Chapter 1016: Being an Official is Good

"Good rain knows the season, it happens in spring, follows the wind into the night, moistens things silently..."

Early in the morning, the sky was just clear, Wang Yan was disheveled, wearing silk underwear, pushed open the window, looked at the misty rain outside, and recited the first half of Du Fu's "Happy Rain on a Spring Night".

"Young Master has a fine literary talent; you will surely pass the autumn examinations this year." The little page boy Wang Dongliang brought over a fox-fur coat and draped it over Wang Yan, who had lowered his stature to accommodate him.

Wang Dongliang is the son of a tenant farmer, only ten years old this year. Originally named Wang Liu, because he was the sixth in his family. Although he is ten years old, his development is slightly worse than children of the same age, short and thin. It was Wang Yan who was idle and gave this child such a name.

Hearing the little book boy's words, Wang Yan shook his head amusingly: "This is not a poem I made, it was made by Du Fu of the former Tang Dynasty. You have to read more books. Didn't you learn the Thousand Character Classic in elementary school? Read more books in the study, and ask me if you don't understand."

"Little person knows characters, but dare not delay Young Master's study of classics, and become a scholar, and be a big official in the future."

"Do you think being an official is good?"

"Of course it is good. I heard the emperor say before that there are golden houses in books, and there are beauties in books. Reading is to be an official. If you are an official, you have everything. Once I went to the city with my father and saw the big official passing through the street, it was really majestic. Young Master will be a scholar in the future and be a big official. By then, I will watch the gate for Young Master. Doesn't everyone say that the prime minister's gate has a seventh-rank official? Calculated this way, I am also an official."

Wang Yan laughed and took the towel he handed over to wipe his face and clean his hands: "Then I have to work hard, and I can't live up to your hope of being a seventh-rank official."

Wang Dongliang giggled, took the towel, ran to get an oil-paper umbrella, Wang Yan took it, walked out of the room, and stepped on the stone slab road...

It is now the spring of the eighth year of Qingli, 1048 AD, the Song Renzong Zhao Zhen is sitting on the dragon chair, and it is Wangjiazhuang, five miles outside the south city of Yangzhou.

Wangjiazhuang, as the name suggests, Wang is a big surname. There are forty-six households in the village, one hundred and sixty-eight people in the register, two hundred and forty-two people in reality, and the rest are hidden households who avoid taxes. The prestigious person in the village is Wang Yan's family. Most of the land in the village is occupied by Wang Yan's family, all of which are excellent fertile fields, a proper rural gentry. The hidden households who avoid taxes are also mostly working for his family.

More than three years ago, Wang Yan's parents both died of illness, and he took over the family business, which is equivalent to taking over the representative of Wangjiazhuang. At that time, he had passed the county exam and obtained the qualification for the state exam, and was about to participate in the state exam, because the filial piety period reached eighteen this year.

At the age of fourteen, wanting to keep the family business and carry it forward, it is quite difficult, and can be classified into the squalid past that is not worth boasting about.

Of course, those are things before he came here. After coming here, he got familiar with the environment, and when he woke up, he arrived today, and he was also seeing his home for the first time.

Although he is the richest landlord in a village, his family's house is not very luxurious. Two courtyards, more than twenty rooms, the main family in the back courtyard, servants and employees in the front courtyard. In addition, there is a granary in the southwest corner, a stable in the east, a cow shed and a pig pen in the west, and some chickens, ducks, and geese are scattered, which is a wealthy family.

The house is not luxurious, but the number of people in the family is not small. A family of four for the housekeeper, one old woman, two little maids, two book boys, one groom, two strong laborers, and six Zhuangke with martial arts.

In addition, besides the land of Wangjiazhuang, there is a medicine shop and a silk shop in Yangzhou city, which is already a large family business. It is definitely not comparable to a small landlord who is reluctant to eat, reluctant to wear, and is in the original accumulation.

The living father is still consistently thoughtful, saving the good son the time of starting a business, and giving a family background that is not up or down. After all, letting him develop to the current level from scratch, even grabbing, cheating, and buying, it would only take a year to handle it.

Rather than that, it is better to be like this now, the trajectory is clear, and it can be considered to have three points of heritage. It is equivalent to crossing the threshold of original accumulation, but not completely crossing it, which is equivalent to giving the first pot of gold for entrepreneurship.

The so-called heritage naturally refers to the landlord putting on a disguise, from accumulating wealth with a bloody mouth, to becoming a famous kind family in the ten miles and eight villages. Harmonious with neighbors, generous with money, and supporting the grassroots work of the official.

Whoever in the village has difficulties, they symbolically extend a helping hand. If they can't pay back, they will have a few more acres of land, and people have to thank the kind Master Wang, and call him high righteousness...

After looking at the house and seeing everyone who got up early to do things, Wang Yan held the oil-paper umbrella, but it was not a clove-like girl, and walked out of the gate in his underwear and fox fur coat.

The misty rain, the distant mountains looming, a small stream flows through the village, dozens of households in the village fall on both sides of the stream, the buildings are all wood and stone materials, very stylish, and the roof is smoking. Take a deep breath, and the moist and fresh air will soak into the heart, truly natural.

This scene is like being in a painting, very beautiful, this feeling is like being in the clouds, and it is also very comfortable.

But if you have a little heart, think about the dozens of households under the smoke, all of them are porridge without much rice grains, and even the sauce pickles for the meal can't bear to eat more chopsticks, so such artistic beauty has no mind to appreciate.

However, Wang Yan is different, he appreciates it very well.

This is the confidence of having a plan in mind...

"Young Master, have breakfast."

Housekeeper Wang Fuli walked over slowly, arched his hands at Wang Yan's back.

This is an old man, thirty-eight years old this year, who has worked in the Wang family for more than twenty years. Married in the Wang family, born in the Wang family.

"Good."

Wang Yan responded, and turned around slowly in a square step, "I heard that a matchmaker was found for Brother Youjin a few days ago, is there any favorite?"

"Thanks to Young Master's concern, there is no reply yet, I think it will take some days."

"Youyin is also almost at the age, why don't you find one for him together. Find a piece of land nearby, build a big house for the brothers, find tenant farmers, buy materials from the account, strive to handle it this year, and hold a big fat grandson early, so as not to miss your couple."

"For these years, eating and using are at home, we have also saved a lot, and we still have money to marry a wife."

"After working for so many years, we are all one family, count it as my heart."

The housekeeper nodded with a smile, and turned to say: "Young Master is eighteen this year, and also needs to consider the marriage event."

"Early in the morning, Dongliang said that being an official is good, saying that there are beauties in books, or take another exam, and the girl married back after being a scholar is also a lady."

"Young Master has learned classics well, autumn exam will definitely be successful, and next spring will be a scholar, and will be promoted."

"Hope so."

Breakfast is very rich, meat buns, millet porridge, smashed cucumber, and a plate of fried bacon, absolutely exquisite breakfast. They were all made by the old woman in the family with two little maids, of course, his meal was made separately, and others were not so good, but the oil and salt were enough, and they could eat full.

After breakfast, Wang Yan went to the study to read.

The social situation of the Northern Song Dynasty is relatively stable. There are Fan Zhongyan in the front and Wang Anshi in the back. Although they have not changed thoroughly, and have not even changed, the social contradictions have not reached the point where people can't live and everyone rebels.

So Wang Yan intends to engage in official career, out of the general and into the prime minister, and it will be more convenient to rebel in the future. It's just that the order of rebellion is a bit different. The ordinary rebellion is to smash everything and reorganize. Now the rebellion route is to be an official and change the law, slowly dig the wall corner, and finally it is very natural to come to a clear monarch, come to a three-request and three-resignation.

If one wants to be an official, one must take the imperial examinations. Among them, the Jinshi degree is the most prestigious. At this time, the main content of the Jinshi examination consists of poetry, fu (rhapsodies), essays, policy questions, filling in blanks from the classics, and reciting the meanings of the classics. Simply put, it means writing poems and fu, composing policy essays on governance similar to modern argumentative essays, filling in blanks, and reciting texts—that's about the gist of it.

Wang Yan has not experienced the imperial examination, because he went to times when contradictions were prominent, whether it was spending money or hitting the head, it was a cost-effective and time-saving choice. Now that the relatively stable Renzong period is different, the income of the imperial examination is greater, and the rebellion is too heavy. At this time, the Song army can still fight, although it can't beat Xixia, can't beat Liao, but it is also a professional army.

After reading and writing until after eight o'clock, Wang Yan packed up, changed into bright clothes, combed his hair and separated his hairpin, and took the little book boy to the carriage.

This carriage is still very good, the carriage is covered with a pile of soft fur, it is very comfortable to nest in the carriage. There is also a small space, you can burn charcoal to boil tea, not cold, warm, and you can drink the tea at this time, eat the pastries made by the old woman in the family.

The ten-mile road into the city swayed past, very comfortable, the little book boy was sleepy, and fell asleep without heart and lungs.

"Dongliang, wake up, get off the carriage." Wang Yan helped this little book boy up and forced him to turn on.

The little book boy was excited, and knelt directly in the carriage: "Well, I fell asleep, Young Master..."

The book boy is a job trusted by the master and has a bright future. He can read books and follow the master everywhere. Later, he can also be arranged to some important positions. Analogous to it, it is almost a secretary position for the leader. Even if the landlord is not an official, doing more business, the little book boy also has the opportunity to be alone in the future. Of course, if the master has the love of Longyang, it is another situation.

So the awakened Wang Dongliang was very panicked, the confusion disappeared instantly, and it was all uneasy.

Wang Yan naturally understood what this kid was thinking. In fact, the reason is simple, that is, he is too kind. Children, the brain is relatively straight, although paying attention to identity, the heart always has subconscious trust, so it is easy to relax, which leads to this kid sleeping fragrantly.

Rubbed Dongliang's head with a smile, he said: "If I blame you, can I let you sleep all the way? Okay, get off the carriage."

After saying that, he ignored the silly kid, turned around and left the carriage, and jumped off the carriage.

Although it was raining, the street was still very lively. People without money have to come out to work regardless of rain. Now this bit of moist moisture in the drizzle has not affected it at all. And people with money must come out in this weather, pay attention to artistic conception, pay attention to elegance, pay attention to feeling, maybe they get good sentences.

This is a place with dense large courtyards outside the city, belonging to the industrial zone designated by the government. Businesses that need venues, complex operations, and many people produce here. The dyeing workshop of the silk shop is here. Dye well outside the city, and the shop in the city sells it.

Wang Yan carried his hands on his back, and brought the little book boy who had completely awakened into the courtyard.

"Good East House." The shopkeeper who was directing people to be busy in the courtyard, seeing Wang Yan and his master and servant strolling in, greeted him with a smile.

"How is the business recently?"

"Still the same, recently Li Ji has a new recipe, the dyed material color is uniform, the feel is smooth, and their business is good. But we are also studying, and there will be results before long."

Wang Yan nodded, and looked around in the dyeing workshop. All kinds of large and small utensils, a pile of messy materials, minerals, plants, animals, are all raw materials for dyeing. More than ten men, and several women all stopped their work and looked at Wang Yan.

Under everyone's gaze, Wang Yan found a stool and sat down, waving his hand: "Bring the account book to see."

The shopkeeper was stunned, then responded, ran to hold a pile of account books: "East House, this is the account of the dyeing workshop from last year to now, the account of the shop is in the shop."

Wang Yan hmm, and then began to flip through the account book. How the shop is managed, the account book can be seen clearly.

The shopkeeper is very sensible, arranged for others to continue working, and brought a stove to boil tea for Wang Yan. Wang Yan drank tea with a lot of things added while calculating the account.

Not long after, Wang Yan looked at the shopkeeper with faint eyes: "Shopkeeper Wu, any difficulties recently?"

"Thanks to East House's concern, everything is good, no difficulties."

Wang Yan nodded: "I calculated, it is two hundred and forty-six taels less, this is from last year to now. There is also the one in the shop, I won't look at that side. You have been doing it for five years in my place, how much you occupied, you know, and who you shared with, you also know. Leave you one percent, and take back the remaining nine percent in three days, any problem?"

"East House, that account is remembered clearly, you..."

"I ask you if there is any problem." Wang Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, released some momentum, and pressed the shopkeeper's nonsense back.

After a long silence, Shopkeeper Wu opened his mouth with difficulty: "No... no."

"Very good." Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction, "You don't have to be afraid, you can continue to do it after you take the money back, and add one guan every month."

"Thank East House for being generous, East House rest assured, I will definitely..."

"I don't listen to you, I look at the account. Let's go, Dongliang."

Patting Shopkeeper Wu on the shoulder, Wang Yan took the little book boy and strolled away, solving a big greedy person under his hand in a light way.

"Young Master, why let Shopkeeper Wu continue to do it?" Coming outside, the little book boy couldn't help but raise his neck and ask.

"Do you think the shopkeeper is easy to find? Shopkeeper Wu has done it for so many years, everyone is familiar with it. With this time, he will be cautious next time."

The shopkeeper is a high-level management talent, especially the shopkeeper who comes out to work, knows characters, can write and calculate, can bargain with suppliers to save costs, can squeeze workers, and can fool customers. The comprehensive quality is still quite high.

As for why this Shopkeeper Wu obeyed, it was not that he was scared by his momentum. He could capture people's hearts, but he couldn't cut off greed. His momentum was not that awesome.

It was just because he was a landlord, and he raised Zhuangke with a certain legendary degree, and another reason was that he was very good at reading before, famous for being good, and he looked like an official. Even if he couldn't be one, he knew some officials in Yangzhou, and his relationship was much harder than Shopkeeper Wu, belonging to a player who could communicate with both black and white.

Could Shopkeeper Wu not be afraid.

Out of the dyeing workshop, Wang Yan no longer took the carriage, and just took the little book boy and strolled into Yangzhou city... ===== CHAPTER 1017 =====