Raising the Demon

Chapter 45
The village chiefs have been arguing and quarreling ineffectively for two days. Zi Baifeng showed his face on the first day, and then he lost interest at all. He left Yan Laowu here to quarrel with others and go to Wandering around the Mengcheng mansion.

The old man was full of arrogance and majesty when he quarreled, but the clan elders here did not have a fuel-efficient lamp, which opened Zi Baifeng's eyes.The quarrel mainly focused on how to distribute the [-] jade stones, how many people in each village, and how much each household should bear.A certain village suffered a loss last time, and this time it is bound to get it back, but the others are absolutely unwilling to do it.As they talked, these old guys turned over their old accounts and waved their fists to perform a martial arts show. The villages who came with them were all young people they had just met, and their faces turned pale with fright. war.

Judging by the progress, it is estimated that it will take three or four days of quarreling to reach a preliminary result. The village officials lost their patience, and in the end, only the clan elders were left to quarrel here - arguing while drinking.

It is said that three women are equal to [-] ducks, but a dozen or so gentlemen here are better than [-] women. With such a loud voice, no one can stay in the Mengcheng mansion during the day, and even the mansion has changed places to work. .

Zi Baifeng left Mengcheng mansion and went straight to the academy.

The Academy is not far from Mengcheng Mansion, just to the east of Mengcheng Mansion. It occupies a slightly smaller area than Mengcheng Mansion. It can be regarded as one of the largest buildings in Mengcheng Mansion. However, compared with the style of Mengcheng Mansion, the Academy looks much more peaceful. Brick and white walls, low-key and elegant.

The main entrance of the academy is not very wide, with the words "Dongmeng" written on it, which is the name of the academy.There is a small square in front of the academy, where many students play and exercise on weekdays, it is considered an outside playground, and at the edge of the field, there is a shadow wall, and many black and white papers are pasted on the shadow wall at this time.

Dongmeng Academy released the list.

Anyone who is on the list can enter the academy to study.

Although Dongmeng Academy is called an academy, it is half an academy and half an official school.The academies are maintained by funding from Montreal and donations from wealthy businessmen. Wealthy students pay tuition fees, and poor students can use various labor services to replace tuition fees, and even receive certain subsidies.Zi Baifeng back then was the latter type.

However, half of the fame of Dongmeng Academy comes from the policies of the academy itself, and the other half comes from the master, who is full of peaches and plums. It is said that many of his disciples and grandchildren hold great power, and the governor is actually one of his students. In Mengcheng, Shang From the prince of the government to the pawn, everyone respectfully calls him a gentleman but not his name.

When Zi Baifeng arrived at the gate of the academy, he saw that there were crowds of people in front of the gate of the academy. Among the people who read the list in front of the list, there were many students who came from other places with their bags on their backs and guide books. Students are also attracted by the master's fame. When they come to study and get advice from the master, it is tantamount to opening a broad road.

To be honest, many of these people came here for the position of "village officer". The position of village officer, which Zi Baifeng often mocks himself, is already a great job in the eyes of many people. .Last time, the Mengcheng Mansion only selected [-] or [-] village officials, and there are still nearly a hundred villages that have not selected village officials. This is also an errand that can receive the imperial salary. With this errand, at least you can continue to study without worrying. Hungry.

Zi Baifeng was looking around when he heard a shout from over there: "Sir! Sir, this way!"

Zi Baifeng saw the sixth grandson of Yan Laowu's family grinning loudly, and waved to Zi Baifeng while smiling.

Zi Baifeng squeezed all the way in, sweating all the way, and saw the six students in the village were all there, and they were all laughing, and their elders were accompanying them, all of them were also laughing, followed The few young people who came to join in the fun were also laughing, a large group of people gathered together, laughing heartily, not to mention how conspicuous they were.

"What's the matter, so happy? How many did you pass?" Zi Baifeng asked with a smile.

"Guess, sir!" Yan Xiaoliu chuckled, making a fool of himself.This Yan Xiaoliu was Zi Baifeng's classmate before, and later he was whipped by his grandfather a few times because of Zi Baifeng's relationship. Later, he was still a little unconvinced, but after Zi Baifeng's few classes, he was submissive.

I don't know if Yan Lao Wu's meal played a role, this kid is considered serious, and the academy exam, in Zi Baifeng's opinion, is really not that difficult. The results improved by leaps and bounds, and finally the six people who came to take the exam were selected.

"I guess?" Zi Baifeng stood on tiptoe and looked at the list like that. But there are too many people, crowded and the distance is a bit far. Where can I see it?
"No big or small!" Yan Er came out, Yan Er was quite like a father, quite serious, and also quite respected by the juniors, he saluted Zi Baifeng and said: "Sir, the six of them all take the exam. up."

On weekdays, he would occasionally call Zi Baifeng by his name, and occasionally address him as Mr. Xiucai, but today, he said Mr. from the bottom of his heart.

"They all passed the exam? Even Xiao Liu passed the exam?" Zi Baifeng laughed out loud, "Xiao Liu, you guy didn't cheat, did you? This is shit luck!"

Yan Xiaoliu was not ashamed but proud, pretending that Zi Baifeng was praising him, raised his head and said, "I don't even look at who I am!" The guy turned around and flattered him very obediently, "I don't even look at who our husband is. !"

As Yan Xiaoliu's father, Yan Er humbly said for him: "It's all because of the teacher's good teaching, otherwise my naughty Xiaoliu might not be able to be admitted to the academy."

Primary six passed the exam, will primary seven, eight, and ninth be far behind?I don't know if the boss, the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth will have a chance to take the exam again...

"Not bad, not bad!" Zi Baifeng stretched out his hand to touch Xiao Liu's head, although he was not older than Yan Xiao Liu, Yan Xiao Liu didn't move away either.

"I'm so envious of you, brother, that all six students passed the exam." Someone beside him interjected.

Zi Baifeng turned his head, and saw a tall and strong young man standing behind him. The man had a square face, a big nose, some spots left by pimples on his face, thick and short hair, Made a small ball.Even though he looks like this, he is also dressed as a scholar, with a green skirt.

"Brother, you are..." Zi Baifeng felt that this person looked familiar, but he didn't know him.

"I'm Liu Ziyan, I had the honor to sit in front of my brother's stage during the court exam," the man said.

Zi Baifeng glanced at him, recalled it carefully, and immediately recalled that there was indeed such a person sitting in front of him at that time.

"Where is brother Ziyan now?" Zi Baifeng asked, cupping his hands.

"I am now the village chief of Daoliu Village, but compared with Zixiong, Zixiong's reputation in this village is really far behind. Zixiong's reputation has already spread all over Mengcheng."

Zi Baifeng did two major things in a row. One was to beat the drums and sue the Fujun, but instead of being blamed by the Fujun, he was reused. Immediately, two lucky people also came to beat the drums to complain If you sue the lord, all of them will be punished - which shows the lord's love.And the other time, when Zi Baifeng was more famous, he scolded Feijianzi and walked out of Mengcheng mansion alive, which is even more legendary.

"I made fun of it..." Zi Baifeng blushed, he had no choice but to show his face.

"Back then, Xiongtai couldn't wake up in the examination room, so I knew that Xiongtai was a talent in the world. When I saw him today, it was indeed so. Even Erlang under Xiongtai's rule was so upbeat. Alas, I am a swordsman in Liucun... He pointed to a group of dejected teenagers behind him, all of them were dead parents, and the youngest one was sobbing.

"The whole army is wiped out?" Zi Baifeng shook his head with a smile, and said, "It was like this for a few years before we went down to Yan Village. Now more and more people come to Dongmeng Academy, and there are only a few students in the academy. It’s getting harder and harder to pass the exam.”

"Who said it wasn't? I just saw a student over there who traveled more than 500 miles to take the exam. When he came, he had already spent all his money. He didn't pass the exam this time, and he was worrying about how to go back."

"This is really pitiful..." Zi Baifeng sympathized a little verbally, but he also experienced fleeing when he was young. At that time, the father and son were penniless, and they suffered a lot along the way. Once the father and son were hungry. After two days, Zijian weaved a lifelike rabbit out of grass and sold it to a kind person. Then he exchanged it for a steamed stuffed bun, which Zi Baifeng ate before his father was willing to eat it.Two years of wandering have come here, five hundred miles away, let’s walk slowly, when we get home, we will know how hard it is, and know how to study hard.

"Who says it's not?" Brother Liu Ziyan seemed to like this sentence very much.

"Brother Zi." Liu Ziyan shook her head, clasped her fists again, and said, "What do you think about the jade tax?"

Zi Baifeng raised his eyebrows, and Liu Ziyan hurriedly said: "To be honest, our Dao Liu Village also needs to pay jade tax. Last time the government levied a supplementary tax, our Dao Liu Village has lost a layer of skin. This time is really powerless..."

Zi Baifeng overturned the taxes in his own village. He couldn't take care of all the other villages, but the governor didn't vigorously collect debts. These villages just got rid of the crisis of tax collection after a little effort. To a certain extent, Zi Baifeng saved these people, but even a little tax can make these people feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Hey, I really envy Brother Zi. He is a great writer and unparalleled in eloquence. Those of us who are in the same discipline as Brother Zi are really ashamed."

"I'm overwhelmed..." Zi Baifeng frowned, "I don't know what to do now, I can only take one step at a time."

"Actually, many of our villages in the same period have arrived in jade-producing villages, and they have all arrived in Mengcheng now. We will meet in Mengcheng at noon to discuss the matter of jade tax. It is also the right of our fellow scholars It's a wedding feast."

Seeing that Zi Baifeng hesitated, Liu Ziyan said again: "Brother Zi, don't worry, the money will be shared equally." According to common sense, Zi Baifeng should have more titles, but Zi Baifeng, like them, is just a village official. , so everyone will share the money equally.

(End of this chapter)