A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 224 Poor Scholars

"This is Chang'an City. The gates and buildings of this city are really big, like a mountain!"

"This city wall is really high, and it's covered with bricks!"

"The roads in this city are really wide and flat, wider than the wheat threshing field in our village!"

The young Gou Sheng held his grandfather Liu Baofu's hand, his eyes were full of shock.

"Stop, pass?"

At the gate of the city, a city guard guarded the grandparents and grandchildren who were going to follow the chariots and horses. The soldier was tall, burly and strong, wearing iron armor and standing like an iron tower, holding a zhangbabu lance. I cried.

Liu Baofu didn't care about comforting his grandson, and quickly took out an official document from his arms. Before coming to the capital, he specially asked the village official to help him as a guarantee, and asked Li Zheng to go to the office opened by the county householder Cao.

A thin piece of paper costs a lot of favors, but without this piece of paper, he can't even get out of the county, let alone enter Chang'an City.

It's so good to be at home, but it's so difficult to go out.

These days, if you are twenty miles away from your hometown, you must have connections and status, otherwise it will be difficult to move an inch.

The city gate officer looked through it, "Tongguan county in Yizhou came to Beijing to visit relatives?"

"Who to vote for?"

"Vote for our village dog, he is my nephew,"

"Chang'an is full of lights, who knows who Goudan is? Where does he live and what is his identity?"

"He is a Changgong Jinshi, a man of great talent," the old man said.

"It's not uncommon to be a Jinshi in Chang'an. In my Tang Dynasty imperial examination, there are six subjects in the regular tribute. The scholar is the first, the Mingjing is second, and the Jinshi subject is only third. The Mingjing has A, B, C, D and fourth grades. It’s just that he was born under the ninth grade, that Liu Jinshi is still in the capital, what position will Quanxuan confer?"

In the eyes of the villagers in Liu Baofu's hometown, the talented Wenqu star descended to earth, but in the eyes of the guards at the gate of Chang'an, he was nothing at all.

Jinshi is not as good as Mingjing, Mingjing Ding and others are awarded the ninth rank.

So Liu Baofu stood there thinking, reminiscing, and after a long time, he finally remembered in the impatience of the guards, "An official, an official, is the orthographic."

"Secretary provincial orthographic or Hongwenguan orthographic, or Sijingju orthographic, or Chongwenguan orthographic?"

The old man didn't know there were so many orthographic characters.

"Then do you know where he lives?"

"I seem to live in the south of the city,"

The city gatekeeper couldn't help shaking his head when he saw this, "Do you think Chang'an City is the same as the village in your hometown? You can't remember anything. Where can you find someone?"

But it was not easy for this man to see their grandfather and grandson, so he kindly gave them some advice and asked them to go all the way to the south gate of the imperial city along Tianjie Street, where they asked someone to ask if there was any official word Liu Goudan in Secretary Province.

There are only a few yamen with orthographic officials.

Liu Baofu and his father finally entered Chang'an City, looking at the hundred-foot-wide Paradise Street, both grandpa and grandson were a little dumbfounded.

"Grandpa, is this the road? It's too wide, wider than our village."

"This is called Paradise Street. Brother Goudan said in his letter earlier that Chang'an Paradise Street is a hundred steps wide and ten miles long."

After walking a few steps, they were scolded again and asked to walk along the side of the avenue.

Tired and hungry after walking all the way, he finally found the south gate of the imperial city, and it took a long time to inquire. Fortunately, he remembered that his nephew's name was Liu Xu.

But no one knew Liu Xu after asking for a long time. When he was in a state of desperation, he met the school secretary Lai Ji, "Are you looking for the correct character Liu Xu?"

"Sir, do you know him?"

"Liu Xu used to be in the Secretary's Department with me, but now he has been transferred to the Donggong Chongwen Museum. Are you his relatives?"

After an explanation, Lai Ji said, "Why don't I send you to Liu Zhengzi's house. Their family lives in Jing'anfang, east of Jingshan Temple in the south of the city."

Laiji even rented a mule to take the hungry and tired grandpa and grandson to the south of the city.

In Jing'an Square, Liu Xu's wife was a little surprised when she saw her husband's boss, Lai Shishilang, but when she saw the old and the young behind her, her eyes were a little complicated.

"You are the dog's daughter-in-law, er, his uncle, this is his younger brother Gou Sheng,"

The old man came to Liu Xu to borrow money and food, and the family was starving.

Liu Xu's wife invited them into the small courtyard, but Lai Ji said he had something to do and left first.

"I haven't eaten yet. I will cook for my uncle and brother."

Liu Xu's wife turned and went into the kitchen, but when she opened the rice vat, it was empty. She went back to the bedroom, opened a box, and there were a few silver ornaments in it, which were the only jewelry she had left.

Picking up a silver hairpin, Liu Xu's wife came to the front, "Uncle, drink a glass of water here first, I'll go buy some food."

"It's not convenient in the city, you have to buy everything, it's not as convenient as our countryside, where you can grow vegetables in the yard,"

Liu Xu's wife pawned the silver hairpin for some money, then went to buy rice noodles, cut some meat, bought some eggs, and there was no money left from the pawn.

When I came back, I rolled out the noodles, turned on the fire and boiled them, and boiled the meat and eggs.

The big bowl was brought up, and the grandpa and grandson didn't care about being polite, so they squatted on the ground and ate it. There were large slices of pork belly and poached eggs in the bowl.

The grandfather and grandson ate five bowls in one go.

When Liu Xu's wife finished serving the last bit of soup in the pot to the grandfather and grandson, they were still a little bit unsatisfied.

After eating and drinking, the two fathers began to talk about their daily life. There was a mountain torrent in summer, and the crops were reduced. Then the Turks looted again, and the crops were not harvested in autumn. Although the imperial court reduced the rent adjustment, the family still ran out of food.

He could only come to his nephew, hoping to borrow some money to survive the famine.

Liu Xu's wife listened quietly.

In her hometown of Hedong, she was a member of the Imperial Palace of the Sui Dynasty when she was 14 years old. Three years ago, Liu Xu went to Beijing to participate in the Jinshi Division, won the Second Division, and was born under the ninth rank. Since then, he has stayed in Chang'an.

Three days after Liu Xu was born, his father was bitten to death by a poisonous snake, and his mother died of illness when he was three years old. He grew up eating a variety of meals, and later shepherded cattle for the landlord’s family. Because he was smart, he was chosen as the landlord’s son’s book boy. Followed by reading, the landlord's son didn't read the book, but Liu Xu learned very well, so that the husband cherished it very much, and he was specially accepted as a disciple.

Later, he became a village tribute, participated in the imperial examination, and won the first place in one fell swoop.

Liu Xu came from a poor family background and poor conditions, and he was not too young to be a Jinshi in the examination. Later, he married a palace maid named Mei.

The Mei family has no relatives and no reason, and Liu Xu has no father or mother, but they feel pity for each other.

It's just that it's not easy to live in Chang'an, and it's really difficult to rely on the little salary of orthographic characters. However, Liu Xu's hometown still receives letters every now and then, and there is such an official in the village. Everyone looks for him for everything, thinking that he is great. He is a high-ranking official in the capital. .

As everyone knows, he is just a small orthographic character.

The small salary not only rents a house to support his wife and children, but also supports a donkey for transportation, and usually buys paper and pens, etc. The rest of the money is all used to help relatives and neighbors in my hometown.

From time to time, people from the countryside would come to the door, and they had to be treated well, and when they left, they had to send some dry food.

Although Mei felt that this was not the way to go, she couldn't avoid it.

If she doesn't entertain, the villagers will poke her husband's back and say that he eats human milk and shits on pigs.

My husband has been an official for three years, but he hasn't saved a penny of the family property. His colleagues and friends have borrowed money, and every acquaintance has borrowed money. Now he owes favors everywhere.

The Lumi that was just issued is gone again.

It was the first time that Liu Baofu met this niece and daughter-in-law, but he didn't treat her as an outsider, telling about the hardships in the village, borrowing grain, selling land, and even selling children and wives.

"Little Douzi, who grew up with Goudan in the past, pledged his wife to Scarface, a bachelor next door, and agreed to pawn his wife for three years. During these three years, he will live with Scarface. The baby he gave birth to will also belong to Scarface, and he will take it back after three years. , and change three stones of millet in three years."

"Zhao Da from Qiancun Village couldn't afford a coffin after his father died, so he sold his three-year-old daughter for a thin-skinned coffin..."

Hearing this, Mrs. Mei could only sigh in her heart, it was hard for them, but it seemed even harder for the folks.

·······
East Palace, Bureau of Economics and Economics.

The dog egg Liu Xu was sorting out the books collected by the correction, when the supervisor, the school secretary, came to help, "Liu Zhengzi, there is someone from your hometown."

Liu Xu was a little flustered.

What he is most afraid of hearing now is that someone from his hometown is coming. He and his family can no longer afford it, and he can't breathe under the pressure.

But he can't get rid of these, that's his background, that's the debt he owed, he used to eat all kinds of food from the villagers when he was growing up, even when his mother was sick when he was young, he ate the milk of many daughter-in-laws in the village, Not to mention that when he came to Beijing to take the imperial examination, all the villagers in the village pooled up [-] Wen for him, and gave him more than [-] eggs and two buckets of wheat and rice.

Now that he is promising and has become an official, it is only natural for him to repay the villagers.

Although it was difficult for him to support his own family, there was no way.

He can only keep borrowing money, tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall.

"It's getting late, why not Liu Zhengzi go home early today." Lai Ji said.

Liu Xu stopped working, got up, but stood there hesitantly, wanting to ask Laiji to borrow money, but he couldn't open his mouth, the last time he borrowed it for a few days, he still hasn't paid it back.

"But do you want to borrow some money?" Lai Ji asked with a smile.

"Yeah." Liu Xu could only give a heavy hum in the end, "Is it convenient to come to school?"

"Colleagues should also help each other," Lai Ji patted his arm, "but you don't need to borrow it today, let's go, I'll take you to see the martial arts master."

After hearing Lai Ji's words, Wu Huaiyu looked at the thin Liu Zhengzi in front of him, a little pitiful and more admirable. If he were to be released to future generations, I'm afraid no one would always remember these kindnesses, after all, who doesn't think about himself first.

"Didn't you just pay everyone a month's salary earlier?"

"I borrowed a lot of money before I was dismissed from office, and I took it to repay the debt as soon as I got it." Liu Xu said embarrassedly.

Now Liu Xu has fallen into an endless loop. His meager salary can't stand up to the demands of many villagers, but he can't refuse.

Now he borrows too much money, and his colleagues and friends can't borrow any more. Fortunately, he didn't borrow money from Beijing, otherwise the interest would make him desperate.

"Liu Zhengzi, your situation is indeed quite difficult, but I still want to advise you. Although you have received a lot of help from the folks in the past, it is natural for you to give back to everyone, but you have to do what you can.

You should put more energy into your work. You have been in Zhengzi for more than three years, so you have talent, but your energy is all involved in other things.
I transferred you to the Department of Economics and Economics. I hope you can concentrate on your work and don't be too distracted by trivial matters. If you can be promoted, then you will be able to help more. Otherwise, if you can't support your own wife and children, how can you help others? "

"In your case, the bureau can take care of you. First, you will be paid three months' salary in advance, and you can also lend you a sum of public rations."

Liu Xu's monthly salary is only [-] yuan, daily supplies and miscellaneous utilities are [-] yuan, [-] yuan for three months, and [-] yuan for double salary. Huaiyu will lend him two more stone grains without charging interest. It can be regarded as a help from the bureau to the difficult officials in this yamen.

"Official, official..." Liu Xu was so excited that he didn't know what to say. This man came from a humble background, but he was able to work hard. From a shepherd boy to a Jinshi, Wu Huaiyu also heard about his ability and character Outstanding, please transfer over after getting his recommendation.

He also found that this person is really talented, he has mastered the five classics of the nine classics, and he is not only a poor scholar, but also good at general affairs, worthy of training.

"I don't want to talk about that because I'm a colleague in the yamen," Huaiyu waved his hand, "If you still have difficulties in the future, you can just come to me."

Liu Xu thanked him gratefully.

"Recently, we have a very heavy task of copying books. We can't copy the regular script by hand. I'm planning to subcontract some of the copying and hand it over to the students of the Imperial College to copy it."

Liu Xu immediately said that he could also copy at night.

"I said these are not for you to make money by copying books. You can only earn a piece of silk by copying a book. It's just a little hard money." He waved his hand, "I see that you are very capable in handling affairs, so you plan to outsource the copying business... ..."

Huaiyu wants to outsource book copying, let Liu Xu be a small outsourcing leader, for example, pack a project of five hundred volumes and one thousand volumes of book copying tasks, how much money will be outsourced to Liu Xu, and Liu Xu can subcontract to the students of the Imperial College Wait, it's a little bit harder here, but there must be a lot of price difference.

Even if you only earn a few tens of dollars for one volume, you can earn thousands of dollars for a hundred volumes. If you really want to operate, there are still some advantages in it, but it will be more difficult.

But Liu Xu is not afraid of hard work, this is much faster than copying books, and there must be some space in the pen, ink and paper.

This is not considered corruption or anything. After all, it is the real need of the Department of Economics and Economics, and these operations are all within the normal range.

Even this subcontracting mode is more efficient.

Of course, it is human nature to seek some small benefits for one's subordinates by the way. Poor literary and orthographic people like Zhang Chengde and Liu Xu let them take the opportunity to earn some money to subsidize their families.

This is also an important means to win the hearts of subordinates.

"My only requirement is that the quality of the copied books must be guaranteed and must meet the requirements. The price I will give you for copying each book is [-]-character pieces of silk, according to the current price of silk, or [-] yuan. If you can find someone to give you Copying books for a hundred dollars a volume, as long as the copying is good, that's your skill.

Paper, pens and ink can be provided by the bureau, or you can buy them yourself with money according to the requirements of the bureau, or that requirement, you must meet the requirements of the bureau..."

"I can pay you [-]% in advance, and then pay some more for each batch delivered, and finally keep [-]% of the balance. As long as all the products pass the inspection and acceptance, I will pay you all."

These conditions are all taken care of.

"Thank you, Master."

"It's enough to do things beautifully. Now hurry up and pay for the money and food and go home to entertain relatives."

(End of this chapter)