Chapter 50
Chapter 50
Ji Yuan knew that sooner or later he would have to take the examination to become a scholar. He had to take part in the county examination, the prefectural examination, and finally get the title of scholar.
Even in his plan, he will take the exam in February next year.
But, starting the exam this year?
Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the county examination is on the sixth day of the second lunar month.
Although it is still possible to register, who would take such an important exam at such a tight time?
What's the difference between this and taking an exam without preparation?
The teacher said, "You will have to take the test sooner or later. Since you have the ability, you might as well finish it sooner rather than later."
Does he have this ability?
How could he not know!
Dr. Yin also patted him on the shoulder and said, "I also think you have the ability. Why don't you give it a try?"
As they were talking, they had already arrived at the government office.
Recently, Ji Yuan has been going to the yamen almost every day, and he has become almost familiar with the place.
His matter was basically over, and even Ji Yuan's second aunt had returned home. She kept crying and apologizing to Ji Yuan as she looked at him.
But there's no point apologizing; it happened a long time ago.
The era is not really a small era.
The person they need to apologize to is in another world.
Different from Uncle Shen Ji’s family.
This time the doors and windows were closed not even in the courtroom, but in the inner hall at the back.
There is no other reason, it’s just that the target this time is a scholar.
Even though he was the one with the lowest official title, he was still a scholar.
Those sitting next to him are basically all well-known figures.
On one side were the minor officials brought by Magistrate Nie, many of whom were also scholars, so they were qualified to be present.
It seems that they want to protect Li Yaozhong.
In other words, they were not trying to protect Li Yaozhong, but rather the minor officials who were promoted after they arrived.
If they can't even keep this one person, the new team members will definitely become alienated.
On the other side were people from the county school.
As mentioned before, the county school is actually an administrative agency and teaching tasks are incidental.
The county school instructor is more like the director of the Education Bureau, and all students below the level of Juren in the county are under his jurisdiction.
Many of the teachers and doctors in the county school also hold official titles.
So when Ji Yuan looked around, he realized that they were all people he knew.
Dr. Luo was sitting next to him with a sullen face, but his expression softened a little when he saw Ji Yuan.
Teacher, instructor, Dr. Yin, Dr. Luo.
There are also several scholars from the first-class hall, all of whom are here.
There are actually many types of scholars.
A scholar who is a student on government stipend is one who has top grades among the scholars.
Therefore, he is also qualified to participate in the judgment of Li Yaozhong and Li Xiucai.
When Ji Yuan walked in and took a look, he understood most of what was going on.
Understand the current situation better.
The Ji Li family, who are still in prison and being beaten, really deserve it.
But Li Yaozhong, Li Xiucai’s crime should be the same as Ji Li’s, and even Li Yaozhong, who instigated the incident, should be charged with a more serious crime.
But the treatment of the two people is very different.
Even Li Yaozhong didn't have to stand, as there was a seat for him next to him.
Magistrate Nie's men naturally had to protect Li Yaozhong, as they had recruited Li Yaozhong to work in the yamen only a few years ago.
If this person was punished at the very beginning, how would Magistrate Nie and his men establish their authority in the future?
Do these people really like Li Yaozhong?
That’s not necessarily the case, it’s just about protecting one’s own reputation.
Even if it is difficult to get off the tiger, we still have to ride it.
Not to mention the people in the county school.
Throughout Zhengrong County, the new county magistrate's people can be found in other places, except for the county school, which remains the same as before.
Ji Yuan was the favorite disciple of the teachers in the county school. How could they stand idly by and watch their beloved disciple suffer such humiliation?
Didn’t you see that Dr. Luo’s face turned green with anger?
If you compare the two sides, they are evenly matched.
We'll see how this matter is handled after County Magistrate Nie arrives.
Li Yaozhong looked at Ji Yuan viciously.
He had collected countless amounts of money over the past few days and finally persuaded the Nie family to protect him.
He's just a little boy with no achievements at all, and you still want him to accept the punishment?
What a dream.
He had just found out that Ji Yuan would not take the examination for the scholar this year, but at the latest next year.
This mistake caused him to miscalculate the time.
Should have done something before he actually took the exam.
But it doesn’t matter, there’s plenty of time in the future.
When Ji Yuan saw his look, he understood why the instructor and Dr. Yin wanted him to take the county exam this year.
It is easy to see the King of Hell, but it is difficult to deal with little devils.
Once he has achieved fame and success, these troubles will naturally disappear.
County Magistrate Nie may be an official who wants to do his job well.
But he has a bunch of little devils under his command.
The Nie family must want to form a good team for him, and these people are indeed loyal.
But these people instinctively realized that County Magistrate Nie was not as capable as they were.
Once this idea comes into being, the people below will no longer be able to suppress it.
Even if they are loyal, even if they do not do it on purpose, something bad is bound to happen if the superior cannot suppress the inferior.
According to Confucianism, only when there is order in hierarchy can there be stability.
Although it may not be correct, it can indeed maintain relative stability in the current order.
Obviously, County Magistrate Nie failed to maintain this stability.
But come to think of it, he was only about twenty-three or twenty-four, about the same age as modern college graduates.
Let someone of this age be in charge of a county?
Just think about it and you will know it is unreliable.
Speaking of which.
He will take the exam this year.
Since Dr. Yin, the instructor, said he can take the exam, then let’s take it.
It’s no loss anyway.
At worst, I can try again next year.
Ji Yuan looked calm and composed, but Li Yaozhong, who was sitting next to him, was feeling uneasy.
There is no way out. The looks from those teachers in the county school are simply murderous.
I feel very angry and wonder why you touch my students.
They are their students.
The most diligent and intelligent student in the county school.
Just during the winter break, you're bullying me like this?
The teachers in the county school already know about what has happened in recent times.
Everyone knew that Ji Yuan's family was poor, but no one knew that this was the reason for his parents' death.
His uncle and aunt did everything they could to make the family prosperous.
Fortunately, after Lord Lin knew about this, he stepped forward to help prove it. In addition, the people in Anji Village obviously trusted Ji Yuan more.
Even the sale of silage materials in Anji Village was done by this student of theirs.
I heard that their village has been using this money to build roads, and it seems that construction started yesterday.
How could such a good kid who cares about the people and can apply his knowledge be entangled by such a "sour guy"?
"Suanzi" is a code word in Jianghu Fangyu, which also means that a student is "jealous".
This would be most suitable for Li Yaozhong.
It makes me angry to hear that someone is disrupting other people's future because he has no hope of passing the imperial examination himself.
If we say that the Ji Li family is stupid and greedy for money, then everything they do is for one word: money.
What Li Yaozhong did was jealousy. He was jealous of Ji Yuan's achievements, and even jealous of his achievements at such a young age.
Just one word of jealousy can ruin a student's future.
This is intolerable in the eyes of all scholars.
Therefore, half of the minor officials on Magistrate Nie's side also disagreed, and some simply remained silent to express their attitude.
Only those followers of the Nie family who are bent on fighting are determined to win "face" for their young master.
When County Magistrate Nie came in, his face was also complicated.
He was no longer as naive as when he first came to Zhengrong County. With the explanation of the old official, he also understood the meaning of the two opposing parties present.
Although the county school had no intention of representing the old forces, some people thought so.
Focus on teaching and definitely protect your students.
Some of his men, representing his new force, were bound to protect Li Yaozhong who had been recruited by them.
This is his own person, he can't say anything too harsh.
Not only is Li Yaozhong jealous, he is also vicious.
But who made him stand in line?
Magistrate Nie had learned many teachings of sages, and he was able to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi in his early twenties, which showed that he had some talent.
But never faced such a problem.
Not to mention, Lord Lin has left, and he is the one who actually manages the entire county, with more than 100,000 people under him under his jurisdiction.
The higher Magistrate Nie's position became, the deeper his frown grew.
He walked in and nodded to everyone.
"I called you all here today to discuss Mr. Li's false accusation against Ji Yuan, a student at the county school."
"Everyone, tell us what you think."
It was almost a signal.
The debate has begun!
The affirmative side consists of the people from the county school, and they insist on giving Li Xiucai a severe trial.
If the opposing party is a minor official of the Nie family, he should be given a lighter punishment.
The debate between the affirmative and negative sides officially began.
Ji Yuan and Li Yaozhong are the parties involved.
One is the victim, sitting on the side.
Although the other one was the perpetrator, he also sat down because of his status as a scholar.
The first one to speak was a scholar from the county school who was one of the top three students in the county school's top class. It was said that he had a good chance of passing the provincial examination this year, so he began quoting from classics as soon as he spoke.
"If a person does not have virtues to set an example for others and does not have merits to help others, then he is no better than animals and plants." The student continued, "If a person does not have virtues to set an example for others and does not have merits to help others, then he is no better than animals and plants."
"A man's virtue is not determined by his talent or fame, so a gentleman has nine thoughts, two of which are to be loyal in words and to be righteous in deeds."
"Li Xiucai flatters his superiors and bullies his subordinates. He has a bad moral character. As a scholar, he should be a role model for the people in the village, but he did these things. He must be severely punished."
Ji Yuan twitched his ears and glanced at the student. He looked to be about 27 or 28 years old, with a serious expression and spoke in a loud voice.
The first sentence he said was a passage from "Shengxinlu" written by Lin Bu in the Song Dynasty.
He has already explained the meaning: if a person has no virtue and cannot help others, he is no different from a plant or tree.
This is also considered an insult.
Later I will use Confucius’ “Nine Thoughts of a Gentleman” to pave the way for what follows.
The Nine Thoughts of a Gentleman are nine things Confucius summarized that require a gentleman to think carefully.
Two of them are: be loyal and honest in what you say.
When you see something you want, consider whether it is what you deserve.
Finally, it can be concluded that Li Yaozhong has no moral character at all.
As scholars, who have read more books of sages than others, should set an example themselves.
If this cannot be done, severe punishment must be imposed.
This was also one of the requirements that ancient scholars set for themselves.
Responsibility and status have always been one and the same.
Since Mr. Li enjoys a higher level of fame and honor than others, he should set an example of virtue.
This is one of the important tasks for a gentleman in reading.
It's like a professional standard.
If a fellow villager does such a thing, a gentleman should advise him but not blame him.
Because they are not familiar with the books of sages, they want to educate the villagers.
But if you have already achieved fame and honor and you still do this, then you are knowingly making a mistake and still making it.
As soon as the top-ranking student of the county school opened his mouth, the tone of the matter was set.
The instructor nodded slightly, and Dr. Luo continued, "Controlling human nature should be like controlling floods with a dam, always fearing that it will leak or break. If you ignore the flood, it will overflow and cannot be restored once it collapses."
This means that people should examine themselves, just like building a dam, and always pay attention to whether there are any gaps.
If left unattended, the riverbank will overflow. This is human nature too. By the time you discover something is wrong, it will be too late.
This statement also comes from "Shengxinlu". Dr. Luo is well-read and can quote it at this moment.
Ji Yuan was slightly shocked. Compared with the trial of Li Yaozhong, he now felt that he had entered a high-end game.
At first glance, it seems that he is the only one without any achievements?
Not to mention fame and fortune, everyone's knowledge is first-class, especially those in the county school.
He can use any allusions in articles with ease.
I admire you so much.
I guess no one would have thought that this is what Ji Yuan was thinking at the moment.
After the affirmative side finished speaking, the opposing side spoke up. The Nie family clerk said, "No one is without faults, except saints and sages. But being able to correct one's faults is the greatest virtue."
This goes without saying. It comes from "Zuo Zhuan", which means that everyone makes mistakes, and it's good if you can correct them.
"Li Xiucai was just confused for a moment and was deceived by the unruly people. A gentleman is precious, so why blame him so harshly?"
Well, not all high-end games.
Both of them read the same teachings of sages, one is using the teachings of sages to set an example, and the other is using the words of sages to defend himself.
Who is higher and who is lower will be revealed as soon as they open their mouths.
"Give way to others when things happen, and there will be room for maneuver." The Nie family clerk looked at Ji Yuan, "Ji Yuan, don't you agree?"
Ji Yuan was called and everyone looked at him.
These words are from the family motto of our contemporary great man Gao Cun.
I studied Ji Yuan at Dr. Luo's home.
Ji Yuan continued: "When dealing with things, give others a step, there will be room for yourself; the second sentence is, when dealing with money, be more lenient, there will be more fun."
"This incident was also caused by Li Xiucai's greed for money. The ancients said that tranquility can cultivate one's character and frugality can cultivate virtue. If Li Xiucai could really follow the ancients, this incident would not have happened."
“The ones who should give in, who should be given the money to relax, should not be the students.”
Ji Yuan called himself a student, which explained his identity and that he must be with the county school.
The clerk of the Nie family asked Ji Yuan to give him some leeway.
Ji Yuan directly quoted the last sentence of "Gao Family Instructions", which is not to be greedy when seeing money. Naturally, there is a reason for this.
This points out the reason why Li Xiucai was tried today.
He certainly couldn't mention any jealousy openly, after all, he was just a student and the other party was already a scholar.
If you mention jealousy or something like that, people will use it as a handle to criticize you.
It would be better to just mention how Mr. Li loves money.
It is not a good reputation for scholars to love money.
Most of the scholars in Tianqi State still consider themselves to be honest.
If you mention too much money, it will become vulgar.
The clerks of the Nie family stared at Ji Yuan. They realized that the people in the county school were not easy to deal with, and there were even three juren in charge.
The teachers, Dr. Yin and Dr. Luo, are both juren.
So he deliberately threw the words to the youngest Ji Yuan. He didn't expect that he hadn't even taken the exam for the scholar yet, but he knew so much and could even recite the Gao family motto.
And don't leave any handle.
I couldn't say anything even if I wanted to fight back.
How can I say this?
That Mr. Li doesn’t love money?
If it wasn't because of money that the accusation came from, then it would have to do with jealousy.
They suggested that Li Xiucai was jealous of Ji Yuan's talent, which was even more laughable.
The opposing party was stunned for a long time before saying, "Is being good at speaking and arguing also a gentleman's behavior?"
I can't refute it, so I just say that Ji Yuan is good at speaking and not a gentleman.
This is getting off topic and funny.
"Alas, a gentleman is not afraid of worries, but only of slanderers' mouths." The teacher smiled and said, "What do you think?"
This is a quote from Lun Heng: The Poison of Words written by Wang Chong, a philosopher of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
The general meaning is that people with good character are not afraid of tigers, but are afraid of slanderers who spread rumors.
The two sides face off, first round.
Zhengfang County School has the upper hand.
When the petty officials of the Nie family saw this, they realized that it was pointless to argue with these county school scholars.
Even Ji Yuan, the youngest among them, could answer fluently, but Li Yaozhong on their side was like dead and could not get a word in.
Magistrate Nie looked at him and said, "Everyone knows about Mr. Li's affairs."
"Since we have different opinions, let's talk about punishment."
"He is a scholar, and he has a reputation, so he should be treated with some respect." The clerk of the Nie family said, "Why not give him a small punishment and a big warning? Fine him a few months of his salary as a scholar, and make it all compensation to Ji Yuan."
This is using money to ward off disaster.
It is already the best method.
Someone echoed: "Yes, we still need to give respect to the scholars."
"You're already a lawyer, what's the point of being respectable?" A man from the county school asked, "When it comes to eloquence and debate, Li Xiucai is better at it. He should be a lawyer!"
This sentence made the Nie family clerk shut up again.
After passing the examination to become a scholar, there are generally several places to go.
Those who are good at studying or have a good family background continue to study and wait to take the imperial examination.
Generally they find some work, such as teaching, working as a staff member such as a clerk, or becoming a Confucian doctor.
Of all kinds of livelihoods, lawyers are the most despised.
Some people even said that it was the harm caused by clerks, which shows how people at that time despised it.
After all, this is different from modern lawyers. Today's lawyers mostly engage in extortion, instigate lawsuits, and rely on their knowledge and information gaps to cheat.
Li Yaozhong's role as lawyer for Ji Li's family was completely that of a lawyer.
After this was pointed out, Li Yaozhong was completely speechless.
This is indeed shameful behavior.
The teacher nodded slightly. What he just said was naturally said on purpose. After suppressing the other party's arrogance, the teacher expressed their thoughts.
"My Lord, I think that we need to deprive Mr. Li of his official title and remove his title of scholar, so as to deter the people in the village and alert the students in this county."
"The evil spirit of morale should not be allowed to grow. Wang Bo once said, it is easy to corrupt the morale, but it is difficult to return to the original purity."
"This kind of frivolous atmosphere in Zhengrong County must not spread. If the students in Zhengrong County follow suit, it will be difficult to correct the atmosphere in the future."
What? !
Except for those who knew what the teacher was thinking, everyone else stood up.
Deprivation of official status? !
Remove the title of scholar? !
This is an extremely severe punishment.
The reason why Li Yaozhong can run rampant now is because of his academic title and his family’s land does not have to pay taxes.
For example, this is also the reason why he can sit here now.
Let me put it this way, in Tianqi Country, if you pass the examination to become a scholar, it is like having an extra protective shield on your body.
Most of the attacks made against you by others will be ineffective.
If this protective cover is removed.
Everything he had gained before will be lost.
It's no longer a matter of fining a few months' salary.
But in this life, you can no longer do anything with this fame.
Take the next exam?
Dream on.
I don't even have the qualifications to take the exam again.
Everyone knows Li Yaozhong's character. Given his appearance, he might not even pass the exam to become a scholar if he takes the exam again.
This is the greatest punishment for a scholar.
Ji Yuan was equally surprised.
If he felt just now that the instructor and Dr. Yin asked him to take the county examination, it was so that he could gain fame and honor.
Now I am more certain.
They want to get justice for themselves, figure out what to do next, and arrange everything in such a short time.
In fact, at the county school, except for the teachers who had known about it for a long time, the first-class students were unaware of it.
Their faces were also full of surprise.
You will empathize with the people in your position.
Just now they sympathized with Ji Yuan because Ji Yuan was an innocent victim.
Now I instinctively empathize with Li Xiucai, naturally because we are all scholars.
Fortunately, most people immediately realized that Li Yaozhong deserved his punishment, and as long as they did not do such evil things, they would not be deprived of their honors.
Looking at their expressions, I knew that what the teacher had just said made a lot of sense.
Wang Bo said, "It is easy to be influenced by the wind, but it is difficult to return to the original purity."
This means that as soon as the frivolous trend begins, we must nip it in the bud, otherwise when the Song Dynasty develops, it will be difficult to restore the simple habits.
He also said that this was to set an example for the students in Zhengrong County, warning them that their morale must not be lost.
The teacher not only wants to seek justice for Ji Yuan, but also wants to use this incident to correct the local customs.
The Instructor is the Director of the local Education Bureau and this is indeed within his area of responsibility.
"no!"
"He is a scholar! He is an official! How can his official status be taken away from him?"
"He has committed a serious crime. With his behavior, can he still be a student?"
"Is it wrong to be deceived by a villain? Aren't you going too far?"
The pros and cons started a complete quarrel.
But this time, the side that was clearly in the right was a little weaker.
Because most of the students and scholars were affected, it seemed wrong for them to wave flags and shout slogans when they thought that people of the same position and class as themselves would be deprived of their official status.
The petty officials on the opposing side were basically all scholars, so they naturally argued loudly, but they also felt guilty.
Some of them have done a lot of things that are much more serious than Li Yaozhong.
If Li Yaozhong would be deprived of his title of scholar, what about them?
At this point, he was no longer cheering for Li Yaozhong, nor was he trying to "save face" for his master.
It is for the sake of one's future safety.
In the second round, the opposition actually won.
They are doing their best to preserve Li Yaozhong's official position, and also to preserve their own future official positions.
In the first round, we debated the size of the mistake.
In the second round, we debated how to punish.
Magistrate Nie watched his subordinates quarreling, and thinking of the recent events in Zhengrong County, he patted the table and said, "But just fining the salary is definitely not enough."
"The atmosphere of reading in Zhengrong County is not easy to come by. If we don't maintain it, it will be a mistake for this official."
"Today, in many cities of the state of Tianqi, many scholars are lax, competing for luxury and arrogance, and being servile and humble. Zhengrong County, on the other hand, has a clean and upright style, which needs to be preserved."
What these words mean is that fining someone money is definitely not an option.
He knew that the morals of many scholars in other places were not very good, and Zhengrong County, which was relatively rare, had to be maintained.
"But, depriving him of his official position is still too much." Magistrate Nie said, not knowing how to sentence him. He said casually, "Although there are so many scholars nowadays, and there are many rogues, they are all those who passed the exam properly."
Ji Yuan, who had been listening attentively, would immediately look up.
The fact that he looked up did not seem out of place, because everyone in the room did the same.
In addition to Li Yaozhong, he came back from the provincial capital and naturally knew what the customs in the provincial capital were.
In fact, what County Magistrate Nie said was too euphemistic.
But such words are really inappropriate for Zhengrong County, which has a simple and honest atmosphere.
ah?
Is this what a county magistrate should say?
There are countless scholars.
Still rampant with rogues?
Even if it's true, you shouldn't say it.
It's like a senior leader seeing a group of students and saying to them, "Hey, there are too many college students nowadays, and they are a bit rogue."
What was the students’ first reaction?
ah?
We can just joke about it ourselves, what does a big leader mean when he says this?
Then don’t take the exam.
Anyway, they are all scoundrels and have nothing to do with anything.
Moreover, this leader spoke in a very condescending manner.
From his perspective, there are indeed many college students and many scholars.
But it is still very important in small towns, small villages, and in everyone's home.
The key point is that this was said in a formal setting.
If it weren't for the fact that Magistrate Nie was still there, everyone would have rolled their eyes.
Especially the scholars who were on government scholarships.
Is the exam easy?
Is it easy for them to read?
Yes, you come from a large family and you passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi in your twenties, so it is true.
We, the poor people from small places, really don’t think that the cow hair in your eyes is light and easy to obtain.
Looking at everyone's gazes, County Magistrate Nie's face turned pale, and he realized that he couldn't say this.
Ji Yuan thought for a moment and stood up directly: "Mr. County Magistrate, are there really as many scholars in Tianqi State as you say, and are they as rampant as you say?"
"Are all the scholars in the city really that lazy and arrogant?"
"Of course not all of them." Magistrate Nie found the steps, "It's just a part. Most of the students are naturally good."
Ji Yuan showed a disappointed expression: "If that's the case, then what's the point of me studying?"
"Even if you pass the exam to become a scholar, you will still be associated with these people and have a very bad reputation."
ah? !
Everyone now looked at Ji Yuan.
Does this shake your determination to study?
Dr. Luo was about to stand up, but Dr. Yin stopped him and whispered, "Don't be impatient. Trust our students."
They were not in a hurry, but County Magistrate Nie was. He did not think that doing well in the exams after Ji Yuan was his political achievement.
Instead, I feel that I am misleading the students!
It's only the eleventh year of the reign, so it's normal to just believe what others say.
"That's not the case. Not to mention that there are always real talents and learning among the scholars, take the students from the county school just now, I heard what they said, they all have substance and have learned a lot."
Magistrate Nie named a few people and said, "These students are very good at speaking and I'm sure they will achieve some success in this year's provincial examination."
Magistrate Nie named a few more people and pointed out the omissions: "Although these few people can make up for the omissions here, there is a chance."
"How can my reputation be bad when I am with students like this?"
The students who were named were instantly happy.
Magistrate Nie is a Jinshi. He is a Jinshi and he remembers everyone's name. Those who ranked top said that they have a good chance of passing the provincial examination this year.
For those who are at the bottom, I would like to give them some advice.
I really need the advice from Jinshi!
Having said that, County Magistrate Nie has made up for his earlier mistake by not beating a group of people to death with one stick.
With just a few words, Ji Yuan turned his mistake into a benefit for others.
Ji Yuan suddenly realized what was going on and said, "So that's how it is. It seems like there is a black sheep among the scholars."
"If we get rid of the bad apples, morale will be clear and positive, and the positive energy will fight against the turbidity. It is said that if you don't cut down the buds, the axe will break; if you don't put out the fire, the prairie will spread. I think this is the truth."
"Thank you, Mr. County Magistrate. I understand."
The meaning before the era is very clear: there are bad people among the masses and scoundrels among the scholars.
Get rid of the scoundrels and the clean energy will prevail.
If you don't clean it up when it sprouts, you will have to chop it off with an axe later.
If a small fire is not put out, it will spread across the whole prairie.
Although the following words were not mentioned, the meaning was obviously the same as what the teacher said.
The energy must be pure and upright!
The flames must be put out!
The black sheep must be cleaned out!
Magistrate Nie had not experienced much, but he could still understand what was said.
Ji Yuan's words instantly pulled the scholars who originally stood on Li Yaozhong's side to his side.
Originally, they wanted to remove Li Xiucai from his official position, but other scholars felt sorry for him and did not want to say more.
I also felt that although I was just a scholar, it was still too harsh to give up my official position.
I didn't expect that this loophole would be discovered by Ji Yuan.
Now Ji Yuan told them that scholars in other places had a bad reputation because of bad apples like Li Yaozhong.
As long as the bad guys are eliminated, everyone's reputation will be preserved.
In order to not be a bad person, or to eliminate those who have ruined their reputation?
This doesn't seem to be a choice.
Many petty officials of the Nie family also shut up.
Li Yaozhong is not the focus at all, they just want to save face for the young master.
Now that it concerns myself, I am more important.
And when Ji Yuan said this, he was looking at them.
It seems that the black sheep mentioned does not only refer to Li Yaozhong.
Li Yaozhong still felt a little dizzy.
Just now, when everyone was arguing and quoting classics, he didn't dare to respond. He hasn't recited the classics for many years. He could still talk about it in his articles, but now he can't say anything at all.
But he understood what was said afterwards.
The county school instructor wanted to strip him of his official status and remove his title as a scholar.
How is this possible!
Ever since he took the examination for the scholar, everyone has been calling him "Scholar Husband".
At most, people may look down on you in the provincial capital, but in Zhengrong County, everyone is polite to you.
It was because he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar that his family treated him so well. Every time he went to his four sisters' homes to ask for money, his sisters would give it to him.
Not to mention the other benefits of being a scholar.
Regardless of anything else, if anything happens to him in the future, he will have to kneel down when he enters the yamen.
"Ji Yuan! Don't go too far! How would I know about your relationship with your third uncle's family? I'm just trying to help out of kindness!"
Hearing Li Yaozhong's loud roar, he was really anxious.
Ji Yuan looked at him, with a hint of contempt on his face: "Is that the only thing? Before I took the county exam, you deliberately reported me to the government office. Isn't it to disrupt my exam preparations?"
"You can do this to me today, will you do the same to others when they take the scientific expedition in the future?"
"This year is the year for the provincial examination. You won't do anything to our county school in August, will you?"
The old official looked at Li Yaozhong and originally wanted him not to answer, but after thinking about it, he shut up.
The other person was also stupid and fell into the trap directly: "Who said I disturbed your exam preparation! Aren't you taking the exam next year?!"
What Ji Yuan said made all the scholars present feel worried.
How would you feel if there was someone around you who would deliberately sabotage you before an important exam?
I told a college entrance examination candidate that there was a person hanging around outside the class, and he had a history of disturbing other people's college entrance examination preparations.
The candidates don’t need to worry, as the teachers and principals around them will drag them out.
Which candidate would like this kind of person?
Li Yaozhong once again became the opposite of all those who studied and wanted to do well in the exam.
Fortunately, he could retort that the Ji Yuan exam was not being held this year.
But the next second, Ji Yuan said, "Who said I won't take the exam this year? Today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and there are still twenty-one days before I take part in this year's county exam."
"Both the Master and Dr. Yin know about it."
Ji Yuan, are we going to take the exam for the scholar this year?!
Didn’t they say the exam will be held next year?!
The teacher said, "Yes, we will take the test this year."
"The exam is only twenty-one days away. These messy matters must be dealt with quickly."
???
Is it true?!
Now even the petty officials of the Nie family could no longer sit still.
This, how can this be possible.
How can I delay the exam!
"What are you talking about! You still have the energy to talk to this idiot. Your teachers are here and will not let you suffer any loss. Go and prepare for the exam."
One of the clerks of the Nie family said immediately.
After he finished speaking, no one spoke.
You, County Magistrate Nie, and your people see it very clearly!
This said, it seemed that Ji Yuan was the little prodigy of the county, and it was crucial for him to prepare for the exam.
It is also the instinctive reaction of scholars.
Examinations are such an important matter that we must take them very seriously!
Li Yaozhong suddenly felt that the stool was like a long nail.
He was suddenly isolated and helpless.
It seems like everyone is on Ji Yuan's side.
Magistrate Nie looked at this scene and had already come up with the answer in his mind. This time, without waiting for the old official to say anything, he said, "The instructor is right. The bad trend of morale cannot be allowed to spread."
"This is the first case since I took office."
"It is better to conduct a strict trial."
"I and the county school have sorted out the matter and submitted the request to strip Li Yaozhong of his official status to the provincial school administrator. I believe there will be a result soon."
Probably because he was afraid that the teacher would be worried, he added, "My elders have been friends with the provincial governor for many years. This matter is not too difficult and will soon yield results."
The advantage of County Magistrate Nie's family being wealthy will be revealed at this time. Since he said so, the matter will most likely be accomplished.
Li Yaozhong.
A person who uses his status as a scholar to do evil things will soon lose his status as a scholar.
Li Yaozhong could hardly believe his ears.
how so.
how so!
This is the achievement he earned after ten years of hard study!
He didn't do anything!
no!
When this news spread, the scholars in Zhengrong County were shocked.
After knowing what Li Yaozhong had done, everyone felt relieved.
Scholars should set role models for the world, how can they do such things?
Some scholars who used their status to bully people around them suddenly became much more honest.
Because the people also know that your identity is not permanent. If you do evil, we will report you to the authorities!
This matter is just as the instructor said, it has corrected the atmosphere of local scholars.
Magistrate Nie privately told the old official: "Perhaps this is why the scholars in Zhengrong County look different?"
The old official nodded: "It seems so."
Magistrate Nie saw that he was still standing, so he pulled him to sit down and said, "Uncle Wang, please sit down. You have been in my house for many years, and you are still so polite."
"Try the Fu Zeng Tang Yuan from Zhengrong County. I have never tasted such sweet dumplings."
"Come to think of it, this Lantern Festival seems to be related to Ji Yuan as well. He even wrote a poem about it."
"By the way, he mentioned the black sheep today. I was wondering, among all the people we brought here, how many of them are really willing to do their job well?"
"Compared to many local detectives, he seems out of place here."
In Zhengrong County, countless people were queuing up to buy Fu Zeng Tangyuan.
When Ji Yuan, the teachers, and the other professors and doctors went over, the two bosses vied to get him to eat, and they also didn't queue up.
Most diners understand.
After all, up to now, many people have heard about it openly or secretly, and this recipe was given by Ji Yuan.
Not only did Ji Yuan not want a share of the bill, he also paid every time he came and even refused to cut in line.
Unless there is too much work, just ask the boss to give it to you in order.
What’s more, the whole county knew about Ji Yuan’s uncle’s affair.
I guess people in the village below have heard about it too.
After all, it is very rare for a family to be wiped out to this extent.
And this matter finally came to an end today, the Lantern Festival.
After buying the dumplings, the group went to Dr. Yin's house.
Master Zhao, Master Guo, Doctor Yin, Doctor Luo, the instructor, and several students on government academy scholarship all gathered here to celebrate the Lantern Festival together.
After a while, Master Fang also came over.
When Master Fang arrived, he looked around at Ji Yuan and sighed, "It's good that it's over. It's good that it's over."
Everyone felt emotional.
Since the beginning of the year, Ji Yuan has gone through a great ordeal.
Fortunately, he seems to be calm in the face of adversity, and his personality has become more stable.
I have been through so much in these few days.
Fortunately, the dust has settled now and I can be considered to have gotten my revenge.
Only the teacher and Dr. Yin knew that Ji Yuan had not yet completed his revenge.
He knew clearly who the real enemy was.
Uncle Ji was indeed greedy for money and killed Ji Yuan's mother.
As an accomplice, Aunt Ji is not much better off.
But the real culprits still lie with the corrupt officials who took bribes and committed crimes in the first place, and even with the officials who were transferred to other places.
Just like the Fu Zeng glutinous rice balls in my hand.
Ji Yuan only took a quick glance and realized that the two Ma family dumplings would lose everything because of him.
Now we can see who the real murderer is.
So he never talked much to Uncle Ji's family.
It's useless to say it.
His eyes will be elsewhere.
"Okay, let's not talk about those things. Relax tonight and study hard tomorrow." Master Guo raised his glass and said.
Naturally, Ji Yuan could only drink juice nearby and was not allowed to drink too much tea, for fear that he would not be able to sleep at night and would not be able to get up early to study the next day.
"You must study hard in the twenty-one days." Master Zhao was very nervous.
When he took the exam to become a scholar, he prepared for one or two years in advance and only then did he feel that he could do it.
Now that Ji Yuan suddenly has to take the exam early, he feels uneasy.
Dr. Luo knew that he was Ji Yuan's teacher, and comforted him, "Don't worry, the county school will open tomorrow, and he will go to Class B Hall."
"In the past few days, the best Four Books teachers, as well as Xiao Yin and I, have been sitting in the classroom every day. We will definitely let Ji Yuan study hard."
Master Zhao was very grateful. As a scholar, he seldom spoke to juren in this way.
The Xiao Yin mentioned by Dr. Luo must be Dr. Yin, the juren.
Thinking that Ji Yuan had these two masters to teach him, Master Zhao finally felt at ease.
Mr. Fang also said: "His calligraphy is very good now. It is top-notch even in the city. It is good enough to deal with scholars and candidates."
Several teachers and doctors were discussing Ji Yuan's studies, and the only thing missing was to make a schedule.
Although people usually praise others, they don’t express their true feelings like they do today.
"Ji Yuan's essay is good enough for the county exam, and we need to study hard for the prefectural exam in April."
"It's easy. The exam will be over in three days on February 6th. After the 9th, start reviewing. There's more than a month left, so don't be afraid."
"Yes, with Ji Yuan's talent, he can definitely do it."
"Go ahead and learn. You can find it if you squeeze in some time."
Everyone was talking, but Dr. Yin was the only one who remained silent.
He also wanted to teach the rites of passage, but suddenly he had to take the county examination, so he was left with a lot of time.
He still organizes the notes in advance. Since students have strong comprehension abilities, they can just look at the notes and then provide tutoring himself later.
Whenever someone mentioned Li Yaozhong, someone would say, "He just passed the exam and became a scholar. I guess he is just like those other dissolute scholars in the city. He is just a scholar, but he is no different from a scoundrel."
The teacher who was speaking had been to the prefectural city. Dr. Yin and Dr. Luo also nodded: "Yes, in fact, what Magistrate Nie said today is correct. There are many such scholars."
The teacher turned to the scholars and said, "I'm not talking about you. Nowadays, many scholars only memorize contemporary articles, not classics, and don't read any books at all."
"No matter what happens outside, we must study hard in Zhengrong County School."
"There is no such thing as a shortcut to studying or taking the imperial examinations."
The students all said yes, and Ji Yuan naturally followed suit. He was a little curious. From what the teachers and doctors said, the outside world seemed to be very strange and bizarre.
Never mind. It has nothing to do with him.
As for tomorrow, he cannot start studying right away because he has to go and see off Uncle Ji and his family.
Since the incident, Ji Yuan only asked Uncle Ji that one question.
Did he take the money and not save Xiao Jiyuan's mother?
He already knew the answer, but he asked it anyway.
Until now, Ji Yuan is still sad for little Ji Yuan.
He shouldn't have died, and neither his parents should have died.
But they were all dead.
If we say that the death of Ji Yuan’s father was due to the overall situation being out of control.
But the death of Ji Yuan's mother was a pure evil and even more a kind of greed.
So, he would definitely go to see Uncle Ji and Aunt Ji off.
The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.
The county school opened, and everyone was discussing the major events that had happened some time ago. Qian Fei and Li Ting were even more worried, and they even went to the B-level hall to take a look.
Everyone was even more surprised to see that Ji Yuan didn't come to school.
Yan Xundao said, "He has asked for an hour's leave and will be here soon."
"Will he be okay?"
"It must be sad when such a big change happens in your family."
"I heard that he will take the county exam this year, and there are only twenty days left."
"Ah?! He's taking the exam all of a sudden?! Didn't he just get into the B-grade hall?"
At this time, Ji Yuan was near the prison.
Uncle Ji and his wife, who were beaten with 200 boards, will be sentenced to exile and fifteen years' imprisonment today like other criminals.
Looking at their pale faces, I don’t know if they can make it to the place of exile.
When the two saw Ji Yuan wearing the new winter clothes from the county school, they were so angry that they wanted to pounce on him. However, Ji Yuan was not afraid of their aggressive behavior. He stood still and said to the officer with a smile, "Sir, I want to talk to them. Can I?"
These people must know Ji Yuan, and they happily said, "Sure."
"By the way, because of what you said before, none of our brothers in Class 3 and Room 6 will be laid off."
This was still an accident.
Ji Yuan asked, “Why?”
The constable in the cell whispered, "You mentioned the black sheep, and Magistrate Nie also heard it."
"After you left yesterday afternoon, the county magistrate said that the petty officials who defended Li Yaozhong were also bad apples, and gave them three days to pack their things and return to their homes in the capital."
Is there such a thing?
Ji Yuan thought about it and it didn’t seem surprising.
Magistrate Nie is twenty-four this year. He was able to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi at the age of twenty-one. This is due to his family background in learning and his own intelligence.
The shortcoming is lack of experience.
Of course, this is a fatal flaw for a local official.
I guess I'm still learning it with difficulty now.
But being able to clear out some of the people he brought with him is already a big improvement.
After those people left, many elderly people in the yamen could stay.
These are Lord Lin’s team, and they are very reliable.
Now that everyone has kept their positions, they are very grateful to Jiyuan, and of course they will work harder.
Because of this, Ji Yuan had some convenience in talking to his uncle Ji San and his wife.
The cell constable repeatedly reminded them: "I will lock them to the pillars before you talk. Don't get too close to them, or they will hurt you."
Ji Yuan nodded in thanks. After the constables left, he looked at Aunt Ji and Uncle Ji.
"It's been a while since I last saw you."
The two men looked emaciated, their bodies still reeked of blood from being beaten with a stick, and their mouths were filled with dirty curses.
Their homes are gone too. The houses and land they owned all belong to Ji Yuan.
It's really abominable and hateful, making me want to kill people!
What should they do with their son? Now their family has nothing.
Didn’t they not hire a doctor for his mother in the first place? His mother was so sick that no medicine would get better.
It's not their fault at all.
Ji Yuan was too lazy to argue about this, and said with a smile: "You should be exiled. Logically, Ji Li would come too."
"But he didn't come. Guess why."
Gamblers know gamblers best. Aunt Ji San didn’t expect this, but Uncle Ji San did.
Definitely.
When it comes to gambling, who cares about time?
His son's gambling addiction is much worse than his.
If you don't come to see them off, you must be gambling.
"I heard he was gambling. Now he has no one to back him up. Guess how long it will take before he's caught."
To order means to kill.
Anyway, they will do anything to cheat and deceive in the future. This is basically the case with all gamblers.
Ji Yuan's words made the two men's faces even paler.
That was their son, their only son.
How could you treat him like this?
"His life will continue to rot like this. It's a pity that you can't see it."
"But it doesn't matter. I'll tell you."
"Just like I will avenge Xiao Jiyuan, I will also tell him these things."
This last sentence is really weird.
Ji Yuan slowly approached, and when he got close, he said, "The real Ji Yuan died a long time ago, didn't you notice?"
"An eight-year-old child was tortured to death by you."
"And I was once a dead person. Dead people are not afraid of anything, so I came here specifically to seek revenge on you."
Ji Yuan's voice was low and sinister, but he still had a warm smile on his face. He even smiled at the detectives who were worried about him in the distance, and moved away from the two of them.
There was fear in the eyes of both of them.
What kind of monster is this?
What kind of monster had they provoked?
Ji Yuan is dead?
Is he dead?
This is not being alive.
They won't know the answer, but this is the only thing in their mind.
I recall the inexplicable fish eyes that appeared in my house and Ji Yuan’s drastic change in temperament.
"You're not a human! You're a ghost!"
"You are not Ji Yuan!"
"Someone come and arrest Ji Yuan! He is not Ji Yuan!"
Are you crazy?
Two constables came over.
Ji Yuan smiled and said, "Maybe they knew their son was gambling and refused to see them off, so they were provoked."
"It's what he deserves. Don't worry about it."
"Isn't this what you asked for?"
"That's not a good thing either."
Ji Yuan finally looked at them and still spoke with a smile.
“Have a nice trip.”
"We will never meet again."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
