Qin Zhao said, "Master Pei is sending his entourage to the tavern in the city. You should go with them."
Pei An didn't dare to order the person Qin Zhao held dear to his heart around, so he said hurriedly: "No need, I'll let my followers directly-"
"...Order whatever you want."
Pei An: “?”
Qin Zhao tilted his head to look at him: "Master Pei, do you have any dietary restrictions?"
“No…no.”
Qin Zhao nodded and said to Jing Li, "Go ahead. Be careful when you walk. It's been raining and the road is slippery."
Jing Li blinked and read the implication of Qin Zhao's words from his eyes.
It would be a waste not to take advantage of the corrupt officials.
Jing Li said: "I know, I will be back soon."
Pei An called his attendant in and gave him a few simple instructions, then had him follow Jing Li away.
Qin Zhao watched Jing Li's back as he left before looking away: "Let's continue... Master Pei?"
Pei An came back to his senses: "It's okay, it's okay..."
I just feel a little bit of toothache.
.
Jing Li quickly bought some food and the three of them ate and chatted in the main hall in the front yard.
"Eat first, then eat the pastries." Qin Zhao said calmly when he saw Jing Li pick up another piece of pastry.
Jing Li paused, said "Oh" obediently, and put the cake back: "I know..."
Qin Zhao put some food on his plate and said, "Be good."
Pei An: “…”
Is he air?
As the legal advisor of the county government, Pei An was treated politely by even the county magistrate, and he was respected wherever he went.
This was the first time he was completely ignored.
Did he provoke this person today?
Pei An coughed lightly, forced a smile, and said, "Mr. Qin said before that he planned to participate in the imperial examination next year?"
Qin Zhao's originally gentle expression faded a little, and he nodded: "Yes."
Pei An said, "The county exam is the first of five sessions. It is set by Pei and presided over by the county magistrate. I wonder if Mr. Qin knows about it?"
Qin Zhao: "I know."
"Only those who pass the county exam can go to the provincial capital to take the prefectural exam. In previous years, less than 30% of candidates in our county could pass the county exam. But with Mr. Qin's knowledge, it will definitely not be a problem."
Qin Zhao put down his chopsticks and took a sip of water: "Master Pei, if you want to say something, you may as well speak frankly."
Pei An said: "It's nothing, but the county magistrate mentioned to me before that Mr. Qin is very knowledgeable. If he passes the imperial examination in the future and is willing to work in the county government, he will definitely be able to relieve the county magistrate of a lot of worries."
Qin Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, and he shook his head: "My ambition is not here, Lord Pei, there is no need to worry about it."
"It's too early now, Mr. Qin, there's no need to..." He paused for a moment, then suddenly understood the implication of Qin Zhao's words, and his expression froze. "Mr. Qin, you're joking. Why should I, Pei, be worried?"
"No?" Qin Zhao said calmly, "Then just treat it as a joke."
A county magistrate usually had more than one legal advisor, but there were also differences in quality among legal advisors. Those with greater knowledge and who were better able to provide advice and handle government affairs for the county magistrate would be more appreciated by the county magistrate.
It's not surprising that Pei An is worried about his position being threatened.
With Qin Zhao's promise, Pei An finally felt relieved and relaxed. "Mr. Qin is a straightforward person. I will make you my friend. After this matter is over, you only need to concentrate on preparing for the imperial examination. As long as you pass the Tongsheng examination, your name will definitely be included in the list of candidates for the provincial examination in the future."
The registration rules for the provincial examination and the student examination are different.
To register for the Tongsheng exam, one only needed a scholar and several fellow townspeople to sponsor and recommend one, so anyone could participate. However, to participate in the provincial exam, one had to rely on recommendations from the county.
The provincial examination is held every three years, but there are so many students in the county that not everyone can be nominated to take part in it.
Pei An's promise was a great temptation to the students.
But Qin Zhao said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Pei, but I probably don't need any of this."
"Why?" Pei An asked, "You don't plan to take part in the provincial examination?"
Qin Zhao said, "As I recall, as long as one places in the top three in the county, prefectural, and imperial examinations, one is eligible to participate in the provincial examination without the need for a recommendation from the county government."
Pei An: “…”
He was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Okay, very good, good!"
He said "good" three times in a row and said, "I originally thought Mr. Qin was gentle, but I didn't expect that I was biased. This is the ambition that a scholar should have. It's really wild and arrogant!"
Pei An raised his glass towards Qin Zhao and said, "I'll offer tea instead of wine to Mr. Qin and wish him success in the imperial examinations!"
Qin Zhao raised his glass and drank with him.
Pei An put down his teacup and sighed, "A talent like Mr. Qin really shouldn't be buried in this small county. You don't know that today, when I was looking through the files with the county magistrate, we found that the man who was sent by the imperial court to Guangdong and Guangxi to control the floods spent a full three months before coming up with a method to divert the water."
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