang knew that this was not a problem in one place, he could not help but feel sad and grieving.
Because of this, he felt a natural affinity for Su Qing.
So no matter how indignant his colleagues were, he was in a good mood.
Especially after arriving at Guangyuefu.
During their journey, they passed through several counties in the prefecture and found that once they entered the territory of Guangle Prefecture, the prices of grain and other goods suddenly dropped.
You'll find out if you ask; it's all mediated by the local government to prevent unscrupulous merchants from selling at high prices.
However, what surprised them the most was that the official road within Guangyuefu was constantly being repaired.
So the officials riding in carriages were finally no longer so bumpy.
Especially in the more economically developed counties, the roads are flat and straight, all of which were built in the last year or two.
"Once you enter Guangyuefu, the situation is completely different."
Surprisingly, there were no bandits or refugees here.
"Everyone lives in peace and contentment; I haven't seen such a scene in many years."
The examiners, led by Lord Liang, were all well-read and knowledgeable.
After observing the situation outside and taking in the local landscape, they naturally had nothing to say about Prefect Su Qing.
Upon arriving in the prefectural city, he learned that Prefect Su had gone to inspect other places again, and he secretly admired him.
The only drawback was that the students at the prefectural school were a mixed bunch, with only one-third being Confucian scholars.
Wang Xuezheng explained repeatedly and showed them the number of applicants and their essays.
This finally got everyone to nod in agreement.
Until news came from Nanjiang County.
If all goes as expected, Su Qing's document requesting orders from Zhu Fangjie has already been submitted.
The news that girls were allowed to participate in the imperial examinations reached the capital.
I wonder how furious the people in the capital are.
However, under Lord Liang's reassurance, everyone managed to calm down.
Putting everything else aside, just considering the stability of this place, they should listen to Prefect Su's explanation.
This led to the banquet.
Everyone saw Su Qing, the young official, walk over with a smile, looking at them as if they were his own junior.
Sigh, what family's younger generation could be so successful?
Those boys of mine are all more outrageous than the last.
I didn't look closely at the girl's, as long as she has good needlework skills and character, that's fine. I hope she can marry into a good family and bring honor to her family.
Su Qing smiled and bowed first. After all, she was a local official, and even officials in the capital were her superiors.
After exchanging greetings, the host, Wang Xuezheng, arranged for everyone to sit down as host and guests.
Lord Liang and Su Qing sat at the head of the table, while the others took their seats.
Wang Xuezheng was overjoyed.
The autumn imperial examination was not only his job, but also his time to showcase his talents.
They knew that other regions were too busy to take care of themselves and did not attach much importance to the autumn imperial examinations.
That would be a great opportunity for him to make a name for himself.
Wang Xuezheng drank some wine and said with a smug look, "Does Lord Su still remember Prefect Zhao who went to Huizhou?"
"They encountered floods this year, and the autumn examinations almost had to be canceled. They managed to hold the examinations by scraping together funds from various sources, but many candidates' families were affected by the disaster, and most of them will not be able to take the exams."
Wang Xuezheng was rather gloating.
He initially wanted Prefect Zhao to take him away, but because the bribe he offered was too small, the prefect refused.
Now, it's actually me who gets to show off.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw that Lord Liang and Lord Su were both looking at him.
Su Qing even put down her cup of honey water and asked, "I wonder how the people over there are doing."
"I'll ask someone to inquire, and if there's any surplus grain after the autumn harvest, we can transport some over."
Upon hearing this, one of the examiners from the Ministry of Rites clasped his hands, his eyes slightly moist: "Lord Su, is what you say true? If the Guangyue Prefecture can generously donate, my fellow villagers from Huizhou will be moved to tears."
Wang Xuezheng broke out in a cold sweat, sobering up instantly from the shock.
Most of the officials in the Ministry of Rites were selected from the imperial examinations.
This is consistent with the current emperor's style.
And the number of scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the Jiangnan region is well-known.
How could he speak so recklessly, mocking the floods in Huizhou, Jiangnan? And there are floods in Jiangnan, but he doesn't even know about Huizhou.
Even Lord Liang's hometown is in that area.
Before he could find an excuse, his superior, Lord Su, said, "Back then, during the battle of Guangyue Prefecture, various regions also provided strong support."
"The Huizhou area is currently facing difficulties, and we will do our best to help."
"What Lord Wang just said has reminded me."
With Prefect Su offering a way out, Wang Xuezheng nodded repeatedly and quickly added, "With the knowledge of Jiangnan scholars, we will surely overcome this difficulty."
The banquet atmosphere finally returned to normal, and the actors who had been singing and playing instruments were able to breathe freely again.
The expressions of Lord Liang and other officials in the capital softened slightly, and they heard Su Qing really explain the matter in a few words, and have his men draft the relevant documents.
Are we really going to donate grain?
Prefect Su was indeed magnanimous and truly dedicated to serving the people.
Wang Xuezheng wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at his boss with tears of gratitude in his eyes.
Save my life!
Thank you so much, sir!
Su Qing didn't say much, but discussed the opera at the banquet with Lord Liang and chatted about everyday matters.
When Su Qing mentioned her younger brother's childhood, she sighed: "At that time, there was no one in the family to help my father with his errands, so I was hastily appointed as the person in charge."
"It was also a matter of chance; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to raise my younger brother, and I wouldn't be where I am today."
Su Qing was able to become the head of Nanjiang County back then.
One of the reasons is that she "followed in her father's footsteps".
From a Confucian perspective, this aligns to some extent with ethical norms.
If I had to say, she wasn't a man.
However, fulfilling one's father's responsibilities will certainly be praised.
So here's the question.
Are there similar situations both in the imperial court and outside the temple?
They wanted to preserve their family business, but were troubled by the lack of male heirs.
If his daughter could take over, that would be a way out.
Just like Su Qing.
Su Qing stopped there and did not continue.
Furthermore, she wasn't saying this to these people, but rather to have them relay it back to the capital.
It reached the ears of those who could profit from it.
Friends, the more the better.
I believe that I am not the only one in the world who relies on my daughter to fight for power.
Women who wanted to rise through the ranks via the imperial examinations often came from more than one family.
These people were won over.
It's not just her lucky charm.
Su Qing smiled as she drank her tea, looking more like the daughters, nieces, and grandnieces of each family.
Why don't you go home and visit your family?
If the son is a good-for-nothing, what if the daughter is?
Of course, everyone is just thinking about it for now.
But once this idea exists, no one can stop it.
After the meal, Wang Xuezheng came early the next day to thank his superior.
"I was really sweating bullets. After a few drinks, I don't remember anything else," Wang Xuezheng explained, thanking him again.
Su Qing said, "This matter has been put behind us. The examiners and others will soon be entering the examination hall. Take good care of them. If they need anything, just tell Wu Husi."
The academic official nodded repeatedly.
However, he was also a little curious.
Their Guangyue Mansion had considerable expenses.
I heard that the Ye and Hua families have paid off their debts.
The autumn tax hasn't been collected yet, where is all this money coming from?
Did they make their money selling farm tools at the weapons workshop?
Su Qing didn't explain this further; he was simply told to focus on conducting the imperial examinations.
As for the agricultural tools, they have indeed started to make a profit.
However, as the price of iron ore in Shanyang Prefecture increased, the price of pig iron from the Hua family also increased.
They sold farm tools at very low prices, so it's easy to see they didn't make much money.
Guanglefu looks quite nice now.
It was sold as a way to sell treasures from the capital.
This private account is in the hands of Zhu Fangjie and Su Qing.
Of the original thirty-six boxes of goods, five boxes were sent to the capital.
Nine more boxes were delivered to Ye Shanming before April, and General Yan added some more.
During the time Su Qing was away from the prefectural city, another ten boxes were transported there.
In any case, the Nanjiang County warehouse only had about eight boxes of items left, along with three million taels of silver in Su Qing's possession.
Even so, one million of it still had to be sent by Constable Wu to Fei Kaiyu in Gaoqing Prefecture.
The remaining silver was used for the weapons workshop innovation institute and for additional expenses within the government.
Fortunately, we had this "windfall".
Otherwise, Guangyuefu would not be living such a good life, nor would it be able to spare the resources to help Huizhou and other places with disaster relief.
These silver coins were obtained through a series of complicated and convoluted transactions.
So it can be considered that the money has been used for the benefit of ordinary people?
I really want to make a fortune again.
Unfortunately, Yan Zhengzhou, who made her rich, had already arrived in the capital.
No news has come in yet.
But given the emperor's petty nature, his life is certainly not going to be easy.
Anyway, it's not as comfortable as living in Gaoqingzhou, Guangyue Prefecture.
I wonder if he had any dealings with Gu Congsi?
Don't blame her for having a bad sense of humor.
I also saw Gu Congsi's father today; he was also busy preparing for the autumn imperial examination.
However, they are not currently engaged; they are just ordinary superiors and subordinates.
Just as her thoughts were drifting, Su Qing put the private accounts away again.
The 16th day of the eighth month in the fifth year of Yongsheng.
The autumn imperial examinations in Shunchang Kingdom have begun.
A total of 2,379 people participated in this year's local autumn examinations.
Five exams, held over three consecutive days, with the exams ending at noon on August 19th.
The exams were graded over ten days, the results were released on August 29th, and the list of successful candidates was published on the 30th.
Whether I pass the exam or not depends on these three days.
Because the emperor valued the imperial examinations, all regions of Shunchang Kingdom regarded the autumn examinations as the most important event, regardless of the circumstances.
Shunchang Kingdom has endured many hardships.
We will surely be able to select suitable talents through the imperial examinations and revitalize the court.
The emperor will make good use of these talented people.
That's what they're saying in the capital.
Fei Kaiyu, who was far away in Gaoqing Prefecture, even heard about it.
He has now taken over the duties of the prefectural capital of Gaoqing Prefecture and its various counties.
Of course, on the surface he was just a minor clerk.
However, he had a hundred taels of silver that Lord Su had managed to squeeze out.
Considering that it was difficult to exchange currency in Gaoqing Prefecture, the official even sent him cash.
The adults told him to focus on subduing the nineteen iron mines in Gaoqing Prefecture.
Wu, the head constable's eldest son, and the soldiers under Wen, the commander, were all at his disposal.
With officials and veterans like Wen Rui, who are very familiar with the situation in Gaoqing Prefecture, secretly helping him, he will definitely be able to keep the iron mine in his hands.
So what if I don't take the imperial examination?
There's still a future for them.
Listening to the Emperor's empty promises is less helpful than listening to Lord Su!
Su Qing, who was far away in the prefectural city providing cover, was completely unaware of the "little tricks" she was up to behind the scenes.
She, who hadn't even finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics, was invited to the examination hall for the final evaluation of the papers.
Today is August 29th, and the top 300 test takers have probably already been ranked.
The only point of contention was the top ten, or rather, the top three.
In this situation, it is only natural to invite the prefect to take charge.
The examiners and others actually harbored some reservations.
Prefect Su was adept at handling government affairs.
But in terms of writing style, isn't it a bit lacking?
She's never even participated in the imperial examinations, let alone the provincial examinations.
Su Qing found it amusing.
Just because you can't write doesn't mean you can't read.
Do we even need to talk about modern people's appreciation abilities?
Which piece in the Chinese textbook isn't a timeless masterpiece?
Besides, even if she couldn't see anything, as the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture, these people had to give her face.
Su Qing read through them one by one and found that he could actually say something about them.
Of course, there were also some mistakes.
Before she could even speak, the tutors offered their help, and Wang Xuezheng nodded repeatedly, saying that Prefect Su was indeed knowledgeable in astronomy and geography.
Yunxi and Lülan were both dumbfounded.
Before, when she wasn't in the prefectural city, Sister Su was no different from before.
Now that everyone's surrounded by officials, they're all so obsequious!
No wonder Sister Su said that we should stay true to ourselves and not be misled by the words of others.
Su Qing mentally reiterated these words, then cupped his hands and addressed the most learned examiner, Lord Liang, saying, "Lord Liang, you achieved fourth place in the imperial examination back then, a result we can only dream of."
"Such a professional matter should be left to professionals."
"Chief Examiner Liang, please make the decision."
Seeing that Su Qing was not making excuses or faking it, Lord Liang couldn't help but nod.
It must be said that Prefect Su's judgment was truly remarkable.
They also have unique insights into the article.
Unexpectedly, she neither sought power nor coveted it.
Among all the officials in the world, those with such character can be counted on one hand.
That's rare, extremely rare.
If all officials in the world, or those in higher positions, could act in this way.
With such a prosperous and peaceful nation, how could Shunchang not be at peace?
The task at Guangyuefu was so well done that he felt refreshed and invigorated.
If all jobs in the world could go this smoothly, that would be wonderful.
There was no backstabbing or infighting; everyone was focused on getting things done!
Based on this character alone, he would definitely put in a good word for Prefect Su after returning to the capital!
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