CH 132

It was Zhou Shuren’s first contact with the ancient exams, and he made a mistake for the first time. “The second.”

Zhulan was surprised, “Who is the first?”

Zhou Shuren said while taking off his clothes, “Another candidate from the village. The twenty-two-year-old has taken the exam three times.”

Zhulan laughed, which means that he had more experience than him, and took the clothes, “Where is the fǔshì1 in April?”

Zhou Shuren said a little unnaturally: “Pingzhou is the examination center for Fǔshi that will be in the first part of the fourth lunar month, and the Yuànshì2 at the end of the month. Yuànshì is also in Pingzhou, presided over by Xuezheng3.”

Zhulan calculated the days, “It’s best to go to Pingzhou in advance, so should we go there in late March? “

Zhou Shuren nodded, “Well, come to Pingzhou with me then?”

Zhulan counted the time, and there were still one and a half months to train Li Shi. And with Zhao Shi to oversee her, there won’t be a problem. She added, “Sure. By the way, Jiang Sheng came to deliver the copied book the day before yesterday, and I gave him the rest of the money, and I asked him to wait for you to come back.”

Zhou Shuren remembered the matter of his son-in-law, “I went to the exam this time and found him a new job. It is sorting out old documents for the county government, re-recording the taxation situation for more than ten years. The salary is five hundred yuan a month, and he has to help in the afternoon, and so there won’t be any problem studying in the morning.”

Zhulan was curious, “How do you go to the exam and return with this job offer? Have you met a friend from the county government?”

The county yamen wouldn’t normally seek the help of a Tongshen. Opportunities to interact with the County Magistrate were rare. Don’t underestimate the County Magistrate’s authority; they handle documents, administration, and taxation, and mediate relations between the yamen and various ethnic groups. Although their power might not be immense, they’re at least a juren and hold an official position. Gaining their favor and guidance could be quite beneficial.

The rarer the opportunity, the more surprised Zhulan was how Zhou Shuren did it!

Zhou Shuren pulled the pillow and lay on the kang sideways, saying: “On the first day of the exam, I went out to eat, and I met the head of the yamen servant, who was the county magistrate’s brother-in-law. Through him, I came to know that the county magistrate valued an antique and was not sure whether it was real or not. I had a frank discussion with him, and after the exam was over, evaluated the antique and found it to be a fake. So, to thank me, when he knew I was a candidate this year, he felt that I was capable during the discussion, so naturally he gave one or two preferential treatment. And then I took the opportunity to talk with the head of the yamen. I knew that he had talked about recruiting, so I introduced Jiang Sheng, and the county magistrate agreed, that’s all.”

Zhulan’s mind turned quickly, “Antiques must not be cheap, if I remember correctly, you once said, the county magistrate has been here for many years. The magistrate of the county was rated as excellent last year, and he will definitely go up. He saw the opportunity to make connections, and he also wants to go up. Antiques are to be given as gifts?”

Zhou Shuren nodded with a smile, “Smart, that’s why he’s extremely grateful. If he were to buy and present it, he would offend people and also jeopardize the hard-planned future he had. He wanted to express his gratitude, and I had a request in mind, which he naturally agreed to. However, he didn’t specify when he would arrange everything. It’s dependent on whether I can become a xiùcái4 or not. If I do pass, he’ll have a few more months to organize it, but if I don’t, the latest deadline would be May.”

Zhulan smirked, “The County Magistrate is a successful candidate in the imperial examination, and he’s not pursuing further exams. His position as the County Magistrate was plotted, not obtained through the regular path of advancing to fifth rank or higher as an official. It’s quite rare. Am I correct in what you’ve said?”

Zhou Shuren, “That’s right.”

Zhulan rubbed her chin, “It seems that the county magistrate is really optimistic about you. So he is investing in advance on you, but the old fox also has left a way out for himself!”

Zhou Shuren looked at Zhulan without blinking, and Zhulan understood without him saying anything. This feeling of resonance was very good, “Ma’am I admire you for your intelligence!”

Zhulan’s face couldn’t help but blush slightly. It’s natural for anyone to feel a bit uneasy under such a direct and probing gaze. She managed to hold her composure but blushed briefly. “Alright, you should rest early too. I’ll catch up with you later tonight.”