Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Not to mention Ji Yuan and the others, Wu Ying himself was stunned when he heard these words.
Like all students, he said he didn't want to go to school anymore, but he was actually studying hard. At least he was in the classroom.
As Wuying was from the Wei clan, it was not easy for him to come to the provincial school. He was qualified to take the exam only because of the military merits of his father's family.
Also in the Wei register, one had to pass five gates and kill six generals before he could get in.
He just needs to wait for the martial arts examination to begin so that he can take the exam.
The Wuying Camp had made sufficient preparations for the military examination, except that they just couldn't wait for the right opportunity.
Let him drop out of school now?
this?
Why?
Lord Wei helped Wuying to lobby for his position and found out that the instructor had expelled Wuying because he was disrespectful to teachers and had bad behavior, which was a disgrace to Jianmeng Mansion School.
Disrespecting teachers and elders refers to the military camp speaking ill of their teachers, that is, the instructor in charge, behind their backs.
Bad behavior naturally refers to the fight with others in Qinglan Prefecture.
Not to mention the loss of face, they felt that Wuying had brought shame upon themselves.
Ji Yuan savored these words and detected a hint of anger and shame in them.
To be honest, Yiwuying and his men's experience in Qinglan Prefecture was truly miserable.
In recent days, Ji Yuan also listened to the people from Zhou Family Bookstore talking about this matter, and it was probably similar to what Wu Ying said.
Zhou's Bookstore also has property in Qinglan Prefecture, and two of its employees went to watch the game.
Talking about the situation at that time, anyone who saw it would be angry. They kept accusing Wuying and others of breaking the rules, which made the people in Jianmeng Mansion very angry.
The Cuju team of Qinglan Prefecture School won the championship entirely because of a black whistle.
Afterwards, just as Wuying said, the other party even mocked people.
When Wuying and others finally took action, both guys felt refreshed!
Our people are very skilled in martial arts and they beat the other side so badly that they can't fight back at all.
But what happened later was even more frustrating.
The teacher who led the team tried his best to exonerate the students, saying that it was just a momentary impulse and that it was indeed the fault of the Qinglan Prefecture Cuju Team.
The other side was actually feeling guilty as the referee was completely biased towards them, so the matter was left unresolved.
When the instructor of Jianmeng Mansion's school appeared, everyone thought that their own instructor would definitely speak for them.
It was all impulse, the students were young and full of energy.
Unexpectedly, the instructor in charge scolded Wuying and the others harshly, and asked them to apologize to the people who were beaten in Qinglan Mansion.
The person who gets beaten is naturally the one who took advantage of the referee's black whistle to win the championship.
At that time, his arrogance immediately became stronger.
Wu Ying and the others refused to apologize, so the instructor left, leaving them and the teacher in charge to be questioned.
The whole process was even more infuriating.
Just fight with two kids from both families.
The parents of one child tried their best to favor their child, while the parents of the other child forced their own child to apologize.
Who doesn’t have a bad temper?
That’s fine, but should Wu Ying be fired just because he told a few truths?
Once expelled from the provincial school, his reputation would be ruined.
Wuying was furious, and the teacher who taught them to play Cuju also came.
This Master Wu was also a teacher of archery. He seldom played Cuju on weekdays. It was he who basically promoted the practice of Cuju in the Jianmeng Mansion School.
Mr. Wu's eyes were red. He failed to protect his students at that time, and now he could not bear to see his students being bullied.
Everyone sighed.
But this is very difficult.
Let’s just talk about the main officials in the provincial school.
The academician is an official of the fourth rank, and he has two instructors on his left and right, one of the fifth rank and the other of the junior rank.
Counting down, there is the instructor in charge of the seal, an official of the sixth rank.
What about the teachers?
Although it is called the regular eight, it is also outside the system.
There are countless levels in between.
Except for the officials above the instructor in charge, no one else has any way to influence his thoughts.
The instructor in charge only expelled one student, who was even a member of the Wei clan.
For other officers, it was no big deal.
After figuring out their thoughts, Ji Yuan said, "How come everything is fine now?"
Everyone looked at him, and Ji Yuan asked, "Hasn't the martial arts exam been held for six years?"
Yes.
The last time I took the military examination was in the spring of the 28th year of Huayuan.
It is now late October of the thirty-fourth year of Huayuan.
"Although the military examination is not held regularly, it is not good to neglect it for so long." Ji Yuan said truthfully, "There has been no military examination for six years. I think the court will definitely bring up this matter."
"Tell the academician to train them. With the ability of the military camp, they will definitely pass the military examination once it is held. And I think the military examination will be held in the next two years. If we let them go now, it will be a bargain for other prefectural schools."
Speaking of personal connections, the superiors have better relationships with the instructors in charge.
When it comes to official positions, no one can compare to him.
Then let’s compare the effects.
For the superiors, expelling a student is no big deal.
But for them, it means expelling a student who has a high probability of passing the exam.
They will think twice and evaluate again.
I went to the provincial school in July and got to know the characteristics of the school.
Ji Yuan's idea enlightened the eyes of Master Wu and Master Wei who played Cuju.
Indeed, this is a good idea.
As long as there is a martial arts examination, Wuying will definitely be a good player.
There hasn't been a martial arts examination for such a long time, I think it will be reopened soon.
It’s impossible that the imperial court hasn’t held a military examination for ten years, right?
This doesn't make sense.
Wuying was also pacified. He had learned a lesson from this incident and now he was reading military books at home.
Just thinking about the dark side of Cuju made him so angry that he had to practice boxing in the yard to calm down.
He knew that Master Wu and Master Wei were working hard for him, so he couldn't act recklessly.
But is it unfair?
It’s so unfair.
It is obvious that they are stronger and they should be the first.
There's no point saying this now.
Let's wait for news from the teachers.
In fact, it’s okay for him to drop out of the provincial school, but his parents will definitely be disappointed.
His father was illiterate, so he could not be promoted even though he had military merits. After he was born, his father must have let him go to school, and it would be best if he could study more.
He really couldn't let his parents down.
Master Wu and Master Wei finally found the academician. When the academician saw them, he even subconsciously wanted to run away, but was blocked at the banquet. He could only helplessly say: "The instructor in charge has a bad temper, but he has already said it, so he can't just reject it."
What this means is that, although the instructor in charge was indeed at fault, it should not be made into a big deal.
But now that it's been said, what else can I do?
The academician avoided the issue because he felt that the matter was difficult to handle.
Master Wei asked the first question, which was also asked by Ji Yuan. Of course, he would never tell who gave him the advice.
"Academic official, generally speaking, when the finals of their own prefecture school are played, the academic official will go to watch. You also like Cuju, why didn't you go?"
The academician paused, wondering how to explain this.
Could it be that Master Wei couldn't have guessed something?
"Do you think that we students will definitely lose, so we won't go? Why do you think we will definitely lose?"
The era is just a guess.
After all, Wuying and the others had said before that every year the academicians and others from the provincial schools would go to the two teams that compete in the finals.
This year, not only the academician did not go, but also the left and right instructors did not go.
It was as if he knew in advance that he would lose.
The academic official retorted: "How could that be? It's just that we are too busy this year."
Master Wu watched the banquet silently, saying nothing.
The academician coughed lightly and lowered his voice: "Qinglan Prefecture really wants to take first place. They almost made a mistake in the provincial examination last year, and they need a champion to boost morale."
The two leaders exchanged interests without even saying too much.
The academic official himself did not participate, but if the instructor in charge went there, he would definitely achieve some benefits, and the academic official had no interest in the specific details.
To them, it's just a small matter.
For the students, it’s just one less champion. Anyway, they will be back after the competition, so second place is also good.
I guess they didn't expect that those people from Qinglan Mansion would take advantage of them and act like a good boy. The people from Wuying also had bad tempers, so they started fighting directly.
When things developed to this point, if the provincial education commissioner or the instructors came over, they would definitely try to stop the fight and protect the students of their own school.
The academician also didn’t quite understand what benefits the instructor had gained that made him favor Qinglan Prefecture so much.
Although he was curious, the academician was too lazy to care.
Master Wu and Master Wei were not fools either. Looking at the expression on the academician's face, they understood that what Ji Yuan said was basically correct.
Since it is indeed a "small matter", they can then move on to talking about the "conditions".
"Master Xue Zheng, have you ever thought about taking the martial arts exam?"
Martial arts examination?
Why haven’t I thought about it?
If not for this, the provincial school would not have recruited students from Wei.
Master Wei continued, "The last martial arts examination was six years ago. It has been such a long time since there was one. Will this one still be held?"
The academician paused.
Of course I will do it.
It's not good to just let the horses go and let them rest. If nothing is done for a long time, the Ministry of War and the generals will raise objections.
As soon as the academician nodded, Master Wei continued, "Since it has not been held for such a long time, the military examination will definitely be held in the next two or three years. If there is really no military examination for ten years, the officials of Tianqi will not agree."
That's true.
The academician is such a smart person that he knows what the other party wants to say.
But what Master Wei said was indeed correct.
The martial arts examination will be held sooner or later, and now it seems that it will only take one or two years.
And that Wuying seems pretty good. Letting him go might be a loss?
The reason why Qinglan Prefecture is so anxious to win the Cuju championship this year is because of its poor results in the provincial examination.
The examiners were very dissatisfied with their candidates, saying that the quality was too poor.
Master Wu said silently: "With Wuying's boxing and kicking skills, as well as his understanding of the art of war, if he went to other prefectural schools, he would probably be able to pass the martial arts exam."
The academic official sneered: "What? Still want to threaten me?"
The two teachers didn't speak.
The academic official asked them to sit down, straightened his clothes, and finally said, "Forget it, let them stay. Just give them a small punishment and apologize to the instructor."
"I'll talk to their instructor later and make this matter less of a big deal."
"But don't mention Cuju anymore."
It is really shameful. If it is really exposed, it will not look good for both provincial schools.
After that, the academician thought for a moment and said, "I have a leather ball bought in the capital. I'll have someone send it to Master Wu's home later. The students on the Cuju team should practice hard and kick it back next year."
The students are indeed aggrieved. Since you want to keep them, give them some benefits.
Master Wu has been leading the Cuju team. If you give the ball to him, it means you are giving the ball to the Cuju team.
The leather ball bought from the capital must be of very good quality, and even the academician himself felt a little distressed about it.
Wuying's expulsion from school was finally resolved.
Master Wu took Wu Ying to apologize, and finally used the ball to comfort them, and finally the matter was resolved.
For Ji Yuan, the only imperfection was that his classmates in the shooting department at the time, when they heard Ji Yuan asking about this, guessed that it was Ji Yuan who came up with the idea.
The academician didn't mind this. He liked Ji Yuan and thought he was smart and would be a good candidate for a career in government in the future.
But the instructor in charge of the seal had a bad expression on his face every time he saw Ji Yuan.
Yes, originally, dropping out of Wuying's school was the best thing for him and would also be the best way to save face.
Now, not only did he apologize, but he also got a good deal.
Just pretend you didn’t see Ji Yuan and go to school as usual every day.
Could this instructor, who holds the seal, expel him from school?
I think it's unlikely.
Ji Yuan still has some confidence in this.
Being a so-called child prodigy has its pros and cons.
He doesn't mind taking advantage of his own advantages.
The most important thing for Jiyuan now is the annual examination.
His annual examination results would determine which school he would attend next year.
He would never let go of such a precious learning opportunity. How could he not know the importance of a good teacher?
As we enter November, the weather gradually gets colder.
There are still fifteen days before the annual examination, and the atmosphere in the provincial school has also become different.
Basically all the students have their eyes on the first and second classes.
Most of the candidates for this year's provincial examination are from these two groups.
Anyone who wants to go to school will work hard.
In addition to the students with good grades who work hard, the students with poor grades will also be nervous.
People from the provincial school come and go, and now there are 582 people. If they get to the 82nd from the bottom, then these 82 people will have to take the exam again.
This “re-examination” actually means a make-up exam.
If the essay for the make-up exam is not well written, you may be asked to withdraw.
If you don't want to be expelled, you can pay a re-examination fee and stay in school.
When Ji Yuan heard people talking about the things to pay attention to during the annual exam, he thought it was normal at first.
It says later that there is an exam fee, so doesn’t that mean you can stay if you pay the money?
Ji Yuan thought of Li Yaozhong.
He is the younger brother of Madam An Er. He had paid to enter the provincial school. I wonder if he has to pay for the exams as he spends so much every year.
So his grades are so bad, so he can still stay here?
Ji Yuan shook his head slightly.
The provincial school was indeed collecting money under various pretexts.
"The results of the annual examination of the prefectural school are not announced immediately." Li Jin talked about what his cousin Li Xun had told him before, "It is said that the examination will be held on November 15 this year. After the examination, the students will have a holiday, and the teachers will also have a holiday."
"So these test papers will be sealed directly, and the teachers will come to mark them after school starts on February 9 next year."
"That is to say, the class placement results will not be announced until the start of next school year."
Is it really like this?
The teachers in the provincial school do feel like it’s time to get off work.
Aren’t all teachers as “stupid” as the teacher in Zhengrong County?
Speaking of which, the teacher examination in Zhengrong County has ended.
Fifteen people stood out and became new masters, including Li Xun, which was good news.
Moreover, Zhengrong County now has three successful candidates, and the progress is extremely rapid.
Compared with the two previous juren scholars, the quality of the scholars in Zhengrong County is getting higher and higher.
It is calculated that they are taking the annual exam in the provincial school.
Is Zhengrong County also recruiting candidates?
I don’t know if Xiaohe can pass the exam this year.
It seems that only students from Zhengrong County are allowed to register this year, but the number of people is still large.
When talking about their hometown, Ji Yuan, Li Jin and Cai Fenglan all sighed.
They are not going home for the New Year this year.
Although we have a holiday on November 15th after the exams, the journey in winter will not take more than four or five days. If it snows, the road will be even more difficult to travel.
By then, there will be no village or shop nearby, it will be extremely dangerous and the time will be longer.
This is not spring or autumn, when the roads are easy to walk on. Winter is different after all.
When school starts on February 9th, I have to come here early again.
All in all, I was at home for less than two months.
If you have this kind of time, you might as well study hard.
For Li Jin, the journey was too hard and dangerous.
For Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan, it is not only dangerous but also expensive.
Both of them were living a tight life, so there was no need to waste money on the round-trip fare.
Read some books.
Read it out first, and everything else will be easier.
Among them, only Monk Bai was sure to return to the temple, and the master would come to pick him up when the time came.
Li Jin was envious, and finally sighed: "Prepare for the exam first, I don't believe that I will still be in the tenth class next year."
Everyone nodded.
Learn it!
Before everyone prepared for the exam, there was a "little thing" that disturbed everyone.
The instructors from each hall came to make an announcement.
"Today is the tenth day of the eleventh month. There are still five days before the annual examination. Everyone should pay the examination papers so as not to delay the examination."
The instructor of the tenth class had a relatively good temper. He spoke slowly and steadily, pointed to a familiar student, and asked him to collect the money.
Finally, he said, "The instructor said that we have to hand it in before tomorrow, so everyone should pay attention to the time."
Paper money?
Ji Yuan was a little confused.
After listening to other people’s explanations for a few minutes, this year’s freshmen finally understood.
Not only do you have to pay for the printing of the annual examination papers, but you also have to pay for the following year's examination papers.
Ji Yuan was surprised: "Besides the annual exam, what else is there?"
"Monthly and quarterly exams."
Cai Fenglan said silently: "I haven't seen these exams this year. Did you submit them last year?"
The previous student was helpless and lowered his voice, "Whether you take the exam or not, just pay it. Seeing that you don't understand, let me remind you again, not only do you have to pay the annual exam fee, but you also have to pay for printing the exam papers for a year."
"In addition, the gifts and tuition fees for the teachers, all other things, will be paid by the end of the year."
Zhijing means a gift given as a sign of respect.
Tuition fees refer to both the cost of studying and the cost of working at night.
ah?
Even Li Jin was shocked.
They have been in school for many years and have never heard of so many miscellaneous expenses.
Fortunately, someone was willing to explain it to them.
First of all, the cost of printing the examination papers this time will have to be paid for by ourselves, right?
The hard work of the invigilators is also included in the examination test fee.
In short, the annual examination paper fee is five cents of silver per person.
Not handing over?
Then you can't take the exam, you won't get a ranking, and you can't go to a better school.
When the results are announced next year, if your score is at the bottom, you will still have to pay to "retake the test".
I won’t go into detail about the process, but in short the registration fee for “re-exam” is one or two taels.
If he still fails the exam, he will have to pay ten taels of silver, which can barely be considered as "reflection" and he can continue to stay in the provincial school.
Next, it’s the money for the exam papers for the following year.
According to the regulations of the provincial school, there are monthly examinations and quarterly examinations, and there may be other temporary items.
There are about sixteen to twenty exams a year.
The total cost of these expenses is five taels of silver.
Finally, it’s the end of the year, so we should show our respect to our teachers, right?
You don't have to give individually. Everyone can "voluntarily" pool money to buy some clothes, bacon, charcoal, etc. and give them to the teachers and doctors.
This counts as every year.
No, this is a common practice in every place, whether it is a public or private school.
It's Mr. Zhao from Anji Village. Every holiday, parents of students would send him some gifts.
The minimum amount of this money is five taels, and there is no limit to the amount, depending on the student’s willingness. Anyway, there will be a list, and the teachers know which students are the most "respectful".
Of course, some parents would come to visit, but this was not something that poor kids like Ji Yuan knew about.
Ji Yuan did the math in his head and figured out that he had to pay ten taels and fifty cents anyway?
The money for the annual examination is actually the cheapest?
"Wrong, it's twelve taels." Someone reminded again, "Five cents is not easy to count, so just count it as twelve taels."
ah?
How is this calculated?
There is no village in front and no shop behind.
It's like someone said, give me a discount on 10,050 yuan and give me 12,000 yuan.
What is this called?
This is called reverse discount!
If you don’t hand it in, you can’t take the exam.
If you don’t pay this year, you will have to make up for it next year.
This is how the provincial school has been operating for decades.
As the saying goes, don’t study when you are poor.
What's the point of reading if you don't have money?
In the tenth class, other students took out silver from their pockets. It seemed that they were used to it.
The person who collected the money registered his or her place one by one, and it seemed like this was not the first time he had done this.
It doesn’t matter if the instructor of the tenth class didn’t explain it in detail, there will always be someone else who will explain it.
When they arrived at Ji Yuan's place, Li Jin first paid twelve taels of silver, then thought about it and added three taels for the last item of filial piety.
Li Jin thought of his cousin Li Xun.
He studied in the provincial school for two years and never mentioned this matter, let alone complained.
I guess he's just afraid of spending his family's money again.
No wonder my cousin wanted to leave. Studying is not that easy.
When going out, even a young master like Li Jin has gradually become more tactful.
When it came to Cai Fenglan, he counted again and again in his pocket and subconsciously helped him.
Originally, he was happy for Mai Weiwei. Even though he had borrowed money from Ji Yuan, at least he felt that he could pay it back, and he still had enough money on him to last until he paid it back.
Now, after twelve taels of silver have been spent, only five taels are left.
Now, I really can’t go home for the New Year.
Cai Fenglan somewhat regretted buying the product.
It was not easy for Monk Bai to give out the money either. Finally, he sighed and took out some silver from his spare purse. He only gave twelve taels, the lowest limit.
Jiyuan also gave the lowest amount.
Fortunately, I made some extra money recently, otherwise I really wouldn’t be able to support my studies.
After giving away twelve taels, he still had nineteen taels left.
Okay, that’s enough.
They are still considered good. Some students only give out a part of the money and say that they will give the rest when school starts next year.
Everyone described themselves as embarrassed and awkward.
When you open the book Ji Yuan, you will find that it is no wonder that people always say that students are mostly poor, and there is also a saying that scholars are poor.
The cost of studying is so high.
Even a well-off family can become poor because of reading.
Dr. Luo and Mr. Fang are worthy of their experience in the outside world.
Knowing what the situation was like outside, I gave him some "family assets".
I haven't had much income recently, and in the winter I have to hire someone to take apart and wash my clothes to make them bigger, and I also have to buy charcoal.
Not only his, but also Cai Fenglan's.
When he returns, he will exchange the fifty taels of silver given by Dr. Luo.
Ji Yuan counted the money he had on hand.
Li Jin was also thinking about it. He thought that since no one would go back home for the New Year anyway, why not move to his yard? At least he would have enough charcoal, food and clothing.
Cai Fenglan was also thinking, he was wondering what kind of work could make money quickly.
It’s difficult. Too difficult.
This makes it even more necessary to read faster.
If you could graduate quickly and pass the imperial examination, you probably wouldn't be in such an awkward situation.
Ji Yuan suddenly sat up straight and asked, "Where is our salary as a scholar?"
As a scholar, the Tianqi State stipulated that one should be given a certain amount of food rations, fish and meat, and writing materials, ink, paper and inkstone every month.
After that, everyone felt that this was too troublesome and basically converted the money into cash for them.
When Ji Yuan and his friends came out of Zhengrong County, the county school gave them three months' worth of silver.
Although it's only two cents a month, it's still money.
From August to November, four months, that is eight coins of silver.
Now there is no need for anyone to tell him, Ji Yuan just scratched his nose.
Forget it. The provincial school still asks them for money, and their salaries have probably been deducted under various pretexts.
Sure enough, someone answered: "To maintain the cleanliness of the prefectural school and to supply the patrolling guards."
Okay, okay, won’t the government allocate this money?
I guess if you ask, he will give an answer.
The government has allocated funds, but it is not enough. You are also students studying here, so how can you not contribute?
Alas, the fact that these terms have existed for so many years cannot be explained in just a few words.
In the officialdom, let alone the old foxes, even ordinary officials will not leave loopholes for others to exploit.
In fact, no one has any objection to just paying the teachers for their hard work.
The masters and doctors are usually very kind to them, and as students, they should indeed respect the masters.
This is the duty of disciples.
But the instructor of the tenth class just said that the money would be given to the instructor in charge, and then he would buy some items and give them to the teacher.
As for the purchase and profit, it all depends on the conscience of the purchaser.
No wonder the position of the seal-carrying instructor is so stable, relying on the tributes from the students every year, he can probably share a lot of benefits with all parties.
It’s the difference between who gets more and who gets less.
The process in between cannot even be called bribery, it is just taking advantage of one's position to give various parties some small amounts of money.
Yes, small money.
Unfortunately, it is a huge burden for the students below.
Half of the students in the entire provincial school were gloomy and depressed.
The following annual exam became even more tense.
The annual examination only lasts one day.
In the morning, you will take the main subject test. There are three questions in total, and each question requires about 400 words.
There is one question about the Four Books and two questions about the Five Classics. For the Five Classics questions, you need to choose two out of five. You only need to answer two.
There are six auxiliary subjects in the afternoon, and students can choose two from the six. Students can register seven days in advance and then go to the examination room of their choice.
Ji Yuan is preparing to take exams in mathematics and law.
Mathematics is easier for him.
As for Law, he wanted to truly test his own performance.
However, there are few people taking these two auxiliary subjects, so the teachers will not hold back on everyone's scores.
When ranking and dividing classes, the scores of auxiliary subjects account for a smaller proportion.
It mainly depends on how the main subject goes in the morning.
Speaking of marking the papers and calculating the grades.
Ji Yuan didn't expect that even if he finished the exam, he would still have to wait until school starts next year.
If you want to know your ranking and which hall you will go to, you’d better wait until next year.
All I can say is don't rush into anything.
Finally it’s November 15th.
The examinations for provincial schools are all held in their respective main science halls.
There are three questions in two hours in the morning, and you can hand in the paper early after finishing them.
In order to get a good grade, almost no one will submit it in advance.
The test papers were distributed after the test fee was paid.
It is the most common paper.
There were only six pieces of paper. Under normal circumstances, Ji Yuan would have them after just a walk outside.
Even if you don't get it for free, it only costs a penny to buy it yourself.
Ji Yuan looked at the annual examination questions. The first question from the Four Books was from "Mencius".
The title says, why do gentlemen not farm for food?
This question needs to be put into context. The previous text was asked by Gongsun Chou, and the "Book of Songs" states that people cannot eat white rice.
But why can a gentleman get food without farming?
Mencius replied that if a monarch resides in a country and the local monarch employs gentlemen, then the country will be stable, prosperous, honorable and glorious.
Young people will follow him and learn from him to be filial to their parents, respect their brothers, and be honest and trustworthy.
Is this eating white rice?
No.
Mencius believed that everyone has a division of labor, and a gentleman uses his own virtue and intelligence to obtain food, rather than eating for free.
Ji Yuan looked at the question with a strange expression on his face.
If we talk about Mencius' ideal perfect world, there is definitely nothing wrong with saying it this way, where food is exchanged for division of labor.
The sentence quoted by Gongsun Chou from the Book of Songs is different. The "Fadandan" chapter satirizes the gentleman, saying that the gentleman does not sow or harvest, does not hunt or trap, so why can he get rice and wear fur clothes.
Fatan finally sighed: "That gentleman is not a vegetarian!"
Gentlemen, you can't eat meat and rice for free!
This is a clear clash of two viewpoints.
One believes that labor should be exchanged for food.
That's definitely true.
Not farming and not eating is a very simple and appropriate idea.
The other side believes that everyone just has a different division of labor in society, and not doing physical labor does not mean that there is no benefit.
This view is correct both in later generations and now.
Even the development of the imperial examination system in later generations freed a large number of people from heavy physical labor.
It is obviously unreasonable to say that they cannot eat without farming, and cannot wear thick clothes without hunting.
But Mencius' words seem particularly ironic in the present situation of Tianqi State, especially in the government school which just happened to set up a pretext to extort so much money.
As many people believe, the current atmosphere is bad and morale is low, unlike the clean and upright atmosphere of the past.
Then these originally good principles will be distorted.
I think that for those adults who collect money under various pretexts, they also believe that being a gentleman is a kind of contribution in itself.
So they don’t eat and drink for free.
For example, the annual examination paper cost five cents of silver, and six sheets of paper were issued, which was reasonable.
For example, although monthly and quarterly exams are not organized, the money should still be collected. They do not farm for food, but teach students. Isn’t it right for them to collect this money?
The beginning of the Ji Yuan poem reads: "To eat without merit is called a vegetarian meal."
Let’s not talk about division of labor for now. If you eat without any contribution, it’s just a waste of food.
No matter what the division of labor is, at least there should be some merit.
Ji Yuan would naturally not be so stupid as to mention that the government allocated funds to the provincial school, but the students still had to show respect to their superiors.
After all, this is not a question of building a provincial school in Mengfu.
This is the case for all the provincial schools in Tianqi State.
Even the school of Jianmeng Mansion was relatively good.
I heard that students from the neighboring Qinglan Prefecture have to pay various silver coins on a daily basis, such as the fees for bathing and security fees for guarding the courtyard.
Nothing can be accomplished without fifty taels of silver in a year.
Therefore, the students in the neighboring Qinglan Prefecture are either rich or noble.
If you don’t have such conditions, you can’t afford to go to school at all.
This is not a problem involving one or two people, but a problem with the ethos of the scholars in Tianqi State.
But it must be said that many drawbacks have indeed emerged since its development.
Scholars focus on academic performance and naturally pay little attention to moral conduct. In the past, a gentleman was expected to cultivate his character, but now he is judged by his achievements and success.
Although Ji Yuan could have avoided these views, he could not help but say at the end: "A gentleman should have lofty aspirations, sharpen his reputation, and create a sense of justice. He may or may not use his virtue. When the Dao is not yet bright, his voice and aura will be felt, like the fragrance of plum and sandalwood, which can be smelled against the wind, and people all over the country will be influenced by it without knowing it."①
If a gentleman's morale is strong, it will be like plum blossoms and sandalwood, and everyone in the country will be permeated with such noble fragrance.
This kind of scholarly atmosphere is undoubtedly good.
Such a gentleman certainly would not eat for free.
After Ji Yuan edited down this article, it still has more than 450 words, which is still within the regulations.
When I heard the time, I found out that this one question alone took a long time.
Fortunately, the following questions of choosing one from two of the Five Classics were not difficult, and Ji Yuan handed in the paper within the specified time.
After finishing the main subjects in the morning, the supplementary subjects in the afternoon are easier.
Mr. Gao, who is good at mathematics, explains the subject in a rather profound way, but the questions in the “final exam” are simple.
It seems that Master Gao is still worried that the only eight students will not come.
After collecting the papers, I repeatedly reminded them to remember to choose this course next year.
Ji Yuan nodded naturally, and Master Gao nodded with satisfaction. What a great student.
Finally, there is the law department.
Different from simple calculations in mathematics.
The words that need to be written in the law department are even more than those in the morning exam.
That only adds up to about 1,200 to 1,300 words.
This law subject is all about memorizing.
The person who set the questions also deliberately made things difficult for them.
How long will the sentence be for stealing?
What is the punishment for stealing things from relatives?
What happens if you steal things from close relatives? What counts as close relatives?
What does each law promulgated by the government mean and why is it applicable to the local area.
Ji Yuan, Monk Bai, and Cai Fenglan were all sweating profusely as they answered.
Not to mention others.
It seems that the number of students studying law will be greatly reduced next year.
Fortunately, the three of them work hard every day and can memorize the era very quickly. The final estimated result should not be bad.
At the end of the day's annual exam, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Come to think of it, they haven't had an exam for a long time.
In the past, there was an exam once a month in the county school.
However, some people say that this year is the year of the provincial examination, so many things have been postponed.
Perhaps after the imperial examination is over next year, the monthly examinations of the provincial school will be put on the agenda again, depending on the situation at that time.
However, the monthly examinations are just internal examinations within the school. There will be no school-wide ranking, and the marking will be done by the teachers of the main subjects, so many students do not care too much about whether there are exams or not.
In any case, from today on, this year's provincial school courses have ended.
Come back on February 9th next year.
Ji Yuan was still a little uncomfortable with the sudden relaxation.
Watching other students packing up and leaving, Li Jin also expressed his thoughts: "Why not move to the yard I rented during the New Year? I used my cousin Li Xun's room as a study, so now I'll vacate it for you two to live in."
"I usually light a charcoal fire in my study, so it's warm for us to study together."
It’s okay on weekdays, but it’s too cold in winter.
The Zen room in Qiyan Temple is fine to live in during normal times, but it must be like an ice cellar in winter.
"Let's squeeze in during the winter. Don't be disgusted." Li Jin said, "You come to study, and you can take me with you. This is much more valuable than a charcoal house."
Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan did not refuse, but still paid more money to buy charcoal.
The person who is in the most embarrassing situation now is Cai Fenglan.
He didn't expect that he had no worries about food and clothing at home, but now he was asked for money everywhere outside.
It was similar for Ji Yuan. If he hadn't been able to make money from calligraphy and painting, he would have exchanged the silver notes given by Dr. Luo long ago.
Speaking of this, when Ji Yuan returned to Qiyan Temple to get something, he exchanged the silver note.
It was winter and the New Year was approaching, so it was not a good idea to let Li Jin buy charcoal and food by himself.
The two of them went out together, allowing Cai Fenglan to study with peace of mind.
Cai Fenglan watched his friends and classmates busying around and sighed slightly. When he went home to mail a letter, someone stopped him and asked, "Are you a poor student from the prefectural school?"
"Want to earn some charcoal money?"
This person specifically lurks near the messenger to target poor students.
Of course, he didn't wait for everyone, he would also take a look at the students' handwriting.
This student of Dai Xiuxiu is quite good, and the handwriting on the envelope is very beautiful.
Cai Fenglan's clothes are very standard. Their clothes are not shabby, but the material is not very good either.
Carrying a newly bought one, maybe he bought it on debt, or he spent a lot of money at home.
This kind of person definitely wants to make money.
When Ji Yuan rushed over after exchanging the money, he also had letters in his hand. He wrote letters not only to Master Zhao and others, but also to Dr. Yin from Yuyao. He thought that Dr. Yin would go to the capital for the Spring Examination in the spring, so he wanted to write a letter in advance to wish the doctor a safe journey.
Of course, there is also Dr. Luo. He spent the banknotes, so he always has to talk about it.
He also said that money would be deposited into his account after the spring, so Dr. Luo could rest assured.
After Ji Yuan's letter was sent out, Cai Fenglan's face was full of colors, and it seemed that he had something in his arms.
The person who had just stopped Cai Fenglan looked at Ji Yuan, then looked at his age.
Forget it, he’s too young.
It's not a good idea for him to read this kind of book, so he should leave quickly.
Anyway, today's task has been completed. We found five scholars, so there must be one who wants to make this money, right?
Ji Yuan is not very old.
He just celebrated his eleventh birthday a few days ago, and he didn't even drink at the small party his friends hosted for him.
But he was very good at judging people and could tell something was wrong at a glance.
Ji Yuan asked directly: "What's wrong?"
Cai Fenglan was embarrassed to begin with, but when Ji Yuan asked him, he spoke directly: "That person, that person asked me to copy the book."
"Private copy."
Speaking of which, Cai Fenglan did sign a contract with the Zhou family, but he could also copy books from other families by changing his handwriting privately.
Zhou Family Bookstore doesn’t care much about this kind of thing. Everyone is trying to make a living, so as long as it’s not an open competition, it’s fine.
The book in Cai Fenglan's arms will definitely not compete with the regular books published by Zhoujia Bookstore.
The two are not on the same track at all.
Ji Yuan frowned upon hearing this: "What book is it? A banned book?"
"Are you crazy?"
It's not a banned book, it's just very colorful.
Cai Fenglan took out the book in his arms and showed it the name, which was written in big capital letters: "Searching for Spring".
The contents speak for themselves.
Ji Yuan was stunned for a moment, then realized what it was and said speechlessly: "Do you still want to take the imperial examination?"
"We are already on the edge of copying those storybooks. Fortunately, they are all approved by the government, so Zhou Family Bookstore will not do anything to lower its reputation."
"If I copy these and they are found out later, will I still have a way out?"
Cai Fenglan seemed to be poured with a basin of cold water and instantly came to his senses.
He saw the title of the book and flipped through it hastily. His face was already flushed, and his neck turned red as he refused.
He doesn't want to copy!
But the other party directly offered fifteen taels of silver and asked him to pay after he finished copying, and even did not have high requirements for the number of characters.
When he was in a dilemma about whether to stand or walk, the other person directly stuffed the girl into his arms.
When Ji Yuan came over, he saw Cai Fenglan like this.
After the two finished talking, the man left.
"He, isn't he afraid that I won't copy it?"
Ji Yuan said: "Of course I am not afraid. You are a student of the prefectural school, and he remembers your appearance. It will be easy for him to find you when he comes back."
This is the truth. Since the other party dares to hire someone to copy this kind of book, he must have some connections.
This book "Spring Search" became a hot potato. Cai Fenglan didn't know what to do with it. He couldn't throw it away, nor could he take it away.
Of course, he had given up the idea of copying the book.
Ji Yuan held the book, seemingly not caring. He looked in the alley next to him, then casually stuffed the book into a hole and covered it with some dirt and rocks.
"That's it. When he comes to find you, just say that the thing is here, and no one will find it."
No matter what, as long as the book is not in Cai Fenglan's hands, it will be fine.
Even if the other party finds Cai Fenglan, it is not impossible to suppress him with his status as a scholar.
Ji Yuan comforted him: "That person should cast a wide net. The book is very thin and the cost is not much. It is right to trick someone with good handwriting to help them copy the book."
As long as they meet someone who wants to make some extra money and has decent handwriting, these illegal booksellers will get a bargain.
After dealing with the books, Cai Fenglan went back feeling extremely uneasy. After he returned, he couldn't help but slap himself.
Even Li Jin was frightened by this and asked quickly: "Why are you hitting yourself? What's wrong?"
Cai Fenglan took off the quince and couldn't help but say, "I'm really confused."
The more he thought about it, the more scared he became. But when the man mentioned fifteen taels of silver, he couldn't help but want to earn it.
There are not too many requirements, and the number of words is not large, so it will be fifteen taels after copying them.
It's like picking up money.
Of course, not considering the consequences is like picking up money.
But in recent times, Cai Fenglan has been under too much pressure.
Originally, he only wanted to buy the 叆叆, and even though he borrowed money from Ji Yuan, he felt that he could pay it back.
Ji Yuan still took the initiative to ask Cai Fenglan to buy it.
Glasses are not a waste of money, they are a necessity.
But who would have thought that the issue of various tuition and miscellaneous fees at the end of the year would arise, which made Cai Fenglan obsessed for a while.
Living with Li Jin, although there is no need to worry about food and drink, it is more worrying.
Don’t I rely on the support of my two good friends for my life?
He even had to rely on Ji Yuan, who was nine years younger than him, for support.
Cai Fenglan, who had never worried about money, felt a little dizzy.
After sending away the servants, Li Jin heard the two talk about this matter and said, "You dare to copy any book? Are you not going to take the imperial examination?"
Li Jin added: "You are my good friends and classmates, and we are from the same hometown. It is just a matter of convenience for me. Do you know that when my father sent me money, he used to send four people's money, but now he sends three people's money?"
In the past, Li Xun was also included, as were Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan.
Now that Li Xun is gone, it's up to the three of them.
Now even Ji Yuan was surprised.
Li Jin, who used to be the most ignorant but was two or three years older than Cai Fenglan, said with a smile, "You know us students."
"No, do you know what you talented students are called by the rich families?"
They don’t know.
"The name Zhuangzi refers to the farmland. Different students are different Zhuangzi."
"Some students have good grades, which means they have good harvests. If they buy this farm, it will be of great benefit to them in the future."
"You two are the best paddy fields for a family like us who only have money but no children who can make a name for themselves."
This is not a nice thing to say, and it may even be a bit vulgar.
But that’s what it means.
Even if one is promoted to the position of prime minister, he will still bet on which "Zhuangzi" is better.
In ancient times, weren't there usually wealthy merchants who would rush to give silver to poor scholars?
This is how you select potential stocks and then invest in them.
Just wait for the stock to soar.
There are so many people who want to invest in some stocks that even wealthy businessmen can’t buy them even if they line up.
As for Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan, a junior top three scholar and third in the child examination, they are real potential stocks and the best farms.
Ji Yuan and the others didn’t know about these things because they were not within the scope of their study.
Li Jin, however, was influenced by his father and knew the rules of society very early on.
Li Jin stroked his chin and said, "My father must be very happy to spend money on you two. The more coal you use, the happier he will be."
"This is not an exaggeration. As long as you are willing, there are many people in Zhengrong County who would like to help you. My father even thinks he got a good deal."
"The White Monk is so close to us that my father wants to pay for his food and drink."
For people like them, it would be a great deal if they could use money to buy a potential stock for the future.
Li Jin usually doesn't say anything and doesn't make his support too obvious. He does this out of consideration for his classmates and doesn't want to embarrass them.
But Cai Fenglan was willing to take risks for his livelihood, so he had to tell the truth.
Cai Fenglan also gradually became more at ease. So, he was using his studies to pay for his living expenses?
Li Jin patted Cai Fenglan on the shoulder and said, "Study hard. I'm waiting for you to learn better and then take me flying. If you pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, then I'll have a Jinshi friend."
"Is there no light on this side?"
"Or you want to be a scholar who copied pornographic books and went to jail."
Ji Yuan couldn't help laughing, and he comforted her, "Don't feel bad about buying 叆叆. I was the one who dragged you to buy 叆叆. If there is any responsibility, then I have it too."
"Besides, if you pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, are you still afraid that you can't pay it back? Take your time. I'm also buying a farm."
The three of them chatted and laughed, and the matter was over.
The three of them are considered good among the students.
I guess some students are even more pitiful. Not to mention the money for winter vacation, they probably still owe money for miscellaneous expenses.
Ji Yuan flipped through the book, not knowing what he was thinking. Finally, he smiled and continued reading.
I will draw illustrations in my spare time.
But after what happened today, I have to be more careful when drawing this illustration.
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