lovenovelstory Chapter 64 0064 [Sending away a prefect is very simple]
Chapter 64 0064 [Sending away a prefect is very simple]
Chapter 66 0064 [Sending away a prefect is very simple]
Emperor Renzong of Song died more than twenty days ago.
For a message to travel from Bianliang to Guangzhou in such a short time, that's already an extremely urgent request.
Huixianlou Restaurant is temporarily closed.
To appease our customers, all purchases tonight will be 20% off.
Ding Zhengchen and Liang Wensu went to settle the accounts together. They weren't in the mood to fight over the payment, so they split the bill and left quickly.
Having caused such a big incident, I must immediately go home to inform my father and prepare for the magistrate's retaliation.
As for the broken items, no one was willing to compensate for them, and Huixianlou simply accepted its bad luck.
Outside Huixianlou, guests kept coming out, staggering and drunk.
The official in charge of relaying the order shouted, "Disperse immediately! Do not gather. The city gates have long been closed. Those who cannot enter the city should find an inn to stay in. I repeat, no banquets, drinking, singing, dancing, or frolicking are permitted!"
Shi Dalang and his gang helped each other downstairs, all with bruises and swelling on their faces, some even with broken heads.
They glared fiercely at the scholars, but ultimately refrained from uttering any more threats.
No one dares to cause trouble at a time like this.
The news of the emperor's death has just arrived; continuing to fight would be considered highly disrespectful.
"The city gates are closed. Let's go to my house and discuss this," Liang Wensu said worriedly.
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Ding Zhengchen said, "I'll go home first and call my father so we can come to your house to discuss countermeasures together."
The others, who had been fighting so enthusiastically, were quickly sobered up by the night breeze that dispelled their drunkenness.
I feel guilty and scared!
As the group walked along the riverbank, someone changed the subject: "With the late emperor gone and the new emperor on the throne, the next examination will be the list of those who have been imprisoned and punished, right?"
"Yes, there is no palace examination. The first place in the Ministry of Rites examination automatically becomes the top scholar." Liang Wensu was quite clear about this.
Some scholars even studied at the state school but didn't know what the "Liang An Bang" (a list of official documents) was, so they hurriedly inquired about all sorts of related information.
Guo Shen asked curiously, "If there were no palace examination, would those who passed still be considered disciples of the emperor?"
Luo Dunxin said, "It is and it isn't."
Liang Wensu explained in detail: "When I was studying at Xujiang Academy, my teacher told me about this. The Liang An List rarely produced famous officials because the initial official positions were very low, and it was impossible to have a master to teach them."
Everyone was startled upon hearing this.
But the thought that I might not pass the exam made me less worried.
Xu Lai asked, "How low is the initial official rank?"
Liang Wensu said, "Even if you pass the imperial examination with the highest score, you can't become a government official in the capital; you have to start from the selection of officials."
"Even the top scholar can't get a government position in the capital?" Yang Shu asked in surprise, as he was also unaware of the details.
Liang Wensu nodded and said, "Yes, not only can they not serve as officials in the capital, but they also cannot stay in the capital after their initial assignments. They will all be sent to other provinces!"
These words gave Xu Lai a headache, even more so than the fight earlier.
If the top scholar (状元) received such terrible treatment, wouldn't the other successful candidates (进士) have had an even worse time?
All positions are outsourced. Without a mentor to guide you—unless you have extremely strong family connections, getting promoted is harder than climbing to heaven.
Why don't you take the exam now and wait until the year after next?
Xu Lai quickly dismissed the idea. He would definitely take the exam if he could, but he could wait for the imperial examination while serving as an official.
The group chatted as they arrived at Liang Wensu's house, where they recounted in detail the events of the previous night to his father and brothers.
His father, Liang Cong, couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, disaster is imminent for us."
Guo Shen said, "Probably not. For a prefectural magistrate like you, having your son get into a fight in a brothel would be a terrible reputation. You'd be too busy covering it up to seek revenge; that would be too despicable."
"7
A classmate immediately reminded us: "Have you forgotten what happened last time? We went to the Military Commissioner's Office to submit a petition, but that Magistrate Shi stopped us for no reason."
Liang Wenqing, Liang Wensu's elder brother, said: "Prefect Shi cannot be judged by ordinary standards. He often summoned courtesans to the back of his residence, and even let his concubines and children drink, watch plays, and have fun together. He even brought his concubines and children, dressed up, and went on stage to perform.
It happened several times within a month!
"Is that so?"
The students were astonished; they were usually at school and had never heard of such rumors.
Liang Wenqing said, "This matter has spread from the government offices to the common people, who call him the 'Gonggu Tongpan' (a local official). Certain miscellaneous commercial taxes in and around Guangzhou have always been collected directly by the Tongpan, and in the past two months, the amount collected has been increasing, leading merchants to call him the 'Skinning Tongpan' (another local official)."
A man like him is capable of anything.
Xu Lai, who hadn't said much since leaving Huixianlou, slowly uttered, "I can get rid of Magistrate Shi. But it takes at least two or three months for ordinary clerks to travel between Guangzhou and Kaifeng. So we have to deal with those two or three months."
"Nephew, please don't joke. How can a dignified magistrate of Guangzhou be moved away so easily?" Liang Cong simply did not believe that Xu Lai had any way to deal with him.
Yang Shu, however, was very certain: "If Xu Sanlang says he has a way, then he definitely has a way!"
Everyone turned to look at Xu Lai.
Xu Lai's expression was calm, and his tone was also very composed, as if getting rid of a prefect was extremely easy: "I had dinner at Minister Yu's house, and Prefect Shi was also there at the time. From their casual conversation, it seems that Prefect Shi's father had connections with many famous officials of the Qingli era."
Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with despair.
Right now, it is the famous ministers of the Qingli era who are in control of the government!
Liang Cong said, "The fact that he can dine at Minister Yu's house means their relationship must be quite close. With Minister Yu protecting him externally and renowned officials of the Qingli era safeguarding him internally, how could anyone dare to touch him?"
That's why I'm confident.
Xu Lai analyzed, "From what I've observed, both Minister Yu and Judge Chen dislike Judge Shi quite a bit. Minister Yu's continued tolerance of this man is mostly due to his father's influence. Judge Shi is an unscrupulous official, and given his age, it would be very difficult for him to reach this position through normal promotion."
No one interrupted him; they listened attentively as he continued.
Xu Lai continued, "So Shi Xun was able to become a sub-prefect because his father used his connections. Moreover, he was deliberately sent to Guangzhou to serve as an official, which was to recommend him as a famous minister of the Qingli era, hoping to use Minister Yu to warn him to behave more obediently in office."
"That makes sense," Liang Cong agreed.
Xu Lai added, "Minister Yu has probably tolerated him for a long time, but he can't punish him. It's not just because of old friendships, but also because Shi Xun was promoted to Vice Prefect by a certain famous minister of the Qingli era. If the recommended person commits a crime, the recommender is equally guilty! If Shi Xun is dealt with according to the law, that famous minister will also be implicated."
"This makes it even more difficult. What should we do?" Guo Shen asked.
Xu Lai countered, "If you were Master Yu, how would you handle this?"
The group began to think.
"Xu Sanlang, hurry up and tell me." Lin Chong was too lazy to think anymore.
Xu Lai laughed and said, "It's very simple. Minister Yu will definitely not openly impeach Shi Xun out of consideration for that famous minister. But he can secretly write to that famous minister and say that Shi Xun has gone too far in Guangzhou and should be transferred to a remote prefecture or military region under some pretext. After one or two such transfers, it will have nothing to do with the person who recommended him. When the matter is decided later, it will not implicate that famous minister."
"yes!"
This group of scholars, who had no experience in political struggle, were suddenly opened to a new world.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were explicit regulations stipulating that if someone committed a crime within five years, the person who instigated the crime would be held jointly liable. The Northern Song Dynasty, however, did not set a time limit, and crimes committed after a change of official rank were no longer subject to joint liability.
Xu Lai said, "But if we want Master Yu to write a letter to that famous minister and recommender, we need a reason. We need to add fuel to the fire, making it so that Master Yu has no choice but to write the letter!"
"What kind of fire?"
Everyone hurriedly asked.
Xu Lai laughed and said, "Write satirical poems. The more catchy the better, even doggerel will do. Just post them all over the school. This is something that Minister Yu will absolutely not tolerate. He will definitely write to his old friend immediately. It just so happens that the late emperor has passed away, and there will be frequent changes of officials afterward, which will be very convenient for that famous minister to transfer Shi Xun away."
From analyzing the inside story to formulating strategies, Xu spoke eloquently and logically.
After hearing this, everyone was filled with admiration.
Yang Shu even said, "He has the qualities of a prime minister."
Liang Cong, however, harbored a glimmer of hope, saying, "What if Magistrate Shi doesn't intend to retaliate? Posting satirical poems would only backfire."
The compromising and weak nature of the merchant class is clearly revealed.
Even at a time like this, you're still hoping the other party will be lenient.
"Then wait until he takes his revenge before writing poetry," Xu Lai said, offering no further advice.
Anyway, the boarding students have Principal Chen protecting them, and their homes are not in the city, so they are not afraid of Shi Xun for the time being.
Even though Yang Shu's brother became a military officer, he wasn't afraid of Shi Xun harming him. This was because his brother's military position was obtained through bribing Eunuch Wang, who then asked Chen Congyi to recommend him.
If Shi Xun were to target Yang Shu's brother without cause, it would be tantamount to slapping Chen Congyi in the face!
The merchants from the Ding and Liang families were the first to be affected.
With the Liang family hesitant, what could Xu Lai possibly say?
Just then, Ding Zhengchen arrived with his father.
The two wealthy businessmen went to the study to discuss in detail how to deal with the situation.
They must have connections and want to spend money to resolve this matter, believing that posting satirical poems is too radical.
The next day, Xu Lai did not return to school, but instead walked towards the neighborhood further north.
He also had a design drawing in his pocket.
I drew this last night.
There were some things he had to do. He could refrain from publicly posting satirical poems, but he still wanted Shih Hsun out of the picture as soon as possible.
Even if someone like Shi Xun made a serious mistake while holding the position of Vice Prefect of Guangzhou, someone would cover it up for him, out of fear of offending his superior.
After he is transferred, things may change. Officials who dislike him may impeach him without hesitation!
Since it concerned Yu Pianpian's reputation, some things were inconvenient to say in public, so Xu Laide told Yu Jing about them in private.
Visiting in person is inappropriate, so it's best to bring a gift; inventing mulberry shears would be a good idea.
Half the street was lined with iron shops, and Xu Lai randomly went into one.
Front shop, back kitchen.
The storefront faced the street, selling various finished products. The backyard was filled with the clanging and banging of metalwork, where blacksmiths would usually be forging iron.
"What does this scholar want to buy?" the proprietress asked.
Xu Lai said, "I want to have something made and I'd like to have a face-to-face meeting with the pliers master."
The proprietress immediately went to call her husband.
Soon, a blacksmith in his forties rushed over from the backyard.
Xu Lai took out the design drawings: "Can this be built?"
The blacksmith stared at it for a long time: "What kind of scissors are these? They look very strange."
It's just a regular fruit shear, something you can see everywhere in later generations, only its construction isn't that sophisticated.
Xu Lai said, "I will use it to prune mulberry branches, flower branches, fruit branches, and tea branches."
"Can it be cut?" the blacksmith couldn't help but wonder.
Xu Lai said, "Don't worry about whether you can cut it or not, just make it first."
The blacksmith pondered, "If I were to use it to trim tree branches, the blades would need to be coated with steel."
"Do it your way," Xu said.
The blacksmith pointed to another component, carefully examining the markings, and asked, "Is this labeled 'spring'?"
Xu Lai asked, "Can a spring be made? You can roll up a wire and press it down to make it spring out. If that doesn't work, you can use a reed instead."
The blacksmith said, "I'll get some wire and try."
The technique of drawing iron wire already existed in the Song Dynasty. Sewing needles were made by first drawing iron wire, then cutting it, and slowly hammering and grinding it into needles.
"How much is the deposit? When can I pick it up?" Xu Lai asked.
The blacksmith thought for a moment and said, "One hundred coins as a deposit. Ordinary scissors only cost twenty or thirty coins. These scissors require more material, and I've never made them before, so it will take quite a while. Come back in three days to pick them up."
Xu Lai threw down one hundred coins and left.
He was confident that he could make the Shi family father and son leave Guangzhou in disgrace within three to four months.
If Shi Xun is still an official when he comes to power, he will destroy him both publicly and privately!
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