In Wanping County School, more than 20 students are wearing jade-colored cloth silk shirts, wide-sleeved soap edges, and wearing a flat square scarf, sitting behind the desk, waiting for the Confucian teacher to come.

According to the regulations of the imperial court, there are 20 students in the county school, and there is no definite number of epigenesis and hyperplasia.

He is a talent who has passed the hospital examination, and he receives six buckets of food every month, and he is given fish and meat. According to the words of later generations, not only is the tuition fee free, but also the scholarship is received every month. Hyperplasia and epiphysia are not treated so well, and all the expenses should be taken care of.

Every once in a while, the students will be evaluated through the examination and the usual results, which are divided into six grades, only the first and second classes can continue the township examination, and the third class and below can not even enter the examination room.

At this point, there is no discrimination.

Think everything will be fine if you enter the county school? Teachings and teachings will tell you with hard facts, daydreaming.

If you fail to study for ten years, or if you commit a major offense, expulsion from school is light, and you will have to send it to the confiscating officials to chase down the grain.

How much you eat in ten years, you have to vomit it out.

It can be seen that at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was not easy to be an official, and it was not so easy to learn.

After Meng Qinghai passed the college examination, he entered the county school in August.

Because its articles are all excellent, it was rated as first-class a month ago. After the imperial court issued a guarantee order, Meng Qinghai was naturally listed on the list of county school nominations. Unexpectedly, three first-class students, two second-class, and the other four were all used, but Meng Qinghai was brushed down.

On the same day, the teacher went to the county government to see the order, and immediately summoned the teacher of the school after returning, with a hint of anger on his face.

"Meng Qinghai is what you recommend?"

"Exactly, I don't know?"

"Confused!" The priest slapped the table violently, "My new appointment may be negligent here." You have served Wanping for three years, how can you not know about Meng Shishilang? What kind of character Meng Qinghai is, you don't know?! ”

As soon as the instructor's expression changed, he immediately opened his mouth to argue, "This matter is just a rumor, and Meng Shishilang joined the army, only to avenge his father and brother, not persecution from the clan. ”

"Ridiculous!" The priest's expression became even more severe, "If this is the case, how can the Great Decree deliberately cross out his name?" Frankly admit that this son is okay to learn, but misconducted? ”

"Is that really what the Great Decree said?"

"It's not just a big order." The edict hid his anger and sat down behind the case again, "The second Yin of the county, the main book, all have a bad impression of this son. Will you be able to protect him? ”

The instructor was silent. Obviously, the edict was eaten and hung up in the county government, and he held back his anger, and if he didn't send it out today, he would make up for it in the future. What else can Shangguan do if he gets angry? Bear.

When the anger was almost over, the instructor took out the revised list, "These four people will go to the county government in two days to meet the big order." ”

After taking the list, the instructor took a closer look, and sure enough, Meng Qinghai's name was gone.

The instructor got up and left, but the priest was still unhappy. Although he is new to Wanping County, he has been a teacher for nine years, and the evaluation in the coming year is extremely important to him. The superior can be promoted, and the average can be without merit, if you get a difference, I am afraid that you will be dethroned.

Fortunately, he and Er Yin are in the same year and have a slight friendship, otherwise it would be difficult for Da Ling to pass that level.

learned about Meng Qinghai's personality, which made him even more displeased.

How can such conduct be the learning of saints?

If Meng Qinghai's studies are average, he can still find a reason to demote him to the sixth rank, or drive him out of the county school, or send him to become an official. However, the test results of other colleges are good, and the articles are all right, and it is untenable to expel him from the county school just because of his family's misbehavior.

Thinking of this, the face of the Sect became even more gloomy.

Whoever knows that there is a stone blocking his way, but he can't move this stone immediately, his mood will not be much better.

At this time, the school had learned that the four students had been promoted, and they would soon meet the order, and the other students congratulated them.

Compared with the high-spirited spirit of Du Qi and others, Meng Qinghai looked embarrassed and depressed. No matter how calm he was, his stiff smile and somewhat trembling fingers were completely - revealing - his true emotions at the moment.

Liu Gen, who was second-class, was selected, but he who was rated first-class was crossed out. Although the words of the instructor were vague, the meaning revealed in the words was that Da Ling did not like him because of all the things in the Meng clan.

Meng Qinghai sat behind the table, as if someone was always whispering in his ears.

After class, he almost left the county school as if he were running away.

Embarrassment, shame, unwillingness.

The usual efforts seem to have become a joke at this moment.

When they returned home, Meng Guangxiao and Meng Liu were full of expectations, and they also bought a table of good dishes, and the couple were looking forward to the eldest son being able to get a chance to soar. didn't want to do what he wanted, but instead of being promoted, Meng Qinghai was reprimanded by the county commander for his bad conduct.

"If this word spreads, my son ......"

Meng Liu sat down on the chair and kept wiping away tears. When the old man brought back the news, she still didn't believe it, Xu Sanlang in the tunzi next door was not even a child, but he could be promoted because of filial piety. His own eldest man was obviously admitted to Xiucai, but he ended up like this!

Months of worry and dissatisfaction finally erupted at this moment. Meng Liu was crying and complaining about Meng Guangxiao, if he hadn't coveted the fields of the Twelve Lang family, how could he have caused his son to be reprimanded!

"If my son can't take the imperial examination, I, I won't take a break with you!"

Meng Guangxiao also looked depressed, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. Listening to Meng Liu's complaints, he was angry for a while and coughed violently.

"Boss?"

Meng Liu was frightened, Meng Congjun left, Meng Guangxiao's body was just a few days long, and now he is angry and anxious, but he can't go wrong again. didn't care about crying anymore, so he hurriedly stepped forward to support Meng Guangxiao, and followed his back and chest, "Boss, you can't have an accident." Blame me, blame me! ”

Thinking about Da Lang who couldn't be promoted, and then thinking about Shilang who was forced to go to the border, Meng Liu finally had a grudge against Meng who caused all this.

"Well, it's a big deal to return all the property of the Twelve Lang family!" Meng Guangxiao coughed and said, "Don't let my son be burdened by being a father!" ”

"Daddy." Meng shook his head, "It doesn't have to be like this. ”

"......"

"It won't help to go back, it will make the second and third cousins dissatisfied, and then leave people with a handle, saying that we are weak-hearted."

"Dalang, if you don't do this, what will happen to your reputation?"

"Reputation?" Meng Qinghai suddenly smiled, "Dad, when I bought the land of the Twelve Lang family, can the land deed and all the formalities be complete?" Can there be a Chinese person? ”

"Yes, both!" Meng Guangxiao said busily.

"In this case, it is both silver and goods, where does the so-called encroachment on the land of the clan begin?" Meng Qinghai stepped forward to support Meng Guangxiao, "Before Twelve Lang left, didn't he say his father's love in front of everyone and give him treasure money, rice and grain?" And Shiro followed him north out of the Saiwai, so the accusations of others are just listening to rumors, and they are not unreasonable. ”

"Then don't pay it back? Can the county order such a comment? ”

"No problem." Meng Qinghai shook his head, "It's just that you can't be promoted, and with your ability, it's okay to take the imperial examination." ”

Even though he was relieved, Meng Guangxiao still regretted that if he had been ruthless at the beginning, he would have let that little beast ......

"Dad, the matter has come to this, and it is useless to regret it." Meng Qinghai straightened up, "This incident has also taught my son a lesson, and doing things in the future will inevitably affect himself." At the beginning, my father didn't make a ruthless move on Twelve Lang and Aunt Liutang, but now I can't think about it anymore, but it's just adding to my troubles. ”

"Da Lang, do you know about this?"

"Dad, Twelve Lang has to live, live well." Meng Qinghai smiled gently, "If you are bent on letting Twelve Lang die without a place to be buried, it is not impossible, but it is not yet the time when the fish dies and the net is broken." Father and mother only need to believe in their son, and his son will have the title of the gold list one day. Twelve Lang and I will always meet one day. ”

"Da Lang ......"

The Meng Qinghai in front of him made Meng Guangxiao and Meng Liu feel strange, and the strangeness made them afraid.

In late October of the 31st year of Hongwu, the list of talents in Wanping County was finally drawn up and submitted to the political envoy of Beiping.

The political envoy did not dare to delay, and immediately sent a fast horse to send the list to Nanjing. Along with the news that the Tartars had invaded the border and were repelled by the border army.

At this time, the smoke of war has dissipated. The bones of the Tartars and the border soldiers have been collected, the dead horses have entered the bellies of the border soldiers, and the captured horses and weapons have been counted one by one and distributed according to the merits of the war.

Whether it is a Tartar or a Wako, the Ming army's military exploits are based on the first rank. Some of the seizures were presented, and the rest was digested internally by the border army and the guards.

Meng's injuries were more serious than expected, and on the day he returned home, he had a high fever and was in a coma for two days, so he naturally couldn't follow the order to go to Qianhu to report.

Fortunately, Deputy Shen Qianhu was magnanimous, not only did he not pursue it, but he also sent a doctor to distribute the herbs. The dozen or so brothers who survived the battlefield with Meng also benefited from this.

When he was able to walk on the ground, Meng immediately took the waist card and went to the Qianhu Institute to meet Shen Deputy Qianhu in person, but he didn't think about it.

It turned out that Zheng Qianhu was seriously injured, and all the affairs of Qianhu were presided over by Deputy Shen Qianhu. Shen Xuan is so busy every day that his feet don't touch the ground.

"The Tartars knocked on the side and delayed the collection of grain, and the deputy thousand households went to the outside of the city with three hundred households to supervise the collection of grain."

In addition to fighting with knives, the border army also had to carry hoes and fields, and when the Tartars left, it was time to collect grain.

After thanking the scribe, Meng turned to leave. During the time he was in bed, Ding Xiaoqi and Liu Xiaoqi were in charge of everything in the flag, and now that he can get up, he can't continue to be lazy.

He was in such a hurry to see Shen Xuan, not just for business. What's more, the two checks promised by Shen Deputy Qianhu before should be cashed, right? Even if you try a hundred households, you still have to consider it, desperately defend the pier, and kill so many Tartars, you must always give some rewards, right?

There are no copper coins, and there is no problem with grain and salt, and it would be better to give some pepper and spices. Even if it's just a little bit of money, it's fine!

None of these, the new Zhuang Ding from the Wei Institute and the remaining Ding from the family of the soldiers who died in the war, what does it mean to give a few people to assemble, right? Otherwise, he bears the name of a general flag and manages the team of small flags, and it doesn't sound good to say, and it doesn't look good to see.

Meng thought as he walked out of the Thousand Households.

Not far from the gate, I met a few fresh faces, and when I saw Meng, I said from a distance: "Is it Meng Zongqi under Shen Guerrilla in front?" ”

The person who spoke was dressed in a blue regimental collar shirt, a black gauze hat, a black horn belt around his waist, a white face and beard, and a slightly shrill voice.

Meng stood still, and two big words flashed in his mind: eunuch.