Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 58 0055 [Eight Elements Scholars]

"Old... the old lady can't do it!"

Hearing the servant's exclamation, the old white member quickly crawled to his mother's side, but saw that the old lady Bai was motionless.

This old lady who had just passed her [-]th birthday was frightened to death due to excessive panic!

The old white man opened his mouth. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't cry, so he just sat on the ground in a daze.

I don't know how long it took, and there were several cock crows in the village.

Bai Chongyan came back with his servants. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, after asking about the situation, he lay down next to his grandmother and cried loudly.

The old white member said weakly: "Don't cry, how is Dalang?"

Bai Chongyan stopped crying, and sobbed, "Brother is instructing the servants to move our family's property back. Some of them have been robbed by bandits, and we don't know how much we lost."

The old white member said: "Money is something outside of the body, help me up, let's go home first."

Bai Chongyan carried his father on his back, carried his grandmother's body, and walked forward amidst infinite grief.

As soon as the night wind blew, the old white member became very sober, lying on his son's back and muttering to himself: "It's connected, it's connected..."

Bai Chongyan asked, "What does father remember?"

The old white member did not answer, and was still talking to himself: "No wonder that Zhu Er dared to overturn the table in the county government. It turned out that he had colluded with the bandits. If Zhu Er hadn't spoken, how could the bandits dare to come and rob our house? Zhu Er Good trick, even if I catch the bandit leader, he can still refuse to admit it."

Bai Chongyan was furious when he heard the words: "It was Zhu Er who ordered it?"

The old white member said: "After dawn, you go to the county seat immediately and tell your second brother about the matter. Zhu Er wants to overturn the table, and I will die. Don't even think about collecting a single cent of this year's summer grain. What is the difference between buying money and buying money?" Money, I won’t give you a penny!”

He bought money, bought money, and tax arrears in previous years. Although these were apportioned to the gentry and powerful, they had to be handed over together with the summer grain, and they had to be left to the landlords to raise money.

Under the tandem of the old white officials, the officials and gentry in the whole county just took the opportunity to not cooperate with the chief bookkeeper in collecting taxes.

When this incident happened, Xiang Zhixian was the most troubled. His official career was likely to be over!

No matter how the situation develops, the Black Wind Village is definitely gone.

Who told them not to kill the old white members?Xiang Zhixian was forced out of the palace by old white officials, so he had to go all out to recruit troops to suppress the bandits.

When Zhu Ming came back to look for his horse, he happened to bump into the old Bai Yuanwai's family.

Hearing that Mrs. Bai was frightened to death, Zhu Ming was inevitably a little sad.He had a good impression of the old lady, she was a nice person.However, the world is impermanent, a living person, if he says nothing, he will be gone.

The sky was getting darker, and the old and weak women and children who were fleeing for their lives began to return to the village one after another.

Zhang Guangdao anxiously searched for a long time, until noon, he finally found Yao Fang's son, but he was carried away to Baishitou.

Zhu Guoxiang also followed the villagers down the mountain and saw many bloodstains along the way.

The corpses of the bandit and the villagers were placed outside the Bai family's mansion.

Some villagers who couldn't find their family members came to recognize the corpse anxiously, and then they cried and howled one after another.

"Dean Zhu, how do you feel?" Zhu Ming sat in the courtyard and asked while wiping his sword.

Zhu Guoxiang listened to the faint crying, and said with emotion: "The world is not peaceful, no one can live a stable life, even if you become a landlord, you will be worried. I heard that Mrs. Bai is dead?"

"Maybe I was scared to death." Zhu Ming replied.

Zhu Guoxiang suddenly asked: "How does it feel to kill someone?"

Zhu Ming carefully recalled: "Killing at night comes with a filter, and the visual impact is not great. At that time, I only thought about how to defeat the bandits, and I was very excited about killing and killing. Later, when it was dawn, I saw the villagers carrying the corpses. Nausea, it's purely a physiological reaction, um... I feel uncomfortable in my stomach, I can't help but want to vomit."

Zhu Guoxiang looked at the sky: "I can't. The first time I killed a chicken was when I was 15 years old. I twisted the chicken's neck and plucked the hair from its neck. It struggled desperately at first, and then seemed to accept its fate. He looked at me motionlessly. Just the day before, I fed it food, and it seemed to be asking me, why did you kill it? The adults were urging me, saying that the water was boiling, so kill Tangmao quickly. I stabbed him Going down, the chicken didn’t die, so I made another two cuts. I didn’t eat a piece of chicken that day, and I never slaughtered animals with my own hands again.”

"When we first crossed, we killed a deer." Zhu Ming reminded.

"That's different. The deer was bitten to death, and we are ending its suffering." Zhu Guoxiang argued.

Zhu Ming ruthlessly exposed: "You still said that you want to kill the cornucopia, just for a few bites of horse meat."

"That's starving," Zhu Guoxiang said with a bitter smile, "Whether it's hypocritical or soft-hearted, I can't see the scene of slaughter anyway. If you say you want to rebel, how many people will die, I feel terrible when I think about it."

Zhu Ming asked, "Where are the fish? Where are the crabs? You are not soft-hearted when it comes to killing."

Zhu Guoxiang was very speechless, and he said angrily: "Are you finished? I'm talking about business! What I want to express is that I don't want to rebel. But if I am forced to rebel, I can only rebel. When the time comes, I'm only in charge of logistics, you go to war or something."

"A poor boy from the countryside, how can he learn how to use petty bourgeois sentiments to hurt the spring and autumn? Take your time to feel sad, someone is here." Zhu Ming said looking outside the courtyard.

Bai Chongwen changed into clean clothes, followed by two domestic servants carrying baskets, entered the courtyard door and saluted: "Thank you Zhu Dalang for saving your life last night, a little care is not a respect!"

Ju Ming bowed in return: "It's just for self-protection, it doesn't have to be like that."

The Bai family directly sent a basketful of money, probably at the behest of the old white member.

Bai Chongwen also said: "Professor Zhu Xianggong's salary in the village school has risen to five hundred yuan a month. This year's summer grain, the two of you don't have to pay again, my father will arrange it properly."

"Thank you!" Zhu Guoxiang cupped his hands.

Bai Chongwen said: "I still have things to do, so I will take my leave first."

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Please go ahead."

Bai Chongwen has always hated Zhu's father and son very much. After the catastrophe of life and death last night, he didn't care about everything before, after all, there was no grievance between them.

Bai Chongwen finally figured it out, no matter how hard and tired he is, he still wants to support his third brother to study.

Only when there are Jinshi in the family, will you not be afraid of the government's intimidation, and you will not be afraid of bandits and tyrants coveting.

The previous Bai family was too stable, making Bai Chongwen lack a sense of crisis.

Saying goodbye to the father and son, Bai Chongwen continued to send money, and the old white member was about to bleed heavily this time.

For the villagers who died last night, the old white member promised to pay for the pension.

Those who participated in the battle were all exempted from summer grain and tax arrears in the past year, and the Bai family was responsible for helping them.

If it is a customer, it will be converted into a reward.

The old white member wanted to unite the villagers, recruit Baojia soldiers, and attack Heifengzhai to avenge his old mother!
That evening, Li Hanzhang came to visit.

This young man was covered with three wounds, which was enough to be called brave. When he met him, he said: "Mr. Zhu, Brother Zhu Xian, I am here to say goodbye, and I will return to Yangzhou City tomorrow."

Zhu Ming asked, "Shouldn't we leave after recovering from our injuries?"

Li Hanzhang said with a stern look on his face, "Master, I wish you colluded with bandits, robbed the gentry, and killed innocent people indiscriminately. When I go back this time, I will definitely persuade my father and sue him severely!"

"The captured bandit confessed to Master Zhu?" Zhu Guoxiang asked.

Li Hanzhang shook his head: "No, the two bandits who were captured didn't know anything during the torture. But I discussed it with Bai Yuanwai, and I thought it was Master Zhu who was behind the scenes. Whether it was him or not, this time it counts. On his head, otherwise it will be difficult to solve the hatred in our hearts!"

Zhu Zongdao took everything into account, even if the bandit failed, he could push it all away.

You can also take the opportunity to recruit soldiers and kill thieves, and when you capture Heifengzhai, you can make meritorious service and gain political achievements.With the prestige of breaking thieves, which landlord dare not pay taxes?
Only Li Hanzhang is a variable, this man is the son of the state judge.

Once Li Tongpan gets angry, Zhu Zongdao's master book will be over!
After chatting for a while, Li Hanzhang said again: "Your brother was really majestic last night. He turned the tide of the battle with his own strength. With both civil and military skills, he is also a pillar of the country. I will definitely ask my father to recommend my brother, and maybe I can get a place in the Imperial Academy."

Zhu Ming asked curiously, "Can I go directly to Taixue to study?"

Li Hanzhang explained: "If there are scholars of the Eight Elements in a locality, the officials have the responsibility to recommend them to the imperial court. If the imperial court approves, they can study in Taixue. If the imperial court does not approve, they can also study in prefectures."

The so-called Eight Elements Scholars are scholars who possess the eight virtues.

Whoever possesses the eight virtues, of course, is up to the local officials.

Zhu Ming asked: "I heard that Tai students want to be successful, so they have to give gifts to curry favor with the powerful?"

Li Hanzhang nodded and said: "That's true. But my virtuous brother is not an ordinary scholar. The officials have to personally test and teach the imperial students every year. With my knowledge, my virtuous brother will definitely be appreciated by the officials."

There are five grades in Taixue, namely upper class, upper class in inner house, lower class in inner house, upper class in outer house, lower class in outer house.

Generally speaking, it needs to be assessed layer by layer, slowly promoted from the outer house to the upper house, and then selected from the upper house students, and given the status of fellow Jinshi.

There are exceptions to everything, and that is when the emperor speaks!

Song Huizong inspected Taixue every year and asked some questions in person.

Knowledgeable people, if they have a thick skin, can rush to answer.Once he is appreciated by the emperor, he will be directly promoted to Shangshe to study, and then there is a high chance of having a Jinshi background.

After careful consideration, Ju Ming decided that he could give it a try.

With the efficiency of handling affairs in ancient times, even if the imperial court approves it, it is estimated that it will take next year or the year after.At that time, my father had already established a firm foothold, and I could go to Kaifeng for a stroll, or if I couldn't do it, I would just ask for leave and return to my hometown.

Zhu Ming thought of one thing, clasped his hands and asked: "Brother Zhen, I worked hard to kill the thief last night and snatched an official horse from the thief. Can you ask your father to be the master, reward me with the official horse, and open another one by the way?" certificate."

Li Hanzhang couldn't help but want to laugh, and immediately replied: "Since it is stolen by thieves, it can naturally be rewarded to warriors."

(End of this chapter)