bestfiction Chapter 316 Ancient Farmer Scholars 8
Chapter 316 Ancient Farmer Scholars 8
Why didn't Mo Qing pick up the shoes? Didn't he find them? Actually, Liu Yuxi had some guesses in his mind, but he still couldn't quite believe it.
The ancestral graves of the Liu family are really emitting auspicious smoke!
"You passed! You passed! Master, you passed the exam! You are now a scholar!" Mo Qing shouted, his voice practically splitting in pain.
Liu Yuxi couldn't control his expression at all, grinning widely and laughing heartily: "Rewards! Rewards for everyone! Each person gets three months' salary!"
"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master!" The servants were also very happy, not only because they had received a reward, but more so because their master's family had become even more prestigious. From now on, when they went out to introduce themselves, they could say, "I am so-and-so from the Liu family, the scholar who passed the imperial examination!"
They arranged for someone to move the basket of copper coins from his house to the gatehouse, waiting for the official messenger to arrive with good news before scattering them on the street.
Only then did he have time to ask Mo Qing, "Mo Qing, what is my ranking?"
In Fengzhou Prefecture, only fifty candidates are selected for each provincial examination. As the master's page and personal servant, Mo Qing naturally knows that his master doesn't care about the ranking, as long as they pass.
So he cheerfully replied, "Sir, you are number forty-eight!"
"Phew! Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" Just a hair's breadth away! I must burn plenty of paper money for the Liu family ancestors later. Liu Yuxi handed several red envelopes to Mo Qing: "Keep these, give them to the messenger who brings the good news later!"
"Hey!"
The messenger bringing good news is probably still a while away, because those messengers usually start by delivering good news to the families of those with higher rankings, so by the time they get to his place, it will be close to noon.
He told Mo Qing to go back to his room to change his shoes and have a meal before coming back to serve him. Mo Qing had gone to wait before dawn to see the results. He himself sat in the living room, secretly pleased with himself.
Finally, the ordeal is over! No more monthly exams! No more listening to the teacher say he's hopeless and slow to learn! No more suffering in those cramped cells!
Once again, I thank the ancestors of the Liu family! He has gained a deeper understanding of himself once more: he excels at studying, but he can't handle being forced to take exams!
After finishing his meal, Mo Qing returned to the living room to serve. The two waited until almost noon before they heard the sound of a gong from the street outside.
At the same time, the gatekeeper came to report: "Sir, the messenger bringing good news is outside the gate!"
"Okay, let's go out!"
"Congratulations, Scholar Liu! Congratulations, Scholar Liu!" The yamen runner, bringing the good news, bowed and offered his congratulations.
"Thank you! Thank you! Mo Qing."
Mo Qing quickly presented the red envelope: "Thank you for your trouble, officers. Please have some tea!"
The head constable took the red envelope and felt it; it was light and thin. He thought to himself that this Liu scholar was quite generous, while replying politely, "It's only right. Then we won't bother you any longer, sir. There's another family coming up!"
"It's already noon. I was thinking of inviting you all to Tongfu Restaurant for a meal, but since you have other business to attend to, let's do it another time!" Mo Qing said politely.
Of course, he thought the same thing as his master: "The master is already forty-eight, and there are several groups of messengers coming to announce the good news. Their family is definitely in the last wave to be notified. Where would the next family come from?"
Such lowly figures in government offices—the yamen runners—could only intimidate ordinary people. To the poor, they were the tentacles of the government and absolutely could not be offended.
In reality, yamen runners were of low social status, belonging to the same social class as entertainers, servants, and other lowly people. Mo Qing addressed them as "yamen runners" only because of the yamen's status.
There's not much they can do, so they don't dare to overstep their bounds. They accept the money they receive for reporting good news without a second thought, considering it a reward from the host.
But they dared not even think about more; their "extra income" had to be sought from lower levels, not higher levels.
Especially for someone like Liu Yuxi, who was already a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, if he had connections, he could directly become an official. This is the social hierarchy of ancient times, with each level like a chasm, dividing people into different classes!
When the kids came home, Liu Yuxi had the family cook prepare a big feast, and the four of them celebrated. Liu Yuxi even drank quite a bit of alcohol.
After dinner, Liu Yuxi took the three boys to the study and said, "As you all know, our Liu family is a farming family, and for generations, only one son has been born. It was only in your generation that you three brothers were born."
Our family's wealth, accumulated over generations, amounts to just a few shops and a few estates. We're much better off than ordinary people; at least we have enough to eat and drink, and we even have a considerable income.
However, we are completely incomparable to those wealthy and powerful families, officials and nobles. All our wealth may not even be worth as much as the servants in their households.
Speaking of connections, besides my own teachers and classmates, it's just yours; the others aren't even as good as my family.
Your father has some talent for studying, but not much. I was able to pass the imperial examination at the age of thirty. Besides hard work, there was also a bit of luck involved.
Father couldn't pass the imperial examination; we come from a humble family, and our perspectives and understanding are outdated. Father never aspired to be an official; he lacked the connections, the ambition, and the ability.
Your father just wants to live a peaceful life as a wealthy man with the title of a scholar. As long as our family doesn't cause trouble, nothing will really bother us.
As for you three brothers, you should take the imperial examinations, but you can't make it your only goal in life. You still need to learn other things.
If you learn other skills, our family will never lack money for the imperial examinations. As long as our family's wealth is not scattered, you and your descendants will be able to continue participating in the imperial examinations.
Your father doesn't have particularly high expectations for you. Our primary goal as the Liu family is to continue the Liu family tradition, and then we'll consider other things on that basis.
Of the three of you brothers, the eldest and second eldest are in a slightly better situation than me, but not by much. Only the youngest brother has a higher aptitude for studying. Whether it is the youngest brother or your future children, if you are fortunate enough to pass the imperial examination, you will be able to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
Once you become an official, you must remain stable. Listen more, observe more, speak less, and participate less. It's better to sit on the sidelines and achieve nothing than to be radical.
You must understand that the greater the power, the greater the risk. Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. Only when you have thoroughly understood the rules of officialdom and have a wide enough network of connections can you let your successors venture out with peace of mind.
If any of your descendants don't have a talent for studying, don't feel pressured. You brothers can support each other in the future. It's not like all your children are without talent, right?
If one generation fails, then the next generation will be raised. So, as I said before, you must protect your family wealth. You can't be like some of your classmates who are so arrogant and disdainful. In this world, who can live without money?
What your father is saying may be things you don't understand right now, but if you don't, think about it slowly. Later, your father will also draft some family rules, so our family can say, "A family of scholars and farmers!" We still need to have the necessary rules.