Ruanjiatian is located in the area of Baiyang Mountain in the north of Yizheng County, and Yang Ji has been walking for half a day and has arrived. The Ruan family's land here is an unusual family property, which is placed for the Ruan family's tomb, even if the Ruan family encounters an accident, it will not be confiscated. The Ruan family has its own housekeeper to manage the land here, and there was no need for additional manpower. Ruan Chengxin asked Yang Ji to come over, but in fact, he was just giving him something decent to do, so as not to let him be idle, and he didn't have to do hard labor, so he didn't seem to be a customer.

At one time, Yang Ji found the housekeeper of the Ruan family, asked about the situation of the fields, rested for a day, and went to the nearby fields the next day to find some farmers to understand the customs. At this time, there was still some time before the busy farming season, and there were not many people in the fields, and there were only three or four people in the field where Yang Ji went.

One of the farmers is older and is fertilizing the field, and all the farmer can do at this time is to draw water, fertilize and weed. The farmer saw that the fertilization was finished, and when he casually glanced at it, he saw a stranger in the field. Seeing that he was not a gangster, he beckoned to him and motioned to sit down, Yang Ji also wanted to chat with the farmers here and learn some Yangzhou customs, so he walked over.

The farmer was quite talkative, so Yang Ji didn't treat him as an outsider, reported his origin, and began to ask about the Ruan family. The farmer had a good impression of the Ruan family, and said, "This Ruan master is in our area, and he can be regarded as a good person." You see, I'm not too young, I've lived here for decades, and the rent hasn't risen on this land. ”

Yang Jiqi said: "Isn't it that there is no rent increase? What is there to be good about this, they raise the rent all day long, that is called being rich and unkind. You have all these lands, and they have risen for you, what are you going to live on? ”

The farmer said, "Judging by your face and accent, I also know that you are very unfamiliar with this place. This Yangzhou capital city and Yizheng county town are different from our countryside. I want to buy some things in the countryside, and how much money I spent when I was young is about one or two percent more now. But they are different in the city, I heard people from the city say that if you want to rent a house in Yangzhou these years, the cost is twice as high as when I was a child, or even twice as much! Mr. Ruan has not increased the rent for decades, but he has actually lost a lot. ”

Yang Ji said: "Uncle, you have a good life yourself, I don't think that's it." That old man Ruan is in Yangzhou City, dozens of miles away from here, you, you better live your life first. ”

The farmer smiled: "You're right, but here, it is said that it is the property of Master Ruan's family, but it is actually the tomb property, and there are not many people." That's how life is lived. I heard that most of the tombs of Old Man Ruan's family are in Yangzhou, and here is the ......" He pointed to the foot of the mountain behind him and said, "There are some people buried over there." "In fact, the Ruan family came to Yizheng to buy land in order to change their hometown to Yizheng, and many of Ruan Yuan's direct ancestors were buried in the ancestral tomb of Leitang, Yangzhou. Ruan Yuan's grandfather Ruan Yutang and mother Lin were all buried in Leitang, and most of the people buried in Yizheng were distant relatives.

Yang Ji didn't know anything about this, and he was fascinated by it for a while. I only heard the farmer continue: "Master Ruan doesn't live here, I heard that Master Ruan has some distant brothers who are not here, and they are like this on weekdays. Having said that, the last time I saw a foreigner was half a month ago. ”

Yang Ji was more interested in the price of urban and rural prices, and said: "Since you said that things are cheap here and it is not easy to live in the city, then why doesn't Master Ruan move here to live in the town?" I look at Yangzhou, it's not good, there are too many people outside, and it's panicked. ”

The farmer said: "Actually, I went to Chenji in Ganquan County a few years ago, and at that time, Master Ruan lived in Chenji. I've also met his son-in-law, who is very nice, polite and sensible. I heard that Mr. Ruan's family has always been a scholar, and they are all literary and opera stars, and they are kind-hearted. In fact, the farmer was not right, what he wanted to say was that when Ruan Yuan was twelve or thirteen years old, Ruan Chengxin and Jiang Fang were doing business together at that time, not in Yangzhou, but Lin and Ruan Yuan lived in Chenji. When the farmer saw that there were people in Chen Ji Ruan's house, he mistakenly thought that Ruan Chengxin was there.

But Yang Ji's focus was not here, listening to the farmer talk about Ruan Yuan, Yang Ji became interested instead, and said, "Which son did you say Master Ruan's son?" ”

"Master Ruan heard that there is only one son, but I don't know what his name is."

"Uncle, the son of Master Ruan...... Are people really nice? ”

"Yes, I just went to Chenji that day to sell some local products from our side, and the fields were fine in those days, so I made a little money. I happened to see a Ruan family over there, I heard people here say that Master Ruan has a house in Chenji, and I know that it is their family. The kid was polite to me, and as soon as I heard him speak, I knew that he was a child of a scholar's family, and he was very comfortable. His mother was arranging furniture at home at the time, and she didn't look very well, and he had been helping, but he was filial. ”

The farmer looked at Yang Ji and asked, "You said you are from the Ruan family in Yangzhou, why?" Haven't you seen the son of the Ruan family? ”

Ruan Yuan, who listened to the farmer's description, was very different from what he thought, and Yang Ji naturally didn't dare to speak out directly, smiled awkwardly, and said, "I've seen it, I've seen it, people...... People are very nice, no, I just want to ask more. ”

When the farmer saw that he was honest, he didn't say much, and continued to talk about other topics. Yang Ji gradually felt that Ruan Yuan might not be as bad as he thought.

In order to confirm Ruan Yuan's character, he was ready to return to Yizheng County several times.

Ruan Yuan usually lives in Zifu Temple, and when he is studying, he goes to the county school, his daily life is quiet, seeing that the hospital exam is approaching, and he rarely goes out to play, Yang Ji wants to stare at Ruan Yuan, it is not difficult at all. He was originally from Miao Village, and he was not a scholar at first glance, but it was easy to get together with the small people in the market. For convenience, he often pretended to be a county school guard to observe Ruan Yuan's daily life.

The county school has always been quiet on weekdays, in fact, in the Qing Dynasty, although the county school is an official school, most of the people who read do not pay attention to it, especially the rich family, if you want to study, you can hire a gentleman at home, usually in addition to the assessment of the county school, it does not affect the imperial examination. Even in some county schools, sacrificial ritual utensils are often not used. Over time, even thieves were reluctant to visit the county school. The reason why Ruan Yuan often comes here is also because Jiao Xun and Wang Zhong are both in school, and in addition to preparing for the imperial examination, they have fun chatting about Confucian scriptures and historical allusions of various dynasties.

On this day, Yang Ji suddenly caught a glimpse of a young boy who took a book to Ruan Yuan to ask for advice. Yang Ji saw that Ruan Yuan didn't notice him, so he hid in a corner and listened to the conversation between the two.

The boy said: "Brother Ruan, I look at this "Book of Shang", in which it is written that "Li Min resists hunger" is an obstacle to danger, but my family's "Book of Shang" is written about the ancestors of the ancestors, which one is right?" ”

Ruan Yuan said: "In fact, no matter the obstacles of danger or the ancestors of the ancestors, there was no such thing in ancient times. In ancient times, all characters had only one and only one word. Later, in order to distinguish the meaning of different situations, the ancients added a part of the word and, which is why the ancestral word of the ancestors and the dangerous word of resistance appeared. This is the meaning of the word "and", in the sense of antiquity, is the beginning, that is, the beginning of everything. Therefore, whether the ancestral word is used here, or the word "resistance", in fact, the original meaning is the same, it is the meaning of 'initial'. ”

Tong Sheng asked again: "The words 'final harmony and peace' and 'final warmth and benefit' in the "Book of Songs" are also regarded as the initial meaning?" I remember that Mr. said that the word "end" means "end"? ”

Ruan Yuandao: "The word here should indeed be understood as the beginning, but the word end does not mean 'end-day', and the word 'end' here should be synonymous with 'both', that is, it refers to the end." Combining the word "end" and the word "end" means 'from beginning to end'. ”

Tong Sheng asked again: "How should the word 'let's go' be explained?" ”

Ruan Yuan said: "This Gu character and the word are actually the same meaning. There is a sentence in the "Book of Songs", "I will drink the golden requisition", and the word "gu" refers to the beginning, that is, I am going to pour wine into this golden revelry. This Gu character and the word, you look very far apart, but in fact, there is a connection. The ancients should have invented the word first, and later, they invented the bold word, which was the most superficial and sparse at the beginning of this thing, and you will know their connection if you remember it like this. The pronunciation of this bold character is similar to the word Gu, and over time, some people use the word Gu to indicate the beginning. ”

In fact, the word "and" has a lot of meanings, and Ruan Yuan can't fully explain it for a while. But when Yang Ji listened, he vaguely felt that he could understand the meaning of these words. Yang Ji's father had been under Ruan Yutang's account for many years, and Ruan Yutang taught him to read some books when he had nothing to do on weekdays, so although Yang's father did not have a high level of education, he had also read the "Four Books" and knew a lot of words. Later, Yang's father returned to Daqing Village and continued to teach the children basic reading and literacy. It's just that Father Yang was not impressed by rules such as avoidance, and he didn't care about it, so he didn't pass it down.

For Yang Ji, whether a person is good at learning or not depends not on how many books he reads, but on whether he can understand what he says. Yang Ji was not familiar with the poems and passages that Ruan Yuan talked about, but he could still remember the meanings of the words "and", "gu", "end" and "coarse" until the next day, and gradually recognized Ruan Yuan's teaching ability.

Another day, it rained heavily in Yizheng, seeing that Ruan Yuan had already left, Yang Ji didn't care, and was about to leave, but he saw Ruan Yuan himself holding an umbrella and holding an umbrella in his hand, and returned to the county school. After a while, another scholar walked out with Ruan Yuan.

I only listened to the man: "Bo Yuan, this is hard for you." It was supposed to be your brother-in-law to take care of you, but I didn't expect to come out today, and I was sloppy for a while, and I actually forgot to bring an umbrella. ”

Ruan Yuan said with a smile: "Why be polite in the hall, in fact, it didn't rain in the morning. It's just that I wake up early on weekdays and get used to looking at the weather. Looking at it this morning, I felt that there was a day before and it was like today, and it suddenly rained, so I prepared an umbrella, but I didn't really want to use it. ”

The two walked all the way, but they didn't see Yang Ji. Of course, Yang Ji didn't know that the other person was Jiao Xun, he hadn't seen it. But he knew that if he hadn't had the habit of carrying a hat, he could just shelter from the rain, and he wouldn't have been able to go back to this day.

Seeing that the autumn harvest season had arrived, Yang Ji and the local housekeeper returned to Yangzhou after collecting the rent. However, later at Ruan's house, Ruan Chengxin and Jiang Cai unexpectedly discovered that Yang Ji never said anything bad about Ruan Yuan again.

Ruan Yuan has been preparing for the hospital examination in Yizheng, and it is already winter, and it is only three or four months before the hospital examination. On this day, he simulated the eight-strand text in the study, and suddenly saw Wang Zhong take the book and walk in front of him.

Wang Zhong saw that he was writing seriously, so he couldn't help but tease, and said, "Boyuan, it's almost the New Year, let's see if this gift is satisfactory?" He and Ruan Yuan have known each other for half a year, and they read and learn from each other on weekdays, and they know that Ruan Yuan is talented and knowledgeable, so they also recognize him as a confidant and have a heart-to-heart relationship.

Ruan Yuan was also a little flattered, and said: "Brother Rongfu is polite, since it was sent by my brother personally, how can there be any reason to be dissatisfied?" ”

Wang Zhong said: "You are too boring, I took this booklet, I want to wait for you to know the content, then evaluate, where is there still I don't know what it is, just say the good truth first?" I won't give you anything next time. But thinking about what should be done, he whispered: "Actually, I have been friends with Master Xie for a long time, and I know exactly what his preferences are when he takes exams." Now he has written here the titles of the four books that he may use. Stay until next year and wait for high school! ”

Ruan Yuan was overjoyed when he heard this, although he knew the scope of the exam, he might not be able to use Chinese style, but the exam had a focus, and it was naturally much easier than reading through the "Four Books" like looking for a needle in a haystack to prepare for the exam, so that the college exam would hardly be a problem. Then he said: "Thank you Brother Rong Fu, the little brother has received gifts over the years, and Brother Rong Fu's book is the most precious." ”

Wang Zhong was afraid that he would be suspicious, and said: "Actually, this is also something that I have known the teacher for a long time, and I figured it out by myself, so I may not be tested in the chapters and sentences, but it is easier to ask questions here." And my guess is not cheating, don't think too much about it. Having said that, in fact, he also knows that Xie Yong does not seek strange sentences, and often comes up with simple questions, just looking at how well the text plays. Therefore, he has absolute confidence in whether the "bet" is pressed or not.

didn't think that Ruan Yuan was silent for a long time, but the next sentence was much more than he expected: "Brother Rongfu, since you have guessed that Master Xie has a question, and the younger brother has a suggestion, how about informing the other students of this topic as well?" ”

Wang Zhongqi said: "Boyuan, I have seen those who fight for righteousness and squander money, and I have seen those who sacrifice themselves to save others, but you are the first to give up the position of a student." If you look at this county school, is there anyone more stupid than you? I told them the question, haha, isn't everyone going to get it? Bo Yuan, you should know that there are so many candidates every year, how many people have gray hair, and they can't pass the exam, you still say such naïve things. Or do you look down on me and don't treat me as a friend? ”

Ruan Yuan said: "Why did Brother Rong Fu say this? Since the first day he met Brother Rong Fu, the younger brother knew that Brother Rong Fu was a confidant, so he knew everything. It's just Brother Rongfu, you are not just a friend of the younger brother, but also a teacher in the county school, in this matter, you can't abolish the public because of personal interests. ”

Wang Zhong said: "Abolish the public for private reasons? Are they worth it? I have been studying in this county for a long time, what level do they have, I don't know? Give them the test questions and let these mediocre people be students? You're the joke. ”

Ruan Yuan was still very gentle, and said, "Brother Rongfu, this is not a question of virtue and foolishness, it is a question of fairness. If you lose fairness, how will the students of this county school view you in the future? Besides, although the question is good, even if there is not, can we candidates still not know which sentence is where? The competition in this academy is first, how good is the level of the article, and second, whether you can guess the topic, if you know the topic in advance to be admitted, then my years of study will be in vain. ”

Seeing that Wang Zhong was still reluctant to change his words, Ruan Yuan had no choice but to say: "Brother Rong Fu, if you insist on this, this book, the junior brother has no choice but to return it to Brother Rong Fu." Brother Rong Fu's kindness, the younger brother has received it, and he will definitely repay it in the future, and I hope Brother Rong Fu will forgive me. ”

Seeing that Ruan Yuan insisted on being fair, Wang Zhong didn't want to argue with him anymore, so he had to say: "Okay, since Bo Yuan is so righteous, I will give one copy of this booklet to each person at the next meeting, so that they can see it all." Hmph, don't blame me if you can't pass the student exam when the time comes. ”

But as Wang Zhong spoke, his face suddenly changed slightly, and he said with a smile: "Okay, you Ruan Boyuan, I thought that between this Huaiyang, in terms of arrogance, I recognized the second, and no one recognized the first." I didn't think I'd be here with you, but I was in trouble. Do you want to say that in terms of talent, you are second to none in Huaiyang. Even if everyone had a booklet like this, you could still go to high school, wouldn't you? ”

Ruan Yuan said with a smile: "Brother Rong Fu, I can't afford this!" But then again, whether Ruan Yuan thinks so in his heart or not, only he knows.

Soon, the 50th year of Qianlong came as scheduled, and Ruan Yuan was ready to study in the county, so he returned to Yangzhou to prepare for the college examination. The examination room of the Yangzhou Academy Examination was near Taizhou on the left, so Ruan Yuan had to go in advance, Jiang Cai was worried about Ruan Yuan, so he asked to go with him, and Yang Ji also wanted to see what the Academy Examination was like, so a group of three people went to Taizhou together.

The college examination is different from the previous prefectural and county examinations, and the later township examinations. There are two days to take the college examination, but only the second day of the examination is called the "main field", because the content of this day's examination is two four-book (eight-strand) essays and one five-character and six-rhyme poem, which is the same as the content of the later township examination, so it is highly valued. The first day of the exam is called "Jingguchang", which consists of three parts: scripture interpretation, historical theory, and poetry. In addition, before preparing for the college examination, candidates must choose one or more of the scriptures, strategies, theories, and poems in the official school to show their daily studies.

Ruan Yuan's optional part has already been completed, and the first day of the Jinggu exam seems to be going well. But in the crucial second game, Jiang Cai was not at ease no matter what, and also took a carriage to the door of the examination room and waited for her husband. Yang Ji was idle, and by the way, he started to work as a groom, he thought that Jiang Cai was doing more, but looking around the examination room, there seemed to be a lot of carriages waiting for family members, so he didn't want to say more.

The college examination is already a relatively high-level examination, so naturally there are many soldiers around the examination room to help maintain order. But even so, there are quite a few escorts on the side. Although Yang Ji was willing to play in the market, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed when he saw that these people were disturbing him, just because he had just passed a hospital exam that Engong easily passed back then. Said: "I said little lady, isn't our Yangzhou a mansion?" These officials are full of food and support, and they want to put the examination room in Taizhou, which is so far away? He didn't know what to call Jiang Cai for the time being, so he casually said "little lady" to refer to it.

Jiang Cai was very serious and said: "Brother Yang, you don't know, our Yangzhou has always been full of talents over the years, and every year I heard that there are many people in the provincial capital." Therefore, the scholars in other counties have always been dissatisfied with our Yangzhou capital, feeling that the capital city is far away from them, and you don't need to move the place in the hospital, but we have to run for several days, saying that it is not fair. Therefore, this dynasty has long had a rule that the hospital examination will be held in Taizhou, which is also for everyone to be fair. Several brothers of the same clan in my family also have to travel so far for the exam. ”

"Did any of them pass the exam?" Yang Ji asked.

"Very little." Jiang Cai thought for a while and said, "The previous generation of students in my family all donated, and only one uncle was a student who took the exam. Later, I took the township exam once, but I failed the list, and I never took the test again. The college examination is not easy, especially when you meet a famous adult who is a student and politician, the requirements can be strict! ”

Yang Ji couldn't help but look down on the Jiang family a little, and said: "I heard that Engong is less than thirty years old, and he has already taken the martial arts exam, even if the path is different, Engong should be very young and a student, right?" ”

"Grandpa is very powerful!" Because Jiang Cai has married into the Ruan family, he is also called Ruan Yutang's grandfather. "You see, Bo Yuan's own grandmother is my grandfather's cousin. Grandpa had a wife when he was young, and then he was so pitiful, and he was less than thirty years old...... It's gone. At that time, my grandfather was in his early thirties, and he was a third-class guard. At that time, our Jiang family felt that he was young and promising, and he was willing to marry his grandfather. ”

Yang Ji had never met the Ruan family before, but he had been to Jiang Mansion and knew that the Jiang family must be the richest man in Yangzhou, and it had been prosperous for four or five generations. Since the richest man in Yangzhou is willing to marry his daughter, Engong must be the leading figure back then. At this time, there was a sudden commotion in front of the entrance of the examination hall, and when I looked over, I found that two guards had caught a candidate and escorted him out, and there was a person behind him holding some papers with words written on them.

"Everybody's on it! Cheating is like this, and there will be records in the yamen in the future, and from now on, you will never be allowed to enter the examination room again! The guards in the back shouted.

Yang Ji couldn't help but wonder a little, he didn't know that there were people cheating in such an exam.

Jiang Cai looked out, knew the probability, and sighed: "Brother Yang, exams have always been like this. Looking at his age, he is not young, I think that his talent is really not enough, or he has not met a good gentleman, this forbidden exam will ruin his life for the rest of his life. ”

Yang Jigang wanted to say that he deserved it, but saw that the boy was thin and staggered when he walked. Presumably, the family background is not good, thinking about it, I don't dare to despise this hospital test.

Who knew that it didn't take long for the courtyard to be noisy again, and when I looked at it this time, I saw two guards carrying a child out one after the other. This man said that he was a child, and his hair was already gray, and he looked like he was not sixty, but fifty-five or sixteen. This time, no one came out with a cheating paper, thinking that he was too old and physically exhausted, so he fainted in the examination room.

"You said he was so old, what else did he take? Wouldn't it be nice to do something else? Yang Ji was also a little puzzled.

"Children are not the same as students." Jiang Cai said: "I heard my grandfather say that Tong Sheng said that he was a scholar, but in fact, he was no different from the small people in the market. But the birth is different, the birth can be exempted from servitude, and the county will not bow down...... It's a lot different from ordinary children. And after taking the fame of the student, you can teach on your own. If the results are better, the imperial court will also give some money and rice every year. Our family doesn't have to worry about that, but those ordinary people's lives can be improved a lot. ”

Yang Ji had never been familiar with the world before, and he always felt that those who couldn't pass the imperial examination were stupid. On this day, I watched an exam with my own eyes, and I gradually felt the difficulty of the imperial examination. remembered that it was useless to scold Ruan Yuan just because he was not a student, and it seemed that he didn't have a backache when he stood and spoke.

In the blink of an eye, the final time of the college examination has arrived, and the exams have walked out of the examination room one after another. Ruan Yuan was naturally among them, although there were many people outside, but Yang Ji's iconic hat was very recognizable in the crowd, so he walked to the carriage. He asked, "Why is Cai'er so worried?" This exam is only one day, and it will come soon, why bother you to wait here for so long? ”

Jiang Cai was about to say that he was fine, but suddenly saw Yang Ji with doubts on his face, thinking that he wanted to know how Ruan Yuan did in the exam, and he was embarrassed to speak, so he said for him: "I'm fine, I'll be with you for a day like this, can't I still do it?" Master, is the exam question difficult today? I see that there was an old gentleman who was carried out just now. ”

Ruan Yuan said: "It seems that in the examination room, there was indeed a commotion for a while, as if someone cheating was seen." I was working on the paper, and I didn't pay much attention to it. "In fact, the questions of this four-book essay test were all told to Ruan Yuan by Wang Zhong, and they were not originally rare chapters and sentences. It's just that the more ordinary the sentence, the more powerful it is to answer, and if you blindly seek curiosity and change, and don't have enough writing skills, you will also suffer a big loss. So even if he was prepared, Ruan Yuan still answered very seriously, so much so that he didn't know what was going on in the exam room. Yang Ji saw that Ruan Yuan was quite calm, and it seemed that this exam was not difficult for him. But he also knew that whether he did well in the exam or not, he had to say the final word in the end, so he stopped talking.

Jiang Cai didn't care, and beckoned Ruan Yuan to get into the carriage. Ruan Yuan looked around and suddenly asked, "What about the inner hall?" Last year, he said that I would take the college exam this year, and he would definitely come to accompany me no matter what. Why haven't I seen him yet, I've finished the exam. ”

Jiang Cai said: "Litang said that his father was sick after the New Year, so he didn't come. Master, have you forgotten? Didn't we tell you before we went out? Look at how you really are, you can't remember anything in a test. ”

Ruan Yuan said: "Blame me for being so focused that I forgot about it." Yang Ji, let's go back, wait until we go back to Yangzhou, and then go to see my uncle. Seeing that there was nothing to do here, the group left the examination room and went back to the post station, and within a day, they returned to Yangzhou. Ruan Yuan went back to Beihu to take care of Jiao's father for a few days, and at the same time, he was also waiting for the results of the trial admission in the hospital.

In the past few days since Ruan Yuan participated in the hospital examination, the income and expenditure accounts of the Jiang Mansion for the previous year have also been presented to the Jiang Chun brothers. Jiang Fang looked at the accounts, no surprise, and his face was full of worry.

Jiang Chun looked at Jiang Fang, but he was not surprised, and said, "How many years can I make up for it?" ”

Jiang Fang said: "Even if Qianlong has been thirty years to the present, we haven't made a single tael of silver. Brother said to make up? Seeing that the Huang family is in the prime of life in the future, and they are getting bigger day by day in Lianghu and Jiangxi, I am afraid that after a year or two, the capital will not be enough. The Jiang family in the past, I don't think I can come back again. ”

After thinking for a while, he remembered that there was another matter, and asked, "Brother, will you go to the Qiansu banquet this year or not?" "Qiansu banquet is the Qing Dynasty ancestor Kangxi Emperor pioneered, and the old people in the world to drink the banquet activities, Qianlong also inherited, this year he reigned for 50 years, it is the year of great luck, of course, to do a big deal. This banquet can nominally be attended by all the elderly over the age of 60 in the world, but the actual attendance is often thousands. Jiang Chun is 65 years old and is also eligible to participate.

"Go." Jiang Chun did not hesitate.

"What are you going to do? If you go and raise money, do you have to sell another garden? Seeing that our family continues like this, I am afraid that this Kangshan Thatched Cottage will be out in two days. ”

Jiang Chun was still very calm and said, "Orange, you should know that I'm not for myself. I'm sixty-five this year, and if you turn around the new year, you'll be sixty. How many days do we have left, don't I know? While the two of us are alive, the Jiang family will be fine. ”

"In the next generation, Zhenhong and Zhenlu are indeed inferior to the Huang family and the Wang family. Some of the two families are young and vigorous children, and they are also days. But Zhenhong Zhenlu's temperament is not difficult to keep his business. But what about you and my grandchildren? Over the years, has there been a success? At that time, the emperor is estimated to have changed, and he doesn't know us anymore. If it is once ...... Hehe, don't you know about the Cao family back then? His Cao family is Jiangning Weaving, and my brother and I are also Guanglu doctors. ”

Jiang Fang naturally knew that the Holy Ancestor was favored by the Cao family in Jiangning, but when he arrived in the Shizong Dynasty, he was confiscated because of the lack of money. Although the Jiang family is different from the Cao family, they are nominally private merchants, but the salt merchants are monopoly industries, but in fact, they have the same path as the government compradors. Listening to my brother's words, I also knew that my brother was thinking about the future of the Jiang family, and if his brother lived for one more day, the Jiang family would have more hope. If there is nothing to do now, I am afraid that if my brother leaves, or Qianlong dies, the Jiang family will have nothing to rely on. People will eventually die, although these words cannot be spoken, they should still be thought of.

But even so, Jiang Fang couldn't bear to let his brother suffer again, and said: "If these grandchildren really don't succeed, no matter how much we help them accumulate virtue, it will not be enough." Could it be that my brother still thinks that it will not be possible to let the emperor protect us for thousands of years? ”

"Find." Jiang Chun said this word unexpectedly.

Seeing that Jiang Fang was puzzled, Jiang Chun said: "You can't say it, you're talking about these descendants of my family." But our family business is like this, and there are one or two talented people outside, maybe it's not true. The rule of the Jiang family's school is that people of the same clan and surname can enter, can't you go outside to find them? I remember that there used to be a child with the same surname who was studying in our house, named Jiang Fan, I think he is good, like a scholar, and I will help him more in the future. ”

"I've met that kid a few times, although he has a good talent, he doesn't seem to want to be an official, and now I heard that he opened a pharmacy and started a small business. Brother really wants to help him? ”

"If you want to help, he loves to read, and he will hope to get ahead among the literati in the future, and when the time comes, he will say more good things about our family, even if he can help us. What about Xiangpu's Bo Yuan? I heard that Bo Yuan entered the county school last year, so it should be a college exam these days, right? "Jiang Chun's favorite is Ruan Yuan.

"Bo Yuan is really smart, he took the fourth place in the county school exam last year, and I look at the college exam, it's not a problem." Jiang Fang said, but after thinking about it, he felt that Ruan Yuan and Qianlong, and the future of the Jiang family, could not be connected together. Especially Ruan Yuan and Qianlong, one in the sky and one in the ground, even if Ruan Yuan is out, what can they do?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help asking: "Brother, even if Boyuan passes the academy examination, he is only a student, far away from the emperor." The brother asked them what they were trying to do. ”

"If Bo Yuan can pass the exam, I will send him to Beijing." Jiang Chundao, in fact, this is his true thoughts. "Orange, you and I are at the end of this life. The reason why our family has been prosperous for the past 50 years is that the emperor's support is indispensable. But then again, we are businessmen, and we are always a little far away from the emperor. The emperor is old again, and he can't come to Jiangnan anymore, if the emperor can't see a Jiang family for a long time, after a long time, his feelings for our family will naturally fade. That's when I was most worried. ”

"So recently, I've been thinking, since the emperor can't come up, then let's send someone over, if there is a Jiang family standing in front of the emperor, even if it's just the same clan and surname, as long as the emperor sees it, then he can think of us." If our family really violates the law of the country, it is our own fault. But as long as he is here, if someone wants to attack us for no reason, someone can help us prove our innocence. Boyuan's knowledge, I have seen it with my own eyes, and the emperor will definitely like it when he sees it. At that time, I will be relieved. ”

"It's just that now, whether it is Bo Yuan or other people in the Jiang family, there is no fame yet. Therefore, I still have to go to this banquet in person. In the last few years, no matter what, I had to hold on. Orange, you've been through so many winds and waves, you should know what I mean, right? ”

When Jiang Fang heard this, he already understood that Jiang Chun's greatest wish was to enter politics because of business and cultivate a person who could help the Jiang family in the imperial court. In this way, even if the decline of the Jiang family is inevitable, it will not be framed and lose the family business for no reason. So he smiled: "My brother has always believed in the Ruan family, and since Bo Yuan went to school, he has always said that he can become a talent." ”

Jiang Chun sighed: "The Ruan family's family style, I have to admire it." When General Ruan was a general in the Jiuxi Battalion, I sent him military rations, and I heard about General Ruan's benevolence and righteousness at that time. They said that one night there was an assassin who somehow broke into the barracks and did nothing but assassinate General Nguyen. But General Ruan didn't make a move, nor did he call others, just by virtue of some benevolent words, he asked the assassin to throw away his blade, kneel on the ground and cry bitterly, and then followed General Ruan with all his heart. At that time, I was deeply moved, and I decided that if the Ruan family had a chance in the future, my Jiang family would do their best to help. What's more, Bo Yuanben is also a talent. ”

Jiang Fang is no stranger to this story, Jiang Chun has often told him about it before. It's just that the details are a little vague, what did Ruan Yutang say that made an assassin abandon the darkness and turn to the light in an instant? But Jiang Chun didn't say it, there must be a reason not to say it, so he didn't ask more.

Soon after, Jiang Chun and other salt merchants raised a total of one million taels of silver and went to the capital to participate in the Qiansu banquet. And the results of this year's hospital examination were also released quickly.

Although the Ruan family felt that it was not difficult for Ruan Yuan to be admitted to the middle school students, on the day of the release of the list, everyone was still a little panicked. Yang Lugao was reluctant to go to school because of a past incident. The Ruan family had no choice but to find a short-term worker in the family and tell him how to write Ruan Yuan's name, so please take a look at it first.

But soon after, the Ruan family regretted this decision. From the mouth of Luowan Alley, everyone heard the man's louder and louder voice: "Master! Son! Great joy! Childe is in! The first place on the list is Childe! ”

In Ruan's house, Ruan Yuan and Ruan Chengxin couldn't believe it when they heard this, and they ran out for a while, seeing that the person had run back to the door of Ruan's house, they were out of breath, and still said excitedly: "Old ...... Master, I can see it clearly, Childe's name is at the top of the list! Childe's name is easy to remember, and the name is ...... Isn't it the right half of the surname, you can't be mistaken! ”

At this time, Jiang Cai and Yang Ji also ran out separately, and when they arrived at the door, Jiang Cai heard that Ruan Yuan not only won the student, but also won the first place, and he couldn't care about being reserved, so he hugged Ruan Yuan and said happily: "Great!" Master, I knew you could do it, but I didn't expect it...... I didn't expect my husband to win the first place! Saying that, thinking of Ruan Yuan's appearance when he came out of the examination room, he said coquettishly: "When you came out of the examination room, you were still stupid, and I couldn't tell if it was difficult to ask you questions." I must think that the question is too simple, and I look down on others, and I have a lot of eyes. But as he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh secretly when he thought that her husband was the first in Yangzhou.

Ruan Yuan is indeed very confident, after all, Wang Zhong had already informed the relevant questions before the exam, and he was confident when answering. It's just that when it comes to the first place, I still don't dare to think about it. At this time, when I heard that I had won the case, I was naturally overjoyed. Thinking of studying hard for many years, finally completing his studies and becoming a student, I also felt a little emotional. smiled and said to Jiang Cai: "Actually, it's Madame's credit." It has only been three months since my wife entered my house, and I have passed the county examination, and now it has only been more than a year, and all the students have been admitted. I must have been lucky enough to marry such a lucky lady. ”

The family congratulated each other and enjoyed themselves. Suddenly, a person who looked like a county official walked to the door and asked inside the door: "Excuse me, this is the house of Mr. Ruan, the head of the case?" ”

In the imperial examination, the first place in the three-level examination of the county government and the court is called the head of the case. Ruan Yuan's family also knew about it, and Ruan Yuan immediately replied: "It's Ruan Yuan below, I don't know what this eldest brother has to say when he comes to my house?" ”

The county magistrate smiled: "Congratulations to Ruan, my family has read Ruan's case, and I have been talking to you for many days." Now that the adults have arrived at the door, Ruan, come out and see my family. As he spoke, he pointed back, and saw a sedan chair had fallen in front of Ruan's house, the sedan curtain was lightly rolled, and a second-grade official in his sixties came out of it.

When everyone looked at the official, they only felt that although he was old, he was quite kind. Seeing that he was wearing a coral crown brocade robe, he knew that he was a second-class member. There are no such high-ranking officials in Yangzhou on weekdays, so this person thinks that he is the current Jiangsu Xuezheng and Xie Yong, the left waiter of the Ministry of Officials. Ruan Yuan's family hurriedly bowed down and said, "I've seen Master Xuezheng!" ”

That person was indeed Xie Yong, seeing Ruan Yuan bowing down, he hurriedly helped him up, and said, "This ordinary etiquette will be waived today." Judging by your appearance and age, it should be Yizheng Ruan Boyuan. Haha, when I look at your handwriting, I know that you should be a good person. When I saw it today, it was really a talent! Ruan Yuan's father and son were overjoyed when they heard him comment, and they hurriedly invited Xie Yong into the door to fulfill the friendship of the landlord.

For a while, Xie Yong arrived in the main hall, and the father and son of the Ruan family hurriedly invited Xie Yong to sit in the middle of the main seat, and Ruan Yuan accompanied him. Ruan Chengxin also asked Yang Lu to come over with high-end tea, and Yang Lugao heard that this adult ordered Ruan Yuan's case, and he was also overjoyed, and only regarded him as a benefactor, and didn't care about Xie Yong's official body. Soon the tea was served, Xie Yong looked at Ruan Yuan and said with a smile:

"You Yangzhou, you are indeed outstanding people, I served as Jiangsu Xuezheng twice, and I met a genius in this Yangzhou Mansion. Last time I hired Wang Rongfu here, this time it's you Ruan Boyuan. Rong Fu's poetry and literature are second to none in this Huaiyang, Bo Yuan, I look at your articles, I am afraid that I will achieve success in the future, and I will be above Rong Fu, haha! ”