Chapter 59: The Salted Fish Wants to Turn Over

The elder managing the Inner Secretary Room of the Pingyang Zhang family was named Zhang Liucai.

She was a heroine in the clan who inherited the family business by recruiting a son-in-law, and climbed to a high position step by step through her ability and means.

She acted vigorously in the first half of her life, and now she could be called one person below ten thousand, possessing the bearing of a great figure.

Just looking at those sharp eyes that seemed to be able to cut open people's brains and see the thoughts of her subordinates made people feel fearful in their hearts.

Therefore, although Zhang Qitong dared to talk nonsense in private, he was as honest as a quail when facing his direct boss.

He couldn't help but shrink his neck.

With a demeanor somewhat similar to that of the small clerk Zhang Ba-hu, he bowed deeply:

"Family elder, peace and health."

"Zhang Qitong greets you."

The hall was elegantly decorated.

Zhang Liucai sat on a rosewood chair, her hands subconsciously tapping on the huge Longping desk in front of her.

Liu Wuchang sat paralyzed on an ebony chair below, leaning on the embroidered backrest, muttering endlessly, "Elder Liudou, your Pingyang Zhang family has truly produced another talent."

"Just now I saw Zhang Gui, he is truly a young talent, he will surely become..."

"Zhang Qitong, why don't you greet the guest when you see him?"

"Even if the guest is not decent, our Pingyang Zhang family cannot lose etiquette."

Zhang Qitong held his nose and bowed to the rat spirit, "Master Liu is well."

"Good, good," Liu Wuchang laughed dryly and nodded.

"Zhang."

"Good," Liu Wuchang's spirit was lifted, and he said loudly: "This child is the fate of 'a dragon fighting in the wild, its blood is mysterious and yellow'."

"It's truly extraordinary, extraordinary."

"However, such a fate is somewhat taboo, and I'm afraid it will be disliked by the imperial court, hehe, it needs to be covered up."

This remark made Zhang Qitong's eyes widen, and he thought inwardly, "Good old rat spirit, waiting for us here."

"This Zhang Gui is 'a dragon soaring in the wild, its blood is mysterious and yellow', the next one is probably 'a phoenix dancing in the nine heavens, covering the world', right?"

"Liu Wuchang, oh Liu Wuchang."

"In ten days, you have calculated the fate of eighty-seven people for our Pingyang Zhang family."

"Ten or so have become high officials, twenty or so have become generals, and the rest are all famous in commanderies and counties."

"Now there's a rebel again!"

"You really have ideas."

Zhang Liucai was finally angered, gritting her teeth and saying: "Even if there is a rebel, you continue to calculate for me."

"Don't stop until the sixteenth day of the first month."

Liu Wuchang wilted upon hearing this and stopped speaking.

Zhang Liucai turned her gaze to Zhang Qitong and ordered:

"Regardless of whether Master Liu's fate plate is accurate or not, it can still be seen whether he has entered the Dao or not."

"You go down and arrange to record that child Zhang Gui into the genealogy, add the 'generation character' to his name, and change it to Zhang Jiugui."

"In extraordinary times, we cannot waste talent."

"There are many disciples in the clan who have the ambition of the blue clouds, but few who have both ability and are willing to do things, especially those who have achieved success in cultivation."

"One by one, alas, in short, take advantage of the New Year's 'Ba-Gong' opportunity, and handle a martial scholar status for Zhang Gui."

"Then let him serve the imperial court as soon as possible; I think he won't refuse with his background and knowledge."

"We will also fill that difficult grid."...

Ba-Gong, a new rule established more than fifty years ago when the Ming Song Empire's national strength declined and the imperial court didn't have enough silver.

In essence, it is contributing money and grain in exchange for a scholar status called 'Gong-Sheng'.

The prerequisite for a literary scholar is having the status of a 'Tong-Sheng';

The prerequisite for a martial scholar is having the skill of 'entering the Dao'.

And because the gold content of Tong-Sheng is extremely low, it can be operated as long as there are connections in the county.

So literary Gong-Sheng are often discriminated against.

The requirement for martial Gong-Sheng, 'entering the Dao', has extremely high gold content.

Most martial scholars who pass the normal imperial examination don't have the strength to enter the Dao.

Plus, there is an old saying, 'there is no first in literature, no second in martial arts'.

Those who eat by martial arts, if you look down on me, we will fight on the ring to see whose fist is bigger.

So martial Gong-Sheng are instead a head taller, becoming a kind of reverse discrimination.

In the end, those wealthy and powerful clan descendants don't like to take the normal martial imperial examination.

They have to spend extra money to 'Ba-Gong' to be decent, which truly belongs to being bored and looking for trouble.

Zhang Qitong had long guessed that Zhang Gui was going to turn over, but he didn't expect it to be this kind of 'turning', and his body stiffened, but his mouth replied quickly, "Yes."

"After the office finishes its holiday on the tenth day of the first month, I will handle it immediately."

"Hmm," Zhang Liucai nodded with a gloomy face, "Also, you personally lead Master Liu to continue calculating fates for people according to the list I prepared."

"Manage his food and drink."

Managing food and drink means he can't eat if he doesn't calculate enough people.

Zhang Qitong's face became difficult, but he could only agree:

"Yes."

"Master Liu, you also heard our family elder's order."

"Let's go."

After Zhang Qitong and Liu Wuchang left together.

Zhang Liucai's mouth curled into a gloomy smile, and she murmured:

"Tai, oh Tai, even your father didn't dare to look down on me."

"Yet you bullied me for being a woman and forced me to clean up the rotten things you did."

"Then I will let it continue to rot, and see whose reputation it will harm."

"Truly a 'ten thousand eight things that don't know fear without seeing the danger, and don't give up without hitting the south wall'."...

Time flies like a shuttle, and in a blink of an eye, it is the eleventh day of the first month.

Early in the morning.

Caiyang Duojie went out to set up her stall.

Because Zhang Gui ran to Mushroom Valley again yesterday, teleported to Giant Serpent Head Island's 'Upper Stone Corpse Capital', and painted big cakes for the hundred civil and military officials and ten thousand citizens of the Zhenlong Kingdom.

And began to advocate the benefits of the steam engine to Old Song, who regulates yin and yang.

He was busy for half a day before finishing.

And this kind of chicken soup feast shouldn't be repeated every day, plus he had an appointment with his little partner.

Zhang Gui stayed at home eating noodles and waiting for people.

The time reached Si hour, which is around nine in the morning.

The weather was sunny and pleasant.

It was just right for drinking and chatting.

Zhang Gui finished his shrimp paste stewed tofu mixed noodles and rinsed his mouth.

He dug a large piece of coarse salt with his fingertip, put it into his mouth, and brushed it vigorously.

While brushing, he smacked his lips and walked into the kitchen.

The large stove for boiling sauce must always have residual fire.

Zhang Gui stood in front of the stove and sucked his mouth.

A line of fire as thick as a little finger was thrown into his mouth.

He rinsed his mouth as if rinsing his mouth.

The flame ignited the coarse salt in Zhang Gui's mouth, exploded suddenly, and then was swallowed into his abdomen.

Smacking his lips again, feeling that there was no foreign object at all, Zhang Gui smiled with satisfaction.

After leaving the kitchen, he walked slowly to the well.

After washing his face and hands with soapberry, he went onto the street and walked toward Zhang Jiujiang's house.

The two met halfway.

Beside his little partner was a half-old man in his fifties who was unremarkable.

"Dagui, come here and meet Uncle Qitong, there is great news to tell you."

Zhang Jiujiang excitedly beckoned first.

Zhang Gui followed the trend and ran over, bowing to the half-old man according to etiquette, "Uncle, peace and health."

"Good, good," Zhang Qitong smiled until his eyes narrowed, "Knowledgeable and reasonable, both literary and martial."

"Truly a rising star of our Pingyang Zhang family."

"Go, go, go, let's go to the ancestral hall first."

"By order of the elder of the 'Inner Secretary Room' in the clan, let you be listed in the genealogy, add the 'generation character', and change it to Zhang Jiugui."

"Then I will take you to 'Longmen Berth' to Ba-Gong as a martial scholar."

"Submit your application to the commandery government office tomorrow, and you can be used by the clan."

"In the future, I'm afraid I, this uncle, will have to ask you for care."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 60 =====