Chapter 73: Returning Home in Glory

A few days later, after a long journey of hundreds of miles, Zhang Jie and his party returned to Yanggu County.

"Young Master, you are back."

Just as they arrived at the city gate, a Zhang family servant greeted them joyfully.

"Whoa~"

Wu Song, who was clearing the way, recognized the servant and stopped the mule under his crotch.

"Are the old steward and the others still well?"

Zhang Jie, riding on a pack horse, asked.

These past few days, Yan Poxi's eyes became more and more fiery when looking at him, as if she couldn't wait to eat him.

He also felt that he was about to be unable to hold back,

and in order not to make the mistake that every man would make within a few days,

Zhang Jie dared not stay in the carriage anymore and specially bought a pack horse to ride.

"The old steward and the others are waiting for you, Young Master, at home."

The servant replied with a smile.

Zhang Jie's itinerary had already been told to the old steward Zhang Da and others by letter.

"Young Master, I will lead the way for you."

The servant came to Zhang Jie's horse and wanted to lead the horse for him.

"En."

Zhang Jie nodded and handed the reins in his hand to the servant.

The servant took the reins and walked quickly toward the Zhang family's direction while leading the horse.

"Who is this person? Such a grand display?

I'm afraid even the County Magistrate is no more than this."

A merchant from out of town looked at the motorcade consisting of several carriages and several horses,

and a big man who was awe-inspiring clearing the way, and could not help but click his tongue in wonder.

"This is our Yanggu County's Zhang Renjie, the Jieren."

A local from Yanggu County explained to the merchant with a sense of honor.

The news of Zhang Jie's success in the Jieren exam had already spread back to Yanggu County when he was a guest in Yuncheng County.

This caused a sensation in Yanggu County.

Yanggu County had not produced a Jieren in several provincial exams,

and unexpectedly, this time they produced a Jieren all at once!

"What? It's actually the Jieren? Disrespect, disrespect."

The merchant bowed respectfully toward the departing carriage.

In the Great Song where the Emperor and the scholar-officials rule the world together, it is not surprising that a Jieren has such a display.

"Just, is the Jieren so difficult that he lets his subordinate ride a mule?"

The merchant who recognized Wu Song's mount was a bit confused.

"Where, the Zhang family is a famous wealthy family in our Yanggu County,

not to say Zhang Half-City, but Zhang One-Street is definitely there." The local shook his head.

"Oh? That's strange.

With such financial resources, how could he let that brave man ride a mule?"

The merchant pointed to Wu Song's back, which was still tall and stood out from the crowd even from tens of meters away.

"You don't know this, right? This brave man is a tiger-slaying hero!"

The local continued to popularize the celebrities of their Yanggu County to the merchant.

"Since he is a tiger-slaying hero, he should be equipped with a top-notch mount!"

The merchant who traveled north and south highly agreed with the principle that a good horse matches a hero.

"Hey!

Let me tell you, according to the distant cousin of the third maternal uncle of the second maternal aunt who works in the Jieren's house,

the brave man Wu crushed a horse to death the first time he tried to ride it!"

The local leaned into the merchant's ear and whispered mysteriously.

"So that's it." The merchant suddenly realized.

At the same time, the merchant who had just arrived in Yanggu County and urgently needed a local who was familiar with the area to lead the way,

and open up the market, grabbed the hand of this local middle-aged man:

"Brother is so knowledgeable, why not go for a drink with me and have a good chat?"

"Hey! I didn't expect that blowing a cow could also get a meal to eat and drink."

The local middle-aged man was immediately happy.

However, a look of embarrassment appeared on his face:

"How can I let you spend money, brother?"

"Eh, I hit it off with you, brother; why talk about those worldly things between brothers?"

The merchant still held the middle-aged man's hand and would not let go.

"Since you are so enthusiastic, brother, I will not refuse."

Seeing the merchant offer a step, the middle-aged man went with the flow.

Between the man having affection and the woman having intention, a pair of "eating Li Zhuang white meat,"

superficial brothers of wine and meat were born just like that.

At the gate of the Zhang family, the old steward Zhang Da and Zhang Jie's teacher Li Xiucheng, the scholar, and others were already looking forward to it.

"Why haven't they come yet?"

The old steward was so anxious that he was almost spinning in circles.

"Steward, don't worry, Er Niu is a smart one.

With him waiting at the city gate, he will definitely be able to welcome the Young Master."

A steward of the Zhang family comforted the anxious old steward.

Scholar Li, on the other hand, had deep cultivation and was not anxious.

However, his occasional looking toward the intersection still showed the excitement in his heart.

"The Young Master is back, the Young Master is back!"

At this moment, noisy shouts came from the intersection.

"The Young Master has arrived? Quickly light the firecrackers."

The excited old steward ordered the Zhang family's laborers.

Sss~

The laborers who received the order took out the fire starters they had prepared and lit the firecrackers hanging on both sides of the gate.

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, Zhang Jie's figure emerged from the intersection.

"Young Master, Young Master!"

The Zhang family's laborers were in a frenzy.

"Jieren, Jieren!"

The neighbors and the common people who came to watch the excitement suddenly became noisy.

For a time, the sound of the crowd even overwhelmed the sound of the firecrackers.

Zhang Jie, riding on the horse, waved his hand frequently to signal.

"No wonder the Overlord of Western Chu said that returning home in glory is like wearing silk at night."

Zhang Jie, who experienced returning home in glory and felt a bit floating, sighed in his heart.

"Steward Da, Teacher."

Zhang Jie, who arrived at the gate, dismounted.

"Young Master."

The old steward was extremely excited, and his joy was beyond words.

"This trip is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate!"

Scholar Li looked at Zhang Jie, who was as gentle as jade and elegant, with satisfaction.

This is the proud disciple he cultivated with his own hands!

"My wish in this life is entrusted to Renjie!"

"Jieren, give us some rewards!"

In the crowd, someone shouted.

On such a festive day, how can one not ask for some benefits?

"Jieren, give us some rewards!"

People in the crowd spoke one after another.

It was not that they coveted the rewards, but that they wanted to share in the joy.

"Everyone will have some, everyone will have some."

The old steward, who had been prepared, stood out.

"Come here, let them go for me!"

The old steward, with a glowing face, ordered.

"Yes."

Two laborers received the order and pulled off the red cloth from the two objects covered by red cloth beside them.

Clatter~

Pulling off the red cloth, two baskets were revealed, and inside the baskets, they were full of Daguan Tongbao,

and on the coins were the "slender gold" script coin text uniquely created by the current Emperor Huizong.

Clatter, whoosh~

The old steward personally grabbed two large handfuls of copper coins and threw them toward the crowd.

"Mine, mine."

"Mine, mine."

The crowd instantly scrambled.

But fortunately, everyone had a sense of proportion and only scrambled for the ones that fell to the ground.

Scholar Li also joined the money-sprinkling action with great interest.

Even Zhang Jie was infected by this fanatical atmosphere and personally participated in the money-sprinkling action.

It must be said that the feeling of sprinkling money is really good!

After dismissing the onlookers, Zhang Jie and the others came to the Zhang family ancestral hall.

Such an honor to the ancestors as winning the Jieren exam naturally requires comforting the ancestors.

"Father, I have initially fulfilled your wish."

Zhang Jie knelt in front of the spirit tablet of his cheap father, Zhang Da, and offered three sticks of incense.

Zhang Da's wish during his lifetime was for Zhang Jie to be on the golden list, pass the imperial exam, and bring honor to his ancestors.

"Master, the Young Master did not let you down; he passed the Jieren exam in this provincial exam!"

The old steward shed tears in front of Zhang Da's spirit tablet.

"Young Master, the County Magistrate is visiting."

Just after worshipping Zhang Da, a servant came to report.

"Wenbin?"

Zhang Jie thought for a moment and knew that the Zhang family's actions were too big and had alarmed him.

"I will go to welcome him right away." Zhang Jie nodded.

"Renjie, my nephew."

As soon as Zhang Jie walked out of the gate, he heard the very intimate address of the County Magistrate Wenbin.

"My nephew's matter actually alarmed you, Uncle; my nephew is truly very terrified."

Zhang Jie also followed the trend and walked up quickly.

"Haha, my nephew passed the Jieren exam; this is a great joy for our Yanggu County!"

Wenbin, dressed in casual clothes and dressed as a wealthy squire, stroked his beard and laughed.

He was truly happy.

The County Magistrate of the Great Song Dynasty rotates every three years; he had been in Yanggu County for less than two years,

and he encountered this big surprise of Zhang Jie.

Yanggu County had not produced a Jieren in several provincial exams before,

and it had become a place of unprosperous education in the counties of Shandong.

The evaluations of the previous County Magistrates were all written with comments about ineffective promotion of education.

It is said that those unlucky fellows had already been exiled to the border of the Liao Kingdom or Qianzhou and other places.

What is Zhang Jie's success in the Jieren exam to him?

It is a great political achievement!

Zhang Jie's emergence is a great advantage for his evaluation.

Even if he cannot use this political achievement to go further and become a Prefect or Governor,

it is a sure thing to be transferred to a wealthier and more stable county after a year.

It is said that a clean magistrate for three years is worth one hundred thousand snowflakes of silver;

if he goes to a wealthy county in Jiangnan, he can surely get ten or twenty thousand taels of silver in three years, right?

Wenbin's eyes were almost glowing when he looked at Zhang Jie:

Zhang Jie is his God of Wealth! ===== CHAPTER 74 =====